Breaking News February 6, 2024: Country Superstar Toby Keith Dies at 62, ‘True Detective: Night Country’ Episode 5 Airs Friday To Dodge Super Bowl
Country superstar Toby Keith passed away Monday at the age of 62. The “Should've Been a Cowboy” singer was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2022.
A statement on Toby Keith's official website reads: “Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5, surrounded by his family. He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
According to Variety, Toby Keith revealed his stomach cancer diagnosis in 2022. “I’ve spent the last six months receiving chemo, radiation, and surgery,” wrote Keith at the time. “So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax.”
In addition to “Should've Been a Cowboy,” Oklahoma-born Toby Keith is best known for hit songs such as “He Ain't Worth Missing,” “A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action,” “Who's That Man,” “I Love This Bar,” and “As Good as I Once Was.” Toby Keith released 19 studio albums, 2 Christmas albums, and 5 compilations during his career, selling more than 40 million albums. In 2021, President Donald Trump awarded him the National Medal of Arts.
Toby Keith is survived by his wife, Tricia Lucus, whom he married in 1984, and their three children.
Joaquin Phoenix Plays a Gay Cop in Todd Haynes’ Untitled 1930s-Set Detective Movie
Director Todd Haynes will collaborate with Joaquin Phoenix on an untitled detective movie set in the 1930s. The movie is reportedly expected to start shooting this summer.
According to Deadline, “Details have been thin on the ground so far, but the movie is said to follow two men, one played by Joaquin Phoenix, who are intense lovers and leave California for Mexico. Additional casting is underway.”
Haynes previously told Variety, “It’s a love story between two men set in the ’30s that has explicit sexual content, or at least it challenges you with the sexual relationship between these two men. One is a Native American character and one is a corrupt cop in L.A. They have to flee L.A. ultimately and go to Mexico.”
Haynes developed the screenplay with Phoenix and Jon Raymond. Haynes said that he expects the movie to get an NC-17 rating.
Mira Sorvino Confirms ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion’ Sequel in the Works
Mira Sorvino confirmed that a sequel to the 1997 comedy Romy and Michele's High School Reunion is in the works. The cult classic stars Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow as the titular women who exaggerate their success to impress former classmates at their high school reunion.
In an interview with Us Weekly, Sorvino said that Emily in Paris is holding up the Romy and Michele 2 script. “Robin Schiff, the writer, is working on it,” said Sorvino. “She’s currently working on Emily in Paris, so she’s finishing up her draft to present to the studio.”
Sorvino added that she and Kudrow are ready to reunite on-screen as soon as Schiff wraps up Emily in Paris. “Lisa and I are wrapping up our deals as executive producers on it with the studio,” said Sorvino. “We’re full force ahead.”
Romy and Michele's High School Reunion also starred Janeane Garofalo, Julia Campbell, Vincent Ventresca, Camryn Manheim, and Justin Theroux. No word yet if any of those actors are down for the reunion.
Sarah Paulson Confirms That Netflix’s ‘Ratched’ Will Not Return for Season Two
Netflix has canceled Ratched starring Sarah Paulson after one season. The drama developed by Ryan Murphy served as a prequel to the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with Paulson starring as Nurse Mildred Ratched.
According to Entertainment Weekly, “The eight-episode drama followed Mildred Ratched's journey from her earliest days working her job at a psychiatric hospital, navigating the brutal mental healthcare system to her ultimate assumption of the role of head nurse in Cuckoo's Nest.” Ratched also stars Finn Wittrock, Cynthia Nixon, Judy Davis, and Sharon Stone.
Almost four years have passed since Ratched premiered in 2020. Although two seasons were planned, the COVID pandemic and Hollywood strikes caused too much time to pass before a second season could get off the ground. Ratched got nominated for four Emmys.
‘Club Zero’ Trailer: Mia Wasikowska Plays a Warped Teacher Who Manipulates Her Students To Forgo Food
Mia Wasikowska plays a teacher who manipulates her students into not eating in Jessica Hausner's Club Zero. The dark comedy, which premiered at that 2023 Cannes Film Festival, also stars Sidse Babett Knudsen, Elsa Zylberstein, Mathieu Demy, Amir El-Masry, Ksenia Devriendt, Luke Barker, Florence Baker, and Samuel D. Anderson.
