Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 26th to 31st, 2021 - Update #12

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

REVIEW - From Negromancer:  My review of "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

MOVIES - From Variety:   Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has publicly declined Vin Diesel's invitation to rejoin the "Fast Saga" mainline franchise for the supposed finale, "Fast 10."

COVID-19 - From Deadline:  On Tuesday (12/28/2021), the United States recorded 512,553 daily new COVID-19 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. That is, by far, the single highest daily case number recorded during the entire COVID-19 pandemic. 

From RSN:  According to the Associated Press, "FEMA Wants to Give Families Up to $9,000 for COVID Funerals, but Many Don't Apply"

MOVIES - From HotNewHipHop:  Ice Cube reveals why actor Chris Tucker did not return for "Next Friday" (2000), the first of two sequels to the cult hit film, "Friday" (1995).  It was for religious reasons.

BOX OFFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:   The winner of the 12/24 to 12/26/2021 weekend box office is Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: No Way Home" with an estimated take of 81.5 million dollars.

From THR:   "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is now Sony Pictures' all-time top-grossing film at the U.S. box office with a total to date of 405.5 million dollars.  The previous champ was "Jumanji: Welcome to to the Jungle" (2017) with a domestic total of 404.5 million.

From THR:  On Sunday, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" passed the billion-dollar mark in global box office.  It is the first film to do so in the pandemic era.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Actor Michael B. Jordan talks about getting directing advice from Denzel Washington as Jordan prepares to direct "Creed III."

OBITS:

From THR:   American animal advocate and beloved television actress and comedienne, Betty White, has died at the age of 99, Friday, December 31, 2021.  A five-time Emmy winner, White starred on CBS's "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" from 1973 to 1977, NBC's "The Golden Girls" (1985-92), and TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland" (2010-15).

From Variety:  Former NFL coach and retired sportscaster, John Madden, has died at the age of 85, Tuesday, December 28, 2021.  Madden won Super Bowl XI (Jan. 1977) as head coach of the Oakland Raiders.  He was the Raiders head coach from 1969 to 1978.  Madden was a color commentator for CBS from 1979 to 1993, for Fox from 1994 to 2001, for ABC Sports from 2002 to 2005, and for NBC Sports from 2006 to 2008.  In 1988, Madden lent his name, voice, and personality to EA Sports sports video game, "John Madden Football" (1988-94), which has been best known as "Madden NFL."  Madden was "Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2006."

From Deadline:  Canadian director and screenwriter, Jean-Marc Vallée, has died at the age of 58, Sunday, December 26, 2021.  Among his best known directorial efforts are the Oscar-winning films, "Young Victoria" (2009) and "Dallas Buyers Club" (2013) and the Oscar-nominated "Wild" (2014).  He also directed the first season of the HBO TV series, "Big Little Lies."

From TheNewYorkTimes:   Archbishop Desmond Tutu has died at the age of 80, Sunday, December 26, 2021.  A South African Anglican bishop, Tutu was known as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist.  He was one of the most prominent opponents of South Africa's apartheid system of racial segregation and white minority rule.  He was a key figure in apartheid's dismantling and in South Africa's transition away from it.  Tutu appeared in over a hundred television, film, and video documentaries and TV specials and series to discuss his work and beliefs.

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

AWARDS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 19th to 25th, 2021 - Update #13

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

CRIME - From THR:    A recent string of high-profile retail robberies and home burglaries in upscale Los Angeles neighborhoods has caused a dramatic uptick in requests from wealthy clients for the services of private security contractors.

MOVIES - From THR:  A look at the premiere of "The Matrix Resurrections" on Sat., Dec. 18th in San Francisco.

OSCAR - From Deadline:  Oscar "short lists" have arrived for the following 10 categories: Documentary Feature; International Film; Animated, Live Action, and Documentary Shorts; Makeup and Hairstyling; Music Score; Original Song; Sound; and Visual Effects.

SCANDAL - From THR:  Actor Chris Noth has been fired from the CBS television series, "The Equalizer," following sexual assault allegations against him.

