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| Meghan Markle casting in Netflix show withdrawn amid intense backlash | The casting of Meghan Markle to play a role in the Netflix series The Gentlemen has been withdrawn amid intense backlash in Britain, it was reported Saturday. The Duchess of Sussex had been in talks to return to acting when she and Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, return to Britain after living in California for the past six years. She had been hoping to join the third season of the Guy Ritchie show The Gentlemen on Netflix. But the casting was reportedly withdrawn. "The backlash in the UK was so intense, it became untenable to go forward," wrote Tina Brown, the former editor in chief of Vanity Fair and the New Yorker, in her Substack. |
| Famous birthdays for Aug. 23: Trixie Mattel, Andrew Rannells | Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. |
| Big Bad Film Fest: Michael Jai White nixed kicks in 'Undisputed II' | Michael Jai White celebrated the 20th anniversary of Undisputed II: Last Man Standing at the Big Bad Film Festival on Saturday. He still remembers behind-the-scenes pressure to deliver martial arts kicks in the sequel. White played George "Iceman" Chambers, the character Ving Rhames played in the 2002 Undisputed about two incarcerated boxers. In the sequel, Iceman is framed so he can be imprisoned with MMA fighter Yuri Boyka (Scott Adkins). In an interview with UPI, White said he insisted that Iceman remain a boxer. White, 58, is a martial artist in films like Black Dynamite, Blood and Bone and As Good as Dead, but said it would have hurt the story to make Iceman a martial artist. |
| Stray Kids' 'This & That' tops U.S. album chart | K-pop group Stray Kids' This & That is the No. 1 album in the United States this week. Coming in at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart is Ariana Grande's Petal, followed by Olivia Rodrigo's You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love at No. 3, Ella Langley's Dandelion at No. 4 and Morgan Wallen's I'm the Problem at No. 5. Rounding out the top tier are Noah Kahan's The Great Divide at No. 6, Pooh Shiesty's All Eyes on Shiest at No. 7, Karol G's No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto at No. 8, Drake's Iceman at No. 9 and Role Model's Chuck Timely & the Hourglass at No. 10. |
| Netflix to stream classic Canadian comedy 'SCTV' | Netflix has announced it will stream the classic Canadian sketch-comedy series SCTV starting in September. "Attention! Netflix will have SCTV on September 1st!" Martin Short posted on Facebook Friday, alongside a cast photo featuring his cast members Catherine O'Hara, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Robin Duke and Joe Flaherty. The show ran from 1976 to 1984 and most of its stars ended up enjoying successful Hollywood film careers. Moranis and Candy famously co-starred in Spaceballs, O'Hara and Candy shared the screen in Home Alone, and O'Hara and Levy collaborated on numerous movies such as Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration, as well as the long-running comedy series Schitt's Creek. |