Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 26th to 31st, 2026 - UPDATE #2

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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NEWS:

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

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

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

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

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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NEWS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

OBITS:

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

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

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

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

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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NEWS:

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  A year after it began it record-setting run on Netflix, KPop Demon Hunters, is currently the fourth most-viewed film on Netflix for 2026.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Emmy-winner Hannah Waddingham ("Ted Lasso") has joined star Jason Statham in director David Leitch's meta action-comedy, "Jason Statham Stole My Bike."

MOVIES - From THR:  Paramount Pictures is developing a new version of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984).  The film will be released on Paramount's new genre label, "Paramount Primal."  Paramount has secured the U.S. rights to the screenplay for the 1984 film from the estate of the late director, Wes Craven, who created the franchise.

AMAZON - From EW:  Prime Video has offered a first look at showrunner Mike Flanagan's new miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel, "Carrie" (1974). Flanagan's take has been described as a "modern reinterpretation."  The novel was most famously adapted by director Brian De Palma in 1976.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/10 to 7/12/2026 weekend box office is Disney's live-action "Moana" with an estimated take of 43 million dollars.

MUSIC - From RollingStone:  Two-time Oscar-winning actor, Anthony Hopkins, has signed a deal with Decca Records.  Hopkins' release is "Life is a Dream," a project based on original classical music compositions that Hopkins wrote over a six-decade period.  The tracks have been recorded by the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Gustave Dudamel.

OBITS:

From Variety:  American songwriter, recording artist, and rock 'n' roll singer, Freddy Cannon, has died at the age of 89, Friday, July 17, 2026.  Sometimes performing as Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon, he was best known for his international hit singles, "Tallahassee Lassie" (1960), "Way Down Younder in New Orleans" (1960), and "Palisades Park" (1962).  Cannon was a pioneer in the early rock and roll music scene, and he influenced such rock and roll icons as Mick Jagger and Robert Plant.  His songs appeared in numerous films, including "Palisades Park," which was featured in the 2011 film, "X-Men: First Class."

From BBC:  Irish actress, Branda Fricker, has died at the age of 81, Thursday, July 16, 2026.  Fricker as the "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar for in "My Left Food."  She was the first Irish actress to win an Oscar.  Fricker may be best remembered for her role as the "Central Park Pigeon Woman" in "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York."  Fricker's television work includes the British TV series, "Coronation Street" (1977) and "Casuality" (beginning in 1986), to name a few. 

From Variety:  American film and television actor, Hal Williams, has died at the age of 91, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.  Williams is best known for several roles.  The first is as "Officer Smith ('Smitty')," on NBC former sitcom, "Sanford and Son."  He was "Harley Foster" on CBS's former historical drama, "The Waltons" (1973-80).  He was a series regular and family patriarch, "Lester Jenkins," on the former NBC sitcom, "227" (1985-90).  Williams was "Drill Sergeant L.C. Ross" in the 1980 film, "Private Benjamin," and he played Sgt Ross in the short-lived CBS sitcom version of the film, "Private Benjamin" (1981-83).  Williams recently appeared on two episodes of the CBS legal drama, "Matlock."

From Variety:  New Zealand film and television actor, Sam Neill, has died at the age of 78, Monday, July 13, 2026.  Neill was best known for his work in the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World film franchises, beginning with 1993's "Jurassic Park."  His other well-known film work including "Omen III: The Final Conflict" (1981), "Dead Calm" (1989), "The Hunt for Red October" (1990), "The Piano" (1993), "Event Horizno" (1997), "Jurassic Park III" (2001), and "Jurassic World: Dominion" (2022), to name a few.  Neill was also a two-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee.

From YahooEntertainment:  Joseph Mazzello (42) and Ariana Richards (46) played the siblings Tim and Lex Murphy in the blockbuster hit, "Jurassic Park" (1993).  They paid tribute to their late costar, Sam Neill, after he died at the age of 78 on Monday (July 13th).

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From THR:  German-born, British-American actress, Antoinette Bowers, has died at the age of 93, Thursday, April 30, 2026.  Bowers had a prolific career guest-starring in numerous television series.  Her best known TV appearances where in the original versions of "The Twilight Zone" and "Star Trek."  Bowers was "Eve Norda" in the Season 5 Adam-and-Eve episode, "Probe 7, Over and Out," of The Twilight Zone.  She was the alien villain, "Sylvia" in the Season 2 episode, "Catspaw," of Star Trek.  Bowers also played the mother of Jamie Lee Curtis' character, "Kim Hammond," in the classic horror film, "Prom Night" (1980).

From THR:  American film production designer, Barbara Ling, has died at the age of 73, Thursday, July 9, 2026.  Ling and set decorator, Nancy Haigh, won the Oscar for "Best Production Design" for director Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2019).  Ling also worked did production design on three films for the late director Joel Schumacher:  "Falling Down" (1993), "Batman Forever" (1995), and "Batman and Robin" (1997).  She was the production designer on the recent box office smash, "Michael" (2026).

