Names and faces
■ Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer will joining Christie Brinkley, Hannah Brown of The Bachelorette and others as contestants on the next season of Dancing with the Stars — but not everyone is happy with the list. ABC announced the celebrity lineup Wednesday for season 28 on Good Morning America. The season kicks off Sept. 16. Spicer quit as press secretary just six months into President Donald Trump’s presidency. He had a contentious relationship with the White House press corps and is remembered for his ridiculed statement that the president’s inauguration was the most widely seen in history. Spicer’s addition apparently didn’t go down well with co-host Tom Bergeron, who tweeted that he earlier told producers he hoped the new season would be a “joyful respite from our exhausting political climate” and urged them not have any “divisive bookings.” Producers apparently disagreed. “We can agree to disagree, as we do now, but ultimately it’s their call,” Bergeron wrote. The show’s lineup also includes Lauren Alaina, Ally Brooke, and Mary Wilson and athletes Lamar Odom and Ray Lewis. Rounding out the list of celebrity dancers are Kate Flannery, Karamo Brown, Kel Mitchell and James Van Der Beek.
■ The 25th James Bond movie has a title: No Time to Die. Producers announced the moniker Tuesday for the film that has long been referred to simply as Bond 25. No Time to Die returns Daniel Craig to the role of 007. Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Ralph Fiennes return as cast members. Rami Malek plays the villain. No Time to Die, directed by Cary Fukunaga, is to be released in the U.K. on April 3, 2020, and in the United States on April 8. A few setbacks have marked the production. An explosion during shooting at Pinewood Studios in June injured a crew member and damaged the sound stage. Craig hurt his foot in May while performing a stunt in Jamaica that required minor ankle surgery.
■ Charges against a man accused of stealing Frances McDormand’s Oscar statuette from an Academy Awards after-party have been dropped. The trial for Terry Bryant was to begin Tuesday, but Los Angeles prosecutors said in court that they were unable to proceed with the case against the 58-yearold. A judge then granted a defense motion to dismiss it. The district attorney’s office gave no explanation, and Bryant’s attorney wasn’t immediately available for comment. McDormand won the award for best actress for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri on March 4, 2018, and lost the statuette after having it engraved at the post-show Governors Ball. While video showed Bryant leaving the party holding an Oscar, his attorneys said he never intended to keep the award. McDormand declined comment about the decision.