June 05, 2023

Here's the Scoop...

Animated movie Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the No. 1 movie in North America, earning $120.5 million in receipts this weekend, BoxOfficeMojo.com announced Sunday.

Coming in at No. 2 is The Little Mermaid with $40.6 million, followed by The Boogeyman at No. 3 with $12.3 million, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 at No. 4 with $10.2 million and Fast X at No. 5 with $9.24 million.

Rounding out the top tier are The Super Mario Bros. Movie at No. 6 with $2.4 million, About My Father at No. 7 with $2.1 million, The Machine at No. 8 with $1.8 million, You Hurt My Feelings at No. 9 with $770,000 and Kandahar at No. 10 with $765,000.

Be Well,
Steve

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Padma Lakshmi to depart 'Top Chef' after 17 years

One of TV's 'top chefs' is leaving the kitchen. Host Padma Lakshmi says Season 20 of the popular Bravo network cooking show Top Chef will be her last. She announced her departure on her Instagram account on Friday.

"After much soul searching, I have made the difficult decision to leave Top Chef," Lakshmi wrote. "Having completed a glorious 20th season as host and executive producer, I am extremely proud to have been part of building such a successful show and of the impact it has had in the worlds of television and food."

The 52-year-old is also the star of the Hulu show Taste the Nation, which she says she wants to focus on along with writing. She is the author of five books including a memoir, Love, Loss and What We Ate, a New York Times bestseller. This year she posed for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

Lakshmi is a four-time Emmy nominee for Outstanding Reality Show Host. Lakshmi's announcement comes just before Top Chef's season finale.

"Padma Lakshmi leaves behind an incredible legacy on Bravo's Top Chef," a network spokesperson said in a statement. "Her impact on the Emmy-, James Beard-, and Critics' Choice Award-winning series is undeniable. We are grateful to Padma for being a consummate host, judge, and executive producer, and for bringing her ingenuity and exceptional palate to each episode where she ate every bite of food on the series for over 17 years and 19 seasons. She will always be part of the Top Chef and the NBCUniversal family and has a seat at the judges' table anytime."

Per a February interview with Gotham magazine, Lakshmi is already working on her next cookbook. She reflected on her time with the show and how the crews that work alongside her and the hosts are the engine behind what drives the success of Top Chef.

"From my first season, I remember we were in Malibu, and we did this breakfast challenge-which doesn't seem that hard-except that you have to make it on the beach, open fire," she said. "And I'll never forget the unsung heroes of our show-the crew that you never get to see, the culinary department and then all of the technical crew who had to lay gas lines and dig ditches and then cover them up with sand all before sunrise so that we could get it all fired up in a safe way that looks telegenic."

Elliot Page details romance with Kate Mara in new memoir

The Umbrella Academy star Elliot Page writes in his new memoir, Pageboy, that he had a romance with actress Kate Mara before he came out as a transgender man.

A Teacher actress Mara was dating Handmaid's Tale actor Max Minghella when she also started seeing Page, then known as Ellen, in 2014.

"I never thought I could be in love with two people and now I know I can," Page said Mara told him.

"This was right after I'd come out as gay and it was a time of exploration and also heartbreak," Page added. "I think my relationship, or whatever you want to call it with Kate, very much encapsulates a certain dynamic that I consistently found myself in, which was falling for people that -- I think a lot of us do this -- who aren't fully available. And the sort of safety in that and the highs and the lows and the serotonin bump, and then it goes away."

People.com published the excerpt from the book Friday.

The New York Post said Page and Mara are still close friends and Mara is expected to attend a promotional event for the book later this month.

Mara has been married to her Fantastic Four co-star Jamie Bell since 2017. They have two children.

'Winchesters' won't move to new home after CW cancellation

Supernatural prequel The Winchesters hasn't been able to find a new home for Season 2 of the show after The CW canceled it last month.

"To all of you who watched, followed, and supported this story, THANK YOU. And to all those who brought this show to life...I couldn't be more proud of what we all did together. But as they say...timing is everything," Supernatural star and The Winchesters executive producer Jensen Ackles tweeted Saturday.

