‘Kidding’ guest

ARIANA GRANDE will appear in Jim Carrey’s series “Kidding.” The second season of the Showtime series returns Nov. 3. Carrey told a TV critics’ gathering Friday that Grande was game to be silly and have fun. Carrey plays children’s TV host Mr. Pickles who has a difficult family life off-screen.

Grande, who will sing in the show, said she’s been a fan of Carrey since childhood. Grande began her career as an actress, appearing on Broadway in the musical “13” and two Nickelodeon TV series.

Final season

SHOWTIME says the eighth and final season of “Homeland” will debut in early 2020. The channel said Friday that production on the acclaimed drama’s last 12 episodes is underway.

Former CIA agent Carrie struggled last season to uncover an international conspiracy to harm America’s democratic institutions. The final season will open with Carrie, played by Claire Danes, recovering physically and mentally from her imprisonment in a Russian gulag. She’s enlisted to help co-star Mandy Patinkin’s Saul in a bid for peace in Afghanistan.

Other cast members include Beau Bridges, Maury Sterling and Linus Roache. Showtime says the final season of “Homeland” will begin Feb. 9.

Record tour

ED SHEERAN’S Divide Tour is one for the record books.

Pollstar confirms the 28-year-old British singer’s tour will set the all-time highest-grossing tour record with Friday’s show in Hannover, Germany. Pollstar forecasts the total gross to this point of US$736.7 million will top the previous record of US$735.4 million set by U2 in 2011. The Divide Tour launched Mar. 16, 2017 and is due to end Aug. 26. That’s 893 days compared to the 760 days U2 spent on the road. Sheeran’s tour topped U2’s attendance record of 7.3 million May 24 in France with a total attendance of 7,315,970.

Elvis Presley biopic

WARNER Bros.’ untitled Elvis Presley biopic from director Baz Luhrmann will open Oct. 1, 2021, the studio said Friday. Austin Butler is playing the King of Rock in the drama, which Warner Bros. describes as having a story that will “delve into their complex dynamic spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and the loss of innocence in America.”

Warner Bros. has also pushed Legendary’s big budget “Dune” adaptation back one month to Dec. 18, 2020. The film, from director Denis Villeneuve, hits on a packed date that also includes Steven Spielberg and Fox’s “West Side Story,” and Sony and Tom Holland’s “Uncharted.” (SD-Agencies)