Here's the Scoop...

Big news for the live-action 'Lion King' remake!

Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner have been cast as Timon and Pumbaa in Disney's upcoming live-action remake of The Lion King.

The casting, confirmed by Variety, comes after Disney announced that the film will release on July 19, 2019.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rogen will be taking on the role of warthog Pumbaa while Eichner will voice meerkat Timon.

The comedic pair, first voiced by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella in the original 1994 animated film, were noteworthy for taking main character Simba under their wing and teaching him the ways of problem-free philosophy Hakuna Matata.

Rogen and Eichner join a voice cast that includes Donald Glover as Simba and James Earl Jones reprising his role as Mufasa. Beyonce is rumored to be appearing as Nala.

The Lion King will be directed by Jon Favreau from a script by Jeff Nathanson.

Even with the description above I still can't tell Timon and Pumbaa apart. Maybe it's just me.

Be Well,
Steve

Comments? Questions? Nooz? Email Steve



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'Silence of the Lambs' director Jonathan Demme dead at 73
Oscar-winning filmmaker Jonathan Demme has died at the age of 73, the Film Society of Lincoln Center said Wednesday.

"We're mourning the loss of the great Jonathan Demme, who has passed away at the age of 73. Rest in peace," the society tweeted.

IndieWire said the cause of his death was esophageal cancer and complications from heart disease.

His film credits included Ricki and the Flash, Rachel Getting Married, Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Melvin and Howard, Swing Shift, Something Wild and Married to the Mob. He also helmed episodes of the TV shows Shots Fired and The Killing.

Writer-director Kevin Smith was one of the first celebrities to react to Demme's death.

"Dear God, no! I loved #JonathanDemme! He was my bridge to the Talking Heads, Harris & Hannibal, New Order and honest cinematic storytelling," Smith tweeted.

"So sad to learn of the death of one of my all-time favorite directors, the brilliant, humane Jonathan Demme. Silence of the Lambs & others.

"When I was 14, my vision of what film could be was exploded open by David Lynch's Blue Velvet & Jonathan Demme's undersung Something Wild," actor Anthony Rapp said in his own post.

"I'm guided by my enthusiasm." - Jonathan Demme #RIP pic.twitter.com/Eh1yCNR7qK- The Film Society (@FilmLinc) April 26, 2017


'Star Wars IX,' 'Indiana Jones 5,' 'Frozen 2,' 'The Lion King' get release dates
The Walt Disney Company has announced the planned release dates for several of its eagerly awaited tent-pole movies.

Directed by Colin Trevorrow, Star Wars Episode IX is expected to hit theaters on May 24, 2019.

Jon Favreau -- director of the studio's upcoming, live-action version of The Lion King -- announced on social media that his musical movie is to debut on July 19, 2019. It is expected to star Donald Glover and James Earl Jones.

Frozen 2, the sequel to the 2013, animated blockbuster Frozen, is set for release on Nov. 27, 2019. The voice cast will once again feature Kristen Bell, Josh Gad and Idina Menzel.

The fifth installment of the Indiana Jones adventure franchise, starring Harrison Ford and helmed by Steven Spielberg, is due out July 10, 2020.


LOOSE LIPS:
"I got the cats at the end of it, so there was a small victory."
--Charlie Hunnam, recalling his 2002 divorce, to Associated Press



??? Guess Who ???
Which 'Grey's Anatomy' star is headed for divorce?


'Flip or Flop': Tarek, Christina El Moussa to return amid divorce
Flip or Flop stars Tarek and Christina El Moussa will return to the show amid their divorce.

The HGTV television personalities confirmed in a statement Tuesday that they've started production on Season 7 despite their split.

"Tarek and I have been working together for a long time, and we look forward to continuing to work together on Flip or Flop," Christina said.

Flip or Flop follows Tarek and Christina as they renovate and resell homes in the Orange County, Calif., area. Season 7 will consist of 20 episodes and premiere in December.

"From the beginning, HGTV has shown Christina and me tremendous support, and we are excited to go out there and flip many more houses for Flip or Flop," Tarek said.

Tarek and Christina announced their split in December after seven years of marriage. Tarek El Moussa, who shares son Brayden and daughter Taylor with Christina, officially filed for divorce the next month.

"Despite everything, our primary focus is and always will be our kids," Christina El Moussa said Feb. 21 on Good Morning America. "We continue to work together."

"Our kids are transitioning well," she added. "Tarek and I are friends, and we have a lot of support from our family."

HGTV announced five Flip or Flop spinoffs in March. The new shows will follow duos in Las Vegas, Atlanta, Fort Worth, Nashville and Chicago.


Paul McCartney adds more dates to 'One on One' tour
Paul McCartney has added addiotnal U.S. dates to his ongoing One on One worldwide tour.

The legendary musician will now be performing at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Sept. 11 followed by a number of performances in New York City starting with Madison Square Garden on Sept. 15, Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Sept. 19 and then at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island on Sept. 26.

Tickets for the new shows go on sale starting Friday, May 5.

McCartney's Madison Square Garden performance mark's the 74-year-old's first show at the venue since 2005.

The One on One tour began in April 2016 in Fresno, Calif. The new performances bring the tours total number of dates to 44.

McCarney will next be performing inside the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, on April 27, 29 and 30.


??? Guess Who ???
Which 'Grey's Anatomy' star is headed for divorce?

Grey's Anatomy star Jesse Williams is headed for divorce.

The 35-year-old actor filed for divorce from wife Aryn Drake-Lee on April 11 after more than four years of marriage, according to People.

TheJasmineBRAND.com reported Williams cited "irreconcilable differences" for the split, although the divorce is said to be amicable. The couple, who share 3-year-old daughter Sadie and 18-month-old son Maceo, reportedly wanted to keep their divorce quiet.

"They're trying to keep their split top secret and away from the public," a source said. "They've actually been separated for a while now."

Williams and Drake-Lee married in September 2012 after more than five years of dating. The pair first met while Williams was working as a teacher in New York.

"She's been with me through all different facets of my career," the actor told USA Today in 2010. "She's stuck with me through thick and thin and thick and thin. We know each other in and out."

Williams joined Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Jackson Avery in Season 6 and was made a series regular in Season 7. The show co-stars Ellen Pompeo, Justin Chambers and Chandra Wilson, and airs Thursdays on ABC.