Twitter has removed a label that designated NPR as a “US state-affiliated” media outlet mere days after first applying the label earlier this week. As of Saturday, the company now lists the public broadcaster as a “government funded” organization. NPR tech reporter Bobby Allyn was the first to report on the change. He said Elon Musk told him Twitter would apply the “government funded” designation to other institutions in the coming days. “Tesla, which has received billions of dollars in government subsidies over the years, does not appear to have the label,” .
NEW: Label on NPR’s main account changed to “government funded,” and Elon tells me Twitter is “applying it to a larger number of institutions.”
The main NPR account has not tweeted since Twitter first applied the state-affiliated label on Wednesday. After NPR CEO John Lansing issued a statement pointing out that the “state-affiliate” did not apply to the public broadcaster under Twitter’s own guidelines, the company changed those guidelines. “State-financed media organizations with editorial independence, like the BBC in the UK or NPR in the US for example, are not defined as state-affiliated media,” the page said before Tuesday. By Wednesday, the company had removed the section of text that had referenced NPR. , less than one percent of its annual operating budget comes from government grants. Over the last five years, the majority of the non-profit’s revenue, about 70 percent, has come from corporate sponsorships and programming fees.
From classic novels to blockbuster movies, the key to a compelling narrative lies in a well-crafted plot. But what makes a great plot?
Whether it’s a gripping thriller, a heartwarming romance, or a pulse-pounding action flick, a well-constructed plot can keep viewers glued to their seats, and invested in the story’s outcome. But what makes a plot truly unforgettable? I was rewatching Tarantino’s appearance on Charlie Rose this week and came across a quote that I’m not sure we’ve talked about on this site. So I wanted to go a little bit in-depth on it. It’s about how a plot unfolds.
In this article, we’ll explore the art of a plot unfolding and what it takes to create a story that keeps audiences engaged and invested from beginning to end.
You can watch the whole hour on YouTube, and I’ll include the pertinent quote below.
According to Tarantino, ‘A Great Plot Unfolds…’
A good plot should be like a journey that unfolds gradually, taking the audience on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and revelations.
Tarantino said:
“Most movies that you see now – I mean, that used to be a thing about America was the fact that Hollywood, forget America – Hollywood. Hollywood used to – that’s what we did better than anybody else in the world. We told a really good story. You know, Europe was where you had character-based films or mood-based films, but in America, we told a story. We’re the worst at it now as far as I’m concerned. We don’t tell a story. We tell a situation. Most of the movies that you see nowadays – and I’m not a Hollywood basher because enough good movies come out of the Hollywood system every year to justify its existence, you know, but- without any apologies. However, a good majority of the movies that come out, all right, you pretty much know everything you’re going to see in the movie by the first 10 or 20 minutes. Now, that’s not a story. A story is something that constantly unfolds. And I’m not talking about like this quick left turn or a quick right turn or a big surprise. I’m talking about it unfolding, all right.”
When we talk about a plot unfolding, we are referring to the gradual development of the story over the course of a movie. A well-crafted plot should feel like a journey, with each event and revelation leading the audience closer to the story’s ultimate resolution.
Tarantino on set of ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing
For Tarantino, a good plot is one that unfolds in a way that keeps the audience engaged and on the edge of their seats. This often involves non-linear storytelling techniques, where events are not presented in chronological order. Instead, the story is revealed piece by piece, often jumping back and forth in time, so that the audience must piece together the various elements to understand the full picture.
At the same time, a great plot is also character-driven. The choices and actions of the characters should be the driving force behind the story, rather than simply being a series of random events. This creates a sense of investment in the characters and their journeys, making the audience more emotionally invested in the outcome of the story.
In addition to being character-driven and non-linear, a good plot should also be unpredictable. The audience should not always know what is going to happen next, which creates a sense of tension and excitement. This often involves unexpected twists and turns in the story, which keep the audience guessing and make the eventual resolution all the more satisfying.
‘Jackie Brown’Credit: Miramax Films
How Does the Plot Unfold in Pulp Fiction?
One of Quentin Tarantino’s most famous films, Pulp Fiction, is a prime example of a plot that unfolds in a unique and captivating way. The movie’s non-linear storytelling techniques and unexpected plot twists have made it a classic of modern cinema.
The film’s story follows a series of interconnected characters in Los Angeles, each with their own unique storyline. These stories are not presented in chronological order, but rather jump back and forth in time, slowly revealing the connections between the characters and their various predicaments.
As the film progresses, the audience learns more about each character’s motivations and how their lives intersect with each other. From the hitmen Vincent (John Travolta)and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson), to the boxer Butch (Bruce Willis) and his girlfriend Fabienne (Maria de Medeiros), each character’s story is woven together in a complex and satisfying way.
Throughout the film, Tarantino masterfully builds tension and suspense, keeping the audience engaged and guessing as to what will happen next. Unexpected plot twists and shocking revelations keep the story fresh and exciting, culminating in a thrilling finale that ties everything together.
‘Pulp Fiction’Credit: Miramax Films
Summing Up The Unfolding Plot
The art of a plot unfolding is a delicate balance of character development, unexpected twists and turns, and the gradual reveal of key information. A great plot should be character-driven, emotionally engaging, and unpredictable, taking audiences on a journey they won’t soon forget. By mastering the art of a plot unfolding, writers and filmmakers can create stories that captivate and inspire audiences for years to come.
John Regan, the bass player who toured with Peter Frampton, Ace Frehley, The Rolling Stones, Billy Idol and David Bowe, has died.
His wife Cathy Merring-Regan confirmed the news in a statement that was posted by a family friend on Facebook.
“It is with the greatest sorrow and sadness that I let you all know John passed away this afternoon. So many people have posted messages of love and condolences on his phone,” the statement reads. “I am trying to figure out how to post on any of his fb pages. I appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers.”
Peter Frampton mourned the loss of Regan, writing on Twitter, “There might only be a handful, if that, of people who come into your world and truly enrich your life. I have lost one of my closest buddies. He certainly enriched my life because of the person and the great player he was. John Regan was the best of us.”
There might only be a handful, if that, of people who come into your world and truly enrich your life. I have lost one of my closest buddies. He certainly enriched my life because of the person and the great player he was. John Regan was the best of us. He went out of his way pic.twitter.com/IEZ1Vi4CoR
TV show dates: January 21, 2018 — January 17, 2023. Series status:Cancelled.
Performers include: Matt Czuchry, Emily VanCamp, Manish Dayal, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Bruce Greenwood, Merrin Dungey, Melina Kanakaredes, Moran Atias, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Glenn Morshower, Jane Leeves, Morris Chestnut, Jessica Lucas, Anuja Joshi, Miles Fowler, Kaley Ronayne, and Andrew McCarthy.
TV show description: From creators Amy Holden Jones, Hayley Schore, and Roshan Sethi, The Resident TV show is a medical drama. The story follows Dr. Devon Pravesh (Dayal), a newly minted resident, as well as Senior Resident Dr. Conrad Hawkins (Czuchry), and their colleagues at the Chastain Park Memorial Hospital.
Although Chastain Park’s motto is, “Committed to excellence,” the hospital is staffed with human beings, and humans are flawed. Once Devon gets to see beyond the institution’s well-appointed façade, replete with a harpist in the lobby, he must face the truth about medicine and its delivery.
Although he is yet to complete his residency, Conrad is already beating his own path. As Devon’s supervisor, he insists on total obedience. Despite his rough-edged, take-no-prisoners approach, he cares and recognizes the same spark within Devon.
Conrad has no regard for Chief of Surgery Dr. Solomon Bell (Greenwood). He knows the old man abuses his position to cover for his many, sometimes lethal mistakes. Bell is also not above using Dr. Mina Okafor’s (Wilson) visa status over her head, to ensure he gets the credit for her hard work.
Then there’s nurse Nicolette Nevin (VanCamp). She and Conrad used to be involved, but these days, her dating profile specifies, “No doctors.” There’s still something between them, though, and she makes Conrad want to be a better doctor and a better man.
This medical procedural provides a behind-the-scenes look at the state of medical care, from the highs of ultra-precise, hi-tech robotic surgery to the lows of petty vanities and the craven quest for profit. Still, behind it all lies the everyday goal of saving lives.
Series Finale: Episode #107 — All Hands On Deck Conrad is pulled away from celebrating Gigi’s 6th birthday when Sammie comes into Chastian with a 104-degree fever, and Kit must call in a favor for treatment. Meanwhile, a heart arrives for Governor Betz’s transplant surgery. First aired: January 17, 2023.
What do you think? Do you like The Resident TV series? Should this TV show have been cancelled or renewed for a seventh season on FOX?
Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars filed a lawsuit against his bandmates on Thursday, accusing them of forcing him out of the 41-year-old hair metal band and keeping him from all future profits. The alleged cut-off occurred after Mars announced he’d be retiring from touring due to a chronic inflammatory disease.
The lawsuit, obtained by the New York Times, claims the rest of the band (Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil) called an emergency shareholders’ meeting in which they schemed to fire Mars from the band’s corporations and entities.
“It is beyond sad that, after 41 years together, a band would try to throw out a member who is unable to tour anymore because he has a debilitating disease,” Edwin F. McPherson, Mars’ lawyer, told The Times. “Mick has been pushed around for far too long in this band, and we are not going to let that continue.”
McPherson did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
The band’s legal representation told The Times the group had agreed some 15 years ago that they would cut off any of the members from earnings from performances should they step down.
Mars announced last October he would be retiring due to the pain caused by his ankylosing spondylitis, a disease that can cause the spine to seize up and freeze. Mars, 71, was first diagnosed with the disease when he was 27, according to The Times.
In the lawsuit, Mars claims Sixx gaslighted him by telling him he was a bad guitar player who played the wrong chords while on stage. Mars did not deny he would occasionally play the wrong chords, but that was only because of a defective in-ear monitor.
Mars last performed with the band in September 2022, in Las Vegas. Mars said in the suit he would still perform with Mötley Crüe in residency situations, and would still record with the band, according to The Times.
Your weekly horoscope is here. Short-term and shiny never looked so good as Venus, the planet representing love and desire takes on the form of speed dater Gemini. Enjoy social interaction but keep it short and sweet. Circulate! No need to get bogged down or dreary; keep it bright and keep it moving. Throw in entertainer Justine Bateman’s past tense hack from her book FAME, “It’s nice to have met you” line. With a peak in devil-may-care confidence midweek, you can achieve a lot so the best advice is to go for it!
Read on to discover your weekly horoscope and what’s in store for your sign during the week of April 9 through April 15, 2023.
Aries
Hey, firestarter, this is a big energy week for you as your personality and charisma take you supernova. While the entire week is sparkling, Wednesday is the apex, so think big, do it bigger, and go for what you desire. Take a calculated leap of faith or note what inspiration presents; you may have to run with it spontaneously. The planet of love is Goddessing about in your sphere of local relationships, so make new connections, chat up that cutie, and find that not-so-hidden gem. This hot take on the pleasure principle is about communication, so give your best chat-up line while your confidence is sky-high.
Taurus
With plenty of practical ideas on moving your compass forward, be sure to factor in the money. Venus, the planet of love and values, settles into your cash zone on Tuesday, suggesting your silver line can land a nice big fish. Your capacity to engage people, style, and ability to provide value all count for something through May 7. So build up those coffers, yet treat yourself with the gift of knowledge or a useful gadget. You’ll want something to show for the spend, so make sure it’s quality if it’s an item, blue chip if it’s an investment, and download it if it’s a course. Midweek your intuition is so sharp you may consider a side career as a psychic medium *winks*. Note those hunches, Taurus, and take them all the way to the bank.
Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn began quietly dating in 2016
The pair reportedly ended their relationship in the Spring of 2023
Joe Alwyn has served as the inspiration to several albums of Taylor’s, including reputation, Lover, Folklore, Evermore and most recently Midnights
Taylor Swift seemed to have met her match in Joe Alwyn, however, the relationship appears to have come to an end as of April 2023. After years of dating in the spotlight, the Grammy winner has reportedly split after nearly seven years together according to Entertainment Tonight. The relationship had “run its course” and it’s a reason why he “hasn’t been spotted at any shows” — referring to her Eras Tour that kicked off in March 2023. The split was “not dramatic” the outlet also reported.
Before splitting, it seemed that Taylor had finally found peace with Joe. The two had been together since they secretly started dating in the fall of 2016, and made a point to keep their relationship out of the public eye.
While the reported former couple has been shy about most details, fans know some intimate bits about Taylor and Joe’s relationships from the (many) songs that she’s written about him. He had also even opened up about their romance in an interview or two. Find out more about the exes relationship below!
Taylor Before Joe
As one of the world’s biggest superstars, Taylor Swift’s love life has long been in the spotlight. Her repertoire was even filled with long songs during the beginning of her career as a country star when she was just 15 years old. Since then, she’s crooned about heartbreak across genres. But the star really had to confront her demons when she started feuding with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in 2016, and was flooded with public hate.
Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn out together. (Blitz Pictures/Shutterstock)
Amid the feud, she was branded as a “snake” by Kim, which led to thousands of Kimye fans coming after her on-the-regular. Around this time, Taylor also broke up with her longtime boyfriend, Calvin Harris, and started dating Tom Hiddleston just weeks later. She had formed a ‘squad’ friend group, filled with supermodels and other A-list stars. It didn’t take long for the public to label her as “overexposed,” and it caused her to essentially go into hiding and “disappear” from the public eye.
Who Is Joe Alwyn?
Things were chaotic in Taylor world before Joe Alwyn came into her world. The dapper actor from England lived a much more low-key life than Taylor, so he was a breath of fresh air to the star. Though an actor, Hollywood was even new to Joe. He didn’t start studying acting until his late teens, and didn’t even make his acting debut until 2016.
Unlike Taylor, Joe was able to go to college (he studied English literature and drama at the University of Bristol), and live a relatively normal life. Around the same time he started dating Taylor, he began making a name for himself with roles in movies like The Favourite and Mary Queen of Scots. Of course, his relationship with an international pop star helped with his notoriety, as well.
How Did Taylor Swift & Joe Alwyn Meet?
Taylor and Joe met at the Met Gala in May 2016. Taylor was the co-chair of the event that year, and she was dating Calvin at the time. Fans didn’t know it, but Taylor and Calvin’s relationship was at the end of its rope.
In the 2017 Swift song, “Dress,” Taylor sang about meeting Joe at this very event. “Flashback when you met me, your buzz cut and my hair bleached,” she croons on the track. Indeed, Taylor did have bleached hair, and Joe a buzz cut, at that year’s Met Gala.
In 2017, Taylor released the song “Gorgeous,” where she admits that she was infatuated with Joe from the start. “You should think about the consequence, of your magnetic field being a little too strong, and I got a boyfriend, he’s older than us, he’s in the club doing I don’t know what,” she sings. In the chorus, she adds, “You’re so gorgeous, I can’t say anything to your face.”
