Ej Panaligan Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

EJ Panaligan editor Fans of “Manifest” were treated to the first trailer for the show’s fourth and final season at Netflix’s Tudum event on Saturday. Part 1 of the show’s final season, which consists of 10 episodes, will debut on the streamer on Nov. 4. The supernatural drama series follows the passengers and crew of a commercial airliner who suddenly reappear after being presumed dead for five and a half years. The show stars Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis, J. R. Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Jack Messina, Parveen Kaur, Matt Long and Holly Taylor. “Manifest” was notably revived by Netflix after NBC canceled the show in June 2021 after three seasons on the network. Shortly before it was canceled, the show was added to Netflix and skyrocketed in popularity by topping viewing charts, convincing the streamer to revive the series and give it a proper send-off with a final season.

EJ Panaligan editor Disney Music Group has teamed up with Deaf West Theatre, a Tony award-winning company, to release an American Sign Language version of the hit song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Walt Disney Animation’s “Encanto” in celebration of Friday’s International Day of Sign Languages. The video features an all-deaf Colombian and Hispanic cast, utilizing both American Sign Language and Colombian Sign Language to add additional layers of authenticity to the song. The sung English lyrics were translated into ASL and CSL by a team of sign language choreographers who worked through the text to find an accurate signed translation of the song for the video.

EJ Panaligan editor Fresh off his gig hosting this year’s Primetime Emmys, comedian and “SNL” veteran Kenan Thompson is back on stage Thursday night in Atlanta, as he kicks off the 13th edition of his “Kenan Presents The Ultimate Comedy Showcase” — and this time with a few new technological wrinkles. The stand-up comedy search, which leads off at the Atlanta Comedy Theatre on Sept. 22, follows Thompson as he scouts for adult comedians and talented kids in more than 50 cities. Among the new elements, all around the country (50+ major cities).  Thompson has teamed up with Rendered Talent to include a virtual reality option for participants to partake in the metaverse through the “Failed To Render Comedy Club.” In addition, Thompson partnered with Proto to be able to join live shows through the metaverse as a digital hologram, attending showcases digitally to accommodate his busy schedule via Proto’s 4K hologram device.

EJ Panaligan editor Jennifer Kuo Baxter, an entertainment lawyer whose career led to holding several senior executive positions at multiple movie studios, died on July 23 of cancer. She was 62. Kuo Baxter’s career in entertainment spanned more than 30 years, working in the business and legal affairs departments at Sony Pictures Entertainment, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Interscope and DreamWorks Animation Studios. She joined the legal affairs group at Columbia Pictures — which subsequently became Sony Pictures Entertainment — in the fall of 1986, where her responsibilities included supporting the production and distribution of feature films and motion pictures.

EJ Panaligan editor The second season of “Your Honor,” which stars and is executive produced by Bryan Cranston, will premiere on Friday, December 9 on Showtime’s streaming platform, before airing on the network two days later. The series is currently in production on the ten-episode new season, with Robert and Michelle King, Liz Glotzer, Joey Hartstone, Rob Golenberg, Alon Aranya, Ninio, Mashiach, Ram Landes, Ron Eilon, Danna Stern and James Degus serving as executive producers. Hartstone also serves as the showrunner for season two. In addition to Cranston, the series cast includes Michael Stuhlbarg, Hope Davis and Isiah Whitlock Jr., with Rosie Perez, Margo Martindale and Amy Landecker slated to guest star. Lilli Kay, Keith Machekanyanga, Andrene Ward-Hammond, Jimi Stanton and Benjamin Flores Jr have been promoted to series regulars for the new season.

EJ Panaligan editor Hulu released an official trailer for the upcoming “Hellraiser” reboot, starring Jamie Clayton as the iconic pin-riddled villain, Pinhead. In the trailer, Pinhead causes havoc for a young woman named Riley, played by Odessa A’zion. The 2022 reboot follows Riley as she struggles with addiction and comes across an ancient puzzle box whose sole purpose is to summon Cenobites, sadistic supernatural beings that come to Earth from another dimension. The original 1987 film saw Doug Bradley playing the leader of the Cenobites, and only in the later sequels was he then identified as Pinhead. The “Hellraiser” franchise has spanned across four theatrical films, six straight-to-home movies and multiple comic books.

