ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Game of Thrones Star Peter Dinklage and Wife Erica Schmidt Expecting Second Child. And another baby makes a family of four! Peter Dinklage and wife Erica Schmidt are expecting their second child. The couple walked the red carpet of The New Group's All the Fine Boys, an off-Broadway play Schmidt wrote and directed, in New York City Wednesday evening. Schmidt's growing baby bump stole the show as it made its debut in a flowing dress. Dinklage, 47, and Schmidt, 41, are already parents to their 5-year-old daughter, Zelig Dinklage, whom they welcomed in 2011. The cast of Schmidt's play, which includes Abigail Breslin, celebrated the couple's big news by cradling her bump as they posed for photos. E! News has reached out to Dinklage's rep for comment. The Game of Thrones star and Schmidt tied the knot in 2005. Shortly before welcoming Zelig into their lives, Dinklage won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister in the mega-hit HBO series and gave his wife and mom-to-be an emotional shout out during his acceptance speech. "I love you, Erica. You're amazing," said Dinklage from the stage. Congratulations to the growing family! Game of Thrones is set to return later this year. People was the first to report the news. (Eonline)

Jennifer Lopez Opens Up About Having Kids Late: "I Thought That It Wasn't Going to Happen for Me." Jennifer Lopez has it all, but her biggest blessings are her two children, Emme and Max. The Shades of Blue star welcomed her twins with now-ex-husband Marc Anthony in February 2008 when she was 38 years old. While appearing on the Today show Thursday morning, J.Lo opened up to Savannah Guthrie about her "coconuts" and gushed about how much they've changed her life. "They just make life so much better," Lopez said. "I'm forever grateful." Lopez admitted she's particularly thankful for her two kids because at one point she worried she wouldn't have them. "I didn't have kids until later, and I almost thought that it wasn't going to happen for me," she continued. "I'm very aware that I was blessed with that. I don't take it for granted for one day." Just last week Lopez gave her fans a sneak peek into how much love she feels for her kids when she posted an emotional tribute to them on Instagram for their ninth birthdays. Sharing a collage of their greatest moments as a family, Lopez wrote, "Emme and Maximilian...I cant believe its 9 years ago today that God entrusted me with the biggest blessings of my life... he finally sent me my beautiful twins, my babies, my love and life in two lil human beings. I immediately felt bonded, protective, overwhelmed with emotion and like the luckiest woman on this earth. And Ive felt that way everyday since." She continued, "You make me proud every single moment of every single day! You are two shining lights that make this world a better more beautiful place for me and everyone who is lucky enough to know you...Thank you Lord for choosing me to be Max and Emme's mom. The word LOVE is not enough for how my heart and soul feel when I think of you... Happy Happy Birthday my lil coconuts!!! Mama loves you so damn much!!!" Because the "Ain't Your Mama" songstress is always on the go -- she has her Las Vegas residency, her TV show, rehearsals for Bye Bye Birdie and more -- Lopez said she and her kids have become "gypsies traveling all over the place." But how does she get it all done? "I take it one day at a time," she said. "We're doing the best we can." (Eonline)

Late Marlins Pitcher Jose Fernandez's Girlfriend Opens Up About Their Newborn Daughter Penelope. Jose Fernandez looked forward to being a father, but sadly he did not live to see the birth of his daughter, Penelope. People spoke to the late pitcher's grieving girlfriend, Maria Arias, who informed the publication that their daughter was born last Friday and said that they're "both healthy and doing well." She explained that the newborn has, "brought a lot of light and joy into our lives." The 24-year-old Marlins baseball player died almost five months ago in a boating accident. Only days before his tragic death, Fernandez shared a photo of Arias holding her baby bump, announcing that they were expecting a child. The two lived together at the time, and Arias explains that their daughter, "has not taken any of the pain away, of course, because that's always going to remain, but she's definitely brightened up our lives. A lot of people were anticipating her arrival because, at the end of the day, it's a little piece of him that he left behind for us." Fernández died early Sunday morning, September 25, 2016, when his 32-foot fishing boat struck a jetty along Government Cut and Fisher Island in Miami Beach. We later learned that the two other victims who died onboard the tragic boat ride were his friends Emilio Jesus Macias, 27, and Eduardo Rivero, 25. In the video, published days after his death, we see Fernandez with pregnant Arias. He starts off by saying, "Yea, I'm in love, man. I love this thing and I love this thing." He speaks to the camera as he gives Arias a kiss on the cheek and she moves down the camera and he rubs her stomach. "I'm in love, man. It's hard to admit it," he says. "Tell me about it." According to People, Arias has remained close with Fernandez's family, who are requesting privacy at this moment. (Eonline)

Dream Kardashian is officially a daddy's girl. On Wednesday, the littlest Kardashian got in some daddy-daughter time with her father, Rob Kardashian, before their time together came to an end. In a sweet Instagram post, Rob, 29, expressed his love for his 3-month-old daughter as the pair said goodbye. "Saying bye to my beautiful baby girl ... she is smiling at me. U see how she looking at her daddy. I literally can't get enough of this girl," Rob began the Instagram post. "I never felt a love or happiness like this ever in my life and she makes me so happy," he wrote, and added, "About to miss her so much Love You baby Dream... FOREVER!!" In the time since Rob and his ex-fiancee Blac Chyna welcomed their daughter on Nov. 10, the reality star has been committed to being an involved dad -- following in the footsteps of his own late father -- despite the couple's split in February. Prior to the birth of Dream, Rob -- who lost his attorney father to cancer when he was 15 -- opened up to PEOPLE in September about fatherhood. "I had a really close bond with my dad. I was only with him for 15 years," said Rob. "That's why I'm looking forward to having that long-term bond with my child and being funny and goofy like my dad was." After her birth, an insider told PEOPLE that he was "super hands on with Dream." "She's changed his life," said the insider. "She makes him want to be better. And he's spending a lot more time with his family." (People)

Here's the Awkward Moment Katy Perry Realized Orlando Bloom Will Never Be the One That Got Away. Talk about a picture worth a thousand words. As E! News previously reported, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom split after less than a year together, their reps explaining the two "are taking respectful, loving space at this time." Now it appears all wasn't as it seemed during Vanity Fair's Oscars After-Party last Sunday, when photographers caught the now-exes in an exchange of ominous eye contact. The pair, who did not walk the red carpet together, stand with an uncomfortable amount of space between each other as Perry flashes an "Oh, no you didn't" type look at the British actor. Bloom, holding a coffee cup, appears to be speaking to Perry, who stands arm-in-arm with protective bestie Allison Williams. Take note of the body language, people. Meanwhile, Jennifer Aniston clutches onto hubby Justin Theroux in the background while Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann, Dakota Johnson and Jason Bateman attempt to make an exit from the bash. As for what went wrong between Katy and Orlando, a source told E! News exclusively their relationship began unraveling over time. "Katy pulled the plug," our insider revealed. "It was a few events that happened over the past few months. They both still love each other very much, though, and getting back together could happen once they have some space." A separate source insists the break up was "mutual." Additionally, the source said the former lovebirds haven't cut the cord completely, explaining, "They are still in contact and want to keep everything between them pretty private." "Katy has built a really strong connection with [Orlando's son] Flynn. It's sad but it will work out how it's supposed to," the source added. (Eonline)

"Young and the Restless" star Amelia Heinle and Thad Luckinbill are divorcing after 10 years of marriage, TooFab has learned. According to court documents obtained by TooFab, Luckinbill filed for the split in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday, citing "irreconcilable differences." Heinle, who plays central role of Victoria Newman on the top-rated CBS soap, began dating Luckinbill when he was playing JT Hellstrom on the show from 1999-2010. The couple wed in March 2007. In an ironic twist of life imitating art, Heinle and Luckinbill's characters on the show became a couple, had a child and then split. Their characters' son Reed Hellstrom (played by newcomer Tristan Lake Leabu) just returned to the "Y&R" canvas as a teenager, leading to speculation by fans that Luckinbill's JT might also return to the series. Heinle and Luckinbill share two children -- Thaddeus, age 10, and Georgia, age 8. Luckinbill is seeking joint custody of the children and is asking the court to "reserve for future determination the issue of spousal support," according to the filing. She was previously married to "NCIS" star Michael Weatherly, whom she also shares a son named August. Weatherly and Heinle met while they were both starring as Coop and Steffy on ABC's now-defunct soap "Loving." The actress just won her second Emmy this past year for her role as Victoria on "Y&R," which she's played since 2005. Luckinbill is most recently listed as an executive producer of the award-winning "La La Land," which almost won Best Picture during the Oscar fail heard around the world. (Too Fab)

