Open Thread

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 …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Producers of the Tony Awards have a strong message for any potential Will Smith copycats: Don’t even think about it. A letter sent by Tony Award Productions to potential ticket-buyers (and obtained by Deadline) includes the following warning in its FAQ section: “The Tony Awards has a strict no violence policy. In the event of an incident, …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Ezra Miller may play the Flash on the big screen, but the actor isn’t proving so quick at keeping below the radar of the police. For the second time in as many months, the actor has been arrest by Hawaiian police. The Hawaii Police Department said in a statement today that “Shortly after 1 a.m. on Tuesday, …

Variety reports: After a break from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Natalie Portman is back and more powerful than ever in the first teaser for “Thor: Love and Thunder.” The fourth film in the “Thor” series is directed by Taika Waititi, who helmed the well-received “Thor: Ragnarok.” The movie follows on the heels of “Avengers: Endgame,” which ended with Thor Odinson …

Variety reports: “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” the third chapter in the “Harry Potter” spinoff series, collected a muted $43 million in its domestic box office debut. In pandemic times, those ticket sales were enough to lead this weekend’s box office charts and land one of the biggest North American openings in 2022. But it’s also a sign that …

Deadline reports: The Broadway League has announced that while the owners and operators of all 41 Broadway venues will require audiences to mask up at least through May 31, many theaters will no longer check vaccination status after April 30. By Friday, most theater owners on Broadway had reported that they will drop the vaccination requirement on May 1, including …

Variety reports: Liz Sheridan, the actor best know for her role as Jerry Seinfeld’s mother Helen in the classic sitcom “Seinfeld,” died on Friday, a representative confirmed to Variety. She was 93. Born in 1929, Sheridan got her start as a nightclub act, earning a living by dancing and playing in both New York City and Caribbean clubs. During her …

Deadline reports: The world’s richest man has the funds to buy Twitter. But if he can’t clinch a deal for some reason, he told a TED Talk Thursday, he’ll bring along as many shareholders as he can to reform the social media giant that’s become America’s “public square.” “I could technically afford it. But this [deal] is not a way …

NBC News reports: A new documentary based on a vast collection of old photos featuring gay men in love going back to the mid-1800s has made its television debut. “100 Years of Men in Love: The Accidental Collection,” directed by Emmy-winning producer David Millbern, is based on the photo book “Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s — …

Deadline Hollywood reports: The Adam Project, starring Ryan Reynolds, is now Netflix’s fourth most-watched English-language film of all time, the streamer announced today, having garnered 233,150,000 views in its first 28 days on the platform. Reynolds also currently has the globe-trotting action-comedy Red Notice and action-thriller 6 Underground on the list, at #1 and #9, respectively. Other titles on the …

The Hollywood Reporter reports: Three years after The CW passed on Glamorous, Netflix has picked up the redeveloped series about a young gender non-conforming queer man. The streaming giant has handed out a 10-episode, straight-to-series order for the series from CBS Studios and writer Jordon Nardino, with Miss Benny set to star. Glamorous continues to tell the story of Marco …

Variety reports: U.K. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has sharply criticized detractors of her plan to sell broadcaster Channel 4. The plan was decried by several leading media industry unions and filmmakers. In a strongly worded column in The Mail on Sunday, Dorries wrote that the reaction to her plan was “as predictable as it was inflammatory.” “Let’s dump the lazy, …

Variety reports: As the box office opens two films featuring high-octane speedsters this weekend, one has emerged a clear victor. Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” looks to top the charts this weekend with an impressive opening in the neighborhood of $67 million to $69 million, while Universal’s R-rated actioner “Ambulance” will likely fail to clear double digits. “Sonic” unleashed on …

Variety reports: “Dancing With the Stars” is moving to Disney Plus after airing for 30 seasons airing on ABC, Variety has confirmed. The show has received a two-season renewal at the Disney-owned streaming service for Seasons 31 and 32, with the new season to debut in the fall. “DWTS” will be the first live series to stream on Disney Plus. …