‘The White Lotus’ Season 2 Will Be Set in Sicily (EXCLUSIVE)

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The highly anticipated second season of Mike White’s “The White Lotus” will be filmed in Sicily, Variety has learned — confirming previous reports that Season 2 of the HBO show will take place in Italy.

A source close to the show said that once again a Four Seasons Hotel will stand in for White’s fictional luxury chain of White Lotus hotels, specifically the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in the exclusive Sicilian resort town of Taormina. (The Hawaii-based first season of “The White Lotus” was filmed at the Four Seasons Resort Maui.) According to the San Domenico Palace’s website, it’s closed to guests until April 1.

Representatives from HBO had no comment.

Season 2 of the dark comedy will star Michael Imperioli and Aubrey Plaza alongside recently announced cast members F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hollander, Adam DiMarco and Haley Lu Richardson. Season 1 fan-favorite Jennifer Coolidge, who played the mourning heiress Tanya McQuoid, will also return for Season 2.

Imperioli will play Dominic Di Grasso, who travels to the White Lotus resort with his elderly father Bert Di Grasso (Abraham) and college graduate son (DiMarco). Plaza joins as Harper Spiller, a woman on vacation with her husband and his friends. Hollander will play Quentin, an English expat vacationing with his friends and his nephew, and Richardson will portray Portia, a young woman traveling with her boss.

In an interview with Variety on Wednesday, Plaza expressed excitement about working with White, revealing that they had been collaborating on another creative project that “kind of got messed up by the COVID of it all.”

“I was a fan of Season 1, but more importantly, I was a big Mike White fan. So I’m very excited to work with him,” Plaza added. “I’m very honored to be on this television series, and I hope I don’t let everybody down. It seems like everyone watched this show.”

Watch The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Highlight: Jennifer Coolidge Reacts to Ariana Grande and Chloe Fineman’s Impressions of Her

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South Shore stars: 2022 will be a big year for entertainers with local connections

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From a half-dozen high-profile film shoots (“Don’t Look Up,” “Spirited,” “Tender Bar”) to an Emmy-winning television series (“Hacks”) to an 11th Grammy nomination for Stoughton’s Lori McKenna – and more – the South Shore boasted a big year in pop culture. The party keeps rolling into 2022, as our South Shore talents are poised to up the ante. Here are a few to keep on your radar:

Milton’s Jen Statsky brings back ‘Hacks’

Milton’s Jen Statsky, co-creator and writer of the smash HBO Max comedy “Hacks,” delivers a second season (date to be announced) of the triple Emmy-winning comedy starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder. The show won a Golden Globe for best comedy/musical on Jan. 9. It is nominated for best series and best comedy series by the Writers Guild of America. Winners will be announced March 20. Statsky is a 2004 graduate of Milton High School.

Milton:Jen Statsky wins Emmy for writing, creating HBO comedy ‘Hacks’

On tap for Norwell’s Jennifer Coolidge

Few had a better 2021 than Norwell’s Jennifer Coolidge, scoring acclaimed turns in HBO’s limited series “The White Lotus,” a satire from writer-director Mike White (“Enlightened”), and the Oscar-nominated film “Promising Young Woman.” She also stole scenes in December’s Netflix Christmas rom-com “Single All the Way.” Upcoming are the romantic comedy “Shotgun Wedding,” playing the mother-in-law-to-be of Jennifer Lopez; and two Netflix projects, the movie “We Have a Ghost” and the Ryan Murphy series “The Watcher.” She’ll also return for the second season of “The White Lotus,” and reprise her role as Reese Witherspoon’s BFF, Paulette, in “Legally Blonde 3” (May 20). Coolidge is in the running for an Emmy nod for “The White Lotus.” Nominations will be announced July 12. In the meantime, she’s up for a SAG award.

Norwell:Jennifer Coolidge presents Emmy Award to Jason Sudeikis for ‘Ted Lasso’

Milton’s Jenny Slate looks for love

Just in time for Valentine’s Day comes the romantic comedy “I Want You Back” starring Milton native Jenny Slate as a woman attempting to win back the love of her life. Charlie Day and Scott Eastwood co-star. The movie debuts Feb. 11 on Amazon Prime. Slate was the valedictorian of Milton Academy’s Class of 2000. Her film roles include “Venom,” “Obvious Child,” “Hotel Artemis,” “Landline” and “Gifted.”

Weymouth’s Nate Corddry gets political

Weymouth’s Nate Corddry joins Julia Roberts and Sean Penn for the political drama “Gaslit,” an eight-episode STARZ series about how Martha Mitchell, the wife of President Nixon’s attorney general, John Mitchell, tried to expose the Watergate scandal long before Woodward and Bernstein. Corddry will play Michael Deaver, a campaign official for then-California Gov. Ronald Reagan and a key potential ally to the Mitchells. The release date is TBD.

