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Vince McMahon has been famous as one of the foremost names in the world of entertainment wrestling for a long time. Rightfully so, as his contribution to making WWE the industry’s most successful franchise is irrefutable.

Vince McMahon on WWE TV/ Credit: WWE

However, there is another thing that Vince McMahon was notorious for. That is his habit of pranks. While it might seem like pranking the world’s strongest men now and again is nothing but in good faith to keep them in line, the truth was a little different from their side.

Especially as many said pranks felt like cruelty to the talents at the time they took place. What is interesting, though, is that such a prank went on to create one of the most legendary storylines in the history of WWE even if it came at a cost.

Vince McMahon’s prank on Mark Henry...

If phenomenal is a word, then Aj Styles is a living embodiment of it. With an iconic theme song, hard-hitting moves, and a showstopper finisher, Styles made a name for himself wherever he went. This was evident when he received one of the loudest cheers in WWE’s history as he made his debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble.

Aj Styles. Credits: WWE

Since then, he has been making a name for himself, as he battled some of the greats of the sport like John Cena, The Undertaker, Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, and so many more. In all accord, his career has been filled with ups and downs, but one thing’s constant: him being a top name in the locker room.

The 3-time US Champion is once again getting praised by the wrestling enthusiasts who notice him being in the best shape of his career. Recently, the globally acclaimed wrestler...

In the sports entertainment industry, Vince McMahon has been seen as a ruthless businessman who will do everything that is “best for business.” This trait has helped him to make WWE a global brand, where fans would tune in each week to watch the emotionally gripping fictional storyline that pushes the limits of sports entertainment.

Vince McMahon with his son, Shane McMahon. Credits: WWE

Disappointingly, in the process, he has severed the relationship with people close to him and released some of the biggest and greatest talents that have ever stepped foot in the ring. Therefore, the members of the locker room must do everything in their power to maintain Mr. McMahon’s favor; otherwise, dire repercussions will follow.

Dave Bautista is one of those unfortunate members who learned this the hard way, recalling an incident in which he was fined a large sum for compromising World Wrestling Entertainment’s PG Era.

John Cena has been the good guy for decades now. Whether it is his involvement with the Make a Wish Foundation or the literal fact that kids everywhere have looked up to the legend all this time, it made sense that John Cena would remain a face throughout his wrestling career. However, he recently shocked the world by turning heel at WWE’s Elimination Chamber in Toronto, especially since he is so close to retirement. Looks like the wrestler wanted to end on an unpredictable note!

John Cena | Credits: Jimmy Kimmel Live / ABC

However, this shouldn’t be so surprising to WWE fans, as John Cena himself talked about the very real possibility of him turning heel almost a year before he actually did.

John Cena surprises fans by turning heel John Cena turns heel | Credits: WWE

After John Cena won WWE’s Elimination Chamber event, which took place on...

Better Call Saul star Giancarlo Esposito made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in the new movie Captain America: Brave New World. Before reshoots, however, Esposito was not involved, making his MCU entrance possible at the zero hour.

Per Variety, Captain America: Brave New World director Julius Onah opened up about the MCU film. He explained how Esposito's character, Sidewinder, was written into the story later on when the filmmakers felt the need to add more "grounded" characters to the movie. While there were always plans to have the Serpent Society playing a big part of the story, the original idea was to have their introduction be a bit more "heightened." After the choice was made to bring in a grounded villain, Onah learned that Esposito was interested in the role.

RelatedChip Zdarsky Launching New Captain America Series

Daredevil writer Chip Zdarsky announces a brand-new Captain America series he will helm...

Seth Rollins is no longer going to appear in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World!

The 38-year-old WWE star was first announced to have joined the cast in May 2023 and it was speculated he would be playing a villain.

Seth was also seen on set that same month.

Now, with the movie about to hit theaters, Seth has revealed in a new interview that his scenes were cut.

Keep reading to find out more…

“I wish it the best, but I am not a part of that film,” he said while appearing on the podcast Insight with Chris Van Vliet.

“Does my NDA still apply if I’m not in the film anymore? Truth be told, any answer I gave would only be my opinion on it. The script went through a lot of rewrites and reshoots so what I was there to do, essentially my role got either repurposed or completely erased,...

Fans of WWE and MCU unanimously felt like a winning moment, when they spotted what appeared like wrestling legend Seth Rollins, on the set of Anthony Mackie’s upcoming Captain America: Brave New World. Considering how he has dominated the square ring multiple times and has become five times WWE world champion, people were excited to see him in the highly-anticipated Marvel movie.

After his appearance in films like Armed Response and Like a Boss, Rollins sparked hopes among fans about having a cameo in Brave New World, when leaked images from the film’s set went viral, in 2024.

