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Chris Farley’s comedic legacy often centers on physical slapstick and larger-than-life characters, and few movies illustrate this better than the mostly forgotten Beverly Hills Ninja. Released in 1997, the film plays out like many of Farley’s films, and ended up becoming known as the actor’s final movie to be released prior to his death in December that year. Almost 30 years later, fans have made the film another unexpected success on Tubi, the home of free streaming and long-lost movies.

The story follows Haru (Farley), an orphan discovered off the coast of Japan and raised by a clan of ninjas. While he dreams of mastering martial arts, Haru’s clumsy nature and hefty size set him apart from his disciplined peers. Nevertheless, fate intervenes when a mysterious blonde (Nicollette Sheridan) shows up, begging Haru for his help to uncover dangerous criminal activity back in Beverly Hills. Determined to prove himself,...

Not counting the January 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, when theaters were closed due to the pandemic, the 2025 MLK weekend is shaping up to be the second-lowest box office weekend in 10 years. Per Deadline, Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King is poised to earn the No. 1 spot with $15.5 million over the holiday weekend, the lowest MLK total since 1997’s Chris Farley/Chris Rock-led Beverly Hills Ninja debuted with $12.2 million.

Deadline reports that the weekend box office across all movies is now estimated at $96.3 million, the second lowest-totals in 10 years and the lowest since 2022. In 2022, the total box office for MLK weekend was $85 million when Scream and Spider-Man: No Way Home debuted with $33.8 and $24.2 million respectively.

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Moana 2 crosses a major box office milestone that hasn't been achieved by a Disney animated movie since Frozen II in 2019.

Sony...

Update: 2025/01/19 08:06 Est By Brennan Klein

Mufasa Stays Strong, Maintaining No. 1 Lead

This article was originally written Saturday Am and has been updated Sunday Am with up-to-date box office projections (in bold), a full chart, and further analysis.

The domestic box office has seen multiple major upsets, with Mufasa: The Lion King, One of Them Days, and Wolf Man all performing much differently than expected. The Universal Monster remake Wolf Man, which is Leigh Whannell's follow-up to 2020's The Invisible Man, opened over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, on the same day as the new Keke Palmer comedy One of Them Days. The Lion King prequel is the oldest of the trio, as the Mufasa release kicked off back in 2024, the weekend before Christmas.

Per Deadline, as of Sunday morning, Mufasa: The Lion King is projected to close out the holiday weekend with a 4-day domestic total of $15.5 million,...

Sunday Am Writethru Not counting the 2021 pandemic year when all theaters were closed, it’s the second lowest MLK 4-day weekend of the last 10 years with the marketplace now estimated to do $96.3M.

The last time it was this low was 2022 with $85M, and that’s when Paramount/Spyglass’ Scream led with a $33.8M Friday-Monday opening. Pin that overall low weekend total for all movies back then to a lack of product, even though Spider-Man: No Way Home was second with $24.2M, and some Covid jitters.

‘Beverly Hills Ninja’

You can’t complain and say people don’t go to movies over MLK weekend: There’s just nothing they’re craving to see this year. The MLK 4-day weekend with the right movies has the power to do $200M-plus; 2020 led by Bad Boys for Life amassed an overall weekend total of $205.3M while 2015 remains the holiday’s record for the...

Watched annually every Christmas season by millions across the world, Home Alone has long been one of cinema history's most celebrated films. Its cast has garnered great praise for their work on the film, though legendary funnyman Chris Farley missed out on being a part of it.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Home Alone director Chris Columbus confirmed the rumor that Farley had auditioned for a role in the classic Christmas movie. When the movie was in the casting process, Farley had not yet found great fame as a part of the cast of Saturday Night Live in the 90s, so he was still a young actor on the rise when he read for the role of the movie's Santa Claus impersonator. Columbus recalls Farley's audition being a bit rough after a night on the town in Chicago, and while that led to rejecting the funnyman for the film,...

Happy Gilmore director Dennis Dugan is returning in front of the camera for the Adam Sandler-led Netflix sequel, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Dugan, who is an executive producer on Happy Gilmore 2, will reprise his role of pro golf tour commissioner Doug Thompson that he originated in the 1996 comedy. Kyle Newacheck is helming the new film that is currently in production and has not yet announced a release date.

Sandler is back as lead character Happy Gilmore, introduced in the original as an unsuccessful hockey player who becomes an unlikely golf sensation, due to his mammoth drives. Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen and Ben Stiller are among the returning faces from the first movie, while new additions to the cast include Benny Safdie, Bad Bunny, Margaret Qualley and Scott Mescudi, along with cameos from Travis Kelce and golfer John Daly.

Returning to produce the sequel are Sandler, Tim Herlihy,...

