March 15, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Warner Bros. Pictures(NEW YORK) — Before he shot to superstardom with Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda won a Tony Award for his musical In the Heights. Warner Bros. just debuted a pair of trailers for the film version, which was directed by Jon M. Chu. 

Like the Broadway production, the musical is a celebration of the American dream, viewed from a Latino perspective. The story centers on a Washington Heights, New York bodega owner who dreams of returning to his family’s native Dominican Republic. 

The film’s opening had been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was announced earlier this year that it would be part of Warner Bros. same-day theatrical/HBO Max release slate. For his part, Miranda told ABC Audio he’d love people to see it on the big screen, but, as he demonstrated with the Disney+ release of a staged version of Hamilton, it’s a win for him just for it to be seen.

“Well, listen, my goal is for as many people to see In the Heights as possible,” Lin-Manuel explains. “We were able to move Hamilton up a year and a half [to Disney+] because we we pushed In the Heights a year later. And our hope is still that as many people — it’s a big-screen movie, and our hope is still as many people, see it on the big screen as possible — and that we are in a position to do so safely, above all.”  

Miranda just may get his wish, as theaters in his native New York City recently re-opened. 

In the Heights‘ cast includes Hamilton‘s Anthony Ramos, Brooklyn Nine-Nine vet Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco from Orange Is the New Black, and Jimmy Smits.

Disney + is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.

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

March 15, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

David Lee/Netflix(LOS ANGELES) — Viola Davis made history Monday morning when the 2021 Oscar nominations were announced: The actress received a best actress nomination for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which marked her fourth Oscar nod. With her 2021 nod for playing Ma Rainey in the George C. Wolfe-directed drama, Davis is now the most-nominated Black actress in Academy Award history.

Davis was previously tied with Octavia Spencer, who has three Academy Award nominations to her name.

Davis’ other Oscar nominations include best supporting actress for Doubt, best actress for The Help, and best supporting actress, for Fences, the latter of which she won in 2017.

The actress celebrated her Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom nod and the film’s total five nominations with an Instagram post. “Absolutely thrilled!!” she wrote. “Congratulations to the whole @MaRaineyFilm team! Deserved!”

Davis will compete in the best actress category at the 2021 Academy Awards alongside Andra Day in The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Vanessa Kirby’s Pieces of a Woman, Frances McDormand’s potrayal in Nomadland, and Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman.

The actress spoke to Variety last month about the idea of becoming the most-nominated Black actress in Oscars history, saying the accomplishment signifies how much more progress needs to be made.

“For me, it’s a reflection of the lack of opportunities and access to opportunities people of color have had in this business,” she told the outlet. “If me, going back to the Oscars four times in 2021, makes me the most nominated Black actress in history, that’s a testament to the sheer lack of material there has been out there for artists of color.”

By Hayley FitzPatrick
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 15, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

“Judas and the Black Messiah” – Warner Bros. Pictures(LOS ANGELES) — Streaming has unarguably changed the game of home entertainment, and when it comes to this year’s Oscar contenders, that’s no exception. 

In years past, many movies that go on to earn nominations played in limited release in major markets only, like New York and Los Angeles. Add the pandemic shutting theaters down nationwide, and streaming became key for studios.

It’s no surprise then that a recent Fandango survey of more than 2,000 movie fans revealed roughly 70% have seen more awards contenders this year, because of streaming, than they ever had.

In fact, even before the nominations were announced, nominated movies like News of the World and Promising Young Woman topped last week’s on demand titles from Fandango’s streaming service, Vudu. On-demand viewing has made virtually the entire slate of nominees ready for watching at home, including Minari, which was nominated in six categories, and Promising Young Woman, which earned five.

Streamers definitely leveled the viewing playing field this year. Netflix produced 10-time nominee Mank, as well as The Trial of the Chicago 7, which earned six nominations, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which netted five noms, and Hillbilly Elegy, which was twice nominated Monday.  

Similarly, Amazon Studios’ Sound of Metal boasted six Academy Award nominations: its One Night in Miami, three; and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, two. 

Warner Bros.’ Judas and the Black Messiah earned six nominations. Like Tenet, which earned two, Judas came to streaming on HBO Max on the same day as its theatrical release because of the pandemic’s stranglehold on theaters. 

Disney+ saw its streaming releases Soul and Mulan earn three and two nominations, respectively.

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

March 15, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Monty Brinton/CBS @2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.(LOS ANGELES) — With Sharon Osbourne blaming producers of the chat show for “blindsiding” her during a segment of The Talk last week about her friend Piers Morgan, comes news The Talk‘s cast has been put on hiatus over the installment. 

The segment had Osbourne defending Morgan’s right to say what he wanted about Meghan Markle following her much-watched chat with Oprah Winfrey, challenging others to explain how his comments were racist.  She later apologized, leading Morgan to accuse her producers and co-hosts into “bullying” her into doing so.

In a statement obtained by ABC Audio, CBS declared the show will be put on hiatus until Wednesday so they can investigate the situation. “We are committed to a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace. All matters related to the Wednesday episode of The Talk are currently under internal review,” claimed reps for the show.

To Variety, Osbourne complained that the producers set her up, “like a lamb held out for slaughter.”  Osbourne told the trade, “I was blindsided, totally blindsided by the whole situation. In my 11 years, this was the first time I was not involved with the planning of the segment.”

She explained she was only asked if they could talk about Morgan eight minutes before the show began. “But then I get on there, I say my piece and [co-host] Sheryl [Underwood] turns around straight-faced, looks at me and is reading from a card with questions.”

Osbourne added, “I was just so hurt, caught off guard and stunned by what I was being asked and not prepared. I was honestly in shock. I felt like I was in front of a firing squad….They had me there for 20 minutes.”

The Talk is slated to go back into production Wednesday.

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

March 15, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Marvel Studios/Disney+(LOS ANGELES) — Just as we’ve shaken off the Hex from WandaVision, this Friday Marvel Studios launches its newest MCU crossover show, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. 

A brand-new trailer shows Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson/Falcon and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier back in action — emphasis on “action.” 

The new clip shows off both Bucky and Sam fighting on the road ground and in the air against a new threat and a possibly enhanced enemy played by Solo: A Star Wars story’s Erin Kellyman. Also back is Daniel Bruhl’s Baron Zemo, the baddie first seen in Captain America: Civil War.

The heroes also glimpsed battling each other, verbally. The bantering between the frenemies first glimpsed in Civil War became a fan favorite, and the clip shows we can expect a lot more in the six episode series, which shows Sam’s challenges taking on the mantel of Captain America. 

“So we’re partners?” Bucky asks between missions.

“No, co-workers” Sam says.

“Not necessarily not a team,” Bucky clarifies.

“But we look damn good, though,” Mackie quips.

The first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premieres Friday on Disney+.

Disney is the parent company of Marvel Studios and ABC News.

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