State Champ Radio TV/Film
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The highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic has found their “Dirty Diana.” On Monday (March 25), Lionsgate and Universal Pictures announced several new additions to the film‘s already star-studded cast, led by Vampire Diaries actress Kat Graham as Diana Ross and Love Jones actor Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy.
In the Vampire Diaries and other television shows, Graham boasts an extensive filmography, including a turn as Jada Pinkett Smith in Benny Boom‘s 2017 Tupac biopic All Eyez On Me. She has also released four studio albums — most recently, 2022’s Long Hot Summer — and made several appearances on the Billboard charts. In 2012, her Against the Wall EP debuted and peaked at No. 4 on Heatseekers Albums. At the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards, Graham announced her upcoming new single, “World Song” (with will.i.am).
Diana Ross, the music icon who Motown handpicked to official introduce the Jackson 5, remains an active figure in the entertainment industry. In 2021, the Grammy winner released Thank You, her 25th studio album, which earned her a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album — her first since 1983. Last year, she surprised Beyoncé with a medley of “Love Hangover” and “Happy Birthday” at the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer’s Renaissance World Tour show at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium (Sept. 4, 2023).
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Motown Records founder Berry Gordy — who helped transform the landscape of American music by introducing legendary actss such as The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight and the Pips — will be brought to life by Larenz Tate. The beloved actor currently stars on the Starz’s Power Book II: Ghost, a spin-off of the 50 Cent-produced Power, which Tate starred on for six seasons.
In 2021, Gordy received the highly prestigious Kennedy Center Honors, and the following year, he was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.
The latest Michael casting annoucnement also trumpets Jessica Sula as Billboard charting-artist fifth Jackson sibling LaToya Jackson, Liv Symone as the iconic Billboard Hot 100-topping Gladys Knight, KeiLyn Durrel Jones as trusted MJ confidant Bill Bray and Kevin Shinick as the era-defining Dick Clark.
Kendrick Sampson, whose credits include Issa Rae’s Emmy-nominated Insecure, will star as famed Oscar and Grammy-winning producer and close MJ collaborator Quincy Jones. The new additions beef up an an already esteemed cast, including Oscar nominee Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier and nine-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi as young Michael.
Currently in production, Michael — which stars Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in the titular role — is currently slated for worldwide release on April 18, 2025. Training Day director Antoine Fuqua will helm the picture, while Oscar nominee John Logan handles the script. Co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate, John Branca and John McClain are producing the film alongside Oscar winner Graham King, with on-set assistance from Prince Jackson, the late singer’s eldest son, on behalf of his siblings.
The casting news comes just days after Blanket Jackson, the “Thriller” singer’s youngest son, going up against his grandmother, Katherine Jackson. In court filings obtained by Billboard, Blanket argued that the superstar’s estate should not foot the ball for her current legal debacle concerning a deal over her song’s $600 million catalog.
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The NCAA women’s tournament will finish its second round on Monday (March 25) before entering the Sweet 16 portion, as teams compete to make it to the championship on April 7. The 68 teams are dwindling down, and if you want to watch the 2024 women’s March Madness games live, there are a few streaming options to livestream the basketball games without cable.
If you prefer to watch the women’s 2024 March Madness games live, you can still get tickets to the NCAA tournament through Ticketmaster, StubHub, Vivid Seats, Seat Geek and Gametime — especially if you want to watch Iowa’s standout player Caitlin Clark live and in-person.
For those who couldn’t score travel deals or just want to stream the games live from your couch, there are a few live TV streamers airing both women and men’s March Madness games.
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Keep reading to how to watch the women’s March Madness 2024 games.
Where to Watch Women’s March Madness 2024 Games Online
The NCAA tournament will be livestreamed on CBS, ESPN and ABC. If you don’t have cable, you might be able to watch the games live through an HD antenna like one of these from Amazon. Cord cutters can also take advantage of free trials and promos from live TV streamers like DirecTV Stream, Sling TV, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV to stream the women’s March Madness games without cable.
DirecTV Stream is offering a special sports and entertainment package that’ll save you an upwards of $30 for the first three months. New users will also receive a five day free trial when you sign up. The best part about DirecTV Stream is the amount of local and cable channel options, which includes ABC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, ESPN2, NBC, truTV and ESPNU.
Sling TV is offering $10 off the first month giving you access to like ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TBS, TNT, FS1, truTV and Fox. You can choose between the Orange or Blue plan or combine the two for the most channel options. You can also take advantage of Sling’s Ultimate Basketball Offers, which will save you up to $40 for four months.
