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| Famous birthdays for Aug. 8: A'ja Wilson, Alysa Liu | Those born on this date are under the sign of Leo. |
| Madonna, Queen, Britney Spears producer William Orbit dies at 69 | Music producer William Orbit died at 69, his official Instagram account announced Friday. The statement reports he died July 23. "William passed away at home on 23rd July," the statement read. "He will be greatly missed by us and by so many whose lives he touched through his music, friendship and kindness." As a producer, Orbit's collaborations with Madonna included her Ray of Light, Music and MDNA albums. He produced Blur's 1999 album 13 and songs for Britney Spears and Robbie Williams, played keyboard with U2 and remixed songs by Erasure, Sarah MacLachlan and more. In 2014, Orbit produced Queen tracks using archival recordings from Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson, and remixed outtakes. |
| Natalie Portman, Jenna Ortega crime comedy 'Gallerist' opens Dec. 4 | Roadside Attractions and Vertical announced Friday they have taken theatrical rights to distribute The Gallerist. The movie comes to theaters Dec. 4. The Gallerist premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Natalie Portman stars as an art gallery owner and Jenna Ortega as her assistant. When an art critic (Zach Galifianakis) impales himself on a display piece, the gallerist has to navigate the crowds and the quickly decaying body. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Charlie xcx, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Sterling K. Brown and Daniel Brhl also star. UPI praised The Gallerist in its Sundance review for both its satire of the art world and its captivating schemes. Cathy Yan directed The Gallerist from James Pedersen's script. |
| Justice Smith, Charlie Gillespie join 'Heated Rivalry' as Harris, Troy | Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie are joining the cast of Heated Rivalry. Smith, 30, and Gillespie, 27, will play Harris Drover and Troy Barrett in Canada's popular Crave series, which streams on HBO Max in the United States. Smith is known for starring in Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, while Gillespie's credits include Julie and the Phantoms. Heated Rivalry is an LGBTQ+ sports romance drama based on Rachel Reid's Game Changers book series. Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie star as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, professional hockey players who develop a secret romance while playing for rival teams. |
| 'Final Fantasy Resonance' teaser spotlights Warrior of Light | Square Enix is giving a glimpse of the new game Final Fantasy Resonance. The studio shared a teaser for the video game Friday that spotlights the character known as the Warrior of Light. Resonance is an HD-2D reimagining of the 2016 turn-based RPG mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. Warrior of Light is one of the game's "Visions," echoes of beloved Final Fantasy characters who fight alongside the player. "Return to the pixel-art world of Final Fantasy, evolved from its classic roots. Travel with companions bound by fate and call on Visions to aid you in battle to uncover the truth behind a force that threatens to bring everything to ruin," an official synopsis reads. |