John Mellencamp Says Ex-Girlfriend Meg Ryan Hates Him "to Death." After sharing five-plus years of their lives together, Meg Ryan and John Mellencamp are not on good terms. The former couple dated from 2011 to August 2014, breaking up for two months before rekindling their romance. Unfortunately, they called it quits for good in 2015. During an interview with SiriusXM's The Howard Stern Show Wednesday, Mellencamp confessed that he and Ryan no longer keep in touch. "Oh, women hate me. I loved Meg Ryan," Mellencamp shared. "She hates me to death." Quite the confession given the longevity of their relationship, but the "Jack & Diane" crooner wasn't afraid to open up about his mistakes. He admitted he tried to mend their broken relationship, but the You've Got Mail star wasn't interested. "She just doesn't want anything to do with me," he admitted, "and I don't blame her." Mellencamp told host Howard Stern and Robin Quivers that many of his relationships end because of his immaturity. "Women hate me," he added. "I think it's because I'm a child. I throw fits, I gripe, I complain. I'm moody. Every bad thing that a fella can be, that's me." He later clarified that the women he has dated hate him only when they're with him romantically, as he maintains good relationships with his ex-wife Elaine Irwin, whom he was married to for 20 years, and ex-girlfriend Christie Brinkley, whom he dated after he and Ryan split. The "Hurts So Good" crooner previously revealed to The Howard Stern Show that distance played a role in his and Ryan's split. He lives in Indiana while America's Sweetheart resides in New York. "Meg is an angel. She was just an angel sent to me at the right time," he said in 2014. "We tried to have a relationship for three years -- long distance. We'll see what happens." He also confessed he could never live in Manhattan. "I'm too sensitive to live there," the musician said. "I can't see poor people. I can't see the suffering. I can't see the trash on the streets...I'm not leaving Indiana. I'm going to die here." (Eonline)

Selena Gomez staked her claim on The Weeknd with a serious this-is-MY-bf kiss on his cheek ... which we're sure had nothing to do with you-know-who being in town too. Selena packed on the PDA Tuesday after his concert in Paris. But the "Starboy" singer was also performing at Wednesday night's H&M fashion show, where his ex, Bella Hadid, was doing her model thing. Potentially messy? Sure. But Weeknd belted out "Nothing Without You" as Bella and Gigi Hadid strutted, and there was no drama apparent to the naked eye. For the record, Selena was NOT at the H&M show. (TMZ)

Nancy Kerrigan Has Been Waiting to Join Dancing With the Stars for a Very Long Time. It only took 24 seasons, but Nancy Kerrigan can finally cross "Join Dancing With the Stars" off her bucket list. The Olympic figure skating legend will be competing for the mirror ball alongside pro Artem Chigvintsev in the upcoming new season of the long-running ABC competition, and as she tells it, she's been waiting for this day since the show debuted in 2005. "I mean, I've wanted to since the beginning," she told E! News after the season 24 cast was revealed on Good Morning America. "So it's just scheduling and wondering if my body can hold up because I've been falling for 40 years." Despite all the years she's had to wait for her chance to enter the ballroom, she's remained a faithful viewer of the show. "I'm thrilled. I've been watching the show since the beginning," she told us. "Huge fan. We all watch it together with my kids. We've been watching Artem and I'm excited because he's great, a good choreographer." Artem seemed equally as excited to be partnered with the two-time Olympic medalist. "I've mentioned this before, I've never had an athlete before in my life as my celebrity partner in the show. This is the first time and I'm super thrilled," he gushed. "I feel like athletes have such a great advantage on Dancing With the Stars because they know how to deal under pressure and they know what it takes to achieve the results." He's not wrong. Dancing With the Stars has seen eight athletes, from varied disciplines, take home the mirrorball -- including Nancy's former Team USA team mate at the 1992 Winter Olympics, Kristi Yamaguchi, who won season six. Will you be Team Nancy with DWTS returns? (Eonline)

Priscilla Presley has opened up about her daughter Lisa Marie Presley's ongoing court battle with her estranged husband, Michael Lockwood, in a new interview. As previously reported, Lisa Marie, 49, filed court documents on February 7 claiming that she found "disturbing" photos of children on a computer that belonged to Lockwood, 55. She wrote that she was "shocked and horrified and sick to my stomach." In response, Lockwood's attorney Jeff Sturman called the filing "very unfortunate and inappropriate" in a statement to Us Weekly. "This is very personal, and we're still going through a lot of different scenarios," Priscilla recently told Entertainment Tonight of the situation. "There's been a lot of rumors, a lot of speculation, and a lot of everything which always goes along with these situations... Nothing is sorted out yet. Everything is trying to be sorted out, and done with dignity and done with care, especially for the children." Last month, Priscilla, who was married to Lisa Marie's late father, Elvis, from 1967 to 1973, posted on Facebook that she was taking care of the pair's 8-year-old twin daughters, Finley and Harper, amid rumors that they were put into foster care. Now, Priscilla, who lives in Beverly Hills, has revealed that the siblings continue to see both parents. "It's still a very family-oriented environment for them. They've been with me for -- it'll be over nine months," Priscilla told ET. "They're great. They're doing wonderful. They're living a great life. They see both their parents, and we'll see what happens." Lisa Marie filed for divorce from her fourth husband, Lockwood, in June 2016 after 10 years of marriage. She was previously married to singer-songwriter Danny Keough, Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage. (US Weekly)

Katherine Jackson says her nephew is not just stealing money from her ... he's also secretly monitoring her every move around her own home with hidden cameras and microphones. Katherine, 2 of her kids -- Jermaine and Rebbie -- and several friends and attorneys all filed declarations to support her elderly abuse claims against Trent Lamar Jackson. In docs, the 86-year-old matriarch says Lamar copied the key to her bedroom door, and she thinks he has the whole house wired for sound and video. She says "the only place I can try and have a private conversation, is in my bathroom, pretending I am using the restroom so I can make a call." Katherine adds she tends to get dressed in her closet, out of fear Trent will walk in on her. She claims Trent is listening from another line to her phone calls to see who she's talking to ... in order to isolate her from them. Katherine believes he's stealing by putting his name on her businesses and using her credit cards. Perhaps worst of all, she claims Trent ignored her when she once thought she was having a stroke or a seizure, and, instead of calling 911 ... insisted he could take care of her. Some of Katherine's children have beef with Trent too. Rebbie says in docs, Trent blocked her phone number on her mother's phone, and tried to have her removed from Katherine's medical directive. Jermaine mentions a physical altercation in his declaration where Trent allegedly threw one of the Jackson sisters against a wall, hit one of Jermaine's nephews and Jermaine too. He claims Trent has stolen upwards of $40k from Katherine. (TMZ)

Roman Polanski will have to go through the legal system like any other fugitive if the L.A. County D.A. gets their way -- but Polanski's attorney thinks it's "bizarre" prosecutors don't want to unseal a document that could show judicial misconduct. The D.A.'s Office filed its opposition to Polanksi's attempt to set the wheels in motion for him to finally come back after nearly 40 years ... without serving another day behind bars. We broke the story ... Polanski wants a judge to unseal a transcript of his prosecutor's testimony in his child rape case. He believes it will support his claim he'd cut a deal at the time to serve just 48 days. He says he fled in 1978 when the judge reneged on the deal. In new docs, prosecutors point out the transcript was sealed at Polanski's request in the first place. They say they have no issue with him returning if he goes through the court system, but don't want Polanski to "dictate outcomes from afar while insulating himself from any potential adverse consequences." Translation: They're not down to make a deal. Polanski's attorney Harland Braun says he just wants the transcript unsealed to prove his client got a raw deal. Prosecutors say they already offered Polanski a chance to return in 1997 with a sentence of time-served -- essentially what he's asking for now -- but he refused unless they promised no media coverage. (TMZ)

