Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 1st to 10th, 2021 - Update #33

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

STREAMING - From THR:   Eddie Murphy's sequel film, "Coming 2 America," was Amazon's first streaming film to finish #1 on Nielsen's streaming rankings (for the week of March 1 to 7).  Now, it has become the first feature film from any of the four platforms that Nielsen monitors to repeat at #1 (March 8 to 14).

MOVIES - From WeGotThisCovered:   Rumors say that Robert Downey, Jr. is still trying to get troubled movie star, Johnny Depp, a part in Downey's third entry in his "Sherlock Holmes" franchise.

TELEVISION - From THR:  Tyler Perry is developing a new series, "Mabel" for Showtime.  "Mabel" will act as a prequel to Perry's "Madea" films as the new series will chronicle Madea's life going back to 1972.

SCANDAL - From THR:  The magazine and its website offer an article featuring tales of Hollywood and Broadway super-producer, Scott Rudin's abusive behavior towards his young assistants and other professionals. 

From Deadline:  Oscar-nominated producer Megan Ellison, who has worked with Scott Rudin says that his behavior is worst than what "The Hollywood Reporter" claims.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Rising stars Jorge Lendeborg Jr. and Tosin Cole are in negotiations to lead New Line’s reimagining of the 1990 cult comedy, "House Party," produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter's The SpringHill Company. Award-winning music video director Calmatic will be helming in his feature debut.

SCANDAL - From YahooLATimes:   Zachary J. Horwitz, who is an actor under the name, Zachery Avery, was arrested on Tues., April 6th under the federal charge of operating a ponzi scheme.  Horwitz reportedly owes investors 227(!) million dollars.

DC COMICS TO MOVIE - From THR:   "Justice League" actor Ray Fisher gives a bombshell interview about his experiences with key figures in the making of the film, including acclaimed writer-director Joss Whedon.

From Vulture:  A history of allegations of abuse on the part of Joss Whedon.

COVID-19 - From Deadline:  California Gov. Gavin Newsom says that the state will be ending most COVID restrictions and will be "opening up" on June 15th, 2021.

From Deadline: Tyler Perry is reportedly going to end the COVID quarantine bubble at his studio in Atlanta because most of his crew has been vaccinated.

SPORTS - From YahooSports:  The Baylor University Bears are the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament Champions.  The Bears (28-2) beat the Gonzaga University Bulldogs (31-1) 86-70 in the men's championship game on Monday, April 5, 2021 at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Byron Allen's Allen Media Group owns the free-to-air TV network, "This TV."  Now, This TV has signed a distribution deal with eight major ABC-owned TV station subchannels in order to expand its reach.

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:   30 years ago, actress Melanie Thandiwe Newton's name was misspelled in the credits of her first film, the Australian pic, "Flirting."  Since then, the world knows her as "Thandie Newton," but now she is reclaiming the "w" and she is Thandiwe Newton.  "Thandiew" is pronounced "tan-DEE-way."

LGBTQ - From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar-winning actress, Kate Winslet, says she knows many gay actors, especially young actors, who fear that coming out will derail their careeers.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Former movie studio boss and Oscar-winning producer, Harvey Weinstein, is appealing his New York state sex crime convictions, which landed him in prison for 23 years.  Meanwhile, on April 9th, there will be a hearing to extradite him to Los Angeles to face multiple sex crime charges.

MOVIES/STREAMING(?) - From WeGotThisCovered:  Paramount is reportedly developing a "Star Trek" project that is set only on Earth.

SAG AWARDS - From Variety:   If you care ... "Variety" is live-blogging / updating the 2021 / 27th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards with the announcement of the winners as they happen.

From THR:  "The Trial of the Chicago 7" tops the 2021 SAG Awards.

From THR:   Michael Keaton becomes the first actor to be part of three winning ensembles in the category of "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture."  In addition to being a cast member of tonight's winner, "The Trial of the Chicago 7," Keaton was also a member of "Birdman" (2014) and "Spotlight" (2015), which both won "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture."

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:   The winner of the 4/2 to 4/4/2021 weekend box office is "Godzilla vs. Kong" with an estimated take of 32.2 million dollars. This is the best pandemic-era opening weekend.

From Deadline:  "Godzilla vs. Kong" earns an estimated 48.5 million dollars during its first five days at the domestic box office.

From Deadline:   Warner Bros./Legendary's "Godzilla vs. Kong" opened on Wed., March 31st, 2021 and had the biggest opening day since the COVID pandemic, 9.6 million dollars in domestic box office.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Emmy-winning actress Zendaya has been cast as "Lola Bunny" in "Space Jam: A New Legacy," the sequel to the 1996 film, "Space Jam," which starred Michael Jordan.  The film is due July 16, 2021.

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Actor Edward Norton said that he got his breakthrough role, as a 19-year-old altar boy who kills a Catholic bishop in the 1996 film, "Primal Fear," when Leonardo DiCaprio passed on the role.  Norton would earn an Oscar nomination for the part.

MUSIC - From Variety:   HYBE (formerly known as "Big Hit Entertainment"), the home of South Korean pop super-group, BTS, and Ithaca Holdings, which manages Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande (among others), have merged.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Popular cast member, Rege-Jean Page, will not be returning for Season 2 at "Bridgerton."

MOVIES - From THR:   Actor Steven Yeun is in talks to join Oscar-winner Jordan Peele's upcoming thriller.  The title of the film has not been announced, but it is due July 2022.

MOVIES - From THR:  Anthony Ramos has apparently made a star turn in the upcoming film, "In the Heights."  Now, he is in final negotiations to be the lead in next installment of the "Transformers" film franchise.  Steve Caple, Jr., who directed "Creed II," is scheduled to direct the film.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   CBS has officially picked up "CSI: Vegas," a sequel to the original series, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," for the upcoming TV season.  Original series stars, William Petersen and Jorja Fox, will return to join a new cast.

JAMES BOND - From Collider: How to Watch the James Bond Movies in Order (Chronologically and by Release Date)

OBITS:

From XXL:   The rapper, Earl Simmons, better known as "DMX," has died at the age of 50, Friday, April 9, 2021.  His debut LP, 1998's "It's Dark and Hell is Hot," debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 LP chart.  His first five LP would reach #1 and would be certified platinum.  DMX was also an actor and appeared in numerous films, including the 2001 hit, "Exit Wounds."

From Deadline:   The voice-over artist, Mark Elliot, has died at the age of 81, Saturday, April 3, 2021.  He was best known for his work with The Walt Disney Company doing voice-overs for Disney promos and trailers.

From Deadline:   The film and television actress, Gloria Henry, has died at the age of 98, Saturday, April 3, 2021.  Henry is best known for playing "Alice Mitchell," the mother of Dennis Mitchell in the former CBS sitcom, "Dennis the Menace" (1959-63).  She also appeared in numerous TV series, such as "Perry Mason," "The Thin Man," and "Dallas," to name a few.

#28DaysofBlack Review: Eddie Murphy's "HARLEM NIGHTS" is Still Cool

[A little over 21 years after its initial release, Harlem Nights remains unique.  It was the dream project of an African-American movie star, Eddie Murphy, who had reached heights that few African-American stars ever have.  I'm glad Eddie Murphy made this movie.]

