Paramount Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Though we did end up adding “Babylon” to our recently-released Most Anticipated Films of 2021 list, we had a strong suspicion that Damien Chazelle’s first feature film since “First Man” would end up getting pushed until 2022. And ultimately, it appears that intuition was spot on.

rebranding of the CBS All Access app into Paramount Plus, according to Hollywood publication Variety.The new app will feature original content, as well as shows from other channels in the company’s portfolio such as BET, Comedy Central, and others.

You’re going to be hearing soon, from us, what we like to call “Prestige IP” (intellectual property). It’s rearing its head everywhere, and it seems to be the way one facet of where Hollywood is headed in its neverending quest to keep franchises and intellectual property churning forever.

The revamped “Transformers” universe has its next filmmaker. With Michael Bay stepping aside, the “Transformers” franchise needs a new vision and it appears that Paramount and Hasbro have found their director in Steven Caple, Jr.

As callous and cold as it sounds, you can’t help but be reminded of the Queen hit “Another One Bites The Dust” when you read the latest news about the theatrical release schedule. It seems as if every week, at least one or two major films leave their current spot on the schedule and are either delayed for months or moved straight to streaming.

Over the past several months, as intended release dates for blockbusters come and go, with films being pushed to 2021, I often think of this alternate universe where COVID-19 doesn’t exist and 2020 went on as it should have back in the early part of the year. In that fantasy world, “A Quiet Place Part II” would have already been released months ago, and it wouldn’t be all that surprising when Paramount announces a brand-new entry in the franchise.

“Coming 2 America” is now coming to…Amazon. And if you listen closely, you can hear another collective, exhausted sigh of theater owners around the world.

You don’t have to be a fan of rom-coms (and this writer is definitely not a fan) to enjoy “The Proposal.” The film, which stars Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock, has the two performers at the top of their charismatic games in a silly, but genuinely funny rom-com.

The history behind the upcoming film, “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” doesn’t just include the actual historic events that inspired Aaron Sorkin’s upcoming Netflix film. That drama is crazy enough, of course, but the behind-the-scenes hurdles that Sorkin had to jump to bring the film to fruition more than a decade after he originally began work on it is already legendary.

Though it feels as if Sundance was, in fact, a decade ago, it was only earlier this year, as the pandemic has made 2020 feel never-ending. At that distant film festival that feels like it was a lifetime ago, filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung dazzled audiences with his award-winning feature, “Minari.” And it appears that Chung was able to catch the attention of JJ Abrams, who has signed the filmmaker to one of the most interesting adaptations currently in production.

What the hell is going on with the “Star Trek” franchise? On the one hand, you have the CBS All Access arm of the sci-fi franchise, with multiple TV series that are apparently big hits for the streamer. Then on the film side, there’s…well, nothing.

And the award for the most literal title for a film in 2020 goes to… “Love and Monsters.” As seen in the trailer for the upcoming sci-fi-action-comedy-romance-adventure film, the plot revolves around a boy that aims to find the LOVE of his life while also dealing with a ton of MONSTERS. More specifically, the plot of “Love and Monsters” follows Joel (Dylan O’Brien), a young man that is madly in love with Aimee (Jessica Henwick).

There are some artists that put a project out into the world and let it live on its own, never to revisit it again. That artist is most definitely not Francis Ford Coppola.

You know what would be funny? A film about teens who go to school and then find out that there’s some mysterious illness that is causing them all to spontaneously combust. Well, at least the filmmakers behind “Spontaneous” think that’s the premise for a hilarious teen comedy, even if it does sound a bit horrific at first glance.

Though the film might not be the greatest horror film of all time nor the best example of a legendary Brad Pitt performance (though it is a horror film better than it has any right to be and Pitt never phones it in), “World War Z” is still a film that gets brought up every so often as a lost opportunity. You see, for years now, a sequel to the film has been in development with none other than David Fincher attached to direct and Pitt returning.

It is always exciting to see a filmmaker you wouldn’t expect to express interest in a tentpole franchise say that they have a unique take on them. So when Quentin Tarantino said last year that he wanted to make an R-rated “Star Trek” film, it was instantly met with curious eyes.

“Star Trek” is going through a strange time right now. The franchise’s TV offerings are going through a period of huge popularity, with not one, not two, but several TV shows ongoing or in development, from “Star Trek: Discovery” to the animated “Lower Decks.” But when it comes to the feature films, things are trickier, as Paramount is rethinking their approach to the franchise and what their next final frontier will be.

