Entertainment

Photo by Debra L Rothenberg/WireImage(LOS ANGELES) -- Will Smith has signed on to star in the Antoine Fuqua-directed thriller Emancipation, sources tell Deadline. Emancipation is based on the true story of Peter, a runaway slave who embarks on a treacherous journey through the Louisiana swamp, chased by cold-blooded hunters, to the Union Army and a chance at freedom. Photos of Peter's bare back, taken during an army medical examination, revealed gruesome scars from a whipping he'd suffered […]

David Lee/Netflix (NEW YORK) -- Isiah Whitlock Jr. is bringing an unfamiliar narrative to the Spike Lee-directed Vietnam vet drama, Da 5 Bloods. The film, which centers on four black Vietnam vets played by Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis and Whitlock, follows the four men as they return to Nam in search of buried treasure and the remains of their former squad leader. While each actor brings a troubled portrayal to the project, Whitlock tells ABC Audio that his character, […]

Lucasfilm(LOS ANGELES) -- The four-day fan expo Star Wars Celebration, which was set to blast off Aug. 27 at the Anaheim Convention Center, has been canceled.  Like other events worldwide -- including the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con -- COVID-19 is to blame.  In a statement, ReedPop, the company that organizes the annual Star Wars event, noted, "At Star Wars Celebration, the health and safety of our fans, attendees, exhibitors, guests and staff is always our number-one priority. Due to the […]

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- While numbers regarding the COVID-19 pandemic appear to be trending downward in some places and on the upswing in others, the virus is still having a major effect on Hollywood.  The Television Academy has announced that its three glitzy post-Emmys Governors Balls have been scrapped for this year, and the Creative Arts Emmys events -- which hail achievements behind the scenes and are traditionally staged before […]

ABC/Fred Lee(NEW YORK) -- Spike Lee apologized on Saturday for defending embattled filmmaker Woody Allen against what he called “this cancel thing” an interview a day earlier. “I Deeply Apologize,” the director tweeted. “My Words Were WRONG. I Do Not And Will Not Tolerate Sexual Harassment, Assault Or Violence. Such Treatment Causes Real Damage That Can’t Be Minimized.-Truly, Spike Lee.” The Do the Right Thing filmmaker’s apology came after Lee, while promoting his new Netflix film, Da […]

Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- People of the geek persuasion occasionally debate which character would best another from a different fictional universe, but a real-life version apparently nearly happened years ago when a Star Trek actor almost struck a Star Wars star with his car. Although the conversation happened back in April, actor Garrett Wang is making headlines thanks to a podcast interview in which the Star Trek: Voyager star admits he could have killed […]

Todd Anderson/Disney Parks via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- Disney's CEO Bob Iger has admitted that the 1946 Disney animated film Song of the South is "just not appropriate in today's world," given its outdated racial and cultural stereotypes, which is why it's missing from Disney+'s slate of offerings.  However, the Disney ride Splash Mountain -- which debuted in 1989 at Disneyland and is also at Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disney -- is still thematically […]

AMPAS/ABC(LOS ANGELES) -- It's official: the 2021 Oscars have been postponed. The board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences met Monday to discuss the upcoming awards ceremony amid the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and ultimately decided to push it from Sunday, Feb. 28, until Sunday, April 25. Nominations will now be announced on Monday, March 15. In a statement, Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson noted, "For […]