The Palm Springs Film Festival will present Jamie Foxx with the spotlight award at its annual gala on Jan. 2 for his starring role in “Just Mercy.” “Just Mercy” tells the true story of a lawyer attempting to free a man wrongfully convicted of the murder of an 18-year-old girl. Foxx has already received critical
December 26, 2019 9:40AM PT The crosstown match-up between the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers — which saw the Clippers win 111-106 — scored a 1.8 rating and 5.6 million viewers, per preliminary data, taking ABC to an easy win on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, a repeat of the movie “How The Grinch Stole
There was once a preconception that the role of a music producer was to add a coat of polish to a song or an album, but these days, producers can be the essential link to a hit project. Even with music being made on laptops, in bedrooms or on the go, no piece of technology
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” dominated the box office during Christmas, collecting $32 million on Wednesday. That bounty marks the second-best Christmas Day showing behind 2015’s “The Force Awakens” ($49 million). J.J. Abrams’ conclusion to the nine-chapter Skywalker saga could earn another $150 million to $155 million through Sunday. “The Rise of Skywalker” has hauled
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “You” Season 2. Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) is going to be a dad. And that’s not even the biggest bombshell of the second season of “You.” After killing the supposed love of his life Beck (Elizabeth Lail) and pining her murder on her therapist
It’s tough out there for a linear network. Even inside the major media conglomerates, the buzz is all about a company’s new digital platform, not its legacy channels. Which is a shame, as millions of Americans still watch TV the old-fashioned way: on TV. The streaming services, of course, rely greatly on current and library
Here are the trends that captured headlines this year — from the rise of the streaming wars and podcasting, to digital-media consolidation and the growing backlash against Big Tech. 1. Big-Media Streamers Assemble The new multibillion-dollar battle fronts in streaming video became sharply drawn in 2019. Disney roared the loudest, with the debut of Disney
The Rio de Janeiro H.Q. of Porta dos Fundos, the Brazilian comedy troupe behind the Netflix gay Jesus Christmas Special sparking outrage in Brazil, was hit by a Molotov cocktail attack in the early hours of Dec. 24. Two petrol bombs were thrown at the building. causing a fire, which was put out by one
The Force is no longer with us. Don’t deny it. Just say it and accept it. Let go of the fear. In losing the Force, much to regain we have. Maybe even our souls. “Star Wars” is over! Long live “Star Wars”! But not, if there is a God, for too long. Have you seen
Prolific movie producer David Foster, who collaborated with Steve McQueen on “The Getaway” and shepherded Robert Altman’s “McCabe and Mrs. Miller,” died Monday in Los Angeles. He was 90. Foster started in the business as a publicist representing McQueen along with Peter Sellers, Richard Attenborough, Shirley MacLaine, Andy Williams and Sonny and Cher. He left
This past Saturday afternoon, e-sports star Benjamin Lupo set off on a mission to raise $2 million in 24 hours for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The 32-year-old husband and father from Omaha, Neb. is better known as DrLupo to the 3.5 million followers that have made him one of the most popular personalities on
Songwriter Allee Willis, famous for her work with Earth, Wind & Fire as well as the “Friends” theme and the “The Color Purple” Broadway song score, died Tuesday in Los Angeles. She was 72. The cause of death was cardiac arrest. Prudence Fenton, the animator and producer who is described by a family friend as
December 24, 2019 6:41PM PT ESPN reporter Ed Aschoff, who covered SEC college sports for the network, has died after a battle of pneumonia. He was 34. “We are very sorry to have to share the devastating news of the tragic passing of friend and ESPN colleague Edward Aschoff,” ESPN said in a statement. “He
Exclusive TMZ.com Too Short‘s rape accuser has officially dropped her lawsuit against the rap legend … TMZ has learned. Teana Louis had sued Too Short claiming he sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions in Los Angeles between June and October of 2016. In her lawsuit, Teana claimed the attacks included forced oral sex, vaginal sex
As the new year begins, Amazon Prime Video is keeping with the tradition of “out with the old and in with the new.” The streaming service will ring in the new decade with a few original series premieres, including “James May: Our Man in Japan,” “Just Add Magic: Mystery City,” “All or Nothing: CBF” and
