ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Reggie Bush and Wife Lilit Avagyan Bush Welcome Baby No. 3: Find Out His Unique Name. In the game of parenthood, Reggie Bush and Lilit Avagyan Bush have scored another big win. E! News has exclusively learned that the NFL player and his wife welcomed a baby boy named Agyemang Bush. His arrival occurred over Labor Day weekend on September 2, marking the unofficial end to summer quite an eventful one for this crew. The happy couple is already proud parents to daughter Brisels and son Uriah. Ever since news broke in March that the pair was expanding their family, both parties have remained private on social media. Back in August, however, fans speculated that Lilit's due date was quickly approaching when she showcased her baby bump during a hike in Los Angeles. "Be a blessing and let your actions bring joy and happiness to people. God is good all the time," she shared online. "Ps. I used @bodybeatbyanna as a stool to get up there." In fact, fitness dance instructor Anna Avagyan kept the proud mom in shape as she prepared to welcome another bundle of joy. "@bodybeatbyanna kept me [strong] while baking this baby," Lilit explained. "Contact her and she will get your body right." While the Bush household may be extra busy for the next few months, perhaps the couple will still have time for date nights. In recent months, the University of Southern California alum and his leading lady enjoyed date night at a Kendrick Lamar concert at the Staples Center. They also appeared to enjoy a babymoon this summer in Mexico where a trip to Mango Deck Cabo was on the itinerary. Congratulations to the couple! (Eonline)

Bust out the pink balloons -- 'cause Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are having a baby girl ... TMZ has learned. Sources familiar with the pregnancy tell us the couple's surrogate is carrying a female bundle of joy. We broke the stories ... the baby's due in late January by a surrogate Kim and Kanye hired for medical reasons. Kim's placenta accreta condition could kill her if she carries another baby to term. This will be girl #9 in the Kardashian clan -- not including Kris herself -- and we've learned it bodes well for one of those ladies in particular. We spoke with a notable child psychologist, who tells us North West and baby #3 will probably form a closer bond than Saint might with his new sis. And the reason's simple: sisters gravitate to their sisters. You don't gotta tell us ... or the Kardashians, either. Kind of a bummer for Saint, though -- especially since Kim recently said North "does not like" him ... and doesn't seem to be getting past the meanie phase. Oh well, girl power! (TMZ)

Joaquin Phoenix has revealed that he lives with Rooney Mara, his co-star in the upcoming film "Mary Magdalene," in a new interview. Page Six exclusively reported in January that Phoenix and Mara -- who play Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene in the film -- became a couple after they "fell for each other on the set." By February, a source told us, "They are madly in love." In the profile of Phoenix for T Magazine, Bret Easton Ellis writes of the reclusive star: "He lives with Mara in the Hollywood Hills (he's never been married and has no children) and is usually asleep by 9 p.m. and up at 6." Ellis writes that Phoenix -- who has upcoming films directed by Gus Van Sant and Jacques Audiard -- rarely sees new movies himself. "When asked if any recent films have excited him, he thinks about it, stuck, and then answers, genuinely, surprising himself: '''Moana'! I thought it was beautiful,'" the piece reports. But "he later corrects himself and says it was actually 'The Lost City of Z,' James Gray's latest -- Phoenix has starred in four of Gray's seven films." (Page Six)

Julianne Moore Says People Should Enjoy Getting Older: 'It's a Privilege to Age'. Julianne Moore is gearing up for a very busy fall filled with new films, tons of red carpets and of course, a major magazine cover with InStyle. As we just saw on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival, the 56-year-old ageless actress continues to be at the top of her style and beauty game and her secret seems to be pretty simple -- not to worry about aging at all. "I mean, let's not talk about this idea of, 'Oh no! I'm going to be 40!' You could be dead. So enjoy it. It's a privilege to age," the actress tells InStyle. "Even in scripts, they'll refer to a character as 'aging.' Well... everyone is aging. In literature and in movies, when people try to stop the process, it always ends in disaster. I think it's really important to be where you are." Throughout the spread you'll see her channel the Gamine, the Romantic, the Lady, the Girl Next Door, the Exotic and the Bombshell, and look more and more glamorous with each outfit and hair change. Julianne Moore Calls Deaf Actress Millicent Simmonds the "Magnificent" Breakout Star of 'Wonderstruck' Moore and director Todd Haynes talk about their latest collaboration. To prepare to play so many different roles in her films, she talks about the serious preparation it takes. "The older I get, I find, the more I prepare," she says. "I thought when I was younger that I was prepared. But [laughs] it pales in comparison to the amount I do now. Maybe being young, you think, 'Well, I know how to do this!' and the older you get, the more you realize that you don't know anything." Now she says she doesn't see characters as separate entities of herself anymore (as she once did when she was younger). "Now I realize I locate the characters within myself," she explains. "I don't have to suppress or get rid of anything that's mine; I just figure out what to amplify. But you do have to access all your emotional function to get there." (People)

Were Elle Macpherson and Jeff Soffer technically never married? Page Six exclusively reported in June that billionaire Jeff Soffer and model Elle Macpherson split up after marrying in 2013 -- but sources now say Soffer's been telling pals that he and Macpherson were never technically married. An insider tells Page Six that top real estate developer Soffer's been bragging to pals that he and Macpherson may have never been legally married since they wed in Fiji. The couple reportedly got married in 2013 in an intimate ceremony in front of just 15 family members and friends. Other details, such as who married the pair at the time, were scarce. Besides that, it was a "day ceremony," and guests included Soffer's power developer dad, Donald Soffer, and Macpherson's two teen sons. The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue supermodel, who was nicknamed "The Body" in her heyday, and Soffer dated for two years and split for eight months before getting engaged in 2012. But by June of this year, a source told us, "Elle and Jeff are definitely over," and, "She has left their house at Indian Creek in Miami with her kids, and is looking for her own house in Miami." An Australian magazine, Women's Day, reported that Macpherson walked away with a $26 million mansion, plus $53 million, in the breakup. There are no records of a Soffer-Macpherson divorce in Florida. There are Florida divorce proceedings on file from Soffer's previous marriage to Kimberly, dated 2007. The couple hasn't publicly addressed the divorce reports, and reps for Macpherson and Soffer didn't get back to us. According to Fiji's tourism site, "Weddings in Fiji are recognized as legal worldwide." But the Fiji embassy in Washington, DC, explains that "overseas visitors intending to get married in Fiji are required by law to obtain and sign a marriage license of their choice from a nearest marriage registry prior to the marriage ceremony" -- which involves providing documents such as an original birth certificate, or passport -- and "divorce and death certificate if either one or both party were previously married." Fiji also has rules over who can officiate weddings. (PageSix)

Daniel Day-Lewis isn't looking so good. After calling it quits with Hollywood in June, the former actor, 60, was seen in public for the first time since his announcement, wincing in pain and hobbling toward his home in the West Village. Lewis broke his arm in a motorbike accident, sources exclusively tell Page Six. The Oscar-winning actor was spotted in Manhattan on Wednesday with a shaved head, his arm in a cast, a hospital bracelet and what looked like a cotton ball and tape from an IV. Bystanders appeared to be concerned about Lewis as he walked down the street. A film insider told us: "He was in a motorbike accident and broke his arm. But he's fine, and no one else was hurt. He was well-protected -- he was wearing a helmet. But it was a bummer." The source added of the crash, "It wasn't his fault." (Page Six)

Ray Liotta Is KFC's New Colonel Sanders and Dishes Out 2 Dual Personalities. Meet the new Colonel Sanders! KFC unveiled its newest celebrity spokesperson to portray the iconic role in a new ad campaign and it's...Ray Liotta! The Goodfellas actor, who currently stars on NBC's Shades of Blue, promotes two new southern-style KFC offerings: the spicy and smoky Nashville Hot chicken and the sweet and tangy Georgia Gold honey mustard BBQ chicken. Both flavors are available in tenders, Chicken Littles, and Extra Crispy Chicken. How best to dish out the new flavors? With dual personalities. "Howdy folks, I'm here to tell you about KFC's honey mustard BBQ Georgia gold," Colonel 1 says. "No. Tell them about Nashville Hot," a gruff Colonel 2 replies. Who does it better, Nashville or Georgia? The Colonel simply can't decide. Liotta has some pretty big shoes to fill. Past celebs who portrayed KFC's Colonel Sanders included Rob Lowe, who played the part in an ad campaign that aired earlier this year, Darrell Hammond, Norm Macdonald, Jim Gaffigan, George Hamilton, Rob Riggle and Billy Zane. (Eonline)

