Entertainment

Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are among more than three hundred high profile actors who signed a letter on Tuesday, June 27, urging SAG-AFTRA leadership to take a hard line in the negotiations for a new film and TV contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

The letter, obtained by Deadline, states that while no one wants to bear the “incredible hardships” that a strike would bring to so many, they “are prepared to strike if it comes to that,” and “concerned by the idea that SAG-AFTRA members may be ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not.”

Some of the letter’s other high profile signatories include Kevin Bacon, Quinta Brunson, Glenn Close, David Duchovny, Chelsea Handler, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lawrence, Bob Odenkirk, Mark Ruffalo, Meryl Streep, Rami Malek, Patton Oswalt, Sarah Polley, Parker Posey, Amy Schumer, Kyra Sedgwick, Chlöe Sevigny and Ben Stiller.

The guild is ostensibly in the final week of bargaining before the June 30 expiration of its current contract, and the letter comes days after SAG-AFTRA’s leaders told their members that negotiations have been “extremely productive” and that they “remain optimistic” that a fair deal can be reached with the AMPTP.

The signatories specifically called for a “seismic realignment” of minimum pay rates, streaming residuals and exclusivity provisions. The letter called for a transformation to self-taped audition practices and major regulation of artificial intelligence, making sure that the deal “protects not just our likenesses, but makes sure we are well compensated when any of our work is used to train A.I.”

The Writers Guild of America is on Day 57 of its strike against the AMPTP over its own film and TV contract.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Folks were very hungry for a return of The Bear.

The FX series, starring Jeremy Allen White in his Golden Globe-winning turn as chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, has become the network’s most-watched Hulu debut.

The first four days of the show’s streaming on Hulu saw a 70% audience increase over season 1, according to the network.

This season, which centers on Carmy and company’s struggles to craft a fine dining restaurant from the moldy bones of his late brother’s old eatery, has earned a Certified Fresh 100% average score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with an Audience Score of 91%.

All 10 episodes of the second season — as well as the entire acclaimed first season — are now streaming on Hulu.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Showtime has released the trailer to the seventh and final season of its heralded drama Billions.

The snippet was introduced by stars Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis, the latter of whom left the show after its fifth season.

In his place, co-star Corey Stoll‘s oily Mike Prince ascended to take the place of Lewis’ cutthroat hedge fund billionaire Bobby “Axe” Axelrod as the head of his company, Axe Capital.

But the trailer, released June 27, teases his return: While Prince is shown starting a run for the White House, the Axe is coming back into his own. “I’m back now, and I’m wide awake,” he sneers in the coming attraction.

Showtime teases, “In season seven, alliances are turned on their heads. Old wounds are weaponized. Loyalties are tested. Betrayal takes on epic proportions. Enemies become wary friends.”

Subscribers to the Paramount+ with Showtime package can watch the season debut on Friday, August 11. The season’s 12 episodes will stream weekly there, or you can watch the first episode on August 13 and subsequent episodes on Showtime’s linear network.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Universal and Blumhouse, the studios behind horror blockbusters like M3GAN, have released a full trailer to Five Nights At Freddy’s, an adaptation of the PC and mobile game that has scared the pants off of kids since its launch in 2014.

Since then, the game has spawned various versions, to date selling just short of 4.75 million units.

In this version, Hunger Games veteran Josh Hutcherson plays a new nighttime security guard tasked with watching over an abandoned Chuck E. Cheese-like pizza place called Freddy Fazbear’s. Just like in the game, however, the five-night gig goes sideways fast, as the restaurant’s animatronic animals come alive and start stalking him.

If the concept sounds a lot like a 2021 Nicolas Cage movie called Willy’s Wonderland, you’re not alone: When the film came out, its writer, G.O. Parsons, and director, Kevin Lewis, weathered criticism for it, ultimately claiming the plot similarities to the hit survival game were a coincidence.

As for Five Nights, the trailer is stuffed with references to the game, like its black-and-white monitors, off-putting carnival music, jump scares and of course the creepy characters who inspired nightmares in many players who were likely way too young to be playing: Bonnie the bunny, Chica the chicken, Foxy the fox and the “host” of the restaurant, Freddy Fazbear.

The movie opens in theaters and streams on Peacock October 27.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

If you didn’t get a chance to see Aqua playing Irving Plaza in New York City on Monday, June 26, there’s another way to feel like a Barbie girl in a Barbie world.

That is to say, Ken is willing to put you up in a real-life version of his remodel of Barbie’s  Malibu DreamHouse, thanks to the folks at Airbnb. The lifesize, pink pad is naturally located in Malibu, California.

Two lucky guests can “take a spin through Ken’s awesome wardrobe to find their best beach fit,” channel “their inner cowboy and [learn] a line dance or two on Ken’s outdoor disco dance floor” or shred a few licks on Ken’s guitar. 

Of course, like Ryan Gosling and the other Kens will do in the Barbie movie, you can also challenge your fellow guest to a beach-off by “sunbathing and chillaxing by the infinity pool.” 

What’s more, those who stay will also get a custom pair of yellow-and-pink Impala rollerblades and surfboards to remember their trip. 

