"Godzilla vs. Kong" To Go Streaming?

Since everything else in life this past year has gone haywire, now it has been reported that Warner Bros. is considering sending Godzilla vs. Kong direct to streaming before a theatrical release.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

Godzilla vs. Kong, the forthcoming monster movie from Legendary Pictures, looks likely to be the latest big franchise movie to head to a streamer.

Knowledgeable sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Netflix has made an offer of more than $200 million for the film while WarnerMedia has blocked the deal while preparing an offer of its own for its streamer, HBO Max. Legendary declined to comment while a Warner Bros. spokesperson said: "We plan to release Godzilla vs. Kong theatrically next year as scheduled."

To read the full story, go here.

Screen Legend Kirk Douglas Dies At 103

Above, Patrick O'Neal (left) and Kirk Douglas in In Harm's Way (1965).

Actor Michael Douglas announced today that his father, screen legend Kirk Douglas, has died at age 103.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

Kirk Douglas, the son of a ragman who channeled a deep, personal anger through a chiseled jaw and steely blue eyes to forge one of the most indelible and indefatigable careers in Hollywood history, died Wednesday. He was 103. 

“It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103,” son Michael Douglas wrote on his Instagram account. “To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the Golden Age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to.” 

Douglas walked away from a helicopter crash in 1991 and suffered a severe stroke in 1996 but, ever the battler, he refused to give in. With a passionate will to survive, he was the last man standing of all the great stars of another time.

Yes, he truly was the last man standing of his era.

To read more, go here. 

David Hedison Dies At 92

Above, yours truly with David Hedison at Monsterpalooza in 2010. 

Actor David Hedison, who gained fame as Captain Lee Crane in the television series Voyage to the Bottom of The Sea and played CIA agent Felix Leiter twice, has died at age 92.

Hedison passed away on July 18 and his daughters held off on making the announcement until today.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

David Hedison, who starred as Captain Lee Crane on the 1960s ABC submarine series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, died Thursday in Los Angeles, a family spokeswoman announced. He was 92. 

The handsome actor also portrayed scientist André Delambre, who got turned into an insect in The Fly (1958) long before Jeff Goldblum ever did, and he played CIA operative Felix Leiter in the James Bond films Live and Let Die (1973) and Licence to Kill (1989).

Above, David Hedison's autograph.

I interviewed Hedison for G-FAN magazine on all facets of his career and met him at the 2010 Monsterpalooza convention in Burbank. At the convention, he autographed a copy of The Fly At Fifty, a biography on the 50th anniversary of The Fly, for me.

My condolences goes out to his family and friends.

To read more, go here.

Chuck McCann, R.I.P.

Above, with Chuck McCann at the Smokehouse. Photo courtesy of Brad Shey.

A memorial service was held at the James Bridges Theatre at UCLA for Jack Larson on December 6, 2015. I, and many other fans and friends, attended.

Following the service, several of us migrated to the Smokehouse Restaurant in Toluca Lake for dinner. While there, we ran into comedian Chuck McCann. Several of us had a photo taken with him.

It has been reported by The Hollywood Reporter that McCann passed away yesterday:

The fun-loving star did lots of voiceover work, was a fine Oliver Hardy impersonator and appeared in 'The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.' 

Chuck McCann, the goofy, good-natured comedian and TV host who was a hero to kids of all ages in and around New York City in the 1960s before he jumped into films, network television and commercials, has died. He was 83. 

McCann died Sunday of congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, publicist Edward Lozzi told The Hollywood Reporter.

To read more, go here. 

"Elvis Presley: The Searcher" Reviewed

Above, jumpsuits on display at Graceland in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There have been a number of books and documentaries on Elvis Presley over the years. We're about to see another one.

It will premiere on HBO on April 14 and it is called Elvis Presley: The Searcher. It will be in two parts totaling three and a half hours in length.

The Hollywood Reporter has posted a review of the documentary.

It begins with:

Can it really be true that an Elvis Presley documentary as probing and thoughtful as Thom Zimny's Elvis Presley: The Searcher does not already exist? After decades of home video performance-film releases and docs of varying quality, this two-part, three and a half-hour film feels like a landmark, something that should be welcomed as warmly as the two Elvis books published in the 1990s by Peter Guralnick, Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love. Chipping away calcified layers of myth and caricature to address the psychology behind Presley's career, its seriousness and sensitivity is no surprise to those who've followed the series of documentaries Zimny has been making about Bruce Springsteen. Sure to fare well when it bows April 14 on HBO, it made for a spellbinding big-screen experience at the music-rooted SXSW Film Festival.

