CINCINNATI —

Olivia Newton-John, the Australian singer who became one of the biggest stars of the 1970s thanks to her iconic performance in “Grease,” died Monday at the age of 73.

While she’ll be remembered for dozens of roles, Queen City viewers have a special connection to her first made-for-TV movie.

"A Mom for Christmas" was released in December 1990. It’s the story of a little girl whose only Christmas wish is to have a mother again. A mannequin, played by Newton-John, comes to life to grant her wish.

The movie was filmed in several parts of Ohio, including Cincinnati and Wyoming. The most recognizable setting was the Millliman's department store, of which the real-life location was Shillito's. Shillito's was known as Lazurus at the time of filming.

In a 1990 interview with WLWT’s Michael Collins, Newton-John discussed the film.

“You know, I think children who are in single-parent families will relate to her part a lot because they’re missing either a mom or a dad at Christmas, and this little girl is going through all their feelings and it’s a hopeful film,” she said.

Newton-John said she liked Cincinnati, but also recounted a picnic with her daughter that went awry.

“We didn’t know our way around. We didn’t know anywhere … we just took a freeway and just tried to find a park or a countryside. Well, we couldn’t find one. We kept driving. We ended up having a picnic in the parking lot of a factory in Kentucky somewhere because we couldn’t find a park,” Newton-John said.

The FBI has concluded that Alec Baldwin must have fired the gun normally on the set of "Rust" -- which took Halyna Hutchins' life ... this according to a new report.ABC News published a bombshell story Friday, claiming to have obtained a copy of the forensic analysis report recently completed by the Bureau ... which was examining all facets of the fatal accident in a broader investigation to see if criminal charges are warranted.Per ABC, citing part of the FBI report, the feds found that the revolver in question -- a single-action .45 Colt caliber F.lli Pietta — could not have been fired without someone pulling the trigger ... a determination they made after conducting accidental discharge testing.Unclear if they did this testing with the same exact gun Alec used, or a separate but identical one — but what the FBI notes in their reports is ... that gun, when working properly, will not release a bullet and primer simultaneously by just fiddling with the hammer alone.That's what Alec said he was doing when the shooting occurred. You'll recall ... in a sit-down interview with ABC, he claimed all he'd done was pull the hammer back and pose it for the camera while Halyna coached him on positioning. When they were done, he released the hammer ... and says it fired without him pulling the trigger. The rest, of course, is history.Well, that just doesn't make sense to FBI officials. Their report, per ABC, notes they set the hammer at varying angles and positions to see if they could make it fire without pulling the trigger ... but they say they couldn't. The only thing the hammer could do when de-cocked and then directly struck on its own (without pulling the trigger) was detonate the primer.That essentially means it could set off the actual gunshot sound itself, without discharging a bullet, according to the FBI — but that's obviously not what happened in AB's case.Now, this conclusion doesn't necessarily mean Alec is in hot water quite yet — again, we don't know if the testing they did here was with his gun or another ... it's totally possible the revolver he used that day did, in fact, malfunction and that he's telling the truth.These findings have been sent off to law enforcement officials in New Mexico, who are still conducting their investigation dating back to October. One of the things they're still waiting on, per an official statement from the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office, is phone records from Alec.He'd said a few months ago that he was cooperating and getting those records over to local law enforcement in New York (so that they could send it over to NM) — but it sounds like someone might be dragging their feet. Once that's in, the D.A. can have a review once and for all ... with their own findings, the FBI's findings, plus any accompanying documentation.

Iranian authorities arrested one of the country’s most famous actresses on charges of spreading falsehoods about nationwide protests that grip the country, state media said Saturday.

The report by IRNA said Taraneh Alidoosti, star of the Oscar-winning movie "The Salesman," was detained a week after she made a post on Instagram expressing solidarity with the first man recently executed for crimes allegedly committed during the nationwide protests.

IRNA also said several other Iranian celebrities had "been summoned by the judiciary body over publishing provocative content." It did not say how many or provide further details.

According to the report published on the state media’s official Telegram channel, Alidoosti was arrested because she did not provide "any documents in line with her claims."

In her post, the 38-year-old actress said: "His name was Mohsen Shekari. Every international organization who is watching this bloodshed and not taking action, is a disgrace to humanity."

Shekari was executed on Dec. 9 after being charged by an Iranian court with blocking a street in Tehran and attacking a member of the country's security forces with a machete.

Last Week, Iran executed a second prisoner, Majidreza Rahnavard, in connection with the protests. Rahnavard's body was left hanging from a construction crane as a gruesome warning to others. Iranian authorities alleged Rahnavard stabbed two members of its paramilitary force.

Both men were executed less than a month after they were charged, underscoring the speed at which Iran now carries out death sentences imposed for alleged crimes related to the demonstrations. Activists say at least a dozen people have been sentenced to death in closed-door hearings.

Alidoosti has made at least three posts on her Instagram account expressing solidarity with protesters since the demonstrations broke out in September. Her account, which had some 8 million followers, has been suspended.

