ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Russell Brand Marries Laura Gallacher, Mother of Their Child. Russell Brand is a married man once more. The 42-year-old British actor and comedian married fiancee Laura Gallacher, the 30-year-old mother of their baby, in England Saturday. The two had dated on and off for a few years before getting engaged in 2016. Brand announced the news on his Radio X podcast, saying "I'm living a married life now...I'm domestic," BBC News reported, adding that he also told listeners he got his nose hairs waxed for the first time for the wedding. Brand and Gallacher tied the knot in front of about 100 family members and friends, including his Forgetting Sarah Marshall co-star Jason Segel and Noel Gallagher, at a church near their home in Henley-on-Thames, Oxon, The Sun and The Henley Standard reported. The Sun posted photos of the bride and groom on a paddle steamer riverboat. Gallacher wore a long sleeve, white lace dress with a knee-high slit and cathedral-length veil. Brand sported formal black pants and a vest, a white shirt opened to reveal the top part of his chest and gray suede boots. The wedding took place about nine months after Gallacher gave birth to her and Brand's first child, daughter Mabel. Brand and their daughter arrived to the ceremony in a silver Mercedes van, while Gallacher traveled to the church in a white Rolls Royce, accompanied by her father Bernard, The Henley Standard reported. "They wanted a very small, personal affair with their daughter Mabel, family and close friends rather than a circus," a source told The Sun. "It was a lovely occasion. Mabel was guest of honor." After exchanging vows, Brand and Gallacher, as well as their daughter, emerged to music from the Brass Funkeys. Guests showered them in confetti, after which everyone made their way to the boat, The Henley Standard said. The couple hosted an Indian-themed reception, where staff members wore saris, the newspaper said. Brand practices Hinduism. He had proposed to Katy Perry in India on New Year's Eve 2009 and married her there in a traditional Indian ceremony the following year. They split in 2011 and divorced in 2012. (Eonline)

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Role in San Andreas Just Helped a 10-Year-Old Boy Save a Life. Not all heroes wear capes on and off the big screen. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson knows that his film San Andreas entertained thousands of moviegoers when it was released in 2015. What he didn't realize until now is the simple fact that it could have saved a two-year-old boy's life. In a new Instagram post Friday evening, Dwayne shined a light on a story in Baltimore that takes Hollywood magic to a new meaning. "You know there's a little 10-year-old boy out there and his name is Jacob O'Connor. He's a real-life hero," he explained in a social media video. "He couldn't find his little two-year-old brother Dylan so he went out back and found little Dylan lying face down in their pool. Jacob pulled him out, remained calm and started administering CPR and chest compressions and saved his little brother's life." Dwayne continued, "He learned how to do this by watching this big, brown tattooed guy in his favorite movie San Andreas. Jacob, I'm so proud of you so much so that I've got to meet you. I've got to shake the hands of a real-life hero." According to Jacob, he remembers an important scene from San Andreas where Dwayne was doing compression to save a life. It later proved to be invaluable. "There was an earthquake, then it caused a tsunami and then there was a daughter that was drowning and he had to get her out and he did the same thing," the 10-year-old told ABC2 News. After saving his brother's life, Jacob will hopefully have the opportunity to fly with his family to Vancouver where he will meet the actor on set of his upcoming film Skyscraper. "When you come to my sets, it's like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory dude because you can eat all the sweets you want and it's all free," Dwayne teased. "Yes, it's free. I'll see you next week buddy." He added, "Hopefully, your little 2yr old brother, Dylan is well enough to fly because I wanna meet him too. I'll have some very nice people contact your family in the upcoming days to make the arrangements." According to ABC2, Dylan was only in the hospital for a day before heading home. In other words, this story truly has a happy ending. (Eonline)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Head to Livingstone Following Botswana Adventure. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are ending the summer holiday on a high note. E! News has learned the royal family member and his leading lady headed to Livingstone in Zambia Thursday evening to continue their vacation. They traveled across the Kazungula border from Botswana and will be staying in the area for a few days. According to a source, Prince Harry "has one more romantic surprise arranged for Meghan." If all goes as planned, the Suits star will enjoy a visit to Victoria Falls. "VIPs love to take helicopter tours of the falls," a local source shared with The Mirror. "It's one thing to experience them at ground level, but high up is where you really get to see how spectacular the view is and just how enormous it is." The couple's latest destination comes shortly after vacationing in Africa in celebration of Meghan's recent 36th birthday. After arriving in Botswana, Meghan celebrated her special day with close friends of Harry. A source also revealed that a Botswana safari, trip to Okavango Delta and more was on the agenda. "Harry knows exactly where to stay on a trip like this and he's also worked closely with a trusted tour guide who has helped with arrangements and organizing excursions," our insider shared. "There may be some luxury but there will be a big element of daring stuff, too. They just want to get really close to the animals and the people." And as the pair continues to celebrate one year of dating, some can't help but wonder if an engagement is in the future. While the ultra-private twosome keeps fans guessing, those close to Harry and Meghan know love is in the air. "It's, of course, very serious and both Harry and Meghan are focused on the future," a source previously shared with us. "Engagement talk isn't just between the two of them, even some of Harry's closest aides are quietly expecting news before the end of the year." (Eonline)

Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes Are ''Really Happy'' and Keeping a Low Profile in Los Angeles. Katie Holmes and Foxx continue to keep their unconfirmed relationship on the down-low. The actor was photographed at The Commons at Calabasas in Southern California this week around the same time Holmes and her 11-year-old daughter Suri Cruise were also spotted at the upscale retail center. Foxx -- dressed stylishly in a navy blue polo, khakis and wide-brimmed hat -- picked up dessert from Menchie's Frozen Yogurt. One source said that upon Foxx's departure, it appeared he was headed in the direction of Katie's home. For years, the A-listers have fielded romance rumors, but have yet to either confirm or deny the status of their relationship. But as a second source explains, the Dawson's Creek alum and her man are still going strong. "They are really happy," the insider tells E! News. "It's easy and they are for sure very much in love." The source continues, "They are doing their thing as usual and keeping a very, very low profile." In April, eyewitness caught the duo enjoying a private dinner date in New York City. But ever since then, it's been practically impossible to nail down Katie and Jamie in the same place at the same time. Earlier this summer, the actress was photographed in Los Angeles conspicuously close to her rumored beau, though not actually together. So can fans ever expect Katie and Jamie to finally go public? According to our source, unfortunately not. "Katie and Jamie will not at any time talk about their union," our source shares. "They like their life private." And who could blame them?! E! News has reached out to their reps for comment. (Eonline)

