<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer</a>

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-emmy-nominations-television-386cfb3a085d2dc022499ec327e9fb41">The Emmy Award nominations announced Tuesday</a>&nbsp;included some snubs and surprises. “This Is Us” and “black-ish” will walk away forever limply and Nathan Lane made history as the most-nominated best comedy guest actor in Emmy history.

“Squid Game,” the brutal Netflix survival drama about desperate adults competing in deadly children’s games for a chance to escape debt, won in its bid to become the first non-English-language drama series ever nominated for top drama.

In the bleak and disturbing series from South Korea, hundreds of men and women on the brink of financial ruin compete in a deadly battle for roughly $38 million in cash. Every game is a traditional Korean children’s game such as Red Light, Green Light, but the consequence of losing is death. The winner is the person who outlasts all opponents.

It remains Netflix’s most popular series. “Squid Game” became the first series to cross the streamer’s 1 billion hours-viewed mark and was awarded 14 Emmy nods in its freshman year. The cultural impact of the show was nearly immediate. People dressed as the pink-jumpsuited “Squid Game” guards for Halloween, TikTok challenges launched and memes filled social media.

The success of “Squid Game” comes three years after the South Korean film “Parasite” won best picture at the Oscars, overcoming what its director Bong Joon-ho called the “one-inch barrier of subtitles.”

This may make “This Is Us” fans cry: The show will go into the TV sunset without ever having won the Emmy for outstanding drama series.

The NBC tearjerker has won Emmys for actors Gerald McRaney, Sterling K. Brown and Ron Cephas Jones but has never been crowned best drama. This past season was the show’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-dan-fogelman-2d94c05e4d638699d742dbcd11661207">sixth and final one</a>, and it picked up a single nomination this time, for outstanding original music and lyrics, not exactly a rousing goodbye.

“This Is Us” tells the story of the Pearson family across multiple generations via flashbacks, present-day stories and flash-forwards. It premiered on NBC in 2016 starring Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley and Brown.

While some groused that the series was manipulative and overly soap opera-ish, it dealt with real issues like the loss of a parent, struggles with pregnancy, depression, drug addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, coming out and interracial adoption.

The show has been nominated multiple times for best drama — 2021, 2019, 2018 and 2017 — but lost to shows like “Game of Thrones,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Crown.”

Dave Chappelle’s 2021 special “The Closer” which included anti-transgender comments, was nominated for best variety special and directing for a variety special.

Netflix ran into a buzz-saw of criticism not only with the special but in how internal memos responded to employees’ concerns. Netflix employees at one point walked out in protest.

But co-CEO Ted Sarandos wrote that Netflix doesn’t allow titles that are “designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe ‘The Closer’ crosses that line.”

Critics said that while the streaming service offers positive fare for the LGBTQ community, Netflix is having it both ways by also offering a show like Chappelle’s that includes disparaging comments about trans women.

Louis C.K.’s “Sorry” in 2021 was his second self-released special since his career slowed down after admitting to sexual misconduct. It did not move Emmy voters.

A dip this year after a romp last year was perfectly understandable, but “Ted Lasso,” the most nominated freshman comedy series in history, kept up the scoring with Emmy voters.

The Jason Sudeikis-led comedy earned 20 nods, the same number of nominations for “Ted Lasso” last year in its debut season, on its way to eventually winning seven trophies, including outstanding comedy series and lead actor for Sudeikis.

The show centers on an American football coach who takes charge of an elite British soccer team in England despite having little knowledge of the game. Sudeikis’ Lasso may be a fish out of water, but he’s relentlessly optimistic and kind, armed with homespun wisdom in the face of hostility.

If the first season established the characters and the tone, the second was about deepening and exploring what the creators have already built, with many secondary characters finding their voices. The dedication to fleshing out characters meant the second season largely abandoned the overall plot machine of the club’s success. The third season — expected to be the last — is already in the works.

The show’s success may be due in part because the world is reeling from the devastating effects of COVID-19 and Lasso’s homespun slogans and kindness in the face of adversity seem to touch a nerve.

Hulu’s buzzy true crime satire “Only Murders in the Building” was eligible for the first time this year and slayed with 17 nominations, including writing and outstanding comedy.

It may have helped that stars Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez were already appearing in the show’s second season during much of Emmy voting. Short and Martin earned acting nods; Gomez didn't get one of those but has a producer credit nomination.

In the first season, the three played true crime podcast fans who solved a murder in their apartment building on New York City’s Upper West Side, creating a popular podcast in the process. In the second season, Gomez’s character has been accused of killing the building’s board president. Martin, who plays a washed-up actor, and Short, a faded stage director, want to prove her innocence

Helping the show along are plenty of guest stars, including Tina Fey, Amy Schumer, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Jaboukie Young-White, Jackie Hoffman, Jayne Houdyshell, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Ali Stroker and Sting. But much of the show’s success is due to the chemistry between the three leads, what BuzzFeed called “the terrific trio we never knew we needed.”

Nathan Lane has made history as the most-nominated best comedy guest actor in Emmy history.

The three-time Tony winner outmuscled the late Fred Willard for the most nominations in the category for his work on “Only Murders in the Building,” leaving him with six nods to Willard’s five.

Lane has yet to win a Primetime Emmy, though he is the recipient of two Daytime Emmys for his voice work in “Timon and Pumbaa” and “Teacher’s Pet.” He has been nominated for best comedy guest actor six times and best drama guest actor once. The previous comedy bids were for his work on sitcoms “Frasier,” “Mad About You” and “Modern Family.”

In “Only Murders in the Building,” Lane plays a deli chain owner/podcast sponsor who is harboring dark secrets.

Lane has won Tonys for the Broadway shows “Angels in America,” “The Producers” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” He also has a Screen Actors Guild for his work in “The Birdcage.”

Network TV is dead — or is it? “Abbott Elementary″ once again proves it is not.

The hilarious mockumentary became ABC’s first comedy to quadruple its ratings since its premiere, and it nabbed seven nominations. “Abbott Elementary″ follows a documentary crew while they film the lives of teachers and students at a struggling, underfunded Philadelphia school.

It earned nominations for outstanding comedy series, comedy writing, casting and acting for Tyler James Williams, Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph.

It was created and written by comedian Quinta Brunson, who plays Janine Teagues and also earned an acting nod Tuesday. She previously appeared in “A Black Lady Sketch Show” and “Big Mouth,” and is currently working on the script for the second season of “Abbott Elementary.″ It airs on ABC and Hulu.

“Abbott Elementary″ is a true workplace comedy in the vein of “The Office” or “Superstore” and achieved ABC’s highest ratings since the “Modern Family” finale. At one point, it was the most tweeted-about TV comedy of the year.

TV Guide in June called it the best show on television right now, saying it is “revitalizing the network sitcom by shrinking the distinction between broadcast and streaming.”

The musical theater valentine “Schmigadoon!” didn’t make Emmy voters whip out their jazz hands.

The series starring Cecily Strong with Keegan-Michael Key found hilarity in the clash between modern sensibilities and classic Broadway musical theater norms. But it didn't get any big Emmy nods, earning nominations for production design, choreography, music composition and original music and lyrics.

The town of Schmigadoon is stuck in the overly cheery Technicolor age, where two hotel rooms cost $1 — unmarried couples should never sleep in one bed, of course — and residents suddenly sing about corn pudding. Strong and Key star as doctors who have grown tired in their relationship and decide to go on a camping retreat, ending up lost in Schmigadoon.

The six-part limited series that premiered on the streaming service last July was filled with some of the best and brightest of Broadway, including Tony winners Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Jane Krakowski and Aaron Tveit, plus Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose and legend Martin Short.

Musical television series haven’t always hit the high notes with viewers and critics. “Smash,” a look behind the scenes at a Broadway musical was cancelled after two seasons and won a single Emmy. The CW’s “My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” ran from 2015-2019 and won four Emmys, while NBC’s “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” which ran from 2020-2021, won a single statuette, for choreography.

Apple TV+ announced in June that there will be a second season of “Schmigadoon!,” which will parody the musicals of the ’60s and ’70s.

Fans of “black-ish” may feel aggrieved that Emmy love never came, even at the end.

The show — a vehicle for nuanced chapters about racism, parenthood, sexism and police violence all within a comedy — ended its eight-season run this year without ever winning the outstanding comedy series crown or trophies for lead actors Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson.

The series earned a prestigious Peabody Award and other awards – including multiple NAACP Image Awards — but top Emmys remained out of reach. It got one, for hairstyling, in 2020. This year it got two nominations: hairstyling and costumes.

The series was a network TV rarity: A depiction of a prosperous, tight-knit family of color, the Johnsons, with Black creators shaping their stories.

Anderson did score an impressive seven best comedy actor nominations in a row, plus four additional bids for producing when “black-ish” earned best comedy series nominations in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021.

“Severance,” Apple TV+’s vicious satire of office culture, managed to charm Emmy voters with 14 nominations.

“Severance” is set in a shadowy corporate headquarters where employees have agreed to get a chip implanted in their brains that separates the personal life from office life. Though conceived before the pandemic, it arrived just as many white-collar workers were making their first tentative steps back to the office — and questioning why.

The show — written by newcomer Dan Erickson, with all episodes directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle — is drenched in paranoia about what corporate work does to people and became one of the most acclaimed series of the year.

Adam Scott stars as the leader of a group who work under bright florescent lights and wander down endless antiseptic corridors, cut off from the world outside. In Season One, the series morphs from satire to thriller as some employees start questioning what is happening to them.

Among the show’s nominations are a berth in top drama series and a best writing honor. Scott earned a lead actor nod, Patricia Arquette got one as a supporting actor and Stiller for directing the episode “The We We Are.”

