by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
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ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:
TELEVISION/STREAMING - From Deadline: Layoffs are underway at CBS Studios and at Paramount TV Studios.
AWARDS - From Deadline: "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the "Best Feature" award at the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards, one of two wins for the film.
From IndieWire: The nominations for the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" leads with eight nominations. The winners will be announced March 4th, 2023.
From Variety: The nominations for the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards were announced a month ago. Todd Field's "Tar" leads with five nominations. The winners will be announced Monday, November 28th.
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 11/25 to 11/27/2022 Thanksgiving weekend box office is Disney/Marvel Studios' "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" with an estimated take of 45.9 million dollars.
From Here: Leroy Douresseaux's review of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."
MOVIES - From Deadline: Antonio Banderas, who has played the character, "Zorro," in two films, says that if there is a reboot he would like to see "Spider-Man" actor, Tom Holland, take the role.
SPORTS - From Deadline: Thursday's (11/24/2022) Thanksgiving Day game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, who won 28-20, is the most watched regular season NFL game ever. 42 million viewers apparently tuned into the game broadcast on FOX.
HISTORY - From Deadline: Friday, November 25, 2022 marked the 75th anniversary of the birth of the "Hollywood Blacklist," which began with the "Waldorf Declaration" on November 25, 1947.
MOVIES - From Variety: Ice Cube lost a $9 million dollar payday because he didn't want to get the required COVID vaccination for the film, "Oh Hell No."
MOVIES - From Deadline: Director James Mangold says that actor Harrison Ford was "de-aged" for "Indiana Jones 5" so that he could look like he did in the first three films from the 1980s.
MARVEL STUDIOS - From Variety: Quentin Tarantino says that actors in Marvel Studios are not movie stars and that, for instance, Captain America is the star.
DISNEY - From Variety: Bob Chapek is out as CEO of The Walt Disney Company. After three years of retirement, Bob Iger, has been reinstated as CEO of Disney.
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 11/18 to 11/20/2022 weekend box office is Disney/Marvel Studios' "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" with an estimated take of 67.3 million dollars.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Actor John Leguizamo said that he based his character, "George Diaz," from the new film, "The Menu," on action movie star Steven Seagal, says "He's kind of a horrible human."
WALKING DEAD - From Deadline: The lawsuit over profits from "The Walking Dead" television series that pit the series' network, AMC, against the series' original showrunner, Frank Darabont, and his talent agency, CAA, has come to an end. According to Deadline: “The Settlement Agreement provides for a cash payment of $200 million (the “Settlement Payment”) to the plaintiffs and future revenue sharing related to certain future streaming exhibition of The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead...”
RUST - From Deadline: The police report produced by the Sante Fe County Sheriff's Office on its investigation into the shooting on the New Mexico set of the Western, "Rust," has been made public. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed after being shot by an accidental discharge from a pistol held by actor Alec Baldwin.
OBITS:
From Variety: English musician and singer-songwriter, Christine McVie, has died at the age of 79, Wednesday, November 30, 2022. She was best known for her association with the British-American rock band, Fleetwood Mac, and was a member during the band's greatest success and greatest sales. As a member of the band, she shared the 1978 Grammy Award for "Album of the Year" for the album, "Rumors" (1977). McVie also released four solo albums.
From Deadline: Film and television actor and theater professor, Clarence Gilyard, Jr., has died at the age of 66, Monday, November 28, 2022. Gilyard was best known for playing the role of "Conrad McMasters" on NBC's former mystery legal drama, "Matlock" (1989-93) and for the role of "Ranger James Trivette" on CBS' former action-crime drama, "Walker, Texas Ranger" (1993-2001). His best known film roles were playing Tom Cruise's co-pilot in "Top Gun" (1986) and playing "Theo" a terrorist computer expert in "Die Hard" (1988).
From THR: Hawaiian-born, American film director, Albert Pyun, has died at the age of 69, Saturday, November 26, 2022. He was known for directing, low-budget, high-concept films that became cult classics, such as the sword and sorcery film, "The Sword and the Sorcerer" (1982). His best known film may be the 1989 Jean-Claude van Damme martial arts/sci-fi film, "Cyborg." He is also known for directing the low-budget 1990 film, "Captain America," based on the Marvel Comics character.
From Variety: Actress, singer, and songwriter, Irene Cara, has died at the age of 63, Friday, November 25, 2022. Cara appeared in the 1980 film, "Fame," and sang the title song, "Fame," which won the "Best Song" Oscar for its songwriters. Later, Cara would win an Oscar for co-writing the song, "Flashdance... What a Feeling" from the film, "Flashdance" (1983). She also won two Grammys for her work on "Flashdance... What a Feeling."
From Deadline: Former child actor, Mickey Kuhn, has died at the age of 90, Sunday, November 20, 2022. Kuhn was the last surviving credited-cast member of the legendary film, "Gone with the Wind." Kuhn worked in the film industry from 1934 to 1956 before leaving for good.
From Deadline: The actor Jason David Frank has died at the age of 49, Saturday, November 19, 2022. Frank was best known for playing the role of Tommy Oliver" the "Green Ranger"/"White Ranger" on the the TV series, "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" (1993-96). He also appeared in several other TV series in the "Power Rangers" franchise.
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BRITTNEY GRINER:
From NBCNews: Brittney Griner will enter a system of isolation, grueling labor and psychological torment when she is transferred to a penal colony, the successor to the infamous Russian gulag, to fulfill a nine-year sentence handed down Tuesday in Moscow, former prisoners and advocates said.
From NBCNews: A Russian court has rejected Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence on (fake) drug charges.
From Reuters: Russia says that it is ready to talk prisoner swamp for Brittney Griner and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, but also scolds the U.S. Embassy.
From TheDailyBeast: Legendary NBA bad boy and champion (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls), Dennis Rodman claims that he has been given permission to go to Russia and help free imprisoned hostage, WNBA star, Brittney Griner.
From Vox: Vox's Jonathan Guyer talks the Brittney Griner case with Danielle Gilbert, a Dartmouth professor who is writing a book about states and rogue actors that take hostages.
From ESPN: A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison Thursday, Aug. 4th. Griner was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country and pleaded guilty July 7, though the case continued under Russian law.
From ESPN: The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.
From RSN: "Will Support From LeBron James, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Other Celebrities Help Free Brittney Griner From a Russian Prison?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar via Substack
From ESPN: Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.
From CBSSports: The Brittney Griner situation explained.
From RSN: According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple."
