Hasbro’s Indiana Jones Adventure Series has given Indy fans some incredible figures over the past year, celebrating the beloved film series. With Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny hitting theaters this summer, now is the perfect time to start collecting. These ultra-detailed figures celebrate the 40-year legacy of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg’s iconic high adventure franchise starring Harrison Ford.
Hasbro
Hasbro has detailed this latest batch of action figures. Each is made to look like the characters from Raiders of the Lost Ark. They feature premium detail and multiple points of articulation. This wave features Professor Henry Jones Jr. (that’s Indy to you) as well as Indy’s best friend Marcus Brody, and also his rival in archeology René Belloq. You can check out detailed images of each of the figures and their packaging below:
Indiana Jones Adventure Series, Indiana Jones (Cairo)
This wave features Indy in his look from the early scenes of the Cairo segment from Raiders. Along with the figure, there’s a detachable pistol, coiled whip, regular whip, satchel, and the monkey spy as accessories. There are also 2 pairs of additional hands. It will be available for pre-order on April 13 at 1PM Eastern Time on Amazon and Fan Channel retailers. Retail price is $33.99, and it will be available in Fall 2023.
Indiana Jones Adventure Series, Marcus Brody and René Belloq (Ark Showdown)
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Hasbro
Next up is Indy’s friend Marcus Brody and his nemesis René Belloq, in his Ark Showdown suit. This 2-pack is detailed to look like the characters from Raiders, featuring premium detail and multiple points of articulation. It Includes two figures, a detachable machine gun for Belloq, Brody’s apple that he nicked from Indy’s desk, and Brody’s book of Biblical history as accessories. It will be available for pre-order on April 13 at 1PM Eastern Time on Fan Channels and via Amazon. Retail Price is $55.99, and it will be available in Fall 2023.
VGChartz’s Evan Norris: “Mechner, Chahi, and Cuisset would be proud of Lunark, despite its flaws. The game successfully channels the spirit of their old-school cinematic platformers, thanks to its realistic physics, deliberate gameplay, and rotoscoped animation. If you’re a fan of Flashback and the sort, you really can’t go wrong with Lunark, even if it’s a tad forgiving and far too short. If you’re less comfortable with the sub-genre, or want something meatier, consider waiting for a sale. In any event, it’s great to see a modern developer experiment with a dusty game type long removed from its glory days. Hopefully more cinematic platformers will follow.”
Editors note:This review was originally published May 23 after its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.The film opens in New York on Friday and in Los Angeles on April 21.
A married man falls for a trans woman in Joyland, the first Pakistani feature to play in Cannes. Saim Sadiq’s atmospheric Un Certain Regard drama also explores a whole family, presenting a picture of a clan torn between modernity and tradition in contemporary Lahore.
Haider (Ali Junejo) has a seemingly happy arranged marriage with Mumtaz (Rasti Farooq). But when he gains work as a backing dancer for the glamorous trans performer Biba (Alina Khan), his eyes are opened to another way of life — and potentially another way of loving. Meanwhile, his wife is frustrated with the expectations of the patriarchal society she lives in, and much less enthusiastic about the prospect of bringing another boy into the family (her sister-in-law has daughters, much to everyone’s disappointment).
The Joyland of the title is an amusement park which provides an escape for many of the group, whether dancing with a troupe or screaming out their pain on a fairground ride.
Haider makes for a quietly compelling lead: a man oppressed by his father’s conventional expectations, and more sensitive than he dare admit. His wife is a tragic figure: a smart woman who deserves more than her lot. But the most distinctive character is Biba, the pre-op trans woman who makes a living with exotic dancing — sometimes in front of a large, relatively mainstream audience, other times for a small crew of lewd, sexually aggressive men.
The relationship between Haider and Biba is riveting — we’re never quite sure how far it will go, or what drives Haider. There’s a suggestion that he may be attracted to men, which infuriates Biba, who identifies as female. And yet there is a tangible tenderness between these two lost souls, both living lives they haven’t signed up for. That Biba has made the brave move to change her gender implicitly emboldens Haider to live more honestly according to his own sexuality. But this may come at a cost.
Joyland has a vivid sense of place, created not so much by its geographical backdrop as its characters. There’s an attention to detail in the rituals of daily life, whether it’s family celebrations or the rehearsals of the dance group. Mostly restrained emotionally, this packs an unexpected gut punch towards the end of the film, where it shifts focus to a deserving subject and drops another key character.
Presumably that’s meant to reflect the perspective of the protagonist, though it does leave some stories up in the air. But Joyland remains a thoughtful, well performed and engrossing drama set in a culture that’s shifting, and not always with ease.
Title: Joyland Studio: Oscilloscope Laboratories Release date: April 7, 2023 (NY)/April 21 (L.A.) (May 23, 2022 Cannes premiere) Director-screenwriter: Saim Sadiq Cast: Ali Junejo Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan, Sarwat Gilani, Sohail Sameer, Salmaan Peerzada, Sania Saeed Running time: 2 hr 7 mins
Bruce Campbell, the producer and franchise star of Evil Dead, is ready to unleash his unique antics on a special episode of “Impractical Jokers” prior to the theatrical release of Evil Dead Rise on April 21. The episode, which features an Evil Dead spoof, is scheduled to air on TruTV on Thursday, April 13 at […]
Filoni confirmed that there will be a second season of the animated series during the 15th anniversary panel for Star Wars: The Clone Wars at the Star Wars 2023 Celebration.
“Tales of the Jedi was so fun the first time,” said Filoni, “I did some more.” There were no other details revealed about the upcoming series.
The original season last year covered the lives of Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku, each covered in three-episode arcs.
After spending four years at Syracuse University, Sonny Koufax refused to change from his college-kid lifestyle once he graduated. When his girlfriend threatens to break up with him, Sonny decides to foster a child who randomly shows up on his doorstep to prove his maturity. Cool Dad Sonny (Adam Sandler) and 5-year-old Julian (Cole & Dylan Sprouse) are left leaning on each other for help in the Big Apple – that is until the head of foster care realizes Sonny is not the real dad. The hilarious dynamic between the young Sprouse twins and Adam Sandler makes for the perfect weekend watch.
Jimmy Fallon ran with the Easter Bunny jokes during Friday’s “Tonight Show,” particularly with this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll mascot reveal.
“The White House is debuting a new bunny mascot. It’s a little different than the bunnies the last president hung out with,” Fallon said as a photo of Trump at “Playboy’s” 45th anniversary party posing with several Playmates flashed on the screen.
“It’ll be weird when the Easter Bunny hugs Biden and underneath the mascot you hear…” Fallon said, adding with a mock Trump voice, “You have to pardon me please.”
After mentioning that the Easter Egg Roll would take place on Monday instead of Easter Sunday — like a New Year’s Eve Party happening Jan. 2 — the “Tonight Show” host then put together a montage of all the different Easter Bunnies at the White House over the years, showing that they look different every time.
“Bunny in a vest. Bunny in a dress. Bunny on a porch. Bunny hugging George [Bush],” the jingle begins. “Bunny with Biden. Bunny looks frightened. Bunny is Spicer. Bunny took Pfizer.”
The Pfizer bunny had a mask on, and some of the photos of the bunny alternate the mascot wearing glasses.
“Bunny looking basic. Bunny needs LASIK,” Fallon joked about the glasses. “Bunny wants kisses. Bunny’s complicit,” he said over a shot of the Easter Bunny high-fiving former Trump.
“If Bunny tells all, then Donnie might fall,” the rap continued, zoning in on Trump and referencing his indictment and arrest for paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels. “So give hush money to the White House Bunny.”
Donald Trump’s indictment Thursday, March 30 led to his arrest and arraignment Tuesday, April 4, where it was revealed he faces 34 counts of fraud. He was released and flew back to Florida to host an event and make a speech at Mar-a-Lago.
Film is a form of art, and through art, the artist conveys a message. Sometimes the message hits home; other times, it may be lost in translation. Writer-director Daniel Holland’s Moon Students has its share of messages, but are they well-received?
The movie centers on a group of people, all of whom are attempting to overcome personal struggles. Lita (Sydney Carvill) and Antonio (Eddie Navarro) are a couple who are trying to get through a semester of college when their professor (Nicholas Thurketle) kicks Antonio out of school after a physical altercation between the two of them. Antonio decides to get away from home to collect himself while attempting to live life. He convinces Lita to tag along. One finds a more positive way to navigate life while the other struggles and lets the negativity start affecting them.
Moon Students takes place during the time the world was shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the death of George Floyd. The two prolific incidences act as vital parts of the story because they give each character more layers when seeing how they deal with the social construct. This also makes the flick a modern coming-of-age film that the current generation can relate to.
“…kicks Antonio out of school after a physical altercation…”
On the other side of the coin, sometimes situations can be too fresh for some audiences to want to analyze and draw parallels. That is the case here. It was dealing with incidents that are too fresh for me. I know COVID has been a hot topic in media for the past two years, but I am exhausted from hearing about it. Yes, I know it’s the world we live in now, and many people have opinions and stories about it, but for me, cinema is the place I go to to escape reality for a couple of hours, just as many others do. Therefore, I feel that this movie can still be relatable to a modern audience without the coronavirus subplot.
Gravitas Ventures produced this drama, and it shows. The company has been one of the top places independent filmmakers go, allowing the director to tell their stories. The production is top-notch; from the cinematography to its soundtrack, the movie definitely has art written all over it.
Moon Students has some valid messages, but it may be tough to hear them and cipher through when they come at you too frequently. The drama walks a fine line regarding this, and what might be a powerful movie to some may come off as preachy to others. However, I do feel that most messages here are relatable especially considering the times we are in. But be warned that this is not the type of film you can turn on to escape the real world. One message in the final lines can sum it up best when understanding the story’s moral, “You just gotta have faith.”
AS Easter approaches, Christians across the world are partaking in rituals to mark the holiday – and some are gory.
From Mexico to Italy, the Passion of the Christ has been depicted in bloody re-enactments and traditions.
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In Italy, locals re-enact the Passion of the ChristCredit: Getty
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In Mexico, men go through brutal tribulations on a march through townCredit: Alamy
Celebrations and painful re-enactments of the Passion of the Christ have been on full display in other countries and cities such as Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Germany, Haiti, The US, India, Kenya, Mumbai, Paraguay, Poland, Sudan and Venezuala.
In the small northern Italian town of Romagnano Sesia, performances of Jesus’s last days have been held each day.
The dramatic four day re-enactments began in 1729, and has continued every two years in the small town.
The actor portraying Christ wore a real crown of thorns as he carried a large wooden cross through the streets of the village.
Three crosses were erected on top of a hill in the town, with re-enactment actors dressed in full Roman soldiers clothing.
Across the globe in Atlixco, Mexico, more than 100 men participate in the Procession of the Chained.
The Good Friday tradition has been a staple of the majority Catholic state for more than 100 years.
Rumour has it, the strange and gory tradition emerged when a man in the village used witchcraft to win over a lover.
