Entertainment

Hulu’s Love, Victor is coming back for a third season.

The series, an off-shoot from the 2018 film Love, Simon, has officially been renewed just a month and a half after season two debuted.

The show stars Michael Cimino as a gay teen coming to terms with sexuality. It also stars Rachel Hilson, Anthony Turpel, Bebe Wood, Mason Gooding, George Sear, Isabella Ferreira, Mateo Fernandez, James Martinez and Ana Ortiz.

Season two ended with a few of the show’s core relationships in limbo. George Sear, who plays Victor’s love interest, Benji, says he can’t wait to explore his character even more.

“I hope we can see more more of an exploration with Benji’s…yeah, his relationship, I suppose, but also some of his personal issues, which you will find out when you watch season two,” he tells ABC Audio. “And also it would be cool to see him sort of follow his dreams with music and become a happier person.”

For Bebe Wood, who plays Lake, she’s excited to explore a new direction for Lake’s love life, which was hinted at in the end of season two.

“I think at the end of season two, there is a sort of little moment with Lake that I find very exciting and very enticing, and I can’t wait to explore that in the future,” she says.

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Anyone attending the upcoming 73rd annual Emmy Awards, as well anyone appearing on stage or working behind the scenes on a Broadway production, and audience members, will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The announcements came Friday amid rising concern over the so-called Delta variant of COVID-19.

ABC Audio has confirmed The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which stages the Emmys, again noted that only nominees and their respective “plus ones” will be allowed to attend the  Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremonies on Sept. 11 and 12. Same goes for the main awards show itself on September 19. And in all cases, attendees must show proof of vaccination. 

Earlier this month, the Academy announced it was cancelling its traditional Governors Ball events preceding the Emmys celebration, for the second year in a row, over rising COVID-19 concerns.

As recently reported, the 73rd Emmy Awards will return with a limited live audience on Sunday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+. Cedric The Entertainer will host.

Meanwhile, The Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway industry, clarified that the owners and operators of all theaters in New York City will require “audience members, as well as performers, backstage crew, and theatre staff, for all performances through October 2021” to be fully vaccinated.

The organization also noted, “masks will also be required for audiences inside the theatre, except while eating or drinking in designated locations.”

The Broadway League also said that ticket holders for performances through October 31 will be notified of the new rules and be kept abreast of an anticipated review of the policies in September. The organization said the future review, “may include a relaxation of certain provisions if the science dictates.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ben Stiller is facing social media backlash for defending the growing trend of children following in the footsteps of their Hollywood A-list parents.

Stiller, the son of legendary comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, took issue with producer Franklin Leonard sarcastically tweeting, “Hollywood’s a meritocracy, right?” in response to a report that an upcoming project titled The Rightway, that’s set to be directed by Steven Spielberg’s daughter, Destry, and was written by Stephen King’s son, Owen.  Sean Penn’s son, Hopper is also set to star in the short film, according to Deadline.

“Too easy @franklinleonard. People, working, creating. Everyone has their path. Wish them all the best,” Stiller tweeted in response.

“Just speaking from experience, and I don’t know any of them, I would bet they all have faced challenges,” Stiller later added in a follow-up tweet.  “Different than those with no access to the industry. Show biz as we all know is pretty rough, and ultimately is a meritocracy.”

That prompted a barrage of comments implying the 55-year-old actor was denying the role of nepotism in Hollywood.

“I know Ben *Stiller* is not on this bird app calling Hollywood a meritocracy lmaoooooooo,” tweeted author Preeti Chhibber, while another follower added, “WRONG. Show business works off nepotism & access. It has NOTHING to do with merit.”

“Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara’s son would like you to know that Hollywood ‘ultimately is a meritocracy.’” wrote yet another.

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Academy Award-winning director Ridley Scott has unveiled the trailer for his much-anticipated new film, House of Gucci.

Adam Driver plays assassinated fashion mogul Maurizio Gucci, while an almost unrecognizable Jared Leto plays his cousin, Paulo, and Lady Gaga plays Maurizio’s ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani, who was convicted of arranging his murder. Maurizio was the grandson of the iconic label’s founder, Guccio Gucci.

