Here's the Scoop...

Merry Christmas!!! I hope the holiday finds you well. I'll keep things brief, but please enjoy your day, as well as a few items that can only be categorized as "Hollywood Hullabaloo!"

Be Well,
Steve

Comments? Questions? Nooz? Email Steve



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Thanos creator Jim Starlin has falling out with Marvel over story dispute
Jim Starlin, the creator of Marvel villain Thanos, has seemingly cut ties with the company's comic book division after clashing with an editor.

Starlin voiced his frustrations with working with Marvel in a Facebook comment posted recently as the company prepares to release the writer's new graphic novel, Thanos: The Infinity Siblings in February.

"Just to set the record straight, Marvel Comics didn't pull me off any books, they just made it clear they weren't interested in using me on any of the tie-in series to the movies or regular series. Even though I lobbied heavily to write the Thanos on-going that task was twice given to other writers, which is Marvel Editorial's right to do," Starlin said in the comments section on Facebook to an article he shared about being taken away from Thanos.

"What I objected to and what will be keep me from doing any further work for Marvel Editorial was Tom Brevoort approving a plot for the current on-going series, which was pretty much the same as the Thanos story arc in the graphic novel trilogy Alan Davis and I have been working on for Tom for close to the past year," he continued about how a Thanos on-going series has a similar storyline to his planned graphic novel series.

"The on-going will be in print before the graphic novel trilogy. To avoid spoiling anyone's enjoyment of these two stories I will not be summarizing the striking similarities," Starlin said before referring to Brevoort.

"At first Tom denied giving his approval to the plot. When that turned out to be false, he switched to claiming there was nothing similar about the two plots. When that didn't fly he changed his story to it was all an accident. These changes of excuse and other bits of procrastination ate up a month, by which time the current Thanos on-going art team was too far along for anything to be done about the situation. Too bad for me. So I am moving on," the 68-year-old said.

"And, yes, Marvel Entertainment has treated me very well and generously. Them I like."

Starlin's Thanos will be featured heavily in Marvel Entertainment's next Avengers film titled Infinity War, with the all-powerful character arriving on earth to do battle with the company's top heroes as seen in the film's first trailer.

Thanos' arrival on earth and battle with the Avengers has been teased throughout Marvel's cinematic universe with the villain appearing in a handful of end-credits scenes and in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron director Joss Whedon defended Starlin on Twitter in a response to a tweet sent out by comic book artist Bill Sienkiewicz who said Starlin "deserves to be treated fairly, respectfully, across the creative board."

"His work is as important to the MCU as anyone's," Whedon said, referring to the Marvel cinematic universe.

On Facebook Wednesday, Starlin said that his Thanos Infinity Siblings trilogy will still be published.


LOOSE LIPS:
"Our ratings aren't amazing, so I don't think CW would be like, 'Please give us 10 seasons!' It works to our advantage in that sense."
--Rachel Bloom, revealing Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is ending after season 4, to Variety



??? Guess Who ???
Which singer recreated the 'Coyote Ugly' bar scene with friends?


Britney Spears to end Las Vegas residency with NYE performance
Britney Spears will end her Las Vegas residency with a special performance on New Year's Eve.

The 36-year-old singer announced in a tweet Thursday that she will bring her Piece of Me show to a close by taking part in Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

"Going to be ending 2017 with the last #PieceOfMe show ever and a special performance on @NYRE!! Tune in to ABC on 12/31 starting at 8/7c to watch!! #BRITNEYxRockinEve," she wrote alongside a video.

"I'm saying goodbye to Las Vegas in 2017 with a special performance on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," she said in the clip. "Happy new year!"

Dick Clark Productions said in a press release that Spears will perform from The Axis at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Her singles "Toxic" and "Work Bitch" will mark the "first television performance of 2018."

Spears kicked off her Piece of Me residency show at The Axis in December 2013. Her manager Larry Rudolph confirmed in April that Spears will leave the theater once her contract with Caesars Entertainment expires.

"She might tour, she might work on a new album," he said of the singer's future plans. "It's too early to talk specifics about anything."

Dick Clark's New Year's Eve will be hosted by Ryan Seacrest in New York and by Ciara in Los Angeles. Kelly Clarkson, Shawn Mendes and K-pop group BTS are among the other slated performers.


Josh Gad joins cast of Disney's 'Artemis Fowl'
Josh Gad has been cast in Disney's upcoming live-action adaptation of Artemis Fowl.

The film is based on the children's novel series of the same name by author Eoin Colfer that follows 12-year-old Artemis as he finds himself in a battle against a hidden race of fairies who may be behind his father's disappearance.

Gad is set to portray Mulch Diggums, a kleptomaniacal dwarf who works for the fairies, Deadline reported.

Artemis Fowl is the latest Disney project for Gad who appears in the company's Frozen series and starred in the 2017 live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast.

Disney also announced that newcomer Ferdia Shaw will portray Artemis following an extensive auditioning process that included more than 1,200 candidates, noted The Hollywood Reporter.

Gad and Shaw will be joined by Judi Dench who will star as Commander Root, the leader of the fairy police, along with Lara McDonnell as elf hero Captain Holly Short and Nonso Anozie as Artemis' bodyguard.

Artemis Fowl will be directed by Kenneth Branagh from a script by playwright Conor McPherson. Branagh is also producing along with Judy Hofflund after disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein was taken off the project following his sexual assault scandal. Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal are executive producing.

Artemis Fowl is set for release on Aug. 9, 2019.


??? Guess Who ???
Which singer recreated the 'Coyote Ugly' bar scene with friends?

LeAnn Rimes enlisted her friends to recreate the famous Coyote Ugly bar scene.

The 35-year-old singer, whose song "Can't Fight the Moonlight" appears in the 2000 movie, reenacted her cameo Wednesday during a trip to Aspen, Colo.

Rimes and two pals took to a bar top while visiting a friend's private bar. The star shared a photo on Instagram of herself laughing and dancing while wearing a cowboy hat.

"This is what happens when your friends at @kemosabe1990 in Aspen move locations and open up a bad ass private bar upstairs and then turn on Can't Fight the Moonlight. No one could resist! Coyote Ugly 2.0!" she wrote.

Rimes recorded "Can't Fight the Moonlight" and several other songs for Piper Perabo's character, Violet "Jersey" Sanford" to use in Coyote Ugly. She and Perabo celebrated the movie's 15th anniversary in 2015.

"WOW 15 years!! #cantfightthemoonlight," the singer tweeted.

"@leannrimes it was pretty fun dancing on that bar with you," Perabo responded.

Rimes reflected on "Can't Fight the Moonlight" and Coyote Ugly's legacy in an interview with ODE in August 2016.

"That whole soundtrack kind of took off," she said. "It's really interesting. It's very cool to have songs like "Can't Fight the Moonlight" ... as I get older I think I'm really more appreciative and grateful for those songs that built my career."

Rimes last released the album Remnants in October 2016.