“A teachable moment” — Drew Barrymore apologizes for “making light” of Johnny Depp trial

“A teachable moment” — Drew Barrymore apologizes for “making light” of Johnny Depp trial
“A teachable moment” — Drew Barrymore apologizes for “making light” of Johnny Depp trial
Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

In a new video posted on her Instagram, Drew Barrymore has apologized to fans who took issue with her goofing on the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard defamation trial during a segment of her talk show.

The E.T. actress had joked that the “crazy” trial was a “a seven-layer dip of insanity…offering up this information that nobody had to know.”

In her new mea culpa, an emotional Barrymore said, “It has come to my attention that I have offended people with making light of [Depp and Heard] and for that I just want to deeply apologize and appreciate everyone who spoke out.”

Barrymore noted, “This can be a teachable moment for me and how I move forward and how I conduct myself.”

She added, “All I want to do is be a good person, and I very much appreciate the depth of this, and I will grow and change from it.”

As previously reported, Depp is suing Heard for defamation, claiming that a Washington Post op-ed in which she claimed to have been a victim of “sexual abuse” was not only untrue, but devastated his career.

Depp’s testimony detailed the physical and emotional abuse he said he suffered during his 16-month marriage to Heard — including having the tip of his right middle finger severed by a vodka bottle reportedly thrown by Heard. Audio was also heard of the Aquaman actress admitting that she “hit” Depp, and daring him to accuse her publicly of domestic abuse. “[S]ee how many people believe or side with you,” she can be heard taunting.

Online, Barrymore’s critics had voiced their displeasure with her comments, with one saying Drew “didn’t only offend ‘fans’. She basically told male DV [domestic violence] victims that they deserve to be mocked if they come forward.”

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‘Doctor Strange’ sequel conjuring up better pre-sales than ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’

‘Doctor Strange’ sequel conjuring up better pre-sales than ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’
‘Doctor Strange’ sequel conjuring up better pre-sales than ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’
Marvel Studios

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness doesn’t open until Friday, but presales for the sequel are already outpacing other hit Marvel movies, Fandango says.

The company announced that the Benedict Cumberbatch sequel, which was previously voted by Fandango users as their most anticipated movie of the summer, is selling five times as many tickets as the 2016 original, Doctor Strange.

Tickets for the upcoming film went on sale April 6, and it has already sold more pre-sale stubs than 2019’s Captain Marvel, 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok and 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

For the record, Captain Marvel went on to earn over a billion bucks at the box office, while Ragnarok made over $850 million worldwide, and the sequel to Guardians made over $860 million.

In polling those who said they wanted to see Madness, Fandango reported that 93% of its users wanted to see the Multiverse expanded more in the sequel; 92% want to see what happened in the MCU after the events of the hit Spider-Man: No Way Home; and 92% were Cumberbatch fans.

Oh, and since the movie is supposedly chock full of cameos, 85% said that they’re staying off social media until they see Multiverse of Madness for themselves.

Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

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Johnny Depp’s agent called Amber Heard op-ed “catastrophic” to star’s career; says Depp lost out on $22.6 million for ‘Pirates 6’

Johnny Depp’s agent called Amber Heard op-ed “catastrophic” to star’s career; says Depp lost out on .6 million for ‘Pirates 6’
Johnny Depp’s agent called Amber Heard op-ed “catastrophic” to star’s career; says Depp lost out on .6 million for ‘Pirates 6’
MICHAEL REYNOLDS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

On Monday, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were back in a Fairfax, Virginia, courtroom, where Depp’s defamation case against his ex-wife continues.

Much of the testimony in the morning session dealt with the impact Heard’s Washington Post op-ed had on Depp’s career — to establish damages, as is necessary in a defamation trial.

The article, titled “I Spoke Up Against Sexual Violence, and Faced Our Culture’s Wrath. That Has to Change” didn’t mention Depp by name, but Depp’s agent, Jack Whigham, testified remotely that the op-ed had a “catastrophic” effect on his career.

Depp’s attorneys had Whigham rattle off the salaries for movies Johnny had made before the article was published — including a $22.6 million fee he would have received for a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film.

Whigham testified that the project was a go, but both Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer stopped dealing with Depp after the article was released.

