Entertainment Brief: 8/15/22

From deaths, breakups and more, this is your Entertainment brief from last week’s biggest entertainment news.

Olivia Newton-John dies at 73

         Singer and actress Olivia Newton-John died on August 8, 2022, at age 73. The announcement was posted by the actress’ husband, John Easterling, to her Facebook account on Monday afternoon.

         “Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by her family and friends,” the post read. “We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”

         The post went on to describe Newton-John as a symbol of triumph and hope for over 30 years, sharing her journey with breast cancer.

         “Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund,” the post continued in reference to Newton-John’s nonprofit organization dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer.

         Newton-John was best known for her role as Sandy Olsson in the 1978 film Grease, starring alongside John Travolta.

         Travolta posted a tribute in memory of Newton-John to his social media on Monday.

         “My Dearest Olivia,” the post read. “You made all our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again.”

Anne Heche Dies at 53

         One week after a tragic car accident, actress Anne Heche died on August 11, 2022 at age 53.

         In a statement from her family given to CNN, Heche was described as a bright light and a joyful soul.

         “Anne will be deeply missed,” the statement read. “But she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work and her passionate advocacy.”

         Heche’s twenty-year-old son, Homer Laffoon, also shared a statement.

         “Hopefully, my mom is free from pain and beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom,” Laffoon said. “Over [the past] six days, thousands of friends, family and fans have made their hearts known to me. I am grateful for their love.”

         On August 5, Heche was driving at high speeds when her car ran off the road and crashed into a Los Angeles home. The car became engulfed in flames, sending her to the hospital where she remained in critical condition.

As of August 13, the Los Angeles Police Department decided to no longer investigate the case. 

“Any information or records that have been requested prior to this turn of events will still be collected as they arrive as a matter of formalities,” the Department’s statement said. “When a person suspected of a crime expires, we do not present for filing consideration.” 

Prior to this change of events, the department was investigating Heche for possibly driving under the influence, as drugs were found in her system. 

Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian Breakup

         After nine months of dating, Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian ended their relationship on August 5, 2022.

         According to CNN, the source broke up because of “distance and schedules,” although they intend to remain friends.

         Kardashian’s former husband, rapper Kanye West, responded to the news with a since deleted Instagram post of a photoshopped New York Times cover reading “Skete Davidson Dead at Age 28.”

         West’s public harassment of Davidson began in January 2021 when he dropped a song “Eazy,” threatening to beat up the comedian. This was followed by a plethora of Instagram posts in which the rapper continued to mock the former Saturday Night Live star.  

         Kardashian and Davidson first met on the set of SNL in October 2021 as Kardashian was set to host. The pair performed a skit as Disney’s Jasmine and Aladdin. They were seen in Davidson’s hometown of Staten Island in the following weeks.

         Kardashian filed to divorce West in February 2021 and was declared legally single in March. According to E!, Kardashian has no plans to reconcile with the rapper and is upset with his online behavior.

Superhero Movie Interest Declines

         In 2022 alone, Marvel Studios will have released four superhero films and DC will have released three. However, interest seems to be dwindling.

         In a recent poll conducted by Morning Consultant, which surveyed 2,200 US adults, it was found that 59% remain interested in the superhero genre, down from 64% last November.

         Marvel fans in particular are growing tired with their interests decreasing from 87% to 82.

         So why the decline? It seems fair to attribute the cause to oversaturation of the market. Marvel alone has at least twelve different projects set to release over the next two and a half years and while some people may be excited, others are concerned.

         This concern arises from Marvel’s recent profit slump. According to a Wall Street Journal report, while still incredibly popular by critical and commercial standards, the recent Marvel projects have lost hundreds of millions of dollars compared to their predecessors.

        One example stems from this year’s “Thor: Love and Thunder.” While it made $144.2 million domestically, the profits fell during the second week, dropping 68%. In addition, 2021’s “Eternals” remains the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s worst performing film, scoring 47% on Rotten Tomatoes.