Nearly 13 years following the passing of Michael Jackson, a biopic about the King of Pop is coming to the big screen.
Lionsgate announced it will distribute the film now being developed by Oscar-winning producer Graham King, according to Deadline.
The movie is being co-produced by John Branca and John McClain, the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate, and has the blessing of the Jackson family. Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson, said in a statement, “Ever since Michael was little, as a member of The Jackson 5, he loved the magic of cinema. As a family, we are honored to have our life story come alive on the big screen.”
Simply titled Michael, the biopic is described as “an in-depth portrayal of a complicated man who became the King of Pop. It will bring to life Jackson’s most iconic performances as it gives an informed insight into the entertainer’s artistic process and personal life.”
“I first met the Jackson family in 1981 and I’m humbled to bring their legacy to the big screen,” says King, who won the Best Picture Oscar in 2009 for The Departed. “Sitting at Dodger Stadium watching the Victory Tour, I could never have imagined that nearly 38 years later I would get the privilege to be a part of this film.”
The Michael Jackson Broadway production MJ: The Musical opened February 1 in New York City. Michael’s children — Paris, Prince and Bigi, aka Blanket, attended the opening night performance, as well as TJ Jackson, son of Michael’s brother, Tito Jackson.
(ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich.) — The parents of Ethan Crumbley, the teenager accused of fatally shooting four students at a Michigan school, appeared in court on Tuesday for a hearing that will determine whether the two will face trial.
James and Jennifer Crumbley are accused of involuntary manslaughter after allegedly neglecting or failing to recognize warning signs about their son in the months before the shooting.
The prosecution asked District Court Judge Julie Nicholson to restrict communication between James and Jennifer Crumbley. The request came after the two were seen communicating in a court proceeding over Zoom, which the court granted.
Attorneys for the Crumbley parents asked the judge to postpone the hearing so they can further prepare, but the judge denied their motion.
James Crumbley had purchased the gun used in the rampage days before the shooting, according to prosecutors.
Deputies refused to remove the belly-chains from Crumbleys during Tuesday’s hearing due to their “national security status,” one of the deputies told the judge. This came when attorneys for the Crumbleys requested their hands be uncuffed so they could communicate with their attorneys by writing notes.
Kira Pennocki, the owner of a barn where the Crumbleys keep their horses, testified that Jennifer Crumbley had called her son “weird” and said he was “not out doing things like normal kids.”
Pennocki said Jennifer Crumbley told her that her son only had one friend and that he spent a lot of time online or playing games.
The prosecution showed text exchanges between Pennocki and Jennifer Crumbley in the days leading up to the shooting and after the shooting.
“My son ruined so many lives today,” Jennifer Crumbley said in a text to Pennocki on the day of the shooting.
Another witness, Andrew Smith, who worked with Jennifer Crumbley detailed his interactions with her on the day of the shooting.
Their son, Ethan Crumbley, will appear next in court on Feb. 22. Ethan Crumbley was charged with multiple felony charges, including terrorism, in connection with the rampage that killed four students and injured several others on Nov. 30. The 15-year-old was charged as an adult.
Disney/Pixar has released the first trailer to Lightyear, the animated action movie origin story behind the action figure Buzz Lightyear, who was voiced by Tim Allen in the Toy Story films.
Chris Evans voices “the real” Buzz Lightyear, a Space Ranger on a dangerous intergalactic mission. The trailer shows the character launched into deep space, where he runs afoul of a “massive robot” that Toy Story fans will recognize as the inspiration for Evil Emperor Zurg, as well as his robotic minions.
In a statement, director Angus MacLane noted, “In Toy Story, there seemed to be this incredible backstory to [Buzz] being a Space Ranger that’s only touched upon, and I always wanted to explore that world further. So my Lighytear pitch was, ‘What was the movie that Andy saw that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy?'”
He added, “I wanted to see that movie. And now I’m lucky enough to get to make it.”
