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    Mary J. Blige to star in first  of several “Power” spinoffs

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments3176 Views
    In this June 23, 2019 file photo, Mary J. Blige arrives at the BET Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
    BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) --

    The end of the hit Starz series "Power" is the beginning of several planned spinoffs, the first featuring Mary J. Blige.

    The Grammy-winning singer and actress said the announcement was probably the most exciting thing that would happen to her this year.

    Blige's casting in the new show, titled "Power Book II: Ghost," was announced Friday at a TV critics' meeting.

    "I have been a fan of 'Power' forever," said the singer, who was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actress and original song for her work on the Netflix film "Mudbound."

    "It's so relative to how I grew up," she added. "I'm so grateful to be a part of this."

    "Power" executive producers Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and Courtney A. Kemp said the spinoff is intended to be part of a collection of new shows inspired by the world of "Power."

    Naturi Naughton, who stars in the series as Tasha St. Patrick, said Blige will be a great element to the spinoff.

    "Musically, you know she's going to keep it real," she said. "In the acting space, I saw her in 'Mudbound' and her getting the opportunity to get nominated in so many different areas. I have no doubt in my mind that whatever they have her do in this spinoff that she is going to murder it. She's a professional."

    The original series will air its sixth and final season in two parts, Starz said.

    The first half, with 10 episodes, will begin as previously announced on Aug. 25. The concluding five episodes will start airing in January.

    Tags:Mary J. BligePowerPower Book II: GhostStarz



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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