Rapper Daniel “Tekashi 6ix9ine” Hernandez could be released from prison as early as Wednesday afternoon, according to reports in XXL and Rolling Stone. Like several other celebrities, his attorney, Lance Lazzaro, has filed a motion to have him released early due to the spread of coronavirus through the prison system. However, unlike Bill Cosby and
Month: April 2020
Farce is not a genre we commonly associate with the Germans, but then, as “Curveball” reminds us at the outset, this wildly atypical Teutonic satire — which plays like a cross between “Wag the Dog” and “Dr. Strangelove” in its portrayal of incompetence at the highest levels — is “A true story. Unfortunately.” More mea
When the film and TV industry emerges from self-isolation to a forever altered landscape, one silver lining will be the online savvy newly gained by traditionally digitally-shy businesses, some of whom have reacted with lightning speed to devise virtual showcases. A drive towards virtual events initially manifested in early March across disrupted festivals such as
Director Stephen Williams, who most recently helmed HBO’s “Watchmen,” has boarded “Don’t Go in the Water,” an original horror film from Universal Pictures. Peter Gaffney wrote the script, most of which is being kept tightly under wraps. The film is described as a suspenseful monster movie. Shawn Levy and Dan Levine will produce “Don’t Go
John Sloss, founder and principal of Cinetic Media, is the consummate mover and shaker in the independent film business. But a conversation with Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos a few years ago changed his view of television forever. “From the moment Ted Sarandos informed me he was going to drop an entire season of ‘House
Songwriters are straining to meet the moment as the coronavirus crisis intensifies — and John Mayer has definitely met this one with a new song, “Drone Shot of My Yacht,” that captures all the angst felt by billionaires as they wait out the pandemic, adrift on the high seas. Although it doesn’t mention anyone by
Universal Pictures is shaking up its release calendar, setting new dates for Illumination’s “Minions: The Rise of Gru” and “Sing 2.” The “Minions” sequel will now hit theaters next summer, on July 2, 2021. “Sing 2,” originally set to open on that date, has been pushed to Dec. 22, 2021, leaving “Wicked,” an adaptation of
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton I will accept that spring is indefinitely over, but I refuse to accept that summer is cancelled. They will have to pry the hope of beach getaways from my over-sanitized hands. I am staying home for the health of my country and the promise of outdoor drinking. If summer 2020 does
Taylor Swift hasn’t been spotted casually browsing in record stores over the years quite as often as LP shop-aholic Elton John, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have an equal interest in keeping them open and thriving. Grimey’s, an independent store in her hometown of Nashville, confirmed Thursday that Swift had quietly made a contribution
Another word for “Cargo,” a truly unique blend of Hindu mythology and mid-concept science fiction about a futuristic new process by which the recently deceased are beamed onto a spaceship far away in order to have their memories wiped and their souls cleansed for reincarnation, might be “baggage” — as in, dead people show up
Former Hulu chief Jason Kilar has been named CEO of WarnerMedia, giving him oversight of Warner Bros., HBO, the Turner cable assets and the company’s nascent HBO Max streaming platform. Kilar succeeds John Stankey, who was upped in September to AT&T president and chief operating officer. Kilar’s name had surfaced as a contender for the
Is this any time for a dance party? It is if you’re a fan of Dua Lipa, the English singer who won the best new artist Grammy in 2019 and is back with a sophomore album that literally doesn’t skip a beat. “Future Nostalgia” is 100% ballad-free, with a style that might have seemed at
As the coronavirus pandemic has brought much of the music industry — and most industries — to a standstill, MusiCares has emerged as the leading relief resource for the untold thousands of music professionals impacted by the crisis. However, obviously it can’t handle everyone, and a large number of resources are available for music professionals
“Empire” has had its fair share of bumps in the road over the last year, but now, the series is having to cut short its final season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The sixth and final season of “Empire” was scheduled to run for 20 episodes, however, the production shutdown caused by the pandemic meant
Comcast chief Brian Roberts, NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell and other division leaders at Comcast will donate their salaries to coronavirus-related relief efforts as the world grapples with the devastating pandemic. In a memo sent to Comcast’s 190,000 employees worldwide on Wednesday. Roberts said the salary donations would also be made by Comcast CFO Mike Cavanagh,
