Jagged Little Pill, the Broadway play based on Alanis Morissette’s Grammy-winning album of the same name, is officially closing. The show halted performances due to the sudden surge of Omicron-specific cases on Saturday, December 18, and the following week the producers announced that the show will not reopen.

A statement posted on Jagged Little Pill’s Instagram page read: “We are dismayed by what appears to be another substantial public health crisis, and— due to the detection of multiple positive COVID-19 cases within the company—need to prioritize the health and safety of the cast, crew, and entire team working on ‘Jagged Little Pill.’ In light of the extreme uncertainty ahead of us this winter, and forced to choose between continuing performances and protecting our company, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our doors.”

Jagged Little Pill first opened in 2019 and features music and lyrics by Morissette, and a book by Diablo Cody.  Morissette also wrote new songs for the Broadway musical. These songs help tell the story of the Healy family as they encounter topics like addiction and sexual assault. The show won two Tony Awards with 15 nominations, and it also won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

https://variety.com/2021/legit/news/jagged-little-pill-broadway-closure-omicron-covid-1235140243/

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The estate of the late R&B singer Aaliyah released a new posthumous single, titled “Poison”, featuring The Weeknd.  Aaliyah (born Aaliyah Dana Haughton) died at 22-years-old in a plane crash in the Bahamas in 2001, over 20 years ago.

The Weeknd previously sampled Aaliyah’s 2001 hit “Rock the Boat” for his single, “What You Need,” which appeared on his 2012 record, Trilogy.  The streaming service Spotify revealed in August that the first of several posthumous releases by Aaliyah would drop, beginning August 20 with One In A Million, a double-platinum record initially released in 1996. The Romeo Must Die soundtrack (2000) followed on September 3, and Aaliyah’s 2001 self-titled arrived on September 10. The I Care 4 U compilation album and Ultimate Aaliyah dropped on October 8.

Aaliyah’s new album, which does not have a release date as of yet, will be released via Blackground Records 2.0 and EMPIRE.

Check out the new song “Poison” – here.

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Trevor Noah has sued a hospital and doctor in New York City after they allegedly botched a surgery he underwent in 2020. The 37-year-old ‘The Daily Show’ sued Dr. Riley J. Williams III and the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, according to court documents.

According the the documents, Trevor was a patient between August 25, 2020 and December 17, 2020, and underwent the surgery with the doctor at the hospital on November 23, 2020. In the court documents,  The lawsuit claims that the defendants “were negligent and careless in failing to treat and care for [him] in a careful and skillful manner, and failing to use approved methods in general use in the care and treatment.”  The lawsuit also alleges that the hospital and doctor failed “to prescribe proper medications, failed to discontinue certain prescription medications, and failed to use proper tests and examinations in order to diagnose the conditions” that Trevor was suffering from, adding that he suffered “serious personal injury” after the surgery, some of which are “permanent, severe, and grievous.”

The Hospital for Special Surgery has denied Trevor‘s claims with a representative saying that the comedian’s claims are “meritless.” The representative shared in a statement: “HSS received a complaint filed on behalf of Mr. Trevor Noah. We have shared with Mr. Noah’s attorney a detailed rebuttal to the claims, which are meritless. Due to HIPAA we are restricted by law from addressing publicly specific aspects of the treatment of any patient. The hospital is “committed to excellence in the care we provide to each of the more than 150,000 patients we treat each year.”

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Universal Pictures has pushed back action sequel Fast & Furious 10 to May 19, 2023. Series stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson. Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel and Sung Kang are all expected to return for the latest installment in the F&F franchise.

“F&F 10,” from frequent series director Justin Lin, was originally set to hit theaters on April 7, 2023. The most recent film in the Fast & Furious series, titled ‘F9: The Fast Saga,’ debuted in theaters this past June and earned $726.6 million worldwide. The end credits scene for F9: The Fast Saga featured Jason Statham returning to his role as Deckard Shaw.  It has also been announced that director Justin Lin will also be helming “Fast & Furious 11,” which is expected to be the last film of the franchise’s main series of movies.

In place of  Fast & Furious 10’s original release date, Universal has instead moved an as-yet-untitled DreamWorks Animation film into the April 7, 2023 opening spot.

https://variety.com/2021/film/news/fast-furious-10-release-date-1235133442/

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26-year-old rapper Megan Thee Stallion has signed a first-look deal with Netflix to create a new series and other projects for the streaming service. Megan will create and executive produce the series, which is believed to be a comedy.

Megan said in a statement: “I’ve always had a passion for telling creative and entertaining stories, so I’m thrilled about this partnership with Netflix. Venturing into production is the next step in my journey as an entrepreneur and I can’t wait to bring all my ideas to life and for my Hotties to watch.”

Netflix head of comedy Tracey Pakosta praised Megan Thee Stallion as “a multi-talented creative force who has consistently made her mark on culture. She’s always growing and evolving as an artist, and we’re thrilled that she’s making a home at Netflix for this next chapter in her journey.”

Megan, a three-time Grammy-award winner, was honored as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020 and made history that same year as the first female artist to have three No. 1 songs in one year on the streaming charts. She released her debut studio album, Good News, in November 2020. The rapper also officially graduated from Texas Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in health administration earlier this month.

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Jhene Aiko has shared the re-release of her holiday single “Wrap Me Up” with an updated version for 2021. The song, which originally featured James Fauntleroy, was first shared back in 2012 on SoundCloud.

You can head here to buy or stream Jhené Aiko’s “Wrap Me Up.”

Take a listen to “Wrap Me Up” – here.

Jhene Aiko Shares New Holiday Song ‘Wrap Me Up’: Listen

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Apple TV+’s upcoming thriller series ‘Suspicion,’ starring Uma Thurman, is coming to the streaming service on Feb. 4. The eight-episode drama will premiere with two episodes, followed by new installments coming every Friday. Suspicion is based on the award-winning Israeli series False Flag.

In the series, Thurman ‘portrays a prominent, American businesswoman whose son is kidnapped from a New York hotel. Suspicion falls on four British citizens who were at the hotel on the night of the kidnapping. The group then finds themselves in a race against the FBI and the National Crime Agency as they try to prove their innocence.’

Suspicion also stars Kunal Nayyar, Noah Emmerich, Georgina Campbell, Elyes Gabel, Elizabeth Henstridge, Tom Rhys-Harries and Angel Coulby. Rob Williams (Man in the High Castle) is serving as showrunner and executive producer, and Chris Long (The Americans) will direct and also executive produces.

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Despite rising concerns about the Omicron variant of COVID-19 across the globe, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” earned a staggering $587.2 million internationally over the weekend.

The film, starring Tom Holland as Spider-Man, ranks as the third-biggest worldwide debut in history behind “Avengers: Endgame” (with $1.2 billion) and “Avengers: Infinity War” ($640 million).  Those two films opened in China (which is currently the world’s biggest moviegoing market), while “No Way Home” has not yet been released there. Internationally, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” earned $334.2 million from 60 overseas markets.

The third chapter in Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy (directed by Jon Watts) takes place after Peter Parker’s identity is revealed to the world. Peter asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and accidentally unleashes a multiverse, featuring plenty of villains from past Peter Parker timelines. Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Jamie Foxx’s Electro and Alfred Molina’s Doctor Otto Octavius drop by to wreak havoc and torment Spider-Man in the crossover event.  “Spider-Man: No Way Home” also stars Zendaya as Spidey’s girlfriend MJ, Jacob Batalon as his best friend Ned, and Marisa Tomei as Aunt May.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/spider-man-no-way-home-box-office-opening-1235065128/

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50 Cent and Snoop Dogg are teaming up for the show “A Moment in Time: Murder Was The Case”, which is based on Snoop Dogg’s 1993 murder case.  In 1993, Snoop Dogg was charged with first-degree murder for the shooting of Philip Woldermariam, who was a member of a rival gang and was shot by Snoop Dogg’s bodyguard McKinley Lee. The murder trial happened around the release of Snoop Dogg’s classic debut album “Doggy Style”.

Said Snoop: “I am excited to finally tell the story of ‘Murder was the Case.’ This was a pivotal moment in my life and career and I’ve deliberately waited until I found the right partner to bring this to the screen. You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge. “

50 Cent added: “Murder was the Case’ is an incredible story. Snoop had the biggest album in the country and was fighting for his freedom in the courtroom. The only place to go on this incredible ride is with G-Unit Film & Television. I’m excited to be working with Snoop to bring it to television.”

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Los Angeles rapper Drakeo the Ruler — real name Darrell Caldwell — has died after being stabbed multiple times backstage at a Los Angeles festival. He was 28 years old.  The up-and-coming rapper was attacked at the Once Upon a Time in LA concert at Banc of California and Exposition Park on Saturday (Dec. 18).  The Los Angeles Times said Caldwell was attacked by a group of people at about 8:40 p.m.  The incident is under investigation and no arrests have been made yet.

Once Upon a Time organizers confirmed on social media that the event had been shut down, without any explanation. The concert was expected to feature such artists as Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Ice Cube, YG and The Game.

Drakeo had released five projects since 2020, his most recent was a 17-track mixtape, titled The Truth Hurts, featuring Drake on the chilled-out song “Talk to Me.”  The Truth Hurts was Drakeo’s first release since last year’s Thank You For Using GTL and followed his release in November after a 34-month stint in jail on a controversial murder charge. Other guests featured on the collection include Don Toliver, Icewear Vezzo, and Stinc Team members Ralfy the Plug and Ketchy the Great.

https://www.complex.com/music/drakeo-the-ruler-dead-stabbing-los-angeles-concert

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