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 11 of 2021 (No. 1749) by Leroy Douresseaux

Harlem Nights (1989)
Running time:  116 minutes (1 hour, 56 minutes)
MPAA – R
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Eddie Murphy
PRODUCER:  Mark Lipsky and Robert D. Wachs
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Woody Omens (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Alan Balsam and George Bowers   
COMPOSER:  Herbie Hancock
Academy Award nominee

CRIME/DRAMA with elements of comedy

Starring:  Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, Danny Aiello, Michael Lerner, Della Reese, Berlinda Tobert, Stan Shaw, Jasmine Guy, Vic Polizos, Lela Rochon, David Marciano, Arsenio Hall, Thomas Mikal Ford, Joe Pecoraro, Robin Harris, Charles Q. Murphy, Uncle Ray Murphy, Desi Arnez Hines II, Roberto Duran, and Gene Hartline

Harlem Nights is a 1989 crime film and period drama written and directed by Eddie Murphy.  The film is set during the 1930s and focuses on a New York City club owner and his associates as they battle gangsters and corrupt cops.

Harlem Nights introduces Sugar Ray (Richard Pryor).  In 1938, Ray and his surrogate son, Vernest Brown, best known as “Quick,” run a nightclub, dance hall, and gambling house called “Club Sugar Ray,” located in New York City's Harlem neighborhood.  Ray's other associates include Madame Vera Walker (Della Reese), who runs the brothel at the back of Club Sugar Ray, and her longtime companion, Bennie Wilson (Redd Foxx), the craps table dealer.

Club Sugar Ray is wildly successful, making fifteen to twenty thousand dollars a week, and that has drawn the attention of a white gangster, Bugsy Calhoune (Michael Lerner).  Calhoune wants the majority share of Sugar Ray's revenues, and to that end, employs his criminal associates:  his black enforcer, Tommy Smalls (Thomas Mikal Ford); his Creole mistress, Dominique La Rue (Jasmine Guy), and a corrupt police detective, Sgt. Phil Cantone (Danny Aiello).

Ray decides that he will have to give up his business and move on, although Quick is vehemently against this.  Ray decides to use an upcoming championship boxing match between the world heavy weight champion, black boxer Jack Jenkins (Stan Shaw), and a white challenger, Michael Kirkpatrick (Gene Hartline), the “Irish Ironman,” to disguise his ultimate heist plan against Calhoune.  But for the plan to work, Quick will have to avoid all the people trying to kill him?

Harlem Nights has some of the best production values that I have ever seen in an Eddie Murphy film.  The costumes (which were Oscar-nominated), the art direction and set decoration, and the cinematography are gorgeous.  Herbie Hancock's score captures Harlem Nights shifting tones – from jazzy and sexy to mixes of comic and dramatic violence.  The film's soundtrack offers a buffet of songs written, co-written and performed by the great Duke Ellington, plus performances by Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, and Buddy Clark, to name a few.

Yet, upon its initial release, that is not what some critics noted about Harlem Nights.  They were obsessed with how many times Eddie Murphy's name appeared on the poster.  They counted:  Eddie was star, writer, director, and executive producer; it was too much – at least according to them.  That all played into the “Eddie Murphy is arrogant” argument that many of these critics, mostly jealous white guys, made.

Harlem Nights remains the only film that Eddie Murphy has ever directed, which is a shame.  Granted that his acting is stiff in this film.  Granted that the screenwriting is average; it is never strong on character drama, and sometimes the story really needs it to be.  Still, Harlem Nights moves smoothly through its narrative.  It is slow and easy, although there have been those that have claimed that the film is “too slow.”  Still, Eddie Murphy has a silken touch at directing.

None of Harlem Nights' problems matter to me.  At the time, there had never been a film like it.  Harlem Nights is a big budget, lavish, Hollywood period film that is thoroughly Black.  Its cast is a once-in-a-life-time event.  I'm not sure a black director could have gotten funding with Harlem Night's cast even as a low budget film.  Harlem Nights is a film that only Eddie Murphy could get produced, and one could argue that it was not until well into the twenty-first century that any other black filmmaker could get something like Harlem Nights made.  So I'm good with its problems, and I am simply happy that it exists.

Harlem Nights is an entertaining film, and I have highly enjoyed it every time that I have seen it.  It stands as a testament to what Eddie Murphy became by the late 1980s – the only African-American who was a real Hollywood “player.”  Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, and Della Reese:  they were a dream lineup, a fleeting coming together that seemed to be gone in an instant.  Harlem Nights lives on, as a gorgeous, strange hybrid drama-comedy-gangster-period film.  And I, for one, am always ready to recommend it.

B+
7 of 10

Tuesday, February 9, 2021


NOTES:
1990 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Costume Design” (Joe I. Tompkins)


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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 22nd to 30th, 2020 - Update #31

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   The winner of the 11/27 to 11/29/2020 weekend box office was DreamWorks Animation's "The Croods: A New Age" with an estimated take of 9.7 million dollars.

POLITICS - From GuardianUK:   Why Biden shouldn't extend an olive branch to Republicans

CULTURE - From YahooLife:  If it isn't the most unusual location for a McDonald's restaurant in America, it is one of the most.  See the Ace Hardward-McDonald's in Washington D.C.

MOVIES - From Time:   "Time Magazine" names the "Ten Best" acting performances in film for 2020.

SPORTS/CULTURE - From NPR:   Sarah Fuller of the Vanderbilt Commodores football team becomes the first woman in history to play in a "Power 5" conference football game.  Vanderbilt is a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) as is their opponent in the game played on Sat. Nov. 28th, 2020, the University of Missouri Tigers.

SPORTS/MUSIC - From ESPN:   Grammy-winning, Canadian recording artist, "The Weeknd," will be the headlining act at the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show.

From CoS:  "The Weeknd" did not receive one 2021 Grammy nomination when they were recently announced, although he seemed to be a lock to receive several due to the smash success of his 2020 album, "After Hours."  Sources close to him believe that this lack of nominations is due to him performing at the Super Bowl LV halftime show.

STREAMING - From IndependentUK:   Acclaimed director David Lynch is apparently working on a series entitled "Wisteria" for Netflix.

OSCARS - From Variety:   Netflix could break an 85-year-old Oscar record.  That would be for the studio with the most "Best Picture" nominations in a year - held by MGM with five in 1937.

From Variety:  If you don't like the Academy Awards diversity standards, comedian and actor, Andy Samberg, says that you can f**k off.

CULTURE - From Yahoo/NYT:  A new generation of rich kids wants to tear down capitalism.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Actor Idris Elba will interview rock music legend and former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney for a BBC One special, "Idris Elba Meets Paul McCartney."

MOVIES - From WeGotThisCovered:  Disney is apparently considering or developing a spinoff of 20th Century Fox's "Alien" franchise that involves a younger version of the beloved character "Ellen Ripley," made famous by Oscar-nominated actress, Sigourney Weaver.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Netflix has removed Comedy Central's "Chappelle's Show" from its streaming service at the request of the series' star, Dave Chappelle.  Chappelle claims that ViacomCBS

POLITICS - From YahooNYT:  The things Donald Trump really liked about being President of the USA.

MOVIES - From Collider:  Writer-director Chris Columbus provides an update on "Gremlins 3," which would be the second sequel to "Gremlins," the beloved 1984 he wrote.

GRAMMYS - From THR:   Trevor Noah, the host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," will host the 2021 Grammy Awards.

From ETOnline:  South Korea's musical act, BTS, has become the first K-Pop (Korean pop) act to receive a Grammy Awards nomination in a major category - "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance" for their English-language single, "Dynamite."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Sports journalists, Jemele Hill, formerly of ESPN, and Kelley Carter, are  joining Gabriele Union and Sony Pictures TV to develop the half-hour comedy, "New Money," for Showtime.

