Entertainment

On Wednesday, thousands of SAG-AFTRA picketers gathered near the Disney lot in Burbank, California, in a show of strength as the performers’ union strike marked its 111th day. 

One of the protesters, Emmy-winning Scandal veteran Kerry Washington, spoke about one of the union’s main issues with the studios: the use of AI to replace actors without compensation. 

“AI is really important because it’s my voice. It’s my face,” she told ABC News. “I want to make sure my voice and face are doing the things I want them to do.”

She added of the public’s support as the strike lingers, “You really feel the passion people have for us to really end this.”

The demonstration took place as negotiators on both sides of the table continued their talks. 

ABC News also caught up with SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, who has been seen at SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher‘s side throughout the strike. 

“I think it’s highly unlikely we reach a deal today,” Crabtree-Ireland said. “We have significant issues we’re still working on.”

He said AI has been a big sticking point.

The negotiator added, “We are closer than we were in the past. But the thing is all of these issues are sort of converging towards a point.”

He expressed, “I don’t know if I would say we’re extremely close,” adding of a potential deal with studios, “I hope it’s really soon.”

On Monday, the union’s negotiating committee telegraphed to members that a new deal — and an end to the strike — might not be immediate.

“While talks over the past week have been productive, we remain far apart on key issues,” SAG-AFTRA noted, calling for its members to turn out in force this week.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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“For as long as I can remember I had a fascination with racing,” Keanu Reeves says in voice-over in the new trailer to the Hulu Original docuseries Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story.

As the John Wick franchise star strides up to a Formula 1 car, he continues, “And I’m going to share a story that barely seems believable.”

Brawn follows how, in 2009, “competing in the most expensive and technologically advanced racing series on Earth, the impossible happened: An understaffed, underfinanced and independent team won the World Championship – with a team that cost just £1.”

Reeves is shown interviewing the key players in the sneak peek, which is intercut with white-knuckle racing scenes.

The four-part series premieres Wednesday, November 15, on Hulu and on Disney+ in select international territories.

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Mean Girls stars Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert are back at North Shore High School in a new ad for Walmart’s upcoming Black Friday sale on November 8.

In the Mean Girls-spoofing spot, Lohan’s now-grown up Cady Heron is the school’s guidance counselor, while Seyfried’s ditsy Karen Smith and Chabert’s bubbly Gretchen Weiners are moms of eye-rolling daughters attending the leading ladies’ alma mater.

Oh, and Gretchen is still trying to make “fetch” happen. According to her daughter, however, “it’s still not going to.”

As she does in the 2004 hit, Lohan’s Cady voices over the spot, saying, “At North Shore, some things never change. On Wednesdays, we still wear pink. But now we shop Walmart Black Friday Deals.”

She continues, “This wasn’t regular shopping, this is deal shopping.” We then see another Mean Girls veteran, Rajiv Surendra, telling his character’s onscreen son Kevin Jr. not to let “the haters stop you from doing your thing.”

Daniel Franzese aka Damian also pops up, as does Missy Elliott, a new addition to the Mean Girls family, who takes on the role of a gym teacher.

Lohan uses other dialog nods to the original film’s script, like “word vomit.” She adds, “While Girl World is at peace, Deal World was just getting started.”

There’s also a tip of the hat to the original movie’s Winter Talent Show scene, with the moms proudly watching their daughters in identical Santa-looking skirts.

The only holdout was apparently Rachel McAdams, whose Regina George — or her daughter — is nowhere to be found.

At the end of the ad, a message in a binder promises “something fetch is coming next Wednesday.”

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On his Instagram, John Stamos remembered his friend Matthew Perry, who died at 54 years old on October 28.

The actor recalled how Perry’s generous nature saved him after an extremely awkward moment when he guested on Friends.

Along with a clip of the scene, Stamos began, “Matthew and I had been friendly long before ‘Friends’ So, when I guest stared as Zach, the prospective sperm donor for Chandler and Monica, I hung with him a lot.”

The Full House star continued, “Standing backstage, ready to make my entrance, Matt whispers, ‘The audience is going go crazy when they see you! Get ready for some loud screams.’ I walk through the door… silence. I was so embarrassed.”

