Nicole Kidman Put A Lot Of Work Into Lucille Ball Role: ‘It Was My Obsession To Get It Absolutely Accurate’

EXCLUSIVE:  Lionsgate has renewed its first-look film deal with 3Pas Studios, the production company run by producer Ben Odell and bilingual star Eugenio Derbez, Deadline has learned.

Netflix’s record-breaking series Squid Game will hit a pair of movie theaters in Los Angeles and New York later this month as the streamer ramps up its awards campaigning for the Korean series.

Fox is developing a pitch black comedy about a meteorologist whose life unspools after a freak injury at work.

Yara Shahidi (Black-ish, Grown-ish) has signed on to exec produce and star in Amazon Studios’ rom-com Sitting in Bars with Cake, Deadline has confirmed. The feature, based on the blog and book of the same name by Audrey Shulman, will be directed by Pitch Perfect 3‘s Trish Sie.

California Governor Gavin Newsom gave a significant preview of the state’s plan to loosen Covid-19 restrictions next week. Calling it an “endemic plan,” indicated it will take the state into the era when it simply lives with the disease, instead of the pandemic strategy that’s been deployed to date.

EXCLUSIVE: Following a busy fall in both the film and TV worlds, Adrien Brody is looking to stay busy as he set to join Apple Original Films’ Ghosted, starring Chris Evans and Ana de Armas. Dexter Fletcher is directing. 

Today. “Because it really shaped me into the individual that I am.

XTR, the global nonfiction entertainment studio behind the Oscar-nominated documentary “Ascension,” has hired Abazar Khayami as head of studio. Khayami, who previously served as head of content at NTWRK, will oversee feature documentaries including development, production and execution and shepherd the dozens of films already in the company’s pipeline, the studio said Wednesday.“We are thrilled that Abazar has come on to lead XTR’s production studio during a moment of tremendous growth for the company,” said Kathryn Everett, XTR co-founder and head of film.

Luke Bryan enjoys a close and often hilarious relationship with his American Idol co-judges Lionel Richie and Katy Perry.MORE: Luke Bryan's five children and their mothers – and the heartfelt story behind his family unitIn a new interview with Good Morning America, the country superstar opened up about his relationship with Katy in the run-up to her Las Vegas residency and how that extended to her fiancé Orlando Bloom.WATCH: Chayce Beckham wins American Idol 2021"Anything Katy does, she sends stuff to create more anxiety," he said to the amusement of GMA hosts Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos, who could be heard laughing in the background."She's like 'Wow. Big stage, be ready','Wow, get ready for the dry air of Las Vegas', I'm like 'Katy!'" he joked.MORE: Katy Perry reveals wedding news after claims she secretly wed Orlando BloomHowever, he revealed that there was nothing but love between the two, perhaps veering on being closer than you'd expect when Orlando comes into the mix."Me and her, even as years have gone, we have an even more fun friendship and a great working relationship," he gushed about the Firework singer.A post shared by Good Morning America (@goodmorningamerica)Luke joked about Katy being "jealous" of his relationship with Orlando BloomHe then added: "She's really a little jealous because she believes Orlando kind of…might have a little man crush on me. "Because Orlando came to Nashville and I had all these outdoor activities planned for him.

Nadya Suleman, a.k.a. “Octomom,” celebrated her octuplets’ 13th birthday this week. The proud mom took her eight youngest children — Nariyah, Isaiah, Maliyah, Jeremiah, Noah, Josiah, Jonah, and Makai — to a bowling alley, and then to a park, in Laguna Niguel, California to celebrate them reaching the milestone birthday. Photos, which can be seen HERE, show Nadya and the octuplets gathered together and smiling while holding bowling balls at the first celebratory event. The eight kids are truly so grown up — it’s crazy that they are now teenagers!

Better Things,” its original comedy series created by, executive produced by and starring Pamela Adlon.Adlon stars as Sam, a working actress raising three daughters in Los Angeles attempting to navigate her life and find fulfillment. Mikey Madison, Hannah Alligood and Olivia Edward portray Sam’s daughter, who are each struggling to come of age, while Celia Imrie portrays Sam’s mother, who deals with increasingly difficult mental and physical health issues. Adlon heavily based the series on her own experiences as an actor raising three daughters.The trailer for the new season sees Sam working on a new movie, giving a presentation to an elementary school class and arguing with her daughters.

Miles Davis for a year in 1968, died today (February 9) of natural causes, close friend Danielle Maggio confirmed to Rolling Stone.Davis’ self-titled debut album arrived in 1973, which she then followed up the following year with ‘They Say I’m Different’. Her third and final studio album, ‘Nasty Gal’, was released in 1975.Though not commercially successful at their time of release, Davis’ music has gone on to be hugely influential in funk circles in the decades to follow.Born Betty Mabry, she appeared on the cover of Miles Davis’ 1968 album ‘Filles de Kilimanjaro’, and was the inspiration behind his song ‘Mademoiselle Mabry’.“RIP Betty Davis, the original (and only) nasty gal, famed for being one of music’s greatest muses, but more importantly, one of the funkiest to ever do it,” journalist and author Jeff Weiss wrote in tribute to Davis.“Her first 3 solo records are sleazy, soulful and raw.

