Teen Comedy THE A-LIST Coming to Video on Demand 5/12

Freestyle Digital Media has announced today that they have acquired all U.S. VOD rights and have set May 12, 2015 as the release date for teen comedy THE A-LIST. The funny HIGH SCHOOL centric film marks the directorial debut for Will Bigham, the winner of Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett's "On the Lot" reality show.

Alyson Stoner (Step Up films, "Phinneas & Ferb"), Hal Sparks ("Lab Rats" "Queer as Folk") and Skyler Vallo ("True Blood") costar in this hilarious comedy. Eric Schultz (Hudson Thames, "The Secret Life of the American Teenager") is the coolest student at Lake Odell High School. He has the looks, the girl, and the popularity. Even the school newspaper has turned into a gossip blog about his personal life. His guidance counselor, Sylvia Martin (Elizabeth Bond), is just as in awe of him as everyone else is. Being a nerd back in her day, Sylvia has always wished she could have done the things that come so easily to Eric. When she discovers he is missing one class to graduate, she makes a deal with him. If Eric completes a list of 5 things she always wanted to do in HIGH SCHOOL (like date the quarterback and be a cheerleader) she will fudge his transcript and allow him to graduate!

THE A LIST is produced by Astromech Records LLC, Kevin Callies, D.J. Halferty, and Matthew Karchesky.

"Who wouldn't like a HIGH SCHOOL do-over?" said Mark Borde, President of Freestyle, "This is a very funny film with a great cast and a very VOD-friendly genre.

"This film encapsulates the hilarious pettiness of high school," said Barry Barnholtz, CEO of Barnholtz Entertainment. "It took me back and made me laugh."

Producers DJ Halferty and Kevin Callies added, "The entire process of making The A-List was a dream come true. We couldn't be happier with the outcome, and we're excited that people will now have the chance to see it."

The U.S. deal was negotiated by Chris Charalambous on behalf of Freestyle Releasing and by Barry Barnholtz on behalf of Barnholtz Entertainment.

Concourse Film Trade, the worldwide sales arm of Matthew Shreder and Andrew Felts' Concourse Media, handled worldwide rights on the film and brokered the distribution deal.

Recent Freestyle titles include the box office hit GOD'S NOT DEAD, Michael Jai White action flick FALCON RISING, the teen thriller THE SISTERHOOD OF NIGHT, wholesome romance OLD FASHIONED, THREE NIGHT STAND starring Emmanuelle Chriqui, LEFT BEHIND starring Nicolas Cage, and TIGER EYES, the first big screen adaptation of a Judy Blume novel starring Willa Holland.

Lamar Odom, Jurassic World among top trending Google searches for 2015

 

(Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images file)

Posted December 16 2015 — 3:00 AM EST

You don’t have to Google “most searched terms of 2015” to find out what people were most interested in this year; the search engine has compiled lists of the top trending searches in the year that was.
Lamar Odom topped the list of trending general searches for the past year, beating out this summer’s blockbuster hit Jurassic World. American Sniper, Caitlyn Jenner, and Ronda Rousey rounded out the top five.
Odom also came in No. 1 on Google’s list of the top trending people for the year (not including deaths, the company notes), ahead of Jenner, Rousey, Trump, Ruby Rose, and Charlie Sheen.
Read on for more of 2015’s Google lists, including top trending movies, memes, and GIFs.
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Top Trending General Searches
Lamar Odom
Jurassic World
American Sniper
Caitlyn Jenner
Ronda Rousey
Paris
Agario
Chris Kyle
Fallout 4
Straight Outta Compton
Top Trending People (Not Including Deaths)
Lamar Odom
Caitlyn Jenner
Ronda Rousey
Donald Trump
Ruby Rose
Charlie Sheen
Brian Williams
Rachel Dolezal
Adele
Josh Duggar
Top Trending Actors
Charlie Sheen
Bill Cosby
Taylor Kinney
Scott Eastwood
James Earl Jones
Tom Holland
Eddie Redmayne
Gary Busey
Randy Quaid
Tracy Morgan
Top Trending Actresses
Ruby Rose
Amy Schumer
Patricia Arquette
Rumer Willis
Bryce Dallas Howard
Alyson Stoner
Lily James
Taraji P.Henson
Natasha Leggero
Ellie Kemper
Top Trending Movies
Jurassic World
American Sniper
Straight Outta Compton
Fifty Shades of Gray
Furious 7
Pitch Perfect 2
Inside Out
Avengers Age of Ultron
Minions
Mad Max
Top Trending Music Artists
Adele
Sia
Fetty Wap
Eazy-E
Sam Smith
N.W.A.
Chris Stapleton
Beck
Lenny Kravitz
Meghan Trainor   
Top Trending Losses
Bobbi Kristina Brown
Stuart Scott
Sandra Bland
Freddie Gray
Frank Gifford
Leonard Nimoy
Scott Weiland
B.B. King
Christopher Lee
Amanda Peterson
Top Trending TV Shows
Better Call Saul
Jessica Jones
Fear the Walking Dead
Empire
American Horror Story: Hotel
Game of Thrones
Daredevil
Scream Queens
Quantico
Lip Sync Battle
Top Trending Memes
Pepe the frog
Rickrolling
Who Knows
Florida Man
O Rly
Rick Astley
Jontron
Ceiling cat
Bread meme
Nothing much meme
Top Trending GIFs
Just do it
John Cena
Drake
That’s racist
Rihanna
Football
How rude
Good morning
Kanye
Happy birthday

