Open Thread

Deadline reports: Russell Brand has said he is “incredibly grateful” that his day in court is coming after being charged with rape and sexual assault by UK authorities. The one-time Forgetting Sarah Marshall star said he was a “drug addict, sex addict and an imbecile” during his youth, but he was never a rapist. “I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity. …

Variety reports: An official trailer for “The Naked Gun” reboot is here, and brings with it a special set of skills: absurdist comedy, glossy action aesthetics, Liam Neeson in polkadot briefs and a school girl uniform and, naturally, an O.J. Simpson joke. Neeson stars as Frank Drebin Jr., the son of legendary goofball cop and franchise father Leslie Nielsen. Paramount’s original …

Deadline reports: In an unprecedented 4×4 order, Fox has picked up four 20th TV Animation series for four seasons each, renewing animated stalwarts The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers for four more years and confirming American Dad!‘s return to the network after an 11-year break, also with a four-season order. Solidifying its status as the top linear home of …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Sam Mendes’ debut documentary about the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp has dropped its trailer. What They Found will launch on the BBC on Monday to tie in with the 80th anniversary of the camp’s liberation. The film follows British soldier-cameramen Sgt. Mike Lewis and Sgt. Bill Lawrie, members of the Army Film and Photographic Unit covering …

Deadline reports: YouTube‘s revenue will surpass Disney‘s this year, making it the top global player in media, according to a report by veteran Wall Street analyst Michael Nathanson. With $54.2 billion in revenue last year, the company is on pace to become No. 1 by the end of 2025, he predicts in a new report issued Monday. Because of its …

Variety reports: Country superstar Morgan Wallen performed two songs from a forthcoming album that is expected to be one of the year’s biggest blockbusters on “Saturday Night Live,” but it wasn’t the music that stirred up the most chatter after the episode ended. During the traditional “SNL” close, Wallen did stick around long enough to salute the audience, and then …

Variety reports: Hannah Berryman’s documentary “Spacewoman” chronicles the life and career of astronaut Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot and command a spacecraft in an era where many men still thought there was no place for women in space. The film is timely, given the fact that in February, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered NASA to purge diversity, equity, …

Variety reports: Will Smith wastes no time addressing his Chris Rock Oscars slap on new album “Based on a True Story,” which released on Friday. In fact, the project’s first track, “Int. Barbershop — Day,” opens with the phrase: “Will Smith is canceled.” The song, which features Smith’s Fresh Prince collaborator DJ Jazzy Jeff and B. Simone, sees differently-pitched voices …

Variety reports: On Aug. 12, 2024, three days after Rachel Zegler hit the stage at Disney’s D23 fan event to introduce the first official trailer of “Snow White,” she thanked supporters effusively in an X post for driving the teaser to 120 million views in 24 hours. One minute later, she added an afterthought in the same thread: “and always …

Variety reports: The “Scooby-Doo” live-action series is officially moving forward at Netflix, with the streamer picking up the show for eight episodes. First reported to be in development at Netflix in April 2024 with a script-to-series commitment, the show will delve into how Mystery Inc. and their beloved Great Dane first teamed up together. The official logline for the show …

The Hollywood Reporter reports: The mood was grim Sunday on the Disney lot as Snow White opened behind expectations to an estimated $43 million domestically. Globally, the live-action remake of the iconic 1937 film was expected to clear $100 million, but instead came in at $87.3 million. Disney supporters would say if anyone is capable of pulling off a fairy-tale …

Salon reports: Yes, after weeks of the most uncomfortable will-they-or-won’t-they vibes between walking red flag Saxon Ratliff (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and younger brother Lochlan (Sam Nivola), Sunday’s episode of The White Lotus left us with no doubt that they, indeed, would. In the new episode, “Denials,” as their memories slowly return to them the next day amid soul-crushing hangovers, each Ratliff …

Deadline reports: George Michael’s many acts of generosity, often conducted under condition of anonymity, have come to light since the star’s death in 2016. Now, his backing singer Shirley Lewis has revealed that she was also the beneficiary of his great kindness, when she found herself struggling financially. “I was talking to George on the phone and suddenly burst into …

Variety reports: Disney‘s “Snow White” is the fairest of them all on box office charts. The musical earned $16 million across Friday and preview screenings from 4,200 venues. It’s enough of a start to put “Snow White,” which stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, on track to land within projections for an opening weekend north of $45 million. That would …

Deadline reports: Neil Young said a couple of weeks ago that he would play a free concert in Ukraine, with a date and venue TBA. But now that show has been called off. “Our concert in Ukraine is canceled,” Young said in a statement on his archives website. “We had a good venue, close to a shelter, but the changing …

Variety reports: “The Last of Us” Emmy nominee Bella Ramsey revealed in an interview with British Vogue that they were diagnosed with autism after a crew member on the first season of the HBO drama series said they were showing signs of autism on set. Ramsey said it was “liberating” when they found out the diagnosis. According to Ramsey, a …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Hulu released the first trailer for The Handmaid’s Tale‘s sixth and final season which builds intense anticipation as to what June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) still has to face before the lights go dark on the dystopian drama. The series has been preparing viewers for a revolution and this season, it’s no longer a promise, it’s a reality. …

Variety reports: Gal Gadot‘s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony Tuesday was disrupted by sign-carrying demonstrators on both the pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel sides. Several dozen protesters showed up just before the ceremony was due to get underway, with the pro-Palestinian protesters holding signs that read “Heros Fight Like Palestinians,” “Viva Viva Palestina” and “No Other Land Won Oscar.” As with the …

Variety reports: John Oliver sounded off on a Justice Department official’s claim that she was fired for refusing to recommend that Mel Gibson‘s gun rights be restored, saying that the “Mad Max” and “Braveheart” actor is “best known for his work in screaming.” Last Week, Elizabeth G. Oyer — a former pardon attorney in the Department of Justice — told …

Broadway.com reports: The newly formed Broadway in Memoriam Committee, a coalition of theater owners working alongside industry service organizations, has announced the launch of Broadway in Memoriam, a quarterly tribute to the memory of artists, creators and industry professionals who have made a lasting impact on the Broadway stage. On each Broadway in Memoriam evening, the marquees of all 41 …