Halo Season 2 has made a striking debut, showcasing a notable uptick in its reception among the reviewing community. It is clear that the show has undergone a transformation that has captured the attention of both critics and fans.

With a commendable Rotten Tomatoes score of 89% based on early critiques, the latest installment stands tall, surpassing its predecessor's more modest 70% approval rating. This positive shift signals a season that has not only met expectations but exceeded them, offering a rich narrative landscape that promises to engage audiences in new and exciting ways.

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The season two finale of the Halo TV series does everything a video game adaptation should do and then some, proving a point I’ve been making for well over a year: This show is good.

Though the first season of the Paramount+ series based on the game franchise of the same name more than occasionally struggled to tell a somewhat new story in an established universe with beloved characters, the second season set out to rectify those mistakes. One episode into this second season, which boasts a new show lead in the form of David Wiener (Fear The Walking Dead), it was clear that the team wasn’t screwing around. Action sequences felt tighter and better choreographed, emotional beats hit when they were supposed to, and the interwoven story threads made for incredibly watchable television.

The season finale, dubbed simply “Halo,” is an excellent proof-of-concept—this show whips, and it deserves a third season.

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You wouldn’t think, if you were looking for an act of political rebellion, to turn to an Amanda Bynes teen chick flick from 2003, and yet Warner Brothers did. With the movie coming out just weeks after the controversial invasion of Iraq by a coalition of US and UK forces, amongst others, the studio feared the peace sign being flashed by the American-flag-vest-wearing lead; flanked by two British soldiers on the poster, it could be construed as either a pro or anti-war message. And so, they jankily photoshopped Amanda’s arm down by her side for the rest of the marketing. “Some people think, what does it mean? Are they against the war or is it a V for victory?” a spokesperson for Warner Brothers told the Los Angeles Times, the report claiming they also referred to the movie as “not war-related or, even political, and shouldn’t have any ‘war-related perception associated with it.’”

War-related? No, other than the fairytale-esque battle between an evil stepmother and daughter versus the sweet-natured true heir to daddy’s love. But What a Girl Wants is political, even if unintentionally. While it was derided by critics at the time for being a movie for tween girls (I mean, duh) and considered a not-as-good replica of The Princess Diaries, the movie packs an anti-establishment sentiment in a Y2K package of sassy one liners, low-rise flares and a Willa Ford hit. What more could a girl want?

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Petro-chemist Andy Yeats (Matthew Fox) knows how dependent the world is on oil; if something were to happen to the world’s oil supply, it would set off a chain reaction: transportation would grind to a halt, supplies would cease to be delivered, law enforcement would be overwhelmed. While on a business trip to the Middle East, Andy realizes that his worst fears are coming true and his family is separated at this crucial moment. His teenage daughter, Laura (Alyth Ross), is alone at home in London while his wife, Elena (Joanne Froggatt), and young son, Sam (Taylor Fey), are in Paris. Amid this chaos, each family member will sacrifice everything to find one another, despite the distance and the dangers that separate them.

We met the cast at the press conference during the 61st Montecarlo Television Festival last June, with Matthew Fox wearing a wonderful Venice Football Club t-shirt, where we had the great privilege to watch the first two episodes of this breathtaking series.

I know you shot that like a year ago, something like that. And I know that it was another word when you shot it, but it’s impossible not to think about the current events when you are watching the first two episodes. I wonder two things. First of all, could you imagine that? Could you imagine that it could be so close to the reality we are living in now?

Dennie Gordon (Last Light director): “As we took the project on, we knew right away that it was ripped from the headlines. And remember, we were coming out of the pandemic, and we weren’t really out of the woods for the pandemic. So, we could easily imagine where our dependency on oil, was going to take us. And we saw what was happening in our cities around the world. And of course, now, today, we couldn’t have imagined the petrochemical war in Ukraine. We couldn’t have imagined, you know, so many things that are happening that we’re seeing with climate change. But we knew because it was happening all around us. We knew we were going to be current. We were hoping we wouldn’t be this current, but, uh, this is the world we intended to share with you. And we wanted to start a proactive conversation about what we all need to be doing before the lights go out. So this was our goal, to make sure that we all did everything we could to be proactive about climate change and to get off our dependency on oil.“

