While today's Broadway matinees are expected to go on as planned, performances scheduled for tonight have been canceled due to the anticipated blizzard and evening travel bans. The statement reads: “Due to anticipated travel impacts from the impending blizzard and evening travel bans already announced for our surrounding areas, Broadway theatre owners and producers have come to the consensus that evening performances (curtain times at 6pm or later) tonight (Sunday, February 22) will be canceled.” The League noted that as of 10:30 a.m., Operation Mincemeat has not cancelled its 7:30 p.m. evening performance. (Deadline confirmed that as of 11:30 a.m. tickets were still being sold for the musical.) Broadway matinee performances (curtain times at 3 p.m. or earlier) are proceeding as planned. (Evening performances have curtain times of 6 p.m. or later). For questions about exchange or refund policies, theatregoers should contact their point of purchase directly. The Manhattan Theatre Club's Broadway production of Bug announced a “$45 snow sale” for all remaining seats for today's 2 p.m. matinee at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. (MTC's Off Broadway The Monsters, at New York City Center, Stage II, was offering $39 snow sales for all remaining seats at today's 2:30 p.m. matinee). Sidewalk and curbside snow piles, grimy and discolored from car exhaust and pet waste, had just begun to melt away this week a month after New York's last big winter storm. The National Weather Service has issued blizzard and winter storm warnings for New York City and surrounding areas, with the worst expected to arrive Sunday evening into Monday. A light, wet snow began falling in the city before noon with little if any accumulation. The last blizzard warning was in March 2017. The phrase “bomb cyclone” is also being used. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour are likely, with wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph near the coast. 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.

Prince William and Kate Middleton looked stunning at the 2026 BAFTA Awards as they made their first joint appearance following ex-Prince Andrew's arrest earlier this week. The Prince of Wales, 43, looked dapper in a Giorgio Armani burgundy velvet evening jacket and black pants as he smiled for photographers. Middleton, meanwhile, wore a blush Gucci gown that she previously wore a gala dinner for the100 Women in Finance's Philanthropic Initiatives in 2019. For accessories, the 44-year-old wore earrings and carried a small clutch. While this is the couple's first joint appearance after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was detained, the Princess of Wales, who is a Patron of the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League, attended the England vs Ireland Six Nations game in London on Saturday. She was spotted sporting a big smile as she sat next to injured English player Fin Baxter in the stands. Photos showed the mother of three wore an an England scarf over a blue suit and styled her hair in loose curls for the event. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Mountbatten-Windsor brought in his 66th birthday from jail on Thursday after he was arrested over his ties to accused sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. He was detained on suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly forwarding confidential trade documents to Epstein while working as a British trade envoy. The arrest was made nearly one month after he was reported to the Thames Valley Police over his alleged misconduct by anti-monarchy campaigner Graham Smith. If convicted, the former prince could face a maximum sentence of life in prison. Hours later, the terrified disgraced royal was caught attempting to hide from cameras in the backseat of a car following his release from Aylsham Police Station. King Charles — who was allegedly not informed ahead of time regarding his brother's detainment — reacted to the news of his brother's arrest on Thursday with the “deepest concern” as he released a statement addressing the scandal. “I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office,” he began in a statement issued by Buckingham Palace.

Prince William and Kate Middleton made an appearance this afternoon at the BAFTA Film Awards, marking their first joint public showing since the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Their attendance was not confirmed by BAFTA or Kensington Palace before the event, which is unusual. The Palace usually confirms whether royal visitors plan to skip or attend. Prince William and Kate Middleton skipped last year's ceremony. William made an in-person appearance at the 2024 gala by himself shortly after it was announced that Middleton had undergone surgery, before revealing she was undergoing cancer treatment the next month. It was in 2023 when Prince William and Middleton last attended the BAFTAs together. Donna Langley Shares 'Mamma Mia 3' Update & Teases Meryl Streep's Return: "We'll Find A Way" Prince William and Princess Kate of Wales arriving at the #BAFTA Film Awards pic.twitter.com/IBrGjqVKXK But it's been an unprecedented week for Prince and the wider royal family, as his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Andrew's association with the pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has dominated headlines for weeks, and BBC News reported that Thames Valley Police said they were assessing a complaint over the alleged sharing of confidential material by the former Prince with late sex offender Epstein. King Charles III responded to the unprecedented arrest of his brother in a short statement. He added that he “learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.” 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. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.

