In honor of Star Wars day tomorrow, I’m speaking my truth: I like Attack of the Clones. The second of the (perhaps unfairly) maligned Star Wars prequels is the film that introduces viewers to Hayden Christensen‘s grown-up Anakin Skywalker, as well as kicks off the Clone Wars — which then unfolds in an objectively better animated series. It’s not the best Star Wars script ever written, but without it, we wouldn’t be able to laugh at Anakin’s tirade against sand. In spite of the script, other elements make the movie worth revisiting: the John Williams score that includes his iconic “Imperial March,” some really fun action during the Battle of Geonosis, Yoda flinging himself around during a lightsaber battle with someone three times his size, Ewan McGregor‘s everything. Since this is, after all, a recommendation, here’s my actual recommendation: switch your brain off, put Attack of the Clones on, and accept everything at face value. It’s a much more enjoyable watch that way.
The 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards, which is slated to air live this Sunday from Santa Monica’s Barker Hanger with host Drew Barrymore, will move forward even as a writers strike is now underway. Because it’s live, the kudocast will likely be the first program noticeably impacted by a strike, although insiders close to the show tell Variety they already had multiple contingency plans in place in case.
“We are all collectively hoping for the best, we’re hoping for a resolution so that the show can continue on as planned,” one production source told Variety on Monday, prior to the WGA contract expiration and announcement of a strike. “Should we need to pivot, we will. We are working through our contingency plans. This is something that we have been discussing for for quite some time. So we are hard at work. These are very busy hours and days for us… the nature of live events and live shows and live programming is to be able to pivot when things come up. Those are all skills that we have honed very well over the last few years.”
The show has already shot several short films featuring Barrymore; because those were written and produced before the WGA’s contract with producers was set to expire Monday night at midnight, they wouldn’t be affected by a strike. Where things might get complicated is the script that is currently in place — with the show still five days away, starting now its writers would presumably no longer be able to update it.
“The things that we have planned to be in the body of the show, we made efforts to have those plans be in place,” Barrymore told Variety on Monday. “Our respect and solidarity is not only intact, we are covering ourselves so that we can do the appropriate thing. Nobody here is tone deaf… I think we’ve been acting in accordance of being the most appropriate to everyone we support, and have a plan for that in place.
“I think that intention is is very important,” she added. And everybody’s intentions are in the right place. The whole point of this is to celebrate people in everything that they do. We understand that all of this that we’re celebrating begins with the writing. So we’ll do our best to honor everybody.”
During the 2007-2008 WGA strike, the Golden Globes eventually had to switch to a press conference format, as talent opted not to cross a picket line — and the Globes wasn’t able to clear clip rights from the WGA. (The Guilds traditionally issue waivers to awards shows to allow them to play clips of films and TV shows without paying residuals for their use).
In 2020, the MTV Movie & TV Awards didn’t take place, partly due to the pandemic but also because MTV had decided to move the show to the fall. Ultimately, it returned in spring 2021. Barrymore also has experience in TV pivots: Her talk show, “The Drew Barrymore Show,” bowed in the fall of 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 production protocols. “Trying to launch a talk show in a pandemic was, without question, one of the scariest things I’ve ever done in my life,” she said.
Because this is a brand new strike, it’s unclear whether there would be any picketing of Sunday’s show. And insiders said the issue of clips has so far not come up, and won’t appear to be an issue.
Presenters who have already been confirmed for the awards show include Tiffany Haddish, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Burd (“Lil Dicky”), Gal Gadot, Rodrigo Santoro and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Also “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” stars Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback; “Yellowjackets” stars Courtney Eaton, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Liv Hewson, Samantha Hanratty, Sophie Nélisse and Sophie Thatcher; and “Joy Ride” stars Ashley Park, Sabrina Wu, Sherry Cola and Stephanie Hsu.
Additionally set to appear: Ayo Edebiri, Havana Rose Liu, Kaia Gerber and Rachel Sennott (“Bottoms”); Camila Morrone, Riley Keough, Sam Claflin and Suki Waterhouse (“Daisy Jones & The Six”); Halle Bailey and Jonah Hauer-King (“The Little Mermaid”); and Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, and Lola Tung (“The Summer I Turned Pretty”).
“Top Gun: Maverick,” “Stranger Things” and “The Last of Us” lead all nominees this year. Barrymore is also nominated for an MTV Movie & TV Award this year, while “The White Lotus” star Jennifer Coolidge will be on hand to receive the ‘Comedic Genius’ award. This year’s awards show includes 26 gender-neutral categories.
The show airs live on Sunday, May 7, at 8 p.m. ET on MTV, simulcast on BET, BETHer, Comedy Central, CMT, Logo, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land and VH1.
The impact of the writers’ strike upending Hollywood isn’t just putting a pause on production. Promotion is taking a hit as well. In addition to every late-night show not named Gutfeld! going dark, writers’ rooms across tinsel town are closing up shop, with writers dropping their pens, grabbing signs, and refusing to work until they get a fair deal from the likes of Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Warner Bros. Discover, NBC Universal, Paramount, and Sony. Now, the writers’ strike is coming for awards season.
Danny and Lucy Devito on Little Demon, The Penguin, and more
Earlier today, per The Hollywood Reporter, John Mulaney became the “first major talent” to cease asking people to consider his latest Netflix special, Baby J, by canceling scheduled F.Y.C. events. Mr. Mulaney read the WGA’s strike rules, which forbid promotional events. “You should let the Company know you are prohibited from making these promotional appearances about your work until the strike concludes,” reads the WGA’s F.A.Q.
He’s not the only one to sacrifice this year’s Emmys for the picket line. Jon Stewart also canceled an F.Y.C. event for the second season of The Problem With Jon Stewart. According to Deadline, Stewart was scheduled for a conversation about the show next week.
The news of these cancellations comes after the TV Academy offered networks the opportunity to cancel F.Y.C. events for a $5,000 administration fee and a $2,500 penalty fee. Unfortunately, as we all know, because there’s a strike now, the networks just don’t have that kind of money, so it looks like the Jo(h)ns will cost Apple and Netflix $15,000 collectively. And no, there will be no reimbursements, which is a shame. Apple will have to sell about 20 iPhones to make up the difference.
Mulaney and Stewart aren’t the only ones pulling out of promos. As he ramps up advertising of his new show, I’m A Virgo, Boots Riley tweeted over the weekend that he would cease promoting the show as “soon as a #WGAStrike is called.”
“It’s a move showrunners r [sic] making in hopes2make [sic] negotiations go faster,” Riley tweeted. “These kinds of choices are what much of my work for decades, including this show, is about. More importantly, its these kinds of moves that win strikes.”
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor took a few jabs during Monday’s Hot Docs world premiere of Barry Avrich’s “Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella.”
The American Justice was in Toronto to celebrate Abella, who served on Canada’s Supreme Court from 2004 until her retirement in 2021.
Avrich’s “Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella” is a portrait of Abella’s life and career. As the first Jewish woman, and refugee to sit on Canada’s top court bench, Abella was a fierce advocate for women’s rights, the disabled, and visible minorities.
After the 84 minute doc, Abella, Avrich, Sotomayor and the film’s exec producer Mark Selby sat for a Q&A.
Sotomayor explained that she met Abella in 2010, six months after she began serving on the Supreme Court of the United States.
“I was in a room with Supreme Court justices from the United States and from Canada,” Sotomayor recalled. “As to be expected, they were all very proper and a little bit stuffy. (I was) the newbie feeling very nervous and uncomfortable. And then I see Rosie, and she smiles and her eyes light up. Then all of a sudden, a burden came off my shoulders…What really struck me at the time was, here was this very human person with a huge heart and an absolute brilliance that would disarm the unknowing.”
The daughter of Holocaust survivors, Abella was determined from a young age to practice law and would become one of Canada’s most progressive Supreme Court judges in history.
“Why have Rosie’s decisions been so closely monitored?” asked Sotomayor. “Because she forces each of us to examine our conscience. Where else does justice come from? From our conscience.”
Abella then quipped, “So, what’s with your Court?”
After the audience stopped howling, Sotomayor jokingly said, “That’s below the belt.”
“There’s too many belts,” Abella retorted.
Abella admitted that she initially did not want to be the subject of Avrich’s documentary, but ultimately her late husband, Canadian historian Irving Abella, convinced her to do it.
“I was very nervous about how to communicate a life on film,” she said. “I’m a print person. I write, I read. I love movies. But I really didn’t think that (my story) was a story that anybody besides my family would want to see.”
As for her legacy and the progress Canada has made around equality, Abella said that she is proud of both.
“It’s been an ever-increasing trajectory towards including more and more people so far,” she said. “And I say so far because you have to look around the world and say, we shouldn’t be smug.”
Abella then turned to Sotomayor and concluded with, “One has only to look elsewhere to know much better off we are in this country.”
The playful banter was followed by a more serious note from Sotomayor.
“If you do not protect your values, you can lose them,” she said. “And right now, America is showing you how that can be done. And so, to whatever extent you value how far you’ve come, you need people like Rosie to continue the fight moving forward.”
Abella added: “I was surrounded by like-minded people on the courts, all of them. It was not difficult to be and do the things that I did. I think the real heroes are the ones who do what Sonya Sotomayor is doing in a singular, solitary, difficult, isolated, isolating way, heroically every single day.”
The recognizable screen saver on Roku devices is best known for featuring locations, buildings and characters from beloved films and TV shows (like King Kong scaling the Empire State building, or a fire house that looks suspiciously like the headquarters for the Ghostbusters).
But at its Newfront presentation to marketers on Tuesday, Roku unveiled a much requested new offering: Roku City brand experiences, which will let brands “become unmissable to the nearly 40 million homes that enjoy Roku City each month,” per the company. First up is fast food giant McDonald’s.
While the Roku City real estate may be the headline offering this year, Roku also leaned into its scale, with Weird Al Yankovic opening its Newfront event to tout his recent film, and new Roku content and advertising chief Charlie Collier telling assembled buyers and brands that “Roku is not fighting for turf in the streaming wars, Roku is the turf.”
Roku’s scale as the platform of choice for streaming TV is well known in the industry, a fact also underscored by another data point that came up in the presentation: Of all households that streamed the last Super Bowl, half were doing so on Roku devices.
Other offerings included home and garden and sports experiences, which will collect content from those genres and allow for sponsors to surround that programming, new commerce offerings, and a “primetime reach guarantee,” that will let advertisers “buy with assurance that their campaign will reach more TV households in primetime with Roku than the average program on a top-five cable network on traditional TV,” per the company.
Roku’s content announcements all leaned heavily into reality and unscripted fare (not a surprise, given the company’s focus on less expensive options), but that should also allow them to run without concern from the ongoing writers strike.
Among the shows are an unscripted comedy series starring Charlie Puth called Charlie Makes a Record; the bilingual travel series Carpe DM with Juanpa; a reality rom-com series Meet Me in Rome; another season of Jessica Alba’s Honest Renovations; and food shows Special Delivery, Celebrity Family Cook-Off, and a new season of The Great American Baking Show.
“Everything we do, from our first player to our latest Originals, is about getting you closer to your customers,” said David Eilenberg, head of content for Roku Media, in a statement. “Many are renting you ad space, but Roku is building an entire ad-friendly world where the viewer, content, and advertising come together at every step of the streamer’s journey.”
Star Lily Collins and she show’s costume designer, Marylin Fitoussi, were both on hand Tuesday night at the “Emily in Paris” For Your Consideration event held in Los Angeles at the DGA theater. But there was a very notable absence: Series creator and executive producer Darren Star.
Star was scheduled to appear alongside Collins and Fitoussi as Netflix ramps up promotion going into Emmys season, but the “Sex and the City” creator was a no-show. The panel didn’t explain his absence or even remark on it, but it comes amid the Writers’ Guild of America strike that began at midnight on Tuesday. Star is of course a longstanding member of the guild.
Along with “Emily in Paris” and “Sex and the City,” Star also created “And Just Like That,” “Melrose Place,” “Younger” and “Uncoupled,” among his many credits.
Representatives for Star didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap.
WGA has been locked in a seemingly intractable dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for months, and in April members voted by an overwhelming 97% margin to authorize a strike should talks break down. That happened at midnight on Tuesday.
At issue, the guild is trying to stop what it says is the rise of “a gig economy inside a union workforce,” especially at streaming services like Netflix. WGA is of course seeking to improve compensation for TV shows and films on streamers. But it also strives to stop the abuse of so-called mini-rooms, which is a recent practice where writers who pitch a new TV series are required to actually assemble a writers room, with the members paid at scale, and write a full season scripts before the show will be considered for greenlight.
Another target in the battle is the huge paychecks studio bosses and streaming executives receive. On Monday, just hours ahead of the strike, the guild released an infographic detailing how eight major Hollywood studio executives made a combined $773 million in 2021. They include Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel ($308.2 million), Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav ($246.6 million), Disney’s former chief executive officer Bob Chapek ($32.5 million) and then-executive chairman Bob Iger ($45.9 million), Fox Corporation executive chairman Rupert Murdoch ($31.1 million), Netflix former co-CEO and current executive chairman Reed Hastings ($40.8 million) and co-CEO Ted Sarandos ($38.2 million) and Comcast CEO Brian Roberts ($30 million).
“Meanwhile, many of the workers who write their shows can’t afford rent,” the guild said. “That’s why the WGA is ready to strike.”
For all of TheWrap’s WGA strike coverage, click here.
Heather Rae Young was panned on social media Sunday after offering parenting tips for flying with babies – while riding on a private jet – as she marked her three-month-old son Tristan’s first time on a plane.
The 35-year-old TV star took to Instagram on Sunday with the post, which included a photo carousel of the travel day with her family.
They included her husband Tarek El Moussa, 41, and kids Taylor, 12, and Brayden, seven, who he shares with ex-wife Christina Hall, 39.
The Selling Sunset personality said she had a ‘proud mama moment’ as the family headed to a real estate event called The Flipping Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona.
‘Our little traveling boy!!’ Young said. ‘Took Tristan on his first flight ever … Tristan did such an incredible job … he was such an angel.’
The latest: Heather Rae Young, 35, was panned on social media Sunday after documenting a flight on a private jet she took with her family, marking her three-month-old son’s Tristan first time on a plane
The Anaheim, California native offered a ‘mom-tip’ to her three million followers, regarding how she breast fed the tot during their travels.
‘I breast fed him on the way up and then again on the way down to help with ear popping,’ she said. ‘It worked perfectly and then the rest of the flight he just giggled, played and looked around and was so happy & didn’t cry once… he loved the new environment.
‘He also slept the longest he’s ever slept at the hotel and it was great because in between speaking or in between events I would rush back to breast feed him.’
Young and El Moussa wed in October of 2021 following a two-year courtship, and welcomed Tristan earlier this year.
Young faced heavy criticism in the adjacent comment thread to the post for being out of touch and flaunting wealth.
‘I love you and think you are an incredible woman, boss, mama and so many other things,’ one follower said. ‘You radiate positivity and inclusivity.
‘BUT, this is tone def af. Private jet with help, is not an accomplishment. It’s straight privilege (and your hard work) but ZERO [percent] relatable.’
