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Two Props Stolen From ‘Beetlejuice 2’ Set

Robbery! Robbery! Robbery!

Two props were stolen from the set of Beetlejuice 2 in East Corinth, Vermont, the state police department announced on Friday.

“We tried saying the name of this stolen statue three times, but it didn’t come back! We’re investigating the theft of this 150-pound sculpture,” the police tweeted, “along with a lamppost topped with a pumpkin decoration.” They also shared two photos of the unique gray statue.

The sculpture may look familiar to fans of the original Beetlejuice, as it is one of Delia Deetz’s (Catherine O’Hara) creations that she was trapped in twice over the course of the film. The first time is when movers try to wrestle it into the house and the second is when Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice brings it to life.

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We tried saying the name of this stolen statue three times, but it didn’t come back! We’re investigating the theft of this 150-pound sculpture from the “Beetlejuice 2” set in E. Corinth, along with a lamppost topped with a pumpkin decoration. Call 802-748-3111 with any info. pic.twitter.com/3NmKEml1AG

— Vermont State Police (@VTStatePolice) July 21, 2023

The Beetlejuice 2 set isn’t the first one to get robbed in recent history. In February 2022, thieves stole $500,000 worth of props and equipment from Netflix’s Lupin and The Crown sets based in Paris and Northern England, respectively. More than 350 items were reportedly taken from several production vehicles on the monarchy drama, while the Omar Sy-starring series had $330,000 worth of equipment taken.

The sequel to the 1980s cult classic began production in May and reunites Tim Burton with original stars Keaton, O’Hara and Winona Ryder, as well as the director’s Wednesday star Jenna Ortega. Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe are joining the cast.

Keaton previously teased Beetlejuice 2, sharing that they’re approaching the same way they did the first one. “There’s a woman in the great waiting room for the afterlife literally with a fishing line,” he said. “I want people to know this because I love it, tugging on the tail of a cat to make it move.”

Warner Bros. is set to release Beetlejuice 2 on Sept. 6, 2024, but with the writers and actors strikes, there’s a possibility it gets pushed.

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My baby is double the size of her twin sister — strangers can’t believe it

A set of miracle twins from Washington, Pennsylvania, stun strangers everywhere they go due to their remarkable size difference.

Born 11 weeks early by cesarean section in December 2021, tiny Reagan Lambert weighed just 1 pound while her sister, Mila, weighed 2 pounds and 13 ounces.

“When I saw Reagan, she was so small she could fit in your hand,” their mom, Audrieanna Lambert, 33, told South West News Service.

“I knew she was going to be tiny, but she was still so much smaller than I had imagined.”

Audrieanna added, “Mila was three times the size. But Reagan was fully developed despite how minuscule she was.

”We were finally allowed to hold them when they were five days old. It was magical, but they were so delicate and tiny.”

Smaller twin Reagan and her sister, Mila, were born 11 weeks early. Audrieanna Lambert / SWNS

But the girls had a bit of a rough start, with both taken straight to the natal intensive care unit after delivery.

Mila spent 45 days at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh before she was well enough to go home, in January 2022.

“It was so lovely to have Mila home but so hard to have to keep traveling back and forth to see her sister and for them not to be together,” Audrieanna said.

The twins with their dad, Chase.Audrieanna Lambert / SWNS

Reagan spent her own 118 days in the hospital, battling sepsis and receiving blood transfusions to help her grow. She finally came home in April 2022.

The road to welcoming children was long for Audrieanna and her husband, union laborer Chase, 30. But after years of pregnancy struggles, the couple found themselves expecting in June 2021 after the first round of IVF.

Both twins are now walking and talking — and swimming! Audrieanna Lambert / SWNS

At six weeks, the couple discovered they were expecting twins but were told that one baby — Reagan — was very small and might be lost early in the pregnancy.

At 15 weeks, they were told Reagan had caught up but at Audrieanna’s 20-week scan the tot was falling behind again, measuring 18% smaller than her sister.

