ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Sam Hunt Is Engaged to Hannah Lee Fowler. We're thinking this wedding might be a little bigger than a "House Party." Sam Hunt recently popped the question to his girlfriend Hannah Lee Fowler. "Sam and Hannah are engaged," a rep for Hunt confirms exclusively to PEOPLE. Though he's remained tight-lipped about his relationship with Fowler (who is rumored to have inspired his debut album, Montevallo), Hunt, 32, hasn't shied away from sharing photos on social media of his future bride over the last few months. The couple has been busy traveling in recent months. Last week, the country singer shared snaps from their trip in Israel. In September, he and Fowler showed off their beach bodies while on vacation in Hawaii. "I spent a lot of time talking to her about songs. I probably should have included her as a co-writer on a lot of these songs because I spent a lot of time chatting with her," Hunt told ABC News Radio in 2014 about his debut album, which was named after Fowler's hometown. Continued Hunt: "I got a lot of insight into females in general from being in a close relationship with her. I used a lot of that when writing on the songs, because a lot of the songs are relationship-based. I didn't want it to be just extra-macho." (People)

Michael Phelps and Nicole Johnson Celebrate Their Wedding With Another Bash on New Year's Eve. Third times the charm for Mr. and Mrs. Phelps! It seems Michael Phelps and Nicole Johnson just love celebrating their marriage because they threw yet another wedding party just in time to simultaneously ring in the New Year. As a source confirmed to E! News, the proud parents planned a New Year's Eve wedding bash in Arizona to celebrate both their marriage and the year ahead. Thanks to Instagram and their famous friends, fans got an inside look at the 1920s-themed soiree, complete with plenty of sparkling decor. The bride stunned in a crystal-embellished white gown while the gold medalist donned a classic black suit and bowtie. Is that you, Jay Gatsby? Olympic swimmers Allison Schmitt, Elizabeth Beisel and Johnson's makeup artist Lisa G were among the star-studded event's attendees. "I am headed over to get Nicole, her mom and besties makeup ready for the evening!!" Lisa shared on Instagram before the party. "I can't wait for all of the festivities and to dance the night away!!" The makeup artist also helped Johnson get ready for the couple's picturesque second wedding ceremony in Mexico in late October. However, it was their first wedding ceremony that took fans by surprise. Months before the family of three stole the show in Rio, the two secretly got hitched in Arizona in June. According to TMZ, who first broke the news, the wedding was officiated by Michael's agent and friend Peter Carlisle. They were able to keep their union out of the headlines for months until the press discovered their marriage license in the fall. "Simple reason," Michael told Sports Illustrated of the decision. "Boomer's last name was Phelps and Nicole's was Johnson, and that was going to make overseas travel more difficult. We were getting married anyway, so we just did it." Meanwhile, Phelps managed to give fans a hint about the upcoming NYE shindig when he told Access Hollywood, "We're throwing a massive bash for everyone in the States." From the looks of the latest photos, the husband and wife certainly kept their promise. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Phelps! (Eonline)

Emma Stone Poses in Bed With No Pants for W Magazine, Reveals Why She Can't Believe She Got the Role in La La land. Emma Stone has had quite the year. The actress is looking at a nod for Best Performance in a Musical or Comedy ahead of the Golden Globes this weekend, thanks for her role in La La Land, which she still can't believe she got. Chatting with W magazine for their "Best Performances" issue -- which she covers beside Casey Affleck who was nominated for Manchester by the Sea -- she opened up about how director Damien Chazelle attended one of her worst performances of Cabaret. "Well, Damien came to see me when I was doing Cabaret, and he saw me on a night that I was on a lot of cold medicine, which was a lot of nights because I was sick a lot during the run," she recalled. "And, I didn't know that he had come with the composer, Justin Hurwitz. After the fact I heard he had seen it and I was really upset, because I was like, 'I don't think I was even in my body for that entire show.'" Stone -- who also poses pantsless while staring at what appears to be a nude woman inside the publication -- thinks that was her "unofficial" audition for the musical beside Ryan Gosling, which has taken Hollywood by storm for awards season. She joked Chazelle made a poor decision to make her the lead based upon her performance he watched. "I think he has bad taste, because if he thought that was a good show, I mean, he was wrong," she laughed. Aside from revealing she wore braces for seven years and sucked her thumb until she was 11-years-old. (Eonline)

Michelle Williams & Busy Philipps' Friendship Is the Gift That Keeps Giving. Some friendships come and go, but every once in a blue moon a bestie comes around and stays with you for life. Case in point? Why, none other than Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps. The two lovable actresses have not only been close for decades, but they've remained by each other's sides throughout both of their successful careers. "I'm so in love with her," the Manchester by the Sea actress recently gushed to People about her BFF. "She's proof that the love of your life does not have to be a man! That's the love of my life right there." Not only are the two often one another's dates on the red carpet for events like the Tony Awards and the like, but Philipps serves as the godmother to Williams' daughter Matilda Ledger. And between the selfies on the Cougar Town actress' Instagram account, endless gushing about each other in interviews over the years, the girls' trips to far and away exotic locations, there's simply no denying the fact that these two ladies are exactly what the term #friendshipgoals embodies. (Eonline)

Joely Fisher Knew Debbie Reynolds Would Not Live Without Carrie Fisher: "You Could See It in Her Face." While the world mourns the consecutive sudden deaths of Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, the icons' family is feeling the double loss the deepest. "I've been having an out of body experience," Fisher's younger half-sister Joely Fisher said during an interview on Good Morning America Tuesday. "We lost our hero." "We had the coolest big sister in the world," sister Tricia Fisher echoed. "She was a bad--s body, gun-toting princess. I mean -- who has that?" While fans knew her as the fierce Princess Leia, Joely and Tricia were privileged to witness the sensitive side of the Hollywood legend. "She was secretly soft," Tricia recalled. "She was extremely generous, like you would walk in and she would just hand you something in her room." The sisters were close until the very end. Joely and Carrie had even texted the night before she boarded a plane from London to Los Angeles. It was on that flight that Carrie ultimately suffered cardiac arrest 15 minutes before landing and died four days later. "It was sort of out of the blue," Joely said of their conversation. "We talked about age because she was floored that she had just turned 60. We talked about our children. We talked about our frail mothers and promised to see her on Christmas." Despite the tragic circumstance, the sisters kept their promise and spent the holiday at Carrie's hospital bedside with her 24-year-old daughter Billie Lourd and a worried Reynolds. "I remember just holding [Carrie's] hand and telling her that we were there, that we would make sure her daughter was whole, which she will be," Joely remembered. It was at Carrie's bedside that Joely also shared a few foreboding moments with the actress' grief-stricken mother, who would pass away just a day after Carrie following a stroke. "I sat with Debbie and she said to me that she said she was praying for more time. She kept saying that she wanted more time and I knew that if Carrie wasn't going to survive this that Debbie would not," Joely predicted. "You knew it. You could feel it in her tiny, little, beautiful body. You could see it in her face. She would not last without her on the planet. She wouldn't and she didn't." Now, in the wake of two great losses, Joely and Tricia are preparing to fill the gaps the best they can. "My sister Tricia Leigh and I vow to be whatever our niece Billie needs us to be," Joely wrote in a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter. "We will pick up the saber, use the force ... whatever. We will honor these two magical people who have left the tribe in the way they lived, with grandeur and grace. I want them back but since I know that is not possible, I will soldier on." (Eonline)