To read more, go here. 

Adam West, TV's Batman, Dies At 88

Above, Adam West at the 2012 Comikaze Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Some sad news this morning.

Television's Batman, Adam West, died at age 88.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

Adam West, the ardent actor who managed to keep his tongue in cheek while wearing the iconic cowl of the Caped Crusader on the classic 1960s series Batman, has died. He was 88. 

West, who was at the pinnacle of pop culture after Batman debuted in January 1966, only to see his career fall victim to typecasting after the ABC show flamed out, died Friday night in Los Angeles after a short battle with leukemia, a family spokesperson said. 

West died peacefully surrounded by his family and is survived by his wife Marcelle, six children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The West Family issued this statement:

It's with great sadness that we are sharing this news...Adam West passed away peacefully last night after a short but brave battle with leukemia. He was a beloved father, husband, grandfather, and great-grandfather. There are no words to describe how much we'll miss him. We know you'll miss him too and we want you to know how much your love and support meant to him throughout the years. Hug your loved ones today.  

- The West Family

To read more, go here. 

Banno Article In The Hollywood Reporter

Above, J. D. Lees and Yoshimitsu Banno at G-FEST in 2005. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Hollywood Reporter posted an obituary article on the passing of Godzilla vs. Hedorah director Yoshimitsu Banno.

It begins with:

Japanese director Yoshimitsu Banno, who made his debut with Godzilla vs. Hedorah in 1971, died of a subarachnoid hemorrhage at his home in Kawasaki on Sunday. He was 86. 

Released in the U.S. in 1972 as Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster, the film was the 11th in the Godzilla series and featured an anti-pollution message, following the anti-nuclear messages of the earlier films.

The article also noted that Banno was a four-time assistant director to Akira Kurosawa.

To read the article, go here.

David Bowie Dies At 69

Sad news greeted me this morning.

Singer, actor and producer David Bowie died at age 69 of cancer.

According to CNN.com:

David Bowie died on January 10 after a battle with cancer, his representative confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 69. 

"David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family's privacy during their time of grief," read a statement posted on the artist's official social media accounts.

The news reports I've read over Bowie's passing lauded albums "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust", "Station To Station" and others, but the album of Bowie's I liked the most (and have) is "Aladdin Sane" that came out in 1973.

To read more, go here.

Jack Larson, The Best Jimmy Olsen of All, Dies At 87

Above, Jack Larson addresses the Superman Celebration luncheon in August 2014. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tonight, I am totally shocked by the news of the passing of Jack Larson, best known as Jimmy Olsen on the Adventures of Superman.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

Jack Larson, forever typecast as the overeager cub reporter Jimmy Olsen on the 1950s television series Adventures of Superman, has died. He was 87. 

Larson, who later produced several films written and/or directed by his longtime companion, the late Oscar nominee James Bridges, died Sunday at his home in Brentwood, The New York Times reported. Further details of his death were not immediately available.

Jack seemed to be very vigorous and in good health last year when we had the plaque dedication in Tarzana and the luncheon at the Beverly Garland Hotel. Yes, he was 86 at the time, but he seemed much younger. Given today's news, it appears that we honored him and the rest of the Adventures of Superman cast just in the nick of time.

Above, Jack Larson addresses the plaque dedication in Tarzana. Daily News photo.

I first met Jack 14 years ago when we held the "Superman Week" ceremony at the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors and later at the luncheon at Cafe Pinot.

He had a natural gift of comedic timing that made the Jimmy Olsen character so popular that DC Comics introduced a new comic book, Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen.

He will be missed.

To read more, go here.

"Godzilla" Lawsuit Settled Weeks Before Trial

Legendary Pictures and the three producers who were dumped from the Godzilla movie project came to a settlement.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

Just weeks before a trial was scheduled to begin, Legendary Pictures has settled a lawsuit with three producers who were dumped from Godzilla. 

On Thursday, the parties filed papers to end the legal dispute, which began in January 2013 when the studio preemptively filed claims against Dan Lin, Roy Lee and Doug Davison, aiming to get a declaration that under the terms of a contract, the studio was only required to use the three on Godzilla if they were "deemed to be engaged" to produce the film. Within days, the producers had filed counterclaims against Legendary for allegedly breaching an oral agreement and demanded "substantial punitive damages to make an example of Legendary so that it and no other studio will in the future treat their producers in this outrageous manner."

