Late entertainment and technology predictions for 2021

When I posted my roundup of 2021 predictions on Dec. 31, some news outlets and analysts had yet to publish their predictions. What follows is a look at some of those Johnny-come-lately predictions.

New albums from Adele and Rihanna

Variety magazine predicts that Adele will come out with her long-awaited fourth album this year. The entertainment journal also forecasts that it will be the top-selling album of the year. Her last album, “25”, came out in 2015.
Variety also thinks 2021 will be the year Rihanna blesses the world with new music. Her last album, “Anti,” released in 2016. “Anticipation for a follow-up has grown, not dissipated — a new album will be a major event on a level none of her previous launches were,” Variety said. It will be her ninth studio album.

Comcast’s NBCUniversal buys MGM Studios

Comcast’s NBCUniversal will purchase movie studio MGM Studios to bulk up its direct-to-consumer streaming video offerings, LightShed Ventures predicts.
“In acquiring MGM, NBCU would gain access to the Bond franchise that has been severely underexploited beyond a movie every few years,” LightShed analysts said. “Within NBCUniversal, we could imagine how the Bond franchise could be expanded into its own Bond Character Universe (BCU) leveraging linear TV, streaming and theme parks.”
LightShed also is predicting that Comcast will sell its 33% stake in Hulu to Disney to gain more capital for its own streaming ventures.

Airbnb gets into short-term office space

Recent IPO Airbnb will diversify from short-term residential rentals to short-term office rentals, says Scott Galloway, professor of marketing at New York University’s Stern School of Business. The Covid-19 pandemic cratered the market for office space and Airbnb will take advantage of that as knowledge workers return to shared offices, he said.

Photo: Singer and entrepreneur Rihanna. (Savage X Fenty lingerie by Rihanna)

Netflix DVD business didn’t get lift from Covid-19 pandemic

Streaming video services saw a huge boost in subscribers after the Covid-19 pandemic set in starting in early 2020. That includes internet television network Netflix. But Netflix’s legacy U.S.-only, DVD-by-mail service didn’t see a lift in business.
Revenue from Netflix’s DVD business dropped 19.5% year over year in 2020 to $239.4 million, according to a Jan. 28 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Sales dropped at a slightly quicker pace in 2020 than in the period year. In 2019, Netflix’s DVD business brought in $297.2 million, down 18.7% from the prior year. Netflix no longer gives subscriber numbers for the DVD service.
Meanwhile, Netflix’s global streaming service pulled in $24.76 billion in sales in 2020, up 25% year over year.
Despite having a much wider selection of movies than any streaming service, Netflix’s DVD business has been on the wane for years. The reasons are manifold.
For starters, people like the immediacy of streaming video services and there’s no shortage of programming to watch on them.
Also, Netflix doesn’t advertise or market its DVD service anymore. It has put its focus almost entirely on streaming.
Finally, and this is a small point, people might be wary of touching physical mail and media during the Covid age.

Photo: Netflix DVD mailers (Patrick Seitz)

CES bargain: This year’s show is half off

The all-digital CES 2021 trade show had less than half the reach of last year’s in-person tech conference, according to statistics released Monday by the show’s owner, the Consumer Technology Association. CES 2021 was held online because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The trade group says the virtual CES 2021 drew 80,746 attendees. That compares with 171,268 attendees at the in-person CES 2020 in Las Vegas.
This year’s online show featured 1,943 exhibitors, vs. 4,419 at last year’s physical conference.
Also, CES 2021 attracted 5,433 journalists. A total of 6,517 journalists attended the physical CES 2020 show.

