Met Gala 2023: Alia Bhatt looks stunning in a white pearl gown.
Met Gala 2023: Alia Bhatt made a smashing debut wearing a white pearl gown by Prabal Gurung. Watch video
Alia Bhatt is having a princess moment at the Met Gala 2023! The Bollywood actress decided to wear an absolutely stunning white gown studded with precious pearls for her mega debut at the gala in New York.
Alia Bhatt’s look went viral on social media in no time. In one of the videos, which has been doing rounds on the internet, the actress can be seen exiting her hotel in her Met Gala outfit when suddenly fans scream ‘Alia, I love you!’ This makes Alia go weak in the knees as she looks at them, blows out kisses and replies ‘I love you too.’
Alia is an epitome of grace and elegance with a whole lot of glam. From chic pantsuits to glamorous corset gowns, Alia has nailed every red carpet look with elan.
Meanwhile, Alia is not only Bollywood diva at the MET Gala. Priyanka Chopra has also returned to the MET Gala red carpet for the fourth time. Priyanka confirmed her attendance while speaking with Variety’s journalist Marc Malkin. While she kept the details of her outfit under the wrap, she teased that it would be at par with the theme of the MET Gala this year. “Confirmed! @priyankachopra just told me she will be at the #MetGala on Monday. Says her look ‘will be on theme’ because she loves a theme but it will also have a ‘special element’,” he tweeted.
The theme of the MET Gala is Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, honouring the German fashion designer. The legendary fashion designer died in 2019 at the age of 85.
Shrishti Negi, Senior Correspondent, News18.com, reports on the Indian film industry, with a focus on gender. Her areas of expertise are Bollywood, in…Read More
Canadian rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive is mourning the loss of founding guitarist Tim Bachman, who died Friday.
The singer died at age 71 after a battle with cancer, his son, Paxton Bachman, confirmed with an announcement shared on Facebook. Tim Bachman formed the rock group with brothers Randy Bachman and Robbie Bachman, along with bassist Fred Turner.
“My Dad passed this afternoon. Thank You Everyone for the kind words,” wrote Paxton, a guitarist who goes by Ryder professionally. “Grateful I got to spend some time with him at the end. Grab yer loved ones and hug em close, ya never know how long you have.”
News of Tim Bachman’s death comes just days after his care unit said it was time to pay last respects, Paxton said. He wrote on Facebook that the rocker, born in Winnipeg, Canada, on Aug. 1, 1951, had been rushed to the emergency unit, where his medical team found out that he had “cancer riddled all throughout his brain.”
Among the BTO guitarist’s final words were, “I love you Paxton, keep sharing the music,” his son said. Then he passed out.
“It’s really hard watching your parent lay in bed helpless and sick and there’s nothing you can do to help them,” Paxton continued. “Breaking my heart. Thankful for the time we got to spend together.”
Tim Bachman served as a guitarist for the band’s pair of 1973 albums, which featured the hit songs “Takin’ Care of Business” and “Let It Ride.” He briefly left the band and was replaced by Blair Thornton, but returned in 1984 for a reunion tour. Years later, he began working as a real estate agent.
Bachman also played guitar for Brave Belt, another rock band that featured the Bachman-Turner Overdrive quartet and keyboardist Chad Allen.
In 2013, he was found not guilty on charges of sexual misconduct involving a former foster child. In 2014, he was charged with sexual misconduct stemming from events that allegedly happened in the ‘90s. The same year, Bachman-Turner Overdrive was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The next year, the 2014 charges were stayed without explanation and that case didn’t go to trial.
On social media, Bachman’s brother and band mate Randy said his “heart has been heavy.”
“I am the last of my family on this side with all my memories of our life growing up in Winnipeg. So grateful for that,” he tweeted Monday. “I’m sure my parents welcomed him home with my other 2 brothers who have passed in quick succession since the pandemic. I was the oldest. Rest in Peace, Timmy with mummy, daddy, Gary & Robbie.”
For Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Marvel and James Gunn have cooked up something special.
In order to take advantage of the multiple aspect ratios in today’s cinemas, James Gunn created 600 multiple versions of the upcoming film to fit different theater configurations.
Photo: Marvel
The Best Possible Theater Experience
According to Evan Jacobs, Disney’s vp of finishing and stereo, by having different versions of the film, theater goers will get the best experience possible.
The film will “give every exhibitor in the United States and in most international territories [the ability to] maximize their screen size for the audience. So wherever you go to see it, you’re gonna see the best version,” He said.
Photo: yahoo.com
According to Disney, beyond just catering the format of each theater’s screens, the film will actually change ratios depending on the action on screen.
“Then on top of that, because [Gunn’s] got this extra real estate, he’s essentially said, ‘I’m gonna pop in and out creatively [and you’ll] suddenly see something more immersive and bigger, that’s going to fill your screen,’” notes Jacobs.
In the end, Gunn’s goal is to improve the storytelling process through different aspect ratios.
“Aspect ratio is something that James has really enjoyed being part of the storytelling process,” Jacobs relates.
A New Record For Marvel
While some Marvel movies have already had as many as 500 versions, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will take things up another level, bringing that number to over 600.
When asked about the difficulties involved in completing that many versions of the film on a tight schedule, Jacobs admits it is difficult.
Image: Also Marvel.com
“Marvel has almost become legendary in the postproduction community for pushing pretty hard on deadlines and kind of waiting till the last minute to make the movie as great as we could possibly make it. [But] the movie was pretty solid. It was the movie he was gonna make at the beginning. … We didn’t have to chase a lot of crazy, and the visual effects landed in a rational, sane way. We’ve all been just like pinching ourselves.”
Luckily, in some ways, Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is following in Avatar: The Way of Water’s footsteps. For that film, James Cameron and Jon Landau created an unprecedented 1,065 versions.
Jacobs says Disney distribution partners were “incredible” and “the fact that Avatar [The Way of Water] had sort of done something like this recently meant they were ready to go.”
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The Arrowverse is soon coming to an end after The CW decided to cancel multiple shows for different reasons, effectively putting an end to the DC TV universe. The Arrowverse started with Stephen Amell’s debut as Oliver Queen in Arrow back in 2012. During Arrow season 2, the show introduced Grant Gustin as Barry Allen for a two-episode arc, which would later turn into the actor leading his own spinoff series, The Flash. After that, the Arrowverse grew exponentially, with a slew of new shows expanding the universe and creating yearly crossover events that rivaled the popularity of DC’s movies.
Over the years, the Arrowverse lost some steam, as the long episode orders, around 20 a season, posed story difficulties as time went on. The Arrowverse as a whole would also start to struggle with its VFX, which had a very negative impact on the universe’s reputation. Following Arrow ending with season 8 in 2020, the Arrowverse would never be the same. Crisis on Infinite Earths ended up being the final Arrowverse-wide crossover, and shows would begin to get canceled left and right.
5 Supergirl
Melissa Benoist’s Supergirl debuted in 2015, airing its first season on CBS before moving to be with the other Arrowverse shows at The CW. While on CBS, the show managed to maintain very strong numbers, with Deadlinerevealing an average of around 10 million viewers over its first season. The move to the smaller CW led to the ratings plummeting but still holding at a strong 3 million mark for the network. Supergirl would come to an end with season 6, with the show seeing the worst viewership of its run. Supergirl‘s series finale, “Kara,” was viewed live by under 500 thousand viewers, a far cry from the show’s heyday.
Supergirl‘s ending did not come as a shock as some of the other Arrowverse shows’ endings did, with people involved in the production seeing the writing on the wall. Such was the case that when Supergirl was announced to be ending with season 6, it was revealed that the decision to end the series came from a mutual agreement between the show’s producers, studio, network, and lead star Benoist. Knowing that it was ending ahead of time, the Supergirl team was able to craft an entire 20-episode farewell season for the hero.
4 The Flash
The Flash season 9 marks the end of the Arrowverse, as Gustin’s Barry Allen leads the only series set in the DC TV universe still standing. Originally envisioned as part of the Arrowverse, Superman & Lois has since been retconned to take place on a different Earth, with DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn saying this year that the show will go on for a couple more seasons. The Flash was not always meant to end with season 9, as many members of the series, including stars such as Danielle Panabaker, commented throughout season 8’s release that they expected it to be the show’s last.
The show was then allowed to go on a shortened 13-episode final run to properly wrap up The Flash and the Arrowverse as a whole. While The Flash was widely regarded to be running out of steam in its storytelling department in recent years, the series still maintained strong viewership numbers, being The CW’s third most-watched scripted series in the 2022-2023 TV season. Showrunner Eric Wallace had plans for The Flash season 10, which points to the series’ team believing that the show would get a longer life after being spared a cancelation with season 8; however, season 9 will be the Arrowverse’s longest-running show’s last.
The Cress Williams-led Black Lightning had a good start in 2018. Black Lightning averaged 2.73 million viewers over its first season. However, the show failed to retain its audience, with subsequent seasons of the Arrowverse series losing viewers. Black Lightning was a self-contained show in the Arrowverse for most of its run, which likely had an influence on the lack of audience interest in the series when compared to most other Arrowverse entries. Ultimately, Black Lightning was canceled ahead of the debut of season 4, with the announcement coming mere days after The CW had revealed that a Painkiller spinoff series was in development. The spinoff ended up being canned.
2 Batwoman
Unlike the other Arrowverse shows, Batwoman‘s early cancelation had been brewing for quite some time. The series had behind-the-scenes issues from the start, with the show having to switch main characters after Kate Kane actor Ruby Rose parted ways with the series. Although the star’s departure was initially reported to have come from the actor’s own volition, Rose would take to social media a year later to call out both Batwoman‘s creatives, as well as co-star Dougray Scott, claiming that the show had an unsafe work environment and that Scott was abusive toward women on set. It was then revealed that Rose had been fired from Batwoman.
The Batwoman team then decided to completely overhaul the series, not recasting Kate Kane but switching the show’s main character, with original creation for the series, Ryan Wilder, becoming the new bearer of the Batwoman mantle. Javicia Leslie would be cast to play Wilder in the series, leading Batwoman for two seasons. Batwoman was never really a major player at The CW, but the show’s cancelation still came as a shock, as it was announced a month after season 3 had concluded, not giving the show a proper ending.
1 DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow was canceled on the same day as Batwoman in April 2022, also after the series had already finished airing what would be its final season. The show had better viewership numbers than Batwoman, with DC’s Legends of Tomorrow ranking as the fifth most-watched scripted series at The CW at the time it was canceled, as well as having deeper connections to the wider Arrowverse, as many members od the series’ time-traveling team got their start in other Arrowverse shows. The reason why DC’s Legends of Tomorrow was canceled was eventually revealed to have been due to a cost-cutting measure after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
The Hollywood Reporter revealed that The CW CEO Mark Pedowitz originally was hoping to see both Batwoman and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow return for new seasons, which was ultimately ruled out when The CW’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, refused to pay the leases on the studio space for both series, which would expire on May 1, 2022, leading to both Arrowverse series, as well as fellow DC show Naomi, getting canceled on April 29. Now, The Flash season 9 will conclude the Arrowverse with the show’s series finale airing on May 24.
Microsoft will roll out a new version of the Xbox Home screen to testers this week, it’s said.
The platform holder has been experimenting with changes to the Xbox home screen on consoles for several months. The updated design rolling out to Xbox Insiders in the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha rings this week is said to incorporate feedback gathered from these earlier tests.
“Starting this week, users in the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha rings will be able to preview a new version of their Home experience,” wrote Microsoft’s senior product manager lead, Ivy Krislov.
“This updated design incorporates the feedback we’ve heard from you along with all the learnings from our earlier experiments.”
Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core
Krislov specifically highlighted feedback on previous experiments, stating that the top of Home felt crowded and didn’t leave enough space “to enjoy your background”.
“So, we designed hundreds of options, then refined with prototypes and finally user-tested in our Research labs until we found one we hope you’ll love,” he explained. “It balances the experience, accessibility, function, and the needs of our community. We are excited to hear what you think!”
According to Microsoft, this new version of Home provides easy navigation to library, the Microsoft Store, Xbox Game Pass, search, and settings by introducing a new quick access menu.
It also simplifies the layout and makes more space for users to see their backgrounds by reducing the size of some of the tiles and moving them to the bottom of the screen.
Finally, it adds a responsive game art feature to update the default background and show off the art associated with each title when you hover over the tiles.
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“We’ve also updated the tile that opened ‘My games & apps’ (the first tile in the second row) to let you know when there’s something new or needs your attention,” Krislov wrote.
“As the experience is not final, you may see updates either from your library or the Microsoft Store. For example, if there are items from your wish list on sale, you may get an update that shows up on your Home in that tile.
“We want to thank all the selected Xbox Insiders who have taken part in the experiments for the feedback you’ve shared with us. Your feedback is a key part of our process, and our team will continue to work hard to tweak and grow these experiences based on what we hear from you.”
I knew UNSEEN would be a project where I could take on a new musical and sonic approach to scoring. When Yoko Okumura, our incredible director, asked if I would be interested in writing the music for her feature directorial debut, I was immediately down. She’s a bold director and a creative risk-taker with concepts and ideas that are always exciting to be a part of. I knew that this was something that I could run and have fun doing so.
I utilized both musical themes for different characters as well as manipulating sound to act as a bed for the anxiety we feel throughout the course of the film. One of our leads, Emily (Midori Francis), is running in the woods from her crazy ex-boyfriend Charlie (Michael Patrick Lane), so I wanted the music to feel derived from that environment.
I captured electromagnetic landscapes of trees, leaves, and our natural world, just like we witness on-screen as Emily is lost in the woods surrounded by trees and leaves. I turned those noises into gritty, metallic, synth pulses.
Tangelene BoltonCredit: Hotae Alexander Jang
Okumura also mentioned early on that she wanted a score that was derived from metal music and grittiness. I utilized an 8-string guitar that I bowed to symbolize Emily’s abusive, lurking ex-boyfriend who is trying to hunt her down. I manipulated female vocals to symbolize the dualities of the Asian-American female voice that has been suppressed and diminished in society and I broke out of that with punk-rock guitars and fast-moving drums.
I enjoyed manipulating my voice using a vocal algorithmic processing unit that I incorporate into a lot of my scores. It gave me the ability to process my voice in both muffled and distorted ways. I also enjoyed putting myself out in the natural world, recording the electromagnetic landscapes of trees, leaves, etc.
‘UNSEEN’Credit: Blumhouse
Overall, the process was pretty collaborative too. I especially loved just hanging out with my director Yoko and our editor Michael Block in my studio, perfecting the score together and just having fun eating Porto’s and drinking coffee. We created something memorable together and the process is what it’s all about!
Working at Hans Zimmer’s studio at the beginning of my career opened my eyes to the various scoring approaches of many A-list composers. That’s where I learned about using technology and using unconventional approaches as a source of creativity. My composing mentor, Bobby Tahouri, taught me a lot about sampling and making that a part of the composing process in his work for Rise of the Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Microsoft & Square-Enix).
‘UNSEEN’ posterCredit: Blumhouse
I took this approach when I composed Season 2 of Warrior Nun on Netflix by sampling a few different waterphones, then reversing and manipulating them, running electric guitars through various combinations of pedals, as well as creating percussive grooves with hardware synthesizers and organismic drum machines like the Pulsar-23 through circuit bending.
When I scored UNSEEN, my goal was to continue with this approach but to make it even more tangible and immersive.
Don’t Worry Darling’s Sydney Chandler to star in the Alien TV series in development from Fargo’s Noah Hawley.
The Alien TV series from Fargo‘s Noah Hawley has taken a big step forward as THR has reported that Sydney Chandler has signed on to star in the project.
Of course, there are no details on who Sydney Chandler will play in the Alien TV series, only that she will be one of the leads. Chandler is best known for starring in Pistol, a miniseries chronicling the rise of the Sex Pistols. She played Chrissie Hynde, founding member of The Pretenders. Chandler was also featured alongside Florence Pugh and Harry Styles in Don’t Worry Darling.
FX CEO John Landgraf teased early last year that the Alien TV series takes place before the adventures of Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). “It’s the first story that takes place in the Alien franchise on Earth,” Landgraf said at the time. “So, it takes place on our planet. Right near the end of the century we’re in — 70-odd years from now.“
Landgraf has also compared the series to the first two Alien movies. “I’m a big fan of Alien and Aliens, and I remember watching both of them in the theater and how shockingly original and surprising each of them was in its own way,” Landgraf said. “And so, similar to his approach to Fargo, Noah decided not to take Ripley or any character from Alien — except perhaps the xenomorph itself — but go back and figure out what made the franchise so great and so durable in the first place and see if he could find an experience that felt like walking into a theater and seeing one of those first two movies, where you get caught off-guard. That’s all I can say at this point, though.“
Corporations, including the infamous Weylan-Yutani, are said to play a major role in the series, which Noah Hawley has teased will open up the stakes. “The alien stories are always trapped … trapped in a prison, trapped in a spaceship,” Hawley said. “I thought it would be interesting to open it up a little bit so that the stakes of ‘What happens if you can’t contain it?’ are more immediate.” I’m excited to see what Noah Hawley brings to the Alien franchise, but the TV series isn’t the only game in town. Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead) is currently in production on an Alien movie being made for the Hulu streaming service.
Barely a year after leaving Saturday Night Live, Pete Davidson is returning to Studio 8H to host on May 6. The comedian was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show for eight seasons and ended up leaving along with multiple cast members after Season 47 last year. His hosting debut will come just two days after Davidson’s new series Bupkispremieres, and longtime cast member Kenan Thompson is excited about Davidson’s return to SNL.
Thompson expressed his excitement about Davidson’s hosting gig to ET, and it wasn’t just because he’s seeing his friend again. The former Nickelodeon star mentioned that cast members basically get some time off when the week’s host is familiar with how everything works. He explained:
It’s like a week off for us because they know how to do the show. We don’t have to hand-walk them through every single part of it. Usually, they come with ideas, too, so like a quarter of the show is almost already done. It’s just a fun, easy week for us.
Based on Kenan Thompson’s comments, it must be nice when someone who knows the ins and outs of SNL steps in to host. Of course, at the time of writing, there’s no telling just what is planned for Pete Davidson’s episode, but some of his previous characters are likely to appear. Thompson shared what his approach would be to bringing Davidson back into the fold, saying:
I’m a classics fan. I’d fill the show up with all of his old characters or whatever, but it’s also fun to explore the new.
It was a disappointment seeing Pete Davidson leave SNL, especially since his departure announcement didn’t give fans much time to prepare. However, it should be nice to see him on the series again, but given the role of host. It would be fun if some other former cast members could make cameos, but Davidson should provide plenty of laughs on his own as he reunites with his former fellow SNL stars.
Pete Davidson will host Saturday Night Live this Saturday, May 6 on NBC, so make sure to tune in to see his triumphant return to Studio 8H! If you have to miss it or want to watch it again, it will be made available the following day with a Peacock subscription, so there will be plenty of time to watch it and see what characters are brought back. With the summer approaching, many exciting shows are on the way, so be sure to check out our 2023 TV premiere schedule.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Monday revealed its updated rules and regulations for the 96th annual Academy Awards. Among the changes are clarifications regarding campaigns, an issue that took on greater significance last season with the Andrea Riseborough campaign that netted her a Best Actress nomination.
Going forward, AMPAS rules now officially recognize private events and gatherings of members (such as the ones individual Actors Branch members had in showing Riseborough’s movie, To Leslie, to other friends who happened to be Oscar voters). However, they do not recognize them as official FYC events, so companies are forbidden from funding, organizing or endorsing them.
The Academy has also clarified rules about the use of social media, another method of the grassroots Riseborough campaign that drew controversy. From now on, members can use social media but not for discussing voting preferences, decisions, strategies, or eligibility requirements (including the new inclusion standards designed to promote diversity in hiring).
The Riseborough campaign, forged heavily on social media directly to members for a little-seen film, resulted in a nomination for the star. But the main thing the Academy seems to be putting the brakes on are posts such as an Instagram from Frances Fisher urging members to see the film and not worry about voting for her since other actresses (she mentioned four) were “locks.” That kind of thing is now in the books as clearly crossing the line, no matter the good intentions Fisher had to simply bring attention to a performance she thought was worthy of being seen.
Read the full list of AMPAS’ new campaign regulations here.
Other changes made today include expanding on violations and penalties including the review process for motion picture companies and individuals regarding conduct, as well as establishing a process for reporting concerns.
The Academy is also limiting the number of “hosted” (usually by a star or filmmaker) screenings to a maximum of four in phase one and eliminating them entirely after nominations. On the other hand, the group haa increased the ability to have any number of Q&As and panel discussions by allowing an unlimited number throughout the season.
Additionally, AMPAS has doubled down on the use exclusively of digital communications, essentially outlawing any snail mail or use of paper invitations or other screening schedules, etc. As in the past, the digital communications will be coordinated through the Academy.
Companies can now freely refer in ads to if a film has been “shortlisted” after the shortlists come out, something previously not allowed in FYC ads or mailings.
Additionally, AMPAS has emphasized severe restrictions on the kind of campaign activity allowed for governors, basically saying they have to remain neutral publicly.
While we were excited to see what look Ratajkowski would wear to this year’s Met Gala event, there was another question that seemed to be on everyone’s minds: Who would be her plus one? Following her divorce from ex-husband Sebastian Bear-McClard, she has been linked to several high-profile names. First, there was Brad Pitt, though that fizzled out quicker than it started; at the time, a source revealed to Us that they had “been on a few dates and have been enjoying each other’s company.” She was also rumored to be seeing Pete Davidson, artist Jack Greer, and comedian Eric Andre, and Ratajkowski was caught sharing a kiss with Harry Styles in March while the singer was touring in Tokyo. Around that time, she described someone she’s been seeing for two months as “kind of great” during an appearance on the Going Mental With Eileen Kelly.
It seems that after all that speculation, Ratajkowski opted to walk the red carpet solo. It’s for the best. With a look this good, a plus one, no matter how famous, would simply get lost in the background.
Sometimes life moves so fast we forget to pursue what truly matters in life. In Harold Jackson III’s romantic comedy, Million to One, you’ve got to stop and take a chance on love.
Dre Shaw (Rob Gordon) is an up-and-coming media influencer and food critic. He’s got that slick, suave personality that the masses love, yet he’s struggling to hit that million subscriber mark, and his advisor thinks he needs a co-host, but Dre has been on his own this long. Why screw up a good thing.
While at his local bar, Dre spies the beautiful Tatiana (Briana Cortesiano) and decides to pour on the charm that made him so popular online. Tatiana reveals she is a chef in her own right, and the two now have something in common. As Dre makes his moves, Tatiana’s boyfriend, Mark (Donnie Brown, Jr.), arrives with his towering stature to shoo the tiny Dre along.
The next day, Dre’s brother, Isaac (Michael J. Patterson), calls to let him know that he’s going to marry his fiancee, Monica (Ashley Rios), in an impromptu wedding at his home in the country. Dre reluctantly drags himself out of the city only to find that Isaac hired Tatiana as the wedding caterer.
“…his advisor thinks he needs a co-host, but Dre has been on his own this long. Why screw up a good thing.”
I’ve had the chance to review several indie filmmaker Harold Jackson III’s films in the past. Almost all of them were thrillers, with Million to One being the first rom-com of his that I’ve reviewed. There is much to admire in Jackson’s filmography, and Million to One is his chance to break into new genres.
Million to One is a solid romantic comedy. The lead character Dre is a confirmed bachelor, enjoying the influencer life he’s amassed to the point that true love takes a back seat. He then meets his match with the confident Tatiana, who’s dating a dirtbag boyfriend. His brother’s wedding only amps up Dre’s romantic yearnings and intensifies the playful interactions with Tatiana.
On the positive, “solid” is the keyword in this review. Fantastic performances by leads Rob Gordon and Briana Cortesiano—a couple worth rooting for and Michael J. Patterson nails it as big brother Isaac, who hopes to ground Dre in reality while dealing with his own insecurities about being tied down.
Along with the performances, Million to One lays a good foundation for a romance story. The setting, music, and cinematography are top-notch. Its only weakness is that it rigidly follows the basic structure of a rom-com to a fault. As someone who sees a lot of movies, I’ve seen this story structure a lot, and to truly break out as a filmmaker, you should always be looking for ways to elevate and evolve the story to feel fresh and new. When you do something daring and different, you’re audiences will remember that and associate your name with always showing them something new.
As with his other features, you’ve got to hand it to Jackson for having a personal vision to make movies without the hand of Hollywood guiding and forcing every step. It’s filmmakers like Jackson that I’m always excited to support. They tell thrilling stories, and I can’t wait to see what’s up next.
Million to One boasts a fantastic cast and a simple story about falling in love—sure to reach a broad audience looking to fall in love themselves.
Conservative member of Parliament Michael Chong says Ottawa should have informed him about potential threats to his family made by China’s government two years ago.
The MP released a statement after the Globe and Mail reported, citing a top-secret document and an anonymous national security source, that China’s intelligence service sought to target the MP and his family and that a Chinese diplomat who remains in Canada was involved.
Chong, a former cabinet minister, currently serves as the Tories’ foreign-affairs critic and routinely criticizes the regime in Beijing for its human-rights record and its alleged attempts to meddle in Canada’s affairs.
In February 2021, he voted in favour of a motion condemning China’s treatment of its Uyghur minority as a genocide. The following month, China sanctioned Chong, barring him from entering the county and prohibiting Chinese citizens from conducting business with him.
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RCMP ‘taking action’ against alleged Chinese police stations operating in Canada: Trudeau
Chong said in a statement Monday that like other Canadians, he has family in Hong Kong — and any efforts to threaten them in an attempt to intimidate or coerce people in Canada constitutes a national threat.
“It undermines social cohesion, and our cherished fundamental rights and freedoms,” Chong said.
Chong said the Canadian Security Intelligence Service never briefed him about any threats made against him or his family, adding he believes that is because Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office did not authorize such a warning.
“The Trudeau government continuing to accredit and allow a (Chinese) diplomat to remain in Canada to target my family abroad demonstrates a complete lack of leadership and common decency.”
Trudeau’s office and the security agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment and The Canadian Press has not independently verified the allegations published in the Globe and Mail.
Federal campaign officials testify on foreign election interference
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was pressed on the matter during question period in the House of Commons Monday, told MPs he has asked officials to follow up on the reports.
“This is absolutely unacceptable, and it shouldn’t have happened,” Trudeau said.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre urged Trudeau to expel the diplomat in question and accused the prime minister of failing to take proper action, including delivering a warning to Chong.
Poilievre also said the alleged threats were reason for Canada to create a foreign agent registry as soon as possible that would keep track of people being paid to act on behalf of foreign countries in Canada.
The government launched public consultations on that idea in March, and they are expected to wrap up next week.
