Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 23rd to 31st, 2022 - Update #22

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Director Rawson Marshall Thurber will "creatively oversee" eOne's "Dungeons & Dragons" TV series, which thus far, is not tied to a particular network or streamer.

BOX OFFICE - BoxOfficePro:   The winner of the 1/28 to 1/30/2022 weekend box office is Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: No Way Home" with an estimated take of 11 million dollars.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  "Hocus Pocus 2," the sequel to the popular 1993 Disney film, "Hocus Pocus," is set to debut Halloween 2022 on Disney+.

CULTURE - From Vox:   "The New Orleans funeral reminds us that grief is a burden that can be shared" by Nicole Young. This is an article about the New Orleans tradition of a funeral "second line."

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  The live-action "Masters of the Universe" film has moved from Sony Pictures to Netflix.  Kyle Allen ("West Side Story") will play Prince Adam/He-Man.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Sources say that Jason Momoa is joining the tenth "Fast & Furious" film, "F10."

MOVIES - TheNewYorker:  "The Damage Done by a Hollywood Stereotype" is an interview with actor Robert Capron who was "Rowley Jefferson," the best friend/jolly fat kid in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" film series.

MOVIES - From THR:   New Line is moving forward with the development of a sequel to its 2021 hit and reboot, "Mortal Kombat,"  The film's screenwriter will be Jeremy Slater, the head writer of Marvel Studios' "Moon Knight" series.

DISNEY - From  THR:  Disney will use cultural consultants, including form the dwarfism community, while in production of its live-action version of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves."  This is in response to criticism from Emmy-winning actor, Peter Dinklage.

NETFLIX/ANIMATION - From ETCanada:  Netflix has dropped a teaser trailer for "Pinocchio," a stop-motion animated film from director Guillermo del Toro that will debut in the fall.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Actor Dylan McDermott will replace actor Julian McMahon on the CBS series, "FBI: Most Wanted."  McMahon's is slated to make his last appearance on the series on March 8th, with McDermott debuting in April.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:   Netflix has reportedly paid near 65 million dollars for director Lee Daniels' star-studded exorcism movie package.  Stars in the cast include Octavia Spencer and Glenn Close.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 1/21 to 1/23/2022 weekend box office is Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: No Way Home" with an estimated take 14.13 million dollars.

From Negromancer:  My review of "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

OSCARS - From Variety:  Jennifer Hudson and her film, "Respect," could set a record for Black women at the Academy Awards.

MOVIES - From THR:  The "Scream" filmmakers found actor Mason Gooding so charming that the decided not to kill off his character, "Chad Meeks-Martin."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Actor Julian McMahon is leaving CBS' "FBI: Most Wanted" after three seasons.  He character, "Agent Jess LaCroix," leaves the series in an episode airing March 8th, 2022.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Legendary and Warner Bros. are developing a sequel to the classic 1983 film, "A Christmas Story."  Entitled "A Christmas Story Christmas" it will debut on HBO Max and actor Peter Billingsley will reprise his role as "Ralphie Parker."

OBITS:

From THR:   American actor, Howard Hesseman, has died at the age of 82, Saturday, January 29, 2022.  Hesseman was best known for his work on television.  He memorably portrayed rock DJ "Dr. Johnny Fever" on the late CBS sitcom, "WKRP in Cincinnati" (1978-82).  He was twice nominated for the "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series" Primetime Emmy for his performance as Fever.  He later portrayed high school history teacher, "Charlie Moore," on the first four seasons of the former ABC series, "Head of the Class."

From Deadline:   Actress and singer, Carol Speed, has died at the age of 76, Friday, January 14, 2022.  Speed was best known for her role in the blaxploitation films, "The Big Bird Cage" (1972), "The Mack" (1973), and "Abby" (1974), a horror film in which she plays a minister's wife who is possessed by a demon.

From THR:  American voice actor, Peter Robbins, has died at the age of 65, by suicide sometime during the third week of January 2022, according to a statement made by his family Tuesday, January 25, 2022.  Robbins was the first actor to perform the voice of "Charlie Brown" in classic television specials based on the "Peanuts" newspaper comic strip.  Robbins first voice Charlie Brown in the TV documentary film, "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" (1963), which was about "Peanuts" and its creator, Charles M. Schultz.  He also voiced Charlie Brown in such beloved TV classics as "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (1965) and "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (1966).

