Film Bits: ‘Stranger Things’ Will Return; ‘Game of Thrones’ Adds to Cast; Marc Maron Joins ‘G.L.O.W.’

Shocking No One, Netflix Finally Confirms Season 2 of ‘Stranger Things’

In a no-brainer announcement, Netflix officially announced the second season of this summer’s breakout hit, Stranger Things, in a Tweet early Wednesday. The news was no shock to fans and critics, but the streaming service had hemmed and hawed over making anything official despite the massive and shocking success had by the 80’s throwback. The mysterious tweet offered a portent of things to come on the series, which you can read more about in this interview with EW. Matt Duffer, who created the series along with brother Ross, teased a James Cameron influence for the second season, citing the director’s approach to sequels as an inspiration. The interview gives further insight into the future of the show, including new characters, new cities, and a return to the Upside Down.

The adventure continues. @Stranger_Things 2 is coming 2017. pic.twitter.com/wD6BamGfuR

— Netflix US (@netflix) August 31, 2016

(Twitter, EW)

 Marc Maron Joins Cast of ‘G.L.O.W.’

Hot on the heels of the announcement of G.L.O.W. earlier this week, Netflix has announced that comedian Marc Maron will be joining the cast, co-starring opposite Alison Brie in the inspired-by-real-life comedy about a female wrestling league in the 80’s. This is sure to please fans of the comedian, who were surprised by the announcement that his eponymous comedy’s fourth season finale would also serve as the end of the show. Maron is said to be playing a disgraced former director with an uneasy history with females who ends up leading 14 of the wrestlers to newfound fame as wrestlers.

(Deadline)

Bill Nye Returns With New Netflix Talk Show

BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL! Bill Nye, the Science Guy of your youth, announced the creation of a new talk show for Netflix, Bill Nye Saves the World. The show will find Nye taking on the myths of today, with the actor/engineer performing experiments, interviewing special guests, and doing his level best to dispel a lot of the anti-science mind state espoused by politicians and pundits. The series is aiming for a Spring 2017 premiere.

(IndieWire)

Jim Broadbent Joins ‘Game of Thrones’ in Penultimate Season

Oscar winner Jim Broadbent has officially joined the cast of Game of Thrones beginning in season 7. The announcement was made Wednesday afternoon though as of yet little is known about the who the famed actor might be playing, though his role is said to be “significant.” The news comes on the heels of the announcements that season 7 would be the second to last season of the HBO hit, will be shortened to 7 episodes, and will premiere later than the show’s traditional spring date.

(EW)

Natalie Dormer Joins ‘The Professor and the Madman’ Opposite Sean Penn, Mel Gibson

Former Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer, whose run as Queen Margaery ended last season, has signed on to join Sean Penn and Mel Gibson in The Professor and the Madman. Based on the surprise bestselling book of the same name by Simon Winchester about the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. The story follows Professor James Murray (Gibson) who began compiling the OED in 1857 and Dr. W.C. Minor, who helped Murray by submitting over 10,000 entries into the definitive dictionary, despite being locked in an insane asylum. Dormer will play the widow of a man killed by Minor. Gibson has been trying to get this film off the ground since the book’s publication in 1998, and will be directed by his Apocalypto screenwriter Farhad Safinia.

(The Hollywood Reporter)