Iran has been rocked by protests since the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after being detained by the morality police. The protests have since morphed into one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s theocracy installed by the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Alidoosti has previously criticized the Iranian government and its police force.

In June 2020, she was given a suspended five-month prison sentence after she criticized the police on Twitter in 2018 for assaulting a woman who had removed her headscarf.

Other movies Alidoosti has starred in include “The Beautiful City” and “About Elly.”

Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi, two other famous actresses in Iran, were arrested by authorities for expressing solidarity with protesters on social media. Both have been released.

At least 495 people have been killed in the demonstrations amid a harsh security crackdown, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that has been monitoring the protests since they began. Over 18,200 people have been detained by authorities.

Disney enthusiasts rejoice — a full look at the live-action re-imagining of "The Little Mermaid" is here.

As part of the 95th Academy Awards telecast, two of the film's stars Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy came out on stage to present the film, before the trailer aired for viewers at home.

Video above: A shorter teaser for "The Little Mermaid" was released in February and gave viewers a first look at Melissa McCarthy cackling as Ursula

The clip gave a fuller glimpse at Ariel's (Bailey) underwater world, as well as the object of her affection, Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King).

More of McCarthy's sea witch Ursula was also seen, with her swirling black octopus tentacles glowing with purple tones.

Even a glimpse of a small red crab — presumably Sebastian, voiced by Daveed Diggs — was shown.

The trailer appeared to show brief snippets from some of the movie's highly anticipated musical numbers, including "Part of Your World" and "Kiss the Girl."

Video below: Halle Bailey, who plays Ariel in "The Little Mermaid," got emotional while unveiling a Barbie doll inspired by the film's main character

The new film is a live-action version of the 1989 animated classic "The Little Mermaid," which won two Academy Awards — best original song for "Under the Sea" and best original score.

The new "The Little Mermaid" swims into movie theaters on May 26.

SANTA FE, N.M. —

Discussions of workplace safety are now front and center after the fatal 'Rust' movie set shooting at Bonanza Creek Ranch.

On Oct. 21, Santa Fe County deputies said Alec Baldwin, the actor and co-producer of the film, discharged a prop gun that misfired. The weapon fatally wounded cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.

Questions also remain, like how live rounds showed up on the set.

The lawyer for the film's armorer, 24-year-old Hannah Gutierrez, released a statement Friday.

Jason Bowles said Gutierrez had no idea where the live rounds came from and added that the guns were locked up every night.

The incident has been a big concern for many people, including Baldwin.

On Saturday, Baldwin briefly spoke with reporters in Vermont, where he and his family have been laying low since the shooting.

"An ongoing effort to limit the use of firearms on film sets is something I’m extremely interested in," Baldwin said.

The actor added safety measures are needed when it comes to guns on movie sets.

"We have to realize that when it does go wrong, and it’s this horrible, catastrophic thing, some new measures have to take place," Baldwin said. "Whatever other people decide is the best way to go in terms of protecting people’s safety on film sets."

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the state may take action to address those concerns.

Her office provided the following statement to sister station KOAT:

"Workplace safety in any and every industry in New Mexico is absolutely paramount. A workplace death is never acceptable and must compel an analysis of what can and should be done better. My full expectation is that the film and television industry will, at the conclusion of the investigation into this tragic incident and once all the facts are in hand, bring forward comprehensive new safety protocols to ensure this kind of incident never, ever happens again. If that sort of comprehensive new approach does not materialize, the state of New Mexico will take immediate action, throughout whatever means are available to us, to ensure the safety of all personnel on all film and television sets here in our state. This industry is important to us economically and to so many workers throughout New Mexico, and I look forward to a full accounting of how this could have possibly happened, and we will determine our next steps from there."

The investigation is still ongoing and no charges have been filed.

Production on the movie 'Rust' has since halted.

SANTA FE, N.M. —

New Mexico authorities said Wednesday they have recovered a lead projectile believed to have been fired from the gun used in the fatal movie-set shooting.

Investigators discussed their initial findings in the shooting in which actor Alec Baldwin fired a gun, killing a cinematographer and wounding the director.

Testing is being done to determine whether the lead projectile recovered from director Joel Souza’s shoulder was fired from the gun — a long Colt revolver — used by Baldwin. Two other guns seized include a single-action revolver that may have been modified and a plastic prop gun that was described as a revolver.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said it’s too early to comment on whether any charges will be filed. He also noted that 500 rounds of ammunition — a mix of blanks, dummy rounds and live rounds — were found while searching the set.

The sheriff would not comment on how the rounds got on set.

Investigators said they will also be following up on reports that there were other incidents involving misfires with guns used on the set.

District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said investigators can’t say whether it was negligence or by whom at this point.

Both the sheriff and district attorney said they will not rush to judgment and that more investigation is needed.

The shooting has baffled Hollywood professionals and prompted calls to better regulate firearms on sets or even ban them in the age of seamless computer-generated imagery. Court records say that an assistant director grabbed the gun from a cart and indicated the weapon was safe by yelling “cold gun.”