Another user said: ‘Love that it went well but many moms can’t relate to your flight experience on a private jet…..,’ while another said, ‘Of course it was GREAT. Try flying commercial.’
The TV star took to Instagram on Sunday with the post, which included a photo carousel of the travel day with her family
One user praised Young as an ‘incredible’ mother and businesswoman, but said the post as a whole was ‘tone deaf af’
A number of followers took Young’s parenting tip with a grain of salt, pointing to her lack of acknowledgement of the advantages of flying private
Other users said Young lacked self awareness with the social media post
One follower criticized Young as being unrelatable with the luxe life post
One user pointed out the drastic differences between a private jet and commercial to Young.
‘Private jets do not count as “traveling” on his first flight,’ the user said. ‘Once you are surrounded by hundreds of people, petrified your child will scream his head off- is when you can say you traveled.’
Another user said Young lacked self awareness with the social media post, writing, ‘She can’t help it guys…it’s so hard to be so self absorbed.’
One follower criticized Young as being unrelatable with the luxe life post: ‘Come on you constantly complain that nursing takes all your time and energy but how many mothers have the luxury of private plane travel, chauffeuring around town, people who style their hair and makeup… you all live privileged lives and want us to relate!?!?!’
Beau, the addled midlife wreck played by Joaquin Phoenix in “Beau Is Afraid,” isn’t just afraid, he is terrorized: harassed, beaten, stabbed and even kidnapped in a surreal black comedy that often feels less like a conventional film than a three-hour panic attack. (In the hands of high-anxiety auteur Ari Aster, of “Hereditary” and “Midsommar” fame, consider that a compliment.)
Thanks to his monstrous mother, he has become a man resigned to life without love or companionship. Then, deep in the movie comes a reprieve — a late chance at romance with his childhood crush (Parker Posey), soundtracked, incongruously, to the lilting strains of Mariah Carey’s smash 1995 ballad “Always Be My Baby.” Things go obscenely, catastrophically awry from there, as they are wont to do with Beau, but the song plays on.
When the scene played at a preview at the Metrograph Theater in Manhattan this month, a packed room of industry insiders, press and celebrities that included Phoenix and the actor Robert Pattinson collectively gasped in recognition, then cheered. How exactly did the queen of five-octave pop end up here? For Aster, it turns out, there was never a second choice.
“Ari had written a first draft of the script over 10 years ago, and ‘Always Be My Baby’ was in it from the very beginning,” said his production partner, Lars Knudsen, who also works frequently with filmmakers like Robert Eggers (“The Northman”) and Mike Mills (“Beginners”). “I honestly didn’t know how integral and crucial it was to him to have that song until we were in the edit, but we knew that it was going be very expensive, and that Mariah might not approve it. There was a feeling like, ‘Look, we’ll try, but we likely won’t be able to afford it.’”
Nevertheless, Aster penned what Knudsen called “a very beautifully written letter” to the singer and pleaded his case; improbably, she said yes. When she first received the request, Carey said via email, “I was quite intrigued. Then, as I watched the scene, I was a bit shocked at first because of my prudish nature (ha!), but immediately understood the importance of that particular moment.”
She continued, “I’m really happy with the way people are responding to it, and thrilled that Ari is being recognized for his talent, creativity and artistic vision.”
(Several days after the Metrograph screening, Carey briefly lit the internet ablaze when she appeared beaming on the red carpet alongside Posey and Aster at the film’s official New York premiere, resplendent in black leather.)
“Beau” is perhaps the most prominent recent example of indie movies — many of which seem to stem from the tastemaking studio A24 — that stake their wildest hopes on finagling the rights to an instantly recognizable and often formidably expensive pop song. When the pairing goes well, it can be a zeitgeist-y boon for the kind of projects that rely more on word of mouth than marketing (in addition, of course, to fulfilling the highly specific vision of their creators).
Think of ’N Sync’s elastic boy-band anthem “Bye Bye Bye,” which runs prominently throughout “Red Rocket,” the 2021 festival hit from writer-director Sean Baker (“The Florida Project”) about a washed-up porn star, or Paris Hilton’s featherweight bop “Stars Are Blind,” which provides a rare moment of levity in the bleak hard-candy noir of Emerald Fennell’s 2020 “Promising Young Woman.”
A movie like “Guardians of the Galaxy” has Marvel Studios to underwrite its wall-to-wall usage of hits by David Bowie, the Jackson 5 and Marvin Gaye, among others. (The franchise’s director, James Gunn, once said he had paid “a million dollars” for a single song.) For small independent projects like “Aftersun,” though, the dreamy, elliptical father-daughter drama by the first-time director Charlotte Wells, a track like Queen and Bowie’s anthem “Under Pressure” — used to harrowing effect in a climactic scene — can easily consume the entire budget.
That’s where highly personal appeals to the artist or estate with rights to the song — and no small amount of serendipity — often come into play. For “American Honey” (2016), a sexually frank verité road trip with a largely unknown cast, the British director Andrea Arnold had little choice but to get permission after the fact, or recut the film entirely; tracks including Rihanna and Calvin Harris’s “We Found Love” were not overlaid but woven into scenes that had already been shot.
In that case, said Knudsen, who also produced “Honey,” both artists were moved enough by the material to not only give their permission, but also provide a sort of friends-and-family discount: “If it had been made by a bigger studio, then obviously we would have to pay” full price, he said. “But because we were an under-five-million-dollar movie with a reputable director who was trying to tell this very personal story where that song was the center of it, I think it definitely helped.”
In the right circumstances, of course, less-expected collaborations like these can very much serve the musicians, too, even when they reduce their fees — a feedback loop of indie cred and mainstream appeal that confers fresh relevance to both parties.
“When you make a convincing case, the publishing companies and the artists do understand,” Knudsen said. “I mean, ‘American Honey’ played in competition at Cannes, and A24 released it. If there wasn’t a sliding scale, then no independent film would be able to have any of these songs in their movies.”
For directors like Arnold or Aster, those scenes become signatures. And for a certain kind of cinephile, “those songs will just have a very different place in their hearts. So that’s good for everyone, right?”
Little Indie, Big Song
“Aftersun”: David Bowie and Queen’s classic “Under Pressure” underpins the emotional climax of this impressionistic 2022 drama, which earned Paul Mescal an Oscar nomination for best actor.
“Red Rocket”: ’N Sync’s 2000 hit “Bye Bye Bye” bookends this scrappy 2021 film, a character study of a prodigal porn star (Simon Rex) returning to his Texas roots.
“Promising Young Woman”: Paris Hilton’s “Stars Are Blind” provides a rare moment of connection for two damaged characters in this highly stylized 2020 neofeminist revenge tale.
“American Honey”: The Rihanna-Calvin Harris banger “We Found Love” becomes a sort of central theme for conflicted lovers played by played by Sasha Lane and Shia LaBeouf in this 2016 road movie.
India’s official entry to the 2023 Oscars, Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show,” and Rima Das’ acclaimed 2017 festival favorite “Village Rockstars,” are amongst the films screening at the inaugural Nirvana – Festival de la Culture et du Cinema Indiens.
Taking place in Saint-Tropez May 26-28, the festival will also screen Shubhashish Bhutiani’s 2016 Venice winner “Hotel Salvation” and Rajat Kapoor’s “RK/RKAY” (2022). On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, the director’s cut of the international version of Ketan Mehta’s freedom fight themed “The Rising” (2005) will be screened.
Indian filmmakers Sundaram Tagore, Deepa Sahi, Surina Narula and Sanjay Bhutiani will speak at a roundtable on Indo-French cinema.
In addition, there will be a culinary exhibition of Indian cuisine, performances from Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan and Lou Rampèu de Sant-Troupès and an introduction to yoga by Praveen Bisht. Author Bhuvan Lall’s book “India on the World Stage” will be launched during the festival.
Jawed Ashraf, Ambassador of India in France, said: “The first edition of the Nirvana festival is a tribute to the India-Saint Tropez partnership tied by threads of history and nurtured through centuries, and one that will bring the two countries, societies and people closer. With flavors of cinema, dance, music, yoga and Indian cuisine, Nirvana will present a kaleidoscope of India’s culture to the people of the great city of Saint-Tropez and reflect the ancient Indian philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,’ meaning the world is one family.”
Sylvie Siri, Mayor of Saint-Tropez, added: “With our first edition of Nirvana we wish to strengthen the bond between the cultural and cinema industries of France and India. In this partnership with India, we have put in all our energies in promoting our city of Saint-Tropez as the foremost choice for Indians for filmmaking, travel, family holidays and as a marriage destination.”
According to a new rumor, Denzel Washington just turned down a major role in one of Marvel Studios’ biggest upcoming films.
Washington is one of the most famous actors working in the business.
Some of his most famous works include The Book of Eli, Training Day, and Fences. Most recently, the actor starred in The Tragedy of Macbeth, and he headlines the third Equalizer installment just around the corner.
But what’s his next big thing?
Well, now those pesky Fantastic Four casting rumors have uttered his name, and fans might be able to rule out at least one project he won’t be doing.
It’s important to note that Randolph’s track record is hit or miss, so there’s no telling how accurate this is. Neither Marvel nor Disney commented on either rumor.
While it’s sad someone of Washington’s talents might not be a part of the film, there are plenty of other Marvel roles he could nab in the future. He could bring this generation’s Professor X or Magneto to life or put on his own super suit and become the cosmic hero Blue Marvel.
Black Panther actor Michael B. Jordan even admitted that he has “some ideas” for where Washington could utilize his talents in the MCU. But Marvel isn’t the only one with possible openings for Washington in the future.
With James Gunn rebooting the DCU, the opportunities are endless. Many fans are quick to label the actor as the perfect Lucius Fox in a Batman project or even a fitting choice to give a rebooted Darkseid his voice.
One day or another, the actor will almost certainly join one of these beloved universes. It’s just a matter of time.
Marvel Studios’ next adventure, The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5. The Fantastic Four reboot lands on February 14, 2025.
Spinning out of the upcoming Power Girl Special #1 (available May 30), we will be getting two brand new “Dawn of DC” series starring Power Girl, as well as the duo of Fire and Ice. Power Girl #1 and Fire & Ice: Welcome To Smallville #1 will both release on September 5.
For all the details, check out the press release below.
DC’S ‘POWER GIRL SPECIAL’ #1 LAUNCHES TWO NEW “DAWN OF DC” TITLES
Power Girl, Fire and Ice Take the Lead in Two New Standalone Series From DC
Three fierce DC Super Heroes—Power Girl, Fire and Ice—will shine in two new comic book series featuring the fan-favorite characters as part of the Dawn of DC storytelling initiative, Power Girland Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville. Both new series will spin out of the pages of the Power Girl Special#1, available May 30 at local comic shops.
Power Girl Special #1 Variant Cover Art by David Nakayama
Power Girl takes center stage inPower Girl Special #1byLeah Williams (X-Terminators,X-Factor) and artist Marguerite Sauvage (Action Comics). With new powers and a new mission, Power Girl faces a challenge unlike any she’s experienced before in this shocking one-shot rising from the events of Lazarus Planet and Action Comics! Power Girl Special #1also features a 10-page backup story about Fire and Ice, written by Joanne Starer (The Gimmick,Sirens of the City), and illustrated by artist Natacha Bustos (Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur,Miles Morales: Spider-Man) and colorist Tamra Bonvillain (Wonder Woman,Batman/Superman: World’s Finest), and lettered by GLAAD-award winning letterer Ariana Maher. In the introductory tale, Fire and Ice respond to a natural disaster in Baltimore, debating whether to involve Ice’s old flame Guy Gardner. When Guy causes some major drama at the scene, Superman gets involved to stop the fight. Power Girl Special #1will be available at local comic shops on May 30 with a main cover by Sauvage, open to order variant covers by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau and Amanda Conner, a 1:25 variant by Tula Lotay, a 1:50 variant by Taj Tenfold, and the featured variant by David Nakayama, which will also be available in a special foil format.
Power Girl #1 Variant Cover Art by Jonboy Meyers
Power Girl’s story will continue in her standalone seriesPower Girlby Williams and artist Eduardo Pansica (Suicide Squad,Supergirl). After the events of “Knight Terrors,”a long dormant Kryptonian threat has returned to take down Superman and his family. Who could possibly stop it? Well, according to Superman, it’s Power Girl. You won’t want to miss this roadtrip race against time as Paige reconnects with her roots and strives to save her newfound family.Power Girl #1hits shelves on September 5.
Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #1 Main Cover Art by Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson
In Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville#1, Superman sent the former Justice Leaguers packing for Smallville to lie low following their extremely public and utterly disastrous mission in Baltimore, and in doing so doomed them to a fate worse than death: irrelevance. Ice finds herself drawn to the quiet life and dreams of planting roots. But Fire…well, Fire will do just about anything to get the hell outta dodge and back on the Super Hero circuit—including challenging the DC Universe’s biggest villains to a knock-down, drag-out, live-streamed brawl in the streets of Smallville! The series is crafted by writer Starer, artist Bustos, colorist Bonvillain, and letterer Maher. Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #1 hits shelves on September 5.
Fans can catch up on Power Girl’s story in the pages of Action Comics #1051-1053 with a DC UNIVERSE INFINITE ULTRA subscription. DC UNIVERSE INFINITE subscribers can download comics for unlimited offline reading on their favorite iOS and Android devices. For more information on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE Ultra, download the app from the Apple App and Google Play stores. DC UNIVERSE INFINITE is not intended for children.
The update is designed to fix various performance issues and crashes (see the full patch notes below) which have already been addressed on PC, according to EA.
Prior to its release, EA said it was planning to address bugs and performance issues with a series of post-release patches, and it has now reiterated this message.
“We are hard at work on patches that will further improve performance and fix bugs across all platforms,” it said.
“There are more updates to come across all platforms, and we will share that timing when it is available.”
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor patch notes
5/1 – PC
Performance improvements for non-raytraced rendering.
How can a truly independent film find success at the big film festivals? How does one manage to get well-known actors to star in your film? The answer is simple, yet laborious.
Starring: Manon Pages, Austin Naulty, Carter Simoneaux
Distributor: Film Hub
Killer Kites Synopsis
When Abby’s grandma dies, the only thing she inherits a stupid kite – after giving it to her brother; he is mysteriously killed and the kite disappears. While searching for the truth, she is tangled in a strange supernatural plot, where this killer kite continues to kill! Now, Abby must string together a way to stop the kite before it blows us all away. Kites may not be the scariest monster ever, but they’re up there.
EXCLUSIVE: Jon Stewart is the latest star to cancel promotional duties as part of the writers strike.
The comedian has pulled an FYC event for his Apple series The Problem with Jon Stewart next week as the fallout from the strike continues.
Stewart was set to take part in a conversation about the second season of the Apple talk show on Monday May 8. It was set to take place as part of the streamer’s Think Apple TV+ space at Hollywood’s Goya Studios.
Other events are set to include a Bad Sisters event featuring Sharon Horgan, a Shrinking event featuring Jason Segel, an event with James Corden to promote Carpool Karaoke, a Schmigadoon! event and various other talks. It’s not clear whether these will go ahead.
It comes after Stewart himself was set to moderate another FYC event to promote John Mulaney’s BabyJ special on Netflix.
