Billie Eilish is one of several celebrities who’ve signed a petition asking President Biden to make sure any turkeys he plans to symbolically “pardon” this year have a good home.
Farm Sanctuary, which rescues farm animals and rehomes them at its properties in Los Angeles and New York State, started the petition to ask that the turkeys be sent to them, so that they can receive special care after being “pardoned” in the traditional pre-Thanksgiving ceremony at the White House.
“These turkeys are often sent to farms, petting zoos, and universities with poultry science programs, where they are likely not cared for as individuals with unique personalities, emotions, needs, and preferences,” Farm Sanctuary notes.
“Modern turkeys have been genetically altered to grow exceptionally fast and large and they require specialized attention, which birds pardoned by previous presidents haven’t received,” the petition reads.
“As we approach the holiday season—meant to be a time of gratitude and goodwill—we hope you’ll accept our offer to provide sanctuary and the best life possible for pardoned turkeys,” it continues. “Here, they will have the opportunity to dust bathe, feel grass beneath their feet, enjoy a robust social life, and receive personalized care.”
Billie, who’s been vegan since the age of 12, is just one of a number of stars who’ve signed the petition, among them Joaquin Phoenix, Dave Bautista, Ricky Gervais, Mayim Bialik, Rooney Mara, Margaret Cho and Natasha Lyonne.
Rick Ross wants his fans to be in the Christmas spirit as he announced Friday on Instagram he’s dropping his new album in early December.
The Boss is releasing his 11th studio album, Richer Than I Ever Been, on December 10. The album artwork features a close-up of the “Gold Rose” rapper dressed in cream attire with matching gloves covering his face, with a pale pink hat rounding out the outfit.
The lead single “OUTLAWZ,” featuring 21 Savage and Jazmine Sullivan, will hit streaming services on Friday, November 12.
Ricky Rozay’s previous studio release, 2019’s Port of Miami 2, debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, featuring Drake, Lil Wayne, John Legend, Meek Mill, Swizz Beatz, Wale, Summer Walker, Nipsey Hussle, and more.
Ross is currently on tour and performs Friday night in Columbia, South Carolina
Movie tough guy Frank Grillo has fired his share of weapons on screen over the years, as he did as Frank Rumlow/Crossbones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and in the recent COPSHOP.
Like many of his colleagues, he’s speaking out about the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was fatally wounded last month on the set of the Western Rust, when Alec Baldwin fired a pistol he was reportedly told was empty.
“This shouldn’t have happened. It was easily avoidable,” Grillo says flatly.
“I don’t blame one person, I blame a lot of people.”
Safety issues on the Rust set reportedly caused some on Hutchins’ camera crew to walk off the project before the accident that left Hutchins dead and director Joel Souza injured.
The October 21 incident has led to an industry-wide discussion about gun safety on movie sets, and pushed stars like Dwayne Johnson and the producers of ABC’s The Rookie to ban real firearms on their sets.
“It should be happening a lot,” Grillo says of the conversations.
“And now it’s time to make sure that this is something that we talk about and we never see again. I mean, this is a beautiful woman who lost her life!”he says.(AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)
Incidentally, Grillo’s new movie Ida Red made extensive use of the safer alternative to real firearms that many are now advocating: Airsoft replica guns, to which digital muzzle flashes were added in post-production. The replicas only shoot out compressed air, but operate convincingly onscreen.
The film contains a climactic, outdoor shootout sequence, for which no real firearms were used.
Ida Red, which also stars Oscar winner Melissa Leo and Josh Hartnett, is out today in limited release, and available On Demand.
The Hollywood Reporter notes Black Panther star Letitia Wright is still recovering in London from the on-set injury she suffered shooting the film in Boston in August, and the cast and crew of its sequel Wakanda Forever will soon run out of scenes to shoot without her.
The star, who plays Princess Shuri, the sister of the late Chadwick Boseman‘s King T’Challa, will be taking more of a lead role in the sequel since Boseman’s death in 2020.
The producers of the sequel had rearranged the shooting schedule to keep production going while the actress recovered from her injuries, which were reportedly caused by a stunt rig.
At the time, the injuries were said to be “minor.”
The trade explains the break in production will happen around Thanksgiving week.
