The lesbian-themed film The World to Come is available to buy or rent, a press release noted. In this 19th-century romance (from Bleeker Street) that's set in the Northeast, Abigail (played by Katherine Waterston), a farmer's wife, and new neighbor Tallie (Vanessa Kirby) find themselves irrevocably drawn to each other. A grieving Abigail tends to her withdrawn husband, Dyer (Casey Affleck), as free-spirit Tallie bristles at the jealous control of her husband, Finney (Christopher Abbott), when together their intimacy begins to fill a void in each other's lives they never knew existed.
Imagine Dragon frontman Dan Reynolds announced he is donating his childhood Las Vegas home to Encircle, the LGBTQ+ support group that seeks to find solutions for LGBTQ+ youth and families, out.com reported. The effort is part of Encircle's "$8 Million, 8 Houses" campaign, establishing eight new Encircle homes in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada and Utah. The group already has homes in the Utah cities of Provo, Salt Lake City and St. George, with a fourth under construction in Heber City. Encircle is the 2016 brainchild of CEO/founder Stephanie Larsen, who was concerned about the number of deaths by suicide among LGBTQ+ youth in her community of Provo.
Broadway Records announced the "Broadway WILL Be Back" campaign, a press release noted. In support of the Broadway WILL Be Back campaign, Broadway Records will work with the Times Square Alliance (www.TSq.org) and other leaders in NYC's Tourism industry to promote the Broadway Dream Vacation Sweepstakes. Upon Broadway's reopening, one grand-prize winner will experience a week-long vacation in NYC; see seven Broadway shows, including Ain't Too Proud, Aladdin, Come From Away, Girl From The North Country, Hadestown, Harry Potter & The Cursed Child and The Lion King; enjoy shopping sprees at beloved NYC institutions; dine at premium restaurants; and receive VIP experiences and tours of the city. See www.broadwayrecords.com and www.broadwayrecords.com/contest.
Alan Scott—the original superhero in the DC Universe to take the name The Green Lantern—is coming out in the comics' mainstream continuity, according to an out.com item. First introduced in 1940, the original version of Scott was straight and over the years, got married to two different women and even had kids. In 2012, an alternate universe version of the character was introduced into the DC Universe who was gay and had never married a woman. This will be the first time that the Golden Age version of the character is confirmed as gay. Scott comes out in the comics in Infinite Frontier #0, written by out comics writer James Tynion IV.
In an interview with People, My So-Called Life actor Wilson Cruz talked about what the show meant to him, and how he feels now that new viewers will get a chance to experience the series now that it's coming to Hulu, out.com noted. "I thank that series for who I am today, it gave me all of the tools I needed and gave me my self-respect. It gave me my family and it gave me direction and the confidence to know that I deserved to live up to my potential," Cruz said. The show also brought him closer to his own family, with Cruz adding it "allowed my father to be able to watch that show and understand what my youth was and then empathize with me enough to allow us to have a relationship again."
Actress Niecy Nash has signed on to star alongside Gabrielle Union and Keith Powers in the Numa Perrier-directed romantic comedy The Perfect Find, Deadline noted. The Netflix film is based on the 2016 book by Tia Williams. Nash is returning to the streamer following her Emmy-nominated performance in Ava DuVernay's When They See Us.
Actor/pop singer Kat Cunning (who uses they/them pronouns) has released the single "Confident" and the accompanying video via LAVA/Republic Records, a press release noted. (The video is at www.youtube.com/watch; In addition, Cunning and Republic Records are continuing their ongoing work supporting the LGBTQ+ community in collaboration with The Ally Coalition (TAC) to help fans take action for LGBTQ youth, who disproportionately experience homelessness, depression, bullying and suicidal ideation.
Annette Bening is set to star in a biopic based on the life of famed long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad that will be directed by the Oscar-winning duo behind Free Solo, TheWrap noted. The movie, entitled Nyad, will tell the story of how the athlete, at age 64, became the first person to swim the length of Cuba to Florida without the aid of a cage through waters infested by sharks and poisonous jellyfish. She attempted the swim five times between 2011 and 2013 and relied on a crew of 35 supporters, as well as her best friend, to overcome the odds. Media outlets have previously reported that Diana Nyad is an out lesbian.
Janet Jackson is getting the star treatment with a two-night documentary event that will air simultaneously on A&E and Lifetime in early 2022, according to CNN.com . The premiere will coincide with the 40th anniversary of her self-titled 1982 album, and the event will air two hours for two nights, totaling four hours. The documentary, with the working title JANET, will take viewers through Jackson's life and career, contain never-before-seen footage and feature home videos from the legendary artist.
Country-music superstar T.J. Osborne, of the Brothers Osborne, told CBS This Morning he has been overwhelmed by the reception received since coming out, and encouraged others to do the same, out.com noted. "It's been amazing, honestly," he said when asked to describe the reception he's received since coming out. He went on, later describing the outpouring of support as "a tsunami of love, almost to the point it was hard for me to even comprehend it for several days."
In celebration of Women's History Month this March, Shout! Factory TV is presenting curated collections of films that amplify the contributions of women to entertainment and culture, a press release noted. The Women's History Month collection spotlights films by legendary female directors, including Penelope Spheeris, Lina Wertmuller, Elaine May, Ida Lupino, Gillian Armstrong and many more, and presents a range of female filmmaking contributions from The Hitch-Hiker to The Decline of Western Civilization. Another collection features an extensive array of films led by prominent female characters, with films such as A Doll's House, My Name Is Myeisha and The Carol Burnett Show: Show Stoppers, among others.
The fight for justice for Pravin Varughese, an Indian American student at Southern Illinois University, is the focus of Who Killed My Son?, which will air on Discovery+ on March 23, a press release noted. In 2014, he went to a house party—and was never seen again. It took five days to discover his body, but the push to find out how his life truly ended lasted years—and there was a never-ending fight from Lovely Varughese, Pravin's mother.
Playgirl Magazine has gotten a revamp—and 31-year-old gay publisher Jack Lindley Kuhns is heading the new format, according to out.com . The new team—led by Editor-in-Chief Skye Parrott (co-founder of Dossier magazine), creative director Alex Wiederin and image director Silvia Prada—have replaced erotic centerfolds of naked men with shots of nude bodies of all ethnicities and genders and stories that include tales of racial injustice, trans empowerment and body positivity. For its first issue, the team recruited contributors like model-photographer Myla Dalbesio, Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza, T. Cole Rachel, Carvell Wallace and former Out Executive Editor Raquel Willis. The new Playgirl Magazine, currently only in print, was an immediate success; it debuted last November with nearly 10,000 copies in the U.S. and London before selling out and going back to press for a second printing.
RuPaul's Drag Race veteran Aja has a new single, "21 Roads," a press release announced. The track, which features Katie Jobes, is lifted from their forthcoming sophomore album, Crown, that is set to come out this spring. Since the summer of 2018, Aja has performed more than 180 live shows, selling out venues in the United States, Brazil, Spain, Canada, Australia, Lebanon and the United Kingdom.
Beyonce is joining jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz to select two Black students for scholarships at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), IDEXOnline.com noted. They became friends through a shared love of jewelry and established The Beyonce Knowles-Carter x Lorraine Schwartz GIA Scholarship. It will fund tuition and expenses for two successful applicants to the GIA's Graduate Gemologist distance learning program, which teaches the practical skills needed to evaluate diamonds. The deadline is March 16; visit https://discover.gia.edu/beyonce-x-lorraine-GIA-scholarship.
Professional wrestler Kayla Braxton, known as Kayla Becker in the ring, has come out as bisexual, according to out.com . Braxton, who is mixed race, tweeted "My whole life, I've had to choose. Are you Black? Are you white? Which bubble do you fill in on the SATs?" It's a feeling many mixed race people can relate to. I always filled in 'other' because nothing applied to me," she added. "Tonight, I choose to be over having to choose. Hello, world. I'm Kayla. Oh. And yeah — I'm bi." Braxton joined the WWE in 2016.
Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Brooks and John David Washington will star in a Broadway revival of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Piano Lesson in 2022, according to a broadway.com item that cited The Daily Mail. LaTanya Richardson Jackson—who most recently appeared on Broadway in To Kill a Mockingbird—is set to direct the production. Following its Broadway run, the same cast will star in the play's film adaptation.
The Simpsons has been renewed for another two seasons, ensuring that it will be on the air until at least 2023, NME.com noted. The long-running cartoon series is currently in the middle of its 32nd season, and the show's new deal with the Disney-owned Fox has green-lit seasons 33 and 34. Its 700th episode is set to air on March 21.
Country-music legend Dolly Parton—who helped fund the Moderna vaccine with a $1 million donation to Vanderbilt researchers—received her shot in Nashville, per an Instagram post, USA Today noted. Her caption simply read, "Dolly gets a dose of her own medicine." In a video, Parton, 75, encouraged viewers to get vaccinated because "the sooner we get to feelin' better, the sooner we are gonna get back to being normal."
Rapper Cardi B implied on social media that she's ready to write a song that will feature singer Lizzo, Billboard noted. The two already had a missed connection last year: Cardi wanted Lizzo to appear in her "WAP" video, but Lizzo was out of town when it was filmed and missed out on making a cameo.
Chef and Restaurant: Impossible host Robert Irvine returns with new episodes of the show Dinner: Impossible, premiering Thursday, March 11, on Food Network, a press release noted. In each mission, Irvine and his team of sous chefs are challenged to overcome obstacles and conditions that push him to his physical and mental limits, as he must prepare and serve delicious meals to groups of hungry and expecting guests before his allotted time runs out. Through four hour-long episodes, Irvine battles the elements while using limited resources to cook against the clock.
Billy Bob Thornton, Alfre Woodard and Bridgerton breakout star Regé-Jean Page have rounded out the cast of the Russo Brothers' The Gray Man starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Ana De Armas, Deadline noted. The Gray Man will be the biggest-budget feature film in Netflix's history. The action thriller—based on the debut novel by Mark Greaney—will follow Gentry (Gosling) as he's hunted across the globe by Lloyd Hansen (Evans), a former cohort at the CIA.
