Magic City

[Sawyer]

[YT]b2pI7jixax4[/YT]

Set in Miami Beach circa 1959, Magic City stars Morgan as Ike Evans, a luxury hotel owner who in order to secure his dream begrudgingly gets in bed with mob boss Ben “The Butcher” Diamond (Danny Huston, Children of Men) — all while his former showgirl wife Vera (Olga Kurylenko, Quantum of Solace) remains blissfully unaware.

 

[obin_gam]

oh yay we havent had enough of 50/60 series yet!

oh wait

 

[Shifty]

STARZ Previews New ‘Magic’ Season with First-Ever
Three-Episode Sampling Initiative for Original Series, “Magic City”

Multiple Affiliate Sampling Campaign Kicks Off Following Epic Season Finale of “Spartacus: Vengeance” on March 30

Spring Free Preview of all STARZ and ENCORE Premium Channels on DIRECTV, DISH, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-verse from March 29 – April 2

Englewood, Colo., March 19, 2012 – Starz Entertainment is offering a multi-platform, nationwide sampling of the first three episodes of its highly anticipated, original dramatic series, “Magic City.” The first opportunity to enjoy “Magic City” will be on Friday, March 30, on STARZ at 11 pm et/pt, immediately following the season finale of the hit series, “Spartacus: Vengeance” with a sneak preview of the series premiere episode.

Select multichannel video affiliates will offer additional linear, on-demand and/or online sampling opportunities of the first three episodes of “Magic City,” beginning March 31, one week in advance of the STARZ series premiere on April 6 at 10 pm et/pt. A record 76 million multichannel video households will have access to the sampling opportunities through select cable, satellite, and Telco affiliates in the United States (ties “Boss” sampling benchmark achieved in October 2011).

The “Magic City” three-episode sampling initiative is the first-ever at launch for a STARZ Original series, and follows the record on-demand and online sampling success of “Spartacus: Vengeance.” The first episode of “Spartacus: Vengeance“ set a franchise record 8 million total views across sampling and STARZ platforms.

Affiliates offering the first three episodes free on demand starting March 31 include: Comcast’s Xfinity TV, DIRECTV, DISH, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Charter Communications, AT&T U-verse® TV, Suddenlink Communications , Mediacom Communications Corporation, Armstrong, DIRECTV Puerto Rico, Buckeye CableSystem, GCI, Massillon Cable TV/Clear Picture Inc., Antietam Cable Television, Inc., GVTC, BVU, and Frankfort Plant Board.

Beginning March 31, the three episodes of “Magic City” will also be available on www.starz.com/magiccity, and direct through select STARZ affiliates including Comcast’s Xfinity TV (www.xfinitytv.com), DIRECTV (www.directv.com), DISH (www.DISHOnline.com), Verizon FiOS (www.verizon.com/fios), Charter Communications (www.charter.net), AT&T U-verse® TV (www.uverse.com), Mediacom Communications Corporation (www.mediacomtoday.com), and Suddenlink Communications (www.suddenlink2go.com). The “Magic City” season one three episodes will also be available on the Starz Entertainment “Magic City” Facebook page at www.facebook.com/magiccity.starz, and the DIRECTV, DISH, Verizon FiOS, and Grande Communications Facebook pages.

Users on the go can also view the first three episodes on Comcast’s Xfinity TV app (www.xfinity.com/tvapp) for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

Sneak previews of the first three episode of “Magic City” will air also on DIRECTV’s Audience Network and DISH's new Blockbuster Studio channel at channel 102. Each episode will air multiple times during of the week following the episode premiere on the flagship STARZ channel.

“We are very excited to have for the first time a three-episode, sampling initiative with ‘Magic City,’ a series that looks like nothing else on television, with a gorgeous cast and a rich, cinematic feel” said Nancy McGee, executive vice president, marketing for Starz Entertainment. “We have seen a tremendous appetite for sampling our STARZ Original series premium content, including franchise record viewership for the first episode of Spartacus: Vengeance.’ This bold, special sampling initiative will give ‘Magic City’ viewers a unique opportunity to experience the ‘magic’ of the new series. By offering up sampling of the first three episodes, viewers may fully immerse themselves in the plot of the story and the picturesque setting of circa-1960 Miami Beach.”

“We are pleased that so many of our affiliates have chosen to participate in the ‘Magic City’ sampling initiative and concurrent Spring Free Preview,” said Ed Huguez, president of affiliate distribution for Starz Entertainment. “Working with our distribution partners to sample STARZ Original series and preview our unmatched collection of premium channels and services is a large part of the promotional efforts for new STARZ content. They are also a great way to introduce our exciting, compelling content to new audiences.”

Spring Free Preview For Cable/Satellite/Telco Distributors

The STARZ and ENCORE Spring Free Preview also provides a special opportunity for non-STARZ and non-ENCORE subscribers on DIRECTV, DISH, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse TV to preview at least 15 Starz Entertainment premium channels, and great movies/originals on STARZ ON DEMAND, STARZ HD ON DEMAND, ENCORE ON DEMAND, and ENCORE HD ON DEMAND from March 29 through April 2 (dates and availability of channels vary by distributor).

Cable/NCTC and other affiliates participating in the STARZ and ENCORE Spring Free Preview from March 30 through April 1 include: DIRECTV Puerto Rico,

Liberty Cable Puerto Rico, HTC , Antietam Cable Television, Inc., Advanced Cable Communications, BVU, Inter Mountain Cable, Mid-Hudson Cablevision, BLTV (Ben Lomand Connect), WK&T Telecommunications, MH Telecom, and Hawaiian Telcom (STARZ only, 3/31-4/2).

The spring free preview will also showcase the full breadth of STARZ and ENCORE premium content, including exclusive STARZ Original series and STARZ hit movies such as: Bad Teacher, Battle: Los Angeles, Country Strong, Friends With Benefits, Gnomeo & Juliet, How Do You Know, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Just Go With It, Midnight in Paris (starts 3/30 on STARZ ON DEMAND), Priest, Prom, Soul Surfer, The Green Hornet, The Other Guys,
The Smurfs (starts 3/30 on STARZ ON DEMAND), TRON: Legacy, Winnie the Pooh, and Zookeeper.


