With a tweet from Star Wars‘ official social media channels, it was announced that production on Disney+’s small-screen spin-off Ahsoka got underway Monday.
The series stars Rosario Dawson as the titular former Jedi character she played on The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett; the show will also star Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, as well as Aladdin‘s Mena Massoud, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ivanna Sakhno, Ray Stevenson, Natasha Liu Bordizzo and Lars Mikkelsen.
Recently, ABC Audio spoke with Dawson — a life-long Star Wars fan and self-described geek — who enthused, “It’s really exciting to start getting into it, you know, like I literally am like, ‘I can’t hang out because I’m saber training.’ Like, that’s an actual thing I got to say, which is really, really fun and cool!”
First voiced by Ashley Eckstein, Ahsoka Tano made her debut in the Star Wars universe in the Emmy-winning animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Initially a Padawan learner under the tutelage of reluctant teacher Anakin Skywalker, Tano developed through that series, and also appeared in the subsequent animated show Star Wars: Rebels.
The true story of a 1980’s murder is at the center of the new series Candy, which debuts its first episode today on Hulu.
So, what’s it all about? For starters, it’s about a woman named Candy, who is played by Jessica Biel.
“Candy is a very normal suburban housewife and mom who is a churchgoing leader in her community,” Biel tells ABC Audio. “A fun, nice, kind woman who has a lot of emotional things that she’s incapable of sharing, and is incapable of knowing how to express herself in a way that that can keep her life on a regular track.”
She continues, “And she comes up against an experience where she commits a terrible act of violence. And it changes her life and her friend’s life.”
Biel also shares that Candy is a character with which she surprisingly could “very much relate to as a wife and a mother.”
“You know, just a normal-ish type of person,” she says. “And, you know, being pushed to the edge and then making a decision that, you know, you can’t take back.”
Likewise, Melanie Lynskey, who plays the woman Candy murders in the series, says that her role was also one that she could relate to.
“I’m a pretty shy person and I feel like I can be extremely awkward in groups of people. And that was something that I found very endearing about Betty,” she explains. “I also understood very deeply, and I cared about her. There was just something internally that felt right to me when I read the script.”
On their Instagrampages, Hilaria and Alec Baldwin announced that their seventh child will be a girl. The news was broken with a video in which mom and dad, along with some of their kids — Carmen Gabriela, 8; Rafael Thomas, 6; and Leonardo Ángel Charles, 5 — gave the coming bundle of joy some life advice.
“One characteristic doesn’t define you,” Alec said, smiling. “You are a complicated and multifaced human,” Carmen added. “No one can define your cultures,” Leonardo followed.
“You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone,” Hilaria commented, adding later, “Feel free to immerse in and express all parts of your identity.”
Of course, their two youngest children — almost-20-month-old Eduardo Pau Lucas Baldwin, and 15-month-old Lucia — were too young to add their two cents, but they’re shown playing with their siblings.
Jon Hamm will be seen in theaters opposite Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick when it premieres on May 24, but he can be seen flying for real now in a cool promo for the flight tech company Skyryse.
The California-based company develops systems that lets people pilot aircraft with just a few lessons, and the ability to use an iPad.
Normally, flying a helicopter is a pretty difficult skill to pick up — some have equated it to balancing on a slippery beach ball — and it takes many, many flight hours to get the hang of it.
However, in the promo, Hamm is first shown being put through his paces on a flight simulator of a Bell-style helicopter, where he’s shown the basics: The flight interface “is so intuitive,” he marvels, and with a swipe or two, along with tapping in numbers for altitude and airspeed, he takes to the air in his simulated chopper.
Thirty minutes later, he’s strapped into the real thing and, using the same iPad-based procedures, with no traditional flight training, he’s able to take off, fly around and land.
“Skyryse develops technology that automates the mechanics of flight, reducing the learning curve so that learning to fly is as easy as learning to drive,” the company’s website notes.
(NOTE LANGUAGE)In a new chat with Empire magazine, Jojo Rabbit Oscar winner Taika Waititi chats about Natalie Portman‘s return to the Thor franchise — and her claiming the God of Thunder’s mighty mantle herself.