Seth Rollins at WrestleMania Xl | image: WWE

Additionally, when the trailer for the film was released last year, fans believed that they had spotted the wrestler in a Captain America cameo. But then, although nothing was officially confirmed about his appearance in the film, Seth Rollins recently announced that he was...

WWE superstar Seth Rollins was initially set to appear in Captain America: Brave New World as a mysterious villain, but reshoots have not just reduced his role but completely cut him out of the movie. Captain America: Brave New World is the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film of 2025 and has one of the most troubled productions in the franchise's history. Despite some strong trailers and the excitement around Harrison Ford as the Red Hulk, the movie has been plagued with behind-the-scenes rumors of a troubled film that has undergone many delays to accommodate rewrites and reshoots.

Seth Rollins seemed to be a victim of these reshoots, as the WWE star revealed on the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast that he was no longer in the film. Rollins was pretty clear, saying, “I wish it the best, but I am not a part of that film. I’m not in the movie.

The next addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America: Brave New World, is set to reach theatres on February 14, 2025 – and wrestler Seth Rollins has confirmed that his role has been cut out of the film.

Captain America: Brave New World went into production in March of 2023, with filming lasting through June. In May, Rollins was spotted on set and appeared to be playing a member of the villainous Serpent Society. But in December of ’23, another screenwriter was brought onto the project to write new material for reshoots, and those reshoots seemed to be quite substantial, lasting from May 2024 through November. We know that the story still involves the Serpent Society; in fact, the reshoots added Giancarlo Esposito into the mix as Sidewinder, the leader of the Serpent Society… but for some reason, Rollins’ character no longer fit into the reworked story.

Seth Rollins on set for the new Captain America: New World Order movie.

While WWE legend Seth Rollins was previously spotted on the set of the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World and was speculated to have a role in the Marvel blockbuster, he will now have a ringside seat when the film releases. Because according to his recent interview on the Insight podcast with Chris Van Vliet, Rollins confirmed that he will not be in the final cut of the film.

Wrestling legend Seth Rollins | image: WWE

It seems that after his wife Becky Lynch’s supposed character was omitted from Chloé Zhao-directed 2021 film Eternals, even Seth Rollins is suffering the same fate. They seem to be the unluckiest couple from the WWE universe who got their roles removed from the final cut of their respective MCU films.

Seth Rollins is no longer a part of Captain America: Brave New World

With Anthony Mackie’s Captain America: Brave New World being...

Fans have been eagerly waiting for the next Captain America movie since Sam Wilson took on the role in the MCU. Sam Wilson’s ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ is building up decent hype around it, but it also faced some controversies in the past.

The movie’s development was long and difficult, with multiple delays and reportedly expensive reshoots after poor test screenings. Those reshoots added $100M to the overall budget according to reports, and significantly changed the story.

The original story was supposed to feature King Cobra and the Serpent Society. Seth Rollins also known as Tyler Black a popular WWE wrestler and occasional actor was supposed to portray King Cobra and there were some set images that proved those claims.

Then a few months after those set images were revealed notable industry insider CanWeGetSomeToast reported the following:

The Serpent Society has been completely removed from Captain America: Brave New World...

One exciting debut for the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been left on the cutting room floor. Seth Rollins, one of WWE's biggest stars, has confirmed that he will not be appearing in the final cut of the upcoming MCU film Captain America: Brave New World.

Previously, it had been reported that Rollins would be appearing in the fourth Captain America movie, and there were rumors that he was playing King Cobra. Images of Rollins on the set also made it to social media, providing a sneak peek at the pro wrestler in the role. However, there were subsequent rumors that Rollins' role had been cut amid Brave New World getting hit with reshoots. Now, per SEScoops, Rollins has officially confirmed that he won't be seen on the big screen in the final cut of the film.

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Europes Home Of WrestlingBelts (@ehowb...

The Ohio Valley Wrestling class of 2002 was truly one for the books, the crowing jewels of which were, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Dave Bautista, and Shelton Benjamin. Fans have cherished this iconic group since their breakout days, but time has marched on, and a lot has changed since then.

Dave Bautista in his final wrestling match at WrestleMania 35 |Credits: WWE

With John Cena now announcing his retirement, it leaves Randy Orton as the last man standing in the ring. As Cena prepares to kick off his retirement tour, Dave Bautista has weighed in with his thoughts on his fellow wrestler’s big move, the retirement tour.

Dave Bautista has no time for a Cena-style retirement tour

During an appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Dave Bautista opened up about why he couldn’t see himself doing a retirement tour like John Cena.

Related The Janson Directive: All...

It isn't long into playing Infinity Nikki, PaperGames' latest cozy role-playing game, where you try to upgrade the potential of your Ability Outfits by unlocking more skills using Insight. They are locked by particular Ability Nodes, which can only be unlocked by requiring respective types of Insight. Until this point in the beautiful open-world game, the fifth installment of the Nikki Up2U franchise that's been running for a long time, Whimstars is the currency required in the Heart of Infinity to get new delightful outfits. However, Insight is the next layer of the game's skill tree.

