November 2, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Darkroom/Interscope Records(LONDON) — Iconic film composer Hans Zimmer has revealed a bit of back story on how Billie Eilish was chosen to do the theme song for the upcoming James Bond movie, No Time to Die.

As the Oscar-winner tells British GQ, while the No Time to Die team was picking through “a box full of songs lying around” to make a decision, Zimmer came across Eilish’s song, which he describes as “small, leanly produced” and “very personal.”

“I just went, ‘That’s it,'” Zimmer recalls. “And everybody said, ‘Well, but it’s not quite right. It’s not good.’ [I said,] ‘No, no, no, here’s the mistake you’re making: she and [her brother/collaborator] Finneas haven’t seen the movie yet. They don’t know what they’re writing about. Get them on a plane, get them over here.'”

After Eilish and Finneas saw No Time to Die, Zimmer was even further convinced.

“For me, it was undeniable that that was the right way to go,” Zimmer says. “It felt hugely personal; it felt really well crafted. I really liked how lean it was.”

Zimmer even compares Eilish’s “No Time to Die” to Shirley Bassey’s three iconic Bond themes, as well as Adele’s contribution.

“I think everybody discussed what to use, I just kept saying, ‘Nah. Billie and Finneas. We’re done!'” Zimmer says. “I’d never met them, but I felt [that] there’s Shirley Bassey, there’s Adele — everybody who’s ever worked on [Bond] has come at it with a strong style of their own, with conviction and a great commitment. And this song had it. It maintained an intimacy, which I thought was beautiful.”

No Time to Die the movie, which was originally scheduled to premiere this past April, has been delayed to April 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Josh Johnson
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

November 2, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX © 2020(LOS ANGELES) — Netflix has released a sneak peek of Shonda Rhimes’ first series as part of her multi-million dollar mega-deal with the streaming giant: the period romantic drama Bridgerton. 

Based on Julia Quinn’s beloved book series, the Shondaland-produced show is set in London in the 1800s, and centers on Phoebe Dynevor’s character, Daphne Bridgerton, and her arranged marriage to the Duke of Hastings. While she initially agrees to the union to appease her parents, she soon finds herself falling for the Duke. 

The teaser is narrated in character by none other than Julie Andrews, who plays gossipy high society writer Lady Whistledown, whose much-read pamphlets spill the high tea about which upper-crust singletons are destined to become an item.

Bridgerton, which also stars Jonathan Bailey, Nicola Coughlan, Ruby Barker and Polly Walker, debuts on Netflix December 25.

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

November 2, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

iStock/mphillips007(LOS ANGELES) — The 2021 Palm Springs International Film Festival has been canceled due to concerns over COVID-19, but the event’s annual party will soldier on. 

ABC affiliate KESQ-TV first reported the news.

The week-long event, which usually kicks off the Oscar awards season — and whose past winners have paved the way for Academy Award gold for the likes of Joaquin Phoenix and Cynthia Erivo, among many others — was initially bumped from its planned January 7 debut because of the pandemic.

However, instead of running from Feb. 25 through March 8 of next year, organizers have decided to pull the plug entirely save for the festival’s annual gala, which will reportedly go on as planned on February 25. 

Honorees have yet to be announced.

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.