Open Thread

The Detroit Free Press reports: The grand reopening of the Belle Isle slide was a zany sight, as riders soared into the air. The culprit: the slide was freshly waxed, according to staff members. The giant ride was reopened on Friday after closing due to COVID-19. Children excitedly flooded the gates, until seeing others ride down. Slide goers flew into …

Billboard Magazine reports: After a career in the public eye with huge chart hits, lauded Broadway performances and a much-beloved song in a ’90s Disney classic, R&B star Tevin Campbell is ready to let fans in on a part of his personal life. In a new interview on the PEOPLE Every Day podcast, Campbell confirmed that he identifies as a …

Deadline reports: CNN’s chairman and CEO Chris Licht told anxious staffers Friday that more changes are coming to CNN, as he addressed the news of Brian Stelter’s exit following the cancellation of his Sunday show Reliable Sources. According to sources who were present, Licht told CNN employees at Friday’s well-attended editorial meeting, “There will be moves you may not agree …

Variety reports: Data provided exclusively to Variety Intelligence Platform from Q Scores, the longtime industry standard for quantifying celebrities’ star power and appeal, indicates Will Smith’s numbers tanked months after the actor smacked presenter Chris Rock on live TV. Before the incident, Smith consistently ranked among the country’s top 5 or 10 most positively rated actors in Q Scores’ semiannual …

The Daily Beast reports: Wendy Williams often appeared incoherent in the months leading up to the cancellation of her talk show, and then had to be repeatedly reminded that the program had been axed, according to a new report that sheds light on her battle to stay on the air. Sources said Williams spent the summer of 2021 in and …

CBS News reports: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has formally apologized to Sacheen Littlefeather for her mistreatment at the 1973 Academy Awards, where the Native American actress and civil rights activist was booed and ridiculed as she declined the Best Actor award on Marlon Brando’s behalf. “The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and …

Variety reports: Kenya Barris is taking the yellow brick road to Oz for Warner Bros.’ upcoming “Wizard of Oz” remake. The creator of “Black-ish” is set to write and direct the reimagining, which is completely separate from New Line’s previously announced retelling of “The Wizard of Oz.” New Line’s version will be directed by Nicole Kassell (“Watchmen”) and is described …

Deadline Hollywood reports: When Alex Wagner debuts her new MSNBC show on Tuesday, she will be taking on an unusual arrangement that came about following Rachel Maddow’s contract renewal with  NBCUniversal. While Alex Wagner Tonight will share the same executive producer with The Rachel Maddow Show, Wagner said, “This is going to be a different show.” “We are trying to …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Contradicting Alec Baldwin’s prior claims, the FBI forensic report in the case claims that the gun from the fatal shooting on the set of the film Rust could not have been fired without pulling the trigger. Baldwin, the film’s producer and lead actor, shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set. He said he believed he was handling …

The Hollywood Reporter reports: The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Taylor Swift’s filmmaking debut All Too Well: The Short Film — which the pop star has described as “a film about an effervescent, curious young woman who ends up completely out of her depth” — received an Oscar-qualifying run, making it eligible for the best live action short Oscar, and …

TMZ reports: Anne Heche was not under the influence of alcohol when she crashed her car into a home last Friday, but she was under the influence of cocaine … this according to law enforcement sources, and possibly fentanyl as well. LAPD sources tell TMZ … the department has tested the blood they drew after Anne was admitted to the …

Variety reports: Armie Hammer, the embattled actor who was accused of sexual abuse in early 2021, is the focus of a forthcoming Discovery+ docuseries, which also delves into his family history. The three-part series, “House of Hammer,” investigates accusations against Hammer — which he has emphatically and repeatedly denied through lawyers — including messages that he allegedly sent to women …

Variety reports: Lamont Dozier, one-third of the legenday “Holland-Dozier-Holland” songwriting and production trio who wrote many of Motown Records’ biggest hits for the Supremes, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Martha and the Vandellas and others, has died at the age of 81. The trio are a definitive example of people whose songs are much better known than they are; classics …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Anne Heche’s condition is far graver than it appeared over the weekend, a rep for the Emmy-nominated actor told Deadline. “At this time Anne is in extreme critical condition. She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention,” the rep said in a statement. “She is in a coma and has …

Variety reports: With Neil Gaiman’s highly-anticipated “The Sandman” arriving on Netflix this week, some viewers have been swift to comment on the show’s aspect ratio looking slightly off.  “Sandman” viewers first noticed the skewed images in trailers for the series, sparking some trepidation among fans of the original comic book series. The distorted images were not isolated to the trailer, …

The BBC reports: Australian musician Judith Durham, best known as the lead singer of folk music group The Seekers, has died aged 79. Anthony Albanese, Australia’s prime minister, paid tribute to Durham, calling her “a national treasure”. Her band sold more than 50 million records and had hits including I’ll Never Find Another You, I Am Australian, and Georgy Girl. …

The Associated Press reports: Picture it: A vacant Beverly Hills bistro has been transformed into the set of a 1980s sitcom about four women living in Miami — but it’s also a working restaurant. Reservations have been going fast at the newly opened The Golden Girls Kitchen. Some patrons have come from out of state to see the pop-up eatery. …

The Hollywood Reporter reports: In a surprising development, Warner Bros. will no longer be releasing Batgirl, the DC film that already completed shooting and was expected to arrive on HBO Max this year. The unusual move comes after a change in leadership at Warners, with newly installed CEO David Zaslav prioritizing cost-cutting measures. Batgirl was budgeted at around $80 million, …

Variety reports: “Days of Our Lives” is moving to Peacock. The long-running NBC soap opera is officially moving to the NBCUniversal-owned streaming platform starting on Sept. 12. It has aired on NBC since it first launched in 1965. Beginning Sept. 12, in the timeslots previously occupied by “Days of Our Lives,” “NBC News Daily” will debut across NBC stations. The …

Variety reports: Showtime has elected against moving forward with a second season of its anthology series “The First Lady.” The decision comes a little over six weeks after the series aired its Season 1 finale on the network. “Showtime can confirm that the anthology series ‘The First Lady’ will not be moving forward with another season,” a Showtime spokesperson told …