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:   Cherokee American actor Wes Studi revisits the Oscar-winning film, "Dances With Wolves" (including winning "Best Picture"), in which he appeared and also talks about the changing depictions of Native Americans in film and television

TELEVISION - From YahooEntertainment:   "Saturday Night Live" writer reveals how Eddie Murphy saved the late-night show 40 years ago.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   The winner of the 11/20 - 11/22/2020 weekend box office is "Freaky" with an estimated take of 1.2 million dollars.

CELEBRITY - From THR:   Tyler Perry's giveaway of food and gift cards at Tyler Perry Studios on Sunday, Nov. 22nd attracted thousands.  People started lining up in their cars on Saturday...

MOVIES - THR: Tyler Perry, Melanie Lynskey and Ron Perlman are the latest stars to join the all-star cast of Adam McKay’s satire, "Don’t Look Up."

MOVIES - From ShadowandAct:  Grammy-winning recording artist and actor, Nelly, will portray seminal rock 'n' roll musician, Chuck Berry, in "Clear Lake," an upcoming biographical film about the late Buddy Holly.

CELEBRITY - From ShadowandAct:   Taylor Simone Ledward, the widow of actor Chadwick Boseman ("Black Panther"), is the administrator of the late actor's estate.

POLITICS - From Truthout:  President Joe Biden should cancel student debt on "Day One" of his administration.

MOVIES - From THR:   Channing Tatum has reunited with his "21 Jump Street" collaborator, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, for a "tongue-in-cheek" thriller based on the "Universal Monsters" franchise.

OBITS:

From YahooHuffPost:   The British actor and weightlifter and bodybuilder, David Prowse, has died at the age of 85, Saturday, November 28, 2020.  Prowse was best known for playing "Darth Vader" in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, beginning with "Star Wars" in 1977.  Prowse wore Vader's costume, but actor James Earl Jones provided Vader's voice.

From ESPN:   Argentine professional football (soccer) player, Diego Maradona, has died at the age of 60, Wednesday, November 25, 2020.  Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Maradona captained Argentina to the 1986 World Cup championship.

From YahooEntertainment:   The brother of actors, Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray, Ed Murray, has died at the age of 76, Monday, November 23, 2020.  Ed was one of the inspirations for the iconic sports movie, "Caddyshack" (1980), which Brian co-wrote and in which Bill starred.

COVID-19:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

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

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

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

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

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

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

From JuanCole:  Remember when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From TheAtlantic:  The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

From ProPublica:  Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

7/13 - From YahooSports:  Maybe a pandemic means that there will not be college football this fall.

7/13- From YahooNews:  The CDC adds four new symptoms (including nausea and purple or blue lesions on feet and toes) to the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

7/19 - From YahooFinance:  Harvard Public Health professor Dr. Howard Koh says the U.S. "needs to regroup" to find COVID-19.

7/22 - From YahooNews:  A public health employee predicted Florida's coronavirus catastrophe — then she was fired.

7/22 - From YahooLifestyle:  Florida mom loses son, 20, to coronavirus, and then days later, her daughter.

7/23 - From TheWrap:  The site has a list of movie and TV stars, entertainment and sports figures who have tested positive for COVID-19

From Bloomberg:  Will the COVID-19 pandemic turn Millennials into socialists?

7/27 - From CNN:   Chief of critical care at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Costa, passes away due to Covid-19 complications... after treating the hospital's sickest COVID-19 patients.  He was 56 and leaves behind family, including a husband of 28 years.

7/31 - From Slate:  COVID-19 is airborne - for reals!

8/9 - From YahooAFP:  According to the real-time tally kept by John Hopkins University, the United States has hit 5 million cases of COVID-19.

8/16 - From Truthout: COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians

9/19 - From WashPost:  U.S. coronavirus death toll reaches 200,000

9/23 - From CNBC:  Mark Cuban, who owns the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and star of ABC's "Shark Tank," suggests that every household in American get a $1000 check every two weeks for the next two months.

11/7 - From YahooNews:  "It's a slaughter," doctors say of new coronavirus wave.

11/13 - YahooNews:  "We blew it": U.S. reaches 'explosive' COVID-19 spread as virus is nearly impossible to control, experts say.

11/29 From LATimes:  California sets record with most COVID-19 hospitalizations since pandemic began

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

From RSN:   Judge's Blistering Opinion Says Courts Have Placed Police Beyond Accountability

From TheGuardian:  Yusef Salaam, one of the "Central Park Five," says in an interview, "Trump would have had me hanging from a tree in Central Park."

From NPR:  Prosecutors' plea deal required drug suspect to name Breonna Taylor a "co-defendant."

From ChicagoSunTimes:  Rev. Jesse Jackson: America has millions of people in poverty because Americans choose not to demand the policies that would lift them out of poverty.

From APNews:  No one will be held accountable for the killing of Louisville African-American resident, Breonna Taylor.

From Channel4:  Revealed: Trump campaign strategy to deter millions of Black Americans from voting in 2016

From GuardianUK:  California is going to consider paying reparations to the descendants of African slaves after adopting a landmark law to study and to develop proposals around the issue.

From TheRoot:   What to Do When Your Country Turns Into a Dumpster Fire

From Vox:  It's True: 1 in 1,000 Black Americans Have Died in the Covid-19 Pandemic

From CBS:  Breonna Taylor's boyfriend certain cops didn't identify themselves

From DonaldTrump:  Well, because it has been in the news a lot lately (via Ice Cube and Li'l Wayne), here is "The Platinum Plan."  It is impressive, but no Republican Congress would go along with even 10 percent of this plan which is basically a long list of promises to the Black Americans - individually and as a group.

From Truthout:   Yes, 55 Percent of White Women Voted for Trump. No, I’m Not Surprised.

The "BET Awards" 2020 Nominations Have Been Announced

BET Announces Official Nominations for The “BET Awards” 2020

CBS Joins as Broadcast Partner to Simulcast The “BET Awards” 2020 Set to Air on Sunday, June 28, 2020 From 8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT

Drake Leads With Six Nominations

Megan Thee Stallion and Roddy Ricch Follow With Five Nominations

Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Lizzo and DaBaby Tie With Four Nominations Each

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET announced The “BET Awards” 2020 nominees with Drake leading the pack with six nominations. This year’s nominees reflect an abundance of creative expression and black excellence across music, television, film, sports, and philanthropy. The “BET AWARDS” 2020 will simulcast LIVE at 8 pm ET across ViacomCBS networks including BET, BET HER, and will make its national broadcast premiere on CBS on Sunday, June 28, 2020 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT, 7:00-10:00 PM, CT).

Drake returns to the top spot securing six nods, including ‘Best Male Hip Hop Artist,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ and two nods for both ‘Best Collaboration’ and ‘Viewer’s Choice’ for his features alongside Chris Brown ( No Guidance) and Future (Life Is Good).

Newcomers Megan Thee Stallion and Roddy Ricch garnered the second most nods with five nominations each. Megan Thee Stallion nominations include ‘Best Female Hip Hop,’ ‘Best Collaboration,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ ‘Album of the Year,’ and ‘Viewer’s Choice Award.’ Roddy Ricch’s nods include ‘Best Male Hip Hop,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ ‘Best New Artist,’ ‘Album of the Year,’ and ‘Viewer’s Choice Award.’ Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Lizzo, and DaBaby are the third-highest with four nominations each.

In its twentieth year, the “BET AWARDS” continues its reign as the ultimate platform to showcase the best and most beautiful aspects of the Black experience – celebrating Black music’s present and future, and elevating the culture and being a driving force for social change. BET recognizes artists, entertainers, and athletes across 21 categories with The “BET Awards” 2020 nominations. The nominations are selected by BET’s Voting Academy, which is composed of fans and an esteemed group of entertainment professionals in the fields of television, film, music, social media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, and creative arts.

Internationally, the show will simulcast on BET Africa at 2am CAT on June 29th, followed by international broadcasts in the UK on June 29th at 9pm BST, France on June 30th at 9:45pm CEST and in South Korea on June 30th at 9pm KST.

The complete list of nominees for The “BET AWARDS” 2020 are:

BEST FEMALE R&B/POP ARTIST
BEYONCÉ
H.E.R.
JHENE AIKO
KEHLANI
SUMMER WALKER

BEST MALE R&B/POP ARTIST
ANDERSON .PAAK
CHRIS BROWN
JACQUEES
KHALID
THE WEEKND
USHER

BEST GROUP
CHLOE X HALLE
CITY GIRLS
EARTHGANG
GRISELDA
JACKBOYS

BEST COLLABORATION
CHRIS BROWN FT. DRAKE - NO GUIDANCE

DJ KHALED FT. NIPSEY HUSSLE & JOHN LEGEND - HIGHER

FUTURE FT. DRAKE - LIFE IS GOOD

H.E.R. FT. YG - SLIDE

MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. NICKI MINAJ & TY DOLLA $IGN - HOT GIRL SUMMER

WALE FT. JEREMIH - ON CHILL

BEST MALE HIP HOP ARTIST
DABABY
DRAKE
FUTURE
LIL BABY
RODDY RICCH
TRAVIS SCOTT

BEST FEMALE HIP HOP ARTIST
CARDI B
DOJA CAT
LIZZO
MEGAN THEE STALLION
NICKI MINAJ
SAWEETIE

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
CHRIS BROWN FT. DRAKE - NO GUIDANCE

DABABY - BOP

DJ KHALED FT. NIPSEY HUSSLE & JOHN LEGEND - HIGHER

DOJA CAT - SAY SO

MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. NICKI MINAJ & TY DOLLA $IGN - HOT GIRL SUMMER

RODDY RICCH - THE BOX

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
BENNY BOOM
COLE BENNETT
DAVE MEYERS
DIRECTOR X
EIF RIVERA
TEYANA "SPIKE TEE" TAYLOR

BEST NEW ARTIST
DANILEIGH
LIL NAS X
POP SMOKE
RODDY RICCH
SUMMER WALKER
YBN CORDAE

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
CUZ I LOVE YOU - LIZZO

FEVER - MEGAN THEE STALLION

HOMECOMING: THE LIVE ALBUM - BEYONCÉ

I USED TO KNOW HER - H.E.R.

KIRK - DABABY

PLEASE EXCUSE ME FOR BEING ANTISOCIAL -RODDY RICCH

DR. BOBBY JONES BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL AWARD
FRED HAMMOND - ALRIGHT

JOHN P. KEE FT. ZACARDI CORTEZ - I MADE IT OUT

KANYE WEST - FOLLOW GOD

KIRK FRANKLIN - JUST FOR ME

PJ MORTON FT. LE'ANDRIA JOHNSON & MARY MARY- ALL IN HIS PLAN

THE CLARK SISTERS - VICTORY

BEST ACTRESS
ANGELA BASSETT
CYNTHIA ERIVO
ISSA RAE
REGINA KING
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS
ZENDAYA

BEST ACTOR
BILLY PORTER
EDDIE MURPHY
FOREST WHITAKER
JAMIE FOXX
MICHAEL B. JORDAN
OMARI HARDWICK

YOUNGSTARS AWARD
ALEX HIBBERT
ASANTE BLACKK
JAHI DI’ALLO WINSTON
MARSAI MARTIN
MILES BROWN
STORM REID

BEST MOVIE
BAD BOYS FOR LIFE
DOLEMITE IS MY NAME
HARRIET
HOMECOMING: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ
JUST MERCY
QUEEN & SLIM

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
AJEÉ WILSON
CLARESSA SHIELDS
COCO GAUFF
NAOMI OSAKA
SERENA WILLIAMS
SIMONE BILES

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO
KAWHI LEONARD
LEBRON JAMES
ODELL BECKHAM JR.
PATRICK MAHOMES II
STEPHEN CURRY

BET HER AWARD
ALICIA KEYS - UNDERDOG

BEYONCÉ FT. BLUE IVY CARTER, WIZKID & SAINT JHN - BROWN SKIN GIRL

CIARA FT. LUPITA NYONG'O, ESTER DEAN, CITY GIRLS & LA LA - MELANIN

LAYTON GREENE - I CHOOSE

LIZZO FT. MISSY ELLIOT - TEMPO

RAPSODY FT. PJ MORTON - AFENI

VIEWER’S CHOICE AWARD
CHRIS BROWN FT. DRAKE - NO GUIDANCE

DABABY - BOP

FUTURE FT. DRAKE - LIFE IS GOOD

MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. NICKI MINAJ & TY DOLLA $IGN - HOT GIRL SUMMER

RODDY RICCH - THE BOX

THE WEEKND - HEARTLESS

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
BURNA BOY (NIGERIA)
INNOSS’B (DRC)
SHO MADJOZI (S. AFRICA)
DAVE (U.K.)
STORMZY (U.K.)
NINHO (FRANCE)
S.PRI NOIR (FRANCE)

VIEWERS’ CHOICE: BEST NEW INTERNATIONAL ACT
REMA (NIGERIA)
SHA SHA (ZIMBABWE)
CELESTE (U.K.)
YOUNG T & BUGSEY (U.K.)
HATIK (FRANCE)
STACY (FRANCE)

Connie Orlando, EVP of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET and Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment serves as Executive Producers for The “BET Awards” 2020 broadcast special.

For the latest The “BET AWARDS” 2020 news and updates, please visit BET.com/Awards.


ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news, and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel is in 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa, and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

ABOUT “BET AWARDS”
The “BET Awards” is one of the most watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET Awards” franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.

ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT
Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE) is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran, NAACP Image® Award winner and Emmy® Award nominee Jesse Collins. For more than a decade, the company has played an integral role in producing some of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. JCE produced the critically acclaimed biopic The New Edition Story, the story on the boy band that aired as a 3-part mini-series and posted record ratings for BET and attracted nearly 30 million viewers. It was followed by The Bobby Brown Story, which chronicled the talented but troubled singer’s exit from the popular ’80s boy band through his solo success, and was the highest rated non-tentpole program on the network since The New Edition Story. The next mini-series for JCE is Uptown, a 3-part original scripted miniseries for BET that will chronicle the story of producer Andre Harrell’s iconic record label, Uptown Records. The company’s current scripted TV series is American Soul, the story about the struggle to make the dream of Soul Train, the first nationally-syndicated Black music show, come true. It ended its first season as the #1 new cable scripted drama for African Americans 18-49 and its second season debuts in May 2020. Previously, JCE produced BET’s hit TV series Real Husbands of Hollywood starring Kevin Hart that ran for 5 seasons. On the unscripted side, JCE produces annual live specials — the BET Awards, Soul Train Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Past credits include Black Girls Rock!, UNCF’s An Evening of Stars, ABFF Honors, BET Honors, Love & Happiness: An Obama Farewell, VH1’s Dear Mama, HBO’s Amanda Seales I Be Knowin;’ Netflix’s Def Comedy Jam 25 and Leslie Jones: Time Machine. JCE’s game shows include VH1’s Hip Hop Squares with Ice Cube and CMT’s Nashville Squares. Its music competition series on BET, Sunday Best is now in its 10th season and Netflix’s Rhythm & Flow featuring judges Tip “T.I.” Harris, Cardi B and Chance the Rapper will soon begin production on its second season that will air in 2021. Collins is also a producer for The Grammy Awards. He was on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop 100 Power Players list, has been featured on the cover of Vibe magazine and in numerous publications including Ebony magazine’s Power 100 issue. Go to http://www.jessecollinsent.com/ for more information on the company.

