Meredith Woerner Deputy Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com The official trailer for the second season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” features two very emotional moments for romance lovers everywhere: One, Jeremiah confronting Belly about their tangled love triangle with Conrad (Christopher Briney). And two, the first sneak peek of “Back to December (Taylor’s Version)” from the soon-to-be released “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” “Belly, you were my best friend, we hooked up, and then you hooked up with my brother,” says Gavin Casalegno (Jeremiah) to a distraught Lola Tung (Isabel “Belly” Conklin) in the new footage. “And everybody asked me to act like I was fine, and I wasn’t.”

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com Rick Dalton, the fictional star of Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood” has died at the age of 90. Played by Leonardo DiCaprio, Dalton starred as the lead in “Bounty Law” before pivoting to several smaller Western films and series including “Nebraska Jim” and “Tanner.” Tarantino announced the character’s death via tweet through The Video Archives, a podcast co-hosted by the director and his “Pulp Fiction” co-writer Roger Avary. “We are saddened by the news of the passing of actor Rick Dalton, best known for his roles in the hit TV series ‘Bounty Law’ and ‘The Fireman’ trilogy.”

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com The retired optometrist who is suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 ski crash took the stand on Monday, telling the jury that he heard a “blood-curdling scream” just before being struck in the back. Terry Sanderson is suing Paltrow for $300,000, and alleges that he was left with a concussion, four broken ribs and a brain injury. Paltrow was the first to testify, telling the Utah jury last week that it was Sanderson who crashed into her. She said she became very upset and yelled “you skied directly into my fucking back.” Paltrow is countersuing for $1 and attorneys’ fees.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com A new, hot literary collab just dropped: Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and Lemony Snicket from “A Series of Unfortunate Events” fame are partnering up for an illustrated and annotated edition of Carlo Collodi’s classic novel “Pinocchio.” Variety has the first look of the little wooden boy, reimagined by Mignola. Teaming back up with award-winning colorist Dave Stewart, Mignola returned to his gothic roots for a reimagining of the centuries-old story that will be published by Beehive Books. But despite the wooden boy’s recent, Oscar-winning popularity, Pinocchio has always influenced Mignola’s oeuvre. “This is a book I’ve loved since I read it when I was a young teenager,” Mignola told Variety. “I really think between this and Dracula, this is what’s formed whatever the hell it is I do, my sensibilities.” When first approached by Beehive Books to contribute to their collection of reworked literary classics, Mignola was hesitant, unsure of what he could bring to this translation, “I got spooked because it’s been so well-illustrated over the years.”

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com Goonies never say die, even 38 years later. It’s been almost four decades since Richard Donner’s “Goonies” premiered, and the bond between the band of pre-teen outsiders, who happen upon a pirate ship off the coast of their little town in Oregon, remains strong. Moments after his crowd-delighting win at the Academy Awards, an elated Ke Huy Quan entered the press room to yet another standing ovation. When asked how his younger self would embrace the recent news of his Oscar win, the actor turned nostalgic. “My younger self would not know all the struggles that I went through to be here,” Quan said. “Because he was just having the time of his life being a kid, being on the set, on a pirate ship, going down a waterslide. Right before this night started, Corey Feldman, one of my ‘Goonies’ brothers called. I was talking to Kerri Green and of course tonight Jeff Cohen, who is my entertainment lawyer, is here tonight with me. Sean [Astin] reached back, Josh [Brolin], Martha [Plimpton]. We are always bonded. We’re family forever. Goonies never say die!”

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com Brendan Fraser, the ’90s heartthrob who made a career comeback with his awards season run for “The Whale,” won the Oscar for best actor. An emotional Fraser got on stage and exclaimed, “so this is what the multiverse looks like!” He then continued down a nautical-themed speech thanking his cast, crew and family. “I’m grateful to Darren Aronofsky for throwing me a creative lifeline and hauling me aboard the good ship ‘The Whale,'” Fraser said. “That was written by Samuel D. Hunter who is our lighthouse. Gentleman, you laid your whale-sized hearts bare so that we could see into your souls like no one else could do. It is my honor to be named alongside you in this category. I want to tell you that only whales can swim at the depth of talent of Hong Chau [fellow nominee].”