Ryan Gosling says the late Debbie Reynolds served as an "inspiration" to the cast and crew of his critically-acclaimed musical "La La Land." Gosling thanked Reynolds "for her wonderful career of work" while accepting an award for the film at the Palm Springs Film Festival on Monday night. Gosling says the cast and crew watched Reynolds in the 1952 classic musical "Singin' in the Rain" every day for inspiration. Gosling calls Reynolds "a truly unparalleled talent." Reynolds died Wednesday at the age of 84. She died a day after her daughter, actress Carrie Fisher, died at the age of 60. Fisher died four days after reportedly suffering a heart attack. (Page Six)

George Michael donated thousands of dollars so a stranger could have a baby ... according to the woman on the receiving end of his charitable effort. Jo Maidment appeared on the UK's "This Morning" to share the secret she says she's kept for a long time ... George paid for her IVF treatment years ago. After coming on the same show in 2010 to talk about how expensive IVF is ... she says an anonymous businessman called into the clinic to donate 15,000 pounds in her name. Jo never knew who was behind the donation until after she gave birth to her first kid in 2012. She says she got flowers with a card ... from none other than George. (TMZ)

Mariah Carey was spotted shopping at a marijuana dispensary on Christmas Eve -- just days before the New Year's Eve gaffe that left the star furious. In pictures obtained by The Mail Online the diva was seen browsing The Original Leaf in Aspen, Colorado with her entourage, which included her manager Stella Bulochnikov. Mariah, 47, certainly made an effort for the occasion and dressed in a green ball gown which she accessorized with sky-high heels, sunglasses, and black and red checkered coat and a black beanie. In true Mariah style she was not seen leaving the store carrying any bags, but she did smile and wave at awaiting photographers. The shop's website states, "The Original Leaf sets the standard for top quality freshness, texture, flavor and variety. Our naturally grown cannabis is produced without the standard array of potentially harmful, environmentally long-lasting agricultural chemicals commonly used since the 1950s. Yet organic farming isn't primitive, it's actually farming with our future at heart." The shop sells a variety of recreational edibles, topicals, dab bars and recreational marijuana. News of Mariah's weed joint jaunt comes amid the news she is launching a "full investigation" after her New Year's Eve show ended in disaster. Mariah suffered an on-stage meltdown when technical glitches caused her to botch a lip-synched performance of '91 hit "Emotions." She told the audience in New York: "I wanted a holiday too, can't I just have one?" before storming off the stage at the end of her set. Now the American chart-topper says she believes there was "foul play" involved and vowed to get to the bottom of the botched concert, which also saw her ring in 2017 by singing "Auld Lang Syne" to revelers in Times Square. A source close to the star said, "Mariah is fuming and has been left very upset for the past couple of days. She won't let this go and believes somebody tried to sabotage her. She is launching her own investigation into the incident." On Sunday Mariah accused Dick Clark Productions, who were responsible for the New Year's show, of sabotage -- a claim they rubbished as "silly." (Page Six)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Carrie Fisher Dedicated Her Last Book To Mom Debbie Reynolds For Being 'Too Stubborn And Thoughtful To Die.' A sweet joke now takes on a more somber meaning after the tragic deaths of both Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds. Fisher, who had an especially close relationship with her mother in their final years, thanked Reynolds in the acknowledgments section of her last book, The Princess Diarist. But in true Fisher fashion, rather than being overly sentimental, she made light of her mother's recent health scares. "For my mother -- for being too stubborn and thoughtful to die," the late actress writes. "I love you, but that whole emergency, almost dying thing, wasn't funny. Don't even THINK about doing it again in any form." Fisher, 60, was aboard an 11-hour flight from London to Los Angeles on Friday, Dec. 23, when she went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics removed her from the flight and rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she died on Dec. 27. Just one day later, on Dec. 28, Reynolds was rushed to the hospital due to a possible stroke. She died hours later at the age of 84. Fisher also dedicated the book to her only daughter, actress Billie Lourd. "For Billie -- for turning out better than I could deserve and imagine," Fisher wrote. Lourd thanked friends and family for their support on Monday, posting a heartfelt message alongside a vintage Instagram photo of herself posing with her late mother and grandmother. "Receiving all of your prayers and kind words over the past week has given me strength during a time I thought strength could not exist," Lourd captioned the shot. "There are no words to express how much I will miss my Abadaba and my one and only Momby. Your love and support means the world to me." In the acknowledgment section of her book, Fisher also gave a sweet mention to close friend Melissa Mathison, who was married to Star Wars costar Harrison Ford for 21 years. In Princess Diarist, Fisher admitted to having an affair with Ford while working on the first Star Wars movie, it was during his first marriage to Mary Marquardt. Mathison died in late 2015 of cancer. "And Melissa Mathison. You are loved and missed," Fisher concluded in the acknowledgments section of her book. (Eonline)

Carrie Fisher's half-sister, Joely Fisher, has picked up on her sister's talent for writing and penned a revealing tribute to the deceased 60-year-old Star Wars actress. Joely, 49, is the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Connie Stevens, and shares details about her childhood and growing up near her half-siblings, Carrie and Todd, in Malibu, California, in a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter. "We spent the better part of our childhoods as neighbors, our two families right next door," Joely writes. "I adored Mama Debbie -- she was such a character. And I got another sister and a brother in the deal, right there on the beach!" The 'Til Death actress continued: "During our transcontinental chat before Carrie's fateful flight from London to L.A., we promised we'd spend Christmas together. It's a promise we kept, although not in a way either of us had anticipated. Throughout the holiday, I sat by her side in a hospital room filled with a cacophony of sounds made by the machines keeping her barely alive. Debbie, of course, was there as well. She told me that she'd been praying for my time. More time for Carrie, for herself and for Connie. I knew if those prayers weren't answered, Debbie might very well join her daughter." In her tribute, Joely also writes about niece and Scream Queens actress Billie Lourd, who broke her silence on Monday to thank everyone for their prayers. "She would have wanted us to celebrate her life, her words and for Billie to be whole," Joely writes. "In time she will be. She is smart and soulful and magic. My sister Tricia Leigh and I vow to be whatever our niece Billie needs us to be." "You all lost Princess Leia and Carrie Fisher; I lost my hero, my mentor, my mirror," she continued, adding, "My brother Todd has lost his sister and his mother, whom he has said will lay to rest together. There is no universe where these ladies are not due their appropriate pedestals, and both will be memorialized in separate ceremonies in coming weeks." The mother-of-three admits in her letter to wanting her sister back, but writes, "We will honor these two magical people who have left the tribe in the way they lived, with grandeur and grace. I will soldier on." Joely concluded her tribute in the footsteps of her half-sister -- hinting at the possibility of picking up Carrie's writing pen, saying: "You can't 'right' this s -- , but you can 'write' it. And do I have a hell of a book in me." (People)

Natalie Portman, Amy Adams and More Stars Dress to the Nines for Palm Springs International Film Festival. The stars got dressed to the nines in the name of film. With awards season quickly approaching, the year's top movie talent stepped out in honor of the annual Palm Springs International Film Festival in California Monday night. Among the A-list attendees were expectant Natalie Portman and her husband Benjamin Millepied, both coordinating in black and navy ensembles. Fellow standout actresses Amy Adams and Nicole Kidman walked the red carpet sporting eye-catching fashions while Hidden Figures' Janelle Monáe was a sartorial standout in a bold black and white patterned gown. The male guests -- among them Andrew Garfield, Tom Hanks and Casey Affleck -- kept their ensembles classic in sleek tailored suits, but the real trend seemed to be plenty of facial hair. (Eonline)

How Oprah Winfrey Lost 42 Lbs. and Finally Found Happiness. A little positive thinking can go a long way -- just ask Oprah Winfrey. The Weight Watchers spokeswoman graces the magazine's January/February issue and speaks candidly about her weight loss journey. Since joining the program in the summer of 2015, she's down 42 lbs. But for the first time in her life, Winfrey is not defined by the number on the scale. It's no secret that Winfrey's waistline was once a cause of concern, as she often said during The Oprah Winfrey Show's 25 year-run. "For the longest time, I was afraid of a potato chip. Now I deny myself nothing," Winfrey explains. "I just don't give myself everything at the same time." And if she does? Well, there's always tomorrow. "Before, when I was 150 pounds, I'd imagine getting up to 200 lbs., and think, 'Oh my God.' But now I think, 'I never thought that at 200 lbs. I could look in the mirror and love my body, love myself, not chide and minimize myself for being 200 lbs.' At 200 lbs., I was OK. I have never, ever, ever been at that point. And then at 190 lbs., I was OK. If I don't lose another pound right now, I'm still OK," Winfrey says. "The fullness of life, the fullness of being, the self-acceptance -- I'd never done that before. I'd always beaten myself up because I was tied to a number." "It was frustrating to promise myself 'I'm going to do it today, I'm going to do it today,' and then not stick to my plan. So I shifted," the 62-year-old TV titan continues. "Now, I don't have a goal in mind. I get to a certain weight and I'm OK, and say, 'This is where I want to be. Hang in there. I'll get there when I get there.' And my body will tell me when I am exactly where I need to be." Winfrey, a stakeholder in Weight Watchers, isn't as tough on herself as she once was. "I lost at a steady pace and then went through this whole summer without losing a pound. That was OK because I was so happy with my life. There was no longer a sense of urgency to just lose the pounds; there was now a strong desire to be fully present and savor every meal," she says. "I focused on what I was eating and appreciating my life. Isn't that what everyone is looking for?" Certain things had to change, of course. "I make my well-being and fitness a priority, no matter what. Once I delay something, I get another reason to delay it, and then another reason to delay it, and so on," she explains. "You can't allow yourself to use excuses. You are the priority." Losing weight wasn't her goal, but rather a byproduct of her healthier lifestyle. "Intention is the most powerful principle that rules my world. It's the principle by which I rule my company and every action in my life," she reveals. "I do nothing without first thinking about why I'm doing it." "When the weight started to come off, I needed to get clear on my intention. I could lose weight to fit a dress size, or attend an event, or to make other people like me. But I couldn't keep it off for those reasons. I always put the weight back on. This time I changed the intention to, 'I want to be the healthiest I can be -- physically, emotionally, spiritually.' So the process and purpose of losing shifted for me," she says. "It was easier, because my intention was clearer." Winfrey says her intention is to "live more fully." Put simply, she says, it's "about having reverence for this body, this journey, this life, and every step you take." By sharing her story with fellow Weight Watchers members, she hopes they will set their intentions for "more than a number on a scale. Is your intention to live with more joy, energy, confidence and vitality?" Creating or finding a support system is key, Winfrey says. "The beautiful thing about Weight Watchers is that it keeps you accountable if you follow the plan long enough for the ultimate to happen," the former talk show host tells the magazine. "For me, the ultimate is the shift in the way you see yourself. It's not in the way you see yourself fitting into that dress or pair of jeans. It's in the way you see yourself fitting into your life. Embracing your life. Honoring your life. Having reverence and appreciation for your life." (Eonline)

Jennifer Lawrence & Darren Aronofsky Step Out Over The Weekend Amid The Actress' Claims She's Never Had A Kiss On New Year's! Jennifer Lawrence and Darren Aronofsky are still on! The twosome oozed powerhouse couple vibes over the weekend as they were spotted out and about strolling in NYC's Central Park. Awwww! The couple were all bundled up as they took the Hunger Games star's dog Pippi for a walk during the day over New Year's Eve weekend. Although, the 26-year-old's beloved pup didn't do much walking as J.Law kept Pippi underneath her coat for most of the jaunt! Ironically, the blonde stunner stopped by Late Night With Seth Meyers' New Year's Eve special where she admitted she's never had a midnight kiss on the big holiday. The Passengers actress explained: "I hate New Year's. I feel like everybody's chasing a good time. I don't think I've ever had a kiss on New Year's. When Harry Met Sally totally ruined New Year's for the rest of my life." Hmmm, we call bullsh*t. We mean, the A-lister and the acclaimed director have been "casually dating" for a while now -- but who knows. *shrugs* When the audience began to utter "Awws" for the superstar, Lawrence sarcastically snapped: "Oh yeah, poor me!" See, don't feel too badly for Jennifer, especially since she isn't single. LOLz! (Perez Hilton)

D.L. Hughley wants everyone crying about his "insensitive" Debbie Reynolds joke to look at themselves first -- stomaching Donald Trump's proof America's not so sensitive. We caught up with the comedian Monday in L.A. where we asked him about the backlash he got after cracking a joke about Debbie's death. D.L. couldn't care less. (TMZ)

Eva Amurri Martino has been forced to respond to "cruel" critics who chastised her for sharing her story of how her baby boy had his skull cracked. The devastated daughter of Susan Sarandon bravely revealed she's battling with depression after her infant son, Major, fell from the lap of a night nurse when she fell asleep. But as well as an outpouring of love, she also received criticism. "To those who have expressed judgment, cruelty, and criticism of me, my choices, or my fragility during this time- I'm not going to justify myself to you," she wrote in an Instagram post, alongside a photo of her cradling her 2-month-old son on Monday, January 2. "But I sincerely wish that 2017 brings you enough self-love and confidence that you no longer feel the need to tear down another person during their darkest moment." The mom-of-two, 31, also thanked those who did offer kind words and support. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has reached out with words of comfort or to share their own stories the past 24 hours," the Undateable star wrote. "It is so moving to know there are so many of you who are wishing our sweet boy well, and who are rooting us on as a family. ?I'd like to say one thing, which is that Parenthood is not a competition. Nobody gets an award at the end of all of it for doing it the best or most perfect way. All that matters is how we make our children feel, how we feel about them, and how we feel about ourselves as parents." In her initial post on her website www.happilyevaafter.com she admitted that despite Major making a full recovery from the injury that landed him in hospital for two days, she bore a tremendous amount of guilt over it. Martino, who is married to soccer commentator Kyle Martino, admitted to being "in an emotionally bad place" and feeling "depleted and anxious." She also believes she is suffering from some form of post-traumatic stress disorder likened to postnatal Depression. (US Weekly)

Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and their kids all touched down in L.A. Monday night after a very timely New Year's trip to visit the grave site of Kanye's mother. The Wests stepped off their private jet -- with Saint and North in tow -- after traveling to Oklahoma City. We're told it was the first time Kanye had taken the whole family to see where Donda West is buried. They hooked up with other members of the West family as well during the trip. Kanye's been very present with Kim and the kids over the last weeks as he recovers from his breakdown -- and we're told this family pilgrimage was extremely important to him. (TMZ)

Nothing to hide! Lea Michele got a cheeky start to 2017 when she stripped off for a totally nude Instagram snap on Sunday, January 1. The Scream Queens star left little to the imagination as she posed for the picture without a scrap of clothes on. "Loving you so far 2017," she captioned the photo in which she's laying outside on a wall, looking up to the sky. Michele turned her body away from the camera and protected her modesty with a tiny leaf emoji on her bare bottom. The 30-year-old has worked hard for her body and in Shape magazine's November 2016 she said her butt is "higher than it's ever been," thanks to some intense workouts. Michele revealed her fitness tips to the publication saying: "As I get older, my body is always changing. Right now I have so much energy, my skin looks good, and my butt is higher than it's ever been. I've been skinnier and I've been a little bit bigger, and I'm never hard on myself one way or the other. The fact that I'm active, eating well and taking care of myself is all that matters -- not a number." She credits a mix of SoulCycle, CorePower Hot Yoga and Studio MDR for her fabulous curves. (US Weekly)

Who knew English TV had this kind of money? "Celebrity Big Brother" UK is paying Ray J$1 MILLION to do the show. TMZ has seen paper proof producers are shelling out the cash for Ray ... and that's not all he's getting. They're giving him up to $30k to fly back and forth, but that includes his hotel. Judging from the pic after he signed the deal, Ray is rolling in the dough. The show begins airing live Tuesday night. Ray's manager, David Weintraub, would not comment on the deal, but said Ray's looking to buy a flat in the super expensive Mayfair district. (TMZ)

Carrie Fisher's family is on the hunt for the off-duty emergency workers who came to her aid on a United jet when her heart stopped. Family sources tell us ... they believe 2 people on Carrie's flight deserve a big thank you for their valiant effort. Flight attendants jumped on the P.A. asking for medical professionals to come forward ... and they did. We're told these 2 volunteers -- one of whom is a nurse -- "worked like crazy" to keep Carrie alive, despite the fact they couldn't get a pulse for more than 10 minutes. The family believes if it wasn't for them, they wouldn't have had a few extra days to say goodbye. The family will contact United to see if they can locate the passengers. (TMZ)

Music

The Chainsmokers Sign Three-Year Exclusive Club Residency Deal with Wynn Nightlife in Las Vegas. If you ever want to see The Chainsmokers in a nightclub again, you're going to have to head to Las Vegas. The Chainsmokers have signed an exclusive three-year deal with Wynn Nightlife which guarantees its properties XS and Encore Beach Club will be the only night and day clubs where the chart-topping, Grammy-nominated duo will perform live from now through 2019. "We are so thrilled to have this residency at the Wynn," the duo's Alex Pall is quoted in a press release. "They represent the best of what Las Vegas has to offer and we look forward to a great partnership." The "Closer" guys are no stranger to Las Vegas. In 2016's Billboard cover story, the duo revealed its recent move to Los Angeles was partly inspired by a need to be closer to Sin City. So far, 10 dates have been announced with the kick-off at XS Friday, Jan. 6, with dates running until Friday, May 12. "We're excited to welcome The Chainsmokers to XS and Encore Beach Club," Wynn Nightlife Executive Vice President and Managing Partner Alex Cordova says. "Partnering with such talented and sought-after artists exemplifies Wynn Nightlife's commitment to bringing world-class entertainment to our luxury venues." For more information on dates, tickets, and table reservations, visit Wynn online. (Billboard)

Jennifer Lopez Working on New Music with Drake, Takes in Rapper's New Year's Eve Show in Las Vegas. After Jennifer Lopez canceled her New Year's Eve performance in Miami, the singer was spotted at Drake's New Year's Eve show in Las Vegas. According to E! News, Lopez, Drake and their entourages dined together at Hakassan nightclub, where the rapper was scheduled to perform later that night. Fox 5 Vegas' Cherney Amhara also shared a pic of J.Lo watching the show from a VIP booth. During his set, Drake performed hits like "Hotline Bling," "Fake Love" and perhaps for the last time, the Meek Mill diss track "Back to Back." While he didn't acknowledge Lopez's presence publicly, he did address the crowd with a New Year toast, saying, and "These are moments you gotta appreciate. Doesn't matter how old you are, doesn't matter where you're going in your life, I just want you to understand -- I got love for each and every one of you and I wish you the best outcome of your motherf--king life straight up." A source close to the situation confirms to Billboard that the two are working on new music. Last week, the pair shared a snuggly Instagram photo and teased what sounded like a new collaboration during a prom-themed event, where they were shared a kiss and danced together. Billboard has also reached out to Lopez's rep for comment. (Billboard)

2 Chainz Hints at New Music With Justin Bieber. A rejuvenated Justin Bieber spread his artistic wings in 2016, thanks partly to off-piste collaborations with Major Lazer, DJ Snake and Post Malone. There's a good chance Bieber will continue on that vibe in 2017. And 2 Chainz might be in the mix. The Atlanta rap legend posted a picture of himself with the Canadian pop star, along with the cryptic message: "New music on the way ??? Take JB to the trap ???" Though 2 Chainz didn't share any specifics, the tip-off is getting serious traction with the 3 million followers of his Instagram account. Both artists have kept busy of late. 2 Chainz served up a new mixtape in late October, the seven-track Hibachi For Lunch, one of four projects for the year including the joint Lil Wayne effort ColleGrove, and the mixtapes Felt Like Cappin' and Daniel Son; Necklace Don. And he guested on Cashmere Cat's "Throw Myself a Party," which dropped last Thursday (Dec. 29). Bieber spent much of last year collecting awards and touring in support of his hit 2015 album Purpose. (Billboard)

Bruce Springsteen Says He Feels a Special 'Kind of Fear' Over Donald Trump's 'Competence' as President. Will the next Bruce Springsteen album include songs about President-elect Donald Trump? Not exactly, says the Boss in a new interview on Marc Maron's WTF podcast. "I haven't written about it. It takes a while to digest all those thing," he told Maron. "I don't know if I will, 'cause, I don't go, "Okay, I need a Trump album. That's what's got to come next.'" Springsteen said he writes from "inside out," and if he is inspired by something internally, "I can make a record based on what I can write about at a given moment." "Sometimes it ends up being topical. Sometimes it doesn't," he said. "But we've got a good arsenal of material right now, that we can go out and sort of put in service." Private citizen Springsteen said he does have his concerns about the next four years and if Trump is competent enough to lead. "I've felt disgust before, but never the kind of fear that you feel now," he said. "It's as simple as the fear of is someone simply competent enough to do this particular job? Forget about where they are ideologically. Do they simply have the pure competence to be put in the position of such responsibility?" Springsteen is also concerned that the "worst aspects that he appealed to comes to fruition." "When you let that genie out of the bottle -- bigotry, racism, intolerance -- they don't go back in the bottle that easily if they go back in at all," Springsteen said. "Whether it's a rise in hate crimes, people feeling they have license to speak and behave in ways that previously were considered un-American and are un-American. That's what he's appealing to. My fears are that those things find a place in ordinary, civil society and the country changes in a way that is unrecognizable, and we become estranged. You say, 'Hey, well, wait a minute, you voted for Trump? I thought I knew who you were ... ' You feel very estranged from your country." He is also critical of Trump's choices for his incoming Cabinet, adding "that doesn't speak very well for what's coming up." Springsteen still has faith, however, that "America is still America." "I still believe in its ideals, and I'm going to do my best to play my very, very small part in maintaining those things," he said. Listen to the podcast at wtfpod.com. (Billboard)