December 24, 2019 12:09PM PT Gal Gadot is partnering with Keshet International on a film adaptation of a novel banned from school reading lists by the Israeli government because of its depiction of an Israeli-Palestinian romance. The “Wonder Woman” star and her husband, Jaron Varsano, will be co-producing the film with Keshet Studios through Pilot
In the first 72 years of the Academy Awards (1927-99), 14 fact-based movies won the best-picture prize, or 19%. In the 21st century, fact-based films have won 33% of the time. Last year, three of 2018’s four acting winners (Rami Malik, Olivia Colman, Mahershala Ali) were playing real-life characters. And six of the eight best-picture
Back in the old, naive, innocent days of say, five years ago, few imagined that a wealthy reality TV star would turn his on-screen schtick into a four-year term (well, maybe) as president of the United States. But Hollywood’s loss has been America’s … never mind. Once Trump ascended to that towering perch, he began
Netflix’s “Klaus” tells the story of a spoiled young boy named Jesper who is sent to the town of Smeerensburg to work. Jesper hates it there until he meets Mr. Klaus. As the two strike up a friendship, Jesper’s outlook on life begins to slowly change. Composer Alfonso G. Aguilar shared a clip from inside
SPOILER ALERT: Proceed with caution if you have not yet watched “John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch,” streaming now on Netflix. Children’s entertainment based on “existential angst and fear” might not seem like a natural combination on the face of it, but according to John Mulaney, that combination’s fueled the genre for as long as
Seth Rogen’s appearance on a special edition of “The Price Is Right” led the ratings on the quiet day before Christmas Eve with a 0.9 rating and 6.6 million viewers in the key 18-49 demographic. The game show’s primetime special, “A Holiday Extravaganza with Seth Rogen,” had the actor and comedian come on down to
Kevin Spacey shared a bizarre, minute-long video on Christmas Eve, in which he again channels his “House of Cards” character Frank Underwood. “You didn’t really think I was going to miss the opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas, did you?” asked Spacey as Underwood, who was killed off “House of Cards” in the show’s
Justin Bieber used Christmas Eve morning to slide some news down fans’ chimneys: He’ll be embarking on a 45-city stadium tour in the summer of 2020, starting May 14 at Seattle’s CenturyLink Field and continuing through a Sept. 26 show at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Bieber also used the occasion to announce he’ll be
Hulu is kicking off the new year with a mix of new and old movies and TV shows that will be added to the streaming service in January. Reality series including “The Bachelor,” “Project Runway” will release this month, along with “Cooks vs. Cons” and “Cutthroat: Kitchen.” On the film front, “13 Going on 30,”
Enough time has passed since Roberto Benigni’s ill-starred “Pinocchio” for the actor to move more happily into the role of Geppetto in Matteo Garrone’s visually rich though oddly subdued version of the perennial tale. Given the director’s penchant for multi-strand narratives (“Tale of Tales,” “Gomorrah”), the classic story would seem a good fit, offering potential
It wasn’t just “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” — with its dismal $12 million opening weekend — that was a Middle Kingdom misfire for Hollywood in 2019. When year-end figures for the China box office are confirmed next week, it’s likely that only two Hollywood titles will be among the 10 top-grossing titles of
In what is being billed as a first, Italian state broadcaster RAI has scored a significant boost to its RaiPlay streaming service by using an original, live variety show hosted by a hot local entertainer to attract viewers. Rosario Fiorello’s live music and comedy show, called “Viva RaiPlay,” just wrapped a six-week run on pubcaster’s
December 23, 2019 10:15PM PT Awkwafina’s “The Farewell,” directed by Beijing-born Lulu Wang, is now scheduled to hit Chinese theaters Jan. 10, nearly two months after its originally announced release date and six months after its U.S. release. The movie was initially set to appear in Chinese cinemas Nov. 22 but was pulled just two
Physical media, we keep being told, is dead, but please don’t tell that to the companies still issuing comprehensive music boxed sets every year or the diehard fans still filling up their gift wish lists with the sometimes bulky items. The format seems to be alive and somewhat well if, in 2019, the Beatles and
Based on Bryan Stevenson’s 2014 autobiography, much of the film “Just Mercy” takes place in prisons and courtrooms. Michael B. Jordan plays Stevenson, the attorney who dedicated his life to defending minorities in the criminal justice system. Stevenson challenged over 125 cases, with the movie focusing on the Walter McMillian (played by Jamie Foxx) trial,