Entertainment

Jul
02
2021
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By Troy Warren
“You Can’t Actually Blow Up the White House”: An Oral History of ‘Independence Day’

“You Can’t Actually Blow Up the White House”: An Oral History of ‘Independence Day’

Editors Picks, Entertainment
BY AARON COUCH | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT As the beloved film turns 25, director Roland Emmerich, writer Dean Devlin and stars Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Vivica A. Fox, Randy Quaid and more look back at the battle to cast Will Smith, concerns over that famous Super Bowl ad, and a last-minute reshoot to save the ending. “Today, we celebrate our Independence Day.” Twenty-five years ago, those words electrified audiences, who braved long lines and sold-out crowds to see the most anticipated movie of 1996. Independence Day, which opened over the July Fourth weekend, turned Will Smith into a global star, birthed one of…
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Jul
02
2021
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By Troy Warren
Disney’s Insurer Sues Over Production Costs During Hollywood’s Reboot

Disney’s Insurer Sues Over Production Costs During Hollywood’s Reboot

Business, Editors Picks, Entertainment,
BY ERIQ GARDNER | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT Given the risk of COVID-19 infection, did Disney intentionally put the cast and crew of its movies and TV shows in harm's way? A court filing from Fireman's Fund actually goes there. Who will be picking up the tab for the extra cost to make movies and TV shows late in 2020 when state governments eased shutdown orders but infections were surging? That’s the crucial question that will be answered by a big lawsuit filed on Thursday by Fireman’s Fund against Disney. The insurer will at least be partially reimbursing Disney for…
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Jul
01
2021
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By Troy Warren
L.A. Courts End Remote Audio Program After Illicit Britney Spears Hearing Recording Surfaces

L.A. Courts End Remote Audio Program After Illicit Britney Spears Hearing Recording Surfaces

Entertainment, In The News, ,
BY ASHLEY CULLINS | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT Audio of the artist's emotional statements — in a hearing that didn't allow recording — was posted online. It didn’t take long for audio from Britney Spears’ June 23 conservatorship hearing to make the rounds on the internet, despite a clear and emphatic warning from the L.A. County Judge Brenda Penny that recording wasn’t allowed. Whether the person, or people, who did it will face any penalty remains to be seen, but the court has taken another action in response: It shut down its remote audio attendance program entirely. Under California state and…
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Jun
30
2021
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By Troy Warren
Hollywood Reacts to Bill Cosby Release: “I Am Furious, Shame on the Court”

Hollywood Reacts to Bill Cosby Release: “I Am Furious, Shame on the Court”

Entertainment
BY JAMES HIBBERD | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT The entertainment industry responded on Wednesday to the shock decision to free Cosby — and one of his former co-stars celebrates. Hollywood reacted Wednesday to the shock news that Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction has been overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The Court decided that a “non-prosecution agreement” the actor struck with a previous prosecutor should have prevented him from being charged in a case that stemmed from a 2004 encounter with accuser Andrea Constand. The decision paved the way for the 83-year-old to be freed after serving more than two years of a…
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Jun
29
2021
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By Troy Warren
Box Office: “Patience Was a Virtue” for Studios That Held Films

Box Office: “Patience Was a Virtue” for Studios That Held Films

Editors Picks, Entertainment, ,
BY PAMELA MCCLINTOCK | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT As 'F9' and 'A Quiet Place Part II' enjoy strong theatrical runs, the release-calendar shuffle may be winding down: "It is a very positive sign." Timing is everything. Take F9, which roared to a $70 million domestic debut over the June 25-27 weekend, the biggest opening of the pandemic era. The performance of the Fast and Furious installment recharged the box office battery and helped provide a collective sense of confidence for Hollywood’s bruised film studios as they prepare to once again release a steady supply of tentpoles. Early in the pandemic, Universal pushed back F9 by a full…
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Jun
29
2021
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By Troy Warren
Cannes Hot List: Letitia Wright Drama, Ewan McGregor Survival Thriller Among Films Set to Heat Up the Festival