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer</a>NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-emmy-nominations-television-386cfb3a085d2dc022499ec327e9fb41">The Emmy Award nominations announced Tuesday</a>&nbsp;included some snubs and surprises. “This Is Us” and “black-ish” will walk away forever limply and Nathan Lane made history as the most-nominated best comedy guest actor in Emmy history.Here's our rundown.NOT JUST A GAME“Squid Game,” the brutal Netflix survival drama about desperate adults competing in deadly children’s games for a chance to escape debt, won in its bid to become the first non-English-language drama series ever nominated for top drama.In the bleak and disturbing series from South Korea, hundreds of men and women on the brink of financial ruin compete in a deadly battle for roughly $38 million in cash. Every game is a traditional Korean children’s game such as Red Light, Green Light, but the consequence of losing is death. The winner is the person who outlasts all opponents.It remains Netflix’s most popular series. “Squid Game” became the first series to cross the streamer’s 1 billion hours-viewed mark and was awarded 14 Emmy nods in its freshman year. The cultural impact of the show was nearly immediate. People dressed as the pink-jumpsuited “Squid Game” guards for Halloween, TikTok challenges launched and memes filled social media.The success of “Squid Game” comes three years after the South Korean film “Parasite” won best picture at the Oscars, overcoming what its director Bong Joon-ho called the “one-inch barrier of subtitles.”FAREWELL, USThis may make “This Is Us” fans cry: The show will go into the TV sunset without ever having won the Emmy for outstanding drama series.The NBC tearjerker has won Emmys for actors Gerald McRaney, Sterling K. Brown and Ron Cephas Jones but has never been crowned best drama. This past season was the show’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-dan-fogelman-2d94c05e4d638699d742dbcd11661207">sixth and final one</a>, and it picked up a single nomination this time, for outstanding original music and lyrics, not exactly a rousing goodbye.“This Is Us” tells the story of the Pearson family across multiple generations via flashbacks, present-day stories and flash-forwards. It premiered on NBC in 2016 starring Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley and Brown.While some groused that the series was manipulative and overly soap opera-ish, it dealt with real issues like the loss of a parent, struggles with pregnancy, depression, drug addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, coming out and interracial adoption.The show has been nominated multiple times for best drama — 2021, 2019, 2018 and 2017 — but lost to shows like “Game of Thrones,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Crown.”LAUGHING MATTER?Dave Chappelle’s 2021 special “The Closer” which included anti-transgender comments, was nominated for best variety special and directing for a variety special.Netflix ran into a buzz-saw of criticism not only with the special but in how internal memos responded to employees’ concerns. Netflix employees at one point walked out in protest.But co-CEO Ted Sarandos wrote that Netflix doesn’t allow titles that are “designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe ‘The Closer’ crosses that line.”Critics said that while the streaming service offers positive fare for the LGBTQ community, Netflix is having it both ways by also offering a show like Chappelle’s that includes disparaging comments about trans women.Louis C.K.’s “Sorry” in 2021 was his second self-released special since his career slowed down after admitting to sexual misconduct. It did not move Emmy voters.LASSOING NODS STAYS STEADYA dip this year after a romp last year was perfectly understandable, but “Ted Lasso,” the most nominated freshman comedy series in history, kept up the scoring with Emmy voters.The Jason Sudeikis-led comedy earned 20 nods, the same number of nominations for “Ted Lasso” last year in its debut season, on its way to eventually winning seven trophies, including outstanding comedy series and lead actor for Sudeikis.The show centers on an American football coach who takes charge of an elite British soccer team in England despite having little knowledge of the game. Sudeikis’ Lasso may be a fish out of water, but he’s relentlessly optimistic and kind, armed with homespun wisdom in the face of hostility.If the first season established the characters and the tone, the second was about deepening and exploring what the creators have already built, with many secondary characters finding their voices. The dedication to fleshing out characters meant the second season largely abandoned the overall plot machine of the club’s success. The third season — expected to be the last — is already in the works.The show’s success may be due in part because the world is reeling from the devastating effects of COVID-19 and Lasso’s homespun slogans and kindness in the face of adversity seem to touch a nerve.‘ONLY MURDERS’ KILLS ITHulu’s buzzy true crime satire “Only Murders in the Building” was eligible for the first time this year and slayed with 17 nominations, including writing and outstanding comedy.It may have helped that stars Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez were already appearing in the show’s second season during much of Emmy voting. Short and Martin earned acting nods; Gomez didn't get one of those but has a producer credit nomination.In the first season, the three played true crime podcast fans who solved a murder in their apartment building on New York City’s Upper West Side, creating a popular podcast in the process. In the second season, Gomez’s character has been accused of killing the building’s board president. Martin, who plays a washed-up actor, and Short, a faded stage director, want to prove her innocenceHelping the show along are plenty of guest stars, including Tina Fey, Amy Schumer, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Jaboukie Young-White, Jackie Hoffman, Jayne Houdyshell, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Ali Stroker and Sting. But much of the show’s success is due to the chemistry between the three leads, what BuzzFeed called “the terrific trio we never knew we needed.”STAYING IN HIS LANENathan Lane has made history as the most-nominated best comedy guest actor in Emmy history.The three-time Tony winner outmuscled the late Fred Willard for the most nominations in the category for his work on “Only Murders in the Building,” leaving him with six nods to Willard’s five.Lane has yet to win a Primetime Emmy, though he is the recipient of two Daytime Emmys for his voice work in “Timon and Pumbaa” and “Teacher’s Pet.” He has been nominated for best comedy guest actor six times and best drama guest actor once. The previous comedy bids were for his work on sitcoms “Frasier,” “Mad About You” and “Modern Family.”In “Only Murders in the Building,” Lane plays a deli chain owner/podcast sponsor who is harboring dark secrets.Lane has won Tonys for the Broadway shows “Angels in America,” “The Producers” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” He also has a Screen Actors Guild for his work in “The Birdcage.”AN ELEMENTARY CHOICENetwork TV is dead — or is it? “Abbott Elementary″ once again proves it is not.The hilarious mockumentary became ABC’s first comedy to quadruple its ratings since its premiere, and it nabbed seven nominations. “Abbott Elementary″ follows a documentary crew while they film the lives of teachers and students at a struggling, underfunded Philadelphia school.It earned nominations for outstanding comedy series, comedy writing, casting and acting for Tyler James Williams, Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph.It was created and written by comedian Quinta Brunson, who plays Janine Teagues and also earned an acting nod Tuesday. She previously appeared in “A Black Lady Sketch Show” and “Big Mouth,” and is currently working on the script for the second season of “Abbott Elementary.″ It airs on ABC and Hulu.“Abbott Elementary″ is a true workplace comedy in the vein of “The Office” or “Superstore” and achieved ABC’s highest ratings since the “Modern Family” finale. At one point, it was the most tweeted-about TV comedy of the year.TV Guide in June called it the best show on television right now, saying it is “revitalizing the network sitcom by shrinking the distinction between broadcast and streaming.”BROADWAY SATIRE FINDS NO LOVEThe musical theater valentine “Schmigadoon!” didn’t make Emmy voters whip out their jazz hands.The series starring Cecily Strong with Keegan-Michael Key found hilarity in the clash between modern sensibilities and classic Broadway musical theater norms. But it didn't get any big Emmy nods, earning nominations for production design, choreography, music composition and original music and lyrics.The town of Schmigadoon is stuck in the overly cheery Technicolor age, where two hotel rooms cost $1 — unmarried couples should never sleep in one bed, of course — and residents suddenly sing about corn pudding. Strong and Key star as doctors who have grown tired in their relationship and decide to go on a camping retreat, ending up lost in Schmigadoon.The six-part limited series that premiered on the streaming service last July was filled with some of the best and brightest of Broadway, including Tony winners Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Jane Krakowski and Aaron Tveit, plus Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose and legend Martin Short.Musical television series haven’t always hit the high notes with viewers and critics. “Smash,” a look behind the scenes at a Broadway musical was cancelled after two seasons and won a single Emmy. The CW’s “My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” ran from 2015-2019 and won four Emmys, while NBC’s “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” which ran from 2020-2021, won a single statuette, for choreography.Apple TV+ announced in June that there will be a second season of “Schmigadoon!,” which will parody the musicals of the ’60s and ’70s.A SAD GOODBYE-ISHFans of “black-ish” may feel aggrieved that Emmy love never came, even at the end.The show — a vehicle for nuanced chapters about racism, parenthood, sexism and police violence all within a comedy — ended its eight-season run this year without ever winning the outstanding comedy series crown or trophies for lead actors Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson.The series earned a prestigious Peabody Award and other awards – including multiple NAACP Image Awards — but top Emmys remained out of reach. It got one, for hairstyling, in 2020. This year it got two nominations: hairstyling and costumes.The series was a network TV rarity: A depiction of a prosperous, tight-knit family of color, the Johnsons, with Black creators shaping their stories.Anderson did score an impressive seven best comedy actor nominations in a row, plus four additional bids for producing when “black-ish” earned best comedy series nominations in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021.‘SEVERANCE’ NOT CUT OFF“Severance,” Apple TV+’s vicious satire of office culture, managed to charm Emmy voters with 14 nominations.“Severance” is set in a shadowy corporate headquarters where employees have agreed to get a chip implanted in their brains that separates the personal life from office life. Though conceived before the pandemic, it arrived just as many white-collar workers were making their first tentative steps back to the office — and questioning why.The show — written by newcomer Dan Erickson, with all episodes directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle — is drenched in paranoia about what corporate work does to people and became one of the most acclaimed series of the year.Adam Scott stars as the leader of a group who work under bright florescent lights and wander down endless antiseptic corridors, cut off from the world outside. In Season One, the series morphs from satire to thriller as some employees start questioning what is happening to them.Among the show’s nominations are a berth in top drama series and a best writing honor. Scott earned a lead actor nod, Patricia Arquette got one as a supporting actor and Stiller for directing the episode “The We We Are.”

Emmy surprises: 'Squid Game,' Dave Chappelle, 'This Is Us'

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JENNIFER%20PELTZ%20and%20TOM%20HAYS%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JENNIFER PELTZ and TOM HAYS Associated Press</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — A rock memorabilia dealer and two other men were charged Tuesday with scheming to sell allegedly ill-gotten, handwritten lyrics to the classic rock juggernaut “Hotel California” and other hits by the Eagles.

Prosecutors said the trio lied to auction houses and buyers about the manuscripts' fuzzy chain of origin, coaching the person who provided the material about what to say. Meanwhile, the men tried to thwart Eagles co-founder Don Henley's efforts to reclaim the items, according to prosecutors.

“They made up stories about the origin of the documents and their right to possess them so they could turn a profit,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.

Through their lawyers, rock auctioneer Edward Kosinski and co-defendants Glenn Horowitz and Craig Inciardi pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges. Kosinski and Inciardi were also charged with criminal possession of stolen property, and Horowitz was charged with attempted criminal possession of stolen property and two counts of hindering prosecution. They were released without bail.

Their lawyers insist the men are innocent.

“The DA’s office alleges criminality where none exists and unfairly tarnishes the reputations of well-respected professionals,” defense attorneys Antonia Apps, Jonathan Bach and Stacey Richman said in a statement vowing to “fight these unjustified charges vigorously."

Apps, who represents Kosinski, later called the charges “the weakest criminal case I have seen in my entire career,” characterizing it as a “civil dispute” over ownership.

“Despite six years of investigating the case, the DA hasn’t included a single factual allegation in the indictment showing that my client did anything wrong,” she said in a statement.

The trove of documents included Henley’s notes and lyrics for “Hotel California” and two other singles from that eponymous, blockbuster album: “Life in the Fast Lane” and “New Kid In Town.” Prosecutors valued the material at over $1 million.

The writings are “irreplaceable pieces of musical history” and “an integral part of the legacy Don Henley has created over the course of his 50-plus-year career,” longtime Eagles manager Irving Azoff said in a statement.

He thanked prosecutors for bringing a case that exposes “the truth about music memorabilia sales of highly personal, stolen items hidden behind a facade of legitimacy.”

The chart-topping, Grammy-Award-winning single “Hotel California” is a touchstone of 1970s rock, with one of the era's most memorable guitar solos capping a musical tale of being lured into a glitzy, mysterious hotel where “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” Theories about its meaning abound; Henley has said it’s about excess and a dark side of the American dream.

The Grammy-winning album has sold more than 26 million copies since its release in 1976, making it one of the best selling in history.

According to prosecutors and an indictment, Horowitz bought the documents around 2005 from a writer who worked on a never-published book about the Eagles in the late ’70s.

The writer, who isn't identified in the indictment, gave a variety of explanations to Horowitz over the years of where the documents came from.

In one email included in the indictment, the writer says Henley's assistant sent them from the musician's Malibu, California, home after the writer picked them out; in another, the writer found them discarded in a dressing room backstage at an Eagles concert; in another, someone who worked for the band gave them to him.

“It was about 35 years ago and my memory is foggy!” the writer said in a 2012 email.

By then, Kosinski and Inciardi had bought the documents from Horowitz; Kosinski had listed them for sale on his online auction site and inquiries about their origins were looming.

In subsequent emails, Horowitz and Inciardi worked to have the writer's “‘explanation’ shaped into a communication” — eventually, an April 2012 email saying that he didn't remember who gave him the documents. Kosinski sent it to Henley's lawyer, according to the indictment.

Later that month, Kosinski sold some “Hotel California” lyric sheets to Henley for $8,500, according to the indictment.

Inciardi and Kosinski then tried to peddle more of the Eagles documents to other potential buyers through Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction houses, while also offering to sell some to Henley, according to the indictment.

By 2017, with not only Henley's lawyers but the district attorney's office asking questions, Horowitz asked the writer whether he'd gotten the materials from another founding Eagles member, Glenn Frey, the indictment said. Frey had died the year before.

“Once you identify GF as the source of the tablet, you and I are out of this picture for good,” Horowitz wrote in a follow-up email.

The writer then provided a note to that effect, according to the indictment.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JENNIFER%20PELTZ%20and%20TOM%20HAYS%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JENNIFER PELTZ and TOM HAYS Associated Press</a>NEW YORK (AP) — A rock memorabilia dealer and two other men were charged Tuesday with scheming to sell allegedly ill-gotten, handwritten lyrics to the classic rock juggernaut “Hotel California” and other hits by the Eagles.Prosecutors said the trio lied to auction houses and buyers about the manuscripts' fuzzy chain of origin, coaching the person who provided the material about what to say. Meanwhile, the men tried to thwart Eagles co-founder Don Henley's efforts to reclaim the items, according to prosecutors.“They made up stories about the origin of the documents and their right to possess them so they could turn a profit,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.Through their lawyers, rock auctioneer Edward Kosinski and co-defendants Glenn Horowitz and Craig Inciardi pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges. Kosinski and Inciardi were also charged with criminal possession of stolen property, and Horowitz was charged with attempted criminal possession of stolen property and two counts of hindering prosecution. They were released without bail.Their lawyers insist the men are innocent.“The DA’s office alleges criminality where none exists and unfairly tarnishes the reputations of well-respected professionals,” defense attorneys Antonia Apps, Jonathan Bach and Stacey Richman said in a statement vowing to “fight these unjustified charges vigorously."Apps, who represents Kosinski, later called the charges “the weakest criminal case I have seen in my entire career,” characterizing it as a “civil dispute” over ownership.“Despite six years of investigating the case, the DA hasn’t included a single factual allegation in the indictment showing that my client did anything wrong,” she said in a statement.The trove of documents included Henley’s notes and lyrics for “Hotel California” and two other singles from that eponymous, blockbuster album: “Life in the Fast Lane” and “New Kid In Town.” Prosecutors valued the material at over $1 million.The writings are “irreplaceable pieces of musical history” and “an integral part of the legacy Don Henley has created over the course of his 50-plus-year career,” longtime Eagles manager Irving Azoff said in a statement.He thanked prosecutors for bringing a case that exposes “the truth about music memorabilia sales of highly personal, stolen items hidden behind a facade of legitimacy.”The chart-topping, Grammy-Award-winning single “Hotel California” is a touchstone of 1970s rock, with one of the era's most memorable guitar solos capping a musical tale of being lured into a glitzy, mysterious hotel where “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” Theories about its meaning abound; Henley has said it’s about excess and a dark side of the American dream.The Grammy-winning album has sold more than 26 million copies since its release in 1976, making it one of the best selling in history.According to prosecutors and an indictment, Horowitz bought the documents around 2005 from a writer who worked on a never-published book about the Eagles in the late ’70s.The writer, who isn't identified in the indictment, gave a variety of explanations to Horowitz over the years of where the documents came from.In one email included in the indictment, the writer says Henley's assistant sent them from the musician's Malibu, California, home after the writer picked them out; in another, the writer found them discarded in a dressing room backstage at an Eagles concert; in another, someone who worked for the band gave them to him.“It was about 35 years ago and my memory is foggy!” the writer said in a 2012 email.By then, Kosinski and Inciardi had bought the documents from Horowitz; Kosinski had listed them for sale on his online auction site and inquiries about their origins were looming.In subsequent emails, Horowitz and Inciardi worked to have the writer's “‘explanation’ shaped into a communication” — eventually, an April 2012 email saying that he didn't remember who gave him the documents. Kosinski sent it to Henley's lawyer, according to the indictment.Later that month, Kosinski sold some “Hotel California” lyric sheets to Henley for $8,500, according to the indictment.Inciardi and Kosinski then tried to peddle more of the Eagles documents to other potential buyers through Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction houses, while also offering to sell some to Henley, according to the indictment.By 2017, with not only Henley's lawyers but the district attorney's office asking questions, Horowitz asked the writer whether he'd gotten the materials from another founding Eagles member, Glenn Frey, the indictment said. Frey had died the year before.“Once you identify GF as the source of the tablet, you and I are out of this picture for good,” Horowitz wrote in a follow-up email.The writer then provided a note to that effect, according to the indictment.

3 charged in scheme to sell stolen 'Hotel California' lyrics

Salina’s popular Comic Con returns to Tony’s Pizza Events Center this weekend. This year’s event includes three special guests, cosplays contests, and plenty of shopping.

Best known to fans as Zhane, the original silver power ranger from Saban's Power Rangers in Space 1998. Oklahoma native Nimmo is also known for his roles in Pleasantville, American Indian Graffiti: This Thing Life, Dude, Where’s My Car?, and Saved by the Bell: The New Class. Justin has also been known to do look-alike work for Brad Pitt.

Nelson is best known for having played the iconic character of Darth Vader in the Special Edition re-release of the original Star Wars trilogy as well as in the Rebel Assault II and Dark Forces games from LucasArts.

Andrew, who began playing Vader for Lucasfilm in 1994, has portrayed the infamous dark lord for film, commercials, television shows, print, games, and live appearances. He has managed to spend more time in the official Vader costume than any other actor.

Fernandes is the only living Tusken Raider from the original 1977 Star Wars (later renamed Episode IV: A New Hope). He was one of two animal trainers who worked with the elephant which played the Bantha in the desert scenes.

