The highly-anticipated Elden Ring movie at A24 and video game company Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.is gaining momentum as director Alex Garland may be zeroing on a familiar face to lead the epic adaptation. While it is unknown where things stand in negotiations or if a formal offer has been offered, sources tell Deadline the director has talks with Kit Connor, who recently appeared in his war pic Warfare, to star in the adaptation. Sources stress several factors still need to be worked out including scheduling but both Garland and Connor want this to happen. Alex Garland Set To Direct Live-Action 'Elden Ring' Movie For A24 As reported last week, Garland is writing an directing the pic with Peter Rice is set to produce alongside Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich from DNA, as well as George R. R. Martin and Vince Gerardis. Released to critical acclaim in February 2022, Elden Ring is an action RPG set in an authentic dark fantasy world, which allows players to head off on adventures within vast environments and dungeons. Created under the guidance of FromSoftware's Hidetaka Miyazaki, the game is based on a story written by Martin, author of the fantasy novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire, which served as the basis for HBO's Game of Thrones. If a deal does close, this would mark a major victory for Connor as this project is expected to draw plenty of talent given everyone involved in it. He was most recently seen in Garland's Warfare, which featured other rising stars such as Charles Melton, Jospeh Quinn and Will Poulter and can be seen next in the Netflix pic A Cuban Girl's Guide To Tea and Tomorrow. He is repped by Independent Talent Group and WME. Get our Breaking News Alerts and Keep your inbox happy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks Send us a tip using our annonymous form. Sign up for our breaking news alerts We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.

This time, Trump's Department of Justice is trying to persuade the justices to undermine the rule of law, with a misleading brief that is undercut both by the judicial record as well as flight-tracking data reviewed by Rolling Stone. A Massachusetts federal judge, Brian Murphy, previously issued an order barring the Trump administration from deporting people to third-party countries, or nations where they are not from, without a “meaningful opportunity” to demonstrate that they fear being persecuted, tortured, or killed if they were sent there. When the Trump administration moved to deport a group of detainees to Libya, an exceedingly dangerous country, without giving them an opportunity to raise fear-based objections, the judge clarified that would violate his order. Last week, the Trump administration began the process of sending a group of men to South Sudan, another dangerous country, with less than 24 hours of notice — leading the judge to find that officials had violated his order and demand the government maintain custody of the migrants so they have an opportunity to object to being sent there. An attorney for the men told Rolling Stone on Thursday morning that her team still had not been given phone access to their clients, one of the conditions of last week's ruling. In a brief to the Supreme Court, Trump's Solicitor General John Sauer writes: “Having slammed on the brakes while these aliens were literally mid-flight — thus forcing the government to detain them at a military base in Djibouti not designed or equipped to hold such criminals — the court then retroactively ‘clarified' its injunction to impose an additional set of intrusive and onerous procedures on DHS. As a result, the United States has been put to the intolerable choice of holding these aliens for additional proceedings at a military facility on foreign soil — where each day of their continued confinement risks grave harm to American foreign policy — or bringing these convicted criminals back to America. In reality, as Judge Murphy wrote in a memorandum this week, “this is the result Defendants asked for.” His order had left “the practicalities of compliance to defendants' discretion.” “It falsely claims that the District Court ‘forc[ed] the government to detain [8 men] at a military base in Djibouti.' Trump's ‘Liberation Day' Tariffs Blocked by Federal Court Can Dems Save Themselves by Spending $20M on ‘Speaking With American Men'? Trump Loses It When Asked About ‘Chickening Out' on Tariffs (The flight was first noticed by former reporter and flight attendant Gillian Brockell, who saw that a plane that had previously flown high-level government missions took off from Harlingen, Texas, late Tuesday morning, at approximately the same time the men's lawyers found out from their clients that they would be sent to South Sudan.) Judge Murphy held two emergency hearings last Tuesday night and Wednesday mid-day, responding to the migrants' lawyers' emergency filing notifying the court that their clients had been given less than 24 hours notice that they would be deported to South Sudan. During the hastily-convened hearing on Tuesday night, Judge Murphy ordered the Justice Department to find out where the plane was and tell everyone involved in the flight that they could face criminal contempt sanctions if his earlier order barring rapid deportations to third-party countries wasn't followed. We were able to follow the plane's trajectory to a stop at Shannon Airport in Ireland at approximately 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night, presumably for refueling, where it sat for almost three hours before taking off and continuing toward Djibouti. The plane ultimately landed at Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport, a shared military and civilian airport, at 9:54 a.m. on Wednesday morning, according to Rolling Stone's live tracking of the flight. In his ruling last Wednesday, Judge Murphy wrote, “DHS, in its discretion, may elect to provide this process to the six individuals either within the United States — should it choose to return them to the United States — or abroad, if at all relevant times DHS retains custody and control over the individuals in conditions commensurate to those the individuals would be housed in were they still in DHS's custody within the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio filed a declaration to Murphy two days later, part of the government's appeal, arguing that the men's detainment in Djibouti had “negative consequences to important U.S. strategic interests, including in Libya, South Sudan and Djibouti.” Rubio claimed that Judge Murphy's order threatened to negatively impact the relationship between the U.S. and South Sudan, making “moving humanitarian relief — food, medicine, etc. Meanwhile, humanitarian relief in South Sudan has been notably devastated by Trump's effort to gut foreign aid. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to outreach from Rolling Stone. The Trump administration flew eight men to Djibouti, but one is a South Sudanese national and another will be deported to his home nation of Myanmar, the government said. The men — from Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cuba, Mexico and South Sudan — were all previously convicted of violent crimes. The plane that flew them to Djibouti is registered to two related Florida private charter companies Tannjets and Journey Aviation An executive at Journey Aviation told Rolling Stone they had no idea if their plane was involved in the South Sudan deportation flight last Wednesday. On Thursday White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said “Now these illegal criminal murderers and rapists have to sit in Djibouti with our ICE agents who now have to sit there for more than two weeks. it's truly despicable what's happening in our court system and the president hopes that the Supreme Court will do what it needs to do” during a press conference. Later that day, The State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce further distorted the events, saying “I would also point you to Karoline Leavitt's remarks the hour before my briefing here, where she noted a court order required the flight to go to Djibouti” during a State Department briefing. Red Hot Chili Peppers Ex-Guitarist Avoids Jail in Vehicular Manslaughter Plea Deal Trump Loses It When Asked About ‘Chickening Out' on Tariffs The department's 2023 report on human rights practices in South Sudan found credible reports of “arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings; enforced disappearance; torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by security forces, opposition forces, armed militias affiliated with the government and the opposition, and ethnically based groups; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; [and] arbitrary detention.” Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation.

We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Ana de Armas prefers to do anything else, even intense stunts, instead of sing onscreen. The actress, who will soon join the “John Wick” franchise with “Ballerina,” said during “Hot Ones” in the below video that any stunt work is better than carrying a tune — something she had to do for Ron Howard's survival film “Eden.” And he just didn't want to hear it. And I'm like ‘yeah but people don't know that. Related Stories Pete Davidson Uncovers a Retirement Community Serial Killer in ‘The Home' Trailer Bella Ramsey Wants ‘The Last of Us' Fans to Watch Upcoming Indie Films Like They're ‘Game of Thrones' De Armas continued, “I just couldn't convince him to let me lip sync so I had to learn the song. I would rather do 100 stunts than sing that song. De Armas previously told Vanity Fair that starring in “Eden” pushed her to get to her “craziest” self onscreen, which is no small feat given her past dedication to portraying Marilyn Monroe in “Blonde.” “I got a little scared, and I told [Ron] I was nervous because it was really out there,” de Armas said of joining “Eden,” which also stars Sydney Sweeney, Jude Law, and Vanessa Kirby. There was no question I wanted to do it. What was the craziest I could get? At the time, director Howard praised de Armas' “creative courage,” saying, “She's a risk-taker as an artist, and I knew that it was going to take that kind of individual.” The IndieWire review for “Eden” also deemed de Armas a “scream in a cast filled with standout performances.” We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter Forty-eight hours after wrapping Cobra Kai in Atlanta, Ralph Macchio was right back where he started on the Montreal-based set of Karate Kid: Legends. Macchio stepped foot onto Legends' version of the Mr. Miyagi house that he and Pat Morita made famous four decades earlier in John G. Avildsen's The Karate Kid (1984). The original house in Canoga Park was demolished after production concluded on 1986's The Karate Kid Part II, before being rebuilt at Warner Bros. Ranch for 1989's Part III. Cobra Kai then constructed an iteration of it that evolved across six seasons on its Atlanta-based set. I literally was at somebody else's house, but I kind of helped build the house,” Macchio tells The Hollywood Reporter in support of Karate Kid: Legends' May 30 theatrical release. Upon his return home, he established Miyagi-Do Karate, combining the two families' unique martial arts and creating a lasting friendship that endured through Mr. Miyagi and Mr. Han. Macchio previously met Chan at the 2010 premiere of The Karate Kid, and while he was always a good sport in public, he admits that he was privately conflicted about Chan's remake at first. But through the unlikely creative merger, Macchio couldn't be happier with how it all unfolded, especially now that he's shared action scenes with Chan in the name of training Mr. Han's great-nephew, Li Fong (Ben Wang). “I was territorial upon first hearing of [2010's The Karate Kid]. I just felt, ‘How are you going to do a retread of [1984's The Karate Kid]? '” Macchio says, “But they made a movie that was well-crafted and highly successful. I always describe that movie as a lesson in how you can tell virtually the same story, but still make it a completely different movie.” Karate Kid: Legends was originally announced in September 2022, and it immediately raised a number of questions as to how it would navigate the then-upcoming final season of Cobra Kai. It's now known that Legends was always going to be set three years after the series finale of Cobra Kai, but two of its previous release dates — June 2024 and December 2024 — fell before the series' February 2025 conclusion. “When [Karate Kid: Legends] was initially slated for a December 13, 2024 release, I was screaming constantly every day: ‘This movie has to come out after [Cobra Kai] finishes,'” Macchio shares. “And once marketing got together and realized that [the December ‘24 release] would not benefit either, they did the right thing [by delaying until May 2025]. Karate Kid: Legends is now coming at a time where I like to believe that Cobra Kai fans are thirsty for another chapter.” As for the future of Daniel LaRusso, Macchio confirms that several Cobra Kai spinoffs are in development, and it's just a matter of time before Netflix and creators Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald and Hayden Schlossberg decide which direction(s) to go next. “There are a few balls up in the air. I don't know which one is going to land. “The success of Karate Kid: Legends could propel all that stuff. Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Macchio also discusses the responsibility he feels to protect the Karate Kid franchise now that he's one of the last remaining principals from 1983's foundational film. When Karate Kid: Legends first came along, you were still shooting Cobra Kai. The first I heard about it, I said, “Okay, where does this land?” because the Cobra Kai guys — [showrunners] Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald and Hayden Schlossberg — were not involved with the creation of Karate Kid: Legends. So I got the concept, and to me, it was just about figuring out the genuine, honest connective tissue going forward. Chronologically, [Karate Kid: Legends] was always set about three years after the events of Cobra Kai. Cobra Kai started in 2018, and so the kids on that show would be in their third year of college [during Karate Kid: Legends]. That was determined early on, and then it was about landing Daniel LaRusso in a way that feels like a natural evolution and progression when we see him three years later. That's where my real focus was and how I would layer him into this fresh separate storyline. It's like its own ecosystem in the grand universe. At the end of Cobra Kai, he lands in a very positive way. He and Johnny Lawrence are the best versions of themselves going forward. And then we landed Daniel at that place. So when we pick him up three years later, he's in Miyagi''s yard, and to him, that house is like a museum of his childhood. He takes off his gardening gloves after Jackie Chan's Mr. Han comes into the dojo, and then he's reminded of the [Miyagi-Han family] connection. The [flashback] piece of Karate Kid Part II talks about how [Miyagi-Do] karate came from China, and so we were off to the races. It was then all about protecting LaRusso and that relationship that was born in 1984, which has now given birth to this whole franchise. For many of us, you will always be “The Karate Kid,” but for a younger generation, you are now what Pat Morita's Mr. Miyagi was to my generation. Did it take a while to get used to seeing yourself as the sensei character after being the kid all these years? We camera-blocked the rehearsal of that little montage, and I went back to my trailer to get changed because we hadn't changed into wardrobe yet. I then had this rush of emotion by myself. There was a little lump in my throat as I was getting ready to do the scene because I had just remembered all the magic that happened in Miyagi's backyard in 1983. Pat Morita showed me how to paint the fence and all the stuff that has become a piece of pop culture. Pat Morita and producer Jerry Weintraub had both passed. And I just felt the emotional responsibility of carrying this legacy forward in that poignant moment. I did the same thing with Ben Wang on Karate Kid: Legends. I don't like to get lost in that nostalgia, but you do need to pay it forward and make it relevant. Cobra Kai did that very well, and I'd like to believe that this film has a fresh or different kind of feeling with the same underlying themes. Repurposing that Daniel-Miyagi flashback scene from The Karate Kid Part II was a clever way to build a canonical bridge to Jackie Chan's The Karate Kid. I thought it was blasphemous to remake The Karate Kid. Did you get territorial about it at the time? First of all, when they start remaking your stuff, you never think you're old enough that they'd remake your stuff. I now have The Outsiders on Broadway, which won best musical [at 2024's Tony Awards]. So you don't want to believe how much time has gone by that they're going to do it for the next generation, but I'm like the third time around in generations. So I was territorial upon first hearing of [2010's The Karate Kid]. I just felt, “How are you going to do a retread of that?” But they made a movie that was well-crafted and highly successful. I always describe that movie as an exercise and a lesson in how you can tell virtually the same story, but still make it a completely different movie. Miyagi tells the story that the secret to Okinawa karate came from China, and we laced that through Cobra Kai. Yes, I went from one legend to the other. So it was a joy to work with him. Ben Wang also does a wonderful job, physically, mentally and emotionally. He will be who new 8- to 19-year-olds will cheer for and root for, but they also get a piece of the legacy throughout the movie. It's family viewing and a very positive story of good over evil. It's cool when I have kids run up to me who know who Mr. Miyagi is and think he's the coolest. (Macchio asks for a few moments to ponder.) When I did one of my first Cobra Kai scenes with Billy Zabka, we'd been in the skins of our characters for 34 years at that time. But when we stepped onto that mat inside the Cobra Kai dojo in the second episode, there was wisdom on both sides of us from different perspectives. When we spoke to each other through our characters, there was a heightened element of awareness. So it takes me back to a moment in time. He wasn't the knee-jerk guy with the temper that got up in Johnny Lawrence's face every time he got pissed off. He was the earnest student wanting to learn, and then when you look at Daniel LaRusso in Karate Kid: Legends, he is very much on the opposite side [à la Mr. Miyagi]. He's open and earnest in sharing that wisdom with the next generation. So it's an interesting perspective to look at him in that opening scene as a youngster and later as the wiser, more grounded, experienced teacher. Based on your first scene with Jackie and the coda, I assumed that you killed two birds with one stone by shooting Karate Kid: Legends' Miyagi house scenes on Cobra Kai's Miyagi house set in Atlanta. But Legends actually rebuilt the house in Montreal? I stepped onto a running train, and it was the weirdest feeling. I was just in my own head now that I was shifting gears in a story three years later. Just so you know, when this movie was initially slated for a December 13, 2024 release, I was screaming constantly every day: “This movie has to come out after the show finishes.” And once marketing got together and realized that [the December ‘24 release] would not benefit either, they did the right thing. Karate Kid: Legends is now coming at a time where I like to believe that Cobra Kai fans are thirsty for another chapter. There's also brand-new fans, who may or may not have even seen Cobra Kai or the original film, that would have a great time at the cinema. The showrunners of Cobra Kai have alluded to more story. There are a few balls up in the air. The success of Karate Kid: Legends could propel all that stuff. ***Karate Kid: Legends opens May 30 in movie theaters nationwide. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter Send us a tip using our anonymous form.

