Entertainment

It’s nearly inevitable that in every awards show an in memoriam segment comes up short, and this year’s Oscars was no exception.

While the Motion Picture Academy explained a special QR code was shown that included some forgotten names, it wasn’t enough to salve hurt feelings.

“Paul Sorvino was one of the greatest actors in cinematic history in Hollywood. It is unconscionable that he would be left out of the In Memoriam segment of the Oscars,” said the Goodfellas star’s widow, Dee Dee, in a lengthy statement obtained by ABC Audio.

Demanding an apology, she noted, “It’s a three-hour show, they can’t give a couple more minutes to get it right? Paul Sorvino gave decades to this industry and was loved by all.” She added, “A QR code is not acceptable.”

Sorvino’s Oscar-winning daughter, Mira, tweeted, “I for one am remembering Dad on this Oscars night” with a video of her embracing her father after her win in 1996.

She later added, “It is baffling beyond belief that my beloved father and many other amazing brilliant departed actors were left out.” She commented, “The Oscars forgot about Paul Sorvino, but the rest of us never will!!”

Other stars who were left out were Sorvino’s Goodfellas co-star — and Sopranos actor — Tony Sirico, Anne Heche, and actress and model Charlbi Dean, who was in the cast of the Best Picture nominee Triangle of Sadness.

Sirico died at 79 on July 8; Sorvino passed on July 25.

Heche died on August 11 aged 53 after a car accident; Dean, 32, died weeks later, also in August, after suffering from a rare infection.

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Brendan Fraser‘s career comeback reached its apex Sunday evening when he reached for his Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Darren Aronofsky‘s drama The Whale.

Backstage, an emotional Fraser explained the parallels he saw between his character’s struggles in life and his own.

His character, Charlie, is a morbidly obese man trying to make amends with his daughter. Although Fraser was asked about queer representation, he explained, “Charlie is more than just a gay man: He’s a father, he’s an educator, he’s a truth-seeker.”

With tears in his eyes, Fraser expressed, “That he fell hopelessly, inconveniently in love with whomever is immaterial. He’s someone who found love, lost it, and then found it again. I think that that’s something that we can all take a page from.”

The actor continued, “And know that with perseverance, if you put one foot in front of the other, like Charlie did — go to the light — believe me, if I can do it, you can, too.”

With a laugh, and Oscar in hand, he added, “Good things will happen.”

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The Rembrandts seemingly struck gold by performing the iconic Friends theme song, “I’ll Be There for You,” but a singer from the band says the opposite happened.

Danny Wilde, who fronted the band with Phil Solem, told The Guardian that while the song’s popularity helped him put his kids through college, it “broke up the band.”

“It all happened wildly fast,” the singer said of being approached to make the Friends theme song, explaining that the original pilot used R.E.M.’s “Shiny Happy People.” Wilde said execs were torn on the song choice and asked him and Solem to come up with “something with the same tempo.”

They came up with a 43-second version of the song that played when Friends premiered September 22, 1994. “It didn’t have our name on the credits. We were a pretty hip band, so stipulated that we didn’t want anyone to know we’d sold out,” said Wilde.

“But the song stuck, the show stuck and it snowballed. The record company rushed us into the studio to cut a full version,” he continued, saying the success led to them filming a music video with the cast of Friends.

“Once people realized it was us, it killed our cool vibe. We went from doing cool clubs to matinee shows where parents would bring their kids,” he said. “The song became an albatross round our necks and broke up the band for a few years.”

Looking back at the song, said Wilde, “It put my kids through college and got me a beautiful home. I’m not rich but I’m comfortable … I might be living on the streets if it wasn’t for that song.”

He and Solem have since reformed their band and now play at Friends anniversary shows. “If people are willing to pay you to do something you’re proud of, why not?” he said.

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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a presenter at Sunday night’s Oscars, alongside his Jungle Cruise co-star Emily Blunt, but before he took the stage, Variety asked him about the fate of Black Adam.

As reported, DC Studios and its co-CEOs, James Gunn and Peter Safran, announced that Johnson’s hero wouldn’t be a part of the Warner Bros.-owned studio’s superhero film universe after the movie underperformed.

But the stickier widget was Henry Cavill as Superman. Johnson brought Cavill back to play the Man of Steel in a Black Adam after-credits scene. The former Witcher star happily told his fans he was back — until he wasn’t; Gunn and Safran are recasting the role for Superman: Legacy.

On Sunday night, Johnson was diplomatic, explaining, “All that I can do, and all that we could do when we were making Black Adam, was to put our best foot forward and surround ourselves with the best people and deliver the best movie we could. Our audience score was in the 90s. Critics took a couple shots, but that’s just the business of it,” he continued.

Johnson said, “It’s almost like when you have a pro football team and your quarterback wins championships and your head coach wins championships and then a new owner comes in and says, ‘Not my coach, not my quarterback. I’m going to go with somebody new.'”

Last December, Johnson explained while Adam won’t be part of the hero slate for now, “DC and [his company] Seven Bucks have agreed to continue exploring the most valuable ways Black Adam can be utilized in future DC multiverse chapters.”

For his part, Gunn tweeted at the time, “Love the Rock, and I’m always excited to see what he and Seven Bucks do next. Can’t wait to collaborate soon.”

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As most know by now, newly minted Everything Everywhere All at Once Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan was a former child star, first breaking through with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and following it up with The Goonies.

However, opportunities became scarce as he got older and he transitioned to a career behind the camera. That said — and as fans of Goonies might have hoped — the cast from the beloved 1985 film have stayed close over the years.

That’s what Quan said backstage at Sunday night’s Oscars, when he revealed his former childhood pals have been rooting for him.

“You know, right before this night started, Corey Feldman, one of my Goonies brothers, called,” Quan said of the guy who played Mouth. “I was talking to Kerri Green (Andy). And of course, tonight, Jeff Cohen (Chunk), who is my entertainment lawyer, is here tonight with me. He was in the audience. And that’s why I wanted to thank him, because I love all of them so much.”

Ke continued, “And every single one of them was so happy: Sean (Astin, who played Mikey) reached out. Josh (Brolin/Brand), Martha (Plimpton/Stef), you know, we are always bonded.”

“You know, we’re family forever,” Ke said, adding the kids’ slogan from the movie, which brought the house down backstage. “Goonies never say die!”

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The first teaser for Only Murders in the Building‘s third season arrived Sunday, which shared a first look at Meryl Streep joining the Hulu comedy. The clip also provided a look at Paul Rudd, who made a cameo in the season two finale. A release date for the show’s third season was not announced…

Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson will make her Saturday Night Live hosting debut on April 1. She will be joined by musical guest Lil Yachty…

Elizabeth Banks is lending her voice to a new adult comedy animated series for The Flintstones. The revival, titled Bedrock, stars an adult Pebbles that will be voiced by Banks and has been greenlit for a pilot presentation. Deadline reports other names attached to the series include Stephen Root as Fred, Amy Sedaris as Wilma, Manny Jacinto as Bamm-Bamm, Nicole Byer as Betty and Jo Lo Truglio as Barney. The series takes place two decades after the original series, when the Stone Age gives way to the Bronze Age…

Netflix reportedly acquired the 22-page sci-fi thriller short story I Am Not Alone for an on-screen adaptation. Deadline says the streamer spent either a high six figures or mid seven figures at auction, elbowing out five other bidders including Warner Bros. The deal includes Lovecraft Country‘s Misha Green to pen the script and will star Jessica Chastain…

Elizabeth Olsen teased a potential return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Deadline asked her about the upcoming Disney+ series, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, which stars her character Wanda Maximoff’s nemesis. Olsen replied, “I think I’ll be back.” The upcoming series stars Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha, who debuted in the Disney+ series WandaVision. Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News…

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Saturday Night Live took aim at the Academy Awards in its cold open.

Marcello Hernández pretended to be Mario Lopez while Heidi Gardner played Maria Menounos or Kit Hoover, joking, “They haven’t told me yet.”  The bit saw them interviewing various celebrities, like Chloe Fineman‘s Jamie Lee Curtis and Keenan Thompson‘s Mike Tyson, for Access Hollywood.

They joked Tyson was hired to handle security amid the fallout over last year’s infamous slap between Will Smith and Chris Rock. Thompson, as Tyson, also warned that things like clapping or statues of gold “will set me off.” He also joked that “all the nominees have been given tasers and all the seat fillers have been given guns and [host] Jimmy Kimmel has been given a flame thrower.”

The cold open also took another jab at disgraced representative George Santos, who was played by Bowen Yang. The politician pretended to be Tom Cruise in order to get on the red carpet and insisted, “I’m definitely Thomas Q. Cruise, star of this year’s blockbuster film Top Gun 2: Top Bottom.”

When Lopez called out his lies, Santos came clean but reminded everyone he is in Congress before walking away so he can “be everyone, everywhere all at once.”

Scream VI star Jenna Ortega hosted the show, with musical guest The 1975.