A rep for Wright told the trade, “Letitia has been recovering in London since September…and is looking forward to returning to work early 2022.” The rep added, “Letitia kindly asks that you keep her in your prayers.”
The release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, was bumped from July 8, 2022 to Nov. 11, 2022.
Marvel is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC Audio.
After pleading not guilty to federal drug charges last week, Willie Maxwell II, better known as “Fetty Wap,” has been released on bond.
ABC News confirmed on Friday that the New Jersey rapper was released on a $500,000 secured bond along with other restrictions. As part of his release he must stay under GPS monitoring, submit to random drug testing, surrender his passport, and only travel with the prior approval of Pre-trial Services and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
As previously reported, Fetty Wap was arrested October 28 during the Rolling Loud music festival at Citi Field in Queens, New York. He was charged with five others, including a New Jersey corrections officer, with conspiring to distribute and possess controlled substances across Long Island and New Jersey.
Fetty pleaded not guilty to those charges during his arraignment on October 29 and faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
Drake is still in an eerie Halloween mood as he dropped his black and white horror show “Knife Talk” video Friday featuring 21 Savage and Project Pat. The track from his chart-topping Certified Lover Boy album is currently number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It mixes footage from the 1962 low budget horror thriller Carnival of Souls, and the 1971 Italian slasher flick The Mad Butcher, with cartoon imagery and zombies, as well as dolls and puppets rapping the lyrics.
The Champagne Papi is also debuting a new concert venue in his hometown, Toronto, Canada. Named History, the 2,500-capacity concert hall will open Sunday, and plans to host 200 events a year. The lineup includes Jack Harlow on November 16, and TeyanaTaylor on her The Last Rose Petal Farewell Tour on November 18. Next year, WizKid will perform on January 20 and 21.
On November 1, Billy Joel celebrated his 50th anniversary as a recording artist, and now he’s turning back the clock by posting his very first music video.
But maybe calling it a “music video” oversells it: It’s a 1971 film of a long-haired, bearded Billy in his early twenties, sitting at a piano and playing “Everybody Loves You Now,” a track from his debut solo album Cold Spring Harbor.
Cold Spring Harbor is one of the albums included in The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 1: a new box set of nine vinyl LPs featuring Billy’s first six studio albums and his first live album, Songs in the Attic, plus a previously unreleased double-LP concert recording that’s exclusive to the box set. The set also comes with a 50-page booklet featuring archival photos, Billy’s personal observations, and tributes from fellow musicians and celebrities.
The box set is out today. Tonight, Billy resumes his residency at New York’s Madison Square Garden. He recently announced two more stadium shows for 2022: a March 12 concert at Orlando, FL’s Camping World Stadium and a September 23 show at Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX. Tickets for both shows go on sale November 12.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden was making last-minute calls to key House members as Speaker Nancy Pelosi pressed for two critical votes Friday on the Democratic agenda: the president’s $1.75 trillion “Build Back Better” social spending and climate policy package and the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan.
But Democratic infighting continued as Democratic moderates demanded Pelosi wait for a cost estimate on the larger bill from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office before going forward.
That could take weeks.
Late Friday afternoon, Pelosi announced the House would vote Friday on the already Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure plan and then take a procedural vote on moving forward with the “Build Back Better” legislation — but not a final vote — a significant concession.
“We had hoped to be able to bring both bills to the floor today. Some members want more clarification or validation of numbers that have been put forth. It’s top line, that it is fully paid for. And we honor that request,” Pelosi said. “So today, we hope to pass the BIF and also the rule on Build Back Better with the idea that before Thanksgiving — it should take them another week or so — to get the numbers they are requesting.”
So, Democratic leaders imposed yet deadline after missing many others — to pass the “Build Back Better” legislation by the middle of the month, with Pelosi calling its hoped-for passage a “Thanksgiving gift for the American people.”
The speaker, renowned for her vote-counting prowess and who has famously said she doesn’t call a vote unless she know she has enough to win, was asked by a reporter, “Do you … have 218 votes to pass it?’ Pelosi answered, “We’ll see, won’t we?”
Even so, it wasn’t clear whether progressive Democrats would go along with Pelosi’s plan to vote Friday on the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
For months, they have threatened to vote against and defeat it — unless at the same time they got a vote on final passage of the larger social spending package.