Nathan Fielder rejected a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on CNN on Thursday about flight safety. Fielder told CNN he became interested in how plane crashes occur just as a hobby (“I don't want to die,” he said) and from watching a Canadian TV show about plane crashes. “I started to notice that they can always solve the technical stuff when a crash happens, you know, they work really hard to make sure that type of accident doesn't happen again,” he said. The six-episode season demonstrates how Fielder believes crashes happen. The administration said it “mandates all airline pilots and crew members to complete interpersonal communication training” and it “isn't seeing the data that supports the show's central claim that pilot communications is to blame for airline disasters.” “The Federal Aviation Administration requires all crewmembers (pilots and flight attendants) and dispatchers to complete Crew Resource Management training,” the administration told CNN. “They must complete this training before they begin working in their official positions and complete it on a recurring basis afterward.” Red Hot Chili Peppers Ex-Guitarist Avoids Jail in Vehicular Manslaughter Plea Deal Trump Loses It When Asked About ‘Chickening Out' on Tariffs “Here's the issue: I trained to be a pilot,” he said. And they talk about some crashes that happen, but they don't do anything that makes it stick emotionally.” The comedian recently told Rolling Stone he had no interest in becoming a pilot before embarking on the show. It was so scary for me to do that. But the second I showed up and started interacting with people I started to see the way communication happens and I'm like, ‘This is happening all the time. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation.

We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. Davidson plays a rebellious twentysomething who is sentenced to community service at the seemingly-quiet nursing home. As the logline teases, “as his suspicions grow and he digs deeper, he uncovers a chilling secret that puts both the residents' lives and his own in grave danger.” John Glover and Bruce Altman also star. DeMonaco directs from a script he co-wrote with Adam Cantor. Related Stories Cannes 2025 Films Sold So Far: Janus Films Acquires Hlynur Pálmason's ‘The Love That Remains' Ana de Armas ‘Hated' Singing in Ron Howard's ‘Eden': ‘I Would Rather Do 100 Stunts' “When I set out to create ‘The Home,' I aimed to capture the spine-chilling eeriness of 70's horror, where suspense simmers and ultimately erupts into glorious chaos,” DeMonaco said. “Joining me is my Staten Island brother, Pete Davidson, who unveils a darker, dramatic side as his character navigates a bizarre group of residents in an old age home. The growing tension culminates in an epic blood-soaked finale, designed to leave audiences gasping, terrified, and cheering. I can't wait for everyone to visit The Home. “The Home” is produced by Bill Block and Sebastien K. Lemercier. “There's 1,000 cast members and hundreds that are more popular and did better work than I did while I was there. I was just very grateful to be in a sketch and have a video and even just be invited. It just hits different when you see, like, Meryl Streep doing a sketch. And I also know it was a bunch of people who were in nothing so I'm just very grateful. It was a really surreal moment, and I'm happy that it went well for Lorne and just for the history and the integrity of the institution.” He added that Michaels, who executive produced Davidson's meta Peacock series “Bupkis,” was a father figure to him. Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions will co-release “The Home” in theaters July 25. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.

