>>> AND WELCOME BACK.
THERE'S BEEN HOLLYWOOD DRAMA ON
AND OFF THE SCREEN THIS YEAR.
>> THIS MORNING, WE ARE BREAKING
DOWN SOME OF THE BIGGEST STORIES
IN ENTERTAINMENT AND LOOKING
AHEAD TO 2019.
>> HERE TO HELP US IS POP
CULTURE EXPERT CHRIS WITHERSPOON
AND PRODUCER AND CO-HOST OF
"RHYMES WITH KATE."
YOU HAVE TO GIVE US YOUR
OPINION.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST
ENTERTAINMENT STORY OF 2018?
KATE, WE'LL START WITH YOU.
>> MINE WAS #TIMESUP.
IT'S A NONPROFIT THAT WAS
STARTED BY 300 BADASS FEMALES.
I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN SAY THAT.
IT'S BEEN COMING OUT IN THE
MEDIA AND THEY WANT TO SHINE A
LIGHT ON PEOPLE THAT ARE
LOW-INCOME OR NOT IN THE
SPOTLIGHT.
SOME OF THE MAIN PLAYERS, SHONDA
RHIMES, ASHLEY JUDD, KERRY
WASHINGTON, EVA LONGORIA, REESE
W
WITHERSPOON.
THEY ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A
DEFENSE FUND SO PEOPLE CAN
AFFORD A LAWYER.
IT WAS A BIG YEAR FOR WOMEN.
>> SURE WAS.
>> SO POWERFUL.
THAT'S SO IMPORTANT.
>> CHRIS?
>> MINE IS LIGHTER.
I GOT TWO WORDS FOR YOU -- "
"ACANADA" FOREVER.
I WAS ON THIS SHOW TELLING YOU
WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2018.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF US SAW THIS
COMING AS BEING A BIG JUGGERNAUT
AT THE BOX OFFICE.
IT MADE $1 BILLION
INTERNATIONALLY.
JUST A GROUNDBREAKING FILM.
AND THE SOCIAL MEDIA MOMENTUM
BEHIND THIS FILM IS SOMETHING WE
HAVE NOT SEEN.
THE MOST-GOOGLED MOVIE AND THE
MOST-TWEETED FILM EVER.
35 MILLION PEOPLE TWEETED ABOUT
THIS MOVIE.
THAT NEVER HAS HAPPENED.
IT'S A GREAT STORY OF HOW YOU
CAN GIVE PEOPLE SOMETHING THEY
NEVER HAVE SEEN BEFORE.
THIS NARRATIVE SEEING BLACK
PEOPLE AS SUPERHEROS FOR THE
FIRST TIME.
AND THE ALL-BLACK CAST IS
GROUNDBREAKING.
I SAW SOME OF MY SON'S FRIENDS
IN SECOND GRADE.
ALL DIFFERENT RACES DRESSING UP
AS BLACK PANTHER.
>> AND A GREAT FILM.
>> THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL.
>> OF COURSE.
PROBABLY FIVE OR SIX.
>> RIGHT?
>> EXACTLY.
WHO WOULD YOU SAY IS THE
CELEBRITY MVP?
>> I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR JOHN
LEGEND.
>> REALLY?
>> HE BECAME THE FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEAL TO WIN AN
EGOT, AN EMMY, GRAMMY, OSCAR AND
TONY.
BEFORE HIM, THERE WERE ONLY 12
PEOPLE THAT EVER ACHIEVED THAT.
AND HE BECAME ONE OF THE, NOW,
15.
HE WON AN EMMY FOR BEING A
PRODUCER ON "JESUS CHRIST
SUPERSTAR."
>> WHICH WAS SO GOOD.
>> SO GOOD.
HE HAD TEN GRAMMYS STARTING IN
2006.
HE WITHIN AN OSCAR FOR "GLORY."
AND IN TONY, HE WAS CO-PRODUCER
ON A PLAY CALLED JITNEY IN 2017.
>> YOU HAVE HIS WHOLE RESUME.
LOOK AT YOU.
>> THAT'S WHAT I DO.
>> QUINTESSENTIAL RENAISSANCE
MAN, TOO.
>> AND PART OF A GREAT COUPLE.
>> THAT'S HOW WE DO, GIRL.
SORRY, I JUST SAID GIRL.
THAT WAS AWKWARD.
>> THANK YOU.
>> YOU JUST USED PROFANITY THREE
MINUTES AGO.
>> THAT'S HOW WE DO.
>> YOU'RE CRUSHING THIS
INTERVIEW.
>> HAPPY TO BE BACK, EVERYBODY.
CHEERS.
>> JOIN IT.
YOU MAY NOT BE.
IT'S BEEN A FUN RUN.
>> MINE IS CARDI B.
>> CARDI B.
>> BY SHOW OF HANDS, WHO KNEW OF
HER TWO YEARS AGO?
>> THAT'S TRUE.
>> SHE IS THE MVP FOR DANCES.
>> SHE WAS IN SO MANY VIDEOS, AS
WELL.
J. LO, MAROON 5, BRUNO MARS.
>> 2019, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING
FORWARD TO?
>> DON'T RUIN ANYTHING.
>> IS IT STILL WINTER?
>> WINTER IS FINALLY HERE.
>> OH, YES.
>> WINTER IS NO LONGER COMING.
>> I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS.
>> LA, LA, LA.
>> KEEP YOUR EARS CLOSED.
SIX EPISODES, APRIL 2019.
THE CAST IS TWEETING CRYPTIC
THINGS.
HAPPY WITH THE ENDING.
I CAN'T WAIT.
>> MOST EXPENSIVE SHOW IN THE
HISTORY OF TELEVISION.
>> CHRIS?
>> "THE LION KING."
THE LIVE ACTION REMAKE OF "THE
LION KING."
JAMES EARL JONES BACK.
87 YEARS OLD BUT NARRATING AS
MU
MUFASA.
BEYONCE, SHE IS NALA.
AND ALSO, AN INCREDIBLE CAST.
IT'S SO COOL.
25 YEARS AGO, THIS FILM, AS OF
2019, HIT THEATERS.
I OFFICIALLY FEEL OLD.
>> IT'S MY FAVORITE DISNEY
MOVIE.