Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020
WEDNESDAY NIGHT TV:
BIG BROTHER (8p ET, CBS) — New. Houseguests vie for the power of veto.
AMERICA’S GOT TALENT (8p ET, NBC) — New. On the results show, five acts move on to the semifinals.
SEASON FINALE: TOUGH AS NAILS (9p ET, CBS) — New. In the 2-hour season 1 finale, the final five battle to win the $200,000 prize, as their loved ones cheer them on. The show has been renewed for a 2nd season.
THE CORONER (9p ET, CW) — New.
CHEF’S TABLE: BBQ (Netflix) — This new spinoff travels the world in search of the best barbecue. First stop: Lexington, Texas, where 85-year-old Tootsie Tomanetz is a custodian by day and a legendary pitmaster by night.
Showbiz News….
CHADWICK BOSEMAN’S FINAL MOVIE IS COMING TO NETFLIX
Chadwick Boseman‘s final movie is coming to Netflix. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is based on the play by Pulitzer Prize winning writer August Wilson. Viola Davis stars as real-life blues icon Ma Rainey, with the drama taking place over the course of a single recording session.
… Boseman plays Levee in the pic, an ambitious trumpeter who seeks to make his own mark on the music industry and stirs up the various tensions in the group to the point where all sorts of unspoken truths, lies and stories spill out, forever changing the course of their lives. The film was shot last summer, from June to August.
… Netflix has yet to give Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom a release date.
CHRIS EVANS SHARES TOUCHING TRIBUTE TO CHADWICK BOSEMAN
Countless stars from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe have poured onto social media over the past few days to pay tribute to friend and colleague Chadwick Boseman, following the tragic news that the Black Panther actor has passed away from colon cancer at the age of 43. These include Chris Evans, who worked with Boseman in three films. Evens wrote on social media: “I’m absolutely devastated. This is beyond heartbreaking. Chadwick was special. A true original. He was a deeply committed and constantly curious artist. He had so much amazing work still left to create. I’m endlessly grateful for our friendship. Rest in power, King.”
HARRISON FORD ON CHADWICK BOSEMAN
Chadwick Boseman‘s death has shocked and saddened the world. Tributes immediately poured in from fellow actors, directors, studios, politicians and musicians. Now, Boseman’s 42 co-star, Harrison Ford, has joined the chorus of praise. While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he said: “Chadwick Boseman was as compelling, powerful and truthful as the characters he chose to play … His intelligence, personal dignity and deep commitment inspired his colleagues and elevated the stories he told. He is as much a hero as any he played. He is loved and will be deeply missed.”
MCU FANS ARE ASKING MARVEL NOT TO RECAST BLACK PANTHER
The world is reeling from the truly tragic news that arrived last week — that Marvel star Chadwick Boseman has passed away from colon cancer at the age of 43. One of the many reasons Boseman’s death is so heartbreaking and unexpected is that he was at the peak of his career, with several big projects lined up, including Black Panther 2.
… Almost as soon as the news of his death broke, fans took to Twitter to make it clear that they don’t want the studio to replace the actor, out of respect for his loss and the brilliant performance he gave over his four appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
NETFLIX UN-PAYWALLS BIRD BOX, THE TWO POPES, FIRST EPISODE OF STRANGER THINGS
A little slice of Netflix is now free to watch. To bring in more subscribers, the streamer is offering three of its original films and the first episodes of seven original series on a new hub, netflix.com/watch-free. The page is accessible worldwide via browser, and doesn’t require a login to view content.
… Those who visit the hub see a menu of all the content available. Each show and film is paired with an official description. Viewers are served with a 30-second skippable ad before free videos begin.
… Free-to-watch films include Sandra Bullock-led thriller Bird Box, Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston’s Murder Mystery, and multi-award-nominated Vatican drama The Two Popes.
… Free TV series (first episode only) include Stranger Things; Spanish-language private school drama Elite; children’s animated series Boss Baby: Back in Business; When They See Us, a true crime series reenacting the Central Park Five case; popular reality series Love Is Blind; nature docuseries Our Planet; and Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda’s long-running sitcom Grace and Frankie.
