Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- Carrie Fisher's Final Role, in 'Catastrophe,' Shot Week Before Death
- Fearful Fans Get Betty White Trending After Carrie Fisher's Death
- 'It' Movie: Pennywise Plays Peekaboo in Creepy Sewer Photo
- Carrie Fisher Filmed 'Star Wars: Episode VIII,' But What About 'Episode IX'?
- Carrie Fisher Had a Hilarious Idea for Her 'Fantastic' Obituary
- Carrie Fisher's 'Star Wars' Costars React to Her Death: 'The Force Is Dark Today'
- A Rebel and a Princess: Remembering Carrie Fisher
- Carrie Fisher, 'Star Wars' Actress and Author, Dies at 60
- 'Rogue One' Gets a Fan-Made Opening Crawl
- A&E Cancels KKK Docuseries Amid Controversy
- 'Game of Thrones' Most Torrented Show For Fifth Straight Year
- 'Everybody Hates Chris' Actor Ricky Harris Dead at Age 54
| Carrie Fisher's Final Role, in 'Catastrophe,' Shot Week Before Death Posted:
On Friday, Dec. 16, star/show creator Sharon Horgan shared this photo with Fisher on the London set: "Catastrophe" Season 3 just finished filming, marking Fisher's final acting role. On Dec. 27, after news of Fisher's death broke, Horgan returned to Instagram to repost the same photo, this time with a more somber caption:
Horgan told Vulture she and co-star Rob Delaney knew they wanted Fisher for "Catastrophe" after watching the actress give a "great speech" at a U.K. awards show. "I turned to Rob, and I went, 'That's your awful mother!'" The "Catastrophe" stars initially tried to connect with Fisher via Twitter and then went the more traditional agent route. Fisher told Vulture she loved the show and the writing, and was happy to accept the role. "I did really want to play an awful person," Fisher said. "There are not a lot of choices for women past 27. I don't wait by the phone." Horgan replied, "We still to this day can't believe that you said yes." According to TVLine, "Catastrophe" Season 3 is slated to premiere on Amazon early next year. Fisher had already wrapped her role as Princess/General Leia in "Star Wars: Episode VIII," but it still remains to be seen how they will handle Leia's storyline in "Episode IX." Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Fearful Fans Get Betty White Trending After Carrie Fisher's Death Posted:
On Tuesday -- the same day Carrie Fisher died and shortly after the Christmas death of George Michael -- a fan started a Go Fund Me page called "Help protect Betty White from 2016." Here's the intro:
So far, $35 has been raised of the $2,000 goal. But the goal is really to make people aware that Betty White is still with us, but we're not sure for how long, so she must be protected at all costs. "Betty White" started trending on Twitter, earning more than 45,000 tweets, mostly from fans reacting in fear to the fact that "Betty White" was trending. (Twitter is such a strange place.)
Everyone means well, but ... are they just temping 2016? It still has almost a full week left. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'It' Movie: Pennywise Plays Peekaboo in Creepy Sewer Photo Posted:
Entertainment Weekly recently shared a new photo of actor Bill Skarsgard in full costume as Pennywise:
Andrés Muschietti is directing the 2017 film, and he previewed Pennywise's "act" to EW: "Pennywise shows up, he's front and center, and he does his show. He has an act. So it's weird all the time, and every little thing implies a further threat." Over the summer, Skarsgard teased that "It" is "such an extreme character. Inhumane. It's beyond even a sociopath, because he's not even human. He's not even a clown. I'm playing just one of the beings It creates." EW reported, back in July, that this "It" movie would only adapt part of King's 1986 novel, following the main characters when they were kids. "A sequel, in which they come home again to battle It a second time as adults, is planned if this first installment is a success." "It" is scheduled for release on September 8, 2017. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Carrie Fisher Filmed 'Star Wars: Episode VIII,' But What About 'Episode IX'? Posted:
Sources have confirmed to multiple outlets that Fisher completed her work on director Rian Johnson's "Star Wars: Episode VIII," which will be released in December 2017. Start stocking up on tissues now, 'cause it is going to be an emotional roller coaster to see her on screen as Leia for the last time.
