Support Leroy on Patreon:
AWARDS - From TheWrap: The 2018 European Film Awards named director Pawel Pawlikowski's "Cold War" the "Best European Film" of 2018.
----------
SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment: Jennifer Lawrence denies claims made in a lawsuit that she had a sexual relationship with disgraced movie mogul, Harvey Weinstein.
----------
TELEVISION - From THR: Disney has fired actor Stoney Westmoreland from its Disney Channel TV series, "Andi Mack." Westmoreland was arrested in Utah after he used an online dating app to attempt a sexual liason with a 13-year-old.
----------
STREAMING - From Deadline: Apple TV lands rights to produced new content based on the classic comic strip, "Peanuts."
----------
SCANDAL - From Deadline: CBS secretly settled a sexual harassment claim by Eliza Dushku for $9.5 million. The claim concerned Dushku's appearance on the current CBS TV series, "Bull," and its star, Michael Weatherly.
From YahooTV: Cybill Shepherd says that CBS' now-disgraced for chairman, Les Moonves, cancelled her 1990s CBS comedy series, "Cybill," because she would not have sexual relations with him.
----------
MUSIC - From BleedingCool: The 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee class will include Janet Jackson, Radiohead, The Cure, Stevie Nicks, Roxy Music, Def Leppard, and The Zombies. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 29th 2019 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with a tv broadcast scheduled to air on HBO at a later date.
----------
STREAMING - From Collider: Steven Yeun, best known for playing Glenn Rhee on "The Walking Dead," will star in an episode of Jordan Peele's "The Twilight Zone" for CBS All Access.
----------
PIXAR - From Deadline: Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Octavia Butler, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus lead the voice cast of Pixar's film, "Onward," which is being directed by Dan Scanlon and is due March 2020.
----------
AWARDS - From TheWrap: The 2019 Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations have been announced.
----------
STREAMING - From TVLine: Netflix has greenlit a biographical series based on the life of slain Tejano music singer, the late Selena Quintanilla-Perez a.k.a. "Selena."
----------
CULTURE - From TIME: "Time Magazines'" has named is "Person of the Year" for 2018, and it is "The Guardians and the War on Truth," with an emphasis on murdered Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi.
----------
COMICS - From THR: There is a new comic book publisher, TKO Studios, that wants to change the way readers buy comic books.
----------
MOVIES - From TheDailyBeast: Director Adam McKay, who is seeing the release of his Dick Cheney film, "Vice," talks about the time he was forced to film a Donald Trump cameo for his film, "The Other Guys." Apparently, if you want to film on a Trump property, you have to film a cameo of Trump for your film.
---------
TELEVISION - From Variety: Starz's hit series, "Power," has shut down production of its sixth season after a production assistant was killed in an on-set accident.
From Deadline: NBC is developing "Conway," a detective series from Vin Diesel and his One Race TV company and also Universal Television.
----------
STREAMING - From THR: Netflix has ordered its first "African original" series, "Queen Sono."
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 12/7to 12/9/2018 weekend box office is "Ralph Breaks the Internet" with an estimated take of $16.1 million. This is the film's third week in the top spot.
From TheWrap: Warner Bros. opened its upcoming DC Comics' superhero flick, "Aquaman," in China, two weeks before its U.S. debut. The result is a $93 million opening weekend in China.
----------
AWARDS - From TheWrap: Los Angeles Film Critics Association name Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma" the best film of 2018.
From THR: The New York Film Critics Online also name "Roma" best film of 2018.
----------
ECO - From RSN: How the Iconic 1968 Earthrise Photo Changed Our Relationship to the Planet
----------
STREAMING - From SlashFilm: "Sister Act 3" is being produced for the streaming service, Disney+. Whoopi Goldberg, who starred in the first two films, will not be involved with the new film... reportedly.
----------
AWARDS - From Deadline: "Minding the Gap" takes the top prize at the 2018 IDA Documentary Awards.
----------
SPORTS - From ESPN: University of Oklahoma junior quarterback, Kyler Murray, is the winner of the 2018 Heisman Trophy, as the top player in college football. Murray is the second consecutive Sooner to win the trophy following the 2017 winner, Baker Mayfield, who is currently a quarterback for the NFL's Cleveland Brown.
OBITS:
From Variety: One of the most revered jazz singers of the 20th century, Nancy Wilson, has died at the age of 81, Thursday, December 13, 2018. Wilson, who won three Grammys and recorded more than 70 albums, also had a 1974-75 NBC variety series, "The Nancy Wilson Show." She was also a frequent guests on variety shows hosted by Carol Burnett, Andy Williams, and Flip Wilson.
From Variety: The actress Sondra Locke died at the age of 74, November 3, 2018. She received a best supporting actress Oscar nomination for her first movie role in the film, "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter." She is probably best known for her association with Clint Eastwood. She appeared in several of his films, including as a murderous, vengeful rape victim in "Sudden Impact." Locke also had a romantic relationship with Eastwood that was quite contentious.
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Saturday, December 15, 2018
Monday, December 18, 2017
10 Animated Short Films Vie for 5 Spots at the 90th Academy Awards
10 ANIMATED SHORTS ADVANCE IN 2017 OSCAR® RACE
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 90th Academy Awards®. Sixty-three pictures had originally qualified in the category.
The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Cradle,” Devon Manney, director (University of Southern California)
“Dear Basketball,” Glen Keane, director, and Kobe Bryant, writer (Glen Keane Productions)
“Fox and the Whale,” Robin Joseph, director (Robin Joseph)
“Garden Party,” Victor Caire and Gabriel Grapperon, directors (MOPA)
“In a Heartbeat,” Esteban Bravo and Beth David, directors (Ringling College of Art and Design)
“Life Smartphone,” Chenglin Xie, director (China Central Academy of Fine Arts)
“Lost Property Office,” Daniel Agdag, director, and Liz Kearney, producer (8th in Line)
“Lou,” Dave Mullins, director, and Dana Murray, producer (Pixar Animation Studios)
“Negative Space,” Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata, directors (Ikki Films)
“Revolting Rhymes,” Jakob Schuh and Jan Lachauer, directors (Magic Light Pictures)
Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting.
Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in January. Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.
The 90th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
----------------------
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 90th Academy Awards®. Sixty-three pictures had originally qualified in the category.
The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Cradle,” Devon Manney, director (University of Southern California)
“Dear Basketball,” Glen Keane, director, and Kobe Bryant, writer (Glen Keane Productions)
“Fox and the Whale,” Robin Joseph, director (Robin Joseph)
“Garden Party,” Victor Caire and Gabriel Grapperon, directors (MOPA)
“In a Heartbeat,” Esteban Bravo and Beth David, directors (Ringling College of Art and Design)
“Life Smartphone,” Chenglin Xie, director (China Central Academy of Fine Arts)
“Lost Property Office,” Daniel Agdag, director, and Liz Kearney, producer (8th in Line)
“Lou,” Dave Mullins, director, and Dana Murray, producer (Pixar Animation Studios)
“Negative Space,” Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata, directors (Ikki Films)
“Revolting Rhymes,” Jakob Schuh and Jan Lachauer, directors (Magic Light Pictures)
Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting.
Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in January. Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.
The 90th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
----------------------
Friday, December 8, 2017
AfricanAncestry.com Helps NFL's Michael Bennett Find His African Roots
Defensive Lineman Partners with AfricanAncestry.com to Discover African Roots in Sierra Leone, Senegal and Bioko Island (Equatorial Guinea) During A Time of Social Action
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--From taking a knee, to community movements, people of color in America are finding ways to speak out and stand-up. Seattle Seahawks’ Pro Bowl defensive lineman Michael Bennett has turned to his African roots to better understand who he is by knowing where he’s from in Africa.
Thanks @mosesbread72 for taking a stand for your roots with us. #Senegal #SierraLeone #BikoIsland #DoYouKnow?
AfricanAncestry.com, the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for people of African descent, announces today that Bennett’s maternal ancestry traced to the Mandinka people of Senegal and the Mende people of Sierra Leone. His paternal ancestry traced to the Bubi people of Bioko Island (Equatorial Guinea). He joins fellow athletes Trevor Pryce, Tina Thompson and Richard Dent with ancestral roots in Sierra Leone or Senegal.
“There’s an undercurrent of change on the rise in the Black community about a variety of things such as social injustice, blatant racism and cultural identity. It feels like a present-day version of the Black Power Movement,” said Dr. Gina Paige, president and co-founder of African Ancestry. “Bennett’s ancestral reveal is one of the most monumental we’ve done because of this time in our history and what he represents,” added Paige.
Known for his outspoken activism on and off the field, Bennett has long since supported connections to Africa, including his STEAM program with iamthecode.org for girls in Africa and the U.S.
“Thanks for changing my life,” signed Bennett on a special Seahawks jersey to Paige.
For more information on Michael Bennett’s ancestry, contact Nichole Taylor at taylor@taylorcommunicationsgroup.com and visit www.AfricanAncestry.com.
ABOUT AFRICAN ANCESTRY
Founded in 2003, African Ancestry Inc. (AfricanAncestry.com) pioneered African lineage matching in the United States utilizing its proprietary DNA-database to more accurately assess present-day countries of origin for people of African descent. African Ancestry’s products include the MatriClan™ and PatriClan™ ancestry tests and customized memorabilia and informative resources. African Ancestry is Black-owned and headquartered in Washington, DC. For media inquiries, contact taylor@taylorcommunicationsgroup.com.
---------------------------------
Friday, September 15, 2017
Amazon Series to Follow University of Michigan Football Team and Coach Jim Harbaugh
Amazon Greenlights Untitled University of Michigan Football Series Exclusively for Amazon Prime Video
The Amazon Original Unscripted Series follows legendary Coach Jim Harbaugh and the 2017 University of Michigan football team
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ:AMZN)—Amazon announced it has greenlit an untitled University of Michigan Football series, following legendary Coach Jim Harbaugh and the 11-time national championship team throughout the 2017 season.
“We are excited to partner with BTN and work with Coach Harbaugh and the Michigan football team on this all-access view into one of the great college football programs in America”
Produced by BTN Originals, The Montag Group and Jim Jorden Productions, the series will give Prime members unprecedented access to the winningest program in college football, chronicling Michigan’s 2017 season. The cameras will follow Coach Harbaugh, his assistant coaches, the student athletes and their support system on and off the field, giving viewers an inside look at the team, game, practice, life in Ann Arbor, and everything in between.
During Harbaugh’s first two years, Michigan became a top 10 national power, and pulled in one of the top recruiting classes for the 2017 season. Harbaugh is a former Michigan quarterback, Heisman finalist, first round draft pick, 14-season NFL quarterback and a former NFL head coach, who led the San Francisco 49ers to three NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl in his first three seasons.
“We pride ourselves on offering Prime members access to the people and worlds that they simply cannot find anywhere else. This series will show viewers an elite college football program in a way that’s never been done before,” said Conrad Riggs, Head of Unscripted, Amazon Originals. “We’re excited to have this series join the Sports Emmy-winning All or Nothing on our unscripted sports programming roster.”
“We are excited to partner with BTN and work with Coach Harbaugh and the Michigan football team on this all-access view into one of the great college football programs in America,” said Sandy Montag, Executive Producer.
“We are proud to collaborate with Amazon Prime Video in documenting our University of Michigan student-athletes' daily experiences and the lifelong lessons learned both on the football field and in the classroom,” said Harbaugh. “We welcome judgement! We embrace this opportunity to showcase our 2017 University of Michigan football team to a vast audience around the world.”
“This represents a tremendous opportunity for BTN’s award-winning original programming team to work with an entity like Amazon, as well as explore alternative distribution models for Big Ten content in the future,” said Michael Calderon, Senior Vice President, Programming and Digital Media, BTN.
The series will be executive produced by Sandy Montag (Perfect in ’76), Kirk Reynolds, Ron Lynn and Jim Jorden, and produced by BTN Originals, The Montag Group and Jim Jorden Productions.
Prime members will be able to stream the series exclusively via the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs, connected devices including Fire TV, mobile devices and online. Members can also download the series to mobile devices for offline viewing at no additional cost to their membership. The series will be a global release and available on PrimeVideo.com for Prime Video members in more than 200 countries and territories.
Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.
About Amazon Video
Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:
In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalogue with Audible Channels for Prime, a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, exclusive access and discounts to select items, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more visit: www.amazon.com/prime.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
About BTN Originals
BTN Originals is best known for its Emmy-nominated series “The Journey,” as well as documentaries including “Unbeaten: The Life of Brook Berringer” and “Tiebreaker.”