The second major spin-off of "The Big Bang Theory" — which itself is a spin-off of the spin-off "Young Sheldon" — gives away the game right there in the title. "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage" gives Georgie Cooper (Montana Jordan) and his wife Mandy McAllister (Emily Osment), who got married in season 7 of "Young Sheldon," the spotlight as they try to navigate a life together as young parents. The thing is because Chuck Lorre keeps expanding the Sheldon Cooper Cinematic Universe (the Sccu?) even though Sheldon Cooper's future is firmly established thanks to The Big Bang Theory — where Jim Parsons plays Sheldon — we already know that Georgie gets married and divorced twice, hence the words "first marriage" in that title.

"Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage" premieres on October 17 on CBS and is set to bring back a bunch of "Young Sheldon" veterans, not to mention adding in some new faces — and...

Paramount’s free streaming service Pluto TV has revealed its September highlights. The Pluto TV September 2024 lineup includes coverage of the new NFL season and the launch of contact sports channels One Championship TV and Wow – Women of Wrestling.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Pluto TV is expanding its channel lineup in the category, and for fans looking to return to a place where everybody knows your name, they have a new Cheers + Frasier channel to deliver nostalgic vibes.

Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service, delivering hundreds of live, linear channels and thousands of titles on-demand to a global audience. The Emmy Award-winning service curates a diverse lineup of channels in partnership with hundreds of international media companies.

Pluto TV offers various genres, languages, and categories featuring movies, television series, sports, news, lifestyle, kids, and much more. The service can be easily accessed and streamed across mobile,...

Paul Walter Hauser has drawn some very high acclaim for his film and TV roles. He may be taking on his biggest role yet as the star of an upcoming Chris Farley biopic, but the actor feels this is a part he's spent his life preparing for.

In an interview with Variety, Hauser addressed his role in the untitled biopic. As a longtime fan of the late Saturday Night Live star, Hauser noted that he's "been practicing to play Chris Farley my entire life." With that noted, the Richard Jewell star admitted that it will still be difficult to turn in a well-received performance, given how people may be much more judgmental with someone playing such a beloved celebrity as opposed to another original character.

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Thanks to the skills developed on such a high-pressure show as Saturday Night Live, some cast members...

Paul Walter Hauser embraces the challenge of portraying Chris Farley in an upcoming biopic, approaching the role with love and effort. The actor, known for his authentic portrayals of real-life figures, has been preparing to play Farley his entire life. Hauser's success in past biographical roles, such as in Richard Jewell, sets him up for potential recognition in the upcoming Chris Farley film.

Paul Walter Hauser has shared what his angle will be and how much he has prepared for his upcoming project, in which he will give life to the beloved late comedian Chris Farley of Saturday Night Live fame. Hauser, who was quick to build a career beyond his first more "secondary" roles, seems like the perfect actor to take on the role, and this goes beyond his physicality. Ever since he blew up everyone's minds playing criminal Shawn Eckhardt in I, Tonya, Hauser has proven he...

Paul Walter Hauser reveals that he expects people to have strong reactions to the upcoming Chris Farley biopic from director Josh Gad due to how beloved the real-life figure was. He plans to approach the role with "love and effort," and will be putting on weight to more accurately portray Farley's physicality. Hauser has proven himself a powerful comedic and dramatic actor, and the biopic has the Farley family's blessing.

Paul Walter Hauser discusses his approach to playing Chris Farley in the upcoming biopic about the Saturday Night Live legend. A handful of SNL cast members have gone down in history as not just being the funniest people on the show during their tenures, but some of the funniest comedians, period. Farley, who passed away in 1993 at age 33, is undoubtedly one of these figures, and he's now set to be the subject of a biopic from director Josh Gad.

In a recent interview with Variety,...

Quick Links Farley Plays a Ruffian to Perry's Aristocrat What Do Audiences Have to Say About Almost Heroes? Almost Heroes Is a Lighthearted Comedy Two comedic legends race against Lewis and Clark in the oddball 1998 comedy Almost Heroes. Chris Farley's boisterous ruffian character clashes hilariously with Matthew Perry's aristocrat role. Despite mixed reviews, the lighthearted romp is enjoyed by audiences and showcases Farley's comedic talent.

Two comedic geniuses up against two of America's greatest pioneers. An upstanding aristocrat and a filthy wild man toe to toe with a military captain and his second lieutenant. The always-remembered funnyman combination of Chris Farley and Matthew Perry race against the clock to make it to the Pacific Ocean before Lewis and Clark. In all regards, the premise does sound odd on paper, but such a plot did come to be in director Christopher Guest's 1998 Western comedy called Almost Heroes. Since...

