Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 1st to 11th, 2023 - Update #21

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From THR:   Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan and Marlon Smith, who co-created the 2013 British crime drama "Run," has been tapped to write the action thriller, "Rainbow Six," that has Michael B. Jordan starring and Chad Stahelski directing.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Writer-director David Twohy and star Vin Diesel are reunited for a fourth film in the "Riddick" series, entitled "Riddick: Furya."

From JoBlo:  On Instagram, Vin Diesel shares some concept art for the upcoming, "Riddick: Furya."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar-nominee Sacha Baron Cohen and Keke Palmer ("Nope") are teaming up with writer-director David O. Russell ("Amsterdam") for "Super Toys."

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis will headline Amazon Studios' TV series adaptation of Patricia Cornwell's "Kay Scarpetta" novels.  Kidman will play the lead, and Curtis will play her sister, Dorothy.

TELEVISION - From EW:  British comedy legend, John Cleese, is reviving his beloved BBC sitcom, "Fawlty Towers," with his daughter, Camilla Cleese.  The series is being developed by Rob Reiner's Castle Rock Entertainment.  The original series ran for two series of six episodes each in 1975 and 1979.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Sony Pictures is developing a direct sequel to its 1997 hit slasher film, "I Know What You Did Last Summer."  Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze, Jr. are in talks to reprise their respective roles from the original.

NETFLIX - From THR:   Matthew McConaughey has signed on to voice Elvis Presley in Netflix’s adult animated action comedy series "Agent Elvis."

MOVIES - From THR:  The AMC Theatres chain is going start basing movie ticket prices on where patrons want to sit in the auditorium.  This price will take place after 4 pm.

MUSIC - From Deadline:  At the 2023 / 65th annual Grammy Awards, "Harry's House," an album by recording artist Harry Styles, won the top honor "Album of the Year."  With her 32nd Grammy win, Beyonce became the all-time leaders in career Grammy wins.

MOVIES - From BloodyDisgusting:  Film producer-director, Sean S. Cunningham, is "working to get his own 'Friday the 13th' reboot off the ground.  Much depends on the setting the franchise's rights issues"

BOX OFFICE - BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 2/3 to 2/5/2023 weekend box office is "Knock at the Cabin" with an estimated take of 14.2 million dollars.

From Here:  Negromancer's review of "Knock at the Cabin."

From Variety:  Actor Dave Bautista explains his most shocking scene in the new film, "Knock at the Cabin."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Warner Bros has acquired the rights to Stephen King's novel, "Billy Summers.  JJ Abrams and Leonard DiCaprio's respective production companies are producing.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  NBC has given its comedy revival, "Night Court," a renewal for a second season.

MUSIC - From Variety: Grammy-winning recording artist and music icon, Beyonce, has announced stadium tour dates for her "Renaissance" world tour.  The first U.S. date appears to be July 12th in Philladelphia.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Jerry Bruckenheimer and director Guy Ritchie's World War II movie, "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare," has added eight new names to a cast that already includes Henry Cavill and Eiza Gonzalez. New cast includes Alex Pettyfer and Cary Elwes.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Amazon Prime's "The Terminal List," staring Chris Pratt, will continue with a second season and will become a franchise with a prequel executive produced and starring Taylor Kitsch.

MOVIES/MUSIC - From Variety:  Jaafar Jackson will portray his late uncle, Michael Jackson, in director Antoine Fuqua's biopic about the Grammy Award-winning legend and music icon, which is entitled "Michael."  Jaafar is the second youngest son of Michael Jackson's brother, Jermaine Jackson, songwriter, producer, recording artist, and member of the "Jackson 5."

*DC STUDIOS - From Deadline:   DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran finally revealed their plans for an inter-connective universe of DC Comics character-based film and television.

*MOVIES - From Deadline:  Will Smith and Martin Lawrence announced that "Bad Boys 4" is in pre-production.  "Bad Boys for Life" directors El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are also returning.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Songwriter, composer, and record producer, Burt Bacharach, has died at the age of 94, Wednesday, February 8, 2023.  Over a three decade career, he composed hundreds of pop songs that have been recorded by over 1000 recording artists.  He won the "Best Original Song" Oscar twice and "Best Original Score" once (for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid").  He won six Grammy Awards, including for the 1987 "Song of the Year" award for "That's What Friends Are For" (1986, co-written with his then wife, Carole Bayer Sager).

From MarinIJ:  Author and activist, David Harris, has died at the age of 76, Monday, February 6, 2023.  He was a leader and an icon of the Vietnam War draft resistance movement.  He encouraged young men to resist the draft and to refuse to report for military service.  When he himself was drafted in 1968, he refused to report and was immediately indicted.  He spent 20 months of a three-year sentence in the federal prison system.  He would go on to write for "Rolling Stone" and "The New York Times Magazine."  He also published 10 non-fiction books on a range of topics, including the NFL, politics, and international events.

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AWARDS:

From Oscar:  The nominations for the 2023 / 95th Academy Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sunday, March 12, 2023.

From Deadline:  "Top Gun: Maverick" wins "Best Picture" at the "AARP Movies for Grownups Awards" held Saturday night in Beverly Hills.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2023 Writers Guild Awards have been announced.  Winners will be announced Sunday, March 5, 2023.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2023 EE BAFTA Awards have been announced. The Netflix World War I drama, "All Quiet on the Western Front," leads with 14 nominations.  The winners will be announced Sunday, February 19, 2023.

From Deadline:  The winners were announced at the 2023 / 28th annual Critics Choice Awards.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" was named "Best Picture."

From Deadline:  The nominees for the 2023 / 34th Producers Guild of America Awards have been announced in both film and TV categories.  The winners will be announced Sat. Feb. 25th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sun., Feb. 26th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The National Society of Film Critics has named "Tar" its "Best Picture" of 2023 and its star, Cate Blanchette, as "Best Actress."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 23rd Annual Black Reel Awards have been announced.  "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "The Woman King" have tied for the lead in nominations with 14 apiece.  The winners will be announced February 6, 2023.

From Deadline:  The Black Film Critics Circle named "The Woman King" the "Best Film" of 2022.

From Deadline:  The winners of the 2022 Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "Tar" tie for "Best Picture" award.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 80th annual Golden Globes Awards were announced today (Mon., Dec. 12th).  "The Banshees of Inisherin" led the film field with eight nominations. ABC's "Abbot Elementary" lead the TV side with five nominations.  The winners will be announced January 10, 2023.

From Deadline:  The American Film Institute (AFI) has named its "AFI Awards Film" list of "Top 10 Films of 2022."  The list includes "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Top Gun: Maverick," and "The Woman King."

From THR:  The African-American Film Critics Association name "The Woman King" the "Best Film of 2022."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the "2023 Critics Choice Awards" in the television categories have been announced.  ABC's sitcom, "Abbot Elementary" leads the nominations.  The winners will be announced Sunday, January 15, 2023 and broadcast on The CW.