WGA rules prohibit members, of which Stewart is one, from promoting projects at FYC events. “You should let the company know you are prohibited from making these promotional appearances about your work until the strike concludes,” it noted.
The second season of The Problem with Jon Stewart premiered in October and its 12-episodes ran through April.
Brinda Adhikari serves as showrunner and exec produces alongside Stewart’s manager, James Dixon, and Richard Plepler through his Eden Productions, which has an overall production deal with Apple. Chelsea Devantez is head writer and Lorrie Baranek is supervising producer.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment but sources close to the show confirmed Stewart’s cancelation.
Warning: spoilers ahead for the Season 1 finale of Will Trent on ABC, called “It Was The 80s.”
The first season of Will Trent closed with a finale that was as stressful as it was suspenseful, but the final minutes delivered a welcome amount of catharsis ahead of summer hiatus. Will went all-out for the better part of the hour to try and find Angie, and discovered that James Ulster was responsible for the long list of murder victims that included Will’s mother, who he’d never known. The problems kept piling on him, until a reveal at the very end that I would say qualifies as an emotional cliffhanger, with fans needing to wait until Season 2 for payoff.
The reveal came after Will learned that Angie would survive (and the show can continue Will/Angie as one the most powerful relationships of the series) from Evelyn, of all people, who seemed like the least likely person who would want to give Will comfort back in the beginning of the show. She told Will the origin of his name: he was named after Amanda’s parents, Wilbur Wagner and Martha Trent. He learned that Amanda was the one who found him, and when he asked why she never said anything, Evelyn shared:
Because of what happened after. Mandy took you home with her that night. Three weeks, you lived with her. Every day, she said she’d give you to CPS and every day, she didn’t. She just couldn’t give you up. She bought you a brand new crib. Tried to pretend it was secondhand, but I could see right through her. She was planning a life with you… It was the ‘80s, and single women couldn’t adopt babies on their own back then. Losing you broke her heart, so she gave you the only thing she could. Your name. She thought there was a family lined up.
Understandably, Will scoffed at the idea of growing up in a family considering the circumstances under which he lived through his formative years, and initially assumed that Amanda had just changed her mind about keeping him. There was more to the story, however, as Evelyn continued:
I don’t know what happened. It must have fallen through. I know you’re angry, but that wasn’t Mandy’s fault. She thought you were going to be okay. That turned out not to be the case, but she didn’t know that. And so 19 years later, you and Amanda found each other?… Out of all the police stations you could have ended up in. I’m sorry, but the two of you, you’re connected. Amanda Wagner is one proud bitch. The job gave her a bad temper and a hard heart, but she is your family.
Will then approached Amanda, but there was no long conversation or heart-to-heart. He simply said “Thank you” while they stood together in front of a coffee machine, and she emotionally handed over an envelope that contained his mother’s necklace. Will was on the verge of tears, and looked like he finally got some degree of closure… although there are certainly more questions that he could ask.
It was an emotional cliffhanger rather than an explosion or a gunshot or anything else that TV veterans might expect out of a crime drama’s season finale, and that was a perfect way to end the first season for me. Not only did it feel like the final pages of a book (which is fitting for a show based on novels penned by author Karin Slaughter), but it left some dangling threads to be picked up in Season 2. If Will Trent had been cancelled, I would have been bummed, but okay with this as a series finale.
Luckily, Will Trent is not on the list of 2023 TV shows that could get cancelled and will return for Season 2, and there are still plot-related cliffhangers and questions. Will Angie be paralyzed after the events of the Season 1 finale? Will James Ulster survive and wake to face justice in a court of law? What will Will and Faith’s partnership (which Karin Slaughter approved of) look like if and when they can get back to business as usual? Will the truce between Will and Ormewood last?
On the whole, I was thrilled that the focus of the final minutes of the finale were emotional rather than plot-based, and fans can spend hiatus looking forward to what comes next instead of stressing over a cliffhanger that leaves somebody’s life in jeopardy. Will needed some emotional closure and catharsis, and I think that I’m not the only viewer who did too.
Though Peacock and Paramount+ have struggled through the streaming wars, they may find redemption in the form of some of their key Emmys contenders.
The third time at the Emmys may be the charm for Peacock and Paramount+.
Often used as punchlines in conversations about the streaming wars, as their subscriber numbers still pale in comparison to behemoths like Netflix and Disney+, the two services seem to have quelled their growing pains by ending the fiscal year strong, and entering 2023 with their most successful programming yet both critically and commercially.
Still, with most streaming services fumbling toward profitability, the type of validation even a major Emmy nomination can give turns this TV awards season into a make-it-or-break-it situation for Peacock and Paramount+. To finally have formidable contenders for the biggest Emmy categories of the night like Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Drama Series, with a proven, broad audience and critical acclaim, and still be shut out of nominations could serve a deadly blow to the two streaming services’ future programming potential.
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Here we take a closer look at what projects may finally move the needle over into the streaming services becoming true Emmys contenders.
Peacock
Jake McDorman and Betty Gilpin in “Mrs. Davis”
Courtesy of Greg Gayne / Peacock
Looking at Peacock first, the service’s greatest hope seems to be the comedy “Poker Face,” starring four-time Emmy nominee Natasha Lyonne and created by recent Oscar nominee Rian Johnson. The former found great success with her debut season of her Netflix series “Russian Doll,” earning her attention from the Television Academy as both an actress and a writer, but the show’s more cerebral second season went overlooked in those same categories, as the Primetime Emmys race became overstuffed with all the projects that had been waiting to return since before the pandemic. Murder mystery comedy “Poker Face” is more accessible though, taking much inspiration from classic Emmy-winning TV shows like “Columbo,” plus offering a bevy of exciting stars like 2023 Oscar nominees Hong Chau and Stephanie Hsu as contenders for the Outstanding Guest Actor and Actress in a Comedy Series categories. In addition to positive reviews across the board, Nielsen rated it Peacock’s most watched original yet.
“Mrs. Davis,” an Outstanding Drama Series contender from Emmy winner Damon Lindelof and “The Big Bang Theory” alum Tara Hernandez also looks promising. Though it still seems to be finding an audience, critics have reacted well to it, and TV Academy voters will likely want to see Lindelof’s first series since “Watchmen,” a show that fell one Emmy short of tying the record for most wins for a series in a single year. And lead actress Betty Gilpin is never one to count out, as she was Emmy-nominated for every season of her breakout Netflix series “GLOW,” even when the show’s awards prospects in the rest of the categories start to dwindle.
Looking a bit further out at Peacock’s Emmy prospects, the gonzo docuseries “Paul T. Goldman” is certainly a dark horse to keep watch of in the Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series category, “The Traitors” is the buzziest new series vying for Outstanding Reality Competition Program, and “A Friend of the Family” and “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” earned a very respectable reaction from critics and audiences alike, garnering enough attention for at least one to plausibly crack into the crowded Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series space.
Paramount+
“Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies”
Paramount+
All in all, while Peacock’s Emmys potential lies more in the creators it’s brought to the service, what helps Paramount+ the most is its ever-growing audience that, funny enough, stems from a show that only streams on Peacock. The entire Paramount Global corporation has bet big on the “Yellowstone” universe, and its brainchild Taylor Sheridan, but the Kevin Costner-led series that started it all has struggled to gain the attention of the Television Academy, despite being the most popular show on linear TV.
The channel it airs on, Paramount Network, has only had five Emmy nominations total since launching in 2018, so it is fair to argue that it’s unlikely that voters will suddenly tune in and embrace it in its fifth season. However, via the momentum of the Paramount+ launch, the awards body did nominate “Yellowstone” spin-off “1883” for three awards. And casting movie stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren for the latest “Yellowstone” venture on Paramount+, “1923,” gives the streaming service its buzziest Outstanding Drama Series Emmy contender yet.
Fellow big swings “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” and “Tulsa King” are harder sells in the Outstanding Comedy Series category itself, but show a lot of potential for Emmy categories down the line like Outstanding Music and Lyrics for the former, which collaborated with hitmaker Justin Tranter, and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, for showrunner and Emmy-winning “The Sopranos” alum Terence Winter.
Paramount+ also boasts the reboot of Emmy-winning sketch series “Inside Amy Schumer,” now contending in the new Outstanding Scripted Variety Series category, and “Last Flight Home,” which is so far the only documentary from the 2023 Oscars shortlist to really be able to make an Emmys push after a recent rule change to the Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special category. Also, given its past success securing below-the-line nominations, “Star Trek: Picard” will make a harder Emmys push for its celebrated farewell season.
Though both streaming services have more promising shows in the pipeline, like Annette Bening’s return to television in “Apples Never Fall” (Peacock), and Nicole Kidman starrer “Lioness” (Paramount+), a noticeable amount of Emmys recognition this year could give both platforms the fighting chance they need to survive the streaming wars.
Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler is trying to dent the teenage sexual assault lawsuit filed against him, with his legal team asking a judge to strike a claim of intentional inflection of emotional distress (IIED) “based on statements” Tyler made in memoirs about his relationship with Julia Misley.
Misley sued Tyler last December, accusing him of sexual assault and battery in the 1970s, starting when she was 16. The suit included several excerpts from Tyler’s 2011 memoir, in which he wrote that he “almost took a teen bride,” and that the girl’s parents “signed a paper over for me to have custody, so I wouldn’t get arrested if I took her out of state.” Tyler also wrote that “she was sixteen, she knew how to nasty, and there wasn’t a hair on it.”
Tyler has denied the allegations in Misley’s suit, though he hasn’t denied having sex with Misley. He’s alleged that Misley consented to the sexual relationship, and that her claims were barred “because of immunity to Defendant as caretaker/guardian.” (One lawyer who previously spoke to Rolling Stone called the immunity response “fucking insane.”)
Now, in the new filing, Tyler’s lawyers are arguing that the parts of Misley’s suit based on the memoir make it a “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation” (SLAPP). SLAPPs are typically brought by entities trying to silence those speaking out against them; in this case, Tyler’s lawyers claim that the motion to strike is “made upon the grounds that” Misley filed a SLAPP because, “The conduct complained of arises out of statements made in Tyler’s published memoirs. Such conduct implicates Tyler’s right to free speech.”
Tyler’s lawyers later stressed that they’re only trying to strike Misley’s “IIED claim based on statements made in Tyler’s published memoirs, which were made several decades after the alleged acts of childhood sexual assault” (emphasis theirs). They add they are not trying to strike Misley’s other causes of action, or her IIED claim “based on alleged acts of childhood sexual assault.”
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In pursuing the SLAPP argument, Tyler’s lawyers argue that Tyler’s statements in his memoir should be considered “protected activity.” They also argue that Misley has “repeatedly” admitted “that her IIED claim is based on statements of immense public interest” (emphasis theirs). Determining whether an issue is of public interest is a key part of California’s anti-SLAPP statutes, Tyler’s lawyers noted as they argued the statements in his memoir “indisputably qualify.”
Tyler’s lawyers go on to argue that, if the IIED claim is stricken because it’s based on protected speech, Misley will then have to “establish, by competent and admissible evidence, a probability of prevailing her claims at trial” — which Tyler’s lawyers argue she “cannot.” For one, they claim, her allegations based on Tyler’s memoirs are barred in part by the statute of limitations, as well as the First Amendment.
“Here, Tyler’s memoirs regarding his experiences as a world-famous rockstar are indisputably newsworthy as demonstrated by the widespread attention they have garnered,” the motion reads, going on to note that Tyler did not name Misley in his memoir and used a pseudonym while discussing her in the 1997 Aerosmith autobiography. “Accordingly, the depth of the intrusion is minimal and clearly outweighed by Tyler’s right to recount events from his own life in his memoirs.”
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Lawyers for Misley did not immediately return Rolling Stone’s request for comment.
This story was updated at 11:58 p.m. ET on May 2 to include that it is Steven Tyler’s legal team who filed the paperwork and requested the judge to strike the IIED claim.
Are you trying to develop new and innovative casino marketing ideas but need help knowing where to begin? This guide will teach you the ropes!
How to Make Your Casino More Successful Than Your Competitors?
The casino business is enormously profitable. According to research, 4.2 billion individuals worldwide bet annually. Casinos like Vulcan Vegas and many other similar ones spend billions on advertising each year because of this. Since operating a casino company is highly competitive, your Casino must be distinctive and appealing. In this article, you will learn the casino marketing techniques to help your Casino develop. These tactics have been tried, tested, and ultimately proved successful. The nice part is that most of these tactics are simple and affordable.
The Value of an Effective Online Presence
A solid internet presence would be best to bring new clients to your Casino. Here are a few explanations:
Higher visibility. Possessing a robust internet presence can help you draw in new consumers looking for online casinos or other relevant terms.
Increased consumer engagement. You may interact with customers online and develop better connections using social media, email marketing, and other digital marketing platforms.
Economical marketing. Digital marketing has the potential to be more economical than conventional marketing avenues like TV or print advertising, enabling you to reach a larger audience without breaking the bank.
A good internet presence might give your Casino an edge over rivals that may be less active or visible.
Customer data is accessible through digital marketing platforms, which may be leveraged to enhance marketing efforts and better understand consumer preferences and behaviour.
A few helpful tips for competing in the casino business are as follows:
Provide Complimentary Incentives and Discounts
Casinos that are generous with their patrons promote repeat business. Rewards, often called “comps,” foster client connections and motivate prolonged customer retention. Free meals, beverages, and lodging are examples of standard comps. For more significant rollers, positive comps entail anything from private automobiles to free entertainment. Offering comps that appeal to your audience is essential. For instance, a complementary massage would be perfect if your usual consumer is a working professional. On the other hand, a complimentary supper can be appropriate if your customer frequently brings their family.
Display Your Community Engagement
Some casinos have a negative reputation. Sometimes, images of mob leaders and dubious dealings turn potential clients off. The majority of casinos today, however, are vital to their communities and give back in several ways. To dispel any unfavourable misconceptions, emphasize your Casino’s charitable contributions to the neighbourhood. Your involvement in the community is advantageous for luring high-spending customers. Although gambling is enjoyable, people would prefer to know that the money is being used for a worthwhile cause in their community. To make people feel good about doing business with your Casino:
Demonstrate how you give back.
Encourage your patrons to join you in addition to showing your accomplishments.
Invite consumers to a day of volunteering at a nearby nonprofit or offer to match donations.
Establish Clear Guidelines
Maintaining openness is essential in online casino advertising since there have historically been many unethical practices connected with the gambling industry. Ensuring consumers feel safe and secure when visiting your page should be the priority of your overall marketing strategy and company objectives. As a result, you want to draw attention to the minimum bet size information. Customers like to gamble at a casino that doesn’t need them to make significant wagers to play a game, particularly at first. It is essential to specify these specifics precisely because of this.
Be truthful with your clients and make the terms and conditions clear. By doing this, you may win their trust and establish long-lasting partnerships. Let them know they’ve located the ideal location that meets their needs while promoting openness and safety.
Put Loyalty Programmes Into Action
A fantastic way to thank your frequent gamers is through loyalty programmes. Additionally, enticing loyalty benefits encourage your customers to stay longer, make more deposits, and make significant purchases. The biggest and greatest gaming sites employ these incentives even though they are far from ordinary as they need to be. One of the elements that denote A-listers in the gambling industry is this. The concept is straightforward: after joining a loyalty program, gamers are urged to play slots, wager, and deposit to accrue points. Higher loyalty programme tiers often provide better incentives. Typically, gamers may trade loyalty points for free money or other benefits. Some loyalty programmes include gamification, where participants must fulfil objectives to access the rewards through entertainment.
Make Sure to Have the Newest Games Accessible
Since evolution is ongoing, casinos are not exempt. Gaming businesses frequently change trends to attract more clients and offer entertainment. Therefore, casinos follow these trends to keep one step ahead of one another. They also provide new software and games to keep them competitive. The popular games from 10 years ago are already outdated, and the same will be true of today’s games in ten years. To prevent falling behind, keep up with the times and adopt the vogue.
The Winnipeg Ice are one win away from advancing to the WHL Championship Series.
The Ice took a 3-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Championship, defeating the Saskatoon Blades 5-1 on the road in Game 3 Tuesday night.
Winnipeg’s top players all playoffs came to play again, as Matthew Savoie and Connor McClennon both scored their WHL-leading 11th goals of the postseason.
Evan Friesen, Zach Benson, and Owen Pederson also scored for the Ice, the fourth goals of the playoffs for those three players.
This one was really never in doubt, as the Ice scored three times in the game’s first 10:33, and then added another one 1:13 into the second period, before the Blades got on the board 5:40 into the middle frame.
Kevin Costner, 68, and his wife Christine Baumgartner, 49, are calling it quits after 18 years of marriage.
TMZ reports Christine just filed the divorce papers on Monday, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
According to the outlet, Baumgartner is asking for joint custody of their three kids Cayden Wyatt, 15, Hayes Logan, 14, and Grace Avery, 12.
Kevin has responded to the divorce filing and is asking for joint custody.
Christine is not asking for spousal support since they had a prenup in place.
In the docs, Christine’s famed lawyer Laura Wasser said, “Spousal support to be payable to petitioner pursuant to the terms of the parties’ Premarital Agreement.”
Costner’s rep confirmed the split, telling “Extra” on Tuesday afternoon, “It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action.”
The rep continued, “We ask that his, Christine’s, and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time.”
This was Kevin’s second marriage. He was previously married to Cindy Silva from 1978 to 1994.
The split news comes amid rumors that Kevin’s hit show “Yellowstone” will end after five seasons.
Nearly a year ago, “Extra” spoke with Kevin, who reacted to the rumors. He said, “I really don’t know. That’s why I look to the future. I deal with everything I have to do, but I’m not gonna get caught flat-footed by anybody.”
At the time, Costner was in London, wishing that his family was by his side.
He noted, “They’re having their lives… They have their needs that have, like, nothing to do with this.”
A text message sent by Tucker Carlson that set off a panic at the highest levels of Fox on the eve of its billion-dollar defamation trial showed its most popular host sharing his private, inflammatory views about violence and race.
The discovery of the message contributed to a chain of events that ultimately led to Mr. Carlson’s firing.
In the message, sent to one of his producers in the hours after violent Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Mr. Carlson described how he had recently watched a video of a group of men — Trump supporters, he said — violently attacking “an Antifa kid.”
It was “three against one, at least,” he wrote.
And then he expressed a sense of dismay that the attackers, like him, were white.
“Jumping a guy like that is dishonorable obviously,” he wrote.
“It’s not how white men fight,” he said. But he said he found himself for a moment wanting the group to kill the person he had described as the Antifa kid.
For years, Mr. Carlson espoused views on his show that amplified the ideology of white nationalism. But the text message revealed more about his views on racial superiority.
The text alarmed the Fox board, which saw the message a day before Fox was set to defend itself against Dominion Voting Systems before a jury. The board grew concerned that the message could become public at trial when Mr. Carlson was on the stand, creating a sensational and damaging moment that would raise broader questions about the company.
The day after the discovery, the board told Fox executives it was bringing in an outside law firm to conduct an investigation into Mr. Carlson’s conduct.
The text message added to a growing number of internal issues involving Mr. Carlson that led the company’s leadership to conclude he was more of a problem than an asset and had to go, according to several people with knowledge of the decision. In other messages he had referred to women — including a senior Fox executive — in crude and misogynistic terms. The message about the fight also played a role in the company’s decision to settle with Dominion for $787.5 million, the highest known payout in a defamation case.
A representative for Mr. Carlson said he had no comment.
The text is part of redacted court filings and its contents were previously unreported. The contents of the text were disclosed in interviews with several people close to the defamation lawsuit against Fox. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified discussing a message that is protected by a court order. In public filings, it remains hidden behind a block of black text.
A page from the redacted document obtained by The Times that contains the text message from Tucker Carlson that led to his demise at Fox.
Mr. Carlson’s messages were collected as part of the defamation lawsuit filed against Fox by Dominion, which accused the network of knowingly airing falsehoods about election fraud. Many of the messages shared in the case, including those among Fox executives and hosts, were released publicly. But others, like the one between Mr. Carlson and one of his producers in the hours after Jan. 6, 2021, remain redacted.
In that text, Mr. Carlson described his own emotions as he watched the video of the violent clash, which he said took place on the streets of Washington. Mr. Carlson did not describe the race of the man being attacked.
“I found myself rooting for the mob against the man, hoping they’d hit him harder, kill him. I really wanted them to hurt the kid. I could taste it,” he wrote. “Then somewhere deep in my brain, an alarm went off: this isn’t good for me. I’m becoming something I don’t want to be.”
After all, he wrote, “Somebody probably loves this kid, and would be crushed if he was killed.”
“If I don’t care about those things, if I reduce people to their politics, how am I better than he is?” he wrote.
The text message came to the attention of Fox’s board of directors and even some senior executives only last month, on the Sunday before the trial was set to begin, according to two people with knowledge of Fox’s internal deliberations. At the time, Fox’s negotiators were entering discussions about an out-of-court settlement ahead of the swearing in of what was shaping up to be a diverse jury.
The next day, the board told Fox’s leadership about its plan to have the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz investigate Mr. Carlson. That disclosure set up the possibility that there could be a continuing investigation into what was behind Mr. Carlson’s messages at the same time as a trial, and as he was serving as its top host in prime time.
Fox has not commented about Mr. Carlson’s ouster last week beyond an initial statement announcing that they “agreed to part ways” and thanking “him for his service.” It did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday on the contents of Mr. Carlson’s redacted message.
It remains unclear how the text escaped more notice earlier, given that the Fox legal team was aware of it and other offensive texts written by Mr. Carlson. Fox’s lawyers had produced the text as part of the discovery process and were involved in the redactions. Mr. Carlson had even been asked about it during a deposition, according to several people who have read the unredacted transcripts of his deposition.
It was not guaranteed that the text would have been revealed in open court. Dominion’s lawyers had still not decided whether they would introduce the text in front of the jury, according to people with knowledge of their plans. The two sides disagreed on whether the Dominion lawyers could have presented such a redacted message at trial if they had decided to do so, a decision that would have ultimately fallen to the judge. The difference became moot after Fox struck an 11th-hour deal on April 18 to pay Dominion $787.5 million and avoid trial.
How Fox’s executives and board handled the case in the months before the trial was scheduled to begin is expected to be at issue in shareholder lawsuits filed against the company in Delaware.
Though Mr. Carlson’s show, “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” was only a small factor in the Dominion suit, his personal texts were drawing outsize scrutiny.
The text about the fight came on top of a damaging chain of messages that had been revealed publicly ahead of trial, and that were shocking in their own right. Writing to one of his producers after the assault on the Capitol, Mr. Carlson describes the president he championed on his show as a “demonic force” and a “destroyer.”
A recurring theme of his show during the six years that it ran in prime time on Fox News was the displacement of white Americans by people of color. Mr. Carlson often framed topics in the news as part of a larger struggle between “us” and “them,” with immigrants and other marginalized groups steadily and surely taking from whites what had long been theirs: political and cultural power in the United States.
He attacked Black social justice activists and portrayed immigrants from Central America as a blight on the nation. He said in 2018 that immigrants make the country “dirtier.”
In the aftermath of a mass shooting in El Paso at the hands of a gunman who cited white supremacist beliefs in his manifesto, Mr. Carlson declared on his show that white supremacy was “not a real problem,” likening it to a conspiracy theory.
On Monday, The New York Times and other news organizations urged the judge overseeing the Dominion case to release some of the messages that were redacted.
Hundreds of WGA members stood outside Netflix’s headquarters in Hollywood, marching and chanting in an effort to bring more attention to their strike. Among them was “The G Word Creator,” Adam Conover, who spoke to TheWrap about members’ goals.
“I’ve never done anything like this before,” said Conover, creator of “The G Word,” and host of “Adam Ruins Everything” from TruTV. “But, you know, this is my first action. There was a moment, you know, a week or two ago where I was like, “I don’t want to go on strike! There’s other shit I want to do! You know, I want to… I got my career I want to worry about. I got a podcast, I’m making videos, I want to pitch some TV shows. I don’t want to do this.” None of us want to be here. Right?”
“We all really feel like the world is f—d up. You know, that like, things are wrong in America, and we have the opportunity here to go and actually fix one of them with our collective action!” Conover continued. “The Guild is asking me to come out here every day and picket for four hours. And if I do that, I can help stop Teamster trucks from going into that building, and we can halt productions and that’ll shorten the strike and that’ll make them come to the table, and that’ll make them cut the workers in on their profits. And I get to actually move the boulder of how f—d up things are in America by showing up here with a sign. That’s incredible!”
“And there’s going to be moments out there where it’s going to be hot in the middle of July, if we’re going that long,” Conover continued. “It’s going to rain on Thursday and we’re going to be out here and we’re going to be like ‘I don’t feel like doing it today.’ But you know what? If we didn’t do this, things would just be worse. It would be worse to not have a career as a writer at all. So the way I look at it is, I come out here and I try to like really focus on what a f—g amazing opportunity this is to make a difference.”
The WGA strike, authorized via a vote in April by 97% of guild members, began Tuesday at Midnight (Eastern) after contract negotiations with Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) broke down.
At issue, the guild is trying to stop the development of what it describes as “a gig economy inside a union workforce,” particularly at streaming services. Among other things, WGA seeks to improve compensation for streaming TV shows and films, and stop the abuse of so-called mini-rooms, a recent practice in which writers with a TV show pitch are required to actually assemble a writers room, with writers paid at scale, and create full season scripts even before a show has been greenlit.
If Dad is hard to shop for, then picking out the best gifts for Grandpa can feel nearly impossible. He might seem like he has everything he needs—and likely the means to get himself anything he wants—but there are still great gifts for grandparents out there. The secret to getting it right? The element of surprise.
While grandparents might technically fall into the category of people who have everything, the grandfathers in your life will always want to feel closer to their families, enjoy their hobbies, and feel as comfortable as possible. Finding the right present, then, is as simple as picking up a digital picture frame, a set of personalized golf balls, or a foot massager. He might not even know these things exist—which means he’ll be so much happier on the other side.
Whether you’re shopping for birthday presents, Father’s Day gifts, or just a little something to remind him how much you care, these are the very best gifts for Grandpa. If he lives far away, make sure you give him a call, too; it’ll make any present even better. (And yes, all of these unique ideas double as great gifts for Dad.)
Best Gifts for Grandpa 2023:
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Judy Greer hasn’t been seen in the MCU since 2018 when she appeared as Maggie Lang, Cassie Lang’s mother. Despite Quantumania‘s release earlier this year, the character’s current status in the Marvel Cinematic Universe remains unknown.
Now, Greer’s imminent return is confirmed—but not how fans might guess.
Judy Greer Joins Guardians as a Pig
Marvel
Thanks to the official press release for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it’s been revealed that Judy Greer, who formerly played Maggie Lang in Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp, is set to return in James Gunn’s threequel in a unique way.
Instead of playing Scott Lang’s ex-wife again, Greer brings her talents to a character named “War Pig”.
The aforementioned creature is one of the High Evolutionary’s henchmen and comes into conflict with the Guardians in the movie.
This will be the actresses’ first time back in the MCU since 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp. Her original character was nowhere to be seen in the recently released Quantumania.
Utilizing the High Evolutionary’s Shtick for Cameos
The High Evolutionary’s whole shtick is creating genetic experiments, which means the film gave Gunn the freedom to bring in whoever he wanted to invite to the party. Because of this, it won’t be surprising if more cameos not listed in the press release get revealed after a few watches from fans.
As for Greer, her Ant-Man character will almost certainly return at some point in the future. With Cassie Lang set to become a bigger part of the MCU, it would be strange for her story to entirely avoid her mom.
As for War Pig, fans will have to wait until the movie releases to find out if the actress could have more voice work in her Marvel future.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now releasing in theaters overseas and debuts in North America on May 5.
DC’s annual LGBTQ+ anthology, DC PRIDE, is returning for 2023 and will be available on May 30. This year’s collection will include ten stories about various DC characters like Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy, Tim Drake, Midnighter & Apollo, Batwoman, Jon Kent, Dreamer, and more! The book will also include a tribute to Doom Patrol writer and transgender activist Rachel Pollack, who recently passed away at the age of 77.
For all the details on the upcoming DC Pride 2023 anthology, and a sneak peek at what you may expect, check out the official press release below.
PRIDE PREVIEW: ‘DC PRIDE 2023’
“I hope this anthology feels like an invitation to all—to experience life the way queer folk do. We want everyone to celebrate joy, to elevate beauty, to embrace frivolity. We want everyone to love who they want to love, to believe in justice for all, and fight like hell for it. We want everyone to be a hero, and to celebrate the good and the wonder of people different than themselves. We want everyone to look at the world a little sideways, a little bent, a little askew, which can be transcendent if you let it.” —Phil Jimenez, DC Pride 2023
DC Pride is back with DC Pride 2023, an all-new 104-page anthology starring DC’s fan-favorite stable of LGBTQIA+ characters—this time, with a focus on never-before-seen team-ups! DC’s 2023 Pride collection of books and comics will be available at your local comic book shop, bookstore, library, and beyond, delivering bold stories, brave characters, and more pride than ever. DC Pride 2023 will publish on May 30.
Below is the full list of contents in DC Pride 2023, which also includes an introduction by Phil Jimenez, sampled above; a preview of the upcoming Bad Dreamgraphic novel starring Dreamer (written by Nicole Maines and drawn by Rye Hickman!); pinups by artists Angel Solorzano, Noah Dao, Babs Tarr, Maria Llovet, Brandt & Stein, Claire Roe with Triona Farrell, Travis Moore with Tamra Bonvillain; a tribute to trailblazing comics writer Rachel Pollack from Neil Gaiman, Tom Peyer, Jadzia Axelrod, and more.
This year’s oversize one-shot special is headlined by Grant Morrison returning to Multiversity, with a cosmic love story illustrated by Hayden Sherman! In a story from Leah Williams and Paulina Ganucheau, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy go to extreme measures to get a little alone time… but there’s nowhere on the planet Crush can’t crash! Nadia Shammas and Bruka Jones helm a tale of Tim Drake and Connor Hawke learning that there’s nothing more awkward than reuniting with an old friend—after you’ve both come out and one of you was indoctrinated by the League of Shadows for a while. A.L. Kaplan writes and illustrates Circuit Breaker’s struggles to stifle his powers after the Flash of Earth-11 leaps out of the time stream and knocks them both into another dimension! Jon Kent gets a comprehensive course in dark magic when John Constantine unleashes a fetch on him, courtesy of writer Christopher Cantwell and artist Skylar Patridge! All this and much more, including Spirit World star Xanthe Zhou meeting Batwoman in a story by Jeremy Holt and Andrew Drilon!
With over 100 pages of original stories and content,DC Pride 2023celebrates the bravest and the boldest of DC’s Super Heroes. Here’s a sneak peek into what a few of the teams will be delivering:
“Anniversary” by Josh Trujillo, Don Aguillo and Lucas Gattoni
“The Dance” by Rex Ogle, Stephen Sadowski, Enrica Eren Angiolini and Ariana Maher
“Teamwork Makes the Dream Work” by Mildred Louis and Ariana Maher
“Subspace Transmission” by A.L. Kaplan and Aditya Bidikar
“My Best Bet” by Christopher Cantwell, Skylar Patridge, Dearbhla Kelly and Morgan Martinez
“Love’s Lightning Heart” by Grant Morrison, Hayden Sherman, Marissa Louise and Aditya Bidikar
“Lost & Found” by Jeremy Holt, Andrew Drilon and Lucas Gattoni
“Hey, Stranger” by Nadia Shammas, Bruka Jones, Tamra Bonvillain and Frank Cvetkovic
“And Baby Makes Three” by Leah Williams, Paulina Ganucheau and Frank Cvetkovic
“Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story” by Nicole Maines, Rye Hickman, Bex Glendining and Rusty Gladd
Plus, here’s an early look at the DC Pride 2023 1:50 variant cover by superstar artist Jen Bartel—a reimagined version of her open-to-order foil variant cover, featuring Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy!
Don’t miss the rest of DC’s amazing DC Pride 2023 covers, including a wraparound open-to-order variant by fan-favorite Teen Titans: Robin artist Gabriel Piccolo (making a rare appearance outside of DC’s young adult graphic novel line), which will also be offered as a 1:25 spot gloss variant cover!
For more information about DC Pride 2023, the DC Multiverse and more, visit the DC website at www.dc.com and follow DC on social media at @DCOfficial. Fans can also celebrate DC Pride and read comics featuring LGBTQIA+ characters online by visiting the DC Universe Pride hub page on DC Universe Infinite, DC’s premium digital comic book service. New titles are added every month, and a selection of free-to-read titles will be featured for registered users during Pride!
Stay tuned for more Pride announcements from DC and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products between now and June, including more details on DC Pride Through the Years!
DC Pride 2023 #1 Cardstock Variant Cover by Oscar Vega
DC Pride 2023 #1 Spot Foil Variant by Jen Bartel
DC Pride 2023 #1 Wrap-Around Variant Cover by Gabriel Picolo
The black confetti-man, Xûr, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week’s reset. If you’re looking to get your some shiny new Exotic armor or weapons for your Guardian, look no further.
Each week, Xûr has a random assortment of Exotic armor, one for each Guardian class, as well as a random Exotic Weapon and an Exotic Engram available for purchase. In addition to his Exotic wares, he’s got a random collection of Legendary weapons and armor to deck out your Guardians.
We’ve rounded up all the info on Xûr for the week including where to find Xûr, which Exotic weapons and armor are available, as well as which Legendary weapons you should pick up, either for PvE or PvP.
Where Is Xûr Located Today?
Xûr’s location can be found at Winding Cove in the EDZ on April 28 through May 1. To reach him, travel to the landing point at Winding Cove. When you arrive, make for the rock cliffs at the far end of the cove and look for a cave winding up to a platform next to some Fallen. There you’ll find the retail monster who inspires us all.
Xûr can be found atop a rocky cliff in the Winding Cove in the EDZ.
What’s Xûr Selling Today?
Xûr’s Exotic offerings this weekend.
Exotic Engram
The Prospector – Exotic Grenade Launcher
Lucky Pants – Exotic Hunter Leg Armor
15 Mobility
3 Resilience
16 Recovery
14 Discipline
15 Intellect
2 Strength
Total: 65
Armamentarium – Exotic Titan Chest Armor
7 Mobility
17 Resilience
10 Recovery
15 Discipline
7 Intellect
9 Strength
Total: 65
Starfire Protocol – Exotic Warlock Chest Armor
14 Mobility
10 Resilience
10 Recovery
16 Discipline
11 Intellect
2 Strength
Total: 63
Exotic armor this week isn’t amazing, but we’ve got decent rolls for Hunters and Titans. While distributions could be better across the board and none of the rolls are spikey, these are still good exotics with usable rolls — that’s more than Xur has given us in weeks past!
Exotic Weapons
Each week Xûr sells Hawkmoon & Dead Man’s Tale.
Hawkmoon – Exotic Hand Cannon
Paracausal Shot
Corkscrew Rifling
Alloy Magazine
Opening Shot
Heavy Grip
Dead Man’s Tale – Exotic Scout Rifle
Cranial Spike
Full Bore
Light Mag
Vorpal Weapon
Composite Stock
Both rolls this week get very close to God rolls! Hawkmoon with Alloy Mag, Opening Shot, and Heavy Grip are about as good as Hawkmoon gets, and DMT gets really close with Vorpal Weapon, but Light Mag isn’t as desirable as High-Caliber Rounds.
Legendary Weapons
Xûr’s Legendary Weapon offerings this weekend.
Under Your Skin – Combat Bow
High Tension String/Natural String
Carbon Arrow Shaft/Helical Fletching
Archer’s Tempo
OSuccessful Warm-Up
Land Tank
Accuracy Masterwork
Judgement of Kelgorath – Glaive
Ballistic Tuning/Lightweight Emitter
Alloy Magazine/Appended Mag
Immovable Object
Incandescent
Ambush
Charge Time/Shield Duration Masterwork
Blast Battue – Grenade Launcher
Countermass/Linear Compensator
Proximity Grenades/High-Explosive Ordnance
Threat Detector
Snapshot Sights
Reload Speed Masterwork
Vulpecula – Hand Cannon
Arrowhead Brake/Hammer-Forged Rifling
Tactical Mag/Extended Mag
Outlaw
Adagio
Handling Masterwork
Lonesome – Sidearm
Fluted Barrel/Smallbore
Ricochet Rounds/Flared Magwell
Rapid Hit
Swashbuckler
Range Masterwork
Enigma’s Draw – Sidearm
Tactic SAS/Target SAS
Extended Mag/Ricochet Rounds
Grave Robber
Rapid Hit
Handling Masterwork
Friction Fire – Submachine Gun
Corkscrew Rifling/Smallbore
Tactical Mag/Steady Rounds
Killing Wind
Unrelenting
Handling Masterwork
We’ve got some great rolls this week! I quite like the glaive with Immovable Object and Incandescent, and the roll for Lonesome with Rapid Hit and Swashbuckler has a lot of great synergy for a sidearm. Friction Fire with Killing Wind and Unrelenting is also worth checking out!
Warlock Legendary Armor
For Warlocks, Xûr is selling the Yuga Sundown set which includes:
Xûr’s Legendary Armor for Warlocks this week.
Yuga Sundown Gauntlets
7 Mobility
19 Resilience
2 Recovery
7 Discipline
2 Intellect
20 Strength
Total: 57
Yuga Sundown Chest Armor
8 Mobility
2 Resilience
22 Recovery
12 Discipline
9 Intellect
6 Strength
Total: 59
Yuga Sundown Helmet
6 Mobility
10 Resilience
16 Recovery
12 Discipline
6 Intellect
10 Strength
Total: 60
Yuga Sundown Leg Armor
14 Mobility
9 Resilience
8 Recovery
15 Discipline
6 Intellect
9 Strength
Total: 61
Yuga Sundown Bond
Sorry, Warlocks. None of these rolls are worth considering! Come back another week.
Titan Legendary Armor
For Titans, Xûr is selling the Midnight Exigent set which includes:
Xûr’s Legendary Armor for Titans this week.
Midnight Exigent Gauntlets
12 Mobility
13 Resilience
7 Recovery
9 Discipline
16 Intellect
2 Strength
Total: 59
Midnight Exigent Chest Armor
15 Mobility
7 Resilience
9 Recovery
17 Discipline
2 Intellect
9 Strength
Total: 59
Midnight Exigent Helmet
9 Mobility
13 Resilience
7 Recovery
6 Discipline
14 Intellect
9 Strength
Total: 58
Midnight Exigent Leg Armor
13 Mobility
2 Resilience
16 Recovery
7 Discipline
20 Intellect
2 Strength
Total: 60
Midnight Exigent Mark
Titans also have very bad armor rolls this week. Sorry, y’all.
Hunter Legendary Armor
For Hunters, Xûr is selling the Abhorrent Imperative set which includes:
Xûr’s Legendary Armor for Hunters this week.
Abhorrent Imperative Gauntlets
10 Mobility
15 Resilience
7 Recovery
9 Discipline
2 Intellect
16 Strength
Total: 59
Abhorrent Imperative Chest Armor
10 Mobility
12 Resilience
6 Recovery
20 Discipline
9 Intellect
2 Strength
Total: 59
Abhorrent Imperative Helmet
8 Mobility
2 Resilience
22 Recovery
8 Discipline
23 Intellect
2 Strength
Total: 65
Abhorrent Imperative Leg Armor
2 Mobility
16 Resilience
12 Recovery
12 Discipline
8 Intellect
13 Strength
Total: 63
Abhorrent Imperative Cloak
Hunters have some of the only good rolls this week. The helmet has high stats and spikiness in Recovery and Intellect (though I sure wish that Resilience were higher), and the boots are also decent since they’ve got super low Mobility.
He will be joined by French director and screenwriter Alice Winocour, German actress Paula Beer, French-Cambodian director and producer Davy Chou and Belgian actress Émilie Dequenne.
“I have had so many life changing moments at the Festival de Cannes, from my miraculous first trip with Paul Thomas Anderson to celebrating my 50th birthday from the Palais stage! So to be chosen as the President of Un Certain Regard Jury is truly such an incredible honor,” said Reilly.
“Many of the films I have been lucky to appear in have been selected by the Festival over these many years and nothing feels as special as being invited to this amazing annual gathering of the very best cinema has to offer the world. I look forward to helping launch another generation of filmmakers on this special occasion as the Festival has done since its inception. I am humbled and thrilled. ¡Viva Cinema!”
Reilly made his Cannes debut in Un Certain Regard in 1995 in Ulu Grosbard’s sibling rivalry drama Georgia and returned to the section the following year in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Hard Eight (aka Sydney).
He has since hit the Cannes red carpet in a raft of films including Palme d’Or contenders We Need To Talk About Kevin, Tale Of Tales, The Lobster and Stars At Noon.
Winocour’s second film Disorder played in Un Certain Regard in 2015 while her last film Paris Memories, debuted in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight last year. A confirmed screenwriter she also took co-credits on Mustang, Cuties and this year’s Cannes Critics’ Title Lost Country.
Multi-lingual actress Beer made her international breakthrough in François Ozon’s 2016 drama Frantz, with more recent credits including Christian Petzold’s Undine and Afire, which won Berlinale’s Silver Bear this year.
Chou made it into Un Certain Regard last year with Return To Seoul and also co-produced the 2021 opening film for the section Onoda: 10,000 Nights In The Jungle by Arthur Harari.
Dequenne got her first big break in Cannes when she won Best Actress in 1999 for her performance in the Dardennes brothers’ Palme d’Or winner Rosetta. Her more recent credits include Our Children, Love Affair(s) and Close.
Photo via Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Elton John AIDS Foundation
Kevin Costner‘s wife has filed for divorce after 18 years of marriage. The Yellowstone star married Christine Baumgartner in 2004 and the couple had three children together.
According to TMZ, it’s currently unknown what exactly caused the split, but it was reported that Christine claimed that it was due to “irreconcilable differences.” Meanwhile, Kevin’s representatives released a statement about the divorce and asked the public and the media to respect the couple’s and their children’s privacy during these times.
“It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action. We ask that his, Christine’s, and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time.”
It was reported that both Kevin and Christine applied for joint custody of their children, ages 12, 14, and 15, and that Baumgartner didn’t ask for any spousal support.
Christine was Costner’s second wife after his previous 16-year marriage to Cindy Silva ended in 1994. She was a model and handbag designer, and she dated Kevin for four years prior to their marriage at his ranch in Colorado. According to Cosmopolitan, the former couple met at a golf course, back when Costner was still in his first marriage with Silva. This was when Costner was rehearsing for his role in Tin Cup.
It was also reported by Us Magazine that Costner and Christine were spotted together from time to time after their first meeting. The two briefly dated before pulling the plug in 2003 due to their opinions about having children. But they gave their relationship another shot before they got married a year later.
Asides from these two marriages, Costner had a brief relationship with Bridget Rooney who gave birth to his son in 1996. He also dated political activist Birgit Cunningham and supermodel Elle Macpherson.
CBS has put on hold plans to announce its fall 2023 schedule at a reveal event in Los Angeles on May 9. The network will still share its schedule next week, but instead likely by traditional press release.
The party, which was to take place at NeueHouse Hollywood (next door to CBS’ new Hollywood headquarters), was to have served as a replacement for the traditional upfronts event that CBS always held in New York at Carnegie Hall during upfronts week. (Paramount Global, which took over the CBS Wednesday slot during upfronts last year, earlier opted not to continue the upfronts week presentation this year. Filling that Wednesday time slot this year on May 15 will be Netflix, in its inaugural upfronts appearance.)
Here’s the memo from CBS: “Due to the WGA strike, we are postponing our Fall Schedule Reveal party at NeueHouse on May 9. We plan to reschedule the event at a later date, and look forward to hosting you at that time. The network will still release its new 2023/24 Fall schedule next week.”
Among execs who had been scheduled to attend the party: CBS CEO George Cheeks and new CBS entertainment president Amy Reisenbach. This is Reisenbach’s first fall schedule announcement since taking the gig in November.
CBS has already renewed 20 of its series for new seasons: procedural dramas “NCIS,” “NCIS: Hawai’i.” “CSI: Vegas,” “60 Minutes,” “48 Hours,” “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race,” “Tough as Nails,” “Lingo,” “Fire Country,” “Young Sheldon” (as the last part of a three-season renewal given in 2021), “Ghosts,” “The Neighborhood,” “Bob Hearts Abishola,” “So Help Me Todd,” “The Equalizer” (as the last part of a two-season renewal given in 2022), “FBI,” “FBI: International,” “FBI: Most Wanted” (as the last part of a two-season renewal given to each show in the franchise in 2022) and “Blue Bloods.” Additionally, the network gave a series order to “The Never Game,” a drama starring Justin Hartley and based on the book of the same name.
Despite James Gunn making his own Superman film amidst a total shift in the DC Universe, DC’s Black Superman movie is still in the works. However, it won’t be part of the mainline DC Universe.
