Ron Howard Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

A lot of attention has been on Donald Trump‘s height and weight after the numbers were revealed in booking records from his Atlanta arrest.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor In this week’s podcast news roundup, Hallmark sets its first-ever scripted podcast, a “romance mystery” starring Malinda Williams, Amanda Seales and Keith D. Robinson; Ron Howard executive produces an improv workplace comedy with iHeart; Audible and the Obamas’ Higher Ground launch “Your Mama’s Kitchen,” in which guests tell host Michele Norris about… their mama’s kitchen; ex-UTA agent Jed Baker launched kids and family podcast network Starglow Media; and more.

Sony Picture Classics and Trafalgar Releasing have firmed up worldwide release plans for Carlos, their feature documentary on 10-time Grammy-winning musical icon, Carlos Santana.

Robert Swan, an actor familiar from sometimes brief but noticeable roles in Hoosiers, Rudy, The Untouchables and The Babe, died of cancer today at his home in Rolling Prairie, Indiana. He was 78.

EXCLUSIVE: Impact, the professional network for the entertainment industry founded by Oscar winning duo Brian Grazer and Ron Howard will team with Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay’s personnel database dedicated to underrepresented candidates, Array Crew, to create the number one global hiring resource for the entertainment industry.

EXCLUSIVE: Imagine Entertainment has struck a preemptive film rights deal for Whalefall, the next anticipated novel from bestseller Daniel Kraus. The deal for the book option was reached ahead of its August 8th publication by MTV Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

With Justin Simien recently parting ways with the series, Deadline has confirmed that Donald Glover and his brother Stephen have come on to develop the Lando Calrissian series Lando for Lucasfilm and Disney+. Glover and his brother Stephen Glover will write the series with plans to write the series as if Donal will reprise the role he first appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story.

BreAnna Bell Brothers Donald and Stephen Glover have signed on to write Lucasfilm’s “Lando” series for Disney+, Variety has confirmed. News first broke of a Lando Calrissian limited series being in the works in December 2020. At the time, “Dear White People” creator Justin Simien was attached to the project.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Apple TV+ is bringing Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington back to the screen in a new four-part documentary “The Super Models.” The documentary from Imagine Documentaries and One Story Up is directed by Academy Award-winner Roger Ross Williams and Larissa Bills. The series follows the legends of the catwalk as they reveal how they began their careers and ended up dominating the modeling world. Archival footage and interviews provide unprecedented access. As the logline for the series reads, “‘The Supermodels’ travels back to the 1980s, when four women from different corners of the world united in New York. Already forces in their own right, the gravitas they achieved by coming together transcended the industry itself. Their prestige was so extraordinary that it enabled the four to supersede the brands they showcased, making the names Naomi, Cindy, Linda and Christy as prominent as the designers who styled them. Today, the four supermodels remain on the frontlines of culture through activism, philanthropy and business prowess. As the fashion industry continues to redefine itself – and women’s roles within it – this is the ultimate story of power and how four women came together to claim it, paving the way for those to follow.”

Ron Howard’s 1985 classic “Cocoon” was “E.T.” for an older generation in many ways. And every generation needs an update on a tried and true classic, right? Well, that could be the new film “Jules” about a UFO and extra-terrestrial that disrupts the lives of the elderly.

Barbie will own the conversation. No, Oppenheimer will be the summer’s “must see” movie. The July 21 face-off between those unlikely rivals hints at the imminent surprises of Summer ’23.

The Directors Guild of America has released a new video of associate directors and stage managers touting their support of the guild’s tentative agreement for new film and TV contract. The pact, which covers directors and members of their teams, is being put to the members for ratification.  

The Directors Guild’s tentative agreement for a new film and TV contract “is the biggest we’ve ever negotiated” and “is almost double what we got last time,” former DGA President Paris Barclay says in a new video posted on the guild’s website featuring members touting the deal.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Scottish actor Ewan McGregor and Swedish actor Alicia Vikander will be honored at the 57th Karlovy Vary Film Festival, where they will receive the President’s Award, and present their latest films. The festival will open with “Firebrand,” in which Vikander has the leading role of Katherine Parr. McGregor will present “You Sing Loud, I Sing Louder,” in which he stars alongside his daughter Clara McGregor. McGregor’s role in Danny Boyle’s dark comedy “Shallow Grave” (1994) earned him an Empire Award for best British actor, and their next joint film, “Trainspotting” (1996), was an international sensation. McGregor and Boyle teamed up again for the 1997 romantic comedy “A Life Less Ordinary,” in which McGregor appeared alongside Cameron Diaz.