Godzilla was released in 2014 and became a worldwide hit, grossing over $500 million.

To read more, go here. 

Brian Williams Going "On Leave"

There's an old saying:

Confession may be good for the soul, but it's very bad for my reputation.

Such is the case of embattled NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, who confessed that he made up the story that the helicopter he was flying in Iraq was under fire.

Williams has announced that he is taking a leave of absence from his duties as news anchor for an unspecified number of days.

According to the Hollywood Reporter:

Brian Williams is stepping away from NBC Nightly News for a number of days. 

The anchor sent a note to the show's staff, announcing that Lester Holt is replacing him for an unspecified amount of time. The news comes as Williams is embroiled in a scandal surrounding his story about being a passenger in a helicopter that took fire in Iraq in 2003.

Frankly, I can't see how he can survive this scandal without having to resign or be fired from his positions as news anchor and managing editor of the NBC Nightly News. His credibility is in tatters.

Along with the Iraq story, people are questioning his claim that he saw a body floating face down in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit. The area where Williams was at the time was not flooded, according to news sources. That and other claims Williams has made are being investigated.

Jokes about Williams are being widely circulated on the Internet such as the one pictured at top.

To read more, go here.

"Jihadist Cancer"

"Peaceful" Moslems are giving Islamic terrorists tacit approval by remaining silent. 

When I posted the above at Facebook the other day, a friend replied:

In theology, they call that "sins of omission".
In other words, failing to do anything, that which you must necessarily and morally do.
I like the quote too that 'all that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.'

Rupert Murdoch agrees with us.

The Hollywood Reporter posted:

Rupert Murdoch is speaking out after Paris was hit by terror attacks earlier in the week. 

The 21st Century Fox Chairman and CEO tweeted that "Maybe most Moslems peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible," going on to tweet "Big jihadist danger looming everywhere from Philippines to Africa to Europe to US. Political correctness makes for denial and hypocrisy."

The left-wing/liberal media won't even acknowledge that these terrorists are Islamic. How are we supposed to win a war against an enemy if one won't even identify that enemy for what it is?

Rupert Murdoch is right.

To read more, go here. 

Hillary's Hollywood Sheeple Begin To Mobilize

Oh, great. Like a over-played or over-shown re-run, we get to see a 66-year-old Hillary Clinton run again for president in 2016, if the sheeple in Hollywood have their way.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

It's back to the future for Hollywood's Democratic activists, many of whom are convinced that former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will run again for president and are lining up to show support. 

As Clinton, 66, was in New York on Sept. 21 for the annual Clinton Global Initiative gathering, the leading pro-Clinton super PAC held an event for more than 70 supporters at the Pacific Palisades home of producer Howard Gordon and wife Cambria. The event was organized by the Ready for Hillary super PAC, which bills itself as a group "encouraging" Clinton to run while laying the financial "groundwork" for a campaign. Several of those at the gathering, co-hosted by producer Ryan Murphy and husband David Miller, told THR that they believe Clinton likely will declare her candidacy soon after the November midterm elections.

This will be an interesting campaign as there are those on the far-left fringe totally unhappy with Hillary Clinton. She now has as sordid record as Barack Obama's secretary of state who screwed up on Benghazi and the subsequent cover-up (including the memorable, "What difference does it make?!").

"Godzilla" Stomping International Box Offices

The first international box office reports are in and Godzilla is stomping the competition.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

Gareth Edwards' Godzilla stomped into its first handful of international markets on Wednesday, coming in No. 1 everywhere and taking in $1.6 million in France from 596 screens. 

The $160 million tentpole, from Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros., toppled the hit French comedy Qu'est-ce que j'ai fait au bon Dieu from the top spot at the box office after staying at No. 1 for four weeks. Godzilla captured 49 percent of the market share.

To read more, go here. 

Legendary CEO Thomas Tull Reveals "Godzilla" Break-even Amount

Legendary Pictures CEO Thomas Tull, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, revealed the break-even amount for Godzilla.

According to the article:

As Legendary Pictures gets ready to unleash its new Godzilla movie on May 16, Legendary CEO Thomas Tull said that the $160 million movie could begin to turn a profit once it hits $450 million at the worldwide boxoffice.

