Month: April 2025

Deadline reports that Lizzo will play trailblazing gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the upcoming biopic from Amazon MGM Studios, titled “Rosetta”.

“Rosetta” — from writers Natalie Chaidez (“The Flight Attendant”) and Kwynn Perry (“Tigerbelles”) — will tell the story of how Tharpe became known as the ‘Godmother of Rock & Roll’, influencing the likes of Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Johnny Cash and countless other musicians. Four-time Grammy winner Lizzo will also produce the film alongside Kevin Beisler and Significant Productions’ Nina Yang Bongiovi and Forest Whitaker.

The project, currently in development, is described as “capturing a pivotal period in her life — one of groundbreaking innovation, defiant passion, and secret love. As she shatters musical boundaries with her signature guitar sound, Rosetta must navigate societal constraints, conceal her love for another woman, and ultimately transform a wedding into one of the most legendary concerts in history — the first stadium show.”

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who died in 1973, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. British musician Yola previously portrayed her in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic “Elvis,” which starred Austin Butler and Tom Hanks. Her songs still frequently appear in films and shows, including, most recently, “A League of Their Own,” “Atlanta,” “Death on the Nile,” “I Know This Much Is True” and “Elvis & Nixon.”

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Stranger Things star Sadie Sink will join Tom Holland in the fourth ‘Spider-Man’ film, set a theatrical release for July 31, 2026.   Filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) is helming the film, that is currently untitled. Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna penned the screenplay.

It’s unclear who Sink will portray in the comic book adventure; Holland teased the fourth film last year during an appearance on Good Morning America, saying, “The idea is crazy. It’s a little different to anything we’ve done before, but I think the fans are gonna really respond to it.”

Deadline, which first reported Sink’s casting news, hinted that her role will be “significant,” with the outlet also sharing that Sink could play “X-Men” mutant Jean Grey, a character who has been brought to the screen in the past by Famke Janssen and Sophie Turner.

Holland was last seen onscreen as the web-slinger in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, which surpassed $1.9 billion at the global box office. That film was helmed by Jon Watts, who also directed Holland in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019).

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After more than a year of speculation, Apple TV+ has confirmed they have ordered a fourth season of its Emmy-winning comedy Ted Lasso. The renewal comes after series co-creator/ star Jason Sudeikis signed on to reprise his role as the title character, who portrays the manager of the fictional AFC Richmond soccer club in London.

Matt Cherniss, head of programming for Apple TV+, said in a statement: “Ted Lasso has been nothing short of a juggernaut, inspiring a passionate fanbase all over the world, and delivering endless joy and laughter, all while spreading kindness, compassion and unwavering belief. Everyone at Apple is thrilled to be continuing our collaboration with Jason and the brilliant creative minds behind this show.”

Sudeikis said in a statement:“As we all continue to live in a world where so many factors have conditioned us to look before we leap, in season four, the folks at AFC Richmond learn to LEAP BEFORE THEY LOOK, discovering that wherever they land, it’s exactly where they’re meant to be.”

Per Dealine, Juno Temple, who played Keeley in the first three seasons, is in negotiations to rejoin fellow original cast members Sudeikis (Coach Lasso) as well as Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca), Brett Goldstein (Roy) and Jeremy Swift (Leslie). Sources also said that Brendan Hunt (co-creator and executive producer) may be signing on to play Coach Beard again.

Season 3 of Ted Lasso ended with Ted choosing to return to the United States and be closer to his son (Gus Turner) and ex-wife (Andrea Anders), with other members of the Richmond team were moving into new phases of their lives. The season three cast also featured Phil Dunster, Nick Mohammed, Toheeb Jimoh, Kola Bokinni, Cristo Fernández, Billy Harris, Stephen Manas and Annette Badland. The Season 4 premiere episode is expected to film in Kansas (likely Kansas City), with sources saying they expect production to begin this July.

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Russell Brand has addressed the rape and sexual assault allegations made against him. On Friday, April 4, London’s Metropolitan Police charged the 49-year-old actor and comedian with one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape and two counts of sexual assault (per a news release).

The charges, which are related to four separate women dating back to 1999, and follows an investigation that started in 2023. According to Deadline, Brand allegedly “raped a woman in Bournemouth in 1999, indecently assaulted a woman in 2001 in Westminster, London, orally raped and sexually assaulted a woman in Westminster in 2004, and between 2004 and 2005 sexually assaulted a woman, also in Westminster.”

Brand was previously accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by four women in September 2023, and was sued by another woman a few months later. He also denied those allegations at the time.

After news broke of the new charges against him, Russell released a new video on X denying the allegations: “We’re very fortunate in a way to live in a time when there’s so little trust in the British government. We’re very fortunate, I suppose, that this is happening at a time where we know that the law has become a kind of weapon to be used against people, institutions and sometimes entire nations that will not accept and tolerate levels of corruption around precedent, and I’m speaking particularly to those of you in the UK,” he started off the minute and a half-long video. “How do you feel about your legal system right now? How do you feel about some of the high profile cases that are not being pursued or prosecuted?”

“When I was young and single, before I had my wife and family, I was a fool, I was a fool before I lived in the light of the lord. I was a drug addict, sex addict and an imbecile,” he continued. “But what I never was a rapist. I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.”  He then concluded the video by thanking those who have supported him.

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Prosecutors have filed a new and third indictment against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. The additional counts relate to an individual identified as Victim-2, bringing the total number of counts facing Combs to five.

The new indictment against Combs adds an additional charge of sex trafficking and an additional charge of transportation to engage in prostitution, with Combs potentially receiving additional prison time if convicted .In addition to the extra counts, federal prosecutors updated the language of the racketeering conspiracy charge Combs faces, clarifying that “Combs kidnapped and carried and displayed a firearm to female victim, and that the defendant dangled a female victim over an apartment balcony.”

Combs’ legal team issued this response to the superseding indictment: “These are not new allegations or new accusers. These are the same individuals, former long-term girlfriends, who were involved in consensual relationships. This was their private sex life, defined by consent, not coercion.”

Combs was arrested last year after being charged in a sprawling sex trafficking indictment. He has denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty to both previous indictments. Prosecutors said the additional counts and the updated language should not affect the schedule, as they want Combs to be arraigned on the new indictment during the final pretrial conference later this month. His trial is set to start May 5.

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