Steve Carell returns to ‘Space’

Steve Carell has exited “The Morning Show,” but he’ll return for the second season of “Space Force” on Feb. 18 on Netflix. He’ll also reprise the role of Gru in “Minions: The Rise of Gru” when it hits theaters July 2. Carell is currently filming “The Patient,” a limited series on FX. He plays a psychotherapist held prisoner by a serial killer (Domhnall Gleeson). Carell is married to Cohasset native Nancy Walls. They have two children. He is originally from Acton, but usually spends summers in Marshfield. He owns Marshfield Hills General Store. Carell became a darling in town when he gave the “MarshVegas” shout-out from the Oscar Red Carpet in 2007.

Quincy-shot ‘Whitney’ gets release date

The Whitney Houston biopic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” will be released Dec. 23, just in time for Oscar consideration. Kasi Lemmons (“Harriet”) directs a cast including Stanley Tucci as Clive Davis and Naomi Akie (“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”) as Houston. Filming took place at Marina Studio in Quincy.

Movie magic:New studio opens in Marina Bay, filming Whitney Houston biopic

Another Grammy for Lori McKenna?

Stoughton hitmaker Lori McKenna is among the songwriters nominated for song of the year at the currently postponed Grammys. The song, “A Beautiful Noise,” was co-written by Ruby Amanfu, Brandy Clark, Hillary Lindsey and Hailey Whitters. It is sung by Brandi Carlile and Alicia Keys. McKenna already has three Grammys to her credit.

Music Scene:Stoughton’s Lori McKenna returns to her roots with ‘The Balladeer’

New series from Scituate’s Peter Tolan

“Belated” is the new half-hour FX comedy series written, directed, created and produced by Scituate’s Peter Tolan (“Rescue Me”). The show, which is in development, is about a friendship between 40-year-old Owen (Kal Penn, “Harold & Kumar,” “House”) and Clay, a 17-year-old trans teen. Tolan has also written for “Murphy Brown” (winning an Emmy), “The Larry Sanders Show” and “The Job”; and the films “Analyze This” and “Analyze That.” Not bad for a guy who got his start in Scituate High School theater productions.

Dropkick Murphys to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

The Quincy-based Dropkick Murphys (“Shipping Up to Boston”) plan a 22-date tour in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. The kickoff is Feb. 17 in Reading, Pennsylvania. The tour wraps in Boston from March 17-20. Three of the local shows are at the House of Blues and the tour finale at Bowery Boston. The band was formed in 1996 in the basement of a Wollaston barbershop.

The South Shore’s Oscar night

Will Quincy native Peter Del Vecho become the city’s first two-time Oscar winner? The animated adventure “Raya and the Last Dragon,” which he produced, is likely to grab a spot when the nominations are announced Feb. 8. He previously won for “Frozen.” He is a 1976 graduate of Quincy High. This year’s Oscars are on March 27 on ABC. “Raya” scored 10 nominations for the Annie Award and a Golden Globe nod.

‘Raya and the Last Dragon’:Quincy producer leads another animated adventure

Elsewhere, Ariana Grande could pick up a nomination for best song for “Just Look Up,” which was filmed locally at Union Point. The film is also in the running for writing and directing nods. … George Clooney’s “The Tender Bar,” which shot a pivotal third-act sequence in Braintree, is garnering Oscar buzz for Ben Affleck’s acting. Sian Heder’s Gloucester-shot flick, “CODA,” is circling many nominations, including best picture and both supporting-actor categories.

Emmy buzz for Canton’s Bill Burr

Canton native Bill Burr, a standup comedian who appeared in “Breaking Bad” and “The Mandalorian,” recently released the fifth season of Netflix’s animated adult comedy “F is for Family.” Burr voices the main character. The show is based on his upbringing in Canton in the 1970s. He’s also generating Emmy buzz for his work on Hulu’s “Reservation Dogs.” Next for Burr is the Morgan Freeman film “Hate to See You Go,” about a Chicago blues musician. Burr is a 1987 graduate of Canton High School.

Director Judd Apatow:Canton’s Bill Burr is ‘riotously funny’ in ‘King of Staten Island’

Chris Cooper joins ‘Boston Strangler’

Kingston resident and Academy Award winner Chris Cooper (“Adaptation”) will join Isabel Coixet’s Broadway-set drama “Light on Broken Glass” after he wraps “Boston Strangler.” The shot-in-Massachusetts film is written and directed by Matt Ruskin (“Crown Heights”). Locations include Braintree, Belmont, Lowell, Lynn, Wellesley and Malden. It centers on how Milton journalist Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) and fellow Boston Record American reporter Jean Harris (Carrie Coon), of Scituate, challenged the sexism of the early 1960s while covering the story.

