• Tonya Harding is back in the limelight with the release and Oscar buzz for biopic "I, Tonya."
• However, she doesn't want to talk to reporters about her past. 
• Her longtime agent/publicist is no longer working with Harding after she allegedly demanded that "reporters sign an affidavit stating that they won't ask her anything 'about the past' or they'll be fined $25,000."

If it feels like 1994 all over again it's because Tonya Harding is causing another media eruption.

The disgraced figure skater — who in 1994 was front-and-center when her follow skater, Nancy Kerrigan, was attacked after a practice at the US Figure Skating Championships by an assailant hired by Harding's ex-husband —doesn't want to talk about her past.

Though she's back in the limelight because of the award-season hopeful, "I, Tonya," which along with exploring Harding's abusive upbringing is also a deep-dive into the Kerrigan attack, Harding doesn't want to explore it any further.

In fact, she allegedly even wants reporters to sign a document before interviewing her stating they won't ask about it. 

On Thursday, Michael A. Rosenberg, Harding's longtime agent/publicist, posted on his Facebook page that he would no longer work for Harding because she was adamant that "reporters sign an affidavit stating that they won't ask her anything 'about the past' or they'll be fined $25,000."

"Obviously, it doesn't work that way; and therefore I've chosen to terminate our business relationship," Rosenberg wrote in his post, which was later deleted.

USA Today columnist Christine Brennan tweeted out a screengrab of it before it was deleted:

After years of staying out of the public eye, the release and Oscar buzz for "I, Tonya," in which Margot Robbie plays Harding, has led to a comeback of sorts for the real Harding, as audiences see her in a new light. The movie depicts her as a woman who dealt with physical and mental abuse from both her mother and ex-husband Jeff Gillooly most of her life up to the 1994 incident. 

However, there's still the question that lingers about how much she knew about the Kerrigan attack. 

Both "I, Tonya" and the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, "The Price of Gold," which sparked screenwriter Steven Rogers to write the "I, Tonya" script, portray Harding as being unaware of the planned attack.

Business Insider asked Rogers before the movie opened in December if he was motivated at all to get to the bottom of what Harding knew before writing the script. 

"It was before I figured out the story I wanted to tell," Rogers said. "Once I knew how I was going to do it, where everyone was going to say what their point of view was, then I didn't care."

Business Insider contacted Rosenberg and Harding's lawyer for comment, but did not get a response. 

SEE ALSO: Seal walks back accusations that Oprah knew of Harvey Weinstein's alleged sexual misconduct, calls out "hypocritical" Hollywood

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We asked the host of HQ Trivia 12 questions to see how much he knows about game shows

CHICAGO — Telling funny jokes is hard. Creating a hit HBO series is harder. How do you do it?

Business Insider caught up with Pete Holmes and Jamie Lee on Thursday while they were in Chicago to promote season two of "Crashing," the HBO series executive-produced by Judd Apatow about making it in standup — or, in Holmes' words, "the worst parts of standup."

Daniel McMahon: What's the secret to telling a good joke?

Pete Holmes: Meaning it. [Laughs] I asked Glen Hansard, from the movie "Once" and the band The Frames, because he really belts out his songs, and I was, like, "How do you not lose your voice?" And he said, "Meaning it." And I think there's something about the great comedians I've seen — and just great joke tellers — that they are really in the joke.

They're not thinking about the end, they're not thinking about the middle or the beginning. They're just kind of right there with you. And I think that's what people connect to and makes them feel safe to laugh.

Jamie Lee: Right before I go onstage, I try to get really psyched about myself. Like, I allow myself to have a really almost narcissistic wave take over, where not only is what I have to say really important, but I'm psyched to say it. I think it helps. It's a little "fake it till you make it." But when you go onstage it's, like, "Boy, are you guys in for a treat."

Holmes: Can I add to that? First of all, it's in Judy Carter's book, which we both read. It's not her exact point, but she said you should get onstage or tell a joke or talk to a stranger as if you're seeing a friend you've been waiting to see all day. And I think that's wonderful.

When I used to work the road, I remember I used to ask myself in the mirror, literally, like in a movie, back when I was not very good at all, I'd say, "What's it like being the greatest comedian in the world?" Like in an interview, like this, I'd imagine you, Daniel, asking me, "What's it like being the greatest comedian in the world?" And it would get me into that necessary confidence. Not cockiness, but certainty. And people love certainty. They love following certain people. A joke is a journey, and you're taking them on it.

Lee: When you're onstage you're a Sherpa, and if you make them feel like you're someone they can trust, whatever you're saying almost melts away. It's an attitude.

Holmes: That's why you can laugh at a comedian who you don't agree with, or you think they're offensive. In that moment you can be swept away.

McMahon: So now you've made it on HBO —

Holmes: And HBO GO!

Lee: I'm only excited to be on HBO GO.

McMahon: What advice would you give to comedians or artists trying to make it?

Holmes: You have to do something that kind of doesn't make sense. One is, have goals, like being on HBO or being in a movie or having a book or being in a museum, whatever it might be. And also forget those goals and focus on the day-to-day, that moment. What are you doing with this crowd, with this project, and don't get too caught up with "Have I made it?" "Do I have enough respect or money or prestige?" But at the same time, know where you're aiming, but once you're up in the sky, just know that you're heading in the right direction. That's all that matters.

Lee: When you're starting out, you should just focus on getting good and getting to a place where you feel confident and self-assured, because that does take a while to feel that genuinely. But at a certain point you should just start saying what you want out loud, because for me, I was always kind of embarrassed to admit, for example, that I always wanted to act. I was, like, "No! Ew! Acting!" Like, "I don't want to go down that path. That sounds like a nightmare." But the second I started allowing myself to admit the things that I wanted, I feel like they did start to happen more. I think people should say the things they want and try to not feel shame about them.

Holmes: Green-light your desires and your goals. Keep them to yourself. And just sweep the floor.

The new season of "Crashing" premieres Sunday, January 14, on HBO.

Below you can watch the trailer for season two and see some photos from Thursday's Chicago event hosted by the AV Club at Blu Dot:

DON'T MISS: All the TV shows coming in early 2018 and whether you should watch them

The Chicago premiere of HBO's second season of "Crashing" was hosted by The A.V. Club at the Blu Dot modern-furniture store.

A furniture story was the perfect setting for the "Crashing" premiere, a show that follows the struggling comedian Pete (Pete Holmes) as he tries to make it in New York City's standup scene — and spends lots of nights crashing on friends' couches.

Holmes and Lee lit up the evening, joining the audience in watching the first two episodes of "Crashing" season two and doing an hour-long Q&A.

• Critics are lukewarm on the first episode of David Letterman's new Netflix talk show, which features Barack Obama. 
• The show currently sits at an early rating of 60% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Critics are responding to the premiere episode of David Letterman's new monthly Netflix talk show with generally lukewarm reviews. 

"My Next Guest With Needs No Introduction with David Letterman" currently sits at an early rating of 60% on the reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, after its debut, Barack Obama-featuring episode premiered Friday on the streaming service.

Around 40 minutes of the 56-minute-long episode are dedicated to an intimate and meandering conversation with the former president in a stripped-down, studio audience setting.

The Boston Globe's Matthew Gilbert described Letterman's talk with Obama as "a frustrating exercise in talking a lot but, ultimately, saying very little." Other critics had praise for the more personal anecdotes Obama shared, including a bit about helping his daughter move into Harvard. 

The remainder of the show consists of a solemn field segment with Letterman and Congressman John Lewis in Selma, Alabama. The two walk and converse on the bridge where Lewis endured a police beating in 1965, during a legendary Civil Rights march. 

In contrast to Letterman's previous 22 years of hosting comedy-centric, late-night shows (NBC's "Late Night" and CBS's "The Late Show"), the first episode of his Netflix series features a more thoughtful and laid-back approach to the talk-show genre.

Netflix made a previous run at a talk-show series with Chelsea Handler's "Chelsea," which it canceled in October after two seasons that failed to move the needle in a crowded landscape. In contrast to Letterman's monthly series, "Chelsea" initially aired three times a week before scaling back to weekly episodes in its second season.

While USA Today's Kelly Lawler called Letterman's premiere "a bit lackluster" and "halfhearted," others saw potential in the show's structure. Vulture's Matt Zoller Seitz wrote, "The looser and more structurally inventive things get here, the more fascinating the results could be."

The remaining guests on the show's first season include Jay-Z, Malala Yousafzai, Tina Fey, George Clooney, and Howard Stern. 

SEE ALSO: 19 Netflix original shows that both critics and audiences agree are amazing

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The bizarre history of the Yule Log Christmas special

DVDs may be headed for the same fate as VHS cassette tapes, as consumers change their viewing habits and binge on a variety of video streaming services. The shift from discs to online streaming can be seen in Digital Entertainment Group's year-end report, which found that US consumers spent nearly $6 billion more on subscription services like Netflix and HBO Go last year than they did on DVD and Blu-ray. 

As this chart by Statisa shows, sales of all physical formats of video — such as DVD and Blu-ray discs, DVD subscription services, and video kiosk rentals like RedBox — experienced a substantial decline in 2017. Interestingly, video-on-demand services also saw a 7% decline, underscoring the growth in "cord cutters" who are ditching their monthly cable plans for streaming options. Whether consumers are motivated by cost savings, ease-of-use or immediacy, it's clear that internet has emerged as America's favorite method for video distribution.

SEE ALSO: Television has entered a golden era thanks to a boom in new scripted series Television has entered a golden era thanks to a boom in new scripted series

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here are the best iPhone apps of 2017

• Leonardo DiCaprio has reportedly signed on to star in Quentin Tarantino's next movie.
• The movie is set in Los Angeles during the summer of the Charles Manson murders.
• This will be the first time Tarantino and DiCaprio have teamed up since 2012's "Django Unchained."

Quentin Tarantino is diving into his rich stable of actors for his next movie. 

The writer-director has reportedly signed on Leonardo DiCaprio to star in his next movie, according to Deadline (however, Business Insider is hearing the actor is still in talks and hasn't officially signed on yet). The movie will be set in 1969 Los Angeles, during the summer of the Charles Manson murders.

Tarantino and DiCaprio last teamed on the 2012 movie "Django Unchained."

According to Deadline, DiCaprio will play an aging actor in the movie. Specifics on the movie are still under wraps, however, the site is reporting that it will not be fully focused on the Manson murders, in which a group of Charles Manson followers entered the home of actress Sharon Tate and murdered her and four other people. Deadline also reported that the story will have a "Pulp Fiction" feel. (Tarantino's 1994 classic told a collection of interconnected stories.)

The movie will be released by Sony, which nabbed the project following a bidding war in the wake of Harvey Weinstein's firing from The Weinstein Company. Up until then, Tarantino had only made movies at Weinstein-backed companies TWC and Miramax.

Sony declined to comment for this story. Business Insider contacted DiCaprio and Tarantino's representatives for confirmation but did not get an immediate response.

SEE ALSO: Critics cannot stop gushing about "Paddington 2," the best-reviewed movie of 2018 with a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Celebrities flocked to these underground poker games where someone once lost $100 million in one night

• The cryptocurrency-themed Japanese pop (J-pop) group Virtual Currency Girls just performed live for the first time in Tokyo.
  
• Each member of the group represents a different cryptocurrency, and tickets to future shows will only be sold in exchange for virtual currencies.
• The group and its anonymous producer want to spread the word about bitcoin, ethereum, and other cybercurrencies.

To the delight of many — and the chagrin of untold others — the J-pop embodiment of cryptocurrency has finally arrived.

The Virtual Currency Girls, or Kasotsuka Shojo as they're known in Japan, is an eight-girl Japanese pop group bedecked in masks and maid's outfits that's been formed specifically to spread the word about cryptocurrencies. Each member of the group, which had its public debut in Tokyo on Friday, represents a different cryptocurrency or blockchain, and the group's first song has "virtual currencies" in its title.

In an email, the group's producer, who works for Japanese entertainment company Cinderella Academy, said the Virtual Currency Girls was formed because a similar group did not previously "exist in this world" and because it would be "fun."

"[V]irtual currency is not a tool of speculation but a technology that creates a wonderful future," the producer said on the group's official website. "The age of the virtual currency is already in front of us."

The producer declined to disclose his or her identity, saying it is "a secret." (Could the person be Satoshi Nakamoto, perhaps?)

