ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Carey Mulligan Welcomes Baby No. 2 With Marcus Mumford, Returns to Red Carpet at Toronto Film Festival. Congratulations are in order for Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford. The Great Gatsby actress and singer welcomed a new baby into the world. The Oscar nominee stepped out at the Toronto International Film Festival Tuesday evening where she revealed her post-baby body in a navy dress and black Chanel belt. While appearing at a press conference for her new movie Mudbound, Mulligan was asked about being a mother of two. "It's good, thank you," she told People. This is the second child for Mulligan and Mumford. The couple also has a young daughter named Evelyn Grace Mumford, who was born in 2015. Rumors about Mulligan's pregnancy started swirling in early June. Mulligan and her husband were photographed out on a dinner date at the restaurant Sexy Fish in London, and it looked like the actress had a possible baby bump. News around Mulligan's first pregnancy came about in a similar secretive fashion. She attended the 2015 Tony Awards in June of that year and wore a dark red, floor-length gown that seemed to show off a plausible baby bump. However, it wasn't until October that the birth of her first child was confirmed to E! News. Shortly after giving birth, the actress attended the British Film Festival, where she promoted her film Suffragette. Mulligan revealed her little one's name that same month while attending the New York premiere of the film. Mulligan has already made her first public appearance since giving birth. She was spotted at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. It looks like Mulligan and Mumford were destined to parents -- at least in the mind of Sienna Miller. Miller shared some insights on Mulligan for a Vogue cover story and said that the Gatsby star and her husband "both come from very solid families and have a real sense of the life they want to live." She also applauded the duo for "their normalcy." "They have chickens and a dog, and roasts and friends, jams by campfires. It's sort of idyllic," she continued. "Marcus can headline Glastonbury and Carey can be nominated for however many Oscars, and then they come back to their farm, and they're in big woolly jumpers and funny hats, raising piglets. It's an amazing balance they've managed to strike. I can't wait for a little baby to come along." The actress and the singer married in 2012. Congratulations to the family of four! (Eonline)

Baby No. 5 is here! 19 Kids and Counting's Anna Duggar has welcomed her fifth child, a son, with husband Josh Duggar. The TLC stars announced the exciting news on the Duggar Family site, writing, "We are so thankful and happy to announce the arrival of our new son, Mason Garrett Duggar. Both he and Anna are doing well. He arrived today without complication and we already adore him." The statement continued, "The entire family is ecstatic over the arrival of another beautiful blessing. We want to thank everyone for your prayers, kind words and well wishes. We appreciate it much more than we could ever express. We pray God blesses each of you with an abundance of the kindness you've shown us." The couple revealed they were expecting in March. "For nearly the last two years, we have quietly worked to save our marriage, focus on our children, and rebuild our lives as a family," Josh and Anna wrote on the blog. "Doing so is never easy after a breach of trust. We've learned that a life of faith and rebuilding a life together is simply done one day at a time." "As we continue our journey as a family and rebuild our lives, we are delighted to share with you that we are expecting a new baby boy later this year. Beauty comes from ashes and we cannot wait to see and kiss the face of this sweet new boy! - Josh & Anna." Anna, 29, and Josh are already parents to four children: Mackynzie, 7, Michael, 5, Marcus, 4, and Meredith, 2. Ahead of their fifth child's arrival, the family celebrated Marcus' birthday in June. "Happy 4th Birthday Marcus Anthony, we love you little man! ??#Marcus #Bday #4 ??" the TLC personality wrote alongside a collage of pictures from the fun-filled day. And in August, the Florida native showed off her growing baby bump on Twitter. "Grat time w/ @PatchAdventures & friends at North Love Baptist Church tonight & grateful for their http://reformu.com ministry" the glowing mom wrote alongside an August 20 snap of her family, including her mother and father-in-law Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar. Anna and Josh began dating after meeting at a Christian homeschooling convention in 2006. The pair tied the knot in September 2008 at the Buford Grove Baptist Church in Hilliard, Florida. Their wedding was featured on season 2 of 19 Kids and Counting in 2009. (US Weekly)

Jennifer Lopez Says Her Relationship With Alex Rodriguez Is "Really Pure, True Love." Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have the best kind of love, and the Shades of Blue star says that J-Rod is the real thing. The 48-year-old singer is the cover star for HOLA! USA's October/November issue and not only opened the doors of her Hamptons "dream house," but she also got candid about her relationship with the former Yankee's slugger. "I'm in a good relationship," she says about their romance. "I feel like I can say that for the first time -- I don't know -- maybe ever. And not that I didn't have great relationships, full of love and adventure, but this is the first relationship I've been where I feel like we really make each other better." The couple, which began dating earlier in the year, has made it a priority to spend quality time as a couple and with their kids -- Emme Anthony, 9, Max Anthony, 9, Ella Rodriguez, 9, and Natasha Rodriguez, 12. "We complement each other, and there's really pure, true love. Just wanting to support the other person and make them happy. So there's a different selflessness in the love that's beautiful and different. And healthy!" she says. Although at first, the couple shied away from opening up about their relationship. Once months passed by, they began to speak on it to the media and their fans. When A-Rod's birthday rolled around, J.Lo took to Instagram to publicly say some sweet words about him. "Happy Birthday to the man who makes my heart skip a beat every time he walks in the room," she captioned a sultry photo. "Wishing you the best year ever my love...so excited for everything God has in store for you... #thebestisyettocome #itsyourday #mimacho #amormio #happybirthday #LEO #13" Although J.Lo & A-Rod had met years before, the star recalled to Ellen DeGeneres in April, that she and her "great guy," started dating thanks to a lunchtime run-in. The host would not let Lopez spare any detail -- she was eating a Cobb salad and tortilla soup when she spotted the athlete on his way out of a Los Angeles restaurant. "For some reason, I just felt like tapping him on the shoulder," she remembered. He recognized her (duh!), and they chatted for a bit, realizing they were both living in the city of stars and should hang out. It turns out -- he already had her number for some platonic reason. A text later, they were having dinner. "I don't remember what we had for dinner, but we had a nice dinner," she said. A nice dinner and a goodbye. "Mama don't sleep over on the first date," she joked. And aren't we all glad that she decided to tap him on the shoulder that day! (Eonline)