Taylor Swift at the 2016 Met Gala and Joe Alwyn at an event in 2018. (David Fisher/Shutterstock/Tony Clifton / SplashNews.com)
Taylor’s Tryst With Tom Hiddleston
However, it wasn’t Joe who Taylor spent the night dancing with at the Met Gala. Rather, she was caught spending quite a bit of quality time with Tom on the dance floor. Videos surfaced of the two dancing up a storm. By the beginning of June, news broke that Taylor and Calvin had split, and she was photographed kissing Tom in Rhode Island just two weeks later.
Taylor Swift out and about with Tom Hiddleston. (Broadimage/Shutterstock)
In Swift’s song “Getaway Car,” she sings about the situation. “The ties were black, the lies were white, in shades of grey and candlelight, I wanted to leave him, I needed a reason,” she says in the song’s first verse. In the chorus, she also makes it clear that she was just using Tom as her “getaway car,” and notes that he shouldn’t be surprised that she wound up leaving him just months later.
Getting To Know Joe
Throughout her summer fling with Tom, Taylor appears to have stayed friends with Joe. “I hate accidents, except when we went from friends to this,” she sings about the actor in her 2019 track, “Paper Rings.”
However, the song “Cruel Summer” makes it clear that there were deeper feelings beyond friendship being harbored. The song’s bridge hints that she was keeping her feelings for Joe a secret all summer long. “Said I’m fine, but it wasn’t true, I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you, and I snuck in through the garden gate, every night that summer just to seal my fate,” she sings, hinting that she may have even been sneaking off to see Joe without Tom knowing.
“Paper Rings” also features the lyrics, “The wine is cold, like the shoulder that I gave you in the street, cat and mouse for a month or two or three,” which seems to reveal that Taylor felt she had to ignore and evade Joe while secretly being in love with him.
Joe & Taylor Go Public In 2016
It wasn’t until October 2016 that Taylor and Joe were publicly connected. The two both attended a private Kings of Leon concert in New York City, as well as an after-party at the Bowery Hotel. Taylor was photographed at the event with some friends, and it was later uncovered that Joe was also in attendance. At the time, though, there was no connection between the pair. It wasn’t until May 2017 that news outlets began reporting that Taylor and Joe were an item. They had been able to keep their relationship a secret for eight months.
The exact timing of when Taylor and Joe’s relationship began is unclear, but in April 2018, Taylor hinted that their anniversary is Sept. 28. She released a cover of Earth, Wind & Fire’s song “September” and changed one lyric from “Do you remember, the 21st night of September” to “Do you remember, the 28th night of September?”
It’s clear from Taylor’s music that she credits Joe with getting her through the hardest time of her life after the drama with Kim and Kanye. In her 2017 song “Call It What You Want,” she sings, “All the liars are calling me one, nobody’s heard from me for months, I’m doing better than I ever was” and “Bridges burn, I never learn, at least I did one thing right, I’m laughing with my lover, making forts under covers, trust him like a brother, yeah you know I did one thing right.”
Taylor Sings About Tom On ‘Midnights’
Taylor’s 2022 album Midnights opens with “Lavender Haze,” a tribute to her romance with Joe. In the song, she talks about how he’s supported her during her 2017 Reputation drama, siging “I’ve been under scrutiny, you handle it beautifully, all this s*** is new to me.” She touches on a potential engagement in the next lines, saying, “All they keep asking me is if I’m gonna be your bride. The only kind of girl they see is one night or a wife.”
Taylor explained the song’s title ahead of the release, telling Instagram followers how she first heard the phrase on the show Mad Men. “It’s a common phrase used in the 50s where they would just describe being in love,” Taylor revealed. “If you were in the lavender haze, that meant you were in the all-encompassing love glow, and I thought that was really beautiful.”
The album’s song “Mastermind” is also about Joe. Though she’d previously called their friendship “accidental,” Taylor appeared to drop the ruse in the sassy track. “What if I told you none of it was accidental,” Taylor sings on “Mastermind.” “And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me. I laid the ground work and then just like clockwork the dominoes cascaded in a line. What if I told you I’m a mastermind? And now you’re mine. It was all by design.”
At the end of the song, Taylor sings about confessing to Joe that she was going to stop at nothing to make sure they ended up together. While she was worried about how he’d react, it turns out that he was aware the entire time, and his only reaction was a smile.
How They Stay Private
Taylor has been a bit more open about how she handles the stress of dating in the spotlight in recent years. Talking about her love with Joe ahead of Midnights’ release in Oct. 2022, she said, “My relationship for six years, we’ve had to dodge weird rumors, tabloid stuff, and we just ignore it. So [“Lavender Haze”] is sort of about the act of ignoring that stuff to protect the real stuff.”
Tom said a similar thing back in Apr. 2022 with Elle. Explaining why he keeps his cards close to his chest, he said, “It’s not really [because I] want to be guarded and private, it’s more a response to something else. We live in a culture that is so increasingly intrusive. The more you give and frankly, even if you don’t give it, something will be taken.”
Are Taylor & Joe Engaged?
Despite speculation, Taylor and Joe are not engaged. A somewhat exhausted Joe touched on the subject after he was asked by WSJ Magazine in Apr. 2022. “If I had a pound for every time I think I’ve been told I’ve been engaged, then I’d have a lot of pound coins,” the British actor said. Still, he remained coy, saying, “I mean, the truth is, if the answer was yes, I wouldn’t say, and if the answer was no, I wouldn’t say.”
Taylor Swift & Joe Alwyns’ Top Moments
Even though Taylor is not shy when it comes to singing about Joe on her songs, the two have made a point to be photographed together as little as possible. They’ve never once shared a picture together on social media, and have not walked a red carpet together yet, either. However, despite their attempts to stay private, the lovebirds have been caught out in public a few times during their relationship.
At the end of 2018, Taylor supported Joe at the premiere of his movie The Favourite. She didn’t walk the red carpet, but she got glammed up and was photographed leaving a post-premiere party with her man. The Favourite was a big award show-nominee in 2019. Joe attended that year’s Golden Globes solo for the film, but Taylor made a surprise appearance as a presenter, and the two were spotted leaving an after-party together. She was also by his side at an after-party for the BAFTAs in Feb. 2019.
Of course, Joe has gone out of his way to support Taylor quite a bit, as well. He was there to watch her performance on Saturday Night Live in Oct. 2019, and they were photographed heading to the after-party together. Joe also supported Taylor at the premiere of Cats in 2019, although he did not walk the red carpet. In 2020, the two were at the Golden Globes once again, and this time, they sat next to each other at the same table. Photographers caught Taylor looking lovingly at Joe inside the award ceremony, and there were even some cute PDA moments! That February, Joe was by Taylor’s side at the NME Awards, and a fan inside the event caught them kissing on video!
Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn at a Golden Globes after-party in 2020. (Photographer Group/MEGA)
Joe Appears In ‘Miss Americana’
In Taylor’s 2020 documentary Miss Americana, she opened up a bit more about her relationship with Joe. Footage revealed that Joe was there for the opening night of Taylor’s Reputation tour, and when she got off stage, the first thing she did was find him so she could run into his arms. In the doc, Taylor discusses her drama with Kim and Kanye, but adds, “I also was falling in love with someone who had a wonderfully normal, balanced life.” She also says, “Even though it was [a] really horrible [time], I was happy. But I wasn’t happy in the way I was trained to be happy. It was happiness without anyone else’s input. We were just…happy.”
During the coronavirus in 2020, Taylor and Joe’s relationship crossed over from personal to professional when they started collaborating on songs together while quarantining. When Taylor surprised fans with her album, Folklore, in July 2020, there was a mysterious co-writer named William Bowery on two of the tracks. Fans began theorizing that William Bowery was Joe due to one of the pair’s first public hangouts taking place at the Bowery Hotel in 2016. Plus, Joe’s grandfather, William Alwyn, was a composer, conductor and music teacher. When Taylor released live recordings of Folklore for her Disney+ movie, Folkore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, she confirmed that William Bowery is, indeed, Joe. William Bowery returned to co-write three more tracks on Taylor’s next album, Evermore, which was released in Dec. 2020.
Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn holding hands. ( LRNYC / MEGA)
When Folklore won the award for Album of the Year at the Grammys in March 2021, Taylor made sure to shout Joe out in her speech. “I wanna thank Joe,” she said. “The first person I play every single song that I write. I had the best time writing songs with you in quarantine.” It was the first time she publicly mentioned him in this manner. She shared a similar sentiment while being honored with the Global Icon Award at the BRIT Awards in May.
Taylor Swift & Joe Alwyn Reportedly Split
In a move that shocked Swifties to the core, a report emerged on Easter Weekend 2023 that Taylor and Joe had broken up after nearly seven years. The break-up had reportedly happened several weeks before the report and was “not dramatic” per ET. “The relationship had just run its course. It’s why [Alwyn] hasn’t been spotted at any shows,” they also said, referencing her Eras Tour that kicked off in March 2023.
Taylor Swift’s Past Relationships
Before Joe, Taylor was in a number of high-profile relationships. Her first public romance was with Joe Jonas during the summer and fall of 2008. Taylor made a surprise appearance at the Jonas Brothers’ tour that summer to sing her hit “Should’ve Said No,” and she and Joe began being spotted out and about together after that. Unfortunately, the relationship was short-lived, as Taylor revealed that Joe “broke up with her over the phone” that October. She penned songs like “Forever & Always,” “Better Than Revenge,” “Last Kiss” and “Mr. Perfectly Fine” about the relationship, and now, the two are friends!
Following Joe, Taylor was in a relationship with Taylor Lautner, who she met on the set of the movie Valentine’s Day. They were together for the second half of 2009 before splitting that December. Swift wrote her first apology song, “Back to December,” about the breakup. Next came a fling with John Mayer, although fans didn’t even know that relationship existed until months later when Tay released the heartbreaking song “Dear John” in Oct. 2010.
From the end of 2010 until the beginning of 2011, Taylor was with Jake Gyllenhaal. It’s no secret that he broke her heart, which fans know from the fan-favorite track “All Too Well.” Several of the songs on Taylor’s 2012 album, Red, were about her relationship with Jake, including “We Are Never Getting Back Together”, “State of Grace,” and “The Moment I Knew.” After Jake, Taylor was with Conor Kennedy during the summer of 2012. They were seen hanging out in Rhode Island together quite a bit, and Taylor even got to know Conor’s famous family. She penned the song “Starlight” for his grandmother, Ethel Kennedy, who was Robert F. Kennedy’s widow.
Taylor Swift out with Calvin Harris. (Broadimage/Shutterstock)
Of course, Taylor also dated Harry Styles. Although the two had been linked a few times prior, their relationship strengthened at the end of 2012. They were together for just a couple of months before calling it quits, but Harry inspired most of Taylor’s 2014 album, 1989. In Feb. 2015, Taylor met Calvin Harris via their mutual friend, Ellie Goulding. They started dating the following month and were together for more than a year before splitting in June 2016. Then came the summer fling with Tom, which featured a lot of jet-setting and very public displays of affection. None of this matters now, though, that Joe is in the picture!
Just days after a report from Goldman Sachs saying that 300 million jobs could be at risk of being replaced by so-called generative AI tools such as ChatGPT or solutions from Google or Microsoft (and others), data collected by TechRadar Pro shows that search around jobs most at risk of being replaced by artificial intelligence has increased by an order of magnitude since November 2022 when ChatGPT opened up to the general public.
Not surprisingly, programmers were the ones most attuned to the risk of losing out to AI with will chatgpt replace programmers, will ai replace programmers and can chatgpt replace programmers seeing search queries increase by almost 20x over the past four months to tens of thousands of searches per month.
It’s almost been two years since Microsoft released Copilot on Github, a tool developed with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, which helps programmers code better and as of February 2023, accounts for almost half of all the code written on Github (up from 27% in June 2022).
Artists have also been particularly intrigued by the arrival of a plethora of AI tools like Dall-E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion or Adobe Firefly, tools that offer a new sort of challenge for thousands of freelancers, small businesses, creatives and professionals worldwide. Search for will ai replace artists shot up by 3100% but even that was dwarfed by the 64x rise in search for will AI replace designers.
AI will surpass human beings at, well, being what makes us humans at the core
Large language models and chatbots that can not only converse like humans do (ChatGPT has passed the Turing test) but can also deliver results in a variety of forms (images, text, audio, videos).
And yes, there’s some buzz amongst a lot of my colleagues as to how this new technology can help empower rather than replace journalists, how it can become an exoskeleton for us humans rather than a super soldier. Fittingly enough, we’ve also written a best AI writer buying guide.
The common denominator of the above job categories is creativity and it seems inevitable that given enough time and resources, AI will surpass human beings at, well, being what makes us humans at the core, our ability to create new things using nothing more than our imagination and life experience.
Other jobs singled out during my keyword research include software designers, graphic designers, web developers but also accountants, lawyers, data analysts, radiologists and doctors. I used an SEO keyword tool called Keywordtool.io to extract the data from Google global search database with the latest numbers as of the end of February 2023.
It’s Easter weekend, so naturally “Saturday Night Live” did an Easter-themed cold open. But the news has been crazy this week, and so “SNL” found a way to combine Easter with Donald Trump.
In this case, the show basically barely parodied the disgraced ex-president with a cold open sketch that had James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump impression interrupt a recreation of the Last Supper to compare himself to Jesus Christ.
Or rather, he compared himself to “Jesus of Azkaban,” which of course kinda sounds like something the real Donald Trump would say.
The sketch began with a narration explaining the context for the Last Supper, then came the sketch, featuring pretty much the entire current “SNL” cast in what is probably the one trillionth parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, with Mikey Day portraying Jesus. We assume you’re familiar with the final dinner Jesus Christ had with his followers prior to being arrested and then crucified, and as such can pretty much guess how this part of the sketch went. If not, please, we beg you, read a book.
Then shortly after the part where Jesus tells his disciples that one of them will betray him, he says “though I have committed no crime, I will be arrested.” At this point, they all froze and out came Johnson as Trump.
“Sound familiar?” he asked. “a”A famous wonderful man arrested for no reason at all. Iif you haven’t put it together folks, I’m comparing myself to Jesus again and what better time than on his birthday, Easter.”
Johnson’s Trump complained that he is “being persecuted on a level, the likes of which the world has never seen, even worse than the late, great Jesus,” before declaring he and Jesus are a lot alike, especially since “we’re both white Americans.”
Johnson’s Trump bragged that while Jesus (according to the Christian bible) rose from the dead in three days, “I would have done it faster,” and then he noted another similarity between himself and Jesus: “He had big big rallies just like me, and a lot of his followers got in big big trouble just like mine.”
Things continued like this for a few more minutes – at one point “SNL” borrowed a joke from “A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas in 3D” by referring to Jesus as a nepo baby, and of course there’s also the moment when Johnson’s Trump compared himself to “Jesus of Azkaban,” before the sketch reached the “Live from New York…” part. You can see a large part of the sketch here right now at the top of the page.
According to ET, the couple broke up a few weeks ago. “It was not dramatic,” a source told the publication. “The relationship had just run its course. It’s why [Alwyn] hasn’t been spotted at any shows.”
