Entertainment

20 years ago today, the beloved comedy Legally Blonde hit theaters, with Reese Witherspoon winning over audiences as Elle Woods, a sorority girl seeking to overcome stereotypes while earning a law degree. In honor of the film’s big 2-0, here are five fascinating facts about the film:

1. The film is based on a true story.
   Before Legally Blonde the movie, there was Legally Blonde the book, written by Amanda Brown, who drew from her real-life experiences at Stanford Law School.
    
2. Reese Witherspoon almost didn’t get the lead role of Elle.
   Christina Applegate was also in the running but she turned it down, stating that she didn’t want to play another stereotypical blonde character. “What a stupid move that was, right?” she told ET before adding that Reese did a “much better job than I ever could.”
    
3. The iconic “bend and snap” moment was created during a drunken night out.
   While at a bar in Los Angeles trying to come up with a scene for Jennifer Coolidge’s character, Paulette, lead writer Karen McCullah asked co-writer Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith, “What if Elle shows [Paulette] a move so she can get the UPS guy?” Smith then spontaneously came up with what we know now as the “bend and snap.”
    
4. Legally Blonde made its way to the theatre.
   There were Broadway and West End musicals based on the film. Its London West end production won several awards, including the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical.
    
5. The movie almost had a very different ending.
   The current version ends with Elle delivering a speech at her Harvard Law School graduation, but the first cut actually ended at the courthouse. After winning her case, she shares a kiss with Emmett (Luke Wilson) and then it cuts to Elle and a blonde Vivian Kensington (Selma Blair) opening their own blonde legal defense club in law school. It was changed because of test audiences.

As Legally Blonde celebrates turning 20, a third installment is currently in the works and slated for a May 2022 release —  plenty of time for fans to give the original movie another view. 

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The pandemic year’s best of the best in television will be hailed at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday, when the nominations for the 73rd Emmy Awards are revealed. 

Emmy winning father-daughter team Ron Cephas Jones from This Is Us and Blindspotting‘s Jasmine Cephas Jones will do the honors. Nominations will stream live at on Emmys.com.

The pandemic year devastated the entertainment industry, with shutdowns and delays that took sure-bets like Better Call Saul, Stranger Things and Ozark out of the running for this year. 

While locked-down viewers meant big numbers for Marvel Studios’ first small-screen spin-off WandaVision, many predict the show will enchant Emmys voters — particularly for scene stealer Kathryn Hahn as Agnes/Agatha Harkness. 

Another all-but-sure nominee in the Limited Series category is HBO’s Mare of Easttown and its lead, Emmy and Oscar winner Kate Winslet. Ditto goes for Netflix’s Golden Globe-winning The Queen’s Gambit. 

The void left by some shows could mean Disney+’s other major release, The Mandalorian, could return to the Emmy stage this year, with a better shot at the Best Drama category than it previously had. In the comedy category, Jason Sudekis‘ AppleTV+ show Ted Lasso seems another sure thing, seeing as Schitt’s Creek swept the category last year.

Other favorites going into Tuesday’s announcement include Netflix’s steamy Bridgerton and HBO’s acclaimed-but-ultimately cancelled Lovecraft Country. 

The 73rd Emmys will be held live and in person from on Sunday, September 19 at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

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The Bachelorette continued Monday with one suitor’s shocking and heartbreaking exit, leaving the rest of the men doubting where they stand with Katie.

The episode started with a friendly competition for the remaining 12 men, cooked up by Katie and mentors Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe.  The three wanted to find out who among the suitors — to borrow a phrase from a classic Seinfeld episode — was “the master of his own domain.”

Dubbed “Operation: WOWO,” the men made a promise to refrain from “self-care” for the remainder of the competition.

Back to the real business at hand, Justin got the first one-on-one date — a dress rehearsal of sorts for their potential big day in which he and Katie had to write and recite their wedding vows.

Katie admitted the date was tough for her and tearfully explained that her dad, whom she’d lost to cancer, could not give her away.  She also revealed that she’d learned shortly before his death that he was not her biological father.  Despite her real father’s attempt to reach out, Katie said he could never replace the man who raised her.

Justin’s promise to support Katie and be there for her “no matter what,” along with his ability to listen to her, resonated with her.  Katie believed his caring nature would make him a great husband and awarded him the date rose.  Afterwards, they slow-danced to MAX performing his song, “Butterflies.”

Next, Katie enlisted RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars winners Shea Couleé and Monét X Change in a group date that engaged Blake, Andrew, Michael A., Greg, Aaron, Mike P., Brendan, James, Tre and Hunter in a “great royal debate” to prove why they deserved to remain in the competition with Katie, instead of the other suitors.

When pressed to pick the man they thought was the least compatible with Katie, Hunter was the unanimous choice, arousing her suspicions.  Later, at the after-party, James, Tre and Aaron used their time with Katie to try and cast more doubt in her mind about Hunter’s character, leaving the bachelorette confused and sick to her stomach — literally.  She abruptly ended the date, informing the men that they would not be getting a rose.

Another one-on-one date, this time with Connor B., started out with a special double date featuring Bristowe and her fiancé Jason Tartick.  Beforehand, Katie admitted that she and Connor are still in the “friend-zone” and hoped the date would change that.  After one last kiss between the two failed to ignite a “spark,” Katie informed Connor he would be going home.

In a break with tradition, Connor personally told the remaining suitors he was leaving, leading to an emotional goodbye that left them all shell-shocked because the Tennessee-based math teacher was once considered the one to beat.  His departure caused everyone to doubt their own futures with Katie.

The tension grew more intense after Katie canceled the pre-rose ceremony cocktail party, revealing she’d already made up her mind.  Fed up with the drama, she sent James, Tre, Aaron and Hunter home.

The Bachelorette airs Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Jennifer Lopez is gearing up to put her own stamp on some classic musicals.

Deadline reports the entertainer and her Nuyorican Productions are teaming up with Skydance and Concord to develop new projects based on Concord’s catalog of musicals, including the legendary works of Rodgers & Hammerstein.

“Musicals were a part of the tapestry of my childhood,” JLo says in a statement. “We’re so excited to begin our association with Skydance and Concord in reinterpreting some of the most classic musicals and bringing them to life in new ways for a new generation.”

In addition to producing, Jennifer will have the option to star in at least one of the projects.

That’s not all JLo has cooking up — she recently released her new single with Rauw Alejandro, “Cambia el Paso,” and tells Apple Music she’s got more music and some live shows in the works.

“I already have in the can a whole album, Marry Me, that I did for the movie that I did, Marry Me, before the pandemic,” she says, adding that both the album and the film will be out in February. 

Lopez also says she plans to tour first and then maybe head back to Las Vegas for some residency shows.

“I just can’t wait to get back to doing that,” she says of performing. “That’s a part of my life that I miss so much, because I think maybe my favorite thing of all the things I do is performing live and interacting in that way and giving people that euphoric moment that you only get from a show, that’s a great show.”

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In the darkest days of the lockdowns, millions of people looked to remote “watch parties” to binge their favorite shows with friends — even if they couldn’t get together. 

And according to the media researchers at Hub, this “co-viewing” trend is here to stay, thanks in part to the pandemic, and because 70% of homes in the U.S. now have smart TVs that allow for a more streamlined co-viewing experience.

The company crunched the numbers, and as part of its third annual “Evolution of the TV Set” report, compiled just who these co-viewers were, and how they’re getting their shared entertainment. 

According to Hub’s non-scientific survey of more than 2,500 people aged 16 to 74, 23% percent of viewers said they have enjoyed content via a co-viewing app or service this year, up three percentage points from 2020.

Forty-one percent of viewers aged 16 to 34 have co-watched; 23% of those 35 to 54 have; while — perhaps not surprisingly — only 3% of those 55 and older have watched shows and movies with others remotely.

According to Hub’s findings, Amazon Watch Party is the most commonly used co-viewing app at 44%. The next most popular apps are two adapted from other uses: Discord, familiar to gamers, was at 28%, followed close behind at 27% by Zoom, with which we’ve all become familiar during the pandemic.

Use of Amazon Watch Party proved to be more common with the 35-54 age group, versus those in the 16-34 age range, and the app proved more appealing to men than women: 52% to 31%.

On the flip side, 33%, or a third of those surveyed in the 16-to-24-year-old group, chose Discord; just 26% of their 35-to-54-year-old counterparts did.

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Raven-Symoné and Loni Love have signed on to respectively host the next two Daytime Emmy ceremonies, Variety reports.

The Daytime Emmys Children’s & Animation awards, which will be held virtually on Saturday, July 17, at 8 p.m. ET, will be hosted by Raven-Symoné, a previous Daytime Emmy nominee. Meanwhile Love will take on the virtual hosting duties for the Daytime Emmys Fiction & Lifestyle awards on Sunday, July 18, at 8 p.m. ET. Both events will be streamed on the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Emmy OTT platform.

In other news, Starz has given a greenlight to a second season of Power Book III: Kanan ahead of the series’ premiere on July 18. According to the Starz, the renewal comes “amidst strong demand for the upcoming premiere of the third book in the growing Power Universe franchise.” Additionally, Antonio Ortiz, who recurs as Shawn “Famous” Figueroa in the first season, has been promoted to a series regular role for the second season. As previously reported, Power Book III: Kanan, starring Mekai Curtis, Patina Miller and Omar Epps, follows the early years of the now-deceased Power character Kanan Stark, portrayed by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

Finally, Uzo Aduba and Ron Cephas Jones are among the stars who have been added to Second Stage Theater’s upcoming Broadway production of Lynn Nottage‘s new play Clyde’s, Deadline has learned. They join a cast that already includes Reza Salazar and Kara Young. The play follows Aduba as Clyde, the owner of a truck-stop sandwich shop who “tries to keep her staff under her thumb even as the staff members are given purpose and permission to dream.” Clyde’s begins previews on Wednesday, November 3, with an official opening on Monday, November 22, at Second Stage’s Broadway home, The Hayes Theater.