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com Almost a year after the infamous Oscars slap, comedian Chris Rock is finally addressing what happened in his live Netflix special, “Selective Outrage.” After an hour of new material, the comedian dove into what thousands of audience members had been waiting to hear, breaking down the aftermath of the on-stage smack between him and Oscar-winner Will Smith. “You all know what happened to me, getting smacked by Suge Smith, everybody knows, everybody fucking knows,” Rock said. “I got smacked like a year ago… and people are like, ‘Did it hurt?’ It still hurts. I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com A24 just swept the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Thanks to “Everything Everywhere All At Once’s” massive showing throughout the night (the multiverse movie took home four wins at the 2023 SAG Awards ceremony) and Brendan Fraser’s victory for “The Whale.” Thus making this the first time in history that a studio has captured every major film prize (minus the stunts award that went to “Top Gun: Maverick”). This colossal night for A24 feature “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, started early with Jamie Lee Curtis (who won for actress in a supporting role). Next up was Ke Huy Quan taking home the trophy for outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role. That was followed by Michelle Yeoh, who won for actress in a leading role, and then the show closed with a win for bestperformance by a cast in a motion picture. These four wins for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” broke the SAG record for most wins by a single film at the show.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. American Girl Dolls has immortalized what was once their most loyal fanbase.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com Mike Schank, guitarist, actor, friend and beloved subject of the 1999 documentary “American Movie,” died on Thursday morning, according to the Milwaukee Record. He was 56. The exceedingly gifted screamer was a highlight from the cult classic directed by Chris Smith. The film followed Wisconsin director Mark Borchardt as he attempted to film his fraught horror movie “Coven.” With a crew made up of friends and family members, just about every part of the production process fell apart, except for Schank, who was always there for his friend. Schank appeared as an extra, assistant, edit bay buddy and epic storyteller.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com Guitarist, actor, friend and beloved subject from the 1999 documentary “American Movie” Mike Schank has died. According to the Milwaukee Record, Schank passed away early this morning, he was 56. The exceedingly gifted screamer was a highlight from the cult-loved documentary directed by Chris Smith. The film followed Wisconsin director Mark Borchardt as he attempted to film his fraught horror movie “Coven.” With a crew made up of friends and family members, just about every part of the production process fell apart, except for Schank who was always there for his friend. Schank appeared as an extra, assistant, edit bay buddy and epic storyteller.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Babies, they’re adorable, sweet and (often) exceedingly expensive. But there are certain things that truly make your life easier as a parent, like the Frida Baby nose snot sucker (yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like) the cradle cap brush, sound machines and on-the-go diaper changing mats. Then there are the things you HAVE to have (normally) like bottles, milk storage bags and what not. Avoid draining your bank account on your little sweetie with the best baby deals available at the Prime Early Access sale. Here’s our roundup of trusted, tried and reliable products that we wish we had been able to buy on sale. These swaddles are pivotal. You can use them for anything, not just swaddling but also shade, a little extra warmth, wiping up baby messes, picnics, privacy shields anything. They’re an integral part of the diaper bag and so lightweight it doesn’t weigh you down. The Aden + Anais brand is highly recommended and they have all sorts of styles to choose from including gender neutral designs, woodland characters and Winnie the Pooh blankets that are really very chic and a lot less “cover my baby in free marketing for Disney.”

