Entertainment

As reported, Sunday, August 27, is National Cinema Day, when movie tickets are up for grab for $4 apiece.

And according to data from the analysts at EntTelligence published by Deadline, ticket sales for that discount day are outpacing Saturday’s full-priced sales by some 700%.

As reported earlier this week, more than 8 million people beat the heat with a movie on last year’s National Cinema Day, when tickets cost $3. However, at just $4 a ticket, this summer’s crop of blockbusters — including Barbie, Oppenheimer and The Super Mario Bros. Movie — might just beat that attendance record.

And at the discounted price, moviegoers might check out films they’d otherwise wait for streaming for, like the new Gran Turismo and even the struggling Blue Beetle.

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Sandra Bullock‘s recent loss of her longtime romantic partner, Bryan Randall, to ALS has led to a boost in donations to the ALS Association, the organization tells ABC Audio.

After Randall’s death at 57 on August 5, his family released a statement that said in part, “Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private, and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request.”

The statement also encouraged people to donate to the organization dedicated to fighting the degenerative disease, for which there’s no cure.

They did, ALS Association spokesman Bryan Frederick tells ABC Audio.

“In the last couple weeks we have seen a significant uptick in interest and donations in honor of Bryan and Sandra,” he says. He notes its website has had more than 100,000 new followers and the nonprofit has “raised an additional $50,000, most from first-time donors.”

Frederick added, “We are grateful for the outpouring of support in honor of Bryan and Sandra. The donations and increased awareness will help our work to turn ALS from a fatal disease into a livable one until we can cure it. People living with ALS and their families urgently need new treatments and cures.”

As reported, in an installment of Red Table Talk last year Bullock called Randall “the love of my life.” She told co-hosts Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Norris that the blending of her two children with his daughter into a family was “the best thing ever.”

Gesine Bullock-Prado, Bullock’s sister, revealed Randall was being cared for by Bullock in their home before his death.

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With 41 million Instagram followers, Blake Lively isn’t hurting for “likes,” but got more than 2 million of them within an hour for her birthday, thanks to a sweet message from her hubby, Ryan Reynolds.

Blake, who tied the knot with Ryan in 2012, turned 36 on Friday, August 25.

To a glamorous nighttime beach shot of his better half, Ryan wrote, “The only thing irrevocably mine in the world is the love and appreciation and awe I feel for this person.”

The Deadpool star, producer and entrepreneur continued, “Witnessing her life is something I couldn’t take for granted if I tried. And believe me, I try. Happy Birthday, @blakelively. You hung the damn moon.”

Of course, the celebrity couple is infamous for their love language of busting each other’s chops on social media, but Ryan played nice this time and was rewarded with lots of hearts — the Instagram kind.

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The new movie Golda is a portrait of a tough Prime Minister facing the pressure of war.

Helen Mirren plays former Israeli leader Golda Meir, and director Guy Nattiv tells ABC Audio Mirren was handpicked by Meir’s grandson

Gideon Meir, was the one who thought about her as his grandmother. Helen and her, he saw the DNA there.

Even with the co-sign from Meir’s grandson, the choice wasn’t without controversy due to Mirren not being. Jewish. Some in the Jewish community are upset because all too often Jewish actors aren’t allowed to portray Jewish characters on screen, whether it’s Bradley Cooper playing legendary composer Leonard Bernstein in the upcoming film Maestro, or Rachel Brosnahan playing the title role in the fictional The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

However, the blowback wasn’t something Nattiv considered “because I am Israeli and I am a second generation to a Holocaust survivor.”

“I am authentic enough to tell this story in a way that if I feel that Helen is the right person to tell the story, I guess that it works for me, you know? And it worked for Golda’s family,” he explains.

Nattiv also shared that while Mirren isn’t Jewish, she does has a deep connection with Israel, having spent time there in her 20s, volunteering on a Kibbutz.

“Picked tomatoes and fell in love with Israeli and toured the country and slept on the beach in Eilat and, you know, and did the entire Zionist tour. She was basically living in Israel for a while,” he recalls of the actress’ experience. “I had the notion that she understand Golda to the core.”

Golda hits theaters nationwide Friday, August 26.

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Get ready for another go ’round, Bachelor Nation, as the cast for the ninth season of Bachelor In Paradise has been revealed.