From Variety:  The 2022 / 88th Annual New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) Awards have been announced.  Todd Field's "Tar" wins "Best Film" and "Best Actress" (Cate Blanchett).  Keke Palmer wins "Best Supporting Actress" for her performance in "Nope."

From Deadline:  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the "Best Feature" award at the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards, one of two wins for the film.

From IndieWire:  The nominations for the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced.   "Everything Everywhere All at Once" leads with eight nominations.  The winners will be announced March 4th, 2023.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards were announced a month ago.  Todd Field's "Tar" leads with five nominations.  The winners will be announced Monday, November 28th.

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TYRE NICHOLS:

From NBCNews:  Tyre Nichols' death: A summary and timeline of his encounter with Memphis police officers

From YahooNews:  In the 67 minutes of the Tyre Nichols video, brutality followed by nonchalance.

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From CBSNews:  WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from her Russian imprisonment in a one-for-one prisoner swap for notorious international arms dealer, Viktor Bout.

From NBCNews:   Brittney Griner will enter a system of isolation, grueling labor and psychological torment when she is transferred to a penal colony, the successor to the infamous Russian gulag, to fulfill a nine-year sentence handed down Tuesday in Moscow, former prisoners and advocates said.

From NBCNews:  A Russian court has rejected Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence on (fake) drug charges.

From Reuters:  Russia says that it is ready to talk prisoner swamp for Brittney Griner and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, but also scolds the U.S. Embassy.

From TheDailyBeast:   Legendary NBA bad boy and champion (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls), Dennis Rodman claims that he has been given permission to go to Russia and help free imprisoned hostage, WNBA star, Brittney Griner.

From Vox:  Vox's Jonathan Guyer talks the Brittney Griner case with Danielle Gilbert, a Dartmouth professor who is writing a book about states and rogue actors that take hostages.

From ESPN:   A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison Thursday, Aug. 4th.  Griner was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country and pleaded guilty July 7, though the case continued under Russian law.

From ESPN:  The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

From RSN:  "Will Support From LeBron James, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Other Celebrities Help Free Brittney Griner From a Russian Prison?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar via Substack

From ESPN:  Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.

From CBSSports:  The Brittney Griner situation explained.

From RSN:  According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple."

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 17th to 23rd, 2021 - Update #25

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BREAKING NEWS - 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 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.

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TELEVISION - From THR:    CBS has given a full-season pickup to its supernatural comedy, "Ghosts."

AWARDS - From THR:  The nominations for the 2021 Gotham Awards have been announced in both film and TV categories.  The winners will be announced Monday, Nov. 29th.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Emily Blunt is in talks to join Christopher Nolan's film, "Oppenheimer."

TRAILER - From ETCanada:  There is a new trailer for the film, "Being the Ricardos," starring Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball and Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz.  The film, directed by Aaron Sorkin, focuses on a week in the production of the classic television series, "I Love Lucy."  It will be released on "Amazon Prime" on Dec. 21st.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:   Netflix says that its hit, "Squid Game," the Korean sci-fi dystopian series, has been streamed by 142 million households in its first four weeks.

MOVIES - From THR:  Steve McQueen has won the inaugural European Film Award for Innovative Storytelling for "Small Axe," an anthology of five films set between 1969 and 1982 that explore the experiences of London’s West Indian community.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Hulu has ordered "History of the World, Part II," a TV variety series that will act as a sequel to Mel Brooks' classic film comedy, "History of the World, Part I" (1981).  Brooks will be a writer and executive producer on the series.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Lionsgate is developing, "The Continental," a three-night, special event TV series that will act as a prequel to the "John Wick" film series.  Actor Mel Gibson is the first star signed to appear in "The Continental," which is set to appear on Starz.

From Variety:  Actor Colin Woodell will play a young "Winston Scott" in Starz's "John Wick" prequel series, "The Continental."  Winston Scott is played by actor Ian McShane in the "John Wick" films.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Rob Zombie has shared the first cast photo from his film, "The Munsters," which updates or reboots the old 1960s TV series of the same name.  Universal Studios will release the film.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Disney delays the release date of several upcoming films, including "Doctor Strange 2," "Thor 4," Black Panther 2," and "Indiana Jones 5."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 10/15 to 10/17/2021 weekend box office is "Halloween Kills" with an estimated take of 50.35 million dollars.

LABOR - From Deadline:  The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) have reached a new film and TV deal that averted the start of a strike by over 60,000 IATSE members on Monday.  This article has the details.

DC FANDOME:

From Variety:  See all the hot trailers for upcoming DC Comics films and TV series from DC FanDome.

From Deadline:  At DC FanDome, director Matt Reeves revealed a new trailer for his film, "The Batman," which is due May 4, 2022.

From Deadline:  A preview of DC Film's "The Flash" gives us a peek at a cameo from a certain Batman...

OBITS:

From TMZ:  Singer and musician, Tommy DeBarge, has died at the age of 64, Thursday, October 21, 2021.  DeBarge was a vocalist and bass player for the R&B/funk band, "Switch," which had it best success in the late 1970s and early 1980s.  Tommy and his brother, the late Bobby DeBarge, were founding members of Switch.  Tommy and Bobby would later leave the group to mentor their younger siblings in the 1980s group, "DeBarge."

From THR:   Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins as died at the age of 42, Thursday, October 21, 2021 after a prop gun incident on the set of the film, "Rust."  Hutchins was known for her work on such indie films as "Archenemy," "Blindfire," and "The Mad Hatter."

From THR:  Actor Peter Scolari has died at the age of 66, Friday, October 22, 2021 after a battle with cancer.  Scolari first game to prominence on the short-lived ABC sitcom, "Bosom Buddies" (1980-82), with friend, Tom Hanks.  Scolari joined the cast of CBS' "Newhart" as a recurring character during the series' second season (1983-84), and then, became a series regular from 1984 until the series' end in 1990.  He won a "Guest Actor" Primetime Emmy for his role on HBO's "Girls."

From YahooNews:   American four-star general, diplomat, and statesman, General Colin Powell, has died at the age of 84, from complications of COVID-19.  He was the first African-American U.S. Secretary of State and a trailblazing figure both in the United States and around the world.  He also served as the 16th United States National Security Advisor from 1987 to 1989 and as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993.

From Deadline:  The actress, Betty Lynn, has died at the age of 95, Saturday, October 16, 2021.  Her best known role was as "Betty Lou," the girlfriend of "Deputy Barney Fife" on "The Andy Griffith Show."  Lynn appeared on the series 26 times from 1961 to 1966.  In the 1950s, Lynn appeared in "Cheaper by the Dozen" (1950) and "Meet Me in Las Vegas" (1956).  Lynn also appeared on four episodes of Andy Griffith's series "Matlock" (1986-92).