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

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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NEWS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OBITS:

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

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

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

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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

NEWS:

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

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

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

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

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

OBITS:

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

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

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

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

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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NEWS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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

NEWS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

OBITS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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

NEWS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 10th to 16th, 2026 - UPDATE #8

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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

NEWS:

MOVIES - From IndieWire:  It has been way more than a decade since the release of writer-director John Sayles "Go For Sisters" (2013).  His new film, "I Passed This Way," is set to star Oscar-winners, Amy Madigan and Chris Cooper, and is being shopped 2026 Cannes Film Market.

OSCARS - From Deadline:  Conan O'Brien will return as the host of the Oscars ceremony for a third year in a row.  The 99th Academy Awards will air on ABC and Hulu on March 14, 2027.

MOVIES - From THR:  Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o plays two roles in director Christopher Nolan's upcoming "The Odyssey." She is "Helen of Troy," the most beautiful woman in the world who is married to Menelaus (played by Jon Bernthal) and gets blamed for starting a war after she’s spirited away by a prince. Nyong'o also plays Helen’s sister, "Clytemnestra," who is married to Menelaus’ brother, Agamemnon (played by Benny Safdie).

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Emmy-winner, Aaron Paul ("Breaking Bad"), will join the cast of "Fallout" Season 3.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 5/8 to 5/10/2026 weekend box office is 20th Century Studios' "The Devil Wears Prada 2" with an estimated take of 43 million dollars.

NETFLIX - From WorldofReel:  Shawn Levy will direct Netflix's "Somewhere Out There," which is based on a spec script by Max Taxe that Netflix won in a competitive bidding war.

OBITS:

From RollingStone:  American singer, songwriter, record producer, musician, and recording class, Clarence Carter, has died at the age of 90, Thursday, May 14, 2026. Born blind, Carter was known for his bawdy R&B and soul music recordings and was an influential figure in Southern soul music.  Carter's best known singles include "Tell Daddy" (1967), "Slip Away" (1968), "Back Door Santa" (1968), "Patches" (1970), and "Strokin'" (1986).  According to IMDb, Carter's songs appeared in at least 51 films and television episodes, including "Hawkeye" (2021, Marvel/Disney+), "Licorice Pizza" (2021), and "Almost Famous" (2000), to name a few.  Carter was a two-time Grammy Award nominee.

From THR:  American film and television actor, Donald Gibb, has died at the age of 71, Tuesday, May 12, 2026.  Gibb is best known as the dimwitted and aggressive fraternity brother, "Frederick 'Ogre' Palowaski" in the 1984 comedy film, "Revenge of the Nerds," and its sequels, "Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise" (1987) and the made-for-TV comedy, "Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love" (1994).  He is also known for roles in the films "Bloodsport" (1988) and "Bloodsport II: The Kumite (1996).  Gibb also appeared in all seven seasons of HBO's "1st & Ten" (1984-91) and in all seven episodes of the former ABC sitcom, "Stand by Your Man" (1992).  Gibb also had an extensive list of TV credits, appearing in such series as "The X-Files" (Fox), "Step by Step" (ABC), "Weird Science" (USA Network), and "The Young and the Restless" (CBS).

From ESPN:  Former American collegiate and professional basketball player, Jason Collins, has died at the age of 47, Tuesday, May 12, 2026.  After playing basketball for Stanford University, Collins was drafted in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. He played for seven teams over 13 seasons.  After the 2012-13 season, Collins came out as gay, become the first openly gay NBA player.  In February 2014, while playing for the Brooklyn Nets, Collins became the first openly gay athlete to play in one of the four major North American professional sports league.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 26th to 30th, 2026 - UPDATE #4

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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

NEWS:

OSCARS - From Deadline:  In an exclusive story, "Deadline" has reported that Oscar-winner, Pavel Talankin’s Oscar for the documentary feature film, "Mr. Nobody Against Putin," has disappeared.  This happened after TSA officials at JFK Airport in New York refused to let Talankin board a flight with the statuette, declaring it could be used as a weapon.  Talakin shared a win at the recent 98th Academy Awards for "Best Feature Documentary" with U.S. documentary filmmaker, David Borenstein, Halle Faber, and Alzbeta Karaskova.  Two airline employees boxed the item and gave Talankin a ticket for the package, but when he arrived at his destination, the box could not be found...

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  Sony Pictures is developing a film that will bring the worlds of Quentin Tarantino's Oscar-winning "Django Unchained" (2012) and the Oscar-nominated "The Mask of Zorro" (1998) together.  The film will be written by Oscar-winner Brian Helgeland ("L.A. Confidential") and will be based on the 2015 crossover comic book miniseries, "Django/Zorro" (Dynamite Entertainment), which acted as a sequel to Django Unchained.  [Here is my review of "Django/Zorro #1.]

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/24 to 4/26/2026 weekend box office is Lionsgate's "Michael" with an estimated 97 million dollars.