After realising his sin, he decided to march about the town each Good Friday to repent.
Men who participate in the brutal march are stuck with cacti all over their body, hooded and wear 70 pound chains and around their necks.
Onlookers throw cacti at them and offer the men squeezed juice from limes, which is the only thing they’re allowed to drink during the procession.
But for many, they see it as a small act to repent for their sins.
Martin Cazares told The Mail: “It’s an act of gratitude for all that God has given me, and a way to ask for forgiveness for all the bad I’ve done to be a better person. It helps me reflect.
“The spines are very painful, and it’s exhausting.
“The heat suffocates you, and the exhaustion with the sun, the sun burning your feet, it’s too much.”
The Christian celebration is named after the Germanic goddess of springtime, Ostara – commonly referred to as Eostre or Eastre.
The goddess lent her name to the month of Easter almost two thousand years ago.
And even though Christians had begun affirming the Christian meaning of the celebration, they continued to use the name of the goddess to designate the season.
As Jimmy Durante once noted, “Everybody wants to get into the act!”
That was evidenced by disturbances at Manchester, UK’s Palace Theater Friday night, where unruly patrons wouldn’t stop singing along with the musical “The Bodyguard,” according to a report by Sky News.
Police were called to the theater, resulting in the show being stopped 10 minutes before the end. Some audience members were reportedly “singing over the lead during the final song.”
Two people were removed from the venue, Greater Manchester Police said, and charges are being decided.
“Officers were called to the Palace Theatre last night after staff reported a number of people in the audience causing a disturbance,” a spokesperson said. “Two people removed by security staff were spoken to by police and a decision about any further action will be made once the evidence has been reviewed.”
The removal at the end was the second such incident on the night. The first act was paused to evict others who were singing over the top of the actors, the Manchester Evening News reported.
Former Pussycat Dolls singer Melody Thornton plays the lead role of Rachel Marron. She shared an Instagram video apologizing that the show had to be stopped.
“I wanted to send a really special message to people in Manchester who came to the show tonight to say thank you so much. I respect that you paid your money and I am so grateful to everyone who respects the people on stage, who want to give you a beautiful show. For everything that happened tonight – I can’t say, I don’t have all of the details – I’m just very, very sorry that we couldn’t finish the show.”
Fellow actor Ayden Callaghan, who plays bodyguard Frank Farmer in the show, tweeted: “Theatre pulled the show at the end tonight because of disgusting behaviour. We wanted to carry on but it had become a major incident. I’m really sorry to what was 99.9% a brilliant audience that a few badly behaved individuals ruined it.”
Theatre pulled the show at the end tonight because of disgusting behaviour. We wanted to carry on but it had become a major incident. I’m really sorry to what was 99.9% a brilliant audience that a few badly behaved individuals ruined it. https://t.co/quemi5Jmt5
Microsoft isn’t slowing down when it comes to adding AI-powered tools to its various products: the company has announced that image creator Dall-E is now available for everyone to use via the sidebar in the Microsoft Edge browser.
“This feature will help you create images that don’t yet exist, powered by the very latest Dall-E models from our partners at OpenAI, right from the Microsoft Edge sidebar,” writes Microsoft’s Roger Capriotti in a blog post (opens in new tab).
“If you’ve ever found yourself in need of a very specific visual for a social post or even a PowerPoint, Image Creator can help you find exactly what you need. Edge is now the first and only browser with an integrated AI image generator.”
Say what you want to see
For the uninitiated, Dall-E is a little bit like ChatGPT, but for pictures. Enter a prompt for an image – along the lines of “cosy cabin in the woods with sunlight peeking through the trees” for example – and you’ll get a few different results generated for you.
Dall-E has been available on the for some time on the web, but it’s now integrated right into Edge. It’s also available through Bing Chat if you want to take that route, though Bing Chat works best in Edge, so you really need to be using Microsoft’s browser anyway.
The new and current AI features require a Microsoft account to use, and there doesn’t appear to be a waiting list any longer. Make sure you’re running the most recent version of Microsoft Edge, and the image creator tool should appear.
Analysis: generate your own AI art with Bing
Assuming you are running the latest version of Microsoft – click the three dots (top right), then Help and feedback and About Microsoft Edge to make sure – you should see the Image Creator button in the sidebar on the right. It looks like a little painting with a paintbrush in front of it.
If you don’t see the icon, click the plus button at the bottom of the sidebar to add it to the panel. You can then select it to launch the Image Creator alongside whatever you’re looking at on the web: type out your prompt at the top, then click on Create, and after a few minutes you’ll get four results.
Click on any of the previews for a closer look, and to find the share and download options. If you’re struggling for inspiration, switch to the Explore ideas tab and see a few examples of what Dall-E can do, together with the text prompts that were used to generate the artwork. You can also click Surprise Me to get a random prompt.
The service doesn’t cost anything to use but you only get a certain number of “boosts” per month – these make the AI generation process run significantly faster, and if you run out you can top them up through the Microsoft Rewards system. Past images you’ve previously created are saved at the bottom of the panel.
Andrew Jeffrey joined Realscreen in 2021 as its news editor. Here, he helps to oversee assignment, reporting and editing for Realscreen’s daily newsletter. Prior to his work covering documentary and non-fiction film and TV, he worked as a reporter and associate producer for CBC Edmonton, and as a reporter for The Star Calgary, where he covered daily news on beats such as local and provincial politics, health care and harm reduction, sports and education. His work has appeared in other Canadian news outlets such as TVO, the Edmonton Journal and Avenue Magazine.
Karan Johar and Preity Zinta ruled headlines on Saturday. (Photos: Instagram)
From Karan Johar’s cryptic note to Preity Zinta’s shocking experiences; here are the top headlines of the day.
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 argued that such wrong accusations will not make him weak and went on to say that his successful work is his success. Interestingly, this comes a day after Kangana Ranaut slammed KJo for wanting to ‘murder’ Anushka Sharma’s career in old viral video.
Preity Zinta took to her Instagram handle on Saturday and talked about two incidents in a long post that shook her this week. Sharing the first incident, Preity Zinta alleged how a woman kissed her daughter despite being asked not to. Talking about the second incident, the Veer-Zaara actress alleged how a ‘handicapped man kept trying to stop me’ when she had a flight to catch. “I have equal right like anyone else to live the way I want,” she wrote.
Varun Dhawan and his fashion designer wife Natasha Dalal were spotted outside at a clinic in Mumbai by the paparazzi on Saturday afternoon. This has led to a frenzy of speculation among their fans, with many wondering if the couple is expecting their first child together. Several social media users also argued that Natasha’s choice of a printed, monochrome dress could be an attempt to camouflage a baby bump.
Allu Arjun has reportedly hiked his fee for Pushpa 2. As reported by The Times of India, the actor charged Rs 45 crore for Pushpa: The Rise which also starred Rashmika Mandanna in the lead role. However, for the sequel, he is charging a whopping amount of Rs 85 crores. “Arjun’s fee for the Pushpa sequel is around Rs 85 crores which is a new record in the Telugu film industry,” a source cited by the news portal claimed. However, there is no official confirmation to this so far.
The makers of Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan have shared a brand-new poster revealing the trailer release date of the film i.e April 10. The poster features Pooja Hegde and Salman Khan embracing each other affectionately while looking deeply into each other’s eyes. The intense chemistry, visible in the poster, between the two actors has generated anticipation among their fans. Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan will hit theatres on April 21.
With at least a dozen projects comprising the MCU’s Phase 5 slate and numerous others in Phase 6, Kang and his Variants are sure to play a part in more than a few movies and TV shows debuting in the next few years.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn addressed a fan comment on Instagram regarding whether his MCU threequel sets up Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror in any way.
The fan expressed hope that Vol. 3 is “focused on the GOTG (Guardians of the Galaxy)” rather than “setting up more Kang stuff,” even while noting how much they enjoy the Multiverse story:
“Please tell me this film is focused on the GOTG and not setting up more Kang stuff. I love Kang and the multiverse, but the GOTG franchise is my favorite in the MCU. ‘Volume 2’ still makes give me goosebumps in that final battle, there’s just so much emotion.”
Gunn made it clear that his movie is “about ending the story of these Guardians” rather than setting up something bigger, even noting that he’s in the dark about what’s going on in the rest of the MCU:
“‘Vol 3’ is about ending the story of these Guardians, not about setting up anything else. I don’t even know what’s going on with the other Marvel movies.”
When Will Kang Show Up Next?
James Gunn has always kept the Guardians of the Galaxy largely separate from the rest of the MCU, which appears to be exactly what he’s doing this time around too.
While Kang is unquestionably a being somewhat based in the cosmos, the Guardians have their own mission to worry about with Chukwudi Iwuji‘s High Evolutionary. And particularly with this being the final movie for this version of the team, Gunn is ensuring that they take the spotlight fully rather than having them in a movie that only helps set up something later down the road.
He’s also been rumored for an appearance in Moon Knight Season 2, likely as his Rama-Tut Variant that was shown in Ant-Man 3‘s mid-credits scene, although fans are still waiting to find out more official news on that project.
And while not having Kang in Guardians 3 is a choice that Gunn felt comfortable making, the villain’s absence shouldn’t take away from an adventure that’s already rumored to have a massive impact on viewers.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will debut in theaters on May 5, and Avengers 5 will then hit the big screen on May 2, 2025.
There are several new DC heroes The Batman – Part II could feature for Robert Pattinson to team up with. The Batman franchise might exist in a world separate from the DC Universe, but it is still full of other heroes and villains from the comics. The first movie saw Robert Pattinson’s Batman team up with Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) during his second year of crime fighting in Gotham as they joined forces to bring down Riddler and Carmine Falcone. This allowed The Batman to establish a great dynamic between Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. However, it is unclear if Catwoman will return in The Batman 2 for another team-up.
Now that Robert Pattinson’s Batman has some experience working with other heroes, The Batman 2 is poised to continue exploring how he works in a group. This could still include Catwoman’s return, which could involve taking their relationship to the next level. The sequel could even pay off The Batman‘s scrapped Superman and Wonder Woman references. There is also a chance that the movie will feature new DC heroes who are more commonly associated with the Dark Knight outside his Justice League adventures. Based on teases from the first movie and the possible direction of the sequel, these are the DC heroes The Batman 2 could use.
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6 Nightwing
Robert Pattinson’s Batman is still young, but The Batman 2‘s new DC hero could be Nightwing. The Batman‘s ending mentioned Blüdhaven by name, as this is where Catwoman was going when she left Gotham. Blüdhaven is a famous city in the comics where Dick Grayson commonly patrols as Nightwing. This tease might be part of Matt Reeves’ hopes for The Batman trilogy and setting up a Dick Grayson spinoff set there. But, it is also possible that the director is planning to fast-track Nightwing’s introduction and have him join Robert Pattinson’s Batman for The Batman 2.
