The daily gossip: 'The Marvels' director addresses claims of post-production drama, James Corden returning with SiriusXM show after late-night exit, and more
Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
1. 'The Marvels' director addresses report she left film during post-production
Nia DaCosta is setting the record straight. A recent Variety report about the troubled state of the Marvel universe said "eyebrows were raised" when the director moved to London and began working on another film while "The Marvels" was still in post-production, which one source described as "weird" for a $250 million project. DaCosta has now responded, telling Jake Hamilton she was "deeply committed to" the two-year process of directing "The Marvels," but when Marvel moved the film's release date repeatedly, it became a "three-and-a-half year process." She stressed the studio "knew the entire time" she had an obligation to another movie, "Hedda," which she eventually needed to start working on, though she was involved in "Marvels" post-production remotely. It "wasn't the dramatic thing that I think people are feeling like it is," DaCosta insisted. As Marvel is hit with claims of behind-the-scenes drama ahead of a possible box office bomb, MCU acolytes finally know what it's like to be a DC fan. Jake's Takes
2. James Corden returning with SiriusXM show after late-night exit
James Corden will soon be carpooling to a new gig. After his departure from late-night, the comedian has lined up a new weekly talk show on SiriusXM. It will be called "Life of Mine with James Corden" and see the host explore "the people, places, moments, and memories that helped shape today’s biggest stars," according to a press release. Corden will have "in-depth conversations with some of the most well-known public figures" and tell their "untold stories," SiriusXM also said. The move comes after Corden departed CBS' "The Late Late Show" in April after eight years. He told Drew Barrymore he never considered the show his "final destination," and he wanted to spend more time with his kids and "put down some roots in London." Meanwhile, CBS has opted to replace Corden with ... nobody. The network is ending "The Late Late Show" entirely to be replaced with a new program, "After Midnight," hosted by Taylor Tomlinson. SiriusXM
3. Matthew Perry refused to have Chandler cheat on Monica, 'Friends' guest star reveals
Could he be any more disgusted by this idea? As "Friends" fans continue to mourn Matthew Perry, a former guest star has revealed the actor vetoed an idea for his character, Chandler, to have an affair. Lisa Cash, who appeared in the season 5 episode "The One in Vegas," told TMZ that in an earlier version of the script, "Chandler ends up cheating on Monica with my character," a hotel worker. According to Cash, though, Perry successfully killed this idea. "The day before we were shooting in front of a live audience, I was told that [Perry] went to the writers and said the audience will never forgive him for cheating on Monica, which he was probably right," Cash said. But Cash was grateful to not be cut out of the episode entirely, as she ended up playing a flight attendant instead. She remembered Perry as "really likable and welcoming" and praised him for "making me feel comfortable." TMZ
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4. Taylor Swift has her biggest sales week ever with '1989 (Taylor’s Version)'
Is it over now? Not even close. Taylor Swift scored her 13th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 albums chart with "1989 (Taylor’s Version)," which delivered her the biggest sales week of her entire career, Billboard reports. Swift's previous best sales week occurred when the original "1989" dropped in 2014. "1989 (Taylor's Version)" also had the biggest sales week for any album since Adele's "25" in 2015, as well as the sixth-largest sales week for any album on record, according to Billboard. Meanwhile, "Is It Over Now?," one of the vault tracks from the album, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, dethroning Swift's own "Cruel Summer." Billboard notes Swift is the only woman ever to replace herself at the top of the Hot 100 chart, and she has now done it twice. It turns out the only person capable of matching Taylor Swift's level of success these days is ... Taylor Swift. Billboard
5. Barbra Streisand called Tim Cook to fix Siri's pronunciation of her name
Hey Siri, get me Tim Cook. Barbra Streisand told BBC she personally got in touch with the CEO of Apple to fix Siri's incorrect pronunciation of her name. "My name isn't with a Z," she noted. "It's Streisand like sand on the beach. Now, how simple can you get?" But Siri was apparently getting it wrong, so after wondering how she could change this, Streisand "figured I better call the head of Apple, Tim Cook." The Apple boss "had Siri change the pronunciation of my name to be correct," Streisand said, and the BBC journalist did a live demonstration to show that Siri now gets it right. "That's one perk of fame," Streisand quipped. Fingers crossed she makes it her mission to get the charging port out from the bottom of the Apple mouse next. BBC
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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.
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