“The doctors were not sure if she would make it at that point,” Audrieanna explained.

Mila was three times the size of Reagan when the twins were born. Audrieanna Lambert / SWNS

At 24 weeks, the couple was given the devastating news that Reagan was now 50% smaller and suffering issues with her cord flow.

That’s when they were told that Reagan would pass away within two weeks.

Audrieanna recalled: “They were certain she wouldn’t make it because everything they knew medically told them she wouldn’t. I was devastated.”

The twins’ mom said strangers can’t believe the girls are twins. Audrieanna Lambert / SWNS

But two weeks later, at the 26-week scan, doctors found that Reagan’s heart was still beating, and at 27 weeks Audrieanna was admitted to West Penn Hospital for monitoring.

Regan’s cord flow changed at 29 weeks and the babies were delivered by emergency C-section.

Now 19 months old, the twins are still drastically different sizes but are still hitting their milestones.

Reagan wears three-month-old clothes while Mila is in 12-18 months. Audrieanna says strangers “can’t believe they are twins.”

Reagan is walking and can say 15 words, while Mila is running and has a vocabulary of 60 words.

Reagan (right) weighed just 1 pound when she was born. Audrieanna Lambert / SWNS

“She’s pretty awesome,” the proud mom said of Reagan. “Her walking isn’t perfect but she’s very independent.”

“Mila runs everywhere,” she added. “She’s Reagan’s biggest cheerleader.

“If Reagan does something new, Mila’s face lights up.”

The family is delighted that both twins are healthy enough to attend daycare together.

The twins from Pennsylvania are going to be big sisters to another baby girl. Audrieanna Lambert / SWNS

They’re also excited to welcome their third daughter, who is expected in October.

“They kiss my belly.” Audrieanna said of the twins.

“The newborn will probably wear the same clothes as Reagan and outgrow her. We’re so excited.”

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Gender-neutral figures, mythical creature among newly suggested emojis

Smartphone users may soon see new gender-neutral figures, a citrus fruit and a mythical creature in their emoji list.

Unicode, the nonprofit behind emoji creations, drafted “four new gender-neutral family emojis intended to be represented via silhouettes” possibly for its 15.1 update, reports Emojipedia, a popular blog that keeps up with the modern-day hieroglyphics.

A mythical phoenix, a slice of lime, a mushroom and a broken chain, as well as a disembodied head shaking horizontally and another one shaking vertically, are other additions expected from the new series, up for approval by Unicode in September.

Mock-ups of the new icons have been shared by Joshua Jones, Emojipedia’s head of emoji design, to give typers a taste of what could be appearing soon on their keyboards.

New emojis may be coming to smartphones. They include a fruit, gender-neutral figures, and a mythical creature.Unicode

“Based on recent years, the final version is likely to mirror this draft list,” the blog noted.

The new batch will also have a major focus on motion-directed figures — “all versions of pre-existing people emojis.

“The Emoji 15.1 candidate list also contains directional versions of six different types of person emojis (for a total of 108 new emojis when you include skin tone modifier and gender variants),” according to Emojipedia.

“Additionally,” the blog shares, “Apple and other vendors may opt for unique designs for each of the new direction-specifying people emojis, instead of simply inverting their existing designs.”

Gender-neutral emojis are part of an anticipated update to some characters.

Emojis have recently caused a stir online, as some have sparked confusion, while others have had their meanings hotly debated.

Gen Z has notoriously gone to war in an effort to cancel the (apparently boomer-relegated) thumbs up emoji as well.

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Shark tracking tech may save lives during hurricane season: scientists

Looks like Jaws is on our team now.

Shark tracking, among the many new techniques for keeping an eye on the apex predators, may have “enormous untapped potential” for analyzing hurricanes and other major storm systems, new studies and experts say.