EJ Panaligan editor Following the tragic events of the Uvalde school shooting in May, Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny has teamed up with other reggaeton singers to provide support for the survivors in the months after. Former Houston Astros MLB player Carlos Correa shared through his Correa Family Foundation that Bad Bunny, along with fellow reggaeton artists Wisin and Yandel, made generous donations to help fund a new home for Mayah Nicole Zamora, a 10-year-old Robb Elementary student and survivor, following the aftermath of the shooting in May. Now playing for the Minnesota Twins, Correa visited his former team’s stadium in late August, meeting with Zamora on the field prior to a matchup between the two teams.

EJ Panaligan editor “Entertainment Tonight” has promoted three reporters to on-air correspondents: Cassie DiLaura, Denny Directo and Will Marfuggi have been elevated as full-time additions to the broadcast’s 42nd season. DiLaura, Directo and Marfuggi been part of the brand’s digital team, previously serving as correspondents and producers with their work appearing across all platforms for “Entertainment Tonight.” In their new positions, the trio will take on a bigger role as on-camera personalities for the syndicated, nightly broadcast. “Entertainment Tonight” is hosted by Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner, and is the longest-running and top-rated entertainment newsmagazine on television. DiLaura, Directo and Marfuggi join Rachel Smith and Matt Cohen as correspondents.

EJ Panaligan editor Scott Bakula, who famously played Dr. Sam Beckett on the 1989 original series “Quantum Leap,” posted a statement on Instagram which confirmed his lack of involvement in the upcoming NBC reboot series. “Here’s the simple version of what’s going on with the Quantum Leap reboot and me: I have no connection with the new show, either in front of the camera or behind it,” Bakula’s Instagram post reads. Speculation about Bakula’s involvement in the 2022 revival have surrounded the show since the pilot episode was greenlit in January of this year, though there wasn’t any communication about Bakula’s role until the actor put out the new statement.

EJ Panaligan editor Iliza Shlesinger’s latest comedy special with Netflix titled “Hot Forever” — her sixth for the streamer — has set a release date for October 11. The special was filmed at the Connor Palace in Cleveland this past July. The special was directed by Steven Paley, with Shlesinger serving as executive producer alongside Kara Baker and David Martin. Her previous specials with Netflix include 2019’s “Unveiled,” 2018’s “Elder Millennial,” 2016’s “Confirmed Kills,” 2015’s “Freezing Hot” and 2013’s “War Paint.” Also in today’s television news: Bravo’s “Winter House” is set to premiere its second season on the network on Thursday, October 13 at 9 p.m. PT/ET.

EJ Panaligan editor Sublime is the latest rock band getting the biopic treatment. Sony’s 3000 Pictures is developing a movie with “Hunger Games” director Francis Lawrence about the group from Long Beach, Calif. The band is best known for its fusion of reggae, punk, ska and hip-hop, all wrapped into a subgenre of alternative rock that they were at the forefront of throughout the 1990s. Songs like “What I Got,” “Santeria” and “Doin’ Time” became radio hits on local rock stations such as Los Angeles’ KROQ. The band’s lead singer, Bradley Nowell, died in May 1996 from a drug overdose, with the band’s final self-titled album releasing shortly after.

EJ Panaligan editor The Los Angeles LGBT Center has announced the hire of Phillip Picardi as the organization’s chief marketing and communications officer. “I am so excited to be joining The Los Angeles LGBT Center at this urgent moment in our community’s history,” Picardi said in a statement Thursday morning. “After working for over a decade in the media, I know how powerful storytelling can be as a cultural salve. I’m thrilled to take the Center’s marketing and communications initiatives to new heights.” Picardi joins as a member of the Center’s executive team, working alongside newly-appointed CEO Joe Hollendoner, chief impact officers Terra Russell-Slavin and Sharon Brown, chief financial officer Ricardo DeLeon, chief development officer Saurabh Bajaj and chief health officer Dr. Ward Carpenter.