The band is serious about the cryptocurrency theme. Fans will only be able to pay for tickets for future performances with virtual currencies, and the girls are paid exclusively in bitcoin, which is considered legal tender in Japan. 

The Virtual Currency Girls first song, "The Moon and Virtual Currencies and Me," is a punchy pop ballad that warns against fraudulent online operators. The group performed the song at its Tokyo debut. For the price of 0.001 bitcoin (about $14), fans could meet and have their picture taken with their favorite performer.

The group represents different currencies with masks, symbols, and maid's uniforms.

The group's leader, 18-year-old Naruse Lara, represents bitcoin cash; 15-year-old Hinata Kodomi stands in for ripple; and Ami Ami plays the role of Ethereum. The rest of the band is a mixture of lesser known cryptocurrencies including neo, mona, and cardona. 

The Virtual Currency Girls' outfits are an oddly incoherent mashup of school girl, sexy maid, and Mexican wrestler. Each member is dressed in a French maid uniform and garter-capped knee-high socks and wears a shimmery lucha libre mask. Each mask has an emblem on it to indicate the cryptocurrency represented by its wearer.

This being Japan, the masks have undergone a kawaii— Japanese for "cuteness" — makeover as well. They're decked out in twin sideburns of white fur with a set of pom-pom ball ears up top. 

The group's members are dedicated to learning about and promoting virtual currencies

The Virtual Currency Girls' website indicates the group has a geeky dedication to its craft. In addition to providing information about cryptocurrencies, the site includes a message from Lara, the group's leader. Lara described the band as a "unit that carefully selects future currencies from a number of virtual currencies and spreads correct knowledge in entertainment," according to a Google Translate translation.

Kodomi, who represents ripple, tweeted out her commitment to learning about virtual currencies: "I am studying furious now!" according to Google Translate.

The group's next performance will take place mid-February, according to the group's anonymous producer.

Check out Virtual Currency Girls song below: 

SEE ALSO: Bitcoin just hit an all-time high — here's how you buy and sell it

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here are the best iPhone apps of 2017

• Oprah Winfrey began dating Stedman Graham in 1986, the same year her namesake show launched.

• Winfrey and Graham got engaged in 1992, but ultimately decided against marriage.

• Graham's suggestion that Winfrey run for president at the 2018 Golden Globes isn't the first time he's encouraged her to enter the realm of politics.

Interest in media mogul Oprah Winfrey's hypothetical 2020 presidential run is surging.

Even US President Donald Trump has weighed in. While Trump asserted he'd beat Winfrey, in past years he said the former queen of daytime talk would be his ideal running mate, Business Insider reported.

Still, Winfrey's well-received Golden Globes speech, which touched upon the #MeToo movement, the free press, and the importance of combatting injustice, has catapulted her name to the forefront of this early presidential speculation.

And her longtime partner Stedman Graham's comments to the The Los Angeles Times also helped fuel widespread interest in her political prospects.

Graham, who runs management and marketing consulting firm S. Graham and Associates, has been with Winfrey for 32 years.

Here's a look inside their relationship:

SEE ALSO: Everything we know about Recy Taylor, the sexual assault survivor who inspired Oprah's iconic Golden Globes speech

DON'T MISS: From poverty to a $3 billion fortune — the incredible rags-to-riches story of Oprah Winfrey

Harper's Bazaar reported that the couple first met at a charity event in 1986, the same year The Oprah Winfrey Show launched. They began dating that year.

Source: Harper's Bazaar, People

Winfrey told People magazine that some people in her circle questioned her boyfriend's intentions because of his good looks: "They figured if he looked like that, he either had to be a jerk or want something."

Source: Harper's Bazaar, People

But that didn't deter Winfrey. According to People, in the early days of their relationship, Graham would spend weekends at her "lavish condo on Chicago's Gold Coast," and even began leaving a toothbrush there.

Source: People

The CEO of Twitter and COO of Facebook are leaving Disney's board due to conflicts of interest, as Disney gears up to launch a digital streaming service to rival Netflix. 

On Friday, the entertainment giant announced that chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and chief exec Jack Dorsey will not not be seeking re-election to its board. 

For years, companies like Facebook and Twitter have insisted that they are technology firms rather than traditional media companies. But in recent months they have faced increased scrutiny over their responsibility for the media that appears on their platforms. Meanwhile, Disney is preparing to move more directly into the technology space with the launch of a major streaming service in 2019 — and so the two senior execs and the entertainment company are parting ways.

"Given our evolving businesses and the businesses of Ms. Sandberg and Mr. Dorsey are in, it has become increasingly difficult for them to avoid conflicts relating to Boad matters, and they are not standing for re-election," Disney said in a statement.

Robert Matschullat, former Seagram Company vice chairman, will also leave Disney's board because the company limits service to 15 years, the company said. Orin Smith, former CEO of Starbucks Corp, will depart — due to rules that specify retirement at age 74.

Read how Disney is arming itself for an all-out war with Netflix on BI Prime.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk and other guests dispute that a notorious Silicon Valley gathering was a 'sex party': 'Nerds on a couch are not a "cuddle puddle"'

Join the conversation about this story »

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known for being a charismatic, powerful, and controversial figure.

As the 67-year-old leader of a country with more than 1.3 billion people as well as one of the world's strongest militaries and largest economies, his influence is undeniable.

But there's something else about Modi that not many outside India may know: He loves giving hugs.

From government officials to presidents to prominent businessmen and dictators, everyone gets an embrace.

Here are 19 of Modi's most amusing awkward encounters:

SEE ALSO: The rise of Narendra Modi, India's prolific — and complicated — prime minister

DON'T MISS: Indian Prime Minister hugs Trump during Rose Garden ceremony

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto was caught off guard.

After a bilateral meeting in 2015, former President Barack Obama didn't know how to handle Modi's hug either.

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry decided to chat mid-hug, perhaps to make the whole thing a little bit less awkward.

• Sarah Jessica Parker explained why she and the writers brightened up the dark tone of her show, "Divorce," for season two, which premieres Sunday night on HBO.
• The actor and producer said that it was important to show a divorced couple that actually gets along.  
• She's confident in season two, but still wonders if they made the right narrative decisions by doing a time jump, which skips over a major event at the end of season one. 
• Parker also discussed the benefits of working with a female showrunner, and on a more diverse set featuring more female directors. 