Nightwing’s appearance in The Batman 2 would likely require changing some aspects of Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne’s relationship. Since Bruce is still in the early years of being Batman, the idea that he’d have a sidekick old enough to become a superhero in his own right might not work. The Batman 2 could rework Nightwing’s story to have Dick Grayson be inspired by Batman’s heroics in Gotham to try and make Blüdhaven better. This could lead Nightwing to seek out Batman for help, establishing the mentor/mentee relationship from the comics but with a different origin.
5 Robin
Another option for The Batman 2‘s new DC hero is a more traditional version of Robin. Robert Pattinson has been very open about his desire to see Bruce Wayne get a Robin at some point in the franchise. This led to several theories about how The Batman set up Robin through the Mayor’s son that Bruce frequently interacts with. The theory that the Mayor’s son will become Robin has been debunked, but that does not mean that Matt Reeves is not interested in bringing a version of Batman’s sidekick into the sequel.
There are several different Robins that The Batman 2 could feature to give Robert Pattinson’s Batman a new team-up opportunity. This could include introducing a younger Dick Grayson who has not yet become Nightwing. Other options include Tim Drake, Jason Todd, and Carrie Kelley, while Damian Wayne can likely be ruled out with The Brave and the Bold using him. The Batman 2 using Robin would be the first move in setting up the larger Bat Family, which could be important for Matt Reeves’ plans for the future.
4 Question
Either version of the Question, Vic Sage or Renee Montoya, could be who Robert Pattinson’s Batman teams up with in The Batman 2. Renee Montoya is a Gotham City Police Department detective who was recently featured in Birds of Prey and played by Rosie Perez, while Vic Sage is an investigative journalist. Both characters have frequently worked with Batman in the comics and use the mask to investigate leads that require them to go beyond established laws.
The possibility of a version of Question appearing in The Batman 2 would give Bruce Wayne another detective to challenge him. Matt Reeves’ franchise is rooted in its detective story and the film noir genre, both of which would be perfect for Question. Regardless of who The Batman 2‘s villain is, Robert Pattinson’s Batman could be aided by someone like Vic Sage or Renee Montoya. They would either allow the sequel to increase the relationship Bruce has with the GCPD or introduce how Gotham’s media covers its criminal activity.
3 Oracle
Barbara Gordon could also play a role in The Batman 2 as Oracle. Jim Gordon’s daughter is best known for being one of Batman’s sidekicks as Batgirl, but it could be a better fit for The Batman franchise to use her other crime-fighting identity. Oracle is the name that Barbara Gordon takes after she becomes paraplegic and begins using computers and technology to help Batman and other heroes fight crime. Since The Batman put such an emphasis on Jim Gordon and Batman’s relationship, his daughter beginning to help them out in the sequel would be a natural evolution of that storyline.
Oracle’s role in The Batman 2 could also mean bringing part of Joker’s backstory to the forefront. Barbara Gordon becomes Oracle after Joker shoots her in Killing Joke. Since Joker’s history in Gotham has already been teased through The Batman‘s deleted Joker scene, Barbara Gordon could be someone that he targeted before he was arrested. This would make putting Joker behind bars again a much more personal mission for Batman, Jim Gordon, and Oracle if he escapes in The Batman 2 and begins terrorizing Gotham again.
2 Azrael
Azrael could also be The Batman 2‘s new DC hero who teams up with Robert Pattinson’s Batman. Jean-Paul Valley has never been featured in a DC movie, but the character gained greater recognition thanks to Azrael’s role in the Batman: Arkham video games. He is another vigilante who patrols Gotham and eventually becomes an ally of Batman in the comics. He is a trained assassin that comes from a radical religious faction known as the Order of St. Dumas.
With The Batman 2 likely set to build on the idea that Batman’s heroics helped bring some hope to Gotham, his actions could inspire new heroes to begin fighting crime in their own ways in Gotham. This could include the Order of St. Dumas restarting its efforts to have someone carrying out their mission. The arrival of a new Azrael in Gotham could present some challenges for Robert Pattinson’s Batman, but the two could eventually put their differences aside to work together. It also sets up someone else who could wear the Batman suit in The Batman 2 if Bruce got injured.
1 Huntress
It is also feasible that Huntress could be introduced in The Batman 2 as part of a team-up with Batman. Helena Bertinelli is another vigilante who primarily operates out of Gotham in the comics. She’s an incredibly skilled archer and martial artist, but it is her use of the crossbow that she is most famous for. Her connections to Batman run deep, as he originally inspired her to become a superhero, which The Batman 2 could copy to explain her emergence. She eventually became a member of the Bat Family too.
Huntress’ presence in The Batman 2 would also be an opportunity for the sequel to continue exploring Gotham’s criminal empires. Helena is the daughter of Franco Bertinelli, who is the leader of a massive mafia family in Gotham. Carmine Falcone’s death in The Batman will open the doorway for other people to try and become the king of crime, and that could include the Bertinelli family trying to take a step up. The increased criminal activity of her family could be what finally brings Helena back to Gotham and turns her into Huntress. Teaming up with Robert Pattinson in The Batman – Part II could easily happen then.
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If you missed the chance to buy the bundle when it was , now you have another opportunity to do so. Amazon is again offering the bundle for $509, down from $560. With the discount, you’re effectively getting God of War: Ragnarok for $10 since the disc variant of the PS5 will set you back $499 on its own.
Before this year, Sony’s latest console was notoriously tricky to find in stores and online due to pandemic-related supply shortages. That meant the console rarely went on sale, so while $50 off is not much of a discount, it is an all-time low price for the disc version of the PS5. The fact you get , one of the , in the bundle makes this an even better deal. Now is also the perfect time to play the game. Sony’s Santa Monica Studio recently for Ragnarok that added an NG+ mode, alongside new armor and enhancements for players to collect.
Hoyeon and Donald Glover were among the honorees at the inaugural GQ Global Creativity Awards on Thursday at the WSA, a new cultural center in downtown Manhattan.
Hosted by musical artist Ian Isiah, the black tie gala spotlighted several multidisciplinary creatives that encompass such industries as fashion, film, television, music, tech and design.
The inaugural class of honorees included Glover, Hoyeon, Apple CEO Tim Cook, fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto, singer-songwriter Karol G, architect Gaetano Pesce, fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner, skateboarder Tyshawn Jones and filmmaker William Strobeck.
The first Global Creativity Awards honoree to be recognized was “Squid Game” star Hoyeon.
“What makes a global creative? Is it talent? Intelligence, desire, courage, curiosity, diligence, imagination, innovation, boldness? Is it perseverance? Audacity? Vision? Or is it the willingness to grow?” asked “Pachinko” author Min Jin Lee, who presented the award to the Korean model-turned-actor. “To me, it is perhaps all those qualities and more, which define my friend Jung Hoyeon.”
“While I was gifted with so many unbelievable experiences thanks to ‘Squid Game,’ I also experienced moments of self-doubt. One day, I wondered, ‘Am I too much?’ And the next day, I asked myself, ‘Am I enough?’” Hoyeon said in her acceptance speech. “Through it all, I have come to understand that in order to be fearlessly creative, the question that matters is, am I myself?”
She added, “I can’t wait to collaborate with more amazing and talented people, like Min Jin here, around the world and share it with everyone everywhere all at once.”
While up on stage to accept his award, Cook acknowledged “Ted Lasso” star and presenter Hannah Waddingham.
“You bring so much humor and heart to [‘Ted Lasso’], it’s truly a joy to watch,” Cook said to Waddingham. “And it’s a wonderful example of what creativity can achieve. Whether it’s a line of dialogue that brings viewers to the edge of their seats, or the lines of code that bring so many innovations to life, creativity has the unique power to move people, to inspire us, to connect us.”
The GQ Global Creativity Awards featured two surprise fashion shows: models wore designs by Yamamoto in the lobby, while looks from Bonner’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection were presented at the gala dinner before her acceptance speech. French jazz duo Domi and JD Beck performed in one corner of the room as guests mingled and enjoyed a feast created by chef Jake Tyler Brodsky.
Zazie Beetz teared up while presenting the final award to “Atlanta” creator Glover.
Donald Glover at the 2023 GQ Global Creativity Awards at WSA on April 06, 2023 in New York City.
Aurora Rose DeCrosta for Variety
“I think that Donald has shifted the way we can [use] television, Black TV, how music integrates into storytelling, male vulnerability, Black female vulnerability — and he doesn’t seem to be doing it on purpose. It’s just who he is,” Beetz said of her “Atlanta” co-star. “So you could call Donald a great writer, actor, director, producer, musician, style icon, father, partner — but the more I’ve gotten to know Donald, the more I know, he’s just himself playing in the playground.”
“I did not write anything. I thought this was a competitive award thing. I was like, ‘Oh, Tim Cook’s gonna win,’” Glover said jokingly.
He continued, “I do feel like a kid in a playground where I get to be like, I want to do this. And some people are mean and they don’t give a fuck, which is fine. But then you find other people who really believe in you and love you, and they want to build these things with you. And then people notice it.”
The evening concluded with a disco after-party, featuring music by ACYDE and a special performance of “Tomorrow” and “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” by GloRilla.
The awards gala’s guest list included Anna Wintour, Antwaun Sargent, Babyface, ASAP Ferg, James Turlington, Jonathan Groff, Luka Sabbat, Maggie Rogers, Aurora James, Al Freeman, Alton Mason, Edgar Ramirez, Abbey Lee and GQ’s global editorial director Will Welch.
Amid the continued debate over Nepo Babies, many learned that Malia Obama had joined the writers’ room of the Donald Glover-produced series, Swarm. This news seemed to be met with skepticism from some in regard to Obama’s merits as a writer. Despite any pushback though, her contributions as a first-time writer have been championed by Glover and other producers. After the viral Amazon Prime series’ conclusion, the Atlanta creator spoke about working with the former First Daughter on another project they’re reuniting for.
The Hollywood multihyphenate was so impressed by the Harvard graduate’s work on Swarm that he decided to take her under his wing as she pursues a film and TV career. The two creatives are currently working on a short film that will mark Malia Obama’s directorial debut. It’ll also be one of the first offerings from Donald Glover’s production hub, Gilga. As her mentor, Glover was honest with the emerging writer/filmmaker about the pressure she’ll face in Hollywood given her parents’ notoriety. The actor-producer said to GQ:
The first thing we did was talk about the fact that she will only get to do this once. You’re Obama’s daughter. So if you make a bad film, it will follow you around.
The 30 Rock alum clearly just wanted to prepare the 24-year-old for any kind of blowback she might receive in Hollywood. The industry can be rough, so it’s a good thing Malia Obama has someone like Donald Glover in her corner to school her about show business. Having worked in Hollywood for two decades, Glover has witnessed the highs and lows of the business. Making a good first impression can make or break someone’s career, though Glover seems to have plenty of faith in Obama. He even called her “somebody who’s gonna have really good things coming soon.”
Malia Obama left an indelible on the cast and crew of Swarm (as well as viewers) through her work on the show. After the Prime Video horror dramedy premiered, showrunner Janine Nabers, who addressed those Beyoncé comparisons, chatted with EW and spoke highly of Obama’s contributions in the writers’ room. Nabers was impressed by the first-time TV writer’s out-of-the-box pitches for the surrealist show. And ultimately, Obama co-wrote the show’s much-talked-about fifth episode, “Girl Bye,” alongside Nabers herself.
In terms of the subject matter the rising director’s short film will tackle and the genre it’ll fall into, those details remain to be seen. But if the horror satire is any indication of things to come, audiences might be in for some outlandish, yet grounded, storytelling.
In the meantime, Donald Glover has his hands in multiple upcoming projects. He’s starring in and producing upcoming Amazon Prime comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith and could join a possible Lando Calrissian project. His film career is also booming, as he’s set a potential Spider-Man universe movie centered on the Marvel villain Hypno-Hustler and is seemingly returning as Troy Barnes for the upcoming Community movie, which will be streamable with a Peacock subscription. And of course, if you want to see what all of the fuss over Swarm is about, stream the entire season using a Prime Video subscription.
In a special series, The A.V. Club looks at the legacy of Warner Bros. 100 years after the studio was founded.
Hollywood tees up more James Bond
Los Angeles had already established itself as the movie-making capital of the world by 1923. Construction had just finished on the Hollywood sign (or the “Hollywoodland” sign, as it read back then), showman Sid Grauman was establishing a vital exhibition franchise with a series of elaborate movie palaces, and the big three studios—First National, Paramount Pictures, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer—were churning out silent films by the dozens.
In the background of this burgeoning scene, four then-minor players were about to start their own Hollywood story. On April 4, 1923, immigrant brothers Harry, Sam, Albert, and Jack Warner, the proprietors of a small independent Poverty Row studio, secured an initial loan of $50,000 from a family friend and formally filed to incorporate their production company as Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Over the next 100 years, the Warner Bros. journey would be filled with remarkable achievements, substantial behind-the-scenes dramas, and the kinds of twists and turns that would that rival the studio’s on-screen stories. The Warners would build one of the world’s most powerful media empires, and their studio would exert an outsized influence on popular culture, producing some of the silver screen’s most iconic films and characters. This is a look at some of the most important contributions from the storied studio, and how those developments reshaped the entertainment industry for decades to come.
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The Jazz Singer makes a big noise
Although Warner Bros. had a few scattered hits in the silent era, it wasn’t until 1927, when the studio ushered in the era of sound with The Jazz Singer, that the brothers staked their claim among the big boys as a force in the industry. But before the Warners could enjoy the fruits of the Al Jolson hit, they took some big financial risks on the technology that powered the sound revolution.
At the urging of Sam, the most technically adept of the brothers, the studio had laid out a healthy stack of cash to acquire the Vitaphone sound system from Western Electric. It was an expensive process, involving recording separate sound discs, which were then played on a phonograph attached to a projector.
The first major Warner Bros. feature to use this technology was 1926’s Don Juan, directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring John Barrymore (it had synchronous music, but no dialogue). Despite selling out theaters, the production wound up losing money and almost bankrupted the young studio. Fortunately, success was just around the corner, as The Jazz Singer brought about a seismic change in film production that had the rest of the industry playing catch-up.
Warner Bros. followed up with more sound features, including Lights Of New York, The Singing Fool and The Terror. Soon the studio was making so much money with its talkies that it was able to buy a stake in First National Pictures and eventually absorb the rival studio entirely. The brothers then set their sights on the next big technological advancement: color. By the early 1930s Warner Bros. was producing all-talking, all-singing, full-color musicals like Gold Diggers Of Broadway, The Show Of Shows, Bright Lights, Song Of The Flame, and 42nd Street. Most of them were musical reviews or based on existing Broadway shows. While most people think of MGM as the studio of early, big-budget musicals, Warner Bros. nearly rivaled MGM’s output during this period (though with smaller budgets due to Jack Warner’s infamous penny pinching). They did, after all, have Busby Berkeley on contract.
Dancers outside the Warner Studios during the filming of Gold Diggers of 1933Photo: Keystone/Getty Images (Getty Images)
Gangsters and noir: Cagney, Bogart chart a new course
Unlike the sound revolution, which practically happened overnight, it took longer for color to become standard in the film industry. As grandiose musicals began to fall out of fashion with the public, so did color, which was closely associated with the genre. Many studios, Warner Bros. included, never gave up on black-and-white dramas and grittier fare (in part because those films were cheaper to make) and continued releasing them alongside flashier color productions well into the 1950s.
The studio was already well suited to counter-program the bright, happy-go-lucky world of those early musicals with films that were darker, more violent, and morally complex. Through the 1930s and ’40s, under head of production Daryl F. Zanuck, gangster and noir films would become the studio’s signature product. To this day these genres are an indelible part of the studio’s legacy. Films like Little Caesar, The Public Enemy, and Smart Money were early hits for Warner Bros., connecting with audiences who were fascinated by stories of the shady underworld of organized crime and bootleggers that emerged during the prohibition era (which didn’t end until 1933). They made huge stars of Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, and Paul Muni.
The impact of these films waned with the introduction of the Hays Code in 1934, which severely limited the kind of material Hollywood could include in its films, according to what industry censors considered acceptable. Warner Bros. continued to produce gangster films, though the violence and criminality was watered down to acceptable levels. Among these was The Petrified Forest, starring Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart, in his first leading role. Davis was a big name among Warner’s contracted stable of actors at the time, which also included Errol Flynn, Barbara Stanwyck, and Lauren Bacall. But it was Bogart—star of beloved noir classics like The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, and The Big Sleep—who would eventually become one of the studio’s most valuable stars, and one of the most recognizable Hollywood icons of all time.
Looney Tunes: Taking animation to new heights
Of course, we can’t talk about Warner Bros. without mentioning another recognizable icon: Bugs Bunny. Just as Mickey Mouse is recognized as Walt Disney’s corporate mascot, Bugs stands as the spokes-bunny for Warner Bros. He didn’t start out that way, though. Warner Bros. had originally contracted an outside animation studio, Leon Schlesinger Productions, to create cartoons to play before their feature films. Schlesinger and his team produced the Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes cartoon series from the early 1930s through 1944, when the studio officially bought out the company and renamed it Warner Bros. Cartoons.
Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny in “Hole”Image: Warner Bros. Animation
Among the directors who started with Schlesinger and wound up working directly for Warner Bros. were familiar names like Friz Freleng, Tex Avery, and Chuck Jones. Their first breakout character was actually Porky Pig, who made his initial appearance in the 1935 short “I Haven’t Got A Hat.” He was followed by Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and later Bugs Bunny in “A Wild Hare,” released in 1940. By 1942, Schlesinger’s studio was more successful than even Walt Disney’s famed animation division. It’s no wonder Warner Bros. took an interest and eventually acquired it. But by most accounts, they didn’t know what they had. The early years of Bugs and company under the Warner Bros. supervision are rife with tales of neglect and budgetary limitations.
Despite these struggles, the animators kept plugging away, creating even more characters like Tweety Bird, Wile E. Coyote, and Yosemite Sam, and producing what have come to be considered artistically and historically significant works under the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies banners. By the time the animation division was shuttered in 1963 (it reopened in 1967), it had earned the studio 22 Academy Award nominations for best short subject, winning five of them. Four Looney Tunes shorts have been included on the National Film Registry: Porky In Wackyland (1938), Duck Amuck (1953), One Froggy Evening (1955), and What’s Opera, Doc? (1957). Even now, the studio continues to make the most of these characters in new shows, films, games, books, merch, theme park attractions, and more. Of all of the stars to come out of the Warner Bros. stable, Bugs Bunny might just be the biggest. He’s certainly been the most lucrative.
Superheroes in flight: Beating Marvel to the punch
Speaking of characters born of pen and ink, another big part of the Warner Bros. story is the company’s close association with DC Comics. During the late 1950s and early ’60s the studio changed hands several times, finally ending up under the ownership of the Kinney National Company in 1969. Just two years earlier, Kinney had purchased National Periodical Publications, which would later become DC Comics, bringing the studio and the publisher under the same corporate umbrella.
Both Superman (in the 1950s) and Batman (in the 1960s) had had runs on television that pre-dated the merger, but it wasn’t until 1978 that Warner Bros. would begin to take advantage of the comic-book characters under its control. Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie, starring Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel, brought the character to the big screen in a way no one had ever seen before.
Featuring a story by Godfather author Mario Puzo and a cameo by Don Corleone himself, Marlon Brando, the film elevated (if you’ll pardon the pun) its source material to appeal to a mainstream audience of all ages. At the time of its release, it was one of the most expensive productions in Hollywood history. The gamble paid off; Superman was a hit with audiences and critics alike, setting box-office records and making a nice profit for Warner Bros. Three Superman sequels were produced within the next decade, but there wasn’t much of a push to bring any other DC characters to the big screen. At least, not until Tim Burton came along.
Michael Keaton in BatmanPhoto: Warner Bros. Pictures
Burton’s dark, stylized take on Batman in 1989 starring Michael Keaton is credited with kicking off the modern superhero genre as we know it today. His Batmobile blazed a trail that directors like Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan still traverse. Just like it did back in the early days of sound, Warner Bros. had a head start on its competition before the rest of the entertainment industry started to catch on that superheroes were a box-office bonanza. With Keaton once again donning the cowl in the studio’s next superhero release, The Flash, it feels like we’ve come full circle.
After all that success, facing an uncertain future
Warner Bros. may have gotten there first when it came to superheroes, but the studio long ago ceded leadership in the space to Disney’s Marvel Studios. As Warner’s DC imprint delivered consistently inconsistent results in recent years, Marvel churned out hit after hit. That situation may change with the DC arrival of former Marvel wunderkind James Gunn, who also stands to benefit from signs that Marvel’s crown may be slipping.
Of course, coming up short in the superhero sweepstakes is just one of several challenges the Warner Bros. is facing. The studio has been through its share of reinventions over the last century, but the last three decades have been especially tumultuous for the company. A series of mergers and acquisitions has seen it fall into the hands of companies like AOL, AT&T, and now Discovery, all with different visions and leadership styles. Current CEO David Zaslov has been widely criticized for his unpopular moves to cut costs, not unlike the kind of belt-tightening Jack Warner himself engaged in when he was in charge. Everyone hated him, too.
Whatever happens next for the studio, though, we’ll always have Paris, er, Casablanca. And The Jazz Singer. And A Streetcar Named Desire; A Clockwork Orange; The Exorcist; When Harry Met Sally; The Matrix; and The Dark Knight. And who knows, maybe we can add Barbieto that list soon, too.
A young man resorts to questionable…illegal methods to be with his love in Alec Douglas’ short thriller, Goin’ Up. In the not-so-distant future, the Earth is overpopulated and downright dangerous. The wealthy in the world are now living in an affluent colony on the moon, leaving a desperate population scrambling to find the money to join the elite.
