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Category: Entertainment

  • Foreign Investments in Paramount-Warner Bros. Deal Flagged by Democratic Senators in FCC Letter

    A group of Democratic lawmakers are sounding the alarm about foreign investors backing Paramount Skydance‘s $111 billion proposed deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.

    The senators, in a letter to the FCC on Monday, called for a “full and independent” probe of the merger, citing concerns that financing from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and Chinese gaming giant Tencent could give them influence over editorial decisions at CBS News and CNN.

    “This constellation of foreign investment from China and from Gulf states, with complex and sometimes competing relationships with the United States, demands rigorous, not perfunctory, review,” the letter reads.

    Saudia Arabi’s Public Investment Fund, the Qatar Investment Authority and Abud Dhabi Investment Authority are collectively providing roughly $24 billion in funds to help bankroll Paramount’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, according to SEC filings. For years, these funds have bankrolled global buyout firms, including Apollo Global Management, which is among the groups financing the offer. The deal was structured to provide capital through non-voting equity investments, meaning the financiers don’t have any governance rights.

    In the letter, the senators said that the financing was purposely designed to avoid triggering mandatory review by the Committee on Foreign Investments (CFIUS) in the United States, which assesses investments in businesses that could pose a national security risk. The Middle Eastern funds could try to advance “conflicting interests” from those of the U.S. with influence over CNN’s editorial decisions and business priorities, they wrote. Of particular concern is Saudi prince crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is widely believed to have ordered the murder of The Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, according to the letter.

    “The $24 billion aggregate investment gives these governments a significant financial stake in the future content, licensing, and strategic decisions of a combined entity that includes some of the most-watched news and entertainment networks in America,” the senators, led by Cory Booker (D-N.J.), wrote.

    These concerns extend to Tencent, which committed $1 billion in equity financing, reported Bloomberg in March. The lawmakers said that the Chinese government, through the company, can impact decisionmaking over major news outlets owned by the combined company through information rights, licensing deals and content output agreements, among other things that give Tencent implicit leverage. The letter points to Chinese laws requiring domestic tech companies to cooperate with state intelligence demands, saying that Tencent’s stake gives the government a “concrete avenue for potential foreign influence over the editorial independence of American broadcast journalism and content.”

    Paramount Skydance has maintained that the FCC’s role in the deal is “minimal,” describing the foreign investment component as warranting only a cursory review. The senators urged the agency to reject that premise and conduct a full probe under the Communications Act, which bars foreign entities from owning more than 25 percent of the equity in a U.S. entity that has an FCC-issued license. For approval to be granted, the agency must determine that the arrangement serves the public interests. They also called for the FCC to coordinate with the Justice Department, CFIUS and intelligence agencies before concluding that the financing is risk-free.

    Booker was joined by Sens. Chuck Schumer, Mazie Hirono, Dick Durbin, Richard Blumenthal, Elizabeth Warren, Sheldon Whitehouse.

  • OnlyFans Owner Leonid Radvinsky Dies at 43

    Leonid Radvinsky, owner of the adult content platform OnlyFans, has died. He was 43 years of age.

    “Leo passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer. His family have requested privacy at this difficult time,” OnlyFans said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on Monday after Radvinsky’s death on March 20.

    Born in the Ukraine, he grew up in Chicago and graduated with an economics degree from Northwestern University. With a specialty in open source software development, Radvinsky bought Fenix International Limited, the company that owns and runs OnlyFans, in 2018.

    OnlyFans was launched in 2016, the same year as TikTok, and started out by connecting models directly with fans to sell them photos and videos. Where pornography had mostly been viewed for free on online sites, OnlyFans developed a subscription-based model for creators with their own OnlyFans accounts, with most being sex workers. In 2021, OnlyFans banned sexually explicit video content on its site as it looked to bring on outside investors and responded to requests from banking partners and payment providers, including major credit card suppliers.

    After the deal with Fenix International, Radvinsky became a director and the majority shareholder of the company. The audience for OnlyFans has risen to around 300 million users.

    Radvinsky, who was a billionaire through his ownership of OnlyFans, was also an investor in other business ventures. Since 2024, his shares in Fenix International had been held in the LR Fenix Trust. 

  • ‘Everybody Digs Bill Evans’ Sells Across Europe (Exclusive)

    ‘Everybody Digs Bill Evans’ Sells Across Europe (Exclusive)

    European buyers dig Bill Evans.

    Distributors across Europe have snatched up Grant Gee’s experimental biopic Everybody Digs Bill Evans, starring Sentimental Value actor Anders Danielsen Lie as the legendary jazz pianist, following its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, where it won best directing honors for Gee.

    Mister Smith Entertainment, which is handling international sales on the project, inked deals for the film with UFO in France, Cinemaran in Spain, Wanted Cinema in Italy, Paradiso in Benelux, and Another World Entertainment in Scandinavia. Break Out Pictures previously acquired the title for release in the UK and Ireland.

    Other international deals for the film include with Green Narae Media for South Korea, Front Row Entertainment for the Middle East, Shaw Organization in Singapore, Blitz in Ex-Yugoslavia, and The Film Group in Greece.

    Everybody Digs Bill Evans traces Evans’ story from June 1961, when, after recording two seminal live albums with his original trio, tragedy struck. Evans’ beloved bassist and musical soulmate Scott LaFaro died in a car crash. Unable to imagine performing without him, Evans cancelled all his tour dates and sought refuge with his retired parents in Florida, where he struggled to get off drugs (he was a heroin addict) and find a reason to play again.

