Entertainment

A who’s who of comedy — including Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart and Amy Schumer — are gearing up to make people laugh for a good cause.

On December 11 at New York City’s Beacon Theatre, the charity Next for Autism will once again be hosting Night of Too Many Stars, with proceeds going toward providing education and more for the 1 in 36 children in the U.S. affected by the disorder.

Stephen Colbert, Ron Funches and Saturday Night Live‘s James Austin Johnson are also confirmed, with other guests expected to perform; past performers ranged from Jerry Seinfeld and Billy Crystal to Seth Rogen and George Clooney.

The event was the brainchild of longtime SNL and Late Night with Conan O’Brien writer/producer Robert Smigel and his wife, Michelle, who struggled to find proper education for their son Daniel.

Over the past 20 years, Night of Too Many stars has raised over $30 million to support programs that “enhance the lives of autistic individuals, specifically in the areas of education, home, work, social, health and well-being,” according to Next for Autism.

Tickets start at $134.55 and will be available to the general public Friday, October 27, at 11 a.m. ET via Ticketmaster.com. They will also be sold in person beginning Saturday, October 28, at the Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre box offices.

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In a New York City courtroom Wednesday morning, a judge denied a request from Jonathan Majors‘ lawyers to dismiss the assault charges leveled against him.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Majors appeared virtually during the hearing, as he was reportedly working out of state.

As reported, the actor was charged with four misdemeanor counts of harassment and assault in an alleged domestic violence incident on March 25 that prompted him to call 911.

Majors’ 30-year-old former girlfriend reportedly sustained minor injuries in the incident, but lawyers for the Ant-Man threequel star claim she attacked him.

Majors was released from police custody later that day, and his attorney Priya Chaudhry said the evidence would prove the actor is innocent. In June, he filed a cross-complaint against the alleged victim.

According to the trade, Majors’ camp also claimed to Judge Michael Gaffey that prosecutors were withholding evidence that could support Majors’ innocence and also cast doubt on his accuser’s claims, which violated their client’s right to a speedy trial.

Ultimately, Gaffey rejected the motion to dismiss the case.

In a statement, a representative for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg noted, “We look forward to presenting our case at trial.”

Majors faces a year in prison if convicted.

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A new study shows that today’s teens actually have a complaint they might have heard their grandparents gripe about: There’s just too much sex in movies and TV.

The 2023 Teens & Screens report from UCLA’s Center for Scholars & Storytellers found that teens — and the 18- to 24-year-old demographic — “think sex and romance are too prominent in TV shows and movies” and would instead prefer to see “more friendships and platonic relationships” presented onscreen.

More than 44% of those aged 13-24 polled say romance is overused in media, and 47.5% maintain sex in the plots of most TV shows and movies is unnecessary.

Instead, more than 51% would rather see friendships and platonic relationships in their content, while 39% want to see more “aromantic and/or asexual characters.”

The study also noted romantic tropes — like male and female leads ending up together by the end credits or the teen love triangle — are on the outs with younger viewers.

“While the popularity of Twilight and The Hunger Games supercharged the love triangle trope, what once was novel has become commonplace, and teens appear to have soured on those storylines,” the report notes.

Dr. Yalda T. Uhls, co-author of the study and adjunct professor in UCLA’s psychology department, notes there are other factors behind the younger audiences’ changing tastes. “We know that young people are suffering an epidemic of loneliness and they’re seeking modeling in the art they consume,” she says.

She continues, “While some storytellers use sex and romance as a shortcut to character connection, it’s important for Hollywood to recognize that adolescents want stories that reflect the full spectrum of relationships.”

This reflects in recent studies that showed younger people today are having less sex than their parents did at their age, Uhls says.

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After the unearthing of a treasure trove of trophies bestowed on a young Katherine Schwarzenegger — some when she was just two — her husband, Chris Pratt, asked the internet for advice.

To a photo of his Katherine gleefully showing off a teensy trophy declaring her a fourth grade “Problem Solving Superstar,” the Marvel movie star explained his mother-in-law, Maria Shriver, has held onto such special items for years.

“To see my darling wife beaming with sentiment as she opens these crates of meticulously organized keepsakes, remembering her cherished youth, makes me grateful for the efforts her folks put into archiving,” the dad of three says, adding cheekily, “I cannot say how proud I am of my wife for being a fourth grade problem solving superstar.”

He continues, “There’s also a trophy for ‘most improved two year old’ in swim class. Wow!! Sorry to the other two year olds. You didn’t cut it. Move on. What’s that you say? She was the only two year old in swim class? I’m proud nonetheless.”

Chris does note “the smile on her face as she relives moments of her youth” is a payoff of storing the stuff for so long.

That said, he asks, “But real talk… once your kid goes through the stuff, is it okay to toss? I mean… do we need the ‘I was on a sports team trophy?’ Can they be donated? Repurposed? How many do we gotta keep? Not all of them right? Any of them? Is there a grading scale? Like, did you win? Were you a champion? Is there a specific sentimental connection? Help me out here. Do they go back in storage?”

It’s quite the quandary.

Good thing he lives with a problem-solving superstar.

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After the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and representatives for SAG-AFTRA got back to the bargaining table Tuesday, the two parties plan to continue to negotiate Wednesday, October 25. 

The meet-up on Tuesday marked the 103rd day of the strike — and it was the first time the two sides met since negotiations broke down on October 11.

The studios stated at the time, “After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction.”

Among their issues with the studios, SAG-AFTRA members are asking for increased residual payments in the age of streaming, as well as limits on the use of A.I. to generate background performers and other money-saving, but potentially union job-killing, practices.

In a message to its members Tuesday evening, the union’s TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee noted, “Today, the CEOs came back to the table. We are scheduled to continue talks with them tomorrow.”

It continued, “We will continue to provide updates with you directly. Remember – don’t believe anything you read in the press unless it comes directly from us. Keep showing up on the picket lines and make your voices heard around the country.”  

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Tracy Spiridakos, who portrays Hailey Upton on Chicago P.D., will be leaving after season 11, multiple sources confirm to Variety. It is unknown how many episodes she will appear in the upcoming season. The news comes one season after Jesse Lee Soffer, who portrayed Upton’s co-star and real-life husband, Jay Halstead, chose to leave the series after 10 years. We may see a cameo from Soffer ahead of Spiridakos’ exit. He told the outlet last February that the door is “definitely not” closed on his character…

Actor Erik Jensen, who played Dr. Steven Edwards in season 5 of The Walking Dead, has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, his family revealed in a GoFundMe post. “After miraculously surviving a brain aneurysm just a year and a half ago, our beloved Erik Jensen was just diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer,” his GoFundMe page reads. His other TV credits include For Life and The Equalizer, among others. The Walking Dead CCO Scott M. Gimple pointed out the GoFundMe page to fans, writing on X, formerly Twitter, urging them to help…

Deadline reports The Crown‘s Olivia Colman and Slumdog Millionaire‘s Dev Patel have been tapped to star in the “twisted” romantic feature film Wicker. Colman will play a “smelly Fisherwoman” who sparks outrage and jealousy in her conservative town due to an unconventional romance with “a husband to be made from wicker,” played by Patel. The project isn’t currently a SAG production and is not due to film until mid-late next year in Europe…

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Vanessa Hudgens has set the record straight after posting to her Instagram Tuesday, October 24, showing highlights of her “iconic bachelorette weekend in Aspen Colorado,” prompted followers to ask if she and her fiancé, Cole Tucker, were expecting a baby.

“Why does she look pregnant to me or like she’s trying to hide a bump,” wrote one person, while another asked, “Are we pregnant?” and a third commented, “Pregnant for sure.”

Hudgens responded to the first comment with the eyeroll emoji, writing, “not pregnant so y’all can stop.”

The 34-year-old High School Musical alum confirmed she and Tucker, a 27-year-old professional baseball player, were dating in May 2021. She made their engagement Instagram official in February of 2023 with a picture of her flashing her flashing her engagement ring on Instagram.

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Comedian and King of Staten Island actor Bill Burr can add another descriptor to his job title: successful director. 

Burr’s debut behind the camera, the comedy Old Dads, in which he stars with character actors Bobby Cannavale and Bokeem Woodbine, debuted at #1 on Netflix’s English Films list. 

The streaming site says the comedy, which has the trio playing older fathers who are not in sync with the new rules about child-rearing, scored 13.3 million views after its debut, making it the streaming service’s most-viewed title for the week of October 16. 

As people get ready for Halloween, The Devil on Trial, a documentary about the only case of demonic possession to ever see the inside of a courtroom, debuted in second place on the same list with 8 million views.

Over on the TV side, users also showed they were in the mood to get scared, with the new horror series The Fall of the House of Usher topping the English TV list with 7.9 million views. 

That said, plenty of people weren’t looking for something spooky to watch, as the documentary series Beckham shone in second place with 6.9 million views.

The U.K. import Sex Education landed in the fifth slot, followed by Love is Blind at #6. The adult animated series Big Mouth also made the top 10 for last week, coming it #7.

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Netflix’s hit series Beef and Max’s smash video game adaptation The Last of Us are among this year’s nominees for November’s 33rd annual Gotham Awards.

In all, 20 feature films, 11 series and 30 performances in 10 award categories were nominated this year, including the films Passages, Past Lives, Reality and Showing Up.

AMC’s Anne Rice’s Interview with The Vampire was also nominated in the series category, along with lead Jacob Anderson; Peacock’s Poker Face earned an acting nomination for lead Natasha Lyonne; and Dominique Fishback was nominated for the Amazon series Swarm, which itself was nominated in the Outstanding Series category.

Another Prime Video show, the reboot of Dead Ringers, also scored a nom for Outstanding Series and an acting nomination for its lead Rachel Weisz‘s dual performance as very different twin gynecologist sisters.

The event’s producers promise to announce more special tributes in the weeks to come.

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