Conference industry not coming back soon as Covid-19 pandemic lingers

Stuck at home for the past year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, I’m itching to get out and meet people and learn new things at industry conferences. But with a resurgence of the deadly coronavirus and the botched U.S. government rollout of vaccines, the conference industry is likely to stay virtual beyond midyear.
On Jan. 19, the National Retail Federation canceled its planned in-person NRF 2021: Retail’s Big Show, which had been planned for the first week of June at the Javits Center in New York City. That’s because the city is using the Javits Center as a vaccine distribution venue and expects the distribution process to continue through the summer, the NRF said in a press release. The NRF will hold the conference online instead.
Virtual conferences are in vogue right now. I recently attended the all-digital CES 2021 this month and the virtual Web Summit in December.
CES plans to return to an in-person show in Las Vegas in January 2022. Web Summit has scheduled an in-person show for Lisbon, Portugal, for this November.
But when will other conferences start holding in-person gatherings?
The South by Southwest entertainment and cultural event, also known as SXSW, is holding a virtual event March 16–20 after canceling last year’s show because of Covid.
Meanwhile, organizers of MWC Barcelona, formerly known as Mobile World Congress, are pressing ahead with an in-person event in Spain on June 28 through July 1. The event was originally scheduled for the first week of March but GSMA pushed it back because of “external circumstances related to Covid-19.”
Other conferences are going forward with in-person events this summer as well. They include the National Restaurant Association Show, set for May 22-25 at McCormick Place in Chicago and the Sweets & Snacks Expo, scheduled for June 23-25 in Indianapolis.

Photo: “Creative rendition of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles” by NIAID.

E3 2021: Will there be a video game conference this year?

Last year, the E3 video game conference was struggling even before the Covid-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the annual show. Major exhibitors including Sony and Electronic Arts had pulled out of E3 in favor of doing their own events.
The Entertainment Software Association canceled E3 2020 on March 11, 2020, citing the health crisis. The show had been scheduled for June 9-11, 2020, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The trade group initially looked to do an online conference but abandoned those plans in April.
The ESA had scheduled June 15-17, 2021, for E3 2021 as a “reimagined” event. But the trade group has been oddly silent about their plans.
A spokesperson for ESA declined to comment on the state of E3 on Monday in response to an email query.
The E3 website makes no mention of any planned events, virtual or in person.
With the pandemic still raging, it’s hard to imagine there being an in-person E3 event this June. And two straight years of no E3 convention might spell the end of the industry event, also known as the Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Photo: E3 signage (E3)

CES 2021 final thoughts: Virtual show comes up short

As a stopgap until the next in-person CES trade show – hopefully a year from now – the all-digital CES 2021 was at best adequate. It provided the bare-bones for the tech industry to meet and discuss trends and issues.
I can only speak as a journalist covering the show, so I don’t know how much commerce was facilitated by the online CES 2021.
From a news perspective, the large companies dominated through keynote addresses, press conferences and product introductions.
What was sorely missing was the ability to learn about startups, up-and-coming companies and cool new tech. Normally that takes place by walking the exhibit floor and attending side events during CES. That was next to impossible with the online setup.
And with consumer electronics, people need to touch and feel the products to understand their appeal. A press release, photos and video aren’t enough.
My feelings are shared by other journalists and analysts.
“The single biggest problem was product discovery,” tech journalist Lance Ulanoff said in a blog post about the show. “Even with half the number of exhibitors (approximately 2,000 as opposed to 4,000 in 2020), it was damn near impossible to find hidden gems.”
The show organizers – the Consumer Technology Association – should have done a better job with the online exhibitor directory, which was basic, Ulanoff said.
Patrick McGee, San Francisco correspondent for the Financial Times, had similar complaints.
“The dizzying experience of stumbling upon hundreds of startups in a Las Vegas convention center proved impossible to replicate with the clicks of a mouse,” McGee said.
A postmortem of the event by Engadget longed for the physical CES.
“We particularly missed being able to wander The Sands and learn about smaller, up-and-coming startups,” Engadget said. “And if seeing is believing, the oddest entries at the show remain locked behind our computer screens, with no chance of getting hands-on time.”
Overall, CES “felt less exciting” as a virtual event, wrote Lauren Goode, a senior writer at Wired. “It’s hard to determine the viability of any product by watching a slick video about it.”
At CES, I want to try on the newest smart glasses, interact with robots, see those flying-car prototypes up close, and experience all the crazy tech that just might be the next big thing.
I can only hope that the world beats back the Covid-19 pandemic so there can be a physical CES 2022. It’s currently scheduled for Jan. 5-8, 2022, in Las Vegas.

