Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 21st to 31st, 2024 - UPDATE #14

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From THR:  Disney/Pixar's "Inside Out 2" has now surpassed Disney's "Frozen II" as the all-time highest grossing animated film at the global box office.  It's 1.462 billion dollars passed the "Frozen" sequel's 1.451 billion dollars. 

From Deadline:  Amazon MGM Studios has confirmed that it has hired former Netflix Chairman of Film and former Vice Chairman of Universal, Scott Stuber, to revive the "United Artists" label for them.  Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner also tried to revive United Artists about 16 years ago.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Apple Original Films has won the auction for the rights to adapt author Jonathan Tropper's short story, "The Corsair Code." Tropper will adapt the story, which is attached to actor Chris Hemsworth.

TELEVISION - From Variety:  AMC and AMC+'s "The Terror" Season 3 rounds out its cast with CCH Pounder, Judith Light, and Stephen Root.

POLITICS - Variety:  Hollywood donors feel tremendous enthusiasm for Democratic Presidential candidate, Vice-President Kamala Harris.

From THR:  Netflix's Reed donates $7 million dollars to VP Kamala Harris' election campaign.

FILM FESTIVALS - From Deadline:  The full lineup of films for the 81st Venice Film Festival have been announced, and among the big names is "Joker: Folie a Deux."  The festival runs from August 28th to September 7th, 2024.

From Deadline:  The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival announced its full lineup of "Galas 2024" and "Special Presentations 2024," and which amounts to 63 films from 25 countries.  Many include films are from celebrated directors and star some of the biggest names in domestic and international cinema.  TIFF 2024 runs September 5th to 15th, 2024.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Recent Oscar winner Brendan Fraser ("The Whale") will portray Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower in Working Title and Studiocanal‘s upcoming D-Day movie, "Pressure."

AMAZON - From Deadline:   Amazon Prime Video has taken another big leap into the UK film and TV industry by acquiring Bray Film Studios, the 70-year-old studios where "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" is filmed.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/19 to 7/21/2024 weekend box office is Universal's "Twisters" with an estimated take of 80.5 million dollars.

POLITICS - From Variety:  President Joe Biden has ended his re-election bid.

From TheAtlantic or RSN:  Just in cast you'd forgotten J.D. Vance's critique, "Opioid of the Masses," of his now running mate, Donald Trump, here are two sources where you can enjoy it.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the release of "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999), director Stanley Kubrick's final film.  The film starred Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, who were married at the time of the film's production and release.  Recently, Kidman talked about how Kubrick found inspiration in the marriage for his film.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Paramount+ has cancelled "Halo," its video game adaptation, after two seasons.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 1st to 6th, 2024 - UPDATE #12

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  The winner of the July 4th box office is "Despicable Me 4" with an estimated take of 20.4 million dollars.

CELEBRITY - From EW:  Famous actor Kevin Bacon disguised himself as a regular person for a day and discovered that, compared to fame, it sucks.

MOVIES - From THR:  "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" director Matt Molloy said he kept turning down offers from super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer until he said yes to the new "Beverly Hills Cop" film.

FILM FESTIVALS - From Deadline:  Director Tim Burton's new film, "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," will open the 81st Venice Film Festival on Aug. 28th. The film is the sequel to his 1988 Oscar-winning hit, "Beetlejuice."

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  Sony teases that more information will come about Quentin Tarantino's 10th and alleged final film. Earlier this year, it was announced that Tarantino had scrapped his plans to make a movie called "The Movie Critic."

NETFLIX - From THR:  Netflix has won the rights to "RIP," a thriller from Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's production company.  Directed by Joe Carnahan, the film also stars Damon and Affleck.

JAMES BOND - From WorldofReel:  Edward Berger ("All Quiet on the Western Front") is the latest name to pop up as a potential director to helm the next James Bond film franchise reboot.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Universal moves tentpole musical, "Wicked" to November 22nd where it will open against Paramount Pictures' "Gladiator II."

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  Disney/Pixar's "Inside Out 2" has crossed the 1 billion dollar mark (1.014 billion dollars) at the global box office, which is the fastest ever for an animated film.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  We are approaching the 50th anniversary of the legendary blockbuster film, Jaws (1975). There are two documentaries about the film, dueling for attention, "Jaws: Making a Splash in Hollywood" and "Jaws @ 50."

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American film producer, Jon Landau, has died at the age of 63, Friday, July 5, 2024.  Landau was best known for his association with writer-director James Cameron and was the COO of Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment.  Landau shared the "Best Picture" Oscar win with Cameron for the 1997 film, "Titanic."  He also received "Best Picture" Oscar nominations for "Avatar" (2009) and "Avatar: The Way of Water" (2022).

From Deadline:  American screenwriter and director, Robert Towne, has died at the age of 89, Monday, July 1, 2024.  He was best known for his work on the 1975 film, Chinatown," for which he was the "Best Original Screenplay" Oscar.  He was also nominated for Academy Awards for his work on "The Last Detail" (1974), "Shampoo" (1976), and "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan" (1984). He wrote and directed four films, including "Personal Best" (1982) and "Tequila Sunrise" (1988).

From Deadline:  American film editor, producer, and director, Bud S. Smith, has died at the age of 88, Sunday, June 23, 2024.  He edited or co-edited such films as "The Karate Kid" (1984), "To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), "Darkman" (1990), and "The Replacements" (2000).  He shared two Oscar nominations for his editing work on "The Exorcist" (1973) and "Flashdance" (1983).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 23rd to 30th, 2024 - UPDATE #15

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/28 to 6/30/2024 weekend box office is Disney/Pixar's "Inside Out 2" with an estimated take of 57.4 million dollars.

