Month: September 2023

Variety has confirmed that the reimagined “The Wonder Years” has been canceled at ABC after two seasons.

The new show, based on the 1988 series of the same name, followed a Black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama, through the point of view of 12-year-old Dean. As he looks back on his childhood with the wisdom of his adult years, Dean’s hopeful and humorous recollections show how his family found their “wonder years” during the late 1960s.

Don Cheadle narrated the series as adult Dean Williams. Among the cast were Elisha “EJ” Williams as Dean Williams, Dulé Hill as Bill Williams, Saycon Sengbloh as Lillian Williams, Laura Kariuki as Kim Williams, Julian Lerner as Brad Hitman, Amari O’Neil as Cory Long and Milan Ray as Keisa Clemmons.

Lee Daniels and Marc Velez of Lee Daniels Entertainment executive produced the series along with the show’s original star, Fred Savage. Saladin Patterson serves as writer and executive producer. The series is produced by 20th Television, a division of Disney Television Studios.

“The Wonder Years” joins “Big Sky,” “Alaska Daily” and “The Company You Keep” among the many ABC’s canceled scripted series this year.

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The NFL, Roc Nation and Apple Music announced on Sunday that Grammy-winning artist Usher will headline the 2024 Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII halftime show on Feb. 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, airing live on CBS.  In a video shared on X (Twitter), Usher gets an urgent call from Kim Kardashian, who tells the musician about his headlining spot.

The singer, 44, said in a statement: “It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before. Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon.”

JAY-Z, whose Roc Nation company is returning to produce the halftime show for the fifth year, said: “Usher is the ultimate artist and showman. Ever since his debut at the age of 15, he’s been charting his own unique course. Beyond his flawless singing and exceptional choreography, Usher bares his soul. His remarkable journey has propelled him to one of the grandest stages in the world. I can’t wait to see the magic.” 

Usher’s performance will mark his second Super Bowl appearance. He previously performed alongside the Black Eyed Peas when the group headlined the halftime show back in 2011.

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The official trailer for “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” was just released, with a tweet reading: “The tide is turning. #Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom – Only in theaters December 20.”

The sequel to 2018’s “Aquaman” features the return of Jason Momoa as the titular DC superhero (a.k.a. Arthur Curry) and new king of Atlantis, with James Wan as director. Amber Heard, Dolph Lundgren, Randall Park, Temuera Morrison and Nicole Kidman also star in the film.

An official film synopsis reads: “Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.”

“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” debuts in theaters worldwide on Dec. 20. Check out the trailer – here.

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Joe Jonas has responded through his rep to Sophie Turner‘s lawsuit against him, which alleges that Jonas has “wrongful retention” of the estranged couple’s two young daughters in the United States. Sophie, 27, filed a lawsuit in NYC against Joe, 34, on Wed, September 20, demanding “the immediate return” of their 3-year-old and 1-year-old daughters to England. Turner’s lawsuit states that Jonas is wrongfully detaining their kids in the U.S. (and keeping their passports from their mother) as the former couple allegedly agreed in December 2022 the children would move to England.  Joe’s initial divorce filing in Miami reportedly restricts either parent from relocating with their children.

On Thursday, Sept 21, a rep for Jonas responded to Turner’s lawsuit.  According to TMZ, Joe’s rep said: “After multiple conversations with Sophie, Joe initiated divorce proceedings in Florida, as Florida is the appropriate jurisdiction for the case. Sophie was aware that Joe was going to file for divorce.The Florida Court has already entered an order that restricts both parents from relocating the children. Sophie was served with this order on September 6, 2023, more than two weeks ago.”  Jonas’ rep said that Sophie’s lawsuit is “a harsh legal position,” and added: “this is an unfortunate legal disagreement about a marriage that is sadly ending. When language like ‘abduction’ is used, it is misleading at best, and a serious abuse of the legal system at worst.”

Jonas’ rep also claimed that the couple met up as recently as September 17 to work towards an “amicable parenting setup” for their kids, but “less than 24 hours later, Sophie advised that she wanted to take the children permanently to the UK. Thereafter, she demanded via this filing that Joe hand over the children’s passports so that she could take them out of the country immediately.” Joe’s rep noted that their daughters have been living in New York with Sophie. “Joe is seeking shared parenting with the kids so that they are raised by both their mother and father, and is of course also okay with the kids being raised both in the U.S. and the UK.”

Sophie also claimed in her lawsuit that she “found out through the media” that Joe filed for divorce on September 5, a claim that Joe’s rep denied, saying that Turner and Jonas had “multiple conversations” about the end of their marriage before Joe filed for divorce.

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Adam Sandler announced he will embark on the 25-city I Missed You tour. The star himself took to Instagram to share a promotional video for the shows, along with the caption, “Let’s have some fun.” The I Missed You tour kicks-off Oct. 12 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver before wrapping up on Dec. 12 at Denver’s Ball Arena.

Sandler appears with his daughters Sunny Sandler and Sadie Sandler, along with wife, Jackie Sandler, in the coming-of-age comedy You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, which debuted on Netflix last month to rave reviews.  My Bat Mitzvah director Sammi Cohen praised Sandler for the support he provided to everyone involved with the film, saying in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter: “He’s hilarious, and he’s always making everything funnier. He really gave everyone space to do their thing, but when people needed support, he was there. He’s wearing multiple hats — producing, acting, being an actual dad. It’s almost inhuman. Nothing suffers — he does it all 110 percent.”

Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com