Whitney Port Breaks Down in Tears Talking About Breastfeeding Pain. Whitney Port is experiencing the not-so-wondrous aspects of motherhood. The 32-year-old Hills alum gave birth to her and husband Tim Rosenman's first child, son Sonny, in late July. In a video posted on her YouTube page on Thursday, Port is seen breaking down in tears while talking about how difficult and painful it has been for her to breastfeed her baby -- a common problem for new moms. "I think I'm just tired," she said. "And I obviously want to breastfeed. I don't know [why]. I honestly think it's, I guess because that's what people say, like, is the best bonding experience." Port said breastfeeding was difficult from the beginning. "I thought I was doing really well and the nurses there said that the latch was good and I was like, really surprised but after about 24 to 48 hours of doing it, I just started to get so incredibly painful and we came home and I just like hit a breaking point and said, 'I can't do this. It feels like someone's like, slicing my nipples with glass,'" Port said. She said her family's "amazing baby nurse" suggested she try pumping instead and give Sonny formula as a temporary solution. Port said pumping was less painful. She said a lactation consultant then told her Sonny may need minor surgery to correct a tongue tie problem could be the reason for the painful breastfeeding. A pediatrician said he did have a mild case and performed the procedure. But Port still found breastfeeding painful after it was done. "I've been getting pressure from more older people that want me to try it and continue to try it," she said. "I just don't know if it's something that is going to get better or not, so that's why I feel anxious about it. Like, how much longer do I continue to try it before I just give up on it and just pump and give him the bottles and be OK with it?" Port said that she never thought the pressure from others to breastfeed would get to her, adding, "I think I'm a pretty strong person and I go with my gut and I don't really compare myself to other people or what other people are doing." "And now I'm doing exactly that," she said, adding, "I just don't want to be regretful that I haven't tried everything." "I think some of those things I'm feeling, I'm right for feeling -- I think that they're real issues, and some things are probably being magnified by my hormones and like, these post-baby blues that people talk about, you know, that could last anywhere from like a week to months," she said. "But I think it's all normal." (Eonline)

Tanya Tucker's tribute to Glen Campbell has struck the wrong chord with his widow Kim Campbell, who thinks Tucker's serving a "distorted fairy tale" of their short-lived romance to the masses ... but Tucker says it's purely for charity. Tanya, who dated Glen in the '80s before he married Kim, released the song "Forever Loving You" about Glen, on August 9, a day after he died of Alzheimer's. She's been on a media blitz promoting the track ever since. Kim's people say Tanya is "callous and disrespectful," exploiting Glen's name. They say it pains Kim to see Glen and Tanya's faces all over tabloids, with headlines like "He Was The Love of My Life." Kim's camp says, in reality, Tanya had nothing to do with Glen for 35 years, and Kim worked tirelessly to help him battle Alzheimer's. Tanya's "Today" performance is what sent Kim through the roof, when the hosts expressed their sympathy to Tucker and not the grieving widow and 3 kids Glen left behind. Tanya's camp says she's just using the moment to raise awareness for Alzheimer's. We got Tanya in NYC this week and she seemed pretty clueless to any hard feelings. (TMZ)

Sofia Vergara and Nick Loeb's Frozen Embryo Legal Battle Ends in Louisiana. Sofia Vergara has scored a major victory in her legal battle against ex Nick Loeb over their frozen embryos. On Friday, a Louisiana federal judge granted the 45-year-old Modern Family actress' motion to dismiss the case against her in the state for lack of personal jurisdiction, court records show. In 2015, a year after they broke up, Loeb, 42, filed a custody lawsuit against Vergara in California, claiming that she had undergone IVF in 2013 and had had embryos created from his sperm and her eggs. Two were frozen for a possible future pregnancy. Loeb claimed Vergara now wants them destroyed. She has denied this, saying the two had signed an agreement under which no unilateral action for the embryos can be taken. In late 2016, a California judge ruled Loeb must name two of his ex-girlfriends who terminated their own pregnancies more than two decades ago in order for the case to continue, as requested by Vergara. He appealed the decision, but his appeal was denied. A right-to-live lawsuit was then filed in Louisiana on behalf of the embryos against Vergara, asking that they be given to Loeb so that they can be given the chance to be implanted in a surrogate, possibly turn into babies and then receive a trust set up for them. The fertilized eggs were listed as plaintiffs "Emma" and "Isabella" in the suit, and it was requested that Loeb receive custody of the embryos in order for them to live and ultimately inherit a trust fund that was created in their names. The documents stated that Vergara has "effectively abandoned and chronically neglected" the embryos by "refusing to consent to their development or care." This past February, Vergara filed papers in California asking for declaratory relief and a permanent injunction that would officially block Loeb from being able to use the embryos without her written consent. (Eonline)

Tyga had better ante up A LOT of money he owes to his old biz partner, 'cause if he doesn't ... Sheriff John Brown could come knockin' for the dough ... now more than $2 mil. Tyga's former business associate, Chuon Guen Lee, just filed docs with L.A. County Superior Court asking a judge for an assist in collecting a $1.9 million judgment she won against him last year ... which has now ballooned to $2,148,411. You'll recall ... Tyga was sued by Lee in 2015 for allegedly stealing their t-shirt idea for a company they were starting at the time called Last Kings. Welp, he lost that lawsuit ... and was ordered to pay up. Lee's saying she hasn't been able to track down Tyga.. If the court signs off on her request ... Tyga might get a visit from a sheriff's deputy. We've reached out to Tyga for comment ... so far, no word back. (TMZ)

Ron White's estranged wife survived cancer, but claims Ron left her without a penny to pay for doctor's bills. In legal docs, Margo Rey says she and Ron were living it up at the fancy Montage hotel in Bev Hills earlier this summer, while their home was under renovation, and that's when he decided to end things. Margo says he immediately canceled her credit cards. Margo, who is in remission from breast cancer, says she found out she was cut off while attempting to pay for an oncologist visit. When she went to their home, she says all the locks had been changed and she was essentially left homeless. Margo's a singer and says she had some 30 gigs booked alongside Ron, but his team canceled them without warning ... removing her primary source of income. Margo says Ron is worth more than $14 mil, and she desperately needs help surviving. (TMZ)