About “Magic City”

Set in Miami’s Miramar Playa Hotel, the alluring new STARZ Original drama stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen, “Grey’s Anatomy,” Dibbuk Box), Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace, Max Payne) and Danny Huston (The Kingdom, Children of Men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine). They star alongside an ensemble cast including Steven Strait (City Island), Christian Cooke (Cemetery Junction), Jessica Marais (“Packed to the Rafters”), Yul Vázquez (The A-Team, American Gangster), Dominik Garcia-Lorido (City Island), Kelly Lynch (Drugstore Cowboy, Charlie’s Angels) and Elena Satine
(Just Go With It).

“Magic City” was created by writer and executive producer Mitch Glazer (“The Recruit,” “Scrooged”), who grew up in the glamorous, ominous world of late 1950s Miami Beach, frequenting the lobbies of iconic Miami hotels. Geyer Kosinski (Changeling, The Astronaut Farmer) also executive produces the series along with co-executive producer Ed Bianchi(“Deadwood”) and Emmy Award® winning producer Dwayne Shattuck (“Mad Men”).

The first season of “Magic City” is eight episodes and will debut exclusively on STARZ on Friday, April 6, 2012 at 10pm et/pt.

Basically, there are 100s of ways to watch Magic City but no one watches Starz programming. Except a million or so who watch Spartacus and they're desperate for Magic to get the same numbers.

Under 300,000 people would watch Boss and Party Down had "35,000" people watch new episodes for their second season. Good luck to them.

 

[Lencho01]

I'm always seeing the promos for this, but nothing really gets me excited for it. And the song they use is kinda annoying. I'll check it out, though.

 

[Lencho01]

It's been renewed already...

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/starz-magic-city-renewal-jeffrey-dean-morgan-301921

Starz Renews 'Magic City' Ahead of Period Drama's April Premiere
6:00 AM PDT 3/20/2012 by Lacey Rose

Starz/Greg Williams
Magic City

The network has ordered a 10-episode second season of the Jeffrey Dean Morgan starrer, which bows April 6.

Like Boss before it, Starz has renewed Magic City for a second, 10-episode season before the show's premiere.

The vote of confidence by Starz CEO Chris Albrecht and his team comes a few weeks ahead of the 1950s-set drama’s formal April 6 bow. The cinematic period drama, which hails from The Recruit’s Mitch Glazer, has already been sold around the globe. Production on the show's second season is expected to begin this year, with the run poised to launch in 2013.

"Magic City is a beautifully written, superbly acted and visually stunning series, and we feel the quality of the work accomplished deserves a second season," said Albrecht, who set the early renewal precedent with his critically acclaimed Kelsey Grammer series Boss in September. "It has already been sold in more than 70 territories worldwide and represents the kind of premium entertainment the Starz brand is seeking to create."

Magic, which stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen, Grey’s Anatomy), is set at Miami’s Miramar Playa Hotel, where Glazer spent much of his youth. The series follows the hotel's management, clients and crime families as they navigate politics and personal relationships.

"Season One of Magic City has been the most fulfilling and complete creative experience of my life," said Glazer of the series, which counts Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace, Max Payne) and Danny Huston (Children of Men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) among its cast. "I'm thrilled to continue spinning tales of Miami Beach 1959 for Starz."

The news comes on the heels of Starz’ announcement that it would be serving up the first three of eight episodes of Magic in a bid to get the series sampled before its early April premiere. What’s more, Albrecht’s team, which has made a similarly talent-friendly habit of bypassing the pilot stage of series as well, will air the premiere as a special preview March 30 following the season finale of Spartacus: Vengeance.

E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @LaceyVRose

 

[Lencho01]

I saw the first episode tonight. I thought it was ok. Here are some interviews...

http://collider.com/danny-huston-magic-city-interview/155228/

Danny Huston Talks New Starz Series MAGIC CITY and Playing Poseidon in WRATH OF THE TITANS

by Christina Radish Posted:March 28th, 2012 at 1:05 pm

The new Starz drama series Magic City, created by writer/executive producer Mitch Glazer and premiering on April 6th, takes place in 1959 at the luxurious Miramar Playa Hotel, during the tumultuous time when Havana fell to Castro’s rebels. Ike Evans (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is the star of his Miami hotel, but to finance his dream, he sold his soul to mob boss Ben “The Butcher” Diamond (Danny Huston). Ike’s wife Vera (Olga Kurylenko), a former showgirl, and his three kids, which include sons Stevie (Steven Strait) and Danny (Christian Cooke), think he’s an honorable man, but nothing at the Miramar Playa is what it seems.

During this exclusive interview with Collider, actor Danny Huston talked about how he came to be a part of Magic City, how much he enjoys playing a character that has no good to him, the research that he did for the role, and how factual the show actually is, with creator Mitch Glazer having grown up around there. He also talked about what attracts him to projects now, how much fun he had playing Poseidon in Wrath of the Titans, and how he’s hoping to direct again soon. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Collider: How did you come to be a part of Magic City?

DANNY HUSTON: Well, Mitch [Glazer] is a dear friend. I’ve known him for a long time, and he’s a friend of my sister’s. I’ve spent a lot of time with Mitch. He approached me and said he was doing something that might interest me, and he wanted to approach me through my agents, in the classically correct manner, rather then abuse the friendship, in any way. He was very polite and a little cautious about the way that he approached me. I was like, “Absolutely not! I want to see it and read it now!” So, he sent me the first three scripts and I loved it. I thought it was a real opportunity to approach something in a longer form, which is the great thing about cable.

Was part of the appeal that you were just going straight to a full series order, instead of shooting a pilot, investing that time, and then having to wait and see if it would get picked up?

HUSTON: Absolutely! It would be difficult [to do it the other way]. Knowing that this was set and one could develop the character and go somewhere with it, [was appealing]. And working with somebody like Mitch, I knew I could talk to him about it. This whole thing where you don’t really know where the story could go, I find a little daunting, but I suppose that’s like life. You don’t really know what’s waiting for you around the corner, do you? With a film that has the more classic three acts, from a performing point of view, if you know that you’re going to do some heinous thing at the end, you can do a slow burn. You don’t have to reveal things. You can do a sleight of the hand and play things because you know where your character is going. With this, it’s harder. You’re not as sure-footed. But yet, you don’t want to just explode and give every facet of the character in too brief a time, so you’ve got something saved up that you can play with. The scripts are very good, in that sense. You feel that there’s still stuff that you can reveal, and you’re not stuck in some awful repetition.