Related articles:

Celebrities at CES 2021: Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Kaley Cuoco and more (Jan. 17, 2021)

Celebrities at CES 2021 (Jan. 17, 2021)

CES 2021 buzzword of the show: pandemic (Jan. 17, 2021)

CES 2021 news in review: AMD, Best Buy, Deere, Intel, Microsoft make waves (Jan. 16, 2021)

CES 2021 in review (Jan. 16, 2021)

Photo: Las Vegas resorts and attractions showed their support for an in-person CES convention with an orchestrated marquee display hours before the start of the virtual CES 2021. (Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority)

Celebrities at CES 2021: Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Kaley Cuoco and more

The annual CES trade show always features celebrity appearances. Celebs provide star power for keynote presentations, entertainment industry panel discussions and product endorsements. Sometimes celebrities can be seen just walking the exhibit floor like regular Joes and Janes.
CES 2021 also had celebrities, but they made virtual appearances like the rest of the pandemic-impacted show.
Radio giant iHeartMedia streamed a video chat between nationally syndicated on-air host and TV personality Ryan Seacrest and singer-songwriter Dua Lipa. They discussed the impact of the pandemic on the music industry and how performers are using technology to stay in touch with fans. IHeartMedia capped off the session with a taped performance by Billie Eilish.
Country music star Keith Urban streamed a live solo performance from his studio in Australia for JBL, a brand owned by Harman, which is a subsidiary of Samsung. JBL was celebrating its 75th anniversary.
Sony filmed a performance by singer Zara Larsson to showcase its immersive 360 Reality Audio sound. It also captured a performance by singer-songwriter Madison Beer to demonstrate its real-time 3D video creation technology. Sony transformed Beer into a realistic avatar to perform a medley of her songs in a virtual recreation of Sony Hall in New York City.
Panasonic taped a performance by rock band Cold War Kids at the Area15 complex in Las Vegas. The event showcased Panasonic audio and video technologies.
Verizon recorded a performance by psychedelic soul band Black Pumas at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. The event featured multi-cam viewing and a 360-degree portal experience.
The Intel press conference had a video interview with Chance the Rapper to discuss his SocialWorks program in Chicago. Intel is providing technology for the education-focused group.
Variety interviewed actress and producer Kaley Cuoco (“The Big Bang Theory” and “The Flight Attendant”) during the Variety Entertainment Summit: A CES Partner Program.

Related article:

Celebrities at CES 2021 (Jan. 17, 2021, on Twitter)

CES 2021 buzzword of the show: pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic permeated much of the discussions at the CES 2021 trade show, which was held online because of the still-raging health crisis. For that reason, “pandemic” is the buzzword for this year’s CES.
Companies showed off technology for preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes the disease. Products included high-tech masks, touchless kiosks, room disinfecting robots, smart air filtration systems and body sensors for detecting Covid-19 symptoms.
Exhibitors addressed the work-from-home, distance learning and stay-at-home entertainment trends spurred by the pandemic. Panelists discussed the impact of Covid-19 on live sports events and music concerts.
Companies at CES 2021 also discussed digital health trends related to the pandemic. Quite a few exhibitors had home fitness equipment, which has increased in popularity as gyms have declined during the Covid-19 scare.