MOVIES - From THR:  Denis Villeneuve's next film from Warner Bros. will arrive in 2026.  It could be the third film in the "Dune" series, "Dune: Messiah."

TELEVISION - From Variety:  Actor Jared Padalecki says goodbye to his series, "Walker," on The CW.  And he has harsh words for the "cheap" network.

SPORTS - From YahooSports:  The Los Angeles Lakers' new coach, JJ Reddick, meets the press.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The "Harry Potter" television reboot series is taking shape under the guidance of a duo from HBO's hit, "Succession."  Francesca Gardiner will write and Mark Mylod will direct the series.  The series is due in 2026.

From Deadline:  The "Harry Potter" TV series and the "IT" prequel series, "Welcome to Derry," are headed to HBO as part of Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming "rethink."

ACADEMY AWARDS - From Variety:  Recent Oscar-nominee, Lily Gladstone, is among 487 people invited to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Reminiscing about his past with the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise, actor Judge Reinhold had signed onto the 1984 original film when the project was an action movie with Sylvester Stallone set to star.  The film later become a comedy starring Eddie Murphy.  The new film, "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" is due on Netflix July 3rd.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/21 to 6/23/2024 weekend box office is Disney/Pixar's "Inside Out 2" with an estimated take of 100 million dollars.

From THR:  "Inside Out 2's" 100 million dollars in box office is the all-time record for an animated feature film. That is also the seventh-biggest weekend for any film.

REMEMBRANCE - From Jacobin:  Apparently, the recently deceased actor, Donald Sutherland, was a man on the political left and he never abandoned those principles.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Jonathan Majors has come in from the cold. He will star in the revenge thriller, "Merciless." The film will be directed by Martin Villeneuve, the younger brother of "Dune" director, Denis Villeneuve.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Actor, musician, and comedian, Martin Mull, has died at the age of 80, Thursday, June 27, 2024.  He is best known for roles in such satirical series as "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" and "Fernwood 2 Night" and it continuation, "America 2 Night."  He had recurring roles in the former ABC sitcoms, "Rosanne" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch."  He was a lead in the sadly, short-lived Fox comedy, "The Cool Kids."  His best known film role may be as "Colonel Mustard" in 1985's "Clue."  He as nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on HBO's "Veep."

From Variety:  American film and television actor, Bill Cobbs, has died at the age of 90, Tuesday, June 25, 2024.  A prolific actor, Cobbs appeared in such films as "The Brother from Another Planet" (1984), "New Jack City" (1991), "The Bodyguard" (1992), "Ghosts of Mississippi" (1996), and "Night at the Museum" (2006), to name a few.  A frequent presence on numerous TV series, he appeared on such series as "I'll Fly Away," "The Drew Carey Show," and "Star Trek: Enterprise."  He was twice nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for his work on the Canadian children's television series, "Dino Dana," winning the award in 2020.

From Deadline:  American television executive, Jamie Kellner, has died at the age of 77, Friday, June 21, 2024.  Kellner helped founded two broadcasts networks, the Fox Broadcasting Company (1986), and The WB (1994).  Later, he would succeed Ted Turner as head of Turner Broadcasting System (2000).  Among the TV series Kellner helped develop were "The Simpsons," "Married... with Children," and "In Living Color" at Fox and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Dawson's Creek" at The WB.

From Deadline:  American film and television actor, Spencer Milligan, has died at the age of 86, Thursday, April 18, 2024.  He was best known for playing, "Rick Marshall," the father of Will and Holly Marshall, during the first two seasons on the children's live-action, sci-fi TV series, "Land of the Lost" (NBC, 1974-75).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 16th to 22th, 2024 - UPDATE #15

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Kevin Costner announces that he is not returning for the final season of "Yellowstone."

SPORTS - From TheNewYorkTimes:  It's okay, fellow Lakers fans. We do have 18 titles, too.

AMAZON - From THR:  Josh Gad will star in and produce with Mel Brooks a sequel to Brooks' "Star Wars" satire film, "Space Balls" (1987). Amazon MGM Studios is behind the project.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Will Smith has joined Sony Pictures and Escape Artists on the sci-fi film, "Resistor."  It is based on Daniel Suarez's novel, "Influx."

MOVIES - From Variety:  Lionsgate has landed the North American rights to Francis Ford Coppola's divisive new film, "Megalopolis."  Lionsgate currently plans a Sept. 27th, 2024 release date.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/14 to 6/16/2024 weekend box office is Disney/Pixar's "Inside Out 2" with an estimated take of 155 million dollars.

TELEVISION - From Variety:  As the final episodes of "Yellowstone," film without him, star Kevin Costner says he would return to the series "under the right circumstances.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Jason Patric has joined the cast of the "Terrifier 3," the sequel to the 2022 hit cult film, "Terrifier 2."  Film on the third entry wrapped in NYC last week.

TONY AWARDS - From Deadline:  The winners at the 2024 / 77th Annual Tony Awards were announced last night (Sun., Jun 16th). "The Outsiders" wins for "Best Musical."

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Eddie Murphy provides some updates on the fourth "Beverly Hills Cop" film, "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F." Much of it has to do with working with Taylour Paige, who plays Axel Foley's daughter. The film is due July 3rd on Netflix.

MOVIES - From TheNewYorkTimes:  There is a chilling reason American audiences might not get to see "The Apprentice," the new movie about Donald Trump (played by Sebastian Stan) and his mentor, the late Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong).

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Canadian film and television actor, Donald Sutherland, has died at the age of 88, Thursday, June 20, 2024.  His seven-decade film career contains too many great films to name, but among them are M*A*S*H (1970), "Klute" (1971), "Don't Look Now" (1973), "Invasion of the Body Snatcher" (1978), "Ordinary People" (1980), and "The Hunger Game" franchise.  He won a Primetime Emmy for his work in the HBO TV movie, "Citizen X" (1995). Some consider Sutherland to be the best actor never to be nominated for an Oscar, but he did receive an "Academy Honor Award" in 2017.  Among Sutherland's five children is actor, Kiefer Sutherland.

