Showbiz News & Tonight’s TV; Mac Davis Dead at 78; BTS Tops Charts for 3rd Week

Pop group BTS, above, topping the charts for 3 straight weeks with “Dynamite”.

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Tuesday Night TV:

BIG BROTHER (8p ET, CBS) — New. Houseguests vie for the power of veto.

JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE: GAME NIGHT (8p ET, ABC) — New. This NBA Finals special features celeb guests and comedy skits.

THE MASKED SINGER (8p ET, FOX) — New. Tonight is the group B premiere, with 6 new masks.

SERIES FINALE: THE 100 (8p ET, CW) — New. After seven seasons, this sci-fi drama ends its run.

SOUTH PARK: THE PANDEMIC SPECIAL (8p ET, Comedy Central) — For the first time, South Park will air an hour long special that will tackle the numerous issues of 2020. The usually 30-minute show has done several multiple-part series in the past, but has never done an episode running longer than a half-hour in the show’s 23-year history.

NBA COUNTDOWN (8:30p ET, ABC) — New.

2020 NBA FINALS (9p ET, ABC) — The Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers play Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

I CAN SEE YOUR VOICE (9p ET, FOX) — New. The guest panelists are Niecy Nash and Jay Pharoah, and the chosen contestant will perform a duet with Jordin Sparks.

SEASON FINALE: LOVE ISLAND (9p ET, CBS) — New.

48 HOURS: SUSPICION (10p ET, CBS) — New.

THE BOYS IN THE BAND (Netflix) — Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer and Andrew Rannells star in this new adaptation of playwright Mart Crowley’s groundbreaking gay-themed 1968 stage drama.

AMERICAN MURDER: THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR (Netflix) — This new documentary looks at the 2018 disappearance of 34-year-old Shanann Watts and her two young daughters in Frederick, Colorado. As details emerged, their story made headlines worldwide. Told entirely through archival footage that includes social media posts, law enforcement recordings, text messages and never-before-seen home videos, it pieces together an immersive and truthful examination of a police investigation and a disintegrating marriage.

THE GLORIAS (Amazon Prime) — Oscar winners Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander are among the actresses portraying feminist icon Gloria Steinem in this bio drama.

Showbiz News and Gossip

BTS is back on top of the Billboard Hot 100 this week with “Dynamite,” scoring their third week at No. 1 on the charts.

The pop group’s song “Dynamite” sold a staggering 153,000 downloads in its fifth week, surpassing the biggest sales week for any other song in 2020.

“Dynamite” is also the only pure pop song of 2020 to top the Hot 100 for multiple weeks, joining Roddy Ricch’s “The Box,” the Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights,” DaBaby’s “Rockstar” and Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP.”

Mac Davis dead at 78

Crossover country star, songwriter and actor Mac Davis has died, one day after the news broke that he had become critically ill while recovering from heart surgery in Nashville.

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, onetime Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year winner, and writer of the Elvis Presley hits “A Little Less Conversation,” “Memories” and “In the Ghetto” was 78 years old.

“It’s with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of Mac Davis. He was surrounded by the love of his life and wife of 38 years, Lise, and his [children] Scott, Noah and Cody,” Davis’s longtime manager, Jim Morey, wrote on Facebook Tuesday night.

“Mac has been my client for over 40 years, and more importantly… my best friend. He was a music legend but his most important work was that as a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. I will miss laughing about our many adventures on the road and his insightful sense of humor. When there was a tough decision to be made he often told me, ‘You decide… I’m going to the golf course!’ To quote from his song ‘I Believe in Music,’ ‘I could just sit around making music all day long/As long as I’m making my music ain’t gonna do nobody no harm/And who knows maybe I’ll come up with a song.’ And he did… time after time.”

Davis was born on Jan. 21, 1942, in Lubbock, Texas. After graduating from high school, he moved to Atlanta, where he began his music career as a member of a rock ’n’ roll band called the Zots. He later worked as a regional manager for both Vee-Jay Records and Liberty Records before getting a job at Nancy Sinatra’s company, Boots Enterprises, Inc., where he played on many of Sinatra’s recordings and got his start as a professional songwriter. His compositions were eventually recorded by Presley, Sinatra, Glen Campbell, Bobby Goldsboro, Lou Rawls, Kenny Rogers & the First Edition, B.J. Thomas and many others. What became his signature song, 1970’s “I Believe in Music,” was also recorded as the first Capitol Records single for Helen Reddy, who died the same day as Davis, Sept. 29, also at age 78.