What about director Colin Trevorrow's "Episode IX"? That's where things get tricky. Without knowing what happens to Leia in "Episode VIII," we can't know what the plans were for her in the 2019 film. According to Entertainment Weekly, that film is still only in the script phase, with filming expected to begin a year from now; if Leia was expected to be included, the script is obviously going to have to change. Variety reports that Leia was originally slated to appear in "Episode IX," so it's possible a key part of the saga will now have to adjust for her absence. Then again, Fisher's image was just used in "Rogue One," rendered younger in a digital recreation. Maybe they'll do something like that for Leia to complete the story in "Episode IX." Those questions will be answered in time. For now, Fisher's extended "Star Wars" family is still in mourning. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Carrie Fisher Had a Hilarious Idea for Her 'Fantastic' Obituary Posted:
The quote in question comes from Fisher's 2008 autobiography, "Wishful Drinking," which was based on her one-woman stage show of the same name (which later became an HBO documentary). In the book, which is filled with juicy anecdotes about Fisher's career, the actress recalled an early day on set with "Star Wars" creator George Lucas, and a conversation about the iconic white dress that her character wears when she's first introduced in the 1977 film. Lucas and Fisher apparently had some very different opinions about the look of the costume -- specifically, what should or should not be worn underneath the outfit -- leading Fisher to wonder about Lucas's thought process. Her musings led her dream up a hilarious future cause of death for herself, and declare, "I think that this would make for a fantastic obit." Here's the relevant passage from "Wishful Drinking":
That sounds like the perfect way to remember the feisty princess. Rest in peace (and far away from malicious underwear), Carrie. [via: The Hollywood Reporter] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Carrie Fisher's 'Star Wars' Costars React to Her Death: 'The Force Is Dark Today' Posted:
Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the series -- and brother of Fisher's Princess Leia -- tweeted out a short, stunned response to Fisher's passing, sharing a photo of the stars together and writing that he was "devastated" and had "no words."
Harrison Ford, who played Fisher's onscreen love interest Han Solo (and with whom Fisher recently revealed she had an affair while filming the original trilogy) released a statement praising the actress, and offering his support to her family and friends. His statement said:
Many more costars paid tribute to Fisher on social media, including Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), David Prowse (the original Darth Vader), and Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok from "Return of the Jedi").
More recent costars from "The Force Awakens" and the upcoming "Episode VIII" -- Lupita Nyong'o (Maz Kanata), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma), and Andy Serkis (Supreme Leader Snoke) -- also offered their condolences, as did "Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams and upcoming "Episode IX" director Colin Trevorrow.
— Bad Robot (@bad_robot) December 27, 2016
"Star Wars" creator George Lucas released a statement praising Fisher's acting and writing talents, and "very colorful personality." Her Leia was "a great and powerful princess -- feisty, wise, and full of hope," he said.
