Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 19th to 25th, 2024 - UPDATE #10

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

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ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Nicki Minaj‘s show in Manchester, England, was postponed after the singer was arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on suspicion of carrying marijuana.  The Grammy-nominated recording artist has since been released.

CELEBRITY - From THR:  The venerable Hollywood paper profiles hot HOT actor Glen Powell and his continuing rise up the film industry superstar ladder. 

ANIME - From JapanTimes:  Four rare anime short films from Studio Ghibli will be screened at Cannes. One of them, "Mei and the Baby Cat Bus" is a 14-minutes mini-sequel to the legendary anime film, "My Neighbor Totoro" (1989), which was directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the co-founder of the studios.

CANNES - From Variety:  Netflix has bought director John Lee Hancock's drama, "Monsanto," starring Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie, and Oscar-winner, Laura Dern.

From Variety:  Director Ali Abbasi's film, "The Apprentice," a biopic of Donald Trump, has screen at Cannes.  Actor Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) plays Trump. The film has drawn attention for a controversial scenes of sex or rape - depending on point of view.

DISNEY - From EW:  "Pirates of the Caribbean" producer Jerry Bruckheimer would like to reboot the PotC franchise and also do a PotC film starring Margot Robbie.  Bruckheimer also said that he'd bring Johnny Depp back as "Captain Jack Sparrow" if it were up to him... So it's apparently not.

AI - From Variety:  "Sky," is one of the voice-enabled chatbots in OpenAI's latest release, "GPT-4o." Sky sounds like the voice Scarlett Johansson uses as the disembodied AI companion in the director Spike Jonze's 2013 film, Her.  Many people noticed, including Johansson, herself who threatened legal action.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Will Smith's action film, "Sugar Bandits" to be directed by Stefano Sollima, is set to start production in September. The film has sealed a number of international deals, including with Amazon Prime Video, ahead of that.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 5/17 to 5/19/2024 weekend box office is Paramount Pictures' "IF" with an estimated total of 35 million dollars.

CANNES - From Variety:  Cate Blanchett's new film, "Rumors," directed by Guy Maddin, is indeed named after Fleetwood Mac's iconic 1977 album.

MOVIES - From THR:  Sony's reboot of the 1997 horror film hit, "I Know What You Did Last Summer," is due "Summer 2025."

Review: "SING 2" is Full of Feel-Good Magic

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 21 of 2022 (No. 1833) by Leroy Douresseaux

Sing 2 (2021)
Running time:  110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes)
MPA – PG for some rude material and mild peril/violence
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Garth Jennings
PRODUCERS:  Janet Healy and Chris Meledandri
EDITOR:  Gregory Perler
COMPOSER:  Joby Talbot

ANIMATION/FANTASY/MUSICAL AND FAMILY/COMEDY

Starring:  (voices) Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Nick Kroll, Jennifer Saunders, Garth Jennings, Chelsea Peretti, Bobby Cannavale, Nick Offerman, Adam Buxton, Eric Andre, Halsey, Letitia Wright, Bono, Pharrell Williams, Julia Davis, Peter Serafinowicz, and Wes Anderson and Spike Jonze

Sing 2 is a 2021 computer-animated, jukebox musical comedy film written and directed by Garth Jennings and produced by Illumination Entertainment.  It is a sequel to the 2016 animated film, Sing.  In Sing 2, the Moon Theater crew must persuade a media mogul and a reclusive rock star to believe in their new show.

Sing 2 opens some time after the events depicted in Sing.  Buster Moon the koala (Matthew McConaughey) and the rebuilt “Moon Theater” are thriving.  His latest goal is to impress Suki (Chelsea Peretti), a talent scout from Crystal Entertainment in Redshore City, but Suki is definitely not impressed with the stars of the theater.  So Buster leads his troupe:  Rosita (Reese Witherspoon), a housewife and mother of 25 piglets; Gunter (Nick Kroll), the exuberant pig performer who wants to dance as much as he wants to sing; Ash (Scarlett Johansson), the punk-rock porcupine and singer; Johnny (Taron Egerton), the teenage gorilla singer, and Meena (Tori Kelly), the shy teenage elephant singer, to their destiny in Redshore.

Once there, they infiltrate Crystal Tower Theater in order to get an audience with Jimmy Crystal (Bobby Cannavale), a white wolf and media mogul, but Crystal brushes them off.  Desperate, Buster starts making promises to Crystal.  The first is that he and his troupe can stage a massive space-themed musical, “Out of This World.”  Secondly, Buster says that he can get reclusive rock legend, Clay Calloway (Bono), to be part of his show.

The problem is that Calloway has not been seen in over fifteen years since his wife died.  Buster sends his secretary, Miss Crawly (Garth Jennings), to find him.  After Miss Crawly fails spectacularly, Buster's show is in trouble and his life is on the line with Jimmy Crystal.  Is there anyway or anyone that can save “Out of This World?”

I recently watched the original film, Sing, for the first time.  I found that all the obstacles that Buster and his troupe face in the original were all over the place and overkill, and I did not think that Matthew McConaughey's voice performance amounted to much.  McConaughey is better in Sing 2, but not great.  The conflict and obstacles that Buster and the Moon Theater troupe face are singularly focused or directly related to putting on their sci-fi show, “Out of This World.”

In Sing 2, I find the returning characters to be likable or more likable, perhaps, because I am now more familiar with then.  There are also some excellent new characters.  I hope Letitia Wright's Nooshy, a lynx and a street dancer who teaches Johnny to dance, returns if there is another film in the series.  Porsha Crystal (Halsey), Jimmy's daughter, actually grows as a character in the film.  Bobby Cannavale has a fine old time with his performance as Jimmy Crystal, and noted film director, Spike Jonze, is excellent as Jerry the cat, Jimmy's loyal and groveling assistant.  As Clay Calloway, Bono (of the legendary rock band, U2) doesn't sound like Bono, and his performance is mostly flat.

The film's big musical finale, the actual performance of “Out of This World,” is sweet and lovely, although it is a little over the top.  It is an excellent show-stopper, and serves as a nice send off for Buster Moon and his troupe – on to better things.  I hope that there is a third film in the series.  Watching the endearing Sing 2 reminded me of why I really love watching animated films, especially computer-animated films.  They are the warm cup of cocoa in my life as a movie lover.