BOX OFFICE - From THR:  With final numbers in, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" has a 260 million dollar opening at the domestic box (the second largest of all time) and a 600.8 million dollar global debut (the third biggest).

From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 12/17 to 12/19/2021 weekend box office is Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: No Way Home" with an estimated take of 253 million dollars.

From Deadline:  "Spider-Man: No Way Home" could slip by "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018) to have the second highest opening weekend at the domestic box office.  "Infinity War" is at 257.698 million dollars, and "No Way Home" could go as high as 260 million when final numbers are released Monday morning (Dec. 20th).

From Negromancer:  My review of "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

SCANDAL - From Variety:  The site offers "My Traumatizing Years with Bryan Singer," by Blake Stuerman. The article details Stuerman's troubled relationship with controversial film director, Bryan Singer ("X-Men").

MARVEL STUDIOS - From Deadline:  Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, says that Disney and Sony are "actively beginning to develop" where Spider-Man's story goes next after the worldwide smash hit film, "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

COVID - From Variety:  Brian May, the lead guitarist for the legendary rock band, "Queen," has tested positive for COVID-19.

OBITS:

From THR:  American and screenwriter, Joan Didion, has died at the age of 87, Thursday, December 23, 2021.  Didion won the the "National Book Award for Nonfiction" for her 2005 book, "The Year of Magical Thinking, which recounted the year after the death of her husband, John Gregory Dunne, in 2003.  Didion and Dunne wrote several sceenplays, including for such films as "The Panic in Needle Park" and the 1976 version of "A Star is Born."  In her essay, "Sentimental Journeys" (published in 1991 in The New York Review of Books), Didion wrote the first mainstream media article to suggest that the "Central Park Five" had been wrongfully convicted.

From Deadline:  Rapper, record producer, and break dancer, Kangol Kid (born Shaun Shiller Fequiere), had died at the age of 55, Saturday, December 18, 2021, following a battle with colon cancer.  Fequiere was best known for his association with the seminal 1980's hip-hop and break dance group, UTFO (Untouchable Force Organization). UTFO was best known for the 1984 song, "Roxanne, Roxanne," which was the B-side of their debut single, "Hangin' Out."  Outside of UTFO, Fequiere was a songwriter and arranger for such recording acts as "Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force," "Whistle," Kurtis Blow," and Wyclef Jean, among others.

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

AWARDS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 21st to 30th, 2021 #15

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Star Channing Tatum and director Steven Soderbergh are returning for "Magic Mike's Last Dance," the third film in their "Magic Mike" series.  When the film is ready, it will stream exclusively on HBO Max.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 11/26 to 11/28/2021 weekend box office is Disney's "Encanto" with an estimated take of 27 million dollars.

From Variety:  The Thanksgiving holiday weekend (11/24 to 11/28/2020=1) box office begins with a Disney's "Encanto" victory as the animated film grossed 7.5 million dollars Wed., Nov. 24th.

From Deadline:  Director Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part One" finally crosses the 100 million dollar mark at the domestic box office.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Hayao Miyzazki, the legendary Japanese director of animated films, is coming out of retirement again to direct an animated feature film adaptation of the "How Do You Live," a 1937 novel by Genzaburo Yoshino.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Peter Jackson talks about his four-year obsession that resulted on his "Beatles" documentary, "The Beatles: Get Back," which airs on Disney+ from Nov. 25th to Nov. 27th.

COVID-19 - From Deadline:  A new COVID-19 variant, "B.1.1.529," has been found in Africa.  Potentially more transmissible, it has been called "a big jump in evolution."

SCANDAL - From Variety:   An arbitrator has ordered Kevin Spacey and his companies to pay nearly $31 million to MRC, the production company behind Netflix's “House of Cards,” after finding that Spacey breached his contract by violating the company’s sexual harassment policy.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   One of the producers behind the movie Western, "Rust," is co-financing "Sam & Kate," a new film starring Oscar winners Dustin Hoffman and Sissy Spasek.  Actor Alec Baldwin accidentally killed cinematography Halyna Hutchinson on the set of "Rust" after pointing a gun in her direction.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 11/19 to 11/21/2021 weekend box office is "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" with an estimated take of 44 million dollars.