CES buzzwords through the years:

2010: Green
2011: Smart
2012: Ultra
2013: Super
2014: Curved
2015: Wearable
2016: HDR (high dynamic range)
2017: Voice
2018: AI (artificial intelligence)
2019: 5G
2020: Streaming
2021: Pandemic

Photo: LG Electronics is developing an autonomous robot that will use ultraviolet C (UV-C) light to disinfect high-touch, high-traffic areas. LG plans to offer the UV robot to hospitality, retail, corporate and education customers in the U.S. in early 2021. (LG Electronics)

CES 2021 news in review: AMD, Best Buy, Deere, Intel, Microsoft make waves

The following is a roundup of my coverage of the virtual CES 2021 technology trade show.

Caterpillar, Deere flaunt robotic vehicles for mining, farming at CES 2021. (Jan. 14, 2021)

Microsoft sounds alarm about state-sponsored cybersecurity threats. (Jan. 13, 2021)

Electronics retailer Best Buy thrives thanks to hybrid business model. (Jan. 12, 2021)

Chipmaker AMD expects to be in 50% more notebook PC models in 2021. (Jan. 12, 2021)

Intel unleashes flurry of new processors at CES 2021, hopes to change narrative. (Jan. 12, 2021)

8K TVs, see-through displays, home robots debut at CES 2021. (Jan. 11, 2021)

CES 2021: As massive tech show shrinks to a PC screen, will its impact wane? (Jan. 7, 2021)

Photo: The John Deere X-Series combine harvester earned a CES 2021 Innovation Award in the robotics category. Last year, the company’s John Deere 8RX tractor won a CES 2020 Innovation Award. (Deere)

10 noteworthy TV dramas that never aired

I recently argued that television studios should make their unaired TV pilots available for viewing.
I’m particularly interested in dramas that were filmed but never released.
What follows is a list of some of them.

Wonder Woman (2011, NBC)

In 2011, NBC canceled plans to air “Wonder Woman,” starring Adrianne Palicki as the DC Comics superhero. The show, produced by David E. Kelley, reportedly had script problems and costume issues.
The unaired pilot was back in the news last month with the release of the big-screen movie “Wonder Woman 1984,” starring Gal Gadot as the title character. That’s because Pedro Pascal acted in both the failed pilot and “WW84.” Cary Elwes, Elizabeth Hurley and Tracie Thoms also acted in the unaired NBC show. (See article by Vulture for more details on the train wreck of a pilot.)

Marvel’s Most Wanted (2016, ABC)

Speaking of Adrianne Palicki, she’s been in several failed pilots. In addition to “Wonder Woman,” she was in a reboot of “Lost in Space” directed by John Woo and a pilot for “Aquaman” about the DC Comics superhero, both of which were not picked up as series.
She also starred in a pilot for an “Agents of SHIELD” spin-off called “Marvel’s Most Wanted.”  The show would have followed Bobbi Morse/Mockingbird (Palicki) and Lance Hunter (Nick Blood) after they were forced to leave SHIELD in season three. The pilot also starred Delroy Lindo. But ABC decided not to pick up the show.

Locke & Key (2011, Fox)

Before Netflix made a hit series out of “Locke & Key,” Fox tried to adapt horror author Joe Hill’s best-selling graphic novel. The pilot was directed by Mark Romanek, written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, and produced by Steven Spielberg. Fox reportedly passed on the series due to its rising production cost.

Day One (2010, NBC)

In 2010, NBC scrapped a post-apocalyptic alien invasion series called “Day One” after filming the pilot. Alex Graves (“Fringe” and “Game of Thrones”) directed the pilot, which starred David Lyons, Julie Gonzalo, Carly Pope, Thekla Reuten and Xander Berkeley.

Hieroglyph (2014, Fox)

In 2014, Fox pulled the plug on an ambitious Ancient Egypt drama series called “Hieroglyph.” The show was described as a sexy historical-fantasy thriller. The pilot starred Max Brown, Reece Ritchie, Condola Rashad and John Rhys-Davies. The show was from creator/executive producer Travis Beacham (“Pacific Rim” and “Clash of the Titans.”)
According to the show’s official description, the drama followed a “notorious thief who is plucked from prison to serve the Pharaoh, forcing him to navigate palace intrigue, seductive concubines, criminal underbellies and divine sorcerers, as he races to stop the downfall of one of history’s greatest civilizations.”

