Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 1st to 11th, 2024 - UPDATE #23

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

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ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From TelegraphUK:  Famed director George Miller talks about his upcoming film, "Furiosa," and how the film's star, Anya Taylor-Joy," only has 30 lines of dialogue.  Tom Hardy only had 63 lines in "Mad Max: Fury Road."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Actor Hiroyuki Sanada, star and producer of FX‘s limited series, "Shōgun," has closed a deal to return as "Lord Yoshii Toranaga," sources tell Deadline. Securing Sanada has been considered crucial to any plan to extend Shogun beyond its original installment.  In light of the 10-episode series' big commercial and critical success, FX is working on developing a second season.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Peacock has ordered a new version of NBC's former long-running sitcom, "The Office" (2005-13).  Greg Daniels, who developed the original series, an American version of the former BBC series, "The Office" (2001-03), is developing the new series with Michael Koman.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Olivia Wilde has signed on to join "I Want Your Sex," a film directed by Gregg Araki (The Doom Generation).

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said Fox's upcoming sports streaming venture with Disney/ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery is forging ahead with over 150 engineers now on board dedicated “to building a unique and innovative product” for sports fans outside the traditional cable bundle.  Murdoch said that there have been beta tests and the service, which still doesn't have a name, is set to launch this fall (2024).

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Tyler Perry and Devon Franklin (“Flamin’ Hot,” “Miracles From Heaven”) are teaming up to produce faith-based films under a multi-year and multi-picture first-look deal at Netflix.  The films will be produced by the duo in conjunction with Tyler Perry Studios in the latest expansion of Perry’s creative partnership at Netflix.  Perry inked as a first-look film deal in October 2023 and has broadened his deal to include scripted and unscripted TV projects.  Franklin is a producer and author known for such faith-based films as "Miracles from Heaven" and "Heaven Is for Real."

From TheRoot:  Some are a little nervous about the films that will result from Tyler Perry and Devon Franklin's faith-based film deal with Netflix - most because of Perry.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Co-creator/EP/co-star Gina Yashere and EP Matt Ross talk about what went into crafting their sentimental "Bob ❤️ Abishola" finale, the show’s legacy, and whether they regret using a heart emoji in the title.

From Deadline:  Bette Midler says that she regrets being involved with her 2000-2001 CBS sitcom, "Bette." She also says that she should have sued actress Lindsay Lohan for leaving the series after the pilot episode.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Vin Diesel is returning to the role of "Richard B. Riddick," as he begins production on the fourth film in the franchise, "Riddick: Furya," on Aug. 26th, 2024.  Riddick first appear in the film "Pitch Black."

From Variety:  Lionsgate is relaunching "The Strangers" horror movie film series with a trilogy that will be released over the next nine to twelve months.  It all starts with "The Strangers: Chapter 1" on May 17th.

SCANDAL - From TheWrap:  Dwayne Johnson's "Red One" is supposed to be a big Christmas crowd pleaser for Amazon MGM Studios, but the film has reportedly become a big budget misadventure. Johnson has also been accused of unprofessional behavior such as showing up to work as much as 8 hours late and refusing to work more than four or five hours a day.

MUSIC - From Vulture:  A timeline and an explanation of the Kendrick Lamar/Drake rap battle/feud.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 5/3 to 5/5/2024 weekend box office is Universal Pictures' "The Fall Guy" with an estimated take of 28.5 million dollars.

TELEVISION - From Deadline: CBS was the first broadcaster to announce its Fall 2024 schedule, so they added to that and announced its entire 2024-25 broadcast season schedule.

BUSINESS - From Deadline:   A Paramount Global board has determined that it will begin negotiations with Sony Pictures and Apollo, a private equity giant, about buying controlling interest in Paramount Global.  However, nepo baby David Ellison and his company, Skydance, are still in the mix to obtain that controlling interest.

From Deadline:  Nepo baby David Ellison's Skydance has been trying to buy out the controlling in Paramount Global with the assistance of his father Larry Ellison's Oracle and with the private equity entity, RedBird Capital. However, his month-long exclusive window to negotiate the deal. That may allow Sony Pictures and private equity giant, Apollo, to join the bidding.

SPORTS - From YahooSports:  The Los Angeles Lakers are always in the news, as they are today (Fri., May 3rd) for negative reasons.  However, would you like to know "Why did the Minneapolis Lakers basketball team move to Los Angeles?"  Joel Ripple of the "Star Tribune" of Minneapolis will tell you.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The articles provides a list of premiere dates for this year's (2024) new and returning series on broadcast, cable, and streaming, beginning with the May 2nd premieres.

MOVIES - From Slate:  The site talks to director Nancy Savoca about her 1991 coming-of-age film and period drama, "Dogfight," starring the late River Phoenix and actress Lily Taylor. "Dogfight" recently joined the "Criterion Collection."

NETFLIX/ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Netflix has released a trailer for "Jurassic World: Chaos Theory."  It is the sequel to "Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous," which streamed for five seasons on Netflix from 2020 to 2022.  "Chaos Theory" is set to debut May 24th, 2024.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Netflix has given a "a premium, script-to-series commitment" to "Scooby-Doo! The Live-Action Series."  The reimagining of one of Warner Bros' top IP will come from Greg Berlanti's Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television.

GAZA:

5/7/2024 - From NewYorkTimes:  The actions of police officers and counterprotesters at campus demonstrations came under further scrutiny on Tuesday, with the University of California system saying it would investigate the law enforcement response to a violent attack on pro-Palestinian protesters at its Los Angeles campus, while the White House condemned the taunting of a Black student captured in a video at the University of Mississippi.

5/4/2024 - From TheGuardian:  On the police crackdown on campus Gaza ceasefire protests: "the police are sending a message" says Dartmouth labor historian.

5/3/24 - From NBCNews:  In an interview with Kristin Welker on NBC's "Meet the Press," Cindy McCain, the executive director of the World Food Programme, said she believes there is a "full-blown famine" in northern Gaza.