About BTN
A joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Networks, BTN is the first internationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With more than 1,500 events across all platforms, the 24/7 network is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country, allowing them to see their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. BTN2Go is the digital extension of the Big Ten Network, delivering live games and on-demand programming to Big Ten Network customers via the web, smartphones, and tablets. Events include football, men’s and women’s basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Olympic sports and championship events; studio shows; and classic games. Original programming, such as The Journey, highlights activities and accomplishments of some of the nation’s finest universities. The groundbreaking Student U initiative provides real-world experience for students interested in careers in sports television. The network is in more than 60 million homes across the United States and Canada, including carriage by all the major video distributors, such as DIRECTV, DISH, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse, Charter Communications, Comcast Xfinity, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Mediacom, RCN, WOW!, and approximately 300 additional video providers across North America. For more information, go to www.btn.com.
About The Montag Group
The Montag Group is a talent management, consulting, content development, and media-strategy company focused in the world of sports, entertainment and lifestyle. Sandy Montag, President & CEO, served as Executive Producer on “Perfect in ‘76”, a documentary on the undefeated Indiana basketball team which aired on Showtime earlier this year.
------------------------------
The Amazon Original Unscripted Series follows legendary Coach Jim Harbaugh and the 2017 University of Michigan football team
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ:AMZN)—Amazon announced it has greenlit an untitled University of Michigan Football series, following legendary Coach Jim Harbaugh and the 11-time national championship team throughout the 2017 season.
“We are excited to partner with BTN and work with Coach Harbaugh and the Michigan football team on this all-access view into one of the great college football programs in America”
Produced by BTN Originals, The Montag Group and Jim Jorden Productions, the series will give Prime members unprecedented access to the winningest program in college football, chronicling Michigan’s 2017 season. The cameras will follow Coach Harbaugh, his assistant coaches, the student athletes and their support system on and off the field, giving viewers an inside look at the team, game, practice, life in Ann Arbor, and everything in between.
During Harbaugh’s first two years, Michigan became a top 10 national power, and pulled in one of the top recruiting classes for the 2017 season. Harbaugh is a former Michigan quarterback, Heisman finalist, first round draft pick, 14-season NFL quarterback and a former NFL head coach, who led the San Francisco 49ers to three NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl in his first three seasons.
“We pride ourselves on offering Prime members access to the people and worlds that they simply cannot find anywhere else. This series will show viewers an elite college football program in a way that’s never been done before,” said Conrad Riggs, Head of Unscripted, Amazon Originals. “We’re excited to have this series join the Sports Emmy-winning All or Nothing on our unscripted sports programming roster.”
“We are excited to partner with BTN and work with Coach Harbaugh and the Michigan football team on this all-access view into one of the great college football programs in America,” said Sandy Montag, Executive Producer.
“We are proud to collaborate with Amazon Prime Video in documenting our University of Michigan student-athletes' daily experiences and the lifelong lessons learned both on the football field and in the classroom,” said Harbaugh. “We welcome judgement! We embrace this opportunity to showcase our 2017 University of Michigan football team to a vast audience around the world.”
“This represents a tremendous opportunity for BTN’s award-winning original programming team to work with an entity like Amazon, as well as explore alternative distribution models for Big Ten content in the future,” said Michael Calderon, Senior Vice President, Programming and Digital Media, BTN.
The series will be executive produced by Sandy Montag (Perfect in ’76), Kirk Reynolds, Ron Lynn and Jim Jorden, and produced by BTN Originals, The Montag Group and Jim Jorden Productions.
Prime members will be able to stream the series exclusively via the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs, connected devices including Fire TV, mobile devices and online. Members can also download the series to mobile devices for offline viewing at no additional cost to their membership. The series will be a global release and available on PrimeVideo.com for Prime Video members in more than 200 countries and territories.
Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.
About Amazon Video
Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:
- Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Love & Friendship and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Video is also now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe at www.primevideo.com.
Amazon Channels: Over 100 channel subscriptions that Prime members can add to their membership, including HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, PBS KIDS, Acorn TV and more, plus Anime Strike – the first curated on-demand subscription by Amazon Channels. To view the full list of channels available, visit www.amazon.com/channels
Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new-release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers
Instant Access: Instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices visit www.amazon.com/howtostream
Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing of select content
In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalogue with Audible Channels for Prime, a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, exclusive access and discounts to select items, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more visit: www.amazon.com/prime.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
About BTN Originals
BTN Originals is best known for its Emmy-nominated series “The Journey,” as well as documentaries including “Unbeaten: The Life of Brook Berringer” and “Tiebreaker.”
About BTN
A joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Networks, BTN is the first internationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With more than 1,500 events across all platforms, the 24/7 network is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country, allowing them to see their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. BTN2Go is the digital extension of the Big Ten Network, delivering live games and on-demand programming to Big Ten Network customers via the web, smartphones, and tablets. Events include football, men’s and women’s basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Olympic sports and championship events; studio shows; and classic games. Original programming, such as The Journey, highlights activities and accomplishments of some of the nation’s finest universities. The groundbreaking Student U initiative provides real-world experience for students interested in careers in sports television. The network is in more than 60 million homes across the United States and Canada, including carriage by all the major video distributors, such as DIRECTV, DISH, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse, Charter Communications, Comcast Xfinity, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Mediacom, RCN, WOW!, and approximately 300 additional video providers across North America. For more information, go to www.btn.com.
About The Montag Group
The Montag Group is a talent management, consulting, content development, and media-strategy company focused in the world of sports, entertainment and lifestyle. Sandy Montag, President & CEO, served as Executive Producer on “Perfect in ‘76”, a documentary on the undefeated Indiana basketball team which aired on Showtime earlier this year.
------------------------------
Monday, July 3, 2017
Beyonce Leads 2017 BET Awards - Complete Winners List
BEYONCÉ, BRUNO MARS, CHANCE THE RAPPER and MIGOS Win Big at “BET AWARDS 17”
KENDRICK LAMAR AND REMY MA ALSO TAKE HOME TOP HONORS
BRUNO MARS, CHRIS BROWN, BIG SEAN, FUTURE, NEW EDITION, MARY J. BLIGE, AND MORE GIVE ELECTRIFYING PERFORMANCES
#BETAWARDS
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Some of the hottest and most prolific talent assembled to watch today’s top musicians, actors and industry icons take the stage at the 17th Annual BET Awards. The ceremony led by first-time host and comedy all-star, Leslie Jones, aired live from the Microsoft Theatre at L.A. LIVE on Sunday, June 25, 2017.
This year’s broadcast marks 17 years of unexpected performances, trailblazing moments, super dope talent, and entertainment’s most provocative players. The iconic show continues to be a cultural rule breaker steeped in reinvention with some of the most memorable moments in Award show history. The "BET Awards" has set the standard for one of the most intently unconventional, news-provoking broadcasts.
“BET AWARDS 17” show highlights include:
BRUNO MARS opened the show with a funky, energetic performance of his hit “Perm” while rocking his signature 24 Karat hat and custom “Hooligans” baseball jersey. He then returned to the stage moments later to take home his first-ever BET Awards win for Best Male R&B/Pop Artist.
MARY J. BLIGE looked stunning while giving a remarkably powerful performance of her song “Set Me Free”, before being joined by A$AP ROCKY for a duet of their collaboration “Love Yourself.”
XSCAPE took to the stage, reuniting for the first time in eighteen years for an audience-raising performance of their greatest hits, including “Understanding”, “Who Can I Run To” and “Just Kickin’ It”.
YARA SHAHIDI voiced the importance of supporting blackness and thanked BET for celebrating black culture so beautifully when she graciously accepted the YoungStars Award.
MICHELLE OBAMA and BET Chairman & CEO DEBRA LEE introduced CHANCE THE RAPPER who gave an impassioned acceptance speech after receiving the evening’s Humanitarian Award for supporting educational and social initiatives within his community and throughout the U.S. As the youngest BET Awards Humanitarian Honoree to date, Chance talked about the importance of working on ourselves before we work on the world.
Celebrating one of the most successful and influential adult R&B acts in music history, NEW EDITION was honored with the iconic Lifetime Achievement Award - but not before the cast of ‘The New Edition Story’ performed a four song medley of their greatest hits including “Candy Girl”, “Sensitivity”, “My Prerogative” and “Can You Stand The Rain”. With a full standing ovation, New Edition then took to the stage and had the crowds dancing in the aisles on “Mr. Telephone Man” and “Can You Stand The Rain”.
KENDRICK LAMAR, upon taking home the award for Best Male Hip Hop Artist, thanked late rapper Prodigy for inspiring his first mixtape, encouraging him to study his skills and to build his connection with his neighborhood.
DJ KHALED closed out the show, bringing out hip hop heavyweights LIL WAYNE, CHANCE THE RAPPER, QUAVO and of course Baby Asahd, for their song of the summer, “I’m the One.”
In addition to all of these unforgettable moments, the complete list of the “BET AWARDS 17” winners is:
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
BEYONCÉ
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
BRUNO MARS
Best Group
MIGOS
Best Collaboration - TIE
CHANCE THE RAPPER FT. 2 CHAINZ & LIL WAYNE - NO PROBLEM
MIGOS FT. LIL UZI VERT - BAD AND BOUJEE
Best Male Hip-Hop Artist
KENDRICK LAMAR
Best Female Hip-Hop Artist
REMY MA
Video of the Year - TIE
BEYONCÉ - SORRY
BRUNO MARS - 24K MAGIC
Video Director of the Year
KAHLIL JOSEPH & BEYONCÉ KNOWLES-CARTER - BEYONCÉ “SORRY”
Best New Artist
CHANCE THE RAPPER
Album of the Year
LEMONADE - BEYONCÉ
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
LECRAE - CAN’T STOP ME NOW (DESTINATION)
Best Actress
TARAJI P. HENSON
Best Actor
MAHERSHALA ALI
YoungStars Award
YARA SHAHIDI
Best Movie
HIDDEN FIGURES
Sportswoman of the Year Award
SERENA WILLIAMS
Sportsman of the Year Award
STEPHEN CURRY
Centric Award
SOLANGE - CRANES IN THE SKY
Coca-Cola Viewers’ Choice Awards
BEYONCE - SORRY
Select clips for the “BET AWARDS 17” will be available at www.bet.com.
BET.com/Awards is the official site for the “BET AWARDS 17” and features all the incredible content from this year’s show. Join the conversation on social media by following BET Awards on the following platforms:
Twitter & Instagram: @BETAwards, Use hashtag: #BETAwards
Facebook: facebook.com/TheBETAwards
Tumblr: betawards.tumblr.com
Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment, serves as Executive Producer. Connie Orlando, BET's Interim Head of Programming, serves as Executive Producer for BET Networks.
ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B sted NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
ABOUT “BET AWARDS”
The “BET Awards” is one of the most watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET Awards” franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.
BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA®
BET Networks, an entertainment powerhouse, and AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company and developer/operator of L.A. LIVE, have teamed up once again to create the BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE (BETX), June 22 - 25, 2017 presented by Coca-Cola®. This four-day festival will be filled with music concerts taking place at The Novo by Microsoft and STAPLES Center; BET Fan Fest at the Los Angeles Convention Center including seminars, celebrity basketball games, celebrity meet & greets; and other special appearances. The weekend will be capped off with the “BET Awards” on Sunday, June 25, 2017 at Microsoft Theater.
ABOUT AEG
Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, AEG is the world's leading sports and live entertainment company. With offices on five continents, AEG operates in the following business segments: AEG Facilities, which is affiliated with or owns, manages or consults with more than 120 preeminent arenas, stadiums, theaters, clubs and convention centers around the world including The O2 Arena, the Sprint Center and the Mercedes-Benz Arenas; AEG Presents, which is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including producing and promoting global and regional concert tours, music and special events and world-renowned festivals; AEG Real Estate, which develops world-class venues, as well as major sports and entertainment districts like STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE; AEG Sports, which is the world's largest operator of sports franchises and high-profile sporting events; and AEG Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships including naming rights, premium seating and other strategic partnerships. Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 100 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at www.aegworldwide.com.
ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT
Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran and multi-Image Award® winner Jesse Collins. Collins has played an integral role in producing many of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. Most recently Collins was the executive producer of the critically-acclaimed film, The New Edition Story, a biopic on the boy band that aired as a 3-part mini-series on BET in January 2017 and posted record ratings for the network and attracted nearly 30 million viewers. Collins has also produced award-winning programming including the BET Awards, BET Honors, UNCF’s An Evening of Stars, ABFF Honors, Soul Train Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards, is a consulting producer for the iconic GRAMMY Awards and executive producer of BET’s hit TV series, Real Husbands of Hollywood starring Kevin Hart and VH1 shows Dear Mama and Hip Hop Squares with Ice Cube. Will Smith, Beyonce, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Prince and Mariah Carey are a few of the myriad of superstar talent that Collins has worked with through the years. Follow Jesse Collins Entertainment @JesseCollinsEnt on Twitter and Instagram and go to http://www.jessecollinsent.com/ for more information on the company.
