Here's the Scoop...

I have a confession to make...I have never seen a single movie in the 'Fast and Furious' series. There, I said it!

But, now I have been informed that there will be a spinoff that stars Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham and Idris Elba. I would watch a movie about these three guys putting a puzzle together. And I may see this spinoff, just based upon the star power going into it. I may regret saying that...I most likely will regret it. I regret it already.

Regardless, Idris Elba has been cast as the central villain in Universal's upcoming Fast and Furious spinoff titled Hobbs and Shaw that stars Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham.

Johnson confirmed the casting on Twitter Thursday where he welcomed Elba to the long-running action franchise.

"He's a baaaaaad man. Welcoming my dude @idriselba with tattooed and open arms to our #HobbsAndShaw Fast & Furious spin-off movie. Every hero is only as good as their villain. Cue the music... let's dance," Johnson said.

"I promised we were going to make this Fast & Furious spin off awesome and grow our franchise properly. He's a bad man (legit bad ass). I better toughen up," he continued in a second tweet.

Hobbs and Shaw, set to hit theaters on July 26, 2019, will feature Johnson and Statham reprising their Fast and Furious franchise roles as Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw respectively. The Crown's Vanessa Kirby is also set to star.

The film is set to be directed by Deadpool 2 helmer David Leitch from a script by Chris Morgan who has penned six installments in the series.

Johnson is producing through his Seven Bucks Productions along with Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Statham, Morgan and Neal H. Moritz. Kelly McCormick, Steve Chasman, Amanda Lewis, Ainsley Davies, and Ethan Smith are executive producing.

Elba was last seen briefly in Avengers: Infinity War and helmed Sundance film Yardie. He will next be seen in an upcoming Netflix comedy series he created titled Turn Up Charlie.

Be Well,
Steve

Comments? Questions? Nooz? Email Steve

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Elvis Costello battling cancer, cancels European concerts
British rock icon Elvis Costello said he is battling cancer and canceled the remaining six dates of his European concert tour.

"Six weeks ago my specialist called me and said, 'You should start playing the Lotto.' He had rarely, if ever, seen such a small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy that could be defeated by a single surgery," Costello said in a statement posted on Facebook Friday.

The 63-year-old singer-songwriter added: "I was elated and relieved that our European summer tour could go ahead. Post-surgical guidelines for such surgery, recommend three weeks to four weeks recovery depending on whether you are returning to a desk job or an occupation that involves physical work or travel. It was impossible to judge how this advisory would line up with the demands on a traveling musician, playing 90-minute to 2-hour plus performances on a nightly basis but by the time we reached the Edinburgh Playhouse, I was almost fooled into thinking that normal service had been resumed."

Costello further explained recuperation is taking longer than he expected and, so, he is following his doctor's orders and getting some rest.

"My apologies go to our ticket holders in Manchester, Pula, Graz, Vienna, Tysnes and Rattvik but I would rather disappoint our friends there by not appearing than in pressing on with a show that is compromised and eventually puts my health at risk," he said.

A record he made with The Imposters is due out in October. He did not reveal its title.

Among his hit songs are "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding," "Watching the Detectives," "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" and "Pump It Up." He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016.


Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith no longer say they're 'married'
Will Smith has explained why he and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith don't refer to themselves as married anymore on streaming service Tidal's Rap Radar podcast.

The interview featured the actor discussing his relationship with Jada and how he is working on new music.

"We don't even say we're married anymore. We refer to ourselves as life partners, where you get into that space where you realize you are literally with somebody for the rest of your life," Will said of why they have stopped using married to describe themselves.

"There's no deal breakers. There's nothing she could do ever. Nothing that would break our relationship," he continued. "She has my support till death and it feels so good to get to that space."

Will previously addressed break-up rumors in May on his new song "In the Clique." "Twenty years of swag y'all just witnessed / Stop the divorce rumors and mind your damn business," he rapped.

"I just started writing again. [I'm] just trying to find the way to say the stuff that's in my mind. I'm burning again creatively, and I have outlets I've never had before," Will said on Rap Radar about how he plans on releasing more new music.

"I'm in the studio now and I have real things to say. That's the thing that's gonna be new and different and interesting about the music that I create going forward."

