Steve Zahn News

After conducting an extensive worldwide casting call, Netflix announced today that actor, dancer, and model Ava Michelle will play the lead role in its upcoming live action comedy Tall Girl, making her feature film debut. The film captures the tone of the classic John Hughes movies, while exploring the nuanced and delicate relationships that make high school challenging, frustrating, memorable, and uplifting. Ava Michelle, who is 6 feet and 1 inch tall, will play Jodi, a 16 year old who must embrace what makes her different and be proud to stand out, not fit in.

To celebrate the holiday season, National Geographic will make the first two episodes of the upcoming limited series Valley of the Boom available for free beginning December 21st in advance of the series' broadcast premiere. The two episodes will be released unauthenticated on NationalGeographic.com and on the National Geographic TV app, which includes mobile and connected devices such as AppleTV, Roku, Chromecast and more. Additional platforms the two episodes will be available include Facebook, YouTube, VOD, Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play and Vudu.

The band's getting back together again at the 18th Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T. This Is Spinal Tap will return to the big screen for the iconic mockumentary's 35th anniversary at the 2019 Festival. Generation X will also have a comeback for the 25th anniversary of Reality Bites. The storytellers behind the cult classics will be on hand for cast and creator reunions. The 2019 Tribeca Film Festival runs April 24 - May 5.

It's a spooktacular Halloween countdown on ABC as the network's comedies, “Dancing with the Stars: Juniors,” “Dancing with the Stars” and “America's Funniest Home Videos” all celebrate with special programming leading up to the holiday. The week of Oct. 29, frightening events take place on “General Hospital.” On Halloween, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” airs the13th Annual Half & Half Halloween Costume Pageant as part of the evening's festivities.  Classic Halloween specials “It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “Toy Story OF TERROR!” also return for encore performances.

In the wake of the critical success of BLAZE, directed and co-written by Ethan Hawke, and the acclaim for musician Ben Dickey in his first acting role as Blaze Foley; Ethan Hawke, Charlie Sexton and Louis Black announce the launch of the SexHawkeBlack record label. Dickey, who was awarded a U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Achievement in Acting at the Sundance Film Festival 2018, will be the first musician signed to this new imprint in conjunction with the Nashville based Dualtone label. Music industry veteran Erika Pinktipps will oversee operations.

The 62nd BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express® today announces its full programme, featuring a diverse selection of 225 feature films from both established and emerging talent. This 12-day celebration of cinema illustrates the richness of international filmmaking, with films to delight and entertain audiences, and also films that probe and interrogate issues of significance.

Calling all TV fans, the Tribeca TV Festival is back on the big screen bringing audiences together to discover new series and be the first to see favorite new season premieres. The 2nd Tribeca TV Festival will celebrate unforgettable storytellers who have shaped what 'peak TV' is today and introduce new voices in episodic storytelling. Over four days at Spring Studios in New York City, each event will feature a conversation with the stars and creators of favorite and soon-to-be-favorite shows. The 2018 Tribeca TV Festival will take place September 20-23. Tickets go on sale today, August 22, at 11am ET at tribecafilm.com/TVFestival.

Sundance Selects announced today the critically acclaimed film BLAZE, co-written, produced and directed by four-time Academy-Award®nominated actor and screenwriter Ethan Hawke, will premiere across Texas in August to celebrate the film's Lone Star roots.

Directed by Ethan Hawke, BLAZE stars newcomer Ben Dickey as Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement whose unique artistic contributions gave rise to the likes of Merle Haggard andWillie Nelson and inspired both John Prine and Lucinda Williams. Loosely guided by the narrative of Foley cohort and co-conspirator, Townes Van Zandt, played by Bob Dylan bandguitarist Charlie Sexton, the film weaves together three different periods of time, conflatingBlaze's past, present and future in a poignant exploration of his love affair with Sybil Rosen, played by Alia Shawkat. Featuring an ensemble cast of inspired performers, the film explores the uniquely American art of storytelling through renditions of the Blaze Foley songbook, and examines the impact of both his art and his untimely death on his fans, friends, and collaborators.

YouTube announced that it has given a pilot production commitment to THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN from STXtv, based on the 2016 critically acclaimed film of the same name from Robert Simonds' STX Entertainment. Annabel Oakes (Transparent, Atypical) has been tapped to write the witty coming of age series, which will be executive produced by Kelly Fremon Craig who helmed the original feature film. In the spirit of the film, the THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN series will subvert standard teen show tropes while following a high-school student and her best friend as they navigate the relationships, feelings, and realities of being a teenage girl.

The pilot episode of ABC's much anticipated new drama, 'The Crossing,' is available now for all viewers on abc.com and the ABC app, for subscribers on Hulu and electronic sell-through platforms, as well as on demand across MVPD and digital MVPD providers. This exclusive opportunity is available March 19 through March 30. The series will air on The ABC Television Network, Mondays at 10:00 p.m., beginning April 2.

The pilot episode of ABC's much anticipated new drama, “The Crossing,” is available now for all viewers on abc.com and the ABC app, for subscribers on Hulu and electronic sell-through platforms, as well as on demand across MVPD and digital MVPD providers. This exclusive opportunity is available March 19 through March 30. The series will air on The ABC Television Network, Mondays at 10:00 p.m., beginning April 2.

National Geographic taps two-time Emmy award-winning actor Bradley Whitford ('Get Out,' 'The Post,' 'The West Wing'), Steve Zahn ('War of the Planet of the Apes,' ABC's 'The Crossing') and Lamorne Morris ('Game Night,' 'New Girl') to star in six-part limited series, Valley of the Boom. From STXtv, the television division of Robert Simonds' STX Entertainment, along with creator, showrunner, director and executive producer Matthew Carnahan (Showtime's 'House of Lies') and executive producer Arianna Huffington, Valley of the Boom will begin filming March 26 in Vancouver, Canada.

The ABC Television Network has announced midseason premiere dates for the new dramas The Crossing, Deception, For The People and the Grey's Anatomy spinoff, as well as new comedies Alex, Inc. and Splitting Up Together. Additionally, American Idol will air Sundays and Mondays, beginning March 11. Dates have also been set for the premiere of Dancing with the Stars All-Athletes Edition and the return of Quantico.

From acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Haigh (Weekend; 45 Years), and based on the beloved novel by Willy Vlautin, comes LEAN ON PETE a deeply moving story about love, loneliness, family, and friendship, told through the unique prism of one boy's connection to a very special racehorse.

Rachel Brosnahan will be presented with the second annual Stonestreet Granite Award, to be held on November 30th at TAJ in Chelsea. Last year, the inaugural Granite award went to Miles Teller.

Harvard University's ART Institute, the university's graduate-level theater program within the American Repertory Theater, recently announced a three-year admissions suspensions while administrators implement a strategic plan to stabilize the troubled program. On July 30, the A.R.T. Institute Alumni Association sent a letter to the leaders of the Institute criticizing Diane Paulus's 'little respect or interest in the program' and 'negligence in her duty to the Institute.'

Below, watch an all-new 'Making History' featurette for WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES from 20th Century FOX. Directed by Matt Reeves, the film stars Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Amiah Miller, Karin Konoval, Judy Greer and Terry Notary and hits theaters on July 14th. 

20th Century Fox has just released 'Meeting Bad Ape,' a new clip from WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, the culminating chapter of the latest Planet of the Apes trilogy. Check it out below!

20th Century Fox has partnered with the Jane Goodall Institute to aid in the rehabilitation of chimpanzees in honor of PLANET OF THE APES. Housing for rehabilitated chimps will be named 'Caesar's Home' after the movie's simian hero.