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“With some cleverly-conceived action sequences alongside an ever-present sense of brooding claustrophobia, Last Light also packs a political punch, marking itself out as eerily on-point in terms of discussions around energy infrastructure.”
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“Last Light depicts the ramifications with startling suspense and gripping realism.”
MOVIEWEB

“Matthew Fox returns to TV in another suspenseful show that will leave you on the edge of your seat from the beginning until the end.”
SERIOUSLYOMG

“a timely story and an all-too-terrifying look at a what the future could look like”
SCREEN RANT

“Director Dennie Gordon does an excellent job with the sparse and no-nonsense action sequences, proving herself to be one of the best television directors today”
MOVIEWEB

“a complex eco-thriller worth the investment”
WE GOT THIS COVERED

“Under the eye of director Dennie Gordon (Jack Ryan), cinematographer Patrick Murguia crafted a sharplooking series.”
RED CARPET CRASH TV

“This limited series has no shortage of fuel. It just charges ahead.”
PEOPLE

“The thriller is a quick, tight binge expertly acted by the pair.”
BUZZFEED

“The five episodes feel like a blockbuster film.”
TV INSIDER

“Phenomenal thriller series”
POPCULTURE.COM

“It’s addictive”
SHONDALAND

“It’s brilliant”
EMPIRE MAGAZINE

“The show was incredible!”
TV MEGASITE

“by the looks of it, Fox's return to TV is nothing short of epic.”
SCREEN RANT

Last Light may illuminate some pretty dystopian doomsday themes, but executive producer and director Dennie Gordon hopes the Peacock event series will leave viewers with a beam of optimism. “There’s a little bit of light in the darkness — if we act fast,” she explains, flagging the series’ disaster-averting message.

Gordon teamed with Lost alum Matthew Fox to bring Last Light to the small screen, each sharing executive producing roles in adapting author Alex Scarrow’s eponymous book about a world in the throes of a mysteriously hatched oil crisis. Fox stars as a chemist recruited to discover what’s suddenly tainted the world’s oil supply; both he and Gordon collaborated early in the series’ development to craft a tone that dares to peer into the apocalyptic abyss…without going over the edge

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More than a decade after the end of “Lost,” actor Matthew Fox has returned to TV with apocalyptic thriller “Last Light,” which world premiered Friday at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival.

The show, which will stream on Peacock and is produced by MGM Intl. TV Productions, envisions a society plunged into chaos when oil supplies are jeopardized. Fox plays one of the world’s leading petro-chemical engineers, while “Downton Abbey’s” Joanne Froggatt plays his wife. In amongst the wider crisis is a battle to save their family.

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The Monte-Carlo Television Festival has outlined its plans for the 61st edition which takes place in the principality from June 17-21 this year. Vying for the Golden Nymph awards which honor the best in international television production are 21 programs from 12 countries across three categories. They include Paramount+’s The Offer, Amy Poehler’s doc Lucy And Desi and Jamie Dornan-starrer The Tourist.

The opening evening of the festival will see the world premiere of the first two episodes of five-part thriller Last Light, produced by MGM International TV Productions, in association with Peacock, Viaplay, MBC Group, Stan and internationally distributed by MGM.
 
Based on the novel by Alex Scarrow, Last Light is directed by Dennie Gordon and stars Matthew Fox, Joanne Froggatt and Tom Wlaschiha. Talent is expected to attend.

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Given that horror films tend to reflect our anxieties back at us, manifesting them into solid, solvable problems like zombie hordes or possessed houses, it makes sense that movie lovers have turned to the genre for comfort during the coronavirus pandemic. Filmmakers have likewise mined this moment for terrifying inspiration. Last summer Shudder released “Host,” a collaborative horror film made entirely over Zoom. Now “Isolation,” a collection of nine short horror films set all over the globe, offers stories of survival created under the limitations of quarantine.

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The feature-length anthology connects nine stories of people from all over the world confronting their darkest fears during the pandemic. Crooker, who produces the film, tasked 11 filmmakers with creating their stories using only the production equipment and resources they had with them when they entered quarantine. They were also barred from using Zoom or other video conferencing services. “Isolation” premiered at FrightFest UK 2021 and will have its North American premiere on Oct. 15th at Screamfest LA, followed by a release on VOD platforms on Nov. 2.