However, it turns out that Insight is the important currency required in Nikki's latest adventures to unlock additional abilities for her most important outfits designed to help her navigate this big open world. While Infinity Nikki is free to play, you will need to spend at least a bit of time on certain...

The following contains major spoilers from FBI Season 7, Episode 6, "Perfect," which debuted Tuesday, Dec. 3 on CBS. It also contains discussion of violence toward women.

FBI Season 7, Episode 6, "Perfect" is a rare complete miss for the CBS series. It's an episode that doesn't fit this show, both in terms of its disturbing case of the week and in what it means for the character of Special Agent Maggie Bell. Missy Peregrym's character Maggie has been through a lot over seven seasons, but this is a disappointingly low point for her.

"Perfect" involves a serial killer who abducts women and forces them to pretend to be the ideal wife -- with horrific consequences if they fail. The episode is hard to watch, not only in its level of implied violence but because of the messages it sends. And while the FBI cast are just as reliable as they've ever been, they...

"Peacemaker" was a breath of fresh air to the DC Expanded Universe when it debuted, a fun, funny, and heartfelt superhero show that was both intimate and had high stakes. It was also a show with hilarious references to the rest of the DC world, like jokes about Aquaman and Green Arrow. In the season one finale, Peacemaker says that the hero of Star City "goes to brony conventions dressed as the back half of Twilight sparkling with a four-inch wide butthole drilled into the costume." It was funny in the context of that show, but one person who did not enjoy the joke was "Arrow" star Stephen Amell.

Speaking on the Insight podcast with Chris Van Vliet, Amell was candid about his opinions on "Peacemaker" and the show's joke about Green Arrow. "That was a little unnecessary. I didn't f***ing appreciate that at all," the actor said. "Between...

The newest Apple TV operating system comes with some key updates that will make the viewing experience even better.

If you use an Apple TV device as your primary streaming player, you’re about to notice some new features. On Monday, Apple announced the release of tvOS 18, the latest operating system for its Apple TV streaming players. There are a number of new things included in the release of tvOS 18, and we’ll break down the most important new features to be aware of below.

Key Details: Apple’s tvOS 18 introduces the company’s new InSight feature, essentially a clone of Amazon’s X-Ray. Automatic subtitles and an upgrade to the Enhanced Dialogue function are also coming. tvOS 18 has been in public beta testing since July.

One of the biggest new features in tvOS 18 is InSight, which viewers of Amazon’s streaming service Prime Video will find very familiar. Using...

Stephen Amell’s Heels finds a new home on Netflix after the show was unfortunately canceled by Starz in 2023 just after two seasons. This already promised a possibility that the project could be revived, and with the actor’s latest update, it seemingly looks like there is a huge chance.

Credits: Stephen Amell in Heels / Starz

Heels ended on a major cliffhanger for Amell’s Jack Spade, and it would be a shame not to see what the future holds for him and the rest of the team. Along with the potential revival of the show, the Arrow star also provided a surprising revelation.

Stephen Amell Teases Fans With Possible Season 3 of Heels

Heels first aired in 2021 with Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig taking on the roles of brothers running an indie wrestling company. The show was highly praised by critics and fans, so it was a massive disappointment when...

While the entertainment industry has seen wrestlers swapping their rings and turning into actors, Stephen Amell was an exception as he became among the actors who switched their roles to wrestling. For a wrestling career boosted by his athleticism which started back in 2015, the Arrow star has gained quite a few valuable experiences in WWE as well the way he has done in Hollywood.

Stephen Amell in the Arrowverse. | Credits: The CW.

Like getting advice from Triple H, which happened right before his first match. Of course, being in the presence of a renowned professional in the field, Amell didn’t take his timeless advice lightly. However, it was only when it came to implementing it practically that the actor realized the true essence of the advice and regretted not using it during one of his best Aew moments.

Stephen Amell Regrets Not Implementing Triple H’s Advice

Back when...

The chances of Heels season 3 gets an update from star Stephen Amell, as the acclaimed wrestling drama has been licensed by Netflix. Premiering in August 2021 on Starz and running for two seasons, Heels told the story of the Dwl. A wrestling promotion in a small Georgia town, the Dwl is at the center of a conflict between Jack Spade (Stephen Amell) and Ace Spade (Alexander Ludwig) as the two brothers squabble about how the promotion should move forward after their father's death. Heels season 3 was among the titles that Starz cancelled in 2023.

In an interview on the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast, Amell was asked about the show's future as Netflix has acquired the show and will begin streaming it in the U.S. on September 15. Amell said that season 3 is a possibility, sounding hopeful that more people will discover the wrestling drama on a new platform. The actor...