“It’s been about eight years” since Chris Hemsworth‘s character has seen his former flame, physicist Jane Foster, the writer-director explains about the plot of the upcoming film, titled Thor: Love and Thunder. “She’s had a whole other life, and then the love of your life comes back on the scene, and is now dressed like you. It’s a real mindf*** for Thor.”
This time around, Portman’s character traces the arc of the Mighty Thor comics, which sees a cancer-stricken Jane being cured with a little lightning therapy.
Waititi adds, “You don’t want Natalie coming back and playing that same character who’s walking around with science equipment. You know, while Thor’s flying around, she’s left on Earth, tapping her foot going, ‘When’s he going to be back?’ That’s boring. You want her to be part of the adventure.”
Aside from her Portman’s Thor-like arms after she takes up the mantle, the Oscar-winning actress shows other strengths in the film, according to Taika.
“Natalie’s really funny in real life,” he explains. “She’s kind of goofy and has got a great sense of humor, and I don’t think that was exploited enough in the first films.”
The movie, which also stars Tessa Thompson, Chris Pratt, Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, opens July 8.
Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.
What’s been 30 years in the making, Anthony Anderson can finally say he’s a college graduate.
The Black-ish alum, 51, shared an inspiring message Sunday on Instagram celebrating his graduation from Howard University this past weekend.
“This spring I was finally able to complete the work to graduate from Howard University with a BFA degree from the Chadwick A Boseman College of Fine Arts!” Anderson wrote. “Yesterday was a full circle moment. It’s never too late! Things happen when they’re supposed to happen!”
He also expressed, “To quote Biggie, ‘IT WAS ALL A DREAM!’ Words can’t begin to describe the emotional roller coaster I’m on right now. It’s literally been 30 years in the making.”
In a 2018 interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Anderson revealed that he dropped out of college due to financial reasons.
The Law & Order star went on to thank the people who helped him accomplish this milestone, including Phylicia Rashad, who this time last year was named dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts, and his Hustle & Flow co-star Taraji P. Henson, who served as the university’s commencement speaker.
The actor also thanked his son, Nathan, who he said inspired him to “return to school to finish my degree after he was accepted into Howard University.”
Anderson concluded the post with one final uplifting message, writing, “This is just the beginning!”
Adrienne Warren and Joshua Henry — Jenny Anderson/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions
The nominations for the 75th annual Tony Awards were announced on Monday, with two musicals about Michael Jackson getting the love from voters.
A Strange Loop led the pack with 11 nominations, followed by MJ: The Musical and Paradise Square following with 10 noms apiece.
Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster both scored acting nominations for the revival of The Music Man; Billy Crystal was nominated for his adaptation Mr. Saturday Night; Sam Rockwell scored a nod for the David Mamet drama American Buffalo; and Phylicia Rashad earned a nomination for Skeleton Crew, while her performance in How I Learned to Drive earned a nomination for Mary-Louise Parker.
The 75th Annual Tony Awards, hosted by newly-minted West Side Story Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, will be held on June 12 at New York City’s famed Radio City Music Hall. The ceremony will air live on CBS and on Paramount+ starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Here is a list of the nominees:
Best Book of a Musical Girl From The North Country – Conor McPherson MJ – Lynn Nottage Mr. Saturday Night – Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel Paradise Square – Christina Anderson, Craig Lucas & Larry Kirwan A Strange Loop – Michael R. Jackson
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre Flying Over Sunset – Music: Tom Kitt, Lyrics: Michael Korie Mr. Saturday Night – Music: Jason Robert Brown, Lyrics: Amanda Green Paradise Square – Music: Jason Howland, Lyrics: Nathan Tysen & Masi Asare SIX: The Musical – Music and Lyrics: Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss A Strange Loop – Music & Lyrics: Michael R. Jackson
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Simon Russell Beale – The Lehman Trilogy
Adam Godley – The Lehman Trilogy
Adrian Lester – The Lehman Trilogy
David Morse – How I Learned to Drive
Sam Rockwell – American Buffalo
Ruben Santiago-Hudson – Lackawanna Blues
David Threlfall – Hangmen
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Gabby Beans – The Skin of Our Teeth
LaChanze – Trouble in Mind
Ruth Negga – Macbeth
Deirdre O’Connell – Dana H.