Moxie Raia Premieres 'Follow Me (KLYMVX Remix)' Video Feat. Wyclef Jean: Exclusive. Moxie Raia performs on Day 2 of V Festival 2016 at Weston Park on Aug. 21, 2016 in Stafford, England. Following the Nov. 4 release of her mixtape 931 Reloaded, Moxie Raia is back with the video for her song "Follow Me (KLYMVX Remix)" featuring Wyclef Jean, premiering exclusively on Billboard. The New Jersey/New York native, who has previously toured with Justin Bieber, has made waves making both the Spotify Viral 50 list and Billboard Twitter Emerging Artists chart with her songs "On My Mind" co-starring Pusha T and her rendition of "WWYD" with Vic Mensa. When it comes to creating new material, Raia says she is constantly searching for a specific feeling, similar to the vibes she felt listening to soul music with her father while growing up. "Mostly, [I look for] the feeling soul music gives me. So it really doesn't matter what genre; if I get that feeling that's what I'm always looking for in music," she tells Billboard. These abstract feelings encompass the concept of her latest video. An upbeat mix with a dance vibe diverging from the stripped down, acoustic original, the remix's accompanying visual features a collection of behind-the-scenes footage from tours and interviews. "Really the idea for the video was about following me to my happy place. It was basically saying, you know, 'Here's my journey. Follow me to my happy place and maybe you make a video of yourself going to your happy place,'" explains Raia. "And just knowing that wherever we follow each other, we're on each other's side. Whatever we're doing on our journeys, we're doing it to give and share love with one another." (Billboard)

Chris Brown and Soulja Boy Are Feuding Over Karrueche Tran. New year, new feud. Chris Brown and rapper Soulja Boy got into a Twitter feud late Monday night over Brown's ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran. The "Crank That" rapper instigated the fight when he claimed Brown called him to lash out over him liking one of Tran's Instagram posts. "Chris brown just called me and said he wanna fight me because I liked @karrueche picture on Instagram this n---a a bitch," Soulja Boy tweeted. He further fueled the feud's fire by continuing to tweet at Brown and accuse him of drug use. "Aye @chrisbrown pull up n---a I'll knock yo Bitch A-- out stop snorting so much coke n---a. FRUITS," he tweeted. Despite the consistent mentions, Brown didn't (at first) engage in the fight on Twitter. But that didn't stop Soulja Boy from tweeting. "F--k @chrisbrown," he added. "That n---a @chrisbrown better not tweet s--t with his p---y a--. He called my phone trippin so now I'm trippin F--k n---a. Fruits!" Even though Brown didn't engage in the Twitter war, Tran piped in, making it clear that she was probably rolling her eyes at the entire ordeal. "Okay back to studying," Tran tweeted, adding a peace sign emoji. Although she chose to ignore the ordeal, Soulja Boy pressed onwards, bringing up Brown's marred past with Rihanna. "Chris brown think he hard cuz he hit a woman," Soulja Boy tweeted. "And jumped a fan at his house party on New Years lmao u can't fight Bitch do that s--t to me." Eventually, Brown responded on Instagram. The "Next to You" performer posted a few videos and memes making fun of Soulja Boy, including footage of Soulja Boy trying to cover one of Brown's songs. "SO SORRY YALL! I GOTTA BEAT MY SON A--," Brown captioned the video. Brown also called out Soulja Boy in his Instagram story for getting arrested last month. "You on probation for weapons and all that gangsta s--t you talk about and you get out less than 24 hours later? You told!," Brown said. He ended the video by asking Soulja Boy to meet him in the boxing ring. Sigh. (Eonline)

U.K. Music Sales Grow 1.5 Percent In 2016 as Streaming, Vinyl See Massive Gains. Strong growth in streaming helped music sales in the U.K. increased by 1.5 percent in 2016, according to annual figures from labels trade body BPI. A total of 123 million equivalent album units were streamed, purchased on physical format and downloaded by British music consumers last year, with the total volume of music sales across all formats equivalent to more than approximately £1 billion ($1.2 billion) in retail. BPI notes that 2015 was a '53 week' chart year, with retailers benefitting from an extra week's trading. Applying a like-for-like sales metric over a 52 week period, the rise in music consumption would have been higher at around 4 percent. As to be expected, streaming was the main driver in fueling consumption, with 45 billion audio streams delivered in 2016 -- up 68 percent year-on-year and up 500 percent on just three years ago. That's equivalent to over 1,500 streams for each of the U.K.'s 27 million households. The number would also be far higher were video streams from platforms like YouTube included in Official Charts Company data. December also saw British music fans listen to over 1 billion audio streams in a single week -- the first time that such a milestone has been crossed. Audio streaming now accounts for over a third (36 percent) of all U.K. music consumption. "We believe this performance is indicative of the promise of a new era for music, where recorded music's investments in a digital future fuel compelling benefits for fans, artists and the entire music ecosystem," says BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor, noting the resilience of physical formats in the digital era, most notably vinyl. In 2016 over 3.2 million vinyl albums were sold in the U.K., up 53 percent on 2015 and the highest annual total since 1991. While still very much a niche format, vinyl now accounts for nearly 5 percent of the U.K. albums market and 2.6 percent of its overall recorded music market. Significantly, over 30 titles sold more than 10,000 copies in 2016, compared to just 10 in 2015, with David Bowie's Blackstar the year's biggest selling 12", followed by Amy Winehouse's Back To Black and the soundtrack to Guardians Of The Galaxy. CD sales fell by 11.7 percent in the same period, although still accounts for just over 40 percent of total music consumption throughout the U.K. with 47 million units sold in the calendar year. "We've definitely entered a multi-channel era," says Vanessa Higgins, CEO of Regent Street and Gold Bar Records, and an independent label member of BPI Council, noting that the CD "remains popular both with upcoming artists, who need an attractive physical product, and consumers, who still like to gift, collect and own the recordings they love." In line with previous years, download sales continued to fall and now account for just 22 percent of Brits' music consumption, with digital album sales and track equivalent albums totaling just under 28 million, down from 39 million the previous year. Adele's 25 was the UK's best-selling artist album for the second year running and has now sold a total of 3.2 million copies in the singer's home country. Coldplay's A Head Full Of Dreams was the year's second-biggest selling artist album, followed by the Michael Ball and Alfie Boe's duets collection Together, which was 2016's most purchased new artist release despite the fact that neither Ball or Boe (aged 54 and 43, respectively) are exactly what you would call 'new' artists. Now 95 was the year's best-selling album title overall, with the Now compilation series occupying three spaces in 2016's top 5. In the singles chart, Drake's "One Dance" featuring Wizkid and Kyla was the year's biggest-selling release, beating Lukas Graham's "7 Years" and Sia's "Cheap Thrills" to the top spot. "One Dance" was also the most streamed song in the U.K. in 2016, while Drake additionally topped the Official Charts Most Streamed Artist tally, ahead of Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Kanye West. (Billboard)

