Month: May 2024

Elizabeth Banks and Jessica Biel will star in and executive produce a series based on Alafair Burke’s thriller, The Better Sister.

According to a press release from Prime Video, The Better Sister is an “electric thriller” about how some terrible things pull two sisters apart from each other, and ultimately brings them back together. An official synopsis reads “Chloe (Biel) moves through the world with her handsome lawyer husband Adam and teenage son Ethan by her side while her estranged sister Nicky (Banks) hustles to make ends meet while trying to stay clean. When Adam is brutally murdered, the prime suspect sends shockwaves through the family, laying bare long-buried secrets.”

Olivia Milch (‘Ocean’s 8’) and Regina Corrado (‘Mayor of Kingstown’) will serve as showrunners and executive producers for the Prime Video project, with director Craig Gillespie (‘I, Tonya,’ ‘Pam & Tommy’) helming the series.

Vernon Sanders, head of television for Amazon MGM Studios, said in a statement: “Beyond being an enticing thriller full of twists and turns, The Better Sister is a gripping story about family feuds and forgiveness. The brilliant duo of Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks are sure to bring these characters to life in the most authentic way alongside Olivia, Regina, Craig, and the talented team at Tomorrow Studios. The series is in the best hands to bring Alafair Burke’s original IP to life for our global Prime Video customers.”

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Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are reuniting for a new reality series on Peacock, more than two decades after launching the era of reality TV with their classic show, The Simple Life. The Simple Life first premiered on Fox in 2003; the show later moved to E! and concluded in 2007.

Hilton, 43, and Richie, 42, shared a teaser for their Peacock reality show, showing a TV screen filled with static as Hilton and Richie’s voices are heard in the background. The caption reads: “New era. Same besties. Coming soon to Peacock.” Paris and Nicole can be heard singing through a static television in the accompanying video — a reference of a popular gag from their former reality series.

Hilton and Richie sparked speculation about a reunion last week after they shared a collage of photos from throughout their friendship, along with a caption reading: “From Day 1: Sill and Bill.”

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Actor Johnny Wactor, best know for his role on the long-running ABC soap opera ‘General Hospital,’ was shot and killed on Saturday after he interrupted three male suspects who were allegedly attempting to remove a catalytic converter from his parked vehicle.

Per ABC NEWS, the Los Angeles Police Department said that the incident happened around 3:25 am PT on Saturday. The actor’s mother, Scarlett Wactor, said her son saw someone at his car after he finished work at a rooftop bar, and initially thought his car was being towed. As he approached his car, one of the suspects, who was wearing a mask, later opened fire at him, adding that the police told her Wactor did not do anything wrong. While the suspects fled to an unknown location following the shooting, Wactor was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No arrests have yet to be made, and the case remains under investigation by the LAPD Central Division Homicide.

The 37-year-old Wactor has nearly 50 film and television credits to his name on IMDB, appearing on shows including “Criminal Minds,” “Siberia” and “Westworld,” among others. He is best known for his performance as Brando Corbin on General Hospital from 2020-2022. The show said in a statement on X: “The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Johnny Wactor’s untimely passing. He was truly one of a kind and a pleasure to work with each and every day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones during this difficult time.”

Scarlett Wactor said in a statement about her son: “There are not enough words to tell what a beautiful soul he was. He was a kind loving son and brother, he lived life to the fullest. He set goals and went after them. There is a very large hole on our hearts and lives.”

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The soundtrack for Season 3 of Netflix’s Bridgerton was revealed, which will feature string quartets playing modern day pop songs. Artists covered in Season 3 include Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey, BTS, Nick Jonas and Billie Eilish.

A string version of Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” is included, The Vitamin String Quartet covering additional Eilish songs, as well as BTS’s “Dynamite” and Sia’s “Cheap Thrills.”  In addition, The Atwood Quartet covers Swift and Del Rey’s “Snow on the Beach,” and Jonas’s song, “Jealous.”