Oscar De La Hoya is addressing those infamous lingerie photos that have followed him around for years -- saying they were taken at a "bad time in my life" ... but he's a better person now. The boxing legend was asked about the shots during an interview with "The Breakfast Club" -- when Charlamagne Tha God (of course) wanted to know the real story behind the pics of Oscar dressed up in fishnets. "Just a bad time in my life," Oscar said ... "That's it." Oscar didn't expand on why it was a bad time -- but noted the pics were taken 10 years ago ... before his 3 stints in rehab for substance abuse. De La Hoya was asked if the pics have hurt his career as a boxing promoter -- but he shot that down saying he's only gotten "better" in his personal and professional life since the photos were taken. "In America, you have the opportunity to rise and shine and get better and be better ... and that's exactly what I've done." (TMZ)

Mel B's estranged husband, Stephen Belafonte, and their former nanny, Lorraine Gilles, engineered a phony marriage for Gilles so she would not be deported, which would allow the 2 to carry on an affair behind Mel B's back and rob her blind ... this according to explosive new legal docs. Mel B just filed legal docs, obtained by TMZ, in which she lays out the sordid scenario. You'll recall, Gilles has said they had 3-ways but she never had sex alone with Belafonte. The docs include a portion of Gilles deposition, in which she admits she had sex with Belafonte alone 10 to 15 times. Gilles also admits she had sex with Belafonte at least twice around the time she got pregnant and had an abortion. She has denied it was Belafonte's child but the depo calls that into question. Mel B also says Gilles marriage to Michael Bleau was a sham ... designed to keep the nanny in the country. Mel B includes Bleau's deposition, in which he admits he bought the engagement ring for $30 on eBay. Gilles and Bleau never posted a single pic of their engagement on their Facebook pages. And there's more. In Gilles depo, she admits to using cocaine. Immigration officials can deny a visa for someone who uses illegal drugs, so this could have deportation implications. In the depo Gilles says she only used coke supplied by Mel B. And on the subject of sex tapes -- which Mel B says Belafonte and Gilles used to blackmail her -- Gilles admits in her deposition they not only exist, but she watched them as recently as July 2016 on Belafonte's laptop. In the new legal docs, it shows Bleau was once arrested for a sex crime and convicted of felony false imprisonment. Mel B says Belafonte got her to invest $60,000 in a business run by Bleau but no one ever told her he was a convicted felon. (TMZ)

Authorities Called to Scott Disick's Home in August for Possible 5150 Psychiatric Hold. A 911 call for a possible involuntary psychiatric hold for a person was made from Scott Disick's home in August, E! News has learned. A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson confirmed to E! News Wednesday that on August 18, a call for a possible 5150 came in at 4:54 pm and authorities arrived just after 5 p.m. and transported one person to the hospital. E! News has learned the call was made from Scott's home but has not confirmed the identity of the patient. ET reported the same, adding that the Los Angeles County Fire Department stated that the patient was a male and that he was non-violent when authorities arrived and was transported to the hospital. The Blast posted what was described as the 911 call, in which a man says another man in the house, about 35 years old, "got drunk" and needed to be taken to the hospital. The website said Kourtney Kardashian's ex, who is 34, was admitted and given a private hospital room and had his own security guard posted outside. The Blast said Kourtney visited him there. E! News has not been able to confirm these details. A person on a 5150 hold, or forced detention for mental evaluation, can be held in a psychiatric hospital against their will for up to 72 hours, unless it is extended. The Blast said he was released prior to that. Days before August 18, Scott was photographed at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards. He was also photographed leaving a Hollywood club with Canadian model Lindsay Vrckovnik. Scott has been spotted out and about in public many times since August 18, most recently on Tuesday, grabbing lunch with Kourtney's sister Kendall Jenner in New York and later, having dinner with model Audreyana Michelle. Earlier this week, he was photographed walking in town near his home with his and Kourtney's son Mason, 7, and daughter Penelope, 5, and appeared to be in good health. He and his ex are also parents to son Reign, 2. Cell phones and other electronic devices with Internet are typically confiscated from patients on a 5150 hold. On August 18 and in the next couple of days after that, Scott's official Facebook account featured fresh posts containing press images of him. He was active on Instagram on August 13 and on August 21. (Eonline)

Usher just fired back at the 2 women and a man who claimed he exposed them to genital herpes ... and he says it's all BS. Usher's legal team just filed a response to the California herpes lawsuit. He denies everything ... specifically, their claims he had sexual contact with them, and the claim he exposed them to herpes. One of the women, Quantasia Sharpton, said in a news conference with her lawyer, Lisa Bloom, she did not contract herpes when she allegedly had sex with him after celebrating her 19th birthday at an Usher concert ... but she claims he exposed her to the STD. Usher, through his lawyers Laura Wasser and Zia Modabber, also raises an interesting argument ... the 3 plaintiffs can't win because they have "unclean hands." That means he's alleging they did something wrong, although he's not specific. And there's this ... Usher claims the 2 women and the man don't have a legal claim because anything Usher might have done was unintentional. The intimation ... if he had herpes, he didn't know it at the time. And finally he says if he did have sex with them they "assumed the risk" ... again, the intimation is that they assume the risk of contracting an STD. (TMZ)

Pro Surfer, 16, Dies Trying to Catch a Wave in Barbados During Hurricane Irma. A teenage budding pro surfer died Tuesday while riding the mega-swell waves in Barbados during Hurricane Irma, multiple outlets report. Zander Venezia -- of Bridgetown, Barbados -- was surfing a heavy break known as "Box by Box" on the Caribbean island's east side when he was caught by a closeout set that drove him into the shallow, rocky bottom where he hit his head on the reef, was knocked unconscious and drowned, Surfcide reported. The 16-year-old's death comes just two weeks after he won the $250 top prize at the Rip Curl Grom Search in North Carolina. Venezia was in Barbados with fellow surfers Nathan Florence, Dylan Graves, Balaram Stack and Asher Nolan as well as photographers Daniel Russo and Jimmy Wilson, Stab Magazine reported -- who had all flown in to island to surf Irma's swell. They were all hitting the waves Tuesday morning when Florence first spotted Venezia's board floating in the water, the magazine said. Rushing over to see what was wrong, he found Venezia's limp body still underwater being hammered by the building surf. Former Bajan pro-turned-surf instructor Alan Burke told Surfcide Florence shouted for help, trying to get a bleeding and unresponsive Venezia to shore. "They tried to get him to the beach quickly, which was difficult," Burke said. "Box by Box is a tough place to get in and out of, even if you have the ability. There's lots of big rocks around, and some stick out of the water." "When they finally did get him in, they performed CPR on the beach," Alan continued. "The ambulance came really swiftly from Speightstown, and the whole drive Nathan Florence, Dylan Graves and the paramedics continued to try and revive him. But once they got him to the hospital, Zander was breathing, but not responsive. From the time Nathan got to him in the water to when they arrived at the hospital, it was about 75 minutes of nonstop CPR." Venezia died later at the hospital, where his family -- parents Lisa and Louis Venezia and sister Bella -- had joined him. Autopsy results reported Wednesday said he suffered no fractures, Surfcide reported. After his death, Venezia's friends took to social media to share their memories of the young athlete. "I'm going to miss you so much Zander!" said Nolan, who watched Venezia's last surf, on Instagram. "You had such an amazing session today. Surfed for 4 hours. You were charging and had the happiest smile on your face every time I saw you. You were a humble, respectful, full of positive energy that every kid should look up too and live the way you did." "Gone too soon," he continued. "My heart is heavy. The Venezias always treated me like family and it hurts that they have to go through losing someone so special." "This saddens me in a way that my stomach actually hurts," said friend Patrick Ruddy. "I'm floored by the news this morning that our good friend @zandervenezia passed away doing what we all love, surfing at home and enjoying the ocean. It's times like this I reflect on how fragile life really is, and how quickly it can be taken away. Zander you're gonna be really f -- -- missed!" "I feel empty," Burke told Surfcide in tears. "We are in shambles over here. ... Zander was such a good, funny kid. He was always joking, and he just loved surfing. He was so jovial, such a joy to be around. I just can't believe he's gone. I'm a mess, man. We're all a mess over here." Burke also revealed what was believed to be Zander's last words, spoken to friend Dylan Graves before his final surf. "He told Dylan, 'I just got the best wave of my life' " Burke said. (People)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Prince George Looked Adorably Nervous for His First Day of School at Thomas's Battersea. Prince George is the new kid on the block. On Thursday morning, Prince William escorted his 4-year-old son to his first day of school at Thomas's Battersea in the London borough of Wandsworth, England. Kate Middleton, who is pregnant with her third child, opted to stay home, as she is dealing with severe morning sickness. "Unfortunately The Duchess of Cambridge remains unwell, and will not be able to accompany Prince George on his first day of school," a Kensington Palace spokesperson said earlier that day. "The Duke of Cambridge will drop off Prince George this morning as planned." William and George arrived in a Range Rover shortly before 8:50 a.m. local time. George, third in line to the throne, was dressed in the school's summer uniform: a blue sweater with the school's logo on it, blue Bermuda shorts, blue socks and black lace-less shoes. (Children are given the option of wearing either their summer or winter uniform at the start of the fall term.) A large crowd of locals had gathered outside the school, and they waved as George was driven through a side entrance and a security gate closed behind them. Upon their arrival, William got out to unbuckle George from his child seat. As George stepped out, he held his father's hand and walked towards a side door to the school, where Helen Haslam, the principal of the lower school, was waiting to greet them. According to an onlooker, George looked nervous and stared at the floor as he walked over, glancing up just once to look at the small pool of royal media. William held his son's backpack as they went to meet Helen. He encouraged George to shake hands, which he did, and told her George had been "excitedly noticing" the other children in their school uniform on the way in. "Oh, look!" Helen told George. "You've got your backpack." Helen then took George's other hand to walk in the school. William, like the other parents on the first day, stayed inside the building for a bit until George was settled in his new classroom. The school has 560 boys and girls aged from 4 to 13, with around 20 in each class. George will be taught a range of activities and subjects, including art, ballet, drama, French, music and P.E. (Thomas's Battersea's notable alumni include Cara Delevingne and Florence Welch.) Previously, George attended nursery at the Westacre Montessori School, in Norfolk. Kate has already said she's unsure George "has any idea what's going to hit him" at Thomas's Battersea. In a statement released in March, headmaster Ben Thomas said George becoming a student was "a significant moment" for Thomas's Battersea. "Like so many parents, the Duke and Duchess have put a great deal of thought into the choice of their eldest child's first 'big school.'" "We are deeply conscious of the trust that they, like all Thomas's parents, are placing in us and we hope very much to live up to their expectations. The Duke and Duchess have made it clear that they do not wish Prince George's attendance at Thomas's to change its aims, values or ethos in any way," said Ben, who later stepped down and was replaced by headmaster Simon O'Malley. "They would like, as far as is possible, for him to enjoy the same education that all of our pupils receive and for them to join the school community as all of our new parents do." Ben, principal of Thomas's London Day Schools, told reporters there would be no special treatment for George, though special precautions will be taken for his safety. "We are going to try and make this a really happy, safe and secure time. The whole aim of these precious years of early education is to give children that confidence in who they really are. We are not going to try and mold him into any kind of particular person. I hope he will have the confidence to be himself with all his quirks and his idiosyncrasies and characteristics -- that's what I would want for all of our children," Ben said. "The global spotlight has been a little bit daunting but that will move on and we are looking forward to a time when he is just another Thomas's pupil." (Eonline)

