Sydney Park says she knows exactly why her latest project, There’s Someone in Your House, is more than your cliché slasher film.
“Well, first of all, I really love that Makani isn’t your average scream queen,” Brooks tells ABC Audio of her lead role. “She is Asian and Black. She hails from Hawaii.”
Based on Stephanie Perkins‘ 2017 novel of the same name, There’s Someone in Your House follows Park as Makani, a recently transferred high school student stalked by a killer intent on exposing her and her classmates. Park says Makani is far from a one-dimensional figure.
“It’s really cool that she is this internal character and we sense that there is some instability, or some inkling of, like, a tragic past,” she shares. “And she’s struggling with that. So that really drew me in.”
In fact, Park’s character is so mysterious at times that the actress says she even began to question Makani’s true intentions.
“[W]hile I was reading the script, I kept on thinking about all of these different possibilities,” she says. “Like, is Makani the one who’s doing all of this? What’s really going on?”
It’s that unpredictability — along with plenty of high school angst — that makes Park believe that this slasher film is “sort of like [a] John Hughes horror film.”
“I love the mystery and… the emotional rollercoaster of it all,” she says. “It’s very unique and we bend a lot of genres.”
There’s Someone in Your House, also starring Asjha Cooper, Jesse LaTourette, Dale Whibley and Diego Josef, launches on Netflix this Wednesday, October 6.
(NOTE LANGUAGE) HBO Max has released a preview of its new Peacemaker spin-off series from The Suicide Squad starring John Cena‘s vigilante, Peacemaker.
The clip of the character’s self-titled show has returning characters from director James Gunn‘s film meeting Cena’s character at a diner. When he shows up “in full cosplay mode,” wearing his garish get-up including a polished chrome cowl, they tease him behind his back — and then to his face.
When jabbed that his red-and-white costume isn’t “exactly conducive to lurking in the shadows,” Peacemaker, AKA Christopher Schmidt, replies, “It’s not a costume. It’s a uniform,” adding “When people see this uniform it strikes fear in their hearts.”
One character replies, “What people, the other people at the Village People trials?”
It doesn’t help that Peacemaker showed up in a red-white-and-blue car, with his pet eagle in the back seat — or that he named the bird “Eagley.”
“Is your dog named Doggy?” a character jabs.
“Do you have a daughter named Daughtery?” another snipes.
“Jealous of a guy’s pet eagle much?” Cena huffs under his breath.
Guardians of the Galaxy writer-director Gunn wrote the Peacemaker series and directed several episodes, after he wrapped work on The Suicide Squad. He called the series “an opportunity to delve into current world issues through the lens of this superhero-supervillain-and world’s biggest d****bag.”
The DC Comics character, who was shown to have survived the events of The Suicide Squad via an after-credits scene, fights for “freedom” regardless of the body count — of even innocent people.
His Pete “Maverick” Mitchell may have bested Russian fliers in Top Gun, but the Russians have beaten Tom Cruise to space.
Cruise was gearing up to with work with NASA and SpaceX genius Elon Musk for what would have been the first narrative feature film actually shot in space.
However, as you read this, Roscosmos cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov, along with star Yulia Peresild and her director Kim Shipenko, have likely already docked their Soyuz capsule with the International Space Station on a mission to shoot a movie there. The feature, The Challenge, is about a mission to send a doctor into space to save the life of a cosmonaut.
Cruise can still take comfort in the fact that he’ll be the first narrative Hollywood film to shoot in space, however. The hush-hush project was endorsed by former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstein, who said last year that such an effort could “inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @NASA’s ambitious plans a reality.”
Incidentally, ABC News is reporting that the capsule that brought the Russian crew to the ISS was originally scheduled to take NASA astronaut Mark T. Vande Hei and cosmonaut Peter Dubrov back to Earth later this month. The movie mission will delay Vande Hei‘s return until next March, which means when he returns he’ll have broken astronaut Scott Kelly‘s spaceflight record by eleven days.
(NOTE LANGUAGE) David Letterman and others paid tribute to Alan Kalter, the former Late Show announcer who died Monday at age 78.