When Sarah Jessica Parker starts talking about her current HBO show, "Divorce," you can instantly tell she loves it the same way many of her fans love her iconic HBO show, "Sex and the City." 

But it hasn't exactly reached that status for the general public. The first season had its moments, but even with a wealth of talent, the show hadn't found its voice yet. But in season two, producer/star Parker and company figured it out — so much that the season left me wanting more. And when I told Parker how much I loved the season, she lit up.

HBO's half-hour comedy "Divorce" follows of Frances (Parker) and Robert Dufresne (Thomas Haden Church), a couple living in the picturesque New York City suburb of Hastings on Hudson as they go through a tumultuous divorce. They have a son and daughter together, both teens.

The first season, which premiered on HBO in 2016, got mixed reviews. It was a little darker than people were expecting, and a bit superficial in its portrayal of a couple that hates each other. And it ended on a sour note in its season finale: Frances, who cheated on Robert and tells him she wants a divorce in the first episode, plans to take their children away for the weekend amidst arguments over custody. While Frances is driving on the highway, she gets pulled over and arrested for kidnapping her own children, who are in the car. Robert is the one who called the police.

But "Divorce" is a story that Parker really believes in, and her passion shows in season two. It's a vast improvement from season one. It's more pleasant, funny, and takes advantage of its talented cast, which includes Molly Shannon, Tracy Letts, and Talia Balsam. It also surpasses the superficial elements that brought down season one by showing a divorce that works because the characters care about each other. 

Business Insider sat down with Parker at HBO's New York office in January and discussed the narrative choices for season two (and whether or not they made they right ones), changing the tone of the show without losing its voice, and the benefits of working with a female showrunner.

Season two of "Divorce" starts on HBO Sunday, January 14. 

Carrie Wittmer: Season one was a lot darker than most people expected, and ended on a very dark note. I loved season two because it's more comedic than season one, but feels like the same show.

Sarah Jessica Parker: Ok, good. I'm so pleased.

Wittmer: The tonal shift wasn't stark, which can happen when other shows change things up a bit. What was it like adjusting to a new, lighter environment on set? 

Parker: I think we all knew even before Jenny [Bicks, who replaced Paul Simms as showrunner when he left over creative differences] came on, that we couldn't be completely entrenched in battle, that this had to be this season of hope. We looked at it as promise: Why do you liberate yourself from a marriage when it's that painful? What is the point? It's because you expect that there are other opportunities. My only concern was the very thing that you said: I don't want to do a bait and switch, because it's gonna look like we have no backbone. It would look like we didn't trust ourselves the first season, which I did. I still like that darkness — I personally love that, because it felt so cinematic to me and it felt not like television in a lot of ways. I'm hopeful that just even hearing you say it that we found a way to marry the two without sacrificing the things that were important.  

Wittmer: Definitely. Season two shows that Frances and Robert, who were hostile toward each all through season one, are still kind of in love, and always will be in some way, but they had to move on. What's your favorite part of their relationship?

Parker: My favorite part as an actor is just being with Thomas [Haden Church]. That's the truth. The hardest part of season two was being separated from him. To have Thomas taken away was really hard for me because the irony of divorce is that the person you're trying to separate from, you need the most to complete this. You need the person to work alongside you. So for me, the best part of their relationship is the time that we got to be together in new ways. We had to figure it out and experience it for the first time just like the audience. I like that they are good together. I like that they have an involuntary kind of chemistry, and a strange, inexplicable affection. 

Wittmer: You opted to skip the divorce proceedings. The second season has a slight time jump, which opens with Frances and Robert signing divorce papers. Just like that, they're done. It's very been there, done that. Was there a lot of debate over whether or not to show the proceedings?

Parker: Oh, yes. So the first question was: Where do we pick up? Is it 20 minutes later? Is it two weeks later? Is it two months, six months? My great concern I had was that we had to figure out a way how to address what happened on the side of the highway. [In the season one finale, Frances takes the kids away on a trip. Robert calls the police on her, claiming the kids have been kidnapped. Police pull Frances over and arrest her on the side of the highway with the kids in the car]. To not do it, it felt lazy, almost like we couldn't figure out how to do it, that it was too complicated, that we had painted ourselves into a corner. I kept assuming we were going to. So there was that to hash out, and really have some very robust disagreements about. And then there was, how much are we showing and telling? And how much is necessary? None of us wanted a procedural.

Wittmer: I think it was the right decision. So many films and shows have covered divorce proceedings. We already know what happens.

Parker: I'm still not sure if we did right by the highway. Like, we didn't really deal with it. 

Wittmer: I liked how it wasn't directly addressed. It was a huge theme throughout the season that Frances and Robert love each other so much that they put this horrible thing so far behind them that we never even hear them mention it. Frances could use it against him, but she never does. The decision to leave it alone helped me understand their relationship, I think. 

Parker: Ok, good. I was so worried

Wittmer: Don't be. I really liked that. I love it when shows don't feel the need to address everything. It's just something that sits with you.

Parker: I just wanted to make sure it didn't look like we were just looking scared.

Wittmer: I didn't get that impression at all. I know that you, as a producer on the show, and HBO in general, are trying to get more female directors and more diversity on set. I think there were more female directors on season two than season one.

Parker: Yes, there were.

Wittmer: Was there a different vibe on set compared to some other projects you've worked on?

Parker: This has been something our company [Pretty Matches] has been trying to do, not arbitrarily, because I don't think it's very helpful when you put out the call, like ... "all women and people of color and diversity!" But we really just want to look for the people that deserve to be storytelling with you. And that means in all departments across the set, from mixers to set dressing to the production office. It's just good for everybody. Personal experiences are shared in lots of ways: they don't just have to be shared in the writers room. It does change the environment, it changes the climate, the tone of the set. I've spent a lot of years in my career with women. And it's very pleasant, you know? And I think it's good for us. It's very interesting when Jenny [Bicks] came on, I had never worked with her as a showrunner. I'd only ever worked with her as a staff writer on "Sex and the City." But she came on and I was like, "Damn, things just got done." It's so interesting to see a woman running this show this way, because it was like the way I work — we get it done! Get it done!

Wittmer: In this season, Frances had more scenes with her friends. There's not many shows that tell the stories of middle aged men and women with lives outside of being mothers or grandmas. 

Parker: Right, right. You're right.

Wittmer: Was this something you wanted to showcase in season two? I would honestly watch a show just about Frances and friends. 

Parker: Yeah. And we wanted even more. Not to the exclusion of Thomas, but to find a way to let those stories unfold a little bit more. I was SO happy — I love Talia [Balsam] so much and I love Molly [Shannon] so much and that was definitely an enormously joyful part and I selfishly would've liked more.

You can watch the trailer for season two of "Divorce" below. If you haven't seen the first season, you can stream it on HBONow or HBOGo.

SEE ALSO: Critics cannot stop gushing about 'Paddington 2,' the best-reviewed movie of 2018 with an 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Celebrities flocked to these underground poker games where someone once lost $100 million in one night

• Having more money and a higher status than others can be good for your health.
• Powerful people have what's known as a "stress buffer" that reduces fear and helps them perform better.
• Recent research suggests that people who perceive themselves as unfairly compensated may internalize the feelings of lower status and can suffer from bad health as a result.
• The stress can create chemical changes in the brain that promote long-term health problems. 

Reports about the persistent gender pay gap have proliferated in recent weeks.

Michelle Williams reportedly got paid 0.0006% of what Mark Wahlberg did to re-shoot scenes in their upcoming movie "All the Money in the World." As USA Today reported, Williams received less than $1,000 for her work, while Wahlberg raked in $1.5 million.

Meanwhile, new "Today" co-anchor Hoda Kotb says she’s definitely not making what she called "Matt Lauer money". Lauer likely made around $10 million a year before he was fired from the network for inappropriate sexual behavior at work, NBC said. According to People, Kotb said her new salary is "not even close".  

At the BBC, Carrie Gracie, a senior editor in China, quit her job earlier this month because she said the company had a "secretive and illegal" salary system that systematically paid men more, as The New York Times reported.

On average, women in the US make around .79 cents on the dollar compared to men doing the same work. For black women, the number may be even lower — the Economic Policy Institute estimates they make .67 cents for every dollar a white man doing the same work would be paid. 

Knowing that you make less money than someone doing the same kind of work can mess with your brain.

Scientists have known for years that powerful, high-status people derive health benefits from their lofty socioeconomic perch. But Pranjal Mehta, who studies power hormones at University College London,  says the health-boosting effects of power are not absolute, and instead have to do with how you feel about where you rank in the social pecking order.  

"It's not just people's objective economic status, but their perception of where they fit," Mehta told Business Insider. 

A 2000 study of 157 white women backs this idea up. The researchers found that women's subjective understanding of their social status was more "consistently and strongly related to psychological functioning and health-related factors" then their objective status. Where the participants thought they fit on the social ladder affected their self-reported health, sleep quality, body fat distribution, and stress levels. A different study also found evidence that a perception of lower status can have lasting effects on job performance and can even hurt women's ability to do math problems relative to men when they feel they're being judged as less capable. 

Minority groups also have to deal with "stigma-related stress" that can be triggered by discrimination like "receiving poorer services in restaurants or stores, being treated as threatening and/or being assumed to be unintelligent," according to psychologist David Frost's 2011 research. The stress from such experiences can have long-term health effects — studies have found links between stigma-related stress and higher instances of smoking, depression and suicide. 

Similarly, the brain responds poorly to the idea of unfair compensation, and perceived economic inequality can have long-term effects on a person's brain and lead to depression.  

Mehta says this is all especially problematic because it makes it relatively easy for powerful, well-heeled people to "retain the hierarchy". In other words, these impacts on health and performance keep the rich and powerful in their elevated place while making those who perceive themselves as "low-status" appear less competent, even if they aren't. 

Some psychologists refer to the health-boosting effect of power as a "stress buffer" — it gets displayed in the body in the form of lower cortisol levels and higher levels of testosterone. These physiological changes reduce fear in powerful people and help them perform better. 

Other research suggests people who feel powerful are also more in tune with their "gut feelings" (though they’re not as good at empathizing with others). They’re also less likely to develop stress-linked diseases like heart conditions and type 2 diabetes. Oh, and they live longer.

But some of Mehta's latest research suggests that "stress buffer" may not be absolute. A groundbreaking 2017 study showed that when hierarchies are unstable and people believe positions of power can be overturned, the difference essentially gets erased. That can make everyone feel like they're on a more level playing field, as those without money and power feel less psychologically stressed out, and those with established power feel unsettled.

But in order to have that more equitable distribution of stress, everyone has to genuinely believe they have control over where they'll end up.

SEE ALSO: What power does to your brain and your body

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How donating money can actually make you happier

• It took 14 years for Amir Bar-Lev to make the Grateful Dead documentary, "Long Strange Trip," 10 of which was spent just trying to convince the band to let him make it.
• What was intended to be a 90-minute doc that would be released for the band's 50th anniversary in 2015 led to a 4-hour, 6-part doc that's now available on Amazon Prime.

Documentary filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev is no stranger to ambitious projects.

He's given us a look inside the complexities behind a 4-year-old painting savant (“My Kid Could Paint That”), explored the hero complex bestowed on an NFL star who went to fight for his country after 9/11 (“The Tillman Story"), and was front-and-center while the legacy of Joe Paterno and his beloved Penn State football program crumbled before our eyes (“Happy Valley”).

However, none of those compare to taking on the Grateful Dead, and its lead guitarist and figurehead Jerry Garcia, in his latest movie, "Long Strange Trip."

“This is the film I’m most proud of,” Bar-Lev told Business Insider. “On some level, this is my life’s work.”

For over a decade, Bar-Lev, an admitted “Dead Head,” tried to convince the band that he was the director worthy of making the definitive film on the legendary band. It finally happened, but there were many twists in the tale of how “Long Strange Trip” was made, including how Bar-Lev landed the job at long last.

Other directors failed

The Grateful Dead's original plan was to have a 90-minute documentary to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the band (which would have been released in 2015). But like the unconventional way the Grateful Dead operates, “Long Strange Trip” became a daunting task to accomplish from its inception.

Before Bar-Lev came on, other directors tried to tell the story and had to back out, in some cases because of all the moving parts that surround the band. At one point, acclaimed director Gus Van Sant (“Good Will Hunting,” “Milk”) had beat out Bar-Lev to make the movie. However, Bar-Lev said he later learned Van Sant bowed out. That left Bar-Lev as the only willing director to take it on.