From Deadline:  Keifer Sutherland remembers his father, actor Donald Sutherland, who has died at the age of 88.

From Deadline:  Remembering Donald Sutherland, a career in photos

From Deadline:  Hollywood reacts to the death of Emmy-winning actor, Donald Sutherland. Among the comments are President Joe Biden, and Oscar-winners, Ron Howard and Michael Douglas.

From Deadline:  Donald Sutherland's last major role was as "Judge Isaac Parker" (a.k.a. "the Hanging Judge") on the Paramount+ miniseries, "Lawmen: Bass Reeves."  Series executive producer and star, David Oyelowo, talks about working with Sutherland.

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From ESPN:  Professional baseball legend and Major League Baseball centerfielder, Willie Mays, has died at the age of 93, Tuesday, June 18, 2024.  Known as "the Say Hey Kid," Mays is considered by some to be the greatest all-around baseball of all time.  Mays is best known for his time with the New York/San Francisco Giants, with whom he won the 1954 World Series.  He was the National League Rookie of the Year (1951) and was a two-time National League Most Valuable Player.  Mays finished his career with the New York Meets in 1972 and 1973.  Mays also played one season in the Negro Leagues.

Review: Pixar's "TURNING RED" is Universal and Unique

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 8 of 2024 (No. 1952) by Leroy Douresseaux

Turning Red (2022)

Running time:  100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)

MPA –  PG for thematic material, suggestive content and language

DIRECTOR:  Domee Shi

WRITERS:  Domee Shi and Julie Cho; from a story by Domee Shi, Julie Cho, and Sarah Streicher

PRODUCER:  Lindsey Collins

CINEMATOGRAPHERS:  Mahyar Abousaeedi and Jonathan Pytko

EDITORS:  Nicholas C. Smith with Steve Bloom

COMPOSER: Ludwig Goransson

SONGS: Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell

Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY/DRAMA

Starring:  (voices) Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Hyein Park, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Orion Lee, Wai Ching Ho, Tristan Allerick Chen, Jordan Fisher, Finneas O'Connell, and James Hong

Turning Red is a 2022 animated fantasy and comedy-drama film directed by Domee Shi and produced by Pixar Animation Studios.  It is Pixar's 25th full-length animated feature film, and it is the first to be solely directed by a woman.  Turning Red focuses on a teen girl who is dealing with her demanding mother and the changes of adolescence when she suddenly discovers that becoming really excited causes her to turn into a giant red panda.

Turning Red opens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 2002.  It introduces a Chinese-Canadian girl, 13-year-old Meilin “Mei” Lee (Rosalie Chiang).  She lives with her parents, mother Ming (Sandra Oh) and father Jin (Orion Lee).  Mei is a dutiful daughter to her mother who calls her “Mei-Mei,” and she helps take care of the family's temple, “the Lee Family Temple,” one of the the oldest temples in Toronto.  The temple honors the Lee family ancestors instead of gods, and it is dedicated to Mei's maternal ancestor Sun Yee.

Mei is also dedicated to a trio of girl friends:  Miriam (Ava Morse), Priya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), and Abby (Hyein Park), and all three of them are dedicated fans of the boy band, “4*Town.”  Life is busy, but it's about to get complicated.  The morning after a night of humiliation, Mei wakes up to discover that she has been transformed into a giant red panda.  This is a condition that happens when Mei is overly excited, but it can be cured.  But what does Mei really want?

In the early days of the Disney+ streaming service and in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Walt Disney Company released three Pixar feature films as direct-to-streaming releases:  Soul (2020), Luca (2021), and Turning Red, declining wide theatrical releases for the films.  These were and still are three of Pixar's greatest films, but they are finally getting belated theatrical releases in early 2024.  [Soul in January 2024; Turning Red in February 2024; and Luca in March 2024.]

Turning Red is an incredible coming-of-age story, and like Pixar's Oscar-winning Brave (2012), it is a story of transformations and of mother-daughter relationships and all the love and support and trials and tribulations that come with it.  Its beautiful, terracotta-like colors amplify the film's sense of magic and magical realism.  The variety of faces, body types, skin colors, hair styles, and clothes and costumes are a testament of how culturally expansive Pixar's films set in the human world are.  Everything about Turning Red invites the entire world of moviegoers to come along on this timeless, universal tale of a child coming into her own and learning to love herself as she is becoming and to love her parents for what they were, are, and can be.

Domee Shi and her co-writers, Julie Cho and Sarah Streicher, have created a character, a world, and a scenario of which I believe I can be a part.  I am an old-ass Black man, a million miles away from a 13-year-old Canadian girl of Chinese descent, but Turning Red makes me understand that what the girl experiences are in some ways similar to what I've experienced.  In a way, I am jealous of Turning Red and of Meilin Lee because I could never embrace the messy strangeness in me to the extent that she does.  I definitely did not want my freak flag fluttering in the wind too much.

There is so much to like in this film.  As usual, the animation is up to Pixar's astronomical standards, and Ludwig Goransson's score infuses itself into the film so much that it seems as if the animation is performing a concert.  Speaking of music, I'm embarrassed to admit that I like 4*Town, the band, and its three songs performed in the movie, which are written by the sister-brother team of Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell.  And I couldn't love the movie if I wasn't crazy about actress Rosalie Chiang's multi-layered and energetic voice performance as Mei.  Chiang makes Mei feel like a real girl, genuine child in the throes of change and transformation.