Damian Priest, appearing on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, indicated that he had allegedly gotten the role of Namor, who appeared in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The character was eventually played by Tenorch Heurta, reinterpreted as the ruler of Talokan, rather than the ruler of Atlantis, as he is depicted in the comics.

Namor || Crdit: Marvel Studios

It has been speculated that he was blocked by the WWE from going ahead with the role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and fans are glad that the actor did not go ahead with playing the character. In fact, a lot of fans also have a tough time seeing Tenoch Huerta in the role, given that who would essay the role of Namor, would eventually come to blows with Reed Richards for the affection of Sue Storm.

Damian Priest is just not what fans are looking for in their Namor Namor || Credit: Marvel Comics...

Damian Priest, one of WWEs top stars and a former World Heavyweight Champion, recently revealed a surprising story from his rise in the wrestling world. During an interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Priest disclosed that he had been offered a role in the hit Marvel film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever back in 2022, only to have the opportunity snatched away from him. Intriguingly, Priest made it clear that Marvel wasnt responsible for the decision.

WrestleMania is undoubtedly considered the utopia of pro wrestling where every sportsperson and entertainer dreams of getting featured. With that being said, former WWE star Brodus Clay once recalled the time when he almost got his WrestleMania moment stolen until John Cena saved the day.

John Cena at WrestleMania Xl | WWE

According to Brodus Clay’s interview with Chris Van Vliet, his segment from WrestleMania 28 was nearly canceled by Vince McMahon, until John Cena made sure that Clay got every bit of his WrestleMania moment. Revealing how Cena went out of his way to help him, Clay shared the anecdote that will even make the Hollywood icon’s haters happy.

John Cena Helped Brodus Clay Get His WrestleMania Moment

Back in 2012, the hype for WrestleMania 28 was immeasurable, since wrestling legend John Cena was gearing up to face The Rock, in a once-in-lifetime match. But prior to the highly anticipated fight,...

InSight is the headlining feature of tvOS 18, which rolls out widely to the public this fall.

We’re still in the height of summer here in the northern hemisphere, but fall isn’t too far away now. With it will come a new version of Apple's tvOS operating system, and tvOS 18 has some excellent new features that users are going to love. If you don’t want to wait to see what you can do with tvOS 18, the best news of the day is that Apple has made a public beta test of the operating system available to all owners of Apple TV devices for free. I’ll lay out how to sign up for that beta test, and what changes are coming to your user interface below.

Key Details: tvOS 18 will introduce InSight, which functions highly similarly to Amazon’s X-Ray feature. Other new upgrades include tweaks to the Enhance Dialogue feature,...

Apple will introduce a new version of its streaming television operating system later this year that unleashes a number of new features, including character-driven data and a dialogue enhancer.

The new version of the operating system, tvOS 18, will allow streamers to see timely updates about actors, characters and music offered through Apple TV Plus content as they are streaming it. The feature, called InSight, is similar in nature to one called X-Ray that Amazon’s Prime Video has offered for several years.

InSight takes things to a new level by integrating directly with other Apple services. For instance, when streamers hear a song they like on an Apple TV Plus show or movie, they can instantly save that song to a playlist via Apple Music, right from their TV set.

Another feature called Enhanced Dialogue will utilize “machine learning and computational audio to deliver greater vocal clarity over music, action,...

Viewers who are a fan of Prime Video’s X-Ray feature will find Apple’s upcoming InSight option very familiar.

If you recently purchased an Apple TV streaming device and are still getting to know the ins and outs of your device, you won’t have long before its operating system gets another overhaul. On Monday at Apple’s annual developer conference, the company announced that it was preparing to unleash tvOS 18 in 2024, which will include brand-new features, important upgrades for recently introduced features such as its Enhanced Dialogue option, and much more.

Key Details: The new tvOS will introduce the InSight feature, which is a lot like Prime Video’s X-Ray. Automatic subtitles will be introduced for Apple TV devices in the new update, as well. tvOS 18 is in developer beta testing now, and will launch for viewers more widely this fall. 7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month apple.com

The...

Undeniably, Sister Wives fans are wondering about the current state of Coyote Pass. Over the past few years, the Brown family has gone through major transitions. Undoubtedly, they still are with the untimely passing of Garrison Brown. But what has happened with Coyote Pass in 2024?

What Is Going On With Coyote Pass?

Since moving to Flagstaff, Az, the purchase of Coyote Pass has been a source of contention with the Brown family. Not only that, but the dismantling of the plural family has further made matters even more complicated. Additionally, with the loss of Garrison Brown, any plans made before are most likely being revisited with a new lens. So where does that leave Kody, Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn Brown with the properties?

