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  • Tuesday, Mar. 13, 2018
Church of Scientology launches TV channel
This Aug. 25, 2016, photo shows the Scientology Cross perched atop the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
By Lynn Elber, Television Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- 

The Church of Scientology launched its own TV channel with a vow that it will be candid about every aspect of the church and its operations but isn't seeking to preach or convert.

"There's a lot of talk about us. And we get it," church leader David Miscavige said in introducing the first night of programming Monday. "People are curious. Well, we want to answer your questions. Because, frankly, whatever you have heard, if you haven't heard it from us, I can assure you we're not what you expect."

Founded in 1954 by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, the church teaches that technology can expand the mind and help solve problems. It has about 10 million members worldwide.

Scientology is an "expanding and dynamic religion and we're going to be showing you all of it," he said, from the "spiritual headquarters" in which he was standing — a Florida-based, corporate-looking building— its churches around the world and a behind- the-scenes More

  • Monday, Mar. 12, 2018
Ava DuVernay to attend this year's Ebertfest in Illinois
In this March 4, 2018, file photo, Ava DuVernay arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- 

Director Ava DuVernay is scheduled to be a guest at the 20th annual Ebertfest next month in Illinois.

The University of Illinois said Monday that the Oscar-nominated director of "Selma" and "A Wrinkle in Time" will attend the film festival in Champaign honoring the late movie critic, Roger Ebert.

She'll bring her film "The 13th," which was nominated for an Oscar for best documentary.

The festival will open with a showing of the "The Fugitive" starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The 1993 film's director, Andrew Davis, is a University of Illinois alumnus. He's also attending the festival.

Ebert and his wife, Chaz Ebert, co-founded the event in collaboration with the university. Films are shown in downtown Champaign's Virginia Theatre.

Festival organizers say more films and guests will be announced in the coming weeks.

More
  • Saturday, Mar. 10, 2018
"Wolf of Wall Street" film company to pay $60M settlement
A scene from "The Wolf of Wall Street" (photo from Paramount Pictures)
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- 

The production company behind "The Wolf of Wall Street" has agreed to pay the U.S. government $60 million to settle claims it benefited from a massive Malaysian corruption scandal.

The settlement between prosecutors and Red Granite Pictures Inc. was approved Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

The case was part of an effort to recover more than $1 billion prosecutors said was stolen from 1MDB, a Malaysian-owned investment fund. The Department of Justice said the complex money laundering scheme was intended to enrich top-level officials of the fund, including some close to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Money was diverted from the fund to buy properties in New York and California, a $35 million jet, art by Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet, and a $260 million yacht.

Proceeds also went to fund movies by Red Granite Pictures, which was co-founded by the stepson of Razak.

The funds financed the Martin More

  • Friday, Mar. 9, 2018
Report: Obama in discussions to produce shows for Netflix
In this Oct. 13, 2017 file photo, former President Barack Obama, right, and former first lady Michelle Obama arrive for the first session of the Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- 

Barack Obama and Netflix reportedly are negotiating a deal for the former president and his wife, Michelle, to produce shows exclusively for the streaming service.

The proposed deal was reported Friday by The New York Times, which cited people familiar with the discussions who were not identified.

Netflix did not immediately respond for a request for comment. Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill declined comment on the report.

Obama senior advisor Eric Schultz, in a statement provided to The Associated Press, said the Obamas believe in the power of storytelling to inspire.

Schultz said the couple continues to explore new ways to help others share their stories.

The New York Times reported that Obama doesn't intend to use his Netflix shows to respond directly to President Donald Trump or conservative critics.

  • Thursday, Mar. 8, 2018
NYC's "Fearless Girl" staying put for now, future uncertain
Wall Street's "Fearless Girl" statue is draped with a bouquet of flowers to mark International Women's Day, Thursday March 8, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Karen Matthews)
By Karen Matthews
NEW YORK (AP) -- 

The "Fearless Girl" statue that's been a New York City tourist attraction since it was installed to mark International Women's Day one year ago is staying put for now while city officials figure out where it's going next to spread its message of female empowerment.

A spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday that city officials expect to make an announcement about the future of the statue "very soon."

"The Fearless Girl's message has resonated with New Yorkers and visitors alike, and that's something we want to remain a part of the city's civic life," said the spokeswoman for the Democratic mayor, Natalie Grybauskas.

The statue's owner, Boston-based investment firm State Street Global Advisors, said the company is working with the mayor's office "to determine a permanent solution to keep Fearless Girl in New York City so she can continue to promote the power of having more women in leadership."

State Street installed More

  • Thursday, Mar. 8, 2018
"Sopranos" prequel film in the works with David Chase script
In this March 3, 2006 file photo, David Chase, creator and producer of the hit HBO series "The Sopranos," poses on a set in the Queens borough of New York. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- 

"The Sopranos" might be coming to the movie theater.