Beverly Hills Cop (2013, CBS)

In 2013, CBS decided not to move ahead with a TV series based on the popular “Beverly Hills Cop” film series. Barry Sonnenfeld (“Men In Black”) directed the pilot, which featured a cameo appearance by Eddie Murphy as his character Axel Foley from the movies. The pilot starred Brandon T. Jackson as Foley’s detective son Aaron.

Da Brick (2011, HBO)

In 2011, HBO passed on a series called “Da Brick,” which was loosely based on boxing legend Mike Tyson’s youth. Acclaimed director Spike Lee helmed the pilot, which starred John Boyega (“Attack the Block” and “Star Wars”).

Midnight Sun (2012, NBC)

In 2012, NBC passed on “Midnight Sun,” a drama about an Alaskan cult being investigated by an FBI cult specialist. Brad Anderson (“Transsiberian”) directed the pilot, which starred Julia Stiles, Titus Welliver and David Harbour.

The Selection (2013, The CW)

The CW filmed two pilots based on the book “The Selection” by Kiera Cass. The story is set 300 years in the future and centers on a working-class young woman chosen by lottery to participate in a competition with 25 other women for the Royal Prince’s hand to become the nation’s next queen.
The first pilot in 2012 starred Aimee Teegarden and the second pilot in 2013 starred Yael Grobglas. The second pilot was considered vastly superior to the first but was still not picked up as a series.
Now Netflix is adapting the book for a series.

The Sixth Gun (2013, NBC)

In 2013, NBC ordered a pilot drama based on the best-selling supernatural graphic novel “The Sixth Gun.” The novel told the story of six mythical guns, each with its own other-worldly powers. The pilot starred Michiel Huisman, Laura Ramsey, Elena Satine and Pedro Pascal.

Release the unaired TV pilots

I’m fascinated by high-profile television projects that were filmed but never released. As a TV junkie, I’d love to watch some of these pilots no matter how bad they are. I’d like to see for myself why they didn’t work and why they weren’t picked up by the television networks.
In August, The Ringer writer Ben Lindbergh suggested that TV networks salvage these pilots from Hollywood vaults and air them when new television programming gets scarce during the Covid-19 pandemic. Lindbergh listed many interesting projects that are sitting in warehouses or on computer servers.
I have a couple different ideas for how these unused works could be repurposed.

Make a documentary series about failed pilots

My first idea is to make a documentary series about why these television projects failed. The series can show clips from the original project – not necessarily the entire pilot – and then interview actors, writers, directors and others involved to discuss what went wrong and perhaps what went right.
It would be a bit like the series “Brilliant But Cancelled.” However, this series would focus on pilots that had big-name stars and behind-the-camera talent, but just weren’t very good.

Make a contest out of fixing unused pilots

Television studios should let talented young editors, effects artists and up-and-coming producers take a crack at some failed pilots. The goal would be to “save it in post,” as they say in Hollywood.
They can take inspiration from remix culture (see “Star Wars Episode I.I: The Phantom Edit,” etc,) and try to make something worthwhile from those flawed and possibly unfinished works.
They could make a contest out of it. Set up two producers and see which one can make the best show from failed pilots, preferably hour-long dramas. They can select their teams from recent graduates and industry upstarts to find editors, music composers and visual effects artists.
The contestant producers should be given a limited budget to film some additional scenes. Think of what Zack Snyder is doing to reinvent “Justice League” for HBO Max. But this would be on a shoestring budget, something a guerilla filmmaker like Robert Rodriguez could pull off.
It could be a bit like the series “Project Greenlight.”
The holdup for not releasing these pilots is almost certainly related to legal clearance and ownership rights. But if there’s a will there’s a way.

Next: 10 noteworthy TV dramas that never aired

Photo: “TV” by chrisinplymouth via Creative Commons.

