Jamie Lee Curtis confirms she'll star in 'Murder, She Wrote' movie: 'Oh, it's happening'
The mystery of who will star in the lead role of a Murder, She Wrote film adaptation has been solved.
When asked point-blank what the chances are that fans could see her pick up the mantel of Jessica Fletcher, the mystery writer and amateur detective first brought to life by the late Angela Lansbury in the long-running CBS series of the same name, Jamie Lee Curtis didn't hold back.
"Oh, it's… happening," Curtis playfully confirmed to Entertainment Tonight at the world premiere of Freakier Friday. "We're a minute away, but yeah, [I'm] very excited. Very excited. But I'm tamping down my enthusiasm until we start shooting. I have a couple of other things to hustle, but then I'll get to enjoy that work."
Deadline first reported in December that the Oscar winner was in talks to star in a Murder, She Wrote film at Universal written by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, with producers Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal.
Previously, in October 2013, it was reported that NBC was planning a reboot of the series, but by January 2014 it was revealed that it was not moving forward.
The original Murder, She Wrote, which ran for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996, focused on Lansbury's Jessica Fletcher, who became embroiled in various murder cases that took place in the fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine, as well as other locales around the globe. Created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, the crime drama also starred Tom Bosley, William Windom and Ron Masak.
Considered one of the most successful and long-running series in history, Murder, She Wrote was a hit with the industry and public alike. At the height of its popularity, it averaged 30 million viewers per week, according to the L.A. Times. Though she never won, the role earned Lansbury a whopping 12 Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
The update from Curtis is a positive one for the reboot. As she alluded to, though, Curtis has much on her plate at the moment before she can pick up a magnifying glass. First up for the star is reprising her role of Tess Coleman in Freakier Friday, the sequel to the beloved 2003 film starring Lindsay Lohan.In December, she'll be seen in James L. Brooks' dramedy film Ella McCay alongside Emma Mackey, Woody Harrelson, Kumail Nanjiani, Spike Fearn, Ayo Edebiri, Jack Lowden, Rebecca Hall, Julie Kavner, Becky Ann Baker, Joey Brooks, and Albert Brooks.
In addition to Murder, She Wrote, Curtis currently has another three projects in various stages of development.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
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USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Just how did 'Wizard of Oz' at Sphere Las Vegas take Dorothy from 2D to 4D?
LAS VEGAS – In a month, the Las Vegas Sphere will be turned into the verdant splendor of Emerald City. And the vibrant mosaic of Munchkinland. And the dusty amber plains of Kansas. It's 'The Wizard of Oz' not just as a film, but an experience. A place where the 160,000 square feet of Sphere screen transports you into Dorothy Gale's world and, through the use of 4D and haptics, immerses you in the feeling of being inside a tornado and makes you cower at the sight of those dastardly flying monkeys heading from the Wicked Witch's lair to your seat. The film, which opens Aug. 28 at the technologically sophisticated venue just off the Las Vegas Strip, was chosen for Sphere-i-fication because of its generation-spanning appeal. 'It's a movie that your mother watched, that you watched with your grandmother or your kids,' says Jane Rosenthal, the Oscar-nominated producer helping helm the production. 'The movie became so beloved because you felt you could go into Munchkinland or the Emerald City even in a traditional TV format. It's a natural for the Sphere because of the elements that can be made immersive.' The Sphere's film has been in development for two years with a team of more than 2,000 filmmakers, technicians, audio experts and AI creatives working to transform Oz from a 2D world into an extraordinary envelopment of sight and sound. Las Vegas Sphere concerts: All the bands that are playing and how to get tickets Why the Sphere's 'Wizard of Oz' is an unparalleled experience Those involved with 'Oz' wouldn't confirm the $80 million price tag alluded to when the project was announced in August 2024. But, from the near-final pieces of the film USA TODAY observed in July, it's evident this has been an exhaustive, finely detailed endeavor. From the clarity of Judy Garland's doe eyes with eyelashes that can be counted to the 16-foot-long helium-filled monkeys steered by drone operators, it's sheer wonderment. And the tornado? You'll find yourself ducking in your seat at what feels like farm equipment and animals flying toward you as 750-horsepower fans built specifically for "Oz" hurl wind and (paper) leaves around the venue. To assume the film is merely glorified IMAX is akin to saying earbuds provide the same sound quality as $16,000 studio headphones. The $104 admission likely seems steep, but not as much after you factor in the cutting-edge experience and the Vegas location. How 'ethical AI' transformed 'The Wizard of Oz' at the Sphere The Sphere team worked closely with Warner Bros. and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to mine the 'Oz' archives from its original 1939 form. Transforming what was filmed for a 4:3 aspect ratio on a standard-sized movie screen to the 16K x 16K LED screen resolution of the Sphere required the use of what Rosenthal calls 'ethical AI.' The time required to convert the film also necessitated editing from its original run time of 102 minutes to 75. The artificial intelligence in 'Oz' was primarily used to extend frames to fill the Sphere screen. Rosenthal gives the example of an early scene when irritable neighbor Miss Gulch wants to take Toto – himself given a furry glow-up – from the Gale home. 