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Stephen A. Smith Gets Thumbs Down Award for ‘Disparaging’ Black Women

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Stephen A. Smith was rebuked by the National Association of Black Journalists on Saturday evening, as the organization named the ESPN personality as a recipient of its Thumbs Down award for his “recurring public pattern of disparaging commentary directed at prominent Black women across politics, sports, and media.”

The dishonor’s recipients were named during the NABJ’s Salute to Excellence gala in Atlanta, Ga.

“Smith has established a recurring public pattern of disparaging commentary directed at prominent Black women across politics, sports and media,” said a commentator announcing Smith as a recipient during the gala. “Such commentary reinforces harmful narratives, undermines the fair and respectful representation of Black women in public discourse and stands in direct conflict with NABJ’s longstanding commitment to accurate, responsible and inclusive portrayals of Black communities.”

Along with Smith, this year’s other recipients included FCC chairman Brendan Carr, CBS News, The Washington Post and DuJuan McCoy, the owner and CEO of the Indianapolis-based Circle City Broadcasting.

“NABJ presents the Thumbs Down award to an individual or organization whose actions, reporting or institutional practices have significantly undermined fair, accurate and inclusive journalism about Black communities, or have otherwise acted in ways fundamentally at odds with NABJ’s mission and values,” a commentator explained during a segment introducing the award category during the gala. “The award recognizes conduct that harms Black journalists, weakens newsroom equity or editorial independence, reinforces damaging portrayals of Black people or compromises the public service mission of journalism.”

Smith, who has previously attended NABJ events, responded to the award later Saturday evening, writing in a social media post that the NABJ “started something” and that the award was “the epitome of Christmas arriving early.”

“You had your turn, now mine is coming. And make no mistake…..,I’m coming,” Smith wrote. “Let’s see who REALLY deserves a Thumbs Down award when it comes to the Black Community, afterI say my peace!”

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Kristen Bell Makes Surprise Performance At Savannah Bananas Game

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For the first time in forever, Kristen Bell has both Frozen and baseball on the mind as she treated sports fans to a surprise performance from Princess Anna.

On Saturday, the 2x Golden Globe nominee popped up in the stands of the Savannah Bananas game against the Indianapolis Clowns in Denver, where she sang her Disney character’s song “For the First Time in Forever” in a mashup with Tony-nominated pitcher Derek Klena singing “Dancing Through Life” from Wicked, in which he performed as Fiyero Tigelaar on Broadway.

“The mashup we never knew we needed,” the team wrote on Instagram with a video of the performance, which also included “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing, complete with the lift.

Following his Tony-nominated 2017 performance in Jagged Little Pill, as well as subsequent Broadway runs in Moulin Rouge!, Sunset Boulevard and Wicked, Klena was scouted by the viral exhibition barnstorming team in December.

Bell’s surprise appearance came after she stopped by D23 in Anaheim to tease Anna’s wedding to Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) in Frozen 3, joining co-stars Idina Menzel and Josh Gad onstage to debut new music and scenes from the threequel. The Disney movie premieres Nov. 24, 2027.

The $2.76 billion-grossing launched with Frozen in 2013, followed by the 2019 sequel Frozen 2.

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‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Joins $2 Billion Box Office Club

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After three weekends in theaters, Sony/Marvel Studios’ “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has made history as the eighth film to gross $2 billion at the global box office.

The milestone was assured after its $360 million domestic/$927 million global launch at the end of July, as the film enjoyed excellent reception from critics and audiences alike. With a $70 million domestic third weekend, the movie is well on course to keep on rolling past post-COVID shutdown megahits like “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Ne Zha 2” to become the third film to reach $2.5 billion before inflation adjustment, joining “Avatar” and “Avengers: Endgame” in that elite club.

Domestically, the film is also pushing to become the highest grossing release of all time by passing the $936 million record set in 2016 by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Currently, “Brand New Day” is on pace to reach that mark with $785 million after three weekends, 5.6% ahead of the pace set by “Force Awakens,” though its mid-week grosses have been lower compared to that film’s holiday season run.

Theatrical sources tell TheWrap that “Brand New Day” is falling off the pace to become the first movie to gross $1 billion from domestic receipts alone but could still pass “The Force Awakens” with an estimated final total of around $960 million.

In second on the charts once again is Universal/Syncopy’s “The Odyssey” with $23.2 million in its second weekend, pushing Christopher Nolan’s film past $500 million in domestic grosses as it continues to show remarkable legs. For comparison, Nolan’s previous film “Oppenheimer,” once the highest grossing biopic of all time, had a fifth weekend total of $10.7 million.

