Connect with us

Entertainment

Doris Day: America’s Hollywood Singer and Actress, dies at age 97

Published

on

Doris Day, who used her girl-next-door good looks to charm American audiences during a decades-long acting and singing career, died on Monday. She was 97.

Best known for her contemplative tune “Que Sera, Sera,” Day passed away encompassed by dear friends at her home close Carmel Valley, California, the Doris Day Animal Foundation said in an announcement.

She “had been in excellent physical health for her age, until recently contracting a serious case of pneumonia,” according to the foundation. She had just turned 97 on April 3.

Day broke into show business as a singer, and recorded a hit “Sentimental Journey” with bandleader Les Brown in 1945. That and “Que Sera, Sera” — which Day performed in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1956 spine chiller “The Man Who Knew Too Much” — were her greatest chart-toppers.

The multi-talented Day would bounce off the turntable and on to the wide screen, with credits in 39 movies. Her best-realized screen works include”Pillow Talk” in 1959, “The Man Who Knew Too Much” in 1956, “Cherish Me or Leave Me” in 1955, “Cataclysm Jane” in 1953 and “Lover Come Back” in 1960.

“During her three decades of work in film, Day starred in nearly every genre, not just as a singer/dancer but as an actress with superb comic timing, a natural talent for interpreting a role and a gift for evoking emotion,” her foundation said.

Day was the first Hollywood star many of American’s Baby Boom generation ever knew.

“For those of us in my generation, Doris Day was synonymous with Hollywood icon,” actor George Takei said in a statement. “She would no doubt remind us, upon this day of her passing, ‘Que sera sera,’ but we will miss her dearly anyway. Rest now in our hearts forever, Ms. Day.”

Day was married four times, which conflicted with her squeaky clean public and big-screen persona. In her 1976 book, “Doris Day: Her Own Story,” the actress said her real life was much more complicated.

With three bad marriages in her rear-view mirror at the time, Day said couples should live together before walking down the aisle — a risque, forward-thinking stance at the time.

“I have the unfortunate reputation of being Miss Goody Two-Shoes, America’s Virgin, and all that, so I’m afraid it’s going to shock some people for me to say this, but I staunchly believe no two people should get married until they have lived together,” she wrote.

Doris Mary Ann von Kappelhoff was born on April 3, 1922, in Cincinnati, the offspring of mother Alma Sophia Welz and father Frederick Wilhelm Von Kappelhoff, who was a music teacher.

The most youthful of three children, Day was named after silent movie actress Doris Kenyon.

While Day never won an Oscar, she was honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004.

President George W. Bush declared that it was “a good day for America when Doris Marianne von Kappelhoff of Evanston, Ohio decided to become an entertainer.”

In her post-excitement profession, Day directed most of her energy into animal rights, through her Doris Day Animal Foundation.

The legendary entertainer “wishes were that she have no funeral or memorial service and no grave marker,” according to her foundation’s statement.

Matthew Ronald grew up in Chicago. His mother is a preschool teacher, and his father is a cartoonist. After high school Matthew attended college where he majored in early-childhood education and child psychology. After college he worked with special needs children in schools. He then decided to go into publishing, before becoming a writer himself, something he always had an interest in. More than that, he published number of news articles as a freelance author on apstersmedia.com.

Entertainment

New Gremlins and Goonies Films Underway

Published

on

New Gremlins and Goonies Films Underway

Two iconic movies from the 1980s are set to make a comeback in the 2020s. Warner Bros. is currently in the early stages of developing a third Gremlins movie and exploring the possibility of a Goonies reboot.

Reports indicate that Warner Bros. is collaborating with Christopher Columbus on a new Gremlins film and working on a treatment for The Goonies. While specific details remain under wraps, the news emerged as part of the studio’s broader strategy to expand some of its biggest franchises, including The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, and the DC Universe. Additionally, a sequel to the 1998 romantic fantasy Practical Magic, with Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock reprising their roles, is also in development.

This isn’t Warner Bros.’ first attempt to revive the Gremlins franchise in recent years. In 2023, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai premiered on Max. The animated prequel series, set in 1920s Shanghai, follows a young Sam Wing, the original owner of Gizmo. Its second season, retitled The Wild Batch, will bring the story to San Francisco.

A third Gremlins movie was previously in development during the 2010s, with Columbus attached, but the project never came to fruition. Columbus’ involvement in this new installment is significant, as he did not participate in the 1990 sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch or the animated series.

The Goonies: A Return to Adventure?

