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In Brief: Peter Dinklage jumps onto ‘Hunger Games’ prequel, and more

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Game of Thrones alum Peter Dinklage has been tapped to play Casca Highbottom in The Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, alongside Tom Blyth as young Coriolanus Snow, Rachel Zegler as tribute Lucy Gray Baird, and Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow. The film, per the studio takes place “years before 18-year-old Coriolanus would become the tyrannical President of Panem.” He’s alarmed to be assigned to mentor Lucy Gray. But after she grabs Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to “turn the odds in their favor,” leading to a “race against time to survive,” ultimately revealing who is a songbird, and who is a snake.” The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is due in theaters on Nov. 17, 2023…

Showtime announced on Monday that Desus & Mero, the late-night talk show hosted by Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, won’t return, amid reports of a falling out between the two, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Desus Nice and The Kid Mero will be pursuing separate creative endeavors moving forward,” Showtime said in a statement. “Showtime’s late-night talk show Desus & Mero will not be returning for a fifth season. Its final episode aired Thursday, June 23.” Desus & Mero premiered on Showtime in 2019 after several years on cable outlet Viceland. The Showtime series ran for 180 episodes across its four seasons…

Mickey Rooney Jr., an original Mouseketeer, actor and musician who was the eldest child of screen legend Mickey Rooney, “peacefully passed away” Saturday at his home in Arizona, Paul Petersen, a fellow Mouseketeer, announced on Facebook. Rooney Jr. was 77. The cause of death is unknown. Rooney Jr. also played in bands with Willie Nelson and appeared with the actor-musician in the 1980 film Honeysuckle Rose, among others…

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