Shia LaBeouf was spotted packing on the PDA with a mystery woman in New Orleans on Saturday, just days after his recent arrest. His flirty night out also comes after Page Six broke the news that he and wife Mia Goth quietly split nearly a year ago. In video and photos obtained by TMZ, the 39-year-old was seen kissing and holding hands with the unidentified brunette beauty inside a bar just off Bourbon Street. While hanging out on an upstairs balcony overlooking the bar, the duo also smiled at and whispered to each other. The “Transformers” star “was drinking and seemed a little tipsy, but in great spirits,” witnesses told TMZ. The PDA-filled outing comes after the actor's arrest on Tuesday morning following a tense physical altercation with two men. He's since been charged with two counts of simple battery for the incident. Start your day with Page Six Daily. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Following his release, Page Six obtained exclusive photos of the actor going on a run and then attempting to attend church on Ash Wednesday. After Page Six broke the news of the “Disturbia” star and Goth's split, TMZ revealed that police were called multiple times to the couple's LA home before they called it quits.

By Jake Kanter, Baz Bamigboye, Nada Aboul Kheir Ted Sarandos has flown into London with a message for Paramount as both studios chase the prize of Warner Bros. “The one thing I would like in this process is: ‘If you wanna try and outbid our deal … just make a better deal. Just put a better deal on the table. Just put a better deal on the table and see if you can win. Breaking Baz: Stars, Filmmakers & Execs Dance The Night Away At Charles Finch & Chanel's "Dysfunctional" BAFTA Party How To Watch 2026 BAFTA Film Awards On TV & Streaming In agreement with Netflix, WBD reopened its sales process last week, giving Paramount seven days to make its best and final offer. In conversation with Deadline's Baz Bamigboye, Sarandos had one other message for Paramount: “I like Landman,” he laughed. Sarandos added that he had total confidence in getting Netflix's deal over the line and is confident of assuaging the concerns of antitrust authorities. “We want to help them win,” he added of Warner Bros.' movie division and the theatrical experience. Bamigboye joked that the takeover saga could one day make a movie. “Who's going to play you, Baz?” Sarandos asked. 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. 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.

Grusing worked in the FBI's Denver Division for 25 years, investigating violent crimes, missing persons, serial killers and more. “You know, I'm just trying to use the experiences of different cases and trying to apply any sort of logic to this in the hopes that someone from the public who has thought it might be someone they know whether it's his family or whether now it's a coworker or friend or associate or whatever, to put that one puzzle piece together that says, ‘Yes, and now I think it could be him. “The first thing he does is with his glove, and with his glove, it doesn't look like he's trying to take [the camera] off,” Grusing said. “Is there a chance, since we don't have audio, that he is either knocking on the door loudly or that he has pressed the ring doorbell, [that] he's trying to get Nancy to answer the door, and he's shielding himself from being seen as a masked person, so she will, in her confusion, open the door?” Grusing asked rhetorically. Rather, he said, the suspect might have been there because he had a personal grievance against Guthrie, and might have lured her out of the home onto her porch. Grusing said that the possibility makes even more sense when considering that blood was found spattered on Guthrie's front porch and down the driveway, and authorities have not released any information about whether there was blood found inside the home. The suspect also wore a gun in what is believed to be a cheap Walmart holster, and wore it on the front of his body, which Grusing described as not “tactically sound.” He also believes that the gunman would have had trouble firing that gun with the gloves he was wearing, and that the gun may have just been a prop used to instill fear in Guthrie. “So, if the gun's a prop, if he's shielding himself from being seen, if he's actually ringing the doorbell or knocking on the door, getting her to come, he wants to confront her about something in my opinion,” Grusing said. He has always believed that in whatever interaction Guthrie had with the suspect, something went wrong, causing him to remove her from the house. Perhaps, he said, Guthrie identified him, causing a panic. He also says the kidnap-for-ransom theory doesn't add up, given that alleged kidnappers never reached out to the Guthrie family directly. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News that there's a snag with mixed DNA that was sent to a lab in Florida. He also said there are no names his team is currently looking into, according to Fox 10 Phoenix. Specific details about these pieces of evidence will not be shared publicly, as this remains an active investigation. Several hundred law enforcement personnel remain dedicated to this case. This will remain an active investigation until Nancy Guthrie is found or all leads are exhausted.” All crime scene evidence and search warrant scenes have been submitted for analysis. “As with any biological evidence, there can be challenges separating DNA, etc.” Separately, NBC News reports that on the morning of Feb. 21, sheriff deputies “placed new street barricades outside Guthrie's home” in order to help “regulate the flow of traffic around the news crews” as well as “true crime fans.” Guthrie was last seen on the evening of Jan. 31, when she was dropped off at home shortly before 10 p.m., according to a timeline provided by Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos. Go here and check the boxnext to EntertainmentNow Praying for everyone involved in this ongoing investigation. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. When Baz Luhrmann was directing his 2022 film “Elvis,” he heard about some mythical missing reels from the 1970 documentary “Elvis: That's the Way It Is.” Luhrmann was intrigued, mainly because he thought he could use the footage in his film for an elaborate showroom sequence and thus avoid building a huge set and employing hundreds of extras. When he sent an associate into the Kansas City salt mine where MGM keeps its negatives, he discovered that there was something even more valuable hidden in the studio's collection. “There were 65 boxes, some with stuff stolen or missing, and all rotting.” Luhrmann had the boxes shipped back to Warner Bros. and realized the footage was all disintegrating in the film cans; he also realized it was a treasure trove of “That's the Way It Is” outtakes, 16mm behind-the-scenes footage of Elvis' concert tour, and even some rare 8mm, none of which had sound. The material didn't work for “Elvis” — Luhrmann ended up building that showroom after all — but it was too valuable for Luhrmann to ignore. Related Stories ‘KPop Demon Hunters' Leads 2026 Annie Award Winners — Full List İlker Catak's ‘Yellow Letters' Wins Golden Bear at Berlin Film Festival: Full List of Awards “At the end of [‘Elvis'], my editor Jonathan Redmond and I were like, ‘What are we going to do? That was a sort of light bulb moment: what if we just got out of the way and let Elvis tell us his story and sing us his story in a dreamscape? That was a liberation and the beginning of an epic journey.” The result of that journey is “EPiC: Elvis Presley Live in Concert,” a gloriously exuberant celebration of The King that's unlike any concert film or music documentary ever made. It's an impressionistic and immersive portrait of Elvis at a peak moment in his artistry, when he was performing up to three shows a night in Las Vegas and interpreting everything from his own classics to Simon and Garfunkel's “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” and The Beatles' “Get Back.” The Beatles song is only one connection between “EPiC” and Peter Jackson's 2021 docuseries “The Beatles: Get Back”; Luhrmann worked with Jackson's Park Road Post to employ the same technology that was used to restore the old Beatles footage to save those vinegar syndrome-afflicted film cans from the salt mine. Once Luhrmann had all of the material, he took it to Jackson's Park Road so they could restore the footage to its original glory. “There's not a frame of AI in this film,” Luhrmann said. Then we take it back for color grading, which is a very sensitive art. The rigorous work pays off in “EPiC,” which looks and sounds like it was shot yesterday. “The pictorial resolution is achieved through painstaking love,” Luhrmann said. “We wanted to make it as much as possible like you're actually at a concert with Elvis,” Luhrmann said, which is why he encourages audiences to see it on the biggest screen available — preferably IMAX. Although the movie is a typically maximalist Baz Luhrmann spectacle, its production was much smaller than he's used to, and that made it particularly pleasurable. “I'm not saying I don't enjoy [making other films], but everything is usually fraught with labor and complexity and is a mountain climb. Here we were a tiny little team and it was probably the most enjoyable thing I've ever made.” To hear the entire conversation with Baz Luhrmann and make sure you don't miss a single episode of Filmmaker Toolkit, subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.

