In Brief: Ian McKellen up to play Gandalf again, and more

Ian McKellen says he’s been approached by director/actor Andy Serkis for his Lord of the Rings follow-up film The Hunt for Gollum, but he only has one caveat about reprising his role: Time. The 85-year-old tells Big Issue, “When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So they better be quick!” The movie is set for a 2026 release…

Oscar-winning filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar screened his first film in English, The Room Next Door, at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday, and was rewarded for his latest cinematic effort with an 18-minute-long standing ovation, according to Deadline. His two leading ladies, Oscar winners Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, were on hand, and also applauded along with the crowd. The film centers on the pair, playing friends who reunite in New York City after decades, as Swinton’s character battles cancer…

James Darren, who was a teen idol thanks to Gidget, and went on to star in shows including T.J. Hooker and Star Trek: Deep Stace Nine, has died. Variety reports the actor passed away on Monday, August 26, at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Hospital. He was 88…

Paul Russell jokes that he’s opening for Meghan Trainor just so he could meet her husband

Bryce Glenn

“Lil Boo Thang” singer Paul Russell joins Meghan Trainor‘s Timeless tour on Sept. 4. He’ll play that song and the other tracks from his new EP, Again Sometime?, including his duet with Meghan, “Slippin‘.” And for those who’ve never seen Paul perform, he says he wants to give you “something to smile about the whole way through.”

“I like to talk, y’know, talking about the songs and kind of what is behind them,” he tells ABC Audio. “But I mean, for me, it’s all about having fun. I want every show to not just be like, ‘All right, let’s listen to some music.’ Y’know, I want people to feel like they’re connected to it.”

Saying he’ll perform his new stuff, as well as covers — “things that I know that I like that aren’t even mine” — Paul adds, “I talk about ‘cookout music’ a lot. Like, I want my performances to kind of feel like you’re at a cookout sort of thing, or like you’re with family. Y’know, you’re connecting with the people around you and there’s something to sing along to and something to smile about the whole way through. So that’s the goal.”

Paul is thrilled to be on the tour with Meghan, who he calls “amazing” and “super nice.” And one unexpected benefit has been getting to meet her husband, Daryl Sabara, the star of the classic movie Spy Kids.

“I loved Spy Kids so much,” Paul laughs. “When I first met Daryl, it was, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s that guy.'”

Paul says he’s “obsessed” with the 2001 film: “The whole art direction of it is so specific and weird and, like, they just they knew what they were doing. They made something really unique.”

“So shout-out to Darrell,” he laughs. “That’s why I’m on this tour.”

Lady Gaga goes back to blond, flaunts engagement ring in Venice for film festival

Franco Origlia/Getty Images

Lady Gaga has been rocking dark, straight hair on Instagram lately, but when she arrived in Italy for the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 2, she was back to blond.

In Venice, Gaga and her fiancé, Michael Polansky, arrived together via water taxi at the famed Hotel Cipriani, sharing several kisses for photographers. Her hair was back to her signature platinum blond, and she was sporting a huge diamond on her left hand. She wore a black and white polka dot minidress and competed the look with dark glasses. Polansky also wore dark glasses and dressed all in black.

Gaga is in Venice for the Sept. 4 premiere of Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to the Oscar-winning film Joker. She plays Harley Quinn, the love interest of Joaquin Phoenix‘s Arthur Fleck aka Joker. The film opens Oct. 4.

Gaga was last at the Venice Film Festival in 2018 to premiere A Star Is Born. Not only did she make a fashion statement at every red carpet appearance that year, but that’s where the Oscar buzz first started on her performance. Gaga did receive an Oscar nod for her acting in the film, but ended up winning Best Original Song, for “Shallow.”

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ tops a sluggish Labor Day weekend box office

Disney

The summer movie season came to a close with a lackluster Labor Day weekend at the box office.

Deadpool & Wolverine was number one again in its sixth week with $19.4 across the three-day weekend. According to Box Office Mojo, the film has now surpassed $600 million in its domestic haul.