It’s true, the Catherine Called Birdy actor has been noticeably absent from Swift’s Eras Tour since it began on March 17 in Glendale, Arizona. But his presence—or rather, the lack thereof—seemed understandable considering the two were notoriously private about their relationship.
“It’s not really [because I] want to be guarded and private; it’s more a response to something else,” Alwyn told Elle U.K. last year when asked about it. “We live in a culture that is so increasingly intrusive…. The more you give—and frankly, even if you don’t give it—something will be taken.”
And even though Alwyn and Swift didn’t speak much about their relationship publicly, he has inspired several songs by the artist. Most recently, Swift’s hit single “Lavender Haze” is thought to be about their desire to keep their romance away from outside noise.
Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn in 2019 in New York City. Robert Kamau
“I guess, theoretically, when you’re in the lavender haze you’ll do anything to stay there and not let people bring you down off of that cloud,” Swift said in an Instagram video about the song. I think a lot of people have to deal with this now, not just ‘public figures,’ because we live in the era of social media, and if the world finds out that you’re in love with somebody they’re going to weigh in on it. Like my relationship for six years, we’ve had to dodge weird rumors, tabloid stuff and we just ignore it. This song is sort of about the act of ignoring that stuff to protect the real stuff.”
Preity Zinta recently opened up on being harassed.
Preity Zinta opened up about being harassed in a new post. The actress found support from Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, and Malaika Arora, among others.
Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan, and Malaika Arora were among the many stars who rushed to Preity Zinta’s support after the actress spoke about being harassed. On Saturday, the Kal Ho Naa Ho star penned a strongly worded note after she was trolled for not helping a handicapped man. The actress talked about how an unknown woman tried to take her daughter Gia’s photo. Later, she ‘planted a big wet kiss’ close to Gia’s mouth. Preity also opened up on how a ‘handicapped man kept trying to stop’ her for money.
Reacting to the post, Hrithik Roshan commented, “Well done Pree with a red heart emoji.” Arjun Rampal said, “Next time give me a call will sort them out with a red heart emoji.” Malaika Arora wrote, “You said it out loud and clear (person raising both hands in celebration emoji).” Priyanka Chopra posted a person raising both hands in celebration, face with open mouth, and clapping hands emojis. Lilly Singh’s comment read, “Good on you for standing up for yourself. I know that can be hard. But it’s important and true.”
Several fans too reacted to the same. One of them wrote, “It is so important to respect boundaries and to remember that everybody has the right to privacy, even public figures.” “It’s kind of horrible to hear that someone tried to grab and kiss your children. No humanity left. Celebrity or no celebrity people work hard to achieve what they have,” read another one.
On the social media post, Preity talked about two incidents that shook her this week and said, “I have equal right like anyone else to live the way I want.” “I think it’s high time people realise that I’m a human being first, then a mom & then a celebrity. I also don’t need to apologise for my success constantly & be bullied for it cuz I’ve worked very hard to get where I am,” she added.
“Most importantly my children are NOT part of a package deal & are not meant to be preyed on so please Leave my kids alone & don’t come to them for photos or touch/grab them. They are infants & need to be treated like infants, not celebrities,” she said.
Preity lives with her husband Gene Goodenough and their children-Gia and Jai, in Los Angeles, US. She is currently visiting India.
Aditi Giri, Senior Sub-Editor at News18. She is a Bollywood and Biryani enthusiast. She loves talking to your favourite BTown celebrities, and brings …Read More
Premiering the night before Easter, the latest episode of “Saturday Night Live” opened with a serene image of the sketch show cast members sitting at a long table, perfectly costumed and positioned to parallel Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” But the tranquility was short-lived with the arrival of cast member James Austin Johnson, who took over the cold open by telling the story of Easter as a monologue delivered by Donald Trump.
Last week’s episode also opened with a Trump spoof after the former president was indicted by a grand jury. On April 4, Trump pled not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records. His arrest and arraignment made him the first president in U.S. history to ever be charged with a crime after leaving office. And this milestone was also addressed with this week’s cold open.
“A famous, wonderful man arrested for no reason at all. If you haven’t put it together folks, I’m comparing myself to Jesus again. And what better time than on his birthday, Easter,” Johnson as Trump said. “As we speak, I am being persecuted on a level, the likes of which the world has never seen. Even worse than the late, great Jesus.”
Embodying Trump, Johnson went on to offer comparisons between himself and Jesus: “we’re both very tall, very popular, and both, frankly, white Americans.” He also jokes that, like Jesus, he held massive rallies and his followers got in severe trouble. Johnson’s Trump also referred to Jesus’ Eastertime resurrection over a three-day period: “I would have done it faster. Possibly two days. I could have done it a lot faster,” Johnson sneered.
The biblical allusions continued with Johnson paralleling Florida governor Ron DeSantis to Judas, the infamous apostle who betrayed Jesus and suffered a macabre death.
“I’ve even got my very own Judas: Ron DeSantis,” Johnson said as Trump. “Ron DeSantis came to me, tears in his eyes, and said, ‘Help me, Mr. Trump, I’m going to lose my election.’ So I very generously pretended to like him. And then he did a Judas, and now he can’t even get the gays out of Disney World.”
The jab comes the same week as DeSantis’ latest attempt to gain control over Disney World and other Orlando theme parks with threats of increasing taxes in the area.
The April 8 episode features former “SNL” cast member Molly Shannon as host.
Shannon made her first appearance with her monologue, which she turned into a rousing showtune number that include a cameo appearance from “SNL” exec producer Lorne Michaels and Martin Short.
Wearing a sequined mini dress, Shannon sang the crowd pleaser “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” from the musical “Gypsy,” with exaggerated over-the-top Broadway performance touches. As she belted “Curtain up! Light the lights,” Shannon was joined by new cast member Molly Kearney. Kearney told her namesake “I’m not really in the show much so I’m interrupting your song to get more camera time.”
Shannon kept stopping her show-stopper to check in with other cast members. Kenan Thompson told her he “can’t stop buying fake Rolexes”; Bowen Yang told her “I’m attracted to my therapist.” Michaels and Short were briefly pictured holding Champagne flutes. Short yelled “I ran out of Ozempic” and began ravenously eating a sandwich.
Short joined Shannon and other cast members on stage for the high-kicking finale.
Jonas Brothers performed for the third time on the “SNL” stage as the episode’s musical guest. The band of siblings are set to debut their sixth studio album, “The Album,” on May 12. This week, the brothers released another single, titled “Waffle House,” in anticipation of the album release.
“Saturday Night Live” stars Kenan Thompson, Mikey Day, Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, Bowen Yang, Chloe Fineman, Punkie Johnson and Andrew Dismukes as well as Michael Che and Colin Jost, co-anchors of Weekend Update. James Austin Johnson, Sarah Sherman, Marcello Hernández, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker are featured players.
Produced by Broadway Video and SNL Studios, the series is currently on its 48th season. Lorne Michaels remains attached to the sketch show as series creator with Liz Patrick in the director’s chair.
Watch “Saturday Night Live” at 8:30 p.m. PT/11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
According to a new rumor, Marvel Studios is rewriting its upcoming Black Widow sequel.
Set to release in 2024, Thunderbolts assembles a number of MCU antiheroes on a single team. However, several of its main stars are already from the same film.
Jin is known as the creator and showrunner for Netflix’s Beef.
On The Hot Mic podcast with John Rocha, industry scooper Jeff Sneider relayed a rumor about why this Thunderbolts rewrite was necessary, saying, “it had a similar problem to what Suicide Squad had:”
“I heard that they scrapped the other guys draft. One of the problems with that ‘Thunderbolts’ draft was that it had a similar problem to what ‘Suicide Squad’ had, the David Ayer one, in that it was too focused on the ‘Black Widow’ characters who are going to be in ‘Thunderbolts’ and it wasn’t an equal enough [balance] for the team. It just very much emphasized the characters we already knew.”
Warner Bros. released the DCU film Suicide Squad in 2016, which also featured a team of antiheroes and villains.
But despite an all-star cast and popular marketing campaign, the film was not well-received, leading to James Gunn releasing his version, The Suicide Squad, in 2021.
Thunderbolts Should Be More Than Black Widow 2
Marvel recruiting Lee Sung Jin to rewrite the script was already a red flag. The move suggested the studio wasn’t happy with Thunderbolts which is expected to begin filming soon.
While Sneider’s information is only a rumor, it’s not hard to believe that the initial script was too Black Widow-centric.
Not only did Andy Park refer to it as a quasi-like Black Widow sequel, but Florence Pugh and David Harbour are massive talents and practically stole every scene they were in back in 2021.
Having them reunited but working alongside Antonia Dreykov’s Taskmaster – as well as yet another Black Widow alum, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s Val – could easily be a film by itself.
However, Thunderbolts needs to be more than a Black Widow spin-off. And, Marvel Studios certainly needs to avoid what happened with the 2016’s Suicide Squad, especially since their similar premises make comparisons unavoidable.
For now, only time will tell if Lee is able to bring balance to the Thunderbolts cast and its script. But if all stays on schedule, fans should be seeing and hearing more once production gets underway.
Thunderbolts arrives in theaters on July 26, 2024.
James Gunn has made it clear that plenty more DC projects are already in the works at DC Studios that have yet to be revealed. A new report has reportedly confirmed exactly how extensive the new slate of DC projects is, and it is almost Marvel-esque in the sheer volume. While there are plenty of fan theories about what some of the yet-to-be-announced projects coming soon could be, Jeff Sneider has been telling The Hot Mic what he believes is coming to the DCU.
According to Sneider, the ten announced projects are just a small fraction of the 25 that are reportedly being worked on by the brand right now. Although there is no real information about how far into development some of these projects are, Sneider note that as well as the already “known” Lobo movie, James Gunn’s DCU is building to a Superman vs. The Authority movie as its first big event movie. Of course, with none of Sneider’s sources being official, there is very little more than that being discussed at this time.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAYSCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
Superman vs. The Authority would certainly make a lot of sense given the list of projects that Gunn and Peter Safran Gunn and Peter Safran have already announced as the first wave of the DCU’s Chapter One, entitled “Gods & Monsters.” As part of the first wave announcement, Gunn revealed that the first movie released under the new DCU banner would be Superman: Legacy, and this would be followed soon after by The Authority. Other projects already listed for release in the next few years are The Brave and The Bold, Swamp Thing, and Supergirl: World of Tomorrow, and the TV shows Waller, Paradise Lost, Booster Gold, and Lanterns.
Could James Gunn Be the One to Bring the MCU and DCU Together on Screen?
The Direct
Like many franchises, the worlds of the DCU and MCU are full of crossover potential, but could that include crossovers into each other’s universe? According to James Gunn, it is a real possibility in the future, but certainly not for a long while. While discussing the idea of doing a Marvel vs. DC event, Gunn commented:
“I’m certain that’s more likely now that I’m in charge [at DC]. Who knows? That’s many years away, though. I think we have to establish what we’re doing [at DC] first. I would be lying to say that we haven’t discussed it. But all discussions have been very, very light and fun.”
Gunn has spoken previously about the idea of seeing a huge crossover event play out on screen between the worlds of the two comic book giants, but the idea has not exactly enthused him. When commenting a couple of years ago that he had “casually talked to the powers that be,” Gunn went on to say that “just constantly seeing crossovers and mashups is less enchanting to me than a strong story.” However, based on some of the titles that have been revealed in the new DCU, it is clear that Gunn isn’t afraid to delve deep into DC’s lesser-known characters while also including the biggest heroes the franchise has to offer.
The Super Mario Bros Movie has made an impressive start at the box office following its release on Wednesday.
In the US, Illumination and Universal’s Nintendo video game adaptation is heading for a huge $195 million five-day opening, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The figure includes a projected $137 million for the three-day weekend, which would top Finding Dory ($135.1 million) to rank as the second-best launch of all time for an animated film at the US box office behind Incredibles 2.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie | Final Trailer
The film is already certain to achieve the best start for a video game adaptation, the top opening for a film from Despicable Me and Minions maker Illumination, and the largest movie launch of the year to date.
And if it hits its projections, the Mario movie would be the second-biggest five-day launch in US history behind the first Transformers film.
After earning $62.5 million in its first two days outside of the US, Deadline also reported on Friday that the film could rake in over $300 million worldwide by the end of the weekend.
While it’s off to a fast start at the box office, the Super Mario Bros Movie has divided viewer opinion.
Among professional critics, it currently has a 56% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. It appears to be doing notably better with movie-goers, however, with over 5,000 verified reviews on the site delivering a current average score of 96%.
“The Super Mario Bros Movie may not take any major risks, but it’s a faithful adaptation of the games and will appeal to children and fans of the series alike,” our critic wrote.
Poster signed by Arnold for Bruno Chatelin as a thank you token of fantastic Box Office records in France
I have been working with film festivals and helping filmmakers for the past 20 years in various capacities. There was only one big lesson I learnt in festivals: Cannes can work miracles for you, if you do the right thing with the right people : dare, work hard and be creative in each of your actions.
As a film distributor I have worked on 180 films including first film (the brothers McMullan by Ed Burns, Indian Runner by Sean Penn, Boyz’ n the Hood by John Singleton which launched his film career in Cannes. I also handled major blockbusters like T2, Independence Day, Hook, Cliffhanger, Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia… opportunity for a close work with Woody Allen, Scorcese, Coppola, Terry Gilliam, Oliver Stone, Brian de Palma, Lelouch…
As Marketing Director for Columbia Tri-Star Films France I broke several Box Office and company records.
I was appointed Managing Director in charge of setting up and running the new Joint Venture between Twentieth Century Fox and French major UGC.
I have attended over 300 festivals and had films in many of them, I ran an international festival in Cherbourg dedicated to student film and observed festivals as guest, jury, president, panelist or reporter I am an advisory Board Member of 5 Festivals LeMIAFF, CIFF, BIFF, The Film Festival Summit. My passion for festivals and independent film led me to launch after my distribution days the leading portal for the festival community: filmfestivals.com and fest 21.com established 1995.
I am elected member of the Board of European Film Academy, voting member at Cesar and chair of the International Film Festival Summit Europe.
I have started a consulting boutique focused on online communication and entertainment because I love sharing my knowledge and helping people connect with each other.
Founded in 2006 by film and festival veteran Bruno Chatelin, Major Buzz Factory offers strategic consulting, communication and marketing services to Distributors, Educators, Film Festivals and Independent Filmmakers around the world.
Whether you are a launching a new film, starting a new festival or trying to elevate an existing event, we can help gain speed, legitimacy and awareness.
