Steve Pond's Blog, page 123

Terry Moran Launches Substack a Day After ABC Firing, Promises ‘Important Work’ in ‘Time of Such Trouble for Our Country’

One day after being fired by ABC for remarks he made about Donald Trump and Stephen miller on social media, Terry Moran has launched a Substack where he says he’ll focus on “important work” during what he described as “this time of such trouble for our country.

In his first post on the platform Moran, who was ABC News’ senior national correspondent until his termination, didn’t address the specifics of his exit, though he spoke about it with some humor. He also said he’ll be publishing original reporting and interviews, though no start date was give, as Moran said he also has to get “some stuff sorted out,” possibly referring to wrapping up his separation from the network.

“For almost twenty eight years, I was a reporter and anchor for ABC news. And as you may have heard, I’m not there anymore. I’m here with you on Substack, this amazing space, and I can’t wait to get at it, to get at the important work that we all have to do in this time of such trouble for our country,” Moran said in in a video posted Wednesday afternoon.

“I’m going to be reporting and interviewing and just sharing with you and hoping to hear from you as well, so it’ll be a few days, maybe a little bit longer. Gotta get some stuff sorted out but can’t wait to see,” he concluded.

On Saturday Moran posted on X, “”The thing about Stephen Miller is not that he is the brains behind Trumpism. Yes, he is one of the people who conceptualizes the impulses of the Trumpist movement and translates them into policy. But that’s not what’s interesting about Miller. It’s not brains. It’s bile. Miler is a man who is richly endowed with the capacity for hatred. He’s a world-class hater.”

Moran continued, saying “Trump is a world-class hater. But his hatred only a means to an end, and that end his his own glorification. That’s his spiritual nourishment.” He soon deleted the post but following an uproar from the Trump administration, Moran was placed on suspension. He was fired on Tuesday.

The post Terry Moran Launches Substack a Day After ABC Firing, Promises ‘Important Work’ in ‘Time of Such Trouble for Our Country’ appeared first on TheWrap.

‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 3 Trailer Teases Belly Walking Down the Aisle

“The Summer I Turn Pretty” Season 3 trailer dropped Thursday, teasing major life changes for Belly.

Played by Lola Tung, Belly the protagonist seems to have made up her mind, and it’s Jeremiah. The first glimpse into what’s to come for Season 3 opens with Belly telling her mom that her childhood friend turned lover is the one and ends with her walking down the aisle.

As for Jeremiah’s older brother and her first love Conrad, she says that kind of love you can “only really do the first time.”

“First loves are important, but they’re not as important as lasts,” she said, pushing off her tangled relationship with Conrad. “Jeremiah, he’s my future.”

Watch the trailer here:

Belly breaks the news to her mother that she and Jeremiah want to get married, but her response was not what she anticipated.

“I’m sorry what?” her mom, played by Jackie Chung, replied. “Belly, honey, you two are not ready for a commitment like this. You’re talking about a lifetime.”

“When I’m with Jer, everything is easier, but everywhere I go, there’s a memory of Conrad,” Belly admitted.

The trailer features a mashup of Taylor Swift’s hits “Daylight” and “Red,” which were also included in the first teaser.

Based on Jenny Han’s book series of the same name, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” Season 3 picks up at the end of Belly’s junior year in college as she and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalengo) are still in a committed relationship. But when certain life events bring Conrad (Christopher Briney) back into her life, Belly must put the love triangle shenanigans to bed.

Towards the end of the trailer, as Swift’s “Red” bridge echoes loudly, flashbacks and memories from her relationship with Conrad wash over her. Tensions rise in the trailer’s final moments as Jeremiah punches his brother, Belly runs off crying and a car crash seemingly occurs. As Belly makes what appears to be a concluding decision, she walks down the aisle in a white dress with a bouquet in hand.

“Life’s too short not to spend it with the person that you love,” she said.

But who will Belly choose in the end: Conrad or Jeremiah?