Donald Faison is mourning the death of his ex-wife, Lisa Askey Faison, mother of three of his children. The Scrubs alum shared a heartfelt post about her passing in an Instagram post on Wednesday, March 1. "My son Dade is very brave. Today he and his brother Kobe and sister Kaya lost their mother. Lisa Askey Faison," Faison, 42, wrote. "She and I never really saw eye to eye but one thing we did share was our love for our children. RIP Lisa. You raised three beautiful children into fine adults and I am forever grateful for that. May god bless your soul with light and love." Donald met Lisa when she was a nursing student. They were married from 2001 to 2005 and are the parents of twins Dade and Kaya, 18, and son Kobe, 16. The Clueless star didn't provide any details about Lisa's death, but he did share a pic that Dade posted of two people holding hands. "I just wanted to say thank you so much mom! You have been there for me when I needed you most," Dade wrote on his own Instagram account Wednesday. "I cant believe it has come to this but I know you are in a better place right now. I love you with all my heart and one day we shall meet again. You worked so hard and never gave up no matter how hard times got. R.I.P mom and until next time! #RestInPeace #BestMom #Love." Following their split, the actor married Jessica Simpson's BFF and former assistant, CaCee Cobb. The couple tied the knot in 2012 after six years of dating and share son Rocco, 3, and daughter Wilder, 22 months. The Exes star is also dad to son Sean, 20, from a previous relationship. (US Weekly)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Angelina Jolie Is Absolutely Stunning in Sexy New Fragrance Ad for Guerlain. Angelina Jolie is bringing her timeless beauty to the fragrance world. The actress and human rights activist stars in the campaign for Geurlain's newest fragrance, Mon Guerlain. In a picturesque video dubbed "Notes of a Woman," Jolie appears in a crème-colored robe, an off-the-shoulder sun dress and black and white pajamas as she wanders through a lavish home reading lines and getting ready for an event. Angelina is also shown walking through the countryside in Provence, France, taking in the sights, before slipping into a glamorous black lace gown and departing down a spiral staircase. Not before spritzing on a splash of Mon Guerlian, of course. The A-lister's many tattoos across her back and shoulders are also clearly visible throughout the one-minute campaign, which was shot last September.Guerlian describes the scent as a "fragrance for women who defy categorization, who embrace all that life brings and all sides of themselves, who are comfortable in their own skin and whose guiding spirit is to be true to themselves and to live a life of use to others." For Angelina, who partnered with the luxury fragrance line because her mother used to wear their perfume, she describes Mon Guerlain as her "invisible tattoo." And to add a charitable twist to Jolie's latest spotlight-grabbing moment, she'll be donating all proceeds from the campaign to a worthy cause. (Eonline)

Tupperware Cereal, No Carbs and Gin: Inside Queen Elizabeth II's Daily Diet Habits. What if we told you living like a queen includes something as typical as Special K for breakfast? Well, in the royal world of Queen Elizabeth II, not only is Tupperware filled with Special K cereal permitted in Buckingham Palace, but it is usual. After more than 50 years in reign, the 90-year-old monarch has developed quite the routine when it comes to her royal food and drink, including simple cereal for breakfast. "Sadly, the Queen is not a foodie. She eats to live, unlike Prince Philip who loves to eat and would stand and talk food all day," Darren McGrady, former personal chef to the queen, once told The Telegraph. Still, while she might not take part in all of the culinary spectacle, the queen is just as diligent about what is on her plate every day. According to The Telegraph, Queen Elizabeth II first reviews menu suggestions from a red leather book, checking off the items that pique her interest and crossing out the ones that don't. Two things that always make it on the list are gin and chocolate. For her traditional cocktail, the gin is mixed with Dubonnet and finished off with a slice of lemon and ice, according to The Telegraph. She reportedly likes her meat well-done, her eggs brown and her tuna sandwiches without crusts. McGrady added that chocolate usually makes its way into the queen's afternoon round of tea, which typically features chocolate perfection pie or chocolate biscuit cake. Common chocolate brands like Cadbury and Nestle can also be found in the palace, according to The Independent. Despite the chocolate, if she's on her own for a meal, the 90-year-old watches her diet and keeps things carb-free. "No starch is the rule," McGrady revealed. "No potatoes, rice or pasta for dinner. Just usually something like grilled sole with vegetables and salad." While the regimen sounds fairly frills-free (would you ever have imagined Tupperware and the queen in the same sentence?), when the monarch does feel like indulging, she'll take a plate of scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and a grating of truffle on top. Still, despite her lavish surroundings, she keeps an eye on the budget. "She was too frugal to ever order fresh truffles," McGrady recalled. "[She] only really enjoyed them at Christmas when the truffles were sent as a gift." Listen up, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton -- there's the perfect present to send the queen. (Eonline)

Katie Holmes plans to ease up on acting so she can make sure daughter Suri Cruise gets the chance at a normal childhood. "For now I like acting and directing," the actress, 38, told Town & Country. "Eventually I'll just direct." The "Kennedys: After Camelot" star, who covers the April issue of the lifestyle publication, has directed a short ("Eternal Princess") and a feature ("All We Had"), and believes that an eventual move behind the camera will allow her to bring a sense of stability to her daughter's life. "This business is so unstable, and you never really know where you're going to be," she told the magazine. "The thing about directing is I can say, 'I have this window and that's when we're getting it done.' My child is the most important person to me, and her upbringing is paramount to my work right now. It's very important that I'm present and she has a stable, innocent childhood. I feel so blessed to do what I do, but there's nothing in the world better than watching your child succeed." This is something that's become especially important to the single mother as her daughter, who's now 10, grows older. "Every day, kids get a little further away from you," she said. "That's a positive thing. They should be becoming more independent, but it's heartbreaking. You want them to stay with you forever, but they're these amazing beings, and you have to do everything you can to give them what they need -- and then they're going to go. And that's going to be very, very sad for me." And that's why she wants to make sure she takes advantage of the time she has with her daughter while she can. Suri, of course, is the daughter of Holmes and ex-husband Tom Cruise. The former couple started dating in 2005 -- the actor infamously jumped on top of Oprah Winfrey's couch while proclaiming his love for his then-girlfriend on national TV -- and were wed the next year. Their marriage lasted less than six years, with the actress filing for divorce in 2012. (Page Six)

Pesky paparazzi follow celebrities en route to dinners, appointments and, yes, even real estate showings. As a result, New York brokers have a front-row seat to the hectic -- and sometimes hilarious -- scenes that ensue when they look for their next pads. In never-before-revealed anecdotes, brokers to the stars -- John Gomes and his business partner of 10 years, reality TV's Fredrik Eklund, both of Douglas Elliman -- tell The Post exclusive stories about working with some of the world's biggest bold-faced names. There was the time about two years ago, when Kim Kardashian was touring homes in downtown Manhattan. An apartment showing with Gomes was going swimmingly. She showed up early and even sat down on the living room sofa with Gomes -- resting her head on his shoulder to ponder the place with him in quiet repose. "It was such a sweet moment," Gomes recalls. But when the reality star and the broker left, the tranquility shattered. "I never saw so many paparazzi. I couldn't count how many there were," he says. "I had paparazzi on bikes grabbing onto the handles of my car, trying to follow us to the next place so they could take more pictures of her." Gomes recalls that, despite the circumstances, Kardashian kept her cool. It wasn't the only time things got hectic. Once, photographers ran red lights to catch up with Gomes as he took Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik -- the latter of whom was not an expected attendee -- to see apartments. Leonardo DiCaprio arrived at a meeting sporting a hat and sunglasses -- but with no photographers in sight. When it was over, DiCaprio walked out onto an equally vacant street. Eklund and Gomes even met with Sarah Jessica Parker, she was wearing not Manolo Blahniks but Wellington boots. When Eklund was working for a different brokerage, actor Mickey Rourke strolled unannounced into his office with at least five of his dogs in tow. Rourke says he was looking for a place and, all together, they went on a showing. "I remember thinking, 'These dogs are probably the decision-makers,' " Eklund quips. Then there was the funny coincidence with actor Daniel Craig. Seven years ago, Eklund and Gomes had a listing for a one-bedroom duplex penthouse in Tribeca with lots of outdoor space. An apartment stager had decorated it using James Bond films as inspiration: lots of mirrors, fur throws and gold detailing. It was mere happenstance that Bond himself ended up touring the unit. "He fell in love with it," says Eklund of Craig's visit to the apartment on Warren Street. "He identified with it and bought it." Sometimes it's civilian fans who glom onto a house tour. When Gomes and Eklund were repping a listing that Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel wanted to eye with their own broker at the last minute, Gomes had to contact the apartment's owner to tell him who was coming -- Gomes also made it clear that the owner had to clear out and should not say anything to anyone about the visit. Thirty minutes later, when the brokers and stars arrived, the owner, some friends and the building doorman were all standing outside to catch a glimpse of them. As the foursome took the elevator up to the apartment, Gomes broke the tension. "I looked at [Biel] and said 'Nice shoes,' " Gomes says. "And Justin Timberlake started laughing, she smiled and everyone just relaxed." (Page Six)