Bar-Lev didn’t just roll with the band’s quirks, but also convinced his investors to go beyond the 50th anniversary plans, and make a movie that was hours longer.

After four years making the movie (three of them just editing), he premiered “Long Strange Trip” at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival in its final 4-hour form. Amazon Studios acquired it and has made it into a six-part documentary (currently available on Prime) that masterfully traces the life of this complex band that was birthed during the LSD craze of the mid 1960s, and by the 1980s was worshiped by millions.

Pulling the rug from under the audience

A highlight of this deep dive into the Dead is the treasure trove of things Bar-Lev and his team kept coming across while making it.

“We found never-before-seen footage and photos and audio recordings in people's attics and storage lockers,” he said. “We had a vast network of people looking for this stuff.”

Over the years, as Bar-Lev kept convincing the producers that the movie could be longer, it gave him the ability to delve into aspects of the Dead that wouldn’t have worked in a 90-minute documentary. One example is looking at the loyal roadies tasked to build and break down the “Wall of Sound” every show during the band’s 1974 tour. The footage and interviews of the massive construction, which at the time was the largest concert sound system ever built, is a remarkable sight for newbies to the band — and a wicked acid flashback for the Dead Heads who were there.

The length of time it took to complete the movie also gave Bar-Lev the ability to convince notoriously camera shy Grateful Dead songwriter Robert Hunter to go on camera. But instead of attempting to give Grateful Dead fans a glimpse inside the man responsible for the lyrics to some of the band's most famous songs, Bar-Lev used the opportunity to show the audience that this is a different kind of rock band movie. 

“I realized there wasn't much I really wanted him to answer,” Bar-Lev said of talking to Hunter. “So I asked him a question I knew he hates to answer which was what's the song 'Dark Star' mean? And he did exactly what I hoped he would do, it provoked his ire and he answered in a very funny way and then basically kicked me out of his dressing room.”

The method to Bar-Lev's madness here was that he thought there were some things about the Dead that should never be explored, because if they were a part of the beloved mystique of the band would be lost forever.

“The question at the heart of the Grateful Dead is what does it all mean? That should never be answered, because once it's gone the magic is gone,” Bar-Lev said. “So we tried to make a point of that when interviewing Hunter. By exactly putting the wrong question to the wrong person.”

It’s alive!

What sets the movie apart from most documentaries about rock bands is that “Long Strange Trip” is as unconventional as its subject. Though Bar-Lev tracked down the existing band members for interviews, along with a slew of others who were in their orbit through the decades, the movie is filled with Easter Eggs for the most obsessed Dead Head, jump cuts in the story’s timeline, and appearances by the Frankenstein monster.

This last one is probably Bar-Lev’s most radical storytelling device. Using masterful editing, the iconic horror figure that Jerry Garcia loved as a child is highlighted throughout the movie for major moments in the band's existence.

“The appearance of the Frankenstein monster changes over the period of the film,” Bar-Lev explained.

“The first time he shows up Jerry is terrified of the monster,” Bar-Lev said (and as we learn in a Garcia interview Bar-Lev’s team uncovered that was done before his death in 1995). In the interview, Garcia said one of his all-time favorite movies as a kid was the classic comedy/horror “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.” At that point he was scared of the monster.

“The second time he shows up Jerry identifies with the monster,” Bar-Lev said. In the doc, Bar-Lev uses footage from 1931’s “Frankenstein” — of the monster smoking and playing a violin — to mirror Garcia forming the band.

“The third time he shows up it’s when Jerry’s daughter says that the fandom around the Grateful Dead has become too much for Jerry, and now he identifies with Doctor Frankenstein.” We then see “Frankenstein” footage of the doctor looking exhausted as the monster can no longer be controlled.

“The audience might not know it, but ‘Frankenstein’ is charting our progress,” Bar-Lev said. “Every time the monster shows up the audience achieves another milestone in the greater understanding of the movie.”

That’s what Bar-Lev hopes audiences get from watching “Long Strange Trip.”

“If I’ve succeeded then you get to the end of the movie and you don’t just have any more questions about why people love the Grateful Dead, you’re not even interested in the question anymore, “ Bar-Lev said. “My greatest hope is for the time you’re watching it you’re participating in a Grateful Dead story.”

SEE ALSO: Michelle Williams was reportedly paid less than $1,000 to reshoot "All the Money in the World," while Mark Wahlberg made $1.5 million

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The bizarre history of the Yule Log Christmas special

• Facebook users contacted by Business Insider on Saturday said the posts they were seeing in their news feeds were mostly from friends or family members; they saw relatively few posts from organizations or people they follow.
• Some said the ratio of posts from Facebook friends to those from organizations they follow was a big change from their past experience; others didn't notice much of a change.
• The observations follow the company's announcement Thursday that it plans to make sweeping revisions to its site, including de-emphasizing in the news feeds posts from news and other organizations that users follow.

The next time you check Facebook, you may only see a few articles from news publications or posts from other organizations you follow — if you see any at all.

Facebook users contacted on Saturday said their news feeds — the list of posts you see right when you log into the Facebook webpage or load the social networking app — were dominated by posts from friends and family members. Users reported seeing few posts from organizations or people they follow that weren't shared also by their friends. And some users — including this reporter and his wife — reported seeing none at all.

Kelly Snider, a San Jose resident, said she saw only a few sponsored posts and only a couple of posts from organizations she follows.

"The majority, way more than I ever saw before, is from friends," Snider said. "It is overwhelmingly friends, and that is unusual to my eyes."

Of the first 50 posts in Colin Stokes' news feed, just 10 were from organizations or people he follows.

"I was surprised that the numbers were this skewed," Stokes said. "I expected more balance."

Facebook representatives did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Facebook has said big changes are coming to its news feed

Company executives Thursday announced sweeping changes to its service and particularly to the way the news feed feature works. Addressing criticism that its social network was yielding a negative effect on users' well-being and being manipulated by organizations spreading propaganda or trying to illegitimately attract visitors to their sites, Facebook said it would give priority in its news feed to posts from users' friends and family members and play down those from organizations and people they follow. The company did not say how soon it would put the changes in place.

