Fox spoke to the outlet at his annual A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson’s fundraiser Saturday. He also said that his brand of humor helps him break through barriers with others when conversations get difficult. “That’s true. And it’s okay,” he explained. “Let’s embrace that and make a difference.”

This year’s gala event was hosted by Denis Leary and featured a performance by Stevie Nicks. Fox made it clear how much he appreciated their work for the event. “I can’t believe — a lot of these people I’ve known for years and years — they’re so kind to me,” he said. “I think because they see an opportunity for a win, for a big advancement, and that’s what we’re working toward.”

The event helps fund the work of the Michael J. Fox Foundation throughout the year. The organization has raised $2 billion toward Parkinson’s research since it was founded in 2000.

Fox went public with his diagnosis of Parkinson’s in 1998.

In 2023 the actor participated in the nonfiction movie “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie.” Editor Michael Harte told TheWrap that Fox “has such a specific way of moving when you watch his movies, he leans into his movement,” something that he and his team wanted to incorporate into their own movie.

“I was worried there would be a lot of shots in our movie with the back of an actor’s head, walking you through scenes. And after a while that can be distancing if you use too much. I sometimes describe it as being in a movie theater with somebody very tall in front of you,” he explained.

In the end, they used a combination of stand-ins shot from behind and interviews with Fox in which the actor spoke candidly about how Parkinson’s has impacted his day-to-day life. “Normally when you interview a person over and over again, you get the sound bites that you want, but the energy of the interview starts to deteriorate over the course of time. But with Michael, it got better every time. And it got funnier,” Harte also said.

The post Michael J. Fox Says ‘It’s Hard’ to Maintain His Dark Sense of Humor, but ‘I Gotta Keep It Intact’ appeared first on TheWrap.

“The film industry is undergoing rapid changes, affecting the cinematic image, its content and aesthetics,” Żydowicz wrote in his piece “Time for Solidarity,” which was published last week in the latest edition of Cinematography World magazine. “One of the most significant changes is the growing recognition of female cinematographers and directors. This evolution is crucial as it rectifies the obvious injustice present in societal development.”

He continued, “However, it also raises a question: Can the pursuit of change exclude what is good? Can we sacrifice works and artists with outstanding artistic achievements solely to make room for mediocre film production?”

On Tuesday, British director Steve McQueen, who was scheduled to lead the beginning of the festival with his latest feature “Blitz,” dropped out of attending the event over Żydowicz’s remarks (The Hollywood Reporter was first to report the news).

“Having read Marek Zydowicz’s op-ed concerning female cinematographers, I have decided not to attend the opening night presentation of my film ‘Blitz’ this weekend,” McQueen said in a statement. “Although he has issued an apology, I cannot get past what I consider deeply offensive words. I have enormous respect for cinematographers of all genders including women, and believe we have to do and demand better to make room for everyone at the table.”

Żydowicz’s words came as a response to a petition Women in Cinematography (WIC) put together in an effort to push Camerimage to better support and include female cinematographers.

After his controversial statement, it didn’t take long for folks to condemn the festival boss. The fallout notably occurs just days before the festival’s 32nd edition, which kicks off on Saturday in Toruń, Poland.

Members of the British Society of Cinematographer (BSC) came together in an open letter to reprimand Żydowicz. Backing BSC were several other film organizations, including The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) and the Society of Camera Operators and Women Cinematographers Network.

“The BSC wishes to express its disapproval of your recent article in Cinematography World,” their message, “An Open Letter to Żydowicz of the EnergaCAMERIMAGE Film Festival,” read. “We are disheartened and angered by your profoundly misogynistic comments and aggressive tone, which we view as symptomatic of a deep-rooted prejudice.”

Over the weekend, Żydowicz responded in a direct message to the BSC.

“EnergaCAMERIMAGE has always supported, continues to support, and will keep supporting marginalized filmmakers. This won’t change. With that commitment in mind I created this festival in the ’90s, dedicating my entire professional life to it,” he said.

Żydowicz continued, “I truly believe that the accusations made against me in the statement published on BSC website are entirely misplaced and quite offensive. If these accusations were indeed true, this festival would simply no longer exist. Respect for others has always been my priority, and it remains one for our festival as well.”

He went on to say he’s been part of efforts with Women in Cinematography to help diversify the event. “Together, we have crafted a Diversity and Inclusion Policy, which we were planning to publish shortly,” Żydowicz added.

In a second letter from WIC, the group stated that its very existence is a product that was created as a response to Camerimage’s lack of woman representation.