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy also released a statement:
Disney CEO Bob Iger remembered Fisher in his own statement:
Fisher suffered a heart attack while on a flight from London to Los Angeles on December 23. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she remained until her death on Tuesday morning. She was 60. [via: Entertainment Weekly, TheWrap, StarWars.com] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| A Rebel and a Princess: Remembering Carrie Fisher Posted:
She was a rebel and she was a princess. That description aptly applies to both George Lucas' creation Leia Organa and to the actress that gave life to her, Carrie Fisher. Yes, Carrie was born "Hollywood royalty" as they say, but she used every one of the considerable talents at her disposable to claim her own seat at the table. I was fortunate enough to have grown up in a time when empowered, heroic female characters like Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman, Lindsay Wagner's Bionic Woman and ahead-of-their-time comic book superheroines were becoming more prominent in pop culture (if still sometimes over-sexualized, with apologizes to the iconic metal bikini). Thanks largely to the lead set and cemented by Leia, I came of age with storytelling examples of how women were as likely to save the day as their male counterparts – not just in the "Star Wars" films but in the tie-in novels and comics, a concept that quickly found its way into my toy play, too, and the way I saw the world. A lot of that was Lucas, but a lot of that was also Carrie. She'd pooh-pooh her contribution for the rest of her life, but that steel we saw inside Leia clearly – as we'd learn over the years – came from inside the woman who played her. She wasn't just a big screen crush; she was a hero. "'Star Wars' brought out something in people," she once told me. "And I'm the only girl in it." "Star Wars" provided my gateway into a lifelong interest in filmmaking and the personalities of Hollywood, and it wasn't long before Carrie Fisher became an even more fascinating figure than Princess Leia. Her family's backstory was already the stuff of Hollywood legend, and she was cutting her own celebrity swath as well, both in the real locale and in my mind's version of it. She was a partner-in-partying to my early comedy heroes, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and the rest of "Saturday Night Live's" Not Ready for Prime Time Players, in the thick of it yet dodging the metaphoric bullets that would ultimately claim some of them; she had a storybook romance with one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of all time, Paul Simon, though it didn't last; she threw epic birthday parties with her pal Penny Marshall that still remain a Hollywood standard for over-the-top indulgence. And she still regularly did good work in good, non-"Star Wars" movies: "The Blues Brothers," "Hannah and Her Sisters," "The 'Burbs," "When Harry Met Sally...," "Soapdish," to name a few. About the time I was becoming serious about a career as a writer, a whole new facet of Carrie's life came along to fire a different side of my imagination: she became an accomplished novelist, screenwriter, script doctor and crafter of Oscar night one-liners. Brilliantly witty, stingingly observant and painfully revealing, her second act transformed her not only in Hollywood's eyes but in my own: she went from embodying a childhood hero to serving as a role model in her own right. I studied her moves as keenly as I'd memorized the names of the planets where the Rebel Alliance had bases. Later, within her work and through revealing interviews, she would share the stories of her battles with her own personal demons, addiction, alcohol abuse, insecurity, depression, romantic miscalculation and bipolar disorder among them. Although, like everything, these subjects would soon become fodder for a wealth of comedic material, there was most certainly a great deal of pain at the core. This is where I'd first encounter Carrie Fisher the Actual Person, and although she'd frequently cloak herself in a wry comic persona fit for public consumption, as I became part of the Hollywood landscape that surrounded her I began to see her peek out from that bit of cover. The first of several memorable encounters was in 2004 at the Beverly Hilton at an event in which she was honored for the awareness she'd spread about living with mental health issues, in which she brought the house down with laughter with tales of her short-term memory-loss inducing electroshock therapy sessions – these kinds of speeches would lay the foundation for her acclaimed one-woman shows – but also seemed genuinely puzzled by exactly what SHE had done to better the mental health conversation – she then escaped for a brief respite from the spotlight, crouching outside for a cigarette all alone on the Hilton's front walkway. Other encounters would follow, along with various red carpets moments, awards gala tributes and glimpses of her signing autographs at Comic-Con. They included a madcap