After enduring one of Hollywood's most public splits, Jennifer Aniston deserved to find her happily ever. And now, with two years of wedding bliss behind her, Us Weekly Video takes a look back at the Friends alum and her husband Justin Theroux's love story. Prior to connecting with the Cake actress, who famously split from ex-husband Brad Pitt in 2005 after he romanced now-estranged wife Angelina Jolie, Theroux was in a relationship with stylist Heidi Bivens for 14 years. While Theroux was still dating Bivens, Aniston was mending a broken heart and getting back in the dating game. The Just Go With It actress dated her The Break-Up costar Vince Vaughn in 2006 before moving on to bad boy John Mayer, whom she dated for a year prior to splitting in March 2009. Although they met in 2007 on the set of Tropic Thunder (which Theroux co-wrote with Aniston's close friend Ben Stiller), it wasn't until Aniston and Theroux worked alongside each other in 2010 on Wanderlust that she found her Prince Charming. "My first [thought] was that this was completely easy," she explained to Pop Sugar of Theroux. "He is funny, kind and easy to be with." Fast-forward two years and Theroux was ready to make it official. The Leftovers actor popped the question to Aniston on his 41st birthday on August 10, 2012. "Justin Theroux had an amazing birthday Friday, receiving an extraordinary gift when his girlfriend, Jennifer Aniston, accepted his proposal of marriage," his rep told Us at the time. The pair then kept fans on their toes during their three-year-long engagement, before they stunned even their closest friends by throwing a surprise wedding at their Los Angeles home on August 5, 2015. "I got a good one," she told Entertainment Tonight in April 2016. "I got a sweet, kind man." (US Weekly)

Tom Hanks doesn't want the White House press corps sleeping on Donald Trump, so he took precautions to prevent just that ... with espresso. ABC White House correspondent Karen Travers thanked Hanks Thursday for the brand new espresso machine he sent for her colleagues in the West Wing. Tom attached a note, telling the press corps to "keep up the good fight for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Especially for the Truth part." We know what it looks like, but ... Tom also did this during Dubya and Obama's administrations. Stay woke! (TMZ)

Bella Hadid's idea of fashion show after-party -- topless chicks! Tastefully done, of course, in a Paris strip club. Bella, Kendall Jenner, Hailey Baldwin and a gang of other models slipped into the Pink Paradise Wednesday night after walking in the H&M show. Not shockingly ... this looks like way more fun than a fashion show. You can't sit with them -- but you can give 'em lap dances! That's how we're gonna imagine the evening went, anyway. (TMZ)

After Donald Trump's announcement that he won't attend this year's White House Correspondents' dinner, it appears Alec Baldwin is ready to stand in. The actor, who impersonates the president on Saturday Night Live, said during Wednesday's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live that he's not not lobbying for the gig. "It's interesting," he told Kimmel, "there are people who, now that [Trump's] not going to the White House Correspondents' dinner, there are people who are lobbying to play Trump at the White House Correspondents' dinner." "You are not one of those people?" Kimmel asked. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm not lobbying," Baldwin responded before going on to address his online competition. Kimmel reassured him, "It should be whoever the president hates seeing do it the most, and that's undoubtedly you." Baldwin, whose deal to co-write a book as President Trump was announced earlier Wednesday, also recalled how he landed the SNL gig after initially rejecting it and shared the secret to getting into Trump's mindset: "To me, Trump is someone who is always searching for a stronger, better word, and he never finds it," Baldwin said. (People)

The two accountants who screwed up the Oscars have been tossed to the wolves, according to a report. "Film academy president says the two accountants responsible for the best picture mistake will not work the Oscars again," AP is reporting. Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz of PricewaterhouseCoopers are the two pencil pushers who are taking the blame. The report comes after pictures emerged Wednesday from backstage at the Oscars showing the sequence leading up to the biggest flub in Academy Awards history -- when "La La Land" was accidentally named Best Picture, instead of true winner "Moonlight." The most telling image was snapped at 8:53:23 p.m. local time in Los Angeles, Variety reported. Cullinan had two envelopes in his hand -- presumably one for Best Picture and the other that he mistakenly handed to Warren Beatty. Cullinan's PricewaterhouseCoopers has admitted that he gave Beatty the wrong envelope -- an extra for Best Actress instead of Best Picture. The gaffe came minutes after Cullinan tweeted out a photo of Emma Stone winning for Best Actress. He previously was warned not to tweet while working. That blunder led to Beatty and his "Bonnie and Clyde" co-star Faye Dunaway mistakenly calling "La La Land" the Best Picture. (Page Six)

The Oscars fallout is getting scary for the PricewaterhouseCoopers employees responsible for the Best Picture debacle -- they're in such fear for their lives, their bosses have hired security to protect them. Sources connected to the firm tell TMZ ... PWC decided bodyguards were necessary for Brian Cullinan, Martha Ruiz and their families because of death threats they've received after their role in fumbling the Best Picture and Best Actress envelopes. Some of the social media threats included, "You f****** idiot, i will f*** you every day" ... and "I hope you get fired and get cancer." We're told PWC felt pictures that surfaced online of Ruiz and Cullinan's homes made it clear something had to be done to watch their backs. As we reported ... Brian and Martha will NOT lose their jobs, but they won't be allowed to work the Academy Awards again. (TMZ)

Music

Taylor Swift to Release New Album in 2017? Ed Sheeran Thinks So. Will Taylor Swift fans receive a special present this holiday season? BFF and fellow singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran thinks she will drop a new album by the end of the year. Swift has not commented. Sheeran himself is releasing his new album, Divide, Friday. "I think this year is going to be the high point. I have a feeling about it. Seventeen is my lucky number, and everyone I was scared of releasing of albums around me released them all last year -- people like Beyonce and The Weekend and Bruno Mars," Sheeran told BBC News in an interview posted Thursday. "Taylor [Swift] isn't going to be releasing until probably the end of this year -- Christmas is the smartest time to release because that's when everyone buys records," he said. "So I've got a full year of just all Ed, all the time." Swift hasn't released an album since October 2014, when she dropped the Grammy-winning 1989, her fifth major record. Her last overall music release was her duet single with Zayn Malik, "I Don't Wanna Live Forever," which came out last December and is featured on the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack. (Eonline)

Adele Cancels Concert Fireworks After Son Is Hit in the Eye by Debris. Oh no! Adele's 4-year-old son Angelo got hit in the eye by debris while fireworks were tested during the singer's soundcheck for her concert in Perth, Australia Tuesday. As a result, she initially canceled the display for the rest of her Adele Live tour. The Grammy winner spoke about the accident at her Perth show, which took place at Domain Stadium. "Up until last night, we did have fireworks for you," she said, according to themusic.com.au. "My son was watching [soundcheck] in the crowd...a bit of debris went in his eye so we got rid of them." She then put the choice of concert fireworks up to a vote. "Let's get a cheer for fireworks if you want them," she asked the crowd. "Let's get a 'boo' if you don't want s--t in your eyes." The audience still wanted fireworks. "Alright, we'll do it next time," she said. Adele's next concert takes place Saturday in Brisbane. Angelo is Adele's only child, who she shares with longtime partner Simon Konecki. The singer said a few months ago that she hopes to get pregnant again at the end of her tour. Her final show will take place in her native London in July. (Eonline)

