Entertainment Daypop Archives

Idris Elba will star, direct and produce a modern retelling of The Hunchback of Notre Dame for the streaming service Netflix, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Based on a script by Michael Mitnick, the film is being described as “sonic and musical experience” and will feature an original score. Victor Hugo’s classic French novel has seen many screen adaptations, including Disney’s 1996 animated film.  Elba has worked with Netflix before, earning critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination for his role in “Beasts of No Nation.” He’s also set to star and executive produce the upcoming comedy “Turn Up Charlie” about a struggling DJ.

“Veep” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus is set to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center this fall. Louis-Dreyfus is the 2018 recipient of the prestigious award. Last year, David Letterman received the award, and comedy luminaries such as Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey have won the award in past years. Louis-Dreyfus wrote on Twitter that the honor is “insanely exciting.” The President of the Kennedy Center, Deborah F. Rutter, said in a statement, “Like Mark Twain, Julia has enriched American culture with her iconic, unforgettable, and outright hilarious brand of humor. Over four decades, her wildly original characters and her gift for physical comedy have left us in stitches.”

The New York Police Department is investigating allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against celebrity chef Mario Batali, confirming a 60 Minutes television report that aired this weekend. Batali “vehemently” denied the new allegations in a statement to CBS, which airs the program. An NYPD public information officer said in an email on Monday the department was investigating the allegations, however they did not respond to a question about whether the 2005 incident was too old to face prosecution. Batali, who owns numerous restaurants, is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting an employee at one of his restaurants in 2005 in the new criminal investigation, according to the report. Batali was fired in December 2017 by ABC as co-host of The Chew, a daytime food and talk show, and also stepped away from his restaurant company after the accusations by the four women first surfaced.

The new film “Show Dogs” stars Will Arnett and Ludacris, who is the voice of a talking police dog named Max who has to infiltrate a prestigious dog show, is causing concern among parents for a subplot which involves Max becoming comfortable with strangers touching his genitals. In the PG-rated film, Max must learn how to perform well as a show dog, which includes behaving during the “inspection” of his genitals by the show judges. Critics have likened that plot line to sexual predators “grooming” children to become comfortable with inappropriate touching. The filmmakers responded to the concerns with a statement: “It has come to our attention that there have been online discussion and concern about a particular scene in Show Dogs, a family comedy that is rated PG. The dog show judging in this film is depicted completely accurately as done at shows around the world; and was performed by professional and highly respected dog show judges. Global Road Entertainment and the filmmakers are saddened and apologize to any parent who feels the scene sends a message other than a comedic moment in the film, with no hidden or ulterior meaning, but respect their right to react to any piece of content.” The movie debuted in theaters on May 18. 

Kensington Palace released three official wedding photographs taken of Prince Harry and the former Meghan Markle shortly after their wedding this past weekend. Photographer Alexi Lubomirski’s images include a family portrait of the couple with Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Prince William and their spouses, as well as Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, and the children who served as bridesmaids and page boys.  A second image shows the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as they now are known, just with the children. The newlyweds also posed for a less formal black and white photo. The palace said Monday that the pair “feel so lucky to have been able to share their day with all those gathered in Windsor and also all those who watched the wedding on television across the U.K., Commonwealth, and around the world.”  Click on the linked article below to see the portraits.