The official synopsis reads: “At an international boarding school, an unassuming yet rigorous Miss Novak (Wasikowska) joins the teaching staff to instruct a new class on ‘conscious eating.’ Her impressionable teenage students each have their own reasons for joining the class – to improve fitness, reduce their carbon footprint, or get extra credit. Although early lectures focus on mindful consumption, Miss Novak’s discussions soon become increasingly disordered and extreme. A suspicious headmistress, concerned parents, and the failing health of her students lead everyone to question the inscrutable Miss Novak’s motivations for teaching the class. As a few devoted pupils fall deeper under her cultlike tutelage, they are given a new, even more sinister goal to aspire to – joining the ominous Club Zero.”
In an interview with IndieWire, Hausner said, “I am interested in all sorts of religious substitutes that exist nowadays, so part of being Catholic or Christian or whatever, I think there are a lot of cults going on that aren’t necessarily combined to a religion. Nutrition offers a lot of ideology to build up with, and I found out that in nutrition, also, there are some people who are vegan who hate vegetarians and things like that, so you suddenly enter a world of very dedicated but even extremist opinions. That inspired me to choose that specific subject of nutrition.”
Click here to watch the Club Zero trailer. After opening in New York on March 15 and Los Angeles on March 22, the movie will open wider in other markets.
Tom Holland To Star in London West End Revival of ‘Romeo & Juliet’
Tom Holland will put aside Spidey's spandex — at least for a little while — to play Romeo in the London West End revival of Romeo & Juliet. The 27-year-old Uncharted and MCU actor made his stage debut in Billy Elliot: The Musical.
According to Variety, Jamie Lloyd's revival is billed as a “pulsating new vision of Shakespeare’s immortal tale of wordsmiths, rhymers, lovers, and fighters.” Lloyd's A Doll House got nominated for several Tonys last year.
Holland, who announced his Romeo & Juliet casting on Instagram, is known for playing Spider-Man in the MCU as well as his roles in Uncharted, The Impossible, and In the Heart of the Sea. His limited run in Romeo & Juliet begins in May and continues for 12 weeks. No word yet on who might play Juliet opposite him.
‘True Detective: Night Country’ Episode Five Will Air Friday To Dodge Super Bowl
It looks like you won't have to choose between the Super Bowl and episode five of True Detective: Night Country this Sunday if you have Max. Episode five of the HBO crime drama starring Jodie Foster will stream Friday at 9 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET on Max to avoid competing with the Super Bowl. True Detective: Night Country will still air on Sunday at 9 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET on HBO, however.
Night Country is the fourth season of the True Detective anthology series. Unlike the previous seasons, this one seems to incorporate supernatural and mystical elements, giving it a John Carpenter's The Thing meets The X-Files vibe. As described by Deadline, “When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the eight men who operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, detectives Liz Danvers (Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) must confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.”
True Detective: Night Country also stars Finn Bennett, Fiona Shaw, Christopher Eccleston, Isabella Star LaBlanc, and John Hawkes. Issa López serves as showrunner, writer, director, and one of the executive producers, along with Foster.
Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, and Colman Domingo Pop Up in New ‘Drive-Away Dolls' Trailer
Matt Damon, Colman Domingo, and Pedro Pascal are among the familiar faces who pop up in the new trailer for Ethan Coen's queer comedy road film Drive-Away Dolls. Written by Coen's wife, Tricia Cooke, Drive-Away Dolls stars Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Beanie Feldstein.
The official description for the Focus Features release reads: “This comedy caper follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.”
Empire describes Drive-Away as “a lesbian road movie, a crime caper with its foot on the gas, packed with colorful characters.” Click here to watch the new trailer.
Drive-Away Dolls premieres in theaters on February 23.
Fired ‘The Mandalorian' Actress Gina Carano Sues Disney in Lawsuit Funded by Elon Musk
Fired The Mandalorian actress Gina Carano is suing Disney and Lucasfilm for discrimination and wrongful termination in a lawsuit partially funded by Elon Musk. In 2021, Lucasfilm announced that Carano would not return as Cara Dune on The Mandalorian for reposting an X post that suggested that being a Republican is akin to being Jewish during the Holocaust.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Carano, in a complaint filed on Tuesday in California federal court, alleges she was fired for voicing right-wing opinions on social media and seeks a court order that would force Lucasfilm to recast her. Elon Musk, making good on a promise to foot the legal bill for users who claim they have been discriminated against due to their activity on his platform, is helping fund the suit through X.”
