Briefs

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This article was published 24/06/2019 (2624 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sudden Death 2 to be shot in Winnipeg

Michael Jai White, the star of the 1997 superhero movie Spawn and the 2009 blaxploitation parody Black Dynamite, will assume the role of a martial arts-adept hero taking on terrorists invading an arena during an NBA game in Sudden Death 2, expected to shoot in Winnipeg in August.

The film is a remake of the 1995 thriller Sudden Death, in which Jean-Claude Van Damme took on terrorists on a mission to kidnap the American vice-president during a Stanley Cup game in Pittsburgh.

In a recent interview in the Los Angeles Sentinel, writer-director Dallas Jackson confirmed White would be starring. He also told the Sentinel he had secured use of the Bell MTS Centre for some of the shoot.

“Winnipeg has this huge sports arena that their hockey team plays in and they are letting us take it over for the summer,” Jackson said. “It’s this super cool Staples Center type of interior that we are going to shoot in.”

video pairs prince’s moves with Manic Monday

As part of the Prince estate’s steady rollout of new videos and songs from the late singer, Friday brought the première of a new clip of archival footage showing his legendary dance moves, set to his rendition of Manic Monday.

The Apple Music-exclusive video features footage from Prince’s 1984 rehearsals, including his dance routine for the When Doves Cry video, set to the original version of Manic Monday that appears on Originals, the new album of demos released earlier this month by the Prince estate.

Manic Monday, which later became a hit by the Bangles in 1986, was originally written by Prince, with its demo version appearing on Originals alongside other early drafts of songs Prince penned for other artists, including the Time’s Jungle Love and Sheila E.’s The Glamorous Life.

Christians petition Netflix to cancel Amazon show

When it comes to spearheading a petition drive, the devil is in the details.

Look no further than the Christian group Return to Order, which managed to amass more than 20,000 petitioners demanding Netflix give the boot to the supernaturally religious series Good Omens; unfortunately, the organization was divinely unaware that the show plays on Amazon Prime.

“This type of video makes light of Truth, Error, Good and Evil, and destroys the barriers of horror that society still has for the devil,” the group said in calling for its cancellation. It also blasted Good Omens as “another step to make Satanism appear normal, light and acceptable.”

The six-episode series about an impending Armageddon stars Michael Sheen as angel Aziraphale who teams up with earthly demon Crowley — portrayed by David Tennant — to prevent the arrival of the Antichrist.

Neil Gaiman, the show’s creator and co-author of the 1990 fantasy novel for which the series is based, couldn’t help but poke fun at Return to Order on social media.

“I love that they are going to write to Netflix to try and get (Good Omens) cancelled. Says it all really,” Gaiman tweeted on Wednesday. He later added, “This is so beautiful… Promise me you won’t tell them?”

Return to Order apparently realized its gaffe too late. As of Thursday, the petition link was blank.

Riverdale to pay tribute to late actor Perry

The upcoming season of Riverdale will pay tribute to late actor Luke Perry right off the bat.

The season 4 première will be titled “In Memoriam” in remembrance of Perry, who died in March after suffering a stroke.

“Probably the most important episode of #Riverdale we’ll do this year, if not ever,” the show’s creator, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, tweeted.

Perry played Fred Andrews, the father of lead character Archie Andrews, on the teen drama show, which began in 2017.

The fourth season of the CW series premières on Oct. 9.

Cardi B indicted in strip club brawl

Grammy Award-winning rapper Cardi B was indicted Friday on felony assault charges related to a brawl at a Queens strip club.

The 26-year-old Bodak Yellow singer, whose real name is Belcalis Almánzar, had previously faced misdemeanour charges over the Aug. 29 incident at the Angels NYC strip club.

The next hearing is set for Tuesday in Queens Criminal Court, court records showed.

According to police, the rapper and former stripper got into an argument with two bartender sisters at the strip joint, accusing one of them of having an affair with her husband, Offset, a member of the rap trio Migos.

Surveillance video reportedly showed Cardi B picking up an ice bucket and hurling it at the sisters.

The case is under seal until her arraignment Tuesday.

— staff, wire services