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#Genius: Fans, famous and not, wish legendary film composer John Williams a happy 90th birthday

February 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

It was most appropriate that the 90th birthday of the most legendary film composer of all time, John Williams, fell on Tuesday, when the nominations for the 94th Academy Awards were announced.

Born in New York City in 1932, Williams has both been nominated for, and won, more Oscars than any composer in history. Nominated 52 times — second only to Walt Disney’s 59 — Williams won five, for Fiddler on the Roof, Jaws, Star Wars, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Schindler’s List.

In his long career, Williams also gifted the world with the iconic themes to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park and more. He also won 25 Grammy Awards and four Golden Globes. Williams also received the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, the first-ever non-actor so honored.

Tributes to the composer poured in on social media into the night, including from the London Symphony Orchestra — which he conducted for the first of many times in 1977 for Star Wars — as well as by actors and musicians he inspired.

Mark Hamill, who of course played Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga, posted, “It is simply impossible to underestimate your contribution to the success of the #StarWars films,” adding the hashtag,
“#ThankYou_YaBigHunkaGenius.”

In a long thread on Twitter, fellow Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino — the guy behind the baton for the scores of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the upcoming The Batman, among many others — said, “…To say that John Williams has been an inspiration to myself or any contemporary film composer would be the greatest understatement. It is too difficult to put it into words how important his work has been to all of us in this business…”

In Brief: Niecy Nash enters ‘The Rookie’ for a possible spin-off; ‘Love, Simon’ ending, and more

February 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Hulu on Tuesday dropped the first trailer for the upcoming limited series Conversations with Friends. Based on Sally Rooney‘s best-selling novel, the drama, according to the streaming service, follows Frances, a 21-year-old college student — played by Alison Oliver — as she navigates a series of relationships that force her to confront her own vulnerabilities for the first time. Joe Alwyn, Sasha Lane and Jemima Kirke also star. Conversations with Friends launches with all 12 episodes in May…

Reno 9-1-1 and Claws star Niecy Nash is set to guest star in two embedded episodes of ABC’s The Rookie, setting up a possible spinoff next season, the network announced on Tuesday. Nash will play Simone Clark, “a force of nature, the living embodiment of a dream deferred — and the oldest rookie in the FBI Academy.” The spinoff would exist in the same universe as The Rookie, allowing characters to move back and forth between the two shows. Air dates for the episodes have not been announced. The Rookie airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC…

HBO is close to landing Doomsday Machine, the Facebook TV series starring The Crown Emmy-winner Claire Foy, Puck’s Matt Belloni reports. The scripted series, based on Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang’s New York Times bestselling book, An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook’s Battle for Domination, follows the relationship between Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg — played by Foy — and Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and the obstacles Facebook has faced on its quest for growth…

Love, Victor, an spinoff from the 2018 film Love, Simon, will end after its upcoming season, according to Variety. The show stars Michael Cimino as a gay teen coming to terms with sexuality. It also stars Rachel Hilson, Anthony Turpel, Bebe Wood, Mason Gooding, George Sear, Isabella Ferreira, Mateo Fernandez, James Martinez and Ana Ortiz. Love, Victor season three premieres June 15…

In Brief: Niecy Nash enters ‘The Rookie’ for a possible spin-off; ‘Love, Victor’ ending, and more

February 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Report: Wendy Williams will not return to talk show this season

February 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Wendy Williams will not return to The Wendy Williams Show this season, according to a report from Variety.

Williams, 57, has been on hiatus from the show, which is in its 13th season, as she battles health issues, including an ongoing battle with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disease that causes an overactive thyroid. Although the TV personality will not return to her purple chair, the outlet adds that the show will continue, though its future remains in flux.

Meanwhile, Sherri Shepherd, who has served as a guest host on The Wendy Williams Show, is in negotiations for her own daytime talk show that could potentially take over Williams’ time slot, sources tell Variety.

A spokesperson for Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury, the company behind both William’s series and Shepherd’s potential show, declined to comment on either situation. However, earlier in the season, they released a statement in support of Williams.

