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☆ Margot Robbie says her 'Pirates of the Caribbean' spinoff was canceled by Disney
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The Oscar nominee said the “Pirates of the Caribbean” spinoff in which she was set to star has been canceled. Robbie said work had stopped on the planned “Pirates” film because Disney didn’t want to move forward with it, according to her Vanity Fair cover story. Robbie and Hodson were first attached to the project in June 2020, one of two planned “Pirates” films, the Hollywood Reporter said at the time. The film series’ producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed Robbie’s involvement as recently as May of this year. The original “Pirates” film series was loosely inspired by the Disney theme park ride of the same name and starred Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.

☆ SNL: Dave Chappelle talks Kanye, antisemitism and Trump in monologue
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Dave Chappelle addressed several contentious topics in his latest “Saturday Night Live” monologue, focusing mostly on Kanye West’s recent antisemitic comments. In a lengthy stand-up set, Chappelle name-checked former President Donald Trump and Senate candidate Herschel Walker – and also may have alluded to the negative reaction to jokes he’s made about transgender people. Before he began his routine, he unfolded a small piece of paper and read from it: “‘I denounce antisemitism in all its forms. “Whoever they are.”Chappelle has made explicit jokes about trans women’s bodies and misgendered trans people in several stand-up specials released in the last few years. Chappelle addressed the criticism on tour shortly after the release of his special, telling his audience he was willing to talk with trans critics but was not “bending to anybody’s demands.”

☆ Dave Chappelle on 'SNL': A timeline of the controversy around his transgender jokes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

He made explicit jokes about trans people’s bodies and referred to trans people as “transgenders,” among other comments, Vulture said. These weren’t the first jokes Chappelle had made at trans people’s expense. 2021October 5: Netflix released Chappelle’s special “The Closer.” In it, he goes on an extended tangent about transgender people and makes several jokes at their expense. October 13: Amid calls from LGBTQ advocates, fellow comedians, Netflix employees and social justice organizations to pull the special, Netflix stood by Chappelle. Dave Chappelle attends the UK premiere of "Dave Chappelle: Untitled" at Cineworld Leicester Square on October 17, 2021, in London.

☆ Kevin Conroy, longtime voice of animated Batman, dies at 66
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

He played Batman in over 60 productions, according to DC (which shares parent company Warner Bros. His first and most enduring addition to the Batman canon is “Batman: The Animated Series,” which ran from 1992-1996, according to DC. To find the character, he turned to his Shakespearean training, saying he saw a bit of Hamlet in Bruce Wayne. One of the men he served recognized him, but a colleague didn’t believe that Conroy really was the voice of Batman. For many fans of Batman, Conroy was the first iteration of the Dark Knight they ever knew and loved.

☆ Patrick Haggerty, trailblazing gay country star, dies at 78
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —When Patrick Haggerty was gearing up to record his very first country music album, he had a choice to make. He chose the latter, and 1973’s “Lavender Country,” Haggerty’s first album recorded under the same name, is now widely considered the first country album recorded by an out gay musician. He became a country music star after all. That call with Greaves was the first step to reintroducing Haggerty and Lavender Country to new listeners, many of whom had been hungry for an out gay country star. “My life changed completely and forever that day.”He became a country star his wayAs more people heard “Lavender Country” and learned Haggerty’s story, his contributions to country music were acknowledged and appreciated more widely.

☆ Jules Bass, who brought ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ to TV, dies at 87
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Jules Bass brought them all to vivid, animated life on TV. Bass, who helmed beloved animated Christmas specials like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman,” died this week, publicist Jennifer Ruff told CNN. But the duo left a permanent mark on TV with the 1964 debut of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” a stop-motion special based on the Christmas story and popular song. It’s since become one of the longest-running Christmas specials in history, airing on TV nearly every year since its first run. "Frosty The Snowman," based on the Christmas standard, has become a beloved TV special.

☆ 'Black Adam': Meet the characters
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Meet the Justice Society of America (JSA), a crew of superheroes who want to tamp down, or at least better control, the titular antihero Black Adam. Before you see “Black Adam,” familiarize yourself with the new cast of morally ambiguous super-humans. From Doctor Fate to Adam himself, here are the fresh faces you’ll meet in “Black Adam.” (“Black Adam” is distributed by Warner Bros., which shares parent company Warner Bros. We meet Adam when he returns from a 5,000-year-long imprisonment. Doctor FateDoctor Fate isn't one to start unnecessary wars, especially with a formidable warrior like Black Adam.

