Welcome to Actory Weekly! This is your weekly shot of creative fuel — with acting tips, insider tools, and the film/TV/theatre scoop that keeps you one step ahead.

✨ TODAY’S SPOTLIGHT

Hey Actors! Here’s what’s happening this week

Big moves this week — Denis Villeneuve takes on Bond, Brad Pitt might return as Cliff Booth, and Aaron Sorkin is writing a Social Network sequel. Broadway’s buzzing, Netflix is casting heat, and Kim Kardashian might go villain. On Armchair Expert, Brad Pitt opens up about craft and career — a must-listen. And through it all, remember what Meisner said: acting is living truthfully under imaginary circumstances. Show up real. That’s the work.

🎭 CREATIVE FUEL

“Acting is living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” — Sanford Meisner

This quote captures the core of Meisner’s technique and one of the most profound truths about acting.

🔍 Breakdown:

• "Living truthfully"
  Meisner didn’t believe in pretending — he believed in being. The goal is not to act like you’re angry, heartbroken, or overjoyed — it’s to actually feel those things in the moment, using your imagination, your scene partner, and your personal emotional availability. It’s about being fully present and responsive.

• "Under imaginary circumstances"
  As an actor, you’re not actually going through a divorce, battling in a war, or confessing your love to someone for the first time — but you must make it real for yourself. The circumstances are fake; your reactions are not. This is where imagination, emotional preparation, and partner connection come in.

💡 Why It Matters:

This philosophy moves acting away from performing and toward experiencing. Meisner training teaches actors to:

• Stop worrying about how they look.

• Listen and respond with honesty.

• Stay out of their head and in the moment.

When actors live truthfully in the world of the play or script, the audience feels something real because the actor is experiencing something real. That’s what makes the difference between a good performance and a transcendent one.

Chase the EXPERIENCE, not the performance.

🎧LISTENING BOOTH

Podcast of the Week

🎙️ Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard — “Brad Pitt”
Why listen: One-line hook explaining what actors will gain.
Example: “Casting director shares the one thing that separates booked actors from overlooked ones.”

Listen here → BRAD PITT

📣 INDUSTRY BUZZ

🎥 FILM:

• Denis Villeneuve to direct next James Bond film — The Dune and Arrival director takes the helm as Amazon MGM ushers in a bold new era for 007. (more)

• Secret Netflix movie likely Brad Pitt’s Adventures of Cliff Booth – Garnered a big California tax credit. (more)

• ‘The Social Network Part II’ in development at Sony – Aaron Sorkin will write & direct, drawing on WSJ’s Facebook Files investigation. (more)

• Amazon acquires Don Winslow’s Collision – Jake Gyllenhaal to star & produce this prison-survival novella adaptation. (more)

• Daisy Edgar-Jones to headline Sense and Sensibility – New Austen adaptation from Focus Features & Working Title directed by Georgia Oakley. (more)

• Kim Kardashian eyed as villain in Bratz live-action – Amazon MGM in talks, with Kardashian also producing. (more)

📺 TELEVISION:

• Netflix renews Ransom Canyon for Season 2 – Continued success for the streaming drama. (more)

• Toya Turner exits Chicago P.D. ahead of Season 13 — Her character Kiana Cook won’t return after a one-season run. (more)

• Paramount+ renews MobLand for Season 2 – Tom Hardy leads in crime drama hit. (more)

• Leo Woodall to star as Vladimir in Netflix series alongside Rachel Weisz. (more)

• Christopher Rodriguez‑Marquette joins Reacher S4, replacing Jay Baruchel as cop Jacob Merrick. (more)

🎭 THEATER:

• Chess sets Broadway run with Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit & Nicholas Christopher — opens November 16 at the Imperial. (more)

• Mark Strong & Lesley Manville bring Robert Icke’s Oedipus to Broadway this October at Studio 54. (more)

• Manhattan Theatre Club announces cast for upcoming Broadway production Punch. (more)

• Ariana DeBose joins the board of the Entertainment Community Fund. (more)

💼 BIZ NEWS:

• Diego Luna issues powerful immigrant-support monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live – Emotional plea amid Trump policy backlash. (more)

• Indy Shorts Festival 2025 lineup announced – Features films starring Imelda Staunton, André Holland, Lena Headey, Amy Sedaris. (more)

• California lawmakers approve $750 million annual film & TV tax credit – More than double the current funding to buoy productions. (more)

🎞️ VIDEO VILLAGE

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