Review: "Aquaman" Rides High on the High Seas

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 23 of 2021 (No. 1761) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Aquaman (2018)
Running time:  143 minutes (2 hours, 23 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language
DIRECTOR:  James Wan
WRITERS:  David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall; from a story by Geoff Johns, James Wan, Will Beall (based on the character created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger and appear ing DC Comics)
PRODUCERS:  Rob Cowan and Peter Safran
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Don Burgess    
EDITOR:  Kirk Morri
COMPOSER:  Rupert Gregson-Williams

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/SCI-FI/ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring:  Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Ludi Lin, Temuera Morrison, Randall Park, Michael Beach, and Nicole Kidman

Aquaman is a 2018 superhero science fiction and fantasy film from director James Wan.  It is the sixth film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), which is comprised of films based upon DC Comics characters.  Aquaman was created by artist Paul Norris and editor Mort Weisinger and first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 (cover dated: November 1941).  Aquaman the film focuses on a half-breed who is heir to the throne of an underwater kingdom and his quest to prevent an all-out war between the worlds of the land and the seas.

Aquaman opens in 1985.  Thomas Curry (Temuera Morrison), a lighthouse keeper in Amnesty Bay, Maine, rescues Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), the queen of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, during a storm.  They fall in love and have a son named Arthur, who has the power to communicate with sea creatures.  Eventually, however, Atlantean soldiers arrive to retrieve Atlanna, who had fled her arranged marriage in Atlantis.

The film movies to the present day, several months after the events depicted in the film, Justice League.  Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), now also known as the “Aquaman,” attempts to live a normal life in Amnesty Bay, but his Atlantean heritage is about to intrude on his life.  Arthur has a half-brother, Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson), who is the current King of Atlantis and who is also the second son of Atlanna.  Orm is attempting to rally the undersea kingdoms to his cause.  He wants to unite and to attack the surface world for polluting the oceans.  Princess Y'Mera Xebella Challa, also known simply as Mera (Amber Heard), is betrothed to Orm, but refuses to aid him or her father, King Nerius of Xebel (Dolph Lundgren), in their plans.

Mera travels to the surface where she meets Arthur and tries to convince him to help her in stopping Orm.  She also wants Arthur to take his rightful place as King of Atlantis.  Before he does that, however, Arthur must recover a magic artifact, the lost “Sacred Trident of Atlan,” which will mark its possessor as the rightful ruler of Atlantis.  The problem is that Arthur does not want to be King of Atlantis nor anywhere else for that matter.

Watching Aquaman, I could not help but notice that many of its story points and plot elements were glaringly similar to that of Marvel Studios' Black Panther, which debuted earlier in the same year that Aquaman hit theaters, 2018.  Whereas Black Panther was edgy, philosophically in tune with Pan-Africanism, and socially relevant, Aquaman is simply a grand, old-fashioned, action-adventure fantasy film, and there is nothing wrong with that.  Aquaman is solidly entertaining.

If Aquaman must be accused of copying other films, in terms of visual concepts and world-building, Aquaman leans heavily on the Star Wars prequel films and on Tron: Legacy.  And once again, there is nothing wrong with that.  Many big-budget, tent-pole films borrow from other movies of similar to its type.  Aquaman dazzles the eyes and blows the mind.  It is such a spectacular visual effects feast for the eyes, senses, and imagination that I am surprised that it did not get any Oscar nominations in the categories of visual effects, art direction-set decoration, and costume design.  That such a visually resplendent film did not get in Oscar nominations says something about the nominating process of the Academy Awards in many areas.

I must admit that I think that this film does have a few sizable problems.  Aquaman's stiff, overly-formal, highfalutin' dialogue hampers the acting, which isn't all that good to begin with.  The character writing is also average, so it is not as if the actors have much to work with in building strong dramatic characters.  Still, I'd have to be feeling generous to say that Jason Momoa was more than average as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, although he does appear to be trying hard.  Patrick Wilson and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II overact and ham-it-up as Orm and Black Manta, respectively.  Willem Dafoe is practically a wooden idol as Vulko, and Amber Heard seems to think that she is playing Mera in a spoof of a superhero movie rather than acting in a “serious” superhero film.

I would normally give a film with such average character drama on the part of the screenplay and such awkward acting a grade of “B.”  The directing by James Wan is strong enough, however, and, once again, the film is such a visual effects orgasm that I will bump up Aquaman's final grade a little.

7 of 10
B+

Saturday, November 28, 2020


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 18th to 24th, 2019 - Update #20

Support Leroy on Patreon:

COMICS-ANIMATION - From Deadline:  At Disney's D23 Expo, Marvel Animation & Family Entertainment announces a new animated series, "Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends."  The series is set to debut in 2021 on Disney Junior.

From THR:  Marvel Animation & Family Entertainment's "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur" animated series is headed to Disney Channel in 2020.  Laurence Fishburne's Cinema Gypsy Productions is partnering with Disney Television Animation and Marvel Animation to produce the new series.

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DISNEY - From Deadline:  Now that Sony Pictures and Disney/Marvel have split up on the "Spider-Man" films, they will fight over director Jon Watts, who has directed the two Marvel Spider-Man films, who is not contracted to do anything right now.

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SPORTS - From ESPN:  The inside story behind the funniest baseball card ever made.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  Nielsen, the primary TV ratings company since the 1950s, is prepping networks for the significant changes to the way it reports "overnight" ratings.

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CELEBRITY - From TheWrap:  Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson tops "Forbes" Magazine's 2019 highest-paid actor's list.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  For Jay Roach's upcoming film about the Fox News/Roger Ailes controversies, "Bombshell," two actress undergo extreme makeovers.  There is Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly and then there is Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. is set to produce a fourth film in "The Matrix" film series.  Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss will return as Neo and Trinity.  One of The Matrix's co-creators, Lana Wachowski (formerly Larry Wachowski), will return to direct and co-write the film.

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DISNEY - From Variety:  Disney is moving its live-action "Cruella" movie (from the animated classic, "101 Dalmatians") to May 28, 2021 from Dec. 23, 2020.  "Woman in the Window," one of the films it inherited from the Fox purchase, is moved to October 4, 2019 from May 15, 2020.

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JAMES BOND - From Variety:  Bond25, the twenty-fifth James Bond film, now has an official title, "No Time to Die."

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ANIMATION-STREAMING - From ShadowandAct:  Tommy Davison says "The Proud Family," the beloved Disney animated TV series in which he starred, is being revived - likely for one of Disney's streaming services.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:   Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson marries Lauren Hashian in Hawaii.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  It seems as if Larry Ellison has been able to make a deal to save his daughter, Megan Ellison's film production/distribution compnay, Annapurna.  The company has defaulted on loans totaling as much as $200 million, if not more.  Annapurna has produced or co-produced such films as "Zero Dark Thirty," "Her," and "If Beale Street Could Talk."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 8/16 to 8/18/2019 weekend box office is "Good Boys" with an estimated take of 21 million dollars.