The forthcoming season gets underway on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 9:01 p.m. ET with Jesse Palmer as host and Wells Adams returning to the bar. The show streams the next day on Hulu.

Here are the contestants looking for love this season so far. Additional names are forthcoming:

Greer Blitzer – (The Bachelor, season 27)

Brayden Bowers – (The Bachelorette, season 20)

Aaron Bryant – (The Bachelorette, season 20)

Peter Cappio – (The Bachelorette, season 20)

Jessica “Jess” Girod – (The Bachelor, season 27)

Eliza Isichei – (The Bachelor season 26 and Bachelor in Paradise, season 8)

Katherine “Kat” Izzo – (The Bachelor, season 27)

Samantha “Sam” Jeffries – (The Bachelor, season 26)

Olivia Lewis – (The Bachelor, season 27)

Sean McLaughlin – (The Bachelorette, season 20)

Blake Moynes – (The Bachelorette seasons 16 and 17)

Mercedes Northup – (The Bachelor, season 27)

Rachel Recchia – (The Bachelor, season 26 and The Bachelorette, season 19)

Kylee Russell – (The Bachelor, season 27)

Aaron Schwartzman – (The Bachelorette – season 20)

Will Urena – (The Bachelorette, season 18)

Brooklyn Willie – (The Bachelor, season 27)

Catherine “Cat” Wong – (The Bachelor, season 27)

The producers also note that three more former Bachelorettes — Katie Thurston (season 17), Charity Lawson (season 20) and Hannah Brown (season 15) — are also set to appear this season.

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Chad Michael Busto, who caused a scare during Drew Barrymore’s recent appearance at a 92nd Street Y event, was arrested in Southampton, New York, on Thursday, August 24.

Barrymore was whisked off the stage by fellow actress Reneé Rapp during a 92nd Street Y appearance on Monday night, after Busto called Barrymore’s name as he approached the stage. Busto was quickly removed from the premises, and the actresses returned.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Drew told Rapp onstage afterward, “I have a new definition of your sexiness. It’s that level of protectiveness. That went full Bodyguard. You are my Kevin Costner!”

Busto was subsequently spotted riding a bicycle Wednesday in Sagaponack, asking residents for directions to Barrymore’s farmhouse. She was not at home at the time.

East Hampton police located him the next day and took him into custody.

Busto is facing a misdemeanor charge of stalking in the fourth degree and will appear in Southampton Town Justice Court Friday morning for arraignment.

Busto, of Washington, D.C., has a lengthy criminal record of arrests from around the country, including for stalking, harassment and criminal trespassing.

Incidentally, videos of a man matching Busto’s description and identifying himself as Chad Michael Busto subsequently surfaced online, in which he’s focused on Amber Heard.

One video shows him identifying himself, declaring loudly at a Walmart that he “has proposed” to the Aquaman star. “I’m still waiting for a reply, and I would like everyone’s best wishes and luck in my endeavors,” he said in part, as an employee tries escorting him from the premises.

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Have no fear, your reality roundup is here! Here’s a look at what’s happened in the world of reality television this week.

RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV)

MTV and Paramount+ announced Monday its iconic shows, including RuPaul’s Drag Race, RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars: Untucked, were all greenlit for new seasons. The groundbreaking RuPaul’s Drag Race is gearing up for its 16th season, bringing a fresh batch of fabulous queens into the spotlight, marking a remarkable journey since its 2009 debut.

Love is Blind (Netflix)

The trailer for Love Is Blind: After the Altar has been unveiled, offering a tantalizing preview of the upcoming reality series. A sequel to the hit show Love Is Blind, the series revisits the lives of the original contestants after their whirlwind romantic journeys. Set to premiere on September 1, the trailer hints at emotional reunions, fiery confrontations, and the complexities of post-altar relationships.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht (Bravo)

Below Deck Sailing Yacht cast member Gary King is facing serious allegations of sexual harassment, as reported by ET Online. Per the outlet, Samantha Suarez, who worked in the makeup department for Below Deck Sailing Yacht, claims that King tried to force himself on her during production of season 4, which took place in the summer of 2022 in Sardinia, Italy, according to an exposé by Rolling Stone. In a statement to ET, Bravo, the network that airs the Below Deck franchise, said it “is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for cast and crew on our reality shows.”