Mary-Louise Parker – How I Learned to Drive
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Billy Crystal – Mr. Saturday Night
Myles Frost – MJ
Hugh Jackman – The Music Man
Rob McClure – Mrs. Doubtfire
Jaquel Spivey – A Strange Loop
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sharon D Clarke – Caroline, or Change
Carmen Cusack – Flying Over Sunset
Sutton Foster – The Music Man
Joaquina Kalukango – Paradise Square
Mare Winningham – Girl From The North Country
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Alfie Allen – Hangmen
Chuck Cooper – Trouble in Mind
Jesse Tyler Ferguson – Take Me Out
Ron Cephas Jones – Clyde’s
Michael Oberholtzer – Take Me Out
Jesse Williams – Take Me Out
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Uzo Aduba – Clyde’s
Rachel Dratch – POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
Kenita R. Miller – for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Phylicia Rashad – Skeleton Crew
Julie White – POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
Kara Young – Clyde’s
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Matt Doyle – Company
Sidney DuPont – Paradise Square
Jared Grimes – Funny Girl
John-Andrew Morrison – A Strange Loop
A.J. Shively – Paradise Square
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Jeannette Bayardelle – Girl From The North Country
Shoshana Bean – Mr. Saturday Night
Jayne Houdyshell – The Music Man
L Morgan Lee – A Strange Loop
Patti LuPone – Company
Jennifer Simard – Company
Best Direction of a Play
Lileana Blain-Cruz – The Skin of Our Teeth
Camille A. Brown – for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Sam Mendes – The Lehman Trilogy
Neil Pepe – American Buffalo
Les Waters – Dana H.
Best Direction of a Musical
Stephen Brackett – A Strange Loop
Marianne Elliott – Company
Conor McPherson – Girl From The North Country
Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage – SIX: The Musical
Christopher Wheeldon – MJ
Best Choreography
Camille A. Brown – for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Warren Carlyle – The Music Man
Carrie-Anne Ingrouille – SIX: The Musical
Bill T. Jones – Paradise Square
Christopher Wheeldon – MJ
Best Orchestrations
David Cullen – Company
Tom Curran – SIX: The Musical
Simon Hale – Girl From The North Country
Jason Michael Webb and David Holcenberg – MJ
Charlie Rosen – A Strange Loop
Best Play Clyde’s Hangmen The Lehman Trilogy The Minutes Skeleton Crew
Best Musical Girl From The North Country MJ Mr. Saturday Night Paradise Square SIX: The Musical A Strange Loop
Best Revival of a Play American Buffalo for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf How I Learned to Drive Take Me Out Trouble in Mind
Best Revival of a Musical Caroline, or Change Company The Music Man
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Beowulf Boritt – POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
Michael Carnahan and Nicholas Hussong – Skeleton Crew
Es Devlin – The Lehman Trilogy
Anna Fleischle – Hangmen
Scott Pask – American Buffalo
Adam Rigg – The Skin of Our Teeth
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt and 59 Productions – Flying Over Sunset
Bunny Christie – Company
Arnulfo Maldonado – A Strange Loop
Derek McLane and Peter Nigrini – MJ
Allen Moyer – Paradise Square
Best Costume Design of a Play
Montana Levi Blanco – The Skin of Our Teeth
Sarafina Bush – for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Emilio Sosa – Trouble in Mind
Jane Greenwood – Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite
Jennifer Moeller – Clyde’s
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Fly Davis – Caroline, or Change
Toni-Leslie James – Paradise Square
William Ivey Long – Diana, The Musical
Santo Loquasto – The Music Man
Gabriella Slade – SIX: The Musical
Paul Tazewell – MJ
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Joshua Carr – Hangmen
Jiyoun Chang – for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Jon Clark – The Lehman Trilogy
Jane Cox – Macbeth
Yi Zhao – The Skin of Our Teeth
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Neil Austin – Company
Tim Deiling – SIX: The Musical
Donald Holder – Paradise Square
Natasha Katz – MJ
Bradley King – Flying Over Sunset
Jen Schriever – A Strange Loop
Best Sound Design of a Play
Justin Ellington – for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Mikhail Fiksel, Dana H. Palmer Hefferan – The Skin of Our Teeth
Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey – The Lehman Trilogy
Mikaal Sulaiman – Macbeth
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Simon Baker – Girl from the North Country
Paul Gatehouse – SIX: The Musical
Ian Dickinson for Autograph – Company
Drew Levy – A Strange Loop
Gareth Owen –MJ
The sneak peek, which is currently playing in theaters ahead of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, is filled with breathtaking imagery of Pandora, the home to the series’ blue-skinned Na’vi people. However, things look a bit different, at least according to the trailer. Some of the humans, who invaded the planet in the 2009 film, are apparently working alongside their alien hosts. However, an unseen threat calls the Na’Vi to arms once again.