Follow @BET_PR AND @BETAWARD

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 10th to 16th, 2019 - Update #25

Support Leroy on Patreon:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Oscar-nominated actor Clive Owen ("Closer") will play President Bill Clinton in "Impreachment: American Crime Story," which will be the third entry in the "American Crime Story" series.

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MOVIES - From RollingStone:   This is the story of how Oscar-winning actress Mary Steenburgen ("Melvin and Howard") had surgery and then became a songwriter.

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DISNEY - From Variety:  Disney has greenlit Ridley Scott's period drama, "The Last Duel" with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Adam Driver.

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BLM - From BET:  At a Tennessee Popeye's, a white customer called the employees "niggers," and one of them body-slammed her in the parking lot.  See the hilarious video.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Last night (Wed., Nov. 13th), the fantastic ninth season of "American Horror Story," entitled "AHS 1984," came to an end.  Series co-creator, super-producer Ryan Murphy, talks about this season and the future of "American Horror Story."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Netflix and Paramount Pictures have reportedly struck a deal so that Netflix could make a fourth installment of the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise with star Eddie Murphy and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

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BUSINESS - From Variety:  Emotions run high as the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in Byron Allen vs. Comcast.

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COMICS-FILM - From YahooMusic:  Danny Elfman scored the 1989 Tim Burton film, "Batman," but once upon a time producer Jon Peters wanted Elfman to compose the film's score with the late Prince, who did provides songs for the film.  Elfman refused and now, talks about how he thought that he was risking his career at the time.

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TELEVISION - From YahooTV:  Jodi Serling is the daughter of the late Rod Serling, who created the landmark and legendary television series, "The Twilight Zone."  Ms. Serling shares some secrets and stories about her father and the series on the 60th anniversary of "The Twilight Zone."

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DISNEY - From Variety:  Newcomer Jonah Hauer-King will play "Prince Eric" in Disney's live-action remake of its classic animated film, "The Littler Mermaid."

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STREAMING - From Variety:  A reunion special for the beloved NBC TV series, "Friends," is in the early planning stages.  The UNSCRIPTED special would appear in WarnerMedia's streaming service, "HBO Max."

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TELEVISION - From ShadowandAct:  We get a first look at HBO's "Lovecraft Country," from Jordan Peele, Misha Green, and J.J. Abrams and is based on the most excellent novel by Matt Ruff.

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AWARDS - From Deadline:  Ricky Gervais is returning to host the 77th Golden Globes Awards, Jan. 5th, 2020 on NBC.  It will be his fifth time hosting the awards ceremony, and he says it will be his last.

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STREAMING-DISNEY - From Deadline:  This is the launch day (Nov. 12th) of Disney's new streaming service, Disney+.  And, of course, there are a few tech issues.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Paramount Pictures has landed the worldwide distribution rights to Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle's next film, "Babylon," which is due for a limited release December 25, 2021.

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SPORTS-LGBTQ - From YahooFinance:  Former Major League Baseball player, Billy Bean, is now an LGBTQ advocate, but talks about his time "living a secret life."

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AWARDS - From Deadline:  The 2019 People's Choice Awards were announced Sunday night, Nov. 10th.  "Avengers: Endgame" and Netflix's "Stranger Things" were the big winners.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 11/8 to 11/10/2019 weekend box office is "Midway" with an estimated take of 17.5 million dollars.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros. is looking at about a $20 million dollar loss on its Stephen King adaptation, "Doctor Sleep," which has a soft debut weekend.

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MOVIES - From YahooPeople:  Dan Aykroyd said during a radio interview that Bill Murray will appear in "Ghostbusters 2020."

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GUILD NEWS - From Variety:  The Writers Guild of America have named more than two dozen of its members to be on a negotiating committee as threat of a Hollywood writers' strike looms for next year.

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AWARDS - From Variety:  The nominations for the 2019 / 32nd European Film Awards have been announced.  Winners will be announced Dec. 7th in Berlin.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  The Oscar-winning writer-director Woody Allen has settled his 68 million dollar lawsuit against Amazon.  Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

TRAILER:

From YouTube:  Here is the first official for the upcoming animated Scooby-Doo film, "Scoob," which is due May 15, 2020.

OBITS:

From LATimes:  The American scholar and historian, Noel Ignatiev, died at the age of 78, Saturday, November 9, 2019.  Ignatiev was best known for his efforts to abolish the concept of "whiteness" and to end white racial privilege.  His first book, "How the Irish Became White" (1995), was a sensation.

From Variety:  Holocaust survivor and Academy Award-winning film producer, Branko Lustig, has died at the age of 87, Wednesday, November 14, 2019.  Lustig won two Oscars, one for producing "Schindler's List" (1993) and one for producing "Gladiator" (2000).  During World War II, Lustig was imprisoned in the Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 8th to 14th, 2019 - Update #24

Support Leroy on Patreon:

COMICS-FILM - From ShadowandAct:  Rihanna addresses rumors that she is being considered to play Poison Ivy in Matt Reeves "The Batman."  Still in development, the film would star Robert Pattison as Batman.

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DISNEY - From Variety:  Walt Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger has stepped down from Apple's board of directors as Disney and Apple launch competing streaming services.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Why J.J. Abrams and his wife Katie McGrath said yes to WarnerMedia and no to Apple, although Apple offered them $500 million for an exclusive deal, where WarnerMedia offered $250 million.

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ANIMATION - From YahooEntertainment:  Longtime voice actor, Frank Welker, talks about being the voice of Fred Jones for 50 years on today, September 13th, the 50th anniversary of "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!"

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SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Emmy-winning actress Felicity Huffman has been sentenced to two weeks/14 days in jail for in the infamous college admissions scandal.  She will have to self-report to Bureau of Prisons officials on October 25 to begin serving her time in a California facility.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  This season on an episode of her hit ABC series, "Black-ish," Tracee Ellis Ross will reunite with Jill Marie Jones, Persia White and Golden Brooks, her three co-stars from the UPN/The CW series, "Girlfriends" (2000-2008).

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MOVIES - From Newsarama:  A brand new "Jurassic World" short film will debut Sunday, September 15, 2019 on cable network, FX.

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MOVIES - From THR:   J.J. Abrams and his wife, Katie McGrath, through their company, Bad Robot, have signed an overall film, TV, game, and digital production deal with WarnerMedia.

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AVATAR - From Deadline:   What does James Cameron feel now that "Avengers: Endgame" has passed his 2009 film, "Avatar," as the all-time box office champ?  He feels "relief" and he explains why.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Viacom is in the lead to obtain the the portion of the Miramax film library that is up for sale.  beIN Media Group owns the 700-title library and wants to sell 30 percent to 50 percent, while maintaining a controlling stake.  Lionsgate has withdrawn its bid.

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STREAMING - From ShadowandAct:  Whoopi Goldberg will join CBS All Access' new adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel, "The Stand."  A miniseries for the streaming service, it will run for 10 episodes.  Stephen King will write the final episode of the series, which will take the story beyond what was in the original novel.

