FORMER ‘SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’ WRITER KEVIN BRENNAN FACES BACKLASH FOR TWEETS ABOUT MATTHEW PERRY: Deadline reports that former Saturday Night Live writer Kevin Brennan is facing criticism for a string of tweets he posted following the news of Matthew Perry’s death over the weekend. “DROWNED IN A HOT TUB. HAHAHAHA,” Brannan wrote on X. Commenting on the Friends actor’s known history of addiction, he added, “I do love it when junkies die.” Despite people responding to Brennan’s tweets with outrage, the comedian continued to make jokes. “Why is drowning in a hot tub funny,” one person asked him. He replied, “Because it’s not very deep.”
‘IT FOLLOWS’ SEQUEL IS IN THE WORKS: Variety reports that fans of the 2014 horror film It Follows can now look forward to a sequel titled They Follow. Maika Monroe is set to reprise her role as Jay Height for the second film, and David Robert Mitchell will return as writer and director. Neon is set to co-produce the film.
AVA DUVERNAY COMMENTS ON NIECY NASH-BETTS’ ROLE IN ‘ORIGIN:’ Ava DuVernay’s new film Origin is inspired by the life and work of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents author Isabelle Wilkerson. DuVernay told The Hollywood Reporter that while speaking with Wilkerson, she was inspired to include the Pulitzer Prize-winning author’s cousin Marion in her film—and she knew the perfect actress for the part. “Her cousin Marion [played in the film by Niecy Nash-Betts] was not in the book,” DuVernay told the outlet. “As she was telling me stories about Marion, I just fell in love with her. And I thought, ‘She sounds like Niecy, one of my best friends.’”
‘POLTERGEIST’ TV SERIES IN DEVELOPMENT AT AMAZON: Variety reports that Amazon MGM Studios is in the early stages of developing a television series based on the 1982 horror film Poltergeist. No plot details are available at this time, but the show will be set in the same world as the film.