In the age of pop culture idolatry, Fitzgerald’s “there are no second acts in American lives,” feels more and more mistaken than it already does. Even cancel culture never really cancels anyone permanently (see Mel Gibson), and there’s something in American culture where we’re always rooting and ready to embrace a comeback (within reason.

One could argue that the past several months of theaters being shut down has had more of an impact on the future of the film industry and the box office than in the 100 years before it. And that’s even after you take out the fact that the chains and cinemas have been earning zero dollars over that time.

In a chain of (would-be) blockbuster delays that feels like its been stretching on for years now, the Coronavirus pandemic release date delays continue to spread, as the toys giant Hasbro announces huge losses after Entertainment One film and TV division, and delays in its movie releases amid cinema closures. The theater closures around COVID-19 lockdowns have pushed the release dates on Hasbro films into 2021, most notably their Paramount co-production of a new “G.I.

With movie theaters still shuttered across the country, audiences are looking towards streaming services for new, high-profile films led by their favorite movie stars. Obviously aware of this, the folks over at Netflix have been looking to make substantial acquisitions to pad their quarantine programming – and their efforts seem to be working.

If you’re a similar age to me (basically, anyone in high school during the mid-to-late-‘90s), there are a number of film anniversaries that are happening this year that really do make you feel old. But you can’t blame the filmmakers for that, right? It’s not their fault that they created films that have stood the test of time and remain favorites for many film fans.

A little more than a year ago, it was announced that Paramount was beginning work on a new “Grease” prequel film. While there wasn’t much known as far as who would helm the film or who might lead the cast, it was revealed that “Summer Lovin’” would take the story of the “Grease” lead characters’ first meeting and their seasonal romance.

After the disastrous launch of Quibi and the tepid response to HBO Max, it appears that the folks at NBCUniversal are ready to try anything possible to build the anticipation for the launch of its streaming service, Peacock, next month. And that means working with a rival studio to help bolster its streaming library.

Ava DuVernay’s Oscar-winning film, “Selma,” is joining recently released “Just Mercy” and a curated list of films from the Criterion Channel in dropping its price tag for the month of June, in light of the various protests and anger that has risen up in the aftermath of the brutal murder of George Floyd.

Though the discussion surrounding “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” is a bit disappointing, as the film largely failed to live up to fan expectations, as well as just being a not-so-great way to end George Lucas’ 40+ year Skywalker Saga. But one thing that has come out of that project is the rise of the film’s second-unit director Victoria Mahoney, the first woman and the first Person of Color to act as a director on a “Star Wars” project.

While the drama behind the scenes regarding the budget of Martin Scorsese’s upcoming period crime thriller, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” is well-documented, there haven’t been many details about what caused the initial friction between Paramount and the filmmaker. Well, until now.

After what might go down as one of the most embarrassing marketing blunders in recent memory, with a trailer that was universally ridiculed by moviegoers, Paramount was able to recalibrate and strike box office gold when “Sonic the Hedgehog” was released in theaters earlier this year. And now, hot off the great theatrical run and solid home video release, it appears the studio is ready to get the blue CGI creation back on the big screen ASAP.

When the film was released in 1983, “Flashdance” was pretty much panned by most critics. But as we’ve seen time after time, critics aren’t the ones buying tickets, and the musical drama would go on to become a massive hit at the box office, finishing the year as the #3 highest-grossing film in the US and earning more than $200 million worldwide.

Paramount has postponed its theatrical release date for “The Lovebirds,” a romantic comedy starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae that was scheduled to hit theaters April 3. The studio, which has not set a new release date, made the movie in response to the global impact of coronavirus.

In today’s film news roundup, a “Clueless”-themed restaurant is coming, Dolly Parton’s literacy efforts are showcased in a movie and “The Artist’s Wife” gets release dates.

As panic roils mainland China and fear escalates throughout globe over the spread of coronavirus, Hollywood studios and content production companies are ramping up their efforts to respond to the human and economic impact of a potential pandemic.

Cristina Rodlo hit the TV trifecta over the past year: starring roles in “Too Old to Die Young” (Amazon), “The Terror: Infamy” (AMC) and now on breakout hit “68 Whiskey,” Paramount Network’s “M*A*S*H”-type ensemble war dramedy that premiered to 2 million viewers.

It’s good to be mean…the “Mean Girls” musical, that is.

Paramount Pictures has adjusted the moniker of its television production unit in part to avoid confusion in the marketplace with the Paramount Network cable channel.

Production has got under way in Japan on “G.I. Joe” spinoff “Snake Eyes.” Featuring “Crazy Rich Asian” star Henry Golding, the actioner is a Paramount Pictures, Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures, and Skydance presentation, in association with Hasbro, of a di Bonaventura Pictures Production.