Tobe Hooper, 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre' director, dies at 74. Tobe Hooper, the horror director best known for helming "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" and "Poltergeist," died Saturday in Sherman Oaks, Calif., according to the Los Angeles County Coroner. He was 74. The circumstances of his death were not known. The 1974 "Texas Chain Saw Massacre" became one of the most influential horror films of all time for its realistic approach and deranged vision. Shot for less than $300,000, it tells the story of a group of unfortunate friends who encounter a group of cannibals on their way to visit an old homestead. Though it was banned in several countries for violence, it was one of the most profitable independent films of the 1970s in the U.S. The character of Leatherface was loosely based on serial killer Ed Gein. Hooper also directed the 1986 sequel "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2," which took a more comedic approach, as part of his Cannon Films deal. The 1982 "Poltergeist," written and produced by Steven Spielberg, also became a classic of the genre. The story of a family coping with a house haunted by unruly ghosts starred JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson. The film was a box office success for MGM and became the eighth-highest grossing film of the year. After "Poltergeist," Hooper directed two movies for Cannon Films, "Lifeforce" and "Invaders from Mars," a remake of the 1953 alien movie. His 1979 CBS miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's bestselling novel "Salem's Lot" is considered by many fans to be a high-water mark in televisual horror. Combining the intrigue of a nighttime soap opera with the gothic atmosphere of a classic horror film, the two-part program was eventually reedited and released theatrically throughout Europe. He continued working in television and film throughout the 1990s and 2000s, but none of the films had the impact of his early works. His last film, the 2013 "Djinn," was set in the United Arab Emirates and produced by Image Nation. His other more recent works included "Toolbox Murders," "Mortuary" and two episodes of "Masters of Horror." Among his other works was the music video for Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself." In 2011 he co-authored a post-modern horror novel titled "Midnight Movie" in which he himself appeared as the main character. Willard Tobe Hooper was born in Austin, Texas and taught college before starting out in documentaries. (PageSix)

Bodybuilding sensation Rich Piana has died ... nearly 3 weeks after going into a coma following a medical emergency at his Florida apartment, TMZ Sports has learned. We broke the story ... Piana collapsed while getting a haircut on August 7. His girlfriend, Chanel, tried to revive him but was unable to wake him. Piana was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was placed into a medically induced coma -- but was unable to recover. The District Six Medical Examiner in Florida confirms Piana passed away early Friday morning at the hospital. A preliminary search at his apartment revealed more than 20 bottles of steroids and a white powder -- but it's unclear if the substances played a role in his death. 46-year-old Piana competed and won several bodybuilding competitions over the years -- including Mr. California -- and became an Instagram sensation, racking up more than 1 million followers. R.I.P. (TMZ)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Miley Cyrus Poses as a Nude Fairy for David LaChapelle's Book Lost + Found. Miley Cyrus makes for one sexy sprite. Famed photographer David LaChapelle has released the cover for Lost + Found, which shows Cyrus dressed as a fairy. The "Malibu" singer gives the illusion that she is posing naked, but in reality, she's wearing a clear bodysuit embellished with carefully placed pink Swarovski crystals. Cyrus, who also wears rainbow wings, appears in a prison cell tangled with flowering branches. Lost + Found, Vol. 1 of LaChapelle's first publication in a decade, promises to show over 150 unpublished works, ranging from his early work in New York City in the '80s up through today. The "Younger Now" singer isn't the only notable person LaChapelle will be featuring in Lost + Found, of course. Julian Assange, David Bowie, Naomi Campbell, Hillary Clinton, Michael Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Amber Rose, Uma Thurman, Andy Warhol, Kanye West and Amy Winehouse are among those selected to appear in the latest collection. According to LaChapelle's publisher, Taschen, the book is "coming soon" and will sell for $69.99. In a press release promoting the book's release, Taschen says LaChapelle's Lost + Found "represents the dizzying journey of an unrivalled critical and creative eye, navigating a world in thrall to hyper-polished sexuality, as much as to the profound questions of human existence." LaChapelle's monographic Lost + Found exhibition is currently on display at Casa dei Tre Oci in Venice, Italy. Curated by Denis Curti and Reiner Opoku, it includes 100 portraits featuring the likes of Muhammad Ali, Jeff Koons and Madonna. The exhibition is scheduled to close Sept. 10. Cyrus, meanwhile, is gearing up for the release of her sixth studio album. (Eonline)

Kylie Jenner Strips Down for Her "First Super Nude" Photo Shoot. Think you've seen every inch of Kylie Jenner? Think again. E! News has an exclusive sneak peek at V Magazine issue 109, which stars the social media sensation and makeup mogul in her first-ever, completely nude photo spread. In the mag (hitting newsstands Aug. 31), 19-year-old Kylie wears a number of colorful sheer ensembles that expose every inch of her famous curves, including her nipples and backside. "That was actually my first super nude shoot," Jenner recalled to V. "I always post sexy pictures, but have never really gone nude." The Life of Kylie star brings the heat as she poses seductively under a spotlight, looking over her shoulder and arching her back. As for Kylie's glam, she opted for platinum blond waves and silver metallic eyeshadow. Va-va-voom, much?! Kylie also described how she's grown accustomed to so many people keeping up with her famous family's lives for 10 years now. "I don't know what it's like to not be in the spotlight," she shared. "That's normal to me. There's nothing you can do about it. There are so many great things about life, I'm just trying to focus on that." And while fans have seen a remarkably more open and vulnerable side of Kylie on her E! reality series, there's a possibility even more private moments will be shared publicly in the future. "I do have a guy that follows me all the time. I just never show anyone the footage," she explained with a laugh. "Maybe one day." For now, Jenner is still exploring a new lease on life following her split from Tyga. As she described in Sunday's episode of Life of Kylie, "I've had more fun this past month than I have in like years. Like the last three years of my life were just like a blur. I just stayed in the house all day." She continued, "Now it's like, I feel like I can be more myself. I feel way more free. I'm just like really, genuinely happy right now." And it shows! For more from Kylie, pick up the latest issue of V Magazine. (Eonline)

Nick Viall and Vanessa Grimaldi End Their Engagement. Bachelor Nation is nursing another wound. The Bachelor's Nick Viall and Vanessa Grimaldi announced they were ending their engagement after five months in an exclusive joint statement to E! News on Friday. "It's with a great amount of heartbreak for the both us as we have decided to end our engagement," the couple, whose love story played out on the most recent season of The Bachelor, said. "We gave this relationship our all and we are saddened that we did not get the fairytale ending we hoped for. We will continue to be there for each other no matter what. This hasn't been an easy decision, however, as we part ways, we do so with lots of love and admiration for each other." Sadly, after 21 seasons of The Bachelor, 13 seasons of The Bachelorette and a few trips to Mexico for Bachelor in Paradise, Nick and Vanessa are not the franchise's first couple to call it quits over the years. In fact, every Bachelor since Sean Lowe in 2013 has broken up with their final pick, including Ben Higgins, who ended his engagement to Lauren Bushnell after starring in their own Freeform spinoff. Is there a curse plaguing this side of the franchise?! While The Bachelorette has a higher success rate, thanks to couples like Trista and Ryan Sutter, and Desiree Hartsock and Chris Siegfried, it's still seen its fair share of breakups, too. And funnily enough, Bachelor in Paradise, the spinoff that finds Bachelor Nation alumni trying to find love among each other, has seen some success stories, including Carly Waddell and Evan Bass, whose nuptials recently aired during the fourth season. (Eonline)

