Fresh off her role in the hit Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Awkwafina has reportedly taken a role in the monster movie Renfield, opposite Nicolas Cage, who will portray Dracula.
Deadline, which broke the news of Cage’s casting, also revealed the rapper-turned-Crazy Rich Asians scene-stealer’s participation.
The movie, directed by The Tomorrow War‘s Chris McCay, centers on the titular henchman of the classic Dracula tales. X-Men movie veteran Nicholas Hoult will play the title character, a “zoophagic maniac,” obsessed with eating living creatures to absorb their life force.
Based on the classic Universal monster movies, the story for Renfield was written by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, whose Skybound Entertainment company is producing. Rick and Morty veteran Ryan Ridley penned the script.
Incidentally, Renfield was first announced two years ago; at that point, actor-turned-Bohemian Rhapsody director Dexter Fletcher was set to direct.
Record breaking gymnast Simone Biles is one of the People of the Year! The seven-time Olympic medal winner joins Dolly Parton, Sandra Oh from Grey’s Anatomy, and National Teacher of the Year Juliana Urtubey, on the list of People Magazine’s 2021 People Of the Year
At the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, Simone withdrew from several events. citing mental health issues. She still won a silver medal and a bronze medal. “Now [people] view me as human, which makes me so happy,” she tells People. “I fought hard. I survived. I’m proud of myself.”
In the other news, there will be a remake of the 1992 film White Men Can’t Jump starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. Deadline reports that Calmatic, who recently wrapped production directing the House Party reboot, will direct. Kenya Barris is producing and co-writing the script.
Finally, Gabrielle Union is joining the cast of the live reenactment of the 80s sitcom, The Facts of Life, according to Variety. Gabrielle will play Tootie, originally portrayed by Kim Fields. The Facts of Life live will air with a live reenactment of Diff’rent Strokes.
As previous reported, Kevin Hart will star as Gary Coleman‘s character, Arnold Drummond, and Damon Wayans will play his brother Willis, originally portrayed by Todd Bridges. Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes will air live Tuesday, December 7 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Actor Alec Baldwin told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive interview that he had “no idea” how a live bullet got onto the set of his film Rust, but that he “didn’t pull the trigger” on the firearm that killed one person and wounded another.
“I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them, never,” Baldwin told Stephanopoulos in a first-look segment from the upcoming interview, which is produced by George Stephanopoulos Productions.
Alec Baldwin Unscriptedwill air this Thursday, December 2, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and will begin streaming on Hulu later that evening.
“Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property,” the actor added.
On October 21, Baldwin was holding an antique revolver during a dress rehearsal for the Western film at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, when it discharged, killing the movie’s cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, and wounding its director, Joel Souza.
In the exclusive ABC News interview, Baldwin, who was starring in and co-produced the film, talked about what happened on set that fateful day, saying he had no reason to suspect a live bullet could be in the prop gun.
“I think back and I think of what could I have done?” Baldwin said.
“She was someone who was loved by everyone who worked with [her] and liked by everyone who worked with [her], and admired,” Alec noted. “I mean, even now I find it hard to believe that [she’s gone]. It doesn’t seem real to me.”
With an Instagram snap of the movie’s clapper, co-director Adil El Arbi wrote, “Day One of Batgirl!!!” followed with an Arabic phrase meaning “Praise be to God.”
Bilall Fallah is co-directing; the pair previously directed the hit Bad Boys for Life.
The photo was set against a desk belonging to “Officer Barbara Gordon,” who Bat-fans know is the alter-ego of the titular heroine and the daughter of Batman’s longtime confidante, Gotham Police Commissioner James Gordon.
Leslie Grace is playing Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in the film, and her dad will be played by Oscar winner JK Simmons, reprising his role from Justice League. Brendan Fraser has been cast as Garfield Lynns, also known as the pyromaniac baddie Firefly.
Warner Bros. has stated that HBO Max will be a proving ground of sorts for its DC heroes before they turn up on the big screen. However, Batgirl was written by DC big-screen movie vet Christina Hodson, who penned the scripts for both Birds of Prey with Margot Robbie and the upcoming Flash movie that will star Ezra Miller.
Kathy Griffin was back to her old self — minus her usual voice — in an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in which she told him she’s now “cancer free.”
As previously reported, Griffin discovered in 2021 that she had lung cancer, and in August she underwent surgery to remove part of her lung.
The former Fashion Police co-host first explained to Jimmy and his audience that her voice is “two octaves higher” as a result of intubation from the surgery.