Anna Wintour has been the editor-in-Chief of Vogue since 1988
The British journalist has presided over the Met Gala since 1995
She has been married twice and has two children
She went to the 2023 Met Gala with actor Bill Nighy
Anna Wintour, 73, once again enjoyed the title of co-chair at the Met Gala on Monday, May 1. Alongside Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer, and Dua Lipa, Vogue‘s publishing icon presided over the star-studded evening to celebrate the opening of the Costume Institute exhibition, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. The affair pays tribute to the legacy of Lagerfeld as the “dress code” is said to be in honor of him. Anna arrived at the 2023 Met Gala with actor Bill Nighy, 73, marking the rumored new couple’s first red carpet appearance together.
Shelby Bryan and wife Anna Wintour at the 2006 Met Gala. (Matt Baron/Shutterstock)
Anna is legendary for her career as editor-in-chief at Vogue and her enormous influence on the fashion industry, and for being the alleged inspiration for Lauren Weisberger’s larger than life character, Miranda Priestley of the bestselling book The Devil Wears Prada. She’s been EIC at Vogue since 1988, but in 2013 she became artistic director for the magazine’s publisher Conde Nast. She’s also widely known for her amazing style sense, made instantly recognizable with her unmistakable pageboy haircut, bangs, and large sunglasses.
Anna is a mother to two children, Charles Shaffer born in 1985, and Katherine Shaffer, born in 1987, with her first husband David Shaffer. After divorcing David, Anna married Shelby Bryan, and it’s obvious that each relationship profoundly affected the influential editor‘s personal life. Here’s everything you should know about Anna’s two marriages, and her relationship with Bill.
David Shaffer
Anna Wintour arrives with David Shaffer at the 1999 CFDA Awards in New York City on June 2, 1999. (Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock)
David Shaffer is a well-known and respected child psychiatrist in New York, and Anna and David were married in 1984. David already had two sons by his first wife, caterer Serena Bass, but that didn’t stop Anna and David from having two more — son Charles “Charlie” born 1985, and daughter Katherine “Bee” in 1987. While both excelled in their respective professions, with Anna rising the ranks at Vogue and becoming a famous pop culture icon and David doing groundbreaking work in the field of adolescent suicide prevention, their marriage only lasted 15 years and they divorced in 1999.
Still, the marriage was successful in that it produced two equally successful children. Bee graduated from Columbia University in 2009 and married director Francesco Carrozzini, (who happens to be the son of Vogue Italia editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani) in July of 2018. Physician Son Charlie graduated from the University of Oxford and Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and has since welcomed two daughters with wife ElizabethShaffer. Bee had a baby boy in 2021, which makes Anna a grandmother three times over!
Shelby Bryan
Anna Wintour appears with Shelby Bryan at the Frick Museum in New York City on February 6, 2003. (Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock)
Anna started dating business executive, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist Shelby Bryan in 1999, with some reports saying that their relationship ended her marriage to David and that Shelby was married to Katherine Bryan at the time. Shelby and Katherine divorced in 2001, two years after Anna and David divorced, and Anna and Shelby got married in 2004. From that point, Shelby became a fixture by Anna’s side, all the way through 2020. The renowned investor, who holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and Anna finally split in October of that year, with a source telling Page Six that they’d actually been apart for a while. “It’s been quite a while since they’ve been seen together,” said the source.
Bill Nighy
Anna Wintour and Bill Nighy at the 2023 Met Gala (Photo: David Fisher/Shutterstock)
Anna was first romantically linked to Oscar nominee Bill Nighy in August 2021, when they were seen on a romantic dinner date in Italy. The pair continued to fuel dating rumors the following year when Anna hosted a screening of Bill’s moving Living in New York City in December 2022. They seemed to confirm their romance at the 2023 Met Gala, when they walked the red carpet together for the first time. Bill was previously in a relationship with British actress Diana Quick from 1982 to 2008. They have a daughter, Mary Nighy, who is also an actress and filmmaker.
The FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) wars are heating up, with Amazon today announcing that it will add more than 100 Amazon Originals from Prime Video to its Freevee streaming option. More than 50 movies and TV shows, are now available to stream on Freevee, and each month more Amazon Originals will be added to the list.
Freevee highlights now include Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, The Grand Tour, Mozart in the Jungle, Bosch, Modern Love, Savage X Fenty, Sylvie’s Love, Troop Zero, and Late Night, from Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling.
Amazon Originals scheduled to launch in May on Freevee include The Summer I Turned Pretty and the first three episodes of A League of Their Own, along with The Terminal List, Paper Girls, Goliath, The Tick, full seasons of Homecoming and Upload, and The Vast of Night. According to the company’s release, all shows will simultaneously remain available on Prime Video for ad-free viewing.
Amazon further announced that the entire first seasons of Amazon Originals Reacher and The Wheel of Time will also be available for viewing on Freevee later this year.
Analysis: Freevee is a gateway to Prime Video
Streamer maker Roku was early to jump on the FAST track with its The Roku Channel and Amazon has since been playing catch-up with Freevee, the name it gave to its re-branded IMDb TV channel back in 2022. If you can deal with commercial interruptions while watching movies and TV shows, FAST options like Freevee provide a massive amount of free-to-stream programming.
With other FAST apps like Pluto and Tubi available on most smart TVs, along with the built-in free TV portals that many set brands provide (Samsung’s TV Plus, for example), there is no shortage of options for accessing ad-supported movies and shows without having to pay a subscription fee.
What is there to watch on FAST platforms? You’ll typically find a mix of national news programs, old movies and TV shows (Gunsmoke, anyone?), reality series, and much more, all of it presented in a cable TV-style grid. And while I personally don’t find free ad-supported TV worth my time, I’m also keenly aware that the best streaming services are getting more expensive, and some viewers are no longer willing to pay big bucks to have a bundle of ad-free subscriptions to Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu and the like at their disposal.
Freevee is one of the better free options I’ve checked out, and with the addition of the company’s Amazon Originals to the mix, it’s going to provide strong competition for its FAST rivals. Right off the bat, I’d recommend streaming The Vast of Night and, later on this year, the visually sumptuousTheWheel of Time.
Making a limited amount of Amazon Original programming available to stream for free is also a great way for the company to acquaint viewers with the best Prime Video TV shows and best Prime Video movies, which will doubtless encourage more viewers to subscribe to its paid streaming service.
A new Netflix show on political themes dominated the latest rankings, while “Ghosted” and “Ted Lasso” delivered much-needed wins for Apple TV+
Netflix continues to find success with its investment in American political thrillers. Fresh off its latest hit, “The Night Agent,” the streamer dipped back into its winning formula with “The Diplomat” debuting at No. 1 on the streaming charts in the latest Wrap Report, with three-quarters of its episodes also nabbing spots on the most-watched list. The series delivered a sizable premiere audience of 1.3 million U.S. households within the first several days streaming, according to the report for the week of April 19-25.
The Wrap Report tracks the most-watched programs across linear TV and streaming, according to viewership trends collected from Samba TV’s panel of more than 3 million households drawn from over 25 million connected TVs, balanced to the U.S. Census.
Top streaming programs, April 19-25, 2023, U.S. (Samba TV)
The project, starring Keri Russell and featuring showrunner Debora Cahn of “The West Wing” and “Homeland,” taps into the passions of a broad swath of political junkies throughout the country. Viewership was fueled by residents of the epicenter of political action: Washingtonians overindexed by 65%. If early audiences are any indication, the eight-part series could be destined to become Netflix’s next big hit.
While younger Millennial audiences tended to flock to Netflix’s other political drama “The Night Agent,” “The Diplomat” brought in older viewers with Baby Boomer households overindexing by 19%. It is clear Netflix has its finger on the genre of the moment: The streamer’s ability to craft multiple programs that draw in diverse audiences is yet another reason why it dominates the charts week after week.
Disney+ found the way to the No. 2 spot with the Season 3 finale of “The Mandalorian.” Over 600,000 households tuned into the finale the day it came out, and 1.4 million households streamed the episode in its first five days. Yet the finale failed to land when compared to the show’s historical performance. The final episode was down by 14% compared to the premiere earlier this season, and saw an even steeper 36% drop compared to “The Mandalorian” Season 2 finale. To its credit, the finale overindexed among Gen Z (ages 20-24) and older Millennials (ages 35-44), but failed to land with older audiences like Baby Boomers, who underindexed, according to data within that same time frame.
It was a big week for Apple TV+ with two of its programs, fan-favorite “Ted Lasso” and original movie “Ghosted” capturing No. 4 and No. 8, respectively. The star power of Chris Evans and Ana de Armas in “Ghosted” may have helped to propel the breakout movie to outperform nearly every other Apple TV+ movie premiere in the past year. The film offered action-packed adventure combined with romance and drama, offering something for everyone in the household. This is a welcome sign for Apple TV+, which has historically lagged behind its streaming competitors in terms of content.
Rounding out the top 10 was another Netflix original, “A Tourist’s Guide to Love” starring Rachael Leigh Cook in a search for romance across the globe.
Top linear programs, April 19-25, 2023, U.S. (Samba TV)
On broadcast TV, reality singing competitions reigned once again as ABC’s “American Idol” and NBC’s “The Voice” swept the top three spots for the week. Back at No. 1 was “American Idol” revealing the 20 finalists of the season who performed live and then narrowing them down to the final 12 this week. The Knockout Rounds continued on NBC’s “The Voice” with country legend Reba McEntire serving as the Mega Mentor. Longest-running funny video television program “America’s Funniest Home Videos” still managed to keep America chuckling at No. 5. Meanwhile, CBS’s scripted dramas swept five of the top 10 spots on television for the week, with “FBI,” “FBI: International,” “The Equalizer,” “Blue Bloods,” and “Fire Country.”
Dallas Lawrence is the SVP and head of communications and brand at Samba TV, a WrapPRO partner. Follow him on Twitter at @DallasLawrence. For more from Samba TV, click here.
EXCLUSIVE: TaikaWaititi looks to have found his next project to direct as sources tell Deadline the Oscar winner is in negotiations to direct Sony’s 3000 Pictures’ Klara and the Sun, based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s New York Times best-selling novel. The project is in development, with Dahvi Waller penning the original draft of the screenplay.
David Heyman is producing the feature film for Heyday Films. Garrett Basch and Waititi are in negotiations to produce. Heyday’s Jeffrey Clifford and Rosie Alison brought in the project to Heyday. Ishiguro – who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature and won a Booker Prize for his novel The Remains of the Day – is an EP. Elizabeth Gabler and Aislinn Dunster are overseeing the project for 3000 Pictures.
Ishiguro’s novel follows, Klara, a robot girl created to prevent teenagers from becoming lonely. This is the story of how she tries to save a family of humans she lives with from heartbreak. The role is certain to become one of the more sought after parts for any actress in her 20s given the awards pedigree past Ishiguro adaptations garner.
The novel, published in March 2021 by Alfred A. Knopf in the US and Faber in the UK, debuted on the New York Times’ Best Sellers Hardcover Fiction List at #3 and the Indie Best Sellers Hardcover Fiction List at #1. Good Morning America had also selected Klara and the Sun as their March 2021 Book Club Pick.
After directing Marvel’s Thor Love And Thunder, which bowed last July, Waititi was weighing a number of options for his next film including his highly-anticipated Star Wars movie at Lucasfilm. He ultimately landed on Klara and the Sun and once a deal closes will likely make it his next film.
As for Star Wars, insiders say he still very excited about the project and still committed to direct that next year.
His next film, Next Goal Wins, bows this fall and stars Michael Fassbender. He is repped by CAA and Manage-ment.
Abby Ryder Fortson, the star of the long-awaited film adaptation of “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” is a bright spark onscreen, a ferociously articulate 15-year-old in real life — and a huge fan of the rotary telephone.
“There’s a reason,” said Ryder Fortson, who got to do her fair share of landline handling in the titular role of Margaret Simons, a 12-year-old growing up in the 1970s.
“When you’re mad at someone nowadays, and you want to hang up on someone and have them hear how mad you are, pressing that ‘end call’ button doesn’t have the same effect as slamming a phone down.” In fact, she practised this several times. “It was so much fun.”
The Judy Blume novel on which this film, out now, is based was a beloved, foundational text for several generations of preteen girls. (Say it with me now: “I must, I must, I must increase my bust!”) According to Ryder Fortson, who was 11 when she first auditioned for the part, it remains as beloved with her cohort as when it was first published in 1970.
Just not with her, at least initially.
“I think Judy Blume and I just missed each other,” she said, admitting she hadn’t read it herself growing up. “I was more into sci-fi and fantasy when I was younger.” As soon as she read it, however, she felt that same zing of being seen — in all your confused, excited, terrified fullness — that 53 years worth of girls on the cusp of adulthood had before her.
“I immediately thought it was so relatable. How did someone write down a story this honest and true in the ’70s?” said the California-born Ryder Fortson. “There were such universal timeless themes that anyone can relate to, no matter if you’re growing up then or growing up now.”
At the same time, Ryder Fortson conceded that Margaret Simons’ story — essentially a year in her life when she grapples with every hurdle puberty could throw at a kid, from first periods to first crushes to realizing your parents might be humans, too — would play out a bit differently if it were set in 2023 rather than 1970.
“I think the core message would remain the same, but I do think growing up now is just so complicated,” she said. “Things in the ’70s feel like they were so much simpler without technology, social media, and all of these things that are happening that are restricting our ability to talk about puberty and periods and boobs and all that.” (Here, Ryder Fortson was referring to legislation in several states, including Florida and Idaho, that seeks to limit sex education in schools.)
“It’s just really sad that this is happening,” she said. “The more you know the more you’re able to make conscious decisions about your body, and feel like you’re comfortable in your body and know what’s going on with yourself. That’s one of the most important things that someone can ever know.”