Princess Kate and Prince William have broken the recent royal tradition of stopping at just two kids. (All four of the Queen's children -- Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward -- have two children each.) Now, with a third on the way, friends are wondering if they could go one better. Of course they have a very important role model to follow, and one with whom William is especially close: his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. Joyful residents of Bucklebury, where Kate's parents Carole and Michael Middleton live, are already celebrating the news of the new royal baby on the way. "I reckon Kate will try to emulate the Queen and have four!" one villager tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. "Carole's a very close grandmother, so she and Michael will be beaming from ear to ear." Kate herself is the eldest of three, and the fact that she has a close relationship with her siblings Pippa and James is what many believe partly inspired the couple to increase the size of their family. Over at the Old Boot pub, landlord John Haley (who attended William and Kate's wedding in 2011) adds, "It's going to be nice for Carole to have three grandchildren isn't it? She had three children herself, so I suppose it's what Kate is used to." Haley, however, thinks three kids will complete the young royal family -- especially given Kate's battle with severe morning sickness. "I can't imagine Kate will want any more given the ordeal that she goes through every pregnancy. I should think that three children is enough. " "Carole will be absolutely over the moon. The locals are all very happy for her and the family. Kate is a really lovely girl so we are all very happy for her." (People)

Ryan Gosling Lattes Will Be Your Favorite Drink Order This Fall. You can now take a sip of Ryan Gosling. There's a cafe in Los Angeles that's allowing us to have a drink of the actor. Carrera Cafe is now serving Ryan Gosling lattes and the pic is pretty amazing. The cafe posted a photo of one of their Gosling lattes to Instagram, telling their followers to come get their "Ripple" on. "Come and get your Ripple on! Try our newest ripple with Ryan Gosling," the caption alongside the photo of the 36-year-old actor says. The photo also includes one of the famous "hey girl" Gosling quotes. "Hey girl, I love it when you wear yoga pants all day," the quote reads. A latte that gives you compliments? Count us in. So how does it work? According to Los Angeles Magazine, the cafe uses a Ripple Maker, a machine that can take any image and print it on the foam layer of your latte or tea. You can even use your own pics and have the cafe print the image on your liquid drink using the Coffee Ripples App! Last year, actor Tom Holland received an early Christmas gift from a pal who used the Ripple Maker to create two drinks, one of Holland and one of Spiderman! "Coffee on a new level @carreracafe," the actor wrote on Instagram. (Eonline)

Fifty looks pretty good. Leslie Jones rang in her 50th birthday Wednesday with a dance-off with a friend. Wearing a white robe and carrying what appeared to be a slice of cake, Jones danced to Trap Beckham's "Birthday Bitch." "IM 50 BITCHES!!!" the Saturday Night Live star tweeted. In the video, the star dances around in her bathrobe while holding what looks like a cake. As Jones busts a move the profanity-laces track, her friend -- who opted to wear clothes and not a robe -- gives her dance skills a run for their money. The birthday girl has a lot going on, as she'll face off against her SNL costars Vanessa Bayer and Kate McKinnonin the Emmys' Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category when the awards show airs Sept. 17. The Ghostbusters actress also plans to return to the sketch comedy show when season 43 debuts this fall. (People)

Chester Bennington's Widow Shares Photo of Smiling Linkin Park Singer Just Before His Death. Chester Bennington's wife shared a heartbreaking photo of the Linkin Park frontman from days before his death to warn about the hidden nature of depression. The image is a selfie by Talinda Bennington showing her husband smiling widely as he spends time with his family near the beach. "This was days b4 my husband took his own life," she captioned the snap. "Suicidal thoughts were there, but you'd. Never know." Since her husband's death, Talinda has filled her social media feed with messages of support for those battling mental illness, often adding the hashtag #MakeChesterProud. The 41-year-old singer died of suicide by hanging in July, authorities confirmed to PEOPLE at the time. Talinda, who married the late Linkin Park singer in 2006, is the mother of their son Tyler and twin daughters Lilly and Lila. Chester also leaves behind children Jaime, Isaiah and Draven from previous relationships. "One week ago, I lost my soulmate and my children lost their hero-their Daddy," the 40-year-old said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. "We had a fairytale life and now it has turned into some sick Shakespearean tragedy. How do I move on? How do I pick up my shattered soul?" Linkin Park Singer Chester Bennington Honored With Huge Mural In L.A. Chester Bennington's mural has been stopping traffic on L.A.'s 101 Freeway Talinda takes comfort and strength in the three children they share. "The only answer I know is to raise our babies with every ounce of love I have left," she said. "I want to let my community and the fans worldwide know that we feel your love. We feel your loss as well. My babies are so young to have lost their daddy. And I know that all of you will help keep his memory alive. He was a bright, loving soul with an angel's voice. And now he is pain free singing his songs in all of our hearts. May God Bless us all and help us turn to one another when we are in pain. Chester would've wanted us to do so. Rest In Peace, my love." If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). (People)

Work, rest and play, these two cannot keep their hands or lips off each other. While shooting a new eyewear campaign for Carolina Lemke, "hot felon" Jeremy Meeks found himself distracted by his new girlfriend Chloe Green, the heiress of a billion-dollar fashion fortune. The campaign is being shot by photographer Ido Izsa, who shared a behind-the-scenes picture from the set that featured a steamy kiss between Meeks and Green on Wednesday. While their relationship is still new, the photographer captioned the Instagram "#love @jmeeksofficial @chloegreen5". On his Instagram, Meeks teased a sneak peek of his upcoming spokesmodel gig with eyewear brand. Also joining him at the photo shoot was pregnant model Bar Refaeli. "Behind the scenes of a great shoot today with @barrefaeli," Meeks captioned his latest model moment. Refaeli shared a Boomerang video of herself and the former-inmate with the caption "Blue is the new Black." The black and white kissing picture comes two months after the pair made their relationship public -- making headlines since Meeks, who was dubbed the "hot felon" when his mugshot went viral in 2014 -- is still married to wife Melissa. He has since filed for separation. Jeremy and Melissa have been married for eight years and share one child: Jeremy Jr., 7. (She also has two children from previous relationships: Robert, 11, and a 16-year-old daughter.) Prior to his new life in the spotlight, Meeks served a year in federal prison after he was caught with a loaded gun in violation of his parole. Back in 2014, Meeks caused mass hysteria after the Stockton Police Department posted his mugshot to their Facebook page. The photo, which is undoubtedly the most popular in the history of Stockton's precinct, garnered 101,000 likes, 12,757 shares, and 26,377 comments. The convict-turned-model made his first official foray into modeling in June 2016, three months after his release from a two-year jail sentence and a little over one year since he signed with modeling agency White Cross Management. Meeks made his runway debut at last season's Philipp Plein show during New York Fashion Week. (People)