Actor CHRIS HEMSWORTH WILL STAR IN SPIDERHEAD FOR NETFLIX 
Netflix’s Spiderhead has just assembled a noteworthy cast that includes Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, and Jurnee Smollett. The story is “set in the near future, when convicts are offered the chance to volunteer as medical subjects in hopes of shortening their sentences. The focus is on two prisoners who become the test patients for emotion-altering drugs that force the prisoners to grapple with their pasts in a facility run by a brilliant visionary who supervises the program.” It’s an adaptation of the George Saunders short story Escape from Spiderhead.

KELLY CLARKSON BEING SUED BY HER MANAGEMENT COMPANY 
Kelly Clarkson is being sued by her management company over alleged unpaid commissions. According to the lawsuit filed by Starstruck Management Group the singer, The Voice coach and talk show host owes more than $1 million in unpaid commission. Variety reports that the suit claims Clarkson has paid Starstruck $1.9 million in commission for her television work in 2020, but still owes the company $1.4 million, and will owe at least $5.4 million by the end of the year. The lawsuit claims, therefore, she has breached an oral contract.

LION KING FOLLOW-UP MOVIE 
A new Lion King film is in the works. The original Lion King animated film, which premiered in 1994, grossed $968.5 million worldwide. The 2019 live action Lion King earned $1.65 billion worldwide. According to sources the next movie is likely to explore “the mythology of the characters, including Mufasa’s origin story.” No release date for the new film has been announced.

FIRESTARTER REMAKE WILL STAR ZAC EFRON 
The remake of Stephen King‘s Firestarter will star Zac Efron. There’s no indication of who Efron is playing, but it’s safe to assume he’s not going to play protagonist Charlie McGee, a little girl with the powers of pyrokinesis.

… Published in 1980, Firestarter was previously adapted into a not very good 1984 movie starring Drew Barrymore.

DISNEY+ ROLLS OUT ITS GROUPWATCH FEATURE
The theme parks in California are closed but Disney+ is keeping us entertained and has just rolled out a feature called GroupWatch, designed to let users watch their shows and movies together without having to use third-party software. So if you’ve been dying to have that Disney watch party with your friends, but want to keep a responsible social distance, now you can do that. GroupWatch allows up to seven users to watch at once, provided they all have Disney+ subscriptions. Users can control pausing, rewinding, or fast-forwarding for the rest of the party. Users can react to what they’re watching with six different emoji.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER AND JACKIE CHAN SQUARE OFF 
If two of the actors you’re missing by not going to theaters during the pandemic are Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger you’re in luck as Iron Mask is coming to video on demand on November 20. Iron Mask was actually released in the United States and United Kingdom in April of this year, where it swiftly vanished without a trace. It debuted in China in August where it also bombed, but Iron Mask is finally coming to digital and VOD in November. • VIDEO

GERARD BUTLER’S NEW MOVIE WILL SKIP THEATERS
Over the last decade, Gerard Butler has carved out a solid niche for himself as one of the biggest stars in the B-level action movie realm. Films like the Fallen trilogy, Geostorm, Den of Thieves and Hunter Killer aren’t designed for awards season glory, but the actor is always a reliably gruff presence in roles that don’t ask much more from him than furrowing his brow and punching bad guys in the face.

… Due to the pandemic Butler’s latest film won’t be coming to theaters, but it will be released to Amazon Prime video and for rental on October 27. The film is Greenland, which follows a family man who tries to keep his wife and son free from harm on a cross country journey to reach the safety of Greenland’s impenetrable bunkers after scientists discover that a comet is on a direct collision course with Earth.  Greenland was originally scheduled to hit theaters in June.

CHADWICK BOSEMAN DONATED PART OF HIS SALARY TO CO-STAR SIENNA MILLER 
One month after his passing, stories of Chadwick Boseman’s generous spirit continue to come to light. Sienna Miller, who co-starred opposite the late actor in the 2019 action-thriller 21 Bridges, reveals in a new interview with Empire that Boseman donated part of his salary to her.