2020 MTV VMAS DRAW 6.4 MILLION VIEWERS, DOWN A BIT FROM LAST YEAR
The simulcast of the 2020 MTV VMAs drew 6.4 million total viewers on Sunday, which is down 5 percent from last year’s show.
ARIANA GRANDE REACHES INSTAGRAM MILESTONE
Ariana Grande has become the first woman to reach 200 million followers on Instagram. The new milestone comes after Ariana dethroned Selena Gomez last year as the most-followed woman on Instagram. Back then, she inched out Selena’s 146,267,801 followers by about 20,000. Currently, Selena is the third most-followed woman on Instagram with 190 million followers: Kylie Jenner’s replaced her in second place with 193 million.
THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER WILL RESUME FILMING BY NEXT WEEK
Fans have spent months waiting for any sort of good news on when movies and TV shows will be able to start shooting again, and that time is finally drawing near. Marvel Cinematic Universe fans are especially antsy considering the multitude of new films in the works for Phase 4, along with the new expansion of at least eight new mini-series on Disney+. Now a source (The Direct) confirms The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is scheduled to resume production in Atlanta in early September. As long as there are no further complications, this means that the show’s filming in the states should be complete before the end of Fall. It’s still unknown if and when the series will pick up the shots that it had left to film in Prague, which was reportedly nine days worth of filming.
… Thus far, the show’s only footage released has been from February’s Super Bowl trailer, which only included a couple seconds along with teases from WandaVision and Loki. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s release is currently unknown.
DANCING WITH THE STARS DROPS CLUES FOR SEASON 29 CAST
Dancing with the Stars fans reacted to a teaser posted by ABC ahead of the official announcement of the celebrities who will compete on Season 29. But some were more concerned with who will be hosting the show. In a teaser posted to Instagram, viewers were asked to Guess the Star. A series of fifteen emoji was then shown as a hint to some of the mystery celebs’ identities. The emoji included a football, a bridge, a horse, a panting smiley face, a red car, a microphone, a crown, a gymnast, and a megaphone.
… But many DWTS watchers were still angry over the unexpected firing of longtime host Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews last month. Bergeron and Andrews will be replaced by a solo Tyra Banks for Season 29. In the comments section to the post, longtime viewers lashed out in response to the guessing game as they demanded the original host of 28 seasons be part of the show. Others flat out said they will not be watching this season.
WONDER WOMAN 1984 WILL BE SECOND LONGEST DCEU MOVIE
Barring any more setbacks, we’re just over four weeks away from Wonder Woman 1984, and in any other year the superhero sequel would be a serious contender to tackle the billion dollar mark at the box office. COVID-19 may stop Wonder Woman 1984 from breaking any box office records, but it is shaping up to be one of DC’s longest. Recent theatrical listings have revealed that the superhero sequel runs for 150 minutes, which would make it the second longest installment in the entire franchise behind only Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, which runs for just two minutes longer.
DC REVEALS PLANS FOR BATMAN DAY 2020
This year’s Batman Day will be taking place on September 19. In previous years, we’ve had the Bat-Signal lighting up various cities, as well as multiple tie-ins and other special promotions. For 2020, DC has opted for an all-virtual celebration, but has plenty of things planned for those wanting to take part — including tie-ins with the Waze map app and a virtual 5k/10k run. BatmanDay.com has more info.
MARIAH CAREY TO STAR IN A MAGICAL CHRISTMAS SPECIAL FOR APPLE TV+ Mariah Carey is partnering with Apple TV+ on Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special, an “innovative special” that will “combine music, dancing and animation driven by a universally heartwarming story that brings the world together.” The special will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of Carey’s iconic modern holiday anthem All I Want for Christmas Is You. Apple TV+ is promising “a star-studded lineup of surprise guest appearances.
THE NYTIMES DROPS TV LISTINGS
After 81 years, this past weekend was the series finale for the daily television listings in the print editions of The New York Times. Gilbert Cruz, The Times’s Culture editor, said the time had come because of the increasing number of digital on-demand options: “We are firmly in the streaming age and the TV grid no longer reflects the way people consume television. It used to be you’d flip through the TV guide and say, ‘Oh my God, this movie is on basic cable this week!’ But now that buzzy show is on Netflix whenever you want to watch it.”
KATY PERRY HAS FOUND LASTING HAPPINESS
Katy Perry seems to have found true and lasting happiness with her fiancé Orlando Bloom, with whom she recently welcomed her first child, Daisy Dove. But asked to recall her 2010 marriage to comedian Russell Brand for a recent interview, the singer described it as very tempestuous time, to say the least. In an interview with 60 Minutes Australia that aired on Sunday night, Katy was asked about her 14-month marriage to Brand, which famously ended when he told her via text that he wanted a divorce.
… Katy says, “I was having great success at 23 and 24 and 25. And then I met someone that was interesting and stimulating, and it was just like a tornado. It was just like all of it, everything happening at once.” Katy says she stuck with it because she’s “always resonated with friction and resistance and challenges.” And while her current relationship with her baby daddy Orlando isn’t always “peachy keen jelly bean,” as she puts it, it’s not a lost cause: “It is a healthy, frictional, very open, very communicative, nothing-is-swept-under-the-mat type of relationship. I think if we can get to the end of our lives together, we’ll be each other’s greatest teachers.”
JOHNNY DEPP REQUESTS DELAY OF DEFAMATION TRIAL TO FILM FANTASTIC BEASTS 3
Johnny Depp’s legal drama with his ex-wife Amber Heard is going to take longer to be settled. The actor is seeking a delay of trial for his defamation lawsuit against the Aquaman actress because of the upcoming production of Fantastic Beasts 3. Due to the COVID-19, filming on the movie was put on hold earlier this year. Now that the British government has allowed some projects to resume in London with strict protocols, production on the Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald sequel is set to pick back up again starting in October and possibly extending into February 2021, conflicting with the defamation trial set to take place from January 11 to 28 next year.
… Depp says he was notified on August 19 that he’s been called back to work from early October through mid-February.
AMBER HEARD ACCUSES JOHNNY DEPP OF SMEAR CAMPAIGN
Amber Heard is countersuing ex-husband Johnny Depp for $100 million — accusing him of using trolls and fake social media accounts in a “smear campaign” to ruin her life. Heard filed documents seeking to get her ex’s “frivolous lawsuit” against her tossed from a court in Virginia — while seeking twice the amount of compensatory damages he had sought from her.
ED SHEERAN AND CHERRY SEABORN JUST WELCOMED A BABY
Ed Sheeran and his wife Cherry Seaborn have welcomed their first child together. Ed hit up Instagram early in the morning Tuesday to share a sweet photo of a blanket and a pair of tiny socks, confirming that Cherry had given birth to a healthy baby girl named Lyra Antarctica Seaborn Sheeran. • IMAGE
CHRIS EVANS REPORTEDLY EYED FOR EXTRACTION SEQUEL
Netflix delivered a blockbuster with Extraction, a movie starring Chris Hemsworth. Now there’s word that another Marvel superhero actor — Chris Evans — could star in the sequel.
BRADLEY COOPER CARES FOR ELDERLY MOM AND RUNS ONE-MAN PRESCHOOL
Bradley Cooper is keeping his family as safe as possible amid the coronavirus pandemic. The star told Interview magazine he’s holed up with his daughter Lea and his 80-year-old mother Gloria, who he’s striving to protect from the disease. Cooper told Interview: “I’m with my daughter and my mother and my two dogs, and we have not left the house. My mother is going to be 80, and she has a colostomy bag, so I can’t let anybody in the house. And I can’t leave the house, because if she gets it, it’s over.”
… The actor, who shares the three-year-old with ex Irina Shayk, joked, “We live in a little townhouse — thankfully there’s a backyard. I’m running a one-man preschool. We get up, we do swim class in the bathtub.”
… Although it’s not specified when the interview was conducted, Bradley has been spotted in Los Angeles over the last month catching up with friend Jennifer Garner and filming a new movie.