# # #
Follow @BET_PR AND @BETAWARDS
------------------------
KENDRICK LAMAR AND REMY MA ALSO TAKE HOME TOP HONORS
BRUNO MARS, CHRIS BROWN, BIG SEAN, FUTURE, NEW EDITION, MARY J. BLIGE, AND MORE GIVE ELECTRIFYING PERFORMANCES
#BETAWARDS
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Some of the hottest and most prolific talent assembled to watch today’s top musicians, actors and industry icons take the stage at the 17th Annual BET Awards. The ceremony led by first-time host and comedy all-star, Leslie Jones, aired live from the Microsoft Theatre at L.A. LIVE on Sunday, June 25, 2017.
This year’s broadcast marks 17 years of unexpected performances, trailblazing moments, super dope talent, and entertainment’s most provocative players. The iconic show continues to be a cultural rule breaker steeped in reinvention with some of the most memorable moments in Award show history. The "BET Awards" has set the standard for one of the most intently unconventional, news-provoking broadcasts.
“BET AWARDS 17” show highlights include:
BRUNO MARS opened the show with a funky, energetic performance of his hit “Perm” while rocking his signature 24 Karat hat and custom “Hooligans” baseball jersey. He then returned to the stage moments later to take home his first-ever BET Awards win for Best Male R&B/Pop Artist.
MARY J. BLIGE looked stunning while giving a remarkably powerful performance of her song “Set Me Free”, before being joined by A$AP ROCKY for a duet of their collaboration “Love Yourself.”
XSCAPE took to the stage, reuniting for the first time in eighteen years for an audience-raising performance of their greatest hits, including “Understanding”, “Who Can I Run To” and “Just Kickin’ It”.
YARA SHAHIDI voiced the importance of supporting blackness and thanked BET for celebrating black culture so beautifully when she graciously accepted the YoungStars Award.
MICHELLE OBAMA and BET Chairman & CEO DEBRA LEE introduced CHANCE THE RAPPER who gave an impassioned acceptance speech after receiving the evening’s Humanitarian Award for supporting educational and social initiatives within his community and throughout the U.S. As the youngest BET Awards Humanitarian Honoree to date, Chance talked about the importance of working on ourselves before we work on the world.
Celebrating one of the most successful and influential adult R&B acts in music history, NEW EDITION was honored with the iconic Lifetime Achievement Award - but not before the cast of ‘The New Edition Story’ performed a four song medley of their greatest hits including “Candy Girl”, “Sensitivity”, “My Prerogative” and “Can You Stand The Rain”. With a full standing ovation, New Edition then took to the stage and had the crowds dancing in the aisles on “Mr. Telephone Man” and “Can You Stand The Rain”.
KENDRICK LAMAR, upon taking home the award for Best Male Hip Hop Artist, thanked late rapper Prodigy for inspiring his first mixtape, encouraging him to study his skills and to build his connection with his neighborhood.
DJ KHALED closed out the show, bringing out hip hop heavyweights LIL WAYNE, CHANCE THE RAPPER, QUAVO and of course Baby Asahd, for their song of the summer, “I’m the One.”
In addition to all of these unforgettable moments, the complete list of the “BET AWARDS 17” winners is:
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
BEYONCÉ
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
BRUNO MARS
Best Group
MIGOS
Best Collaboration - TIE
CHANCE THE RAPPER FT. 2 CHAINZ & LIL WAYNE - NO PROBLEM
MIGOS FT. LIL UZI VERT - BAD AND BOUJEE
Best Male Hip-Hop Artist
KENDRICK LAMAR
Best Female Hip-Hop Artist
REMY MA
Video of the Year - TIE
BEYONCÉ - SORRY
BRUNO MARS - 24K MAGIC
Video Director of the Year
KAHLIL JOSEPH & BEYONCÉ KNOWLES-CARTER - BEYONCÉ “SORRY”
Best New Artist
CHANCE THE RAPPER
Album of the Year
LEMONADE - BEYONCÉ
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
LECRAE - CAN’T STOP ME NOW (DESTINATION)
Best Actress
TARAJI P. HENSON
Best Actor
MAHERSHALA ALI
YoungStars Award
YARA SHAHIDI
Best Movie
HIDDEN FIGURES
Sportswoman of the Year Award
SERENA WILLIAMS
Sportsman of the Year Award
STEPHEN CURRY
Centric Award
SOLANGE - CRANES IN THE SKY
Coca-Cola Viewers’ Choice Awards
BEYONCE - SORRY
Select clips for the “BET AWARDS 17” will be available at www.bet.com.
BET.com/Awards is the official site for the “BET AWARDS 17” and features all the incredible content from this year’s show. Join the conversation on social media by following BET Awards on the following platforms:
Twitter & Instagram: @BETAwards, Use hashtag: #BETAwards
Facebook: facebook.com/TheBETAwards
Tumblr: betawards.tumblr.com
Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment, serves as Executive Producer. Connie Orlando, BET's Interim Head of Programming, serves as Executive Producer for BET Networks.
ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B sted NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
ABOUT “BET AWARDS”
The “BET Awards” is one of the most watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET Awards” franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.
BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA®
BET Networks, an entertainment powerhouse, and AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company and developer/operator of L.A. LIVE, have teamed up once again to create the BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE (BETX), June 22 - 25, 2017 presented by Coca-Cola®. This four-day festival will be filled with music concerts taking place at The Novo by Microsoft and STAPLES Center; BET Fan Fest at the Los Angeles Convention Center including seminars, celebrity basketball games, celebrity meet & greets; and other special appearances. The weekend will be capped off with the “BET Awards” on Sunday, June 25, 2017 at Microsoft Theater.
ABOUT AEG
Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, AEG is the world's leading sports and live entertainment company. With offices on five continents, AEG operates in the following business segments: AEG Facilities, which is affiliated with or owns, manages or consults with more than 120 preeminent arenas, stadiums, theaters, clubs and convention centers around the world including The O2 Arena, the Sprint Center and the Mercedes-Benz Arenas; AEG Presents, which is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including producing and promoting global and regional concert tours, music and special events and world-renowned festivals; AEG Real Estate, which develops world-class venues, as well as major sports and entertainment districts like STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE; AEG Sports, which is the world's largest operator of sports franchises and high-profile sporting events; and AEG Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships including naming rights, premium seating and other strategic partnerships. Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 100 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at www.aegworldwide.com.
ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT
Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran and multi-Image Award® winner Jesse Collins. Collins has played an integral role in producing many of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. Most recently Collins was the executive producer of the critically-acclaimed film, The New Edition Story, a biopic on the boy band that aired as a 3-part mini-series on BET in January 2017 and posted record ratings for the network and attracted nearly 30 million viewers. Collins has also produced award-winning programming including the BET Awards, BET Honors, UNCF’s An Evening of Stars, ABFF Honors, Soul Train Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards, is a consulting producer for the iconic GRAMMY Awards and executive producer of BET’s hit TV series, Real Husbands of Hollywood starring Kevin Hart and VH1 shows Dear Mama and Hip Hop Squares with Ice Cube. Will Smith, Beyonce, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Prince and Mariah Carey are a few of the myriad of superstar talent that Collins has worked with through the years. Follow Jesse Collins Entertainment @JesseCollinsEnt on Twitter and Instagram and go to http://www.jessecollinsent.com/ for more information on the company.
# # #
Follow @BET_PR AND @BETAWARDS
------------------------
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Amazon Announces Docuseries Starring McLaren Racing
Amazon Greenlights Untitled McLaren Racing Docuseries Exclusively for Prime Video
The Amazon Original Series Goes Behind the Scenes with Legendary Formula 1 Race Team McLaren as They Prepare to Fight for the 2017 World Championship
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon announced it has greenlit an untitled McLaren racing docuseries. The Amazon Original Unscripted Series gives unprecedented access to the McLaren racing team as it competes in the 2017 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. Prime members will be able to stream the limited series exclusively via the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs, connected devices including Fire TV, mobile devices and online. Members can also download the series to mobile devices for offline viewing at no additional cost to their membership. The series will be a global release and available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video for members to watch via the Prime Video app for popular smart TVs, Fire TV, Fire Tablets and Android and iOS phones and tablets. The show will also be available on PrimeVideo.com for Prime Video members in more than 200 countries and territories.
“McLaren dominated F1 in the modern era, creating champions like Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton. But they are also a family who have recently gone through difficult times, both on track and off”
The series follows McLaren, founded in 1963, as they prepare to challenge for the 2017 World Championship, with new Executive Director and former racer Zak Brown leading the famed racing organization. Featuring exclusive access from McLaren to the technically competitive and secretive world of racing, the series will let Prime members embed with the team and its drivers: rookie Stoffel Vandoorne and former double world champion Fernando Alonso. The show features coverage of the physical and mental preparation of a Formula 1 crew, including exclusive footage of how McLaren builds and tests a Formula 1 car, and behind-the-scenes, never-before-seen coverage of the sponsor and partnership deals that finance the team.
“The series will take Amazon Prime members inside what it takes to compete at the highest level of Formula 1 racing,” said Conrad Riggs, Head of Unscripted, Amazon Originals. “It will combine unparalleled access with exciting and dramatic storytelling that will appeal to racing fans and non-racing fans alike.”
“McLaren dominated F1 in the modern era, creating champions like Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton. But they are also a family who have recently gone through difficult times, both on track and off,” said Executive Producer Manish Pandey. “And like all families, we will watch them pull together to regain their rightful place at the head of F1.”
“At McLaren, we want to showcase and celebrate every element of Formula 1. We understand and appreciate that Formula 1 fans are always keen for greater levels of access, insight and information, and this series will give them the most intimate and honest access to a modern Formula 1 team that’s ever been seen,” added Zak Brown, McLaren Executive Director.
The series is executive produced by BAFTA winner Manish Pandey (Senna, Ferrari, The Bentley Boys), Chris Connell and Anwar Nuseibeh.
Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.
About Amazon Video
Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:
In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalogue with Audible Channels for Prime, a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, exclusive access and discounts to select items, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more visit: www.amazon.com/prime.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.
-------------------------
The Amazon Original Series Goes Behind the Scenes with Legendary Formula 1 Race Team McLaren as They Prepare to Fight for the 2017 World Championship
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon announced it has greenlit an untitled McLaren racing docuseries. The Amazon Original Unscripted Series gives unprecedented access to the McLaren racing team as it competes in the 2017 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. Prime members will be able to stream the limited series exclusively via the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs, connected devices including Fire TV, mobile devices and online. Members can also download the series to mobile devices for offline viewing at no additional cost to their membership. The series will be a global release and available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video for members to watch via the Prime Video app for popular smart TVs, Fire TV, Fire Tablets and Android and iOS phones and tablets. The show will also be available on PrimeVideo.com for Prime Video members in more than 200 countries and territories.
“McLaren dominated F1 in the modern era, creating champions like Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton. But they are also a family who have recently gone through difficult times, both on track and off”
The series follows McLaren, founded in 1963, as they prepare to challenge for the 2017 World Championship, with new Executive Director and former racer Zak Brown leading the famed racing organization. Featuring exclusive access from McLaren to the technically competitive and secretive world of racing, the series will let Prime members embed with the team and its drivers: rookie Stoffel Vandoorne and former double world champion Fernando Alonso. The show features coverage of the physical and mental preparation of a Formula 1 crew, including exclusive footage of how McLaren builds and tests a Formula 1 car, and behind-the-scenes, never-before-seen coverage of the sponsor and partnership deals that finance the team.
“The series will take Amazon Prime members inside what it takes to compete at the highest level of Formula 1 racing,” said Conrad Riggs, Head of Unscripted, Amazon Originals. “It will combine unparalleled access with exciting and dramatic storytelling that will appeal to racing fans and non-racing fans alike.”
“McLaren dominated F1 in the modern era, creating champions like Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton. But they are also a family who have recently gone through difficult times, both on track and off,” said Executive Producer Manish Pandey. “And like all families, we will watch them pull together to regain their rightful place at the head of F1.”
“At McLaren, we want to showcase and celebrate every element of Formula 1. We understand and appreciate that Formula 1 fans are always keen for greater levels of access, insight and information, and this series will give them the most intimate and honest access to a modern Formula 1 team that’s ever been seen,” added Zak Brown, McLaren Executive Director.
The series is executive produced by BAFTA winner Manish Pandey (Senna, Ferrari, The Bentley Boys), Chris Connell and Anwar Nuseibeh.
Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.
About Amazon Video
Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:
- Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Love & Friendship and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Video is also now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe at www.primevideo.com.
- Amazon Channels: Over 100 channel subscriptions that Prime members can add to their membership, including HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, PBS KIDS, Acorn TV and more, plus Anime Strike – the first curated on-demand subscription by Amazon Channels. To view the full list of channels available, visit www.amazon.com/channels
- Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new-release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers
- Instant Access: Instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices visit www.amazon.com/howtostream
- Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing of select content
In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalogue with Audible Channels for Prime, a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, exclusive access and discounts to select items, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more visit: www.amazon.com/prime.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.
