Queer actor Ezra Miller ( The Perks of Being a Wallflower ) has landed a role in the new Harry Potter prequel, PinkNews noted. Filming is currently underway on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first follow-up to the successful wizard film franchise. Although the Fantastic Beasts film is set in the same universe as Harry Potter, it is not expected to be a direct prequel, instead following the adventures of wizarding author Newt Scamander ( played by Eddie Redmayne ) in 1920s New York.
The film version of the BBC show Absolutely Fabulous is in production, and producers are trying to keep details confidential—although items are slowly being revealed. The Spectator reported that the A-list cast—rumored to include One Direction's Harry Styles—will now have to compete for the spotlight with an army of drag queens. Talent scouts are currently on the hunt for nearly 100 drag queens and "draggy camp fantastic looking queers" to take part in the film. On top of eight drag queens to perform individually and 70 to be in an audience, they are specifically after 18 celebrity drag lookalikes.
The Screen Actors Guild Foundation will honor Lee Daniels, Megan Ellison and Rob Marshall with the first "Patron of the Artists Awards" at the nonprofit's 30th anniversary celebration on Nov. 5, TheWrap reported. The honor recognizes individuals whose creativity has made a positive impact on the acting profession and the performing arts. Daniels ( TV's Empire ) was the first African-American to be nominated for a Director's Guild of America Award, for Precious. Ellison is the founder and principal of film production and finance company Annapurna Pictures. Marshall most recently directed and produced Disney's Into the Woods; his other directorial credits include Chicago and Memoirs of a Geisha.
Lupita Nyong'o, who won an Oscar for her role in 12 Years a Slave, will make her Broadway debut with Eclipsed when it moves to the Great White Way in February, Deadline reported. The drama, written by Zimbabwean-American playwright and actress Danai Gurira ( co-author of In The Continuum and Michonne on AMC's The Walking Dead ) and staged by Liesl Tommy, will begin previews at the Shubert Organization's Golden Theatre on Feb. 23 prior to an official opening night on March 6. Nyong'o plays a young woman forced to join a group of "wives" who are, in fact, sex slaves to the leader of a rebel band in the Liberian civil war.
David Tutera is back for a brand new celebrity-filled third season of David Tutera's CELEBrations, premiering Friday, Oct. 30 on WE tv, a press release stated. In the premiere episode, Tutera is tasked with planning the bridal shower of singer and actress Vanessa Williams. Among Tutera's other celebrity clients are Vivica A. Fox, Kim Coles, Ian Ziering, Cynthia Bailey, Big Ang Raiola and Reza Farahan.
Orange Is the New Black's Lea DeLaria recently spoke at Penn State University as part of National Coming Out Week, The Collegian noted. DeLaria started by saying, "First off, I have been a professional lesbian for 33 years. Before that I freelanced." Also, she discussed many issues to a crowd of hundreds during her one-hour stand-up show, including weight loss, social norms, the institution of marriage, the U.S. Supreme Court's marriage decision and Donald Trump.
Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas visited NYC gay bar Splash, with Lovato surprising the crowd with a performance of her single, "Confident," and Jonas introducing her, NewNowNext.com noted. "Hello, you beautiful people," Jonas said; he then introduced "the talented and amazing Demi Lovato." "The stand out moment for me was when she actually started performing," DJ David Serrano said. "Her voice is STELLAR and you know it was live because for a second she got lost in the moment and forgot her lyrics. She quickly recovered though and hit some spectacular notes."
In an op-ed for Billboard magazine's philanthropy issue, Elton John reflected on when AIDS first appeared three decades ago and how it was first seen as a "gay disease," ABC News noted. "Tens of thousands of gay men were dying and it seemed like no one cared. People who contracted HIV/AIDS were shunned by their own families, turned away from medical providers and treated like they weren't even human," the musician wrote. John, who first came out as gay in the 1970s, said the worst part of seeing his friends get sick was there wasn't anything he could do.
Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij shared his coming-out story via Instagram for National Coming Out Day, Out.com noted. In the caption, he explained that he met Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear when their bands played a European festival in 2009, and he'd read an interview with Droste published in Butt magazine. In part, Batmanglij writes that he's seen the world change and move toward a place where people don't need reasons to come out.