Directors on the project include acclaimed horror directors such as Dennie Gordon, Larry Fessenden, Bobby Roe, Andrew Kasch, Zach Passero and Christian Pasquariello, as well as newer voices like Alexandra Near; Alix Austin and Keir Siewert; and Kyle I. Kelley and Adam Brown.

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After an 11-year hiatus, Matthew Fox is returning to TV.

The “Lost” and “Party of Five” star will join Joanne Froggatt (“Downton Abbey”) in “Last Light,” an action-packed thriller mini-series adapted from Alex Scarrow’s bestselling novel. The show will be directed by Dennie Gordon (“Jack Ryan”).

The five-part series, which Fox will also executive produce, marks the actor’s first TV foray since ABC’s desert-island thriller “Lost.” Fox played Jack Shepard on the hit series across its six seasons until wrapping in 2010. He has since starred in a handful of feature films, including Brad Pitt’s “World War Z” and “Bone Tomahawk” alongside Kurt Russell.

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It's no surprise that virtually every film critic hated Joe Dirt, the cult classic starring comedian David Spade.

After all, the movie featured a nonsensical flashback-over-the-radio storyline, a misguided Silence of the Lambs parody, a brief yet excruciating guest spot from Kid Rock, loads of crude gags and one-liners, and a scene where Christopher Walken's mobster-in-hiding sprouts an erection while posing as a corpse.

There is, indeed, plenty to hate. But underneath that veneer of stupidity and raunch is a surprising sweetness, along with a somehow-charming lead turn from the former Saturday Night Live star.

Joe Dirt, which follows a mullet-sporting outcast's search for his parents, was never going to be an easy sell for high-brow comedy fans.

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Isolation is a feature-length horror anthology, weaving together nine tales of terror, following isolated citizens in cities around the world as they confront their darkest fears in an attempt to survive an increasingly deadly pandemic.

The film, produced by Nathan Crooker and James P. Gannon through Ghost Gang Productions, has just been completed and is now seeking distribution.

All the films were shot entirely at the height of the Covid-19 Lockdown by the following directors: Larry Fessenden (The Last Winter, Habit, Depraved), Bobby Roe (The Houses October Built 1&2), Andrew Kasch (Tales Of Halloween), Dennie Gordon (Jack Ryan, Outer Range, Legion, Hunters), Zach Passero (Wicked Lake), Christian Pasquariello (Alien Invasion: S.U.M. 1), Alexandra Neary (The Innocent), Alix Austin and Keir Siewert (Retch), and Kyle I. Kelley and Adam Brown (The Music Lesson).

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Director Dennie Gordon’s genre-busting catalog of entertainment, spanning feature films, television, mini-series, and branded content, comprises an atypical spectrum of comedy and drama. She was one of the first women to graduate from Yale's School of Drama with an MFA in Directing and she first gained artistic recognition when her film, A Hard Rain, was chosen by Showtime's Discovery Program. A Hard Rain, which Gordon also wrote, went on to win dramatic awards at the British Short Film Festival and the Hampton's Film Festival, and impress the likes of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. With her first film’s success, Gordon was approached by TV-writer and producer David E. Kelley who quickly enlisted Gordon to helm multiple episodes of his award-winning television series’ including Goliath (which she also co-executive produced), Chicago Hope, Ally McBeal, and The Practice. She has now directed over 100 hours of network television including critically acclaimed shows such as Legion (which was on many critic’s lists as a top 10 show of 2017), Empire, Grace & Frankie, The Office, 30 Rock, Aaron Sorkin’s Sports Night, and HBO’s Tracy Takes On, for which Gordon won the DGA Comedy Award. She recently completed the mini-series Waco, season two of Jack Ryan, and The Hunters, starring Al Pacino. Gordon is also a sought after commercial director, helming ads for brands including Honda, Toyota, Capital One, Tsingtao beer, Xcel, and most recently, a short dramatic film for Huawei. Her campaigns have boasted such star power as Jimmy Fallon, Betty White, Adam Devine, and Don Cheadle. Other feature film credits include the comedy cult hit Joe Dirt, starring David Spade and Christopher Walken, and What A Girl Wants, starring Academy Award-winner Colin Firth, Dame Eileen Atkins, and Jonathan Pryce. Gordon was the first American woman to direct a film for the domestic Chinese market. My Lucky Star, starring Oscar nominee Zhang Ziyi, went on to be the number one film in China for four weeks running. “There is nothing I love more than directing alongside a team of exceptional artists,” says Gordon. “That’s why my new partnership with Chromista is so exciting. They are true storytellers and their approach to the work and their talent is world-class.” “Dennie’s astounding resumé and visionary attitude elevate advertising to a whole new level,” says Sandy Haddad, Executive Producer at Chromista. “I know that the work we will create together will be outstanding.” Gordon was previously represented by Little Minx for commercial work and is currently repped by CAA for film and television.

