Joel McHale is joining the Scream franchise. The actor will play Sidney Prescott’s husband, Mark Evans, in Scream 7. Deadline first broke the news on Thursday. As previously reported, Neve Campbell is returning to the role of Sidney in the seventh Scream film, along with a cast that will also include Courteney Cox, Mason Gooding, Isabel May, Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, Sam Rechner and Anna Camp. The film is currently in production in Atlanta …
Conan O’Brien is set to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. “I am honored to be the first winner of the Mark Twain Prize recognized not for humor, but for my work as a riverboat pilot,” O’Brien said. The prize will be awarded to O’Brien on March 23 in The Kennedy Center Concert Hall, and the program will premiere on Netflix on a yet-to-be-announced date …
Fox has renewed its crime series Murder In A Small Town for a second season. The show, which stars RossifSutherland and Kristin Kreuk, is based on the Edgar Award-winning book series from L.R. Wright. “We look forward to giving fans a second season of Karl Alberg’s unmatched expertise as a crime solver in Murder in a Small Town,” Brooke Bowman,ofFox Television Network, said. “We’ve enjoyed a terrific partnership with Sepia and Future Shack and our incredibly talented cast and crew and can’t wait to see what’s in store for our characters next season.” …
The world of Inside Out expands in the new series Dream Productions.
Taking place between Inside Out and Inside Out 2, Dream Productions follows the studio inside Riley’s head that creates the dreams she has every night. It’s Pixar’s first TV show and will be available on Disney+ on Wednesday.
Paula Pell stars as acclaimed director Paula Persimmon, and while she had small roles in the Inside Out films, she told ABC Audio how special it is to be a part of the Pixar family in this way.
“I was thrilled to be the small parts I was in the big movies,” Pell said. “To have my character specifically spin off into this story was so moving to me and touching and exhilarating.”
Pell said she actually didn’t believe Pixar when they approached her about the show, but after learning the story she understood why.
“They know how to tell a great story,” Pell said. “There’s nothing better than Pixar. They just do it in a way where everyone goes, ‘Oh my God.’ They walk out of Pixar movies like, ‘Well, that’s the gold standard right there.'”
Paula Persimmon faces a nightmare of her own throughout the show. Riley’s growing up, and that means her dreams need to grow up, too. Pell said she could relate to her character in more than just having the same first name.
“I just turned 61 … I spent so many years being younger and doing comedy and writing and all that. And then as I aged, I started feeling that, in my 40s and 50s and then in my 60s, the fear of becoming insignificant,” Pell said.
It’s a fear Paula Persimmon shares.
“It is a wonderful lesson that you can keep invigorating yourself and become as fresh as a daisy with your new thoughts and your new ideas, because that never goes away,” Pell said. “The only way it’ll go away is if you sabotage your own self.”
Alec Baldwin is suing the New Mexico officials who charged him with manslaughter over the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust, charges that were later thrown out.
Baldwin’s attorneys Luke Nikos and Alex Spiro said in a statement, “Criminal prosecutions are supposed to be about the search for truth and justice, not to pursue personal or political gain or harass the innocent. Kari Morrissey and the other defendants violated that basic principle, over and over, and trampled on Alec Baldwin’s rights. We bring this action to hold the defendants accountable for their misconduct and to prevent them from doing this to anyone else.”
In response special prosecutor Kari Morrisey said, “In October 2023 the prosecution team became aware that Mr. Baldwin intended to file a retaliatory civil lawsuit. We look forward to our day in court.”
In October 2024, a New Mexico judge declined to reconsider criminal charges against Baldwin over the 2021 fatal shooting on the set of Rust.
Manslaughter charges against Baldwin were thrown out in July after it was learned during trial that prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense, namely ammunition brought to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on Oct. 21, 2021, when she was shot by Baldwin while he was practicing using a Colt .45 revolver. The prop gun, which Baldwin believed to contain dummy rounds, actually had a live round of ammunition in it. Director Joel Souza was also struck in the shooting, but recovered from his injuries.
Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Hutchins’ death in March. Prosecutors argued during the trial she was the source of the live bullet and had failed to follow safety protocols meant to protect the crew while handling the firearms.
