'Doctor Strange 2' Banned in Saudi Arabia

►Don't show gay. Disney is fighting homophobia at home and abroad, with the news Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been banned in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait (although the latter country's ban hasn’t yet been officially confirmed). THR's Alex Ritman has the depressing scoop, with the pre-emptive ban coming before the film's release and even before it has been reviewed. The latest ban in the Gulf states of an MCU film is once again related to LGBTQ themes this time centered around the lesbian character America Chavez (pictured above) played by newcomer Xochitl Gomez. The story. 

—Sold! STX Entertainment, the Robert Simonds-founded film and TV studio that once hoped to compete with Hollywood majors by focusing on mid-budget, talent-driven projects, has found another buyer in an investor consortium led by Najafi Companies. Investment firms AS Birch Grove LP and 777 Partners joined in financing the deal. The indie studio will keep Simonds as chairman, with Noah Fogelson taking on the CEO role. The story.

—COVID challenges. The 2022 Tony Award nominations announcement has been delayed by nearly a week. The nominations announcement has moved from May 3 to May 9. The shift has also extended the eligibility window for shows that opened during the 2021-2022 season from April 28 to May 4. The story.

—"He had a gun put at his head." Kris Jenner alleged that Blac Chyna tried to murder her son Rob Kardashian in 2016. Jenner made the revelation Friday while testifying amid Chyna’s $100 million lawsuit against the famed reality TV family. She also alleged Chyna tried to strangle her son with a phone cord and hit him with a metal pole while intoxicated. The story. 

—Nothing makes sense. Joe Rogan says the spate of recent controversies has given his Spotify podcast even more horsepower. The podcaster claims the media frenzy over anti-vax conspiracy theorist guests and his past use of the N-word has netted him two million additional subscribers. The story. 

'Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent' Filmmakers On How to Get Cage to Star in a Movie About Cage 

►"Oh my God, this guy is very good at acting." THR's Mia Galuppo spoke to The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent director Tom Gormican and writer Kevin Etten on how their unique project came about how they convinced Nicolas Cage to star in their movie, as well as what draws fans to the actor and why Paddington 2 plays such an important role in the film. (This is a great read, and not just because of my barely hidden biases). Warning spoilers. The interview.

—Wanna be ballers? Shot-callers? Brawlers? Jack-of-all-trades Sean “Diddy” Combs will host and executive produce the 2022 Billboard Music Awards. The hosting duties for the Bad Boy boss come exactly 25 years after Combs took home his first BBMA in 1997 for his multi-platinum No Way Out album. The story.

—Next gen tech. In what AMC Theatres describes as its first major projector upgrade since the transition to digital, the company has signed a $250 million agreement with Cinionic to install Barco laser projectors in 3,500 of its U.S. auditoriums through 2026. Announced just prior to the start of theater owners confab CinemaCon, AMC will brand these auditoriums as "Laser at AMC." The story. 

—Shell game. NBCU CEO Jeff Shell’s 2021 compensation reached $21.6 million, up 31 percent from $16.5 million for 2020. NBCU parent Comcast also disclosed nearly $34.0 million in 2021 compensation for its chairman and CEO Brian Roberts, up 4 percent from $32.7 million in 2020. The story.

'Yellowstone' Star Luke Grimes on Future of Hit Paramount Series

►"Taylor would never let it go past its due date." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Yellowstone star Luke Grimes about how he landed the prized role and how the show's massive popularity during the pandemic changed his life, among much more. Warning spoilers. The interview.

—The walls are closing in. Brian also spoke to Better Call Saul star Michael Mando on the dangerous road ahead for his character Nacho Varga and how with the Salamancas still hot on his heels, Nacho's quest to protect himself and his father becomes even more formidable. Warning spoilers. The interview. 

—Cinéastes rejoice! Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation has launched The Film Foundation Restoration Screening Room, which will host films restored with the help of the organization for free. The first screening to take place in the series, I Know Where I’m Going! (1945), is set for May 9. It will be introduced by Scorsese, and include interviews with fans of the film Thelma Schoonmaker Powell, Joanna Hogg, Tilda Swinton and Kevin Macdonald. The story.

—✊✊✊ Production workers on the Hulu animated alien sitcom Solar Opposites have voted to join The Animation Guild in a National Labor Relations Board election. The eight-member bargaining unit unanimously voted to join the Guild (IATSE Local 839), the union says. The story.

TV Review: 'The Man Who Fell to Earth' 

►"Ejiofor's turn compensates for storytelling inconsistencies." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews Showtime's The Man Who Fell to Earth. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays an extraterrestrial being with planet-saving powers in Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet's expansion on the Walter Tevis novel and David Bowie film. The review.  

—"I tried to create a character who lives his life fully committed to his own logic and value." THR's Rebecca Sun spoke to Pachinko star Lee Minho on how his character Koh Hansu is "a villain generated by tragedy." The Korean superstar also opens up about making his Hollywood debut in Apple TV+'s epic series and the "pressure" of anchoring an entire episode dedicated to his character's backstory. Warning spoilers. The interview.

In other news...

—Jason Bateman teases the Ozark series finale: “A happy ending, but they’re limping"

—Viola Davis discusses “shame” around hygiene in childhood and the teacher who made her feel seen

—Terry Crews looks back on career, life and finding a “place of peace” in Tough memoir

—Former InStyle editor Laura Brown to debut Clubhouse conversation series Ladies Night

—Alison Brie’s Spin Me Round SXSW Comedy acquired by AMC+, IFC Films

—Why this 12-year-old actor kept role as young Bruce Wayne in The Batman a secret from classmates

What else we're reading...

—Hallucinogens, human sacrifices, and werewolf bar mitzvahs? The real-life inspirations behind The Northman’s wildest scenes [Slate]

—Jodi Walker waxes lyrical about HBO's Starstruck and pleads for more rom-com TV [Ringer]

—Keza MacDonald on how TV fell in love with video game adaptations [Guardian]

—Jen Yamato and Tracy Brown interview Lucy Liu, and yes she talks about that Bill Murray incident on the Charlie's Angels set [LAT]

—Jeremy Gordon on Arcade Fire's comeback with new album We [NYT]

Today...  

...in 1999, Paramount unveiled Alexander Payne’s R-rated high school comedy Election in limited theaters. Starring Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon as the iconic character of Tracy Flick, the film was a critical hit and garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. The original review.

Today's birthdays: Dev Patel (32), Kal Penn (45), John Cena (45), Jaime King (43), John Oliver (45), D.B. Weiss (51), Gemma Whelan (41), Judy Davis (67), Lee Majors (82), John Hannah (60), Rachel Skarsten (37), Teagan Croft (18), Melina Kanakaredes (55), James Russo (69), Joyce DeWitt (73), Molly Burnett (34), George Lopez (61), Michael Moore (68), Gigi Hadid (27)