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Goran Visnjic

TV PILOTS: Eric Kripke & Shawn Ryan’s TIMELESS With Goran Visnjic, Matt Lanter, Abigail Spencer Starts Filming in Vancouver

Back to to the Future meets Mission: Impossible. From Supernatural creator Erik Kripke and The Shield creator Shawn Ryan comes time-travelling action-adventure Timeless. What’s it… Read More »TV PILOTS: Eric Kripke & Shawn Ryan’s TIMELESS With Goran Visnjic, Matt Lanter, Abigail Spencer Starts Filming in Vancouver

SHOOT: Goran Visnjic & Erin Moriarty Film RED WIDOW Finale at Guiness Tower

Update May 10, 2013 – ABC cancelled this limited series so last Sunday’s season finale is the series ender.

So it wasn’t Nicholae Schiller (Goran Visnjic) who made Marta Walraven (Radha Mitchell) a Red Widow by killing her husband. It was her cold, cruel, ruthless father who couldn’t stand the idea of losing his grandkids. But the grandkids don’t know that yet. And so young Natalie (Erin Moriarity) pulls a gun on Schiller as he’s leaving his office, filmed at the Guiness Tower in Vancouver’s Business District, in what turns out to be the final scene of the season finale.

What happens next? That depends on whether this limited series is renewed or not.

Read More »SHOOT: Goran Visnjic & Erin Moriarty Film RED WIDOW Finale at Guiness Tower

WEEK: April 29 – May 5, 2013

Russian Mob Drama RED WIDOW’s Two-Hour Debut on ABC Tonight

Are we ready for a female version of Tony Soprano (The Sopranos) or Walter White (Breaking Bad) on American broadcast TV? Red Widow is about San Francisco widow Marta Walraven (Radha Mitchell) forced to replace her husband in the Russian mob after his murder in order to repay his debt and protect her family — son Gabriel (Sterling Beaumon),daughter Natalie (Erin Moriarty) and son Boris (Jakob Salvati).

Her husband was killed by the mafia. In order to erase a [$1.5  million] debt and protect her family, she is willing to work with his killers. How far would you go? For one mother, the only way out is deeper in. No time to mourn.

That debt is owed to crime lord Nicholae Schiller (Goran Visnjic). “I don’t play games Mrs. Walraven. Ever.”  – Schiller

ABC/BOB D’AMICO

By the end of the first set of eight episodes, Marta Walraven won’t be as bad as Tony Soprano or Walter White but she will have gone from packing lunches to packing guns — with room to go darker.

Read More »Russian Mob Drama RED WIDOW’s Two-Hour Debut on ABC Tonight

Goran Visnjic as RED WIDOW’s Russian Mob Boss in Downtown Vancouver

Red Widow added Goran Visnjic to the cast after the pilot was filmed, much to the delight of his Vancouver fans who know him as noble Dr. Luka Kovac on ER.

But this time Goran Visnjic is not the good guy. He’s the Big Bad.  His Russian mafia is blamed for the shooting of Marta Walraven (Radha Mitchell)’s husband in the season premiere. She should be mourning but must work with her husband’s killers to repay the [$1.5 million ] debt owed to mob boss Nicholae Schiller (Goran Visnjic) and to protect her family.

I looked for Goran Visnjic early on at the Russian mob restaurant Cafe Rossiya played by Lana Lou’s restaurant in the Downtown Eastside but never caught him in an exterior scene until Red Widow’s season finale filmed at the Exchange Tower downtown. 

[Update: In the two-hour premiere, Goran Visnijic demonstrated his black belt in kung-fu in a sparring scene. Impressive.]

 

