Dispatches From The Picket Lines: Rachel McAdams, James L. Brooks, Debbie Allen & Marianne Williamson Strike In LA As ‘Bridgerton’ Picket Hits Netflix

This is Day 94 of the WGA strike and Day 21 of the SAG-AFTRA strike

Fans of The Notebook and Broadway have something to celebrate: A musical based on the Nicholas Sparks love story is set to premiere in 2024!

No, it still isn’t over for The Notebook — because its Broadway debut is inching closer.

Michaela Zee The musical adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ “The Notebook” is officially heading to Broadway. Preview performances will begin Feb. 6, 2024, at New York’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, with the show’s opening night set for March 14.

A new stage musical adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel The Notebook will arrive on Broadway this spring, with music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson and a book by playwright and This Is Us writer/producer Bekah Brunstetter, producers Kevin McCollum and Kurt Deutsch announced today.

This is Day 93 of the WGA strike and Day 20 of the SAG-AFTRA strike.

It’s Day 19 of the SAG-AFTRA strike and Day 92 of the WGA strike.

So many of Nicholas Sparks‘ books have been turned into movies, but it’s hard to think of a single big-screen adaptation that’s more iconic than The Notebook.

With enough famous actors to populate an awards show all gathered on one stage, the labor union representing them in an “existential battle” against film and television studios held a star-studded strike rally in the middle of New York’s Times Square on Tuesday morning. 

It’s Day 11 of the SAG-AFTRA strike and Day 84 of the WGA strike.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer There’s an old joke used in show business when events and gatherings lack major celebrity attendance: “Somebody punch me in the face so I can see some stars.” But it’s no joke when it comes to the picket lines of the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes, according to some of the protesters on the ground and select industry players who spoke to Variety. There’s been a “palpable” lack of headliners, said one prominent SAG-AFTRA member, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “If our stars were all out there in force advocating for us, we’d know it,” they added. Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Rami Malek all signed a June letter telling union leadership they were prepared to strike, but none of them have surfaced holding signs or chanting at studio gates. Leonardo DiCaprio posted an Instagram story saying he stood “in solidarity with my guild,” but has yet to stand for any in-person protest. On day one of the actor’s strike in mid-July, one protester straddled a median at the drive-on gate at Netflix headquarters holding a sign that read, “Where the fuck is Ben Affleck?” So far, no one’s seen him on the front lines.

It’s Day 8 of the SAG-AFTRA strike and Day 81 of the WGA strike.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor Power publicist Alla Plotkin is teaming up with Jillian Roscoe, becoming a partner in Birch Public Relations. Roscoe launched the firm in March 2023 after leaving ID PR. Plotkin also departed ID at about the same time but didn’t announce her next move until her new partnership with Roscoe. Plotkin’s clients, including Sarah Paulson, Nicholas Braun, Bette Midler, Holland Taylor, Harvey Guillen and Titus Burgess, will join Birch’s roster, which includes Donald Glover, Jeremy Allen White, Sharon Horgan, John Cho, James Marsden, Kemp Powers, Gerard Butler, Judy Greer, Jesse Garcia, Mandy Moore, David Duchovny, Lake Bell, Jim Parsons, Fred Armisen, Jake Johnson, Ben Schwartz, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Melissa Rauch, Hannah Fidell, Ken Marino, Sarah Chalke, London Hughes, Lewis Howes, Zach Woods, Ty Burrell, Clay Tarver, Kevin Tancharoen, Julian Dennison, Jake Szymanski, Nicolette Robinson, Anna Drezen, Dan Perrault and Noah Pink.

It’s Day 7 of the SAG-AFTRA strike and Day 80 of the WGA strike. 

SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher is keen to continue negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), who are allegedly dragging their heels.

Starz’s P-Valley won a leading three awards including Best Drama, Best Ensemble and Best Acting (Male) for J. Alphonse Nicholson and Nicco Annan as the African American Film Critics Association revealed winners Wednesday of its fifth annual TV Honors.

McKinley Franklin editor “Abbott Elementary” and “P-Valley” are among the top winners of the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA)’s fifth annual TV Honors, which recognizes exceptional achievements in broadcast television and streaming with an emphasis on entertainment representing the Black diaspora.  “Abbott Elementary” took home titles for best TV comedy and best TV writing (awarded to Quinta Brunson) alongside “P-Valley” for best TV drama. Niecy Nash-Betts and Jessica Williams were also awarded best TV acting (female) and breakout star, respectively. They join a slate of awardees including J. Alphonse Nicholson and Nicco Annan for best ensemble and best TV acting (male) and Mary Lou Belli, Debbie Allen, Tasha Smith, Henry Chan and Jordan E. Cooper from “The Ms. Pat Show” for best TV directing.

Ken-ergy baby!When it comes to one of the biggest names in Hollywood, everyone knows the talented and handsome Ryan Gosling.Catapulted to fame as a child on the “Mickey Mouse Club,” the brilliant actor has had an extensive career that seems blessed by the stars. Having portrayed iconic characters in some of the most celebrated romantic movies and hits of the modern times, such as “the Notebook,” “La La Land” and most recently “the Gray Man,” Gosling, 41, is the gift that just keeps on giving. Soon to be debuting as Ken from the new “Barbie” film, he will continue to build—and evolve—his legacy.

It’s Day 5 of the SAG-AFTRA strike and Day 79 of the WGA strike. 

The biggest names in Hollywood are showing their support for the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike by joining their fellow union members on the picket lines.