-------------------------
Saturday, April 1, 2017
"All or Nothing" Gets a Second Season on Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Greenlights Season Two of Emmy-Nominated Original Series All or Nothing for Amazon Prime Video, Featuring the Return of the NFL’s Rams to Los Angeles
Yesterday season one was nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Serialized Sports Documentary category
To relive the drama of season one with the Arizona Cardinals, customers can now watch 28 exclusive behind-the-scenes clips via the X-Ray feature
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ:AMZN)—Amazon today announced it has greenlit season two of the Emmy-nominated All or Nothing, an Amazon Original Series produced by NFL Films. This season of All or Nothing will give Amazon Prime members access to an NFL season unlike any that’s been captured on screen. Customers will get to see the Los Angeles Rams’ entire 2016 season, which began with their relocation back to Los Angeles and culminated with the hiring of a new head coach and preparations for the 2017 season.
“‘All or Nothing’ is a solid reminder of what makes football so great and why this sport is America’s favorite pastime.”
Prime members will be able to stream All or Nothing: A Season with the Los Angeles Rams exclusively via the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs, connected devices including Fire TV, mobile devices and online at amazon.com/allornothing. Members can also download the series to mobile devices for offline viewing at no additional cost to their membership. All or Nothing: A Season with the Los Angeles Rams will also be available to Prime members in Austria, Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico and the UK.
“All or Nothing brings Amazon Prime members a deep dive into the lives of professional athletes,” said Conrad Riggs, Head of Unscripted, Amazon Originals. “We are excited to highlight the LA Rams in season two, a team with a compelling story of relocation, rebuilding and reuniting with the city they once again call home.”
“NFL Films proved again that they’re the best in the business with the groundbreaking new franchise, All or Nothing, whose inaugural season profiling the 2015 Arizona Cardinals was the highest-rated original series ever on Amazon Prime Video,” said Jordan Levin, Chief Content Officer, NFL Media. “Chronicling the return of the Rams to Los Angeles provides an unbelievably unique backdrop to season two and one which provides NFL fans and viewers around the world rare insight into a team overcoming an extraordinary set of circumstances to build their future.”
“Since bringing pro football back to the Los Angeles region last year after a 21-year absence, we have been committed to giving NFL fans an up-close view of our journey,” said Rams EVP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff. “We are pleased that NFL Films captured this important chapter in the NFL’s history and are looking forward to working with Amazon to bring this behind-the-scenes look at our team to their customers.”
The first season of All or Nothing, which followed the Arizona Cardinals throughout the 2015 season, currently has an average customer rating of 4.8, with 89% 5 star reviews, making it the highest-rated non-kids Amazon Original Series on Prime Video. Customers can now watch 28 exclusive behind-the-scenes clips from season one by accessing the X-Ray feature on Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Fire tablets and +3P Android mobile devices.
Produced by NFL Films, All or Nothing: A Season with the Los Angeles Rams is executive produced by Ross Ketover (Hard Knocks, Inside the NFL), and Pat Kelleher (Hard Knocks, 30 for 30 - Four Falls of Buffalo). The showrunner is Keith Cossrow (A Football Life). Directors are Shannon Furman and Pat Harris. Supervising producer is Bennett Viseltear and senior producer is Nick Mascolo.
Below are customer quotes from season one of All or Nothing:
Below are media quotes:
Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.
About Amazon Video
Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:
In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalogue with Audible Channels for Prime, a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, exclusive access and discounts to select items, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more visit: www.amazon.com/prime.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.
About NFL Films
NFL Films, the most honored filmmaker in sports television history with 123 Sports Emmy Awards – remains a gold standard in sports television, providing unprecedented access to and legendary storytelling about the sport of professional football. With more than 100 million feet of film in its library, NFL Films is the historical backbone of NFL Network and a key supplier of the network’s programming, including the three-time Emmy-nominated series A Football Life, offering untold stories into the lives of some of the NFL’s most recognizable icons, and The Timeline, chronicling seminal moments that formed the NFL’s storied past, shape the present and, in some cases, set the stage for the future.
NFL Films is a part of NFL Media, the owned and operated media division of the National Football League which is comprised of NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL.com, NFL Now, NFL Mobile from Verizon and NFL RedZone.
About the Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams – Los Angeles’ original professional sports team – stand as one of the oldest franchises in the National Football League and since its founding in 1937, have garnered three World Championships and sent 30 of its members to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a professional sports team, the organization is committed to being a valuable civic partner and serving the greater Los Angeles area 365 days a year. For more information visit www.therams.com and follow the Rams on Facebook and Twitter, @RamsNFL.
-------------------------
Yesterday season one was nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Serialized Sports Documentary category
To relive the drama of season one with the Arizona Cardinals, customers can now watch 28 exclusive behind-the-scenes clips via the X-Ray feature
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ:AMZN)—Amazon today announced it has greenlit season two of the Emmy-nominated All or Nothing, an Amazon Original Series produced by NFL Films. This season of All or Nothing will give Amazon Prime members access to an NFL season unlike any that’s been captured on screen. Customers will get to see the Los Angeles Rams’ entire 2016 season, which began with their relocation back to Los Angeles and culminated with the hiring of a new head coach and preparations for the 2017 season.
“‘All or Nothing’ is a solid reminder of what makes football so great and why this sport is America’s favorite pastime.”
Prime members will be able to stream All or Nothing: A Season with the Los Angeles Rams exclusively via the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs, connected devices including Fire TV, mobile devices and online at amazon.com/allornothing. Members can also download the series to mobile devices for offline viewing at no additional cost to their membership. All or Nothing: A Season with the Los Angeles Rams will also be available to Prime members in Austria, Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico and the UK.
“All or Nothing brings Amazon Prime members a deep dive into the lives of professional athletes,” said Conrad Riggs, Head of Unscripted, Amazon Originals. “We are excited to highlight the LA Rams in season two, a team with a compelling story of relocation, rebuilding and reuniting with the city they once again call home.”
“NFL Films proved again that they’re the best in the business with the groundbreaking new franchise, All or Nothing, whose inaugural season profiling the 2015 Arizona Cardinals was the highest-rated original series ever on Amazon Prime Video,” said Jordan Levin, Chief Content Officer, NFL Media. “Chronicling the return of the Rams to Los Angeles provides an unbelievably unique backdrop to season two and one which provides NFL fans and viewers around the world rare insight into a team overcoming an extraordinary set of circumstances to build their future.”
“Since bringing pro football back to the Los Angeles region last year after a 21-year absence, we have been committed to giving NFL fans an up-close view of our journey,” said Rams EVP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff. “We are pleased that NFL Films captured this important chapter in the NFL’s history and are looking forward to working with Amazon to bring this behind-the-scenes look at our team to their customers.”
The first season of All or Nothing, which followed the Arizona Cardinals throughout the 2015 season, currently has an average customer rating of 4.8, with 89% 5 star reviews, making it the highest-rated non-kids Amazon Original Series on Prime Video. Customers can now watch 28 exclusive behind-the-scenes clips from season one by accessing the X-Ray feature on Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Fire tablets and +3P Android mobile devices.
Produced by NFL Films, All or Nothing: A Season with the Los Angeles Rams is executive produced by Ross Ketover (Hard Knocks, Inside the NFL), and Pat Kelleher (Hard Knocks, 30 for 30 - Four Falls of Buffalo). The showrunner is Keith Cossrow (A Football Life). Directors are Shannon Furman and Pat Harris. Supervising producer is Bennett Viseltear and senior producer is Nick Mascolo.
Below are customer quotes from season one of All or Nothing:
- “Hands DOWN…The BEST Football documentary I've ever seen.”
- “Must See TV for Football Fans”
- “AWESOME! Whether you're a fan of the Cardinals or just the NFL in general, this documentary series is awesome!”
Below are media quotes:
- “It's a tour de force of reality television and newly-broached ground.” – CBS Sports, Will Brinson
- “The football scenes in this series are enthralling.” – The Ringer, Robert Mays
- “‘All or Nothing’ is a solid reminder of what makes football so great and why this sport is America’s favorite pastime.” – Zap2It.com, Emily Bicks
Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.
About Amazon Video
Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:
- Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Love & Friendship and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Video is also now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe at www.primevideo.com.
- Amazon Channels: Over 100 video subscriptions to networks like HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, PBS KIDS, Acorn TV and more, available to Amazon Prime members as add-ons to their membership – to view the full list of channels available, visit www.amazon.com/channels
- Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new-release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers
- Instant Access: Instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices visit www.amazon.com/howtostream
- Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing of select content
In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalogue with Audible Channels for Prime, a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, exclusive access and discounts to select items, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more visit: www.amazon.com/prime.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.
About NFL Films
NFL Films, the most honored filmmaker in sports television history with 123 Sports Emmy Awards – remains a gold standard in sports television, providing unprecedented access to and legendary storytelling about the sport of professional football. With more than 100 million feet of film in its library, NFL Films is the historical backbone of NFL Network and a key supplier of the network’s programming, including the three-time Emmy-nominated series A Football Life, offering untold stories into the lives of some of the NFL’s most recognizable icons, and The Timeline, chronicling seminal moments that formed the NFL’s storied past, shape the present and, in some cases, set the stage for the future.
NFL Films is a part of NFL Media, the owned and operated media division of the National Football League which is comprised of NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL.com, NFL Now, NFL Mobile from Verizon and NFL RedZone.
About the Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams – Los Angeles’ original professional sports team – stand as one of the oldest franchises in the National Football League and since its founding in 1937, have garnered three World Championships and sent 30 of its members to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a professional sports team, the organization is committed to being a valuable civic partner and serving the greater Los Angeles area 365 days a year. For more information visit www.therams.com and follow the Rams on Facebook and Twitter, @RamsNFL.
-------------------------
Friday, February 17, 2017
Documentary About the Life of "Andre the Giant" Headed to HBO
"ANDRE THE GIANT” to Debut on HBO
NEW YORK & STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HBO Sports, WWE® (NYSE:WWE) and the Bill Simmons Media Group will produce ANDRE THE GIANT, a documentary film examining the life and career of one of the most beloved legends in WWE history, it was announced today by Kevin Dunn, WWE Executive Producer, and Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports. The ambitious and wide-ranging documentary film will explore Andre’s upbringing in France, his celebrated career in WWE and his forays in the entertainment world.
“I will always value our friendship, and I am proud to tell the story of the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’.”
“For more than 20 years, Andre the Giant’s larger than life personality and unique charisma captured the imagination of fans around the world,” said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. “I will always value our friendship, and I am proud to tell the story of the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’.”
Bill Simmons, who joined HBO in the summer of 2015 and founded The Ringer, will serve as an executive producer of the film. “Going back to 2007 and 2008 when I was creating and developing ‘30 for 30’ for ESPN, Andre’s story rode the top of every single sports documentary wish list I ever made,” said Simmons. “We always hear about unicorns these days – Andre was the ultimate unicorn. He’s a true legend. Everyone who ever crossed paths with him has an Andre story – and usually four or five. I’m delighted to join forces with Jason Hehir and WWE so we can capture Andre’s amazing story once and for all.”
Emmy®-Award winning director and producer Jason Hehir will serve as the film’s director. HBO Sports and WWE are partnering for the first time ever on this full-length signature presentation, which will combine never-before-seen footage and revealing interviews for a comprehensive and intimate portrait of one of WWE’s most beloved, yet largely unknown figures. Interviews will include WWE Superstars, sports and entertainment executives, athletes, media, family, friends and associates.
André René Roussimoff was born in 1946 in Grenoble, France. Early in his teenage years, he exhibited signs of gigantism, rapidly growing to more than seven feet, though he was not diagnosed with acromegaly until his twenties. He began his training in Paris at 17 and eventually became known in wrestling circuits around the world, including Europe, Australia and Africa. In 1970, Roussimoff made his Japanese debut, which put him on the radar of Vince McMahon Sr., founder of what is now known as World Wrestling Entertainment.
In 1973, Andre joined the organization where McMahon Sr. famously billed him as Andre the Giant. Andre’s unique voice and athletic prowess, coupled with his more than 500-pound, seven-foot, four-inch frame, made him an unforgettable attraction.
During his ascension to the top of the ranks, Andre engaged in memorable matches with Killer Khan, Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy and compiled an undefeated streak that lasted for the better part of a decade. In 1987, Andre hit the pinnacle of his career during his rivalry with Hulk Hogan, one of the biggest stars in WWE and pop culture history. As a new villain, Andre squared off with Hogan at WrestleMania® III at the Silverdome in Michigan, and in one of the most memorable moments in history, Hogan body-slammed Andre to retain the championship in front of 93,173 fans.
While wrestling’s fan base continued to grow, Roussimoff’s health began to decline. Despite his health issues, the “Eighth Wonder of the World” remained at the forefront during the company’s golden era. Following WrestleMania III, Andre took on other WWE Legends such as Jake “The Snake” Roberts™, “Macho Man” Randy Savage™ and The Ultimate Warrior® and participated in numerous marquee events until 1991. Andre became the first-ever inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1993.
