Hugh Grant initially thought Renee Zellweger was “a stretch” for Bridget Jones

Zack Sharf Robert Pattinson guarantees comic book movie fans will know Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” is unlike any other Batman movie ever made as soon as they see the opening shot. Reeves’ nearly-three hour Caped Crusader epic is inspired by New Hollywood classics from the 1970s, including “Taxi Driver,” “The Conversation” and “Chinatown.” Pattinson told GQ magazine that viewers will feel these inspirations from the movie’s first frame.“I watched a rough cut of the movie by myself.

William Earl Wendy Williams will not be returning to her daytime talk show this season, but the future of her show remains in flux, Variety has learned.Meanwhile, Sherri Shepherd is in advanced discussions with Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury for her own daytime talk show, which could potentially replace Williams’ series, sources say.Currently in its 13th season, “The Wendy Williams Show” is one of the biggest hits in daytime TV history. Launching in national syndication from Debmar-Mercury in 2008, the show was built around Williams, who, at the time the show premiered, was a popular radio host known for her no-holds-barred take on celebrity gossip.Williams has been absent from her show all this season, as she has been battling ongoing health issues.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaGina Duncan will serve at the president of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, returning to the non-profit organization after a short stint at the Sundance Institute.It’s a homecoming of sorts for Duncan, who previously served as BAM’s first vice president of film and strategic programming.“We saw Gina’s extraordinary leadership skills firsthand during her four years steering BAM’s film and strategic programming initiatives,” said board chair Nora Ann Wallace. “She has the ability to bring people together toward clear goals and she understands that BAM must always evolve in order to nurture new audiences and champion innovative programming.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterAmanda Seyfried doesn’t think she nailed the iconic deep voice of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes for Hulu’s upcoming limited series “The Dropout” — but she did her “best to try to capture the oddness of it.”“The shape of my mouth isn’t the same as hers, but I can make sounds somewhat or pretty close to what she did,” Seyfried, who plays the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire on the Hulu show, said during a virtual panel at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour Tuesday. “And that’s my job as an actor, mimicking and stuff like that.

Adele thanked her ex-husband Simon Konecki and their son Angelo in an emotional speech on Tuesday as she picked up Album of the Year and Artist of the Year at the 2022 BRIT Awards.MORE: Adele shows off Hollywood transformation in glamorous black dressThe singer made her first public appearance after canceling her Las Vegas residency, and wowed fans as she wore a gorgeous custom Giorgio Armani Privé dress with a tulle neckline and tail. She accessorized with neutral makeup, large diamond earrings and a pear-shaped sparkling ring on the all-important finger.WATCH: Adele thanks ex-husband in emotional speech"I want to thank everyone I work with but I want to dedicate this to my son, and to Simon, his dad, this album was all of our journey, not just mine," she shared as she picked up the Album of the Year award. "I am very proud of myself for sticking to my guns and putting out an album about something so personal, not many people do stuff like that anymore."MORE: Adele gives another very candid chat: TV habits, fake Instagram, family traits and moreShe added: "And my son has been so gracious and kind and patient with me over the last over years, so it's for him."Adele, who is one of the world's best-selling music artists of all time, married charity entrepreneur Simon Konecki in 2017.

Ed Sheeran married his childhood sweetheart Cherry Seabrook in 2019, but he often keeps his beloved out of the spotlight.INSIDE: Ed Sheeran's ultra-rare look inside £3.7million estate that resembles a mini villageBut on Tuesday after he scooped Best Songwriter of the Year at the BRIT awards, he couldn't help but mention his beau in his acceptance speech. Standing on stage, the hitmaker said: "Because it's a songwriting prize I really really wouldn't be here without the fantastic people I get to work with, so thank you to all of them." After naming his record companies he then moved onto praise his loving wife.WATCH: Ed Sheerman makes rare omment about wife CherryHe added: "But also my wife Cherry, who at the drop of the hat will come to the middle of nowhere to a really secluded studio and live in-house and be so supportive while we just make songs and songs and songs.

Naman Ramachandran Zhang Lu’s “Yanagawa” (China), Hong Sung-eun’s “Aloners” (South Korea) and Fujimoto Akio’s “Along the Sea” (Japan/Vietnam) were among the top award winners at France’s Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas. “Yanagawa,” which opened the 2021 Pingyao Film Festival, won the Golden Cyclo, the festival’s top honor awarded by the international jury.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterThe widow of Ol’ Dirty Bastard sued Wu-Tang Clan Productions on Tuesday, alleging that the late rapper’s estate is owed at least $1 million in unpaid royalties.ODB, whose legal name was Russell Tyrone Jones, was a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, the rap group that catapulted to stardom in the early 1990s. He died of a drug overdose in 2004 at the age of 35.His widow, Icelene Jones, alleges in the lawsuit that Wu-Tang Clan Productions did not pay royalties to the estate from 2011 until July 2021, when it sent a check for $130,000.

Selome Hailu HBO has picked up “Doomsday Machine,” the series starring Claire Foy as Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. The series adapted from Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang’s New York Times bestselling book “An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook’s Battle for Domination.”“Doomsday Machine” is described as a “riveting human drama chronicling the political and social minefields Facebook has navigated on its relentless quest for growth.

Britney Spears doesn’t have time to focus on negative comments! The iconic singer is enjoying her newfound freedom, constantly using social media to share her daily life, including dance videos and workout routines.The superstar decided to repost one of her workout videos on Instagram, running on the treadmill and doing some weightlifting, wearing black shorts and a yellow top while a remix of her hit song ‘Toxic’ plays in the background.The singer explained in the caption, “So I wanted to repost this because damn !!! Y’all comments are so NICE.

A prolonged break. Wendy Williams will not return to host her talk show at all this season, Us Weekly can confirm.

TikTok stars Alex and Franky Venegas of the musical duo Island Boys found themselves in hot water when their Florida home was raided on Monday.

Well damn, gurl!

Pete Davidson, 28, proudly put his love for his new significant other Kim Kardashian, 41, on full display during one of his latest video interviews! The Saturday Night Live cast member, who first sparked romance rumors with the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star in Oct., talked to People (the TV Show!) about his current life when a prayer candle with her face on it could be seen sitting atop a circular dresser in his bedroom in the background. When asked if it was a “Kardashian candle” during the chat, Pete nonchalantly looked behind him and smiled before confirming that it was indeed what it looked like.

Kim Kardashian and daughter North were seen exiting an office building on Tuesday, Feb. 8, spotted for the first time since Kim’s ex and North’s father Kanye West went on a series of rants about the parenting situation of he and Kim’s four children. In photos you can see here, Kim wore a casual look for the outing, sporting black Balenciaga leggings, a short, black, Vetements jacket, and black adidas YEEZY 450 sneakers.

Retirement is looking good already! Now that Tom Brady, 44, has left his beloved game of football, he has more time to do what the rest of the world is doing: gush over his wife on Instagram! The football star wrote “what a cutie pie!” in the comments of Gisele Bundchen‘s latest bare-faced photo on February 8.

With only days to go until Mary J. Blige hits the Super Bowl halftime show with Snoop Dogg, Dr, Dre, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar, the “Family Affair” singer is sharing details.

Jennifer Coolidge is reflecting on the days before her big break.

Will Arnett is reflecting on his divorce from Amy Poehler, recalling that period in his life as being “excruciating.”

Netflix didn’t earn any Oscar nominations in the Best Documentary Feature category today, but it made up for that with documentary shorts.

We couldn’t imagine anyone else as Bridget Jones at this point, but Hugh Grant admitted he wasn’t sold on casting Renée Zellweger for the role.

Hugh Grant is looking back on Bridget Jones’s Diary 19 years later!

“The Undoing” actor who played caddish Daniel Cleaver alongside Texas-born Zellweger in the hugely popular flick admitted that he was initially skeptical of the unusual casting.“There was a whole scandal about why isn’t this a British actress?” Grant said in a new BBC2 documentary, “Being Bridget Jones.”“I didn’t know Renée Zellweger, and a Texan playing a British character? It did seem like a stretch,” he confessed.Grant revealed that the two-time Oscar winner’s first attempt at a British accent was “good” but also sounded like Princess Margaret.“She was told to kind of, well she thought she better loosen it up a bit,” he continued. “Then she came in and it was Princess Margaret having had a stroke.

Hugh Grant was trepidacious about Renée Zellweger starring in the “Bridget Jones” movie series, but he admits the worry was for nothing.

Jamie Lang In today’s Global Bulletin, Hugh Grant recalls doubt over Renee Zellweger’s casting in the now iconic role of Bridget Jones in a BBC2 documentary; RSVP and Guilty By Association team on a new Indian spy thriller; the Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival will honor Juliette Binoche and Hayao Miyazaki while Natpe recognizes Disney exec Diego Lerner; and Defunct Films makes “We Will Sing” free to stream with donations going to Irish homeless organizations.1.2 million people in the U.K. tuned into Tuesday night’s broadcast of “Being Bridget Jones,” a documentary marking the 25th anniversary of Helen Fielding’s first “Bridget Jones” column in U.K.

Hugh Grant admits he had initial reservations about Renee Zellweger being cast in Bridget Jones’s Diary.There were raised eyebrows when the American was given the lead role in the 2000 smash. Many thought the part had to go to a Brit and that anyone from across the Atlantic playing troubled Bridget was a huge gamble.The chain-smoking, wine-swilling character of course went on to win our hearts - but Renee had to earn her place in film history.The decision caused much controversy as she was a non-smoker, wasn't overweight and, of course, was not English.

Nicole Kidman has had quite the year, and now she is opening up about it in a heartfelt post.The Australian born actress shared a snap of her and fellow actress Melissa McCarthy sitting on a grassy hill.The photo wouldn't typically be a big deal, however it is 2020, and Nicole is celebrating her cast & crew overcoming the year's momentous hurdles.MORE: Inside Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's living room in their Australian farmhouseWATCH: Nicole Kidman is grilled by Hugh Grant in her "toughest"  interview everShe captioned the Instagram post: "That’s a wrap on Nine Perfect Strangers with my co-star Melissa McCarthy. Sending big love and infinite thanks to all cast and all the crew who made this possible in 2020, WOW.

IT’S been nearly two decades since Renee Zellweger first brought Bridget Jones crashing into our lives – bum first, down a fireman’s pole, wearing giant knickers. And over the years the actress who played her in three hit films admits her own life has often resembled the disaster-prone singleton’s a bit too closely.