Entertainment on haibun.org

He Was Replaced in Guns N’ Roses. He Still Loves Axl

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Drummer Frank Ferrer was at his then-seven-year-old daughter’s talent show in 2006 when his phone rang. On the line was his friend Tommy Stinson, the Replacements bassist who was in the middle of a long tenure in Guns N’ Roses at the time. ”Hey, man, there’s this thing happening,” Stinson told him. “Why don’t you learn a bunch of Guns songs? I’ll give you more info later on.” As it turned out, Guns drummer Brian “Brain” Mantia’s wife was due to have a baby while the band had a tour booked, and the idea was to recruit a sub for two weeks until Mantia returned.

Jay-Z Performs ‘Reasonable Doubt’ at Yankee Stadium with Nas, Beyoncé, and More

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 14:54:36 +0000

Hovi's Home

Alicia Keys, Blue Ivy, Memphis Bleek, and more join rapper in the Bronx to celebrate 30th anniversary of his 1996 album

Jay-Z turned Yankee Stadium into a celebration of legacy, hometown pride, and the enduring impact of Reasonable Doubt, delivering an opening-night performance that balanced nostalgia with spectacle as the first of three anniversary concerts.

When I arrived in the Bronx, the atmosphere surrounding Yankee Stadium felt like an event long before anyone stepped inside. It was absolute pandemonium. Traffic had completely overwhelmed the Grand Concourse, River Avenue, 161st Street, and the surrounding blocks, forcing me to abandon the car and walk the rest of the way to the stadium.

Antoinette Bower, ‘Star Trek,’ ‘Twilight Zone’ and ‘Prom Night’ Actress, Dies at 93

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 14:01:58 +0000

Antoinette Bower, the German-born British actress who starred on an Adam & Eve-like episode of The Twilight Zone and portrayed the seductive catlike alien Sylvia on an installment of Star Trek, has died. She was 93.

Bower died April 30 in an Eagle Rock senior retirement home in Los Angeles, her friend Carlotta Glackin — great niece of famed Golden Age character actor Edward Everett Horton — told The Hollywood Reporter.

Oregon D.A. Drops Motion to Delay Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 02:33:36 +0000

The Oregon attorney general’s office has withdrawn its motion to delay the closing of the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, according to a filing submitted Friday in the Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland, Ore.

The deal could close as soon as July 22, though several states, including Oregon and California, are investigating whether the $111 billion transaction violates their antitrust laws. The states could still seek an injunction to block the merger before that date.

Netflix’s ‘Little House on the Prairie’ Writer on Landing Fan Favorite From Original Series for That Scary Cameo

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 22:31:07 +0000

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for the “Little House on the Prairie” reboot through Episode 2, now streaming on Netflix.

Few things are as scary to OG “Little House on the Prairie” viewers as Laura Ingalls’ childhood bully, Nellie Oleson, on a bad day. But Netflix’s updated take on the beloved story takes things to a very meta level with a spooky scene that pays tribute to that iconic pop culture nemesis.

Legendary DP Robert Richardson on New Doc About His Life, Upcoming Film ‘Madden’ and Why Hollywood Should “Regulate and Embrace” AI

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 22:26:58 +0000

Robert Richardson, our guest on this episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, recorded in front of an audience at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, is one of the most admired cinematographers in Hollywood history.

An artist and craftsman of the first order, Richardson is best known for his many collaborations with three similarly revered filmmakers: 12 with Oliver Stone, including 1986’s Platoon, 1987’s Wall Street, 1989’s Born on the Fourth of July and 1991’s JFK; seven with Martin Scorsese, including 1995’s Casino, 2004’s The Aviator and 2011’s Hugo; and five with Quentin Tarantino, including Kill Bill (2003’s Vol. 1 and 2004’s Vol. 2), 2009’s Inglourious Basterds, 2012’s Django Unchained, 2015’s The Hateful Eight and 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — in other words, every Tarantino film of the 21st century except for Death Proof, which Tarantino shot himself. Tarantino has said that in addition to his late film editor, Sally Menke, Richardson is “the greatest artistic collaborator of my life,” adding, “I have never had as much fun making movies as I have had since I started making them with [him].”

Fallout 5, The Elder Scrolls 6, Blade, and More: As Xbox Layoffs Hit Hard, What's Going on at Bethesda?

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 22:16:23 +0000

Bethesda was hit hard by this week’s Xbox layoffs, with cuts to The Elder Scrolls and Fallout developer Bethesda Game Studios, Doom developer id Software, and The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios, among other parts of the business.