Roussimoff’s larger-than-life personality also allowed him to pursue a career in acting. He appeared in television sitcoms and films during the ‘70s and ‘80s, often playing himself or some variation of a human giant, and is remembered for his role as Fezzik in Rob Reiner’s classic “The Princess Bride.”
Outside the ring, Andre Roussimoff was a gentle giant. The subject of stares and ridicule for his size throughout his life, he was a self-declared introvert. On Jan. 27, 1993, Andre Roussimoff succumbed to his gigantism and died of congestive heart failure. And while WWE has had a memorable cast of larger-than-life stars during the two decades since his passing, Andre the Giant is still remembered as one of the greatest.
About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE:WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide in 25 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 180 countries. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich and Tokyo. Additional information on WWE (NYSE:WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.
About HBO Sports
Over the past three decades, HBO Sports has earned a reputation as one of sports television’s most prolific storytellers. From compelling documentaries to unscripted reality programming to world championship boxing to magazine-style studio shows, HBO Sports has been a trailblazer. The department has earned 11 prestigious George F. Peabody Awards for production excellence in long-form programming and introduced a host of innovations and enhancements to increase subscriber satisfaction. Since 1991, HBO Sports has also earned 128 Sports Emmy® Awards and has been recognized with three duPont-Columbia University awards for excellence in broadcast journalism.
About Bill Simmons Media Group
Bill Simmons Media Group was founded in 2015 and immediately launched the multimedia company The Ringer. The Ringer is comprised of a website (theringer.com), Newsletter, Podcast Network, Social Media network, and scripted and non-scripted video production. The Ringer and HBO have collaborated on various productions including After The Thrones, Any Given Wednesday and now the Andre the Giant project. Eric Weinberger is the President of The Ringer and was formerly the Executive Producer at NFL Media. Bill Simmons received three Sports Emmy® Awards and a Creative Arts Emmy while serving for six years (2009-15) as an executive producer of original film productions under ESPN’s Peabody-Award-winning “30 for 30” banner. Simmons was a co-creator of the “30 for 30” series.
About Jason Hehir
Accomplished film director Jason Hehir, who spent seven years at HBO Sports (2001-08) before launching his career as an independent director, will direct the Andre the Giant project. Hehir was a member of the HBO Sports production team that captured Emmy® Award recognition for the groundbreaking “24/7” reality franchise. Hehir’s film credits include “The Fab Five,” “Down in the Valley,” “Jose Canseco: Last Shot,” “Bernie and Ernie” and “The ’85 Bears.”
--------------------
NEW YORK & STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HBO Sports, WWE® (NYSE:WWE) and the Bill Simmons Media Group will produce ANDRE THE GIANT, a documentary film examining the life and career of one of the most beloved legends in WWE history, it was announced today by Kevin Dunn, WWE Executive Producer, and Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports. The ambitious and wide-ranging documentary film will explore Andre’s upbringing in France, his celebrated career in WWE and his forays in the entertainment world.
“I will always value our friendship, and I am proud to tell the story of the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’.”
“For more than 20 years, Andre the Giant’s larger than life personality and unique charisma captured the imagination of fans around the world,” said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. “I will always value our friendship, and I am proud to tell the story of the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’.”
Bill Simmons, who joined HBO in the summer of 2015 and founded The Ringer, will serve as an executive producer of the film. “Going back to 2007 and 2008 when I was creating and developing ‘30 for 30’ for ESPN, Andre’s story rode the top of every single sports documentary wish list I ever made,” said Simmons. “We always hear about unicorns these days – Andre was the ultimate unicorn. He’s a true legend. Everyone who ever crossed paths with him has an Andre story – and usually four or five. I’m delighted to join forces with Jason Hehir and WWE so we can capture Andre’s amazing story once and for all.”
Emmy®-Award winning director and producer Jason Hehir will serve as the film’s director. HBO Sports and WWE are partnering for the first time ever on this full-length signature presentation, which will combine never-before-seen footage and revealing interviews for a comprehensive and intimate portrait of one of WWE’s most beloved, yet largely unknown figures. Interviews will include WWE Superstars, sports and entertainment executives, athletes, media, family, friends and associates.
André René Roussimoff was born in 1946 in Grenoble, France. Early in his teenage years, he exhibited signs of gigantism, rapidly growing to more than seven feet, though he was not diagnosed with acromegaly until his twenties. He began his training in Paris at 17 and eventually became known in wrestling circuits around the world, including Europe, Australia and Africa. In 1970, Roussimoff made his Japanese debut, which put him on the radar of Vince McMahon Sr., founder of what is now known as World Wrestling Entertainment.
In 1973, Andre joined the organization where McMahon Sr. famously billed him as Andre the Giant. Andre’s unique voice and athletic prowess, coupled with his more than 500-pound, seven-foot, four-inch frame, made him an unforgettable attraction.
During his ascension to the top of the ranks, Andre engaged in memorable matches with Killer Khan, Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy and compiled an undefeated streak that lasted for the better part of a decade. In 1987, Andre hit the pinnacle of his career during his rivalry with Hulk Hogan, one of the biggest stars in WWE and pop culture history. As a new villain, Andre squared off with Hogan at WrestleMania® III at the Silverdome in Michigan, and in one of the most memorable moments in history, Hogan body-slammed Andre to retain the championship in front of 93,173 fans.
While wrestling’s fan base continued to grow, Roussimoff’s health began to decline. Despite his health issues, the “Eighth Wonder of the World” remained at the forefront during the company’s golden era. Following WrestleMania III, Andre took on other WWE Legends such as Jake “The Snake” Roberts™, “Macho Man” Randy Savage™ and The Ultimate Warrior® and participated in numerous marquee events until 1991. Andre became the first-ever inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1993.
Roussimoff’s larger-than-life personality also allowed him to pursue a career in acting. He appeared in television sitcoms and films during the ‘70s and ‘80s, often playing himself or some variation of a human giant, and is remembered for his role as Fezzik in Rob Reiner’s classic “The Princess Bride.”
Outside the ring, Andre Roussimoff was a gentle giant. The subject of stares and ridicule for his size throughout his life, he was a self-declared introvert. On Jan. 27, 1993, Andre Roussimoff succumbed to his gigantism and died of congestive heart failure. And while WWE has had a memorable cast of larger-than-life stars during the two decades since his passing, Andre the Giant is still remembered as one of the greatest.
About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE:WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide in 25 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 180 countries. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich and Tokyo. Additional information on WWE (NYSE:WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.
About HBO Sports
Over the past three decades, HBO Sports has earned a reputation as one of sports television’s most prolific storytellers. From compelling documentaries to unscripted reality programming to world championship boxing to magazine-style studio shows, HBO Sports has been a trailblazer. The department has earned 11 prestigious George F. Peabody Awards for production excellence in long-form programming and introduced a host of innovations and enhancements to increase subscriber satisfaction. Since 1991, HBO Sports has also earned 128 Sports Emmy® Awards and has been recognized with three duPont-Columbia University awards for excellence in broadcast journalism.
About Bill Simmons Media Group
Bill Simmons Media Group was founded in 2015 and immediately launched the multimedia company The Ringer. The Ringer is comprised of a website (theringer.com), Newsletter, Podcast Network, Social Media network, and scripted and non-scripted video production. The Ringer and HBO have collaborated on various productions including After The Thrones, Any Given Wednesday and now the Andre the Giant project. Eric Weinberger is the President of The Ringer and was formerly the Executive Producer at NFL Media. Bill Simmons received three Sports Emmy® Awards and a Creative Arts Emmy while serving for six years (2009-15) as an executive producer of original film productions under ESPN’s Peabody-Award-winning “30 for 30” banner. Simmons was a co-creator of the “30 for 30” series.
About Jason Hehir
Accomplished film director Jason Hehir, who spent seven years at HBO Sports (2001-08) before launching his career as an independent director, will direct the Andre the Giant project. Hehir was a member of the HBO Sports production team that captured Emmy® Award recognition for the groundbreaking “24/7” reality franchise. Hehir’s film credits include “The Fab Five,” “Down in the Valley,” “Jose Canseco: Last Shot,” “Bernie and Ernie” and “The ’85 Bears.”
--------------------
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
President Obama Presents 21 Recipients the Presidential Medal of Freedom
President Obama Names Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
WASHINGTON, DC – President Barack Obama named 21 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. The awards were presented at the White House on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2016.
President Obama said, "The Presidential Medal of Freedom is not just our nation's highest civilian honor - it's a tribute to the idea that all of us, no matter where we come from, have the opportunity to change this country for the better. From scientists, philanthropists, and public servants to activists, athletes, and artists, these 21 individuals have helped push America forward, inspiring millions of people around the world along the way."
This event was streamed live at: www.whitehouse.gov/live.
The following individuals were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the National Basketball Association’s all-time leading scorer who helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to five championships and the Milwaukee Bucks to another. During his career, Abdul-Jabbar was a six-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 19-time NBA All-Star. Before joining the NBA, he was a star player at UCLA, leading the Bruins to three consecutive championships. In addition to his legendary basketball career, Abdul-Jabbar has been an outspoken advocate for social justice.
Elouise Cobell (posthumous)
Elouise Cobell was a Blackfeet Tribal community leader and an advocate for Native American self-determination and financial independence. She used her expertise in accounting to champion a lawsuit that resulted in a historic settlement, restoring tribal homelands to her beloved Blackfeet Nation and many other tribes, and in so doing, inspired a new generation of Native Americans to fight for the rights of others. Cobell helped found the Native American Bank, served as director of the Native American Community Development Corporation, and inspired Native American women to seek leadership roles in their communities.
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres is an award-winning comedian who has hosted her popular daytime talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, since 2003 with her trademarked humor, humility, and optimism. In 2003 Ellen lent her voice to a forgetful but unforgettable little fish named Dory in Finding Nemo. She reprised her role again in 2016 with the hugely successful Finding Dory. Ellen also hosted the Academy Awards twice, in 2007 and 2014. In 1997, after coming out herself, DeGeneres made TV history when her character on Ellen revealed she was a lesbian. In her work and in her life, she has been a passionate advocate for equality and fairness.
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro has brought to life some of the most memorable roles in American film during a career that spans five decades. His first major film roles were in the sports drama Bang the Drum Slowly and Martin Scorsese's crime film Mean Streets. He is a seven-time Academy Award nominee and two-time Oscar winner, and is also a Kennedy Center honoree.
Richard Garwin
Richard Garwin is a polymath physicist who earned a Ph.D. under Enrico Fermi at age 21 and subsequently made pioneering contributions to U.S. defense and intelligence technologies, low-temperature and nuclear physics, detection of gravitational radiation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer systems, laser printing, and nuclear arms control and nonproliferation. He directed Applied Research at IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center and taught at the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and Harvard University. The author of 500 technical papers and a winner of the National Medal of Science, Garwin holds 47 U.S. patents, and has advised numerous administrations.
Bill and Melinda Gates
Bill and Melinda Gates established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, the foundation focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, the mission is to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. The Gates Foundation has provided more than $36 billion in grants since its inception.
Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry is one of the world’s leading architects, whose works have helped define contemporary architecture. His best-known buildings include the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Dancing House in Prague, and the Guggenheim Museum building in Bilbao, Spain.
Margaret H. Hamilton
Margaret H. Hamilton led the team that created the on-board flight software for NASA's Apollo command modules and lunar modules. A mathematician and computer scientist who started her own software company, Hamilton contributed to concepts of asynchronous software, priority scheduling and priority displays, and human-in-the-loop decision capability, which set the foundation for modern, ultra-reliable software design and engineering.
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks is one of the Nation’s finest actors and filmmakers. He has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role five times, and received the award for his work in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump. Those roles and countless others, including in Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, and Cast Away, have left an indelible mark on American film. Off screen, as an advocate, Hanks has advocated for social and environmental justice, and for our veterans and their families.
Grace Hopper (posthumous)
Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, known as “Amazing Grace” and “the first lady of software,” was at the forefront of computers and programming development from the 1940s through the 1980s. Hopper’s work helped make coding languages more practical and accessible, and she created the first compiler, which translates source code from one language into another. She taught mathematics as an associate professor at Vassar College before joining the United States Naval Reserve as a lieutenant (junior grade) during World War II, where she became one of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer and began her lifelong leadership role in the field of computer science.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is one of the greatest athletes of all time. Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards; he is currently a principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets. During his career, he won six championships, five Most Valuable Player awards, and appeared in 14 All-Star games.
Maya Lin
Maya Lin is an artist and designer who is known for her work in sculpture and landscape art. She designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. and since then has pursued a celebrated career in both art and architecture. A committed environmentalist, Lin is currently working on a multi-sited artwork/memorial, What is Missing? bringing awareness to the planet's loss of habitat and biodiversity.
Lorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels is a producer and screenwriter, best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live, which has run continuously for more than 40 years. In addition, Michaels has also produced The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and 30 Rock, among other popular, award-winning shows. He has won 13 Emmy Awards over the course of his lengthy career.