The planned biopic chronicling the life and career of beloved Saturday Night Live star Chris Farley gets a positive development update. A new report confirms the upcoming film has officially gotten a studio home.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, New Line Cinema outbid the competition to land the Chris Farley biopic, with the Josh Gad-directed film moving ahead at the studio. Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber are the co-writers for the feature-length project, based on Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby's acclaimed biography, The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts. Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels is one of the film's producers.

Related Jerry Seinfeld Says 'Worrying About Offending Other People' Ruined Comedy Jerry Seinfeld says how comedy has changed in a negative way thanks to political correctness. Close

Cobra Kai and The Afterparty star Paul Walter Hauser will star as Farley in the upcoming biopic.

Update: The Chris Farley Show, a film adaptation of the book by the late SNL star’s brother Tom, is a go. Deadline is reporting that New Line Cinema has acquired the rights and is full steam ahead on what could be a potential Oscar-play for the studio.

Original Story: Cruella and Cobra Kai actor Paul Walter Hauser is going from voicing Embarrassment in Pixar’s upcoming sequel Inside Out 2 to living in a van down by the river for the lead role in Josh Gad’s Chris Farley biopic. Hauser is stuffing himself into a little coat to play the legendary comedian, Saturday Night Live alum, and star of comedies like Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, and Beverly Hills Ninja. Josh Gad directs the Chris Farley biopic, with Lorne Michaels producing through his Broadway video studio.

Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber will pen the script based on the...

New Line Cinema has landed the Chris Farley biopic starring Paul Walter Hauser, in what Variety is told was a highly competitive situation.

The film, which has the blessing of the Farley family, will mark actor Josh Gad’s directorial debut, with Lorne Michaels and Erin David producing via Broadway Video.

Oscar and Emmy nominees Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber will write the screenplay based on the New York Times best-selling biography “The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts” by Tom Farley Jr. (Chris Farley’s brother) and Tanner Colby.

Hauser, an Emmy, Critics’ Choice, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor for his role in “Black Bird,” will next be seen in Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” as the voice of Embarrassment. He will then appear opposite Matt Damon in Apple Original Films’ “The Instigators,” helmed by Doug Liman. He’s also set to lead Tony Tost...

After Deadline broke the news last week that New Line was in pole position to land the package A Chris Farley Story, the studio made it official today, having acquired the biopic starring Paul Walter Hauser as the legendary comedian. Josh Gad directs, with Lorne Michaels and Erin David producing via Broadway Video.

The pitch is based on the book by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby and will be adapted by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. This marks the second major package Warner Bros. has landed this week with the main studio acquiring Avengelyne which is being developed as a star vehicle for Margot Robbie.

The film would tell the story of one of the great comic actors of his generation. Getting his start in the second heyday of Saturday Night Live, where Farley would join an ensemble of all-time SNL greats including Adam Sandler,...

New Line Cinema proved to be more highly motivated than the rest of its competition in landing the forthcoming Chris Farley biopic that is set to star Paul Walter Hauser as the late comedy legend.

The company has landed director Josh Gad’s film following a highly competitive situation. Hauser, a recent Emmy winner for his work in Apple TV+’s Black Bird, will star as Farley, the Saturday Night Live standout and star of such films as Tommy Boy who died of a drug overdose in 1997 at age 33.

Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (The Disaster Artist, Daisy Jones & The Six) are writing the screenplay based on Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby’s best-selling biography, The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts. The project has the blessing of the Farley family, with SNL creator Lorne Michaels and Erin David serving as producers for Broadway Video.

Farley...

Exclusive: No decision has been made official, but sources tell Deadline that New Line is the favorite to land the package that is based on the biography The Chris Farley Show with Paul Walter Hauser attached to play the legendary comedian. The pitch is based on the book by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby and will be adapted by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber with Josh Gad directing. Lorne Michaels, who found and cast Farley in Saturday Night Live in the ’90s, is producing through his Broadway Video.

Insiders say the family has given their blessing to the project. The studio had no comment.

The film would tell the story of one of the great comic actors of his generation. Getting his start in the second heyday of Saturday Night Live, where Farley would join an ensemble of all-time SNL greats including Adam Sandler, David Spade,...

Tubi, Fox’s free streaming service, has announced its list of May titles. The May 2024 slate features new Tubi Originals as well as numerous action, art house, Black cinema, comedy, documentary, drama, horror, kids and family, romance, sci-fi and fantasy, thriller, and Western titles.

As a leading ad-supported video-on-demand service, Tubi engages diverse audiences through a personalized experience and the world’s largest content library, which includes over 200,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of Tubi Originals, and nearly 250 Fast channels.

You can watch the Tubi May 2024 lineup for free on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub Max, Comcast Xfinity X1, and Cox Contour.

You can also watch the service on connected television devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on the Tubi site.