Movies

Ryan Gosling Pays Beautiful Tribute to Debbie Reynolds. Isn't any surprise that Ryan Gosling was thinking of Debbie Reynolds at Monday night's Palm Springs International Film Festival awards gala? The actor was on hand because his movie musical La La Land was honored with this year's Vanguard Award. "I wish I could have said this in person but I'd like to thank Debbie Reynolds for her wonderful career of work," said Gosling, who accepted the award alongside his director Damien Chazelle and composer Justin Hurwitz (co-star Emma Stone skipped the evening because she has strep throat). "She was an inspiration to us every day. We watched Singing in the Rain every day for inspiration, a truly unparalleled talent so thank you to her for all that inspiration." Honoree Nicole Kidman spoke about returning to the festival after first making an appearance 12 years ago with her late father Antony Kidman. "I was newly single and he came with me as my date...and he held my hand as we walked up the red carpet and I still have photos of that so this is really an emotional evening for me," the Lion star said. "And even though he's not here now a lot of great things have happened in my life in the last 12 years. I met the love of my life and I got married to him and I grew my family with him." Tom Hanks presented the Desert Palm Achievement Award to Jackie star Natalie Portman. "I think I can retire now after getting Tom Hanks to say such nice things about me," Portman quipped. She also shared a story about her grandmother telling her how she and her roommate had to share one dress when they moved to Palestine from Romania in the late 1930s. "They had to take turns who could go out for the day," Portman said. "One would stay home in their bed in their underwear while the other friend got to be out working and wearing the one dress. I think it would tickle her I hope at least to know that I got to play the best-dressed woman in the world." Spotlight Award winner Andrew Garfield went off script to thank Hanks for being his greatest inspiration. "You are directly responsible for me being here and to be standing beside you is a humbling honor to say the least," the star of Hacksaw Ridge and Silence said of Hanks, who received the night's only standing ovation when his Sully co-star Laura Linney presented him with the Icon Award. Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe spoke when their film Hidden Figures received the Ensemble Performance Award. The real-life drama tells the story of three black female scientists who were instrumental in the success of the U.S. space program in the 1960s. "I hope we as human beings when we watch this film it serves as a reminder of what happens when we set aside our differences, when we get rid of the isms -- the racism, the sexism, the classism," Monáe said. "I hope it serves as a reminder that we can achieve the extraordinary." The night's honorees also included Amy Adams for Arrival, Moonlight's Mahershala Ali, Manchester By the Sea star Casey Affleck, Ruth Negga for Loving and Annette Bening. (Eonline)

Anastasia Steele Faces Death in New Extended Trailer for Fifty Shades Darker. Things are really heating up now. Sure, the newest extended trailer for the upcoming Fifty Shades Darker is packed with the same sexy scenes gifted to fans in previous spots -- Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey's too-close elevator ride, their steamy shower romp, non-metaphorical fireworks -- but its the latest trailer's finale that will have fans holding their breath for a new reason. Previous teasers had hinted at the protagonist's uncomfortable introduction to one of her boyfriend's stalker exes, but this time, it went as far to show the moment Dakota Johnson's character comes face to face with Leila Williams (played by Bella Heathcote). To make matters worse, Williams has a gun in her hand and it's pointed right at Steele's face. "Tell me what you have that I don't," Williams is heard saying for the first time before Grey walks in at the perfect time, of course. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait with bated breath for the movie's debut to see what transpires because the clip cuts to black. The two-minute clip plays to the tune of Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift 's latest hit, "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" as additional scenes show Grey and Steele plummeting in a helicopter crash, discovering their car vandalized and fleeing Steele's menacing boss, Jack Hyde. After all, as the trailer promises, "Every fairy tale has a dark side." Let's just say this trailer keeps its promise. Fifty Shades Darker hits theaters on Feb. 10. (Eonline)

South Korea Box Office Flatlines in 2016 After Years of Growth. Homegrown films dominated again as local productions by Hollywood studios made a splash and Disney ended the year as the highest-ranked U.S. distributor. The South Korean box office reached about $1.44 billion (1.74 trillion Korean won) in 2016, up by just 1.2 percent in local currency terms and 2.1 percent in dollar terms, from the previous year's $1.41 billion (1.72 trillion won), according to the Korean Film Council's KOBIS database. The flattish result came despite a number of domestic films that performed strongly. While cinema admissions -- by which local industry watchers measure box-office performance -- crossed 200 million for the fourth straight year, overall revenue flatlined for the first time since 2008, when the box office declined by 0.04 percent in the local currency. In fact, the market growth rate halved for the second consecutive year. Growth of 1.2 percent in Korean won was less than half of the 3 percent recorded in 2015, which was again half of the 6 percent gain that South Korea had enjoyed in 2014. The 2016 results continue a steady deceleration since an unprecedented boom in 2012, when revenue jumped 15 percent. Annual growth averaged about 6 percent-plus in 2011 and 2010. As far as factors playing into the weaker growth, ticket sales fell sharply in November as massive, nationwide political protests were held on a weekly basis. Helping the box office was a record number of theatrical releases as 1,564 titles hit cinemas, up 23 percent from 1,203 in 2015. The Korean currency, which weakened considerably against the dollar last year, was also a factor that industry observers kept an eye on. Domestic films continued to lead the market for the sixth consecutive year, with marked interest in political thrillers reflecting the sense of uncertainty in the country. A total of 336 local titles opened in 2016 to dominate the market, finishing with a share of 57.3 percent, compared with TKTK in 2015. There were six more U.S. films in cinemas during the year, but the 343 titles accounted for 42.6 percent of the market share with $611.7 million, compared with 43.5 percent and $615.3 million in 2015. Korean zombie actioner Train to Busan became not only the biggest film of 2016 in the country, but also one of the highest-grossing movies of all time ($76.8 million). The top distributors remained about the same from 2015, as CJ Entertainment held on to the top spot with a 16 percent share for its 22 releases, including Niam Leeson action film Operation Chromite, Park Chan-wook's Cannes competition piece The Handmaiden and DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 3. Showbox followed in the second spot with a 15 percent market share via a lineup of 10 titles, including crime drama A Violent Prosecutor and disaster thriller Tunnel. Walt Disney Korea came in third with a 14 percent share for its 10 releases. Only two among the year's top 10 films in South Korea hailed from Hollywood, namely Marvel/Disney's Captain America: Civil War at No. 3 and Doctor Strange at No. 9. Local productions by Hollywood studios, however, made a splash, with Warner Bros.' The Age of Shadows ranking fourth and Fox's The Wailing finishing seventh. Among Hollywood releases, there were a considerable number of re-runs, many of which drew more revenue during their second time in theaters. Smaller films also made a splash, most notably as Korea leads the international market for La La Land ($17.2 million and counting). (Hollywood Reporter)

TV

Sorry, But Will & Grace's Revival Isn't a Done Deal Yet, Debra Messing Says. Will & Grace's return isn't exactly right, according to series star Debra Messing. Messing took to Twitter to shoot down reports of a series revival pick-up that were stoked by Will & Grace guest star Leslie Jordan. "It's back," Jordan said in a radio interview, claiming NBC has ordered 10 episodes that will begin shooting in July 2017 with a targeted premiere date of next fall. But Messing, who, you know, would know this stuff, said that's not exactly true. "Sadly Leslie was wrong. Nothing beyond talks," she tweeted in response to a fan. But the talks! The talks we've known about. Talks are good. Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally recently reunited for a 10-minute YouTube video to encourage viewers to vote in the 2016 presidential election. Since the reunion, Mullally said there has been interest in bringing the gang back together again officially. "Well, there's some interest and people have been talking and there's some rumors... From what I can tell, a lot of people really want the show to come back, so we'll see what happens," Mullally told host Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live while promoting Why Him?. Will & Grace aired for eight seasons between 1998-2006. Since the voting PSA, the cast has been together for political events and posting and awful lot on social media. After Jordan's comments, Mullally posted a photo, just in time for New Year's Day... and to stoke the revival flames. McCormack confirmed 10-episode revival talk in late 2016. "Well, you know what? The four of us were so surprised that Max [Mutchnick, Will & Grace co-creator] called us up and said, 'OK, don't ask how, but I've got the set and everything, so let's do something and help the cause.' It was so much fun to do and the response was so huge. And it's kind of amazing too that between [director] Jimmy Burrows and our set decorators, they made it look like an episode of the show," McCormack told TVInsider. "So, when NBC came back and said, 'Is there more to this?' the talk right now is that we are sort of in talks [for] maybe something limited, a little 10 episodes...but it's going to be awhile before we can figure it out. I'm the only one with a [regular] series, but the other three could have a series at any moment. So, it is a very hard thing to schedule but we're certainly all into it," he continued. (Eonline)

