Open Thread

Deadline reports: The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) recently shared their beef with the Japanese video game company in a letter to Nintendo president, Shuntaro Furukawa, over its depiction of the character Cow in Mario Kart World, which released in June on Switch 2. PETA’s SVP of Marketing Engagement, Joel Bartlett, wrote in part in the letter: …

The Daily Beast reports: Pete Davidson says his well-known endowment is impressive “on paper,” but in Hollywood—where “everyone f—s everyone”—it’s more of a curse than a blessing. Speaking on The Breakfast Club podcast Wednesday, the former SNL cast member opened up about how his high-profile relationship with ex-fiancée Ariana Grande made him feel “embarrassed” early in his career. “Nobody talked …

Variety reports: A Sinéad O’Connor biopic is in development. Variety has learned that a film is in the works that will tell the story of the early life and career of the iconic Irish musician, who died in 2023 at the age of 56. O’Connor became one of the most legendary figures in Irish cultural history and a trailblazer for …

Deadline reports: Mario Gabelli, the longtime fund manager who has made noise over the past two years about the terms of the Paramount-Skydance merger, has sued former Paramount controlling shareholder Shari Redstone. Gabelli, chairman of New York-based Gamco, filed suit against Redstone and National Amusements, the company that held the controlling stake in Paramount shares, in Delaware Chancery Court on …

Deadline reports Jimmy Kimmel has revealed he has obtained Italian citizenship amid the chaotic presidency of Donald Trump. Kimmel could potentially join high-profile celebrities leaving the United States as Trump’s power continues to go unchecked in his second term at the White House. While making an appearance on The Sarah Silverman Podcast, the show’s host said, “A lot of people …

Variety reports: A “Downton Abbey” primetime special is set to air on NBC to celebrate the third and final film in the “Downton” franchise before its theatrical release. Variety has learned exclusively that NBC will air “Downton Abbey Celebrates The Grand Finale” on Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT and streaming the next day on Peacock. The one-hour special will …

Variety reports: “Weapons,” a twisty horror film about a group of missing children, and “Freakier Friday,” a body swap comedy, delivered a potent one-two punch at the box office this weekend, lifting ticket sales as summer movie season draws to a close. The films captured the top two spots on the charts, with “Weapons” debuting to $42.5 million and “Freakier …

Deadline reports: John Leguizamo is not mincing words in addressing Dean Cain‘s recent decision to join ICE. The Bob Trevino Likes It star, who has been a vocal critic of ICE‘s increasingly militant behavior toward immigrants, took to his Instagram Friday to share his thoughts. “What kind of loser volunteers to be an ICE officer?” Leguizamo said in a brief …

The Kansas City Star reports: Chappell Roan is known as much for her elaborate drag queen and vintage-inspired stage costumes as her music. She’s dressed as Joan of Arc in a suit of armor, been the Statue of Liberty complete with spiky headdress. There’s fringe, lots of fringe, fishnet stockings, sequins, feathers, cowboy hats and boots. Now she has donated …

Collider reports: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy takes place in the 32nd century, and features the first Academy class in over a century following a galaxy-spanning disaster, The Burn. It stars Holly Hunter as Nahla Ake, the Chancellor of Starfleet Academy and captain of the Athena; faculty members include engineer Jet Reno (Tig Notaro) and Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr), both …

Deadline reports: Dave Franco is open to the idea of playing Luigi Mangione in a biopic. The actor and his wife, Alison Brie, made an appearance on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, where he was asked about portraying Mangione. “Oh, how do I answer this?” Franco said that after being asked by a fan if he would play Mangione, social …

Deadline reports: Turns out James Cameron was right. The U.S. Coast Guard released the findings from its multi-year investigation into the implosion of OceanGate’s Titan submersible in 2023 and found that the disaster, which killed all five of the vehicle’s occupants, was a “preventable tragedy.” The 335-page report from the Coast Guard’s Marine Board of Investigation found that “OceanGate’s failure …

USA Today reports: Sean “Diddy” Combs, who remains jailed ahead of his October sentencing, has been denied bail again after the rapper and his legal team requested that he be released on a $50 million bond. Judge Arun Subramanian, who presided over Combs’ landmark sex-trafficking trial in Manhattan court, denied Combs’ renewed attempt in an order filed Monday, Aug. 4. …

Billboard Magazine reports: Madonna continues to be in a reflective, dance floor-ready mood. A week after finally dropping the long-rumored Ray of Light remix album Veronica Electronica, the singer was back in the groove on Friday morning (Aug. 1) with a 40th anniversary celebration of her beloved Like a Virgin single “Dress You Up.” The final single from the diamond-certified …

Variety reports: Just hours after the long-awaited release of her new single, “The Subway,” Chappell Roan has shared a music video for the song, a ballad she performed for the first time more than a year ago, at the 2024 Governors Ball festival. The clip is a New York City-themed fantasy that features the singer in multiple, often surreal scenes: …

Deadline reports: “I’m voting for Stephen,” reads the billboard. Surprisingly, this is Jimmy Kimmel’s message of support his late-night peer Stephen Colbert, whose Late Show was unceremoniously canceled by CBS days after he was nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Talk Series category. The tagline currently adorns one billboard in West Hollywood above a liquor store, but it’s clear …

Variety reports: Justin Timberlake has revealed that he has been diagnosed with Lyme disease and opened up about the struggles he’s faced while on his “Forget Tomorrow World Tour.” The singer posted a pair of Instagram Stories detailing his diagnosis to coincide with the conclusion of his global tour. Fans recently noticed that Timberlake appeared sluggish and low-energy during performances …

404 Media reports: Spotify is requiring users in the UK to verify they’re over 18 to view “certain age restricted content,” and users are reporting seeing a popup on Spotify to verify their ages following the enactment of the UK’s Online Safety Act last week, which forced platforms to verify the ages of everyone who tries to access certain kinds …

Variety reports: “South Park” will not be airing a new episode on Comedy Central this week, but that doesn’t mean creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are taking a break from targeting President Trump. In a new trailer for Season 27 Episode 2, the show’s version of Trump is seen groping Satan’s leg under a table during a public dinner …

Variety reports: Disney has released the first trailer for director James Cameron’s third “Avatar” movie, titled “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” It’s scheduled to hit theaters on December 19, 2025, three years after “Avatar: The Way of Water.” Just like “The Way of Water” introduced the aquatic Metkayina clan of Pandora, “Fire and Ash” will debut a new group called the …