International Insider: SAG-AFTRA Strike Looms; Kevin Spacey Trial Begins; Taormina Tales

J. Kim Murphy Adult Swim has greenlit “Lazarus,” a new Toonami series from renowned anime director Shinichirō Watanabe, known for his work helming episodes of “Cowboy Bebop,” “Samurai Champloo” and “Kids on the Slope.” Produced by anime studio MAPPA, “Lazarus” also recruits the contributions of “John Wick” series director Chad Stahelski, who designed several action sequences for the series, along with the musical talents of saxophonist Kamasi Washington; producer, DJ and musician Floating Points; and producer, DJ and musician Bonobo. The trio will provide a jazz and electronic score for the project. Watanabe will pull the curtain back on the series at the Adult Swim Festival in San Diego on Saturday at 5:15 p.m., as part of the Comic-Con event Toonami on the Green.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Shares of Netflix were down more than 8% in early trading Thursday, coming after the streamer blew away estimates on subscriber gains for the second quarter — and analysts saying the company continues to be well positioned to weather Hollywood’s double actors and writers strike relative to its peers. But investors had been anticipating a bigger bump from its new initiative to monetize password-sharing accounts. Note that Netflix’s post-earnings stock drop came amid high investor expectations leading into the Q2 report: Shares were up nearly 62% year to date in 2023. Revenue for Q2 came in at $8.19 billion, shy of Wall Street’s $8.3 billion consensus expectations. And Netflix’s guidance for Q3 revenue of $8.52 billion also was less than the $8.9 billion average forecast by analysts. The company added 5.9 million net new subs in the second quarter, more than double expectations, and said it expects to add about the same number in Q3.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer HGTV is ordering more from network darling Christina Hall: The Warner Bros. Discovery-owned cabler has renewed the “Flip or Flop” alum’s docuseries “Christina on the Coast” and “Christina in the Country” for additional seasons. From real estate and design star Hall, “Christina on the Coast” has received an additional 12-episode pickup, while “Christina in the Country” got another six-episode order. Per HGTV, the new episodes of each of Hall’s series “will continue to spotlight Christina’s cross-country adventures,” while “in both Southern California and Tennessee, the busy mom of three, author and entrepreneur will expand her growing design business alongside fellow designer and project manager James Bender as well as spend quality time with her children and husband Josh Hall.”

Doctor Strange’s talented Xochitl Gomez, the charismatic Xolo Maridueña from Blue Beetle, the electrifying Sasha Calle from The Flash, and the lovable Michael Cimino from Love, Victor, gathered for an epic day out at the Happiest Place on Earth.The excitement was palpable as the group of friends explored the enchanting theme park over the weekend. They embraced the thrill of the rides, capturing unforgettable moments with delightful photos and indulging in the mouthwatering snacks that Disneyland is renowned for.It was a day filled with joy, laughter, and shared experiences, where these rising stars enjoyed the park’s magic as much as their adoring fans would have enjoyed spotting them! With their magnetic presence and camaraderie, this star-studded outing became an unforgettable memory for the celebrities and lucky park-goers who witnessed the fun-filled spectacle.Xochitl Gomez debuted as LGBTQ+ Latina superhero America Chavez in Doctor Strangein the Multiverse of Madness, and alongside Victoria Alonso she is bringing more LGBTQ+ visibility to Marvel.

Stranger Things have been given a “vintage” makeover through AI – check out the images below.While advancements in artificial intelligence have become a growing concern for many (as seen in the recent Hollywood strikes), the technology has also spawned more trivial obscurities – such as Homer Simpson singing Arctic Monkeys and Seinfeld being recreated on an endless loop on Twitch.The latest comes courtesy of Instagram user The_ai_dreams, who has reimagined the cast of Netflix’s Stranger Things through a vintage western lens using AI.As shown in the pictures below, the images replicate Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), Jim Hopper (David Harbour), Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) and more.A post shared by AI Dreams (@the_ai_dreams)A post shared by AI Dreams (@the_ai_dreams)The strangest creation is the AI depiction of a Demogorgon, which has the creature’s alien head plastered on a man’s body.Production on the show’s final season has been paused due to the ongoing Hollywood writers and actors’ strike. You can check out other affected shows here.A stage play, titled Stranger Things: The First Shadow, is set to debut on London’s West End in November.

Big Willy!Prince William is going solo for his upcoming trip New York City to attend the Earthshot Prize Annual Innovation Summit.The Duke of Cambridge, 41, will jet set to Manhattan on Sept. 18 and 19, Kensington Palace revealed yesterday.William is set to make a long-delayed appearance at the event, which is co-hosted by the Earthshot Prize and Bloomberg Philanthropies.“The Summit, held during New York Climate Week and the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, will convene previous Earthshot Prize Winners and Finalists with policymakers, global business leaders, philanthropists and climate activists to scale their innovative solutions,” Kensington Palace announced in a statement.The summit will unveil the 15 prize finalists for 2023, with the awards set to be presented in Singapore come November.