Season 3 will have 11 episodes and conclude the story, with Han serving as showrunner alongside Sarah Kucserka. Han, Kucserka, and Karen Rosenfelt as executive producers, and Paul Lee, Hope Hartman, and Mads Hansen for wiip. The series is a co-production of Amazon Studios and wiip.

The third and final season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” will premiere on Prime Video July 16.

The post ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 3 Trailer Teases Belly Walking Down the Aisle appeared first on TheWrap.

Ananda Lewis, Beloved Host of MTV’s ‘TRL’ and BET’s ‘Teen Summit,’ Dies at 52

Ananda Lewis, a prominent MTV VJ from the ’90s and early 2000s, has died.

Lewis’s sister Lakshmi Emory posted the news to Facebook that she had lost her years-long battle with breast cancer. She was 52 years old.

“She’s free, and in His heavenly arms,” Emory wrote. “Lord, rest her soul.”

Lewis announced in 2020 that she had been diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer after not getting regular mammograms due to a fear of radiation. In a 2024 CNN interview, she revealed her cancer had progressed to Stage IV after choosing not to have a double mastectomy.

Lewis was one of the first big video jockeys on MTV. She began her career by hosting BET’s “Teen Summit” for three seasons before moving over to MTV in 1997 to host “TRL” and “Hot Zone.” She got her own show – aptly titled “The Ananda Lewis Show” – in 2001 that ran until 2002.

BET remembered the former host following news of her death.

“As the host of BET’s ‘Teen Summit,’ she didn’t just lead conversations—she sparked change, empowering a generation to speak up, love themselves and think deeper,” the post read.

It continued: “Ananda brought brilliance, beauty and authenticity to every space she entered. Her impact lives on through the countless lives she touched, both on and off screen. We honor the life and legacy of Ananda Lewis—an unforgettable voice, trailblazer and truth-teller.”

In 2004, Lewis joined “The Insider” – a nightly show spinoff of “Entertainment Tonight” – as a correspondent until 2005. She then left the industry altogether to pursue a career in carpentry. She returned to hosting duties in 2019 with TLC’s revival of “While You Were Out.”

In an October 2024 interview with “Good Morning America,” Lewis said she wanted people to remember “that I loved hard, and lived loud and didn’t back away from problems. And loved this life and was OK with letting it go too.”

She is survived by her sister, Emory, and her son Langston.

The post Ananda Lewis, Beloved Host of MTV’s ‘TRL’ and BET’s ‘Teen Summit,’ Dies at 52 appeared first on TheWrap.

Kim Kardashian, Demi Lovato, Eva Longoria and More Speak Out Against Trump’s LA ICE Raids: ‘Those Are Not Criminals’

Celebrities are making themselves known as vocal opponents of the ongoing ICE immigration raids as demonstrations continue in Los Angeles.

“There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order,” rapper Doechii said while accepting her BET Award at the show Monday. “Trump is using military forces to stop a protest, and I want y’all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us. What type of government is that people are being swept up and torn from their families?”

She continued: “And I feel it’s my responsibility to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people, for Black people, for Latino people, for trans people, for the people in Gaza. We all deserve to live in hope and not in fear and I hope we stand together, my brothers and my sisters against hate and we protest against it.”

Elsewhere, celebs like Kim Kardashian, Demi Lovato, John Leguizamo and more also spoke out on social media.

“What’s happening in Los Angeles and across the country is heartbreaking.” Lovato wrote. “Immigrants are a vital part of our community and the fabric of our country. While I feel powerless, I stand with those living in fear and hope that these resources can help in some way. Let’s please continue to show up for one another and support our neighbors.”

Eva Longoria called the raids “inhumane” and “un-American” in a video posted to her Instagram.

“We all can agree, nobody wants criminals in our country, nobody wants rapists, nobody wants drug dealers, nobody wants bad actors in our country- that’s not what’s happening,” Longoria said. “These roundups are happening in birthday parties, in elementary school graduations, Home Depot. Those are not criminals. I hope that everyone has more compassion for this issue and realizes we have industries dependent on immigrant labor.”

Kardashian posted similar thoughts to her Instagram Stories.

“When we’re told that ICE exists to keep our country safe and remove violent criminals- great,” she said. “But when we witness innocent, hardworking people being ripped from their families in inhumane ways, we have to speak up. We have to do what’s right.”

She added: “Growing up in LA, I’ve seen how deeply immigrants are woven into the fabric of this city. They are our neighbors, friends, classmates, coworkers, and family. No matter where you fall politically, it’s clear that our communities thrive because of the contributions of immigrants. We can’t turn a blind eye when fear and injustice keep people from living their lives freely and safely. There HAS to be a BETTER way.”

Leguizamo posted a video encouraging the protestors to keep at it as the raids drew on.

“Your protests are beautiful,” the actor said. “Protesting is as American as apple pie. But Trump wants to create a situation. He wants to be able to call on the Insurrection Act. He wants to create martial law so he can take over every government in every city and every state, so don’t give him that,” the actor pleaded to his followers. “Don’t give him what he wants. I mean, he’s trampling on all our democratic values of due process, of listening to courts and the judiciary. Just stay calm, stay peaceful. Don’t let don’t give him what he wants.”

The raids began late last week and sparked protesting over the weekend. President Trump mobilized 2,000 members of the National Guard to quell the gatherings – without consulting Governor Gavin Newsom – and then added an additional 700 marines to the mix on Monday. The protesting reached the point that LA Mayor Karen Bass placed a curfew downtown beginning Tuesday night.

The post Kim Kardashian, Demi Lovato, Eva Longoria and More Speak Out Against Trump’s LA ICE Raids: ‘Those Are Not Criminals’ appeared first on TheWrap.

Kate Beckinsale Sues ‘Canary Black’ Producers for ‘Recklessly and Intentionally Putting Her in Harm’s Way’

Kate Beckinsale is suing the producers of her 2024 action movie “Canary Black,” for negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and battery.

The lawsuit states that producers “continued to recklessly and intentionally forge ahead with unsafe filming conditions, forgoing safety to maintain profit margins, and in the process, put Ms. Beckinsale in harm’s way.”

The suit, which was filed as a Jane Doe in Los Angeles Superior Court, was amended on May 21 to include specifics about her “severe and debilitating injuries” and “significant trauma to her left knee.

“Ms. Beckinsale and her team repeatedly raised red flags regarding unsafe conditions on and off set to Defendants, including long, dangerous set days, often lasting fifteen hours, inadequate equipment and medical personnel to help manage the high physical workload and recover from the exertion off set,” the legal document, which was obtained by TheWrap on Wednesday, states.

Among the allegations in the suit is a “failure to adequately inform” her of which stunts she would be doing “until often the moment she had to perform it.”

Beckinsale showed off the injuries she sustained from the film in a December Instagram post to refute critics who suggested she hadn’t done any of her own stunts. She shared an X-ray of her knee injury and several photos of her scarred and bruised body. The post also included a behind-the-scenes video clips of her doing a stunt while hanging onto a drone.

The complaint references a November 23, 2022 memo from Beckinsale’s agent, Shani Rosenzweig, wrote in an email to Zois, which included the admonition, “If you’re trying to kill a person, great job.”

A month later, the actress suffered a complex meniscus tear in her left knee, which required surgery and halted production for months. Her surgeon warned her not to undertake any more stunts, but she alleges that, despite that, she was coerced into performing “unsafe action sequences.”

Representatives for Zois and the London-based Anton Entertainment did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

The post Kate Beckinsale Sues ‘Canary Black’ Producers for ‘Recklessly and Intentionally Putting Her in Harm’s Way’ appeared first on TheWrap.