Dancing with the Stars' Carrie Ann Inaba and Actor Robb Derringer End Engagement After 9 Months. Carrie Ann Inaba and Robb Derringer have quietly ended their engagement, a source tells PEOPLE exclusively. Derringer, 50, proposed to Inaba, 49, in December and as recently as early August it appeared planning for their Hawaii wedding was moving along. But this weekend the Dancing with the Stars judge hosted an event for Olympic figure skater (and DWTS alum) Kristi Yamaguchi in Hawaii and wasn't wearing her ring and had her mother -- who was to serve as her maid of honor -- by her side instead of Derringer. Speculation of a split began on Sept. 7 when Inaba posted a cryptic Instagram post of a quote that read, "Just when I think I've learned the way to live, life changes." She captioned the graphic of the quote with prayer hands and a broken-heart emoji. "I knew after our first romantic date, that if she felt for me what I felt for her, then it was something that was going to be significant and life changing and lasting," Derringer told PEOPLE when announcing their engagement. "There was just a powerful and palpable sense of destiny that I could not deny." "As a young girl, I had always dreamed about going on a date like the first date I shared with Robb," Inaba added at the time. "Somehow, he instinctively knew what that was and went to great lengths to surprise me with the most romantic night ever. I could see then how pure of heart he was and how generous and caring his soul was." "Everything about the evening felt so 'right'. There was an ease and an authentic familiarity," she continued. "We talked about everything under the stars ... even marriage. There was a strong sense of destiny that night, and I think I knew then, deep in my heart, that he and I were going to be together forever." (People)

Here she is ... the first kid to ever win a major tennis tournament from inside the womb!!!! Serena Williams and baby daddy Alexis Ohanian just revealed the first pic of their brand new daughter -- Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr. That's right ... she's got the same name as her daddy -- and she's a junior! Serena says Alexis Jr. weighed 6 lbs. 14 ounces when she was born on Sept. 1. And she's already crediting the kid with winning a Grand Slam title, since Serena won the Australian Open while she was pregnant with A2. But the delivery wasn't exactly smooth sailing -- 35-year-old Serena says there were "a lot of complications" at the hospital that required them to stay there for 6 or 7 days. The good news ... everything seems fine now and Serena says, "Look what we got! A baby girl!" Congrats! (TMZ)

Jennifer Lawrence Thanks the Kardashians for Getting Her Through mother!'s Intense Scenes. You're welcome, J-Law! Jennifer Lawrence caught up with E! News' Zuri Hall at the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of the spine-tingling, Darren Aronofsky-directed film, mother!, on Sunday night and the Oscar-winning actress talked about why she chose to do the ever-so-dark movie, her harrowing role and how she let herself mentally escape during filming breaks. Hint, hint! It was by watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians on repeat. In her catch-up with E! News, the actress confessed it was talking to Black Swan director (her now-boyfriend) that first sold her on doing the film. "Before I read a script, when he just pitched my the ideas that were floating around his head they were just so insane, just huge, massive, biblical, in the universe. I'd never heard anything like it," professed the 27-year-old. On the red carpet, Jennifer also dished about how much she leaned on Keeping Up With the Kardashians and her "Kardashian Tent" while filming the psychological thriller. (BTW: the Silver Linings Playbook star previously told Vogue that while on set she created a tent with pictures of the Kardashians and episodes of the E! show playing on a loop.) At Sunday's premiere, Jennifer reiterated her love of the Kards to Zuri, explaining, "It got to a point in the movie where it got so dark I was like ya know what? I need the Kardashians." She joked, "I'm going to call the Kardashians in for this one." Jennifer previously told Vogue, "I can give one solid hour of my life away for the Kardashians." It appears as if her love for the Kardashians is as strong as ever! At TIFF, E! News also caught up with Darrren, who heaped a mountain of praise on his leading lady. "Shes a thunderstorm; she's an earthquake; she's a tornado of talent." We couldn't agree more! mother!, which also stars Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer, hits theaters this Friday, Sept. 15. (Eonline)

James Woods is denying Amber Tamblyn's claims that the actor, 70, tried to pick her up in Las Vegas when she was 16. However, the actress, 34, took to Twitter to slam Woods after sharing a screenshot in which someone appears to acknowledge that the incident happened. Tamblyn tweeted a screenshot of a text message exchange with someone, in which the recipient appears to corroborate her story. "Since I know people love to question the [integrity] and honesty of women when they come forward with stories like this," she wrote alongside the photo on Monday, September 11. "Here you go." The claims come after Woods criticized Armie Hammer's gay romance film, Call Me By Your Name, in which his 24-year-old character has a 17-year-old love interest. "As they quietly chip away the last barriers of decency," the Ray Donovan actor tweeted with the NAMBLA hashtag, referring to the North American Man/Boy Love Association, which has been described as a pedophile and pederasty advocacy organization. Hammer, 31, who stars in the film adaptation of Andre Aciman's novel, quipped back, "Didn't you date a 19 year old when you were 60... .. ?" referring to then-19-year-old Ashley Madison whom Woods started dating back in 2007 when he was 59. After they split in 2013, he started dating 20-year-old Kristen Bauguess when he was 66. Tamblyn quickly chimed in with her own story about Woods: "James Woods tried to pick me and my friend up at a restaurant once. He wanted to take us to Vegas. 'I'm 16' I said. 'Even better' he said," she tweeted to Hammer. Lena Dunham added: "F-k this dude. I'd lay under a train for the brave queen that is @ambertamblyn (but I would not lay under James Woods) Woods, meanwhile, is claiming that the incident didn't occur. "What makes a 24yo/17yo gay relationship inherently indecent but skeevy old guys trying to pick up a pair of 16 year old girls is okay?" a Twitter user responded, to which Woods replied on Monday "The first is illegal. The second is a lie." Tamblyn shot back on Tuesday, September 12, tweeting: "Calling me liar, James? This is now far from over. That I can promise." (US Weekly)

Jesse Williams is basking in bachelorhood after settling his child custody feud with his estranged wife. Paps spotted the actor Wednesday at a gas station in Los Feliz, where he was rockin' a free t-shirt -- literally. The rest of his outfit also says as much. We broke the story ... Jesse struck a custody deal with his wife, Aryn Drake-Lee, where they'll both share joint legal custody over their 2 little ones ... with conditions, of course. The kids might be off the table now, but only time will tell if he's home free for the rest of his divorce. (TMZ)

O.J. Simpson will be playing a cat-and-mouse game with the media when he's released, and it involves his safety. We've learned the media has a 1 in 18 chance of spotting the famous convict when he's released from Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada. That's because there are 18 release points and our prison sources say they are keeping the actually release site and date on the DL. As for why the clandestine release ... we're told it's because prison officials are concerned for Simpson's safety. You'll recall, just after Simpson was granted parole, he was moved to a protective wing of the prison. Prison sources tell us they're not just concerned about Simpson's safety. They worry a chase could ensue and prison staff, bystanders and Simpson himself could be injured or even worse. As one prison official told us, "We don't want another chase on our hands." And, we're told, Simpson himself has made it clear to prison officials, he wants nothing to do with the media when the prison doors open. We're guessing it's part of a bigger plan for him to cash in with a splashy interview. The more he's seen, the more the value goes down. Our prison sources wanted to make it clear ... the secrecy and conditions of Simpson's release will be made by the prison ... not O.J. (TMZ)

Mel B did not commit the crime of witness intimidation by sending text messages to a witness in her divorce case ... this according to several cops who reviewed the texts. TMZ broke the story ... the LAPD opened a witness tampering investigation listing Mel B as the suspect, after rapper Siya went to the station and filed a police report. As we reported, Siya is on the witness list and is prepared to testify Mel B's claims of physical abuse at the hands of estranged husband Stephen Belafonte are untrue. Siya will also testify about Mel B's alleged drug use and how she engineered the now-infamous 3-ways. Our law enforcement sources say Siya went to the police station Sunday to file a police report, but the desk officer who reviewed the texts was unimpressed and said the messages did not rise to the level of witness intimidation. We're told Siya left, returned the next day with her lawyer, and this time a report was taken. We're told the LAPD has a policy of taking a report if the alleged victim insists, even if cops believe no crime was committed. We're told the case will ultimately be sent to prosecutors for review and a decision. (TMZ)

Rebel Wilson Wins Defamation Case Against Magazine Publisher: "I Had to Take a Stand." More than two years after a series of articles were published about the Pitch Perfect 3 actress, she emerged victorious in a defamation case against Bauer Media. The verdict was reached in two days by an all-female jury after a three-week trial, according to 7 News Melbourne. During the court case, Wilson and her legal team argued the articles, which accused her of lying about her age, name and other personal details about her upbringing, were inaccurate and damaged her reputation. She also alleged that the articles caused her to lose two roles. After the jury ruled in her favor, she took to social media to explain what the win meant for her and her future. "Just crushed my defamation case in Australia x thank you to all my family, friends and supporters! I had to take a stand. I had to stand up to a bully, a media organization Bauer Media Group who maliciously took me down in May 2015 with a series of grubby and completely false articles," she wrote on Instagram. "Far too often tabloid magazines and the 'journalists' who work for them don't abide by professional ethics. Far too often their conduct can only be described as disgraceful and disgusting!" "I'm glad that the lovely ladies of the jury have agreed with me. Their unanimous and overwhelming verdict has sent a clear message," she continued. "I love my job as an actress and as an entertainer and I look forward to rebuilding my career now that the record has been set straight. Thank you so much everybody!" While damages have yet to be determined, as Wilson told reporters Thursday, "For me the main thing is to set the record straight." UPDATE: Rebel Wilson stood up to a magazine -- and won. The hilarious actress was just awarded $4.56 million in the defamation case against Bauer Media, multiple outlets are reporting. According to ABC News Melbourne, the Judge told the court: "The extent of the publication of the defamatory imputations was unprecedented in defamation litigation in this country." (Eonline)

Randy Travis is one determined country singer ... he's filed yet another lawsuit, gunning for the Texas officials who want to release a video of his DWI arrest. Travis was arrested in 2012 for a DWI in Texas ... he had crashed his Trans Am and tried to walk naked into a convenience store after the crash. Randy cursed the arresting officers, wishing they got cancer. He also threatened to shoot one with 60 rounds and bury him under a barn. There has been a dogfight over whether the video showing the arrest scene should be released to the media. Several Texas courts have ruled portions of the video are fair game, but the judges did say shots of below the waist should not be released. Randy is now going over the heads of Texas judges. He's filed a federal lawsuit this time around, arguing he has privacy rights ... namely, because he was exhausted, intoxicated and medicated, and this is tantamount to releasing private medical records. Randy is asking the federal judge to block the state of Texas from releasing the video. (TMZ)

Kendall Jenner's company is being sued over something that's been dogging her for months now ... the use of some iconic rap legends to hawk her shirts ... and this time it's about Tupac, Biggie and Redman. Famed photog Al Pereira has filed a new lawsuit against Kendall Jenner, Inc., claiming she had no right to take the image he shot of the 3 rap legends and slap it on a shirt with her face superimposed. Kendall has been under the fire for the t-shirts. She has already been sued by another photog who took a pic of Tupac, and Biggie's Estate also threatened suit if she didn't back down. Kendall has taken the shirts offline, but that's clearly not good enough for some of the photogs. (TMZ)

