Paramount Pictures Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

LAS VEGAS – Things are rocky for Paramount Pictures at the moment. While studio CEO and Chairman Brian Robbins and his team presented highlights of their upcoming 2024 slate, reports were breaking of corporate shareholders coming out publicly against a proposed merger with Skydance Media.

borrowed too much from a 1983 magazine article that inspired the original “Top Gun” film.In a decision on Friday, US District Judge Percy Anderson in Los Angeles said the sequel was not “substantially similar” to Ehud Yonay’s “Top Guns,” about the US Navy’s Top Gun fighter pilot training school in San Diego.Yonay’s widow Shosh Yonay and son Yuval Yonay, the heirs to his copyright, said they deserved some of the sequel’s profits, after Paramount built a billion-dollar franchise off an article that “breathed life into the technical humdrum of a navy base.”Lawyers for the Yonays did not immediately respond on Monday to requests for comment.

While “Star Trek” has flourished on the small screen and within many of Paramount+’s series like “Picard,” Trekkies haven’t experienced a film in theaters since 2016’s “Star Trek Beyond.” But there seems to be some tentatively good news on the horizon regarding the long-in-development “Star Trek 4.” Variety reports that the studio has hired Steve Yockey to write the newest incarnation of the “Star Trek 4” script, which is being described as a final installment.

Are you ready for the return of bumbling detective Frank Drebin to the big screen? Wait, chances are if you are under 35 you have no idea what we’re referring to. The character was a masterstroke of deadpan humor played by Leslie Nielsen in three motion pictures beginning with “The Naked Gun: From The Files of Police Squad!” in 1988.

Jeff Nichols was just at the Telluride Film Festival last weekend for the world premiere of his upcoming film, “The Bikeriders.” And while he was there, the director hopped on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast to talk about his new movie, failed pitches for projects like “Aquaman,” and other topics. That includes “Alien Nation,” a long-gestating project of Nichols’ that never panned out (and is the reason for seven years between “The Bikeriders” and 2016’s “Loving” and “Midnight Special“) but came closer to being made than anyone realizes.

told Variety on Friday.The outlet reported that four of the six were in the hospital in stable condition as of Friday.Two others were treated locally and discharged.“The safety and full medical services teams on-site were able to act quickly so that those who were impacted immediately received necessary care. They are all in stable condition and continue to receive treatment,” Paramount’s statement continues.No cast members, including Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, and Connie Nielsen, were reported injured.The Post has contacted Paramount for comment.TheParamount statement concluded: “The well-being of the cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us, and we have strict health and safety procedures in place on all our productions.

Ever since 1990, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” have had a footprint on the big screen. While a new live-action film is years away, producer/co-writer Seth Rogen (“The Boys“) is behind a brand new take on the ‘Ninja Turtles’ franchise with the upcoming animated movie, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.” As the quirky new animated pic releases this summer, Paramount has released a brand new trailer.

a lawsuit over a nude scene in “Romeo and Juliet,” finding the 1968 film is protected under the First Amendment.Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting — both 72 and the titular stars of the Franco Zeffirelli flick — claimed they were coerced into performing nude in the film’s bedroom scene while minors.They accused Paramount Pictures of sexual exploitation and distribution of nude imagery of children in their December suit, which sought more than $500 million in alleged damages.Judge Alison Mackenzie granted Paramount’s motion to strike the lawsuit Thursday.Mackenzie rejected Hussey and Whiting’s argument that the nude scene could be considered “child pornography.” The judge also found the pair did not comply with a 2020 California law that temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse lawsuits.According to court documents obtained by The Post, Mackenzie wrote there was no evidence the film included “sufficiently sexually suggestive as a matter of law to be held to be conclusively illegal.” Paramount requested to dismiss the suit under the state’s anti-SLAPP statute, which allows defendants to move to strike supposedly meritless complaints that could undermine free speech.Solomon Gresen, an attorney for Hussey and Whiting, said he plans to appeal the decision.“I was angry,” Gresen told The Post on Friday. “I think that the anti-female bias in this country is real, and it’s something that I have dedicated my career to trying to right the wrongs.”He added: “It’s abusive to take images of naked children.

For the glory of Rome! This summer will see filmmaker Ridley Scott return to the period epic genre with a sprawling sequel to his acclaimed 2000 pic “Gladiator.” And while he’s already assembled quite the cast for the film, one of his high-profile actors has sadly dropped out. According to Deadline, recent Oscar-nominee Barry Keoghan (“The Banshees of Inisherin“) will exit due to a scheduling conflict.

More casting news for Ridley Scott‘s upcoming blockbuster sequel “Gladiator 2.” Deadline reports that Connie Nielson will return to reprise her role as Lucilla from the 2000 original film, while “Stranger Things” breakout star Joseph Quinn lands the role of Emperor Caracalla. The pair join the already stacked cast of Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, and Denzel Washington.

Never hate your enemies.“Al Pacino doesn’t hold a grudge against “The Godfather” costar Marlon Brando, who scored the best actor Oscar award, despite having more lines than him in the 1972 drama.The “Gucci” star, 82, sat down for a rare chat on Wednesday with David Rubenstein as part of New York City’s 92nd Street Y’s “People Who Inspire Us” series, where he looked back on his legendary career.Pacino was asked if he was mad about Brando’s Academy Award, 50 years later. The New York native did receive a nod for best supporting actor at the 1973 ceremony.“How does a story like that get out? I wasn’t upset, are you kidding me?” Pacino noted, via the Hollywood Reporter.“Let’s clear the air on that one.

Yesterday, it was announced that veteran writer Steven Knight (“Spencer,” “Eastern Promises“) would be joining the next untitled “Star Wars” film to help prepare a script ahead of the sci-fi adventure movie’s eventual production. Now there’s even more news about Knight’s upcoming film projects, and the latest one announced by Deadline is certainly a doozy for fans of classic thrillers.