Pelosi had addressed some of their concerns by adding back in four weeks of paid family and medical leave over the objections of West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin, whose vote is key to getting the measure passed in the Senate.
In a sign of the fast-changing developments, minutes after Pelosi announced there would be a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure package Friday, progressives gathered behind closed doors.
In the middle of their meeting, President Biden called Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
She left in a hurry, racing to nearby elevators to take the call.
ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott reported she was told roughly 20 progressives were ready to vote against the bipartisan infrastructure bill unless there’s a vote on the larger social spending bill, too.
The roadblocks thrown up by House Democrats continued despite Biden urging then to act — with the party facing new pressure to deliver after disappointing election results on Tuesday.
“I’m asking every House Member, Member of the House of Representatives to vote yes on both these bills right now. Send the infrastructure bill to my desk. Send the Build Back Better bill to the Senate,” Biden send in his morning message to lawmakers. “Let’s, let’s build on incredible economic progress. Build on what we’ve already done, because this will be such a boost when it occurs. Let’s show the world that American democracy can deliver and propel our economy forward. Let’s get this done.”
He did not answer reporter questions, but promised to come back to answer them when the bills pass.
But hours after he spoke, when or if that would happen remained in doubt.
A number of well-known veteran music artists have received nominations for the 2021 Hollywood Music in Media Awards — the HMMAs — which honor composers, songwriters, and music supervisors for their work in music for film, television and videogames.
This year’s nominees include Brian Wilson, Carole King, U2, Van Morrison and Devo‘s Mark Mothersbaugh.
Wilson received two nods, both for his recent documentary Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road. Brian will vie for the Song: Documentary Film honor for “Right Where I Belong,” which the Beach Boys legend co-wrote with My Morning Jacket‘s Jim James, while the movie itself has been nominated in the Music Documentary/Special Program category.
King has been nominated for the Song: Feature Film for “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home),” from the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect. The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer co-wrote that tune with the movie’s star, Jennifer Hudson, and with Jamie Hartman.
U2 received a nod in the Song: Animated Film category for their new tune “Your Song Saved My Life” from the upcoming flick Sing 2.
Morrison will compete for the Song: Independent Film award for “Down to Joy,” which is from the movie Belfast.
Like Wilson, Mothersbaugh is a two-time nominee. He’s in the running for the Score: Animated Film prize for The Mitchells vs. The Machines, and in the Score: Video Game category for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
The winners of this year’s Hollywood Music in Media Awards will be announced during a livestreamed ceremony held November 17 in Hollywood, California.
To check out all of the nominees, visit HMMAwards.com.
Pose director and screenwriter Janet Mock has found her next major project.
Deadline has learned that Mock will direct and rewrite The International Sweethearts of Rhythm for Sony Pictures. Amy Pascal, Susan Tarr, Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman are all on board to produce the project. Plot details on The International Sweethearts of Rhythm have yet to be revealed.
In other news, TriStar Pictures has set a September 16, 2022 release date for the Gina Prince-Bythewood– directed feature The Woman King, Variety reports. The film, which stars Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu and John Boyega, is inspired by real events that took place in the powerful African state of Dahomey in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Meanwhile, Comedy Central is bring in some holiday cheer with their new film Clüsterfünke Christmas. Described as a “celebratory parody of the traditional TV holiday romance” the film that follows Vella Lovell as Holly, an ambitious real estate exec who visits a small town in hopes of turning the quaint Clüsterfünke Inn into a popular a mega-resort. There, she meets a quirky woodsman who makes her rethink her big- city life. Cheyenne Jackson, Ryan McPartlin, Nils Hognestad, Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer also star. Clüsterfünke Christmas premieres December 4 on Comedy Central.
Finally, ICYMI, All Rise star Philemon Chambers is leading the cast for Netflix’s LGBTQ+ holiday rom-com Single All the Way. Directed by Tony-Winning Michael Mayer, the film follows Michael Urie as Peter, a bachelor who convinces his best friend Nick, played by Chambers, to join him for the holidays as his pretend boyfriend. Peter’s plan goes awry when his mother sets him with a handsome trainer who has real potential. Single All the Way hits Netflix on December 2.
