February 24, 2019

Here's the Scoop...

The Oscars are on tonight, if you want to put yourself for that whole fiasco. I'll have all of the winners, losers, and such for you tomorrow...most likely.

Until then, I have a story from the "Perfect Casting" file... Chris Hemsworth has signed on to portray professional wrestling icon Hulk Hogan in an upcoming biopic for Netflix.

The streaming service has obtained the exclusive life rights to Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, and is in the early stages of developing the project.

Filmmaker Todd Phillips (The Hangover) is set to direct the film, based off a script by Scott Silver and John Pollono. Phillips and Silver have recently collaborated on upcoming DC Comics film The Joker.

Phillips is also producing alongside Bradley Cooper, Michael Suger, Hemsworth and Eric Bischoff with Hogan serving as an executive producer alongside Ashley Zalta. Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman are co-producing.

Bischoff is the former president of World Championship Wrestling or WCW, the main competitor of WWE in the 1990s. Bischoff worked closely with Hogan for years when the grappler moved over to WCW from WWE.

The film will follow Hogan's rise to becoming a star and the face of the WWE during the 1980s.

Hemsworth will next be seen reprising his role as Thor in Avengers: Endgame and in Men in Black: International.

Come on, that's perfect cast, right?

Be Well,
Steve

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Peter Tork, bassist for the Monkees, dead at 77

Peter Tork, a bass player and keyboardist for the Monkees, died Thursday at age 77.

Tork's sister, Anne Thorkelson, confirmed the musician's death to The Washington Post, but did not say where or how the star died.

Tork was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare cancer affecting his tongue, in March 2009. He subsequently underwent surgery and radiation treatments.

Tork's official Facebook page, run by the musician's friends, family and colleagues, confirmed his death in a post Thursday.

"It is with beyond-heavy and broken hearts that we share the devastating news that our friend, mentor, teacher, and amazing soul, Peter Tork, has passed from this world," the post reads.

Tork was born Peter Thorkelson in Washington, D.C., in February 1942. He started playing piano, banjo acoustic bass and bass guitar in his childhood, and joined the folk music scene in the 1960s after moving to New York.

Tork landed a lead role alongside Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Davy Jones on the NBC sitcom The Monkees, which debuted in 1966. The show followed a fictional band, the Monkees, although the quartet performed and eventually recorded their own music.

The Monkees, which had a two-season run, catapulted Tork and his bandmates to fame. The group released its self-titled debut album in 1966, and gained greater control of the recording process following the release of More of the Monkees in 1967.

The Monkees sold millions of albums, released No. 1 hits, including "I'm a Believer," and toured the country. Tork later pursued other projects, including the group "Peter Tork And/Or Release, although he reunited with the Monkees for reunion tours beginning in the 1980s.

Monkees stars Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz mourn Peter Tork

Monkees members Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz paid homage to Peter Tork, who died on Thursday.

Tork was 77. He died 10 years after being diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare cancer of the salivary glands.

NBC's The Monkees, which debuted in 1966, followed a fictional band of the same name. The group eventually recorded their own music, selling millions of albums and releasing No. 1 hits such as "I'm a Believer."

"There are no words right now...heart broken over the loss of my Monkee brother, Peter Tork," Dolenz said on Twitter alongside a photo of Tork.

"Yet, as I write this my tears are awash, and my heart is broken. Even though I am clinging to the idea that we all continue, the pain that attends these passings has no cure. It's going to be a rough day," Nesmith said on Facebook.

"I share with all Monkees fans this change, this 'loss', even so. PT will be a part of me forever. I have said this before -- and now it seems even more apt -- the reason we called it a band is because it was where we all went to play. A band no more -- and yet the music plays on -- an anthem to all who made the Monkees and the TV show our private -- dare I say 'secret' -- playground," he continued.

"As for Pete, I can only pray his songs reach the heights that can lift us and that our childhood lives forever -- that special sparkle that was the Monkees. I will miss him -- a brother in arms. Take flight my Brother."

Tork played bass and keyboard in the band.

Nesmith and Dolenz are the last surviving members of the Monkees. Davy Jones died in 2012 at age 66.