OBITS:

From Variety:  The American toy designer, businessman, and inventor, Roger Sweet, has died at the age of 91, Tuesday, April 28, 2026.  Sweet is best known for his work as a lead designer at toy manufacturer, Mattel.  Sweet was as the lead designer of the team that created the superhero, "He-Man," and the "Masters of the Universe" toy line.

From Deadline:  Film writer and television writer and producer, Gerry Conway, has died at the age of 73.  Conway wrote the screenplays for two films, the animated "Fire and Ice" (1983) and "Conan the Destroyer" (1984).  He was a writer-producer for NBC's "Law & Order" (1999-2006).  He wrote episodes of such animated TV series as "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero," "The Transformers," and "My Little Pony," to name a few.  Conway was also a legendary comic book writer and editor.  He co-created "The Punisher" for Marvel and is considered to be one of the authors who expanded and deepened what came to be known as the "Marvel Universe."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 12th to 18th, 2026 - UPDATE #6

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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

NEWS:

MOVIES - From THR:  David Harbour will join actor Noah Centineo in the latest "Rambo" film, "John Rambo."  Centineo will play John Rambo.  Harbour will apparently play "Major Trautman," Rambo's commanding officer, a role originated by the late Richard Crenna in the film, "First Blood" (1982).

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Amazon MGM Studios is developing a live-action remake of the 1992 animated film, "FernGully: The Last Rainforest."  Marielle Heller is set to direct the film from her own script.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Over 1000 Hollywood figures sign an open letter opposing the merger of Skydance Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.  The signees include J.J. Abrams, Glenn Close, Bryan Cranston, Jane Fonda, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Kristen Stewart, and Ben Stiller, to name a few.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/10 to 4/12/2026 weekend box office is Universal/Illumination Entertainment's "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" with an estimated take of 69 million dollars.

STREAMING - From Fangoria:  HBO's popular horror anthology series, "Tales from the Crypt" (1989-96) is finally coming to streaming.  The service, "Shudder," will carry all seven seasons, beginning May 1st, 2026.

OBITS:

From THR:  Canadian television creator, writer, and puppeteer, Sid Krofft, has died at the age of 96, Friday, April 10, 2026.  With his younger brother, the late Marty Krofft (1937-2023), Sid formed the production company, Sid and Marty Krofft Pictures, through which they made numerous children's television and variety programs.  The best known were "H.R. Pufnstuf" (1969), "The Banana Splits" (1968-70), "Lidsville" (1971), "Sigmund the Sea Monsters" (1973-75), and "Land of the Lost" (1974-76), to name a few.  In 2018, both brothers received an "Lifetime Achievement" Emmy Award.  Previously, Sid shared three Daytime Emmy Award nominations with his brother and their collaborators.

From THR:  The stage, film, and television actor, Carl W. Crudup, has died at the age of 79, January 10, 2026 after a battle with prostate cancer it was recently reported.  Over a five decade career, Crudup appeared in such TV series as PBS's "Great Performances," "The Six Million Dollar Man," "The Rockford Files," "ER," and Marvel's "Agent Carter," to name a few.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 1st to 11th, 2026 - UPDATE #13

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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

NEWS:

DISNEY - From WSJ:  New Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro's opening salvo is to layoff at least 1000 employees.

From WorldofReel:  The fallout of Pixar's cancelled animated film, "Be Fri," has come to include word that executives were concerned that the story would emphasize (shudder, gasp, choke)... "girl power!"

MOVIES - From THR:  Cinema United, the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, confirmed the formation of a "Filmmaker Leadership Council" that will provide “meaningful support” for theatrical exhibition of movies. It will be led by blockbuster veteran, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Oscar winning producer, Emma Thomas. as chair and vice chair respectively.  Rounding out the council will be Oscar winners Ryan Coogler and Brad Bird, and Oscar nominees Jason Reitman and Celine Song.

SCANDAL - From Variety:  Jeff Shell has exited his role as president of Paramount Skydance due to a controversy.  He stepped down as CEO of NBCUniversal in 2023 because of an inappropriate relationship.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  HBO Max has begun show "Alien 3: The Assembly Cut."  This is a 2 hour and 25 minute-version of director David Fincher's 1992 "Alien" sequel, "Alien 3."  It is 31 minutes longer that the original release.  Fincher chose not be involved with the new release.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/3 to 4/5/2026 weekend box office is Universal/Illumination's "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" with an estimated take of $130.94 million dollars.

STREAMING - From WorldofReel:  Disgraced movie star, Jonathan Majors, was injured on the set of a film for "The Daily Wire," and the Wire's response is "we don't negotiate with terrorists."

DISNEY+ - From Variety:  Disney+ has greenlit an "Animorphs" television series.  It is in early development and is executive produced by Ryan Coogler through Proximity Media. Writer Bayan Wolcott is penning the scripts. The project is an adaptation of the 1996-2001 Scholastic books series by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant.  The books focused on kids who fight the parasitic "Yeerks" invading Earth.  The series blended action, body horror, and moral depth over its 54 volumes that sold over 35 million copies.

