Hollywood: Priscilla Presley
By Tony Rizzo
HOLLYWOOD -- The $285-million grosser "Elvis," starring Austin Butler, showed the behind-the scenes life of Elvis Presley and his manager Col. Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks). Now, screenwriting/Oscar-winning director Sofia Coppola, who scored with her third film, "Marie Antoinette" (2006), will give Priscilla (Beaulieu) Presley equal screentime, when she turns Priscilla's 1985 New York Times bestselling autobiography "Elvis and Me" into a film. Coppola's film stars Cailee Spaeny ("Pacific Rim: Uprising" and "Bad Times at the El Royale") as Priscilla and Australian actor Jacob Elordi (of HBO's "Euphoria" and Netflix's "The Kissing Booth" franchise) as Elvis. I hung out with Priscilla when she dated a model friend of mine, and knowing her, this upcoming film should be more true to life than "Elvis" was.
Priscilla Presley. PHOTO CREDIT: Depositphotos
Will streaming services take over our TV lives? Have Peacock and Disney+ gone too far wooing viewers to their platforms? On Sept. 12, "Days of Our Lives" left NBC daytime after a 57-year run to join the Peacock lineup. "Days of Our Lives" veteran Thaao Penghlis says of the soap he's starred in for 40 years: "When something has run this long and survived so many challenges, this is just one more way for the show to stretch. 'Days' will bring a huge loyal fan following to Peacock, and they, in turn, will introduce us to 13 million subscribers."
In September 2021, Peacock tested "Days'" appeal with their spin-off "Beyond Salem," which, in addition to being well-received, earned Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Drama Series (directing, writing and casting). Top Peacock subscribers will have no ads, while the cheaper rate includes only four minutes of commercials, allowing more time for show content.
In 2021, when producer Ken Cordey sought "Days" two-year pickup, he agreed to a possible move to Peacock if NBC demanded it. Cordey confesses, "It's not the end of an era for us, but the beginning of a new one!"
In addition, "Dancing with the Stars" has moved from ABC to Disney+ (with Tyra Banks and Alfonso Ribeiro still hosting). Is this the wave of the future? Can this backfire? Many people have canceled network and cable channels, and are now subscribing to streaming services exclusively. If everyone does this, it could mean the end of network TV and regular cable companies! Oy vey!
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Looks like Matthew McConaughey will NOT be starring in "Dallas Sting" (as we reported) after all. Fully cast and ready to roll in three weeks, they pulled the plug after disturbing allegations surrounding aspects of the true story surfaced. "Dopesick's" Kaitlyn Dever (also in the upcoming "Ticket to Paradise" with George Clooney and Julia Roberts) was to have played McConaughey's daughter. McConaughey could be heard saying, "It's not alright, alright, alright!
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