Tubi Originals

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Paul Walter Hauser will play comedian Chris Farley in a so-far untitled biopic. Here’s what we know at present:

A biopic based on the biography The Chris Farley Show: A Biography In Three Acts by the late comedian’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colb is in the works.

With full endorsement from Farley’s family, Richard Jewell star Paul Walter Hauser will play him in the film. It will be the directorial debut of Frozen star Josh Gad, with Scott Neustadter and Michael H Weber writing the screenplay according to Deadline. They previously adapted the surreal true story of Tommy Wiseau’s experience making cult film The Room into 2017 film The Disaster Artist.

A feature film examining the origins of Saturday Night Live is also in production. Jason Reitman is directIng SNL 1975 from a script he wrote with Gil Keenan. It will star Gabriel Labelle as series creator Lorne Michaels,...

Though the tide of late has turned more towards a Bohemian Rhapsody-powered focus on biopics of musicians, there is always room for other entertainers with particularly compelling stories. One such example is Saturday Night Live staple-turned-film comedy actor Chris Farley, whose star burned bright before it was snuffed out decades too early by excess and addiction. Paul Walter Hauser is now attached to star as Farley in the film to be directed by actor/producer and now filmmaker Josh Gad.

Farley, who initially had seemed destined to join his father in the oil business, was lured away by the thrill of performing, eventually ending up at Chicago's Second City improv troupe (which he joined the same day as fellow future comedy icon Stephen Colbert) and from there was recruited by Lorne Michaels for SNL.

A successful run on the show translated, as it often does, to film roles, and...

A biopic about the life of the late “Saturday Night Live” star Chris Farley is in the works, IndieWire has confirmed.

Emmy-winner Paul Walter Hauser is attached to star as Farley, and Josh Gad would direct the project. “SNL” producer Lorne Michaels is producing the feature biopic via his Broadway Video production banner. Gad, the Broadway star and “Frozen” actor, would make his feature directorial debut on the film.

Right now the project is just at the package stage and being presented to interested buyers looking to make it, but it surely will be an in-demand package that could go quickly and make this movie a reality sooner rather than later. It also helps that the Farley family has given its blessing to the project.

The currently untitled film is based on “The Chris Farley Show: A Biography In Three Acts” written by Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby that...

“Saturday Night Live” legend Chris Farley’s funny, sad, tragically brief life is getting the biopic treatment from producer Lorne Michaels and director Josh Gad, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning “Black Bird” star Paul Walter Hauser has been tapped to play Farley. The script is by “Daisy Jones & the Six” creators Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, and based on the bestselling book “The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts” by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby. “SNL” boss Michaels will produce through his Broadway Video banner. The project, which is being shopped to studios now, has the blessing of the Farley family.

Gad, who is best known for his performances in the Disney films “Frozen” and “Beauty and the Beast” and the Broadway shows “The Book of Mormon” and “Gutenberg! The Musical,” will be making his feature directorial debut with the biopic.

A Chris Farley biopic is in the works, with Josh Gad set to direct.

In the hot package being shopped around town, Emmy, Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe Award winner Paul Walter Hauser is attached to star as the legendary comedian. There’s no word yet on where the project will land, but it’s sure to attract a slew of bidders.

The film will adapt best-selling biography “The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts” by Tom Farley Jr. (Chris Farley’s brother) and Tanner Colby. Lorne Michaels, who cast Farley on “Saturday Night Live,” is producing via Broadway Video.

Oscar and Emmy nominees Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber will write the screenplay.

Before his tragic death in 1997 of a drug overdose, Farley rose to fame during his five-season stretch on “Saturday Night Live.” During that time, he starred in beloved sketches including “Lunch Lady Land” with Adam Sandler,...

Legendary comedy Chris Farley will have his life story told in an upcoming biopic. It's also been revealed who will be portraying the one-of-a-kind entertainer, which is sure to be a challenge for any actor to take on.

Per Deadline, it's been reported that Paul Walter Hauser (Cobra Kai) is attached to star in a biopic for Farley. Written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, the film is dubbed The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts. Josh Gad is also on board to direct, while Saturday Night Live's Lorne Michaels will be producing via his Broadway Video banner. The project is currently getting shopped and doesn't yet have a distributor.

Related Jack Whitehall & Paul Walter Hauser Embrace Slapstick in The Afterparty Season 2 Jack Whitehall and Paul Walter Hauser discuss their roles and fusing slapstick surprises with murder mystery mayhem in The Afterparty.

The biopic will be...

Now here is a package coming together that is sure to set the town and market on fire. Deadline is hearing that a script based on The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts is being shopped with Paul Walter Hauser attached to play the iconic late comic and actor.

Josh Gad will direct with Lorne Michaels, who found and cast Farley in Saturday Night Live in the ’90s, producing through his Broadway Video. The package will be sold as a pitch based on the book with Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber penning the script.