What can you say about Ben “The Butcher” Diamond and how he fits into the world of this show?

HUSTON: He’s a Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, Edward G. Robinson type of guy. He’s all bad. There’s not a grain of good in him. There’s nothing redeeming about him. He’s quite a realist, in that sense. He’s got a certain flare. There’s something rich about his character, in the way that he speaks, and his manner and style. He always wants more. He’s a little devastated because Cuba has changed and now it’s in Castro’s hands, who he thinks is going to disappear soon. There’s a line where he says, “Dictators come and go like the weather down here.” He’s waiting it out in Miami, trying to see if he can bring gambling there, hence his interest in Ike. In the meantime, he’s trying to recreate himself in Miami, which was as much of an opportunity then as it is today. There’s always been talk about bringing gambling to Miami. Real estate was going down and there was talk about bringing casinos in and pumping the place up, which led to a big battle with the legislators. It’s a continuous potential profit-making evil. He’s also a bit like an emperor. He’s a little bored, so he likes to mettle.

Is it just really fun to play out the relationship between your character and Jeffrey’s Dean Morgan’s character?

HUSTON: I love it! I just love it. He’s certainly not all good, and there’s an affection between the two of us. I know how to tempt him, and he rolls his eyes. Every time, I just chip away at his soul and manage to own a little more of him, which delights me and infuriates him. But, he also knows that he has to deal with me. The last person you ever want to help you is Ben Diamond because you’re doomed, and Ike knows that. He’s not an innocent, and that’s a lot of fun to play.


Is he a villain who enjoys and relishes in being a villain?

HUSTON: A lot of the villains that I’ve played – and I love playing villains – don’t really know that they’re villains. They don’t see themselves as villainous. But, that might not apply to Ben Diamond. I think he knows he’s bad.

Well, he does have to live up to his nickname as “The Butcher,” wouldn’t you say?

HUSTON: Well, I wouldn’t call him The Butcher to his face. But, Bugsy Siegel had the same thing. He didn’t like being called Bugsy. He would have a fit. That’s what I like about this character. I discussed with Mitch whether we’d want to have a scene where we’d show a little heart or maybe why he became this way, and we decided not to because he’s just bad. He was in an orphanage and had this Dickensian childhood where there was no light, which is why he likes the sun so much. This is such a wonderful time. People smoked because they didn’t know it was bad for you. They laid out in the sun because they didn’t know it was bad for them. He does all these things and, in a way, I can’t help but feel some nostalgia for a time when people were just ignorant of potential medical complications that their actions may be having. I relish that. He’s very rich, in that way.

When you do something like this that has so much historical content, and so much happened in such a short period of time during this time period, what sort of research did you do? Did you just focus on what was in the script, or did you want more of an overall feel for the time period?

HUSTON: Well, 1959 was an incredible year. There’s a book called 1959 that I read, that Mitch gave me. So much was going on. Of course, you’ve got Castro, which is obvious, in regard to my character. But, Kennedy was coming in, the [birth control] pill was on the market, there was the Atom bomb and free jazz, and so much diverse stuff was going on, which makes it a wonderfully exciting period. The hotel offers such a wonderful pallette to explore all of these issues. If we are lucky enough to have this go on, politically there are so many things to explore. Sammy Davis, who performed in the Fontainebleau, wasn’t allowed to stay there. You’ve got the CIA bugging these hotels and rigging things because of all the Cuban stuff that was going on. Women’s Lib really took hold. There were countless ‘50s commercials. Mad Men explores all of that in detail, and that existential crisis of man and woman. But here, you’ve also got the crime and all that other stuff going on. Miami is so close to South America. It’s not only Cuba. There are many, many other influences.

How much of this is factual, as opposed to how much is done for the sake of drama?

HUSTON: I think it’s quite factual. We have the great privilege of having Mitch, who grew up around there. Anything that we think is maybe a little odd or we’re like, “Are you sure?,” he’ll have a story to back it up. It’s great having him there, constantly. That whole thing of the showrunner being the writer and creator is something that I’ve never experienced, in this way. He’s always there, he’s always present, and he’s always micro-managing. It’s just great to be able to pick up the phone and call him, at any moment, and have his support, as far as the facts of the story.

Is this a character that you’d like to continue to explore?

HUSTON: Yes, I would love it! There’s a lot to him, even though he’s blatantly what he is.

Is there something in particular that attracts you to projects, these days?

HUSTON: First and foremost, I suppose it’s the story and who you’re working with. Most of the people I’ve worked with, I respect. We’re storytellers. With this show, it’s weird because you don’t know where the show is going and I’ve never experienced that. I’m enjoying it, but it’s still a bit weird. I’m more focused on the story, these days. I feel like I’m more of a filmmaker, at heart. It’s the story that I want to support, first. If my character is interesting, all the better. I’d approach a character that was similar to another one I’d done. That wouldn’t matter to me. You try to maybe do something different, but if it’s not required, it’s not necessary. When you think of people like Robert Mitchum or John Wayne, they were playing the same character, over and over again. It’s the scope of the story, really, that I find what ropes me in.

What are you going to be working on next?

HUSTON: I started as a director and just fell upon acting. This has allowed me time to option books and develop screenplays, and possibly get back in the saddle and direct.
Do you have any acting work lined up?


HUSTON: At the moment, no. I’m just trying to get these stories done. Obviously, if something interesting comes up, I’ll do it. But, what’s great about working on a show like this is that you can map your life out a bit better. As an actor, it’s hard to direct because, suddenly, you’re not around. The thing which I hate about directing is the waiting game, but you’ve really got to wait it out and be resilient and keep it going and keep everybody motivated. It’s a real struggle to get a film made, and you’ve got to be present. You can’t just skedaddle off and do a movie, right in the middle of developing a story or trying to get financing, or whatever it is. So, this is offering me a certain luxury of time.

Is it fun to play a character like Poseidon for Wrath of the Titans, and be a part of such a fantastical film?

