AleXa signs with United Talent Agency, to release new mini-album in November

EXCLUSIVE: MPI Original Films and BET have added to the cast of their feature Kemba, inspired by the life of criminal justice reform advocate Kemba Smith, with Michelle Hurd (Star Trek: Picard), Sean Patrick Thomas (Till), Siddiq Saunderson (Wu-Tang: An American Saga) and June Carryl (Helstrom) signing on for roles. Nesta Cooper will lead the cast of the film directed by Kelley Kali, which is currently shooting in Atlanta, as previously announced.

UPDATED with latest: A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Tuesday ruled that Rust script supervisor Mamie Mitchell can pursue her negligence and other claims against Alec Baldwin, who fired a loaded gun on the New Mexico set of the indie Western last year that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.

Nigel Lythgoe, a 12-time Emmy nominee and co-creator and executive producer of So You Think You Can Dance, has signed with A3 Artists Agency for representation. Lythgoe also served as executive producer of Pop Idol and TV juggernaut, American Idol.

He’s not stressed. Joe Giudice had a simple reaction to ex-wife Teresa Giudice not having a prenuptial agreement with husband Luis “Louie” Ruelas.

A new report is revealing that production on Rust will restart relatively soon.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer “Rust” will resume production in January, more than a year after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed on set. But the production will not return to New Mexico, where a criminal investigation and state workplace safety proceedings remain unresolved. The production is still looking for a new location, but California is a possibility, said Melina Spadone, the attorney for Rust Movie Productions LLC. The production company announced a settlement on Oct. 5 with Matthew Hutchins, the widower of the cinematographer. Under the agreement, the production will be able to resume after a 15-month hiatus. Matthew Hutchins said in a statement that completing the film would be a way “to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.”

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Amara Walker, the CNN correspondent newly assigned to co-anchor weekend mornings, will be represented by CAA. Walker, who joined CNN in 2012, works alongside co-anchor Boris Sanchez. The two also anchor CNN’s 10 a.m. hour on Saturdays. She is based in CNN’s Atlanta studio, and continues to also serve as a correspondent. The current “New Day” airs Saturdays between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and Sundays between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. CNN has announced plans to relaunch morning programming later this year and the weekend show’s name would, presumably, change as part of that move. Walker has reported on such events as the 2021 Atlanta spa massacre and co-hosted a primetime special with Anderson Cooper, Victor Blackwell, and Ana Cabrera, called “Afraid: Fear in America’s Communities of Color.” During the 2020 presidential election and the Georgia Senate runoff, Walker was part of an election night team reporting on President Trump’s repeated attacks against the Georgia Secretary of State, baselessly claiming fraud. Walker began her career at CNN as an anchor for CNN International, where she anchored during the ongoing humanitarian and political crisis in Venezuela, and during large-scale demonstrations against a controversial extradition bill in Hong Kong in June 2019, among other events. She was live on the air as a fire ripped through Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in April 2019. Walker graduated magna cum laude with a dual degree in political science and broadcast journalism from the University of Southern California, and speaks conversational Korean and Spanish.

The Rolling Stones are reportedly set to release their first new album of music in 18 years next summer. The news follows the death of longtime band drummer Charlie Watts in 2021.The legendary rock band spent this summer performing at numerous venues across Europe in honor of their 60th anniversary as a group. "I’m told Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood teamed up in New York over the past fortnight for recording sessions, alongside a raft of world-class session musicians to complete the initial recordings for their first output of original material in 18 years," a source close to the band told The Sun on Monday.

The Department of Agriculture last week announced $71 million in new grant funding aimed at helping "disadvantaged" and "underserved" farmers and ranchers, which USDA said supports its broader mission of ensuring "equality and justice for all." "We are committed to building a different USDA," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said Friday. "One that is steadfast in our actions, mindset and culture around equality and justice for all.

Congratulations are in order for the newlyweds! Bachelor alum Lesley Murphy and Alex Kavanagh are married. 

Florence + The Machine have shared a new live album recorded at their huge Madison Square Garden show in New York last month.The gig took place on September 17 as part of a world tour behind Florence’s new album ‘Dance Fever’, and a 24-track live album of the performance has hit streaming services today (October 14).The career-spanning set begins with recent single ‘Heaven Is Here’, with ‘Dance Fever’ songs ‘Free’, ‘King’ and more also aired.The live album then finishes with renditions of huge hits ‘Shake It Out’ and ‘Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)’.Listen to the whole thing below.The North American leg of the ‘Dance Fever’ world tour will wrap up tonight (October 14) with a show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. From there, the tour will continue on to the UK and Europe in November, before heading to Australia and New Zealand in early 2023.‘Dance Fever’, Florence + The Machine’s fifth studio album, was released in May 2022.

EXCLUSIVE: Richie Kern and Alysia Cotter Thomas have joined Paradigm Talent Agency as agents.

Selome Hailu Karis Jagger and Fabienne Toback have entered a first look deal with Lionsgate Television. Under the deal, they will develop and produce unscripted and documentary programming under their production banner Hey Sistah Productions. Lionsgate’s Pilgrim Media Group, which focuses on unscripted programming, will provide development support and serve as production services entity for sold projects.     Jagger and Toback are best known for producing “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America,” a Netflix documentary series based on Dr. Jessica Harris’ book of the same name. The series follows food writer Stephen Satterfield on a culinary journey alongside chefs, historians and activists that celebrates the courage, artistry and resourcefulness of the African American people.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) said Thursday she believes Democrats are "wasting money" by focusing on abortion in races across the U.S., as Republicans emphasize crime, the economy and the border crisis.  The congressional candidate joined "The Faulkner Focus" to discuss how Democrats are failing to address issues affecting the American people.  "Normal people, normal voters, they're talking about gas, groceries, grandkids.They're talking about long-term solutions to the challenges that we're facing," she said, adding that "abortion is not the issue" that will motivate most voters.

The FBI is tracking a lead in the Gilgo Beach serial killings case to Alabama.  In a Friday Facebook post, the Mobile Police Department said that the FBI is seeking relatives and friends of a long-deceased man named Elijah "Lige" Howell/Howard, who lived from 1927-1963.  Howard lived in Prichard, Alabama, with his wife Carrie and passed away in Mobile in 1963 "with Ms.  Lillie Mae Wiggins Packer," police wrote.

Manori Ravindran International Editor New York’s South Asian International Film Festival has appointed Chayan Sarkar as its new president. A filmmaker, entrepreneur and festival director, Sarkar is also the founder of the Indian International Film Festival of Queensland in Australia. He takes over from SAIFF founder Shilen Amin, who will step down as president, but will remain a member of the festival’s board of directors. Sarkar joins SAIFF as the festival enters its 19th year as a leading film festival in the U.S. for new cinema from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, and within the Indian diaspora. In recent years, SAIFF has become increasingly influential as a platform for South Asian cinema, both in the U.S. and internationally. Fourteen of India’s submissions for the international feature film Oscar have had their North American premieres at the festival.

EXCLUSIVE: Paris-based Urban Sales has sold Japanese director Chie Hayakawa’s dystopian drama Plan 75 to KimStim for North America, in addition to several other territories. The film won a Camera d’Or Special Mention when it premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes this year, and is also Japan’s submission to the Best International Feature category of the Oscars.