From Negromancer:  My review of "Ghostbusters: Afterlife."

From Deadline:  The most recent James Bond movie, "No Time to Die," moves past the most recent "Fast & Furious" movie, "F9," to take the lead in worldwide box office.

OBITS:

From ESPN:  American professional golfer, Lee Elder, has died at the age of 87, Sunday, November 28, 2021.  In 1975, he became the first Black golfer to play The Masters Tournament.  He won four tournaments on the PGA Tour, including the 1974 Monsanto Open, which is what got him invited to the 1974 Masters.

From Variety:  American composer and lyricist and Broadway legend, Stephen Sondheim, has died at the age of 91, Friday, November 26, 2021.  He is praised for having reinvented the American musical and for incorporating complex and dissonant themes and structures from 20th century classical music into his works.  Sondheim is known for being the composer and lyricist for such musicals as "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (1979) and "Sunday in the Park with George" (1984).  He wrote the lyrics for "West Side Story" (1957) and "Gypsy" (1959).  Sondheim's accolades include nine Tony Awards, an Oscar, eight Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, a Laurence Olivier Award, and a 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

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

"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 7th to 13th, 2021 - Update #22

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney+ has provided a first look at Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy in "Hocus Pocus 2," the sequel to their 1993 Halloween cult classic.  "Hocus Pocus 2" is due Fall 2022.

BREAKING/CELEBRITY - From Variety:   The conservatorship over Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Britney Spears, has been terminated after 13 years, a California court has determined.

TELEVISION - From THR:  "And Just Like That," the sequel to the beloved series, "Sex in the City," has a premiere date (Dec. 9th on HBO Max) and a trailer.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  MGM is developing a "Road House" reboot with actor Jake Gyllenhaal and director Doug Liman circling the project.

CELEBRITY - From THR:  In a big feature interview, sexy actor Henry Cavill talks about "The Witcher," "Mission: Impossible," Superman, and James Bond...

COVID-19 - From THR:  Hollywood projects get stricter about COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

TECH - From Variety:  Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson is selling the VFX division of his company, Weta Digital, to Unity Software, a 3D game development platform.  Eventually, the deal will make Weta's VFX tools and tech will be available to creators all over the world.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will portray Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, in Universal’s big-screen adaptation of the Tony-winning musical, "Wicked." The film will be directed by Jon M. Chu.

MOVIES - From THR:   Leonardo DiCaprio is in final talks to play infamous cult leader, Jim Jones, in a film for MGM that he will also produce.

OSCARS - From THR:  30 hopeful films enter the race for "Best Picture" at the 2022 / 94th Academy Awards.

From THR:  The Academy Awards promises 10 nominees in the "Best Picture" category at the 94th Oscars.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 11/5 to 11/7/2021 weekend box office is Disney/Marvel Studios' "Eternals" with an estimated take of 71 million dollars.

From Negromancer:   My review of "Eternals."

MOVIES - From Insider:  Director Jason Reitman talks about working on "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," a franchise he's avoided his whole life, and the connection to his father who directed the original films.

MOVIES - From THR:  Regina Hall is teaming with Robert De Niro to make a sequel to De Niro's 1988 film, "Midnight Run."  In the original, De Niro played a bounty hunter tracking  a mob accountant played by the late, great Charles Grodin.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Vin Diesel has asked Dwayne Johnson to return to the "Fast & Furious" franchise for the series' final two films.  Diesel and Johnson have been at odds since the making of "The Fate of the Furious."

TELEVISION - From THR:  Tyler Perry, who does all the writing for his television series, said that his plan is to bring in other writers and directors for his TV shows sometime in the next three to four years.

TELEVISION - From ShadowandAct:  Filmmaker Deon Taylor and rapper "Master P" are developing an scripted television series based on Master P's life.

MOVIES - From THR:  Acclaimed director and Oscar-winning screenwriter, Jane Campion, talks about her new film, "The Power of the Dog" (with Benedict Cumberbatch) and why she won't do a "Marvel movie."