HUSTON: It is fun! It’s sort of childlike. When I was a kid, I remember the mechanical owl in the original. It’s dress-up. You don’t take it all that seriously, but then suddenly you’re there and the sets are fantastic, and I had the privilege of working with Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes. And then, you’re into it and it becomes very serious. At the end of your day’s work, you’re like, “What was that about?” We really believed that we’re three Gods, but what fun to play Gods. Those kinds of films are just very expensive. It’s outrageous, the amount of money that’s spent. Just to take a peak at that is fun, too.

Magic City airs on Friday nights on Starz, starting on April 6th.

 

[Lencho01]

http://collider.com/olga-kurylenko-magic-city-terrence-malick-interview/155233/

Olga Kurylenko Talks MAGIC CITY and Working for Terrence Malick on His Next Movie

by Christina Radish Posted:March 29th, 2012 at 10:01 am

The new Starz drama series Magic City, created by writer/executive producer Mitch Glazer and premiering on April 6th, takes place in 1959 at the luxurious Miramar Playa Hotel, during the tumultuous time when Havana fell to Castro’s rebels. Ike Evans (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is the star of his Miami hotel, but to finance his dream, he sold his soul to mob boss Ben “The Butcher” Diamond (Danny Huston). Ike’s wife Vera (Olga Kurylenko), a former showgirl, and his three kids, which include sons Stevie (Steven Strait) and Danny (Christian Cooke), think he’s an honorable man, but nothing at the Miramar Playa is what it seems.

During this exclusive interview with Collider, actress Olga Kurylenko talked about how she got her role on Magic City before even doing the chemistry test with co-star Jeffrey Dean Morgan, portraying a real and loving marriage on the show, the incredible wardrobe for the time period, how she generally prefers taking more time with her work than the quick pace of television, and how she’s even more excited to do Season 2 because she knows what to expect. She also talked about working with director Terrence Malick, for his as-yet-untitled feature with Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams, how you never know what you’re going to be doing because he likes to be spontaneous, and how he took each of the actors in the film out for drive to talk about their characters. Check out what she had to say after the jump:

Collider: How did Magic City come about for you? Did you audition for the role?

OLGA KURYLENKO: Yeah, I auditioned for it. I flew to L.A. and did a couple of scenes, and then they called me and said, “You’ve got it.” That was it.

Did you have to do a chemistry read with Jeffrey Dean Morgan?

KURYLENKO: The first one was the audition just for me to get the part. And then, I got the part and I was in L.A., and (show creator) Mitch [Glazer] did the test [for our chemistry]. But, I had already gotten the part. I don’t know if I hadn’t had that chemistry, if he would have thrown me away and said, “Sorry, honey, I take the part back.” I did test with Jeffrey and with Steven [Strait] because he’s playing his son, who is somewhat attracted to me. It’s very ambiguous. So, I tested with them because I have more of a relationship with them, and it worked.

What can you say about Vera Evans and how she fits into the world of this show?

KURYLENKO: Vera has a Dutch mother and a gypsy father, so she’s half gypsy. She lived in Holland and, during the war, she lost all her family. She trained as a ballerina, as a little girl. After the war, she took one of those ships that went to America and, because of the over-quota in America, the ship was re-routed to Cuba, and that’s how she would up in Cuba where she became a dancer at the Tropicana there. So, she was dancing there for a couple of years, and then she met Ike when he went there on a trip and saw the show and fell in love with her. He married her and took her to Miami, and there she is, the wife of this big, successful businessman who’s very rich.

Her life completely changed. She was pretty poor, as a girl, living in Holland. She comes from a very normal, simple family. It’s a very big change in her life. What’s difficult is that she suddenly has to become a step-mother to three kids, two of which are adults now – Stevie (Steven Strait) and Danny (Christian Cooke) – and there’s a little girl who’s 13. It’s very difficult because all of the kids are suspicious of Vera. They don’t know if she’s there for his money. Suddenly, daddy brings home this young wife and they wonder what she wants from him. The thing that’s beautiful is that Vera and Ike really do love each other. Mitch really wanted to portray this real love within marriage, and not people cheating on each other and having all kinds of troubles and problems. These two just have a relationship that works.

Vera’s main focus is to basically be a good wife and prove that she deserves that place. She doesn’t want to be looked at suspiciously. High society looks down at her a little because she’s not born into it. She’s just some dancer who married this guy. Of course, she wants to really prove her place. She’s trying to be a step-mother to this little girl who’s really very difficult.

How involved is she in the business?

KURYLENKO: Vera is pretty much a wife, and she takes care of the little girl, but she does help Ike a little bit. She doesn’t work in the office, especially in those times. It wasn’t possible. But, I think she would love it. I think Vera would love to take things into her hands because she’s very pro-active. She was always a working girl. She wasn’t born rich, so she had to earn her own life. Suddenly, being Ike’s wife and not having to do anything makes her a little empty and gives her some kind of void. She really would like to mean something, in this life. Vera is looking for the opportunity to do something more then just be a wife and a mother. Although, she does dream about having her own kids. She really wants to have her own children and family with Ike. She wants to do both.

Is that something that he wants, too?

KURYLENKO: I think he does, yeah. I think they both want it. It’s just a question of time. They’re figuring out when is the best time. The thing is that Ike is having lots of problems. He’s very successful and everything goes well, but when you look behind it, he’s having lots of problems because he’s in this deal with this big gangster guy who’s called The Butcher and he’s very dangerous. He owns half of his business and nobody knows about it. Sometimes it gets quite dirty. But, Vera is unaware of all that. She thinks her husband is the perfect man, which he is, but he did make a deal with the devil. So, maybe it’s not exactly the right moment to start a family. Although, I think they both would love it.

Do you just have the best wardrobe on this show?

KURYLENKO: I do. We do, yeah. All the girls are just so thrilled about all the costumes. It’s amazing! I really enjoy it. It’s incredible. I could just dress head-to-toe in that style, every day. It still looks hot. It’s so glamorous.

How has it been to work with Jeffrey Dean Morgan and develop the relationship between your characters?

