Review: Birdsong offers 3 powerful portraits of womanhood

Editor’s Note: Wall Street Journal reporter Erich Schwartzel’s new book Red Carpet: Hollywood, China and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy includes a chapter on Fan Bingbing, one of China’s biggest global stars who disappeared from public view in 2018 shortly after she was cast to star in the female action spy movie The 355. In the excerpt below from the Penguin Press book, Schwartzel takes readers from Cannes through Fan’s house arrest — where she was “watched constantly, even while taking showers” — to her eventual reappearance (albeit via greenscreen and with a body double for The 355) as she had become what Schwartzel calls “the most famous chicken used by Chinese authorities to scare the monkeys of its entertainment industry.”

“Pure Colour,” by Sheila Heti (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)A world determined by death and desire drives Sheila Heti’s “Pure Colour.” Interwoven by narrative, theory and criticism, Heti’s latest novel, caught in between the fate of the human spirit and the origin of the universe, drifts through adoration and creation.Three different animal spirits are introduced in the beginning: the bird, the fish and the bear. People born of each possess a lens that prevents them from fully seeing eye to eye.

“I didn’t want kids. I had no vision of having kids at all,” Wanda Skyes said in a 2019 interview with NPR’s Fresh Air. But, as Tom Waits sang, “Seems like folks turn into things / That they’d never want,” because, during that interview, Wanda was the proud mother of two fraternal twins: Oliva Lou Sykes and Lucas Clause Sykes.

Academy Awards, producer Will Packer said Tuesday.Reports say that each actor will be responsible for one hour of the three-hour broadcast, airing live on ABC on March 27.“This year’s show is all about uniting movie lovers,” Packer said in a statement. “It’s apropos that we’ve lined up three of the most dynamic, hilarious women with very different comedic styles.”Packer has worked with Hall several times as the producer of films like “Girls Trip,” “Think Like a Man” and “Little.”The show is hoping to rebound from the dismal viewership of last year’s broadcast, which was both an all-time low and the norm for pandemic-era awards shows.

Tuesday’s “Good Morning America,” the Academy confirmed that Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall would serve as 2022’s master of ceremonies, alongside the show’s usual lineup of A-lister award readers. “We want people to get ready to have a good time.  It’s been a while,” said Hall, Schumer and Sykes in a press release.“I’m not sure who thought this was a good idea,” Schumer added, “but I am hosting the Oscars, along with my good friend Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall.

Yesterday’s news that Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall will host this year’s Oscar ceremony was confirmed on ABC’s Good Morning America today, with Schumer delivering a brief statement (remotely).

Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes are reportedly set to host the 2022 Academy Awards. The prestigious ceremony hasn't had a host for the past three years since Jimmy Kimmel in 2018, while last year's event featured plenty of stars at the helm throughout the night rather than one designated host. Now, Variety reports that the trio are in final talks to front the Oscars, with each star responsible for one hour of the three-hour show on March 27.

Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall will be the hosts of the 2022 Academy Awards. After three years without a host, the Oscars are making up for lost time with three for its 94th ceremony. It has been 35 years since as many as three people hosted Hollywood’s biggest event, and never have that many women held the emcee position in a single night.

Video: Cumberbatch and Colman land Oscar nods as The Power Of The Dog leads the pack (PA Media)Sir Kenneth Branagh: Belfast film inspired by '20 seconds where my life changed forever'Bat Out Of Hell cast vow to ‘keep flame of rock and roll burning’ for Meat LoafMeat Loaf: Bat Out Of Hell musical stars pay tribute as rock singer dies aged 74BBC reporter on Meat Loaf's friendship with Jim Steinman and his death, aged 74Singer Meat Loaf dies aged 74Maisie Smith: We never stop laughing on Strictly tourDisney shares trailer for infamous sex tape drama Pam And TommySteven Knight on Peaky Blinders movie and Stephen GrahamPeaky Blinders to be adapted into dance show premiering in BirminghamSir David Attenborough hopes Green Planet will make people realise importance of plantsRoyal Mail celebrates The Rolling Stones with special stampsThe Power Of The Dog and Succession triumph at muted Golden GlobesUS comedian Bob Saget dies aged 65Cyrano stars and director discuss movie ahead of its releaseMy one regret is taking working with David Bowie for granted, says collaboratorSir Sidney Poitier dies at the age of 94The film industry's highest honors, which are handed out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, have not had a host since 2018. Representatives for the actors, the academy and ABC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Three is better than one! Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes are reportedly set to host the 94th Academy Awards next month, marking the first time anyone has hosted the ceremony in three years.

Oscars 2022.According to The Hollywood Reporter, the hosts have been confirmed and will lead the telecast of the 94th Academy Awards at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on March 27 for an hour.It’s claimed the trio will be officially announced during Good Morning America on Tuesday (15 February).On Sunday (February 13), Schumer (Trainwreck, I Feel Pretty) posted a slideshow of career highlights on Instagram, with the caption: “Big fun news comin.”A post shared by @amyschumerHall is known for starring in the Scary Movie franchise, The Best Man, Girls Trip, The Hate You Give and Little. Sykes is known for roles in HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and Black-ish, and won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999 for her work as a writer on The Chris Rock Show.This year marks the first time in three years the Oscars will have a host, after Jimmy Kimmel last hosted the ceremony in 2018 and 2017.

The fan-favorite rumors regarding who would host this year’s 94th Academy Awards didn’t come to pass. No Tom Holland and Zendaya.

2022 Oscars ceremony is taking shape.Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes are reportedly finalizing details to host the Academy Awards on March 27, according to Variety.The telecast’s producer, Will Packer, has been taking meetings for weeks to find the perfect stars to host the big event.Insiders also revealed that “Mad Men” star Jon Hamm was considered at one point, but has exited the conversation.The “Girls Trip” producer has been playing with the idea to make the ceremony consist of three acts. Each hour would feature a different pair of hosts.The official list of hosts will be announced on “Good Morning America” on Tuesday.Schumer, 40, teased that she has “big fun news comin” on Instagram Sunday.

The Oscars might be going from no hosts to three this year.

Academy Awards have enlisted a hilarious trio of talented women to emcee this year's Oscars!  reported on Monday that Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes will serve as hosts at the upcoming 94th Annual Academy Awards. This will mark the first time that multiple women have hosted the Oscars since Ellen Burstyn and Jane Fonda joined Warren Beatty and Richard Pryor to emcee the 1977 awards.According to multiple reports, Hall, Schumer and Sykes will host the show in a three-act format, with each comedienne heading up one hour of the three-hour telecast.The last time the Oscars had a host was in 2018, when Jimmy Kimmel took on the job.

Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall have been set to host the 94th Oscars, which is returning to an emcee format. Deadline confirmed the news Monday.