OBITS:

From THR:  American producer, manager, and boxing promoter, Jeff Wald, has died at the age of 77, Friday, November 12, 2021.  Wald had many celebrity clients, including his ex-wife, the late singer-songwriter, Helen Reddy.  Wald was married to Reddy and managed her at the height of her career in the 1970s.  He also managed legendary comedian George Carlin and box office superstar, actor Sylvester Stallone.

From Deadline:  The former child performer and veteran actor, Dean Stockwell, has died at the age of 85, Sunday, November 7, 2021.  Stockwell began his film career as a child actor in 1945, appearing a several films, including "Anchors Aweigh" with Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly.  Stockwell may be best known for the role of "Admiral Al Calavicci" in the former NBC sci-fi drama, "Quantum Leap" (1989-93), for which he received four Primetime Emmy nominations in the category of "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series."  Stockwell also earned a "Best Supporting Actor" nomination for his role in Jonathan Demme's 1988 film, the crime comedy, "Married to the Mob."

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

"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 1st to 9th, 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:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Deadline is confirming that actor Cillian Murphy will play J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's biopic, "Oppenheimer."  The film is due July 21, 2023.

MUSIC/CELEBRITY - From Variety:  Dwayne Johnson enters the rap game via Tech N9ine's new single, "Face Off."

NETFLIX - From THR:  Netflix has ordered a spinoff of Fox's late sitcom, "That 70's Show."  Creators Bonnie and Terry Turner and original cast members, Kurtwood Smith (Red Forman) and Debra Jo Rupp (Kitty Forman), are back for "That 90's Show."

POLITICS/TELEVISION - From Reuters:   How AT&T helped build far-right One America News (OAN).

From RollingStone:  "Fox News and OAN Were Deeper in the Bag for Trump Than Anyone Realized."

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

TELEVISION - From Variety:  The cable net, Food Network, is reportedly parting ways with one of its most famous faces, superstar chef Bobby Flay, who has been with the network for 27 years.

SCANDAL - From YahooNews:  Rachel Lindsay, the first black woman to star on ABC's "The Bachelorette," tells a crazy story about ESPN's tragic mulatto, Sage Steele.

STREAMING - From THR:   Spyglass is rebooting the classic 1987 horror film, "Hellraiser," with "The L Word: Generation Q" actress," Jamie Clayton playing the iconic villian, "Pinhead."  The movie will debut on Hulu in 2022.  Clive Barker, the creator of Hellraiser and of its source material, the novella, "The Hellbound Heart," is one of the film's producers.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  FXX's long-running animated series, "Archer," said good-bye to one of its main characters, "Malory Archer," voiced by Jessica Walter, in the Season 12 finale.  Walter died March 24th of this year at the age of 80.

AMAZON - From Variety:  Amazon has licensed “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” from Sony Pictures Animation. The fourth (and final) installment in the blockbuster franchise will stream globally — excluding China — on Prime Video on Jan. 14, 2022. 

COVID-19 - From THR:   "Hollywood Battle Lines Emerge in Simmering Vaccine War." Without mandates to get a shot, some film and TV sets have been thrown into chaos as A-list holdouts have caused work stoppages while others say, “It’s not my place to police anyone.”

MOVIES - From THR:  On a recent episode of her talk show, "The Drew Barrymore Show," Drew talked about the infamous clash between her co-stars, Lucy Liu and Bill Murray, on the set of the 2000 "Charlie's Angels" film.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Actor Robert Carlyle is set to reprise his role as "Francis Begbie," a character he made famous in the film, "Trainspotting" (1996).  Begbie will return in a six-part series that is an adaptation of author Irvine Welsh's 2016 novel, "The Blade Artist," a sequel to "Trainspotting," Welsh's 1993 novel that became the beloved 1996 British film.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The former NBC legal drama, "L.A. Law" (1984-86), has taken another step in making a comeback.  ABC has ordered a pilot for a sequel series, and original series star, Blair Underwood, returns as his character, "Jonathan Rollins," in addition to being an executive producer.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:   The winner of the 10/1 to 10/3/21 weekend box office is "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" with an estimated take of 90.1 million dollars.

Negromancer:  My review of "Venom: Let There Be Carnage."

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

NEWS - Truthout:  The United States Post Office (USPS) has started offering check-cashing services as part of a pilot program in four cities.  USPS customers are being given the opportunity to cash payroll or other types of checks, up to $500 in total, at single-branch post office locations in Washington, D.C., Falls Church, Virginia, Baltimore, Maryland, and the Bronx in New York City. 

ACADEMY AWARDS - From Deadline:   Will Packer has been named Producer of the 94th Annual Academy Awards, set for March 27, 2022.  Packer is a prolific producer of numerous films and TV projects including "Straight Outta Compton," "Ride Along," and "Girls Trip," to name a few.  He also produced the 2016, four-episode, remake of the television miniseries "Roots."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  WarnerMedia has released the first teaser for "House of the Dragon," a spin-off from the Emmy-winning, "Game of Thrones."

COVID-19 - From YahooNews:   Trying to Make Sense of COVID's Mysterious 2-Month Cycle

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Universal has moved the Bluhouse horror flick, "The Black Phone," from Jan. 28th, 2021 to Feb. 4, 2022.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney and Scarlett Johansson have settled their legal issues, and her projects with the studio are back on, including "Tower of Terror."  No terms of the settlement were made public, but Deadline estimates the multiple Oscar-nominated Johansson could get 40 million dollars.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  The Disney Channel favorite, "Raven's Home," has been renewed for a fifth season.  Actor Rondell Sheridan, who played Raven Baxter's father, "Victor Baxter," on the original series, "That's So Raven," will be one of the new series regulars.   However, the storyline moves to San Francisco and that results in the departure of several series regulars, Navia Robinson (Nia), Jason Maybaum (Levi), Sky Katz (Tess) and Anneliese van der Pol (Chelsea).

AMAZON - From THR:  Amazon is working on an update of the 1999 hit film, "Cruel Intentions," for its IMDb TV.

From THR:  Speaking of IMDb TV, the streamer is also interested in a greenlighting a second season of the cancelled ABC legal drama, "Rebel."  IMDb has the free streaming rights to the first season.

NFL - From Deadline:   Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and Mary J. Blige will perform during the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show (Sun., Feb. 13th, 2022) at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles.  The five artists have never before appeared together onstage, according to the official announcement of the show. Among them, they have 43 Grammys and 22 No. 1 albums on the Billboard charts.

TELEVISION - From GoodHousekeeping:    The sister cable networks, "Hallmark Channel" and "Hallmark Movies & Mysteries" are debuting a combined 41 movies across both networks this holiday season.  "Good Housekeeping" has posted Hallmark Channel's "Countdown to Christmas" 2021 movie schedule and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries' "Miracles of Christmas" 2021 movie schedule.  Hallmark starts off with "You, Me & Christmas Tree" on Fri., Oct. 2nd.  HMM starts off with "Christmas in My Heart" on Sat., Oct. 23rd.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 22nd to 31st, 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:

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

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Frank Oz, the filmmaker and puppeteer who originally performed such Muppet characters as Miss Piggy and Fozzy Bear, has said that Disney, which has owned the franchise since 2004, does not want him to work with "The Muppets" anymore.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Lionsgate and Millennium Media are working on a fourth film in "The Expendables" franchise, with Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture set to return.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Lord Miller (the home of Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Aditya Sood) will produce a film about former Chicago Bull, Dennis Rodman, and his crazy weekend in Las Vegas during the 1998 NBA Finals.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 8/27 to 8/29/2021 weekend box office is "Candyman" with an estimated take of 22.37 million dollars.

From TheGuardian:  An interview with co-writer and director of "Candyman," Nia DaCosta.

MOVIES - From CNN:  With two new movies about him, we must ask, "Why won't Hollywood let Ted Bundy go away."

MOVIES - From Variety:   The Grammy-winning recording artist and Oscar-winning songwriter, H.E.R., has signed on for her first major acting role, landing the part of Squeak in Blitz Bazawule’s forthcoming adaptation of “The Color Purple” for Warner Bros.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  Director Nia DaCosta's "Candyman" has a strong Thursday night of "preview shows." 

