WEATHER ALERT
Hollywood stars gather for honorary Oscars event celebrating Quincy Jones, Bond producers, more
Read full article: Hollywood stars gather for honorary Oscars event celebrating Quincy Jones, Bond producers, moreMany of Hollywood’s biggest stars have gathered at the annual Governors Awards in Los Angeles to honor the late Quincy Jones, James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G.
African American Film Critics group celebrates Black Hollywood and beyond while building its stature
Read full article: African American Film Critics group celebrates Black Hollywood and beyond while building its statureThe success of the African American Film Critics Association didn’t happen overnight.
Woman alleges Jamie Foxx sexually assaulted her at New York bar, actors says it 'never happened'
Read full article: Woman alleges Jamie Foxx sexually assaulted her at New York bar, actors says it 'never happened'A woman alleges in a new lawsuit that Jamie Foxx sexually assaulted her at a New York bar in 2015.
The strike has dimmed the spotlight on the fall's best performances. Here's 13 you shouldn't miss
Read full article: The strike has dimmed the spotlight on the fall's best performances. Here's 13 you shouldn't missOne of the many impacts of Hollywood's lengthy actors strike has been that most performers haven't been able to promote their work.
What's streaming now: Jamie Foxx, Offset, Musk, 'Frasier' returns and Nicholas Cage as a vampire
Read full article: What's streaming now: Jamie Foxx, Offset, Musk, 'Frasier' returns and Nicholas Cage as a vampireThis week’s new entertainment releases include Offset’s sophomore solo album, the return of “Frasier” starring Kelsey Grammer, and Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones leading the crowd-pleasing courtroom drama “The Burial."
Americans bet $220B on sports in 5 years since legalization
Read full article: Americans bet $220B on sports in 5 years since legalizationAmericans have bet over $220 billion on sports with legal gambling outlets in the five years since the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for all 50 states to offer it.
New this week: 'Day Shift' and 'Five Days at Memorial'
Read full article: New this week: 'Day Shift' and 'Five Days at Memorial'This week’s new entertainment releases include music from the union of The Roots’ Black Thought and super-producer Danger Mouse, a PBS “Frontline” investigation into women’s rights in Afghanistan a year after the U_S_ withdrawal and Jamie Foxx playing a vampire hunter in “Day Shift.”.
Jamie Foxx to play Mike Tyson in boxer's take on his life
Read full article: Jamie Foxx to play Mike Tyson in boxer's take on his lifeFoxx will play the boxing great in the project that also counts Foxx and filmmaker Martin Scorsese as producers. (Photos by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, left, and Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)LOS ANGELES – Mike Tyson is getting in the TV drama ring against himself. On the heels of Hulu's announcement of a Tyson miniseries to be made without his involvement, the boxing great said he's producing a limited series starring Jamie Foxx. Filmmaker Martin Scorsese and Foxx also are among the producers. Last month, Hulu said it had ordered the eight-episode series “Iron Mike,” saying it would explore the “the wild, tragic and controversial life and career” of a polarizing athlete.
‘Soul,’ ‘Ma Rainey’s’ among AFI’s top 10 films of the year
Read full article: ‘Soul,’ ‘Ma Rainey’s’ among AFI’s top 10 films of the yearThis image released by Netflix shows, from second left, Norm Lewis, Clarke Peters Isiah Whitlock Jr., and Delroy Lindo in a scene from "Da 5 Bloods," named one of the top 10 films of the year by The American Film Institute. (David Lee/Netflix via AP)The American Film Institute on Monday announced its top 10 films of the year, including Pixar’s jazz themed “Soul” and two of Chadwick Boseman’s final films: the August Wilson adaptation “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and Spike Lee’s Vietnam drama “Da 5 Bloods,” both of which are Netflix films. AFI also selected Warner Bros.’ Black Panther Party film “Judas and the Black Messiah” which will have its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Feb. 1. The AFI also named its top 10 television shows, including Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit,” the Disney+ phenomenon “The Mandalorian” and Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso.”The selection jury included filmmakers Rian Johnson and Lulu Wang. The group also included a special citation for “Hamilton.”In lieu of the annual luncheon celebrating the honorees, AFI will hold a virtual benediction on Feb. 26 streaming on YouTube and the AFI website.
‘Wonder Woman 1984’ adds $5.5 million in 2nd US weekend
Read full article: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ adds $5.5 million in 2nd US weekendThis image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows Gal Gadot, left, and Chris Pine in a scene from "Wonder Woman 1984." (Clay Enos/Warner Bros. via AP)In its second weekend in U.S. theaters, “Wonder Woman 1984” earned an estimated $5.5 million in ticket sales according to studio estimates Sunday. “Wonder Woman 1984” has made $28.5 million to date from the U.S., where about 39% of theaters are open and most major markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco, are closed. Internationally, it added $10.1 million, bringing its global total to $118.5 million. While $5.5 million would be a terrible second weekend for a $200 million movie in a pre-pandemic world, under the unique circumstances it was enough to top the domestic charts.