Oh No, Degrassi: Next Class Will Have Another Car Crash in Season 3. Don't untag and drive, kids. That's just one of the latest lessons Degrassi: Next Class will be teaching viewers when it returns for its third season on Netflix on Friday, Jan. 6, and E! News has your exclusive first look at the wreckage. In the sneak peek from the season three premiere, Zoe (Ana Golja) and Goldi (Soma Bhatia) get into a minor car accident after Zoe, who came out to her classmates at the end of last season, discovers her mother might find out she's gay from a viral video posted by Vijay (Dante Scott) that accuses her of being "a self-hating gay." While Zoe's accident is fortunately a minor one, the same can't be said for the shocking bus crash that came at the end of the season two finale, leaving the fate of more than a few fan-favorite characters in jeopardy. Maya (Olivia Scriven), Zig (Ricardo Hoyos), Tristan (Lyle Lettau), Jonah (Ehren Kassam), Grace (Nikki Gould) and Tiny (Richard Walters) were all on the school bus when it crashed, and while no casualties had been reported, one student was taken to the hospital in critical condition. And judging from our exclusive sneak peek, we learn Tristan survived the crash (Phew!) but is no longer student council president, with that title now belonging to Zoe. So yeah, we're still worried about Degrassi's (former?!) prez. Degrassi: Next Class' third season will premiere Friday, Jan. 6 on Netflix. (Eonline)

The New Celebrity Apprentice Premiere Finally Reveals Arnold Schwarzenegger's Catch Phrase. You're fired is fired. After a long wait, The New Celebrity Apprentice finally returned on Monday night, with Arnold Schwarzenegger taking over for former host and current President-Elect Donald Trump, and finally ending the speculation over what his signature catchphrase would be that would replace "You're fired." Of course, Schwarzenegger's send-off line ended up coming from his hit film Terminator: "You're terminated." Obvious? Sure, but it gets the job done. ("Hasta la vista" definitely could've worked, too.) So who were the two celebrity contestants who were terminated in the Jan. 2 episode? Carnie Wilson, singer and member of Wilson Phillips, and Youtube star Carrie Keagan were fired by the former governor of California by the two-hour premiere's end. "The first one wasn't easy. But you know the line now, and the celebs know my expectations," Schwarzenegger tweeted after the premiere aired. "Take risks, give everything." Still left in the competition are Laila Ali, Brooke Burke-Charvet, Eric Dickerson, Boy George, Matt Iseman, Carson Kressley, Lisa Leslie, Jon Lovitz, Vince Neil, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Kyle Richards, Chael Sonnen, Porsha Williams, and Ricky Williams. Helping out Schwarzenegger in the board room this season is an impressive roster of advisors that includes Tyra Banks, Jessica Alba, the founder and CCO of the Honest Company and Honest Beauty, Warren Buffett, and former Microsoft CEO and Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, as well as Schwarzenegger's nephew, prominent entertainment attorney Patrick Knapp Schwarzenegger. The New Celebrity Apprentice airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on NBC. (Eonline)

Janelle Monae says gospel singer Kim Burrell has been 86d from "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in the wake of her homophobic rant. Janelle told our photog at LAX Burrell sunk herself with an anti-gay church sermon last week. Kim did a duet with Pharrell on the soundtrack of "Hidden Figures," so she was supposed to sing it with him on Ellen's show this week ... and Janelle -- who's one of the movie's stars -- is also set to be a guest. Now, Janelle says it'll just be her and Pharrell. Janelle also has some choice words for Burrell. We reached out to Ellen's people. So far ... no word back. (TMZ)

'Man in the High Castle' Renewed, Taps New Showrunner for Season 3. Season two of the drama premiered with the most viewers of all of Amazon's original series over its debut weekend (Dec. 16). Amazon is returning to the Castle. The streaming service and retailer has renewed The Man in the High Castle for a third season and brought in a showrunner to oversee the scripted drama, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Eric Overmyer has boarded the series as showrunner after the drama operated its sophomore season without an executive producer after Frank Spotnitz exited the series midway through production over budget and location issues. Overmyer takes over the drama after previously working with Amazon on Bosch. His credits also include The Affair and The Wire. Season three of Bosch, Amazon's longest-running original, is expected to debut this year. The police procedural has been renewed for a fourth season. "We're running, in many ways, like a republic," executive producer David Zucker told reporters in August when asked who was serving as showrunner in Spotnitz's absence. Amazon, which does not release viewership information like other streamers including Netflix and Hulu, said in a release that Castle season two premiered with the most viewers of all of its original series over the show's debut weekend (Dec. 16). Amazon in December 2015 said Castle had surpassed Bosch as its most-watched original during its freshman run. "As timely as ever, the exploration of characters at a dark point for humanity has provided incredible stories for two seasons," Amazon Studios head of comedy Joe Lewis said. "Eric and his team are doing an incredible job crafting stories about the inner lives of those who struggle to do good in a world that is not. We couldn't be more excited to bring season three to customers in 2017." Castle, based on the Philip K. Dick novel of the same name, imagines a world where the U.S. lost World War II and is now occupied by Nazi Germany on the East Coast and Imperial Japan on the West Coast. Spotnitz created the series and remains credited as an exec producer alongside Ridley Scott, Zucker and Dick's daughter, Isa Dick Hackett. Alexa Davalos, Rupert Evans, Luke Kleintank, DJ Qualls, Joel De La Fuente, Brennan Brown, Bella Heathcote, Callum Keith Rennie, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and Rufus Sewell star. The Castle renewal comes after Amazon scrapped well-reviewed drama Good Girls Revolt following one season. The drama, produced by Sony Pictures Television, is being shopped to other outlets. Meanwhile, Amazon has yet to make decisions on the fate of Woody Allen's Crisis in Six Scenes, David E. Kelley's Goliath, Mozart in the Jungle, Red Oaks and import Fleabag. Next up for Amazon are I Love Dick, Jean-Claude Van Johnson, The Last Tycoon and Z: The Beginning of Everything. (Hollywood Reporter)

