Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 12th to 18th, 2023 - Update #12

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  The upcoming "Scream VI" is on track to have a franchise record opening weekend at the domestic box.  The film opens March 10th.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  When Paramount+ and Showtime merge into a single service, there will be a price increase.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director M. Night Shyamalan has signed a multi-year, first-look deal with Warner Bros.  Upcoming projects include 2024's "Trap" and his daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan's "The Watchers," which is slated for June 2024.

CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  The family of Bruce Willis ("Die Hard") have announced that the now retired actor has "prefrontotemporal dementia."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  LaToya Morgan and J.J. Abrams' television series, "Duster," has received an official series order from HBO Max.  Rachel Hilson will star alongside previously announced lead, Josh Holloway.

OSCARS - From EW:  2023 Oscar nominees meet at the 95th Academy Awards luncheon and posed for a 2023 class photo.

TRAILERS - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. Pictures debuts the first official trailer for its big summer superhero flick, "The Flash."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 2/10 to 2/12/2023 weekend box office is "Magic Mike's Last Dance" with an estimated take of 8.2 million dollars.

CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  California county sheriff updates on missing British actor Julian Sands, who has been missing for a month in the Mount Baldy region of the San Gabriel region. "... the outcome may not be what we would like," the sheriff says.  Sands is known for such films as "Room with a View," "Warlock," and "Leaving Las Vegas," to name a few.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Vin Diesel says that he'd like Oscar-nominated actor, Robert Downey, Jr., to appear in a "Fast & Furious" film.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and television sports commentator, Tim McCarver, has died at the age of 81, Thursday, February 16, 2023.  McCarver was a catcher and played in the MLB from 1959 to 1980.  He was two World Series as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals (1964, 1967) and appeared in a third (1968), which the Cardinals lost.  Although he played for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980, he was apparently not on the playoff roster of their World Series winning team that year.  His career as a local and national television sports broadcaster ran from 1980 to 2020, including work for ABC, CBS, and Fox.  For his work, he won three Emmy Awards.

From Variety:  Actress and international sex symbol, Raquel Welch, has died at the age of 82, Wednesday, February 15, 2023.  She first made her mark in film with the 1966 sci-fi flick, "Fantastic Voyage."  Her turn in the 1966 British adventure fantasy, "One Million Years B.C.," wearing a fur bikini, made her an international sensation.  Her other star turns included the 1967 films, "Fathom," and "Bedazzled."  She also starred in 1973's "The Three Musketeers" and its 1974 sequel, "The Four Musketeers."  Among her numerous television appearances was playing herself in the 1997 episode of "Seinfeld," entitled "The Summer of George."

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AWARDS:

From Oscar:  The nominations for the 2023 / 95th Academy Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sunday, March 12, 2023.

From Deadline:   The winners at the 2023 / 21st annual VES Awards, handed out by the Visual Effects Society, have been announced.  "Avatar: The Way of Water" topped the night with 9 wins.

From Deadline:  "Top Gun: Maverick" wins "Best Picture" at the "AARP Movies for Grownups Awards" held Saturday night in Beverly Hills.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2023 Writers Guild Awards have been announced.  Winners will be announced Sunday, March 5, 2023.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2023 EE BAFTA Awards have been announced. The Netflix World War I drama, "All Quiet on the Western Front," leads with 14 nominations.  The winners will be announced Sunday, February 19, 2023.

From Deadline:  The winners were announced at the 2023 / 28th annual Critics Choice Awards.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" was named "Best Picture."

From Deadline:  The nominees for the 2023 / 34th Producers Guild of America Awards have been announced in both film and TV categories.  The winners will be announced Sat. Feb. 25th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sun., Feb. 26th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The National Society of Film Critics has named "Tar" its "Best Picture" of 2023 and its star, Cate Blanchette, as "Best Actress."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 23rd Annual Black Reel Awards have been announced.  "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "The Woman King" have tied for the lead in nominations with 14 apiece.  The winners will be announced February 6, 2023.

From Deadline:  The Black Film Critics Circle named "The Woman King" the "Best Film" of 2022.

From Deadline:  The winners of the 2022 Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "Tar" tie for "Best Picture" award.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 80th annual Golden Globes Awards were announced today (Mon., Dec. 12th).  "The Banshees of Inisherin" led the film field with eight nominations. ABC's "Abbot Elementary" lead the TV side with five nominations.  The winners will be announced January 10, 2023.

From Deadline:  The American Film Institute (AFI) has named its "AFI Awards Film" list of "Top 10 Films of 2022."  The list includes "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Top Gun: Maverick," and "The Woman King."