EJ Panaligan editor NewFest, a New York-based LGBTQ+ film festival, has announced the full lineup for its 34th iteration. The 2022 edition will run from Oct. 13 to Oct. 25. With world, North American, U.S. and New York premieres for more than 130 films from 23 countries, the festival will be headlined by the world premiere of HBO documentary “Mama’s Boy” from Laurent Bouzereau as the opening night screening. Additionally, the festival will hold an advance screening for the Season 2 premiere of popular HBO series “The White Lotus.” Other high-profile screenings through the festival’s run include Michael Grandage’s love triangle film “My Policeman,” starring Harry Styles and Emma Corrin, and the stop-motion horror comedy “Wendell & Wild,” from writer-director Henry Selick. Jordan Peele co-writes, while also featuring in a lead voice role. Keegan-Michael Key inhabits the film’s other lead voice role, marking a “Key & Peele” reunion on the animated stage between the two longtime collaborators.

EJ Panaligan editor ABC announced a slew of news regarding their fall programming at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on September 14, headlined by guest star announcements for the second season of recently-anointed Emmy-winner “Abbott Elementary.” Read below for a summary of ABC’s announcements from the TCA press conferences. Debuting on Wednesday, September 21, the second season of Quinta Brunson’s hit show will feature recurring guest roles from actor Leslie Odom Jr., Lauren Weedman and Keyla Monterroso Mejia. Odom Jr. will play Draemond, the owner of a batch of charter schools in the area who visits Abbott. Weedman will play Kristin Marie, a hard-shelled teacher from a neighboring school that strikingly resembles one of Abbott’s own teachers. Monterroso Mejia plays a teacher’s aide whose lax personality contributes to classroom chaos at Abbott.

EJ Panaligan editor Disney, Amazon Studios, Fox Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery and other major Hollywood players are pledging support for the Roybal Film and Television Production Magnet, a major educational outreach initiative championed last year by George Clooney and others. Paramount and NBCUniversal/Telemundo Enterprises are also signing on to become founding partners of the Los Angeles Unified School District magnet facility. These companies join previously announced founding partners History Channel/A+E Networks, Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment. The group has committed to providing more than $4 million in funding for the school, which opened in August with 150 students at the Edward G. Roybal Learning Complex in downtown Los Angeles.

EJ Panaligan editor The Harlem Globetrotters will return to television after more than 40 years with “Harlem Globetrotters: Play It Forward,” in partnership with Hearst Media Production Group. Actor and comedian Craig Robinson will host the educational show, which will air on NBC. The series centers on the players’ achievements both on and off the court as ambassadors of goodwill, focusing on topics like space exploration with NASA, financial responsibility and literacy, female empowerment and more. For the new series, the players will explore ways to help the communities in each city they visit through volunteerism, fundraising and one-on-one connections.

EJ Panaligan editor “Bros” co-writer and star Billy Eichner had sincere words to share about his upcoming romantic comedy at the Variety Cover Party at TIFF sponsored by Skyy. “I could have never imagined in a million years that we would have been able to premiere in such a spectacular way,” Eichner said about the buzz behind the film leading up to its release. “Thank you to everyone at Variety, this feature really was the most beautiful, accurate thing that’s ever been written about me.” In a lengthy interview with Variety, Eichner discussed the film’s entirely LGBTQ cast along with the many distinctive ways in which his personal life has influenced the development of the movie’s characters and plot lines. “I’ve worked so hard on it, I care so much about it, and I want it to do well for the sake of the LGBTQ stories getting greenlit,” he told Variety‘s Brent Lang. “So there’s a burden I feel, much as I want to sit here and just talk about how funny the movie is.”

EJ Panaligan editor Dane Cook’s new stand-up special, “Above It All,” will be released through the social media platform Moment next month, the comedian announced on Friday. The special will first premiere on October 4 during a special screening event at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood — which, according to his reps, marks the first time a comedian has premiered a special at the venue.