Some have said that Turning Red's setting and its lead character, Mei, make the film not timeless and universal like Pixar's other films.  They can go screw themselves.  Turning Red is universal like other Pixar films and also unlike other Pixar films.  Turning Red is Pixar high art and Disney magic, and it is a truly great film that I plan on watching again and again.

10 of 10

Sunday, February 11, 2024

NOTES:

2023 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature Film” (Domee Shi and Lindsey Collins)

2023 BAFTA Film Awards:  1 nominee: “Best Animated Feature Film” (Domee Shi and Lindsey Collins)

2023 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nominee:  “Best Motion Picture – Animated”

2023 Image Awards (NAACP):  1 nominee: “Outstanding Animated Motion Picture”

The text is copyright © 2024 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 Jan. 14th to 20th, 2024 - Update #24

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

SCANDAL - From CNBC:  A New Mexico grand jury has indicted actor Alec Baldwin.  He is facing two separate types of "involuntary manslaughter" charges in relation to a fatal shooting on the New Mexico set of the Western film, "Rust." The charges are "Involuntary Manslaughter (Negligent Use of a Firearm)" and "Involuntary Manslaughter (Without Due Caution or Circumspection)."  On Oct. 21, 2021, Baldwin was handling a prop gun that discharged, killing Rust's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, and injuring the film's director Joel Souza. Rust has since been completed and is awaiting distribution.

From DocumentCloud:  Read the charges brought against Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated actor, Alec Baldwin, in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, on the New Mexico set of the film, "Rust."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director Chad Stahelski will oversee the "Highlander" and "John Wick" franchises for Lionsgate.  Stahelski, who is set to direct the reboot of the 1986 fantasy film, "Highlander," has directed all four of the John Wick films, including the most recent, John Wick: Chapter 4.

MOVIES - From THR:  Oscar-nominated actor, Paul Mescal ("Aftersun"), does not want the upcoming "Gladiator 2" to make him more famous.

EMMYS - From Deadline:  The winners at the 2023 / 75th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced Monday night, January 15th, 2024.  HBO's "Succession," Hulu's "The Bear," and Netflix's "Beef" dominated the evening.

From Deadline:  Four members of the cast of the former Fox sitcom, "Martin," reunited at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony.  Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Carl Anthony Payne II, and Tichina Arnold reunited to present the "Lead Actor in a Comedy Series," which was won by Jeremy Allen White for "The Bear" (Hulu).

From USAToday:  At the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, actress Niecy Nash won "Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series" for her role as "Glenda Cleveland" in the Netflix series, "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story."  Her Emmys speech paid tribute to "every Black and brown woman who has gone unheard," and she referenced Glenda and real-life victims of police violence, Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor. 

From Variety:  With his recent Emmy win at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards for his Disney+ special, "Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium," Elton John becomes the 24th person to join the "EGOT Club."  To join the club, one must win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The site examines why a number of broadcast network series are ending with their seventh season, including CBS' "Young Sheldon" and "S.W.A.T." and ABC's "The Good Doctor."

DISNEY - From Variety:  The Walt Disney Company and the National Football League (NFL) are in some kind of "earnest talks."  It could lead to the NFL buying a stake in Disney-owned ESPN and put the league's "NFL Media" unit under Disney's control.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 1/12 to 1/14/2024 weekend box office is Paramount Pictures' "Mean Girls" with an estimated take of 28 million dollars.

DISNEY - From TechCrunch:  Pixar will see a round of layoffs in 2024.  The number of people let go could be as high as 20%, seeing its team of 1300 employees fall to below 1000.

MOVIES - From THR:  Producers StudioCanal and Monumental Pictures have dropped the first international teaser trailer for the hotly anticipated "Back to Black," the upcoming music biopic on the late Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and recording artist, Amy Winehouse.  Up-and-coming British actress Marisa Abela plays Amy Winehouse.  "Back to Black" will debut in the UK and Ireland on April 12th. Focus Features will release the film in the U.S. on May 10th.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American actress, Joyce Randolph, has died at the age of 99, Saturday, January 13, 2024.  She was best known for portray the character, "Trixie Norton," wife of the late actor Art Carney's "Ed Norton," on "The Jackie Gleason Show (1952-57, CBS) and on the classic American television sitcom, "The Honeymooners" (1955-56, CBS)

From Deadline:  Film and television actress, Lynne Marta, has died at the age of 78, Thursday, January 11, 2024. Marta appeared in such films as the Clint Eastwood/Robert Duvall Western, "Joe Kid" (1972), the music driven teen drama, "Footloose" (1984).  However, Marta was a prolific TV actress. She appeared on 18 episodes of "Love, American Style" and was a guest star on numerous TV series over a four decade career, including "Barnaby Jones," "Charlie's Angels," "Designing Women," and "ER."

AWARDS:

From THR:  Key award season dates leading up to the 2024 / 96th Academy Awards, which are Sunday, March 10th, 2024.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2024 / 77th EE BAFTA Film Awards have been announced.  "Oppenheimer" leads with 13 nominations, and "Poor Things" follows with 11 nominations.  The winners will be announced Feb. 18th.

From Variety:  The Producers Guild of America has announced the nominees for the 2024 / 35th annual Producers Guild Awards.  For the first time in the history of the awards, two international films, "Anatomy of a Fall" and "The Zone of Interest," have made been nominated in the PGA's top category, "Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures." The winners will be announced Feb. 25th.

From Variety:   The nominees for the 2024 / 51st Annie Awards have been announced.  Netflix's "Nimona" leads the features categories with nine nominations.  The winners will be announced Sat., Feb. 17th.

From Deadline:  The Screen Actors Guild nominations for the 2024 / 30th annual SAG Awards have announced. "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" leads the film side of things with four nominations apiece.  The winners will be announced Saturday, Feb. 24th.