Kathie Lee Gifford's mother dies. Kathie Lee Gifford is mourning the loss of her mother, Joan Epstein, two years after the death of her beloved husband, Frank Gifford. "My precious mother, JOANNIE went home to JESUS & my DADDY this morning," Gifford, 64, shared on Twitter on Tuesday night. "We praise God for His promise of eternal life & we thank God for her." She did not provide further details. "Sending you love. Xx," Gifford's "Today" show colleague Jenna Bush Hager tweeted following the sad announcement. Last year, Gifford spoke about the lessons her mom taught her while she was growing up in Maryland, among them acting like a "lady," staying out of the sun and pursuing her goals. "I left home when I was 17 years old to pursue my career, and [my mom and dad] were all for it," Gifford said. "They figured that they had raised me, and they wanted me to follow my passion. I've tried to do that with my own children. She gave me wings." Epstein appeared alongside her daughter on TV numerous times throughout the years. Gifford's father, Aaron Epstein, passed in 2002. (PageSix)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Target Announces New Partnership with HGTV Stars Chip and Joanna Gaines. Now you don't have to go to Waco, Texas to get your hands on some chic farmhouse wares from Magnolia Market! Earlier, Target announced a new partnership with HGTV stars Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines called Hearth & Hand with Magnolia, an exclusive home and lifestyle brand that will have 300 items spanning tabletop, home decor and giftables and will be available in November. Additionally, unlike some designers' one-time only collaboration with the superstore, the Fixer Upper stars' partnership is not a limited run. The endeavor will last multiple years and seasons. According to the press release, the brand's first collection, "reflects a modern take on Magnolia's signature aesthetic with modern, classic, industrial and vintage touches." And fans are sure to love the fact that most of the items are under $30. Speaking about the partnership, Joanna said, "At the core of the Magnolia brand is the desire to make homes beautiful, but with a focus on family and practicality. We want to create spaces that families want to gather in." She added, "We've always dreamed of working with a retailer to create a collection that could reach more people at a more affordable price point. Coming together with Target not only allows us to design beautiful pieces for people all over the country, it also allows us to help communities in a bigger way than we could have ever imagined." Mark Tritton, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer of Target added, "Partnering with Chip and Joanna to create a modern farmhouse collection available only at Target allows us to offer an aesthetic we know our guests will love, and the quality and affordable prices can't be beat. That's the magic of Target, and we can't wait for our guests to enjoy this collection for years to come." The reality TV couple will also be lending their talents to help a good cause. They are kicking their brand's collaboration with Target by redesigning the dining room for the Target House, a free home-away-from home for patients and families in need, at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Hearth & Hand with Magnolia arrives at Target stores and Target.com on Nov. 5, with prices ranging from $.99 to $129.99.

Ariel Winter, 19, Pens Sweet Tribute to Boyfriend Levi Meaden on His 30th Birthday: 'You Are the Most Incredible Man. Ariel Winter's boyfriend has reached a milestone. The Modern Family actress, 19, wished her boyfriend Levi Meaden a happy 30th birthday on Tuesday. "Happy 30th my love Every single second I spend with you I fall more in love," Winter wrote in the caption. "I couldn't be more grateful to be your partner in crime. You are the most incredible man, and I love you more than absolutely anything. I can't wait to celebrate you Here's to many, many more birthdays together" Meaden also took to Instagram to thank his girlfriend for spending the day with him, along with their dogs. "Amazing birthday thanks to this one!!! Just old movies, us and the dogs. A perfect day!!!" he wrote in the caption. The pair celebrated their nine month anniversary in August. Earlier this year, the actress revealed that she and her beau have been living together since first sparking relationship rumors in November 2016. "I do have my own house, last year I bought my own house," Winter said on Jimmy Kimmel Live in May. "My boyfriend and I live together he cooks [and] takes care of all the handy stuff. I can bake pie occasionally -- pumpkin and apple." In April, she opened up about her romance with Meaden, with whom she shares a 10-year age gap. "I needed somebody who had a lot of life experience and who was at a point in their lives that they could take care of another person, but where I didn't have to take care of them," she told Maxim. "Being with an older guy isn't always amazing, but I got lucky -- I have an amazing guy who's super supportive and loving and is just an all-around wonderful human being." (People)

Jamie Foxx Supports Daughter Corinne as She Walks in Sherri Hill NYFW Show. Jamie Foxx gave his daughter Corinne a sweet pep talk before she took the runway at Tuesday's Sherri Hill show during New York Fashion Week. Minutes before the presentation, the Oscar-winning actor, 49, was spotted backstage sharing a father-daughter moment with his 23-year-old child. "We loved seeing this sweet moment when @iamjamiefoxx came and hugged @corinnefoxx before she hit the NYFW runway. #daddysgirl," the designer's Twitter account shared. The University of Southern California graduate strutted the catwalk in a silver metallic fringe two-piece dress and changed into her second look: a red sleeveless gown that featured lace applique along the bodice and skirt. Corinne, who was named 2016 Miss Golden Globe, made her NYFW debut in Kanye West's Yeezy show last year. Missing from the Sherri Hill show was Katie Holmes, whom Foxx was recently spotted holding hands with on the beach in Malibu, Calif. during Labor Day. On Tuesday, the actress was with Diane Keaton and Nina Dobrev at Ralph Lauren's Garage for the Fall 2017 show. Following the show, Foxx and his daughter headed to the Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief telethon. "With my bros @daveophilly@michaelstrahan @leonardodicaprio and my incredible daughter @corinnefoxx," the proud dad shared on Instagram. (People)

When it comes to retiring jerseys, the Lakers are taking two steps forward with Kobe Bryant -- and two steps WAY BACK with Paula Abdul!! Here's the deal ... did you know the Lakers retired Paula's legendary Laker Girl uniform back in the day? Of course you don't because for some reason, it's not hanging in the rafters at Staples Center next to the other greats like Magic, Shaq, Kareem and Jerry West. When we saw Paula at LAX on Tuesday, she told us the Lakers had initially hung it up next to Kareem back when the team played at The Forum ... but when they moved, Paula's old outfit was relocated to a wall somewhere in the arena instead of up with the rest of the legends. C'MON LAKERS!!!! PUT PAULA BACK IN THE RAFTERS!!!! Paula became the HEAD of the Laker Girls when she was only 19 years old and led them to become the greatest cheerleading squad in pro sports during an epic 6-year run! Plus, if Taylor Swift has a banner up at Staples Center, Paula should too. (TMZ)

The folks behind the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue have raised eyebrows by posting bikini shots from areas affected by hurricanes. On Tuesday, the brand posted pictures of the Brooklyn Nets cheerleaders posing in bikinis in the Caribbean -- which was slammed by Hurricane Irma last week. The British army is currently coordinating relief efforts from Barbados, where the shoot for the team's 2018 calendar has been taking place. Days before, the Swimsuit Issue team posted topless shots of a model taken by a pool in Houston -- which is recovering after Hurricane Harvey. An SI reader called the series of shots "incredibly shameless and inappropriate given the devastation in Texas and the Caribbean." An SI rep declined to comment. Meanwhile, amid the sexy snaps is a plea from desperate Virgin Islands residents -- which was originally posted by US Virgin Islands native and former SI cover star Hannah Jeter, "People in the Virgin Islands are running out of fuel, water and food. People are dying!!! People are lost!!!! We are an afterthought and are not getting the help that we need!!! .?.?. This is an emergency!!!!!" (Page Six)

