Open Thread

Via press release from Netflix: Netflix has launched its first LGBTQ+ podcast – The Gay Agenda, produced by MOST, the home of LGBTQ+ storytelling. The new podcast takes an entertaining and honest look into the lives of LGBTQ+ creatives at the top of their fields across different industries and celebrates their success stories in the community through a loving and …

Variety reports: After months of negotiations, David Bowie’s estate has sold the singer’s formidable publishing catalog to Warner Chappell Music for a price upwards of $250 million, sources confirm to Variety. The catalog spans six decades and includes such songs as “Heroes,” “Changes,” “Space Oddity,” “Fame,” “Let’s Dance,” “Rebel Rebel,” “Golden Years,” “Ziggy Stardust,” “All the Young Dudes,” his 1981 …

Variety reports: Another weekend, another chance for Sony’s superhero adventure “Spider-Man: No Way Home” to flex its box office dominance. It now ranks as the 10th-highest grossing domestic release in history, supplanting Disney’s “Incredibles 2” ($608 million). “Spider-Man: No Way Home” currently has its sights on spots eight and nine, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” ($620 million) and “The Avengers” …

Vulture reports: As the nation continues to mourn the loss of Betty White, it’s almost impossible to not take a moment to laugh with her during one of her many famous cameo appearances. White became the oldest person to host Saturday Night Live at the age of 88. A spokesperson for Saturday Night Live confirmed that they will air an …

Deadline reports: The official Times Square New Year’s Eve lineup includes live performances by Journey, Ashanti and Ja Rule, among other appearances throughout the evening Friday, highlighting a slew of options to help ring in 2022 while Omicron continues to surge. Co-organizers the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment’s annual and official Times Square event, which shares the NYC stage …

Variety reports: The BBC has apologized for broadcasting an interview with Jeffrey Epstein’s former lawyer Alan Dershowitz without disclosing that Dershowitz has also been accused of sexual abuse by one of Epstein’s victims. Dershowitz appeared on BBC News live from New York on Wednesday evening, shortly after a jury handed down the guilty verdict in Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial. “The interview …

Variety reports: LL Cool J is pulling out of this year’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2022″ after testing positive for COVID-19. The ABC special, which is marking its 50th anniversary this year, is still moving forward as planned with hosts Seacrest and Liza Koshy, but will have to make an adjustment due to the hip-hop …

Variety reports: “The Music Man” will cancel performances through Jan. 1 after Hugh Jackman tested positive for COVID-19. The revival of Meredith Wilson’s classic musical is one of the hottest tickets on Broadway. However, like many other shows, it is struggling to keep its cast and crew healthy at a time when COVID is surging and omicron is causing breakthrough …

Variety reports: Jean-Marc Vallée, the Quebecois director of films including “Dallas Buyers Club” and TV projects such as “Big Little Lies,” died at his cabin outside Quebec City, Canada. He was 58. The cause of death was not immediately known. Vallée earned an Oscar nomination for best editing for 2013’s “Dallas Buyers Club,” which won Oscars for Jared Leto and …

Variety reports: Three members of superstar K-pop group BTS have tested positive for COVID-19 over the past two days, their management company Big Hit Music has announced. On Saturday, RM and Jin tested positive for COVID-19 one day after fellow member Suga was also diagnosed. The three members completed their second rounds of COVID vaccinations in late August, Big Hit …

Variety reports: “Spider-Man: No Way Home’s” box office prowess knows no bounds. The latest entry in the Tom Holland-led trilogy will become the biggest movie of the year worldwide on Friday, Christmas Eve. It’s set to cross the $1 billion mark on Christmas Day. At 11 days, it would be the second-fastest to hit that milestone (behind 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” …

Variety reports: “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” the grand finale in Marvel’s web-slinging superhero trilogy, has crossed another major box office milestone, surpassing $800 million globally. After only 10 days on the big screen, the latest Tom Holland-led Spidey adventure has become the highest-grossing Hollywood movie of the year with $813.9 million worldwide. On Wednesday, it passed MGM’s James Bond sequel …

Variety reports: Attorneys for the members of Nirvana have asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed in August by the man who was the “naked baby” on the cover of the 1991 “Nevermind” album, on the basis that the legal arguments that the image constitutes child pornography are decades too late as well as too silly. The filing says …

Variety reports: Sally Ann Howes, who began her acting career as a child and was best known for starring in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” opposite Dick Van Dyke, died on Jan. 19. She was 91. Her death was confirmed by her nephew, Toby Howes, who tweeted: “I can also confirm the passing of my beloved Aunty Sally Ann Howes who …

Variety reports: Carlos Marin, the ever smiling and sharply dressed baritone powerhouse of multi-national quartet Il Divo, died Sunday of COVID complications. He was 53. After feeling ill, Marin had been hospitalized on Dec. 8 in the Intensive Care Unit of the Manchester Royal Hospital while on tour in the U.K. His death was announced on Sunday by Il Divo …

Deadline Hollywood reports: HBO Max on Monday released the official trailer for Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, the special set to debut on the streamer January 1. The special, coming on the heels of HBO Max’s recent reunion specials for Friends and The West Wing, will likewise dive into a beloved franchise. Stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and …

Variety reports: After months of pandemic-wary patrons and tepid numbers, this year of recovery for the domestic box office is at least going out with a bang. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” webbed up a truly mind-boggling $121.5 million on Friday from 4,336 locations, putting itself on the path toward a projected $242 million opening weekend. That’s a performance the likes …

Variety reports: Brian May, the lead guitarist for Queen, tested positive for COVID-19. May shared the news via his Instagram page writing, “Yep. The shocking day finally came for me. The dreaded double red line. And yes – definitely NO sympathy please – it has been a truly horrible few days, but I’m OK. And I will tell the tale. …

Deadline reports: More Broadway cancellation updates: Tina – The Tina Turner Musical has paused performances through Monday, with the show now set to resume on Tuesday Dec. 21, and Hamilton, which had already canceled tonight’s performance, has now suspended performances through Sunday. The cancellations are the latest in a series of production pauses this week due to breakthrough Covid cases …

Variety reports: Reddit, the popular internet discussion platform valued at more than $10 billion, said it has confidentially submitted a draft registration statement with the SEC for a proposed initial public offering. Reddit announced the IPO filing Wednesday and had previously said it was contemplating going public. Word that Reddit is officially planning to launch an IPO comes after it …