Island Records Chief Darcus Beese to Exit Company

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorWarner Bros. has asserted that it still rules Middle-earth when it comes to film rights to “The Lord of the Rings.”The studio has publicly stated its control over film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy trilogy amid rumblings in the industry that a clutch of “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” rights are being shopped by longtime owner, the Saul Zaentz Co.The Zaentz Co.

Ariana Grande locked lips with her husband Dalton Gomez in a set of snaps she posted to Instagram on Wednesday.The singer, 28, posted a photo and a short video to the popular social media site which showed her standing on a rooftop terrace with her better half.In the first image she stood with her left leg up and her arms wrapped around her man. Lovebirds:Ariana Grande locked lips with her husband Dalton Gomez in a set of snaps she posted to Instagram on WednesdayShe wore a black slip dress with a slit down her left leg showing off her slender thighs.Her brown hair was styled in a ponytail that flipped up at the end.

TOWIE stars Sam and Billie Faiers shared heartfelt tributes to celebrate their mum Suzie Wells' birthday. Sam, 31 and sister Billie, 32, took to Instagram to share special words about their youthful-looking mum Suzie on her 53rd birthday, reports OK!Sam shared a lovely snap of the trio, all looking absolutely marvellous in jaw-dropping lavish gowns as the three looked like complete mirror images of each other.She captioned the tribute: "To my beautiful mummy @suziewells_ Happy Birthday.

Tiger King personalities Jeff and Lauren Lowe will avoid doing any time in jail after they made plea deals over their drunken driving cases in Oklahoma City.Jeff, 57, and Lauren, 30, entered no contest pleas to a misdemeanor DWI charge both faced, prosecutors told TMZ, adding that the pair will be responsible for covering fines and court costs in connection with the June 5, 2021 incident.Neither will be on probation in the wake of the cases, which prosecutors told the outlet was a standard result in the city. The latest:Tiger King personalities Jeff and Lauren Lowe will avoid doing any time in jail after they made plea deals over their drunken driving cases in Oklahoma City.

Tom Hanks' son Chet claimed he did not have a 'strong male role model' during his teens while he coped with the pressures of having celebrity parents.Although Chet, 31, assured the public that 'I love my parents' and 'wouldn't want any different parents,' he confessed having a famous family is 'a double-edged sword.'He said many people had 'contempt' for him as a movie star's child, and while trying to navigate the 's***-talking' and the 'd***-riders,' he lacked 'a strong male role model' who could have told him: ''Hey, bro, f*** these people. They are just jealous of you.'' Looking back:Tom Hanks' son Chet claimed he did not have a 'strong male role model' during his teens while he coped with the pressures of having celebrity parentsHe shared that 'my experience was even more complicated because on top of fame already being toxic, I wasn't even famous.

HBO's popular Sex and the City spinoff And Just Like That... has not been green-lit for a second season yet but the show's future is looking bright.The network's Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys told Deadline that the show's fate is ultimately up to star Sarah Jessica Parker and executive producer Michael Patrick King.'It's really Michael Patrick King and Sarah Jessica [Parker] talking to figure out if there's a story they're excited by,' Bloys said.

Kanye West took to social media Wednesday to ask for God's help after admitting to harassing estranged wife Kim Kardashian.'God...please watch over me and keep mind sane,' West, 44, said in an Instagram post. 'I could use it right now. To anyone who feels alone, im with u and I love you.'West, who shares children North, eight, Saint, six, Chicago, three, and Psalm, two, with the reality star, captioned the post, 'Love you family.' The latest: Kanye West, 44, took to social media Wednesday to ask for God's help after admitting to harassing estranged wife Kim Kardashian, 41.

Will Smith and David Oyelowo are putting on their producing hats, joining forces to put together an adaptation of an upcoming novel.Smith's Westbrook Studios and Oyelowo's Yoruba Saxon have teamed up with Netflix for the adaptation of Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun, via Variety.The novel from Nigerian-born and British-raised journalist Tola Okogwu is described as Black Panther meets X-Men, and will be published June 14 from Simon & Schuster. David and Will:Will Smith and David Oyelowo are putting on their producing hats, joining forces to put together an adaptation of an upcoming novel Book:The novel from Nigerian-born and British-raised journalist Tola Okogwu is described as Black Panther meets X-Men, and will be published June 14 from Simon & SchusterThe book follows the title character, a teenager whose massive head of hair is the subject of ridicule to most except for her best friend Cheyenne.Onyeka's world is turned upside down, though, when Cheyenne nearly drowns and, inexplicably, Onyeka's hair takes on a life of its own and saves Cheyenne.