From Variety:  Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" leads the international box office with an estimate total of 53.7 million dollars in 46 international markets.

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#1619PROJECT - From TMN:   "The Morning News" takes a look today's special issue of the New York Times Magazine, "the 1619 Project," which observes the 400th anniversary of American slavery, when the first enslaved Africans arrived at Point Comfort in the British colony of Virginia in August 1619.

From PBS:  A PBS interview about the 1619 Project.

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STREAMING - From TheWrap:  Kevin Smith said that he will be executive producer and showrunner on a limited “Masters of the Universe” series that Netflix will develop.  Entitled, “Masters of the Universe: Revelations,” the series will focus on the unresolved story lines of the original 1982 TV series, picking up many of the characters’ journeys where they left off decades ago.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Kerry Washington and Sterling K. Brown are set to star in and produce "Shadow Force," a hot property.  Bidding for rights have just started on what is described as a fresh take on "Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

OBITS:

From YahooNews:  Former governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, has died at the age of 76, Sunday, August 18, 2019.  Blanco was elected the 54th Governor of Louisiana in 2003 and held office from 2004 to 2008.  Blanco is best known for being Louisiana's first female governor and for having her political career derailed by Hurricane Katrina.

From Deadline:  The comedian Kip Addotta died at the age of 75, Tuesday, August 13, 2019.  Addotta.  He began his career in the early 1970s and by the mid-1970s, he was making appearances on "The Tonight Show" (21) and "The Mike Douglas Show" (14), to name a few.  He also made a few film appearances, and in addition to his comedy album releases, he wrote humorous songs.

From Deadline:  The screenwriter, Patricia Louisiana Knop, died at the age of 78, Wednesday, August 7, 2019.  She was known for her work with her late husband, Zalman King, whose films incorporated sexuality.  She co-wrote King's "Wild Orchid" and was a writer on King's Showtime TV series, "Red Shoe Diaries."  Knop and King were one of three credited writers on director Adrian Lyne's film, 9 1/2 Weeks (1986).  She was also an acclaimed and popular painter and sculptor.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 23rd to 30th, 2019 - Update #25

Support Leroy on Patreon:

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  The winner of the 6/28 to 6/30/2018 weekend box office is "Toy Story 4" with an estimated take of 58 million dollars.

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BOND - From YahooEntertainment:  Actor Idris Elba says he was "disheartened" by the reaction to him, a Black man, possibly playing James Bond.

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DISNEY - From Variety:  Melissa McCarthy in talks to play "Ursula" in Disney's planned live-action remake of its 1989 film, "The Little Mermaid."  Rob Marshall of "Mary Poppins Returns" is set to direct.

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SCANDAL - From PageSix:  The website notes that Oscar-winning filmmaker, Paul Haggis ("Crash"), is still partying despite a rape allegation against him.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Paul Rudd ("Ant-Man" films) has joined Jason Reitman's "Ghostbusters classic" film.

From Variety:  Mark Wahlberg is replacing Chris Evans in director Antoine Fuqua's upcoming film, "Infinite."

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BLM - From YahooFinance:  Slavery reparations could carry a $17 trillion ($17,000,000,000,000) price tag.

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MOVIES - From EW:  Jordan Brewster is returning to the "Fast & Furious" franchise.  She will appear in the ninth film  (currently filming in London), after sitting out the eighth installment, "The Fate of the Furious."  She has played, Mia Toretto, the love interest of the late Paul Walker's character, Brian.

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STAR TREK - From Deadline:  Pulitzer Prize winning author, Michael Chabon, has been named the showrunner of CBS All Access' "Star Trek: Picard."

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  Mary J. Blige signs first-looks TV development deal with actress-singer, Mary J. Blige.

----------
AWARDS - From Deadline:   The Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild said Wednesday that it will hold its 2020 awards ceremony on Saturday, January 11th, 2020.

----------
MUSIC - From YabooEntertainment:  The biological father of Grammy-winning rapper and recording artist, Eminem, died earlier this week.  Marshall Bruce Mathers, Jr. was 67.

----------
JAMES BOND - From Variety:  First behind-the-scenes footage from "BOND 25" has been released.

----------
STREAMING - From Variety: Amazon will carry "Small Axe" in the U.S.  "Small Axe" is an anthology series from Steve McQueen ("12 Years a Slave").

From EOnline:  Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and Ariana Grande join Ryan Murphy's adaptation of the Broadway hit, "The Prom," for Netflix.

----------
ANIMATION - From TVSeriesFinale:  There is a new Scooby-Doo animated series coming to Boomerang, "Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?"  Actor Jaleel White is reviving his Steve Urkel character, from the old ABC series, "Family Matters" (1989-1998), for an episode of "Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?"

----------
STREAMING - From Variety:  Viacom partners with Tyler Perry for "BET Plus" streaming service.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 6/21 to 6/23/2019 weekend box office is "Toy Story 4" with an estimated take of 118 million dollars.

----------
MOVIES - From FlickeringMyth:  "Hidden Figures" actor Aldis Hodge has joined the cast of Blumhouse's Universal Monsters remake of "The Invisible Man."

----------
ECO - From Deadline:  Oscar-winning actor, Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), has quit the Royal Shakespeare Company over the theaters sponsorship with oil company, BP.

----------
MOVIES - From Deadline:  Lena Waithe Criticizes Black Movie Stars For Not Financing Indies From Black Filmmakers

----------
STREAMING - From Deadline:  James Marsden is vying for the role of Stu Redman in "The Stand," the CBS Studios/CBS All Access limited series adaptation of the classic Stephen King horror novel.  This streaming series would be the second miniseries adaptation of King's novel, following ABC's 1994 miniseries.

----------
STREAMING-TELEVISION - From Vulture:  "15 Fantasy Adaptations We’re Excited to See on TV Soon" by Devon Ivie

OBITS:

From EW:  Actor Billy Drago died Monday, June 24, 2019 at the age of 73.  Drago is best known for portraying real-life gangster, Frank Nitti, in Brian DePalma's film, "The Untouchables" (1987). He was also a recurring character in The WB's series, "Charmed" (1998-2006).

From Variety:  The actor Max Wright has died at the age of 75, Wednesday, June 26, 2019.  Wright was best known for playing the role of Willie Tanner on the NBC TV series, "Alf" (1986 to 1990).  Will Tanner was the head of the family that took in a back-talking alien, Alf.  Wright appeared in numerous TV series, including "Friends" and "Murphy Brown."  He received a 1998 Tony Awards nomination for his performance in "Ivanov."

From Deadline:  The New Orleans musician, composer, arranger, and record producer, Dave Bartholomew, had died at the age of 100, Sunday, June 23, 2019.  Bartholomew is best known for his partnership with pianist and singer-songwriter, Fats Domino.  He co-wrote such Domino hits as "Ain't That a Shame" (1955) and "I'm Walkin'" (1957).  He also wrote the song "Blue Monday" (1954) that was first recorded by guitarist, Smiley Lewis, and then, became a hit for Domino in 1956.