“We require our third-party production companies to have appropriate workplace policies and trainings in place and a clear process on how to report concerns,” Bravo said. “The concerns Ms. Suarez raised in July 2022 were investigated at that time and action was taken based on the findings.”

A spokesperson for Below Deck‘s production company, 51 Minds Entertainment, told Rolling Stone, “51 Minds is committed to providing an environment in which every member of the casts and crews on our productions feel respected and, most importantly, safe.”

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Warner Bros. confirmed on Thursday that Dune: Part Two, originally slated for November 3, is moving to 2024 because of the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The follow-up to the Oscar-winning 2021 film, will again star Timothy Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya and Josh Brolin; Florence Pugh, Austin Butler. Christopher Walken and Javier Bardem will also star…

Suits has become the second most-streamed series ever recorded by Nielsen when considering viewership totals over six consecutive weeks, according to Variety. The USA drama racked up just over 20.3 billion minutes between June 19 and July 30 and trails only Stranger Things with 27.8 billion minutes watched over six weeks when season 4 debuted last summer…

Hersha Parady, best known for her role as Walnut Grove schoolteacher Alice Garvey on the 1980s NBC series Little House on the Prairie, died Wednesday in Norfolk, Virginia, her son, Jonathan Peverall, told The Hollywood Reporter. She had been dealing with a brain tumor, and he had set up a GoFundMe page to help with expenses. She was 78. Parody also appeared on Mannix, The Waltons, Unsolved Mysteries, Second Noah and Kenan & Kel, where she played Principal Dimly. Her film credits include Raw Courage and The Break…

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The new film Gran Turismo, out this weekend, is based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a guy who was so good at the car racing video game that he was able to translate his skills to the real racing world.

David Harbour co-stars and the Stranger Things actor says he just had to do the movie, telling ABC Audio, “It felt like this movie I loved grown up, Hoosiers.”

“It felt like this underdog story, this real sports euphoric thing,” he continues.”… I just had those moments where you feel in a movie where you’re like, ‘yes, yes, go, go.'”

When it comes to real-life racing though, Harbour will stick with videos. 

“Put me in a world with orcs and magic users and fighters and have me like run out onto the field of battle, like an RPG,” he says. 

Midsommar star Archie Madekwe plays Mardenborough in the film and admits he’s the complete opposite of his character, admitting he only got his driver’s license a week before filming and isn’t much of a gamer either.

“I just didn’t really play video games growing up because … I have a real addictive personality,” he shares. “So I’d find myself when you get into that mark where you’ve been playing so long, you see it’s dark outside. I can’t shake the shame that would then come with it.”

Regardless, Madekwe says he’d never seen a mixed-race character in a movie like this.

“I remember my nephew came to set one day and met Jann and … it was almost quite emotional seeing him sit in the car and thinking about him and the other kids that look like him watching the film and just being super inspired by anyone watching the film and being inspired.” 

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Padma Lakshmi is opening up about her decision to push her seat away from the judges table after 19 years on Bravo’s hit Top Chef.

The chef, author, model and TV personality recently sat down with Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast: “I had been on location for eight months out of the year. And when I wasn’t on location, I was … looking at edits of one show while on the set of another show [including Hulu’s Taste the Nation].”

She added, “It was just exhausting and untenable for me to continue that way.”

Lakshmi expressed, “Other complex factors went into me just being done with Top Chef … But I think I just thought, ‘If I’m feeling this way, then I’ve got to trust my gut.'”

She said it wasn’t an easy decision, adding her schedule topping two shows didn’t allow her to have a relationship.

“I don’t know when I think I was going to meet anybody. I’m surrounded by people I either employ or employ me,” she commented. “It was also about having a personal life, to be honest, and also being present for my daughter — she’s a teenager. In five years, she’s going to go off and have her own life, and hopefully go to college and stuff.”

The TV personality has the opportunity to cap her self-described “pause” with an Emmy. She’s been nominated twice for the forthcoming awards show: once for Top Chef and once for Taste the Nation.

As reported, chef and Top Chef season 10 winner Kristen Kish will succeed Padma.

Kish will join head judge Tom Colicchio and judge Gail Simmons — both executive producers of the show — for the Wisconsin-set 21st season when it airs next year on Bravo.

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