Published Thursday, April 25, 2024 | 10:53 p.m.
Updated Friday, April 26, 2024 | 12:05 a.m.
NEW YORK (AP) – Former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein will not be let out of prison after his 2020 rape conviction in New York was dismissed, but he may get a new cell. Weinstein was serving his prison sentence in upstate New York, but he is expected to be taken to California. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison for a separate rape conviction in 2022 in Los Angeles. It’s unclear when the prison transfer will happen. Weinstein’s lawyers are appealing his California conviction. Defense attorney Jennifer Bonjean says the California jury was told Weinstein was convicted in another state for rape, but it was not a fair conviction and it interfered with his presumption of innocence in California.
NEW YORK (AP) – The Manhattan district attorney’s office says it will do everything in its power to retry movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. That means his accusers will have to retell their stories on the witness stand. At least one accuser has said through her lawyer she is willing to testify again. Weinstein’s lawyer, Arthur Aidala (eye-DAL’-ah), says Weinstein deserves to be treated fairly according to the law, “not based on opinion polls, not based on popularity contests.” New York state’s highest court ruled the judge in Weinstein’s trial improperly allowed testimony from women whose allegations were not part of the case.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) – As a child actor, Zendaya was used to being told what to do and how to play her character. As a producer on the new film “Challengers,” she’s got some power. Zendaya says being a producer means she got to have a say in what her character did. Zendaya says one of the nice things about her career is that as she grows, fans of her early work are growing along with her. “Challengers” is in theaters today.
The movie “Alien” is back in theaters today. It’s to mark the movie's 45th anniversary, and it’s to get audiences pumped up for the new “Alien: Romulus,” out August 16. The new movie will be set in a mining colony around the same time as “Alien” and “Aliens.” Director Fede (FEH’-deh) Alvarez says the first person outside his circle to see “Alien: Romulus” was “Alien” director Ridley Scott. Alvarez says when Scott told him the movie was great, it was the best day of his life.
The director of the upcoming “Deadpool and Wolverine” movie promises you do not have to know the ins and outs of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to enjoy it. Shawn Levy says he is willing to do homework as an adult, but he is definitely not doing homework when he goes to the movies. Levy says he made the movie with “a healthy respect and gratitude towards the rabid fan base,” but he did not want to presume everyone seeing the movie knows the mythology of the characters from other films or Disney Plus programming. Levy says “Deadpool and Wolverine” is “built for entertainment, with no obligation to come prepared with prior research.” The film comes out July 26.
Actor and author Maulik Pancholy (MAH'-lihk pan-CHOH'-lee) will be allowed to speak to students about bullying after a Pennsylvania school district reversed its decision to cancel his talk. The Cumberland Valley School District board voted 5-4 on Wednesday to allow Pancholy, who is gay, to speak at an assembly at Mountain View Middle School on May 22. Two weeks ago, the board canceled his talk after a board member cited concerns about the actor’s activism and “lifestyle,” while other board members cited a policy about not hosting overtly political events. Pancholy, who has appeared on “30 Rock,” “Weeds” and “Phineas and Ferb,” says in a statement that he was moved by every student who “showed immense courage” by speaking at the board meeting.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Diane Lane plans to see the Broadway production of “The Outsiders,” but she plans to sneak in. Lane, who played Cherry Valance in the 1983 movie, says she was invited to opening night, but she figured the actors did not need “the ghosts of previous incarnations of the characters.” She says “The Outsiders” is a classic and should be reinterpreted. Lane appears in the upcoming series “A Man In Full,” which will be on Netflix on May 2.