Number two on the list was Alien: Romulus in its third week of release, with an estimated $11.2 million domestically through the Monday holiday.

One of the weekend’s new releases, Reagan, starring Dennis Quaid as former President Ronald Reagan, opened in third place with a better-than-expected $10 million.

It was a close race for fourth and fifth place, with Twisters just narrowly beating out It Ends with Us. Twisters took in $9.56 million in its seventh week of release, while It Ends with Us earned $9.5 million in its fourth week.

Joey Chestnut sets 83-dog world record during Netflix eating contest

Netflix

Joey Chestnut beat his longtime nemesis Takeru Kobayashi by gobbling down a record 83 hot dogs and buns to Kobayashi’s 66 on Sunday, during Netflix’s live Las Vegas special Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef.

There was also a side of personal drama hanging over the match-up: The co-hosts of the live event were comic actor Rob Riggle and Nikki Garcia — days after the husband of the latter, Dancing with the Stars pro Artem Chigvintsev, was arrested for domestic violence.

There was no mention of the situation on-air, but Garcia wasn’t wearing her wedding ring.

Chestnut and Kobiyashi used to go head-to-head during Nathan’s annual hot dog eating contest every July 4 — with Joey finally beating Kobayashi in 2007.

However, a contract dispute between Kobayashi and Major League Eating saw him banned from the competition since 2010, clearing the way for Chestnut to dominate virtually unchallenged since.

In June, MLE banned Chestnut from the July 4 contest due to his decision to endorse vegan hot dogs instead of Nathan’s.

Selena Gomez pays surprise visit to Colorado high school volleyball team

Selena Gomez and Telluride, CO volleyball team; Vivien Killilea/Getty Images

Selena Gomez popped into a high school gym to give a warm greeting to students in Colorado.

The singer and actress, in Colorado for the Telluride Film Festival, shared photos and a video on Aug. 31 showing herself popping into a high school volleyball game, to the surprise of players and students.

Her visit was inspired by a photo she posted showing a sign that read, “Selena Gomez, please sing the national anthem @ one of the home games,” and listing the times for the weekend volleyball games. “They asked!! Couldn’t help it; it’s my first time in Telluride,” wrote Selena in the caption of her post.

In a video showing her entrance to the volleyball court, shrieks could be heard from the background as onlookers covered their mouths in surprise, filming the star as she walked onto the court. “I saw the sign,” she can be heard telling the onlookers gathering around her in the gym.

Telluride Middle/High School also posted photos on the school’s social media account showing Selena posing with multiple teams. The caption reads, “Thanks @selenagomez for visiting TMHS and giving [love] to our volleyball teams!”

Celebrity friends of Selena’s celebrated her arrival at the school: Her boyfriend, Benny Blanco, posted heart emojis in the comments, while her Emilia Pérez co-star Zoe Saldaña commented, “The kindest heart indeed.”

Ashley Park of Emily in Paris also commented, “This is so sweet” on the post, which has garnered more than 4 million likes to date.

Adele announces break after ending her Las Vegas residency

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AD

Adele announced she will be taking a hiatus from performing after finishing her residency.

During the final night of her Munich residency, the singer shared her plan of taking a step back from performing after finishing her Las Vegas residency in November.

In a TikTok video shared by a user @paolatravell from the concert, Adele began by saying, “I’m not the most comfortable performer. I know that, but I am very good at it, and I really enjoyed performing for nearly three years now, which is the longest I’ve ever done, and probably the longest I would ever do.”

Noting that she has 10 more shows left in her Las Vegas residency, the Grammy winner said she is thrilled to have those “exactly five weeks of shows” to do.

“But after that, I will not see you for an incredibly long time,” she continued. “And I will hold you dear in my heart for that whole length of my break. And I will fantasize about these shows and any shows that I’ve done over the last three years, and I really, really hold them in the bottom of my heart forever.”