“Starting a new franchise, if it did $450 million worldwide, anything above that would be pretty good. It’s still expensive, but it’s not a $200 million movie,” Tull explained as part of a wide-ranging interview conducted by Hollywood Reporter executive editor Matthew Belloni at THR’s annual Power Lawyers Breakfast, which took place April 30 at Spago in Beverly Hills.

To read the full article, go here.

"Godzilla" Roars In Early Tracking

Above, the new Godzilla IMAX poster.

It is starting to look like Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros. Godzilla is a blockbuster in the making in early tracking.

The Hollywood Reporter reported today:

May tentpole Godzilla came on tracking Thursday with impressive strength and should stomp past $60 million in its North American debut. More bullish box-office observers believe it could clear $70 million. 

The movie, hoping to finally launch a Hollywood studio franchise headlined by the giant lizard, could be a defining moment for Legendary Pictures, which spearheaded the $160 million reboot. Legendary co-financed 75 percent of Godzilla, with Warner Bros. putting up the rest of the money. 

Godzilla opens in North American theaters on May 16. It makes its international assault at the same time. Box-office observers believe Godzilla will have even more strength overseas.

To read more, go here. 

Today In History...

Amazing! It was 12 years ago today when this full page ad appeared in The Hollywood Reporter:

According to Jim Nolt of The Adventures Continue website:

November 27, 2001: A full-page ad commemorating the 50th anniversary of the "Adventures of Superman" was published in a special "Leadership in Hollywood" issue of The Hollywood Reporter dated December, 2001. The ad was paid for by donations from the readers of "The Adventures Continue". Additional funds were donated to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation and the 911 relief efforts.

DC Comics To Join DC Entertainment In Burbank

Above, DC's characters are prominent on a sound stage at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

DC Comics has announced that it is moving its last publishing vestiges from New York to "Beautiful Downtown Burbank" in 2015. It will be joining DC Entertainment.

According to the Hollywood Reporter:

In 2015, DC Comics will leave its base of operations for more than three quarters of a century when the publishing arm of DC Entertainment moves across the country from New York to join its digital and administrative divisions in Burbank, Calif. 

The move, initially reported as rumor this morning, was confirmed in an email sent by DC Entertainment president Diane Nelson to staff this afternoon. "The move is not imminent and we will have more than a year to work with the entire company on a smooth transition for all of us, personally and professionally," she wrote. 

DC Entertainment initially moved its multimedia-related offices to Burbank in 2010, a year after the formation of DCE as an entity within the larger Warner Bros. corporation.

Ever since I can remember, DC Comics has always been based in New York, with some operations in Sparta, Illinois. I still remember when DC was still National Periodical Publications back in the 1960s. I also remember their New York address back then: 575 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York. Some things just get tattooed in one's gray matter.

Hopefully, maybe the change in scenery will work to the company's advantage to publish better comics. I am not impressed with their current offerings. With very few exceptions, the "New 52" stinks to high heaven.

To read the full story, go here.

How Hollywood Helped Hitler

The Hollywood Reporter has published an excerpt from a new book on how Hollywood helped Adolf Hitler in the 1930s, "The Collaboration: Hollywood's Pact with Hitler" (Harvard University Press, on sale Sept. 9) by Ben Urwand.

They wrote:

In devastating detail, an excerpt from a controversial new book reveals how the big studios, desperate to protect German business, let Nazis censor scripts, remove credits from Jews, get movies stopped and even force one MGM executive to divorce his Jewish wife.

The Hollywood moguls sold their collective souls to make more money with the devil (Hitler's Germany).

To read the excerpt, go here. 

NTSB Intern Responsible For Racist Asiana Crew Names

A Bay Area television station is in hot water for broadcasting false and racist names of crew members of the Asiana Boeing 777 that crashed at San Francisco International Airport.

According to the Hollywood Reporter:

Bay Area TV station KTVU, whose initial video footage of the Boeing 777 crash that left three dead and many wounded on Sunday was carried by major networks, is in hot water for falsely reporting the names of the Asiana Airlines pilots.  

The news outlet has subsequently apologized for the report but maintained that those names were confirmed by "an NTSB official in the agency’s Washington, D.C., office," a statement on the station's website read. 

The NTSB did confirm that they were the source for the names, but they originated from a summer intern.

See this story for the NTSB's apology.

Yes, this is definitely going into the Ron Burgundy Hall of Fame!

Here is the actual broadcast: