Trevor Noah Will Be New Host Of "The Daily Show"

via BuzzFeed

The 31-year-old South African comedian is the surprise pick to replaceme Jon Stewart, who will leave the show this year.

South African comedian Trevor Noah will succeed Jon Stewart on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," the New York Times reported Monday.

Comedy Central/YouTube

The 31-year-old, who joined the show as a correspondent in December 2014, will replace Stewart, who will step down from hosting duties later this year.

Noah has made just three appearances on the show since joining.

This is a developing story, please check @BuzzFeedNews for more updates.

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Even The Robert Durst "SNL" Sketch Is Terrifying

via BuzzFeed

In the show’s first new episode since the finale of HBO’s The Jinx, Kate McKinnon’s impersonation of Robert Durst is chilling in its accuracy. “I have black eyes, and one time I chopped up my best friend.”

At first, the SNL sketch appeared to be poking a bit of fun at improv comedy troupes…

NBC / Via hulu.com

Then the host (Aidy Bryant) asks for an interview volunteer from the audience, and a "small shriveled hand" goes up.

NBC / Via hulu.com

Then it's just us and Kate McKinnon's pitch-perfect impersonation of alleged killer Robert Durst.

NBC / Via hulu.com

As "Durst," McKinnon repeats events from Durst's Jinx interviews, all while showing how bizarre his mannerisms and detached demeanor seem to make him.

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Deadline Editor Apologizes For "Insensitivity" In "Ethnic Castings" Article

via BuzzFeed

“We will move forward determined to do better,” editor Mike Fleming Jr. wrote in a column Sunday.

Deadline last week published an article by Nellie Andreeva that asked if the number of recent "ethnic castings" on TV was too much of a good thing.

Deadline.com

The publication later changed the headline, after backlash from a number of people in the entertainment industry.

Deadline.com

My co-editor-in-chief Nellie Andreeva's goal was to convey that there was such an uptick of TV pilot casting of people of color that it pinched white actors who've historically gotten most of the jobs, and to question if this could last if it was being treated as a fad. All this was undermined by that headline (which we changed after the fact) and a repetition of the word "ethnic" that came off cold and insensitive.

The only appropriate way to view racial diversity in casting is to see it as a wonderful thing, and to hope that Hollywood continues to make room for people of color. The missteps were dealt with internally; we will do our best to make sure that kind of insensitivity doesn't surface again here. As co-editors in chief, Nellie and I apologize deeply and sincerely to those who've been hurt by this. There is no excuse. It is important to us that Deadline readers know we understand why you felt betrayed, and that our hearts are heavy with regret. We will move forward determined to do better.

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"Home" Gives DreamWorks Animation A Much Needed Box Office Win

via BuzzFeed

The film’s estimated $54 million opening weekend is the best news for the embattled studio in years.

DreamWorks Animation

For the first time in six years, DreamWorks Animation has a real reason to celebrate at the box office. The studio's latest feature Home opened this weekend with an estimated $54 million, vastly exceeding expectations. It's the best domestic opening weekend for DWA since the company switched its distribution deal from Paramount to 20th Century Fox in 2013, and it's DWA's best debut ever for an original title since Monsters vs. Aliens was released in late March 2009 with a $59.3 million (or $66 million, when adjusted for ticket price inflation) opening weekend.

Matched with the $48.2 million the film has made in foreign markets, Home has already earned $102.2 million globally. Its "A" grade from audience polling firm CinemaScore promises strong word-of-mouth, and it has no serious family film competition until May.

The good news could not come at a more necessary time for DWA. The studio has been plagued with a series of box office disappointments and outright flops, including 2012's Rise of the Guardians, 2013's Turbo, and 2014's Mr. Peabody & Sherman and Penguins of Madagascar. It is part of a general downward trend for DWA's domestic opening weekends and especially for its total grosses since the astronomic heights of 2004's Shrek 2, as the studio aggressively pursued sequels and spin-offs while increasing its production schedule to as many as three films per year.

Note: Does not include films produced by Aardman Animations and released by DWA.

Adam B. Vary for BuzzFeed / Via boxofficemojo.com

Note: Does not include films produced by Aardman Animations and released by DWA.

Adam B. Vary for BuzzFeed / Via boxofficemojo.com

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