Join Reese as she takes a trip down memory lane and thanks author Marian Wright Edelman for her inspiring book, The Measure of Our Success: A Letter to My Children and Yours.

Hello Sunshine x Mailchimp present: Book Shook. A series where powerful women discuss the books that moved them, changing their lives just when they needed it most. Join us on their journeys well beyond the page.

Apple Orders Country Music Competition Series With Reese Witherspoon Producing

Apple is getting into the music competition series space.

The streamer has ordered the series “My Kind of Country,” which will feature a global search for country music talent. Per Apple, the series will feature a documentary component as it hunts for “unconventional and extraordinary” country music stars.

Adam Blackstone will serve as the musical director on the series. Blackstone has previously worked with artists such as Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Faith Hill, Rihanna, and Tim McGraw.

Reese Witherspoon, Lauren Neustadter, and Cynthia Stockhammer will executive produce via Hello Sunshine. Jason Owen, president and CEO of Sandbox Entertainment, will also serve as executive producer alongside Izzie Pick Ibarra, the showrunner behind “The Masked Singer” and “Dancing With the Stars.” Done + Dusted’s Katy Mullan and Melanie Fletcher will also executive produce.

“My Kind of Country” now marks the third project Hello Sunshine has set up at Apple. The company currently produces the drama series “The Morning Show,” in which Witherspoon also stars. The show was recently nominated for eight Emmy Awards. Hello Sunshine also produces the Apple drama series “Truth Be Told” starring Octavia Spencer. “The Morning Show” received a two season order when it was first picked up by Apple, while “Truth Be Told” was renewed for a second season back in March.

“My Kind of Country” is the first competition series ordered by Apple TV Plus, but it is not the first time that Apple has produced a competition series. Apple Music previously aired the show “Planet of the Apps,” in which software makers would pitch their product ideas to a panel of experts. The show was canceled after one season in 2017.

(Deadline)

Lynn Shelton to Receive American Cinematheque Salute With Marc Maron, Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington

American Cinematheque will shine a spotlight on director Lynn Shelton Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. PT with a salute that will focus on her work for the small screen and streaming platforms. The tribute comes on the heels of her Emmy nomination for Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere.

Shelton, who passed away May 16 from a previously unidentified blood disorder, will be remembered during the Zoom discussion by Little Fires stars and producers Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon, boyfriend Marc Maron and collaborators Mark Duplass, Jon Hamm, Eddie Huang, Gillian Jacobs, Kevin Murphy, and Mikaela Watkins.

The event also follows a previous American Cinematheque outing for Shelton last summer, as pointed out by head programmer Gwen Deglise. “We were so privileged to host an in-person retrospective of Lynn’s films in June 2019. Lynn was with us for the whole weekend, hosting discussions after each program, talking to audience members – he was so generous with her time and enjoyed it very much. She said during one of the Q&As that ‘there aren’t a lot of opportunities as a filmmaker to dust off your old movies and see them big, especially in an incredibly beautiful theater like this one, so I’m going to sit back and enjoy watching the history of my life as a filmmaker.’ Now we get to enjoy seeing Lynn’s incredible impact on television and streaming platforms with some of her friends and colleagues.”

Shelton’s other TV/streaming work included Netflix’s Glow, Apple TV’s The Morning Show, Hulu’s Casual, Netflix’s Love, AMC’s Mad Men, ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat and MTV’s $5 Cover: Seattle.

(THR)

It was announced back in June that Sing 2 has been pushed back a whole year – to December 22nd 2021 – due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It’s the latest revamp in Universal’s schedule in the wake of mass shuttering of multiplexes due to the coronavirus pandemic. Though movie theaters in some states have started to reopen, the majority of cinema chains are still closed.

Judd Apatow’s “The King of Staten Island,” a comedy starring Pete Davidson, will also debut on digital rental services on June 12 in lieu of a traditional theatrical rollout. In April, the studio dropped “Trolls World Tour” on video-on-demand and in drive-ins. Meanwhile, “Fast and Furious” installment “F9,” the next “Minions” sequel, and “Sing 2” were all pushed into 2021. (Variety)

The Gallery has been updated with an additional batch of high quality photos of Reese on the red carpet at the 2017 Emmy Awards! She looked chic in her blue satin jacket dress by Stella McCartney whilst reaping the awards for Big Little Lies. Enjoy:

• The Emmys – Red Carpet x294

Reese Witherspoon sat down with author Austin Channing Brown via Cisco Webex to discuss #ReesesBookClub pick, #ImStillHere. Watch as they speak about themes from the book including what actions to take to be an ally, and avoiding the pitfalls of colorblindness and relational defense.

A Country in Quarantine: Photographs From a COVID Road Trip

When Los Angeles–based photographer Brian Bowen Smith started his road trip across America in the midst of the COVID-19 quarantine, he expected to be gone for two weeks. The end result was three times that long.

“We were not expecting so many people to respond and want to be involved,” Smith said, referring to his BBS Drivebys series. “This altered our path immensely and took over six weeks and 11,000 miles.”

The photographs, which Smith shot through the window of his vintage Ford pickup truck, originated from a photo shoot with his family friend. “I drove into her driveway and photographed her,” Smith said. “When I showed my wife, she loved it and said I should continue to do more.”

Smith’s inbox was flooded with messages from people expressing interest in participating in the project, but he didn’t want to shoot just anybody—there needed to be meaning behind each image. From a mask-clad Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas to a cowboy in Colorado, Smith’s subjects hailed from vastly different communities and backgrounds. However, there was still a common thread between them.

“Everyone I spoke to seemed to be in the same boat. They are scared and frustrated,” Smith said. “Most just want to get back to their normal life.”

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The Emmy nominations were announced yesterday, and Reese’s 3 shows received multiple nominations – congratulations to all the Little Fires Everywhere, Big Little Lies, and The Morning Show cast & crews!

Disappointingly (to say the least) Reese did not receive any individual nominations for acting. However, her shows received a total of 18 nominations this year which is exceptional!! The Morning Show received 8, and Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere had 5 each. Reese has taken over TV and is a true powerhouse!

The Emmy Awards will be held (in some format) on September 20th.

Limited Series
“Little Fires Everywhere” (Hulu)
“Mrs. America” (Hulu)
“Unbelievable” (Netflix)
“Unorthodox” (Netflix)
“Watchmen” (HBO)

Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Bateman (“Ozark”)
Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”)
Steve Carell (“The Morning Show”)
Brian Cox (“Succession”)
Billy Porter (“Pose”)
Jeremy Strong (“Succession”)

Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Jennifer Aniston (“The Morning Show”)
Olivia Colman (“The Crown”)
Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”)
Laura Linney (“Ozark”)
Sandra Oh (“Killing Eve”)
Zendaya (“Euphoria”)

Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Cate Blanchett (“Mrs. America”)
Shira Haas (“Unorthodox”)
Regina King (“Watchmen”)
Octavia Spencer (“Self Made”)
Kerry Washington (“Little Fires Everywhere”)

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Giancarlo Esposito (“Better Call Saul”)
Bradley Whitford (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Billy Crudup (“The Morning Show”)
Mark Duplass (“The Morning Show”)
Nicholas Braun (“Succession”)
Kieran Culkin (“Succession”)
Matthew Macfadyen (“Succession”)
Jeffrey Wright (“Westworld”)

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Laura Dern (“Big Little Lies”)
Meryl Streep (“Big Little Lies”)
Helena Bonham Carter (“The Crown”)
Samira Wiley (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Fiona Shaw (“Killing Eve”)
Julia Garner (“Ozark”)
Sarah Snook (“Succession”)
Thandie Newton (“Westworld”)

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