The daily gossip: November 22, 2019

1.

Oscar winner Olivia Colman is still in the middle of her reign as Queen Elizabeth in Netflix’s The Crown — a role Colman herself inherited from Claire Foy, who starred as Elizabeth in the first two seasons. But like a game of musical thrones, the series has already set its sight on a new queen: Harry Potter alum Imelda Staunton, who is in early talks to star as Elizabeth in the fifth and sixth seasons of The Crown. Netflix responded to the rumors by sniffing that Staunton’s casting was “pure speculation” until it formally orders two more seasons of The Crown, because yeah, they must hate getting a new shelf full of Emmys every year. [Deadline]

2.

It’s probably safe to assume most kids would be delighted to get a personal serenade of “Let It Go” from Frozen‘s Elsa herself. But even with the Frozen sequel on the horizon, one boy has routinely rejected the opportunity: Idina Menzel’s 10-year-old son, who has initiated a ban on all singing in his presence. “He tells me to shut up in the car,” says Menzel, who is set to reprise her role as Elsa in the sequel. Ice cold, kid. [People]

3.

The first episode of The Mandalorian ended with a big surprise: The reveal of Baby Yoda, who is so adorable that he even brought Werner Herzog to tears. If you’re hoping to have a Baby Yoda of your own under the Christmas tree this year, you’re currently out of luck: As of yet, Disney hasn’t released any Baby Yoda merchandise, leaving scores of bootleggers to fill in the gap. But never fear: The company is reportedly working overtime to ensure that Baby Yoda “apparel and accessories,” as well as preorders for a plush Baby Yoda doll, will be available before the holidays — so you can look forward to going to the mall and seeing empty shelves when all the Baby Yoda stuff sells out in four minutes. [The Hollywood Reporter]

4.

In Hollywood’s reboot-happy climate, one classic sitcom has somehow been overlooked: I Dream of Jeannie, which ran for five seasons on NBC back in the 1960s. But for the record, Barbara Eden — who played Jeannie in the original series — thinks a reboot is long overdue. “It’s a good idea. They should do it,” said Eden. And at the risk of stating the obvious: If Eden really wants to see a reboot, can’t she just cross her arms and blink? [People]

5.

Like sands through the hourglass, so continues the Days of Our Lives. Fans of the soap opera — which has been on the air for 55 seasons and counting — were horrified several weeks ago when the entire cast was let go from their contracts, putting the future of the show in question. But in a soap-opera worthy twist, NBC is reportedly on the verge of closing a deal to renew Days of Our Lives for a 56th season after all. (Unless, of course, this all turns out to have been a dream the whole time.) [The Hollywood Reporter]

The daily gossip: November 22, 2019