The daily gossip: Women dominate 2024 Grammy nominations, Elon Musk biopic from Darren Aronofsky in the works at A24, and more
Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
1. Women dominate 2024 Grammy nominations
Who run the Grammys? Girls, at least this year. The 2024 Grammy nominations were unveiled Friday, and women dominated the top categories. In fact, just a single male performer, Jon Batiste, was nominated for record of the year or album of the year. SZA led the pack overall with nine nominations, while Phoebe Bridgers and Victoria Monét earned seven. Boygenius, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift earned six. Monét had a shockingly strong showing after the "On My Mama" singer revealed in September her "team was told it is 'too early in my story'" for her to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards. The "Barbie" soundtrack also performed quite well, earning 11 nominations. Dua Lipa's "Dance The Night" and Eilish's "What Was I Made For?" were nominated for song of the year and best song written for visual media, and the latter category also consisted of "Barbie World" and "I'm Just Ken." Sadly, M3GAN's unforgettable rendition of "Titanium" was snubbed. Recording Academy
2. Elon Musk biopic from Darren Aronofsky in the works at A24
Darren Aronofsky is going from π to X. The "Black Swan" and "Requiem for a Dream" filmmaker will direct a biopic about Tesla CEO Elon Musk, which is in the works at A24, a source confirmed to The Week. The news was first reported by Puck. The movie will be based on a recent biography of Musk written by Walter Isaacson, which A24 has optioned, and the deal for the project was said to be highly competitive. Aronofsky will also produce the movie with his production company, Protozoa Pictures. His most recent film was "The Whale," which won two Oscars, including best actor for Brendan Fraser. The director will certainly have plenty of material to work with, as Isaacson's biography is nearly 700 pages. Isaacson previously wrote the biography that was turned into the 2015 Danny Boyle movie "Steve Jobs." So who should play Musk? There's only one way to decide: a totally scientific social media poll. Puck
3. Warner Bros. scraps completed John Cena movie 'Coyote Vs. Acme'
Wile E. Coyote has been foiled once again, this time by tax write-offs. Warner Bros. has given the "Batgirl" treatment to another movie by shelving "Coyote Vs. Acme," a comedy starring John Cena that already finished filming. The "Looney Tunes" film involved Wile E. Coyote trying to sue the Acme Corporation. It was originally intended to debut on Max, formerly HBO Max, so Warner Bros. cited the fact that it has "shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases." The studio, which previously killed a "Batgirl" movie that was already filmed, will take a $30 million tax write-off after shelving "Coyote Vs. Acme," Deadline reports. The decision sparked widespread criticism, in part because "Coyote Vs. Acme" was rumored to be quite good. "I have seen this movie and it is excellent," said "No One Will Save You" director Brian Duffield, who added that "the people working at Warner Bros are anti-art and I hope multiple anvils drop on their heads." The Hollywood Reporter
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4. Keke Palmer accuses ex Darius Jackson of abuse, files restraining order
Keke Palmer has been granted a temporary restraining order against her ex-boyfriend, Darius Jackson, as well as temporary sole custody of their 8-month-old son, People reports. In court documents obtained by Us Weekly, the "Nope" star accused Jackson of "many instances of physical violence," including destroying her property, "throwing my belongings into the street, throwing my car keys to prevent me from driving away, hitting [me] in front of our son, spewing profanities about me to our son, threatening to kill himself with a gun if I left him, harassment, and other physical and emotional abuse." She also alleged he trespassed into her home and threatened her before "lunging for my neck, striking me, throwing me over the couch and stealing my phone." According to Palmer, their relationship ended in early October due to Jackson's alleged abuse. As news of the allegations broke, Jackson shared a photo of himself with their child on X, formerly Twitter, writing, "I love you, son. See you soon." People, Us Weekly
5. Marvel shakes up schedule ahead of possible 'The Marvels' box office disaster
The state of the Marvel union is troubled. Disney has delayed several upcoming Marvel films just before "The Marvels," which looks set to underperform at the box office, hits theaters. "Deadpool 3" was postponed from May to July 2024, giving the studio more time to complete filming that was suspended due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. More surprising, though, was "Captain America: Brave New World" changing calendar years by moving from July 2024 to February 2025, even though it wrapped filming months ago. "Thunderbolts" was also moved from December 2024 to July 2025, and "Blade" was delayed from February 2025 to November 2025. This means only one MCU movie will be released in 2024 compared to three this year, which could work out for the best by giving audiences a break from the franchise after several recent disappointments. It remains to be seen if the time off can help Marvel get its mojo back or if the MCU's domination truly reached its endgame with "Endgame." Deadline
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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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