Entertainment Daypop Archives

Chris Hardwick has been reinstated as host of the Talking Dead by the network effective on Aug. 12 after the midseason premiere of Fear the Walking Dead. Hardwick had his show Talking with Chris Hardwick pulled off the channel a day before season 2 was to premiere after ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra accused him of sexual assault and emotional abuse. Frequent Talking Dead guest Yvette Nicole Brown was announced as an interim host for a Walking Dead season 9 preview special on Aug. 5. and the Aug. 12 edition after the Fear TWD midseason premiere. The network issued the following statement: “Following a comprehensive assessment by AMC, working with Ivy Kagan Bierman of the firm Loeb & Loeb, who has considerable experience in this area, Chris Hardwick will return to AMC as the host of Talking Dead and Talking with Chris Hardwick. We take these matters very seriously and given the information available to us after a very careful review, including interviews with numerous individuals, we believe returning Chris to work is the appropriate step.”

The live TV presentation of Hair will arrive on NBC on May 19, 2019. Tony winner Diane Paulus, who helmed the Tony-winning 2009 Broadway revival, has signed on to co-direct the small-screen musical alongside Alex Rudzinski, who will serve as live television director as he did for Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who have produced each of NBC’s live musicals, will executive-produce Hair Live!—along with MGM and Universal. Hair tells the story of a group of politically active hippies living a bohemian life in New York while fighting against and resisting the Vietnam War. Claude must decide whether to resist the draft as his friends have done, or succumb to the pressures of conservative America to serve in Vietnam, compromising his principles and beliefs. Casting will be announced at a later date. 

This news comes on the heels of the release of Lovato’s song “Sober,” in which Lovato revealed that she had fallen off the wagon. Lovato has always been open about her struggles with mental illness, substance abuse, eating disorders, and cutting. In speaking about her struggle with addiction, the focus has been on alcohol and cocaine; she has never mentioned heroin.In 2011, she entered treatment for bipolar disorder, bulimia, self-harm, and addiction. Unfortunately, she relapsed shortly afterward but then entered a sober-living facility for a year. Lovato had celebrated six years of sobriety in March before relapsing.

Nicole Maines, a transgender activist and actress, has been cast as Nia Nal (aka Dreamer) on the CW’s “Supergirl.”  This will make her the first transgender superhero on television. The 20-year-old actress’ casting was announced at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday. Nia will appear in the upcoming fourth season as a regular, working as a reporter alongside Kara (Supergirl). According to a press release, Nia is “A soulful young transgender woman with a fierce drive to protect others, Nia’s journey this season means fulfilling her destiny as the superhero Dreamer (much like Kara came into her own as Supergirl).” Maines has appeared in the series “Royal Pains” and the documentary “The Trans List.”  “Supergirl” season four premieres on Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. on CW.

Hilary Swank is back on the big screen in the first trailer from first-time director Elizabeth Chomko’s What They Had. The film follows Bridget (Swank), a married mom who makes the lone trek home to Chicago after her brother (Michael Shannon) informs her of a family crisis: their mother (Blythe Danner), who has Alzheimer’s disease, wandered into a blizzard on Christmas Eve. Upon its January debut at Sundance in Park City, What They Had earned enthusiastic reviews from critics. What They Had—also featuring American Horror Story actress Taissa Farmiga and Josh Lucas — hits theaters Oct. 12 via Bleecker Street. Watch the film’s first trailer below.