Entertainment

Beloved Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement honor by fellow Emmy winner Laurence Fishburne at the inaugural Children’s & Family Emmy Awards.

Hosted by former 30 Rock star Jack McBrayer — himself a nominee this year — the event will be held December 11 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.

Throughout his career, Star Trek: The Next Generation veteran Burton has received 13 Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award for Spoken Word Album, a Peabody Award, three NAACP Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, among other accolades.

The Children’s & Family Emmy Awards establishes a dedicated ceremony separate from the Daytime Emmy Awards, in response to an explosion in programming for its titular demographic.

A full list of this year’s nominees can be found here.

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Paramount Pictures’ billion dollar blockbuster Transformers franchise is literally roaring back to life with the new teaser for the upcoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. 

The movie, which stars In The Heights‘ Anthony Ramos and hits theaters on June 9, 2023, has fan favorites like Bumblebee and Optimus Prime (veteran Peter Cullen) coming face-to-face with once-hidden robots in disguise that take the form of fearsome jungle creatures. 

Ramos’ military vet character becomes an unwitting soldier in the battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons, thanks to a white-knuckled ride — against his will — in the driver’s seat of a classic Porsche 911 that Transformers-heads know as the hero Jazz. 

Jazz and his robotic allies team up with Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman), the gorilla-like leader of the Maximals, who battles with not only the Decepticons but the Maximals’ evil-animal-like nemeses, the Predacons.

“Of all your threats from both your past and future, you’ve never faced a threat like this,” the robotic ape warns Prime in the snippet.

The truck-robot answers defiantly, “Let them come.”

Creed II director Steven Caple Jr. calls the shots on the action-packed film, which also stars Pete Davidson as the voice of the Autobot Mirage and Dominique Fishback.

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Confidence goes a long way — just ask Stranger Things‘ David Harbour.

During his Wednesday stint on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the actor shared a hilarious story about meeting Madonna for the first time. Harbour starred in the 2011 historical romance drama W.E., which Madonna directed.

“It was a real Cloak and Dagger type of experience,” he began. “I got a call from a casting director that I knew very well, saying, ‘They’re putting together a top secret movie read through, but you just have to show up at the Saint Regis [hotel in New York City] and go in this room and all will be revealed.'”

Harbour wanted to know why he had to go and was told, “The director really liked you in this movie Revolutionary Road — you have a sex scene in it — and… they thought you were sexy.”

So, he showed up at the hotel and “in walks Madonna.”

Instead of feeling intimidated or star-struck, Harbour admitted the first thought that went through his mind was, “Wow, Madonna thinks I’m sexy!”

Harbor further revealed Madonna wanted everyone to call her “M” during the read. But he “was a punk kid” who was “so excited and so cocky,” he deliberately called her Madonna.

“It was a truly, harrowing, exciting experience,” he said of the audition, which ended with him being cast as real life British shipbroker Ernest Simpson in Madonna’s movie.

Harbour also recalled being invited to one of Madonna’s parties, where he danced with her to one of her songs.  The actor joked he wants that written on his tombstone.

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After months of anticipation, the public now has its first glimpse of Prince Harry and Meghan’s upcoming docuseries.

Netflix on Thursday released a trailer for the six-episode docuseries, Harry & Meghan.

The roughly one-minute trailer shows snapshots of personal moments for the Sussexes, from falling in love to leaving their royal roles and charting their own future in California.

“No one sees what is happening behind closed doors,” Harry says after a voice asks why the couple wanted to make the documentary.

Meghan later says in the trailer, “When the stakes are this high, doesn’t it make more sense to hear our story from us?”

Along with the intimate photos, the trailer also shows Harry speaking candidly about his efforts to shield his family, which now includes two children, Archie and Lilibet.

“I had to do everything I could to protect my family,” Harry says.

Harry and Meghan’s docuseries, directed by Liz Garbus, is due to air in December, just weeks before Harry’s memoir is published.

Incidentally, back in October, Page Six reported Netflix and the filmmakers behind the pair’s upcoming streaming documentary “were confused” by apparent “discrepancies” between what they said on camera and Harry’s own words in his upcoming memoir, Spare.

“A lot in the show contradicted what Harry has written, so that was an issue,” a senior Netflix source revealed at the time.

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Kim Kardashian is apparently making good on her claims that she’s “re-evaluating” her relationship with Balenciaga after the company ran a series of controversial ads.

The fashion house’s campaign displayed its products in a bedroom that featured children holding a teddy bear dressed up in bondage gear, and visible on a desk in one photo was a printout of United States v. Williams, a 2008 court decision affording First Amendment protection to some aspects of child pornography.

In a subsequent apology after the controversy crested, Balenciaga claimed it didn’t see the final ads, and filed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against the production company, North Six, and set designer, Nicholas Des Jardins for “inexplicable acts and omissions” in its 2023 campaign.

TMZ is reporting that former Balenciaga booster Kim K has declined taking part in the fashion company’s 2023 campaign following the controversy, and has been removing its outfits from her forthcoming looks for upcoming events.

Kim was flamed online for not responding to the ads right away. She tweeted last week, “I have been quiet for the past few days, not because I haven’t been disgusted and outraged by the recent Balenciaga campaigns, but because I wanted an opportunity to speak to their team to understand for myself how this could have happened.”

The mother of four also added she was “shaken by the disturbing images,” and, “any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society — period.”

