Here's the Scoop...
Denzel is back as 'The Equalizer', big time! Denzel Washington's vigilante drama The Equalizer 2 is the No. 1 movie in North America this weekend with $35.8 million in receipts, BoxOfficeMojo.com announced Sunday.
Coming in at No. 2 is Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! is $34.4 million, followed by Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation at No. 3 with $23.2 million, Ant-Man and the Wasp at No. 4 with $16.1 million and Incredibles 2 at No. 5 with $11.5 million.
Rounding out the top tier are Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom at No. 6 with $11 million, Skyscraper at No. 7 with $10.96 million, The First Purge at No. 8 with $5 million, Unfriended: Dark Web at No. 9 with $3.5 million and Sorry to Bother You at No. 10 with $2.8 million.
Lots of movies out. Some bad. Some good. I still must see Ant-Man and the Wasp before it goes. Any you're anxious to see?
Be Well,
Steve
Comments? Questions? Nooz? Email Steve
The latest Hollywood gossip is just a click away... Celebrity Nooz
Follow Us, Like Us, and Share Us with Friends on Facebook! Where Are They Now on Facebook
Disney fires James Gunn from 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3'
Walt Disney Studios announced Friday it fired filmmaker James Gunn as director of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 for offensive jokes he made online a decade ago.
Gunn, 51, helmed the company's blockbusters Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, and was poised to direct the third chapter in the sci fi-comedy series. His other credits include two Scooby-Doo movies, Slither and Super.
"The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James' Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio's values, and we have severed our business relationship with him," Disney Chairman Alan Horn said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
Gunn took to Twitter on Thursday to address the recently resurfaced posts from 2008-09, in which he joked about pedophilia and sexual assault.
"Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo. As I have discussed publicly many times, as I've developed as a person, so has my work and my humor," he wrote.
"It's not to say I'm better, but I am very, very different than I was a few years ago; today I try to root my work in love and connection and less in anger. My days saying something just because it's shocking and trying to get a reaction are over," he continued.
"In the past, I have apologized for humor of mine that hurt people. I truly felt sorry and meant every word of my apologies," read another post.
"For the record, when I made these shocking jokes, I wasn't living them out. I know this is a weird statement to make, and seems obvious, but, still, here I am, saying it," Gunn added.
"Anyway, that's the completely honest truth: I used to make a lot of offensive jokes. I don't anymore. I don't blame my past self for this, but I like myself more and feel like a more full human being and creator today. Love you to you all," he concluded.
Disney's firing of Gunn came a day after Paramount Television President Amy Powell was ousted for allegedly making racially insensitive remarks during a meeting with colleagues last week -- an act she denied, Variety reported.
"Having spent the past several days conducting a thorough investigation into this matter and speaking to those who were present, our human resources and legal teams came to the same conclusion, and we have made the decision to terminate Amy's employment, effective immediately,"
Paramount Pictures Chairman Jim Gianopulos told studio staffers in a memo. "While it is incredibly difficult to part ways with a valued member of our community, it is imperative that we uphold our values and ensure that all employees feel safe and included in the workplace."
"There is no truth to the allegation that I made insensitive comments in a professional setting -- or in any setting," Powell said in a statement. "The facts will come out and I will be vindicated."
Jason Momoa takes 'Aquaman' trailer to Comic-Con, hangs with Zoe Kravitz
Actor Jason Momoa and his stepdaughter, actress Zoe Kravitz, attended Entertainment Weekly's Comic-Con closing night celebration party in San Diego Saturday.
Kravitz, 29, is the daughter of 38-year-old Momoa's wife, 50-year-old actress Lisa Bonet, and her former husband, 54-year-old rocker Lenny Kravitz.
Momoa appeared at Comic-Con earlier in the day with his Aquaman co-stars Nicole Kidman and Amber Heard to talk about their eagerly awaited superhero movie and share the first trailer for it.
