Movies That Recast Characters in Sequels: ‘Twilight,’ ‘Harry Potter’ and More Franchises Who Replaced Stars

Russian military forces invaded the country under orders given by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the early days, the world watched as the people of Ukraine lived with sirens and explosions, as the neighboring country's forces dissipated buildings around them.

Jon Burlingame editorOpposition to the Academy’s plan to award eight Oscars prior to the live telecast continues to grow, with more than 350 new names — including more than a dozen Oscar-winning editors, cinematographers and production designers — added to the petition sent last week to Academy president David Rubin urging a reversal of the plan.Among the new signers are Oscar-winning cinematographers John Seale (“The English Patient”), John Toll (“Braveheart”) and Dean Semler (“Dances With Wolves”), and Oscar-winning editors Richard Chew and Paul Hirsch (“Star Wars”), Mikkel Neilsen (“The Sound of Metal”), Pietro Scalia (“JFK”) and Zach Staenberg (“The Matrix”).Oscar-winning production designers Hannah Beachler (“Black Panther”), Barbara Ling (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Adam Stockhausen (“Grand Budapest Hotel”) and David and Sandy Wasco (“La La Land”) also signed on. Cinematography will be presented during the live show, but editing and production design are among the eight awards to be presented during the 4 p.m.

Angelique Jackson “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” creator Tim Federle makes his directorial debut with the film “Better Nate Than Ever,” adapted from his award-winning book by the same name.The story follows 13-year-old Nate (newcomer Rueby Wood), an awkward, aspiring theater kid who can’t land a role in his school play, yet follows his dream from his hometown of Pittsburgh to audition on Broadway. Lisa Kudrow, Joshua Bassett, Aria Brooks and Broadway legends Michelle Federer and Norbert Leo Butz also star.As the cast and crew gathered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood Tuesday night to celebrate the film’s April 1 launch on Disney Plus, Federle spoke to Variety about the story’s discussion of sexuality, the importance of LGBTQ representation in entertainment and weighed in on the controversy over Disney’s handling of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Eight more celebs have been added to the presenters lineup for the 2022 Oscars ceremony, which is less than two weeks away!

that will launch on CNN+, and the first chapter, “Cosmic Orphans,” is premiering at SXSW on Monday. Hawke would be the first to acknowledge though that making a movie about a lengthy, successful and happy marriage isn’t exactly the stuff of scandal or excitement.

As events continue to play out, “Z” has instantly become the most ominous symbol in the world’s culture and economy.

Zoe Kravitz said she felt "a little uncomfortable" on location in Monterey, California, while filming "Big Little Lies." "There were a few moments where I felt a little uncomfortable because it is such a White area," Kravitz, 33, told The Guardian. "Just weird racist people in bars and things like that," Kravitz said when asked by the outlet to elaborate on what she meant.

2022 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards are set to make their return on April 9. Miranda Cosgrove () and NFL star Rob Gronkowski will host the event that promises a lot of stars and slimes.

While leaders around the world, including President Biden, have announced sanctions on Russia over its multifront war on Ukraine, major players in Hollywood are taking swift action of their own to condemn President Vladimir Putin's actions. Over the last week, musicians, festival organizers and industry leaders have announced their decisions to postpone events in Russia, severely limiting entertainment offerings in the country. Musicians press pause  The band "Imagine Dragons" was scheduled to perform in both Russia and Ukraine this coming June, but revealed over the weekend its decision to halt the shows.

Lisa Kudrow is showing support to two of her former co-stars!

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to make their first public appearance in Hollywood to receive an award for their social justice work. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will pick up the prestigious NAACP President's Award at the ceremony in California on Sunday.

Ellise Shafer Quentin Tarantino is in early talks to helm one or two episodes of “Justified: City of Primeval,” the limited series revival of the FX drama starring Timothy Olyphant, Variety has confirmed.The “Justified” revival was ordered in January, with Olyphant set to reprise his role as U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens. The new series is inspired by Elmore Leonard’s novel “City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit.” Leonard created the character of Givens, who is featured in several of his books including “Fire in the Hole,” which “Justified” was based upon.Tarantino and Olyphant worked together on the director’s most recent film, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” with Olyphant playing James Stacy.

Lizzo is opening up about how Eddie Murphy's role as Professor Klump in  triggered a roller coaster of emotions for her — including sadness.In a wide-ranging interview for 's latest cover story, the 33-year-old singer addressed the challenges of superstardom, what it was like running into Melissa McCarthy after she beat her out for the Ursula role in Disney's live-action and her new Amazon series, .But the conversation also touched on body representation in Hollywood -- specifically, how a young Lizzo was affected by Murphy donning fat suits in films like 2007's. But a particular scene in Murphy's 1996 film, , centered around a morbidly obese but lovable university professor, really hit a nerve.«It's funny, because I’m the biggest Eddie Murphy fan of all time,» Lizzo tells.

David Ellison’s Skydance Media prove the tech giant is willing to spend big to build a global tentpole movie business, sources tell Variety.Nearly a month after it was announced that Apple had landed a slate of live action films from longtime Paramount Pictures partner Skydance, producer of the mega-franchise “Mission: Impossible” and the upcoming sequel to “Top Gun,” the town is still abuzz about what a lucrative and rarified deal Skydance carved out for itself.The agreement closely resembles a “put deal,’ according to sources, an increasingly rare Hollywood arrangement wherein a distributor is obligated to release movies its partner chooses (Jason Blum’s Blumhouse, Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw and Arnon Milchan’s New Regency are a few of the players that have commanded similar pacts). Though not unprecedented, industry observers say the deal between Skydance and Apple is among the richest received by any production company.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterAziz Ansari has been appointed to direct an untitled comedic-drama for Searchlight Pictures. He will co-star in the movie with Bill Murrary.Ansari, who created the Netflix series “Master of None,” is making his feature directorial debut.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterSony executives breathed a sigh of relief when “Uncharted,” a big-budget adaptation of the popular video game, secured a release date in China.The Chinese government, which has absolute control over which movies play in its theaters (and when they debut), has recently been ultra-selective about the non-Chinese films it allows to screen in the country’s tens of thousands of venues. As a result, many of Hollywood’s biggest pandemic-era releases, such as “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and “Eternals,” weren’t granted access to Chinese movie theaters.

Scott Eastwood is opening up about the time Brad Pitt intervened in a tense situation between him and Shia LaBeouf.

EXCLUSIVE: Screen Media has acquired North American rights to the psychological thriller The Immaculate Room, from writer-director Mukunda Michael Dewil (Vehicle 19). The Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment company has slated the title, starring Emile Hirsch (Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood, Into the Wild), Kate Bosworth (Before I Wake, Still Alice), Ashley Greene (Bombshell, The Twilight Saga) and M. Emmet Walsh (Blood Simple, Blade Runner), for a day-and-date release in the second half of this year.