From THR:  The African-American Film Critics Association name "The Woman King" the "Best Film of 2022."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the "2023 Critics Choice Awards" in the television categories have been announced.  ABC's sitcom, "Abbot Elementary" leads the nominations.  The winners will be announced Sunday, January 15, 2023 and broadcast on The CW.

From Variety:  The 2022 / 88th Annual New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) Awards have been announced.  Todd Field's "Tar" wins "Best Film" and "Best Actress" (Cate Blanchett).  Keke Palmer wins "Best Supporting Actress" for her performance in "Nope."

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.

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TYRE NICHOLS:

From NBCNews:  Tyre Nichols' death: A summary and timeline of his encounter with Memphis police officers

From YahooNews:  In the 67 minutes of the Tyre Nichols video, brutality followed by nonchalance.

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From CBSNews:  WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from her Russian imprisonment in a one-for-one prisoner swap for notorious international arms dealer, Viktor Bout.

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."

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 24th to 30th, 2022 - Update #15

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan slams "toxic" fans in the wake of actress Melissa McBride exits "The Walking Dead" spinoff that will be set in Europe and star Norman Reedus.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Although he has reportedly signed a one-year extension, James Corden will stop hosting CBS' "The Late Late Show" before the Summer 2023.

From Variety:  Warner Bros. Discovery has "paused" scripted programming development at both TBS and TNT.  Thus far, that has not affected series like "Snowpiercer" and "American Dad."

DISNEY - From Variety:  At CinemaCon 2022, Disney unveiled "visually dazzling footage" of the upcoming "Avatar" sequel, "Avatar: The Way of Water," which is due in theaters, Dec. 16th, 2022.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Both MGM motion picture group's chairman and president are leaving the company as MGM folds into its new owner, Amazon.

MOVIES/SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Star and director Olivia Wilde has CinemaCon buzzing with the first trailer for her 1950s set thriller, "Don't Worry Darling."

From Deadline:  Olivia Wilde served with child custody papers by her ex, Jason Sudeikis, while onstage at CinemaCon to preview her film, "Don't Worry Darling."

From NBC:  According to sources, Emmy-winning actor Jason Sudeikis did not know that his ex, Olivia Wilde, would be served with papers while on stage at CinemaCon 2022.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Justin Lin has stepped aside as director of "Fast X," the next installment of the "Fast & Furious" film franchise, due to creative differences.

COMICS TO FILM - From Variety:  Warner Bros. has announced "The Batman 2" with star Robert Pattinson and director Matt Reeves returning.

MOVIES - From BloodDisgusting:  Sony Pictures has announced a sequel to its 2021 film, "Ghostbuster: Afterlife."  It would be the fifth installment the "Ghostbusters" franchise.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  J.J. Abrams and his banner, Bad Robot, are producing a live-action movie based on Mattel's "Hot Wheels" toy line. [I'm stuck between "God help us" and being very curious. - Leroy]

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/22 to 4/24/2022 weekend box office is DreamWorks Animation's "The Bad Guys" with an estimated take of 24 million dollars.

From Here:  Negromancer's review of "Sonic the Hedgehog 2."

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  David Hollander is out as showrunner of Showtime's upcoming TV series re-imagining of the 1980 film, "American Gigolo."  Hollander, known for his acclaimed series, "Ray Donovan," is out because of comments that he made that are not of a sexual harassment nature.

From Deadline:  Sharon Osbourne talks about the fallout from her departure as a cohost on the CBS talk show, "The Talk."

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DEPP V. HEARD:

From Variety:  Johnny Depp says that Disney has wanted to cut ties with him regarding the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, even before Amber Heard wrote her infamous op-ed for "The Washington Post" that accused Depp of abusing her.

From YahooEntertainment:  Johnny Depp says that his ex-wife Amber Heard once "severed" his finger.

From LATimes:  The lawsuit explained:  Johnny Depp (58) is suing his ex-wife, Amber Heard (35), over a 2018 Washington Post piece she wrote that Depp believes falsely portrayed him as a domestic abuser.  Heard is counter-suing Depp accusing his lawyers of defaming her.

From Deadline:  Oscar-nominee Johnny Depp's 50 million dollar defamation law suit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, has begun in Fairfax County Circuit Court, Virginia.

From PerezHilton:  Amber Heard lawyer says that Heard's ex, the Oscar-nominated actor, Johnny Depp, held her hostage in Australia for three days. This is one of many claims made in Depp's defamation law suit that has gone from 50 million dollars to 100 million.

