Friday, October 4, 2024
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Box Office: Warners Trio Booms as “The Color Purple” Crosses $50 Mil, “Wonka” Rules, Even “Aquaman 2” Eyes Prize

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Friday box office takeaway: Warner Bros. trio booms.

“The Color Purple” crossed $50 mil last night. This is big stuff. The movie got a late start and missed some potential prize publicity. The Golden Globes didn’t even nominate it for Best Picture Musical or Comedy. I mean, wasn’t getting a Black picture in there the group’s only mandate this year?

Anyway, I digress. “The Color Purple” was nominated for the Critics Choice Awards next Sunday, will be a SAG Best Ensemble, and certainly a Best Picture for the Oscars. All of that will keep the ball rolling nicely.

Meanwhile, “Aquaman 2” should hit $100 million by tomorrow or Monday. It cost a fortune and got bad reviews, but little by little it swam and didn’t sink. Yes, it cost a fortune, but it’s not all wet. I’m sure there will be a big write off coming, but for now, it’s not a total embarrassment.

And “Wonka” at $150 million is a solid hit. So Warners’ marketing and distributing plans were sound, they rule the ‘wood right now.

A24’s “The Zone of Interest” has played in 6 theaters for 22 days. Last night’s small take was 32% off last Friday. This is the Zone of Disinterest. I said in Cannes this movie should just play in museum showings. And that’s the way it’s going.

“NCIS: The Wonder Years” or “Young Jethro” Will Find Mark Harmon Narrating Origin Series Produced by His Own Son

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There have already been a lot of “NCIS” brand series. One of them is on now, set in Sydney, Australia.

So wasn’t it time for an origins series, like “Star Trek”? Well, that wish is being fulfilled.

“NCIS Origins” sounds like it will “NCIS The Wonder Years” or “Young Jethro.” It’s all about Mark Harmon’s Jethro Gibbs character and how he became head of NCIS. The producer is nepo-baby Sean Harmon who’s getting his first producing credit. His mother is Pam Dawber, aka Mindy. Mork was not involved.

I guess the show is set in the 70s and early 80s. Mark Harmon will narrate, a la Jim Parsons with “Young Sheldon” or Daniel Stern and “The Wonder Years.” Young Jethro will look back at his early days of solving crimes in his Boy Scout troop and getting kidnapped at college football games.n

If “NCIS Origins” works, then — like “Yellowstone” — there will be “NCIS 1925” and so on. This is what you want, America, and this is what you will get.

Singer Michael Bolton Tells Fans He Had Surgery for a Brain Tumor Just Before the Holidays

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Michael Bolton has posted a note to fans explaining his ill health. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor before the holidays and had surgery to remove it.

I’ve been told in the past that Bolton has also been battling other conditions that have plagued him. I saw him recently and refrained from asking what was wrong. Michael is the nicest guy in the world, and only deserves good things.

Here’s his statement. Let’s hope he has a speedy recovery.

Emmy Awards, Part 1 This Weekend: Dozens of Presenters for Creative Arts Awards, from Kid Cudi to Melanie Lynskey, Leading Up to January 15th Gala

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This is a big weekend in Hollywood and next week is even bigger.

You already know about the Golden Globes. But while they’re going on in one part of town, the Creative Arts Emmys will be given out — on Saturday and Sunday, at the Peacock Theater.

The Creative Arts Emmys include all the ‘below the line’ artisans, plus guest stars from TV shows.

A TV special with all the winners will be aired on Saturday, January 13th on FXX. Hopefully we’ll have some winners to report from the show tomorrow night. The big Emmy Awards are on Monday, January 15th on Fox. They were postponed from September because of the SAG strike. People Magazine, United Airlines, Fiji Water, and Johnnie Walker are among the sponsors.

Here’s a list of presenters from this weekend. It’s quite a gang!

Murray Bartlett (The Last of Us; The White Lotus), Joel Kim Booster (Fire Island), Kid Cudi (Entergalactic), Charli D’Amelio and Heidi D’Amelio (Dancing with the Stars; The D’Amelio Show), Rhys Darby (Our Flag Means Death), Akbar Gbajabiamila and Matt Iseman (American Ninja Warrior), Beatrice Grannò (The White Lotus), Carla Gugino (The Fall of the House of Usher), Devery Jacobs (Reservation Dogs; Echo), Lala Kent, Tom Sandoval, Tom Schwartz and Scheana Shay (Vanderpump Rules), Aja Naomi King (Lessons in Chemistry), Rhett McLaughlin & Link Neal (Good Mythical Morning), Nick Offerman (The Last of Us), Chris Perfetti (Abbott Elementary), Lewis Pullman (Lessons in Chemistry), J. Smith-Cameron (Succession), Stefania Spampinato (Grey’s Anatomy; Station 19), Simona Tabasco (The White Lotus), Robin Thede (A Black Lady Sketch Show) and Lisa Vanderpump (Vanderpump Villa). Cynthia Addai-Robinson (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Kate Berlant and John Early (Would It Kill You to Laugh?), Adam Blackstone (The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna), Kiersey Clemons  (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), Donald Faison and Abigail Spencer (Extended Family), Cristo Fernández (Ted Lasso), Nikki Garcia and Brie Garcia (Twin Love), Nikki Glaser (FBoy Island), Duff Goldman (Baking Championships), Bruce Greenwood (The Fall of the House of Usher; The Resident), Lori Greiner (Shark Tank), Derek Hough and Julianne Hough (Dancing with the Stars), Ernie Hudson (Quantum Leap), Padma Lakshmi (Top Chef; Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi), Chelsea Lazkani, Amanza Smith, Chrishell Stause and Bre Tiesi (Selling Sunset), Melanie Lynskey (The Last of Us; Yellowjackets), Rickey Minor (The 95th Academy Awards), Arian Moayed (Succession), Karen Pittman (The Morning Show), Jeff Probst (Survivor), Storm Reid (The Last of Us; Euphoria), Craig Robinson (Killing It), Jeremy Sisto (FBI), Alan Tudyk (Grimsburg; Harley Quinn), John Walsh (America’s Most Wanted) and Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary).

Parker Posey, the Most “White Lotus” Actor Ever, Heads Season 3 with Jason Isaacs, Leslie Bibb, Michelle Monaghan

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Parker Posey is probably the most “White Lotus”-ish actor ever to join the show. She leads the Season 3 cast just announced with Jason Isaacs, Leslie Bibb, Michelle Monaghan, plus Dom Hetrakul and Tayme Thapthimthong.

Natasha Rothwell was already announced, reprising her role from Season 1. Remember– she was the staff member who got tangled up with Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya.

The show is set in Thailand this time. Filming will begin in and around Koh Samui, Phuket, and Bangkok next month. The multi-generational group of characters includes a patriarch, a female corporate executive, an actress, a couple of mothers, including a country club wife, a misfit and a yogi. We’re hoping Parker plays the actress. She would be the wacky version of Ginger from “Gilligan’s Island.” It would seem like Isaacs — coming off his great performance as Cary Grant in “Archie” — is the mogul.

Will Coolidge return? Maybe as a ghost or some kind of spirit since this season is supposed to be about all things Eastern. Maybe Tanya will haunt the new group of guests.

Golden Globes: The Days of Lavish Studio Parties After the Show Are Over, Replaced by One Soiree

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One thing about the Golden Globes: even if the show was bad or boring, the after parties in the Beverly Hilton were spectacular.

First stop was right downstairs at the pool, where HBO threw a lavish spread that started in Cafe 55, the hotel restaurant, and spilled out onto the enormous plaza. That’s where I found Ricky Gervais, a couple of times after he hosted the show and caused merry mayhem. It’s also where all the HBO stars from shows like “The Sopranos,” “Sex and the City,” “Hacks,” “Game of Thrones,” etc would be chowing down. There was nothing livelier or more fun.