Mean Girls musical: Everything we know so far. This is so fetch... Earlier this year, Tina Fey confirmed that her iconic teen rom-com Mean Girls was to become a Broadway musical. Squeal. Then, she revealed on The Tonight Show that it will premiere this autumn. And now, the show has locked in a Broadway run. Fray, who produced the musical, told Jimmy Fallon in May that the show will debut in Washington D.C on October 31 and run until December 3. It will then move to Broadway, opening at the at the August Wilson Theater on 8 April 2018. Talking about the pre-Broadway show in Washington, the 46-year-old actress said: "The theatre is like three blocks from the White House. So you could make a little trip of it. Or if you work there and you get fired, come down, see the show. Twenty percent off if you got fired that day." Speaking of the cast, she said: "They're like a bunch of baby Timberlakes, they can do everything!" Fey wrote and starred in the original rom-com alongside Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried and Lindsay Lohan. The film tells the story of a teenager who tries to fit in at high school after being home-schooled in Africa for most of her life. We can't wait to see who she's cast as the plastics. (British Glamour)

Scott Disick isn't letting his recent stay in a psych ward interfere with his social schedule. We're told the "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" star -- who was hospitalized in August and placed on an involuntary 5150 psychiatric hold -- was out for dinner Wednesday evening at Milos in New York with Kim Kardashian and Jonathan Cheban. Sources say the crew were filming for their E! reality show. TheBlast.com first broke the news of Disick's psych stay. Kardashian had earlier been at the Tom Ford runaway show. (Page Six)

Richard Branson's menagerie of exotic animals are not all accounted for after Hurricane Irma tore through Branson's Necker Island ... TMZ has learned. As we reported, Branson proudly assembled an awesome array of animals, including lemurs, flamingos, gigantic tortoises and exotic birds, among others. We're told the lemurs were herded into guest rooms on the island and the parrots and tortoises were caged and stored in some of the structures. A number of structures on the island were either heavily damaged or destroyed, and people are now searching through the rubble, trying to find all the animals. As for the flamingos -- and there are hundreds -- there was nothing Branson or his people could do ... they were left by the small lake to fend for themselves. As we reported, flamingos try to protect themselves in the midst of a hurricane by forming a line and taking turns buffering the others. With a storm as strong as Irma, however, that may have been a futile effort. The good news ... Branson, his family and his team have all been accounted for and are safe. Richard says he's never seen anything like Hurricane Irma. He adds, "Necker and the whole area have been completely and utterly devastated. We are still assessing the damage, but whole houses and trees have disappeared. Outside of the bunker, bathroom and bedroom doors and windows have flown 40 feet away. I'm speaking these words from a satellite phone that is just about working, but all other communications is down." (TMZ)

Music

Kelly Clarkson Releases Two New Songs: "Love So Soft" and "Move You." Kelly Clarkson announced last week that she'd be releasing a new single, "Love So Soft," Thursday. What she didn't announce was that fans who pre-ordered her album Meaning of Life on iTunes ahead of its Oct. 27 release would also get a second song, "Move You," as an instant download. The double release ushers in a new era for Clarkson, who signed a deal with Atlantic Records in June 2016; fourteen months earlier, she dropped Piece by Piece, her seventh and final studio album as part of her contract with RCA Records. "After winning American Idol there was an arranged marriage that occurred that sometimes worked out and sometimes resulted in the hardest experiences of my life," the Grammy winner, 35, said. "As an artist, American Idol gave me something that was incredible, an audience and a platform before even releasing music." "Although I am extremely thankful to the amazing people that I've had the chance to work with, I cannot describe the excitement of working with Julie Greenwald, Craig Kallman and their team at Atlantic Records. The loyalty, innovation, and creativeness that Atlantic Records has been consistently bringing to the music industry is incredibly exciting for any artist to be a part of! We have already started creating a record that I have been wanting to make since I was a little girl, and a record that fans have been asking me to make for years. Here's to the future!" In a Facebook Live video, Clarkson explained why she switched record labels before working on her eighth album. "What's cool about Atlantic Records is that they love every part of my personality, as far as all the colors of my voice," she said. "I love the country side of me, I love the Broadway side of me, I love the pop side of me and the soulful side of me -- and they are down to really make whatever record I'm into, which is real rare. So, I'm super excited about it." "Love So Soft" is also available via Amazon, Apple Music, Google Play and Spotify. In addition to premiering two new songs, Clarkson also released the "Love So Soft" music video. Clarkson will perform on Today's Citi Concert Series Friday (9-8-2017). (Eonline)

Zayn Malik and Jemima Kirke Star in Music Video for His New Song "Dusk Till Dawn" Featuring Sia. Zayn Malik continues to further his career as a solo artist. The former One Direction band member released a song with Sia called "Dusk Till Dawn." He also co-stars in the music video along with Girls' Jemima Kirke. In the music video, Malik and Kirke play a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde. The video shows each one walking with a mysterious suitcase, but the police are onto them. The cops end up catching Malik and bringing him in. And just when it seems like it's over for Z, the police open the suitcase and find nothing but clothes inside. Mind blown. The music video then cuts to Kirke opening the desired suitcase in a motel. The cops check Malik's tattoos to see if they match the photos of the tattoos they have on file for the real criminal. But as the video cuts back to a closeup of Kirke's wrist, it becomes clear that she's the one they're really looking for. So good! Malik is set free and immediately jumps in his car to reach Kirke before the cops do. The video shows Kirke in a house watching the news as she takes off her disguise. Then, before a few officials arrive, Malik calls the police and lights a fuse that connects to a whole bathtub of mini explosives. Yes, a whole bathtub. But it's not over yet! A few officials enter the house and start looking for Malik and Kirke. However, they soon discover that the two have escaped through a secret tunnel hidden underneath a rug. Just then, three more police cars pull up to the scene and the mini explosives start to go off, giving the impression that the duo is inside firing shots. So, the police outside start firing back at the house and the officers inside duck for cover. The music video ends with Kirke driving Malik in the getaway car with the suitcase in the backseat. Is your heart pumping yet? If you can handle it, check out the video to see the whole story and hear the song. It already had more than 488,400 views at the time of this writing. (Eonline)

Lil Wayne's manager, Cortez Bryant, says the only thing Lil Wayne is addicted to is work, and brushed off an early retirement, despite Sunday's hospitalization for seizures. We got Cortez at LAX Wednesday and he told us Weezy has no plans to slow down. Doctors have sidelined him for 2 weeks, but Cortez says Wayne will be back. As for what caused the recent episode, Cortez didn't blame it on lean, but did offer an explanation. Wayne's been spotted double-cupping at shows throughout the year, but seemed fine the night before he was taken to the hospital. (TMZ)

"American Idol" is struggling to land judges to join Katy Perry because of budget limitations, but it still has a weapon on reserve to lure 'em in -- a partnership with Disney. Our 'A.I.' sources tell us ... the show's talent budget has a $40 million cap, which has been depleted by signing Perry for $25 mil and Ryan Seacrest for just over $10 mil. So, producers are having to get creative and sweeten the deal by offering celebs Disney perks that will turn into a big payday. We're told the perks include production deals, licensing and merchandising deals for Disney properties ... and also theme park partnerships. For example, Disney's Hollywood Studios features the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith ... but can always add more names. As we reported ... 'Idol' made an offer to country star Luke Bryan to be judge #2. As far as we know, the deal isn't sealed ... at least not yet. Perhaps we'll be seeing Space Mountain starring Luke Bryan. (TMZ)