The movie, which also features the voices of Oscar-winner Taiki Waititi, Emmy-winner Uzo Aduba, Keke Palmer, James Brolin, and Efram Ramirez, as well as Ratatouille vet Peter Sohn as Buzz’s robot cat companion, Sox, opens in theaters June 17.
If you could use some serious extra cash, better fire up that Snapchat account. Mariah Carey has teamed with the video-sharing app for an all-new Spotlight challenge — the #AlwaysBeMyBaby Challenge — where the grand prize is $50,000.
Entering is simple . First and foremost, you need a Snapchat account. From there, all you need to do is show Mariah how you’re cozying up with the one you love on Valentine’s Day, but you have to use her 1995 hit “Always Be My Baby” to get yourself entered.
“Today’s all about love,” Mariah said in the official announcement. “Show me how you’re spending your special day!” She even provided an example, where her boyfriend, Bryan Tanaka, brings her a tray with two champagne glasses and some chocolates. He then pours her some Black Irish liqueur, which is Mimi’s own Irish cream brand, and the two toast. This all happens as her hit song plays in the background.
The #AlwaysBeMyBaby Challenge is now open and video submissions will be accepted until Tuesday, February 15. The grand prize winner will be hooked up with that $50,000 jackpot, while the second- and third-place winners will respectively win $30,000 and $20,000.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.7 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 905,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 64.1% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 08, 11:28 am
Omicron estimated to account for 96.4% of new cases
The presence of the omicron sub-variant, BA.2, is increasing in the U.S., according to new data published by the CDC.
BA.2 was estimated to accounted for 3.6% of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. as of Feb. 5. BA.2 was projected to account for 1.2% of new cases the week prior.
The original omicron strain, B.1.1.529, still makes up the vast majority of new cases, accounting for an estimated 96.4% of cases in the U.S.
There is still much unknown about the BA.2 variant, but currently it doesn’t appear to demonstrate a more severe illness. There’s also no indication to suggest that BA.2 will further impact the efficacy of vaccines.
The delta variant, which accounted for 99.2% of all new cases just two months ago, is now estimated to account for 0% of new cases.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos and Eric M. Strauss
Feb 08, 9:30 am
Michigan closes bridge to Canada amid trucker-led protests
An ongoing, trucker-led protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other pandemic-related restrictions in Canada spilled over into the United States via the Ambassador Bridge on Monday night, blocking access to one of the world’s largest international suspension bridges.
The protesters hindered traffic at the tolled bridge across the Detroit River, which connects Windsor, Canada, with Detroit, Michigan, at the Canadian-U.S. border. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced via Twitter on Monday night that it had closed the crossing to Canada.
The Windsor Police Service tweeted Tuesday morning that the bridge has reopened to U.S.-bound traffic. Meanwhile, MDOT tweeted an update saying the crossing remains closed on the U.S. side.
Monday marked the 11th straight day of the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protests, which began with truckers critical of a new rule that they must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to cross the Canada-U.S. border. The demonstrations have since grown into broader challenges to pandemic-related public health measures and opposition to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Thousands of protesters have occupied the streets of Ottawa and other cities across Canada in support of the movement, paralyzing the capital’s city center with traffic jams, nonstop noise and alleged harassment. Protesters have said they won’t leave until all COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions are lifted nationwide. They are also calling for the removal of Trudeau’s government, even though most of the public health measures were put in place by provincial governments.
The House of Commons of Canada held an emergency session on Tuesday to discuss the demonstrations. In an opening statement, the prime minister said he understands “people are tired” of COVID-19 but that protests are not the answer.
“These pandemic restrictions are not forever,” Trudeau told lawmakers.
While Trudeau’s opponents argued that the country is at a crisis point, the prime minister rejected any notion that Canadians are divided.
“Canada has one of the highest vaccination rates of our peer countries around the world,” he said. “It’s because Canadians trust science. Canadians trust each other to do the right thing.”