'Bones' Creator Hart Hanson Pens Emotional Farewell to Beloved Fox Drama. Fox's longest-running scripted drama begins its final season Tuesday. On Dec. 9, Bones shot its last scenes because it had come to the end of its record-setting run. (It's the longest-running scripted hour in Fox history!) For 12 seasons, Stage 6 on the Fox lot was home to the Jeffersonian Institute Forensics Laboratory in Washington, D.C., and series-finale director David Boreanaz was tasked with filming the last sequence involving the main characters who had inhabited that fictional but oh-so-real setting for more than a decade. Mostly around an area on the set we call "the platform." The characters whom FBI agent Seeley Booth dubbed "Squints" in the pilot (because they are scientists who look at things and "squint") were there: pathologist Camille Saroyan, bug and slime expert Jack Hodgins, forensic artist Angela Montenegro and the intellectual-center-around-whom-they-all-revolved, forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan. Without spoiling the series finale, let's say there was a certain elegiac quality to it. As there was with the director and cast -- Boreanaz, Tamara Taylor, T.J. Thyne, Michaela Conlin and Emily Deschanel -- because everybody knew it was the last time this core cast would work together. Not bad for a little comedic procedural that mostly flew beneath the radar. Never a critical darling, never a smash success, never beloved by the Fox network, Bones was the Little Engine That Could. Moved around the schedule like a sacrificial pawn, Bones nevertheless survived longer than anyone could have imagined. Director Boreanaz called "cut" a little early so that cast and crew could gather for a photo on the platform. Which is when the most wonderful thing happened: spontaneous speeches! It was surprisingly emotional. I enjoyed standing with the cast and crew on the platform watching speeches from cast and crew unfold because I started this carnival/parade/movable feast by writing the Bones pilot in my backyard shed in 2004. Of course, 20th Century Fox Television could lay claim to starting the Bones ball rolling because they hired me to write. So might producer Barry Josephson, who had first seen potential in the life and times of real-life forensic anthropologist and novelist Kathy Reichs who, come to think of it, was there before any of us. On the other hand, it was director Greg Yaitanes who first saw how to take typing-on-a-paper and turn it into a living TV series. Of course it's the cast who turned concepts into believable characters. Not to mention a network who bought the series. So, all in all, pretty silly for me to claim credit for starting Bones. These were the thoughts going through my head as cast and crew spoke on that last day, after that last amazing group photograph was captured. What the hell could I say, facing those people? Not much, it turns out, because suddenly looking at cast and crew smiling down at me from the platform, I saw faces of people who had given blood, sweat, tears, heart and soul to Bones for season after season. For years! I saw the children who were born. Couples who married. All the shadows of cast and crew past. Not to mention the ghosts of a few of our own who had died while Bones was in production. It's a miracle that forensic platform didn't collapse under the weight of that whole damned village! But, of course, it didn't collapse. Like everything else attached to Bones, that platform (essentially our main stage, the center of the series) was constructed by professionals who took pride in their jobs. Thanks, everyone. Thank you so much. You did a wonderful job. We're all going to miss us all. The final season of Bones airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Fox. (Hollywood Reporter)

Khloe Kardashian Dishes on Her New E! Series Revenge Body: ''This Is a Show That Really Focuses From the Inside Out." Khloe Kardashian wants to help people get the ultimate revenge. As the host of her new E! series, Revenge Body With Khloe Kardashian, the 32-year-old will guide contestants as they work to get a healthier mind, body and soul. "Revenge Body is basically a show about taking people that not so much are seeking revenge in a harmful, malicious way, but revenge in the best way possible, which is a good body," Khloe tells E! News' Sibley Scoles in the exclusive interview. Khloe explains, "So people that have gone through really traumatic experiences in life, not all of them are breakups, some of them have lost a parent or something that's been really traumatic which has caused them to gain a lot of weight and they don't really know how to get control over their life again. So whatever that circumstance is I want them to get revenge on that incident." But this show isn't just about the physical journey, it's about the emotional one as well. "It's not just physically, this is a show that really focuses from the inside out," Khloe reveals. "That's like my book and my journey is all about mind, body and soul. But I do believe working out is a form of therapy, I think it builds you an emotional set of armor as well." Tune into the series premiere on Jan. 12! (Eonline)

Megyn Kelly Leaves Fox News for New Role at NBC News. Megyn Kelly is reportedly starting a new chapter in her news career. The longtime host of Fox News' The Kelly File will be vacating her anchor chair for a new role at NBC News, according to The New York Times. NBC News chairman Andrew Lack reportedly offered Kelly a chance to host her own daytime news and discussion program, anchor an in-depth Sunday night news show and also a role taking part in the network's special political programming and other big event coverage. Kelly, who hosted one of Fox News' most popular shows, has reportedly been in contract negotiations for months. In October, the Wall Street Journal reported that the 46-year-old hoped to upgrade her current deal, which expires in July, to an average annual salary north of $20 million for her next contract, which would put her earnings on par with fellow Fox News host Bill O'Reilly. At the time, Fox News CEO Rupert Murdoch, who is also co-executive chairman of its parent company, 21st Century Fox, told The New York Times he hoped Kelly won't go anywhere. "It's up to her," he said, but added that there are other talented hosts who could step in. "We have a deep bench of talent, many of whom would give their right arm for her spot." Murdoch also stated that he was being kept up to date on the contract talks "every minute of the day." Kelly's departure also arises months after a growing group, including Kelly herself, exposed former Fox News head Roger Ailes of pervasive sexual harassment at the company. Kelly revealed in November why she decided to continue at the career, telling Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos: "Realistically, that would have been a suicide mission for me and my career. ... I wasn't Megyn Kelly of today. I had no power. And he was on the cover of industry magazines as the most powerful man in news. There was no one to go to." (People)

Celebrity Apprentice ratings fall sharply without Trump. The much-hyped revamp of The New Celebrity Apprentice seems to have fired some of its viewers. With Arnold Schwarzenegger taking over for President-elect Donald Trump in the boardroom, NBC's two-hour premiere delivered 4.9 million viewers and a 1.3 rating among adults 18-49 on Monday night. That's down a steep 44 percent in the ratings compared to the reality show's previous opener back in 2015 (which was on a Sunday night vs. this season's Monday debut). NBC points out, the show faced heavy competition for male viewers from ESPN's Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl coverage. Alternately, ratings could have fallen because of Trump -- some Trump critics have sworn off watching the show given the president-elect's ongoing attachment to the series (certainly the reactions to this story in my Twitter feed suggest this is the case). Online boycott proclamations over various issues don't often seem to impact viewership numbers, however, and the idea of half a show's rating vanishing because of a producing credit seems far-fetched to me. People watch a show because of what's on the show. And Trump -- regardless of how you feel about him -- tends to boost the ratings of everything he's on. So: Was the two-year hiatus to blame for the decline? The sports competition on ESPN? The schedule change from Sunday to Monday? Trump's producing credit? This cycle's cast of competitors? Or Schwarzenegger taking over from Trump? To me, the most visible and impactful change is the host gig switching. But it could be one of the others or, most likely of all, some combination of all of the above. Ultimately it's very tough to pinpoint an exact reason why millions choose to watch a show or not. Regardless of the cause, The New Celebrity Apprentice was crushed by ABC's The Bachelor premiere (6.6 million viewers, 2.1 rating), which was basically held steady with last year's debut. Trump retains a producing credit on the new Apprentice -- as is contractually standard for founding executive producers, even if they leave the series -- yet he isn't creatively involved in the show. NBC parted ways with Trump shortly after he announced his presidential campaign two years ago. NBC introduced some changes to the format, such as moving the show from New York to Los Angeles and replacing Trump's limo with Arnold's "choppa." Schwarzenegger unveiled his new contestant-dismissing catchphrase, which is basically "you're terminated" followed by a line from one of his other iconic films. Our writer Dalton Ross called Schwarzenegger "a little stiff at first... what I didn't like was the way he kept letting people off the hook when he would ask them pointed questions about who messed up or who should be fired... He was better in the second hour, however, which finally culminated with him basically doing an impersonation of Hanz and Franz impersonating a 'girly man' impersonating Snooki crumbling about stepping outside of her comfort zone. I rewatched that on a loop about 50 times and I still honestly couldn't tell you what the hell he was saying or doing here. But I still loved it. More of that, please. Nonsensical rambling is a hallmark of every great Celebrity Apprentice." (People)