HOLLYWOOD—With the pinnacle of all awards shows taking place this week, it appears everyone’s focus is on the Academy Awards, but there were many things happening behind the scenes this week. For starters, a bevy of trailers were unleashed in the previous week giving audiences their first look at “Guardians of the Galaxy” starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Vin Diesel, as a group of intergalactic superheroes uniting for a cause.  With so many other superheroes heading to the big screen this summer, there will be plenty to choose from.

 

Trailers were also released for hotly anticipated sequels “Think Like a Man Too” and “The Purge: Anarchy.” Both films surprised audiences in 2012 and 2013, so expect big numbers come summer.  “The Following” star Kevin Bacon has signed up for the supernatural thriller “6 Miranda Dr.,” just as “American Horror Story” alum Lily Rabe has signed on for the thriller “The Veil” starring Thomas James and Jessica Alba.

 

“American Idol” alum Jennifer Lopez is set to produce and star in a cop drama for NBC, while Oscar-nominee Viola Davis is also headed to the small screen in the ABC pilot “How to Get Away with Murder” courtesy of “Scandal” scribe Shonda Rhimes. It looks like everyone is heading to the small screen nowadays.

 

Warner Bros. 2013 summer hit, “The Conjuring” is getting a sequel. The studio announced that “The Conjuring 2” is slated to hit theaters on October 23, 2015. Considering the horror hit stunned audiences in the summer, I question why the move to October. Like they say if it’s not broken don’t fix it.

 

In the soap arena, “All My Children” alum Cady McClain will assume the role of Kelly, currently being betrayed by Emmy winner Cynthia Watros. Watros recently had a TV pilot she worked on get picked up, so Watros is out, McClain is in. “General Hospital” star Kristen Storms is getting ready to return to the Port Charles canvas in the coming weeks after stepping away to give birth to her daughter Harper. What troubles await Maxie on her trip back home? Time will tell. Don’t forget the Academy Awards air live on ABC at 8:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 2. Don’t miss it!