For the first time, Bridgerton will feature an original song, “All I Want,” Rogét Chahayed, Wesley Singerman, Taylor Dexter and Nicole Cohen. Tori Kelly will perform the song live at Bridgerton events this month, while an instrumental version of “All I Want,” adapted by composer Kris Bowers, will appear in Part 2.

“Bridgerton” Season 3 will include a total of eight episodes that are split into two parts. Part 1, comprised of four episodes, premieres Thursday, May 17; with Part 2 to debut the additional four episodes beginning on June 13. The soundtrack will also be released in two parts, with Part 1 dropping on May 16.

“Bridgerton” Season 3 music supervisor Justin Kamps said to Netflix’s Tudum website: “I start to try to think of songs from the past that could maybe work for this and then also current hits that could possibly make sense .. It’s really down to the script and then the themes. And sometimes initially it’s about what matches the choreography and then later it’s about what matches the scene and the emotion.”

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Cassie Ventura is speaking out for the first time following the release of a 2016 video that showed her being physically abused by ex-boyfriend, Sean “Diddy” Combs.

On Thursday, May 23, Ventura thanked her supporters in a statement released on Instagram, expressing her thanks “for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to Meer” after footage of her being physically assaulted by Combs, 54, went public last week. Ventura, 37, continued: “The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning.  Domestic Violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.”

Cassie also voiced her support for others experiencing abuse and asked people to do the same: “Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to take this matter seriously. My only ask is that EVERYONE open your heart to believing victims the first time. It takes a lot of heart to tell the truth out of a situation that you were powerless in. I offer my hand to hose that are still living in fear. Reach out to your people, don’t cut them off. No one should carry this weight alone .. The healing journey is never ending, but this support means everything to me. Thank you.”

CNN published a surveillance video May 17 that shows Combs appearing to grab, shove, drag and kick Ventura in a hallway of the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles in March 2016. Combs apologized in a video posted to social media, but did not mention Ventura by name, saying in part:  “My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”

Diddy and Cassie dated on and off from 2007 to 2018. Combs previously denied Ventura’s allegations of assault after she filed a lawsuit Nov. 16, 2023 that accused him of rape and years of abuse; the suit was settled one day later, but in the months that followed, multiple alleged victims have spoken out against Diddy, in which. he denied all the allegations. Ventura said at the time of the settlement: “I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.”

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Lady Gaga‘s long-awaited Chromatica Ball concert special will finally air this month following a two-year wait. An HBO concert special based on Gaga’s 2022 “Chromatica Ball” tour will premiere on the network on Saturday, May 25at 8 p.m. ET/PT and will be available to stream on Max.

Gaga shared a trailer for the film on her social pages, writing: “This film chronicles a time of immense creativity…the fashion, the dance, the music. Revisiting the tour leaves me speechless the way we had each other — you all showed up for music and art in a big way, and with a level of excitement and freedom that I will never forget. Stadium after stadium. Sold-out crowds. The deafening sing-alongs. Chromatica was colorful revenge. The chaos of it all became pure energy and life. With a texture best experienced live.” Gaga continued: “see yourself in every vocal, every fabric choice, the choreography, every image. Here’s the truth — no matter where life or my career has taken me, my time with you always is a path back to a very powerful part of myself. In a stadium filled with YOU it came to life. Thank you for that feeling. I hope you will feel seen when you watch this film. And know that I edited it carefully to honor you.”

The concert film, originally announced in 2022, was filmed before a sold-out crowd of 52,000 people at Los Angeles’s Dodger Stadium in September of 2022, and features the artist performing such hits as “Bad Romance,” “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” “Shallow,” “Rain On Me,” “Stupid Love” and more.

Nina Rosenstein, HBO executive VP of programming, late night & specials, says: “Lady Gaga is a complete powerhouse. She’s a once-in-a-lifetime artist who never holds back, and ‘Gaga Chromatica Ball’ puts her endless list of talents on full display. We’re thrilled to partner with her once again for this breathtaking concert special.”

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