Miller shares: “This was a pretty big-budget film, and I know that everybody understands about the pay disparity in Hollywood, but I asked for a number that the studio wouldn’t get to. And because I was hesitant to go back to work and my daughter was starting school and it was an inconvenient time, I said, ‘I’ll do it if I’m compensated in the right way.’ And Chadwick ended up donating some of his salary to get me to the number that I had asked for. He said that that was what I deserved to be paid.” Miller who calls the gesture “the most astounding thing” she’d ever experienced during her Hollywood career.

… Boseman passed away on August 28 at age 43 after a private battle with colon cancer.

EVAN RACHEL WOOD DETAILS WHY SHE QUIT TWITTER 
Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood is revealing why she quit Twitter earlier this year. The TV star says she couldn’t tweet anything without tabloids running with it and turning her words into dramatic headlines. She shares: “It would be like, ‘Evan Rachel Wood goes on a rant!’ or ‘Evan Rachel Wood attacks this person!’ Honestly, I think [quitting Twitter is] one of the best decisions I ever made. Really.” Wood says she deactivated her account so that the headlines wouldn’t distract her from her work.

AMANDA SEYFRIED GIVES BIRTH TO HER SECOND CHILD 
Amanda Seyfried and her husband, Thomas Sadoski, recently welcomed a baby boy to their growing family. An Instagram post shared on Monday by War Child USA — the organization that Amanda and Thomas are ambassadors for — revealed the couple’s good news. Their statement read: “Since the birth of our daughter 3 years ago our commitment to the innocent children that are so brutally affected by conflict and war has been a driving force in our lives. With the birth of our son the work of INARA and War Child has become our North Star.”

NETFLIX MIGHT BE RAISING ITS SUBSCRIPTION PRICES SOON 
Netflix has enjoyed a pretty successful year, from its leadership on the streaming charts to the sheer amount of money that the service continues to rake in. An analyst is now predicting that the platform could be preparing to raise its prices in North America and Europe. According to Alex Giaimo the evidence for Netflix’s future plans came in the company’s July second quarter earnings call, and a shift in language from management compared to the previous message in April. Giaimo had this to say on the subject: “In (the first quarter) Netflix said that they were ‘not even thinking about price increases,’ while the (second quarter) language was more open-ended.”

MEGHAN MARKLE AND PRINCE HARRY DENY THEY’RE STARRING IN A REALITY SHOW 
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are shooting down a report in The Sun claiming that Markle hopes a Netflix reality show reveals the “real her.” Their spokesperson said in a statement: “The Duke and Duchess are not taking part in any reality shows.”

THE POPULAR MOTEL FROM SCHITT’S CREEK WILL SOON BE UP FOR SALE 
The Ontario property that plays the role of the Rosebud Motel on the popular Canadian series Schitt’s Creek is being put up for sale. Jesse Tipping, owner of the real-life Rosebud Motel in Hockley Valley, Ontario, says the infamous property will hit the market in October.

… Tipping says Schitt’s Creek fans have flocked to the property over the years to take pictures in front of the motel, and even more in recent days after the show swept the Emmy Awards. The quirky sitcom nabbed all seven categories in which it was nominated, including best comedy series.

… While the next owner won’t find Johnny Rose or Stevie Budd manning the check-in desk, the motel — located northwest of downtown Toronto — features eight apartment-style rooms and a three-bedroom dwelling.

AT THE BOX OFFICE   TENET… is the No. 1 movie in North America for a fourth week, earning an additional $3.4 million. Coming in at No. 2 is The New Mutants with $1.1 million, followed by Unhinged at No. 3 with $1 million, Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back at No. 4 with $910,000 and Infidel at No. 5 with $745,000.

THE MOUNTAIN HAS A SON 
The Mountain from Game of Thrones is father to a “strong, healthy” newborn son. Hafthor Julius Björnsson, the 6-foot-9, 420-pound Icelandic strongman who played Sir Gregor Clegane, aka The Mountain, on HBO’s Game of Thrones, announced Sunday that his wife Kelsey Henson had given birth to a boy.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE TRYING TO FILL SEATS 
Saturday Night Live is the hottest ticket in New York. Everyone wants to see the show in person. There are two performances: dress rehearsal and live. It’s almost impossible to get into either one of them all season. Not anymore. SNL is now soliciting audience members. What’s really crazy is that you can request up to 9 tickets if they’re in your COVID bubble — meaning people you’re quarantined with.