The potential Goonies project appears to be in an earlier phase than the new Gremlins movie, as it is still in the treatment stage—a precursor to a full script. It’s unclear whether the project will be a remake or a legacy sequel to the 1985 classic. However, the original cast has expressed enthusiasm about returning for a continuation.

In September 2024, Sean Astin, who starred in the original film, shared a fan poster for a sequel titled Goonies Are Good Enough on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption, “It’s our time. C’mon Steven [Spielberg].” Astin has been vocal about his desire for a sequel, stating in a 2014 interview that director Richard Donner was interested in revisiting the story. Unfortunately, Donner passed away in 2021 at the age of 91.

Ke Huy Quan, who played Data in The Goonies, has also spoken about the challenges of making a sequel. In a January 2023 interview with Variety, he explained that finding a script that lives up to the original has been the main obstacle. “For over 30 years, we’ve tried to do a Goonies 2,” Quan said. “When I was younger, I hoped it would happen because I thought it might revive my career. We had several scripts, but none felt right for the legacy of the original. Sadly, we lost our captain, Dick Donner, whom I dearly loved. I’m not sure if Goonies 2 will ever happen, but I’d love to revisit my character if it does.”

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Wicked Box Office Hits Global Milestone, Poised to Surpass Kung Fu Panda 4 and Godzilla x Kong

Published

on

The box office for Wicked hits a significant milestone worldwide as it gets ready to surpass Godzilla x Kong and Kung Fu Panda 4.

Wicked is still doing well despite recent box office releases that have caused significant disappointment. The most recent Wizard of Oz musical was too good for the Spider-Man villain and the Tolkien adaption to compete with Kraven the Hunter and The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim in the same week. Wicked has already exceeded its $145 million budget following a record-breaking first weekend that raked in over $160 million globally.

It has achieved even more success this past weekend. Variety said that after making $359 million domestically, the musical adaption made over $524 million internationally. It is currently on track to surpass Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Kung Fu Panda 4, which brought in $547.6 million and $571.1 million, respectively. Having significantly outperformed Grease’s $188.62 million total, it is also officially the highest-grossing Broadway adaption in domestic box office history.

What the Box Office Success of Wicked Means

Musicals and animated blockbusters are regaining their position at the box office after ten years of action film supremacy. Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4 have taken first and third place for the entire year, while Moana 2 and Wicked are the top films this weekend. With a $1.3 billion box office total, Deadpool & Wolverine is still in second place, but it’s probably the only action film to stay in the top five globally. Dune: Part Two may lose its position when Mufasa: The Lion King is released the following week:

TitleDomesticWorldwide
Inside Out 2
$653 million$1.7 billion
Deadpool & Wolverine
$637 million$1.3 billion
Despicable Me 4
$360 million
$970 million
Moana 2
$338 million$717 million
Dune: Part Two
$282 million
$714 million

This pattern is probably due to the fact that, other from Deadpool & Wolverine, neither DC nor Marvel have released any successful films this year. With Joker: Folie à Deux, DC tried to duplicate its $1 billion triumph, but it only made $200 million globally. With the exception of Wicked, every film in the top 10 global releases for 2024 has been a sequel, creating a distinct market. Based on a Broadway musical and The Wizard of Oz, Wicked is not a completely original film, but its box office performance does demonstrate that non-sequels may be successful in theaters in today IP-driven landscape.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Danny Ramirez on Joaquin Phoenix Leaving the Gay Romance Film Directed by Todd Haynes

Published

on

Todd Haynes was planning to cast Danny Ramirez and Joaquin Phoenix in a gay romance movie. However, Phoenix left the untitled production five days before Guadalajara, Mexico, filming got underway.

At the Academy Museum Gala on Saturday night in Los Angeles, Ramirez told Variety’s Marc Malkin, “It’s definitely disappointing.” “If anything,” he continued, “If anything, it just gave me more inspiration to keep driving, keep pushing, and knowing that I’m on the right path and approaching the work the right way. So that’s what I’m excited about.”

The movie, which depended on Phoenix’s casting, was in danger after it was revealed in August that he had quit the production, according to sources. Two guys in love in the 1930s who escape Los Angeles and travel to Mexico were the main subject of the NC-17-rated movie.

“It’s definitely a very complicated situation,” Ramirez stated. “The audition process was extensive, and so what I walked away with that was just the artistic validation of throwing down opposite of [Phoenix] in this chemistry read… There was a moment that I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve arrived as a performer.’”

“The most recent update is ‘hopefully.’” Ramirez said in response to a question about whether the movie is still in development with filmmaker Haynes.

Continue Reading

Trending

error: Content is protected !!