Entertainment Daypop Archives

Catfish host Nev Schulman is losing his longtime TV partner and co-host, Max Joseph, to life behind the camera. Joseph announced he is leaving the MTV show which he helped create and co-host for 7 years to pursue his budding career in filmmaking. Said Joseph: “For a while now I have been straddling two careers as TV host and filmmaker and, while this level of busy-ness is a dream come true, my life can no longer sustain it. With ‘Catfish’ still going strong after 7 seasons, 115 episodes, 31 specials and showing no sign of slowing down, I feel it is finally the time for me to make my exit.” MTV has not said if it is going to cast a replacement host for Max. ‘Catfish’ is in the middle of airing its seventh season right now. Max’s final episode will air August 22... [Read Full Story]

The Academy of Motion Pictures just announced some changes to its annual Oscars event. In a tweet Wednesday morning, the Academy announced it’s planning a new category “around achievement in popular film.” The Academy Board of Governors has yet to reveal more information about what kind of achievement will be recognized and what qualifies as a popular film, and the Academy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Hollywood Reporter reported that “a single film is eligible for an Oscar in both categories- Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film and the Academy Award for Best Picture. The new category will be introduced this coming year, at the 91st Oscars.”   The new category was announced in a letter to Academy members that also reveals the 2020 date of the Oscars ceremony will be moved to earlier in February than the event usually runs. Next year’s Oscars, however, will still air on Sunday, February 24. ... [Read Full Story]

“Orange is the New Black” alum Ruby Rose has been cast to play Batwoman in both the annual DC superhero crossover event on the CW network, and in a pilot for possible series consideration. CW has confirmed its version of the character will be an out lesbian with “a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind.” She is a “highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city’s criminal resurgence.” Rose is best known to American TV audiences as Stella on Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black” but was a prominent model and host in her native Australian for several years before that. Rose’s casting comes on the heels of CW casting activist Nicole Maines as the first trans superhero, who is set to join the network’s series “Supergirl” next season.... [Read Full Story]

It was revealed Tuesday morning that HGTV is the new owner of the iconic house used for the exterior shots of the beloved 1970s series “The Brady Bunch.” David Zaslav, chief executive officer of HGTV’s parent company Discovery, made the announcement during the company’s second-quarter earnings call. Zaslay said: “I’m excited to share that HGTV is the winning bidder and we’ll restore the home to its 1970s glory as only HGTV can.” Former *NSYNC member Lance Bass had taken to social media this week to express his disappointment at losing out on the house; Bass was initially told his offer had been the winning one but later learned it had been rejected for a more lucrative offer from a then-unidentified corporate buyer. However Bass tweeted Tuesday after the news broke saying: “I’d be pretty upset if it were anyone else, but how can you be mad at HGTV?? My television is stuck on that channel. Kudos HGTV, I know you will do the right thing with the house. That was always my biggest worry. I can smile again.” The house was listed at a starting price of almost $1.9 million; however the sale price has not been announced yet.... [Read Full Story]

After a decades-long career, Robert Redford has confirmed his plan to retire from acting. His upcoming film “The Old Man & the Gun,” will likely be his final role as an actor, he said in a recent interview. “Never say never, but I pretty well concluded that this would be it for me in terms of acting, and [I’ll] move towards retirement after this ’cause I’ve been doing it since I was 21,” the 81-year-old said. But that doesn’t mean he will retire from directing and producing, the indie titan said, “We’ll see about that.” A representative for Redford confirmed the accuracy of the report.... [Read Full Story]

Showtime announced that “Homeland” will end after it’s eighth season. The news has been expected for a while, but Showtime Networks CEO David Nevins confirmed the news on Monday at the TV Critics Association press tour. The news also comes as executive producer Alex Gansa was said to be “unequivocally done” after this season, as star Clare Danes said earlier this summer. Nevins said Gansa and Danes had talked for a while about ending the show after Season 8, when the show’s most recent three-year renewal was set to end. Showtime programming head Gary Levine: “That show is not limping in the sunset. Last season was one of the best ever.” Showtime said production on the final 12 episodes will begin in early 2019 in a “still-to-be-determined location.” ... [Read Full Story]

Seth Rogen, a producer on the comedy film Good Boys with Evan Goldberg, has issued an apology after leaked photos from the set showed a stand-in for a child actor wearing blackface makeup. “I should start by saying this shouldn’t have happened, and I’m terribly sorry it did.” Rogen said in a statement. TMZ had published photos on Thursday that revealed the child stand-in for 11-year-old Keith L. Williams sitting on the Vancouver set wearing darkened face makeup. Sources connected to production company Good Universe told the site it’s “not uncommon for lighting purposes to match actors’ skin tones.” Williams stars alongside Jacob Tremblay, Molly Gordon, and Brady Noon in Good Boys, about four boys on a mission to fix a broken toy. The film will open in theaters in 2019.... [Read Full Story]

Patrick Stewart will be reprising his role as Jean-Luc Picard in a new Star Trek series for CBS All Access. The actor announced the news on Twitter, calling the chance to play Picard again “an unexpected but delightful surprise.”  Stewart played the iconic Starfleet captain on Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1987 to 1994, and last reprised the role in the 2002 film Star Trek: Nemesis.
Details about Picard’s next adventure are limited, but the new show will not be a reboot or prequel but will cover “the next chapter of Picard’s life.”   In June, news broke that the studio had hired Alex Kurtzman, co-creator of Star Trek: Discovery, to an overall deal that included expanding the Star Trek franchise. Picard’s further adventures will be broadcast on CBS All Access, the network’s premium subscription service.... [Read Full Story]

Beauty and fashion magazine Vogue is changing how it does business with celebrities for the first time in its history. Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour is giving superstar Beyoncé “unprecedented control” over her photographs and captions when she appears on the cover of its September issue.  Beyoncé will also be writing the photographs’ captions herself, and the singer has used her star power to get the publication to hire its first black photographer to shoot her cover photo. ... [Read Full Story]

Fox Network recently revealed they were working on a 24 prequel, but it turns out the network is actually working on two projects based on the action thriller. The first is a prequel that explores the early days of Jack Bauer (played by Kiefer Sutherland in the original series). The second is actually a legal drama, which will move the iconic ticking clock real-time format into an entirely different genre. Fox CEO and Chairman Gary Newman said “we feel [the 24 format] still has a lot of power and a lot of legs. Times are fraught now, these are emotional times. Security continues to be a big issue. In terms of the prequel, people love Jack Bauer and [we] would tell a story that I think the audience would very much connect with — of how he became that character. It would be set in the same world of security.”... [Read Full Story]

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown is coming to an end, but CNN has enough material to move ahead with one final season as a tribute to Anthony Bourdain, who died at the age of 61 on June 8. Seven new episodes will premiere this fall. There will only be one episode of the final season to feature Bourdain’s written narration — the still-untitled chapter set in Kenya with W. Kamau Bell — as it was the only one completed before his death. Amy Entelis, CNN’s executive vice president of talent and content, announced that other episodes will feature New York City’s Lower East Side, Texas’ Big Bend area along the Mexican border, Spain’s Asturias region, and Indonesia. According to the Times, the directors who shot these latter episodes will finalize the installments using audio from Bourdain while filming on location, as well as follow-up interviews. Entelis also said the penultimate episode will consist of cast and crew members discussing the creation of Parts Unknown, and the finale will focus on “how Tony affected the world.” Bourdain was on location in France for Parts Unknown when he died.  Parts Unkown earned five Emmys and a Peabody award.... [Read Full Story]

In a new court filing, Johnny Depp alleges Amber Heard assaulted him during the time they were married, telling a different version of events from the night when Heard claims Depp threw an iPhone at her face. The court documents were filed by Depp as part of a libel case in the U.K., the actor’s most recent legal effort to dispute accusations that he was violent towards Heard. In the court papers, Depp claims Heard assaulted him after he arrived almost two hours late to his then-wife’s 30th birthday dinner on April 21, 2016. “These allegations are totally false.” said attorneys for Ms. Heard. Depp’s court filing also includes his version of events from the night of May 21, 2016, when Heard claimed Depp threw an iPhone at her face. The documents say Depp “tossed the phone on to the sofa and crossed the room away from Ms. Heard … The phone did not hit Ms. Heard on the face or elsewhere.” Heard filed for divorce against Depp on May 23, 2016 and four days later requested a temporary domestic violence restraining order against him, which a judge granted.  The couple were married in February 2015, and Heard filed for divorce after 15 months of marriage. The couple were officially divorced in January 2017.... [Read Full Story]

Alan Alda revealed Tuesday that he has been living with Parkinson’s disease. The “M*A*S*H” star appeared on “CBS This Morning” and shared that he was diagnosed three and a half years ago.”I’ve had a full life since then,” he said. Alda, 82, said he’s going public now because he’s been doing a great deal of press lately for his new podcast, “Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda” and he noticed something in the video of himself. Parkinson’s disease is a “progressive disorder of the nervous system” that primarily affects a patient’s movement. It often begins with a small tremor in the hand or muscle stiffness and gets worse over time. Alda is best known for his role as Army Captain Hawkeye Pierce on the hit CBS series “M*A*S*H,” which ran from 1972 to 1983. In 2005, Alda was nominated for a best supporting actor Academy Award for his role in “The Aviator.”... [Read Full Story]

MTV announced Tuesday that Jennifer Lopez will be presented the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award this year at the MTV Video Music Awards. Lopez will perform live during the Aug. 20 event, and appeared in a Facebook Live segment after hearing the news, where she called the honor “amazing.”  MTV called Lopez “one of the most iconic and influential multi-hyphenates across music, film, television, fashion, business and philanthropy.”  In addition to the Vanguard prize, Lopez could walk away with several other awards next month — she’s up for “Best Collaboration” and “Best Latin Video” for her Cardi B tune “Dinero,” which also features DJ Khaled.... [Read Full Story]

The stars of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise released an open letter Monday in support of ousted writer-director James Gunn. The letter, signed by Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, Sean Gunn and Pom Klementieff, was posted on social media. Walt Disney Studios fired Gunn on July 20 for offensive tweets he posted about pedophilia and rape between 2008 and 2012.  The Guardians of the Galaxy cast members did not defend Gunn’s offensive tweets, but noted the political climate in the country. In the open letter, the cast referenced a Change.org petition asking for Gunn to be reinstated. So far, that petition has attracted more than 342,000 signatures.  ... [Read Full Story]

In a surprising move, CBS’ board of directors is keeping Leslie Moonves in place as chairman-CEO; this even after they said they will launch a probe of sexual assault allegations leveled against him by six women in a New Yorker expose. A board meeting that ran about three hours was held by teleconference Monday, three days after the report by journalist Ronan Farrow detailing accusations of sexual misconduct by six women, some stretching back to the 1980s. A statement from CBS on the meeting said the board was “in the process of selecting outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation. No other action was taken on this matter at today’s board meeting.” The board considered a range of topics during the meeting, according to a person familiar with the matter, but Moonves’ status was not put to a vote, and the CEO was said to have participated in various parts of the proceedings.  The board also decided to postpone for the second time CBS’ annual shareholders meeting, which had been set for Aug. 10 in Pasadena.... [Read Full Story]

22 years after “Mission: Impossible” first hit the big screen, the franchise’s sixth installment, “Fallout,” has made $23 million from 4,386 screens, to put the film on course for a $60 million opening weekend. “Fallout” is the highest raw opening in franchise history, passing that of “Mission: Impossible II” back in 2000. The film could set a new opening weekend record for leading man Tom Cruise, topping the $64.8 million launch for the 2005 adaptation of “War of the Worlds.”  “Fallout” is also the most critically successful film in the “M:I” series, becoming the first to earn an A from CinemaScore audience polls and also has the highest Rotten Tomatoes score of the franchise with a “Certified Fresh” 98 percent rating from critics.... [Read Full Story]

Disney has announced the cast for “Star Wars: Episode IX” and it will include the late Carrie Fisher. Fisher will reprise her role as Princess Leia Organa, using “previously unreleased footage shot for ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,'” director J.J. Abrams announced Friday. Abrams added that with “the support and blessing” from Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd, the film found a way “to honor Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia in ‘Episode IX’ by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.” Fisher died in 2016 after suffering a cardiac event on a flight from London to Los Angeles. She was 60. Following her death, Disney said that it had “no plans to digitally recreate Fisher’s performance. “Star Wars: Episode IX” is set to premiere on December 20th, 2019.... [Read Full Story]

Demi Lovato will seek drug abuse treatment following her hospitalization for an overdose, according to a source close to Lovato. The singer and actress has been surrounded by family and friends at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles since she was rushed to the hospital on Tuesday afternoon, and should be released from the hospital “soon.”  This will not be the first time Lovato has sought professional help for substance abuse. She previously entered rehab in 2010. Lovato has been open about her struggles with an addiction to cocaine and alcohol, as well as mental health issues and an eating disorder. In the hours after news of her hospitalization broke, fans of the singer took to social media with the hashtag, #HowDemiHasHelpedMe to talk about how she and her music have helped them with their own struggles. Lovato has been touring and promoting her music in recent months. She last performed July 22 at the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles, California.... [Read Full Story]

Oscar-nominated actor Michelle Williams dropped some big news in a new Vanity Fair profile — the 37-year-old married musician Phil Elverum of Mount Eerie in a “secret ceremony in the Adirondacks.” The two met through a mutual friend, the profile revealed. Both Williams and Elverum have young daughters. Williams was in a relationship with actor Heath Ledger from 2004 to 2007 and the two had a daughter together, named Matilda. Ledger died in 2008 of an accidental overdose. Elverum, a singer-songwriter who performs under the name Mount Eerie, has been married before, to Geneviève Castrée. Castrée was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in 2015, just months after the birth of the couple’s daughter; she died shortly after. Elverum moved to Brooklyn, New York, to live with Williams and each of their daughters in July. “I never gave up on love,” Williams told Vanity Fair.  Williams said that she wanted to share her story in the hopes that it could help or inspire other women who have “struggled as much as I struggled.”... [Read Full Story]

On Tuesday, Emmy-winning writer Lena Waithe signed a first-look deal with Showtime. Waithe will be developing comedy and drama projects for the premium cable network in which she will both write and produce. Showtime’s President of Programming Gary Levine said in a statement: “Lena is a creative force of nature and we are delighted that the force will be with us as she makes Showtime her creative home.” Waithe has written for such shows as M.O. Diaries, Hello Cupid, and Bones before her winning the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for Master Of None. She went on to create The Chi and has also worked in front of the camera in projects like The Comeback, Transparent, This Is Us, Dear White People and this year’s Steven Spielberg-directed Pop Culture epic Ready Player One. Waithe’s latest script, Queen & Slim, starring Daniel Kaluuya, will be going into production this January at Universal.... [Read Full Story]

Chris Hardwick has been reinstated as host of the Talking Dead by the network effective on Aug. 12 after the midseason premiere of Fear the Walking Dead. Hardwick had his show Talking with Chris Hardwick pulled off the channel a day before season 2 was to premiere after ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra accused him of sexual assault and emotional abuse. Frequent Talking Dead guest Yvette Nicole Brown was announced as an interim host for a Walking Dead season 9 preview special on Aug. 5. and the Aug. 12 edition after the Fear TWD midseason premiere. The network issued the following statement: “Following a comprehensive assessment by AMC, working with Ivy Kagan Bierman of the firm Loeb & Loeb, who has considerable experience in this area, Chris Hardwick will return to AMC as the host of Talking Dead and Talking with Chris Hardwick. We take these matters very seriously and given the information available to us after a very careful review, including interviews with numerous individuals, we believe returning Chris to work is the appropriate step.”... [Read Full Story]

The live TV presentation of Hair will arrive on NBC on May 19, 2019. Tony winner Diane Paulus, who helmed the Tony-winning 2009 Broadway revival, has signed on to co-direct the small-screen musical alongside Alex Rudzinski, who will serve as live television director as he did for Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who have produced each of NBC’s live musicals, will executive-produce Hair Live!—along with MGM and Universal. Hair tells the story of a group of politically active hippies living a bohemian life in New York while fighting against and resisting the Vietnam War. Claude must decide whether to resist the draft as his friends have done, or succumb to the pressures of conservative America to serve in Vietnam, compromising his principles and beliefs. Casting will be announced at a later date. ... [Read Full Story]

This news comes on the heels of the release of Lovato’s song “Sober,” in which Lovato revealed that she had fallen off the wagon. Lovato has always been open about her struggles with mental illness, substance abuse, eating disorders, and cutting. In speaking about her struggle with addiction, the focus has been on alcohol and cocaine; she has never mentioned heroin.In 2011, she entered treatment for bipolar disorder, bulimia, self-harm, and addiction. Unfortunately, she relapsed shortly afterward but then entered a sober-living facility for a year. Lovato had celebrated six years of sobriety in March before relapsing.... [Read Full Story]

Nicole Maines, a transgender activist and actress, has been cast as Nia Nal (aka Dreamer) on the CW’s “Supergirl.”  This will make her the first transgender superhero on television. The 20-year-old actress’ casting was announced at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday. Nia will appear in the upcoming fourth season as a regular, working as a reporter alongside Kara (Supergirl). According to a press release, Nia is “A soulful young transgender woman with a fierce drive to protect others, Nia’s journey this season means fulfilling her destiny as the superhero Dreamer (much like Kara came into her own as Supergirl).” Maines has appeared in the series “Royal Pains” and the documentary “The Trans List.”  “Supergirl” season four premieres on Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. on CW.... [Read Full Story]

Hilary Swank is back on the big screen in the first trailer from first-time director Elizabeth Chomko’s What They Had. The film follows Bridget (Swank), a married mom who makes the lone trek home to Chicago after her brother (Michael Shannon) informs her of a family crisis: their mother (Blythe Danner), who has Alzheimer’s disease, wandered into a blizzard on Christmas Eve. Upon its January debut at Sundance in Park City, What They Had earned enthusiastic reviews from critics. What They Had—also featuring American Horror Story actress Taissa Farmiga and Josh Lucas — hits theaters Oct. 12 via Bleecker Street. Watch the film’s first trailer below.... [Read Full Story]

Actor Anthony Anderson is denying allegations made by a woman who told police he assaulted her.  On Friday that a woman filed a report with the Los Angeles Police Department earlier this year, saying that the “Black-ish” star had assaulted her. An LAPD spokeswoman confirmed that there is an “active investigation” and said specifically that it has “a crime report listing him as a suspect in a crime.” However, a spokesperson for Anderson said that law enforcement hadn’t even contacted the actor about the case.“ It’s unfortunate that anyone can file a police report whether it is true or false,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The authorities have not contacted Anthony or any of his representatives about this matter. Anthony unequivocally disputes the claim.” According to reports, the woman went to police earlier this year and claims the assault happened more than a year ago.  ... [Read Full Story]

The latest trailer for the upcoming sequel, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald premiered at San Diego Comic-Con during the Warner Bros. Hall H presentation on Saturday. The new Fantastic Beasts trailer catches us up with Newt Scamander, Albus Dumbledore and the rest of the returning cast from the first film. We see more of earlier Wizarding history decades before Harry Potter is born and get more glimpses at the new adventure from J.K. Rowling. Directed by Harry Potter veteran David Yates, the film stars Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Johnny Depp, Ezra Miller, Jude Law, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, David Sakurai, Claudia Kim, Brontis Jodorowsky, Wolf Roth, Victoria Yeates, Derek Riddell, Poppy Corby-Tuech, and Cornell S. John. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald opens on November 16, 2018.... [Read Full Story]

Ariana Grande has gotten a lot of criticism over using an image for her music “God is Women”. The pop Start has stated that she had permission to use the image.... [Read Full Story]

Chris Brown invites a fan to come on stage to sing his song “Loyal”. While the fan was performing the song he fainting and Chris Brown was there to save the day. ... [Read Full Story]