Entertainment

As Letitia Wright recovers at home in London from an injury suffered on the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, her vaccination status may determine if she can return to work in America. CDC’s new guidelines released Monday demand that “non-citizen, non-immigrant air travelers must show proof of full vaccination to fly into the United States.” Wright, who portrays Shuri, the sister of Black Panther T’Challa, who was played by the late Chadwick Boseman, is not a U.S. citizen. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the 28-year-old actress is not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Because of her injury, production on the sequel is being shut down Thanksgiving week until the early part of 2022.

Wesley Snipes is giving the thumbs-up to Mahershala Ali, who is replacing him as the star of the Blade franchise. When a person tweeted that the two-time Oscar winner is going to “have a hard time outdoing” Snipes as the MCU superhero vampire, the New Jack City star came to his defense. “He will do great,” Snipes tweeted, along with a prayer hands emoji. The 59-year-old actor played Blade in the 1998 film, as well as in sequels released in 2002 and 2004. In 2019, it was announced that Moonlight actor Ali was cast in an upcoming reboot film, which is now in pre-production. 

Finally, Deadline reports that Offset‘s streetwear competition series The Hype has been renewed by HBO Max for a second season. Season one featured special guest appearances from his wife, Cardi B, as well as by A$AP Ferg, Dapper Dan and Wiz Khalifa. The winning designs from the first season were featured on the e-commerce website StockX.

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In an L.A. courtroom moments ago, Britney Spears‘ 13-year-long conservatorship was terminated “in its entirety, effective immediately.”  Britney was not present in the courtroom.

There were no objections.

(This is a developing story…please check back for updates)

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In an L.A. courtroom Friday, Britney Spears‘ 13-year-long conservatorship was terminated “in its entirety, effective immediately.”  Britney was not present in the courtroom, but she was made aware of the decision.

There were no objections.

Posting footage of her fans cheering outside the courthouse,” Britney wrote on Instagram, “Good God I love my fans so much it’s crazy !!! I think I’m gonna cry the rest of the day !!!! Best day ever … praise the Lord … can I get an Amen!”

Outside the courthouse, Britney’s attorney Mathew Rosengart said his client was aware of the decision and told reporters, “Judge [Brenda] Penny today, after the hearing, decided to agree with Britney Spears and as of today, effective immediately, the conservatorship has been terminated as to both the person and the estate. This is a monumental day for Britney Spears.”

This means Britney will finally have control both over her money and her body. So what happens now?  Rosengart said that “a financial safety net” has been set up for Britney, and all her assets will be transferred there by the existing conservator of the estate, who took over after Britney’s father James P. Spears was suspended from that role.

“We believe it was the right result,” Rosengart continued. “Britney specifically requested that there be no mental evaluation [required for the termination of the conservatorship] and the judge did not require it, and we think it was the right result.”

“What’s next for Britney, and this is the first time this could be said for about a decade, is up to one person: Britney,” he added.

However, Rosengart said that it was also a “somber day,” adding, “This conservatorship was corrupted by James P. Spears.“  Rosengart went on to say that according to public records, Mr. Spears took “anywhere from three to four million dollars from the estate,” as “a salary and a percentage of his daughter’s earnings.”

“Many people have asked about whether we will continue to investigate Mr. Spears,” he continued. “The answer is ultimately up to my client Britney, and I’m not going to get into it beyond that.”

Rosengart also said Mr. Spears was served two notices of deposition to testify under oath, but “he refused to appear” each time.

“If Britney wants it…we will pursue James Spears’ deposition, we will pursue the discovery that we served on him in the form of…document requests and other information we’re seeking both in regard to financial information, alleged financial misconduct and the electronic surveillance,” added Rosengart.

 

 

 

 

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The Kevin Costner-led Paramount+ Western drama Yellowstone found its posse last week, snaring three of the top 20 slots on Digital Entertainment Group‘s weekly chart of the “Most Watched at Home” movies and TV shows.

While Ryan Reynolds‘ blockbuster Free Guy topped the new chart again for movies in the week ending November 6, the brand-new fourth-season premiere of Yellowstone ranked at #2. Furthermore, Yellowstone season 1 made #11 on the list, and its third season ranked at #19.

Aside from being sought-after by viewers, the drama surprised industry insiders as the only TV series on the weekly list, which last week was otherwise filled by movies.

Yellowstone also ranked second behind Free Guy on Fandango’s Vudu streaming service last week.

Yellowstone, in which Costner plays John Dutton, a rancher whose interests seem to constantly be under attack, also stars Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes and Wes Bentley.

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The Fighter Oscar winner Melissa Leo stars in the new crime thriller Ida Red, in which she plays the incarcerated, terminally ill head of a family of criminals.

The actress explained to ABC Audio why she jumped at the chance to play the role for Body Brokers director John Swab [schwab], with whom she says she hopes to work with more in the future.

“It was a delight to play the titular role,” Leo says, explaining Ida is “a mysterious and uncommon kind of character.”

When the film begins, we learn that Ida’s been locked up for more than a decade, but her sons — Wyatt, played by Josh Hartnett, and Frank Grillo‘s Dallas — remain up to no good, at her direction.

“It was she that was in charge of this and the criminal family,” Melissa continues. “It’s really fun to play that.
There’s stores all over the place about men in prison still pulling strings. Real stories, and made-up stories. And a story about a woman in prison still pulling those strings, that’s not a common occurrence.”

Leo adds, “I think the thing that I really love the most…is that she’s a woman who is respected, and I so often play these women of a certain age these days who are not respected in the least. And the respect and the love of Ida was a big grounding piece of the story for me.”  

Ida Red is now playing in select theaters and is streaming on demand.

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The headlines continue to come fast and furious on Disney+ Day, and among them are some teases about sequels to a pair of beloved movies, Hocus Pocus and Enchanted. 

You can now see Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimi and Bette Midler back as the witchy Sanderson sisters, thanks to a sneak peek of them in costume. Hocus Pocus 2 is slated for release in the fall of 2022 on Disney+ — just in time for next Halloween. 

Also next fall, Amy Adams, James Marsden, Idina Menzel and Patrick Dempsey will return for Disenchanted, the Disney+ sequel to the hit 2007 live-action/animated musical fantasy film Enchanted. The new film will also star Maya Rudolph, Yvette Nicole Brown, Oscar Nunez and Jayma Mays.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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Marvel Studios put the sizzle in “sizzle reel” today with teases of a slew of upcoming live action and animated shows bound for Disney+. 

Included was the first footage of Oscar Isaac in costume as Moon Knight; Emmy-winning Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany as Bruce Banner’s lawyer/green-hero cousin Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk; and newcomer Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel.

Samuel L. Jackson also makes an appearance in the reel as an aged Nick Fury for a Secret Invasion series that also stars his Captain Marvel co-star Ben Mendelsohn.

Mark Ruffalo appears in the She-Hulk footage, getting his attorney cousin used to her new Hulky powers; that is, when she’s not in court specializing in superhero cases.

The Moon Knight footage shows Isaac as Marc Spector, a nerdy guy who suffers from dissociative identity disorder who becomes a vigilante. “The multiple identities who live inside him find themselves thrust into a deadly war of the gods against the backdrop of modern and Ancient Egypt,” a press release explains.

Ms. Marvel centers on Khan, “a 16-year-old Pakistani American from Jersey City [who] has always struggled to find her place in the world — that is, until she gets super powers like the heroes she’s always looked up to.”

Along with already-seen footage of the upcoming Hawkeye, the reel also teases the return of Loki, a second season of the animated What If…?, and a bunch of animated shows, including Spider-Man: Freshman Year and Marvel: Zombies. In addition, it confirms the WandaVision spin-off, Agatha: House of Harkness starring Kathryn Hahn.

The preview can be seen on Disney+, which is owned by ABC’s parent company.

