Month: February 2024

Demi Moore has joined the cast of Taylor Sheridan’s upcoming Paramount+ series “Landman”.

The series, based on the podcast “Boomtown,” is “set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas” and the world of oil rigs. It is further described as “an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics.”

Moore joins previously announced series lead Billy Bob Thornton in the series, along with cast members Ali Larter, Michelle Randolph, Jacob Lofland, Kayla Wallace, James Jordan, Mark Collie, and Paulina Chávez. Moore will play Cami, the wife of one of the most powerful oil men in Texas and friend of Tommy Norris (Thornton).

Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, said in a statement: “Demi Moore is an iconic and extraordinary talent. We are thrilled to have her join Billy Bob Thornton and the star-studded cast of ‘Landman,’ our next epic series from Taylor Sheridan.”

Landman is now filming in and around Fort Worth, Texas. Paramount+ has yet to announce a premiere date.

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Lionsgate and Universal Pictures are sharing a first-look photo for the Michael Jackson biopic ‘Michael,’ featuring Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, as the late pop star.  A post on X read: “Your first look at #MichaelMovie. Starring Jaafar Jackson – in theaters April 2025. Photograph by the renowned photographer Kevin Mazur, who documented Michael’s final rehearsal, and is now the first to photograph Jaafar in character as Michael.”

Michael is directed by Antoine Fuqua and is produced by Branca, John McClain and the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. The photo shared on social media depicts Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson) performing “Man in the Mirror” on his Dangerous tour, which ran from 1992 to 1993. Photographer Kevin Mazur, who documented Michael Jackson’s final rehearsal, shot the image. Mazur said in a statement: “When I arrived on my first day on the set of this movie, I was so excited — it was like the first time I went on tour to shoot Michael Jackson. When I walked onto the set, I felt like I’d gone back in time and I was walking into the stadium to shoot the tour. Seeing Jaafar perform, I thought, ‘Wow, it is Michael.’ The way he looks and acts, his mannerisms, everything — he’s Michael Jackson. For anyone who didn’t have the chance to see Michael perform live during his lifetime — this is how it was.”

Michael will give “a riveting and honest portrayal” of the life and career of Michael Jackson, who died at age 50 in 2009. Producer Graham King added: “With Jaafar, every look, every note, every dance move is Michael. He embodies Michael in a way that no other actor could.” The cast also includes Colman Domingo as Michael’s father, Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson, and Miles Teller as John Branca, the attorney who shepherded Michael’s career.

Michael opens in theaters April 18, 2025.

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Pop music star Kylie Minogue and country music artist Lainey Wilson will perform at the People’s Choice Awards ceremony, taking place on Feb. 18 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. The fan-voted prize presentation will air on NBC, Peacock and E!.

Minogue, 55, and Wilson, 31, will perform at the ceremony, hosted by actor Simu Liu, which recognizes fan-favorites in film, TV and music across 45 categories. Additionally, Grammy-winning artist Lenny Kravitz will perform multiple songs from his acclaimed catalog and receive the music icon award. Actor and comedian Adam Sandler will be honored with the people’s icon award, which has previously been awarded to stars including Halle Berry and Jennifer Lopez.

The 2024 People’s Choice Awards airs live from Santa Barbara’s Barker Hangar on NBC, Peacock and E! at 8 p.m. ET on Feb. 18.

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Disney Studios are going forward with an animated sequel to the 2016 film Moana that will hit theaters Nov. 27. The sequel is in addition to the live-action remake of Moana starring Dwayne Johnson.

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced the news, revealing that the film was initially developed as a TV series, before becoming a movie. “We were impressed by what we saw, and knew it deserved a theatrical release,” said Iger, adding that the film crossed 1 billion minutes of viewing on Disney+ in 2023.

The original Moana was voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho, a young woman who goes on an adventure against the wishes of her father, the chief of the Polynesian island of Motunui. Along the way, she teams up with Maui, a demigod of the wind and sea voiced by Dwayne Johnson. Johnson and Cravalho are expected to reprise their roles in the sequel film. Moana grossed $643.3 million globally, and it received Oscar nominations for best animated feature and best song for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “How Far I’ll Go.”

Dave Derrick Jr., who worked on the original film as a story board artist, will direct the Moana sequel, with Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear, Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina writing the film music.

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