As Blondie‘s “Heart of Glass” floats in the background, Gaga says in an Italian accent, “It was a name that sounded so sweet… Synonymous with wealth, style, power. But that name was a curse, too.”

The trailer shows Patricia and Maurizio’s wedding, the trappings of the fabulous wealth that the House of Gucci accumulated and, ultimately, the family drama.

“You need to take out the trash,” Gaga’s Patrizia tells her husband.

“But they’re my family,” Driver’s character protests. 

“So am I,” the ambitious Patrizia replies. 

“You picked a real firecracker,” Oscar-winner Leto’s balding, bloated Paulo replies, rolling his R’s in a way that would make any Italian language teacher proud.

As the trailer takes a dark turn, title cards flash on screen reading: “Money,” “Family,” “Power,” “Betrayal,” “Sex,” “Loyalty,” “Scandal,” “Ambition” and, ultimately, “Murder.”

After an assassin raises his pistol, the trailer cuts to Gaga’s Patrizia in a stylish ski outfit, sipping an espresso by the slopes. “I don’t consider myself an ethical person,” she confesses. “But I am fair.” 

In the final scene, she makes the sign of the cross, saying “Father, Son, and House of Gucci.”

House of Gucci also stars Salma Hayek, and Oscar winners Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons.  It hits theaters November 24.

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Today, the picturesque, trippy drama The Green Knight hits theaters. In the adaptation of the famed medieval tale Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, writer-director David Lowery has Slumdog Millionaire‘s Dev Patel playing Gawain, the nephew of King Arthur, who wants to prove himself to the king. 

To that end, when a mysterious, monstrous, truthfully Groot-like knight strides into the king’s court and offers any worthy man a mysterious challenge, Gawain seizes his chance. 

His choice sends him on an epic quest of self-discovery, in which he encounters ghosts, bandits and a mysterious castle full of temptation, and ultimately finds out if he’s worthy.

Patel and co-star Joel Edgerton, who plays a lord Gawain encounters on his quest, praised the Ghost Story director for bringing the haunting tale to life. “Everything is so considered in the film you know, down to every thread in that costume,” Patel tells ABC Audio.

“You’re part of this great visionary’s composition, and every frame really was a painting. It’s a process of submission in a way,” he continues, adding with a laugh, “I trusted him so much that you kind of just submit yourself up to the experience and let a great director and the wilderness in Ireland do the rest of the dictating in a way.”

Patel says of seeing the film for the first time, “My breath was taken away.” 

Edgerton agrees. “I kind of blew my mind, actually,” he notes. “I was expecting no less, but I got a lot more than I was expecting…It just feels like a constantly evolving painting.”  

The Green Knight also stars Oscar winner Alicia Vikander, Erin Kellyman from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and Mission: Impossible series baddie Sean Harris.

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Following Amber Heard and Johnny Depp‘s contentious divorce battle, which unearthed unflattering accusations concerning them both, fans of the Aquaman franchise demanded the actress’ removal from the upcoming sequel.  But don’t hold your breath waiting for it to happen.

A petition that was signed by over one million people said the actress needed to be removed because of previous allegations that she abused Depp during their marriage.

However, a producer of the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom confirms Heard, 35, will not be cut from the movie and will reprise her role of Mera, the love interest of Jason Mamoa‘s Aquaman.

“I don’t think we’re ever going to react to, honestly, pure fan pressure,” producer Peter Safran told Deadline about the backlash.  “You gotta do what’s best for the movie. We felt that if it’s [director] James Wan, and Jason Momoa, it should be Amber Heard. That’s really what it was.”

Insisting that Heard is an integral part of the Aquaman franchise, Safran said, “One is not unaware of what is going on in the Twitter-verse, but that doesn’t mean you have to react to it or take it as gospel or accede to their wishes.”

“You have to do what’s right for the film, and that’s really where we landed on it,” he concluded.

