Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Johnson vows no real guns on his sets
After the “Rust” shooting, Dwayne Johnson won’t be messing with any real guns moving forward — at least not when he’s working.
“Any movie ... that Seven Bucks does with any studio, the rule is we’re not going to use real guns. That’s it,” he said recently about his company Seven Bucks Productions.
Costs, he said, won’t be an issue.
“We’re going to switch over to rubber guns, and we’re going to take care of it in post (production),” he said. “We’re not going to worry about the dollars; we won’t worry about what it costs.”
Johnson’s pledge comes in the wake of Halyna Hutchins’ Oct. 21 death. The cinematographer was pronounced dead at a New Mexico hospital after being shot during a rehearsal on the lowbudget movie “Rust.” An investigation is focusing on how a live round or rounds made it onto the movie set and into the gun that was handed to star Alec Baldwin, who discharged the weapon.
Johnson said he was heartbroken over what happened. His company’s decision to leave real guns behind came several hours after he heard the news, he said.
“(W)hen something like this happens of this magnitude, (that is) this heartbreaking,” he said. “I think the most prudent thing and the smartest thing to do is just pause for a second and really reexamine how you’re going to move forward and how we’re going to work together.”
Grande, Erivo to star in ‘Wicked’ film: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will portray Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, in Universal’s big-screen adaptation of the Tony-winning musical “Wicked” helmed by “In the Heights” director Jon M. Chu. He has been attached to the project since February, and casting rumors have been swirling for months.
The stars announced their castings in Instagram posts on Thursday.
“Dear Cynthia, honored doesn’t even begin to cover it. I cannot wait to hug you. See you in Oz,” Grande wrote in a message to Erivo, sent with a pink and green floral arrangement (the signature colors of Glinda and Elphaba).
A prequel to “The Wizard of Oz,” “Wicked” tells the story of everything leading up to Dorothy’s arrival in Oz.
Actor Blair dies: Entertainer Lionel Blair, 92, who taught himself to dance by watching Fred Astaire movies and became a staple on British stage and television for decades, has died. Blair’s agent said he died Thursday. No cause of death was given.
Born Lionel Henry Ogus, he performed as a dancer, worked as a choreographer and was a prominent presence on TV variety and game shows during the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. He made several film appearances, including as a choreographer in the Beatles’ 1964 caper “A Hard Day’s Night.”
Fellow entertainers remembered Blair as an irrepressible, upbeat presence both onstage and off.
Nov. 6 birthdays: Actor June Squibb is 92. Actor Sally Field is 75. Journalist Catherine Crier is 67. Journalist Maria Shriver is 66. Singer Corey Glover is 57. Actor Peter DeLuise is 55. Actor Ethan Hawke is 51. Actor Thandiwe Newton is 49. Actor Rebecca Romijn is 49. Actor Taryn Manning is 43. Actor Patina Miller is 37. Actor Emma Stone is 33.