From Variety:  The Directors Guild of America has announced the nominations for the 2024 / 76th DGA Awards.  In the top category, "Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film of 2023," the nominees are Greta Gerwig for "Barbie," Christopher Nolan for “Oppenheimer,” Martin Scorsese for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Yorgos Lanthimos for “Poor Things,” and Alexander Payne for “The Holdovers.”  The winners will be announced Feb. 10th.

From Variety:  The Motion Picture Sound Editors has revealed the nominations for the 71st annual MPSE Golden Reel Awards in categories spanning feature film, television, animation, computer entertainment and student productions.  The winners will be announced March 3rd.

From AwardsWatch: The Iowa Film Critics Association (IFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards.  Alexander Payne's "The Holdovers" won four awards, including "Best Picture."

From Variety:  The Visual Effects Society has announced the nominations for the 2024 / 22nd Annual VES Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Feb. 21st.

From AwardsWatch:  The North Dakota Film Society (NDFS) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won nine awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:  The Music City Film Critics Association has announces it MCFCA 2023 Film Awards.  Oppenheimer won seven awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  The Portland Critics Association (PCA) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won nine awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From Deadline:  The African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) announced the 15th annual African-Ameri an Film Critics Awards. "American Fiction" was voted the #1 film and won four awards, including "Best Comedy." Ava DuVernay's "Origin" was voted the #2 film and won three awards, including "Best Drama." 

From Deadline:  The winners of the 2024 / 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards have been announced.  "Oppenheimer" won eight awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  The Hawaii Film Critics Society (HFCS) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Barbie" wins four awards, including "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The Denver Film Critics Society (DFCS) has announced the winners of its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won four awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:  The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) revealed the nominees for the "2024 / 38th Annual ASC Awards" with categories in feature film, documentary, television and music video categories.  The winners will be announced March 3rd, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The Seattle Film Critics Society (SFCS) announced the winners in 21 categories for the 2023 Seattle Film Critics Society Awards.  Director Celine Song’s "Past Lives" was named the "Best Picture of 2023."

From AwardsWatch:  The Cinema Audio Society (CAS) has announced the nominations for the 60th CAS Awards.  The winners will be announced March 2nd.

From AwardsWatch:  The Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) has announced the nominations for the 28th Art Directors Guild Awards. The winners will be announced Feb. 10th.

From AwardsWatch:  The Hollywood Creative Alliance (HCA) has announced it 2024 ASTRA Film Awards.  "Barbie" won eight awards, including "Best Picture.

From AwardsWatch:  The Greater Western New York Film Critics Association (GWNYFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Past Lives" was named "Best Picture."

From NSFC:  The National Society of Film Critics announce its 58th annual NSFC Awards.  "Past Lives" was named "Best Picture of 2023."

From Deadline:  The 2024 / 81st Golden Globes Awards ceremony was held Sun. night, Jan. 7th, 2024.  "Oppenheimer" won five awards, including "Best Motion Picture-Drama," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), "Best Actor-Drama" (Cillian Murphy), and "Best Supporting Actor-Motion Pictures" (Robert Downey, Jr.). "Poor Things" won "Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy."

From Deadline:  NIGHT 2 of the 75th Creative Arts Emmys took place Sun., Jan. 7th, 2024.  (Former) President Barack Obama and Keke Palmer were among the winners.

From Deadline:  NIGHT 1 of the 75th Creative Arts Emmys took place Sat., Jan. 6th, 2024.  HBO's "The Last of Us" lead the night with 8 wins, including wins in both "Guest Actor in a Drama Series" categories: Nick Offerman (Guest Actor) and Storm Reid (Guest Actress).

From AwardsWatch:  The 5th annual DiscussingFilm Critics Awards were announced.  "Oppenheimer" won eight awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:   The Utah Film Critics Association (UFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards. "Past Lives" won three awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Celine Song).

From AwardsWatch:  The Georgia Film Critics Association (GFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Oppenheimer" won seven honors, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:  The San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Oppenheimer" was named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The Columbus Film Critics Association (COFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won six awards including "Best Film" and "Best Director" (Martin Scorsese).

From AwardsWatch:  The Costume Designers Guild (Local 892) announced the official nominees list for the 26th CDGA (Costume Designers Guild Awards). The annual CDGA ceremony will take place Wed., Feb. 21st, 2024.

From Variety:   The British Academy has unveiled the results of the first round of voting across all 24 categories for the 2024 / 77th BAFTA Film Awards.  These results are known as "the longlists."  "Barbie," "Killers of the Flower Moon," and "Oppenheimer" all appeared on the longlist of 15 categories.  The nominations will be announced Jan. 18th, and the winners will be announced Feb. 18th.

From AwardsWatch:  The Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (OFCC) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won five awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Martin Scorsese), and "Best Actress" (Lily Gladstone).

From AwardsWatch:  The Critics Association of Central Florida (CACF) has announced the winners of its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won 10 awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan). 

From AwardsWatch:  U.K. Film Critics Association (UKFCA) has announced the winners of its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won three awards: "Best Film," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From Variety: The Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild (MUAHS, IATSE Local 706) has announced nominations for the 11th MUAHS Guild Awards. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 led with five mentions in the film categories and ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" led with four in the television categories. The winners will be announced Sunday, February 18, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The Nevada Film Critics Society has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Oppenheimer" won five awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) has announced its 2023 film awards.  Hayao's Miyazaki's anime film, "The Boy and the Heron" was named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "American Fiction" won six awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Cord Jefferson), and Best Actor (Jeffrey Wright).