Newt Minow
Newt Minow is an attorney with a long and distinguished career in public life. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Minow served as a Supreme Court clerk and counsel to the Governor of Illinois. In 1961, President Kennedy selected Minow, then 34, to serve as Chairman of the Federal Communications Committee (FCC), where he helped shape the future of American television and was a vigorous advocate for broadcasting that promoted the public interest. In the five decades since leaving the FCC, Minow has maintained a prominent private law practice while devoting himself to numerous public and charitable causes.
Eduardo Padrón
Eduardo Padrón is the President of Miami Dade College (MDC), one of the largest institutions of higher education in the United States. During his more than four decade career, President Padrón has been a national voice for access and inclusion. He has worked to ensure all students have access to high quality, affordable education. He has championed innovative teaching and learning strategies making MDC a national model of excellence.
Robert Redford
Robert Redford is an actor, director, producer, businessman, and environmentalist. In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute to advance the work of independent filmmakers and storytellers throughout the world, including through its annual Sundance Film Festival. He has received an Academy Award for Best Director and for Lifetime Achievement. Redford has directed or starred in numerous motion pictures, including The Candidate, All the President's Men, Quiz Show, and A River Runs Through It.
Diana Ross
Diana Ross has had an iconic career spanning more than 50 years within the entertainment industry in music, film, television, theater, and fashion. Diana Ross is an Academy Award nominee, inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and recipient of the Grammy Awards highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award. Ross was a recipient of the 2007 Kennedy Center Honors. Diana Ross’s greatest legacy is her five wonderful children.
Vin Scully
Vin Scully is a broadcaster who, for 67 seasons, was the voice of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. In Southern California, where generations of fans have grown up listening to Dodger baseball, Scully's voice is known as the "soundtrack to summer." In 1988, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Scully's signature voice brought to life key moments in baseball history, including perfect games by Sandy Koufax and Don Larsen, Kirk Gibson's home run in the 1988 World Series, and Hank Aaron's record-breaking 715th home run.
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen is a singer, songwriter, and bandleader. More than five decades ago, he bought a guitar and learned how to make it talk. Since then, the stories he has told, in lyrics and epic live concert performances, have helped shape American music and have challenged us to realize the American dream. Springsteen is a Kennedy Center honoree and he and the E Street Band he leads have each been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson has performed on the stage, on television, and on the silver screen. She has won two Emmy Awards and a Tony Award, and is known for her performances in Sounder, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, and The Help. In 2013, she returned to the stage with The Trip to the Bountiful, and was awarded the Tony Award for best leading actress. Tyson received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2015.
-------------------
WASHINGTON, DC – President Barack Obama named 21 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. The awards were presented at the White House on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2016.
President Obama said, "The Presidential Medal of Freedom is not just our nation's highest civilian honor - it's a tribute to the idea that all of us, no matter where we come from, have the opportunity to change this country for the better. From scientists, philanthropists, and public servants to activists, athletes, and artists, these 21 individuals have helped push America forward, inspiring millions of people around the world along the way."
This event was streamed live at: www.whitehouse.gov/live.
The following individuals were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the National Basketball Association’s all-time leading scorer who helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to five championships and the Milwaukee Bucks to another. During his career, Abdul-Jabbar was a six-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 19-time NBA All-Star. Before joining the NBA, he was a star player at UCLA, leading the Bruins to three consecutive championships. In addition to his legendary basketball career, Abdul-Jabbar has been an outspoken advocate for social justice.
Elouise Cobell (posthumous)
Elouise Cobell was a Blackfeet Tribal community leader and an advocate for Native American self-determination and financial independence. She used her expertise in accounting to champion a lawsuit that resulted in a historic settlement, restoring tribal homelands to her beloved Blackfeet Nation and many other tribes, and in so doing, inspired a new generation of Native Americans to fight for the rights of others. Cobell helped found the Native American Bank, served as director of the Native American Community Development Corporation, and inspired Native American women to seek leadership roles in their communities.
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres is an award-winning comedian who has hosted her popular daytime talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, since 2003 with her trademarked humor, humility, and optimism. In 2003 Ellen lent her voice to a forgetful but unforgettable little fish named Dory in Finding Nemo. She reprised her role again in 2016 with the hugely successful Finding Dory. Ellen also hosted the Academy Awards twice, in 2007 and 2014. In 1997, after coming out herself, DeGeneres made TV history when her character on Ellen revealed she was a lesbian. In her work and in her life, she has been a passionate advocate for equality and fairness.
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro has brought to life some of the most memorable roles in American film during a career that spans five decades. His first major film roles were in the sports drama Bang the Drum Slowly and Martin Scorsese's crime film Mean Streets. He is a seven-time Academy Award nominee and two-time Oscar winner, and is also a Kennedy Center honoree.
Richard Garwin
Richard Garwin is a polymath physicist who earned a Ph.D. under Enrico Fermi at age 21 and subsequently made pioneering contributions to U.S. defense and intelligence technologies, low-temperature and nuclear physics, detection of gravitational radiation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer systems, laser printing, and nuclear arms control and nonproliferation. He directed Applied Research at IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center and taught at the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and Harvard University. The author of 500 technical papers and a winner of the National Medal of Science, Garwin holds 47 U.S. patents, and has advised numerous administrations.
Bill and Melinda Gates
Bill and Melinda Gates established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, the foundation focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, the mission is to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. The Gates Foundation has provided more than $36 billion in grants since its inception.
Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry is one of the world’s leading architects, whose works have helped define contemporary architecture. His best-known buildings include the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Dancing House in Prague, and the Guggenheim Museum building in Bilbao, Spain.
Margaret H. Hamilton
Margaret H. Hamilton led the team that created the on-board flight software for NASA's Apollo command modules and lunar modules. A mathematician and computer scientist who started her own software company, Hamilton contributed to concepts of asynchronous software, priority scheduling and priority displays, and human-in-the-loop decision capability, which set the foundation for modern, ultra-reliable software design and engineering.
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks is one of the Nation’s finest actors and filmmakers. He has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role five times, and received the award for his work in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump. Those roles and countless others, including in Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, and Cast Away, have left an indelible mark on American film. Off screen, as an advocate, Hanks has advocated for social and environmental justice, and for our veterans and their families.
Grace Hopper (posthumous)
Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, known as “Amazing Grace” and “the first lady of software,” was at the forefront of computers and programming development from the 1940s through the 1980s. Hopper’s work helped make coding languages more practical and accessible, and she created the first compiler, which translates source code from one language into another. She taught mathematics as an associate professor at Vassar College before joining the United States Naval Reserve as a lieutenant (junior grade) during World War II, where she became one of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer and began her lifelong leadership role in the field of computer science.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is one of the greatest athletes of all time. Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards; he is currently a principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets. During his career, he won six championships, five Most Valuable Player awards, and appeared in 14 All-Star games.
Maya Lin
Maya Lin is an artist and designer who is known for her work in sculpture and landscape art. She designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. and since then has pursued a celebrated career in both art and architecture. A committed environmentalist, Lin is currently working on a multi-sited artwork/memorial, What is Missing? bringing awareness to the planet's loss of habitat and biodiversity.
Lorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels is a producer and screenwriter, best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live, which has run continuously for more than 40 years. In addition, Michaels has also produced The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and 30 Rock, among other popular, award-winning shows. He has won 13 Emmy Awards over the course of his lengthy career.
Newt Minow
Newt Minow is an attorney with a long and distinguished career in public life. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Minow served as a Supreme Court clerk and counsel to the Governor of Illinois. In 1961, President Kennedy selected Minow, then 34, to serve as Chairman of the Federal Communications Committee (FCC), where he helped shape the future of American television and was a vigorous advocate for broadcasting that promoted the public interest. In the five decades since leaving the FCC, Minow has maintained a prominent private law practice while devoting himself to numerous public and charitable causes.
Eduardo Padrón
Eduardo Padrón is the President of Miami Dade College (MDC), one of the largest institutions of higher education in the United States. During his more than four decade career, President Padrón has been a national voice for access and inclusion. He has worked to ensure all students have access to high quality, affordable education. He has championed innovative teaching and learning strategies making MDC a national model of excellence.
Robert Redford
Robert Redford is an actor, director, producer, businessman, and environmentalist. In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute to advance the work of independent filmmakers and storytellers throughout the world, including through its annual Sundance Film Festival. He has received an Academy Award for Best Director and for Lifetime Achievement. Redford has directed or starred in numerous motion pictures, including The Candidate, All the President's Men, Quiz Show, and A River Runs Through It.
Diana Ross
Diana Ross has had an iconic career spanning more than 50 years within the entertainment industry in music, film, television, theater, and fashion. Diana Ross is an Academy Award nominee, inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and recipient of the Grammy Awards highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award. Ross was a recipient of the 2007 Kennedy Center Honors. Diana Ross’s greatest legacy is her five wonderful children.
Vin Scully
Vin Scully is a broadcaster who, for 67 seasons, was the voice of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. In Southern California, where generations of fans have grown up listening to Dodger baseball, Scully's voice is known as the "soundtrack to summer." In 1988, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Scully's signature voice brought to life key moments in baseball history, including perfect games by Sandy Koufax and Don Larsen, Kirk Gibson's home run in the 1988 World Series, and Hank Aaron's record-breaking 715th home run.
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen is a singer, songwriter, and bandleader. More than five decades ago, he bought a guitar and learned how to make it talk. Since then, the stories he has told, in lyrics and epic live concert performances, have helped shape American music and have challenged us to realize the American dream. Springsteen is a Kennedy Center honoree and he and the E Street Band he leads have each been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson has performed on the stage, on television, and on the silver screen. She has won two Emmy Awards and a Tony Award, and is known for her performances in Sounder, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, and The Help. In 2013, she returned to the stage with The Trip to the Bountiful, and was awarded the Tony Award for best leading actress. Tyson received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2015.
-------------------
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Bluefin to Offer Exclusive Products at 2016 New York Comic Con
Visit Bluefin at 2016 New York Comic Con Booth #1813
BLUEFIN TO OFFER AN EXCLUSIVE PRODUCT REVEAL OF THE ULTIMATE MUHAMMAD ALI ACTION FIGURE FROM STORM COLLECTIBLES AT 2016 NEW YORK COMIC CON
Anaheim, CA – Bluefin, the leading North American distributor of toys, collectibles, and hobby merchandise from Japan, Hong Kong and more, gives collectors and boxing fans a world exclusive first-look at the forthcoming new 1/6 scale Muhammad Ali action figure from Storm Collectibles at the 2016 New York Comic Con.
The 2016 New York Comic Con takes place October 6th – 9th, 2016 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan and is the East Coast's biggest pop culture convention. The annual event plays host to the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, toy and collectibles, anime and manga, video games, movies, and television. Additional information on New York Comic Con is available at: http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com.
Bluefin will be located in Booth #1813. The unveiling of Muhammad Ali will take place at 10:30AM on Thursday, October 6th, 2016. (**Note: This is strictly a product unveiling; No product will not be offered sale)
The Storm Collectibles 1/6 scale Muhammad Ali action figure is officially licensed and stands 12.5 inches tall. The seamless action figure body is constructed of PVC and features a strikingly realistic facial design and is fully articulated to recreate the Champ’s ability to “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” Each set will come with a variety of additional interchangeable accessories to create endless posing possibilities. Worldwide release is scheduled for Q3 of 2017 and the estimated MSRP will be $240.00 USD. Bluefin will be the exclusive distributor of the 1/6 scale Muhammad Ali for North America.
Muhammad Ali was a legendary American Olympic and professional boxer and prominent social activist and humanitarian. Throughout his career Ali proved inspiring, controversial, and often polarizing and he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and important sports figures of the 20th century.
Born Cassius Clay in 1942, he first gained fame by winning a gold medal in boxing at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. In 1964, at the age of 22, he won the WBA and WBC Heavyweight titles after beating Sonny Liston. During this time he also converted to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
Ali is one of modern boxing’s leading heavyweights, willing the championship title in 1964, 1974, and 1978. Some of his greatest fights included the first Liston match, the so-called “Thrilla in Manila” against arch rival Joe Frazier, and the “Rumble in the Jungle” versus George Foreman.
Outside the ring, Muhammad Ali was a widely known activist and supported numerous social causes, beginning with his refusal to join the army to fight in Vietnam. He actively supported the anti-war movement in the 60s and went on to join many other global campaigns for peace and humanitarian aid. Ali’s work as a humanitarian has been immortalized in the Muhammad Ali Centre, which opened in his Kentucky hometown of Louisville in 2005 and exists as a non-profit cultural institution and international organization. Muhammad Ali passed away in June 2016 but his legend continued and is adored by millions of fans around the world.