“I had a tumor, right? And I’ve never smoked, and it was in there for 10 years. So get this, they took it out and found [cancer] in another scan.”
Griffin, 61, made light of her new higher, huskier pipes, which she called “Minnie Mouse meets Marilyn Monroe” and which the former My Life on the D List star said would be temporary. For now, she’s enjoying it, saying her voice is “higher than Mariah Carey‘s.”
The comic also revealed that she gained 20 pounds during the pandemic, so she says she’s taken to wearing Gucci tracksuits, which she did on the show, complimented with a fanny pack. “So I’m chubby…but I look rich,” she quipped.
Obviously in good spirits, Griffin joked her surgery gave her some inspiration for a new drag moniker: Diva Half-a-Lungoria. She also admitted that her fight with the disease gave her a good excuse to get out of anything. “I have too much cancer,” she recalled saying, to laughs.
Kathy also alluded to her being “cancelled” following a 2017 photoshoot where she was shown holding up a decapitated head made to look like former President Donald Trump‘s. “I’m uncanceled. I think I’m an actress again, you guys,” exclaimed Griffin, who appears in season five of the show Search Party.
A familiar face will host next year’s 64th Annual Grammy Awards. The Daily Show‘s Trevor Noah will return in the role and induct a new class of Grammy winners on January 31.
Next year’s award show will be held at the newly renamed Crypto.com Arena — formerly the Staples Center — in Los Angeles, California.
Trevor last held down the fort for the pandemic-delayed 63rd Grammy Awards on March 14. This continues a streak LL Cool J started in 2012, where every host has returned for at least two consecutive stints. James Corden hosted both the 2017 and 2018 ceremonies, followed by AliciaKeys‘ back-to-back appearances in 2019 and 2020.
Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement, “We’re so excited to welcome Trevor back to the GRAMMYs stage and feel fortunate to once again have him hosting what we believe will be an unforgettable evening.” He also called Trevor an “amazing” host and said he garnered “praise from the music community, music fans and critics” during 2021’s socially-distanced ceremony.
Although the host will remain the same, things will run a little differently for next year’s nominees. Last week, the Recording Academy announced some changes in the so-called Big Four categories. For first time in Grammy history, there are 10 nominees up for Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist.
Artist Jon Batiste heads into the ceremony with a leading 11 nominations. Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R. are also top nominees, with eight nods each.
The 64th Annual Grammy Awards will air January 31 starting at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
On Good Morning America Wednesday, George Stephanopoulosrevealed that he sat down with Alec Baldwin for a “raw, intense” interview airing on ABC Thursday evening, about the deadly shooting on the set of Baldwin’s Western film, Rust.
It will be Baldwin’s first formal interview since he fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on October 21, when the actor and producer fired a pistol he claims he was told was “cold,” meaning safe.
“I’ve done thousands of interviews in the last 20 years at ABC, this was the most intense I’ve ever experienced…So raw. He’s devastated,” Stephanopoulos says of Baldwin, adding, “but he was also candid, very forthcoming…[and] went through in detail what happened on the set that day.”
The interview, recorded Tuesday, will air at 8 p.m. on ABC Thursday and stream later that day on Hulu.
News of the interview comes as investigators revealed for the first time that they may be closer to understanding how live ammunition ended up on Rust‘s New Mexico set. One of those bullets ended up in the chamber of Baldwin’s gun, instead of an inert, “dummy” bullet used for close-ups.
Authorities have said “a mix” of hundreds of blank rounds, dummy rounds and live ammunition rounds had been recovered from the set.
As previously reported, the set employed neophyte Hannah Gutierrez Reed, 24, as the movie’s armorer, who is the daughter of Thell Reed, an experienced armorer and veteran of hundreds of productions.
ABC News has learned that, according to a search warrant dated November 30, Mr. Reed told investigators that another that man, Seth Kenney, requested in August/September that Mr. Reed bring live ammunition to a set in order to train the actors on a firearms range. Reed says he subsequently provided 200-300 rounds in an ammo can, and that the “ammunition was not factory made rounds.” Reed further told investigators, “this ammunition may match the ammunition found on the set of Rust,” as each reloaded shell casing bore a distinct company design that could match the spent one recovered from Baldwin’s chamber.
The warrant states Reed further told investigators that when the production ended, Kenney took the ammo can and remaining ammunition back to New Mexico. Reed says when he attempted to get Kenney to return the can and unused ammunition rounds, Kenney told Reed to “write it off.”
According to the warrant, Kenney told detectives on October 27 that he provided the Rust production with dummy rounds and blanks from a manufacturer identified as Starline Brass. Two days later, Oct 29, Kenney called detectives again and, “advised he may know where the live rounds came from.”