“When our announcer of 15 years Bill Wendell retired, producer Robert Morton came to my office with an audio tape containing auditions for several announcers,” Letterman told the New York Daily News via email. “Alan’s was the first and only voice we listened to. We knew he would be our choice.”
In addition to being the show’s announcer, Kalter was the star of numerous madcap sketches on the show, which included fake tirades against his talk show host boss.
Former How I Met Your Mother co-creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas were writers on Late Show, and were among those who penned sketches featuring the flame-haired announcer. Bays tweeted, “Alan Kalter RIP,” adding, “To us Late Show writers Alan was so much more than just the ‘From New York…’ guy. He was our muse. We loved writing for him. Such a cheerful presence on the show. And around the office. Rest easy Big Red.”
Thomas noted, “Oh man, @CarterBays and I loved writing for Alan — some of my fondest memories of Late Show are the absolutely batsh**-bonkers bits we wrote for Alan, who was always game to let us make him look insane…rest in peace, Alan, and thanks for the laughs…”
Bill Scheft, another Late Show alum, posted one of Kalter’s bits, adding, “RIP Alan Kalter. A lovely man, and as my old boss might say, a ‘perfect stooge….’
Kalter died Monday at Connecticut’s Stamford Hospital, his wife Peggy told The Hollywood Reporter. No cause of death was given.
Alan Kalter RIP. Between him and Tony Mendez it’s a heartbreaking time. To us Late Show writers Alan was so much more than just the “From New York…” guy. He was our muse. We loved writing for him. Such a cheerful presence on the show. And around the office. Rest easy Big Red. pic.twitter.com/xjPY906VlJ
Oh man, @CarterBays and I loved writing for Alan — some of my fondest memories of Late Show are the absolutely batshit-bonkers bits we wrote for Alan, who was always game to let us make him look insane…rest in peace, Alan, and thanks for the laughs…https://t.co/5RUfMGmryS
Dancing with the Stars fans were left begging “Gimme More” on Monday, when the night saluted Britney Spears‘ illustrious career. While the competitors were not “Intimidated” to push themselves on the ballroom floor, Christine Chiu‘s dreams of winning the Mirrorball Trophy were broken like “Shattered Glass.”
For the second week in a row, the audience voted Chiu into the bottom two, where the judges had to choose between saving her or Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kenya Moore. The panel chose to spare the latter.
Also on Monday night, three members of the DWTS cast were absent on the ballroom floor — pro dancer Cheryl Burke, Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby and judge Derek Hough. Burke and Rigsby both tested positive for COVID-19 last week, despite being fully vaccinated, and Hough sat out the night out of “an abundance of caution,” as announced by host Tyra Banks.
Despite being unable to perform before the audience, Rigsby and Burke were beamed in virtually and performed their jazz routine to Britney’s “Gimme More” on split screens. Unfortunately, the two ended the night at the bottom of the pack with an overall score of 18 out of 30 — but the audience decided to give the two another chance and sent them through to next week’s show.
Meanwhile, three competitors tied for first place on Monday, a season first, with Amanda Kloots, JoJo Siwa and Olivia Jade collecting three straight eights for an overall score of 24 out of 30.
Kloots dazzled with her cha cha to Spears’ “Circus,” but judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli all agreed that the Talk co-host needed to take more risks on the floor. While the judges praised Kloots for her technical skills, saying she delivered a clean and solid routine, they felt her dance was too safe.
As for Siwa, the Nickelodeon star wowed the audience by lifting partner Jenna Johnson three separate times during their fresh and powerful Argentine tango to Britney’s “Baby One More Time.” The complicated routine earned high praise from the three judges, but Siwa was held back by a missed step in the middle of her dance.
As for birthday girl Olivia Jade, who just turned 22, the three judges lauded the influencer’s flowing tango to “Hold It Against Me,” dubbing it the “best performance of the night.”
The judges also took note of two competitors who pushed themselves on the ballroom floor, praising Bachelor star Matt James and WWE star Michael “The Miz” Gregory for coming out of their shells and paying attention to the finer details of their routines.