Larry Bird should have been excited about attending Indiana University in the late summer of 1974. The man who had recruited him to come there, Dave Bliss, had been chasing him for more than a year, convinced of Bird's greatness. Bliss, a young assistant coach at Indiana with blond hair and blue eyes, recorded his thoughts about Bird in his journal again and again. “Guy is going to be really good,” Bliss wrote. And most importantly, Bliss had convinced his boss, Hoosier head coach Bobby Knight, to at least consider the possibility of Larry Bird. Knight, just 33 years old at the time, had already developed a habit that he would carry with him for the rest of his life: He didn't like to listen to others, especially not his critics. In a lot of ways, Knight had taught Bliss how to recruit and Bliss had proven himself to be good at it. If Bliss wanted Knight to drive an hour south to French Lick — to watch some kid who most college coaches had never heard of, in a place that most people had never visited, in a tiny gym in one of the poorest counties in the state — Knight would do it. And so, there he was on at least three occasions in the winter and spring of 1974: Bobby Knight was in French Lick to see Larry Bird. In his frustration afterwards, Bird reportedly flipped off opposing fans outside. And the next visit from Knight didn't go much better. This time, they met inside the home of Bird's longtime mentor, his former high school coach Jim Jones, on Skyline Drive, on the hill behind the high school, and Knight seemed frustrated that he couldn't connect with Bird or get him to talk much at all. “The very best of Knight was there,” recalled Jim Jones' wife, Joyce. On this evening, Knight was humble, kind, and invested in Bird. Bird seemed to be torn between Indiana and Indiana State, a small program that was playing in the hinterlands of Division I basketball, in danger of being banished to Division II, about to fire its head coach, and incapable of filling its new arena in Terre Haute. It made no sense to Knight that Bird would even consider Indiana State, and according to people who were there in Jim Jones' living room on that visit in 1974, Knight finally expressed this thought out loud. “If you're thinking about going to Indiana State,” he told Bird, “I don't know if you can play for me.” By then, almost everyone in town had an opinion about where Larry Bird should go to college. And in April 1974, with everyone whispering about it, the boy finally made his choice. In the days to come, Knight drove down one last time for a small signing ceremony in the Valley gym. In a photograph that one of Bird's classmates snapped that day and published in the Springs Valley Herald, neither Bird nor Knight is smiling. They stand next to each other, yet miles apart, as if separated by a yawning chasm that was about to swallow Larry Bird whole. THIS YEAR MARKS THE 50th anniversary of Bird's collegiate debut. And because of Bird's success later — his NBA titles with the Boston Celtics, his MVP awards in the 1980s, his rivalry with Magic Johnson, and his celebrated status as an American icon — it's easy to forget that he almost didn't escape French Lick at all. In this alternative reality, we don't know his name and he never plays basketball. Instead, he gets a job at the Kimball piano plant in French Lick or the cabinet factory over in Jasper, toiling as a wood finisher like his father. And the most tenuous period of Bird's life came in 1974, at the moment he threw in his lot with Bobby Knight. The NBA All-Star Game Is Back With a New Format: Here's How to Watch How to Watch the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest Online Without Cable And I Need Them': Bad Bunny's Political Awakening in Puerto Rico In this little window of time, Bird's parents were divorced and struggling. Lots of people didn't know how hard life was for Larry, including Knight, Bliss, and everyone else in Bloomington, and Larry was about to make a series of choices that wouldn't help. It's these choices that would send Bird tumbling into that chasm, and it all begins in late August 1974 when his uncle drops him off in Bloomington outside his new home, a massive dormitory: McNutt Quad. MCNUTT HAD A REPUTATION for two things that Bird liked — or would come to like: beer and basketball. Half of Knight's team lived at McNutt, including every freshman on the Hoosier roster and four players soon to be selected at the top of NBA drafts. In short, Knight had placed Bird with his people. And they weren't just clumped together for companionship; they were at McNutt because it was a short walk to the gym, the arena, and a handful of outdoor basketball courts. The McNutt kids were known for throwing ragers, complete with kegs, eight varieties of alcohol, and women. But Bird was troubled in Bloomington from the start. “It was more like a whole country,” Bird said later. And he felt like a foreigner in this place. He didn't even fit in with his roommate, Jim Wisman. The two young men ended up there together for the simplest of reasons: They were the last two basketball recruits in need of a roommate, and they didn't seem all that different, at least from afar. And if it didn't work out between Wisman and Bird, there were other basketball players for them to befriend at McNutt. They could hang with the two other freshmen on the team, who were living down in room 386, roll with upperclassmen Quinn Buckner and Scott May, or find future NBA No. 1 draft pick