DISTRIBUTOR/EXHIBITOR SERVICES
· Global Marketing – Publicity – Communication – Online strategy
· Sales representation
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· Online presence, tools and strategy, website, blog and social networks community management
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· Festival strategy
· Solicitation of major and regional film festivals
· Promotion kit for festival presentation once the film is selected
· Assistance with Cannes survival kit and promotion (25 years of experience on the biggest film market on earth)
FILM FESTIVAL CONSULTING
· Industry outreach and development
· Selection of jury members
· Panel creation and moderation
· Selection of panelists
· Outreach to celebrities
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· Sponsorship and fundraising strategy
· Marketing and publicity: positioning, communication tools, posters, trailers, marketing and sales documents
· Assistance in programming, access to European series…
· Install the event on the festival map, through trade communication
· Profile the festival to filmmakers, media, buyers and sales agents
· Boosting the appeal to filmmakers and fast-track film submission
· Strategic and creative help with special events
· Advise on catalog and marketing materials
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· Available for speaking opportunities, lectures and juries
· Produce film conferences: Future of Cinema Series with high profile industry guests, moderation, sponsoring, partnerships
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Above some of the films I enjoyed the most distributing (with a locally designed marketing and creative strategy, with local success against a mediocre US and International Box Office) Long story…
We review Ben Affleck’s excellent Nike drama Air, starring Matt Damon.
PLOT: In 1984, Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) tries to recruit Michael Jordan as a Hail Mary to save the fledgling basketball shoes division.
REVIEW: Ben Affleck’s Air allows the director to play to all his strengths as a director and actor. Like Argo, it shines a light on an intriguing event from the eighties, but unlike that film, the stakes here aren’t necessarily life and death. But, if you think the idea of a movie about Michael Jordan being signed to Nike is minor, you’d be wrong, as this is a truly involving, entertaining depiction of everything that went into the landmark deal. And this deal forever changed the way athletes are compensated the world over.
Matt Damon is at his best as the plucky Vaccaro. A passionate devotee of the game, he’s trying to put Nike on the map amongst basketball players at a time when Nike, as crazy as it sounds, was unhip. Converse was the biggest sneaker, and Adidas was quickly gaining momentum as the “cool” brand thanks to having placement in hip-hop videos. The movie spends much time depicting the frustration of all involved, who know they have the superior product. In addition to Damon’s Vaccaro, there’s Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, who’s in charge of marketing and has his family’s future staked on the shoe’s success.
In a showy supporting role, there’s also Ben Affleck himself as Phil Knight, Nike’s colourful CEO, who wears a perm and shows up to the office wearing loud tracksuits. While he initially comes off as a bit of an eighties yuppie send-up, Knight is also depicted as savvy and someone who believes in his employees, particularly Vaccaro, whose gambles often don’t pay off.
The movie follows Damon’s affable Vaccaro as he puts his and the company’s future on the line in his aggressive pursuit of Jordan. Remember that no one had any inkling of what MJ would become at the time, so it was a significant gamble. While we all know the outcome, we don’t know what went into the deal, with much time spent on Vaccaro’s respectful relationship with Jordan’s business-savvy mother, Deloris (played but the great Viola Davis), who wants her son to get his rightful share of whatever profits are made off of his name.
Affleck does a good job evoking the eighties era in a way that this actually feels like a movie that legitimately could have been made in the decade. The film is shot in a way that evokes an older-type movie by Robert Richardson, and Affleck even got Tangerine Dream to work on the score. Notably, the pace is kept tight, with the film running a lean, disciplined 112 minutes, with no fat on the bone whatsoever.
Affleck really has made a movie that sits nicely on the shelf next to Argo, and it seems sure to be a crowd-pleaser, even if you’re not a sports fan. The acting is top shelf, not only from Damon and Affleck, who are well-served by writer Alex Convery’s dialogue but also the entire supporting cast. That includes Chris Messina as Jordan’s shark-like (but not cartoonish agent). In a single scene, Marlon Wayans as college coach George Raveling, delivers the movie’s standout monologue about why you should always listen to your intuition. Chris Tucker is also terrific in an atypical role as Howard White, the man in charge of player relations, who evokes a believable affability that hides his own desire to do right by the families he interacts with.
All in all, Air really is a terrific package, with Affleck having a ton of fun telling this story. It definitely has one of the best soundtracks of the year, with the needle drops running the gamut from Bruce Springsteen to Axel F. Affleck even repurposes Pino Donaggio’s main theme to Brian De Palma’s Body Double to complement the Tangerine Dream music. It’s a nice touch in a movie that’s full of them. While Air will bow on Prime Video within a few months, it’s definitely a movie that delivers on the big screen and a rare adult drama people should go out and support.
Neeson wasn’t sure he wanted to visit Cancel Club until Peele told him it was a good idea.
One of the most memorable moments in “Atlanta” Season 3 (which is no small feat) comes in the form of a cameo from Liam Neeson. The actor appears as himself, sitting at the bar of an underground nightlife establishment for celebrities who have been publicly shamed, known as Cancel Club. Neeson has been exiled there due to the real comments that he made in 2019 when he said that he carried a gun for a week hoping for an opportunity to kill a Black man.
Neeson had already apologized profusely for the remarks, but the “Atlanta” cameo sees him subverting his own apologies and poking fun at the things that Hollywood allows white actors to get away with. The scene represents a perfect fusion of the real world and that wildly surreal “Atlanta” universe. But how do you convince a legendary actor to reckon with one of his most humiliating moments on national TV? In a new GQ profile, Glover explained how he got Neeson to take the gig.
Related
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“When I got in touch with him, Liam poured his heart out,” Glover said. “He was like, ‘I am embarrassed. I don’t know about this. I’m trying to get away from that.’ And I was like, ‘Man, I’m telling you, this will be funny! And you’ll actually get a lot of cream from it because it’ll show you’re sorry.’ So, he asked me to let him think about it. Then he sent me an email saying, ‘I don’t think I can do it and best of luck with ‘Atlanta,’ blah-blah-blah.’”
But Glover wasn’t ready to give up on the idea, so he began looking for another angle to convince Neeson that the role was right for him.
“Liam said [after the incident] he talked to Morgan Freeman, Jordan Peele, and Spike Lee,” he said. “So I was like… Jordan Peele! I hit Jordan Peele up and I was like, ‘Look, man, I got this idea. He said that he trusted you. Tell him it’s a good idea!’”
Fortunately, Peele liked the idea and was able to successfully convince Neeson to take the role, and the rest is TV history — though Glover noted that Peele found the experience so surreal that he briefly wondered if he was the subject of a larger prank.
“Jordan thought it was hilarious! So Jordan talked to him. Liam hit me back and said he talked to Jordan and his son and thought it’d actually be a good thing. But what was so funny is, like, I forgot to hit Jordan back. I was so excited about Liam doing it. So Jordan hit a friend of mine, and was like, ‘Am I on a prank show where Donald got me to forgive Liam Neeson? Was this a joke…on me?’”
All four seasons of “Atlanta” are streaming on FX via Hulu.
To help you keep tabs on the double-secret officially announced facts as well as some of the stronger rumors, TVLine — at the cost of exactly zero Bothans’ lives! — has compiled this handy database of the live-action series that have debuted or been announced thus far, and where each one stands with casting, filming and scheduled release dates.
This list does not include but of is supplemental to any animated offerings, such as The Bad Batch (which unspooled Season 2 in January/February/March 2023), the animé anthology Visions (which will release Volume 2 on May the Fourth) and the upcoming Tales of the Jedi and Young Jedi Adventures series.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT:Ahsoka follows the former Jedi knight (who made her live-action debut during Season 2 of The Mandalorian and subsequently appeared in The Book of Boba Fett) as she investigates an emerging threat to the vulnerable New Republic.
WHEN IS IT SET?: During the post–Return of the Jedi reconstruction era — same as The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.
CONFIRMED CAST: Rosario Dawson (as Ahsoka), Natasha Liu Bordizzo (as fan-favorite character Sabine Wren), Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Twi’lek rebellion member Hera Syndulla, Lars Mikkelsen (Star Wars Rebels) as Grand Admiral Thrawn, Genevieve O’Reilly (Rogue One, Andor) as Mon Mothma, Ray Stevenson (Black Sails) and Ivanna Sakhno as the Force-sensitive villains Baylan Skolland and Shin Hati, Diana Lee Inosanto as the Thrawn-loyal Morgan Elsbeth, David Tennant (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) voicing the droid Huyang… and a droid named Chopper.
WHO’S DIRECTING?: The line-up of directors includes Rebels creator Dave Filoni, Steph Green (Watchmen), Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Mandalorian), Jennifer Getzinger (Westworld, Jessica Jones), Geeta Patel (House of the Dragon) and Rick Famuyiwa (The Mandalorian).
NUMBER OF EPISODES: 8
PREMIERE DATE: Season 1 will premiere in August 2023; watch trailer above.
STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW
Image Credit: Courtesy of Lucasfilm
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Hailing from Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts and Spider-Man: Homecoming writer Chris Ford, Skeleton Crew follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. “Finding their way home — and meeting unlikely allies and enemies — will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined,” says the official synopsis. Yet while it stars and is about kids, Skeleton Crew is “as much for kids as The Clone Wars,“ exec producer Dave Filoni said at the 2022 Star Wars Celebration.
WHEN IS IT SET?: During the post-Return of the Jedi reconstruction following the Empire’s demise (same as The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and the upcoming Ahsoka series).
WHO’S DIRECTING?: Watts, The Daniels (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Bryce Dallas Howard (The Mandalorian), David Lowery (The Green Knight), Jake Scherier (Lodge 49, BEEF) and Lee Isaac Chung (Minari, The Mandalorian) helmed the episodes.
CONFIRMED CAST: Jude Law (The Third Day), Academy Award nominee Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin), Ravi Cabot-Conyers (#BlackAF), Kyriana Kratter (BUNK’D), Tunde Adebimpe (The Girlfriend Experience) and Robert Timothy Smith.
FILMING STATUS: Post-production was underway as of April 2023.
PREMIERE DATE: Sometime in 2023.
THE ACOLYTE
Image Credit: The ‘Acolyte’ cast, with showrunner Leslye Headland (in pink) (Disney+)
WHEN IS IT SET?: About 100 years prior to Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: From Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland, this mystery-thriller will “take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era,” as a “former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.”
Kelnacca
CONFIRMED CAST:Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give) as the aforementioned Padawan, Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game) as a Jedi Master, Joonas Suotamo (Solo: A Star Wars Story) as a Wookiee Jedi named Kelnacca, Rebecca Henderson (Inventing Anna) as Vernestra Rwoh, Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), Margarita Levieva (Revenge), Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials), Jodie Turner-Smith (The Last Ship), Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll), Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones) and Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix).
FILMING STATUS: Four episodes were finished as of Star Wars Celebration 2023.
PREMIERE DATE: On track for a 2024 release date.
ANDOR (Season 2)
Image Credit: ‘Andor’ (Courtesy of Disney+)
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: A prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Andor in its first season followed the titular Cassian (again played by Diego Luna) as his murder (one accidental, the other cold-blooded) of two “corpo” guards led him on a path to meet Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), a key member in the budding Resistance movement. Cassian helped out with the major heist of an Imperial payroll, but even after escaping wound up imprisoned. Following a prison escape, Cass made his way home to Ferrix, for his mother’s funeral, and managed to elude capture by the many factions hunting him. As the season came to a close, he joined Luthen on his Fondor craft, ready to assist the Resistance further.
WHEN IS IT SET?: Season 1 was set five years prior to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and spanned one year. Season 2 will be another 12 episodes and span the remaining four years leading up to Rogue One.
CONFIRMED (OR AT LEAST ASSUMED) CAST: Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O’Reilly (as Mon Mothma), Denise Gough (Dedra) and Kyle Soller (Syril); possibly Forest Whitaker (Saw Gerrera) and Adria Arjona (Bix).
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: In Season 1, which debuted Dec. 29, 2021, the legendary, eponymous bounty hunter (played by Temuera Morrison) and mercenary Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) navigated the galaxy’s underworld when they returned to the sands of Tatooine to stake their claim on the territory once ruled by Jabba the Hutt and his crime syndicate.
WHEN IS IT SET: Save for flashbacks/”memories” set shortly after Fett’s seeming demise in Return of the Jedi, most of the action took place during the same timeline as The Mandalorian.
COULD THERE BE A SEASON 2?: There were zero indicators at Star Wars Celebration 2022, but…. “There’s no official word just yet,” series lead Morrison told our sister site Variety after the show’s panel Q&A. “They filmed it like it could just be a nice book and we’ve read the book.”
UPDATE: The final two episodes of The Mandalorian Season 3 is said to “resolve” the events of Boba Fett Season 1. Also, a feature film directed by Star Wars Rebels creator and The Mandalorian EP Dave Filoni will deliver a “culminating event” for The Mandalorian, Boba Fett and the upcoming Ahsoka series.
THE MANDALORIAN (Season 4)
Image Credit: Twitter screenshot
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Given the events of The Book of Boba Fett Episode 5 — where Din Djarin was told by the Armorer that he “is a Mandalorian no more,” because he had removed his helmet/shown his face to others — and judging by the trailer above, Season 3 of Disney+’s flagship Star Wars series will find Mando, with Grogu in tow, zipping around in his Naboo N-1 starfighter and aiming to reclaim his status by visiting the “living waters” in the mines under Mandalore. Something which Bo Katan might not be too keen about!
CONFIRMED SEASON 3 CAST: Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, Emily Swallow, Amy Sedaris and Giancarlo Esposito
PREMIERE DATE: Season 3 premiered on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
WILL THERE BE A SEASON 4?: Franchise boss Jon Favreau said in February 2023 that he had already written Season 4 — and that won’t necessarily be the end, either. “I love for these stories to go on and on…,” he told Total Film. “I’m looking forward to doing much more.”
LANDO
Image Credit: Courtesy of LucasFilm
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: “The galaxy’s favorite scoundrel” is all that was said when the series was announced to be in early development in December 2020. Justin Simien (Dear White People) is creating the “event series.”
WHEN IS IT SET: TBA
CONFIRMED CAST: Donald Glover, who played a young Lando Calrissian in 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, seeeeemed to confirm his involvement during a March 2022 visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live. “Am I [working on the series]?” he responded to Kimmel’s fishing expedition with a big grin. “No, yeah, I have a lot of things [going on]…. I have like a ton of stuff I’ve been working on.”
Then in April 2023, Glover said (in the video above, at the mark), “We’re talking about it,” before adding: “That’s as much as I can say without [Lucasfilm president] Kathleen Kennedy hunting me down.”
RUMORED CAST: Billy Dee Williams, who of course played the role in Star Wars Episodes V, VI and IX, and Solo star Alden Ehrenreich.
FILMING STATUS: “You need to ask Donald. He’s the one that holds all the cards here,” Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy told CinemaBlend at Star Wars Celebration 2022. “But there’s no movement. I will say that honestly. But it’s not for lack of trying.” Kennedy alluded to Glover’s other commitments, adding that Lucasfilm is “patiently waiting.”
PREMIERE DATE: Very much TBD
OBI-WAN KENOBI (Season 2)
Image Credit: Disney+ screenshot
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: In Obi-Wan Season 1, after spending a decade keeping a low profile on Tatooine while covertly checking in on wee Luke Skywalker, the titular former Jedi master (played by the prequel trilogy’s Ewan McGregor) risked exposure/execution in order to rescue a kidnapped, pint-sized Leia Organa (Waco‘s Vivien Lyra Blair).