confetti-slinging, feathered-boaed appearance at the Television Critics Association, chatting with her and her mom Debbie Reynolds at the premiere of HBO's presentation of her wickedly brilliant one-woman show "Wishful Drinking," from which I swiped one of the best party favors ever: candy "pills" packaged in a prescription bottle; sitting in the audience of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences' 30th anniversary screening of "Star Wars" with Carrie, Mark Hamill, George Lucas and the film's FX visionaries, seeing her reunite on stage with Harrison Ford and Mark in front of thousands of swooning fans at the 2015 Star Wars Celebration event. And every time there was that little pinch-myself moment, where nine-year-old me is shouting inside my head "There's Carrie Fisher over there!" "YOU JUST TALKED TO PRINCESS LEIA!" There's the memory I already cherished, now and forever, when I drove several miles out of Los Angeles to the Improv in Brea, where Carrie unveiled a new one-woman show – the near-entirety of which was built off of her impromptu responses to spontaneous audience questions. It was a gloriously funny evening that ended with Carrie, her dog Gary, her attentive assistant and I all squeezed into the Improv's broom closet-sized dressing room, where – just weeks before the announcement of the franchise's surprise sale and revival – we talked "Star Wars," her take on the continuing devotion of its fandom, her colorful history and somehow making an art out of winging it on stage. It was one of the most sublime – and slightly, deliriously weird – interview experiences of my career, and of course a dream come true. "It is strange," she told me of seemingly unprecedented durability of "Star Wars". "It's like a scent that lives in the rug. It's our own fairytales. The Grimms were for a hundred years ago. So what is it for our generation? What is it that we can relate to? So with Grimm's fairytales, it's all folksy and hobbits, and we like all that. But this was just a whole other landscape to imagine on, and people had a real hunger for it." I am heartbroken to have to accept that another such chance to chat with Carrie is yet another casualty of 2016: The Year That Everything Just Sucked – I wanted to believe that her long history as a survivor would prevail yet again after news of her cardiac arrest spread. Sadly, that wasn't the case. But think – just think! – at all of the victories this 5'1" spitfire scored in her scant 60 years when it seemed like she was down for the count, once and for all. Throughout my life, this powerful, spirited woman went from fictional hero to real-life role model to complicated human being and all the way back to hero again. For me, as for so many of us, Carrie Fisher will always be a rebel and a princess. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Carrie Fisher, 'Star Wars' Actress and Author, Dies at 60 Posted:
Fisher suffered a heart attack on Friday, December 23 during a flight from London to Los Angeles. Paramedics met her plane at the airport, and she was rushed to a local hospital, where she remained until her death this week. A family spokesperson, Simon Halls, released a statement on behalf of Fisher's daughter, actress Billie Lourd, confirming that Fisher passed away on Tuesday morning. "It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning," the statement said. "She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers." Fisher's mother, actress Debbie Reynolds , also released a statement on Facebook. "Thank you to everyone who has embraced the gifts and talents of my beloved and amazing daughter," Reynolds wrote. "I am grateful for your thoughts and prayers that are now guiding her to her next stop." Fisher, the daughter of Reynolds and musician Eddie Fisher, made her film debut alongside Warren Beatty in 1975's "Shampoo," and was only 19 when she appeared in 1977's "Star Wars" as the rebellious Leia. The role -- which she reprised in the next two installments of the original series, "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," and again 32 years later in 2015's "The Force Awakens" -- made her a star, and she went on to appear in numerous other films throughout her career, including "The Blues Brothers," "The Man with One Red Shoe," "Hannah and Her Sisters," "The 'Burbs," "When Harry Met Sally...," and "Soapdish." Her television work included appearances on series such as "Frasier," "Sex and the City," "Smallville," "Weeds," "30 Rock," "Robot Chicken," "Entourage," "The Big Bang Theory," and "Family Guy." Most recently, she had recurring roles on "Catastrophe" and "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce." But Fisher wasn't just defined by her acting work, carving out a successful second career for herself as a writer and author. She penned the semi-autobiographical bestselling novel "Postcards from the Edge" in 1987 (turned into a 1990 film starring Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine, written by Fisher and directed by Mike Nichols), as well as several memoirs, including "Wishful Drinking" (adapted from a one-woman show, and later turned into an HBO documentary). Her most recent book, "The Princess Diarist," was released just last month and detailed her experiences making the original "Star Wars" movies (and revealed her affair with costar Harrison Ford). Fisher also reportedly worked as a script doctor -- in an uncredited capacity -- for numerous major Hollywood films, including "The Wedding Singer," "Hook," "Sister Act," and the first two "Star Wars" prequels, "The Phantom Menace" and "Attack of the Clones." Fisher was also an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness, after being diagnosed as bipolar in 1985. She publicly and frankly discussed her issues with substance abuse -- much of it detailed in her books -- which began when she was just 13 years old. The actress was briefly wed to musician Paul Simon from 1983 to 1984. Her only child, Lourd, was born in 1992, while Fisher was dating talent agent Bryan Lourd. Fisher is survived by her daughter, Billie Lourd; her mother, Debbie Reynolds; her brother, Todd Reynolds; two half-sisters, Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher; and her travel companion -- and social media star -- French bulldog, Gary. [via: People] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Rogue One' Gets a Fan-Made Opening Crawl Posted:
Lucasfilm had warned fans not to expect the expository text in "Rogue One," but many moviegoers were still disappointed by the lack of the iconic crawl. One of those fans decided to fix that himself. Andrew Shackley posted the video he made, along with an explanation, on Reddit. "If any film in the new 'Star Wars' canon needed a crawl just to let people know where we are in time in this universe, it was 'Rogue One,'" he told The Hollywood Reporter. "At the very least, I feel these words give added weight to the opening prologue of the film." The text reads: Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| A&E Cancels KKK Docuseries Amid Controversy Posted:
A few days ago, the network changed the name of the series from "Generation KKK" to "Escaping the KKK: A Documentary Series Exposing Hate in America" in an effort to clarify the mission of the series. The move was a response to backlash on social media, led by "Grey's Anatomy" star Ellen Pompeo. But now A&E has scrapped the series altogether after learning that some participants were paid for being on the show. In a statement, the network said:
A&E continued:
The network had been working with the production company This Is Just a Test for over a year and a half, and the eight-episode first season was set to premiere Jan. 10. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Game of Thrones' Most Torrented Show For Fifth Straight Year Posted:
The epic drama was joined on the list of most-pirated shows by its new HBO sibling, "Westworld," which placed at number three. It's quite an achievement for a freshman show to vault so far up the list. In second place, again, was zombie thriller "The Walking Dead." The highest number of active torrents at one time was 350,000, just after the season finale of "Game of Thrones." That isn't a record, indicating piracy did not see growth this year. The rest of the top 10 list includes "The Flash," "Arrow," "The Big Bang Theory," "Vikings," "Lucifer," "Suits," and "The Grand Tour." The last title was reported as being the most downloaded show in history, but that was a misunderstanding on the part of a piracy monitoring firm. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Everybody Hates Chris' Actor Ricky Harris Dead at Age 54 Posted:
The cause is not yet known, but his manager Cindy Ambers told the Los Angeles Times that he suffered a heart attack two years ago. Harris grew up in Long Beach, California and was a childhood friend of Snoop Dogg. He began his career as a performer on HBO's "Def Comedy Jam" and made his acting debut in "Poetic Justice" opposite Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur. He also had roles in television shows including Moesha and memorably as a charming neighbor on "Everybody Hates Chris." Harris most recently appeared in "The People v O.J. Simpson." Harris is survived by his mother, ex-wife, and two daughters. Friends and fellow celebs reacted to his death on social media: Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
When 
As far as we know, 
Don't go thinking the worst will be over when 2016 ends -- terrors await in 2017, especially in the sewer. 
Even 
While film fans may know 
The galaxy is mourning "
I was nine years old and there she was: like many women who appeared in the films and TV shows I'd seen, she was young – only 19 at the time – and beautiful, but she was so many other things as well, things I hadn't seen on the screen before all wrapped up in one person: regal, haughty, feisty, sharp-tongued and more than capable of taking care of herself.
A&E has canceled plans for a controversial docuseries following members of the Ku Klux Klan. 
For the fifth year in a row, 
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