Entertainment

An ongoing dispute between ABC News’ parent company, Disney, and DirecTV will apparently leave millions of customers in the dark for Tuesday night’s presidential debate on ABC. 

Disney had announced it would allow viewers to watch the face-off between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris via “a three-hour feed of ABC News coverage to all impacted DirecTV customers at no cost,” adding, “[W]e want all Americans to be able to view tonight’s debate at this important moment in our history.”

Disney-owned networks, including ABC, Freeform and ESPN, have been dark for more than 11 million DirecTV customers since Sept. 1. 

However, The Hollywood Reporter said Tuesday afternoon that DirecTV rejected Disney’s offer, after countering the provider wanted all channels returned through Sept. 16.

Disney reportedly refused.

“Unfortunately, returning only Disney’s ABC stations from the entire portfolio of channels for a limited 3-hour window will cause customer confusion among those who would briefly see the debate only to lose the channel again shortly after,” DirecTV’s statement said, according to the trade.

At issue is a dispute over the two companies’ so-called “carriage agreement” — the fee the satellite TV service pays Disney for access to its programming. Disney is seeking a higher fee, but DirecTV claims in a complaint to the FCC filed recently that Disney is negotiating in “bad faith.” 

The presidential debate airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

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An ongoing dispute between ABC News’ parent company, Disney, and DirecTV had threatened to leave millions of customers in the dark for Tuesday night’s presidential debate on ABC. 

However, Disney has announced it is allowing the viewers to watch the face-off between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Disney-owned networks, including ABC, Freeform and ESPN, have been dark for more than 11 million DirecTV customers since Sept. 1. 

A rep for Disney stated, “Although we have yet to reach an agreement, we are providing a three-hour feed of ABC News coverage to all impacted DirecTV customers at no cost because we want all Americans to be able to view tonight’s debate at this important moment in our history.”

The company adds, “We remain at the table negotiating with DirecTV and the restoration of our programming to their subscribers is completely within their control.”

At issue is a dispute over the two companies’ so-called “carriage agreement” — the fee the satellite TV service pays Disney for access to its programming. Disney is seeking a higher fee, but DirecTV claims in a complaint to the FCC filed recently that Disney is negotiating in “bad faith.” 

The presidential debate airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Recording artist and actor Bad Bunny has taken the Bullet Train to work with Adam Sandler. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the star will join Sandler for the anticipated follow-up, but his role is still unknown. 

For that matter, nothing really is known about the project, save original stars Julie Bowen — now an alumna of Modern Family — and Christopher McDonald will both return from the 1996 original with Sandler.

Bowen played Virginia Venit, Happy’s love interest in the film, while the latter played Shooter McGavin, the pro golf player who was the hockey player-turned-golf pro’s nemesis in the original. 

Also, as reported, Sandler confirmed that Happy Gilmore superfan Travis Kelce will be in the movie, but again, it’s not known who he’ll be playing.

Bad Bunny last appeared in film opposite Brad Pitt in director David Leitch‘s 2022 action comedy Bullet Train. 

Earlier this year, he bowed out of a Sony Pictures plan to play the Marvel Comics luchador superhero El Muerto on the big screen.

Happy Gilmore 2 premieres in 2025 on Netflix.

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Larry David was called a “walking f****** virus” on his show Curb Your Enthusiasm, and now it seems that he’s spreading.

His A Conversation with Larry David shows, which began with a pair of shows in the spring, will expand to 10 new cities.

Aside from a previously announced Sept. 20 gig at Denver’s Paramount Theatre, it has just been revealed that the tour will continue with stops in Seattle, San Fransisco, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago, before ending Dec. 5 in the Hollywood, Florida, Hard Rock Live venue.

David mentioned the update on Instagram. Well, he wasn’t really that specific, to be honest.

“So listen, there are some tickets going on sale for this thing I’m doing,” LD began. “It’s really nothing. It’ll be a total waste of your time. There’s not that many things to do at night. So, I guess if you have nothing to do — but, you could consider bowling.”