-----------------------

AWARDS:

From COFCA:  The Columbus Film Critics Association name "The Power of the Dog" the "Best Film" of 2021.

From Deadline:  Netflix's Black Western, "The Harder They Fall," was named the "Best Picture" of 2021 at the 13th annual African American Film Critics Association Awards.  The Western tied with "King Richard" for most wins with four.  Will Smith was named "Best Actor" for "King Richard."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2022 / 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced.

From Variety:  The snubs and surprises in the nominations for the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards.

From Variety:   At the 2022 / 79th Golden Globes, "The Power of the Dog" wins "Best Motion Picture-Drama" and "West Side Story" wins "Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy."

From Variety:  The National Society of Film Critics names the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the best film of 2021.

From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 22nd Annual Black Reel Awards were announced a few weeks ago. Netflix's Black Western, "The Harder They Fall," has a record 20 nominations.  The winners will be announced February 27, 2022.

From AwardsWatch:  The Columbus Film Critics Association announced the nominations for their annual film awards.  Director Jane Campion's "The Power of the Dog" leads with 12 noms.  The winners will be announced Thurs., Jan. 6th, 2022.

From Deadline:  The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has named the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the "Best Picture" of 2021.

From Deadline:  The 2022 / 37th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards have announced their nominations. "Zola" leads with six nominations. The winners will be announced Sun., March 6, 2022.

From THR:  The 2022 / 79th Golden Globes Awards nominations have been announced.  "Belfast" and "The Power of the Dog" lead with seven nominations each.  Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From GoldDerby:   The 2022 Critics Choice Awards nominations have been announced. "Belfast" and "West Side Story" leads with 11 nominations each. Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From Deadline:   The American Film Institute announced the "2021 AFI Awards" Top 10 list, and the list includes "Dune," "The Tragedy of Macbeth," and "West Side Story."

From THR:  Director Aleem Khan's "After Love" tops the 2021 British Independent Film Awards, winning six awards, including "Best Film of 2021."

From Variety:   The New York Film Critics Circle has named the Japanese drama, "Drive My Car," as the "Best Film of 2021."

From Deadline:  The National Board of Review hands director Paul Thomas Anderson's "Licorice Pizza" it "Best Film" and "Best Director" awards.  Will Smith picks up the "Best Actor" award for "King Richard."

From THR:  Netflix’s "The Lost Daughter," directed by actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, dominated the 2021 Gotham Awards in New York on Monday night (Nov. 29th).  The film won in four of the five categories in which it was nominated, including "Best Feature."

---------------------------------

"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

From Deadline:  This link will take you to Deadline's Halyna Hutchins page, which articles related to everything about her shooting death on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From THR:   A Republican New Mexico legislator, State Sen. Cliff Pirtle of Roswell, on Monday introduced a bill that would require all film set personnel who handle firearms to complete a safety course offered by the New Mexico Game and Fish Department.  This is in the wake a cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, being fatally shot on the set of the Western, "Rust," last year by Alec Baldwin with a weapon he says he thought was not loaded with live ammunition.

From Deadline:  Alec Baldwin and the other producers of the doomed Western film, "Rust," want a California judge to dismiss the lawsuit filed against them by the script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell.

From Deadline:   Alec Baldwin has finally turned over his cell phone to police for their probe into the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Baldwin's Western film, "Rust," last October in New Mexico.

From Variety:  One of the producers of tragic Western film, Rust, Emily Salveson, pushes tax shelters and hid income.

From THR:  "I let go of the hammer and 'Bang,' the gun goes off" says Alec Baldwin says in his first interview of the moment when a gun he was holding accidentally killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From Deadline:  Alec Baldwin will sit down with ABC's news-reading clown George Stephanopoulos for a one hour special tomorrow night to talk about what happened on the set of the movie "Rust."  It will be Baldwin’s first extensive interview about the shooting.

From Deadline:  Industry veteran, Thall Reed, the father of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the Western, "Rust," may have handed the police a tip on why the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot to death on the set.

From THR:  A search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday for a prop shop sheds light on how alleged live ammunition ended up on the set of the Western film, "Rust," where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in October.