This year: HBO has opted out. In its place. Billboard magazine — owned by Eldrige Industries and Todd Boehy, also the owner of the Globes and Dick Clark Productions — will throw the one big shindig of the night.

This means no Warner Bros/In Style party in the big side ballroom of the hotel. It was always a crowd pleaser. One year, Prince played there. Over many years, Miramax, then the Weinstein Company, took over Trader Vic’s downstairs and on the opposite plaza from the HBO party. That’s obviously gone. Netflix took over the space, and then moved it to the lot across the drive way.. Not this year.

On upper floors of the hotel, the partying was just as good. Long lines used to form for the elevators to Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures soirees. They were packed with stars of their shows mingling and swingling. Again, they are just a memory. Also long gone are the 20th Century Fox parties. They were always a presence at the long ago demolished site of the Robinson’s department store.

Even more recently, there were also options of parties just down the way at the Hilton’s swanky new sister hotel, the very expensive Waldorf.

But now again, it’s just the Billboard party. There are a few things on the schedule around town, but quite small and mostly private. The days of wine and roses are over. The most fun was picking up a group of people you know and snaking around in a conga line from event to event. “Were you downstairs? Were you upstairs? Who was there?” And so on. Now we’ll watch from the East Coast, getting over some kind of snowstorm, glad to have the memories.

“Starsky and Hutch” Star David Soul Dead at 80 After “Valiant Battle,” Had a Top 40 Hit Also

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David Soul, co star of “Starsky and Hutch” in the 70s on TV, is dead at age 80.

His family says he had a “valiant battle” with cancer.

Soul was also a musician and a big hit in the 70s with the song “Don’t Give Up On Us.”

(More recently he was involved some contentious back and forths on social media that I didn’t agree with and thought were off the wall. But he may have been in pain and didn’t know what he was saying.)

“Starsky and Hutch” starred Soul and Paul Michael Glaser as two hip cops battling gangs and drug lords from their souped up Dodge Charger.

Soul’s wife His wife, Helen Snell, said Friday that “David Soul – beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother – died yesterday after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family.”

“He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend,” she said in a statement. “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards Going to Gladys Knight, Tammy Wynette, Laurie Anderson, Clark Sisters and NWA

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The Grammys have announced their Lifetime Achievement and Special Merit Awards.

The awards are handed out on February 3rd in a special ceremony at the Wilshire Ebell Theater, right before Clive Davis’s bash at the Beverly Hilton.

Laurie Anderson, the Clark Sisters, Gladys Knight, N.W.A, Donna Summer, and Tammy Wynette are the 2024 Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award honorees; Peter Asher, DJ Kool Herc and Joel Katz are the Trustees Award recipients; Tom Kobayashi and Tom Scott are the Technical GRAMMY Award honorees; and “Refugee,” written by K’naan, Steve McEwan, and Gerald Eaton (a.k.a. Jarvis Church), is being honored with the Best Song For Social Change Award.

All the ladies are totally deserving and have waited a long time. NWA was a cutting edge hip hop group of great influence to future generations. Members included Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, and Ice Cube. I’m also very happy to see the names of Asher and Katz in the line up. Peter Asher was part of the 60s singing duo Peter and Gordon. But Peter was also the head of the Beatles’ Apple Records, found James Taylor and Badfinger, then managed and produced James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt with all their hit records of the 70s.

Joel Katz has been the lawyer for the Grammys for decades, and also represented half of the artists in the industry out of his Atlanta office. He is beloved by everyone he’s worked with and deserves the accolades for dealing with a lot of big personalities over the years.

Grammy weekend is shaping up pretty nicely, with Jon Bon Jovi receiving the Musicares Person of the Year Award on February 2nd, and then, of course the Big Show on Sunday, February 4th on CBS.