dog bit a man "more than twenty times" after he started attacking his owner with a baseball bat.Leia, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, sank her teeth into Barzan Shekzade's backside as he hit Marcin Pluta with the aluminium implement during a violent street altercation, reports Birmingham Live.The fight in Smethwick, West Midlands on June 11, 2020 began when Shekzade drove past Pluta and "challenged" him over remarks he allegedly said to his wife.Pluta — who was on a bike walking his three dogs — then crossed the road and punched Shekzade in the face through his car window, district judge Stephen Flint told Walsall Magistrates Court.The defendant walked back across the road and began filming before Shekzade got out of his car with a baseball bat and crossed the road to to attack Pluta.Recounting how the dog jumped up to his defence, the judge said: "Whilst Mr Pluta fought with Mr Shekzade and tried to wrestle the baseball bat away from him, the dogs were jumping up, and Leia - the Staffordshire Bull Terrier - bit Mr Shekzade numerous times on his legs and around his buttocks area."Mr Pluta then managed to get the baseball bat off Mr Shekzade and he hit him with it numerous (times) on the shoulder, causing minor injuries."Mr Pluta then left the scene with the baseball bat and his three dogs.

She spent some quality time with her husband John Legend on Valentine's Day.But Chrissy Teigen was focused on her children on Wednesday, when she was spotted out in West Hollywood with her daughter Luna, five, and son Miles, three.The 36-year-old model opted for comfort over style as she took the kids shopping at the high-end consignment shop The RealReal. On the town: Chrissy Teigen, 36, was spotted out in West Hollywood on Wednesday as she went shopping with her daughter Luna, five, and son Miles, threeChrissy looked cool and relaxed in a loose-fitting brown sweater, which was bunched up over a black hip bag that she wore to one side.She paired her top with distressed jeans rolled up at the hems, along with braided black slide sandals.

Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley have broken up and the former A-list pair are calling off their engagement, according to multiple reports on Wednesday. The three-time most valuable player of the NFL, 38, and the actress, 30, were engaged for just over a year before reports circulated that the two had called it quits. "It was an amicable split; it just wasn't working," a source told People magazine.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is finally here. «We're so excited,» leading lady Rachel Brosnahan told ET's Rachel Smith in January of the series' long-awaited return. «I just hope that we are able to capture even a little bit of how it felt for us to come back after so long away.

Kimberly Loaiza and Juan de Dios Pantoja celebrate their son’s birthday with a sweet new song and music video. The power couple took to social media to share a series of stunning pictures alongside their second child, Juanito.

With “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” in the works, Matthew McConaughey is sharing if he would reprise his role.

Keith Urban is opening up about how he came to step in for Adele when she abruptly cancelled the opening night of her Las Vegas residency, which she revealed was being postponed.

A Florida judge has granted the legal request by the family of the late Bob Saget to block records related to the “Full House” star’s death from being released.

GEMMA Collins has told of the sickening abuse she suffered at the hands of trolls after bravely revealing her secret self-harming past. The reality TV star's documentary on her childhood trauma aired tonight - and Gemma read out the vicious trolling she got for speaking out. "So attention-seeking.

Variety Staff Follow Us on TwitterGary Spangler has been promoted to executive vice president of Republic Records, label founder and CEO Monte Lipman announced.In this role,  Spangler will continue to shepherd promotion for acts on the Republic and Island Records rosters, according to the announcement. A 14-year veteran of the company and executive VP of promotion since 2016, he has orchestrated and executed promotion campaigns for the likes of Ariana Grande, Drake, Jonas Brothers, Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd and more, in addition to Island’s Demi Lovato and Shawn Mendes.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAlong with the news that legendary singer Tony Bennett is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, the singer’s team revealed that he and Lady Gaga recorded a follow-up to their chart-topping 2014 album, “Cheek to Cheek,” even as Bennett battled the disease.The news, confirmed by a rep for Bennett, was revealed in the AARP magazine article announcing Bennett’s illness, which he and his team manager to keep under wraps since he was diagnosed in 2016. The album is slated for release in the Spring.Bennett was already showing clear signs of the disease, the article noted, when he and Gaga started recording the album at New York’s Electric Lady Studios in 2018.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTwo years after he was named co-head of Columbia Records’ Urban Music division, Shawn Holiday will be joining Irving and Jeffrey Azoff to launch a new record label and publishing venture, a rep for Columbia confirmed to Variety. The rep noted that Holiday will continue to work in an A&R capacity with Polo G, Chloe x Halle and other acts but declined requests for further details on Holiday’s ongoing role with the company.“Shawn has been an integral part of helping Full Stop Management build an incredible Urban department and sign some of today’s biggest stars.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIf Sabrina Carpenter wanted to start off her career at Island Records with a bang, she succeeded: Even before word of her signing with the label had been announced, she’d dropped a headline-grabbing new single called “Skin.“Carpenter praised Island president/CEO Darcus Beese and the Island staff in a statement. “I’m so excited to join the Island Records family,” she says.