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Debuting on Disney+ Friday, 'Moana' star Auliʻi Cravalho in the animated show 'Hailey's On It!'

Courtesy Disney

After premiering on the Disney Channel and Disney XD Thursday, the animated show Hailey's On It!, starring the voice of MoanaAuliʻi Cravalho, has come to Disney+.

The 22-year-old actress plays the title character, a 14-year-old girl who comes to find out that the world itself depends on her personal to-do list. 

"She has this long list, this whole book full of tasks that she wants to complete...For instance, playing the glockenspiel, getting a major haircut, kissing her best friend Scott," Cravalho tells ABC Audio.

"And she hopes to complete them, but she's a little scared. And then she is visited by a scientist from the future who tells her that she is destined to save the world, but she has to complete every single one of the items in her list."

The actress bonded immediately with the "quirky" character. She explains, "I've been so lucky to play and voice characters who have incredible heart, who have, you know, who believe in themselves, who want to change the world. And that specifically, Hailey embraces her inner nerd. She really enjoys like geeking out and the things that she feels are important. So I feel the same way!"

Cravalho gets to let loose musically in the show, too, and not just by singing its catchy theme song. 

"I really do enjoy voice work," Auli'i smiles. "I lock myself in a little recording booth and I have a mic right up to my my mouth. And then I just tell a story and I don't care what I look like. I don't care what kind of wacky, strange facial expressions I make, and it brings me such great joy!"  

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Is Bill Murray dating "Milkshake" singer Kelis?

Joseph Okpako/WireImage -- ABC

If a new report is to be believed, Kelis' "milkshake" has evidently brought Bill Murray to the yard.

British tabloid The Sun reports the 72-year-old Ghostbusters star is dating the 43-year-old "Milkshake" singer, after meeting a while ago in the States.

Murray reportedly attended her show at the Mighty Hoopla festival in South London last weekend, and according to the publication, he's been at the "Bossy" performer's other recent shows, too.

The Caddyshack and Saturday Night Live veteran was snapped in a photo with the star after her show last weekend.

The pair have been "getting close for a while," a friend tells the paper, noting, they've been spotted at the same hotel. "Whatever it is that has brought them together, and however unlikely it seems, they are both single and are having fun despite the fairly big age gap," the source explained.

Incidentally, in March of 2022, Kelis' husband Mike Mora died at 37 of stomach cancer, and Murray's estranged second wife Jennifer Butler, whom he divorced in 2008, passed away in January of 2021 at age 54. According to this source, the unlikely couple "bonded" over their respective losses.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Reality Roundup: 'Vanderpump Rules' Raquel drops bombshells, Kathy Hilton reveals future on 'RHOBH', and more

Have no fear, your reality roundup is here! Here's a look at what's happened in the world of reality television this week.

Vanderpump Rules (Bravo)

-During part 3 of the reunion, Raquel Leviss admitted she was intimate with Tom Sandoval in the home he shared with Ariana Madix while Ariana was out of town mourning her late grandmother. She revealed she and Tom were intimate multiple times during Scheana Shay's wedding in Mexico in August 2022, contradicting Tom's statement they only had a one-night-stand. Raquel also said she suggested to be a throuple with Ariana, an idea she said Tom shut down claiming Ariana would never go for it. 

-Hulu has greenlit a 10-episode series titled Vanderpump Villa, featuring Lisa Vanderpump and the hand-picked staff of her luxurious French villa. The show dives into their lives as they cater to the extravagant desires of their affluent guests.

The Kardashians (Hulu)

-In a candid conversation with Scott DisickKim shared that she likes the lights off in the bedroom. "I can walk out of a photo shoot with 100 people working on set ... I can walk out in a thong. But if it's like, you're there with me, I'm like, 'Wait, don't look at me! Turn the lights off!'"

Khloé reflected on the difference in connection with her daughter, True, compared to her son, expressing that it took her a couple of days to fully embrace the mother-daughter bond, however, with her son, it has taken her months to develop that same connection. 

Real Housewives of... (Bravo)

-Beverly HillsKathy Hilton, 64, has officially declined the opportunity to join Season 13 of RHOBH, telling E! News she has other plans -- to be on her daughter, Paris Hilton's show, Paris in Love, on Peacock. 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


In Brief: Sunday's writer-free Tony Awards packed with performances; Hulu preps 'Vanderpump Villa', and more

This Sunday's writer-free Tony Awards telecast won't be lacking for musical performances. Viewers will see snippets of CamelotInto The Woods, & JulietKimberly AkimboNew York, New YorkParadeShuckedSome Like It Hot and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. There will be additional performances from Joaquina Kalukango, 2022 Tony-winner for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Paradise Square, the casts of A Beautiful Noise and Funny Girl. There will also be a salute to 2023 Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre recipients Joel Grey and John Kander. The 76th Annual Tony Awards, hosted by Ariana DeBose, airs live from the United Palace in New York City’s Washington Heights, Sunday, June 11 8 p.m. ET on CBS...

The CW has picked up Sullivan’s Crossing for a second season -- months ahead of the series' scheduled fall debut. The drama, based on novels by Virgin River author Robyn Carr, stars Morgan Kohan as Maggie Sullivan, a neurosurgeon who finds herself in legal trouble and returns to her hometown in rural Nova Scotia to reconnect with her estranged father Sully (Scott Patterson)...

Hulu on Thursday gave a 10-episode series order for Vanderpump Villa. The new unscripted series, "will follow the hand-picked staff of Lisa Vanderpump's luxury French villa as they live and work together to navigate every extravagant desire of their well-to-do guests," per the streamer. A launch date has yet to be announced...

 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Tom Holland talks 'emotionally, physically' challenging Apple TV+ series 'The Crowded Room'

Apple TV+

Tom Holland says he's never been this excited for his fans to see something he's done. The Spider-Man star is talking about The Crowded Room, a new series premiering Friday on Apple TV+, a show he tells ABC Audio "broke" him.

"It's the hardest thing I've ever done. Emotionally, physically, logistically," he continues. "It was incredibly tough."

However, as incredibly challenging as it was to make, it was also incredibly rewarding.

"I am always looking for a challenge," he explains. "I'm always looking for a message that I feel like should be out there. This show comes with a really strong message and I hope that the audiences pick up on it."

The mysterious drama stars Holland as Danny Sullivan, an outcast teen with a turbulent home life who has trouble fitting in. And he promises it'll keep you guessing.

"I think we're really giving audiences something incredibly unique, something that really I haven't seen before. It's a mystery. It's interactive in the sense that you can figure it out for yourself," he says. "We will give you the puzzle pieces to piece together the mystery. But you can miss it. So you can either be along for the ride or you can figure it out for yourself."

The Crowded Room's ensemble cast also includes also stars Amanda SeyfriedEmmy RossumSasha LaneWill Chase and Lior Raz along with guest stars Jason IsaacsChristopher AbbottThomas Sadoski and Zachary Golinger.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Sony Pictures Television reportedly looking at kids versions of 'Bewitched', 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'Shark Tank'

ABC/Christopher Willard

Sony Pictures Television is reportedly raiding its catalog for kid-skewing versions of some of its famous properties.

On the horizon, The Hollywood Reporter notes, could be an animated update of the classic sitcom Bewitched, as well as versions of the reality competition show Shark Tank and the classic game show Wheel of Fortune.

"There's such a vast history at Sony Pictures Television with properties that we could play around with and reinvent, introducing a whole new generation of kids to them," said Joe D'Ambrosia, executive vice president and general manager of the company, to the trade.

Also discussed was a version of The Partridge Family centering on a Black family from Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, with the musical family's hippie bus from the original show swapped out for a traveling food truck touring New York's five boroughs.

The Bewitched project would center on a 13-year-old Tabitha Stevens, a show D'Ambrosia describes as Hannah Montana meets Harry Potter, with the character juggling both middle school and a magical academy run by her witch grandma Endora.

The Wheel version could have "physical and comedic challenges" for kid contestants that the traditional show lacks, winning them letters and vowels for the puzzles, the executive explains.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Tribeca announces upcoming De Niro Con to celebrate icon's 80th birthday

Tribeca Enterprises

Robert De Niro turns 80 on August 17, and to celebrate, New York City will be hosting De Niro Con.

"It's hard to know what to get Bob for his 80th birthday," admitted Jane Rosenthal, CEO of Tribeca Enterprises and co-founder of Tribeca Festival.

"He's already got a gold watch, so we decided to celebrate him and his enduring legacy with a fun filled fan event as well as pay tribute to his unwavering dedication to his films, art, and the city he loves," she continued.

To be held at Spring Studios in New York City from September 29 to October 1, the organizers explain, "The multi-day fan experience will feature special appearances by De Niro himself, along with recreations of iconic film sets, immersive installations, classic film screenings, musical performances, and panel conversations. It will also include special appearances from co-stars and frequent collaborators," who will be announced later this summer.

De Niro and Rosenthal's Tribeca Festival opened Wednesday and runs until Sunday, June 18. Right before the event's kickoff, De Niro received a key to the city from Mayor Eric Adams.

The former New York City Police Department officer noted, "From Mean Streets and Taxi Driver to Raging Bull and Goodfellas, Robert De Niro's work remains an iconic part of New York City, as much as he is himself," and his contributions to cinema "will stand the test of time."

The mayor added, "Despite his success, Robert has never forgotten his roots as a lifelong New Yorker, co-founding the Tribeca Festival and helping revitalize and re-energize our city after 9/11."

Director Martin Scorsese was also on hand to honor his friend, calling him a "visionary," and added, "It's amazing he did all of this without having the keys until now."

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


'Star Wars' stars — and fans — Hayden Christensen and Diego Luna geek out in 'Variety' Actors on Actors chat

'Obi-Wan Kenobi', 'Andor' - Lucasfilm

As part of Variety's continuing "Actors on Actors" chats, Rogue One veteran and Andor lead — and massive Star Wars fan — Diego Luna flew from the Disney+ show's London set to Los Angeles just to talk shop with a fellow fan, Star Wars prequel series actor Hayden Christensen.

Apart from their shared love for George Lucas' galaxy far, far away, the pair also shared the surprise of being called back in: In Luna's case, to lead and co-produce Andor after his character, Cassian Andor, perished at the end of Rogue One, and for Christensen, returning to the Star Wars fold after 2005's Episode III - Revenge of the Sith with 2022's Disney+ show Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Luna revealed that they'd "joke" on the Rogue One set that his doomed team, which successfully stole the Death Star plans before dying, could return. "But ... we had to wait for the film to come out to understand that there was room for something like this," he says of Andor, which is set before Rogue.

Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, expresses, "Star Wars holds a very special place in my heart. I enjoyed getting to go back to being a fan again and just watching these stories like everyone else. But there was a part of me that missed it, too."

He adds, "So when I got the call, it was a very easy decision. And the fact that it was the Obi-Wan show with Ewan McGregor, who is a good friend of mine, and that I'd get to swing a lightsaber with him again, it was a thrilling invitation."

Luna says he felt "shock ... in a good way" about "the love around this project and this universe," praising the "connection" fans have with the material.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Lindsay Lohan opens up on preparing for motherhood: 'I can't wait to see what the feeling is'

Allure/Ben Hassett

Lindsay Lohan is opening up about her life as she prepares for motherhood.

In her cover story for Allure's June issue, the actress, who is expecting her first child with husband Bader Shammas, discussed her feelings during her pregnancy, her career aspirations, how she met her now-husband and more.

"I can't wait to see what the feeling is and what it's like to just be a mom," the actress, who announced her pregnancy in March, told the outlet. She added that her life as of late has been filled with "happy tears."

"That's just who I am," she said. "Though now, it's probably baby emotion. It's overwhelming in a good way."

Lohan has remained tight-lipped on her relationship with Shammas and only subtly revealed the two had married when she referred to him as her husband in a social media post last year. She told Allure they shared an instant connection when they first met.

"I said, 'You look like someone I know.' He was like, 'No, I don't, who?' ... and then I said to him, 'I feel like you're the person I'm going to be with forever,'" she told Allure. "I'd never been able to talk to someone like this."

Lohan hopes to venture into producing romantic comedies, she told Allure, as it's a realm she feels she knows "so well."

She also previously said in an interview with The New York Times that she and Jamie Lee Curtis "are both open" to returning for the Freaky Friday sequel that's in development from Disney.

She told Allure Curtis has also given her motherhood advice.

LiLo notes, "She was like, 'You just bring the baby with you and everything will be fine.'"

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Paramount+ drops trailer to Taylor Sheridan spy series 'Special Ops: Lioness'

Paramount+

On Thursday, Paramount+ revealed the trailer of Special Ops: Lioness, the spy series from Yellowstone franchise and Tulsa King creator Taylor Sheridan.

As previously reported, Oscar winner Nicole Kidman stars and serves as an executive producer on the series, with Guardians of the Galaxy and Avatar franchise lead Zoe Saldaña and Laysla De Oliveira.

Oscar winner Morgan Freeman also stars.

Based on a real-life CIA program, the show follows De Oliveira's Cruz Manuelos, "a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine recruited to join the CIA’s Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within," according to the streaming service.

For her part, Kidman plays the program's supervisor, Kaitlyn Meade, and Saldaña plays Joe, "the station chief of the Lioness program tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives."

In the trailer, Joe instructs Cruz, "We locate the wives and daughters of these high value targets, and we place an operative close to them, and we kill the target."

Kidman's character says in voice-over about the operation, "If we play this right, it's over before it's begun."

Apparently, however, things go sideways. "So we're just going to pretend that a CIA Quick Reaction Force didn't just execute a kill mission in front of CBS News?" Freeman asks, incredulous.

The series also centers on the political maneuvering behind the scenes, with Kidman's character icily questioning her operatives as to what went wrong.

The series, which also stars Sam Asghari, actor and Britney Spears' husband, as well as Jack Ryan's Michael Kelly, starts streaming July 23.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Anna Cathcart on the “beautiful” queer storylines in 'XO, Kitty'

Netflix © 2023/Park Young-Sol

To all the boys – and girls – Kitty Song-Covey has loved before.

When Anna Cathcart found out that her To All the Boys fan-favorite character would be exploring her sexuality as part of Netflix's spinoff XO, Kitty, she “was just so excited,” she told ABC Audio. In celebration of Pride Month, Cathcart spoke about what it was like to develop Kitty as a queer character on the new series.

“I think our show does it in a way that is really special,” Cathcart said. “We have a lot of different queer characters on our series, as well, and it shows that queer stories are not always the same and everybody’s journey is not always the same. And I hope viewers find comfort in that.”

XO, Kitty offers up multiple love interests for Kitty, including Yuri, a classmate who goes from a romantic rival to a friend she develops feelings for.

“I love that Kitty is just giving herself the space to figure it out. And she doesn’t have to have all the answers,” Cathcart said. “By the end of the season she still doesn’t, and that’s what she’s learning. It’s OK, and it’s part of the process, and what makes it so beautiful.”

One of the best parts of developing Kitty’s character in this way, Cathcart says, is now having this kind of meaningful representation out in the world.

“Seeing this kind of storyline on screen, especially two Asian girls, is really special. To see that dynamic and that specific type of representation is really not super common,” Cathcart said. “Those are the moments that are the most special, when you can tell that it actually impacted somebody in the real world, real life. And it’s always very, very touching to get to be a part of that.”  

XO, Kitty is streaming now on Netflix.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Bradley Cooper, Rita Ora, Benedict Cumberbatch and more go 'Running Wild with Bear Grylls'

L-R: Cooper, Grylls - National Geographic for Disney/Jeff Ellingson

Survival expert Bear Grylls is putting a whole new group of celebrities to the test.

National Geographic has just dropped a new trailer to a new season of Running Wild with Bear Grylls: THE CHALLENGE, in which he'll put Oscar nominees Bradley Cooper and Benedict Cumberbatch, comic and actor Russell Brand, Oscar winner Troy Kotsur, Tony and Grammy winner Daveed Diggs, Rita Ora, Tony and Oscar winner Cynthia Erivo and Emmy Award winner Tatiana Maslany through their paces in harsh environments all over the world.

The clips show the stars rappelling off of cliffs, dunking themselves off of moving motorboats and — always a classic from former Special Forces soldier-turned-survival show host Grylls — eating gross stuff.

Stars who have survived previous run-ins with Bear include Oscar winners Natalie Portman and Brie Larson, Florence Pugh, Simu Liu, Gina Carano, and Marvel movie stars Anthony Mackie and Dave Bautista.

The new season of Running with Bear Grylls: THE CHALLENGE kicks off with Bradley Cooper surviving an ordeal in the unforgiving canyons of the Wyoming Basin on July 9 at 9 p.m. ET on the National Geographic channel.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


'Wednesday' star Jenna Ortega ditching romance for "horror" in season 2

Netflix

Hold onto your spooky hats, because Wednesday Addams is about to take a chilling turn in the upcoming season of Wednesday. Star Jenna Ortega spilled the black beans, revealing that a romance between Wednesday and her Nevermore Academy pals is just not in the cards for its second season.