7 of 10
A-

Saturday, April 9, 2022


NOTES:
2022 Image Awards (NAACP):  1 win: “Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance-Motion Picture” (Letitia Wright); 2 nominations: “Outstanding Animated Motion Picture” (Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance-Motion Picture” (Eric André)


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "SING" is Animated by Pop Music Hits

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 20 of 2022 (No. 1832) by Leroy Douresseaux

Sing (2016)
Running time:  108 minutes (1 hour, 48 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some rude humor and mild peril
DIRECTOR:  Garth Jennings with Christophe Lourdelet
WRITER:  Garth Jennings
PRODUCERS:  Janet Healy and Chris Meledandri
EDITOR:  Gregory Perler
COMPOSER:  Joby Talbot

ANIMATION/FANTASY/MUSICAL AND FAMILY/COMEDY

Starring:  Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Jennifer Saunders, Garth Jennings, Peter Serafinowicz, Nick Kroll, Leslie Jones, Rhea Perlman, Beck Bennett, Jay Pharoah, Nick Offerman, Laraine Newman, Wes Anderson, and Jennifer Hudson

Sing is a 2016 computer-animated, jukebox musical comedy film written and directed by Garth Jennings and produced by Illumination Entertainment.  The film focuses on a struggling theater owner who holds a singing competition to save his theater.

Sing is set in a city (Calatonia) inhabited by anthropomorphic (humanoid) animals.  The film introduces Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey), a koala who owns the “Moon Theater.”  The theater is struggling, and Judith (Rhea Perlman), a brown llama who represents Buster's bank, is threatening the theater with foreclosure.  In a bid to get people interested in the theater, Buster decides to hold a singing competition with a prize of $1,000 going to the winner.  However, Buster's secretary, Miss Crawly (Garth Jennings), an elderly iguana, accidentally creates a typo that adds two extra zeros to the prize money.  The misprinted fliers for the competition, which declare a $100,000 prize, are also accidentally blown all over the city.

Soon, animals are lined up in front of the theater for the competition's open audition, but Buster only chooses a select few to participate in the singing competition.  There is Rosita (Reese Witherspoon), a housewife and mother of 25 piglets.  She is paired with another pig, Gunter (Nick Kroll), an exuberant performer who wants to dance as much as he sings.  Ash (Scarlett Johansson) is a punk-rock porcupine and singer who is trying to find her voice as a songwriter.

Johnny (Taron Egerton) is a singer and teenage gorilla, but he is also reluctantly part of his father, Big Daddy's (Peter Serafinowicz) gang of thieves.  Mike (Seth MacFarlane) is a white mouse who is a street musician and singer of swing music.  Meena (Tori Kelly), a teenage elephant, could be a contestant, but she has terrible stage fright.  Can Buster and his friend, Eddie Noodleman (John C. Reilly), a sheep, bring everyone together and save the theater before financial doom sinks them all?

The Hollywood film industry, sometimes called a “dream factory,” has consistently been pedaling fantasies in which plucky underdogs overcome obstacles in order to achieve something positive, which provides the audience with a happy ending.  Some films pile trials and tribulations, errors, failures, and misfortune upon the hero and supporting characters so much so that it often strains credulity.  The idea seems to be that the more the underdog has to overcome, the greater the pay off for the audience when the underdog wins in the end.

That is Sing in the proverbial movie nutshell.  I found it rather tiresome.  Poor old Buster Moon suffers so much failure, most of it brought upon him by his own actions, that it made Buster less sympathetic to me.  Buster is a plucky theater owner.  He is also such a con artist that it is hard to imagine him as much more than a loser, which is what most people would call him.  It did not help that I found Matthew McConaughey all wrong as the voice of Buster.

For me, there are a couple of things that enhance Sing.  First is Seth MacFarlane, who is best known for the Fox Network's long-running, prime time animated television sitcom, “Family Guy.”  Initially, I did not recognize his voice as Mike the white mouse, but when I did, it made sense to me.  MacFarlane is a genius at voice acting in both live-action and animated productions.  He can sing the heck out of big band and swing music standards, and as Mike, he steals most of the scenes in which the character appears.  Seth certainly makes a case for a Mike solo movie.

Second, I also initially did not realize that Scarlett Johansson was the voice of Ash, the punk-rock porcupine.  Johansson gives a voice performance full of texture, emotion, and personality, and when Ash sings, Johansson kills it.  [Johannson has released one solo album and an album recorded with Pete Yorn].  I spent most of movie wanting for her to be back on screen.  I'm one vote for an Ash movie.

Finally, the third thing that saves this film is the last 20 minutes.  Most of Sing's characters are caricatures and character types, as pleasant as they may be.  However, all the characters (except Buster) shine in the film's riveting, song-filled final 20 minutes.  This rousing songfest even offers a thrilling jail break and a crazy car chase.  I avoided Sing for years, and I am not really interested in singing competitions, in general.  I only really watched it because I am going to watch and review its recent sequel, Sing 2.  However, MacFarlane, Johansson, and the show-stopping finale made me glad I watched Sing.  I like animated movies – even the ones that are not Pixar-great.

6 of 10
B

Saturday, April 2, 2022


NOTES:
2017 Golden Globes, USA:  2 nominations: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Ryan Tedder, Stevie Wonder, and Francis and the Lights for the song, “Faith”) and “Best Motion Picture – Animated”


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama 2021 - Update #149

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

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

From Negromancer:  My review of "Eternals."

From Negromancer: My review of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings."

From Negromancer:  My review of "Black Widow."

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MARVEL STUDIOS NEWS:

SPIDER-MAN - From Deadline:  "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is apparently already a profitable film.

From Variety:  Why "Spider-Man" is Hollywood's most potent box office force.

From Deadline:  "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is poised to become the first billion dollar film of the pandemic era.

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 - From EW:  There is a teaser for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" that ties into the Disney+ animated series, "What If...?"

SPIDER-MAN - From THR:  A list of all the box office records that "Spider-Man: No Way Home" has broken.

From Variety:  In one weekend, it's debut weekend, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is the highest grossing film at the domestic box office this year ... and has done better than any film released last year (2020).

From THR:   "'No Way Home' and the Tragedy of Spider-Man," a feature article by Graeme McMillan.

From YahooEntertainment:   Tom Holland explains how "Spider-Man: No Way Home" fits into the Marvel multiverse.

From Variety:  The site looks at the reviews and reactions to "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

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ETERNALS - From Deadline:  Marvel Studios' recent hit superhero film, "Eternals," will start streaming on Disney+ January 12, 2022.

THOR 4 - From TheDirect:  There is a teaser poster for next year's film, "Thor: Love & Thunder."

DAREDEVIL - From CinemaBlend:  Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has reportedly confirmed that actor Charlie Cox, who played Matt Murdock/Daredevil on the Netflix series, "Daredevil," will also play the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ... at some point.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From BoxOfficePro:  "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is tracking for a 200 million dollar-plus opening.

