In addition to a top-to-bottom organization overall, the Golden Globes has added two new categories for its next awards, for cinematic and box office achievement and stand-up comedy performance on television.
The creation for a box office achievement award is clearly a move to attract viewers who have tuned out kudofests in recent decades because they tend to focus on little-seen movies. The category honors artistically outstanding films that have grossed more than $150 million, with at least $100 million coming from the domestic box office, or have commensurate streaming viewership confirmed by a “trusted industry source.” Films released after Nov. 22 may qualify if their projected box office or viewership meets the benchmarks.
The field of contenders is surprisingly wide, with no fewer than 20 films eligible as of November, ranging from horror films (“Scream VI,” “Five Nights at Freddy’s”), Marvel and DC Universe movies (“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3,” “The Flash”), action spectaculars (“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” “John Wick: Chapter 4”) and kid-friendly titles (including “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Elemental”) to the child trafficking thriller “Sound of Freedom.” A total of eight films will be nominated.
Ironically, the new award comes in the year that saw two of the best-reviewed films, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” collectively gross more than $2.39 billion worldwide, so there is a very real chance that those films could pick up nominations in the best picture categories (drama or comedy/musical category) as well as the box office achievement award.
The new stand-up honor seems most likely to benefit Netflix, which released 16 standup specials in the first half of 2023 alone. The top contenders for the streamer are “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” “John Mulaney: Baby J” and “Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact.” Its chief competitor is Max, whose high-profile standup specials included “Marc Maron: From Bleak to Dark,” “Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love” and “Marlon Wayans: God Loves Me.” Amazon has also become a player in the comic game, most notably with “Nate Bargatze: Hello World!,” which might get a boost from the comedian’s October hosting gig on “Saturday Night Live.”
While the category is open to programs of 30 minutes or more released on a broad array of platforms (broadcast, basic and premium cable, streaming, pay-per-view), shows hosted by individuals’ social media accounts are not eligible, shutting out the substantial number of comedians who self-release specials on YouTube.
Source: Variety
Four-time Oscar nominee Ed Harris (Westworld), Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick), Miles J. Harvey (American Vandal), and Pete Davidson (The King of Staten Island) have joined Emmy winner Jennifer Coolidge, Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman, and Gabrielle Union (The Inspection) in director Dito Montiel’s crime comedy movie Riff Raff, which has begun filming in New Jersey.
The film centers on a former criminal whose ordinary life is thrown upside down when his family shows up for a long-awaited reckoning.
Signature Films and Canopy Media Partners are behind the production, based on a script by John Pollono.
Canopy Media Partners’ Noah Rothman (Small Engine Repair), Signature Films’ Marc Goldberg and Sarah Gabriel (The Estate), and Adam Paulsen (Pig, On The Count of Three) are producing.
Executive producers include David Sullivan, John Pollono, and Chris Dennis for Canopy Media Partners, Capstone’s Christian Mercuri, and Patrick Hibler and Patrick Muldoon from Storyboard Media.
Signature will continue selling international rights at the EFM after launching sales in Cannes earlier this year, with Capstone representing domestic rights alongside CAA Media Finance and WME Independent.
Harris will next star in Jonathan Kent’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night. Pullman, who played Lt. Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd in Top Gun: Maverick, will next star in Skincare alongside Elizabeth Banks and season two of Amazon’s Outer Range opposite Josh Brolin.
Harvey is known for his role in Netflix’s true-crime satire American Vandal and films such as Supercool, The Babysitter, and The Dinner. SNL alum Davidson is next to be seen in Sony and Black Bear’s Dumb Money and will appear in A24 comedy Wizards!
Harris is represented by CAA and Julian Zajfen of Ziffren Brittenham LLP; Pullman is represented by Anonymous Content and CAA; Harvey is represented by Edge Entertainment Management and Buchwald; and Davidson is represented by WME and Alex Panagos.
Source: Deadline
Netflix posted the first photo (below) of Eddie Murphy‘s long-awaited return as Axel Foley in the fourth Beverly Hills Cop.
The first look shows Murphy’s character emerging with his hands up from what looks like a tipped-over parking enforcement cart while wearing his trademark Detroit Lions jacket. The project is the first Beverly Hills Cop movie in 29 years since the release of the lackluster Beverly Hills Cop 3.
The Netflix sequel — titled Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley — also reunites Murphy with franchise co-stars Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot.