Based on the biography by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby — insiders say the family has given their blessing to the project — the film would tell the story of one of the great comic actors of his generation. Getting his start in the heyday of Saturday Night Live, where Farley...

Chris Farley — the legendary comedy actor behind Tommy Boy and countless Saturday Night Live performances — is getting the biopic treatment.

Emmy winner Paul Walter Hauser will star in the project that has actor-filmmaker Josh Gad attached to direct. Saturday Night Live patriarch Lorne Michaels will produce via his Broadway video banner.

The screenplay will be written by sought after duo Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber based on the New York Times best-selling biography The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts by Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby.

The project, which is currently being pitched around town, has the blessing of the Farley family.

Farley rose to fame as a player on Saturday Night Live alongside castmembers Adam Sandler and David Spade, known for his energetic and physical performances. Famous for sketches that saw him play Bill Swerski’s Superfans (“da Bears!”), an overzealous motivational speaker (“living in...

A big-budget series adaptation of a best-selling sci-fi epic, a new season of an acquired Peacock gem, a spinoff series of a Guy Ritchie crime feature, the return of one of the world’s most grueling reality competition shows, Millie Bobby Brown finding herself in all sorts of bother and Adam Sandler getting serious in a space drama are among the standout films and series hitting Netflix in March.

Funnyman Sandler is deathly serious in Johan Renck’s Spaceman, Netflix’s big feature release this month that debuts on March 1. The film, an adaptation of Jaroslav Kalfar’s novel Spaceman of Bohemia, sees Sandler play a Czech astronaut sent to the farthest reaches of space, just as his personal life is falling to pieces. Sandler’s character must keep his sanity and his only supposed company is a giant alien arachnid. The film, which premiered out of competition at the Berlin Film Festival,...

Beverly Hills Ninja gained a cult following despite poor reviews, thanks to Chris Farley's physical comedy and the mix of martial arts and humor. Following Farley's death, David Hasselhoff was set to replace him in Beverly Hills Ninja 2, generating curiosity and skepticism. Lawsuits surrounding the sequel exposed the tumultuous behind-the-scenes drama and highlighted challenges in international film production and rights management.

Beverly Hills Ninja, released in 1997, is remembered as a comedic romp featuring the late Chris Farley in a winning blend of martial arts and humor, and Beverly Hills Ninja 2 was briefly in development too. The original film follows inept ninja Haru (Farley), an American raised by a clan of martial artists in Japan when he washed ashore as a young boy, who finds himself on a comical adventure in Beverly Hills. Despite poor reviews from critics, the movie gained a cult following, thanks to Farley's physical comedy and...

Tubi is serving up plenty of sick kicks with their latest batch of Martial Arts films. September will see returning icons come back with even more action-packed movies, international adventures with grandiose scopes, and even some unconventional gems you might've skimmed over in the past. Regardless of what you pick to watch, you can expect equal amounts of punches, kicks, hacks, and slashes in these stellar martial arts movies.

This is just about every notable martial arts film hitting Tubi in the month of September. Every film will be available to watch from as early as September 1 unless stated otherwise.

Unleashed (2005)

Unleashed is what happens when you smash together Yuen Woo-ping's choreography, a lead performance by Jet Li (Once Upon a Time in China), and a soundtrack by the English trip-hop group Massive Attack. Released in 2005, Unleashed sees Jet Li playing a man reduced to nothing more than an attack dog.

It's been over twenty-five years now since the self-deprecating master Chris Farley left our world on December 18, 1997. Though he is gone, he lives on thanks to his numerous roles. In film, we still laugh over his physical antics in Black Sheep, Beverly Hills Ninja, and his comedy masterpiece, Tommy Boy. Farley was on such a role that he had even been cast as Shrek. It is only due to his passing that Mike Myers got the job. Before all of that, though, was his star-making turn on Saturday Night Live.

Francesca Cappucci, a former Los Angeles music and entertainment reporter for Kabc-tv and a popular morning drive radio host at Kiqq, died of cancer March 30. She was 64.

Her death was announced today by her family.

Born in Los Angeles on June 29, 1958, Cappucci began her broadcasting career at Kiqq making public service announcements before teaming up with radio host Jay Coffey for a popular morning drive show.

She joined Kabc Channel 7 Eyewitness News for a 10-year stint in 1995. During her tenure with Kabc Cappucci interviewed such music celebrities as, among many others, Rod Stewart, David Bowie, and Michael Jackson.

Cappucci’s popularity in Los Angeles was such that she was recruited to portray reporters in one-off episodes of The Colbys, Columbo, 7th Heaven, The Practice and Charmed, and in the 1997 film Beverly Hills Ninja.

Cappucci is survived by sons Ian and Will; brother Rafael; sister Isabella; and other extended family.