What remains evergreen, however, is the human experience.
“Margaret’s journey of finding herself and figuring out who she is, and all those awkward teenage feelings, would remain the same,” said Ryder Fortson. “You can give us iPhones, but we’ve still got the same stuff going on.” Like, she laughed, the “uncomfortability factor” of your parents giving you the Sex Talk.
“That’s the last thing you want to do,” she said. “It’s the absolute worst. You’re traumatized from that experience afterwards.”
On the more delightful end of the spectrum was Ryder Fortson’s correspondence with Kathy Bates, the award-winning actor who plays her grandmother, Sylvia, in the film.
“Before we had even met in person, we were writing letters back and forth as our characters to really build that bond, because Margaret and her grandmother have such an amazing relationship with each other” Ryder Fortson said. “We built this bank of improv stories we could use on set to solidify our rapport.”
For example: in character, Bates wrote to Ryder Fortson about an imaginary memory of going to the zoo, where there was a squirrel “chittering away” on the ground, which reminded them of Grandpa, who’d also loved nuts and seeds.
“Kathy’s mind and the things that we made up together, it was amazing to just witness and be involved in,” Ryder Fortson said. “That really helped me to feel more connected to Margaret and her experiences, and really build a backstory in my head.”
Another of her co-stars is Canadian actor Rachel McAdams, who plays her mother, navigating a rocky transition of her own as she leaves her art career in the city behind for life as a stay-at-home parent in the suburbs.
“The funny thing is that we didn’t get a ton of prep time,” said Ryder Fortson, who added that she met McAdams and Benny Safdie, who plays her father, the day before filming started.
“We all went into the set of the Simons’ New York apartment; we had a four-hour meeting where we all got to know each other, and next day we were shooting,” she said. “That’s what you have to do as an actor: go up to a stranger and say, ‘Hi, you’re my mom now. I love you so much!’ You get used to it after a while.”
(Ryder Fortson would know: she’s been acting since she was five, has over 20 film credits so far and most recently co-starred with Paul Rudd in two “Ant-Man” movies.)
One of the chief joys of this film is the nostalgia of its ’70s settings, brought to life by the brilliant work of its set and production designers, including Steve Saklad, Angela Stauffer, Selina van den Brink and costume designer Ann Roth, who worked down to the “minutest detail of how Margaret’s socks might roll down,” Ryder Fortson recalled.
“It’s like stepping into a time machine,” she said, adding she’s obsessed with the decade in general. “I have so many vintage clothes, I collect vinyls and I have a vintage typewriter.”
When Ryder Fortson was gifted a few items from set, she chose a small glass vase, a small red suitcase and the tiny animal figurines that were in Margaret’s bedroom, which she can still place exactly in her memory. “When you’re spending four months on a set, you get to know it so well. It feels like your own house.”
As for the pressure of inhabiting a character that means so much to so many people? Ryder Fortson said she tried not to think about it too much.
“I’m just so, so honoured that I was chosen to portray Margaret, who is such an iconic character,” she said, pointing to the fact that Judy Blume, who was a producer on the film, told her that Margaret was a version of herself.
“On set, we were all just anxiously looking back and thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, is she liking this?’ It was her baby, she held onto it for 50 years and it’s so incredible that we were the ones chosen to bring Margaret to the big screen.”
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Pascal, who stars in both “The Mandalorian” and “The Last of Us,” is in final negotiations to board the Paramount movie, which already boasts a cast including Academy Award nominees Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan, as well as two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington.
The Paramount movie follows 2000’s blockbuster hit “Gladiator,” which was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won five, including best picture. It earned $460 million at the box office.
The original film starred Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman soldier forced into slavery who vows revenge against Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Since Maximus dies at the end of “Gladiator,” the yet-to-be-titled sequel focuses on Lucius (Mescal), the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen, who is set to reprise her role).
Details of who Pascal will play are being kept under wraps. Keoghan is said to take the role of Emperor Geta, with “Stranger Things” breakout Joseph Quinn in talks to play Emperor Caracalla. Washington’s role in the sequel is also undisclosed.
David Scarpa is penning the script for the sequel, which Scott will direct and produce with Michael Pruss via Scott Free, as well as Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher via Red Wagon Entertainment. Raymond Kirk and Nigel Wooll are executive producing. Also returning from the original film are cinematographer John Mathieson, production designer Arthur Max and costume designer Janty Yates.
Paramount has dated the film for Nov. 22, 2024.
News of Pascal’s involvement in the “Gladiator” sequel makes one of Hollywood’s hottest upcoming projects exponentially hotter. With his starring roles in “The Mandalorian” (the Disney+ series that seems to hold the keys to the future of “Star Wars”) and as the hardened pandemic survivor-turned-protector Joel Miller in HBO’s “The Last of Us” (the video game adaptation which broke viewership records throughout its first season), Pascal has solidified his status as one of the most in-demand actors in the business. Between his hit series and his hosting stint on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” Pascal is expected to be in the mix for multiple Emmys. He will also take Cannes by storm later this month when he arrives on the Croisette for the world premiere of Pedro Almodóvar’s queer Western short film “Strange Way of Life,” which he co-leads with Ethan Hawke.
Deadline was first to report Pascal’s potential involvement in the film. He is represented by CAA, Relevant and Kimberly Jaime at Jackoway Austen.
According to a new rumor, Marvel Studios wants Margot Robbie to play a major MCU superhero.
While Marvel’s interest in Robbie is understandable, the actress is already an established DC star due to her iconic portrayal of Harley Quinn in 2016’s Suicide Squad from David Ayer, 2020’s Birds of Prey, and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad from 2021.
But reportedly, the Barbie star now has the chance to jump brands and star in one of Marvel Studios’ most-anticipated future films.
Until now, the big question concerning Margot Robbie and comic book films has been her Harley Quinn future, especially in light of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU reboot.
While a number of Hollywood stars have appeared in both Marvel and DC movies through the years, a recognizable actress like Robbie in two huge, leading roles would be a first.
Given the recent uptick of splashy Fantastic Four casting news, an official announcement may be on the way. However, Marvel Studios may wait until July’s San Diego Comic-Con to reveal the full cast.
If so, and if Margot Robbie accepts the Marvel offer, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie won’t be the only reason she dominates this summer’s headlines.
Fantastic Four arrives in theaters on February 14, 2025.
While it seemed that the world of DC was falling apart, Harley Quinn, in her animated version, managed to stay on her feet, confirming a fourth season of her adventures. And not only that, the series will return earlier than planned with a special for Valentine’s Day, focusing on the relationship between Harley and Poison Ivy.
The special will see the protagonist doing everything possible to make her first February 14 with Ivy a success. For his part, Bane will have trouble impressing an unexpected date, Clayface will fall in love with himself, and Darkseid will have his eyes, and perhaps his Omega Sanction, on a woman’s heart.
The episode will feature the voices of Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, Alan Tudyk, Matt Oberg, James Wolk, Natalie Morales, Chris Diamantopoulos, James Adomian, Jim Rash, Vanessa Marshall, Janet Varney, Rachel Dratch, Leila Birch, Tyler James Williams, Josh Helman, Casey Wilson and Michael Ironside, plus a special guest.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Ted Lasso and Thor: Love and Thunder star Brett Goldstein will also appear. In the special, Goldstein is starring in a one-man show in which he shows off his chest hair while reading Lord Byron’s poems and polishing his Emmy.
Within the DCU announcements from James Gunn and Peter Safran, there was no mention of the character or the animated series. However, its continuity seems to be assured. As for the version of Margot Robbie, considering that she was a part of The Suicide Squad and some of those characters will continue into the future, such as Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, Robbie may also get to continue playing her successful Harley, with which she earned the hearts of fans.
Meanwhile, the next live-action iteration of the anti-heroine will be in Joker 2. In Todd Phillips’ sequel, which still stands as an alternate universe like The Batman and its spin-offs, Lady Gaga will be the one in charge of giving life to Harley to tell her toxic and sick love story with Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck.
Rumors indicate that the film will be a musical showing how both characters meet as a patient and doctor in Arkham Asylum and how Arthur manages to push his companion towards madness. Joining Gaga and Phoenix will be Catherine Keener (Get Out) and Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin). The highly anticipated Joker sequel is set for release on Oct. 4, 2024.
You don’t need anything more than your smartphone to play Pokemon Go, but for the Pokefan looking to get some extra fun out of that game and a Pokemon app coming out later this year, the Pokemon Go Plus+ should be on your radar. The Pokemon Go Plus+ is available to preorder now for $55 at Amazon and Best Buy ahead of the gadget’s July 14 release. The Nintendo Store has been sold out for months, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see other retailers sell out, too.
A link between the Pokemon Sleep and Pokemon Go apps, this compact accessory acts as both a lullaby machine and an alarm clock. Simply press and hold the center button doww, place it next to your head, and you’ll get Pikachu to sing you to sleep and wake you up with a cheerful prompt. Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking more sounds along the way, and you can even collect more Pokemon during your sleeping hours to help complete the sleep Pokedex.
Pokemon Go+
Pokemon Sleep is a game (of sorts) centered around your sleeping habits, which are measured and analyzed as you progress through the game. You’ll be joined by a friendly Snorlax during your first sleeping session, and more Pokemon will join your slumber throughout the night as you collect multiple “sleep styles” along the way.
When you’re out and about, the accessory can be used alongside Pokemon Go to spin PokeStops or throw PokeBalls–as well as Great Balls and Ultra Balls–automatically, and linking the Pokemon Go Plus+ with Pokemon Go will also let you take on special research to catch a Snorlax that wears a nightcap.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors.
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Happy May Day, everybody! And not to distract from your Dionysian reverie frolicking around the pole or anything, but the fact that today is May 1 means that the non-Member regular deadline to apply to Film Independents 2023 Producing Labis just five days away.
Film Independent Membershave until Friday, May 19. In anticipation of the deadline, we asked 2020 Film Independent Producing Lab Fellow Maria Altamirano to share her experiences in the Lab. This is what she had to say…
Maria Altamirano (left) and filmmaker Raven Jackson on the set of ‘All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt’ in 2021
Some of my most vivid and beautiful memories from childhood in Peru involve sitting around the TV with my family. Watching American movies and my mom’s favorite telenovelas opened up my world. I started falling in love with the art of storytelling–the ability to immerse myself in different worlds and connect with someone else’s experience felt truly special.
Over the years, I fell in love with films more and more, but my path to becoming a filmmaker wasn’t straightforward. I also had a passion for social impact work, which led me to study political science and sociology in college and work for a non-profit in LA in my early 20s. It was a fulfilling experience but movies were often on my mind. I wanted to explore a path to working in film, but I had no industry connections and no idea where to start.
That’s when Film Independent first came into my life. I volunteered for the organization’s LA Film Festival as a way to meet people and learn more about the field. My tasks included guiding attendees to screening rooms and event halls, counting people at the door and collecting audience ballots. In return, perks included free tickets to screenings and panels. This was the most immersed I’d ever been at a film festival and it was magical. I knew at that moment that I had to find my way into film and keep chasing the joy I felt that summer.
I spent the next few years working in marketing at Paramount Pictures, and eventually went back to school for NYU’s MBA/MFA program, which set me on a path to producing. Among many gifts, my time in film school gave me a strong community of filmmakers–many of whom became my closest friends and collaborators, including writer/director Raven Jackson.
The 2020 Producing Lab Fellows and Administrators
About a decade since volunteering at the festival, Film Independent returned to my life in a very meaningful way. In 2020, deep into a year of uncertainty and isolation, I decided to apply to Film Independent’s Producing Lab with Raven’s debut feature, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt.
Over the course of a week, five other fellows and I met over Zoom (this was 2020 at the height of the pandemic) to attend mentorship sessions and workshops diving into topics such as co-productions, financing, distribution and pitching. We reviewed case studies, heard from industry guests and, of course, received substantial feedback on our scripts and advice for getting our movies made. We also had an opportunity to pitch our projects to industry professionals one-on-one.
The Lab challenged us to think about our films in transformative ways, reflect on the nuances of producing as a career and dissect nearly every angle of the industry. We ended each day with a virtual happy hour (remember those?) where we shared stories about our journeys, filmmaking anecdotes, and bonded over the particularities of being emerging producers. We were reminded of the importance of community during a time when so many of us needed it.
I’m still regularly in touch with members of my cohort and we serve as a source of support for one another. This year, a few of us were in attendance at the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards and proudly cheered for one of our fellows, Apoorva Charan, as her Producing Lab film Joyland won Best International Film. It was incredibly inspiring to watch Apoorva’s journey from developing her film with us at the Lab to ending up on that stage.
The Producing Lab was full of firsts: my first filmmaker lab, my first time in an environment so exclusively designed for producers and the first time I formally pitched a film without a director by my side. It helped me gain a new level of confidence, not only in All Dirt Roads but also in myself. It provided a space for me to reflect on why I’m on this path, and prepared me for what came next as our community of collaborators on the film expanded.
When I walked onto the set of All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt in Mississippi in 2021, I was reminded of that certain feeling I had when I watched those movies as a kid, similar to what I felt when I volunteered at the LA Film Festival and when I completed the Producing Lab. A love for the magic of storytelling was always there.
Earlier this year, the film had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, and I sat alongside Raven and my PASTEL producing partners. Looking around the room in excitement, I saw our talented crew, our A24 partners, and so many others who played a role in getting us there. In yet another full circle moment, this included the Film Independent Artist Development team, showing me once again why I’m so fortunate to be supported by and part of this community.
Consider applying to the 2023 Film Independent Producing Lab today.