From BleedingCool:  This article includes lots of information on "The Stand," and its includes the video of Whoopi announcing her casting on "The View," Wednesday morning, Sept. 11, 2019.  Stephen King was a guest on that episode.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Two-time Emmy Award winner, Uzo Aduba, will join FX's "Fargo" Season 4, which will feature Chris Rock.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  Jennifer Lopez is reportedly in talks to headline 2020 Super Bowl halftime show.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Actor John C. Reilly will play owner Jerry Buss in HBO's pilot about the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA.  He replaces Michael Shannon.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  TV super-producer David E. Kelley and Jack Bender are developing Stephen King's new novel, "The Institute" as a limited series.

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TELEVISION - From BleedingCool: Dan Curtis TV series, "Dark Shadows" (1966-71), is being revived a fourth time.  "Dark Shadows: Reincarnation" is being developed for The CW.  Previously, there was a 12-episode run in 1991 for NBC, an unaired 2004 pilot, and a 2012 film from director Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  The John Travolta-Nicolas Cage film, Face/Off, (directed by John Woo), is being remade...

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MOVIES - From YahooPeople:  "Crazy Rich Asians" director John M. Chu says he supports the film's co-writer, Adele Lim, who quit the sequel over a pay disparity dispute.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 9/6 to 9/8/2019 weekend box office is "It: Chapter Two" with an estimated box office take of 91 million.

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MOVIES-STREAMING - From YahooAP:  Eddie Murphy is getting some of the best reviews of his career in "Dolemite is My Name."

From YahooMovies:  Thirty-three years after his movie, "The Golden Child," Eddie Murphy has reunited with Jasmine L. Reate.  She played the boy ("the Golden Child") that Murphy's character, Chandler Jarrell) had to save.

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STREAMING - From Variety:   Netflix has officially announced that Gillian Anderson ("The X-Files") is joining the fourth season of Netflix's "The Crown" as Margaret Thatcher.  This news had been circulating since early in the year, but Netflix would not confirm it until now.

OBITS:

From YahooMusic:   The rock 'n' roll singer, songwriter, and musician, Eddie Money, has died at the age of 70, Friday, September 13, 2019.  From 1978 to 1991, he had several Top 40 hits, including such hooky rock standards as "Two Tickets to Paradise" and "Baby Hold On."

From Deadline:  The stage, film, and television actor John Wesley has died at the age of 72, Sunday, September 8, 2019.  He has over 100 TV and film credits, including appearances on TV series like "In the Heat of the Night," "Martin," and "Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad."  Wesley was a Vietnam veteran having served in the United States Army.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 1st to 7th, 2019 - Update #27

Support Leroy on Patreon:

STREAMING - From THR:  Patty Jenkins signs a TV deal with Netflix.

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MOVIES - From BlackFilm:  Michael Ealy talks executive producing and starring in the soon to be released remake of the 1990 film, "Jacob's Ladder."

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MOVIES - From THR:  Here is a list of Fall 2019 horror films.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Gabrielle Union will produce a drama-comedy for cable giant, Spectrum.  Union is already starring in the "Spectrum Originals" series, "L.A. Finest."

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AWARDS - From THR:  The 76th edition of the Venice Film Festival has come to a close.  The "Golden Lion" went to director Todd Phillps and his film, "Joker."  The "Silver Lion" went to director Roman Polanski and his film, "An Officer and a Spy."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Haley Atwell is joining the next "Mission: Impossible" film.  Atwell is best known for her appearances in "Captain America: The First Avenger" and its ABC TV spinoff, "Agent Carter."

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STREAMING - From Deadline:   Darren Criss will star in and executive produce Ryan Murphy's Netflix drama series, "Hollywood."  Criss won an Emmy and several other awards for playing spree killer Andrew Cunanan in Murphy's "The Assassination Gianni Versace."

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CULTURE - From YahooHuffPost:  "Barbie Death Camp," the Burning Man festival - go, read.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Actor Sean Connery reports that he and his wife rode out Hurricane Dorian from his mansion in the Bahamas.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Isaiah Mustafa talks about the transition from professional football to acting, including a role in "It: Chapter Two."

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TELEVISION - From THR: Milo Ventimiglia ("This is Us") will portray motorcycle daredevil, the late Evel Knievel for a USA Network miniseries.

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STREAMING - From THR:  Hulu and MGM have the screen rights to the "The Testaments," the upcoming book sequel to Margaret Atwood's novel, "The Handmaid's Tale" (1985).  Hulu is currently streaming an Emmy-winning TV adaptation of "The Handmaid's Tale."

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STREAMING - From TVGuide:  Netflix is ending its comedy series, "Grace and Frankie" (starring Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda), after its upcoming seventh season.  By reaching a seventh season, "Grace and Frankie" will become Netflix's longest-running series to date.

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CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  Eddie Murphy is reportedly planning to return to stand-up comedy in 2020, via a tour.

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STREAMING - From THR:  Will Poulter ("We're the Millers") has been named one of the leads in Amazon's "Lord of the Rings" series.

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AWARDS - From THR:  The nominations for the 2019 E! People's Choice Awards have been announced.

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CELEBRITY - From THR:  In a wide-ranging interview with "The Hollywood Reporter," Scarlett Johansson talks about a lot of things.  But this interview may be remembered for her support of #MeToo casualty, director Woody Allen.

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OBAMA - From THR:  President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are having trademark issues of their company's name, "Higher Ground Productions."

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  Television series mastermind, Ryan Murphy, is planning an impressive slate of programs as part of his Netflix deal.  That includes a TV adaptation of the Broadway musical, "A Chorus Line" and a biography of iconic designer, Halston, with Ewan McGregor in the lead role.

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STREAMING - From TheWrap:  AppleTV has scrapped plans to produce the Richard Gere drama, "Bastards."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 8/3 to 9/1/2019 weekend box office (the Labor Day weekend and the final weekend of Summer 2019) is "Angel Has Fallen" with an estimated take of 11.57 million dollars.

From Deadline:  After Disney slaughtered its rivals at the summer box office, they ask, "what is theatrical."

From Variety:  Even with big hits like "The Lion King" and "Avengers: Endgame," the North American box office experienced a two percent decline in Summer 2019 (4.32 billion dollars) from Summer 2018 (4.41 billion dollars).

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CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  Actor-comedian Kevin Hart reportedly suffers "major back injuries" in a car accident in Calabasas, CA early Sunday morning, Sept. 1st.

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MOVIES - From TheDailyBeast:  At the Venice Film Festival, Spike Lee defends Nate Parker, who is at the festival screening his latest, "American Skin."

From Variety:  Director Nate Parker apologizes for being tone-deaf about the resurfacing of rape allegations against him in 2016 during the promotion of his film, "The Birth of a Nation."

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FILM FESTIVAL - From YahooNews:  At the Venice Festival, controversy swirls around the film, "An Officer and a Spy," and its director Oscar-winner Roman Polanski.  Polanski was convicted for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1978, and he has been a fugitive from the U.S. since then.  Some believe his inclusion is out of touch in the #MeToo era.

OBITS:

From Variety:   The actress Carol Lynley has died at the age of 77, Tuesday, September 3, 2019.  She is best known for her appearances in "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972) and Blue Denim, both the original play in 1958 and its 1959 film adaptation.  She also appeared in the 1972 TV movie, "The Night Stalker," which led to the short-lived ABC series, "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" (1974-75).

From YahooMusic:  The Grammy-winning songwriter, LaShawn Daniels, has died at the age of 41, Tuesday, September 3, 2019.  Daniels was a frequent collaborator of Grammy-winner, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and wrote or co-wrote songs for Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga.  Daniels won the "Grammy Award for Best R&B Song" for Destiny Child's "Say My Name" in 2001.