A Popeyes chicken run prevented Nicki Minaj from performing on time at Philipp Plein's Fashion Week after-show party at 1Oak's pop-up club at Hammerstein Ballroom. Sources told us the rap diva was nearly an hour late hitting the stage because her stomach was growling. "She refused to go onstage until she got her Popeyes f-– king chicken. The production team had to send someone out to get her chicken," an insider cried foul to us. She later took to the stage to perform songs including "Rake It Up" with Yo Gotti. To make matters worse, Plein also posted a credential to the party on social media causing "thousands of uninvited people" to show up attempting to get inside. Flacks plucked important editors from Harper's Bazaar and Vogue from the crowd and ushered them in through another entrance around the building. "The NYPD and FDNY were threatening to shut down the party twice because they were over-capacity. It was the worst thing in all my Fashion Week experiences," the production insider said. Reps for Minaj and Plein didn't comment Tuesday night. (Page Six)

Joe Giudice says prison won't let him enter alcohol treatment. The husband of "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice says prison officials are improperly preventing him from entering an alcohol-treatment program as he serves a sentence for bankruptcy fraud. Joe Giudice said authorities at Fort Dix are using a detainer placed on him by Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a reason to exclude him from the prison's treatment program, according to a court filing Friday. Inmates at the prison can't join the program if a detainer prevents completion of the community treatment aspect, according to the Bureau of Prisons' website. Giudice is to be deported to his native Italy after completing his 41-month sentence under federal immigration laws. A judge recommended that Giudice participate in the program after he and his wife were sentenced in 2014. The two pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud and submitting false loan applications to get $5 million in mortgages and construction loans. Joe Giudice also pleaded guilty to not paying about $200,000 in income taxes. The judge staggered their sentences so one of them could be at home with their four daughters. Teresa Giudice completed her 15-month sentence in December 2015. The alcohol-treatment program would have helped Joe Giudice reduce his prison sentence by up to one year. Giudice also claimed in the filing that the prison is preventing him from fighting his scheduled deportation. The prison does not allow inmates to appear before immigration judges. Giudice said other federal prisons allow inmates to challenge their deportations. The earliest he will be able to challenge the order is 2019. (PageSix)

Music

Lee Brice Raises $100K for Families of U.S. Army Service Members. Country singer Lee Brice raised an impressive $100,000 this past weekend for Fold of Honor, a charity that provides scholarships for the families of service members who have fallen or been disabled while on duty for the U.S. army. Brice raised the money over the course of two events: his annual Lee Brice and & Friends Guitar Pull at City Winery on Sept. 10, and the Record Rack Celebrity Clays Shoot that he hosted at the Nashville Gun Club on Sept. 11. Both events featured performances from friends, including Charles Esten, Lucas Hoge, Tyler Farr, and his own brother Lewis Brice. "I'm grateful and humbled by the support of my friends, sponsors and the incredible audience at City Winery who not only paid for tickets but participated in the silent auction," Lee said during the event. "Together, we're making a difference in the lives of families who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country." (Billboard)

Blac Chyna's upcoming debut album is following a recipe for success -- feature a bunch of big name rappers ... and team up with the guy who made her baby daddy a star. Sources close to Chyna tell TMZ ... she's working with Mally Mall, the producer who discovered Tyga and helped launch his rap career, and she's recruiting hip hop stars to get on the mic with her. We're told some of the names include Yo Gotti, Tory Lanez, Jeremih and Rae Sremmurd's Swae Lee -- who was chilling in studio with BC and Mally in the clip. We're told she's aiming high with her debut. Remember Nicki Minaj was Chyna's inspiration to record, after they co-starred in a Yo Gotti music video. We're told she's been laying down tracks featuring rap, "poetry music" and traditional singing. (TMZ)

The Killers & Woody Harrelson Debut Their New Song 'The Calling' In London. The Killers' new album Wonderful Wonderful is on the way next week, and we've already heard "The Man," "Run For Cover," and the title track from it. During their show at the O2 Academy Brixton in London, the band debuted another one, "The Calling," with a little help from Woody Harrelson, who delivered a spoken word intro to the song. (Billboard)

Kid Rock (Mostly) Avoids Politics, Sticks to Rocking at Little Caesars Arena Opener. Kid Rock had a lot to say on Tuesday night (Sept. 12) while opening the new Little Caesars Arena in his home town of Detroit. But not about running for the U.S. Senate. Though Rock's publicist told reporters in the days leading up to the show that after the first song at Tuesday's show "he will be giving his fans exclusive insight on his political views and aspirations for Michigan while on stage," and a taped introduction billed him as "the next senator of the great state of Michigan," Rock gave no indication about whether he planned to actually run for the office or not. Instead, striding on stage to "Hail to the Chief" and flanked by dancers holding American flags, Rock delivered a rhyming, campaign-style speech that echoed one he gave during a concert last week in Grand Rapids, Mich., as well as recent blog postings on his web site. In an echo of his profane campaign-style speech last week in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Rock addressed a number of issues-- including welfare, health insurance, LBGTQ rights, race relations, deadbeat fathers and more -- and slammed white supremacist groups as well as those who consider him racist. "I do believe it to be self-evident we are all created equal," Rock declared. "I said it once, I'll scream it again. I love black people and I love white people too, but neither as much as I love red, white and blue." Rock also teased the idea of running for an even higher office, telling the clearly partisan crowd that, "If Kid Rock For Senator has got some folks in disarray, wait 'til they hear Kid Rock For President of the U.S.A. 'Cause wouldn't it be a sight to see, President Kid Rock in Washington, D.C., standing on the desk of the Oval Office like a G, holding my dick ready to address the whole country," leading into his 2002 song "You Never Met A Motherfucker Quite Like Me." Rock began floating a run for Michigan's Senate seat during July and began selling campaign swag on his web site and at concerts. The bipartisan watchdog group Common Cause filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice claiming Rock has violated campaign rules, while activist groups in Detroit staged a rally outside the arena on Tuesday, protesting his conservative positions and support for President Donald Trump, as well as his former use of a Confederate flag during his shows. At Tuesday night's show, Detroit Police and Wayne County Sheriff's deputies kept the protests, both pro and con, peaceful, mostly by keeping the protestors apart and on different sides of the building. (An anti-abortion protestor outside the arena, meanwhile, carried signs that criticized Rock for being pro-abortion.) Rock addressed the protests during the show, too, rapping during "Cowboy" that, "I like all kinds of people, black, brown, yellow, white. Let there be no doubt about that. If anyone wants to protest tonight, tell 'em they can protest these nuts," pointing to his genitalia. He then saluted law enforcement offices for keeping the peace. Most of the night, however, was in Rock words "nothing but a party." With the 20,000-seat, $863 million arena and its state-of-the-art amenities and features wowing attendees, Rock and his Twisted Brown Trucker band played a characteristically energetic two-hour show mixing favorites with surprises. He opened with the new "Greatest Show On Earth," accompanied by carnival performers (a juggler, stilt walker, fire-breather and more), pyrotechnics, streamers and lasers in a spectacle fit for a finale rather than the first song. Eighteen songs later he was still going strong with a second encore romp through Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll," and in between were plenty of other highlights, including a cover of Rod Stewart's "Maggie May," a main set-closing triplet of "Rock 'n' Roll Jesus," "Only God Knows Why" and "Born Free," and a guest appearance by Uncle Kracker for "Drift Away," cast as a tribute to late musicians of the past couple years -- right up to Troy Gentry -- whose photos were shown on the video screen. Rock also paid tribute to Little Caesars and Olympia Entertainment founder Mike Ilitch, who spearheaded the new arena, and to the building crews and staff of the facility. "We as a band are extremely honored and humbled to be the first top play here," Rock said during the encores. "We hope you saw how hard we worked to put on the greatest show we can for you." Rock and company will play five more concerts at Little Caesars, through Sept. 20. He's also branded a restaurant, Kid Rock's Made In Detroit, inside the arena, where the Alabama group the Sweet Tea Trio -- who joined Rock for "Good Time Waitin'" during his show -- performed after Tuesday's concert. (Billboard)

