Month: April 2024

“Rust” movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 27, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in a Santa Fe, New Mexico, court on Monday in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was shot when actor Alec Baldwin was handling a gun during the film’s production in 2021. Prosecutors sought the maximum penalty of 18  months in state prison.

Gutierrez-Reed, the chief weapons handler for the Western movie, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter last month after mistakenly loading a live round into the revolver Baldwin was using on the movie set. Following Gutierrez-Reed’s conviction, the judge ordered her to be held in police custody pending her sentencing. Per Reuters, the shooting is believed to be the first time in modern times that a member of a film crew or cast was killed by a live round accidentally loaded into a gun.

Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for the firearms on the New Mexico set of Rust. In October 2021, a gun held by Alec Baldwin was discharged during a rehearsal for the Western film. Although the weapon was not supposed to be loaded with live ammunition, a bullet was fired, killing 42-year-old Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Gutierrez-Reed was charged in January 2023 with one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of tampering with evidence for allegedly handing off a bag of cocaine following her police interview after the shooting. She pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Gutierrez-Reed, who was dressed in a khaki prison uniform, wiped away tears as she was sentenced by New Mexico District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer. She cried as she addressed the court asking for probation, saying (per US Weekly): “My heart aches for the Hutchins family and friends. … Helena has been and always will be an inspiration to me. I understand she was taken too soon and I pray that you all find peace. My heart goes out to the film industry for the devastating pain that this tragedy caused. …When I took on Rust, I was young and I was naive, but I took my job as seriously as I knew how to do. Despite not having proper time, resources and staffing, when things got tough, I just did my best to handle it.”

Baldwin’s trial is set for July 10 after a grand jury indicted him on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in January.

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CBS released a statement on Monday, April 15 to apologize after the Billy Joel’s concert special, The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden – The Greatest Arena Run of All Time was cut off during the end of Joel’s iconic song, “Piano Man.” The network aired the two-hour special (taped in March) in honor of Joel’s record-setting run at Madison Square Garden, which he began in January 2014 and will conclude on July 25. The special also marked the musician’s first-ever broadcast concert special.

Per Billboard, the network’s apology statement read: “A network programming timing error ended last night’s Billy Joel special approximately two minutes early in the Eastern and Central Time Zones. We apologize to Mr. Joel, his fans, our affiliated stations, and our audience whose viewing experience was interrupted during the last song. Due to the overwhelming demand from his legion of fans, BILLY JOEL: THE 100TH – LIVE AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN will be rebroadcast in its entirety on CBS on April 19th at 9:00PM ET/PT.”

Fans who tuned in were upset after the broadcast was delayed by 30 minutes due to the 2024 Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. As a result, the network cut the end of Joel’s performance of ‘Piano Man’ to switch back to local news coverage at 11PM. Setlist.fm also notes that Joel played an additional five songs afterward as part of his encore, so viewers also missed out on performances of:  “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” “Uptown Girl,” “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” “Big Shot” and “You May Be Right.”

Joel’s next performance at MSG is set for Friday, April 26, and is currently sold out. Joel’s full performance on the “Billy Joel: The 100th – Live at Madison Square Garden” special is also available to stream on Paramount+

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Jeremy Allen White will star as Bruce Springsteen in the upcoming film Deliver Me From Nowhere, which will chronicle the making of Springsteen’s 1982 album Nebraska. According to Deadline, the film will be written and directed by Scott Cooper, with production set to begin this fall.

The premise for Deliver Me From Nowhere began when producer Eric Robinson heard Springsteen’s manager Jon Landau praising the recently released book of the same name by Warren Zanes on a podcast with Marc Maron. Robinson teamed up with Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and recruited Cooper to adapt the book into a film. Zanes said in a 2023 interview with Rock and Roll Globe: “I think ‘Nebraska’ has been a thing of collective fascination for a long time, and a book-length exploration of its making had a ready audience. I give the recording credit for the success of the book. Bruce released something that was unfinished, imperfect, a recording that couldn’t be cleaned up to meet commercial standards – but he felt in his gut it was exactly right for the songs. He made a decision based solely on the art, and we don’t see a lot of this, for good reason. But a lot of people found it inspiring, myself included. When shit goes down in my life, I reach for Nebraska. And I’m one of many. In writing the book, I kind of wanted to know why. And there are others who seem to feel the same way.”

Editorial credit: Loredana Sangiuliano / Shutterstock.com

Selena Gomez will return for the sequel series to her teen fantasy-comedy, Wizards of Waverly Place.  

