Washington Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Brent Lang Executive Editor There was something fitting about the setting. Paramount Pictures unveiled the first footage from “Gladiator II” on the stage of The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, a hotel that reimagines Ancient Rome in all its decadent splendor, albeit with a few more slot machines. Ridley Scott seems to be offering a bloodier version of that distant age, one that finds Paul Mescal enter the arena as a nobleman who has renounced his privilege.

Refresh for More…Paramount ended their CinemaCon 2024 on an epic note, that being Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II. The logo was unveiled and title made official today at the Las Vegas studio exhibitor confab.

Ice Spice will soon be making her acting debut alongside Denzel Washington in an upcoming Spike Lee film.According to a Variety report, Ice Spice has already begun shooting her scenes for the film, though details on her role are currently under wraps. The film, titled High And Low, is an upcoming English remake and reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime drama of the same name.The original film is based on Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom and stars Toshiro Mifune as a wealthy man who is forced to pay the ransom money for his employee’s kidnapped son.The remake of High And Low will be released in cinemas by A24 before heading to Apple TV+ (as reported by The Guardian), though a release date for both cinematic release and on streaming have yet to be announced.Spike Lee’s version of High And Low will mark his fifth collaboration with Denzel Washington.

Joni Mitchell honored Elton John and Bernie Taupin with a jazzy rendition of their 1983 hit “I’m Still Standing” at the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize ceremony on Monday. Mitchell, 80, was introduced at last month’s ceremony — which later aired on PBS — by Brandi Carlile.“She was given the green light by Elton and Bernie to change some of the lyrics to fit her, which is honestly the most Joni Mitchell thing I think I’ve ever heard of,” Carlile, 42, joked, prompting the audience to laugh.

Gladiator has been revealed.The follow-up to the Oscar-winning epic historical movie, released in 2000, is on the way, with Ridley Scott returning to direct.Starring All Of Us Strangers and Normal People’s Paul Mescal in the lead, the sequel will focus on Lucius, the son of Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla from the first film.Nielsen will be reprising her role, and the cast will also be joined by Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington and Stranger Things actor Joseph Quinn.Also reprising his role from the first movie, which starred Russell Crowe in the lead, will be Derek Jacobi, who played Senator Gracchus.Paramount Pictures is set to present its theatrical slate at CinemaCon in Las Vegas later this week. Attendees at the event have already seen the new poster for the movie, which confirms the film’s tagline and title.The name of the sequel to the winner of Best Picture at the 73rd Academy Awards, is simply Gladiator II.The poster (via The Independent) depicts a large gladiator shield, with the film’s title, release date (November 22, 2024) and its tagline, which reads: “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”In January, Mescal shared his concern about the fame which may come with the epic sequel.

eff Goldblum‘s IMDb, he has five exciting film and TV projects in the works including the much-anticipated “Wicked” adaptation.There’s still more on his plate, though.The busy 71-year-old screen icon is embarking on a brief three-show tour this year.First up, he’ll swing into Washington, D.C.’s Lincoln Theatre on Thursday, May 30.Five months later, the “The Fly” actor buzzes into San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 19 and Austin’s Bass Concert Hall on Sunday, Oct.

EXCLUSIVE: Executive Producers Abby Ginzberg (Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power) and Angela Tucker (Belly of the Beast) are currently in production on a documentary series about influential female politicians titled She Dared To Dream.

Katie Lowes and Guillermo Diaz are back to re-watch Scandal!

Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign have cancelled the listening parties for the ‘Vultures’ album.The rappers, who released the first album in their ‘Vultures’ trilogy in February, were planning to give fans the opportunity to listen to their second record at a number of ‘Vultures 1 & 2 Listening Experiences’ in arenas across North America later this month.However, just days after they first announced it, it looks like the events are no longer going ahead as planned. According to a report from Variety, the project has been called off, and the gigs planned for Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Charlotte and Washington, D.C.

Smashing Pumpkins have announced a huge run of North American tour dates – see the full list of dates and cities below.Last night, Billy Corgan and co. took to social media to announce their tour, which apart from their own headline shows, will include festival appearances and shows as part of Green Day‘s The Saviors tour.

Thania Garcia The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has upped Michele Ballantyne to President. She will also continue to serve as chief operating officer, running daily operations and managing the 56-employee team. Ballantyne serves on the executive leadership team alongside Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Anyone who was hoping to pay to hear the “Vultures” album played back in an arena in the near future may be out of luck. The next round of “listening sessions” with Kanye West, aka Ye, and Ty Dolla Sign for the album project has been called off, as the arenas that were scheduled to host the next round of large-scale playbacks in April announced over the weekend that the dates were canceled or otherwise quietly pulled the plug.

Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign have extended their 2024 tour.The controversial pair booked additional ‘Vultures 1 Listening Experience’ arena concerts all over the U.S. from April 7-14 in support of their recently released album.Stops on the brief run include Nashville (April 7), Pittsburgh (April 9), Washington, D.C.

Two heavyweights of prestige TV, Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) and Kerry Washington (“Scandal”) are teaming up for a new high-profile streaming series titled “Imperfect Women.” Apple TV+ announced yesterday that the limited series is based on the gripping novel by Araminta Hall, which is sure to leave audiences eagerly anticipating its release. Annie Weisman will adapt “Imperfect Women” as both writer and executive producer for television.

Kerry Washington and Elisabeth Moss are teaming up for a new series on Apple TV+.

Annie Weisman, creator of Apple TV+’s Rose Byrne comedy Physical, is heading back to the streamer with her latest project – a series adaptation of Araminta Hall’s novel Imperfect Women that will star Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Christine Blasey Ford received a Hollywood welcome on Sunday night when Kerry Washington, Elizabeth Banks, Busy Phillips, Marisa Tomei and more gathered to toast the release of her new memoir, “One Way Back.” “We stand with you because you have stood with us so courageously, and we honor you and we celebrate you. We lift our glasses to you tonight,” Washington said. “To your courage, to your beauty, to your generosity as you continue to do more than you have to.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music R&B ace Maxwell has announced “The Serenade 2024” North American Tour, which will see him joined by two special guests: two-time Grammy winner Jazmine Sullivan and rising singer-songwriter October London. Full dates appear below.

Angelina Jolie stunned loyal fans when she revealed to an interviewer that a steamy scene with Denzel Washington was "the best sex I ever had".

Rebel Wilson claims a Hollywood actor has “threatened her” after she revealed her intention to name and shame him over his previous behaviour in her forthcoming memoir.

Metallica covered Elton John at the 2024 Gershwin Prize in Washington, D.C. last night (March 20) – check out the footage below.John and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin were honoured with the Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song at the ceremony, which was hosted by Billy Porter.Ahead of the event, Metallica said they were “beyond excited and proud to have been invited to perform” at the “very special event” before describing John and Taupin as a “legendary songwriting team”.The group opened the show with a rendition of ‘Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding’ from John’s 1973 double album ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’.One of those things you thought you’d never see in Washington — Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson head-bopping along to @Metallica at the @librarycongress #GershwinPrize for Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Hallie Jackson is taking NBC’s venerable “Nightly News” to Washington D.C. for one night each week. The NBC News senior Washington correspondent has been named the new anchor of NBC’s Sunday evening-news broadcast, taking the reins from Kate Snow.

Siddhant Adlakha The nerve-wracking documentary “War Game” follows a 6-hour Situation Room re-creation of events of Jan. 6, 2021, albeit on a larger, more distressing scale. In the process, the film lays bare numerous weaknesses in America’s political infrastructure, but its most revealing subjects might not be who you think.

Coming off his recent Best Actor nomination for “American Fiction,” Jeffrey Wright has landed a high-profile part opposite Denzel Washington and Ilfenesh Hadera (“Billions“) in Spike Lee‘s (“Da 5 Bloods“) “High & Low,” according to a report from THR. The ransom thriller is a remake of the acclaimed Akira Kurosawa film from 1963.

Two suspects are in custody for allegedly kidnapping and murdering a retired University of Washington professor. That would be awful enough. But the way they met him and gained his trust? It’s diabolical…

Hot on the heels of his first Academy Award nomination for his lead role in American Fiction, Jeffrey Wright has been set to join Denzel Washington and Ilfenesh Hadera in Spike Lee’s High and Low, an English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller, for Apple and A24.

EXCLUSIVE: Ilfenesh Hadera (Godfather of Harlem) has been tapped to star opposite Denzel Washington in Apple and A24‘s High and Low, an English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller, from filmmaker Spike Lee.

US Sun reports.Notably absent from the Connecticut-based convention was Stephen Collins, who played the Camden family patriarch Rev. Eric Camden, and later admitted to molesting or exposing himself to three girls in October 2014. Other absent cast members included Jessica Biel, 42, who was busy supporting hubby Justin Timberlake, 43, during the launch of his new album “Everything I Thought It Was.” Nikolas Brino, 25, who starred as the youngest Camden sibling, Sam, alongside his late twin brother, Lorenzo Brino, was also not in attendance.

Kerry Washington and Nnamdi Asomugha have arrived at Vanity Fair’s big event!