We Can't Stop Watching Bruno Mars' Epic Dance Moves in "That's What I Like" Music Video. Today we don't feel like doing anything except watching Bruno Mars' new music video. After much anticipation, the Grammy winner released the official music video for "That's What I Like." "Cool jewel be shining so bright / Strawberry champagne all night," Bruno sings in the ridiculous catchy song. "Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like." Loyal fans know the track from his critically-acclaimed album 24K Magic. At the same time, music fans may remember the song from Bruno's 2017 Grammys performance just last month. The music video release comes at an exciting time for the singer who is preparing for a big Sunday night at the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards. Not only will he perform one of his biggest hits, the songwriter and producer will receive the highly coveted Innovator Award inside The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Recently, Bruno opened up about his new album that turned out to be his first since 2012. After months of dedication, the singer believed that he created some of his best work. "As soon as you put this album on, you're going to be taken for a ride," he shared with Carson Daly on 97.1 AMP Radio. "This album is the best album I've ever done. Out of all three of them this is the one!" Lucky for fans, Bruno will be hitting the road this summer as he travels to more than 45 cities in the United States and Canada. He kicks off the North American leg of the tour on July 15th in Las Vegas before culminating the experience with four shows at The Forum. Something tells us we're going to "Treasure" these shows. (Eonline)

Swoon! Tim McGraw Talks Recording for the First Time With Faith Hill: "She's the Light of Our Whole Family's Life." When it comes to marriage, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill seem perfectly in sync. Turns out, it's the same story when it comes to recording together. The longtime couple and frequent duet partners co-wrote and recorded "Keep Your Eyes on Me," their first time actually recording a song together, off the soundtrack from the new film The Shack, in which McGraw also co-stars. The intense drama is based on the best-selling novel by William Paul Young, about a man forced to deal with the unthinkable when his daughter goes missing and is presumed dead. McGraw and Hill wrote the song with Lori McKenna and Shane McAnally and, as McGraw told E! News at the New York premiere of The Shack, they were all in tears after watching the rough cut of the film. "We had little notepads and the notepads were covered in tears, we were crying so hard," he said. But as it turned out, they all had written the same thing down right off the bat: "keep your eyes on me." "We wanted to write a song and record a song that followed the arc of the movie," McGraw explained. "I remember doing my vocal and then sitting back in the studio... [Faith] started singing and it just blew me away, her vocal." "When she does that thing at the end, where she just goes to church, with the 'ah's' at the end, it's a religious experience," he said reverently about his wife of more than 20 years. And it isn't just Hill's voice that he's still crazy about after all this time. "I'm lucky to have her. She's the light of our whole family's life," McGraw added. "She keeps everything going for us. We all strive to be like my wife, everybody in our family. If your wife holds the example for everybody in your family, that's a good thing." Tim and Faith are also the proud parents of three daughters -- and their eldest, Gracie, should get cracking on her own album, in her father's humble opinion. Watch the full interview to see what the doting dad has to say about Gracie's musical potential. The Shack, starring Sam Worthington, Octavia Spencer, McGraw and Radha Mitchell, is in theaters March 3. (Eonline)

Xscape got their fans all juiced up when they announced they were getting back together, but you're gonna have a hard time seeing them ... so far, anyway. Sources close to the group -- Kandi Burruss, Tiny Harris, LaTocha and Tamika Scott -- tell us the radio reunion only happened because Kandi and Tamika put an 18-year-old beef to bed ... but there's a lot more to do before they perform together. We're told they're in the very early stages of making new music, and there's no tour booked. Not yet, anyway. The ladies are working on a possible biopic though, and planning performances at special events. BTW, the beef was over Tamika accusing Kandi of getting with Jermaine Dupri's father. Almost 20 years later, all signs point to more hummin' comin atcha ... eventually. (TMZ)

Ariana Grande never loses her cool in the middle of a performance ... even when creepy dudes crash her stage and get rushed by security. Ariana was putting on a show Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philly, where some bro somehow got onstage and slowly crept his way toward her through the fog. Security swoops in quick and yanks him away, yet stopped short of getting cops involved. But watch how Ariana plays off the scary situation in the moment ... true pro. (TMZ)

Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, John Legend and More Musical Stars Set to Present at 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards. You'll heart this list of award presenters. While we're just days away from the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Sunday, there are a few things we already know about the fourth annual ceremony, including this year's slate of celebrity presenters. Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, John Legend, Joe Jonas, Jason Derulo and DJ Khaled are just some of the many celebrity presenters set to take the stage at The Forum Sunday night. Ansel Elgort, Daya, Florida Georgia Line, Halsey, Karrueche Tran, Kelsea Ballerini and Macklemore will also join them to dole out the trophies. In between categories, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes and Thomas Rhett will entertain the crowd and fans watching from home with performances. Noah Cyrus is scheduled to serenade the audience during her duet with Labrinth and Big Sean while Coldplay frontman Chris Martin will join The Chainsmokers for their first U.S. televised performance of their newest single, "Something Just Like This." After all, the night is all about the music. Additionally, iHeartRadio Music Award winner and performer Bruno Mars will also be honored with the iHeartRadio Innovator Award, an accolade previously awarded to U2, Pharrell Williams and Justin Timberlake. Overall, the night is shaping up to be pure 24K magic. The iHeartRadio Music Awards, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, will air live this Sunday on TBS, TNT and truTV at 8 p.m. EST. (Eonline)

Passion, tobyMac Rule Christian Charts. Passion's "Worthy of Your Name" enters at No. 1 on Top Christian Albums, while tobyMac's "Love Broke Thru" tops Christian Airplay. Passion's Worthy of Your Name arrives at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart with 15,000 equivalent album units (14,000 in traditional sales), according to Nielsen Music. The set, which includes 11 live performances from Kristian Stanfill, Sean Curran, Chris Tomlin, Hillsong United and Crowder, among others, was recorded at Passion 2017, the 20th annual conference held in Atlanta Jan. 2-4 at the Georgia Dome. "There was so much prayer and expectation as we were writing these songs," Stanfill tells Billboard. "We take very seriously the opportunity to lead 55,000-plus 18-to-25 year olds. More than just words and melodies, this album captures God moving in the hearts of His people. You can hear and feel it, the sound of the Jesus Generation lifting up their King." For Passion, formerly known as Passion Worship Band, Worthy marks the worship collective's eighth Top Christian Albums No. 1, all of which have bowed at the summit. The act first led with Passion: Awakening in 2010. RADIO'S GOING FOR 'BROKE': tobyMac notches his eighth No. 1 on Christian Airplay, as "Love Broke Thru" rises 3-1, increasing 4 percent to 10 million audience impressions. On the multi-metric Hot Christian Songs chart, it bullets at its No. 4 high. Now with eight Christian Airplay No. 1s, tobyMac moves into a fourth-place tie with Chris Tomlin for the most in the chart's history, which dates to 2003. MercyMe leads with 13, followed by Jeremy Camp and Casting Crowns, with nine each. (Billboard)