SPIDER-MAN - From Fandango:  In an interview with "Fandango," producer Amy Pascal said that Sony Pictures plans to make more "Spider-Man" movies with Marvel Studios.

HAWKEYE - From THR:   "How ‘Hawkeye’ Finally Gives an Avenger His Due"

SCARLETT JOHANSSON - From Deadline:   Scarlett Johansson became the 35th recipient of the "American Cinematheque Award."  Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, while paying tribute to her, teased a secret Marvel project for Johansson that has nothing to do with the "Black Widow" character she has made famous.

ETERNALS - From BoxOfficePro:  On Wednesday, Nov. 17th, "Eternals" crossed the 300 million dollar mark in global box office.

SPIDER-MAN - From Deadline:   Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios have dropped the "official trailer" for "Spider-Man: No Way Home," which is due Dec. 17th.

BLADE - From THR:  SPOILER - The "Eternals'" end credit scene featuring Blade's voice is explained.

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 - From THR:  "Doctor Strange in the Madness of the Multiverse" is undergoing "significant" reshoots which will run through the end of the year.

DISNEY+ - From Variety:  First looks at "Moon Knight," "She-Hulk," and "Ms. Marvel" from "Disney+ Day."

From THR:  Among its many announcements today (Nov. 12th), Disney+ has ordered "X-Men '97," a sequel to the "X-Men" animated TV series that ran from 1992-97.  The animated "Spider-Man: Freshman Year" is set before the events depicted in "Captain America: Civil War."  There will also be a "Marvel Zombies" animated series and a second season of "What If...?"

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ETERNALS -  From THR:  Richard Newby of "The Hollywood Reporter" explains "Why 'Eternals' is Dividing Audiences" in a very favorable review of an excellent film.

From Variety:   "How ‘Eternals’ Brought Sex to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: ‘It’s Very Tasteful’"

From IGN:  Director Chloe Zhao only needed 25 minutes to film the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first sex scene - Sersi and Ikaris getting down on a beach in "Eternals."

From ComicBook:   Two characters in "Eternals," Barry Keoghan's Druig and Lauren Ridloff's Makkari, appear to have captivated audiences with their onscreen chemistry. 

From BuzzFeed:  Salma Hayek says she cried when she first saw herself in her "Eternals" costume.  "I saw my brown face in a superhero suit."

From DiscussingFilm:   Chloe Zhao talks about how she originally pitched "Eternals" to Marvel Studios.

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BLACK PANTHER 2 - From THR:   "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is temporarily shutting down production while star, Letitia Wright ("Shuri"), is recovering from an on-set injury.

ETERNALS - From THR:  Actress Lauren Ridloff talks about becoming the first deaf superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe via "Eternals."

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3 - From Variety:   Writer-director James Gunn has announced that actor Will Poulter will play the Marvel Comics character, "Adam Warlock," in "Guardians of the Galaxy 3."  The film is due May 5, 2023.

WANDAVISION - From THR:   Disney+/Marvel Studios is in early development of a "WandaVision" spinoff TV series focusing on the character, "Agatha Harkness," with actress Kathryn Hahn reprising the role.  Hahn received a Primetime Emmy nominations for playing the role in "WandaVision."

BLACK WIDOW - From Variety:  Scarlett Johansson and The Walt Disney Company have reached a settlement over Johansson's pay lawsuit regarding the release of "Black Widow."  Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

SHANG-CHI - From CNBC:  "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" is now the highest grossing release of 2021 at the domestic box office.

WANDAVISION - From Deadline:  The Disney+ series, "WandaVision," has won Marvel Studios its first two Emmy Awards.  At the first night of the 2021 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, "WandaVision" won in two categories, "Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Program (Half-Hour)" and "Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes."

SHANG-CHI - From THR:  "Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings" has smashed the record for Labor Day openings with a four-day haul of $90 million and has posted the second-biggest three-day debut ($75.5) of the pandemic year so far, behind fellow Marvel Studios film, "Black Widow."

From YahooStyleCaster:  Beginning Oct. 15th, 2021, you'll be able to see "Shang-Chi" free on Disney+.

From YahooEntertainment:  "Shang-Chi" star Simu Liu breaks down that amazing bus fight scenes that occurs early in the film.

From Inverse:   How Marvel's "Shang-Chi" had to destroy its own racist origins.

From YahooEntertainment:  "Shang-Chi" star Simu Liu uses physics to describe the film.

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BLADE - From IndieWire:  Bassam Tariq, director of Marvel Studios' "Blade" reboot, does some vague teasing about the film, which will begin shooting in July 2022.

THE MARVELS - From CNALifestyle:   According to IMDb, South Korean actor, Park Seo-joon, will appear in the "Captain Marvel" sequel, "The Marvels."

IRONHEART - From Variety:   The character "Ironheart" will make her debut in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," which is due next year.  Played by actress Dominique Thorne, Ironheart will be the star of an upcoming Disney+ series.

SHANG-CHI - From Variety:   The history of the controversy around the logo for "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings."

CAPTAIN AMERICA 4 - From Deadline:   "Deadline Hollywood" is reporting that Anthony Mackie has closed a deal to star in "Captain America 4."

ETERNALS - From EW:   "Entertainment Weekly" has a guide to Marvel Studios' "Eternals," which is scheduled to open Nov. 5th.

SHANG-CHI - From Deadline:   "We are not an experiment!"  "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" star, Simu Liu responds to Disney CEO Bob Chapek's recent comments about the film.

THE MARVELS - From Nerdist:  The "Captain Marvel" sequel, entitled "The Marvels," has begun filming.

WHAT IF...? - From Inverse:   Brad Winderbaum, executive producer of Disney+ "What If...?," says that some of the characters and stories explored in the animated series could be revisited in a film.

WHAT IF...? - From Deadline:   Jeffrey Wright, the narrator of Disney+/Marvel Studios' animated "What If...?," speaks on the late Chadwick Boseman who appears in the series via a voice performance.

BLACK WIDOW - From Variety:  Scarlett Johansson has filed suit against Disney over the way it released "Black Widow."  Much of Johannson's financial compensation for the film is based on ticket sales and box office benchmarks.

HAWKEYE - From EW:   In a first look from the Disney+ series, "Hawkeye," Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) meets Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld).  The series debuts November 24th.

FRANCHISE - From YahooBGR:   David S. Goyer, someone who has written for DC Comics and who has written films based on DC characters, explains why Marvel Studios movies are so much more successful than movies based on DC characters.

ANT-MAN 3 - From Nerdist:   "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" has begin filming.

