Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 1st to 5th, 2022 - Update #16

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From THR:  Will Smith is returning for the long-talked about sequel to his hit 2007 film, "I Am Legend." This time actor Michael B. Jordan will also star in the film as well as be one of its producers.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   The first photographic image has been released from the action film, "Dead Zone," which stars Michael Jai White and Chad Michael Collins.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Reportedly, rapper Jack Harlow's first screen audition lands him a role in the reboot of writer-director Ron Shelton's 1992 sports comedy, "White Men Can't Jump."

TRAILER - From Deadline:  There is a trailer for the 50th Anniversary re-release of Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather."  This film and the others in the series will also have a 4K Ultra HD and Ultra Blu-ray release.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Actor Anthony Mackie will star in and executive produce a TV series based on the Sony Playstation video game, "Twisted Metal." The series is being produced for NBCUniversal's streaming service, Peacock.

OSCARS - From Variety:   Samuel L. Jackson says, ‘I Should’ve Won’ an Oscar, but Oscars Don’t Get ‘Asses in Seats’ Like I Do

TRAILER - From Variety:  Sony Pictures has released the official trailer for the stylish action movie, "Bullet Train" starring Brad Pitt and directed David Leitch.

MOVIES - From Consequence:  There is a report that says that Oscar-winning film producer, Brad Pitt, has come on board as a producer on the long-rumored sequel to "Beetlejuice" (1988).

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  The beloved sci-fi animated comedy, "Futurama," is returning on Hulu with 20 episodes and with "Bender" voice actor, John DiMaggio.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  On the comeback trail, actress Lindsay Lohan strikes two-picture deal with Netflix.

AWARDS - From Deadline:  The winners of the 2022 / 22nd annual Black Reel Awards were announced Monday evening, Feb. 28th in a livestream.  The Black Western, "The Harder They Fall" led with 6 wins, and "King Richard" was named "Outstanding Film" of 2021.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  The Walt Disney Company is temporarily pulling its theatrical releases from Russian movie theaters due to Russia's invasion of the nation of Ukraine.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 2/25 to 2/27/2022 weekend box office is Sony Pictures' "Uncharted" with a take of 23 million dollars.

MOVIES - From CNN:  Mid-budget Hollywood movies are in decline.  What does that mean for American cinema?

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American film executive and film producer, Alan Ladd, Jr., has died at the age of 84, Wednesday, March 2, 2022.  Ladd won an Oscar for producing "Braveheart" with Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey.  He was also the president of 20th Century Fox who approved the production of "Star Wars" and he was an executive at MGM/UA.

From Deadline:  Broadway and television actor, Ned Eisenberg, has died at the age of 65, Sunday, February 27, 2022.  Eisenberg was best known for his recurring role on NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit" as the villainous defense attorney Roger Kressler.  Eisenberg had a prolific career in film and TV and on stage.

From Deadline:  Actress Farrah Forke has died at the age of 54, Friday, February 25, 2022.  Forke is best known for her recurring role as "Alex Lambert" on Seasons 4 through 6 of NBC's former sitcom, "Wings."  She also appeared on ABC's former romantic drama, "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" and the CBS comedy, "Dweebs."

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94TH ACADEMY AWARDS:

OSCARS - From Variety:  The nominations for the 2022 / 94th Academy Awards have been announced.  "The Power of the Dog" leads with 12 nominations.  The winners will be revealed March 27th.

From Deadline:    With his "Best Actor" nomination for "The Tragedy of Macbeth," Denzel Washington is the most nominated Black actor is Oscar history.  He has been nominated in two acting categories a total of 10 times with two wins total.

From Variety:   With her "Best Director" Oscar nomination for "The Power of the Dog," Jane Campion becomes the first woman nominated twice in that category. She was previously nominated in that category for "The Piano" (1993).

From Variety:  With his three nominations today, Kenneth Branagh of "Belfast" becomes the first person to have been nominated in seven individual categories over his career.

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MOVIE AWARDS:

From Deadline:   The winners at the 2022 / 28th annual SAG Awards. "CODA" wins the top prize, "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture."

From Variety:  Here is a complete list of winners at 2022 / 53rd NAACP Image Awards in the film, television and music categories.  Jennifer Hudson was named "Entertainer of the Year."

From Deadline:   The 2022 / 9th annual Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards were announced.  The Amazon film, "Coming 2 America" (the sequel to the 1988 film, "Coming to America"), led with three wins.

From Deadline:  The 2022 BAFTA Film Awards nominations have been announced.  "Dune" leads with 11 nominations.  The winners will be announced March 13th.

From Deadline:   The 2022 / 33rd annual Producers Guild of America Awards nominations have been announced.  The winners will be announced Saturday, March 19th.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2022 / 74th annual Directors Guild Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced March 12th.

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."

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"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 Deadline:  Matt Hutchins, the husband of Halyna Hutchins, blames Alec Baldwin for Halyna's accidental shooting death on the set of the doomed Western film, "Rust."