For that matter, Whigham argued, so did many others — Depp’s fee dropped to $1 million, and a film called Minimata was barely released.

For their part, Heard’s team claimed that there was no evidence Depp was to star in a sixth Pirates movie, and that Margot Robbie reportedly replacing Depp as the big star in a possible sixth Pirates film had nothing to do with the negative publicity from the op-ed.

A Depp security staffer of nine years, Travis McGivern, also testified remotely. He confirmed to Heard’s lawyers that he’d seen Depp smoke marijuana “more times than he could count” — a comment that drew a smile from Depp — but also said that Heard drank more times than he could recall.

McGivern also testified that Depp had a “chill” personality, even when sober — though Heard’s attorney implied his testimony favored Depp, as he is still employed by the star.

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First trailer for Harry Styles’ ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ is here

First trailer for Harry Styles’ ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ is here
First trailer for Harry Styles’ ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ is here
Courtesy Warner Bros.

The trailer for Don’t Worry Darling — starring Harry Styles and Florence Pugh — made headlines when it was first previewed at CinemaCon last week. Now, fans can finally see what caused the hype.

The trailer opens with Harry and Pugh — respectively playing Jack and Alice — living a perfect married life in an idyllic, experimental town housing project built to meet every resident’s need.  But things quickly turn sinister as Pugh begins noticing there’s more to their picturesque ‘Victory Project’ community that meets the eye, despite being told she mustn’t question her surroundings.  Her quest for clarity is met with harsh resistance from the project’s leader, played by Chris Pine, and her husband.  

“Our life together, we could lose this,” Harry’s character warns, but it’s not enough to sway his wife, who sees her neighbors mentally unraveling around her.

Don’t Worry Darling is directed by Olivia Wilde, who said during CinemaCon the movie is “a love letter to movies that push the boundaries of our imagination.” Wilde said it also borrows elements from The MatrixInception and The Truman Show.

“What would it take for you to give up that life, that perfect life. What are you really willing to sacrifice to do what’s right?” she teased. “Are you willing to dismantle the system that’s designed to serve you?”

She also said Harry’s performance in the film “is nothing short of a revelation.”

Don’t Worry Darling is due out September 23.

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“It’s been quite an education for me”: Bill Murray speaks on allegations against him that led to movie shutdown

“It’s been quite an education for me”: Bill Murray speaks on allegations against him that led to movie shutdown
“It’s been quite an education for me”: Bill Murray speaks on allegations against him that led to movie shutdown
ABC

In a sit-down with CNBC on Saturday, Bill Murray addressed for the first time allegations of “inappropriate behavior” against him that led to a film he was working on being shut down two weeks ago.

As reported, Aziz Ansari was directing Murray in Being Mortal, based on Atul Gawande‘s nonfiction book, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End.

“I had a difference of opinion with a woman I was working with,” a somber Murray began. “I did something I thought was funny, and it wasn’t taken that way.” He said producers “wanted to do the right thing, so they wanted to check it all out, investigate it, and so they stopped the production…”

“As of now…we’re trying to make peace with each other,” Murray continued. “We’re both professionals. We like each other’s work. We like each other, I think, and if you can’t really get along and trust each other, there’s no point in going further working together…”

Calling it “quite an education,” Murray, who’s 71, said, “I’ve been doing not much else but thinking about it for the last week or two…The world’s different than it was when I was a little kid — what was funny…[then] isn’t necessarily the same as what’s funny now. Things change, the times change. It’s important for me to figure it out.”

“I think the most important for me, is…what’s best for the other person. If it’s not best for the other person, it doesn’t matter what happens for me. And that gave me a great deal of comfort and relaxation, because your brain doesn’t operate well when you’re thinking…’How can I be so inaccurate and so insensitive?'”

“I think we’re going to make peace with it,” Murray said, adding, “I think it’s a really…sad puppy that can’t learn any more.”

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In Brief: John Stamos playing Iron Man; ‘Batwoman’ cancelled, and more

In Brief: John Stamos playing Iron Man; ‘Batwoman’ cancelled, and more
In Brief: John Stamos playing Iron Man; ‘Batwoman’ cancelled, and more

John Stamos is staying in the Disney family, with a step into the Marvel Universe. The Big Shots star will voice none other than Iron Man in the second season of the animated Spidey and His Amazing Friends for Disney Junior. The show will also feature the voices of The Goldbergs vet Sean Giambrone as Ant-Man, and Back to the Future‘s Biff Tannen, Tom Wilson, as the villain Sandman…

Deadline is reporting Mr. Robot veteran Christian Slater has joined the star-studded cast of FX’s limited series series Fleishman Is In Trouble. Based on Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s bestselling novel, the show will star Jesse Eisenberg in the title character of Toby Fleishman, who enters the online dating world after his marriage hits the rocks. The cast also includes Adam Brody, Lizzy Caplan and Claire Danes

Legendary comic artist Neal Adams has died at the age of 80, according to his family. Adams is considered to be one of the giants of the so-called Bronze Age of comics of the 1960s and 1970s, and is particularly known for his iconic interpretation of Batman, which helped define the character for subsequent generations of artists and readers. He also is known for drawing Green Lantern and Green Arrow books for DC and The Avengers and X-Men comics for Marvel. Adams earned the industry’s top honor, induction into Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1998…

The CW has clipped Batwoman‘s wings. The news came via a tweet from showrunner Caroline Dries on Friday, who noted, “Just got the sad news that Batwoman will not be seeing [a fourth season]. “I am bummed, but full of gratitude. What an honor to make 51 episodes.” The series initially starred Ruby Rose as the titular crime fighter, but she was replaced in the sophomore season by Javicia Leslie

Netflix’s Steve Carrell-fronted comedy Space Force has been brought down to Earth, Variety reports. The expensive-to-produce show, meant to spoof President Trump‘s launching of the sixth military branch, ran for two seasons…

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‘The Bad Guys’ repeats at #1 at the box office with $16.1 million weekend

‘The Bad Guys’ repeats at #1 at the box office with .1 million weekend
‘The Bad Guys’ repeats at #1 at the box office with .1 million weekend
Universal Pictures

The Bad Guys topped another slow week the box office. The animated family flick spent its second week at #1, earning an estimated $16 million, bringing its two-week domestic gross to $44.4 million.

Holding onto the runner-up spot for the second straight was Sonic the Hedgehog 2, taking in just under $11.4 million in its fourth weekend of release. The animated film has now collected $160.9 million in North America, passing the original Sonic’s $149 million domestic total. However, that film’s theatrical run was cut short by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore pulled up in third place, adding an estimated $8.3 million in its third week of release. The film has earned a disappointing $79.6 million domestically so far, Internationally, however, the Harry Potter spin-off has racked up $250 million to date, bringing its worldwide tally to $329.6 million.

The Northman took fourth place for the second time in as many weeks, delivering an estimated $6.3 million. Its two-week domestic total now stands at $22.8 million to go along with $18.8 million overseas, putting its global tally at $41.6 million.

Rounding out the top five was Everything Everywhere All at Once, pulling in an estimated $5.5 million to bring its six-week domestic total to $35.5 million — an impressive feat for an art house film. The movie, starring Michelle Yeoh, has collected another $2.7 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $38.2 million.

Liam Neeson‘s action flick Memory tanked in its debut, only managing an estimated $3.1 million for an eighth-place finish.

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‘American Idol’ recap: Three artists are eliminated, “Dancing with the Stars'” Derek Hough mentors

‘American Idol’ recap: Three artists are eliminated, “Dancing with the Stars'” Derek Hough mentors
‘American Idol’ recap: Three artists are eliminated, “Dancing with the Stars'” Derek Hough mentors
ABC/Raymond Liu

Sunday was Disney night on American Idol, with the Top 10 contestants performing beloved songs from the Disney catalog for a chance to advance to the Top 7.

Once again, the show aired live coast to coast, this time from from Disneyland in Anaheim California, where Lionel RichieLuke Bryan and Katy Perry — dressed as Ariel from The Little Mermaid — were back behind the judges table and Dancing with the Stars and Derek Hough mentored the artists’ song choices.

