Here's the Scoop...
From the 'I don't know how I feel about this' files, it seems that Star Wars: Episode IX will feature late actress Carrie Fisher.
The star's brother, Todd Fisher, confirmed in an interview with the New York Daily News that Carrie will appear as Princess Leia in the new movie without the use of CGI.
"Both of us were like, 'Yes, how do you take her out of it?' And the answer is you don't," Todd said of the decision, which he made with Carrie's daughter, Billie Lourd.
"She's as much a part of it as anything and I think her presence now is even more powerful than it was," he explained. "I think the legacy should continue."
Carrie played Leia in Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), and reprised the role in The Force Awakens (2015). Episode IX will use recent footage of the actress, although the extent of her presence is unknown.
"I'm not the only part in that equation, but I think the people deserve to have her," Todd said. "She's owned by them."
"You don't mess with this legacy," he added. "It would be like rewriting the Bible. To me, Star Wars is the holy grail of storytelling and lore and you can't mess with that."
Carrie died of a heart attack at age 60 on Dec. 27, and her mom, actress Debbie Reynolds, died the next day. Carrie finished filming Star Wars: Episode VIII prior to her death, as co-star Daisy Ridley announced in July.
"And that is a wrap on Star Wars: Episode VIII. My heart is brimming. #reyout," the actress wrote.
I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens.
Be Well,
Steve
Comments? Questions? Nooz?
Email Steve
************************
Vin Diesel on Dwayne Johnson feud: 'We still love each other'
Vin Diesel says he and Dwayne Johnson "still love each other" despite their reported feud.
The 49-year-old actor addressed his rumored conflict with the 44-year-old star Saturday at the New York premiere of The Fate of the Furious after Johnson slammed his male co-stars in August.
"We still love each other, that's my boy," Diesel told Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet. "In my house, he's 'Uncle Dwayne,' and I'm proud of that."
"I don't think the world realizes how close we are, in a weird way," he added to USA Today. "I think some things may be blown out of proportion."
Johnson had called out several unnamed male Fate of the Furious co-stars Aug. 8 on social media, saying "some conduct themselves as stand up men and true professionals, while others don't." He downplayed the incident at the premiere.
"What matters most is just making a great movie," the actor told ET. "That's really the most important thing ... all the other stuff just has a way of working itself out."
"Just like in life, you have different philosophies and people have different fundamental philosophies on how you do things," he explained. "And again, the most important thing is just the movie."
Diesel and Johnson have co-starred as Dominic Toretto and Luke Hobbs in four Fast and the Furious movies, including The Fate of the Furious. The movie co-stars Jason Statham and Michelle Rodriguez, and opens in theaters Friday.
Britney Spears' 'Piece of Me' show to close at Planet Hollywood in Vegas
Britney Spears' manager says the pop singer will wrap her Piece of Me residency at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas at the end of this year.
Larry Rudolph told the Las Vegas Review-Journal the 35-year-old headliner will leave the Axis theater when her contract with Caesars Entertainment expires.
Spears' publicist, Jeff Raymond, also confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter the show will end on Dec. 31.
Spears has a number of international concert dates lined up this summer, but her plans for 2018 have not yet been determined.
Rudolph said she might take a break or do another show at a different Vegas venue.
"She might tour, she might work on a new album," he said. "It's too early to talk specifics about anything."
LOOSE LIPS:
"I think it was decided that I looked quite innocent...I didn't look as, well, creepy as I do now."
--Andrew Lincoln, on how he landed his role in Love Actually, to EW
??? Guess Who ???
Which actor says he's not dating Katy Perry so, 'Stop flying helicopters over my house'?
Thor battles Hulk in first 'Ragnarok' teaser trailer
Marvel released a first teaser trailer Monday for Thor: Ragnarok.
The preview sees Thor (Chris Hemsworth) take on the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) in a gladiator battle in order to return to Asgard and defeat the villainess Hela (Cate Blanchett).
Thor: Ragnarok is a sequel to the standalone films Thor (2011) and Thor: The Dark World (2013), and takes place after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). The movie is directed by What We Do in the Shadows helmer Taika Waititi.
"[Chris is] just absolutely fabulous," Blanchett told Entertainment Weekly in October. "I do love Chris in these movies -- he has that really playful side of him that he gets to truck out."
"The whole thing was just a riot and fantastic fun," she added. "[Taika's] just got such a sure hand ... And he's irreverent, which is great because Marvel, at its best, has its tongue firmly in its cheek."
Thor: Ragnarok co-stars Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum and Tessa Thompson, and opens in theaters Nov. 3. Hemsworth will also reprise Thor in Avengers: Infinity War, which opens in May 2018.
Mariah Carey to release new studio album later this year
Music superstar Mariah Carey is working on a studio album set for release this year.
The new collection of songs is part of a deal Carey signed forming the Butterfly MC Records banner with Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, it was announced Monday by LA Reid, Epic's chairman and chief executive officer.
"To continue working with Mariah Carey at Epic has been another rewarding chapter of my career," Reid said in a statement. "Mariah's incomparable talents as a singer, with her vocal range that is nothing short of legendary, are matched by her brilliance as a songwriter, producer, and performer par excellence. Mariah's chart records have established her enduring place in music history, a position that is cherished and supported by her loyal fans worldwide. I look forward to building upon all of Mariah's success for years to come."
"I am putting my heart and soul into making more new music," Carey added. "I am so thrilled for this next chapter and to continue working with, and for, everyone that I love."
Among the 47-year-old Grammy winner's many hits are "Vision of Love," "Love Takes Time," "Someday," "I Don't Wanna Cry," "Emotions," "We Belong Together," "Don't Forget About Us" and "Touch My Body."
??? Guess Who ???
Which actor says he's not dating Katy Perry so, 'Stop flying helicopters over my house'?
Shooter and Gosford Park star Ryan Phillippe has emphatically denied via Twitter rumors claiming he and pop singer Katy Perry are a couple.
"I AM NOT DATING KATY PERRY. BARELY KNOW HER. PLEASE STOP FLYING HELICOPTERS OVER MY HOUSE. SHE IS NOT HERE," the actor tweeted Sunday. "thx."
E! News said Phillippe's statement arrives after tabloid reports said the two were flirting at Elton John's birthday party.
Phillippe, 42, was previously married to actress Reese Witherspoon. Perry, 32, is divorced from comedian Russell Brand. She was most recently romantically linked to actor Orlando Bloom.