Speaking to io9, filmmaker and co-CEO of DC Studios James Gunn was asked about the Black Superman movie. The project is said to be coming from writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and producer J.J. Abrams. According to Gunn, however, the project is not related at all to his upcoming Superman: Legacy. Depending on how the script looks, he says, the film could still happen as an Elseworlds project.
“Those two things are totally unrelated,” Gunn said. “That’s an exciting movie. I know that Chantal Nong, who is the executive on that project, is extremely excited about it. So if it comes in and it’s great, which I haven’t read the script, and if the timing is right, that could absolutely happen. That’s totally unrelated. It would be an Elseworlds tale like Joker.”
What is DC’s Elseworlds?
For those unaware, Elseworlds was a DC Comics publication imprint that focused on stories that happened outside of the main continuity. This allowed for more creative storytelling, and led to some of DC’s biggest and most well-known stories ever – including 1996’s beloved Kingdom Come.
When Gunn and Peter Safran took over as heads of DC Studios and revealed their slate of films in January, the pair said films that don’t fit into the shared DC Universe will be classified as “Elseworlds” projects. These include things like Joker and its follow-up Folie à Deux, plus The Batman and its future sequel.
A report by The Hollywood Reporter says that the aim is for a Black Superman to be introduced in a movie that doesn’t take place in the DC Extended Universe. In fact, Coates is said to have been inspired by the original comics. Coates’ protagonist will “hail from Krypton and come to Earth,” and it could be a “20th century period piece.” DC has previously had a Black Superman named Calvin Ellis, but it’s unknown if that name will be used here.
One actor that has been floated around by fans is Creed star Michael B. Jordan. In fact, a Black Superman film was an idea that Jordan tried to pitch to the studio in 2019, but never came to fruition. With it now in production, this could see Jordan get to star in the upcoming blockbuster. However, when speaking with ET earlier this year, the actor revealed he hasn’t heard anything of the sort so far.
“To be invited into the DC Extended Universe by Warner Bros., DC Films and Bad Robot is an honor,” said Coates about the upcoming film when it was first announced. “I look forward to meaningfully adding to the legacy of America’s most iconic mythic hero.”
While J.J. Abrams said, “There is a new, powerful and moving Superman story yet to be told. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with the brilliant Mr. Coates to help bring that story to the big screen, and we’re beyond thankful to the team at Warner Bros. for the opportunity.”
Actor, writer and producer Josh Gad was among the thousands of WGA members and supporters who mobilized to picket across Hollywood studios on the first day of the writers’ strike.
“A living wage for all writers is essential; I don’t think it’s something that should have to be fought for,” Gad told TheWrap outside of Fox Studios in Los Angeles. “I think that it’s something that should just be understood as a right that these incredible writers who write the words that we as actors are privileged to say.”
The “Frozen” actor also expressed his concern for the “long term” and looming threat of AI, suggesting some sort of language that protects writers from artificial intelligence potentially replacing their jobs.
“It’s more about a lot of writers that I’ve been privileged enough to work with coming in and doing many rooms, and doing some other things that they, frankly, don’t get paid what they should be getting paid for,” Gad continued. “It’s something that I think if we don’t fight for it now, we’re not going to have another chance to fight for it. So I stand with all these guys, and walk them all to get paid what they deserve.”
Gad also noted he was one of the “lucky ones,” as he will continue working as an actor during the strike, adding that he got in his scripts on time. As far as how the strike might impact projects he’s involved in, Gad said to check back with him in a month or two into the strike.
“This whole thing sucks,” Gad said. “I’m old enough to remember the last strike, and it wasn’t pleasant — I was on a show that was canceled — it’s never a fun thing. It’s never something that we want to do; it’s something that just feels essential.”
The common denominator between the Menéndez brothers and one Menudo band member is a grievous one.
In 1996, Lyle and Erik Menéndez were sentenced to life in prison for the murder of their parents, José and Kitty Menéndez. Throughout the sensationalized televised trial, the Beverly Hills brothers alleged that their father Jose had subjected them to years of sexual abuse, which motivated the murders. The prosecution maintained a firm argument that the boys killed José and Kitty for mere financial gain.
Now, three decades later, Peacock’s new three-part docuseries “Menéndez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed” reveals Roy Rosselló’s corroborating claim that he was also sexually abused by the former RCA executive and father of the Menéndez brothers José Menendez.
Menudo was created in 1977 by Edgardo Díaz and grew to be one of the most notable boy bands of all time, attracting crowds of screaming girls like young Latin Beatles. The band was the start of many artists’ careers, including Ricky Martín and Draco Rosa who joined the group in the 1980s. But by 1991, sexual abuse allegations against Díaz began to circulate, casting a shadow over Menudo’s fame. While Díaz has denied all claims of abuse — and didn’t respond to the docuseries’ team’s requests for comment either — he couldn’t deny that most of the over 30 band members over the years were replaced when they turned 16.
Rosselló joined Menudo in 1983 when he was 13 years old, replacing 15-year-old Xavier Serbiá. It was a year later that Rosselló alleges he was drugged and raped by José Menéndez in the Menéndez family’s New Jersey home. In the new docuseries, the brothers says they recall seeing Menudo members often, sometimes during barbecues at their home or backstage at Menudo shows. “I remember [my father] taking one of the kids, saying he wanted to talk to them alone, and they went off into the house upstairs,” Erik said.
The Menéndez brothers will soon be the center of another series: the upcoming second season of Netflix and Ryan Murphy’s “Monster,” which was announced earlier this week. It’s unclear which part of Lyle and Erik’s lives will be covered, or whether the new Menudo allegations are discussed in the show that told the story of notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in Season 1.
Executive producer Jodi Flynn spoke to Variety about working on carefully documenting Rosselló’s emotional journey of alleging sexual abuse at the hands of José and Díaz. Throughout the series, Rosselló searches for people who can help support his claims against Díaz in court, while the Menéndez brothers speak to the series’ journalists over the phone from prison. The project is directed by Esther Reyes, and follows decades of work by reporters Bob Rand and Nery Ynclan.
Flynn is the president of Asylum Entertainment Group, which oversees the Content Group. She works with the development team to evaluate and decide on which projects to take on. When Rand and Ynclan brought the pitch to them, they were immediately certain they wanted to do it. She says it was critical that they maintained a “fly on the wall” approach in filming, not wanting to change the trajectory of either Rosselló or the Menéndez brothers’ trials.
What drew you to frame the documentary as a story about the Menéndez brothers and Menudo, even though it was focused so heavily on Roy Rossellóand the abuse he allegedly suffered from Edgardo Díaz?
I think it was two things. It was first and foremost led by Roy’s desire to tell both of those stories. He really wants to help the Menéndez brothers — he feels like that is part of his journey, and part of his healing to do that. That’s one of the reasons we wanted to do both. It’s also a new piece of information in a case that has dominated headlines on and off for 30 plus years in the U.S. It seemed like a way to further a story that you hadn’t seen before. But I think the most important part is that Roy wanted that to be part of his story.
For Roy Rosselló, he might have experienced sort of the same things that the brothers experienced, but they grew up in different circumstances. How did you go about putting these two stories side by side?
There’s a common denominator here, in that it doesn’t matter that the Menéndez brothers were from a family of wealth and privilege, and that Roy wasn’t. They were all abused as very young children. The motivations and their trajectories and their journeys clearly are different, but I think what happened to them kind of binds them in a way together, it connects them. And I think that’s where the story really lives. It’s not about where they came from. It’s about what they all endured.
It was obviously a very emotional process for Roy, as seen in the documentary. How did you make sure that he was comfortable throughout the process?
We really took a very small footprint in approaching this project. Our crews were very small, the number people who he dealt with were very small, and when he told those heart-wrenching stories, the people in the room were highly limited. We did everything we could to make him as comfortable as possible.
I really have to give a lot of credit to Nery and Esther and Bob, who really built the relationship with him, and then worked with him to find out what would make him comfortable, and how he wanted to tell his story. And we followed that lead.
You mentioned the journalists that were involved in the process. What were your initial intentions as a collective in creating this project? And did those intentions change throughout production?
Roy had come to the point where he wanted to tell his story. It took a long time for him, understandably, and he not only wanted to tell his story, but he also wanted to take action. We really followed him on his journey to find people who could help corroborate what he was going to tell police, as well as working with Cliff Gardener, the Menéndez appellate attorney. But we were quickly told that that was not a good idea for the Menéndez brothers to speak with Roy, because that could taint Roy’s testimony in any habeas petition that they were going to make. So we pivoted, and that became the story.
And even after you guys wrapped production, were those journalists still in contact with Roy Rosselló? Are they still working with him?
Yes, they’re very much still working with him. There’s still a long way to go in the legal process for both of the cases. And they also continue to speak to additional Menudos to see if there’s anyone else who wants to come forward. Bob is in close contact with Cliff Gardner, the attorney, and as far as we know, there are plans to file something, but I don’t know the date or exactly what that will be.
What do you hope this documentary will be able to do for Roy Rosselló and others?
Our hope for Roy is that this really is a healing process, no matter what path the legal route takes. I think through his life and working as a missionary, he wants to help people and this documentary is a big part of that. I think the most important thing is that it’s never too late to speak your truth.
We hope that it has an impact beyond the Menéndez brothers and Roy, and that people who have suffered kind of see a path to speak up if they’d been afraid to before. We really strive to do shows that can have an impact, and not just entertain.
Despite fan speculation, Chicago Fire star Taylor Kinney is not going to appear in the season 11 finale. As Deadline previously reported exclusively, the fan favorite who plays Kelly Severide, has been on a leave of absence since January, dealing with a personal matter. Chicago Fire alum Jesse Spencer, who starred as Matt Casey alongside Kinney for 10 seasons, returned earlier this season and will guest star again in the season finale.
Kinney has starred as the firefighter on the Dick Wolf procedural since its launch in 2012. Spencer originally left in Chicago Fire’s 200th episode, air date in October 2021. When Spencer left the series, his character was headed to Oregon to take care of his late best friend Andy Darden’s sons. He was also trying a long-distance relationship with love interest Sylvie Brett (Kara Kilmer).
In the April episode, Casey — now leading a top-secret task force — returned home to pick a local representative — someone he trusts — to hold things down in Chicago.
“I always told [series co-creator] Derek Haas that if there were episodes that he thought would be appropriate for me to come back, then I’m totally open to that because I want to see the old gang and I love working there,” Spencer told Deadline at the time.
Executive producers of Chicago Fire are Dick Wolf, Derek Haas, Andrea Newman, Michael Gilvary, Reza Tabrizi, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski.
Chicago Fire is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.
Chicago Fire‘s Season 11 finale airs on Wednesday, May 24.
Amazon is rolling out a substantial Matter update by expanding support to more hardware, improving the compatibility between the smart home standard and Alexa.
A big part of the overall package is all the changes coming to the company’s Echo line. Starting today, the “second generation Echo, Echo Plus, and Echo Dot” speakers will upgrade into proper Matter controllers for your at-home network.
The Echo (4th Gen) now supports the Thread protocol giving it another category of gadgets to control in addition to those on Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Bluetooth Low Energy Mesh.
Put everything together, you now have “over 100 million Echo devices across 20 models” supporting the smart home standard, according to a post on the Amazon Developer Blog (opens in new tab). And to help out any newfound customers, the update will also allow people to “set up their Matter devices with iOS”.
The other half of the roll out involves smart home brand Eve Systems integrating its own products with Amazon’s platform.
Eve systems adopts Matter standard
First, Eve Systems devices will now support the Matter standard as well as the Thread protocol, running contrary to the brand’s previous decisions of only operating with “certain smart home systems.” Additionally, Eve products being sold on Amazon will have a Works with Alexa (WWA) badge (opens in new tab) slapped on product listings. Gadgets with the WWA certification are confirmed to work with Alexa, promising to “deliver a great experience” with the digital assistant.
The last update has Eve System is enabling Frustration Free Setup (FFS) (opens in new tab) to its Matter lineup. FFS, if you don’t know, is the Amazon’s attempt at simplifying the “device setup experience”.
For example, customers can ask the tech giant to enter Wi-Fi credentials into a Fire TV at checkout. That way, when the Fire TV gets to your house, it’s already set up and all you have to do is plug it in. With regards to Eve Systems, the first batch getting this feature consists of the Eve Energy smart plug, Eve Motion (opens in new tab), and the Eve Door & Windows (opens in new tab) smart contact sensor.
The FFS upgrade will be released later this month, running contrary to the rest of the update. And when it does, those products will work right out of the box the moment they get turned on.
Amazon states Eve Systems has plans to expand “FFS to all its Matter-enabled devices” seemingly hinting at another round, but didn’t give any further details. We asked Amazon for more information on the future release, and we will update this story if and when we hear back from the company.
Ed Sheeran brought his guitar to a British courtroom this week to make a legal statement, mashing up several popular songs with his hit “Thinking Out Loud,” which stands accused of ripping off the Marvin Gaye classic “Let’s Get It On.”
Testifying for a second day in London, Sheeran on Tuesday played and sang songs by Nina Simone, Bill Withers, Van Morrison and more, shifting easily between them, “Thinking Out Loud” and “Let’s Get It On” to demonstrate how similar chord progressions are commonly shared across decades of hits. Courtroom sketches showed Sheeran seated in the witness box with his guitar strapped across his chest.
The estate of late musician Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the 1973 hit “Let’s Get It On” with Gaye, claimed that Sheeran’s song copied key elements, including the melody, harmony and rhythm. The same group of heirs successfully sued Pharell and Robin Thicke over their hit “Blurred Lines,” eventually collecting more than $5 million for their unanimous jury verdict in 2015.
Sheeran’s defense team also presented testimony from expert musicologists, who analyzed the two songs and found that they were not substantially similar. Sheeran’s irritation with the lawsuit has been palpable, and it emerged again from the witness stand, where he snarled at the idea that someone would “diminish” his song by claiming it was stolen.
“I find it really insulting,” he said, according to CBS News.
When the cover art for Jackman. dropped, people did not know what to make of Jack Harlow standing there, arms crossed and chest bare. I certainly didn’t. Maybe it’s that Jackman. is as stripped down as the artist: Devoid of features and sparsely populated by hooks. He’s rapping over samples that he definitely could not afford in 2018. Instead of telling us how rich he is now, he lets the luxurious production speak for itself. The confrontational opener “Common Ground” was admittedly predictable: Harlow takes aim at out-of-touch music critics and culturally appropriating white kids. Divine hymnal harmonies from ’90s R&B girl group Jade’s “When Will I See You Again (Intro)” set the contemplative tone. A music video would probably have him rapping from a pulpit.
For three more tracks, Harlow chronicles his come-up and whines a bit more over soul samples. Trends and other people’s opinions mold his records. The internet said he was too cornily commercial, so for the duration of this album, he positions himself as a very serious rapper. Flexing his skills pays off in lines like, “No security, my brothers gon’ step, Will Ferrell” but also flounders: “My homeboy just beat cancer/I call my ex, no answer.” You win some, you lose some! It’s non-threatening in an “Ivy League frat boy bumping Nas to prep for his econ final” kind of way.
Halfway through Jackman., Jackman gets gritty. His candor on “Gang Gang Gang” is gripping. “My friend pulled me to the side like, ‘Did you hear about Marcus?’” Harlow narrates a reunion among childhood friends. “‘A bunch of girls say he raped them in the back of some Target.’” You can hear his boyish naivité rupture as he processes this shocking information. He questions blind loyalty and his role in abuse apologia. It’s raw. It’s self-interrogative. Perhaps he’s pandering to shut down accusations of his vacuousness. Maybe he has grown as a person.
It certainly is a level up from his Shemar Moore impersonation on Come Home the Kids Miss You.Jackman. takes creative risks in social commentary that often pay off. “Blame on Me” showcases Harlow’s narrative flexibility, rapping touchingly about the effects of toxic masculinity on the psyches of men and boys through multigenerational perspectives. It redeems the previous track “It Can’t Be,” where Harlow attempts to shut down the white-privilege allegations by listing evidence of what he thinks are his admirable morality and unparalleled drive. Imagine an 8 Mile battle rap scene if it were directed by Scooter Braun. Like most songs, its sanctimonious rambling is alleviated by a groovy sample.
Harlow claims that he’s not really into personas. That’s not entirely true. “No Enhancers” and “They Don’t Love It” scream Thank Me Later-era Drake. Over pop-rap beats, he’s in the club brooding over how he probably won’t find his wife there. In recent years, when rappers adopted what has become known as “therapy rap” to discuss sociopolitical topics, it served as a marker for personal and artistic maturity. The chameleon that he is, Harlow hops on this wave to manufacture some depth in his discography.
Like his upcoming role in White Men Can’t Jump, his flows and sonic choices are remakes—his greatest tracks come straight from Drake and Kendrick’s playbooks. Yet the 25-year-old proclaims himself “the hardest white boy since the one who rapped about vomit and sweaters.” Harlow’s white male angst isn’t violent or self-flagellating. Those lanes are occupied by Eminem and Macklemore. For a while, he was content being a charismatic goober trying to top the charts. The one thing of value he contributes is his truth. It might make him unlikeable but it adds dimension to a former cardboard cut-out.
Alia Bhatt made her Met Gala debut. Meanwhile, Parineeti Chopra’s engagement date is rumoured to be fixed.
Alia Bhatt made her Met Gala debut. Meanwhile, Parineeti Chopra’s engagement date is rumoured to be fixed. Check out all the biggest entertainment news of the day below.
Alia Bhatt was misidentified as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on the red carpet of the MET Gala 2023. The Gangubai Kathiawadi star made her debut at the prestigious fashion event on Monday night (Tuesday morning IST) in New York and made Bollywood proud. She was also joined by fellow Bollywood-Hollywood star Priyanka Chopra at the Gala, who came with her husband, singer Nick Jonas.
Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha will reportedly get engaged this month in New Delhi. The Bollywood actress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader have been ruling the news headlines and social media trends for their dating rumours. According to a fresh report in Indian Express.com, Parineeti, and Raghav will make their relationship official with an intimate engagement in New Delhi on May 13.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu has taken the internet by storm with her recent photo. The actress, who often grabs headlines for her divorce from ex-husband Naga Chaitanya, was spotted wearing a ‘mangalsutra’ in a viral photo. Before you speculate anything about Samantha’s relationship status, we must tell you that the photo in question is from her upcoming film Kushi which will see her opposite Vijay Deverakonda.
Priyanka Chopra is no stranger to glitz and glamour, but her newest necklace just brought her jewellery collection to a whole new level. The Bollywood icon wore an 11.6-carat diamond necklace to Met Gala 2023. The statement piece was from Bulgari. However, what caught our attention was the price of Priyanka’s necklace. If a viral tweet is to be believed, Priyanka’s neckpiece is worth USD 25 million which is approximately Rs 204 crores.
Salman Khan took help from the beloved Groot, from the hit Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise Guardians of the Galaxy, to address a few sample ‘questions’ at a ‘press conference’. Before you assume that the Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan star met the media again recently, let us clarify that the ‘press conference’ was part of Marvel Studios’ promotions of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 in India.
Aditi Giri, Senior Sub-Editor at News18. She is a Bollywood and Biryani enthusiast. She loves talking to your favourite BTown celebrities, and brings …Read More
The “MASH” community is pouring one out for actor Eileen Saki, who died Monday at age 79.
Saki, who was the last actor to portray Rosie’s Bar boss Rosie on the long-running Korean War series, died “peacefully” in Los Angeles after a battle with pancreatic cancer, her manager Camilla Fluxman Pines told The Times on Tuesday.
“She was often recognized by face or even just voice by people who knew they knew her ‘from somewhere’ — and loved talking to young actors about the journey,” Fluxman Pines said in a statement.
The “MASH Matters” podcast — co-hosted by star Jeff Maxwell and Ryan Patrick — shared news of Saki’s death Tuesday on Facebook.
“Our sweet Eileen. Our sassy Rosie. On behalf of her husband Bob, we extend sincere appreciation for the hundreds of M*A*S*H fans who filled Eileen’s final days with peace, encouragement, and love,” the post said.
The announcement added: “Our sweet, sweet Eileen. How we love you. How we will miss you. #GoodbyeFarewellandAmen.”
News of Saki’s death comes months after she was diagnosed with cancer. In March, “MASH Matters” announced on Facebook that a “new battle has begun” for the actor, who was starting chemotherapy treatment. The podcast encouraged fans to send the actor a “message of encouragement, hope, appreciation, and adoration” amid her cancer battle.
The March diagnosis was not Saki’s first bout with cancer. She also survived lung cancer, her manager said.
In addition to “MASH,” Saki appeared the TV series “Gimme a Break!,” “Sidekicks” and “Without a Trace.” Her film work includes “Policewomen” (1974), “Meteor” (1979) and “Splash” (1984).
In January 2022, Saki recounted her time as Rosie from 1976 to 1981 for “MASH Matters.” For Saki, her barkeeper character was “a combination of what I observed of ladies even at restaurants, Chinese restaurants — Asian women who really have taken over.”
She added: “I mean, they are the boss.”
Saki ended her podcast interview with a message for the generations of “MASH” fans who have seen her work.
“For the people who started out at the beginning, I am so thankful. For all the newcomers, my God, if you could just get into the stories, get interested in the characters, you’ll learn so much and laugh at the same time,” she said. “I mean really, isn’t that what life is about?”
To commemorate the 15th anniversary of both the first Iron Man movie and the dawn of the MCU, Disney+ released a freshly edited trailer honoring the trilogy.
It’s hard to believe that Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau’sIron Man hit theaters 15 years ago. Downey’s Tony Stark was the face that launched a franchise as Iron Man served as Marvel Studios’ very first project back in 2008.
Of course, even though Tony’s time in the MCU came to a close (for now) in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to be mega-popular.
Disney+ Celebrates Iron Man’s Anniversary
Marvel Studios
Disney+ took to Twitter, posting a newly-cut trailer for the Iron Man trilogy. It was done to salute 15 years of Iron Man, which first landed in theaters on May 2, 2008.
Marvel Studios
“I’m the best,” Tony cockily declared once he finished suiting up in his fresh-off-the-line Mark XLII suit during the opening act of Iron Man 3.
Marvel Studios
Here’s the full trailer as posted by Disney+:
Tony Stark’s MCU Legacy Lives On
Iron Man met an untimely demise in Avengers: Endgame when he nabbed the six Infinity Stones off of Thanos’ gauntlet and snapped his fingers, ending the Mad Titan’s threat once and for all. The sheer power of the Stones was too much for Tony’s body to handle and he passed away.
But Iron Man’s legacy is still felt, both in and out-of-universe. Don Cheadle’s War Machine and Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams will continue to bring armored action to the MCU in their various future appearance including the Armor Wars movie and Ironheart on Disney+.
And Stark’s onetime protégé Peter Parker aka, Spider-Man will try to live up to the example set by his mentor in his future appearances (even if no one remembers him.)
In the real world, fans flocked without fail to any MCU movie that featured Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, and his absence is still greatly felt among audiences who grew to love Tony’s snarky, heroic exploits. Downey has indeed mentioned that he misses playing the role, so perhaps there’s a still chance for a comeback at some point?
Setting all that aside, it’s pretty crazy that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been around for fifteen years. There are some viewers for which the MCU has been around their entire lives. And with numerous films, series, and specials on the horizon, things have shown no signs of slowing down.
Through James Gunn‘s process of reviving the DCU, which he’s since called a “hard reboot,” among other things, one noticeable pattern is standing out. So far, he’s been picking and choosing a handful of characters (and their respective actors) from the now-old era of DC and carrying them over into his now-established universe, particularly ones from his previous projects. To keep his hype train going, Gunn has now confirmed that one more of those familiar characters will be returning, though one that fans might not expect. Contrary to the overwhelming hope of it being Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, it’s a character who’s ironically had far less of a spotlight.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAYSCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
In Gunn’s initial announcement of the anticipated lineup of ten projects, five series, and five films, the first one to kick off Chapter One: Gods and Monsters will be an animated series called Creature Commandos. In an interestingly similar premise to The Suicide Squad(2021), the story of Creature Commandos revolves around a military band of monsters and superhumans that embark on missions during World War II. The comics have changed their roster over the years, including a vampire, a gorgon, a werewolf, and even Frankenstein. Gunn is undoubtedly adjusting the lineup to suit his creative vision, but thanks to a report from CinemaBlend, we now know that, straight from The Suicide Squad film, Weasel will be included in the ranks.
For those who recall his brief appearance in the opening sequence of the previous film, James Gunn’s own brother Sean was the motion capture actor who brought Weasel to life. Fresh off his work on The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, it’s safe to say he’ll likely reprise that role again. Gunn has also confirmed the other members of Creature Commandos, which seem to include new DCU inductees so far.
“Rick Flag Sr. Okay. And then, you know, he’s going to show up in other stuff. That’s Nina Mazursky. That’s Dr. Phosphorus, a Batman villain. Eric Frankenstein. Bride of Frankenstein, who’s the lead. G.I. Robot. And Weasel. You learn a little bit about him, and a lot about his past.”
Creature Commandos is currently set as the first project in Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, but with production needs, that could always change. The series is coming exclusively to HBO Max, with no release window as of yet.
To date, James Gunn has kept two of the biggest characters from his adaption of The Suicide Squad (2021), Amanda Waller and Peacemaker, played by Viola Davis and John Cena, respectively. However, Waller went on to make a cameo appearance in Gunn’s spin-off Peacemaker (2022) and now finally has her own series in the works.
Meanwhile, Peacemaker is still out for blood and justice in the next season of his own series, and both he and Waller could very well make other appearances, should Gunn deem it so. Now with Weasel joining the cast of Creature Commandos, albeit in animated form, it leaves audiences wondering if Gunn will resurrect any other characters for his pile of upcoming projects. Questions like whether Gal Gadot will reprise Wonder Woman in Gunn’s universe and Margot Robbie’s future as Harley Quinn still loom large.
The annual Destiny 2 Guardian Games event has returned for 2023, and it comes with some adjustments, new rewards to earn, and an event card. As always, this is a class-based event that pits Titans vs. Warlocks vs. Hunters for bragging rights over the next year. Here’s the full rundown on what you need to know about earning medallions, scoring in Supremacy mode, and obtaining the new scout rifle, Exotic sparrow, and Heir Apparent catalyst.
How to start Guardian Games
To get underway, visit the Tower and speak with Eva Levante. The Tower has been adorned with a bunch of vaguely Olympics-y decorations, and Eva will be the key vendor throughout the event.
Eva will give you a new Guardian Games class item, and you should keep it equipped during the event. Completing activities with this class item equipped will earn you medallions, which is the currency used to push your class toward victory and earn yourself rewards. You should also note that the class item is required to make progress on certain bounties offered by Eva.
The new Guardian Games armor and Strand scout rifle
Eva will eventually have you speak with Zavala and Shaxx to round out the breadth of the event, but you’ll want to make sure you buy your first Card from Eva. This will unlock the ability to purchase Guardian Games bounties and get you started on the core of the event.
Your first real task is an event challenge to earn a medallion and then redeem it at the kiosk at the Tower. You can jump into a quick Crucible match or whatever activity you wish. Once that’s done, head back to the Tower and visit the podium behind Eva. Visit the corresponding node for your class to bank any medallions you’ve earned to complete this quest step and contribute to your class’s progress–all players of the same class will be contributing to the cause during the event.
This first event challenge should earn you some rewards (more on those below) and unlock access to the other 16 event challenges.
How to earn gold and platinum medallions
Completing activities
As noted above, you’ll earn medallions regardless of the activity you’re playing, so long as you’re wearing your Guardian Games class item. But while you’ll primarily earn bronze medallions through standard activity completions, there are a few other ways to obtain higher rarity medallions as well.
Contender/Platinum Cards
The primary method of obtaining gold and platinum medallions is through the Contender Cards (1,000 Glimmer) and Platinum Cards (1,500 Glimmer) that Eva sells. These grant you a random objective tied to the specific variety of Card you buy–a Crucible one might ask you to earn Void or Solar blows in the Crucible, for instance. These Cards can be repeatedly purchased, but the catch is that you can only hold one PvE one and one that covers Crucible and Gambit at a time, meaning you can’t stack these. For the most part, these Cards cover distinct activities, anyway; you wouldn’t be able to work on Lost Sector objectives while doing a raid, for instance.
Contender Cards grant a gold medallion upon completion, while Platinum Cards reward platinum medallions. You can stack bounties from Eva and other vendors, but those will only reward a mixture of XP and Bright Dust, rather than anything that specifically advances your progress in Guardian Games.
Event challenges
Event challenges provide another route to medallions, though only a limited number of them.
Event challenges with gold medallion rewards:
Bronze – Bank medallions; higher-ranked ones grant more progress
Silver – Bank medallions; higher-ranked ones grant more progress
In The Cards – Complete 15 Contender and Platinum Cards from Eva
Pull Some Strings – Defeat targets or assist teammates with Strand damage and abilities
Friendly Rivalry – Complete Crucible, Gambit, or Supremacy matches
Cloudrunning – Complete activities on Neptune
Event challenges with platinum medallion rewards:
Good Games – Defeat targets in Supremacy matches or Guardian Games playlists
Up For The Challenge – Complete Guardians Games Ops Nightfalls
Crest Collector – Earn points in Supremacy by collecting crests from defeated opponents
Scoring torches
As an extra incentive, you can work through the Vying for Supremacy quest. This involves earning score in Guardian Games activities, beginning with Supremacy matches, to reach certain thresholds–starting at bronze and working upwards. By completing these steps, you can light the scoring torches at the Tower, which will earn you rewards and glows, helping you to stand out in the crowd and showcase your contributions to your class.
Event card
As in the past, the event card is an optional aspect of this seasonal event. Everyone receives the event card and can work on the associated event challenges and triumphs, the latter of which can unlock the new Champ title (as well as the Reveler title, which involves completing all 16 challenges from the four seasonal events).
But you can also opt to upgrade your event card for 1,000 Silver, which immediately grants you three rewards: the Championship Dance emote, Barnstormer sparrow, and Coronal Bloom shader. Beyond that, you can then use the event tickets you earn from completing event challenges to unlock other rewards: the Gridiron Shell ghost shell, Darts emote, Colorful Motes Effects transmat effect, and Medal Collector Projection. All of these items available as part of the event card are cosmetic-only in nature. If you’re unsure how much progress you’ll make, you can wait to upgrade the event card until later in the event.
Rewards: New scout rifle, armor, Exotic, and more
Separately from the event card, you can earn a number of rewards by just playing. There are the various rewards tied to each event challenge, as outlined above, and two weapons available as part of Guardian Games.
The first is the returning Void submachine gun The Title. Although it isn’t a new weapon, it does have new perk possibilities, the most noteworthy of which is Repulsor Brace.
Taraxippos
The other weapon is a brand-new one: Taraxippos. This is Destiny 2’s first Strand scout rifle and is housed in the kinetic weapon slot.
Both guns have an optional fifth-column origin trait choice that includes a new option, Classy Contender. This causes kills with the weapon to grant class ability energy. You should receive both guns shortly into beginning the Guardian Games activities, but you’ll want to keep grinding away in order to obtain your ideal perk rolls.
As part of Guardian Games, there is a new Exotic sparrow to earn called Luminous Paragon. This is obtained by completing the Platinum event challenge, which involves banking a significant number of medallions at the podium during the course of the event.
Cashing in enough medallions will earn you the Competitive Catalyst quest. This will set you on the path to unlocking the Heir Apparent catalyst, which can apparently only be obtained during Guardian Games.
Also new is a set of armor ornaments for each class. These can be purchased outright from the Eververse store for 1,500 Silver, as can the equivalent Guardian Games ornament sets from 2021 and 2022. Alternatively, each of these three sets per class can be purchased for 6,000 Bright Dust–a hefty sum, but a nice way to obtain these cosmetics with currency earned by playing the game.
2023’s new Guardian Games armor ornaments for Hunters, Titans, and Warlocks
Finally, there are some other rewards you can earn from challenges located in the Director. Completing five matches of Supremacy in a given week will earn you a Pinnacle drop, with progress doubled if you join via the Supremacy playlist. (Your standard weekly “play three Crucible matches” Pinnacle challenge is also advanced through these matches.) Additionally, you can earn a Powerful Tier 1 reward by redeeming 25 medallions at the podium each week.
Supremacy
Supremacy is a new game mode in Destiny 2 that returns from the original Destiny. Those who have played Call of Duty’s Kill Confirmed or its many imitators will be right at home here. This is a team-based, deathmatch-style mode in which points are only scored by collecting an item dropped by slain enemies. Enemies can be denied those points by collecting the items dropped by your fallen teammates, making it essential to not just kill and avoid dying, but make tactical decisions on how and when to collect these crests.
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De-aging can be a tricky process that requires an excellent point of reference.
When the trailer for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny dropped, we all gasped at the VFX magic that we had been teased with. When a bag is pulled from Indiana’s head, a much younger Indiana Jones appears rather than the 80-year-old Harrison Ford.
De-aging actors isn’t a new phenomenon in film and TV, but it holds a strange place in the hearts of movie watchers. It is strange to see modern-day actors de-aged back into their prime. Rather than gasping and saying, “Whoa, they look so young,” our reaction is typically in response to the uncanny valley.
However, director James Mangold tells Total Film magazine that there was nothing unusual about shooting the young Indiana Jones scenes. Harrison Ford, wearing his original jacket that still fits his body, would act out the scene as normal with the necessary dots on his face to capture the performance.
“I just shot him, and he just pretended that he was 35,” says Mangold of his “incredibly gifted and agile” leading man. “But the technology involved is a whole other thing.”
How did the team behind Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny de-age Ford? What was the reference they used? Let’s get into it.
Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
How Did Indiana Jones De-Age Harrison Ford?
The VFX team had a different approach to de-aging tech than other practices. This new approach was possible because Lucasfilm had reels and reels of footage of Ford in his 30s and 40s.
“We had hundreds of hours of footage of him in close-ups, in mediums, in wides, in every kind of lighting, night and day,” Mangold says. “I could shoot Harrison on a Monday as, you know, a 79-year-old playing as a 35-year-old, and I could see dailies by Wednesday with his head already replaced.”
The “digital head replacement” is a tech that was pioneered by Disney and has been used in films like Dark Fateand Gemini Man. Since the footage of a young Ford existed, the process was much easier than it had ever been before.
“It was an incredible technology, and, in many ways, I just didn’t think about it. I just focused on shooting what’s [approximately] a 25-minute opening extravaganza that was my chance to just let it rip,” Mangold says. “The goal was to give the audience a full-bodied taste of what they missed so much. Because then when the movie lands in 1969, they’re going to have to make an adjustment to what it is now, which is different from what it was.”
A de-aged Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The de-aging process for the opening scene is crucial as the franchise works to establish a new future for Indiana Jones. While Ford might not continue to be the aging (and de-aging) face of the franchise, we might get some flashback moments that put the familiar face of the archeologist into new releases since there are hundreds of hours of footage from Lucasfilms to pull from.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that he is prepared to help mediate the Writers Guild of America strike, adding that it will have “profound consequences” on all Californians.
“Both sides are dug in,” Newsom said in an interview with MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle at the Milken Institute Global Conference at the Beverly Hilton. “Every single one of us will be impacted by this.”
Newsom noted that the previous WGA strike in 2007-2008 cost the state economy about $2 billion.
The WGA has stated that writers are not being paid fairly by the studios in the age of streaming. After negotiations with the studios went nowhere, the strike began Tuesday.
“The stakes are high. I’m sensitive to the concerns of the writers,” Newsom said. “I’m very worried about it. We’re not unfamiliar with labor issues, and when called in by both sides, we’ll intervene.”
“This is a very real and existential moment. And I’m very hopeful that we can extend this not beyond the 100 days of the last strike, but we can extend this no more than a few weeks.”
The WGA West said in a statement Tuesday that their negotiating committed began the process intent on making a “fair deal.”
“The studios’ responses have been wholly insufficient given the existential crisis writers are facing,” the WGA West said in a statement.
The Writers Guild Of America is now on strike after failing to reach an agreement with the Alliance Of Motion Picture And Television Producers (a.k.a. the AMPTP, a coalition consisting of Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Warner Bros. Discover, NBC Universal, Paramount, Sony, all of which are unbelievably massive companies with plenty of money), and while writers fighting for proper treatment and pay and protections against being replaced by AI should matter to you as someone reading The A.V. Club—meaning that you probably care about movies and television to at least some extent, like these stars do—perhaps the real tangible impact of this strike is that it is going to inevitably complicate any movies and scripted TV shows that are currently in production. It turns out that these projects can’t really happen without writers, and yet people think it makes sense to grossly underpay and overwork writers!
Comedian Chris Redd is attacked
This will be a constantly changing situation that will only change more as time goes on, so rather than just waiting in front of your TV to see if your favorite show never comes back because the writers are striking, we’ve compiled an ongoing list of shows facing delays because of the writers strike.
Saturday Night Live: The May 6 episode, which would’ve featured Pete Davidson as the host and Lil Uzi Vert as the musical guest, has been canceled. The show will air reruns for the foreseeable future.
Cobra Kai: The writers room for the show’s sixth (and final) season is now on strike. There’s no word on how far along they were, but the season was just ordered by Netflix in January.
Abbott Elementary: Writing was supposed to begin for the show’s third season on May 2, the same day the strike started. Depending on how long the strike goes, that could lead to a significant delay.
Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show, The Tonight Show, and Late Night are all on hiatus. Production has stopped on Real Time With Bill Maher and This Week Tonight, and The Daily Show (which hasn’t found a new full-time hose anyway) is also on hiatus.
House Of The Dragon: Writing for season two just finished in April, so filming might not be delayed, but without writers… those scripts better by immaculate.
Former 90 Day Fiancé franchise stars Jenny Slatten and Sumit Singh lost their dog and shared a post grieving the tragedy. The iconic couple is most popular for their tumultuous journey on different spin-offs, which ended on a sweet note when they settled in India. Since tying the knot, Jenny and Sumit have thrived together and expanded their little family of two. In 2021, the couple posted a sweet update about how they have been caring for a street dog and its four puppies. The TLC pair named the little dogs Spotty, Pepper, Dusky, and Tanner.
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While things have gone great since 2021, Jenny and Sumit recently revealed they bid a final goodbye to one of their old friends. In a recent update on Facebook, the couple shared pictures of their sick dog, Spotty, on the veterinarian’s table.
90 Day Fiancé‘s Jenny Slatten captioned the post, “We lost our doggy. We will miss you Cutie girl,” while adding heartbreaking emojis to mourn the loss. While the 63-year-old Californian star didn’t reveal much, she did share in the comments section that her precious dog “just became sick” and didn’t make it despite her and Sumit’s best efforts.
90 Day Fiancé Fans Share Condolences Over Death Of Jenny’s Dog
Fans and other followers joined the 90 Day Fiancé couple in remembering the dog and shared their condolences with them. One of Jenny’s friends wrote, “This has hit me at a personal level,” wishing God to bless Spotty’s soul. Another user commented, “I remember Cutie dog in the video with Sumit feeding the calve [sic],” and sent love and support to the couple. Fellow TLC cast member Pauline Potter, from My 600-Lb Life, also asked Jenny what happened to Spotty since she wasn’t very old. Jenny replied, “We don’t know,” adding that she just got sick and couldn’t recover.
Jenny and Sumit received over a thousand supportive comments on their post, mostly because people now care for them. When the two debuted on 90 Day Fiancé, there was a lot of doubt about their chances, with a common opinion being that Sumit was just a catfish looking to make it to the United States. However, the young Indian man proved everyone wrong by staying by Jenny’s side and creating a beautiful home in India. The couple’s loving relationship and social media adventures are big reasons people relate to their ups and downs. Therefore, it’s understandable why the two got overwhelming support on Spotty’s farewell post.
This tragic incident isn’t the first time Sumit and Jenny have experienced pain related to their dogs. In 2021, the 63-year-old TLC star shared how she almost lost her black puppy to parvo, but the vet saved the dog’s life. At the same time, Jenny revealed that someone stole their golden-tanned puppy Tanner from their house. The couple has now lost their favorite friend and seems extremely sad about their loss. Hopefully, the 90 Day Fiancé franchise couple can soon recover from the tragedy and be able to make peace with Spotty’s passing.
J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell appear to have made history Tuesday as the first openly nonbinary actors to be nominated for Tony Awards.
The two were nominated in the categories of best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical, in the case of Ghee for their role in Some Like It Hot, and best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical, in the case of Newell for their role in Shucked. Newell uses all pronouns while Ghee uses he/they pronouns.
Both actors view the nominations Tuesday as a sign of progress in the industry, even as there is still a ways to go, as the Tony Awards categories remain gendered.
“It’s a step in the right direction, because there are so many gender non-conforming and nonbinary performers that might not ever get to shine because of these gendered categories,” Newell said.
“It’s such an honor. I just continue to live in the four-fold way of living. I show up, tell my truth in present and I’m not attached to the outcome. So I’m just honored that the work is speaking for itself and I’m so proud of the special show we’ve got going on at the Shubert,” Ghee said.
The nominations come after Justin David Sullivan, a nonbinary actor who plays a featured role in & Juliet chose to withdraw from Tony Awards consideration this season due to the gendered categories. The New York Times reported that Asia Kate Dillon, a nonbinary actor who appeared in Macbeth last season, had also withdrawn from consideration. Last year, Toby Marlow, the co-creator of Six, became the first openly nonbinary composer-lyricist in the show’s history to win for best original score.
In response to calls for change in the industry, several theater awards shows have opened up categories, with The Drama Desk Awards choosing to have gender-less categories this year, after the Lucille Lortel and Outer Critics Circle Awards made similar moves.
Newell chose to put themselves into Tony Awards consideration in the actor category because they viewed that as the most gender neutral term for their job, adding that there aren’t gendered terms for professions such as a doctor, for example.
Ghee similarly did not view the gendered categories as speaking for them.
“I’m always going to show up in the fullness of the human that I am and somebody else’s compartmentalization of that of me, doesn’t affect me,” Ghee said. “So I’m just walking in my truth and standing tall in that. I was confident that wherever you put me I will rise to the occasion.”
Newell received a nomination for best supporting actor in a musical for their role in Shucked, a musical comedy (and best musical nominee) about a small town whose corn crop has mysteriously died. Newell plays Lulu, a female whiskey business owner and wisecracking source of advice to her naive cousin Maizy, who is trying to save the town’s crop. In the role. Newell routinely gets a mid-act standing ovation for their high-belting rendition of “Independently Owned.”
“It’s wonderful. It’s cathartic, it’s fun, it’s sexy. It’s all the things that I ever wanted to see out of one character that looks like me,” Newell said of playing Lulu.
Ghee portrays the character of Jerry/Daphne in Some Like It Hot (another best musical nominee).At the beginning of the musical, Jerry, on the run from the mob, disguises himself as a woman, named Daphne, and then later finds joy and authenticity in that gender expression. Ghee has been developing the character since the musical’s first reading in 2019.
“It’s so special. I love the opportunity to be a mirror for people so that they can free themselves to see themselves in much bigger and different places than they ever imagined for themselves. And I think there’s a little Daphne in everybody. You’ve just got to give yourself that permission to be free,” Ghee said.
Both Newell and Ghee attended the Met Gala last night, and were able to catch up there ahead of the awards (Ghee then went on to perform with the cast of Some Like It Hot on the Today show Tuesday morning, where they found out about the nomination, in a whirlwind 24 hours). Newell has also seen Ghee in Some Like It Hot, and added that it was “one of the one of the most cathartic” performances they’ve seen on Broadway.
As for what they’d like to see from the Tony Awards going forward, Newell said this will likely involve a deep conversation, as they fear eliminating the gendered categories would mean cisgender white men “dominate the field.” Ghee is also hoping that the conversations continue.
“I hope to inspire more freedom, more space to free ourselves,” Ghee said. “Especially as an artistic industry, we limit ourselves far too often. And so there’s room to expand and continue to have conversations, which I’m grateful are being had and people are opening their eyes. So we’re moving in the right direction.”
This year’s oversize one-shot special is headlined by Grant Morrison returning to Multiversity, with a cosmic love story illustrated by Hayden Sherman! In a story from Leah Williams and Paulina Ganucheau, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy go to extreme measures to get a little alone time… but there’s nowhere on the planet Crush can’t crash! Nadia Shammas and Bruka Jones helm a tale of Tim Drake and Connor Hawke learning that there’s nothing more awkward than reuniting with an old friend—after you’ve both come out and one of you was indoctrinated by the League of Shadows for a while. A.L. Kaplan writes and illustrates Circuit Breaker’s struggles to stifle his powers after the Flash of Earth-11 leaps out of the time stream and knocks them both into another dimension! Jon Kent gets a comprehensive course in dark magic when John Constantine unleashes a fetch on him, courtesy of writer Christopher Cantwell and artist Skylar Patridge! All this and much more, including Spirit World star Xanthe Zhou meeting Batwoman in a story by Jeremy Holt and Andrew Drilon!