… If selected for tickets you’ll take a COVID-19 test upon arrival with results delivered before the show; you’ll have a temp check; you’ll be required to wear a mask at all times… and more.

GWYNETH PALTROW POSES NUDE FOR BIRTHDAY PHOTO _ Gwyneth Paltrow shared a nude photo of herself on Instagram in honor of her 48th birthday. The outdoor snapshot shows the smiling Oscar winner from the side, standing with her arms crossed over her breasts. On Instagram she wrote: “In nothing but my birthday suit today… thank you all so much for the birthday wishes and thank you to @goop’s insanely amazing brand new body butter for making me think I can still get my kit off.”

GANGSTA’S PARADISE GETS A REMIX 
Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio was a No. 1 hit in 1995. For Oktoberfest, it’s a Bavarian polka. • VIDEO

DWAYNE JOHNSON BACKS BIDEN AND HARRIS 
Not so long ago, Dwayne Johnson flirted with the idea of running for president in 2020. That didn’t last long but now the actor and professional wrestler has decided to dip his toes in presidential politics for the first time in his career by openly throwing his support behind the Democratic ticket. Johnson released a video Sunday in which he endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, marking the first time the Fast and Furious star has publicly backed a presidential candidate as he characterized the November vote as “critical.” In the video Johnson emphasized he is a “registered independent … with centrist ideologies” and feels that Biden and Harris “are the best choice to lead our country.”

JOAQUIN PHOENIX AND ROONEY MARA NAME THEIR SON RIVER
 It’s been four months since news spread that Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara were expecting their first child together — and, while neither has confirmed that, they have apparently welcomed a baby boy. Director Victor Kossakovsky, whose film Gunda was executive produced by Joaquin, shared the news at a recent screening during the 2020 Zurich Film Festival. According to the director, Joaquin wasn’t in attendance to promote the film because he “just got a baby,” a “beautiful son.” The director also shared the name Rooney and Joaquin chose for their child: “River.”

… The name is a loving tribute to Joaquin’s late brother, who tragically died in 1993, and who the actor gave a moving speech about while accepting the Oscar for Best Actor earlier this year.

M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN’S NEXT FILM IS OLD 
M. Night Shyamalan’s box office track record is up and down, but the premise of his films is always intriguing. His next film, scheduled for release next year, is called Old — based on a French graphic novel called Sandcastle. The synopsis for Sandcastle reads: “Early morning on a perfect summer’s day, people begin to descend on an idyllic, secluded beach. Among their number, a family, a young couple, a refugee and some American tourists. Its fine white sand is fringed with rock pools filled with crystal clear water. The beach is sheltered from prying eyes by green-fringed cliffs that soar around the cove. But this utopia keeps a dark secret. A woman’s body is found floating in the waters, which brings these thirteen strangers together to try and unravel the riddle of the sands and escape the beach alive in this tense, fantastical mystery.”

FAMILY GUY FINDS A NEW VOICE FOR CLEVELAND BROWN 
Around the same time the producers of The Simpsons decided that they wouldn’t cast white voice actors to play any characters of color on the animated series, Family Guy followed suit when Mike Henry announced that he would step down from voicing Cleveland Brown. Now, after The Simpsons found a new actor to voice Homer’s friend Carl, Family Guy has done the same by announcing a new voice for Cleveland. Voice actor Arif Zahir has landed the role.

JAMES CAMERON IS 95% DONE SHOOTING TWO AVATAR SEQUELS 
Thanks to New Zealand’s containment of COVID-19, James Cameron has been able to continue full speed ahead on his Avatar sequels. In fact, he’s almost done filming not just one, but two of them. Cameron says his team is “100% complete” on all live shoots for Avatar 2 and “sort of 95% complete on Avatar 3.”

… Avatar 2 will be in theaters in December 2022 with Avatar 3 set for release the following year.

NICK FURY’S NEW SERIES WILL REPORTEDLY FEATURE A FAMILIAR AVENGER 
To the delight of many fans, it was reported on Friday that Samuel L. Jackson would be reprising his role as Nick Fury in his very own Disney+ series. And according to sources, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel is set to to accompany Jackson’s Fury in some capacity.

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