Read More »Goran Visnjic as RED WIDOW’s Russian Mob Boss in Downtown Vancouver

WEEK: January 7-13, 2013

  • Sunday, January 13th – Once Upon a Time 2×12 The Outsider has Rumple finding a way to cross the town border without losing his memory of his son Bae, Hook stealing Bae’s cloak,  a Rumple vs Hook showdown and then a big twist involving Rumple’s beloved Belle.
  • Sunday, January 13th – CTV airs a promo for Vancouver detective series Motive during the Golden Globes with the tagline: The Murder is Just the Beginning. Debuts on February 3rd after the Superbowl on CTV.
  • Sunday, January 13th – Cult panel at the Television Critics Association (TCA) winter press tour, with cast Matt Davis, Jessica Lucas, Robert Knepper and Alona Tal and Farscape creator Rockne O’Bannon. Debuts February 19th on The CW.
  • Sunday, January 13th – The CW president Mark Pedowitz says new version of Vancouver-filmed pilot The Selection still in contention for pilot order. Tells TCA winter press tour that he loves the new script.
  • Friday, January 11th – Fringe 5×11 The Boy Must Live – the third-to-last episode features naked Walter in deprivation tank and father-son bonding between Walter and Peter and between September and his son, the child Observer! Oh, and someone must die for the plan to work.
  • Friday, January 11th – Arrow Fraturday: star Stephen Amell steals a motorcyle in a scene at Portal Park as news breaks of his Christmas wedding to longtime girlfriend Cassandra Jean; his stunt double rides the motorcycle down the stairs at Oceanic Plaza and over a prop Starling City cab into prop traffic on West Hastings. Arrow crew then moves to underground parking at the Vancouver Convention Centre to film overnight scenes until Saturday morning.
  • Friday, January 11th – Supernatural Fraturday: films overnight again inside Century House in downtown Vancouver.
  • Friday, January 11th – City releases promo image of  sitcom Package Deal, featuring Randal Edwards, Julia Voth, Harland Williams and Jay Malone.
  • Thursday, January 10th – Sitcom Package Deal tapes in front of live studio audience in Burnaby.
  • Thursday, January 10th – Once Upon a Time films at Deer Lake Park with Charming, Snow & Henry on set.
  • Thursday, January 10th – Arrow films at the PNE
  • Thursday, January 10th – Supernatural films inside Century House in downtown Vancouver.
  • Thursday, January 10th – Red Widow panel at TCA winter press tour. Debuts March 3rd on ABC.
  • Thursday, January 10th – News via @Lemon_Buzz that feature film Ninja Turtles closed its Vancouver production office and opened a NYC production office = Vancouver loses another feature film.
  • Thurday, January 10th – Premier Christy Clark’s BC Jobs Plan boosts several industries but not our declining film & TV biz. Click on the SAVE BC FILM petition and sign it to let her know the cost to the province of losing film & TV productions to places with better tax credits.
  • Wednesday, January 9th – Fringe showrunner Joel Wyman and cast Lance Reddick present early screening Read More »WEEK: January 7-13, 2013

WEEK: November 12-18, 2012

  • Sunday, November 18th – Once Upon a Time pre-empted by American Music Awards. New episode 2×08, Into the Deep, airs next Sunday.
  • Sunday, November 18th – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 2 boasts a US$349 million global opening weekend via Deadline.com.
  • Saturday, November 17th – Bates Motel films at the HI Vancouver Jericho Beach Hostel.
  • Friday, November 16th – Red Widow wraps filming of its first order of eight episodes set to premiere early next year on ABC.
  • Friday, November 16h – On Fringe‘s ep. 5×07 Joshua Jackson’s Peter tracks Observer lieutenants on Hastings West and Blair Brown returns as silver-haired Nina Sharp in her wheelchair filmed on the Olympic Village seawall.
  • Friday, November 16th – Fringe films pickup scenes with the panelled blue mini-van in Chinatown.
  • Friday, November 16th – Battlestar Galactica prequel Blood and Chrome with Ben Cotton – third & fourth webisodes online.
  • Friday, November 16th – Mr. Cranky Pants lives. CBC releases season two teaser for Yellowknife and Vancouver-filmed Arctic Air which moves to Wednesday nights in its second season next year.
  • Thursday, November 15 – Midnight screenings of blockbuster The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 2. which was filmed in Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler.
  • Thusrday, November 15th – Arrow films police chase & shootout featuring Seth Gabel as season one’s big bad Vertigo on the second level of the Front Street parkade in New Westminster.
  • Thursday, November 15th – Sitcom Package Deal films its fourth episode in front of a live studio audience in Burnaby.
  • Thursday, November 15th – Bates Motel films on its permanent motel and Bates house set in Aldergrove, a replica of the Alfred Hitchcock set from his classic horror film Psycho.
  • Thursday, November 15th –  Vancouver detective series Motive films out in Aldergrove.
  • Thusrday, November 15th – Red Widow films near Victory Square.
  • Wednesday, November 14th – Misha Collins’s Castiel returns on Supernatural 8×07 & meets with Amanada Tapping (Stargate/Sanctuary)’s angel Naomi. Watch your back Cas.
  • Wednesday, November 14th – The Royal Flush Gang robs Starling Trust Bank on Arrow‘s ep. 1×06 filmed in the Read More »WEEK: November 12-18, 2012

SHOOT: Who’s Holding a Gun on RED WIDOW Mob Boss Goran Visnjic at Guiness Tower?

Who’s holding a gun on Goran Visnjic (ER)’s Russian mob boss Nicholae Schiller at the Guiness Tower in downtown Vancouver for the final episode of Red Widow’s first set of eight? Telling would ruin the surprise. Inspired by a popular Dutch TV series, Red Widow is an upcoming ABC series about San Francisco widow Marta Walraven forced to replace her mobster husband as head of a crime syndicate after his murder in order to protect her family: sons Gabriel and Boris and daughter Natalie. The series wraps its initial order of eight episodes at the end of the week with the option of more after it premieres next year.

Read More »SHOOT: Who’s Holding a Gun on RED WIDOW Mob Boss Goran Visnjic at Guiness Tower?