The Little Girl from Missy Elliott's 'Work It' Video Is All Grown Up

She's still working it.

Alyson Stoner, the little girl who appeared in iconic Missy Elliott videos like "Work It" more than 10 years ago is all grown up – and now she's released a tribute video.

The clip features performances of "Work It," "Gossip Folks" and "I'm Really Hot," with the original dancers doing the original choreography.

At the end of the clip, Stoner, 21 (now an actress-singer-choreographer), gives a shout-out to the woman who got the ball rolling for her: "Missy, thank you so much for the opportunity to dance for you and now carve a path of my own."

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Elliott got social media buzzing when she dropped in for a comeback performance during Katy Perry's Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 1.

As for Stoner's favorite memory from working with Elliott?

"To this day, I remember vividly Missy Elliott, Ludacris, and my grandma riding in a golf cart to set. My grandma went back to Ohio and told her bowling friends, 'Guess what? I was riding to set with Missy and Ridiculous!' " she told BuzzFeed.

Stoner, of course, has been a star in her own right for a while: She was a Disney Channel mainstay and appeared in Cheaper by the Dozen, Camp Rock, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Step Up All In.

6 Things you didn't know Alyson Stoner has done since Missy Elliott

Remember the little girl from the Missy Elliott videos? She's still workin' it

C'mon... admit it. You wanted to be the dancing girl killing it in the circa-early-2000s Missy Elliott videos like "Work It." We know we did. What we didn't know, though, was just how much she's done since her Missy days. 

 

Rewind back to 2002. Remember this?

Today, that girl — whose name, by the way, is Alyson Stoner — reminded us just how much we coveted her tracksuited, pigtailed dance skills by releasing a tribute video to her mentor. And it's awesome.

But, y'all, Stoner has been doing her thing ever since... albeit a bit under the radar. Here are a few surprising ways she's been workin' it since, you know, she worked it.

1. Cheaper by the Dozen and Cheaper by the Dozen 2

OK, so this one's a softball. You probably saw these movies, in which case we can agree that there is no shame in watching them every single time they come on TV. Still, you may not have realized that cute little Sarah Baker — the total tomboy in the first film who enlists Hilary Duff, er, her sister Lorraine's help in girl-ifying her when she gets a crush in the sequel (on Taylor Lautner, no less).

2. Cartoon cameos

To be precise, voice-over work! She voiced Kid Rat in 2004's Garfield. In Lilo & Stitch: The Series, she lent her cords to bring Victoria to life from 2004 to 2006. She was the voice of Holly Hobbie in several video shorts and Kairi in the Kingdom Hearts video games. Impressed yet? I'm not done. She was Little Engine in 2011's The Little Engine That Could, Strawberry in 2013's Super Buddies, Opal in last year's The Legend of Korra TV series and — the pièce de résistance — she voices Isabella in Phineas and Ferb (this was a real revelation for me, as my kids are super-fans of the clever cartoon).

3. Disney!

Stoner also spent some time hopping around the Disney Channel. She guested as Ally Parker on That's So Raven, charmed as Sally/Sallabella on Super Short Show, played Max on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and starred as Caitlyn Geller in the Disney original movie, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.

4. A string of Step Up movies

Who doesn't love the Step Up movies? The dance sequences are entirely too addictive to resist. Besides, the first of these films brought Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan together and how precious is that? You might easily recall Stoner's role as Moose's love interest, Camille, in Step Up 3D and All In, but she was also in the original Step Up as the tiny protégé of Tatum's character.

5. Some of your favorite dramas

If you feel like you've seen Stoner somewhere else, chances are you have. The now-21-year-old has also landed bit parts in some of TV's biggest dramas. In 2010, she snagged the role of a girl named Della in an episode of the wildly successful, long-running series, House M.D. And just last year, she popped up on Major Crimes as the character Bug on the show's "Jane Doe #38" episode.

