Josh Groban To Play Beast In ‘Beauty And The Beast’, Joshua Henry & Rita Moreno Also Cast In ABC Special

Loretta Lynn has died at the age of 90.The star, who was famous for hits such as ‘You Ain’t Woman Enough’, ‘The Pill’, ‘Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)’ and ‘Honky Tonk Girl’, passed away this morning (October 4), according to a statement from her family.“Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home at her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills,” they wrote.Over the years she recorded 60 albums, with her most recent being last year’s ‘Still Woman Enough’, and topped the US country charts 16 times. She also sold more than 45million records worldwide.A statement from the family of Loretta Lynn."Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home at her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills.” The family of Loretta Lynn.— Loretta Lynn (@LorettaLynn) October 4, 2022She was nominated for 18 Grammy awards, of which she won three, including a lifetime achievement prize in 2010 and her most recent win in 2019.In 2004, Lynn teamed up with Jack White who produced her album ‘Van Lear Rose’, which went on to become her best-performing album in the US charts at the time, before she topped it with her highest-charting album ever, 2016’s ‘Full Circle’.In 2013, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama.Born Loretta Webb in a one-room rural Kentucky cabin in 1932, the star was one of eight siblings and the daughter of a coal miner which led to her signature song, 1970’s ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’.Lynn married her husband Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn when she was 15, and they were together until his death in 1996.

Adrien Brody, who features as playwright and one-time Marilyn Monroe spouse Arthur Miller in Andrew Dominik’s Blonde, says elements of the story adapted from Joyce Carol Oates’ 2000 bestselling fictionalized novel, are “terrifying” but hopefully lead to a feeling of empathy for the woman behind the cultural icon.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The question is no longer just what Bob Dylan will have to say about Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up” or the Clash’s “London Calling” when he writes about them in his new book, “The Philosophy of Modern Song.” Now we can wonder how Helen Mirren or Renée Zellweger will sound giving voice to Dylan’s prose as they read those chapters, respectively, in the audiobook version, which, like the hardback, arrives Nov. 1. Variety previously reported the titles of the historical songs Dylan has written essays about for the tome, followed by the the names of the actors enlisted to read individual chapters for the audiobook, but those two lists hadn’t been paired up till now. A look at the list below, being revealed for the first time today, shows that all of the stars involved have been given multiple assignments, including Jeff Bridges, Oscar Isaac, Rita Moreno, Jeffrey Wright, Sissy Spacek, John Goodman, Alfre Woodard and Steve Buscemi as well as Mirren and Zellweger.

Ethan Shanfeld Cate Blanchett stunned audiences on Monday night at the New York Film Festival with her commanding performance as Lydia Tár — a fictional celebrity composer who experiences a grand fall from grace after her past comes back to haunt her. When writer-director Todd Fields premiered “Tár” last month at the Venice Film Festival, the film generated instant Oscar buzz and received a six-minute standing ovation. Now, it’s gearing up for a limited release in select theaters later this week. On the red carpet at the North American premiere of “Tár,” Blanchett spoke with Variety about the parallels between Lydia Tár’s ferocious musical ambitions and her own illustrious acting career.

Zack Sharf Billy Eichner’s “Bros” nearly featured a “$30,000 butt rig,” director Nicholas Stoller recently confirmed to Entertainment Weekly. The device, first teased by cast member Luke Macfarlane as a “very expensive prop,” was used to simulate rimming during one of the film’s sex scenes. However, the butt rig was left on the cutting room floor. “We were going to shoot a rim job moment, but then ‘The White Lotus’ beat us to the punch, so we cut that,” Eichner added, referring to the viral sex scene in the Emmy-winning HBO series. The “$30,000 butt rig” was used during an extended sex scene between Aaron (Macfarlane) and Bobby (Eichner) in which the characters passionately embrace each other’s sexual quirks. Macfarlane said “two puppeteers” operated the butt rig off camera.