ViacomCBS has come to a crossroads, again. The company that has endured more drama in the C-suite in recent years than any of its larger rivals was already under pressure this year to prove it could muster a comeback in a big way. Now, with the black swan named coronavirus roiling the waters, leaders of
Before Guy Fieri ever wrapped his mouth around the smoked-wing nachos or Nashville hot fried chicken he regularly nibbles on TV, he had to navigate the twists of the pretzel business. When he was around ten years old, Fieri’s parents took him on a ski trip, and would essentially let him wander as he saw
Russian comedy-drama series “257 Reasons to Live,” which will play in competition at Canneseries, follows cancer patient Zhenya after she unexpectedly goes into remission and receives the all-clear. Unable to believe her luck, Zhenya (played by Polina Maximova) is determined not to waste a minute of her life. She comes across an old notebook she
Comcast and Fox Corp. have come to terms on a broad carriage agreement covering all of Fox’s cable channels, including Fox News, and its O&O local TV stations. The long-term deal is significant for Fox Corp. given the importance of Comcast’s distribution footprint to core earnings. The pact covers authenticated streaming rights to Fox properties
Taiwan has launched a grant scheme to boost the island’s status as a global hub for virtual reality production. It is offering finance to projects co-produced by companies established in Taiwan and internationally, but excluding those from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. The three-year Immersive Content Grant for International Joint Ventures or Co-Productions under
J.K. Rowling has launched “Harry Potter at Home,” a digital hub with a cauldron full of treats to keep young children occupied while they are held captive at home during the coronavirus crisis. The hub, which includes contributions from publishing houses Bloomsbury and Scholastic, has magical craft videos, fun articles, quizzes, puzzles and more for
T-Mobile said it officially closed its merger with rival Sprint — creating a wireless carrier with over 100 million customers nationwide — and reiterated its pledge to not increase customers’ fees for the next three years. The deal, worth more than $31 billion based on T-Mobile’s closing stock price Tuesday, ends the nearly two-year effort
In the 2015 premiere of “Schitt’s Creek,” a riches-to-rags comedy, the Rose family arrive in the tiny titular town wearing the designer clothes of their past life as protective gear. But over the show’s six seasons on Pop TV, viewers have seen the once wealthy Roses — Johnny (Eugene Levy) and Moira (Catherine O’Hara) and
At the stroke of 8 a.m. ET, Spotify and Warner Music announced that they have renewed their global licensing deal. The two companies are believed to have been out of contract for around nine months, although that is not an uncommon situation for streaming services and music companies. “Spotify and Warner Music Group are pleased
Sunday’s Elton John-hosted “Living Room Concert for America,” featuring Billie Eilish, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys and many others, has raised nearly $8 million for coronavirus relief. The musicians performed from their homes for the hour-long event that aired on Fox and iHeartMedia radio stations. It also encourages viewers to support two of the many charitable
Justin Bieber’s 2020 Changes tour has been postponed due to the growing coronavirus crisis. The 45-date stadium and arena trek was due to kick off on May 14 at CenturyLink Field in Seattle and follow Bieber’s first album in nearly five years, released on Feb. 14, and his first tour in nearly three. It is
This of course took place before COVID happened. But there is little reason to think that Constantin Television’s goals will have changed with coronavirus. On Feb. 24, on the first day of the Berlinale Series Market, Oliver Berben, Constantin head of TV, entertainment and digital media, took to the stage to host a Constantin Television
Big Hit Entertainment, the Korean music label which represents pop sensation BTS, recorded bumper profits in 2019. The Seoul-based company saw revenue nearly double to $508 million, and operating profit grow by 28% to $85.4 million. The diluted profit margin was explained by moves to diversify the company away from its reliance on BTS, through
Cardi B is the Instagram viral-video queen the internet apparently needs during the coronavirus pandemic. While Kylie Jenner dominated Instagram in 2019, Cardi B took over in March: Five of the top 10 most-viewed videos on the platform last month came from the outspoken rapper and entertainer, as tracked by Pex, an L.A.-based video and
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the U.K.’s largest arts festival and the launchpad for countless comedy and stage acts, will be shelved this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Fringe is among five Edinburgh festivals that have been canceled in light of COVID-19 concerns. This group also includes the Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh International Book