CBS is making a change on the fall schedule, opting to bring veteran 2 Broke Girls from the bench and push new comedy Angel from Hell, starring Jane Lynch, Deadline reported. The fifth season of 2 Broke Girls—which broke a record for an off-network syndication deal when it sold to TBS—will kick off Nov. 12 on a new night. Angel from Hell is now slated to debut in February.
After 22 seasons, Tyra Banks' America's Next Top Model reality-competition series will end, TheWrap reported. The Dec. 4 finale of the current cycle will be the series' final episode. The network is currently in discussions about broadcasting a retrospective on the long-running series, to air sometime in 2016. "Model" premiered May 20, 2003, on UPN, and was the first series to debut on The CW on Sept. 20, 2006.
Singer Adam Lambert—who's the cover boy on UK LGBT publication Attitude's November issue—won the International Album Award at the Attitude Pride Awards, BT.com noted. Some of the other honorees were fashion designer Alexander McQueen, who posthumously received Attitude's Legend Award; One Direction's Liam Payne, who was named the sexiest man of the year; and presenter Reggie Yates, who was honored for his BBC Three documentary Extreme Russia. Guests included Mark Gatiss, Boy George, Sir Ian McKellen and Michelle Collins.
George Takei had a zinger for an Internet troll, LGBTQ Nation noted. On Facebook, when Wajih Kelly posted "you SUCK" to the 78-year-old actor, he responded, "And well, I'm told." Over the years, Takei has taken on the Westboro Baptist Church, anti-gay lawmakers in Tennessee and Twitter trolls.
Lance Bass—an Environmental Media Association ( EMA ) Young Hollywood Board member—has been confirmed to host the EMA Awards Oct. 24, a press release stated. In addition, Blythe Danner will present to daughter Gwyneth Paltrow ( EMA Green Parent Award Honoree ), and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley will present to George Miller ( Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree ). Previously announced honorees include Kristin Davis ( EMA Wildlife Conservation Award Honoree ), Don Henley ( EMA Missions in Music Honoree ), Van Jones ( EMA Greenbiz Global Innovator Award Honoree ), and Zem and James Joaquin ( EMA Corporate Responsibility Award Honoree ).
Alison Sweeney reluctantly returned to the NBC soap Days of Our Lives this week after her character of Sami Brady learned that her oldest ( and gay ) son had been murdered, Gay Star News reported. "Completely honestly, I was angry," Sweeney told Soap Opera Digest. "I felt betrayed and hurt they were doing it. I had a crazy reaction that I didn't want to do it and I didn't want to go be part of it because I was upset. And then I felt like I went through the five stages of grief." The role of Will has been played by multiple actors over the years, most recently by Guy Wilson, who began appearing in the role in January 2014.
Academy Award winner Melissa Leo ( The Fighter, Frozen River, Louie ), Sebastian Stan ( Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Martian ) and Clark Duke ( Hot Tub Time Machine, The Office ) have joined the ensemble cast of the new one-hour Showtime dark-comedy pilot I'm Dying Up Here, a press release noted. They join a cast that includes openly gay actor Stephen Guarino ( Happy Endings ). The show is set in L.A.'s stand-up comedy scene of the 1970s.
In what is being called a big coup for Berlin Film Festival director Dieter Kosslick, Meryl Streep will preside over the jury for the 66th running of the event Feb. 11-21, Deadline reported. Streep was awarded an honorary Lifetime Achievement Golden Bear in 2012 and has also been a guest of the Berlinale on several occasions. The three-time Academy Award winner ( and record holder for most nominations with 19 ) most recently appeared in Jonathan Demme's Ricki and the Flash and is also in Sarah Gavron's Suffragette, which opened the London Film Festival.
The T.J. Martell Foundation 40th Anniversary New York Honors Gala took place Oct. 15, raising $1.7 million, according to a press release. The event honored John Varvatos ( chairman of John Varvatos and President and CEO of John Varvatos Records ) and Janice Min ( co-president and chief creative officer of Guggenheim Media's Entertainment Group ), among others. The foundation ( which funds innovative medical research focused on finding cures for leukemia, cancer and AIDS ) also announced the newly created Clive Davis Research Fellow Award, an annual grant bestowed upon a young investigator whose dedication has made innovative strides and extensive research in cancer and AIDS.
David Oyelowo ( Selma, HBO's Nightingale and Five Days ) will play Shakespeare's triumphant general and Daniel Craig ( Bond, James Bond ) the betraying lieutenant Iago who orchestrates his leader's demise next fall at the off-Broadway New York Theatre Workshop's Othello, Deadline reported. Tony Award winner Sam Gold ( currently Fun Home on Broadway ) will helm, with additional casting and details to be announced at a later date.
Deadline reported that, just five weeks after its Aug. 6 opening night at the Nederlander Organization's Richard Rodgers Theatre, Hamilton—the rap-heavy musical biography of the first secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton—had returned to investors one-quarter of its $12.5 million capitalization. By comparison, The Book of Mormon began previews in February 2011 and recouped its $11.4 million cost eight months later. One investor said, "If you have a major hit, you might expect 10 percent in that short a time. Twenty-five percent is really unheard of."
Oprah Winfrey joined the board of Weight Watchers, and acquired 10 percent of the company—a move that has made its stock share value shoot up by more than 80 percent, TheWrap noted. "Weight Watchers has given me the tools to begin to make the lasting shift that I and so many of us who are struggling with weight have longed for," she said in the statement released by the weight loss company. "I believe in the program so much I decided to invest in the company and partner in its evolution."
Jane Fonda, 77, revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that she once went skinny dipping with the late Michael Jackson—as well as legendary actress Greta Garbo—in the early 1980s, according to Entertainment Tonight. Fonda said Jackson came to stay with her for 10 days when she was filming 1982's On Golden Pond—and that her co-star, legendary actress Katharine Hepburn, initially disapproved. Fonda added that Jackson lived with her at her house on the New Hampshire set, and that Hepburn not only eventually accepted him, but mentored him as well.
Warner Bros. Television Group has signed an exclusive multi-year development and production pod deal with broadcaster, author and producer Tavis Smiley to develop scripted TV series for broadcast and cable, Deadline noted. The first projects under the deal will be TV series adaptations of two of Smiley's books: the upcoming Before You Judge Me: The Triumph And Tragedy of Michael Jackson's Last Days, an account of the final 16 weeks in the life of the music superstar; and My Journey With Maya, a memoir of the author's nearly 30-year friendship with poet Maya Angelou.
Erykah Badu will host this year's Soul Train Awards, TheWrap reported. The ceremony, which will air on Centric and BET Nov. 29, will be taped Nov. 6 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds will receive the Legend Award, and Jill Scott will accept the first-ever Lady of Soul Award.
Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller has been indicted on charges of concealing her income from her stint on the Lifetime reality show in 2012 and 2013, TheWrap noted. She is charged with bankruptcy fraud, concealment of bankruptcy assets and false bankruptcy declarations in hiding more than $755,000. The show is currently in its fifth season and takes place in Los Angeles, where Miller opened her West Coast studio.
Standing on The Big Bang Theory set and holding champagne flutes of apple cider, showrunner Chuck Lorre and the cast of the CBS hit met the 20 UCLA freshmen receiving "The Big Bang Theory" scholarships for pursuing education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics ( STEM ), Page Six noted. Lorre said the idea for the scholarship came after they noticed the number of students interested in studying STEM skills. "The Big Bang Theory" Scholarship Endowment has raised more than $4 million through the show, the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation and entertainment industry contributors.
Actor John Stamos' DUI hearing has been pushed to Nov. 24, Deadline reported. No plea has been entered by Stamos, who is currently in production on the Fox comedy Grandfathered. The actor has been formally charged with a DUI for being "under the influence of a drug," and could face six months in jail. Stamos was arrested in Beverly Hills on June 12 after the Beverly Hills Police Department got calls about the actor "allegedly behaving strangely and driving erratically."
Presidential candidate Donald Trump will host Saturday Night Live on Nov. 7, according to Deadline. It will be his second stint on the late-night sketch show; he previously hosted SNL on April 3, 2004. Sia will be the musical guest—and it will be her second appearance on the show as well.
ABC is developing The Thousandth Floor, an adaptation of the upcoming novel series by Katharine McGee, TheWrap noted. The futuristic drama is set in 2118, in a thousand-story supertower on Manhattan's Upper East Side. A young woman's fall from the 1,000th floor ignites a scandal that ensnares the top-floor elite and the bottom-floor drones. The hour-long drama project comes from Greg Berlanti's Berlanti Productions and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television.