LOOSE LIPS:

"I do feel the responsibility but I welcome the responsibility. I'm so grateful that I get to do something important with my art and open up doors and change Latino narratives - let people see themselves up there [on screen], let them identify with themselves up there and know that they can make it and do it also."
--Justina Machado, on her role as a Puerto Rican actress in starting cultural conversations about the importance of diversity in Hollywood, on Red Table Talk

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??? Guess Who ???

Which singer and actress turned down a role in 'Titanic' during her tour?

Adam Scott, Kumail Nanjiani star in 'The Twilight Zone' trailer

The Twilight Zone has been reimagined for new audiences in the latest trailer for the upcoming reboot of the classic sci-fi and horror anthology series.

The clip, released on Thursday, teases a number of the supernatural and mysterious tales that will unfold on the reboot.

Star Adam Scott continually sees the same number appear around him as he boards a plane while Kumail Nanjiani searches for his dog that seemingly doesn't exist.

Steven Yeun, Tracy Morgan and host Jordan Peele also make appearances in the trailer.

The Twilight Zone, from executive producer Peele who also serves as narrator, is set to arrive on streaming service CBS All Access on April 1.

John Cho, Greg Kinnear, Sanaa Lathan, Alison Tolman, Jacob Tremblay, Jessica Williams, DeWanda Wise, Percy Hynes-White, Taissa Farmiga, Rhea Seehorn, Luke Kirby and Ike Barinholtz are also set to star.

The original Twilight Zone aired from 1959 -1964 with Rod Sterling serving as host. The series has been revived several times.

'Haunting of Hill House': Netflix shares title, teaser for Season 2

The Haunting of Hill House is getting another season on Netflix.

The streaming company shared a title and teaser for the season Thursday on Twitter after renewing the series for Season 2.

The Haunting of Hill House will continue as an anthology series featuring a new cast and characters. The new season is titled The Haunting of Bly Manor and is based on The Turn of the Screw and other works by author Henry James.

"You guessed it. The HAUNTING OF BLY MAJOR, a new chapter in the Haunting series based on the works on Henry James, is coming in 2020," Netflix tweeted.

Netflix hinted at the new story in a teaser featuring a woman's voice earlier in the day.

"The terrace and the whole place, the lawn and the garden beyond it -- all I could see of the park -- were empty with a great emptiness," the voice says.

The Hollywood Reporter said Netflix renewed The Haunting of Hill House after signing a new deal with series creator Mike Flanagan and his producing partner, Trevor Macy. Sources said the deal will last four or five years and is worth a low eight figures.

"Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy are masterful at creating authentically frightening stories that leave audiences on the edge of their seats but unable to look away," Netflix vice president of originals Cindy Holland said. "We're excited to continue our partnership with them on The Haunting series and future projects to come."

The Haunting of Hill House is based on the Shirley Jackson novel of the same name. The season stars Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino and Henry Thomas, and was well-received by critics and audiences following its debut in October.

??? Guess Who ???

Which singer and actress turned down a role in 'Titanic' during her tour?

Reba McEntire says she turned down a role in Titanic because she was on tour at the time.

The 63-year-old singer and actress confirmed on Thursday's episode of Watch What Happens Live that she passed on playing Molly Brown, a part that went to Kathy Bates, in the 1997 blockbuster movie.

"We were on tour and I had a lot of people on the payroll," McEntire explained to host Andy Cohen and fellow guest Morris Chestnut.

"We had these three months already scheduled to do the movie and then they got behind on scheduling and said, 'No, we're gonna have to move this and this time,' so we couldn't reschedule all the arenas and everything," she said.

McEntire agreed with Cohen that it "kind of killed" her when the film became a huge hit.

"Well, sure. Absolutely," she said. "But you gotta take care of your people."

McEntire also addressed Roseanne Barr's criticism of her appearing as Colonel Sanders in KFC ads. Barr had tweeted she would make a better colonel and doubted whether McEntire eats fried chicken.

"I thought it was hysterical. She might eat more chicken than I do. I don't know," McEntire responded.

McEntire will release her 29th studio album, Stronger Than the Truth, on April 5. The album includes her single of the same name, which debuted last week.