SoMo Celebrates Independence on Surprise 'My Life III' Mixtape: Exclusive. On the eve of his 30th birthday, Texas singer-songwriter SoMo hardly had the milestone on his mind. Instead, the newly-independent artist was working into the late hours creating lyric videos for the surprise mixtape he dropped this week. The release of My Life III on Monday (Sept. 11) marks an end and beginning for SoMo, whose Hot 100-charting single "Ride" and weekly cover series led to a partnership with Republic Records in 2013 and ended earlier this year following his second studio album The Answers in March. Now facing the music world as an independent artist for the first time in four years, SoMo is embracing the freedom and living to capture the energy immediately. "The song's just came so quickly," the singer tells Billboard. "It all happened so fast that it's very cohesive and really represents who I am right now in the moment." The mixtape contains 11 tracks of fully-realized pop and R&B material that showcases SoMo as the sultry voice and thoughtful songwriter, but it shines a bigger spotlight on his impressive grind as the set follows a full-length studio album in March. According to SoMo, MLIII didn't even start forming until July and its rapid release mainly served as a personal challenge for the artist. "Leaving the label and ending the cover series, I just feel like I'm at the point where I'm figuring out who I am as a man and it's just leading to the 'realness,'" SoMo says. The newly-minted tricenarian reflects on his experience standing on both sides of being an independent artist with an uncompromisingly positive outlook that things are better than the last time he was without a label. "I have a lot of things that I've gone through being on the road, becoming a father, my career taking off and getting signed to a major label, and I just went through so much," the singer says. "I'm finally having a break to gather my thoughts and it turned into this project. It feels right." With an independent debut that vaulted right to the No. 1 spot on iTunes' R&B Charts upon Monday's surprise release, SoMo is ready to start the next chapter of his life, and his fans are following right along. (Billboard)

Mark Ronson completely ripped off Roger Troutman and Zapp's funk masterpiece when he cranked out his megahit "Uptown Funk" with Bruno Mars ... this according to a new lawsuit. Lastrada Entertainment, which owns rights to Roger and Zapp's 1980 classic "More Bounce to the Ounce" ... says 'Uptown' is a clear copy ... particularly the first 48 seconds of it. That portion includes the repeated talk-boxing of the word "doh" ... similar to the lyrics of 'More Bounce' in the 1980 hit. "Uptown Funk" has been incredibly successful ... moving more than 11 million units since its release. The suit, obtained by TMZ, also points out Ronson even cited Roger and Zapp as influences -- and includes note-for-note comparisons of the songs. Legalese aside ... you can listen to the similarities for yourself. Lastrada is suing Ronson, Sony, Spotify, Apple and several producers to shut down future plays and sales of "Uptown Funk," ... plus an unspecified amount in damages. Bruno is not a defendant. We've reached out to Ronson and Sony ... so far no word back. (TMZ)

Movies

Oscars: Czech Republic Selects 'Ice Mother' for Foreign-Language Category. The movie had its international premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it collected the best screenplay award. The Czech Republic has selected Ice Mother, directed by Bohdan Slama, for best foreign-language film for the Oscars. The movie is focused on 67-year-old Hana, a happy mother and grandmother who goes through a series of life-changing events. Ice Mother was theatrically released in the Czech Republic on February 23, 2017 and had its international premiere in the competition of the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, where it was honored with the best screenplay award. Subsequently, the film was added to the lineups of several other international festivals, including Sydney, Karlovy Vary and Vancouver. Its international sales are handled by The Match Factory. Slama is mostly known internationally for his 2001 film Divoke vcely (The Wild Bees), which won the Tiger Award at Rotterdam. The Czech Republic has submitted a film to the Oscars every year since its separation from Slovakia in January 1993. In 1996, Jan Sverak's Kolya won an Academy Award in the best foreign-language category. Jan Hrebejk's Musíme si pomahat (Divided We Fall) and Ondrej Trojan's Zelary were nominated in 2000 and 2003, respectively. (Hollywood Reporter)