The 'Game of Thrones' author addresses the pressure to finish 'The Winds of Winter' with a rather blunt reaction to some fan assumptions: "I know you've given up on me ..." Martin has some rather candid pushback for fans who are frustrated by the lack of a publication date for The Winds of Winter. By now, Martin has heard all the usual “finish the book, George” reactions, some of which are rather cruel (suggesting the author will perish before he finishes his Game of Thrones saga, which includes both Winds and a final novel, A Dream of Spring). Lindsay Lohan Says 'Count My Lies' TV Role Is First Time She Doesn't Have a Romantic Interest: "So Refreshing" Barry Diller Blasts George Lucas as a "Sanctimonious Hypocrite" in Candid Memoir On Wednesday, the author discussed last week's Hollywood Reporter news of an adult animated feature film adapting Howard Waldrop's novella, A Dozen Tough Jobs. Martin will produce the project — a take on The Twelve Labors of Hercules — which will be penned by Joe R. Lansdale (Bubba Ho-Tep). The film follows Martin's producing short films based on three other Waldrop tales. So Martin posted a strong preemptive statement along with the film news. “Some of you will just be pissed off by this, as you are by everything I announce here that is not about Westeros or THE WINDS OF WINTER. If I do, it won't be any good. I lost all interest in A Song of Ice and Fire decades ago. You don't care about any of those, I know. You don't care about anything but WINDS OF WINTER. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Inside the business of TV with breaking news, expert analysis and showrunner interviews

EXCLUSIVE: A new holiday film is reuniting 90s big screen lovebirds Rachael Leigh Cook (Josie and the Pussycats) and Freddie Prinze Jr. (I Know What You Did Last Summer), more than two decades after starring alongside one another in She's All That. The Christmas Affair follows superstar sportscasters Natalie (Cook) and Gabe (Prinze Jr.), who form an unlikely alliance after their spouses are caught cheating weeks before Christmas. As holiday chaos and media attention mount, they begin to fall for each other. Sarah Michelle Gellar Remains Mum On 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' & 'Ready Or Not' Sequels: "Can't Even Tell You My Character's Name" Chase Sui Wonders Previews 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' Sequel: "Really Fun" “Fox Entertainment Studios is excited to grant the Christmas wish of countless holiday romcom fans with the long-awaited reunion of Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook,” said Hannah Pillemer, Head of Scripted at Fox Entertainment Studios. “This iconic couple stole our hearts over 25 years ago, and we are grateful to work with them on this all-new romantic comedy filled with holiday magic.” The Christmas Affair will be produced by FOX Entertainment Studios with production services from Choice Films Inc. Jennifer Gibgot and Andrew Panay serve as producers. The script is written by Elizabeth Hackett and Hilary Galanoy, who also serve as executive producers. She is best known for playing Laney Boggs in She's All That opposite Freddie Prinze Jr. and Josie McCoy in Josie and the Pussycats. Cook was also recently seen in Spirit Halloween, opposite Christopher Lloyd, and starred in Netflix's He's All That, a gender-swapped remake of her 1999 hit romantic comedy, as well as Love Guaranteed opposite Damon Wayans Jr. and Heather Graham for the streamer. Prinze Jr. is best known for starring in movies such as She's All That, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, as well as the Scooby-Doo franchise. He will next reprise his role of Ray Bronson in I Know What You Did Last Summer. The film, directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, which will also star Jennifer Love Hewitt, will be released by Sony on July 18th. This past year, Prinze Jr. produced and starred opposite Monica Potter and Kevin Pollak in Dakota Gorman's mystery thriller The Girl in the Pool. Recently, he had a recurring guest voice on Comedy Central's Robot Chicken, Star Wars Rebels, and other animated series and video games. Additionally, he recently starred in the Netflix holiday movie, Christmas with You, opposite Aimee Garcia, which debuted #6 globally on Netflix. He is repped by Paradigm, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, and Yorn, Levine, Barnes, Krintzman. Get our Breaking News Alerts and Keep your inbox happy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.

Longtime HGTV star Egypt Sherrod says she wishes former talk show host Wendy Williams the best amid her ongoing struggles, even though the two famously butted heads years ago, when they were both personalities on New York's WBLS Radio. During the conversation with hosts Lore'l and Kyle Santillian, Sherrod admitted Williams was never her “favorite” person, but that she has been saddened watching her downward spiral. During the interview on “The Morning Hustle,” Sherrod was asked about her recent disappointment with a New York Times Magazine article, penned by a writer who visited her and Jackson on set but later “trashed” home improvement shows. “‘Cause one day when I write a book, baby, it's going to be good!” Shifting to a serious tone, Sherrod replied, “I can't say anything about her because she is not well right now.” “Okay, I know exactly who you're talking about,” Lore'l said, without mentioning Williams by name. “Yep, and I have kept her lifted in prayer,” Sherrod said. “I would not wish what she's going through on my worst enemy.” When Lore'l mentioned that Williams seems to be improving and referenced rumors of her hosting a show with former CNN anchor Don Lemon, Sherrod replied, “I hope so. Williams has been under a court-ordered guardianship since 2022, per USA Today, after struggles with alcoholism, the breakup of her marriage, and a reported diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia and aphasia. Sherrod told “The Morning Hustle” that even if Williams is released and her health improves, she's not interested in re-hashing their old issues. “It wasn't so much about her as just the experience around that time,” she said of her years hosting middays at WBLS, on a show that aired right before Williams. It was one of the historic spars or wars in radio. One person wrote, “Egypt projects nothing but good vibes and lots of prayers, she knows where all her Blessing comes from🙌🏼” She eventually left the radio industry to focus full-time on real estate and design, telling Authority Magazine in late 2022, “I knew there was an expiry date on my radio career. Men last well into their 60s, but women who got married and had children, you're not the young, hot chick anymore.”

Actor Andrew McCarthy, best known for his role in the 1986 classic “Pretty in Pink” and as a familiar face in Hallmark's Christmas films, offered fans a rare glimpse into his personal life this week by sharing a heartfelt prom night moment with his daughter, Willow. Sharing the image on both his Facebook and Instagram accounts, the actor joked, “My daughter Willow went to her prom tonight. She did not wear pink.” The caption was a playful reference to his beloved 1986 film, where he played the role of popular heartthrob Blane McDonough. McCarthy later reshared the photo on his Instagram Stories with the caption, “Prom night, no pink,” adding another humorous nod to his iconic movie past. While Rowan appears to shy away from the spotlight, Sam and Willow have clearly inherited their father's passion for acting. His oldest son, Sam, 23, is a working actor, best known for playing Charlie in the Netflix series “Dead to Me.” Sam has also appeared in projects like “Goosebumps” and “Condor,” telling Flaunt magazine, “As I got older, I felt like I was drawn to acting, and would talk about being an actor ‘someday. Willow, following in her father's footsteps, has already made a name for herself on Broadway. In 2013, she took on the lead role of Matilda Wormwood in “Matilda: The Musical,” and later performed in productions of “1984” and “The Ferryman.” Most recently, she reunited with fellow former Matildas for a special “Matildapalooza” concert at New York City's 54 Below, where they performed favorite Broadway numbers. McCarthy shares Willow and Rowan, 11, with his wife, Dolores Rice. The actor's social media posts are rare windows into his family life, and fans were especially delighted to see the proud father celebrate this milestone moment with Willow.

Josh Klinghoffer, the former guitarist of Red Hot Chili Peppers, has accepted a no-jail plea deal after being charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence in September 2024 for allegedly driving over and killing pedestrian Israel Sanchez in Alhambra, California. Klinghoffer originally pleaded not guilty through his lawyer, Blair Bernholz Berk, when the charges were first filed. When reached by Pitchfork, Berk offered no comment on the plea deal. When appearing in the courtroom on Wednesday (May 28), Klinghoffer pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence. Los Angeles County Judge Rosa Fregoso sentenced the musician to one year of informal probation and 60 days of community labor, as well as requiring him to complete a driver safety class and pay restitution, the amount of which will be determined at a later date. After Klinghoffer entered the plea, a prosecutor read a statement warning him about distracted driving again in the future: “If you continue to drive while distracted, and as a result of your driving someone is killed, you can be charged with murder.” Klinghoffer said that he understood, reports Rolling Stone. In July 2024, Sanchez's family sued Klinghoffer for wrongful death and negligence, claiming that the 47-year-old man was struck by the musician's car when he failed to yield at a crosswalk, resulting in Sanchez's death hours later due to blunt-force trauma to the head. He is fully cooperating with the traffic investigation,” said Brettler. The Sanchez family's attorney, Nick Rowley, told Variety that “Mr. He did everything right, looking for oncoming traffic and abiding by pedestrian signage, but tragically Mr. Klinghoffer, in a rush and on his phone, hit him fatally from behind with a large SUV. Klinghoffer played guitar with the Red Hot Chili Peppers from 2009 to 2019, when he was replaced by returning member John Frusciante. Since leaving the band, he performed as a touring member of Jane's Addiction before their abrupt breakup, and remains an active touring guitarist in Pearl Jam. Pitchfork may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast.

