Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 20th to 26th, 2022 - Update #22

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  A24's recent horror film, "X," could be a budding horror movie franchise.  A prequel film is apparently already close to being finished and preparations are being made for a sequel.

STAR TREK - From Variety:  Actress Ito Aghayere talks about playing "Young Guinan" on the Paramount+ series, "Star Trek: Picard." "Guinan" is the classic "Star Trek: The Next Generation" character originally played by Oscar-winner, Whoopi Goldberg.

MOVIES - From People:  Here are the first look photos of Oscar-winner Nicolas Cage as "Dracula" in Universal Pictures' horror-comedy, "Renfield," in which Nicholas Hoult plays the title role.

BROADWAY - From Deadline:  A Broadway musical is being developed based on the 1983 film, "Trading Places."  Aneesa Folds will play Eddie Murphy's role, and Bryce Pinkham will play Dan Aykroyd's role.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The CW has given early renewals to 7 of its 19 scripted dramas.  Owners Warner Media and ViacomCBS has put The CW up for sale, with Nexstar being among the suitors.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  HBO Max's "Sex in the City" sequel, "And Just Like That..." has been renewed for a second season.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Actress Christina Ricci, who played "Wednesday Addams," in two 1990s "Addams Family" films directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, will play a major role in Netflix's series, "Wednesday."  The nature of her role is still a secret.  Jenna Ortega will play Wednesday in the series.

OSCARS - From Deadline:  At the 94th Academy Awards, Beyonce will indeed perform her Oscar-nominated song, "Be Alive" (from "King Richard" and co-written with DIXSON) via satellite from a Compton tennis court.

From Variety:   Beyonce is in talks to perform her Oscar-nominated song, "Be Alive" (from "King Richard") live from the tennis courts in Compton, California during the 94th Academy Awards.  The film focuses on Richard Williams, the father of tennis legends, Venus and Serena Williams, who learned to play tennis on those courts with Richard as their coach.

MOVIES - From Variety:  The sequel to the 2021 hit, "Godzilla vs. Kong," will start filming in Australia later this year.

OSCARS - From BBC:  The BBC's website has produced a video that presents all the "Best Picture" nominees for the 94th Academy Awards in 59 seconds.

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  This year's "Rase to Erase MS" gala will return to Fairmont Century Plaza hotel on May 20th and will feature music by "Nile Rogers & Chic" and a Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive fashion show.

MOVIES - From ShadowandAct:   Marvel Cinematic Universe star and New Orleans native Anthony Mackie has reportedly bought 20 acres in New Orleans East where he plans to start a movie studio.  However, Mackie has reportedly officially said that it was too premature to discuss specifics of the deal.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 3/18 to 3/20/2022 weekend box office is "The Batman" with an estimated 36.8 million dollars.

From Here:  Negromancer's review of "The Batman."

STAR TREK - From TheGuardian:  Georgia gubernatorial candidate and voting rights champion, Stacey Abrams, made a cameo as "President of United Earth" on the Season 4 finale of "Star Trek: Discovery" (Paramount+).  Some people were mad...

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The daytime syndicated talk show "Maury" will be ending after the current season, apparently a mutual decision between the host, Maury Povich, and NBCUniversal Syndication Studios.  Povich is reportedly retiring.  The last original episodes will air through September 2022, after which repeats of the show will continue to air in syndication

AWARDS - From Deadline: "CODA" wins the top award, "Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures," at the 2022 / 33rd Producers Guild Awards.

AVATAR - From Variety:  "Avatar 2" star Zoe Saldana said that after watching 20 minutes of the film, she cried.

CANNES - From Deadline:  Not only will "Top Gun: Maverick" make its premiere at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, but its star Tom Cruise will also feted with a "career retrospective" special tribute.

OBITS:

From RollingStone:  Singer-songwriter and rock musician, Taylor Hawkins, has died at the age of 50, Friday, March 25, 2022 in a hotel in Bogota, Columbia.  Hawkins was best known as the drummer of the band, "Foo Fighters." The band announced Hawkins as its new drummer in March 1997, and in addition to being the drummer, Hawkins wrote songs, provided vocals, and played piano and guitar.  He first appeared on the Foo Fighters third album "There is Nothing Left to Lose" (1999).  His side-projects included the bands, "Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders" and "The Birds of Satan."

From CNN:  American diplomat and former U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, has died at the age of 84, Wednesday, March 23, 2022.  Albright was the first female U.S. Secretary of State, serving from 1997 to 2001, during President Bill Clinton's second term, the 64th Secretary of State. She was also the 20th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (1993-97).  Albright was born in Czechoslovakia and immigrated to the U.S. with her parents in 1948.

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94TH ACADEMY AWARDS:

OSCARS - From Variety:  The nominations for the 2022 / 94th Academy Awards have been announced.  "The Power of the Dog" leads with 12 nominations.  The winners will be revealed March 27th.

From Deadline:    With his "Best Actor" nomination for "The Tragedy of Macbeth," Denzel Washington is the most nominated Black actor is Oscar history.  He has been nominated in two acting categories a total of 10 times with two wins total.

From Variety:   With her "Best Director" Oscar nomination for "The Power of the Dog," Jane Campion becomes the first woman nominated twice in that category. She was previously nominated in that category for "The Piano" (1993).

From Variety:  With his three nominations today, Kenneth Branagh of "Belfast" becomes the first person to have been nominated in seven individual categories over his career.

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MOVIE AWARDS:

From Variety:  The American Society of Cinematographers held the 2022 / 36th Annual ASC Awards.  Greig Fraser won the top award, "Feature Film," for his work on "Dune."

From Deadline:  At the 58th annual Cinema Audio Society (CAS) Awards, "Dune" the "Live Action Motion Picture" prize.

From Deadline:  The 2022 / 75th EE British Academy Film Awards ceremony was held in Lond, Sun., March 13th.  "The Power of the Dog" was named "Best Film" and Jane Campion won "Best Director" for the film.  Will Smith was named "Best Actor."  "Dune" won five awards, dominated the "craft categories."

From Variety:  The Directors Guild of America's 2022 74th annual DGA Awards were held on Sat., March 12th.  Jane Campion won the top prize "Outstanding Achievement in Theatrical Film" for directing "The Power of the Dog."  She is the third woman to win the award and the second to have been nominated twice.

From Variety:  The winners at the 2022 / 49th annual Annie Awards were announced, Sat. Mar. 12th.  Netflix's "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" was named "Best Feature."

From Variety:  At the 2022 / 27th annual Critics Choice Awards, director Jane Campion's Western film, "The Power of the Dog," is named is named "Best Picture."

From Deadline:  The Visual Effects Society announced the winners at the 2022 / 20th annual VES Awards.  "Dune" and Disney's "Encanto" led with four wins apiece.

From Deadline:  The American Cinema Editors' 72nd Annual ACE Eddie Awards were held, Sat., March 5th.  The top award, "Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic)" went to "King Richard."

From Deadline:  The 2022/ 26th annual Art Directors Guild Awards turns out to be a good party.  "Dune" and "Nightmare Alley" are among the winners.

From Deadline:   The winners at the 2022 / 28th annual SAG Awards. "CODA" wins the top prize, "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture."

From Variety:  Here is a complete list of winners at 2022 / 53rd NAACP Image Awards in the film, television and music categories.  Jennifer Hudson was named "Entertainer of the Year."

From Deadline:   The 2022 / 9th annual Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards were announced.  The Amazon film, "Coming 2 America" (the sequel to the 1988 film, "Coming to America"), led with three wins.

From Deadline:  The 2022 BAFTA Film Awards nominations have been announced.  "Dune" leads with 11 nominations.  The winners will be announced March 13th.

From Deadline:   The 2022 / 33rd annual Producers Guild of America Awards nominations have been announced.  The winners will be announced Saturday, March 19th.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2022 / 74th annual Directors Guild Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced March 12th.

From COFCA:  The Columbus Film Critics Association name "The Power of the Dog" the "Best Film" of 2021.

From Deadline:  Netflix's Black Western, "The Harder They Fall," was named the "Best Picture" of 2021 at the 13th annual African American Film Critics Association Awards.  The Western tied with "King Richard" for most wins with four.  Will Smith was named "Best Actor" for "King Richard."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2022 / 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced.

From Variety:  The snubs and surprises in the nominations for the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards.

From Variety:   At the 2022 / 79th Golden Globes, "The Power of the Dog" wins "Best Motion Picture-Drama" and "West Side Story" wins "Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy."

From Variety:  The National Society of Film Critics names the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the best film of 2021.

From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 22nd Annual Black Reel Awards were announced a few weeks ago. Netflix's Black Western, "The Harder They Fall," has a record 20 nominations.  The winners will be announced February 27, 2022.

From AwardsWatch:  The Columbus Film Critics Association announced the nominations for their annual film awards.  Director Jane Campion's "The Power of the Dog" leads with 12 noms.  The winners will be announced Thurs., Jan. 6th, 2022.

From Deadline:  The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has named the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the "Best Picture" of 2021.

From Deadline:  The 2022 / 37th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards have announced their nominations. "Zola" leads with six nominations. The winners will be announced Sun., March 6, 2022.

From THR:  The 2022 / 79th Golden Globes Awards nominations have been announced.  "Belfast" and "The Power of the Dog" lead with seven nominations each.  Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From GoldDerby:   The 2022 Critics Choice Awards nominations have been announced. "Belfast" and "West Side Story" leads with 11 nominations each. Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From Deadline:   The American Film Institute announced the "2021 AFI Awards" Top 10 list, and the list includes "Dune," "The Tragedy of Macbeth," and "West Side Story."

From THR:  Director Aleem Khan's "After Love" tops the 2021 British Independent Film Awards, winning six awards, including "Best Film of 2021."

From Variety:   The New York Film Critics Circle has named the Japanese drama, "Drive My Car," as the "Best Film of 2021."

From Deadline:  The National Board of Review hands director Paul Thomas Anderson's "Licorice Pizza" it "Best Film" and "Best Director" awards.  Will Smith picks up the "Best Actor" award for "King Richard."

From THR:  Netflix’s "The Lost Daughter," directed by actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, dominated the 2021 Gotham Awards in New York on Monday night (Nov. 29th).  The film won in four of the five categories in which it was nominated, including "Best Feature."

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"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

From Deadline:  This link will take you to Deadline's Halyna Hutchins page, which articles related to everything about her shooting death on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From THR:  Alec Baldwin moves to shield himself from liability in the shooting death on the set of the Western film, "Rust."  In an arbitration demand, he blames others for the death of Halyna Hutchins.

From People:  Alec Baldwin says that certain lawsuits recording the Western film, "Rust," are targeted at "deep-pocket litigants" and that the suits are all about money.

From Deadline:  Matt Hutchins, the husband of Halyna Hutchins, blames Alec Baldwin for Halyna's accidental shooting death on the set of the doomed Western film, "Rust."

From Deadline:  The family and estate of Halyna Hutchins has filed suit against Alec Baldwin (who accidentally shot Hutchins), a slew of production companies and entities, producers, and key crew members involved in the Western film, "Rust," for her death.

From THR:   A Republican New Mexico legislator, State Sen. Cliff Pirtle of Roswell, on Monday introduced a bill that would require all film set personnel who handle firearms to complete a safety course offered by the New Mexico Game and Fish Department.  This is in the wake a cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, being fatally shot on the set of the Western, "Rust," last year by Alec Baldwin with a weapon he says he thought was not loaded with live ammunition.

From Deadline:  Alec Baldwin and the other producers of the doomed Western film, "Rust," want a California judge to dismiss the lawsuit filed against them by the script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell.

From Deadline:   Alec Baldwin has finally turned over his cell phone to police for their probe into the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Baldwin's Western film, "Rust," last October in New Mexico.

From Variety:  One of the producers of tragic Western film, Rust, Emily Salveson, pushes tax shelters and hid income.

From THR:  "I let go of the hammer and 'Bang,' the gun goes off" says Alec Baldwin says in his first interview of the moment when a gun he was holding accidentally killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From Deadline:  Alec Baldwin will sit down with ABC's news-reading clown George Stephanopoulos for a one hour special tomorrow night to talk about what happened on the set of the movie "Rust."  It will be Baldwin’s first extensive interview about the shooting.

From Deadline:  Industry veteran, Thall Reed, the father of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the Western, "Rust," may have handed the police a tip on why the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot to death on the set.

From THR:  A search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday for a prop shop sheds light on how alleged live ammunition ended up on the set of the Western film, "Rust," where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in October.

From Deadline:  A month after cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot and killed on the New Mexico set the movie Western, "Rust," by a prop gun “discharged” by Alec Baldwin, those closest to the cinematographer held a private ceremony and interred her ashes at an unknown location.

From Deadline:  Actor Daniel Baldwin defends his brother, Alec Baldwin, in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film, "Rust."  "Someone loaded that gun improperly," Daniel says.

From Deadline:  The newest lawsuit involving the tragic shooting on the set of the Western film, "Rust," has been filed by the film's script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, against Alec Baldwin, the producers, the production company, armorer Hanna Gutierrez Reed, and others.

From Deadline:  Serge Svetnoy, the gaffer on "Rust," has filed a lawsuit against several parties related to the film, including the production, the financiers, star Alec Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, and first Assistant Director David Halls.

From THR:   In the wake of the tragic accidental shooting on the set of his film, "Rust," Alec Baldwin on Monday took to social media to urge Hollywood to employ a police officer on every film and TV set that uses guns.

From THR:   The budget for "Rust" - Alec Baldwin was set to earn $150,000 as lead actor and $100,000 as producer, while $7,913 was earmarked for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and $17,500 was set aside for the rental of weapons and $5,000 for rounds.

From Deadline:  Attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set of the film, "Rust," said that they’re looking into whether a live bullet was placed in a box of dummy rounds with the intent of  “sabotaging the set.”

From THR:   Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the film, "Rust," released a statement through her lawyers.  She says she had “no idea where the live rounds came from” that were recovered by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's during the investigation of the accidental on-set shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.

From Jacobin:  An opinion piece says that cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' death on the set of the film, "Rust," was not a freak accident, but was about Alec Baldwin and his fellow producers' cost-cutting decisions.  Baldwin accidentally fired the gun that killed Hutchins.

From Deadline:   Two of executive producers on "Rust," Allen Cheney and Emily Salveson, disavow responsibility for the film's troubled production.

From THR:   Iconic "Ghostbusters" actor Ernie Hudson is reeling from the news of the death of Halyna Hutchins, like the rest of Hollywood. Hudson also appeared in the film, "The Crow," the film in which its star, Brandon Lee, was killed because of an on-set accidental shooting.  He also agrees with the call to ban real guns from movie sets.

From THR:  The Sheriff of Sante Fe County says that his office has recovered three guns and 500 rounds of ammunition from the set of the movie "Rust" where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed.

From Deadline:  Regarding criminal charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust," District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweis, "all options are on the table - no one has been ruled out."

From THR:  Does Hollywood Need Guns? Will new regulations lead to an overreactions to a tragedy.

From Deadline:   "Rust" producers have opened an internal investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of the Western film.  They have hired outside lawyers to conduct interviews with the film's production crew.

From Deadline:  "Rust's" AD (assistant director), Dave Halls, has come under scrutiny in the wake of the on-set shooting death of the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline:  The affidavit of Sante Fe Sheriff's Department Detective Joel Cano has been made public. It can be read at "Deadline."  The affidavit was for a search warrant from the property were the Western, "Rust," was being filmed.

From THR:  The production company behind "Rust" has shut the film down until the police investigation into the fatal, on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins is through.  The Sante Fe County Sheriff's Office has also revealed a timeline of the shooting.

From Deadline:  The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department confirmed Thursday night that Alec Baldwin “discharged” a prop gun on the New Mexico set of the movie, "Rust."  As a result, one crew member, director of photography Halyna Hutchins, was killed and director Joel Souza was injured and remains in a local hospital - his condition unknown.

From THR:  "Rust" director, Joel Souza, who was wounded in the accidental on-set shooting, says that he is "gutted" by the death of his cinematographer on the film, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline:  The fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" may have been "recorded" according to detective for Santa Fe Sheriff's Department.

From Deadline:  The production company behind the film, "Rust," will launch an internal safety review after the fatal accident that killed Halyna Hutchins; possible prior gun incidents; and a camera crew walkout.

From CNN:   Crew member yelled "cold gun" as he handed Alec Baldwin prop weapon, court document shows.

From Variety:  Actor Alec Baldwin releases statement on the death of Halyna Hutchins: "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness."

From Variety:  The prop gun that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on during an on-set accident on Thursday contained a “live single round,” according to an email sent by IATSE Local 44 to its membership.

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