Chris Rock says he was asked to host the Oscars, likens it to Nicole Brown Simpson going 'back to the restaurant' - Yahoo Entertainment

Chris Rock addressed "the slap" again on tour — and he had some new information to share. While performing his stand-up show in Phoenix, Ariz. on Sunday night, the comedian claimed he was asked to host next year's Oscars. It's only been five months since Will Smith stormed the stage during the awards show and hit Rock across the face for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's hair.

The Arizona Republic reports that during the show, "Rock compared returning to the Oscars like returning to the scene of a crime, referencing the murder trial of O.J. Simpson, whose ex-wife's killing began with her leaving a pair of eyeglasses at an Italian restaurant. Rock said returning to the award ceremony would be like asking Nicole Brown Simpson 'to go back to the restaurant.'"

Rock, who's previously joked about the incident, said he refused the invitation. He also revealed he was offered a Super Bowl commercial due to the incident, but "profanely" refused that as well, per the paper. Rock did not refuse to discuss the slap, though. When someone in the sold-out crowd egged him on to talk about it, the comic admitted the blow from Smith, who played boxer Muhammad Ali in Ali, hurt.

"He's bigger than me," Rock purportedly quipped. "The state of Nevada would not sanction a fight between me and Will Smith."

Yahoo Entertainment reached out to the Academy for comment on Rock's claims, but did not immediately receive a response. However, the group typically never responds to hosting rumors (or offers).

ABC President of Entertainment Craig Erwich said in May he was open to Rock hosting the 2023 telecast. The comedian previously hosted in 2005 and 2016.

"My assessment of the Oscars was that it was really a successful year for the show. Obviously there was a lot of controversy, which overshadowed a lot of the positive things about the show, but I was really happy with the program," Erwich told Deadline. "Even before that very unfortunate moment, the show started off up year over year, and we came back in a big way."

Smith resigned from the Academy after the incident and was later banned from Academy related events for 10 years. After months of staying out of the spotlight, the actor has slowly begun to emerge from hiding. One month ago, Smith returned to social media and apologized to Rock.

"There is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment. There is no part of me that thinks that's the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults," Smith said.

"I've reached out to Chris and the message that came back is he's not ready to talk and when he is, he will reach out. So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I'm here whenever you're ready to talk," Smith added.

Insiders say it's unlikely that Rock is eager to sit down with the Oscar winner anytime soon.

MORE: Will Smith "is doing good" as he emerges with Jada Pinkett Smith months after Oscars slap

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Movie Theaters Offering $3 Tickets on Sept. 3 for National Cinema Day - Hollywood Reporter

Theaters want people to put away their Labor Day weekend picnic baskets and see a movie for just $3 or less on Sept. 3 in celebration of the first-ever National Cinema Day.

More than 3,000 movie theaters will participate in the one-day event, which will apply to tickets for all formats, including Imax. Circuits offering the special pricing include AMC Entertainment, Cinemark Theatres and the embattled Regal Cinemas.

The promotion is the brainchild of the Cinema Foundation, a new non-profit organization that’s affiliated with the National Association of Theatre Owners.

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“After this summer’s record-breaking return to cinemas, we wanted to do something to celebrate moviegoing,” said Cinema Foundation president Jackie Brenneman. “We’re doing it by offering a ‘thank you’ to the moviegoers that made this summer happen, and by offering an extra enticement for those who haven’t made it back yet.”

Normally, Hollywood studios and cinema operators would be loathe to shave their prices so dramatically, and especially on a Saturday.

In this case, however, it could be a win-win for all involved.

Historically, Labor Day weekend is always slow at cinemas as consumers focus on end-of-summer activities. This year, it is even more quiet than usual as exhibitors contend with a dramatic slowdown in terms of August studio product after a huge March-July. The downturn is due in large part to post-production delays due to the pandemic.

The new nationwide offerings over Labor Day are the specialty pic Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul, starring Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall, and a pair of rereleases: Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, which is being offered in 3D, and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

In 2019, the average ticket price in the U.S. was $9.16 per NATO (the organization hasn’t updated that stat since the pandemic began).

The Cinema Foundation, launched in March, is dedicated to developing future diverse workforces within the exhibition industry and growing moviegoing communities through research, education and philanthropy. It is supported by NATO and an array of new partners, including technology companies, food and beverage leaders, members of the creative community and other individuals and companies dedicated to the future of cinema.

National Cinema Day will feature sneak peeks of upcoming titles from A24, Amazon Studios, Disney, Focus Features, Lionsgate, Neon, Paramount, Sony, Sony Pictures Classics, MGM/United Artists Releasing, Universal and Warner Bros.

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Netflix's Resident Evil has already been canceled - The Verge

Netflix’s Resident Evil series has been canceled a little over a month after its initial debut, according to a report from Deadline. The streamer reportedly decided against renewing the series due to lackluster ratings and viewership.

Like the many other Resident Evil adaptations, Netflix’s live-action series attempts to put yet another spin on the video game franchise it’s based on. The show, which was helmed by Supernatural’s Andrew Dabb, flashes between two different timelines, centering around Umbrella executive Albert Wesker (Lance Reddick) and his two daughters (played by Tamara Smart and Siena Agudong).

In our review of the series, my colleague Charles Pulliam-Moore notes that it “keeps things feeling fresh up to a point,” but it’s dragged down by a “predictable plot that ultimately suffers from being such a late entry in the modern-day zombie craze.” Resident Evil made Netflix’s top 10 list of its most-watched shows the week it debuted and the two weeks that followed, but largely fell off the map after that. It also doesn’t help that it premiered only a couple of months after the season four debut of Stranger Things, which potentially stole some of Resident Evil’s spotlight.

In addition to its live-action adaptation, Netflix also has an animated four-part series Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness that it released last year. The series focuses heavily on the lore of the Resident Evil franchise and was also met with mixed reviews. Even if Netflix’s live-action Resident Evil wasn’t quite the hit it intended, the streamer has several other video game adaptations on tap, including ones based on Horizon Zero Dawn, Tomb Raider, Far Cry, and Bioshock. Netflix already has an anime based on Castlevania and recently debuted an animated adaptation of Tekken.

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Cassadee Pope and Maren Morris call out Jason Aldean's wife for alleged transphobia - Page Six

Country stars Cassadee Pope and Maren Morris are speaking out against comments made by fellow country singer Jason Aldean‘s wife Brittany that some have deemed transphobic.

“I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life,” Brittany captioned an Instagram clip of herself putting on makeup to Beyonce’s “Upgrade U” Wednesday.

“Lmao!! Im glad they didn’t too, cause you and I wouldn’t have worked out. 😂,” her hubby responded within her comment section.

Brittany is married to country star Jason Aldean.

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On Friday, Pope took to Twitter with a message for fans, reading, “You’d think celebs with beauty brands would see the positives in including LGBTQ+ people in their messaging. But instead here we are, hearing someone compare their “tomboy phase” to someone wanting to transition. Real nice.”

Morris then replied in agreement while taking a dig of her own, tweeting, “It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie.”

Brittany defended her take after being called out by the two artists.

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Brittany has since responded to the critique, accusing Pope of “advocating for the genital mutilation of children,” adding, “Some parents want to be accepted by society so badly that they’re willing to make life-altering decisions for their children who aren’t old enough to fully comprehend the consequences of their actions.”

She also responded to Morris with, “Karen Morris. Thanks for calling me Barbie.”

By Friday afternoon, Pope took to Instagram to share a snap of herself with a devious smile captioned, “POV: Knowing you got under someone’s skin you don’t like in the first place 😂.”

Pope was offended that Aldean would compare a “tomboy phase” with someone wanting to transition.

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Meanwhile, Morris spent much of her time going back and forth with conservative commentator Candace Owens.

Perhaps in an effort to put the debate to rest, Brittany took to Instagram Saturday afternoon with the simple message of, “I love y’all, that’s all❣️❣️❣️.”

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Princess Diana's Ford Escort sells for £650K at auction - BBC

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A car which was used by the late Diana, Princess of Wales has sold for £650,000 at auction.

Princess Diana, who died nearly 25 years ago, drove the black Ford Escort RS Turbo for nearly three years from August 1985.

She was pictured with the car outside the boutique shops of Chelsea and in Kensington.

The car, registration C462FHK, was eventually sold by Silverstone Auctions in Warwickshire to a buyer in Cheshire.

The Leamington Spa-based auction house told people at the sale it was the "car of the day".

Auctioneer Jonathan Humbert said there had been huge interest in the vehicle, which had received the firm's largest number of telephone bids in 12 years.

The bidding began at £100,000 and soon became a contest between hopeful buyers in Dubai and Coventry.

But at around the £450,000 mark, the main bidding came from Cheshire and Dubai - with the UK-based buyer eventually winning out.

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The auctioneer expressed his surprise when bidding climbed, commenting: "£500,00 for a Ford Escort? I've never said that before."

Mr Humbert had earlier said the car represented a "piece of history".

Princess Diana preferred to drive her own car and a member of the Royalty Protection Command (otherwise known as SO14) sat in the passenger seat.

The car sold on Saturday is believed to be unique as the first and only black RS Turbo Series 1 - as agreed between S014 and Ford for reasons of discretion - instead of the usual white manufactured model.

In June 2021, another Ford Escort used by Princess Diana sold at auction for £52,000.

'Emotional link'

Silverstone Auctions' classic car specialist Arwel Richards said, including the buyer's premium, the total sale cost was £730,000.

He said everybody at the auction house was "surprised" at the price the car finally went for.

However, Mr Richards said it was the car's rarity and the public's "emotional link" to it which made the vehicle special.

Ahead of the sale, he had said the "lucky bidder" would have invested in two things.

"He is going to have one the finest preserved examples of this model anywhere, and also the slice of social history that comes with the car.

"This car was known as the 'people's sports car' and the fact it was driven by the People's Princess just nails it."

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk

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Richard Simmons breaks silence, tells The Post he's 'living the life he has chosen' - New York Post

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Britney Spears teams up with Elton John on 'Hold Me Closer,' her first release in six years - CNN

(CNN)The Princess of Pop is back!

After a six-year hiatus, Britney Spears made her musical comeback on Friday with the release of "Hold Me Closer," her collaboration with Elton John.

The song, which is an EDM reimagining of John's 1971 hit "Tiny Dancer," marks Spears' first new release since the legal victory last November that freed her from the 13-year conservatorship that controlled her career and personal life.

Last year, Spears revealed she stepped away from music and performing after the conservatorship "killed my dreams." Her last album, "Glory," arrived in 2016.

Before the release of "Hold Me Closer," Spears tweeted that she's learning "everyday is a clean slate to try and be a better person and do what makes me happy."

She added that she wanted to be "fearless like when I was younger."

John said he was inspired to join forces with Spears by his husband, David Furnish, adding that he believes their duet will give her a much-needed confidence boost after such a "traumatic time."

"I'm so excited to be able to do it with her because if it is a big hit, and I think it may be, it will give her so much more confidence than she's got already and she will realize that people actually love her and care for her and want her to be happy," he said in an interview with the Guardian newspaper.

A quick scan of social media and it looks like fans are delighted by the joint release.

"Such a cool, beautiful song, you guys make a wonderful team! We have missed you so much Brit, you can't imagine how happy it makes me to hear you singing again," one fan wrote on Twitter.

Another said: "welcome back!!!! Hold me closer is freaking fantastic! You sound so good!"

Among music critics, however, opinion was more divided.

Awarding the song a four-star rating, the Guardian's Michael Cragg notes that Spears "throws in a few playful 'yeahs', ad libs that feel like actual yelps of joy rather than the robotic manoeuvres of someone being shuttled from studio to waiting car."

He adds that "Spears seems to hint at finding that for herself again in music. Even if this is a one-off -- and who can blame her if she doesn't want to return to pop full-time -- that feels like enough."

According to Vogue's Christian Allaire, "There's something about Britney's voice and a dance track that just go extremely well together -- like red wine and a basket of bread. She does things with her vocal tone that all the other pop girlies simply can't. That's why she's the true princess of pop."

Writing in the UK's Times, however, reviewer Will Hodgkinson was not as enthusiastic. While saying "the return of Britney Spears should be welcomed with open arms," he described "Hold Me Closer" as a "bloodless remix" that "gives no space for Spears to shine while also killing the magic of the original."

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