April 1, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Adult Swim(LOS ANGELES) — Wubba Lubba Dub Dub! Fans of the beloved, Emmy–winning Rick and Morty, rejoice: the show’s long-awaited fifth season kicks off June 20. 

The Adult Swim series created by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland — the latter of whom voices both title characters — announced the return in a brand-new trailer. 

The snippet is full of the kind of gonzo sci-fi action and pop culture references that are the absurdist show’s bread and butter: set to the White Stripes’ hard-charging “Blue Oyster,” the trailer has the R&M gang facing off against a judgment council of robot dogs, dimension-hopping in S&M gear, hiding from a house-smashing giant praying mantis and, apparently, readying to pilot their own Voltron robot. 

In other words, par for the course for the series, which centers on a sociopath scientist and his nervous grandson and the rest of their dysfunctional family.

Additionally, Adult Swim has declared June 20 global Rick and Morty Day, in which fans will get a “megadose of access and content of all things Rick and Morty” across TV, social media, streaming and more.

ABC Audio recently caught up with Machete star Danny Trejo, who explained why he jumped on the Rick and Morty train as one-man killing machine Jaguar in season 3’s acclaimed “Pickle Rick” episode.

“You I didn’t know who Rick and Morty was! I never watched.” Trejo laughed. “And then my kid [goes], “Are you kidding, Dad? That’s the biggest thing on television, man!'”

Now, he explains, “Everywhere I go: ‘Whoa! The Jaguar!’ 

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

April 1, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

CBS(LOS ANGELES) — Add the crime scene drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation to the growing list of shows getting the reboot treatment. CBS has resurrected its former ratings powerhouse as CSI: Vegas — and returning are three original cast members: star and executive producer William Petersen, Jorja Fox, and Wallace Langham.

“Twenty-one years ago, we launched CSI and watched in awe as this new cinematic series launched an entire genre and became a groundbreaking juggernaut that still has global resonance today,” said CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl in the official announcement. “We are thrilled to welcome the next generation of forensic criminalists to the CSI brand and unite them with the legendary characters from the past who we still love.”

Added to the cast are series newcomers including Paula Newsome, Mel Rodriguez, Matt Lauria and Mandeep Dhillon.

Kahl added, “Crime-fighting technology has advanced dramatically over the last several years, and combined with classic CSI storytelling, we can’t wait to watch this new CSI team do what they do best: follow the evidence.”

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, CSI ended in 2015 after 15 seasons, but along the way spawned three spin-offs: CSI: Miami, with David Caruso;  CSI: New York, starring Gary Sinise; and CSI: Cyber, starring Ted Danson.

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

April 1, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Amazon Video(LOS ANGELES) — For just the third time since the rankings were created last summer, a film snagged the top slot on Nielsen’s weekly streaming chart — and that crown goes to Coming 2 America. 

The Eddie Murphy/Arsenio Hall sequel attracted 1.4 billion minutes of streaming from March 1 to March 7, according to Nielsen numbers quoted by Deadline.

The rankings do not count mobile device streaming but only viewing over a TV. That makes the movie Amazon Prime’s first #1 property to top the list.

Coming 2 America easily bested the #2-ranked title, Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia; the series’ 10 episodes earned a total 1.61 billion minutes streamed. 

Ranking third was Criminal Minds, all 307 episodes of which can be seen on Netflix. Some 929 million minutes of the the police procedural were viewed in that month. Rounding out the top five are WandaVision on Disney+, which managed a series-best 929 million minutes streamed, and Grey’s Anatomy; all 366 episodes of the medical drama also run on Netflix, and 858 million minutes were streamed in the first week of March. 

Deadline notes that the only other movies ever to top the Nielsen streaming charts were last summer’s Spenser Confidential on Netflix, and Disney/Pixar’s Soul and HBO Max’s Wonder Woman 1984, which traded the top slot over Christmas week. 

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

April 1, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Walt Disney Pictures(LOS ANGELES) — Emma Stone’s upcoming movie Cruella generated a lot of buzz when it released its first trailer and, recently, sparked comparisons with another antihero flick, Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix.

While both movies do tell the backstory of a famous villain, Emma — who plays the titular villainess from 101 Dalmatians — doesn’t really see similarities beyond that.

Speaking recently with Total Film, the La La Land star said, “It’s very different from Joker in many ways.”

The 32-year-old actress added that she is somewhat flattered by the comparisons, saying, “I would never even remotely compare myself to Joaquin Phoenix. I wish I was more like him.”

Emma also said that Cruella will add depth to her character, who previously made a name for herself for wanting to turn the Dalmatian puppies into a new fur coat.

“It’s hard to call someone a bad ’un completely when you see them from the very beginning,” she teased.

The movie’s director, Craig Gillespie, also weighed in on the movie’s backbone and said, “There are some really deep, emotional things that Cruella’s dealing with that send her to the villainous darker side.”

While he admits the theme is also present in The Joker, Gillespie adds, “It’s definitely its own thing.” 

“Just to sort of reframe Cruella, I thought it was important to show this darker side of her,” the director continued. “But there’s going to be a lot of fun, a lot of humor in it. There’s a lot of absolutely delightful banter and rhythm to the style of it, which is different from Joker.”

Cruella hits theaters and Disney+ Premiere Access simultaneously on May 28. 

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

April 1, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Byron Cohen(LOS ANGELES) — Chrissy Teigen is the cover star for this year’s People “The Beautiful Issue”

The Cravings cookbook author graced the cover with her children, 4-year-old daughter Luna and 2-year-old son Miles, a moment that she was admittedly surprised she landed. 

According to a press release, her reaction was, “Oh my God. I’m like in it? On it? It’s definitely a shock and an honor.” 

In the issue, Chrissy remains the same open and candid woman that her fans have come to know and love as she discusses her definition of beauty, Thai traditions, and the heartbreaking tragedy she and her husband, John Legend, faced when they lost their son, Jack, at 20 weeks of pregnancy. 

The 35-year-old also opens up about the racism she faced growing up and later when she entered the modeling industry.  

“I grew up in a predominantly white area about 45 minutes north of Seattle. I didn’t experience casual forms of racism, but it’s the big moments that stood out to me — and I was fiercely defended by white or Black friends,” she recalls. “It would be the silliest, dumbest things, like someone saying, ‘Go eat a bowl of rice.” But it would escalate because I had protectors around me, and I remember friends getting suspended for defending me.”

“I experienced more everyday casual racism once I entered the modeling world,” she continues. “When they needed someone racially ambiguous — that’s what they called it — that was always going to be me…”

People‘s “The Beautiful Issue” also highlights other inspiring stars like Zendaya, Lily Colins, and Jennifer Lopez, and more with features like “Stars with no Makeup,” “Beauties of the Year,” “Cuties to Beauties,” and more. 

The special double issue hits newsstand on Friday, April 2. 

By Danielle Long
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.