APPLE - From WorldofReel:  David E. Kelly is adapting Tom Wolfe's 1987, "The Bonfire of the Vanities" for Apple TV+.  Matt Reeves ("The Batman") is set to direct the series.  The novel was previously adapted in to film by director Brian De Palma. Starring Tom Hanks and released in 1990, the movie was and still is considered a disaster.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Sisters Lilla and Nora Zuckerman are writing "Scream 8."  They were recently showrunner for Peacock's streaming series, "Poker Face."

MOVIES - From Variety: Sony Pictures is developing a biopic about famed CBS anchor and journalist, the late Walter Cronkite. The film will be an adaptation of Douglas Brinkley's 2012 biography, "Cronkite."

BUSINESS - From Variety:  J.J. Abrams is downsizing his production company, "Bad Robot," and is moving it from Los Angeles to New York.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  The critically-acclaimed and hit horror film, "Weapons," will get a prequel film.  Entitled "Gladys," it will focus on Weapons' villain, "Aunt Gladys," who was portrayed by Amy Madigan, who, in turn, was a "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar for her performance.  Zach Cregger, creator of "Weapons," will write the screenplay with Zach Shields. There is no word as to whether or not Cregger will direct, "Gladys."

TELEVISION - From EW:  HBO's teen drama, "Euphoria," returns April 12, 2026, but it won't be about teens...

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 22nd to 31st, 2026 - UPDATE #11

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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

NEWS:

NETFLIX - From WorldofReel:  Netflix will apparent not release "The Adventures of Cliff Booth" this summer.  The film is set immediately after the events depicted in director Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2019).  Brad Pitt, who won a "Best Supporting Actor" Oscar for the film will reprise his role of "Cliff Booth."

AMAZON - From EW:  Sophie Turner, the star of Amazon's highly anticipated "Tomb Raider" series, has been injured on the series' set, causing a halt in production.  Turner, who starred in "Game of Thrones," plays heiress and adventurer, Lara Croft.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 3/27 to 3/29/2026 weekend box office is Amazon-MGM Studios' "Project Hail Mary" with an estimated take of 54.5 million dollars.

HULU - From Deadline:  Actor Himesh Patel will join actress Danielle Deadwyler in Hulu's reboot of the former FX sci-fi drama, "The X-Files."  Oscar-winner Ryan Coogler will write and direct the pilot and will produce.  Jennifer Yale will serve as the series showrunner, and Chris Carter, creator of the original series, will serves as one the reboot's executive producers.  Deadwyler and Patel will not play Agents Scully and Mulder; they will reportedly play new characters.

MUSIC - From Variety:  Paul McCartney has released his first new music in five years, a single entitled "Days We Left Behind."  McCartney has a new album, "The Boys of Dungeon Lane," which is due May 29th, 2026.

MOVIES - From Variety:  In one of the stranger recent news items in entertainment comes word that talk show host, Stephen Colbert, and his son, Peter McGee, will join "Lord of the Rings" franchise veteran, Philippa Boyens, will write a new LOTR film, "The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past."  That film will go into production after "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum."

TELEVISION - From WorldofReel:  Quentin Tarantino is set to write and co-direct, with Sylvester Stallone, a 1930s-set gangster series. Described as a six-part series, it will be shot in black and white using 1930s cameras. The series featuring gangsters, showgirls, boxing, but there are no cast details.  Apparently, Stallone will not be acting on screen, only directing.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 3/20 to 3/22/2026 weekend box office is Amazon/MGM's "Project Hail Mary" with an estimated take of 80.58 million dollars.

OBITS:

From THR:  American film and television actor, James Tolkan, has died at the age of 94, Thursday, March 26, 2026.  Tolkan was best known for playing "Principal Gerald Strickland" in "Back to the Future" (1985) and "Back to the Future II" (1989), and "U.S. Marshall James Strickland" in "Back to the Future III" (1990).  Other notable film roles include "Serpico" (1973), "Top Gun," and "Masters f the Universe" 1987), to name a few.  Tolkan appeared in multiple episodes of such TV series as "Mary" (starring the late Mary Tyler Moore), "Remington Steele," and "Nero Wolfe," among others.

From DailyMail:  The veteran animator, director, and storyboard artist, Barry Caldwell, has died at the age of 60, March 2026.  A groundbreaking Black artist and animation veteran, Caldwell directed five episodes of "Tiny Toon Adventures" and 16 episodes of "Animaniacs."  Beginning his career at Filmation in 1979, Caldwell was a storyboard artist on such series as "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids," "The New Adventures of Zorro," "Blackstar," and "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe," to name a few.  He would move on to other animation companies, including Warner Bros. and Disney, where he worked on such series as "The Smurfs" (1981), "Alvin and the Chipmunks" (1983), "Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers" (1989), and "Pinky and the Brain," to name a few.  Caldwell won a "Daytime Emmy Award" and was nominated two other times for his work on "Animaniacs."

From Variety:  American actress, Valerie Perrine, has died at the age of 82, Monday, March 23, 2026.  Perrine may be best known for playing Lex Luthor's girlfriend, Miss Teschmacher, in "Superman: The Movie" (1978) and in "Superman II " (1980).  She earned as Academy Award nomination in the category of "Best Actress" for "Honey Bruce" in "Lenny" (1974), the biopic about comedian Lenny Bruce.  She also won the "Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress" (1975) and earned a BAFTA nomination and an award for the role of "Honey Bruce."  Her other notable film appearances include roles in "Slaughter-Five" (1972) and "The Electric Horseman" (1980).  Perrine appeared in a number of TV films and series, and that includes "Sweet Bird of Youth" (1989), ER (1995), and "Nash Bridges" (1996).

From Deadline:  Canadian actress, Carrie Anne Fleming, has died at the age of 51, Thursday, February 26, 2026 of complications related to breast cancer.  Fleming was best known for her recurring roles on two television series from The CW, "iZombie" and "Supernatural."  She also appeared in such TV series, as "Smallville," "Supergirl" and "The 4400."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 15th to 21st, 2026 - UPDATE #11

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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

NEWS:

PIXAR - From Variety:  Disney has announced that "Lilo & Stitch 2" is set to be released May 26, 2028, and "Incredibles 3" is set for June 16, 2026.

OSCARS - From Variety:  The winners for the 2026 / 98th Academy Awards have been announced.  "One Battle After Another" won six Oscars, including "Best Picture of the Year" and "Best Director" (Paul Thomas Anderson).

From Truthout:  "In Era of Book Bans and War on History, 'Sinners' Reveals What US Tries to Forget" by Jesse Hagopian of "Truthout," in which he writes about director Ryan Coogler's four-time Oscar-winning film, "Sinners."

From Variety:  One of the moments of history made at the 98th Academy Awards is that Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the director of photography for "Sinners," became the first woman to win the "Best Cinematographer" for her work on the film.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 3/13 to 3/15/2026 weekend box office is Disney/Pixar's "Hoppers" with an estimated take of 28.5 million dollars.

HULU/ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Fox has greenlit a two-season spin off of its long-running animated series, "Family Guy."  The new series will star "Stewie Griffin," who will be navigating a new preschool and new inventions. Created by "Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane and Kirker Butler, the series is set for a 2027-28 season debut on Fox, and it will stream the next day on Hulu.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Film and television actor, Nicholas Brendon, has died at the age of 54, Friday, March 20, 2026.  Brendon was best known for the role of "Xander Harris" on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" from 1997 to 2003.  Brendon also had a recurring role on "Criminal Minds" (2007-14).

From Variety:  The American author, martial artist, and film and television writer, producer, and actor, Chuck Norris, has died at the age of 86, Thursday, March 19, 2026.  Norris starred in numerous films over an almost 60 year career, and that includes a role in the 1972 Bruce Lee film, "The Way of the Dragon."  Norris' first lead role was in the 1977 film, "Breaker! Breaker!"  Among Norris' most famous films are "The Octagon" (1980), the "Missing in Action" trilogy (1984-88), and "The Delta Force" (1986).  However, Norris may be best known for the role of "Sergeant Ranger Cordell Walker" in his long running CBS action-crime series, "Walker, Texas Ranger" 1993-2001).

From Deadline:   Australian film director and film composer, Jamie Blanks, has died at the age of 54, Monday, March 16, 2026.  In the U.S., Blanks was best known for directing the cult slasher-horror film, "Urban Legend" (1998) and "Valentine" (2001).  He later directed the Australian horror film, "Storm Warning" (2007) and "Long Weekend" (2008), a remake of the 1978 Aussie film.

From RivieraRadio:  The French actor, comedian, and voice performer, Bruno Salomone, has died at the age of 55, Sunday, March 15, 2026  Salomone was best known for his French television comedy, "Fais pa ci, fais pa ca" (2007-17).  Salomone also provided the voice for "Syndrome," the villain in Pixar's "The Incredibles." [Jason Lee voiced Syndrome in the English-language original film].  Salomone also provided voice performances for such animated films as the Oscar-nominated "A Cat in Paris" (2010), "A Monster in Paris" (2011), and "Yellowbird" (2014).

From THR:  American film and television actor, Matt Clark, has died at the age of 89, Sunday, March 15, 2026.  Clark is best known for his numerous appearances in Westerns.  His best known Western roles occured in such films as "The Cowboys" (1972), "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean" (1972), "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (1973), and "The Outlaw Josey Wales" (1976).  He also had memorable roles in "White Lightning" (1973), "Brubaker" (1980), and "Back to the Future Part III (1990), to name a few.  He    Clark also made numerous parts in various TV series, including "Little House on the Prarie," "Grace Under Fire," and "The Jeff Foxworthy Show," to name a few.  He also had a guest role in one of my favorite episodes of "Walker, Texas Ranger," Season 4's "The Siege" (1996).

From THR:  American film and television actress, Judy Pace, has died at the age of 83, Wednesday, March 11, 2026.  After making her debut in William Castle's "13 Frightened Girls," Pace became the first Black female villain in the final season of ABC's prime time soap, "Peyton Place" (1968-69).  She became a mainstay of TV in the 1970s.  She appeared in such TV series, as "Good Times," "Sanford and Son," "Shaft," "That's My Mama," "What's Happening," "The Young Lawyers," and the TV movie, "Brian's Song" (1971).  Her films appearances include "The Fortune Cookie" (1966), "Three in the Attic" (1968), "Cotton Comes to Harlem" (1970), "Cool Breeze" (1972), and "Frogs" (1972), 

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OSCARS:

From Variety:  "Variety" offers its final Oscar winner predictions in every category at the 2026 / 98th Academy Awards.

From THR:  The nominations for the 2026 / 98th Academy Awards have been announced.  Director Ryan Coogler's Sinners leads with history-making 16 nominations, including for "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Coogler), and Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan).  The winners will be announced March 15, 2026.

From Truthout:  Directed by Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman, the 2025 documentary film, "The Alabama Solution," is one of five nominees in the category of "Best Documentary Feature."  The film chronicles the horrific conditions inside the state of Alabama's prisons.  The incarcerated men who produced footage for "The Alabama Solution" were abruptly transferred to solitary this month (January).

From TheGuardian:  Director Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" earned 16 Oscar nominations at the 98th Academy Awards, the most in the 98-year history of the awards.  The previous record is 14, held by "All About Eve" (1950), "Titanic" (1997), and "La La Land" (2016).

From Variety:  With her fifth Oscar nomination, for "Best Costume Designer" for "Sinners," Ruth E. Carter is now the most Oscar-nominated Black woman in the history of the Academy Awards.

From Truthout:  One of the five nominees for this year's "Best International Feature" Academy Award is "The Voice of Hind Rajab."  Representing the nation of Tunisia, the film is a mix of drama and documentary, and it tells the story of Hind Rajab, a five-year old girl who was killed January 29, 2024 by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza strip.

From YahooEntertainment:  At the age of 73, actor Delroy Lindo finally gets his first Oscar nomination - in the category of "Best Supporting Actor" for "Sinners."  The actor also talks about being "profoundly disappointed" by previous Academy snubs.

From EW:  Oscar-nominee Kirsten Dunst is not pleased that her husband, previous Oscar-nominee, Jesse Plemons, was not Oscar-nominated for his work in the recent acclaimed film, "Bugonia."

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 22nd to 28th, 2026 - UPDATE #8

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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

NEWS:

CELEBRITY - From Reuters:  The actor and director, Bill Duke, known to some as "the Godfather of African-American Cinema," has received a star on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame."  Duke's best known film roles include "Commando" (1985) and "Predator" (1987).  Duke also directed such films as "A Rage in Harlem" (1991), "Deep Cover" (1992), "The Cemetery Club" (1993), and "Hoodlum" (1997), to name a few.

NETFLIX - From THR:  Netflix has released a trailer for its upcoming four-part documentary miniseries, "Dynasty: The Murdochs." The series chronicles the rise of News Corp. founder, Rupert Murdoch.  It also looks at the feud between Rupert and his chosen heir, son Lachlan, and Rupert's three adult children: James, Elisabeth, and Prudence for control of News Corp, which includes Fox News.

MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Christian Bale has confirmed that he will star alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in Michael Mann's "Heat 2."

AWARDS - From Variety:  The winners at the 2026 / 79th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) have been announced.  "One Battle After Another" won six awards, including "Best Film" and "Best Director" (Paul Thomas Anderson).

From Deadline:  With its three wins on Sunday, Feb. 22nd at the 79th BAFTAs, "Sinners" becomes the most decorated film by a Black filmmaker in BAFTA history.  Writer-director Ryan Coogler also becomes the first Black person to win "Best Original Screenplay."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 2/20 to 2/22/2026 weekend box office is Sony Pictures' "GOAT" with an estimated take of 17 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director Ryan Coogler and stars: Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku, and Delroy Lindo reveal the inside story of how they made history to "Deadline."

OBITS:

From RollingStone:  American singer, songwriter, pianist, and recording artist, Neil Sedaka, has died at the age of 86, Friday, February 27, 2028. Sedaka was best known for his hit pop songs over a period from the late 1950s into the 1970s. Those songs include "Calendar Girl" (1960), "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" (1962), and "Bad Blood" (1975), to name a few.  Sedaka received five Grammy Award nominations for his work.

From Deadline:  Film and television actor, Robert Carradine, has died at the age of 71, Monday, February 23, 2026, apparently by suicide after a long battle with bipolar disorder.  Carradine is best known for the role of "Lewis Skolnick" in the "Revenge of the Nerds" films and as "Sam McGuire" in the former Disney Channel TV series, "Lizzie McGuire."  Early appearances include the TV series, "Bonanza" and also "Kung Fu," which starred his brother, the late David Carradine (1936-2009).  Robert's film debut was the classic John Wayne Western, "The Cowboys."

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OSCARS:

From THR:  The nominations for the 2026 / 98th Academy Awards have been announced.  Director Ryan Coogler's Sinners leads with history-making 16 nominations, including for "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Coogler), and Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan).  The winners will be announced March 15, 2026.

From Truthout:  Directed by Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman, the 2025 documentary film, "The Alabama Solution," is one of five nominees in the category of "Best Documentary Feature."  The film chronicles the horrific conditions inside the state of Alabama's prisons.  The incarcerated men who produced footage for "The Alabama Solution" were abruptly transferred to solitary this month (January).

From TheGuardian:  Director Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" earned 16 Oscar nominations at the 98th Academy Awards, the most in the 98-year history of the awards.  The previous record is 14, held by "All About Eve" (1950), "Titanic" (1997), and "La La Land" (2016).

From Variety:  With her fifth Oscar nomination, for "Best Costume Designer" for "Sinners," Ruth E. Carter is now the most Oscar-nominated Black woman in the history of the Academy Awards.

From Truthout:  One of the five nominees for this year's "Best International Feature" Academy Award is "The Voice of Hind Rajab."  Representing the nation of Tunisia, the film is a mix of drama and documentary, and it tells the story of Hind Rajab, a five-year old girl who was killed January 29, 2024 by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza strip.

From YahooEntertainment:  At the age of 73, actor Delroy Lindo finally gets his first Oscar nomination - in the category of "Best Supporting Actor" for "Sinners."  The actor also talks about being "profoundly disappointed" by previous Academy snubs.

From EW:  Oscar-nominee Kirsten Dunst is not pleased that her husband, previous Oscar-nominee, Jesse Plemons, was not Oscar-nominated for his work in the recent acclaimed film, "Bugonia."

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DON LEMON, TIMOTHY BUSFIELD & OTHER SCANDALS:

From NBCNews:  A grand jury in New Mexico indicted Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield on child sex abuse charges, officials said Friday.  Busfield was indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, the Bernalillo County District Attorney's office said in a press release.  Busfield two young boys on the set of the former Fox series, "The Cleaning Lady," between November 2022 and spring 2024.

From EW:  Sculptor, actor, and "Home Alone" star, Daniel Stern's legal troubles are over.  He was facing one misdemeanor charge of engaging or agreeing to engage in prostitution from an event that allegedly took place in January 2026 in Camarillo, CA.  The charge has been dismissed after Stern, a first-time offender, entered a diversion program.

From APNews:  The Associated Press lets you know "What to know about the civil rights charges Don Lemon faces for covering church protest in Minnesota"  Lemon, the former CNN anchor, is among nine people, including another journalist (Georgia Fort), have been charged with violating two different federal laws in connection with the protest that interrupted a worship service at the "Cities Church" in St. Paul.

From AlbuquerqueJournal:  A judge has ordered director and Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield released from jail as he awaits trial on child sex abuse charges.

From CBS:  Director and Emmy-winning actor, Timothy Busfield (Thirtysomething), surrendered to New Mexico authorities in answer to an arrest warrant for child sex abuse charges.  The complaint involves twin brothers who claim that Busfield molested them on the set on the former Fox suspense drama, "The Cleaning Lady," for which Busfield was a series director.

From NBCNews:  Already facing charges related to claims that he molested twin brothers on the set of a TV series where he was a director, Emmy-winner Timothy Busfield is also facing accusations that he kissed and inappropriately touch a 16-year-old girl years ago.

From THR:   In the wake of his arrest on child sex abuse charges, Timothy Busfield finds himself without a talent agency  The Santa Monica-based agency, "Innovative Artists," has ceased working actor and director.

From Deadline:   Daniel Stern ("Home Alone") is no longer part of ABC‘s comedy pilot, "Do You Want Kids?," which is set to star Rachel Bloom and Rory Scovel.  ABC and the producing studio, 20th Television, will be recasting the series-regular role that Stern was supposed to play.  Stern was recently arrested on a misdemeanor charge of soliciting a prostitute.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 1st to 7th, 2026 - UPDATE #8

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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NEWS:

BUSINESS - From NBCNews:  Jeff Bezos, the owner of "The Washington Post," has laid-off (fired) one-third of the venerable paper's staff.  The bulks of the layoffs hit the sports, books, and podcasts divisions.  From what is being reported, sports department has been eliminated.  "The Washington Post Guild," which represents hundreds of newsroom reporters, says that the Washington Post's staff has been reduced by 400 people over the last three years.  Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, bought the Post in 2013.

DGA - From Deadline:  Newly elected Directors Guild of America (DGA) president, Christopher Nolan, doesn’t expect that the union will be accepting any five-year contracts with the Hollywood studios, via the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

DISNEY - From Variety:  Josh D'Amaro, current Chairman of Disney Experiences, will succeed Bob Iger, as CEO of the Walt Disney Company, effective March 18, 2026.  Dana Walden, current co-chair of Disney Entertainment, has been promoted to the new role of President and CCO (Chief Creative Officer).

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  Adam Driver says that he is committed to Michael Mann's "Heat 2" a sequel to Mann's classic crime film, "Heat."  Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale reportedly have already been cast in the film.  The film will reportedly begin shooting in August 2026.

GRAMMYS - From APNews:  The winners at the 2026 / 68th Grammy Awards have been announced.  "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos" by Bad Bunny wins "Album of the Year."  This is the first time a fill-length Spanish album has won the award.  Kendrick Lamar won the most Grammys with a total of five on the night.  Lamar also became the hip-hop/rap recording artists with the most wins, 27, surpassing previous record holder, Jay-Z's 25 wins.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 1/30 to 2/1/2026 weekend box office is 20th Century Studios' "Send Help" with an estimated take of 20 million dollars.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  Lionsgate has greenlit a sequel to the beloved 1987 film, "Dirty Dancing."  Original female lead, Jennifer Grey, is set to return. 

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OSCARS:

From THR:  The nominations for the 2026 / 98th Academy Awards have been announced.  Director Ryan Coogler's Sinners leads with history-making 16 nominations, including for "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Coogler), and Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan).  The winners will be announced March 15, 2026.

From Truthout:  Directed by Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman, the 2025 documentary film, "The Alabama Solution," is one of five nominees in the category of "Best Documentary Feature."  The film chronicles the horrific conditions inside the state of Alabama's prisons.  The incarcerated men who produced footage for "The Alabama Solution" were abruptly transferred to solitary this month (January).

From TheGuardian:  Director Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" earned 16 Oscar nominations at the 98th Academy Awards, the most in the 98-year history of the awards.  The previous record is 14, held by "All About Eve" (1950), "Titanic" (1997), and "La La Land" (2016).

From Variety:  With her fifth Oscar nomination, for "Best Costume Designer" for "Sinners," Ruth E. Carter is now the most Oscar-nominated Black woman in the history of the Academy Awards.

From Truthout:  One of the five nominees for this year's "Best International Feature" Academy Award is "The Voice of Hind Rajab."  Representing the nation of Tunisia, the film is a mix of drama and documentary, and it tells the story of Hind Rajab, a five-year old girl who was killed January 29, 2024 by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza strip.

From YahooEntertainment:  At the age of 73, actor Delroy Lindo finally gets his first Oscar nomination - in the category of "Best Supporting Actor" for "Sinners."  The actor also talks about being "profoundly disappointed" by previous Academy snubs.

From EW:  Oscar-nominee Kirsten Dunst is not pleased that her husband, previous Oscar-nominee, Jesse Plemons, was not Oscar-nominated for his work in the recent acclaimed film, "Bugonia."

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

DON LEMON, TIMOTHY BUSFIELD & OTHER SCANDALS:

From NBCNews:  A grand jury in New Mexico indicted Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield on child sex abuse charges, officials said Friday.  Busfield was indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, the Bernalillo County District Attorney's office said in a press release.  Busfield two young boys on the set of the former Fox series, "The Cleaning Lady," between November 2022 and spring 2024.

From EW:  Sculptor, actor, and "Home Alone" star, Daniel Stern's legal troubles are over.  He was facing one misdemeanor charge of engaging or agreeing to engage in prostitution from an event that allegedly took place in January 2026 in Camarillo, CA.  The charge has been dismissed after Stern, a first-time offender, entered a diversion program.

From APNews:  The Associated Press lets you know "What to know about the civil rights charges Don Lemon faces for covering church protest in Minnesota"  Lemon, the former CNN anchor, is among nine people, including another journalist (Georgia Fort), have been charged with violating two different federal laws in connection with the protest that interrupted a worship service at the "Cities Church" in St. Paul.

From AlbuquerqueJournal:  A judge has ordered director and Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield released from jail as he awaits trial on child sex abuse charges.

From CBS:  Director and Emmy-winning actor, Timothy Busfield (Thirtysomething), surrendered to New Mexico authorities in answer to an arrest warrant for child sex abuse charges.  The complaint involves twin brothers who claim that Busfield molested them on the set on the former Fox suspense drama, "The Cleaning Lady," for which Busfield was a series director.

From NBCNews:  Already facing charges related to claims that he molested twin brothers on the set of a TV series where he was a director, Emmy-winner Timothy Busfield is also facing accusations that he kissed and inappropriately touch a 16-year-old girl years ago.

From THR:   In the wake of his arrest on child sex abuse charges, Timothy Busfield finds himself without a talent agency  The Santa Monica-based agency, "Innovative Artists," has ceased working actor and director.

From Deadline:   Daniel Stern ("Home Alone") is no longer part of ABC‘s comedy pilot, "Do You Want Kids?," which is set to star Rachel Bloom and Rory Scovel.  ABC and the producing studio, 20th Television, will be recasting the series-regular role that Stern was supposed to play.  Stern was recently arrested on a misdemeanor charge of soliciting a prostitute.

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