We had all met up for dinner in Santa Fe a couple of years ago. It was Chris, Morgane, me, my wife Kathryn and several band and crew members very close to Clan Stapleton. It was a humbling night in that no matter the status of our perceived successes, we all seemed to resort to naked-in-a-dream, childish reactions when the stress mounted. But in sticking with said dinner, it turned out full of a nectar that ended the night in everyone's favor. The owner and maître d' of this Mexican restaurant came in on his day off, a little tipsy, I think, sporting a rhinestone-studded cowboy hat, and he welcomed us with grand sweeping gestures, overenunciating as he introduced each course with a rolling monologue. After his many waiters (one assigned to each of us) served us with aristocratic flair, he instructed us, with great drama, to, basically, pick up our spoons. “Now spoon up a small portion of every color on your dish. “And on the count of three put it in your mouth.” He was whispering at this point. “One!” I looked up at Chris across the table from me, and his mouth, behind his beard and mustache, was neither grinning nor frowning, but something twisted in between. “Two!” We all had our spoons at exactly the same height, most shaking. Like Willy Wonka, the owner knew ­precisely what was happening — delectable, divine, an otherworldly Disney ride in our mouths — as it happened. “You will next be getting a slight chile burn in the back half of the inside of your cheeks riiiiight now!” He was spot on. I had a similar feeling when I heard Chris play for the first time so many years ago at the Ryman, but I never put the two together until now. Then, that night, I was slapped in the face with that visceral charge I hadn't felt in music in that familial of a way since I was a kid. Chris and Morgane Stapleton are country rock stars. Since I was 8 years old, a boot-toting rancher's hanger-on at The Palomino Club in Los Angeles with my parents watching the likes of Marty Robbins, Waylon Jennings, Charley Pride, Mel Tillis and the great Willie Nelson, I have sought whatever that thing is that Chris and Morgane ooze: the presentation toward fans as family, and an added innate strut that suggests there's a lot more going on than meets the eye. He wrote a big song for me called ‘Never Wanted Nothing More.' It put a lot of gas in the bus, for sure.” Chris has also written songs for the likes of Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Sheryl Crow and Luke Bryan. But as a performer, something drives him. When I look at early videos of him sitting bespectacled and beardless, singing as if he is possessed, it hits me with both awe and envy and I, like him, am transported into the song-glory. The “Cold” lyrics are simple and straightforward. The song sounds as much like a calling out to God as to the Devil himself, and it surpasses the cosmetics of how we all pretend we live broken love into what it's actually like as we scratch at our faces and write the 15th letter in hopes of reconciliation. Kathryn and I flew here, then drove to a big metal warehouse where Chris and his band practice. This place was a rental during the coronavirus pandemic where Chris could perform remotely, but over the years they've grown attached to it, happily purchased it, and it's where everything musically happens now. Poncho, who manages the place, sees us in. They show us around, and we get the awkwards out. The next morning, when Chris and Morgane walk in at around 11:30, I'm sitting on the couch draped with Native American blankets stuffing guitar picks into my pocket. I could just ask and I'm sure Chris would give me a thousand of them — but something about stealing them just feels right. She turns on a high-­fidelity record player that suddenly bellows a raw duet with Miranda Lambert through the room. The song immediately has Morgane and me dancing on the disco floor that they just laid, the one used in their “Think I'm In Love With You” video. He keeps surprising us (and himself, I'm sure) with who he chooses to work with: Taylor Swift, Adele, Justin Timberlake (the video for his “Say Something” featuring Chris might be the best music video I've ever seen, as a one-take, anything-can-go-wrong vibe gone right in every way). “This is amazing!” Kathryn yells from behind her camera. Chris is off meandering through his gaggle of guitars. I ask Morgane to play it again and I sit down at a drum set surrounded by speakers. Chris grabs a chair to sit in that I later find out he brought with him when he first came to Nashville. “My mom recovered the seat pad sometime in the '90s, but this is one out of four we had when I was a kid,” he says. He gets up and takes me into a long closet on the other side of the room. “Lemme show you something,” he says. Poncho unlocks it and we walk into what feels like miles of guitar cases, wall to wall. Chris finally stops at one that isn't particularly a standout: “And this.” He pulls, then slowly opens it as if he's revealing One-Eyed Willy's personal hidden treasure; I even half expect at this point to see a golden-amber glow of some sort coming from inside. And there it is: an acoustic 1950s Gibson LG-2 steel string. It's worn and scratched and looks like it's trying to speak but is too old to. “Chambers guitar store, which I don't think exists anymore.” He runs his hand over it, almost longingly. “Except it means everything to you,” I say. There are silences between us that will come and go all day, natural silences that come from people not needing to fill space all the time. I don't look at my phone. I don't really look at him. “If I had to walk out of here with one thing, it would be this. And for the first time this morning, he smiles. Then he walks out of the storage closet, leaving me in there holding his old friend. Chris sits back down in his chair, his arm now around a 1976 bicentennial Gibson Firebird that Tom Petty used to play a month of shows at The Fillmore in the '90s. The vibrato chords and Travis picking are coming through a shoulder-high amp that I find out later is the one that Jimmy Page used when Zeppelin toured America for the first time in 1969, a Rickenbacker Transonic. The amplifier that rests on top belonged to John Lennon. I'm not much of a drummer, but I return to sit behind the drum kit in the middle of the room and try and hold a beat… and Stapleton starts riffing. After a while we stop and he looks at me. I'm always looking for that electrical current. My uncle had a regional band, so maybe that. My dad listened to all the great country too — Waylon, Willie, Merle Haggard — but he also played R&B: Otis Redding and Ray Charles. Chris grew up in Kentucky with big dreams of being a football player: “I couldn't watch ball for years because it just hurt too much.” We speak about what keeps him grounded to his roots, as