a league of their own: Last News

film “A League of Their Own,” including Geena Davis, Lori Petty and Rosie O’Donnell, had a mini reunion at Chicago’s Donald Stephens Convention Center for the Chicago Sports Spectacular on Sunday.The trio spent the day signing memorabilia and snapping photos with fans of the movie.The beloved Penny Marshall-directed sports comedy followed the true story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Davis, 68, and Petty, 61, played sisters Dottie Hinson and Kit Keller, respectively, in the project while O’Donnell, 62, starred in a supporting role as third basewoman Doris Murphy.Also at the event were: Bitty Schram (right fielder Evelyn Gardner), Megan Cavanagh (second basewoman Marla Hooch), Tracy Reiner (left fielder Betty “Spaghetti” Horn), Anne Ramsay (first basewoman Helen Haley), Freddie Simpson (shortstop Ellen Sue Gotlander), Patti Pelton (second basewoman Marbleann Wilkinson), Connie Pounds-Taylor (outfielder Connie Calhoun) and Kelli Simpkins (outfielder Beverly Dixon).

A League of Their Own” was destroyed in an overnight fire. The Jay Littleton Ball Park in Ontario, CA, built in the 1930s, could not be saved after it was engulfed in flames just before midnight Thursday.According to local reports, the blaze broke out around 11:30 p.m.

No Crying in Baseball: The Inside Story of ‘A League of Their Own’: Big Stars, Dugout Drama, and a Home Run for Hollywood,” by Erin Carlson, out now (Hachette Books). And Davis wasn’t even the second choice for the now-classic movie, which tells the story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, a real-life professional women’s baseball league that existed during World War II.Seemingly every young actress in Hollywood wanted to be part of the movie, including Sean Young — who showed up to auditions in an “antique Yankees uniform.” Courteney Cox, Cindy Crawford, Sarah Jessica Parker, Tatum O’Neal, Brooke Shields, Marisa Tomei, Kyra Sedgwick, Robin Wright and even Marla Maples all vied for roles. Farrah Fawcett also wanted in, despite being in her 40s by then.“When you see a movie in which all the leads are women and all the men are supporting parts, you want to be in it,” said Lori Petty, chosen to be Dottie’s kid sister, Kit.

is ending with a shortened final season.The Prime Video series, inspired by the 1992 film by Penny Marshall, will wrap up with a four-episode limited order for its second and final season, the streaming service announced on Wednesday. Co-created by Will Graham and Abbi Jacobson, who also stars as catcher Carson Shaw, the series explores the authentic and diverse lives of the league's many players, with its first season largely focused on the women who made up the Rockford Peaches. “We’re deeply proud of the work that Abbi, Will, the cast and crew have done reimagining which has produced an incredibly loyal fan base as well as achieved numerous, well-deserved recognitions and accolades,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon and MGM Studios.

, there’s a certain kind of swagger required. And for D’Arcy Carden, the only way to bring that to the screen was to channel George Clooney. “Playing cool and confident and sexy is really hard,” the actress, who first garnered breakout attention thanks to her Emmy-nominated turn as Janet on, tells ET.

A league of Their Own was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress which cited it as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” due to it’s fictionalized storytelling around the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. But while the 1992 movie is considered a feminist classic, the storyline left out the narratives of non-white women in baseball — an omission the new Prime series aims to correct.On the red carpet of this year’s ESPY awards, we spoke with co-creator Abbi Jacobson, who also stars in the series, about finally bringing the project to light during its 30th anniversary year and how it differs from the original film in centering the stories of Black women.“It was never about remaking this movie, it does not need to be remade,” Jacobson told ESSENCE, pointing out that she and the cast have been working on the series since 2017.

debuted in theaters, the movie has been adapted by Abbi Jacobson and Will Graham into an expanded, original TV series for Prime Video with Jacobson also starring as catcher Carson Shaw. The historical period drama will not only tell the story about the formation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), but also chronicle the authentic and diverse lives of its many players — with season 1 largely focused on the women that made up the Rockford Peaches. It’s a series that will be familiar to many, while exploring new territory not previously seen on screen in this way before.

! The British actress spoke with ET's Cassie DiLaura at the show's premiere event in Los Angeles on Thursday, where she opened up about her role and taking on a remake of the beloved 1992 film.«The fan base, especially in the States- like, in the U.K., we appreciate this film, you guys are obsessed!» Ikumelo said of the cult classic film, which stars Geena Davis, Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell and more as the iconic Rockford Peaches baseball team, which was based on the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League formed during World War II.«But I think what’s really beautiful about this [series] is that it’s expanding on a lot more of the stories that we've seen in the film,» she added. «So I think old fans will be really excited about the nods to the old film, and also, we get to go somewhere new, which I think is going to include some new fans as well.»In the series, Ikumelo plays Clance Morgan, an aspiring artist and the best friend of Chante Adams' Maxine «Max» Chapman, an ace pitcher who hopes to find her place on a team. Clance Morgan (Ikumelo) and Max Chapman (Adams) in 'A League of Their Own.'«I love this character,» she noted.