Francesca Cappucci, who spent more than a decade as a popular entertainment and music reporter at Kabc-tv in Los Angeles, has died. She was 64.

Cappucci died March 30 at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena after being diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic lung cancer in July, her older son, Ian Lyndon, told The Hollywood Reporter. She never smoked and “was an advocate for wellness and ran and exercised every day, that’s why [her illness] was such a shock,” he said.

Out of the blue, Quentin Tarantino named the glamorous Italian movie star wife of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton after her in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).

Cappucci and the filmmaker never met, Ian said, and she was “blown away” when she and his brother, Will, saw the movie on the big screen for the first time. (The character was played by Chilean actress Lorenza Izzo.)

Cappucci covered show business for the ABC-owned station...

The month of April for Hulu is jam-packed with TV and film goodies, from Adam Sandler’s 1999 comedy “Big Daddy” to Fox’s hit sitcom “New Girl.”

On top of Hulu’s rollout of a new interface, it’s also adding some major film and TV titles to its platform. Some of the highlights that set off the first day of April include “American Psycho,” “Shrek” and its sequel “Shrek 2,” plus the Tim Story-directed “Think Like a Man.”

Anime series will be all the rage on Hulu with the dubbed version of the new popular series “Chainsaw Man” arriving, along with “Spy x Family” and “Black Clover.” If you’re looking for something a little bit more kid-friendly, the family can al enjoy “Despicable Me” and “Despicable 2,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days” and “Nanny McPhee.” For the lovers and heartless romantics, “Dear John” and “Date Night...

Hulu’s list of new releases for April 2023 don’t feature many blockbusters, but if we dig a little, I’m sure we can find some gems.

Perhaps the most promising items are on the TV side of things. Tiny Beautiful Things premieres on April 7 and stars Kathryn Hahn as “a floundering writer who becomes a revered advice columnist while her own life is falling apart.” That will be followed by comedy Am I Being Unreasonable? on April 11 and two documentaries: high school football story Algiers, America (April 19) and Tupac Shakur piece Dear Mama (April 22).

The best TV candidate this month, however, is probably Saint X on April 26. This series, told via multiple timelines, “explores and upends the girl-gone-missing genre as it explores how a young woman’s mysterious death during an idyllic Caribbean vacation creates a traumatic ripple effect that eventually pulls her surviving sister into a dangerous pursuit of the truth.

One of the most anticipated television releases of April is coming to Hulu on April 7. “Tiny Beautiful Things” stars Kathryn Hahn as troubled writer Clare. Ironically, she becomes a great advice columnist as her life falls apart. Her marriage is in trouble and her teen daughter hates her. Plus, her writing career is going nowhere. Based on the best-selling collection by Cheryl Strayed, the limited series explores the author’s journey toward healing herself and others.

Check out the “Tiny Beautiful Things” trailer:

Also arriving on Hulu in April is the series adaptation of the best-selling novel “Saint X.” The series is based on Alexis Schaitkin’s novel of the same name and follows a woman’s dangerous pursuit of her older sister’s disappearance on an idyllic Caribbean vacation. Through multiple timelines, the series explores all the traumatic ripples the mystery created for countless people. The series will star Alycia Debnam-Carey,...

On a recent episode of the "Fly on the Wall" podcast, comedian Chris Rock talked about watching the Safdie brothers' film "Uncut Gems" and being incredibly impressed by Adam Sandler's performance. Rock was also made incredibly melancholy, however, as he immediately began to think of the later actor/comedian Chris Farley. Rock felt that, had Farley survived, he would have eventually had the opportunity to reveal his own dramatic acting chops, something Farley was never able to display in his film career prior. Rock and Farley both began performing on "Saturday Night Live" in 1990, and they both rose to fame rapidly. Farley, however, wrestled with addiction and health problems for many years, and died of an overdose in 1997. He was 33.

Farley's death hit the world of comedy hard, and many of his friends and co-workers have come out over the years to say what a kind, shy, decent guy Farley was.

Even if you’ve signed up for every streaming service out there, it can feel monumental when a title moves from one to another. In April, Netflix mainstay “New Girl” moves to Hulu; still streaming, but not where fans are used to finding it — like rearranging the furniture in your apartment and waking up surprised every day that the couch is over there now.

But what’s important is that “New Girl” lives on, now joining Hulu’s own TV and movie library and originals from Freeform, FX, National Geographic, and more. Later in the month, Leila Gerstein’s “Saint X” — based on the novel by Alexis Schaitkin — premieres with three episodes, recounting the story of a young girl found dead during a family vacation and the sister piecing it together years later. Alycia Debnam-Carey, Josh Bonzie, West Duchovny, Jayden Elijah, Bre Francis, Kenlee Anaya Townsend, Betsy Brandt, and Michael Park star.