'That was originally a three-shot, but as you widen the frame, you now see Uncle Henry standing by the door. You train the AI on Uncle Henry to create him making a move like putting his hand on the door,' she says. 'That stuff was difficult to do.' The Sphere team, with the aid of Warner Bros., found props and set designs from the original movie so objects such as photos on the wall in Professor Marvel's caravan could be generated onto the screen. Every frame of the film takes 300 hours (12.5 days) to render. An edit of a few seconds might take days to fix. And then there is the equilibrium between respecting a classic and elevating it to immersive heights. Award-winning technician Glenn Derry, the executive vice president of MSG Ventures, spent thousands of hours refining minutiae such as the breathtaking moment when Dorothy awakens in her sepia-toned heartland and steps into Technicolor Munchkinland, the yellow brick road seemingly stretching into space. 'We're trying to be tasteful with these things,' Derry says. 'I don't want to distract from the film because it's one of the great masterpieces. You want people to be part of it, but balance that with not being distracting.' Emotion and revelations and nostalgia, oh my So while the cranky apple tree will hurl featherweight red orbs at Sphere "Oz" viewers, and seats will vibrate with ominous warnings of the Wicked Witch or hopeful spasms when Glinda the Good Witch soars inside her pink bubble, the heart of 'Oz' – as the Tin Man would appreciate – is intact. Derry says his favorite effect is the hulking Wizard head, which almost sneaks in from the side of the screen while pyro is dispatched in front of it. 'It's a nostalgic thing for me,' Derry, whose father worked in the industry as a machinist and physical effects expert, says. 'I love the elements that you don't notice and then you turn and are surprised.' The revelations will begin as soon as moviegoers step into the atrium of the venue, which will be converted to an Oz-like atmosphere with interactive elements (that Wizard head might have another role along with booming on screen). It's an experience that simply cannot be duplicated. 'With the emotion of 'there's no place like home' and 'Over the Rainbow,' I feel fortunate to bring this movie to life,' Rosenthal says. 'A venue like Sphere makes you want to keep going to the movies.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Quotes of the Week: Summer I Turned Pretty, Resident Alien, RHOM and More
TV is responding to the news that CBS has cancelled The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, and our Quotes of the Week column has rounded up all the best reactions so far. In the list below — which features our picks for TV's most memorable lines from the past seven days — you'll find newsy sound bites from The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Daily Show and South Park. Plus, we've got more quotable moments from nearly a dozen other shows including Resident Alien, Countdown, Big Brother and more. More from TVLine Quotes of the Week: I May Destroy You, Greenleaf, Yellowstone and More Quotes of the Week: Stargirl, Blindspot, Penny Dreadful, S.H.I.E.L.D. and More Quotes of the Week: The Twilight Zone, Search Party, Yellowstone and More Also included in this week's roundup: Destination X serves up a box of tricky artichokes, Match Game's Martin Short fills in one too many blanks and The Real Housewives of Miami pays homage to Carrie. 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Jesus Christ warns the citizens of South Park to make stay on President Trump's good side THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY 'I'm over his dumb ass. At this point, he could come crawling on the floor, begging on his knees, asking for me back and, like, I wouldn't care… Unless, like, did he say something to you? Did he say something?' Yes, Taylor. You are so over Steven THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF MIAMI 'Carrie… Remember Carrie? When they dumped the blood on her? That's what I felt like when I was sitting there. [Guerdy] invited Julia to the party, told her to be the prom queen, told her to dress up in white, and then dumps all the blood on top of her. You know, it was that whole vibe.' Marysol on Guerdy revealing private text messages from Julia at her Celebration of Life event RESIDENT ALIEN 'Could you please cover up the dead alien statue father thing? It's making me want to barf.' 'Do not disrespect my dead father who I just murdered!' Even though he just killed his own dad, Harry (Alan Tudyk) demands a little respect for his dearly departed pa COUNTDOWN 'Hey, boss. I was just telling Meachum you should never take Highland. Always head down Cahuenga 'cause traffic near the Bowl blows, right?' 'Do you mind if I…?' 'No, of course. Yes.' Blythe (Eric Dane) walks in on Amber (Jessica Camacho) and Mark's secretive bathroom convo BIG BROTHER 'Zae getting evicted is a perfect lesson in the Rachel Reilly Handbook 101: Don't come for the queen or you're gonna get beheaded.' Returning champ Rachel shed zero tears while kicking Season 27's first boot Zae out the door BIG BROTHER (Bonus Quote!) 