Kent Benson somewhere in the same dorm. But the room assignment, random as it was, revealed something important about the operation at Indiana: Bliss had recruited Bird and Knight had signed him. And it didn't take long for people to realize that pairing Wisman with Bird was a mistake. Wisman was polite and articulate — a good kid, but also different. “He was,” Bliss realized too late, “maybe the antithesis of Larry.” Bird had one bag of clothes while Wisman had arrived on campus that August with a full wardrobe. On the day they moved in, Bird watched Wisman unpack, thinking, “Man, I don't have nothing.” Teammates who visited their room that August left with the same feeling. John Laskowski, a senior guard, remembers going there to welcome the two freshmen and seeing three things in their room that he would not forget: Wisman's full closet, Bird's empty one, and the wide gulf that seemed to exist between two new roommates. “It was just kind of two different worlds,” Laskowski said. But Wisman was almost seven inches shorter than Bird; most things in that closet weren't going to fit him. And by early September, Bird began asking himself a question: “How can I keep wearing Jim Wisman's clothes and accepting Jim Wisman's money?” But Bird couldn't find any peace at Indiana. He complained later than Kent Benson — the Hoosiers' 6-foot-11 center, a future two-time all-American — took his ball. Sometimes, in the schoolyard picks before scrimmages, Bird wasn't selected at all. Then, in early September, he injured his toe while playing on the outdoor courts. In addition to everything, Bird was now hobbled, limping off to class on an enormous campus that was 15 times bigger than French Lick. Bird said later that he told no one about his intentions. But folks on campus that September saw through him. People were showering and Bird was angry, recalled team manager Larry Sherfick, because he wasn't playing or because people weren't passing him the ball. As Bird stewed over these slights, Sherfick said, one of the players in the locker room made a comment loud enough for everyone to hear: “Tell us again, Larry — where are you from?” The implication, Sherfick said, was clear. And at this point, Sherfick recalled, Bird turned to him for help. “Frankly, I don't want to get into this,” Sherfick recalled thinking. “I'm just trying to get my job done and get back before the dinner line.” So, he stayed out of it. He didn't come to Bird's defense — a choice he's thought about from time to time over the years. “I've felt some remorse that I didn't stick up for him,” Sherfick said, especially after he heard about what happened next. On the second Friday of September 1974, about three weeks after Bird arrived in Bloomington, Bird walked into Bliss's office, Bliss recalled, and announced that he was leaving. Cool weather was moving in and kids on campus had big plans for the weekend. People were putting down $25 at the door to meet the great coach of the Indiana Hoosiers, to hear him talk about basketball, and to laugh at his inappropriate jokes, and by the time Bliss reached Knight by phone sometime later, Bird was long gone. He had packed his things, walked out to Highway 37, and hitchhiked home. His father, Joey, took a different view of things. He had been making poor decisions for at least 30 years. He never finished eighth grade; left a good job to enlist in the military in 1944 when he was still just 17; went AWOL and got caught drinking liquor on his ship before even shipping off to World War II; re-enlisted to go to Korea; spent a miserable winter there, fighting the Communists; came home scarred by what he had seen in those frozen foxholes; took to drinking; became a presence in the local bars around French Lick; couldn't seem to hold down a job; and now seemed to be descending into darkness. Against this backdrop, the son made a curious choice of his own. Larry enrolled at a small technical school in West Baden Springs, just north of French Lick, and joined the basketball team there. Northwood's dorm rooms, classrooms, and offices all existed inside an old domed hotel that had seen better days. There weren't enough students enrolled at Northwood Institute to fill them. For all of these reasons, members of the Northwood team were shocked when their head coach informed them that Larry Bird was joining the roster. The team's center, Dave Earley, might have been working in the timber business with his father over in Seymour if he hadn't come to Northwood. One of the team's forwards, Kent Hutchinson, might have enrolled at a little school in Franklin, Indiana, if a Northwood coach hadn't reached out to him. They were there to run track or play baseball. Bird seemed to be asking himself the same question. At one point shortly after he showed up, Northwood's head coach asked Tow to help Bird get the books he'd need for class. '” Tow wasn't sure what to make of the comment; he and all the other guys were hoping to get a degree. But for all the doubts they might have had about Bird's academic commitment, no one had questions about his work ethic in the basketball practices held that fall in a little gymnasium across the road. The gym, called Sprudel Hall, was the last remaining relic of long-defunct West Baden High School, and it too was showing its age. Bird's new teammates couldn't wait for practices to be over. Northwood's culinary students were always churning out great food — lasagna, chicken cordon bleu, and Cornish hens served in warm nests of baked bread — and no one wanted to miss the meals. Sometimes, Dave Earley, the team's best player, would drive by hours later and find the lights still on and Bird still inside, playing games against himself. Or he'd drop-kick the ball off the wall, chase it down, and shoot from wherever he scooped it up again. It didn't matter if he was 10 feet from the basket or 50, Earley recalled. The Northwood guys had never seen anything like it, and Earley began to wonder: Who is this Larry Bird? He'd heard stories that Bird's father drank too much and couldn't hold down a job, and because there was nothing to do in town, Earley and a couple of other guys went out one night that fall to investigate the situation for themselves. They probably weren't there for more than 10 seconds, but Earley would never forget the silence that filled the car — “dead silence,” he said — as everyone eyed Bird's house. It was small, crooked in places, and not just poor. It sort of felt sad, Earley said, and he realized in that moment why Bird stayed in the gym and never seemed to go home. SOMETIME THAT NOVEMBER, just before Northwood's first game and a couple of weeks before Bird's 18th birthday, Bird stopped coming to practice. He quit the team and dropped out of school again — developments that surprised no one at Northwood. Tow had wondered from the start if Bird would stay, and the next time Tow saw him, Bird wasn't playing basketball at all. He was working for the city, riding on a garbage truck and collecting trash. Tow didn't say anything to Bird that day; he might have just waved, he thought later, as the garbage truck rolled by. They'd see Bird that winter shoveling snow, fixing streets, or picking up the trash and wonder why. It also gave him something to do while his father unraveled even more. That December, in the county courthouse, Georgia Bird asked the court to hold Larry's father in contempt — for failure to pay child support — and according to Larry, his father went dark. By Christmas, Larry was worried about him, and by the first week of February 1975, the police were looking for him, knocking on the door of Joey Bird's parents' house in West Baden. It was a Monday, right in the middle of the Springs Valley basketball season, and folks in town had moved on by then. No one was talking about last year's high school team. Four Legendary Photographers Remember Working With Bob Weir New Documents Reveal a Controversial Vaccine Study's Unusual Path to CDC Approval He wasn't playing basketball at Indiana anymore and he wasn't even playing for the likes of Northwood Institute. He was playing in a men's league — glorified pickup basketball — with a collection of workaday guys who had mortgages, wives, day jobs, and children. One of the greatest basketball players of all time was about to pull off a feat that's hard to imagine. Excerpted from the book HEARTLAND: A Forgotten Place, an Impossible Dream, and the Miracle of Larry Bird, by Keith O'Brien, out March 3. From Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Publishers. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation.

Tim McGraw is looking back at the most “controversial” song of his career. During a recent interview on “The Tim Ferriss Show,” the 58-year-old country singer shared which song he had to fight to include on one of his albums, and why it was such a big risk. “‘Indian Outlaw' — because I had that song for my first album and nobody liked it,” he explained when asked for an example of a song of his he thought was “lightning in a bottle.” “The label didn't like it. According to the musician, the label told him “it was too controversial, and it was a bad song,” going as far as telling McGraw “it wasn't country music” and would not get played on the radio. “Learned it and started playing it in all the clubs around town, the honky-tonks around town, and when we would travel and play clubs all over the country, I was playing that song, and we'd end up having to play it two or three times a night, four times a night, because people loved it so much.” When it came time to cut his second album, “Not a Moment Too Soon,” the singer insisted it be included, noting, “I felt like this is either going to work in a huge way or it's going to ruin my career forever.” “And I think that what kept me from being just sort of a novelty act with this sort of funky, weird song that made some noise was being able to come right behind it with ‘Don't Take the Girl.' I'll forever believe that the combination of those two songs is what set my career in motion and gave me momentum that I probably couldn't have gotten any other way.” He added, “In fact, I met with several Native American leaders. And my answer was, ‘Look, I understand what your concerns are. The song's not meant to be that way, I understand your concerns. My opinion, if you need to go after me in order to raise attention and awareness, by all means, use my song for that. The singer said that when he plays at Native American casinos, he offers to take the song out of his set, but “99 percent of the time, ‘That's why we hired you, is to sing that song.' In October 2025, the singer opened up about a rough patch in his career following a series of injuries, which left him wondering if he would ever perform again, adding he nearly quit his career. He later added, “And this spring, before I had my final back surgery, things were getting really bad, so I was seriously contemplating and figuring out how to walk away.

Bad Bunny paid tribute to salsa legend Willie Colón at his latest Debí Tirar Más Fotos world tour stop in São Paulo, Brazil. Colón died Saturday morning at the age of 75, his family confirmed. A cause of death has not been disclosed. Today, one of the great legends who contributed to this beautiful genre passed away,” Bad Bunny said before diving into his song “NUEVAYoL,” which name-checks the salsa singer. “From me and Los Sobrinos, we wish Willie Colón rests in peace,” Bad Bunny said, referencing his own live band. New Documents Reveal a Controversial Vaccine Study's Unusual Path to CDC Approval Bad Bunny name dropped the salsa legend in the first verse of his historic, genre-defying LP Debí Tirar Más Fotos. “Willie Colón, me dicen ‘еl malo,'” (“Willie Colón, they call me the bad one,”) Benito raps, referencing the salsa singer's 1967 debut album El Malo. “NUEVAYoL” is a full homage to Nuoyorican icons like Colón. The track samples Puerto Rico's “Godfather of Salsa” Andy Montañez Rodrígue's rendition of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico's song “Un Verano en Nueva York” against a boisterous dembow beat. Many fans have pointed out that the salsa legend had right-wing views later in life and his social media presence across Instagram and X included criticism of Bad Bunny. Still, upon the song's release, Colón responded positively to being name-checked in a social media video. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation.

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter If Hulu's post-apocalyptic drama Paradise has a secret weapon, it's This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman's skill for provoking emotion. The new second season knows just how to get a viewer in their feelings, spilling tears over characters in the pits of despair, or joy as they rediscover lost pleasures, or warmth as lonely souls find camaraderie in dark days. Exasperation at intriguing storylines that fizzled into dead ends. 'Paradise' Trailer: Sterling K. Brown Journeys Above to Find His Wife in Season 2 Spike Lee Praises Ryan Coogler, Delroy Lindo as He Receives Career Achievement Award at Critics Choice Celebration of Black Cinema and Television Airdate: Monday, Feb. 23 (Hulu)Cast: Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Krys Marshall, Enuka Okuma, Aliyah Mastin, Percy Daggs IV, Charlie Evans, Thomas Doherty, Shailene Woodley, Cameron BrittonCreator: Dan Fogelman For all its ambition and enormous cast, the first season of Paradise remained anchored to a single place (a city-sized bunker underneath Colorado) and organized around a single propulsive mystery (who killed James Marsden's President Cal Bradford?). Sure, it was never as profound as it seemed to want to be — more often, it was like one of its own lugubrious covers of '80s pop songs, silly fun trying to pass itself off as Classy and Serious — but it had an addictive momentum. What would Xavier find out there — his wife (Enuka Okuma's Teri)? And with so many intriguing narrative options, how would Paradise pick a new path to go forward? The seven hours (of eight) sent to critics sprawl out in every direction, scattering existing characters on disjointed journeys while adding a slew of new ones. There are some upsides to the broadened scope. Woodley, always a sensitive performer, plays Annie's swirling emotions beautifully, as she moves from panic to resignation to bittersweet pleasure at getting to interact with other humans for the first time in ages. (When an injured grown-up offers to read them a story, the shyest among them responds with a question: When the man dies, can he have his jacket?) It's enough to make you want to not sweat the small stuff, like, “Would it really take three years for someone to think to raid Graceland?” Or “Wouldn't a tech genius come up with a better computer password than a four-digit code?” Or “Why does this character's before-times ID have only their picture but not their name, thus defeating the entire purpose of an ID?” Who cares about such nitpicky details when we're busy tearing up at Annie feeling alive again, or Xavier's desperation to be reunited with Teri? But as with greenhouse gases under apocalyptic clouds of ash, it's the cumulative effect that screws you. Too many of them will eat away at the structural integrity of a season — especially if its foundations are already shaky. Without a single driving mystery, subplots like Cal's angsty son Jeremy (Charlie Evans) mounting a youth rebellion are given so little oxygen that it's easy to forget they exist at all, while compelling characters like Annie get abruptly sidelined once their utility has run out. More time is spent reminding us that we don't know what characters like billionaire mastermind Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson) are really up to, than establishing why we're meant to care. Meanwhile, the overreliance on flashbacks to fill in character motivations and goals stalls the momentum, so that it starts to seem that Paradise is a collection of backstories loosely connected by a shared present, rather than an ongoing thriller enhanced by deeper context. Even Fogelman's knack for weepy emotionality turns out to have its limits. Season two tries to repeat the feat with a similarly shady character, but only manages to make her seem more alien. (This is an especially rough stretch for the female characters in general, who are treated with a “nice guy” chivalry that can look, in certain lights, a lot like condescension.) This is a season that feels like it's constantly in motion, yet never actually seems to get anywhere. “Maybe it's not fun to play with trains that ride smoothly along their tracks,” Xavier muses of the boy's thinking. “Maybe the thing that's interesting about trains is the possibility that these huge metal contraptions could one day crash into one another.” In season two, whatever destination Paradise was headed for seems to have been forgotten. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

Hallmark's newest movie, “The Stars Between Us,” premieres on Saturday, February 21 at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central. Read on to learn all about where the movie was filmed, and see behind-the-scenes cast stories. (Other sources also cite Victoria as a main location for the Canadian-filmed movie.) It was filmed from July 28 through August 15 near the Victoria region of Canada. Drew wrote about the movie on Instagram, noting “We had a blast making this and I can't wait for you to see it!” However, Hallmark typically chooses Canadian locations due to ease of filming and tax credits or subsidies offered. Drew talked about how excited she is for this movie during December's Hallmark Christmas Experience. Drew talks about the movie in a different Hallmark Christmas Experience event here, and shares that it hearkens back to some 90s rom-coms and their serendipitous moments. Junnicia Lagoutin also shared photos from her trailer, and said she would share more pictures after the movie is released. Grayson Maxwell Gurnsey also shared a series of photos on Instagram, writing: “Working with these beautiful people was da best! Now a fledgling news reporter, Kim returns to Illinois for this year's eclipse, unaware that their paths may cross again.” She's well loved by Hallmark fans for her lead role in the popular “Mistletoe Murders” series. Other credits on Hallmark include “Guiding Emily,” “One Summer,” “Branching Out,” “Christmas in Vienna,” and more. Outside of Hallmark, her credits include Dr. April Kepner on “Grey's Anatomy,” Hedda in “Jimmy,” “Cruel Summer,” “Amber Brown,” and a number of Lifetime films. He's perhaps best known for his role as Zeke Landon in “Manifest.” His many other credits include “Jack & Bobby,” “Private Practice” as Dr. James Peterson, “Timeless,” “The Newsroom,” and a young Johnny Blaze in the movie “Ghost Rider.” On Hallmark, we also saw him in “Christmas Joy” with Danielle Panabaker. “The Stars Between Us” looks like it's going to be an adorable movie with a lot of feel-good moments that Hallmark viewers absolutely love. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Mark Ruffalo has shared his thoughts on James Cameron‘s letter in opposition to Netflix buying Warner Bros. “So… the next question to Mr Cameron should be this… ‘Are you also against the monopolization that a Paramount acquisition would create? “I think the answer would be very interesting for the film community to hear and one that should be asked immediately. Is Mike Lee against the Paramount sale as well? In Cameron's letter, which is dated Feb. 10 but began making headlines on Thursday and was sent to to Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), the Avatar director voiced concerns about the future of films being released in theaters if Netflix acquires Warner Bros. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos swiftly fired back against Cameron's claims on Friday. “I'm particularly surprised and disappointed that James chose to be part of the Paramount disinformation campaign that's been going on for months about this deal,” he said in an interview on Fox Business Network's The Claman Countdown. So I don't know where it came from or why he would be part of that machine,” he added. “Movies go into the theaters for 45 days, a healthy, robust slate of films every year, that is going to continue,” Sarandos said. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day