From AwardsWatch:  The San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) has announced its 2023 film awards.  Always trying to be difficult, it named "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" the "Best Picture."  It named Martin Scorsese "Best Director" for "Killers of the Flower Moon."

From AwardsWatch:  The Dublin Film Critics Circle has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Past Lives" wins "Best Film" and "Best Director" (Celine Song)"

From AwardsWatch:  The North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" wins five awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  The Southeaster Film Critics Association (SEFCA) has announces its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won eight awards including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:  The Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Poor Things" won six awards, including "Best Pictuere," "Best Director" (Yorgos Lanthmos), "Best Actress" (Emma Stone"), and "Best Supporting Actor" (Mark Ruffalo).

From AwardsWatch:  The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PFCC) has announced it 2023 film awards.  "Poor Things" won four awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Yorgos Lanthimos), and "Best Actress" (Emma Stone).

From AwardsWatch:  The St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) has announced its 2023 awards.  "Oppenheimer" won seven awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy)

From AwardsWatch:  The Phoenix Film Critics Society (PFCS) has named its 2023 film awards.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" wins "Best Picture."  Oppenheimer wins six, including "Best Director" for Christopher Nolan.

From AwardsWatch:  The Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association (DFWFCA) has named its 2023 films awards.  "The Holdovers" wins "Best Picture."  "Oppenheimer" wins four, including "Best Director" for Christopher Nolan.

From AwardsWatch:  The Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) have announced their 2023 film awards.  "The Zone of Interest" wins "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (for Jonathan Glazer).

From AwardsWatch:  The 2023 Boston Online Film Critics Association (BOFCA) awards have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" wins "Best Picture," one of two awards its won.  "Oppenheimer" wins five, including a "Best Director" for Christopher Nolan.

From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 2024 / 24th annual Black Reel Awards have been announced.  "The Color Purple" leads with 19 nominations.  The winners will be announced Jan. 16th, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The Phoenix Critics Circle (PCC) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Past Lives" wins "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) have named "Killers of the Flower Moon" the "Best Film" of 2023.  Christopher Nolan wins "Best Director" for "Oppenheimer."

From AwardsWatch:  The Las Vegas Film Critics Society have named "Oppenheimer" the "Best Picture" of 2023, with the film's director, Christopher Nolan, winning "Best Director."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2023 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" wins "Best Picture," and Christopher Nolan wins "Best Director" for "Oppenheimer."

From THR:   The winners at the 2023 / 49th annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards have been announced.  The Holocaust historical drama, "The Zone of Interest," wins four awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Jonathan Glazer), and "Best Actress" (Sandra Huller).

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 / 29th annual Critics Choice Awards have been announced. "Barbie" leads with 18 nominations.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 / 81st annual Golden Globe Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Jan. 7th, 2024 on CBS and Paramount Plus.

From AwardsWatch:  The Las Vegas Film Critics have announced their 2023 LVFC Awards nominations.  "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" are the leading vote getters.  The winners will be announced Wed., Dec. 13th.

From THR:  The winners at the 2023 European Film Awards have been announced.  "Anatomy of a Fall" won five awards including for "Best Film," "Best Director" (Justine Triet), and "Best Actress" (Sandra Huller).

From AwardsWatch:  The 2023 National Board of Review film honors have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won "Best Film," "Best Director" (Martin Scorsese), and "Best Actress" (Lily Gladstone).

From AwardsWatch:  The American Film Institute (AFI) names its top ten films: American Fiction, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, May December, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.  It also names its top ten television series: Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Beef, Jury Duty, The Last of Us, The Morning Show, Only Murders in the Building, Poker Face, Reservation Dogs, and Succession.

From AwardsWatch:  "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" lead the nominations for "Astra Film & Creative Arts Awards," which are put on by the "Hollywood Creative Alliance" (formerly known as the Hollywood Critics Association).  The winners will be announced Jan. 6th, 2024 in Los Angeles.

From Deadline:  At the 2023 / 26th British Independent Film Awards, director Andrew Haigh's "All of Us Strangers" won seven awards, including "Best British Independent Film."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2023 / 89th New York Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" (directed by Martin Scorsese) was named "Best Film of 2023."  Christopher Nolan won "Best Director" for his film, "Oppenheimer."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2023 / 33rd Annual Gotham Awards were announced Mon., Nov. 27th.  Writer-director Celine Song's South Korean romantic drama, "Past Lives" won the "Best Feature" award.

BEST PICTURE COUNT:

All of Us Strangers: 1

American Fiction: 2

Barbie: 2

The Boy and the Heron: 1

The Holdovers: 2

Killers of the Flower Moon: 9

Oppenheimer: 16

Past Lives: 7

Poor Things: 3

The Zone of Interest: 2

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from Nov. 12th to 18th, 2023 - Update #19

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Recent horror movie hit, "The Exorcist: Believer" (the sequel to the 1973 hit, "The Exorcist"), will begin streaming on Peacock December 1st.

BOND - From BritishVogue:  Oscar-winning actress, Olivia Colman ("The Favourite"), says she wants to play the new "M" in the next James Bond film.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio says that he has thanked Oscar-nominee Sharon Stone for paying his salary in order for him to be in director Sam Raimi's revisionist Western, "The Quick and the Dead" (1995).  At the time, Stone wanted DiCaprio in the film, but the studio, TriStar Pictures, refused to cast him.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Dune: Part Two" moves up its release date to March 1st, 2024 from March 15th. The sequel to 2021's Oscar-winning Dune was originally slated to be released earlier this month (November).

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  ABC has announced its post-strike midseason broadcast schedule.  Everything kicks off Jan. 22nd with a two-hour premiere of "The Bachelor."

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Paramount+ is ending its drama "SEAL Team" after the upcoming seventh season.  The series originated on CBS, where it remained for five seasons before moving to Paramount+ for Season 6.

