Showing posts with label Angelina Jolie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Angelina Jolie. Show all posts

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 8th to 14th, 2023 - Update #20

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From THR:  Martin Scorsese's new film, "Killers of the Flower Moon," is a historical drama about the "Osage Reign of Terror."  However, in 1926, Hollywood's first Native American director, James Young Deer, released his film on the subject, "Tragedies of the Osage Hills."  It is one of thousands of silent films that are lost or no longer exist.

CELEBRITY - From THR:  Two-time Oscar-winning actor, Michael Caine (Cider House Rules) has made it official that he is retiring from acting.

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. has released a second trailer for its upcoming film, "Wonka," a prequel to Roald Dahl's beloved novel, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," which has been adapted into film twice in 1971 and 2005.

MOVIES - From DeadlineMiramax has won the television rights to the Halloween film franchise, which is controlled by Malek Akkad's Trancas International Films.  Miramax sees this new "Halloween" franchise as potential launch of a cinematic universe spanning film and TV.  The franchise began with director John Carpenter's 1978 film, Halloween.

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  In his new self-help book, "Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life," Hollywood legend and former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger says that director John Milius made him do "terrible shit" on the set of his breakthrough movie, Conan the Barbarian (1982), including biting into a real, dead vulture.

ANIMATION - From VarietyParamount+ has set an Oct. 27th date from the U.S. and Canadian streaming debut of its exclusive feature, "South Park: Joining the Panderverse."

STAR TREK - From VarietyNetflix will stream the second season of the animated series, "Star Trek: Prodigy" beginning in 2024. Paramount cancelled the series earlier this year. The first season will arrive on Netflix later this year.

TELEVISION - From DeadlineJerry Seinfeld teases a possible reunion of his beloved former NBC sitcom, "Seinfeld" (1989-98).  He teased "something is going to happen" related to series final episode.

CELEBRITY - From THR:  Emmy winner Jada Pinkett Smith says that she and her husband, Oscar-winner Will Smith, have been living separate lives since 2016, in an interview with NBC's "Today" show.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Currently promoting his new film, "Ferrari," starring Adam Driver, director Michael Mann says his next film will be a sequel to his 1995 classic, "Heat."

WRITERS STRIKE - From Deadline:  This afternoon (Mon. Oct. 9th), the Writers Guild of America (WGA) membership ratified its contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), bringing to a final end to the strike that lasted for nearly five months.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director Pablo LarraĆ­n (Jackie) has revealed the first two photos of Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas in his new film, "Maria," that will explore the life of the legendary singer, often described as the original diva.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  DreamWorks Animation is laying off four precent of its staff (about 70 positions). The reasons apparently have to do with a business slowdown, rising production costs, and the recent Hollywood strikes.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 10/6 to 10/8/2023 weekend box office is Universal Pictures' "The Exorcist: The Believer" with an estimated take of 27.2 million dollars.

STAR TREK - From Variety:  Acclaimed actor and "Star Trek: The Next Generations," star, Patrick Stewart ("Captain Jean-Luc Picard"), explains why he thought that, Tom Hardy, his then young co-star in the film, Star Trek: Nemesis, would not last long in the acting profession.  In "Nemesis," Hardy plays "Shinzon," a clone of Picard produced by the Romulans.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American television and stage actor, Mark Goddard, has died at the age of 87, Tuesday, October 10, 2023.  Goddard is best known for his role as "Major Don West" in the former CBS sci-fi series, "Lost in Space" (1965-68).  He was a rising young star in the early to mid-1960s and was also a regular cast members of such series as the former CBS Western, "Johnny Ringo" (1959-60), the former ABC-NBC crime drama, "The Detectives" (1960-62), and the former CBS sitcom, "Many Happy Returns" (1964-65), before joining "Lost in Space."

From Deadline:  British film director and screenwriter, Terence Davies, has died at the age of 77, Saturday, October 7, 2023.  He is best known for his films, "Distant Voice, Still Lives" (1988), "The Long Day Closes" (1992), and "The House of Mirth" (2000), to name a few.

From Deadline:  American costume designer, Shawna Trpcic, has died at the age of 56, Wednesday, October 4, 2023.  She is best remembered for her work on the Disney+ Star Wars series:  "Anakin," "The Book of Boba Fett," and "The Mandalorian."  Trpcic was also known for her work on Joss Whedon's television series, "Angel," Firefly," and "Dollhouse," as well as on Whedon's 2012 film, "Much Ado About Nothing."  She received three Primetime Emmy Nominations for her work on the "Star Wars" series.

ISRAEL:

From CNN:  The news network's website has published a "Here's what to know" article on the unprecedented attack the Hamas has launched against Israel.

From TheGuardian:  from Patrick Wintour at "The Guardians UK": Hamas' attack has abruptly altered the picture for Middle East diplomacy. Iran wants to make it impossible for Saudi Arabia to strike deal with Israel, while others in region cannot afford mayhem in Gaza.

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ACTORS STRIKE:

From Deadline:  The movie studios via AMPTP have suspended their talks with striking actors via SAG-AFTRA.  The snag seems to be that actors want "2 precent of potential profits" on streaming.

From Variety:  SAG-AFTRA (the actors) and AMPTP (the studios) are to resume strike talks Wed., Oct. 11th, as the actors strike enters Day 88.

From Deadline:  The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Hollywood studios CEOs met for strike talks for the first time since the actors went on strike July 14th. They plan to meet again, Wed., Oct. 4th.

BREAKING - From Deadline:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to end its strike after nearly five months. The parties finalized the framework of the deal Sunday when they were able to untangle their stalemate over AI and writing room staffing levels.

From WGAContract:  The WGA contract page has additional information on the settlement.

From WGAContract:  A summary of the new agreement.

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From Deadline:   The actors’ strike is now in its 63rd day.  Now, SAG-AFTRA leaders are ramping up their rhetoric against the studio heads, accusing them in the latest issue of the "SAG-AFTRA Magazine" of “behaving like petty tyrants,” “would-be feudal lords” and “land barons in feudal times.”

From Deadline:  Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra says that Hollywood unions need to embrace AI.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav says the industry must focus and fight to resolve the writers and actors strikes.

From Deadline:  Hollywood’s superstars are answering the call from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, donating $1 million or more each to help their fellow performers during the ongoing actors and writers strikes.  Among the big donors are Leonardo DiCaprioMeryl StreepOprah Winfrey, and Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.

From Deadline:  If you are interested, here is a list of the film and TV productions SAG-AFTRA has granted waivers to continue filming.

From Variety:  International superstar, Dwayne Johnson, makes a seven-figure contribution to the "SAG-AFTRA Foundation Relief Fund." Foundation president, actor Courtney B. Vance, says the amount will remain confidential.

From Variety:  Why haven't A-list stars joined the SAG-AFTRA picket line?, asks "Variety."

From Deadline:  Author George R.R. Martin, whose works were the basis for HBO's "Game of Thrones," says the strikes will be long and bitter.

From Variety:  Halted film productions due to the writers and actors strikes are costing each Hollywood studio at least 600,000 dollars per week.

From Variety:  Said at a strike meeting: “Without a transformative change in SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the AMPTP, the acting profession will no longer be an option for future generations of performers, and actors already working in the industry will need to pursue other careers in order to survive.”