Chart Beat Podcast: Will Taylor Swift Be the Artist of the Decade? As the "Reputation" era begins, Swift could be primed to rule charts for the '10s. Plus, three Houston radio programmers discuss how they're helping the community through Hurricane Harvey. Welcome to the Billboard Chart Beat Podcast, where each week co-hosts Gary Trust and Trevor Anderson, from the Billboard charts department, discuss why what's on the charts ... is on the charts, while also looking at current chart action in a historical context for even greater insights. This week, Gary and Trevor analyze Taylor Swift's No. 77-to-No. 1 blast on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Look What You Made Me Do," the lead single from her album Reputation, due Nov. 10. As previously reported, the song crowns the Hot 100 with the largest weekly streaming total for a song by a female artist, as well as the biggest weekly sales of 2017. Those feats, along with more potential hits from the new set, should push Swift further into the running for the 2010s' top chart performer. While we won't find out the decade's ultimate champ until December 2019, Gary and Trevor chat about who'll be the top contenders, an elite list that also includes Adele, Justin Bieber, Drake and Rihanna. Plus, we chat with three radio programmers from Houston (Trevor's hometown) about how the medium has been helping the community through Hurricane Harvey and its immediate aftermath. "Initially, we turned all of the talk and social content to information and weather," says Cox Media Group/Houston director of operations Johnny Chiang of the cluster's three stations in the market. Still, as a measure of comfort and routine for listeners, "we made the decision to keep playing music. And, you know what? We've had a whole bunch of social posts from people saying, 'thank you.'" The programming team of Terri Thomas and DJ Riddler from Houston's three Radio One stations also joins the podcast, with Thomas noting how "radio connects people with people. There are proud Texans here and a spirit of, 'we are strong, we will survive.' There's an opportunity for us to come together and show the rest of the world what community can really be about." Enjoy the entire latest Chart Beat Podcast and check back for more upcoming episodes with artists, label executives, radio programmers and personalities, songwriters, producers and more. And, to receive every episode automatically in your inbox, subscribe to (and rate) the Billboard Chart Beat Podcast on iTunes! (Billboard)

Lady Gaga Wants to Get 'Stoned in Grandma's Car' in Trailer for Netflix Doc. In a new trailer for her upcoming Netflix documentary, Gaga: Five Foot Two, Lady Gaga hangs with fans, takes a trip to Walmart to make sure her Joanne CDs are getting proper placement and gets ready for her instantly legend 2017 Super Bowl halftime performance. "I'm going to fight like fucking hell for them to fucking love this," she says in firm prizefighter mode before popping out for the high-energy extravaganza. The doc directed by Chris Moukarbel is slated to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 22 and will hit Netflix at the same time. In the teaser we also get some quieter, more intense glimpses of Gaga, including one where she gives Florence Welch a hug in the studio, gets a Joanne tattoo on her arm, makes a painful visit to the doctor's office for a shoulder procedure and a somewhat silly bit where she fires up a joint and says "let's get stoned in grandma's car!" The singer was forced to cancel a show in Montreal on Monday (Sept. 4) due to a respiratory infection and laryngitis. (Billboard)

Listen to First Posthumous George Michael Single 'Fantasy'. Nile Rodgers gave the 1990 b-side a pop funk makeover. The first posthumous single from George Michael isn't, technically, new, but it is fresh. Given a funky makeover by famed producer and Chic leader Nile Rodgers, the 1990 b-side "Fantasy" is a bouncy, classic slice of gorgeous George dance pop, complete with one of Rodgers' signature choppy guitar riffs, some distorted robot-sounding backing vocals and a snappy bass line. Rogers took part in an documentary on Michael before the pop star's unexpected death on Christmas Day 2016, and had played the remix while on tour with Chic this summer. According to The Guardian, George -- who died at age 53 last Christmas -- commissioned the remake shortly before his death, asking Rodgers to put a new face on the song that was included as a b-side on Michael's Freedom! 90 single in the U.S. "If you ain't got time for me/ I'll find another fantasy," Michael sings in his patented half sung-spoken style. Reacting to fans' anxiousness about the song before its release, Rodgers tweeted, "You SHOULD have mixed feelings. No one's heart was dragged through emotional ambiguity more than mine." In a message on Michael's official website, his sisters, Melanie and Yioda, explained that they are still struggling to believe that "our beautiful Yog is no longer here with us, although we still feel his love." Though they are a private family, they have heard the thoughtful messages from fans and understand their loss. "We believe that through all the 'debris,' Yog's fans, his 'lovelies' all around the world, know who he truly was, and is, after shared decades of music, love and humour. Our aim is to carry on, as we know Yog would have wanted, to share and enjoy his precious legacy and to continue to bring you joy -- through his extraordinarily beautiful music." Between his planned 2017 release, songs kept in limbo during Michael's legal battles in the '90s and the false starts at following up 2004's Patience, an estimated three albums's worth of material has been left unsurfaced. These, along with known collaborations with Rogers and producer Naughty Boy, still have no release date. (Billboard)

Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard Shares 'Rosey' From New Band Bermuda Triangle. Bermuda Triangle is a fairly new band featuring Alabama Shakes bandleader Brittany Howard and two Nashville-based singer-songwriters, Becca Mancari and Jesse Lafser. The trio made their live debut this summer, and at the time, it looked like a one-and-done kind of thing. However, they decided to make things a little more permanent with a studio version of "Rosey," a mellow, finger-picked country ballad with three-part harmonies and a backing drum machine. Bermuda Triangle have also announced a short run of tour dates in the South; see those here. Bermuda Triangle is a fairly new band featuring Alabama Shakes bandleader Brittany Howard and two Nashville-based singer-songwriters, Becca Mancari and Jesse Lafser. The trio made their live debut this summer, and at the time, it looked like a one-and-done kind of thing. However, they decided to make things a little more permanent with a studio version of "Rosey," a mellow, finger-picked country ballad with three-part harmonies and a backing drum machine. Bermuda Triangle have also announced a short run of tour dates in the South; see those here. (Billboard)

Movies

See Inside Emma Stone and Steve Carell's New Movie, Battle of the Sexes. This fall, audiences will be impressed by Stone for a completely different reason than ever before. The actress wows in every role, whether she's tap dancing in La La Land, performing stunts in The Amazing Spider-Man or going straight-up crazy in Birdman. But that was all about Stone's acting -- come September 22, she's getting the chance to show off her athletic prowess. Battle of the Sexes is much-anticipated movie about what was a marquee moment for tennis fans and the women's movement in general. It follows a match between Bobby Riggs, a notorious sexist in the tennis industry, and Billie Jean King, who he challenged to a high-stakes match on the world's stage, simply because he thought it was impossible to be beat by a woman. (And yes, if all of this sounds disturbingly similar to some of the things that Serena Williams has endured as of late, that's because it is disturbingly similar). At the time, King had just come off winning three Grand Slam tournaments the year prior, whereas Riggs was an ex-champ and what can only be described as a serial gambler. The match turned into something not unlike the fanfare that surrounds huge boxing matches today; after all, it's kind of hard to keep your eyes off of a professional sports game in which one of the players is wearing a jacket sponsored by Sugar Daddy (and yes, that was Riggs). The flick also stars Steve Carell as Riggs (short-shorts and all), as well as actors like Sarah Silverman, Bill Pullman and Elisabeth Shue. (Eonline)

Star Wars Director Rian Johnson Reveals Who the Last Jedi Is. Oh, what's in a name? If you're naming a Star Wars movie, the answer is a heck of a lot. On Jan. 23, Lucasfilm announced that the eighth installment in the franchise would be titled Star Wars: The Last Jedi. What did that mean? No one knew for sure, though theories were debated across the internet. As it turns out, the answer has been hiding in plain sight since 2015. "It's in the opening crawl of The Force Awakens," director Rian Johnson told The New York Times in an interview published Wednesday. "Luke Skywalker, right now, is the last Jedi. There's always wiggle room in these movies -- everything is from a certain point of view -- but coming into our story, he is the actual last of the Jedi. And he's removed himself and is alone on this island, for reasons unknown." The movie will center largely on Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Rey (Daisy Ridley). Johnson, who picks up where J.J. Abrams left off, wrote Luke's first line of dialogue since 1983's Return of the Jedi, as the character didn't appear onscreen until the final scene of The Force Awakens. "That was the first thing I had to figure out. Why is Luke on that island? And I didn't have any answers. But it's not like you can just pick anything you want out of the air. I grew up having a sense of who Luke Skywalker is. It guides you to a very specific path. I know he's not hiding on the island. I know he's not a coward. He must be there for a reason that he believes in," he recalled. "You're finding a path forward, but there end up being fewer choices than you think." In the first teaser trailer, released in April, Luke told Rey, "It's time for the Jedi to end." The line sent fans into a frenzy all over again. "It sounds pretty dire. That's something that we're definitely going to dig into. The heart of the movie is Luke and Rey. It follows all the other characters, but its real essence is the development of the two of them," the director, 43, teased. "It's absolutely tied up in that question of, 'What is Luke's attitude toward the Jedi?'" When he started work on the film, he naturally assumed Lucasfilm had mapped out the trilogy. "I had figured there would be a big map on the wall with the whole story laid out, and it was not that at all. I was basically given the script for Episode VII; I got to watch dailies of what J. J. was doing," Johnson recalled. "And it was like, where do we go from here? That was awesome." Abrams made himself available to answer Johnson's continuity concerns. "But those questions only address what these characters want and how they get there," he said. And it's best not to answer everything all at once, anyway. "Take the question of who Rey's parents are: If you get the information -- oh, it's that! -- who really cares? I know a lot of people care, but it's interesting as opposed to impactful. Now, what is my place in the world? Where do I come from? Where do I belong? O.K., I understand what the weight of that is. We could play with those questions and their answers to have the biggest emotional impact on these characters." Star Wars: The Last Jedi is in theaters Dec. 15. (Eonline)

