AUSXIP LUCY LAWLESS ARCHIVED NEWS

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    AUSXIP Lucy Lawless News and Multimedia: February 2021 Archives

February 2021 Archives

28 February 2021

Lucy Lawless Auckland Crime Solver - Herald on Sunday 28 February 2021

Interesting article from the NZ Herald about My Life is Murder Season 2. You can find out more about My Life is Murder Season 1 on AUSXIP My Life is Murder Site

Herald On Sunday
28 February 2021

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Former Xena: Warrior Princess Lucy Lawless is looking forward to showing Auckland to the world — while solving a series of murders. Lawless’ hit Australian crime drama, where she plays homicide detective-turned private eye Alexa Crowe, is moving from Melbourne to Auck land as a New Zealand production by Greenstone. The Waitematā will replace the Yarra as Alexa, the Crowded House-loving Kiwi investigator, is brought home to Auckland.

My Life is Murder earned Lawless a new fanbase in Australia, the UK and the US with viewers loving her character’s funny, sexy and unfiltered character. Alexa bakes bread, speaks German and corrects people’s grammar when she’s not chasing baddies. Like Xena, she has been celebrated as a compelling female lead.

Aussie actress Ebony Vagulans, famous for her role in Doctor Doctor, has jumped the Ditch to reprise her role as Madison, Alexa’s ambitious and talented partner. “I am in love with the city of my birth and I’m thrilled to be showing her o to the world as the stunning back drop to our stories,” Lawless told Spy. “We are joined by some of NZ’s nest acting talent, headed by Rawiri Jobe and Joe Naufahu.

“Shortland Street star Jobe plays Detective Harry, who has a gift for finding the details in a case that will intrigue Alexa. Their on-screen chemistry is described as dynamic, fun and surprising. Naufahu, who earned international recognition on Game of Thrones, plays loveable cafe owner Reuben — the only person who can give Alexa advice and live to tell the tale.

Lawless has a real-life passion for true crime and is known to sit in on trials as a member of the public. In 2019 she went to Jeffrey Epstein’s bail hearing in New York when the late financier faced sex tracking charges, all of which she has soaked up to make Alexa an authentic character.

“When Lucy said she thought Alexa would be keen to bake sourdough in Auckland, we leapt at the chance and were so pleased to get such enthusiastic support from TVNZ and our international partners to create this new series,” says Greenstone CEO Rachel Antony. “We’re looking forward to introducing audiences around the world to Alexa Crowe’s home-town and to showcasing more of the talents of NZ writers, crew and our terrific cast,” she says.

The cat that played Alexa’s ginger feline companion, Chowder, did not make the trip to Auckland — after a series of rigorous auditions, a new ginger star, Zepplin, has been born.

My Life is Murder will screen on TVNZ 1 later this year. “I promise, there will be some knock out surprises coming in terms of casting. It’s been a tough 13 months, so let the good times roll.


 

 

27 February 2021

What’s New on Netflix UK This Week - Ash Vs Evil Dead

Ash vs. Evil Dead (Season 3) Seasons: 3 | Episodes: 30 Genre: Action, Comedy, Horror | Runtime: 30 Minutes Cast: Bruce Campbell, Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo, Lucy Lawless, Jill Marie Jones

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The under-rated sequel to the Evil Dead trilogy, Ash vs. Evil Dead deserved to go beyond its three-season run, but alas, the series came to an end after only three seasons. Hilarious, bloody, and of course there’s Bruce Campbell, so what’s not to love?

Taking place 30 years after the events of the Evil Dead trilogy, Ash Williams is working at the ‘Value Stop’ as a shelf-stacker, seemingly retired and content to living in his caravan Ash soon has to take up arms after an invasion of Deadites rocks his town, with his trusty boom-stick and attachable chainsaw Ash must once again send the dead back to the depths of Hell.

 


 

 

20 February 2021

My Life is Murder Update from Acorn TV!


 

 

13 February 2021

2021 SXSW Film Festival To Feature Animated Fantasy “The Spine of Night”

Lucy has voiced a character called TZOD in the animated fantasy “The Spine of Night” that has been described as “Ultra-violent, fantasy epic, ancient dark magic falls into sinister hands and unleashes ages of suffering onto mankind. A group of heroes from different eras and cultures must band together in order to defeat it at all costs.”

The 2021 SXSW Film Festival will feature this feature online on March 16 to 20, 2021.

Cast List: Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt, Betty Gabriel, Joe Manganiello, Larry Fessenden, Nina Lisandrello, Abby Savage, Tom Lipinski, Patrick Breen (World Premiere)

 

VARIETY – Feb 11, 2021

In one of the first big deals of the upcoming SXSW Film Festival, emerging genre sales company Yellow Veil Pictures has acquired the global sales rights for the animated fantasy “The Spine of Night.”

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Directed by Philip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King, the film is set to have its world premiere in the SXSW Midnighters section of the festival, which runs virtually from March 16–20. The cast includes Richard E. Grant (“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”), Lucy Lawless (“Ash Vs. Evil Dead”), Patton Oswalt (“A.P. Bio”), Betty Gabriel (“Get Out”), and Joe Manganiello (“Magic Mike XXL”), and featuring Abby Savage (“Orange Is the New Black”), Larry Fessenden (“The Dead Don’t Die”), and Rob McClure (Broadway’s “Beetlejuice”).

Described as an ultra-violent, epic fantasy, “The Spine of Night” was hand-rotoscoped in the style of cult classic animator Ralph Bakshi and designed to evoke the style of formative fantasy artist Frank Frazetta. (Bakshi and Frazetta collaborated on the 1983 animated fantasy “Fire and Ice.”) The story is set in a land of magic and showcases heroes, each from a different era and culture, contending with a malevolent force that could send humanity back into barbarism.

“‘The Spine of Night’ was made as a bold-faced love letter to a classic style of animation in the service of telling a fantasy story rich in theme and wild in imagination,” says Gelatt and King in a joint statement. “Given their devotion to boundary-pushing genre material, we can’t imagine a better partner on the film than Yellow Veil.”

“The images born of the classic era of adult-theme animation are given a new, modern lease on life in ​’The Spine of Night​,'” added Yellow Veil Pictures co-founder Joe Yanick. “It’s a seven-year labor of love that offers so much more than nostalgic fluff, but rather mines new depths in a beloved genre.”

Based in New York City and Los Angeles, Yellow Veil Pictures was founded in 2018 by Hugues Barbier, Justin Timms and Yanick as a worldwide film sales company that concentrates exclusively on genre cinema that pushes boundaries and emerging filmmakers who work in commercial, arthouse cinema. The company launched at the 2018 Frontières market at the Fantasia International Film Festival, and has worked on the debuts of Josh Lobo (“I Trapped the Devil”), A.T. White (“Starfish”), Matthew Pope (“Blood on Her Name”), and Jack Henry Robins (“VHYES”). Yellow Veil is also the festival agent for Shudder films “La Llorona,” “Blood Quantum,” “Host,” “Horror Noire,” and “The Ranger.”


 

 

12 February 2021

Mosley Picked Up For North American Distribution for Late 2021

Deadline reports that the NZ/Chinese produced movie Animated feature Mosley has been picked up for North American distribution by Grindstone Entertainment. The release for the CG-animated family adventure for later 2021. The movie has already been released in Australia via SBS On Demand (until 31 June 2021).

Mosley, and his family of four legged Thoriphants, live a worker's life on an isolated farm owned by Simon - a sullen, and mean-spirited farmer. One evening, after plowing all day, Mosley's son, Rue, comes bounding over to his father telling him he has discovered something magical in the woods near the farm. Bera, Mosley's pregnant wife, encourages Mosely to go with Rue. Although Mosley is tired, he follows his young son into the woods and discovers the reason for Rue's excitement - it's a cave with large ancient drawings on the walls - they're of Thoriphants similar to Mosley and Rue except they stand upright! Is this what the Thoriphant race used to be? What happened to cause them to become bent backed creatures without hands?

 

Languages: English

Directors: Kirby Atkins

Cast: Kirby Atkins, Rhys Darby, Lucy Lawless

Advice: Violence, Adult themes and/or dangerous stunts

 


 

 

4 February 2021

My Life is Murder Update for Australian Fans

The following was reported in Australia’s Mediaweek. Chatter about My Life is Murder has been sparse but this is some news for when the show will be back on network tv (channel 10) here in Australia.

It doesn’t look promising (and I suspect many will resort to waiting for the DVD to arrive). Channel 10 gave up on the show and it was up to Acorn TV and others to bankroll the new season (and the move to NZ where COVID is under control).

 

But there is some hope for more of My Life is Murder, starring Lucy Lawless. The production is moving to New Zealand with 10 to have a second window after an Acorn TV premiere.

“We will still broadcast My Life is Murder. I don’t think it will be this year but if it is, it wouldn’t be much before the end of this year.”

Source: https://www.mediaweek.com.au/mediaweek-roundup-the-future-of-the-chase-peter-helliar-rita-ora-more/


 

 

4 February 2021

Creation Entertainment's Salute to Xena Convention Rescheduled For December 3-5, 2021!

The Salute to Xena Convention was originally scheduled for August 2020 and then rescheduled to April 2021 has been rescheduled once again. See the message from Creation Entertainment about the new date of December 3-5, 2021 and if you can't make it, there is provision for your tickets to be refunded.

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While we had hoped that our Salute to Xena Convention could take place in April, due to the current local and global pandemic mandates regarding travel and other concerns, we must postpone once again. The NEW DATE is December 3-5, 2021 at the same venue, the Hyatt Regency LAX Hotel!

Guests Lucy Lawless, Renée O’Connor, Michael Hurst, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Brittney Powell, Musetta Vander, Ted Raimi, Jacqueline Kim, Steven L. Sears and Kevin Kutchaver are confirmed to attend the new date, and we’ll be confirming the rest of our guests as soon as possible. Check the website for updates!

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If you wish to hold your same seat or general admission, as well as a la carte autograph and photo op tickets, you do not need to do anything. Your tickets and same seating will be transferred to the new December 2021 date and updated tickets will be sent to you via the email address you used at the time of purchase within a few weeks. Your April 2021 ticket will no longer be valid.

Attendees must cancel their hotel reservations at this time. We will have revised booking links shortly so you can re-book your hotel reservations for the new date.

If you’d like a refund for the Xena Convention in April 2021, please contact customer.service@creationent.com. The deadline for refund requests for the convention is February 17, 2021 at 3:00 PM PST (please include your invoice number and the convention name/city in your email). If you do not request a refund by the deadline, your admission passes and a la carte photo op and autograph tickets will be transferred to the new date. Refunds will begin to be processed after the deadline date. Please allow up to 8 weeks from the deadline date for your request to be processed.

We appreciate your patience and continued support and look forward to seeing everyone in December!

Until we can all safely meet again to celebrate Xena: Warrior Princess together,

Your friends at Creation Entertainment


 

 

1 February 2021

Screenrant: Xena & Hercules Timeline Explained: When The Shows Take Place

Looking back at the Hercules television series starring Kevin Sorbo, and its spin-off Xena: Warrior Princess, it is difficult to pin down just when the shows were set. This is due to the Xenaverse (as the show's setting is commonly known) drawing off a number of historical and mythological sources.

The mythos of ancient times continues to live on in a variety of new forms. Series like American Gods mix the deities of dozens of cultures to tell new stories in a modern setting. Video games like the God of War franchise do the same thing, allowing players to interact with the monsters and gods of old. Yet despite the variety of new tales that have been told over the past 25 years, Hercules and Xena have retained their following.

Because of that legacy, many still wonder how the two series managed to build their shared universe and just when exactly it was meant to take place. It doesn't help matters that the show was intentionally anachronistic in its costuming, with Hercules sporting a sleeveless shirt and trousers rather than a Grecian tunic and the love goddess Aphrodite favoring modern lingerie whenever she appeared. Here's a breakdown of how the Xenaverse came into being and just when the events of the shows were meant to take place.

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Xena: Warrior Princess' Timeline Established A Historical Setting

Screenrant
The Xenaverse presented a fully developed world mixing historical events and mythology, but when did the adventures of Hercules & Xena take place?

Premiering in the fall of 1995 alongside Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Season 2, Xena: Warrior Princess quickly eclipsed the show that inspired it. The new series centered on Xena as she traveled the world with aspiring bard Gabrielle, seeking redemption for her evil past. In expanding its setting and establishing Xena's history before encountering Hercules, Xena: Warrior Princess became equal parts historical epic and fantasy. This increased scope was part of the reason for Xena's longevity and part of why it remains a cult classic to this day.

Xena was established as having a long rivalry with Julius Caesar (played by a young Karl Urban) and Caesar was one of the series' main antagonists until his death in the Season 4 finale, "The Ides of March." This established a rough chronology for when both series took place, with Caesar having been assassinated in 44 BC. It should be noted, however, that neither show was ever concerned with historical accuracy, even after they began utilizing notable historical figures. For instance, one episode of Xena: Warrior Princess Season 6 pitted Xena and Gabrielle against a divinely empowered Caligula, who was depicted as the Emperor of Rome some 25 years after Julius Caesar's death. In our reality, Caligula did not become Emperor until 37 AD. The show also made references to the Lao Dynasty and Ming Dynasty of China, which would not come to exist until many centuries after the fall of Rome.

How Xena: Warrior Princess Expanded The Mythology

Beyond utilizing real-world historical figures, Xena: Warrior Princess also began to utilize mythology from outside the era of Classical Greece. Hercules: The Legendary Journeys followed suit, with both series going on to tackle Norse mythology, bringing characters like Odin and Thor into play. In the episode "Norse by Norsewest," Hercules took the place of the god Höðr in being manipulated by Loki into accidentally killing Balder with a dart made of mistletoe and setting up the start of Ragnarok. Xena: Warrior Princess reworked Xena into the Ring Cycle, making Xena into both a contemporary of the valkyrie Brunhilda and the Dane hero Beowulf. Xena was also revealed to have had traveled to Asia and received training as a samurai, albeit in armor that was not historically accurate and protected very little.

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