Good news for all those guys who think they still have a chance with Zooey Deschanel of Fox’s “New Girl” (Tuesday nights at 9).

Her character, Jess Day, isn’t going to rashly plunge into any deep, committed relationships, at least for a while.

Liz Meriweather, who created, produces and writes “New Girl,” said Tuesday that Jess will remain a little cautious despite some recent signs of a spark with her roommate Nick (Jake Johnson) and despite the fact we’ll see her with a new guy for a couple of weeks starting Tuesday.

In that Tuesday episode, titled “Thanksgiving,” we meet Paul, played by guest star Justin Long.

He’s a teacher at Jess’ school, and he is,” says Meriweather, “the female version of her. He’s the male form of adorkable. He carries around a kazoo.”

A kazoo?

“I fought for that kazoo,” says Meriweather. “You know how they say you should pick your fights. I chose to stand and fight for the kazoo.”

Jess’ three roommates, who also include Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and Winston (Lamorne Morris) are a little ambivalent about this.

“I think they’re happy she’s in a relationship, but they’re also a little worried for her,” says Meriweather. “And they’re worried that this guy might be hanging around all the time.”

This being a sitcom and all, there’s naturally a scene where they all get together to get acquainted Tuesday. Of course, that turns into a disaster.

Jess has invited Paul for Thanksgiving dinner, thinking it will be warm family fun. Heh, heh.

“There are some surprises,” says Meriweather, one of which is “a turkey in the dryer. If you’ve always wanted to see a turkey in the dryer, be sure to tune in.”

Paul is still scheduled to stick around for a couple more episodes, though Meriweather doesn’t suggest that will set up a round of competition with Nick.

Nick and Jess did share a tender moment at the end of last week’s episode, but Meriweather warns not to read too much into that, at least yet.

“Where they are in their lives now, it’s not the right time for either of them,” says Meriweather. “The show is really more about male and female friendships, and that’s what they need to work on first.”

As if to underscore that point, Meriweather says she put elements of herself into all four of the roommates.

She sometimes walks around singing like Jess, she says, and she sometimes hides under a hooded sweatshirt, like Nick.

Unlike Winston, however, she adds, “I did not play NBA basketball.”

In the larger TV picture, Meriweather says she’s been gratified to see the number of new sitcoms this season with prominent female characters.

“I love them all,” she says. “And I love that all the characters are so different. People sometimes think there’s just one kind of ‘female comedy.’

“So I’m really happy to be part of this. Whatever it is.”

Source
Tweet

Share/Bookmark

Tweet

Share/Bookmark

Summit Entertainment will release the drama/comedy 50/50 starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard and Anjelica Huston on Blu-ray and DVD on January 24, 2012.

50/50 was produced for a mere $8 million under the direction of Jonathan Levine, but went on to make over $33.3 million at the domestic box office behind strong critical reviews and positive word-of-mouth. Though the cancer diagnosis and subsequent struggle Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character endures is a somber subject, the infusion of well-timed comedy struck a balance that moviegoers felt was just right.

I do not have any additional information about the 50/50 Blu-ray release at this time, but will certainly pass along any updates as they are received.

Source
Tweet

Share/Bookmark

Tweet

Share/Bookmark

Tweet

Share/Bookmark

Tweet

Share/Bookmark

Tweet

Share/Bookmark

With its worn-in leather sofa and duct-taped-together flat screen, the loft set of Fox’s New Girl exudes the vibe of lazy afternoons and beer-fueled late nights. A few feet away, Zooey Deschanel is cutting loose during a photo shoot. There’s some emphatic twirling in a retro-chic, peony-pink party dress and some even more emphatic lip-synching into a toy microphone to a David Bowie track — all while rocking a rhinestone tiara. Refreshingly unself-conscious, the actress is impossible to ignore. “I was the kid on stage in the chorus that people were like, ‘What’s going on with that one?’” she reports with a throaty laugh. “Sometimes it was a good thing, like, ‘I can’t stop watching you.’ Other times, it was, ‘God, get off the stage!’”