Vendors will be on hand for attendees who want to buy, sell, and trade comic books, toys and pop culture memorabilia. Cosplay contests are Saturday at 4 p.m. for adults 16 and up; Sunday at 3 p.m. for kids 15 and under. The grand prize for this year’s adult cosplay contest is $1,000.

Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. - $11 for ages 9 and up, 8 and under is free with paying adult.

Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - $9 for ages 9 and up, 8 and under is free with paying adult.

Tickets are on sale now at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center Box Office, and online at <a href="http://www.tonyspizzaeventscenter.com">www.tonyspizzaeventscenter.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657655699569.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Tony's Pizza Events CenterSalina’s popular Comic Con returns to Tony’s Pizza Events Center this weekend. This year’s event includes three special guests, cosplays contests, and plenty of shopping.This year’s guests are:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657655747280.jpeg" alt="Justin Nimmo. Photos courtesy Tony's Pizza Events Center" />
 <figcaption>Justin Nimmo. Photos courtesy Tony's Pizza Events Center</figcaption>
 </figure>Justin NimmoBest known to fans as Zhane, the original silver power ranger from Saban's Power Rangers in Space 1998. Oklahoma native Nimmo is also known for his roles in Pleasantville, American Indian Graffiti: This Thing Life, Dude, Where’s My Car?, and Saved by the Bell: The New Class. Justin has also been known to do look-alike work for Brad Pitt.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657655822034.jpeg" alt="C. Andrew Nelson" />
 <figcaption>C. Andrew Nelson</figcaption>
 </figure>C. Andrew NelsonNelson is best known for having played the iconic character of Darth Vader in the Special Edition re-release of the original Star Wars trilogy as well as in the Rebel Assault II and Dark Forces games from LucasArts.Andrew, who began playing Vader for Lucasfilm in 1994, has portrayed the infamous dark lord for film, commercials, television shows, print, games, and live appearances. He has managed to spend more time in the official Vader costume than any other actor.Alan FernandesFernandes is the only living Tusken Raider from the original 1977 Star Wars (later renamed Episode IV: A New Hope). He was one of two animal trainers who worked with the elephant which played the Bantha in the desert scenes.Vendors will be on hand for attendees who want to buy, sell, and trade comic books, toys and pop culture memorabilia. Cosplay contests are Saturday at 4 p.m. for adults 16 and up; Sunday at 3 p.m. for kids 15 and under. The grand prize for this year’s adult cosplay contest is $1,000.The show hours and ticket prices are:Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. - $11 for ages 9 and up, 8 and under is free with paying adult.Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - $9 for ages 9 and up, 8 and under is free with paying adult.Tickets are on sale now at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center Box Office, and online at <a href="http://www.tonyspizzaeventscenter.com">www.tonyspizzaeventscenter.com</a>.

Salina Comic Con this weekend at Tony's Pizza Events Center

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HILLEL%20ITALIE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — The country's next poet laureate, Ada Limón, has long thought of her work as a public art form.

“I grew up with poetry being in the community,” says Limón, a native of Sonoma, California. “It wasn't supposed to just be something read on page; it was supposed be read out loud. I remember going to poetry readings at the bookstore where I worked when I was 16. It's the oral tradition. That part of poetry has always remained true to me.”

On Tuesday, the Library of Congress announced that the 46-year-old Limón had been named the 24th U.S. poet laureate, officially called the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry. Her 1-year term begins Sept. 29 with the traditional reading at the Library's Coolidge Auditorium, one of the laureate's few formal obligations. Limón, who succeeds Joy Harjo, is an award-winning and unusually popular poet, her acclaimed collection “Bright Dead Things” selling more than 40,000 copies. She has published six books of poetry, most recently “The Hurting Kind,” and also hosts the podcast “The Slowdown.”

“Ada Limón is a poet who connects,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement. “Her accessible, engaging poems ground us in where we are and who we share our world with. They speak of intimate truths, of the beauty and heartbreak that is living, in ways that help us move forward.”

The position was established in 1985, with other laureates including Louise Glück, W.S. Merwin and Rita Dove. Laureates receive a $35,000 stipend, along with $5,000 for travel expenses, the funding originating not from the government, but from a private gift made decades ago by the philanthropist Archer M. Huntington.

While the job is officially based in Washington, D.C., the poets are not required to live there — Limón will mostly work from her home in Lexington, Kentucky — and are generally free to shape the position around their passions. “The Slowdown” podcast grew out of a project launched by Tracy K. Smith when she served as laureate from 2017-2019.

Limón is known in part for her poems about nature and hopes to give readings at parks and other settings that emphasize and celebrate our place in the world.

“Poetry is a way of to remember our relationship with the natural world is reciprocal," she says. “It's having a place to breathe and having a place to pay attention.”

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HILLEL%20ITALIE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer</a>NEW YORK (AP) — The country's next poet laureate, Ada Limón, has long thought of her work as a public art form.“I grew up with poetry being in the community,” says Limón, a native of Sonoma, California. “It wasn't supposed to just be something read on page; it was supposed be read out loud. I remember going to poetry readings at the bookstore where I worked when I was 16. It's the oral tradition. That part of poetry has always remained true to me.”On Tuesday, the Library of Congress announced that the 46-year-old Limón had been named the 24th U.S. poet laureate, officially called the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry. Her 1-year term begins Sept. 29 with the traditional reading at the Library's Coolidge Auditorium, one of the laureate's few formal obligations. Limón, who succeeds Joy Harjo, is an award-winning and unusually popular poet, her acclaimed collection “Bright Dead Things” selling more than 40,000 copies. She has published six books of poetry, most recently “The Hurting Kind,” and also hosts the podcast “The Slowdown.”“Ada Limón is a poet who connects,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement. “Her accessible, engaging poems ground us in where we are and who we share our world with. They speak of intimate truths, of the beauty and heartbreak that is living, in ways that help us move forward.”The position was established in 1985, with other laureates including Louise Glück, W.S. Merwin and Rita Dove. Laureates receive a $35,000 stipend, along with $5,000 for travel expenses, the funding originating not from the government, but from a private gift made decades ago by the philanthropist Archer M. Huntington.While the job is officially based in Washington, D.C., the poets are not required to live there — Limón will mostly work from her home in Lexington, Kentucky — and are generally free to shape the position around their passions. “The Slowdown” podcast grew out of a project launched by Tracy K. Smith when she served as laureate from 2017-2019.Limón is known in part for her poems about nature and hopes to give readings at parks and other settings that emphasize and celebrate our place in the world.“Poetry is a way of to remember our relationship with the natural world is reciprocal," she says. “It's having a place to breathe and having a place to pay attention.”

Ada Limón named the 24th U.S. poet laureate

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LYNN%20ELBER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LYNN ELBER AP Television Writer</a>

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Succession” and “Ted Lasso” are in the hunt for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.emmys.com/">Emmy nominations</a>&nbsp;that could add to their previous trophy hauls, but they're up against hungry newcomers.

When the bids are announced Tuesday, the social satire “Succession,” a 2020 top-drama winner, may face a showdown with “Squid Game.” The South Korean hit about a brutal survival contest is vying to become the first non-English language Emmy nominee.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/www.apnews.com/EmmyAwards">The Emmys</a>&nbsp;once were dominated by broadcast networks and then cable, with the rise of streaming services changing the balance of power and perhaps the awards themselves. The possibility of Netflix's “Squid Game” joining the Emmy mix is the result of streaming's global marketplace focus.

Other possible drama contenders include the modern Western “Yellowstone,” workplace thriller “Severance” and “Yellowjackets,” a hybrid survival and coming-of-age tale.

Potential competition for “Ted Lasso," which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmy-awards-2021-092ec6246360cb1e8d0746ad70162213">claimed seven trophies including best comedy last year</a>, includes the inaugural seasons of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-philadelphia-sitcoms-arts-and-entertainment-8085a9edf087ea8c6acd2cd6d0e6a568">“Abbott Elementary"</a>&nbsp;and “Only Murders in the Building” — both popular and critical successes.

Past top comedy winner “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” also is vying for nods.

There are a number of outgoing shows looking for some final Emmy love. Among dramas that includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-dan-fogelman-2d94c05e4d638699d742dbcd11661207">“This Is Us,"</a>&nbsp;and “Ozark,” with “Insecure” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/black-ish-finale-d4f3eb234ec96d59d65355d4c725957c">“black-ish”</a>&nbsp;on the comedy side.

Jean Smart, last year's best comedy actress winner for “Hacks,” is in the running for a nod again, as is the series, with “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis hoping to repeat his 2021 comedy actor win. Bill Hader is chasing a third award in the category for “Barry.”

“The Crown,” which dominated the 2021 drama awards, wasn't televised within the eligibility period and is sitting this year out.