“Camerimage’s historical exclusion of all but a few women is the very reason that Women in Cinematography – a collective of filmmakers from across the globe – was formed earlier this year,” the letter read, mentioning that the event’s programming is an example of how “female cinematographers have been sidelined by the festival.”

The post ‘Blitz’ Director Steve McQueen Drops Out of Camerimage Due to Founder’s Take on Women in Cinematography appeared first on TheWrap.

On Thursday, the singer reacted to an Instagram post by Russell Brand that promoted a red, MAGA-esque baseball cap that read “Make Jesus First Again” with the since-deleted comment, “Where do I get this hat?”

People quickly interpreted that as an endorsement of Trump, who ran on the slogan “Make America Great Again.” Brand, who was in the news this week for additional historic sexual assault allegations, has become a vocal Trump supporter.

In a statement posted to her Instagram story on Friday, Scherzinger wrote, “I deeply apologize for the hurt caused by my recent engagement with some social media posts. When I commented on these posts, I made the mistake of not realizing that they could be easily interpreted as being politically related and I apologize to anyone who understandably reached that conclusion.”

She continued, “Many presumptions are being drawn, which do not reflect who I am, what I stand for, or who I voted for. Many of the marginalized communities feeling hurt and concerned by the results of the presidential election are people I care about most. I stand with them, as I always have, throughout my life and career.”

The Pussycat Dolls singer went on to say, “Like so many others, in times of adversity and uncertainty, I turn to my faith. I believed that the posts I engaged with were about encouraging people to choose love and faith — ‘Putting Jesus first.’ For me, Christ embodies peace, compassion, hope and above all — unconditional love, especially for those who may feel it the least right now.”

Scherzinger concluded, “I come from a place of love, and I will always support values that bring us closer together. It’s so important we come together with compassion, and love one another more now than ever.”

The actress and singer is now appearing as Norma Desmond in a well-reviewed Broadway production of “Sunset Boulevard,” with speculation that she may land her first Tony nomination. More than one X user wrote on Thursday that the apparent revelation that she was a Trump fan dimmed their desire to catch her on Broadway.

“Finding out Nicole Scherzinger is a Trumper today doesn’t upset me as I don’t really care about her. But oddly, just like that, I no longer have any desire to see ‘Sunset Boulevard,'” one person tweeted.

For his part, Brand has denied the allegations of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse made by several women since last September.

However, when the extensive accusations were made as part of a Channel 4 investigation, the “Get Him to the Greek” star was quickly dropped by his agent and management company and the BBC removed all TV episodes in which he appeared from their platforms.

The post Nicole Scherzinger ‘Deeply’ Apologizes for Mistaken MAGA Endorsement, Says She Just Really Loves Jesus appeared first on TheWrap.

A new research brief from Dr. Stacy L. Smith, who founded the Institute, looked at the 100 most popular movies of 2023 for portrayals related to pregnancy, miscarriage, infertility, contraception, abortion, menstruation, and overall reproductive health. 

“For years we have provided data on how Hollywood marginalizes girls and women on screen,” said Dr. Smith in a statement shared with TheWrap. “This latest report offers further evidence that it is not only the presence of women themselves that is missing on screen, but of critical depictions related to their health and well-being.”

The results show that only 42% of films contained any depiction of reproductive health in 2023. There were 8 depictions of menstruation, most of them in 
Kelly Fremon Craig’s “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret,” which was based on the classic book by Judy Blume.

“Abortion and access to reproductive care are some of the most significant issues in the upcoming election,” said Smith. “Yet Hollywood devoted only 3 minutes and 12 seconds to the topic in the nearly 200 hours of film content last year. The film industry has squandered its opportunities to depict abortion in authentic, informative, and multidimensional ways.”

Half of films with women directors included a reproductive health portrayal compared to 40.7% of films directed by men. “It’s no surprise that women in leadership roles are responsible for depictions related to reproductive health,” said Smith. “The refusal to hire women in critical positions behind the camera has ripple effects far beyond employment.”

Pregnancy was featured or mentioned in 36 out of the 100 films with 53 pregnant characters, two of whom were never shown on-screen. The majority of these characters, 60.8%, were from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group and 39.2% were white , the study found.

Broken out by genre, the study found that dramas (66.7%) and comedies (50%) were most likely to show reproductive health portrayals, while horror films — at least in 2023 —  were least likely with only 21.4%.

The 2024 study should see a spike in the horror category given the the plethora of “nun giving birth to the antichrist” films, including “Immaculate” and “The First Omen.”

