Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 13th to 19th, 2026 - UPDATE #6

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links to join Prime Video, or to shop at my MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

NETFLIX - From WorldofReel:  "Empire Magazine" has a first look at director Greta Gerwig's "Narnia" movies, "Narnia: The Magician's Nephew."

MOVIES - From CincinnatiEnquirer:  Mark Wahlberg provides details concerning his biopic about Major League Baseball legend, the late Pete Rose (1941-2024).  According the Oscar-nominated actor and producer, the film will focus on the last part of Rose's career as a player and a manager, his pursuit of Ty Cobb's MLB hit record (4,189), and Rose's life after baseball. 

EMMYS - From Variety:  The winners at the 2026 / 78th Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced.  Apple TV+'s "Widow's Bay," won "Outstanding Comedy Series."  That was one of its 14 wins, the most for a comedy series in Emmy Awards history.  HBO Max's "The Pitt" won for "Outstanding Drama Series," one of its seven wins.  This is "The Pitt's" second win in this category.

From Deadline:  Night 1 of the 2026 / 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards have kicked off.  "Deadline" has a complete list of "Night 1" winners at what was formerly known as the "Creative Arts Emmys."

From Variety:  Night 2 of the 2026 / 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards are completed.  "Variety" has a complete list of "Night 2" winners at what was formerly known as the "Creative Arts Emmys."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 9/11 to 9/13/2026 weekend box office is Warner Bros' "Practical Magic 2" with an estimated gross of 30 million dollars.

AWARDS - From Variety:  The winners at the 2026 / 83rd Venice Film Festival have been announced.  The "Golden Lion for Best Film" went to Danish director May El-Toukhy's "Woman Unknown."  John Malkovich won the "Volpi Cup for Best Actor" for his performance in director Martin McDonagh's "Wild Horse Nine."

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American fashion designer and costumier, Bob Mackie, has died at the age of 87, Monday, September 14, 2026.  Mackie is best known for his dressing of numerous entertainment personalities for television, movies, concerts, and live stage shows, including Elton John, Dolly Parton, Barbara Streisand, Tina Turner, and most notably Cher.  He was the costume designer for the former CBS variety show, "The Carol Burnett Show," during its 11-year run.  Mackie was nominated three times for the "Best Costume Designer" Oscar.  He was nominated 32 times at the Primetime Emmy Awards, winning nine times.  In 2019, he won a Tony Award for his work on "The Cher Show."

From Deadline:  The British film producer, Jeremy Thomas, has died at the age of 77, Friday, September 11, 2026.  Thomas won the "Best Picture" Oscar for producing director Bernardo Bertolucci's 1987 film, "The Last Emperor."  Thomas also produced Bertolucci's "The Sheltering Sky" (1990), ""Little Buddha" (1993), and "Stealing Beauty" (1995).  He also produced such acclaimed films as "Naked Lunch" (1991), "Crash" (1996), "Sexy Beast" (2001), and "Fast Food Nation" (2006), to name a few.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 6th to 12th, 2026 - UPDATE #5

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links to join Prime Video, or to shop at my MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Hot off his monster hit, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," director Destin Daniel Cretton is leading Paramount's development of a film based on the late CBS police drama, "Hawaii Five-O" (1968-80).

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 9/4 to 9/6/2026 weekend box office is Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" with an estimated 18 million dollars.

From Variety:  Summer 2026 breaks the all-time box office with 4.67 million dollars, surpassing 2013's 4.755 billion dollars.

EMMYS - From Deadline:  Night 1 of the 2026 / 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards have kicked off.  "Deadline" has a complete list of "Night 1" winners at what was formerly known as the "Creative Arts Emmys."

From Variety:  Night 2 of the 2026 / 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards are completed.  "Variety" has a complete list of "Night 2" winners at what was formerly known as the "Creative Arts Emmys."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar-winner, Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire"), reveals that he used generative AI in his new film, "Ink."

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 1st to 5th, 2026 - UPDATE #7

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

HARRY POTTER - From Variety:  HBO Max has released the first trailer for its "Harry Potter" television series. The first episode is due December 26, 2026.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Angel (Angel Studios) has acquired the worldwide rights to director Michael Keaton's Western film, "Road to Ruin." Keaton also stars in the film with Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman.

From Deadline:  Michael Keaton is set to direct and to star in the Western film, "Road to Ruin."  Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman will star opposite Keaton.

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Netflix's three-part docuseries about the late "Friends" star, Matthew Perry (1969-2023), entitled "The One About Matthew Perry," will debut Oct. 27th, 2026.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  Acclaimed director Mike Leigh says that "Tender Loving Care" is "almost certainly" his final film because he is "somewhat handicapped" due to the muscle-wasting condition, "miyositis."

OBITS:

From NPR:  American author, activist, and journalist, Gloria Steinem, has died at the age of 92, Wednesday, September 2, 2026.  She is nationally recognized as the leader of "second-wave feminism." Starting in the 1960s, Steinem challenged gender stereotypes and championed feminist ideals like equality, sisterhood, and reproductive freedom.  At a time when women were largely limited to domestic roles, this made Steinem an inspiration to generations of women to do the same.  In 1971, Steinem was one of the founders of "Ms." magazine.  In 1971, Steinem also cofounded the National Women's Political Coalition," which provided training and support for women who sought elected and political office.  Among the honors Steinem received was the "Presidential Medal of Freedom" in 2013.  Steinem was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Award nominations and one News & Documentary Emmy Award nomination for her work in television.

From Deadline:  American film and television writer and author, Victor Miller, has died at the age of 86, Monday, August 31, 2026.  Miller was best known for writing the screenplay for the 1980 slasher film, "Friday the 13th," creating the characters, "Pamela Voorhees" and her son, "Jason Voorhees."  Miller was also a longtime writer for daytime soap opera from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.  He worked on such soap operas as "All My Children," "One Life to Live," and "Another World," to name a few.  Miller was nominated at the Daytime Emmy Awards 11 times, and won three Emmys for his work on "All My Children." 

From Deadline:  American stand-up comic and television writer and producer, Marty Nadler, has died at the age of 80, Wednesday, August 26, 2026.  Nadler was best known for his four-decade with legendary TV writer and creator Garry Marshall.  For Marshall, Nadler worked on the former ABC sitcoms as "Happy Days" and "Laverne & Shirley," among others.  As a producer, script consultant, and story consultant, Nadler contributed to such TV series as "Amen," "The Carol Burnett Show," "Chico and the Man," "That's My Mama," and "The Red Foxx Show," to name a few.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 23rd to 31st, 2026 - UPDATE #14

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Jason Momoa, Tenoch Huerta, Adria Arjona, and Kiefer Sutherland join star Miles Teller in Black Label Media's thriller, "Copperhead."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 8/28 to 8/30/2026 weekend box office is Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" with an estimated take of 22.2 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Anne Hathaway is joining Tom Cruise for "Days of Thunder 2," the sequel to the 1990 film, "Days of Thunder."  The film is currently set for a Summer 2028 release.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney+ has greenlighted "Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu."  It is a new stop-motion series that is part of a new global distribution deal between The Pokémon Company International and Disney.  The new series is created by the animation studio, Aardman Animations ("Wallace & Gromit"), and will debut on Disney XD and stream exclusively on Disney+ in 2027.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Ridley Scott's new film, "The Dog Stars," is out this week. One of his next projects may be a third film in his "Alien" prequel series, which began with "Prometheus" (2012) and continued with "Alien: Covenant" (2017).

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Actor Dan Stevens has been picked to headline Amazon MGM Studios' Prime Video series, "Robocop," based on the 1987 film, "Robocop."

MOVIES - From THR:  Warner Bros. is developing a live-action film based on the classic Hanna-Barbera animation franchise, "The Flintstones."  Ryan Gosling is a producer on the project.  Universal Pictures released a live-action film, "The Flintstones," in 1994 and its sequel, "The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas" (2000).

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 8/21 to 8/23/2926 weekend box office is Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" with an estimated take of 39 million dollars.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  Woody Allen will begin shooting his next film in Madrid on October 5, 2026.  The financing deal dictates that the name "Madrid" must be in the title.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American film and television actor, Samuel Monroe, Jr., has died at the age of 52, Wednesday, August 26, 2026, after battle meningitis and pneumonia.  Monroe was best known for his roles in such films as "Menace II Society"(1992), "Tales from the Hood" (1995), and "Set It Off" (1996). He appeared in such TV series, "Out All Night," "NYPD Blue," and "Black Jesus."

From THR:  Canadian voice actor, Peter Cullen, has died at the age of 85, Wednesday, August 26, 2026.  Cullen's six decade career saw him provide voice performances film film, television, and video games.  However, Cullen was best known for providing the voice for the "Tranformers" character, "Optimus Prime," across "Transformers" media, beginning with "The Transformers" 1984-87 animated syndicated television series.  Cullen would also voice Optimus Prime in 1986's "The Transformers: The Movie" and Paramount's eight-film series, that began with 2007's "Transformers," to name a few.  In 2023, Cullen received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the "Children's and Family Emmy Awards."

From Variety:  The English stage, film, and television actor and singer, Tim Curry, has died at the age of 80, Tuesday, August 25, 2026.  Curry is best known for the role of "Dr Frank N Furter" in the 1973 West End musical, "The Rocky Horror Show," and in the 1975 film adaptation, which became a cult and midnight movie sensation.  Curry's other notable film roles including "Legend," Clue," "Oscar," Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," and "Congo," to name a few.  Curry appeared in numerous TV series, miniseries, and movies, including "Wiseguys," "It," "Roseanne," and "Will & Grace," to name a few.  Curry won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991.

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From RollingStone:  American singer-songwriter, recording artist, and actress, Dolly Parton, has died at the age of 80, Tuesday, August 25, 2026.  Called the "Queen of Country," Parton released almost 70 albums, including solo works; duets with her former partner, Porter Wagoner; collaborations; live albums; and soundtracks.  She wrote over 3000 songs, including the 1973 song, "I Will Always Love You," which became a massive hit for the late Whitney Houston in 1992.  Other hit songs included "Coat of Many Colors" (1971), "Jolene" (1973), "9 to 5" (1980).  She had 25 #1 singles on "Billboard Magazine's" country music chart.

As an actress, Dolly appeared in multiple films, including "9 to 5" (1980), "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (1982), "Steal Magnolias" (1989), and "Joyful Noise" (2012), to name a few.  She made guest appearances on such television series as Disney's "Hannah Montana," "Reba" and "Grace & Frankie," in addition to twice having her own variety show "Dolly!" (1976-77) and "Dolly" (1987-88).

Dolly Parton was nominated 50 times at the Grammy Awards, winning 10 competitive awards and the 2011 "Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award."  She was twice nominated for the "Best Original Song" Oscar, and she received the Academy's "Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award."  Parton was nominated four times at the "Primetime Emmy Awards," sharing a win in 2021 in the category of "Outstanding Television Movie" for Netflix's "Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square."

Parton was also an author, businesswoman, and philanthropist.  Among her ventures was the theme park, "Dollywood."

From YahooEntertainment:  Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, and tributes pour in from around the world.

From Billboard:  According to "Billboard Magazine," Dolly Parton had a brief battle with cancer before she died.

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From Deadline:  American actress and singer, Shelly Fabares, has died at the age of 82, Saturday, August 22, 2026.  She was best known for the role of "Christine Armstrong" on ABC's former sports sitcom, "Coach" (1989-97).  However, Fabares was also a child actor of the former ABC domestic sitcom, "The Donna Reed Show" (1958-66), playing the daughter, "Mary Stone."  Fabares was Elvis Presley's leading lady in the 1965 film, "Girl Happy."  She also appeared in two more of Presley's films, "Spinout" (1966) and "Clambake" (1967).  She also had a "Billboard Hot 100" #1 hit with the single, "Johnny Angel" (February 1962).  Fabares received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her work on "Coach."  Fabares had been married to actor Mike Farrell, best known for his role on the former CBS sitcom, "M*A*S*H," since 1984.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 16th to 22nd, 2026 - UPDATE #9

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

NEWS:

NETFLIX - From WorldofReel:  Netflix will give director Peter Berg's “The Mosquito Bowl,” a U.S. theatrical release on October 30, 2026 before moving it streaming on November 25th.  The film tells the story of four of America’s most celebrated college football players who put their athletic careers on hold to enlist in the Marines after the attack on Pearl Harbor. They take part in a legendary football game featuring some of the greatest players in college football history, which would turn out to be the last football game for many of them.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  ABC filed an unprecedented "First Amendment" lawsuit against the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.  ABC claims that the FCC's investigations and regulatory actions against the network are part of a Trump administration's “retaliatory campaign” to curb ABC’s free speech.