Kingsman: The Golden Circle Cancels Premiere to Help Hurricane Harvey Victims. Taron Egerton and Colin Firth can hang up their suits. On Wednesday night, a spokesperson for Twentieth Century Fox confirmed to E! News that the spy movie's upcoming premiere in New York City has been canceled. "Given the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey and the important fundraising efforts happening on Sept. 12, we have canceled that evening's planned film premiere event for Kingsman: The Golden Circle," the spokesperson said. "To that end, Twentieth Century Fox Film will be donating the money budgeted for the premiere to several of the non-profit groups associated with the telethon." Kingsman: The Golden Circle opens Sept. 22. In addition to Egerton and Firth, the movie also stars Halle Berry, Jeff Bridges, Elton John, Julianne Moore, Mark Strong and Channing Tatum. The studio still has a number of events and special screenings planned for the sequel, including an Alamo Drafthouse event, a college screening series and a world premiere in London Sept. 18. The film is a sequel to 2014's Kingsman: The Secret Service, directed by Matthew Vaughn. On Sept. 12, Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Harvey Relief will air live at 8 p.m. ET across ABC, CBS, CMT, NBC and Fox. The telecast will originate from Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, New York City's Times Square and L.A.'s Universal Studios lot. Beyonce, Justin Bieber, George Clooney, Drake, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Julia Roberts, George Strait, Barbra Streisand, Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey and more stars are participating in the telethon. According to a press release issued Wednesday, digital donations, phone lines and text messaging will be open at the beginning of the show and will conclude one hour after it ends. The telethon will also include a live performance from George Strait and friends. (Eonline)

Rami Malek is Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody first look. There are few people in music history as recognizable as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury -- and not just his face, but his four-octave voice and flamboyant physicality. Rami Malek is well aware of that fact. "When you're able to open your eyes and see a different person staring back at you in the mirror," Malek says, recalling his first time in hair and makeup, "it's a very affirming moment." The Mr. Robot star is preparing to play Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (out Dec. 25, 2018), the Bryan Singer-directed film that chronicles Queen from 1970, when Mercury teamed with Brian May and Roger Taylor, until the band's performance at Live Aid in 1985, six years before the singer died of complications from AIDS. Malek channels Mer -- cury's look from that global- -- concert event. Resembling the legendary musician, he says, "only adds to the level of confidence that one would need to play Freddie Mercury." The other part of that equation is -- of course -- that voice. Parts of the movie that feature singing will utilize either Malek's own voice or recordings of Mercury, with a sound alike filling in the gaps. "We're going to use Freddie as much as possible and use myself as much as possible," Malek says. "I'm in Abbey Road [Studios] right now if that should say anything to you. I'm not working on my acting." Singer, who last helmed 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse, describes his approach to Bohemian Rhapsody as "not a traditional biopic" but rather a story honoring the music, an angle hinted at by the film's limited time frame. "It won't just be the dark Freddie story, but that being said, that also will be honored," Singer says. "It's about collaboration. It's a celebration." (Entertainment Weekly)

Will Smith shares Aladdin selfie amidst backlash about 'wholly unnecessary' new white character. Awkward back to school photo alert. Will Smith's cheery picture of himself with some of his Aladdin remake cast-mates should have been a great moment to celebrate the start of a shoot, but unfortunately it comes in the middle of yet more trouble for the film. Guy Ritchie's remake of the 1992 Disney classic Aladdin has had a deeply troubled casting process, with fans criticizing the lack of Middle Eastern actors, and Disney hasn't made their work any easier by announcing on Tuesday that it was bringing in a brand new character-who is white. Billy Magnussen, who previously played one of the Princes in Disney's Into The Woods, will polish off his crown to play Prince Anders, "a suitor from Skanland and potential husband for Princess Jasmine". The character did not appear in the original film, and the casting has led to many people asking why, if a new character had to be brought in, did he have to be white. GLAMOUR has asked Disney for comment. Mena Massoud, a relative unknown of Egyptian descent whose work prior to this has been in TV roles and short films, will play Aladdin. Jasmine is the half-British and half-Gujarati Indian Naomi Scott, recently seen in the reboot of Power Rangers, while the Tunisian-Dutch actor Marwan Kenzari is set to play the villain, Jafar. Aladdin's casting has been steeped in controversy. The story it is based on has long been associated with the Middle East, although the 1992 cartoon included elements from China, such as Jasmine's tiger, Rajah. During their presentation at the D23 Expo in Los Angeles in July, Disney confirmed that their latest take on the city of Agrabah would continue to use elements from around the world, although this did not go down as fantastically as they might have hoped. In June, Tom Hardy had to shut down rumors that he was to play the villainous Jafar following accusations of whitewashing and "tone deaf" casting. Hardy's reps told Metro that there was "no truth" to the rumours which had gained heat after a source told The Sun that "there have been conversations" regarding Hardy's casting, which would mean a white actor playing a Middle Eastern character. "Guy is a huge fan of Tom's work and securing him would be a major coup," the source said. "There have been conversations and, although nothing is set in stone and things are subject to change, he's certainly one of Guy's favored choices." This report did not go down well on Twitter, where the atmosphere was very much "how is this happening again?", in the wake of controversies over Tilda Swinton playing a Tibetan character in Doctor Strange, and Scarlett Johansson playing a Japanese character in the live-action remake of Ghost In The Shell-especially given that Disney had specifically said they wanted the casting to be diverse. Earlier this year, Aladdin producer Dan Lin said that he wants the remake to be "diverse," and "to make a movie that's authentic to that world". "We're not here to make Prince of Persia," he said – a film which cast Jake Gyllenhaal as the Middle Eastern lead. (British Glamour)

Toronto: The Black List, Martin Katz Name Fellow. Nadeem Siddiqui gets an all-expense paid trip to the festival as prize-giving in Toronto gets underway. The Black List is best known for releasing an annual survey that highlights Hollywood's best unproduced screenplays, as voted on by hundreds of film executives. Now the service is also honoring screenwriters at the Toronto Film Festival as the prizing-giving there got underway Thursday. The Black List and David Cronenberg's producer Martin Katz teamed up to award Nadeem Siddiqui their 2017 TIFF/Martin Katz Independent Screenwriting Fellowship. As part of the fellowship, Siddiqui receives an all-expense paid trip to TIFF, which runs through Sept. 17. Siddiqui's dark romantic comedy script Slut made the cut on The Black List, whose ranked screenplays have gone on to be produced and earned 50 Oscars and more than $26 billion in box office worldwide. "Nadeem's writing is assured, funny and in-your-face sexy. He has written a romp of a romantic comedy, and I'm excited to be able to introduce him to the industry at TIFF," Katz said Thursday. Katz via his Prospero Pictures shingle has produced Cronenberg films like Spider, A Dangerous Method, Cosmopolis and Maps to the Stars, which earned Julianne Moore the best actress Palme d'Or in Cannes. Katz is also chair of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. Siddiqui is represented by Woolf + Lapin Agency. (Hollywood Reporter)

Oscars: Romania Selects 'The Fixer' for Foreign-Language Category. Adrian Sitaru's film is about an aspiring journalist meeting moral obstacles in a story about a young prostitute. Romania has selected Adrian Sitaru's drama The Fixer as its candidate for the best foreign-language film award at the Oscars. The film, a Romanian-French co-production, follows the fortunes of Radu (Tudor Aaron Istodor), a young trainee journalist at a French press agency in the Romanian capital Bucharest. When Radu comes across the story of an underage prostitute who has been repatriated from France, he is driven by ambition to prove himself as a reporter. But the further he follows the story -- tracing the girl, who has gone into hiding, to a remote nunnery, the more he begins to question the moral boundaries of journalism. Istador won the best actor award for his role in the film at last year's Les Arcs European Film Festival in France. The film, inspired by true events, had its international premiere in Toronto last year and also screened earlier this year at Los Angeles' South East Europe Film Festival. Scripted by Claudia and Adrian Silisteanu (who is also director of photography), The Fixer was produced by Anamaria Antoci, Adrian Silisteanu and Jean des Foret. MPM Film in Paris is handling international sales. Romania is a regular contributor to the foreign-language Oscar race, though it has only once been nominated, in 2013 for Cristian Mungiu's Beyond the Hills. It has never won an Oscar. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV

Be Prepared, Scandal's Final Season Is Going to New Places With the Characters. Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) has one final season to handle everything. Yes, Scandal is coming to an end and things are going to change, Tony Goldwyn, former president Fitzgerald Grant on the series, teased. "Well, we have a female president, which people know, which is very exciting. And being the final season, [Shonda Rhimes] has really... the reason we are doing season seven and the reason she wanted to do the final season is because she really wanted to try some new stuff and take these characters that we've really gotten to know so well and explore them more deeply," Goldwyn told press at Esquire's September Issue "Mavericks of Style" event presented by Hugo Boss. "So that's something that we're really doing. With every script there's something really fresh and groundbreaking that's happening," he teased. "We're super excited about it. Right now we're [filming] our fourth episode and it's really great. It's really great." Goldwyn said the cast and crew feel "so lucky" that they get to end Scandal on their terms. "Networks, they don't have to tell you! So a lot of shows, come May, they say, 'Oh by the way in September you don't have a job,'" he said with a laugh. "So we knew a year ahead of time. Shonda called us all and she was like this is what's happening, this is a decision I made. It wasn't the network; I am bringing this to a close and finishing it strong. So it's a celebration, really. It's like being a senior in high school. And we all know we're graduating, so we all get to appreciate every moment. And we're very, very close." The cast and crew are making a point to get together outside of work, Goldwyn said. As for what he wants from set? That all comes down to the clothes. "I am trying to secretly steal all my wardrobe. I'll probably end up having to pay for it because I have some really nice clothes," he joked. "'I've been trying to decide what [to take]. Something from Fitz's oval office I'll have to take with me but I haven't decided what that is." In fact, there has never been any wardrobe he balked at. "I wear everything they put in front of me. Our designer, Lyn Paolo, is really brilliant. I have to say every time I put something on I just go, 'Yep! That's it.' So what she's done is take my character, who, you know, is the president and who is typically very conservative, and just kept it conservative and pushed it a little bit with ties and it just looks sexy. Or fits right, as opposed to a boxy, old man suit. Which is frankly how most presidents dress," he said with a laugh. While there's still a season of Scandal ahead, How to Get Away With Murder, no end in sight for Grey's Anatomy and the upcoming Grey's Anatomy spinoff and legal drama For the People, those are Rhimes' last shows under her deal with ABC Studios. She's going to Netflix. The news was both surprising and not a shock for Goldwyn. "I was surprised because she's has such a long relationship with ABC, but Shonda does not let -- what's the word -- there's no moss grown on the rocks in Shondaland," he said with a laugh. "She's always trying to break new ground and push herself and tell new stories and do it in her way. I think that Ted Sarandos [of Netflix] really values that and wants to do the same thing. So it seems like a really great match. Her relationship with ABC is continuing. They have five shows together so there's no bad blood there but I am super excited about it." Scandal returns Thursday, Oct. 5 on ABC. (Eonline)

Arie Luyendyk Jr. Is the Next Bachelor and Fans Have Something to Say About It. Your next Bachelor is... Arie Luyendyk Jr.?! Yeah, we're as shocked as you are. The Bachelor announcement was made on Good Morning America and sent shockwaves through fans of Bachelor Nation. In case you forgot, Arie was a contestant during Emily Maynard's season and a racecar driver and was not even rumored among the frontrunners this season. After weeks of speculation and rumors that Peter Kraus would be handing out the roses this season, Arie's participation came out of nowhere. The Bachelor did that last year when they made Nick Viall the series star after he appeared on two seasons of The Bachelorette and one of Bachelor in Paradise. Arie said he was "at home" when he got the call to be on The Bachelor "It was pretty recent," he admitted, which confirms the rumors that Peter was in the running up until recently. "We've kept in touch over the years. This just fit really perfect. The timing of this just really fit." Arie, 35, was the runner-up in Emily's Bachelorette season and has not appeared on Bachelor in Paradise. "I was a little skeptical because we'd been in talks for a few years about doing it, so I just kind of went into it with an open heart, an open mind," he said. "It just hit me that yeah, I'm here." The decision was so last minute not even Arie's family and friends were aware until Good Morning America. "This has been such a quick turn of events," he said. "Now they know along with you guys!" The type of woman he's looking for? Somebody who is "independent, strong but then still gentle." The Bachelor returns in January on ABC. (Eonline)

Sarah Paulson to Star in Ryan Murphy-Produced Nurse Ratched Origin Series at Netflix. Sarah Paulson is never sleeping again, apparently. The American Horror Story/American Crime Story star is now also set to star in the origin story you never knew you needed, as One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest's Nurse Ratched. Ryan Murphy will produce the two-season, 18-episode series alongside producer Michael Douglas, who was part of the original 1975 movie. The series was created and written by new writer Evan Romansky. Ratched will start in 1947 and "follow Ratched's journey and evolution from nurse to full-fledged monster," according to Deadline. The series will track her murderous progression through the mental health care system. For those who have forgotten the events of the movie or the book, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is about a mental institution overseen by the psychopathic Nurse Ratched, who takes terrible advantage of her power over all of the hospital's patients, subjecting them to various horrifying treatments and keeping order in the hospital through fear. Paulson is currently starring in Murphy's American Horror Story: Cult, after which she'll star in the Katrina installment of Murphy's American Crime Story, based on the book Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink. Set in a New Orleans hospital that lost power for five days after the natural disaster, the show will examine the decision made by hospital staff, led by Dr. Anna Pou, to euthanize critically ill patients. After Crime Story, production will begin on Ratched, which will most likely arrive in 2019. (Eonline)

Eric & Jessie Recap: Jessie James Decker and Eric Decker Reveal Their "New Normal" in Season 3 Premiere. They're baaack! Fan-favorites Jessie James Decker and Eric Decker returned Wednesday night for a third season of their show, Eric & Jessie -- and not a moment too soon! When we last saw the couple onscreen, they were just welcoming their baby girl, Vivianne Rose Decker. But flash forward a few years later, 3-year-old Vivi is full of sass (just like her mama!) and handsome little Eric Decker Jr. aka Bubby, 2, is now also a part the family. In the night's episode, we saw that Jessie's music career and Kittenish clothing line was continuing to heat up as Eric prepared for his upcoming football season with the New York Jets after undergoing surgeries on his shoulder and hip. Meanwhile, Jessie's sister Sydney Rae Bass was expecting her first child -- a daughter -- with husband Anthony Bass after tying the knot months earlier following a whirlwind courtship. Yup, we've definitely missed a whole lot! (Eonline)

Taylor Swift Battles Andy Samberg in AT&T-DirecTV Ad. Taylor Swift , Warrior Princess is ready to battle. Andy Samberg, that is. The two face off in a new AT&T-DirecTV commercial promoting the company's Taylor Swift Now on-demand video service, which launched last year, and her new album Reputation -- they take part in a thumb war, a caricature portrait drawing contest and an "unbelievable, choreographed fight sequence." Martial arts and thumb-squashing makes Swift hungry, so keeping up with the ad's "day in the life"-theme, she rummages through a mini-fridge and scarfs down some other dude's tub of cookie dough. Then he shows up...awkward! Better hide. Oh, no, she's locked in a closet! Time to make an escape, Die Hard -- style. Yippee ki-yay. "I was really method-acting, I was actually eating the food each time, so if I have to, you know, I'll eat the prop food," Swift jokes in a behind-the-scenes video. The AT&T-DirecTV ad features Swift with her latest hairstyle, a tousled lob, and also contains footage of her showcasing her gentle side, as she cuddles one of her cats, Olivia. Swift, who has appeared in AT&T-DirecTV ads before, largely kept out of the spotlight in recent months as she worked on her new album, which is her biggest music presale of all time. Swift's last onstage appearance was in February, at the 2017 DirecTV Now Super Saturday Night Concert that took place before the Super Bowl. Footage from the show is available on Taylor Swift Now. She made her music comeback two weeks ago with the song "Look What You Made Me Do," her first solo single in three years, along with an angst-filled music video in which she declares that the "old" Taylor Swift is "dead." (Eonline)