William Earl An interview series hosted by Isaac Mizrahi, a workplace improv comedy created by Ron Howard and a true-crime deep dive into a notorious murder case from L.A.’s early 1980s punk rock scene with Penelope Spheeris highlight the first slate of original podcasts produced by Imagine Entertainment through its joint venture with radio and podcasting giant iHeartMedia. Imagine and iHeart set a podcast production deal in December 2021. The first fruits of that partnership debut today with the launch of “Hello Isaac,” a weekly interview series featuring the fashion and media entrepreneur sitting down with notable figures such as Carson Kressley and Andy Cohen. New episodes will debut Mondays.

EXCLUSIVE: Tituss Burgess (Schmigadoon!) and Paula Pell (Girls5eva) are set for roles in The Slumber Party, Disney Branded Television’s forthcoming Disney Original Movie from Imagine Kids+Family.

The Directors Guild’s national board voted unanimously tonight to approve a tentative agreement for a new film and TV contract. The deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which was reached late Saturday night, goes this week to the guild’s membership for ratification with the board’s recommendation to vote “yes.”

Charna Flam Helen Mirren will receive the 37th American Cinematheque Award and Kevin Goetz and Screen Engine will be honored with the 2023 Power of Cinema Award. The ceremony will take place Saturday, Nov. 4, at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. American Cinematheque Board chair Rick Nicita said in his initial announcement, “Helen Mirren has won the Oscar, Tony and Emmy triple crown of acting, and is an unparalleled icon among actors. She has portrayed characters from queens to seductresses with a singular skill that has never lost its freshness or appeal.” He continued, “She brings a savvy intelligence and emotional strength to all her roles because, as movie stars do, the camera shows us the essence of who they are. Movie audiences eagerly embrace her talents in a career that glows brighter with every captivating performance. The American Cinematheque is proud and honored to present Helen Mirren with the 37th American Cinematheque Award.”

McKinley Franklin editor Sergio Calderón, a longtime actor who appeared in films including “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” and “Men in Black,” died Wednesday of pneumonia. He was 77. Calderón’s representative, Julie Smith, confirmed his death to the LA Times on Thursday. Calderón appeared in the 1997 film “Men in Black,” where he played the floating head on a pole carried by an alien that Tommy Lee Jones’s Agent K reveals, earning him the nickname “Head on a Stick.” Calderón was born in Mexico, where attended the Instituto Andrés Soler of the Asociación Nacional de Actores. While he was working as an English teacher, he broke into the film industry with a role in “The Bridge in the Jungle” which starred John Huston. In “Under the Volcano,” directed by Huston, he played one of the murderers.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italy’s RAI Cinema, which has four titles in this year’s Cannes selection, has closed a deal on Ron Howard’s next movie “Origin of Species,” a hot project at the Cannes market starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Ana de Armas, Jude Law and Alicia Vikander. RAI Cinema chief Paolo Del Brocco said the company – which is the film arm of Italian state broadcaster RAI – has teamed up with Rome-based Lucisano Media Group to acquire Italian rights from CAA Media Finance on Howard’s survival thriller penned by Noah Pink (“Tetris”) about a a group of eclectics who turn their backs on civilization and head to the Galapagos. In Cannes, RAI Cinema also picked up Italian rights from Gaumont on family movie “Moon The Panda,” by French humans and animals adventures specialist Gilles de Maistre, known for “Mia and the White Lion”and “The Wolf and the Lion.” De Maistre’s latest, about the friendship between a boy and a panda, is set to shoot later this month in China’s Sichuan mountains.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Natalie Portman told GQ magazine that she’s open to returning to the “Star Wars” franchise, 18 years after “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” served as her exit from the long-running space saga. Portman starred in all three of George Lucas’ prequel films as Padmé Amidala, who wins the heart of Anakin Skywalker. “I have no information on this,” Portman said when a fan floated the idea of her coming back to the franchise. “No one’s ever asked me to return, but I’m open to it.” Portman’s Padmé died in labor after giving birth to Luke and Leia in “Revenge of the Sith,” but the “Star Wars” franchise has a history of bringing back long-presumed dead characters (see “Phantom Menace” villain Darth Maul popping back up in “Solo.”).