Queen Bees and Wannabes,” was turned into a hit movie, then a Broadway musical — and now the musical is to be turned into a movie too.But while writer and producer Tina Fey and Paramount Pictures have made millions out of the franchise, Wiseman has made just over $400,000 after signing a deal to sell her film rights back in 2002, and not a cent since.Now, she is speaking out against a real-life Mean Girls culture and the “painful experience” that has stopped her from getting her alleged dues — revealing Paramount has even told her the studio has not made any profit from the franchise.Her lawyers are preparing to take action, and she told The Post exclusively: “We have reached out to Paramount to have things be more equitable, but Paramount is not interested in that.”It’s taken a lot for Wiseman, 54, to hit back. “For so long I was so quiet about it, so, so quiet, but I just feel like the hypocrisy is too much,” she said.“I think it’s fair for me to be able to get compensated in some way for the work that has changed our culture and changed the zeitgeist.“Over the years Tina’s spoken so eloquently about women supporting other women, but it’s gotten increasingly clear to me that, in my own personal experience, that’s not going to be the experience.

It’s been over 20 years since Ridley Scott rocked the period action film genre with his beloved “Gladiator,” eventually earning Best Picture and Best Actor wins at the Academy Awards in 2001. A long-gestating sequel is finally going in front of cameras this summer, with recent Oscar-nominee Paul Mescal (“Aftersun“) taking the lead role and Scott returning to the director’s chair.

80 for Brady, which opened last week in theaters nationwide.The film is inspired by a true story of four octogenarian female football fans who travel to Houston for the 2017 Super Bowl to watch the New England Patriots play against the Atlanta Falcons.Since the film’s release, some critics have argued the film should have distinct appeal for LGBTQ viewers, primarily due to its quartet of leading ladies who are much beloved by the queer community — Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno, and Sally Field — and the inclusion of Billy Porter, who plays a halftime show choreographer.Gus Kenworthy, who makes a cameo in the 98-minute film, says that initially the script called for a shot of him “making out” with his on-screen boyfriend, portrayed by M3GAN actor Brian Jordan Alvarez.The kiss was subsequently cut from the film.The 31-year-old actor said he and Alvarez performed several takes of the kiss, which occur after the pair engage in a back-and-forth lover’s spat. “They used the script for one take, but then we did it like four or five times where we would just ad-lib insults at each other and then make out,” Kenworthy told Variety. “Some of them got raunchy.”He said he hopes at least one of the deleted kisses makes it into the director’s cut.“Release the tapes!” he joked.

Can’t wait until “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” has its world premiere at South By Southwest in Austin on March 10? Well, here’s a new TV spot for the film to tide things over, exclusively for Super Bowl LVII. Chris Pines leads the film’s ensemble cast as a charming bard who risks it all to steal a relic that could help save the world from being enslaved by evil.

Joseph Quinn‘s Eddie Munson didn’t survive the Demobats of the Upside Down in “Stranger Things” Season 4 (it’s not a spoiler anymore, guys). Now, EW reports (via Deadline), Quinn will take on a different monster altogether as he’s in talks to join Lupita Nyong’o in the upcoming spinoff to the “A Quiet Place” series.

It doesn’t happen too often, especially from modern studio fare, but Parker Finn’s “Smile” is the kind of horror movie that earns the unique qualification of “genuinely scary.” Credit to Finn, the writer/director making his feature debut here, for achieving this with a strong and simple visual hook: possessed characters who smile, a sign to the witness that something is about to go horrifically wrong. It’s always creepy when actors here suddenly force a wide grin onto their faces, gradually baring their full teeth and pointing their eyes in a fashion that would barely be welcoming in a photo.

When the first trailer for “Sonic The Hedgehog” dropped online, it wasn’t apparent that the film would end up being a smashing success as the beloved video game character’s bizarre design led fans to ask the studio to “fix” the look of Sonic to a more traditional version and, surprisingly, it happened.

We’ll be seeing actor Kingsley Ben-Adir (“One Night In Miami“) taking on the role of legendary Reggae singer Bob Marley in a new biopic film at Paramount Pictures that is being helmed by “King Richard” director Reinaldo Marcus Green. The combination of director and actor gives the impression that it could end up becoming a festival/awards darling as another impressive addition to the cast has been announced.

We’ll be seeing actor Kingsley Ben-Adir (“One Night In Miami“) taking on the role of legendary Reggae singer Bob Marley in a new biopic film at Paramount Pictures that is being helmed by “King Richard” director Reinaldo Marcus Green. The combination of director and actor gives the impression that it could end up becoming a festival/awards darling as another impressive addition to the cast has been announced.

“Top Gun: Maverick.”Revealing Cruise “really didn’t want to” make a sequel to the hit 1986 blockbuster, Kosinski met with the actor in Paris where he had just half an hour to pitch the project.“So I read the script, I had some ideas, and Jerry [Bruckheimer] liked those ideas. He said, ‘You know what, you gotta go pitch this to Tom directly,'” Kosinski told Polygon.“We flew to Paris, where Tom was shooting Mission: Impossible, we got about a half-hour of his time between setups.”“And I basically had 30 minutes to pitch this film, which I didn’t realize when we were flying over.

“Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli.” That story has been spun into a new scripted series, “The Offer,” premiering Thursday onParamount+. It tells the story of the making of “The Godfather” from the perspectiveof the film’s producer, Al Ruddy, a former Rand Corporation computer programmer who found success in Hollywood after successfully pitching the idea for the show “Hogan’s Heroes.”“I spent about two to three weeks interviewing Al Ruddy,” said Michael Tolkin, creator and writer of the series.