From Deadline:  The family and estate of Halyna Hutchins has filed suit against Alec Baldwin (who accidentally shot Hutchins), a slew of production companies and entities, producers, and key crew members involved in the Western film, "Rust," for her death.

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.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 1st to 6th, 2021 - Update #14

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

NEWS - From THR:   On Fri., Nov. 5th, a crowd at rapper and record producer, Travis Scott’s "Astroworld Festival" unexpectedly began pushing toward the stage, causing panic and chaos, and leaving eight people dead, authorities said.  The dead range from age 14 to 27.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  "Stranger Things" Season 4 will debut Summer 2022 and will be comprised of 9 episodes.  Netflix has also released the titles for each episode.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Emilio Estevez will not be back for the second season of the Disney+ series, "The Mighty Duck: Game Changers," likely over COVID vaccination rules.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  "Wonder Woman" Gal Gadot will play the "Evil Queen" in Disney's live-action version of it classic animated film, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves."

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Film collective and comedy troupe, "Broken Lizard," has begun production on its next film, "Quasi," a new satirical take on the "Hunchback of Notre Dame" story.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  On "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," Tom Hanks offered a poignant remembrance of his friend, the late actor Peter Scolari, who was also Hank's co-star on the late ABC sitcom, "Bosom Buddies."

CELEBRITY - From THR:  David Chase, creator of HBO's beloved "The Soparnos," gives a wide-ranging interview to "The Hollywood Reporter."  He talks extensively about that show's final episode.

MOVIES - From Variety:   Robert Downey, Jr. and Matt Damon have joined Christopher Nolan's World War II epic, "Oppenheimer," about the development of the atomic bomb.  Cillian Murphy will play J. Robert Oppenheimer.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Director Troy Duffy has reunited with actors Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery for "Boondock Saints III."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   "Burn Notice" star Jeffrey Donovan will lead NBC's "Law & Order" revival, playing an NYPD detective.

ANIMATION - From Variety:  Chris Pratt will provide the voice of famous cartoon feline, "Garfield," in an upcoming animated film from Alcon Entertainment and Sony Pictures.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 10/29 to 10/31/2021 weekend box office is Dune with an estimated take of $15.53 million.

From Deadline:  "Dune" has now crossed the 300 million dollar mark in worldwide box office.

TRAILER - From LiveForFilm:  There is a teaser trailer for the upcoming new "Jeepers Creepers" film, "Jeepers Creepers: Reborn."

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"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:   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.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 25th to 31st, 2021 - Update #22

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS: 

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   Disney's "Jungle Cruise" looking to lead the weekend box office with an estimated 30+ million dollars grossed in its debut weekend.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Bryan Lourd, Scarlett Johansson's agent, harshly responds to The Walt Disney Company's response to Scarlett Johansson's breach of contract lawsuit against Disney over her compensation for "Black Widow."

From Deadline:  Women in Film, ReFrame and Time’s Up have weighed in, call out Disney for its response to Scarlett Johansson and her "Black Widow" lawsuit.

MOVIES - From Gizmodo:   The acclaimed science fiction novel, "Parable of the Sower," by the late Octavia Butler will be a film.  A24 has won the film rights.

DISNEY - From Deadline:   The Walt Disney Co. has fired back at Scarlett Johansson over her "Black Widow" lawsuit, which concerns her compensation and the streaming of "Black Widow" on Disney+.  Disney says that Johansson has already made 20 million dollars off the film...

TELEVISION - From Variety:  After 25 seasons, PBS is cancelling "Arthur."  It is the longest-running children's animated series in the history of American television.  The show will wrap up its last season in Winter 2022. 

MOVIES - From THR:  The site has an extensive interview with screenwriter, David S. Goyer ("Blade" and "Batman" films).

JAN. 6 RIOT - From YahooEntertainment:   This voice mail message left on the phone of a Washington D.C. police officer who testified yesterday (July 27th) at the House committee hearings investigating the Jan. 6th insurrection epitomizes much of "Trump base."

TELEVISION - From Variety:   With ratings for the 2021 Olympics on the decline, NBCUniversal and its advertisers are feeling anxious about "make goods" and other forms of reimbursement.

MOVIES - From Variety:   Universal is spending 400 million dollars on a new trilogy of films based on the legendary horror film, "The Exorcist."  Oscar-winning actress, Ellen Burstyn, will reprise her role as "Chris MacNeil" from the 1973 original film.  The first film in the trilogy will arrive in theaters in 2023, while the second and third films likely will debut on Universal's "Peacock" streaming platform.

TELEVISION - From Variety:   Actor Bob Odenkirk has been hospitalized after collapsing on the set of the AMC series, "Better Call Saul," which is currently filming its sixth and final season.

From YahooEntertainment:  Former "Batwoman" actress, Ruby Rose, had to return to the hospital recently due to surgical complications ... but she had trouble finding an ER that would take her.