About the author: Maria Altamirano is a Peruvian-American producer. A Film Independent Producing Lab Fellow and The Gotham/Rotterdam Lab fellow, her credits include Alexis Gambis’s Son of Monarchs (HBO Max), winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, Raven Jackson’s award-winning short Nettles (Criterion Channel) and Jackson’s upcoming debut feature All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and was produced in partnership with PASTEL and A24. She was also a co-producer on Season 2 of HBO’s critically-acclaimed comedy series Los Espookys. Maria completed New York University’s MBA/MFA program and, prior to filmmaking, was Market Research Manager at Paramount Pictures where she generated key development and marketing insights for the studio’s slate.
Celebrating 30 years, Film Independent Artist Development promotes unique independent voices by helping filmmakers create and advance new work. Become a Member of Film Independent today. Support us with a donation here. To learn more about upcoming Lab application deadlines and other opportunities, please see our website.
Amazon Freevee has greenlit its own reality series “The GOAT,” which will feature veteran reality stars from “The Bachelor,” “The Circle,” “Vanderpump Rules,” “Love Is Blind” and more.
“The GOAT” comes from the producers of “The Bachelor” and “FBoy Island,” and the series will test fan favorite reality celebrities from other popular shows through challenges that range from mental and physical to social. Fourteen alums of other reality competitions will enter “The Goat,” but only one will come out on top to win a cash prize, and the title of GOAT (greatest of all time) along with America’s respect.
Daniel Tosh (“Tosh 2.0) will host the series, which began production in Atlanta last month.
Season 1 will feature the celebrity cast of Tayshia Adams from “The Bachelor,” Joe Amabile from “The Bachelor and “Dancing with the Stars,” Kristen Doute from “Vanderpump Rules,” Reza Farahan from “Shahs of Sunset,” CJ Franco from “FBoy Island,” Wendell Holland from “Survivor,” Teck Holmes from “The Real World” and “The Challenge,” Justin Johnson/Alyssa Edwards from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Paola Mayfield from “90 Day Fiancé,” Da’Vonne Rogers from “Big Brother” and “The Challenge,” Joey Sasso from “The Circle” and “Perfect Match,” Jason Smith from “Holiday Baking Championship,” Lauren Speed-Hamilton from “Love Is Blind,” and Jill Zaren from “The Real Housewives of New York City.”
“The Goat” is executive produced by Elan Gale and Bill Dixon, who have previously executive produced “The Bachelor” and “FBoy Island.” Anthony Anderson, Lee Eisenberg, Michael Friedman, Howard T. Owens, Isabel San Vargasm Ben Silverman, Audrey Smith, Daniel Tosh and Matthew M. Welty will also executive produce.
Dixon also serves as showrunner. Michael Shea directs. “The GOAT” is produced by Propagate and Amazon Studios.
Undercover Underage Season 2 Episode 1 is only a few hours away from hitting Discovery Plus. The appreciated true crime series is back for its sophomore season. Here’s when to watch it.
When to watch Undercover Underage Season 2
Undercover Underage Season 2 Episode 1 debuts at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on Discovery Plus on Monday, May 1, 2023. Roo Powell and her team at the nonprofit SOSA (Safe from Online Sex Abuse) will deal with more child predators in the second season.
“Roo leads her team on a new decoy sprint in Oklahoma by launching two new underage personas; after initial contact from two sexually aggressive adults, a potential misstep could put one of the investigations in jeopardy.”
Bupkis is headlining the Peacock May 2023 schedule. On May 4, the streaming service will release all eight installments of…
Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 is headlining the Disney+ May 2023 schedule. On May 4, the streaming service will release…
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is headlining the Netflix May 2023 schedule. On May 4, the streaming service will release…
Violent Night is heading to Prime Video as part of the May 2023 schedule. On May 26, the streaming service…
Consecration is topping the Shudder May 2023 schedule. On May 19, the streaming service will add the supernatural horror movie…
The Great Season 3 is topping the Hulu May 2023 schedule. On Friday, May 12, the streaming service will premiere…
Undercover Underage Season 2 will feature eight episodes.
“Multiple adult decoys are deployed this season with Roo’s guidance including the 12-year-old ‘Abby,’ 14-year-old ‘Mackenzie,’ and 15-year-old ‘Skylar.’ As these young women engage with the ACMs online via their decoy personas, Roo guides them as they process and absorb the impact of the lewd actions and disturbing words intended for actual minors. Building off the tremendous work of last season, Roo and the team at SOSA continue to carefully craft back stories, social media profiles and photos to help the fictitious decoys transform into teens and tweens and together they work to engage with the alleged online predators to identify them for law enforcement,” reads the synopsis of Season 2.
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
2023 Tony Predictions: Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Weekly Commentary: In the races for featured performance in a musical, some nominations are easy to call: They’ll go to the standout scene-stealers, the ones who bring down the house with a powerful number or win big laughs with every line.
For featured actor, bet on Kevin Del Aguila for his sweet turn as a besotted millionaire in “Some Like It Hot,” and on Alex Newell, who’s giving a performance that audiences come out of “Shucked” raving about. Justin Cooley’s unaffected, touching portrait of the title character’s friend in “Kimberly Akimbo” also seems likely to get a nod.
Beyond that, nominations in the category could go to any one of the strong male supporting players in “Parade” – potentially Alex Joseph Grayson – or maybe to Kevin Cahoon’s joke-a-minute turn in “Shucked,” or to Gavin Creel’s double-take on the Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince in “Into the Woods.”
2023 Tony Predictions: Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Getty Images
Weekly Commentary: Among the actresses, Bonnie Milligan is sure to secure a spot for the unstoppable vocals and flawless comic timing she shows off in “Kimberly Akimbo.” Both NaTasha Yvette Williams, as the band leader in “Some Like It Hot,” and Betsy Wolfe, as Shakespeare’s wife Anne Hathaway in “& Juliet,” also are likely to score for smartly considered and appealing portrayals of their respective characters. Julia Lester, who earned praise for her fresh take on Little Red in “Into the Woods,” also looks like a contender.
Then there are a number of deserving candidates who could round out the category. One solid option: Alli Mauzey, who’s starting to gain recognition in “Kimberly Akimbo” for balancing her character’s comic unlikability with real sympathy.
The Tony Awards eligibility cutoff date for the 2022–23 season is April 27, 2023, for all Broadway productions which meet all other eligibility requirements. The 2023 Tony Awards nominations will be announced on May 2, 2023.
The 76th Annual Tony Awards are scheduled for June 11, 2023, at the United Palace in New York City. It will air on CBS and Paramount+ and be produced by Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss, with the latter also serving as the director.
And the Predicted Nominees Are:
Phillipa Soo — “Camelot” (Vivian Beaumont Theater – Lincoln Center Theater)
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, better known as the Tony Awards, is given out annually by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League, recognizing excellence in live Broadway theatre. The ceremony, held annually in New York City, was founded by theatre producer and director Brock Pemberton and is named after Antoinette “Tony” Perry, an actress, producer and theatre director who was co-founder of the American Theatre Wing.
Alan Palomo, best known for his work as Neon Indian, has released a new song under his given name. The single, “Nudista Mundial ’89,” features Mac DeMarco and comes with an over-the-top animated music video inspired by the 1980s adult video game Leisure Suit Larry. Find it below.
“While working on a few tunes, I was trying to get a hold of this certain piano,” Alan Palomo, who’s not released a Neon Indian song since 2019’s “Toyota Man,” said in a statement. “My keyboard player told me Mac had one at his studio so I hit him up. And on one breezy day in May, we sang a duet about two guys going to a nude beach together in Ibiza.”
Palomo produced “Nudista Mundial ’89” and handled the vocals, synthesizers, and drum programming. DeMarco also delivered vocals, as well as vocal engineering. The song was made with mastering engineer Heba Kadry and mix engineer Claudius Mittendorfer.
About: In Eastern Ukraine, follow the daily life of children and staff in a special kind of home: an institution for children who have been removed from their homes while awaiting court custody decisions.
About: The improbable tale of a short kid from a Canadian army base who became the darling of 1980s Hollywood — only to find the course of his life altered by a stunning diagnosis. What happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease?
About: The quixotic journey of Nam June Paik, one of the most famous Asian artists of the 20th century, who revolutionized the use of technology as an artistic canvas and prophesied both the fascist tendencies and intercultural understanding that would arise from the interconnected metaverse of today’s world.
About: Investigative journalist Rae de Leon travels nationwide to uncover and examine a shocking pattern: Young women tell the police they’ve been sexually assaulted, but instead of finding justice, they’re charged with the crime of making a false report, arrested, and even imprisoned by the system they believed would protect them.
SOFIA, Bulgaria — Bulgaria’s chief prosecutor escaped unharmed as a bomb exploded on a motorway near the capital, Sofia, while his motorcade drove past on Monday, government officials said.
“The chief prosecutor and his family were the target of a terrorist act,” the head of the National Investigation Service, Borislav Sarafov, told reporters. He added that the incident was not an attempt at intimidation but assassination, and fortunately no one was hurt.
Sarafov said that around 11:30 a.m. on Monday, chief prosecutor Ivan Geshev was on his way to Sofia, when a bomb exploded on a sharp turn of the road which had to be approached at a slower speed. He said the explosion left a crater 30-40 centimeters (12-16 inches) deep with a diameter of nearly 3 meters (10 feet).
The force of the blast was equivalent to no less than 3 kilograms (6 pounds, 10 ounces) of TNT, according to initial expert estimates.
“I am convinced that we will get to the perpetrators. The state cannot afford to allow such incidents. This is an attack on statehood. It sends a signal to the European partners that Bulgaria cannot protect its institutions. The prosecutor general is currently in a safe place,” Sarafov said.
Criminal proceedings have been opened for an act of terrorism, Sarafov said. The case is being treated extremely seriously. A search for detonators and fragments is underway, he said and added that the device was set not just to explode but to kill.
From divorcee to royalty! Queen Camilla had a winding journey before she was able to settle down with King Charles III.
Before meeting the future monarch, Camilla (née Shand) studied in England, Switzerland, and France. Her future changed when she became a debutante in London’s high society in 1965 and one of her friends introduced her to Charles. The pair began to date in the 1970s before he had to leave for his Royal Navy service. While Charles served his country, Camilla moved on with Andrew Parker Bowles. When the royal returned from his military service, he learned Camilla was engaged.
In July 1973, she wed the British Army officer. The duo welcomed two children, son Tom in 1974 and daughter Laura in 1978. Charles, for his part, moved on with Princess Diana in 1981 and shared sons Prince William and Prince Harry, who were born in 1982 and 1984, respectively.
While married to their respective partners, Charles and Camilla allegedly began to rekindle their romance in secret. In December 1994, Camilla and Parker Bowles split after 21 years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized in March 1995. Charles and Diana, for their part, separated in 1992 amid speculation of marital issues — and allegations of infidelity on both sides. Their divorce was finalized in 1996.
Diana seemingly hinted at Charles’ affair with Camilla in 1995 during her infamous interview with BBC’s Panorama. “Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,” the late Princess of Wales quipped as to why she and Charles didn’t last.
“It was horrid. It was a deeply unpleasant time and I wouldn’t want to put my worst enemy through it,” Camilla reflected to the Daily Mail in May 2017 of the early days of her relationship with Charles. “I couldn’t have survived it without my family.”
The pair later got engaged in February 2005 and tied the knot in a civil ceremony two months later. After their nuptials, Camilla assumed the role of Duchess of Cornwall and began her tenure as a working member of the royal family.
Prior to Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the late monarch announced in February 2022 that her daughter-in-law would earn the title of Queen Consort when Charles ascended the throne. When the announcement was made, Camilla shared she was “very honored and very touched” by the queen’s endorsement.
Amid cost-cutting, the flexibility of streaming and the lessons learned during the pandemic, the industry doesn’t work the way it did 15 years ago
For TV writers, the current negotiations are “in some ways a much uglier situation than almost the innocent times of 2007/2008,” former NBC Studios and UPN executive Tom Nunan told TheWrap.
The previous strike lasted for 100 days and resulted in the loss of almost 25% of primetime scripted programming for the 2007-2008 network season. That forced studios and networks to get creative and take advantage of the groups that weren’t unionized. It would become a boon for unscripted TV. The industry was much different then — streaming TV was in its infancy.
“In 2007-2008, it was sort of in the middle of a very active network viewing cycle and a very disruptive time of the year for studio people as well as writers and there were fewer outlets,” Nunan explained. “The writers had more leverage in a way because the industry hadn’t suffered a work stoppage in a very long time and it was sort of unprepared for how to stock up on shows and how to respond in a more defensive manner should there be a work stoppage. So the level of chaos was high, which worked in the writers’ favor. But setting all of that aside, the gains they made really weren’t that significant long term.”
Streaming is now at the center of these new negotiations as writers have found that the large upfront payments they’ve come to accept in streaming deals pale in comparison to the money they made with the broadcast and cable networks’ longer-running shows with more episodes per season. Not only that, but the popularity of streaming means their work could be watched by millions more people compared to linear — and repeatedly — but writers aren’t included in most backend and residual payments for streaming. And then there’s the practice of mini-rooms, where streamers hire fewer writers at minimum pay levels to churn out more scripts before production begins.
Set on not finding themselves in a similar situation as they are now with streaming, the WGA also has its eye on emerging technologies such as AI.
But timing is everything and according to the former network execs who spoke to TheWrap, the TV industry is in a very different place than it was 15 years ago when the last writers’ strike went down.
Studios are already looking for cost savings
The situation is “much, much different” as all the major media companies are tightening their belts, Nunan pointed out.