As for the issue of abortion: Only 4 out of the 100 films mentioned it, including what the study calls a philosophical discussion of abortion” and “a joke about Roe v. Wade.”

There was also the scene in “The Exorcist: Believer” when Ann Dowd’s character is being tormented by a demon who refers to the past procedure as being “scraped out… like a rotten pumpkin.”

Pregnant characters tended to be in the background, with only 4 leading or co-leading characters out of 100 shown as expecting and only five films featured discussions of reproductive damage or visits to doctors. There were two portrayals of infertility in the top 100 films of 2023: Both occurred in historical settings. 

“At a time when 21 states have abortion bans or restrictions in effect, this lack of depiction of sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion, means that the stories and experiences of millions of people are erased from our screens,” said Caren Spurch, national director for arts and entertainment engagement at Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

She urged the entertainment community to use “their immense power” to “normalize abortion and the whole range of reproductive health care.”Spurch added, “We have to change the culture to help change policies that would help advance reproductive freedom,” noting that the Planned Parenthood Action Fund is available to assist directors, producers and writers.

The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative also announced four recipients — Eve Chadbourn, Naa Adei Mante, Jenniffer González Martinez, and Hanna Gray Organschi — of its Reproductive Rights Accelerator, a program that offered $25,000 to filmmakers to tell a story related to reproductive rights.

The post Few Films Tackle Reproductive Health, USC Annenberg Study Finds — ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ Leads the Handful That Do appeared first on TheWrap.

“You were so disrespectful to me at the Grammys,” Roan told the photographer, whom she confronted while attending Olivia Rodrigo’s “Guts World Tour” concert documentary on Saturday. Footage of the incident was captured by Entertainment Weekly.

The “Good Luck, Babe!” singer was posing for cameras just before she spotted and pointed the photographer out in a crowd full of media.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Entertainment Weekly (@entertainmentweekly)

“You yelled at me at the Grammy party. Yes, at the Universal after party. I remember, you were so rude to me. And I deserve an apology for that,” Roan persisted. “No, no, no, you need to apologize to me.”

Ultimately, it appears the photographer did apologize to the pop star just as her publicist ushered her away.

This isn’t the first time Roan has scolded a photographer. Last month when she attended the Video Music Awards, the artists told a camera person “you shut the f—k up” after they yelled at her to “shut the f—k up.” She added, “Not me, b—h.”

The post Chappell Roan Demands Apology From ‘Disrespectful’ Red Carpet Photographer: ‘You Yelled At Me’ appeared first on TheWrap.

“I got diagnosed with POTS, Sjogrens and Mcas in 2018 and really relate to not wanting your health to be your identity,” the “Dreams” singer shared in the comment section underneath musician and model Shaun Ross’ health update post on Instagram on Oct. 14.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SHAUN ROSS (@shaunross)

In his video post, Ross opened up about his Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) diagnosis, which came “as a result of long COVID.”

“Sending u so much love and strength Shaun and to all in the comments struggling with the debilitating, confusing, and lonely symptoms of POTS !” Knowles commented.

She ended her words by sharing the Instagram page for the nonprofit organization Dysautonomia International, which “seeks to improve the lives of individuals living with autonomic nervous system disorders through research,” per its website.

“The good folks at @dysautonomiaintl were really an incredible resource for me and I feel really grateful for the spoonie community for holding me down during my times of complete uncertainty! Sending an abundance of love your way !” Knowles concluded.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, POTS produces several symptoms that impact a person while they are laying down, including fast heart rate, dizziness and fatigue. With Sjögren’s syndrome, a chronic autoimmune disease, a person’s immune system attacks the glands that produce moisture in the eyes, mouth and other areas of the body, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

And Mass cell activation syndrome (MCAS) is an immunological condition that makes mast cells (a type of white blood cell) excessively release chemical mediators, which can cause hives, vomiting or anaphylaxis or near-anaphylaxis episodes, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. MCAS is not an autoimmune disorder.

The post Solange Knowles Reveals She’s Been Diagnosed With ‘Debilitating, Confusing’ Autoimmune Disorders appeared first on TheWrap.

In the meantime, the guild’s strike against all Interactive Media Agreement signatory companies remains in effect.

“After three days of scheduled negotiations, SAG-AFTRA announced that Interactive Media Agreement negotiations with employers would continue, with new dates to be announced as soon as they are confirmed,” the guild said in a statement Saturday morning.

