Entertainment News

'Barbie' and 'Succession' lead the nominations for the 81st annual Golden Globe Awards

CBS/Dick Clark Productions

On Monday morning, Cedric the Entertainer and Wilmer Valderrama revealed the nominees for the next Golden Globe Awards, with Barbie and HBO's Succession tied for the top spot at nine nominations each.

This is the first year the Globes will air on CBS. It is also the first year the awards will not be run by the now-disbanded Hollywood Foreign Press Association, an organization that was embroiled in scandals including that its membership of journalists didn't include a single person of color. Dick Clark Productions is now the owner of the awards show.

The next Golden Globes will also be the first to give flowers to the best stand-up special, and one for box office achievement. 

The 81st annual Golden Globe Awards will air live from the Beverly Hilton on CBS and stream on Paramount+ Sunday, January 7, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET.

And the nominees are: 

Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement
Barbie
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
John Wick: Chapter 4
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Anatomy of a Fall
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
The Zone of Interest

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Bradley Cooper - Maestro
Leonardo DiCaprio - Killers of the Flower Moon
Colman Domingo - Rustin
Barry Keoghan - Saltburn
Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer
Andrew Scott - All of Us Strangers

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Annette Bening - Nyad
Lily Gladstone - Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller - Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan - Maestro
Greta Lee - Past Lives
Cailee Spaeny - Priscilla

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture
Willem Dafoe - Poor Things
Robert De Niro - Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr. - Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling - Barbie
Charles Melton - May December
Mark Ruffalo - Poor Things

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture
Emily Blunt - Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks - The Color Purple
Jodie Foster - Nyad
Julianne Moore - May December
Rosamund Pike - Saltburn
Da’Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Air
American Fiction
Barbie
May December
Poor Things
The Holdovers

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Nicolas Cage -Dream Scenario
Timothée Chalamet -Wonka
Matt Damon - Air
Paul Giamatti - The Holdovers
Joaquin Phoenix - Beau Is Afraid
Jeffrey Wright - American Fiction

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Fantasia Barrino - The Color Purple
Jennifer Lawrence - No Hard Feelings
Natalie Portman - May December
Margot Robbie - Barbie
Emma Stone - Poor Things

Best Television Series – Drama
Succession - HBO/Max
The Crown - Netflix
The Diplomat - Netflix
The Last of Us - HBO/Max
1923 - Paramount+
The Morning Show - Apple TV+

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama
Brian Cox - Succession
Kieran Culkin - Succession
Gary Oldman - Slow Horses
Pedro Pascal - The Last of Us
Jeremy Strong - Succession
Dominic West - The Crown

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series - Drama
Helen Mirren - 1923
Bella Ramsey - The Last of Us
Keri Russell - The Diplomat 
Sarah Snook - Succession
Imelda Staunton - The Crown
Emma Stone - The Curse

Best Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Abbott Elementary - ABC
Barry - HBO/Max
Jury Duty - Amazon Freevee
Only Murders in the Building - Hulu
Ted Lasso - Apple TV+
The Bear - FX

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Bill Hader - Barry
Steve Martin - Only Murders in the Building
Jason Segel - Shrinking
Martin Short - Only Murders in the Building
Jason Sudeikis - Ted Lasso
Jeremy Allen White - The Bear

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Rachel Brosnahan - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Quinta Brunson - Abbott Elementary
Elle Fanning - The Great
Selena Gomez - Only Murders in the Building
Natasha Lyonne - Poker Face
Ayo Edebiri - The Bear

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical-Comedy or Drama Television Series
Matthew Macfadyen - Succession
James Marsden - Jury Duty
Alan Ruck - Succession
Alexander Skarsgård - Succession
Billy Crudup - The Morning Show

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Jerskin Fendrix - Poor Things
Ludwig Göransson - Oppenheimer
Mica Levi - The Zone of Interest
Daniel Pemberton - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Robbie Robertson - Killers of the Flower Moon
Joe Hisaishi -The Boy and the Heron

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
All the Light We Cannot See - Netflix
Beef - Netflix
Daisy Jones & the Six - Amazon

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
"Addicted to Romance" - Bruce Springsteen - She Came to Me
"Dance the Night" - Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt - Barbie
"I’m Just Ken" - Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt - Barbie
"Peaches" - Jack Black, Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond & John Spiker - The Super Mario Bros. Movie
"Road to Freedom" - Lenny Kravitz - Rustin
"What Was I Made For?" Billie Eilish & Finneas - Barbie

Best Motion Picture – Animated
The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Suzume
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Wish

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Barbie
Poor Things
Oppenheimer
Killers of the Flower Moon
Past Lives
Anatomy of a Fall

Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television
Chris Rock - Selective Outrage
Sarah Silverman - Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love
Wanda Sykes - I’m an Entertainer
Ricky Gervais - Ricky Gervais Armageddon
Trevor Noah - Trevor Noah: Where Was I
Amy Schumer - Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact

Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language
Anatomy of a Fall - France
Io Capitano - Italy
Past Lives - United States
Society of the Snow - Spain
The Zone of Interest - United Kingdom

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo' star “Chickadee” Cardwell dies, and more

Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell, the eldest daughter reality TV star Mama June Shannon and sister of Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson, died Saturday, December 9, following a 10-month battle with stage 4 adrenal carcinoma, a cancer of the adrenal glands. She was 29. Shannon made the announcement on Instagram, sharing, Anna "gave one hell of a fight for 10 months. She passed away with her family around her"...

Station 19 will end with its upcoming seventh season, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Grey's Anatomy spinoff, which follows a group of heroic Seattle firefighters as they put their lives and hearts on the line, stars Jaina Lee Ortiz, Jason George, Boris Kodjoe, Grey Damon, Barrett Doss, Jay Hayden, Okieriete Onaodowan, Danielle Savre and Miguel Sandoval. Station 19 returns March 14 on ABC...

Bob Odenkirk's luck has run out. Deadline reports his series Lucky Hank has been canceled at AMC. The series, from the executive producers of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, starred Odenkirk as "an English department chairman at an underfunded college" who "toes the line between midlife crisis and full-blown meltdown, navigating the offbeat chaos in his personal and professional life – oddly proving tantrums get better with age," according to AMC...

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


'The Boy and the Heron' soars to the top of the box office with $12.8 million

Studio Ghibli

The Boy and the Heron, the latest effort from animation legend Hayao Miyazaki, opened at number one at the North American box office with an estimated $12.8 million, and became the first original anime film to top the domestic box office.

The Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke filmmaker's anticipated return after announcing his retirement in 2013 has collected $114.2 million worldwide.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes hangs on to second place, collecting an estimated $9.4 million, to bring its four-week domestic tally to $135.6 million. The Hunger Games prequel has amassed $278.9 globally.

Third place went to Godzilla Minus One, with the 33rd film in the Godzilla franchise earning an estimated $8.3 million in its second week of release. It's now the highest-grossing live-action Japanese film to be released in North America with a total of $25.3 million. Its global haul now stands at $52.3 million.

Trolls Band Together took fourth place, delivering an estimated $6.2 million. The third Trolls movie has grossed $83.1 million at the North American box office, bringing its four-week tally to $83 million. Worldwide, the animated film has earned $173.8 million.

Rounding out the top five was Disney's Wish, adding an estimated $5.3 million for a four-week total of $49.4 million domestically and $105.5 million worldwide.

Elsewhere, Beyoncé's concert film, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, which topped the box office last week, dropped to number 6 its second weekend out, picking up an estimated $5 million.


Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Ryan O'Neal, star of 'Paper Moon', longtime partner of Farrah Fawcett, dead at 82

O'Neal in 2015 - Matthew Simmons/Getty Images

Ryan O'Neal, star of dozens of movies, including Love Story and Paper Moon, has died at 82, according to a social media post from his sportscaster son, Patrick.

O'Neal had reportedly been in poor health of late; he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012 and a decade earlier had been diagnosed with chronic leukemia.

In a lengthy post, Patrick called his father "a very generous man who has always been there to help his loved ones for decade upon decade."

Patrick also said, "This is just so hard for us. Ryan made such an impact and this will be difficult without him. This is and will be a huge void in our lives. And his dogs Mozart and Raven, who he loved dearly, are missing him very much. They were inseparable."

The younger O'Neal, from Ryan's second marriage, to Leigh Taylor-Young, also said, "My dad was 82 and lived a kick a** life." He added, "I will share my father’s legacy forever."

Ryan O'Neal was the son of Charles "Blackie" O'Neal and actress Patricia Callaghan, but eager to chart his own course, he trained as a boxer — with a lifetime record of 18 wins, 13 by knockout, and four losses.

His first role in front of the camera was as a stuntman on the series Tales of the Vikings, which aired in Germany, where his parents were living at the time.

Back in the States, O'Neal logged appearances in TV Westerns in the early '60s, including Empire and The Virginian, and on dramas like Perry Mason before landing the role of Rodney Harrington on the prime-time soap opera Peyton Place in 1964.

Big-screen stardom followed, and in 1970, his role in Love Story opposite Ali MacGraw earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination.

He also appeared opposite Barbra Streisand in the comedy What’s Up, Doc? and with his young daughter Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon, in a performance that earned the 10-year-old the honor of being the youngest competitive Oscar winner in history. Tatum's brother, Griffin, was also from Ryan's first marriage to actress Joanna Moore.

O’Neal's career made him a big-screen heartthrob, and he had a decades-long, on-and-off relationship with Farrah Fawcett, whom he first met through his friend and her then-husband, Lee Majors. O'Neal and Fawcett had a son, Redmond, in 1985.

Ryan and Tatum's attempts to repair their relationship played out before the reality TV cameras in Ryan and Tatum: The O’Neals; Ryan also had a recurring role in Bones, wrapping in 2017.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


'Squid Game: The Challenge' winner says she still hasn't gotten her jackpot

Getty Images for Netflix/Roy Rochlin

(SPOILERS) The winner of the reality competition version of Netflix's global phenomenon Squid Game says she's yet to collect her $4.56 million grand prize. 

Fifty-five-year-old Mai Whelan, player 287, beat her competitors in Squid Game: The Challenge, but now she says she has a different challenge: 10 months after the show wrapped, she claims she hasn't gotten paid yet. 

"I feel like Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire," she told the U.K.'s The Times. "Show me the money!"

For their part, the producers of the show tell The Wrap, "The winner was always aware of the payment plan." They added, "The winner will receive the prize fund now that the finale has aired."

The prize — which was awarded, at least on camera, after the immigration adjudicator bested second-place finisher Phill Cain in a game of rock, paper, scissors — is the biggest in reality TV history, after the $5 million won by Tate Stevens on The X Factor in 2012.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Ryan Gosling says if there's a 'Barbie' sequel, he'd like to play "Husky Ken"

Warner Bros. Pictures

There's no word yet on whether Barbie will spawn a sequel — though when you have the biggest movie of the year, that's almost a given.

While Ryan Gosling's waiting to find out, however, he's got plans — and apparently, they don't include hitting the gym for more shirtless scenes.

At a post-screening Q&A alongside co-star America Ferrera at London’s BFI Southbank venue on Friday, Variety quoted Gosling as saying "we really know nothing" about a follow-up.

However, he offered a wish for his role if it comes to be. "Can it be a husky Ken? Can I play Husky Ken, like Sandwich Ken? Can I play that Ken next time?"

Ferrera expressed of their director, Greta Gerwig, and co-star and producer Margot Robbie, "[W]hat Greta and Margot have said is they did not set out to make a franchise. They put it all out on the table. Every bit of it that they loved and that they knew to do, they did. Which is refreshing, right?"

"But then again, I know nothing, so there might be 20 years" of Barbie movies, she joked.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


SAG-AFTRA strike Grinches annual charity reading of 'It's a Wonderful Life'

Ed Asner Family Center

COVID couldn't stop it, but this year the SAG-AFTRA strike has led the organizers of the annual Ed Asner Family Center's celebrity-stacked charity reading of It's a Wonderful Life to pull the plug. 

"Over the past three years, we've honored the essence of humanity and the strength of love and community by assembling a remarkable ensemble of actors to present 'It's a Wonderful Life' to a virtual audience," the nonprofit's president and CEO, Matthew Asner, said in a statement. 

While they sought to continue the tradition this year, Asner said "time was not on our side." He explained, "With the SAG strike, we could not begin the process of building our cast early enough."

Asner said, "Instead, we will be offering everyone a second opportunity to relish the magic of the last three years by making each of those performances available for streaming during the month of December."

The table readings from 2020, 2021 and 2022 featured Pete DavidsonSeth RogenBrendan FraserMark HamillMaude ApatowJean SmartMia FarrowKen JeongMartin SheenKathy Bates and Jason Sudeikis, as well as musical performances by Jennifer HudsonWallows and more.

This year's supporters will have the opportunity to rent a specific year's performance for $15, or $35 for a VIP package that includes all three readings, "plus the chance to win one of 5 grand prizes ... a deluxe gift basket with exclusive It's a Wonderful Life swag given to cast members over the last 3 years."

The Ed Asner Family Center is "dedicated to helping 'differently-abled' individuals (and their families) with Autism, developmental delays, and all types of special needs."

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


'Dune' director says 'Part Two' is "much better" than original and script for third is "almost finished"

Warner Bros. Pictures

While Dune: Part Two won't hit theaters until March 1, Denis Villenueve, the director of the Academy Award-winning franchise, is already looking ahead to a third chapter.

According to Variety, Villenueve attended a press conference in South Korea where he spoke about the forthcoming chapter — or, he hopes, chapters — of the franchise.

Of the third film, called Dune: Messiah, the filmmaker explained, "The screenplay is almost finished but it is not finished. It will take a little time."

He also said being able to finish out a cinematic trilogy based on Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi classic would be a "dream."

Whatever the fate of a third installment will turn out to be, Dune: Part Two is finished. As the director said, it's "much better" than his 2021 original.

Villeneuve explained, "For me, this film is much better than Part One. There's something more alive in it. There’s a relationship to the characters. I was trying to reach for an intensity and a quality of emotions that I didn’t reach with Part One and that I did reach with Part Two."

The filmmaker added, "I'm not saying the film is perfect, but I'm much more happy with Part Two than I was with Part One. I can not wait to share it with the fans and the moviegoers."

That's saying a lot considering the first film starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya earned 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and won six, including Best Cinematography and Production Design.

He added that if he's lucky enough to make a third film, he likely won't be shooting it next. "For my mental sanity I might do something in between, but my dream would be to go a last time on this planet [Arrakis] that I love," Villeneuve said.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Weekend Watchlist: What's new on streaming

Ready, set, binge! Here's a look at some of the new movies and TV shows streaming this weekend:

Netflix
The Archies: The TV show Riverdale may have ended this year, but you can return to the “town with pep” in this new film.

My Life with the Walter Boys: Are you ready to obsess over a new love triangle? Try out the new teen romance series.

Leave the World Behind: Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke star in the new film from the man who created Mr. Robot.

Peacock
Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie: The TV detective is back to solve one final case. You can stream the new film starring Tony Shalhoub.

Hulu
Culprits: A ruthless assassin targets the crew they used to work with in the new limited series.

Disney+
Doctor Who: The Giggle: And, finally, if David Tennant is your favorite Time Lord, then you’re in luck. Watch the special Doctor Who event featuring Tennant this weekend.

That’s all for this week’s Weekend Watchlist – happy streaming!

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


'Grand Theft Auto VI' trailer scores record 93 million views in just 24 hours

Rockstar Games

Safe to say gamers are pretty hyped about the next Grand Theft Auto game: More than a decade since the last installment premiered, Rockstar Games dropped the trailer to Grand Theft Auto VI on Monday, December 4, and it racked up a record 93 million views in just 24 hours. 

The game developer calls it an "extraordinary milestone" — and indeed, it's a record for a non-music video debut on the platform.

It easily out-paced the previous record, which was set in August of this year by popular YouTuber Mr. Beast, whose entry Every Country On Earth Fights for $250,000 challenge racked up 59.4 million views in that amount of time. 

Leo Olebe, global head of YouTube Gaming noted, "Setting this new all-time record is a testament to the cultural impact of the series," which, "has been at the epicenter of entertainment for decades." 

He added, " We expect the YouTube community and its creators to reach new heights for years to come with Grand Theft Auto VI."

To date, the trailer has generated some 250 million views on the platform thanks to content creators' videos on the topic — which is notable, seeing as the anticipated game won't be released until 2025. 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Norman Lear's son-in-law says iconic producer passed away listening to his TV show theme songs

Credit: Peter Yang

In addition to producing some of the most iconic sitcoms in television history, Norman Lear's mark on pop culture was marked by those shows' theme songs, which serenaded him in his final moments.

This news comes from Dr. Jon LaPook, a physician, CBS News' chief medical correspondent and Lear's son-in-law, who was there when Lear passed away at his Los Angeles home Tuesday, at the age of 101.

LaPook told CBS Mornings, "The family was gathered around the bed, he was very comfortable and resting peacefully, and we did what we knew he would want. We were singing songs from Les Mis, and also some of the songs from his TV shows.”

The theme from The Jeffersons particularly struck the physician, he recalled. "[W]e started singing ‘movin’ on up to the East Side … and I heard myself saying 'to a deluxe apartment in the sky' … I just lost it, because he’s going to some deluxe apartment in the sky."

LaPook expressed, "We wanted him to have a gentle landing and have no pain. If you were to say to someone in their 40s, 'How do you want to die?' [They'd likely say at] 101, surrounded by loved ones, with them singing to me and laughing and without any pain, and that’s exactly what happened."

Lear continued to work well into his 90s; he was saluted by just about everyone in Hollywood in a televised special when he passed the 100-year mark.

LaPook offered, "The secret to all that was his humanism, his interest in other people. He had something called 'engaged curiosity.' He had relationships with people who were super famous, but he was also just as interested in people who were not famous."

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Reality Roundup: Ariana Madix heads to Broadway, 'RHOBH' drama and more

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

Vanderpump Rules (Bravo)
Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix is taking on Broadway. On Wednesday, it was announced that the reality television personality and author will play Roxie Hart in Chicago, the musical's leading role. She’ll take the stage from January 29 to March 24. This follows her stint on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, where she was a finalist.

Selling Sunset (Netflix)
Heather Rae El Moussa has confirmed to Entertainment Tonight she will not be returning to the show for season 8. She had a much smaller role in season 7, appearing in just one episode. This week, she posted a photo of her and Bre Tiesi, writing, “The yin to my yang. Opposite in almost every way but became besties immediately- and even though we’re not on the same show together anymore, our friendship is stronger than ever.”

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo)
During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live Wednesday, Dorit Kemsley addressed comments made in episode two of this season, in which Garcelle Beauvais implied Dorit was lying about her jewelry being stolen in a 2021 home invasion. Dorit said the comments were “shocking” and “really cut deep." She hinted she’d be confronting Garcelle about it at the season 13 reunion.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


'Leave the World Behind' filmmaker Sam Esmail dishes on his apocalyptic thriller

Netflix

What would happen if suddenly all communication devices go down, and you have no idea why or what's going on in the world? That's where things start with the new Netflix thriller Leave The World Behind, written and directed by Sam Esmail, based on the popular 2020 book of the same name.

Esmail tells ABC Audio that when he read the book during the pandemic, he immediately wanted to explore "This idea that in a moment of crisis, you can easily lose sight of our common humanity."

"I mean, obviously that was really relevant back then, but it's equally relevant today given what's going on in the world right now," he continues.

The film is produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's company Higher Ground Productions, and Esmail says the former president and first lady were very involved.

"He would read scripts and give notes, everything from the characters to the to the disaster elements to the themes. Same thing with the cuts," he shares. "You know, they give they give lots of feedback. And, you know, he has a lot of insight and it was pretty invaluable to the film and to the script."

In one scene, which you seen in the trailer, a bunch of self-driving Teslas go haywire and start crashing into each other. Esmail recalls they crashed "quite a few" cars that day.

"I'm not going to pretend that we didn't extend it with some CGI, but I got to say there were a lot of real Teslas out there that we destroyed," he adds. "It was a fun day on set that day, yeah."  

Leave The World Behind, stars Julia RobertsMahershala AliEthan HawkeMyha’la and Kevin Bacon.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


In Brief: Scorsese to be honored by Producers Guild, and more

The Producers Guild of America has revealed Martin Scorsese as the recipient of the David O. Selznick Achievement Award in recognition of "monumental achievements" over the last six decades. He'll pick up the trophy at the 35th annual Producers Guild Awards on February 25. The David O. Selznick Achievement Award recognizes producers for their outstanding body of work in motion pictures. Past recipients include Steven SpielbergTom Cruise and George Lucas...

Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes star Tom Blyth has landed his next big role in an upcoming film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's groundbreaking novel A Farewell to Arms, according to Variety. Blyth will play Frederick Henry, a wounded volunteer World War I ambulance driver who falls in love with his nurse. A Farewell to Arms, published in 1929, is considered one of the greatest novels of the 20th century. It was previously adapted for film by director Frank Borzage in 1932, starring Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes, and in 1957 by Charles Vidor and John Huston with Rock Hudson and Jennifer Jones...

Ellen Holly, the first Black person to star in a soap opera with her role on One Life to Live, died in her sleep Wednesday, December 6, at New York's Calvary Hospital, according to Deadline. She was 92. Holly played Carla Gray on the ABC soap from 1968 to 1980 and 1983 to 1985. Her other TV roles included 1957's The Big Story, 1963's The Defenders and 1964's Dr. Kildare...

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Sara Bareilles opens up about her Broadway musical 'Waitress' coming to movie theaters

Bleeker Street

Sugar, butter, popcorn! The Broadway hit Waitress: The Musical is now available to watch in movie theaters nationwide for a limited engagement December 7 through December 11.

The show’s composer, lyricist and star Sara Bareilles told ABC Audio it’s great that the musical, which is based on the eponymous 2007 film starring Keri Russell, is now accessible to so many more people.

“The pandemic became another catalyst for realizing that, you know, the world is shifting, and people's means don't always make room for trips to New York City and seeing theater shows,” Bareilles said.

Bareilles said the show, which follows the journey of small-town diner employee Jenna, is about so much more than pie – though there is plenty of that, too.

"Ultimately this show is about resiliency and the journey to love yourself," Bareilles said. "To choose to love yourself in spite of hardship, in spite of [a] broken relationship, in spite of bad choices."

Along the way, Jenna makes mistakes on her road to happiness. Bareilles said this only makes her more human.

“I just don't know people in real life who fall into these categories of, like, hero and villain. I think we all exist somewhere in between,” Bareilles said. “Waitress does a really good job of holding the balance between darkness and light and letting it kind of swim in the gray matter.”

In fact, Bareilles said the show draws you in with its humor. For example, there's a recurring gag where Jenna gives her original pie recipes funny names. Bareilles said that she, like Jenna, is definitely a pie person.

“There's sort of, like, pie and then cake people, you know. And we don't mix,” Bareilles said. “I have always been a pie person. I continue to be a pie person.” 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.