Sure enough, in the clip shown, the audience doesn’t react to Stamos’ appearance, unlike when other stars have popped up on the show.

Stamos recalled, “We finish the scene and as I start to slither back to my dressing room and quit showbiz, Matt walks over to the studio audience: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for John Stamos! You guys probably didn’t recognize him at first because he’s so much better looking in person!'”

He added, “I never forgot that and the world will never forget you.”

Stamos’ post has been liked more than 372,000 times since he shared it Tuesday.

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When Hugh Jackman hung up his Wolverine claws after 2017’s Logan, he was rewarded with universal acclaim, and the film earned director and co-writer James Mangold a first-of-its-kind Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination for closing the actor’s nearly 20-year-stint playing the X-Men hero.

So when Jackman happily surprised fans who have been clawing to see him in character opposite his real-life bestie Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, some wondered what the new adventure meant for Logan, which ends with Wolverine’s death.

Speaking with BroBible, Deadpool 3‘s director Shawn Levy assured fans that the forthcoming film will not undo its cinematic predecessor.

“I have always said that I can’t wait for Deadpool 3 to come out because all I want to do is give interviews alongside Ryan where we talk about our reverence for the movie Logan,” the Stranger Things and Free Guy vet said.

“Logan is canon. We love Logan…I want the world to know, as the producer and director, all of us share a deep love and respect for Logan, every aspect of how it’s crafted, and all the events that take place [in it],” he continued.

It’s not known exactly how the third Deadpool film will introduce Jackman’s character, but it is presumed that both ‘Pool and Wolvie’s first foray into Marvel Studios’ Cinematic Universe takes place before the events of Mangold’s movie, which was set in 2029.

Production on Deadpool 3 was paused because of the SAG-AFTRA strike, and it likely won’t hit its former May 3, 2024 release date. Levy previously told Collider, “We’ve shot half the movie. I’ve edited half the movie. We’re dying to get back to work and get this movie out next year.”

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Bradley Cooper has always expressed affection for the Marvel movie hero he voiced, Rocket Raccoon, and he reprised the role in real life on Tuesday night while taking his six-year-old daughter trick-or-treating in New York City.

For good measure, Bradley’s ex and baby mama Irina Shayk also dressed up as a human-sized version of the Guardians of the Galaxy character.

Despite their fuzzy, full-head masks, paparazzi spotted the hidden Oscar winner and his model ex escorting their daughter Lea De Seine, who opted for Taylor Swift‘s “22” video look, down to her iconic red lipstick and a t-shirt reading, “Who’s Taylor Swift anyway? Ew.”

Meanwhile, at the venue Marquee in New York City, Heidi Klum continued her dominance of the holiday at her star-studded 22nd Annual Halloween Party: The supermodel stunned as a peacock, with a flock of her fine feathered friends posing as her plumage. Her husband, Tom Kaulitz, joined her as a giant egg.

As always, the party drew suited-up celebrities, and this year’s guest list included Rachel Zegler, Taylor Lautner, Ice-T and his wife Coco, and Keegan-Michael Key.

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King of Staten Island star Bill Burr’s directorial debut, Old Dads, hung on to the top spot on the Netflix Top 10 for the October 23-29 viewing period. The film tacked an additional 16.3 million views, up from the premiere weekend’s 13.3 million views. The comedy, starring Burr, along with Bobby Cannavale and Bokeem Woodbine, has racked up 29.6 million views in its first 10 days of availability…

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Tyler Kinney‘s Chicago Fire character Kelly Severide will return for the NBC drama’s 12th season, though it’s unclear if he’s back for good or just for a few episodes. Kinney took a leave of absence from the series at the end of the 2022-23 season for a personal matter, according to the outlet. Chicago Fire dealt with Severide’s absence by explaining that the character was attending an arson investigation program, leaving the door open for a possible return…

The Voice has tapped Wynonna Judd as a Mega Mentor for its current 24th season. The Grammy-winning  singer and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee will mentor the remaining contestants, alongside coaches John Legend, Reba McEntire, Niall Horan and Gwen Stefani as their teams get ready for three-way Knockouts, beginning November 6. The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC…

After breaking off talks on Tuesday, December 31, studio-side sources told ABC News that while talks with SAG-AFTRA reps are headed in the right direction and a deal could be imminent, they also warned that it could take days to work through remaining issues. Multiple prominent actors have expressed optimism as well. AI still remains as one of the sticking points. The studios say their 2024 film slates will be in jeopardy if a deal isn’t reached this week. Talks are set to resume on Wednesday…

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Acclaimed Daytime Emmy-winning actor Tyler Christopher, famous for his iconic portrayal of Nikolas Cassadine on the beloved ABC soap opera General Hospital, has died at the age of 50.