From Deadline:  If you are a "social media influencer" who is NOT  a member of SAG-AFTRA, you can be barred from future membership for promoting a film or television series during the actors' strike.

From Variety:  The SAG/AFTRA strike begins in New York and Los Angeles.  Hollywood actors began striking today, Fri., July 14th.

From Deadline:  The site has the video of the powerful strike speech given by SAG-AFTRA president, Fran Drescher, the actress best known for CBS' former sitcom, "The Nanny."

From Deadline: SAG-AFTRA is already preparing strike picket signs in case the actors' strike begins next week.

From Deadline:  The Hollywood studios via the AMPTP has given Canadian actors a new contract, including a 5 percent raise.

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Saturday, May 13, 2023

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 7th to 13th, 2023 - Update #21

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  ABC has cancelled the Hilary Swank-led drama, "Alaska Daily," after one season.

MOVIES - From THR:  Oscar-nominee, Willem Dafoe, is joining "Beetlejuice 2," which is due Sept. 2024.

TELEVISION - From THR:  The CW has cancelled "The Winchesters," the prequel to its long-running fantasy drama, "Supernatural," after one season.  The broadcast network also cancelled "Kung Fu" after three seasons.

From CBR:  Executive producer, Jensen Ackles, is not ready to let "The Winchesters" die in the wake of its cancellation by The CW.

MOVIES - From CBR:  Despite saying that he would NOT, Dwayne Johnson apparently does appear as his character "Luke Hobbs" in the upcoming "Fast X."

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From EW:  There is a trailer for "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3." The film is due in theaters Sept. 8, 2023.

DISNEY - From VarietyDisney+ is adding Hulu content for a "one-app experience" to begin later this year.  The price for Disney+ will increase, also.

CANNES - From Deadline:  FilmNation is bringing is Maria Callas biopic starring Angelina Jolie to the Cannes film market.  Callas was a Greco-American opera singer (soprano) who was one of the most influential of the 20th century.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  NBC's "Night Court" reboot welcomes back actress Marsha Warfield, who starred as "Roz" in the original series.

SCANDAL - From CBSNews:  A federal jury in New York City found former President Donald Trump liable for battery (sexual abuse) and defamation in a civil trial stemming from allegations he raped the writer, E. Jean Carroll, in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in the mid-1990s.  She was awarded $5 million total in damages.

MOVIES - From Variety:  "Beetlejuice 2" is set for release September 6, 2024.  Original stars Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder return.  Jenna Ortega, the star of Netflix's "Wednesday," will play the daughter of Ryder's character, "Lydia Deetz."

SCANDAL - From THR:  Marvel Studios star, Jonathan Majors ("Kang the Conqueror") appears in court virtually to answer the assault charges against his girlfriend from March 25th.

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From Variety:  Warners Bros. has released a trailer for "Met 2: The Trench," a sequel to the 2018 hit, "The Meg." Both films star Jason Statham.

AMAZON - From DeadlineAmazon Studios has formed Amazon MGM Studios Distribution, which will license Amazon original and the MGM library to the international market.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  Th e winner of the 5/5 to 2/7/2023 weekend box office is Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" with an estimated total of 114 million dollars.

From Here:  A Negromancer movie review of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" by Leroy Douresseaux.

TELEVISION - From DeadlineCBS has uncancelled "S.W.A.T." The police drama will return for a seventh and final season.

From Deadline:  A surge in ratings could not save "S.W.A.T." from being cancelled by CBS.  The last episode of this current season (the 6th) will serve as the series finale.

OBIT:

From Variety:  The Spanish-born American graphic artist, Frank Kozik, has died at the age of 61, Saturday, May 6, 2023.  He designed the album cover art for Queens of the Stone Age's 1998 debut album, "Queens of the Stone Age" and for The Offspring's 1998 LP, "Americana."  He also designed concert posters for such musical acts as Butthole Surfers, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Soundgarden, to name a few.

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WRITERS STRIKE:

From Deadline:   President Joe Biden speaks on the Writers Guild of America strike.

From Deadline:  Retaliation! The studios have starting informing writer-producers who have "overall" and "first-look" deals that such deals are being suspended.

From Deadline:  Retaliation!  Prolific HBO creator, David Simon, who is best known for "The Wire," is one of the many writers who have had their overall deals suspended the studios due to the WGA strike.  Simon has been with HBO for 25 years.

From Deadline:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike.

From Deadline:  Disney, HBO/HBO Max, and CBS have sent letters to showrunners (the TV equivalent of film directors) instructing them to return to work, inspite of the writer's strike.

From Deadline:  The WGA's chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, talks about the state of the writers' strike, including the lack of engagement on the part of the strike's other party, AMPTP.

From Deadline:  What went wrong between the WGA and AMPTP? What could they not agree on that led to a strike?

From Deadline:  The site explains the WGA strike: the issues, the stakes, movies and TV shows affected, and how long it might last.


Saturday, April 22, 2023

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 16th to 22nd, 2023 - Update #14

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Less than two weeks before a mini-trial is scheduled to begin in New Mexico over the October 2021 killing of "Rust" cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, all charges are going to be dropped against Alec Baldwin... for now.

From Deadline:  Despite the criminal charges against Alec Baldwin being dropped, the family of Halyna Hutchins will press ahead with their civil suit against him. Baldwin was holding the prop gun that fired the bullet that killed Hutchins on the set of the Western film, "Rust," in October 2021.

From Deadline:  Special prosecutors say that despite dropping charges against Alec Baldwin, he is not absolved his role in the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer on the Western film, "Rust."  Charges could be refiled after "further investigation."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Three-time Emmy nominee Gail O’Grady is set for a key recurring role in J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan’s Max period drama, "Duster," which will star Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson.

MOVIES - From VarietyLouis Leterrier, who is the director of the upcoming "Fast X," will direct the "Fast & Furious" film that follows.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Lionsgate Television is in early development of a TV series based on the Stephanie Meyer's best-selling "Twilight" book series.  The final entry in the film adaptation of the series, "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2," arrived in 2012.  There is currently no writer attached to the project, nor is there a buyer.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Emmy and Tony Award-winner Courtney B. Vance has joined Disney's live-action version of its 2002 animated hit, "Lilo & Stitch."  He play the character, "Cobra Bubbles," a role originally voiced by Ving Rhames.

MOVIES - From DeadlineWarner Bros has won the rights to the hot package, "Maude v Maude," starring Oscar-winners Halle Berry and Angelina Jolie.  Both will also produce, with Halle producing under her HalleHolly banner she formed with her partner, Holly Jeter.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Martin Scorsese has set the runtime of his next film, "Killers of the Flower Moon," at 3 hours and 26 minutes.  The film is due October from Paramount Pictures and later on Apple TV+. The film stars Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio.

DISNEY - From THR:  King of Disney Bob Iger talks about firing Ike Perlmutter's ass and dealing with big baby, Ron DeSantis.

From THR:  A week and a half ago, after Disney fired him, former Marvel Entertainment boss, Ike Perlmutter, releases a statement.  Perlmutter is still Disney's largest shareholder.

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Netflix has won the global rights to the French fantasy-drama, "Vortex."  It will make the series available in 190 countries beginning June 2nd.

