Entertainment

Aug
01
2021
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By Troy Warren
Box Office: ‘Jungle Cruise’ Climbs to $13.4M Friday, Sets Course for $30M Debut Despite Delta

Box Office: ‘Jungle Cruise’ Climbs to $13.4M Friday, Sets Course for $30M Debut Despite Delta

Entertainment, ,
BY PAMELA MCCLINTOCK | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT The Disney adventure stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. 'The Green Knight' and Matt Damon's 'Stillwater' are also opening at the domestic box office this weekend. Disney’s Jungle Cruise set sail Friday with $13.4 million, putting the event pic on course to reach $30 million in its domestic box office opening and come in on the higher end of expectations. Jungle Cruise is playing in 4,310 theaters in North America, the widest count of the pandemic era. The family-friendly adventure — based on the iconic Disneyland ride — is also being made available simultaneously in the home…
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Jul
31
2021
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By Troy Warren
How Dwayne Johnson Wooed Emily Blunt for ‘Jungle Cruise’ — and Why She Ghosted Him

How Dwayne Johnson Wooed Emily Blunt for ‘Jungle Cruise’ — and Why She Ghosted Him

Celebrity, Entertainment, , ,
BY REBECCA KEEGAN | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT As they prepare to release their $200 million-plus Disney tentpole, the newly minted BFFs now lean on each other for career guidance: "I go to him for advice because he lived in the trenches." At about 4 a.m. in the fall of 2017, after a tiring night shoot on Universal’s Skyscraper, Dwayne Johnson, arguably the busiest person in Hollywood, set aside some time to film a video for Emily Blunt. At the time, he was attached to star in Jungle Cruise, which various producers had been trying to get off the ground at Disney since at…
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Jul
30
2021
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By Troy Warren
Box Office: ‘Jungle Cruise’ Earns $2.7M in Thursday Previews

Box Office: ‘Jungle Cruise’ Earns $2.7M in Thursday Previews

Entertainment, , , ,
BY PAMELA MCCLINTOCK | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT The Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt movie is riding into theaters amid renewed concerns over the COVID-19 delta variant. Disney’s latest live-action Jungle Cruise rode to $2.7 million in Thursday previews at the North American box office. The family friendly adventure – based on the iconic Disney ride — is also being made available simultaneously in the home via Disney+ Premier Access, a decision made several months ago because of ongoing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic and the slow nature of the box office recovery. Earlier this May, Disney’s live-action Cruella started off with $1.4 million…
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Jul
30
2021
By Troy Warren
David Ayer Blasts ‘Suicide Squad’: “The Studio Cut Is Not My Movie”

David Ayer Blasts ‘Suicide Squad’: “The Studio Cut Is Not My Movie”

Entertainment, , ,
BY JAMES HIBBERD | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT "I made something amazing … a handful of people have seen it," the director writes in scathing open letter. Suicide Squad director David Ayer is taking his criticism of the released version of his comic book film to a new level. With James Gunn’s upcoming reboot The Suicide Squad drawing early praise — and comparisons to Ayer’s disappointing 2016 effort — Ayer accused Warner Bros. of dramatically recutting his film from his original vision. “I put my life into Suicide Squad,” Ayer wrote in a lengthy tweet titled “My Turn.” “I made something amazing. My cut is…
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Jul
30
2021
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By Troy Warren
‘House of Gucci’ Trailer: Lady Gaga and Adam Driver Transform Into Mr. and Mrs. Gucci

‘House of Gucci’ Trailer: Lady Gaga and Adam Driver Transform Into Mr. and Mrs. Gucci

Entertainment, , ,
BY CHRISTY PIÑA | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT Ridley Scott's true-crime drama centers on the murder of fashion trailblazer Maurizio Gucci, orchestrated by his wife at the time, Patrizia Reggiani. The Guccis have arrived in style in MGM’s first trailer for the upcoming film House of Gucci. The true-crime drama centers on the murder of fashion trailblazer Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), orchestrated by his wife at the time, Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga). “It was a name that sounded so sweet, so seductive, synonymous with worth, style, power, but that name was a curse, too,” Gaga’s Reggiani says in a voiceover opening…
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Jul
29
2021
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By Troy Warren
Infomercial icon Ron Popeil dies at 86