KURYLENKO: Oh, it was great. I’m so lucky with my partner. He’s a wonderful actor, and he’s a great guy. He’s so cool and laid-back, and he’s so down-to-earth. There’s no attitude. He’s a very hard worker. I’ve never seen anyone so hard working. He was on set, every day. We would have breaks for a couple of days and we could sleep, but I don’t know when he slept. He always came prepared and always knew his text. I’ve seen other actors came in for just one day out of a month, not knowing their text, and you think, “What were you doing?” This guy has pages per day. In a series, you shoot about eight pages a day, while on a movie you shoot half a page the whole day because they take their time. Here, that’s not the case. He had a tremendous amount of text to learn, and he always knew it. On set, it was just pleasure. I was like, “Perfect, I’ve got to make out with the guy! He’s not that bad looking, so I’m all good.” I don’t have to struggle with it too hard.

Do you enjoy the pace of television?

KURYLENKO: Honestly, no. I’d rather take my time, but there’s nothing I can do. This is too fast for me. It’s a crazy pace, but what can you do? That’s how it is. I have to adjust. At the same time, I’m thinking that maybe it’s good. It’s good training because there’s nothing you can do. You’ve got to go and you’ve got to do it, and that’s it. It’s good training, but I’m not here to train, I’m here to work. Maybe feature actors are more lazy. I’ve only done big features before. I like to come to the set, hang out, look around, get settled, take everything in, and get into the mood.

In television, there’s no time. You can’t walk around and get into the mood. Nobody is going to wait for you. They’re like, “Let’s go!,” and I’m like, “Wait, I haven’t gotten in the mood!” No one can wait. What we get in movies is a luxury. You can do another take and you can change and go for something totally different and start searching. There’s no way to search here. You’ve got to know what you’re doing. From one side, that’s good. From another side, it’s a pity. Maybe if you search a little more, you can come up with other things, but there’s no time. You can give a couple of options, and no more because they have to go. It’s a different style, and it’s hard.

Do you feel better prepared now for Season 2?

KURYLENKO: I’m looking forward to it. I’m just dying to do it. I’m more excited now because I know what it is and I did get training for it. Now, I’ve taken a break and it’s settled in and I’ve had time to digest it. I’ve seen the result, and that helps. We didn’t have any playback on set. We didn’t have any images and they didn’t show us anything. They didn’t want us to see any dailies because they didn’t want us to get self-conscious, but I like to see what I’m doing. So, now that I’ve seen the first three episodes, I know what I’m doing and what it gives on screen. For the second season, I feel like I know better how to do it and what to do. It was my first time doing a TV show. It was like going to school.

When you made the decision to sign on for a TV show, was it important to you that it was a cable show for a shorter amount of episodes, so that you could still do movies in between seasons?

KURYLENKO: Yeah, it’s great that I can fit something in, and I’m trying to see what I’ll be able to do. A lot of things will start now, but they might still go on when the show starts, and then overlap. So, I hope I can fit something in. I have really wonderful options, and I hope I can do them. But, it’s great to have a little time to do some features and combine both. That’s perfect.

What was it like to work with a filmmaker like Terrence Malick, for his film with Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams?

KURYLENKO: It was wonderful. He is the most wonderful creature in this world. I love him. I’m passionate about him. He’s extremely smart, extremely deep, and profoundly kind and real. It’s not a mask. He doesn’t pretend. He is real. He’s a wonderful filmmaker, and very shy. If he were to read this, he would say, “Why would you say this? It’s not true!” He’s so sweet. He thinks I’m exaggerating, but I’m not. And, the way he works totally fit me. You never know what you’re doing. It’s at the last moment and very spontaneous, and I like that. As much as the fast pace can be difficult, not knowing what I’m doing is actually totally fine. It scares a lot of actors. I’ve heard that others were terrified and were like, “What do you mean, I’ve got no script? I’ve gotta know what I’m doing!” And I’m like, “I trust you, Terrence. Tell me whatever you want. I’m here.” I like that. I like to play as I go.

When you do a project like that, do you even know what character you’re playing?

KURYLENKO: Yeah. He spoke to me and told me what it was. He tells you. You don’t read it. You listen to the story for a couple of hours, you take it in, and then you meet him again and listen again and talk. He likes to go for a drive and talk. I think he took every actor for a drive and would talk, and you just take it in and become that character. It gets into you. And then, I just know who I am and it’s not the character, it’s me, suddenly. And then, from there, something very real comes out that’s spontaneous. That’s awesome. That means you don’t need to know what you’re doing. As that person, you can go and move that chair or pour yourself a coffee, and you’ll be that person and it will be real. There’s no acting. You just are. That’s wonderful. I wish everybody worked that way. I only want to work with him now. Not to offend others, but you just think, “Wow, I would love to work with him again.”

Magic City airs on Friday nights on Starz, starting on April 6th.

 

[mjdiddy1]

I actually liked it

 

[Lencho01]

http://collider.com/jeffrey-dean-morgan-magic-city-interview/155194/

Jeffrey Dean Morgan Talks MAGIC CITY and THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA

by Christina Radish Posted:April 2nd, 2012 at 11:01 pm

The new Starz drama series Magic City, created by writer/executive producer Mitch Glazer and premiering on April 6th, takes place in 1959 at the luxurious Miramar Playa Hotel, during the tumultuous time when Havana fell to Castro’s rebels. Ike Evans (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is the star of his Miami hotel, but to finance his dream, he sold his soul to mob boss Ben “The Butcher” Diamond (Danny Huston). Ike’s wife Vera (Olga Kurylenko), a former showgirl, and his three kids, which include sons Stevie (Steven Strait) and Danny (Christian Cooke), think he’s an honorable man, but nothing at the Miramar Playa is what it seems.

During this exclusive interview with Collider, the always charming and gracious Jeffrey Dean Morgan talked about how he initially thought the show was a mini-series but that he got hooked before realizing otherwise, how different it is to play the lead on a show that he actually get to survive until the end of the season on, how much he enjoyed working with Danny Huston and the phenomenal ensemble, and how he’s become a workaholic, juggling movies during the hiatus of Magic City, which has already received a second season order. He also talked about his next film, The Devil in the Deep Blue Sea, which he starts in New Orleans in April with Chloe Moretz and Jessica Biel, and how he hopes to do The Rut after Season 2 of the show. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

Collider: How did Magic Citycome about for you? Was it something you were approached about doing?

JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN: Yeah. I had just finished a movie and I was in upstate New York, in my little tiny cabin in a snow storm, and my agent sent me three or four scripts and told me it was a mini-series. I had no real desire to jump in and do a full-time television show. I quite enjoy going from character to character, and movies allow me that, as an actor. It’s fantastic. But, thinking it was a mini-series, I was like, “Let me take a gander at it,” and Mitch Glazer’s writing was so great. All the characters were so flushed out, but this character, in particular, had so many places to go. The audience really gets to follow his journey.

It was just so well-written that I was like, “Oh, ****, this is really good. I’ll sit down with Mitch, but I’m not going to leave New York, so he’s going to have to come over to me.” And he did. He got on a plane, and he hates flying. He came out to New York and we met, and within 30 seconds of meeting him, I knew that I wanted to work with him. A half-hour in, I brought up the fact that it was a mini-series and he looked at me like I was off my rocker, and that’s when I figured out, “Oh, no, this is going to be an ongoing story.” But, by then, I was already in, hook, line and sinker. And here we are, with eight hours of extraordinary storytelling, in any medium.

I think this is really good. I don’t think there’s anything like it on TV. I’m super-glad that I read those scripts and met with Mitch. I really am. Normally, I’ll read 10 pages of a script and be like, “Ah, I don’t know,” and that will be it. Especially when I’m up at the cabin, it’s hard to get me to do anything. But, I love it and I’m so glad I did it, and it’s been a hell of a run.

Was part of the appeal that you were just going straight to a full series order, instead of shooting a pilot, investing that time, and then having to wait and see if it would get picked up?

MORGAN: Yeah, we went right into production and did a season. Some of the best writing and acting is on the premium channels. All of the supposed film actors are doing television now – some great ones. Everybody involved in this show comes from the world of film. This is a different world, for all of us. I’ve done a lot of television, but not the lead of a series. I’ll go die on shows, aplenty, but to actually survive a first season is amazing to me. And, to be talking about what might be happening in the future is also amazing.

While we were doing it, it felt like we were doing a movie. I’ve seen three episodes and it moves like a ****ing freight train. Every episode gets better. I’m exceedingly proud of that. And knowing that Mitch Glazer wrote every single episode is an amazing feat. He wrote a novel, essentially. It’s been such a lovely – and that’s such a weird word to come out of my mouth – work experience. I genuinely had so much fun.

It’s the hardest work I’ve ever had in my life. The work was incredibly hard. The scheduling of television is so much more than doing a film, when you’re shooting seven pages a day and I’m literally in 99% of the scenes of this show. So, I didn’t sleep for six months. I’d work my 15-hour days, have to go study for four hours, and then be on the set again. But, I had fun, even then. Even when I was exhausted and a little bit crazy from lack of sleep, the work remained solid and the people I worked with were great, and what a cool deal. I’m a big fan.

What can you say about who Ike Evans is and how he fits into the world of this show?

MORGAN: Well, it’s his world. Ike Evans started out as a cabana boy with big aspirations and dreams, and they’ve all come to fruition. He built the Miramar Playa, which in our story is the Fontainebleau of Miami Beach. It’s where everyone goes. It’s where the Rat Pack would be hanging out. It’s the place to go. So, he’s built the gem of Miami Beach, but in order to build this place and run it, he’s had to do some things. He’s a good guy, don’t get me wrong. He’s a good man.

First and foremost, he’s a family man. But, he finds himself in a position of having to have questionable business partners and those chinks in the armor that no one knows about, except for me and you, as the audience. My family and the rest of the people in the show don’t know. He walks into a room and he owns it. He’s a super-charming guy and he’s always got a smile on his face. He moves like a shark, in and out of these worlds. But, he sold his soul to the devil, so to speak, and he’s desperately trying to find a way out, keep his family safe and keep his dream alive. As we go through this and each episode plays out, you can see the pressures building, and he may crack.

What’s it like to have an actor like Danny Huston to play those moments off of?

MORGAN: Danny is a ****ing great actor. I don’t even know what else to say. He’s so good. He and I have been around doing this for awhile now. For the scenes that we get to have, the powers that be have given us a lot of freedom with these characters. We’ll do four or five takes, of any given scene, and every one of them will be completely different, and having that ability to play is phenomenal. I can hardly wait to see some of the cuts that they choose. What Danny and I would do, in particular, is get two cameras going. You never knew what was going to happen. There could be these weird little improv moments that weren’t scripted. It’s a really great thing and special, as an actor, to work with someone that isn’t consistent in what they’re doing. Consistent with greatness, but every time we do something, each moment has a different thing in there that I can see him doing, and I react off of that and listen to what’s going on. That’s a great way to work, and a hoot.

We have a phenomenal cast. I love working with all of them. But, with Danny, in particular, I get very excited about playing with him. And he really does relish this bad guy thing. He enjoys it, and you can see him enjoying it, and that’s just a contagious thing. When you see someone enjoying what they’re doing so much, it makes it so much more fun and makes those days easier. We had scenes that had a phenomenal amount of dialogue, and yet there’s an ease to working with someone like Danny and a freshness that is sometimes hard to get with other people. I very much look forward to working with him. There’s not a dull moment. In any of the scenes that we have together, there won’t be a dull moment, I can promise you that.

What sort of family dynamic does your character have with his wife and sons? Does he want both of his sons in the family business?

MORGAN: Yeah. Stevie (Steven Strait), in particular, is a mini-me. I’ve raised him to be the spitting image of his father. I think Ike was exactly like Stevie, but maybe Ike was a little bit more ambitious. Stevie tends to go off on his tangents. First and foremost, and what I love so much about this character, is that the foundation of Ike is that he’s a family man. He’s not off having affairs. At heart, he’s a really good guy. Everything he does is to protect his family. He employs them. He wants Danny (Christian Cooke) to go to the best schools. He wants to bring Stevie up in the hotel business. Ultimately, he would like Danny to also be there. Danny is very much Al Pacino in The Godfather, as I would be Marlon Brando. It’s like, “You’re going to go be the good kid. You’re going to go to law school. You’re going to do this right. With my lack of education and Stevie’s lack of education, when I’m dead and gone, you will be the guy that can run this on the up-and-up.” Stevie is more like his father. But, at its heart, it’s a very loving family. I don’t think you see that in television much. No one is a drug addict in the family. Ike is very much in love with his wife, and I love that opportunity. One of the things I love so much is that, regardless of what’s happening in Ike’s world, he goes home to his wife who he loves more than anything, and her him. That’s rarely seen, and it’s so much fun to play.