Will's last album, Lost and Found, was released in 2005.


LOOSE LIPS:
"If I weren't working, I'd already be pregnant...I don't know if I want to play if I have another baby..."
--Serena Williams, on the possibility of having a second child, to InStyle



??? Guess Who ???
Which Big Bang Theory star had shoulder surgery on her honeymoon?


Penelope Wilton, David Bradley to co-star in Ricky Gervais' 'After Life'
Downton Abbey actress Penelope Wilton and Game of Thrones actor David Bradley have joined the ensemble of Ricky Gervais' new Netflix comedy, After Life.

"This cast combines the best of the new breed of great British comedy talent with some of the wonderful alumni of my previous shows," writer-actor Gervais said in a statement.

After Life will also feature Gervais' former Extras co-star Ashley Jensen; Tom Basden, Mandeep Dhillon, Jo Hartley, Roisin Conaty and Diane Morgan, who appeared in the TV movie David Brent: Life On the Road with Gervais; and David Earl and Kerry Godliman who acted in Gervais' sitcom Derek.

"Tony had a perfect life," a synopsis for After Life explained. "But after his wife Lisa suddenly dies, Tony changes. After contemplating taking his own life, he decides instead to live long enough to punish the world by saying and doing whatever he likes from now on. He thinks it's like a super power -- not caring about himself or anyone else -- but it turns out to be tricky when everyone is trying to save the nice guy they used to know."

Gervais' latest standup comedy special Humanity is now streaming on Netflix, as well.

He joked about the two projects on Twitter Thursday.

"Even though #AfterLife will be about twice as long as my #Humanity special, I only charged Netflix the same fee. That's the kind of guy I am," he wrote.


Janet Jackson thanks fans for 'love and support' after dad's death
Janet Jackson is feeling "love and support" from fans in the wake of her dad's death.

The 52-year-old singer voiced her gratitude in an Instagram video Wednesday after her father, Joe Jackson, died last week at age 89.

"Thank u for all your love and support. Means so much to me during this time. Can't wait to see you all on #SOTW tour. First stop: @essencefest," she captioned the post.

The clip shows Jackson preparing to take off for the first stop of her State of the World tour. Eissa Al Mana, her 1-year-old son with ex-husband Wissam Al Mana, can be heard at one point in the background.

"Hey, you guys. It's been a pretty rough week, but we're excited, I'm excited," Jackson says in the video. "We cannot wait to see you. And it's been way too long. I miss you guys way too much. I'm about to jump on this plane and start this tour."

"Like I said, I can't wait to see you. Those are my baby's footsteps you hear, my baby Eissa. All right, honey, all right, sweetie, okay," she adds while reaching down to her son. "I'm right here. I love you. I'll see you soon."

Joe died June 27 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. His granddaughter Paris Jackson, the daughter of late singer Michael Jackson, was among those to pay tribute online.

"spending those last few moments with you were everything. being able to tell you everything i needed to tell you before saying goodbye was such a blessing," the 20-year-old model and actress wrote on Instagram.

"i love you grandpa. so so so much that words can't describe. i have immense gratitude for you, and always will. we all feel that way. thank you for everything. truly. rest in peace and transition," she added.


??? Guess Who ???
Which Big Bang Theory star had shoulder surgery on her honeymoon?

Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco said on Instagram that has undergone surgery shoulder while on her honeymoon with husband Karl Cook.

"When your 'honeymoon' is shoulder surgery and your husband looks just as happy lol on the road to recovery," the actress captioned an image of herself laying inside a hospital bed alongside a smiling Cook.

"Thank you for all the love and support! Knowing @mrtankcook I'm sure he will be posting tons of hilarious gems thank god my hair color is on point," she continued.

Cook, on his Instagram, did post more post-surgery photos of Cuoco including a video of is wife snoring inside of a car.

"@normancook snoring like a distressed walrus. I love you so much honey but wow! #shouldersurgeryhoneymoon," he captioned the clip.

Cuoco and Cook tied the knot on Saturday. The couple started dating in March 2016 after Cuoco had ended her 21-month marriage to tennis player Ryan Sweeting.

Cuoco's Big Bang Theory co-stars Johnny Galecki and Mayim Bialek attended the wedding and posted photos on social media of the ceremony.