By Wonderwall.com Editors
9:30am PST, Dec 10, 2022
Josh Brolin, 54, shows off insanely chiseled physique in sexy selfie
"Dune: Part Two" is the new Peloton … or it is for Josh Brolin, anyway. The 54-year-old actor, who's been filming the movie's upcoming second installment, showed off his newly chiseled abs, pecs and arms — along with an understandably proud-looking smile — in a bathroom selfie on Instagram on Friday (Dec. 9). "Dune did it," he captioned the shot, which earned a pile of fire emojis from his wife, Kathryn Brolin. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was impressed, too, and shouted-out his "sexy, muscly" so-and-so pal in the comments, as did Johnny Knoxville, Dave Bautista and a number of other stars. Josh returns as Gurney Halleck in "Dune: Part Two," along with new cast members including Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh and Austin Butler. Sadly, we'll have to wait until Nov. 3, 2023, for the sci-fi franchise's sequel (and, presumably, Josh's abs).
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Drew Barrymore says 'a life memory' makes a 'better gift'
Drew Barrymore wants her daughters to associate Christmas with quality time spent with family, not plastic toys. That's why she's ditched the whole idea of giving Olive, 10, and Frankie, 8, physical gifts over the holidays, opting instead to give them the gift of a family getaway. "I always take them on a trip every Christmas. I don't get them presents, which I think at their ages they don't love, but I say, 'I think we'll remember the place and the photos and the experience and that's what I want to give you,'" the daytime TV host recently told Entertainment Tonight. "They get plenty of things throughout the year, so I'm not like some weird, strict, cold mom who's like, 'You don't get any gifts!' I just feel like a better gift would be a life memory. I'd rather invest [in that than] a doll house or something. It all evens out and it's fine," she explained. Drew, who shares her daughters with ex Will Kopelman, said she did give the girls physical gifts during the pandemic when they couldn't travel, but the experience made her realize, "I'm fine to skip this." Besides, when the gift is a big trip, Frankie and Olive "don't complain about not liking what they get," Drew added. "I'm glad I do what I do," she said.
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Taylor Swift to make feature film directorial debut with her own, original script
Amid buzz about a possible Oscar nod for "All Too Well: The Short Film," Taylor Swift is set to direct her first full-length feature film — and she even wrote the script. Searchlight Pictures announced the news on Friday (Dec. 9), with the studio's presidents, David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield, calling Taylor a "once in a generation artist and storyteller," according to a press release. Earlier this year, the singer snagged the best direction MTV VMA for her directorial work on the "All Too Well" short, a 13-minute movie riff on Taylor's extended revamp of her song of the same name. As of August, the singer was working with a "top consulting firm" to navigate an awards season campaign — including a potential Best Short Film nomination for the 2023 Academy Awards — according to The Hollywood Reporter. Discussing the project at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, Taylor called her progress towards directing "a baby steps process," with her award-winning music video for "The Man" serving as one step along the way. "I'd love to keep taking baby steps forward," she told Toronto's festival audience. "And I think that I'm at a place now where the next baby step is not a baby step. It would be committing to making a film. I feel like I would just absolutely love for the right opportunity to arise because I just absolutely, absolutely adore telling stories this way." Details on the new feature film's plot and casting have yet to be announced.
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Tina Turner breaks silence on son's death
Tina Turner addressed the death of her youngest son, Ronnie Turner, on Friday (Dec. 9), just hours after TMZ reported he'd been pronounced dead following paramedics' attempts to revive him outside his home in California's San Fernando Valley. Sharing a solemn black and white photo of herself with her eyes closed, Tina, 83, wrote on Instagram, "Ronnie, you left the world far too early. In sorrow I close my eyes and think of you, my beloved son." Ronnie, 62, was raised by Tina and her then-husband, singer Ike Turner. He was a musician, like his parents before him. Tina's older son, Craig Hill, whom she shared with singer and saxophonist Raymond Hill, died by suicide in 2018. As of Friday afternoon, Ronnie's cause of death had not yet been announced. According to TMZ, neighbors called 911 when they spotted him struggling to breathe outside his home. He had reportedly battled cancer in the past, though it's unclear if his death was related.
ABC yanks Backstreet Boys special as Nick Carter denies sexual assault allegations
ABC has pulled its upcoming special, "A Very Backstreet Holiday," amid allegations Nick Carter sexually assaulted a 17-year-old woman on the band's tour bus in 2001. According to CNN, Shannon "Shay" Ruth, 39, filed suit against Nick, 42, in Nevada on Thursday (Dec. 8), on grounds of sexual battery. Shay, who suffers from autism and cerebral palsy, claims that when she was 17, the singer spotted her in a line of fans waiting for autographs, then gave her "VIP juice" she says was laced with booze and assaulted her on the bus. In a statement to CNN provided by his lawyer, Nick denied the allegations and said Shay's story has shifted. "This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue," the statement read. "Unfortunately, for several years now, Ms. Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations about Nick – and those allegations have changed repeatedly and materially over time." In her lawsuit, Shay claims she contracted HPV as a result of the alleged assault. "The last 21 years have been filled with pain, confusion, frustration, shame, and self-harm that are a direct result of Nick Carter raping me," she said at a press conference in California on Thursday. CNN notes no criminal charges have been filed against Nick in connection with the allegation. "A Very Backstreet Holiday," previously slated to air Dec. 14, will be replaced with "previously aired comedies," according to the outlet
Al Roker's 'Today' show colleagues celebrate his return home from the hospital
On the Friday (Dec. 9) edition of "Today," Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie and Carson Daly gave viewers a health update about their co-worker, Al Roker, who's spent much of the past six weeks in the hospital. "We've been waiting to say this," Hoda began. "We have some great, great news about Al to share on this Friday morning, which is Al is officially home from the hospital." After some jokes about Hoda using Al's office to store racks of clothes — Carson said he's already told Al to hurry back to work "because this is turning into Hoda's, like, third closet" — Savannah acknowledged all the well-wishing fans who've shown up in Rockefeller Center with signs showing their love and concern for Al. "Well, we feel the exact same and he'll be back soon," she added. Al, 68, has been sidelined from his weather post on "Today" since mid-November, when doctors found blood clots in his leg and lungs. He was released from the hospital on Thanksgiving, but ended up being rushed back in for further treatment the following day. He announced he was finally back home on Thursday, thanking his "family, friends, medical folks" and colleagues for their support as he continues to recover.
Terrence Howard announces retirement at 53
Terrence Howard says he's hanging up his acting hat — and this time, he means it. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight at a screening of his upcoming Peacock series, "The Best Man: The Final Chapters," this week, the Oscar-nominated "Hustle & Flow" star acknowledged his previous retirement plans and said that the new show will be his last. "This is the end for me … I retired two years ago, for the most part. I was done," said Terrence, 53. "I asked Sidney Poitier 10 years ago, does he want to do any more work, and he said, 'Why would I spend my last 10 years doing an impersonation of myself?' And that's what I've gotten to," he later explained. "I've gotten to the point where now I've given the very best that I have as an actor. Now I'm enjoying watching other new talent come around, and I don't want to do an impersonation of myself. … Yes, there's some better actors out there that can do things that I was never able to do. So I want to applaud them, I want to be excited about what they do." Terrence's previous retirement announcement came in 2019, when he said "Empire" would be his last acting project, though he's appeared in multiple shows and films since then. "The Best Man: The Final Chapters" hits Peacock on Dec. 22.