With Its Final Episodes Almost Here, ‘Squid Game’ Joins the Top 10 Titles That Excite Audiences Most

What are the entertainment offerings that consumers are most excited about? It’s a question that marketers, distributors, advertisers and media publications are always asking.

ScreenShare, a data partnership between Screen Engine/ASI and TheWrap, tracks the Top 10 most-mentioned entertainment options every week and whether each has gained or lost momentum compared to the prior week. The chart lives on the Data & Analysis page of the WrapPRO Members Hub.

Disney’s live-action remake, “Lilo & Stitch,” holds its position at No. 1 for the fourth week in a row on the list and has more than doubled the theatrical earnings of the original 2002 animated version. Meanwhile, Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” remains at No. 2 for the third consecutive week on the list. HBO Max’s “House of the Dragon” reappears at No. 3 as its season 3 production is underway and fan theories swirl online. “Superman” rises to No. 4 amid growing buzz following DC Studios’ partnership with Amazon, which gives Prime members early access to tickets for a July 8th screening, several days ahead of the film’s official release. “Sinners” comes in at No. 5 during the week of its premium digital release on June 3.

“NBA Basketball” places at No. 6 as the NBA Finals tipped off on June 5. “Stranger Things” comes back on the list at No. 7 as fans look forward to its final season following Netflix’s announcement of a multi-part release this winter. “The Last of Us” climbs to No. 8 in the wake of its second season. “Final Destination: Bloodlines” dips to No. 9, and Netflix’s “Squid Game” enters at No. 10 ahead of its third and final season premiering on June 27.

Weekly Top 10“Lilo & Stitch”““Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”“House of the Dragon”“Superman”“Sinners”“NBA Basketball”“Stranger Things”“The Last of Us”“Final Destination: Bloodlines”“Squid Game”

The post With Its Final Episodes Almost Here, ‘Squid Game’ Joins the Top 10 Titles That Excite Audiences Most appeared first on TheWrap.

CAA Amplify Summit Tackles ICE Raids, DEI Rollback, Allyship and Our ‘New Chapter of Resistance’

Creative Artist Agency’s annual CAA Amplify Summit urged its attendees to become allies while protesting injustices as the United States enters a “new chapter of resistance” that’s come with President Donald Trump’s second term.

“This year, the struggle has a different level of complexity … The system is now dragging people from the streets … Women’s bodies are on the line, wars rage on, children everywhere pay the price,” CAA’s managing director Maha Dahkil said in her opening remarks for the summit, which took place on Tuesday at the Montage Hotel in Laguna Beach, California. She emphasized the impact “chaotically unleashed” voices of injustice have had in the nearly 200 days that Trump has been back in the White House, noting that protesting the DEIA crisis was the initial step in the fight for justice last year.

“In 2025, the road to justice, freedom and dignity somehow got harder,” Dahkil said. “Nothing is worth the price of your humanity, and yet we see institutions, leaders, individuals who marched alongside us not so long ago fade away. The slippage of allies, the loss of pledges, the weaponization of words and three letters we don’t say anymore … This is urgent.”

Over the course of 15 live panels, spotlight interviews and speeches, the CAA Amplify Summit outlined how attendees can continue the fight for justice and equality as Hollywood, and the entire nation, pulls back on equity and inclusion initiatives.

In the first portion of the summit, American Civil Liberties director Anthony Romero and NAACP president and director-counsel of the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund (LDF) Janai Nelson discussed the country’s current political state, calling the Trump administration’s actions in recent months “an American agenda.” Romero said that he organizes what’s happening in the country into three buckets: the targeting of institutions and individuals as political enemies, the targeting of the of politically weak groups (“The anti-DEI effort is just a way to score cheap political shots”) and the targeting of institutions that “undergird our democracy.”

“That’s what’s happening in our city right here. The idea of the military, the Marines, the National Guard, not being invited in by the governor,” Romero said.

When it comes to what form of protest Americans should consider or perform, Nelson said “every possible form,” whether it’s peacefully protesting in the streets or refraining from spending money at stores or companies that have made controversial business decisions.