BAFTA Long Lists Sharpen Oscars Ideas, But Omit “Air,” “American Fiction,” “The Color Purple,” “Saltburn” from Best Film

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BAFTA– the British Academy — has released its long lists for all the different nominating categories in film.

The lists sharpen up our Oscars choices, but omit several titles from their Best Film consideration including “The Color Purple.” “American Fiction,” “Air,” and “Saltburn.” The latter tossed into Best British Film, with some acting noms.

BAFTA is a good part of Oscar indications as a lot of members of the American Academy live abroad these days.

The final nominations list are set to be announced on January 18th, with the BAFTA Film Awards ceremony taking place February 18th from London’s Royal Festival Hall. If only this grand group would make it possible to stream the awards in the States, or put them somewhere LIVE so we can follow along!

Best Film

“All of Us Strangers”
“Anatomy of a Fall”
“Barbie”
“The Holdovers”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“Maestro”
“Oppenheimer”
“Past Lives”
“Poor Things”
“The Zone of Interest”

Outstanding British Film

“All of Us Strangers”
“Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget”
“The Deepest Breath”
“The Great Escaper”
“How to Have Sex”
“Napoleon”
“The Old Oak”
“One Life”
“Poor Things”
“Rye Lane”
“Saltburn”
“Scrapper”
“Tetris”
“Wonka”
“The Zone of Interest”

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer

“Blue Bag Life”
“Bobi Wine: The People’s President”
“Earth Mama”
“The End We Start From”
“How to Have Sex”
“If the Streets Were on Fire”
“Is There Anybody Out There?”
“Polite Society”
“Rye Lane”
“Scrapper”

Film Not in English Language

“20 Days in Mariupol”
“Anatomy of a Fall”
“The Boy and the Heron”
“The Eight Mountains”
“Fallen Leaves”
“Past Lives”
“Society of the Snow”
“The Taste of Things”
“The Teachers’ Lounge”
“The Zone of Interest”

Documentary

“20 Days in Mariupol”
“American Symphony”
“Beyond Utopia”
“The Deepest Breath”
“High & Low – John Galliano”
“Little Richard: I Am Everything”
“Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story”
“The Pigeon Tunnel”
“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”
“Wham!”

Animated Film

“The Boy and the Heron”
“Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget”
“Elemental”
“Nimona”
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie”
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”
“Wish”

Director

“Anatomy of a Fall”
“All of Us Strangers”
“American Fiction”
“Barbie”
“The Holdovers”
“How to Have Sex”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“Maestro”
“Oppenheimer”
“Past Lives”
“Poor Things”
“Priscilla”
“Rye Lane”
“Saltburn”
“Scrapper”
“The Zone of Interest”

Original Screenplay

“Air”
“Anatomy of a Fall”
“Barbie”
“The Holdovers”
“How to Have Sex”
“Maestro”
“May December”
“Past Lives”
“Rye Lane”
“Saltburn”

Adapted Screenplay

“All of Us Strangers”
“American Fiction”
“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret”
“Dumb Money”
“The Killer”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“Oppenheimer”
“Poor Things”
“Wonka”
“The Zone of Interest”

Leading Actress

Annette Bening, “Nyad”
Carey Mulligan, “Maestro”
Emma Stone, “Poor Things”
Fantasia Barrino, “The Color Purple”
Greta Lee, “Past Lives”
Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Margot Robbie, “Barbie”
Mia McKenna-Bruce, “How to Have Sex”
Sandra Hüller, “Anatomy of a Fall”
Vivian Oparah, “Rye Lane”

Leading Actor

Andrew Scott, “All of Us Strangers”
Barry Keoghan, “Saltburn”
Bradley Cooper, “Maestro”
Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”
Colman Domingo, “Rustin”
George MacKay, “Femme”
Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers”
Teo Yoo, “Past Lives”

