Open Thread

Billboard Magazine reports: There’s no question that Broadway‘s Hamilton was (and still is) one of the most engrossing musicals on the Great White Way, but according to an original cast member, Madonna herself had other things to focus on. During his Thursday (June 19) appearance on Watch What Happens Live alongside singer Ciara, Anthony Ramos — who originated the roles …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Sony’s 28 Years Later is coming in with a $14M Friday, on its way to a $28M-$30M opening as expected at 3,444 theaters. The movie, given its older skew and sophisticated audience bent, was never expected to be Final Destination: Bloodlines which came in with a $20.9M first Friday/previews and a $51.6M opening. 28 Years Later‘s first …

Variety reports: Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and Jet Li may soon return to global screens in digitally resurrected form. At the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival, the China Film Foundation and partners launched two major AI-driven initiatives under the Kung Fu Film Heritage Project: a large-scale effort to restore 100 classic martial arts films using artificial intelligence, and the unveiling …

Variety reports: “The Bear” star Jeremy Allen White transforms into music icon Bruce Springsteen in the first official trailer for “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” a music biopic about the Boss. Helmed by Scott Cooper, who directed Jeff Bridges to a best actor Oscar for “Crazy Heart,” his latest project takes a page from Warren Zanes’ book about Springsteen making …

Deadline reports: After nearly a week of curtailment, the curfew on one square mile in Downtown Los Angeles was lifted Tuesday. “As we continue to adapt quickly to the chaos coming out of Washington, I’m prepared to reinstate it if necessary,” wrote L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. “The safety and stability of LA remains my top priority.” The recent protests, sparked …

Variety reports: Matthew Perry‘s doctor, Salvador Plasencia, has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distributing ketamine to the “Friends” star, who died of an overdose in October 2023. Plasencia acknowledges in the plea agreement that he repeatedly provided ketamine without a legitimate medical purpose in the weeks leading up to Perry’s death. The agreement anticipates a prison sentence …

Variety reports: Elizabeth Berkley made a surprise appearance Saturday night at an LGBTQ Pride screening of her cult classic “Showgirls.” The movie’s showing was part of Cinespia’s 30th anniversary celebration of the film at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. “Happy Pride! I love you guys so much,” she said, eliciting applause and cheers. “You have no idea, I love …

Deadline reports: Universal’s How to Train Your Dragon is on track to fly in with a global debut of just over $200M, landing higher than pre-weekend projections. The live-action take on the beloved animated franchise through yesterday had grossed $54.9M from the international box office, including $29.1M in previews. When factoring in domestic estimates, the opening start is looking like …

Yahoo News reports: Thousands of anti-Trump protests are erupting across the United States today under the banner of “No Kings” day, a coordinated movement aimed at pushing back against what demonstrators see as authoritarian overreach since the president returned to office in January. Protesters say the event is a symbolic rejection of what they view as unchecked executive power, highlighting …

The Verge reports: Spaceballs, which was first released nearly 40 years ago, is getting a sequel in 2027 from Amazon MGM Studios. A Spaceballs 2 announcement trailer posted Thursday doesn’t have any solid details besides the date, though it does poke fun at the entertainment industry’s obsession with franchises and spinoffs by listing many of them out. Mel Brooks, who …

Variety reports: On a recent episode of “The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast,” the “Full House” star explained that her family will sometimes “make fun of her” whenever she talks about “spiritual things” happening in her home. One topic that makes her husband and kids start “rolling their eyes” is the TV, or as Bure calls it, “the portal.” “Like if …

Variety reports: Disney and NBCUniversal are the first Hollywood players to take a shot across the bow of a generative AI company that they claim has stolen their copyrighted characters. Disney and NBCU filed suit Tuesday against Midjourney, a generative AI start-up, alleging copyright infringement. The companies alleged that Midjourney’s own website “displays hundreds, if not thousands, of images generated …

Variety reports: COVID conspiracy theories abound in the first full trailer for Ari Aster‘s latest film, “Eddington.” Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal, the Western goes back to the politically charged summer of 2020, following a mayoral race between a small-town sheriff (Phoenix) and the incumbent electee (Pascal). The new footage pulls viewers back five years, with sequences of six-foot-enforced …

Variety reports: A judge on Monday dismissed Justin Baldoni‘s $400 million defamation claim against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, finding that her accusations of sexual harassment were legally protected and therefore immune from suit. Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni’s entire lawsuit — which also alleged extortion and other claims — but allowed him to amend and refile a couple …

Playbill reports: Broadway’s biggest night is here! The 78th Annual Tony Awards are being held June 8 at Radio City Music Hall, with a live TV ceremony broadcasting on CBS and streaming via Paramount+. Along with naming this year’s winners in the 26 competitive categories, expect performances from all of this year’s Best Musical (Buena Vista Social Club, Dead Outlaw, …

Variety reports: A federal appeals court ruled that the White House has the latitude to exclude any journalists it chooses from the Oval Office and other “restricted areas” — including on the basis of a news outlet’s “viewpoint.” The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, in a 2-1 decision Friday, ruled against the AP, which had sued three …

Billboard Magazine reports: How does a song become a gay anthem? Like the LGBTQ+ community itself, our soundtrack is vast and diverse. We have recorded our history and contribution to the culture through music, and with this list we acknowledge and remember the forerunners that have made possible the positive changes we’ve seen over the decades. These songs are a …

Variety reports: Tom Cruise was awarded a Guinness World Record during the production of “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” by doing 16 burning parachute jumps while filming the climactic plane sequence. Yes, Cruise jumped to his potential death while his parachute caught fire 16 times during the making of the latest “Mission: Impossible” film. Paramount marked the record with …

Variety reports: ABBA‘s Björn Ulvaeus is proving that curiosity doesn’t diminish with age. At 80, the Swedish songwriter behind some of pop music’s most enduring hits is pioneering a new frontier in musical theater: creating a musical with the assistance of artificial intelligence. “Right now I’m writing a musical, assisted by AI,” Ulvaeus revealed during a talk at SXSW London …

Variety reports: Jimmy Kimmel is roasting Donald Trump yet again, this time for the president’s decision to share a “deranged” conspiracy on his Truth Social profile that claims Joe Biden was executed in 2020 and was replaced with robot clones. The theory alleges that Democrats had no idea about Biden’s real identity as a robot. “This is a theory that …