During a recent Actors on Actors interview with Elle Fanning for Variety, Ortega teased the shift in tone for the second season. "We want to lean into the horror aspect of the show a little bit more because it is so lighthearted," she explained. "I think we're kind of ditching any romantic love interest for Wednesday, which is really great."

As a producer on the show, Ortega is making sure Wednesday's journey delves into the depths of darkness. That means saying goodbye to season one's love triangle between Wednesday, Tyler, and Xavier, played by Hunter Doohan and Percy Hynes White, respectively. However, she does see more of a friendship growing between the characters.

"I think there's an opportunity there for a really sweet platonic relationship, almost sibling-like, between her and Xavier," she shared.

Romance aside, there are still intriguing storylines to savor. Ortega gushed about working with the "incredible female leads" and her desire to bring back the talented Gwendoline Christie, who portrayed Principal Weems. "I'm doing everything in my power to throw the most insane plots that would possibly bring this woman back from the dead. I'm trying!" she exclaimed.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


In Brief: 'Star Wars: Ahsoka' gets a premiere date; Pat Cooper dead, and more

Disney+ on Wednesday announced August 23 as the premiere date for Star Wars: Ahsoka, starring Rosario Dawson as the former Jedi Ahsoka Tano, who, after the fall of the Empire, investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. Star Wars: Ahsoka also stars Natasha Liu BordizzoMary Elizabeth WinsteadIvanna SakhnoDiana Lee InosantoDavid TennantLars MikkelsenEman Esfandi and the late Ray Stevenson...

Showtime's I Love That for You, the comedy series based on Saturday Night Live alum Vanessa Bayer’s own story of overcoming childhood leukemia, has been canceled after one season, according to Variety. Bayer co-created, executive produced and starred in the series as Joanna Gold, "a woman looking to shed her past cancer identity and dreaming of becoming a host at a home-shopping channel." After moving away from her parents, Joanna "falls in love and befriends Jackie -- played by fellow SNL alum Molly Shannon -- the star of the home shopping channel run by an eccentric billionaire"...

Pat Cooper, the acerbic, fast-talking stand-up comedian and actor, died Tuesday at his home in Las Vegas, his wife, Emily Connor, announced, according to Deadline. He was 93. A cause of death was not given. Cooper, born Pasquale Caputo, launched his career in New York clubs, before landing a spot on The Jackie Gleason Show in 1963. He went on to work in clubs across the country with the likes of Frank Sinatra and George Burns, along with frequent appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in the early 70s, and later on NBC's Late Night and Howard Stern, where he became a favorite. Cooper also released several albums during the 1960s including Our Hero … Pat Cooper and Spaghetti Sauce & Other Delights. He also appeared in dozens of TV shows, including Seinfeld... 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Wendy Williams enters wellness facility, "Taking it day by day," manager claims

Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Wendy Williams is currently getting treatment at a wellness facility, her manager, Will Selby, has revealed to Entertainment Tonight

"Wendy is at a facility doing her best to be her best. She's taking it day by day," Selby expressed.

He also urged fans and critics to understand that Wendy is "a human being going through a lot" and claims the controversy surrounding her overshadows her health struggles, including Graves' disease. "Does anybody even ask like, 'How's she doing?' Selby asked.

"Does anyone even care? I feel like everyone just puts out negative information about her and that's the focus," he continued. "Why don't we just stop for a moment and just say, 'Hey, how is she?' ...Why is that not the focus? Why isn't that what we're talking about on a daily basis?"

Health issues aside, the former talk show host is looking forward to the future and her next endeavors, he insisted. 

"She's only thinking about things that she wants to do in her life," Selby shared. "She's only thinking about Wendy 2.0 and her new chapter of her life, and the things that she wants to accomplish, and that's our focus."

Selby's statement came after Wendy's son, Kevin Hunter Jr., expressed concern about her well-being in an interview with The Sun. Hunter accused Wendy's team of "taking advantage" of her.

Selby strongly denied the allegations.

"To get what? To do what?" he asked ET rhetorically. "...I insisted on helping her because she requested my assistance," Selby maintained, noting a court-appointed guardianship protects her assets.

"So, any type of business dealings that we do, Wendy, myself and anyone -- we have to get the guardianship to sign off on it," he insisted. "So how can anyone take advantage of her?" 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


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