What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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October 6 - 12, 2019 WHATS UP! T5 BY MICHELLE ROSE TV Media 'Walking' away: Saying goodbye is never easy, even when you've had a lot of prac- tice. And fans of AMC's "The Walking Dead" have had a lot of practice saying goodbye to char- acters over the years. The long-running AMC series rises up again on Sunday, Oct. 6, for a 10th season, and you can bet that tensions will escalate as The Whisperers story arc con- tinues. And while no character is ever safe from the living and the un- dead, recent casting news re- vealed that Michonne (Dania Gurira "Avengers: Endgame," 2019) is poised to make a big exit this season. While Gurira has played the role of the katana-wielding zom- bie killer since Season 3, Season 10 will be her last. Rumors had been swirling throughout the prolonged negotiations with AMC, but Gurira confirmed the news of her departure during the "Walking Dead" panel at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, which was where her co-star Andrew "Rick Grimes" Lincoln also announced his departure from the series last year. The character's early TV exit may be yet another deviation from the comic book series, which ended its run in July. But the actress's exit isn't all that surprising, considering Gurira's major roles in two big block- buster movies: 2018's "Black Panther" and "Avengers: Infinity War." "Walking Dead" fans are hop- ing Gurira will be written off in a way that leaves the door open for a reunion with Rick (Lin- coln) in the planned TV movie trilogy. As for her next role, she has signed on as showrunner of a new HBO Max series titled "Americanah." Based on a novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the new series is about a wom- an's journey from Nigeria to America. The project marks an- other collaboration between Gurira and "Black Panther" co- star Lupita Nyong'o, who also starred in the award-winning Broadway play "Eclipsed" (2009) written by Gurira. The 411 on '911': "911" creators Ryan Murphy ("American Hor- ror Story"), Brad Falchuk ("Glee") and Tim Minear ("Feud") have landed another big name to star in a planned spi- noff series. Liv Tyler ("The Incredible Hulk," 2008) has signed on to star opposite the seemingly age- less Rob Lowe ("Parks and Rec- reation") in "911: Lone Star." And the new series already has an of- ficial premiere date: Jan. 19, 2020, right after the NFC champion- ship game. In "911: Lone Star," Lowe plays a New York firefighter who has relocated with his son to Austin, Texas (hence the ti- tle), where he struggles to bal- ance his life and his life-saving work. As for Tyler, she'll bring a tough paramedic's perspective to the storylines while match- ing wits with Lowe and con- tinuing her search for her miss- ing sister. The original "911" series was Fox's highest-rated scripted show last season, and with "Lone Star's" straight-to-series order last May, it appears Mur- phy (and Fox) is moving ahead with plans to turn the first re- sponder-themed procedural into a TV franchise. No word yet on whether any of the actors from the original series will be relocating to the spinoff. But behind the camera, Murphy, Falchuk and Minear will serve in the same capacity (executive producers) as on the original series. Showtime on HBO: Remem- ber the "Showtime" Lakers of the 1980s? If the answer is yes, then you remember a time when the Los Angeles Lakers dominated the NBA with their fast-break of- fense and spectacular plays, like Magic Johnson's no-look passes and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's sky hook. If the answer is no, then HBO is developing a new scripted drama that will tell you every- thing you need to know (and then some). Tentatively titled "Show- time," the series hails from ex- ecutive producer/director Adam McKay ("Succession") and is based on Jeff Pearlman's book, "Showtime: Magic, Ka- reem, Riley, and the Los Ange- les Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s." It will chronicle "the professional and personal lives" of the Pat Riley-era Lakers, who won five championships in nine years. And given all the highs, lows and egos, both on and off the court, this is one sports drama that will be able to lean heavily on the "drama" part. While it's still in develop- ment, the series has already found its key cast members: Ja- son Clarke ("Zero Dark Thirty," 2012) is general manager Jerry West; John C. Reilly ("Holmes & Watson," 2018) is Jerry Buss, the self-made millionaire who bought the team and the Forum (and the NHL's L.A. Kings, too) in 1979; fresh face Quincy Isa- iah is Johnson; and former Har- lem Globetrotters member Sol- omon Hughes is also making his acting debut as Abdul-Jab- bar. AKIRA ALIEN ARRIVAL AVATAR BRAZIL DARK CITY DREDD ELYSIUM EX MACHINA GATTACA GRAVITY HER LOOPER MAD MAX MEN IN BLACK METROPOLIS MOON ROBOCOP SERENITY SIGNS SNOW- PIERCER SOLARIS SOURCE CODE STAR TREK STAR WARS SUNSHINE THE ABYSS THE FLY THE LAST JEDI WALL-E Science Fiction Films Danai Gurira in a scene from "The Walking Dead" WORD SEARCH STARS ON SCREEN Solution on page T23 A/Elrod Firm 2 x 3