“They’re looking for ways to save and in some ways they’re looking for radical ways to save… the kind of cost-cutting that’s going on in the industry right now hasn’t occurred at least in my memory in many years, if not decades,” he added.
Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney and even tech-rich Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have been undergoing layoffs, freezing content budgets and looking for potential new revenue in advertising, third-party licensing and returning to theatrical movie releases.
“So the idea that there’s a possible labor threat to these companies that are already looking for massive savings is sort of bad timing on the writers’ part,” Nunan continued. “It’s nothing to do with them, it’s just the way of the world.”
Linear will be hardest hit
In a recent memo outlining the potential devastation created by a writers’ strike, the WGA warned that a work stoppage in May could delay the network television season, which continues to account for one-third of all episodes produced, including 45% of the episodes produced by legacy media companies Disney, Paramount Global and Comcast NBCUniversal.
The WGA memo also warned that new episodes of late-night shows including ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” “Saturday Night Live,” and HBO’s “Real Time With Bill Maher and “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” among others would cease immediately.
WGA-covered drama and comedy episodes, 2021-2022 (WGA)
In 2007, the loss of original programming had a significant impact on ratings, with the major broadcast networks’ ratings declining, on average, by double digits compared to the same period in the previous year, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Benjamin Swineburne.
“Should a strike occur in 2023, delay or loss of original primetime programming could similarly affect ratings,” the WGA said.
But Nunan argued that the “seasonal nature of television has kind of gone away” and thus mitigates the threat of lower broadcast content and ratings on the entertainment industry.
“I just don’t think that it’s gonna be quite as dramatic a disruption as the guild is describing and I’m not sure the big networks and media companies care as much as they once did because they have streaming services and other revenue to offset any kind of disruption of the fall season,” he added.
Nunan acknowledged that a strike could potentially accelerate “the demise of some of the weaker broadcast options,” but pointed out that the decline in broadcast has “seemed to have been on the horizon line anyway.”
“Audience viewership is down so dramatically when it comes to broadcast TV,” he said. “While it’s still a major revenue source for these media companies, culturally, socially, it’s no longer the thing that really drives the conversation in terms of viewer lifestyles.”
Streamers can fall back on extensive content libraries
The WGA memo also outlined how a strike can directly affect streamers in addition to a trickle-down effect from less linear programming.
“Streaming services owned by the legacy media companies, including Hulu, Peacock and Paramount+, would also lose this programming as their content lineups prominently feature in-season network television content like ‘Abbott Elementary,’ ‘Chicago Med’ and ‘NCIS’ that is made available the day after network airing. Hulu, for instance, gets twice as many new episodes from ABC and Fox in-season broadcast content as it does from its entire lineup of scripted originals.”
It also warns that a strike would hit networks and streamers (who have become increasingly dependent on advertising revenue as well) just as upfront presentations are set to begin this month: “A work stoppage could delay sales or place pressure on advertising rates and price increases.”
And there would be additional hits to licensing revenue due to lack of content that “can amount to millions of dollars per episode” in losses.
But former ABC Daytime executive Brian Frons told TheWrap that dealing with COVID was good training for a strike if one is programming a platform or a channel.
“Access to original programming will slow to a trickle, and marketing efforts will push the massive amount of library all the platforms have made or acquired. In the short run, profit margins will expand,” Frons said. “In 2008, the focus was on the networks, which needed original programming and pushed reality as a solution — expect more of that too.”
“There’s so many other options and there’s libraries of content that still haven’t been explored on the streaming services,” Nunan also said.
Nunan argued that while churn could become an issue during a prolonged strike, streamers likely wouldn’t see the impact until the fourth quarter of 2023 or first quarter of 2024.
“The subscription part of this equation I think is more of a longer term play, not an immediate term play and I’m not even sure that that it would be a big deal issue given the robust nature of most of these streamers’ libraries and ways for them to reposition and re-market the content that’s available in those libraries,” he said. “There are programming options with subscribers that I think the Writers Guild may be underestimating.”
In an April 17 post, LightShed Partners analyst Rich Greenfield said that an extended WGA/AMPTP strike could lead to “notably better than expected streaming profitability across the streaming landscape.”
“The two stocks that would likely benefit the most are WBD and [Paramount], given investor focus on the balance sheets of both companies,” he said. “It’s worth noting that while a prolonged strike could boost earnings and free cash flow in 2023 while depressing 2024 to some degree as production ramps back up, it is possible that some content originally slated for 2024 gets pushed to 2025 to make room for delayed 2023 content — yielding minimal impact on 2024 earnings/free cash flow.”
Frons predicted that studios who will be best prepared for a strike are those with libraries to “substitute in the place of originals,” such as Warner Brothers Discovery, Disney, Paramount, NBCUniversal and Netflix, or who have revenue streams outside of their video business, like Amazon.
“Sony will sell the library, but won’t be able to make much,” Frons added. “Apple has no library really, so maybe they push for more sports to fill the gap.”
The good news is…
A writers’ strike may not even get to that points addressed above. Ultimately, Nunan believes AMPTP and the WGA could reach an agreement “swiftly.”
“I really believe that this is a solvable problem. The two biggest issues seem to be how can we create a more fair and equitable streaming/residual relationship with writers and can we eliminate these mini rooms that are really unfair to writers in the short and the long term? Those seem to be the two primary issues and I think both of these are addressable,” he said. “They may not be able to be addressed in the dramatically substantial fashion that the writers may want, but they could at least make progress on those fronts, I think, rather quickly. But it’s just gonna be a question of do the studios really want to continue working or are they looking forward to this work stoppage? And that’s a question I don’t know the answer to.”
That would be good news for not only the 11,500 writers of TV, film and streaming media represented by the WGA, but all the countless other jobs that would be impacted by the strike — not to mention the viewing experience for fans.
The AMPTP declined to comment. The Writers Guild didn’t immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment.
Gersh Agency has sold a 45% stake in the company to private equity firm Crestview Partners, the company announced on Monday. For 75 years, the company has been solely owned by the Gersh family.
As part of the deal, Gersh Agency heads Gersh and David Gersh will continue their current leadership positions. Leslie Siebert, Gersh Agency’s longtime managing partner, has been promoted to co-president status with Bob and David Gersh.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Gersh on the agency’s next growth stage,” said Brian Cassidy, Crestview’s co-president and head of media. “We have long admired Gersh’s unwavering commitment to best-in-class client representation and are honored to become Gersh’s first equity partner in the agency’s long and storied history.”
The Gersh brothers said that the investment from Crestview will help the agency expand to new areas to “to support our continued growth as a client-first agency.”
“For over seven decades, we have maintained our independence as an agency because we felt this allowed us to be the firmest advocates for our clients,” Bob Gersh said in a statement. “We knew we found the right partners in Crestview, as it was clear they were completely aligned with our agency ethos, and that they would bring to bear meaningful experience and infrastructure to support our continued growth as a client-first agency.”
“We are very proud of our agency and all we, and our clients, have accomplished together. The opportunity to partner with Crestview will provide us greater flexibility to advance as an institution” said David Gersh. “We have a prestigious, diverse, and tightly held group of agents and clients. We will continue our unique brand of representation and will always hold ourselves to the highest standard of hands-on bespoke representation. We will be aggressive in our growth while never abandoning what makes us special to our clients or our team.”
Gersh Agency was founded in 1949 by Bob and David’s father, Phil Gersh. Bob joined the firm in the late 1970s, with David joining in the late 1980s.
Currently, Gersh Agency has approximately 300 employees, including 125 agents, with offices in Beverly Hills and New York.
After his second conviction, Harvey Weinstein has hired a new legal team to handle his Los Angeles appeal, after he was found guilty by a jury of sexual assault and rape with a judge sentencing him to 16 years.
Weinstein has hired California-based attorney Michael Freedman, who will work alongside Jennifer Bonjean, the criminal defense attorney who got Bill Cosby’s conviction overturned, and will act as Weinstein’s lead counsel for his West Coast appeal.
Bonjean has become known for defending some of the most high-profile men accused throughout the #MeToo movement. In addition to representing Cosby on his appeal before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which resulted him being freed from prison, she was R. Kelly’s lead attorney during his criminal trial in Chicago. She also represented Nxivm sex cult leader Keith Raniere.
Bonjean’s firm’s website says she “works tirelessly to reverse the convictions of innocent people wrongly incarcerated.” She has the words “not guilty” tattooed on her arm.
Weinstein’s new legal team will also represent Weinstein in his civil case against Jane Doe #1, a European model, who after the trial, publicly revealed her identity as Evgeniya Chernyshova. Her testimony, where she alleged that Weinstein raped and sexually assaulted her in 2013, led to Weinstein’s conviction in Los Angeles. After the trial, Chernyshova filed a civil suit against Weinstein for rape, seeking compensation for physical and mental pain and suffering, loss of earnings, and the cost of medical and psychological treatment.
“The Bonjean Law Group and Jennifer Bonjean herself understand the issues facing Harvey and knows what is needed; not simply the law, but the environment in which we exist now,” Weinstein’s spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, says to Variety in a statement. “With this team, Harvey’s appeal in L.A. will be made in a way that not only demonstrates errors in applications of law and possible bias in meting out so-called justice, but will also expose how the proverbial deck was stacked in advance against Weinstein. In addition to the criminal appeal, the firm will bring the facts together in answers to the civil suit filed by a witness whom Harvey insists was never with him in the hotel or anywhere.”
Weinstein was recently moved back to New York in early April, after the completion of his Los Angeles trial. The judge in Los Angeles ordered Weinstein to serve both sentences consecutively, so if he serves the full prison terms in both jurisdictions, he would not be free until 2059 — that is, if he lived until he was 107 years old.
In addition to his L.A. appeal, Weinstein is also currently appealing his conviction in New York where he was sentenced to 23 years in 2020. The highest court in the state of New York agreed to hear his case.
Weinstein is now serving his East Coast prison sentence at Mohawk Correctional Facility in the city of Rome, N.Y., which is a medium security state prison for men. He had been in L.A. County Jail since July 2021 when he was extradited to the West Coast, but prior to his L.A. trial, he was housed at the Wende Correctional Facility in upstate New York, which was maximum security.
Throughout his Los Angeles trial, Weinstein was represented by defense attorneys Mark Werksman and Alan Jackson.
His new legal team is comprised of Freedman of The Freedman Firm, based in Santa Monica, Calif., as well as Bonjean and Ashley Cohen from The Bonjean Law Group, which is based in New York City.
Underscoring the musical’s darker bits, deBessonet said, like the fear and loneliness the orphaned Oliver experiences, was a matter of subtraction rather than addition. Without elaborate sets or showstopping production numbers there are fewer elements competing to divert the audience’s attention from the words of the actors.
But neither did the production need to amp up the grim with foreboding lighting or a fog machine, she said — the darkness is already inherent in Dickens’s text, and in Bart’s book, score and lyrics.
“We’re trying to have those words be heard with the belief that the complexity is in the lyric itself,” she said.
One example, she said, is the titular tune “Oliver!,” a song familiar to many, even those who haven’t seen the show, for its high-spirited chorus.
“It’s this really bouncy song,” deBessonet said, “but the actual lyrics are:
There’s a dark, thin, winding stairway
Without any banister
Which we’ll throw him down and feed him on cockroaches
Served in a canister.
The show does preserve many of the musical’s more lighthearted elements. Every song from the original Broadway production remains, including bouncy numbers like “I’d Do Anything” and “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two.” The dreamlike sequence “Food, Glorious Food,” with its visions of sausages and mustards, jelly and custard. And 20 additional performers, all New York City public school students, will join the company onstage for “Consider Yourself,” the boys’ full-voiced embrace of Oliver into their ranks — the first true family he has known.
“The show is incredibly challenging — the domestic violence, the treatment of children at that time in general is truly harrowing,” deBessonet said. “And yet there’s this buoyant joy about these numbers.”
Deadpool 3 just added a major star to its cast – one whose character actually died in Ryan Reynolds‘ last Marvel movie, Deadpool 2.
Deadpool 3 Brings Back Hero Peter
Marvel
Deadline shared that Rob Delaney has joined the cast of Marvel Studios’ Deadpool 3, reprising his role as Peter from 20th Century Fox’s Deadpool 2.
Peter was famously part of Wade Wilson’s X-Force team that assembled in Deadpool 2, although every single member of the group except for Domino died gruesome deaths during their mission to find Josh Brolin’s Cable.
However, Peter eventually proved to be among the luckier side of the group, as Wade Wilson utilized Cable’s time machine to undo his death in Deadpool 2‘s final moments.
Reynolds hyped up Delaney’s return on Twitter, using the nickname “SugarBear!!!!!” that Wade gave Peter in the movie along with two “two swords” emojis and a red heart.
According to Affleck, the plans for his Batman movie “were to make interesting, nuanced, complex characters,” and “in particular to” Deathstroke:
“There were a number of them that I was kind of exploring. And, the plans were to make interesting, nuanced, complex characters, in particular to the character you mentioned. I kind of feel like either you do – I’m just going to get into my own preference here – but either you do a kind of massive one villain that is so formidable you just can’t imagine how your protagonist is going to be able to overcome it. Or you have to really sort of populate kind of, you know, Injustice – these big group villains – where you have to get all these different characters.”
Affleck’s intentions for Deathstroke were public knowledge back in 2016 and before the release of 2017’s Justice League which is when studio plans began to change.
In the comics, Deathstroke was a talented soldier named Slade Wilson who was chosen for secret experimentation. After gaining enhanced supersoldier-esque abilities, Wilson became a deadly mercenary with a signature suit and a reputation for employing strategy and even psychological warfare against his enemies.