Another standout was country singer Jimmie Allen, who dedicated his salsa to Britney’s “Outrageous” to wife Alexis Gale. Allen also joked that he “did not plan to cry on this show two weeks in a row” by talking about the powerful women who made a difference in his life.
Dancing with the Stars returns Monday night at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, where the cast and crew will celebrate all things Disney. Also, as an added twist, Mickey Mouse himself crashed the festivities to show the competitors the special “Mickey Moves” they must include in their routine, no matter what dance they are supposed to perform.
Here are the current standings:
Amanda Kloots, The Talk co-host, with Alan Bersten — 24/30
JoJo Siwa, Nickelodeon star, with Jenna Johnson — 24/30
Olivia Jade, influencer, with Val Chmerkovskiy — 24/30 Melora Hardin, The Office actress, with Artem Chivensky — 23/30
Michael “The Miz” Gregory, WWE superstar, Witney Carson — 22/30 Melanie C, Spice Girl, with Gleb Savchenko — 22/30 Suni Lee, Olympic Gold medalist, with Sasha Farber — 21/30
Kenya Moore, former Miss USA, with Brandon Armstrong — 21/30 Matt James, former Bachelor, with Lindsey Arnold— 20/30
Jimmie Allen, country music singer, with Emma Slater — 20/30 Brian Austin Green, Beverly Hills, 90210 alum, Sharna Burgess — 19/30 Iman Shumpert, NBA player, with Daniella Karagach — 19/30
Cody Rigsby, Peloton instructor, with Cheryl Burke — 18/30
In a full-circle moment, Cold War-era comic Yakov Smirnoff, who was a punchline in Deadpool, has teamed up with that film’s star, Ryan Reynolds, to help promote Reynolds’ Aviation American Gin brand.
And it’s all in connection with National Vodka Day, which is celebrated today.
Despite his last name, which he naturally shares with a popular vodka brand, Smirnoff announces in the ad that he’s officially changed his name to Yakov Aviation American Gin.
“People assume I must love vodka, but the truth is I never have,” the artist formerly known as Yakov Smirnoff notes in the commercial.
“And that’s hard for a Russian. Vodka is like bread in Russia, except it’s cheaper and we never run out of it,” he riffs. “I’m actually a gin man.”
Reynolds then explains in a voice-over that the comic “made it official, by legally changing his name” in the ad, which shows the comic holding up a name-change certificate.
“America continues to amaze me,” says the comedian, who emigrated to the U.S. in 1978. “The only qualification you need to own a liquor brand is to be on TV. What a country!”
“TV and movies,” Reynolds corrects. “TV and movies.”
This isn’t the first booze brand Yakov has promoted. In his 1985 heyday, the Moscow on the Hudson co-star did ads for Miller Lite.
Today the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the showbiz union representing tens of thousands of behind-the-scenes workers, has voted to authorize a nationwide strike — the first time in IATSE’s 128-year history that members have done so.
The vote was nearly unanimous: with 90% of the eligible union voters casting ballots, 98% voted in support of a strike authorization.
Union members say they’re seeking adequate compensation and safe working conditions in an industry that pushes work days far longer than most realize. The boon in production from streaming services has compounded the overwork problem, union members say.
“The members have spoken loud and clear,” said IATSE International President Matthew Loeb in a statement. “This vote is about the quality of life as well as the health and safety of those who work in the film and television industry. Our people have basic human needs like time for meal breaks, adequate sleep, and a weekend. For those at the bottom of the pay scale, they deserve nothing less than a living wage.”
Loeb continued, “I hope that the studios will see and understand the resolve of our members. The ball is in their court. If they want to avoid a strike, they will return to the bargaining table and make us a reasonable offer.”
For its part, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the entertainment industry’s official collective bargaining representatives, responded by saying in part, “We deeply value our IATSE crew members and are committed to working with them to avoid shutting down the industry…particularly since the industry is still recovering from the economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Sure, it’s old hat for the starship Enterprise‘s Captain James Tiberius Kirk, but it will be a whole new experience for his alter-ego, 90-year-old William Shatner.