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  The first trailer for "Bad Boys for Life" the third film in the "Bad Boys" film franchise.  The film is due January 17, 2020.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 16th to 22nd, 2019 - Update #22

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIES - From YahooEW:  Some believe that the movie poster for the 1992 Kevin Costner-Whitney Houston film, "The Bodyguard," is an iconic image.  But Costner says the woman he is holding in the image is not Whitney Houston, but is her body double.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Tyler Perry's first TV series for BET (part of his multi-year content deal with Viacom) is a White House drama called "The Oval."

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COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  "Transparent" creator, Jill Soloway, will write and direct Millennium Films' "Red Sonja" film, based on the comic book character inspired by a Robert E. Howard (Conan the Barbarian) character.  Soloway is replacing the disgraced Bryan Singer.

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BUSINESS - From Bloomberg:  The toy store chain, Toys "R" Us, is looking to make a come book in the United States for Christmas 2019, by opening six new stores.

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SCANDAL - From YahooNews:  There is a new twist in Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey's sexual assault case - text messages from the alleged victim.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  There has reportedly been a stabbing on the Warner Bros. Studios U.K. set of "The Witches."  The film is remake of the previous film version of Roald Dahl's book of the same title.  News is describing the films as "a new Anne Hathaway movie."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Screen Gems is eyeing a spinoff of its 210 hit film, "Easy A."  They hired Bert Royal, who wrote the first film, to write and direct the new one.

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MOVIES - From TheRinger:  "The Problem With IMDb’s Rating System" by Alyssa Bereznak

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Jermaine Fowler is set to be one of Eddie Murphy's co-stars in the "Coming to America" sequel, "Coming 2 America," which is set to be directed by Craig Brewer ("Hustle & Flow").

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SCANDAL - From TheDailyBeast:  Eight women have come forward to accuse Hollywood screenwriter, Max Landis ("Chronicle," "Bright") of various forms of abuse.

From IndieWire:  An analysis: "Max Landis should have been thrown out of Hollywood years ago."

From IndieWire:  Apparently, director Josh Trank banned Max Landis from the set of "Chronicle," a film Landis wrote and created with Trank.

From IndieWire:  Chloe Grace Moretz says her World War II horror film, "Shadow in the Cloud," has distanced itself from writer Max Landis and has been rewritten without him.

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AWARDS - From Deadline:  If you care, here are the "MTV Movie and TV Awards" winners.  "Avengers: Endgame" named "Best Movie" and "Game of Thrones" named "Best Show."

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MOVIES-TV - From Deadline:  WarnerMedia is reportedly closing in on a "megadeal," worth as much as $500 million, with J.J. Abrams to produce content for them.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Hunger Games" author, Suzanne Collins, is working on a "Hunger Games" prequel novel and Lionsgate is in talks to develop it into a film.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 6/14 to 6/16/2019 weekend box office is "Men in Black: International" with an estimated take of 28.5 million dollars.

From Patreon:  Leroy Douresseaux's review of "Men in Black: International."

From Deadline:  "The Dead Don't Die" and "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" lead specialty box office.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Former child actor, Danny Lloyd ("The Shining"), now a college professor, reacta to the trailer for "Doctor Sleep," the sequel to "The Shining."  The trailer includes footage of Lloyd as child playing Danny Torrance in "The Shining," which was directed by the late Stanley Kubrick.

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ANIMATION - From Variety:  This is a piece on Warner Bros.' "Scoob," the upcoming reboot film of the "Scooby-Doo" movie series.  A "work-in-progress" version of the film was shown at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France.

OBITS:

From Variety:  Model and socialite, Gloria Vanderbilt, has died at the age of 95, Monday, June 17, 2019.  Vanderbilt may be best known for three things.  First, she was the subject of a high-profile custody case when she was a minor.  Secondly, as a fashion designer, she introduced a line of popular designer jeans.  Thirdly, she was the mother of CNN television anchor, Anderson Cooper.

From THR:  Legendary Italian filmmaker and director, Franco Zeffirelli, has died at the age of 96, Saturday, June 15, 2019.  Zeffirelli was best known for his lavish film adaptations of the works of William Shakespeare.  The most famous of those was his 1968 film, Romeo and Juliet, which received 4 Oscar nominations (including one for Zeffirelli as best director) and won two.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 13th to 19th, 2019 - Update #27

Support Leroy on Patreon:

TELEVISION - From Variety:  One of the pilots that NBC has ordered is a comedy, "Saving Kenan," starring "Saturday Night Live" veteran, Kenan Thompson."

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PIXAR - From Deadline:  Two-time Oscar-winner, Lee Unkrich ("Toy Story 3," "Coco") is leaving Pixar.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  Netflix and Shawn Levy are rebooting the true crime/paranormal TV series, "Unsolved Mysteries."  The original series ran for 14 seasons between 1987 and 2010, and the late Robert Stack is the host most associated with the series.

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CELEBRITY - From HuffPost:  Arnold Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding son, Joseph Baena, recreates his father's iconic 1976 bodybuilding pose.

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BOX OFFICE - Newsarama:  The winner of the Wednesday, January 16, 2019 daily box office is "Dragon Ball Super: Broly" with an take of just over $7 million.

From BoxOfficeMojo:  The box office chart for Wednesday, January 16, 2019, the day "Dragon Ball Super: Broly."

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COMICS-FILM - From Newsarama:  Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson challenges Chris Hemsworth to a Marvel Studios/"Fast & Furious" crossover film.

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MUSIC - From Variety:  Sony Music has parted ways with controversial R&B recording artist, R. Kelly, who has been dogged by sexual misconduct allegations for the past two decades plus.  Kelly's catalog/back list will remain with Sony/RCA.

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OSCARS - From Variety:  Kristopher Tapley offers his final Oscar nominations predictions ahead of the Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019 announced of the nominations for the 91st Academy Awards.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  The J.R.R. Tolkien biographical film, "Tolkien," is set for release May 10, 2019.  Nicholas Hoult will play Tolkien, the creator of "The Lord of the Rings."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Lionsgate and Hasbro's film based on the game, "Monopoly," will star Kevin Hart and be directed by Tim Story, who directed Hart in the "Ride Along" films.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  The race to win J.J. Abrams and his "Bad Robot" company may be close to an end.

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Jason Reitman reportedly will direct the next installment of the "Ghostbusters" franchise, this one set in the "original universe" of the 1983 and 1989 films.

From Newsarama:  Jason Reitman's "secret Ghostbusters" project already has a teaser trailer.  Reitman's father, Ivan Reitman, who directed the original 1980s "Ghostbusters" films, will produce the new film (which is set for 2020), which is apparently set in the "original universe" of films.

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AWARDS - From Variety:  2019 USC Libraries Scripter Award nominations have been announced.  "Black Panther" is one of the nominees.

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TECH - From Wired:  MacKenzie Bezos and the Myth of the Lone Genius Founder

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MOVIES - From THR:  Jon Bernthal ("The Punisher") and Vera Farmiga ("The Conjuring") joins "The Sopranos" prequel, "The Many Saints of Newark."

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Director David Cronenberg is prepping a sequel to his most excellent 2007 film, "Eastern Promises," with star Viggo Mortensen returning.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  HBO is rebooting the classic TV series, "Perry Mason," and have tapped Matthew Rhys ("The Americans") to play Mason.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Liza Minnelli giver a rare endorsement of the biographical musical about her mother, Judy Garland, entitled "Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz."  Of course you know that Garland was Minnelli's mother.

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STAR TREK - From Deadline:   "Star Trek: Discovery's" Philippa Georgiou (played by actor Michelle Yeoh) is getting her own "Star Trek" TV spin-off.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 1/11 to 1/13/2019 weekend box office is "The Upside" with an estimated box office haul of $19.59 million.

