Open Thread

Variety reports: Almost immediately after Kamala Harris announced her running mate as Tim Walz, people on social media began dream-casting Steve Martin to play the role on “Saturday Night Live.” Martin not only bears a physical resemblance to the Minnesota governor but also gives off the same friendly dad vibe. The next morning, Lorne Michaels apparently called Martin with an …

Deadline reports: Vice President Kamala Harris posted a video of the moment that she called Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to inform him that he was her choice as her running mate. “Listen, I want you to do this with me. Let’s do this together,” Harris says. “Would you be my running mate and let’s get this thing on the road?” …

Variety reports: A film about Hulk Hogan’s infamous legal battle against Gawker is officially in the works. Artists Equity, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s production banner, has acquired a screenplay written by Charles Randolph and based on Ryan Holiday’s book “Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker and the Anatomy of Intrigue.” The project, titled “Killing Gawker,” is in active development. …

Variety reports: Comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan aimed at targets like COVID vaccines and trans people during his newest comedy special. Rogan’s latest, named “Burn the Boats,” debuted live on Netflix on Saturday night and amplified some of the controversial views he has discussed on his podcast before. “COVID was just so strange,” he said. “And we lost a lot …

Variety reports: Aerosmith has played its final gigs. The band announced Friday that they have canceled all remaining concert dates and are officially retired from touring, because singer Steven Tyler‘s “recovery from his vocal injury is not possible.” “It has been the honor of our lives to have our music become part of yours,” the group declared in a social …

Broadway World reports: Global powerhouse and visionary iconoclast Billy Porter has shared a new remix for his new single “Leap” from Sgt slick. The original version of the song, released last month, was the first preview of the upcoming EP Black Mona Lisa Vol 2: The Cookout Sessions, coming soon. Porter launches the Black Mona Lisa UK Tour in the …

Variety reports: Universal Pictures has landed the rights to Britney Spears‘ bestselling memoir “The Woman in Me,” with “Wicked” director Jon M. Chu and producer Marc Platt attached to develop the feature. Spears shared news of the “secret project” on social media, writing that Platt has “always made my favorite movies” and telling her fans to “stay tuned” for more …

Variety reports: “Saturday Night Live” Weekend Update co-anchor Colin Jost — currently in Tahiti covering surfing (and injuring his toes) for NBC’s Summer Olympics coverage — has another new job: Host of “Pop Culture Jeopardy!” The “Jeopardy!” spin-off, announced in May, will run on Amazon’s Prime Video and start production in August, presumably once Jost gets back from the islands. …

Variety reports: The odds were stacked against Timothée Chalamet long before those set photos trickled online. By just signing up to play Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s forthcoming bio-drama “A Complete Unknown,” the 28-year-old megastar willingly placed himself in the crosshairs of Dylan’s most devoted fans — who, let’s be honest, are not easily impressed. But then the trailer came …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Jaquel Spivey (Mean Girls), Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding), Margaret Cho (Fire Island), Brigette Lundy-Paine (I Saw The TV Glow) and Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story) are among those set to star in Queens of the Dead, a new horror comedy directed by Tina Romero, daughter of legendary director George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead). …

Variety reports: “Deadpool & Wolverine,” a comic book adventure that pairs two of Marvel’s most popular characters, is turbocharging the box office. Disney’s superhero sequel has collected $205 million in its opening weekend, ranking as the eighth-best debut of all time ahead of 2018’s “Black Panther” ($202 million) and behind 2015’s “Jurassic World” ($208 million) and 2012’s “The Avengers” ($207 …

Variety reports: Disney and Marvel Studios‘ “Deadpool & Wolverine” clawed up a massive $96 million from 4,210 locations across Friday and preview screenings. That’s far and away the biggest domestic opening day of the year — ahead of the $62 million that “Inside Out 2” nabbed in June. Not only that, it’s also the largest ever for an R-rated feature …

Variety reports: The timey-wimey-wibbly-wobbly world of “Doctor Who” is expanding with a new spinoff, announced during the “Into the Whoniverse” panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday. Russell Tovey (“Feud,” “American Horror Story: NYC”) and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“Surface,” “Loki”) will lead the cast of the five-part series “The War Between the Land and the Sea.” They’ll be joined by returning …

Variety reports: Jennifer Aniston took to social media on Wednesday night to speak out against resurfaced comments from Donald Trump’s VP pick, JD Vance, who called women without children “childless cat ladies.” This did not sit well with “Friends” star Aniston, who has been open about her struggles to conceive over the years. “I truly cannot believe this is coming …

Deadline reports: A group of 11 former employees of bankrupt Redbox parent Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment have filed a lawsuit charging the company and ex-CEO Bill Rouhana with “greed at shocking levels.” The suit, in LA Superior Court by Michael Alder and Lani Levine of LA firm AlderLaw, seeks up to $1 billion in damages. It comes after …

Variety reports: Celine Dion looks set to make her return to the stage at the Olympic Games, and it’s rumored to be during the opening ceremony on Friday. It will mark the pop legend’s first performance since halting her touring schedule and stepping away from the spotlight after being diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome in December 2022. Dion arrived in …

Variety reports: After President Joe Biden withdrew his reelection campaign yesterday, the endorsements have been rolling in for Vice President Kamala Harris to be selected as the Democratic nominee for the upcoming election. But pop fans were tickled slime green after Harris secured support from none other than Charli XCX, who has inspired the internet and beyond to have a …

Variety reports: “Twisters” is taking the box office by storm. The movie, a standalone sequel to the 1996 disaster epic “Twister,” has collected a massive $80.5 million from 4,151 North American theaters in its debut. It’s the third-biggest opening weekend of the year behind “Inside Out 2” ($154 million) and “Dune: Part Two” ($82 million). Directed by “Minari” filmmaker Lee …

Variety reports: The 2024 Republican National Convention hit its highest viewership on its final night, averaging 25.4 million viewers across networks on Thursday. Viewership peaked at 28.4 million from 10:45 to 11:00 p.m, on the early side of a 90-minute speech made by Trump. As with the previous nights of the convention, Fox News Channel’s coverage was the most-watched, and …

Deadline Hollywood reports: CBS will pay tribute to late comedian Bob Newhart with Bob Newhart: A Legacy of Laughter special set to air on the network on Monday, July 22 at 8 pm ET/PT and streaming on Paramount+. Hosted by Entertainment Tonight’s Nischelle Turner, the one-hour tribute takes a look back at Newhart’s 70-year career, featuring never-before-seen interviews, and his …