DISNEY - From Variety:  Disney CEO Bob Iger says that "Frozen 3" in in the works and that there might be a "Frozen 4."  The films would be the second and third sequels to the Oscar-winning 2013 film, Frozen.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Christopher Nolan suggests his recent acclaimed hit film, "Oppenheimer," on Blu-ray and own it at home and put it on a shelf "so no evil streaming service can come steal it from you."  "Oppenheimer" arrives on Blu-ray Nov. 21st.

TELEVISION - From Variety:  CBS is bringing its hit sitcom, "Young Sheldon," to an end with the series upcoming seventh season.  "Young Sheldon" Season 7 will debut Feb. 15th and will end with a one-hour series finale set for May 16th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The cast of the CBS sitcom, "Young Sheldon," reacts to the news that the upcoming seventh season will be the series' last.

DISNEY - From Variety:  Disney is merging Disney+ and Hulu into one application sometime in late March 2024.  Customers who have the current Disney+/Hulu bundle will be able to beta test the new merged app beginning in December.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Samuel Haskell IV, the 35-year-old son of prominent television producer, Sam Haskell, has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a headless torso was found several miles from his Los Angeles home.  He has been charged with three counts of murder for the deaths of his wife and her parents.

STAGE - From Variety:  Oscar-nominee Steve Carell will make his Broadway debut playing the title character in a revival of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” (1897). The production, which will be performed at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, will begin previews April 2, 2024, and open on April 24, 2024.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  CBS has unveiled its mid-season 2023-24 schedule, which will feature new and returning series arriving mid-Feb. 2024.  Two planned new 2023-24 series, the "Matlock" reboot and Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans, Jr.'s "Poppa's House," will now debut in the 2024-25 season.

NETFLIX - From Deadline: Netflix has attached Denzel Washington to play the ancient Carthaginian general, Hannibal, in an untitled epic drama that will reteam Washington with his frequent collaborator, director Antoine Fuqua.  John Logan will write the screenplay.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 11/10 to 11/12/2023 weekend box office is Disney/Marvel Studios' "The Marvels" with an estimated take of 47 million dollars.

From Here:  A review of "The Marvels" by Leroy Douresseaux.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  The first trailer for Disney/Pixar's "Inside Out 2" has set a viewership record for Disney films.  It has had 157 million views in 24 hours.  The film is set for a June 14, 2024 debut in theaters.

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ACTORS STRIKE:

From Deadline:  SAG-AFTRA has produced a summary of its "2023 Tentative Agreement" that ended the 118-day long actors' strike. SAG-AFTRA members can begin voting on the agreement tomorrow, Tues., Nov. 14th. The voting can continue until the first week of December.

From IndieWire:  The site takes a look at the details of the tentative agreement between SAG-AFTRA (the actors' union) and the AMPTP (the Hollywood studios) that ended the 118-day actors' strike.

From Deadline:  The SAG-AFTRA national board, by a majority vote, approved the tentative agreement reached with the AMPTP to end the actors' strike.  Now, the actors vote...

From Variety:  The Hollywood studios have agreed to adjust language on artificial intelligence (AI) in their contract negotiations with SAG-AFTRA to end the 117-day actors' strike.

From THR:  SAG-AFTRA is evaluating the studios' "last, best and final offer" to end the actors' strike.

From Deadline:  The studios have delivered a new contract deal to SAG-AFTRA, the actors' union, and more strike talks are scheduled to be held this weekend.

From Deadline:  Striking actors are set to meet the studios today for Halloween negotiations, but they are still "far apart on key issues."

From Variety:  SAG-AFTRA (actors) and AMPTP (studios) will resume strike negotiations tomorrow (Tues., Oct. 24th).

From Deadline:  SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher says that the offer from top-earning Hollywood actors to chip in some money to help end the strike "isn't legally compatible with the union's contract.

From Deadline:  Top earning Hollywood actors want to chip in some money to end the SAG-AFTRA strike.

From Deadline:  George Clooney, Emma Stone, Ben Affleck, Tyler Perry and Scarlett Johansson were among a group of top talent guild members that spoke Tuesday (Oct. 17th) with guild president Fran Drescher and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland for a detailed debrief, we hear.

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

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

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

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

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

From WGAContract:  A summary of the new agreement.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 18th to 24th, 2023 - Update #16

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

STRIKE - From Deadline:  Members of the Directors Guild of America have overwhelmingly ratified a new film and television contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the film and TV studios.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The "Magnum P.I." reboot starring Jay Hernandez was broadcast for four seasons on CBS. NBC picked it up for a fifth season when CBS cancelled it.  Now, NBC has opted not to order additional episodes beyond this current fifth season.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director Spike Lee is attending the Cannes Lions Festival where he will receive the "Creative Maker of the Year" awards.  In an interview, the Oscar-winner mentioned a piece of advice given to him by the late recording artist and icon, Michael Jackson.  The King of Pop told Spike, "Don't ever use the term, 'music video'." Spike calls his music videos "short films."

