Open Thread

Variety reports: Hulu has passed on “Rodham,” writer-producer Sarah Treem’s adaptation of the 2020 Curtis Sittenfeld novel that’s been in development at the streamer since summer 2020. But 20th Television is still is shopping the project to other streamers, now that Claire Danes and Dakota Fanning are attached to play Clinton at different stages of her life. “Rodham” — published …

Variety reports: Fred Ward, who starred in films including “Henry and June,” “Tremors,” “The Right Stuff” and “The Player,” died May 8, his publicist confirmed to Variety. He was 79. Among his other prominent roles were parts in “Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins,” “Miami Blues” and “Short Cuts.” In Ron Underwood’s horror-comedy “Tremors,” one of several films that boosted Ward’s …

Variety reports: The House Corrino has its ruler. Christopher Walken will join Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya in director Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune Part Two,” as Shaddam IV, the Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe. Walken’s casting fills out the major characters for the second half of Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal science-fiction novel. He joins Florence Pugh (“Black Widow”) as …

Variety reports: Broadway legend Patti LuPone is famous for her long history of calling out theatergoers who fail to follow proper theater etiquette, and that continued Tuesday when she exchanged harsh words with an anti-mask attendee during a production of “Company” on Broadway. The interaction occurred after the show, when LuPone — who stars in the musical as Joanne — …

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 …