The 2 1/2-minute clip has gotten nearly 10 million views since Warner Bros. posted it on YouTube Saturday.
In the preview, the titular son of a lighthouse keeper and a queen discovers he has the power to communicate with fish and other sea creatures. He is called upon to help when his evil half-brother, who rules an underwater society, wages war on "the surface world" inhabited by humans.
The James Wan-helmed picture is scheduled to open is U.S. theaters Dec. 21.
The studio also unveiled a new, 3-minute trailer for Kravitz's upcoming fantasy movie, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the same day. It has already gotten about 2.3 million views.
Kravitz participated in a panel discussion about the magical movie, alongside her fellow castmates Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol and Ezra Miller.
Directed by David Yates, the movie is scheduled for theatrical release Nov. 16.
LOOSE LIPS:
"It's sweet. I'd rather he be jealous than completely fine with it."
--Amanda Seyfried, sharing that husband Thomas Sadoski was jealous of her Mamma Mia! costar and real-life ex Dominic Cooper, to The Mirror
??? Guess Who ???
Which Carlito's Way actress will play Archie's nemesis in 'Riverdale' Season 3?
Zachary Levi explores his super powers in first 'Shazam!' trailer
Zachary Levi introduced the first trailer for his superhero comedy Shazam! to thousands of fans at San Diego Comic-Con Saturday.
The 3-minute preview has gotten more than 3 million views since it was subsequently posted on YouTube.
The clip shows Andi Mack actor Asher Angel playing Billy Batson, a 14-year-old living in foster care who can magically transform into an adult superhero by shouting the word, "Shazam!"
The first official look at the film shows Levi as the grown-up version of the character trying to figure out what his powers are and how his suit works with the help of his friend Freddy, played by Stranger Things star Jack Dylan Grazer.
The movie is set for release April 5.
Andrew Lincoln: 'This will be my last season playing the part of Rick Grimes'
British actor Andrew Lincoln discussed for the first time publicly his upcoming Season 9 departure from The Walking Dead.
Lincoln has played Rick Grimes, a Georgia sheriff who becomes the leader of a band of survivors in the zombie apocalypse, since the show's inception.
"This will be my last season playing the part of Rick Grimes. I love this show. It means everything to me. I love the people who make this show. I'm particularly fond of the people who watch this show," he told the crowd at San Diego Comic-Con Friday.
He added: "It's been such a part of my life. I've breathed it for 10 years. I believe in the story so much, but this is a really terrific season for Rick's story."
Earlier this week, comic-book creator and television producer Robert Kirkman confirmed Lincoln would leave the show.
"It does make the differences between the comic and the show more pronounced," Kirkman told IMDB interviewer Kevin Smith, referring to how Rick and his son Carl, who was recently killed in the show, remain alive in the graphic novels. "But at the end of the day, it's all about Andrew Lincoln. This is a human being. This is someone I have known for almost a decade, somebody that I love. He's been sweating in Georgia, away from his family, for so long."
??? Guess Who ???
Which Carlito's Way actress will play Archie's nemesis in 'Riverdale' Season 3?
Penelope Ann Miller has joined the cast of The CW's young-adult drama Riverdale for Season 3.
The show is a pitch-dark Archie Comics adaptation.
Miller, whose credits include The Artist, Carlito's Way and The Freshman, will play Ms. Wright, a prosecutor determined to convict Archie Andrews (played by K.J. Apa) of a murder Hiram Lodge (played by Mark Consuelos) framed him for at the end of Season 2, The Hollywood Reporter said.
Season 3 of Riverdale is to begin Oct. 10. A 3-minute trailer previewing what fans can expect in the upcoming episodes was shown during the weekend at San Diego Comic-Con.
Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa also told the crowd during a panel discussion about the series, "There will definitely be another musical episode," according to EW.com.
The show's ensemble also includes Camila Mendes as Veronica, Lili Reinhart as Betty and Cole Sprouse as Jughead.