The news was shared via Instagram by Tyler’s dear friend and former GH co-star, Maurice Benard, who shared a heartfelt tribute to Instagram on October 31.

“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher. Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment,” Benard wrote.

“Tyler was a truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting,” he continued. “Tyler was a sweet soul and wonderful friend to all of those who knew him. Tyler was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol.”

“We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend and pray for his children and his father,” he concluded.

Frank Valentini, the executive producer of General Hospital, expressed deep grief over the loss on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “I am heartbroken over the news of Tyler Christopher’s passing. He was kind, an incredible actor, and a dear friend, who was beloved by our #GH family and fans of Nikolas Cassadine.”

Besides GH, Tyler graced numerous other productions, including CSI, Days of Our Lives, and Charmed.

In addition to his successful career, Tyler had two marriages, first to actress Eva Longoria from 2002-2004 and later to sports reporter Brienne Pedigo from 2008-2021.

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A globetrotting murder mystery, based on a bestselling book, hits Hulu Wednesday, November 1. Black Cake is from writer/producer Marissa Jo Cerar, who describes the family drama to ABC Audio as “an epic story that takes place starting in the 1960s [and] goes all the way through present day.”

“It’s about a young woman named Covey [played by Mia Isaac] who is forced into a marriage. And after the murder of her husband, she is running for her life,” she continues. “And the mystery of episode one is how did Covey become Eleanor, this suburban mom living in Southern California.” 

“[It’s] just a gorgeous premium series with people of color, specifically women of color, as the main characters rather than supporting other people’s stories,” she says, adding, “This was our story, and it wasn’t a movie or show about the civil rights movement or slavery. And I have definitely, you know, my first show was all about the civil rights movement, so there’s a place for those. But I wanted to do our Little Fires Everywhere, our Big Little Lies.”

Black Cake, adapted from the novel by Charmaine Wilkerson, is executive produced by Oprah Winfrey. Describing Winfrey’s involvement in the project, Cerar notes, “She’s a very, in terms of notes and collaboration, everything comes from truth.”

“It’s just telling the truth and being authentic. And that’s always my North star over any project in terms of costumes, hair, locations, casting,” adds Cerar. “So … she’s been so supportive and was just asking, are you happy? I hope you’re happy. You should be proud. And just hearing that from Oprah, like, you know, what else do you need to hear in you life, to be honest?”

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While the horror genre is a consistent moneymaker in Hollywood — one only need to look at the unlikely box office triumph of last weekend’s Five Nights at Freddy‘s as an example — the genre is noticeably light on Oscar recognition.

Variety points out that in the history of the trophy, just six films that could be considered to be in the horror/thriller genre have ever been nominated for Best Picture: 1973’s The Exorcist; 1975’s Jaws; 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs; 1999’s The Sixth Sense; 2010’s Black Swan; and 2017’s Get Out.

Out of these, Silence was the only to be seriously rewarded with Oscar gold, with a Best Picture trophy, Best Director for Jonathan Demme, Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins and Best Actress for Jodie Foster.

With that in mind, the trade logged 16 great horror performances that should have been recognized, but scarily, were not.

Topping the list was Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, whose 2019 performance in Jordan Peele‘s Us went unrecognized on the Academy podium.

Toni Collette‘s turn in 2018’s Hereditary came in second in the opinion of the trade, followed by Christian Bale‘s iconic killer yuppie in 2000’s American Psycho in third place.

Oscar winner Nicole Kidman should have scored for 2001’s The Others, good enough for the fourth slot, followed by Matthew Lillard in 1996’s genre-bending blockbuster Scream to round out the top five most horrifically ignored horror movie performances.

Check out Variety‘s full list here — and maybe you’ll get some Halloween night watching inspo, to boot.

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