6. A slew of YouTube videos

Stoner's tribute video to Elliott certainly wasn't her first foray on YouTube. The Ohio native posts everything from concert performances to music videos (she's doing her own thing these days) to fun covers. Just check out her and Alex G's take on Taylor Swift's ubiquitous feel-good anthem, "Shake It Off" — adorable. So it is our sincere hope that Missy sees the stellar tribute Stoner put together for her, gives this girl a call and, by proxy, makes all our dreams come true with a reunion vid. P-p-p-please?

‘The Legend of Korra': Casting news for season 2 and beyond

BY 
MICHAL SCHICK

Actress Alyson Stoner will join the cast of The Legend of Korra, possibly to voice a mysterious role in season 2.

In what is tantamount to a breadcrumb of information (though no less welcome for that) news has appeared on Alyson Stoner’s website that the young actress has – or will – provide the voice for a character called “Opal” in The Legend of Korra.

Stoner’s website includes the character in her 2013 projects, which could mean that the character may not appear in The Legend of Korra season 2. Stoner is an accomplished actress with quite a few voice acting credits, so it seems likely that her role will be significant, even if it is a small one. Recording has already likely wrapped up for season 3 however, so it’s possible that “Opal” may not debut until further down the line.

Still, it’s encouraging to receive a piece of casting information during this protracted Avatarnews drought. And as a character called Opal has not been publicly discussed or mentioned by the Mike DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko, co-creators of The Legend of Korra, fans can only speculate on her identity. If the character does appear in season 2, a decent possibility is that “Opal” is the name of one of Korra’s young twin cousins who are set to be introduced in The Legend of Korra season 2; the male twin has been named Desna, but no name was given for the female twin. Opal would be something of an unusual name for a member of the Water Tribe, however, and in the Avatar-verse in general – could it be possible that the character is a spirit, or otherworldly being, perhaps?

Barring official confirmation (or the show actually airing) there is no way to know for certain, but fans can at least add another new voice to the list of scant information for The Legend of Korra. Stoner joins Grey DeLisle (the voice of Azula in Avatar: The Last Airbender) who will appear as the voice of “The Dark Spirit” in season 2 and an unknown character in season 3, as well as April Stewart in a currently-unnamed role unofficially confirmed for season 2.

The premiere date of The Legend of Korra season 2 is still under wraps, but Hypable will keep you updated on any Avatar news that becomes available!

Alyson Stoner talks 'Pretty Girls,' Missy Elliott and acting

Actress and singer Alyson Stoner chatted with Digital Journal about her new single "Pretty Girls," acting, and her Missy Elliott tribute video.

On her new single "Pretty Girls," Stoner said, "I co-wrote the song with Maze Runner's Dexter Darden and my producer Rob Grimaldi from New Jersey. We began the song about women in our community in Los Angeles who use their beauty to manipulative, seduce and persuade to get their way. Then, it branched out to females in general who are conditioned at a young age to exploit certain factors of their bodies and their personalities. The song itself has a pretty strong social statement, underneath a very polished tone and production value. It is the opening song in my new movie Sugar Babies, and we wanted it to display the artificial elements and tempting allure of being in a relationship built around money as opposed to genuine love and care. It has a great dance beat and heavy bass drum. I am glad people are enjoying it," Stoner said.

Her song's music video was directed by Gianinni Moreira and Cristina Piemonte. "Working with them was great because they are both driven professionals who want to challenge themselves and grow, and it made for a very positive and cohesive environment on set," she said.

Stoner was influenced heavily by Missy Elliott and her tribute video has garnered over 13 million views, thus making YouTube history. "I am very fortunate. I wasn't predicting or expecting the reception that the Missy Elliott tribute received. I wanted her to understand my gratitude for how much she has helped propel my career, and I celebrated her iconic music. She is such a special female in the industry and we all cheer her on," she said.

Her acting credits include roles in SuiteLife of Zack and Cody, Cheaper By The Dozen 1 & 2, the Step Up dance franchise, Camp Rock 1 & 2 The Final Jam, and she is the voice of Isabella in the Emmy-winning cartoon Phineas and Ferb. "I am an athlete, so being on the SuiteLife of Zack and Cody' was fun. My character plays sports, and I got to play basketball and dance on the show. Looking back, it was a chance for me for socialize because I was home-schooled as a young actress. Because of this show, I was able to work on other Disney shows, so I am really grateful for having that as one of my early starts in my career," she said.

Yet another fond moment for Stoner was opening for the Jonas Brothers on the "Jonas Brothers World Tour." "That was so much fun. The Jonas family is really inspiring because they balance professional and personal life so well. They gave me the opportunity to open for their entire concert, and I got to perform with them and Demi Lovato during their set," the 21-year-old performer said.