Meri, Robyn, Kody, Janelle, and Christine Brown. – Sister Wives Brown Coyote Pass Update, Who Owns What 2024

Not long ago, fans were wondering if Janelle Brown would...

Screen Rant interviewed Sight star Terry Chen and subject Dr. Ming Wang about the latest effort from Angel Studios. Terry Chen's preparation involved studying online videos of Dr. Wang helping patients, bringing depth to his portrayal. Sight is more than a biopic. It's a tale of family, immigration, and perseverance that audiences can relate to and be inspired by.

Sight is a new movie detailing an incredible real-life story. The center of the film is Dr. Ming Wang, a Chinese immigrant who lived through Chinas Cultural Revolution, came to the United States, and became a world-renowned eye surgeon. The movie was directed by Andrew Hyatt, written by Hyatt, John Duigan, and Buzz McLaughlin, and stars Terry Chen as the adult Dr. Wang, Ben Wang as the young Ming Wang, and Greg Kinnear as Dr. Misha Bartnovsky.

As a movie based on a real person, Sight benefited from the direct involvement of Dr.

Barbara Baldavin, who appeared on three episodes of the original Star Trek and recurred on Medical Center before working in the casting department on shows including Dynasty and Trapper John, M.D., has died. She was 85.

Baldavin died Sunday of congestive heart failure at her home in Manhattan Beach, her son Marc D’Agosta told The Hollywood Reporter.

Baldavin portrayed phaser control officer Angela Martine on two first-season episodes of NBC’s Star Trek in 1966. On the first one, her wedding to Starfleet officer Robert Tomlinson (Stephen Mines) — with William Shatner’s Capt. Kirk presiding — was interrupted by a Romulan attack.

She then returned as Lt. Lisa, a communications officer and court reporter, on the series finale, “Turnabout Intruder,” which aired in June 1969.

Baldavin played Nurse Holmby on 51 episodes during the last six seasons (1970-76) of CBS’ Medical Center, starring Chad Everett and James Daly. She had appeared as another character on the first season.

Like most areas of the entertainment industry outside of acting, casting and costuming, television writing was generally one big boys club until women began making (incremental) inroads during the 1990s. There were trailblazers like "I Love Lucy" scribe Madelyn Pugh, but that trail was walked far too infrequently for far too many years.

Anyone who possessed a conscience knew this was unacceptable, which is why it's disappointing that a politically progressive (particularly for his era) writer like Rod Serling never made a concerted effort to work at least one female writer into "The Twilight Zone" mix during the series' five seasons (which stretched from 1959 to 1964). To be fair, Serling did adapt the work of women for certain episodes; in fact, a tale that many consider the show's finest half-hour, "Time Enough at Last," was based on a short story by sci-fi/fantasy writer Lynn Venable. But he never managed to...

Robert Butler, a television director for the pilot shows for Star Trek, Batman, Hill Street Blues, and Moonlighting, has died. He was 95.

Butler’s family announced that the Emmy award-winning director died on Nov. 3 in Los Angeles.

Graduating from UCLA where he majored in English, Butler started his career in entertainment as an usher at CBS. His first credit as a director would come in 1959 when he directed an episode for the military comedy-drama Hennesey which starred Jackie Cooper and Abby Dalton.

Over the years, Butler was sought out to direct pilots for shows like Hogan’s Heroes (1965), the original Star Trek (1966), Batman (1966), the first mini-series on television The Blue Knight (1973), Hill Street Blues (1978), Moonlighting (1985), Sisters (1991) and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993).

Butler won two Emmy Awards, the first one for The Blue Knight pilot in 1973 and the second one in 1981 for Hill Street Blues. In 2015 he was...

Quick Links The Best Psychubes For X The Best Team Comps For X

X's best builds in Reverse 1999 help him keep control of the field, so his enemies can't buff one another. Whenever he gets rid of an enemy buff, he'll cast Silence, preventing them from buffing, debuffing, healing, or countering. Later on, with Insight 3, he can prevent enemies from gaining Moxie for a round.

X is a 5-Star Intellect character who works well in boss battles and rarely experiences a negative Afflatus effect due to the rarity of the Intellect Afflatus.

X takes some time to build, as the debuffs in his Incantations don't apply until you start leveling them up. Coffee Or Tea can dispel Counters while Anode And Cathode gets rid of positive statuses and stat boosts. His Ultimate, Minimalism And Maximalism, gets rid of 2 Moxie for each enemy. X works well in a team requiring weakened...

Stars: Cerina Vincent, Tom Savini, Robert Donavan, Monique Parent, Frédéric von Anhalt, Sarah French, Gigi Gustin, Adam Bucci, Ben Kaplan, Steve J. Owens, Brandon Patricio, Sarah Polednak, Dave Sheridan, Jed Rowen | Written by Joe Knetter, Robert L. Lucas | Directed by Marcel Walz

That’s a Wrap begins with a double cameo as Alexis the victim in That’s a Wrap’s pre-title segment takes a call from her manager before making a bloody exit at the hands, and blade, of a killer dressed as The Mistress, the masked killer from the giallo That’s a Wrap.