Hoda Kotb is ready for love! The much-loved TV personality broke up with her longtime partner, Joel Schiffman, earlier this year but she's now bravely jumping back onto the dating bandwagon. The mom-of-two chatted with her co-host, Jenna Bush Hager, on their show Hoda & Jenna and revealed not only is she looking for someone special - she'll let her colleague set her up. MORE: Inside Hoda Kotb's beautiful homes where she lives with her daughtersIn the clip, which was later shared on Instagram, Hoda chatted about how great Jenna was at matchmaking. WATCH: Hoda Kotb's family life - all we know A stunned Jenna then turned around and said: "I want to set a person in pink up," as Hoda looked down at her own rose-colored suit. It was then that Hoda added a twist and confessed: "I really, I wanna be set up."MORE: Today's Hoda Kotb's difficult career goodbye revealedMORE: Savannah Guthrie shows support for co-star Hoda Kotb in the sweetest wayJenna didn't miss a beat and took her for her word: "That is a challenge that I'm gonna go for," she added before admitting she had chills of excitement. A post shared by TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@hodaandjenna)Hoda admits she's ready for Jenna to set her up on a date Hoda said she would never allow anyone who wasn't close to her to take on this challenge and added: "You know me and I trust you."Fans adored their interaction and are rooting for Hoda to find love again. They commented: "Love this.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Manti Te’o has signed on with UTA for representation in all areas, Variety has learned exclusively. With the signing, UTA will help Te’o work across a variety of areas, including broadcasting, public speaking, publishing, unscripted television, and audio. Te’o is known for his standout college football career. He was one of the most sought after high school recruits in the country when he entered college, eventually enrolling at Notre Dame University and joining the Fighting Irish as a linebacker. He played for Notre Dame from 2009-2012. He racked up impressive stats, including All-American honors and securing 437 tackles over the course of his time there. He was the captain of the team in 2012 and led Notre Dame against Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game that same year. He is also one of the most decorated players in college football, winning top honors such as the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Butkus Award. Te’o was a finalist for the Heisman trophy in 2012 as well.

Emmerdale's anniversary episodes are getting ever closer and anticipation has been building for weeks ,with spoilers and teasers being released ahead of what is set to be a stormy celebration. This week, fans have been given their first glimpse at what to expect in the upcoming 50th anniversary episode and need to be braced for the possibility of multiple deaths in the village. Show runners previously revealed the village will be changed forever as a devastating storm hits the Dales, kickstarting a chain reaction of events that will change the Dales forever.

BBC EastEnders actress Clair Norris looked almost unrecognisable compared with her soap character as she glammed up for a night out with her beau. Clair, 24, who plays Bernadette Taylor in the soap, looked far away from her day job in Albert Square where she's usually dressed in baggy clothes, a purple padded jacket and has her brunette hair scraped up in a bun.

Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury's gorgeous £4m mansion has suffered another massive leak just a few months after the ceiling collapsed during renovations.The one-time Love Island contestants are currently expecting their first child together, with Molly-Mae believed to be around six months pregnant. On Tuesday, the star posted a video to her Instagram story that shows a steady trickle of water pouring from her kitchen ceiling. “How’s your day going?” the 23 year old influencer quipped in the caption.

Girls Aloud fans have shared devastated reactions at seeing the band reunite in a photo for the first time since Sarah Harding’s death from breast cancer. Sarah tragically died aged 39 from breast cancer last September.The late star’s bandmates Cheryl, 39, Kimberly Walsh, 40, Nadine Coyle, 37, and Nicola Roberts, 36, have come together in a new photoshoot wearing matching pyjamas in honour of Sarah, as they fulfil their final promise to her to raise money for cancer research. Girls Aloud are seen modelling their new nightwear range of navy blue star-printed pyjama sets and nighties, which are priced at £14 to £18 and available in UK Primark stores, with all proceeds going to The Christie Charitable Trust and Cancer Research UK.

Kerry Katona and Katie Price have had quite the turbulent friendship over the years. Ten years ago, it looked like it all might have been well and truly over for them as pals, after Katie, 44, pulled out of being bridesmaid to Kerry, 42, for her doomed wedding to George Kay. Kerry tied the knot with George, who tragically died in 2019 of a drug overdose, after two years of dating in 2014 and had asked Katie to be her bridesmaid at the time.

current host, Josh Dela Cruz, 33, reports Entertainment Weekly.The musical-comedy follows Blue and Josh as they take a trip to New York City after Josh books a Broadway audition. Josh is bummed to discover he left his handy-dandy notebook at home so his friends Mr. Salt and Mrs.

They might be one of the world's most famous power couples, but David and Victoria Beckham have relationship niggles just like the rest of us.The pair shared a hilarious insight to their bedroom routine, as former footballer David, 47, took to his Instagram stories to share a shirtless selfie as he lay in bed half-under the covers and frowned into the camera. His wife of 21 years Victoria, 48, could just be seen behind him as she read her book with a very bright book light attached to it which appeared to throw the rest of the room into spectacular clarity too.

