October 12, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

John Lamparski/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Little Fires Everywhere star Joshua Jackson just lined up his next TV gig.

The actor is set to take over the lead role in Peacock’s Dr. Death, after Jamie Dornan dropped out of the project due to scheduling conflicts, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Jackson will play real-life Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a neurosurgeon who repeatedly botched spinal surgeries, killing two patients and maiming at least four others. The series is based on the Wondery podcast of the same name.

Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater are on board to play Dr. Robert Henderson and Dr. Randall Kirby, respectively, the two doctors who eventually bring Duntsch down.

“Nobody wanted to face what Dunstch had done and face the liabilities inherent in that,” Baldwin recently explained to ABC Audio. “So they kept giving him these glowing recommendations and just shoving him into the next county.”

“[Henderson and Kirby] joined forces to pressure medical boards and to pressure the state and to pressure the authorities to bring charges against him,” Baldwin added. “And basically, we put him away. We put him in prison.“

Shooting on the series begins later this fall. Baldwin told ABC Audio he’s grateful to be going back to work.

“Everybody’s very deadly serious about the COVID protocols. Nobody wants this thing to shut down again,” Baldwin said of the production. “So everybody’s — I wouldn’t say tense, but they’re vigilant about keeping this going properly.”

By Andrea Tuccillo
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

October 12, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

101 Studios(LOS ANGELES) — With in-theater movie releases still few and far between amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the weekly box office remained pretty quiet this weekend.

This weekend’s new release, The War with Grandpa, starring Robert De Niro, managed to rake in $3.6 million and claim the number-one spot from Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.

Tenet, now in its sixth weekend of release in the U.S., brought in $2.1 million for a domestic total of $48.3 million. Overseas, it’s fared far better with a total of $275 million, according to Warner Bros. It’s global total is now $323.3 million.

Meanwhile, according to Deadline, European theater owners who are starved for new content aren’t too happy that Disney has decided to release Soul exclusively on Disney+ on December 25.

“The vast majority of cinemas across Europe and indeed many regions of the World are now open and able to offer a safe and enjoyable return for audiences. Cinema operators have invested massively in offering the safest possible experience to their audiences on the basis of a promising schedule of new film releases,” the International Union of Cinemas says in a statement. “Yet again, however, they find a distributor delivering another blow.”

Deadline reports Soul will get a theatrical release in the offshore markets where Disney+ isn’t available. Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

By Andrea Tuccillo
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

October 12, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Jason Merritt/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — It was love at first sight when Jennifer Aniston met Lord Chesterfield, her new rescue puppy.  The actress not only took the small cream colored pup home, but proudly introduced him to her followers in the best possible way.

The Morning Show star introduced her tiny companion on Sunday announced her new family member by posting a video of her exhausted companion all tuckered out after chewing his bone.

The video starts with Aniston focusing the camera on the floor tiles before panning over to her new puppy, who is sprawled out flat on his back and sound asleep with a toy between his teeth.

“Chesterfield? Have you fallen asleep with your bone in your mouth,” The 51-year-old gently whispers over to the snoozing Chesterfield.  “I think you have…”

While the video itself was incredibly sweet, Aniston made sure to honor the rescue that connected her with her new best friend to her 35.7 million followers, writing that, “He stole my heart immediately” when she first saw him.

The Friends alum continued to gush, “A HUGE thank you to @wagmorpets for the incredible work you do. Grateful you take such great care of these rescues and find them their forever homes.”

Of course, Aniston’s famous friends were overjoyed by the happy news, with celebrities such as Matt Bomer remarking with a series of heart eyes emojis before raving, “Congratulations!!!!”  

The Wagmor Pet Hotel & Spa, which works tirelessly to find the perfect family for every dog they rescue, later revealed that Aniston had been in contact them for a while, sharing in their stories that the actress “has been waiting for the perfect rescue.  And she finally found him!”

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

October 12, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Kevin Mazur/WireImage(LOS ANGELES) — Zak Williams, the oldest son of the late Robin Williams, married fiancée Olivia June on Saturday, which also happened to be World Mental Health Day.

“I had the great joy of marrying my best friend @oliviajune today!” Zak tweeted, along with a photo of him and his new bride. “It went awesome and we couldn’t have tied the knot on a better day. #WorldMentalHealthDay”

Olivia, the founder and CEO of the Hey! VINA, shared a similar message on Twitter, writing, “Married my best friend and love of my life today. @zakwilliams you were already stuck with me forever, and now it’s legally so.”

Zak, 37, and Olivia tied the knot at The Paramour Estate in Los Angeles, according to People magazine.

Last year, Zak, 37, and Olivia, 34, welcomed their first child together, a baby boy named McLaurin Clement Williams.  McLaurin was the middle name of Zak’s dad Robin, who died by suicide in 2014.

Zak, a mental health advocate, tells People he’s “looking forward to building this life” he’s “always wanted” with Olivia and their young son.

By George Costantino
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

October 12, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Rick Rowell(LOS ANGELES) — Gal Gadot will be reuniting with her Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins for Cleopatra, the upcoming historical biopic from Paramount Pictures, according to Deadline. 

Gadot will play the titular Queen of Egypt, the role made famous by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 classic. 

“I love embarking on new journeys, I love the excitement of new projects, the thrill of bringing new stories to life. Cleopatra is a story I wanted to tell for a very long time,” Gadot tweeted of the film on Sunday.  “Can’t be more grateful about this A team.” 

Gadot and Jenkins recently completed Wonder Woman 1984, which just saw its release pushed to Christmas Day due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

By George Costantino
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.