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(NOTE LANGUAGE) Everything Everywhere All at Once was the big winner at Sunday night’s 95th Annual Academy Awards, snagging almost everything: The film from Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert nabbed seven Oscars out of its leading 11 nominations, including Best Picture.

Backstage, its star Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian woman to win a Best Actress trophy, explained, “This is actually a historical moment, so I really have to thank the Academy for acknowledging [and] embracing diversity and true representation.”

She added, “I think this is something that we have been working so hard towards for a very long time. And tonight we frigging broke that glass ceiling!”

Everything‘s Best Supporting Actress Jamie Lee Curtis explained it was a “surreal and proud” moment, but she added she would have loved to see more female representation in other categories. “I think we’re getting there. We’re not anywhere near there,” she cautioned. “I think the most important thing is inclusivity and more women. I mean, basically just f***ing more women anywhere, anytime, all at once!”

Ke Huy Quan was as emotional backstage as he was on the podium accepting Best Supporting Actor for the film. The former child star of Steven Spielberg‘s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom expressed, “During one of the commercial breaks, I ran up to Steven…and he gave me a big hug…and he says, ‘Ke, you are now an Oscar winning actor.’ And hearing him say that meant the world to me. And I still cannot believe it.”

Brendan Fraser‘s career comeback was complete with an Best Actor win for The Whale. He explained filming during COVID influenced all the nominated films. “We all lived under an existential threat, we didn’t know if there would be a tomorrow,” he said, adding the cast performed, “as if it’s the first and last time you ever will.”

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Scream VI knocked out Creed III for the weekend box office’s top spot.

The Scream franchise’s sixth installment scared up $44.5 million in the domestic box office, which is an improvement over how the series’ fifth offering fared during its 2022 domestic debut. Scream V earned $30 million in its opening week. Overseas, the new film amassed an additional $22.6 million in ticket sales, which boosted its overall haul to $67.1 million. Scream VI sees the return of Courteney Cox, Jenna Ortega, Hayden Panettiere and Melissa Barrera.

Falling to second place was Creed III, which is in its second week in the box office. The Michael B. Jordan film earned $27.1 million, which is a 53 percent decline from its opening numbers. Despite that, the film has surpassed the $100 million mark after factoring in its overseas totals. The movie has made $179 million in the global box office.

Landing in third place was 65 with a modest $12.3 million debut. The film, which stars Adam Driver as a futuristic pilot who crash lands on an unknown, primitive planet, was filmed on a $45 million budget.

Rounding out the top five was Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Cocaine Bear, with a respective $7 million and $6.2 million global haul in the box office.

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The champagne-colored carpet was in full effect at the 2023 Oscars Sunday night.

Celebrities wore their biggest, brightest and fiercest looks for the celebratory affair. A-listers donned everything from modernized styles to elegant classics and everything in between.

There was an unforgettable look from Florence Pugh, who wore a stunning Valentino ensemble that included black shorts. Rihanna also turned heads in a black Alaïa dress that featured a sheer panel revealing her growing baby bump.

Here are some other standouts:

Michelle Yeoh: The Best Actress winner stunned in a white Dior Haute Couture gown with a mesh illusion neckline and layers of feather fringe.

Austin Butler: He kept it classy in a black velvet tux by Saint Laurent and heeled boots.

Angela Bassett: Bassett glowed in a royal purple curve-hugging gown and diamond snake necklace. 

Jamie Lee Curtis: The Best Supporting Actress winner wore a long-sleeve nude embellished with sparkle and shimmer.

Mindy Kaling: She stunned in a white Vera Wang gown on the carpet, then changed into an identical version of the dress in black while presenting.

Cate Blanchett: The actress opted for a two-tone black-and-blue Louis Vuitton ensemble. 

Tems: Tems looked like a cloud in an all white gown, with a thigh-high slit by Lever Couture. The sweeping headpiece stirred up criticism online, though, for blocking the view of the attendees seated behind her.

Paul Mescal: Mescal spiced up his black trousers with a white shirt and jacket, black bow tie, and red rose boutonnière. 

Malala Yousafzai: Malala rocked a silver shimmery hooded gown designed by Ralph Lauren. 

Nicole Kidman: Kidman wore an Armani Privé one-sleeve black dress with a thigh high split and rosettes at the top of her shoulder and thigh. 

Hong Chau: Chau wore an elegant blush pink high neck, sleeveless Prada gown with a black sequined feather train. 

Janelle Monae: The singer and actress wrote a playful orange Vera Wang gown with a black deep plunge top and black-studded choker. 

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