Infomercial icon Ron Popeil dies at 86

Editors Picks, Entertainment, In The News, ,
By Andrew Dalton and Ted Anthony, The Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT Ron Popeil, the quintessential TV pitchman and inventor known to generations of viewers for hawking products including the Veg-O-Matic, the Pocket Fisherman, Mr. Microphone and the Showtime Rotisserie and BBQ, has died, his family said. Popeil died “suddenly and peacefully” Wednesday at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his family said in a statement. He was 86. No cause of death was given. Popeil essentially invented the popular image of the American television pitchman, whose novel products solved frustrating problems viewers didn't know they had. He popularized…
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Jul
29
2021
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By Troy Warren
‘Hawkeye’ Sets November Release Date on Disney+

‘Hawkeye’ Sets November Release Date on Disney+

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BY AARON COUCH | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld star in the Marvel Studios series. Hawkeye, the Disney+ show starring Jeremy Renner as the Avengers hero, has set a release date. The Marvel Studios show will bow on Nov. 24. The series also stars Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop, the fan-favorite character who becomes a protege of Renner’s Clint Barton. As audiences who have seen Black Widow know, Florence Pugh will reprise her role as Yelena Belova. Directors for Hawkeye include Bert and Bertie, as well as Saturday Night Live director Rhys Thomas. Jonathan Igla (Mad Men, Pitch) is writing. Next up, Marvel has the…
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Jul
28
2021
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By Troy Warren
Netflix to Require COVID-19 Vaccinations On All U.S. Productions

Netflix to Require COVID-19 Vaccinations On All U.S. Productions

COVID-19, Entertainment, ,
BY BRYN SANDBERG | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT The move, which applies to Zone A on film and TV sets, comes as the Delta variant spreads. Netflix is making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory on its U.S. productions — at least in Zone A, the part on  set with actors. The move makes the streamer the first major studio to institute a blanket vaccination policy. A source says Netflix is closely following the recently updated return-to-work protocols agreed upon by the guilds and studios, which says that the industry may mandate vaccinations in Zone A on a project-by-project basis. The new standards were agreed to…
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Jul
28
2021
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By Troy Warren
ZZ Top Bassist Dusty Hill Dies at 72

ZZ Top Bassist Dusty Hill Dies at 72

Celebrity, Editors Picks, Entertainment, Music, , ,
BY ANNA CHAN, BILLBOARD | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT "You will be greatly missed, amigo," bandmates Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard said. ZZ Top’s longtime bassist Dusty Hill has died, the band announced in a statement Wednesday. He was 72. “We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston,” the group shared. “We, along with legions of ZZ Top fans around the world, will miss your steadfast presence, your good nature and enduring commitment to providing that monumental bottom to the ‘Top.’ We will forever be connected to…
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Jul
28
2021
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By Troy Warren
Spotify Hits 165M Paying Subs, Misses Total User Target, Ad Revenue Jumps

Spotify Hits 165M Paying Subs, Misses Total User Target, Ad Revenue Jumps

Business, Entertainment, Music,
BY GEORG SZALAI | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT The music streamer, led by CEO Daniel Ek, reports a 110 percent ad gain, helped by podcasts from the likes of Joe Rogan, Bill Simmons and the Obamas. Music-streaming giant Spotify said on Wednesday that it ended the second quarter with 165 million premium, or paid, subscribers. It had ended the first quarter with 158 million and forecast 162-166 million by the end of June. Spotify by then also reached 365 million total monthly active users (MAUs), which came in below its guidance range of 366-373 million, the Wednesday earnings update showed. The firm had ended the first…
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