According to Empire, the new film has “Foley’s criminal defense attorney daughter (Taylour Paige), who pulls her dad into a California-based case — where he’ll cause issues for Kevin Bacon’s LAPD special-unit officer, and team up with a new partner, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.”
The sequel is directed by newcomer Mark Molloy and was written by Will Beall (Aquaman). Jerry Bruckheimer, Chad Oman, and Melissa Reid are producing for Jerry Bruckheimer Films, along with Murphy, while Charisse Hewitt-Webster and Ray Angelic executive produce.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were originally on board to direct the fourth installment, but Molloy replaced them after the duo left to direct Warner Bros.’ ill-fated Batgirl.
The project moved from Paramount, which had been developing the film for years, to Netflix in 2019. The film will finally be released in 2024.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
ABC has set return dates for its scripted series, joining CBS in laying out a post-strikes lineup that will see the likes of Abbott Elementary, Grey’s Anatomy, and new addition 911 join the schedule in early 2024.
The broadcast network will also have a handful of unscripted staples — American Idol, The Bachelor, and Judge Steve Harvey — and a 20/20-branded true-crime series from ABC News to round out its midseason slate.
Production on a host of scripted series is ramping back up in the coming weeks, following the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike on Nov. 9 (members of the actors union are currently voting on ratification of the deal). Writers rooms reopened in late September after the Writers Guild of America agreed on a new contract from studios and streamers, ending its strike.
With most shows not starting production until after Thanksgiving, the episode counts for scripted series will be smaller than in a typical year — 10 to 13 episodes, as opposed to between 16 and 22.
ABC’s Wednesday comedy block of The Conners, Not Dead Yet and Abbott Elementary will be the first scripted shows to return to the network’s air; with all three, along with Judge Steve Harvey, are set to premiere Feb. 7, with Abbott getting an hourlong debut. ABC has only three half-hour comedies on its roster at the moment and will announce later how it plans to fill the 9:30 p.m. Wednesday spot.
The network will stack dramas on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Second-year show Will Trent will lead off Tuesdays starting Feb. 20, followed by The Rookie and The Good Doctor. The Thursday lineup will debut March 14, with 911 — which is moving from Fox — leading into Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19.
The Bachelor will return to its usual Monday spot Jan. 22, with the true-crime series following at 10 p.m. American Idol opens its season Feb. 18, paired with ABC News’ What Would You Do? on Sunday nights. Fridays remain the same with Shark Tank and 20/20.
ABC’s midseason premiere dates are below.
Monday, Jan. 22
8 p.m.: The Bachelor
10 p.m.: 20/20 true-crime series (title TBD)
Wednesday, Feb. 7
8 p.m.: The Conners
8:30 p.m.: Not Dead Yet
9 p.m.: Abbott Elementary
10 p.m.: Judge Steve Harvey
Sunday, Feb. 18
8 p.m.: American Idol
10 p.m.: What Would You Do?
Tuesday, Feb. 20
8 p.m.: Will Trent
9 p.m.: The Rookie
10 p.m.: The Good Doctor
Thursday, March 14
8 p.m.: 911
9 p.m.: Grey’s Anatomy
10 p.m.: Station 19
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
William Morris Endeavor wants nothing to do with Billy Cosby or a sexual assault case against the much-accused comedian.
In paperwork filed in LA Superior Court yesterday, WME asserted that they should not be a co-defendant in Linda Ridgway-Whitedeer’s claims that the man once known as “America’s Dad” forced her to perform oral sex on him back in 1971.
Having first went public with the alleged assault in 2015 as dozens of women came forward against Cosby, the plaintiff’s civil suit of September this year says that “at the time of the sexual assault, the William Morris Agency knew, or should have had knowledge of Defendant’s repeated acts of sexual assault.”
Now, the agency that Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell created out of the 2009 melding of William Morris and Endeavor proclaims they had “no control” over what did or did not happen 52 years ago.
“Pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure …WME denies, both generally and specifically, each and every allegation contained in Plaintiff’s Complaint, and the whole thereof, and each and every alleged cause of action thereof,” the November 15 filed four-page answer to complaint, which you can read here, states “WME further denies that Plaintiff has been damaged in any sum whatsoever or is entitled to any relief of any kind against WME, in this action or otherwise.”