Warner Bros. Pictures says Thursday that New Line has purchased a screenplay for a "Sopranos" prequel from series creator David Chase and Lawrence Konner. The studio says the working title is "The Many Saints of Newark" and will be set in the 1960s during the Newark riots.

Chase's acclaimed series about mobster Tony Soprano, played by the late James Gandolfini, ran for six seasons on HBO and won 21 primetime Emmys.

Warner Bros. Picture Group chairman Toby Emmerich says in a statement that the studio is thrilled that Chase has decided to revisit and enlarge the Soprano universe. Chase will executive produce and co-write the film, but a director has yet to be selected.

  • Thursday, Mar. 8, 2018
Michael B. Jordan says he will adopt inclusion rider
In this Jan. 30, 2018 photo, Michael B. Jordan poses for a portrait at the "Black Panther" press junket at the Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)
NEW YORK (AP) -- 

Michael B. Jordan says that he will adopt inclusion riders for all projects produced by his production company.

In a message on Instagram on Wednesday, Jordan pledged to support "the women and men who are leading this fight." His announcement followed Frances McDormand's acceptance speech at Sunday's Oscars, where she urged the industry to adopt inclusion riders.

McDormand's comments brought new attention to the practice of contract addendums that require studios to hire a diverse crew and cast for a project.

Launched in 2016, Jordan's Outlier Society production company is developing a sci-fi series for Netflix and other projects. The 31-year-old Jordan stars in the superhero blockbuster "Black Panther."

  • Thursday, Mar. 8, 2018
No charges for agent accused of groping Terry Crews
In this Jan. 21, 2018, file photo, Terry Crews poses for a portrait to promote the film, "Sorry to Bother You", at the Music Lodge during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Prosecutors on Wednesday, March 7, decided not to file charges against a talent agent whom Crews said groped him at a Hollywood party. (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- 

Prosecutors have decided not to file charges against a talent agent whom actor Terry Crews said groped him at a Hollywood party.

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office said Adam Venit, an agent at William Morris Endeavor, twice grabbed Crews by the groin, but because there was no contact with his skin, and no restraint involved, the allegations were not a felony.

They sent the case to the Los Angeles city attorney, who prosecutes misdemeanors. The city attorney's office said Wednesday the statute of limitations for them to prosecute Venit had expired. The party was in February 2016. Crews did not report the incident until November 2017.

Crews has also filed a lawsuit against Venit.

After-hours messages seeking comment from Venit's office were not immediately returned. Crews' publicist declined to comment.

  • Thursday, Mar. 8, 2018
Jon Favreau to write, produce new "Star Wars" series
In this Dec. 9, 2017 file photo, Jon Favreau arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- 

That galaxy far, far away keeps expanding. In the latest in a flurry of "Star Wars" spinoffs, the Walt Disney Co. announced Thursday that Jon Favreau will write and executive produce a live-action "Star Wars" series for the company's planned streaming platform.

Disney is readying a streaming service to compete with Netflix, and it has signaled that "Star Wars" will be a major component. The not-yet-named service is planned to launch in late 2019.

"Jon brings the perfect mix of producing and writing talent, combined with a fluency in the Star Wars universe," said Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm president, in a statement. "This series will allow Jon the chance to work with a diverse group of writers and directors and give Lucasfilm the opportunity to build a robust talent base."

Favreau has been a Disney regular, having directed the first two "Iron Man" films for Marvel and 2016's "The Jungle Book." He also helped produce several " More

  • Wednesday, Mar. 7, 2018
Lawyer: Man accused of Oscar theft will fight felony charge
This Sunday, March 4, 2018, still image from AP video appears to show the man who authorities say stole Frances McDormand's best actress Oscar walking out of the official Academy Awards after-party in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jeff Turner)
By Andrew Dalton, Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- 

A lawyer for the man charged with stealing Frances McDormand's Academy Award said Wednesday that he and his client plan to "forcefully and aggressively resist" the allegations against him.

Attorney Daniel Brookman acknowledged that suspect Terry Bryant can be seen on an Associated Press video holding McDormand's best actress statuette but those images don't rise to the seriousness of felony grand theft.

"There's a big difference between holding an Oscar and what he's charged with," Brookman said outside court, where Bryant was expected to make an appearance. "I don't think his character matches these charges."

Brookman would not elaborate further about Bryant's actions or intentions.

Bryant, 47, walked out of the Governors Ball Oscars after-party with the trophy on Sunday night, authorities said. He was captured on the AP video holding it proudly over his head and saying, "All right baby boys and baby girls."

He More

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