The film The Little Things—starring Academy Award winners Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto—is coming to Premium Video on Demand (PVOD), Blu-ray, DVD and Digital via Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, a press release announced. The murder mystery will be available for 48-hour rental via PVOD for $19.99 SRP beginning Friday, March 19; on April 20, it will be available to own in high definition and standard definition from select digital retailers including Amazon, FandangoNOW, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others; and on May 4, it will be available on Blu-ray and DVD.
Tyler Posey (TV's Teen Wolf) has released first solo single "Shut Up," featuring indie musician phem and blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, a press release noted. Co-written and produced by John Feldmann, the pop-punk track premiered on alternative radio stations, and marks the first release of Posey as a solo artist. Fans can stream "Shut Up" via Big Noise now https://bignoise.ffm.to/shutup.
Broadway Records announced the release of Andy Karl, Orfeh and Andrew Logan's new mash-up single "Yesterday / Time After Time / Shallow," a press release noted. The single is now available on BroadwayRecords.com and all other digital platforms.
Game of Thrones star Kit Harington, Flack's Anna Paquin, Judas and the Black Messiah's Dominique Fishback, Oscar nominee Minnie Driver, Mudbound's Garrett Hedlund, Midsommar's Jack Reynor and Golden Globe winner Miranda Richardson are just some of the names announced for the second season of the half-hour anthology series Modern Love, EW.com noted. Anne Hathaway, Andrew Scott, John Slattery and Tina Fey were some of the actors who starred in the first season. Modern Love is based on the New York Times column of the same name—and out actor Andrew Rannells is slated to direct an episode of season two, one that is based on a personal essay he wrote for the publication's column.
The Country Music Association (CMA) announced that the CMA Fest will not take place in 2021, a press release noted. The release continued, "While we are encouraged to see COVID-19 vaccines becoming more widely available, we still face several challenges that prevent us from bringing our fans around the world the CMA Fest experience they have come to expect. But rest assured, we have already started planning what will be the most EPIC celebration of Country Music next summer. Mark your calendars for CMA Fest June 9-12, 2022!"
LGBT rapper Lil Nas X turned the tables on fellow hip-hopper Tekashi 6ix9ine, Vulture noted. Initially, Tekashi reposted a screenshot of an article headline reading "China Makes COVID-19 Anal Swabs Mandatory for Foreigners" on Instagram and added the caption "Lil Nas X has entered the chat." With his own unreleased single "Call Me By Your Name" as the background music for free promo, Lil Nas X pulled up a screenshot of unanswered DMs (direct messages) from Tekashi. "Gonna be in your city soon, what ya doing lol?" he allegedly wrote with an upside-down smiley face emoji and a red heart emoji. "This you?" Nas X captioned it, ending 6ix9ine with those two powerful words. Tekashi responded with a video where he shows there are no messages between the two of them; however, people can unsend DMs.
Talk-show host Wendy Williams said she is not taking the COVID vaccine, HotNewHipHop.com noted. During a recent televised appearance on Dr. Oz, Williams said, "No, [I'm not planning on getting the vaccine]. I don't trust it. I've never gotten the flu shot either though and you and I have talked about that. After Dr. Oz reminded her that her words have consequences as somebody with a large platform, Wendy doubled down and shut down the question. "I'm not getting the vaccine," she said. "Listen, 10 million people and more have the flu vaccine and how many people per year catch the flu? No, I'm not getting the vaccine, Dr. Oz. I'm not. I don't trust it!"
Chris Harrison spoke in his first TV interview since temporarily stepping aside as the host of ABC's The Bachelor following controversial remarks he made, CNN.com noted. Harrison spoke with "Good Morning America" co-host Michael Strahan in a pre-taped interview in which Harrison was pressed to explain why he defended contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's antebellum plantation-themed photos from 2018 during an interview with former Bachelorette star and current Extra host Rachel Lindsay.When pressed by Strahan about why he defended Kirkconnell in the first place, Harrison did not answer, only replying, "Antebellum parties are not OK. Past, present, future, knowing what that represents is unacceptable."
Jason Kennedy is departing E! after working at the network for more than 15 years, Page Six revealed. "I've had the time of my life at E!. Most recently, I loved being the host of 'In the Room,' but COVID made it impossible to capture interviews with celebrities in a more personal setting, so I have decided to pursue new opportunities," Kennedy said. Kennedy began working at E! in 2005 as a weekend anchor and reporter, and eventually became co-host of E News alongside Giuliana Rancic.
Embattled actor Armie Hammer quietly vacated the LA home he used to share with his estranged wife, Elizabeth Chambers—and left, among other things, what appeared to be a bound female mannequin torso stuffed in the trash, Page Six noted. Hammer and Chambers' seven-bedroom, six-bathroom property first hit the market in September for $5.8 million after Hammer and Chambers, 38, announced their split. Hammer has been accused of abusive and cannibalistic fantasies by a string of former lovers.