EJ Panaligan editor Lifetime has announced two new TV movies, “A Rose For Her Grave” and “Desperate Hours,” both inspired by novels from author Ann Rule. “A Rose For Her Grave” stars Chrishell Stause of “Selling Sunset” fame, Colin Egglesfield and Laura Ramsey, and follows serial wife-killer Randy Roth opposite the woman who finally brings him to justice. Gina Gershon will serve as a first-time director for “Desperate Hours.” Samantha Mathis, Harrison Thomas and David Conrad star in the film. The screenplay is an adaptation of Rule’s novel “Last Chance.” The film follows a mother who finds herself and her young children held hostage by a man who forces his way into their home after committing a murder earlier in the day.

EJ Panaligan editor Screenwriter, actor and director Adjani Salmon’s star is rising, with a slew of recent awards to show for it. Most recent is the 59% Gen Now award, which was presented to him at last week’s inaugural Soho House Awards in London. Named after Oscar-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya’s recently-established production company, the award seeks to recognize and advance diverse creative talent, particularly from the United Kingdom, who are already making a clear impact on the entertainment industry with their work but could benefit from some added visibility. Kaluuya personally presented the award to Salmon at the awards ceremony on Sept. 1. As for Salmon’s body of work, his most prominent creation is “Dreaming Whilst Black,” a comedy web series-turned-BBC iPlayer show that chronicles a young, naïve British-Jamaican filmmaker, Kwabena (played by Salmon), as he balances the struggles between navigating his ambitious dreams and sobering reality.

EJ Panaligan editor “Key and Peele” co-creators Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele reunite for leading voice roles in the new teaser for Netflix’s “Wendell & Wild.” The new stop-motion animated comedy horror film from Netflix is director Henry Selick’s first since 2009’s “Coraline.” Based on Clay McLeod Chapman’s unpublished book of the same name, the film follows two demon brothers with scheming tendencies, Wendell and Wild, voiced by Key and Peele respectively, who enlist the help of a 13-year-old named Kat, voiced by Lyric Ross, to summon them back to the Land of the Living. Selick and Peele co-wrote the adapted screenplay. In addition to Key, Peele and Ross, additional cast in the film include Angela Bassett, James Hong, Sam Zelaya, Tamara Smart, Seema Virdi, Ramona Young and Ving Rhames in supporting roles.

EJ Panaligan editor The second day of the 2022 Creative Arts Emmys is underway at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles after a busy first night that saw winners announced for key categories such as outstanding animated program, documentary or nonfiction series, music direction and more. ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” kicked things off with the win for casting in a comedy series. Tonight, winners will be announced in categories such as guest acting in comedy and drama series, original music and lyrics and outstanding television movie. Both nights of the Creative Arts Emmys precede the upcoming primetime ceremony, hosted by comedian Kenan Thompson, which is slated for Monday, Sept. 12.

EJ Panaligan editor Jeremy Strong had thoughts to share about a late 2021 New Yorker profile that revealed insights into his method acting, telling Vanity Fair at the Telluride Film Festival on Friday that the story felt like a “pretty profound betrayal of trust.” “The noise and the fog after it: I think it’s something that, I guess, what I care about ultimately is trying to feel as free as possible as an actor. Part of that is trying to insulate yourself from all of that, and what people might say about you or think about you. You have to free yourself from that,” Strong said about the social media discourse that followed after the profile published in December 2021. “It was painful. I felt foolish. As an actor, one of the most vital secret weapons that you can have is the ability to tolerate feeling foolish.”

EJ Panaligan editor Atlanta rapper Lil Baby has announced his third studio record “It’s Only Me” on his Instagram Friday, sharing the album art along with its October 14 release date.A post shared by @lilbaby “I know it’s been a long time coming but I’m coming harder and harder,” Lil Baby wrote. His last solo studio album was “My Turn,” which dropped in February 2020 and has since been certified quadruple platinum. In 2021, he released “The Voice of the Heroes,” a collaborative 18-track record with Chicago emcee Lil Durk. The album cover features a Mount Rushmore-style depiction of Lil Baby’s different life stages in a similar expressionist painting style that began with “My Turn.” The goats from his 2020 album cover have begun growing horns in the “It’s Only Me” cover, a not-so-subtle indication of where Lil Baby believes his rap career is heading.

