Menendez Brothers' Parole Hearing Delayed To Late Summer; Need 'More Time To Prepare,' Lyle Menendez Says
In a rebuke to LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, the Menendez brothers were resentenced on May 13 to 50 years to life, which makes them now eligible for parole. At the much delayed hearing, LA Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic deemed Lyle, 57, and Erik, 54, did not pose 'an unreasonable risk' if they were let out almost 30 years after their 1996 life without parole sentencing.
More from Deadline
Carey Mulligan In Talks To Join Greta Gerwig's 'Narnia'
'American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden' Tops Netflix TV Charts In Debut Week; 'Forever' Grows Audience To Remain In Top 3
'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Set To Begin Production On Season 3; Unveils New Cast
To that end, the siblings' previously scheduled June 13 clemency board hearings that were ordered by Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this year shifted. 'Since the ruling makes them immediately eligible for parole consideration as youth offenders, it is the Board's intent to convert the June 13, 2025, clemency hearings to initial parole suitability hearings,' Scott Wyckoff of the state Board of Parole Hearings stated last week as the governor withdrew the probes into potential clemency in lieu of Judge Jesic's ruling.
Well, June 13 is going to come and go and there won't be any hearings for the Menendezs. Now, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says will occur on August 21 and 22.
A decision that Lyle Menendez addressed online late Monday
The CDCR did not respond to request for comment from Deadline on the postponement. A representative for Menendez lawyers Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos had no comment on the latest turn of events.
Erik and Lyle Menendez are currently both being held at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility near San Diego. Even with the change in their sentencing status and those hearings kicked down the line, the siblings' clemency application remains open in the Governor's office, though it is pretty much moot at this point.
A true crime media circus back in the early days of George H.W. Bush's presidency, the killing of Jose and Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills home by their sons took two trials for a jury to reach a verdict six years after the murders. Though always been discussed somewhere on cable, the Menendez brothers' case came back to center stage due to the success of the Netflix and Ryan Murphy series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story series and some documentaries claiming new evidence. Though DA Hochman made his doubts clear, the Menendez brothers now insist that their 18- and 21-year-old selves shooting of their parents was self-defense against the alleged ongoing sexual abuse by their record company executive father.
Best of Deadline
Everything We Know About The 'Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping' Movie So Far
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds
All The 'Mission: Impossible' Movies In Order - See Tom Cruise's 30-Year Journey As Ethan Hunt
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
9 minutes ago
- Forbes
‘Happy Gilmore 2' And ‘KPop Demon Hunters' Set Simultaneous Netflix Records
Kpop Demon Hunters/Happy Gilmore 2 Netflix executives must be popping champagne right now as they are currently putting out multiple original films breaking multiple records for the service, all the way back since its arrival in 2010. What just happened? Happy Gilmore 2, the long-awaited sequel to the Adam Sandler comedy classic, has just broken the record for the most opening weekend views for a Netflix original in history. That is 46.7 million views in its first three days. And even the original Happy Gilmore racked up 11.4 million views this week as a precursor to that release (it's about to leave Netflix due to licensing). The historical math here is a touch fuzzy. It seems the previous record-holder was Red Notice with 148 million hours viewed, but that's not views total. In terms of actual views that might be…another Adam Sandler movie, Murder Mystery, which had 30.8 million views in three days. Happy Gilmore 2 would be 50% more than that. Second record time! That's KPop Demon Hunters which has set many records already, but it's just hit a new one. KPop Demon Hunters is now the most-watched Netflix animated movie in history. The announcement did not come with specific numbers, and I'm not sure we have enough past data to track its competitors, but Netflix says it snagged the record. Previously, Netflix made the best-reviewed comedy of the decade, The Mitchells Versus the Machines. KPop Demon Hunters has spent six weeks in the