Zurich: Festival's German-Language Line-Up Unveiled. Katharina Wyss' 'Sarah Plays a Werewolf' and Lisa Bruhlmann's 'Blue My Mind' are among the highlights of the section, which focuses on cinema from Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Personal drama and political debate are in focus in the selection of titles that will screen in the Focus : Switzerland, Germany, Austria section of the Zurich International Film Festival. The section features six fiction and six documentary films, all shot in the German language, which will compete for Zurich's Golden Eye Award and the newly launched Film Prize of the Zurich Churches. The winner of the Golden Eye honor will receive a $21,000 (20,000 Swiss Francs) cash bursary. The Zurich Churches prize, voted on by the city's local parishes, comes with $5,200 (5000 Swiss Francs) in cash. The 2017 fiction selection includes Katharina Wyss' high school drama Sarah Plays a Werewolf, which recently premiered in Venice's Critic Week. The feature stars newcomer Loane Balthasar as an introverted teen who transforms into a fearless performer on stage in her school drama class. A who's who of Swiss screen talent, including Michel Voita, Manuela Biedermann, Annina Walt and Sabine Timoteo co-star. Another Swiss drama, Lisa Bruhlmann's coming-of-age feature Blue My Mind, will screen in Zurich shortly after its world premiere at San Sebastian, where it was picked for the festival's New Directors competition. Set in Zurich, the drama follows a 15-year-old Swiss girl (Luna Wedler), struggling with the challenges of adolescence. The political and the personal dominate in the documentaries on offer in Zurich this year. Kaleo La Belle's Fell in Love With A Girl, which will have its world premiere at the festival, in an intimate portrait of the director's patchwork family and Maryam Goormaghtigh's Before Summer Ends takes the form of a comedy road trip in which the director accompanies three Iranians on vacation across the South of France. In contrast, Thomas Furhapter's The Third Option places politics and ethics at its core with an examination of the morality of pre-natal screening for genetic defects; while Free Lunch Society from Austrian filmmaker Christian Tod investigates one of the big political ideas of our time: the concept of providing a universal basic income for all citizens. The Zurich Churches award will be presented at the festival on Oct. 5, with the Golden Eye honor announced on Oct. 7. The 2017 Zurich International Film Festival runs Sept. 29-Oct.8. (Hollywood Reporter)

Chinese Blockbuster 'Monster Hunt 2' Makes Surprise Appearance at New York Fashion Week. Veteran Hong Kong designer Vivienne Tam took the Chinese fantasy film's lead character as inspiration for her new ready-to-wear Spring 2018 collection. Chinese fantasy-adventure blockbuster Monster Hunt 2 made a surprise star turn at New York Fashion Week over the weekend. At Vivienne Tam's Spring 2018 show on Sunday, the Edko Films franchise was revealed as the focal point and inspiration for the veteran Hong Kong designer's new ready-to-wear collection. Monster Hunt's lovable lead character Wuba -- a baby monster shaped like a daikon radish -- popped up throughout the show as a subtle design motif in Tam's new ruffled silk georgette gowns and pantsuits. Less subtly, the character, life-sized and decked out in couture tailored to his rotund frame, made an appearance in the flesh and took several strolls down the catwalk, and even accompanied Tam on her victory lap. Backed by legendary Hong Kong producer Bill Kong (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and directed by DreamWorks Animation veteran Raman Hui (Shrek 2), the first Monster Hunt movie became a runaway box-office phenomenon upon its release in July 2015, grossing a then-unprecedented $385 million. Hopes are sky-high for the sequel, which is set for release during the Middle Kingdom's peak movie-going period of Chinese New Year in 2018. The Fashion Week debut followed a brisk sales outing for Monster Hunt 2 during the Toronto International Film Festival, where the title sold to Sony Pictures for distribution in in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Taiwan, as well as getting picked up for Thailand by Mono Film; Vietnam and Cambodia by Atrinaga Company; India by Multivision Multimedia; Korea by Kidari Entertainment; Australia and New Zealand by Magnum Films; Latin America by Alpha Filmes; and Italy by Minerva Pictures. Lionsgate had previously acquired the North American and U.K. distribution rights to Monster Hunt 2 at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The studio plans to release the film in the U.S. day-and-date with China. Monster Hunt's story takes place in an ancient Chinese world where humans and monsters exist side by side. The film features elaborate CG animation mixed with live-action performances. In the original film, hapless Wuba, a baby monster born to be king, is forced to assume a central role in stopping an all-out monster civil war. The first film's young stars, Bai Baihe and Jing Boran, have both returned for the sequel. New cast members include Hong Kong leading man Tony Leung (In the Mood for Love), Chinese pop star-turned-actress Li Yuchun (Bodyguards and Assassins) and Taiwanese actor Yo Yang (Cold War 2). (Hollywood Reporter)

TV

Grey's Anatomy Season 14 Admits Greg Germann for Guest-Star Role. The halls of Grey Sloan Memorial are going to welcome a face familiar to TV fans when Grey's Anatomy returns for season 14. E! News can exclusively reveal that Ally McBeal alum Greg Germann will guest star in an upcoming episode of the ABC hit's new season. While details about his character are being kept under wraps -- this is Shondaland, after all! -- we do know that his name is Tom Koracick and his appearance will be in an episode entitled "Go Big or Go Home." As for who among the hospital's staff he'll tangle with, that remains to be seen. ABC has released some details about the first two episodes of the new season, airing together as a part of the show's two-hour September 28 premiere. The first episode, entitled "Break Down the House," will see Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and the team focus on helping Owen's (Kevin McKidd) sister after her shocking return, while Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) faces a conflict over a patient. Meanwhile, Bailey (Chandra Wilson) is forced to give Grey Sloan a facelift after the fire, and the doctors are introduced to a few new faces that spice things up around the hospital. In the second episode, entitled "Get Off on the Pain," Meredith struggles to come up with a new plan for Owen's sister. Meanwhile, Jo (Camilla Luddington) makes a surprising choice regarding Alex (Justin Chambers), and Andrew's (Giacomo Gianniotti) sister's controversial research leads to a shocking discovery. (Eonline)

Dave Chappelle's waited a long time for his first Emmy, so you better believe he's showing it off ... EVERYwhere! We got the comedian walking around WeHo Tuesday brandishing his trophy, and he had a very logical reason for waving it around in public. Dave's clearly proud of winning the Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his post-election monologue on 'SNL' -- but also admits the whole awards thing's kinda silly. Remember, he had a HUGE show of his own back in the day, and never won. Still, Chappelle's grateful, and tells us how he's gonna keep the Emmy close. Maybe too close. (TMZ)