“It has been amazing. I just need a rest,” she said before getting emotional, adding that she has spent the last seven years “building a new life for myself, and I want to live my new life.”

In July, Adele told German outlet ZDF her plan about taking a big break and desire to pursue other endeavors.

“I don’t have any plans for new music, at all,” she said at the time. “I want a big break after this and I think I want to do other creative things, just for a little while.”

The final leg of her Weekends with Adele residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is set for Oct. 25 to Nov. 23.

Doctor charged in Matthew Perry case “incredibly remorseful” for role in actor’s death: Lawyer

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

The lawyer for one of the two doctors charged in connection with Matthew Perry‘s ketamine death said his client feels “incredibly remorseful” for the role the medical professional played in the actor’s death as he appeared in court Friday.

Dr. Mark Chavez has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and has signed a plea agreement, according to federal prosecutors. He appeared in Los Angeles federal court Friday afternoon for his arraignment in the case. Chavez answered the judge’s questions, saying he understood the case against him.

“He is trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong that happened here,” Matthew Binninger, Chavez’s attorney, told reporters following the arraignment. “He is doing everything in his power to cooperate, to help in this situation, and he’s incredibly remorseful.”

Binninger told reporters before the court appearance Friday that Chavez fully accepts responsibility for his role in the death of Perry.

Chavez also agreed, as part of the deal, to immediately give up his medical license. He formally pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Friday, though a change of plea proceeding will be scheduled for a later date, at which point he will plead guilty, according to Binninger. The lawyer said he expects the hearing to occur sometime in October.

Chavez faces up to 10 years in prison, prosecutors said. Chavez is one of five people facing federal charges in the wake of Perry’s death from a ketamine overdose at his home on Oct. 28, 2024, at the age of 54.

Music notes: Taylor Swift, Zayn Malik and more

Adam Sandler is a certified Swiftie, and the proof is in the fact that his favorite Taylor Swift song is more of a deep cut. “Everything [my two daughters] throw on I love, but one of the first ones they threw on when they were young was ‘The Best Day,’” he told Billboard. “We connected with that when the kids were young. Every album, we listen the first day it comes out. There’s not a song they don’t know every word to.”

It would seem Zayn Malik has a passion for Yu-Gi-Oh! Yes, you read that right. The former One Direction member was unveiled as a celebrity in disguise during the Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel livestream on Thursday. “Yeah, I’m a big, big Yu-Gi-Oh! fan. I’ve been into Yu-Gi-Oh! for a long time, since I was a small kid, so it’s an honor to be here, to do this, and it was very exciting,” Zayn said.

Megan Thee Stallion is reteaming with BTS for a new collaboration. She teased that she’s working with the popular K-pop band in a post on social platform X on Thursday. The band retweeted Megan’s post, adding “Coming Soon!” with a purple heart and the eyes emoji.

Tom Hanks warns followers about AI-generated ads using his name, likeness and voice

ABC

Tom Hanks is once again issuing a warning to his followers to be vigilant online against artificial intelligence.

The actor shared a “public service announcement” post to Instagram on Thursday, addressing AI-generated ads using him to promote medical products he does not endorse.

“There are multiple ads over the internet falsely using my name, likeness, and voice promoting miracle cures and wonder drugs,” Hanks wrote. “These ads have been created without my consent, fraudulently and through AI.”

“I have nothing to do with these posts or the products and treatments, or the spokespeople touting these cures,” he continued. “I have type 2 diabetes, and I ONLY work with my board certified doctor regarding my treatment.”

Hanks ended the post with a firm message of caution to his followers, saying, “DO NOT BE FOOLED. DO NOT BE SWINDLED. DO NOT LOSE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY.”

A representative for Hanks told Good Morning America the actor had no additional comment on the matter.

This isn’t the first time the Toy Story actor has spoken out against AI-generated ads using his likeness to promote products.

In October 2023, he warned his followers about an ad for a dental plan using an aged-down version of him, saying, “I have nothing to do with it.”

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