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Although organizers so far are mum, Variety reports Kristen Stewart‘s Princess Diana biopic Spencer will make its debut at the Venice International Film Festival. 

The event runs from Wednesday, September 1 through Saturday, September 11 in Italy. It’s not yet known what date the film will premiere.

The movie, directed by Pablo Larraín, will debut “in competition,” meaning its eligible for judging and, potentially, the festival’s coveted Golden Lion for best film.  

As previously reported, Spencer takes place in the 1990s and will have Stewart playing Diana over a crucial Christmas holiday during which she plotted her divorce from Prince Charles and began charting a life away from the British royal family.

The synopsis from production company Neon reads, “December, 1991: The Prince and Princess of Wales’ marriage has long since grown cold. Though rumours of affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at Sandringham Estate. There’s eating and drinking, shooting and hunting. Diana knows the game. This year, things will be a whole lot different.”

Princess Diana was killed August 31, 1997 in a car crash in Paris that was caused in part by a high-speed pursuit by paparazzi. Her partner, Dodi Fayed, and their driver, Henri Paul, were also killed. Paul was later found to have been driving drunk.  A bodyguard survived the crash.

The film will debut in 2022, timed to the 25th anniversary of Diana’s death.

Director Larrain previously called the shots on Natalie Portman‘s Oscar-nominated Jacqueline Kennedy 2016 biopic, Jackie.

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Eddie Murphy‘s eldest son, Eric, and Martin Lawrence‘s oldest daughter, Jasmin, have made their relationship Instagram official.

Over the weekend, Jasmin, 25, shared a photo of her and Eric with a loving caption in celebration of his 32nd birthday.

“Happy birthday, my love!,” she wrote. “I’m so incredibly blessed to know you, to love you, and to have you by my side. Cheers to many more blessings, laughs, and beautiful memories! I love you so much!!”

Jasmin’s sweet post comes just weeks after Eric declared his love for her in an Instagram post.

“Head over heels in LOVE with YOU,” he captioned the selfie, adding the hashtags “#myotherhalf,” “#equallyyoked” and “#iloveyou.”

For those who may not recall, Eric is the firstborn son of Eddie and his former girlfriend Paulette McNeely. Meanwhile, Jasmin is the daughter of Martin and his ex-wife Patricia Southall.

Although the two legendary comedians have not commented on their kids dating, the now-public relationship could offer a reason for Eddie and Martin to work together again. They previously starred in Ted Demme‘s 1999 comedy Life and in Murphy’s 1992 comedy Boomerang.

 

 

 

 

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Marvel Studios’ Black Widow had a super-sized $215 million worldwide debut over the weekend. But stateside, the $80 million it made in theaters, along with the more than $60 million it generated via Disney+ Premiere Access, gave the character’s standalone adventure the highest domestic opening weekend for a Marvel Cinematic Universe origin story after Black Panther and Captain Marvel. 

Scarlett Johansson, the star and executive producer of Black Widow, explained at a recent press event what makes her character, AKA Natasha Romanoff, so special in a field of super-soldiers and hammer-wielding gods.

“I was going to say the pose, but then Florence, poo pooed on that,” ScarJo said to laughs, referencing Florence Pugh‘s Black Widow character poking fun in the film at Natasha’s trademark pouncing hair flip. 

“I think Natasha…has a lot of integrity,” Johansson says. “She’s a she’s a big character. And she’s…not afraid to admit when she’s wrong. She’s endearing that way. And I think she’s curious about herself and curious about other people. And I think it makes her stand out as superheroes go.”

Disney Studios Content Chairman Alan Bergman apparently agrees with the audience. “[T]his spectacular opening weekend shows just how eager fans have been to see this beloved Avenger in her own story,” he said in a statement.

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

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Cedric the Entertainer will be the host of this year’s 73rd Emmy Awards.

On CBS’ social media accounts, Cedric announced the news in the form of an “and the winner is…” envelope reveal. “I’m about to be hostin’ the Emmys! And I ain’t even a Jimmy!” he laughed, before yelling the news off-screen: “Hey babe! I’m about to be hosting the Emmys!” 

In a statement, the comedian noted, “Since I was a little boy huddled up next to my grandmother, television has always been my reliable friend, so it is an enormous honor for me to host this year’s Emmy Awards.”

He continued, “Throughout the roller-coaster of a year that we have all lived through, television has helped us stay connected as a society like never before. It not only entertained us, but as it always has, it helped to open our eyes, educate us, and hopefully brought about a better understanding of who we are as a people.”

It is the first time Ced will host the event. The stand-up comic and Barbershop veteran stars on The Neighborhood on CBS. 

The Emmys will be held live and in person from on Sunday, September 19 at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

The hosting news comes a day before the Emmy nominations will be announced virtually, streaming live on Tuesday, July 13, at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time on Emmys.com.

 

 

 

 

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