From Deadline:  A month after cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot and killed on the New Mexico set the movie Western, "Rust," by a prop gun “discharged” by Alec Baldwin, those closest to the cinematographer held a private ceremony and interred her ashes at an unknown location.

From Deadline:  Actor Daniel Baldwin defends his brother, Alec Baldwin, in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film, "Rust."  "Someone loaded that gun improperly," Daniel says.

From Deadline:  The newest lawsuit involving the tragic shooting on the set of the Western film, "Rust," has been filed by the film's script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, against Alec Baldwin, the producers, the production company, armorer Hanna Gutierrez Reed, and others.

From Deadline:  Serge Svetnoy, the gaffer on "Rust," has filed a lawsuit against several parties related to the film, including the production, the financiers, star Alec Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, and first Assistant Director David Halls.

From THR:   In the wake of the tragic accidental shooting on the set of his film, "Rust," Alec Baldwin on Monday took to social media to urge Hollywood to employ a police officer on every film and TV set that uses guns.

From THR:   The budget for "Rust" - Alec Baldwin was set to earn $150,000 as lead actor and $100,000 as producer, while $7,913 was earmarked for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and $17,500 was set aside for the rental of weapons and $5,000 for rounds.

From Deadline:  Attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set of the film, "Rust," said that they’re looking into whether a live bullet was placed in a box of dummy rounds with the intent of  “sabotaging the set.”

From THR:   Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the film, "Rust," released a statement through her lawyers.  She says she had “no idea where the live rounds came from” that were recovered by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's during the investigation of the accidental on-set shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.

From Jacobin:  An opinion piece says that cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' death on the set of the film, "Rust," was not a freak accident, but was about Alec Baldwin and his fellow producers' cost-cutting decisions.  Baldwin accidentally fired the gun that killed Hutchins.

From Deadline:   Two of executive producers on "Rust," Allen Cheney and Emily Salveson, disavow responsibility for the film's troubled production.

From THR:   Iconic "Ghostbusters" actor Ernie Hudson is reeling from the news of the death of Halyna Hutchins, like the rest of Hollywood. Hudson also appeared in the film, "The Crow," the film in which its star, Brandon Lee, was killed because of an on-set accidental shooting.  He also agrees with the call to ban real guns from movie sets.

From THR:  The Sheriff of Sante Fe County says that his office has recovered three guns and 500 rounds of ammunition from the set of the movie "Rust" where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed.

From Deadline:  Regarding criminal charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust," District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweis, "all options are on the table - no one has been ruled out."

From THR:  Does Hollywood Need Guns? Will new regulations lead to an overreactions to a tragedy.

From Deadline:   "Rust" producers have opened an internal investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of the Western film.  They have hired outside lawyers to conduct interviews with the film's production crew.

From Deadline:  "Rust's" AD (assistant director), Dave Halls, has come under scrutiny in the wake of the on-set shooting death of the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline:  The affidavit of Sante Fe Sheriff's Department Detective Joel Cano has been made public. It can be read at "Deadline."  The affidavit was for a search warrant from the property were the Western, "Rust," was being filmed.

From THR:  The production company behind "Rust" has shut the film down until the police investigation into the fatal, on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins is through.  The Sante Fe County Sheriff's Office has also revealed a timeline of the shooting.

From Deadline:  The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department confirmed Thursday night that Alec Baldwin “discharged” a prop gun on the New Mexico set of the movie, "Rust."  As a result, one crew member, director of photography Halyna Hutchins, was killed and director Joel Souza was injured and remains in a local hospital - his condition unknown.

From THR:  "Rust" director, Joel Souza, who was wounded in the accidental on-set shooting, says that he is "gutted" by the death of his cinematographer on the film, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline:  The fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" may have been "recorded" according to detective for Santa Fe Sheriff's Department.

From Deadline:  The production company behind the film, "Rust," will launch an internal safety review after the fatal accident that killed Halyna Hutchins; possible prior gun incidents; and a camera crew walkout.

From CNN:   Crew member yelled "cold gun" as he handed Alec Baldwin prop weapon, court document shows.

From Variety:  Actor Alec Baldwin releases statement on the death of Halyna Hutchins: "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness."

From Variety:  The prop gun that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on during an on-set accident on Thursday contained a “live single round,” according to an email sent by IATSE Local 44 to its membership.