Lynn Shelton, an indie filmmaker who helped popularize the mumblecore genre with works such as “Humpday” and “Your Sister’s Sister,” died Friday of a blood disorder. She was 54. Shelton was best known for her naturalistic, understated approach to comedy and drama in low-budget films that were hits with the Sundance crowd, but she reached a wider […]
Read more
Several of Hollywood’s biggest names shared parting tributes to Fred Willard on Saturday, after the longtime comedian, best known for his work in “Best in Show,” “Anchorman” and “Everybody Loves Raymond,” died at 86. His daughter, Hope, said he died of natural causes. Jimmy Kimmel tweeted there was “no man sweeter or funnier” than Willard, […]
Read more
ABC is keeping the lights dimmed on American Idol, renewing the singing competition for Season 19 (its fourth on the network), TVLine has learned. Through the first 15 episodes of Season 18, American Idol is averaging a 1.24 demo rating and 6.8 million total viewers, down 6 and 11 percent from its Spring 2019 cycle — and only […]
Read more
Following the success of Chris Hemsworth’s “Extraction,” Netflix is doubling down on action movies, tapping Jessica Alba to lead the next one. Sources tell Variety that Alba will star in the new Netflix action-thriller “Trigger Warning,” with Mouly Surya directing. Josh Olson and John Brancato penned the script, and Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee are producing. Alba will exec […]
Read more
Shanghai Disneyland Park reopened Monday and the entire week sold out almost immediately, according to Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Chapek. The sprawling China resort put strict health measures in place for guests (and employees), and it appears by the ticket demand, those changes did not deter would-be visitors. That could bode well for Disneyland’s […]
Read more
Mary-Kate Olsen’s emergency petition seeking a divorce from Pierre Olivier Sarkozy — despite coronavirus court closures — won’t go forward, after a Manhattan judge ruled that it wasn’t an essential matter. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Michael Katz made the ruling Thursday, putting a halt to Olsen’s case, New York courts spokesman Lucian Chalfen confirmed. Olsen, 33, filed the […]
Read more
You can’t keep a good Reuben down. After closing temporarily at the end of March, Beverly Hills delicatessen Nate ’n Al’s will reopen for takeout and delivery this Friday. Shelli Azoff, who owns Nate ’n Al’s with her husband, entertainment executive Irving Azoff, said that the couple had always wanted to reopen the 75-year-old restaurant, but were […]
Read more
The Hollywood Bowl is cancelling its 2020 summer season, prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced Wednesday. The move marks the first time in 98 years that the iconic amphitheatre located in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles has cancelled its season. Shows have never ceased for more than two weeks during the […]
Read more
Howard Stern says he and President Trump are both showmen who love a good time — and they both hate Trump supporters. “One thing Donald loves is celebrities, he loves the famous,” Stern said on his SiriusXM show Tuesday. “He loves it. He loves to be in the mix.” Stern, 66, hosted Trump on his […]
Read more
Broadway theaters will remain closed at least through Labor Day, extending the shutdowns that began in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. It’s the third extension, after the original targeted date to end the closures, April 12, was pushed back to June 7. Broadway performances were suspended on March 12, prompting the longest period of time the Great […]
Read more
Oprah Winfrey, who visited arenas last year on a wellness tour, is bringing the idea to living rooms while people are homebound due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The media mogul on Tuesday announced “Oprah’s Your Life in Focus: A Vision Forward — Live Virtual Experience,” a free and interactive four-week event that is an […]
Read more
NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, is hatching a new short-form series called “The At-Home Variety Show.” Beginning Monday, May 11, at 7 p.m. ET, the series will stream every weekday for four weeks. “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane will introduce each segment, which will generally be under 10 minutes and will feature performances from NBCU stars […]
Read more