If you think Kid Rock could be the next U.S. Senator from the great state of Michigan ... Smokey Robinson will second that emotion. We got the Motown legend at LAX and asked what he thought about Kid's potential run next year. Admittedly, kind of a trick question -- Smokey's all about his home state, but politically you'd think he's on the other side of the aisle from Kid. He was a staunch Obama guy, after all. Well, he shocked us a bit by all but fully endorsing Kid! Smokey says he knows the rocker well, and thinks he's ready for office. As for whether he'd vote for Candidate Kid -- Smokey's gonna shop around, but he definitely sounds open to it. (TMZ)

Barron Trump is getting what may be a First Kid's first ... an unofficial portrait with doting daddy, Donald that's destined for The White House. TMZ broke the story ... artist Barry Wingard painted portraits of Donald and Melania that he wanted to give to the First Family. He went to his congressman, Rep. Mike Kelly, who loved them and agreed to have them delivered to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. But Kelly and someone from Trump's staff saw a third portrait of Donald clutching son, Barron, and asked Wingard to frame it so Kelly could send all 3. The portrait of Barron and his dad was painted from a photo at the Republican National Convention last summer. As for the final resting place of the 3 paintings ... it's unclear. Kelly's office says they will deliver them to The White House and then it's Trump's call. (TMZ)

Floyd Mayweather beat Conor McGregor -- literally and literally -- but it was way closer than just about anyone thought. Conor ran out of gas in the 9th and Floyd opened up in the 10th with a flurry. Conor never went down but it was clearly over ... so the ref stopped the fight. It was shockingly close ... It looked to us like Conor won the first three rounds -- the judges saw it differently. Floyd came back strong in the next 3. It looked like going into the 10th Floyd was winning by a razor thin margin ... but again, the judges had a wider margin in favor of Floyd. In the end, the fighters showed respect for each other, hugging as they became ridiculously rich. Demi Lovato kicked things off with the National Anthem. (TMZ)

Conor McGregor may have lost the fight, but he was a champ at Surrender Nightclub in Vegas Saturday after the awesome battle in the ring. Conor took the mic and told the crowd, "It didn't turn out the way we wanted but we can still party like it did." Truth be told, it was something of a victory for Conor to go 10 rounds with Floyd, and it's pretty clear the crowd also saw it that way. Conor danced to Biggie's "Jucy" and Fat Joe's "All the Way Up." Awesome party. (TMZ)

Floyd Mayweather partied all night after his victory, and it got so wild cops had to come and calm things down. The champ showed up at his strip club, Girl Collection, in Vegas at around 2:30 am Sunday in the sickest new Red Bugatti. Floyd partied inside for 2 hours, then re-surfaced and dealt with Vegas cops who showed up for crowd control. They were so many people who wanted a piece of Floyd they were spilling into the streets. BTW ... it costs $500 a pop to get inside Girl Collection. Floyd literally made money coming and going. (TMZ)

Who's the REAL winner of Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor? Not Floyd. Not Conor. Nope ... it's STEVE HARVEY! Fight fans were blowing up social media during the bout ... trying to figure out how Steve had pulled a better ringside seat than mega-stars like LeBron James and Diddy. Well, we might have the answer -- partially. TMZ Sports broke the story ... Ari Emanuel, the head of talent agency WME-IMG, got 250 tickets to dole out to celebs for the super-fight -- and we're told Ari and co. had a tough time deciding who got the sweetest set-ups for May-Mac ... the politics of seating were a "nightmare." Turns out Steve's way high up on the food chain -- and we could tell he was having the time of his life in his primo seat. Especially cause he didn't have to announce the winner. (TMZ)

There were hundreds of celebrities at T-Mobile in Vegas to watch Floyd Mayweather battle Conor McGregor, and all but one had nothing but praise. David Charvet, Carl Frampton. Sharon Osbourne, Tony Robbins, Paul Mitchell, A-Rod, J-Lo and Andre Berto had nothing but good things to say about the 10 rounder. The only criticism came from Big Boy ... and he was not alone in what he felt was lacking. All in all ... everyone had an awesome time, especially since most of the celebs got great seats for free. (TMZ)

Music

Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" Breaks Spotify and YouTube Records. Look what you made her do. While fans' reactions to Taylor Swift 's new song and music video may be mixed, they still boke major records. "Look What You Made Me Do," the angst-filled new single from her upcoming album Reputation, has been downloaded (legally) more than 184,000 times, and is No. 1 on iTunes, Variety reported Saturday. In addition, Swift has set the new global first day streaming record for Spotify with over 8 million streams for "Look What You Made Me Do," a rep for the company told the outlet. Swift's lyric video for the song has also broken a major record on YouTube; The clip reached more than 19 million views in 24 hours, breaking the record for the most views for that type of video on the site. As of Sunday morning, it has been viewed more than 34 million times. After keeping out of the spotlight for months and after a social media post purge, Swift returned online last week to announce her music comeback. Her new album, her first in three years, will be released in November. A teaser from the "Look What You Made Me Do" music video was released Friday. Many critics have compared a key scene from it to one from Beyonce's 2016 hit video "Formation." Swift's music video director, Joseph Kahn, took to Twitter to address the comparisons. The full video for "Look What You Made Me Do" was set to premiere Sunday night during the 2017 MTV VMAs. (Eonline)

Demi Lovato Belts National Anthem at Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor Fight. Sing it, sister! Demi Lovato belted out a crowd-stirring performance of the National Anthem for the packed house at the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight at the Las Vegas T-Mobile Arena in Nevada on Saturday night. Both the cheering crowd at the arena and the Internet have spoken -- Demi was a hit! For the show-stopping (or starting, rather) number, the big-voiced singer opted for a plunging white ensemble, fitted with a golden belt to sing ahead of the "fight of the century." William H. Macy, Vanessa Hudgens, Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne, LeBron James, Isaiah Thomas, Mike Tyson, Michael Rapaport, Jay Pharoah, Nick Jonas, Orlando Bloom and a slew of other celebs have turned up for fight night. According to Rolling Stone, this is the first time that the 25-year-old, a huge fan of MMA, will have sung the "Star-Spangled Banner" at a boxing event. However, this isn't the first time that the "Skyscraper" songstress has kicked off a sporting game with her big vocals. She's also sung at the National Anthem at Game 4 of the 2015 World Series, Game 5 of the 2011 World Series, and a 2008 Dallas Cowboys game. Before taking to the ring, the "Sorry Not Sorry" singer revealed to MTV that she was nervous about singing the "Star-Spangled Banner" before the big fight. She told MTV, "I feel so nervous but I'm really, really excited! This is the biggest fight of our generation! So when you look at it that way and how many fans all over the world are going to be watching, it's nerve wracking for sure." But as for which fighter she's picking? "I don't have a favorite. I am not picking sides! I am there to unite the audience of the fight. I'm there to be a voice." Saturday night's performance is just one stop on a weekend chock full of singing appearances. The "Confident" took to Twitter earlier this week to announce she'd be performing at the 2017 MTV VMAs in Inglewood. Demi's new album Tell Me You Love Me drops Sept. 29. (Eonline)

