Entertainment

(NOTE LANGUAGE) Ryan O'Neal, star of dozens of movies, including Love Story and Paper Moon, has died at 82, according to a social media post from his sportscaster son, Patrick.

O'Neal had reportedly been in poor health of late; he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012 and a decade earlier had been diagnosed with chronic leukemia.

In a lengthy post, Patrick called his father "a very generous man who has always been there to help his loved ones for decade upon decade."

Patrick also said, "This is just so hard for us. Ryan made such an impact and this will be difficult without him. This is and will be a huge void in our lives. And his dogs Mozart and Raven, who he loved dearly, are missing him very much. They were inseparable."

The younger O'Neal, from Ryan's second marriage, to Leigh Taylor-Young, also said, "My dad was 82 and lived a kick a** life." He added, "I will share my father’s legacy forever."

Ryan O'Neal was the son of Charles "Blackie" O'Neal and actress Patricia Callaghan, but eager to chart his own course, he trained as a boxer — with a lifetime record of 18 wins, 13 by knockout, and four losses.

His first role in front of the camera was as a stuntman on the series Tales of the Vikings, which aired in Germany, where his parents were living at the time.

Back in the States, O'Neal logged appearances in TV Westerns in the early '60s, including Empire and The Virginian, and on dramas like Perry Mason before landing the role of Rodney Harrington on the prime-time soap opera Peyton Place in 1964.

Big-screen stardom followed, and in 1970, his role in Love Story opposite Ali MacGraw earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination.

He also appeared opposite Barbra Streisand in the comedy What’s Up, Doc? and with his young daughter Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon, in a performance that earned the 10-year-old the honor of being the youngest competitive Oscar winner in history. Tatum's brother, Griffin, was also from Ryan's first marriage to actress Joanna Moore.

O’Neal's career made him a big-screen heartthrob, and he had a decades-long, on-and-off relationship with Farrah Fawcett, whom he first met through his friend and her then-husband, Lee Majors. O'Neal and Fawcett had a son, Redmond, in 1985.

Ryan and Tatum's attempts to repair their relationship played out before the reality TV cameras in Ryan and Tatum: The O’Neals; Ryan also had a recurring role in Bones, wrapping in 2017.

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(SPOILERS) The winner of the reality competition version of Netflix's global phenomenon Squid Game says she's yet to collect her $4.56 million grand prize. 

Fifty-five-year-old Mai Whelan, player 287, beat her competitors in Squid Game: The Challenge, but now she says she has a different challenge: 10 months after the show wrapped, she claims she hasn't gotten paid yet. 

"I feel like Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire," she told the U.K.'s The Times. "Show me the money!"

For their part, the producers of the show tell The Wrap, "The winner was always aware of the payment plan." They added, "The winner will receive the prize fund now that the finale has aired."

The prize — which was awarded, at least on camera, after the immigration adjudicator bested second-place finisher Phill Cain in a game of rock, paper, scissors — is the biggest in reality TV history, after the $5 million won by Tate Stevens on The X Factor in 2012.

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There's no word yet on whether Barbie will spawn a sequel — though when you have the biggest movie of the year, that's almost a given.

While Ryan Gosling's waiting to find out, however, he's got plans — and apparently, they don't include hitting the gym for more shirtless scenes.

At a post-screening Q&A alongside co-star America Ferrera at London’s BFI Southbank venue on Friday, Variety quoted Gosling as saying "we really know nothing" about a follow-up.

However, he offered a wish for his role if it comes to be. "Can it be a husky Ken? Can I play Husky Ken, like Sandwich Ken? Can I play that Ken next time?"

Ferrera expressed of their director, Greta Gerwig, and co-star and producer Margot Robbie, "[W]hat Greta and Margot have said is they did not set out to make a franchise. They put it all out on the table. Every bit of it that they loved and that they knew to do, they did. Which is refreshing, right?"

"But then again, I know nothing, so there might be 20 years" of Barbie movies, she joked.

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COVID couldn't stop it, but this year the SAG-AFTRA strike has led the organizers of the annual Ed Asner Family Center's celebrity-stacked charity reading of It's a Wonderful Life to pull the plug. 

