Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 12th to 18th, 2026 - UPDATE #12

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

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NEWS:

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  A year after it began it record-setting run on Netflix, KPop Demon Hunters, is currently the fourth most-viewed film on Netflix for 2026.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Emmy-winner Hannah Waddingham ("Ted Lasso") has joined star Jason Statham in director David Leitch's meta action-comedy, "Jason Statham Stole My Bike."

MOVIES - From THR:  Paramount Pictures is developing a new version of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984).  The film will be released on Paramount's new genre label, "Paramount Primal."  Paramount has secured the U.S. rights to the screenplay for the 1984 film from the estate of the late director, Wes Craven, who created the franchise.

AMAZON - From EW:  Prime Video has offered a first look at showrunner Mike Flanagan's new miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel, "Carrie" (1974). Flanagan's take has been described as a "modern reinterpretation."  The novel was most famously adapted by director Brian De Palma in 1976.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/10 to 7/12/2026 weekend box office is Disney's live-action "Moana" with an estimated take of 43 million dollars.

MUSIC - From RollingStone:  Two-time Oscar-winning actor, Anthony Hopkins, has signed a deal with Decca Records.  Hopkins' release is "Life is a Dream," a project based on original classical music compositions that Hopkins wrote over a six-decade period.  The tracks have been recorded by the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Gustave Dudamel.

OBITS:

From Variety:  American songwriter, recording artist, and rock 'n' roll singer, Freddy Cannon, has died at the age of 89, Friday, July 17, 2026.  Sometimes performing as Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon, he was best known for his international hit singles, "Tallahassee Lassie" (1960), "Way Down Younder in New Orleans" (1960), and "Palisades Park" (1962).  Cannon was a pioneer in the early rock and roll music scene, and he influenced such rock and roll icons as Mick Jagger and Robert Plant.  His songs appeared in numerous films, including "Palisades Park," which was featured in the 2011 film, "X-Men: First Class."

From BBC:  Irish actress, Branda Fricker, has died at the age of 81, Thursday, July 16, 2026.  Fricker as the "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar for in "My Left Food."  She was the first Irish actress to win an Oscar.  Fricker may be best remembered for her role as the "Central Park Pigeon Woman" in "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York."  Fricker's television work includes the British TV series, "Coronation Street" (1977) and "Casuality" (beginning in 1986), to name a few. 

From Variety:  American film and television actor, Hal Williams, has died at the age of 91, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.  Williams is best known for several roles.  The first is as "Officer Smith ('Smitty')," on NBC former sitcom, "Sanford and Son."  He was "Harley Foster" on CBS's former historical drama, "The Waltons" (1973-80).  He was a series regular and family patriarch, "Lester Jenkins," on the former NBC sitcom, "227" (1985-90).  Williams was "Drill Sergeant L.C. Ross" in the 1980 film, "Private Benjamin," and he played Sgt Ross in the short-lived CBS sitcom version of the film, "Private Benjamin" (1981-83).  Williams recently appeared on two episodes of the CBS legal drama, "Matlock."

From Variety:  New Zealand film and television actor, Sam Neill, has died at the age of 78, Monday, July 13, 2026.  Neill was best known for his work in the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World film franchises, beginning with 1993's "Jurassic Park."  His other well-known film work including "Omen III: The Final Conflict" (1981), "Dead Calm" (1989), "The Hunt for Red October" (1990), "The Piano" (1993), "Event Horizno" (1997), "Jurassic Park III" (2001), and "Jurassic World: Dominion" (2022), to name a few.  Neill was also a two-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee.

From YahooEntertainment:  Joseph Mazzello (42) and Ariana Richards (46) played the siblings Tim and Lex Murphy in the blockbuster hit, "Jurassic Park" (1993).  They paid tribute to their late costar, Sam Neill, after he died at the age of 78 on Monday (July 13th).

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From THR:  German-born, British-American actress, Antoinette Bowers, has died at the age of 93, Thursday, April 30, 2026.  Bowers had a prolific career guest-starring in numerous television series.  Her best known TV appearances where in the original versions of "The Twilight Zone" and "Star Trek."  Bowers was "Eve Norda" in the Season 5 Adam-and-Eve episode, "Probe 7, Over and Out," of The Twilight Zone.  She was the alien villain, "Sylvia" in the Season 2 episode, "Catspaw," of Star Trek.  Bowers also played the mother of Jamie Lee Curtis' character, "Kim Hammond," in the classic horror film, "Prom Night" (1980).

From THR:  American film production designer, Barbara Ling, has died at the age of 73, Thursday, July 9, 2026.  Ling and set decorator, Nancy Haigh, won the Oscar for "Best Production Design" for director Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2019).  Ling also worked did production design on three films for the late director Joel Schumacher:  "Falling Down" (1993), "Batman Forever" (1995), and "Batman and Robin" (1997).  She was the production designer on the recent box office smash, "Michael" (2026).