Confused? Don’t be, That’s a Wrap is an exercise in meta filmmaking set at the wrap party for director Mason Maestro’s latest film, That’s a Wrap. Mason, his wife Lily, and the film’s producer played by Frédéric von Anhalt, best known for being married to Zsa Zsa Gabor will all be there.

Actor Melinda Dillon has passed away at the age of 83. Raised in both Arkansas and Alabama, Dillon made the move to Hollywood in the 1960s, launching her decades-long acting career. Dillon is best known for her roles in the Steven Spielberg sci-fi staple Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the holiday classic A Christmas Story. Dillon has been nominated for numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe for her depiction of Memphis Sue in 1976’s Bound for Glory, while her portrayals of Jillian Guiler in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Teresa in 1981’s Absence of Malice garnered her two Academy Award nominations.

Deadline has reported that Dillon passed away on January 9 at the age of 83 in Los Angeles. Her family gave no details about the cause of death in their statement, but shared that her remains would be cremated. Dillon’s final roles before her retirement in 2007 after...

Lance Kerwin, a former child star known for television projects James at 15, Salem’s Lot and The Loneliest Runner, has died. He was 62.

Kerwin died Tuesday morning, according to his daughter Savanah. A cause of death was not given.

In 1976, he starred as the younger version of Michael Landon’s character in NBC’s Landon-directed made-for-tv movie The Loneliest Runner, playing a boy who loves to run. He followed that with the title role in the network’s drama series James at 15 (later known as James at 16) that launched in 1977 and ran for 20 episodes.

Kerwin co-starred alongside David Soul and James Mason in the 1979 television horror miniseries Salem’s Lot, based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. The project earned three Emmy nominations.

The youngest of five brothers, Kerwin was born in Newport Beach, California, on Nov. 6, 1960.

He also appeared in 1970s episodes of such TV series as Emergency!,...

Actor Lance Kerwin, who starred in TV series “James at 15” and as Mark Petrie, the teen who becomes a vampire hunter in Steven King mini-series “Salem’s Lot,” died Tuesday in San Clemente, Calif. He was 62. An autopsy to determine the cause of death is being conducted, according to his daughter Savanah.

Kerwin began his career as a child actor, known primarily for his roles in television and film, including after-school special “The Boy Who Drank Too Much.” “James at 15” became “James at 16” in season 2.

Throughout the 1970s, the “James at 15” actor appeared in a variety of television series and TV movies, including “Wonder Woman,” “Insight,” “Salem’s Lot,” “The Family Holvak” and “Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy.” One of his last roles was in the 1995 movie “Outbreak” and he returned to the screen last year in “The Wind and the Reckoning.”

Lance Kerwin made appearances at horror...

Participants include including Screen Rising Star Scotland Reece Cargan and Hoard associate producer Cheri Darbon.

British Film Institute (BFI) Network – a strand of the BFI that exists to discover and support writers, producers and directors at the start of their careers – has named the 12 up-and-coming producers from across the UK who will take part in the six-month professional development programme, Insight, including Screen Rising Star Scotland Reece Cargan and Hoard associate producer Cheri Darbon.

Screen Yorkshire is delivering the training, supported by National Lottery funding and led by CEO Caroline Cooper Charles and senior talent executive Jo Schofield with additional...

It’s the dawning of a new day in Hollywood, as the now officially merged WarnerMedia and Discovery will open for business as Warner Bros. Discovery on Monday.

While little is known about the future of the new company, it’s clear what valuable brands, IP, executives and customers they will each be bringing to the table on their first day as a combined entity.

Founded in 1985, Discovery, Inc. has approximately 11,000 staffers at time of publication. WarnerMedia, first established as Warner Bros. in 1923, has roughly 25,000 employees.

For a detailed rundown of the Discovery side’s top leadership and org chart as it stands on Day 1, including CEO David Zaslav and his lieutenants, as well as its current development deals and talent partnerships, readers can consult this data, compiled via Variety Insight platform.

And here is the same for the WarnerMedia side, which accounts for several recent departures in top leadership,...

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” recently took down “Black Panther” at the U.S. box office to become the fourth highest-grossing movie of all time. Now it’s setting its sights on “Avatar.”

As of this writing, Sony/Marvel’s red-suited superhero has $721 million in the bank, while “Avatar” (after its original 2009 run plus a special 2010 re-release) finished at $760 million in the states. However, there’s a big caveat with those numbers. It only took “Spider-Man” 39 days to hit the $721 million mark, while James Cameron‘s blue humanoids achieved that feat in a much longer period of time, 81 days. With no signs of slowing down, it seems quite likely that “Spider-Man: No Way Home” will surpass “Avatar’s” numbers in the coming weeks. That would put it in third place on the domestic all-time list, behind only “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens” ($936 million) and “Avengers: Endgame” ($858 million).