JB Smoove (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Melissa Fumero (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) and Television Academy Chairman and CEO Frank Scherma were to announce the nominees. The Emmy ceremony is set for Sept. 12 and will air on NBC, with a host yet to be announced.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LYNN%20ELBER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LYNN ELBER AP Television Writer</a>LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Succession” and “Ted Lasso” are in the hunt for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.emmys.com/">Emmy nominations</a>&nbsp;that could add to their previous trophy hauls, but they're up against hungry newcomers.When the bids are announced Tuesday, the social satire “Succession,” a 2020 top-drama winner, may face a showdown with “Squid Game.” The South Korean hit about a brutal survival contest is vying to become the first non-English language Emmy nominee.<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/www.apnews.com/EmmyAwards">The Emmys</a>&nbsp;once were dominated by broadcast networks and then cable, with the rise of streaming services changing the balance of power and perhaps the awards themselves. The possibility of Netflix's “Squid Game” joining the Emmy mix is the result of streaming's global marketplace focus.Other possible drama contenders include the modern Western “Yellowstone,” workplace thriller “Severance” and “Yellowjackets,” a hybrid survival and coming-of-age tale.Potential competition for “Ted Lasso," which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmy-awards-2021-092ec6246360cb1e8d0746ad70162213">claimed seven trophies including best comedy last year</a>, includes the inaugural seasons of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-philadelphia-sitcoms-arts-and-entertainment-8085a9edf087ea8c6acd2cd6d0e6a568">“Abbott Elementary"</a>&nbsp;and “Only Murders in the Building” — both popular and critical successes.Past top comedy winner “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” also is vying for nods.There are a number of outgoing shows looking for some final Emmy love. Among dramas that includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-dan-fogelman-2d94c05e4d638699d742dbcd11661207">“This Is Us,"</a>&nbsp;and “Ozark,” with “Insecure” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/black-ish-finale-d4f3eb234ec96d59d65355d4c725957c">“black-ish”</a>&nbsp;on the comedy side.Jean Smart, last year's best comedy actress winner for “Hacks,” is in the running for a nod again, as is the series, with “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis hoping to repeat his 2021 comedy actor win. Bill Hader is chasing a third award in the category for “Barry.”“The Crown,” which dominated the 2021 drama awards, wasn't televised within the eligibility period and is sitting this year out.JB Smoove (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Melissa Fumero (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) and Television Academy Chairman and CEO Frank Scherma were to announce the nominees. The Emmy ceremony is set for Sept. 12 and will air on NBC, with a host yet to be announced.

'Squid Game,' 'Abbott Elementary' vying for Emmy nominations

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — Lea Michele has been tapped to step in and lead the Broadway revival of the beleaguered&nbsp;<a href="https://funnygirlonbroadway.com/">“Funny Girl”</a>&nbsp;this fall, an announcement made just hours after current star Beanie Feldstein revealed she was leaving the musical sooner than anticipated due to the show taking a "different direction.”

The high-profile casting change rocked the Broadway community and represents another step toward a return to the spotlight and respectability for Michele after former “Glee” castmates in 2020 accused the actor of behavior that was interpreted as racist and bullying.

Michele, who started her career on Broadway and starred in the original “Spring Awakening” recently returned to the work with the documentary “Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known.” In many ways, her ascension to playing Ziegfeld Follies comedian Fanny Brice — the role Barbra Streisand famously played on film — was foreshadowed by Michele singing several “Funny Girl” songs during the run of “Glee.”

After the show's formal announcement, Michele hailed her next career step, saying “a dream come true is an understatement” on Instagram. She did not mention Feldstein.

Broadway is usually known for its quiet, seamless transitions after A-list stars depart shows — in part to protect multimillion-dollar shows — indicating that the backstage machinations at “Funny Girl” have been strained at best.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf2XPGhuZr_/">In an extraordinary step, Feldstein took to social media Sunday</a>&nbsp;to say that while playing the heroine of “Funny Girl” was a “lifelong dream,” she could no longer continue due to choices by producers and would leave early, on July 31.

“Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated,” she wrote. Her Instagram post was notably liked by Broadway veteran Ramin Karimloo, who plays Brice's love interest in “Funny Girl” and is staying on.

Fanny Brice standby Julie Benko will perform the title role from Aug. 2–Sep. 4 — and every Thursday beginning Sept. 8 — and Michele will step in starting Sept. 6.

That is also the date four-time Tony Award nominee Tovah Feldshuh will replace Emmy-winner Jane Lynch as Brice's mother, meaning there will be no Broadway reunion of “Glee” castmates Michele and Lynch.

Feldstein has missed several performances in recent weeks, including a weekend matinee. Last month, she missed a string of shows due to a positive COVID-19 test. She had previously said she would depart the show Sept. 25, but now won't last past the end of July.

Fanny is one of musical theater’s more difficult roles to cast, needing both a set of pipes, a sense of humor and a spunky charm, perhaps why it has only now been revived on theater’s biggest stage. Streisand starred in it on Broadway in 1964 and then won an Oscar in the 1968 film version.

The bittersweet comedy tells the tale of a Jewish girl from New York in the 1920s who went from burlesque to Broadway stages despite criticism that she wasn’t conventionally beautiful. “Funny Girl” is a musical that celebrates the oddballs, the kooky and the misfits, with Jule Styne-penned gems of songs like “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star” and “People”

Feldstein, the “Booksmart” and “Lady Bird” actor, considered it one of theater's highest honors to play Brice,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-barbra-streisand-jane-lynch-0731d922e93f7490f3e3a803eec07f1b">telling The Associated Press in April that she tried not to think about it too much or she'd “explode.”</a>

Reviews were mixed to poor, with many critics saying that while Feldstein brought excitement and spirit, her voice was simply not up to the task, with the Hollywood Reporter review saying “she never quite makes the material soar, and this is a rickety vehicle that needs a supernova to put gas in its tank.”

Feldstein, who made her Broadway debut in 2017 in the Bette Midler-led revival of “Hello, Dolly!,” failed to secure a Tony nomination for “Funny Girl,” and the show itself was brushed off with a single nod — to Jared Grimes, a featured actor in a musical.

Box office revenues have softened of late, with a slow decline since the Tony Awards in June. The latest data shows a weekly take slipping under $1 million for an eight-performance week with the show performing to a house only 75% filled.

“I feel like this production has been a magnet for drama. In fact, it appears as though it thrives on it. Any press is good press, I guess,” says theater, film and television&nbsp;<a href="https://www.markrobinsonwrites.com/">historian Mark A. Robinson,</a>&nbsp;the author of “Musical Misfires: Three Decades of Broadway Musical Heartbreak” and writer of the blog “The Music That Makes Me Dance.”

“I think the whole thing appears to be a PR nightmare, but clearly Beanie Feldstein is ready to move on. The show will only continue to run toward breaking even with a name and someone who can do vocal justice to that glorious score. Michele will do that. It may be messy, but messy creates publicity.”

Michele faced a backlash in 2020 and apologized for being “unnecessarily difficult” on the set of “Glee” after former co-star Samantha Marie Ware, who is Black, accused her of making her time there “a living hell.”

Michele issued a statement saying that while she didn’t recall any incident or judge anyone by their background, she was sorry and blamed her privilege and “immaturity.”

Reaction on Twitter on Monday was mostly sympathetic to Feldstein, with Ware defiant at the news. "Yes, I’m human. Yes, I’m Black. Yes, I was abused. Yes, my dreams were tainted. Yes, Broadway upholds whiteness. Yes, Hollywood does the same. Yes, silence is complicity. Yes, I’m loud. Yes, I’d do it again," she tweeted.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer</a>NEW YORK (AP) — Lea Michele has been tapped to step in and lead the Broadway revival of the beleaguered&nbsp;<a href="https://funnygirlonbroadway.com/">“Funny Girl”</a>&nbsp;this fall, an announcement made just hours after current star Beanie Feldstein revealed she was leaving the musical sooner than anticipated due to the show taking a "different direction.”The high-profile casting change rocked the Broadway community and represents another step toward a return to the spotlight and respectability for Michele after former “Glee” castmates in 2020 accused the actor of behavior that was interpreted as racist and bullying.Michele, who started her career on Broadway and starred in the original “Spring Awakening” recently returned to the work with the documentary “Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known.” In many ways, her ascension to playing Ziegfeld Follies comedian Fanny Brice — the role Barbra Streisand famously played on film — was foreshadowed by Michele singing several “Funny Girl” songs during the run of “Glee.”After the show's formal announcement, Michele hailed her next career step, saying “a dream come true is an understatement” on Instagram. She did not mention Feldstein.Broadway is usually known for its quiet, seamless transitions after A-list stars depart shows — in part to protect multimillion-dollar shows — indicating that the backstage machinations at “Funny Girl” have been strained at best.<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf2XPGhuZr_/">In an extraordinary step, Feldstein took to social media Sunday</a>&nbsp;to say that while playing the heroine of “Funny Girl” was a “lifelong dream,” she could no longer continue due to choices by producers and would leave early, on July 31.“Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated,” she wrote. Her Instagram post was notably liked by Broadway veteran Ramin Karimloo, who plays Brice's love interest in “Funny Girl” and is staying on.Fanny Brice standby Julie Benko will perform the title role from Aug. 2–Sep. 4 — and every Thursday beginning Sept. 8 — and Michele will step in starting Sept. 6.That is also the date four-time Tony Award nominee Tovah Feldshuh will replace Emmy-winner Jane Lynch as Brice's mother, meaning there will be no Broadway reunion of “Glee” castmates Michele and Lynch.Feldstein has missed several performances in recent weeks, including a weekend matinee. Last month, she missed a string of shows due to a positive COVID-19 test. She had previously said she would depart the show Sept. 25, but now won't last past the end of July.Fanny is one of musical theater’s more difficult roles to cast, needing both a set of pipes, a sense of humor and a spunky charm, perhaps why it has only now been revived on theater’s biggest stage. Streisand starred in it on Broadway in 1964 and then won an Oscar in the 1968 film version.The bittersweet comedy tells the tale of a Jewish girl from New York in the 1920s who went from burlesque to Broadway stages despite criticism that she wasn’t conventionally beautiful. “Funny Girl” is a musical that celebrates the oddballs, the kooky and the misfits, with Jule Styne-penned gems of songs like “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star” and “People”Feldstein, the “Booksmart” and “Lady Bird” actor, considered it one of theater's highest honors to play Brice,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-barbra-streisand-jane-lynch-0731d922e93f7490f3e3a803eec07f1b">telling The Associated Press in April that she tried not to think about it too much or she'd “explode.”</a>Reviews were mixed to poor, with many critics saying that while Feldstein brought excitement and spirit, her voice was simply not up to the task, with the Hollywood Reporter review saying “she never quite makes the material soar, and this is a rickety vehicle that needs a supernova to put gas in its tank.”Feldstein, who made her Broadway debut in 2017 in the Bette Midler-led revival of “Hello, Dolly!,” failed to secure a Tony nomination for “Funny Girl,” and the show itself was brushed off with a single nod — to Jared Grimes, a featured actor in a musical.Box office revenues have softened of late, with a slow decline since the Tony Awards in June. The latest data shows a weekly take slipping under $1 million for an eight-performance week with the show performing to a house only 75% filled.“I feel like this production has been a magnet for drama. In fact, it appears as though it thrives on it. Any press is good press, I guess,” says theater, film and television&nbsp;<a href="https://www.markrobinsonwrites.com/">historian Mark A. Robinson,</a>&nbsp;the author of “Musical Misfires: Three Decades of Broadway Musical Heartbreak” and writer of the blog “The Music That Makes Me Dance.”“I think the whole thing appears to be a PR nightmare, but clearly Beanie Feldstein is ready to move on. The show will only continue to run toward breaking even with a name and someone who can do vocal justice to that glorious score. Michele will do that. It may be messy, but messy creates publicity.”Michele faced a backlash in 2020 and apologized for being “unnecessarily difficult” on the set of “Glee” after former co-star Samantha Marie Ware, who is Black, accused her of making her time there “a living hell.”Michele issued a statement saying that while she didn’t recall any incident or judge anyone by their background, she was sorry and blamed her privilege and “immaturity.”Reaction on Twitter on Monday was mostly sympathetic to Feldstein, with Ware defiant at the news. "Yes, I’m human. Yes, I’m Black. Yes, I was abused. Yes, my dreams were tainted. Yes, Broadway upholds whiteness. Yes, Hollywood does the same. Yes, silence is complicity. Yes, I’m loud. Yes, I’d do it again," she tweeted.