    Centered on that period in Evans’ life, when he was unable to play, Gee’s film flashes forward to the 70s and 80s highlighting other moments of tragedy in the musician’s life. The 60s scenes are shot in stark black and white, the more modern sequences in garish color. Bill Pullman and Laurie Metcalf play Evans’ parents.

    Everybody Digs Bill Evans is Gee’s feature debut, after acclaimed music documentaries Meeting People is Easy (1998) and Joy Division (2007). He co-wrote the script with Mark O’Halloran (Conversations with Friends), based on the book Intermission by Owen Martell. Janine Marmot of Hot Property Films produced the movie together with Alan Maher for Cowtown Pictures.

    Everybody Digs Bill Evans is still searching for a U.S. distributor. Mister Smith Entertainment is co-repping U.S. rights with CAA.

  • Banff Rockie Awards: ‘Abbott Elementary,’ ‘The Pitt’ Among Nominated Series

    Banff Rockie Awards: ‘Abbott Elementary,’ ‘The Pitt’ Among Nominated Series

    The nominations for the Banff World Media Festival‘s Rockie Awards have been unveiled, with American TV shows nabbing 55 nominations, followed by U.K. series with 39 mentions.

    This year’s juried competition also sees the BBC leading the field with 26 nominations for its series, with National Geographic earning another 10 nominations and Hulu picking up eight nominations of its own. The Rockies, which sees U.S. TV shows compete against international series, in the best English language drama category will see Canada’s Heated Rivalry and Plan B series go up against the American shows The Handmaid’s Tale and The Pitt and the British drama Reckless.

    Also in the scripted competitions, the best English language comedy category is filled by American entrants: Only Murders in the Building, Abbott Elementary, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Chair Company and The Rehearsal.  The competition and game show competition includes nominations for Destination X, Next Level Baker and Shark Tank as they go up against The Box and The Traitors Canada.

    The Rockies’ animated series competition is dominated again by 20th Television Animation shows with nominations for American Dad!, Bob’s Burgers, Futurama and The Simpsons, alongside another mention for Taiwan’s Brave Animated Series.

    In the acting categories, there’s nominations in the best drama performance competition for Malin Akerman (The Hunting Wives), Jacob Elordi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North), James Nelson-Joyce (This City is Ours), Narges Rashidi (Prisoner 951) and Amanda Seyfried (Long Bright River).

    And the best comedy performance category has nominations for Nabhaan Rizwan, Suranne Jones and Aimee Lou Wood, each for the Film Club rom-com, and others for Mawaan Rizwan (Juice) and Timothy Spall (Death Valley).

    Allana Harkin (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee) will host the Rockie Awards ceremony on June 16. A full list of 2026 Banff Rockies Awards nominations is available on the festival website ahead of the Banff World Media Festival set to run June 14-17.

  • ‘Heated Rivalry,’ ‘The Pitt,’ ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Among Banff World Media Festival’s Rockie Awards 2026 Nominees

    ‘Heated Rivalry,’ ‘The Pitt,’ ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Among Banff World Media Festival’s Rockie Awards 2026 Nominees

    The Banff World Media Festival has revealed nominees for the 2026 Rockie Awards International Program Competition, which takes place Tuesday, June 16, at the annual event. Hosted by Allana Harkin (“Full Frontal With Samantha Bee”), the event takes place at the same time as the Banff Gala Awards.

    The Rockie Awards this year features 151 nominees from 21 countries across 29 categories, while the Banff Gala Awards recognizes top creative talent and executives.

    “At a moment of incredible transformation for the global entertainment industry, the creativity behind this year’s nominated projects is truly remarkable,” said Banff World Media Festival executive director Jenn Kuzmyk. “The programs and talent selected as standouts by our international jury exemplify what it means to be pushing boundaries, taking risks, and proving that original ideas continue to thrive even in times of great change.”

    BBC leads the nominations with 26, followed by National Geographic (10). Among countries, the United States was tops with 55 nods, followed by the UK (39) and Canada (28).

    New categories focus on outstanding drama and comedy performances. For drama, that includes Malin Åkerman (“The Hunting Wives”), Jacob Elordi (“The Narrow Road to the Deep North”), James Nelson-Joyce (“This City is Ours”), Narges Rashidi (“Prisoner 951”) and Amanda Seyfried (“Long Bright River”).

    And in comedy, that includes Performance in a Comedy: Mawaan Rizwan (“Juice”), Timothy Spall (“Death Valley”), and Nabhaan Rizwan, Suranne Jones and Aimee Lou Wood. all from “Film Club.”

    Here are this year’s Rockie Awards nominees:

    Arts & Entertainment

    Comedy Variety

    “Kumail Nanjiani: Night Thoughts” (ITV America, Winter Coat Films, TheYearOfElan Productions)

    “Michael McIntyre’s Big Show” (Hungry McBear, BBC One)

    “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2024 Induction Ceremony” (Tenth Planet Productions)

    “The Graham Norton Show” (So Television)

    Competition Series & Game Shows

    “Destination X” (Twofour, BBC One)

    “Next Level Baker” (BiggerStage, Studio Ramsay)

    “Shark Tank” (Sony Pictures Television)

    “The Box” (Seefood TV, TV 2 Norway, Seefood Distribution)

    “The Traitors Canada” (Entourage Production TV inc.)