MOVIES - From Deadline:   "The Matrix 4" revealed some of its secrets at "Cinemacon."  It's official title is "The Matrix: Resurrections," and it is due Dec. 22nd.  There is no word on when the trailer showed at Cinemacon will hit social media.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  COVID-19 and the "anti-vaxx" controversies are both roiling on the set of ABC's long-running daytime soap opera, "General Hospital."

TRAILER - From Variety:   Neon has released the first official trailer for "Spencer," starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana.  The film is directed by Pablo Larrain ("Jackie").

DISNEY - From Deadline:   Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre are set to lead the voice cast of director Barry Jenkins' prequel to Walt Disney's "The Lion King."

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  A Los Angeles grand jury has indicted legendary porn movie star, 68-year-old Ron Jeremy, on 33 rape and sexual assault charges.  These new counts involve 21 individuals, age ranging from 15 to 51, and go back to the mid-1990s.  He pleaded "not guilty" again.

TELEVISION - From TheGrio:   The "Jeopardy!" team never really considered LeVar Burton for the position of new permanent host, replacing the late Alex Trebek, according to a report.  TMZ reported that its insider sources say Sony Studios executives loved Burton, yet didn't think he was a "right fit."

MARVEL STUDIOS - From Deadline:   During an overnight shoot in Boston for Marvel’s "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," actress Letitia Wright suffered minor injuries due to an incident with a stunt rig.  She was hospitalized, but has since been released.

MUSIC - From Variety:   When he was an infant, Spencer Elden, was photographed nude with his genitalia exposed.  That photograph was used as the cover art for the rock band, Nirvana's seminal 1991 album, "Nevermind."  Now, Elden is suing several people, including the surviving members of the band, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, and Courtney Love, the widow of deceased member, Kurt Cobain, over the use of the photograph.

NETFLIX - From EW:   Netflix shares the first photos from its live-action adaptation of the beloved Japanese anime series, "Cowboy Bebop."

From Deadline:  Netflix has announced the release dates of 42 films that it will release Fall 2021, beginning with "Afterlife of the Party" on September 2nd, 2021.

From WeGotThisCovered:  "Beverly Hills Cop 4" gets closer to actually being a thing. The film has been award 15 million dollars in tax credits to shoot in California.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Amblin adds six more cast members to Steven Spielberg's next film, "The Fablesons," his semi-autobiographical film about his childhood.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:   The winner of the 8/20 to 8/22/2021 weekend box office is "Free Guy" with an estimated take of 18.8 million dollars.

DISNEY - From Deadline:   Disney attempts to take its legal disputes with actress Scarlett Johansson over Marvel Studios' "Black Widow" behind closed doors via arbitration.

OBITS:

From Variety:   Film and television actor, Ed Asner, has died at the age of 91, Sunday, November 29, 2021.  Asner is the most most honored male actor in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards, having won seven Emmys.  He won five for playing the character, "Lou Grant."  He first played Grant in the late CBS sitcom, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (1970-77), and then, he played the character in a lead role in the late CBS spinoff drama, "Lou Grant" (1977-82).  He also notably provided the voice for the character "Carl Fredricksen" in Disney/Pixar's "Up" (2009).

From Variety:  Longtime drummer of "The Rolling Stones," Charlie Watts, has died at the age of 80, Tuesday, August 24, 2021.  Watts, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards are the only members of the Stones to have been featured on all their studio albums.  In addition to his Stones work, the jazz-trained drummer also released 10 albums, including several jazz recordings.

From Variety:   Singer-songwriter and musician, Don Everly, has died at the age of 84, Saturday, August 21, 2021.  Don was one-half of the legendary country-influenced rock 'n' roll duo, "The Everly Brothers," with his younger brother, Phil Everly, who died in 2014.  The brothers' close-harmony singing and acoustic guitar playing had a huge influence on a number of musical acts that emerged in the 1960s, including The Beatles and and the Beach Boys.  The Everly Brothers had their greatest success from 1957 to 1961 with such hits as "Bye Bye Love," "Wake Up Little Susie," and "Cathy's Clown," to name a few.  They were part of the inaugural class of the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" in 1986.