From Deadline:  James Franco, "WandaVision" star Paul Bettany, Elon Musk, and representatives of the Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros, and the LAPD could end up in the court in Johnny Depp's defamation case against his former wife, Amber Heard.

From WeGotThisCovered:  Johnny Depp versus Amber Heard is in its first day and already there are allegations of sexual assault.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 13th to 19th, 2022 - Update #20

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Variety:  FX has announced that its Emmy-winning comedy, "Atlanta" will end with Season 4, which debuts Fall 2022.  Season 3 debuts March 24th.

From Variety:  Netflix has renewed its hit "Stranger Things" for a fifth and final season.

STAR TREK - From Variety:  Whatever happened to Quentin Tarantino's "Star Trek" pitch explained.

MOVIES - From GQ:  Legendary filmmaker and Oscar-winning director, Francis Ford Coppola, talks about "Godfather" on its 50th anniversary; laments the state of modern cinema (Marvel Studios), and talks about self-financing his 120 million dollar dream project, "Megalopolis."

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Skydance Animation has acquired the rights to director Brad Bird's next animated film, "Ray Gunn."  A multiple Oscar-winner, Bird is known for his animated films, "Iron Giant," and "The Incredibles" films.

TELEVISION - From THR:  A guide to all the scripted TV shows that have been renewed, canceled and ordered to series for the 2021-22 season on ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW.

FILM FESTIVALS - From Deadline:  Director Carla Simon's film, "Alcarras," wins the top prize, the "Golden Bear," at the 72nd Berlin Film Festival.

MOVIES - From IGN:  During Paramount Pictures' investor day, a third film in the "A Quiet Place" series was announced. A spinoff movie directed by Michael Sarnoski was also confirmed.

STAR TREK - From BleedingCool:  J.J. Abrams said that a fourth "Star Trek" film in his series is happening and that they are currently trying to get the cast back together.

ANIME - From Variety:  The magazine has a first look at “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” an original anime feature from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation.  It is set for release on April 12, 2024 from Warner Bros. Pictures.

MOVIES - From TheRinger:  "Death on the Disney Vine" by Miles Surrey. What is the fate of "Death on the Nile" and other 20th Century Fox films, post-Disney merger?

OSCARS - From Variety:  Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes are finalizing details to host this year’s 94th Academy Awards, multiple sources told "Variety."

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From Variety:  Several high-profile film and streaming projects debuted a trailer during Super Bowl LVI. You can watch them all on this "Variety" page.

SPORTS/NFL - From YahooSports:  The Los Angeles Rams defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to win Super Bowl LVI.  It is the franchise's second Super Bowl championship in 5 appearances.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 2/11 to 2/13/2022 weekend box office is "Death on the Nile" with an estimated gross of 12.8 million dollars.

TRAILER - From Deadline:  Universal Pictures has revealed the first official trailer for Jordan Peele's next film, "Nope."  It is scheduled to arrive in theaters July 22, 2022 (according to Deadline) or August 4th (according to the trailer).

LGBTQ/MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  On the film's 40th anniversary, actor Harry Hamlin talks about his role in the groundbreaking gay romance, "Making Love."

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Ridley Scott is executive producing a TV series, "Blade Runner 2099" this  is a follow-up to the 2017 film, "Blade Runner: 2049."  Scott directed the original film, 1982's "Blade Runner."

OBITS:

From Vareity:  Film writer, producer, and director, Ivan Reitman, has died at the age of 75, Saturday, February 12, 2022.  Reitman was best known for directing successful film comedies from the late 1970s to the late 1990s.  Those include "Meatballs" (1979), "Ghost Busters" (1984), "Ghostbusters II (1989), and "Dave" (1993), to name a few.  He also produced "Animal House" (1978), "Heavy Metal" (1981), and the Oscar-nominated "Up in the Air" (2009), which was directed by his son, Jason Reitman.

From YahooEntertainment:  This remembrance of the recently passed film director, Ivan Reitman, discusses the origins of his most famous film, 1984's "Ghost Busters" ("Ghostbusters").

From Deadline:  Actor, Frank Pesce, has died at the age of 75, Sunday, February 6, 2022.  Known as a colorful character, Pesce appeared in such films as "Beverly Hills Cop" (1984), "Top Gun" (1986), and "Midnight Run" (1988).  He also appeared on such TV series as "Kojak," "Miami Vice," and "Matlock."  There was also a film about Pesce's early life, "29th Street" (1991), which was directed by George Gallo.

