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Disney-Marvel Drops a Black Panther Clue About Michael B. Jordan in New Sizzle Reel: “That man next to you, he’s your brother”

Roger Friedman
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Disney-Marvel Drops a Black Panther Clue About Michael B. Jordan in New Sizzle Reel: “That man next to you, he’s your brother”

Disney-Marvel announced a schedule of new movies today but the most important one is “Black Panther 2.”

It is now known as “Wakanda Forever” but will not open with Vice President Kamala Harris emerging from a Cincinnati coffee shop sipping a Wakanda Forever blend — although that would be a great scene.

Did they drop a clue about “Wakanda Forever” in the sizzle reel below? At :43 the narration over TChalla and Erik Killmonger says “That man next to you, he’s your brother.” Hold on! Are the two foes brothers in some way? Will Killmonger be revived from death?

Ryan Coogler’s sequel to his billion dollar franchise will come on July 8, 2022, which isn’t too far from now. So we can assume Coogler and co. have a script and know how they will address the death of Chadwick Boseman aka T’Challa aka the Black Panther.

Since the Black Panther can only be blood related, fans are guessing that Shuri, his sister, played by Letitia Wright, will assume the mantle.

But it’s likely that Michael B. Jordan will somehow be repurposed into the screenplay as the hero even after his Erik Killmonger was killed in the first movie. Jordan is now too big a star and too identified with “Black Panther” not to be in the movie. Killmonger will somehow rise from his ashes in the sea. My guess is he’ll marry Shuri, surely. And don’t call me Shirley!

Jordan said in an interview last week that he’s “unlikely” to be in “Wakanda Forever” but wouldn’t rule it out. “Never say never,” he said. He didn’t want to be attached to an out and out lie, obviously. The actor’s next big job is directing “Creed III,” but that seems like it would film after “Wakanda Forever,” which would have to be made this summer and fall in order to make July 8, 2022.

But what if that is a clue in the sizzle reel? Jordan is somehow playing T’Challa’s brother? Then he might be the new Black Panther.

All the rest of the “BP” cast will be back, as well, including Angela Bassett, Danira Gurai, Winston Duke, and new Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya.

It’s amazing to think that Jordan’s career trajectory has just soared and soared. He was on “All My Children” in 2003, “Friday Night Lights” in 2009, and then starred in Coogler’s sensational and moving “Fruitvale Station” in 2013. The director and star formed a bond that lead to “BP” and superstardom. A thrilling story!

Wakanda Forever! Erik Killmonger’s “good” twin, Derek Killmonger, we wait for your appearance!

Anna Wintour Rolls the Dice on the “Dune” Remake, Makes Timothee Chalamet Host of Met Ball, Warner Bros. to Rescue Again

Roger Friedman
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Anna Wintour Rolls the Dice on the “Dune” Remake, Makes Timothee Chalamet Host of Met Ball, Warner Bros. to Rescue Again

Anna Wintour is rolling the dice on the Denis Villeneuve remake  of “Dune.”

She moved the Met Ball to September 13th. “Dune” opens October 1st after a year’s delay. Timothee Chalamet, star of “Dune,” has just been made co-chair of the Met Ball.

Anna has a 50/50 experience guess which movies will turn out alright. A couple of years ago, she gambled on “Ocean’s 8,” which turned out to be a minor hit. She let them reproduce the Met Ball in the movie, and then featured the stars at the actual gala.

By coincidence, the same studio that brought us “Ocean’s 8” is bringing us “Dune.” The timing of the movie’s release means the Met Ball will serve as a huge promotional tool. The tie ins between the Gala and the movie should be teeth clenching come mid September.

“Dune” could play the Venice Film Festival, and probably the Toronto Film Festival, all which run from September 2nd right through the 13th. Wintour is counting on glowing reviews, unlike David Lynch’s original “Dune” movie from 1984. I remember that movie launch. It wasn’t pretty. There was no Rotten Tomatoes then, but the movie has a retroactive 51% among critics. Back then it grossed $30 million, the equivalent today of $75 million. Not a blazing hit.

Wintour has struck out before when she’s invested in a movie for mutual promotion. She let Vogue get very involved in Paramount’s “Zoolander 2,” which was basically unwatchable when it was finally screened. She was even featured in it.

Anna could be a character in “Dune,” but it’s too late to digitally insert her into the sci-fi epic.

And Warner Bros.? “Dune” already cost between $165 and $200 million. Even if they kick in one or two million bucks to the Met as a donation in kind it’s no skin off their noses, and the museum benefits. It costs Wintour $4 million or so in expenses to stage the Met Ball, so if she got something from Warner Media to offset that, she’s ahead of the game. And maybe she gets some of the “Dune” cast to dress up and hit her red carpet. Cast includes Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and one name Anna will be thrilled to snag in cross promotion: Zendaya.

Billie Eilish Goes Gaga as Femme Fatale on British Vogue Cover But New Single is a Sales Dud So Far

Roger Friedman
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Billie Eilish Goes Gaga as Femme Fatale on British Vogue Cover But New Single is a Sales Dud So Far

Billie Eilish has gone all Lady Gaga on the cover of British Vogue, becoming a femme fatale a la Marilyn Monroe.

But this change in her appearance– she looks super– comes as the first new single from her second album is a sales dud.

“Your Power” was released on Thursday with a visually stunning video. But the song itself, which seems to be about a teacher who abused his position with a student, hasn’t sold well at all. After three days it’s number 15 on iTunes.

Saleswise, “Your Power” sold 2,700 copies on Thursday and Friday in downloads, but a total 57,000 in streaming. The latter sounds good, but doesn’t pay the artist much and indicates fans aren’t keen on owning it.

The song has strong lyrics that seem to be directed toward a real person, a teacher who has crossed the line with a student. From the lyrics it sounds like he’s about to get a new contract from his school.

The song is timely and topical, which is different for Eilish and brother Finneas. But it also hasn’t found an audience so far.

Maybe it’s just a loss leader, an hors d’ouevres before the album hits on July 30th. But a hit was needed. Not a strike out.

Meanwhile, Billie’s British Vogue cover is a triumph for the magazine’s editor in chief, Edward Enninful, as usual. Anna Wintour must be using the picture as a dart board!

According to Enninful in his editor’s note, Billie came to them with this idea. “Billie collaborated closely with the team here, led by style director Dena Giannini, to commission designers from Gucci to Alexander McQueen, Valentino to Burberry, on a series of custom looks.”

 

Actress Rachel Brosnahan Drawn into “Maisel” Melee in Washington Square Park as Fight Breaks Out During Shoot

Roger Friedman
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Actress Rachel Brosnahan Drawn into “Maisel” Melee in Washington Square Park as Fight Breaks Out During Shoot

Washington Square Park was not filled with beatniks and their bongo’s on Thursday when the cast and crew of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” arrived to shoot a scene for the Amazon Prime comedy.

Instead, two men in the park who had nothing to do with the location shoot got into a massive brawl adjacent to the set and drew in the “Maisel” crew.

One of the men, seen in the video below dressed in a black tank top, actually made his way to star Rachel Brosnahan and put his hands on her shoulders. A set insider told me, “We all shouted Noooo! and got Rachel away from him unscathed. She took it pretty well.”

Who didn’t take it well was director-show creator Amy Sherman Palladino, who was there with husband and co-creator-director Dan Palladino. “AMy was visibly shaken, she was crying, asking how did this happen?”

That’s a good question. “This is the only time I’ve ever worked on a location shoot without security or a hired cop,” says an observer. “The Maisel crew actually jumped into to protect everyone. It could have been much worse.”

The unit never finished the scene, in which Brosnahan’s Midge Maisel, a comedian, is going to a fake newsstand to pick up a review of her latest show. Observers saw the newsstand, made to look like it was from 1961, was full of stories about President Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. (This means “Mrs. Maisel” has only advanced three years in time since it started six years ago.)

Ironically, all this happened just two blocks or less away from the spot where the real life real estate developer brothers of actor Michael Zegen, who plays Joel Maisel, want to knock down two landmarked buildings and erect a 241 foot luxury tower on lower Fifth Avenue. The local Community Board has nixed the idea, and the Landmarks Commission is waffling on allowing such a monstrosity.

In the video, you’ll see a man in a white tank top, who was thought to be homeless and mentally unwell, pick up glass bottles from a Black Lives Matter shrine and smart smashing them. A woman who was also perhaps unwell was screaming at the “Maisel” cast calling them “prostitutes.”