American Horror Story: Cult Episode 2: Ally's Losing It, and We Might Be Too. We wouldn't call any season of American Horror Story "easy to watch," but this season is truly pushing it. Prior to this watching the first few episodes of this season, we didn't think we had any phobias, but now we're seeing clowns everywhere (literally thought we saw a clown walking a dog the other day, but it was just a man in a hat) and clusters of holes have become nauseating. Add to that the fact that this season is taking real life events and throwing them all at us in quick succession, and we're completely sleep-free. It probably wasn't anyone's intention to give us new fears through this TV show, but should it be considered an accomplishment for a show with "horror' in the title? We don't know, but at the very least everyone behind AHS can rest easy knowing how uneasily everyone else is resting, all thanks to Sarah Paulson and a bunch of terrible masks. Tuesday night's big "holy s--t" moment was one we saw coming a mile away, but that did not make it any less effective. After the power went out throughout the neighborhood, Ally's (Paulson) level of fear was at its most intense, but Ivy (Alison Pill) had to stay at the restaurant and couldn't go home to comfort her wife. So she sent poor Pedro with a box of candles and other supplies, but with Ally's cell phone dead, there was no way to warn her he was coming. When he arrived, Ally shot and killed him through the steel screen door, right in front of Ozzy. While we contemplate how very very very bad that development was, let's talk about some of the other standout moments from the episode. Nope: Clown in the bed. We simply refuse to start waking up thinking there are clowns in our bed. How dare you, Ryan Murphy. Nope: Every single thing Winter did in this episode, from baiting that poor kid to seducing Ally in the bathtub to leaving her alone just when things got really bad, is pissing us off. Nope: Ozzy's real name is Ozymandias and we can't. Nope but also yes: Billy Eichner and Leslie Grossman as Harrison and Meadow, a couple of married Nicole Kidman fans, except he's gay and she doesn't like to be touched due to skin cancer. He also keeps bees and a lot of guns, and Etsy is her life and she can't drink lemonade without thinking of Beyonce. Nope: Dead guy hanging in the walk in freezer! Though we 100% guessed that was going to happen eventually when we saw that this show had a walk in freezer. Nope: Every single thing about Kai is gross and we can't say we're excited to see what his cult is like. In fact, we don't know if "excited" is the word to describe our feelings about any of this. We're obviously going to watch the whole season and fawn over Paulson's acting skills and have fun kvetching about clowns, but we're going to be very unnerved while we do it. American Horror Story: Cult airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. (Eonline)

Netflix Greenlights First Polish-Language Series. Oscar-nominee Agnieszka Holland and daughter Kasia Adamik will direct the alternative history series, set in a Poland where the Cold War never ended. Oscar-nominated Polish director Agnieszka Holland (In Darkness) has signed on to direct Netflix's first-ever Polish-language series. The still-unnamed series will be set in 2002 in an alternative history where the Cold War never ended. The show focuses on an idealistic law student and a disgraced police investigator who uncover the conspiracy that has kept Poland under a repressive police state. Together, their revelations have the power to spark a popular revolution. The series was created and written by Joshua Long and will be produced for Netflix by The Kennedy/Marshall Company and The House Media Company. Frank Marshall (Jason Bourne) and Robert Zotnowski (House of Cards) will be executive producers on the series for The Kennedy/Marshall Company, along with Polish producer Andrzej Besztak (House Media), Long, Maciej Musial and Holland. Holland will co-direct the series together with her daughter Kasia Adamik, who directed HBO Europe's acclaimed Polish-language series The Border. Holland is no stranger to Netflix, having helmed several episodes of House of Cards. "We are really happy that we'll be able to combine the wonderful experience of the Netflix team, our great American producers and writer, with Polish talent and a Polish sensibility," said Holland. Added producer Marshall: "I have wanted to work with Agnieszka for a long time, so I'm very excited to be producing this series for Netflix alongside a very talented Polish cast and crew." The first, eight-episode season of the series will be shot in various cities and regions in Poland this year and is set to launch to Netflix members worldwide in 2018. (Hollywood Reporter)

Classic TV Drama 'Upstairs Downstairs' Revived as Stage Musical. Composer Stephen Endelman has nabbed the rights from co-creator John Whitney. The British are coming back, the British are coming back! The iconic 1970s ITV drama Upstairs Downstairs, a progenitor to Downton Abbey, is being revived as a stage musical. Composer Stephen Endelman (De-Lovely) nabbed the rights from co-creator John Whitney after striking up a friendship with his daughter, Fiona. Endelman traveled to the Whitneys' home in Dorset to personally obtain the blessing from a man he calls "one of the bastions of British entertainment." "We have to protect the brand and make sure it's in the right hands," Fiona tells The Hollywood Reporter, adding that various parties have approached her father and fellow rights holders Eileen Atkins, Jean Marsh and the late John Hawkesworth in the past. "I felt comfortable with Stephen; we have similar backgrounds and understand each other." Endelman has assembled a creative team of fellow Los Angeles-based British expats: Producer Adam Matalon is writing the book, and singer-songwriter Matt Goss is penning lyrics to go with Endelman's music. "We already call ourselves the Musketeers," says Goss. "We've collectively and individually come up with great ideas for this project. There's no ego, and we are all completely committed to making sure that we, first and foremost, pay respect to this incredible property and, secondly, create a story that moves and excites us." "I speak on behalf of myself and the other creators of Upstairs Downstairs -- Dame Eileen Atkins, Jean Marsh and the Hawkesworth estate -- that we are truly thrilled to have entrusted our beloved Upstairs Downstairs with my daughter Fiona Whitney and her partner Stephen Endelman to turn it into a musical," says John Whitney. "Knowing that Matt Goss and Adam Matalon are going to create a beautiful and memorable new rendition of Upstairs Downstairs fills us with joy, and with Stephen's music we are confident that all these ingredients will prove to be a recipe that Mrs. Bridges would have been very proud of." Hedge fund founder Reagan Silber -- the only U.S. native involved so far -- is producing the musical, which will hold workshops in L.A. in November and in London in January. Silber tells THR that the plan is to bring on more financial partners as the project further develops. "We've got this iconic brand, yet none of us wants to sit back. We want to see how we can evolve the storytelling," Matalon says. "How do we take a fresh look at the fundamentals of the brand, which was about a class system and hierarchy? How do we tell that story in a way that's true to the brand and yet feels relevant today?" He and his colleagues believe that the themes of Upstairs Downstairs naturally resonate with current events. "Other than technology, there's very little difference between what is happening in the world today and what was going on then," Endelman says of the show, which will use the classic Upstairs Downstairs characters to tell an original story set in 1911-12. "We're still fighting; we still have a class system. I'm interested in exploring the genesis." (Hollywood Reporter)