Marcus (Tyson Brown) is a young man at his wit’s end after learning his girlfriend is heading to the moon with her family. Desperate, Marcus joins as the last member of a bank heist crew preparing for the “final job” that can send Marcus to the moon. Of course, bank robberies are never simple, especially when your leader is the slightly insane and sadistic Jackson (Jack Wooton). This job may be about more than money.
“…a young man at his wit’s end after learning his girlfriend is heading to the moon…”
Running at just over twenty minutes, Goin’ Up is a thriller showcase for writer/director Alec Douglas. He sets the stakes for our hero right from the start. Young Marcus is in love and needs to get off the planet. Look, the sci-fi spin is a nice touch but maybe a bit overblown. Douglas then aptly uses various thriller elements as the heist is intercut with flashbacks of Marcus slowly succumbing to the dark side. Would it surprise you that a few double crosses are coming to our hero?
Goin’ Up is a solid thriller with a good storyline and solid performances from his cast, including Tyson Brown in the lead. Personally, I’d like the camera work to be less shaky, but Douglas adeptly plays around with fast action edit that, for the most part, works. The film’s only weaknesses are the small budget and the low rep count for emerging filmmaker Alec Douglas. Goin’ Up is an indie action thriller establishing the fact that Douglas is ready for his next cinematic adventure.
The Justice Department has launched an investigation into the possible release of Pentagon documents that were posted on several social media sites and appear to detail U.S. and NATO aid to Ukraine, but may have been altered or used as part of a misinformation campaign.
The documents, which were posted on sites such as Twitter, are labeled secret and resemble routine updates that the U.S. military’s Joint Staff would produce daily but not distribute publicly. They are dated ranging from Feb. 23 to March 1, and provide what appears to be details on the progress of weapons and equipment going into Ukraine with more precise timelines and amounts than the U.S. generally provides publicly.
They are not war plans and they provide no details on any planned Ukraine offensive. And some inaccuracies _ including estimates of Russian troops deaths that are significantly lower than numbers publicly stated by U.S. officials – have led some to question the documents’ authenticity.
In a statement Friday, Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said the Defense Department “made a formal referral” of the matter to the Justice Department for investigation. And the Justice Department, in a separate statement Friday, said, “We have been in communication with the Department of Defense related to this matter and have begun an investigation.”
The investigation comes as questions continued to swirl about the origination and the validity of the documents, and as reports suggest more have begun to appear on social media sites.
“It is very important to remember that in recent decades, the Russian special services’ most successful operations have been taking place in Photoshop,” Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, said on Ukrainian TV. “From a preliminary analysis of these materials, we see false, distorted figures on losses on both sides, with part of the information collected from open sources.”
Ukraine will become NATO member but must first ensure it ‘prevails as sovereign independent nation’: Stoltenberg
Separately, however, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office released a statement Friday about a meeting he had with his senior military staff, and it noted that “the participants of the meeting focused on measures to prevent the leakage of information regarding the plans of the defense forces of Ukraine.”
If the published documents are authentic to any degree, however, the leak of classified data is troubling and raises questions about what other information about the Ukraine war _ or any coming offensive _ could be distributed. U.S. officials on Friday provided no clarity on the origin of the documents, their authenticity, or who actually was the first to post them online.
The New York Times was the first to report about the documents. Later Friday, the Times reported that more documents involving Ukraine as well as other sensitive national security topics such as China and the Middle East had begun appearing on social media.
Biden, Putin exchange war of words over Ukraine invasion
One U.S. official said the initial documents resemble data produced daily by the Joint Staff, although some numbers are wrong. Even if they were legitimate, the official said, the U.S. believes there is little real intelligence value to the documents, since much of it is information Russia would already know or could glean from the battlefield. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence documents.
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The charts and graphs describe some battlefield status of both sides from a month ago, U.S. military movements during the previous 24 hours, personnel numbers and the local weather outlook.
But there are errors. Under a section titled “Total Assessed Losses,” one document lists 16,000-17,500 Russian casualties and up to 71,000 Ukrainian casualties. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said publicly last November that Russia has lost “well over” 100,000 soldiers, and Ukraine had lost about that many also. And those estimates have continued to climb in recent months, although officials have stopped providing more exact numbers.
Nicki Minaj enjoyed a rare family outing with her husband and their baby boy in West Hollywood on Friday, April 7. Following the recent release of her single “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” the singer was spotted holding hands with hubby Kenneth Petty as he carried their precious cargo, 2-year-old son “Papa Bear,” whose official name has yet to be revealed, in his arms. According to Nicki’s Instagram, the trio were celebrating Kenneth’s birthday!
Nicki Minaj, Kenneth Petty and their son in West Hollywood in April 2023. (ShotbyNYP / BACKGRID)
Looking every inch the pop princess, Nicki rocked a mesh top and black bra for the low-key birthday soiree. She paired the daring style with flared pants, a puffer jacket, and a designer hand bag. Kenneth looked cool in a Gucci varsity jacket and ripped denim, as Papa Bear pulled up the rear in his own adorable Gucci gear: a baseball cap!
On her social media, the “Super Bass” hitmaker shared a snap of the couple rocking the same outfits. As they posed for their lives, little Papa Bear could be spotted in the corner of the snap running the other way! Too cute! “HBD KEN. LOVE BARBIE,” Nicki captioned the snap.
NIcki Minaj holds hands with Kenneth Petty as he carries their son in Hollywood in April 2023. (ShotbyNYP / BACKGRID)
Nicki and Kenneth welcomed their bundle of joy in September 2020, after she announced her pregnancy in July 2020 with a stunning photoshoot on Instagram that revealed her full, bare baby bump. As fans know, the news came after the pair secretly married in October 2019, which she revealed to shocked fans on Instagram.
Kenneth and Nicki are actually teenage sweethearts who started dating when Nicki was 16 years old. Th two fell out of contact over the years, but rekindled their spark as adults. After the two picked up their marriage license in 2019, Nick tweeted about her love for Kenneth. “He won’t even say the word ‘Nicki.’ He has called me Onika since I was 15 so it’s hard to change that,” Nicki wrote.
An irreverent fable that imagines a civilization’s rise, fracture and fall, Pedro Harres’ “From the Main Square” took top honors at the NewImages Festival on Friday, claiming the festival’s Grand Prize, which came with €6,000 ($6,597) in prize money.
Born in Brazil and based in Berlin, Harres channeled his frustrations and heartache about his native country into a tragicomic frenzy, orchestrating a 360-degree symphony of animated antics, human folly, and shocking bursts of violence that follows an allegorical country as it speed-runs toward oblivion.
The filmmaker described the project as “a collage of urban absurdities, sometimes funny, sometimes brutal, that arise in societies in the process of political polarization and environmental collapse.”
Produced at the Film University Babelsberg, the interactive animated project also won the Grand Jury Prize at last year’s Venice Immersive, and collected additional honors at additional festivals in Jeddah, Thessaloniki, Montreal and Kaohsiung, among others.
“Eddie and I”
NewImages
This year’s NewImages jury included XR journalist Kent Bye, European Creators’ Lab head Astrid Kahmke, French musician Rob Coudert, and Tumo CEO Marie Lou Papazian, while students at the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies school created the trophies themselves.
Other awards — which both came with $3,300 — included the Interactivity Prize for German Heller’s playful and inventive game “Eggscape,” and the Impact Prize for Miri Chekhanovich and Edith Jorisch post-humanist “Plastisapiens.” A darkly etched dive into Taiwanese political repression, Singing Chen’s “The Man Who Couldn’t Leave” received a special mention for its special cinematographic distinction.
On the industry front, the inclusive, all-ages project “Eddie and I” won the XR Development Market Prize. Produced by Yuval Kella, alongside lead artists Maya Shekel, Nitay Dagan, Jonathan Schwimmer, Dan Pollak, Avner Geller and Kiril Roksley, the winning title allows users to see through the eyes of a forest ogre who must use sign-language to help a hearing-impaired boy conquer his fears.
At the Friday ceremony, the festival also announced laureates of three residencies.
Organized in partnership with the Alliance Française de Quito and the Universidad de Las Americas, this year’s Quito – UDLA Immersive Residency will be held by “Othernesses/Bot Phone” creator Rocio Berenguer, while artist Jérémy Griffaud will develop his project “The Origin of Things – The Garden” at the Farnese – Medici XR Residency in Rome. Finally, the Garage Stories residency went to “Nelly the Narwhal” creators Michael Turkington, Ester Dek and Pauline Blanchet.
There is just no stopping Universal/Illumination’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which has now not only shattered the box office opening record for video game adaptations but is also now Illumination’s biggest opening weekend ever. Estimates stand at $137 million 3-day and a staggering $195 million 5-day opening in North America for Easter weekend from 4,343 theaters
The 3-day total is nearly double the previous video game opening record set last year by “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” with $72.1 million and beats Illumination’s all-time 3-day opening of $115 million set by “Minions” in 2015 and 5-day record set by “Despicable Me 2” with $143 million.
Combine that projected $195 million extended opening with $173 million from overseas, and “Super Mario Bros.” has scored an incredible global opening of $368 million.
As the first family film in theaters since “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” back during the holidays, “Super Mario Bros.” already had an enormous audience base to draw from during this Easter weekend. But that has also been boosted by several generations worth of gamers eager to see the Mario games they grew up playing on N64s, Gamecubes and Wiis brought to the big screen with Illumination’s blockbuster animation style.
And while critics felt that the movie had nothing to offer those who aren’t kids or gamers with a 56% Rotten Tomatoes score, the high-pressure stream of references and gags had audiences gushing with a 97% audience score and an A on CinemaScore.
With a full month between now and the release of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” the only question at this point is whether the film will pass the $939.6 million total of fellow Illumination film “Minions: The Rise of Gru” to become the highest grossing animated film since theaters reopened.
Meanwhile, Amazon Studios’ “Air” is doing respectably as counterprogramming to “Mario” for older audiences, with the studio projecting an $18.5 million 5-day opening that hits the upper end of pre-release projections for a $16-19 million extended launch.
Starring, directed and produced by Ben Affleck through his production company Artists Equity, “Air” tells the origin story of Nike’s Air Jordans and has received very strong critical and audience reception with Rotten Tomatoes scores of 93% critics and 98% audience alongside an A on CinemaScore.
On the flipside, Paramount/eOne’s “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” is taking the heavy hit to its second weekend total that was expected from general audiences flocking to “Mario.” The fantasy film is currently set for a $13.6 million weekend total, a 63% drop from the film’s $37.2 million opening and below the $14.3 million third weekend total of Lionsgate’s “John Wick: Chapter 4.”
With a 10-day total of $61.2 million domestic, there’s still a chance for “Dungeons & Dragons” to leg out from its very strong word-of-mouth and turn a profit against its $150 million production budget, but the road out of the red is getting narrower.
Jeremy Renner continues to amaze … he’s gone from an ever-so-close near-death experience to Six Flags … in just a few months!
Jeremy took his fam to Six Flags on Good Friday … and tooled around the park on a motorized scooter.
