EXCLUSIVE : Artists First on Friday announced its signing of boxing Hall of Famer, Sugar Ray Leonard . Leonard enjoyed an elite, 20-year career in the ring before being inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in 1997, winning three National Golden Gloves titles, two Amateur Athletic Union championships and the 1975 Pan-American Games crown. He first got into boxing at age 14 and turned professional after winning a gold medal at the 1976 Olympic games, in a last-ditch effort to help his family with medical bills incurred from his father’s hospitalization with meningitis. Leonard won his first professional fight at age 20, then going on to defeat some of the greatest boxers of the modern era, from Wilfred Benetiz to Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Marvelous Marvin Hagler, from whom Leonard won the world middleweight title. His boxing career also saw him win world titles in the welterweight, junior middleweight, super middleweight, and light heavyweight division, … [Read more...] about Sugar Ray Leonard Signs With Artists First
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Paco Rabanne Dies: Spanish ‘Barbarella” Fashion Designer Was 88
Spanish-born fashion designer Paco Rabanne , who was best known for his metallic space-age outfits, has died in France at the age of 88 years old. The self-taught designer broke into the Parisian Haute Couture scene in the early 1960s with a collection composed of 12 unwearable experimental metallic dresses. His designs soon became favorites with stars and models of the time such as France’s Anouk Aimée, Françoise Hardy, Brigitte Bardot and the U.K.’s Twiggy. He soon connected with the cinema world, designing the iconic costumes for Jane Fonda in Roger Vadim’s 1968 cult film Barbarella , which are still on display in MoMA in New York. Other cinema credits included Roberto Enrico’s The Last Adventure and Joël Le Moigné’s Les Ponyettes . Rabanne retired in 1999 but his mothballed label was revived by Spanish company Puig in 2011, which has relaunched it as a fashion house and fragrance business that it now controls. … [Read more...] about Paco Rabanne Dies: Spanish ‘Barbarella” Fashion Designer Was 88
Melinda Dillon Dies: ‘Close Encounters’, ‘A Christmas Story’ & ‘Absence Of Malice’ Actress Was 83
Melinda Dillon , a two-time Oscar nominee for Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Absence of Malice who also played Ralphie’s mom in A Christmas Story , has died. She was 83. Her family said she died January 9 in Los Angeles but did not give other details. Dillon probably is best known for playing a mother whose young son is abducted by the aliens in Steven Spielberg’s 1977 epic Close Encounters of the Third Kind. She and Roy (Richard Dreyfuss) inexplicably are drawn to Devils Tower in Wyoming as they struggle to make sense of what has happened to them. She earned a Supporting Actress Oscar nom for the role. She also played the mother of the young lead Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) in the 1983 holiday classic A Christmas Story , memorably warning the boy who wants a BB rifle that, “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Dillon would earn a second Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination for 1981’s Absence of Malice, playing a close friend of Paul Newman’s … [Read more...] about Melinda Dillon Dies: ‘Close Encounters’, ‘A Christmas Story’ & ‘Absence Of Malice’ Actress Was 83
George R. Robertson Dies: ‘Police Academy’s Chief Hurst Was 89
George R. Robertson , who played Chief Hurst (later Commissioner) in the first six Police Academy films during a half-century screen career, has died. He was 89. His family said he died January 29 at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto but did not give other details. Robertson had been working in TV and films for nearly 15 years when he was cast as the strict but fair Chief Henry Hurst in Police Academy , the 1984 cop farce starring Steve Guttenberg. The film was a left-field hit and went on to spawn a franchise that spanned seven films during the next decade, including one a year through 1989. He appeared in the first six but not the Moscow-set final one in 1994. The movies followed the antics of a group of misfit police recruits who are assembled after their city’s newly elected female mayor announced that the department must take on anyone who applies. Co-stars included Kim Cattrall, Bubba Smith, Debralee Scott and Michael Winslow. Born on April 20, … [Read more...] about George R. Robertson Dies: ‘Police Academy’s Chief Hurst Was 89
‘The Traitors’ U.S. Premiere Becomes Most-Watched BBC Three Show Since Linear Relaunch
For the BBC , spooky mystery format The Traitors is the gift that keeps on giving. While BBC One’s UK version proved an outsized hit and ratings bonanza, the U.S. version’s premiere has just become the most-watched show on the relaunched BBC Three linear network. With 1.2M consolidated viewers over the past two weeks, the opening episode, titled The Game is Afoot, sits atop the BBC Three charts, according to Barb data supplied by Liam Hamilton. Separately, the U.S. version, which airs on Peacock and was acquired from All3 Media International, has also been available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer since the start of last month. Hosted by Alan Cumming , the U.S. version differs from the UK’s in that it mixes a number of reality TV icons with non-celebrities. Having become the most-watched Peacock reality series, it was greenlit for a second season yesterday along with an Andy Cohen-hosted reunion special for later this month. Set in the Scottish … [Read more...] about ‘The Traitors’ U.S. Premiere Becomes Most-Watched BBC Three Show Since Linear Relaunch
