television

‘Friends’ Creator, ‘Embarrassed’ Over Show’s Lack of Diversity, Pledges $4 Million to African Studies Program

The One With a Charity Pledge: “Friends” co-creator Marta Kauffman announced a $4 million donation to her alma mater Brandeis University to establish a fund to support scholars studying Africa and the African diaspora.

Kauffman told the Los Angeles Times that she feels “embarrassed” over the lack of diversity in the hit ’90s sitcom “Friends” which ran for 10 seasons and centered on six straight, white singles in New York City. The most prominent person of color cast on the series was Aisha Tyler, who portrayed the love interest of Ross (David Schimmer) for nine episodes.

Kauffman, who created the series with David Crane, revealed that she originally thought the criticism over a lack of representation was “difficult and frustrating,” but the events of 2020, namely the murder ...

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Film

The Future of Sustainable Scotch Whisky

When dealing with a product like Scotch whisky, for which history, heritage and tradition have long been significant selling points, it’s rare to come across an offering that’s truly different and dares to push against the accepted wisdom of what a good Scotch should be. […]

Visit Man of Many for the full post.

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Film

Tessa Thompson Hints at Queer Romance in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’: ‘It Was a Big Topic of Conversation’

After years of Valkyrie in “Thor” films, “Thor: Love and Thunder” will finally address the character’s bisexuality, according to star Tessa Thompson.

The actress revealed to Yahoo! Entertainment that the upcoming MCU installment will reference the comic book hero’s orientation, but in a subtle way.

“We talked about it a lot, it was big topic of conversation,” Thompson said. “Because I think rightfully there’s this real want in audiences to see characters be very clearly queer or LGBTQIA+ inside these spaces. And I think it’s hugely important to have representation.”

She continued, “And also as humans I think that we are not defined by our sexuality, and by who we love...

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awards

Will the Golden Globes Survive? Here’s What We Know

A funny thing happened on the way to reforming the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The entertainment industry started imagining the permanent demise of the corrupt 79-year-old cabal of Hollywood correspondents. While some publicists, talent, and distributors consider the January Golden Globes telecast as a vital link in the awards ecosystem, others are rooting for the HFPA to disappear forever.

Back on February 25, 2021, under pressure from NBC, which broadcasts the annual Golden Globes and is trying to negotiate down the 8-year $500-million TV rights deal signed in 2018, the beleaguered Hollywood Foreign Press Association vowed major change. NBC canceled the 2022 Golden Globes show to allow the HFPA time to institute a long list of reforms, which began taking shape in April 2021...

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television

‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’: Why Darth Vader Was Supposed to Kill Moses Ingram’s Character in Original Script

[Editor’s Note: The following story contains spoilers for “Obi-Wan Kenobi.”]

Reva the Inquisitor was supposed to have an ending with real finality.

The original script for the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” film, before it became a Disney+ series, included Reva’s death. Writer Stuart Beattie told The Direct that Reva, played by Moses Ingram, was going to fall by Darth Vader’s lightsaber at the hands of actor Hayden Christensen, in order to save Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor).

“I wanted her story to end. I wanted Reva to play her part in the Kenobi-Vader story, which was, essentially, at the end, she was the one that allowed Vader, basically told Vader to stop hunting Kenobi,” Beattie said. “You know, she ended the obsession Vader had with Kenobi. She claimed it was over, it’s done...

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Film

Tim Allen Distances Himself from ‘Lightyear’: ‘It Just Doesn’t Seem to Have Any Connection to the Toy’

At long last, the actor who played Buzz Lightyear the toy has spoken out about the movie that the toy was based on.

In a new interview with Extra, Tim Allen broke his silence on “Lightyear,” the new Pixar film that sees Chris Evans (sort of) taking over as the iconic space ranger that Allen voiced in four “Toy Story” movies. Allen, who will next be seen in “The Santa Clause” on Disney+, made it clear that “Lightyear” is entirely separate from “Toy Story.”

“The short answer is I’ve stayed out of this because it has nothing to do [with my character],” Allen said. “This is a whole new team that really had nothing to do with the first movies.”

Allen made it clear that while he wasn’t necessarily criticizing “Lightyear,” he simply does not see it as connected to t...

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Film

Ezra Miller’s Icelandic Choking Victim Speaks Out: ‘Fun and Games — But Then It Wasn’t’

In 2020, long before Ezra Miller had been accused of grooming minors, was arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct at a karaoke bar, and found themselves arrested again in the same month for assault, the actor made headlines for choking a woman in Iceland.

The incident took place at Prikið Kaffihús, a pub in Reykjavik that Miller, who uses they/them pronouns, found themselves frequenting in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The actor, who was preparing to shoot “The Flash” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” went viral after a video showed them putting a woman in a chokehold.

Given the influx of accusations against Miller rolling in since then, it’s easy to forget the incident, which was one of the first major cases of concerning public behavior from Mille...

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Film

Warner Bros. Defends JK Rowling at ‘Harry Potter’ Press Event Amid Transphobic Statements, ‘Proud’ to Work With Author

Warner Bros. is continuing to stand by controversial “Harry Potter” author JK Rowling after her series of transphobic comments.

During an anniversary of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” press conference with actor Tom Felton, a Sky News reporter was prohibited from asking about Rowling’s involvement. Felton was interviewed as part of the Mandrakes and Magical Creatures feature at Warner Brothers Studios.

Sky News reporter Claire Gregory asked, “And you’re sort of, you’re still, you and the other stars of the film, still very much the face of the franchise, if you like. We speak and hear from you guys. JK obviously has sort of more of a back seat now. Is it strange for her being around at things like this?”

A third party public relations representative interj...

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Film

‘We’re Going to Fly in This Movie’: ‘Elvis’ Cinematographer Mandy Walker on Shooting the King

During his lifetime, Elvis Presley dominated popular culture. Baz Luhrmann’s new biopic “Elvis” — starring Austin Butler as Presley and Tom Hanks as his manager Colonel Tom Parker — focuses on key incidents to illuminate the performer’s influence: Sun Records, the Army, his marriage, a string of movie musicals, the 1968 “Comeback Special,” and his Las Vegas residency all come back to life with the help of cinematographer Mandy Walker.

This is Walker’s fourth collaboration with Luhrmann, after Australia and two Chanel shorts; a native of Melbourne, she was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2021. Walker was the DP on the 2020 version of “Mulan,” and is currently shooting another animation-to-live-action adapation for Disney: “Snow White...

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television

How Nexstar Can Buy The CW for Precisely Zero Dollars

It feels like Nexstar has been flirting with buying The CW for longer than some of the broadcast network’s viewers have been alive. The acquisition, which two individuals told IndieWire is likely to close next week after the Fourth of July holiday, will cost Nexstar all of $0 for 75 percent of The CW.

Pretty sweet deal, right? It becomes a little more sour when factoring in The CW’s current losses, which sources who spoke with The Wall Street Journal, the publication that first reported details on this round of negotiations, said could exceed $100 million. But that’s the burden Nexstar would be taking on, and the relief for the respective balance sheets of current CW parents Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global.

IndieWire has been told by two people with knowledge of the talk...

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