WHEN IS IT SET?: Season 1 was set 10 years after the events of Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith.
SEASON 1 CAST: McGregor, Blair, Hayden Christensen (as Darth Vader), Moses Ingram (Reva/Third Sister), Joel Edgerton (Owen Lars), Bonnie Piesse (Beru Lars), Kumail Nanjiani (Haja), Indira Varma (Tala), Rupert Friend (Grand Inquisitor), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (TBD), Sung Kang (Fifth Brother), Simone Kessell (Breha Organa) and Benny Safdie (Nari)
COULD THERE BE A SEASON 2?:Nothing has been officially announced. McGregor has repeatedly said he is open to it, while chief creatives as well as Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy have said there would need to be a compelling reason/story.
UPDATE: Lucasfilms’ Kennedy told Variety in April 2023 that Obi-Wan Season 2 “is not an active development. But I never say never, because there’s always the possibility.”
The Netflix series “Beef” is being hailed as one of the best TV shows of 2023 so far, with standout performances in particular from stars Ali Wong and Steven Yeun. This story of how a road rage encounter festers and unites two strangers in a twisted way is packed with fresh talent, with one particular standout performer making his acting debut while being a well-known artist in his own right. Created by Lee Sung Jin, “Beef” vacillates between comedy, drama and thriller, always keeping viewers on their toes.
But if you’re wondering where you know some of the actors from, we’ve got a complete “Beef” cast and character guide to help you keep things straight.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: The Music – Season One, is an article that will summarize all the wonderful tunes used in the episodes of this delightful show. The songs will list out in episode order and will attempt, whenever it’s available, to share the following:
The episode title.
The episode picture.
The production music credits for the episode.
The title of each song.
The artist(s) who are singing the song.
The picture of the Album cover, if one is available.
Note: Click on the title for each song and it will take you to a YouTube video so you can listen to the song again.
Also Note: The border and background colors used in the tables below, were all inspired by the colors found in Midge’s stylish outfits. And who can forget her signature color; Pink!
The Scream franchise stands as one of the few in modern entertainment that always manages to deliver. Even its weakest installments are just fine. Still, spanning six films and two sets of directors, many have opinions on what the best of these films are. This article likewise reflects an individual opinion on the films of this fantastic, slasher franchise. While some placements are shared with others, others may be surprised by some rankings that follow.
6.) Scream 3 (2000)
Courtesy of Paramount
It’s not exactly an uncommon opinion to say that Scream 3 is the worst film in the franchise. Being the first film not written by original writer and creator Kevin Williamson, Scream 3 underwent many difficulties behind the scenes. On top of many rewrites and Kruger tossing away many of Williamson’s original ideas for the film, it’s tone was also made more comedic and the violence toned down, due to public outcry about violence in media, especially as this film was coming off of the heels of Columbine.
Regardless of these factors, Scream 3 is not a bad film. While the lack of violence and horror, and emphasis on comedy do impact the film, the meta-commentary of the franchise still remains intact. In recent years particularly, Scream 3 is looked back on with more fond eyes. Even modern Scream projects aren’t afraid to reference this particular film every so often. Still, the killer can easily be seen from a mile away. In addition, the many twists and turns taken ultimately lack any impact, given the over emphasis on comedy. Thankfully, Craven and Williamson would come back to revive the franchise, otherwise Scream would’ve gone out on a meh note.
5.) Scream 4 (2011)
Courtesy of Paramount
On the subject of that revival, Scream 4 proved to be a welcome surprise for the franchise. While by no means the strongest film, Craven’s final directed film managed to reignite interest in the franchise despite performing the worst out of all films at the box-office. This of course resulted in the 2015 MTV series, and the eventual fifth film in 2022. Opting to satirize remakes, social media, and fame, Scream 4 managed to craft out a unique identity for itself compared to previous films. Of course, the previous actors all were as sharp as ever, but the new cast was just as strong. In particular, Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed would become a fan favorite, even returning to the sixth film as a major character.
Still, it stands as one of the more predictable ones on the first watch. In addition, it suffers some of the same problems of Scream 3, in that it isn’t too scary. Regardless, Scream 4 was a great film to cap off Craven’s work on the franchise, and one which many fans look back on fondly.
4.) Scream 2 (1997)
Courtesy of Paramount
From here on out, all of these films are great, and ranking them comes down to preference. As such, Scream 2 is a great follow up to the original. Much like the original stood out for satirizing horror films, this film satirizes the nature of sequels. In many respects, Scream 2 expanded the series in many ways, establishing many tropes that would become synonymous with Scream, such as the film within a film Stab.
In addition, the film keeps up with the gruesome kills, unpredictable nature of the true killer, and balance between horror and comedy. The film continues the stories of the original survivors in ways which feel natural, while the characters unique to this film stand as memorable additions to the franchise. Still, compared to the original which was the trailblazer, and the newest films which have carved out a distinct feel for themselves, Scream 2 doesn’t quite reach the height of the best of this franchise.
3.) Scream (2022)
Courtesy of Paramount
Scream, otherwise referred to as Scream 5 by fans, was the first film not to involve Wes Craven after his death in 2015. As such, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett had massive shoes to fill. Luckily, they are two for two in showing they can be trusted with continuing the franchise. Not only do they bring a new direction and feel, but they effortlessly manage to retain what made the original films so beloved.
Scream proceeds to make fun of the trend of legacy sequels(or requels as the film refers to them). Not only does it do so in the ways which feel distinctly Scream-like, it does so in brutal fashion. Comedy compared to the previous films was toned down, and the horror and violence far more intense. Even when it purposely recreates sequences from the original film, the fifth film puts a spin on it which makes it unpredictable, with many not entirely seeing the reveal of the character coming on first watch. All in all, Scream (2022) feels like a perfect book end to the original story. All of this, while perfectly setting up a new, unique story for the future.
2.) Scream 6 (2023)
Courtesy of Paramount
In many ways, Scream 6 has a lot going against it. It’s the first film to not feature Sydney Prescott, due to a pay dispute with actress Neve Campbell. In addition, being on the sixth film of the franchise, it was fair to expect this film to go one of two ways. Either, it subverts all expectations and splits the fan base, or it plays it far too safe and doesn’t evolve. Thankfully, Scream 6 manages to balance both and serve as the best sequel of the franchise.
On top of having the most ruthless Ghostface in the franchise, the film manages to tell a new type of story with all of the familiar elements of Scream. The NYC setting adds a level of uncertainty and unfamiliarity for the cast, all of whom are doing well at breaking out of the shadows of the legacy cast. That said, the legacy characters in this film, both Gail and returning favorite Kirby, both still shine. Both show how these characters cope and move on from all of the Ghostface killings, and how those lessons influence the new cast.
All in all, Scream 6 does enough heavy lifting to bring the franchise in a new, fresh direction. Of course, only one film could really be at the top.
1.) Scream (1996)
Courtesy of Paramount
How could it not be Number 1? Scream is to this day the most tightly written film in the series, and most well-balanced. The humor, meta-commentary, violence, and story are all equally great. Iconic horror characters like Sydney, Gail, and Dewey got their start here. To this day, Stu and Billy are still some of the most memorable villains to don the Ghostface mask. Every film after this one has been influenced by it in some form and fashion. Truly, the fact that so much of the franchise can so easily tie back to this movie in such a natural way is a testament to the quality of this franchise.
What’s your favorite Scream film? If you haven’t seen them, check them out on Paramount+.
Trevor Powers was a 22-year-old from Boise, Idaho, when a solo project he’d dubbed Youth Lagoon won him a peculiar kind of fame: online indie stardom in the last days before digital streaming. His voice was small, his lyrics riddled with anxiety, but his music was always big and bold enough to bowl you over, like Boise predecessors Built to Spill’s “movies of my dreams” come to life. Then he retired the project, saying that he’d lost his way.
“Idaho Alien,” the lead single from Powers’ first Youth Lagoon album in eight years, Heaven Is a Junkyard, is a striking reclamation of artistic identity. Powers’ fragile quaver remains front and center, only now he’s sketching a very different image of his home state: Idaho is still a “frontier” to boldly explore, but it’s shattered by drug use and self-harm. The production distills Powers’ career-long drift toward avant-pop while adding a fresh element to it, as lonesome roadhouse piano and a sturdy Beatles-esque rhythm section brush up against disembodied R&B vocals and eerie electronic flourishes. “Daddy come home/And Daddy’s on junk,” Powers sings, inhabiting a narrator who’s both colloquial and unsettling. Youth Lagoon is back; it’s not your daddy’s Youth Lagoon this time.
In 1993, the live action Super Mario Bros. film, eh, graced cinemas. Since then, Nintendo has been very hesitant to bring any of their iconic IPs to the big screen. That is, until now. Partnering with Illumination, The Super Mario Bros. Movie aims to bring the fun and magic of the games to the big screen. The result of this partnership is a film that absolutely brings joy to fans and families, but is otherwise fine for those unfamiliar for Mario and Nintendo.
The Characters Power-Up a Standard Story
Courtesy of Illumination/Nintendo
With a story as basic as Mario, the characters have the job of doing the heavy lifting. Thankfully, the vast majority of the characters in this film have all been translated to the big screen in an effective manner, albeit there are slight differences. Of course, one of the most controversial aspects of the movie was the casting. Thankfully, most of the cast actually does a great job. Of note, Chris Pratt as Mario wasn’t too distracting, and the movie does a good job explaining why Mario talks the way he does. Of course, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and especially Jack Black as Bowser steal the show.
Some of the characters act slightly different than expected, yet for the nature of the film, the changes work well. The most notable change being that Luigi is the one kidnapped, while Peach plays a more proactive role. While not the norm for the main series, in other games, there have been cases where either Mario or Luigi would need rescued, and Peach would join in the fight. In the film, Peach serves as Mario’s guide and mentor through the Mushroom Kingdom. This, however, does not come at the expense of Mario as a character, as he has a lot of agency throughout the film. Peach also still maintains the kind, nurturing aspects that make the character so well loved.
That said, Jack Black’s Bowser steals the show. Equal parts intimidating as he is hilarious, Bowser can best be described as a simp or incel. One minute, he’s burning castles with little effort, and another he is singing about his love for Princess Peach, much to the confusion of the Koopa Army and Peach herself.
Super Star Presentation
Courtesy of Illumination/Nintendo
Being Illuminations most expensive film, with a budget of $100 million, it’s fair to expect the animation would be stellar. Thankfully, the animation is just that. It’s colorful, full of all sorts of little details for fans to pick up on, and the action is fast, cartoony, and full of energy. So often I was looking in the background for little details that could be included by the animators. Of course, the final act of the movie takes all of this to the extreme, as so much is happening and it all comes together to form a fun experience.
The soundtrack of course, helps play to this as well… for the most part. The original soundtrack does most of the heavy lifting. Iconic songs from the games fit beautifully in the film. Some are directly put into the movie, such as the music from Bowser’s Fury. Other’s feel effortlessly reworked to match more with the medium of a film.
Unfortunately, this film has a bad habit of utilizing pop music, namely from the 80’s. While not always distracting, those songs could’ve been replaced with more of the film’s original soundtrack. Notably, many fans have pointed out a scene involving ‘Take On Me’, seemingly replacing an original song from the film. This song, ‘Drivin’ Me Bananas’ works far better in place of that ‘Take On Me’.
A Fan for Fans, by Fans
There’s a very clear divide between audience/fans and critics in regards to this film. Quite honestly, it feels as though some critics unfairly judge this film. The Super Mario Bros. Movie isn’t trying to be high art, or a deep story. It’s giving fans and audiences what they want, which frankly is more important. It’s absolutely fine as a standard, animated film for kids and families, but for Nintendo and Mario fans, it is a love letter to everyone who has followed Mario for all these years. And maybe, that’s all it needs to be. Here’s hoping the films success leads to more of Nintendo’s beloved franchise finding their way to the big screen.
Just like with Midge Maisel’s comedy career, ‘The Marvelous Mrs Maisel’ has continued to get better and better and kept on delivering to it’s audience. The show that started out as a simple comedy about a housewife turned comedi has evolved into something much more over the years. Created by Amy Sherman Palladino and Daniel Palladino this award winning comedy stole the hearts of many when it first premiered in 2017. “Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino keep raising the bar for us season after season,” said Mrs Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan at the 74th Emmy Awards in September 2022. “And they’ve given us so much do to, and so much to play with. So it’s been as much of a roller-coaster as ever and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
Amy and Dan “have blazed an unparalleled path, elevating the stories we tell about women, challenging the norms in our industry, and forever altering the entertainment landscape with their one-of-a-kind storytelling. The dozens of awards cement Maisel’s legacy in many ways, but what’s even more enduring and poignant are the characters Amy created and the joyous, brilliant, singular world she and Dan brought to life.” Said Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke when announcing the end of the series.
Here’s everything we know about The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Season 5 so far.
What will it be about?
The official synopsis of the season reads “In the fifth and final season, Midge finds herself closer than ever to the success she’s dreamed of, only to discover that closer than ever is still so far away.” The trailer gives us a look at Midge getting on the Gordon Ford Show which we first see at the end of Season 4. We then see her performing in different locations. We see her tell an interviewer “I want a big life, I want to break every single rule there is.” When asked about whether Midge would find success Brosnahan said in an interview with Extra in 2022 that “We’re definitely going to watch Midge’s star rise.” This season finds Midge closer to her dreams than ever before.
Who will be in the cast?
Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Rachel Brosnahan will return to The role of Miriam “Midge” Maisel, for the last time leading the cast that stars Marin Hinkle as Rose Weissman, Midge’s mother, Tony Shalhoub as Midge’s father, Abraham “Abe” Weissman, Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson, Midge’s manager. Michael Zegen as Joel Maisel, Midge’s ex husband.
The show will guest star Kevin Pollak as Joel’s father, Moishe Maisel and Caroline Aaron will portray Joel’s mother, Shirley Maisel. Reid Scott, Jason Ralph, and Alfie Fuller were promoted to series regulars for season 5 after having reccuring roles in season 4. Scott portrays Gordon Ford, a talk show host; Ralph portrays Mike Carr, a booker on the Gordon Ford Show; and Fuller portrays Dinah Rutledge, Susie’s receptionist. This is Us alum Milo Ventimiglia is also set to return to the show after a surprise appearance in Season 4 as the mystery guy Midge met in the park, who turned out to be married. And yes we will get to learn his name. Gilmore Girls alum Kelly Bishop will also return to the show in a guest appearance as Benedetta, Rose’s rival matchmaker.
Who will be guest starring?
There will be many new roles in season 5, and some big names will be guest starring including Hank Azaria (Spamalot), Sutton Foster (The Music Man, Anything Goes), Darren Criss (Glee) and Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), David Paymer returns to the role of Harry Drake, as well as Danny Strong (creator of Dopesick), Peter Friedman (Love & Other Drugs), Austin Basis (Beauty & the Beast), Chloë Kerwin (Asleep in My Palm), Lucas Kavner (The Jim Jefferies Show), Eddie Kaye Thomas (American Pie), Josh Grisetti (Nurse Jackie) and Michael Cyril Creighton (Only Murders in the Building), all will appear in new roles on the show.