When you work so hard on something like this, does that change the kind of projects you want to do on hiatus? Do you want to just take a break between seasons, or do you want to continue to balance the show with film work?

MORGAN: I want to do movies, too. What’s happened is that somehow I’ve become a workaholic. I never really planned on that. I like my time off, but I haven’t really worked now since we wrapped this show and it’s starting to drive me nuts. But, I’m going to do a movie before we start production back on [Season 2], and then I have a movie right after we finish [Season 2]. I love working, but I have to try to balance my family in there, too. Dragging them around is hard, so I’m going to enjoy this time that we have. I purposely am not going to work until April, and then I pretty much work until next January. But, I drag everybody with me, and they’re good.

Which film are you doing next?

MORGAN: I’m doing a movie called The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea in April. That will be the next movie, and that’s with Chloe Moretz and Jessica Biel. It’s a great, great, great, great script. I’m very excited to do it. We’ll be in New Orleans, doing that. And then, next Fall or Winter, or whenever we finish doing [Season 2], I think I’m going to do a movie called The Rut. I just keep my head down and keep working.

Magic City airs on Friday nights on Starz, starting on April 6th.

 

[Raiden]

Hmm, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Olga Kurylenko? I think I'll check it out. However, whoever designed the billboard poster should be fired; it looked like a cheap piece of work, and I'm certain amateur Photoshop artists on the net can do a better job.

 

[Lencho01]

http://collider.com/steven-strait-magic-city-interview/155239/

Steven Strait MAGIC CITY Interview

by Christina Radish Posted:April 5th, 2012 at 7:00 am

The new Starz drama series Magic City, created by writer/executive producer Mitch Glazer and premiering on April 6th, takes place in 1959 at the luxurious Miramar Playa Hotel, during the tumultuous time when Havana fell to Castro’s rebels. Ike Evans (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is the star of his Miami hotel, but to finance his dream, he sold his soul to mob boss Ben “The Butcher” Diamond (Danny Huston). Ike’s wife Vera (Olga Kurylenko), a former showgirl, and his three kids, which include sons Stevie (Steven Strait) and Danny (Christian Cooke), think he’s an honorable man, but nothing at the Miramar Playa is what it seems.

During this exclusive interview with Collider, actor Steven Strait talked about how he came to be a part of Magic City, his vision for the role of Stevie, the father-son relationship, his extensive research of the time period, and how amazing this ensemble has been to work with. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

Collider: How did Magic Citycome about for you? Did you audition for the role?

STEVEN STRAIT: Well, I read it and just fell in love with the first script. It was so lush and real and interesting and complicated and historic and accurate. The characters were all different and multi-faceted and compelling. And then, I met Mitch Glazer, who is a genius and a lovely person. He explained his vision for it, and I talked to him about how I saw Stevie. And then, I read for it and that was it.

At that point, did you know that this had already been picked up for series, and that it wasn’t just a pilot that you had to film and then wait to see if it got picked up?

STRAIT: I did know that, and it made sense to me. The quality of the material was just so extraordinary that it was probably just a prudent idea to go with it. That kind of material doesn’t come along very often. I think everyone wanted to take advantage and make it what it could possibly be. This is my first television series, so the whole process has been fairly new for me. But, I found that shooting this and the process of it coming together is far more similar to film then I would have imagined television to be. It was really great. And, it was great to know that we had the opportunity to really do all of the background work and research and know that you’ll have a body of work that you can use it for, as opposed to just the pilot. That was a big luxury. That’s not usually done.

What can you say about Stevie Evans and how he fits into the world of this show?

STRAIT: The show essentially revolves around the family that built Miami into the resort city that it is today. Ike Evans (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is based on a real guy. It’s at the time when all of the big, beautiful art deco hotels were opening up and he’s growing his empire, but it’s a very specific moment in socio-economic America, and particularly in Miami because there’s so much going on. Cuba was falling and the mob was moving in from Chicago and fleeing Havana, trying to turn Miami into a new Havana despite everyone’s best efforts to keep gambling out of Miami. And then, there were these regular folks, trying to build their business and their empire. It’s about how they handle the incredible pressures and the very dangerous and powerful people. The government and the CIA opened a huge field office there to try to kill Castro. There were all these very bizarre bedfellows that started to intermix together within the lobbies of these hotels. That really happened, which is the most extraordinary part about all of it.

My character fits into the mix because he’s the one who runs the ground game. If Ike handles the larger, more political aspects of his empire – like calling the Kennedys and making sure they come down, or the businessmen that they need, or the television executives that have the Miss ‘59 pageant there – and Stevie handles the grimier side of all of it, with the prostitution and the gambling. He’s the one who is physically interacting with that world, all the time. He’s the one who runs the ground game within the hotel and makes sure that all of Ike’s plans are facilitated. He really is his father’s son. He’s cut from the same cloth.

He really looks up to Ike. As opposed to Danny, Christian Cooke’s character, who’s my younger brother on the show, who’s more of the Bobby Kennedy generation. He wants to be a lawyer and change the world. Stevie is not quite there. He fits into this really bizarre slot. He’s not quite in the Chet Baker era, and he’s not really in The Beatles era either. He’s in this really weird mix of transition for the country and for culture, in general. It was really fun to play him. He’s a very murky, multi-faceted character.

How is the father-son relationship between Ike and Stevie?

STRAIT: They’re very similar. Ike, for Stevie, is the pedestal. Stevie is being groomed to take over this empire. His focus is far more localized then his younger brother, who looks at causes and things that are more global. Stevie’s life exists in Miami and that general region, and he’s focused on growing that business there. In general, he stays more specific to the interests of the family, as opposed to the interests of the general population. Judgements aside, it’s just a different mind-set that he shares with Ike and got from Ike. They’re very similar people.

