Month: October 2022

Harrison Ford is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, taking on the role of General Ross in Captain America: New World Order.  The role was previously played by the late actor William Hurt.

Captain America: New World Order stars Anthony Mackie reprising his longtime Marvel character of Sam Wilson. The movie will take place after the events of 2021’s Marvel Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which saw Wilson finally accept the shield and mantle of Captain America.

Ford will also play Ross in Thunderbolts, which is set to be directed by Jake Schreier. Hurt appeared as Ross in 2008’s Incredible Hulk and returned for 2016’s Captain America: Civil War and subsequent Marvel movies; he died earlier this year at age 71.

Ford is also set to reprise his role as the intrepid archeologist Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones 5, due out June 30, 2023.

Harrison Ford Set As General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross For ‘Captain America: New World Order’, Will Star Opposite Anthony Mackie

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Actor Ezra Miller appeared remotely in Vermont Superior Court, pleading not guilty to felony burglary charges. The star of The Flash was arrested in August for charges stemming from a May break-in in Stamford, Vermont, and was accused of entering the at-the-time unoccupied house of neighbor Isaac Winokur and stealing bottles of gin, vodka and rum.  As a condition of their release, Miller was told to stay away from Winokur and another Vermont resident, Aiden Early.  The actor will have to return to court, either virtually or in-person, at an unspecified time in the future.  If convicted, Miller will face up to 26 years in prison and fines of up to $2,000

One week after their arrest, Miller announced that they would begin “ongoing treatment” to address “complex mental health issues,” and also apologized to “everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior,” saying they were “committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe, and productive stage in my life.”

Earlier this year, Miller was arrested twice in Hawaii for disorderly conduct and assault, and over the summer they were accused of grooming behavior towards children. Despite Miller’s legal issues, Warner Bros. Discovery is going forward with their plans to release The Flash on June 23rd, 2023.

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

Apple TV+ said in a press release that Zooey Deschanel is joining the cast of the comedy-drama  ‘Physical.’  Deschanel, 42, will appear in Season 3 of the series, joining returning stars Rose Byrne, Dierdre Friel, Della Saba, Lou Taylor Pucci, Paul Sparks, Ashley Liao and Geoffrey Arend.

Physical takes place in 1980s San Diego and follows Sheila Rubin (Byrne), an unhappy housewife who discovers aerobics and builds a fitness empire.  Deschanel will play Kelly, a network sitcom star who decides to enter the burgeoning fitness industry.

An official description reads: “Season two found Byrne having successfully launched her first fitness video only to encounter some new and bigger obstacles on her path. She is torn between loyalty to her husband (Scovel) and the values he represents, and a dangerous attraction to someone else. And since she’s no longer the only game in town, she finds herself having to outrun some fierce new competitors on the road to building a full-fledged fitness empire.”

Zooey Deschanel Joins Rose Byrne In Season 3 Of Apple’s ‘Physical’

Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com

Variety reports that ‘Halloween Ends’, the latest installment in the ‘Halloween’ film franchise, earned $41.3 million to finish at the top of the domestic box office in its opening weekend.  Halloween Ends — billed as the final showdown between Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) and Michael Myers, became the first film since Jordan Peele’s Nope to debut above the $40 million mark.

Halloween Ends was also simultaneously released on the Peacock streaming service, and became the most-watched series or film of all time over a two-day period on Peacock. The movie amassed an additional $17.17 million internationally to push its worldwide box office to $58.42 million.

Editorial credit: Ovidiu Hrubaru / Shutterstock.com

Conservative social media app Parler said in a statement on Monday that Kanye ‘Ye’ West has agreed to buy the platform, this coming after other social media platforms suspended him in recent weeks over antisemitic posts. Parler is one of several right-wing-friendly social media platforms to emerge in the Donald Trump era.

Ye said in a statement released by Parler: “In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves.” Financial terms of the deal weren’t announced; Ye’s net worth is reportedly $2 billion, and much of his fortune comes from his Yeezy sneakers brand and partnerships with Gap and Adidas.  However, business ties between Ye and the Gap were severed recently, and Adidas said it’s also reviewing its business relationship with him.

Parler, which initially launched in 2018, was caught in controversy last year over the role it played in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the Capitol building. That led a slew of tech companies, including Google and Amazon, to blacklist the service, making its app and website inaccessible.  Apple restored the app on its App Store platform in April 2021, and Google reinstated the app on its Play Store in September,  stating the company changed some of its content moderation policies and enforcement.

Parlement Technologies CEO George Farmer said on Monday that the deal “will change the world, and change the way the world thinks about free speech. Ye is making a groundbreaking move into the free speech media space and will never have to fear being removed from social media again. Once again, Ye proves that he is one step ahead of the legacy media narrative. Parlement will be honored to help him achieve his goals.” Farmer is married to conservative activist Candace Owens, one of Ye’s advocates on social media.

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/kanye-west-buy-wing-friendly-parler-91617098

Editorial credit: Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com