Showbiz News Weekend, Jan. 10-12, 2020
IN THEATERS
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker still a great one to see!
… 1917 (R) (picture above) (Click to see movie preview)
… Like a Boss (R)
…Underwater (PG-13)
…Just Mercy (PG-13)
… Opening next weekend: Dolittle (PG); Bad Boys for Life (R); The Last Full Measure (R)
THERE ARE OVER 530 TV SHOWS
According to an annual report, 532 scripted original TV shows aired on
networks, cable and streaming services last year. That’s a 7 percent jump from
2018.
… Given that the streaming wars are now at hand, that total will increase substantially this year.
MOST YOUNG PEOPLE SHARE
STREAMING PASSWORDS
Most streaming services turn a somewhat blind eye to password sharing. A new
report though shows just how widespread the issue is. The study (Hub
Entertainment Research) found that a whopping 80 percent of people age 13 to 24
have shared a password for a streaming services. That number drops dramatically
in the 35 and older group, where only 16 percent have shared a password.
… Naturally, the most popular streaming service, Netflix, is the most commonly shared password. Just over 55 percent of 13- to 24-year-olds admit to mooching off another Netflix account or letting someone use theirs. The brand new Disney+ service claimed the second spot though, with 31 percent of that same age group sharing logins. Hulu brought up the third spot.
MEGHAN MARKLE HAS BEEN INVITED
TO JOIN REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS
After the Megxit announcement on Instagram Wednesday, Watch What Happens Live
host Andy Cohen invited Meghan Markle to join Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Cohen, an executive producer of the Real Housewives franchise, wrote, “Open
invite for The Duchess to join #RHOBH!”
MARK-PAUL GOSSELAAR JOINS SAVED
BY THE BELL REBOOT
Zack Morris is returning to Bayside High. Mark-Paul Gosselaar has closed a deal
to join the new streaming series on NBC’s Peacock. His co-star, Tiffani
Thiessen is also in talks to appear on the show, though her deal has not yet
closed.
HARLEY QUINN DUMPS JOKER FOR
THE BIRDS OF PREY IN NEW TRAILER
A recent interview, Birds of Prey star Margot Robbie confirmed the Joker won’t
be appearing in her Harley Quinn superhero movie this year. The latest trailer for
Robbie’s film shows what happens after she and the Joker break up — and what
happens when she calls on a new gang of friends for help. The film will hit
theaters on February 7.
QUENTIN TARANTINO SAYS HE OWES HIS CAREER TO THE GOLDEN GIRLS Quentin Tarantino wants to thank Blanche, Dorothy, Rose and Sophia for being a friend. The director was once an aspiring actor who landed a gig as an Elvis impersonator on The Golden Girls, which ran from 1985 to 1992.
… Tarantino said, “It became a two-part Golden Girls. So I got paid residuals for both parts. It was so popular they put it on a Best of The Golden Girls, and I got residuals every time that showed. So I got paid maybe, I don’t know, $650 for the episode, but by the time the residuals were over, three years later, I made like $3,000. And that kept me going during our pre-production time trying to get Reservoir Dogs going.”
DISNEY REPORTEDLY WANTS TO
REMAKE THE BLACK HOLE
While all of our attention might currently be focused on Star Wars: The Rise of
Skywalker, Disney reportedly has its eyes on rebooting another one of its
intergalactic features. According to sources, the studio is planning on
remaking The Black Hole.
… The 1979 space movie was the first by Disney to receive a PG rating.
FX RENEWS AMERICAN HORROR STORY
FOR THREE MORE SEASONS
FX has renewed the Ryan Murphy horror anthology series American Horror Story
for seasons 11, 12 and 13.
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE’S EPIC
TRAILER FOR SEASON 7
Brooklyn Nine-Nine returns for Season 7 on February 6 on NBC, and it looks like
our favorite precinct is getting into even bigger and badder shenanigans this
year.
BIRTHDAYS
Friday, January 10
• Rod Stewart is 75
• Former boxer George Foreman is 71
• Pat Benatar is 67
SATURDAY, JANUARY 11
• Country singer Naomi Judd is 74. Mary J. Blige is 49. Amanda Peet is 48. Aja Naomi King (How To Get Away With Murder) is 35.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12
• Country singer William Lee Golden of the Oak Ridge Boys is 81. Kirstie Alley is 69. Country singer Ricky Van Shelton is 68. Howard Stern is 66. Christiane Amanpour is 62. Oliver Platt is 60. Singer-director Rob Zombie is 55. Melanie Chisholm (Sporty Spice) of the Spice Girls is 46. Zayn is 27.