Lady Gaga's Ex Taylor Kinney Attends Her Chicago Concert and Fans Are Loving It. Love never dies! Lady Gaga's ex Taylor Kinney attended her concert at Wrigley Field in Chicago Friday night during her Joanne world tour. The pop star and the Chicago Fire actor began dating in 2011 after meeting on the set of her "Yoü and I" music video and got engaged on Valentine's Day 2015. In July 2016, Gaga announced she and Kinney were "on a break." Earlier this year, she stepped out with a new boyfriend, her agent Christian Carino. Gaga and Kinney were one of the most popular celebrity couples. Naturally, fans were overjoyed to see him at her Chicago show. One of them posted a selfie with the actor. Another said Kinney went backstage with his friends after the show. Some fans speculated what Kinney must have felt when Gaga sang "Perfect Illusion," which many think was written about her past relationship with him. "I would just say that my music on my album as well as all my albums is inspired by my personal life and this one more than others," she told E! News last year. "I have said it before -- I love Taylor so much and he's my best friend." Gaga made no mention of Kinney at the show. She, however, did give a shout-out to her pet, telling the crowd, "You know who my favorite person is, that's from Chicago? My little dog, Asia." Gaga was the first female artist to headline a show at Wrigley, the home of the Chicago Cubs, in the 12 years the stadium has hosted live musical acts. On Saturday morning, she tweeted a photo of herself sporting a custom Cubs jersey, writing, "So proud to have been the 1st Woman to headline at Wrigley Field #joanneworldtour wih my manager and friend by my side! We love u Chicago!" (Eonline)

Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" Video Director Reacts to Beyonce and Lemonade Comparisons. Lemonade? Pleassssse. As soon as Taylor announced Wednesday, many people drew comparisons to the hype and impact of Beyonce's 2016 mega hit visual album Lemonade. And moments after a teaser from her new music video "Look What You Made Me Do" was released Friday, some immediately compared a key scene, showing her wearing a black leotard and fishnet stockings while performing with male backup dancers, to one from Beyonce's video "Formation," included in Lemonade. "Look What You Made Me Do" director Joseph Kahn is not having it. "I've worked with Beyonce a few times," he tweeted Friday night. "She's an amazing person. The #LWYMMDvideo is not in her art space. Love and respect to Bey." "Also there's something to that 'formation' shot I painted out and you haven't seen yet. Stay tuned Sunday :) #LWYMMDvideo #SneakyAsian," Kahn added. He wrote hours earlier, "Before video release: Kahn copying Lemonade. After video release: Kahn copying obscure K Pop video made in North Korean prison in 2006." The video for "Look What You Made Me Do" is set to be released Sunday during the 2017 MTV VMAs. The single is Swift's edgiest single yet, incorporating an electro-pop sound and themes of power and betrayal. Many speculate it is about Kanye West. A feud between them began in 2009 after he famously interrupted her VMAs acceptance speech to declare that her award for Best Female Video should have gone to, yep, Beyonce. They later reconciled, but renewed their beef in 2016 after he released the song "Famous," which contains the lyrics, "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that bitch famous." In the teaser for the video, Swift is seen biting on diamond jewelry in anger while wearing multiple rings, including snake-shaped ones. Her critics have often branded her a snake and she used a video of one to tease her announcement about her new single as well as her new album Reputation, which will be released in November. Kahn, who directed four of Swift's past music videos from her 1989 album -- "Blank Space," "Bad Blood" "Wildest Dreams" and "Out of the Woods," also defended Swift on Twitter Friday. "A young self-made woman works hard with talent and intelligence while staying grounded and polite to everyone," he wrote. "Scandalous." Kahn later talked about the making of the "Look What You Made Me Do" video as the finishing touches were put on it. "We started concepting and prepping it in January," he tweeted Saturday morning. "Shot in May. Post production until tomorrow morning. You see it Sssssssunday." Kahn also teased more surprises. "Only 5 shots in the video have been released," he wrote. "You know nothing Jon Snow. :)" (Eonline)

'What a s–t show': The Weeknd's concert canceled minutes before starting. A private concert by the Weeknd ended in fiasco on Friday night -- before it even began. The singer was due to perform a show in Downtown LA as part of a celebration of the 20th anniversary of high-end vodka, Grey Goose. But we're told that after hundreds of people showed up the event at the edgy Werkartz warehouse, they were turned away and told the much-hyped party had been canceled. "I showed up and like 30 girls attacked my Uber," said a guest. "There were all these hot girls standing around all dressed up and staff were carrying crates of Grey Goose out of the building." The guest added, "What a s–t show." Meanwhile, Twitter user Mando tweeted, "@theweeknd @GreyGoose where u at weve been waiting been here for hours #wtf #theweeknd #greygoose." Even while would-be revelers were still arriving for the 8:30pm event, workers were seen loading equipment back into trucks. We're told that there had been a problem with permits and that the fire marshall closed the party down before it even started. A partygoer tells us that event organizers sent out an email half an hour before it was due to begin announcing the cancellation and blaming "production issues." A Grey Goose rep told Page Six, "Due to unforeseen production issues, tonight's event has been canceled. That said, Grey Goose and The Weeknd will be back together soon-bigger and better!" (PageSix)

Coldplay Postpones Houston Concert Due to Hurricane Harvey. Due to Hurricane Harvey, Friday night's Coldplay concert at NRG Stadium had been postponed. Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin announced the news via Twitter. "We really wanted to play tonight, but sitting here all together watching the news about the storm, we feel that we can't ask anyone to put their safety at risk," they wrote. "So, sadly, we will have to postpone. We will give details of rescheduling/refunding as soon as we can. We are really sorry for the inconveniences this will cause. Stay safe and see you soon." Coldplay's next stop on the A Head Full of Dreams tour is scheduled for Monday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The Grammy-winning group isn't the only one taking Friday off; Friday night's Mary J. Blige concert at the Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land has been postponed until Sept. 19. Lady Antebellum's concert at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Sunday was also canceled "in the interest of fans safety"; refunds will be issued automatically. Harvey is expected to be the worst hurricane to hit the Lone Star State in nearly two decades. The National Weather Service warned residents that the Category 3 hurricane could bring a potentially devastating storm surge, heavy rainfall and wind hazards to Texas' coastal regions. "There's certainly someone at the helm. I think that we are in great shape having [General John Kelly] sitting next to [President Donald Trump] throughout this process, and probably no better chief of staff for the president during the hurricane season," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said during a press briefing Thursday. "The President has been briefed and will continue to be updated as the storm progresses, and certainly something he's very aware of and will keep a very watchful eye on, and stands ready to provide resources if needed." (Eonline)