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Deadline reports that Oscar-winning director Ang Lee will be helming Bruce Lee, with the filmmaker’s son Mason Lee playing the titular martial arts icon. The film is a passion project for Ang Lee. “Accepted as neither fully American nor fully Chinese, Bruce Lee was a bridge between East and West who introduced Chinese Kung Fu to the world, a scientist of combat and an iconic performing artist who revolutionized both the martial arts and action cinema,” Ang Lee tells Deadline. “I feel compelled to tell the story of this brilliant, unique human being who yearned for belonging, possessed tremendous power in a 135-pound-frame, and who, through tireless hard work, made impossible dreams into reality.”…

Apple TV+ has released a teaser and premiere date for its new comedy, Shrinking. The show stars Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, in one of his first major TV roles. It follows a grieving therapist, played by Segel, who decides to start being brutally honest with his clients. The first two episodes will debut Friday, January 27, followed by one new episode every Friday…

Robert De Niro is reportedly set to star in a new Netflix limited series called Zero Day, according to Variety. Plot details are scarce so far, but Variety reports the story is a political thriller with De Niro playing a former U.S. president. De Niro will serve as an executive producer on the project as well. Should it move forward, it would mark the actor’s first regular TV role…

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Dolly Parton kicks the holiday season into high gear Thursday as her Mountain Magic Christmas movie premieres on NBC. 

The two-hour film takes you behind the scenes during the making of a fictional TV special at her real-life East Tennessee theme park, Dollywood. The TV event features many of the songs — and guests — from her most recent yuletide offering, A Holly Dolly Christmas: Ultimate Deluxe Edition.

Dolly hosts Jimmy Fallon, Miley Cyrus, Willie Nelson and Billy Ray Cyrus, as well as a couple of her new favorites.

“We had Zach Williams, who did the wonderful song ‘There Was Jesus’ with me that we had a million selling record on and won a Grammy on,” the new Rock & Roll Hall of Famer explains. 

“Jimmie Allen is so fun and so energetic, and he was one of the new artists that we brought on … They really did a wonderful performance on the show. And Jimmie is such an entertainer in addition to being such a wonderful person,” she adds.

But for Dolly, it’s her own relatives who really make the special shine.

“One of the highlights of the show for me is getting to work with my family,” she reflects. “And I had a whole bunch of my nieces and a lot of my family — sisters that came in to sing with me.”

“I couldn’t round them all up, but I got a whole bunch of them, because there’s a whole bunch of us,” she smiles. “So we probably had about 19 or 20 of my immediate family coming on to be part of it.”

You can be a part of Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas, starting at 8 p.m. ET Thursday on NBC.

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Tulsa King, the new series from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, has been renewed for season 2 on Paramount+.

The series stars Sylvester Stallone as Dwight “The General” Manfredi, a mobster just released from prison who must make a name for himself in a new city.

According to Nielsen, the show’s release made it the #1 new cable series of the year, with its preview screening on Paramount Network beating out HBO’s popular new Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon.

Additionally, the release of Tulsa King helped to drive Paramount+ to its highest single-day stats ever. The streaming service had their “biggest new sign-up day in history” immediately following its premiere, which is what led to the quick season 2 green light, ViacomCBS President/CEO Chris McCarthy said in a press release.

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The official trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie is finally here — and it’s filled with beloved characters and references to the video games.

In the trailer, released Tuesday during a Nintendo Direct presentation, fans were able to hear more of Chris Pratt as Mario, as well as meet Anya Taylor-Joy‘s Princess Peach, Seth Rogen‘s Donkey Kong and Charlie Day‘s Luigi, who was briefly introduced in the final moments of the teaser trailer.

The trailer shows Mario facing off against Donkey Kong; Jack Black‘s Bowser questioning Luigi; Peach rallying an army of Toads — with Keegan-Michael Key voicing the head Toad; a quick glimpse at a colorful herd of Yoshis and more.

We also see some very exciting — and unexpected — moments, including Mario in the Tanooki suit, Peach harnessing the power of the Fire Flower and some epic Mario Kart action on Rainbow Road.

The rest of the film’s voice cast includes Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike. Charles Martinet, who has voiced Mario since the ’90s, will also be featured in “surprise cameos.”

The Super Mario Bros. Movie, from Nintendo and Illumination, warps into theaters on April 7, 2023.

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Look out – there’s a bear on the loose and it’s out for blood.

The trailer for Cocaine Bear, the new dark comedy film directed by Elizabeth Banks, dropped Wednesday, and it shows off the adventures of a drug-fueled bear as it terrorizes residents in a small Georgia town.

“It’s one of the most unique scripts I’ve ever read,” Banks told ABC Audio. “It’s a crazy horror film. It’s bananas. It lives up to its name. And that was my creative goal, to make a movie that justifies having the title Cocaine Bear.”

Inspired by a bizarre true story, the film follows what happens after a drug runner’s plane crashes into a forest, where a 500-pound bear finds and ingests a large amount of cocaine.

The answer is, of course, a lot of destruction. An all-star list of actors fills out the cast of characters, including Keri Russell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Brooklynn Prince and Emmy winner Ray Liotta in one of his final performances.

The film’s marketing is leaning into the absurdity of the premise. “I’m the bear who ate cocaine. This is my story,” Cocaine Bear tweeted Wednesday afternoon. So true, Cocaine Bear. So true.

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