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    T.I. Not Returning for 'Ant-Man 3' Following Sexual Abuse Allegations by Multiple Women

    Marvel Studios

    It has been reported that the ‘Get Back Up’ spitter won’t be part of the cast for the ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ sequel as he and his wife Tiny are facing accusations of sexual abuse.

    Mar 2, 2021
    AceShowbiz – T.I. may have lost a job amid sexual abuse allegations against him. The rapper/actor has reportedly been dropped from “Ant-Man 3” after a lawyer calls for an investigation on the allegations by multiple women against the star, whose real name is Clifford Joseph Harris Jr.
    According to The Hollywood Reporter, T.I. won’t be returning for the follow-up to “Ant-Man and the Wasp”. In the first “Ant-Man” movie and its 2018 sequel, the 40-year-old star portrayed Dave, a friend to Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang/Ant-Man who helped him on his adventures along with ex-convicts Luis (Michael Pena) and Kurt (David Dastmalchian).
    While side characters such as T.I.’s Dave might have been expected to return, “Ant-Man 3” is still in development and there was never an official confirmation that T.I. was slated to return for the third movie. THR also notes that it’s unclear if the decision to not have T.I. in the upcoming installment has anything to do with the recent accusations of sexual abuse he is facing along with his wife Tiny Harris a.k.a. Tameka Cottle.

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    Attorney Tyrone A. Blackburn, who represents 11 people claiming to be victimized by the hip-hop couple, is seeking criminal inquiries on behalf of his clients, who accuse the couple of sexual abuse and assault. He sent letters to state and federal prosecutors Georgia and California on February 19. The attorneys general in those two states also received similar letters.
    At a virtual press conference on Monday, March 1, Blackburn detailed the allegations brought by six anonymous women claiming that T.I. and Tiny had abused them, with some describing instances of drugging, kidnapping and rape. He added that he’s withholding the names of the women because of concerns about potential intimidation.
    Through their lawyer Steve Sadow, the couple has denied the allegations. “Clifford (T.I.) and Tameka [Tiny] Harris deny in the strongest possible terms these unsubstantiated and baseless allegations,” he said in a statement. “We are confident that if these claims are thoroughly and fairly investigated, no charges will be forthcoming.”
    The lawyer insisted, “These allegations are nothing more than the continuation of a sordid shakedown campaign that began on social media. The Harrises implore everyone not to be taken in by these obvious attempts to manipulate the press and misuse the justice system.”

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    Biggie Smalls, the Human Behind the Legend