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Actress Lucy Liu talks about her infamous clash with actor Bill Murray on the set of "Charlie's Angels" (2000).

STAR TREK - From Space:   The first official trailer for the much-anticipated Nickelodeon and Paramount+ animated series, "Star Trek: Prodigy," arrives.  We hear Capt. Janeway's voice and get a release date, Fall 2021.

TELEVISION - From Variety:   LeVar Burton begins his stint as a “Jeopardy!” guest host today, Monday, July 26th.

BOX OFFICE - Variety:   The winner of the 7/23 to 7/25/2021 weekend box office is "Old" with an estimated gross of 16.5 million dollars.

From Deadline:  "Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdaine" tops the specialty box office.

MUSIC - From Deadline:  The estate of the late singer, Grammy-winner James Brown, has been settled after nearly 15 years of legal battles.  The estate had been in dispute since Brown died Christmas Day 2006.

NETFLIX - From Variety:   The site has a huge piece on Kevin Smith, the development of Netflix's "Master of the Universe" animated series, and about online fan backlash against the series.

CELEBRITY - From YahooPeople:    Judge John Ouderkirk, the judge involved in Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's ongoing custody case, will be disqualified after he was found to have "violated his ethical obligations," according to an opinion submitted by three appellate judges on Friday.

OBITS:

From NPR:   Civil rights activist, Robert Parris "Bob" Moses, has died at the age of 86, Sunday, July 25, 2021.  Moses was known for his work as a leader of the "Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee" (SNCC) on voter education and registration in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement.  He was also known for co-founding of the "Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party."  Moses was shot at and endured beatings and jail while leading Black voter registration drives in the American South during the 1960s.  He later helped improve minority education in math.

From Deadline:  The actor Mike Mitchell has died at the age of 65, Friday, July 23, 2021.  Mitchell was a former "Mr. Universe" and won several "World Fitness Federation World Championships."  He appeared in such films as "Braveheart" (1995) and "Gladiator" (2000).

TRAILERS:

From THR:  "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" drops a new trailer (July 27th) and has a release date, November 11th, 2021.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 25th to 30th, 2021 - Update #17

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

NETFLIX - From Deadline:   In competitive bidding, Netflix closed a deal to acquire U.S. rights to "Gunpowder Milkshake" from STX Films. The female-driven action film is directed by Navot Papushado, and produced by Studiocanal and The Picture Company.

DISNEY - From Deadline: Rick Riordan, the author of the "Percy Jackson" book series, says that the search is underway to find a young actor to play "Percy Jackson" in the Disney+ TV series based on the books.  Actor Logan Lerman played the character in two "Percy Jackson" films for 20th Century Fox.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Actress/director Elizabeth Banks is developing an adult animated primetime series, "Bedrock," for Fox.  It would act as a sequel to the 1960s primetime animated television series, "The Flintstones."

OSCARS - From Deadline:  The Oscar ratings turned out to be not quite as bad as initially thought.  Final numbers say 10.4 million viewed - still the all-time lowest.

From Deadline:   The 93rd Academy Awards had the all-time lowest Oscar telecast ratings ever - by a huge margin.  For the first time, the estimated number of viewers was under ten million, specifically 9.85 million. [It was a terrible show, in my estimation - Leroy]

MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Another Round," the Danish film that just won the "Best Foreign Film" Oscar, will get an English-language remake.  It will possibly be a star vehicle for Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   HBO releases a photographic image to announced that it's "Game of Thrones" prequel, "House of the Dragon" has gone into production and will launch in 2022.

MOVIES - From WeGotThisCovered:   There will reportedly be CGI creatures in "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City," the upcoming reboot of the "Resident Evil" film franchise.

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  The winner of the 4/23 to 4/25/21 weekend box office is "Mortal Kombat" with an estimated take of 22.5 million dollars. 

 

From BoxOfficeMojo:   "Mortal Kombat" and "Demon Slayer" are a strong one-two punch at the weekend box office.

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OSCARS - From Deadline:  This page gives a full list of winners, including the "Best Picture" winner, "Nomadland."

From Deadline:  Most memorable Oscar moment:  Once again, multiple-Oscar nominee Glenn Close goes home empty handed, but she steals the show with her knowledge of the song "Da Butt" from Spike Lee's 1988 film, "School Daze," and also by dancing "Da Butt."

From Deadline:  At 83 years of age, Anthony Hopkins becomes the oldest actor to win the "Best Actor" Oscar (for his performance in "The Father").  In a video posted on Instagram, Hopkins expresses gratitude and pays tribute to the late actor Chadwick Boseman, who many thought would win a posthumous Oscar for his performance in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."

From Variety:   Clayton Davis makes "Variety's" final predictions of winners at the 93rd Academy Awards.

From Negromancer:  Just in case you need them, here are the nominations for the 2021 / 93rd Academy Awards.