“Wendy is a valued and stalwart member of the Debmar-Mercury family and has been so for 12 years. We want her health to be her top priority,” the statement read. “As soon as she’s ready, she will be back in her treasured purple chair. We very much appreciate the respect for Wendy’s privacy, as well as all the good wishes from her fans, station partners and advertisers.”

Liam Neeson “fell in love” while filming in Australia, but she’s “taken”

February 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Liam Neeson didn’t get the girl of his dreams on the set of his latest film, but he just may have found the premise for his next Taken movie.

During an appearance on the Australian TV show Sunrise to promote his new movie, Blacklight, the 69-year-old actor revealed that he “fell in love” with a crew member, “but she was taken.”

Neeson didn’t elaborate, but added, “I look forward to going back, I really do.”

Trainwreck star Amy Schumer couldn’t resist teasing Neesaon, sharing a screenshot of a Daily Mail headline with the caption, “Taken 4?”

One user commented, “Not taken 4, Amy.”

Another added, “Well if we know anything about Liam neeson, it’s that he won’t rest until he gets her back.”

Neeson was married to actress Natasha Richardson from 1994-2009 when she died after suffering a severe head injury in a skiing accident in Canada. They share two sons, Micheál, 26, and Daniel, 25.

He previously dated Helen Mirren in the 1980s after the two met on the set of the film Excalibur.

Blacklight opens in theaters on Friday.

Universal teases the trailer for Jordan Peele’s latest thriller, ‘Nope’

February 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The teaser-trailer for Get Out Oscar-winner Jordan Peele‘s latest thriller, Nope, notes a new Universal Pictures tease.

And since Peele has proven to be a master of suspense, the teaser doesn’t reveal much about the new project, and instead shows memorably creepy snippets from 2017’s Get Out and its hit follow-up, 2019’s Us.

In fact, the only footage revealed in the tease are quick shots of Nope stars Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun looking up, and looking really scared.

“This Sunday, find out what’s next from the mind of Jordan Peele,” title cards read.

Nope, which also stars Knott’s Landing vet Donna Mills, The Crow‘s Michael Wincott and Euphoria‘s Barbie Ferreira, opens in theaters July 22.

Oscar nominee Ariana DeBose celebrates Black History Month; Nick Cannon’s very unusual Valentine’s Day gift

February 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

West Side Story star Ariana DeBose is celebrating being nominated for an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. She is also recognizing Black History Month in an article she wrote for Variety.

“I look to celebrate our unsung heroes, the Black women who didn’t get the opportunity to be heard or heard in the fullness of all that they had to say,” DeBose commented. “I also honor that we are taking steps in the right direction — Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, I speak your name as a trans, Black Latina. It’s thrilling to see her work celebrated and it is my hope that she will not be the last. Black History Month is a celebration of diversity, of multi-dimensionality and of infinite possibility.”

In other news, Nick Cannon is often teased about having eight children with multiple women, and he just received a hilarious present from a superstar comedian. Cannon posted a photo of his present on Instagram and commented, “Looks like somebody just sent me an early Valentine’s Day gift!! Vending Machine full of Magnums.”

Later, Kevin Hart admitted he was behind prank. “I see you got my gift @nickcannon ….GOTCHA B****!!!!!!” he wrote. “Now u don’t have an excuse because the condoms are free #PrankWars.”

Finally, Zendaya has responded to accusations from the anti-drug education organization D.A.R.E. that her Euphoria series glorifies drug use.

“If anything, the feeling behind Euphoria or whatever we have always been trying to do with it, is to hopefully help people feel a little bit less alone in their experience and their pain, ” the Emmy winner tells Entertainment Weekly. “And maybe feel like they’re not the only one going through or dealing with what they’re dealing with.”

Douglas Trumbull, effects wizard behind ‘2001’, ‘Blade Runner’, and more, dead at 79

February 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Douglas Trumbull, a groundbreaking visual effects artist who left his mark on cinema history thanks to his pioneering work on classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, died Monday evening.

On Facebook, his daughter Amy noted Trumbull’s passing at 79 after “a major two year battle with cancer, a brain tumor and a stroke.”

