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I miss Robin Williams. His humor and energy could could make even the most hardened individual laugh 'til they cried. He was the best! And Steven Spielberg thought so, too!
Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg said his old friend Robin Williams helped him wind down after grueling days of shooting his 1993 Holocaust drama Schindler's List in Poland.
The 71-year-old director talked about the experience Thursday night at a Tribeca Film Festival screening of the movie, which was followed by a panel discussion that included cast members Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall and Embeth Davidtz.
"Robin knew what I was going through," Spielberg said of Williams, adding the comedy icon called him once a week to lift his spirits.
"He knew exactly what time it was in Poland... and he would do 15 minutes of stand-up on the phone and I would laugh hysterically because I had to release so much," Spielberg said. "The way Robin was on the telephone, he would always hang up on you on the loudest, best laugh he'd give you. Drop the mic. That's it. Never said goodbye. Just hung up on the biggest laugh."
Williams starred in dozens of movies, including Spielberg's 1991 fantasy flick Hook. He won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1997's Good Will Hunting, but his career was cut tragically short when he hanged himself in his California home in 2014 after suffering from Diffuse Lewy body disease, a form of dementia. He was 63.
Robin Williams still brings joy to so many. His work and humor will live on forever.
Be Well,
Steve
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Disney announces new animated 'Star Wars' series 'Resistance'
Disney announced that production started on a new animated Star Wars series titled Resistance that will air on Disney Channel starting in the fall.
The series, which will feature an anime-inspired art style, is created by Lucasfilm animation veteran Dave Filoni who previously helped create animated programs Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.
Resistance will take place before the events of the 2015 film The Force Awakens, following a young pilot named Kazuda Xiono who is tasked by the Resistance to spy on the growing First Order.
It will feature film stars Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie reprising their roles as Poe Dameron and Captain Phasma, respectively. Droid BB-8 will also be featured.
Disney released a logo for Resistance on Twitter that featured BB-8 and a yellow spaceship.
Christopher Sean (Days of Our Lives), Suzie McGrath (East Enders), Scott Lawrence (Legion), Myrna Velasco (Elena of Avalor), Josh Brener (Silicon Valley), Donald Faison (Scrubs), Bobby Moynihan (DuckTales), Jim Rash (Community) and Rachel Butera (Tammy's Tiny Tea Time) make up the rest of the voice cast.
"The idea for Star Wars Resistance came out of my interest in World War II aircraft and fighter pilots," Filoni said in a statement. "My grandfather was a pilot and my uncle flew and restored planes, so that's been a big influence on me. There's a long history of high-speed racing in Star Wars, and I think we've captured that sense of excitement in an anime-inspired style, which is something the entire team has been wanting to do for a long time."
Resistance is the latest Star Wars television series in development following the announcement that filmmaker and actor Jon Favreau is writing and executive producing a live-action Star Wars TV program that will appear on Disney's upcoming streaming service.
Nickelodeon rebooting game show 'Double Dare'
Nickelodeon has announced a reboot of game show Double Dare that will premiere with 40 new episodes starting this summer.
Double Dare, which originally aired on Nickelodeon from 1986 to 1993, featured Marc Summers as host and involved two teams competing against each other by answering trivia questions and taking part in messy physical challenges that used the network's signature slime and food items.
The team with the highest score at the end would then be allowed to go through an obstacle course that involved a a human hamster wheel and a gigantic mouth among other obstacles. The new Double Dare will feature the physical challenges, obstacle course and appearances from celebrities.
Nickelodeon posted on Twitter a retrospective on the game show that featured select moments from the show's original run.
"Double Dare was the show for a particular generation," Summers said in a statement. "For the kids of the '80s and '90s, they laughed and learned, and got messy in the process. Thirty years later, I believe it's still the gold standard."
Nickelodeon brought back Double Dare for a live edition of the game at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2016. The show was briefly revived in 2000 as Double Dare 2000.
LOOSE LIPS:
"No one knows who I am at school. I have a mom bun, I'm filthy all the time, I never wear makeup, I'm dressed like a shlub."
--Christina Applegate, on going incognito at her daughter's school, on PEOPLE Now
??? Guess Who ???
Which 'SNL' stars are going to co-host the 2018 Emmys?
George R.R. Martin: 'Winds of Winter' won't debut in 2018
George R.R. Martin says The Winds of Winter won't be coming in 2018.
The 69-year-old author announced plans in a blog post Wednesday to publish Fire & Blood, a history of House Targaryen, instead of the highly-anticipated sixth book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.
"No, winter is not coming... not in 2018, at least. You're going to have to keep waiting for The Winds of Winter," Martin wrote.
"You will, however, be able to return to Westeros this year," he said, referencing the fictional continent where Fire & Blood and the A Song of Ice and Fire series take place.
Martin described Fire & Blood as "a monumental history of the Targaryen kings of Westeros." The book will cover "all the Targaryen kinds from Aegon I (the Conquerer) to the regency of Aegon III (the Dragonbane), along with their wives, wars, siblings, children, friends, rivals, laws, travels and sundry other matters."
Fire & Blood will be the first volume in Martin's Targaryen history. The book is 989 pages and will debut in hardcover Nov. 20.
"I do want to stress... indeed, I want to shout... that Fire & Blood is not a novel. This is not a traditional narrative and was never attended to be," Martin said. "Very well; let's call this one 'imaginary history' instead."
Martin is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, which was adapted as the HBO series Game of Thrones. The book series consists of Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows and the most recent novel, A Dance with Dragons, which was published in 2011.
Lauren Cohan to return in 'The Walking Dead' Season 9
The Walking Dead star Lauren Cohan will return in Season 9.
AMC confirmed as much Wednesday to Deadline after Cohan announced the news Tuesday at CinemaCon.
Cohan, who was promoting her new movie Mile 22 at the convention, told Entertainment Weekly she will reprise Maggie Greene in Season 9.
"I'm going back," the 36-year-old actress said. "There's a lot more Maggie story to tell."
"You know we're not allowed to tell you anything, but it's good," she teased of her character's storyline.
The Walking Dead stars Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus previously closed deals to return. Cohan, who joined the ABC pilot Whiskey Cavalier in February, was reportedly reconciling her schedule and negotiating a pay raise.
"Pay the woman," her co-star Khary Payton, who plays King Ezekiel, urged in an Instagram post in March.
The Walking Dead was renewed for a ninth season in January. Executive producer Scott M. Gimple was promoted to chief content officer of the The Walking Dead TV universe, with Angela King to serve as executive producer and showrunner in Season 9.
??? Guess Who ???
Which 'SNL' stars are going to co-host the 2018 Emmys?
Colin Jost and Michael Che, Saturday Night Live head writers and the anchors for its "Weekend Update" segment, are to co-host the 2018 Emmy Awards ceremony.
The Television Academy's gala will honor excellence on the small screen for 2017-18. It is to air on NBC Sept. 17.
"We're proud to be the first duo hosting the Emmys since Jenna Elfman and David Hyde Pierce, and somehow that's a real fact," Jost and Che said in a joint statement Thursday.
"NBC is thrilled to be the home of this year's Emmy Awards and with Colin and Michael in the driver's seat as hosts, along with surprise appearances by other cast members of Saturday Night Live, I think we are in for one of the funniest awards shows in a long time," added Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment.
The Late Show star Stephen Colbert presided over the 2017 Emmys when the event was broadcast on CBS.