Open Thread

Variety reports: John Lithgow is opening up about how fans feel about him joining HBO’s “Harry Potter” series, considering the involvement of the contentious franchise creator J.K. Rowling. In a sit-down with The Times of London, Lithgow said he has received some backlash for joining HBO’s “Harry Potter” because of Rowling’s controversial comments about the transgender community. The “Conclave” star …

Variety reports: “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star and judge of “Drag Race: Philippines,” Jiggly Caliente, has died. She was 44. Caliente had been suffering from complications due to a severe infection, and as a result, had undergone surgery, losing most of her right leg. The news was confirmed by her family, who shared the update on her Instagram page. They wrote, …

Variety reports: Sean “Diddy” Combs rejected a plea deal in his federal racketeering and sex trafficking case, as a federal prosecutor disclosed the offer during a hearing earlier today in New York. Prosecutor Madison Smyser revealed that Combs had rejected the deal without providing any further details on what was offered, reports Reuters. Combs previously pleaded not guilty to the …

The Hollywood Reporter reports: Lulu Roman, the brash Hee Haw comedian and gospel singer who delighted fans of the long-running country music variety show while turning her life around in the process, has died. She was 78. Roman died Wednesday in Bellingham, Washington, her son, Damon Roman, told The Hollywood Reporter. She had moved there to be with him seven …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Noting that nearly half of all viewing hours on Netflix happen with subtitles or captions on, the streaming giant is rolling out a new option for how text appears along the bottom of the screen. Starting with Season 5 of You, which just went live today, Netflix is offering the option of original language subtitles displaying only …

Variety reports: Start your engines, 18 times! “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” is commemorating its tenth season with a record 18 queens competing to join the “Drag Race” Hall of Fame and win a cash prize of $200,000. Those queens won’t all be competing at once, however. Instead, they will be split up into three groups of six — Team …

Billboard Magazine reports: It has been nearly eight months since disgraced hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested and sent to New York’s notorious Metropolitan Detention Center to await trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. And while the formerly high-flying Bad Boy Records CEO and billionaire entrepreneur was used to the finest things in his former life, his life …

Deadline Hollywood reports: The Fyre Festival, the infamous music event founded by Billy McFarland and Ja Rule that was explored in two separate documentaries, is getting a new life as a music streaming service. Deadline understands that Shawn Rech, who co-founded the TruBlue streaming service with former To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen, has acquired some of the IP …

Variety reports: “A Minecraft Movie” is barreling toward the $1 billion mark with global ticket sales at $720 million after three weekends of release. The Warner Bros. PG blockbuster, starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, added another $59 million internationally and a massive $100 million globally over the Easter holiday weekend. Now, “Minecraft” has generated $376.2 million overseas and $720.8 …

Deadline reports: Barring unforeseen circumstances, Sean “Diddy‘ Combs’ criminal trial for sex trafficking and more will start next month. Also, footage from a Warner Bros Discovery Fall Of Diddy docuseries about the performer will be allowed as evidence, despite the efforts of the David Zaslav-run media giant. With the former mini-mogul in attendance, a federal judge on Friday rejected a …

Variety reports: Haley Joel Osment has apologized after he used an antisemitic slur while being arrested earlier this month for alleged public intoxication and possession of a controlled substance. On April 8, Osment was allegedly acting belligerent at a California ski lodge and was blocking people from getting on the ski lift, according to bodycam footage and other videos obtained …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Russell T. Davies is too busy navigating the rules of space and time to humor critics of his show’s diversity and inclusion. The Doctor Who showrunner, who previously revived the series in 2005, recently addressed criticism of the BBC and Disney+ reboot’s “diversity and wokeness,” after stars Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu defended the show. “Someone always …

Variety reports: Both Europe’s most right-wing nation and its second hottest destination for international shoots, Hungary has shocked the world with its recent ban on LGBTQ+ public events. But Hollywood is not yet ready to give up on the country’s generous tax incentives. It’s not Hungary’s first anti-LGBTQ+ law. Back in 2021, the country’s parliament passed a law forbidding the …

Variety reports: Jury selection began for Harvey Weinstein’s retrial Tuesday morning in New York City after his landmark #MeToo conviction was overturned last year. Weinstein, in a wheelchair and carrying a book with the cover torn off, had a brief smile on his face as he approached his legal team in the courtroom. The first group of prospective jurors — …

The Hollywood Reporter reports: HBO has finally announced the adult cast of its Harry Potter TV series. After months of media rumors and reports of various castings — all previously unconfirmed by HBO — the company broke its silence on the matter to announce six actors for the core adult roles of its adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s beloved novels. As …

Variety reports: “The White Lotus” season 3 was parodied on this week’s ‘SNL‘ in a pre-taped segment that spoofed President Trump’s inner circle in the wake of his tariffs. Trump, portrayed by James Austin Johnson, stands in for Jason Isaacs’ Timothy Ratliff, who faces similarly bad headlines after his tariff plan sunk the stock market this week. The Trump family …

Variety reports: The first 14 episodes of “The Pitt” are averaging 10 million viewers.Measured by Warner Bros. Discovery, this total accounts for the worldwide average number of people who have watched the medical drama to date, including delayed viewing — not the number of people who watched each episode on the day it premiered. And though no data has been …

Deadline Hollywood reports: The Oscars are finally recognizing stunts with a new category, something long desired by stunt people but never realized until now. The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Thursday that they are creating an annual competitive Academy Award for Achievement in Stunt Design, beginning with the 100th Academy Awards for …

Variety reports: Donald Trump is laughing off China‘s decision to reduce the number of U.S. movies it allows to play in the country. The China Film Administration confirmed the reduction on April 10 after reports surfaced a day earlier. Hours later, Trump was asked at a press conference about the decision. “I think I’ve heard of worse things,” Trump answered …

Variety reports: “The Last of Us” has been renewed by HBO for a third season, in advance of the premiere of Season 2 on April 13. While the first season adapted the acclaimed 2013 Sony Playstation game of the same title, the game’s sequel, 2020’s “The Last of Us Part II,” is so massive that creators Craig Mazin and Neil …