Here's the Scoop...

Here's a story from the 'Please stop, Warner Bros., you're ruining everything' File...

Jared Leto and Margot Robbie are set to return as DC Comics villains The Joker and his girlfriend Harley Quinn in a new film in development at Warner Bros.

This Is Us helmers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who direct and executive produce the hit NBC drama, are in final negotiations to take on the film that is a part of the studio's DC extended universe, Variety reported.

The film is being described as a criminal love story, an insider told The Hollywood Reporter, calling it "When Harry Met Sally on benzedrine."

Ficarra and Requa have previously directed Focus starring Robbie and Will Smith, along with I Love You Phillip Morris, Crazy, Stupid, Love and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

Leto and Robbie portrayed The Joker and Harley Quinn in 2016's Suicide Squad. A sequel to Suicide Squad is also in development that will star Leto and Robbie as well. Robbie's Gotham City Sirens project with director David Ayer, that would bring Harley Quinn together with other Batman villains such as Catwoman and Poison Ivy, appears to be on hold for now.

News of the Joker and Harley Quinn standalone film comes after Warner. Bros. announced the development of a Joker origin film produced by Martin Scorsese and set to be directed by Todd Phillips who is also writing the script with Scott Silver.

The origin film will not star Leto as the Clown Prince of Crime and is being made under a new DC Comics film banner or label separate from the DC extended universe to allow the studio to tell unique comic book stories using different actors in the title roles.

Films under Warner. Bros. DC extended universe besides Suicide Squad include Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman and the forthcoming Justice League.

I have not seen a single WB/DC movie. They all look terrible. And from reliable sources I have been told that they are indeed terrible, so I'll use my entertainment time more productively.

Be Well,
Steve

Comments? Questions? Nooz? Email Steve



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Jay Thomas, 'Cheers,' 'Murphy Brown' actor, dead at 69
Emmy Award-winning Murphy Brown and Cheers actor Jay Thomas has died of complications from cancer, his agent said. He was 69.

Dave Buchwald, his friend and agent, told New York Daily News the veteran actor died with his wife, Sally, and sons Sam, Jake and J.T. by his side.

"Jay was one of a kind, never at a loss for words and filled with so much fun and wonderfully whacky thoughts and behavior," Buchwald said.

Thomas' publicist, Thomas Estey, confirmed the news to Variety.

"Jay Thomas was one of the funniest and kindest men I have had the honor to call both client and friend for 25 years-plus," he said.

The details of Thomas' death were not revealed.

Most recently, Thomas played Marty Grossman, the operator of a website called Stalker.com on the Showtime series Ray Donovan.

It was his work in the 1990s as talk show host Jerry Gold on Murphy Brown, though, that won him two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actor.

He also had a recurring role on Cheers from 1987-89 as Rhea Perlman's husband Eddie LeBec, and he starred on his own show from 1992-92 as a sportswriter on Love & War.

Thomas had appearances on other television shows, including Married People, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Cold Case, Boston Legal and Hung. His film roles include the Santa Clause sequels, Mr. Holland's Opus, Dragonfly and Labor Pains.

In recent years, he hosted a radio show on Sirius XM called The Jay Thomas Show.


'Starsky and Hutch' reboot in development with James Gunn
Sony Pictures Television is developing a reboot of the 1970s television detective series Starsky and Hutch.

Guardians of the Galaxy writer and director James Gunn is attached to executive produce the series, in addition to writing the project with his brother Brian Gunn and cousin Mark Gunn, according to Variety.

Pavun Shetty will also serve as an executive producer along with Neal Moritz, who will produce through his Sony-based Original Film banner.

Gunn is also attached as a potential director for the series, depending on his availability.

The original Starsky and Hutch series starred Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul as detectives David Michael Starsky and Kenneth Richard "Hutch" Hutchinson as they fought crime in fictional Bay City, Calif.

It aired on ABC from 1975 to 1979, spanning four seasons and nearly 100 episodes.

Sony owns the rights to the Spelling-Goldberg catalogue, which includes Starsky and Hutch TV series, but the Warner Bros. owns the film rights and produced a 2004 comedy based on the series, starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson.

The rebooted Starsky and Hutch is described as a character-driven one-hour procedural currently being pitched to several interested broadcast, cable and streaming networks.


LOOSE LIPS:
"You know what? I'm not going to rule it out. Who knows? Life is big, and I'm young."
--Shailene Woodley, on running for Congress in the future, to the New York Times



??? Guess Who ???
Which CW program will crossover with 'Riverdale' this season?


Laura Prepon and Ben Foster welcome their first child
Actress Laura Prepon has given birth to a daughter.

People magazine said it confirmed the baby news, but offered no details about where or when the child was born, or what her name is.

Us Weekly reported the new parents were seen enjoying dinner and cocktails at Out East in New York City Tuesday.

Prepon revealed the baby's gender during an appearance on LIVE with Kelly and Ryan in June.

"It's kind of weird, 'cause it sneaks up on you where you're like, 'I can't believe it's been eight months already.' But then you're like, 'Oh my God, she needs to like come out already," the actress told Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest.

Prepon and Foster got engaged last fall.


'Stranger Things' channels 'Alien' in latest Season 2 poster
A new poster for Stranger Things Season 2 pays homage to 1979 sci-fi classic Alien.

The poster, released Thursday on Twitter, features the egg seen in the drama's Upside Down world similar to how an egg is featured in the cover to Alien.

The image also features a different version of Alien's signature tagline, "In space, no one can hear you scream," which has been changed to, "In The Upside Down, no one can hear you scream."

"This is Will Byers. Only survivor of The Upside Down. Signing on. #StrangerThursdays beings now," reads the poster caption on Twitter.

The Alien tribute comes after the show previously paid homage to other classic movie posters from films such as Stand By Me, A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Running Man.

Stranger Things returns to Netflix on Oct. 27. "It's 1984 and the citizens of Hawkins, Indiana are still reeling from the horrors of the demogorgon and the secrets of Hawkins Lab. Will Byers has been rescued from the Upside Down but a bigger, sinister entity still threatens those who survived," reads the synopsis for Season 2.


??? Guess Who ???
Which CW program will crossover with 'Riverdale' this season?

Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has teased on Twitter a crossover between his Archie-comics based drama and Supergirl.

Aguirre-Sacasa released on Twitter Thursday, an on-set photo taken during production of Riverdale Season 2 featuring Supergirl star Melissa Benoist hanging out with Betty (Lili Reinhart) and Veronica (Camila Mendes) in full costume.

"Look who dropped in to #Riverdale for a visit! Worlds colliding!! Can a crossover be far behind??" Aguirre-Sacasa wrote alongside the image.

Supergirl which also airs on The CW, is produced by Greg Berlanti who also handles Riverdale. The two shows also both film in Vancouver, noted Entertainment Weekly.

In Season 2 of Riverdale, actress Brit Morgan who portrayed Livewire on Supergirl, will be appearing as Penny Peabody.

The new season of Riverdale, set to premiere on Oct. 11, will feature star KJ Apa (Archie), dealing with the aftermath of his father (Luke Perry) being shot by an unknown assailant.