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Starz renews ‘Power Book II: Ghost’, Boyz II Men musical, and more

December 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

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.

Groundbreaking comic book artist George Perez reveals terminal pancreatic cancer diagnosis

December 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

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.”

Watch members of Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers & more play together for school fundraiser

December 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

A charity fundraiser turned into a veritable Lollpalooza in Malibu, California, over the weekend.

Rockers including Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tool‘s Danny Carey, and Queens of the Stone Age‘s Josh Homme and Troy Van Leeuwen all jammed together during the event, which raised money for the Malibu Elementary School arts program.

The all-star band also included Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney, and Ozzy Osbourne producer Andrew Watt on guitar. You can check out footage from the concert via an attendee’s Insta gram.

While you probably didn’t get the attend the show, you can still listen to Hawkins and Chaney play together in the group NHC with the bassist’s Jane’s band mate, Dave Navarro. Chaney is also part of Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder‘s solo band The Earthlings, alongside Smith and Watt.

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“She didn’t need any more training. She got me.” — Father of Rust armorer speaks out after fatal set shooting

December 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

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.”

Hawaii governor declares state of emergency over ‘catastrophic’ weather

December 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(HONOLULU) — Following a forecast of “catastrophic” rainfall, flash floods and landslides, Hawaii Gov. David Ige declared a state of emergency for the tropical state.

“Now is the time to make sure you have an emergency plan in place and supplies ready should you need to move away from rising water,” Ige said in a press conference Monday night.

The city of Honolulu recorded its wettest December day on Monday after receiving 8 inches of rainfall. It also recorded the most single-day rainfall since 1958, when it received 15.32 inches.

“A kona low northwest of the islands will continue to bring the threat of heavy rain and a few thunderstorms with gusty winds to Kauai County and Oahu today, and potentially tonight,” the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Honolulu said.

While Monday’s flash flood warning for Oahu has since expired, there is still an active flood watch for the island.

Due to the heavy downpour, the Oahu Department of Emergency Management reported cases of vehicle rescues, water evacuation requests, inundated homes and road closures.

“The H-1 freeway and several roads in town are experiencing considerable flooding, so limit travel wherever possible,” the department said.

Images and videos from Twitter showed indoor flooding and cars and buses driving in and stranded in floodwater.

ABC News’ Daniel Peck contributed to this report.

Report: Police investigating Lil Wayne allegedly pulling rifle on bodyguard

December 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Lil Wayne is reportedly under police investigation for allegedly pulling an assault rifle on one of his bodyguards at his home.

A member of Weezy’s security team claims that the iconic rapper brandished an AR-15-style rifle during an argument at his home in Hidden Hills, California, TMZ reports.

The guard says Wayne accused him of leaking photos to the media. He reported the altercation to police, who found that Wayne had left the house by the time they arrived. The security member also claimed the incident became physical, however police noted he had not sustained any injuries.

No charges have been filed. A source close to the Young Money Entertainment founder denies the incident and claims that Wayne does not own a gun.

Jennifer Lawrence re-teaming with her ‘Don’t Look Up’ director Adam McKay for Theranos scandal film ‘Bad Blood’

December 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

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.

Garth Brooks teases more Stadium Tour dates

December 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Garth Brooks may have more Stadium Tour dates up his sleeve.

As Garth continues to roll out shows for 2022, he shared on Inside Studio G Monday night that fans can expect to see additional dates on the Stadium Tour schedule before the end of the year. And while many of the shows have been in the South and Midwest, the superstar suggests his territory may be expanding.

“There’s going to be at least a couple more, including maybe a third one that’s huge for us,” he hints, adding with a laugh, “I can’t imagine the West Coast and the East Coast both getting Christmas presents, but who knows!”

Garth continues to break records with his Stadium Tour, selling more than 70,000 tickets last week to his show at University of Arkansas’ Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville on April 23. He’s also set to play Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on April 30. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday.