‘Spirited’ among 2022 premieres

Premiere dates are still to be determined for high-profile movies and series filmed last year on the South Shore. They include “Julia,” the HBO Max original series about chef Julia Childs; and “Confess, Fletch,” the crime-comedy reboot with Jon Hamm in the title role. Scenes for “Julia” were shot at Adams Shore Supermarket in Quincy. Cohasset’s sprawling Oaks Estate was the backdrop for scenes in “Confess, Fletch.” The Apple TV+ Christmas musical “Spirited,” starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell, is aiming for a December release date. South Shore Plaza was among locations for “Spirited.”

‘Gilded Age,’ ‘Ray Donovan’ and more

HBO’s “The Gilded Age” will premiere Sunday. The period drama created by “Downton Abbey’s” Julian Fellowes was shot in Newport, Rhode Island. … “Ray Donovan: The Movie” was partially filmed in South Boston and features Brockton native Pooch Hall. It is airing on Showtime. … Aerosmith, the storied rock band with South Shore roots, is scheduled to play its pandemic-delayed 50th-anniversary concert Sept. 9 at Fenway Park. … Cohasset High alum Kate Bosworth (“Still Alice,” “Blue Crush”) has three movies out this year: “Along for the Ride,” “The Enforcer” and “Bring on the Dancing Horses.” Release dates are to be announced. … The Worcester-set “Kevin Can F**k Himself,” which was shot in Quincy, Hingham and Brockton, has been renewed for Season 2 and will debut on AMC and AMC Plus in 2022. … Randolph native Keisha Tucker (“Black Panther”) is the stunt double for actress Kiki Layne in the 1950s-set psychological thriller “Don’t Worry Darling.” It opens Sept. 23. … We’re also keeping an eye on announcements about sequels for “Spenser Confidential” and “Free Guy,” both partially filmed in Weymouth.

Keisha Tucker:From Randolph High to Hollywood stunt double

‘Free Guy’:Boston is a video-game metropolis in Ryan Reynolds movie

Reel attraction:Massachusetts is a hot Hollywood alternative

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. Please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.

Reach Dana Barbuto at dbarbuto@patriotledger.com.

RIP Meat Loaf and Louie Anderson; The White Lotus Season 2; Film Studio In Space

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R.IP. Meat Loaf, and Louie Anderson; Season 2 details — including a new location — for The White Lotus; ambitious plans for a film studio in space. All in today’s Movie News Rundown.

R.I.P. Marvin Lee Aday, AKA Meat Loaf: The rock star and actor known as Meat Loaf has died at 74 after contracting COVID. His 1977 debut album Bat Out Of Hell is still one of the best-selling albums of all time, NPR reports, and the Grammy winner went on to appear in over 65 movies, including Fight Club, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Wayne’s World.

R.I.P. Louie Anderson: The standup comic, whose film roles included lovable turns in Coming to America and last year’s sequel, Coming 2 America, has died at 68 at a Las Vegas hospital after a long struggle with cancer. He also earned an Emmy for his role as a mom to twin sons on the FX comedy Baskets. He told The Associated Press that the role was inspired in part by his own mother. (Anderson’s death was reported after we initially published today’s Rundown.)

‘Everyone Is Really Bummed Out’: That Hollywood Reporter headline refers to the mood around Pixar, now that parent company Disney has decided to release Turning Red straight-to-streaming. This is the third straight Pixar movie that is not being released in theaters after Soul and Luca.

The Full Quote: “Many wonder whether Pixar animators are seeing red over the Jan. 7 announcement. According to several sources with close ties to Pixar, that’s not the case. Disappointment, not outrage, is a more apt description. ‘Everyone is really bummed, but most of us get it. Families just aren’t going to the movies,’ says one person at Pixar,” The Hollywood Reporter says.

Let’s Lighten the Mood: Bong Joon-ho’s follow up to his Best Picture-winner Parasite is confirmed. We’re all excited for that. The sci-fi adaptation of “Mickey7, a forthcoming novel from author Edward Ashton,” is set at Warner Brothers, The Hollywood Reporter reports. Brad Pitt’s Plan B is producing, and Robert Pattinson is starring.

Buckle Up: The runtime for Matt Reeves’ The Batman was confirmed yesterday and we’re looking at just a shade (5 minutes) under three hours, The Hollywood Reporter says.

The White Lotus Season 2 Details: The second season of the “Who died at the resort?” mystery/wealth satire has a location. Season 1 was in Hawaii and Season 2 will take place in Sicily, Variety reports.