BLACK PANTHER 2 - From Variety:   The site is reporting that actress Michaela Coel (HBO Max's "I May Destroy You") has been cast in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" in an unknown role.

From TimeOut:  Here is everything publicly known about "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

BLACK WIDOW - From WeGotThisCovered:  The "Black Widow" character, "Yelena Belova" (played by actress Florence Pugh), reportedly will make multiple appearances in the upcoming Disney+/Marvel Studios series, "Hawkeye."

BLADE - From Deadline:   Bassan Tariq "(Mogul Mowgli") is apparently Marvel Studios' choice to direct its "Blade" reboot film starring Mahershala Ali.

BLACK PANTHER 2 - From Collider:   Winstone Duke, who played M'Baku in "Black Panther, has confirmed that he will return for the sequel, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

SHE-HULK - From YahooMensHealth:   Actress Jameela Jamil, who will play "Titania" on Disney+/Marvel's "She-Hulk," shows off her fight training.

KEVIN FEIGE - From TheDirect:   Marvel Studios just held a big meeting about multiverse rules in the MCU.

BLACK WIDOW - From Deadline:  "Black Widow" crosses the 100 million dollar mark in domestic box office in record time during the pandemic.

LOKI - From Deadline:  Disney+ has renewed its Marvel Studios hit, "Loki," for a second season. Audiences found out during the credits of the final episode of Season One. 

From Deadline:  Kate Erron, executive producer and director of "Loki," says that she won't be returning for the series' second season.

EMMYS - From Deadline:  Don Cheadle expresses surprise at his Emmy nomination ("Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series") for his 98-second appearance in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

BLACK WIDOW - From Variety:   We do know that "Black Widow" won the 7/9 to 7/11/21 weekend box office.  Now, we know how much the movie made via "Disney Plus Premiere Access," in which consumers pay an additional 30 dollars to see a new Disney film.  In a rare look at its profits, Disney announced that "Black Widow" made an additional 60 million dollars via premiere access.

BLACK WIDOW - From Deadline:   "Black Widow" director Cate Shortland talks about the potential for a sequel to this film and about how the current film was made.

BLACK WIDOW - From Variety:  "Black Widow" Cate Shortland talks about turning down directing the film before accepting the gig. 

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Variety:  Chris Pratt ("Peter Quill/Star-Lord") says that "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" will begin filming later this year.

WANDAVISION - From Deadline:   The story of "WandaVision," according to Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, "will continue."

SHE-HULK - From Variety:   The news site is reporting that actress Jameela Jamil has been cast in Disney+/Marvel's "She-Hulk."

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Kotaku:   At E3, Square Enix announced "Guardians of the Galaxy," a new game based on the popular Marvel team featured in movies and comics. The game is being developed by Eidos Montreal. It’s out on October 26, 2021.  The game also features a new original story featuring Marvel’s cosmic misfits. At the start of the game, they have only been together for a year. Players will take on the role of Peter Quill, also known as Starlord.

LOKI - From Metro:   Michael Waldron, the head writer of Disney+/Marvel's "Loki," teases cameos from Marvel Comics characters.  "Expect the unexpected," he says.

WANDAVISION - From RollingStone:   Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, and more tell the story of how the year’s biggest, boldest show came together

MOON KNIGHT - From Variety:   Marvel Studios finally officially confirms that Oscar Isaac is the star of its Disney+ series, "Moon Knight."

DOCTOR STRANGE - From Deadline:  Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige now says that it was a mistake to cast Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton as "The Ancient One" in "Doctor Strange" (2016).

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Variety:  Sebastian Stan talks about being injured on-set during film of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

FRANCHISE - From Variety:  Did you know that Marvel Studios' does not use a "showrunner" for its Disney+ series, a position that is industry standard for TV series.  Some TV writers are worried and upset about that. 

BLACK WIDOW - From HypeBeast:   Here are the "Black Widow" character posters.

WANDAVISION - From Movieweb:   Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige says "Doctor Strange" was written out of "WandaVision" to keep from having a "white guy" save the day.

ETERNALS - From Marvel:  A new promotional video from Marvel Studios includes footage from the upcoming film, "Eternals," which is due for a Fall 2021 release.

MS MARVEL - From ComicBook:  There are some photos that are alleged to be from the set of Disney+/Marvel's "Ms. Marvel" TV series.  Those photos provide a look at Ms. Marvel's uniform.

DEADPOOL - From Deadline:   Via a NYPD officer, Hugh Jackman makes of request of "Deadpool" star Ryan Reynolds - put me in "Deadpool 3" as Wolverine.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From WeGotThisCovered:   A second season of Disney+ "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is a possibility.

ETERNALS - From Variety:   Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao apparently impressed Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige with her use of practical locations instead of CGI when filming the Marvel film, "Eternals."

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Deadline:   The site interviews Malcolm Spellman, the showrunner and executive producer of Disney+ "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."  Spellman is also the announced writer of the developing film, "Captain America 4."

SAM WILSON/CAPTAIN AMERICA - From Deadline:   Disney+ has released a poster featuring Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as Captain America.

CAPTAIN AMERICA - From Deadline:   The site is reporting that Marvel Studios is developing a fourth "Captain America" film.  It would follow the events depicted in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," with the series' showrunner, Malcolm Spellman, writing the script.  This fourth film could follow Sam Wilson/Falcon as the new Captain America or could feature the original Captain America, Steve Rogers.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Deadline:   SPOILER - the final episode of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" reveals Sharon Carter to be the "Power Broker."  Sam Wilson/The Falcon takes on the mantle of Captain America.

THOR LOVE AND THUNDER - From ScreenRant:  Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe has reportedly confirmed that he is in Marvel Studios' "Thor: Love & Thunder," and that he will play the role of the Greek god, "Zeus."

FRANCHISE - From YahooTelegraph:   How being in a "Marvel movie" became every serious actor's dream.

SECRET INVASION - From Variety:   "Game of Throne's" Emilia Clarke has reportedly joined Marvel Studios' Disney+ series, "Secret Invasion."

SHANG-CHI - From YahooEntertainment:  "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" star, Simu Liu, celebrates with fans the release of the first official teaser trailer for the film. 

From Variety:  What the "Shang-Chi" Teaser Reveals About Marvel Studios’ Groundbreaking Movie

SECRET INVASION - From THR:   Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman is reportedly in negotiations to appear with Samuel L. Jackson in the Disney+/Marvel Studios' series, "Secret Invasion."

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From Variety:   Actor Alfred Molina, who appeared as Doctor Octopus" in 2004's "Spider-Man 2," talks about reprising the role in the upcoming "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

BLACK PANTHER II - From Deadline:  In a guest column, director Ryan Coogler explains why "Black Panther II" will film in Georgia, while he uses his voice to continue to fight Georgia's recent Jim Crow voting laws.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From BleedingCool:   In a series of videos, the cast of DisneyPlus' "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" talks about the appearance of the Dora Milaje, and there is a final teaser trailer for the series.

DEADPOOL - From WeGotThisCovered:   Rumors say that Ryan Reynolds is attempting to revive an animated Deadpool TV series that was dropped a few years ago.  He also wants the series to be canon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe...

SHANG-CHI - From YahooFinance:  Simu Liu will be Shang-Chi, Marvel Studios first Asian-American superhero in the upcoming film, "Shang-Chi: Legend of Ten Rings."  Liu says the time of rising hate crimes against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities is not a time for AAPI actors to feel discouraged about pursuing their passions.

HAWKEYE - From BleedingCool:  Disney+ offers some prep on the character, Kate Bishop, who will appear in the still-filming "Hawkeye" series.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From YahooEntertainment:  Malcolm Spellman talks about going from stealing comics as a young man to showrunning Disney+/Marvel Studios' "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From BuzzFeed:   Actor Desmond Chiam talks about appearing in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" and about being starstruck by series stars, Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan.

SPIDER-MAN NO WAY HOME - From WeGotThisCovered:  According to the site is is official that previous screen Spider-Man actors, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, will appear in "Spider-Man: No Way Home."  Apparently, numerous villains from the previous Spider-Man films will also appear, and Doctor Strange is the instigator of this live-action "Spider-Verse."

THOR LOVE AND THUNDER - From Deadline:   Reports indicate that Oscar-winning actor, Russell Crowe, is joining Marvel Studios' "Thor: Love and Thunder" in a mystery role.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLIDER - From YahooEntertainment:   Isaiah Bradley, a black Marvel Comics character exposed to the super-soldier serum, makes his official appearance in the MCU in the second episode of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

BLACK WIDOW - From Deadline:   Disney has moved the release date for "Black Widow" from May 2021 to Friday, July 9, 2021, when it will play in theaters and on Disney+.  Disney is also doing that with its film, "Cruella" (May 28th).

RUMOR - From Variety:   Disney+ is reportedly in early development of a TV series featuring Native American Marvel Comics' character, "Echo."

FALCON AND WINTER SOLIDER - From YahooEntertainment:   Not everyone is crazy about the new Captain America, "John Walker," who appears in the first episode of Disney+ "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."  Still, the article has some information on him.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Variety: Writer Malcom Spellman explains why "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is so pointed about race, nationalism and the world today.

RUMOR - From WeGotThisCovered:   Hot rumor is that Michael B. Jordan and his character, "Killmonger," will return to take up the mantle of Black Panther in "Black Panther 2."

SECRET INVASION - From Deadline:   British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir will star in Marvel's "Secret Invasion" series.  Ben-Adir recently portrayed Malcolm X in Regina King's "One Night in Miami."

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Deadline:   While he would not commit to a Season Two of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Marvel Studios President and CCO, Kevin Feige, says that there are ideas...

BLACK WIDOW - From ComicBookMovies:  During a shareholders' meeting, Disney CEO Bob Chapek says that will "Black Widow" still on course for a May 7, 2021 release.

ANTHONY MACKIE - From Variety:   "Variety" offers the profile of actor Anthony Mackie as he finally takes the lead in a Marvel Studios production, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

ANT-MAN 3 - From THR:  Rapper and actor, T.I., who appeared in the first two "Ant-Man" films will reportedly not appear in the third film.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From WeGotThisCovered:  Spider-Man: No Way Home reportedly has the largest physical set of any Marvel Studios film.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From YahooNerdist:   Cast members of the third Sony-Marvel "Spider-Man"film share early images from the film and also speculations on the title of the film.

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 - From Inverse:  Emmy and Grammy Award winning composer, Danny Elfman, has apparently confirmed that he will be provided the musical "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," which will be directed by Sam Raimi.

RUMORS - From WeGotThisCovered:   Once upon a time, Luke Cage and Iron Fist each had a TV series on Netflix.  Now, they may be reunited in a "Heroes for Hire"-type series that would be styled after Disney+'s upcoming, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

CAPTAIN MARVEL 2 - From Deadline:   Actress Zawe Ashton will reportedly play the main villain in "Captain Marvel 2."  The film will be directed by Nia DeCosta and star Brie Larson in the title role.

BLADE - From THR:   Stacy Osei-Kuffour, a playwright who acted as story editor and writer on HBO'S Emmy-winning and acclaimed limited series, Watchmen, will write the screenplay for Marvel Studios' "Blade" reboot that will star Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali in the title role.

ANT-MAN - From IndieWire:  Writer-director Edgar Wright ("Baby Driver") walked off the first Ant-Man movie over six years ago over creative differences with Marvel Studios.  Wright says he recently reconnected with Marvel boss Kevin Feige, and that he was glad he did.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From Variety:   Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland, said that Sony/Marvel "Spider-Man 3"is the "most ambitious superhero movie of all time."

THOR LOVE AND THUNDER - From MCUDirect:  This link will take you to set photos from "Thor: Love and Thunder" featuring Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Chris Pratt (Peter Quill/Star Lord).

From MensHealth:   Chris Hemsworth confirms the beginning of the filming of "Thor: Love and Thunder" with a set photo.

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DISNEYLAND - From YahooEntertainment:  Tom Holland teases a new Marvel ride at Disneyland: 'It's the most I've ever felt like Spider-Man'

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From ScreenRant:  Recent set photos from Sony/Marvel's third "Spider-Man" film indicates that the film may be partly set during Christmas.

MOON KNIGHT - From THR:  Four-time Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke has reportedly signed a deal to play the lead villain in Disney+/Marvel Studios' "Moon Knight" series.

MOON KNIGHT - From THR:  Actress May Calamawy has been cast in an unnamed key role in Marvel Studios' "Moon Knight"series.

CAPTAIN AMERICA - From Deadline:   Sources say that Chris Evan is in negotiations to reprise his role as "Steve Rogers/Captain America" in a future Marvel Cinematic Universe film.

HAWKEYE - From CBR:   Actress Hailee Steinfeld promises that her portrayal of "Kate Bishop" in the Disney+ series, "Hawkeye," will be "comics-accurate."

BLACK PANTHER 2 - From YahooEntertainment: Marvel chief Kevin Feige talks legacy of Chadwick Boseman, how they'll approach 'Black Panther 2' without him.