MOVIES - From Refinery29:   In an interview, young star Keke Palmer expresses excitement at being cast in Jordan Peele's ("Get Out," "Us') upcoming, secret horror film project.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Former actor, child actor, singer and musician, Johnny Crawford, has died at the age of 75, Thursday, April 29, 2021.  Crawford was best known as a child actor for his co-starring role in the late ABC Western television series, "The Rifleman" (1958-63).  Crawford played "Mark McCain," the son of "Lucas McCain," played by the series' star, the late Chuck Connors.  Crawford was the brother of child actor Robert L. "Bobby" Crawford, Jr. ("Laramie") and the son of film editor Robert L. Crawford, Sr.  Crawford was also one of the original "Mouseketeers" that appeared on "The Mickey Mouse Club" (1955-59) TV series, although Crawford only appeared in the first season.  Crawford also received a 1959 Emmy nomination for his role on "The Rifleman."

From Deadline:  Philanthropist and former publicist, Anne Douglas, has died at the age of 102, Thursday, April 29, 2021.  Douglas was married to legendary actor Kirk Douglas from 1954 until his death in February 2020.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 15th to 21st, 2020 - Update #21

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 and Hollywood and Beyond:

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From Deadline:  Writing for "The Washington Post," director Christopher Nolan said movie theaters need our help due to losses via COVID-19.

From YahooSports:  Several more National Basketball Association (NBA) players have tested positive for COVID-19, including two unknown members of the Los Angeles Lakers and three members of the Philadelphia 76ers.  So the NBA league office is directed teams to close their practice facilities.

From YahooCelebrity:  Actor Daniel Dae Kim ("Lost," "Hawaii Five-O") announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19

From NBCNews:  Hollywood power couple, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, leave an Australian hospital and return to their Aussie home for home quarantine as they recover from COVID-19.

From Deadline:  NBA star Kevin Durant is one of four members of the Brooklyn Nets who has tested positive for COVID-19.

From Variety:  Disney has pulled Marvel Studios' "Black Widow" from its May 2020 release date due to COVID19 concerns.  The new release date is unknown.

From Variety:  Some North American movie theaters have closed or have reduced seating capacity because of COVID-19.  So Universal Pictures will make some of its movies available on-demand as soon as Friday, March 20th, including "The Hunt" and "The Invisible Man."  DreamWorks Animations's "Trolls World Tour" will arrive April 10th.

From THR:  Actor Idris Elba says he has tested positive for COVID-19.

From YahooEntertainment:  Actress and former "Bond girl," Olga Kurylenko, has tested positive for COVID-19.  Olga appeared in the 2008 James Bond film, "Quantum of Solace."

From Deadline:  Director Baz Lurhmann and his family head into quarantine after one of the actors in his Elvis Presley biopic, Tom Hanks, tests positive for COVID-19.

From RSN:  6 quick about poverty and COVID-19 in the United States.

From YouTube:  In this video announcement, Ben Mankiewicz of Turner Classic Movies (TCM) announces that the 2020 TCM Classic Film Festival has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:   The winner of the 3/13 to 3/15/20 weekend box office is Pixar's "Onward" with an estimated take of 10.5 million dollars.

From Variety:  The box office in North America craters due to COVID-19 fears.  Tickets sales are an estimated 55.3 million dollars for the weekend.  That is the lowest since a weekend in mid-September 2000 grossed 54.5 million dollars.

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MOVIES NEWS:

From Deadline:  Jamie Foxx has signed on to direct a faith-based film, entitled "When We Pray."

From YahooEntertainment:  Cast and crew of "The Hunt" talk about the time President Trump attacked their movie.

From WallStreetJournal:  Five tips to finding a good Adam Sandler movie.


TELEVISION NEWS:

From Deadline:  Quibi is reviving the Comedy Central series, "Reno 911!"

OBITS:

From THR:  The actor, Lyle Waggoner, has died at the age of 84, Tuesday, March 17, 2020.  He is best known for playing "Steve Trevor" on ABC's "Wonder Woman" (1976-77).  When the series moved to CBS and became known as "The New Adventures of Wonder Woman" (1977-79), Waggoner portrayed Steve Trevor, Jr.  Waggoner was also a cast member on "The Carol Burnett Show" from 1976 to 1974.

From CBSSports:  Former world champion boxer, Roger Mayweather, has died at the age of 58, Wednesday, March 17, 2020.  Mayweather was also an accomplished boxing trainer and he was the uncle of boxing champion and superstar, Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

From THR:  The film and television actor, Stuart Whitman, has died at the age of 92, Monday, March 16, 2020.  His best known films include "The Comancheros" (1961), "The Longest Day" (1962), "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" (1965), and "The Mark" (1961), for which he received a best actor Oscar nomination.  His best known TV role was probably as "Marshal Jim Crown" in CBS's "Cimarron Strip" (1967-68).

