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The live action version of the beloved children’s book is a total write off, apparently.
The crayon broke in half with a $2.425 mil opening that includes $750,000 in previews. Despite the book’s long history — it was published in 1955 — a live version wasn’t really needed. Also, star Zachary Levi has lost a lot of his luster.
But: “Deadpool and Wolverine” is now up to $326 million. It’s slowing down a bit, but not much. Look for another $58 million today and Sunday.
M. Night Shayamalan’s “Trap” grabbed a $6.7 mil opening including $2.2 million in previews. Maybe they’ll scratch up another $9 million today and tomorrow. But at that point, with middling reviews, “Trap” should shut.
Donald Trump continually attacks Fox News on his social media.
But he doesn’t dislike it that much. Trump says he will only debate Kamala Harris on Fox News, on September 4th, with a raucous audience.
A proper debate was already set for September 10th on ABC News with President Biden. Trump doesn’t want to do that with Harris. He’s terrified of Harris, and figures he needs the comfort of Fox to allow a bullying situation.
The first debate, in June, with Biden, was not in front of an audience. This time, Trump wants his people in a large crowd, so they can boo and chuckle, and make inappropriate comments. He wants a circus.
The Harris campaign is unlikely to give in. They said in a statement: “Donald Trump is running scared and trying to back out of the debate he already agreed to and running straight to Fox News to bail him out. He needs to stop playing games and show up to the debate he already committed to on Sept. 10th. We’re happy to discuss further debates after the one both campaigns have already agreed to. Mr. Anytime, anywhere, anyplace should have no problem with that unless he’s too scared to show up on the 10th.”
Trump is so nervous about Harris that his posts on Truth Social reek of fear. The litigation with ABC News and George Stephanopolous, by the way, long predates Harris becoming the Democratic candidate.
He wrote:
“I have agreed with FoxNews to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th. The Debate was previously scheduled against Sleepy Joe Biden on ABC, but has been terminated in that Biden will no longer be a participant, and I am in litigation against ABC Network and George Slopadopoulos, thereby creating a conflict of interest. The FoxNews Debate will be held in the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, at a site in an area to be determined. The Moderators of the Debate will be Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, and the Rules will be similar to the Rules of my Debate with Sleepy Joe, who has been treated horribly by his Party – BUT WITH A FULL ARENA AUDIENCE!….”
No more touring or live performances because leader Steven Tyler’s voice has given out.
The group has had a remarkable career, full of hits and live performance triumphs. But Tyler has literally sung his guts out around the world hundreds of times. He can take solace in being one of the greatest rock stars in history fronting one of the best bands of all time.
Can they try and make a final record? Bon Jovi, in a similar situation, just did exactly that — although they may make another. It’s hard to release albums if you can’t tour behind them.
Tyler and Joe Perry could still write songs, and produce records for new bands. Perry would be in much demand as a star featured player, like Slash. Let’s just hope Tyler stays in the spotlight no matter what he does. We need him!
Here’s the band’s message on social media:
It was 1970 when a spark of inspiration became Aerosmith. Thanks to you, our Blue Army, that spark caught flame and has been burning for over five decades. Some of you have been with us since the beginning and all of you are the reason we made rock ‘n’ roll history.
It has been the honor of our lives to have our music become part of yours. In every club, on every massive tour and at moments grand and private you have given us a place in the soundtrack of your lives.
We’ve always wanted to blow your mind when performing. As you know, Steven’s voice is an instrument like no other. He has spent months tirelessly working on getting his voice to where it was before his injury. We’ve seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side. Sadly, it is clear, that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible. We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision – as a band of brothers – to retire from the touring stage.
We are grateful beyond words for everyone who was pumped to get on the road with us one last time. Grateful to our expert crew, our incredible team and the thousands of talented people who’ve made our historic runs possible. A final thank you to you – the best fans on planet Earth. Play our music loud, now and always. Dream On. You’ve made our dreams come true.
The music business should be thriving during the summer. Kids are out of school. Beaches are very busy.
But no: we are in the dog days. And that’s insulting dogs.
With no new major releases, the album chart has fallen apart. Sales are frozen and melting. The number 1 album this week is back to being Taylor Swift’s “Tortured Poets.” The album sold just 72,751 copies to be number 1.
This is sad.
Eminem’s “Death of Slim Shady” dropped to number 7. Last week’s number one album, by Stray Kids, fell 78% to number 8. The other big K Pop album, by Jimin, fell 68%. The KPop releases always do this. Their sales are contrived, and have no legs.