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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 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:  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 February 6th to 12th, 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:   Bill Lawrence, the showrunner behind the hit TV series, "Ted Lasso," has just signed a 100 million dollar deal with Warner Bros. TV Group. Here, is the story behind the deal.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Fox Network has made a "script-to-series" commitment for "End of Watch," a TV series based on David Ayers' 2012 film, "End of Watch."

AMAZON - From VanityFair:  Here are several photographic images from Amazon's series, "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power."

TRAILER - From ETCanada:  The first official trailer for "Jurassic World: Dominion" is here.

SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Comedian and TV host turned media mogul, Byron Allen, wants to buy the NFL's Denver Broncos, which are currently up for sale.

BUSINESS - From Variety:  An array of movie, gaming, merchandising, and live event rights to "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" are up for sale because the Saul Zaentz Co. had decided to sell them.

MUSIC - From Variety:  Snopp Dogg has acquired his old record label, "Death Row Records."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The cause of actor-comedian Bob Saget's death has been revealed to be due to head trauma.  Saget was found unresponsive in an Orlando, Florida hotel on Jan. 9th, early this year.

NETFLIX - From THR:  Director Zack Snyder is re-teaming with his "Justice League" star, Ray Fisher, for the two-part Netflix film, "Rebel Moon," which will be shot back-to-back.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Universal Pictures has provided a first look at Oscar-winner Jordan Peele's upcoming film, "Nope."  The full trailer release will apparently happen during on "Super Bowl Sunday."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Actress and TV personality Sherri Shepherd, a former co-host on ABC's "The View," is reportedly near a deal to become the permanent host of "The Wendy Williams Show."

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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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COMIC BOOKS - From HorrorNewsNetwork:  Zombie Love Studios founder and comic book writer Rodney Barnes is teaming up with rapper/actor Snoop Dogg to produce a new horror anthology comic book, "Tales from the Crip," that is said to be “in the tradition of the classic EC Comics of old.”

CELEBRITY - From RollingStone:  Jennifer Lopez is "Rolling Stone's" March 2022 cover star, and she talks about how she broke all the rules to get to the top.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 2/4 to 2/6/2022 weekend box office is "Jackass Forever" with an estimated take of 23.5 million dollar opening.

PARAMOUNT+ - From Deadline:   Six fan favorite cast members:  Joe Mantegna, Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Rodriguez, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, and Paget Brewster, have agreed to come back to the Paramount+ revival of "Criminal Minds," subject to closing their deals and availability.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Famed television mega-producers, David E. Kelley ("The Practice") and J.J. Abrams ("Lost") are teaming up for a limited series adaptation of author Scott Turow's 1987 novel, "Presumed Innocent." The popular novel was previously adapted into a 1990 film starring Harrison Ford.

OBITS:

From Variety:  Pioneering visual effects artist and inventor, Douglas Trumbull, has died at the age of 79, Tuesday, February 7, 2022.  Trumbull was one of the mastermind behind some of the audacious science fiction films of all time, including "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968), "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977), and "Blade Runner" (1982).  He also directed two landmark visual effects films, "Silent Running" (1972) and "Brainstorm" (1983).  He was nominated for three Oscars for his work on "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979), and "Blade Runner."  He did win a "Scientific and Engineering Award" and the "Gordon E. Sawyer Award" Academy Awards.

From Deadline:  Pioneering visual effects and mass media artist, Robert Blalack, has died at the age of Wednesday, February 2, 2022.  He was one of the founders of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).  He won a "Best Visual Effects" Oscar for his work on "Star Wars" (1977) and a Primetime Emmy for his work on ABC's television film, "The Day After" (1983).  Blalack also created and produced special effects for such films as "Altered States" (1980) and "Robocop" (1987).

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AWARDS:

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 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.

A "Star Wars" Link-o-Rama 2020 by Negromancer - Update #94

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

Support Leroy Doureseaux on Patreon.

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  The official trailer for "The Mandalorian" Season Two.
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NOVELS - From IndieWire:  Beloved "Star Wars" novelist, Alan Dean Foster, talks about being asked to remove a budding romance between Finn and Rey that he was setting up in his novelization of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

BOBA FETT - From StarWars:  There is more news on the recently announced Disney+ series, "The Book of Boba Fett," which will be executive produced by Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Robert Rodriguez.

From Deadline:  Previously unannounced, "The Book of Boba Fett" will be a new Disney+ "Star Wars" series.  A spinoff of "The Mandalorian," the series is set to debut December 2021.

COMICS - From BleedingCool:   Marvel Comics' "Star Wars: The High Republic #1" has sold out three weeks before its release date.  Marvel has reportedly ordered a second printing.

OBIT - From CinemaBlend:  The English actor Jeremy Bulloch has died at the age of 75, Thursday, December 17, 2020.  Bulloch played the bounty hunter, "Boba Fett," in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, appearing in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of Jedi."  While Bulloch wore Boba's costume, the late American actor, Jason Wingreen ("All in the Family," "Archie Bunker's Place") provided Boba's voice.

GEORGE LUCAS - From IndieWire:  Legendary film director, Francis Ford Coppola ("The Godfather"), says that he feels sad that "Star Wars" dominated George Lucas' career.

OBI-WAN - From Deadline:   Hayden Christensen will return as Darth Vader in the developing Disney+ series, "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

ROGUE SQUADRON - From Deadline:   Patty Jenkins, the director of the "Wonder Woman" film franchise, will direct a new "Star Wars" film, "Rogue Squadron."  This will be the first "Star Wars" feature directed by a female director.

OBIT - From StarWars:   David Prowse, the actor who gave the physical performance of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, died this weekend. He was 85.

REVENGE OF THE SITH - From IGN:   Star Wars Stunt Co-Ordinator Selling Lightsabers From Revenge of the Sith

HIGH REPUBLIC - From WeGotThisCovered:   A preview of pages from Marvel Comics' "Star Wars: The High Republic" reveals a look at a younger Yoda.

JOHN BOYEGA - From Deadline:   John Boyega Had A “Transparent, Honest” Phone Call With Kathleen Kennedy After "Star Wars" Race Comments

HIGH REPUBLIC - From Previews:   In its first contribution to Lucasfilm’s "Star Wars: The High Republic" publishing campaign spanning comics and prose, IDW announced the February 3rd, 2021 launch of "Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures," an ongoing comic book series set 200 years before the live action film continuity.

PREQUEL TRILOGY - From IndieWire:  An upcoming book, "Star Wars Archives: 1999-2005," reveals stunning new details of George Lucas' plans for the sequel trilogy (Episodes 7 to 9).  This includes resurrected Darth Maul and making him the "godfather of crime" in the universe.

FUTURE - From IndieWire:  Leslye Headland, creator of Netflix's "Russian Doll," says that her Disney+ TV series will be set in a part of the "Star Wars" timeline that fans "don't know much about."

JOHN BOYEGA - From THR:  This wide-ranging article features interviews with actors John Boyega and Letitia Wright, and Oscar-winning filmmaker, Steve McQueen.  In the interview, Boyega says that he met with a high-ranking Disney executive (that he did not name) about his criticisms of the way "people of color" were treated in the recent "Star Wars" trilogy.

THE MANDALORIAN - From Deadline:  SPOILER - Actor Temuera Morrison makes a cameo appearance in Episode 1 of "The Mandalorian" Season Two.  Morrison played Jango Fett, Boba Fett's father, in "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones."  Rumor says he will play Boba in "The Mandalorian."

OBI-WAN - From MensHealth:   Ewan McGregor Wore His Obi-Wan Robes on the Set of The Mandalorian

MANGA - From ScreenRant:  Yen Press has released a preview of its upcoming manga-graphic novel, "Leia: Princess of Alderaan."

HIGH REPUBLIC - From BleedingCool:  A "High Republic" story written by author Charles Soule will be serialized in "Star Wars Insider," likely beginning in December 2020.

ROGUE ONE SPINOFF - From Deadline:  Director Toby Haynes ("Black Mirror") has replaced Tony Gilroy as director of the first three episodes of the Disney+ "Rogue One" spinoff.

COMICS - From BleedingCool:  IDW will adapt author Greg Rucka's 2015 Star Wars junior novel, "Smuggler's Run: A Han Solo & Chewbacca Adventure," as a comic book miniseries.

MERCHANDISE - From People:  Shoe maker and Adidas and "Star Wars" launch a fur-covered "Chewbacca" themed sneaker which you can buy at Adidas.com

OBI-WAN - From ET:  In an "Entertainment Tonight," actor Ewan McGregor talks about his "Long Way Down" and "Long Way Up" series.  Concerning what we really want to know about, the Disney+ "Obi-Wan," he says they will start filming spring of next year and that there plans are for one standalone season only.

JOHN BOYEGA - From GQUK:  Here is the John Boyega feature/interview that has caused quite a stir.

THE MANDALORIAN - From Esquire:  George Lucas cradles Baby Yoda - with social media reactions.

ROGUE ONE - From Deadline:  Actress Adria Arjona will join star Diego Luna (Cassian Andor) in the Disney+ "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" prequel series.