From YahooEntertainment:  The actor Lorenzo Brino, a child star on the TV series, "7th Heaven" (1996 to 2007, TheWB, TheCW), died in a car accident last Monday, March 9th, 2020.  He was 21.  Brino played the character "Sam Camden," and was a series regular from Seasons 6 to 10, and was featured actor in Season 5.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 8th to 14th, 2020 - Update #25

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 and Hollywood and Beyond:

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From Variety:  Universal Pictures has stopped production on all its live-action films due to the coronavirus.

From YahooEntertainment:  Tom Hanks, who is quarantined in a hospital with his wife Rita Wilson, posted a positive message about have coronavirus COVID-19.  "There is no crying in baseball," he says in reference to his film, "A League of Their Own."

From YahooSports:  The IOC and Japan's Olympics minister insist that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is still happening, Friday, July 24th to Sunday, August 9th.

From Deadline:  The National Basketball Association (NBA) suspends its current 2019-2020 season during to coronavirus fears.

TOM HANKS - From Deadline:  Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks and producer Rita Wilson, who are also a Hollywood power couple, have tested positive for the coronavirus, COVID-19, while in Australia working on Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic.

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DISNEY - From Variety:  Disney shuts down production on most of its live-action films, including Marvel's "Shang-Chi" and Ridley Scott's "The Last Duel."

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SPORTS-CRIME - From BET:  Back in July 1993, James Jordan, Jr. was murdered.  He was the father of NBA champion and pro basketball legend, Michael Jordan.  One of the two men who were sentenced to life for the crime, Larry Demery, is up for parole.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  The horror film franchise, Scream, is getting a reboot, and the directors of the cult horror film, "Ready or Not" (2019), will helm the film.

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SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Former Hollywood mogul and Oscar-winning film producer ("Shakespeare in Love") Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison by New York Supreme Court Judge James Burke.  Judge Burke also ordered Weinstein to register as a sex offender.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Shout! Factory has struck a distribution deal with Stephen J. Cannell Productions for its extensive catalog which is comprised of 900 hours of TV series and movies.  Shout! will distribute the library to broadcast and streaming platforms across territories.

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POLITICS - From TheWrap:  Actress Rosario Dawson says that she voted for Senator Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential primary election the same day that her boyfriend, Senator Cory Booker, endorsed Sanders' rival, Vice-President Joe Biden.

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SCANDAL - From Variety:  Harvey Weinstein once emailed a reporter that "Jennifer Aniston should be killed" after a false report that Weinstein had sexually assaulted the actress.

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MOVIES - From BlackFilm:  Director Reginald Hudlin talks about celebrating the 30th anniversary of his classic film, "House Party," which his brother, Warrington Hudline, produced.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway" is the latest film to have its release dates, domestic and international, altered due to fears of the coronavirus, "COVID-19."

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SPORTS - From Deadline:  Tom Brady enters the Hollywood content game by launching "199 Productions," a multi-platform content company.  Brady was the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 3/6 to 3/8/2020 weekend box office is Pixar's "Onward" with an estimated total of 40 million dollars.

From Variety:  The Oscar-winning South Korean film, "Parasite," is now the high-grossing foreign language film in the United Kingdom, grossing 11.5 million pounds since its release there.

From Deadline:  At the specialty (art house) box office, the film "First Cow" led the pack with an estimated take of $96,059.

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JAMES BOND - From THR:  MGM to take a loss of $30 million because it has moved the next Bond film, "No Time to Die," from an April release to November over coronavirus fears.

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STREAMING - From Variety:  Luke Evans and Josh Gad will return for a prequel series to Disney's live-action "Beauty and the Beast," which will stream on Disney+.

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MOVIES - From Variety:   Director James Wan ("Aquaman") is working on a movie "inspired" by Universal Pictures' "Universal Monsters" legacy.   Wan will produce, but there are few other details.

TRAILER:

From YouTube:  This is the first official trailer for Disney/Pixar's "Soul" (March 12, 2020), which is due in theaters, June 19th.

OBITS:

From Variety:  The actor R.D. Call has died at the age of 70, Tuesday, March 10, 2020.  Call appeared in several films that either starred Sean Penn or were directed by him, including "At Close Range" (1986) and "Colors" (1988) to "Into the Wild" (2007).  He also appeared in such TV series as "Walker, Texas Ranger," "The X-Files," and "Castle."

From Variety:  The Swedish-born actor, Max von Sydow, has died at the age of 90, Sunday, March 8, 2020.  Sydow is best known for the 11 films he made with legendary Swedish director, Ingmar Bergman, in particularly, "The Seventh Seal," in which von Sydow portrayed a knight playing chess against Death.  He also appeared in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."  Von Sydow received two Oscar nominations for his work in the films, "Pelle the Conqueror" (Best Actor) and "Extremely  Loud & Incredibly Close" (Best Supporting Actor).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 1st to 7th, 2020 - Updated #20

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

SPECIAL - From YouTube:  Happy Birthday, Sis!

