Open Thread

Deadline reports: As the latest in a flood of atmospheric river events hit Souther California today, several local theme parks closed their gates. Magic Mountain shut down for the second time in as many months as winds associated with the current storm blasted a nearby peak with force equivalent to a Cat. 2 hurricane. Magic Mountain Truck Trail, a site …

Variety reports: Rupert Murdoch just can’t stay single. Less than a year after divorcing Jerry Hall, the 92-year-old Fox mogul is hearing wedding bells again. He’s engaged to Ann Lesley Smith, a 66-year-old San Francisco police chaplain. Murdoch’s future wife was previously married to Chester Smith, a country-western singer, as well as a radio and TV executive who died in …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Watching Jesus Revolution surge past $45 million in ticket sales for Lionsgate—matching or besting The Fabelmans, The Banshees Of Inisherin, Tár, Women Talking and Triangle Of Sadness, combined—it finally seems safe to say it. The faith-based audience is back. Between Covid and the culture wars, it’s been a rough few years for those who make, promote and/or …

Deadline reports: Leaked rehearsal plans for the upcoming Coronation of King Charles III reveal that there is currently no place for Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle in the procession to follow the king’s crowning in Westminster Abbey. This revelation by The Times of London follows reports that Harry and Meghan have been invited to the ceremony taking place …

Yahoo Entertainment reports: Lance Reddick, the lanky, stalwart character actor whose no-nonsense demeanor was on full display in the John Wick franchise opposite Keanu Reeves and acclaimed series like The Wire, Oz and Lost, died on Friday. Mia Hansen, the actor’s representative at Portait PR, told Yahoo that Reddick “passed away suddenly of natural causes.” “Lance will be greatly missed,” …

USA Today reports: Gwyneth Paltrow revealed the “weirdest” thing she’s done in pursuit of wellness. The Oscar-winning actress, who is also the founder of the lifestyle brand Goop, opened up about the strangest wellness activity she’s participated in during her appearance on the podcast  The Art of Being Well. “I have used ozone therapy, rectally,” Paltrow said. “It’s pretty weird. …

People Magazine reports: Singer-songwriter Bobby Caldwell, who was best known for his smooth jazz hit “What You Won’t Do For Love,” has died. He was 71. Caldwell died on Tuesday at his home in New Jersey, his wife Mary Caldwell confirmed on Twitter. Mary wrote that she believed her husband had been “floxed,” a term used by some to describe …

Variety reports: Elton John is just one “E” away from being an EGOT, and there was no mistaking that an event for Television Academy members at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre Monday night was not just about celebrating the success of Disney+’s livestreamed Dodger Stadium special from last November, but about reminding potential voters that the star lacks just one vowel …

Yahoo News reports: It’s finally here. After years of anticipation, the official trailer for Disney’s live action reimagining of The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey, has arrived. The film’s star, Halle Bailey and her costar Melissa McCarthy (who portrays the film’s villain Ursula) presented the trailer during the 95th annual Academy Awards on Sunday. The trailer featured all of the …

The New York Times reports:  There are some fundamental truths in the world: The sky is blue. The grass is green. The Oscars red carpet is —— champagne-colored. Jimmy Kimmel, this year’s host, joked at the unveiling on Thursday that the color change — the first time in more than six decades that the academy’s arrival rug will not be …

Deadline Hollywood reports: The biggest bank failure since the financial crisis more than 15 years ago has hit streaming giant Roku. In an SEC filing Friday, the company disclosed that 26% of its cash was held at Silicon Valley Bank, and the funds were “largely uninsured.” The 16th largest bank in the U.S., with more than $200 billion in assets, …

Billboard Magazine reports: Cyndi Lauper and The B-52s have joined a rising chorus of voices speaking out against new laws being passed by Republicans targeting the trans community and seeking to ban drag artists. “Equality for everybody, or nobody’s really equal,” longtime LGBTQ ally Lauper said. “This is how Hitler started. Just weeding everybody out.” Hitler’s Nazi Germany tagged gay …

Variety reports: For the past year, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been greeted with open arms by awards shows, film festivals and even the New York Stock Exchange. But when it comes to landing airtime on the most coveted telecast of all — the Oscars — the Ukrainian leader is being met with a cold shoulder. For the second year in a …

Deadline reports: Actors’ Equity Association has condemned Tennessee’s new legislation restricting drag performance, urging theaters in the state to “join us in rejecting it entirely and lobbying for its elimination.” The union, which represents actors and stage managers in live theater, also said it is “monitoring the progress of similarly dystopian laws in other states.” Tennessee recently became the first …

Variety reports: Lyrics from “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” have been quietly removed from the set list of Disneyland’s Magic Happens parade. The melody originates from the 1946 feature “Song of the South,” which has been criticized for featuring racist imagery and themes. During its release in the ’40s and across subsequent re-releases, the film drew criticism for its use of racist stereotypes and …

Variety reports: Almost a year after the infamous Oscars slap, comedian Chris Rock finally addressed what happened in his live Netflix special, “Selective Outrage.” After an hour of new material that only alluded to Slapgate — “They say, ‘words hurt.’ Anybody who says ‘words hurt’ has never been punched in the face,” he joked earlier in the night — the …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Saturday Night Live went with the week’s biggest media stories for its cold open: the revelations from Dominion Voting Systems bombshell filing in its defamation lawsuit against Fox News. Hosts Steve Doocy (Mikey Day), Ainsley Earhardt (Heidi Gardner) and Brian Kilmeade (Bowen Yang) explained the revelations and why the network hasn’t covered the case. The skit also …

Variety reports: 20th Century Studios has announced new plot details, cast additions and production status for the latest “Alien” film. The ninth film in the franchise will begin production on March 9 in Budapest. The untitled project joins the prequel series, which first premiered in 2012, with “Prometheus,” followed by “Alien: Covenant.” The original series began in 1979 with “Alien,” …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Schindler’s List director Steven Spielberg, appearing on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert last night, had some chilling words on the rise of public antisemitism in recent years. The director, whose most recent film is the Oscar nominated The Fabelmans, said that “not since Germany in the ‘30s have I witnessed antisemitism no longer lurking, but standing …

Variety reports: ABBA’s ‘Voyage’ virtual concert — which opened in a specially built London arena last May and has sold more than 1 million tickets — will go on a global tour, Universal Music Group chairman Lucian Grainge confirmed during the company’s earnings call on Thursday. “Plans are now in development to take ‘ABBA Voyage’ around the world,” Grainge said …