LEIA - From io9:  An upcoming book, "Star Wars: The Lightsaber Collection" (Oct. 20th), will have details about Leia's lightsaber from "The Rise of Skywalker."

GEORGE LUCAS - From Deadline:  Tom Pollock was a studio executive and an entertainment lawyer.  He died at the age of 77, Sat., Aug. 1st.  He pulled off what is likely Hollywood's all-time greatest deal - the one that got George Lucas sequel and merchandising rights to "Star Wars."

THE MANDALORIAN - From THR:    Disney+/Lucasfilm's hit series, "The Mandalorian," received 15 nominations at the 2020 / 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, including "Outstanding Drama Series."

THE HIGH REPUBLIC - From THR:  The new "Star Wars" publishing initiative, "The High Republic," will connect to existing "Star Wars canon."

BAD BATCH - From Variety:  Disney+ has made a series order for the animated series, "Star Wars: Bad Batch."  It is a spinoff of the long-running animated series, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," and will follow an elite and experimental unit of clone troops.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK - From Variety:  For the first time since 1997, "The Empire Strikes Back" is back on top of the weekend box office.  Back in 1997, the film was re-released under the "Special Edition" banner and included new scenes and changes to the film.  Reissued again, this time as "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back," the film is estimated to gross between $400,000 and $500,000 in this post-COVID-19 theatrical box office.

THE MANDALORIAN - From StarWars:  StarWars.com reveals an extensive publishing program of books and titles for all ages based on the Disney+ series, "The Mandalorian."  This will include comic books from both Marvel Comics and IDW Publishing.

THE HIGH REPUBLIC - From IGN:  Read the First Chapter of "Star Wars: The High Republic - Light of the Jedi" by Charles Soule.

THE HIGH REPUBLIC - From YahooEntertainment:  New Star Wars book reveals why The High Republic fell – and kicks off a new era of stories

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK - From YahooEntertainment:  "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" will get a "4K" restoration re-release in the United Kingdom in celebration of the film's 40th anniversary.

From Collider:  See graphic designer Matt Ferguson's poster designs for "The Empire Strikes Back" 4K re-release.

TIMELINE - From YahooEntertainment:  Here is a detailed (and interesting) Star Wars timeline.

JOHN BOYEGA - From IndieWire:  Star Wars' very on "Finn," actor John Boyega, gave an impassioned speech in support of Black Lives Matter in London on Wednesday, June 3, 2020.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK - From StarWars:  In an interview done to commemorate the 40th anniversary of "The Empire Strikes Back," George Lucas says that he doesn't know why "Star Wars" is so popular.

REVENGE OF THE SITH - From YahooMovieUK:  There is a fan petition demanding that Disney release an alleged four-hour cut of "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith."

JAR JAR BINKS - From YahooEntertainment:  The voice actor behind prequel trilogy star, "Jar Jar Binks," Ahmed Best, will be the host of the upcoming game show, "Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge," on YouTube's "Star Wars Kids" channel.

STAR WARS OBIT - From Variety:  "Boom operator" (sound department) veteran Ken Nightingall has died at the age of 92, Tuesday, May 19, 2020.  He worked on over 47 films, including the original 1977 film, "Star Wars."  In recent years, he became a cult figure when a photo of him emerged in which he was shirtless and wearing pink shorts while his arms were hoisting a boom microphone over Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker, CP30, and R2D2 during a scene shot in Tunisia.  To fans, Nightingall was the "pink shorts boom guy."

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK - From YahooEntertainment:  George Lucas apparently changed the ending of "The Empire Strikes Back," slightly, early in original release.

THE MANDALORIAN - From SlashFilm:  Katee Sackhoff will appear in Season 2 of "The Mandalorian" in which she will play in live-action the character "Bo-Katan Kryze," that she has given voice to in the animated TV series, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" and "Star Wars Rebels."

THE MANDALORIAN - From THR:  Actor Temuera Morrison, who played "Jango Fett" in "Attack of the Clones," will reportedly play "Boba Fett" in Season Two of Disney+'s "The Mandalorian."

REBELS - From WeGotThisCovered:  Rumors say that Lucasfilm is developing a spinoff of the animated series "Star Wars Rebels."  The alleged live-action spinoff would focuse on the character, "Kanan Jarrus."

FRANCHISE - From TheWrap:  34 Celebrities You Probably Didn’t Know Were in ‘Star Wars’ Movies (with photos)

WAITITI - From StarWars:  Oscar-winner Taika Waititi will co-write and direct a new "Star Wars" film.