Irene Cara’s Cause Of Death Revealed By Medical Examiner
A Pinellas County, Florida medical examiner’s report indicates that Fame star Irene Cara ’s official cause of death was Arteriosclerotic and Hypertensive Cardiovascular Disease. In layperson’s terms, she had a hardening of the arteries and stress on her heart as a result of high blood pressure. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The report, received by Deadline, also noted Cara was diabetic. The Oscar-winning singer who died at 63 was best known for the Flashdance theme “What A Feeling” and for playing Coco in Fame and singing that film’s unforgettable title song. Cara got her Oscar for Best Original Song for the Flashdance tune “What A Feeling,” and also won two Grammys for the lively chart topper that perfectly captured the underdog journey of the welder-turned-dancer played by Jennifer Beals. Her Grammy wins included Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female and Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A … [Read more...] about Irene Cara’s Cause Of Death Revealed By Medical Examiner
‘Gladiator 2′ Gets Pre-Thanksgiving 2024 Release
Paramount has just dated the Ridley Scott directed follow-up for Nov. 22, 2024. Aftersun Oscar nominated Best Actor Paul Mescal is in talks to be in the film, as Deadline first told you. Scott produces with Michael Pruss, Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher off David Scarpa’s screenplay. As Justin Kroll first reported, Mescal isn’t replacing Russell Crowe’s Maximus from the first film, who died. He’s playing Lucius, the son of Lucilla ( Connie Nielsen ), who now is a grown man as the story takes place years after the first film ended. Lucius also was the nephew of Commodus ( Joaquin Phoenix ), the son of Roman leader Marcus Aurelius, who murdered his father seized the throne. Commodus wound up in the gladiator ring with Maximus — who, though mortally wounded, skewered the emperor before fading into the great beyond to reunite with his slain wife and son. Maximus saved the boy and his mother while avenging his own family, and left a strong impression on the young Lucius. … [Read more...] about ‘Gladiator 2′ Gets Pre-Thanksgiving 2024 Release
David Kushner’s ‘Players Ball’ Book About Sex.com Rights Fight Acquired By David Permut & Clockwork Films
EXCLUSIVE: Oscar nominated producer David Permut and Jamie Cohen of Australian-based Clockwork Films have acquired the narrative motion picture and television rights to award winning journalist and author David Kushner ’s book, The . The book tells the true story of the birth of the internet and two men’s ensuing battle over who controlled the rights to the multi-million dollar domain name: “sex.com.” This epic, decade long war took them from the boardrooms of Silicon Valley to a gun fight on the bordellos of Mexico – and to the edges of their sanity. Along the way involving the likes of an eclectic cast of porn stars and programmers, billionaires and brainiacs, goons and gangsters. In one corner is the hapless in-love, visionary tech entrepreneur Gary Kremen, who in 1994 used a $2,500 loan to create the first online dating service, Match.com, in hopes of driving love and connection over the internet. Seeing the value of domain names, he quickly bought several … [Read more...] about David Kushner’s ‘Players Ball’ Book About Sex.com Rights Fight Acquired By David Permut & Clockwork Films
Sony Pictures Lands Rights To Richard Raaphorst and Ruwan Heggelman Short Film ‘Gnomes’ With 21 Laps Producing
EXCLUSIVE: In a competitive situation, Sony Pictures has acquired feature rights to Gnomes , based on Dutch filmmakers Richard Raaphorst and Ruwan Heggelman’s breakout horror short film. The project is currently in early development with 21 Laps’ Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen & Dan Levine producing with Raaphorst. Emily Feher overseeeing for 21 Laps. Heggelman will direct the feature. Plot details are under wraps. The short film had its North American premiere at the 2022 Fantastic Fest as well as featured in the official selection of the 2022 Frontières Platform at the Marché du Film at Cannes. Gnomes is written by Heggelman, Jasper ten Hoor, and Richard Raaphorst and produced by art department master Raaphorst ( Frankenstein’s Army ). Next up for 21 Laps is the 20th Century adaptation of Stephen King’s The Boogeyman , which they are producing. That film bows this June in theaters. Heggelman and Raaphorst are repped by 3 Arts Entertainment and Ziffren … [Read more...] about Sony Pictures Lands Rights To Richard Raaphorst and Ruwan Heggelman Short Film ‘Gnomes’ With 21 Laps Producing
Tommy Lee’s Wife Brittany Furlan Makes Pamela Anderson Joke on TikTok
UPDATE 10:58 AM PT -- Brittany Furlan tells us she made the TikTok as a joke, and deleted it because she felt it was going to be twisted. She says she's been faced with a barrage of attacks online from people expressing how much they wanted Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee to get back together -- and wanted to make a joke about it -- hoping it would make people laugh. Before she posted she showed it to Tommy who thought it was funny. UPDATE She also wanted to clarify that she is not annoyed with Pamela. Brittany has had a ton of family and friends reach out her to see if she is ok because they felt the documentary made it very clear that Pam is still very much in love with Tommy. She wishes it was a little less of a love letter to her husband, but gets that Pam is entitled to feel how she feels and she understands. Tommy Lee's wife apparently doesn't think Pamela Anderson gives a damn about her, despite what Pam's said publicly, suggesting Pam doesn't care … [Read more...] about Tommy Lee’s Wife Brittany Furlan Makes Pamela Anderson Joke on TikTok