At 'Funny Girl,' Lea Michele is in, Beanie Feldstein is out

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22The%20Associated%20Press%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By The Associated Press</a>

Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.

— Jane Austen’s last completed novel&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz7HmgPJQak">“Persuasion”</a>&nbsp;gets a fresh spin from British theater director Carrie Cracknell. Starring Dakota Johnson as the “past her prime” heroine Anne Elliot, “Persuasion,” debuting on Netflix on Friday, is still set in Regency-era England but with some distinctly modern flourishes and a subversively comedic voice. The film also introduces audiences to Cosmo Jarvis in a star making turn as Anne’s first love, Captain Frederick Wentworth. Henry Golding and Richard E. Grant also star.

— A single father, Max (John Cho), and his teenage daughter, Wally, (charming newcomer Mia Isaac) take a road trip across the country in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYxOe7kOl7I">“Don’t Make Me Go,”</a>&nbsp;coming to Amazon Prime Video on Friday. Yes, there is a cancer element, and some tears are guaranteed, but this film, written by “This is Us” writer Vera Herbert and directed by Hannah Marks, has more heart and comedic moments than the logline might give it credit for. A late movie karaoke scene also might have you wondering why John Cho hasn’t starred in a movie musical yet.

— Take it from someone who has seen exactly one episode of “Bob’s Burgers” ever: You don’t need to have watched the long-running show to enjoy the movie, which comes to Hulu and HBO Max on Tuesday.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hldGGWN9HcI">“The Bob’s Burgers Movie”</a>&nbsp;finds the Belcher crew (all original voices) at the end of the schoolyear. The kids are dreaming of summer plans and the parents are trying to save the burger joint from financial ruin when a skeleton turns up in a pit outside the restaurant and suddenly there is a mystery to be solved. It’s also a musical.

— Lizzo returns with her fourth album, “Special,” on Friday. She performed the first single,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfy3qEJ4yyQ">“About Damn Time,”</a>&nbsp;on ”Saturday Night Live.” Another single, “Grrrls” had a bumpier debut after she offended disability advocates with the use of a word considered a slur derived from spastic diplegia. Lizzo apologized and edited the song to remove the word. Both singles use samples: “About Damn Time” samples the song “Hey DJ” by The World’s Famous Supreme Team and “Grrrls” samples the song “Girls” performed by Beastie Boys,

— Bea Laus, who performs as Beabadoobee, will release her sophomore album “Beatopia” on Friday. The fuzzed-out single&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEBLDNCSAeA">“10:36”</a>&nbsp;has her trademark ’90s indie rock vibe and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCw80xpI3k0">”Talk”</a>&nbsp;has an Avril Levine-like strut in its kiss-off to a lover: “We go together like the gum on my shoes,” she sings. “You don’t exist/You’re just a bad decision.” The album builds on her 2020 debut album “Fake It Flowers” and the fantastic “Our Extended Play” EP that was co-written and produced by Matty Healy and George Daniels of The 1975. An exciting talent, Beabadoobee has notes of Alanis Morissette, The Cranberries and The Smashing Pumpkins.

— Interpol are back with their seventh album, the 11-track “The Other Side of Make-Believe.” The lead single,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x1PMuD4ewk">“Toni,”</a>&nbsp;is a melancholy masterpiece of jangling guitar and layers of interesting things that reveal themselves with every listen. “Still in shape, my methods refined,” Paul Banks sings in a line that could very well apply to Interpol itself. The band began writing the album remotely in 2020 before meeting in upstate New York and finishing the project in London. It marks the first time the band worked with producer Flood, and they also reteamed with co-producer Alan Moulder.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH1FOkJys3Y">“Black Bird,”</a>&nbsp;inspired by real events, is a crime drama with an enviable pedigree: Its creator is novelist Dennis Lehane (“Mystic River,” “Gone Baby Gone”), whose TV credits include “The Wire.” The cast is a match, topped by Taron Egerton (“Rocketman”) as a onetime golden boy turned convicted drug dealer. His shot at a get-out-of-prison card depends on drawing a confession from a suspected serial killer (Paul Walter Hauser). The Apple TV+ series, with episodes out Friday through Aug. 5, also features Greg Kinnear and, in one of his last performances, Ray Liotta.

— What will our favorite madcap vampires and their human sidekick, Guillermo, get up to next? The answer arrives with season four of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/what-we-do-in-the-shadows">“What We Do in the Shadows,”</a>&nbsp;the FX mockumentary series about very long-lived roomies Nadja, Laszlo, Nandor, and Colin (now baby Colin). Back from their scattered adventures, they find their Staten Island digs in shambles and with a surprising new guest. As the season begins Tuesday, Nandor’s search for love looks promising, Nadja is focused on business and Laszlo is in charge of parenting.

— For admirers of Nathan Fielder and “Nathan for You,” the good news is he’s back with another showcase for his idiosyncratic comedy. Those unfamiliar with his work and open to something oddly revelatory and at times unsettling can check out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fjPFt8cpic">“The Rehearsal,”</a>&nbsp;debuting Friday on HBO and HBO Max. Fielder’s professed mission this time is to help folks prepare to face critical events or choices by walking them through what to expect — as elaborately staged by the maestro himself