He posted the pics and video with the caption, “Leading the way Best I can Spring Break 2023!!!” … adding, “Good Friday, made magic happen on the mountain with some of my amazing family!”
Jeremy’s come back to the L.A. area where he’s recovering at home … this just three months after he was run over by a snowplow on New Year’s Day. His injuries were massive … more than 30 broken bones, a punctured liver, a collapsed lung and a lot more.
The ‘Avengers’ star described the pain and the enormity of the injuries to Diane Sawyer, and the animation that was created to show how he was run over is bone-chilling.
ABC
Jeremy said the snowplow began to slide, and he worried his nephew might be crushed between the plow and another vehicle, so he stepped out of the cab and put his foot on the track to look, only to fall to the ground. He believed his nephew might get crushed so he jumped back onto the track, but it was moving and sucked him under, running him over.
He looks great, and all signs point to a miraculous recovery!
When “Praise This” plays the opening chords of “Money,” Koryn Hawthorne lifts her microphone and debuts a special version of the hit song:
When things so bad, my God’s so real I praise His name like no one will Big love flows through all my fears Say His name ‘cause He always hears Don’t just wish, give Him your will Ten different reasons to rely on Him Seek and you shall find, it be giving me chills Blessings from above rolling in like wheels
This ecclesiastic Cardi B cover, or any of the other gospel flips in “Praise This,” might just become pop culture canon, rivaling iconic competition sequences like the “Drumline” tiebreaker, the “You Got Served” dance-off and, of course, the “Sister Act 2” finale. And its performers — wearing bejeweled hoodies and lug boots, and singing amid concert-level lighting and an LED wall — are proof that being a baddie and a believer are not mutually exclusive.
“‘Money’ should feel like a bank robbery, but we’re just talking about blessings,” says Tina Gordon, writer-director of the movie. Now streaming on Peacock, the Universal release zooms in on the competitive world of contemporary church praise teams, and includes real-life musicians Hawthorne, Chlöe Bailey, Jekalyn Carr and Quavo among the cast.
Gordon talks to The Times about portraying a new generation of contemporary Christians, casting Quavo as “the moral compass of the movie” and gospel flipping songs by Ari Lennox, Lil Baby and Megan Thee Stallion. This conversation has been condensed and lightly edited for length and clarity.
What excited you most about making this movie?
I love competition movies. I had been circling the idea of doing something faith-based and family-oriented, and also wanted something music-driven to revisit my “Drumline” days. There’s so many great gospel competition movies already, but this subculture is very specific, with a real and vibrant community. And being African American and coming from the South, you have to go into those cultural worlds hard and come in with a strong point of view. You can’t meet it at the level that it exists in reality, or people will say, “I’ll just go to these churches to see these teams.” It was the same on “Drumline,” where you have to elevate the experience so that outsiders pay attention to the people in the world that you’re conveying.
Chlöe Bailey and Tina Gordon on the set of “Praise This.”
(Jessica Miglio / Universal Pictures)
Why does the movie’s church meet at an old oil factory?
I did that because, at the time, I was living in Los Angeles and attending One Church. It’s a very nontraditional, welcoming, creative environment: the congregation is very eclectic, the [services are held] at the La Brea Theatre, and Pastor Touré Roberts is hip, his wife and co-pastor [Sarah Jakes Roberts] is fly. It’s a different kind of church than what we’ve seen in movies before, but they’re all over the country — Florida, South Carolina, Texas — and they meet in basements or old garages or whatever places they can afford. It’s not incongruent with more traditional churches, it’s just that every generation has their way of worship. I knew that if I was gonna make a gospel movie, it had to be for this generation.
To me, nothing symbolizes this generation of contemporary Christians better than these young pastors. They dress hip, they wear sneakers, they’re tatted and they’re more transparent, honestly, about their lives. Just from listening to their sermons and being a congregant, I wanted to translate their non-judgment and inclusivity to the movie. These young preachers know how to connect with young people of the social media generation and speak to the challenges they face. They might not have the biggest congregations in the world and might not be the most funded, but they have these vibrant communities, and these praise teams who take contemporary songs and flip them to gospel so that their younger congregants can relate to it.
In addition to original music, “Praise This” features gospel flips of hit songs. How did you decide what each praise team would sing?
The story takes place in Atlanta, where there’s a megachurch beside a contemporary church beside a white church beside a Black church. So every praise team has a different personality. It’s funny — reading the script, I was thinking about when the Jonas Brothers first started, when these gorgeous guys had those promise rings and all these young people — hormones coursing through their veins — were going crazy for them. So I splintered that off into the Promise Ringtones and the Prodigal Bros, and kept going from there.
My music supervisor, Derryck Thornton, and I then just pored through tons of songs, and asked teams of songwriters to flip them into gospel arrangements for each team. The initial test was with the Promise Ringtones, who are all sweet, sassy, unattainable girl power, like Destiny’s Child and those girl groups that are just perfect. It was something about that “Savage” remix with Meg and Beyoncé that I thought, let’s see if the songwriters can come up with something. It came back so strong that, after that, we were off and running with all the flips.
Koryn Hawthorne (center) in “Praise This.”
(Jessica Miglio / Universal Pictures)
In lesser hands, these gospel flips of hits by Amerie, Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B could have been flops. How did you make sure that didn’t happen?
[Producer] Will Packer and [executive music producer] Harvey Mason Jr. definitely pushed and supported my belief that we should meet right at the intersection of church and the club, and the way to do that is to match the original song in tone. So since “Money” is hard, then the production and the lyrics and the vocals are also going to be hard. We didn’t want to come off as the sweeter version of the song in any way. While the content of what they’re singing might not be explicit, the attitude is still the same as the original. “Money” should feel like a bank robbery, but we’re just talking about blessings.
Also, Sean Bankhead’s choreography. He made sure the groups had that edge and polish that took it out of being a joke, and he made sure it was aspirational, but wasn’t too much that it would take you out of the story. And then my production team all understood the world we were trying to convey, which is based on the amazing lighting and staging happening with real praise teams in real contemporary churches. We shot all the performances in real contemporary churches in Georgia.
The only part that was improvised on the day was the end of “Break Every Chain” — I asked Charles Jenkins, who is both a musician and a pastor and a consultant on the movie, if he had an old church stomp, like something people’s grandmothers would do. We played it on the sound system from his iPhone and told the actors to Holy Ghost Dance and eventually pass out. It was two takes, a real Hail Mary that we didn’t know if it would work until we were editing the movie. And it was so funny because some of our white brothers and sisters on set had no idea what was going on.
Kountry Wayne and Chlöe Bailey in “Praise This.”
(Jessica Miglio / Universal Pictures)
I love the scene in which Sam [played by Bailey] gospel flips songs by Ari Lennox, Lil Baby and Xscape on the spot. How did you pull that off?
We needed a turn for the team to decide to trust Sam. To make this L.A. girl feel even more like a fish out of water, all the hit songs she has to flip are from the South. All the background extras were young people from Atlanta, and I promise you that all that energy that you feel when you’re watching it was in the room that day. Oh my God, it was like a gladiator arena. And every time Kountry Wayne, my favorite comic, who plays the DJ, started playing a new song, it got so loud in there. Do you remember that one guy who had his arms around that girl? I wanted to move him, but he whispered to me, “Please don’t move me, I’m gonna ask her out.” I don’t know what happened to them, but I hope it worked out!
Chlöe flipped so many of those songs herself, and worked with Harvey on vocal arrangements so her voice on every song reflected Sam’s arc at each moment. I know, for some people, she’s a surprising choice, but that’s because she pushes boundaries and she is so bold onstage. When I met her privately, she was very reserved and vulnerable and thoughtful, and I loved that duality. And she’s so smart. She knows what it’s like to want something so bad and put that hunger into Sam. You see her hyping herself up with false confidence before she goes to meet Ty because she told me that’s what she would do too. So no matter what kind of shard she portrays herself as Sam to be, under it, you feel that vulnerability of Chlöe, and I think that audiences will respond to it.
This movie has a lot of moving parts. What were you worried about most?
I was a little worried about Quavo. I wasn’t asking him to be this boisterous rapper, the role is quieter and more nuanced. Ty is a musician who appeared to have everything, but was still seeking and searching, and, really, he’s the moral compass in the movie. He ended up being brilliant, with a sensitivity and a realness in his portrayal, and he was a real favorite among the crew. I couldn’t be happier with his performance, and I think it’ll surprise people that it’s not really the church that totally gives the message of the story, but the rapper with a heart of gold.
Chlöe Bailey and Quavo in “Praise This.”
(Jessica Miglio / Universal Pictures)
Tell me about those two ladies in the congregation who had the best commentary throughout the competition.
Cora and Prisilla! They’re played beautifully by the amazing comics Cocoa Brown and Vanessa Fraction. Setting the movie in a contemporary space, I still felt like I was missing the OG church lady mentality. I honestly thought I was adding them for the parents watching this movie, but they resonated so much with the younger people too. It turns out that everybody has a shady auntie who talks smack in church! I didn’t have the real estate to have a bunch of people in the audience, so my mind went to the two old guys in the Muppets, who say out loud everything the audience is already thinking. Like, they’re never gonna get on board with Sam tying her shirt up and showing her abs.
“Praise This” was previously reported as a potential Universal franchise in the vein of “Pitch Perfect.” Do you think there’s an opportunity for a sequel?
We just have to wait and see what Universal thinks. But the audience reaction at screenings has been resounding, and they’ve been asking questions about what happens next. I’m just like, a movie is only a couple of hours, what do you want me to do?
My goal with this movie was to introduce this world, establish these characters, show their challenges and build an affinity for this team. It’s hard to do more than that because you don’t have the same space you do in a normal script, since the music takes up so much real estate in the movie. But the thing I have learned for myself in life is that God has a sense of humor, and everyone’s faith journey is more of a winding road than a straight line. So I think that the faith journeys of these characters would be hilarious and surprising. For me, that’s perfect material to keep going.
Fans have spotted the likes of Charlie Cox (the MCU’s Matt Murdock) and Kingpin himself, Vincent D’Onofrio, all over NYC as work continues to bring the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen to Disney+ sometime in Spring 2024.
Can Invincible beat Superman or Thanos? Ryan Ottley has no doubts. Created by Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker, the character debuted in 2003 and was published by Image Comics. In 2021, Prime Video took its story to the screen in an animated adult series that became an instant hit, following the steps of its streaming partner The Boys.
Now, while fans await for Season 2 of the show to arrive, the offer of superhero-based stories keeps rising, with Marvel and DC characters dominating the scene and a couple of outsiders delivering some alternatives. But even when the two leading companies might dominate the box office or the streaming charts, it seems that their characters couldn’t win in a fight against Mark Grayson.
Or at least that was the series co-creator Ryan Ottley thinks. In a chat with Skybound on YouTube, he assured fans that the character could easily take on some major DC and Marvel guys:
“I think even with [the Infinity Gauntlet]. He’s about to snap, and he just breaks the fingers. Rips the glove. Now Invincible has the gauntlet. Invincible demolishes Superman.”
The Man of Steel and the villainous Thanos are, without a doubt, some of the most powerful characters out there, so claiming Invincible can beat them is quite a statement.
Invincible starts as a coming-of-age story for Mark Grayson, who later takes on the titular moniker. The son of Nolan Grayson, aka Omni-Man, the best and strongest superhero on Earth, Mark is a regular high schooler who looks up to his father and is burdened with the usual teenage struggles.
Omni-man is initially presented as an all-powerful Superman-like figure, albeit a bit more stoic. Thanks to his father’s superhuman physiology, Mark gains similar powers and learns how to better control them from Nolan. In addition, we are introduced to the peacekeeping superteam, Guardians of the Globe. But Mark slowly realizes his father is not the hero he thinks he is.
In Season 2, Omni-Man is now gone after his devastating battle with Mark, and it’s up to Invincible, along with the new Guardians of the Globe, to protect the people of Earth.
Invincible stars Steven Yeun as Mark Grayson; J.K. Simmons as Nolan Grayson; Sandra Oh as Debbie Grayson; Zazie Beetz as Amber Bennett; Gillian Jacobs as Samantha Eve Wilkins/Atom Eve; Andrew Rannells as William Clockwell; Walton Goggins as Cecil Stedman; Jason Mantzoukas as Rex Sloan/Rex Splode; Mark Hamill as Art Rosenbaum; Ross Marquand as Rudy Conners, Kursk, and Bi-Plane; Seth Rogen as Allen the Alien; and Mahershala Ali as Titan.
The release date for EA’s first-person magic shooter Immortals of Aveum has seemingly leaked.
Announced at The Game Awards in December, Immortals of Aveum is the debut title from Ascendant Studios, which is set to be published under the EA Originals label.
While the game’s reveal trailer confirmed a 2023 launch window, highly reliable dataminer billbil-kun has now claimed it will be released on July 20.
Immortals of Aveum – Official Teaser Trailer | The Game Awards 2022
Built with Unreal Engine 5, Immortals of Aveum is scheduled for release on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
The game’s teaser trailer billed it as “a groundbreaking new single-player, first-person magic shooter… set in an original fantasy universe engulfed in magic, rife with conflict, and on the verge of oblivion”.
Based in San Rafael, California, Ascendant is an independent studio founded by CEO and game director Bret Robbins, who was creative director on Visceral Games’ original Dead Space as well as Sledgehammer’s Call of Duty games Modern Warfare 3, Advanced Warfare and World War 2.
According to the studio’s website, it has “assembled a close knit, unpretentious team of industry-leading talent with BAFTA and Game of the Year award-winning experience on beloved franchises such as Telltale’s The Walking Dead, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Borderlands, The Wolf Among Us, Mafia, Tomb Raider, Gears of War, Metal Gear Solid, The Elder Scrolls, Call of Duty, Dead Space and Bioshock”.
“I founded Ascendant Studios to make original and epic games, and here we are, four years later, about to finish our first one,” Robbins said when Immortals of Aveum was announced. “What started as a crazy, exciting idea has grown into a crazy, exciting triple-A game.”
The international jury of the sixteenth Punto de Vista International Documentary Film Festival of Navarra, made up of Ángel Santos Touza, Hama Haruka and Marcos Uzal, after watching the entries in the Official Section has decided to award the following prizes:
Official prizes
► The Punto de Vista Grand Prize for Best Film, worth 10,000 euros, goes to El polvo ya no nubla nuestros ojos by Colectivo Silencio.
Jury statement:
A film that unites past and present, in its cinematographic form as in its political anger. A “ciné-tract” made by a collective to better assert the need to unite struggles and make cinema a collective weapon.
► The Jean Vigo prize for Best Director, worth 5,000 euros, goes to Notre Village by Comes Chahbazian.
Jury statement:
A surprising film in the way it changes form along the way, confronting history while giving itself time for poetry, with an astonishing gentleness in its evocation of violence, and a rare sense of framing and editing.
► The prize for Best Short, worth 3,000 euros, goes to Eventide by Sharon Lockhart.
Jury statement:
A single 30-minute shot, as sublime as it is mysterious, in which the beauties of nature (sky, sea, land, vegetation…) and the foundations of cinema are displayed: light and darkness, time and space.
Special prizes
► The special audience prize for Best Film, worth 1,650 euros, goes to Maayo Wonaa Keerol by Alassane Diago.
► The Youth Prize for Best Film, worth 1,500 euros, goes to Éclaireuses by Lydie Wisshaupt-Claudel.
Youth Jury statement:
In a universe apart from ours, a small school allows us to imagine an unimaginable reality. Two devoted teachers who, against all odds and without ceasing to question themselves, give rise to an alternative reality, another possible future.
A vehemently political film, which never ceases to surprise, and which, without fear of showing uncomfortable images, sets us an example of how to face our current crisis.
Special commendations
► Special Jury Commendation (in the category of Best Film) for Apocalipsis 20 21 22 by Julius Richard Tamayo.
Jury statement:
A crazy but highly structured film diary, solitary but densely populated, mystical but full of youthful insolence, which recaptures the vitality of psychedelic cinema in response to a world gripped by immobility and death.
X Films
► After due deliberation, the jury –Gloria Vilches, Marian Fernández Pascal and Ramiro Ledo– wishes to recognise first and foremost the value and originality of the three projects submitted –Daniela Delgado Viteri, Illan Serruya and Anna López Luna–. For its critical and socially committed look at a place, a tradition and a series of myths rooted in our culture, which is both plastic and affective, the jury have decided that the X Films 2023 award will go to TRÁNSITOS by Anna Lopez Luna.
Editor Nathan Orloff tells IndieWire about combining score and source music and his approach to creating a new temp score for “John Wick: Chapter Four” out of elements from the previous films.
One of the many pleasures of “John Wick: Chapter Four” is how it seamlessly integrates camera movement, editing, and action choreography with music — no surprise given that director Chad Stahelski has acknowledged “Singin’ in the Rain” and Bob Fosse as influences. The propulsive score by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard weaves in and out of needle drops by Le Castle Vania, Manon Hollander, and Lola Colette, whose cover of Martha and the Vandellas’ “Nowhere to Run” ties “John Wick: Chapter 4” to one of its primary sources of inspiration, Walter Hill’s “The Warriors.” The balance between score and source music mirrors and enhances the careful rhythms established by Stahelski’s staging and structuring of the set pieces, and it was one of the most enjoyable aspects of editor Nathan Orloff’s job.
“I had a lot of fun putting music to this,” Orloff told IndieWire, noting that the figure of the disc jockey borrowed from “The Warriors” was a huge help in motivating songs that would complement the action. “I wanted to alternate dynamics, so first we do a needle drop for the Paris street fight, then go into score for the beginning of the Arc de Triomphe chase, then we do a needle drop when he’s outside the car, and then we do score again for the apartment complex and go back to a needle drop for the stairs.” Orloff added that using preexisting songs can be as dangerous as it is fun. “It can be very tempting to just turn it into a music video, so I wanted to be very conscious of making sure we didn’t do that.”
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Although Bates and Richard composed an entirely new score for the film, both had a history with the “John Wick” franchise that came in handy when Orloff (who was new to the series) was temping the film and was given access to premixed individual tracks — called “stems” — of drums, bass, synths and other instruments that could be repurposed to suit his needs. “Never again in my career will I be as lucky as I was on this,” he said. “I had three films of score, and not just score but stems. So I could take a cue from ‘John Wick 2’ that had 14 different parts to it, and I could pull out one little part that no one’s ever heard by itself. Then I could combine that with another little part from the first ‘John Wick,’ or download a Japanese flute instrument from YouTube and combine it with this stem to create a new beat.” By remixing and reimagining elements of the previous “John Wick” scores, Orloff could cut to the franchise’s rhythms and provide a more precise guide than is typical to Bates and Richard.
“What’s usually so hard about temp scoring is tone,” Orloff said. “Are we matching the tone, or are we being distracting? Is this what we want to say? In this case, Chad and I were able to tell the composers, ‘This is the tone. We found it.’” Orloff estimates that only about 5 percent of the temp music came from movies other than “John Wick” films. “It was really cool to be able to construct the new cues out of ‘John Wick’ stems and really tailor both the action and the dialogue scenes to them. Temp music can be a crutch, and when you change it later, you’re like, ‘Oh crap.’ So it was nice to have an authentic ‘John Wick’ score from the beginning that reflected the movie’s identity.”
King Kong Official Trailer #1 – Jack Black Movie (2005) HD
Peter Jackson made a lot of smart choices in making his new version of King Kong, but not trying to outdo the original might be his smartest choice of all. Sure, Kong, co-written by Jackson with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, is longer, louder, and more action-packed than its predecessor, and filled with effects unimaginable in the ‘30s. But it’s also fundamentally the same double-edged tragedy of humans and apes wanting what can never be theirs. (Also, scenes of apes fighting dinosaurs continue to play an important part.)
Retaining the original film’s art deco-and-Great Depression setting, Jackson’s King Kong opens on a world of big dreams and dire straits. Struggling actress Naomi Watts gives her all to vaudeville audiences who can barely be bothered to look up from their newspapers, while across town, producer Jack Black struggles to keep a jungle-adventure film afloat. In sudden need of a leading lady, Black ropes Watts into a scheme to run off with some studio resources and film on an uncharted South Pacific island. (Nothing beats a good location, after all.) After half-kidnapping playwright Adrien Brody, they set sail for the not-so-welcoming-sounding Skull Island.
What happens next will be familiar to anyone who’s seen the original (or even the all-but-forgotten 1976 Dino De Laurentiis remake), but Jackson finds ways to make every moment feel new. After a start heavy on exposition, the film strings one action setpiece after another, each realized with the breathless excitement of an adventure pulp cover. It’s as if Jackson set out to bring to life every fantasy of the last moment before earth gave way to space as the site of the final frontier. [Keith Phipps]
Harry Potter fans are rejoicing after the news that HBO Max and J.K. Rowling are teaming up to give us a new iteration of the Boy Who Lived via a television series. Blasphemy, you say? Well, Merlin’s beard, this is the best news I’ve heard in a long while.
As a faithful Potterhead who grew up with the novels and returned to them several times (and is currently immersed in the fantastic Hogwarts Legacy video game), I couldn’t be more thrilled. For those who have only partaken in the films — get ready; you’re in for a treat. The movies, while fun, omitted many details due to the limitations of adapting such a long series. They were fun but not as thrilling or immersive as their book counterparts.
What essential details will this Harry Potter TV show adaptation deliver? Let’s cast a revelio charm and go over a few more exciting things we might see during our next adventure at Hogwarts!
Dumbledore’s Backstory
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II is an acceptable conclusion to the Potter flicks but rushes through some pivotal moments to get to the final battle. Ironic, considering the book was split into two movies. A crucial bit involving Dumbledore’s mysterious past is teased but never fully explained.