A Maryland WARN Act notice shows 213 employees were laid off from ZOS's office in Cockeysville, MD, and 166 from ZeniMax Media Inc. in Rockville, MD, for a total of 379. 96 staff who worked at id Software's office in Richardson, Texas, were cut, alongside a further 40 remote roles. While it’s difficult to pin down exactly what the affected staff were working on at these studios because there are blended teams across Bethesda locations, the WARN numbers undoubtedly make for difficult reading.

Union Video Game Workers ‘Extremely Disappointed’ With Xbox Leadership Following Layoffs (Gaming News Roundup)

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 22:03:00 +0000

Microsoft laid off 1,600 employees across its Xbox division this week, including hundreds of union video game workers represented by Communications Workers of America.

The workforce reduction comes in addition to what new CEO Asha Sharma calls the “most significant restructure” in the Microsoft division’s history. Microsoft announced approximately 4,800 total job cuts across the company Monday, including the 1,600 Xbox employees.

“When Microsoft sought to grow its video game division, corporate executives made an agreement with video game workers and their union, CWA, to respect their right to organize for a new day for workers across Microsoft’s video game studios,” said CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. “Although our union signed neutrality agreements with Microsoft, we have been extremely disappointed by a company that has slow-walked our members at the bargaining table, making CWA members wait for the protections of a union contract.

Former MP and Reality TV Star Ann Widdecombe Found Killed at Her Home, Man Arrested

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 22:01:02 +0000

Authorities in England have arrested a man in connection with the killing of right-wing British political and television personality Ann Widdecombe, after she was found dead with serious injuries at her home on Thursday.

Police said at a Friday evening news conference that a 26-year-old was apprehended in Newton Abbot, Devon. It is unlikely that the violent killing of 78-year-old Widdecombe was “a politically motivated crime,” Matt Longman, assistant chief constable at Devon and Cornwall, told the press on Friday evening. The case is not being treated as a terror attack, investigators said.

'The Greatest Reward We Could Have Hoped for' — Ubisoft Shares Day 1 Sales for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:17:47 +0000

Updated

: Jul 10, 2026 9:17pm UTC

Ubisoft has announced that Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has passed 2 million copies sold in its first day since launch.

It's a milestone that saw it rank among the best in the franchise and arrived alongside strong player numbers across various platforms. Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced's July 9 launch saw it land in the number one spot on Twitch, while its concurrent player count on Steam reached a peak of 99,451, a series high.

'#CFBPlayDontPay' – EA Sports College Football 27 Stumbles With Mostly Negative Reviews as Fans Fight Back Against Microtransactions

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:17:25 +0000

UPDATE 6:03 p.m. PT: EA has confirmed plans to remove "all paid progression options from Road to Glory and Online Dynasty" in EA Sports College Football 27 after players launched the CFBPlayNotPay campaign against offline microtransactions.

The publisher announced plans to respond to community feedback with a statement posted on social media. It's a decision that will see the changes go into effect starting "tomorrow morning," July 11, 2026, just five days after College Football 27 launched in early access for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X | S July 6.

The Linda Lindas Embrace Imperfection on ‘Gotta Get Out’ Album Featuring Hayley Williams on ‘Closer’

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:06:31 +0000

Growing Up and Out

The punk rockers’ new LP arrives on Aug. 28

The Linda Lindas are so back — and more self-actualized than ever. The California punk rockers have announced their new album Gotta Get Out, set for release on Aug. 28 via Reprise/Warner Records. The 11-track project marks the band’s third album and is the follow-up to 2024’s No Obligation.

To mark the exciting news, the Linda Lindas have previewed Gotta Get Out with the release of an emo staple for the new age “Closer,” featuring none other than emo queen herself Hayley Williams. The track opens with jagged, staccato riffs as Bela Salazar sings, before the rest of the band and Williams join her in perfect harmony on the chorus. “Each day getting closer/I’m overthinking again,” Williams sings, her voice blending seamlessly with Eloise Wong, Lucia de la Garza, and Mila de la Garza.

‘Moana’ Director Thomas Kail on Dwayne Johnson’s Live-Action Maui Look and Remaking a Beloved Hit: In Theater, ‘We Do Revivals All the Time’

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Back in 2015, when “Hamilton” was the toast of Broadway, director Thomas Kail always knew where to find the musical’s creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda when he wasn’t on stage.

“I would hear something coming from the dressing room, and I was like, ‘Is he writing ‘Moana‘ again?'” Kail says.

Indeed, Miranda was using his downtime on “Hamilton” to compose the soundtrack for Disney’s 2016 animated adventure “Moana,” which includes such memorable tunes as “How Far I’ll Go” and “You’re Welcome.” In between rehearsals, Kail remembers Miranda recruiting cast members like Phillipa Soo to record demos of songs before sending them off to the studio.