GUILDS - From DeadlineWGA (Writers Guild of America) members have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. The vote, which was approved by nearly 98% of the eligible voting members, authorizes the WGA West Board and the WGA East Council to call a strike if a fair deal for a new film and TV contract isn’t reached by May 1, when the current pact expires.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Sylvester Stallone will star in and produce Amazon Studios' action-comedy, "Never Too Old to Die."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/14 to 4/16/2023 weekend box office is Universal/Illumination Entertainment's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" with an estimated take of 87 million dollars.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  When she was 13 year old, Samantha Geimer, was raped by Oscar-winning French-Polish director, Roman Polanski.  In a new interview conducted by Polanski's wife, Emmanuelle Seigner, Geimer denies that she is a victim and that what happened with Polanski has "never been a problem for her."


Friday, November 5, 2021

Review: "ETERNALS" is Endlessly Fascinating

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 65 of 2021 (No. 1803) by Leroy Douresseaux

Eternals (2021)
Running time: 157 minutes (2 hours, 37 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for fantasy violence and action, some language and brief sexuality
DIRECTOR: ChloƩ Zhao
WRITERS:  ChloĆ© Zhao, ChloĆ© Zhao & Patrick Burleigh and Ryan Firpo & Kaz Firpo; from a screen story by Ryan Firpo & Kaz Firpo (based upon the Marvel Comics by Jack Kirby)
PRODUCERS: Kevin Feige and Nate Moore
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ben Davis (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Dylan Tichenor and Craig Wood
COMPOSER: Ramin Djawadi

SUPERHERO/DRAMA/ACTION

Starring:  Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Barry Keoghan, Lia McHugh, Bryan Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Haaz Sleiman, Esai Daniel Cross, and David Kaye (voice) with Salma Hayek, Kit Harringston, and Angelina Jolie

Eternals is a 2021 superhero film directed by ChloĆ© Zhao and produced by Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.  It is the 26th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series.  The film is based on the Marvel Comics stories and characters created by Jack Kirby and first appearing in the comic book, The Eternals #1 (cover dated: July 1976).  Eternals the movie focuses on a race of immortal beings who have lived on Earth for millennia, protecting and shaping its people.

Eternals begins with the story of the “Celestials,” the great beings that created the universe.  They also created a race of immortals, known as “Eternals,” to do their bidding.  Seven thousand years before the present day (5000 BC), ten of these Eternals arrive on Earth from their home planet, Olympia.  They are Sersi (Gemma Chan), Ikaris (Richard Madden), Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani), Sprite (Lia McHugh), Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), Druig (Barry Keoghan), Gilgamesh (Don Lee), Thena (Angelina Jolie), and Ajak (Salma Hayek), their leader.  They are human-like and have super-powers.

The most powerful Celestial, Arishem (David Kaye), has sent these Eternals to Earth to protect humanity from monsters known as “Deviants.”  Over several millennia, the Eternals protect humanity from the dangers posed by Deviants, but they are not allowed to interfere in the development of the humans and their civilizations.  In 1500, after believing that they have killed off the last Deviants, the Eternals break apart as a group because they have different opinions on what their responsibility is towards humans going forward.

In the present day, Sersi and Sprite live together in London.  One night, they are attacked by a Deviant, but the powerful Eternal, Ikaris, arrives to drive the creature away.  Sersi, Sprite, and Ikaris decide to reunite their group in order to be prepared for the renewed threat of the Deviants.  However, not all the members are willing to reunite as some have new lives and others hold old grudges.  Meanwhile, dark secrets from their past and about their future hinder the Eternals ability to deal with “The Emergence,” an event that threatens to destroy the world.

Eternals is Marvel Studios most unique film to date.  For all the talk of there being a formula to Marvel's films, Eternals is like nothing else that Marvel has done and like no other superhero film, for that matter.  The costumes, special effects, technology, art direction, and graphic design are key to creating a film that is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but also feels separate from it, in a way.

Eternals co-writer and director ChloĆ© Zhao won two Oscars for her work on the 2020 film, Nomadland, a film filled with characters that are fiercely independent, unique, and contrary.  Eternals is a film about a group of ten people who essentially form a family, but these ten are individually disparate people.  After their mission is complete, the Eternals discover that they have very little in common.  They know enough, however, as they saying goes, to hurt the ones they love.

Zhao deals with the ramifications of being a hero confronted by the question of which is more important in a mission – the orders or doing the right thing.  Zhao reveals that it is not so easy because individuals have differing views on the mission and what it means to “do the right thing.”  Zhao also delves into the complicated nature of a family unit, how the bittersweet can become downright sour when there are secrets and lies and also betrayal.  Eternals is a film about difficult relationships and about the heartache and pain that can come when differences cannot be bridged.

Some may find Eternals too long and boring.  There may not be enough action for fans used to the humongous action set pieces of the Avengers films.  Also, the film's ostensible lead, Gemma Chan's Sersi, is a female superhero that is nuanced in ways not seen in superhero films, especially compared to Marvel heroines like Black Widow, The Wasp, and the Dora Milaje.  Chan creates a Sersi that is beautifully gentle and compassionate, while being vulnerable in a way that makes her a better hero.  Even Angelina Jolie's Thena, an elite warrior, is as vulnerable as she is fierce and violent.

That is not the formula for girl-hero kick-ass and that is fine by me.  I find Eternals endlessly fascinating, and while I watched it, I always wanted more of it.  After all, each Eternal has 7000 years worth of stories to tell, and that's just what happened before they arrived on Earth.  Whether there is another Eternals film or not, Eternals 2021 is important to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, simply because it is the kind of entry that will stand out and show that there can be truly different things in that cinematic universe.  Eternals is one of the year's best films.

9 of 10
A+

Friday, November 5, 2021


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Thursday, September 9, 2021

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 1st to 11th, 2021 - Update #26

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

STAR TREK - YahooPeople:   George Takei reflects on the legacy of his "Star Trek" costar, Nichelle Nichols.

MOVIES - From Variety:   Universal will stream the upcoming "Halloween Kills" on Peacock the same day as its theatrical release, October 15th. The sequel will be available on "Peacock Premium."

DISNEY - From THR:   Owen Wilson is joining LaKeith Stanfield and Tiffany Haddish in Disney's new "Haunted Mansion" film.

TRAILERS - From THR:   Here is the first trailer for the fourth film in "The Matrix" series, "The Matrix: Resurrections," which is due Dec. 22, 2021, in theaters and on HBO Max.

STAR TREK - From Deadline:  A teaser trailer reveals what "Star Trek" (The Original Series) characters are appearing in Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," which is set in the days of Capt. Pike.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   The Summer 2021 movie box office was not a disaster.

CELEBRITY - From YahooUSAToday:   Jessica Chastain replies to that viral moment when Oscar Isaac kissed her arm at Venice Film Festival.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 9/3 to 9/5/21 weekend box office is Disney/Marvel Studios' "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" with an estimated take of 71.4 million dollars.

From Negromancer:  Here is my review of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings."

From Variety:   Marvel Studios' "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" is on its way to a 83.5 million dollar Labor Day four-day holiday weekend.
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STAR TREK - From Deadline:   Launching Sept. 8th, the “Boldly Go” campaign is part of the celebration of the legacy of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry in what would have been his centennial year.

