Behind the Scenes Buzz

AVENGERS AND CAPTAIN MARVEL MOST ANTICIPATED: The most eagerly anticipated 2019 film releases are Avengers: Endgame and Captain Marvel, according to the social movie ticketing app called Atom Tickets. Toy Story 4 rounds out the top 3. “Although we expect to see some movement in preferences as release dates near and studios ramp up marketing efforts, there were clear winners in each category. The battles for box office dominance between Dwayne Johnson, Lupita Nyong’o, The Avengers, and Star Wars will be epic, and the 2019 slate looks great overall,” said Matthew Bakal, Chairman and Co-Founder of Atom Tickets.

KEVIN HART CONTROVERSY DOES NOT IMPACT HIS POPULARITY: Despite the scandal unleashed when old homophobic tweets sent out by Kevin Hart were resurfaced earlier this year, the comedian appears to be as popular as ever. The furor did result in Hart stepping down from his gig hosting the Academy Awards, but according to Spotted, the public’s opinion in him has rebounded almost 50% post-apology. Immediately following the controversy, the public’s esteem dropped 11.55%, less than most celebs, whose approvals drop 13% after scandals. Spotted estimates that Hart recovered 2-3 times faster than other celebs post-scandal.

DON LUSK DIES AT 105: Don Lusk, a prolific animator for Disney, and later The Smurfs and others, has died at age 105. Lusk brought characters in Pinocchio, Fantasia, Bambi, Cinderella and nine other Disney Golden Age classics. After leaving Disney, he animated A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969), Snoopy, Come Home (1972) and Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown (1977) for Bill Melendez Productions.

STEPHEN VAUGHAN DIES AT 73: Noted still photographer Stephen Vaughan has died at age 73. Vaughan worked on both Blade Runner movies, and other notable films, including The Fugitive, Rain Man, The Cider House Rules and The Dark Knight, plus dozens of others. He reportedly died of natural causes at his home in West Hollywood, his friend and companion Dionne Jones said.