Heather McMahan Talks New Netflix Special: “I’m Ready for My Melissa-McCarthy-in-‘Bridesmaids’ Moment”
In July 2019, comedian Heather McMahan was at a Lululemon-sponsored Malibu retreat when she got a phone call that changed her life — after a suggestion from Maria Shriver (who followed McMahan, also host of the Absolutely Not podcast, on Instagram), the Today show asked her to join Jenna Bush Hager as a fourth-hour guest co-host. […]
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‘Suffs’ Musical to Open on Broadway in 2024 With Hillary Clinton, Malala Yousafzai as Producers
Suffs — a musical about the suffragists movement — is transferring to Broadway, with Hillary Clinton and Malala Yousafzai set to join the producing team. With a book, music and lyrics by award-winner Shaina Taub and direction by Tony Award nominee Leigh Silverman, the musical — which had its world premiere off-Broadway at The Public Theater in 2022 — […]
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Roger Goodell Signs Contract Extension With NFL
Roger Goodell has signed a contract extension with the NFL. The NFL commissioner has signed a new deal that will keep him at the helm of the league through March 2027. The announcement was made as the NFL owners meet in New York this week. “The Compensation Committee updated the full ownership today that an […]
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What Lies Ahead for Hollywood? Insiders Weigh In
The actors union and the studios have ceased negotiations for the time being, extending Hollywood’s “summer of strikes” into at least the late fall. Eventually, however, this too must end (right?). And while the town will breathe a much-needed sigh of relief when that happens, the tensions and problems that led the industry to the […]
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RZA Set as Ambassador for Urbanworld Film Festival (Exclusive)
Rapper and filmmaker Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, also known as RZA, will serve as this year’s Urbanworld Film Festival ambassador. The festival will take place in New York City from Nov. 1 to 5 and will include a conversation with The Marvels director Nia DaCosta, as well as the world premiere of A Wu-Tang Experience: Live […]
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‘Ferrari’ Trailer Explores the Deadly Passion and Terrible Joy of Automotive Mogul’s Life in Adam Driver-Led Biopic
In the first full trailer for Neon’s Ferrari, the Italian automotive mogul’s personal and professional lives collide. The new Michael Mann-directed film stars Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari, the ex-Formula 1 racer who built his own factory and established the Ferrari brand. Set during the summer of 1957, the movie’s two-minute teaser plays on a […]
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Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur to Host Media Access Awards Honoring Disability Portrayals Onscreen
The Media Access Awards — an event that honors inclusive depictions of disability in film, TV and new media — have set Oscar winners Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur as hosts of the gala on Nov. 7. The show, presented by nonprofit disability services provider Easterseals Southern California and founded by the legendary Norman Lear in 1979, will air […]
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Fisher Stevens on Getting David Beckham to Talk, That Rolls-Royce Moment and Making Athletes Emotional
Almost two weeks ago, Netflix dropped its Beckham docuseries — giving viewers perhaps the most access ever to the soccer star subject. That has less to do with the project’s four-plus-hour runtime, however, than it does with the fact that David Beckham, for all of his fame, has never been much of a talker. “I don’t […]
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B.J. Novak Launches Gourmet Chain Restaurant Food Festival ChainFEST
B.J. Novak is continuing to invest in his love for chain restaurants, following up his Chain pop-up concept by launching the world’s first chain food festival. ChainFEST, set to take place Dec. 1 and 2 at Hollywood’s Nya Studios, will feature one reimagined, iconic menu item inspired by each classic chain restaurant, including Chili’s Grill […]
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NBCUniversal’s 2024 Paris Olympics Advertising Sales “Pacing Ahead” of Prior Games
The 2024 Paris Olympics is still some 9 months away, but it’s already delivering for U.S. rightsholder NBCUniversal. According to Dan Lovinger, the president of Olympic and Paralympic partnerships for NBCU, the live coverage of the Opening Ceremony is sold out (it is scheduled to air live on NBC and Telemundo, and stream on Peacock), […]
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Cairo Film Festival Canceled as Violence Escalates in Middle East
The Cairo Film Festival, which was set to run Nov. 15-24, has been canceled as violence continues to rise in the Middle East due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. In a short statement on social media, the event organizers said that the decision to postpone the 45th edition of the festival was made by the […]
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MIPCOM: Global TV Industry Braces for Downturn, Disruption and “Blood in the Water”
Major construction work along Cannes’ famed Croisette has turned this most glamorous of French seaside towns into a chaotic building site. Television executives, in town for the MIPCOM Cannes international TV confab, which runs through Thursday, Oct. 19, have been forced to run a gauntlet of concrete slabs and roped-off danger zones. It’s an apt […]
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George Clooney Meets With SAG-AFTRA Leadership About State of Negotiations
SAG-AFTRA A-lister George Clooney met with his union’s leaders Tuesday in a bid to further understand how contract negotiations broke down on Oct. 11. Clooney spoke with union national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland as well as president Fran Drescher over Zoom about why studios suspended discussions the previous week. Deadline, which was […]
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‘Euphoria’ Creator Ron Leshem on Israel-Hamas Conflict: “The World Must Prevent Further Escalation” (Guest Column)
For 14 hours, on Saturday, we were texting with my aunt as she hid in her attic and begged for help that never arrived. She witnessed her neighbors, whole families with children and babies, bound and killed on their lawns. Children were shot in their mothers’ arms, then the mothers were taken hostage. Other children were taken […]
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Elon Musk’s X Testing Plan to Charge Users to Post on Platform
Elon Musk rolled out a new subscription plan to charge new users of X, formerly known as Twitter, to post content on the platform. The social network company wrote on its website that it started testing “Not A Bot” Tuesday in two countries, New Zealand and the Philippines. According to X, the subscription method will help “reduce […]
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Ryan Reynolds Says He Misses Robin Williams: “Pretty Sure Everyone Does”
Ryan Reynolds shared a sweet message about the late Robin Williams and the legacy he left behind. A week after being awarded the Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter award from Bring Change to Mind, the Deadpool actor expressed how much it meant to him to be honored in that way. “I miss Robin Williams. Pretty […]
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Ray Liotta’s Final Scene in ‘Dangerous Waters’ Was “So Powerful,” Director Says
Dangerous Waters director John Barr and star Odeya Rush are recalling the late Ray Liotta’s “powerful” final scene. During an interview with MovieWeb, published online Tuesday, the filmmaker praised the Goodfellas star as an actor and detailed his final scene in one of his last movie roles, saying it “was super impressive to watch.” Liotta died last […]
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Taylor Swift Box Office: Lessons Learned From ‘Eras Tour’ Rollout Stumbles
There probably isn’t a top director or star who doesn’t envy Taylor Swift for doing an end-run around the Hollywood studio system and teaming directly with AMC Theatres to bring her new concert movie to the big screen. That way, she could be in the driver’s seat, versus having a studio or indie distributor tell […]
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