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Gravitas Ventures has picked up the North American rights for a day-and-date release of Insight, an action film produced and directed by Livi Zheng. Ken Zheng wrote the screenplay and stars alongside Madeline Zima, Sean Patrick Flanery, John Savage, Adam Huss, Tony Todd, and Keith David.

Set to be released on March 12, the film follows Jian (Ken Zheng), a counter-terrorism agent who blends his skills as a martial artist and clairvoyant to bring the world’s most nefarious individuals to justice. This lone wolf is forced to make an unexpected detour to Los Angeles upon receipt of the devastating news of a cover up surrounding his brother’s alleged suicide. With the reluctant help of LAPD detectives, Abby (Zima), Carl (Todd), and Captain Duke (David), the unlikely group becomes involved in the investigation. Jian and Abby fight against a high-tech criminal (Flanery) looking to exploit the brothers’ gifts in his quest for power.

Digital news veteran William Earl has been named editor of Variety.com, overseeing online editorial operations for the venerable entertainment business news brand.

Earl’s appointment comes as Variety is expanding its digital activities beyond its core focus of breaking news and industry analysis to encompass video, podcasts and data-driven content powered by subscription platforms Variety VIP and Variety Insight. Earl reports to Cynthia Littleton, Variety interim editor-in-chief.

“William Earl is a digital media veteran with a strong track record of helping other Pmc brands grow and expand in highly competitive sectors,” Littleton said. “We’re happy to bring him on board at a time when there are incredible multi-platform opportunities for Variety’s worldwide team of journalists to cover the business of entertainment.”

Based in New York, Earl joined Variety parent company Pmc in 2011 and most recently served as Pmc’s director of digital development. In that role he...

Raymond G. Allen Sr., a character actor known for playing Uncle Woody on the 1970s sitcom “Sanford and Son,” has died. He was 91.

The actor had been living at a long-term care facility in California when he was found unresponsive early Monday morning, according to TMZ. His family told the outlet that his cause of death was a sudden respiratory illness, but was not Covid-related.

His “Sanford and Son” character Uncle Woodrow “Woody” Anderson was the husband of Aunt Esther, known for never turning down a drink. Allen appeared in nine episodes of “Sanford and Son,” which was a top 10-rated show for five out of its six seasons.

Also Read: James 'Kamala' Harris, Former WWE Wrestler, Dies at 70

Allen’s other roles as a character actor included like Ned the Wino on “Good Times,” another popular sitcom that aired from 1974 to 1980, and Merl the Earl on “Starsky and Hutch,...

[Editor’s Note: The following review contains spoilers for “Westworld” Season 3, Episode 1, “Parce Domine.”]

Between introducing Aaron Paul’s new character, his aggro crime-finding app Rico, and a predictive A.I. guiding every function of the modern world, there’s a lot going on in the “Westworld” Season 3 premiere — and also, compared to last season, very little. When you set aside all the world-building, what you’re left with are three pretty basic plot developments.

More from IndieWire'Westworld' Review: HBO Streamlines Season 3 to a Tale of Two Worlds, but Only One Works — Spoiler-Free'Devs' Review: Alex Garland's FX on Hulu Series Is a Contemplative Knockout Caleb Nichols (Paul) meets Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood), setting up a relationship between two outsiders destined to tear down the patriarchal meritocracy that’s not helping either “person.” Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) is a fugitive on the run, but headed back to Westworld. Charlotte (Tessa Thompson) is trying to take Delos Corp private, so she...

Huriyyah Muhammad, producer of Ekwa Msangi’s U.S. dramatic competition entry “Farewell Amor” at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, on Sunday received this year’s Sundance Institute / Amazon Studios Producers Award for narrative feature producer.

The awards honor bold vision and a commitment to continuing work as a creative producer in the independent space.

“Farewell Amor” follows an Angolan immigrant named Walter who is joined in the U.S. by his wife and teen daughter after 17 years apart. Now absolute strangers sharing a one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment, they struggle to overcome the emotional distance between them. Msangi wrote and directed the film, which stars Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Zainab Jah, Jayme Lawson, Nana Mensah, Joie Lee and Marcus Scribner. Muhammad produced along with Sam Bisbee and Josh Penn.

Also Read: Where Are the Latinos at Sundance - and How Can Hollywood Really Help? | Pro Insight

Muhammad is a writer,...

Lan O’Kun, a multi-talent whose long collaboration with sister-in-law and entertainer Shari Lewis brought to life Lamb Chop and other beloved characters, died Jan. 9 at his home in Malibu. He was 87 and passed from heart failure.