    #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }What to WatchBest Movies on NetflixBest of Disney PlusBest of Amazon PrimeBest Netflix DocumentariesNew on NetflixAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyCritic’s NotebookBiggie Smalls, the Human Behind the LegendThe new Netflix documentary “Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell” captures the rapper before fame, and history, got a hold of him.“Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell” is mainly a prehistory of the Notorious B.I.G.Credit…NetflixMarch 1, 2021, 6:56 p.m. ETThere are only a few known photographs of the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur standing side by side, but just one that’s truly canonical. It’s from 1993. Biggie is on the left in a checkered headband, posed tough, toothpick jutting out of his mouth. Pac is on the right, in a THUG LIFE beanie and a black leather vest over a skull-and-bones T-shirt, extending both middle fingers. They look a little standoffish to each other, two people taking a photo they’re not quite interested in sharing with the other.Photos are incomplete snapshots, of course. And Biggie and Tupac were friends before they became rivals. That’s clear from footage of that same day — from their friend era — which appears late in the new Netflix documentary “Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell.” They’re sitting at a table together, and Tupac is rapping for Biggie, an optimal audience. Both of them are lighthearted, two young rising stars finding a little respite with each other. As for the photo, a pose is just that.Memory — history — is what’s left standing when all the rough edges are sandpapered down. And in the case of the Notorious B.I.G. — who was one of the most commercially successful and creatively impactful rappers of the 1990s, and whose 1997 murder was a wound to the genre that remains unsolved — history has perhaps been unreasonably flattening. Almost two and a half decades later, the Biggie Smalls narrative (music aside) often feels reduced to a few image touchstones, or even just facial expressions, to say nothing of the generations-later conflation of the Biggie and Tupac story lines into one, especially given that their musical careers told very different tales about hip-hop at that time.The story that “Biggie” wants to tell is about how Christopher Wallace became Biggie Smalls, not how Biggie Smalls changed the world.Credit…NetflixThis fuzzying of the truth is a problem addressed head-on by “Biggie,” which is, in the main, a prehistory of the Notorious B.I.G. Maybe half of the film is about his music career, and of that, not much at all is devoted to his commercial prime. This makes the film anti-mythological, but also far more robust.The first footage you see in “Biggie” is of the rapper, then in his early 20s, shaving and joking about trying to hold tight to looking like his 18-year-old self. A little bit later, he’s goofily singing Jodeci’s “Freek’n You,” a slithery classic of ’90s R&B. For so long, Biggie has been enshrined as a legend, a deity — it unclenches your chest a bit to see him depicted as human.The story that “Biggie” — directed by Emmett Malloy, and reliant upon ample ’90s videotape shot by Biggie’s childhood friend Damion (D-Roc) Butler — wants to tell is about how Christopher Wallace became Biggie Smalls, not how Biggie Smalls changed the world. It delves into the relationship between his parents: Voletta Wallace, who has become a public face of mourning and grief, and the father he barely knew. It recounts childhood time spent in Jamaica, where his mother was born and where much of his family still resides, leaving largely unspoken the way that Jamaican toasting and melody slipped into his rapping.The film explores Biggie’s relationship with Donald Harrison, a saxophonist who lived on the rapper’s Brooklyn block and exposed him to art beyond the limits of their neighborhood.Credit…NetflixIt spends time with Donald Harrison, a saxophonist who played with Art Blakey, McCoy Tyner and Lena Horne, and lived on Biggie’s Brooklyn block, and who had a mentor relationship with a teenage Biggie — playing him jazz albums, taking him to the Museum of Modern Art, encouraging him to think beyond his neighborhood and to treat his rapping as an artistic practice.Harrison’s mentoring, though, is only one part of Biggie’s childhood education. The drug bazaar on Fulton Street, just around the corner from the stoop his mother rarely let him stray from, beckoned him and his friends. Eventually, he was selling crack, and the operation he and his crew ran took in a few thousand dollars a week, according to an old interview excerpted in the film. One time, he left crack out to dry in his bedroom, and his mother, thinking it was old mashed potatoes, threw it out.Before he was offered a pathway into the music business by Sean Combs, then Puff Daddy, selling drugs was Biggie’s most likely route. And for a while, the two careers commingled. Even Easy Mo Bee, who produced six songs on “Ready to Die,” describes driving onto Fulton to see if Biggie was on the block, offering to take him for rides as a strategy for disentangling him from his street business. But in 1992, Biggie’s childhood friend and running buddy Roland (Olie) Young was killed by his uncle, Carl (I-God) Bazemore, in a street dispute, and afterward, Biggie turned hard toward music.By that time, Biggie had already appeared in the Source magazine’s Unsigned Hype column. He’d also participated in a Brooklyn corner freestyle battle (that was fortuitously videotaped) that helped connect him with the D.J. 50 Grand, who he would record his demo with.Biggie with 50 Grand, the D.J. who worked with the rapper on his demo.Credit…NetflixBut even though his career was a spectacular comet ride, most of the parts of the film about that robust success focus more on how he treated his friends, and brought them along for the journey (under the Junior M.A.F.I.A. moniker). At one point, Biggie and a cameraman bust in on Lil’ Cease in a hotel room, undressed, and Biggie immediately turns into a big brother, turning to the camera lens and asking for privacy for his friend. Occasionally there is commentary from Combs, who is almost literally shining, a visual representation of the luxurious life that hip-hop would provide an entree to, which Biggie rapped about as fantasy but wouldn’t live to see.Most of the meaningful footage here is happenstance — a brutal trip on a tour bus without air conditioning or casual chatter in a room at Le Montrose, the Los Angeles hotel, during his final time in California. (The helicopter footage of Biggie’s funeral procession is also deeply moving, framing his death, and life, as a part of the city’s very architecture.)In the March 1997 San Francisco radio chat that’s presented as his final interview, Biggie is already sensing the way in which history will be selective in how it retells a deeply complicated narrative. Asked about his troubles with Tupac — who by then had died, but who had become a vicious antagonist before — Biggie doesn’t sound or look even slightly resentful. Instead, he’s measured, hoping to unravel a tricky knot before it becomes fixed. “Take a chance to know the person before you judge a person — that goes with anybody, not just me,” he tells the interviewer. “Try to get the facts first.”AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More

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    Rumors of Amber Heard Being Fired From 'Aquaman 2' Deemed 'Inaccurate'

    Warner Bros. Pictures

    Earlier reports suggested that the ‘Pineapple Express’ actress violated a clause in her contract for the Warner Bros. superhero movie because she’s gained weight.