New this week: 'Soul,' a Tom Hanks film & 'Bridgerton' on TV
Read full article: New this week: 'Soul,' a Tom Hanks film & 'Bridgerton' on TVThis image released by Disney-Pixar shows the character 22, voiced by Tina Fey, left, and Joe Gardner, voiced by Jamie Foxx, in a scene from the animated film "Soul." But with more than half of U.S. theaters closed, two of the biggest movies of the year — “Soul” and “Wonder Woman 1984” — will be going straight to streaming. — Also arriving Christmas Day is “Wonder Woman 1984,” Patty Jenkins' sequel to her barrier-breaking 2017 film. With Gal Gadot returning, “Wonder Woman 1984” fast-forwards from 1918 to the “greed is good” decade. — AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy___Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/apf-entertainment.
Drake bests Aretha Franklin, Wonder to set Billboard record
Read full article: Drake bests Aretha Franklin, Wonder to set Billboard record1 hit on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart, Drake has bested a record previously held by icons Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder. Drake's “Laugh Now Cry Later," featuring rapper Lil Durk, reached the No. Wonder and Franklin, who died in 2018, each have had 20 songs top the chart. 1 hits on the R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart, 12 include him in the leading role, including “God’s Plan,” “In My Feelings,” “Hotline Bling,” “Hold On, We’re Going Home” and “Best I Ever Had,” his first major hit released in 2009. Earlier this year, 34-year-old Drake made Billboard chart history when he set a new record for most songs on the Hot 100 chart — Billboard's main songs chart that includes all music genres.
Pixar's 'Soul' bypasses theaters, will stream on Christmas
Read full article: Pixar's 'Soul' bypasses theaters, will stream on ChristmasNEW YORK – The Pixar film “Soul” will skip theaters and instead premiere on Disney+ on Christmas, the Walt Disney Co. announced Thursday, sending one of the fall's last big movies straight to streaming. The successive delays of the film industry's would-be blockbusters has only made the dire circumstances of movie theaters more acute. Without aid, the organization said, 69% of small and mid-sized movie theater companies will close or go bankrupt. “The stark reality is that many movie theaters will not be able to open again if they don’t receive government help,” says Esther Baruh, director of government relations for the association. It recently announced that it would lay off 28,000 workers, most of them at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
New this week: 'Enola Holmes,' Public Enemy and Bonnaroo
Read full article: New this week: 'Enola Holmes,' Public Enemy and BonnarooHere’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. MOVIES— “Enola Holmes”: It’s somewhat fitting that “Stranger Things” breakout Millie Bobby Brown gets her first starring role in a Netflix film, “Enola Holmes,” coming to the streamer Wednesday. — The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was supposed to take place in June in Tennessee but was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. This week, though, the festival is launching Virtual ROO-ALITY, a three-night live broadcast featuring new performances as well as content from the Bonnaroo archive. The two-hour film will be available at 7 p.m. EDT Tuesday at pbs.org/frontline and on YouTube at 9 p.m. EDT.
Celebs join Instagram 'freeze' to protest Facebook inaction
Read full article: Celebs join Instagram 'freeze' to protest Facebook inactionFILE - This Friday, Aug. 23, 2019 file photo shows the Instagram app icon on the screen of a mobile device in New York. Celebrities including Kim Kardashian West, Katy Perry and Leonardo DiCaprio are taking part in a 24-hour freeze Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020 on Instagram to protest against the failure of the social media platform's parent company, Facebook, to tackle misinformation and hateful content. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
Celebs join Instagram 'freeze' to protest Facebook inaction
Read full article: Celebs join Instagram 'freeze' to protest Facebook inactionFILE - This Friday, Aug. 23, 2019 file photo shows the Instagram app icon on the screen of a mobile device in New York. Celebrities including Kim Kardashian West, Katy Perry and Leonardo DiCaprio are taking part in a 24-hour freeze Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020 on Instagram to protest against the failure of the social media platform's parent company, Facebook, to tackle misinformation and hateful content. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)LONDON – Kim Kardashian West, Katy Perry, Leonardo DiCaprio and other celebrities are taking part in a 24-hour Instagram “freeze” on Wednesday to protest against what they say is parent company Facebook's failure to tackle violent and hateful content and election misinformation. The movement asks people to put up a message highlighting what they called the damage Facebook does but otherwise refrain from posting on Instagram for a day. With 188 million followers, Kardashian West is one of the most influential people on Instagram and support from her and other big names for the boycott saw Facebook shares slide in aftermarket trading late Tuesday.