Fubo offers a seven day free trial for new users who sign up and on top of that you can take advantage of the live TV streamer’s $20 off promo. For the first month, you can get $20 off all of the platform’s plans that’ll get you over 100 channels, DVR storage and the ability to watch content on up to 10 devices.
For the most content offerings, Hulu + Live TV gives you access to the entire Hulu library as well as hundreds of live channels to watch March Madness at home for free. As an added bonus, new users receive a 30-day free trial. Once the free trial is over, you’ll be charged the regular subscription fee of $76.99/month. You can save more money by bundling ESPN+ and Disney+ for more programs.
Only some games will be streamed on ESPN+ including the Final Four games. While ESPN+ doesn’t come with a free trial for new users, you can enjoy live sports and original content all in one place and for only $10.99/month. Check here to see which women’s March Madness games are on ESPN+.
Women’s March Madness 2024 Schedule
The Second Round concludes Monday (March 25), which will determine the final teams going into the Sweet 16. The remaining games include Belmont vs. Penn State at 6 p.m. ET, Syracuse vs. UConn at 6 p.m. ET, Oklahoma vs. Indiana at 6:30 p.m. ET, West Virginia vs. Iowa at 8 p.m. ET, Creighton vs. UCLA at 8:30 p.m. ET, Kansas vs. USC at 10 p.m. ET and Utah vs. Gonzaga at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Sweet 16 teams confirmed so far include Texas, Stanford, Oregon State, South Carolina, Colorado, LSU, Duke and Baylor.
Click here for the full and updated women’s March Madness 2024 schedule.
The ABC family just keeps getting bigger.
When 14-year-old Camila Galavis stepped in to audition for American Idol on Sunday’s (March 24) episode, judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie were shocked to discover that her dad is none other than Juan Pablo Galavis, the onetime star of another long-running show under the singing competition series’ network: The Bachelor.
Camila Galavis didn’t tell the panel at first that she is already reality TV royalty, having been just 4 years old when her dad’s season of The Bachelor aired in 2014. But while answering questions about her family from the “Firework” singer, the young singer eventually broke the news that her father was not only an ex-dating show heartthrob, but was in the American Idol building with her.
At that, the group called Juan Pablo into the room, where he confirmed that coming on the competition series was 100% Camila’s idea. “She’s been singing since she was little, and the opportunity came, and she wanted to do it,” he told the judges. “I said, ‘I don’t know if you’re old enough.’ That was last year. ‘Well, maybe next year.’ And then here she is.”
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After confessing that she would actually feel more comfortable with her dad in the room during her audition, the Venezuela native went on to sing an all-Spanish rendition of Joaquina‘s “Rabia” as Juan Pablo watched proudly from the sidelines, seated next to the in-house pianist on his bench.
Though it was a close call, Galavis was able to pass through into the next round with Perry and Bryan’s “Yes” votes outweighing Richie’s “No.”
“Love your confidence,” the country crooner told her after her performance. “Love your personality … I think the right producer could take your voice and cut a hit album on you right now.”
Venezuelan singer/songwriter Joaquina responded to the performance of her song on Instagram, re-posting the audition and writing, “Oh my God, this can’t be. [Camila] how beautiful. Wow never in my life did I think someone would sing one of my songs on American Idol, how crazy. [Juan Pablo] I love you guys so much. Congrats. God bless you on the journey of this show. I hope all your dreams come true.”
Watch Camila’s American Idol audition — featuring a cameo from Juan Pablo — above.
Thirty years after Carlos Vives starred in the television series Escalona and released his iconic album Clásicos de la Provincia, the Colombian star takes viewers back in time in the documentary Regreso a Escalona, which arrives on April 3 in the U.S. and multiple Latin American countries through the streaming platform ViX.
The film — distributed by Caracol Television and produced by Mestiza Films — shows how Vives sought inspiration again in Rafael Escalona, one of the most important vallenato songwriters of all time, while going after an old school notebook of Escalona’s that contained the lyrics of classics such as “La Historia,” “El Testamento” and “Jaime Molina.” It was from that notebook that Vives’ Latin Grammy-winning album for best cumbia/vallenato album in 2023, Escalona Nunca se Había Grabado Así, emerged.
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“Regreso a Escalona was perhaps the way I found to be able to capture an era, a time, a very special place in my life, in music and especially in what is known as the vallenato legend,” Vives tells Billboard Español about the exclusive release.
“It’s the way I found for maybe time not to go away, to trap it on film, because people will discover very profound things that happened, they’re going to live them, they’re going to see them, and I don’t think time will allow us to live them again,” he adds with emotion, fighting back tears.