"With a massive Network shift coupled with an industry strike...welp...that's some unfortunate timing. Sleep well dear @WinchestersOnCW ...until we meet again. Somewhere down the road."

Deadline.com reported Warner Bros. Television shopped the show around to other television networks and streaming services, but there were no takers.

Meg Donnelly and Drake Rodger played John and Mary Winchester, Dean and Sam Winchester's parents.

Supernatural, which co-starred Jared Padalecki, ran 15 seasons from 2005 to 2020.

Dwayne Johnson to play Hobbs again in next 'Fast & the Furious' flick

Dwayne Johnson has announced he is returning to the Fast & the Furious film franchise after a public falling out with the series' star Vin Diesel.

"HOBBS IS BACK. And he just got lei'd. Luke Hobbs will be returning to the Fast & Furious franchise. Your reactions around the world to Hobbs' return in Fast X have blown us away The next Fast & Furious film you'll see the legendary lawman in will be the HOBBS movie that will serve as a fresh, new chapter & set up for FAST X: Part II," Johnson wrote on Instagram late Thursday.

"Last summer @vindiesel and I put all the past behind us. We'll lead with brotherhood and resolve -- and always take care of the franchise, characters & FANS that we love."

Johnson first played Hobbs in 2011's Fast Five. He returned to the role in 2013's Fast & Furious 6, 2015's Furious 7, 2017's The Fate of the Furious, 2019's Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw and had a cameo in the current release Fast X.

"I've built my career on an "Audience First" mentality and that will always serve as my North Star," Johnson said of returning for a cameo in the latest chapter after publicly vowing in 2021 not to because of his dispute with Diesel.

"Congratulations to my Fast Family & Universal Studios on the global success of FAST X and as always, Hobbs & @SevenBucksProd are motivated to help take the Fast franchise to new and exciting places for fans worldwide."Daddy's gotta go to work" -- HOBBS#HobbsIsBack#FastAndFurious#PutYourFunderwearOn."

Johnson's post has already gotten nearly 400,000 "likes."

Kim Cattrall returning as Samantha in 'And Just Like That'

Kim Cattrall will reprise her iconic Sex and the City role of publicist Samantha Jones in Season 2 of its sequel series And Just Like That.

Variety, People.com and The New York Post reported the casting news Wednesday.

Samantha will appear in one episode in the season finale, but will not share the screen with Carrie, Charlotte or Miranda -- the characters played by Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis or Cynthia Nixon.

Samantha is expected to speak with Carrie via phone in the cameo, which Cattrall filmed in March.

She played Samantha on the original show for six seasons from 1998 to 2004, as well as in two movies released in 2008 and 2010, but did not want to star alongside her former cast members in the sequel series amid reports of a falling-out with Parker.

Samantha's absence was explained as she had moved to London and lost touch with her besties.

An insider told The Post show staffers were "definitely shocked, very intrigued on how they're gonna write this in -- and very excited."

"She said she'd never do it! She said she'd never come back!" the source said.

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'Bird Box Barcelona' teaser brings terror to Spain

Netflix is giving a glimpse of the new film Bird Box Barcelona.

The streaming service shared a teaser trailer for the post-apocalyptic thriller Monday featuring Mario Casas and Georgina Campbell.

Bird Box Barcelona is inspired by the 2018 movie Bird Box starring Sandra Bullock. The films take place in a world where people must go blindfolded to avoid seeing mysterious entities that cause mass suicides.

The new movie is described as "an expansion" of the original film.

"After a mysterious force decimates the world's population, Sebastian (Casas) must navigate his own survival journey through the desolate streets of Barcelona," an official description reads. "As he forms uneasy alliances with other survivors and they try to escape the city, an unexpected and even more sinister threat grows."

The teaser shows Sebastian (Casas) team up with a character played by Campbell.

The cast also includes Alejandra Howard, Naila Schuberth, Diego Calva, Patrick Criado, Lola Dueñas, Gonzalo De Castro, Michelle Jenner and Leonardo Sbaraglia.

Bird Box Barcelona premieres July 14.

Netflix previously said that more than 45 million accounts watched the original Bird Box in its first week of streaming.

WATCH IT NOW: Bird Box Barcelona - Official Teaser