Spotify streams of Little Simz‘ music have soared over 350 per cent following her appearance at this year’s BRIT Awards.The rapper, who released her last album, ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’, back in September, won the award for Best New Artist at last night’s (February 8) ceremony at London’s The O2. She also performed a medley of her tracks ‘Introvert’ and ‘Woman’.Her massive night has since prompted a huge spike in Spotify streams in comparison to other BRITs winners including Adele, Silk Sonic, Ed Sheeran, Dave and Sam Fender.There was a 812 per cent increase in streams of ‘Introvert’ and a 594 per cent spike for ‘Woman’, equating to a 365 per cent jump overall.Elsewhere, Adele, who took home three BRITs last night (Artist Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year), saw a 137 per cent increase in Spotify streams following the awards, while Dave’s streams went up by 217 per cent. Fender’s music saw a 79 per cent jump.“As ever, the BRITs showed the incredible breadth of talent being fostered here in the UK, across every genre of music,” Tom Connaughton, managing director of Spotify UK and Ireland, said in a statement (via Rolling Stone UK).

Families of the 22 who died in the Manchester Arena bombing have reacted with anger and dismay after a second act of vandalism at a memorial for their lost loved ones.

Former Manchester City and England striker Trevor Sinclair has compared Manchester United youngster James Garner with club icon David Beckham.

A taxi driver was taken to hospital with a head injury after he was attacked in a back street in Cheetham Hill on Tuesday evening.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorHollywood is about to stampede into Middle Earth. An array of movie, merchandising, gaming and live event rights to “Lord of the Rings,” “The Hobbit” and other titles from author J.R.R. Tolkien are coming up for auction now that the Saul Zaentz Co.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorLifetime’s newest reality show, “Leave It To Geege,” sees Geege Taylor, a single mom and breast cancer survivor, on a mission to help other people on their journey of raising an autistic child.The show debuted on Lifetime in January and from Feb. 10 will be transitioning from linear to digital, starting with a two-episode drop followed by weekly episodes rolling out on mylifetime.com, the Lifetime app and VOD.Taylor, whose 19-year-old son Pootie was diagnosed with autism as a young child, says she had first wanted to open her doors to TV cameras over seven years ago.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAs the Prince estate moves forward after years of confusion following the singer’s 2016 death, the six heirs are divided into two camps: the three siblings who sold their interests to Primary Wave, and the three who have retained their holdings.With the value of the estate recently determined at $156.4 million, the two parties are now establishing a structure for how to work together. In a ruling on Tuesday, a Minnesota judge decided against Primary Wave’s proposal to create a single holding company.

With the release of Aaron Sorkin’s highly anticipated Lucille Ball biopic Being The Ricardos fast approaching, leading lady Nicole Kidman is opening up about how the backlash over her casting affected her performance!

irate “I Love Lucy” fans argued that Debra Messing would have been a better choice.Kidman made the claim during a Q&A in Los Angeles on Saturday night, following a preview screening of the film, which is set for general release on Dec.

Deadline’s Contenders L.A. returned for an in-person edition Sunday at the DGA Theater, with 31 buzzy awards-season titles showing off their wares in panels that featured the likes of Nicole Kidman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jennifer Hudson, Kristen Stewart, Javier Bardem, Adam McKay, Lady Gaga, Mahershala Ali, Ben Affleck, Kenneth Branagh, Pedro Almodóvar, Penélope Cruz, Simon Rex, Marlee Matlin, Andrew Garfield and Dakota Johnson to name a few.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorAaron Sorkin’s “Being the Ricardos” took over Westwood Village on Saturday night as both press and SAG-AFTRA members lined the streets around the Bruin Theater, keen to get their eyes on Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball and Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz.Kidman received a standing ovation as she joined Bardem, Sorkin, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale and J.K. Simmons for the post-screening Q&A..“I had massive trepidation about a month prior, and Aaron had to get on the phone and send me emails saying, ‘You’ve got this,'” Kidman revealed when asked if she knew she had it in her to play the comedian.

#BeingtheRicardos might not be for you. If you want performances that capture the spirit and soul of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, you’re in for a treat.”The film tells the story of one week on the set of “I Love Lucy,” digging into the marriage of its stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz (played by Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, respectively), all while Ball is being accused by Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee of being a communist sympathizer.Those in attendance at the Los Angeles screening on Saturday night praised both director Aaron Sorkin’s storytelling and the team-up of Kidman and Bardem.“Lucy, you’ve got some campaigning to do,” Kyle Buchanan wrote.

Aaron Sorkin and the cast of Being the Ricardos hit the stage for Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles on Sunday. The Amazon romantic drama, which celebrates the legacy of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, is set to premiere December 10 in theaters, then debut on Amazon Prime Video 11 days later.

Clayton Davis After revisiting a slice of 1960s history in last year’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Aaron Sorkin has turned his lens in “Being the Ricardos,” cataloging a politically tumultuous week in the 1950s for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz during the heyday of “I Love Lucy.” The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences often falls hard for movies about old Hollywood, and it would be foolish that they’ve changed their tune, especially after seeing films such as “Mank” from David Fincher garner the most nominations at last year’s ceremony. The new movie from Amazon Studios could follow a similar trajectory.Under Sorkin’s direction, he presents plenty of chuckles and sympathy for our favorite redhead.

Being The Ricardos.Lucille and Desi’s daughter Lucie Arnaz has praised Kidman’s performance, and even recorded a special message on Instagram after seeing the full film.“It’s friggin’ amazing,” Lucie said.