In regard to Affleck’s own strategy for Deathstroke, the Justice League star shared how he wanted to make the villain “seem as impressive as I felt there was the opportunity to do:”
“So I was at the time really trying to hone in and focus on that character and get into depth and detail about it to make him seem as impressive as I felt there was the opportunity to do. That’s the only detail I have for you.”
A DC Future for Deathstroke?
Back when his Batman movie was still a reality, Ben Affleck told Collider why he wanted Deathstroke for his film, saying, “I just had an instinctive feeling that he would match up with him well:”
“He’s a great villain because—I just had an instinctive feeling that he would match up with him well. You know, I’m a big admirer of that character as well, especially in the New 52 the way that they did Deathstroke, and I thought that it could work.”
Having two tacticians on two opposing sides was something prior Batman films hadn’t fully explored at that time.
However, it somewhat echoes what DC fans saw in Matt Reeves‘ The Batman where Pattinson’s Dark Knight doesn’t just battle his antagonist physically, but also mentally via detective work.
With so many Batman projects on the horizon, the character of Deathstroke may still have a future in the new DCU.
If you’re like me and try to stay media blackout on a game, it’s become increasingly difficult as the internet tends to spoil many things. Whether it’s a twist in HBO’s Succession or the latest Marvel film, you really can’t avoid spoilers, leaks, and everything in between. Anyway, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has completely leaked online, so it’s probably time to use those Twitter-muted keywords and stop checking the gaming leaks and rumors subreddit.
Beware! Tears of The Kingdom Has Completely Leaked Online
We won’t link to the leaks or even tell y’all where they are. If you’re keen on seeking them out, find them elsewhere and fear the wrath of the Nintendo Ninjas knocking on your door. They will send Mario, the cop, to take you out, so you’ve been warned.
Someone got a retail copy of Tears of the Kingdom and has dumped the entire game online, so over the coming hours, days, and weeks, leading up to launch, more and more of this gameplay will show up. So now is the time to either leave the internet until Tears of the Kingdom comes out on May 12, 2023 or to start being real loose with that block and mute button on various websites.
This isn’t the first time a major game has leaked online just weeks before a release. This happens more and more as physical copies end up at retailers way ahead of time. There’s no real way to stop it, and with how easy it has become to share screenshots, video clips, and more on social media, this trend won’t stop any time soon. Nintendo has already started taking down a lot of the footage and screenshots, but as we all know, the internet is forever.
Anyway, everyone, be careful and try to stay clear of spoilers. Tears of the Kingdom launches on the Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023.
AI has made a short film, and we think it’s kind of good.
I’ve been interested in digging into what artificial intelligence can do. While I don’t think it’s going to replace us as storytellers or creatives, I do wonder what the capabilities will be as the technology moves forward so rapidly.
Now, someone has created a short film using AI entirely.
Check out the short film from NEXT ON NOW and let’s talk after.
What can I say? I found that thoroughly entertaining, and the animation style to be a little jerky but engrossing. The AI tools used to create this short are Elevenlabs, Runwayml’s GEN2, and ChatGPT-4.
Apparently, they made this AI-generated short film in twenty-four hours.
My skepticism comes in with the idea that AI assisted them in making this – I wonder how much of the writing and ideation came from AI, also, what the human-controlled visual prompts would have been for it as well.
We don’t have that info, but I will keep digging.
For now, I think we’re good to enjoy the short film.
Leticia Jimenez’s many recurring TV roles include the Freeform franchise series The Fosters and the web series Bronx SIU but prior to that, she has done various dancing and stage work. We get an exclusive from the rising producer on what are the best acting methods, determining one’s acquired skill sets and finding other ways to make a splash on-screen. Don’t miss this thoughtful advice from this hard-working talent! 🙂
HBO’s limited series is yet another account of Nixon’s infamous scandal, but its stellar cast, meticulous construction, and dark-comic spirit get the job done.
Just before G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux) embarks on his very public trial for conspiracy, burglary, and illegal wiretapping — all tied to the 1972 Watergate scandal — his wife, Fran (Judy Greer), stops him outside the courthouse. “Are you sure you don’t want me to be there?” she asks her husband. “Oh, no, no, no,” Liddy replies. “I am going to act like a jackass — piss off the prosecution, force a few errors, send the whole thing to appeals, and get it all thrown out. If I see you in the gallery, I might be forced to remember my manners.”
Liddy’s trial prep is but one of many, many bad plans the former FBI agent cooks up over the course of “White House Plumbers,” HBO’s five-part limited series about the inept burglars behind the infamous Watergate break-in. But few so succinctly summarize his perpetually cocky, off-kilter demeanor, or what makes him such a great subject for satire. Liddy is a jackass, even when he’s not trying to be. He pledges loyalty to men he’s never met and ideas he only thinks he understands. He’s so far up his own ass (an ass he’ll later invite prison guards to “drink in,” as he spreads his cheeks and laughs), Liddy can’t see his true character. He can’t fathom what other people think of him, nor grasp the strange effect his behavior has on others. But rather than worry about it, he simply charges ahead, deeper into the darkness, wherein lies not only his blackened soul, but perhaps the reason so many others like him keep popping up in, or adjacent to, American seats of power.
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Created, written, and produced by “Veep” scribes Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck, “White House Plumbers” tracks the same subject and many of the same characters as last year’s Starz series, “Gaslit” (where Shea Whigham played an even more volatile and vicious version of Liddy), but the latest account of the scandal that took down President Richard M. Nixon isn’t the stark, jarring warning Robbie Pickering cooked up. Gregory and Huyck, along with director and executive producer David Mandel, focus on the attempted incursion itself, envisioning Watergate as a farcical satire where Liddy and E. Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson) can’t get out of their own way well enough to enact the illicit wishes of their president. By delving into the duo’s family lives, personal histories, and miserly motives, “White House Plumbers” feels fresh enough to entertain and provoke (in that order), while still proving as tough a watch as anything so concentrated on Bad Men™.
Still, for history buffs (and fans of Theroux’s comic wit), the five hourlong episodes should be a hoot. Not only does the well-known narrative dive into various nooks and crannies rarely explored in Watergate recaps, but Mandel relishes each period detail, from the Hunts’ amber-lit, wood-paneled home filled with colorful place settings and a bright yellow phone (which practically flashes like a traffic signal’s warning light), to shooting at the actual Watergate hotel and a handful of D.C. landmarks. Every door handle, cocktail glass, and office chair draw you back to the early ’70s, as we get to know Howard and Gordon, their wives, Dorothy (Lena Headey) and Fran, as well as a number of political appointees, staffers, and hired help — all cast to perfection by Allison Jones, Ben Harris, and Meredith Tucker.
Hunt takes point in the story, with Harrelson playing up the anger and anxiety of an oft-frustrated loser. When first introduced, Hunt is retired from the CIA and stuck riding a desk. He’s been scapegoated for the Bay of Pigs debacle and shunned by his CIA peers (the former being his opinion and the latter an irrefutable fact). His attempts at writing the great American spy novel haven’t been well-received, either, but he sees a new appointment to the White House Special Investigations Unit as his ticket back to Langley’s good graces. It’s there he first meets Liddy, when the two are asked to originate and execute various acts of political sabotage on behalf of the White House. There’s a trip to Los Angeles, where they break into a psychiatrist’s office in search of intel on Daniel Ellsberg, and a series of meetings with Dita Beard (played by a marvelously cranky Kathleen Turner), who they convince not to tarnish their cause.
“White House Plumbers”
Courtesy of Phil Caruso / HBO
Throughout their misadventures, Hunt and Liddy form a tenuous friendship while emerging as firm professional partners. Hunt clocks his cohort’s many quirks (highlighted by a carnival-esque dinner engagement at the Liddy household), but he values loyalty above logic, as does Gordon. Their minor successes, despite numerous missteps, bond them almost as much as their shared expulsion from D.C.’s inner circle, and prepare them (as well as anything could) for breaking into the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters, their shameful arrest, and even-more-embarrassing trial.
Harrelson channels the jilted white male rage and entitlement seen in plenty of his past characters, from HBO’s own “True Detective” to Focus Features’ recent feature, “Champions.” His Hunt is discontent with his job, his family (only one of four children takes their education seriously, which serves as a great, recurring “pot calling the kettle black” joke), and his reputation. In case it’s not clear how desperate Hunt is to be accepted, he half-brags, half-chuckles about being a member of four separate country clubs. His internal journey is a simple one — from unquestioning believer to a scorned skeptic, without ever finding clarity for his positions — and it can make the character a tad tiring. Such joyless buffoonery requires an underlying charisma Harrelson doesn’t tap into often enough, and Theroux finds almost too often.
For those who’ve enjoyed the puppy-loving actor’s fanciful turns in “Maniac,” “At Home with Amy Sedaris,” “Zoolander,” and more, “White House Plumbers” offers a historical stage for comparable extremism. Where Theroux could push the fictitious Dr. James K. Mantleray or cartoonish Space Captain to (magnificent) unchecked excess, here he has to keep Liddy grounded in his own twisted little reality. That can be hard to do when he’s pulling a gun on neighborhood kids or blasting Nazi speeches over cocktail hour, but Theroux dances on the line more often than he trips — and simply by knowing how to two-step, he enlivens a familiar story with an utterly unfamiliar presence.
“White House Plumbers” likely won’t go down as the definitive Watergate tale (though a voice in Episode 4 sure seems like a nod toward one classic film), and its tone may be too indefinite to attract average TV fans. (It’s a historical drama steeped in absurd humor, just as it’s a satire absent “Veep’s” laugh-a-minute leanings.) Still, each element is made with such obvious enthusiasm for the time, place, and central story that it’s hard not to admire how the five-hour oddity adds up. (Plus, how can you not appreciate a show that casts Toby Huss, Kiernan Shipka, John Carroll Lynch, Judy Greer, and — in a one-line cameo — Dave Pasquesi?) Perhaps it’s a bit too mannered, but such pointed jackassery still serves a fine purpose.
Grade: B
“White House Plumbers” premieres Monday, May 1 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO. New episodes will be released weekly.
Gamora was supposed to die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and not in Avengers: Infinity War, director James Gunn reveals. Zoe Saldana debuts Thanos’ favorite adopted daughter in the original Guardians of the Galaxy film. She is now set to go on what could be her final mission with her fellow cosmic heroes in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Had things turned out differently, however, Saldana could have only played Gamora two times. In a new interview with ComicBook, Gunn reveals his plan to kill her in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. This would have significantly changed Joe and Anthony Russo’s story for Avengers: Infinity War. Read Gunn’s full quote below:
“So things always change and you never know. But Gamora almost died in ‘Vol. 2.’ I knew from the beginning Zoe only wanted to play the character for so many years, and she’s been very honest saying that she’s done [after ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’]. And so I was going to have her die.”
Will Gamora Survive Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
2023 marksAvengers: Infinity War‘s 5th anniversary, and yet, it remains to be one of the MCU’s most impactful stories. It’s difficult to imagine what the film would have looked like without Thanos and Gamora’s dynamic. Aside from her death playing a pivotal role in the story’s main conflict, her involvement somehow grounded the Titan. It humanized him, thus making him more than a one-dimensional ruthless villain.
Gunn’s reasoning for wanting to kill off Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 raises questions about her future in the MCU. If Saldana has been open about playing the character for only a limited number of years, it’s possible that the hero meets her end in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. For what it’s worth, Gunn has been upfront about the threequel featuring one or two major deaths. It makes sense if one of those is Gamora.
Overall, Yondu making the sacrifice inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2works better overall. His demise ties into Peter Quill’s issues about clamoring for his father, Ego the Living the Planet’s love. Meanwhile, the Russos are able to lean on Thanos’ humanity through Gamora. It also leads to Star-Lord’s infamous meltdown in Avengers: Infinity War.
This fall, Aerosmith fans are going to be cryin’ along with the legendary rockband. Frontman Steven Tyler and co. announced their Peace Out farewell tour on Monday, kicking off in September.
The tour will start on Sept. 2 in Philadelphia. The 40-date farewell across North America will include stops in Los Angeles, New York City, Austin, Seattle, Chicago and Toronto as well as a hometown show in Boston on New Year’s Eve. The Peace Out tour will wrap on Jan. 26 in Montreal.
Tickets will go on sale Friday.
“It’s not goodbye it’s PEACE OUT!” Aerosmith said in a statement. “Get ready and walk this way, you’re going to get the best show of our lives.”
Though Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton and Brad Whitford will be on tour, drummer Joey Kramer will not be joining, the statement revealed.
“While Joey Kramer remains a beloved founding member of Aerosmith, he has regrettably made the decision to sit out the currently scheduled touring dates to focus his full attention on his family and health,” the band said in a statement. “Joey’s unmistakable and legendary presence behind the drum kit will be sorely missed.”
The Black Crowes, best known for the albums “Share Your Money Maker” and “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion,” will open for the Peace Out tour.
Aerosmith is coming off of its Las Vegas concert residency, Aerosmith: Deuces Are Wild, which ran from 2019 to 2022. The residency was interrupted for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last fall, the band also broke a Fenway Park record when it performed at the Boston institution, kicking off the band’s 50th anniversary celebration. Over 38,700 people attended the event.
One of the best known and influential rock bands of their time, Aerosmith was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Tyler and Perry were then inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013. Over the course of their existence, the band has sold over 150 million records worldwide, including over 85 million records in the United States. They hold 25 gold, 18 platinum and 12 multi-platinum albums and have won four Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards and 10 MTV Video Music Awards.