    Mar 1, 2021
    AceShowbiz – Amber Heard isn’t being kicked out of the “Aquaman” franchise despite latest rumors stating otherwise. Reports swirled on the Internet anew that the actress was fired from “Aquaman 2”, though it’s not directly related to a petition asking for her removal from the upcoming movie or due to her ongoing defamation case against ex-husband Johnny Depp.
    Instead, according to the unconfirmed reports, the 34-year-old beauty was let go because she didn’t meet the physical requirement for the “Aquaman” sequel. She reportedly violated a clause in her contract for the Warner Bros. superhero movie because she’s gained weight.
    “Amber Heard did not pass her physical examination,” a source told Australian site Sausage Roll. “She’s put on some pounds and is in terrible shape. There is a clause in her contract which says she is required to be in good form ahead of shooting and she violated that.”
    The site additionally noted that Heard’s role demands her physical fitness to perform the stunts and the studio terminated her because she’s not in shape to handle such demanding task. It’s further reported that the studio was eying “Game of Thrones” alum Emilia Clarke to replace Heard.
    But before the rumors spread like wildfire, it has been debunked. The Hollywood Reporter’s staff writer Ryan Parker put to question the reliability of the information about Heard’s firing as he tweeted on Sunday, February 28, “Told by a reliable source that reports of Amber Heard being fired off ‘Aquaman 2’ are inaccurate.”

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    Rumors of Amber Heard being fired from ‘Aquaman 2’ are debunked.
    Back in 2020, more than one million people called for Heard’s removal from the “Aquaman” franchise amid her prolonged legal battle with her ex Depp. As petition urging Warner Bros. to replace the actress crossed the 1 million mark, the “Justice League” star countered it by declaring that she’s returning for the sequel.
    “I’m super excited about the amount of fan love and the amount of fan appreciation that ‘Aquaman’ has acquired and that it has garnered so much excitement for ‘Aquaman’ and Mera that it means we’ll be coming back,” she said last November. “I’m so excited to film that.”
    She went insisting, “Paid rumors and paid campaigns on social media don’t dictate (casting decisions) because they have no basis in reality. Only the fans actually made ‘Aquaman’ and ‘Aquaman 2’ happen. I’m excited to get started next year.”
    The petition gained a lot of support after Warner Bros. decided to remove Depp from “Fantastic Beasts 3” following his libel case loss against The Sun newspaper editors, who called him a “wife-beater” in a story.

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    Ice Cube Accuses Warner Bros. of Holding 'Friday' Film Franchise Hostage

    Instagram

    Venting his frustration on social media, the rapper playing Craig Jones in the family comedy movie claims that the studio bosses do not allow him to take his ideas to other studios.

    Mar 1, 2021
    AceShowbiz – Rapper/actor Ice Cube has accused Warner Bros. studio bosses of holding his “Friday” film franchise hostage by refusing to green light a new sequel.
    The hip-hop icon previously revealed his planned final “Friday” instalment had stalled following the 2019 death of his movie dad, John Witherspoon, and now Cube claims film executives don’t want to move forward with the project at all – or allow him to take his ideas to other studios.
    Taking to Twitter to vent his frustration on Friday, February 26, he wrote, “#freefriday from the jaws of Warner Bros. who refuses to make more sequels. They have hi-jacked the happiness of the culture (sic).”

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    Sources tell TMZ Cube wanted to pitch the sequel plans to other production officials, but Warner executives would not release the rights to the franchise for him to do so.
    Fans have been calling on Cube to reunite his movie family for a long-awaited follow-up for years, as the original “Friday” debuted in 1995 and spawned 2000’s “Next Friday”, as well as the most recent sequel, “Friday After Next”, which was released in 2002.
    Warner chiefs have yet to respond to Cube’s allegations.
    Back in 2019, Cube shared his plans for the fourth sequel of “Friday”. During an appearance in an episode of ESPN’s “The Jump”, the 51-year-old claimed that “Last Friday” has had a completed script, and he was aiming to release it on April 26, 2020, which was the original film’s 25th anniversary.
    “We are pushing for it, we finished the script, we are getting notes from the studio and it’s going back and forth,” he shared. “Get into pre-production and start hiring. It would be nice for this to come out on the 25th anniversary.”

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    Chloé Zhao becomes the first Asian woman to win the Golden Globe for best director.