On balancing both acting and music, she said with a sweet laugh, "It's not easy. I have wrestled with balancing dancing, singing and acting for 10 years now. Strategically, you have to go where the wind blows. Now that I want to make a statement with music, I may have to multi-task. Right now, I am working on six projects simultaneously. As a human being, I don't recommend it, but as a young professional, it is what it takes for the time being, to showcase my seriousness."

She collaborated with YouTube sensation Tyler Ward on their cover of "The Hanging Tree" from The Hunger Games soundtrack. "That happened in three hours. We both had an idea and said 'let's make an original song.' Within an hour we recorded it, and then we filmed a quick video in the streets of California. We enjoyed it," she said.

A multi-faceted entertainer, Stoner is also a motivational speaker that travels around the country encouraging her fans to fulfill their potential and stand up for self-respect, in an effort to lead a healthy and balanced lifestyle. "I love speaking to younger people because it is such a pivotal moment in their development as humans. My main goal is to use whatever platform I am given to help create a safe environment for people. My whole approach is to increase self-awareness," she said.

Stoner listed Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake and Chris Brown as her dream collaboration choices due to their versatility as artists. "I am open and willing to collaborate with anyone who wants to make something original and enjoys the process along the way," she said.

She concluded by thanking her fans and followers. "Thank you for supporting me and encouraging me to pursue my dreams. I wish that we can all have a fan army. Thank you for the accountability, and I hope that they follow their dreams the same way I did mine. There is no reason to hold back. Fear is afraid of itself. As much as we can push through our limits and learn what we truly want, I think we need to be bold, take risks and be courageous. I hope the fans are finding what they love and attacking it with everything they can," she said.

For more information on actress and singer Alyson Stoner and "Pretty Girls," check out her official website.

Alyson Stoner on Being a Modern-Day Triple Threat

Photo Source: Adam Adolphus

You may remember Alyson Stoner from the childhood classics “Cheaper by the Dozen” and “Phineas and Ferb,” or from dancing her pigtails off as Missy Elliot’s adorable kiddie backup dancer in the“Work It” and “Gossip Folks” music videos, but these days the star is all grown up, and coming into her own as a triple threat. 

Stoner chats with Backstage about balancing her singing, acting, and dancing careers, the importance of self-expression, and her first film as an adult—“The A-List”—coming to VOD May 12.

On filming teen comedy “The A-List.”

Stoner’s filmography may be longer than most adults’, but “The A-List” marked the 21-year-old star’s first experience filming without a guardian. “It felt like it was my entrance into real adulthood. And the cast, everyone was young, so the camaraderie and the senses of humor and everything just blended together really nicely,” she says. “Will Bigham [the director] had just gotten done with the Fox reality show ‘On the Lot’ from Steven Spielberg, so it was his first film; everyone was fresh and excited at what the future held, and that sort of set the tone for the set. We got into a lot of antics!”

On being a triple threat.

Stoner more or less defines the term; a professional dancer since age 3, her dancing, singing, and acting careers have intersected with films like “Camp Rock,” the “Step Up” franchise, and the upcoming TV Movie “Sugar Babies,” for which her single “Pretty Girls” is the opening song. “I think what's important, as an artist who wants to be multi-dimensional, is learning how to shape shift into those different paths fluidly and frequently. They each have their own techniques, states of being, and you have strengths and weaknesses in all of them, so it's a lot to hold onto. It creates a full plate but it’s worthwhile when you love each of them!”  

On finding balance.

“I talk to a mentor about this regularly, because it’s a huge struggle,” Stoner admits. “What we’ve arrived at is the concept of spontaneous organization. It’s learning how to react to a constantly moving and shifting schedule. I may be on set acting, I may be in the studio recording, I might be teaching dance class all in the same day—so how can I manage all of those needs, prepare for all of those things, and still grow and train in all of them? The best you can do is when you’re focusing on one, be there and be present.” 

On the importance of dance.

Stoner’s star rose earlier this year when her “Missy Elliot Tribute” dance video went viral on social media. The performer shares the meaning of dance in her life (and it may not be what you expect). 

“Dance continues to be a very vivid tool for my personal growth. It’s anything from overcoming fear and learning how to be vulnerable and expressive in movement, to shifting from my technical background and experimenting with the abstract world of freestyle. I find that with dance—and with the arts in general—because I want to grow in my performance, I have to come face to face with my own personal challenges. It gives me an outlet to explore new parts of myself while still having the structure and the goal of the performance, the meaning of the show. Honestly, without art and dance I think I would be a very safe, black-and-white thinker. I wouldn’t dare to take any risks, or see so much of the world in myself and other people!”

On why everyone can—and should—dance.

“What’s silly is that we’ve popularized dance moves, and we’ve made distinctions about who can and cannot do them, when really dance is free! It’s something we’ve been doing since the first human beings walked the earth. It’s a form of expression; if you’re being yourself while you’re doing it, there’s no right or wrong—it’s simply who you are.