“lawyered up” White, 66, has reportedly negotiated her salary deal with “Wheel of Fortune” — but only for the celebrity competition, not the daily syndicated show.According to TMZ, Sony Pictures has made it clear that they’re not going to be flexible when it comes to her demands.White’s lawyer, Bryan Friedman, negotiated the deal for “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” sources told the outlet. The letter-turner’s gig on “Celebrity” was reportedly up, while she still has one more year in her contract for syndication, so Friedman addressed the more urgent matter to start.The negotiations for White’s salary for the syndicated show have been put on pause due to the writers’ strike.It’s previously been reported that White wanted to make at least half of what Pat Sajak has been making, which Friedman allegedly relayed to Sony, but they wouldn’t disclose how much Sajak makes for “Celebrity WoF.”TMZ claims that Sajak, 76, makes just upward of $400,000 per episode for the celebrity competition, while White settled for $100,000 per episode in her new deal — a “meaningful bump” from her previous contract.The outlet previously confirmed that White’s salary is $3 million a year — and that she hasn’t gotten a single pay increase for the last 18 years.

A traditional Blackpool B&B could be turned into 'serviced' accommodation if the plans are approved. An application to use the former Crompton Hotel on Woodfield Road in South Shore as three three-bedroom serviced accommodation apartments is being recommended for approval when it goes before the council’s planning committee on Tuesday, July 25.

Green Day have debuted a new song titled ‘1981’ during their set at the festival d’été de Québec in Canada.The new track comes after Green Day – comprised of frontman and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Durnt and drummer Tré Cool – parted ways with their label, Reprise Records after their contract expired.Fans quickly realised that the song was featured in one of the 1972 teasers posted by Armstrong back in 2022. The band have been hinting at new music for the past three years.In December 2021, they shared a clip of themselves recording music at London’s RAK Studios, set to what could be a new song.

Fashion fans are praising a 'leak proof' £32 swimsuit that 'hides mum tums' and has been designed specifically to allow women to go swimming while on their period. The budget swimming costume has been hailed a 'game changer' by those who have tried it, with others blown away by its 'gorgeous' design.

Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, has put forward a series of new regulations that would require mobile phone companies to inform customers when they are using potentially costly texts, data, and calls while abroad. Although many mobile operators already do this, Ofcom plans to make it mandatory for them to send text messages to customers when they travel overseas.

The shocking moment a gang of kids punched and kicked a man as they taunted him on a bus was caught on camera. The incident, which is believed to have happened in Stockport, was filmed by a passenger on a Stagecoach bus on Monday (July 17).

A 24-hour drive-thru coffee shop is set to open at a former travel agent site in Bolton. Tim Hortons, which has around 65 other outlets in the UK, has been given permission to transform the former Thomas Cook and Hays Travel building at Burnden Park into its first outlet in Bolton.

Travis Barker has interesting baby name ideas.

Khloé Kardashian is looking back on her sense of self confidence.

How time flies! Prince George will soon be celebrating his 10th birthday.

Pink’s latest tribute has her floating on cloud nine.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly asked to fly back to the U.S. on Air Force One after Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September, but their request was denied.

Khloé Kardashian opened up about the awful moment Tristan Thompson told her his mom Andrea had passed away on the latest episode of “The Kardashians”.

Another wrinkle to the latest drama between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry??

, she dressed up for dinner in a little white minidress. Her husband Justin, meanwhile, was almost painfully casual on both outings. Hailey's daytime 'fit included all her go-tos: baggy jorts, cropped white tee, and . She added a pair of skinny shades, a black slouchy leather shoulder bag, and a pair of gold hoops, thus completing her summer uniform.

Neil Blomkamp first made his big splash in Hollywood with 2009’s “District 9.” But his other sci-fi follows-ups, 2013’s “Elysium” and 2015’s “Chappie,” didn’t fare as well with either critics or audiences. Now, after a brief (and underwhelming) pitstop into horror with 2021’s “Demonic,” Blomkamp tries another genre on for size with the summer blockbuster in the coming-of-age racing movie “Gran Turismo.” READ MORE: Summer 2023 Movie Preview: 52 Must-See Films To Watch Based on the hit PlayStation videogame series, “Gran Turismo” takes on the story of Jann Mardenborough, a player so good at the racing simulation game he ended behind the wheel of a real race car — and did well there, too.