top 10, and still did half of Happy Gilmore 2's opening weekend in this sixth week. The previous record that KPop Demon Hunters just set a week ago was a movie that hit its peak viewership five weeks after launch, which has never happened before. Now, it's Netflix's most-watched animated movie ever. As of now, KPop Demon Hunters has not broken into the Top 10 of all-time Netflix original movies in terms of viewership, but it likely will soon. The most recent entry on that list was Carry-On, which went all the way to #2 with 172 million views. Number one is the aforementioned Red Notice with a hard-to-beat 230 million views. It seems likely, if not almost a guarantee, that Happy Gilmore 2 will make its way into that Top 10 list, and may end up near the top by the end of its three month run (which is what's taken into account for the list). It would be the only film there that is a sequel, and a sequel to something that wasn't a Netflix original, no less. I think this is a when, not if situation in terms of its top 10 arrival. It's already close to a third of the way to landing in seventh place or so after just three days, which is deeply impressive. That said, fast-starter Murder Mystery isn't on the list, so we'll see. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
an hour ago
How 'KPop Demon Hunters' became the surprise hit of the summer
NEW YORK -- In the colorful, animated, musical world of 'KPop Demon Hunters,' everyone is a fan. The general public rocks T-shirts supporting their favorite idols. They hold light sticks and stare starry-eyed at stadium stages; they scream, they cry, they cheer, they buy the merch. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise, then, that the Sony Pictures/ Netflix film itself has inspired similar fanfare, having topped the streamer's global rankings. Fans have flooded the internet with art, covers, cosplay and choreography in response to the movie, which follows the fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR/X as they fight demons. And it's not just the film that's a summer hit. The 'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack has topped the charts — debuting at No. 1 on Billboard's Soundtracks chart and No. 8 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Here's how 'KPop Demon Hunters' became the year's surprising success story. The 'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack utilizes some of the best and brightest in the genre. That included a partnership with K-pop company The Black Label, co-founded by super producer Teddy Park, known for his work with YG, Blackpink and 2NE1 — empowered girl groups used as references for the film's protagonists, the trio HUNTR/X. It's one of the many reasons the musical film's soundtrack stands on its own. Filmmakers 'really did their homework,' says Jeff Benjamin, a music journalist who specializes in K-pop. Indeed, they did a lot of research. One of the film's directors, Maggie Kang, said that her team prioritized 'representing the fandom and the idols in a very specific way,' as to not disappoint K-pop fans. They pulled from a treasure trove of influences heard at every corner: The fictional, rival boy band Saja Boys' hit song 'Soda Pop,' for example, references the '90s K-pop group H.O.T. And it has worked. 'KPop Demon Hunters' is the highest charting soundtrack of 2025, with eight of its songs landing on the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200. To put that in perspective: Lorde's 'Virgin' and Justin Bieber's 'Swag' did the same. In some ways, it recalls Disney's 'Encanto,' which topped the Billboard 200 and produced a No. 1 hit, 'We Don't Talk About Bruno ' in 2022. Similarly, 'KPop Demon Hunters' embraces 'the original soundtrack, which is a lost art form,' adds Benjamin. Tamar Herman, a music journalist and author of the 'Notes on K-pop' newsletter, says the movie succeeds because it embraces animated musical tradition and authentic K-pop music production styles in equal measure. She considers 'Kpop Demon Hunters' to be 'a musical with songs inspired by K-pop,' not unlike a Jukebox musical, where the songs of ABBA are reimagined for 'Mamma Mia.' The novelty of the film, too, seems to be resonating. Where many animated films rely on adapting existing intellectual property, 'KPop Demon Hunters' is original. And it comes from an original perspective. 'It's not completely Korean, it's not completely Western and it's kind of right in that middle,' says Kang. 'It's like not pulled from one side; it's kind of flavors of both. So, I think that's what makes the movie feels a little different.' And 'the core story is what's drawing everybody in,' says Kang. San Francisco-based cosplayer and content creator Nanci Alcántar, who goes by Naanny Lee online agrees. 