GINA LOLLOBRIGIDA DIES AT 95: According to Today, the legendary Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida passed away on Monday (January 16th) at the age of 95. Lollobrigida became internationally known in the 1950s for her roles in films like The World’s Most Beautiful Woman, Come September, Trapeze, and Beat the Devil. According to Deadline, Lollobrigida’s “longtime rival” Sophia Loren said that she is “deeply shaken and saddened” by her death. In addition to acting, Lollobrigida was a sculptor, painter, and photographer—and she eventually left the film world to pursue these arts instead.
JAMES CAMERON TALKS ‘AVATAR 3:’ James Cameron spoke with Deadline at the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards Sunday (January 15th) about what fans can expect from the next Avatar film. “Fire has a symbolic purpose in the film and there’s a culture that is specifically around that concept. That’s probably saying too much as we speak,” he told the outlet. “You’re going to meet two completely new cultures in the next film. We met the Omaticaya, we met the Metkayina, and you’re going to meet two new cultures in the next film, and it kind of rove a little more freely around the world of Pandora to different places.”
CHRISTINA APPLEGATE ATTENDS FIRST AWARD SHOW SINCE MS DIAGNOSIS: Christina Applegate made an appearance at the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards Sunday night (January 15th), marking her first award show since she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021. Applegate was nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, and People reports that she had “Jen” and “Judy” painted on her nails, referencing her and Linda Cardellini’s characters in Dead to Me.
2023 CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS VIEWERSHIP NUMBERS: Deadline reports that fewer people tuned in to Sunday’s (January 15th) Critics Choice Awards than in previous years. Early Nielsen numbers show that only 900,000 people watched the ceremony, compared with 1.1 million last year. This follows the trend seen with other award shows, as Tuesday’s (January 10th) Golden Globes had the lowest ratings ever.