 #Willow is leaving @DisneyPlus  ’cause… I’m kinda into it,” Kasdan wrote on Twitter. “I grew up at a time when @Disney movies were periodically re-released and not available to own, and it made them… more special.”The show will be available to stream until May 26 on the service.

Ana de Armas is not stopping any time soon. The actress, who took a brief break from acting to visit her native Cuba, is back in the spotlight, landing a coveted role in the film “Origin of Species.”Ana de Armas’ emotional arrival in Cuba: Watch the teary-eyed reunionAna de Armas surprises a fan in a restaurant in CubaAna de Armas’s fun birthday celebration in Cuba: WatchA post shared by Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl)Deadline reports that De Armas joins a stacked and award winning cast that includes Jude Law, Daniel Brühl and Alicia Vikander. “Origin of Species” will be directed by Ron Howard and is described as a survival thriller with a “darkly comic” edge, telling a story from two different perspectives.

Apple Original Films on Tuesday unveiled the theatrical and streaming release dates, as well as first-look photos for its true-life dramedy The Beanie Bubble, starring Zach Galifianakis (Baskets), Elizabeth Banks (Call Jane), Sarah Snook (Succession) and Geraldine Viswanathan (Cat Person). The film marking the feature directorial debut of Emmy nominee Kristin Gore and Damian Kulash, Jr. will premiere in select theaters on July 21st before bowing globally on Apple TV+ on July 28th.

EXCLUSIVE: Normal People and Where the Crawdads Sing star Daisy Edgar-Jones is the latest star attached to Oscar winner Ron Howard’s next movie Origin Of Species, which is a hot project at the Cannes market.

The Cannes Film Festival begins this week and with that also comes the Cannes Film Market, as you might suspect it’s an industry marketplace where various film projects are out to potential buyers, financiers, and distributors. One of those movies on the auction block is director Ron Howard‘s survival thriller “Origin of The Species” based on two different accounts of a true story.

Ana De Armas has joined the cast of Ron Howard's survival thriller 'Origin of Species'. The 35-year-old actress - who previously played Paloma in the James Bond film 'No Time to Die' - is set to star in the upcoming movie alongside the likes of Jude Law, Alicia Vikander and Daniel Bruhl, according to Deadline. The film has been billed as a "tale of murder and survival, set around a group of eclectic characters who abandon civilisation for the Galapagos.

EXCLUSIVE: We told you about Ron Howard’s survival thriller Origin of The Species last fall and the project now has a killer cast with Oscar nominee Ana De Armas (No Time To Die), Oscar nominee Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes), Oscar winner Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider) and Golden Globe nominee Daniel Brühl (All Quiet On The Western Front) all attached.

jaw-dropping performances — but Cruise’s cameo was definitely a showstopper for newly crowned King Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75. Cruise’s connection to the royal family dates back to 1992 when he and then-wife Nicole Kidman met Princess Diana during the premiere of their Ron Howard film “Far and Away.” The late Princess of Wales was reportedly a major fan of “Top Gun” and would watch it frequently watch it her young son’s Prince Harry and Prince William.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Russell Crowe will receive the Crystal Globe for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema at the 57th Karlovy Vary Film Festival (June 30-July 8). The Oscar winning actor will also deploy his musical talent with his band Indoor Garden Party, which will perform at the festival’s opening night concert. The festival also revealed Friday that Johnny Depp would appear in its trailer, which will have its premiere at the opening ceremony. Crowe, who was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia at an early age, began his acting career at the age of 6, working in TV and theater. In 1989, he started working in Australian films, with “The Crossing” (1990, dir. George Ogilvie), “Proof” (1991, dir. Jocelyn Moorhouse), and “Romper Stomper” (1992, dir. Geoffrey Wright). He won two Australian Academy Awards: supporting actor for “Proof” and best actor for “Romper Stomper.”