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Here's the Scoop...
Today's issue has some good news and some bad news.
The bad news is 'Downton Abbey' will end its run after Season 6. Where shall we go now for our fix of stuffy British class-warfare melodrama?
The good news is phenominally talented actor Idris Elba is reported to be in talks to join the cast of Star Trek 3. Awesome sauce! Ever watch 'Luther'?
The bad news is 'Fifty Shades' director Sam Taylor-Johnson is quitting the franchise after all. I didn't see the movie, so that one might be good news.
The good news is actress and recording artist Zendaya will host the 2015 Radio Disney Music Awards show. Good for her!
Sometimes you got to take the good with the bad - that's how you learn about the Facts of Life! Good show BTW.
Be Well,
Steve
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ITV confirms Season 6 will be the last for 'Downton Abbey'
Carnival Films and ITV have confirmed the long-circulating buzz that Season 6 of Downton Abbey will be the beloved costume drama's last.
"Millions of people around the world have followed the journey of the Crawley family and those who serve them for the last five years. Inevitably, there comes a time when all shows should end and Downton is no exception," Gareth Neame, managing director of Carnival Films and the show's executive producer, said in a statement Thursday. "We wanted to close the doors of Downton Abbey when it felt right and natural for the storylines to come together and when the show was still being enjoyed so much by its fans. We can promise a final season full of all the usual drama and intrigue, but with the added excitement of discovering how and where they all end up."
"The Downton journey has been amazing for everyone aboard," added Julian Fellowes, the series' creator. "People ask if we knew what was going to happen when we started to make the first series and the answer is that, of course, we had no idea. Exactly why the series had such an impact and reached so many people around the world, all nationalities, all ages, all types, I cannot begin to explain. But I do know how grateful we are to have been allowed this unique experience. I suspect the show will always be a principal marker in most of our careers as we set out from here, and if so, I consider that a blessing and a compliment."
"When Julian Fellowes and Gareth Neame brought us the idea for Downton Abbey six years ago, we thought it would be a great Sunday night series for ITV, but we had no way of knowing that it would become a global phenomenon playing to hundreds of millions of viewers around the world," said
ITV Director of Television Peter Fincham. "What a ride it's been -- for everyone involved in the production, for the cast, and most of the all for the audience. We all thought very carefully about the right moment to bring something so special to a close that felt editorially right, and left viewers wanting more. Christmas Day on ITV this year will certainly be one to remember, as the concluding special brings a series to an end that started as a leap of faith for all of us, and ended surpassing all expectations."
Each season of the show, which is set in England in the early 20th century, airs first on ITV in the United Kingdom and then on PBS in the United States.
'Fifty Shades' director Sam Taylor-Johnson quits franchise
Director Sam Taylor-Johnson is quitting the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise after all.
Deadline confirmed her departure Wednesday after months of rumors regarding Taylor-Johnson's issues with Fifty Shades author E.L. James. The 48-year-old director confirmed the reports in February, telling Porter magazine that working with James had been "difficult."
"Directing Fifty Shades Of Grey has been an intense and incredible journey for which I am hugely grateful. I have Universal to thank for that," Taylor-Johnson said in a statement.
"I forged close and lasting relationships with the cast, producers and crew and most especially, with Dakota and Jamie. While I will not be returning to direct the sequels, I wish nothing but success to whosoever takes on the exciting challenges of films two and three."
Fifty Shades of Grey debuted on Feb. 13 and has grossed more than half a billion dollars worldwide. Its stars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson are both expected to return for the sequels Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed.
Universal has not announced any possible replacements for Taylor-Johnson.
LOOSE LIPS:
"Music? I just wanted to take a break on it. It is in my heart and in my soul, but so is putting on a really great dress."
- Jessica Simpson, on balancing her passions for singing (she's heading back to the studio!) and fashion, to PEOPLE
??? Guess Who ???
Which actress says having babies made her feel like a kangaroo with a giant pouch?
Idris Elba may portray villain in 'Star Trek 3'
Idris Elba is reportedly in talks to join the cast of Star Trek 3.
Sources confirmed to Variety the 42-year-old actor is in early negotiations and would portray the film's villain.
Fast & Furious director Justin Lin will helm the sequel, with J.J. Adams as producer. Chris Pine will return as James T. Kirk, with Zachary Quinto as Spock, Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura and Simon Pegg as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott.
Pegg will also co-write the script with Dark Blue co-creator Doug Jung. Production is expected to begin in June, and the movie is scheduled to open in theaters July 8, 2016. William Shatner may appear as Kirk with Pine in a scene.
Elba last appeared Sean Penn in The Gunman, and will replace Jamie Foxx in revenge film The Trap. The actor is scheduled for a number of other projects, including Beasts of No Nation with Ama Abebrese, A Hundred Streets with Gemma Arterton and Marvel movie Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Zendaya to host the Radio Disney Music Awards show
Actress and recording artist Zendaya is to serve as host of the 2015 Radio Disney Music Awards show, organizers announced Thursday.
The family-oriented event is to take place April 25 at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles.
"On stage and off, Zendaya brings intelligence, thoughtfulness and honesty -- and an effortless cool factor -- to everything she does, all qualities that are appreciated by generations of kids and tweens, and especially their parents. We join her legion of fans in welcoming her back to the RDMA stage," Phil Guerini, Radio Disney's vice president of programming and general manager, said in a statement.
"We're going to have a great show... a lot of fun and get to watch amazing performances, so I'm very, very excited," Zendaya added. "Plus, I'm nominated again for Artist with the Best Style, so I better wear a good outfit!"
Zendaya was the subject of a social media firestorm last month after Fashion Police co-host Giuliana Rancic made a bad joke about Zendaya's dreadlocks. Rancic quickly apologized for the remark and Zendaya graciously accepted the mea culpa, however Rancic's co-hosts Kathy Griffin and Kelly Osbourne both quit the show -- and the series was placed on hiatus -- after the incident.
??? Guess Who ???
Which actress says having babies made her feel like a kangaroo with a giant pouch?
Drew Barrymore, 40, discussed her post-baby body in an interview for the April issue of Glamour. Barrymore is mother to daughters Olive and Frankie, and admitted it is hard to stay body-positive after having two children.
"After making two babies, holy cow, does your body do some crazy stuff!" she related. "It's hard to stay positive and love yourself. You feel like a kangaroo with a giant pouch; everything's saggy and weird."
"But you think about how beautiful it is that you're able to make children," she qualified. "When I lose sight of that, I exercise, read Dr. Seuss's Oh, the Places You'll Go! and spend time with my kids. Then I start to see things that are bigger than myself."
Barrymore and husband Will Kopelman have been together since 2011, and married in June 2012. The couple welcomed Olive in September 2012, and Frankie followed in April 2014. The actress previously told People raising her children takes priority over losing baby weight and acting.