It’s safe to say Deschanel’s hearing more of the former these days. Thanks in no small part to the singular talents of its leading lady, New Girl has become a buzzy, critically adored breakout hit. (Fox’s highest-rated sitcom premiere in a decade: Check! First new series to be picked up for a full season: Check!) But Deschanel’s Jess — a goofy charmer who, after a humiliating breakup, moves in with three guy roommates — isn’t the only funny gal making a serious impact on the networks’ fall schedules. From CBS’ 2 Broke Girls, starring indie-film darling Kat Dennings and newcomer Beth Behrs as cash-strapped waitresses rich in (often raunchy) comebacks, to NBC’s Up All Night, led by Christina Applegate as a new mom readjusting to the workplace, smart, female-driven comedies are suddenly the toast of prime time.

What’s more, all of those series — as well as NBC’s Whitney — were created or cocreated by women. “It’s awesome and surprising,” says New Girl creator Liz Meriwether. “You’d never [predict], ‘Oh, yeah, all these new shows that are working will be ones starring women written by women.’ That doesn’t feel like what you’d expect from network television. It seems like a really good time to be here.”

Of course, comedians have been part of the fabric of TV since the days of I Love Lucy. And, more recently, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Mike & Molly’s Melissa McCarthy and Modern Family’s Julie Bowen and Sofía Vergara have all tickled our collective funny bone. But the sheer number of bold, winningly complex women currently populating TV screens is a welcome development. “Bridesmaids [proved] people are excited and comfortable with seeing women being ballsy and funny,” says Up All Night creator Emily Spivey. “I also think it was just in the air that women want to see a more realistic, fun representation of themselves.”

If these female-fueled shows ring true, it’s because the women involved often draw from personal experience. New Girl was inspired by the close friendship that developed between Meriwether and a guy acquaintance after both went through difficult breakups — though she admits she initially worried whether a mainstream audience would warm to her off-kilter sense of humor. “I was fully expecting it to be a cult classic,” she says. “Canceled after four episodes but, like, those four episodes were so good!” And Spivey drew upon her own struggles as a new mom returning to her gig as a writer on Saturday Night Live for Up All Night, which follows talk-show producer Reagan as she juggles her commitments to husband Chris (Will Arnett), newborn Amy and demanding boss Ava (Maya Rudolph).

Applegate can relate. Like Reagan, the actress — whose comedy career includes Married… With Children, and an Emmy-nominated turn on Samantha Who? — had spent much of her life focused on her high-profile profession. And like Reagan, she felt her priorities irrevocably shift after giving birth to a daughter, Sadie Grace, last January. “I’m so madly in love with her,” says Applegate, in between checking to see if Sadie is taking her bottle. “It’s beyond anything I’d ever imagined. I adore my job, but I think any [parent] would tell you we wanna be with our kids more than anything else. She trumps everything.”

Source
Tweet

Share/Bookmark

Zooey Deschanel has it pretty easy when it comes to her on-screen transformation for her role on FOX’s New Girl.

The actress, 31, rocks the same tousled hairstyle as her character, Jess Day: glossy waves teamed with straight bangs.

Since the curly and straight hairstyle can be tricky to pull off, Us Weekly tapped the show’s hair pro, Aaron Light, for tips on how to copy the star’s signature ‘do.

1. Start with clean dry hair. For fine hair, use a root lifter like Oribe Volumista Mist ($29, oribe.com) to build volume.

2. Separate the hair into four sections: one on each side, at the nape of neck and at the crown.

3. With a curling iron (a 1/2-inch or 1-inch barrel works best), take a 1-inch section of hair and wrap down the barrel, curling away from face. Repeat.

4. Use a light hair spray like Oribe Superfine Hairspray ($34, oribe.com) to set each curl.

5. Finish the look by using a wide tooth bone comb to lightly comb out curls, which creates that amazing naturally wavy look. For more volume, back comb the section at the crown. For a more polished look, work some Moroccanoil Oil Treatment into the ends.

One final spray all over and voila — perfect Zooey curls!

Source
Tweet

Share/Bookmark

I have added new candids of Zooey on the set of New Girl yesterday:

Share/Bookmark