White Lotus Cast Info: “Season 2 of the dark comedy will star Michael Imperioli and Aubrey Plaza alongside recently announced cast members F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hollander, Adam DiMarco and Haley Lu Richardson. Season 1 fan-favorite Jennifer Coolidge, who played the mourning heiress Tanya McQuoid, will also return for Season 2,” Variety adds.

Speaking of Murder Mystery TV: My weekend streaming rec is Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. Watching Steve Martin and Martin Short play off one another and the rest of the star-studded cast is a true delight. Season 2 when?

The World of Tomorrow Is Here: Plans are in place for a film studio in space! This seems very impractical in a way that I find fun. It has more application than simply launching billionaires into the outer regions of Earth’s atmosphere for minutes at a time. The full plans are “to launch a TV and film studio, alongside a streaming content studio and sports arena, in space, scheduled for a late 2024 opening,” The Hollywood Reporter says.

Side Note: There’s gotta be a better phrase than “streaming content studio.”

‘Late 2024’ You Say? That seems like a very bold timeline. But that might be because I live in Los Angeles, where I don’t think I’ve witnessed a single regular building — you know, on Earth — open when originally scheduled. Let’s hope the same people are not in charge of zoning.

Remember Space Camp? Not sure why I thought of that, but the frequent grand prize for Nickelodeon game shows in the ’90s springs to mind.

We Leave You: With the song for which Meat Loaf won a Grammy. Prepare yourself. This is going to be in your head all Friday.

Main image: Edward Norton and Meat Loaf in Fight Club.

In Brief: Joshua Jackson joining ‘Fatal Attraction’ series; ‘Iron Chef’ rebooting for Netflix, and more

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Dr. Death star Joshua Jackson has been cast opposite Lizzy Caplan in the Paramount+ original series, Fatal Attraction, a reimagining of the classic 1980s psychosexual thriller film starring by Michael Douglas and Glenn Close. Jackson will star in Douglas’ former role of Dan Gallagher, the object of her lover’s obsession following a brief affair. Caplan will take on Close’s former role of his lover, Alex. The new series, per the streamer, “will explore fatal attraction and the timeless themes of marriage and infidelity through the lens of modern attitudes towards strong women, personality disorders and coercive control”…

Don’t Look Up filmmaker Adam McKay and The Comey Rule creator Billy Ray are teaming up for a feature film about the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to Deadline. The film, which was originally envisioned as a limited series, will take a “journalistic approach” to chronicling the deadly assault on the citadel of American democracy,” according to the outlet, which adds that the project will be shopped to studios and streamers soon. “The goal was to do a ground-level view of a momentous day,” Ray tells Deadline. “It’s about protesters who became rioters and cops who became defenders of democracy. Someone else can tell the story of the chaos at the White House on that day. I wanted to stay in the trenches”…

Let the battle begin…again! Netflix has ordered Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, a reboot of the classic Japanese import-turned Food Network series. According to the streaming service, “Five new trailblazing Iron Chefs will welcome brave Challenger Chefs to the reimagined Kitchen Stadium, where they’ll face off and be pushed to the limits of endurance and creativity, as they cook up extraordinary culinary creations.” The competition’s most successful Challenger will return to battle in a grand finale for the chance to be named the first ever “Iron Legend.” A previous American reboot saw Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck and Michael Symon holding the Iron Chef title…

Variety reports that season two of Mike White‘s The White Lotus will take place in Italy — Sicily, to be exact. Once again a Four Seasons Hotel will stand in for White’s fictional luxury chain of White Lotus hotels, specifically the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in the exclusive Sicilian resort town of Taormina. A source close to the show tells Variety. Season two will star F. Murray Abraham, Adam DiMarco, Tom Hollander, Haley Lu Richardson, Aubrey Plaza and Michael Imperioli. Jennifer Coolidge will also return for season 2…

Hardy Krüger, the German actor best known for starring alongside Laurence Olivier in Richard Attenborough’s A Bridge Too Far, died “suddenly and unexpectedly” at his home in Palm Springs on Wednesday, his German agency in Hamburg said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. He was 93. Krüger’s other credits include Howard Hawks’ Hatari!, alongside John Wayne, and Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, opposite Ryan O’Neal…

A live-action adaptation of the animated classic, The Aristocats, is in early development at Disney, according to Variety. The original 1970 film follows a family of aristocratic cats who live a luxurious life in Paris until their owner’s butler finds out the cats are set to receive a massive fortune, and kidnaps them and abandons them in the country. To recover their fortune, they must befriend an alley cat named Thomas O’Malley. Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Hermione Baddeley, Dean Clark, Sterling Holloway, Scatman Crothers and Roddy Maude-Roxby led the voice cast of the original film, which grossed $191 million worldwide. Disney is the parent company of ABC News…