Disney CEO Bob Iger already made his perspective clear about the ongoing guild strikes last week before the SAG-AFTRA one commenced. Now it’s Netflix CEO’s Ted Sarandos‘ turn.

Boots fans are heaping praise on a £40 beauty box containing almost £92-worth of anti-ageing products. One 71-year-old shopper claims people think she's in her 50s since using the No7 anti-wrinkle regime - which is now on sale.

EXCLUSIVE: With 54 hours to go before SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the studios expires on June 30, both sides are considering extending their negotiations until next week or slightly later.

be joining Hollywood writers on the picket lines.The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), which represent the majority of actors in film and television, are in negotiations with major Hollywood studios, who are being represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), for a new contract agreement after the current deal expires June 30 at midnight Pacific Time.Among the actors' sticking points for a new agreement are improved compensation and benefits, residuals that reflect the value of their contributions amid the expansion of streaming services, regulated use of artificial intelligence and the issue of self-taped auditions.On June 24, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher and national executive director/chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland updated members of the union on ongoing talks with studios. Drescher shared in a video message that negotiations have been «extremely productive» and that «we're going to achieve a seminal deal.»A few days later, more than 300 actors — including Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence — signed a letter urging leaders not to compromise and writing «SAG-AFTRA members may be ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not.»«Anyone right now is trying to guess what could happen,» Marc Malkin, 's senior culture & events editor, told ET.

, more than 300 members of the Screen Actors Guild, including Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence, are threatening to strike should an agreement on a new contract with major Hollywood studios, streamers, and production companies not be reached.The letter, addressed to the SAG-AFTRA Leadership and Negotiating Committee was allegedly sent to leadership expressing their concern with the idea that «SAG-AFTRA members may be ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not.»«We hope you’ve heard the message from us: This is an unprecedented inflection point in our industry, and what might be considered a good deal in any other years is simply not enough,» the letter, obtained by , says. «We feel that our wages, our craft, our creative freedom, and the power of our union have all been undermined in the last decade.

Oscar winners Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and over 400 other actors have addressed SAG-AFTRA leaders in an open letter — and are threatening to strike if a harder line is not drawn regarding contact deals.   

, more than 300 members of the Screen Actors Guild, including Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence, are threatening to strike should an agreement on a new contract with major Hollywood studios, streamers, and production companies not be reached.The letter, addressed to the SAG-AFTRA Leadership and Negotiating Committee was allegedly sent to leadership expressing their concern with the idea that «SAG-AFTRA members may be ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not.»«We hope you’ve heard the message from us: This is an unprecedented inflection point in our industry, and what might be considered a good deal in any other years is simply not enough,» the letter, obtained by , says. «We feel that our wages, our craft, our creative freedom, and the power of our union have all been undermined in the last decade.

More than 300 actors including many big names have signed a letter to SAG-AFTRA leadership urging them to take a hard line in the negotiations for a new film and TV contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

More than 300 actors have signed a letter addressed to the SAG-AFTRA Leadership and Negotiating Committee.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer A group of more than 400 actors — including Oscar winners Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Rami Malek — are urging SAG-AFTRA leaders to take a harder line as contract talks reach a critical point. The members sent an internal letter Tuesday to the union’s negotiating committee and the leadership. They emphasized that “we are prepared to strike if it comes to that.” “And we are concerned by the idea that SAG-AFTRA members may be ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not,” they continued. The contract expires on Friday, and the leadership has the power to call a strike as soon as Saturday if no agreement is reached.

Jennifer Lawrence‘s press tour for No Hard Feelings just keeps giving — and so does she, if you just became a new father at age 79.

full-frontal nudity.The premise revolves around 32-year-old Maddie (Lawrence), who is hired by 19-year-old Percy’s (Andrew Barth Feldman) parents to date him. The stars of the flick clapped back at the recent backlash to the movie’s plot and rated-R raunchiness.Percy’s overprotective (and wealthy) parents are played by Laura Benanti and Matthew Broderick.“It’s a cautionary tale,” Benanti, 43, explained to the Hollywood Reporter about the hate.“If you are a helicopter parent who puts your child in such a bubble, they do not know how to exist outside of that bubble, you are going to make the exact opposite and insane choice, which is what they are doing here.“I feel like it is a very satirical look at what can happen if you do not give your children a longer leash to figure things out for themselves,” the “Nashville” star continued.

Jennifer Lawrence strips down for a nude scene in her new movie No Hard Feelings, and that isn’t the only raunchy moment to come from the R-rated comedy.

More than a year after their son’s birth, Jennifer Lawrence and Cooke Maroney have started talking about expanding their family again.