Names and faces
■ A tumultuous time for the upcoming “Scream VII” continued Saturday as the film’s director, Christopher Landon, announced he has left the project. “I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago,” Landon posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. “This will disappoint some and delight others. It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone. But it’s time to move on.” Landon’s departure follows the news of the film losing its two leads, Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, in the last month. “I have nothing more to add to the conversation other than I hope Wes’ legacy thrives and lifts above the din of a divided world,” Landon concluded the posts announcing his departure. “What he and Kevin created is something amazing and I was honored to have even the briefest moment basking in their glow.” A representative for Spyglass Media could not be immediately reached for comment.
● Rapper Travell “G. Dep” Coleman, who walked into a New York police precinct in 2010 and admitted to committing a nearly two-decade-old cold case murder to clear his conscience, has been granted clemency by Gov. Kathy Hochul. Now 49, Coleman has served 13 of a 15-year-to-life sentence. With his sentence being commuted by the Democratic governor, he will now be allowed to seek parole earlier than his original 2025 date. “Through the clemency process, it is my solemn responsibility as governor to recognize the efforts individuals have made to improve their lives” Hochul said in a written statement. The rapper earned an associate’s degree while in prison and facilitated violence prevention and sobriety counseling programs, while also participating in a variety of educational and rehabilitative classes, according to Hochul’s office. His clemency application was supported by the prosecutor in the case and the judge who sentenced him. As G. Dep, Coleman had hits with “Special Delivery” and “Let’s Get It” and helped popularize a loose-limbed dance called the Harlem shake in the early 2000s. But his career slumped after his 2001 debut album, “Child of the Ghetto,” and the rapper became mired in drug use and low-level arrests, his lawyer said in 2011.