Aquaman 2 is expected to premiere Christmas 2022.

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The big-screen adaptation of Disney’s iconic Jungle Cruise ride opens in theaters today. The film stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as wise-cracking riverboat captain Frank Wolff, who is tasked with taking Emily Blunt‘s Dr. Lily Houghton into the heart of the Amazon so she can find a legendary tree with “unparalleled healing powers.”

For Johnson, who was also a producer on the film, getting Quiet Place star Blunt in the film was key — so important that he sent a personal video to her imploring her to join. “I said ‘Emily, you are the only one who can do this movie,'” Johnson recalled at a recent press gathering of the cast. 

The pair’s onscreen chemistry was evident during the sit-down, which was also attended by Jack Whitehall, who plays Blunt’s onscreen brother, and Edgar Ramirez, who plays one of the heavies, Aguirre. Each took turns poking fun at Johnson and his video. “Jack can attest to this as a British person,” Blunt laughed, “if someone comes on too strong…It’s just better to go. ‘OK, just tone it down.'”

Aside from busting Johnson’s chops, Blunt admitted of the star, “We were pals for life immediately. It was like I knew when we met, we had this rapport that like ping pong back and forth so quickly and I just thought we could have a good time.”

“It’s very true,” Johnson agreed. “And then, you know, you look you hope to get lucky, you know, with your cast and you like to try to have some chemistry and this and a lot of times you at times you fake it…”

Blunt quickly added, “He’s been faking it for years,” which cracked Johnson up, adding, “I have and I will continue to fake it. Big faker!”

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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The second episode of Ted Lasso season two is out today, and Apple revealed earlier this week that last week’s premiere was the most watched of anything so far on Apple TV+’s impressive roster.

Hannah Waddingham who plays Lasso’s boss, tells ABC Audio why the news had her breathing a sigh of relief.

“I’ve never been so invested in something ever, of hoping that people who fell in love with it before will still be in love with it,” she says. “It’s crazy.”

The fish-out-of-water comedy, which stars Jason Sudeikis as an incredibly chipper college football coach who’s hired to lead a mediocre English Premier League team, was recently nominated for 20 Emmy Awards. Waddington, reacting to the Emmy nods, explained why she thinks people are so obsessed with the show.

“I think everyone loves that it shows everyone… warts and all and the fact that everybody just wants to have hope and love in their lives and to find people that will think well of them,” says the 47-year-old British actress. “And even if somebody is having a bit of a s*** time, people will put their arm around you and go, you’re being a s***, but here’s how we’re going to get out of it.” 

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Call it Marvel’s Civil War: Part 2…Scarlett Johansson has filed suit against Marvel Studios’ parent company Disney, claiming that the studio’s decision to release her Black Widow on Disney+ on the same day it hit theaters was a breach of her contract. 

Johansson’s suit claims that her contract guaranteed Black Widow an exclusive theatrical window before it hit the streaming service, which the simultaneous release eliminated.

As not only the star but one of the executive producers of the film, ScarJo had profit participation “points” tied to the film’s box-office performance. However, with the movie making tens of millions of dollars on Disney+ through its Premiere Access service — instead of in theaters — many believe that cut into the film’s box-office potential, and therefore her bottom line. 

The Wall Street Journal quoted one source who estimates putting the film on Disney+ immediately could cost Johansson over $50 million.

John Berlinski, an attorney for the star, said, “It’s no secret that Disney is releasing films like Black Widow directly onto Disney+ to increase subscribers and thereby boost the company’s stock price — and that it’s hiding behind Covid-19 as a pretext to do so.”

He continued, “But ignoring the contracts of the artists responsible for the success of its films in furtherance of this short-sighted strategy violates their rights and we look forward to proving as much in court.”

For its part, Disney responded, calling the suit “without merit.”

“The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the studio maintained, adding, “Disney has fully complied with Ms. Johansson’s contract and furthermore, the release of Black Widow on Disney+…has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20M she has received to date.”

Disney is the parent company of ABC News. 

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