“It’s not a terrible idea,” he continued. “I haven’t done it in about 50 years, but now that I mention it, I think I might hit the lanes soon.”

If bowling isn’t your thing, head over to LarryDavidTour.com for more information. Tickets will be available for presale starting Thursday at 10 a.m. local time with the code “PRETTYGOOD”; general sales start on Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

As was the case with the previous shows, a moderator will join David at each stop — although it has been revealed that NFL great Peyton Manning will join Larry at Denver’s date on Sept. 20.

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Lacey Chabert‘s Mean Girls character, Gretchen Wieners, will forever be tied to the word “fetch,” and apparently so is the actress. 

The star explained to Today on Monday that the word — and the diss that followed, “Stop trying to make ‘fetch’ happen” — follows her everywhere in real life, to the apparent confusion of her now-8-year-old daughter, Julia.

“When she was younger … she was like, ‘What’s “fetch,” why does everyone say that to you?'”

Chabert added, “And she asked me a couple years ago, she goes, ‘Mom, do other people watch those movies that you make?’ And I was like, ‘Yes, baby, they’re not just for you.'”

Chabert did not appear in the recent Mean Girls musical movie, reportedly because of scheduling conflicts, but she did reprise her role in 2023, in a Walmart Black Friday commercial, along with her fellow “Plastics” of a certain age, Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Seyfried. 

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Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe entry Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and is developing the Disney+ Marvel Studios series Wonder Man, might just swing into the director’s chair on Tom Holland‘s fourth Spider-Man movie.

That’s according to The Hollywood Reporter, which says Cretton is in talks to become the fourth director to tackle the web-slinging hero. He would follow Sam Raimi, who directed Tobey Maguire as Spidey in three films; Marc Webb, who helmed two with Andrew Garfield; and Jon Watts, who directed Holland in three Spider-Man blockbusters.

Officially, Marvel Studios is characteristically mum, but according to THR, getting Holland in the mask again is a priority for Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios, which share the rights to the hero — and if Cretton locks in, cameras could roll early next year.

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

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Ryan Seacrest has kicked off a new era of Wheel of Fortune with his co-host, Vanna White.

Seacrest made his debut Monday for season 42 of the iconic game show and began the show by walking out on the new set with White.

“So happy to be here with you,” Seacrest told White. “Let’s have fun.”

Seacrest received a warm greeting from the contestants before welcoming the in-studio audience and those watching at home to Wheel of Fortune.

“I still can’t believe my luck being here with you tonight to continue this legacy of this incredible show with all of you and of course my good friend Vanna White,” he said. “Thank you for the very warm welcome.”

“Hosting Wheel of Fortune is a dream job,” he continued. “I have been a fan of this show since I was a kid watching in Atlanta with my family and I know how special it is that Wheel has been in your living rooms for the past 40 years. And I’m just so grateful to be invited in.”

“I also know I’ve got some very big shoes to fill,” he said before beginning the game.

Seacrest was announced as the new Wheel of Fortune host in June 2023 shortly after longtime host Pat Sajak announced that he would be stepping down from the role.

Sajak officially said goodbye to the show on June 7 after 43 years as host.

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As soon as news broke that legendary actor and voice over artist James Earl Jones died Monday at 93, Hollywood took to social media to mourn.

Jones, who famously voiced Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise and Mufasa in the 1994 and 2019 Lion King films, died on Monday morning at his home in Dutchess County, New York, surrounded by his family, his rep confirmed to ABC News.

Here are just some of those tributes from his famous friends/fans:

His Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill posted in part “#RIP dad 💔.” In the films, Hamill played Luke Skywalker, son of Darth Vader.

Kevin Costner, who starred with Jones in Field of Dreams, took to Instagram to share, “If you’ve seen it, you know that this movie wouldn’t be the same with anyone else in his role. Only he could bring that kind of magic to a movie about baseball and a corn field in Iowa.”