In a narrow race for third are two dinosaur-focused new releases: Warner Bros./Bad Robot’s “The End of Oak Street” and Paramount/Spin Master’s “Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie.” Currently, “The End of Oak Street” has the edge with a $21 million domestic/$47 million global opening weekend.

Directed by David Robert Mitchell, the thriller about an emotionally distant family whose neighborhood gets dropped into a prehistoric world faces an uphill battle to theatrical profitability against its $80 million budget. To get there, it will need to get some solid word-of-mouth, particularly among Gen Xers and older millennials nostalgic for movies like “Jurassic Park” and “Jumanji.”

Currently, the film has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 85% critics and 78% audience to go with a B on CinemaScore and 3.5/5 on PostTrak, scores relatively consistent with last year’s “Jurassic World: Rebirth.” With kids going back to school in the U.S., it may be up to general audiences to carry this end-of-summer title.

“Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie” opened to $20.5 million from 3,545 locations. That’s just a couple steps below the $22.7 million opening of “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie” in 2023.

“Paw Patrol” has become a major moneymaker for Paramount, earning billions in merchandise since its launch on Nick Jr. in 2013. With this mid-August release, Paramount and Spin Master are set to earn another windfall on “Dino Movie”-themed back-to-school supplies among the show’s under-8 core fanbase.

“Paw Patrol” has also been key to the rise of Jennifer Dodge, who served as the franchise producer of the series since its inception and last year was named the President of Paramount Animation following the completion of the studio’s acquisition by Skydance. “The Dino Movie” is part of an animated slate that will be overseen by Dodge and an animated spin on the CBS reality series “Survivor” this holiday season and a Halloween-themed film based on the indie comic “Freddy the 13th” set for release in 2028.

Completing the top five is Trafalgar Releasing’s “Katseye: Wild Hearts,” a concert film and doc featuring the global pop group Katseye that grossed $4 million from just 724 locations, earning a solid per theater average of $5,533.

Just behind it is Focus Features’ “Six: The Musical Live!”, a proshot of the Tony-winning musical that imagines the six wives of King Henry VIII in a singing competition where they seek to both outdo each other and rewrite their stories. The film grossed $3 million from 1,462 locations, continuing the trend of musicals lifting up the special market after Bleecker Street/LD Entertainment’s “Hadestown” crossed $20 million in its theatrical run.

In seventh is Angel’s “The Brink of War” with a $2.6 million opening from 2,083 locations. The true story drama stars Jeff Daniels and Jared Harris as Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, retelling the crucial talks in Reykjavik that led to a nuclear arms treaty between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in 1987. The film has a 71% Rotten Tomatoes score.

In limited release, A24’s “Tony” added $706,676 from 37 theaters as it crossed $1 million while Mubi’s “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” added $907,200 from its expansion to 54 theaters for a $1.2 million total. Both critically acclaimed indie films expand nationwide next weekend.

Finally, last weekend’s new releases are falling down the charts fast, as Universal’s “One Night Only” earned a limp $2.1 million second weekend for a 10-day domestic total of just $9.8 million amidst lukewarm word-of-mouth. Searchlight’s “Super Troopers 3” is sinking faster with just $1.4 million in its second weekend and a 10-day total of $6.6 million.

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Dolly Parton Misses Dollywood Ride Opening Amid “Health Issues”

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As Dollywood opens its latest attraction, NightFlight Expedition, Dolly Parton is contending with ongoing health issues.

On Friday, the 11x Grammy winner virtually greeted guests of her Nashville park to let them know that her doctor “clipped my wings” and advised her against attending the opening of the new coaster in the Tennessee theme park.

“Well, hey Eugene. I’m right here… Well, kind of. Sorta,” she told Dollywood President Eugene Naughton in a pre-recorded video during the dedication ceremony, which was shared by Knoxville News Sentinel. “I’m still in Nashville, and I’m sorry about that. I was supposed to be there in person like I planned.”

Parton added, “Now, I’ve told you before, all my fans, that I’ve had a few little health issues. And sometimes, I get a little dizzy and I get dehydrated, and I’m dehydrated. And so, my Nashville doctor has kinda clipped my wings, saying, ‘You ain’t traveling this week.’ So I guess, if your doctor tells you, ‘you ain’t traveling this week,’ you ain’t traveling this week. But I like to keep all of you in the loop, like I said I would, on everything.”

Raving about the “great new ride,” Parton told guests, “You have fun, and I’m gonna see you down the road.”

Last September, Parton postponed her Las Vegas residency due to “health challenges” before ultimately canceling the stint in May while taking “meds and treatments” for her condition. Her health issues come after the death of her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, on March 3, 2025.

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