☆ Graham Norton says ‘cancel culture’ is really just accountability
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The phrase “cancel culture” has become a ubiquitous catchall that celebrities may cling to after they make a controversial or offensive statement. But Graham Norton doesn’t think that’s the correct description for what really happens when fans criticize “canceled” people. Speaking to interviewer Mariella Frostrup, Norton decried the concept of “canceling” anyone who still has a sizable platform from which to speak. “You read a lot of articles in papers by people complaining about ‘cancel culture,’” he told Frostrup. I’m reading your name in a newspaper, or you’re doing an interview about how terrible it is to be canceled.”“I think [‘cancel culture’] is the wrong word,” he continued.

☆ Art Laboe, beloved California DJ who popularized ‘oldies but goodies,’ dies at 97
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Laboe died on Friday after a short bout of pneumonia, his spokesperson Joanna Morones confirmed to CNN. Laboe helped desegregate Southern CaliforniaLaboe, born Arthur Egnoian, started DJing in 1943 as a teenager, he said in an interview with the Orange County Register. Most recently, he hosted “The Art Laboe Connection” on station KDAY. In September, the 79th anniversary of Laboe’s radio debut, the nonprofit station dublab flipped the script on Laboe and sent dedications to him. Over an hour and a half, fans called in to give Laboe songs (and kisses): One requested “18 With a Bullet” because Laboe played it for her when she turned 18.

☆ Why some kids love horror -- and why it's nothing to worry about
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-09 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Kayla Lopez’s kids, meanwhile, just need to pull on their Michael Myers masks to feel invincible. “I don’t really know of anybody that likes horror as much as them, honestly,” she said. Adorable kids and horror paraphernalia seem like an incongruous pairing. There’s no doubt we’re interested in that.”The Lopez kids have what Farley calls “type-T personalities” – the “T” stands for thrill-seeking. They’ve learned to filter themselves around their pals so as not to scare the other kids and save it for when they’re home, where their horror habits aren’t questioned.

☆ Lizzo played James Madison’s 200-year-old crystal flute at her Washington, DC concert
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Ever the pioneer, Lizzo crossed off another first during the Washington, DC stop of her tour – playing an approximately 200-year-old crystal flute that belonged to a former US president. The Library of Congress has maintained the flute in its vault for decades before allowing Lizzo to play it onstage. “B,***h, I just twerked and played James Madison’s crystal flute from the 1800s,” she said incredulously. Lizzo visited the Library of Congress to see and play James Madison's 200-year-old crystal flute. He later donated the crystal flute, along with 1,700 instruments, to the Library in 1941, where the flute has remained until its stage debut with Lizzo.

☆ James Earl Jones is retiring as the voice of Darth Vader
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —James Earl Jones, who for decades has provided Darth Vader’s iconic, menacing voice, will not record new lines for new “Star Wars” projects. Instead, Jones’ voice will live on artificially through an AI program that can recreate his voice, so Vader can deliver new lines of dialogue and maintain the commanding bass sound that made him a widely feared villain, Vanity Fair reported. Jones, 91, last recorded a Vader voice cameo for the 2019 sequel “The Rise of Skywalker,” sound editor Matthew Wood told Vanity Fair. “So how do we move forward?”James Earl Jones' signature bass has helped make Darth Vader an iconic villain. Jones, an EGOT-winning actor, has voiced Vader since 1977’s “A New Hope,” though his role was uncredited for that project.

☆ Tyler Perry discusses 'A Jazzman's Blues' and Madea with CNN's Chris Wallace
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

But now, Tyler Perry wants to reintroduce himself to audiences with a historical drama he's waited nearly 30 years to make. He appeared on an episode of the inaugural season of "Who's Talking to Chris Wallace," a new CNN and HBO Max series. (CNN and HBO Max share parent company Warner Bros. "I've been very intentional in my positioning of myself in as far as in the industry," Perry told Wallace. This film, which stars rising stars Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer, "was just love," he said.

☆ How to adapt Jane Austen -- and why it's so hard to get right
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-07 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Over the years, Austen adaptations have made millions, been nominated for more than a dozen Oscars and several Emmys, and convinced viewers the world over that Mr. Darcy is the gold standard of suitors. Pride vs. Miss Prejudice," two of several Austen adaptations starring Asian protagonists. "Austen is a way for today's readers to both romanticize about soul mates and also sustain their self-respect," said Brodey, who's published several papers on Austen. What the best Austen adaptations get rightA strong Austen adaptation doesn't need to parrot the original text or even take place in late 18th-century England. The Austenites CNN interviewed agreed -- for an Austen adaptation to succeed, it needs to maintain the spirit of her work, especially her incisive depth and incomparable wit.

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