The two sides resumed talks on Oct. 23, almost exactly three months after the strike began. Among the participating video game companies are Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Llama Productions LLC, Take 2 Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc. on Oct. 23.

When the strike was declared in July, performers had been working on video games without a contract since November 2022. SAG-AFTRA said that while most issues were settled, negotiations broke down over protecting voice and motion capture performers from exploitation by so-called artificial intelligence.

The day the strike went into effect, Negotiating Committee chair Sarah Elmaleh and Interactive Agreement lead negotiator Ray Rodriguez explained that among other things, video game industry counteroffers were designed with loopholes big enough to effectively neutralize any agreed-upon protections.

Among them, motion capture performances would only be protected if a video game character actually resembled the actor — which would exclude the majority of video game mo-cap. And voice actors would only be protected if their characters’ voices sounded recognizably like their own.

In addition to closing those loopholes, SAG-AFTRA wants consent and compensation guaranteed for performers for any use of their work in any AI models for video games.

Naturally video game companies dispute this, saying at the time the strike was declared that they were “disappointed the union has chosen to walk away when we are so close to a deal, and we remain prepared to resume negotiations.”

Meanwhile, earlier this week SAG-AFTRA announced that more than 120 games created by 49 different companies had signed on the tiered-budget or interim agreements the union has offered since the strike began.

The post SAG-AFTRA Video Game Contract Talks Extended, New Dates TBA appeared first on TheWrap.

Elvira, whose real name is Cassandra Peterson, shared the anecdote of how Grande once demanded 21 free tickets to a show for her friends and family, only to then refuse to take a picture with the Mistress of the Dark.

“She came and she brought 20 guests — she wanted 20, 21 tickets,” Elvira told the crowd at Knott’s Scary Farm in Southern California on Sunday. She detailed meeting the group backstage, even signing autographs for and taking pictures with all 20 plus-ones. However, when she then asked Grande for a photo, the pop star apparently turned her down, saying, “Nah, I don’t really do that.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark (@therealelvira)

“All her relatives stayed … and she took off. OK? Right? Just sayin’,” Elvira added as the audience booed. She then shared the story to her Instagram page.

The “Supernatural” singer, who plays Glinda the Good Witch in the upcoming “Wicked” film, left a comment on the IG post on Monday, saying she was “so disheartened to see this” while apologizing.

“I actually don’t even remember getting the chance to meet you because I had an anxiety attack and to my memory, left before the rest of my family (this was around seven years ago and at the time I was really not great with being in public crowds or loud places),” Grande wrote, likely referring to the deadly bombing at her 2017 concert at Manchester Arena in which 22 people were killed after a suicide attacker set off a home-made bomb outside the venue.

“But if I’m misremembering this moment, I sincerely apologize for offending you so,” she continued. “Thank you for being so nice to my mom, she told me how lovely you were (she might have different feelings about that now but I’ll talk to her … clearly, we all have our days).”

“Sending love always,” Grande concluded her comment. “You’ll always be our queen of Halloween!”

The post Ariana Grande Clears the Air After Elvira Shares Backstage Snub Story 7 Years in the Making appeared first on TheWrap.

“Forgive me for the delay … First of all, I had to get strength. I had to get strength enough to do this without breaking,” Wayne, who has previously voiced his desire to headline the Super Bowl halftime show, said in an Instagram video on Friday. “I thought there was nothing better than that spot, that platform in my city, so that hurt. It hurt a whole lot. But y’all, y’all are f–kin’ amazing. It made me feel like s–t not getting this opportunity, and when I felt like s–t you guys reminded me that I ain’t s–t without y’all, and that’s an amazing reality. So, like I said, it broke me and I’m just trying to put me back together.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lil Wayne (@liltunechi)

He concluded his statement by thanking his slew of fans, supporters and colleagues in the industry.

“I must say thank you to every voice, every opinion, all the care, all the love and support. Your words turned into arms and held me up when I try to fall back. That hurt. Hurt a lot. You know what I’m talking about. It hurt a whole lot. I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown and for automatically mentally putting myself in that position, like somebody told me that was my position. So I blame myself for that,” Wayne continued. “But, my God, have you all helped me. Thanks to all my peers, my friends, my family, my homies on the sports television, everybody reppin’ me. I really appreciate that. I really do. I feel like I let all of y’all down by not getting that opportunity, but I’m working on me and I’m working, so thank you.”

Wayne’s remarks come after Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z’s entertainment company Roc Nation and the NFL announced on Sunday that the Los Angeles rapper would be taking the spot as the next Super Bowl halftime performer.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kendrick Lamar (@kendricklamar)

The news immediately sparked differing opinions about the selection. Some were excited, noting that Lamar’s “Not Like Us” was the biggest track of the year, while others felt it was time for a Louisiana rapper to take the shine. Though the Crescent City has hosted the Super Bowl 10 times, a Louisiana-born rapper has never headlined the event’s halftime show. The only Louisiana star to take the big stage was New Orleans singer Irma Thomas at Super Bowl XXIV in 1990, during which she shared her set with musicians Pete Fountain and Doug Kershaw.

Several musicians, including Nicki Minaj, Birdman, Master P, Cam’ron, Hurricane Chris and Mase, have chimed in raising concerns with the move, all stating that a Louisiana artist also deserves to be featured — particularly Lil Wayne.

“Salute to @kendricklamar for performing at the halftime show at Super Bowl LIX.. well deserved, he’s one of the hottest music artists in the world and has one of the biggest songs right now,” Master P began in a Facebook post on Sunday.

However, he added, “As Ambassador of Entertainment in the City of New Orleans I have to agree with the fans that @liltunechi_c5 should be a part of this celebration as well. He’s one of the greatest Hop Hop artists alive, still relevant and he’s a New Orleans native. Let’s not miss this cultural moment in the South. Life is too short! We have to give our legends their flowers while they are here,” the rapper and businessman concluded.

The friction got even thicker when Nicki Minaj, whom Lil Wayne found and later signed to his record label Young Money Entertainment, chimed in with her own thoughts. Some felt her words were directed at Jay-Z, a behind-the-scenes co-producer for the halftime event.

“Denying a young black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego,” Minaj wrote. “Your hatred for BIRDMAN, Drake & Nicki got you punishing Lil Wayne?!?!!! LIL WAYNE!!!!!!!!!! THE GOAT?!!!!!!!!!!! Nola what’s good?!!!!!! Eminem stood firm on having 50 Cent come out. A white man. S–t sad. House N–R TINGZ. but it’s GOOD FI DEM!!!!!!! No loyalty? Welp. then n–z will keep son’ing you!!!!! #DTLR #GagCityDC LMFAOOOOOOOOOO GOODAZ FI DEL GAL U AH GOODAZ FI DEM.”

Denying a young black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego. Your hatred for BIRDMAN, Drake & Nicki got you punishing Lil Wayne?!?!!! LIL WAYNE!!!!!!!!!! THE GOAT?!!!!!!!!!!! Nola what’s good?!!!!!! Eminem stood firm on having 50Cent come out.…

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) September 9, 2024

While Jay-Z hasn’t directly responded to the backlash, he has explained the reason Lamar was chosen as the Super Bowl’s next headliner.

“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer,” Jay-Z said in a statement, per media reports. “His deep love for Hip-Hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”

While Jay-Z is a co-producer for the halftime show and has a hand in selecting who performs, he doesn’t necessarily make the final call. According to media reports, that decision is made by the NFL’s board and the host city.

During an interview with NPR, Clemson University performing arts professor Melvin Villaver explained how the process has previously gone.

“I can’t speak for this year specifically. But the Super Bowl halftime show for Los Angeles and Las Vegas, two recent Super Bowls, has been, the host city comes up with a shortlist. And they bring that to the NFL,” Villaver said. “The NFL has various boards, and someone who’s on the board that’s extremely famous is Jay-Z. And they have to agree. And so the host city brings the shortlist to the board. The board agrees and brings it back to the host city, saying, we select this artist.”

The post Lil Wayne Says Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Decision ‘Broke’ Him: ‘I Felt Like S–t’ appeared first on TheWrap.

It was Trump this time who offered the meme gods a new sacrifice. When asked more than once whether or not the former president had a plan in place for health care he replied, “I have the concepts of a plan and you will be hearing more in the near future.”

This had viewers sprinting to X to post their own variations of the moment. Many called out people – both real and fictional – who famously stumbled through moments with no clear plan in place for the future but confidently none the less.

Some of the easy targets were fantasy author George R.R. Martin – whose sixth installment in the “Game of Thrones” series has been in the works for over a decade – Cousin Greg from “Succession, Dutch van der Lind from the “Red Dead Redemption 2” video game, and just about anyone facing life after college.

Here’s a collection of some of the best “concept of a plan” memes to come out of the debate.

The post The Best ‘Concepts of a Plan’ Memes From Trump’s Debate Flub, From George R.R. Martin to Cousin Greg appeared first on TheWrap.