The search warrant details, “[Kenney] described how a couple years back he received ‘reloaded ammunition’ from a friend” with the Starline Brass logo on it. But he didn’t support Thell Reed’s other allegations.
Additionally, attorneys for Hanna Gutierrez Reed, who weeks ago declared, without providing proof, that Baldwin’s pistol was intentionally sabotaged, labeled Kenney an “armorer-mentor” for the 24-year-old.
Through his attorney, Kenney took issue with the allegation from Reed’s camp. “Mr. Kenney is fully-cooperating with the authorities, as he has been since the tragic incident took place,” Kenney’s attorney, Adam Engelskirchen, said in a statement provided to ABC News. “Neither Mr. Kenney nor PDQ Arm & Prop, LLC provided live ammunition to the Rust production.”
Further, Engelskirchen said the search warrant affidavit “includes material misstatements of fact, particularly with regard to statements ascribed to Mr. Kenney.”
“Reports in other media outlets that Mr. Kenney was part of the crew of Rust or was employed by the production to provide any sort of supervisory services are patently false,” he added.
Officially, authorities have not ruled out criminal charges in the case as the investigation continues.
Following the streaming release of her directorial debut, Bruised, on Netflix, Halle Berry has inked a multi-film deal with the service, serving as both producer and star, according Variety.
Bruised, in which Berry plays an MMA fighter who reclaims her power both in the ring and in her life, was rated as the streamer’s top film in the United States this week, according to Netflix.
Berry will next be seen in two Netflix originals, neither of which is part of the new deal, including the sci-fi project The Mothership, which she’ll executive-produce and star in, and Our Man from Jersey, opposite Mark Wahlberg.
Clayton Echard has been tapped as the new Bachelor for the show’s upcoming 26th season.
Echard, a 28-year-old medical sales rep from Missouri, was a contestant on The Bachelorette‘s current 18th season, making it to Michelle Young‘s top eight suitors before getting eliminated.
On his final date with Young, Echard opened up about having been focused on being considered “good enough” to others by chasing things he thought would bring him happiness for the past few years. When breaking up with him on their one-on-one date, Young told Echard “you are enough” in one of the season’s most heartfelt moments.
“I just wanna find love so badly. And have a family. And start that chapter of my life,” Echard said in his tearful exit. “I want it more than anything else. And I’ll do whatever it takes to get that. Whatever it takes.”
Echard graduated with a bachelor’s degree in health science and minors in business and Spanish from the University of Missouri. Having played college football, Echard had a brief stint in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks in 2016. He is now pursuing his MBA and hopes to start his own business one day.
Echard has two younger brothers and his parents have been married for 29 years. In his spare time, he likes to go tubing, fishing and play cornhole with his friends and family, according to his ABC bio.
The Bachelor season 26 premieres January 3 on ABC.
It was time for hometowns on Tuesday’s episode of The Bachelorette, and with just four men left, Michelle faced her most difficult rose ceremony yet, which ended with Rodney being sent home.
Rodney — along with Brandon, Joe and Nayte — were unable to show off their real hometowns due to COVID-19 protocols, but each did their best to show off their own hometown stories with a series of fun dates that included skateboarding, paddleboarding, apple-picking and a romantic prom.
Of course, each date ended with Michelle meeting the guys’ families, which mostly went well. However, Michelle’s conversations with Nayte’s mother and stepfather, raised some red flags when they expressed doubt as to whether the 27-year-old sales executive — who would later profess his love for Michelle — was really ready for a lifetime commitment.
Luckily, two of Michelle’s best friends — Bri and Serena P., with whom she formed a bond while competing together on Matt James‘ season of The Bachelor — paid Michelle a surprise visit, after which she had the clarity to decide which of the men she would send home.
Ultimately, Michelle followed her heart, picking Nayte, along with Joe and Brandon. Martin ended up being the odd man out.
After assuring Rodney that, contrary to previous conversations between them in which he’d described himself as an “underdog,” that wasn’t the case and “who you are is enough.”
Rodney, in turn declared that in spite of being sent home, he was still “falling in love” with her, adding, “I’m always gonna care about you Michelle…forever.”
Here are the men going to fantasy suites:
Brandon J., 27, a traveling nurse recruiter from Portland, Ore.
Joe, 28, a real estate developer from Minneapolis, Minn.
Nayte, 27, a sales executive from Austin, Texas
The Bachelorette returns with a special “Men Tell All” episode on Monday, 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