Feb 08, 6:54 am
Oregon to lift mask mandates for indoor public spaces, schools by March 31
Oregon will lift general mask requirements for indoor public places no later than March 31, state health officials announced Monday.
According to the Oregon Health Authority, scientists expect that about 400 or fewer people would be hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide by late March, which is the level of hospitalizations Oregon experienced before the highly contagious omicron variant began to spread. Mask mandates for Oregon schools will be lifted on March 31 to give school districts time to prepare.
However, the Oregon Health Authority said the state needs to keep mask requirements in place for now as COVID-19 hospitalizations crest and the health care system struggles to treat high numbers of severely ill patients.
The Oregon Health Authority has filed a new rule with the Oregon Secretary of State to require people to wear masks while indoors in public places. The new rule replaces a temporary one that expired Monday.
State health officials will consider lifting the general indoor mask requirement earlier than March 31 if hospitalizations decline to the levels projected by the end of March sooner than expected. Once the mandates are lifted, employers and businesses may continue to establish their own mask requirements to protect employees and customers, according to the Oregon Health Authority.
(BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C.) — Two inmates who escaped from a Tennessee jail, including one facing murder charges, were killed in a police chase in North Carolina after they allegedly robbed a store and stole a car, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
Fugitives Tobias Carr, 38, and Timothy Sarver, 45, died in a crash in Brunswick County, North Carolina, following a police chase, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation told ABC News.
A third escapee, Johnny Shane Brown, 50, remained on the run Tuesday.
The three inmates escaped from the Sullivan County Jail in Blountville, Tennessee, on Friday via an air vent and made their getaway possibly in a white Chevrolet Silverado truck. The jail is about 400 miles from where the fatal crash occurred.
Sarver and Tobias, who had been jailed on a second-degree murder charge, allegedly committed an armed robbery at a convenience store in Sneads Ferry, North Carolina, south of Wilmington, early Saturday morning, authorities said. A store clerk told police the robbers tied him up at gunpoint, emptied the cash register and fled with his car, according to ABC affiliate station WWAY in Wilmington.
While the victim was being interviewed by police, he spotted the suspects driving by in his vehicle, setting off the chase by officers from several law enforcement agencies across Onslow, Pender, New Hanover and Brunswick counties, authorities said.
The fatal crash occurred near Navassa in Brunswick County, police said.
In addition to second-degree murder, Carr was being held at the Sullivan County jail on charges of vandalism and tampering with evidence, according to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office. Sarver was being held at the jail on charges of auto theft, identity theft, possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawfully carrying a weapon.
A $5,000 reward was being offered for information leading to the capture of Brown, who was being held at the jail on charges of violating an order of protection, domestic assault and aggravated stalking, according to the sheriff’s office.
An Oscar nomination is a feather in anybody’s cap, but for Lin-Manuel Miranda, his brand-new nom for Encanto‘s original song, “Dos Oruguitas,” puts him closer to a Hollywood high-water mark: The coveted PEGOT.
Miranda already has a Pulitzer, an Emmy, a Grammy and a Tony, thanks to both the stage and small-screen productions of his phenomenon Hamilton, but an Oscar could make him just the third person to win a PEGOT, joining Rita Moreno, Mike Nichols, and Barbra Streisand.
Just 16 people have won the EGOT, including Moreno, Nichols, Richard Rodgers, Helen Hayes, John Gielgud, Audrey Hepburn, Marvin Hamlisch, Jonathan Tunick, Mel Brooks, Whoopi Goldberg, Scott Rudin, Robert Lopez, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, John Legend, and Alan Menken.
Incidentally, the term EGOT was first coined by former Miami Vice co-star Phillip Michael Thomas, who manifested in 1984 that he’d secure all four honors within five years. Alas, he’s never earned any of the trophies. Thomas’ failed quest for the EGOT — and his gold EGOT necklace — were later spoofed by Tracy Morgan‘s character on 30 Rock.
Both served as something of a warning to Miranda, who once told ABC Audio, “I honestly think that the moment you start chasing an award is the moment it goes away.”
He added with a laugh, “I am forever proud of like Rita Moreno for being like the Boriqua [fellow Puerto Rican] who is the EGOT, and she can stay the Boriqua who is the EGOT as far as I’m concerned. Because she’s Rita Moreno and then there’s mere mortals over here!”
Miranda adds, “I mean, it’s…my goal is just to make things I’m passionate about…and that’s the only thing that’s really worth pursuing. Everything else is gravy — fun, but gravy.”
The nominations for the 94th annual Academy Awards were announced Tuesday, and Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Beyoncé and Questlove are among the nominees.
As expected, Smith scored a Best Actor nomination for his starring role as the father of Venus and SerenaWilliams in the film King Richard. His co-star, Aunjanue Ellis, also received a nod for Best Supporting Actress for playing the tennis icons’ mother, Oracene Price.
Washington, already a two-time Oscar winner, was nominated for Best Actor for his role as the title character in The Tragedy of Macbeth, director Joel Coen‘s take on the classic Shakespeare play.
Meanwhile, the Beyhive is losing their minds over the fact that Beyoncé received her first-ever Oscar nomination for co-writing the song “Be Alive,” for the movie King Richard. She shares the nomination with her co-writer, Dixson.
In addition, Questlove received his first Oscar nomination, for his documentary Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). It spotlights the New York City’s 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a six-week event that featured everyone from Stevie Wonder and Nina Simone to Gladys Knight & The Pips and Mahalia Jackson.
The 94th Annual Academy Awards air March 27 live on ABC.
The nominations for the 2022 Oscars was announced this morning Oscar and among the nominees in the Best Original Song category is Van Morrison.
Morrison’s “Down to Joy,” from the film Belfast, will compete against “Be Alive” from King Richard, co-written by Beyoncé and singer, songwriter and producer Darius Scott, aka DIXSON; “Dos Oruguitas,” from Encanto, composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda; the title track of the James Bond film No Time to Die, co-written by Billie Eilish and and her brother and collaborator, FINNEAS; and “Somehow You Do,” from Four Good Days, written by Diane Warren.
Meanwhile, a number of noteworthy songs from 2021 films that had been shortlisted for an Oscar nod were passed over. They include U2‘s Sing 2 track “Your Song Saved My Life”; and “Right Where I Belong,” from the Brian Wilson documentary Long Promised Road, which the Beach Boys legend co-wrote with My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James.
The nominations for the 2022 Oscars was announced this morning Oscar and among the nominees in the Best Original Song category is Van Morrison.
Morrison’s “Down to Joy,” from the film Belfast, will compete against “Be Alive” from King Richard, co-written by Beyoncé and singer, songwriter and producer Darius Scott, aka DIXSON; “Dos Oruguitas,” from Encanto, composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda; the title track of the James Bond film No Time to Die, co-written by Billie Eilish and and her brother and collaborator, FINNEAS; and “Somehow You Do,” from Four Good Days, written by Diane Warren.
Meanwhile, a number of noteworthy songs from 2021 films that had been shortlisted for an Oscar nod were passed over. They include U2‘s Sing 2 track “Your Song Saved My Life”; “Right Where I Belong,” from the Brian Wilson documentary Long Promised Road, which the Beach Boys legend co-wrote with My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James; and “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home),” which Carole King co-wrote with Jennifer Hudson and Jamie Hartman for the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect.
Meanwhile, the Questlove-directed Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), about the star-studded 1969 music festival in Harlem, New York, that came to be known as “Black Woodstock,” received a nomination in the Best Documentary Feature category. The film features archival footage of performances by Stevie Wonder, The 5th Dimension, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Sly and the Family Stone, The Staple Singers and many others.