The actor will be among the next group of passengers on Amazon honcho Jeff Bezos‘ New Shepard spacecraft from his Blue Origin company. The trip is slated for October 12.
“So now I can say something. Yes, it’s true; I’m going to be a “rocket man!” Shatner confirmed via Twitter on Monday, perhaps referring to his infamous cover of the Elton John hit.
Shatner’s news was met with tons of support from fans and celebs, including Vincent D’Onofrio, who replied “Wow! That’s amazing dude,” and English actor and writer Stephen Fry, who said the news is “EVERYTHING.”
Cheekily, Wonder Woman herself, Lynda Carter,replied to Shatner, “Congrats, @WilliamShatner! If you really [get] to go to space, I hope I can really figure out how to get an invisible plane.”
Similarly, Jason Alexander referenced his own famous alter-ego, Seinfeld‘s George Costanza, by saying, “@WilliamShatner is going to space? My man! I guess this means I have to become a marine biologist.”
Sterling K. Brown is headed to Hulu for his next major TV project.
The This Is Us actor will executive-produce and star in Washington Black, a new series based on Esi Edugyan’s best-selling novel of the same name. The story follows the adventures of 11-year-old George Washington “Wash” Black, a young boy living on a Barbados sugar plantation during the 19th century. After learning of a shocking death, Black “flees the plantation and travels the world.” Brown will play Medwin Harris, a “Black refugee who traveled the world after a traumatic childhood” and has Washington Black as his young protégé.
In other news, Regal theaters is offering moviegoers an immersive experience to see some of this year’s most highly-anticipated films. In select theaters, Regal offers fans the option of ScreenX and 4DX auditoriums. On ScreenX, which is the world’s first multi-projection cinema with an immersive 270 degree field of view, movie fans can now watch Venom, No Time to Die and Spider-Man: No Way Home on a panoramic screen. 4DX allows audiences to connect with movies through motion, vibration, water, wind, snow, lightning, scents, and other special effects, fans can watch Dune, Eternals, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, among others. For more information on how to get tickets, go to Regal’s website.
Finally, SIX, the Broadway musical that centers on the six wives of Henry VIII, had a new opening night on Sunday after the pandemic put the show on hiatus for over a year. The original diverse cast of Adrianna Hicks as Catherine of Aragon, Andrea Macasaet as Anne Boleyn, Abby Mueller as Jane Seymour, Brittney Mack as Anna of Cleves, Samantha Pauly as Katherine Howard, and Anna Uzele as Catherine Parr, all returned for a performance. Tickets are now on sale.
Ben Affleck has reason to smile lately, even if Batman rarely does.
Unless you’ve been under a rock, you know that he’s dating Jennifer Lopez again. He’s also got The Last Duel coming out next week, which he co-wrote with his co-star and childhood friend Matt Damon.
But Ben tells Varietythat he recently also had a happy new experience as the Caped Crusader that was worlds away from his time on the controversial Justice League.
Affleck plays the Dark Knight again in the upcoming Flash film with Ezra Miller — which, because it follows the Flashpoint comics, also runs through several timelines, meaning we’ll also see Michael Keaton reprising his Batman role.
Affleck told the trade it was much more fun than last time, noting, “I had a great time.” He then joked, “I’m probably under some gag order that I’m not even aware that I probably just violated, and I’m now going to be sued.”
Ben added, “I love Ezra and I had a chance to see Jason [Momoa], who’s over there making [the] Aquaman [sequel].”
Affleck noted that the Flash film “was a really nice way to revisit [Batman], as the prior experience had been difficult. This was really lovely. Really fun.”
The Flash debuts November 4, 2022.
2017’s Justice League underwent a series of poorly received reshoots from Joss Whedon, after director Zack Snyder dropped out following his daughter’s tragic death by suicide. It also weathered controversy from co-star Ray Fisher, who blamed racism for his on-set treatment — and his scenes mostly being left on the cutting room floor.
The film was later re-edited and released to fan acclaim as Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
Affleck will also be seen in The Tender Bar, directed by George Clooney, which debuts December 17.
