September 8, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Jeff Vespa/VF14/WireImage(LOS ANGELES) — Lupita Nyong’o has broken her silence on the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman.

The Oscar winner took to social media to honor her Black Panther co-star, who died at age 43 following a silent four-year battle with colon cancer.

“Chadwick was a man who made the most of his time, and somehow also managed to take his time,” she wrote, calling Boseman’s death a “punch to my gut.”

“I didn’t know him for long,” Nyong’o continued, “but he had a profound effect on me in the time that I did.”

The 12 Years a Slave actress recalled “being struck by his quiet, powerful presence” upon meeting him for the first time and explained how simply being around Boseman made her want to “be better, less petty, more purposeful.”

“He was fueled by love, not fear,” Nyong’o wrote. “He moved quietly, deliberately and without imposing himself or his ideals on others. And yet he also made damn sure that his life meant something. He was unwavering about that.”

“He cared so deeply about humanity, about Black people, about his people,” she added. “He activated our pride. By pushing through and working with such high purpose in the films he chose to commit to, Chadwick has made the infinite his home.”

Aside from playing T’Challa in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Boseman made a name for himself portraying real-life heroes from Black culture: Jackie Robinson in 2013’s 42, James Brown in 2014’s Get on Up and Thurgood Marshall in 2017’s Marshall.

“We are all charged by his work as a result, by his presence in our lives,” Nyong’o concluded. “His power lives on and will reverberate for generations to come. He used his life force to tell meaningful stories. And now we tell his.”

By Carson Blackwelder
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

September 8, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Image Group LA via Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Maya Hawke, who stole hearts in the most recent season of Stranger Things, opened up over the weekend about her learning disabilities and why she was kicked out of school.

In a Saturday interview with NPR, Hawke — who is the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman — candidly spoke about her dyslexia and how it still affects her career.

Despite the hardships her disability has brought her over the years, the 22-year-old actress attests, “I would say it is, like, one of the great blessings of my life in a lot of ways.”

One particular hardship was when her old school punished her for struggling to keep up with her classmates.

“I did get, like, kicked out of school for not being able to read when I was a kid,” Hawke disclosed in the interview, “It was deeply difficult.”

“Every grade that went by, you get dropped down into a lower and lower reading group,” she continued in regards to how her old school reacted to her disability, but says her leaving it was for the best because she then “went to a special school for kids with learning disabilities.”

While it “took me a long time to learn how to read,” as the Little Women star reveals, she is still “limited” as to what she can do.

Hawke remained positive that she will persevere, adding “The wonderful thing about today’s world is that there are so many options.”

As for how her dyslexia has made her a better actress, the “Generous Heart” artist says it’s enhanced her ability to “take in stories.”

“That made me even more determined to love them and understand them and grow in them,” Hawke explained. She also credits her parents for doing “a wonderful job of encouraging me to be creative.”

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

September 8, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC(LOS ANGELES) — Derek Hough is known for his moves on the dance floor and for leading many of his dance partners to victory on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. But this season, he’s shaking things up as a judge.

Hough, who left DWTS in 2016, was on the show for nine years and 17 seasons, during which he won six mirrorball trophies — the most in DWTS history. He said returning to the ballroom has always been something that he’s wanted to do.

“The show has been and will always be incredibly special to me,” Hough said in a statement announcing his return. “Coming back feels like coming home and I couldn’t be more excited to be back in the ballroom.”

Hough joins longtime judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli. Due to current circumstances with the pandemic, Len Goodman will be unable to judge this season live in the ballroom, though he’ll share his ballroom expertise remotely from the U.K.

Hough’s addition to the judges’ table will make him the second person in his family to be a Dancing with the Stars judge. His sister, Julianne Hough, stepped in as a guest judge in season 19 of DWTS and held that position until 2017.

Hough’s new role comes as many changes are already slated for the new season, including the addition of supermodel Tyra Banks as a new host and executive producer.

The new season of Dancing with the Stars premieres on Monday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT, on ABC.

By Angeline Jane Bernabe
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

September 8, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Melinda Sue Gordon; ©2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.(LOS ANGELES) — Labor Day weekend gave us our first glimpse of life at the U.S. box office since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as Christopher Nolan’s Tenet opened with an estimated $20.2 million over the three-day weekend, despite major movie markets like New York, California, and New Jersey keeping their theaters shuttered to help prevent the spread of the virus.

The time-bending thriller, starring John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Kenneth Branagh, and Elizabeth Debicki, debuted with an impressive $7,189 per-theater average over the long holiday weekend.

Tenet was initially slated to arrive in theaters on July 17, but was later postponed until July 31, then August 12, and finally August 28 — though only overseas, where it has pulled in $126 million over two weekends for a total of $146.2 million.

Finishing in second place was Fox’s The New Mutants, which opened with a disappointing $7 million last weekend.  The X-Men spin-off grabbed an estimated $3.6 million over the Labor Day weekend. It’s now collected $12.35 million here in the States, with an additional $8.5 million overseas for a worldwide total of $20.85.

In third place was the Russell Crowe thriller Unhinged, delivering an estimated $2.2 million in its fourth week of release.  The film has earned a total of $11.83 million from 2,754 theaters stateside and $12 million overseas, bringing its global earnings to $23.83 million.

Bill & Ted Face the Music, the third chapter in the Bill & Ted franchise, starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, pulled in an estimated $809,794 from 953 theaters, bringing its total U.S. gross to $2.3 million.

Rounding out the top five was The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, which delivered an estimated $470,000 from 304 theaters.  The animated feature’s total domestic earnings total $3.44 million. It has yet to open overseas.

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

September 8, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Liu Yifei as Mulan/© 2019 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.(LOS ANGELES) — While Disney’s live action adaptation of Mulan did not open in theaters as originally planned and instead went straight to streaming, its arrival couldn’t have come at a better time.

Tzi Ma, who plays Mulan’s father in the epic action movie, tells ABC Audio that the story, which is steeped in Chinese culture, could very well be an antidote of anti-Asian racism in the U.S. triggered by COVID-19. 

“We take a lot of things for granted, for the fact that we think we know…what everybody goes through, what the other culture is about,” said Ma as to how Mulan introduces Chinese culture to a broader audience. “[It will] shed light on a culture that really values everything that any person on this globe holds dear.”

While Ma, 58, is admittedly disappointed that the audience will not experience Mulan on the big screen, he says there is a “silver lining” to the film going straight to streaming services.

“At home, you can view it many times,” the Leo Award nominee explained. “You can look at again and you start talking to your kids about what’s important.  What’s your contribution [and] how should you contribute as a member of society.”‘

No matter how one decides to experience Mulan, Ma is looking forward to what lessons the audience — not just children — take in from the movie.

“It covers the woman’s journey, you know, not just Mulan herself. Also really gives you a glimpse of all the Asian men who are around Mulan in her regiment, her brigade,” the actor explained. “I think it’s much more powerful than anyone can really imagine.  I was surprised, personally.” 

Mulan, based on the 1998 Disney animated film of the same name, is available to watch now on Disney+.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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