• Eddie Money says he has stage 4 esophageal cancer. The singer known for such hits as "Two Tickets to Paradise" and "Take Me Home Tonight" says his fate is in "God's hands." Money's comments appear in a video released Saturday from his AXS TV reality series Real Money. The full episode airs Sept. 12. In the video, Money says he discovered he had cancer after what he thought was a routine checkup. The 70-year-old, whose real name is Edward Mahoney, learned that the disease had spread to his liver and lymph nodes. Money said it hit him "really, really hard." He's had numerous health problems recently including heart valve surgery earlier this year and pneumonia after the procedure, leading to his cancellation of a planned summer tour.
• Ewan McGregor is reprising his Star Wars role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in a new series, one of the many splashy projects that Disney is banking on to make its new streaming platform competitive. The as-yet untitled Disney Plus show drew big cheers when it was announced Friday at the D23 Expo fan event, as did a Lizzie McGuire reboot with original star Hilary Duff playing a grown-up version of the title character. The audience of about 6,000 at a convention center adjacent to Disneyland also voiced enthusiasm for another Star Wars-related series, The Mandalorian, which its producers said is set in an unexplored time for the space saga and features new characters. Disney Plus had a receptive crowd, with expo attendees lining up to buy discounted subscriptions before the showcase. But it laid out a two-hour banquet of show trailers and stars to further whet fans' appetite, starting with a performance by cast members of the new High School Musical series and appearances by McGregor, Duff, Kristen Bell, Anna Kendrick and others. "It's been four years of saying, 'I don't know'" when he was asked about the long-discussed Obi-Wan project, McGregor said. "Now I can say, 'Yes, we're going to do it.'" Among the movies set for the streaming service launching Nov. 12: the holiday comedy Noelle, starring Kendrick, Bill Hader and Billy Eichner, and a live-action remake of 1955's animated film Lady and the Tramp, with Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux voicing the canine couple. Yvette Nicole Brown, who hosted the Disney Plus showcase, also stars.
A Section on 08/25/2019