After America’s votes were revealed, Here’s who made the Top 7:

Noah Thompson: “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”/Toy Story
Huntergirl: “I See the Light”/Tangled
Jay: “Remember Me”/Coco
Leah Marlene: “When She Loves Me”/Toy Story 2
Nicolina: “Poor Unfortunate Souls”/The Little Mermaid
Christian Guardino: “The Circle of Life”/The Lion King
Fritz Hager: “”Go the Distance”/Hercules

Here’s who was eliminated:
Lady K: “How Far I’ll Go”/Little Mermaid
Emyrson Flora: “Cary Me with You”/Onward
Mike Parker: “You’ll be in My Heart”/Tarzan

In celebration of its milestone 20th season, American Idol greats Ruben StuddardScotty McCreeryJordin SparksDavid CookLauren AlainaKris AllenMaddie PoppeLaine HardyWillie SpenceCaleb Lee HutchinsonGrace KinstlerLaci Kaye Booth and additional surprise guests will reunite for a night of unforgettable performances, when American Idol returns Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Marvel moves: ‘Ant-Man’ sequel and ‘The Marvels’ swap places, Spidey series director Jon Watts exits ‘Fantastic 4’

Marvel moves: ‘Ant-Man’ sequel and ‘The Marvels’ swap places, Spidey series director Jon Watts exits ‘Fantastic 4’
Marvel moves: ‘Ant-Man’ sequel and ‘The Marvels’ swap places, Spidey series director Jon Watts exits ‘Fantastic 4’
Marvel Studios

There’s some shifting going around in the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, and this time, it’s not the Multiverse’s fault.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania will now open on February 17, 2023 — the date that was once held by The Marvels, the sequel to 2019’s hit Captain Marvel. That follow-up, instead, will open in the Ant-Man threequel’s former slot, July 28, 2023.

The Marvels, again starring Oscar winner Brie Larson, will also tie into Ms. Marvel, the streaming series due on Disney+ in June, as well as the streamer’s Emmy-nominated WandaVision, the latter of which will also share plot points with May 6’s Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.

In other Marvel Studios news, Variety is reporting that Jon Watts, the director of the three blockbuster Spider-Man films with Tom Holland, has exited an upcoming and anticipated Fantastic 4 movie.

In a statement, the studio’s head, Kevin Feige, made the announcement appear amicable, saying, “Collaborating with Jon…has been a true pleasure. We were looking forward to continuing our work with him to bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU but understand and are supportive of his reasons for stepping away.”

Feige added, “We are optimistic that we will have the opportunity to work together again at some point down the road.”

For his part, Watts added, “I’m eternally grateful to have been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for seven years. I’m hopeful we’ll work together again, and I can’t wait to see the amazing vision for Fantastic Four brought to life.”

Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

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Mind Games: Liam Neeson and Guy Pearce tackle a delicate topic in ‘Memory’

Mind Games: Liam Neeson and Guy Pearce tackle a delicate topic in ‘Memory’
Mind Games: Liam Neeson and Guy Pearce tackle a delicate topic in ‘Memory’
Briarcliff/Open Road

It’s an easy, almost reassuring pastime, watching Liam Neeson take out bad guys with relative ease in films like the Taken series, The Commuter and Blacklight. But now, he’s facing a different kind of enemy: dementia.

In Memory, directed by Casino Royale’s Martin Campbell, Neeson plays a veteran assassin struggling with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, causing him to second-guess his mission at every turn.

“There was quite a bit of research to do, some of it was very harrowing,” Neeson tells ABC Audio, saying prepping for the part included reading books and watching documentaries on the topic. “I wanted to get it right, and not over-act it and try and be subtle about it. I worked very closely with Martin Campbell on those aspects of the character.”

The 69-year-old actor adds Alzheimer’s is a condition he’s all too familiar with. “I have a good friend from back home who is in the early stages of dementia,” he shares. “It was worrying to see him and be in his presence. But also the actor part of me too was like grabbing onto things, and thinking I could use that, you know what I mean? And I’m ashamed to say that.”

Memory also co-stars Monica Bellucci, and Guy Pearce as an FBI agent with a dodgy past tracking Neeson’s every move. Pearce tells ABC Audio the two characters have a lot of fixing to do in terms of their moral compasses.

“I think that there’s probably a reaching out, a bit of a desperation by both of these men to connect and be more humane,” he says. “Martin Campbell, our director, was very keen to uphold…the emotional story in this and not just have be a sort of psychological thriller or an action film.”

Memory is now playing exclusively in theaters.

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