X’s head of business operations Joe Benarroch said in a statement, “As a sign of X Corp’s commitment to free speech, we’re proud to provide financial support for Gina Carano’s lawsuit, empowering her to seek vindication of her free speech rights on X and the ability to work without bullying, harassment, or discrimination.”
“Some of us have been unjustly singled out, harassed, persecuted and had our livelihoods stripped away because we dared to encourage conversation, asked questions, and refused to go along with the mob,” said Carano, who seeks a court order forcing Disney to recast her on The Mandalorian, plus $75,000 and additional punitive damages. “I am honored that my case has been chosen to be supported by the company that has been one of the last glimmers of hope for free speech in the world.”
A Marvel's ‘Wonder Man' Rigger Fell to His Death on Set
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as stuntman-turned-superhero Simon Williams/Wonder Man on the upcoming series that also stars Ben Kingsley, Demetrius Grosse, and Ed Harris. No filming took place on Tuesday when the tragedy occurred, but crew members were working on location.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and friends, and our support is behind the investigation into the circumstances of this accident,” said Marvel Studios in a statement.
President Matthew D. Loeb of IATSE, the union representing scene workers, said in a statement, “Everyone in the IA family is shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic loss. We are working to support our member’s family, and his fellow members and colleagues. Safety on set is our highest priority and we will assist Cal/OSHA in their investigation in any way that we can.”
A source told The Hollywood Reporter that most of the shooting was completed on Wonder Man and only some pickups were needed in the coming days. Disney+ will air an expected 10 episodes of Wonder Man at some future date.
AMC Sets Premiere Date for ‘Interview With the Vampire' Season Two and Adds New Show to Anne Rice TV Universe
AMC has set a premiere date for the second season of Interview With the Vampire. That series along with Mayfair Witches — as well as a planned third series — comprise the expanding Anne Rice TV universe.
Interview With the Vampire Season Two will premiere on May 12. According to Entertainment Weekly, “The show picks up in the year 2022, with vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) recounting his life story to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) after the events in New Orleans in 1940 when Louis and teen vampire Claudia (now played by Delainey Hayles) tried to kill Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid). The adventure continues as Louis and Claudia escape to Europe on a quest to discover Old World vampires and the Theatre Des Vampires in Paris, and it's there that Louis meets vampire Armand (Assad Zaman). Louis and Armand's love affair will prove to have devastating consequences both in the past and in the future.”
Mayfair Witches, also based on the writings of Anne Rice, began production in New Orleans on an eight-episode second season. Alexandra Daddario returns as Dr. Rowan Fielding in a cast that includes Jack Huston, Ted Levine, Harry Hamlin, and Thora Birch.
Now comes word that AMC is developing a third series based on Anne Rice's novels. EW writes, “Written and executive produced by John Lee Hancock, the new show is based on Rice's fictional secret society the Order of the Talamasca, which is featured in several of her novels as psychic detectives who investigate and monitor supernatural beings.” We're looking forward to future crossover episodes between the three series.
Dave Bautista and Samuel L. Jackson To Star in Postapocalyptic Action-Adventure ‘Afterburn'
Dave Bautista and Samuel L. Jackson have joined the cast of Afterburn, a postapocalyptic action-adventure that takes place 10 years after a solar flare wipes out technology around the world.
According to Deadline, “Bautista will play ex-soldier Jake, who works as a treasure hunter recovering valuable objects from the old world for powerful clients. His latest mission is to team with freedom fighter Drea to recover the Mona Lisa before an unhinged warlord gets there first.” In a supporting role, Jackson will play a freedom fighter named Valentine.
J.J. Perry will direct Afterburn, based on the Red 5 graphic novel series of the same name. Toby Jaffe, a producer for Original Film, said, “Afterburn is a terrific action story, combining the fun of Indiana Jones with the near-future world-building of Children of Men. J.J. is going to bring this to life in a thrilling way, using real practical stunt work to create authentic, visceral set pieces. Dave is one of the leading action stars in the world today, as well as being an actor with real soul and versatility. So excited to be making Afterburn with them both.”