DEADPOOL 3 - From Collider:   Marvel Studios boss, Kevin Feige, says that "Deadpool 3" will be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but won't start filming until at least 2022.

SECRET INVASION - From Collider:  Marvel Studios boss, Kevin Feige, explains why "Secret Invasion" is a series and not a movie.

MOON KNIGHT - From THR:   Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, indie genre filmmakers behind sci-fi horror movies, "The Endless" and "Synchronic," are joining Mohamed Diab, the Egyptian filmmaker behind Middle Eastern drama, "Clash," as directors of Marvel Studios TV series, "Moon Knight, which will star Oscar Isaac.

FRANCHISE - From WeGotThisCovered:   Rumors suggest that Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige wants most Marvel heroes to be women and people of color going forward.

WHAT IF...? - From YahooEntertainment:   Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has confirmed that the late actor, Chadwick Boseman ("Black Panther") recorded a number of voice performances for Marvel's upcoming animated series, "What If...?"

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TRAILERS AND PREVIEWS 2021:

From Marvel:  Here are the first official trailer and poster for Disney+/Marvel Studios' "Hawkeye" series.  The series starts streaming November 24, 2021.

From YouTube:   This is the first official teaser trailer (Aug. 23rd) for "Spider-Man: No Way Home," which is due December 2021.

From YouTube:  Here is the final trailer for Marvel Studios' "Eternals," which is due Nov. 5th.

From YouTube:   Marvel Studios releases an official trailer for its upcoming animated series, "What If...?"  The series debuts on Disney+ August 11th.

From Marvel:   Marvel Studios has released a brand-new video that provides a glimpse into its plans for its "Phase 4" movies.

From Marvel:  In celebration of "National Super Hero Day," Marvel has released (Wed., April 28th) this "Black Widow" featurette, "How Much Do You Really Know About Natasha Romanoff?"  "Black Widow" finally arrives in theaters and on Disney+ July 9th. [Disney should have kept they May 7th, 2021 release date. - Leroy]

From YouTube:   First official teaser trailer for Marvel Studios "Shangi-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings."  It is now due in theaters Sept 3rd.

From YouTube:   New "Loki" trailer - released Mon., April 5th, 2021.  "Loki" is due on Disney+ on June 11, 2021.

From YouTube:  New "Black Widow" trailer - released Sat., April 3rd, 2021.  Film is due in theaters and on Disney+ July 9th.

From YouTube:  Spider-Man 3 has a name. It's "Spider-Man: No Way Home," as revealed in this video clip (Wed., Feb. 24th, 2021).  It is due in theaters Christmas 2021.

From YouTube:  "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" Super Bowl LV trailer. Series arrives on Disney+ March 19, 2021.

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TRAILERS AND VIDEO PREVIEWS FROM 2020:

From Marvel:   A first look at Disney+ series, "Loki" (Thurs., Dec. 10th, 2020)

From Marvel:   A first look at "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" (Thurs., Dec. 10th, 2020)

From Marvel:   A first look at Marvel Studios' "What If ... ?" (Thurs., Dec. 10th, 2020)

From YouTube:  The official trailer for the Disney+ series, "WandaVision." (released, Sun., Sept. 20, 2020)

From YouTube:  The "final trailer" for "Black Widow" (released Mon., March 9, 2020).

From Newsarama:  This Disney+ Super Bowl TV spot focuses on the upcoming Marvel Studios TV series, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," "WandaVision," and "Loki."

From Newsarama:  Here is the 30-second TV spot for "Black Widow" that was shown during Super Bowl LIV (Sun., Feb. 2nd, 2020).

From EW:  Here is the special look at "Black Widow" shown during the "College Football Playoff" Championship game between LSU (winner) and Clemson (Mon., Jan. 13th, 2020).

From Marvel:  See first official teaser trailer for Marvel Studios' "Black Widow" (Tues., Ded. 3, 2019).

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Click here for the 2020 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

Click here for the 2019 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

Click here for the 2018 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

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MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU):

Review: Iron Man (2008)

Review: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Review: Iron Man 2 (2010)

Review: Thor (2011)

Review:  Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Review:  Marvel's The Avengers (2012)

Review: Iron Man 3 (2013)

Review: Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Review:  Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Review: Ant-Man (2015)

Review: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Review: Doctor Strange (2016)

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Review:  Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Review: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Review:  Black Panther (2018)

Review:  Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Review:  Captain Marvel (2019)

Review: Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Review:  Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 1st to 9th, 2021 - Update #26

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:  Deadline is confirming that actor Cillian Murphy will play J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's biopic, "Oppenheimer."  The film is due July 21, 2023.

MUSIC/CELEBRITY - From Variety:  Dwayne Johnson enters the rap game via Tech N9ine's new single, "Face Off."

NETFLIX - From THR:  Netflix has ordered a spinoff of Fox's late sitcom, "That 70's Show."  Creators Bonnie and Terry Turner and original cast members, Kurtwood Smith (Red Forman) and Debra Jo Rupp (Kitty Forman), are back for "That 90's Show."

POLITICS/TELEVISION - From Reuters:   How AT&T helped build far-right One America News (OAN).

From RollingStone:  "Fox News and OAN Were Deeper in the Bag for Trump Than Anyone Realized."

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  The cable net, Food Network, is reportedly parting ways with one of its most famous faces, superstar chef Bobby Flay, who has been with the network for 27 years.

SCANDAL - From YahooNews:  Rachel Lindsay, the first black woman to star on ABC's "The Bachelorette," tells a crazy story about ESPN's tragic mulatto, Sage Steele.

STREAMING - From THR:   Spyglass is rebooting the classic 1987 horror film, "Hellraiser," with "The L Word: Generation Q" actress," Jamie Clayton playing the iconic villian, "Pinhead."  The movie will debut on Hulu in 2022.  Clive Barker, the creator of Hellraiser and of its source material, the novella, "The Hellbound Heart," is one of the film's producers.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  FXX's long-running animated series, "Archer," said good-bye to one of its main characters, "Malory Archer," voiced by Jessica Walter, in the Season 12 finale.  Walter died March 24th of this year at the age of 80.

AMAZON - From Variety:  Amazon has licensed “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” from Sony Pictures Animation. The fourth (and final) installment in the blockbuster franchise will stream globally — excluding China — on Prime Video on Jan. 14, 2022. 

COVID-19 - From THR:   "Hollywood Battle Lines Emerge in Simmering Vaccine War." Without mandates to get a shot, some film and TV sets have been thrown into chaos as A-list holdouts have caused work stoppages while others say, “It’s not my place to police anyone.”

MOVIES - From THR:  On a recent episode of her talk show, "The Drew Barrymore Show," Drew talked about the infamous clash between her co-stars, Lucy Liu and Bill Murray, on the set of the 2000 "Charlie's Angels" film.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Actor Robert Carlyle is set to reprise his role as "Francis Begbie," a character he made famous in the film, "Trainspotting" (1996).  Begbie will return in a six-part series that is an adaptation of author Irvine Welsh's 2016 novel, "The Blade Artist," a sequel to "Trainspotting," Welsh's 1993 novel that became the beloved 1996 British film.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The former NBC legal drama, "L.A. Law" (1984-86), has taken another step in making a comeback.  ABC has ordered a pilot for a sequel series, and original series star, Blair Underwood, returns as his character, "Jonathan Rollins," in addition to being an executive producer.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:   The winner of the 10/1 to 10/3/21 weekend box office is "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" with an estimated take of 90.1 million dollars.

Negromancer:  My review of "Venom: Let There Be Carnage."

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NEWS - Truthout:  The United States Post Office (USPS) has started offering check-cashing services as part of a pilot program in four cities.  USPS customers are being given the opportunity to cash payroll or other types of checks, up to $500 in total, at single-branch post office locations in Washington, D.C., Falls Church, Virginia, Baltimore, Maryland, and the Bronx in New York City. 

ACADEMY AWARDS - From Deadline:   Will Packer has been named Producer of the 94th Annual Academy Awards, set for March 27, 2022.  Packer is a prolific producer of numerous films and TV projects including "Straight Outta Compton," "Ride Along," and "Girls Trip," to name a few.  He also produced the 2016, four-episode, remake of the television miniseries "Roots."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  WarnerMedia has released the first teaser for "House of the Dragon," a spin-off from the Emmy-winning, "Game of Thrones."

COVID-19 - From YahooNews:   Trying to Make Sense of COVID's Mysterious 2-Month Cycle

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Universal has moved the Bluhouse horror flick, "The Black Phone," from Jan. 28th, 2021 to Feb. 4, 2022.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney and Scarlett Johansson have settled their legal issues, and her projects with the studio are back on, including "Tower of Terror."  No terms of the settlement were made public, but Deadline estimates the multiple Oscar-nominated Johansson could get 40 million dollars.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  The Disney Channel favorite, "Raven's Home," has been renewed for a fifth season.  Actor Rondell Sheridan, who played Raven Baxter's father, "Victor Baxter," on the original series, "That's So Raven," will be one of the new series regulars.   However, the storyline moves to San Francisco and that results in the departure of several series regulars, Navia Robinson (Nia), Jason Maybaum (Levi), Sky Katz (Tess) and Anneliese van der Pol (Chelsea).

AMAZON - From THR:  Amazon is working on an update of the 1999 hit film, "Cruel Intentions," for its IMDb TV.

From THR:  Speaking of IMDb TV, the streamer is also interested in a greenlighting a second season of the cancelled ABC legal drama, "Rebel."  IMDb has the free streaming rights to the first season.

NFL - From Deadline:   Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and Mary J. Blige will perform during the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show (Sun., Feb. 13th, 2022) at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles.  The five artists have never before appeared together onstage, according to the official announcement of the show. Among them, they have 43 Grammys and 22 No. 1 albums on the Billboard charts.

TELEVISION - From GoodHousekeeping:    The sister cable networks, "Hallmark Channel" and "Hallmark Movies & Mysteries" are debuting a combined 41 movies across both networks this holiday season.  "Good Housekeeping" has posted Hallmark Channel's "Countdown to Christmas" 2021 movie schedule and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries' "Miracles of Christmas" 2021 movie schedule.  Hallmark starts off with "You, Me & Christmas Tree" on Fri., Oct. 2nd.  HMM starts off with "Christmas in My Heart" on Sat., Oct. 23rd.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 22nd to 31st, 2021 - Update #26

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

REVIEW - From Negromancer:  Here is my review of "Candyman."

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Frank Oz, the filmmaker and puppeteer who originally performed such Muppet characters as Miss Piggy and Fozzy Bear, has said that Disney, which has owned the franchise since 2004, does not want him to work with "The Muppets" anymore.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Lionsgate and Millennium Media are working on a fourth film in "The Expendables" franchise, with Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture set to return.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Lord Miller (the home of Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Aditya Sood) will produce a film about former Chicago Bull, Dennis Rodman, and his crazy weekend in Las Vegas during the 1998 NBA Finals.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 8/27 to 8/29/2021 weekend box office is "Candyman" with an estimated take of 22.37 million dollars.

From TheGuardian:  An interview with co-writer and director of "Candyman," Nia DaCosta.

MOVIES - From CNN:  With two new movies about him, we must ask, "Why won't Hollywood let Ted Bundy go away."

MOVIES - From Variety:   The Grammy-winning recording artist and Oscar-winning songwriter, H.E.R., has signed on for her first major acting role, landing the part of Squeak in Blitz Bazawule’s forthcoming adaptation of “The Color Purple” for Warner Bros.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  Director Nia DaCosta's "Candyman" has a strong Thursday night of "preview shows." 

MOVIES - From Deadline:   "The Matrix 4" revealed some of its secrets at "Cinemacon."  It's official title is "The Matrix: Resurrections," and it is due Dec. 22nd.  There is no word on when the trailer showed at Cinemacon will hit social media.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  COVID-19 and the "anti-vaxx" controversies are both roiling on the set of ABC's long-running daytime soap opera, "General Hospital."

TRAILER - From Variety:   Neon has released the first official trailer for "Spencer," starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana.  The film is directed by Pablo Larrain ("Jackie").

DISNEY - From Deadline:   Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre are set to lead the voice cast of director Barry Jenkins' prequel to Walt Disney's "The Lion King."

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  A Los Angeles grand jury has indicted legendary porn movie star, 68-year-old Ron Jeremy, on 33 rape and sexual assault charges.  These new counts involve 21 individuals, age ranging from 15 to 51, and go back to the mid-1990s.  He pleaded "not guilty" again.

TELEVISION - From TheGrio:   The "Jeopardy!" team never really considered LeVar Burton for the position of new permanent host, replacing the late Alex Trebek, according to a report.  TMZ reported that its insider sources say Sony Studios executives loved Burton, yet didn't think he was a "right fit."

MARVEL STUDIOS - From Deadline:   During an overnight shoot in Boston for Marvel’s "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," actress Letitia Wright suffered minor injuries due to an incident with a stunt rig.  She was hospitalized, but has since been released.