Nick Jonas Calls Out Fan Who Mocked His Height After They Took a Photo Together. Not cool, bruhh. A man named Zak Hanzal posted on his Instagram page this week a photo of him and Nick Jonas, writing, "@nickjonas you need a few more inches bruhh." Nick, whose height is believed to be between 5'7" and 5'9", wasn't having it. "You need some manners 'bruh,'" he responded in the comments. "I didn't need to stop to take that picture with you. Just rude. Very rude." Other fans rushed to Nick's defense. "He shouldn't even have stopped for you...grow up," wrote user @je_paolino. "Dude you are rude!" said users @kathydykes58. "He takes time out to take photo,and that's how you act? gets some manners!" "Hey y'all... it's all good," Nick later told them. "No need to spread hate." "Everyone just calm the f-k down!!" Zak later wrote. "It was just a joke and @nickjonas is cool with it. The caption has been changed... whats the fuss about?" Zak later changed the photo's caption to "One of the most humble superstars...MY MAN @nickjonas." (Eonline)

Rod Stewart Rereleases "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" With DNCE. Nostalgia alert! Your cool aunt's favorite '70s rocker Rod Stewart on Friday rereleased his 1978 pop hit "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy," this time featuring Joe Jonas' band DNCE. A snippet of the single was posted on their social media accounts. The new version of the song is less funk and more rock and just as much cheeeeeeese. They plan to perform their new collaboration Sunday in Las Vegas and a live broadcast of their performance will be screened at the 2017 MTV VMAs. "They've updated it," Stewart said on BBC Radio Two on Thursday about the new version of the song. "It's as simple as that. They've twisted it about, put a verse...a chorus. They just made it different. So, why not?" "It's gonna be an enjoyable...we're doing it on the VMAs on Sunday," he said. "I love it." Will Stewart bust out a leopard-print suit? "I can't give away the secrets but I've got a very special outfit," he told BBC Radio Two. "I think the band DNCE are going to be wearing all vintage Rod stuff -- obviously not my stuff -- but they've had it all remade. It's a wonderful nod to the '70s." The 2017 MTV VMAs air from The Forum in Los Angeles this Sunday on MTV at 8 p.m. ET. (Eonline)

Nicki Minaj Tweets "Sit Down, Be Humble" After Taylor Swift Drops "Look What You Made Me Do." What's good, Nicki Minaj? On Thursday night, about 40 minutes after Taylor Swift dropped her anticipated new single, revealed to be titled "Look What You Made Me Do," the rapper took to Twitter to write, "N---a sit down. Be humble." Coincidence? Maybe. Some fans speculated that Nicki was merely referencing the lyrics to Kendrick Lamar's single "Humble." But if her statement is directly connected to Taylor's new release, it wouldn't be surprising. The two feuded briefly in 2015. After it was revealed that Nicki's "Anaconda" music video was not nominated for Video of the Year at the 2015 MTV VMAs, she tweeted, "If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year." Taylor's "Bad Blood" video, which featured a slew of models and actresses, took the tweet as a diss and responded, "I've done nothing but love & support you. It's unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot..." Nicki then told her she never said a word about her, saying, "I love u just as much. But u should speak on this." Taylor then apologized and she and Nicki ended up performing together at the VMAs. Soon after their Twitter exchange, Katy Perry weighed in, tweeting, "Finding it ironic to parade the pit women against other women argument about as one unmeasurably capitalizes on the take down of a woman..." Katy has been involved in a years-long feuded with Taylor. Hours before "Look What You Made Me Do" was released, Katy dropped her music video for her own new single, "Swish Swish," which many people have speculated is about Taylor. The song and clip also features Nicki. Katy has said the song is "not about anyone in particular" and recently extended an olive branch to Taylor, saying, "All I need to say to her is I love her and God bless her on her journey." Taylor, who has stayed out of the media spotlight in recent months, has not responded to her. The music video for Taylor's new single is set to be released during Sunday's 2017 MTV VMAs, which Katy is hosting, and is part of her new album Reputation, which is set for release in November. A teaser for the "Look What You Made Me Do" video, which shows images of betrayal and power, aired on Good Morning America Friday morning. (Eonline)

Would Gwen Stefani Leave The Voice for American Idol? "You Just Never Know..." Gwen Stefani is just a girl...a girl who has a lot to offer aspiring talent. When E! News' Catt Sadler caught up with Stefani at the London Hotel in West Hollywood, where she previewed her fall L.A.M.B. and gx eyewear collections, she was asked about taking time off from NBC's The Voice; Miley Cyrus, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton are returning as coaches, and Jennifer Hudson will fill the fourth seat when the show airs Sept. 25. Stefani was "sad" when she realized she wouldn't be coming back this fall. "I have so much fun on the show," she said. Though it sometimes feels like a job, since "you get really invested in it and it's emotional," Stefani said it "fuels" her musical side. "Because you're around so much music the whole time, it's impossible to watch the talent be so great and not want to do that." "I just love it," Stefani said. "I think it's a great show." But The Voice isn't the only singing competition on TV. American Idol auditions began Aug. 17, and so far, only Katy Perry has signed on to judge the rebooted series for ABC. Hypothetically, if producers were to reach out to Stefani, would she jump ship? "That would, like, I don't know," the songwriter said. "You never know what could happen. You just never know...but I doubt it." Perry wants Charlie Puth and Lionel Richie to join her on the show, which Ryan Seacrest will host. If Stefani were offered $25 million, as Perry was, would she still decline the opportunity? "I think she got all the money!" Stefani said with a laugh. "I think there's no more left!" (Eonline)

It's not news Taylor Swift and Kanye West dislike each other, but the timing of her new album release takes it to a whole new level. Taylor's album, "Reputation," is set to drop November 10, exactly 10 years to the day Donda West died from complications from cosmetic surgery. Donda was everything to Kanye and her death shattered him for years. In fact, his breakdown last year coincided with the death anniversary. In fairness, November 10 is a Friday ... the preferred day to drop albums. In fact, a source at Taylor's label tells us they picked the date "based on other Universal Music Group releases. There is no correlation." Nonetheless, Donda's death was such a big deal it's hard to forget, especially if you're feuding with her son. TMZ broke the story ... when Kanye released "Famous" with the lyric, "I made that bitch famous" -- referring to Taylor -- she claimed he didn't give her a heads-up, but turns out Kanye recorded her saying just that. (TMZ)