The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, said she checked dummy bullets on the day of the shooting to ensure that none were “hot” rounds. She also told a detective that while the guns used for filming were locked up during a crew lunch break, ammunition was left on a cart unsecured, according to a search warrant released Wednesday ahead of the press conference.

Gutierrez Reed told a detective that no live ammo was ever kept on the set.

Assistant director David Halls, who handed the gun to Baldwin before the shooting, said Gutierrez Reed typically opened the hatch of the gun and spun the drum, though he couldn’t recall if she did that before the shooting. He said he only remembered seeing three rounds in the gun.

After the shooting, Halls took the gun to Gutierrez and said he saw five rounds in the gun, at least four of them were “dummy” rounds indicated by a hole on the side and a cap on the round. Halls said there was also a casing in the gun that did not have the cap and did not have the hole indicating it was a dummy.

“David advised the incident was not a deliberate act,” according to the warrant.

The warrant was issued Wednesday in order to search a truck that was used on the set.

A member of production on “The Batman” has tested positive for COVID-19 and the U.K shoot has been temporarily suspended. Multiple media outlets are reporting the film's star, Robert Pattinson, is the person who tested positive.

A spokesperson for Warner Bros. said Thursday that the individual is isolating in accordance with established protocols and filming is temporarily paused. They would not release any other information about the situation or affected crew member.

Vanity Fair and Deadline are both reporting Pattinson tested positive for coronavirus, however no other information about his situation was available.

Pattinson is starring in the new film from director Matt Reeves which had resumed filming just a few days ago after an almost six-month hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The film was originally supposed to hit theaters in June 2021 but was pushed back to October 2021 because of the production delays.

Before filming was stopped earlier this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, enough was shot to put together a trailer for "The Batman."

Paramount Pictures on Wednesday postponed the release of “Top Gun: Maverick," sending another of the fall's top movies out of 2021 due to the rise in coronavirus cases and the delta variant.

Instead of opening Nov. 19, the “Top Gun” sequel, starring Tom Cruise, will instead debut Memorial Day weekend next year, on May 27. Additionally, “Mission: Impossible 7” will be delayed from May 27 to Sept. 30 next year.

The postponement is the latest setback for Hollywood's once-hopeful fall movie season. The delta-driven surge has upended the industry's plans for some return to normality at multiplexes. The flight of “Top Gun: Maverick" follows a similar delay for Paramount's “Clifford the Big Red Dog." Paramount also on Wednesday pushed “Jackass Forever” from Oct. 22 to Feb. 4.

While some studios have hedged their bets with big releases by simultaneously streaming them on release, Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures have tried to stay the course of a more traditional theatrical release. Sony earlier delayed “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” from September to Oct. 15 due to the rise in cases. Following Paramount's announcement, Sony on Wednesday moved “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” from Nov. 11 to Nov. 19.

But several prominent big-budget releases haven't vacated the fall. Most notably, MGM and United Artists' James Bond movie “No Time to Die” remains slated for release in North America on Oct. 8.

Until recently, Paramount was gearing up to release “Maverick.” The studio last month teased the film's first 13 minutes at CinemaCon, the annual exhibitor convention.

Paramount hasn't kept all of its films. It has sold off some release, like “The Tomorrow War," with Chris Pratt, to streamers. “Infinite,” a poorly reviewed sci-fi thriller with Mark Wahlberg, debuted directly on Paramount+. But films like “Top Gun: Maverick” would in normal times hope to approach as much as $1 billion in worldwide box office.

Universal's “F9" has grossed more than any other movie during the pandemic, with more than $700 million in ticket sales. But most of its receipts came before the delta variant surge. Paramount's “A Quiet Place Part II," one of the first tentpoles to wade into theaters earlier this year, took in close to $300 million worldwide.

Disney has dropped the first trailer for "Cruella," giving us a taste of Emma Stone as the titular Cruella de Vil, the fur coat-craving villain from the 1961 animated film "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" and the 1996 live-action adaptation, "101 Dalmatians."The movie, which hits theaters on May 28, also stars Emma Thompson, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser and Mark Strong."From the very beginning, I realized I saw the world differently than everyone else," Stone's de Vil opens the trailer. "That didn't sit well with some people. But I wasn't for everyone."In the teaser's most dramatic scene, Stone makes quite an entrance at a grand masked ball (much to the displeasure of some Dalmatians in attendance), setting her white cape ablaze to reveal a blood-red dress underneath."The thing is, I was born different, I was born bad, and a little bit mad," Stone's de Vil says.Watch the whole trailer in the video player above.Stone spoke about shooting "Cruella" in a 2019 interview with "Entertainment Tonight," at the premiere for "Zombieland: Double Tap." "It's pretty trippy. It's wild," she said, adding that she regularly found herself thinking, "This is bananas," while on set. Reflecting on her live-action Cruella predecessor, Glenn Close, in the 1996 movie "101 Dalmatians," Stone said, "I think she's obviously the GOAT," adding, "but I also have just loved the cartoon for a really long time."Stone explained that 2021's "Cruella" is a prequel of sorts to Close's take on the character."This comes before story," Stone said. "This leads to her to where she becomes true greatness."