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SCANDAL - From Variety:   After a staff walkout, Hachette Book Group has decided not to publish Oscar-winning writer-director Woody Allen's memoir, "Apropos of Nothing."

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NEWS - From Variety:  South by Southwest or SXSW 2020 has been cancelled due to fears of the coronavirus.  The festival is held in Austin, Texas and there are currently 17 confirmed cased in the state.

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DISNEY - From Deadline:  Due to the minor reference to a lesbian relationship, some countries of the Middle East are banning Pixar's new animated film, "Onward."  However, some Middle East markets are showing the film.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  Amazon will bring back new episodes of "The Kids in the Hall," its first "Canadian Amazon Original Series."  The Kids in the Hall is a five-man Canadian sketch comedy troupe and is best known for the Canadian TV series, "The Kids in the Hall," which ran for six seasons from 1989 to 1995, including the 1988 pilot.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  On April 7th, Hachette Book Group will publish Academy Award-winning director and screenwriter, Woody Allen's memoir, "Apropos of Nothing."  Today staffers at the publisher walked out in protest and in solidarity with victims.

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STREAMING - From BleedingCool:  Matthew A. Cherry, who recently won an Academy Award for his animated short film, "Hair Love," will direct an episode of the "Saved by the Bell" sequel series for the "Peacock" streaming service.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Director Scott Derrickson directed Marvel's "Doctor Strange" and then exited its sequel."  His next project will pair him with one of Marvel's biggest stars, Chris Evans, in the Skydance thriller, "Bermuda."

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JAMES BOND - From Deadline:  Because of coronavirus concerns, specifically COVID-19, the 25th James Bond film has had its release date changed from April 2nd/April 10th to Wed., Nov. 25th, the day before Thanksgiving.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Action star Jason Statham exits "The Man from Toronto," in which he was to star with Kevin Hart.  Statham also leaves his agency, WME.

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CULTURE - From Medium:  Was the executed serial killer, Ted Bundy, the first "incel?"

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STAR TREK - From Deadline:  William Shatner says that he will not reprise his classic role of "Star Trek's" "Captain James T. Kirk" because the character is "played out."

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  MSNBC's Chris Matthews announced that he is retiring, effective immediately (Mon. March 2nd), and that his show, "Hardball with Chris Matthews," is ending.

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CELEBRITY - TheNewYorker:  Michael Schulman offers this excellent interview of actress Pam Grier.

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BOOKS - From Deadline:  Lionsgate has won an auction for the film rights to Judy Blume's classic novel, "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret."

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MUSIC - From Deadline:  Chuck D and the seminal rap group, "Public Enemy," have parted ways with band mate, Flavor Flav, after he objected to the group's participation in a campaign event for Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for President.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 2/28 to 3/1/2020 weekend box office is "The Invisible Man" with an estimated take of 29 million dollars.

From Variety:   The Harrison Ford adventure film, "Call of the Wild," is likely to lose 50 million dollars, the latest 20th Century Fox dud that Disney inherited when they bought 20th Century Fox.

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TELEVISION - From THR:  The syndicated TV series, "Judge Judy," will end after the 2020-2021 season, which will be the series' 25th season.  Host Judy Sheindlin will star in a new series, "Judy Justice," that is scheduled to begin sometime in 2022

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  CBS is ending its current iteration of "Hawaii Five-o" (a remake of the original series that ran from 1968 to 1980) after 10 seasons and 240 episodes.  The two-hour series finale will air April 3rd, 2020.

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MOVIES - From CNBC:  Director Rian Johnson ("Knives Out") says that Apple will permit film productions to use its products onscreen.  BUT Apple does not want "bad characters" to have an iPhone on camera.


OBITS:

From Variety:  Jazz piano legend, McCoy Tyner, has died at the age of 81, Friday, March 6, 2020.  Tyner joined the "John Coltrane Quartet" in 1960 and his thunderous piano playing became a signature element in some of John Coltrane's greatest works, including "A Love Supreme" (1964).  As a band leader, Tyner also produced a voluminous catalog of LPs, including his career defining "Sahara" (1972), "Enlightenment" (1973), and "Atlantis" (1974).

From Variety:  Actor, TV host, and educator, James Lipton, has died at the age of 93, Monday, March 2, 2020.  Lipton was best known as the creator, host, and executive producer of the Bravo TV series, "Inside the Actors Studio."  Lipton was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award 20 times and won in 2013 for "Outstanding Informational Series or Special" (in a tie with "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown").


TRAILERS:

From THR:  Jordan Peele debuts the first trailer for his new film, "Candyman," which he produced and Nia DaCosta.  The film is due June 12, 2020.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 23rd to 29th, 2020 - Update #27

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

DISNEY - From YahooEntertainment:  Walt Disney's classic animated feature film, Pinocchio, is 80 years old.  This article tells you five things you may not know about the film, including that Disney had to make us like an unlikable character.