From CBSNews:  Conservative radio talk show host, Phil Valentine, has died at the age of 61, Saturday, August 21, 2021 from complications of COVID-19.  From his perch at SuperTalk 99.7 WTN in Nashville, TN, Valentine was a vaccine skeptic and disagreed with mask mandates.  He changed his mind when he was diagnosed with COVID-19 in July and encouraged people to get vaccinated.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 15th to 21st, 2021 - Update #18

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  "Free Guy" looks to repeat as weekend box office champ, while "Paw Patrol" looks to make a strong debut. 

TELEVISION - From Variety:  HBO's series about the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers loses actor Bo Burnham, who was to play NBA great Larry Bird, but gains five more cast members, including Sean Patrick Small as Burnham's replacement to play Bird.

STAR TREK - From Deadline:   Roddenberry Entertainment is quietly working on a biographical film about the late Gene Roddenberry, the creator of "Star Trek" and a television writer-producer whose career spanned decades.

MARVEL STUDIOS - From Variety:  Actor Anthony Mackie has reportedly signed a deal to star in "Captain America 4."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The BBC and Miramax are developing a television series based on Michael Ondaatje's novel, "The English Patient."  The novel was previously adapted by the late Anthony Minghella into a 1996 film that won nine Oscars, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director."

MEDIA - From Deadline:  Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions expands with multiple promotions across the company.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Spencer," the film starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, will hit theaters November 5th.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   AMC Networks has set fall premiere dates for new and returning series across its AMC, AMC+, Acorn TV, AllBlk, BBC America, Shudder, Sundance Now, SundanceTV and WeTV.  Newly revealed dates include the new seasons of "Doctor Who" and "Creepshow "and new series such as "Ragdoll," "Kin," and "Ultra City Smiths.

STAR TREK - From YahooLATimes:   There is a three-battle to be the conservator of Nichelle Nichols, legendary "Star Trek" actress, and it is ugly.

STREAMING - From THR:   In a brewing 100 million dollar deal, Sony Animation's "Hotel Transylvania: Transformania" could bypass its theatrical run and stream on Amazon Prime

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  The winner of the 8/13 to 8/15/2021 weekend box office is "Free Guy" (starring Ryan Reynolds) with an estimated take of 28.4 million dollars.

From Deadline:  Sylvester Stallone has appeared in a movie that was #1 at the box office in six consecutive decades.  Stallone is a voice actor in last weekend's number one film, "The Suicide Squad."

POLITICS - From YahooTheWeek:   It turns out a minor actor participated in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol building.  Michael Aaron Carico, 33, was arrested Wed., August 11th in Burbank, California.

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:   In his first interview since loosing his libel suit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, Johnny Depp speaks out about the "Hollywood boycott" of him.

DISNEY - From GiantFreakingRobot:   The site is reporting that the Walt Disney Company has cut all ties and projects with actress Scarlet Johansson, who is suing Disney over profit sharing for the film, "Black Widow."

NETFLIX - From WeGotThisCovered:   Director Leigh Janiak wants her "Fear Street" three-piece to develop into the Marvel Cinematic Universe of horror.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Apple is closing in on a mega-deal to obtain director Paolo Sorrentino's biopic about Sue Mengers, the legendary female Hollywood agent who broke barriers in what had largely been a boys' club.  Oscar-winner, Jennifer Lawrence, is slated to play Mengers.

OBITS:

From Variety:   The Japanese actor and martial artist, Sonny Chiba, has died at the age of 82, Thursday, August 19, 2021 from complications of COVID-19.  American audiences will remember him for his roles in "Kill Bill Volume 1" (2003) and "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" (2006).

From MeTV:  The English actress and producer, Patricia "Pat" Hitchcock, has died at the age of 93, Monday, August 9, 2021.  Pat was the only child of famed director Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville, the English screenwriter and film editor.  Pat appeared in 10 episodes of the TV series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."  She also appeared in several of her father's films, including "Stage Fright" (1950) and "Psycho" (1960).  Her most substantial role in a Hitchcock film was playing "Barbara Morton" in "Strangers on a Train" (1951).