Supporting Actress

America Ferrera, “Barbie”
Cara Jade Myers, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Claire Foy, “All of Us Strangers”
Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple”
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”
Emily Blunt, “Oppenheimer”
Jodie Foster, “Nyad”
Julianne Moore, “May December”
Rosamund Pike, “Saltburn”
Sandra Hüller, “The Zone of Interest”

Supporting Actor

Anthony Hopkins, “One Life”
Ben Whishaw, “Passages”
Dominic Sessa, “The Holdovers”
Jacob Elordi, “Saltburn”
Jamie Bell, “All of Us Strangers”
Mark Ruffalo, “Poor Things”
Paul Mescal, “All of Us Strangers”
Robert De Niro, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”
Ryan Gosling, “Barbie”

Casting

“All of Us Strangers”
“Anatomy of a Fall”
“Barbie”
“The Holdovers”
“How to Have Sex”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“Maestro”
“Oppenheimer”
“Saltburn”
“Scrapper”

Cinematography

“Barbie”
“The Creator”
“Ferrari”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“Maestro”
“Napoleon”
“Oppenheimer”
“Poor Things”
“Saltburn”
“The Zone of Interest”

Costume Design

“Asteroid City”
“Barbie”
“Ferrari”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“Maestro”
“Napoleon”
“Oppenheimer”
“Poor Things”
“Saltburn”
“Wonka”

Editing

“All of Us Strangers”
“Anatomy of a Fall”
“Barbie”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“Maestro”
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”
“Oppenheimer”
“Poor Things”
“Saltburn”
“The Zone of Interest”

Make-Up and Hair

“Barbie”
“Ferrari”
“Golda”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“Maestro”
“Napoleon”
“Oppenheimer”
“Poor Things”
“Priscilla”
“Wonka”

Original Score

“American Fiction”
“Barbie”
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“Napoleon”
“Oppenheimer”
“Poor Things”
“Saltburn”
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
“Wonka”

Production Design

“Asteroid City”
“Barbie”
“Ferrari”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“Maestro”
“Napoleon”
“Oppenheimer”
“Poor Things”
“Wonka”
“The Zone of Interest”

Special Visual Effects

“Barbie”
“The Creator”
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”
“Napoleon”
“Oppenheimer”
“Poor Things”
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
“Wonka”

Sound

“Barbie”
“Ferrari”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“Maestro”
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”
“Napoleon”
“Oppenheimer”
“Poor Things”
“Wonka”
“The Zone of Interest”

British Short Animation

“Crab Day”
“Sweet Like Lemons”
“The Smeds and the Smoos”
“Visible Mending”
“Wild Summon”
“World to Roam”

British Short Film

“Essex Girls”
“Festival of Slaps”
“Finding Alaa”
“Gorka”
“Jellyfish and Lobster”
“Jill, Uncredited”
“Mighty Penguins”
“The One Note Man”
“Such a Lovely Day”
“Yellow”

Steve Burton Is Back on “General Hospital” After Refusing Vaccine and Getting Fired from ABC Soap by Disney

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That’s showbiz: Steve Burton is back on “General Hospital.”

Burton was fired in November 2021 from the ABC soap when Disney required all employees to be vaccinated for COVID. He refused, citing his right to be careless and stupid among his fellow castmates and crew. Burton went over to “Days of our Lives” for a year. Yesterday he announced he was leaving that show. (Another actor, Ingo Rademacher, was also fired after he claimed religious reasons for not getting the shot. He sued ABC and lost.)

Tonight, at the end of ABC’s 60th anniversary of “GH” show, Burton appeared in the closing segment. He’d better hope there isn’t another pandemic.

The 60th anniversary show followed the most insipid special in some time — the Golden Bachelor’s free ad supported wedding. I only watched the last half hour and it was like having nails driven through the palms of your hand.

From the “General Hospital” special the main takeaway — other than Burton’s return — was the alarming facelift on pop star Rick Springfield. He could barely speak, his mouth was so tight. Jesse’s Girl would be very shocked.