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AWARDS - From Deadline:  At the 2020 Cesar Awards (France's Academy Awards), Roman Polanski wins "Best Director" for his film, "An Officer and a Spy."  That caused some comotion...

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MOVIES - From Variety:  The coronavirus outbreak is wreaking havoc with the launch efforts of major Hollywood films.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Television super-producer, Dick Wolf ("Law & Order" and "Chicago" franchises), signs a five-year, nine-figure mega-deal with Universal TV.  That follows his nine-figure deal with Universal's "Peacock" streaming network.  Both deals are thought to be worth close to a one billion dollars.

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TRAILER - From THR:  Jordan Peele debuts the first trailer for his new film, "Candyman," which he produced and Nia DaCosta.

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JAMES BOND - From CNET:  The upcoming James Bond film, "No Time to Die," looks to be the longest Bond film ever at over two and a half hours.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooFinance:  Former action movie box office star, Steven Seagal, has been fined by the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) for promoting a "cryptocurrency."

From TheGuardian:  On a trip to Europe, Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow takes precautions in lights of the "coronavirus" outbreak, and that reminds her of a movie in which she starred - Steven Soderbergh's excellent "Contagion" (2011).

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Steven Spielberg has directed all the "Indiana Jones" films thus far, beginning with "Raiders of the Lost Art" (1981) to the most recent "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls" (2008).  For "Indiana Jones 5," Spielberg wants to hand the directorial reigns to Oscar-nominee James Mangold ("Ford v. Ferrari").

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MOVIES  - From Variety:  Kevin Hart's next film is an untitled action-comedy being developed by Universal Pictures and is based on an original idea from “Broad City’s” Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs.

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TELEVISION - From THR:  The main cast for "American Horror Story" Season 10 has been announced.  Among the cast is child star icon, Macaulay Culkin of "Home Alone" fame.

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DISNEY - From Deadline:  Bob Iger has stepped down effective immediately as CEO of the Walt Disney Company.  Disney's Board of Directors has named Bob Chapek the new CEO effective immediately.  Iger will remain "Executive Chairman" through the end of his contract on Dec. 31, 2021.

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MOVIES - From Newsarama:  The title of the third "Jurassic World" film is "Jurassic World: Dominion."  The film is due June 11, 2021.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  The writers of the 1995 film, "Outbreak," talk about the sudden relevance of their film as the coronavirus "COVID-19" scares the world.

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MOVIES - From Collider:  Ahead of the release of the first trailer for Jordan Peele's update of "Candyman," we get some teasing.

From BloodyDisgusting:  This article provides a look at writer Clive Barker's iconic horror character, "Candyman," before he was a movie character played by actor Tony Todd.

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CELEBRITY - From Variety:   Leonardo Di Caprio honors Jamie Foxx at the American Black Film Festival Honors on Sunday night (Feb. 23rd.)

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HARVEY WEINSTEIN - From THR:  This morning (Mon, Feb. 24th), a jury found former movie mogul, Harvey Weinstein, guilty on two of five criminal charges.  Weinstein was convicted of "criminal sexual assault in the first degree," based on the testimony of former "Project Runway" production assistant Miriam Haley, which carries a sentence of 5 to 25 years.  He was also found guilty of "rape in the third degree," based on the testimony of former aspiring actress Jessica Mann, which carries a sentence of 18 months to 4 years.

From WBAL:  Harvey Weinstein was immediately handcuffed and taken to jail after being convicted of rape and sexual assault charges Monday morning.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner fo the 2/21 -2/23/2020 weekend box office is "Sonic the Hedgehog" with an estimated take of $26.3 million.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  David Weil, creator of the Amazon series, "Hunters," responds to criticism from the "Auschwitz Memorial" Twitter account that his series is "historical inaccurate.

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AWARDS - From Deadline:  The winners at the 51st NAACP Image Awards were announed last night (Sat., Feb. 22nd).  Grammy-winning recording artist, Lizzo, was named "Entertainer of the Year."  This link also leads to a complete list of the winners.

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POLITICS - From Variety:  Oscar-winning filmmaker and legendary actor, Clint Eastwood, has gone from supporting President Donald Trump to endorsing former Mayor Mike Bloomberg in the 2020 presidential race.

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MOVIES - From SlashFilm:  New Republic Pictures has won the rights to "Family Jewels," a multi-generational family comedy that reunited the "First Wives Club" trio of Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, and Diane Keaton.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Talk show host and television soap opera creator, Lee Phillip Bell, has died at the age of 91, Tuesday, February 25, 2020.  With her late husband, William J. Bell, Lee created the TV soap opera dramas, "The Young and the Restless" (1973) and "The Bold and the Beautiful" (1987).  Lee also hosted her own local TV talk show in Chicago, "The Lee Phillip Show," that ran from 1953 to 1986.

