Sunday, December 21, 2025
Donate
Home Blog Page 1159

More Trouble at Annapurna Pictures as Cate Blanchett “Bernadette” Moved for a Third Time

Roger Friedman
-
0
More Trouble at Annapurna Pictures as Cate Blanchett “Bernadette” Moved for a Third Time

Where’d you go this time. Bernadette?

Richard Linklater’s comedy starring Cate Blanchett was supposed to be released last May, 2018. Then it was moved to March 22nd, next month.

Now Annapurna Pictures has moved “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?” to August 9th. If I were Cate Blanchett I’d be asking questions now.

Here are some of them:

What is going on with Annapurna Pictures? They aren’t having an easy time right now. “Vice” is their only real hit, with $35 million in the bank. But “Vice” is coming to an end soon, it might hit $40 million if it gets some Oscar nods.

“If Beale Street Could Talk” has made just $8 million. It won’t go much beyond $10 mil even with Regina King sure to win Best Supporting Actress. The company has spent a lot already on both movies’ Oscar and other awards campaigns. Probably more than the movies have made.

And there’s Nicole Kidman in “Destroyer.” Here Annapurna just surrendered. In 23 days “Destroyer” has made less than half a million dollars. Kidman gives an incredible performance, and will probably get an Oscar nomination. But the movie’s had no support.

Now Annapurna has to deal with releasing “Bernadette.” It’s led by a two time Oscar winner, Blanchett, and features Kristen Wiig, Judy Greer, and Billy Crudup. Linklater has an army of his own fans. But Annapurna can’t keep all these balls in the air. Moving “Bernadette” gives them some time to regroup. But if “Bernadette” is marketed like “Destroyer,” there will be blood indeed. These actresses don’t need this tsuris, frankly, especially when they’re doing such good work.

Let Them Eat Cake: Melania Trump Flies to Palm Beach On Government Plane Despite Shutdown

Roger Friedman
-
0
Let Them Eat Cake: Melania Trump Flies to Palm Beach On Government Plane Despite Shutdown

Today, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi’s work trip to Europe and to visit our troops in Afghanistan was cancelled by Donald Trump, who cited the government shutdown.

“Due to the Shutdown, I am sorry to inform you that your trip to Brussels, Egypt, and Afghanistan has been postponed,” Trump wrote to Pelosi in a letter tweeted by White House press secretary Sarah Sanders Thursday afternoon. “In light of the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay, I am sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate.”

He added, thinking he was a smart-ass: “Obviously, if you would like to make your journey by flying commercial, that would certainly be your prerogative.”

That didn’t stop the First Lady from availing herself of a free ride from Washington to Palm Beach. Melania Trump flew down to her private country club, Mar-a-Lago, on what’s known as EXEC1F aka MelaniaForceOne.

Her arrival was noted by the pool reporters down in Florida.

There are 800,000 government workers not getting paid. Food banks are being set up for them, including at places like the FBI. No one is exempt from the shutdown– except Melania Trump.

 

Game of Thrones: Popular NY Post Publisher Is Suddenly Ousted, James Murdoch Prepares His Own Exit

Roger Friedman
-
0
Game of Thrones: Popular NY Post Publisher Is Suddenly Ousted, James Murdoch Prepares His Own Exit

Big news this afternoon: Jesse Angelo, publisher of the NY Post, and golden boy in the Murdoch empire, is out. Angelo is bffs with James Murdoch, so this is surprising. But– James Murdoch is about to leave News Corp. as his brother Lachlan takes over the new non-movie and TV company.

Is this Game of Thrones?

A new publisher, Sean Giancola, who has been with the company as chief revenue officer since 2015, steps up.

James Murdoch was known to be leaving, but no time had been set for his departure. But yesterday, Bloomberg News revealed James has leased space to set up a family office to manage the Murdoch billions. This would suggest his exit is soon.

The Post, which loses many millions every year, is a vanity production but we can’t live without it. Yet, according to alexa.com, its online traffic has been in decline. (I don’t know why.) So they’ve also announced that a new digital editor in chief has taken over named Michelle Gotthelf.

And Rupert Murdoch? He says not a word, still off of Twitter and out of the spotlight. But you know he approved the whole thing. He’s still pulling the strings.

 

Harvey Weinstein and Defense Attorney Part Ways as Movie Mogul Seeks More Diverse Dream Team

Roger Friedman
-
0
Harvey Weinstein and Defense Attorney Part Ways as Movie Mogul Seeks More Diverse Dream Team

Harvey Weinstein and his defense attorney, Benjamin Brafman, have parted ways. Their official notice is below. I’m told that Weinstein wanted Brafman to add a couple of female voices to his team; Brafman declined. Now Weinstein is assembling a more diverse Dream Team so that should he go to trial the jury will see a a lot of different faces and not just Brafman’s. The government’s case still remains shaky, thanks to prosecutorial and police mismanagement. Weinstein has made inroads against them, thanks to Brafman. Everything is still up for grabs.

Harvey Weinstein and his Criminal Defense Lawyer Benjamin Brafman have agreed to part ways and Mr. Weinstein has authorized Mr. Brafman to formally notify Judge Burke of his decision to withdraw as counsel for Mr. Weinstein in connection with all legal matters currently pending.

Both parties have agreed to part ways amicably and Mr. Brafman has agreed to cooperate fully with new counsel for Mr. Weinstein so as to ensure an orderly transition.

Mr. Weinstein praised Mr. Brafman for his legal work to date and Mr. Brafman reiterated his belief that Mr. Weinstein would be exonerated of the charges that have been filed against him and Brafman personally wished Mr. Weinstein the best of luck as he defends the case and the accusations that Mr. Weinstein has vehemently denied.

Mr. Weinstein intends to introduce his new legal team by early next week.

There will be no additional comments pertaining to this.

Harvey Weinstein                                               Benjamin Brafman, Esq.   

This Week, 20 of the Top 50 Albums Sold Fewer Than 1,000 CDs or Downloads, Sales Are All In Streaming

Roger Friedman
-
0
This Week, 20 of the Top 50 Albums Sold Fewer Than 1,000 CDs or Downloads, Sales Are All In Streaming

Tomorrow, when the “record” sales are counted for the week, there will be an even bigger surprise than last week.

Twenty of the top fifty recordings will have sold fewer than 1,000 CDs or downloads. Those twenty will have almost all their sales in streaming.

Several will have hard sales under 500, or even 100. For example: of today, with 72% of sales counted for the week, Benny Blanco has sold only 57 downloads (he doesn’t have CDs). But he’s streamed enough of his “Friends Keep Secrets” album that almost 10,000 have been tallied up.

Similar numbers can be attributed to Post Malone, Lil Vert, and a handful of hip hop artists. Actually manufacturing a CD today is like making a girdle.

A story in the New York Times last week pointed out that the number 1 album, by A Boogie wit Da Hoodie, had sold around 800 downloads vs. over 50,000 via streaming. This week, Boogie is on track for even fewer sales.

And yet, while CDs and downloading are kaput, LPs– vinyl records– are up. Business is booming for The Beatles, who sold the most records last year according to Buzz Angle. Between “The White Album” 50th anniversary and “Abbey Road,” Beatles business is booming.

Older adult artists are also selling CDs and LPs, and downloads. The difference seems to be that in hip hop there’s no need to own a physical product. Having it to play at will, on Spotify and other platforms, is more important. Once it’s run its course, it’s over.

Brad Pitt’s Make it Right Foundation Website Disappears, New Orleans Housing Project Hasn’t Filed Tax Return Since 2015

Roger Friedman
-
0
Brad Pitt’s Make it Right Foundation Website Disappears, New Orleans Housing Project Hasn’t Filed Tax Return Since 2015

Brad Pitt wanted to Make it Right in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. His heart was in the right place.

But the road to hell it is paved with good intentions. And now the website for Pitt’s Make it Right Foundation has completely disappeared. If you try to find Makeitright.org you get an Error 404. It’s gone.

Last September lawsuits were filed against Make it Right as it turned out many of the homes Pitt’s organization built in the Lower 9th Ward were crumbling or plagued with mold or rot. NBC did a huge report on this.

In October, a lawsuit brought by homeowners was moved to Federal Court. Reports then said that most of the MakeitRight staff had disappeared, and that the company was operating out of a trailer. Then Pitt sued the architect of the homes. It’s ironic, because it was Pitt who held himself out as an architectural expert. The lawsuit claimed that the architect’s  designs exposed wood to rain and moisture, failed to include adequate waterproofing, and featured roofs that weren’t up to code. A number of design flaws made the homes susceptible to water intrusion, according to the lawsuit.

Frankly, they were the ugliest houses in the world. They certainly didn’t reflect the grand styles of New Orleans homes.

Two weeks ago, on January 3rd, the New Orleans Advocate reported that there were concerns about possible gas leaks in the MakeitRight homes.

The organization has not filed a tax return since 2015.

And now, the website is gone. Pitt has been shooting Quentin Tarantino’s new movie, and dealing with his divorce and custody issues in Hollywood. He has otherwise kept a low profile.

 

New Netflix Series Starring Steve Carell Will Mock Trump’s “Space Force” Plan with “Office”-like Comedy

Roger Friedman
-
0
New Netflix Series Starring Steve Carell Will Mock Trump’s “Space Force” Plan with “Office”-like Comedy

Steve Carell is returning to TV with a new Netflix series. “Space Force” will mock Donald Trump’s plans for an actual Space Force. Carell is a creator of the show with “The Office” co-creator, Greg Daniels. This is already so funny they almost don’t have to make the series. You can just imagine it and start laughing.

A teaser gives us a little idea of what’s to come: “The goal of the new branch is to ‘defend satellites from attack’ and ‘perform other space-related tasks’…or something. This is the story of the men and women who have to figure it out.”

So think “The Office” maybe never in space– my guess is they’ll talk about space a lot but never get there. Hey wasn’t there a movie called “Office Space.” That would have been a good title, no?

Carell is just coming off great reviews for “Beautiful Boy” and mystifying ones for “Welcome to Marwen” which made $10.5 million and is about to vanish from theaters. Carell’s had a pretty great history with movies overall since leaving “The Office,” from “Date Night” to “Foxcatcher” to “Crazy Stupid Love.” He kind of steals “Vice,” playing right now, as Donald Rumsfeld.

Rachel Maddow Now Commanding a Wide Lead (700K+) Over Sean Hannity in Cable News Race

Roger Friedman
-
0
Rachel Maddow Now Commanding a Wide Lead (700K+) Over Sean Hannity in Cable News Race

Rachel Maddow trounced Sean Hannity once again last night. She beat him by 700,000 viewers. The night before, Monday. was similar.

Some nights MSNBC’s Maddow has opened up as much of a million viewer lead over the Fox News talker.

Last night it was 3.27 million to 2.587 million. Hannity is pulling in fewer viewers than “The Five” on Fox News at 5pm or Tucker Carlson at 8pm. And Hannity is supposed to be the network’s star. He’s certainly the highest paid of all Fox News’s anchors.

On top of that Lawrence O’Donnell is similarly beating Laura Ingraham at 10pm. O’Donnell is outdrawing her by at least 300K viewers every night.

So what’s happening? As Trump’s Wall crumbles and the government shut down continues, viewers are obviously turning to MSNBC to get the real story. Fox News isn’t telling them any truths at all, and even the most hardcore Republican viewers– especially those affected by the shutdown– need answers.

 

“Ghostbusters 3”? We Reported It Here in 2009, Per Ivan Reitman, And Now It’s Happening

Roger Friedman
-
0
“Ghostbusters 3”? We Reported It Here in 2009, Per Ivan Reitman, And Now It’s Happening

Reports yesterday and today about “Ghostbusters 3” directed by Jason Reitman, son of original director Ivan Reitman.

Readers with long memories will recall we reported the plan for “Ghostbusters 3” in December 2009. Ivan Reitman told us then about the next movie, with all the old stars and new characters including Oscar, the son of Sigourney Weaver and Bill Murray’s characters.

It’s been brewing for a decade. In that time, the all-female “Ghostbusters” came out was destroyed by evil internet trolls.

But here’s the original story. “G3” is set for summer 2020. It should be music to Huey Lewis’s ears since he wrote the theme music, lifted by Ray Parker Jr. The original song is “I Want a New Drug.” (Parker had another hit, “Jack and Jill,” that sounded just like Sly Stone’s “Stand.” Hmmm…)

UPDATED Paris Jackson, In Treatment for “Emotional Health,” Explains Month Long Absence: “I’ve taken a break but feeling better than ever!”

Roger Friedman
-
0
UPDATED Paris Jackson, In Treatment for “Emotional Health,” Explains Month Long Absence: “I’ve taken a break but feeling better than ever!”

I told you on Saturday that Paris Jackson, 20, had been MIA from social media for a month, since about December 12th.

UPDATE: Paris says on Instagram: “the media is exaggerating per usual.. yes i’ve taken a break from work and social media and my phone because it can be too much sometimes, and everyone deserves a break, but i am happy and healthy and feeling better than ever! gabriel and i have some new music we’re stoked to share with y’all! (@thesoundflowers) hope you guys’ new year started out with lots of love and light and all the things. i’ll be back soon!! xxox”

The Gabriel she’s referring to is a musician named Gabriel Glenn. They’ve formed an unofficial still to be determined music group called The Soundflowers. (Not the Wallflowers.) So far, there’s no evidence of any music but a kind of seventies bad Eagles sounding material.

EARLIER: Today, someone gave ET a statement saying Paris was taking time off and getting treatment for her “emotional health.” I know who the source is, they go to ET like it’s their church. But it’s fine, it’s all true.

Plain speak: she’s in rehab. A close friend told me over the weekend, “The last few months have been very hard for her.”

Paris has battled depression and suicidal thoughts for several years. Who can blame her? Her father was killed, she had to endure the trial of Dr. Murray, not to mention false accusations against Michael from people wanting money from his estate. Now a documentary is coming with more sketchy claims. Paris deserves time to find herself and find ways to cope with all kinds of craziness.

My bet is she comes back better than ever, kicking ass, and taking names.

1...1,1581,1591,160...2,325Page 1,159 of 2,325

Hollywood to the Hudson

Company

Trending

Categories

© Showbiz411.com