When you do something like this that has so much historical content, and so much happened in such a short period of time during this time period, what sort of research did you do? Did you just focus on what was in the script, or did you want more of an overall feel for the time period?

STRAIT: I did a lot of research. I thought it was really important to understand the reasons why things were the way they were. It’s such a unique time and so much happened. This is 1959. By the early ‘60s, the stakes are really high. You’ve got the Cuban Missile Crisis and the world almost on the brink of extinction with a nuclear holocaust. It’s the circumstances that led up to this bizarre intermix of the mob, the government and local businessmen. I read quite a few books on different aspects of the show. For Stevie, as a character, I read a couple different books, taking bits and pieces of characters that I thought were similar to him, and then just bent them to how I saw him.

I re-read The Godfather. I also read a book called 1959 that really describes the year, which is an extraordinary book that is really eye-opening. You have Sputnik and the creation of the micro-chip, and all of these really big, innovative, huge things going on. I also wanted to understand the region and the dictators and the Dominican Republic, and Castro kicking out Meyer Lansky. All of that stuff needed to be researched and known because Stevie would have known that stuff. I focused the books on the area and the time. It wasn’t more general then that because I didn’t feel like Stevie would have an interest in what was going on in Europe. He’d have more of an interest in what was paying the bills at the Miramar Playa. Havana Nocturne is a really great non-fiction book about the mob in Cuba, who are a lot of the same players that ended up in Miami when Cuba fell.

So, there was a lot of research that went into it. I wanted to get really specific with Stevie because he does fall in that strange area of a country in transition, and him also in transition. He’s becoming an adult and a man. Stevie gets to reap all the rewards of his father’s work without any of the really large responsibilities, but as time goes on, that starts to change. I thought it was really important that all the choices for him were very specific, even down to his clothes and the fabric of his suits. But, I had a blast playing Stevie and developing him. He does so much mask work. He’s a hustler, so when he’s talking to his prostitutes, he’s one guy, and when he’s handling the gambling and the mobsters in the cabana, he’s another guy, and when he’s talking to his family, he’s another guy.

Do you think he even knows which one he actually is?

STRAIT: Yes, I do. And, that was a choice. It was either going to be that he’s doing it subconsciously for his own survival and forward movement, or he’s actually choosing it for his own survival and forward movement. It does inform who he is and how capable he is. So, I decided to make Stevie really smart because his father is. Ike is a genius. He came from nothing in Miami and built this empire because of his brain, and it only made sense that that would transfer down. In him being Stevie’s tutor, those qualities would inevitably end up rubbing off on him. It was also more fun to make it a conscious choice for me. To be able to come out of one cabana being one guy, actually take a moment and change the mask, and then go into another one, it was great. It was really fun. I built the subconscious of the character, and then I had to build the ones that he built for himself. There’s a couple different layers and directions, which was really fun to play with. You just have a lot of colors to paint a picture with.

How has this cast of actors been to work with?

STRAIT: It was amazing! Mitch’s writing is just beautiful. To be able to work with this kind of material with these actors, who are all so incredible, on a consistent basis, it doesn’t really get any better then that. I was just so happy, shooting this show. It was incredibly gratifying, creatively. Everyone was committed and really embodied their characters. It was a blast.

So, needlessly to say, this is a character you’d love to explore some more?

STRAIT: I would love to! As long as they’ll let me, I’ll be doing it.

Magic City airs on Friday nights on Starz, starting on April 6th.

 

[Lencho01]

Haven't seen any of the current season, but the show's done...

Starz Cancels 'Magic City'

 

[Sawyer]

Starz, what do you even have anymore, other than the upcoming Outlander and the promise of more works from Steven S. DeKnight?

 

[Marvolo]

Starz, what do you even have anymore, other than the upcoming Outlander and the promise of more works from Steven S. DeKnight?

The White Queen

This season has been boring anyways. I shouldn't have wasted my time. Oh well, I'm gping to give The White Queen a watch and Black Sails, but they don't have anything that interests me other than those two.

 

[Sawyer]

Oh ****, I forgot about those two. And DaVinci's Demons too, I guess.

 

[Lencho01]

Does White Queen really count since it's already aired in the UK?

 

[Marvolo]

Oh ****, I forgot about those two. And DaVinci's Demons too, I guess.

I like Da Vinci's Demons a lot...not sure why I forgot it tho. I really hope they don't cancel it, but they probably will.

 

[Lencho01]

Somehow this is happening...

Canceled Starz Series ‘Magic City’ Becoming A Movie; Bruce Willis, Bill Murray Join Cast

 

[Sawyer]

That doesn't make any sense.

I honestly thought this was an April fool's joke at first.

 

[Marvolo]

Somehow this is happening...

Canceled Starz Series ‘Magic City’ Becoming A Movie; Bruce Willis, Bill Murray Join Cast

I know right! Talk about out of left field. I'm looking forward to it tho. But I am very worried about Bruce Willis's involvement. Lately he just looks bored as **** in everything he is in.

 

[Teelie]

I was going to roll my eyes at yet another genre piece set in the 50/60's era, then saw it was several years ago, cancelled and now being made into a movie with Bruce Willis and Bill Murrary.

I'm so sick of the 50/60's era and the only thing I'll watch about that is the final few episodes of Mad Men. With Willis and Murray though I'm tempted to at least look. Murrary more than Willis because at least Bill Murray's tired look is part of his shtick whereas Willis is just bored and uninterested in anything but a paycheck these days. Maybe something different than his usual action fare will reinvigorate him.

 

[Marvolo]

Mad Men is the only 60s show I know of, and this is the only 50's show I know of. What other ones are there? For that matter, what films in the last decade have been set in the 50s and 60s cause I can't recall a single one.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Mad Men is the only 60s show I know of, and this is the only 50's show I know of. What other ones are there? For that matter, what films in the last decade have been set in the 50s and 60s cause I can't recall a single one.

After Mad Men's success there was quick attempt to cash in on 50's-60's time period shows. Aside from this show there was also the short-lived Pan-Am, Vegas, and Playboy Club TV shows. There was also a show on BBC, but I forget the name.

Like most cash-ins, none of them had much staying power.

 

[Lencho01]

It's been a while, but I don't even remember how the second season ended.