Here’s the full upcoming Marvel slate:

—Echo
—Ironheart
—Agatha: House of Harkness
—Secret Invasion
—The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
—X-MEN ’97 (animated)
—What If…? Season 2 (animated)
—Spider-Man: Freshman Year (animated)
—I Am Groot (shorts series)
—Marvel Zombies (animated)

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Halle Berry and Cardi B are the executive producers of the all-female hip hop soundtrack for Berry’s new movie, Bruised, which she directed. The “WAP” rapper has been very open about her past as a stripper, and during an Instagram video posted Thursday, the Oscar winner revealed that she also worked the pole.

The video marked the debut of Halle’s new 5 Rounds interview series.

Halle starred as an exotic dancer in the 1991 film, The Last Boy Scout, co-starring Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans, and she admitted to Cardi that in preparing for the role, she actually danced topless at the Girls, Girls, Girls club in Los Angeles.

“I stripped for two days and two nights to see what it felt like and to see how much I would make,” she confessed. “I did good…I didn’t make as much as you did.”

Meanwhile, Cardi reminisced about her stripping days and said her entry song onto the stage was “Set It Off” by Boosie Badazz.

The two stars also got very graphic, discussing favorite sex positions, and what they’d do if they woke up as a man.

Cardi revealed why she’s rapped about not having sex with broke men. She says when she did get intimate with a poor man, “He was stealing from my purse.” She advised women, “Don’t do it. You’ll end up with nothing.”

The Hustlers star also tweeted about getting to meet the famed actress for the first time.

“Sooo guys I can’t believe I met Halle Berry,” Cardi wrote, “and let me tell you this tea, her skin is so soft…I wanted to bite her shoulder.”

The Bruised soundtrack drops November 19; it features Cardi, City Girls, Saweetie, H.E.R., Young M.A., Flo Milli, Latto and more. The movie opens November 24.

 

 

 

 

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One of the most anticipated sneak peeks of Friday’s Disney+ Day was a long-rumored preview of the upcoming Star Wars spin-off Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

As part of its rollout of dozens of new titles and preview, the streaming service owned by ABC News’ parent company dropped its first look at the 2022 series. 

“There’s a hunger for this character to come back,” star Ewan McGregor says in the clip. “The fans have been waiting long enough, you know?”

While the preview doesn’t show any new footage, it shows concept art for the series, which continues Kenobi’s story after the events of Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith. At the close of that film, Kenobi drops a newborn Luke Skywalker off with his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru on the desert planet Tatooine, promising Yoda he’ll watch over Luke from afar while in exile.

“It’s not safe,” Chow teases. “There’s Jedi hunters out there.”

The most fearsome one of all, of course, is Kenobi’s fallen former student, Anakin Skywalker. At the end of Episode III, Kenobi leaves him to his fate, burning alive and dismembered, after Kenobi defeats him on the lava planet Mustafar. But as fans know, Anakin is saved thanks to a frightening black suit and famously noisy breathing mask, and becomes Darth Vader. 

As previously reported, Hayden Christensen will reprise his role as Vader. 

“We couldn’t tell the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi without addressing Anakin or Vader,” director Deborah Chow insists. 

Concept art hints the Jedi master and his former apprentice will cross lightsabers again. McGregor jokes, “To have another swing at each other, might be quite satisfying for everybody.”

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Chances are, your TV isn’t the standard IMAX screen size — some 52 by 72 feet — but Disney+ has released a slew of Marvel movies and other content in what it’s calling the IMAX Enhanced format on Friday’s Disney+ Day.

The films boast stunning picture quality, but also a different screen ratio than you might have gotten used to since the advent of widescreen TVs. Simply put, the movies play without the black “letterbox” borders at the top and bottom of your screen.

Technically, speaking, the movies appear in a 1.90:1 aspect ratio, vs. your standard 16:9, and will screen with Dolby Vision HDR and DTS audio, if your TV is compatible.

Thirteen Marvel films are now available in IMAX Enhanced, including the just-released to Disney+ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The others include Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Black Widow, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Thor: Ragnarok, and Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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