Where will season 5 pick up?
Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Season 5 will pick up almost immediately after season 4 ended. Let’s do a quick recap shall we? In season 1 Midge’s husband leaves her for his secretary and Midge discovers she has a talent for stand up comedy which she then pursues in secret, leading to her becoming the Marvelous Mrs Maisel. Season 2 sees Midge now working as a comic for a living performing whatever gig she can find. She lands the opportunity of a lifetime when she’s invited to open on tour with singer Shy Baldwin. In season 3 Midge’s career is on a high as she is on tour with Shy, performing at different cities each night, until she’s kicked off the tour at the end of the season. Midge is in a downward spiral in the 4th season until Lenny Bruce advises her to take his place as Tony Bennett’s opening act, however Midge who now does not want to do opening numbers anymore turns it down and sets The Gordon Ford Show as her next target.
When Will ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Season 5 Premiere?
The final season will premiere on April 14 on Prime Video with the first three episodes. The rest of the season will air weekly until the finale.
This may be Mrs Maisel’s last show, but she is not going out unless it’s on top. So you can bet we are in for something special, Brosnahan herself used the words juicy and exciting to describe the final season. It’s bittersweet to say farewell, but at the same time, you just know Mrs Maisel is going to put on one heck of a show.
TORONTO – Mitch Marner had two goals and an assist to set a career-high with 98 points on the season as the Toronto Maple Leafs thumped the Montreal Canadiens 7-1 on Saturday night.
John Tavares, with two of his own, Auston Matthews, with a goal and three assists, William Nylander and Michael Bunting also scored for Toronto (47-21-11). Ryan O’Reilly and Erik Gustafsson added three assists each.
Ilya Samsonov made 20 saves.
With fellow goaltender Matt Murray still out due to a head injury, the Leafs signed University of Toronto netminder Jett Alexander to an amateur tryout contract — for salary cap management purposes — hours before puck drop to serve as Samsonov’s backup instead of recalling third-string option Joseph Woll from the minors.
Alexander played the final 1:10 of the game with the Leafs up by six, but didn’t register a save.
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Jonathan Kovacevic replied for overwhelmed Montreal (31-43-6). Sam Montembeault stopped 39 shots.
Locked into a first-round playoff matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning — Toronto has also clinched home-ice advantage in the series — the Leafs went up 1-0 when Marner scored his 29th goal of the season on a power play midway through the opening period.
The rebuilding Canadiens finally got their first and only shot of the opening 20 minutes before Marner registered point No. 97 of the campaign with a pass to Tavares on another man advantage for the Toronto captain’s 34th.
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Montreal responded early in the second when Kovacevic’s point shot hit Marner for the defenceman’s third.
But the one-way traffic quickly resumed when Nylander found the back of the net for just the third time in 13 games 1:28 later with his 38th and a 3-1 lead.
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Marner then scored his 30th for his third point of the night to set a new career-high.
The 25-year-old is looking to become just the fourth Toronto player to hit 100 points in a season, joining Darryl Sittler (twice), Doug Gilmour (twice) and Matthews (once).
Tavares added his 35th on another Toronto power play in the third period to make it 5-1 on a sequence that stood up after a coach’s challenge for goaltender interference.
Matthews then ripped his 39th with six minutes left in regulation to round out the scoring before Bunting tipped a shot from the star centre for his 23rd on another man advantage.
Alexander rounded things out by getting his moment in the spotlight with 70 seconds left in regulation when he entered the game to a roaring ovation from the crowd.
STAYING HEALTHY, STAYING CRISP
Cemented in the Atlantic Division’s No. 2 spot, Toronto is looking to avoid injury and remain dialed in with three games now left on the regular-season schedule.
“Gotta play hard,” Leafs defenceman Mark Giordano said Saturday morning. “Once you start worrying about resting and not getting hurt, that’s when you’re gonna get hurt.
“Year in and year out, the teams that go (into the playoffs) really sharp and really crisp are in a better spot.”
Toronto rested blue-liners Morgan Rielly and T.J. Brodie against Montreal, while forward Calle Jarnkrok missed out with an undisclosed injury.
SEEING CAREY
Sidelined all season with a knee injury, Canadiens goaltender Carey Price watched the morning skate from Montreal’s bench.
The 35-year-old, who’s playing future remains very much in doubt, had dinner with some of his teammates Friday.
“Great to catch up,” Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki said. “All the young guys are, like, staring at him … he’s a legend.”
TORONTO SWANSONG?
Bruising winger and Toronto native Wayne Simmonds suited up for just his 18th game of the season — and potentially his last as a Leaf at Scotiabank Arena.
With the team set to close out the regular schedule on the road before the playoffs, and a deep roster of forwards at head coach Sheldon Keefe’s disposal, the 34-year-old pending unrestricted free agent’s future with the organization is up in the air.
“Always big ones on Saturday night, right?” Simmonds, who fought Montreal’s Michael Pezzetta in the first period and was involved in another skirmish in the third, said following the morning skate. “You grow up watching games like these.
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“To be able to play in another one in my career is amazing.”
UP NEXT
Toronto: Closes out the regular season with three straight road games beginning Monday in Florida.
Montreal: Visits the New York Islanders on Wednesday before winding up its 2022-23 campaign Thursday at home against Boston.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 8, 2023.
“She’s doing amazing. Obviously, this has been very hard. You know, she misses her partner — the person that she thought he was,” the “Scheananigans” host said on the Friday, April 7, episode of the Dear Media podcast. “And they still share a house together. So she can’t fully move on while he’s still coming in and out of her house.”
Sandoval, 40, cheated on Madix, 37, with fellowVanderpump Rulescast member Raquel Leviss. Once Madix learned of the affair in early March, she and Sandoval ended their nine-year relationship. However, the exes still share the 5-bedroom home they bought in 2019 for $2.075 million.
Shay revealed that the Tom Sandoval and the Most Extras frontman contacts a mediator before entering the home. “He has now agreed to communicate with a third party, letting either his assistant or one of her best friends know when he needs to come into the house, or if he needs to stay in the guest room, if he needs to come get some stuff or whatever,” the “Good as Gold” singer explained.
She added that this is an improvement compared to how Sandoval behaved immediately after the breakup.
“He’s trying to be more respectful of her, I think,” Shay said. “But in the beginning, it was like, ‘This is my house! I pay half the mortgage, I’m gonna come and go as I please,’” Shay recalled. “And it’s just like, ‘Bro, you just blew up her world. The least you can do is give her some f–king space.’ It’s called a hotel!”
She further explained that he can’t stay with business partner Tom Schwartz “because Jo [Wenberg] is there.”
Schwartz, 40, recently revealed that he knew in late August 2022 that Sandoval and Leviss, 28, had a “one-night stand.” In January, Sandoval confessed to Schwartz that he was “in love” with the former beauty pageant contestant, Schwartz revealed on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on Thursday, April 6.
Shay, for her part, feels betrayed by Leviss, Sandoval and Schwartz. “I’ve never experienced anything like this level of betrayal,” she said on her podcast.
“All three of them were in my wedding! What am I gonna do with these photos?” she asked. She jokingly added, “I should just put Lala’s face on Raquel on the bridesmaids photos.”
Sandoval and Leviss both issued apology statements to Madix last month in the aftermath of their affair going public. However, the affair wasn’t the only point of contention between Leviss and Shay. The California native filed a temporary restraining order against the singer after an alleged fight on March 2.
Leviss alleged in court docs that Shay had punched her — resulting in alleged bruises on her face — after learning about Leviss’ affair with Sandoval.
However, Shay claimed that she had only shoved Leviss because she was so stunned by the affair revelation.
“There’s barkers and there’s biters in this group. And that night, I was a biter. I had no words because nothing was getting through to her,” Shay claimed during a March episode of the “Scheananigans” podcast. “When she touched me, I was just so enraged. I was just like, ‘Get off me! Get out of my space.’ I just needed her away from me in that moment.”
After the Pump Rules season 10 reunion taped on March 23 — which required Leviss and Shay to film separately to abide by the legal order — Leviss released a statement revealing that she intended to drop the restraining order.
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“I can confirm that my attorney took my case off the court calendar Wednesday and is filing the appropriate paperwork requested by the court today to dismiss the TRO from moving forward after the 29th,” Leviss said in a statement on March 24. “We let the court know I will not be moving forward with a permanent restraining order.”
If it is true that Taylor Swift broke up with Joe Alwyn, who Swifties thought was “the one,” it would not be wise to tell those devotees, “You Need to Calm Down.”
Entertainment Tonight exclusively reported that the couple has called it quits, citing that their source called it “not dramatic,” explaining that “the relationship had just run its course.” ET’s source also said that this is why Alwyn has not been seen at the Eras tour concerts. People also confirmed the news.
“Please think of the Swifties tonight we’re spiraling,” wrote one heartbroken fan and Twitter user.
Journalist Hunter Harris first reacted to the ET exclusive on Twitter with an image, but she followed it up with another tweet of the Fates from Hercules captioned “snipping that invisible string.”
Harris also posted snapshots of other thoughts she had regarding the news, wondering what else this Easter weekend could have in store.
Another Twitter user questioned Entertainment Tonight, spoofing them with an image of Steven Spielberg’s E.T. and asking “What the f—does he know?”
Twitter user Erin posted a photo of an elderly woman in a cage, writing “I’m not letting my nan out of this cage until taylor and joe are announced to be back together.”
Another user tweeted a photo of former president Obama, current president and then-Vice President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton in a tense room full of other White House officials, describing the experience of being a Swiftie right now as “trying to figure out a way for this to not be true even tho it’s def true.”
One user gave props to Swift’s publicist Tree Paine for finding a way to get Swift in the news the weekend the Eras tour isn’t happening.
Another user posted the gif of Saorise Ronan getting out of her mother’s moving car at full speed.
Many question how Swift appears to be so happy on tour, and some have even gone as far as to theorize that the couple is doing this so that Swift can get inspiration for more music.
More reactions lie below:
the number of people texting me about taylor and joe breaking up right now lol
I need Tree Paine to deliver a State of the Union Address.
— erin @ the eras tour next up: 5/12, 5/13, 5/14 (@swiftbunnies) April 8, 2023
Ok but if Taylor and Joe have broken up love is literally fake because how could she have written so many beautiful songs about him and he turns out to not be her person
— ???????? | fan account (@cardigan_swift) April 8, 2023
tree is rly so smart for doin this on the one weekend the eras tour isn’t happening like queen of keeping blondie in the headlines every week!!! https://t.co/BWn12vIEXP
— jenny from the block (@jennyhuynh97) April 8, 2023
“Ahsoka” — the live-action “Star Wars” series starring Rosario Dawson in the title role of Ahsoka Tano — is the next live-action series coming to Disney+.
It’s based on a character writer and executive producer Dave Filoni created 15 years ago. Judging by the thunderous applause at the recent Star Wars Celebration, Ahsoka is a fan-favorite who will only grow in popularity with this upcoming show. Jon Favreau and Kathleen Kennedy also serve as executive producers.
Who is Ahsoka?
Ahsoka is a character created by George Lucas and Dave Filoni for the 2008 animated film “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and the subsequent animated series of the same name that ran from 2008-14 and for one final season in 2020. Lucas had wanted Anakin Skywalker to have a padawan of his own, thus Ahsoka was created. She was trained as a Jedi, but she broke away from the Order. And we all know what happened to Skywalker.
Ahsoka later appeared in the animated series “Star Wars Rebels” assisting the crew of the spacecraft Ghost. We won’t spoil too much about her role in “Rebels” for those who want to catch up, but this upcoming live-action series is a continuation of that show. Filoni also served as the executive producer on “Rebels.”
The live-action Ahsoka made her first appearance in Season 2 of “The Mandalorian,” after she’s recommended to train Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) in the ways of the Force. But sensing Grogu’s connection with the Mandalorian, she refuses. She later appears in “The Book of Boba Fett” to offer further guidance.
She is a fierce warrior who wields two lightsabers. Dawson says she became ambidextrous after training with the props.
Who plays Ahsoka Tano?
Ashley Eckstein voiced the animated Ahsoko. Rosario Dawson, who plays the live-action version, gave props to Eckstein during the Star Wars Celebration panel, saying, “She did a remarkable job developing her” and praising the “complexities and nuances she brought.”
What is “Ahsoka” about?
“Ahsoka” follows the title character as she uncovers the threat of Grand Admiral Thrawn, a villain introduced in “Rebels.” In the trailer released during Celebration, Ahsoka warns “Something’s coming. Something dark. I started hearing whispers about Thrawn’s return as heir to the Empire.”
Filoni described Thrawn as Moriarty — referencing the brilliant fictional professor that was a match (or more) for Sherlock Holmes.
“He is formidable and not someone to take likely,” Dawson elaborated at Celebration. “She knows these foes aren’t easily dismissed.”
With the threat of Thrawn re-emerging, Ahsoka crosses paths with Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla and other characters from “Rebels.”
Who is in the “Ahsoka” cast?
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla (Photo credit: Lucasfilm/Disney)
“Ahsoka” includes a cast of both new and familiar characters. Those featured at Celebration include:
Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano, former apprentice of Anakin Skywalker
Natasha Lee Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mandalorian warrior and artist
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, a New Republic general and pilot of the Ghost along with her trusty droid Chopper
Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll, a new character. He’s a Force user and wields an orange lightsaber.
Ivanna Sahkno as Shin Hati who is tied to Baylan. She also wields an orange lightsaber. Both are described as aligned with Thrawn.
Diana Lee Inosanto as Morgan Elsbeth, who lost her Beskar spear in combat with Ahsoka. Described by Inosanto as “very loyal to Thrawn” and a “hard worker” whose background will be explored.
Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn, Empire officer who Mikkelsen calls a “strategic mastermind.” His face was revealed in a special Celebration-only trailer.
David Tennant as Huyang, a droid. Filoni confirmed Tennant’s participation in the series. He completed all his recording before primary filming, so his voice was actually played back on set, it was revealed.
Also seen in the trailer:
Eman Esfadi as Ezra Bridger
Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma, Chancellor of the New Republic, reprising her role from “Andor”
Not seen (yet):
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Ahsoka’s former Jedi master
Filoni also teased the possibility of other “Rebels” characters appearing either in present-day or flashback.
All episodes are written by Filoni. He also directs the first episode. Guest directors revealed during Celebration include Peter Ramsey, Steph Green, Jennifer Getzinger, Geeta Patel and Rick Famuyiwa.
Kevin Kiner returns to do music for the series.
When does Ahsoka take place?
Executive producer Jon Favreau has said “Ahsoka” takes place around the same time as “The Mandalorian,” roughly 5+ years after the events of “Return of the Jedi” when the Empire was defeated. In lore, this period is known as the New Republic Era.
You can learn more about how to watch Star Wars shows in order with our handy guide.