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Creatives in every industry have been forced to think further outside the box since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and Hollywood has been particularly at a loss. With widespread theater closures and halted productions, how anyone was supposed to keep on keeping on with their craft became the biggest question mark. Some, however, stepped up to challenge the constraints of lockdown in interesting ways — like the group of 11 filmmakers who worked together to shoot a movie entirely in quarantine using only the resources around them.

The directors at the helm of each of the nine parts of Isolation are Dennie Gordon (Jack Ryan), Larry Fessenden (The Last Winter), Bobby Roe (The Houses October Built), Andrew Kasch (Tales of Halloween), Zach Passero (Wicked Lake), Christian Pasquariello (Alien Invasion: S.U.M. 1), Alexandra Neary (The Innocent), Alix Austin and Keir Siewert (Retch), and Kyle I. Kelley and Adam Brown (The Music Lesson).

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“Isolation,” a horror anthology film, has finished its principal photography shooting entirely in quarantine. The film weaves together nine standalone, yet interconnected, horror stories from all corners of the world. It follows people as they confront their biggest fears in attempts to survive an increasingly deadly pandemic, a premise that hits close to home for many people during the coronavirus crisis.

The teams of filmmakers on the project include Dennie Gordon (“Jack Ryan,” “Legion,” “Hunters,” “Waco”); Larry Fessenden (“The Last Winter,” “Habit,” “Depraved”); Bobby Roe (“The Houses October Built”); Andrew Kasch (“Tales Of Halloween”); Zach Passero (“Wicked Lake”) and Christian Pasquariello (“Alien Invasion: S.U.M. 1”). The anthology will also showcase new voices in horror with films by Alexandra Neary (“The Innocent”), Alix Austin and Keir Siewert (“Retch”), and Kyle I. Kelley and Adam Brown (“The Music Lesson”).

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Director Dennie Gordon at home in Los Angeles. Like many others in the entertainment industry, Gordon is following the safer-at-home directive in response to the coronavirus.

Entertainment is a high-touch business. Production crews consist of hundreds of individuals crowding together in enclosed spaces. Actors interact with each other in even closer proximity, as do hair and makeup artists. Craft services are a communal activity, while writers huddle around a table in a small room. And grips and set designers pass equipment and props back and forth.

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The Office co-stars and best friends, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, are doing the ultimate The Office re-watch podcast: “Office Ladies”. Jenna and Angela chat about Dennie Gordon’s trailblazing career, the fun they had on set, and her role as one of The Office’s six female directors. They then go on to discuss Steve Carrell's charming Golden Globe speech from 2006 and Angela notices it's another Friday that's not a Casual Friday. And of course the ladies cover the hilarity of Micheal's struggle to bond with Jim over "the secret", Dwight spying on Oscar, and hold the chicken breast, because Jenna does a deep dive on Hooters.

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David Weil has never gone behind the scenes before on TV, but that didn’t stop Peele from helping get Weil’s project off the ground. In his first time as showrunner, Weil is executive producing Hunters as well as writing three episodes in its debut season. Supporting Weil in the writer’s room are Ryan Maldonado (Chicago P.D.), Nikki Toscano (Bates Motel), and Eduardo Javier Canto (Conviction).

Going behind the camera in the director’s chair are Nelson McCormick (Prison Break), Wayne Yip (Doctor Who), and Dennie Gordon (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan). Supporting Peele and Weil as executive producers are also Toscano, Win Rosenfeld (BlacKkKlansman), and Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (American Horror Story).

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But challenges don’t stop once women get a foothold in television. Dennie Gordon, who broke into the industry directing on David E. Kelley shows including CBS dramas “Picket Fences” and “Chicago Hope” shared a story about how the industry has (and hasn’t) evolved over the years.

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