Open Thread

Variety reports: Mario Batali has been cleared of charges that he groped a woman at a Boston bar in 2017, as a judge ruled on Tuesday that the celebrity chef is not guilty of indecent battery and assault. Batali — the famed TV chef and restauranteur who fell from grace in 2017 following a series of sexual misconduct allegations — …

Broadway.com reports: Nominations have arrived for the 75th Tony Awards! The 75th Tony Awards will take place on June 12, hosted by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose. The ceremony will return to Radio City Music Hall as a four-hour television and streaming event that will be broadcast live coast to coast for the first time. Leading the nominations are Michael R. …

Variety reports: Doctor Strange and his questionably effective book of spells has summoned a blockbuster $185 million at North American movie theaters over the weekend, reaffirming the box office dominance of Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe after a shakier, pandemic-battered year for the franchise. The timeline-bending “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” represents a return to form for Disney’s MCU …

Variety reports: Fred Savage, who serves as a director and executive producer on ABC’s “The Wonder Years,” has been fired due to the findings of an investigation about his conduct on set. Multiple employees complained about Savage’s behavior while working on “The Wonder Years,” a reboot of the ’80s-’90s series of the same name that starred Savage. The nature of …

Deadline reports: Meet the Press Daily with Chuck Todd will move from MSNBC to the network streaming service NBC News Now. Starting on June 6, his daily show will stream as Meet the Press Now, marking the latest effort to expand the offerings on the free platform. Todd’s Meet the Press Daily, also known as MTP Daily, had aired at …

Billboard Magazine reports: Madonna gets that she hasn’t always done things the way the church might prefer. But in a tweet at Pope Francis on Wednesday (May 4), the singer said she’d like a second chance to make a first impression while asking for a private meeting with the Pontiff to discuss some pressing issues. While she awaits a response, …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Original Star Trek character T’Pring is making a return in Strange New Worlds. We’ve confirmed Gia Sandhu (The Mysterious Benedict Society) will be reprising the role in the upcoming new series, premiering tomorrow, May 5, on the streaming service Paramount+. T’Pring was last seen in the Season 2 premiere of Star Trek: The Original Series “Amok Time” …

Variety reports: Daniel Radcliffe inhabits the frizzy-haired, mustachioed persona of “Weird Al” Yankovic in the new teaser trailer for the Roku original film about the parody artist, which is coming to the platform’s free streaming channel this fall. Roku released the teaser for “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” produced by Funny Or Die and Tango, at its 2022 NewFronts presentation …

Variety reports: Move over, Eurovision. The “Masked Singer” sensation is now launching an international competition where celebrities from various local editions of the show around the globe will face off in a worldwide battle. Tentatively titled “One World, One Masked Singer,” talent from “The Masked Singer” shows in various territories will compete against each other, and be unmasked in the …

Variety reports: A day after Naomi Judd’s death, the previously scheduled induction of the Judds into the Country Music Hall of Fame will go ahead as planned, with Naomi’s daughter Wynonna expected to attend, a rep for the Hall tells Variety. As the Judds, Naomi and Wynonna were one of the most successful country acts of the past 40 years. …

Variety reports: Most of the cast of “That ’70s Show” is coming back for “That ’90s Show” at Netflix, Variety has learned. Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Wilmer Valderrama are all set to make guest appearances in the spinoff series, once again playing their characters from the original series. The only main cast member not returning …

Variety reports: “Come on Barbie, let’s go party!” is the immortal refrain from Aqua’s 1997 song “Barbie Girl” but when it comes to the upcoming Margot Robbie movie, Aqua haven’t been invited to join the fun. Despite fans insisting that the Europop banger – which has clocked up over a billion views on YouTube – should appear in the soundtrack …

Variety reports: “Dashcam,” the divisive horror movie from Rob Savage and Blumhouse, has revealed a trailer ahead of its release in theaters and on demand on June 3. Per the official synopsis, “At the start of the pandemic, an indulgent and self-deluded livestreaming improv musician abandons L.A. for London, steals her ex-band mate’s car, and makes the wrong decision to …

Variety reports: “Avatar 2” is real, and it’s here — naysayers be damned. After at least seven delays in the last eight years (the film was originally supposed to open in 2014), director James Cameron is finally ready to show audiences his otherworldly, underwater vision for “Avatar’s” long-awaited sequel. It’s newly titled as “Avatar: The Way of Water.” Disney, which …

Variety reports: True Pride and Prejudice fans will remember Elizabeth Bennet’s one true dream, apart from settling down with the dreamy Mr. Darcy: to visit Fire Island. While she never got to visit the summer getaway spot—as far as we know, at least—Bowen Yang and Joel Kim Booster uphold her legacy in the trailer for their new romantic comedy, Fire …

Variety reports: Right on the heels of the news that Elon Musk has a deal to buy Twitter, a television documentary about the polarizing businessman has been announced to premiere this May. Titled “Elon Musk’s Crash Course,” the upcoming film is the latest in FX and The New York Times’ collaborative documentary series “The New York Times Presents,” which provides …

Variety reports: Ahead of her Hollywood Walk of Fame honor, icon Jean Smart looked back at some of her incredible roles — including the one that put her on the map globally. In 1985, she joined CBS’ “Designing Women” as Charlene Frazier Stillfield, a role she held for five seasons. The sitcom earned 18 Emmy nominations and catapulted Smart’s career …

Deadline reports: Adelia “Dede” Robertson, who was an influential leader with the Christian Broadcasting Network and the wife of prominent televangelist Pat Robertson, died April 19 at her home in Virginia Beach, VA. She was 94 and her death was announced by an obituary posted by Regent University in Virginia, which did not give a cause. After marrying Pat Robertson …

Deadline reports: The announcement of Tony Award nominations will be delayed by about a week, and award eligibility extended by a week, due to what producers say are “the challenges that Broadway has faced in recent weeks” — an apparent reference to the Covid uptick that has impacted some shows. Nominations now will be announced on Monday, May 9, and …

Deadline Hollywood reports: The Late Show has been hit by Covid. CBS has canceled this evening’s show after host Stephen Colbert tested positive for the virus. The comedian noted that he’s “basically feeling fine” and is grateful to have been vaxxed and boosted. Instead, CBS will air a repeat featuring Josh Brolin and a performance by The Who. The show …