Do I need to watch “Clone Wars” and “Rebels” before “Ahsoka”?
With 75 episodes a piece, watching each animated series is a significant time commitment, but doing so — particularly “Rebels,” will equip viewers with most of what they need to know about Ahsoka, Sabine, Hera and Thrawn.
“There’s a relationship that the audience shares with these characters,” Favreau said.
Where can I watch “Ahsoka”?
Ahsoka is coming to Disney+ in August 2023. Stevenson let slip that there are eight episodes, but that has yet to be confirmed. The episode lengths are unknown, but if it follows “The Mandalorian,” they will range from 26 to 52 minutes, with most around 35-40 minutes.
You can watch her previous appearances in “Clone Wars,” “Rebels, “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett” on the streamer as well.
Why should viewers watch “Ahsoka”?
The level of action in “Ahsoka” has been teased as next-level, with Dawson revealing she worked out and trained two hours a day, seven days a week for months for this role. “There was lots of profuse sweating,” she admitted.
She also praised Filoni’s participation as the series writer and executive producer. “It’s impossible to do the show without having David on set, his encyclopedic knowledge,” she said. “At the end of the day, this is something he’s had in his head for years.” And now it’s finally coming to the big screen.
The profound economy of Braxe’s production is apparent from the first song on The Upper Cuts, 2000’s “Most Wanted.” The track opens with a 16-bar loop of kick drum, laser chirp, and the faintest hint of conga, distilling the entire pantheon of disco into a three-syllable koan. When the song’s central synth riff finally drops, it’s shrouded by a band-pass filter, muting both the high and low frequencies, and setting up a delicious hit of dopamine every time he lets the full spectrum come flooding back in. That’s it. That’s the whole song.
Unlike Daft Punk, Braxe was not unduly influenced by Chicago—at least, not Chicago house. But Chicago the band? Feathery soft rock of their ilk is key to Braxe’s sentimentalist menagerie. “In Love With You” (the lone single credited to the Paradise, Braxe’s duo with singer Romuald Louverjon) is a starry-eyed homage to 10cc’s “I’m Not in Love” borne aloft on airy choral pads, chrome-plated electric piano, and full-throated ardor, while “You’ll Stay in My Heart” takes its stylistic cues from middle-school slow dances. Seventies AOR is a major touchstone: Braxe’s beats are blocky things, heavy on big, backbeat snares, thundering toms, and skull-thwacking cowbell so prominent that it verges on parody. “Arena” slathers a drum solo in gargantuan reverb, audience chants, and ersatz applause, a clever simulacrum of oversized stadium rock that is both slyly funny and slightly uncanny, like a concert in the metaverse.
“Arena” and the similarly hollowed-out “Intro,” which are mostly just drums, are outliers in their percussive, monochrome palettes; Braxe’s signature is his luxe, sensual use of harmony. His chords are opulent yet efficient machines for the delivery of emotion; he’s fond of unexpected modulations that catch you off guard, no matter how many times you’ve been through the changes’ slalom curves. Much like his teasing use of the filter, Braxe’s counterintuitive chord progressions—like the giddy twists and pivots of the new wave-flavored “Rubicon,” the album’s exuberant highlight—deliver a concentrated burst of pleasure with every wrong-footing resolution.
But even when Braxe nods to rock or pop, these remain tracks rather than songs, anchored in the dance-music continuum. When there are lyrics, they’re a pithy hook. There are no verses or choruses or bridges; each track’s arrangement is reduced to a single set of changes cycling ’round until the cows come home. Even the Chaka Khan-sampling “Music Sounds Better With You,” which spent two weeks at No. 2 on the UK pop charts in 1998, entertains only the slightest variation to its endlessly repeated chords. The basic measure of unit in all these songs is the loop. The loop is fundamental, holy—honed to its essence and tweaked just enough to keep it alive. Braxe’s opening and closing filters give these rigidly repeating sequences the illusion of movement, the way dancing flames may once have allowed cavemen to “animate” static paintings. No wonder the joy he evokes feels so primal.
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Alan Braxe & Fred Falke: The Upper Cuts (2023 Edition)
When characters die on TV, it can have a huge emotional impact on you as a viewer. Whether that’s despair or joy entirely depends on the character, but either way, if it turns out they’re not actually dead, it can feel really hollow and manipulative.
Here are just some of the TV characters that really should have stayed dead…
1.
Hopper on Stranger Things
2.
Big John on Outer Banks
3.
Ali on Pretty Little Liars
5.
Michael on Prison Break
6.
Michael on Jane the Virgin
7.
Glenn on The Walking Dead
9.
Rumple on Once Upon a Time
10.
Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer
13.
The Mountain on Game of Thrones
14.
The entire crew on Red Dwarf
What fakeout character death frustrated you the most? Let us know in the comments!
Marvel Studios and Disney recently confirmed Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania will be released for digital purchase on April 18 to be followed by the Blu-ray and 4K release on May 16.
However, the home release marketing failed to mention when Ant-Man 3 will be coming to Disney+, with the shrinking threequel being specifically promoted in a tweet from Marvel Studios as “ONLY on digital” on April 18.
This marks the first time since the launch of Disney+ in 2019 that a Marvel Studios movie is being promoted with such “ONLY on digital” verbiagethat omits mention of the streamer.
Over the past year, fans have gotten used to Marvel Studios advertising its digital and streaming releases alongside each other with both dropping on the same day.
Is Disney Overhauling Its Home Release Strategy for Ant-Man 3?
Between Avatar 2 and Ant-Man 3, two major Disney movies in a row have now omitted a streaming date from their initial home release marketing. This comes after almost every Disney movie since the service launched has had Disney+ at the center of their home release announcements and marketing.
While movies such as Avatar 2 and Black Panther 2 have come with above-average theatrical-to-digital release windows, Ant-Man 3 is fairly standard for recent MCU movies at 60 days. So, Disney’s goal here doesn’t seem to be to extend its theatrical runs with hopes of furthering box office potential.
Debuting movies for digital purchase and Disney+ streaming on the same day will likely have brought with it a hit to the House of Mouse’s PVOD sales. Perhaps as Iger now aims to course-correct any damage done by Chapek, part of that endeavor comes the return of having to wait for streaming releases.
With regard to when Ant-Man 3 will come to Disney+, that’s tough to say for now, but it will probably be sometime after the threequel comes to Blu-ray on May 16.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania will release for digital purchase on April 18 to be followed by a Blu-ray release on May 16.
Then, fans were blindsided by the announcement that Gaga had joined Todd Phillips‘ Joker sequel as none other than Harley Quinn herself. Given how off-kilter Joaquin Phoenix‘s previous movie was, this version of the character will undoubtedly be quite different.
Comparing Robbie and Gaga’s Harley Quinns
Director Todd Phillips shared a new post on Instagram that not only celebrated the wrap of Joker: Folie à Deux but also provided fans with a new look at Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn who looks like an entirely different beast than Margot Robbie’s version.
The director included a fresh look at Gaga as Harley, with her dark black eyeliner smeared, wearing a black outfit.
DC
For those looking to compare to Margot Robbie’s Harleen, they couldn’t be more different.
DC
While both are crazy, Robbie’s take on the character comes off as more theatrical and bombastic based on her looks alone. She also feels more energetic.
On the other hand, Gaga feels as if she’s deeply disturbed and on the brink of shattering into pieces at any point.
When Robbie first took on the character, her outfit wasn’t too close to Harley’s usual look. When James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad came around, she was given a new costume with the classic red and black color scheme.
Two Very Different Harley Quinns
Based on the looks alone, it seems evident that Margot Robbie’s Harley is much more of a chaotic fun type of person. She just seems generally far more upbeat, even at her lowest moments.
While her character is plenty crazy, Gaga’s version of her seems more demented and darkly disturbed—so, in other words, she is right at home for a Joker sequel.
It’s not like Gaga’s villain won’t be fun. After all, it’s been confirmed that parts of the movie will have musical elements, something that no doubt comes from Harley’s fractured mind.
While Gaga may be hitting screens next year, it’s unknown when Margot Robbie will take on the character again.
At the very least, new DC Studios co-lead James Gunn confirmed he would “for sure” be working with Robbie again. So, hopefully, that means plans are already in the works for her return.
When most folks head to the theater to check out The Super Mario Bros. Movie, they’ll probably be expecting a funny and charming and very nice-looking animated movie. But what they might not expect is a pretty great action movie. And while there are plenty of extremely sick action sequences in the film, the peak is undeniably the Mad Max-esque Mario Kart chase on the Rainbow Road.
Warning: This article contains some spoilers for The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
The Rainbow Road sequence comes about two thirds of the way into the film, after Mario and Peach have secured the help of the entire Kong family against Bowser. Everybody loads up in their kart of choice and hits the Rainbow Road–a shortcut to Bowser’s Dark Land.
But Bowser sees them coming and springs an ambush, and a wild chase ensues. And that comparison to Mad Max wasn’t just descriptive–this sequence is actually Fury Road-level good.
So when GameSpot sat down with directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, we couldn’t help but pick their brains on how this incredible sequence came together.
“Well, we definitely had like a blockbuster approach to making this movie. To me, this is a movie that’s been like 40 years in the making, you know, and I’ve always considered Mario more of an action game,” Horvath said. “The characters look comedic, but the story is always high stakes, you gotta save the princess or save the world or whatever in the game. So we wanted to reflect that action sensibility.”
But that wasn’t always easy or intuitive, with “Michael and I coming from TV animation, where you have, like, no budget to do anything,” Horvath said, laughing.
Their solution? Bring in some of their favorite artists they knew from TV, “who are always probably a little held back by the restrictions of TV,” and “we worked really closely with them to just create, like, the craziest action sequences that we could.”
The Rainbow Road sequence being a case in point.
“There’s a shot on Rainbow Road that Michael was pitching for months, and I think you almost broke the studio,” Horvath said, referring to Micheal Jelenic, his directing partner on this film and on Teen Titans. “When that shot happened, it was so many different people involved in one single shot, but it turned out like–it’s iconic and beautiful.”
Both Horvath and Jelenic mentioned Unikitty creator Ed Skudder, who served as the Super Mario Bros. Movie’s head of story–that’s the person who’s in charge of the film’s storyboard artists–as being crucial to making the action not only work but shine. Jelenic specifically mentioned that Skudder spent a very long time working out that lengthy one-shot on the Rainbow Road.
“He is just as good as anybody at moving the camera,” Jelenic said. “And so even in the boards, the camera moves in just an incredible way. And he spent months doing that [on a single shot in the Rainbow Road sequence].”
“When you do that one-shot, it makes things exponentially more complicated, with animation and lighting and all these things. So it’s the resources and the talent and the dedication of everybody [that made it work],”Jelenic said.
“I think that sequence was the most challenging. Definitely technically the most challenging, you know,” Horvath said. “Like, the entire road is not like a solid element like a street that has an asphalt surface or something. It’s actually a visual effect because it’s always glowing and shimmering and there’s particle effects on it. So every single shot that’s in the Rainbow Road had to go through the visual effects department, which is super expensive and time consuming. So yeah, we were super ambitious with that whole sequence.”
But it was worth the effort, Horvath said.
“We knew it would be a standout moment in the movie if we really gave it our all. And yeah, the studio really got down with it, man. They backed us up.”
Which is good, Jelenic said, “because we were really worried about that sequence.”
“I think there were moments where it was like, ‘We’re we’re not sure about this. We’re not sure this is gonna work,’ But I think when everything sort of locked in the final place, in terms of lighting and comp and all that stuff, everyone’s like, ‘Yeah, this is definitely cool.’ So we were so lucky to have that support from the studio,” Jelenic said.
“There’s so many moments in this movie that, visually, I would put up against any live action superhero movie, or anything. The studio in France sort of just sort of set a new bar, I think when it comes to action adventure movies.”
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Action movies are a staple of the movie industry, and writing an engaging and thrilling action screenplay requires skill, creativity, and a keen understanding of the genre. Whether you’re a novice writer looking to learn from the best or a director looking for what makes a fantastic action screenplay, studying the work of master screenwriters can provide invaluable insights and techniques.
In this article, we will explore five of the best action screenplays that have stood the test of time and are widely regarded as exemplary works in the genre.
Let’s get started.
‘John Wick’Credit: Lionsgate
The 5 Best Action Screenplays For Filmmakers To Learn From
Die Hard(1988): Written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza, this classic action movie is known for its iconic protagonist, John McClane, and its expertly crafted plot that balances high stakes and personal stakes.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991): Written by James Cameron and William Wisher Jr., this sci-fi action movie is often cited as one of the best sequels of all time. It features a compelling time-traveling plot and unforgettable action sequences.
John Wick (2014): Written by Derek Kolstad, this action thriller stars Keanu Reeves as a retired hitman who seeks vengeance against the gangsters who killed his dog. It’s known for its intense action scenes and unique world-building, where a secret society of assassins operates under its own set of rules.
The Bourne Identity(2002): Written by Tony Gilroy, this spy thriller follows Jason Bourne as he tries to uncover his past and evade his pursuers. It features a compelling mystery and intense action scenes.
Lethal Weapon(1987): Written by Shane Black, this buddy cop movie set the standard for the genre. It features dynamic characters and thrilling action sequences, as well as a healthy dose of humor.
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She continued, “He was singing the Bon Iver part, the ‘I can see you standing honey, with his arms around your body, laughing but the joke’s not funny at all.’ He was just singing it. And I was entranced and asked if we could keep writing that one.”
As for “Betty,” it came about after Swift heard him singing “the entire fully formed chorus from another room.” She added, “This was the first time we had a conversation where I came in and I was like, ‘Hey, this could be really weird, and we could hate this, so because we’re in quarantine and there’s nothing else going on, could we just try to see what it’s like if we write this song together?’”
December 2020: Because Taylor Swift is apparently not human like the rest of us, she announced she would be dropping her ninth studio album, Evermore, on December 11 at midnight, calling it a sister album to July’s Folklore.
Like Folklore, Evermore was written and produced with Jack Antonoff, The National’s Aaron Dessner, and one William Bowery, who we now know is Alwyn thanks to Swift’s reveal in her Disney+ special.
Bowery/Alwyn has writing credits on three tracks: “Champagne Problems,” “Coney Island,” and “Evermore.” While “Champagne Problems” tells the story of a rejected proposal, Swift made it clear when introducing the album on social media that many of the stories, including that one, are fictional. It’s “the one where longtime college sweethearts had very different plans for the same night, one to end it and one who brought a ring.” He also plays piano on “Evermore.”
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Cable numbers will be posted around 9pm-10pm GMT.
Each day (except Sunday) during the main TV Season we post the TV Ratings for the previous nights primetime shows for the major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, NBC).
Cable Network ratings will be added to the Ratings Database.
When the final adjusted ratings numbers are released, these are then posted in the Ratings Database as well as the above
tables.
The Final Adjusted numbers are what we use for all our Renew/Cancellation Tables, Full Season Tables, Ratings Scorecards etc . Final Adjusted numbers will be posted each night around 9pm-10pm UK apart from the weekend.