The best animal attack movies of the past 20 years

With news reports about a wolf attack in Russia and bloodthirsty squirrels in New York City, I was inspired to put together a list of well-reviewed animal attack movies.
With my list of animal attack movies, I left out the titles with strong science-fiction and fantasy elements. That would include films like “King Kong,” Godzilla” and other such monster movies.
I ranked the movies by percentage of positive reviews on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. I included films that had a “critics consensus” as well as those that didn’t have enough reviews for a consensus yet.

The best animal attack movies, 2000 to present

1. Burning Bright (2016), tiger, 100% positive reviews
2. Rogue (2008), crocodile, 94%
3. Backcountry (2015), bear, 92%
4. Grizzly Man (2005), grizzly bear, 92%
5. Artic (2019), polar bear, 90%
6. White God (2015), dogs, 88%
7. Crawl (2019), alligators, 84%
8. Black Water (2008), crocodile, 80%
9. The Reef (2010), great white shark, 80%
10. The Grey (2012), wolves, 79%
11. The Revenant (2016), bear, 78%
12. The Shallows (2016), great white shark, 78%
13. Piranha 3-D (2010), piranhas, 74%
14. Deep Blue Sea 3 (2020), sharks, 71%
15. Open Water (2003), sharks, 71%
16. Snakes on a Plane (2006), snakes, 69%
17. Rogue (2020), lion, 67%
18. Willard (2003), rats, 64%
19. Frozen (2010), wolves, 63%
20. Bullet Head (2017), dog, 61%
21. The Pack (2016), wild dogs, 55%
22. 47 Meters Down (2017), great white sharks, 52%

The best animal attack movies, pre-2000

1. Dark Age (1988), crocodile, 100% positive reviews
2. Jaws (1975), great white shark, 98%
3. The Birds (1963), birds, 95%
4. Arachnophobia (1990), spiders, 92%
5. White Dog (1982), dog, 92%
6. Long Weekend (1979), various animal attacks, 88%
7. Moby Dick (1956), sperm whale, 86%
8. The Naked Jungle (1954), army ants, 86%
9. Alligator (1980), alligator, 80%
10. Creepshow (1982), cockroaches, 73%
11. Roar (1981), lions and tigers, 71%
12. Piranha (1978), piranhas, 69%
13. Ben (1972), rats, 67%
14. The Edge (1997), grizzly bear, 64%
15. Cujo (1983), rabid dog, 63%
16. Deep Blue Sea (1999), sharks, 59%
17. Razorback (1984), boar, 58%
18. Jaws 2 (1978), great white shark, 58%
19. Of Unknown Origin (1983), rats, 57%
20. Willard (1971), rats, 57%

Photos: Movie posters for “Crawl” and “The Shallows.”

The best post-apocalyptic movies of the past 20 years

After a year of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, people are hoping things don’t get worse. With vaccines being distributed now, scientists and government leaders are counting on the situation to improve.
Filmmakers have toyed with pandemics in movies imagining post-apocalyptic scenarios. They’ve created worlds ravaged by disease, wars, zombies, aliens and other dire situations. Let’s hope the real world doesn’t imitate art.
What follows is a list of the best live-action post-apocalyptic themed movies from the last 20 years.

Best post-apocalyptic movies of the past 20 years

* based on percentage of positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and only those with a “critics consensus”

1. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), 97%
2. A Quiet Place (2018), 96%
3. The Survivalist (2017), 96%
4. Snowpiercer (2014), 94%
5. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), 94%
6. Love and Monsters (2020), 92%
7. I Am Mother (2019), 91%
8. Turbo Kid (2015), 91%
9. Blood Quantum (2019), 90%
10. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), 90%
11. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), 90%
12. Zombieland (2009), 89%
13. Cargo (2018), 88%
14. It Comes At Night (2017), 87%
15. Ravenous, aka Les Affames (2018), 87%
16. The Girl with All the Gifts (2017), 86%
17. The Night Eats the World (2018), 86%
18. This Is the End (2013), 83%
19. Light of My Life (2019), 81%
20. Warm Bodies (2013), 81%
21. Ever After, aka Endzeit (2019), 80%
22. Z for Zachariah (2015), 79%
23. Anna and the Apocalypse (2018), 77%
24. Into the Forest (2016), 76%
25. Dawn of the Dead (2004), 75%
26. War of the Worlds (2005), 75%