“Rest in peace, friend,” Costner concluded.

Rob Minkoff: Minkoff, the director of the 1994 Lion King film, shared, “His portrayal of Mufasa was perfection. What a powerful man and actor. Gone but will never be forgotten. Rest in power.”

Octavia Spencer: The Oscar winner Instagrammed she is “incredibly saddened” by the news, adding, “Legendary doesn’t even begin to describe his iconic roles and impact on cinema forever.” She added, “His voice and talent will be remembered always. Sending love to his family, friends and countless fans in all galaxies, far, far away. 🤍🕊️”

LeVar Burton: Burton, who starred in the 1980 film, Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones with Jones, posted, “There will never be another of his particular combination of graces.”

Colman Domingo: “Rest. Thank you for everything. Everything. Everything,” the Rustin Oscar nominee wrote on Instagram. “We all looked to you. Thank you King James Earl Jones. Rest well.”

Yvette Nicole Brown: “Besides #StarWars, the first film I remember ever seeing was #Claudine,” Brown said in an Instagram post. “#JamesEarlJones is a part of my cinematic DNA. Heartbroken doesn’t begin to cover it.”

Bob Iger: The CEO of ABC News’ parent company Disney highlighted Jones’ career in a moving tribute shared on Disney’s Instagram page, saying in part, “From the gentle wisdom of Mufasa to the menacing threat of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones gave voice to some of the greatest characters in cinema history.”

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Deadline reports Michael McKean, of This is Spinal Tap fame, is joining his Better Call Saul co-star Bob Odenkirk, Succession‘s Kieran Culkin and comedian Bill Burr in the upcoming Broadway revival of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross. McKean will play George Aaronow, the timid real estate salesman portrayed by Mike Nussbaum on Broadway in 1984 and Alan Arkin in the 1993 film adaptation. The revival is set to open in the spring of 2025 …

Brendan Gleeson has been tapped to star alongside Nicolas Cage in the upcoming MGM+ and Prime Video live-action series Spider-Man Noir, according to Variety. The series, based on the Marvel comic Spider-Man Noir, follows Cage as “an aging and down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero,” per the outlet. A premiere date has yet to be announced …

Floriana Lima has been addd to the season 21 cast of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy in a recurring role, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She’ll play Nora, a childhood friend of Owen and Megan Hunt — played respectively by Kevin McKidd and Abigail Spencer — who comes to Grey Sloan due to serious complications arising from a routine operation mishandled by another hospital. Grey’s Anatomy returns Sept. 26, with Lima’s first appearance coming in the second episode …

Alan Cumming, host of the Peacock reality competition series The Traitors, will return as host of AARP’s annual Movies for Grownups Awards on Jan. 11, the organization has announced. The star-studded ceremony recognizes the best TV, films and filmmakers of 2024, along with the Career Achievement Honor, to be announced at a later date. Past recipients include Jamie Lee Curtis, George Clooney, Helen Mirren, Michael Douglas, Shirley MacLaine, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Robert Redford, Sharon Stone and Robert De Niro …

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Kathy Bates is set to play the titular character in CBS’ upcoming Matlock reboot, and that may be the last we see of her.

The 76-year-old actress told The New York Times in a recent interview that she’s looking to retire after the series ends, saying, “This is my last dance.”

Adds Bates, “It becomes my life. Sometimes I get jealous of having this talent, because I can’t hold it back, and I just want my life.”

However, Matlock, a reworking of the legal drama that ran from 1986 to 1995 and starred the late Andy Griffith, was too tempting for her to turn down.

“Everything I’ve prayed for, worked for, clawed my way up for, I am suddenly able to be asked to use all of it,” Bates noted. “It’s exhausting.”

Matlock, also starring Beau Bridges, Jason Ritter, Skye P. Marshall, David Del Rio and Leah Lewis, premieres Sept. 22 on CBS.

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