Bookings open Monday, July 17, at 10 a.m. PT.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ryan Seacrest is replacing Pat Sajak as the host of Wheel of Fortune.

Seacrest, who also currently hosts American Idol, will take over hosting duties from Sajak beginning in 2024. Sajak recently announced he was stepping down from the position after the show’s upcoming 41st season.

“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest, 48, wrote in a statement posted to Instagram on Tuesday, June 27. “I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna [White] on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them.”

“Pat, I love the way you’ve always celebrated the contestants and made viewers at home feel at ease,” he continued. “I look forward to learning everything I can from you during this transition.”

Seacrest, who said he is “grateful” for the opportunity,” went on to talk about how the move feels “full circle” for him as he reflected on one of his “first jobs”: hosting Merv Griffin‘s short-lived game show “Click” from 1997 to 1999. Griffin is a TV legend, having created of both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.

“I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White,” Seacrest concluded.

This news comes a few months after Seacrest left Live following six years as Kelly Ripa‘s co-host to focus on hosting American Idol.

Sajak announced his upcoming departure from Wheel of Fortune earlier this month, saying in a statement that his decades in the position have “been a wonderful ride.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Hulu released the trailer to the new season of Futurama on Tuesday, June 27. The snippet shows the gang getting used to a new pandemic, Explovid-23, and all that comes with it, including the novel idea of nasal swabs.

“That looks kinda fun! I look forward to doing it hundreds of times!” the gang’s lobster-like Dr. Zoidberg said. Aside from COVID culture, cancel culture also gets sent up this season, as does the Bitcoin craze and omnipresent digital assistants like Amazon’s Alexa.

According to the streaming service, “After a brief ten-year hiatus, Futurama has crawled triumphantly from the cryogenic tube, its full original cast and satirical spirit intact.”

It adds, “The 10 all-new episodes of season 11 have something for everyone. New viewers will be able to pick up the series from here, while long-time fans will recognize payoffs to decades-long mysteries — including developments in the epic love story of Fry and Leela, the mysterious contents of Nibbler’s litter box, the secret history of evil Robot Santa, and the whereabouts of Kif and Amy’s tadpoles.”

The fun starts July 24 on Hulu.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Former Law and Order star Chris Noth took to Instagram to address a story claiming he’s been “iced out” by his former Sex and the City colleagues.

The New York Post ran with a Radar Online story that claimed Noth “has been persona non grata” with Sarah Jessica Parker and the rest of the cast after he was accused in 2021 of sexual assault by two women.

“He’s not invited to their parties. He doesn’t get greeting cards or happy birthday texts,” Radar said, quoting a source. “He wonders why SJP and her troupe continue to leave him out in the cold.”

Noth replied on Insta to the Post‘s boosting of the story, noting, “I usually don’t respond to this kind of thing, And I do know that people like drama and gossip…but this article by [Post reporter] Samantha Ibrahim is absolute nonsense. Just thought you’d like to know.”

Noth was never charged for the accusations, which reportedly took place in 2004 and 2015. In a statement, he called them “categorically false” and maintained “the encounters were consensual.”

Noth was, however, dismissed from The Equalizer, and his agency let him go in the wake of the headlines. Although his character had been killed off And Just Like That… prior to the accusations, a plan to have him reappear in the second season was also reportedly scrapped.

At the time, SJP and her co-stars Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon co-signed a statement on Instagram Stories noting in part, “We are deeply saddened to hear the allegations against Chris Noth. We support the women who have come forward and shared their painful experiences…”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Lindsay Lohan is having a baby boy!

The Mean Girls star, who is expecting her first child with husband, Bader Shammas, is due to give birth to their baby boy very soon, according to TMZ.  

Lindsay’s mother, Dina, will be by her side in Dubai for the birth, the outlet adds. Additionally, some of Lindsay’s siblings will also be overseas during the same time, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their new nephew and looking forward to meeting him.

Lindsay, 36, first announced her pregnancy in March with a shot of a baby’s onesie, on which was written “coming soon….” 

“We are blessed and excited!” she wrote, speaking for herself and her financier husband, who she tagged in the post, which also included praying hands emoji, a baby and a baby bottle.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

On Monday, June 26th’s episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence dismissed as a “total rumor” that she was behind the breakup of her Hunger Games series co-star Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus.

Liam and Miley met in 2009 in the film The Last Song, and dated on and off until they walked down the aisle in December 2018. However, they separated in August of 2019, and their divorce was finalized in January of 2020.

During the show’s recurring segment, Cohen gave Lawrence a chance to “plead the fifth” about whether or not a “secret fling” she had with Hemsworth had something to do with the breakup.

But Lawrence was game, saying she’d “love to” address it.

“Not true,” said the No Hard Feelings star. “Total rumor.”

Lawrence, who married Cooke Maroney in 2019 did cop to kissing Hemsworth “one time” offscreen, but clarified “that was years after they broke up.”

Rumors also persist that Miley’s hit “Flowers” referenced the circumstances of her breakup with Hemsworth, but in a British Vogue interview, Cyrus denied that.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.