David Spade revealed in a recent profile in Esquire magazine that his longtime collaborator Chris Farley expressed interest in reuniting for a third feature film together about two months before his death. Toward the end of their runs on “Saturday Night Live,” the two comedians joined forced to headline the 1995 buddy comedy “Tommy Boy.” Although the film was not a box office hit (it grossed only 32 million worldwide), it became a bonafide cult classic thanks to its home video release. Spade and Farley quickly reunited a year later for “Black Sheep.”

“Two years after ‘Tommy Boy’ came out, they told us it made 100 million on video. We couldn’t believe it,” Spade said. “It really grew over time. We talked about doing another one, but Farley wanted to do more drama, so I said, ‘Go do that.’ I ran into him two months before [he died] and he was like, ‘Everyone always...

Though the confusingly named initiative “FX on Hulu” is on its way out, FX is still bringing premium television to Hulu in the meantime.

Hulu’s list of new releases for April 2022 is highlighted by FX limited series Under the Banner of Heaven. This adaptation of the non-fiction book by John Krakauer stars Andrew Garfield as a Mormon police detective whose faith is shaken when investigating a murder involving the church.

It’s not all just FX on the TV side of things for Hulu this month, however. The streamer is debuting second seasons of its series The Hardy Boys (April 6) and Woke (April 8). There isn’t much to report from Hulu’s original movies arm aside from true crime documentary Captive Audience on April 21. But that doc about one family’s 50-year journey for justice sounds like a must-watch.

April 1 sees the usual arrival of library film titles. Looper,...

One of the best scenes of “Spiral” comes at the start, when Chris Rock’s undercover detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks takes a revisionist approach to “Forrest Gump.” A group of ignorant thieves sit back and listen while Zeke goes off about how poor Forrest (Tom Hanks) is exploited by long-time love interest Jenny (Robin Wright) until she decides to sleep with him toward the end of her life. Ergo: Jenny is the villain of “Forrest Gump.”

Or, as Zeke puts it: “Forrest Gump made a billion dollars selling shrimp, and Jenny still won’t fuck him!”

It’s a twisted punchline to open the latest entry in a series mostly known for hacking people to death in depraved Rube Goldberg-like contraptions, and makes it clear that Rock — who originated the idea for this sequel — clearly had input on the screenplay, even if he doesn’t have a writing credit.

Nathan Jung, best known for his portrayal of Genghis Khan in the original Star Trek series, died April 24 at age 74. The location and cause of death has not been disclosed by his friend and attorney, Timothy Tau.

Jung began his acting career in 1969 with a role as Genghis Khan in “The Savage Curtain” episode of the original Star Trek.

From that launching pad, he went on to numerous guest shots on some of the biggest television shows of the 1970s and 1980s, including M*A*S*H*, Starsky & Hutch, CHiPs, General Hospital, Manimal, Riptide, Hunter, Sanford and Son, and Kung Fu.

In the 1990s, he had stints on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Martial Law and Burke’s Law.

Jung also can claim to be one of the few actors who worked with both Bruce Lee and his son, Brandon Lee. Opposite Bruce, Jung appeared on a 1969 episode of Here Comes the Brides.

Nathan Jung, the actor who appeared in “Star Trek: The Original Series,” “The A-Team” and “Kung Fu,” has died. He was 74.

Jung died on April 24, his close friend and attorney, Timothy Tau, confirmed to Variety. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Jung kicked off his acting career in 1969 with his role as Ghengis Khan in “The Savage Curtain” episode of “Star Trek: The Original Series.” From there, taking advantage of his tall stature, his television resume exploded with roles on the biggest shows from the 1970s and ’80s. Jung appeared on “M*A*S*H*,” “Starsky & Hutch,” “CHiPs,” “General Hospital,” “Manimal,” “Riptide” and “Hunter.” He also held roles in “Sanford and Son,” in which he played Helen Funai’s cousin, Saburyo, and “Kung Fu,” in which he plaed the Dark Rider. In the ’90s, he had stints on “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” “Martial Law” and “Burke’s Law.

February may be the shortest month, but that doesn’t mean streaming services can ignore their duty to entertain us at all times. In that mission, Netflix is making a decent effort in February 2021. This isn’t the most jam-packed month the major streamer has trotted out just yet but there are plenty of new originals to get the job done.

Netflix has a few original series of note this month. The party begins with Kid Cosmic on Feb. 2. This animated series is a comic-tinged adventure from Craig McCracken, creator of the Powerpuff Girls. That’s followed by the Sarah Chalke and Katherine Heigl-starring Firefly Lane on Feb. 3 and Behind Her Eyes on Feb. 17. Perhaps the biggest sleeper this month, however, is Tribes of Europa. This post-apocalyptic adventure series premieres on Feb. 19.