New this week: Selena Gomez, Jason Sudeikis & Gloria Estefan
Read full article: New this week: Selena Gomez, Jason Sudeikis & Gloria EstefanHeres a collection curated by The Associated Press entertainment journalists of whats arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. Project Power: Missing new superhero pics? Netflix has one up its sleeve in Project Power, hitting the streamer Friday. Selena Gomez is on new turf the kitchen in Selena + Chef, a 10-episode cooking series that debuts Thursday on the HBO Max streaming service. The answer may be found in Ted Lasso, a new Apple TV+ series starring Jason Sudeikis as the character he played in NBC Sports promotions for the Premier League.
Michael B. Jordan wants you to view a drive-in movie, on him
Read full article: Michael B. Jordan wants you to view a drive-in movie, on himFILE - In this July, 26, 2019 photo, actor and producer Michael B. Jordan poses for a portrait during the 2019 Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. Jordan has partnered with Amazon Studios for A Night at the Drive-In that will bring diverse films to drive-in theaters for free screenings. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK For Michael B. Jordan, timing is everything. So when the SAG award winner marched in a Los Angeles Black Lives Matter protest last month demanding that Hollywood drastically increase its diversity in the executive ranks, it was a moment he felt prepared for. Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, said the partnership falls into the companys efforts to support social justice initiatives. What were doing right now while we have the energy and the momentum, lets continue to keep the conversation pushing forward, Jordan said.
Harry Connick Jr. honors workers during pandemic road trip
Read full article: Harry Connick Jr. honors workers during pandemic road tripFILE - This May 28, 2019 file photo shows Singer Harry Connick Jr. with his daughter Georgia at a special screening of "Pavarotti" in New York. The special will air June 21 and will follow host Connick Jr. and his filmmaker-daughter Georgia on road trip celebrating and thanking essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic. With the help of his daughter, Georgia Connick, who is a filmmaker, and a bunch of GoPro cameras, he embarked on a pandemic road trip to meet essential workers around the country who were risking their lives during the pandemic. “I just want to reach out and meet some of these folks, sanitation workers or elementary school teachers or people that are working at food banks,” said Harry Connick. “It was highly emotional,” said Harry Connick.
'Just Mercy,' drama of racial injustice, to be free in June
Read full article: 'Just Mercy,' drama of racial injustice, to be free in JuneNEW YORK The 2019 film Just Mercy, which chronicles courtroom struggles against racial injustice and mass incarceration, will be made free on digital platforms throughout June in the wake of George Floyd's death, Warner Bros. said Tuesday. In the film, Michael B. Jordan plays attorney Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, who helps a character played by Jamie Foxx. We believe in the power of story, Warner Bros. said. The rider was initiated as a way to change long-term under-representation of people of color and women in Hollywood. Recent studies have shown that films like Just Mercy are starting to reshape the film industry.
Celebs take to streets for historic demonstrations
Read full article: Celebs take to streets for historic demonstrationsAcross the U.S., many celebrities have been doing far more than tweeting supportive words or issuing carefully prepared statements. They took to the streets alongside thousands of people to condemn the killings of black people at the hands of police and to demand reform. The video shows Sampson step in front of his assistant and an officer hit him at least twice with a baton. Then an officer aims straight at me, no ricochet, and shoots (rubber bullets) Sampson wrote. Everyone is angry but there is a way to direct that anger, actor/director Taika Waititi wrote on Twitter on Saturday.
Winfrey, Pitt part of Grammys special for essential workers
Read full article: Winfrey, Pitt part of Grammys special for essential workersFILE - This May 28, 2019 file photo shows Singer Harry Connick Jr. with his daughter Georgia at a special screening of "Pavarotti" in New York. The Grammys is putting together an event featuring Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey, Herbie Hancock and Harry Connick, Jr. to honor essential workers across America. It will follow host Connick Jr. and his filmmaker-daughter Georgia on road trip celebrating and thanking essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK – The Grammys is putting together an event featuring Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey, Herbie Hancock and Harry Connick, Jr. to honor essential workers across America. Winfrey, Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Queen Latifah, Renée Zellweger and Drew Brees will also deliver special messages to workers.
Tribute broadcast planned for late music exec Andre Harrell
Read full article: Tribute broadcast planned for late music exec Andre HarrellNEW YORK A tribute to Andre Harrell, the influential music executive who discovered Sean Diddy Combs and died earlier this month, will air Sunday. It will air commercial free on BET, BET Jams, BET Soul and REVOLT TV, where Harrell served as vice chairman. Diddy often credits Harrell with giving him the tools to find success in music and life, even saying Harrell was like a father figure to him. In 1993, Harrell let go of Diddy, who then launched his uber-successful Bad Boy Records. Diddy posted multiple tributes to Harrell on social media following his death.