Also ironically, the actor who plays the toughest “Maisel” character, Alex Borstein, was in her trailer and never got to see any action. Her character, Suzie, would have handled these guys with aplomb!

Kudos to the Hollywood Fix for getting the video, and a site called thethings.com first reported the story.

As Cindy Adams would say, Only in New York, kids, only in New York

Cher Recalls Speaking to Her “Moonstruck” Mother, Olympia Dukakis, Three Weeks Ago

Roger Friedman
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Cher Recalls Speaking to Her “Moonstruck” Mother, Olympia Dukakis, Three Weeks Ago

Cher and Olympia Dukakis each won Oscars for the movie that changed their lives, John Patrick Shanley’s “Moonstruck.” They remained in touch the last 33 years.

On Twitter, Cher reports she called Dukakis three weeks ago when she heard she was failing.

She writes: “I Called In2 The Receiver ‘Olympia It’s Cher,I love
You”. Remember Moonstruck,
She Said “oh cher,I
Love you”

Wow.

And neither one of them said, Snap out of it!

RIP Oscar Winner, Beloved Actress Olympia Dukakis, Starred in “Moonstuck,” “Steel Magnolias”

Roger Friedman
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RIP Oscar Winner, Beloved Actress Olympia Dukakis, Starred in “Moonstuck,” “Steel Magnolias”

Sad news that the great Olympia Dukasis, a beloved actress who won an Oscar in 1987 for “Moonstruck,” has died. She was 89 and left indelible mark from that movie and many others including “Steel Magnolias.”

Dukakis, a cousin of Massachusetts Governor Mike Dukakis, a former presidential candidate, had a long marriage to another great theater and TV actor, Louis Zorich. She referred to her 1988 win as “the year of the Dukakii” because it was also the year Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, her cousin, was the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. At the ceremony, she held her Oscar high over her head and called out: “OK, Michael, let’s go!”

She appeared in five Broadway productions and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. She was also nominated for three prime time Emmy Awards.

Dukakis died in New York City, where she was considered a quintessential “New York actor.”

She was also well known and admired for her work as the character Anna Madrigal in the TV series, “Tales of the City.”

She didn’t work much until the early 1980s, when she took work on the soap “Search for Tomorrow.” But it was in 1987 when she played Cher’s mother in “Moonstruck,” that Dukakis exploded as an overnight sensation. She was 45 years old. After that, she never stopped working.

What a great lady and fine actress. She will be missed.

Grammy Winner Ledisi Has 4 Mil Views on Song “Record Company Didn’t Like” So She Released It Herself

Roger Friedman
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Grammy Winner Ledisi Has 4 Mil Views on Song “Record Company Didn’t Like” So She Released It Herself

Ledisi is a gorgeous R&B singer who’s won many Grammy awards but hasn’t had a real signature hit. She has one now with “Anything for You.” It’s a stunner and has over 4 million views on YouTube.

But now she says her record company didn’t like the song, so she released it herself. And what a great throwback R&B record. This will be a classic. Just lovely. A lot of children will be conceived to this record!

The record company she’s talking about is Verve where Ledisi released six albums over a decade, from 2007 to 2017.

The new album came out on BMG last summer, called “The Wild Card.”

PS This song should be played on Sirius XM’s “Soul Town” Channel 49. It would fit right in.

Up, Up, and Away: Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr Hit Number 1 on iTunes R&B Album Chart with “Blackbird”

Roger Friedman
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Up, Up, and Away: Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr Hit Number 1 on iTunes R&B Album Chart with “Blackbird”

Congrats to Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. Their “BLackbird” album tribute to Lennon and McCartney was finally released last night and hit number 1 on the iTunes R&B album chart.

McCoo and Davis were the lead singers of the amazing 5th Dimension, a group you will see featured soon in Questlove’s documentary, “Summer of Soul.” The 5th Dimension had dozens of hits from the 60s through the 70s, songs we still love today from “Up, Up, and Away” to “Aquarius/Let the Sumshine In,” “Stone Soul Picnic,” and “Last Night I Couldn’t Get to Sleep at All.”