Note: During the UK/USA Clock Changes, the above times will change by 1 hour.
Numbers are often delayed by Nielsen.
Ratings Provided by Nielsen.
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Jon Stewart summarized the left-leaning media’s disappointment in the lack of drama surrounding former President Donald Trump’s indictment during the Season 2 finale of “The Problem With Jon Stewart.”
Following a montage of left-leaning news networks referring to the indictment as underwhelming, Stewart addressed his media constituents directly, comparing their buildup of the legal procedure to the Avengers’ long-awaited showdown with a certain supervillain.
“Oh, were you disappointed? Were you depressed?” Stewart asked rhetorically. “Here’s why: Because you treated this like the final confrontation with Thanos, and then it actually just played out like what it was a boring as s–t legal procedure at the very beginning of what will be a long, drawn-out, laborious legal process, because, as I mentioned earlier, law is boring as s—t. Please continue being let down by the expectations you motherf—kers created.”
Drawn out indeed. Justice Juan M. Merchan, the judge overseeing Trump’s case, has set the next hearing for Dec. 4, according to the New York Times. Trump was charged Tuesday with 34 felony counts surrounding his role in allegedly paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels in the midst of the 2016 presidential election. With the indictment, Trump became the first U.S. president past or present to be charged with a crime.
Stewart went on to humorously compare the indictment to the ingredients of an Apple Brown Betty — the media expected a fully-baked product and were disappointed when all they got were apples, butter and cinnamon.
“Epic f–king media fail,” Stewart concluded.
“The Problem With Jon Stewart” wrapped its second season Friday on Apple TV+.
A new album will compile nine previously unreleased Arthur Russell tracks. (Yes, there are even more.) The record, Picture of Bunny Rabbit, is out June 23 via Audika, and you can listen to the lead track below. Like the rest of the record, “The Boy With a Smile” was recorded in 1985 or 1986 at Battery Sound in New York, with additional material recorded in his East Village apartment. It was previously available as a live recording.
Picture of Bunny Rabbit comprises tracks from completed masters found on two test pressings, one provided by Russell’s mother and sister, according to the record’s Bandcamp description. The title track was written for a friend’s pet rabbit.
Russell’s music has been extensively collected and reissued since his death in 1992, at which time he had released just one solo album, World of Echo. Many of his posthumous albums have become retrospective classics. The latest to comprise significant unreleased material was 2019’s Iowa Dream.
Picture of Bunny Rabbit:
01 Fuzzbuster #10 02 Not Checking Up 03 Telling No One 04 Fuzzbuster #06 05 The Boy With a Smile 06 Fuzzbuster #09 07 Very Reason 08 Picture of Bunny Rabbit 09 In the Light of a Miracle
The ongoing and ever-growing need to connect accomplished artistic works with sophisticated viewers has given rise to a new and altogether idiosyncratic new post within the XR ecosystem – the impact producer. Rather than chase after indiscriminate revenue, the impact producer focuses on audience returns; rather than aiming for the largest possible public, the impact producer targets the right one.
“An impact producer is more focused on a mobilization strategy, which works in tandem with a distribution,” says creative strategist (and impact producer) Michaela Ternasky-Holland.
”We’re driven by our specific, targeted audience,” she continues. “Are we trying to reach the university students, politicians, or grassroots activists? Are we trying to [encourage] a policy decision, are we trying to mobilize around an event and raise awareness about an issue? And because we hold this mobilization strategy, we also [oversee] the digital experience of the project.”
An XR specialist for the non-profit Games for Change, Ternasky-Holland was on-hand at this year’s NewImages Festival to preview a white paper outlining her organization’s campaign for the immersive doc “On the Morning You Wake (to the End of the World).”
Engaging thoughtfully with our the ever-present nuclear threat, the VR title played both the A-list festival circuit while following a more uncommon, simultaneous circuit at the Nobel Peace Center, the United Nations in New York and Vienna, and a number of universities and think-tanks.
In order to make the project accessible across any number of venues, Ternasky-Holland wanted to keep the project as scalable, flexible and transportable as possible, putting together travel kits that included four VR headsets and the necessary extensions that could fit inside small Pelican cases. On site, the team conducted pre- and post-experience surveys to gauge audience reaction and investment.
“We’ve had over 4,500 people take this survey from the beginning of our campaign,” says Ternasky-Holland. “And we’ve found that more than 40% of participants were willing to give their phone numbers to learn more. That’s a huge metric. [The participants weren’t just] learning a really great topic; they were actually using the medium of VR as a way to engage.”
Set to be published later this month, the case study also found that participants reacted more strongly to the 3D immersive version of the film than an otherwise similar 2D animated iteration.
“A majority of the participants who went through VR felt more intense emotions and more positive emotions,” says Ternasky-Holland. “They felt more excited, more intense emotions, more inspired [and] that creates a feeling similar to a memory.”
“VR is not necessarily an empathy machine,” she adds. “It just lends an immersion quality that heightens emotional responses. [In both cases] the participants felt connected to the story and connected to the characters, but just on that level of emotional impact we see the difference VR can make.”
Look out Justin Bieber, your hit single might have a new rival.
Jack Black has brought his comedic energy and timing to the starring role of a music video set to Bowser’s song “Peaches” from the hit “Super Mario Bros.” film.
The “Peaches” music video directed by Cole Bennett, watches Black climb through a hole in what looks like a mushroom or a turtle shell to tickle the ivories on a pink piano and belt out the ballad. A framed photo of Princess Peach sits atop the piano next to a bowl of — you guessed it — peaches, the fruit. Black wears an emerald green suit, a headpiece reminiscent of Bowser’s mane as well as gold eye makeup.
“Peach, you’re so cool,” the Lyrical Lemonade song begins. “And with my star, we’re gonna rule.”
In the Illuminiation movie, the intimidating King Koopa threatens Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) when the two plumber brothers get separated in the Illumination movie, but he has a soft spot for Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy).
“Peach, understand, I’m gonna love you til the very end,” Black growls in the music video. “Princess Peach, at the end of the line, I’ll make you mine.”
Black also dances gracefully in a ballet style at points in the video, twirling to the chorus of “Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches. I love you.”
“Mario, Luigi and a Donkey Kong too, a thousand troops of Koopas couldn’t keep me from you,” Black croons about Bowser’s undying love for her.
According to the film’s production notes, Black wrote the song himself, taking the idea to a full-fledged song, which he only sings snippets of in the film as well as in the mid and post-credit scenes.
The song was produced by Black, along with directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond, and the actor’s longtime collaborator and engineer, John Spiker.
“The Super Mario Bros.” movie is currently in theaters. Watch the “Peaches” video above.
A close guess. Wheel of Fortune fans were confused when Alexa Hoekstra lost $100,000 on the Thursday, April 6 episode.
The Texas Woman’s University won the episode and headed to the bonus round where she chose the “What Are You Doing?” category. After guessing her letters, she was left with “__ST _IN_ING IT” on the board. She had 10 seconds to guess the answer, and fans believed she said, “Just Winging It,” which turned out to be the correct answer. However, host Pat Sajak believed Hoekstra said “Just Winning It.”
After Sajak said she didn’t win, the contestant lamented, “So close.”
The college student didn’t walk away empty-handed. She won $19,950 during the game.
While Hoekstra was a good sport about the loss, Wheel of Fortunefans were outraged. “Ok so I re-watched Alexa’s bonus round and from what I heard, she clearly said the answer on the first try. The show clearly owes her the $100k now #WheelOfFortune,” one outraged viewer shared via Twitter.
“Bro the girl LITERALLY SAID ‘JUST WINGING IT’ IMMEDIATELY!!!! @WheelofFortune You totally ripped her off of $100k,” one person tweeted. Another added, “Alexa on Wheel of Fortune just said “just winging it” on the final puzzle and they didn’t accept it despite it being the correct answer. Didn’t win the $100k. Actually robbed.”
Some even blamed Sajack, 76, for the loss. “She said both. Just winging it and then Just winning it. I’m done with this show. Retire Pat. It’s time,” one angry audience member shared.
For her part, Hoekstra hasn’t publicly commented on the matter. After the show, she simply shared a photo noting her pride. “Back in January, I had the opportunity to compete on Wheel of Fortune, representing Texas Woman’s University. Last night was my air date! It was an amazing experience and I am so proud to represent my university!” she shared via LinkedIn on Friday, April 7.
Fred Jackson explained in the broadcast that he works as a professional wrestler (in addition to other gigs, including drama teacher and bar trivia host). After winning $75,800, Sajak asked the other contestants whether they wanted him “to body-slam [Fred] for you” because of his wrestling background.
The Illinois native then jokingly attempted to put the Wheel of Fortune champion in a headlock. Fred, for his part, didn’t mind the rough housing.
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“As the guy that he was putting in that hold, I loved that moment. L-O-V-E in capital letters,” Jackson told TMZ amid the backlash. “That was one of the biggest highlights of the show. From my perspective to see the criticism he’s getting online is a little unfair. I was the one who was put in the hold and I was perfectly OK with it. In fact, I loved it. I don’t think [fans] should get any more upset than I’m getting.”
Karan Johar’s cryptic post comes days after Kangana Ranaut accused him of ‘harassing’ Priyanka Chopra. (Photos: Instagram)
In his cryptic note, Karan Johar talked about how he is not going to surrender to false allegations.
Karan Johar has been facing a lot of criticism on social media lately. It all started after Priyanka Chopra Jonas talked about how she was sidelined in Bollywood following which an old video of KJo also went viral on social media in which he talked about his attempt to ‘sabotage’ Anushka Sharma’s career. Amid all this, the filmmaker has now shared a cryptic post on social media.
Karan Johar Says ‘Laga Lo Ilzaam’
On Saturday, Karan Johar took to his Instagram stories and penned down a note in which he talked about how he is not going to surrender to false allegations. He further argued that such wrong accusations will not make him weak and went on to say that his successful work is his success. “Aap utha lo talvaar…Hum marne waalon mein se nahi (You can pick swords but it will not kill us),” a part of his note read. Check out Karan Johar’s Instagram story here:
Karan Johar shares a cryptic post on social media.
When Kangana Slammed KJo For ‘Sabotaging’ Anushka’s Career
Interestingly, this comes a day after Kangana Ranaut reacted to Karan Johar’s viral old video in which he said that he ‘wanted to murder’ Anushka Sharma’s career after seeing her photo for the first time. Sharing the video on her Instagram stories, Kangana slammed the filmmaker and took a sly dig at him. “Ye Chacha Chaudhary ko bas yahi ek kaam hai,” she wrote in Hindi.
When Kangana Accused Karan of ‘Harassing’ PeeCee
Prior to this, Kangana also accused Karan Johar of ‘harassing’ Priyanka Chopra to a point where ‘she had to leave India’. The Manikarnika actress was reacting to PeeCee’s viral interview about being ‘sidelined’ in Bollywood when she took to Twitter and wrote, “This is what @priyankachopra has to say about bollywood, people ganged up on her, bullied her and chased her out of film industry” a self made woman was made to leave India. Everyone knows Karan Johar had banned her.”
Chirag Sehgal, Sub Editor at News18, covers Bollywood, television and K-pop group BTS. Apart from digging deep into the world of television and Bollyw…Read More
“He was rehearsing for a show to do in Los Angeles with a full band,” Nash said. “After three days of rehearsals, he felt a little sick. And he’d already had COVID, and he had COVID again. And so he went home and decided that he would take a nap, and he never woke up. But he died in his bed, and that is fantastic.”
At the time of Crosby’s death, his family said that the singer, who for years battled numerous health problems, including multiple liver transplants, diabetes and heart disease, had died after “a long illness” but did not provide further details.
Last year, Crosby spoke to Variety about an earlier bout of COVID-19 he had recently suffered. “It has been awful,” he said. “COVID is a very weird disease. It makes you feel absolutely freaking awful. It has been thoroughly unpleasant…it’s no fun at all. You want to avoid it if you possibly can.”
Speaking to The Times in 2019, Crosby said he expected to die soon, lamenting the years he’d “wasted just getting smashed.” Indeed, given his health struggles and years of drug addiction, Nash said it was remarkable that Crosby lived as long as he did.
“I think the truth is, we expected David to pass 20 years ago,” Nash said. “I mean, the fact that he made it to 81 was astonishing… But it was a shock, kind of like an earthquake, you know? You get the initial shock and then you figure out that you survived. But these aftershocks keep coming up.”
Though Crosby’s relationship with Nash, as with many of his former bandmates, had been tempestuous, the two had recently begun to reconcile after long being estranged.
“I’m very pleased that David and I were getting closer towards the end,” Nash said. “He had a good life. I mean, what incredible music he made. He was a fantastic storyteller. I loved him dearly. In looking back at what separated us, it was just foolish stuff, really. The music is the most important part of our relationship.”
2022’s MCU return to Wakanda, was one that was hotly anticipated, as fans pondered how director Ryan Coogler and the film’s stacked cast would handle the passing of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman.
But is it considered a success in the book of Marvel Studios?
Black Panther 2 Profits Revealed
Marvel
A new report from Deadline revealed just how much Black Panther: Wakanda Forever took home after all expenses were accounted for.
The Wakandan epic did good numbers at the box office, earning $454 million domestically and $389 million internationally. Those totals put the film at a final worldwide gross of $859 million USD with Disney taking home just over half that at $450 million.
This $859 million worldwide number puts the film roughly $500 million behind Black Panther’s $1.382 billion total from 2018.
Black Panther 2 also brought in an additional $155 million in home entertainment revenue and another $170 million from TV/streaming.
That all means, when all was said and done, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever generated a total of $750 million, but did it turn a profit?
Factoring production costs ($200 million), print and advertising ($140 million), video costs ($55 million), residuals ($30 million), interest and overhead ($36 million), and participations ($30 million), Black Panther 2 cost $491 million to make, advertise, and distribute.
That means, when all was said and done, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ended up turning an estimated profit of $259 million.
This is significantly less than the $476.8 million profit mark set by the original Black Pantherfilm. However, one has to remind themselves that Wakanda Forever was released into a theatrical environment that is recovering after years of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Another variable here is the significant lack of a Chinese release for the film. Wakanda Forever only recently started playing in the Chinese market, something that accounted for $105 million of Black Panther‘s original worldwide box office total.
So, with all that data, was Black Panther: Wakanda Forever actually a success for Disney and Marvel Studios? The simple answer is, yes.
Ryan Coogler’s Wakanda sequel was a worthy endeavor, getting into the black by quite a bit.
Sure, it may have underperformed when compared to its predecessor in Black Panther, but that is a lofty bar to strive for, especially given the circumstances under which Wakanda Forever was made and released.
One has to remember the first Black Panther film was a cultural phenomenon, as Marvel Studios built anticipation for the (then) imminent Avengers: Infinity War. The 2018 film currently sits as the 15th biggest box office hit of all time, and — while its sequel had the chance to get up there — it was never already starting from behind given the state of the theatrical business.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is available now to stream on Disney+.
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