Ice Spice, who’s supposed to be popular, debuted at number 34 with less than 20,000 copies sold. After all the PR she’s received, there was no response from the general public.
A raft of new releases from people like Kacey Musgraves and Khalid might liven things up for next Friday. But I won’t bet on it. The new release number 1 on iTunes is by Jack White, of the White Stripes. We’ll see how long that lasts.
Sony, meantime, got a $700 million investment this week from Apollo Management. The company has 1 album on the top 50, at number 32, by a country artist no one’s heard of.
Lorne Michaels is cleaning house at “Saturday Night Live” in advance of the 50th season.
Molly Kearney has announced their exit, following Punkie Johnson. Both Molly and Punkie are talented but never quite caught on.
Is that the end or will Michaels continue revising? Part of this may be budgetary, too, as Maya Rudolph is joining the show as Kamala Harris. He’s already got his Trump with the amazing James Austin Johnson. But will “SNL” need more guest players to get through the election?
Stay tuned…
PS Lots of nice notes on the Insta from the other “SNL” players. Very cool!
All Mariah Carey wants for Christmas is sold out shows!
It isn’t easy these days for legacy artists. Records don’t sell anymore, so all the stars are on the road.
Now Mariah Carey is revving up again for a holiday tour this November and December. She has to: Christmas is the only time Carey makes any money.
So far in 2024, she’s sold 329,000 streaming equivalent units of songs. They were almost all of her song, “All I Want for Christmas” is You.” Only 10,000 were not. If it weren’t for the Christmas song, Mariah would be out of business.
Hence, the tour to promote the song sales. It starts November 6th in Highland, California and ends December 17th in Brooklyn. Then Carey can zoom off to Aspen for Christmas, cash in hand. It costs a lot to be a diva whose hit days are way in the back mirror. Ask Diana Ross. She’s still out there doing shows at age 80.
It was only yesterday that a NY Appeals court ruled that the gag order against Donald Trump remains in place.
Yet today an account on Truth Social attacked Loren Merchan, daughter of Judge Juan Merchan. Isn’t that a violation of the gag order? The order prohibits Trump from attacking anyone from the court, extending to the families of the judge, witnesses, etc.
The account, @akaproBOSS, is already a racist, hatemongering sewer. But for Trump to allow this post may cause problems that could be celebrated in court. And while Trump’s name isn’t on the account, it reads like something he okayed.
Justin Timberlake will have to use Uber now. Or hire a driver.
Timberlake just had his drivers license suspended by a judge in the Hamptons. That’s because when Timberlake was arrested last month for DUI he refused to take a breathalyzer test.
Timberlake Zoomed in for the hearing because he’s on tour. He pleaded not guilty. His next hearing is next Friday.
It does seem like the judge, Justice Carl Irace of Sag Harbor Court, is going to make an example of Timberlake, who was driving on an empty street at midnight and didn’t get very far.
If the judge really doubles down here to make a point, he may ban Timberlake from having latte’s at the Golden Pear. Stay tuned.
Now Variety has retaliated against sister site Deadline.com in the ongoing scandal of Francis Ford Coppola kissing extras.
Variety now has an extra on the record saying she was “in shock” when Coppola kissed her on the set of “Megalopolis.” Originally Variety had reported Coppola — and offered a video — of him doing such a thing during the movie shoot.
Then Deadline.com found an extra who was kissed and said it didn’t bother her.
The two publications are owned by Jay Penske, who’s cornered the market out west and even east, buying up Deadline, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Rolling Stone, WWD, plus the Golden Globes, and Dick Clark Productions.
You’d think this would guarantee no public skirmishes among all these groups, but you’d be wrong!
It doesn’t help this is a slow summer, with few new movies or deals to report. These people have to write about something!
So click here for the new Variety story. And wait for Deadline to come back with something on this extra. I hope this poor woman doesn’t have any parking tickets!
Meantime, Coppola’s “Megalopolis” needed all this publicity since it’s been panned wherever it’s been shown. The three hour epic opens next month via Lions Gate.
The Patti Lupone- Mia Farrow play coming to Broadway this month has some news.
Famed director Jack O’Brien, age 86, is getting a young, perky assistant director.
Marsha Mason, who’s only 82, will be helping O’Brien run the ship. Mason is a four time Oscar nominee with a long, stellar career on Broadway as an actress and a writer.
O’Brien has six Tony Awards, so he’s allowed to have an assistant at age 86! He’s one of the theater world’s living legends.
Performances begin August 29th. We can’t to watch these two legends — Lupone and Farrow — chew up the scenery.