Abbi Jacobson and D'Arcy Carden are starring together in the new TV adaptation of, and getting the chance to work together in a big way after a long friendship.ET's Cassie DiLaura was on the carpet at the premier of the new Amazon Prime Video series in Los Angeles on Thursday, and spoke with the pair about their history together.«I feel really lucky that I get to do this with her,» shared Jacobson, who is both a star and co-creator of the show. «I met D'Arcy in a commercial acting class and I just feel like this is just the [next level]. Like we've worked together in but not like in this capacity and it just felt so special.»«It made the dynamic of Carson and Greta just sort of jump way ahead,» Jacobson added, referring to her character, Carson Shaw, and Carden's Greta Gill. «The chemistry's there cause we're so close as friends, and yeah, I just feel really lucky.»The characters also have a number of intimate scenes in the series, which both Jacobson and Carden said were ultimately made easier because of their pre-existing friendship.«I think it's actually a little bit easier, once you get past that moment. Because its such a weird thing to do on set with like a full crew… But when you have the person that you're doing it with as like a safe place, its so [much better].»According to Carden, «It's a strange thing to do an intimate scene with anyone on camera, but it was easier and more fun,» with Jacobson.«Honestly, the weirdness went away really fast,» she added.

#LeagueOfTheirOwn series hits home August 12th on @PrimeVideo. #FindYourTeampic.twitter.com/8fnO3jSRNX"A League of Their Own evokes the joyful spirit of Penny Marshall's beloved classic, while widening the lens to tell the story of an entire generation of women who dreamed of playing professional baseball, both in and outside of the AAGPBL," the show's synopsis reads. «The show follows Carson (Abbi Jacobson) and Max (Chanté Adams) and a new ensemble of sharp and hilarious characters as they carve their paths toward the field, along the way finding their teams and themselves.»The 8-episode series hits Prime Video on Friday, Aug.

as well as Prime Video’s upcoming TV adaptation of the 1992 classic. The former athlete also recently made headlines by coming out as a lesbian at 95 years old, after nearly eight decades of hiding. “I felt this relief come over me,” Blair tells ET’s Kevin Frazier about the moment she revealed her truth during a live Q&A for the Prime Video series at the Tribeca Festival, which just happened to coincide with Pride Month.

Last year, Robert De Niro, co-founder of the Tribeca Festival, stated, “The Tribeca Film Festival was born out of our mission to bring people together in the aftermath of 9/11.” With that mission still leading the charge, the annual festival is returning to New York this week, June 8-19, to bring artists together and allow them a platform to grow their audience and their network. With films from 40 different countries, we believe the festival will do just that again this year.

is stepping back up to the plate!A teaser trailer for the upcoming Prime Video series was released on Tuesday, giving fans a first look at the new series, which expands on the world of the Penny Marshall-directed movie of the same name. The 1992 film featured standout performances from Geena Davis, Rosie O'Donnell, Madonna and more, and told a fictionalized story of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which was started in 1943 as a way to keep baseball popular while many American men were fighting in World War II.The new series features a fresh crop of talent, including creator and star Abbi Jacobson,  Chanté Adams,  D'Arcy Carden, BAFTA winner Gbemisola Ikumelo and more, and the teaser trailer shows the ragtag group of ladies fighting to find their way on the field, in the factories and in an ever-evolving cultural landscape.Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television said in a press release that " evokes the joyful spirit of Penny Marshall's beloved classic, while widening the lens to tell the story of an entire generation of women who dreamed of playing professional baseball. The show takes a deeper look at race and sexuality, following the journey of a whole new ensemble of characters as they carve their own paths towards the field, both in the league and outside of it.«The series — which is set to debut all eight episodes of their first season on Prime Video on Friday, Aug.

new interview with , the Oscar-nominated actress shared that director Penny Marshall's casting of Madonna as Mae Mordabito was an indication that the film would become «an Elvis [Presley] film, and caused her to pull away from the project.»The studio agreed with me because it was the only time I ever collected a pay-or-play on my contract," Winger said of her decision to exit the film. «In other words, I collected my pay even though I did not play, and that's very hard to get in a court.»And 29 years later, Winger's opinion of Madonna's acting skills haven't changed.«I think [her] acting career has spoken for itself,» Winger said of the pop star.She added, «As entertaining as [the final film] was, you don't walk away going 'Wow, those women

Madonna is set to direct a biopic telling the story of her life and career as one of the biggest pop stars in the world.