    Docuseries

    “Call Her Alex” (Unwell Productions)

    “Crip Trip” (Catapult Pictures)

    “Freddie Flintoff’s Field Of Dreams: The Ultimate Test” (South Shore Productions)

    “Harlem Ice” (Imagine Entertainment, Disney Branded Television)

    “The Death Coast” (Forte Entertainment, Bell Media, Crave, USA Network, A+E, History Channel, Picture Farm, Sugar 23)

    “Tous en choeur” (Sphere Media, AMI Télé)

    “Wildfire” (Optic Nerve Films, CK9 Studios)

    Lifestyle

    “Earth Oven” (Hi Mama Productions, Blue Ant Media, Sky Television New Zealand, SBS Australia)

    “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (Endemol Shine North America, Hello Sunshine, Walt Disney Television Alternative)

    “No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski” (Studio Ramsay Global, National Geographic)

    “Sort Your Life Out” (Optomen Television Limited)

    “Tucci In Italy” (BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions, Salt Productions, National Geographic)

    Reality Series

    “Bloodlines” (Seefood TV, TV 2 Norway, Seefood Distribution)

    “Jay & Pamela” (Jarrett Creative, TLC)

    “Le calendrier de l’avent” (Sphere Media, Bell Media)

    “Same Bed, Different Dreams 2 : You Are My Destiny” (SBS, Underdog Inc, Big Time Decent Productions Inc.)

    Documentary & Factual

    Arts & Culture

    “Half Moon” (Selfmade Films, NTR, NPO-fonds, CoBO, Filmfonds)

    “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery – The Untold Story” (White Horse Pictures, Elevation Pictures, ABC News Studios, Not A Real Production Company)

    “Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)” (MRC, Network Entertainment Inc., Two One Five Entertainment Inc., RadicalMedia, Stardust Films LLC, ID8 Multimedia, Inc., and Sony Music Entertainment)

    “The Last Musician of Auschwitz” (Two Rivers Media, BBC, Access Entertainment, Sphere Abacus)

    The Lost Music of Auschwitz (Windfall Films)

    Crime & Investigation

    “Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke” (Passion Pictures)

    “Don’t Date Brandon” (Wag Entertainment, See it Now Studios, Paramount+, Fremantle International)

    “Oklahoma City Bombing” (72 Films)

    “Secrets of the Bunny Ranch” (yap films, C3, A&E)

    “Undercover in the Police” (BBC Panorama)

    Environmental & Wildlife

    “A Real Bug’s Life” (Plimsoll Productions)

    “Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles” (Silverback Films, BBC, BBC One, BBC iPlayer, All3Media Limited)

    “Ocean with David Attenborough” (Silverback Films, Open Planet Studios)

    “Secrets of the Forest” (Windfall films)

    “Underdogs” (Wildstar Films, Maximum Effort)

    History & Biography

    “Free at Last. Unresolved Stories of Apartheid” (beetz brothers film production, StoryScope)

    “Lost in the Jungle” (Little Monster FIlms, Lightbox, Pacha Films, Señal Colombia and Demolition Films)

    “Neshoma” (NTR, FamilyAffiars, Het prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, AFK, Claims Conference, NPO-Fonds, CoBO, Filmfonds, Beeld & Geluid, Eye Filmmuseum)

    “No Justice, Just Kills” (BBC Eye)

    “Separation: Declassified” (CNA, One Leg Kicking, The Ordinary Milkman)

    “The Twister: Caught in the Storm” (RAW)

    Science & Technology

    “A.I. Love You” (Nordisk Film TV Denmark)

    “Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember” (Nutopia, Protozoa, Wild State Productions)

    “Once Upon a Time in Space” (KEO films, Freemantle, BBC, PBS, The Open University)

    “The Calling: A Medical School Journey” (HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, Cineflix Media, American Issues Initiative, First Story Productions)

    “Titanic: Digital Resurrection” (Atlantic Productions)

    “Why Planes Crash” (Windfall Films, BBC)

    Short Form Non-Fiction Series

    “CBC On Design” (Sticks & Stones, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

    “Guardians” (Zandland, The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales, United For Wildlife)

    “Rebels” (Space Pirates)

    “The November Project” (Bell Fibe TV1, Two Blue Shirts, Critical Mass Art, Robert Horgan)

    “Wild Hope” (I Tangled Bank Studios and Red Rock Films Production)

    Social Issues and Current Affairs

    “Hudson Bay(bies)” (Les films Sanajik, PVP MEDIA)

    “Idris Elba: Our Knife Crime Crisis” (22 Summers)

    “Love+War” (Little Monster Films)

    “Prisoner 951: The Hostages’ Story” (Dancing Ledge Productions, BBC)

    “The Assembly” (Small Army Entertainment)

    “The Spoils” (Cave 7 Productions Inc., CBC, Blue Ant International)

    Sports Documentary

    “Believers: Boston Red Sox” (ESPN, Religion of Sports, Artists Equity)

    “Clemente” (Vinegar Hill, UNINTERRUPTED,  Vantage Pictures, Cookie Jar, a Dream Studios, APX Content Ventures, History Channel)

    “Saints And Warriors” (InnoNative, Grand Scheme, Uninterrupted Canada, First Take Entertainment)

