Entertainment

Priyanka Chopra responded Thursday to the growing backlash against her upcoming new show, The Activist.

The Activist‘s initial concept was to have contestants compete in several challenges for a cash grant and to raise awareness for their particular issue.  With Chopra, Usher and Julianne Hough were set to serve as judges. However, the backlash was immediate when the series was unveiled, with some critics saying the show pitted activists against one another for entertainment.

Chopra took to Instagram to acknowledge the growing complaints, declaring, “You were heard.”

“The show got it wrong, and I’m sorry that my participation in it disappointed many of you,” the actress continued. “The intention was always to bring attention to the people behind the ideas and highlight the actions and impact of the causes they support tirelessly.”

CBS has since announced plans to revise The Activist, turning it into a documentary that will remove all competitive elements and instead celebrate the six individuals and their work.

Referencing the show’s new direction, Chopra added, “I’m happy to know that in this new format, their stories will be the highlight, and I’m proud to collaborate with partners who have their ear to the ground and know when it’s time to hit pause and re-evaluate.”

The Quantico star’s remarks come a day after Hough apologized, saying the show “missed the mark” and understood why critics called it “tone-deaf.”

The Activist was originally intended to premiere in late October.  CBS, in tandem with the show’s production partners Global Citizen and Live Nation, have yet to announce the show’s new airdate.

 

 

 

 

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Hitting theaters today is the gritty crime thriller COPSHOP, starring and produced by Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo, and directed by Narc‘s Joe Carnahan.

“This is like…in the spirit of all the best 70s Westerns,” Butler, star of 300 and Olympus Has Fallen, tells ABC Audio.  “Small-town rookie cop, there’s not a lot going on in that town until the bad guys roll in.”

“And you have this wily con man, Teddy Muretto, that’s Frank Grillo, who actually breaks into the police station, essentially gets arrested because he’s trying to get away from myself,” Butler says of his shadowy hitman, Bob Viddick. “And I also find a way to break into the police station. People just keep following into this damn police station to try and kill Teddy Muretto,” he says with a laugh. 

COPSHOP is anchored by newcomer Alexis Louder, playing the rookie cop trapped with the two main characters, and who has to unravel a mystery dealing with corrupt officers while dealing with a psychotic contract killer, played by Toby Huss.

Louder called her acting trial by fire “amazing.”  “It felt great to work with people that they are veterans in this industry and in this genre, and they treated me like a peer,” she told ABC Audio. “They had confidence in me to do what I know how to do.”

Louder added, “But if I had a question, they were very generous and humble and gracious with the wealth of information that they have. And it was just so much fun just running through the police station with these guys.”

Butler says COPSHOP is, “Extremely tense and fun and dark and hard edged and yet kind of irreverent and explosive.” 

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The 73rd Annual Emmy Awards will be held live and in person in Los Angeles on Sunday night, and many prognosticators say there could be some new faces heading to the podium.

Netflix’s trophy magnet The Crown earned 24 nominations — tied with the Star Wars series The Mandalorian — and could do well indeed. But with last year’s big winners Schitt’s Creek, Euphoria, Watchmen and Succession out of contention this year, the door could finally be open for Ted Lasso to score, and surprising nominees Cobra Kai and The Boys to shine. 

Another newcomer that could log some wins on the big night is Marvel Studios’ first small-screen MCU spin-off, WandaVision, which earned 23 nominations, one shy of its fellow Disney+ show The Mandalorian. W/V earned nominations in the Outstanding Actor category for its two stars — Marvel movie vets Paul Bettany and his onscreen love Elizabeth Olsen.

Both of those shows are already on the winner board, thanks to trophies won at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, which also saw The Crown and The Queen’s Gambit log wins. 

NBC’s previous Emmy winner This Is Us could win again, but this year it’s facing stiff competition from Kate Winslet and her HBO show Mare of Easttown.

Cedric The Entertainer hosts when the 73rd Emmys are held live at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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After season one of The Morning Show ended on an incredible cliffhanger — with Alex Levy and Bradley Jackson choosing to blow up their network and expose the toxic work environment live on television — fans will finally know what happened next when season two premieres today on Apple TV+.

Star Jennifer Aniston, who plays Alex, chatted with ABC Audio about what themes the new season will tackle and how they will affect her character’s growth.

Aniston says that Alex — who spent much of the first season trying to process the sexual assault allegations against her disgraced former co-host, Steve Carell‘s Mitch Kessler — will do some real soul searching this season.

“Sitting back, taking a moment to look inward and look back at the rubble that was left behind and figuring out who you are, is it who you want to be, and how do you move forward in this new normal?,” she divulged.

The Emmy winner says Alex will continue to explore the fallout of the sex scandal and also focus on cancel culture.

“What happens to these people who, you know, commit these terrible acts? Do they just vanish and disappear? That’s it. One click and one swipe in your whole entire life that you worked for is over,” she explained. “Is there room for redemption? Is there room for forgiveness?”

While fans have yet to find that out, they will meet newcomer Julianna Margulies, who plays network news anchor Laura Peterson.

Margulies tells ABC Audio that Laura’s character is a mix of Diane Sawyer, Rachel Maddow and Christiane Amanpour.

“There’s this sort of really great mix of grit, but sophistication and incredible smarts,” she teased. 

The Morning Show‘s first episode of season two is streaming now on Apple TV+. 

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For car collectors and movie fans, there are few automobiles as iconic as James Bond’s 1964 Aston Martin DB5, and now you can own it — well, at least in coffee table book form. 

Hero Collector Books has announced that on September 28 they’ll release James Bond’s DB5, the official, in-depth history of 007’s most famous whip, in a photo-packed 280-page book that was authorized by James Bond movie producers EON Productions.

The book’s release is timed to celebrate the October 8 premiere of the 25th James Bond film No
Time To Die, Daniel Craig‘s final turn as 007, which features the DB5 prominently.

The car has appeared in eight 007 movies to date, starting with 1964’s Goldfinger, and although the super-spy has driven other gadget-packed cars over the years, the producers always return to the Aston, which they did for Craig’s first outing in the tuxedo, in 2006’s Casino Royale. 

Craig provides a forward for the new book, which details virtually every inch of the vehicle, photographed in exquisite detail from bumper to bumper — and ejector seat to machine guns.

James Bond movie producer Michael G. Wilson and Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman also penned forwards for the book.

Reichman notes, “There are no other cars that enjoy such an exciting connection to such a beloved character and I hope this book demonstrates that among all the technical and marketing data that underpins car production, an indelible truth remains: great cars are wonders to behold, blending creativity with one crucial factor: fun.”

He adds, “Bond definitely enjoys the DB5. I hope you enjoy it too.”

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Netflix has set a November 24 release date for True Story, an upcoming limited series loosely based on the life of Kevin Hart.

The seven-episode drama follows Hart as Kid, a world famous comedian whose life suddenly hangs in the balance after “a lost evening with his wayward older brother” threatens to destroy everything he’s built. Wesley Snipes, who has been tapped to play Hart’s older brother, will star alongside Tawny Newsome, Will Catlett, Paul Adelstein, Theo Rossi, Ash Santos, John Ales, Chris Diamantopoulos, Lauren London, and Billy Zane. True Story officially marks Hart’s dramatic series debut.

In other news, Deadline has learned that Giancarlo Esposito has been added to the cast of Jigsaw, an upcoming Netflix series based on the “largest heist ever attempted.” It centers on the true-story of when $70 billion dollars in bonds went missing in downtown Manhattan during Hurricane Sandy. Esposito joins Paz Vega, Rufus Sewell, Tati Gabrielle, Peter Mark Kendall, Rosaline Elbay, Jai Courtney and Niousha Noor, who were previously announced. Production on Jigsaw has already begun at Netflix Studios in Brooklyn.

Finally, Zoe Saldaña is getting animated for her next big project. Netflix has announced that Saldaña will play Princess Maya in the upcoming series Maya and the Three. The nine-chapter series follows Maya, a rebellious warrior princess who learns on her fifteenth birthday that she must “forfeit her life” to the god of war or the world will suffer the consequences. To save those that she loves, Maya “embarks on a quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy” that promises to “defeat the gods and save humankind.” The series also stars Gabriel Iglesias, Alfred Molina, Cheech Marin, Rosie Perez, Queen Latifah, and Wyclef Jean among others. A release date for Maya and the Three has yet to be announced.

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In a revealing interview with The New York Times, Oscar-nominated actor Andrew Garfield explained how his work in the Lin-Manuel Miranda-directed movie musical Tick Tick…Boom! was a tribute to Garfield’s late mother. 