EJ Panaligan editor In light of recent sexual misconduct accusations against Arcade Fire lead singer Win Butler, the band’s current opener Feist has announced she is exiting the tour on Thursday. “To stay on tour would symbolize I was either defending or ignoring the harm caused by Win Butler, and to leave would imply I was the judge and jury,” Feist wrote in an Instagram post, detailing her decision to leave the tour. “I was never here to stand for or with Arcade Fire — I was here to stand on my own two feet on a stage, a place I’ve grown to feel I belong and I’ve earned as my own. I play for my band, my crew, their loved ones and all of our families and the people who pay their hard-earned money to share space in the collective synergy that is a show. The ebb and flow of my successes, failures and other decisions affect all of our livelihoods and I recognize how lucky I am to be able to travel the world singing songs about my life, my thoughts and experiences and have that be my career. I’ve never taken that for granted.”

EJ Panaligan editor Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson have teamed up once again — this time to throw cyber criminals against walls. The two stars appear in a new cybersecurity awareness PSA from Amazon as a part of the company’s protect and connect program, which aims to teach Internet users how to protect themselves from phishing and other cybersecurity threats. The PSA features Jordan and Thompson saving unsuspecting internet users from sketchy internet schemes. The PSA comes as a follow up on Amazon’s commitments at the White House Cybersecurity Summit in 2021. “Being part of this PSA was an opportunity to work with Tessa again, one of my mentors — Paul Hunter, and to support the Amazon family to get this message out that cyber security and your privacy is really important,” Jordan said. “Nobody wants their information stolen. As much as you can protect your information, and your family and friends, you should do that.”   

EJ Panaligan editor Mikhail Gorbachev, the Russian politician who served as the eighth and final leader of the Soviet Union, has died at the age of 91, according to the Associated Press. The Central Clinical Hospital in Russia provided a statement to Russian news organizations that Gorbachev died after suffering from an undisclosed, long-term illness. Gorbachev served as the leader of the Soviet Union during its demise in 1991. He resigned on Christmas of that year after spending the last few months in office watching different republics declare independence. His initiatives and reforms led to the end of the Cold War but resulted in the collapse of the Soviet Union.

EJ Panaligan editor The HBO documentary series “The Vow,” from filmmakers Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer will return for its second installment on October 17. The network shared a teaser for “The Vow Part Two” — a six-part continuation of the series, which became a sensation — with new episodes airing on subsequent Mondays. The series follows the story of the NXIVM organization, and the second installment will be set against the backdrop of the federal trial of against Keith Raniere. It will offer looks into Raniere’s innermost circle, including NXIVM co-founder Nancy Salzman, who wasn’t interviewed for “The Vow,” but has been for this second installment. According to its logline, “The docuseries will chronicle the legal and emotional journeys of the group’s founders, supporters and defectors, as new evidence comes to light in a case at the forefront of the national spotlight.”

EJ Panaligan editor The 2022 MTV VMA awards are underway at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, and awards will be handed out shortly in categories like video of the year, song of the year and best new artist. In addition to the awards, host Nicki Minaj will be honored during the show with the Video Vanguard Award, while the Global Icon Award will be given to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Nominees throughout the categories include Madonna, who is the most-awarded artist in VMAs history with 20 wins, Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Bad Bunny, Adele and more. Performers for tonight’s show include Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Blackpink, Bad Bunny, Anitta, Jack Harlow, Kane Brown and more.

EJ Panaligan editor To drive tune-in and engagement for Sunday’s Video Music Awards telecast, MTV is turning to TikTok, Roblox and other social platforms to get the conversation started and keep it going after the Moon Man statuettes are handed out. The VMAs are the “social media Super Bowl” for MTV and the team behind the VMAs has done more extensive work than ever before in the social realm in an effort to pull out all the stops for this year’s bash, according to Tyler Hissey, senior VP of digital marketing for Paramount Media Networks and MTV Entertainment Studios. Social media chatter about the VMAs is up 121% from where it at the same point in 2021. Online voting for the event is up 10%.