From Deadline:  The bestselling author and journalist, Judith Krantz, has died at the age of 91, Saturday, June 22, 2019.  Although she had a long career in magazine journalism, Krantz is best known for her career as an author of bestselling novels, including her debut, "Scruples" (1978).  Many of her novels were adapted into television miniseries.

"Aquaman" Swims Past $1 Billion in Global Box Office

Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Aquaman” Crosses $1 Billion Worldwide

James Wan’s unstoppable DC Super Hero adventure held the #1 position in the world four weeks in a row internationally and the top spot for three weeks in North America

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Aquaman” has stormed the box office, taking in more than $1 billion worldwide in just over one month since it reigned supreme in its first market, China. The announcement was made today by Ron Sanders, President of Worldwide Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures Group and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

    “We’re thrilled audiences around the world have embraced ‘Aquaman’ in such a big, big way”

“We’re thrilled audiences around the world have embraced ‘Aquaman’ in such a big, big way,” said Sanders. “Jason, the filmmakers and the team at DC have delivered a film that people love, and we are so appreciative of their support.”

Wan stated, “Firstly, Massive LOVE and THANK YOU to the fans and audiences around the world. Humbled by the way you’ve embraced ‘Aquaman’ and how it has resonated on a global scale. I’ll forever be indebted to Jason for turning Aquaman into one of the coolest, cinematic Super Heroes ever, and becoming the gold standard for this character for generations to come. Huge thank you to the amazing cast—Amber, Patrick, Nicole, Yahya, Willem, Temuera, Dolph, Ludi—for breathing life into our beloved characters. And, of course, this movie wouldn’t be what it is without the incredible achievement of everyone involved, from the heads of department to every single crew member, who demanded utmost excellence in helping design and create this cinematic experience.”

In addition to crossing the billion-dollar mark, this weekend “Aquaman,” at $1.02 billion and counting, is now the #2 DC film ever worldwide, behind only “The Dark Knight Rises,” which took in $1.08 billion in its run. “Aquaman” has taken in $287.9 million domestically, and is now also the 2nd highest grossing Warner Bros. film of all time internationally, with $732.4 million to date; the biggest DC film of all time internationally; and the highest grossing Warner Bros. film ever in China, with $287.3 million.

From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes “Aquaman,” the origin story of half-surface dweller, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry that takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be…a king. The action-packed adventure spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, and stars Jason Momoa in the title role.

The film also stars Amber Heard as Mera, a fierce warrior and Aquaman’s ally throughout his journey; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (“The Florida Project”) as Vulko, council to the Atlantean throne; Patrick Wilson as Orm, the present King of Atlantis; Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, King of the Atlantean tribe Xebel; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the revenge-seeking Black Manta; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (“The Hours”) as Arthur’s mom, Atlanna. Also featured are Ludi Lin as Captain Murk, an Atlantean Commando, and Temuera Morrison as Arthur’s dad, Tom Curry.

Wan directed from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, story by Geoff Johns & James Wan and Will Beall, based on characters created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger for DC. The film was produced by Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Jon Berg, Geoff Johns and Walter Hamada serving as executive producers.

Wan’s team behind the scenes included such frequent collaborators as Oscar-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“Forrest Gump”), Wan’s five-time editor Kirk Morri, production designer Bill Brzeski, and visual effects supervisor Kelvin McIlwain. They were joined by costume designer Kym Barrett and composer Rupert Gregson-Williams.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Peter Safran Production, a James Wan Film, “Aquaman.” The film has been released in 3D and 2D and IMAX, and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

“Aquaman” is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language.

www.aquamanmovie.com

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

"Aquaman" Swims to Half-Billion in Global Box Office

Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Aquaman” to Hit a High Watermark of Half a Billion Dollars at the Global Box Office

At Number 1 in the world, James Wan’s spectacular underwater adventure has captivated moviegoers from sea to shining sea and beyond

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Aquaman” is a worldwide box office hero, set to take in more than $500 million by the end of the day. The announcement was made today by Ron Sanders, President of Worldwide Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures Group and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

    “We look forward to ‘Aquaman’ riding this wave of success through the holiday window and well into the new year. Congratulations to the entire team behind this film.”

“Aquaman” began its remarkable run earlier this month in China when, on the heels of an appearance by director James Wan and stars Jason Momoa and Amber Heard, the film celebrated an almost $95 million opening weekend, the highest-ever opening for a Warner Bros. film in that market, where it currently stands at more than $230 million. The stop was just one in a global tour that hit cities across four continents, from London to New York City to Manila, Australia and beyond, capping off a strategic campaign that kicked off last summer with Momoa diving off a cliff to preview the trailer launch ahead of the cast’s arrival at San Diego International Comic-Con.

Number 1 internationally for the third consecutive weekend, the film opened this past Friday in North America, where it has an impressive cume of $72.7 million and counting, with approximately 14 percent of the gross coming from IMAX screens. In the 70 markets now in release, including Brazil ($17.1 million), Mexico ($16.1 million), Russia ($12.8 million) and the UK ($12.8 million), the international cume to date now stands at $415.5 million, with Australia set to open on December 26, Italy on January 1, and Japan on February 8. “Aquaman” is presently en route to becoming the highest grossing Warner Bros. film ever in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan, among other markets.

“James Wan has created a terrific movie that is clearly connecting with audiences around the world,” said Sanders. “We look forward to ‘Aquaman’ riding this wave of success through the holiday window and well into the new year. Congratulations to the entire team behind this film.”

From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes “Aquaman,” the origin story of half-surface dweller, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry that takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be…a king. The action-packed adventure spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, and stars Jason Momoa in the title role.

The film also stars Amber Heard as Mera, a fierce warrior and Aquaman’s ally throughout his journey; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (“The Florida Project”) as Vulko, council to the Atlantean throne; Patrick Wilson as Orm, the present King of Atlantis; Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, King of the Atlantean tribe Xebel; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the revenge-seeking Black Manta; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (“The Hours”) as Arthur’s mom, Atlanna. Also featured are Ludi Lin as Captain Murk, an Atlantean Commando, and Temuera Morrison as Arthur’s dad, Tom Curry.

Wan directed from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, story by Geoff Johns & James Wan and Will Beall, based on characters created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger for DC. The film was produced by Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Jon Berg, Geoff Johns and Walter Hamada serving as executive producers.