“It is important to be visible,” Nelson said. “There are ways to push back against the erosion of programs and commitments that were made five years ago or even before.”

Bryon Allen and Brandon Lawrence speak at the CAA Amplify Summit. (Credit: Randy Shropshire)

Continuing the conversation around equity and inclusion, CAA’s Brandon Lawrence spoke to Allen Media Group founder and CEO Byron Allen in a fireside chat, during which the business mogul shared his thoughts on the importance of ownership and how historically the Black community — despite being the second-largest consumer group in the country — has systemically never been afforded the opportunity for economic inclusion.

“As Black people, we own nothing, and we must own,” Allen said. “That gives us a seat at the table in controlling the narrative, control how we’re produced, control how we’re depicted, how we’re seen [and] we tell our stories. We don’t let other people tell our stories. We control; that’s what’s important.”

Woven throughout the program were spoken words and brief presentations, including a piece by “Abbott Elementary” Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph that highlighted the need for “joy” in the country in the midst of what some may feel are bleak times.

“This joy that I have, the world didn’t give it to me. The world did not give it to me,” Ralph said as she burst into song. “And the world will not take it away!”

In addition, the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, Alberto M. Carvalho, shared his heartwarming journey of how his immigrant background shaped his career trajectory. He condemned schools being the target of ICE raids.

“I stand proudly in the face of abuse and oppression, intimidation and fear, for schools are places of education and inspiration and not fear and intimidation,” Carvalho said. “That is why I have boldly declared to the nation that our schools, our places of inspiration, our temples of knowledge, are no place for immigration enforcement.”

Another topic that was discussed at the summit was transphobia and rollback on protections and targeting of the LGBTQIA+ community. During a panel discussion, actress Laverne Cox and executive director of Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Melanie Willingham-Jaggers called for the re-humanization of the trans community.

“We are not an injured version of our previous selves. We’re a new and different thing. And I want to tell you that, too,” Willingham-Jaggers said. “We are not trying to go back to make America great again. We’re not trying to go back to some previous, perfect time. We are a new thing.”

Kevin Lin, Laverne Cox and Melanie Willingham-Jaggers speak at the 2025 CAA Amplify Summit. (Credit: Randy Shropshire)

As the event came to a close, Janelle James (“Abbott Elementary”), Sherry Cola (“Joy Ride”) and Asif Ali (“Deli Boys”) took the stage and discussed the power or authentic representation on screen.

“Representation is seriously everything,” Cola said. “I definitely feel that impact, too. Asian girls, or queer girls hit me up and they feel like they’ve never seen a character like Alice on ‘Good Trouble’ before in their lives … I love being a role model in that way because that’s what we were dying to see when we were growing up.”

As the curtain came down for the evening, CAA’s Natalie Tran bid farewell to guests, reiterating the event’s desire for attendants to keep on moving in their fight for justice.

“Justice is not guaranteed; it must be fought for and it must be insisted upon, Tran said. “We know that lives will change because of what we decide to do next, so let’s commit to each other. Let’s commit to each other and the work that lies ahead. Let this be our legacy, that in your moment of noise and erasure, we chose clarity, we chose each other, and we chose to redesign a collective future worthy of our stories.”

The post CAA Amplify Summit Tackles ICE Raids, DEI Rollback, Allyship and Our ‘New Chapter of Resistance’ appeared first on TheWrap.

Jimmy Kimmel Calls BS on Claims of LA Chaos, Says There’s More Unrest ‘When One of Our Teams Wins a Championship’ | Video

Jimmy Kimmel mocked the rampant false claims promoted by Donald Trump and allied media outlets that the protests in Los Angeles have turned the city into a war zone. (That absolutely is not the case.)

The ABC host joked during his monologue on Tuesday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” that Los Angeles has more upheaval “when one of our teams wins a championship.” (Which is kinda true.)

Kimmel started his monologue by noting he had a full audience in the show’s Hollywood studio, “Which might be surprising for those of you in other parts of the country, who’ve been watching cable news, and believe this city is some kind of totalitarian hellscape right now. It most certainly is not. In fact, let’s take a look outside, because I want you to see what it’s like in Hollywood right now, because you won’t see this elsewhere on television.”

At this, Kimmel showed the audience scenes from LA at that moment, noting, “not only is it not an apocalypse, they’re having a Disney/Pixar movie premiere right now. For… a movie about aliens. Don’t tell Trump. He’ll send the Green Berets in too.”

“I just want to say thank God for President Trump. And the heroes at ICE,” Kimmel said, with obvious sarcasm, “for protecting us from these bloodthirsty fruit stand vendors. Spreading their dangerous pineapple chunks and mangos with a squirt of lime all over the city. We are so grateful for what you have done.”

Then Kimmel dropped the jokes for a second and admitted, “I’m very angry. I have to say, I cannot believe what’s going on. I knew it was gonna be bad. I did not know it was gonna be this bad.”

Kimmel then explained why people are protesting. “The People who’ve lived here their whole lives, people who’ve been in this city longer than I have, the vast majority of whom have never done anything wrong, are being abducted. Which is the correct word to use,” Kimmel said, referencing ICE tactics.

Kimmel, with full accuracy, noted that ICE agents wear masks, “hiding their identities, grabbing people off the street, and at work, sending people to detention centers. And to protest that, which is not only our right as Americans, it’s our responsibility, Los Angelenos have been gathering to demonstrate, and with very few exceptions, peacefully demonstrate. To voice their opposition to this disgusting and unnecessary abuse of power instigated by our mentally ill President who is dead set on exacerbating this, who actually wants conflict…who is intentionally inflaming – and lying – to make it seem like there’s a war going on here.  He wants there to be a war going on here.  And he doesn’t care who gets hurt in it.”

“There’s no riot outside. We have more so-called ‘unrest’ here when one of our teams wins a championship,” Kimmel continued. “But that’s not what you’re seeing on TV. Someone sets a fire in a garbage can. 12 camera crews go running toward it. Trump wants it to seem like anarchy so he goes around our Governor – and he calls in 4,000 troops from the National Guard, and 700 Active Duty Marines.”

“You know, when we had the wildfires, that devastated big chunks of our city, he did absolutely nothing. Now that we’re in the middle of a non-emergency, send in the National Guard,” Kimmel added.

Watch the whole monologue below:

The post Jimmy Kimmel Calls BS on Claims of LA Chaos, Says There’s More Unrest ‘When One of Our Teams Wins a Championship’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Gavin Newsom Warns Trump Is Acting as a Dictator Amid Protests: ‘Moment We Have Feared Has Arrived’

California Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered a stark warning about Donald Trump not only to citizens of his state but to the nation at large: “The moment we have feared has arrived.”

Newsom, in a speech broadcast on local television and streamed online early Tuesday night, unambiguously said that Trump is trying to assume dictatorial powers and that he’ll be coming for other states soon enough.

Newsom’s remarks came on the 5th day of protests against ICE agents, which Trump has used as an excuse to send military forces to Los Angeles to quell protest, which Newsom pointed out has been done illegally.

Newsom explained that the protests were kicked off after ICE agents began randomly raiding locations throughout greater Los Angeles, noting one particularly authoritarian example on Saturday morning “when federal agents jumped out of an unmarked van near home depot parking lot, they began grabbing people, a deliberate targeting of a heavily Latino suburb.”

“Families separated, friends, quite literally, disappearing,” he said also.

Newsom praised local law enforcement and military servicemembers, and acknowledged that eventually, vandals took advantage of the chaotic situation, saying “if you incite violence or destroy our communities, you’re going to be held to account. That kind of criminal behavior will not be tolerated.”