The “Callin’ Baton Rouge” singer will conclude the Stadium Tour with five sold-out shows at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland in September.

Instruments signed by Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Tom Petty added to MusiCares charity auction

December 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Instruments signed by Paul McCartney, Keith Richards and the late Tom Petty are among the interesting items that have been added to a recently announced memorabilia auction benefiting the MusiCares charity scheduled to take place January 30, one day before the 64th annual Grammy Awards ceremony.

The former Beatles icon has donated a signed Hofner violin bass guitar to the auction, which is estimated to fetch from $4,000 to $6,000.

The Rolling Stones legend has contributed an autographed ebony Gibson ES-335 electric guitar to the auction, while an NFT featuring a digital video of Richards signing the instruments also is included. The lot is estimated to bring in between $6,000 and $8,000.

A Gibson ES-355 Bigsby electric/acoustic guitar that Petty signed at the 2017 gala honoring him as MusiCares Person of the Year also is up for bid, along with a copy of the Ultra Deluxe version of Tom’s Wildflowers & All the Rest box set. The lot also is expected to sell for between $6,000 and $8,000.

Also added to the auction is U2 singer Bono‘s handwritten lyrics to his band’s new tune “Your Song Saved My Life,” which will be featured in the upcoming animated film Sing 2 that features Bono voicing one of the characters. The document is expected to sell for between $4,000 and $6,000.

In addition, a signed proof print of an oil painting of Jimi Hendrix by legendary singer/songwriter and 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year Joni Mitchell will be up for bid, valued at $2,000 to $4,000.

MusiCares provides medical, financial and personal assistance to in-need members of the music community. The sale, which is being hosted by Julien’s Auctions, will take place online and in Beverly Hills, California.

Instagram rolls out features to protect young users amid mounting controversies

December 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Instagram announced a slew of updates on Tuesday that aim to protect teens on the app, in an announcement that notably comes one day before Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri is set to testify before lawmakers on social media’s impact on young users.

Mosseri announced the new features in a company blog post on Tuesday, which includes launching the “Take a Break” feature in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

“If someone has been scrolling for a certain amount of time, we’ll ask them to take a break from Instagram and suggest that they set reminders to take more breaks in the future,” Monserri said. “We’ll also show them expert-backed tips to help them reflect and reset.”

Mosseri said they will also be taking a stricter approach to what they recommend to teens on the app via search, explore, hashtags and suggested accounts and will stop people from tagging or mentioning teens that don’t follow them. Instagram will also start nudging teens towards different topics if they’ve been dwelling on one topic for a long time.

“We’ll also be launching our first tools for parents and guardians early next year to help them get more involved in their teen’s experiences on Instagram,” Mosseri said. “Parents and guardians will be able to see how much time their teens spend on Instagram and set time limits. And we’ll have a new educational hub for parents and guardians.”

The first tools for parents and guardians are set to launch in March, and will allow them to view how much time their teens spend on Instagram and set time limits. Teens can also notify their parents if they report someone, which Monserri says can give parents the opportunity to talk with their children about it. The educational hub for parents will also include additional resources like tutorials and tips from experts to help them discuss and understand their teens’ social media use.

“As always, I’m grateful to the experts and researchers who lend us their expertise in critical areas like child development, teen mental health and online safety, and I continue to welcome productive collaboration with lawmakers and policymakers on our shared goal of creating an online world that both benefits and protects many generations to come,” Mosseri said.

The updates come in the wake of a former Facebook employee testifying before lawmakers in October. Whistleblower Frances Haugen alleged blatant disregard from company executives when they learned their platforms could have harmful effects on the mental health of young people.

Documents leaked to the Wall Street Journal by Haugen cited the company’s own internal research said that Instagram made body image worse for 1 in 3 teenage girls.

Mosseri, meanwhile, is scheduled to testify on Wednesday before a Senate panel for a hearing titled “Protecting Kids Online: Instagram and Reforms for Young Users.” The hearing will commence at 2:30 p.m. ET.

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