A composer, lyricist, writer, performer, storyteller, and pianist, O’Kun created hundreds of scripts and songs for ventriloquist Shari Lewis and her puppets Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse, and Hush Puppy.,

Born January 13, 1932 in New York City, O’Kun was enrolled in New York’s High School of Music and Art. He graduated from Syracuse University in New York.

His career as a writer includes scripts for “The New Twilight Zone,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “The Love Boat,” “Highway to Heaven,” “Apple’s Way,” “That Was the Week That Was,” and many episodes of the award-winning “Insight” anthology series. His Hallmark Hall of Fame special “The Littlest Angel” is regarded as a TV classic, as is his children’s series,...

As 2019 draws to a close, the busy cinephile can mostly be found in his or her natural habitat, the theater. However, there are lots of books to catch up with once Oscar season is finished—or, at least, dies down. Let’s start with two killer eBooks.

Read Also: The Film Stage’s 2019 Holiday Gift Gide

Tour of Memories: The Creative Process Behind Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir and The 2019 Canadian Cinema Yearbook (Seventh Row)

One of the finest film-related texts of 2019 was the Seventh Row team’s analysis of Mike Leigh’s Peterloo, and this series of deep cinema exploration continues with Tour of Memories: The Creative Process Behind Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir and The 2019 Canadian Cinema Yearbook. Both eBooks are once again edited by two of the smartest, most readable writers on film art, Orla Smith and Alex Heeney. In Tour of Memories, Smith and Heeney study...

Netflix averaged just over one new original TV program or movie for every day of 2019.

The streaming giant released 371 new TV shows and movies on the service in the U.S. this year, according to data from Variety Insight. This is an increase of 54.6% over the 240 shows and movies Netflix released in 2018.

For context, this figure is greater than the number of original series that the entire U.S. TV industry released in 2005 (the last year Netflix managed to exceed the TV industry’s total). That includes broadcast networks, cable networks and premium cable networks.

The genres included in this analysis are documentaries, adult animation, alternative TV shows (i.e. unscripted), comedy, drama, news, and talk. The number, which doesn’t include content targeted for kids, also includes all movies released on Netflix, including 30 which had limited theatrical runs.

This seems to be paying off as referenced by the recent...

The holidays are upon us, so whether you looking for film-related gift ideas or simply want to pick up some of the finest the year had to offer in the category for yourself, we have a gift guide for you. Including must-have books on filmmaking, the best from The Criterion Collection, Kino Lorber, and more home video picks, apparel, subscriptions, games, music, and more, dive in below. The guide is also available on Amazon.

Books

Eyes Wide Shut: Stanley Kubrick and the Making of His Final Film by Robert P. Kolker and Nathan Abrams (Oxford University Press)

The critical reevaluation of Eyes Wide Shut in the twenty years (!) since its release has been a joy to behold for those who adored the film at first sight. Perhaps the most welcome and necessary element of that reappraisal has arrived in the form of Eyes Wide Shut: Stanley Kubrick and the Making of His Final Film.

With billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos re-igniting interest in space exploration, Vice News is tapping into that enthusiasm with the launch of The New Space Race, a live Twitter show about the next frontier. Twenty-four-year-old nuclear physics prodigy Taylor Wilson will host the program, which follows the scientists at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Lab as they prepare for InSight’s historic Mars landing on Nov. 26. The 13-episode series concludes with a live broadcast of the Mars landing from inside Mission Control at Jpl in Pasadena. The show airs at 2 pm Eastern on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, beginning on Oct. 16. “We’ve been looking to do a formal live show for a while,” said ViceNews.com Editor-in-Chief Ryan McCarthy. “We’ve been talking to Twitter for over a year about this.” Vice News is know for its live journalism, collecting an Emmy Award for its coverage of the white supremacist...

Speakers confirmed for the annual summit, which will take place November 24 at Picturehouse Central, include Andy Harries, Tim O’Shea, Tristan Goligher, Faye Ward, Eve Gabereau, Chris Green and David Hancock; finance breakout area new addition.

Award-winning writer-director Susanne Bier, fresh from the success of hit BBC/AMC mini-series The Night Manager, will deliver the keynote speech at the Screen Film Summit 2016, to be held on November 24 at Picturehouse Central in London.

The accomplished Danish film-maker, who has directed 14 feature films to date including Brothers (2004), Things We Lost In The Fire (2006), Love Is All You Need (2012) and Serena (2014), won a Primetime Emmy this year for her direction on The Night Manager. She also has an Oscar win, with drama In A Better World scoring Best Foreign-Language Film in 2011.

Bier will deliver the Film Summit’s keynote address followed by an on-stage conversation with Screen editor Matt Mueller.

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She joins a roster of high-profile...