But, he said, “this brazen abuse of power by a sitting president inflamed a combustible situation,” later adding that law enforcement is “not what Donald Trump wanted. He again chose escalation. He chose more force. He chose theatrics over public safety.”

ICE agents, working on Trump’s orders, are :traumatizing our communities, and that seems to be the point,” Newsom later said, adding that “California will keep fighting, keep fighting on behalf of our people, all of our people, including in the courts.”

“If some of us could be snatched off the streets without a warrant based only on suspicion or skin color, then none of us are safe. Authoritarian regimes begin by targeting people who are least able to defend themselves, but they do not stop there. Trump and his loyalists, they thrive on division because it allows them to take more power and exert even more control.

Newsom also reminded those watching that Trump is “not opposed to lawlessness and violence, as long as it serves him, What more evidence do we need than Jan. 6,” referring to the 2021 attack on the capital Trump incited in order to keep power after losing the 2020 election.

“I ask everyone take time reflect on this perilous moment, a president who wants to be bound by no law or constitution, perpetuating a unified assault on American traditions,” Newsom continued. :This is a president who, in just over 140 days, has fired government watchdogs that could hold him accountable, accountable for corruption and fraud. He’s declared a war on culture, on history, on science, on knowledge itself… He’s delegitimizing news organizations, and he’s assaulting the First Amendment and the threat of defunding them at threat. He’s dictating what universities themselves can teach. He’s targeting law firms and the judicial branch that are the foundations of an orderly in civil society. He’s calling for a sitting governor to be arrested for no other reason than to, in his own words, for getting elected.”

Newsom then noted that Trump’s takeover of California’s national guard didn’t just apply to California, but to every other state. “It clearly will not end here, other states will be next, democracy is next, democracy is under assault before our eyes” he said. “The moment we have feared has arrived.”

Trump is “taking a wrecking ball, a wrecking ball to our founding fathers’ historic project, three co-equal branches of independent government… no longer any checks and balances. Congress is nowhere to be found… The Rule of Law has increasingly been given way to the rule of Don,” Newsom said.

Newsom concluded by urging people “to stand up justice,” arguing that “what Donald Trump wants most is your fealty. Your silence to be complicit in this moment. Do not give in to him.”

As protests against immigration raids continue in Los Angeles, Trump has enlisted 4,000 members of the National Guard and around 700 U.S. Marines to the city. Mayor Karen Bass said earlier Tuesday that the city has ample police capacity to handle the protest on their own.

Newsom encouraged Angelenos to exercise their first amendment rights to protest but asked them to “please please do it peacefully.”

The protests, which began Thursday after federal immigration raids on businesses heated up, were peaceful until Trump enlisted federal troops to the city. Newsom said “that’s not what Donald Trump wanted. He again chose escalation. He chose more force,” Newsom said. “He chose theatrics over public safety.”

Watch the address here:

The post Gavin Newsom Warns Trump Is Acting as a Dictator Amid Protests: ‘Moment We Have Feared Has Arrived’ appeared first on TheWrap.

How ‘The Studio’ Staged Long Shots and Made Its Own Frank Lloyd Wright Building

They didn’t make it easy on themselves. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg told cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra that they wanted long, unbroken takes using a single lens; they asked production designer Julie Berghoff to design them a movie studio, and when she said, “Past, present or future?” they replied, “All of the above.” It led to an atmosphere where every episode and every scene began with the same question: “How the hell are we going to pull this off?”

“Yeah,” Newport-Berra said. “But that’s kinda what gets me out of bed in the morning.”

Apple TV+EXTERIOR, STUDIO

The series filmed on the Warner Bros. lot, which won out over Paramount and Universal because of its nostalgic feeling. But for the Continental Studios headquarters, Berghoff designed a building that would look as if it came from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Mayan Revival period. “A movie studio founded in the ’20s that in the present day only makes movies and doesn’t have streaming is antiquated,” she said. “We wanted something that felt a little crumbling, but it had strong bones. It felt rooted, you know?”

The interiors took up a two-story,  8,000-square-foot set on Stage 23 at WB, while the exterior was a photo backdrop erected in front of the Warners TV building. “Julie was very quick to include me in discussions about ways to remove walls and move through windows and between floors,” Newport-Berra added. “We made sure to get enough headroom and wide enough doors so that cranes could get through.”

Apple TV+INTERIOR, STUDIO

Inside, Berghoff worked with set decorator Claire Kaufman to come up with a mixture of old and new. “Using the 18-inch textile block, like Frank Lloyd Wright, we created really graphic walls and spaces for the furniture, and we only used natural materials,” Berghoff said. “All the furniture and built-ins are mid-century. But then we wanted to integrate old and new, and Apple computers fit perfectly into our space because they’re designed with the similar philosophy of clean, simple lines.”

Apple TV+EXTERIOR, PATTY LEIGH’S HOUSE

For the houses of studio executives – or recently ousted studio executives, like Catherine O’Hara’s Patty Leigh, based on former Sony chief Amy Pascal – Berghoff knew she had to be impressive. “We were looking for special, unique houses,” she said. “Amy Pascal was known for being architecturally influenced, with beautiful homes. A lot of executives do. They’re gonna live in the most interesting houses in Los Angeles. All those mid-century architects bought the best property when Los Angeles was being developed and built houses on top of the hill, like Catherine O’ Hara’s house, which has almost a 360-degree view of Los Angeles. It’s spectacular. We went big.”

Apple TV+EXTERIOR, MATT REMICK’S CAR

Episode 2 is designed to look as if it’s shot entirely in one take, though in fact it was four different shots filmed over four days and then stitched together. The first of those shots started in the car driven by studio chief Matt Remick (Rogen) as he drives to a hilltop location.

“We would use electromagnets on the car,” Newport-Berra said. “So there’s basically these magnet mounts that when turned on are creating a magnet force that keeps the camera on the car. So while we’re driving, it’s latched on that way. Once the car stops, as the operator goes to grab the camera, there’s a grip right next to him who unhooks a safety chain and flips a switch. That switch turns off the magnet, and all of a sudden the camera is free from the car and we can pick it up and keep going with it.”

Apple TV+EXTERIOR, HOLLYWOOD HILLS LOCATION

The rest of Episode 2 takes place in and around another of Berghoff’s spectacular hilltop homes with floor-to-ceiling windows. “With the location we chose, we made it about as hard on ourselves as we possibly could,” Newport-Berra said. “It’s an architectural masterpiece, but quite small. And the property is on a ridge that slopes down on either side, so there was no flat space outside the house and nowhere to put cranes for lighting. We really were at the whim of the weather and the sun. It boiled down to getting a couple of hours of shooting time over the course of a few days.”

Apple TV+INTERIOR, BEVERLY HILTON

For an episode set at the Golden Globes, the schedule didn’t work for them to piggyback on the real Globes. “We had four days of prep and then 12 hours to dress the Hilton,” Berghoff said. “Usually they spend weeks prepping that show.” She designed a modular set that could be set up quickly once they gained access to the hotel ballroom. For Newport-Berra, the scale made things difficult. “There were so many background actors,” he said. “We had hundreds of people in the background, but everyone who showed up very quickly understood what we were doing and fell in line.”

Apple TV+INTERIOR, LAS VEGAS

The last two episodes were set in Las Vegas for the CinemaCon industry conference, with the finale involving the Continental team doing a chaotic presentation in a huge hall. “At the very end, we do a long handheld shot that transfers to a drone, and then the drone moves around the entire space and lands back on the stage,” Newport-Berra said. “Shooting with a drone inside is crazy enough, but doing it from a handheld shot into a drone and then back into a handheld was quite challenging.”

A version of this story first appeared in the Comedy Issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine. Read more from the issue here.

Photographed for TheWrap by Arsenii Vaselenko

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