'Will, am I your lemon drop then?' After nominee Will calls his wife his 'chocolate drop' on live TV, host Julie Chen Moonves surprises us all with this spontaneous li'l joke IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA 'The world just has not delivered on the future that we were promised when we were growing up. We were promised mud wrestling! We were promised wet T-shirt contests! We were promised women going wild! At a certain point, we stopped women from going wild! Why did we do that?' Dennis (Glenn Howerton) envisions a brighter future for America in the form of… wet T-shirt contests, we think MATCH GAME 'It's time to take a break, because to be honest my bladder is the size of a thimble. In fact, the only time I don't have to pee is when I'm peeing.' Host Martin Short should have left that blank unfilled MATCH GAME (Bonus Quote!) 'I didn't drink from it, so it's fine.' 'I wouldn't care if you did.' As the credits roll, panelist Selena Gomez rides to the rescue of Game 2's dry-mouthed winner DESTINATION X 'Pretty sure it's not a flower. It's not a turnip. I know what this is. I know what this is… I got anchovies on my mind now… Artichoke! Oh my god, that's what it is.' Shayne's brain is a mysterious place GENERAL HOSPITAL 'I'm a doctor, not a florist, and I will not be a party to baby's breath.' Ask Obrecht (Kathleen Gati) to help with a wedding bouquet at one's own risk THE CHI 'Brother Hannibal! The church welcomes you with open arms.' 'Thank you. I see how you was welcoming my wife, with your arms.' Hannibal (Chris Lee) isn't a fan of how warmly Charles greets old friend Angie WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE 'Not being her mother-in-law is a role that I'm glad that I lost.' Denise Welch on her son Matty Healy's breakup with Taylor Swift WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE (Bonus Quote!) 'Which actress do you feel you deserved the Emmy over — Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Rachel Brosnahan, Catherine O'Hara or Jean Smart?' 'F–king all of them bitches!' When Tracee Ellis Ross plays Plead the Fifth, she does not mess around Best of TVLine 90+ TV Shows That Switched Networks — And How Long They Ran After They Relocated TV's 30+ Best Cliffhangers of All Time From Buffy, Friends, Grey's Anatomy, Twin Peaks, Severance, Soap and More 20+ Age-Defying Parent-Child Castings From Blue Bloods, ER, Ginny & Georgia, Golden Girls, Supernatural and More
Yahoo
5 hours ago
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Frankie Muniz latest actor-turned-driver out to prove he can compete in high-level racing
Frankie Muniz may be the only actor who has been nominated for an Emmy award and driven in a NASCAR event at Daytona. But if Muniz had been old enough to get a driver's license before he moved to Hollywood, there may never have been a "Malcolm in the Middle." 'When I'm in that race car and I put my visor down and I drive out of that pit lane, I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be,' he said. 'That's what I'm supposed to do and that's what I'm doing.' And acting? 'I don't feel like I'm a good actor,' he said. 'I know I can act. But when I look at good acting, I go 'dang, I could never do that'.' That's not true, of course. Muniz, who started acting when he was 12, has been credited in 26 films and 37 TV shows, including the title role in 'Malcolm in the Middle,' which earned him two Golden Globe nominations and one Emmy nod during its seven-year run on Fox. But acting was a profession. Racing is a passion. 'Excitement and all the emotions. That's what I love about racing,' he said. 'The highs are so high and the lows are unbelievably low. It's awesome.' Muniz placed 28th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Indianapolis Raceway Park on Friday. He is 23rd among the 64 drivers listed in the series points standings, with his one top-10 finish coming in the season opener at Daytona. Muniz, 39, isn't the first actor to try racing. Paul Newman was a four-time SCCA national champion who finished second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1979 while Patrick Dempsey ('Grey's Anatomy,' 'Can't Buy Me Love') has driven sports cars at Le Mans and in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, in addition to other series. But driving isn't a side hustle for Muniz, who last October signed with North Carolina-based Reaume Brothers Racing to be the full-time driver of the team's No. 33 Ford in the truck series. Muniz also raced twice last year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. 'When I originally started racing, I was kind of at the height of my [acting] career. I had tons of offers to do movies and shows and all that,' said Muniz, who made his stock-car debut in the fall of 2021 in Bakersfield, then accepted an offer to drive full time in the ARCA Menards Series in 2023. 'Very easily could have stayed in that business. But I wanted to give racing a try. And to compete at the top level, you have to put in the time and effort that professional race car drivers are doing, right? You can't do it halfway.' Muniz was into racing before he even thought about acting. Growing up in North Carolina, he remembers waking early on the weekend to watch IndyCar and NASCAR races on TV. No one else in his family shared his interest in motorsports, so when his parents divorced shortly after Muniz was discovered acting in a talent show at age 8, his mother moved to Burbank, where he made his film debut alongside Louis Gossett Jr. in 1997's 'To Dance With Olivia.' Two years later he was cast as the gifted middle child of a dysfunctional working-class family in the successful sitcom 'Malcolm in the Middle.' Motorsports continued to tug at him so after running in a few celebrity events, Muniz twice put his acting career on hold to race, first in 2007 — shortly after 'Malcolm' ended after seven seasons and 151 episodes — when he started a three-season run in the open-wheel Atlantic Championship series. Read more: NASCAR announces race on U.S. Navy base in Coronado scheduled for 2026 Still, Muniz, who lives with his wife Paige and 4-year-old son Mauz in Scottsdale, Ariz., is dogged by criticism he is little more than a weekend warrior who is using his substantial Hollywood reputation and earnings to live out his racing fantasies. 