Movies

Johnny Depp Is Pantsless and in Trouble in New Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Trailer. Captain Jack is back! A new trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales dropped exclusively on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Thursday, and it's clear that Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow is in trouble. Starring Depp, Orlando Bloom, Javier Bardem and many more, the latest installment in the popular Walt Disney Studios franchise will feature many thrills for fans old and new. In the latest trailer, Jack is running from Captain Salazar (Bardem) while searching for the infamous trident of Poseidon. The fifth installment's trailer also features Jack getting into his usual hijinks, including getting jailed while wearing no pants and drinking while being chased. "You will pay for what you did to me," Salazar says ominously in the trailer. Dead Men Tell No Tales will be the fifth and final installment in the Pirates franchise. In April 2015 producer Jerry Bruckheimer shared the first image of Depp back in costume. "Captain Jack is back and we're not letting him go," Bruckheimer captioned the picture. In the debut snapshot, Depp donned his signature costume, long hair and a scraggly beard and mustache. Depp's character appeared a little worried as he was tied up to the mast of a pirate ship with henchmen around him. We can only imagine the mess Jack got himself into. The latest Pirates movie also comes after Johnny faced front-page headlines for his divorce from Amber Heard. With the case now settled, some in Hollywood think the actor will still be able to succeed on the big screen. "I think Johnny has spent a very long time building his career, and a lot of people came to his defense when this happened, so I really don't think, moving forward, this is going to hurt him," The Hollywood Reporter staffer Ashley Cullins shared with E! News. "He has an H.G. Wells project that he's working on The Invisible Man, he's voicing a character in the Gnomeo and Juliet sequel, both of these things he'll be working on for the next couple of years, and by then, I don't think anybody's going to be talking about his nasty divorce with Amber Heard." Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is in theaters May 26. (Eonline)

Beast's First Attempt at Charming Belle in Brand New Beauty and the Beast Clip. Beast could use a little help when it comes to his pickup lines. In a brand new clip from Beauty and the Beast released Wednesday, Disney fans get their first glimpse of Beast's (Dan Stevens) not-so welcoming invitation for Belle (Emma Watson) to join him at dinner. And by invitation, we mean request... in Beast's own words. Lucky for the hairy monster, he learns how to interact with humans again from the perfectly poised group of animated household items who advise, "Be gentle! And when she opens the door give her a dashing, debonair smile!" Cue Beast's attempt at smiling, and long story short, it doesn't go so well. In an Altitude interview published Wednesday, director Bill Condon revealed LeFou (Josh Gad) will play Disney's first openly gay character. "LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston (Luke Evans). He's confused about what he wants. It's somebody who's just realizing that he has these feelings," Condon explained. "And Josh makes something really subtle and delicious out of it. And that's what has its payoff at the end, which I don't want to give away. But it is a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie." The cast of Beauty and the Beast also includes Emma Watson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian McKellan, Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci and Kevin Kline. Beauty and the Beast hits theaters March 17. (Eonline)

Hugh Jackman Beat Me Up in 'X-Men': Stuntman Recalls Long Hours, Swollen Hands and Director He Called "God". Kevin Rushton spent long days on the set for the 2000 film to get Wolverine's introduction to the world just right. Stuntman Kevin Rushton has performed in dozens of films, but will forever be tied to a pair of crucial scenes in 2000's X-Men that introduced an unknown Australian actor to the world. The scenes saw Rushton and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine go toe-to-toe in a cage fight, and it was almost as painful to shoot as it looks. With Logan, Jackman's ninth and final appearance as the character, hitting theaters Friday, Rushton is looking back on the memorable scenes. It took about five or six auditions. The scene was originally going to be a lot bigger, with six or eight stunt thugs in the fight with Wolverine. Then it got whittled down, whittled down, whittled down. They cut it down to just one guy with him in the cage. The day of the final audition, I had kidney stones. I was in so much pain, I thought, "Maybe I won't get it." A week or two later, I'm on set in Toronto, fighting Hugh Jackman. It was me and him the whole time. He didn't have a stuntman in those scenes. We were pretty sore. Our hands were swollen like crazy. There was one point when our hands collide -- and our hands were the size of balloons by the end of it. They were long days. When we got to the bar scene, we started adding in the claws. We were there 15 hours, just trying to get that one piece, where he's pinned me against the pole and pulls his claws out the first time and then cuts the shotgun in half. I remember director Bryan Singer, we used to call him God. He'd have the microphone and we'd hear him from the speakers. We didn't see him very often. Sometimes, he'd walk out and you realize he's this little guy, this kid. While we were shooting the fight, he'd yell, "Hit him harder. Hit him a little harder! I want your hands exploding!" It's hard to keep your composure, or keep happy during long days. Which is another thing I found when you are with Hugh: He was just happy the whole time. He trained really hard for it. It was one of his first big films. When I saw him five years later when we were doing X-Men: The Last Stand, I thought "Holy crap man, you never stopped!" He was huge. For The Last Stand, we were in Vancouver and he went, "Hey! I know you!" and gave me a hug. He was a big star by then, but he was the same person that I'd met in Toronto the first time we stepped through every minute of our fight. I was on The Last Stand for almost two months, and he was just a gentleman to everybody. We had some long nights and long hours and miserable weather -- and he never teetered off of being the nice person from day one. It was a highlight for me in my 30 years. On my last day on the first X-Men, he signed an autographed picture for my kid. He said, "Hopefully I'll see you again." And it ended up happening. He gave me another on The Last Stand. I hated asking for them, but I got them. My kids love them. (Hollywood Reporter)

Box-Office Preview: 'Logan' to Sink Claws Into $65M-Plus U.S. Debut. Octavia Spencer and Sam Worthington's faith-based 'The Shack' also opens nationwide, while best-picture Oscar winner 'Moonlight' goes back into theaters even though it is available on home entertainment. Expect Logan to end the standalone Wolverine series in style, as well as mark a superhero start to the March box office. The 20th Century Fox movie, returning Hugh Jackman in the title role, is projected to gross $65 million or more in North America this weekend, and as much as $100 million overseas, where it is opening in numerous markets, including China. Logan is the first Wolverine movie to be rated R, and is getting the widest release in history for an R-rated title domestically, where it will play in 2,071 theaters. (Fox is the same studio behind the blockbuster, R-rated Deadpool.) Directed by a James Mangold, Logan is the third Wolverine movie and the 10th title in the X-Men franchise. The story follows the adventure that ensues when Logan, who is hiding out in Mexico caring for a disgraced Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), discovers he has a daughter (Dafne Keen) created with his DNA. Logan, a critical darling, made its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in February and currently boasts a 93 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Also opening nationwide is The Shack, a faith-based film starring Sam Worthington and Octavia Spencer that's based on the best-selling novel of the same name about a father's transformative spiritual journey. The Lionsgate movie, which will play in roughly 2,800 theaters, is projected to gross $10 million-$12 million, but there's room for upside. Spencer is fresh off her Oscar nomination for Hidden Figures. Another Oscar movie, Moonlight, aggressively ups its theater count this weekend after winning the Academy Award for best picture in a surprise upset (and after La La Land was first declared the winner in the biggest blunder in Oscar history). Moonlight, from A24, will be playing in some 1,500 theaters even though it is widely available on home entertainment. The movie, directed by Barry Jenkins, has earned $22.6 million to date domestically, making it the lowest grossing best-picture winner in history behind The Hurt Locker. At the same time, $22.6 million is a strong showing for an arthouse film. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV

The Vampire Diaries' Big Steroline Wedding Is Here, But All Is Not What It Seems. Going to the chapel and we're...gonna catch a Katherine? This week's episode of The Vampire Diaries (the second to last episode ever!) features the wedding we've all been waiting for as the newly reengaged Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Caroline (Candice King) finally tie the knot. However, as usual with this show, not all is as it seems, since the wedding is also a trap to bait the one and only Katherine Pierce, who now controls all of hell and also has a real problem with anything that makes Stefan happy. For one, all the guests are compelled, and the orchestra's playing Stefan and Katherine's song... Aside from all the murder and mayhem that usually describes anything Kathrine's involved with, don't be surprised if you need a a box of Kleenex or two while you watch this week's episode. Not only is it the second to last episode of the series, but it also gives us one hell of a beautiful wedding, some Salvatore brotherly love, and a little more time to grieve Bonnie's (Kat Graham) devastating loss of Enzo (Michael Malarkey). It's probably just safe to say that anything Vampire Diaries-related over the next couple of weeks is going to bring out all the emotions, so start preparing yourselves now. The Vampire Diaries airs Fridays at 8 p.m., and the series finale airs Friday, March 10 at 9 p.m., after a series retrospective that starts at 8 p.m. on the CW. (Eonline)

Allow DuckTales' New Trailer to Take You on a Fun Nostalgia Ride (PS: It's Also Renewed). This isn't your daddy's DuckTales, but it sure looks close enough. Dare we say better? Disney released the sneak peek of the new Disney XD version of DuckTales and it will take you on a nostalgic ride that only Launchpad McQuack can deliver. And Disney isn't stopping at a sneak peek: DuckTales has also been renewed for a second season, yes ahead of the show's summer premiere. Matt Youngberg of Ben 10: Omniverse is executive producer with Wander Over Yonder veteran Francisco Angones as story editor and co-producer, Gravity Falls veteran Sean Jimenez as art director. "Fans around the world are eager and we're looking forward to introducing viewers to the all-new DuckTales," Marc Buhaj, senior vice president of programming and general manager of Disney XD, said in a statement. "This early season two order is a testament to the quality work the creative team, led by Matt and Frank, and the cast are delivering." DuckTales stars Doctor Who and Jessica Jones favorite David Tennant as Scrooge McDuck, Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz and Bobby Moynihan as the voices of Huey, Dewey and Louie, respectively, Kate Micucci as Webby Vanderquack, Beck Bennett as Launchpad McQuack and Toks Olagundoye as Mrs. Beakley. The original Ducktales ran for three seasons from 1987-1990. The revival was announced back in 2015 -- these things take time! "DuckTales has a special place in Disney's TV animation history, it drew its inspiration from Disney Legend Carl Barks' comic books and through its storytelling and artistic showmanship, set an enduring standard for animated entertainment that connects with both kids and adults," Buhaj, said in a statement at the time. "Our new series will bring that same energy and adventurous spirit to a new generation." DuckTales will premiere summer 2017. (Eonline)

The Big Bang Theory landed its name in the television record books in 2014 when the show's five original stars -- Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar -- landed the elusive $1 million-per-episode paycheck. But two stars who joined the cast later, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch, didn't make quite as much -- $200,000 per episode. Now, in the midst of contract renegotiations for the show's 11th and 12th seasons, the original five are reportedly taking a voluntary pay cut so their costars can earn as much as they do. This move marks yet another similarity between The Big Bang Theory and its ultra-successful network comedy predecessor, Friends. In 2002, the stars of Friends -- Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry -- settled a deal for what was thought to be the last season of the show (it ended up going on for two more seasons, rather than one): $22 million for a season of 22 episodes, the highest salary actors have ever received for a half-hour episode. Friends started as an ensemble show, and in its very early days, that's how the actors were paid: equally, at $22,500 an episode. But as the show picked up steam in season 2 -- and Rachel and Ross's relationship became a focal point -- Aniston and Schwimmer began to earn more. The tight-knit cast didn't like that inequality, however. So when it was time for the third season, they entered into contract negotiations not as individual actors, but as a true ensemble, led by Schwimmer and Kudrow, according to Entertainment Weekly. As such, Aniston and Schwimmer's salaries went down in order to match the rest of the cast's. It stuck: From then on, the cast was paid the same per episode for the rest of the show's eight remaining seasons, and salary negotiations were conducted with all six stars in the room. Season by season that number went up, from $75,000 in season 3, all the way up to $1 million by seasons 9 and 10. The biggest jump actually came between seasons 6 and 7, when everyone went from $125,000 an episode to $750,000. Those negotiations were so tense and down to the wire that NBC executives weren't sure if they'd be able to renew the show at all. Though in retrospect, Friends creator Martha Kauffman says the infamous $1 million an episode salaries were "kind of ridiculous," the cast members have defended them. For Kudrow, it was about making the most of her moment in the spotlight. Actors, she said, are "basically freelance," so you need to prepare for the moment when, inevitably, you're out of work again. She also argued that each of the Friends actors were so much a part of the show that it couldn't exist without them -- and they deserved to profit off of that. It was perhaps that mentality that led the Friends actors to earn royalties from syndication rights, a first for actors on a show that didn't include their name in the title (think Seinfeld).According to USA Today, each cast member still banks $20 million annually from syndication. "Especially actors on shows where they're character-driven and the actors are the characters, they're necessary, and I don't think it's out of line to ask that, you know, 'Make me a partner in this endeavor in some way,' " she said. LeBlanc echoed Kudrow's claims, and said that while you can't put a price on comedy -- and thus, determine if those high salaries were "worth it" -- as a working individual, you have to take what you can get. "Were we worth $1 million? To me, that's such a strange question," he told HuffPost Live. "It's like, well, that's irrelevant. Are you worth it? How do you put a price on how funny something is? We were in a position to get it. If you're in a position in any job, no matter what the job is -- if you're driving a milk truck or installing TVs or an upholsterer for a couch -- if you're in a position to get a raise and you don't get it, you're stupid. You know what I mean? We were in a position and we were able to pull it off. 'Worth it' has nothing to do with it." The actors kept this true ensemble mentality going in other facets, too: For example, they would enter themselves in the same acting categories for award shows. The hope was that though they'd be competing against one another, no star would be labeled "lead" while another was "supporting." (The categories they submitted themselves in varied from year to year.) While there's some debate about whether or not the group tactic was a successful one for winning awards (only Kudrow and Aniston won an Emmys for Friends) it definitely brought in the cash -- even if took a pay cut to get it. But it still won't get them to come back for a reunion episode. (People)

Kim Zolciak has more going on than NeNe Leakes ... so if 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' producers want her back, they're gonna have to drop serious coin -- that's according to Kim, of course. We got KZ rushing to catch a flight out of LAX, but she took the time to make it clear she's down for a return to 'RHOA' ... if the price is right. She and NeNe both make cameos on the season finale of 'RHOA' -- and as we've reported, producers desperately want them for the landmark 10th season. But Kim says it won't be easy, or cheap, to land her. Possible/likely translation: I'm worth more than NeNe. (TMZ)

'Big Bang Theory' Prequel Casts Young Sheldon and His Mother. Meanwhile, CBS has yet to confirm that the project has been picked up to pilot. CBS' Big Bang Theory prequel Sheldon is moving forward -- despite not having an official pilot order. After an extensive casting search, the half-hour comedy has found its young Dr. Sheldon Cooper in Big Little Lies actor Iain Armitage as well as Sheldon's young mother with Zoe Perry (Scandal) set to play Mary Cooper, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. CBS and producers Warner Bros. Television declined comment. Sheldon will be written by Big Bang co-creator Chuck Lorre and showrunner Steve Molaro, with fellow co-creator Bill Prady also said to be on board. The comedy will center around the young version of Emmy winner Jim Parsons' Sheldon. The comedy has been described as Malcolm in the Middle but with a young version of Sheldon. None of the Big Bang Theory cast will be involved in an on-screen role, but Parsons is on board as an exec producer. Unlike multicam Big Bang -- TV's No. 1 scripted comedy in the all-important adults 18-49 demo -- Sheldon will be a single-camera comedy. The project, from Warner Bros. Television -- where Lorre and Molaro are under rich overall deals -- is said to have landed at CBS with a sizable penalty attached. During Big Bang's 10-season run, many references have been made to Sheldon's childhood, growing up as a gifted youngster in Texas with a religious mother. Perry is the daughter of Scandal star Jeff Perry and his ex-wife Laurie Metcalf, the latter of whom has recurred throughout the show's 10-year run as Mary Cooper, Sheldon's mom. A prequel series would also give the writers a lot of material to work with given Sheldon's history -- as well as a structure to follow. Big Bang, unlike most series on TV, does not plot out its arcs and seasons ahead of time but rather the writers take it episode by episode. The Sheldon pilot pickup comes as the pricey contracts for the seven lead stars of Big Bang expire at the end of its current 10th season. A new two-year deal is said to be in the works as new deals with the cast are in the works. For his part, Armitage will next be seen playing Shailene Woodley's son in HBO's Big Little Lies adaptation. On the feature side, he has three movies due this year: J.K. Simmons' I'm Not Here, Robert Redford's Our Souls at Night and Brie Larson's The Glass Castle. He's repped by Abrams Artists Agency and Jackoway Tyerman. Perry, meanwhile, is recurring this season opposite her father on Scandal and counts Shondaland's Grey's Anatomy (as a patient) and Private Practice as well as a role opposite Metcalf in Roseanne, The Family as well as ABC's Conviction among her credits. She's repped by AKA. Sheldon is one of multiple spinoffs in the works this season. ABC is also prepping a 1990s-set spinoff of The Goldbergs as well as a college-focused offshoot of Black-ish, starring Yara Shahidi. In an era of dwindling mass-audience TV hits, spinoffs are seen as a proven way to keep bankable franchises going. CBS is also looking to The Good Wife for its All Access spinoff, The Good Fight. NBC is poised to launch an offshoot of The Blacklist with The Blacklist: Redemption, which will join its deep roster of Dick Wolf's Chicago spinoffs. Should Sheldon move to series, it would be Lorre's second show on broadcast (joining CBS' critical favorite Mom) and third overall (joining Netflix's Kathy Bates pot comedy Disjointed). (Hollywood Reporter)

Ellen DeGeneres to Host NBC Game Show Based on Talk-Show Segments. 'Ellen's Game of Games' will pull segments from her syndicated daytime talker 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show.' NBC is turning to Ellen DeGeneres and her syndicated daytime talk show for its latest game show. The network has handed out a six-episode series order to Ellen's Game of Games, an hour-long game show based on popular games from The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. DeGeneres will host the primetime series and exec produce the Warner Horizon Television show via her studio-based A Very Good Production banner. Additional exec producers include The Ellen DeGeneres Show's Mary Connelly, Ed Galvin, Andy Lassner as well as Kevin Leman, Jeff Kleeman and David A. Hurwitz. Telepictures -- which produces the syndicated talk show that airs on 82 NBC owned and affiliated stations -- will serve in the same capacity alongside Warner Horizon Unscripted Television. "Ellen's impact as a daytime icon is unprecedented and we can't wait to see her bring that amazing spirit to Game of Games," NBC alternative and reality group president Paul Telegdy said. "She is among the very best at engaging with her devoted audience and we are all in for a treat when her antics hit primetime." Each hour-long episode will feature supersized versions of popular games from daytime series. Contestants, like on DeGeneres' talk show, will be pulled from the audience and tasked with maneuvering massive obstacles, answering questions under pressure and facing a gigantic plunge into the unknown. Each will end with DeGeneres offering someone a chance at a huge cash prize. It's unclear just which segments will make the move from daytime to primetime. The Ellen DeGeneres Show features a number of recurring games, including "Make It Rain," "5 Second Rule," "What's in the Box?" "Su'Move It, Move It!" and more. "I'm so excited to be hosting a huge primetime game show for NBC," DeGeneres said. "We're pulling out all the stops -- gigantic sets, hilarious games. It's going to be like a combination of American Ninja Warrior, RuPaul's Drag Race and a water park. OK, it's nothing like that, but you should still watch." Ellen's Game of Games expands DeGeneres' relationship with NBC, where she also is an exec producer on Little Big Shots, its spinoff Little Big Shots: Forever Young as well as the upcoming Drew Barrymore-hosted First Dates. All the series hail from Warners' Mike Darnell-led unscripted division. (Additionally, DeGeneres also has a scripted comedy pilot in the works this season at ABC.) "Since establishing Warner Alternative Television over three years ago, some of our greatest successes have come from working with Ellen and her incredibly talented team," said Darnell, president of WB Unscripted and Alternative TV. "But the dream has always been to get Ellen herself to say yes to hosting a primetime show. Now that she finally has, I am more than ecstatic. We've married a great concept to the best host in the business. Home run!" Ellen's Game of Games arrives as late-night talk shows have become an incubator for unscripted series following the breakout success of Spike's Lip Sync Battle, which is based on the popular Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon segment. (NBC famously passed on the project.) To that point, TBS is taking James Cordon's Drop segment to series, while the host of CBS' The Late Late Show also has a version of Carpool Karaoke coming to Apple TV and has licensed the format internationally. ABC also pulled from Jimmy Kimmel Live for game show Who Knows. DeGeneres is repped by ICM Partners and Morris Yorn. A premiere date for Ellen's Game of Games has not yet been determined. (Hollywood Reporter)

'Eyewitness' Canceled at USA Network After One Season. The Adi Hasak procedural was picked up straight to series and starred Julianne Nicholson. It's one and done for USA Network's Eyewitness. The network has opted to cancel the drama after one low-rated season, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Picked up straight to series in January 2016, the show was based on the Norwegian crime thriller Oyevitne and centered on two innocent teenage boys who witness a shooting in the forest and barely escape with their lives. Desperate to keep their relationship a secret and in fear of being found by the shooter, they remain silent, but soon learn that what has been seen cannot be unseen and witnessing such a horrible event changes everything. Julianne Nicholson starred in the drama from Shades of Blue creator Adi Hasak, who adapted the series for USA and served as executive producer and showrunner. Jarl Emsell Larsen and Scott Peters also executive produced. Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) exec produced the pilot and directed the first two episodes of the series, which hailed from Universal Cable Productions. USA Network aired the drama on Sundays, pairing it with repeats of Law & Order: SVU for a night of procedurals. Sources tell THR that Eyewitness did not hold its fair share of ratings following SVU, which was the network's main goal with the series. Eyewitness replaced low-cost Canadian import Movie in the Sundays at 10 p.m. slot. "We decided to put it on Sunday. It's not exactly about opening up a Sunday night; it was because we've had Law & Order: SVU as a stack there the past few years," USA president Chris McCumber told THR in August. "That does consistently well on Sunday nights. If we have a crime drama audience there already, why not put one of our new crime dramas in there among that stack and program directly toward that audience?" Continued McCumber: "The Sunday night SVU stack has been one that we've consistently promoted -- for example, we do stuff around different themes, whether it's hairstyles or whatever it is. You've got an audience there leaning in to this kind of stuff. The way we schedule, we look at where can you find an audience that's already leaning in on that night. Mr. Robot on Wednesday, when we launched it there last year, paired well with Suits and we still see that now. The opportunity is you have an audience that's already leaning in, let's put the other show in there." Meanwhile, the fate of fellow freshman drama Falling Water remains to be determined, though its early SVOD deal with Amazon may help the Gale Anne Hurd-produced drama score a second season. USA Network's current scripted roster includes Mr. Robot, Colony, Queen of the South, Shooter, the forthcoming Jessica Biel anthology The Sinner and Suits, with the latter ranking as the cabler's last Blue Skies-brand programming as well as its longest-running scripted original. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV Ratings: NBC's Wins With 'Chicago-fied' Wednesday. Series No. 4 'Chicago Justice' gets a promising start at the end of the network's three-hour Dick Wolf crossover. NBC scored a rare Wednesday win, thanks to three full hours of Dick Wolf's Chicago-set dramas. The crossover, which brought a demo and total viewers win for the network, concluded in the 10 p.m. hour with the strong launch for the latest spinoff, Chicago Justice. The series averaged a 1.7 rating among adults 18-49 and 8.7 million viewers, easily topping the hour. Prior to the launch of Justice, parent series Chicago Fire and original spinoff Chicago PD aired special Wednesday outings, featuring appearances from Chicago Med characters as well. Chicago Fire kicked off the night with a 1.7 rating in the key demo, while Chicago PD marked the peak of the block with a 1.9 rating. With the exception of ABC's Modern Family, Chicago Fire marked the highest-rated showing from the Big Four for the night. CBS and ABC tied for No. 2 status for the night, though ABC was greatly diminished from its typical Wednesday showing on account of the continued middling performance from miniseries When We Rise. After an even Goldbergs (1.7 adults) and shifted Modern Family (2.0 adults), When We Rise logged a 0.7 rating in the key demo -- before falling to a 0.5 rating. As for CBS, Hunted continued its steady freshman season with a 1.2 rating among adults 18-49, a score shared by lead-out Criminal Minds. Fox's lone original for the night was a new episode of Star (1.1 adults). And, on the CW, Arrow earned a 0.6 rating before a The 100 pulled a 0.4 rating in the demo. Each was slightly lifted from the previous week. (Hollywood Reporter)

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