Bonus movies

These post-apocalyptic movies have been well-reviewed but don’t have enough reviews to merit a “critics consensus” on Rotten Tomatoes.

Diverge (2016), 100%
The Domestics (2018), 100%
The Last Days, aka Los Ultimos Dias (2014), 91%
Riot Girls (2019), 90%
What Still Remains (2018), 90%
Embers (2016), 83%
The Battery (2016), 80%
The Last Survivors, aka The Well (2014), 75%

Top 20 celebrities predicted to die in 2021

Death didn’t take a holiday in 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic swept the globe.
To date, the coronavirus has killed over 1.8 million people worldwide, including over 350,000 in the U.S., according to Worldometer. It has claimed the lives of such celebrities as singers John Prine and Charley Pride, Broadway actor Nick Cordero and “Gilligan’s Island” actress Dawn Wells. (See article by the Wrap.)
Some of the more shocking deaths by other causes in 2020 included actor Chadwick Boseman, actress Kelly Preston, actress Naya Rivera and basketball great Kobe Bryant.
Likely no one participating in the Stiffs.com dead pool contest predicted those deaths. Contestants tend to choose the old and infirm when picking celebrities most likely to die in the year ahead.
Of the top 20 public figures marked for death in 2020 by players on Stiffs.com, nine died last year. They included actor Kirk Douglas, actress Olivia de Havilland, “Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek and comedian Carl Reiner. The others were political matriarch Roberta McCain, English singer Vera Lynn, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, TV news anchor Hugh Downs and media magnate Sumner Redstone.
Who’s likely to croak in 2021?
What follows are the top 20 public figures (with their ages) predicted to die in 2021, according to Stiffs.com.

1. Prince Philip, 99, husband of Queen Elizabeth II
2. Jimmy Carter, 96, former U.S. president
3. Beverly Cleary, 104, children’s book writer
4. Bob Dole, 97, retired U.S. senator
5. Bob Barker, 97, game show host
6. Rush Limbaugh, 69, conservative talk-radio host
7. Henry Kissinger, 97, former U.S. secretary of state
8. Betty White, 98, actress
9. George Shultz, 100, former U.S. secretary of state
10. Tommy Lasorda, 93, Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team manager
11. Dick Van Dyke, 95, actor
12. Lawrence Ferlinghetti, 101, American poet, painter, social activist
13. Queen Elizabeth II, 94, queen of the United Kingdom
14. Roger Angell, 100, American essayist known for writing on sports
15. Mel Brooks, 94, director, writer, actor, comedian
16. Cloris Leachman, 94, actress
17. Olivia Newton-John, 72, singer
18. Norman Lear, 98, television writer and producer
19. Angela Lansbury, 95, actress
20. Barbara Walters, 91, broadcast journalist

Here are some notable younger public figures predicted to die this year by multiple Stiffs.com dead-pool players:

22. Shannen Doherty, 49, actress
70. Michael J. Fox, 59, actor
77. Kim Jong-un, 36, supreme leader of North Korea
87. Val Kilmer, 61, actor
107. Michael Schumacher, 51, racecar driver
146. Artie Lange, 53, comedian
159. Lindsay Lohan, 34, actress
180. Charlie Sheen, 55, actor
204. Amanda Bynes, 34, actress
209. Britney Spears, 39, singer
224. Kanye West, 43, rapper, fashion designer

Photo: Actress Lindsay Lohan in 2013 (Wikipedia Commons)