There are also quite a few intriguing Netflix original movies in February 2021. Malcolm and Marie stars John David Washington...

Chris Farley's name is trending on social media as fans pay tribute to the late comedian on the 23rd anniversary of his passing. A one-of-a-kind performer, Farley was one of the biggest stars of the 1990s, starring on Saturday Night Live for several years and appearing in many popular comedy movies. He was just 33 years old when he passed away in 1997, and 23 years later, the legendary funnyman is still being celebrated by fans across the world.

"It's really been 23 years today since the man, the legend, Chris Farley died?" says a fan on Twitter. "I am 1000% going to watch Almost Heroes sometime later today. It's my all time favorite Farley movie."

It’s really been 23 years today since the man, the legend, Chris Farley died?...

Chicago – Dennis Dugan, in directing Adam Sandler (“Happy Gilmore”), Chris Farley (“Beverly Hills Ninja”) and John Ritter (“Problem Child”), can rightly be considered a comedy director icon. He also for his latest film, “Love, Weddings & Other Disasters,” developed the story and wrote the screenplay for the first time.

An impending wedding is the backdrop for the film, as it weaves multiple storylines regarding the search for love by a colorful group of characters. They include an inexperienced wedding planner nicknamed “The Wedding Trasher” (Maggie Grace), a fussy celebrity caterer (Jeremy Irons) negotiating a “blind date” (Diane Keaton) and a Duck Boat tour guide (Andrew “King Bach” Bachelor) looking for his Cinderella. It all comes together, connecting the love encounters and the nuptials. The film also features Melinda Hill, Jesse McCartney and even director Dugan takes a role.

Andrew “King Bach” Bachelor in ‘Love, Weddings & Other Disasters, Directed by Dennis...

This was difficult, because boy oh boy has Saturday Night Live brought us a mass of talent who have since become mega-stars in movie and/or television. I had to make this list, scrap the list, edit the list, add and take away from the list, and do it all over again before landing on a final ten. I’m still not sure I have this right, because it’s also a bit subjective too. There are huge names not on this list, like Jimmy Fallon, Kristen Wiig, Chevy Chase, Tim Meadows, Chris Rock, Andy Samberg and various others. Yes, each of these names appeared on the list at one point or another, but I decided on this ten based on their memorable moments on SNL, their impact on the show, and yeah, the things they went on to do afterwards. Some are here because their runs on SNL were iconic,...

"If you're Cinderella, come meet your Prince Charming..." Saban Films has unveiled the official trailer for a lovable romantic comedy titled Love, Weddings & Other Disasters, the latest ensemble movie from actor / director Dennis Dugan since he last made Grown Ups 2 in 2013. With a couple's impending wedding as the backdrop, Love, Weddings & Other Disasters weaves multiple storylines as it follows the search for love by a colorful group of characters including: an inexperienced wedding planner nicknamed “The Wedding Trasher”; a fussy celebrity caterer; his blind date; and a tour-bus guide looking for his Cinderella. How their lives and loves intersect is half the fun in this film that proves romance is alive and well... and as crazy as ever! Of course it is. The movie stars Diane Keaton, Jeremy Irons, Maggie Grace, Jesse McCartney, Chandra West, Diego Boneta, & Andrew Bachelor. This should look better than it ...

The life and legacy of famous funnyman Chris Farley is explored in a new short documentary posted on YouTube. Titled Chris Farley: A Lasting Impression, the 20-minute "docu-mini" video delves into Farley's quick rise to fame, the popularity of his movies, and the tragic way he died. Though his career in entertainment lasted for just about seven years, he remains just as beloved now as he was in the 1990s, and the new YouTube doc from Hats Off Entertainment does a fantastic job of explaining why. You can check out the video below.

Energetic and magnetic, Farley was a one of a kind performer, the likes of which none of us will ever see again. After performing with Chicago's Second City Theatre, Farley quickly became a big star when he joined the cast of the sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. Between 1990 and 1995, Farley appeared in some of the show's...

Jason "Gummi Bear" Davis, an actor best known for voicing Mikey Blumberg on the animated Disney Channel series Recess, has died. Although the exact cause and the specific circumstances leading to Davis' passing remain unclear, the actor reportedly passed away on Sunday at the age of 35.

"I am so heartbroken to share the saddest news of my life that my son Jason Davis passed away this morning in Los Angeles," Davis' mother Nancy said in a statement. She adds: "Jason had a true heart of gold with such a zest for life. He was such a caring soul to everybody who ever knew him. He loved his friends and his family above all else. We ask for privacy as we take time to grieve this most devastating loss."

Born in October of 1984, David is the grandson of billionaire industrialists Barbara and Marvin Davis. An actor at heart, Davis began his...