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  Oscar-winning actress and humanitarian, Angelina Jolie, said that "it hurt" whenever former husband, Brad Pitt, worked with disgraced studio mogul and convicted rapist, Harvey Weinstein.  Jolie alleges that Weinstein assaulted her when she was working on a film he produced, "Playing by Heart" (1998), when she was 21.

REVIEW - From Negromancer:  Here is my review of "Candyman." 

CELEBRITY - From YahooInsider:   Luke Zocchi, Chris Hemsworth's ("Thor") longtime personal trainer and friend, says protein shakes and creatine are a waste of time if you want to build muscle and burn fat.  Zocchi most recently trained Hemsworth for "Thor: Love & Thunder."

LGBTQ - From YahooBI:   In Afghanistan, The Taliban used social media to trick a gay man into meeting them. Then, they beat and raped him.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  When "Candyman" debuted at #1 last weekend, Nia DaCosta became the first Black female director to debut a film in the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office.

STAR TREK - From Deadline:  Annie Wersching will join the Season 2 cast of Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Picard" as the "Borg Queen."

From YahooCBS:   This link will take you to an article where you can watch the wonderful and inspiring "main title sequence" (opening) of the upcoming animated series, "Star Trek: Prodigy."  It features rousing theme music from Oscar-winner Michael Giacchino. "Prodigy" was developed by Emmy-winning brothers, Kevin and Dan Hageman.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Universal Studio Group has entered a new multi-year television overall deal with producer, director and Academy Award and Emmy award-winning writer, Jordan Peele, and Monkeypaw Productions, which is headed by President Win Rosenfeld.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Paramount is pushing its big Tom Cruise tent-poles to 2022. "Top Gun: Maverick" moves to May 27, Memorial Day weekend 2022, and "Mission: Impossible 7" moves to Sept. 30, 2022.

MOVIES - From Gizmodo:   "How to Nominate Movies to the Library of Congress National Film Registry." Every year, the Library of Congress chooses 25 movies to single out for preservation as part of the National Film Registry.  But did you know that the Library of Congress take suggestions from the public each year? The deadline for public nominations is coming up, but you still have time to make your voice heard.

OBITS:

From Variety:   The television and film actor, Michael K. Williams, has died at the age of 54.  He was best known for portraying Omar Little in “The Wire” and Chalky White in “Boardwalk Empire.”  Williams was the recipient of five Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including one pending in the category of "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" for his performance in HBO's "Lovecraft Country."
 
From Deadline:   Michael K. Williams: a life in pictures - a photo gallery of the late actor's career.
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From THR:   Stand-up comic and actor, Art Metrano, has died at the age of 84, Wednesday, September 8, 2021.  Metrano was best known for the role of Lt/Capt. Ernie Mauser in the films "Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment" (1985) and "Police Academy 3: Back in Training" (1986).  Metrano also survived and partially recovered from breaking his neck in an accident at his home.

From ESPN:   Former NFL running back, Sam "Bam" Cunningham, has died at the age of 71, Tuesday, September 7, 2021.  An "All-American" player at USC, he won MVP honors at the 1973 Rose Bowl, where USC beat Ohio State 42 to 17 and became the first college football team to be voted the unanimous #1 team in both major polls (the AP and the UPI "Coaches' Poll," at that time).  He played his entire NFL career 1973-82 with the New England Patriots.  Cunningham's most famous game may be the September 12, 1970 game that pit USC against the Alabama Crimson Tide, which was an all-white team at the time.  Cunningham and USC's "all-black backfield" led the team to a 42-21 victory in Birmingham, Alabama.  Legend has it that Cunningham's performance led then Crimson Tide coach, "Bear" Bryant to integrate his team.

From Today:   Television personality and author, Willard Scott, has died at the age of 87, Saturday, September 4, 2021.  Scott was best known as the TV weatherman for NBC's "The Today Show," from 1980 to 1996.  Scott also created and originally portrayed, Ronald McDonald, in 1963 for the McDonald's franchise in Washington D.C.

From PittPostGaz:   Former NFL offensive tackle and sports broadcaster, Tunch Ilkin, has died at the age of 63, Saturday, September 4, 2021 from complications of ALS.  Ilkin was best known for his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1980-92), where he is also a member of the "Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team."  Ilkin was also a television and radio analyst for the Steelers from 1998 to 2020.

From ESPN:  Former NFL wide receiver, David Patten, has died at the age of 47, Thurs., September 2, 2021.  Patten was killed in a motorcycle crash.  Patten won three Super Bowl titles as a member of the New England Patriots from 2001 to 2004.


Saturday, May 9, 2020

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 1st to 9th, 2020- Update #26

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

BLACK AMERICA AND COVID-19 - Crisis or... :

From YahooNews:  A tale of two parks: Enjoying the sun in wealthy Manhattan, social distancing under police scrutiny in the Bronx

From YahooGMA: (4/28) - Rana Zoe Mungin, a 30-year-old teacher from Brooklyn, died on Monday, April 27th for COVID-19.  She had twice been denied a test for the coronavirus after showing symptoms.  Her family and friends blame racial disparity in the health care system.

From RSNWashPost:  How COVID-19 is a perfect storm for Black Americans.

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS - Hollywood and Beyond:

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From YahooNews:  The U.S. Secret Service has 11 positive cases of COVID-19.

From CNN:  One of President Donald's personal valet has test positive for COVID-19.

From YahooNews:  Academy Award-winning actress and humanitarian, Angelina Jolie, has written a letter to top officials in the U.S. Congress asking them to increase SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) in the next coronavirus legislation.  She said many children are going hungry due to job loss and not being in school due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

From YahooNews:  Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Laurie Garrett, who has been predicting the global spread of contagious pathogens for decades sees dark times ahead of us because of COVID-19 and no medical miracle arriving anytime soon.

From YahooNews:  As states push ahead with reopening, CDC warns coronavirus cases and deaths are set to soar

From Deadline: (4/30) - Broadway actor, Nick Cordero, has taken a turn for the worse in his battle against COVID-19, including having tremendous lung damage.

From YahooFinance:  Sixteen prominent health officials have proposed giving American $50 a day to self-isolate until testing and treatment for COVID-19 is under control.

From YahooNews:  Anti-vaccination activists (or anti-vaxxers) have joined and in some cases have led the protests against COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

CULTURE - From PulitzerPrizesThe 2020 Pulitzer Prize Winners have been announced.

DISNEY+ - From Deadline:  Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is working on a TV series reboot of his Disney hit film series, "National Treasure."

STREAMING - From BleedingCool:  Director Spike Lee's next film, "Da 5 Bloods," will debut on Netflix June 12th.

POLITICS - From HuffPost:  Veteran Democratic strategist and political consultant, James Carville, warns President Donald about his "grifter campaign.

MOVIES - From RottenTomatoes:  Neve Campbell, who played the central character "Sidney Prescott" in the first four "Scream" films, may return for "Scream 5."

TELEVISION - From DeadlineCBS has renewed 18 more of its TV series, bringing the total of renewed series to 23.  The network has cancelled four including Patricia Heaton's "Carol's Second Act."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Filmmaker Ava DuVernay has named former Netflix executive, Sarah Bremner, as president of her ARRAY Filmworks.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  NASA, Tom Cruise, and crazy rich guy Elon Musk are working on a project that would be the first movie (an action-adventure) shot in outer space.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  The streaming service, "Peacock" (Universal), has chosen a showrunner for its reboot (the second) of "Battlestar Galactica."  It's Michael Lesslie, who was the lead writer and showrunner of AMC's "The Little Drummer Girl."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  MGM has won an auction for a production commitment to director Ron Howard's film, "Thirteen Lives," 2018 Thai cave rescue true story.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Because you asked for it... I guess... Paramount Pictures and Hasbro are rebooting the "G.I. Joe" film franchise.  This new film would be a follow-up to "Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins," which is still due October 23rd.

CELEBRITY - From YahooE:  Legendary actor Harrison Ford is once again the subject of an FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) investigation over his actions as pilot of a airplane.  He has been investigated several times, the most infamous being after he crashed a World War II era plane in 2015 that left Ford with a head wound.

ANIMATION - From THR:  Fox claims this is the real reason they fired TV music composer, Alf Clausen, from his job composing music for its long-running animated series, "The Simpson."

OBITS:

From RollingStone:  One of the founding fathers of rock and roll music, Little Richard, has died at the age of 87, Saturday, May 9, 2020.  He combined blues and gospel music to create a thrilling new sound, and his flamboyant and gender-bending persona helped to create the sound and spirit of a new art form, rock and roll or rock 'n' roll music.  His best known recordings included "Tutti Frutti" (1955), "Long Tall Song" (1956), and "Good Golly, Miss Molly" (1958).  In 1986, Little Richard was among the first inductees of the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

From RollingStone:  Music executive and record label founder, Andre Harrell, has died at the age of 59, Friday, May 8, 2020.  In 1986, he founded the highly influential music label, "Uptown Record," which was the home of artists such as Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Heavy D & The Boyz, and Jodeci, to name a few.  Although they would eventually fall out, Harrell was also instrumental in the development of the career of Sean "Diddy" Combs.

From ESPN - Legendary NFL coach, Don Shula, has died at the age of 90, Monday, May 4, 2020.  Shula was the coach of the Baltimore Colts from 1963 to 1969, where he lead them to the 1968 NFL Championship (now called NFC Champion), before losing to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III.  He is best known for his stint as head coach of the Miami Dolphins (1970 to 1995), where he lead them to victories in Super Bowls VII and VIII and appearances in Super Bowls XVII and XIX.  The 1972 Dolphins finished the regular season 14-0 and won all their postseason games, including the Super Bowl, finishing 17-0, the only NFL team to finish the season with a perfect season.

From THR:  The actor Sam Lloyd has died at the age of 56, Friday, May 1, 2020.  Lloyd was best known for playing the role of "Ted Buckland" on the NBC-ABC sitcom, "Scrubs" (2001o2010), for 95 episodes.  Lloyd was also the nephew of actor Christopher Lloyd.

From Deadline:  The film and television director and writer, John Lafia, has died at the age of 63, Wednesday, April 29, 2020, reportedly by suicide.  Lafia was best known for co-writing the classic horror film, "Child's Play " (1988) and for directing its sequel "Child's Play" (1990).  He also wrote and directed the popular NBC disaster miniseries, "10.5" (2004) and "10.5: Apocalypse" (2006).


Saturday, November 30, 2019

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 24th to 30th, 2019 - Update #27

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIES - From THR:  See 12 stars from Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman," the characters they play, and the real life inspirations behind those characters.

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ECO - From YahooEntertainment:  "Young Sheldon" star, Iain Armitage, joined Jane Fonda's #FireDrillFridays climate change protest in Washington D.C.

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MOVIES - From TheGuardian:  Black directors are making zombie movies that are taking zombies back to their African and Caribbean roots.

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SCANDAL - From Variety:  Controversial and Oscar-winning director, Roman Polanski, cancelled a lecture in Poland at his alma mater, the Polish film school in Lodz, after protests from students and faculty.  Polanski pleaded to statutory rape in 1978 and was recently accused of raping an actress in 1975.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  "Saturday Night Live" performer, Pete Davidson, required attendees at one of his recent comedy shows to sign a "non-disclosure agreement" (NDA) regarding phones and smart watches.

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SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment:   Saturday morning "Ugh!" Part 2 - Kid Rock - yes, Virginia, he is a racist.

From YahooSports:  Saturday morning "Ugh!" Part 1 - Margaret Court, tennis legend.

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SCANDAL - From Variety:  In the wake of Gabrielle Union being fired from the "talent" reality show, "America's Got Talent" (NBC), women's advocacy group, "Time's Up," and Hollywood women are throwing their support behind Union.  It seems Union may have angered the show's power brokers after she complained about racist or racial incidents occurring behind the scenes.

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CELEBRITY - From THR:  Angelina Jolie may be currently filming Marvel Studios' "Eternals," but she still has time to change talent agencies.  She moves from UTA to WME.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  "A Holiday Reunion," a short film reuniting the creature from "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" and Henry Thomas, who played Elliott in the 1982 Steven Spielberg film, premiered Thurs., Nov. 28th on NBC (broadcast network), Syfy (cable network), and on the website of Comcast Xfinity.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Word is that Christopher Nolan's next film, "Tenet," will be previewed before IMAX showings of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."

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SCANDAL - From THR:  A New York judge denied Harvey Weinstein's motion to dismiss the sex crimes charges (two counts of "Predatory Sexual Assault") against him.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  In the wake of Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough getting fired from "America's Got Talent," we learn that some people working on the show thought Union's hairstyles were "too black" for AGT's audience.

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MOVIES - From EW:   Elizabeth Banks will follow-up her reboot of "Charlie's Angels" with the horror movie, "The Invisible Woman," for Universal, which she will direct and star in.  It will not be connected to next year's "The Invisible Man," (also from Universal), nor does it have anything to do with Marvel Comics' "Invisible Woman" superhero character.  It is not connected to the 1940-released "The Invisible Woman," which was a spin-off of Universal Studios' classic 1933 horror film, "The Invisible Man."

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MUSIC - From YahooMusic:  Talk show host Wendy Williams says that it is unbelievable that Taylor Swift is the American Music Awards' "Artist of the Decade."  [Well, it certainly says something or even a lot about the state of poular music... - Leroy]

POLITICS - From TheRoot:  That's why I don't trust Pete Buttigieg.  Everything about him is undercover... except that he is gay... which is unusual.  He is Lindsay Graham, except Pete doesn't hide in the closet... at least about being gay.

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SCANDAL - From People:  British royal, Prince William (37), has been involved in the decision-making to remove his uncle, Prince Andrew (59), from royal duties.  This comes in the wake of Andrew's disastrous Nov. 16th interview with the BBC about his connections and relationship with the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

From People:  A royal historian says that Prince Andrew's "entire public existence" has been wiped out because of his connection to the late Jeffrey Epstein.

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BLM - From YahooNYT:  Black police officers put their lives in their own hands or in the hands of their incompetent and/or racist white colleagues.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 11/22 to 11/24/2019 weekend box office is "Frozen II" with an estimated take of 127 million dollars.

From THR:  "Frozen II's" weekend debut ($127 million) set a few records, including being the largest opening for an animated film outside of the summer release corridor and being the largest opening for an animated film in the month of November.

From Variety:  "Frozen II" makes a 223 million dollar debut in international markets.  It's 350 million dollar global debut is a record an animated film.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Actress Julia Ormond joins the cast of "The Walking Dead: World Beyond," which will debut Spring 2020.  It is the third "Walking Dead" television series.

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AWARDS - From Deadline:  Here is a full list of the winners at the 2019 American Music Awards (AMA).  Taylor Swift led the night with six wins, giving her a total of 29 AMA wins, the most ever.

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MOVIES - From TheUndefeated:  Former NFL cornerback, Nnamdi Asomugha, is making a name for himself as a producer with films such as "Harriet" and Apple+'s "The Banker."

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  Tyler Perry announced that his next film, "A Fall From Grace," will bow on Netflix January 17, 2020.  The cast includes Cicely Tyson, Phylicia Rashad, and Perry, to name a few.

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Chadwick Boseman talks about his new films, "21 Bridges," and the Oscar chances of "Avengers: Endgame."

TRAILER:

From Deadline:  Here is the first full trailer for the Vietnam War film, "The Last Full Measure," which is due Jan. 24th, 2020.


Saturday, September 21, 2019

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 15th to 21st, 2019 - Update #24

Support Leroy on Patreon:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik, who played nerd couple, "Sheldon & Amy" on CBS' recently ended "The Big Bang Theory," are reportedly reunited for a new sitcom on Fox.  "Entitled "Carla," it is a based on the BBC series, "Miranda."

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SPORTS - From Deadline:  "The Immaculate Reception" has been named the greatest play in the history of the National Football League (NFL) by a nationwide panel of 68 media members.  This article has video of the deflected pass that Pittsburgh Steelers running back, Franco Harris, caught ran for a touchdown in the Steelers first playoff win.

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BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  The "Downton Abbey" movie looks like it will squash "Rambo Last Blood" and Brad Pitt's "Ad Astra" to win the weekend box office.

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MOVIES - From YahooMoviesUK:  Samara Weaving, who is starring in "Bill & Ted 3," says that Keanu Reeves is unaware of his huge online fanbase.

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ECO - From Time:  Angelina Jolie writes for "Time Magazine": Climate Change Is Already Displacing Millions of People. It's Our Responsibility to Help Them

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Joe and Anthony Russo ("Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame") will receive will receive the 2019 Publicists Motion Picture Showman of the Year Award from the International Cinematographers Guild.

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STREAMING - From USAToday:  Amazon's "Lord of the Rings" TV series will film in New Zealand (and it already is) as Peter Jackson's film trilogy did.

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DISNEY - From Deadline:  "Vanity Fair" has an advanced excerpt from Disney CEO Bob Iger's memoir, "The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company."  Iger says that if Apple CEO Steve Jobs had lived, Disney and Apple would have merged.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  "Hogan's Heroes" is coming back.  Albert Ruddy, co-creator of the original 1960s comedy TV series, is joining Village Roadshow and Rough Pictures, to produce a sequel that focuses on the descendants of the original TV show who are now treasure hunters.

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STREAMING - From Deadline: NBCUniversal has named its new streaming service "Peacock."  A number of Peacock's series will be reboots of old NBC and Universal properties, like "Saved by the Bell."

From TVLine:  One of the series that NBCUniversal is reviving for its streaming service, "Peacock," is "Saved by the Bell."  Is anyone from the original cast coming back?

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  There will be a second reboot of the old ABC TV series, "Battlestar Galactica."  Fans remember Syfy's 2003-09 series.  Now, NBCUniversal, which owns the property, has ordered a reboot from "Mr. Robot" creator, Sam Esmail.  The new series will debut on NBCU's new streaming service, which was recently named, "Peacock."

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MOVIES - From CBR:  Original "Ghostbusters" star, Dan Aykroyd, will return for the upcoming "Ghostbusters 2020."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:   The winner of the 9/13 to 9/15/2019 weekend box office is "It: Chapter Two" with an estimated take of 40.7 million dollars.

TELEVISION - From Variety:  Emmy-winning actress Jane Lynch has revealed that she has joined Grammy and Tony Award-winning singer-songwriter, Cyndi Lauper, and former "Seinfeld" writer, Carol Leifer, in developing a new comedy similar to NBC's long-running hit, "The Golden Girls."  They hope to sell the series to Netflix.

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MOVIES - From TheGuardian:  In its "100 best films of the 21st century" list, the site goes with Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" (2007) as the top film.  And they stupidly start with the year 2000.

From TheGuardian:  Paul Thomas Anderson talks about his film being #1.

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EMMYS - From IndieWire: Here is the winners' list from the second night of the 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

From Variety:  Last night, Saturday, September 14, 2019 was "Night 1" of the 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Awards."  This article has a full list of winners.

From TheWrap:  Last night at the 2019 Creative Arts Emmys, legendary TV producer, Norman Lear, became the oldest Emmy Award winner at the age of 97 years and 49 days old.  He beat a record that had been set half and hour earlier when David Attenborough won an Emmy at the age of 93 years old.

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CULTURE - From THR:  "Who decides who is allowed to say the "N-word?" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar supports writer Walter Mosley's decision to quit the writing staff of "Star Trek: Discovery" after Mosley was admonished for telling a story that involved him using the word "nigger."

From TheNewYorkTimes:  Novelist and screenwriter Walter Mosley explains why he quit "Star Trek: Discover."

OBITS:

From ABC:  Groundbreaking female journalist and political commentator, Cokie Roberts, has died at the age of 75, Tuesday, September 17, 2019.  A three-time Emmy winner, Roberts may be best known for her association with National Public Radio (NPR) and ABC News.  Roberts was a longtime panelist on ABC's Sunday morning news show, "The Week" and ABC's evening news show, "World News Tonight."

From YahooEntertainment:  Actor Brian Turk died at the age of 49, Friday, September 13, 2019.  He was best known for his role as "Gabriel" in HBO's "Carnivale" (2003-2005).  He was a football player at the University of Southern Califonia, and began his acting career in 1993.

From RollingStone:  Singer-songwriter, producer, and recording artist, Ric Ocasek, has died at the age of 75, Sunday, September 15, 2019.  Ocasek is best remembered as the lead singer, primary songwriter, and rhythm guitarist of "the Cars," a band known for fusing pop and new wave music.  Ocasek was also a prolific music producer for other acts including Weezer, No Doubt, and Bad Brains, to name a few.

From YahooEntertainmentRic Ocasek, lead singer of the 1970s-80s New Wave rock band, died of cardiovascular disease according to an autopsy report released today, Monday, September 16, 2019, by the New York City medical examiner’s office.  Ocasek passed away Sunday.

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 1st to 9th, 2018 - Update #16

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CULTURE - From Ozy:  Nigerians are the most successful ethnic group in the United States.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  New cast members, including Dakota Fanning, Luke Perry and Damian Lewis, are added to Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."

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MOVIES - From THR:  J.J. Abrams and Zachary Quinto are developing a film about the secret gay love affair between actors Anthony Hopkins and Tab Hunter, two leading men of Hollywood's "golden age."

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MOVIES-MUSIC - From Deadline:  Ziggy Marley is joining forces with Paramount Pictures for a biopic about his dad, legendary musician and recording artist, Bob Marley.

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ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Will Smith and Tom Holland ("Spider-Man: Homecoming") are "Spies in Disguise" for Blue Sky Studios.

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TOLKIEN - From TheGuardian:  How JRR Tolkien created Middle-earth

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 6/2 to 6/4/2018 weekend box office is "Solo: A Star Wars Story" with an estimated total of $29.29 million.

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STREAMING - From YahooFinance:  Netflix spending $2 billion this year alone(!) on original content.

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CELEBRITY - From TheGuardian:  Jane Fonda still raising hell at age 80.

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CULTURE-POLITICS - From Truthout:  Roseanne Barr the Bigot: How Racism Exposes the Authoritarian Strain

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MOVIES - From Collider:  Angelina Jolie and David Oyelowo will star in the fantasy adventure, "Come Away," which is being directed by Brenda Chapman, who won an Oscar for her work on Disney/Pixar's "Brave."  The film will be Chapman's live-action debut.

TRAILERS/VIDEO:

From BuzzFeed:  First full trailer for the Halloween reboot/sequel starring Jamie Lee Curtis.

From THR:  There is a cool new trailer for the animated film, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." The film is due in theaters December 2018.


OBITS:

From YahooUK:  The actress, Eunice Gayson, has died at the age of 90, Friday, June 8, 2018.  Gayson was the first "Bond girl," appearing in the first James Bond film, "Dr. No." (1962).  Her character, "Sylvia Trench," would also appear in "From Russia With Love" (1963).

From TheWrap:  Celebrity chef and TV host, Anthony Bourdain, has died at the age of 61, Friday, June 8, 2018.  He died of an apparent suicide in Strasbourg, France.  He won the Peabody Award and several Emmy Awards for his work.  His most recent TV series was CNN's "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown."

From THR:  The actor Jerry Maren died at the age of 98, sometime in May 2018.  Maren was the last surviving "adult Munchkin" from the 1939 film, "The Wizard of Oz."  Maren was also one of the Munchkins that sang "the Lollipop Guild song."   He appeared in numerous films and TV programs, including the Marx Bros. film, "At the Circus."

From ESPN:  Former NFL player, Dwight Clark, has died at the age of 61, Monday, June 4, 2018.  Clark died after a battle with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).  Clark was a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers for his entire 9-year career and is best known for being on the receiving end of one of the most famous plays in NFL history, "The Catch," which spurred the 49ers to their first Super Bowl victory.

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Friday, March 16, 2018

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 11th to 17th, 2018 - Update #11

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CELEBRITY - From TheDailyBeast:  A gun-note, NRA toadie, and bitch hates rock legend Neil Young.

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COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  Apparently, it is a done deal.  Ava DuVernay will direct "New Gods" for Warner Bros./DC Entertainment.

From BleedingCool:  Ava DuVernay in talks to direct a film based on DC Comics' "New Gods" comic books, which were created by the late, great Jack Kirby.

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MUSIC - From RollingStone:  #FreeMeekMill - Rolling Stone has an interview with troubled, jailed rapper.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  Spike Lee is eyeing "Nightwatch," part of Sony Picture's "Spider-Man" film universe as a directing gig.  Nightwatch is an African-American character and first appeared in 1993.

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COMICS-FILM - From SlashFilm:  Once upon a time, Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage almost played the role of Superman.  Now, Cage will provide the voice of Superman in the animated "Teen Titans Go!" movie, "Teen Titans GO! to the Movies."  Rapper Lil Yachty will provide the voice of Green Lantern.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 3/9 to 3/11/2018 weekend box office is "Black Panther" with an estimated take of $41.1 million - the film's fourth straight weekend at #1 and the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to do so.

From Variety:  "Black Panther" wins the weekend at the box office in China with a take of $66 million.

From Deadline:  "The Death of Stalin" has the best specialty theater (art house theaters) debut of 2018.

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OSCARS - From THR:  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says activism failed at last Sunday's 90th Academy awards ceremony.

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POLITICS - From teleSUR:  Actor-activist Danny Glover and Noam Chomsky condemn recent U.S. and Canadian sanctions against Venezuela.

From NYT:  Actress-activist Angelina Jolie and Senator John McCain unite for a "New York Times" editorial saying that the U.S. should lead in saving Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar (formerly Burma).

OBITS:

From ESPN:  Businessman and professional sports franchise owner, Tom Benson, died at the age of 90, Thursday, March 15, 2018.  Benson owned the NFL's New Orleans Saints pro football team and the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans professional basketball team.  Benson was owner of the Saints when the team won Super Bowl XLIV.

From TheWrap:  British author, cosmologist, and physicist Stephen Hawking has died at the age of 76, Wednesday, March 14, 2018.  A global cultural icon, Hawking was a science communicator who connected with laypersons.  His life was dramatized in the Oscar-winning film, "The Theory of Everything."

From CNN:  Rapper Craig Mack has died at the age of 46, Monday, March 12, 2018.  His 1994 hit, "Flava in Ya Ear" is considered one of the defining rap songs of the 1990s and was the first release and first breakout hit for Sean "Puffy" Combs' Bad Boys Records.  Mack earned a Grammy nomination for "Best Rap Solo Performance" at the 37th Grammy Awards (1995).


Saturday, September 23, 2017

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 17th to 23rd, 2017 - Update #24

Support Leroy on Patreon.

MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Bradley Cooper's remake of "A Star is Born," in which he co-stars with Lady Gaga, will arrive in theaters the summer of 2018.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Margot Robbie's Tonya Harding biopic, "I, Tonya," gets a release date that will qualify it for this year's Oscar race - December 8th.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Ron Perlman talks about his early career and playing make-up heavy roles like Hellboy.

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MOVIES - From CinemaBlend:  "The Purge 4" announces new cast members.  A "Purge" TV series is also in the works.

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BLM - From YesMagazine:  NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick may not have an NFL job, but his his national anthem protests remain strong in the NFL.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Stephen King would like you to give the film, "Cell," a chance.  It is the 2016 adaptation of his 2006 novel, Cell.  The movie flopped and received scathing reviews.

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  "Avatar 2" will reportedly begin filming Monday, September 25th.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertaiment:  Linda Hamilton a.k.a. "Sarah Connor" is rejoining Arnold Schwarzenegger in James Cameron's "Terminator" reboot.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooLifestyle:  Halle Berry shares a photo of her new man, Alexander Grant, who is better known as "Alex Da Kid," the British songwriter and producer.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Lee Daniels is developing two new projects for Fox.

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ANIMATION - From Variety:  "The Croods 2," the sequel to DreamWorks Animation's 2013, Oscar-nominated hit, is back on schedule, September 18, 2020.

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MOVIES - From DVD.com:  Five films that influenced "L.A. Confidential," which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary.

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DISNEY - From Variety:  Judi Dench may join Kenneth Branagh's "Artemis Fowl" adaptation for Disney.

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OSCARS - From GoldDerby:  Cambodia has made Angelina Jolie's film, "First They Killed My Father," their "Foreign Language Film" entry in this year's Oscars race.

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NEWS - From YahooFinance:  Toys 'R' Us could go bankrupt within weeks.

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MOVIES - From Esquire:  What is known about the sequel to the current box office smash, "IT."

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MOVIES - From TheGuardian:  Liam Neeson says that he is retiring from action films.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 9/15 to 9/17/2017 weekend box office is "IT" with an estimated take of $60 million.

