Open Thread

Variety reports: Harvey Weinstein was caught with contraband Milk Duds in November, prompting a reprimand from L.A. County jail guards, according to records viewed by Variety. The Milk Duds were found during a search on Nov. 10, after Weinstein had a face-to-face meeting with Shawn Burkley, one of his attorneys. The Milk Duds were confiscated, and the guards warned that …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Global networks including the UK’s Channel 4 have picked up Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s comedy series Servant of the People. The 2016 satirical show, in which, unbelievably, Zelensky played the President, before launching a campaign to become the real President three years later, has also been sold by distributor Eccho Rights to MBC in the Middle East, …

The Daily Beast reports: Sam Elliott didn’t hold back his anger—or blatant homophobia—for Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog. In an interview for Marc Maron’s “WTF Podcast,” Elliott decried the Western as “a piece of shit” and compared the male characters to Chippendale dancers. “That’s what all these fucking cowboys in that movie look like,” Elliott said. “They’re all …

Deadline Hollywood reports: South Park has a long history of short turnarounds to focus on current events, and the promo for this week’s episode appears to be furthering that tradition. In a clip from “Back to the Cold War,” Mr. Mackay argues for a seventh nuclear-emergency drill in two days because, he says, “We are going to be prepared.” When …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Veteran actress Patti LuPone tested positive for Covid-19 before Saturday’s Broadway matinee of Company, triggering increased testing protocols for the rest of the performers and staff. LuPone is at home and is expected to be out until March 8. The 72-year-old, who has two Tony Awards and two Grammys, plays “Joanne” in the production alongside Katrina Lenk’s …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Piers Morgan vows to “cancel cancel culture” with his new TV talk show and “take those ultra woke lunatics head on.” The journalist and broadcaster was speaking to Sky News Australia on a visit to the country to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the channel, attending a party at the Sydney Opera House. Morgan’s new daily talk …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Mark Stroman, the veteran Fox and Endeavor marketing executive who helped launch memorable global campaigns including “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the “Nobody Better Lay a Finger On My Butterfinger!” campaign featuring The Simpsons‘ Bart Simpson, has died. Stroman died February 22 of complications from Covid, …

Variety reports: Sally Kellerman, who was Oscar nominated for her supporting role as Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in Robert Altman’s “MASH” feature film, died Thursday in Woodland Hills, Calif. She was 84. Among her other roles were a professor in Rodney Dangerfield’s “Back to School” and a Starfleet officer in the “Star Trek” episode, “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” …

Variety reports: A new short documentary and exposé published by Vanity Fair accuses Jerry Lewis of sexual harassment and assault. The interviews with actresses such as Karen Sharpe and Hope Holiday were conducted by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, the duo who tackled Mia Farrow’s allegations against Woody Allen in the HBO documentary series “Allen v Farrow.” Lewis was one …

Variety reports: Sherri Shepherd will launch her own daytime talk show in fall 2022, Variety has learned. The new syndicated series, titled “Sherri,” will slide into the Fox O&O time slots that are currently held by “The Wendy Williams Show,” as the hit gossip queen, Wendy Williams, continues to be in recovery for health-related issues. In a statement to Variety, …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Britney Spears has landed a multimillion-dollar book deal with publisher Simon & Schuster. The big bucks pact came together over the past few months, Deadline has confirmed from sources close to the situation. According to the New York Post‘s Page Six, the deal is priced at $15 million, and will cover topics including her professional and her …

Deadline reports: Despite all the high-tech tricks, political posturing and pyrotechnics, the best part of the Closing Ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics proved to be the athletes. Competing the past two weeks amidst rising international tensions, pandemic quarantines and with a heavy-handed host, the participants injected a bit of fun this morning into the tightly scripted affair. Following …

Variety reports: Rather than be able to claim any bragging rights for streaming or sales when his new album comes out Feb. 22, Kanye West’s deliberately limiting its listenership to one device … one that can only be purchased from him. So how much will it cost you to listen to “Donda 2” later this month? About $230 — assuming …

Deadline Hollywood reports: His reps declined to comment, but word in publishing circles is that Elliot Page’s memoir Pageboy sold to Flatiron Books for north of $3 million. The deal was made based on a 49-page proposal shopped by UTA. Deadline read the document, and it sounds like Page has a truly compelling story to tell about a long struggle …

Variety reports: “Yellowstone” actor Forrie J. Smith will not attend the upcoming Screen Actors Guild Awards due to rules requiring all attendees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The “Yellowstone” cast is nominated in the top category of ensemble in a television drama alongside “Succession,” “Squid Game,” “The Morning Show” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.” “I want to apologize to y’all for …

Variety reports: Here’s the logline for the Discovery Plus project: “With more than 150,000 global members, Hillsong has recently been entangled in scandal. ‘Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed’ will profile numerous ex-members of the church who have come forward to share harrowing allegations of the trauma, abuse, financial and labor exploitation that created a culture of chaos within the church. The …

Deadline Hollywood reports: ViacomCBS is rebranding to become Paramount Global, effective Feb. 16, the latest giant pivot in a rapidly transforming media and entertainment landscape. It’s the name of the company’s storied studio and its centerpiece streaming network Paramount+, which launched in March of 2021. “An iconic global company deserves an iconic global name. One that reflects the power of …

Variety reports: Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes are finalizing details to host this year’s Academy Awards, multiple sources told Variety. The three comic forces appear to be the only emcees in the mix for the March awards show, despite several scenarios that telecast creatives have been weighing. Producer Will Packer has been in meetings for weeks trying to …

Deadline Hollywood reports: CBS is getting into wordplay. The network has ordered a primetime game show reboot of long-running format Lingo with RuPaul Charles to host. The series, which will premiere this year, is a cross between bingo and a word guessing game. It comes as word games are all the jazz, with The New York Times recently acquiring online …

Variety reports: Billionaire developer Rick Caruso filed to run for mayor of Los Angeles on Friday afternoon, ending months of speculation and shaking up the crowded race to succeed Eric Garcetti. A onetime Republican, Caruso is best known as the builder of the Grove and the Americana at Brand shopping centers, among others. He is also a former Los Angeles …