Trumbull also worked on 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture, earning an Oscar nomination, and directed the sci-fi films Brainstorm and 1973’s Silent Running. George Lucas sought to tap Trumbull to head his brand-new production house, Industrial Light and Magic, for the original Star Wars. But Trumbull was already working on Steven Spielberg‘s Close Encounters and so he recommended his assistant, John Dykstra, who went on to win his first Academy Awards for the film as a founding member of ILM.

Considered one of the fathers of modern visual effects — even in this day of computer-driven movie magic — Trumbull was also Oscar nominated for 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner. He also held many patents in the field, and in 1983 he was awarded an Academy Scientific and Engineering Award for various camera technologies he helped develop.

Trumbull was honored for his technological contributions with the Academy’s Gordon E. Sawyer Award in 2012.

Mayim Bialik says ‘Jeopardy! National College Championship’ is “like March Madness”

February 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Who are the smartest college students in the country? A new primetime Jeopardy! event aims to answer that question.

Jeopardy! National College Championship starts tonight, and host Mayim Bialik tells ABC Audio, “It’s kind of a March Madness of the best kind. But obviously, there’s three contestants per game, not two. And we start with 36 and we get down to three.”

And, just like March Madness, the students are from colleges all over the country.

“Ivy Leagues, public colleges, small colleges, historically black colleges,” Bialik shares. “Just colleges from places, you’re like, ‘Where is that? I don’t even know where that is.'”

Although the students are all staggeringly smart, that’s not necessarily enough to take home a win. Bialik notes that other factors like timing, nerves and focus also play a part.

For those who tuned in to the Professors tournament, Bialik shares that this college primetime special won’t feel that same “because this generation is so collaborative.”

“They were so friendly with each other, it felt really different. It felt more like they were on the same team,” she says.” Whereas the professors felt like, you know, grown up professors competing against each other.”

Bialik adds, “A lot of the categories are really, really fun in the college tournament. There is a lot more laughter than with the adult contestants I think.”

Not only is it more fun, she says that the students may have a slight edge when it comes to “certain aspects” of the game show due to having an “easier command of technology.”

Bialik has served as the interim host of the syndicated Jeopardy! show, alongside Ken Jennings, but when it comes to the search for a permanent replacement for Alex Trebek, she doesn’t have much news to share.

“I got nothing new,” she says.

Hulu reveals peeks of limited series ‘The Dropout’, ‘Life After Beth’, and ‘The Girl from Plainville’

February 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Hulu has dropped release dates for several high-profile limited series, including the anticipated The Dropout, starring Amanda Seyfried, Amy Schumer‘s Life After Beth, and Elle Fanning in The Girl from Plainville.

The Dropout tracks the meteoric rise and catastrophic fall of Elizabeth Holmes, disgraced founder of the medical technology company Theranos. Holmes took Silicon Valley and Wall Street by storm with her promised revolutionary blood scanner, only to be exposed as a fraud when it was discovered she knew the machines never worked.

The trailer shows Seyfried playing Holmes both as an ambitious student, and later reinventing herself in the model of Apple legend Steve Jobs. Holmes is shown lapping up the limelight — and even in a mirror practicing the odd voice she affected in public — and then as a cornered figure, covering up the failure of her technology as her employees seek to expose her. William H. Macy, Laurie Metcalf, Naveen Andrews, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Stephen Fry and Sam Waterston also star in the eight-episode series launching March 3.

Life After Beth, which was written, directed, executive-produced and stars Amy Schumer, has the comedian and actress playing a wine distributor with a successful personal and professional life. Hulu teases of the 10-episode series, “When a sudden incident forces Beth to engage with her past, her life changes forever.” Michael Cera, Susannah Flood, Violet Young, and Kevin Kane also star. The show debuts March 18.

The Girl From Plainville is another ripped-from-the-headlines offering from Hulu, debuting on March 29. The eight-episode series, starring Elle Fanning, Chloë Sevigny, and Colton Ryan, centers on Michelle Carter‘s relationship with Conrad Roy III, who killed himself after repeated texts from Carter urging him to do so. Carter was eventually convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

(“Life After Beth” trailer contains strong language.)

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