The changes threaten to upend both news organizations and the way in which many users get news and information. Some 45% of US adults get news from Facebook, according to a Pew Research poll in September, and many news organizations have come to depend on the traffic they get from the social networking — much of it generated from users clicking on stories they see in their news feeds.

Users' observations about their own news feed may not necessarily show that Facebook has put the changes in place. The company customizes each user's feed based in part on posts they've interacted with in the past. If users see in their news feeds few posts from organizations they follow, it could simply mean they've seldom clicked or commented on such posts in the past.

Some users who spoke to Business Insider said that while they were seeing relatively few posts from organizations they follow in their news feed, they didn't think they were seeing much less than they'd seen before.

Gretchen Lembach, for example, said she only saw one post from a news outlet she follows in her news feed — and that one was also shared by one of her friends. But that didn't seem unusual, said the Montclair, New Jersey, mom.

"I'd say it feels about the same," Lembach said.

SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg just made a sweeping change to Facebook that will affect 2 billion people and tons of businesses

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The best phones of 2017 that you can buy right now

This fall, fervor for the latest take on Stephen King's "It" pushed the film near the top of the highest-grossing horror films in history.

But over the months since its release, "It" has gone on to overtake the top spot on the list, as the movie crossed $700 million at the worldwide box office on Friday. 

To find out what the rest of the list looks like, we turned to Box Office Mojo for its worldwide box office data on the top-performing horror movies.

Here are the 20 highest-grossing horror films of all time: 

Note: We have not adjusted the grosses for inflation.

SEE ALSO: The 20 actors who have made the most money at the U.S. box office

20. The Ring (2002) — $249.3 million

19. "Get Out" (2017) — $254.6 million

18. "The Village" (2004) — $256.6 million

• "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" wins the domestic box office for the second-straight weekend.
• The movie will take in an estimated $33.4 million over the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
• "The Post" and "The Commuter" also had strong weekends.

The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend at the box office is going strong, and Hollywood can thank The Rock, Meryl Streep, and Liam Neeson.

Yes, that's quite a unique trio, but this January seems to be that rarity where audiences are being offered a unique mix of options that's motivating different demos to head to the multiplex.

Topping the domestic box office heap for a second-straight weekend is Sony's "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle." The Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson-powered teen-friendly actioner took in an estimated $27 million by Sunday ($33.4 million by the Monday holiday), according to boxofficepro.com, putting its domestic total at just under $300 million by Monday. That places it sixth all-time for Sony's best domestic grossing movies ever. Once it passes the $304 million mark it will pass "Skyfall" for fifth all-time.

That's an impressive take for a movie that had to fight for every dollar at the start of its theatrical run when it was up against "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

But this Martin Luther King weekend is a rarity as a major holdover from the previous year isn't the only hot ticket. 

Steven Spielberg's "The Post" expanded to over 2,819 screens and it paid off with a $18.6 million take up to Sunday ($22.2 million four-day). With the movie's Oscar hype, Golden Globes nominations, the Meryl Streep-Tom Hanks lead duo, and the storyline's connection to current politics, Fox has a title that's motivating the thirty-somethings and over to the theaters.

One of the major wide releases this weekend also had a strong outing. Lionsgate's "The Commuter," Liam Neeson's latest action movie, came in third place with $13.4 million ($16 million, four-day). Though Neeson is 65 he seems to still be believable enough to be running around doing thrilling things.

However, "Paddington 2," despite having a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Warner Bros. playing it on over 3,700 screens (around 800 more than "The Commuter"), only took in $10.6 million ($14.5 million, four-day). A drastic drop from its $19 million domestic opening the original had in 2015. But don't be too sad for the bear — the movie has already made over $125 million overseas.

SEE ALSO: Sarah Jessica Parker explains the big tone shift in season 2 of HBO's "Divorce": "I don't want it to seem like we have no backbone"

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Celebrities flocked to these underground poker games where someone once lost $100 million in one night

As Netflix has ramped up its original show production, it has also had to do some high-profile canceling, even cutting some fan favorites.

Most recently, Netflix announced that it would cancel comedian Maria Bamford's "Lady Dynamite" after two seasons. The show was well-received by critics, though was less of a hit with audiences.

This brings Netflix's tally of canceled shows up to about 15 (depending on how you count). Some shows have been canceled abruptly without a chance for a final season and conclusion. But others including "Love," "House of Cards," and "Bloodline" got warning and were able to wrap things up. 

If Netflix CEO Reed Hastings gets his way, expect even more shows to get canceled in the future.

"We've canceled very few shows," Hastings said in 2017. "I'm always pushing the content team. We have to take more risk. You have to try more crazy things. Because we should have a higher cancel rate overall."

Here are the shows Netflix has killed, along with their critic and audience ratings from Metacritic.

Additional reporting by Jethro Nededog.

SEE ALSO: The 14 best new TV shows of 2017, ranked

"Lady Dynamite": Canceled after two seasons

Netflix description: "Comedian Maria Bamford navigates awkward dates, bizarre gigs and the fallout from a major breakdown in a funny and poignant series based on her life."

Critic rating: 85/100

Audience rating: 6.6/10

Date canceled: January 2018.

"Love": canceled after three seasons

Netflix description: "A couple must navigate the exhilarations and humiliations of intimacy, commitment and other things they were hoping to avoid."

Critic rating: 76/100

Audience rating: 7.5/10

Date canceled: December 2017 (the final season will be released in 2018)

"Haters Back Off!": canceled after two seasons

Netflix description: "The odd ball family life of Miranda Sings, an incredibly confident, totally untalented star on the rise who continues to fail upward by the power of her belief that she was born famous, it's just no one knows it yet."

Critic rating: 54/100

Audience rating: 7.1/10

Date canceled: December 2017

• Cryptocurrency entrepreneurs in San Francisco have formed their own subculture, complete with special clothing, music and language, according to a New York Times profile.
• CoinDaddy is a former real estate agent who now raps about the so-called crypto life.
• Many of the characters live in the Crypto Castle, visited by Business Insider last year.

Who's the player got the women liiiike...Coindaddy

Who's the player got the blockchain tiiiiie...Coindaddy

Those are the opening lyrics to one of the latest tracks by the rapper CoinDaddy, née Arya Bahmanyar. 

