Peacock has dropped a trailer to its upcoming small-screen version of Will Forte‘s popular SNL sketch, MacGruber.
Forte’s MacGyver-spoofing character is seen getting released “after rotting for a decade in prison,” according to the streaming service, tapped by a high-ranking military official, played by Laurence Fishburne, as the country’s only hope against your standard world-threatening madman.
Billy Zane plays the scenery-chewing baddie, who apparently murdered MacGruber’s mom at a childhood birthday party.
“This one is personal,” MacGruber hisses.
So tasked, MacGruber takes his Mazda Miata out of mothballs and gets to work. “My country has invited me to die for it, and I RSVP’d ‘Yass Kween,'” Forte tells his girlfriend, Vic, played by his former SNL co-star Kristen Wiig.
Ryan Philippe also stars, as a buff hero who on the surface would be the actual person you’d want to try to save the world, rather than Forte’s feather-haired vest-wearing alternative.
Along with some unprintable, potty-mouthed dialog, the trailer teases some ridiculously over-the-top action, like MacGruber’s leaping through the air, guns blazing, deliberately targeting a bunch of bad guys’ nether regions.
MacGruber was also made into a film in 2010, also starring Forte and Wiig, but it was a flop, earning just $9.3 million worldwide — not even enough to cover what it cost to make and market it.
The MacGruber series hits the streaming service December 16.
The new Disney+ series Welcome to Earth, out Wednesday, follows actor Will Smith on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure around the globe. Dwayne Fields, a polar explorer, is one of the experts who joins the actor, and he’s sharing all the details about their journey — like where they went, for starters.
“So I got to take Will to Iceland, which is one of the most stunning places you can imagine,” Fields tells ABC Audio. “It’s this dynamic environment that’s constantly changing, so much so that one of the places that we went to nobody knew existed 10 years ago. That’s how much this place is changing.”
Although stunning, exploring some of the world’s greatest wonders can be pretty dangerous at times. So was Fields ever worried about killing the Oscar-nominated actor? He says he knew they’d be just fine, thanks to having “the best safety teams in the world around us.”
The explorer adds, “Equally, we were two capable adults who wanted to experience our own anxieties, especially Will, he wanted to push himself. And I think that’s what this series was very much about.”
Likewise, Erik Weihenmayer, a mountaineer who is blind and accompanied Smith inside of an erupting volcano, echoed that having “a very strong team around you, it’s one of the greatest ways of minimizing risk.”
Being safe didn’t stop the fun though. Weihenmayer says it was “really cool” watching Smith have this experience for the first time.
“He was like a kid, you know, he was he was smiling and elated and terrified,” Weihenmayer shares. “And you know, and just like experiencing like this stuff like a child for the first time and it was really cool, you know, to be a part of that kind of enthusiasm.”
ABC aired its third Live in Front of a Studio Audience on Tuesday, this time featuring episodes of The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes, hosted once again by Jimmy Kimmel and Norman Lear.
This time, however, the producers decided to have a little fun, casting older actors — including Jeniffer Aniston, 52, Kathryn Hahn, 48, Allison Tolman, 40, and Gabrielle Union, 49, to fill the respective roles of Blair, Jo, Natalie, and Tootie in the original series.
Likewise, the Diff’rent Strokes segment featured 42-year-old Kevin Hart and 61-year-old Damon Wayans, respectively, to play to play Arnold and Willis, originally portrayed by Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges.
Despite the age differences, all four actresses did an admirable job of copying their characters’ looks and mannerisms. Ann Dowd, who who returned as Mrs. Garret in the Diff’rent Strokes segment, looked and sounded amazingly like her counterpart, the late Charlotte Rae.
There was also a guest appearance from John Stewart, along with surprise cameos from Will Arnett and Jason Bateman.
Lisa Welchel, who played Blair in the original series, sang the show’s iconic theme song, before being joined by former cast mates Mindy Cohn and Kim Fields, who played Tootie and Natalie, respectively.
Next, after Boyz II Men‘s Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman delivered a version of the Diff’rent Strokes theme song, Hart and Wayans were joined by John Lithgow, as Mr. Drummond, played in the original series by the late Conrad Baines.
Hart and Wayans also played up the obvious physical differences between them and their characters, such as Wayans’ observation that while Hart’s Arnold “looks 45, he’s just eight.”
Another obvious ad-lib came at the end of the episode when Hart noted that Willis’ friend Vernon — played by Snoop Dogg “always smells like weed.”
The 2021 E! People’s Choice Awards celebrated all things entertainment Tuesday night in a two-hour ceremony hosted by actor and comedian Kenan Thompson.
Prior to Tuesday’s celebration, the top four honorees of the night were announced with Halle Berry receiving the Icon of 2021 Award. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson scored the People’s Champion Award and during his inspiring, heartfelt speech passed his award on to a Make-A Wish recipient, who attended the PCAs courtesy of the foundation.
“You’ve inspired me and everyone around you and certainly everyone here,” Johnson said. “I want to give you this.”
The Fashion Icon Award was accepted by Kim Kardashian West, who gave a shout out to her ex Kanye West crediting him with introducing her to the world of fashion. Christina Aguilera was honored with the PCAs first-ever Music Icon Award during this year’s ceremony and delivered a show-stopping performance of her biggest hits including “Genie in a Bottle,” “Dirty,” “Stronger,” and “Beautiful” — complete with three seamless outfit changes.
Other performances included H.E.R, who honored the life and legacy of R&B legend Marvin Gaye — which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the release of his renowned record “What’s Going on” — and country star Blake Shelton.
Here is the full list of People’s Choice Award winners:
People’s Champion Award
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Fashion Icon Award
Kim Kardashian
Music Icon Award
Christina Aguilera
People’s Icon of 2021
Halle Berry
The Movie of 2021 Black Widow
The Comedy Movie of 2021 Free Guy
The Action Movie of 2021 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
The Drama Movie of 2021 Cruella
The Family Movie of 2021 Luca
The Male Movie Star of 2021
Dwayne Johnson (Jungle Cruise)
The Female Movie Star of 2021
Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow)
The Drama Movie Star of 2021
Kevin Hart (Fatherhood)
The Comedy Movie Star of 2021
Dwayne Johnson(Jungle Cruise)
The Action Movie Star of 2021
Simi Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)
The Show of 2021 Loki
The Drama Show of 2021 Grey’s Anatomy
The Comedy Show of 2021 Never Have I Ever
The Reality Show of 2021 Keeping Up With the Kardashians
The Competition Show of 2021 The Voice
The Male TV Star of 2021
Tom Hiddleston (Loki)
The Female TV Star of 2021
Ellen Pompeo (Grey’s Anatomy)
The Drama TV Star of 2021
Chase Stokes (Outer Banks)
The Comedy TV Star of 2021
Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building)
The Daytime Talk Show of 2021 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Nighttime Talk Show of 2021 Jimmy Kimmel Live
The Competition Contestant of 2021
JoJo Siwa (Dancing With the Stars)
The Reality TV Star of 2021
Khloé Kardashian(Keeping Up With the Kardashians)
The Bingeworthy Show of 2021 Squid Game
The Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show of 2021 Lucifer
The Male Artist of 2021
Lil Nas X
The Female Artist of 2021
Adele
The Group of 2021
BTS
The Song of 2021
“Butter” (BTS)
The Album of 2021 Sour(Olivia Rodrigo)
The Country Artist of 2021
Blake Shelton
The Latin Artist of 2021
Bad Bunny
The New Artist of 2021
Olivia Rodrigo
The Music Video of 2021
“Butter” (BTS)
The Collaboration Song of 2021
“Stay” (The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber)
The Social Star of 2021
Britney Spears
The Pop Special of 2021 Friends: The Reunion
The Comedy Act of 2021
Vaccinated and Horny Tour (Chelsea Handler)
The Game Change of 2021
Simone Biles
The Pop Podcast of 2021 Anything Goes With Emma Chamberlain
As Adele recently told Oprah Winfrey, some of the singer’s fans took issue with her losing weight, and it seems Rebel Wilson had to grapple with that herself.
In an interview with the BBC, Wilson, 41, said her plan for a “year of health,” which resulted in a nearly 80-pound weight loss, wasn’t welcome news to some of her reps. “I got a lot of pushback from my own team actually, here in Hollywood, when I said…’I feel like I’m really gonna physically transform and change my life.'”
“[T]hey were like, ‘Why? Why would you wanna do that?’ Because I was earning millions of dollars being the funny fat girl and being that person.”
Wilson insisted that while she was “very confident being bigger,” despite being, “double the size and sometimes triple times the weight of other actresses, “deep down” she knew, “some of the emotional eating she was doing was not healthy.”
She explained, “Like I did not need a tub of ice cream every night. That was me kind of numbing emotions using food, which wasn’t the healthiest thing.”
Wilson said her need to cope came from, “dealing with not being a natural performer, and having to perform every day. And that pressure and internal stress to be able to perform like that.”
Wilson also explained she’s still “trying on my fertility journey,” which she previously said was another prime mover for her fitness. However, Rebel says she’s trying not to have “any expectations on the outcome.”
Instead, she’s just going to focus on being the “healthiest I can be,” and “whatever happens, happens.”
George Perez, a groundbreaking comic artist whose work on the pages of DC and Marvel Comics reverberated in films like Wonder Woman and the Avengers movies, revealed on Facebook he’s suffering from terminal pancreatic cancer.
Perez, 67, famous for legendary comics including DC’s New Teen Titans and Crisis on Infinite Earths for DC, and for his work with Marvel’s Mightiest Heroes, retired in 2019 for health issues, including blindness in one eye from diabetes.
He revealed to his followers that he was given the fatal diagnosis on November 29.
“It is surgically inoperable and my estimated life expectancy is between 6 months to a year,” Perez wrote.
“I have been given the option of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, but after weighing all the variables…I’ve opted to just let nature take its course and I will enjoy whatever time I have left as fully as possible with my beautiful wife of over 40 years, my family, friends and my fans.”
On that matter, Perez says he hopes to arrange one last autograph signing, “wherein I can be photographed with as many of my fans as possible, with the proviso that I get to hug each and every one of them. I just want to be able to say goodbye with smiles as well as tears.”
He added, “…oddly enough, I’m feeling the Christmas spirit more now than I have in many years.”
“Maybe it’s because it will likely be my last. Or maybe because I am enveloped in the loving arms of so many who love me as much as I love them. It’s quite uplifting to be told that you’ve led a good life, that you’ve brought joy to so many lives and that you’ll be leaving this world a better place because you were part of it.”
Power Book II: Ghost has been renewed for a third season on Starz with production set to commence in early 2022. The series features Michael Rainey Jr. as Tariq St. Patrick, Mary J. Blige as Monet Stewart Tejada, Cliff “Method Man” Smith as Davis McLean, and Larenz Tate as Rashad Tate. Season two premiered Sunday, November 21 and continues Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Starz.
“The continued success and cultural resonance of the Power Universe is unprecedented, and fans are clearly still hungry for more Power Book II: Ghost,” Jeffrey Hirsch, President and CEO at Starz, said in a statement. “We’re excited for the third season of the star-studded series to get into production early next year just ahead of the debut of Power Book IV: Force, the fourth installment in the rapidly expanding franchise.
In other news, a movie musical inspired by the music of Boyz II Men is being developed by Amazon Studios, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Malcolm D. Lee, director of The Best Man, The Best Man Holiday, and Girls Trip, is one of the producers, and is in talks to direct the film, titled Brotherly. The movie will follow a group of men who return to West Philadelphia for a high school reunion.
Finally, the 80s sitcoms The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes will be presented with live reenactments Tuesday night. Kevin Hart stars in Diff’rent Strokes as Gary Coleman‘s character, Arnold Drummond, and Damon Wayans plays his brother Willis, originally portrayed byTodd Bridges. Gabrielle Union will play Tootie, originally portrayed by Kim Fields, in The Facts of Life,
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes, will air live Tuesday, December 7 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Sharpshooter and movie consultant Thell Reed said he’s not concerned about the possibility that his 24-year-old daughter, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, could go to jail.
Gutierrez-Reed was in charge of all weapons on the set of the film Rust.
On Oct. 21, actor Alec Baldwin was rehearsing on the Rust set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, when he fired a live round from an antique Colt revolver, fatally striking 42-year-old director of photography Halyna Hutchins, and injuring the director, 48-year-old Joel Souza.
Baldwin claimed he didn’t pull the trigger. “I let go of the hammer — bang, the gun goes off,” the actor recalled to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.
“The sheriff’s department will get to the bottom of this. I’m not worried about that at all,” Thell Reed told ABC News’ Kaylee Hartung in an exclusive interview that aired on Good Morning America.
Thell Reed worked as an armorer or weapons specialist on the set of a number of films, such as Tombstone, Django: Unchained, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
According to the sheriff’s office, two other people had handled or inspected the loaded gun before it discharged — the film’s armorer, Gutierrez-Reed, and the first assistant director, Dave Halls.
Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney, Jason Bowles, said his client had no idea where the live rounds came from and that she was not in the church where rehearsal was taking place.
“She had spun the cylinder, she had given it to Halls, she had shown him each of the six rounds…He was inside the church then, Hannah was outside the church having to do her prop duties.”
Thell Reed said he “didn’t like” that his daughter was having to take on both roles of armorer and prop assistant.
“That one time they should have had her on set, she would’ve rechecked that gun,” he told ABC News. “If there was a live round placed there, she would’ve found it.”
It was only the second movie that Gutierrez-Reed was brought on to serve as the lead armorer, but her father insists her inexperience wasn’t a factor. “She didn’t need any more training, she’s got me,” Reed told ABC News.
“She knows what to do,” he added. “She does the job as good as I do now.”
Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence‘s latest film, Don’t Look Up, has yet to debut, but she’s re-teaming with its director, Adam McKay for a new project.
Variety reports Lawrence and McKay will tackle the Theranos scandal, with Lawrence producing and playing the company’s disgraced CEO Elizabeth Holmes. Holmes took Silicon Valley and Wall Street by storm with the invention of a revolutionary blood scanner, only to be exposed as a fraud when it was discovered she knew the machines never worked.
She’s currently on trial.
This project, for Apple Studios and Legendary Pictures will be based on Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist John Carreyrou‘s book Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup.
The scandal is also being turned into a limited Hulu series called The Dropout, starring Amanda Seyfried as Holmes; that project is based on the ABC News Radio podcast of the same name. Seyfried took on the role after Kate McKinnon exited; the SNL star is still producing. The series will also star William H. Macy, Laurie Metcalf, and Sam Waterston, among others.
Don’t Look Up hits theaters December 10, and streams on Netflix December 24.
In a very emotional announcement, Nick Cannonrevealed Tuesday on his television show that his five-month-old son Zen Scott Cannon passed away over the weekend.
Zen died Sunday from brain cancer. Nick explained that he took Zen to the ocean to enjoy the sunrise, and he described “holding his son for the last time.”
“I have so much faith in God,” the talk show host said before a live audience. “He puts the heaviest weight on His strongest soldiers. So I am here. I’m gonna make it through.”
Nick left his family in California to fly to New York City for his television program.
“This is a special show dedicated to my beautiful son,” he proclaimed as tears welled in his eyes.
The 41-year-old entertainer told the audience that his son developed fluid in his head, and doctors discovered that he had a malignant tumor, which led to brain surgery.
“I embraced every moment,” Cannon said of his short time with Zen. “I am so grateful to my family for coming together during this time.”
Zen, whose mother was model Alyssa Scott, was the youngest of Nick’s seven children.