Cannes Hot List: Letitia Wright Drama, Ewan McGregor Survival Thriller Among Films Set to Heat Up the Festival

Business, Entertainment
BY SCOTT ROXBOROUGH | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT Despite a year of turmoil and uncertainty, a bumper crop of star-driven projects at the market has sparked optimism among dealmakers: "Demand from buyers has held up and supply hasn’t really been affected." Despite a year of COVID-19, virtual markets and online-only releases, the independent film business has found ways to make and release movies worldwide. Sales at the Virtual Cannes Market in 2020 — the first online-only film market held after the pandemic hit — were near record highs, and Toronto and AFM were similarly bullish, leaving sellers heading into Cannes’…
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Jun
28
2021
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By Troy Warren
Box Office: How ‘F9’ Sped to Record $70M U.S. Opening

Box Office: How ‘F9’ Sped to Record $70M U.S. Opening

Entertainment,
BY PAMELA MCCLINTOCK | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT The ninth installment in the 'Fast and Furious' franchise scored the biggest launch yet of the pandemic era. Waiting to rev up the engines was worth the wait for F9. When the COVID-19 crisis struck in the U.S., Universal decided to push back the ninth installment in the Fast and Furious franchise by a full year, versus taking a chance on the latter half of 2020 as other tentpoles did (unsuccessfully). As it turned out, many theaters didn’t begin reopening until late spring 2021. Over the weekend, F9 sped to a record $70 million in its North American…
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Jun
27
2021
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By Troy Warren
Allison Mack Speaks Out Days Before Sentencing: “This Was the Biggest Mistake and Regret of My Life”

Allison Mack Speaks Out Days Before Sentencing: “This Was the Biggest Mistake and Regret of My Life”

Editors Picks, Entertainment, In The News,
BY TRILBY BERESFORD | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT The former 'Smallville' actress addressed "those who have been harmed by my actions" in her letter on Saturday. Former Smallville actress Allison Mack is speaking out in the days leading up to her sentencing for involvement in the NXIVM sex cult. In a letter addressing “those who have been harmed by my actions,” which accompanied sentencing guideline recommendations from her attorneys and was obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Mack wrote: “It is now of paramount importance for me to say, from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry.” “I threw myself into the teachings of Keith…
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Jun
27
2021
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By Troy Warren
Bruce Springsteen’s Broadway Show Reopens With First Full-Capacity Show

Bruce Springsteen’s Broadway Show Reopens With First Full-Capacity Show

Entertainment,
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Troy Warren for CNT Springsteen had ended his 'Springsteen on Broadway' residency in December 2018 after 236 performances, but was persuaded to return for a summer's encore ahead of most Broadway shows coming back in September. In another sign of live entertainment’s rebirth, Bruce Springsteen returned to Broadway this weekend, strapping on a guitar and reviving a show for an audience that included a member of his E Street Band and the governor of his home state. Springsteen had ended his residency in December 2018 after 236 performances, but was persuaded to return for a summer’s encore ahead of most Broadway…
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Jun
26
2021
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By Troy Warren
Box Office: ‘F9’ Rocketing to $68M Pandemic-Era Record Opening

Box Office: ‘F9’ Rocketing to $68M Pandemic-Era Record Opening

Entertainment, , , , , , , ,
BY PAMELA MCCLINTOCK | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT The ninth installment in the 'Fast and Furious' franchise grossed a hefty $30 million on Friday alone. F9 is headed for a huge $66 million debut at the weekend box office, a pandemic-era record for North America and the biggest domestic opening since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in December 2019. The ninth installment in the Fast and Furious Saga earned a huge $30 million on Friday from 4,179 theaters in North America. That’s the widest count for any film opening in recent months as more and more cinemas reopen. Friday’s tally, a single-day record for the…
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