Disney posted the news on Instagram, writing: “Making magic, then and now The new Wizards of Waverly Place series is coming this fall!”  with Gomez, 31, commenting on the post: “WE ARE BACK!! SOOOO GRATEFUL MAGIC.”

The project will be written and executive produced by Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas, who are behind the Disney Channel comedy spinoff, Raven’s Home. The original Wizards of Waverly Place series ran from 2007 through 2012, co-starring David Henrie and Jake T. Austin. Henrie is also expected to reprise his role in the sequel series alongside Gomez, who will both serve as executive producers.

Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television, said in a statement: “Wizards of Waverly Place captivated hearts with its spellbinding adventures and big laughs, creating unforgettable memories for kids and families everywhere. We can’t wait to step back into the magical world of Wizards, inviting longtime fans and a new generation to experience the enchantment alongside Selena, David, and our incredible cast and crew.”

The Wizards sequel series is set to begin production starting next month in Los Angeles, and is expected to premiere later this year on Disney Channel and Disney+.

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O.J. Simpson — NFL football star, and controversial, high-profile subject of one of the most famous murder trials of all time — has died at age 76. Las Vegas outlet Local10.com had reported earlier this year that Simpson was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer in February 2024.

The Simpson family shared in a statement via X on Thursday, April 11: “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”

Simpson originally rose to fame and popularity as a football player: first as the Heisman Trophy-winning tailback for the University of Southern California in the late 1960s, and later playing 11 seasons in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers. Per ESPN, Simpson won four NFL rushing titles, rushed for 11,236 yards in his career, scored 76 touchdowns, made five first-team All-Pro squads and played in six Pro Bowls. His best season was 1973, when he ran for 2,003 yards — the first running back to break the 2,000-yard rushing mark (doing it in 14 games) while averaging 141.3 yards per game – which is still an NFL record.

Simpson later went on to become a commentator for “Monday Night Football,” as well as dabbling in acting in movies such as “The Naked Gun” series in the 1980s. He appeared in films such as “The Klansman,” “The Cassandra Crossing” and “The Towering Inferno,” as well as the miniseries “Roots”.

However, he became infamous and a household name following the 1994 murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, who were fatally stabbed. Simpson was married to Nicole Brown Simpson from 1985 to 1992; she was found stabbed to death outside her Brentwood condo alongside her friend, Ron Goldman, on June 12, 1994. Simpson was charged with the murders when investigators found a glove with blood stains on his property, and he originally agreed to turn himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department; but instead, he became involved in a low-speed car chase on June 17 as he evaded being arested. Police pursued Simpson as he rode in a 1993 Ford Bronco driven by his former teammate Al Cowlings, who said that Simpson was holding a gun to his own head during the drive.

Simpson was arrested for their deaths, after which the highly-publicized, 11-month criminal trial took place from 1994-95. The trial became one of the most significant events of the 1990s, and is believe to have been one of the most widely publicized events in American history. Amid much controversy, Simpson was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife Brown Simpson, and Goldman.

Simpson’s legal troubles were far from over, however, when in 2008 he was found guilty on 12 charges relating to an armed robbery incident in Las Vegas in 2007. Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in prison and was granted parole in July 2017 before being released in October 2017, and eventually granted early discharge from parole in December 2021. (per Entertainment Weekly)

Simpson is survived by kids Arnelle, Jason, Aaren, Sydney and Justin. (Simpson shared Arnelle, Jason and Aaren with first wife Marguerite Whitley; he shared children Sydney and Justin with ex-wife Nicole.)

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Prime Video shared the official trailer for ‘The Idea of You’ featuring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine, posting on X: “when the last thing you expect becomes the only thing you want #TheIdeaOfYouOnPrime, May 2”

The Idea of You, based on the Robinne Lee novel of the same name, follows Solène (Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mom who begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Galitzine), the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the plant.  An official film synopsis reads: “As they begin a whirlwind romance, it isn’t long before Hayes’ superstar status poses unavoidable challenges to their relationship, and Solène soon discovers that life in the glare of his spotlight might be more than she bargained for.”

Ella Rubin, Annie Mumolo, Reid Scott, Perry Mattfield, Jordan Aaron Hall, Mathilda Gianopoulos, Raymond Cham Jr., Jaiden Anthony, Viktor White and Dakota Adam also star in the film, which features “Dance Before We Walk,” the debut single from August Moon, which will appear on the film’s soundtrack (to stream the song, head here.)

The film, which had its world premiere March 16 at SXSW festival, will debut on Prime Video on May 2.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com