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EMMYS - From Deadline:  A list of 2017 Emmy winners - updated.

From YahooLifesytle:  Jane Fonda's faux-ponytail on the Emmy red carpet is freaking people out.

From GoldDerby:  The site has uncovered the complete ceremony rundown (the order in which the awards will be announced) for tonight's 2017 Primetime Emmy Awards.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  A locations manager for the Netflix show, Narcos, was shot dead while scouting locations for the show.

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COMICS-FILM - From BleedingCool:  Jessica Chastain to produce and star in a movie based on the "Painkiller Jane" comic book.  The film has a writer, Christine Boylan.

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TELEVISION - From SlashFilm:  Fox is rebooting its 1994 film, "True Lies" (directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) as a TV series.

OBIT:

From NewYorkDailyNews:  Boxing legend Jake LaMotta, whose nickname was "The Raging Bull," has died at the age of 95, Tuesday, September 19, 2017.  His life was recounted in Martin Scorsese's 1980 film, "Raging Bull," in which Robert DeNiro portrayed LaMotta in a performance that won him a best actor Oscar.


Saturday, September 9, 2017

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 1st to 9th, 2017 - Update #42

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SPORTS - From NYTimes:  Sloane Stephens wins the women's tennis singles title at the 2017 U.S. Open Women.

From HuffPost:  American tennis is alive because of Black women.

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STREAMING - From ArsTechnica:  Disney is pulling its "Star Wars" and Marvel Studios films from Netflix, beginning in 2019.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Spike Lee and Jordan Peele ("Key & Peele") are uniting for the film, "Black Klansman," based on the true story of a Black man who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan.

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BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  "Spider-Man: Homecoming" opens strong in China.

From Fortune:  "Spider-Man: Homecoming" may be the highest grossing straight-reboot film at the worldwide box office.

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COMICS-FILM - From THR:  Drew Goodard will write and direct "X-Force," a spin-off from Fox's awful X-Men film franchise.

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STREAMING - From TheWrap:  Christina Ricci's Amazon series, "Z: The Beginning of Everything" has cancelled.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Armie Hammer joins Felicity Jones in the Ruth Bader Ginsburg (a current Supreme Court Justice) biopic, "On the Basis of Sex."

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COMICS-FILM - From THR:  "Suicide Squad 2" finally has a director.  Gavin O'Connor of "The Accountant" (with Ben Affleck) will write and direct the film.

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TELEVISION - Variety:  CBS is developing a TV series based on James Ellroy's classic novel, L.A. Confidential.  The book was previously developed into a critically acclaimed, Oscar-winning 1997 film writer-director Curtis Hanson.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Jude Law joins Elle Fanning and Selena Gomez in a Woody Allen film due next year.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  A rare photo of Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes, long rumored to be a couple, has surfaced.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  In terms of domestic box office, "Wonder Woman" is now one of the top five highest grossing superhero movies of all time.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  Chris Pine to take the lead in Robert F. Kennedy project at Hulu.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Paramount has acquired rights to "authorized prequel" to Bram Stoker's "Dracula," entitled "Dracul."

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STAR WARS - From TheWrap:  Colin Trevorrow "steps down" as the director of Star Wars Episode 9.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  "American Horror Story: Cult" - frenzied mess or metaphor for Trump-induced madness.

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MOVIES-FILM FESTIVALS - From Variety:  Angelina Jolie gets a standing ovation at the Telluride Film Festival for her new film, "Cambodia."

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POLITICS - From NYDailyNews:  The selfish reason Donald Trump has made several film cameos.

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COMICS-FILM - From CBR:  15 things wrong with the X-Men film franchise, according to Comic Book Resources.  [Yeah, those movies are a stanky hot mess. - Ed.]

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Luc Besson's "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" was a big disappointment at the box office.  That has cost the deputy CEO of Besson's EuropaCorp is job.

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WGA - From Variety:  The incoming president of the Writers Guild of America, West says that Hollywood writers will have to make a 2020 strike threat to get a decent contract.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The number one film at the 9/1 to 9/3/2017 weekend box office is "The Hitman's Bodyguard" with an estimated total of $10.25 million.  This is the film's third consecutive weekend at the top of the box office.

From Variety:  "Dunkirk" wins the most recent international box office period.

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CELEBRITY - From BBC:  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William of Great Britain and his wife, Kate) are expecting a third child.

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  A slideshow of the 50 most anticipated films of Fall 2017.

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SPORTS - From BET:  Tennis great Serena Williams has given birth to a baby girl.

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COMICS-FILM - From CBR:  Spike Lee may be involved in a Sony Pictures film based on Marvel Comics character, Nightwatch," who is part of the "Spider-Man" line.

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COMICS-FILM - From ScreenRant:  Cate Blanchett gives the three reasons she wanted to be in "Thor: Ragnarok."

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COMICS-FILM - From SideshowToy:  A first look at Evangeline Lilly in costume as "The Wasp" during filming of Marvel's "Ant-Man and the Wasp."

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COMICS-FILM - From Variety:  Warner Bros. would love Leo DiCaprio to play the Joker in its "Joker" stand alone film to be directed by Todd Phillips.

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MOVIES - From THR:  "The Crow" reboot, entitled "The Crow Reborn," is not at Sony Pictures.

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STREAMING - From Variety:  Netflix teams up with Damien Chazelle ("Best Director Oscar" for "La La Land") for a Paris-set musical series, "The Eddy."

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Director Andy Muschietti says that the sequel to "It," the highly-anticipated adaptation of the Stephen King novel, will focus on the 1986 novel's "cosmic dimension."

From CinemaBlend:  Muschietti would like to make a new film adaptation of King's 1983 novel "Pet Semetary," which was previously adapted by director Mary Lambert in 1989.

From TheWrap:  Muschietti talks about the origin of Pennywise the Clown's distinctive look in the new "It."

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CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  Robert Pattison of "Twilight" fame once lived with Dustin Diamond a.k.a. "Screech" from "Saved by the Bell."

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  HBO's limited series, "True Detective," will return for a third season, with Mahershala Ali as its star.  Nic Pizzalatto and Jeremy Saulnier will direct.  No air date announced as of yet.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  Taylor Swift's friend, the dancer, Todrick Hall, getting trolled over his relationship with Swift and his appearance in her new video.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Sam Rockwell in final talks to play George W. Bush in Dick Cheney biopic from director, Adam McKay.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Lily Collins joins Nicholas Hoult in Fox Searchlight and Chernin Entertainment's biopic about J.R.R. Tolkien, the creator of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

OBIT:

From TheWrap:  Blake Heron, former child star, has died at the age of 35, Friday, September 8, 2017.  He was best known for the 1996 film, "Shiloh."

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From TheWrap:  Rock musician and recording artist, Walter Becker, has died at the age of 67, Sunday, September 3, 2017.  Becker was the guitarist and co-founder of the rock-jazz fusion band, Steely Dan.

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From Variety:   The actor and comedian Shelley Berman has died at the age of 92; Friday, September 1, 2017.  The Grammy Award he won in 1959 for "Best Comedy Performance, Spoken Word," was the first given for a non-musical performance.  In recent years, he played Larry David's father on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which earned him a 2008 Emmy nomination.