The American band incorporated elements of pop-punk, heavy metal, glam metal and blues into their hard rock sound. Among their greatest hits are “Walk This Way,” “Cryin’,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Dream On” and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” They’re also the only rock band to currently have their own major roller coaster, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
However, it’s not all great music and thrill rides. Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler is currently being sued for allegedly sexually assaulting a teenager in the 1970s. Tyler wrote about the relationship in his memoir, “Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?” The rock star and his legal team have since argued that because Tyler had legal custody over the then-minor, this gives him “immunity or qualified immunity to Defendant as caregiver and/or guardian.”
Tim Bachman, guitarist and co-founder of Canadian rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive, has died at age 71. The news was announced by Bachman’s son, Ryder, on Friday, who wrote in a Facebook post, “My Dad passed this afternoon. Thank You Everyone for the kind words. Grateful I got to spend some time with him at the end. Grab yer loved ones and hug em close, ya never know how long you have.”
In a previous post, Ryder revealed that he got a call from the care unit where his father was staying last Wednesday in which they informed him to pay his final respects after doctors found “cancer riddled all throughout his [Tim’s] brain.”
Tim Bachman co-founded the group commonly referred to as BTO in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1973 with his brothers, singer/guitarist Randy Bachman and drummer Robin Bachman; the latter died in January of this year at age 69. Tim performed on the band’s eponymous album and their breakthrough second collection, Bachman-Turner Overdrive II, which dropped in December of that year and featured two of the band’s most beloved, hard-charging hits, “Let It Ride” and Billboard Hot 100 No. 12 hit “Takin’ Care of Business,” which Tim sang backing vocals on in addition to playing second lead guitar.
His run in the brotherly band would be short-lived, however, as he left in early 1974 shortly after the second album dropped, reportedly due to singer Randy’s strict rules prohibiting drugs, alcohol and premarital sex on the road. He was replaced by Blair Thornton, who played on the band’s third album, 1974’s Not Fragile, which included the No. 1 single “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” and “Roll on Down the Highway.”
After a series of lineup changes — including the departure of singer Randy in 1977 — BTO reunited in 1983 with Randy and Tim leading the charge, with younger brother Robbie declining to participate. They released Bachman-Turner Overdrive in Sept. 1984 and a live album from their stint opening for Van Halen before Randy left again in 1986, which marked the last year of Tim Bachman’s run with the group as well. The group re-re-reformed in 1988 with Randy Bachman again taking lead along with Robbie on drums, but no Tim Bachman.
On Sunday, Ryder Bachman continued paying tribute to his dad, writing “The last words he said were, “I love you Paxton, Share the Music” and so I’ll honour Dad this afternoon by sharing songs, some he’s played a million times on stage; c’mon down and sing em with me, I bet u know the words.”
As its industry confab kicks into full gear, Hot Docs is giving 1,800-plus delegates from more than 40 countries something extra to chatter about this morning with the announcement that leading media executive Marie Nelson has been tapped as the organization’s new president after a months-long international search.
Nelson—who mingled with local and international doc players at the opening bash of the festival’s 30th edition last Thursday—will begin helming the strategic leadership and management of Hot Docs’ annual festival, conference, and market as well as its evolving year-round industry and public activities and initiatives, effective June 1, 2023.
“Having the chance to link arms with Hot Docs was an unequivocal swipe right—from my first trip to Toronto for the festival and its legendary pitch forum, it was love at first sight,” commented Nelson, who most recently served as senior vice-president, integrated content strategy for ABC News.
“Hot Docs has earned its reputation as a beacon for the global documentary filmmaking community and their audiences by fostering a sense of home and supporting the best in the genre year-round. I am so energized to begin working with my colleagues at Hot Docs to continue innovating and building an even more inclusive and dynamic future for our storytellers.”
Before her game-changing tenure at ABC News—where she led a strategy that prioritized audience-diversifying, non-fiction primetime programming such as the award-winning series “Soul of a Nation”—Nelson was vice-president for news and independent film at PBS, overseeing programming for documentary series such as Frontline, Independent Lens and POV. She also held executive positions at WGBH, NPR and Viacom/BET Networks.
Nelson, who holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Harvard Kennedy School and a B.A. in Political Science and Women’s Studies from Duke University, has also served with government, non-profit and development organizations; she served in two U.S. presidential administrations, notably as director, public diplomacy (appointee), in the office of the U.S. President’s Special Envoy to Sudan, U.S. Department of State, from June 2009 to September 2011.
“Marie is a dynamic leader with a proven track record of supporting filmmakers, growing and diversifying audiences, and lifting powerful and yet often unheard voices into national discussion, which makes her ideally suited to lead Hot Docs into its next chapter,” said Lalita Krishna, co-chair of the Hot Docs board of directors.
“The entire board is thrilled to welcome her to the team, and we look forward to working with her to realize the incredible opportunities ahead,” added co-chair Robin Mirsky.
Outgoing president Chris McDonald has been with Hot Docs in a leadership role for 25 years, previously serving as its executive director. The board of directors thanked McDonald for his “immeasurable contribution to the organization’s remarkable growth,” noting his efforts to expand the festival’s public screenings; establish the Forum and various funding programs; negotiate the partnership that allowed the organization to establish the Hot Docs Roger Cinema in 2012; and negotiate the purchase of the building in 2016. McDonald will continue to work with Hot Docs in a voluntary capacity on special projects.
Shocking new video shared with MailOnline appears to capture the moment Royal Marine commandos clashed with police in Gibraltar in a brawl that saw seven arrested on Friday.
Gibraltar police were responding to a call near the Ocean Village Gym when they became involved in a brawl with elite soldiers from 43 Commando at around 4am.
Witness footage showed Royal Gibraltar Police wrestling men in civilian clothing to the ground. One man in a T-Shirt and shorts was seen to back off with his hands up as police adopted fighting stances and grappled with others.
A second clip shows sirens lighting up the street as police detain suspects on the floor near a police vehicle. Police were reported to have used batons and pepper spray to stop the soldiers in the clash that left seven officers and a member of the public injured.
Suspects were charged on Saturday with offences including assault on police, violent disorder and disorderly whilst intoxicated. They will appear in court on Tuesday.
The commandos are part of a 550-strong unit, based at HM Naval Base Clyde in Scotland, responsible for protecting Britain’s nuclear weapons.
Footage showed the commotion between police officers, commandos and the public
People are pictured clashing, on the floor and doubled over, as police arrive on scene
Footage shows the aftermath, with sirens lighting up building as police appear to detain somebody on the floor
Kyle Connell, 20, Anthony Houghton, 36, Graham Tait, 42, Cameron Bull, 23, Connor Holborn, 24, Sandy Dove, 36, and Samuel Bates, 26, are part of a 550-strong unit responsible for protecting Britain’s nuclear weapons.
The Royal Navy’s website says they are currently on deployment for ‘Maritime Security’ – boasting the group includes crack snipers and close combat specialists.
Royal Gibraltar Police said: ‘Seven men will be appearing before the Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday morning (May 2) following a large fight in Ocean Village.
‘During the incident, seven RGP officers and one member of the public were injured.
‘The Response Team officers were required to use captor spray, baton tactics and unarmed defence tactics.
‘The Royal Gibraltar Police officers were assisted by officers from the Gibraltar Defence Police.
‘Early this morning, the men, who are all serving members of the military, were charged.’
Houghton was charged with two accounts of violent disorder, one of resisting and obstructing police, one of disorderly whilst intoxicated and one of assault on the police.
Dove was charged with two counts of violent disorder, one of resisting and obstructing police and one of assault on police.
Connell, Tait, Bull, Holborn and Baits were all charged with two counts of violent disorder and one of resisting and obstructing police.
Police rushed to Ocean Village Gym, next to a harbour-side strip of bars, after recieving a call. Pictured: Ocean Village Gym
Police had to call the Gibraltar Defence Police for backup as they tried to subdue the serving soldiers.
They have been bailed from with conditions, pending their court appearance on Tuesday.
A MoD Media Officer told The Olive Press that ‘seven service personnel from 43 Commando were arrested by Royal Gibraltar Police on 28 April 2023’.
The Navy’s website reads: ‘From snipers who can disable a moving speedboat from a pursuit helicopter, through to close combat and cold-weather warfare specialists, 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines are the elite warriors who protect the UK’s strategic nuclear deterrent.
‘The unit works closely with the Ministry Of Defence (MOD) Police but also supports the Atomic Weapons Establishment, US Marine Corps and US Coast Guard.
‘Ready and able 24/7/365, 43 Commando delivers specialist capability in a uniquely complex urban, maritime, industrial environment.’
The Ministry of Defence has been contacted for comment.
Dubai-based podcast company Kerning Cultures Network is producing “The Lebanon Heist,” an original investigative probe into the root causes of Lebanon’s devastating financial crisis.
Launching in October, the six-part podcast will be produced in English and Arabic, delving into the crash that led to millions of Lebanese citizens being robbed of their life savings, and exploring the role of Riad Salamah, the country’s current central bank governor, who is considered to be at heart of the collapse. He is accused of having embezzled and laundered hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds.
Salameh, who denies wrongdoing, is being investigated in Lebanon and several European countries for allegedly siphoning off more than $300 million from the central bank with his brother throughout more than a decade.
The “Lebanon Heist” podcast will be hosted by award-winning Lebanese journalist and author Dalal Mawad — formerly with the Associated Press, now with CNN — and Beirut-based reporter Finbar Anderson.
Using live interviews, original reporting and archival materials, the podcast aims to reconstruct the story of the crash from the perspective of Lebanese citizens who lost everything as the political elite systematically ransacked the country’s resources in what has been defined as a state-sanctioned Ponzi scheme by the World Bank.
“[It] is a personal story that has affected me and those that I love,” said Mawad in a statement. “My whole life changed after 2019. My husband and I lost everything we had saved and hoped to build in Lebanon.”
The podcast will follow the active court cases against Lebanon’s central bank governor. Salameh is accused of money laundering, embezzlement, forgery, illicit enrichment and tax law violations in two separate cases in Lebanon but has not yet been formally charged within the investigating European countries.
“Lebanon might be small in size, but the reach and impact of this crime is global,” said Kerning Cultures editor Dana Ballout. “This series will serve as a canary in a coal mine for an international and regional audience who might, like we once did as Lebanese, think their money is safe,” she added, noting that “The fact is, no matter where you call home, your money is never really safe.”
Besides Ballout, the Kerning Cultures Network production team includes Alex Atack, Ahmed Feteha, Heba Afify, Alma Intabli and Mohamad Khreizat.
“The Lebanon Heist” will be the first true crime investigative podcast produced by Kering Cultures, which is a female-led and venture-funded podcast company founded in 2015 with the stated goal of forging a new kind of storytelling from the Arab world.
On Sunday’s “Inside With Jen Psaki,” MSNBC host and former White House press secretary Jen Psaki took a moment to reflect on the week over at Fox News — particularly in its surprising and unceremonious firing of Tucker Carlson.
But while there continues to be speculation over what Rupert Murdoch’s decision came down to, it’s clear that Carlson’s absence hasn’t changed much of the problematic sentiment espoused on the network daily. Psaki argued that “explicit white nationalist views were never the total problem for the network” and that under Carlson, they even “endorsed all of that.” Now instead, hosts like Laura Ingraham are continuing to push that messaging.
“This is simply who they are,” Psaki said of Fox News.
“The announcement that Fox News had abruptly fired Tucker Carlson caught many by surprise — including Tucker Carlson. And it ignited a flurry of reporting about why, exactly, the conservative cable network parted with its top-rated host,” Psaki began in Sunday’s “Inside” segment. “Was it because of highly offensive and crude messages discovered by the board of directors? Maybe. Like reportedly calling a female executive the c-word? (You know the one.) Was it due to the workplace harassment lawsuit filed by a former producer? Or was it simply that Rupert Murdoch decided that Carlson was more trouble than he was worth? For now, it’s not entirely clear. But what we do know is that for years, Fox News seemed to have ample reasons, many of them, to oust Carlson — and did nothing.”
The host then pulled up several clips of Carlson between 2018 and today to show just where his rhetoric feel, such as a 2018 anti-immigration argument in which he said immigrants make “our own country poorer and dirtier and more divided.”
“Charming,” Psaki responded.
A second clip showed Carlson peddling conspiracy theories on the Jan. 6 insurrection on the Capitol, claiming it was an “inside job.” “FBI operatives were organizing the attack on the Capitol,” Carlson argued, to which Psaki responded, “Obviously crazy.”
Or, Psaki added, there was his “obsessive promotion of the white nationalist replacement theory.” She pulled up a clip to match.
“Throughout it all, Fox backed Tucker. When asked in 2021 to comment on Carlson’s long record of lies and bigotry, Fox News plainly said, ‘We fully support him,’” Psaki said. “And for years, they did. But if you think Tucker’s firing means Fox has seen the light, don’t hold your breath. Don’t judge them on why they fired Carlson, judge them for all the times they didn’t. And judge them for what they’re still putting on the air this week. Since his exit on Monday, it’s been business as usual for their primetime lineup.”
That’s when Psaki pulled up a clip of Ingraham last week claiming that “illegal immigrant dreamers are valued over native-born Americans,” echoing Carlson’s fears of so-called replacement theory.
“Sounds pretty familiar, right?” Psaki said. “Fox News may have had a problem with Tucker himself, but his ideas, the conspiracies, the lies, his explicit white nationalist views, were never the total problem for the network. They endorsed all of that, and continue to do so. This is simply who they are.”
Watch the full “Inside With Jen Psaki” segment in the video above.