'Lip Sync Battle' to Get Local Version in India. The adaptation of the Spike hit show will air on Fox's Star India flagship channel StarPlus. Lip Sync Battle, the hit series of Viacom's Spike network, is getting a local version in India. Viacom International Media Networks said Thursday it has licensed the format to FremantleMedia India, which will produce the show under the title Lip Sing Battle India. It will air on 21st Century Fox-owned Star India's Hindi entertainment flagship channel StarPlus in a primetime slot on weekends. Lip Sing Battle India will debut this fall and will feature top celebrities across Bollywood, TV and sports. The original U.S. version of Lip Sync Battle already airs in the country on VH1 India, owned by Viacom18, Viacom's Indian joint venture. It is hosted by two-time Grammy award winner LL Cool J with co-host Chrissy Teigen. The Indian licensing deal, Viacom's first in the country, brings the total number of Asian adaptations of the show to six, including China, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand. Worldwide, it has been licensed in 21 markets. "Breaking into the competitive Indian market is testament to the universal appeal of the format, which has had people laughing and gasping the world over since it first launched in 2015," said VIMN head of formats, international programming sales Laura Burrell. "As producers, we were drawn to its intrinsic craziness, over-the-top competitiveness and ultimate showoff surprises," added FremantleMedia India managing director Aradhana Bhola. The company's other productions include long-running local formats Indian Idol and India's Got Talent. (Hollywood Reporter)

HBO's 'Veep' to End With Season 7. David Mandel and Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the set of HBO's 'Veep,' which will end its run next season. It's bittersweet for star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, but she and showrunner David Mandel believe the time is right and the ending makes sense. Veep, HBO's acclaimed comedy, Emmy powerhouse and arguably the funniest comedy on television, will end its run with a final seventh season in 2018. Julia Louis-Dreyfus just called to tell me the news, and I just told her she's killing me. But it's clear that she and fellow executive producer David Mandel thought long and hard about when it would be right to say goodbye -- next season? One after that? -- and they've let the story dictate a finale they could feel good about. "It became clear that this season should be the last season," Louis-Dreyfus says. "We don't want to repeat ourselves or wear out our welcome. The story has a finality to it that feels end-of-series." It wasn't a decision that came easily. "Let's face it, this has been a role of a lifetime," says Louis-Dreyfus, who knows something about good roles, having played Elaine Benes for nine seasons on Seinfeld. She has won a staggering five consecutive Emmys for outstanding lead actress for Veep and is up for a sixth this year. The show has been nominated for best series six consecutive seasons, winning the last two in a row, as it heads into this year's ceremony on Sept. 17. Separately, both Louis-Dreyfus and Mandel say that as they mapped out the arc of the seventh season, not repeating themselves and staying true to the often daring twists of the story were paramount. "It was just a very natural thing," Mandel says. "We don't want to repeat ourselves or be boring. It's bittersweet but it's right." Mandel says all the major players on the show and HBO have kept in the back of their collective minds the notion of when and how to end it. But the series has continued to surprise. Created by Armando Iannucci, Veep started as a show about a presidential hopeful who takes the vice president position when offered. It grew to become about her winning the presidency, losing it, wandering in a post-presidential world (last season) and then deciding whether it's a good idea or not to run for president again (as season six wrapped). The show, Mandel notes, was never held back by its title. It was always driven by the story and a fearless sense of going forward. Mandel took over running the show in season five and has, in the last two years, amplified and expanded its greatness, something Louis-Dreyfus is quick to note: "I'm very proud of that fact. Dave hit it out of the park." Casey Bloys, programming president for HBO, says the channel is behind whatever Louis-Dreyfus, Mandel and the producers want to do but that, coming from the comedy development side before running all of programming, he is also feeling bittersweet: "I developed the show and I love everybody in the cast." For her part, Louis-Dreyfus was very thoughtful and open about the process of ending something that clearly means so much to her. And, of course, it wasn't her first time in this position. "I struggled with it," she says. "And then it just hit me. It's hard to say goodbye to such a good thing. We struggled with this at Seinfeld as well." All previous roles led up to this, Louis-Dreyfus said -- you learn something and evolve with each one -- but playing Selina Meyer was (and is) the role of a lifetime. "I'm not kidding -- I really feel this is my baby and I don't want to mess it up. I would hate to end on a less-than note. That would make me nuts." Louis-Dreyfus notes there's another full 10-episode season still to shoot and experience, so looking too far into the future isn't something she's considered much. "I'm not retiring, if that's what you're asking," she says. "I love to work." And her character has been a quintessentially great character to manifest. "My favorite go-to thing about her is I like to fall back into Selina's narcissism. It's delightful and it takes many forms." For his part, Mandel says he and writers have broken all 10 episodes for the final season. Echoing Louis-Dreyfus, he says there is a finality to Selina's journey. "If we needed five more [episodes], everybody was open to five more." But it never came to that. They found their landing spot. Shooting for the final season will begin Oct. 16. Says Mandel: "I'm so fucking excited for what we've got on the board and for fans to see what we've cooked up." (Hollywood Reporter)

Syfy's 'Blood Drive' Canceled After One Season. It's the end of the road for Syfy's Blood Drive. The grindhouse drama has been canceled after one season, series creator James Roland announced Wednesday in a lengthy blog post following the season one, and now series, finale. "Unfortunately, your suspicions are correct. Syfy has canceled Blood Drive after one season. If this news makes you angry or sad, you're not alone. I found out not too long ago, but have been trying to think of a way to tell you guys since I felt it was up to me to let the fans know," he wrote. "Ultimately I decided to wait until after the final episode aired so the news did not taint your experience. It simply didn't seem right to burst the bubble so early, especially with how the last episode plays out. We always planned for a season two, but now that the future of the show is uncertain the final scenes seem so much more ... final." In his post, Roland attributed the series' premature end to low ratings. However, he also praised Syfy, calling the NBCUniversal cable channel "the only network with the steel to make the show in the first place." Despite the cancelation, Roland said he's optimistic about the possibility of more Blood Drive. "There's definitely no season two in the immediate future, but I remain cautiously optimistic there's more story to tell in this world. NBC|Universal owns the show, so when the time comes I'll approach them with some ideas and we'll see what they think," he wrote, subsequently encouraging fans to use the hashtag #RenewBloodDrive on social media. Blood Drive received a straight-to-series order in July 2015 and premiered in June. The series was set in a near-apocalyptic future and centered on Los Angeles' one remaining good cop who must join a twisted and bloody cross-country death race that includes, yes, cars powered by blood. Roland wrote the series, which hailed from exec producers John Hlavin (Underworld: Awakening) and David Straiton (Bates Motel) and studio Universal Cable Productions. Smallville's Alan Ritchson and Christina Ochoa starred in the series, with Ochoa recently landing the lead female role in The CW's forthcoming military drama Valor. The news comes days after Syfy canceled Dark Matter after three seasons and renewed Killjoys for its final two seasons. The cabler's slate also includes The Expanse, The Magicians, Channel Zero and the final season of 12 Monkeys, as well as new entries Happy!, based on the Grant Morrison graphic novel, and the Superman prequel series Krypton. (Hollywood Reporter)

Hulu and Spotify to Launch New Streaming Bundle. College students will now be able to subscribe to both Hulu and Spotify for a discounted $5 per month. Hulu and Spotify are teaming up to offer a discounted streaming media bundle to college students. The companies on Thursday announced that they will start offering Hulu with limited advertising and Spotify Premium for $5 per month. That's a discount of $13: typically, Hulu charges $8 per month for its streaming package that includes some advertising, and Spotify charges $10 per month for its advertising-free Premium plan. The offering is just the first in several planned bundles that Hulu and Spotify are planning to offer. The companies said that future bundles will target "the broader market." "We're very excited to be partnering with Hulu -- a like-minded company which is as focused as we are on delivering the very best in high-quality streaming content," said Alex Norstrom, chief premium business officer at Spotify. Added Tim Connolly, senior vp and head of distribution and partnerships at Hulu, "by bundling our enormous catalogues of content together in a single, highly compelling offer, we're making it easier for people to enjoy all of the TV and music they love, whenever and wherever they want." This is the first time that Spotify has teamed with an entertainment service for this type of bundle. Hulu, meanwhile, already bundles services such as Showtime with its existing offerings. Streaming media bundles are expected to become increasingly popular with consumers as the number of a-la-cart services proliferate. Amazon already offers Prime subscribers the option of constructing their own bundles (made up of primarily niche streaming services) through its Channels program. And many internet-enabled skinny TV bundles have launched over the last several years as cord-cutting alternative to the traditional cable bundle. The discounted offering is available to new and existing Spotify student subscribers. Students enrolled in U.S. Title IV accredited colleges or universities must access the deal by registering for a Spotify account or selecting the plan via their existing accounts. (Hollywood Reporter)

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