"Over the past three years, we've honored the essence of humanity and the strength of love and community by assembling a remarkable ensemble of actors to present 'It's a Wonderful Life' to a virtual audience," the nonprofit's president and CEO, Matthew Asner, said in a statement. 

While they sought to continue the tradition this year, Asner said "time was not on our side." He explained, "With the SAG strike, we could not begin the process of building our cast early enough."

Asner said, "Instead, we will be offering everyone a second opportunity to relish the magic of the last three years by making each of those performances available for streaming during the month of December."

The table readings from 2020, 2021 and 2022 featured Pete Davidson, Seth Rogen, Brendan Fraser, Mark Hamill, Maude Apatow, Jean Smart, Mia Farrow, Ken Jeong, Martin Sheen, Kathy Bates and Jason Sudeikis, as well as musical performances by Jennifer Hudson, Wallows and more.

This year's supporters will have the opportunity to rent a specific year's performance for $15, or $35 for a VIP package that includes all three readings, "plus the chance to win one of 5 grand prizes ... a deluxe gift basket with exclusive It's a Wonderful Life swag given to cast members over the last 3 years."

The Ed Asner Family Center is "dedicated to helping 'differently-abled' individuals (and their families) with Autism, developmental delays, and all types of special needs."

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While Dune: Part Two won't hit theaters until March 1, Denis Villenueve, the director of the Academy Award-winning franchise, is already looking ahead to a third chapter.

According to Variety, Villenueve attended a press conference in South Korea where he spoke about the forthcoming chapter — or, he hopes, chapters — of the franchise.

Of the third film, called Dune: Messiah, the filmmaker explained, "The screenplay is almost finished but it is not finished. It will take a little time."

He also said being able to finish out a cinematic trilogy based on Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi classic would be a "dream."

Whatever the fate of a third installment will turn out to be, Dune: Part Two is finished. As the director said, it's "much better" than his 2021 original.

Villeneuve explained, "For me, this film is much better than Part One. There's something more alive in it. There’s a relationship to the characters. I was trying to reach for an intensity and a quality of emotions that I didn’t reach with Part One and that I did reach with Part Two."

The filmmaker added, "I'm not saying the film is perfect, but I'm much more happy with Part Two than I was with Part One. I can not wait to share it with the fans and the moviegoers."

That's saying a lot considering the first film starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya earned 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and won six, including Best Cinematography and Production Design.

He added that if he's lucky enough to make a third film, he likely won't be shooting it next. "For my mental sanity I might do something in between, but my dream would be to go a last time on this planet [Arrakis] that I love," Villeneuve said.

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Ready, set, binge! Here's a look at some of the new movies and TV shows streaming this weekend:

Netflix
The Archies: The TV show Riverdale may have ended this year, but you can return to the “town with pep” in this new film.

My Life with the Walter Boys: Are you ready to obsess over a new love triangle? Try out the new teen romance series.

Leave the World Behind: Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke star in the new film from the man who created Mr. Robot.

Peacock
Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie: The TV detective is back to solve one final case. You can stream the new film starring Tony Shalhoub.

Hulu
Culprits: A ruthless assassin targets the crew they used to work with in the new limited series.

Disney+
Doctor Who: The Giggle: And, finally, if David Tennant is your favorite Time Lord, then you’re in luck. Watch the special Doctor Who event featuring Tennant this weekend.

That’s all for this week’s Weekend Watchlist – happy streaming!

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Safe to say gamers are pretty hyped about the next Grand Theft Auto game: More than a decade since the last installment premiered, Rockstar Games dropped the trailer to Grand Theft Auto VI on Monday, December 4, and it racked up a record 93 million views in just 24 hours. 

The game developer calls it an "extraordinary milestone" — and indeed, it's a record for a non-music video debut on the platform.

It easily out-paced the previous record, which was set in August of this year by popular YouTuber Mr. Beast, whose entry Every Country On Earth Fights for $250,000 challenge racked up 59.4 million views in that amount of time. 

Leo Olebe, global head of YouTube Gaming noted, "Setting this new all-time record is a testament to the cultural impact of the series," which, "has been at the epicenter of entertainment for decades." 

He added, " We expect the YouTube community and its creators to reach new heights for years to come with Grand Theft Auto VI."

To date, the trailer has generated some 250 million views on the platform thanks to content creators' videos on the topic — which is notable, seeing as the anticipated game won't be released until 2025. 

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In addition to producing some of the most iconic sitcoms in television history, Norman Lear's mark on pop culture was marked by those shows' theme songs, which serenaded him in his final moments.

This news comes from Dr. Jon LaPook, a physician, CBS News' chief medical correspondent and Lear's son-in-law, who was there when Lear passed away at his Los Angeles home Tuesday, at the age of 101.

LaPook told CBS Mornings, "The family was gathered around the bed, he was very comfortable and resting peacefully, and we did what we knew he would want. We were singing songs from Les Mis, and also some of the songs from his TV shows.”

The theme from The Jeffersons particularly struck the physician, he recalled. "[W]e started singing ‘movin’ on up to the East Side … and I heard myself saying 'to a deluxe apartment in the sky' … I just lost it, because he’s going to some deluxe apartment in the sky."

LaPook expressed, "We wanted him to have a gentle landing and have no pain. If you were to say to someone in their 40s, 'How do you want to die?' [They'd likely say at] 101, surrounded by loved ones, with them singing to me and laughing and without any pain, and that’s exactly what happened."

Lear continued to work well into his 90s; he was saluted by just about everyone in Hollywood in a televised special when he passed the 100-year mark.

LaPook offered, "The secret to all that was his humanism, his interest in other people. He had something called 'engaged curiosity.' He had relationships with people who were super famous, but he was also just as interested in people who were not famous."

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Have no fear, your reality roundup is here! Here's a look at what happened in the world of reality television this week:

Vanderpump Rules (Bravo)
Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix is taking on Broadway. On Wednesday, it was announced that the reality television personality and author will play Roxie Hart in Chicago, the musical's leading role. She’ll take the stage from January 29 to March 24. This follows her stint on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, where she was a finalist.

Selling Sunset (Netflix)
Heather Rae El Moussa has confirmed to Entertainment Tonight she will not be returning to the show for season 8. She had a much smaller role in season 7, appearing in just one episode. This week, she posted a photo of her and Bre Tiesi, writing, “The yin to my yang. Opposite in almost every way but became besties immediately- and even though we’re not on the same show together anymore, our friendship is stronger than ever.”

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo)
During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live Wednesday, Dorit Kemsley addressed comments made in episode two of this season, in which Garcelle Beauvais implied Dorit was lying about her jewelry being stolen in a 2021 home invasion. Dorit said the comments were “shocking” and “really cut deep." She hinted she’d be confronting Garcelle about it at the season 13 reunion.

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What would happen if suddenly all communication devices go down, and you have no idea why or what's going on in the world? That's where things start with the new Netflix thriller Leave The World Behind, written and directed by Sam Esmail, based on the popular 2020 book of the same name.

Esmail tells ABC Audio that when he read the book during the pandemic, he immediately wanted to explore "This idea that in a moment of crisis, you can easily lose sight of our common humanity."

"I mean, obviously that was really relevant back then, but it's equally relevant today given what's going on in the world right now," he continues.

The film is produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's company Higher Ground Productions, and Esmail says the former president and first lady were very involved.

"He would read scripts and give notes, everything from the characters to the to the disaster elements to the themes. Same thing with the cuts," he shares. "You know, they give they give lots of feedback. And, you know, he has a lot of insight and it was pretty invaluable to the film and to the script."

In one scene, which you seen in the trailer, a bunch of self-driving Teslas go haywire and start crashing into each other. Esmail recalls they crashed "quite a few" cars that day.

"I'm not going to pretend that we didn't extend it with some CGI, but I got to say there were a lot of real Teslas out there that we destroyed," he adds. "It was a fun day on set that day, yeah."  

Leave The World Behind, stars Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la and Kevin Bacon.

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