    “Unforgotten: The Bradford City Fire” (Acme, BBC)

    “Who Killed the Montreal Expos?” (Attraction, Netflix)

    Children & Youth

    Animation Preschool

    “ODO” (Sixteen South,  Letko)

    “Once There Is” (Miyu Distribution)

    “Piggy Builders” (Xilam Animation, Cube Creative Productions, Horta Productions)

    “The Scarecrows’ Wedding” (Magic Light Pictures, BBC,  ZDF)

    “Woolly Woolly” (Normaal, PVP Media, France télévisions,  TVOkids, Radio-Canada, Knowledge Kids)

    Animation Children

    “Kiff: Lore of the Ring Light” (Titmouse, Inc., Disney Television Animation, Disney Branded Television)

    “Pudsey and the Thread of Hope” (BBC Studios Kids & Family,  BBC)

    “Super Happy Magic Forest” (Tiger Aspect Kids & Family, Zodiak Kids & Family France, Movimenti Productions, Monello Productions,  BBC, C+, Rai, ZDF, ABC)

    “The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball” (Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, WarnerMedia Kids Family’s flagship television animation studio)

    “The Weasy Family” (HARI)

    Live Action: Children

    “Donkey Hodie” (Fred Rogers Productions,  Spiffy Pictures)

    “Follow Me, Go! Global Warming Series” (Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation [PTS Taiwan])

    “Knee High Spies” (Werner Film Productions, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Children’s Television Foundation, Screen Australia, VicScreen)

    “Nature Bug Patrol” (Taigi TV Station)

    “The First Snow of Fraggle Rock” (The Jim Henson Company)

    Live Action: Youth

    “Crongton” (New Pictures, BBC)

    “Night Shift” (Trio Orange)

    “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” (20th Television, Disney Branded Television)

    “ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires” (Night Zone Productions Limited, Disney Branded Television)

    Scripted

    Feature Length Film

    “Disclosure” (W&B Television GmbH, Sperl Productions GmbH)

    “If We Die, Let’s Die in Paris” (NHK)

    “Mountainhead” (HBO Films,  Project Zeus, Hot Seat Attractions)

    “The Carry-On” (Hakka TV)

    “What Now?” (ATO Media Inc, TFO)

    Drama Series: English Language

    “Heated Rivalry” (Accent Aigu Entertainment, ell Media, Crave, Canada Media Fund, The Bell Fund, Sphere Abacus, HBO Max, Movistar Plus, Sky Atlantic)

    “Plan B” (KOTV)

    “Reckless” (BBC Studios Productions)

    “The Handmaid’s Tale” (MGM Television, Daniel Wilson Productions, The Littlefield Company, White Oak Pictures)

    “The Pitt” (HBO Max, John Wells Productions, R. Scott Gemmill Productions, Warner Bros. Television)

    Drama Series: Non-English Language

    “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” (CJ ENM, Studio Dragon, Netflix)

    “Cold Haven” (Glassriver, SPi)

    “Empathy” (Trio Orange)

    “Love Scout” (SBS, Studio S)

    “Queen of Fucking Everything” (Yle, ZDF, NPO, VRT, NRK, RUV)

    “Those Who Lived” (What’s Up Films, Mizar Films, Nac Films)

    “The Outlaw Doctor” (Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation (PTS Taiwan), Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd., GrX Studio)

    Comedy Series: English Language

    “Abbott Elementary” (Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions, Fifth Chance, Warner Bros. Television, 20th Television, Disney Television Studio)

    “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (FX Productions)

    “Only Murders in the Building” (20th Television)

    “The Chair Company” (HBO, HyperObject Industries, Zanin Corp)

    “The Rehearsal” (HBO,  Blow Out Productions)

    Comedy Series: Non-English Language

    “Fag Hag” (Atresmedia, Suma Content)

    “Messed Up II” (Topkapi Films)

    “Still Looking” (Seefood TV, Seefood Distribution, TV 2 Norway)

    “Study Group” (CJ ENM, Studio Dragon,  TVING)

    “The Shortest Reign” (Movistar Plus+,  Zeta Studios)

    Animated Series

    “American Dad!” (20th Television Animation)

    “Brave Animated Series” (Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation (PTS Taiwan), BIGCAT Studio, ARIES Studio)

    “Bob’s Burgers” (20th Television Animation, Bento Box Entertainment)

    “Futurama” (The Curiosity Company, 20th Television Animation)

    “The Simpsons” (20th Television Animation)

    Limited Series

    “Film Club” (Gaumont, BBC)

    “Prisoner 951” (Dancing Ledge Productions, BBC)

    “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” (Curio Pictures)

    “Trespasses” (Wildgaze Films, Channel 4,  All3Media International)

    “What It Feels Like For A Girl” (Hera Pictures,  BBC,  ITV Studios)

    Podcasts

    “Betrayal Season 4” (Glass Podcasts, Glass Entertainment Group,  iHeart Podcasts)

    “Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer” (Audible Originals, Prologue Projects)

    “First Conviction” (RTÉ Documentary On One, RTÉ Investigates)

    “Toy Soldier” (The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

    “What Could Go Wrong?” (Audible, Plan B)

    Web Series and Content Creators

    “Dying Seconds” (Dying Seconds Season One, Just for Just for Entertainment Group)

    “Eyes In The Woods” (Numera Films, OUTtv)

    “Moonbird” (Kutikina Productions, Sheoak Films, SBS)

    “RE:Choice Three Days’ Times” (Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation [PTS Taiwan])

    “The Stories That MADE Us” (Wallop Film, Canada Media Fund, Telefilm Canada, Torque Strategies)

    Best Use of Music in a Series

    “Film Club” (Gaumont, BBC)

    “Mix Tape” (Subotica, Aquarius Films,  BBC Two)

    “North of North” (Red Marrow Media, Northwood Entertainment, CBC, Netflix, APTN)

    “Riot Women” (Drama Republic, BBC,  Britbox)

    “Stranger Things” (Picture Music Company, Inc.)

    “The Lowdown” (FX Productions)

    Best Performance in a Drama

    Amanda Seyfried, “Long Bright River” (Sony Pictures Television)

    Jacob Elordi, “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” (Curio Pictures)

    James Nelson-Joyce, “This City Is Ours” (Left Bank Pictures, BBC)

    Malin Åkerman, “The Hunting Wives” (Lionsgate Television, 3 Arts)

    Narges Rashidi, “Prisoner 951” (Dancing Ledge Productions, BBC)

    Best Performance in a Comedy

    Aimee Lou Wood, “Film Club” (Gaumont, BBC)

    Mawaan Rizwan, “Juice” (Various Artists Limited)

    Nabhaan Rizwan, “Film Club” (Gaumont, BBC)

    Suranne Jones, “Film Club” (Gaumont, BBC)

    Timothy Spall, “Death Valley” (BBC Studios Comedy)

  • Rahel Solomon to Exit CNN

    Rahel Solomon to Exit CNN

    Rahel Solomon, an up-and-coming personality at CNN who was most recently anchoring one of the network’s earliest hours of programming, is leaving the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed outlet.

    “I have decided that this will be my last week at CNN. More to come on what’s next for me, but I’m really excited about this next chapter,” Solomon said during a Monday broadcast of her show, “Early Start.” She touted her role working as a business correspondent for CNN. ” I have covered everything from inflation to the job market, and everything in-between. It has been an honor. It has been a privilege.”

    Solomon essentially “opens” CNN’s programming schedule each weekday morning, leading the network’s first original hour of daytime schedule (Elex Michaleson signs off at 2 a.m. eastern, and CNN typically shows repeats and some hours of curated programming before Solomon’s show). The show, initially unveiled under the title “5 Things with Rahel Solomon,” debuted in March of 2025.

    Solomon previously worked as a business correspondent for CNN International, covering such events as the 2023 U.S. banking crisis and d the emergency takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS. She joined CNN in 2022 after a stint at CNBC, where she worked as a general news reporter appearing on programs including “Halftime Report” and “Power Lunch.” Solomon also logged a stint as a morning news anchor for KYW in her hometown of Philadelphia.

    Solomon graduated from St. John’s University, earning a bachelor’s degree in finance. She also earned a master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

  • Sturgill Simpson’s Johnny Blue Skies Album Debuts at No. 3 on Billboard 200, Despite Only Being Released on Vinyl, CD and Cassette

    Sturgill Simpson’s Johnny Blue Skies Album Debuts at No. 3 on Billboard 200, Despite Only Being Released on Vinyl, CD and Cassette

    Sturgill Simpson was not about to go gently down the stream with his latest album. “Mutiny After Midnight,” attributed to Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds, has only been released in physical formats — i.e. vinyl, compact discs and cassettes — but that did not stop it from enjoying a big bow on the Billboard 200. When the chart’s new top 10 was unveiled on Sunday, “Mutiny After Midnight” came in at No. 3, with 59,000 units, all of them in pure old-school sales.

    However much withholding an album from streaming might seem counterintuitive in 2026, that actually served to draw attention to the project. That could be a factor in why this is actually the best debut week Simpson/Blue Skies has ever had, under any name and with any combination of formats.

    The only albums to come in ahead of “Mutiny After Midnight” were Harry Styles‘ “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” which held onto the No. 1 spot for a second week with 99,000, and Morgan Wallen’s “I’m the Problem,” up one position to No. 2 with 74,000.

    Billboard reported that the Johnny Blue Skies album was the first physical-release-only to make the top 10 in almost three years. The previous one to do it was a Record Store Day limited-edition vinyl exclusive from Taylor Swift, “Folklore,” which basically blew through its entire pressing of 75,000 copies in its first day of release. But if you were to leave out RSD LP exclusives, the last physical-only release to reach the top 10 was in 2017, when Garth Brooks put out an archival five-CD boxed set. (Billboard did not say when the last time was that it happened with an LP of actual brand-new material;. Now, that would require some serious memory-stretching.)

    Billboard notes that the Simpson/Blue Skies project was available in several variants, including a standard black vinyl LP and CD that were widely available across retail, plus an indie-exclusive red vinyl variant, and five other vinyl editions and a cassette that were exclusive to the artist’s webstore. Although these offered plenty of alternatives for fans, the editions were not significantly different from one another to have probably resulted in the multi-copy collecting common to pop superstars’ fan bases nowadays.

    The artist did what in retrospect looks to have been a superb job of self-marketing the album as something distinctly different in his catalog, not just with the formats offered (or not offered), but with the promise that “Mutiny After Midnight” would be “a dance record… centered firmly on groove… each song was written in the moment, on-the-spot.” The promise was also made that the songs would speak to, and/or distract from, the anxious state of the world. If anyone figured any of this would dissuade the part of Simpson’s fan base that came to know him as an alternative country artist first, and not someone who does topical disco, that dissuasion did not materialize.

    It also didn’t hurt, apparently, that despite his reluctance to put the album on streaming, Simpson/Blue Eyes did “leak” the album briefly on YouTube weeks before its release. The sales results show that fans must’ve liked what they (temporarily) heard, with word of mouth as strong as reviews ultimately were.

    Blue Skies, for his part, has indicated that the “Mutiny After Midnight” album will be released to streaming apps at some point, after he’s proven that people want it even (or especially) in a slightly less easy to obtain or play format.

    Styles’ place at the top of the Billboard 200 was still secure for a second week, even though the 99,000 units represented a tumble of 77%. Breaking down the results for “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” the biggest decline was in pure album sales, which were down by 92%, with most of his fan base having secured their vinyl copies in week one. Streaming was down less substantially, by 47%, to a second-week tally of 75 million on-demand official streams for Styles.

    Coming in at No. 4 was P1Harmony’s “Unique,” just behind Johnny Blue Skies with 58,000 equivalent album units. Album sales accounted for 56,0000 of those units, with Billboard noting there were 24 CD variants and five vinyl variants for sale. Streaming, meanwhile, was relatively negligible, with only 2.22 million on-demand streams reported for the album.

    The remainder of the top 10 consisted of Bad Bunny’s “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” at No. 5 (with 57,000 units), Don Toliver’s “Octane” at No. 6,  Olivia Dean’s “The Art of Loving” at No. 7, Bruno Mars’ “The Romantic” at No. 8, Tate McRae’s “So Close to What” at No. 9 (an 11-point jump, due to a deluxe edition being released) and “KPop Demon Hunters” (enjoying a modest 9% surge after the Oscars). 

    Styles’ stay at No. 1 wil likely be a short one, as Friday’s comeback album from BTS is sure to lead the charge next week. Based partly on a spectacular opening day on Spotify, the K-pop group’s first new album since 2020 is widely projected to rack up the year’s best opening figures to date.

  • Carrie Anne Fleming, ‘iZombie’ and ‘Supernatural’ Actress, Dies at 51

    Carrie Anne Fleming, an actress best known for her recurring roles in iZombie and Supernatural, has died. She was 51.

    Jim Beaver, who played her husband on Supernatural, announced the news in a Facebook post, saying she died Feb. 26 of cancer. He relayed how they first “met cute” on the set of Supernatural and bonded over having daughters with the exact same names (and slightly different spellings), among other things.

    “She was a powerhouse of vitality and goodwill and amazingly good nature, with a rapturous laugh and an utterly adorable personality that didn’t seem to have an off switch,” he wrote.

    Fleming’s rep Simona Crone at Integral Artists confirmed the news.

    Born on Aug. 16, 1974, in Nova Scotia, Canada, Fleming had a passion for the arts early in her career, deciding to study drama at the Kaleidoscope Theatre and dance at Kidco theatre dance group.

    After graduating and working as a model for some time, she landed her first onscreen role in the 1994 TV movie Viper. A few years later, she got an uncredited appearance in the 1996 beloved comedy, Happy Gilmore, starring Adam Sandler.

    As for Fleming’s most notable roles, she played Candy in iZombie from 2015-19. The series, starring Rose McIver, centered on a medical resident who finds that being a zombie has its perks, which she uses to assist the police. As for Supernatural, she appeared in three episodes as Karen Singer.

    Her other TV credits included Supergirl, UnREAL, Continuum, Alice, Knights of Bloodsteel, The 4400, The L Word, Smallville, The Dead Zone, Stargate SG-1 and Secret Agent Man.

    On the film side, Fleming appeared in 14 Hours, Edison, Good Luck Chuck, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, Crossroads: A Story of Forgiveness, Married Life, The Christmas Consultant, That Burning Feeling, Like Sunday, Like Rain, Along Came a Nanny, Rememory and Heart of Clay.

  • ‘Marshals’ Star Mo Brings Plenty Seeks Justice for Nephew: “He Was Our Future”

    Mo Brings Plenty, an enrolled member of the Lakota Nations, was frustrated with the cultural misappropriation that he saw onscreen until Yellowstone came along. Thanks to a collaboration with prolific hit-maker Taylor Sheridan, not only did Plenty land a role in the mega-hit series as the right-hand man to Broken Rock Tribe chief Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), he was also hired behind the scenes as the show’s American Indian Affairs coordinator. And it’s a role he’s now continuing on the CBS Yellowstone spinoff Marshals, which follows Kayce Dutton (played by Luke Grimes).

    Marshals has become a huge success for the network, repeating as the top series — network or streaming — two weeks in a row. Below, when chatting about Sunday’s fourth episode of the hit season (it’s already been renewed for season two), Plenty speaks with The Hollywood Reporter about both his onscreen role — as Mo (also the name of his character) — and the authentic input he gave behind the scenes in season one.

    He also opens up, for the first time in an interview, about the untimely death of his nephew, Cole Brings Plenty, a star in the Yellowstone-verse who was found dead between seasons one and two of the prequel series 1923. “For his murder to go uninvestigated, and for it to be written off as ‘no foul play,’ because they didn’t want to invest anything into it? It’s heartbreaking,” he says. “We’re not letting it go.”

    ***

    When were you first approached about being a part of Marshals?

    I received a call from my team, and I said, “Absolutely. If Luke [Grimes] and Gil [Birmingham] are involved, I’m in.” It was an easy yes to carry on these characters. These are such iconic characters and I so desired to carry them on. I was kind of sad when we were finishing up Yellowstone. Those were some amazing guys. And then all of a sudden, here we are. We’re back. It was just great news to me. I was doing cartwheels in my mind and a happy dance that I would not want the world to see (laughs).

    We spoke to star Luke Grimes and your showrunner Spencer Hudnut about how they had to find the right way to reopen Kayce Dutton’s story since Yellowstone gave him such a beautiful ending, especially involving your character with the Duttons giving the land back to the Broken Rock Reservation. Did you have any hesitations about revisiting that ending?

    I didn’t have any reservations, especially knowing that Luke was going to be involved, and Gil. Obviously, Luke isn’t going to just sign up for something that wasn’t going to be good for those characters, and Spencer too. Getting the opportunity to work with him, I can’t say enough good things about him. It’s like I never left. It’s like being back home. I’m just so thankful for this opportunity to carry him on.

    Mo Brings Plenty (left) with Gil Birmingham and Luke Grimes in Marshals.

    Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting

    How did you react when you found out that the hook to the show would be that Monica Dutton [Kayce’s wife, played by Kelsey Asbille] dies?

    Boy. At first, I was like, “Why?!” Because that was our connection to the Duttons. There’s always been a connection between the Dutton family and Broken Rock, but Monica was more of a connection. So to lose that, at first, my reaction was like, “No.” But we gotta tell a story. And the blessing of that occurring is that Kayce has to fill that void now. So that connection is still there. Not just for the fact that Rainwater adopted and took him in as a brother, but I think the warriors that Mo and Kayce are, that brotherhood has always been there, but it’s become even stronger.

    They could have continued this story without Broken Rock. How happy are you that they went this way?

    I’m ecstatic. I’m so extremely grateful that they didn’t leave Broken Rock out of it, and that they didn’t leave Indian Country out of it. They could do whatever they want. But if you want layers and diversity, what better way than to incorporate the original inhabitants?

    Spencer said that Kelsey Asbille wasn’t available for Marshals, so he wasn’t involved in the conversations about her not being a part of the show. Have you spoken to her at all?

    You know, no. I haven’t spoken to her. I thought about reaching out to her at the very beginning. But that was before I found out [the plot]. I just left it alone. I mind my business and do my job to the best of my abilities.

    Spencer said Monica’s death, obviously, serves two purposes. It’s the hook for the show, but it also shines a light on something real happening on reservations. Did you have any input in this storyline, or did they come to you with this idea? [Note: Monica died after battling cancer due to toxic levels in the water on the reservation.]

    This was already there. And I’m glad we’re going to be able to bring this to light, not just with the reservation, but water is life for everyone. And when I say “everyone,” I’m talking from the vegetation all the way to the human race. I’m thankful that we’re bringing this to light.

    I’m sure you were thrilled that Mo would be a character on the show. When they said, “We also want you behind the scenes to help us keep telling res stories,” how did that conversation go? Was their goal to continue what Taylor Sheridan had started with Yellowstone in that respect?

    I’m so filled with gratitude for the opportunity, not just to carry on the role of Mo, but to be able to continue on in the American Indian Affairs coordinator role, and have input in storylines. There was a time when our ceremonies were never hidden. It wasn’t until they were banned that they went into hiding. And then in 1976, when President Jimmy Carter signed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, it gave us the ability to practice our ceremonial ways again. It’s been trying over the years to allow that part to exist in everyday life. Now we’re bringing different elements to the forefront and showing the world that we, as American Indian people, still have our traditional ways. We still have our way of prayer. We still have different things we can do to help us through grieving and through different aspects that continue to inspire.

    Brecken Merrill as Tate Dutton, honoring his mother, Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille), on Marshals.

    Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Spencer said the mine story will continue throughout the season, and that there will be other episodes, including when children go missing from reservations. What were some storylines you contributed to or authentic changes you made?

    I contributed to a particular moment in the grieving process for [Monica] for Kayce and [son] Tate. I contributed, along with my younger brother, in providing a moment. It hasn’t aired yet, so I don’t want to describe it yet. It’s a beautiful moment. So to be able to contribute in that way — even in songs. My brother composes a lot of the songs that we utilize not just in Yellowstone, but also on Marshals, that fit a particular scene that we’re going. To be able to carry that on is so important. I’m thankful to Spencer, who’s open and understanding. It’s like working with Taylor again. Spencer and I are kicking around ideas that I don’t even want to reveal yet. But there are going to be some beautiful things coming up.

    This week’s episode introduces a possible romantic interest for Kayce. Spencer hinted about exploring new relationships with Kayce as the season moves on. How will the show, even as it goes on to season two, continue to honor what Monica and Kayce had as such a core Yellowstone couple?

    What Kayce and Monica had, that relationship, is going to be carried on. That relationship existed so strongly. It wasn’t just about a husband and wife. It was also a relationship between the Duttons and Broken Rock. I feel that Rianwater and Mo are going to be able to carry on that relationship and build upon what they have established. Monica was a strong warrior. She made great sacrifices to protect people. Even jumping back to Yellowstone with the individual who was the rapist, Monica set that up. She was the bait, so to speak, and was able to help seize that individual. The spirit of her is always going to remain.

    Yellowstone skeletons haunt Kayce. The sins of his family have been a big part of these first episodes. Spencer said Yellowstone will continue to be a part of this show. How would you say the Dutton name continues to loom over Kayce, or will he be able to get out from the shadow?

    I think Kayce is such an amazing individual that the Dutton family will end up existing within his shadow. I believe he will crawl out from underneath the shadow of his family, and he will cast his own shadow. He’s a strong individual, a great warrior. Bottom line. But he thinks differently. He has a different mind. And so I believe he’s going to be able to cast his own place so that will no longer be in the Dutton family shadow.

    How big a role will Mo have as the season goes on? Anything you can tease?

    People are going to get to see a little bit more of who my character is. Just about who he is to the people, to Broken Rock. We filmed the first season. I have no idea [beyond season one]. It’s entirely up to the writers. I would like to hope that the character will grow some more. I respect every decision that is made, and I respect the story. It’s about the audience. It’s not about my character.

    Cole Brings Plenty as Pete Plenty Clouds in season one of 1923.

    Emerson Miller/Paramount+

    I was so sorry to hear about your nephew, Cole Brings Plenty [who died in 2024 at age 27], and I want to share my condolences with you and your family. He had such a beautiful role in 1923. Is there anything you’d want to say to pay tribute to him?

    Absolutely. He was our future. He knew our ceremonies. I was teaching him more and more, so was my brother, his father. He was my nephew, but he was like a son to me. And for his murder to go uninvestigated, and for it to be written off as “no foul play,” because they didn’t want to invest anything into it? It’s heartbreaking. Because we’re taxpaying people as well. So for them to not work for us, no different than how they work for anyone else is, is pretty sad.

    I hope that we continue on to talk about that in our storylines — that there are a lot of families such as mine that are going through this right now, and we still have a lot of unanswered questions. Because I saw his body, I saw the evidence that is there that someone caught him. So for them to say that there was nothing, I can’t believe that. I still can’t.

    I didn’t know that. There hasn’t been much released about that.

    The departments didn’t put much effort into it. In fact, they weren’t even really looking for him. They were hunting him. They weren’t searching for him. They were hunting him until the day when a good friend of mine and I rented a helicopter and told the Lawrence Police Department [in Kansas] that we were going to go and search from the air, and that day, they were out in full force.

    Is there anything you’re still doing to bring him some justice?

    Just spread the message. We’ve been in talks with several different people. We’re not letting it go. It was a hard loss for us because this was an individual who was speaking our language, singing our songs and carrying on our traditions. He was the future for us. We want more and more of our young people to be inspired to pick up who we are from a cultural perspective.

    You have a large audience on Marshals. I’m sure you saw the ratings and the early renewal. Will you feed some of this into the storylines?

    I hope so. We’ve kind of already touched on it, and if it weren’t for Kayce being with the U.S. Marshals, it just goes to show the importance of working together. And how vital that is and how meaningful, and how helpful that would be to the families.

    Taylor Sheridan has created a large platform for these stories to be told. Since you’ve been in this role since Yellowstone started, do you feel like you’ve seen more or less of others doing similarly?

    I think Taylor was a catalyst to more people having the courage to tell those stories. And so I’m thankful for that.

    ***

    Marshals airs new episodes at 8 p.m. on CBS.

  • Sam Kieth, ‘The Maxx’ and ‘Sandman’ Comic Book Artist, Dies at 63

    Sam Kieth, ‘The Maxx’ and ‘Sandman’ Comic Book Artist, Dies at 63

    Sam Kieth, the comic book creator of “The Maxx” and co-creator of “Sandman,” died March 15. He was 63.

    Kieth’s lifelong friend and collaborator Scott Dunbier confirmed that the artist died of Lewy Body Dementia to Bleeding Cool.

    Born on January 11, 1963, Kieth began his career in comics at the age of 17, publishing his first work with Comico. He worked on numerous projects, including “Wolverine” in Marvel Comics Presents and “The Hulk.” In 1993, he created a series exploring themes of identity and reality for Image Comics titled “The Maxx,” which was later adapted into an animated series for MTV’s “Liquid Television” and became globally recognized. Kieth’s work on the series also led to a line of action figures produced by Todd McFarlane.

    In collaboration with Neil Gaiman, Kieth co-created “Sandman” and illustrated the first five issues for DC Comics. His work also appeared in the comics “Zero Girl” and “Four Women” for Wildstorm, and “Ojo” and “My Inner Bimbo” for Oni Press. Kieth also helped create “No Smoking,” a pilot for “Cow and Chicken,” and directed the film “Take It to the Limit” for Roger Corman’s Concorde-New Horizons.

    Kieth’s later works included “Batman: Secrets,” “Batman/Lobo: Deadly Serious,” and “Lobo: Highway to Hell.” He also created the Batman/Maxx crossover, “Arkham Dreams,” for DC Comics. He also made contributions to “Judge Dredd” for 2000AD and “30 Days of Night” for IDW.

    Kieth retired from mainstream comics after the publication of “Arkham Dreams” due to health issues.

    He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Kathy Kieth.