Wan’s team behind the scenes included such frequent collaborators as Oscar-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“Forrest Gump”), Wan’s five-time editor Kirk Morri, production designer Bill Brzeski, and visual effects supervisor Kelvin McIlwain. They were joined by costume designer Kym Barrett and composer Rupert Gregson-Williams.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Peter Safran Production, a James Wan Film, “Aquaman.” The film has been released in 3D and 2D and IMAX, and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

“Aquaman” is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language.

www.aquamanmovie.com

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

"Aquaman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" Swims into Stores

Aquaman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Now Available

Features New Songs from Skylar Grey and Pitbull Feat. Rhea

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music is excited to announce the release of the soundtrack to Aquaman, the action-packed adventure film from director James Wan that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas. The soundtrack is now available, and the film is in theaters on December 21, 2018. Aquaman features an original score by multi-award-winning composer Rupert Gregson-Williams (Wonder Woman, Hotel Rwanda, Hacksaw Ridge), includes a track by composer Joseph Bishara (The Conjuring, Annabelle) and debuts the new songs “Ocean To Ocean” by Pitbull Feat. Rhea, and the end title song “Everything I Need” by Skylar Grey.

To bring the film’s themes to life musically, Aquaman director James Wan turned to composer Rupert Gregson-Williams, who says, “Writing the themes for the different characters was awesome. Arthur Curry has such a strong character—he’s a real rock star—so I felt he deserved a big melody. He gets to rock out for certain intense moments too. Orm is Atlantean, and the score I wrote for Atlantis is in big contrast to the score for the surface world, epic and glorious. Black Manta inspired a more industrial, electronic feel. And, of course, there’s romance—two in fact. Atlantis and the entire world James created is truly amazing, giving me such a rich opportunity.”

“James Wan has given me such a rare opportunity and I am so unbelievably grateful,” explains Skylar Grey. “James, score composer Rupert Gregson-Williams, as well as every person behind the scenes on this project has been a dream to work with...a team of extremely respectful and professional people who I’m now honored to call friends. ‘Everything I Need,’ written by myself and my fiancé, Elliott Taylor, was inspired by the forbidden love story that is threaded throughout the movie, and we are very passionate about this song.”

“The ocean, the sea and any body of water, to me, is true freedom,” said Armando Christian Perez (Pitbull), who was inspired by the film’s settings and themes, and especially by Aquaman’s struggle between his two worlds—the surface and the sea. “The ocean has always been the border from where my parents came from Cuba and the United States, which gives us freedom. That’s why I respect water. Bottom line: water gives us freedom.”

The Aquaman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is now available for streaming and for purchase digitally and on CD. The track list is as follows:

1. “Everything I Need (Film Version)” - Skylar Grey
2. Arthur
3. Kingdom Of Atlantis
4. It Wasn't Meant To Be
5. Atlantean Soldiers
6. What Does That Even Mean?
7. The Legend Of Atlan
8. Swimming Lessons
9. The Black Manta
10. What Could Be Greater Than A King?
11. Permission To Come Aboard
12. Suited And Booted
13. Between Land And Sea
14. He Commands The Sea
15. Map In A Bottle
16. The Ring Of Fire
17. Reunited
18. “Everything I Need” - Skylar Grey
19. “Ocean To Ocean” - Pitbull feat. Rhea
20. “Trench Engaged (from Kingdom of The Trench)” - Joseph Bishara

From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes an action-packed adventure that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa in the title role. The film reveals the origin story of half-surface dweller, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be…a king.

The film also stars Amber Heard; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe; Patrick Wilson; Dolph Lundgren; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman. Also featured are Ludi Lin and Temuera Morrison. Wan directed from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, story by Geoff Johns & James Wan and Will Beall, based on characters created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger for DC. The film was produced by Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Jon Berg, Geoff Johns and Walter Hamada serving as executive producers.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Peter Safran Production, a James Wan Film, Aquaman. The film is being released in 3D and 2D and IMAX, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. Aquaman is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language. www.aquamanmovie.com


About WaterTower Music:
WaterTower Music, the in house music label for Warner Bros., has been releasing recorded music since 2001 and has released over 200 titles, including the film soundtracks and scores to Crazy Rich Asians, Wonder Woman, Interstellar, Game Of Thrones, Westworld, The Hobbit Trilogy, The LEGO® Movie, The Dark Knight Rises, Project X, Rock of Ages, Hairspray, Sex and the City, Elf, The Notebook, and Love and Basketball, among others.

About Rupert Gregson-Williams:
RUPERT GREGSON-WILLIAMS (Composer) was born in England and educated at St. John’s College Choir School, Cambridge. The multi-award-winning composer works from his studios in both London and Los Angeles.

A truly versatile composer, Gregson-Williams has written the scores for a wide range of feature films, including the Oscar-winning “Hotel Rwanda,” for which he was awarded the European Film Award for Best Composer; the animated films “Over the Hedge” and Jerry Seinfeld’s “Bee Movie,” receiving an Annie Award nomination for his score for the latter; and the independent film “Love + Hate,” for which he was awarded the Reims International Composer Award.

Most recently, Gregson-Williams scored the blockbuster and critically acclaimed “Wonder Woman,” directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, which opened in 2017; the award-winning war drama “Hacksaw Ridge,” starring Andrew Garfield and directed by Mel Gibson, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and opened nationwide in 2016; and the international hit “The Legend of Tarzan,” starring Alexander Skarsgård and Margot Robbie and directed by David Yates.

For television, Gregson-Williams wrote the music for TNT’s “The Alienist,” starring Dakota Fanning, Luke Evans and Daniel Bruhl, which premiered in January 2018. He also wrote the score for the original Netflix series “The Crown,” created by Peter Morgan, which premiered on Netflix in November 2016, with the second season having debuted in December 2017. He received an Emmy nomination in 2017 for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) for his work on the first season of “The Crown.” He has also composed the music for various other TV projects, including the Emmy Award-winning HBO series “Veep,” AMC’s “The Prisoner,” and Sky Vision’s “Agatha Raisin.” He received an Emmy nomination for the 2002 telefilm “Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story,” for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Dramatic Underscore).

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

2018 Austin Film Festival Reveals Film Program First Wave

Austin Film Festival Reveals First Wave of Films for 25th Anniversary, Including Retrospective Presented by Roger Corman and Robert Rodriguez

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Austin Film Festival (AFF), the premier film festival recognizing writers’ and filmmakers’ contributions to film, television, and new media, announced today the first wave of films to be included in their 2018 program taking place October 25 to November 1, 2018, including Boy Erased, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and Cannes Palme D’or winner Shoplifters.

World Premieres include The Black String, Fishbowl, Speaking in Tongues, and Fathers of Football.

As part of its retrospective series, AFF will screen Roger Corman’s Rock All Night, presented by Robert Rodriguez and Corman himself, Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking honoree.

The complete list of programming will be announced in late September.

