The daily gossip: Chris Evans has avoided hosting SNL after his friends told him he's not funny, Daveed Diggs' Twister sequel didn't happen for 'shady' reasons, and more

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1. Chris Evans has avoided hosting 'SNL' after his friends told him he's not funny
2. Daveed Diggs says his 'Twister' sequel didn't happen for 'shady' reasons
3. New 'Game of Thrones,' 'Harry Potter,' and 'Conjuring' shows revealed as HBO Max becomes Max
4. Singer Melissa Schuman sues Nick Carter for sexual assault
5. Billy Porter may be coming for his EGOT via a James Baldwin biopic

published 12 April 2023

1. Chris Evans has avoided hosting 'SNL' after his friends told him he's not funny

He can do this all day, but he can't do this live from New York. Chris Evans told ET Canada he has "avoided hosting SNL like the plague for years" because he finds the idea "terrifying." Besides, the Captain America star may be reluctant to host because he simply isn't funny, according to his own friends. "I have very, very funny friends who once told me I'm not a funny person," Evans said, even though he has been praised for comedic performances in films like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and is currently promoting his new romantic comedy, Ghosted. His Ghosted co-star, Ana de Armas, is hosting SNL this weekend. But Evans said he knows that if he were to host, "it would just be an everyday anxiety" and "constant regret," and he'd rather be "comfortable at my house." Maybe it would ease his anxiety if he co-hosted with Sebastian Stan, who could make sure he always remembered the end of the lines.

Why couldn't a Daveed Diggs Twister movie get off the ground? The Hamilton star was at one point developing a sequel to the 1996 film with star Helen Hunt planning to return and direct it. But the movie was never made, and Diggs spoke to Insider about why not. "All I'll say is there was an opportunity where we were talking about that, and it didn't happen, and the reasons that it didn't happen are potentially shady," Diggs said. "But shady in the way that we know the industry is shady." He didn't elaborate, but Hunt previously said on Watch What Happens Live the film would have followed "all Black and Brown storm chasers." She added that the studio "wouldn't do it" and "we could barely get a meeting," even "in June of 2020 when it was all about diversity." Instead, a different sequel called Twisters is in the works. Diggs isn't involved, but hey, it was worth taking his shot.

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It's HBOver. Warner Bros. Discovery has confirmed it's dropping the HBO from HBO Max, as HBO Max will be combined with Discovery+ to create the new streaming service just called Max. The idea is to make clear that Max offers a wider variety of content than you'd expect from HBO, including non-scripted series like all those 90 Day Fiancé shows. A press event unveiling Max also included some big film and TV announcements, including that a Conjuring show and a Big Bang Theory spinoff are coming to Max. That rumored Harry Potter TV series, which will re-adapt J.K. Rowling's novels with a new cast over the course of a decade, was also confirmed for Max. Plus, HBO has ordered its second Game of Thrones prequel: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, which will be based on George R.R. Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas. But who needs Westeros when you have the Dr. Pimple Popper universe?

Nick Carter is facing another lawsuit over an alleged sexual assault. This time, it comes from singer Melissa Schuman, who alleges the Backstreet Boys star sexually assaulted her in 2002. Schuman, who performed in the girl group Dream, first leveled her allegations in 2017, accusing Carter of raping her at his Santa Monica apartment. "I told him I didn't want to go any further," she said at the time. "He didn't listen. He didn't care." She filed a police report in 2018, but Carter was never charged. Now, her lawsuit accuses him of using "his role, status, and power as a well-known singer to gain access to, groom, manipulate, exploit, and sexually assault" her, Rolling Stone reports. Carter was previously sued by another woman, Shannon Ruth, who alleged he raped her on a tour bus in 2001. He has denied both allegations, and his lawyer said he's proceeding with his own lawsuit accusing Schuman of "plotting to damage, defame and extort" him.

Has he got his EGOT locked up? Billy Porter could be headed for Oscar glory after being cast as James Baldwin in a biopic, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film will be based on a biography about the legendary If Beale Street Could Talk writer, and Porter will write its script alongside Dan McCabe. "As a Black queer man on this planet with relative consciousness, I find myself, like James Baldwin said, 'in a rage all the time,"" Porter said. "I am because James was. I stand on James Baldwin's shoulders, and I intend to expand his legacy for generations to come." Notably, the Pose star has won an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony. So if he were to win an Academy Award for this film, which certainly sounds like strong Oscar material, he would achieve EGOT status. Then again, he may not even have to wait that long should he win the Oscar next year for 80 for Brady.

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.