Entertainment Daypop Archives

NBA superstar LeBron James and his production company, SpringHill Entertainment, announced a sequel to 1996’s “Space Jam” that will boast an all-star team, Ryan Coogler of “Black Panther” is set to produce the film, James will star and Terence Nance of “Random Acts of Flyness” will serve as director. The new Lakers superstar playing himself in “Trainwreck” opposite Amy Schumer but has never starred in a feature film. James told the Hollywood Reporter that he “loved [Coogler’s] vision” for “Black Panther” and believes the director will bring the same magic to “Space Jam.” Other NBA stars are expected to star with James in the film, although there is no word on any further details. Production on “Space Jam 2” is expected begin in summer of 2019, following the NBA season.

On Thursday, Hulu officially announced they have picked up an eight-episode revival of “Veronica Mars,” with series star Kristen Bell and creator Rob Thomas set to return in 2019. As of now, Bell and Thomas are the only two people involved with the original series who confirmed to return. The original cast included Ryan Hansen, Percy Daggs, Jason Dohring, Francis Capra and Enrico Colantoni. Hulu has also struck an agreement with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution for streaming rights to all past episodes of the original “Veronica Mars,” including the 2014 feature film. All will be available in 2019. Bell starred as the titular spy character on the series, which followed a California teen sleuth and student who led a second life as a private investigator under the guidance of her detective father (played by Colantoni). “Veronica Mars” debuted in 2004 and ran for two seasons on UPN, then jumping to The CW for one season before getting canceled. A feature film was made in 2014.

On Wednesday, Focus Features announced the film continuation of the award-winning series “Downton Abbey.”  The movie will hit North American theaters on September 19, 2019, and internationally, the film will debut on September 13, 2019, via Universal Pictures International. “Downton Abbey” ran for six seasons from 2010-2015, and in that time the series earned three Golden Globes and 15 Emmy Awards. The series, set at the turn of the 20th Century, focused on the wealthy Crawley family and the servants who work for and live with them. The film was officially announced back in July and will be about “the Crawley family’s next chapter.” The original cast, including Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, and Maggie Smith, are expected to return. Julian Fellowes, who created “Downton Abbey” and wrote the film’s screenplay, is producing alongside Gareth Neame and Liz Trubridge. Filming commenced earlier this month.

NBCUniversal announced Wednesday that Kelly Clarkson has landed a talk show, “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” which has been sold to the NBC Owned Television Station group for its fall 2019 debut. Clarkson said in a statement, “I love connecting with people, playing games, music and finding ways to help or give back to communities/organizations. Having my own talk show where I get to do all of these things is pretty much a dream job!” “The Kelly Clarkson Show” has been sold to 11 NBC-owned affiliates, where it will air as a lead-in to “Ellen.” The show is being described by NBC Universal as “a weekday brunch party” will be a mix of interviews with celebrity guests, interesting stories and musical performances. 

Julie Chen announced she was leaving “The Talk” on Tuesday, just over a week after her husband and former CBS Chairman Les Moonves left the network amid new allegations of sexual misconduct and assault. Chen shared the news via a taped message at the end of “The Talk’s” Tuesday’s show, where she thanked the viewers and fellow ladies on the panel. Chen said, “I have been at ‘The Talk’ since the day it started. The cast, crew and staff have become family … but right now I need to spend more time at home.” She continued, “I’ve decided to leave ‘The Talk’ … I will always cherish the memories we’ve shared.” She then thanked all of the ladies on the panel. Chen’s announcement comes just nine days after CBS confirmed Moonves’ departure. Chen had been with “The Talk” since 2010.