They were the flip side of the Mamas and the Papas, and actually had more success. They also introduced many important songwriters like Laura Nyro and Jimmy Webb. Their records stand the test of time because of their gorgeous voices– all five of them– and the incredible musicians who played on the songs from the Wrecking Crew. Hal Blaine, Carol Kaye, and so on.

Now McCoo and Davis, who are the most youthful 60s survivors you’ve ever seen, have made “Blackbird,” and what a fine record. These are real voices that have never aged. And I’m so impressed with the production. These tracks were really thought through. They aren’t just covers of Beatles songs. They are really reimagined, full of soul and harmony.

Between “Blackbird” and the new Merry Clayton album, the real stars of soul are showing the kids how it’s done!

 

 

Grammy Awards Shocker: Secret Nominating Committees Ending in Favor of Transparent Voting!

Roger Friedman
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Grammy Awards Shocker: Secret Nominating Committees Ending in Favor of Transparent Voting!

Harvey Mason, Jr. did it. He has ended the secret nominating Committees at the Grammy Awards. There will now be transparent voting in all categories. Pigs are flying. Hell has frozen over. This is a major accomplishment.

This is likely brought about after the disaster with The Weeknd this year, following decades of disasters, snubs, bizarre choices. The Grammys were like the Soviet Union. And now, it’s over. There should be a parade. It’s like the Berlin Wall has fallen. Kudos to Harvey and his team!

Two huge changes:

Elimination Of Nominations Review Committees In General And Genre Fields
Nominations in all of the GRAMMY Award general and genre fields will now be determined by a majority, peer-to-peer vote of voting members of the Recording Academy. Previously, many of the categories within these fields utilized 15-30 highly skilled music peers who represented and voted within their genre communities for the final selection of nominees. With this change, the results of GRAMMY nominations and winners are placed back in the hands of the entire voting membership body, giving further validation to the peer-recognized process. To further support this amendment, the Academy has confirmed that more than 90 percent of its members will have gone through the requalification process by the end of this year, ensuring that the voting body is actively engaged in music creation. Craft committees remain in place (see below for craft category realignment.)

Reduction In Number Of Categories Voter May Vote

To ensure music creators are voting in the categories in which they are most knowledgeable and qualified, the number of specific genre field categories in which GRAMMY Award Voters may vote has been reduced from 15 to 10. Additionally, those 10 categories must be within no more than three fields. All voters are permitted to vote in the four General Field categories (Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best New Artist). Proposed by a special voting Task Force who brought forth the recommendation, this change serves as an additional safeguard against bloc voting and helps to uphold the GRAMMY Award as a celebration of excellence in music, with specific genre field categories being voted on by the most qualified peers.

Harvey Mason Jr. says: “It’s been a year of unprecedented, transformational change for the Recording Academy, and I’m immensely proud to be able to continue our journey of growth with these latest updates to our Awards process. This is a new Academy, one that is driven to action and that has doubled down on the commitment to meeting the needs of the music community. While change and progress are key drivers of our actions, one thing will always remain — the GRAMMY Award is the only peer-driven and peer-voted recognition in music. We are honored to work alongside the music community year-round to further refine and protect the integrity of the Awards process.”

NBC Renews “Young Rock” and “Kenan” Despite No Actual Demonstrable Audience for Either

Roger Friedman
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NBC Renews “Young Rock” and “Kenan” Despite No Actual Demonstrable Audience for Either

Well, I was wrong.

NBC has renewed “Young Rock” and “Kenan” despite either show having any demonstrable audience.

Ratings for both shows are lower than the farm report, as they would say. Seriously, the daytime soaps do better. If these shows stay on the air then “Days of our Lives” should get a three year guarantee.

Here’s the executive quote:

“It has been a true joy to watch Dwayne Johnson & Kenan Thompson on NBC every week and see families connect with their relatable, entertaining and heartwarming stories,” said Lisa Katz, President, Scripted Programming, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “We’re thrilled to renew both of these shows for another season and can’t wait to see more from Dwayne, Kenan and the incredibly talented casts and producing teams behind each of them.”

Really? I guess they had nothing else in the hopper. Plus Kenan’s on “SNL” so they want to keep him happy, and The Rock is The Rock. But still. Really?

For Kenan, please change the writers and the concept. Let Kenan be Kenan. And Kenan, don’t give up your day job!

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