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'Game of Thrones' prequel, 'Tales of Dunk and Egg', in the works at HBO

No Comments Entertainment News

HBO/Helen Sloane(LOS ANGELES) — Another Game of Thrones prequel, Tales of Dunk and Egg, is in early development at HBO, according to Variety.

The potential show, would be based on George R. R. Martin’s series of fantasy novellas, which follow the adventures of Duncan the Tall — a.k.a. Dunk, and a young Aegon V Targaryen — a.k.a. Egg, 90 years prior to the events of A Song of Ice and Fire.

While Variety reports the project is a high priority for the cabler, neither a writer nor talent are attached as of yet.

That’s not all though.

Entertainment Weekly reports HBO has also been meeting with several top writers — Rome creator Bruno Heller among them — pitching other ideas based on Martin’s works. They include a prequel series based on Robert’s Rebellion — the war for the Iron Throne that upended Westeros a couple of decades before the events in Thrones.

HBO had previously given a series order to another GoT prequel project, House of the Dragon. This one is set 300 years before the events in GoT and explores the beginning of the end for House Targaryen.

For book fans, the series, from Martin and original GoT producer Ryan Condal, is reportedly largely based off of Martin’s Fire & Blood novel, which came out in 2018.

By George Costantino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

Baseball legend Hank Aaron dies at 86

No Comments Sports News

Hulton Archive/Getty Images)By KELLY MCCARTHY, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Baseball icon and Hall of Famer Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron passed away at 86 years old on Friday.

The retired right fielder from Mobile, Alabama, was known as one of the greatest power hitters in Major League Baseball history.

“Mr. Aaron passed away peacefully in his sleep. The family asks for privacy at this time. The Braves will be releasing a statement shortly,” Aaron’s assistant said in a statement to ABC News.

Aaron led the league with a record 755 home runs in his illustrious career when he eclipsed Babe Ruth’s total in 1974 at age 23. He held that record until 2007 when the number was surpassed by San Francisco Giant Barry Bonds.

He also holds records for most runs batted in (RBI), 2,297, total bases, 6,856, and extra-base hits, 1,477, according to ESPN.

Aaron’s legacy stretched far beyond fair territory on the field, he also led the way for other Black players in the sport.

Earlier this month, Aaron got vaccinated against COVID-19 in Georgia, in hopes that doing so would send a message to other Black Americans that the shots are safe, ESPN reported.

On May 17, 1970, Aaron became the ninth player in MLB history to add his name to the exclusive 3,000 hits club. The right fielder hit a single off a pitch from Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wayne Simpson at Crosley Field.

Aaron spent 21 seasons in the National League with Milwaukee from 1954 to 1965, then in Atlanta from 1966 to 1974, before finishing his 23-year career in Milwaukee with the Brewers until 1976. In total he had 24 All-Star Game appearances and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982.

Aaron “was an All-Star a record 25 times and won three Gold Gloves, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, falling nine votes shy of becoming the first unanimous inductee,” according to a Braves press release.

After retiring from the batters box, “The Home Run King” became the senior vice president of the Atlanta Braves in 1976.

Tributes have already poured in on social media for the baseball legend from current and former players, as well as sports writers, friends and fans.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jane Krakowski loves 'Dickinson''s spin on the poet

No Comments Entertainment News

Apple TV+(NEW YORK) — As it does every Friday, Apple TV+ has dropped the latest episode of the Peabody Award-winning show Dickinson.

Hailee Steinfeld produces and stars as the acclaimed poet, in a series that uses modern music and sensibilities to deliberately tweak what you may have thought you have known about her life.

“What a great change for Emily Dickinson to be introduced to a younger audience this way versus the way I think we might have been taught about her in our early school years, where it almost seemed like medicine to learn about her poetry,” co-star Jane Krakowski laughs to ABC Audio.

The Tony winning and Emmy nominated actress plays Emily’s homemaker mom. She says Dickinson “was [always] depicted to people in such a sort of spinstery solemn way,” and the series, “really shakes that image away, and gives her a whole other persona, which I think the Dickinson scholars believe was more like what she was like.”

She adds with a laugh of the real-life poet, “she was much more of a fun person to be around and not as spinstery as we thought.”

Krakowski played a spoiled actress in 30 Rock, and a socialite former trophy wife in The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, so to see her character in Dickinson declare to her husband, “I belong in the kitchen!” is quite the change.

“Totally,” the actress agrees, “which was one of the reasons I really wanted to be a part of it…because I felt it was very different than…other parts that I had played.”

She adds of the series, “It lives sort of in a hybrid…some of it is very comedic and then some of it isn’t. And so that’s really fun for me to get to have that mix in there.” 

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 delays strike again: 'No Time to Die', 'Morbius', and 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' all bumped again

No Comments Entertainment News

Nicola Dove © 2020 DANJAQ, LLC AND MGM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.(LOS ANGELES) — James Bond, the Marvel Comics vampire anti-hero Morbius, and the Ghostbusters have faced many enemies, but they can’t best COVID-19. 

No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s last mission as 007, was originally supposed to come out last April. It was first pushed to November in an attempt to outrun the virus, before being bumped to this April 2. It will now be pushed to October 8 of this year, MGM notes. 

The date change, and continued pandemic uncertainty have caused a release date logjam for the studio, Variety reports. 

October 8 was slated for 007 co-producer Sony Pictures to debut its Morbius, starring Oscar winner and 30 Seconds to Mars front man Jared Leto, but it will now open January 21, 2022. The superhero film was supposed to come out March 19, after being bumped from July of 2020.

Sony Pictures’ Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway was supposed to come out April 2, but it’s been bumped to June 11 — the already-rescheduled release date for Ghostbusters: Afterlife. That film, another 2020 release date refugee, will reportedly now open November 11.

The studio’s Cinderella, with singer Camilla Cabello, has also been bumped again, from February 5 to July 16. That, in turn, ran into the release window for Uncharted, the video game adaptation starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg — that action adventure will now come out February 11, 2022. 

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Darius Rucker invites Lady A to become the newest Grand Ole Opry members

No Comments Country Music News

Courtesy of the Grand Ole Opry/Schmidt RelationsLady A just joined the Grand Ole Opry!  The surprise announcement was made Thursday, January 21.

The “Need You Now” singers — comprised of members Hillary ScottCharles Kelley and Dave Haywood — learned of their nomination while taping their performance for the Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music celebration, which airs February 14 on NBC.

The Grand Ole Opry announced the good news via Twitter, saying current Opry member Darius Rucker was the one to extend the exclusive invitation.

In a teaser clip of the group’s induction, Rucker introduces Lady A by praising their extensive accomplishments that decorate their nearly 15-year history.

“This trio are multi-platinum superstars. Seven time Grammy Award-winners… seven time CMA winners, too!  And I feel so, so honored right now to stand here in the Opry house and hope they accept the invitation I’m thrilled to be offering them right now,” Rucker smiles.  “So, Lady A, would you like to be the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry?”

The trio initially react in disbelief before becoming overwhelmed by excitement.  Scott then bursts out in tears, eliciting jokes that the announcement should have been saved for after their performance.

The Grand Ole Opry announced in a followup tweet that Lady A’s membership is “effective immediately.”

Becoming an Opry member is considered one of country music’s highest honors.  

“There’s no magic formula and no secret code that grants access to one of the most coveted invitations in all of music. The path to an Opry membership may be in the hands of management, but its members guarantee the Grand Ole Opry’s future,” the nearly 100-year-old institution says on its about page

Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music airs Sunday, February 14, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.