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22The%20Associated%20Press%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By The Associated Press</a>Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.MOVIES— Jane Austen’s last completed novel&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz7HmgPJQak">“Persuasion”</a>&nbsp;gets a fresh spin from British theater director Carrie Cracknell. Starring Dakota Johnson as the “past her prime” heroine Anne Elliot, “Persuasion,” debuting on Netflix on Friday, is still set in Regency-era England but with some distinctly modern flourishes and a subversively comedic voice. The film also introduces audiences to Cosmo Jarvis in a star making turn as Anne’s first love, Captain Frederick Wentworth. Henry Golding and Richard E. Grant also star.— A single father, Max (John Cho), and his teenage daughter, Wally, (charming newcomer Mia Isaac) take a road trip across the country in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYxOe7kOl7I">“Don’t Make Me Go,”</a>&nbsp;coming to Amazon Prime Video on Friday. Yes, there is a cancer element, and some tears are guaranteed, but this film, written by “This is Us” writer Vera Herbert and directed by Hannah Marks, has more heart and comedic moments than the logline might give it credit for. A late movie karaoke scene also might have you wondering why John Cho hasn’t starred in a movie musical yet.— Take it from someone who has seen exactly one episode of “Bob’s Burgers” ever: You don’t need to have watched the long-running show to enjoy the movie, which comes to Hulu and HBO Max on Tuesday.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hldGGWN9HcI">“The Bob’s Burgers Movie”</a>&nbsp;finds the Belcher crew (all original voices) at the end of the schoolyear. The kids are dreaming of summer plans and the parents are trying to save the burger joint from financial ruin when a skeleton turns up in a pit outside the restaurant and suddenly there is a mystery to be solved. It’s also a musical.— AP Film Writer Lindsey BahrMUSIC— Lizzo returns with her fourth album, “Special,” on Friday. She performed the first single,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfy3qEJ4yyQ">“About Damn Time,”</a>&nbsp;on ”Saturday Night Live.” Another single, “Grrrls” had a bumpier debut after she offended disability advocates with the use of a word considered a slur derived from spastic diplegia. Lizzo apologized and edited the song to remove the word. Both singles use samples: “About Damn Time” samples the song “Hey DJ” by The World’s Famous Supreme Team and “Grrrls” samples the song “Girls” performed by Beastie Boys,— Bea Laus, who performs as Beabadoobee, will release her sophomore album “Beatopia” on Friday. The fuzzed-out single&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEBLDNCSAeA">“10:36”</a>&nbsp;has her trademark ’90s indie rock vibe and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCw80xpI3k0">”Talk”</a>&nbsp;has an Avril Levine-like strut in its kiss-off to a lover: “We go together like the gum on my shoes,” she sings. “You don’t exist/You’re just a bad decision.” The album builds on her 2020 debut album “Fake It Flowers” and the fantastic “Our Extended Play” EP that was co-written and produced by Matty Healy and George Daniels of The 1975. An exciting talent, Beabadoobee has notes of Alanis Morissette, The Cranberries and The Smashing Pumpkins.— Interpol are back with their seventh album, the 11-track “The Other Side of Make-Believe.” The lead single,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x1PMuD4ewk">“Toni,”</a>&nbsp;is a melancholy masterpiece of jangling guitar and layers of interesting things that reveal themselves with every listen. “Still in shape, my methods refined,” Paul Banks sings in a line that could very well apply to Interpol itself. The band began writing the album remotely in 2020 before meeting in upstate New York and finishing the project in London. It marks the first time the band worked with producer Flood, and they also reteamed with co-producer Alan Moulder.— AP Entertainment Writer Mark KennedyTELEVISION—&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH1FOkJys3Y">“Black Bird,”</a>&nbsp;inspired by real events, is a crime drama with an enviable pedigree: Its creator is novelist Dennis Lehane (“Mystic River,” “Gone Baby Gone”), whose TV credits include “The Wire.” The cast is a match, topped by Taron Egerton (“Rocketman”) as a onetime golden boy turned convicted drug dealer. His shot at a get-out-of-prison card depends on drawing a confession from a suspected serial killer (Paul Walter Hauser). The Apple TV+ series, with episodes out Friday through Aug. 5, also features Greg Kinnear and, in one of his last performances, Ray Liotta.— What will our favorite madcap vampires and their human sidekick, Guillermo, get up to next? The answer arrives with season four of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/what-we-do-in-the-shadows">“What We Do in the Shadows,”</a>&nbsp;the FX mockumentary series about very long-lived roomies Nadja, Laszlo, Nandor, and Colin (now baby Colin). Back from their scattered adventures, they find their Staten Island digs in shambles and with a surprising new guest. As the season begins Tuesday, Nandor’s search for love looks promising, Nadja is focused on business and Laszlo is in charge of parenting.— For admirers of Nathan Fielder and “Nathan for You,” the good news is he’s back with another showcase for his idiosyncratic comedy. Those unfamiliar with his work and open to something oddly revelatory and at times unsettling can check out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fjPFt8cpic">“The Rehearsal,”</a>&nbsp;debuting Friday on HBO and HBO Max. Fielder’s professed mission this time is to help folks prepare to face critical events or choices by walking them through what to expect — as elaborately staged by the maestro himself— AP Television Writer Lynn Elber

New this week: 'Black Bird,' Lizzo and 'The Rehearsal'

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LINDSEY%20BAHR%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer</a>

Four movies in, Thor is still bringing the hammer down at the box office.

“&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thor-love-and-thunder-review-f5c11f403c9fcc507ac3ff9f492e3743">Thor: Love and Thunder</a>&nbsp;” earned $143 million in its opening weekend in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. It’s a franchise best for the God of Thunder and another success story of the summer 2022 box office season.

The second Thor movie directed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-movies-taika-waititi-chris-hemsworth-3dc2ab49be51c7f82a18e915b62df7c5">Taika Waititi</a>&nbsp;opened on 4,375 screens this weekend, starting with Thursday previews. It easily topped the box office, bumping “Minions: The Rise of Gru” into second place. Including international showings, where “Love and Thunder” opened in 47 territories starting in the middle of last week, its global total is already at $302 million.

“It’s another home run for Marvel,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “It’s unheard of for a Marvel movie not to open at No. 1.”

The Thor franchise has grown with each subsequent film, which is both a rarity in franchise filmmaking in general but also not uncommon for those of the Marvel variety. The first film opened to $65.7 million in 2011, followed by $85.7 million for “The Dark World” in 2013 and $122.7 million for 2017's “Ragnarok.” Waititi, who also directed “Ragnarok,” is widely credited with rejuvenating the series, infusing it with humor, irreverence and leaning into larger-than-life metal aesthetics.

Critics skewed mostly positive and the Rotten Tomatoes score is currently sitting at 68% fresh. Audiences, who gave the film a B+ CinemaScore, were heavily male (60%) and 53% were between the ages of 18 and 34, according to exit polls. IMAX reported that $23 million of the global total came from their screens.

“Love and Thunder” brings back Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson and Natalie Portman, whose Jane Foster becomes the Mighty Thor. Russell Crowe also co-stars as Zeus and Christian Bale plays the villain Gorr the God Butcher. It also boasts the biggest production budget of the Thor films, at a reported $250 million.

And yet, it’s noteworthy that “Thor: Love and Thunder” isn’t even the biggest Marvel opening of the year. That title is held by “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-movies-walt-disney-co-71a5e784d70680ae37c2f33b936a9426">Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,</a>&nbsp;” which debuted to $185 million in early May on the heels of the box office phenomenon that was “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”

The Minions carved out a second-place spot with $45.6 million in weekend two, bringing its domestic total to $210.1 million and its worldwide grosses to $399.9 million.

The summer’s workhorse “Top Gun: Maverick” placed third in its seventh weekend in theaters with $15.5 million. With its domestic total currently at $597.4 million, the Tom Cruise film is poised to cross $600 million by Monday — one of only 12 films ever to do so.

In limited release, the documentary “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/film-reviews-entertainment-fires-78125ef91c92589d56bf888a0dabb1b0">Fire of Love</a>&nbsp;” launched this weekend in three locations and made an estimated $22,328, while Claire Denis' “Both Sides of the Blade” earned $25,000 from four locations.

The weekend should net out with around $236.1 million total, which Dergarabedian said is “truly impressive.”

“Every week, the marketplace becomes more pre-pandemic like,” he said. “This feels like a traditional summer movie season weekend. It's a huge difference from a year ago.”

The summer 2022 box office continues to look bright for both Hollywood and theater owners, up 217% from last summer. The year as a whole passed the $4 billion mark last week which is up 233% from last year but still trailing the last pre-pandemic box office year, 2019, by 30%.

"Audiences are embracing the movie theater experience with a greater enthusiasm," Dergarabedian said. “By now, every demographic is interested in going back to theaters. The challenge for theaters going forward is just having enough new movies.”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “Thor: Love and Thunder,” $143 million.

2. “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” $45.6 million.

3. “Top Gun: Maverick,” $15.5 million.

5. “Jurassic World: Dominion,” $8.4 million.

8. “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,” $340,000.

9. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” $262,000.

10. “Mr. Malcolm’s List,” $245,416.

Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ldbahr">www.twitter.com/ldbahr</a>

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LINDSEY%20BAHR%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer</a>Four movies in, Thor is still bringing the hammer down at the box office.“&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thor-love-and-thunder-review-f5c11f403c9fcc507ac3ff9f492e3743">Thor: Love and Thunder</a>&nbsp;” earned $143 million in its opening weekend in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. It’s a franchise best for the God of Thunder and another success story of the summer 2022 box office season.The second Thor movie directed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-movies-taika-waititi-chris-hemsworth-3dc2ab49be51c7f82a18e915b62df7c5">Taika Waititi</a>&nbsp;opened on 4,375 screens this weekend, starting with Thursday previews. It easily topped the box office, bumping “Minions: The Rise of Gru” into second place. Including international showings, where “Love and Thunder” opened in 47 territories starting in the middle of last week, its global total is already at $302 million.“It’s another home run for Marvel,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “It’s unheard of for a Marvel movie not to open at No. 1.”The Thor franchise has grown with each subsequent film, which is both a rarity in franchise filmmaking in general but also not uncommon for those of the Marvel variety. The first film opened to $65.7 million in 2011, followed by $85.7 million for “The Dark World” in 2013 and $122.7 million for 2017's “Ragnarok.” Waititi, who also directed “Ragnarok,” is widely credited with rejuvenating the series, infusing it with humor, irreverence and leaning into larger-than-life metal aesthetics.Critics skewed mostly positive and the Rotten Tomatoes score is currently sitting at 68% fresh. Audiences, who gave the film a B+ CinemaScore, were heavily male (60%) and 53% were between the ages of 18 and 34, according to exit polls. IMAX reported that $23 million of the global total came from their screens.“Love and Thunder” brings back Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson and Natalie Portman, whose Jane Foster becomes the Mighty Thor. Russell Crowe also co-stars as Zeus and Christian Bale plays the villain Gorr the God Butcher. It also boasts the biggest production budget of the Thor films, at a reported $250 million.And yet, it’s noteworthy that “Thor: Love and Thunder” isn’t even the biggest Marvel opening of the year. That title is held by “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-movies-walt-disney-co-71a5e784d70680ae37c2f33b936a9426">Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,</a>&nbsp;” which debuted to $185 million in early May on the heels of the box office phenomenon that was “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”The Minions carved out a second-place spot with $45.6 million in weekend two, bringing its domestic total to $210.1 million and its worldwide grosses to $399.9 million.The summer’s workhorse “Top Gun: Maverick” placed third in its seventh weekend in theaters with $15.5 million. With its domestic total currently at $597.4 million, the Tom Cruise film is poised to cross $600 million by Monday — one of only 12 films ever to do so.In limited release, the documentary “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/film-reviews-entertainment-fires-78125ef91c92589d56bf888a0dabb1b0">Fire of Love</a>&nbsp;” launched this weekend in three locations and made an estimated $22,328, while Claire Denis' “Both Sides of the Blade” earned $25,000 from four locations.The weekend should net out with around $236.1 million total, which Dergarabedian said is “truly impressive.”“Every week, the marketplace becomes more pre-pandemic like,” he said. “This feels like a traditional summer movie season weekend. It's a huge difference from a year ago.”The summer 2022 box office continues to look bright for both Hollywood and theater owners, up 217% from last summer. The year as a whole passed the $4 billion mark last week which is up 233% from last year but still trailing the last pre-pandemic box office year, 2019, by 30%."Audiences are embracing the movie theater experience with a greater enthusiasm," Dergarabedian said. “By now, every demographic is interested in going back to theaters. The challenge for theaters going forward is just having enough new movies.”Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.1. “Thor: Love and Thunder,” $143 million.2. “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” $45.6 million.3. “Top Gun: Maverick,” $15.5 million.4. “Elvis,” $11 million.5. “Jurassic World: Dominion,” $8.4 million.6. “The Black Phone,” $7.7 million.7. “Lightyear,” $2.9 million.8. “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,” $340,000.9. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” $262,000.10. “Mr. Malcolm’s List,” $245,416.___Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ldbahr">www.twitter.com/ldbahr</a>

'Thor: Love and Thunder' scores franchise best debut

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday presented the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 17 people, including gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-gymnastics-sports-college-sports-health-9169b6c48f8fd14ac130bc6504ce37b5">Simone Biles</a>, the late&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eb2275d97afe4b4fa1a1e8b18ecf38ae">John McCain,</a>&nbsp;the Arizona Republican whom Biden served with in the Senate, and gun-control advocate Gabby Giffords.

“Today, she adds to her medal count,” Biden said as he introduced Biles, a former foster child whose 32 Olympic and World Championship medals make her the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history.

“I don't know how you're going to find room,” for another medal, Biden joked. The 25-year-old is an advocate for athletes' mental health, foster care children and sexual assault victims. She's also the youngest person to ever receive the medal, Biden said.

The Democratic president, who took office at a critical point during the coronavirus pandemic, also honored&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-new-york-city-health-andrew-cuomo-coronavirus-pandemic-568cac33020b6c9b26971174ab511c48">Sandra Lindsay</a>, the Queens, New York, nurse who was the first person to be vaccinated against COVID-19 outside of clinical trials during a live television appearance in December 2020.

It was the first time Biden had awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His recipient list included both living and deceased honorees, some of them representing various stages of the president's life, from the Catholic nuns who taught him as a boy growing up in Claymont, Delaware, to Republican lawmakers he served with in the Senate to a college professor like his wife, Jill, to advocates of tightening access to firearms.

Biden introduced Giffords as “one of the most courageous people I have ever known.”

The former Arizona congresswoman founded the organization named Giffords to campaign for an end to gun violence and restrictions on access to guns. The Democrat almost died after she was shot in the head in January 2011 during a constituent event in Tucson.

Biden noted that he recently signed the most sweeping gun-control legislation in decades — though he and others would like even more restrictions — and credited Giffords and families like her own whose lives have been altered by gun violence for helping to make it happen.

“She's the embodiment of a single signature American trait: never, ever give up,” Biden said.

Biden also recognized former Republican Sens. Alan Simpson of Wyoming and John McCain of Arizona, recalling a less partisan era of Washington in which members of different parties would argue over issues during the day and then meet over dinner at night.

McCain died of brain cancer in 2018. He spent more than five years in captivity in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Navy. He later represented Arizona in the House and Senate, and was the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, competing against Democrats Barack Obama and Biden.

Biden said he didn't appreciate the political competition, but “I never stopped admiring John ... I knew his honor, his courage and commitment.”

The 17 people receiving honors “have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities, and across the world, while blazing trails for generations to come," the White House said.

Biden himself knows what it's like to receive the medal. Then-President Obama honored Biden’s decades of public service by awarding him a Presidential Medal of Freedom “with distinction” during a ceremony shortly before they left office in January 2017.

Biden closed the ceremony by declaring, “This is America.”

— Sister Simone Campbell, a member of the Sister of Social Service and a former executive director of NETWORK, a Catholic social justice organization.

— Julieta Garcia, a former president of the University of Texas at Brownsville. Garcia was the first Latina to become a college president, the White House said.

— Fred Gray, one of the first Black members of the Alabama Legislature after Reconstruction. He was a prominent civil rights attorney who represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr. and, at age 91, continues to practice law.

— Steve Jobs, the co-founder, chief executive and chair of Apple Inc. He died in 2011.

— Father Alexander Karloutsos, the assistant to Archbishop Demetrios of America. Karloutsos has counseled several U.S. presidents, the White House said. Biden said he is “one of my dear friends.”

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d16afa8906d04f75a217d8c68f872544">Khizr Khan, a</a>&nbsp;n immigrant from Pakistan, Khan's Army officer son was killed in Iraq. Khan gained national prominence, and became a target of Donald Trump's wrath, after speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday presented the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 17 people, including gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-gymnastics-sports-college-sports-health-9169b6c48f8fd14ac130bc6504ce37b5">Simone Biles</a>, the late&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eb2275d97afe4b4fa1a1e8b18ecf38ae">John McCain,</a>&nbsp;the Arizona Republican whom Biden served with in the Senate, and gun-control advocate Gabby Giffords.“Today, she adds to her medal count,” Biden said as he introduced Biles, a former foster child whose 32 Olympic and World Championship medals make her the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history.“I don't know how you're going to find room,” for another medal, Biden joked. The 25-year-old is an advocate for athletes' mental health, foster care children and sexual assault victims. She's also the youngest person to ever receive the medal, Biden said.The Democratic president, who took office at a critical point during the coronavirus pandemic, also honored&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-new-york-city-health-andrew-cuomo-coronavirus-pandemic-568cac33020b6c9b26971174ab511c48">Sandra Lindsay</a>, the Queens, New York, nurse who was the first person to be vaccinated against COVID-19 outside of clinical trials during a live television appearance in December 2020.It was the first time Biden had awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His recipient list included both living and deceased honorees, some of them representing various stages of the president's life, from the Catholic nuns who taught him as a boy growing up in Claymont, Delaware, to Republican lawmakers he served with in the Senate to a college professor like his wife, Jill, to advocates of tightening access to firearms.Biden introduced Giffords as “one of the most courageous people I have ever known.”The former Arizona congresswoman founded the organization named Giffords to campaign for an end to gun violence and restrictions on access to guns. The Democrat almost died after she was shot in the head in January 2011 during a constituent event in Tucson.Biden noted that he recently signed the most sweeping gun-control legislation in decades — though he and others would like even more restrictions — and credited Giffords and families like her own whose lives have been altered by gun violence for helping to make it happen.“She's the embodiment of a single signature American trait: never, ever give up,” Biden said.Biden also recognized former Republican Sens. Alan Simpson of Wyoming and John McCain of Arizona, recalling a less partisan era of Washington in which members of different parties would argue over issues during the day and then meet over dinner at night.McCain died of brain cancer in 2018. He spent more than five years in captivity in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Navy. He later represented Arizona in the House and Senate, and was the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, competing against Democrats Barack Obama and Biden.Biden said he didn't appreciate the political competition, but “I never stopped admiring John ... I knew his honor, his courage and commitment.”The 17 people receiving honors “have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities, and across the world, while blazing trails for generations to come," the White House said.Biden himself knows what it's like to receive the medal. Then-President Obama honored Biden’s decades of public service by awarding him a Presidential Medal of Freedom “with distinction” during a ceremony shortly before they left office in January 2017.Biden closed the ceremony by declaring, “This is America.”The other 13 medal recipients are:— Sister Simone Campbell, a member of the Sister of Social Service and a former executive director of NETWORK, a Catholic social justice organization.— Julieta Garcia, a former president of the University of Texas at Brownsville. Garcia was the first Latina to become a college president, the White House said.— Fred Gray, one of the first Black members of the Alabama Legislature after Reconstruction. He was a prominent civil rights attorney who represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr. and, at age 91, continues to practice law.— Steve Jobs, the co-founder, chief executive and chair of Apple Inc. He died in 2011.— Father Alexander Karloutsos, the assistant to Archbishop Demetrios of America. Karloutsos has counseled several U.S. presidents, the White House said. Biden said he is “one of my dear friends.”—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d16afa8906d04f75a217d8c68f872544">Khizr Khan, a</a>&nbsp;n immigrant from Pakistan, Khan's Army officer son was killed in Iraq. Khan gained national prominence, and became a target of Donald Trump's wrath, after speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.— Diane Nash, a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee who organized some of the most important 20th century civil rights campaigns and worked with King.—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/megan-rapinoe">Megan Rapinoe</a>. The Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women's World Cup soccer champion captains the OL Reign in the National Women's Soccer League. She is a prominent advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice and LGBTQI+ rights. Biden said she is the first soccer play to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.— Simpson, who served in the Senate with Biden and has been a prominent advocate for campaign finance reform, responsible governance and marriage equality. Biden called Simpson the “real deal” and joked that “he never takes himself too seriously nor takes me seriously.”— Richard Trumka, who had been president of the 12.5 million-member AFL-CIO for more than a decade at the time of his August 2021 death. He was a past president of the United Mine Workers.— Wilma Vaught. A brigadier general, Vaught is one of the most decorated women in U.S. military history, breaking gender barriers as she has risen through the ranks. When Vaught retired in 1985, she was one of only seven female generals in the Armed Forces.— Denzel Washington, a double Oscar-winning actor, director and producer. He also has a Tony award, two Golden Globes and the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a longtime spokesperson for the Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America. Washington could not attend Thursday's ceremony after testing positive for COVID-19, the White House said. Biden said Washington will receive his medal "when he's able to get here.”— Raúl Yzaguirre. A civil rights advocate, Yzaguirre was president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza for 30 years.