ROGUE ONE - From BritishGQ:  In an interview, actor Riz Ahmed, who appeared as "Bohdi Rook" in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," says that two of his family members have died of COVID-19.

ROGUE ONE SPIN-OFF - From THR:   The Disney+ "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" spinoff has a new showrunner, Tony Gilroy.  Gilroy came in to co-write (or script doctor) "Rogue One," and may have directed new scenes for the film.  Gilroy replaces original showrunner, Stephen Schiff.  The series also added actresses, Genevieve O'Reilly and Denise Gough.

FUTURE - From Variety:  Leslye Headland, the creator of Netflix's "Russian Doll," is developing a "Star Wars" series for Disney+.

THE MANDALORIAN - From Variety:  While the second season of Disney+/Lucasfilm's "The Mandalorian" is not due until Oct. 2nd of this year, the third season is already being written and conceptualized artistically.

ROGUE ONE SPINOFF - From Variety:  Actors Stellan Skarsgard and Kyle Soller join the Disney+ "Rogue One" spinoff.

THE HIGH REPUBLIC - From BleedingCool:  The first inter-company crossover between publishers of "High Republic" fiction will involve two comic book publishers, Marvel Comics and IDW Publishing.  However, the crossover will not be a comic book, but a novel.

THE HIGH REPUBLIC - From StarWars:  StarWars.com reveals the Jedi Knights and Jedi Masters that are presumably the main protagonists in the upcoming multi-platform, "Star Wars: The High Republic."  The first publications are set to arrive in August 2020, with the "Light of the Jedi" novel due August 25, 2020.

OBI-WAN - From Variety:  Joby Harold has been named the new head writer of the planned Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series.

OBITUARY - From YahooEntertainment:  Dialect coach and "Star Wars" actor, Andrew Jack, has died at the age of 76, Tuesday, March 31, 2020.  He died as a result of COVID-19.  Jack played the character Caluan Ematt in "The Force Awakens" and "The Last Jedi," as well as providing the voice for a character in "Solo: A Star Wars Story."  Since the early 1980s, Jack was the dialect coach for over 200 actors, including stars such as Robert Downey, Jr. and Chris Hemsworth.  He was the supervising dialect coach on "The Lord of the Rings" and created the "Middle-earth" accents.

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - From YahooEntertainment:  A look at the concept art for "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" reveals Lando's original look for the film and also the "space wolves."

THE MANDALORIAN - From THR:  Actor Michael Beihn, best known for his roles in James Cameron's "The Terminator" (1984) and "Aliens" (1986), has reportedly been cast in Season 2 of "The Mandalorian."

THE MANDALORIAN - From Variety:  Actress Rosario Dawson will portray the "Star Wars" character, Ahsoka Tano," in Season Two of the Disney+ series, "The Mandalorian."  This will be the first live-action version of the character which appeared in the long-running animated series, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."

TOYS - From Newsarama:  Long time principal "Star Wars" toy designer, Mark Boudreax, is retiring after 43 years of designing for first, Kenner, and then, Hasbro.

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - From Deadline:  Disney drops "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" on digital early, Dec. 13th, instead of the planned Dec. 17th digital release date.

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - From Empire:  Some of the scenes deleted from "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" will appear in Marvel's comic book adaptation of the film.

THE HIGH REPUBLIC - From Newsarama:  Formerly known as "Project Luminous," "Star Wars: The High Republic will bridge multiple publishers and platforms.  "The High Republic" is set 200 years before the events depicted in "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace." The first publications are set to arrive in August 2020.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK - From ScaryMommy:  This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first theatrical release of "The Empire Strikes Back," and Hasbro is celebrating with the upcoming release of a "Retro Collection" of action figures from the move.  According to reports the figures are "highly detailed" and "life-like."

FUTURE - From THR:  Director J.D. Willard ("Sleight") and writer Matt Owens ("Luke Cage") are developing a "Star Wars" project for Lucasfilm.  No other details are known.

From Deadline:  Willard and Owens "Star Wars" project will take place on the Sith planet, "Exegol," which debuted in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - From Newsarama:  Marvel Comics will adapt "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" into a five-issue miniseries, with new material.

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - From GamesRadar:  The novelization of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" confirms a deleted scene from the film in which Kylo Ren meets "The Oracle."

FRANCHISE - From Variety:  The future of "Star Wars" is television says Disney CEO Bob Iger.

KATHLEEN KENNEDY - From CNN:  Lucasfilm president, Kathleen Kennedy, attended the 2020 BAFTA Film Awards ceremony in London on Sun., Feb. 2nd.  There, she received the coveted "BAFTA Fellowship" trophy, their version of a lifetime achievement award.  She also talked about changing the future of "Star Wars."

