MATT SIMMONS DIES AT 93: Matt Simmons, the founder of the Diners Club credit card, Weight Watchers magazine, and co-founded the National Lampoon magazine, has died at 93. He rose to fame producing film offshoots of National Lampoon, including Animal House and the Vacation franchise. He had a brief, non-coronavirus illness, according to reports. A statement tweeted by National Lampoon reads, “The comic geniuses everyone knows deserve much credit for our legacy. BUT, there’d be no #Vacation, #AnimalHouse nor #NationalLampoon w/o crazy, wonderful, visionary Matty Simmons.” Dying exactly 50 years after the founding of the Lampoon, the company said, feels like Simmons’ “last great punchline.”
LIONSGATE SNAGS RAPTURE: Lionsgate has signed a deal for writer-director Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz‘s next film, Rapture, as they redate the duo’s feature debut Antebellum for a worldwide theatrical release from August 21st. First up will be Christopher Nolan's Tenet on July 17, followed by Mulan a week later on July 24. “With tentpole movies from major distributors, like Warner Bros.’ Tenet and Wonder Woman 1984, and Disney‘s Mulan, all lined up for late summer, we believe that by Aug. 21, audiences will be eager for the distinctive, unique story and voice of these groundbreaking filmmakers’ debut, Antebellum,” David Spitz, Lionsgate president of worldwide distribution said.
JAKE GYLLENHAAL, DAVID ALAN GRIER, JONATHAN GROFF AMONG DRAMA LEAGUE AWARD NOMS: This year’s Drama League Awards have released their list of nominees. Among the nods: for the League‘s Distinguished Performance Award were Raúl Esparza, David Alan Grier, Jonathan Groff, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tom Hiddleston, Kate Mulgrew, Jonathan Pryce, Tom Sturridge, Marisa Tomei, Blair Underwood, and Tina‘s Adrienne Warren, among others. Voting is open through May 22nd, with winners to be announced via livestream in June.
TRAILER FOR LOVECRAFT COUNTRY DROPS: HBO has dropped a teaser trailer for its new drama series, Lovecraft Country, set in 1950s Jim Crow America. The series is based on a novel of the same name by Matt Ruff and follows Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors), Letitia (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance).