My Publicist Note Book

Rob Zombie To Direct Groucho Marx Biopic Rob Zombie is ready to expand beyond the horror genre. Zombie and Miranda Bailey have acquired the rights to Steve Stoliar’s memoir  Raised Eyebrows: My Years Inside Groucho’s House .  Love & Mercy  co-writer Oren Moverman will write the screenplay and Zombie is attached to direct. Cold Iron Pictures’ Miranda Bailey and Amanda Marshall are producing along with Zombie and Andy Gould. The book tells the bizarre story of the last years in the life of  Groucho Marx , told by a young Marx Brothers fan who spent those years as his personal secretary and archivist. In addition to getting to know his hero, the author found himself in the orbit of Groucho’s brothers Zeppo and Gummo, Mae West, George Burns, Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon, S.J. Perelman, Steve Allen, and scores of other luminaries of stage, screen, TV and literature. The downside of this dream-come-true was getting close to his idol as the curtain ...

“Hannibal” is not coming back  for a fourth season. HANNIBAL — “Aperitivo” Episode 304 — Pictured: (l-r) Hugh Dancy as Will Graham, Laurence Fishburne as Jack Crawford  NBC has made it official, opting not to pick up a fourth season of its well received drama Hannibal. Despite good reviews and devoted cult following, 'Hannibal' could not grow into a broad network show. The writing had been on the wall, with NBC opting to hold Season 3 for the summer, where the drama has delivered soft ratings. (It most recently logged a 0.5 Live+Same Day in adults 18-49.) Likely more suited for cable, Hannibal has been solid on DVR and on-demand and has done very well on social media but that was not enough to sustain the show on a Big 4 net.  The third and now final season will air in its entirety in the Thursday 10 PM slot, and the show will still present at Comic-Con as planned.  There is an effort to find a new home for Hannibal as part of a #SaveH...

Jennifer Lewis Reveals Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis at the 2015 American Black Film Festival (ABFF)/ Awards Ceremony Though she’s known for her bright smile, big personality and for always playing somebody’s mama, there’s another side to Jenifer Lewis that most people don’t know about: her mental illness.  The 57-year-old actress was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1990 and after 17 years of therapy and 10 years of being medicated for the illness, she’s ready to open up about it, while offering advice to other who may be suffering from the same disorder. Tracee Ellis Ross often bickers with Jenifer Lewis on the ABC hit comedy “Black-ish.” But the two co-stars shared a special moment at “The Best of the ABFF” awards ceremony as Ross presented Lewis with the festival’s coveted Career Achievement Award. Before handing Lewis the award, Ross reminded the audience of Lewis’ extensive body of work. After a short video montage with congratulations from individuals suc...

On June 21, Americans will celebrate Father’s Day, a holiday that many other countries observe on different dates throughout the year. What some might not know is that the celebration has a religious history born out of tragedy -- one that serves as a reminder to cherish the fathers in our lives. Grace Golden Clayton, a resident of Fairmont, West Virginia, was the first person on record to petition for Father’s Day. In December 1907, a mine explosion in a nearby town killed more than 360 men, many of them fathers. The tragedy left 1,000 children fatherless, which troubled Clayton. She asked the pastor at her local Methodist church to dedicate a day to honor fathers on July 5, 1908 -- the Sunday closest to the birthday of her late father, who was a Methodist preacher. "This holiday was one etched in sadness as well as thankfulness," said the Rev. Donald Meighen, the retired pastor of the Central United Methodist Church, which was known as Williams Me...

Josh Childress Explains In Detail How Millionaire NBA Players Go Broke Baffling as it may be to normal people like you and me, a large percentage of highly paid professional athletes somehow end up in financial distress down the line. By one count, roughly three-fifths of NBA players go broke within just five years of retirement. How is that possible? Josh Childress, a former NBA player who now plays overseas, explained in a video uploaded to YouTube by Grit Media this week. Childress identified two main issues that young players face upon receiving their first checks. The first is a misunderstanding of just how high the taxes will be. “The first mistake is people say, ‘Okay, I have $11 million.’ [No,] you got five over four years. So that million dollar house that you [bought thinking] you had $10 million more -- that house then becomes more expensive.” He lists a number of other typical purchases and fees -- buying mom a house and car, agent fees, the NBA escrow accou...

Janet Jackson  is hitting the road for the first time in four years, in support of her  forthcoming new album  for Rhythm Nation/BMG duet this fall. Janet Jackson Announces 'Unbreakable World Tour'  Los Angeles-  Music icon, multiple GRAMMY® Award-winner and multi-platinum selling artist today announced details of her highly anticipated international tour.  The "Unbreakable Tour"  will return one of this world’s most influential entertainers back to the live stage in support of her upcoming album due out this Fall on Rhythm Nation Records/BMG.  This first leg, a 36-date tour, 30 of which are promoted by Live Nation, will take the legendary artist to cities throughout the U.S. and Canada with shows lined up in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, San Diego, San Francisco and more. All dates are being co-produced by Miss Jackson’s Rhythm Nation. A full list of tour dates is below. Additional worldwide concerts will be announced ...

Actors Known For Leading Roles Make Waves in Supporting Parts When Jon Voight agreed to take the role of Mickey on Showtime’s “Ray Donovan,” he was enthusiastic about being a part of a capable ensemble and didn’t give any thought to where his name might land in the credits. “I’m a real character actor. I like stutters and limps,” says Voight, who built a career on playing leading men in films like 1969’s “Midnight Cowboy” and 1978’s “Coming Home,” for which he won an Oscar. “Every role is a character, and some of the characters are enjoyable to me because they’re so crazy. So Mickey’s perfect. I was fortunate to meet with him at this juncture.” While some supporting actors, like “Parks and Recreation’s” Chris Pratt, enjoy their upgrade to leading man status, it’s even more common the other way around. Voight is just one of the accomplished actors better known for playing leading men now finding meaty roles as supporting players on TV. Hugh Laurie, who starred on Fox’s...