From Deadline:  "Deadline" has posted a copy of ABC's lawsuit for your reading pleasure

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 8/14 to 8/16/2026 weekend box office is Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" with an estimated take of 70 million dollars.

From WorldofReel:  “The Odyssey” hit the $1.34 billion milestone today, making it the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. It has now surpassed 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which finished with $1.33 billion worldwide.

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DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney+ is not moving forward with its live-action "Power Rangers" series. The project was written and executive produced by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz, who are the executive producers and showrunners of the Disney+ series, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians."  According to "Deadline," the reason for the cancellation of this project was budgetary.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  The American film and television actor, Michael Wright, has died at the age of 70, Wednesday, August 19, 2026.  His best known role was that of "Eddie King Jr" in "The 5 Heartbeats" (1991).  His other well-known roles include such films as Robert Altman's "Streamers" (1983), "The Principal" (1987), and "Sugar Hill" (1994)  Wright appeared in such TV series as NBC's former sci-fi franchise "V," HBO's former prison drama, "Oz," and The CW's former superhero drama, "Back Lightining"

From Variety:  American actress and singer, Hayden Panettiere, has died at the age of 36, Sunday, August 16, 2026.  Panettiere's best known roles were as Clair Benneton the former NBC superhero television series, "Heroes" (2006-10) and as Juliette Barnes on the former ABC/CMT musical drama series, "Nashville" (2012-18).  Panetteire's best known film roles were as "Kirby Reed" in the "Scream" horror film franchise and as "Dot" in Disney/Pixar's "A Bug's Life" (1998).  She earned a "Grammy Award" nomination for her work on the spoken word album, "A Bug's Life Read-Along."

From Deadline:  Hayden Panettiere: a career and life in photos from "Deadline"

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From ESPN:  Former American professional baseball player and Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher, Tommy John, has died at the age of 83, Saturday, August 15, 2026.  John played in the MLB for 26 seasons for six teams, including playing for the Yankees for eight seasons over two stints with the team.  John was a four-time "MLB All-Star."  John pitched in three World Series contested between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees:  1977 and 1978 playing for the Dodgers and 1981 for the Yankees.  John was on the losing end of all three of those World Series.  He has the second most wins (288) of any pitcher since 1900 who is not in the "National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum."  John is also known for the "ligament replacement surgery" that bears his name, the "Tommy John surgery."

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 9th to 15th, 2026 - UPDATE #9

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

NEWS:

ANIME - From WorldofReel:  85-year-old Oscar-winner and Japanese animation legend, Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, The Boy and the Heron), is still working at Studio Ghibli.  But what is Hayao's next project?

DISNEY/ANIMATION - From WorldofReel:  The sequel to "The Simpsons Movie" (2007) will arrive in 2027 and will be titled "The New Simpsons Movie."

SPORTS - From ESPN:  Former Disney CEO, Bob Iger, and Josh Kushner (the brother of Trump son-in-law, Jared Kushner) are buying Mark Walter's ownership stake in the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 12.5 billion dollars.  Walter bought the majority share of the Lakers for 10.5 billion dollars in October 2025.

From SilverScreenandRoll:  Apparently, Bob Iger will be more actively involved with the Lakers than his partner, Josh Kushner.

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MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  Director Aaron Sorkin is performing reshoots on "The Social Reckoning," the follow-up to his Oscar-winning, "The Social Network" (2011). So it won't make its debut as the 2026 Venice Film Festival.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 8/7 to 8/9/2026 weekend box office is Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" with an estimated take of 145 million dollars.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  Warner Bros is denying reports that the sequel to its hit 2023, musical-fantasy film, "Wonka," which starred Timothee Chalamet, has been "delayed indefinitely." "Wonka" earned over 600 million dollars at the global box office.

OBITS:

From DreadCentral:  American actor and musician and Vietnam War veteran, Reggie Bannister, has died at the age of 80, Sunday, August 9, 2026.  Bannister is best known for starring in director Don Coscarelli's 1979 horror film, "Phantasm," and its four sequels.  In addition to the "Phantasm" series, Bannister and Cscarelli also collaborated on such films as "Jim the World's Greatest" (1976), "Survival Quest" (1989), and "Bubba Ho-tep" (2002). 

From CountryRebel:  American politician, U.S. congressman, essayist, playwright, and film, stage, and television actor, Ben Jones, has died at the age of 84, Sunday, August 9, 2026.  Jones was best known for the role of mechanic "Cooter Davenport," on the former CBS action-comedy series, "The Dukes of Hazzard" (1979-85).  In addition, Jones appeared in over 100 theatrical productions and in such films as "The Bingo Long Travelling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976), "Smokey and the Bandit" (1977), and "Primay Colors" (1998).  Jones was also a two-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Georgia's Fourth Congressional District.

From Deadline:  British songwriter, musician, music producer, and recording artist, William Orbit, has died at the age of 69, Thursday, July 23, 2026.  Orbit is best known for work in ambiant, electronica, house, and techno music.  He collaborated with Madonna on her 1998 album, "Ray of Light," which earned him two Grammy Awards wins out of four nominations.  

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 1st to 8th, 2026 - UPDATE #9

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

NEWS:

NETFLIX - From WorldofReel:  Although he isn't getting the level of reshoots he wants, Netflix will allow director David Fincher some reshoots for "The Adventures of Cliff Booth," the sequel to director Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).  Brad Pitt, who won a "Best Supporting Actor" Oscar for playing Booth, is reprising the role for Fincher's film.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  Joel Coen wrapped up production of his upcoming film, "Jack of Spades" in November 2025. The film, which is a "gothic mystery" is set in Scotland of the 1880s, has been moved to a 2027 release.

BOX OFFFICE - From THR:  "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" has scored the biggest first week in domestic box office history with a total of crossing the 500-milllion dollar mark in seven days.  2019's Avengers: Endgame crossed that mark after eight days.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Numan Acar ("Young Sherlock) has signed to join on the next installment of Universal Pictures' "The Mummy" film franchise.  Franchise veterans, Kevin J. O'Connor and Oded Fehr, has also signed on for the next film.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Jaafar Jackson is hot off playing his late uncle, "King of Pop" Michael Jackson is the one billion dollar-plus hit, "Michael" (Lionsgate). Now, Jafar takes his next big step with Will Smith and AnnaSophia Robb in Amazon MGM Studios' action-thriller, "Supermax."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/31 to 8/2/2026 weekend box office is Sony Pictures' "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" with an estimated take of 355 million dollars.

From Variety:  "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and "The Odyssey" power the weekend of 7/31 to 8/2/2026 into being the biggest weekend in domestic box office history.  Across all movies, the record setting gross is 430 million dollars.  This surpasses the 2019 weekend that the debut of "Avengers: Endgame" led. 

MOVIES - From GQ:  In an interview about writer-director Bassam Tariq's upcoming film, "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother," the film's star, Mahershala Ali, talks about why he is no longer involved with Marvel Studios' "Blade" film.  Tariq was also once attached to the film.  Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is due Sept, 25, 2026.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American film and television actor and U.S. Navy veteran, Vincent Pastore, has died at the age of 80, July 2026.  Pastore was often cast as Italian mobster characters.  He is best known for playing "Salvatore 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero" on the former HBO mob drama, "The Sopranos" (1999-2007).  He made notable appearances in the TV film, "Gotti" (HBO), the romantic comedy film, "Mickey Blue Eyes" (1999), and DreamWorks Animation's "Shark Tale" (2004).

From Deadline:  American producer and studio executive, Richard L. O'Connor, has died at the age of 96, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.  O'Connor was an "executive in charge of production" for such films as "On Golden Pond" (1981), "The Legend of the Lone Ranger" (1981), and "The Muppet Movie" (1979); and on such television movies as "The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd" (1980) and "Friendly Fire" (1979).  He was a producer on a number of TV movies and series, including "Fatal Vision" (1984), "Amerika" (1987), and "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," (1993).  O'Connor was a three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, and winning in 1990 the Primetime Emmy for "Outstanding Children's Program" for "A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story" (1989).

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 26th to 31st, 2026 - UPDATE #5

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

NEWS:

DISNEY - From WorldofReel:  The planned sequel to the Oscar-nominated 2024 hit, "Alien: Romulus," is not happening.  And franchise director, Ridley Scott ("Alien," "Prometheus"), may have something to do with that.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Netflix has announced "Women Like Us," a new comedy from Charles D. King’s "Macro Film Studios" and Barack and Michelle Obama's "Higher Ground."  It will star Whoopi Goldberg, Jenifer Lewis, Vanessa Williams, and Vivica A. Fox.  The director is Tasha Smith, who has TV credits for such series as "Bel-Air" and "Harlem."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/24 to 7/26/2026 weekend box office is Universal Pictures' "The Odyssey" with an estimated take of 87 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Jonathan Goldstein, the co-writer and director of "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" (2023), said that a sequel to the film has been written.  However, he says that it may never be filmed for "financial" reasons.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Irish singer-songwriter and actor, Glen Hansard, has died at the age of 56, July 29, 2026 in a motorcycle crash in Dublin, Ireland.  Hansard won an Oscar with co-writer, Marketa Irglova, in the category of "Best Original Song" for "Falling Slowly" from "Once" (2007).  He won a Grammy Award and was nominated three other times.

From Deadline:  French costume designer, Jean-Pierre Dorleac, has died at the age of 83, Thursday, July 23, 2026.  His work appeared in film, television, theater, opera, variety, and burlesque.  Dorleac received 11 Primetime Emmy nominations for his work in TV.  He won an Emmy in 1979 for his work on the original "Battlestar Galactica" (ABC, 1978-79) and was nominated for his work on "Galactica 1980" (ABC, 1980). His second Emmy win was for his work on the former AMC comedy-drama, "The Lot" (1999-2001).  Dorleac received a "Best Costume Design" Oscar nomination for his work on the 1980 film, "Somewhere in Time."

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 19th to 25th, 2026 - UPDATE #8

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

NEWS:

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  81-year-old Danny DeVito wants to direct one final film, an adaptation of the 1899 novel, "McTeague," by author Frank Norris.  DeVito has not directed a film since "Duplex" (2003), which was not well-received.

VIDEO GAMES - From Deadline:  Universal Pictures, Atari, and Entertainment 360 have joined in a deal in which Universal will develop 10 classic Atari properties for film.  Those 10 properties are reportedly "Asteroids," "Adventure," "Berserk," "Breakout," "Centipede," "Crystal Castle," "Millipede," "Missile Command," "Pong," and "Yars' Revenge."

DISNEY - From Variety:  Pixar Animation Studios suffered the brunt of the latest round (July 21st, 2026) of Disney layoffs.  Hundreds of Pixar staffers, mostly in operations and production, have lost their jobs.

BUSINESS - From Variety:  Federal Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin of the U.S. District Court for Northern District of California in Oakland has issued a 14-day restraining order on the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger.  He made this move after hearing arguments from a 12-state coalition that is also seeking a preliminary injunction, which would block the merger until the judge rules on the merits of the states' lawsuit.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/17 to 7/19/2026 weekend box office is Universal's "The Odyssey" with an estimated take of 124.5 million dollars.

DISNEY - From Disney:  Actor Colman Domingo is looking to co-write an original live-action feature film about "Princess Tiana" inspired by Disney‘s Oscar-nominated animated 2009 feature, "The Princess and the Frog." He would write the screenplay with 2020 Tony-nominated, "Slave Play" director, Robert O’Hara.  The project is currently in early development.  "The Princess and the Frog" was the last hand-drawn animated feature from Disney.  It focused on a waitress, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), who dreams of opening her own restaurant, but is transformed into a frog.

OBITS:

From Variety:  American screenwriter, film director, and producer, Chuck Russell, has died at the age of 74, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.  As a director, Russell's best known works includes "A Nightmare on Elm Street: Dream Warriors" (1987), "The Blog" (1988), "The Mask" (1994), "Eraser" (1996), and "The Scorpion King" (2002).  He co-wrote such films as "Dreamscape" (1984), and "Dream Warriors," and "The Blog."  Russell recently, directed, co-wrotee, and co-produced "Witchboard" (2024), a remake of the 1986 film, "Witchboard."

From Variety:  American deaf actress, Kaylee Hottle, has died at the age of 18, Tuesday, July 21, 2026 in a single-vehicle car accident.  Hottle is best known for the role of "Jia Andrews" in "Godzilla vs. Kong" (2021) and "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" (2024).

From MovieWeb:  American screenwriter, William Wisher, Jr., has died at the age of 71, Tuesday, July 14, 2026.  Wisher is best known for his work on "The Terminator" films with his friend, James Cameron.  Wisher wrote "additional dialogue" for "The Terminator" (1984) and he co-wrote the screenplay for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" with Cameron.  Among his other screenwork are the films "Judge Dredd" (1995), "The 13th Warrior" (1999), "Exorcist: The Beginning," (2004), and "Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist" (2005).  Wisher was also a "script doctor" doing work on films for which he did not received a writing credit.  That includes "Pumpkinhead" (1998), "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child" (1989), and "Eraser" (1996), to name a few.  With Randall Frakes, Wisher wrote one of the two novelizations of "The Terminator."  The Wisher-Frakes book was published by Bantam/Spectra, in 1985.

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

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

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).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 1st to 11th, 2026 - UPDATE #11

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

NEWS:

STAGE - From Deadline:  Dwayne Johnson says that he has been working on a revival of the Broadway classic, "The Odd Couple," with friend Kevin Hart has his costar.  "The Odd Couple" is a play written by the late Neil Simon (1927-2018) that premiered on Broadway in 1965.

EMMYS - From Variety:  The nominations for the 2026 / 78th Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS).  Honoring the best of American primetime television, the eligibility period covers June 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026.  The winners of the 78th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be announced September 5 and 6, 2026.  The winners at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced during a ceremony on September 14, 2026.  The HBO Max medical drama, "The Pitt," leads with 25 nominations.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Jennifer Beals, Jacqueline Byers, Shane Harper, and Devin Druid are join LL Cool J and Scott Caan in "NCIS: New York."

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  Director, co-writer, producer, and star Bradley Cooper's "Ocean's Eleven" prequel, adds new cast.  Joining the film are Vicky Krieps, Omar Sy, George Mackay, and Lauren Ridloff.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/3 to 7/5/2026 weekend box office is Universal/Illumination Entertainment's "Minions & Monsters" with an estimated take of 36.4 million dollars.

AMAZON-MGM - From TheWrap:  Michael Mann will start shooting "Heat 2," the prequel and sequel to his 1995 film, "Heat," in November.  Christian Bale will play "Vincent Hanna," the dogged LAPD Robbery Homicide detective played by Al Pacino in the original film, while Leonard DiCaprio will play Chris Shiherlis, who was played by the late Val Kilmer.  The film was picked up by Amazom MGM Studios after Warner Bros. dropped out because of the film's budget.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  The recent Ryan Gosling super-hit, "Project Hail Mary," arrives on Amazon Prime Video Friday, July 3rd, 2026.

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  Revered film actor and five-time Emmy nominated television actor, Danny Glover, has revealed that he has been living with Alzheimer's disease for the past few years.  In an interview with NBC's Lester Holt, Glover revealed that he was diagnosed shortly before he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, which bestows the Academy Awards/Oscars.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  Director David Robert Mitchell is prepping "They Follow," the sequel to his 2014 horror film, "It Follows."  His composer on the original film, Disasterpeace," is returning for the sequel.

OBITS:

From THR:  The American television, film, and theater actor, Randolph Mantooth, has died at the age of 80, Thursday, July 9, 2026.  Mantooth was best known for the role of "Johnny Gage," on the former NBC action-adventure, medical drama, "Emergency!" (1972-77), and in six TV movies based on the series in 1978 and 1979.  He was a prolific guest star in numerous TV series from the 1970s into the 2000s.  Mantooth also had roles in several daytime soap operas, including two stints on the former ABC soap opera, "Loving" (1987-90, 1993-95).  He also appeared in "General Hospital" and "As the World Turns."

From Variety:  Welsh singer, songwriter, and recording artist, Bonnie Tyler, has died at the age of 75, Wednesday, July 8, 2026.  Tyler is best known for her 1983 #1 hit, "Total Eclipse of the Heart," and "Holding Out for a Hero," which was included on the soundtrack of the 1984 hit film, "Footloose."  Her other big U.S. hit was the 1977 single, "It's a Heartache."  Tyler was a three-time Grammy Award nominee.

From People:  American television producer and writer, Wilford Lloyd Baumes, has died at the age of 86, Sunday, June 28, 2026.  Baumes created the long-running former ABC romantic comedy-drama, "The Love Boat" (1977-86).  Baumes was also a producer on Season 1 of the former ABC superhero drama, "Wonder Woman" (1976-77) and an executive producer on the first six episodes of Season 2 (1977).

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 21st to 30th, 2026 - UPDATE #9

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

NEWS:

STREAMING - From Deadline:  After several weeks of rumors, backstage drama, firings, etc., Tom Hardy is returning for Season 3 of the Paramount+ crime drama, "MobLand."

BUSINESS - From THR:  Comcast has announced plans to separate its tech business from NBCUniversal, including its European media business, "Sky."  The move, which will take place in 2027, will create two companies  Last year, Comcast did a spinoff of NBCUniversal's cable units, including CNBC and MSNBC, into a new company, Versant.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/26 to 6/28/2026 weekend box office is Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story 5" with an estimated take 70 million dollars.

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Once at odds, "Stranger Things" star, Millie Bobbi Brown and David Harbour will reunite for a new Netflix series about father-daughter spies. The new series comes from Jack Thorne, the creator of Netflix hits, "Adolescence" and "Lord of the Flies."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Focus Features has dropped a first-look image of star Aaron Taylor-Johnson in director Robert Eggers' "Werwulf," which is due Dec. 25th, 2026.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Deadline's rumor column, "The Dish," says that the next round of auditions to choose an actor to play "James Bond" for Amazon MGM Studios and director Denis Villeneuve takes place in August 2026.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/19 to 6/21/2026 weekend box office is Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story 5" with an estimated take of 160 million dollars.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Peacock has given a straight-to-series order to "Dungeon Crawler Carl," a live-action series adaptation of Matt Dinniman’s popular science fantasy "LitRPG" (role-playing game) books of the same title. The project comes from Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door and Universal Global Television. Dinniman, who serves as co-executive producer on the series, announced the pickup on social media.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American visual effects artist, Jeff Olson, has died at the age of 77, Sunday, June 21, 2026.  Olson is best known for his work with Industrial Light and Magic (ILM).  Olson started at ILM in 1985 and early on was a model maker on such films as "Howard the Duck" (1986), "Willow" (1988), "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988), and "Ghostbusters II" (1989), to name a few.  Olson received his first "visual effects producer" credit on "Star Trek: First Contact" (1996), and received the credit on such films as "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" (1999), "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" (2003), "Eragon" (2006), and "Star Trek" (2009), to name a few.  Olson left ILM in 2009.

From RollingStone:  American music and record executive and record producer, Clive Davis, has died at the age of 94, Monday, June 22, 2026.  Clive Davis founded Arista Records and J Records  He helped shape the careers of legendary recording artists such as Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Carlos Santana, Janis Joplin, Barry Manilow, and Alicia Keys, to name a few.  As a record producer, Davis won five Grammy Awards, including "Album of the Year" (1994) for Whitney Houston's "The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album" (1992).  Davis was inducted into the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" in 2000 as a non-performer.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 14th to 20th, 2026 - UPDATE #7

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

NEWS:

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  Focus Features has released a first-look image from director Robert Eggers' upcoming film, "Werwulf."  Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Lily Rose Depp, who starred in Eggers 2024 film, "Nosferatu," "Werwulf" is due December 25, 2026.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  At the opening night of the "Bentonville Film Festival," Oscar-winner Geena Davis told "Deadline" that she would very much like to make a sequel to her cult 1996 action film, "The Long Kiss Goodnight." The film was directed by her then husband, Renny Harlin, and written by bad-boy screenwriter, Shane Black.  Her co-star in the film, Samuel L. Jackson is apparently also interested in a sequel.

MEDIA - From APNews:  Fox Corp. is buying streaming pioneer, Roku, in a cash and stock deal worth 22 billion, including debt.  There will be no immediate changes to how Roku operates, according to statements from both companies.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/12 to 6/14/2026 weekend box office is Universal's "Disclosure Day" with an estimated take of 44 million dollars.

CELEBRITY - From WorldofReel:  Emmy-winner Seth Rogen says he has no plans to work with his long-time and currently disgraced buddy, actor and Oscar-nominee, James Franco.  Rogen says that he hasn't spoken to Franco in a long time.

OBITS:

From Variety:  American television director, James Burrows, has died at the age of 85, Friday, June 19, 2026.  Burrows is best known as the preeminent director of TV series and as the co-creator of the former NBC sitcom, "Cheers" (1982-93).  Burrows was nominated for almost 50 Primetime Emmy Awards, and he won 11.  He won five of those for directing such TV series, as "Taxi," Cheers," and "Fraser."  Burrows also directed episodes of "The Bob Newhart Show," "Friends," "Will & Grace," and "Mike & Molly," to name a few.

From Deadline:  American film and television actress and voice performer, Daveigh Chase, has died at the age of 35, Tuesday, June 16, 2026.  Chase may be best known for performing the voice of "Lilo Pelekai" in Disney's 2002 animated hit, "Lilo & Stitch."  Chase performed Lilo's voice in various "Lilo & Stitch" spinoffs until 2006, including for the former ABC Saturday morning animated series, "Lilo & Stitch: The Series" (2003-06).  Chase is also known for providing the voice for "Chihiro Ogino" in the English dub of the Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning animated film, "Spirited Away" (2002).  Chase's best known live-action role may be as the ghostly killer, "Samara Morgan," in the film, "The Ring" (2002).

From Deadline:  American film and television actor, voice performer, and stand-up comedian, Ronnie Schell, has died at the age of 94, Friday, June 12, 2026.  He is best remembered for the role of U.S. Marine private, "Duke Slater," on the former CBS sitcom, "Gomer Pyle - USMC" (1964-69).  In the middle of that time, Schell has his own CBS sitcom, the single-season, "Good Morning World" (1967-68), co-starring with Joby Baker.  From there, Schell provided voices for such animated series as "Goober and the Ghost Chasers" (ABC), "Fred Flintstone and Friends" (syndicated, 1977-78), "Battle of the Planets" (1978), and "Rugrats" (1922), to name a few.  Schell guest-starred in such TV series as "Sanford and Son," "Alice," and "The Golden Girls," to name a few.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 7th to 13th, 2026 - UPDATE #8

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

NEWS:

SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Tonight (Sat., June 13th), the New York Knicks are the 2025-26 National Basketball Association (NBA) Champions.  They defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 in San Antonio, Texas to win the best-of-seven series 4 games to 1.  This is the Knicks first NBA Championship since 1973.

MEDIA - From NBCNews:  According to sources, the United States Department of Justice has signed off on Paramount Skydance's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  AMC's hit series, "Dark Winds," is currently filming its fifth season.  John Hoogenakker and Gregory Cruz join the cast.  Season 1 actress Geraldine Keams returns for Season 5.

MOVIES - From Variety:  In an interview for his new film, "Disclosure Day," Oscar-winner Steven Spielberg said that he offered to direct a "James Bond" film early in his career as a hit maker.  However, the Bond producers at the time rejected his offers.

ACADEMY AWARDS - From Oscars:  The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that its Board of Governors voted to present Academy Honorary Awards to actor Glenn Close, animator Floyd Norman, and director Ridley Scott.  The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award will be presented to producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, who together founded the independent film production company, "Killer Films" (2014's "Still Alice," 2015's "Carol"). The Oscar® statuettes will be presented at the Academy’s 17th Governors Awards event on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood, in partnership with Rolex.

From AnimationMagazine:  Pioneering Disney artist, Floyd Norman, will receive an Academy Honorary Award (Honorary Oscar) in November. Norman began his 65-year career at Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1956. He was the studios first African-American animator.

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MOVIES - From ScreenRant:  Writer-director Mike Flanagan has wrapped filming of his upcoming film, "The Exorcist," which is a reboot of infamous 1973 movie.  The cast that includes Scarlett Johansson, Diane Lane, Jacobi Jupe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Laurence Fishburne, Sasha Calle, John Leguizamo, Rahul Kohli, Hamish Linklater, Benjamin Pajak, Carl Lumbly, Carla Gugino, John Gallagher Jr., Gil Bellows, Samantha Sloyan, and Kate Siegel.  Due to be released March 12, 2027, this new film will tell a new standalone story that is meant to relaunch "The Exorcist" horror franchise rather than being a direct sequel to previous installments.

BOX OFFICE - BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/5 to 6/7/2026 weekend box office is Paramount's "Scary Movie" with an estimated take of 55 million dollars.

TELEVISION - From Parade:  In addition to cancelling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and "The Neighborhood," CBS has also cancelled "DMV" after one season and "Watson" after two seasons.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 1st to 6th, 2026 - UPDATE #9

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

NEWS:

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  Emmy-winning actor and voice performer Keith David received his star on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame," and looks back on his extensive career in film, television, and theatre.

TELEVISION - From Variety:  DEI political hire and unqualified blogger skeez, Bari Weiss, defends firing real journalist Scott Pelley from the venerable CBS New program, "60 Minutes."  Weiss is currently cos-playing as the editor-in-chief of CBS News.

MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Director Dito Montiel ("Riff Raff") is set to direct a biopic of Gene Wilder ("Young Frankenstein," "Blazing Saddles"), which is approved by the Wilder estate.  Wilder, who died in 2016 at the age of 83, was actor, comedian, author, screenwriter, and filmmaker.  Wilder was twice nominated for an Academy Award and also won a Primetime Emmy in 2003.

AMAZON - From Variety:  In an exclusive story, "Variety" is reporting that Amazon will not go forward development of a new "Stargate" television series.  The new show was to guided by writer and executive producer, and showrunner, Martin Gero, who was a writer on the former series, "Stargate: SG-1" (1997-2007) and "Stargate; Atlantis" (2004-09).  All "Stargate" media is based on the 1194 film, "Stargat."

MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Clint Eastwood's son, Kyle Eastwood, confirms that his Oscar-winning father, who is 95, is retiring from filmmaking.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  Oscar-winner Joel Coen's mysterious "Jack of Spades" film is apparently due in 2026.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 5/29 to 5/31/2026 weekend box office is A24's "Backrooms" with an estimated take of 81.45 million dollars.

OBITS:

From BBC:  The English film, television, and stage actor, voice performer, and singer, Anthony Head, had died at the age of 72, Monday, June 1, 2026.  Head is best known for the role of "Rupert Giles" on The WB's former teen supernatural teen drama, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997-2003). Head recently gained acclaim as "Rupert Mannion" on Apple TV+'s sports drama, "Ted Lasso" (2020-23).  He voiced "Alfred Pennyworth" in the animated film, "Batman: Gotham by Gaslight" (2018), and he was "Benedict," a monk in "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" (2011).

From Deadline:  The French and Iranian film director, graphic novelist, comics creator, and children's book author, Marjane Satrapi, has died at the age of 56, Thursday, June 4, 2026.  Satrapi was best known as the author of the autobiographical graphic novel series, "Persepolis."  The first volume of Persepolis was published by L'Association in 2000. "Persepolis: The Story of Childhood Vol. 1" was published in 2003 by Pantheon.  She was also known for her 2006 graphic novel, "Chicken with Plums."  Satrapi co-directed an animated feature film adaptation of "Persepolis" (2007), which earned an Oscar-nomination for "Best Animated Feature."  Among her live-action films was also an adaptation of "Chicken with Plums" (2011).

From Variety:  American singer and songwriter, Peabo Bryson, has died at the age of 75, Tuesday, June 2, 2026.  Bryson is best known for his duets with a number of singers, who preceded him in death, such as Natalie Cole, Robert Flack, and Cissy Houston, Luther Vandross.  Bryson's best known duets are connected to the soundtracks to legendary Disney animated feature films.  He sang the song, "Beauty and the Beast" (from "Beauty and the Beast") with Celine Dion.  He sang "A Whole New World" (from "Aladdin") with Regina Belle, which reached No. 1 on "Billboard's" "Hot 100" chart.  Both of his Disney records with Dion and Flack won the Grammy Award for "Best Pop Performance by Duo or Group with Vocals."  Bryson was nominated six other times for a Grammy Award.

From ESPN:  Former professional basketball player and coach, Rick Adelman, had died at the age of 76, Monday, June 1, 2026.  After playing collegiate basketball for Loyola Marymount (1965-98), Adelman was drafted in to the National Basketball Association (NBA) the San Diego Rockets (now Houston Rockets).  He played for five teams over seven seasons.  Adelman's career as an NBA coach began as an assistant with the Portland Trailblazers in 1983 before becoming the head coach in 1989.  Adelman remained the Blazers coach until 1994 and during that time, they won the Western Conference Championship twice, before losing in the finals (1990 to the Detroit Pistons; 1992 to the Chicago Bulls).  Adelman would also coach the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, and Minnesota Timberwolves, before he retired in 2014.  Adelman was inducted into the "Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame" in 2021.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 24th to 31st, 2026 - UPDATE #9

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 5/29 to 5/31/2026 weekend box office is A24's "Backrooms" with an estimated take of 81.45 million dollars.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  There is a television limited series remake of director Alfred Hitchcock's legendary film, "The Birds" (1963).  However, the producers of the limited series are saying that it is closer to Daphne du Maurier's 1952 short story that inspired Hitchcock's film.  Starring Sarah Snook ("Succession"), the series is currently for sale on the international marketplace.

AMAZON - From Toonado:  Amazon MGM Studios will not release its live-action movie, "Voltron," to movie theaters. It will go straight-to-streaming and with debut on either Prime Video or on the add-on service, MGM+.  Starring Henry Cavill ("Man of Steel"), the film is based on the 1980s animated series, "Voltron, Defender of the Universe."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 5/22 to 5/24/2026 weekend box office is Disney/Lucasfilm's "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" with an estimated take of 82 million dollars.

STREAMING - From Variety:  In an exclusive story, "Variety" is now reporting that Tom Hardy has not been fired from the Paramout+ hit crime series, "Mobland."  "Things are being worked creatively" for him to return for Season 3 of the series.

From Variety:  After production on Season 2 of Paramount+'s crime series, "Mobland," was completed, star Tom Hardy was fired from the series.  Although it has yet to be announced, there will apparently be a third season of the hit series.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American-born musician, songwriter, and vocalist, Ronald LaPread, has died at the age of 75, Saturday, May 30, 2026.  LaPread is best known as the former bassist of popular 1970s and 80s R&B and pop music band, "The Commodores."  LaPread joined the band in 1970, two years after its initial founding, and he was one of the original members when the band signed its recording deal with Motown Records.  LaPread won a Grammy Award as a member of "The Commodores" for their hit 1985 single, "Nightshift" ("Best Vocal R&B Performance by a Duo/Group").  LaPread left The Commodores in 1986 and moved to Auckland, New Zealand.

From THR:  American film and television actress, Kelly Curtis, has died at the age of 69, Saturday, May 30, 2026.  Kelly was the oldest child of the legendary Hollywood actors, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.  Kelly was also the older sister of Oscar-winning actress, Jamie Lee Curtis.  Her two biggest film roles were in the films, "Magic Sticks" (1987) and "The Devil's Daughter" (1991).  Kelly was a regular on the first season of CBS' former action-crime thriller series, "The Sentinel."  She was a guest on the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode, "Captive Pursuit" (Season 1, Episode 6).  Other TV appearances include guest roles on original version of "The Equalizer" (CBS), "Hunter," (NBC), and "Judging Amy" (CBS). 

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From Variety:  American film editor, Marcia Lucas, has died at the age of 80 Wednesday, May 27, 2026.  Marcia is best known for her work with her ex-husband, George Lucas, to whom she was married from 1969-83.  Marcia was on the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for "Star Wars" (1977), sharing it with Paul Hirsch and Richard Chew.  Marcia's work on "Star Wars" is often credited as being what saved the film.  She was also Oscar-nominated for editing editing George's 1973 film, "American Graffiti."  Marcia would later edit "Return of the Jedi" (1983) for the film's director Richard Marquand.  Marcia edited three films for director Martin Scorsese, including "Taxi Driver" (1976).

From Deadline:  Lucasfilm offers a tribute to Oscar-winning film editor, Marcia Lucas, who died Wed., May 27th.  The ex-wife of Star Wars creator, George Lucas, Marcia contributed greatly to shape and form of both "Star Wars" (1977) and "Return of the Jedi" (1983), as a film editor and advisor.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 17th to 23rd, 2026 - UPDATE #8

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

NEWS:

CANNES - From Deadline:  Director Cristian Mingui's film, "Fjord," has won the Palme d'Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.  The film stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve star as a mixed Romanian and Norwegian couple who move to the wife's hometown where they find complications.  The Romanian Mingui also won the Palme d'Or at the 60th Cannes Film Festival (2007) for his film, "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days."  He is now the tenth director to win the Cannes top prize, the "Palme d'Or," twice.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Mel Gibson has released the first image from his upcoming two-part Biblical epic, "The Resurrection of the Christ," which is a sequel to his 2004 box office smash, "The Passion of the Christ."  "Part One" is due May 6, 2027, and "Part Two" is due May 28, 2028.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Universal Pictures and director Michael Bay are teaming up to tell the true story behind the recent rescue mission to save two downed U.S. pilots behind enemy lines in Iran, during the so-called "Operation: Epic Fury."  The film will be based on the upcoming book by Mitchell Zuckoff, which HarperCollins will publish in 2027.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Director David Fincher's film, "Cliff Booth," a sequel to director Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," will hit theaters November 25, 2026 for a two-week run.  The film, which stars Brad Pitt, will debut on Netflix December 23, 2026.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar-winner Matt Damon is in talks to star in the secret film project from "the Daniels," the nickname of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the Oscar-winners behind "Everything Everywhere All at Once."  Ryan Gosling had been attached to the project, but had to drop out due to scheduling issues.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Amazon has announced the cast for its new series, "Delphi," which is set in the universe of the film, "Creed" (2015).  The series, which is from Michael B. Jordan's "Outlier Society" production company, will feature a cast that includes (Oscar-nominee) Demien Bichir, Andre Holland, Andre Royo, and Benji Santiago, to name a few. 

DISNEY/TELEVISION - From Deadline:  ABC has ordered a spinoff of it long-running hit, "Grey's Anatomy."  The series will be co-created by "Grey's Anatomy" creator and executive producer, Shonda Rhimes.  The other co-creator is the new series' showrunner, Meg Marinis.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 5/15 to 5/17/2026 weekend box office is Lionsgate's "Michael" with an estimated take of 26.1 million dollars.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  "World of Reel" says a source at Warner Bros. indicated that the studio has no plans to release director Kevin Costner's "Horizon An American Saga: Chapter 2." "Horizon: Chapter 1" grossed $38 million dollars when released in 2024, the same year that Chapter 2 was supposed to be released.