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Netflix has revealed the cast for its live-action series version of "Avatar: The Last Airbender," and it has released the first teaser trailer.  The series is due in 2024,

MOVIES - From IndieWire:  Oscar-winners, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, and should-be-an-Oscar-winner, Paul Thomas Anderson, have teamed up for an emergency call with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav about the layoffs of Turner Classic Movies’ (TCM) top brass.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. Discovery is shopping some of its HBO library titles to its rival, Netflix.  The first title may be the Issa Rae comedy, "Insecure," which recently finished its five-season run.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  France’s highest appeals court dismissed accusations of rape by Belgian-Dutch actress Sand Van Roy against French director and producer Luc Besson on Wednesday. Van Roy accused Besson of raping her in 2016 and 2018 encounters.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Actor Dan Stevens will now provide the voice of the lead character, "Korvo," in Hulu's animated series, "Solar Opposites."  He replaces Justin Roiland, who is also the co-creator (with Mike McMahan) of the series.  Roiland was ousted from Solar Opposites in January because he was facing domestic abuse charges.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Television super-producer and creator, Ryan Murphy ("American Horror Story," "Nip/Tuck," "Pose") is set to leave Netflix after his five-year Netflix deal expires.  He is in talks to return to Disney which owns FX, the home of his biggest hits.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/16 to 6/18/2023 weekend box office is Warner Bros.' "The Flash" with an estimated total of 55.1 million dollars.

From Deadline:  Wes Anderson's latest film, "Asteroid City," has the strongest opening weekend ($790,000) for a limited release/specialty box office film in many years.

From BloodyDisgusting:  John Squires of "Bloody Disgusting" says that The seven million-dollar debut of Tim Story's "The Blackening" is a win for Lionsgate.

DISNEY - From Variety:  In an interview with "Variety," Pixar CCO (Chief Creative Officer) Pete Docter says that Disney has trained families to wait for films to appear on Disney+.  He reveals that Pixar is working on "Toy Story 5."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Two plagiarism claimants were trying to delay the recent release of director Tim Story's black-centric horror comedy, "The Blackening."  A California district court judge didn't buy the claim.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Stage and screen actor, Frederic Forrest, has died at the age of 86, Friday, June 23, 2023.  His breakthrough film was 1972's "When Legends Die," which earned his a Golden Globe Award.  He appeared in four films in which Francis Ford Coppola was involved, including "The Conversation" (1974) and "Apocalypse Now" (1979).  He earned an Academy Award nomination for "Best Supporting Actor" for his role as "Huston Dyer" in "The Rose" (1979), alongside Bette Midler.

From Deadline:  American mystery author and actress, Carol Higgins Clark, has died at the age of 66, Monday, June 12, 2023.  She was best known for her "Regan Reilly" mystery series, and Clark was also the daughter of the late suspense novelist, Mary Higgins Clark.  She also appeared in several television movies, including "A Cry in the Night" (1992), which was based on her mother's 1982 novel of the same title.

WRITERS STRIKE:

From THR:  Studios won't give writers better pay, and now, are laying off janitors.

From Deadline:  The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has reached a tentative new three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). So what does the Writers Guild (WGA), currently on strike and negotiating with the AMPTP, think of that deal.

From Deadline:  Netflix shareholders declined to support the 2023 pay packages of top executives during a non-binding vote at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday.  The vote won't prevent these execs from getting their loot (an total of $166 million), but this is a rare public rebuke.  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has urged shareholders to vote "No" because the pay was "inappropriate" at this time.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav gave the commencement address at Boston University. There he was met with jeers and also chants of "pay your writers" from picketers and from some in the audience.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 26th to 31st, 2023 - Update #14

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

AWARDS - From RondoAward:  The 2023 / 21st Ronda Hatton Classic Horror Awards are currently in the midst of voting and will close April 23rd.  The awards, which honor the "best in classic horror research, creativity and film preservation," are named for the late American journalist, actor, cult film icon, and World War I veteran, Rondo Hatton (1894-1946).

AVATAR - From Deadline:  Michelle Rodriguez says that she won't let James Cameron bring her "Avatar" character, "Trudy Chacon," back to life.  Trudy was killed in the first film.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  There is apparently early development on a spinoff of the hit FX drama, "Snowfall," which is currently in its final season.  The spinoff would focus on the fan-favorite character, "Wanda," played by Gail Bean.

DISNEY - From THR:  Marvel Entertainment chairman Isaac “Ike” Perlmutter is out at Disney as part of the company's latest round of layoffs.  The billionaire, who sold the comic book giant Marvel to Disney in 2009, was told Wednesday that Disney is folding his Marvel Entertainment unit into other pats of the company and that he would be let go.  Marvel Entertainment co-president, Rob Steffens, has also been let go.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  HBO's "House of the Dragon" will have a shorter second season, eight episodes instead of the 10 the first season had.

TELEVISION - From BloodyDisgusting:  Chris Carter, creator of "The X-Files," says that Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ryan Coogler is developing a new take on the series.

DISNEY/TRAILER - From Deadline:  Pixar has released a trailer for its upcoming film, "Elemental," which is due in theaters, June 16th.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  DreamWorks Animation announces the third film in its "Trolls" series, "Trolls Band Together."  It is due in theaters Nov. 17th.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 3/24 to 3/26/2023 weekend box office is Lionsgate's "John Wick: Chapter 4" with an estimated take of 73.5 million dollars.

From Deadline:  Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chair Joe Drake is not ready to say goodbye to Keanu Reeves and "John Wick."

From Truthout:  Writer Nicholas Powers says that the film "Creed III" reflects the immense class divide in Black America, but fails to heal it.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Hot movie star, Jonathan Majors ("Creed III," "Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania") has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman, possibly a girlfriend.

From Deadline:  Jonathan Majors’ criminal defense lawyer is speaking out and claiming the Creed III actor is innocent and has evidence proving his innocence.

MOVIES - From BBC:  Paul Rusesabagina is a former hotel manager who was portrayed as a hero in the 2004 Hollywood film, "Hotel Rwanda."  He has been released from prison in Kigali, after being sentenced to 25 years on terrorism charges.  Actor Don Cheadle was nominated for an Oscar for play Rusesabagina in the film.

MOVIES - From CBR:  Barring last minutes changes, director Christopher Nolan's upcoming epic drama, "Oppenheimer," will run about three hours longs.  The film is due in theaters July 21st.