he's accumulated 11 Grammys, 15 Academy of Country Music Awards (including 2025's male artist of the year honor), five Billboard Music Awards and 16 Country Music Association Awards. His latest album, Higher, won the ACM award for album of the year in 2024, earning Morgane her first ACM award as an official co-producer. Since we saw him that night at the Ryman in 2017 his career has skyrocketed. There isn't anyone out there who doesn't seem to love his music, his lyrics or him. I'm grateful for what it brings my family and that's all that matters at the end of the day — those five people who call you daddy.” It's something we've talked about before, but the longer we sit there it's obvious that words can't describe the depth of what he feels, or even what he knows. I get it because I have the same push/pull with my profession, so we stammer through the personal stuff. We can't take you for tacos. Y'all have your Mexican food covered.” We land on Hattie B's, a staple hot chicken joint in town known for its added spicy sauce. We pull into the small parking lot and there's one spot. “Ain't no way you're going to make that,” Chris challenges. She seven-point turns until she slips right into the space like a hand into a baseball glove. “What'd you get, medium?” I ask Chris, curious if he is one of those burn-until-you-have-to-call-911 eaters. I don't mess with that medium stuff. “Want to try the hot with me?” Morgane asks. They bring us some hot, along with some quarter and half birds, fried pickles, a few orders of “dirty bird” fries, a black-eyed pea salad and a few banana puddings. Morgane hands me my drum stick with the hot goop on it and we each take a bite. Right at that moment we hear Bill Withers' “Lovely Day” from across the street. We all look over and see a man on a fully dressed, cream-white Harley-Davidson ­unapologetically karaoke-ing to the blasting coming from his motorcycle speakers: “Then I look at you/And the world's all right with me/Just one look at you/And I know it's going to be/A lovely day…” Does anybody have water?” I start to panic, but everyone is focused on the Bill Withers guy on a motorcycle, so I don't start screaming. Chris's face is in the direct sun, and I know he's getting sunburned, but he's too polite to say anything. My lips are burning, and this is exactly what I want to be doing with my day: extraordinary people doing ordinary s–t. “Let's get outta here,” somebody says, though I don't know who. Kathryn needs to take her photos so she and Chris go somewhere that she feels will inspire, and Morgane and I are left to reminisce on what today has been. “I wanted you guys to go back to the roots thing,” she says, looking at me like a mother taking care of her boy. “After SteelDrivers [the bluegrass band that Chris started and was subsequently fired from] he went solo on a heavy riff, sex rock'n'roll-type music,” she continues. So we were sitting on the couch one night talking about what we were going to do. And I'll never forget it: He looked at me and said he needed to do something with meaning.” I hear Kathryn and Chris laughing from across the room. “He had already written all the songs. I think he's been chasing that ever since.” “When did his dad die?”“2013.”“Before Traveller.”“Yep.” We were supposed to leave, get back to our respective kids, but we ended up at the table on the disco floor, just shooting the s–t: me, Kathryn, Chris, Morgane and Poncho. He knows a lot about guitars too. He takes care of the warehouse now. It's obvious how deep the mutual care is. His wife then said he needed to leave because it wasn't good for their daughter, his drinking and staying out so late every night. He couldn't imagine life without his son. He got his s–t together and showed up, and today they are all together, slogging through the moments, as a family. I have tears in my eyes (even as I write this) thinking of that late-night talk at the table on the disco floor, Chris easy with whatever wanted to happen. All the talks that day, but this one, especially. Yes, Chris and Morgane Stapleton are country rock stars; there's no refuting that. But when it comes down to it, they're all about finding meaning in the music and in the moments — with their fans, their families and between each other. We spent the day together just shooting the s–t, eating hot wings, singing along with Miranda Lambert and Bill Withers and, yeah, it's true, I got to play the drums with Chris f–king Stapleton. This story appears in the May 31, 2025, issue of Billboard. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Send us a tip using our anonymous form. A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation.

Alex G has announced a new album. Leading the record is the new single “Afterlife,” which comes with a music video directed by Charlotte Rutherford. The follow-up to 2022's God Save the Animals is billed as a collection of “absurd twists and mundane milestones” that draw on the same Americana influences as Alex G's previous record. Later this year, Alex G heads out on a North American tour featuring support from Nilüfer Yanya. The two artists will play shows together in September and October, making stops in a lot of major cities. All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. 01 June Guitar02 Real Thing03 Afterlife04 Beam Me Up05 Spinning06 Louisiana07 Bounce Boy08 Oranges09 Far and Wide10 Headlights11 Is It Still You in There?12 Logan Hotel (Live) Pitchfork may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast.

To celebrate, Fogerty has released three newly recorded versions of CCR classics. John Fogerty has announced a new album titled Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years, due out Aug. 22 via Concord. The new recordings are labeled “John's Version,” a nod to Taylor Swift's “Taylor's Version” project, though Fogerty now owns his masters. He won control over his publishing rights in early 2023, ending a legal battle that spanned five decades. “I knew firsthand how much it meant for John to get his publishing back,” said Julie. “It has been so joyful and beautiful since this happened for him. This is a celebration of his life's work. Legacy features 20 tracks, including CCR staples like “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Fortunate Son,” and “Down on the Corner.” The project arrives as Fogerty celebrates his 80th birthday with a pair of shows at New York's Beacon Theatre, ahead of a European summer tour and a performance at Glastonbury Festival. The band scored nine Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1969 and 1971, including “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Green River,” and “Lookin' Out My Back Door.” Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years is available for pre-order now. A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry