Monday, June 30, 2025

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 22nd to 30th, 2025 - UPDATE #14

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

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NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/27 to 6/29/2025 weekend box office is Warner Bros. Pictures and Apple Original Film's "F1" with an estimated 55.6 million dollars.

From Variety:  Now that Apple Original Films has a certified theatrical hit in "F1" starring Brad Pitt, will it develop more films for theatrical release.  The film was released by Apple and Warner Bros. Pictures.
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JAMES BOND - From VarietyAmazon MGM Studios has revealed that Oscar-nominated director, Denis Villeneuve ("Dune") will direct the next "James Bond" film.

MOVIES - From VarietyDaisy Edgar-Jones will star in and Georgia Oakley will direct a screen adaptation of Jane Austen's 1811 novel, "Sense and Sensibility."

STREAMING - From Variety:  Paramount has renewed its hit, "Mobland," for a second season.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/20 to 2/22/2025 weekend box office is Universal Studios/DreamWorks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon" with an estimated total of 37 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Oscar-winner Russell Crowe ("Gladiator") is joining Henry Cavill in the reboot of director Russell Mulchay's 1985 fantasy film, "Highlander."  Crowe will play a variation on "Juan Sanchez-Villalobos Ramirez," the mentor character that the late Sean Connery played in the original film.  The film will be directed by Chad Stahelski of "John Wick."

SPORTS/NBA - From ESPN:  The Oklahoma City Thunder have won the 2024-25 NBA World Championship.  They defeated the Indiana Pacers 103-91, winner the series 4 games to 3.  This is the Thunder's first NBA championship in their 17 year history. The franchise was formerly the "Seattle Super Sonics," which won the NBA titles in 1979.

MOVIES/AI - From Variety:  At the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival, the China Film Foundation and partners launched two major AI-driven initiatives under the Kung Fu Film Heritage Project.  One is a large-scale effort to restore 100 classic martial arts films using artificial intelligence.  The other is the unveiling of a brand-new animated feature, “A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Border,” billed as the world’s first fully AI-produced animated feature film.  These projects will involve the work and apparently the likenesses of martial arts cinema legends:  Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, and Jet Li.

OBITS:
From Deadline:  American newspaper and television journalist, political commentary, Bill Moyers, has died at the age of 91, Thursday, June 26, 2025.  Moyers is best known for his work in public broadcasting, and he was one of the key players in creating the public broadcasting system, being influential in what would become the "Public Broadcasting Act of 1967."  In 1971, he began working for PBS and launch his first television, "The Week with Bill Moyers" (1971-73) and later, there was "Bill Moyers Journal" (1972-81). From 1982 to 2006, he produced and hosted 70 different documentary, interview, and limited series for PBS.  Moyers won five Primetime Emmy Awards and was nominated for a sixth.  He won seven "News & Documentary Emmy Awards" and was nominated for 13 more.  In 2006, he received the News & Documentary Emmy Awards' "Lifetime Achievement Award." Moyers also won a "Business and Financial Reporting Award" and was nominated for two others.

From Truthout:  Henry A. Giroux of "Truthout" memorializes his friend, the recently passed American journalist and political commentator, Bill Moyers.  No, Bill was not a stenographer.
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From Deadline:  Argentine-American composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist, Lalo Schifrin, has died at the age of 93, Thursday, June 26, 2025.  Schifrin is best remembered for his large body of film and television scores.  One of his most recognized and enduring TV themes is the one for the former espionage TV series, "Mission: Impossible," which earned him one of his five Grammy Awards.  He was nominated for an Academy Awards six times, including for his film scores for such movies as "Cool Hand Luke" (1967) and "The Amityville Horror" (1979) and includes a "Best Original Song" nomination for "People Along" from the 1980 film, "The Competition." Schifrin received an Honorary Academy Award in 2018. He was nominated the Primetime Emmy Award four times, three for his work on "Mission: Impossible."

From Deadline:  American film and television actor, Rick Hurst, has died at the age of 79, Thursday, June 26, 2025.  Hurst is best known for playing "Deputy Cletus Hogg," cousin of "Boss Hogg" from 1980 to 1983 on the former CBS action-comedy series, "The Dukes of Hazzard" and in two made-for-TV reunion movies, "The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!" (1997) and "The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood" (2000).  He also was a series regular on two short-lived TV series, "On the Rocks" (ABC, 1975-76) and "Amanda's (ABC, 1983). His film appearances include the original "The Karate Kid" trilogy and "Steel Magnolias" (1989).

From Deadline:  American singer, television actor, and former teen idol, Bobby Sherman, has died at the age of 81, Tuesday, June 24, 2025.  One of Sherman's early TV roles was as a house singer and cast member on former ABC musical variety series, "Shindig" (1964-66).  He also made an early acting appearance on the former ABC crime drama series, "Honey West."  He eventually scored a major role on the ABC comedy Western series, "Here Comes the Brides" (1968-70).  Sherman made numerous TV guest appearances, including on such series as "The Monkees," "Mod Squad," and "Emergency," which lead to a career change for Sherman.  As a recording artist, Sherman released 107 songs, 23 singles, and 10 albums from 1962 to 1976.  His biggest hit was the million-selling "Little Woman" (1969), which was certified gold by the RIAA.  He toured the United States and the around the world and his concerts sold out to mostly screaming young female fans.  Sherman left showbusiness in the 1970s to work as a paramedic and eventually as a deputy sheriff.

From Deadline:  British musician, singer-songwriter, and recording artist, Mick Ralphs, has died at the age of 81.  He family announced his passing without providing a cause or date of his passing.  Ralphs cofounded the rock bands, "Mott the Hopple" and "Bad Company."  His notable songwriting credits include 1969's "Rock and Roll Queen" (Mott the Hoople), "Ready for Love" (Mott the Hoople), "Can't Get Enough" (Bad Company), and "Feel Like Makin' Love" (with Paul Rodgers for Bad Company), to name a few.  As a member of Bad Company, Ralphs received a "Best New Artist" Grammy Award nomination at the 17th Annual Grammy Awards (1975).


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