AFF FIRST WAVE:

The Black String
World Premiere
Writers: Brian Hanson, Richard Handley
Director: Brian Hanson
Starring: Frankie Muniz, Cullen Douglas, Chelsea Edmundson

Boy Erased
Writer/Director: Joel Edgerton
Starring: Lucas Hedges, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Joel Edgerton

Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Writers: Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty
Director: Marielle Heller
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, Julie Ann Emery

Fathers of Football
World Premiere
Director: Bradley Beesley

Fishbowl
World Premiere
Writers: Stephen Kinigopoulos, Piero Iberti, Bennett Elliott
Directors: Stephen Kinigopoulos, Alexa Kinigopoulos
Starring: Rick Kain, Belle Shickle, Emily Peachey, Caroline Coleman

Little Woods
Writer/Director: Nia DaCosta
Starring: Tessa Thompson, Lily James, Lance Reddick

The Long Dumb Road
Writers: Hannah Fidell, Carson Mell
Director: Hannah Fidell
Starring: Tony Revolori, Jason Mantzoukas, Taissa Farmiga, Ron Livingston

Rock All Night (1957) presented by Roger Corman and Robert Rodriguez
Writer: Charles B. Griffith
Director: Roger Corman

Shoplifters
Writer/Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Starring: Lily Franky, Ando Sakura, Matsuoka Mayu

Speaking in Tongues
World Premiere
Writers: Nathan Deming, Lawrie Doran
Director: Nathan Deming


ABOUT AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL:
Austin Film Festival (AFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers, recognizing their contributions to film, television and new media. AFF is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department and the Texas Commission on the Arts. All attendees and events are based on permitting schedules and are subject to change and/or cancellation without notice. To apply for press credentials, please complete this form. Badges and passes are available for purchase at www.austinfilmfestival.com or by phone at 1-800-310-FEST.

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Filming Has Begun on "The Goldfinch," Based on Pulitzer Prize Winner

Filming is Underway on Warner Bros. Pictures and Amazon Studios’ Powerful Drama “The Goldfinch”

Ansel Elgort and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman lead an ensemble cast in the film based on the award-winning bestseller

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography began on “The Goldfinch,” Warner Bros. Pictures and Amazon Studios’ highly anticipated film adaptation of Donna Tartt’s globally acclaimed best-selling novel, which won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.

The drama is being directed by BAFTA Award winner John Crowley (“Brooklyn”) and features a multigenerational cast led by Ansel Elgort (“Baby Driver”) as Theo Decker and Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman (“The Hours,” “Big Little Lies”) as Mrs. Barbour.

“The Goldfinch” is being produced by Nina Jacobson (“The Hunger Games” films, “American Crime Story”) and Brad Simpson (“World War Z,” “American Crime Story”) under their Color Force banner. Mari Jo Winkler-Ioffreda and Sue Kroll are serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Oscar nominee Peter Straughan (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”), based on the book by Donna Tartt, which spent 30 weeks on The New York Times Best Sellers list.

Theodore “Theo” Decker was 13 years old when his mother was killed in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The tragedy changes the course of his life, sending him on a stirring odyssey of grief and guilt, reinvention and redemption, and even love. Through it all, he holds on to one tangible piece of hope from that terrible day…a painting of a tiny bird chained to its perch. The Goldfinch.

The film also stars Oakes Fegley (“Pete’s Dragon”) as Young Theo, Aneurin Barnard (“Dunkirk”) as Boris, Finn Wolfhard (“Stranger Things,” “It”) as Young Boris, with Sarah Paulson (“The Post,” “American Crime Story”) as Xandra, Luke Wilson (“The Royal Tenenbaums”) as Larry, and Jeffrey Wright (“The Hunger Games” films) as Hobie.

The film’s main ensemble cast also includes Ashleigh Cummings (“Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries”) as Pippa, Willa Fitzgerald (“Little Women”) as Kitsey Barbour, Aimee Laurence (“Chicago P.D.”) as Young Pippa, Denis O’Hare (“American Horror Story”) as Lucius Reeve, Peter Jacobson (“Colony”) as Mr. Silver, Luke Kleintank (“The Man in the High Castle”) as Platt Barbour, Joey Slotnick (“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”) as Dave, Robert Joy (“CSI: NY”) as Welty, and newcomer Ryan Foust as Andy.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes multiple Oscar-nominated director of photography Roger Deakins (“Blade Runner 2049,” “Sicario,” “Unbroken”), Oscar-nominated production designer K.K. Barrett (“Her”), costume designer Kasia Walicka Maimone (“Bridge of Spies,” upcoming “Ready Player One”), and editor Kelley Dixon (“Breaking Bad”).

Slated for release on October 11, 2019, the film is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Amazon Studios, a Color Force Production, a John Crowley Film. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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

Warner Bros. Begins Production on "Aquaman" Movie

Production is Underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ Super Hero Action Adventure “Aquaman”

Director James Wan and star Jason Momoa dive into the Super Hero’s first-ever solo feature, along with cast mates Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman and more

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “Aquaman,” helmed by James Wan (“The Conjuring” films, “Furious 7”). Jason Momoa stars in the title role, returning to the character he plays in this fall’s “Justice League.”

The film also stars Amber Heard (“Justice League,” “Magic Mike XXL”) as Mera; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (“Platoon,” “Spider-Man 2”) as Vulko; Temuera Morrison (“Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones,” “Green Lantern”) as Tom Curry; Dolph Lundgren (“The Expendables” films) as Nereus; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (upcoming “Baywatch,” Netflix’s “The Get Down”) as Black Manta; with Patrick Wilson (“The Conjuring” films, “Watchmen”) as Orm/Ocean Master; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (“The Hours,” “Lion”) as Atlanna.

The film is being produced by Peter Safran, with Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Rob Cowan, Jon Berg and Geoff Johns serving as executive producers.

Wan’s team behind the scenes includes such frequent collaborators as Oscar-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“The Conjuring 2,” “Forrest Gump”), his five-time editor Kirk M. Morri (“The Conjuring” films, “Furious 7,” the “Insidious” films) and production designer Bill Brzeski (“Furious 7”). They are joined by costume designer Kym Barrett (“The Matrix” trilogy; “The Amazing Spider-Man”), along with Oscar-winning VFX supervisor Charles Gibson (“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 & 2”) and VFX supervisor Kelvin McIlwain (“The Fast and the Furious” franchise).

As is fitting for the king of the sea, the shoot will take place mainly in locations spanning the stunning Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia, with extensive filming to be accomplished at Village Roadshow Studios. The production will utilize the facility’s sprawling backlot and all nine VRS soundstages, including its newest, Stage 9, the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Filming will also take place in Newfoundland, Sicily and Tunisia.

An icon for over 75 years, Aquaman is known by fans of DC Comics as the ruler of Atlantis but committed to protecting the entire globe, both land and sea.

Currently set for a 2018 release, the film is based on characters from DC.

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

Viola Davis Wins "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar

Actress in a Supporting Role

Nominees
Viola Davis - Fences - WINNER

Naomie Harris - Moonlight

Nicole Kidman- -Lion

Octavia Spencer - Hidden Figures

Michelle Williams - Manchester by the Sea

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 27th to 31st, 2016 - Update #24

Support Leroy on Patreon.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Disney is developing a live-action film based on Snow White's sister, "Rose Red."

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POLITICS - From YahooPolitics:  Matt Bai asks, "Are we getting the leaders we deserve?"  I'm scared to answer that question.

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MOVIES - From TheTrackingBoard:  Is Hollywood on the brink of a civil war over Sean Parker's "Screening Room."

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MOVIES - From EcoWatch:  Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio speaks on saving the Leuser Ecosystem.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Jonah Hill preps his directorial debut.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart are in talks to star in a remake of the 2011 French film, "The Intouchables."

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MOVIES - From TheTrackingBoard:  Oscar Isaac is reunited with director Alex Garland for the film, "Annihilation."  Garland directed Isaac in "Ex Machina."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Oscar-winning screenwriter, Sofia Coppola, to write and direct a remake of "The Beguiled," a 1971 drama that starred Clint Eastwood.

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TELEVISION - From Mashable:  Leonardo DiCaprio texted Jennifer Lopez during the latest "Carpool Karaoke," with James Corden.

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SPORTS - From WashPost:  The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of a secret video scandal that is connected to Iggy Azalea.

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COMICS - From CinemaBlend:  Fans start petition to remove Zack Snyder from the Warner Bros. DC Comics films - a waste of time for sure.

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MUSIC - From TMZ:  Elton John sued for sexual harrassment, and it sound ridiculous.

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OBITS - From Variety:  The actress Patty Duke has died at the age of 69; Tuesday, March 29, 2016.  Duke won a supporting actress Oscar for playing "Helen Keller" in "The Miracle Worker."   She also starred in the 1960s sitcom, "The Patty Duke Show."

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MOVIES - From IndieWire:  Woody Allen's new film, "Cafe Society" to open the 69th Cannes Film Festival.

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COMICS - From ScreenDaily: Disney to screen "Captain America: Civil War" on April 13 at Cinemacon in Las Vegas.

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OBITS - From TVLine:  The actor James Noble has died at the age of 94, Monday, March 28, 2016.  Noble was best known for playing the role of "Governor Eugene Gatling" on the ABC television series, "Benson" (1979 to 1986).

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POLITICS - From RSN:  Obama failed on his clemency promises.

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BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  With the actual numbers in for the 3/25 to 3/27/2016 box office weekend, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" wins with a haul of $166.1 million.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Viacome is "re-imagining" MTV.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Jason Blum of "Paranormal Activity" and "The Purge" talks the future of horror films.

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TELEVISION - From TVLine:  Norman Reedus teases about "The Walking Dead" Season 6 finale.

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TELEVISION - From SlashFilm:  "Thunderbirds Are Go" goes to WonderCon.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  Early estimates place "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" as the winner of the Easter 2016 weekend box office.

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COMICS - From SlashFilm:  James Wan, director of "The Conjuring" films, talks about directing Warner's "Aquaman" film.

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COMICS - From CBR:  DC Entertainment reveals creator line-ups for its "Rebirth" relaunch.

COMICS - From CBR:  DC Entertainment launches talent development workshops for new writers and artists.

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COMICS - From CinemaBlend:  Tyrese Gibson believes that he has made headway with Warner Bros. in convincing them that he is there new Green Lantern.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 1st to 7th, 2015 - Update #18

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NEWS:

From NPR:  Harry Potter's Emma Watson inspires Malala Yousafzai to call herself a "feminist."

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From CinemaBlend:  Police groups threatening Quentin Tarantino.

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From CinemaBlend:  Alicia Vikander may replace Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" sequel.

From Movies.com:  Meanwhile, the original Lisbeth Salander, Noomi Rapace, will take the lead in the Amy Winehouse biopic.

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From EOnline:  An all-female "Ocean's Eleven," with Sandra Bullock...

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From Indiewire:  Plans are afoot for a new "Star Trek" television series, but only the first episode would be shown on CBS; the rest would be shown on CBS's streaming service.

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From THR:  Jamie Foxx tells Quentin Tarantino to keep telling the truth in regards to Tarantino's comments about police brutality.

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From THR:  The award season kicks off with the Hollywood Film Awards.

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From BoxOfficeMojo:  "The Martian" is the #1 movie at the 10/30 to 11/01/2015 weekend box office with an estimated take of $11.4 million.

From Deadline:  James Bond "Spectre" setting some opening day and week records.

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From Deadline:  Spielberg teases "Indiana Jones 5."

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From TheWrap:  After working together on "Fruitvale Station" and on the upcoming boxing drama, "Creed," director Ryan Coogler and actor Michael B. Jordan will re-team for the education scandal movie, "Wrong Answer."

From Variety:  Brad Pitt's "World War Z" sequel, scheduled for 2017, gets a new screenwriter.


COMICS: Books and Films:

From Indiewire:  Nicole Kidman has apparently joined the cast of the "Wonder Woman" movie.

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From YahooNews:  Marvel's Netflix plans may change.


TRAILERS:

From Variety:  First trailer for Spike Lee's "Chi-raq," from Amazon.


HARD NEWS:

From Truthout:  "Robin Hood Tax" movement.


OBITS:

From Variety:  The screenwriter, Melissa Mathison, has died (Wednesday, November 4, 2015).  She earned an Oscar nomination for her original screenplay for "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial."  She was also married to Harrison Ford for a time and had two children with Ford.  Mathison was 65.

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From Deadline:  The Oscar-winning screenwriter, Colin Welland ("Chariots of Fire") has died at the age of 81 (Monday, November 2, 2015).

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From Variety:  The actor Fred Thompson has died at the age of 73, Sunday, November 1, 2015.  He appeared in "Law & Order" from 2002 to 2007.  He was also a U.S. Senator from Tennessee, a Watergate attorney, and a presidential candidate in 2008.

Negromancer News Bit and Bites for July 1st to 4th, 2015 - Update #7

Support Leroy on Patreon.

NEWS:

From HitFix:  But he is a "clown in blackface..." and an Uncle Tom.

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From THR:  Hollywood insiders visit Havana, Cuba.

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From YahooTV:  I still watch "Dukes of Hazzard" on occasion.  It's a shame that it's come to this.

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From Variety:  Laurence Fishburne to star in A&E's "Roots" remake in 2015.

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From Vulture:  Anthony Mackie to play MLK to Bryan Cranston's LBJ.

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From YahooMovies:  New logo for "Star Trek 3."


COMICS - Movies and Books:

From YahooTV:  New images from Batman Vs. Superman, including of Jessie Eisenberg as Lex Luthor.

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From Vulture:  First look at Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and his codpiece... I mean... his guns.

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From YahooMovies:  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

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From TheVerge: This may be the future of Marvel Comics.


TRAILERS:

From YahooMovies:  Dark first trailer for Secrets in Their Eye, with Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.