'It's not only a K-pop group, but it also tells a story of their journey, of how they transform into powerful warriors,' said Alcántar in Spanish. For her, it goes beyond K-pop — it's about the narrative. Kang's approach to cultural authenticity, too, may have contributed to the film's crossover appeal. Rather than explaining Korean elements like HUNTR/X's visit to a traditional medicine clinic or translating K-pop light stick culture for Western audiences, she opted for full immersion. 'We just wanted everybody to just accept that they were in Korea,' Kang said. The director said this method of 'throwing people into the deep end of a culture' breaks down barriers better than heavy-handed explanation. 'We just wanted to keep everything feeling normal,' she explained. 'If you don't shine a light on it, it just becomes more easily accepted.' Zabrinah Santiago, a San Diego-based longtime K-pop fan and freelance illustrator who goes by ItmeZ online, was so inspired by the animation style of the movie that she raced to make fan art. She sold illustrated fan cards of HUNTR/X and Saja Boys at her booth at the Los Angeles Anime Expo, held in July, two weeks after the movie was released on Netflix. And she wasn't the only one. A search of #kpopdemonhunters on Instagram yields thousands of fan illustrations of HUNTR/X and Saja Boys. Japan-based Youtuber Emily Sim, also known as Emirichu online, says the character designs and original plot drew her to the movie. Sim, with more than 3.5 million subscribers on YouTube, posted a 35-minute video about the movie. In a week-and-a-half, it garnered nearly 450,000 views. 'I love seeing all the fan art and just the ways that this movie has creatively inspired people,' Sim said. Kang says for 'KPop Demon Hunters,' her team wanted to bring together demons and Jeoseung Saja — the grim reaper in Korean mythology — for a film that could look both very traditional and modernized — what she says is common in K-dramas but not in animation. Herman compares the movie to another Sony animation: 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,' which also attracted a broad audience with its creative animation. 'And it's a fun, animated musical, which we haven't had in a while,' she says. 'It's campy, it's engaging, it's universal.' Santiago was initially skeptical of the title 'KPop Demon Hunters.' 'I feel like with big companies they kind of like to use K-pop as a bait. They kind of like to take advantage of K-pop fans' sincerity,' said Santiago. 'But I felt like with this one, it was such like kind of a love letter to K-pop fans.' Indeed — if the film wasn't authentic to K-pop fans' experience, or mocked them, it is unlikely to have become so popular, says Benjamin. Instead, there are Easter eggs for the dedicated K-pop listener. Herman agrees, and says that the film has in-jokes for K-pop fans, not unlike a children's movie that features some humor meant to appeal specifically to parents. 'Figuring out what makes K-pop tick in a way that resonates with musical fans was really important to this movie,' said Herman. For Kang, that was always at the heart of the project. 'Fandom plays a huge part in the world being saved at the end of the movie,' she said. 'So, we were really confident that we were doing that justice.'
an hour ago
Martha's Vineyard film fest returns with Black star power, bold storytelling and cultural legacy
LOS ANGELES -- No matter the time on Martha's Vineyard, a shimmering glow will be powered by the star presence of Black filmmakers, actors and tastemakers like Issa Rae, Mara Brock Akil and Michelle Obama who are shaping culture on their own terms. For two-plus decades, the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival has been a cultural reunion, a summer sanctuary and a safe haven where some of the industry's most influential voices converge in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts. This week marks the return of the 23rd annual nine-day celebration, which kicks off Friday with a stacked slate that includes appearances from singer-actor Jennifer Hudson and Hall of Fame basketball player Dwyane Wade, screenings like Spike Lee 's 'Highest 2 Lowest' and intimate conversations with figures such as the Rev. Al Sharpton. Over the years, the festival has drawn the who's who of Black Hollywood — including Ava DuVernay, Kerry Washington, Tyler Perry and Regina King. The Obamas made a surprise appearance in 2022. 'It's a moment when so many of us converge and gather in a location that has historically received us incredibly well,' said Tracee Ellis Ross, who will screen her new Roku Channel series 'Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross.' The three-episode show follows Ross as she embarks on solo journeys to unplug, indulge and reconnect through Morocco, Mexico and Spain. Ross said traveling solo is a way of life. She said sharing her project at MVAAFF felt right, noting that the Vineyard-set episode of Akil's 'Forever' captures the spirit and beauty of the picturesque island. 