In her initial complaint of September 12, Ridgway-Whitedeer details how fellow William Morris client Cosby distinctly requested her in 1971 to audition personally with him for a role in the Robert Culp co-starring Hickey and Boggs film. It was in an “empty director’s office” in an LA studio with a “closed door” that the alleged assault occurred, quickly and ruthlessly it seems.
“Plaintiff, unable to breathe and in shock from what had just transpired, was unable to react,” the four-claim complaint says. “Defendant Cosby used a tissue to attempt to wipe his semen from Plaintiff’s face. Still in shock, Plaintiff was escorted to her car by Defendant Cosby. As she gripped the steering wheel, cheeks streaked with tears, Defendant Cosby, still next to the car, quickly retreated, passing in front of Plaintiff’s car as he walked away.”
Aided by her Jeff Anderson & Associates lawyers, Ridgway-Whitedeer was able to file the suit under a California law that went into effect at the beginning of this year that allows victims of sexual assault up to the end of 2026 to pursue civil remedies not matter how long ago the alleged crime occurred.
However, WME says a statute of limitations should apply, and that Ridgway-Whitedeer “unreasonably delayed in bringing this action against WME and thereby prejudiced the rights of WME.” The agency goes on to say that “Plaintiff’s claims against WME are barred, in whole or in part, because Plaintiff’s alleged injuries and damages, if any, were caused by the independent acts, omissions, faults, negligence and/or other conduct of others over which WME had no control.”
Cosby was with the William Morris Agency and successor WME from 1964 until 2012. He then moved to CAA but was quietly dumped by them in early 2015 as more and more claims against him became known.
WME wants the Negligence claim and more against them to be dismissed with prejudice. As their parent company prepares to possibly go private, WME and their Greenberg Traurig attorneys (which includes Britney Spears‘ lawyer Matthew Rosengart) also want Ridgway-Whitedeer to pay the costs of the suit.
Just like his team has in every allegation against The Cosby Show creator over the years, Cosby’s spokesman back in September said the comedian “vehemently denies the allegations waged against him and maintains his innocence as well as vows to fight these alleged allegations vigorously in the court of public opinion and in the courtroom.”
No hearing date for WME’s request to be dismissed from the case has been scheduled yet.
More than 60 women have claimed over the years that Cosby drugged and assaulted them, often with a combination of pills and alcohol. Kicking off years of legal battles, former supermodel Janice Dickinson formally took the matter to court in May 2015, in the first of several lawsuits. Since then dozens have followed suit, literally and figuratively. In the past couple of years, a New York law similar to those in California and Nevada lifted the statute of limitations requirements and allowed two former The Cosby Show actresses and three other women to sue Cosby and NBCUniversal last December over sexual assault and battery claims.
Cosby was sentenced to up to 10 years behind bars in 2018 by a Pennsylvania judge after a second trial for the rape of Andrea Constand. His sentence didn’t last that long, the now 86-year-old Cosby had his conviction tossed out in June 2021.
However, that wasn’t the end of the claims against him by any stretch. In September 2022, Cosby lost his attempt at a retrial over Judy Huth’s accusation that he sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion when the plaintiff was a minor in the 1970s. A Santa Monica jury brought back a verdict for Huth in that civil case on June 21, 2022. The 12-person panel awarded Huth $500,000 in damages. More lawsuits, like Ridgway-Whitedeer’s, have followed since from claims over the decades.
Source: Deadline
WASHINGTON (AP) — Comedian Kevin Hart has been chosen to receive the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in American humor, capping a three-decade career that has seen him rise from the open mics of Philadelphia to become one of his generation’s most successful performers.
Hart, 44, launched his career as a teenager performing at venues such as The Laff House in his native Philadelphia under the name of Lil Kev. He recalled his early stand-up performances as a string of brutal failures that included being booed off the stage multiple times and at one point, he claimed, having a piece of chicken thrown at him on stage.
Gradually, Hart honed a signature style that combined his diminutive stature, expressive face, and motormouth delivery and made him a wildly successful touring act. He made his movie debut in the 2002 film “Paper Soldiers” and came to mainstream fame through a string of scene-stealing cameos in mega-hits such as 2005’s “The 40-Year-Old-Virgin.”
Hart has gone on to become one of the country’s most bankable and ubiquitous performers, with 11 of his films opening at No. 1 at the box office. All told, his films have grossed more than $4.23 billion in global revenue.