    #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }Awards SeasonGolden Globes: What HappenedMoments and AnalysisGlobes WinnersGolden Globes ReviewAdvertisementContinue reading the main story‘Nomadland,’ ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ and ‘The Crown’ Led a Remote Golden GlobesChloé Zhao becomes the first Asian woman to win the Golden Globe for best director.Feb. 28, 2021, 10:40 p.m. ETFeb. 28, 2021, 10:40 p.m. ETChloé Zhao accepts the award for best director, motion picture.Credit…NBC阅读简体中文版閱讀繁體中文版Chloé Zhao, whose drama “Nomadland” offered an intimate portrait of itinerant Americans, won the Golden Globe for best director on Sunday, making her the first Asian woman ever to win that prize.In taking home the award, Zhao also became the first woman to be named best director since Barbra Streisand won for “Yentl” almost 40 years ago. It was the first time in Golden Globes history that three women had been nominated in the category.Earlier in the night, Zhao had also been nominated in the best screenplay” category. (Aaron Sorkin won for the “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”) “Nomadland” is also up for the best picture Golden Globe in the drama category, and its star, Frances McDormand, is up for an acting trophy.[embedded content]The much-praised “Nomadland” follows Fern (McDormand) as she travels the country in a van, picking up itinerant work (in an Amazon warehouse and elsewhere) and making connections with other American wanderers. Zhao, who adapted the movie from Jessica Bruder’s nonfiction book of the same name, largely used nonprofessionals in the cast, including people from Bruder’s book.Zhao captured the essence of the story discussing it for Anatomy of a Scene, the New York Times series. She recounted the scene in which Fern (Frances McDormand) wanders through Badlands National Park. “She’s exploring,” Zhao said, “but she’s also lost at the same time.”Though Zhao has been known for indie dramas like this one and “The Rider” from 2018, her next film is on a much different scale: the Marvel superhero movie “Eternals.”AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More

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    Eddie Murphy Cast Louie Anderson in 'Coming to America' to Meet Studio's Demand of 'White Guy'

    WENN/Instagram/Avalon

    During an appearance on ‘Today’, the comedian known for his portrayal of Prince Akeem reveals that film chiefs were uneasy at releasing his classic comedy as he had originally envisioned.

    Mar 1, 2021
    AceShowbiz – Eddie Murphy hired fellow veteran comedian Louie Anderson to star in his “Coming to America” classic because studio bosses refused to make the movie without “somebody white” in the cast.
    Anderson portrayed fast food employee Maurice in the 1998 hit, and Murphy confesses the casting decision was only made to satisfy film chiefs, who were apparently uneasy at releasing the comedy as the funnyman had originally envisioned.
    “Louie Anderson is in the original ‘Coming to America’ because the whole cast was black and the studio was like, ‘We have to have somebody white in the movie. We’re not making the movie without somebody white in it’,” Murphy recalled on U.S. breakfast show “Today”.
    “I was like, ‘Really?’ So I was like, ‘Who’s the funniest white guy around and [is] a friend of mine? Oh, Louie’s perfect!’ and that’s how Louie ended up in the movie.”
    [embedded content]

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    “Coming to America” was distributed by officials at Paramount Pictures.
    Murphy is reprising his role as Prince Akeem for a long-awaited sequel, and this time, he made it a family affair, recruiting his real-life daughter, 19-year-old Bella Murphy, to play one of his three onscreen daughters.
    And the comedy icon couldn’t contain his pride at getting to work alongside his child in “Coming 2 America”, which will debut on Amazon Prime Video on March 5.
    “I can’t even put into words [his joy]…,” he said. “You go see your child in a school play and your heart bursts with pride. To look over on the set and seeing her, I had the big, giant, proud papa moment every day.”
    Bella is one of Murphy’s 10 children, and it’s his role as a dad which he treasures the most, “My legacy is my children, it’s these 10 human beings that I brought into the world,” he smiled.

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    Chadwick Boseman wins a best actor Golden Globe and his widow accepts in an emotional speech.

    #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }What to WatchBest Movies on NetflixBest of Disney PlusBest of Amazon PrimeBest Netflix DocumentariesNew on NetflixAdvertisementContinue reading the main story‘Nomadland,’ ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ and ‘The Crown’ Led a Remote Golden GlobesChadwick Boseman wins a best actor Golden Globe and his widow accepts in an emotional speech.Feb. 28, 2021, 10:56 p.m. ETFeb. 28, 2021, 10:56 p.m. ET More

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    Transcript: Jane Fonda calls for diversity in Golden Globe nominees and voters.

    #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }Awards SeasonGolden Globes: What HappenedMoments and AnalysisGlobes WinnersGolden Globes ReviewAdvertisementContinue reading the main story‘Nomadland,’ ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ and ‘The Crown’ Led a Remote Golden GlobesTranscript: Jane Fonda calls for diversity in Golden Globe nominees and voters.Feb. 28, 2021, 10:54 p.m. ETFeb. 28, 2021, 10:54 p.m. ET“Art has always been not just in step with history, but has led the way,” Jane Fonda said while accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award. “So let’s be leaders, OK?”Credit…NBC More