'It felt like the perfect location to kind of share,' she said. 'The timing was perfect from when the show came out.' Set on the campus of the Martha's Vineyard Performing Arts Center and the Vineyard Lounge, the festival has grown from a grassroots gathering into a premier destination where Black creatives can find inspiration, connection and support. Akil paid homage to festival founders Stephanie and Floyd Rance, crediting them for building a creative pipeline where stories rooted in Black culture live and are seen. 'They know the value. They know the need,' said Akil, who will screen 'The Vineyard' episode from the Netflix series 'Forever' at the festival. 'Regardless of what the institution or systems of Hollywood sees as valuable, we claim the value of our stories. We have a chance to celebrate them, complete them, tell them, view them and share them with an audience. It allows for the completion of the story, so that we can move on to many, many, many more stories that need to be told.' Floyd Rance described MVAAFF as a vital part of the entertainment ecosystem, offering a platform where Black voices and stories are given the spotlight they deserve. 'It's always good to have somewhat of a convergence for folks of like mind in the arts and entertainment to gather, coalesce, share ideas, rekindle friendships and fellowship,' said Floyd, who along with Stephanie said they did not expect their festival to become such a main attraction. 'Despite the political climate and what's going on in entertainment, it's always a good time for birds of a feather to flock together.' In addition to the panels and screenings, Stephanie Rance said this year's festival centers on the theme of joy, focusing more on celebration than struggle. She's especially excited for attendees to experience a range of conversations, from little-known moments in Black history to a panel on Ralph Lauren's Oak Bluffs collection with Morehouse and Spelman. The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture will host a discussion on Black dandyism, paying tribute to fashion icon André Leon Talley. 'The community at large on the Vineyard and the folks that come from all over the world to the festival really embrace the filmmakers,' she said. 'Everybody loves the studio and the streaming content and the talent that comes in. But we really are a filmmakers' film fest at heart.' This year's festival is delivering a dynamic slate that blends star power, conversation and creative insight. Spike Lee will unveil exclusive clips from his upcoming film 'Highest 2 Lowest' starring Denzel Washington. Courtney B. Vance is set to lead a panel on Black storytelling, diving into how content creation can retain cultural authenticity. Jennifer Hudson will open up about her Emmy-nominated daytime talk show, while Dwyane Wade will participate in a men's luncheon with industry leaders to discuss leadership, legacy and capital in today's evolving media space. Joy Reid is hosting a fireside chat on power and purpose. Issa Rae returns with a preview of part two of her documentary 'Seen & Heard,' continuing her exploration of visibility for Black creatives. And Debbie Allen will be honored with a tribute to 'A Different World,' celebrating the force the show continues to be decades later. The screenings will showcase a wide range of Black storytelling, including Starz's 'Magic City: American Fantasy,' the Tyler Perry-produced 'Old Mary Mare,' HBO Max's 'The Gilded Age,' and Ryan Coogler's critically acclaimed 'Sinners.' Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson will hold a live taping of their podcast that'll include an interview with Teyana Taylor. For returning filmmakers like Andre Gaines, the festival has become a cultural home to showcase work. This year marks his third screening at MVAAFF, where he'll show 'The Dutchman,' a bold reimagining of Amiri Baraka's searing 1964 play. 'It's great to show our stories in front of our people and get this visceral and genuine reaction when it comes to things that we're familiar with,' said Gaines, who's also collaborating with MVAAFF founders Stephanie and Floyd Rance on a documentary about the late ESPN anchor Stuart Scott. Gaines said the festival affirms the value of Black storytelling in a way that mainstream spaces often overlook. 'Some people look at our festivals, media or award shows as being less than what the mainstream or our white contemporaries might consider them to be, but they aren't,' he said. 'That's the beauty of this festival. We talk to each other and herald the filmmakers that came before us and the ones currently working. We get this grand opportunity to come together in that form.'