“For over three decades, Kevin Hart has been a source of laughter across America and throughout the world with his iconic characters, inimitable physical comedy, and relatable narratives,” Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter said in a statement Wednesday. “We express our gratitude to Kevin for enriching American culture and look forward to celebrating his exceptional career.”
Now in its 25th year, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor annually honors performers who have made a lasting impact on humor and culture. Honorees receive a bronze bust of Twain, the iconic American writer and satirist whose real name was Samuel Clemens.
Hart, in a statement, noted that the launch of the Mark Twain Prize in 1998, with inaugural recipient Richard Pryor, basically coincided with the start of his comedic career.
“To be honored in this commemorative year feels surreal,” Hart said. “Comedy is my outlet for social commentary and observations on life. I am grateful to the Kennedy Center for recognizing my voice and impact on culture.”
Hart will receive his prize at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts on March 24. The ceremony will be broadcast later on a date to be determined.
Mark Twain recipients are honored with a night of testimonials and video tributes, often featuring previous award winners. Other comedians receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award include George Carlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett, and Dave Chapelle. Bill Cosby, the 2009 recipient, had his Mark Twain Prize rescinded in 2019 amid multiple allegations of sexual assault.
A new universe awaits on Netflix, starting December 22.
From Zack Snyder, the filmmaker behind 300, Man of Steel, and Army of the Dead, comes REBEL MOON, a 2-part movie event decades in the making.
After crash landing on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a stranger with a mysterious past, begins a new life among a peaceful settlement of farmers. But she soon becomes their only hope for survival when the tyrannical Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee) and his cruel emissary, Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein), discover the farmers have unwittingly sold their crops to the Bloodaxes (Cleopatra Coleman and Ray Fisher) – leaders of a fierce group of insurgents hunted by the Motherworld.
Tasked with finding fighters who would risk their lives to defend the people of Veldt, Kora, and Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), a tenderhearted farmer naive in the realities of war, journey to different worlds in search of the Bloodaxes, and assemble a small band of warriors who share a common need for redemption along the way: Kai (Charlie Hunnam), a pilot and gun for hire; General Titus (Djimon Hounsou), a legendary commander; Nemesis (Doona Bae), a master swordswoman; Tarak (Staz Nair), a captive with a regal past; and Milius (E. Duffy), a resistance fighter. Back on Veldt, Jimmy (voiced by Anthony Hopkins), an ancient mechanized protector hiding in the wings, awakens with a new purpose. But the newly formed revolutionaries must learn to trust each other and fight as one before the armies of the Motherworld come to destroy them all.
Leslie Jones is the guest host on The Daily Show the for week of November 13-16th. Her guest on Monday, November 13, is Lisa Leslie, WNBA superstar. Steve Kornacki, NBC News, and MSNBC national political correspondent, is the guest on November 14th. On November 15, it’s Allyson Felix, Olympic gold medalist in track and field, and co-founder and president of women’s footwear brand Saysh. On Thursday, November 16, Jones chats with Taika Waititi, director of the movie Next Goal Wins.
Jones was on Saturday Night Live from 2014 to 2019 and hosted Supermarket Sweep on ABC and MTV’s Movie & TV Awards. Her film work includes Top Five, Trainwreck, and Ghostbusters.
The Daily Show airs on Comedy Central at 11 p.m. ET/PT weeknights.
Since Trevor Noah signed off as Daily Show host, a number of guest hosts, including Al Franken, Chelsea Handler, DL Hughley, John Leguizamo, and Kal Penn, have taken a turn as guest host. Sarah Silverman did the job last week, following Charlamagne tha God. No permanent host has been named.
“Black-ish” star Anthony Anderson and his mother, Doris Bowman, are once again teaming up to host another game show together. The son-and-mother duo have been announced as the new hosts of Fox’s upcoming music gamer “We Are Family,” which premieres Wednesday, Jan. 3.
Anderson and Bowman replace Jamie Foxx and his daughter Corinne Foxx, who had previously been announced for “We Are Family.” Jamie Foxx continues as an executive producer on “We Are Family,” as he presumably recovers from a medical condition that he was hospitalized for earlier this year. Jamie Foxx also hosts another music game show, “Beat Shazam,” for Fox (with Corinne Foxx as the show’s DJ), but Nick Cannon filled in as host, and Kelly Osbourne guested as DJ, for episodes that aired this summer.