EJ Panaligan editor Stars of Netflix’s “Me Time,” including Kevin Hart, Mark Wahlberg and Regina Hall gathered at the Fox Theater in Westwood on Tuesday to celebrate the John Hamburg-directed buddy comedy’s red carpet premiere. “I was able to just go to work and have fun every day,” Wahlberg told Variety. “John created an amazing environment for everybody, not just myself, Kevin and Regina, but for everybody to be at their creative best and try things.” The comedy follows Kevin Hart’s Sonny Fisher, a stay-at-home dad who decides to take some personal time away for himself by reconnecting with Wahlberg’s Huck for a weekend birthday trip.

EJ Panaligan editor Joe E. Tata, the character actor best known for playing Nat Bussichio in the popular teen drama series “Beverly Hills, 90210,” died on Wednesday, his daughter Kelly announced on their GoFundMe page. He was 85. He had long been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, having been officially diagnosed in 2018 according to Kelly’s GoFundMe fundraiser. “The remaining funds raised from this campaign will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association,” she wrote. “90210” star Ian Ziering posted on Instagram a heartfelt account of his experiences working with Tata.

EJ Panaligan editor Doing a rare one-off show Tuesday night at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, hip-hop star Vince Staples shared his thoughts on Capitol Records’ controversial AI rapper FN Meka, who was officially declared dropped from the company earlier in the day after the project came under fire due to accusations of racial stereotyping. “You seen that little AI rapper moonwalking and saying [the N-word]? It’s over with,” he jokingly said. “In a couple years, we’re all gonna be AIs — they’re gonna get rid of me.” That hardly seemed likely to be the case any decade soon, as the Long Beach rapper took center stage to perform a 90-minute retrospective set that took fans on a musical walk in the park, playing hits from his entire discography to date, as well as sharing some of the stories behind the material.

EJ Panaligan editor Gerald Potterton, an animator and filmmaker whose most notable works include “Heavy Metal” and the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” film, died on Aug. 23, the National Film Board of Canada announced on Wednesday. He was 91. He died at the Brome-Missisquoi-Perkins Hospital in Cowansville, Quebec, where he lived for most of his life. His most prominent work was directing the 1981 animated cult classic “Heavy Metal,” an anthology film of different science fiction and fantasy stories surrounding a force that is described as “the sum of all evils.” He also worked as an animator on the Beatles’ 1968 musical comedy “Yellow Submarine,” which became lauded as a work that broadened the general population’s interest in animation.

EJ Panaligan editor Sophie Allison, better known as Soccer Mommy in the music world, has always been fascinated with mixing beauty and ugliness in her songwriting. On Aug. 22, Allison sat down with Los Angeles Times pop music critic Mikael Wood at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles for an extensive conversation about how this method plays into her latest studio album, “Sometimes, Forever,” before playing a stripped-back guitar set of songs from the record. “Mixing things like love and all of these romantic feelings with harsher ideas, I think that’s come out in both my lyrics and the way that the production has gone,” Allison said during the conversation. “When I was 17 recording stuff in my bedroom, I don’t think it was going that way, but as I started doing albums, I got to play with that more.”

EJ Panaligan editor“She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” star Tatiana Maslany says late experimental pop musician Sophie inspired her work as the green-skinned superhero.“Musically, Sophie just lives in this place that I always want to live in, but there’s a poppiness and femininity combined with these clashing industrial sounds,” Maslany tells Variety about the parallels between Sophie’s music and playing the dual role of Jennifer Walters and She-Hulk. “Her music video ‘Faceshopping’ was all about skin, commodification of body and being separated into different parts, and that all felt thematically and spiritually connected.”The Grammy-nominated producer and musician died at 34 years old in January 2021 due to a climbing accident in Greece.