The musical was created by Rent phenom Jonathan Larson, who died in 2001 at just 35. Garfield saw a parallel between the world’s loss of Larson with the death of his mother Lynn from pancreatic cancer in 2019.

“She is someone who showed me where I was supposed to go in my life,” he said of his mother. “She set me on a path.”

Garfield explained, “We lost her just before COVID, just before we started shooting…So, for me, I was able to continue her song on the ocean and the wave of Jonathan’s songs. It was an attempt to honor him in his unfinished song, and her in her unfinished song, and have them meet.”

The actor plays Larson in the adaptation that is the directorial debut of Hamilton creator Miranda. Garfield says, “every frame, every moment, every breath” of the film honors Larson, and his mother. 

“I’ve lost people before,” the actor says, “but one’s mother is a different thing. It’s the person that gives you life no longer being here. Nothing can prepare you for that kind of cataclysm…For me, everything has changed.” 

Garfield, 35 says he was grateful to be with his mom in the days leading up to his loss, and to support his father and younger brother.

“We had a very amazing connection, and now an audience will know her spirit in an unconscious way through Jon, which I just find so magical and beautiful.”

Tick Tick…Boom! debuts in theaters on November 12, and on Netflix November 19.

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Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart are reuniting to celebrate Halloween.

The 49-year-old rap icon and the 80-year-old lifestyle guru are judging a new food competition inspired by Halloween.

Snoop and Martha’s Very Tasty Halloween is being produced by Buzzfeed, and will stream on Peacock. Teams of three bakers, called “Scare Squads,” must build an edible Halloween world “inspired by the concept of fear.” After the judges select the winner, they will enjoy a “fantastical Halloween party.”

The unlikely duo previously hosted Martha and Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party from 2016-2019 on VH1, and have appeared in several commercials together, as well a 2016 episode of $100,000 Pyramid. Last year, the “Gin & Juice” rapper was a guest star on her Martha show.

They first appeared together on her show in 2008, and again at the 2015 Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber.

Snoop and Martha serve as executive producers of their Very Tasty Halloween show which will begin streaming October 14 on Peacock.

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Brie Larson has been showing off her rigorous training sessions as she prepares to get back into superhero shape for the sequel The Marvels, so who can blame her for showing off her #gains?

The Oscar-winning Captain Marvel actress posted to social media two shots of her in workout gear, laughing as she rocks a rock-hard six pack. “Felt cute might delete later,” she captioned the photos, her note copying a popular online trope. “[O]r maybe I’d regret that,” she added with a winky emoji.

Brie also tossed in a nod to her podcast Learning Lots, on which Melissa McCarthy recently appeared. “I learned so much from the comic genius @melissamccarthy on regrets for @learninglotspodcast,” Brie said, before asking her fans, “Ya’ll got any regrets?”

Shooting of The Marvels gets underway in November, and the Marvel Studios film is slated to hit theaters on November 11, 2022.

Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

 

 

 

 

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Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik will host the syndicated version of Jeopardy! for the rest of 2021, Sony Pictures Television announced Thursday.

The two will take the reins while the search for a new, permanent host to take over for the late Alex Trebek continues in the wake of Mike Richards‘ controversial exit.

Bialik, who has been named the host of Jeopardy! primetime specials and spin-offs, will host episodes airing from September 20 through November 5. After that, the Big Bang Theory star will split hosting duties with and Jeopardy! champ-turned-producer Jennings as their schedules allow.

Richards was named the new, permanent host of the syndicated version of Jeopardy! on August 11. After filming just a week’s worth of shows, he stepped down from the position on August 20 and, as of August 31, is no longer an executive producer for Jeopardy! or Wheel of Fortune.

Because Jeopardy! is filmed in advance, episodes featuring Richards aired this week, beginning on September 13. Richards’ final episode as host will be this Friday, September 17.

Richards came under fire after controversial remarks that he made on The Randumb Show, a podcast he hosted from 2013 to 2014, resurfaced. These since-deleted episodes included disparaging comments about women, for which Richards has apologized.

This also brought to light a 2010 lawsuit in which a former model on The Price Is Right, during Richards’ tenure on that program, alleged that her contract was not renewed after she gave birth. 

Of the discrimination case, which was settled out of court without any admission of wrongdoing, Richards said the allegations “don’t reflect the reality of who I am.”

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