An Instagram account leaking explosive voice notes which allegedly Ferne McCann has returned to the app, just days after it was shut down. Formerly posting with the handle lucymay195, the account, which has over 31k followers, is back with the name @ladywhistledown195, in a nod to the fictional whistleblower in the hit Netflix series, Bridgerton.

Married at First Sight UK continues this week, but one thing viewers haven't been able to forget was the way Kwame refused to allow Kasia to visit his house during the homestay segment of last week's show. At the time, Kwame simply said he was "quite secretive", but that only added to the mystery and now cast member Adrian Anderson has cleared things up on Instagram, offering a theory.

A new book is providing insight into the alleged drama between Princess of Wales Kate Middleton and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle. New excerpts from royal insider Valentine Low's new book "Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown," claim that Markle became "obsessed" with the palace disputing any reports of division between them.  In 2018, when Markle was preparing to marry into the royal family, British media ran rampant with the narrative that Markle had made Middleton cry at a dress fitting.

Meghan Markle called out Hollywood for stereotyping Asian women in her latest podcast episode. Markle spoke to actress Margaret Cho and broadcast journalist Lisa Ling about how the media portrayal of the "Dragon Lady" has affected Asian women in real life in the fourth episode of "Archetypes." The Spotify podcast returned after a brief hiatus due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II. King Charles III and other senior royals have also returned to work following a royal mourning period.

EXCLUSIVE: The Starz #TakeTheLead Writers’ Intensive has selected Corey Dashaun, Gabriela Revilla Lugo, John Lowe, Naiyah Ambros, Raymond Arturo Perez, and Tennessee Martin as the program’s finalists.

Hoda Kotb is looking for love! The 58-year-old journalist hinted during Tuesday's episode of that she's open to a new relationship — and she's enlisting co-anchor Jenna Bush Hager as her matchmaker. Kotb first noted that Hager, 40, is «really good at setting people up,» to which Hager responded that she wanted to set Kotb up. Kotb then shocked her with the response, «OK, I want to be set up.» Hager gushed, «I have chills!» before declaring, «That is a challenge that I am going to go for.»Kotb announced her split from longtime love Joel Schiffman in January after eight years together. The couple shares two daughters, 5-year-old Haley and 3-year-old Hope, and was previously engaged. Kotb said on Tuesday that she has «trust» in Hager to find her a meaningful match as she moves forward.«You know me and I trust you,» Kotb said.

ABC will be airing a special version of Beauty and the Beast later this year to celebrate the beloved movie’s 30th anniversary.

Henry is best known for his Tony-nominated leading roles in “Carousel,” “The Scottsboro Boys” and “Violet,” and for playing Aaron Burr in “Hamilton.” He played Roger Bart in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Tick, Tick, Boom” and Jerlamarel opposite Jason Momoa in Apple TV+’s “See.” He is currently appearing on Broadway in the Stephen Sondheim musical “Into The Woods.”Celebrated EGOT winner Moreno just wrapped production on feature films “Eighty for Brady” with Sally Field, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, and “Fast X,” where she plays Vin Diesel’s grandmother. Last year, she co-starred and was an executive producer on Steven Spielberg’s remake of “West Side Story.” “Beauty and the Beast,” which was released on November 22, 1991, became the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the 1992 Academy Awards, where it won Best Original Song for its self-titled theme song. “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” is produced by Done+Dusted in association with Walt Disney Television Alternative and Electric Somewhere.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Josh Groban, Joshua Henry and Rita Moreno will star in ABC’s “Beauty and the Beast 30th Anniversary Special,” Variety can exclusively reveal. Groban, who recorded the original song “Evermore” for the 2017 “Beauty and the Beast” film, will play Beast. Henry, who recently starred on Broadway’s “Into the Woods,” will play Gaston. Moreno will serve as the show’s narrator, guiding viewers along the classically enchanting tale. As previously announced, Grammy winner H.E.R. will play Belle in the live-action/animated hybrid. The casting news was announced Friday at the D23 Expo’s “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” panel, moderated by Variety’s senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay.

Josh Groban has been cast as the title character in Sweeney Todd’s Broadway revival. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is coming back to Broadway as a stage musical in March 2023, Billboard reports. Producers announced on Tuesday that the Grammy nominee would lead as Sweeney Todd.

Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford are heading to Broadway.

As widely speculated, a new Broadway production of the Stephen Sondheim-Hugh Wheeler classic musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street starring Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford will begin performances on February 26, 2023, at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre with an official opening night of March 26, 2023.