About Storm Collectibles:
Storm Collectibles, a Hong Kong based company, was established in 2007 as a one-stop-source for action figures – designing, producing and distributing high quality, collectible 1/12th, 1/6th and 1/4th scale action figures and statues. The company has a great passion for collectibles and its vision is focused on creating authentic, fully realized likenesses for each collectible figure. Storm Collectible's official licensing partners include Warner Bros., Capcom USA / Japan, Bruce Lee Enterprise, Mike Tyson, and Hulk Hogan. Additional information is available at: www.stormco.com.hk
About Bluefin
Based in Anaheim, CA, Bluefin built its reputation as a leading distributor of Japanese toys, collectibles, novelty and hobby products. In recent years, Bluefin has grown to include a range of high quality collectible lines from the United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore and established itself as the official North American consumer products and retail development partner for Studio Ghibli. Selling to thousands of specialty, chain and independent stores, Bluefin is an official North American distributor for Bandai Hobby, Kotobukiya, Capcom, Blitzway and Iron Studios, is the sole provider of Bandai Tamashii Nations products, and is also the exclusive and official distributor for Hero Cross, Mr. Hobby, SEN-TI-NEL and X-Plus. Bluefin also represents TruForce Collectibles products worldwide. Additional information is available at: www.bluefincorp.com.
------------------
BLUEFIN TO OFFER AN EXCLUSIVE PRODUCT REVEAL OF THE ULTIMATE MUHAMMAD ALI ACTION FIGURE FROM STORM COLLECTIBLES AT 2016 NEW YORK COMIC CON
Anaheim, CA – Bluefin, the leading North American distributor of toys, collectibles, and hobby merchandise from Japan, Hong Kong and more, gives collectors and boxing fans a world exclusive first-look at the forthcoming new 1/6 scale Muhammad Ali action figure from Storm Collectibles at the 2016 New York Comic Con.
The 2016 New York Comic Con takes place October 6th – 9th, 2016 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan and is the East Coast's biggest pop culture convention. The annual event plays host to the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, toy and collectibles, anime and manga, video games, movies, and television. Additional information on New York Comic Con is available at: http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com.
Bluefin will be located in Booth #1813. The unveiling of Muhammad Ali will take place at 10:30AM on Thursday, October 6th, 2016. (**Note: This is strictly a product unveiling; No product will not be offered sale)
The Storm Collectibles 1/6 scale Muhammad Ali action figure is officially licensed and stands 12.5 inches tall. The seamless action figure body is constructed of PVC and features a strikingly realistic facial design and is fully articulated to recreate the Champ’s ability to “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” Each set will come with a variety of additional interchangeable accessories to create endless posing possibilities. Worldwide release is scheduled for Q3 of 2017 and the estimated MSRP will be $240.00 USD. Bluefin will be the exclusive distributor of the 1/6 scale Muhammad Ali for North America.
Muhammad Ali was a legendary American Olympic and professional boxer and prominent social activist and humanitarian. Throughout his career Ali proved inspiring, controversial, and often polarizing and he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and important sports figures of the 20th century.
Born Cassius Clay in 1942, he first gained fame by winning a gold medal in boxing at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. In 1964, at the age of 22, he won the WBA and WBC Heavyweight titles after beating Sonny Liston. During this time he also converted to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
Ali is one of modern boxing’s leading heavyweights, willing the championship title in 1964, 1974, and 1978. Some of his greatest fights included the first Liston match, the so-called “Thrilla in Manila” against arch rival Joe Frazier, and the “Rumble in the Jungle” versus George Foreman.
Outside the ring, Muhammad Ali was a widely known activist and supported numerous social causes, beginning with his refusal to join the army to fight in Vietnam. He actively supported the anti-war movement in the 60s and went on to join many other global campaigns for peace and humanitarian aid. Ali’s work as a humanitarian has been immortalized in the Muhammad Ali Centre, which opened in his Kentucky hometown of Louisville in 2005 and exists as a non-profit cultural institution and international organization. Muhammad Ali passed away in June 2016 but his legend continued and is adored by millions of fans around the world.
About Storm Collectibles:
Storm Collectibles, a Hong Kong based company, was established in 2007 as a one-stop-source for action figures – designing, producing and distributing high quality, collectible 1/12th, 1/6th and 1/4th scale action figures and statues. The company has a great passion for collectibles and its vision is focused on creating authentic, fully realized likenesses for each collectible figure. Storm Collectible's official licensing partners include Warner Bros., Capcom USA / Japan, Bruce Lee Enterprise, Mike Tyson, and Hulk Hogan. Additional information is available at: www.stormco.com.hk
About Bluefin
Based in Anaheim, CA, Bluefin built its reputation as a leading distributor of Japanese toys, collectibles, novelty and hobby products. In recent years, Bluefin has grown to include a range of high quality collectible lines from the United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore and established itself as the official North American consumer products and retail development partner for Studio Ghibli. Selling to thousands of specialty, chain and independent stores, Bluefin is an official North American distributor for Bandai Hobby, Kotobukiya, Capcom, Blitzway and Iron Studios, is the sole provider of Bandai Tamashii Nations products, and is also the exclusive and official distributor for Hero Cross, Mr. Hobby, SEN-TI-NEL and X-Plus. Bluefin also represents TruForce Collectibles products worldwide. Additional information is available at: www.bluefincorp.com.
------------------
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
EA Sports "Madden NFL 17" Launches with New Gameplay
Take Your Team All the Way in EA SPORTS Madden NFL 17
New Gameplay Features, Franchise Enhancements, a New Commentary Team and More Highlight this Year’s Edition
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) launched Madden NFL 17, the latest edition of the storied franchise. This year’s title raises the bar once again, with new gameplay features and improvements to all three phases of the sport; offense, defense and special teams. The game also features a whole new way to play Franchise games, as well as the completely new commentary team of Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis, who bring a fresh perspective to the on-field action.
“Every year our challenge is taking a franchise the fans know and love, and finding ways to make it even better”
New players and returning vets alike will find something to love about Madden NFL 17. Automatic skill moves for runners on lower difficulty levels open up the opportunity for amazing plays in every game, while new skill moves and animations will give veteran players a way to set themselves apart from the competition. Franchise players looking to quickly advance through a season can take advantage of Play the Moments - the fastest way to play Madden NFL 17- to jump into the game at key third downs, game-winning drives and more. Would-be GMs can utilize new Big Decisions to manage every facet of their team in the quickest and most convenient way ever. No matter your play style or favored game mode, this year you have the tools to take your team all the way.
Madden NFL 17 introduces the new commentary duo of Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis, who not only bring new voices to the game, but also will be recording additional commentary throughout the year which can be added to Madden NFL 17 as it becomes available. The natural chemistry of Brandon and Charles, along with their deep football knowledge, serve as the perfect companion to the action unfolding on the gridiron, and they will be players’ constant companions throughout the game. Brandon and Charles will be regularly recording new lines in light of what’s happening around the league. In fact, the game has already received a pre-launch commentary update with an eye toward NFL pre-season storylines.
“Every year our challenge is taking a franchise the fans know and love, and finding ways to make it even better,” said Madden NFL 17 Executive Producer Seann Graddy. “I’m consistently impressed by the passion and creativity of this team, and when I look at this game I see their love of the sport and of this franchise shine through. We are so glad the fans are finally getting their chance to see the game for themselves, and look forward to hearing their feedback.”
Mobile players can get their football fix as well, as EA SPORTS Madden NFL Mobile recently launched Season 3. The game showcases new features, new challenges and a whole new roster so players can build a dominant team, take on fresh challenges every day and compete with their friends to determine who has the ultimate team. Madden NFL Mobile is free-to-download* and is available on the App Store and Google Play.
Madden NFL 17 is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon and is available now for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3. To learn more about Madden NFL 17, visit http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl.
EA Access members receive a 10 percent discount when they purchase a digital version of the Madden NFL 17 on Xbox Live.
All player participation has been facilitated by NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA).
The EA SPORTS™ brand is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. The EA SPORTS studios create connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through videogames, including Madden NFL football, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and EA SPORTS UFC®.
For more information about EA SPORTS games, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.
*NETWORK FEES MAY APPLY.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 300 million registered players around the world.
In fiscal year 2016, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.4 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Dragon Age™ and Plants vs. Zombies™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.
EA SPORTS, The Sims, Dragon Age, Plants vs. Zombies and Battlefield are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. and its subsidiaries. John Madden, NFL and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission.
EA, EA SPORTS, The Sims, Battlefield, Dragon Age, Plants vs. Zombies and SSX are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. and its subsidiaries. John Madden, NFL, NHL, NBA, PGA TOUR, UFC and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission.
Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. "PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
------------------
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Kobe Bryant to Be Honored at Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Sports 2016
NBA Champion and All-Star MVP Kobe Bryant to Be Honored with the Legend Award at Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports 2016
Telecast Hosted by Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson Airs Sunday, July 17, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT)
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following his 20th and final season with the Los Angeles Lakers, five-time NBA Champion, four-time NBA Finals MVP and two-time Olympic gold medalist Kobe Bryant will be honored with the Legend Award at Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports 2016. Bryant will receive the award in recognition of his record-breaking achievements, unrivaled talent and outstanding sportsmanship on and off the basketball court.
“It’s an honor to receive Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports Legend Award. This is a great opportunity to inspire kids to never lose their imaginations and to dream bigger than what they think is possible. If you stay true to that, the hard work, dedication and success will always follow.”
Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports 2016 will be hosted by Seattle Seahawks two-time Super Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson, and will air on Sunday, July 17, 2016, from 8-9:30 p.m. (ET/PT), from UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
The Legend Award honors athletes who are the ultimate role models to kids across the globe, inspiring generations year after year. Bryant, is the third recipient of the award, with soccer legend David Beckham receiving the inaugural golden sliming in 2014, and five-time World Series champion Derek Jeter following in last year’s ceremony.
Said Bryant, “It’s an honor to receive Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports Legend Award. This is a great opportunity to inspire kids to never lose their imaginations and to dream bigger than what they think is possible. If you stay true to that, the hard work, dedication and success will always follow.”
Bryant is a five-time NBA Champion, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, NBA MVP, four-time NBA Finals MVP and a 15-time All-NBA player. He recently retired from the game having played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He has appeared in 18 NBA All Star Games, earning three NBA All Star MVP recognitions. He became the League’s youngest player ever to be named to the NBA’s All Defensive Team, to start an All-Star Game, and to earn All-Rookie honors. In December 2014, Bryant became the League’s 3rd all-time leading scorer, surpassing his basketball muse, Michael Jordan. On April 13, 2016, Bryant played his final NBA game, setting a season-high 60 points.
Kids’ Choice Sports 2016 is the only show that celebrates kids and families’ love of sports and top professional athletes. With special guests and outrageous competitions, the one-of-a-kind event will be bursting with fun, unforgettable moments, epic slimings and sheer ‘fan’-demonium that can only happen on Nickelodeon. Kids from around the country will show their support for their favorite athletes, teams and sports moments and decide who will take home a cherished, one-of-a-kind Nickelodeon orange mohawked blimp trophy.
Nick.com/sports will serve as the official destination for everything Kids’ Choice Sports 2016, where kids can cast their votes for their favorite athletes and all-star moments from the past year, play a brand new Kids’ Choice game, watch sports-themed short-form videos and check out photo galleries of athletic all-stars online and on the Nick App. To stay up to date on everything Kids’ Choice Sports 2016, use #KidsChoiceSports on Instagram and Twitter. Follow NickelodeonTV on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.
Kids’ Choice Sports 2016 sponsors are Always®, FCA US LLC, Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes®, Nationwide® and Popsicle®.
Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports 2016 is produced by Done + Dusted in association with Nickelodeon Productions. Jay Schmalholz and Shelly Sumpter Gillyard are executive producers. Constance Schwartz and Michael Strahan of SMAC Entertainment will serve as executive producers, alongside Ian Stewart and Hamish Hamilton of Done + Dusted with Hamilton also serving as director of the show.
About Nickelodeon:
Nickelodeon, now in its 37th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 90 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 20 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
-------------------------
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 5th to 11th, 2016 - Update #50
Support Leroy on Patreon.
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: Mark Ruffalo on the changing dynamic between Hulk and Bruce Banner in "Thor: Ragnarok" (Thor 3).
---------------
COMICS - From JustJared: Set photos from "Wolverine" with bearded Hugh Jackman.
---------------
OBIT/MUSIC - From YahooMusic: 22-year-old Christina Grimmie, who finished third on NBC's singing competition, "The Voice" (in 2014), was shot and killed at a concert venue in Orlando, Florida, Friday, June 10, 2016.
From YahooNews: Christina Grimmie's killer has been identified.
---------------
MOVIES - From THR: Mel Gibson and writer Randall Wallace are working on a sequel to "The Passion of the Christ."
---------------
SPORTS/CRIME - From YahooNews: Stanford rapist, Brock Turner, banned for life by USA Swimming. A competitive swimmer for Stanford, Turner had apparently planned on competing for a spot on the U.S. Olympic swimming team.
From YahooNews: Rape friendly judge, Aaron Persky, also was a student-athlete at Stanford - just like Brock Turner to whom Persky gave a slap-on-the-pinky sentence for sexual assault.
From YahooNews: Some jurors have refused to serve Judge Aaron Persky.
---------------
SPORTS - From YahooSports: Trying to be one of the guys, Tampa Bay Rays and Orlando Magic sideline reporter, Emily Austen, dropped some racist comments. It cost her her job.
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: Angelina Jolie interested in "Murder on the Orient Express" remake.
-------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: Sharon Stone drops more clues about her upcoming role in a Marvel movie.
---------------
JAMES BOND - From Forbes: Will Warner Bros. end up as the new distributor of James Bond films, with Christopher Nolan directing at least one Bond feature?
--------------
OBITS - From YahooSports: Legendary professional hockey player, Gordie Howe, "Mr. Hockey," has died at the age of 88, Friday, June 10, 2016. Howe played 26 years in the NHL and six in the WHL. He won four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings.
From YahooSports: World reacts to the death of Gordie Howe.
---------------
HARRY POTTER - From Deadline: Here is a review of the first preview performance of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."
---------------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Universal is making a film adaptation of "Battlestar Galactica," apparently the original 1978 version (and not the 2003-reboot). Director Francis Lawrence is reportedly interested in helming the film.
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: Jennifer Lawrence joins director Adam McKay (The Big Short) for a drama.
---------------
CRIME - From BuzzFeed: The Stanford rape victim's releases her "Victim Impact Statement."
---------------
BLACK LIVES MATTER - From RSN: Black Lives Matter activist, Jazmine Richards, jailed.
---------------
POLITICS - From YahooNews: Barack Obama endorses Hillary Clinton.
---------------
COMICS - From THR: Michael B. Jordan seems to confirm that he will be in Marvel's "Black Panther."
---------------
MOVIES - From ScreenRant: Word on the cinematic streets is that Chris Nolan will crash a vintage WWII plane during the filming of "Dunkirk."
--------------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are working on an adaptation of the science fiction novel, "Seveneves," for Skydance.
---------------
PIXAR - From YahooMovies: More new clips from "Finding Dory."
---------------
COMICS - From YahooMovies: Oscar-winner actor, J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) has gotten buffed and shredded for his role in the "Justice League" movie.
---------------
COMICS - From TheWrap: Warner Bros.' "Suicide Squad" movie earns a rating of PG-13.
---------------
BOX OFFICE - From FlickeringMyth: "Warcraft" opens huge in China, and passes $100 million worldwide.
---------------
COMICS - From Deadline: Sacha Baron Cohen is apparently interested in playing the lead role in a film adaptation of the newspaper comic strip, "Mandrake the Magician."
---------------
ECO - From Truthout: Two actors associated with the "Star Trek," James Cromwell and John "J.G." Hertzler, are arrested for an anti-fossil fuel protest.
----------------
COMICS - From YahooFinance: Are high-value comic books a better investment than the stock market?
---------------
MOVIES - From TheGuardian: Tom Hiddleston said he doubts that he will succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond.
---------------
MOVIES - From CinemaBlend: Eddie Murphy and Brett Ratner teaming up for Netflix mockumentary.
---------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: The title of the third Wolverine movie, which is supposed to be the last time Hugh Jacksman plays the characters, is rumored to be titled "Weapon X."
---------------
MOVIES - From YahooCelebrity: Meryl Streep lathers her face in orange, wears a fat suit with a ridiculously long tie and lampoon Donald Trump.
---------------
SPORTS/OBITS: - From ESPN: MMA (mixed martial arts) sensation and legend, Kimbo Slice, has died at the age of 42, Monday, June 6, 2016.
---------------
MOVIES - From Deadline: John Boyega is the lead in the "Pacific Rim" sequel.
---------------
COMICS - From Deadline: The fall-scheduled "Reborn" comic book might be the next hot Hollywood property from comic book writer, Mark Millar.
---------------
MOVIES - From YahooTech: Vin Diesel shows off cast photo from "Fast 8."
---------------
CRIME - From YahooStyle: Stanford rapist, Brock Turner, is at the head of a truly awful case. He gets off with a slap on the pinky.
---------------
MUSIC - From YahooMusic: ABBA performs together on stage for the first time in 30 years.
---------------
TELEVISION - From YahooFinance: John Oliver, host of "Last Week Tonight," buys about $15 million dollars of medical debt from besieged people.
---------------
AWARDS - From YahooMovies: At the 10th Spike TV Guy's Choice Awards, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck tease their bromance.
---------------
BOX OFFICE - BoxOfficedMojo: The winner at the 6/3 to 6/5/2016 weekend box office is "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows" with an estimated take of $35.25 million.
---------------
BOOKS - From Truthout: The beloved lesbian vampire returns in a new printing of "The Gilda Stories.
---------------
STAR TREK - From ScreenRant: The CBS "Star Trek" revival adds familiar Trek scribes to its writing staff.
---------------
HARRY POTTER: From People: J.K. Rowling does not care what the racists thinks. She gives her blessing to actress Noma Dumezweni, who is black, playing a grown up Hermoine Granger in the play, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."
---------------
Muhammad Ali:
From Wikipedia: Muhammad Ali's page.
From RSN: Thousands mourn Ali.
From YahooSports: Live streaming and memorable moments from Muhammad Ali's funeral.
From YahooSports: Louisville mourns its native son, Muhammad Ali.
From YahooSports: Ali to be honored at a public funeral on Friday, June 10, 2016.
From TheNewYorker: David Remnick on the outsized life of Ali.
From YahooSports: The "Ali Summit" (in which Ali announced that he would not serve in the Vietnam War) was a transformational moment in U.S. history.
From Variety: Celebrities and athletes pay tribe to Ali.
From CBB: Johnny Bullet webcomic offers an extra episode honoring Muhammad Ali.
From RollingStone: The legacy of Muhammad Ali and his enemies.
From LATimes: There will never be another Muhammad Ali.
From RSN: Ali's biggest win - in the Supreme Court.
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: Mark Ruffalo on the changing dynamic between Hulk and Bruce Banner in "Thor: Ragnarok" (Thor 3).
---------------
COMICS - From JustJared: Set photos from "Wolverine" with bearded Hugh Jackman.
---------------
OBIT/MUSIC - From YahooMusic: 22-year-old Christina Grimmie, who finished third on NBC's singing competition, "The Voice" (in 2014), was shot and killed at a concert venue in Orlando, Florida, Friday, June 10, 2016.
From YahooNews: Christina Grimmie's killer has been identified.
---------------
MOVIES - From THR: Mel Gibson and writer Randall Wallace are working on a sequel to "The Passion of the Christ."
---------------
SPORTS/CRIME - From YahooNews: Stanford rapist, Brock Turner, banned for life by USA Swimming. A competitive swimmer for Stanford, Turner had apparently planned on competing for a spot on the U.S. Olympic swimming team.
From YahooNews: Rape friendly judge, Aaron Persky, also was a student-athlete at Stanford - just like Brock Turner to whom Persky gave a slap-on-the-pinky sentence for sexual assault.
From YahooNews: Some jurors have refused to serve Judge Aaron Persky.
---------------
SPORTS - From YahooSports: Trying to be one of the guys, Tampa Bay Rays and Orlando Magic sideline reporter, Emily Austen, dropped some racist comments. It cost her her job.
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: Angelina Jolie interested in "Murder on the Orient Express" remake.
-------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: Sharon Stone drops more clues about her upcoming role in a Marvel movie.
---------------
JAMES BOND - From Forbes: Will Warner Bros. end up as the new distributor of James Bond films, with Christopher Nolan directing at least one Bond feature?
--------------
OBITS - From YahooSports: Legendary professional hockey player, Gordie Howe, "Mr. Hockey," has died at the age of 88, Friday, June 10, 2016. Howe played 26 years in the NHL and six in the WHL. He won four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings.
From YahooSports: World reacts to the death of Gordie Howe.
---------------
HARRY POTTER - From Deadline: Here is a review of the first preview performance of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."
---------------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Universal is making a film adaptation of "Battlestar Galactica," apparently the original 1978 version (and not the 2003-reboot). Director Francis Lawrence is reportedly interested in helming the film.
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: Jennifer Lawrence joins director Adam McKay (The Big Short) for a drama.
---------------
CRIME - From BuzzFeed: The Stanford rape victim's releases her "Victim Impact Statement."
---------------
BLACK LIVES MATTER - From RSN: Black Lives Matter activist, Jazmine Richards, jailed.
---------------
POLITICS - From YahooNews: Barack Obama endorses Hillary Clinton.
---------------
COMICS - From THR: Michael B. Jordan seems to confirm that he will be in Marvel's "Black Panther."
---------------
MOVIES - From ScreenRant: Word on the cinematic streets is that Chris Nolan will crash a vintage WWII plane during the filming of "Dunkirk."
--------------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are working on an adaptation of the science fiction novel, "Seveneves," for Skydance.
---------------
PIXAR - From YahooMovies: More new clips from "Finding Dory."
---------------
COMICS - From YahooMovies: Oscar-winner actor, J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) has gotten buffed and shredded for his role in the "Justice League" movie.
---------------
COMICS - From TheWrap: Warner Bros.' "Suicide Squad" movie earns a rating of PG-13.
---------------
BOX OFFICE - From FlickeringMyth: "Warcraft" opens huge in China, and passes $100 million worldwide.
---------------
COMICS - From Deadline: Sacha Baron Cohen is apparently interested in playing the lead role in a film adaptation of the newspaper comic strip, "Mandrake the Magician."
---------------
ECO - From Truthout: Two actors associated with the "Star Trek," James Cromwell and John "J.G." Hertzler, are arrested for an anti-fossil fuel protest.
----------------
COMICS - From YahooFinance: Are high-value comic books a better investment than the stock market?
---------------
MOVIES - From TheGuardian: Tom Hiddleston said he doubts that he will succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond.
---------------
MOVIES - From CinemaBlend: Eddie Murphy and Brett Ratner teaming up for Netflix mockumentary.
---------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: The title of the third Wolverine movie, which is supposed to be the last time Hugh Jacksman plays the characters, is rumored to be titled "Weapon X."
---------------
MOVIES - From YahooCelebrity: Meryl Streep lathers her face in orange, wears a fat suit with a ridiculously long tie and lampoon Donald Trump.
---------------
SPORTS/OBITS: - From ESPN: MMA (mixed martial arts) sensation and legend, Kimbo Slice, has died at the age of 42, Monday, June 6, 2016.
---------------
MOVIES - From Deadline: John Boyega is the lead in the "Pacific Rim" sequel.
---------------
COMICS - From Deadline: The fall-scheduled "Reborn" comic book might be the next hot Hollywood property from comic book writer, Mark Millar.
---------------
MOVIES - From YahooTech: Vin Diesel shows off cast photo from "Fast 8."
---------------
CRIME - From YahooStyle: Stanford rapist, Brock Turner, is at the head of a truly awful case. He gets off with a slap on the pinky.
---------------
MUSIC - From YahooMusic: ABBA performs together on stage for the first time in 30 years.
---------------
TELEVISION - From YahooFinance: John Oliver, host of "Last Week Tonight," buys about $15 million dollars of medical debt from besieged people.
---------------
AWARDS - From YahooMovies: At the 10th Spike TV Guy's Choice Awards, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck tease their bromance.
---------------
BOX OFFICE - BoxOfficedMojo: The winner at the 6/3 to 6/5/2016 weekend box office is "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows" with an estimated take of $35.25 million.
---------------
BOOKS - From Truthout: The beloved lesbian vampire returns in a new printing of "The Gilda Stories.
---------------
STAR TREK - From ScreenRant: The CBS "Star Trek" revival adds familiar Trek scribes to its writing staff.
---------------
HARRY POTTER: From People: J.K. Rowling does not care what the racists thinks. She gives her blessing to actress Noma Dumezweni, who is black, playing a grown up Hermoine Granger in the play, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."
---------------
Muhammad Ali:
From Wikipedia: Muhammad Ali's page.
From RSN: Thousands mourn Ali.
From YahooSports: Live streaming and memorable moments from Muhammad Ali's funeral.
From YahooSports: Louisville mourns its native son, Muhammad Ali.
From YahooSports: Ali to be honored at a public funeral on Friday, June 10, 2016.
From TheNewYorker: David Remnick on the outsized life of Ali.
From YahooSports: The "Ali Summit" (in which Ali announced that he would not serve in the Vietnam War) was a transformational moment in U.S. history.
From Variety: Celebrities and athletes pay tribe to Ali.
From CBB: Johnny Bullet webcomic offers an extra episode honoring Muhammad Ali.
From RollingStone: The legacy of Muhammad Ali and his enemies.
From LATimes: There will never be another Muhammad Ali.
From RSN: Ali's biggest win - in the Supreme Court.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)