From Variety:   Pioneering NASA mathematician, Katherine Johnson, has died at the age of 101, Monday, February 24, 2020.  Her works was fundamental to landing U.S. astronauts on the moon.  Johnson was featured in the 2016 book, "Hidden Figures."  In the 2016, Oscar-nominated film adaptation, also entitled "Hidden Figures," Johnson was portrayed by actress Taraji P. Henson.  Johnson received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2019.

From Variety:  Film and television music composer, Bob Cobert, died at the age of 95, Wednesday, February 19, 2020.  Cobert composed themes for the ABC horror soap opera, "Dark Shadows" (1966-71), which are probably his best known work.  Cobert received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for composing music for the ABC miniseries, "War and Remembrance" (1988), the follow-up to "The Winds of War" (1983), for which Cobert also composed music.

From NBCNews:  Celebrated lifestyle guru, model, and restaurateur, B. Smith, has died at the age of 70, Saturday, February 22, 2020.  Smith had been suffering from early onset Alzheirmer's disease.  Born Barbara Elaine Smith, B. Smith was a groundbreaking African-American model, she would go on to be a TV host and also author books on cooking and entertaining.  She was the first African-American woman to have a home goods line sold at a national retailer (Bed, Bath & Beyond.)

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 16th to 22nd, 2020 - Update #21

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

STREAMING - From Variety:  NBCUniversal is looking to buy Wal-Mart's streaming service, "Vudu."  [I didn't know Vudu was a Wal-Mart service!!! - Leroy]

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DISNEY - From YahooEntertainment:  Pixar's upcoming "Onward" introduces the first LGBTQ character in Disney animation history.

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STREAMING - From THR:  The reunion special of the popular TV series, "Friends," is official at HBO Max.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Julia Roberts Sean Penn, Armie Hammer and Joel Edgerton are joining "Mr Robot" creator Sam Esmail for a "Watergate" drama series.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Eli Roth will direct a film adaptation of the video game, "Borderlands," for Lionsgate.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  NBC has renewed its long-running TV series, "The Blacklist," for an eighth season.  [I did not realize that it had been on this long. - Leroy]

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CRIME - From TMZ:  20-year-old up-and-coming rapper, Pop Smoke, was killed in his Hollywood Hills house during a home invasion early Wednesday morning, Feb. 19th.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Sony Pictures Television is developing a TV series based on the venerable pulp fiction hero, "Doc Savage."

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STREAMING - From Variety:   Jennifer Lawrence to star in Adam McKay's comedy film, "Don't Look Up," for Netflix.

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MARVEL-CONTEST - From Newsarama:  Actor Chris Evan is raffling off a Captain America shield prop that he used in "Avengers: Endgame" for the charity, "Girl Powerful."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actress Dichen Lachman ("Animal Kingdom," TNT) has joined the cast of "Jurassic World 3."

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SCANDAL - From GuardianUK:  In regards to the Harvey Weinstein trial, actress Rosanna Arquette says that victims of sexual abuse will never be silent again.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooLifestyle:  Actress Rosario Dawson has come out.

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CRIME - From Deadline:  Famed Hollywood family and sex therapist, Amie Harwick, was killed Sat., Feb. 15, 2020 at her home in the Hollywood Hills.  Her ex-boyfriend has been arrested.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director Martin McDonagh ("Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri") is planning to re-team with his "In Bruges" stars, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 2/14 to 2/16/2020 weekend box office is "Sonic the Hedgehog" with an estimated gross of 57 million dollars.

From Variety:  Did the Internet backlash that lead to a redesign of "Sonic the Hedgehog" save the film from box office disaster?

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MOVIE TRAILERS - From THR:  The site offers a roundup of seven recently released film trailers, including for such films as "The French Dispatch" and "The Green Knight."

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ECO-TELEVISION - From TheGuardian: The BBC is planning a documentary TV series focusing on teenage climate activist, Greta Thunberg.

OBITS:

From THR:   The actress and singer-songwriter, Ja'Net Dubois, has died at the age of 74, Tuesday, February 18, 2020.  She is best known for playing the role of "Willona Woods" in the CBS sitcom, "Good Times" (1974-79).  DuBois also co-wrote and sang the theme song, "Movin' On Up," for the CBS sitcom, "The Jeffersons" (1975-85).  A noted voice actress, DuBois won two Primetime Emmy Awards for her role as "Ms. Avery" in the animated series, "The PJs" (1999-2001, Fox/The WB).

From YahooEntertainment:  The young actress, Nikita Pearl Waligwa, has died at the age of 15, Saturday, February 15, 2020.  Nikita appeared in the 2016 Disney film, "Queen of Katwe."  She died as the result of a brain tumor.

From CNN:  Former Major League Baseball (MLB) player, Tony Fernandez, has died at the age of 57, Saturday, February 15, 2020.  Born in the Dominican Republic, Fernandez was a shortstop and played for 17 seasons, most notably with the Toronto Blue Jays where he was part of the 1993 World Series Championship team.