‘Judy Blume Forever’ Filmmakers Discuss Beloved Author Who Inspires Devotion, And Book Banning – Contenders TV: Doc + Unscripted

"The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg was somewhat skeptical Thursday of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's account of the "near-catastrophic car chase" they were in after attending a New York City event this week, saying it "just doesn't work in New York." Calling it some "wacky stuff," Goldberg recounted how the spokesperson for Harry and Meghan used the loaded language to describe how their taxi was pursued by paparazzi. Following an event where the Duchess of Sussex received the 2023 Woman of Vision Award from Gloria Steinem, Markle, her husband and her mother, Doria Ragland, were pursued by swarms of photographers for "over two hours," which resulted in "multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road," according to a spokesperson for the royal couple.

The winds of change are sweeping Iran as the ‘Woman Life Freedom’ protests, provoked by the killing of 22-year-old  Mahsa Amini last September, continue. Here, four Iranian disruptors talk about their struggles, their acts of solidarity for the pro-democracy movement, and their hopes for the future of their country.

— which sought to help kids cope with losing a loved one.Nearly a month after that, while promoting her book, Kouri gave an interview to the ABC affiliate KTVX-TV in Salt Lake City, Utah and opened up about how she and her sons are grieving the loss of her husband and the father of her children, Eric Richins, who died on March 4, 2022. She recalled the sudden death as «unexpected» and that it «completely took us all by shock.»Fast-forward to May 8 — a mere 62 days after she published her children's book — Kouri was arrested on charges of aggravated murder and three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.More specifically, prosecutors allege Kouri murdered Eric after poisoning his Moscow Mule cocktail with a deadly dose of fentanyl.

her far-left political commentary on “The View,” she will soon be entering the often-politicized arena of comic books.On Tuesday, Dark Horse Comics announced via press release that it has been working with Goldberg on an upcoming graphic novel featuring a menopausal superhero, called “The Change.”“Because of her lifelong love for comic books, Goldberg decided it was time to create a new kind of superhero – one who might be a little older, whose body might be a little thicker…and whose breasts may or may not be the same size,” the comic distributor once known for content like Mike Mignola’s “Hellboy,” said. “She is also smack in the middle of menopause which, along with chills and hot flashes, also gave her some unexpected superpowers.”Dark Horse noted that she worked with writer, producer, and show-runner Jaime Paglia, whom Goldberg said is “just as outside the box as I am.”The press release went into further detail about the upcoming story.“Isabel Frost is a woman who has spent her life as wife, mother, and grandmother – a life she feels isn’t all she had hoped for, with a husband who has grown in another direction.

Selome Hailu Now in her eighties, legendary children’s author Judy Blume only recently became keen to the idea of adapting her books for the screen. But when it came to “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” — arguably Blume’s most famous title — her arms were crossed. She didn’t want any filmmaker to touch it. “And then I got this letter from Kelly,” Blume told Variety, smiling, in a cover story for March’s Power of Women issue. She’s referring to “The Edge of Seventeen” writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig, to whom she eventually granted the screen rights. Blume was convinced for three reasons: the beauty of the letter that Fremon Craig wrote her, the fact that James L. Brooks mentored Fremon Craig and would serve as a producer on the film, and most importantly, the fact that Fremon Craig was the first person to pursue the rights whose work Blume had previously seen. Within a week of the letter, Fremon Craig and Brooks flew to Key West, Fla. to make an in-person plea to Blume; the rest is history. “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” hit theaters via Lionsgate on April 28.

Ed Sheeran’s grandmother Ann Mary Sheeran has died. Ann Mary, known as Nancy by her nearest and dearest, inspired the hitmaker’s 2017 track Nancy Mulligan – Mulligan being his grandmother’s maiden name – and passed away peacefully at her care home in Ireland last Tuesday April 25. An obituary penned for his grandma hailed Nancy as a “beloved wife of the late Bill and loving mother of Jim, Bill, Peter, Chris, John, MaryAnne, Bridget and the late Sally and sister of the late Thomas, Jim, May and Peggy”.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter It’s another weekend of box office domination for “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which collected a towering $40 million in its fourth frame. Those ticket sales, down just 33% from the weekend prior, were easily enough to rule over the weekend’s newcomers, including literary adaptation “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” Finnish war drama “Sisu” and biopic “Big George Foreman.” After four weeks on the big screen, “Mario” has grossed $490 million in North America and $532 million internationally to loom even larger as the highest-grossing film of 2023. It’s also the first movie of the year to cross $1 billion globally, a distinction held by only five pandemic-era blockbusters.

according to IMDB’s Box Office Mojo. The movie based on the popular Nintendo game has earned more than $458 million in the US since opening on April 5 — and is projected to hit the $1 billion global milestone on Sunday, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Before there was New Kids on the Block and New Edition, Latin boy band Menudo was dominating the global stage with its bubble-gum pop sound and youthful vibrancy. Behind the scenes, however, everything was not as perfect as it seemed.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, the adapted from of the same name. Fremon Craig's name is not on the billboard, but the billboard—and the movie—exists because of her. For nearly 50 years, after Blume's 1970 story about a young girl's honest and relatable journey through adolescence and puberty became a beloved classic, the 84-year-old icon (and ) turned down offers to adapt Margaret. It was too personal, too important for anyone to get other than absolutely right.

Miranda Lambert is far from the first country singer to release her own cookbook — but she has a special reason why the two are so closely connected.«Country gal singers love them a cookbook,» the singer laughed with ET's Rachel Smith as the pair discussed Lambert's upcoming offering, . «Almost all of us have a moment that we talked about in the kitchen.

Brent Lang Executive Editor To get the chance to make a movie of Judy Blume’s “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” producer James L. Brooks and writer and director Kelly Fremon Craig made the pilgrimage to the beloved author’s home in Key West, Fla. “I spent most of our time with Judy warning her about Hollywood and all the things it will do to you — basically, I warned her about folks like me,” says Brooks, the Oscar-winning director of “Terms of Endearment” and the co-creator of “The Simpsons” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” Blume chose not to heed the admonition. By the end of their sit-down, Brooks, Craig and Blume’s husband George were all hugging. The film rights were theirs. It turns out Brooks and Craig had an ace up their sleeve: Blume had loved their collaboration “The Edge of Seventeen,” a sensitively drawn look at a teenager navigating the minefield of high school while processing her dad’s death. It’s a coming-of-age tale that’s similar to “Are You There God?,” which depicts the challenges and mortifications of being on the cusp of puberty. On April 28, fans of the book will get to see how successfully Craig, Brooks and their collaborators pulled it off when the Lionsgate release opens in theaters.

, was published in 1970. She's been our advisor and confidante on everything from bras, bullying, and of course, periods.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.We’re so used to seeing teens played by twentys-omethings. What was it like casting actual 11-year-olds for this?Kelly Fremon Craig: The casting process was seeing every kid under the sun and really looking places that you don’t expect, trying to find kids from all over. A lot of the kids, this was their first ever thing.

Angelique Jackson Literary icon Judy Blume has been in the public eye for more than 50 years, but lately she’s been posing for even more cameras than usual. For the past few months, Blume has been everywhere — from the red carpet premiere of the feature adaptation of her 1970 classic “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret” in Los Angeles last week, to Variety’s Power of Women ceremony in New York City, where she was honored earlier this month. But on Monday night in Studio City, Calif., it was Blume’s husband George Cooper on the other side of a cell phone camera lens. As Blume was introduced to an eager (and pink-masked) crowd by 16-year-old Annabelle Chang, who owns Annabelle’s Book Club LA, Cooper sprang from his seat behind the desk to capture the moment on his cell phone.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. A new documentary about Judy Blume sheds light on the profound impact that the beloved children’s book writer had on a whole generation of young girls.

Legendary author Judy Blume has written 29 books and swore the only one she would never consider selling for the screen was 1970’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, her timeless coming-of-age book that became a rite of passage for just about every girl, like Margaret, going from age 11 to 12, and probably their mothers as well. Blume held fast until 2018 when writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig and her mentor, Oscar-winning filmmaker James L. Brooks, came calling with just the right idea for an adaptation. The deal was sealed. The movie is here. Blume says she is probably the only author to say the movie is better than her book.

When it comes to young adult literature, there are few books as universally beloved and influential for preteen girls as “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” Judy Blume’s seminal 1970 novel. Tackling everything from boys to periods to religion, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” was a groundbreaking exploration of so-called taboo topics that plague all young girls.

As the working week nears its end, it’s time for some more great films and TV shows to drop on streaming services. If you’re wondering what new content you can sink your teeth into this weekend, we know just the thing.