Shania Twain doesn't think Brad Pitt's anything to write home about. Not even back in his peak heartthrob days. Speaking to Billboard magazine recently, the country star revealed the reason she name-dropped the actor on her 1997 single "That Don't Impress Me Much" was because she didn't see what the big deal was after seeing naked photos of him in Playgirl magazine. "You want to know the truth about this story? I've never told this before. I'm going to say it now," said Twain, 51. "I remember I had a girlfriend visiting me and it was near Christmas and we were baking cookies. I was writing this album and there was a scandal of [Pitt] and Gwyneth [Paltrow] where there was naked photos of him [in the magazine]. And this was like all the rage. I just thought 'I don't know what all the fuss is about.' I'm like, well that don't impress me much, I mean what is all the fuss." The photos in question appeared in the August 1997 issue of the now-defunct Playgirl magazine (which goes for $30 on Amazon 20 years later). Pitt, who was 33 when the photos were published, successfully sued the publication at the time, stopping shipment of more copies of the issue and eventually forcing its recall. Twain's explanation did leave open the possibility that it wasn't Pitt's naked body specifically that let her down-so much as anyone's. "We see people naked every day. That's really what I thought. I wasn't picking on Brad Pitt. But that was just the association in that moment and things we make fusses about and whatever," she added. "Of course, it could have been any gorgeous guy." (Page Six)

Stream Bloodpop's Remix of Lana Del Rey's 'Lust For Life'. BloodPop has been a pretty in-demand producer lately–after working on the track "Friends" with Justin Bieber, the songwriter dropped a terrific HAIM remix and has now returned with a remix of Lana Del Rey's "Lust For Life" from her album of the same name. (Billboard)

Stream The War On Drugs' New Album 'A Deeper Understanding'. After making the album available for an exclusive 24-hour streaming window on their website, the War on Drugs' terrific new album A Deeper Understanding has now been properly released. The LP follows a five-single rollout they started back in August with "Pain," and continued through highlights "Holding On," "Thinking of a Place," "Up All Night," and "Strangest Thing." (Billboard)

Movies

'Scandal' star scores exec producer gig. "Scandal" star Joe Morton has his next gig lined up after the hit Shonda Rhimes show wraps its final season. He's signed on as executive producer of "Inside the Black Box," a series being shopped by ICM Partners. "It has the potential to be a groundbreaking reality show," he told us, "to present celebrity artists who will tell the inside story .?.?. of being a person of color in Hollywood." Guests would "interact with a diverse group of students to help them improve their artistry." Morton also appears in the pilot. (PageSix)

Robert De Niro and Harvey Weinstein had a top-secret meeting on Thursday, sources said, with Phil Murphy -- the Democratic favorite to succeed NJ Gov. Chris Christie. The trio was said to be meeting in Tribeca at the Greenwich Street offices that house De Niro and Weinstein's film companies. A spy said that the Hollywood pair "both were big supporters and fans of Christie for a while -- but, obviously, now it's over, and war time." We hear that De Niro and Dem donor Weinstein are hoping to back Murphy with an endorsement and fund-raising help. Christie's called Murphy "a Massachusetts liberal -- the worst kind." (Page Six)

'Beauty and the Beast' Producers Board Sci-Fi Thriller 'Punch Escrow'. David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman of Mandeville Films/TV, the duo behind the billion-dollar-grossing Beauty and the Beast live-action remake, have boarded Lionsgate's adaptation of The Punch Escrow, the debut novel of Tal M. Klein. The movie reunites the duo with James Bobin, who is on board to direct the sci-fi thriller and who worked with them on Disney's 2011 musical comedy The Muppets. Set in the year 2147, Punch Escrow tells of Joel Byram, who lives a normal life, spending his days training artificial-intelligence engines to act more human -- until the day he's accidentally duplicated while teleporting. Now Joel must outsmart the shadowy organization that controls teleportation and find a way to get back to the woman he loves in a world that now has two of him. The book hails from rising tech company and publisher Inkshares, which published the tome July 25 via its Geek & Sundry imprint. Lionsgate won a heated war for the rights in April. "Tal has crafted such a uniquely vivid world that compels us to ask critical questions of our own about our relationship with technology," Lieberman said Thursday in a statement. "And he does it with such ease, accessibility, and humor that you leave the read feeling educated, emotionally moved and highly entertained all at the same time." Hoberman and Lieberman were executive producers on Lionsgate's Divergent movie series and are prepping for a busy fall season. The duo have the Boston Marathon bombing drama Stronger, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal, set to open Sept 22. That will be followed by the Nov. 17 release of Wonder, an adaptation of the R.J. Palacio book starring Julia Roberts and Jacob Tremblay. Beauty and the Beast, which was released in March and starred Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, grossed over $1.2 billion. (Hollywood Reporter)

Oscars: Turkey Selects 'Ayla: The Daughter of War' for Foreign-Language Category. A debut, by Can Ulkay, the film is set in 1950 during the Korean war and tells the story of a Turkish soldier and a young orphaned girl. Turkey has selected Can Ulkay's debut feature Ayla: The Daughter of War as its candidate in the race for best foreign-language film in the Oscars. Set during the Korean war in 1950, the film tells the story of a Turkish soldier, Sgt. Suleyman (Cetin Tekindor) who comes across an abandoned five-year old girl on a freezing cold night. The terrified, barely alive child melts Suleyman's heart who risks his own life to smuggle her back to his army base and out of harm's way. With no common language, Suleyman names her Ayla, a reference to the moon that lit the ravaged landscape on the night her found her. The two soon become inseparable, bringing joy and laughter into the Turkish military base in the midst of war. When the war comes to an end, the sergeant is forced to give up Ayla to an orphanage, but vows they will be reunited one day. The film is based on a true story. Actor Cetin Tekindor met with the real Sgt. Suleyman while preparing to play the role during the film. Produced by Turkey's Digital Sanatlar Production, the film is due to go on general release in Turkey in October. Turkey has submitted films for the foreign-language Academy Award regularly since 1989, with Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Three Monkeys making the shortlist of nine in 2008. No Turkish film has yet won an Oscar. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV

Love JK Rowling? Her crime novel gets the TV treatment this bank holiday. 'Strike' starts on BBC One this weekend. Calling all JK Rowling fans: this bank holiday weekend, Strike, the TV adaptation of her first crime novel, The Cuckoo's Calling (written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith) will air on BBC One. Starring Tom Burke (who you may recognize from last year's version of War and Peace) as troubled detective Cormoran Strike, actress Holliday Grainger plays his partner-in-crime-fighting Robin. The murder thriller starts with a model falling to her death - with Strike and Robin drawn into the dark side of the celebrity world - but Rowling's co-producer Ruth Kenley-Letts has insisted Strike will not show gratuitous levels of violence against women: "I think, as anyone who has glanced at her Twitter feed will know, [Rowling] is a staunch feminist and, without plot-spoiling for anyone, the issue of violence against women is directly addressed and counter-balanced." Kenley-Letts told Radio Times: "One of the most gross inequalities in our society is the extent to which women are disproportionately victims of all sorts of crime and violence. So I think it's all about how you depict it and whether you titillate the audience with the woman's fear or pain." Rowling had turned down Hollywood offers to adapt The Cuckoo's Calling in favor of the BBC (reason #3654 why we love her). The first two episodes of the seven-part series will air on Sunday 27 August and Monday 28 August (and then streaming on BBC iPlayer if your bank holiday plans take you away from the sofa) - with Rowling's sequel The Silkworm being adapted into a further two episodes, airing later in September. Around New Year an adaptation of the third book in the Strike series, Career Of Evil, will be broadcast, so you've got plenty more of Rowling's incredible storytelling to come. (British Glamour)

Roy Price Says Amazon Will Do More Straight-to-Series Orders. The vp of Amazon Studios in Edinburgh says 'Game of Thrones' is for TV what 'Jaws' was for movies, calls sports rights a "good opportunity" and expects more talent deals, like one struck with Robert Kirkman. Amazon will order more shows straight-to-series as the pilot system it has been using slows down the process, Roy Price, vp of Amazon Studios, told the Edinburgh TV Festival on Friday. "It's been helpful," he said about the pilot system. "It's always helpful to get feedback," including from asking customers. But he said that "pilots are going to have to play probably less of a role going forward," explaining: "The reality is they sort of slow you down." Instead of the 12-18 months process to get a show on air, it takes two years with a pilot. "The reality of the marketplace is it is competitive, and often you have to go to series," Price said. So from a timing and competitive perspective, "I think there will be fewer [pilots] than before," he concluded. "We have a few pilots in the works now, but I think there will be fewer than before. We still have customer feedback, but we'll probably have fewer pilots for sure." Asked about the peak TV debate, Price said: "I don't find that the world is running out of ideas," adding that there are "a lot of great writers and actors." The content chief of the e-commerce giant's streaming video service also argued that "Game of Thrones is to television what maybe Jaws was to movies in the '70s." He said it set an example for the industry. In that sense, he argued making bigger and more cinematic shows, similar to Game of Thrones, will be the way to go in the sector. Said Price: "Bigger worlds, bigger budgets is what I'd expect across the industry." He said a "normal" drama these days costs $4 million-$6 million per hour, but added that some cost twice that. Asked if Amazon wants to get a big show like Game of Thrones, he said: "Everybody wants to have one or more of one of the top five shows, top 10 shows. That's really what matters most." He added: "We're going to get one of those shows or more than one." Amazon Studios earlier this month unveiled a two-year deal with The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman and his Skybound Entertainment, which exited their overall deal with longtime home AMC. Under the pact, Kirkman will develop TV projects exclusively for Amazon's Prime Video platform, which will also have a first-look deal with Skybound. The deal came days before prolific showrunner Shonda Rhimes, the hit maker behind ABC's Grey's Anatomy, Scandal and more, jumped ship from ABC Studios to Netflix under a multi-year deal. Both the Kirkman and Rhimes deals were seen as signs that the streaming video giants were strong players in the battle for talent in Hollywood. Asked if such deals with top creators would continue, Price said Friday: "That's inevitable. We are going down that road." He joked that this means it is a good time to be a writer-producer or an agent. Asked what shows he would have liked on Amazon, he mentioned The Handmaid's Tale and The Crown, but added that "you can't get them all." The Amazon Studios boss also said the company would look at more live sports rights. "People love sports," he explained. "That's a good opportunity." Added Price: "It's broad, it's distinctive, people care about it." About the system of pitching, he said people shouldn't go around town to pitch, but instead record one pitch and send a video link to all possible buyers. Price said that system would be "much more efficient." Asked about Donald Trump in the White House and people's current interest in politics and what it means for Amazon's content strategy, Price said: "I think people are conscious of politics," but "you can't be too topical or too responsive to the moment," because shows take a while to come out and "we want these shows to last." If a show is too specific to the time, he argued it would be better suited for radio, sketch comedy or the like. Price was interviewed by outgoing Channel 4 chief creative officer Jay Hunt, also giving a sneak peek of the upcoming return of The Grand Tour. (Hollywood Reporter)

Ben Whishaw to Star Alongside Hugh Grant in 'A Very English Scandal'. The 007 star will appear in the BBC's real-life drama, being directed by Stephen Frears and based on the bestselling book. Ben Whishaw is set to appear opposite Hugh Grant in A Very English Scandal, the upcoming three-part TV drama from the BBC. The James Bond and Paddington star will play Norman Scott, the former lover of disgraced politician Jeremy Thorpe (Grant) in the real-life story, based on the book by John Preston. Stephen Frears is directing A Very English Scandal, being written by Russell T Davies. Exec producers are Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Graham Broadbent and Pete Czernin for Blueprint Television and Lucy Richer for the BBC, with Dan Winch producing. "It's a dream come true, to work with Ben," said Davies. "One of Britain's finest actors playing one of history's most fascinating men." The casting news was revealed by Davies on the third day of the Edinburgh TV Festival on Friday. (Hollywood Reporter)

Orlando Bloom to Star in Amazon Drama Series 'Carnival Row'. Orlando Bloom has signed on to a new television show. The Lord of the Rings actor will star in Amazon's upcoming fantasy drama series Carnival Row, an eight-episode Neo-Victorian noir from Legendary Television. The series is set to begin filming this fall for a 2019 release on the streaming platform. The drama, first announced in May, will be written and executive produced by Star Trek's Rene Echevarria. Luke Cage's Paul McGuigan is set to direct and executive produce, along with Pacific Rim's Travis Beacham, who penned the original script, A Killing on Carnival Row, that appeared on The Black List in 2005. Bloom will serve as a producer on the project. Carnival Row will feature mythical creatures who have fled their war-torn homeland and gathered in the city as tensions are simmering between citizens and the growing immigrant population. At the center of the drama is the investigation of a string of unsolved murders, which are eating away at whatever uneasy peace still exists. In the series, Bloom will play Rycroft Philostrate, a police inspector investigating the murder of a faerie showgirl. Rycroft is not supposed to care about the death of another faerish refugee, but he does -- and getting to the bottom of what happened to her will come at a big cost. Bloom most recently reprised his role as Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Elsewhere on TV, the actor played a role in HBO's sports doping mockuentary Tour de Pharmacy and also starred in an episode of Netflix's Easy from mumblecore filmmaker Joe Swanberg. In addition, he has four upcoming films: Unlocked, S.M.A.R.T. Chase, Romans and Berlin, I Love You. (Hollywood Reporter)

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