Anderson and Bowman — also known as “Mama Doris” — have worked together on several projects, including the gamer “To Tell the Truth,” as well as “Trippin’ with Anthony Anderson and Mama Doris.” According to Fox, the new show “will showcase non-famous relatives of celebrities performing amazing solo performances and duets with their hidden famous family member.”
The show, from Jeff Apploff’s Apploff Entertainment and Fox Alternative Entertainment, follows a studio audience of 100 contestants who are competing for up to $150,000 by guessing which celebrity the performer is related to. Celebrities appearing on “We Are Family” include musicians and pro athletes, Fox said.
“We’re so excited to have Anthony and Doris headline We Are Family,” said Fox unscripted programming prexy Allison Wallach. “They embody everything that’s special about this show –a ton of laughs, a lot of heart and some friendly on edge-of-your-seat competition that the whole family can enjoy.”
“We Are Family” is co-produced by Apploff Entertainment and Fox Alternative Entertainment, which created the program. Jeff Apploff, Joni Day and Jamie Foxx are executive producers, while “We Are Family” showrunner Matilda Zoltowski is also executive producer of the series.
“I jumped at the opportunity to host ‘We Are Family’ and can’t wait for you to see all the celebrities, their relatives and the many surprises we have in store this season – and with my mama by my side, you never know what’s going to happen,” said Anderson in a statement.
Here’s a first look at “We Are Family”:
Source: Variety
Kel Mitchell announced Thursday that he is home and recovering after he was hospitalized this week after a health scare.
“Grateful for the flood of prayers and positive vibes that surrounded me during a genuinely frightening time,” the “Good Burger” actor wrote in a statement posted on his Instagram account late Wednesday evening. The post did not disclose what prompted his hospital visit.
“The scare was real, but so was the support,” he continued. “With the grace of God and the skill of the medical team, I’m on the road to recovery at home, embraced by the love of my family. Your kindness has been a lifeline, and I can’t thank you enough. Much love to each of you.”
Representatives for Mitchell did not immediately respond to The Times’ requests for comment.
TMZ was first to report Mitchell’s hospitalization Wednesday afternoon, citing a witness who said they saw Mitchell entering a Los Angeles hospital’s emergency room and described the actor as conscious and alert.
Other stars celebrated Mitchell’s return home, with fellow “All That” alum Kenan Thompson, as well as gospel singer and actress Yolanda Adams, leaving prayer emojis in the comment section of Mitchell’s recent post. Damon Wayans wrote, “Glad you’re feeling better my brother,” and Yvette Nicole Brown, said, “Glad you’re on the mend, friend!”
Mitchell is known for the ‘90s Nickelodeon show “All That” and its movie spinoff, “Good Burger.” He has openly talked about his struggle with alcohol and drug use, while experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts prompted in part by the end of his long-running show, financial struggles, and the end of his marriage with Tyisha Hampton.
“I felt like I hit a wall,” he recalled in a 2015 interview with People. “I was like ‘Okay, I need to figure out what to do in my life.’”
The actor will make his return to the big screen this month for the long-awaited release of “Good Burger 2.”
Rumors about a “Good Burger” sequel have swirled for years.
Keeping the idea alive among its fan base — mostly children of the 1990s — Thompson and Mitchell reunited during a 2015 “Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” episode and parodied their iconic characters of Ed and Dexter Reed. Then, in 2019, Mitchell went on to reprise his role in the Paramount+ “All That” reboot.
In recent months, as the duo began to appear together onscreen more often, talk of a sequel began to ramp up.
First came the 2022 Emmys moment where Thompson, who hosted the show, performed a surprise bit that had Mitchell asking, “You know what, can I get a Good Burger?” Thompson ended the bit exclaiming, “Sequel comin’ at ya!” Then, in a December 2022 episode of “SNL,” Thompson and Keke Palmer performed another “Good Burger” parody with Mitchell making a surprise appearance. The duo officially confirmed the sequel was on its way in March while guests on “Fallon.”
Last week, Paramount released the movie’s first trailer, which revealed a wide range of cameos, including Rob Gronkowski to Carmen Electra and Lil Rel Howery. Mitchell had shared a promotional clip of the film on his Instagram stories Wednesday morning, hours before SAG-AFTRA and the alliance representing the major Hollywood studios reached a tentative deal to end the historic, 118-day actors’ strike.
“Good Burger 2” is set to begin streaming on Paramount+ on Nov. 22.
Source: The LA Times