OBITUARY - From FanthaTracks:  The British "Star Wars" actor, Alan Harris, died at the age of 81, Saturday, January 25, 2020.  He was best known for portraying the bounty hunter, "Bossk," in "The Empire Strikes Back."  Harris also played several bit parts and was also a body double in the original trilogy films.  He wore costumes for tests and also appeared as Terrence Stamp's body double in "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace."

UNDERWORLD - From Newsarama:  Making the Internet rounds is what is purported to be test footage from "Star Wars: Underworld," the planned "Star Wars" TV series that George Lucas scrapped.

FUTURE - From Esquire:  Could the "High Republic" and "Project Luminous" be the future of Star Wars?

EPISODE IX - From GamesRadar:  Director Colin Trevorrow, fired from directing "Star Wars 9," confirmed as "real" the recent script leak and concept art for what would have been his Episode 9 film, "Star Wars: Duel of the Fates."

OBI-WAN - From Deadline:  The Disney+/Lucasfilm "Obi-Wan" series has been put on hold.

EPISODE IX - From YahooLifestyle:   More concept art, allegedly from Colin Trevorrow's aborted version of "Star Wars Episode IX," has been leaked.  Trevorrow, who was hot off "Jurassic World," was fired and replaced by J.J. Abrams.

THE CLONE WARS - From GamesRadar:  Season 7 of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" has a release date (Feb. 21st on Disney+) and a new trailer (which can see in the article I've linked to).

JOHN BOYEGA - From YahooNews:  John Boyega, "Finn" in the sequel trilogy (in case you didn't know), bought his parents a house.  They were speechless and there were lots of tears...

FUTURE - From TheWrap:   Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Taika Waititi, is being eyed to develop a "Star Wars" film of some type.

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - From Variety:  "The Rise of Skywalker" crosses the one billion dollar mark in global box office, $1.001 billion.

EPISODE IX - From YahooEntertainment:  Before J.J. Abrams came back to direct what would become "The Rise of Skywalker," Colin Trevorrow was going to co-write and direct Episode IX.  Now, comes a leak of what is alleged to be Trevorrow and writing partner's Derek Connolly's Episode IX script, "Star Wars: Duel of the Fates."

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - From Space:  "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" earned two Oscar nominations as the 2020 / 92nd Academy Awards: "Music (Original Score)" and "Sound Editing and Visual Effects."

THE MANDALORIAN - From TheWrap:  Meet the actor who punched the "Baby Yoda" puppet that cost five million dollars to make.

PRINCESS LEIA - From YahooEntertainment:  Apparently, Billie Lourd played her mother, Carrie Fisher's character, Princess Leia, in "The Rise of Skywalker," for "a few seconds" with the help of VFX magic.

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - From GamesRader:  Apparenly, classic Star Wars character, Nien Nunb (Return of the Jedi), dies in "The Rise of Skywalker."

COMIC BOOKS - From Newsarama:  The site has a first-issue preview of Marvel Comics' new Darth Vader series, "Star Wars: Darth Vader."  The preview includes seven pages of interior art and also a look at the art for two covers.

THE MANDALORIAN - From CBR:  Director Taika Watiti says that he knows "The Child" a.k.a. "Baby Yoda's" real name, but he is waiting for "The Mandalorian's" creator and executive producer, Jon Favreau to reveal it.

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - From IGN:   "The Rise of Skywalker" apparently has deleted scenes that explain how Palpatine is still alive.

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - From BleedingCool:  Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner (1984-2005) took to Twitter to criticize "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" and actress Daisy Ridley's performance in it.

THE MANDALORIAN - From MovieWeb:  Actress Gina Garano says that she fainted twice while filming the "Baby Yoda choke scene" during a recent episode of Disney+/Lucasfilm's "The Mandalorian."

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - From VanityFair:   Director J.J. Abrams explained how he convinced Harrison Ford to come back and play "Han Solo" one more time in "The Rise of Skywalker."


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STAR WARS Movie Reviews:

From Negromancer:  "Star Wars"
From Negromancer:  "The Empire Strikes Back"
From Negromancer:  "Return of the Jedi"

From Negromancer:   "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace"

From Negromancer:  "Star Wars: The Force Awakens
From Negromancer:  "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
From Negromancer:  "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"

From Negromancer:  "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" (2008 animated film)
From Negromancer:  "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"
From Negromancer:  "Solo: A Star Wars Story" 

I Reads You "Star Wars Central" comics and graphic novel review page is here.

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