A former real estate agent who decided to combine his passion for cryptocurrency with his musical aspirations, Coindaddy is one of the motley crew of individuals in San Francisco's burgeoning, bizarre crypto culture chronicled in a fascinating article by the New York Times' Nellie Bowles.

Among the others in this surreal cast of characters is a mixed martial arts fighter that discovered cryptocurrencies through his passion for "vintage pornography," and a 26-year-old who cradles a cat named Mr. Bigglesworth and claims to be sitting on a crypto fortune worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

With the price of bitcoin now roughly $14,000, and the blockchain technology that underlies bitcoin now in full hype mode, the world is experiencing a case of cryptocurrency fever that could either reshape global economies or crash and burn spectacularly. But while many investors and companies are dipping their toes in the water to see what bitcoin and other blockchain technology is all about, a tribe of true-believers in San Francisco is living and breathing crypto. 

Many of these crypto die-hards live or frequent a three-story home known as the Crypto Castle, which was profiled by Business Insider in January 2017. There's also a nearby (and presumably less regal) Crypto Crackhouse, where other members of the clan live, toil and share communal bathrooms.

Members speak in their own patois, with neologisms like "HODL,"  a play on the word "hold" that's apparently meant to convey a person's commitment to cryptocurrencies. And there's even a clothing company called hodlmoon that sells customized sweaters with bitcoin themes, so devotees can dress the part.

It's worth reading the entire New York Times feature by Bowles here.

And if you want to get a taste of the crypto life, listen to CoinDaddy's latest track below:

SEE ALSO: Here's everything you need to know about blockchains, the ground-breaking tech that could be as disruptive as the internet

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here are the best iPhone apps of 2017

• A woman has accused Aziz Ansari of sexual assault.
• She said the comedian kept attempting to have sex with her despite her signalling that she didn't want to.
• Ansari said the night's events were "by all indications... completely consensual."

A woman has accused comedian Aziz Ansari of sexual assault during a date with the comedian, calling it a "violating night and a painful one" — but Ansari responded by describing the encounter as "consensual".

The Brooklyn-based photographer, identified only as Grace, told Babe.net she went home with Ansari after going on a date with him in New York.

She then described, in graphic detail, Ansari's numerous attempts to have sex with her, despite her using "verbal and non-verbal cues to indicate how uncomfortable and distressed she was," according to Babe.

Grace told Babe: "Most of my discomfort was expressed in me pulling away and mumbling. I know that my hand stopped moving at some points. I stopped moving my lips and turned cold. [...]

"I didn't leave because I think I was stunned and shocked. This was not what I expected. I'd seen some of his shows and read excerpts from his book and I was not expecting a bad night at all, much less a violating night and a painful one."

The video below shows the text exchange between Ansari and Grace after the matter, in which Ansari apologises and said he "misread things in the moment."

Ansari recently won a Golden Globes award for his Netflix TV show, "Master of None." He wore a pin supporting the "Time's Up" organisation, which aims to combat sexual harassment and sexism in workplaces across the US.

Prominent figures in entertainment, journalism, and politics have been swept with a wave of sexual allegations since October, when The New York Times detailed multiple allegations of sexual harassment and assault against film producer Harvey Weinstein.

Since the publication of Grace's story, Ansari has issued a statement acknowledging the incident, and said his "sexual activity" with Grace was "by all indications... completely consensual."

Here's Ansari's full statement, as cited by The Fader:

"In September of last year, I met a woman at a party. We exchanged numbers. We texted back and forth and eventually went on a date. We went out to dinner, and afterwards we ended up engaging in sexual activity, which by all indications was completely consensual.

"The next day, I got a text from her saying that although 'it may have seemed okay,' upon further reflection, she felt uncomfortable. It was true that everything did seem okay to me, so when I heard that it was not the case for her, I was surprised and concerned. I took her words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said.

"I continue to support the movement that is happening in our culture. It is necessary and long overdue."

Read Grace's story on Babe.

SEE ALSO: Here's why so many celebrities are writing 'Time's Up' on their Instagram and Twitter posts

READ MORE: 25 powerful men in politics and media accused of sexual misconduct in the wake of Harvey Weinstein

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The bizarre history of the Yule Log Christmas special

The King of Pop reigns on the all-time list of best-selling albums.

Released in 1982, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" currently boasts a sales mark that no album is likely to touch anytime in the near or distant future. 

We compiled the RIAA's data for the best-selling albums in U.S. history (measured in "certified units" sold), and it's fascinating to see some of the names that appear in the top 50 — including a recent entry from Adele's "21."

Check out the best-selling albums of all time:

SEE ALSO: The 50 best-selling music artists of all time

50. Phil Collins — "No Jacket Required"

Certified units: 12 million

Buy it here >>

49. Matchbox Twenty — "Yourself or Someone Like You"

Certified units: 12 million

Buy it here >>

48. Led Zeppelin — "Led Zeppelin II"

Certified units: 12 million

Buy it here >>

The 2018 Sundance Film Festival begins Thursday, and if the past couple of years are any indication, that means it’s time to take a glimpse at the movies Netflix and Amazon will be throwing lots and lots of money at to acquire.

Last year Amazon snagged “The Big Sick” for $12 million and Netflix got “Mudbound” for $12.5 million. Both are now in the hunt for award-season glory. Which titles from this year are going to get that kind of treatment?

Here are 21 titles playing at the fest that we think are going to grab people’s attention:

SEE ALSO: 19 Netflix original shows that both critics and audiences agree are amazing

“America To Me”

Steve James (“Hoop Dreams,” “The Interrupters,” “Life Itself”) has made a career looking at the social melting pot of Chicago. For his latest, he examines racial inequality in the education system. This 10-part documentary series gives a one-year look at one of Chicago’s most progressive and diverse public schools.

“Beirut”

From a script by Tony Gilroy (the Jason Bourne movies, “Michael Clayton"), and starring John Hamm and Rosamund Pike, director Brad Anderson (“The Machinist”) looks at a US diplomat (Hamm) who, after leaving Lebanon in the 1970s following a tragic incident, returns 10 years later on a new mission. This political thriller already has distribution (Bleecker Street), so keep an eye out for it when it hits theaters in April.

“Blaze”

Ethan Hawke’s latest directing effort spotlights the little-known talents of country music songwriter Blaze Foley. Newcomer Benjamin Dickey takes on the role of this talent that is examined in three different story threads.