'I don't spend any of my money going racing,' he said. 'I made a promise to my wife that I would not do that. So I can kill that rumor right there.' But those whispers persist partly because Muniz hasn't completely cut ties with acting. Because the truck series doesn't run every weekend, racing 25 times between Valentine's Day and Halloween, Muniz had time to tape a 'Malcolm in the Middle' reunion miniseries that is scheduled to air on Disney+ in December. He has also appeared in two other TV projects and two films since turning to racing full time. But his focus, he insists, is on driving. 'If I wanted to go racing for fun,' he said, 'I would not be racing in the truck series. I'd be racing at my local track or I'd be racing some SCCA club events. I want to be one of the top drivers there are. I want to make it as high up in NASCAR as I can. And I'm doing everything I can to do that.' Fame outside of racing can be a double-edged sword in the high-cost world of NASCAR. It can open doors to a ride and sponsorships others can't get, but it can also cause jealousy in the garage, with drivers crediting that fame and not talent for a rival's success. And Muniz isn't the only rookie driver who has had to deal with that. Toni Breidinger, who finished 27th in Friday's race and is one place and eight points ahead of Muniz in the season standings with nine races left, is a model who has posed for Victoria's Secret and been featured in the pages of Glamour, GQ and Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition. She's also a good driver who has been going fast on a racetrack far longer than she's been walking slowly down a catwalk. 'I was definitely a racer before anything. That was definitely my passion,' said Breidinger, who started driving go-karts in Northern California when she was 9. 'I've been lucky enough to be able to do modeling to help support that passion. But at the end of the day, I definitely consider myself a racer. That's what I grew up doing and that's the career I've always wanted do to.' Still, she sees the two pursuits as being complementary. When Breidinger appears on a red carpet, as she did before this month's ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, it helps her modeling career while at the same time giving the sponsors of her racing team — which includes 818 Tequila, Dave & Buster's and the fashion brand Coach — added value. 'It's all part of the business. It all goes back into my racing,' said Breidinger, 26, who is of German and Lebanese descent. 'The side hustles, I like to call them. I don't think that takes away from me being a race car driver.' Breidinger, who won the USAC western asphalt midget series title as a teenager, raced in the ARCA Menards Series for five years before stepping up to truck series in 2021, making NASCAR history in 2023 when she finished 15th in her first race, the best-ever debut by a female driver. That helped her land a full-time ride this season with Tricon Garage, Toyota's flagship team in the truck series. Like Muniz, Breidinger sees the truck series, the third tier of NASCAR's national racing series, as a steppingstone to a seat in a Cup car. 'I want to climb the national ladder. That's what I'm here to do,' she said. 'I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have long-term plans and long-term goals. I'm a very competitive person, especially with myself.' Kyle Larson, who climbed to the top of that ladder, running his first NASCAR national series race in a truck in 2012, then winning the 2021 Cup championship nine years later, said the path he took — and the one Muniz and Breidinger are following — is a well-worn one. Read more: NASCAR figuring out if building new track in Fontana is the 'right thing to do' 'Anybody racing in any of the three series has talent and ability enough to be there,' he said. Funding, Larson said, and not talent and ability, often determines how fast a driver can make that climb and that might be a problem for Muniz since Josh Reaume, the owner of the small three-truck team Muniz drives for, has complained about the price of racing. It can cost more than $3.5 million a year to field one competitive truck in the 25-race series — and that cost is rising, threatening to price many out of the sport. But having drivers like Muniz and Breidinger in NASCAR will help everyone in the series, Larson said, because it will bring in fans and sponsors that might not have been attracted to the sport otherwise. 'I just hope that he can get into a situation someday where you can really see his talent from being in a car or a truck that is better equipped to go run towards the front,' Larson said of Muniz. 'You want to see him succeed because if he does succeed, it's only going to do good things for our sport.' And if it works out the way Muniz hopes, perhaps he'll someday be the answer to another trivia question: Name the NASCAR champion who once worked in Hollywood. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