In this chronicle that takes him to Valledupar, the world capital of vallenato in the Province of Padilla, the singer of “La Tierra del Olvido” and “La Gota Fría” is accompanied by his dear friend and accordion player Egidio Cuadrado, the person through whom Vives “deeply” learned the world of Escalona. They travel in the Ford F150 truck that belonged to Escalona, whose son — who keeps it in good shape — lent to them.
“A part of the documentary that I find impressive is when Egidio’s sister, Dina Luz, who was Escalona’s partner, appears,” says Vives, adding that when the idea of the project arose, he immediately thought of inviting his “compadre Egidio,” who in recent years has gone through health problems.
“It was like trying to go against his illness,” Vives says. “It was like denying everything and going as if nothing was happening to a recording studio to make this album, and then traveling with him around the region in that truck. … Being able to go back and remember when I was riding my bike with him on that road that linked all those towns in the Province of Padilla, like being young again with him there, returning to those places.”
For Vives, the idea is to condense and rescue that moment of Colombian music, and for the audience to discover “that imagery that surrounded Egidio and that town of Villanueva that has produced very important musicians” and understand the reason of Vives’ passion for all of this.
Return to Escalona premiered May 1, 2023, on Canal Caracol in Colombia, and days later arrived in the U.S. as part of the Colombian Film Festival NY. On April 3, it will be available through ViX’s premium streaming plan.
Keith Urban is set to serve as a mega mentor on season 25 of NBC’s The Voice. The two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner will join a country music-heavy lineup of leaders on the show, including coaches Reba McEntire and Dan+Shay, in addition to fellow coaches John Legend and Chance the Rapper. Explore Explore […]
Timothée Chalamet was freewheelin’ through New York City while filming the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown – in which the actor will star as the famed folk singer – on Sunday (March 24). In photos and videos taken on set, Chalamet looked like the spitting image of Dylan in a brown suede jacket, […]
Ryan Coogler is working on a jukebox movie musical based on the music of Prince. The Black Panther director is set to produce the untitled project of the late musical icon’s songs for Universal Pictures, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film, which has been in the works since 2018, has a script by Bryan […]
Magic is officially in the making at Disney’s studios, as the entertainment company has announced its decision to move forward with Selena Gomez and David Henrie’s Wizards of Waverly Place reboot proposal two months after placing the initial pilot order.
The Rare Beauty founder confirmed the news on Instagram Stories on Friday (March 22), sharing a sneak-peek photo of her and Henrie on the new set. “Guess what?!” she wrote. “WE GOT PICKED UP FOR SEASON 1!”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, production will begin next month in Los Angeles, and the show will premiere at some point this year on both Disney+ and Disney Channel. Gomez and Henrie, who played magical siblings Alex and Justin Russo on the original Wizards, will reprise their rolls and serve as executive producers on the reboot.
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Though the “Love On” singer is confirmed to make an appearance in the first episode, it sounds as though Henrie’s character will lead the majority of the show as Dad to sons Milo, played by Max Matenko, and Roman, portrayed by Alkaio Thiele. More than a decade after the original Wizards wrapped in 2012, Justin Russo is also a married man; his wife, Giada, will be brought to life by Mimi Gianopulos.
Also part of the cast is Janice LeAnn Brown, who will play a powerful young wizard named Billie. When Alex brings Billie to meet Justin, he must re-immerse himself in the magical world he left behind in pursuit of a normal family life to mentor her.
Along with Gomez and Henrie, former Disney Branded Television head Gary Marsh and director Andy Fickman are on board to produce, as are the pilot’s writers, Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas. The project marks the latest in a series of nostalgia-backed children’s show reboots, following Nickelodeon’s iCarly, Zoey 101 and the now-scrapped Lizzy McGuire update.
Gomez first announced that she was making her grand return to Disney in January, when the Wizards reboot was first given the go-ahead to shoot a pilot. “So excited!!” she wrote on Instagram Stories at the time. “WE’RE BACK.”
See the first look photo at the new Wizards of Waverly Place below.
Where would Channing Tatum be without Ricky Martin? Luckily for fans of Magic Mike, 21 Jump Street and She’s the Man, the world will never know. The actor got his start in the Latin pop star’s iconic “She Bangs” music video back in 2000, playing a bar tender serving a group of rowdy partygoers, including […]
Paul Rudd has proudly talked about being a good dad and taking his teenage daughter Darby to see Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour last summer. During an interview with MTV this week to promote his starring role in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Rudd was asked if he was a true Swiftie, or just a Swiftie “by proxy” […]