Shares of AMC Entertainment surged Monday amid speculation that the country’s largest exhibition chain could be an acquisition target for Amazon. Both companies did not immediately return requests for comment, and the report in the Daily Mail that goosed share prices indicated that Amazon’s interest may have waned. It noted, for instance, that it was unclear if talks between the […]
Read more
Jerry Stiller, the shorter half of the famed husband-and-wife comedy team Stiller and Meara who was the father of the famous (Ben Stiller) and the fictitious (Seinfeld nebbish George Costanza), has died. He was 92. “I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes,” actor-director Ben Stiller tweeted. “He was a great […]
Read more
HBO Max has given a series order to an animated show set at the North Pole during the Christmas season — but it’s decidedly not for kids. The soon-to-launch WarnerMedia streaming platform has greenlit eight episodes of Santa Inc., an adult animated show that will star Sarah Silverman and Seth Rogen. The series, created by Shrill showrunner Alexandra […]
Read more
Lori Loughlin will still go to trial in October for her supposed role in the college admissions scandal. On Friday, a federal judge denied the defense’s motion to dismiss charges against the Full House star, her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, and other parents. The defense was looking to get the case thrown out due to alleged investigatory […]
Read more
Flamboyant singer-instrumentalist Little Richard, whose high-voltage, keyboard-shattering R&B singles supplied lift-off for the ’50s rock ‘n’ roll revolution, has died. The musician, whose birth name was Richard Penniman, was 87, although some sources say he was older. His death was confirmed by his son, Danny Jones Penniman, who told the New York Times the cause was cancer. Richard’s […]
Read more
Roy Horn, the masterful showman who captivated the Las Vegas Strip for more than a quarter-century as one-half of Siegfried & Roy, only to see his career end abruptly as the result of a horrible accident during a 2003 performance, died Friday in Las Vegas of complications from COVID-19. He was 75. “Today, the world […]
Read more
Fox is targeting a fall premiere for Season 4 of “The Masked Singer,” Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch said during the company’s earnings call Wednesday. Though the show had yet to be formally renewed for a fourth season, its strong Nielsen returns all but guarantees it will live to sing another day. Despite shutdowns due […]
Read more
For the past seven decades, the show has always gone on for the Tony Awards, which honor the best Broadway performances and productions. But with the 74th edition being postponed from its planned June 7 date due to the coronavirus, there’s a real chance that the ceremony will be scrapped altogether this year, multiple sources tell Variety. As the […]
Read more
Tribeca is taking audiences back to the drive-in this summer. Tribeca Enterprises, Imax and AT&T said Wednesday that they are partnering to launch “Tribeca Drive-In,” a summer programming series of new and classic films, music and sporting events. It will take place in drive-in theaters and “other exclusive venues” nationwide starting Thursday, June 25. The […]
Read more
President Donald Trump is seeking a broader national audience and leaving his Fox News comfort zone, granting a taped interview to ABC News anchor David Muir that will air Tuesday night. Trump’s announcement on Twitter came before ABC News officially announced the interview. The president called it a “major interview.” Muir said that he interviewed […]
Read more
Raymond Reddington has always been an animated guy — but The Blacklist is about to take that literally. The drama’s makeshift Season 7 finale (airing Friday, May 15 at 8/7c) will include scenes with graphic novel-style animation, NBC announced Tuesday, as a workaround to the pandemic-induced production shutdown. The show was halfway through filming Episode 19 — […]
Read more
“Fox & Friends” has consistently bested “Morning Joe” and “New Day.” In March, it was the highest-rated morning show in cable news with 1.7 million average viewers, of whom 332,000 were in that key demo. At the end of the first quarter of 2020, “Fox & Friends” marked 73 consecutive quarters as the highest-rated morning show in […]
Read more
NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell is reorganizing his senior leadership team at the company, marking the first major executive restructuring since succeeding Steve Burke at the beginning of the year. Mark Lazarus, who currently oversees NBC Sports Group and the company’s local stations, will now oversee the company’s entertainment businesses as well, including Peacock. The new streaming service, which […]
Read more
