Report: Disney Is Negotiating With Carrie Fisher’s Estate for More Leia
According to BBC Newsnight, the Walt Disney Company is negotiating with Carrie Fisher’s estate “over her continued appearance” in the Star Warsfranchise. Before you jump to conclusions that Lucasfilm is definitely planning on digitally recreating the late actress for Episode IX, the Newsnight quotes were unspecific beyond the fact that negotiations are taking place.The full quote from Newsnight reporter Kirsty Wark, ahead of a video report on using actors’ likenesses after their deaths on the January 10 edition of Newsnight (available to watch in the UK here), reads as follows: “Carrie Fisher died less than a fortnight ago, but in the minds of Disney movie moguls and Star Wars fans, she’s very much alive. And with what might be regarded as unseemly haste, Disney is negotiating with the actor’s estate over her continued appearance in the franchise. If Disney gets the go-ahead, Carrie Fisher will join Peter Cushing, who, last month, fifteen years after his death, played a key role in Rogue One as Grand Moff Tarkin. With computers, anything is possible, but is it desirable? While some living actors are contracting over the use of their image when they die, others, like Robin Williams, who killed himself in 2014, explicitly banned the commercial use of his image until 2039.”
Study: Just 7 percent of top films in 2016 directed by women
A new study finds that just 7 percent of the 250 highest-grossing films of 2016 were directed by women. The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University on Thursday issued the 19th annual edition of its report, titled “The Celluloid Ceiling,” authored by the center’s executive director, Martha M. Lauzen. The rate of female directors was down 2 percent from last year. Despite widespread attention in recent years to gender inequality in the film industry, the study found not only that opportunities aren’t improving, but are getting slightly worse. Nearly 20 years ago, in 1998, 9 percent of the top films were directed by women.
Charlie Sheen reignites three-year feud with Rihanna
While there was no tiger blood spilled during Charlie Sheen‘s appearance on “Watch What Happens Live” Wednesday night, the actor spilled tea on his long-standing Twitter feud with Rihanna. “Oh, that bitch,” Sheen replied when asked by host Andy Cohen about the 2014 social media squabble. While Cohen thought Sheen “made it worse,” the “Two and a Half Men” alum stated the singer “abandoned common courtesy and common sense,” when she allegedly refused to meet the actor’s then-fiancée, Scottine Sheen, formerly Brett Rossi, three years ago. “So, I took my gal out to dinner last night with her best friends for her Bday. We heard Rihanna was present as well,” the 51-year-old actor tweeted at the time. “I sent a request over to her table to introduce my fiancee Scotty to her, as she is a huge fan (Personally I couldn’t pick her up out of a line-up at gunpoint.”
Netflix’s Series of Unfortunate Events opening credits warns viewers to ‘look away’
Despite issuing multiple warnings, Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events continues to tell viewers to “look away” from the show, especially with the show set to premiere this Friday. This time, the ominous message comes in the form of the show’s opening credits (seen exclusively above), though what’s slightly unusual about it is that it’s none other than Count Olaf’s portrayer, Neil Patrick Harris, singing the warning. As fans familiar with the books (or even previous trailers) will know, the character — who is the Baudelaire orphans’ third cousin four times removed, or their fourth cousin three times removed — is the series’ main villain as he plots to steal their fortunes, letting nothing stand in his way. More curious still is the “murder board” being constructed in the credits above. Could it be part of Olaf’s scheme to get Violet, Klaus, and Sunny’s money? Or is it part of narrator Lemony Snicket‘s efforts to document the Baudelaire’s increasingly grim lives? Luckily, viewers will only have to wait one more day to find out.
‘Game of Thrones’ actor now playing Adolf Hitler
“Game of Thrones” fans love to loathe sadistic character Ramsay Bolton. But the actor who portrays him, Iwan Rheon, has found an even more evil role — as Adolf Hitler, in the same comedy for which actor Joseph Fiennes was slammed this week for his portrayal of Michael Jackson. A trailer for UK movie “Urban Myths” shows Rheon playing the Nazi leader as a hapless artist. His henchman is played by “Harry Potter” star Rupert Grint. Paris Jackson said the movie “makes me want to vomit.”
Weird Al is re-releasing all his albums in a perfect accordion box set
Christmas just came 12 months early for “Weird Al” Yankovic fans (we know you still exist, and we salute you). Every parody song from “Amish Paradise” to “I Love Rocky Road” will be included in the career-spanning collection starting with his self-titled debut from 1982 to his latest album, Mandatory Fun. Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of “Weird Al” Yankovic will feature all 14 of his studio albums and is available at different price points with the more goodies the more you spend (including socks!). But whether you spend $475 or $200, each set comes in an accordion, modeled off of the Grammy winner’s own signature instrument.
Exclusive: Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead Will Return in ‘Deadpool 2’
As Deadpool pointed out, “It’s almost like they couldn’t afford another X-Man,” when all they could muster was Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and Colossus (Stefan Kapicic). And yet those two characters left a positive impression on the movie, and were great foils for Deadpool’s personality. We know when it comes to Deadpool 2, the Merc with the Mouth will be joined by Domino and Cable, but there’s been no word yet on other supporting characters. However, earlier today Steve Weintraub had an extended interview with writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and learned that Negasonic and Colossus will be returning for the sequel.
‘Atlanta’ Creator Donald Glover Sets Overall Deal With FX Productions; ‘Atlanta’ to Return in 2018
Donald Glover, the auteur behind FX’s red-hot series “Atlanta,” has set an exclusive overall deal with FX Productions. The pact calls for Glover to develop new projects for FX Networks’ outlets as well as other networks and streaming services. He will remain the writer, director, star and exec producer of “Atlanta,” which on Sunday won the Golden Globe for best comedy series and the comedy actor nod for Glover. “Atlanta” will return for a second season in 2018 due to Glover’s production schedule. “Atlanta,” a deeply personal look at African-American life in Georgia’s urban center, has been the talk of the creative community since its Sept. 6 debut. The series was quickly renewed for a second season. On Wednesday, Glover added a Directors Guild Award nomination to the Writers Guild Award mention the show picked up last month.
HBO EMPLOYEE GETS PRISON TIME FOR PHANTOM HAIRSTYLES FOR ACTORS
A former HBO employee just got sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for submitting more than a million dollars in bogus hair and makeup bills to the company. Jennifer Choi worked for the company for a decade in the Talent Relations Dept. Part of her job — scheduling appointments for actors for hairstyling, wardrobe and makeup. Here’s where Choi went rogue. She set up a company, Shine Glossy, LLP, and started submitting fake invoices … and lots of them. In all, 300 phony bills totaling $940,000. Choi listed real actors on the invoices. Jennifer worked at HBO between 2004 and 2014. Some of the shows at the time, “The Sopranos,” “The Wire,” “Veep,” “True Blood,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Girls,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and “Entourage.”
Cash Money Records accused of hoarding Drake’s music profits
Cash Money Records is hoarding profits from the sale of superstar Drake’s music, according to a lawsuit by the rapper’s company. Drake signed an exclusive recording deal with Florida-based Aspire Music in 2008, the Manhattan Supreme Court suit says. A year later, Aspire entered into a second agreement with Cash Money to receive one-third of profits from Drake’s licensing and songwriting sales. But Cash Money has been stiffing Aspire on its share — and refusing to provide a full accounting, the suit says. A Cash Money rep did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
