Welcome to this week’s “Just for variety.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda has a message to the trolls who have targeted theirhate at Halle Bailey star of the live-action adaptation of “The LittleMermaid” — watch Brandy in “Cinderella.” “I’m old enough to remember thatbeing a game changer for my generation,” Miranda told me during a Zoom chatfrom the L’Attitude conference in San Diego, where he was making an appearancewith American Express to support Latino small business owners . “And RobMarshall was the choreographer on that and is now the director of the movie.I’m really thrilled by that symmetry.”
More from Variety
Besides, Miranda thinks the positivity and excitement around the new film faroutweigh the negativity. Just take a look at the sneak peek of Bailey singinga snippet of “Part of Your World,” which racked up 104 million global viewswithin days of its debut at the D23 Expo. “I’m not interested in giving themany oxygen because I know the lives that are going to be changed. Halle isperfect for the part,” said the Tony winner, who wrote four songs for themovie with composer Alan Menken. “She’s going to blow them away. If that’sthe thing that makes you mad, then stay mad. But examine your choices.”
In San Diego, Miranda spoke to conference-goers about Drama Book Shop, thecentury-old bookstore that he bought about four years ago along with directorThomas Kail producer Jeffrey Seller and theater owner James L.Dutchman. Miranda and Kail first worked on “In the Heights” in the originalstore’s basement 20 years ago. “The store’s success is inextricably tied tothe health of the theater community,” Miranda said. “When Broadway has a goodweek, we have a good week. When the Omicron wave shuts down shows and cancelsperformances, we have a bad week. When theater-goers come to New York to see ashow, they stop at the Drama Book Shop. That’s been kind of an amazingrevelation to me.”
Story continues
He praises American Express for its ongoing support of Latino-ownedbusinesses. “My first show, ‘In the Heights,’ is about those businesses andthe fact that they’re Latino-owned and family-owned, and they make myneighborhood special. I really believe that — I still live in theneighborhood,” Miranda says. “I was happy to partner with Amex on thosecauses. And I’ve been happy to see them really step up in the aftermath ofHurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, supporting us when we took ‘Hamilton’ there toraise money for arts organizations, supporting local businesses on the island.They’re stepping up again in the wake of Hurricane Fiona as we all have to.”
…
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Feb. 19, 2021 – Actor Anthony Mackie photographed in theTreme District of New Orleans.
Anthony Mackie insists he doesn’t know if he’ll make an appearance asCaptain America in “Thunderbolts,” the Marvel Studios film set to starFlorence Pugho , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Sebastian Stan , DavidHarbour and Wyatt Russell. “I have no idea,” he told me while promotinghis new partnership with roofing manufacturer GAF to help residents of hishometown of New Orleans whose roofs were damaged by natural disasters. “Youknow how it works. They call you the week before and are like, ‘We own yourass. Come get in the movie.’”
We do know that Mackie will star in “Captain America: New World Order.” Theplot is under wraps, but Mackie says he’s been talking with screenwriterMalcolm Spellman. “We’ve talked and communicated about what we want thatstory to be going forward and how it’ll fit in his new Marvel universe,”Mackie explained. “You definitely get the idea of collaboration, but youdon’t get to tell them what it’s going to be and how it’s going to be.”
…
INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE, from left: Sean Connery, Harrison Ford asIndiana Jones, 1989. ©Paramount Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection
Indiana Jones producer Frank Marshall says he wasn’t surprised thatHarrison Ford got a bit emotional while promoting the fifth installationof the franchise onstage at D23. “We all got emotional,” Marshall told me atthe “Redeem Team” premiere. “We’ve been together for 40 years, and we feellike we made a really good movie. You look back at all the movies and you getemotional, because that’s your life and your career. He’s been that characterfor so long.”
Will we see an “Indiana Jones 6”? “I don’t know,” Marshall said. “When wesigned up, we signed up for three movies, so the next two were all icing onthe cake.
…
Billy Reid at Platform in Culver City.
Congrats to designer Billy Reid! He just opened his first Los Angelesoutpost, a pop-up at Platform in Culver City. I visited with Reid at the storelast week. He reminisced about Matthew McConaughey being the first celebhe dressed back in 1998. At the time, Reid had just started his business withone employee, who happened to be from the same Texas town as the actor. “Hewas like, ‘I could get us in touch with Matthew,’” Reid recalled. “We sent hima box of clothes and a nice note. The next thing you knew, Matthew was doing ajunket, and he wore one of my shirts in almost all of the interviews.” I’llhave more from Reid later this week about his new capsule collection inspiredby the Gibson Hummingbird acoustic guitar ( Margo Price is one of thefaces of the campaign) and his big dream to get his clothes on KrisKristofferson.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.