MUSIC - From Variety:   When he was an infant, Spencer Elden, was photographed nude with his genitalia exposed.  That photograph was used as the cover art for the rock band, Nirvana's seminal 1991 album, "Nevermind."  Now, Elden is suing several people, including the surviving members of the band, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, and Courtney Love, the widow of deceased member, Kurt Cobain, over the use of the photograph.

NETFLIX - From EW:   Netflix shares the first photos from its live-action adaptation of the beloved Japanese anime series, "Cowboy Bebop."

From Deadline:  Netflix has announced the release dates of 42 films that it will release Fall 2021, beginning with "Afterlife of the Party" on September 2nd, 2021.

From WeGotThisCovered:  "Beverly Hills Cop 4" gets closer to actually being a thing. The film has been award 15 million dollars in tax credits to shoot in California.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Amblin adds six more cast members to Steven Spielberg's next film, "The Fablesons," his semi-autobiographical film about his childhood.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:   The winner of the 8/20 to 8/22/2021 weekend box office is "Free Guy" with an estimated take of 18.8 million dollars.

DISNEY - From Deadline:   Disney attempts to take its legal disputes with actress Scarlett Johansson over Marvel Studios' "Black Widow" behind closed doors via arbitration.

OBITS:

From Variety:   Film and television actor, Ed Asner, has died at the age of 91, Sunday, November 29, 2021.  Asner is the most most honored male actor in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards, having won seven Emmys.  He won five for playing the character, "Lou Grant."  He first played Grant in the late CBS sitcom, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (1970-77), and then, he played the character in a lead role in the late CBS spinoff drama, "Lou Grant" (1977-82).  He also notably provided the voice for the character "Carl Fredricksen" in Disney/Pixar's "Up" (2009).

From Variety:  Longtime drummer of "The Rolling Stones," Charlie Watts, has died at the age of 80, Tuesday, August 24, 2021.  Watts, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards are the only members of the Stones to have been featured on all their studio albums.  In addition to his Stones work, the jazz-trained drummer also released 10 albums, including several jazz recordings.

From Variety:   Singer-songwriter and musician, Don Everly, has died at the age of 84, Saturday, August 21, 2021.  Don was one-half of the legendary country-influenced rock 'n' roll duo, "The Everly Brothers," with his younger brother, Phil Everly, who died in 2014.  The brothers' close-harmony singing and acoustic guitar playing had a huge influence on a number of musical acts that emerged in the 1960s, including The Beatles and and the Beach Boys.  The Everly Brothers had their greatest success from 1957 to 1961 with such hits as "Bye Bye Love," "Wake Up Little Susie," and "Cathy's Clown," to name a few.  They were part of the inaugural class of the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" in 1986.

From CBSNews:  Conservative radio talk show host, Phil Valentine, has died at the age of 61, Saturday, August 21, 2021 from complications of COVID-19.  From his perch at SuperTalk 99.7 WTN in Nashville, TN, Valentine was a vaccine skeptic and disagreed with mask mandates.  He changed his mind when he was diagnosed with COVID-19 in July and encouraged people to get vaccinated.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 15th to 21st, 2021 - Update #18

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:  "Free Guy" looks to repeat as weekend box office champ, while "Paw Patrol" looks to make a strong debut. 

TELEVISION - From Variety:  HBO's series about the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers loses actor Bo Burnham, who was to play NBA great Larry Bird, but gains five more cast members, including Sean Patrick Small as Burnham's replacement to play Bird.

STAR TREK - From Deadline:   Roddenberry Entertainment is quietly working on a biographical film about the late Gene Roddenberry, the creator of "Star Trek" and a television writer-producer whose career spanned decades.

MARVEL STUDIOS - From Variety:  Actor Anthony Mackie has reportedly signed a deal to star in "Captain America 4."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The BBC and Miramax are developing a television series based on Michael Ondaatje's novel, "The English Patient."  The novel was previously adapted by the late Anthony Minghella into a 1996 film that won nine Oscars, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director."

MEDIA - From Deadline:  Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions expands with multiple promotions across the company.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Spencer," the film starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, will hit theaters November 5th.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   AMC Networks has set fall premiere dates for new and returning series across its AMC, AMC+, Acorn TV, AllBlk, BBC America, Shudder, Sundance Now, SundanceTV and WeTV.  Newly revealed dates include the new seasons of "Doctor Who" and "Creepshow "and new series such as "Ragdoll," "Kin," and "Ultra City Smiths.

STAR TREK - From YahooLATimes:   There is a three-battle to be the conservator of Nichelle Nichols, legendary "Star Trek" actress, and it is ugly.

STREAMING - From THR:   In a brewing 100 million dollar deal, Sony Animation's "Hotel Transylvania: Transformania" could bypass its theatrical run and stream on Amazon Prime

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  The winner of the 8/13 to 8/15/2021 weekend box office is "Free Guy" (starring Ryan Reynolds) with an estimated take of 28.4 million dollars.

From Deadline:  Sylvester Stallone has appeared in a movie that was #1 at the box office in six consecutive decades.  Stallone is a voice actor in last weekend's number one film, "The Suicide Squad."

POLITICS - From YahooTheWeek:   It turns out a minor actor participated in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol building.  Michael Aaron Carico, 33, was arrested Wed., August 11th in Burbank, California.

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:   In his first interview since loosing his libel suit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, Johnny Depp speaks out about the "Hollywood boycott" of him.

DISNEY - From GiantFreakingRobot:   The site is reporting that the Walt Disney Company has cut all ties and projects with actress Scarlet Johansson, who is suing Disney over profit sharing for the film, "Black Widow."

NETFLIX - From WeGotThisCovered:   Director Leigh Janiak wants her "Fear Street" three-piece to develop into the Marvel Cinematic Universe of horror.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Apple is closing in on a mega-deal to obtain director Paolo Sorrentino's biopic about Sue Mengers, the legendary female Hollywood agent who broke barriers in what had largely been a boys' club.  Oscar-winner, Jennifer Lawrence, is slated to play Mengers.

OBITS:

From Variety:   The Japanese actor and martial artist, Sonny Chiba, has died at the age of 82, Thursday, August 19, 2021 from complications of COVID-19.  American audiences will remember him for his roles in "Kill Bill Volume 1" (2003) and "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" (2006).

From MeTV:  The English actress and producer, Patricia "Pat" Hitchcock, has died at the age of 93, Monday, August 9, 2021.  Pat was the only child of famed director Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville, the English screenwriter and film editor.  Pat appeared in 10 episodes of the TV series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."  She also appeared in several of her father's films, including "Stage Fright" (1950) and "Psycho" (1960).  Her most substantial role in a Hitchcock film was playing "Barbara Morton" in "Strangers on a Train" (1951).