The footage is devoid of dialog, except for Sam Worthington‘s Jake uttering a line to Zoe Saldana‘s Neytiri: “This family is our fortress.”
According to the studio, Avatar: The Way of Water is set a decade after the original, and “begins to tell the story of returning heroes Jake and Neytiri and their children, the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.”
The movie, which also stars returning performers Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang, as well as newcomers CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement and Kate Winslet, opens December 16.
The third film, which recently finished shooting, will arrive in 2024, while the fourth and fifth are respectively scheduled for 2026 and 2028.
20th Century Studios is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
While Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was conjuring up box office magic all over the world, writer-director James Gunn called a wrap on another Marvel Studios project. With a picture of the movie’s “clapper,” Gunn said the threequel wrapped on Saturday.
“After over 100 days of shooting & over 3000 shots, this is the slate for the final shot of #GotGVol3, presented to me by the camera crew,” he began a lengthy post on social media.
“It was an easy shot of Rocket seated…& took everything in me not to break down sobbing on the spot,” Gunn explained.
The Peacemaker creator added, “The majority of the last ten years of my life have been spent working on & thinking about the Guardians. I still have a long road ahead of me with VFX [visual effects] & editing, but it was still momentous to me.”
“It is somewhat simple to explain to others how much I love this cast & crew. It is more difficult to explain how much I love these characters – that I see them as parts of myself & parts of those I love, & filming them, & writing their words, is a way of expressing that love,” Gunn expressed.
He added, “…shooting that last shot was a reminder of the warm impermanence of life & love, & how that impermanence makes it so precious, so valuable, & is a good reason to be grateful for what I have right now.”
Gunn also posted a photo of his celebrating with his cast, including Chris Pratt, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Sean Gunn, and Karen Gillan. He added, “and Zoe [Saldana] was with us, too!”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is slated to hit theaters May 5, 2023.
The release of Will Smith‘s upcoming film for Apple, Emancipation, expected to premiere at this year’s fall film festivals, has been delayed to 2023, according to Variety. The movie, directed by Training Day helmer Antoine Fuqua, would have been Smith’s first release since his assault on comedian Chris Rock during the 94th Oscars. As a result, Smith was banned from attending the Oscars and other Academy-related events for 10 years. Emancipation, written by Bill Collage, also stars The Survivor‘s Ben Foster and follows a runaway slave who tries to escape his owners…
Mindy Kaling‘s coming-of-age dramedy, Never Have I Ever, will return for season three on August 12, Netflix announced Sunday at its Netflix Is a Joke Fest, according to Entertainment Weekly. The series, which follows the life of an Indian American teen, stars Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, Jaren Lewison, Darren Barnet, Lee Rodriguez and Ramona Young, with narration from John McEnroe…
The BBC announced Rwandan-born Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa [SHOO-tee GAT-wah] will succeed Jodie Whittaker as the next Doctor in Doctor Who. Whittaker made history in 2017, when she was cast as the first female doctor in the series’ then-54-year run. Gatwa will be the first Black actor to play the Doctor, aside from a one-off appearance by actress Jo Martin, who played Fugitive Doctor Ruth Clayton in a 2020 episode. Gatwa stars in the Netflix comedy Sex Education, where he plays Eric Effiong, best friend to Asa Butterfield’s Otis…