Sharks and other marine life are being fitted with micro-sized satellite tags, Florida Today heard from Tobey Curtis, study author and fishery management specialist for NOAA Fisheries in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Curtis explained: “They have the capability to capture these oceanographic data that can inform hurricane models, which is really cool … Then the data can get transmitted directly into the sort of oceanographic data pipeline and be available in the same places as all those traditional datasets.”

The practice, which began with tagging seals in the 1980s, isn’t yet perfect. Curtis notes of sharks, “We can’t make them swim in a grid pattern,” but the animals have one big advantage: they swim across currents, allowing more data collection.

Shark behavior may reveal a great deal about upcoming hurricanes, new research shows.iStockphoto; NOAA via AP

Using sharks as meteorological instruments also proved successful in 2017 during Hurricane Irma, which pounded Florida and other Southern states. The predators were equipped with acoustic telemetry devices as the storm moved through the Miami region.

During landfall, many sharks — especially of the nurse, bull and great hammerhead variety, as opposed to larger species like tiger sharks —abandoned Biscayne Bay for deeper waters, says Florida Today, which noted previous research showing similar patterns in years past.

Sharks can also apparently distinguish between a merely bad weather system and a hurricane, notes Michael Heithaus, who researches sharks at Florida International University.

Tracked shark behavior may be a great indicator for hurricanes and severe weather.AP

“You can get big pressure drops with thunderstorms, and we don’t see any evidence of them getting out of the system when the big thunderstorms come through,” Heithaus told the outlet.

Researchers say tagging even more sharks will “greatly improve” storm forecasting based on temperature changes.

They also can detect changes in water’s conductivity, as indicated by research conducted in 2007 off Long Island Sound and Jacksonville, providing a handy early warning system for bad weather.

Sharks may have telltale behavior that can be analyzed to determine hurricane patterns.Getty Images

All such data would be uploaded in real time to the Integrated Oceanographic Observation System, a major database of ocean currents and patterns.

 “There’s a lot of data coming off the backs of animals that are going to be a part of that,” Heithaus said.

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‘Top Chef’ star Kwame Onwuachi joins all-star lineup serving up fare at US Open

Celebrated chef Kwame Onwuachi will join a star-studded roster chosen to serve hungry tennis fans at the US Open this summer, Side Dish can reveal exclusively.

Onwuachi, the Long Island born, Bronx-raised Nigerian-American chef, wowed New Yorkers with his restaurant Tatiana when it launched at Lincoln Center’s Geffen Hall last year — including my colleague Steve Cuozzo, who called the short rib pastrami suya on the menu his favorite new dish of the decade so far.

Now, the former “Top Chef” star and tennis fan will make his first appearance on an even grander stage in Queens.

“I’m so excited to be a part of this year’s US Open,” Onwuachi tells Side Dish. “As a native New Yorker, it’s always an exciting time in the city. I went to the Open with my grandmother when I was 12 and saw Venus and Serena play. It was amazing. Tennis is a global sport, with elite players descending from all over the world.

“The global influences of Tatiana’s cuisine, along with the underlying nod to the food and culture of New York City, should be a good match for that.”

Former “Top Chef” star and tennis fan Kwame Onwuachi will make his first appearance at the US Open food court. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Onwuachi’s Mom Dukes ShrimpStephen Yang

Onwuachi says he will be cooking up some of Tatiana’s greatest hits, including hamachi escovitch with avocado, carrot nage and marinated peppers; black bean hummus with berbere-spiced lamb, sweet pickled sultana and M’semen; crispy okra with honey, mustard and peppa sauce; and pepper steak, a 14oz ribeye, with stewed peppers and pickled onions.

He will be joined by a pair of other food court first timers: Michelin-starred chef James Kent, of Crown Shy and SAGA eateries, and Melba Wilson, the revered chef whose Southern comfort food has been a longtime hit at iconic Melba’s Restaurant in Harlem. 

When she’s not dishing out her signature chicken and eggnog waffles at her Harlem-based empire, Wilson also likes to take in a tennis match.

The US Open’s second annual premiere food event, “Flavors of the Open,” takes place on Aug. 24. Getty Images

“It has parallels to life for me,” she said. “You know that there are many people in the village of the player that show up to give all of what the village pours into them. It reminds me of the village that shows up for me everyday. My village — my Harlem.”

She recalled attending her first US Open in 1983 and the joy she experienced in watching Yannick Noah.

“It was magical watching him move across the court with Harlem Globetrotter moves, swinging his racket, behind his back and between his legs. His performance was like nothing I’d ever seen,” Wilson said. “The crowd, the excitement, the thrill of being in that space excited me and showed me that diversity in a game matched what I aimed to achieve through my culinary gifts in the kitchen.”

Other chefs slated to return to the US Open stage include Alex Guarnaschelli, Josh Capon, Masaharu Morimoto, David Burke, and burger baron Pat LaFrieda. 

Melba WilsonMatt Furman

Foodies and tennis fans will have a chance to taste some of their signature dishes and meet them in person at the US Open’s second annual premiere food event, “Flavors of the Open,” on Aug. 24. Tickets for the event cost $175, with some of the proceeds going to the USTA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the United States Tennis Association, said USTA’s Nicole Kankam, managing director of marketing and entertainment.

The event attracted 1,200 people last year and USTA hopes that number will be higher this year, Kankam added.   

Alex GuarnaschelliSquire Fox

More than 700,000 people flock over the two weeks the US Open is played at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center each year, said US Open executive chef Jim Abbey, who overseas a team of 250 people who prepare food across seven restaurants, 60 concession stands and 90 suites. 

“It’s one of my favorite food events of the year. For both the veterans and new players at the US Open, this is a great moment to shine,” Guarnaschelli said.

“I love being a part of the US Open, because all of the food from all of the venues share a great synergy with the sport of tennis and its incredible players. It’s honestly a privilege.”

Josh CaponDarren Carroll/USTA

The Flavors of the Open event will also showcase some great tennis stars, headlined by legendary doubles duo Bob and Mike Bryan, and Caroline Wozniacki, the former world No. 1 and Australian Open champ who announced she will come out of retirement and play in this year’s US Open.  

“Flavors of the Open combines great food from world class chefs and benefits the USTA Foundation, which does amazing work for young people across the country,” Mike Bryan said. 

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These 8 habits could add up to 24 years to your life: study

Apparently there’s eight simple rules to add years to your life.

Adopting some simple, healthy habits by middle age will pay dividends in the future, according to a new study presented at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting on Monday.

Researchers studied data collected from more than 700,000 US veterans, observing how their life expectancy shifted based on the number of healthy habits they adopted.

They found, on average, embracing these habits increased males’ lifespans by 24 years and women’s by 21 years.

“We were really surprised by just how much could be gained with the adoption of one, two, three, or all eight lifestyle factors,” Xuan-Mai T. Nguyen, health science specialist at the Department of Veterans Affairs and rising fourth-year medical student at Carle Illinois College of Medicine, said in a news release.

Having a good diet helps prolong the average lifespan, the study found. Getty Images/iStockphoto

Avoiding binge drinking was also on the list of eight habits.Getty Images

Adopting healthier habits by middle age will extend lifespan, the research found.AFP via Getty Images

“Our research findings suggest that adopting a healthy lifestyle is important for both public health and personal wellness,” Nyugen continued. “The earlier the better, but even if you only make a small change in your 40s, 50s, or 60s, it still is beneficial.”

The habits include:

Being physically activeBeing free from opioid addictionNot smokingManaging stressHaving a good dietNot regularly binge drinkingHaving good sleep hygieneHaving positive social relationships

Researchers used data from medical records and questionnaires collected from 719,147 people aged between 40 and 99 years old and enrolled in the Veterans Affairs Million Veteran Program between 2011 and 2019.

The common factors contributing to shorter lifespan included low exercise, opioid use and smoking. Scientists noted these factors were associated with around a 30% to 45% higher risk of death during the study period.

Stress, binge drinking, poor diet and poor sleep hygiene were each associated with around a 20% increase in the risk of death, and a lack of positive social relationships was associated with a 5% increased risk of death.

It’s never too late to make the changes too, Nguyen noted, adding although that “the earlier the better.”

“But even if you only make a small change in your 40s, 50s or 60s, it still is beneficial,” Nguyen said. “It is never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle.”

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I booked an Airbnb for my family — I accidentally reserved an entire hotel

A TikToker was shocked to discover that she accidentally reserved an entire hotel for her family vacation in Bali, Indonesia.

Jas posted a TikTok last week explaining how she snagged a hotel for her family of seven thinking she had reserved a private villa.

The video quickly went viral, amassing over 3 million views, as people tried to wrap their heads around what happened.

The social media manager shared that she booked the lodging her grandparents had selected through Airbnb a year prior, spending about $3,000 for a week.

She admitted that she anticipated issues, knowing that Indonesia has been increasing prices trying to deter tourists, but was excited to take her family on a beautiful vacation.

Jas’ video quickly went viral, amassing over 3 million views, as people were shocked to hear her explanation.@jxx/TikTok

Jas reported that a week before her family was set to check in, the owner messaged her on Airbnb and informed her that the property is under new management and had undergone several changes, including pricing, from her booking a year ago.

She said that the owner was blown away by the low price that she paid through the vacation rental site and continued to question how she scored such a great deal.

“I was like, ‘How do you mean, how did I get this price?’ ” Jas recounted. “I just booked it. I don’t know what you want me to say.”

She said that the owner continued to message her frantically as he explained that the property was actually a whole hotel, but finally came to terms with the fact that he would have to “take an L.”

When Jas and her family finally made it to their destination, Jas noticed that the place had a few markers of a hotel, including an ATM in the kitchen, 12 bedrooms, a full-time bartender, a kitchen, a chef and a restaurant.

She described the place as “nice for an Airbnb,” but “quite disappointing” for a hotel.

The family of seven ended up with 12 bedrooms, a full-time bartender, a kitchen, a chef, and a restaurant all to themselves. @jzs/Instagram

The host then reportedly told Jas that because she got a “special rate” on their stay that other people would be coming to stay with them on the property.

“I was like, ‘Um no. I don’t know what this special rate is or what discounts they gave me, but I just booked it. I didn’t do anything,’ ” she attempted to reiterate.

Jas told the owner that while she appreciated the great deal she got, there was “absolutely no way in hell” that she would accept having others on the property with her family, as she was led to believe that she had booked the entire place.

“It’s a huge f–king villa, but a small hotel,” she explained.

Jas said she paid about $3,000 for seven people for a week at the beautiful property in Bali. @jxx/TikTok

In the end, Jas was able to keep the entire property private for her family and enjoy a lovely vacation.

The Post reached out to Jas for comment.

She shared pictures on Instagram, noting that the trip had always been a dream of hers.

“My grandparents are so amazed by everything and even on the rainy days sat in the villa my grandma says she feels like she’s in heaven,” she wrote.

While Jas and her family thoroughly enjoyed their time in Bali, many locals are fed up with the influx of tourists who they claim dishonor their culture and disregard their laws.

Anti-foreigner sentiments have been growing, as tourists have been caught having sex in public, breaking traffic laws, working illegally as tattoo artists, smuggling drugs and disrespecting sacred grounds, leaving native Indonesians feeling resentful.

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Quiz Lady: Everything We Know About The Comedy With Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, And Will Ferrell

Awkwafina is joined on her cross-country quest by her messed-up sister Jenny (Sandra Oh), and comes into contact with the formidably funny likes of Jason Schwartzman, Tony Hale, Holland Taylor and Will Ferrell. “Quiz Lady” is directed by Jessica Yu and written by Jen D’Angelo. Yu scored a minor critical hit with the comedy “Ping Pong Playa,” but she’s probably best known as a prestige TV director with credits on “The West Wing,” “This Is Us” and “Billions.” D’Angelo is a well-regarded writer and actor who’s worked on “Cougar Town,” “Workaholics” and “Solar Opposites.” That’s a pretty decent pedigree. 

The film is produced by Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum, Maggie Haskins, Itay Reiss, Jen D’Angelo, Awkwafina, and Sandra Oh, with Alex Brown and Erika Hampson serving as executive producers.

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‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ season 2 will include a musical episode

Star Trek musical parodies have been a thing since the Shatner days, but no official Star Trek musical has ever been released officially. That’s about to change, though, as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 will feature the first ever Star Trek musical episode, Paramount announced. Called Subspace Rhapsody, it will be the ninth episode of the season and debut on Paramount Plus on August 3rd at 7PM ET.  

The news dropped at San Diego Comic-Con during the Star Trek Universe panel, along with a video (below, US only). It features 10 new songs composed by Kay Hanley and Tom Polce of the rock band Letters to Cleo.

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Strange New Worlds has been a success with both critics (including Engadget’s Daniel Cooper) and audiences since its debut, thanks in large part to the cast led by Anson Mount (Captain Pike), Rebecca Romjin (Number 1) and Ethan Peck (Spock). It also brought a lighter touch to the Star Trek universe following darker shows like Picard. As we detailed yesterday, the show dropped its Lower Decks crossover episode earlier than expected, and it’s now available to stream. 

Musical TV episodes are nothing new, with some of the more noteworthy ones coming out of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Scrubs and Xena, Warrior Princess (yep). Sometimes these are, well, unmotivated, with everyone suddenly breaking into song (Scrubs), or the musical is built as a bottle episode outside the reality of the main show (Xena). 

Subspace Rhapsody seems to be set in motion by plot events, though, with some kind of (insert your favorite Trek MacGuffin here) event bringing out the characters’ inner theater kids. As shown in the trailer and retro-style poster, it’s staged and performed as a full-blown musical, and looks like some silly fun. 

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Revenge Of The Fallen’s First Scene Was A Trial By Fire For The Transformers Crew

Michael Bay doesn’t do “small” and this particular sequence was no exception. According to Special Air Service Forces member Matthew Marsden, “I think at one time we had two Apache helicopters, two Blackhawk helicopters, and also two additional filming helicopters along with Humvees, Rangers. You know, I mean, it was just massive.”

In an unconventional move, Bay elected to film this scene at the start of production. As Ben Seresin noted, most of the time directors prefer to start off with “something small to get people up to speed, help them to sort of acquaint themselves with each other, and generally help the process gently start. Michael’s not that sort of guy.” Bay concurred with this, stating:

“I like to start ’em hard and fast, very first week. Your first week on a movie sets the entire tone for the show. You wanna do a little bit of action, a little bit of character, a little bit of stuff that’s gonna wow the studio, stuff that’s going to test your lighting, that’s going to establish a look. You try to do a little of everything so that it just sets the tone.”

Perhaps the biggest problem with “Bayhem” (though definitely not the only one) is that it leaves no room for quieter moments. If things aren’t going kablooey in most of Bay’s films, then characters are frantically yelling or the camera is swooping wildly or striking dramatic angles. It works when the film is a feature-long chase like “Ambulance,” but in a film like “Revenge of the Fallen,” where nearly every scene is designed to overstimulate viewers, it just leaves you feeling exhausted.

Bay’s collaborators know that feeling. As Marsden put it, “[…] I was finishing, I’m like, ‘Man, you know what, I wish I was doing this 15 years ago, because I feel like an old man right now.'”

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