December 2, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Craig Sjodin(LOS ANGELES) — Legendary film director Steven Spielberg has taken out a restraining order against a woman he says poses a danger to him and his family.

TMZ reports that, according to court documents filed Tuesday, Spielberg named the woman who has allegedly stalked him over the past few months and made threats against him.

The documents also claim the woman, identified as Sarah Char, has been arrested before for making criminal threats, stalking and harassment.

Included in the documents is a Twitter exchange, where Char allegedly says,  “If I have to personally MURDER people for stealing my IPs‚ I WILL. Get me?”

The Indiana Jones director also claims Char recently attempted to purchase a gun and, after learning of that from law enforcement, was worried that the woman would follow through on her threats.

Currently, Char is under court order to stay 100 yards away from Spielberg and his family.

Spielberg nor his representatives have responded to requests for comment at this time.

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

December 2, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Eric McCandless, AMPAS(LOS ANGELES) — If you just started to adjust to the virtual concerts and award ceremonies, the 2021 Academy Awards are looking to buck the trend.

Variety reports that a representative from the Academy confirms, “The Oscars in-person telecast will happen.”

The ceremony, slated for April 25, 2021, has already been pushed back due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  However, it appears the Academy is hopeful that theaters will return to normal capacity by then, which would afford more movie premieres and, thus, more Oscar contenders.

However, should movie theaters remain closed, the Academy is still planning on an in-person ceremony at LA’s 3,400-seat Dolby Theater and, with that, is making adjustments to abide by CDC guidelines.

“The Academy has done a walkthrough of the Dolby recently to see all the multiple options,” an awards publicist tells Variety.

The Academy, much like the rest of the world, is also remaining optimistic about next year due to promising news from the vaccine front.

Two vaccine candidates — from Pfizer and Moderna, respectively — are seeking emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.

Pfizer’s hearing is set for December 10 and, should the FDA grant approval, Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar tells ABC News says plans are in motion to have the vaccine ready for delivery within 24 hours. 

Moderna’s hearing is set a week later.

But, even with a vaccine in circulation, however, it is still unknown what 2021’s awards landscape will look like.

Show-runners of the SAG Awards and the Critics Choice Awards, both of which will be held in March, are still weighing their options.

Representatives for both tell Variety that current options include an all-virtual show, an in-person show or possibly a hybrid ceremony as seen with the Emmys in September.

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

December 2, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

GEOFF ROBINS/AFP via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — The love and support is pouring out for Elliot Page.

After the 33-year-old actor came out as transgender, he has been flooded with positive messages from his celebrity peers.

Among the first to comment was Miley Cyrus who wrote, “Elliot rules” with a string of black heart emojis.

On Twitter, Ellen DeGeneres shared, “Sending love to my friend, @TheElliotPage. You inspire me with your strength, courage and honesty.” 

Others who applauded Page were Olivia Munn, Mark Ruffalo, Patricia Arquette, James Gunn, and Anna Kendrick, to name a few.

The Twitter pages for Netflix and The Umbrella Academy, where Page stars in the role of Vanya Hargreeves, a cisgender woman, also cheered him on with the same message. 

“So proud of our superhero! WE LOVE YOU ELLIOT!!!” the accounts wrote. 

However, even though there was an outpouring of support for the Juno star, some thought that his role in The Umbrella Academy should be recast, but sources told Variety that there are no plans to change his character’s gender. 

The X-Men alum announced that he is transgender in a lengthy social media post on Tuesday, December 1. 

“Hi friends,” he wrote. “I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they, and my name is Elliot.”