From Variety:  "Bumblebee" leads the international box office with a $35.6 million.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  HBO announces that April 14, 2019 will be the premiere date for first episode of the eighth and final season of "Game of Thrones."

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AWARDS - From Variety:  The winners of the 24th annual Critics Choice Awards have been announced.  "Roma" wins "best picture" and "best director" awards.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Craig Brewer ("Hustle & Flow") is set to direct Eddie Murphy in "Coming to America 2,"  Brewer just completed "Dolemite is My Name," which also stars Murphy.

OBITS:

From Variety:  Tony Mendez, the CIA officer portrayed by Ben Affleck in the Oscar-winning best picture, "Argo," has died at the age of 78, Saturday, January 19, 2019.

From People:  Iconic Broadway star, Carol Channing, has died at the age of 97, Tuesday, January 15, 2019.  Channing is known for her role in iconic Broadway musicals, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "Hello, Dolly!" (for which she won a Tony Award).  She received an Oscar nomination for her role in the film, "Thoroughly Modern Millie."

From Variety:  Filmmaker and choreographer, Jo Andres, died at the age of 64, Monday, January 7, 2019.  Andres, who was married to acclaimed actor Steve Buscemi for 31 years, choreographed actor Stanley Tucci's directorial effort, "The Imposters" (1998) and directed the film, "Black Kites" (1996).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 12th to 18th, 2016 - Update #54

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Paramount looking to revive "The Saint" again.  Roger Moore or nothing, baby!

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Summer Redstone looks like a Deadite, but he's still fighting for Viacom.

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MOVIES - From TheTrackingBoard:  Judi Dench boards period film, "Victoria and Abdul."

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BOX OFFICE - From Showbiz411:  FOX is apparently preparing for bad news regarding Independence Day: Resurgence.

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OBIT - From TheWrap:  The actor Ron Lester has died at the age of 45, Friday, June 17, 2016.  He was best known for the 1999 film, "Varsity Blues."

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PIXAR - From YahooMovies:  Pixar changed a voice in "Finding Dory."

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CELEBRITY - From YahooNews:  Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill Clinton and soon-to-be-President Hillary Clinton, welcomes a baby boy with her husband, Marc Mezvinsky.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From YahooNews:  Michael Brown's family are suing the city of Ferguson, Missouri; Mike's killer (former cop Darren Wilson); and other enemies and adversaries.  Lawyers for the enemy want Mike's juvenile record, which has so far been refused them.

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BOX OFFICE - From HitFix:  How will "Independence Day: Resurgence" before at the box office?  Can it match the original film?

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Common to star in a television adaptation of "Black Samurai."  Marc Olden's 1974 book series, "Black Samurai," which was previously adapted as a 1977 film starring Jim Kelly.

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LGBT - From VillageVoice:  If only America could embrace queer and trans before they're dead.

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MUSIC/CRIME - From YahooBeauty:  New information on the pathetic killer of Christina Grimmie, a contestant on NBC's "The Voice."

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SPORTS/CRIME - From NYPost:  Some female swimmers at Stanford thought convicted rapist, Brock Turner, was a creep before he was arrested for sexually assaulting a Stanford student.

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COMICS - From EOnline:  Tyler Hoechlin will play "Superman" on the "Supergirl," the former CBS series that is moving to The CW this fall.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  "A Star is Born" remake that is to be directed by Bradley Cooper, who will also star in the film, may feature Lady Gaga as the female lead.  Beyonce was once attached to the project.

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OBIT - From Variety:   The actress Ann Morgan Guilbert died at the age of 87, Tuesday, June 14, 2016.  She was best known for her role as neighbor "Minnie Helper on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "Yetta Rosenberg," the forgetful grandmother on "The Nanny."

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MOVIES - From ScreenRant:  Image of Michael Fassbender as "David" on the set of "Alien: Covenant."

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:   "Beverly Hills Cop 4" has it directors.

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TELEVISION - From BleedingCool:   Orlando Jones and Demore Barnes join Starz's "American Gods."

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COMICS - From DenofGeek:  DC Entertainment's Diane Nelson talks Wonder Woman.

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MOVIES - From Hitflix:  Helen Mirren is joining cast of "Fast 8."

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  "Curb Your Enthusiasm" to return for a ninth season on HBO.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Matt Lucas joins Season 10 of "Doctor Who."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Craig Gillespie to direct Margot Robbie in Tonya Harding biopic.

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SPORTS - From Time:  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:  Muhammad Ali Became a Big Brother to Me - and to All African-Americans.

COMICS - From WeGotThisCovered:  Donald Glover signs to join next year's "Spider-Man Homecoming."

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BROADWAY - From LATimes:  Complete list of 2016 Tony Award winners.

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FILM - From TheWrap:  Oscar-nominated, Emmy Award winner Bill Murray to receive the "Mark Twain Prize for American Humor" on October 23rd, 2016.

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POLITICS - From RSN:  8 reasons why the GOP should dump Trump.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  See the massive championship rings received by the Denver Broncos for the win in Super Bowl 50.

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Andy Goddard, a "Downton Abbey" director, to helm a film about the Rolling Stones and the recording of their legendary LP, "Exile of Main Street."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 6/10 to 6/12/2016 weekend box is "The Conjuring 2" with an estimated take of $40.35 million.

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SPECIAL - #PulseShooting in Orlando, Florida:

CRIME - From YahooNews:  50 people dead in worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

From YahooNews:  Remembering the victims fatally shot at the Pulse.

From telSUR:  Omar Mateen's wife was told by the FBI not to tell the U.S. media that she and family members thought he was gay.

From YahooNews:  Florida found Omar Mateen suspicious and refused to sell him body armor and bulk amunition.

From TheWrap:  Disney gives $1 million to Orlando victims.

From InformedConsent:  Omar Mateen and Rightwing Homophobia: Hate Crime or Domestic Terrorism?

From ThinkProgress:  LGBT people can still be fired from their jobs in Florida for being gay.

From YahooNews:  CNN's Anderson Cooper grills Florida Attorney General and anti-gay politician, Pam Bondi, on her anti-gay activism.

From RSN:  Omar Mateen committed LGBT mass murder, and we must confront that.

From YahooNews:  Anderson Cooper's moving tribute.

From YahooNews:  Omar Mateen's father apologizes for his son's murderous actions.

From YahooFinance:  Pulse shooter, Omar Mateen, was a regular at the club.

From CNN:  Orlando shooting article with updates.

From YahooNews:  Pulse shooting victims mourned nationally and globally.

From YahooNews:  What is known about #PulseShooting killer, Omar Mateen.

From YahooNews:  President Obama's statement.

From YahooNews:  Omar Mateen's father speaks.

From YahooNews:  Donald Trump's self-congratulatory tweets prove that he should not and cannot be President of the United States.

From BleedingCool:  Comic book people react to #PulseShooting.

From YahooNews:  Witness accounts of shooting at Orlando dance club, Pulse.

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ANIMATION - From BleedingCool:  A trailer has been released for Disney's next animated film, "Moana."  However, that trailer has been released overseas where the movie is called "Vaiana."

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From Truthout:  What is the future of resistance to racist police violence.

COMICS - From CBR:   Comic Book Resources has gathered all the character designs and re-designs for DC Comics' "Rebirth" event in one place.

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TELEVISION - From YahooTV:  Norman Reedus of "The Walking Dead" has a new reality series, "Ride with Norman Reedus."  Here are 25 things you may not know about him.