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com The only soul Satan himself would come up to collect is getting a follow-up film. “Constantine” is back. Variety can confirm that Warner Bros. will make a sequel to the 2005 supernatural action film “Constantine” starring Keanu Reeves. The blockbuster star will reunite with original director Francis Lawrence, best known for taking over the “Hunger Games” franchise after the first film. “Constantine” has been a hot property in Hollywood, sparking a NBC series created by Daniel Cerone and David S. Goyer, and was even more recently being developed into a new series for HBO Max by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions. However, sources tell Variety that the HBO Max series is now dead, although the streamer had been in early talks with an actor for the lead role before the new movie came together. Bad Robot’s “Madame X” series will also not be moving forward at HBO Max. Insiders say these decisions were not due to creative reasons, and expect to find a new home for both projects.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. “Star Wars” super couple Han Solo and Leia Organa survived the rebellion and each other long enough to start a family and have a son, Ben Solo, who would (SPOILER ALERT) eventually betray them both and kill his dad with a lightsaber.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.comEveryone’s favorite half-vampire is returning to theaters next year. Marvel Studios’ “Blade” will premiere Nov.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. It might be summertime but Hulu is delivering hot fall lewks on their murder mystery series “Only Murders in the Building.” Last year star Selena Gomez carried the fashion (quite literally) on her back with stunning burnt orange coats, sunny caps and statement headphones mixed together with bold plaids and turtlenecks.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.comVariety has been nominated for 72 Southern California Journalism Awards, including two for journalist of the year, three for entertainment journalist of the year and six nominations for criticism of TV, music and books.The awards, given out by the Los Angeles Press Club, honor outstanding journalism in the region across print, digital, radio and broadcast platforms.Executive editor Ramin Setoodeh and deputy music editor Jem Aswad are both up for journalist of the year. TV critic Daniel D’Addario along with chief film critic Owen Gleiberman and features editor Chris Willman are all nominated for entertainment journalist of the year.Aswad leads all Variety staffers with 14 total nominations, followed by Willman with nine nominations.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.comViewers continue to fall for “Heartstopper” long after its April drop on Netflix. For the third week in a row the series topped Variety’s Trending TV chart, earning nearly 600,000 more engagements for the week of May 2 to 8. The series was down week-over-week in terms of overall engagements, but first-season re-watches, people discovering the queer coming-of-age story for the first time, and fans clamoring for a second season (and profile icons) also added to the conversation.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.comWhile accepting his award for Variety’s Hitmaker of Tomorrow, Jack Harlow gifted the audience with a story from his childhood, revealing how a reading program stoked his competitive side, and how he’s been a voracious reader since he was a little kid.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.comThere were several hurdles Peter Jackson’s “Get Back” had to mount before the eight-hour documentary could premiere on Disney Plus, including persuading the surviving members of the Beatles to OK this pursuit, and sifting through 150 hours of audio and 60 hours of vintage footage and then restoring that delicate footage into crystal-clear quality.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com All products and services featured by Variety are independently selected by Variety editors.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.comIs there anything scarier than an evil kid? Be it possessed, damned, vampiric or even ghostly, it’s pretty chilling to witness the sugar and spice spoil.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com“Halloween” has been a staple of the spookiest season ever since John Carpenter unleashed the unrelenting monster Michael Myers on an unsuspecting suburban town in 1978. The man in the mask went from boy-murderer to indestructible killing machine, seemingly always drawn back to one person, his surviving sister Laurie Strode.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.comA young couple ponders life’s biggest questions of vows, adulthood, love and … “would you ever consider an open thing?” Check out the exclusive trailer debut for the charming romantic comedy “Mark, Mary & Some Other People” above.Hayley Law and Ben Rosenfield play the titular characters who reconnect after college.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com All products and services featured by Variety are independently selected by Variety editors. However, Variety may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.The time to update your children’s bookshelves is now.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.comAlmost a year after the Tony Award nominations dropped, it’s finally time to announce the winners.Amid rising health concerns Broadway (and theater across the globe) went dark in March of 2020 as the world battled the pandemic. Only very recently has the curtain raised on the theater industry, with emotional returns for shows like “Wicked,” “Hamilton” and more.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.comThe Byrdes have blood on their hands again in the first glimpse of the fourth and final season of “Ozark” offered Saturday by Netflix as part of its Tudum global promotional event.The 90-second clip released by Netflix shows the couple at the heart of the series — Wendy and Marty Byrde, played by Laura Linney and Jason Bateman —  washing themselves up in a bathroom sink. Both have blood and some kind of grit on their hands, hair and upper body.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.comSince the launch of its streaming service, Disney has been pulling back the curtain to reveal how the magic is actually made on the studio lot. Giving fans wild access into some of the most intimate creative process moments, the “Gallery” series revealed the elaborate lengths Marvel went to to keep their comic book effects practical on “WandaVision.” And we’ll never forget witnessing Sterling K.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com All products and services featured by Variety are independently selected by Variety editors. However, Variety may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.The first surprise is this vinyl release from Stanley Kubrick’s war drama “Full Metal Jacket.” The packages design was created by artist Alan Hynes.