The books show that Dumbledore and his pal (and lover) Grindelwald wanted wizards to claim dominion over Muggles. At a certain point, Dumbledore realized this was dumb and tapped out. Grindelwald (as seen in those terrible Fantastic Beasts movies) continued this venture and eventually came to blows with his former accomplice — an episode that ended up killing Dumbledore’s sister. We see her portrait hanging in the Hog’s Head and learn a few brief details from Dumbledore’s brother Aberforth. Unfortunately, the film leaves viewers hanging and quickly moves into its final act without explaining anything.
Hopefully, the Harry Potter TV show can spend more time expanding Dumbledore’s life, as his past is incredibly significant to Harry’s journey.
Quidditch
The first two Potter movies delivered some ferocious Quidditch action and promised bigger things to come in later entries. The sport vanishes in the following features, popping up only briefly in Prisoner of Azkaban and Half-Blood Prince. Too bad, because each novel (save for Goblet of Fire and Deathly Hollows) covered each Quidditch season in total, leading to some fun character development along the way.
In Half-Blood Prince, Harry, having a bad day, bumps into his mates and learns that Gryffindor won the Quidditch cup. In a split-second decision, Harry grabs Ginny, and the two finally get down to some hardcore snogging. Ron gives Harry a “go for it” look, and everyone cheers. It’s a fun moment in the books that occur precisely because of Quidditch.
The film, by contrast, leaves the sport on the back burner and substitutes the elated kiss with a bizarre scene set in the Room of Requirement. I’m all for condensed storytelling, but in this case, less is definitely not more.
In other words: the more Quidditch, the better.
Tom Riddle
Harry spends a great deal of time exploring Voldemort’s past in Half-Blood Prince. We see our big bad as the young, troubled Tom Riddle, his sad upbringing, and evolution into a hateful monster. Interestingly, Riddle’s story mirrors Harry’s in that they were brought up by abusive people and robbed of their wizarding abilities. Except where Riddle obviously chose darkness, Harry went the opposite direction, remained humble, and formed powerful friendships.
Riddle’s past is significant to the story, not just because of the Horcruxes. Instead, Harry must see Riddle’s choices to select the right path when presented. Also, these bits allow us (and Harry) to sympathize with Voldemort, turning him into a fascinating, even complex villain.
Side Characters
The stories contain many delightful characters, mostly ignored in the films. I’d love to see characters such as Kingsley Shacklebolt, Remus Lupin, Dean Thomas, Firenze, and even Severus Snape receive more screen time. A whole side story involving Ron’s brother Percy deserves exploration, as does Hermione’s battle for House Elves’ rights (also known as S.P.E.W.).
More significantly, the books dive deeper into James and Lily Potter’s backstory. We learn all about the Marauders — James, Lupin, Sirius, and Peter — their conflicts with Severus, and the origins of the famed Marauder’s Map. The Order of the Phoenix film glosses over these details, which is a shame because they’re pretty interesting. Did you know Kreacher was with Regulus Black when he stole Voldemort’s locket? Yeah, that’s pretty important, folks.
Hopefully, the series can flesh out the side characters more so that we care when they bite the dust or save the day.
The First Battle of Hogwarts
As much as I’m excited to see another version of the Battle of Hogwarts, I’m keener on the battle that occurs at the end of Half-Blood Prince. After Snape kills Dumbledore, a vicious fight breaks out at Hogwarts between the Death Eaters and the students. Harry fights a werewolf, Ginny goes toe-to-toe with Amycus Carrow, and Ron stands back-to-back with McGonagall and Lupin — it’s a thrilling piece of action that was surprisingly truncated in the film. We also see Hagrid get in on the violence, during which his hut is destroyed.
Furthermore, this sequence shows just how formidable Harry’s friends have become, which sets the table for the grand finale.
On that same note, while spectacular in the film, the Battle of Hogwarts must be much grander this go-round. I want giants, spiders, Grawp, Death Eaters, and centaurs — not just in brief cameos. This needs to be a Lord of the Rings-sized event, people. And this time, let Harry defeat Voldemort in front of his classmates — I love that moment!
There are obviously plenty of other bits we can look forward to seeing, but these are the ones I’m most excited about seeing in the Harry Potter TV show. So please don’t screw this up, HBO Max. This time, give us the actual Harry Potter – not just the cliff notes version.
The singer, who makes their acting debut in the SXSW hit Americana, first noted that they were “really exciting” and “super stoked to be a part of my first A24 movie.”
“I was super nervous because obviously I’m a huge fan of the franchise. I loved X and I loved Pearl,” Halsey said. “I wanted to tell you guys a funny story about my audition and how I ended up getting the part.”
“So I went in and I auditioned just like anybody else. And I was in the audition room with the casting agent, and all of a sudden everybody kind of started freaking out a little bit because there was a spider in the room,” Halsey said. “And so I walked over and pick the spider up by its leg and put it in my hand and just took it out the door of the audition room and through the casting agency and out to the front and put it in a bush and then I walked back and everybody was kind of like, ‘Okay, you’re a freak.’”
Halsey continued, “But I told them, as some you guys might know, I’m a witch and spiders are good luck, having a spider in the room is good luck, and I told them, this is a great sign for me. I’m actually really happy about it because it’s good luck for me. And then it turns out he was, because I ended up getting the part and I was so exited about it. So I have to thank my little spider familiar friend because he did a little extra manifesting to help me get it.”
The singer added that they might get a tattoo to commemorate the good luck spider that crashed their audition.
MaXXXine — which begins filming this month and follows the events of the 1979-set X by accompanying Mia Goth’s porn star Maxine to Los Angeles in the Eighties — marks Halsey’s second big-screen appearance following their “stunning” debut in the crime film Americana, which premiered at the 2023 SXSW.
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“That Halsey more than holds her own amid such a talented cast is a good sign of what’s to come,” Rolling Stone wrote of Halsey’s acting. “Their performance doesn’t strike a false note, even when the story takes some unexpected twists and hairpin turns. And anyone who’s seen her music video work was already well-aware that the ‘Without Me’ chanteuse can hold a close-up.”
Halsey also previously voiced a character in Sing 2 and cameoed as herself in A Star Is Born.
“Beijing 2022,” the official documentary about the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, has been set as the opening film of the revived Beijing International Film Festival.
It is directed by noted narrative and documentary film maker Lu Chuan (“Kekexili,” “City of Life and Death” and Disney’s “Born in China”) and will have its world premiere at the festival.
The festival will run April 22-29 and be based in the Huairou district which has become an out of town hub for the film industry, as well as other venues in the Chinese capital. For the past three editions the BJIFF has been held online due to disruptions caused by China’s strict anti-COVID measures.
Organizers said that the festival will operate in nine sections including a feature competition and include some 160 film titles. A jury headed by Zhang Yimou will determine the section’s Tiantan prizes. State media reported that the competition will include between ten and 15 titles, with titles announced so far including “Adios Buenos Aires,” “Driving Madeleine,” “Scrapper” and “To Catch a Killer.”
Like the Shanghai International Film Festival, which this week also detailed elements of its comeback edition, the BJIFF will place emphasis on the Chinese government’s economic outreach program known as the Belt & Road Initiative.
Thailand will be the country of honor at the BJIFF. The celebrations involve a visit by Thai filmmakers, a conference on bilateral film industry cooperation and the screening of a selection of Thai film classics.
A sports film week, a sports film project fund and the Beijing Film Market were announced as side events.
DESPERATE Vladimir Putin could resort to using chemical weapons in the West in a bid to sabotage arms supplies to Ukraine, experts have warned.
As the Russian tyrant’s dismal war rages on with little movement on the frontlines, it’s feared the tyrant might take “more extreme measures” to disrupt the flow of weapons.
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It’s feared Putin could resort to using chemical weapons as his Ukraine war faltersCredit: AFP
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Russia has a history of chemical attacks – including using them on the WestCredit: MOD RU
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Prince William visited Rzeszow in Poland – a logistical gateway to UkraineCredit: Getty
Two former British military officers warned that Vlad could turn to launching chemical attacks on the key weapons supply chain.
The West has been since the start of the war helping to arm Ukraine with key weapons they need to beat back Russia.
And so Putin may seek to cut this lifeline of arms, ammo and armour – potentially using a chemical attack.
Such weapons are known to be in Vlad’s arsenal – and he has used them before, often with a wry smile and an obviously false denial.
Russia has repeatedly vowed to destroy all weapons given to Ukraine by Nato member states.
As Putin becomes more desperate, Brigadier Ben Barry said he could “surprise us” with an unconventional attack.
He warned Russian spies could plant a nerve agent, such as Novichok, on the gates of an arms factory in Europe in a reckless bid to block weapons routes.
Up to 10 planes packed with military supplies land every day to supply Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has also taken delivery of Howitzers and helicopters from the US and armoured vehicles from Germany.
Just weeks ago, Prince William made a hush visit Rzeszow in Poland – a logistical gateway to Ukraine and where most Western weapons arrive before being sent over the border.
Surrounded by US-made Patriot missile air defence, the base is home to 75 Brits working with Polish and American allies just 50 miles from the Ukrainian border.
Billions of pounds of weaponry and ammunition have passed through the hub since Putin’s shambolic invasion began.
“There’s a vast infrastructure in Poland and other Eastern European countries that is receiving and transferring weapons and equipment to Ukraine,” Brigadier Barry told The Sun Online.
“Prince William visited the British air defence factory protecting the main airfields that these supplies are coming in on.
“Russia might choose to attack that.
“It’s not beyond the wit of man that they might, for example, put Novichok on the gates of an arms factory.”
Novichok was developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s – and has already been used in several attacks on foreign soil.
He said its use would mark “quite an escalation” in the conflict – and such an attack from Russian security services in the West would see the ramping up of sanctions.
As they get more desperate, we must expect them to look at more extreme measures
Hamish de Bretton-Gordon
“I think we should be under no illusions that Western security agencies are busy working very hard to constrain the freedom of actions of the Russian secret services,” said Brigadier Barry.
Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, former commander of the Army’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment, said Putin launching an attack in the West using chemical weapons was a “very real prospect” as he’s already used it in the UK.
In 2006, Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned with polonium in London – and claimed Putin had directly ordered his assassination.
Then in 2018, former GRU agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with Novichok in Salisbury.
Anti-terror cops discovered the nerve agent used was military-grade Novichok, made in Russia – sparking a fresh wave of concern over the country’s production and use of chemical weapons.
And as Putin gets “more desperate” in light of his shambolic Ukraine war, Bretton-Gordon warned Russia “will be looking at any way they can” to sabotage arms supplies.
“When it comes to the UK, Putin has used chemical weapons at least twice – polonium in 2006 and Novichok in Salisbury in 2018,” he told The Sun Online.
“The ability to disrupt the logistic line by using chemical weapons is certainly a possibility which I’m sure security services across Europe are looking at very closely.
“We need to be very alive to the fact that as Putin gets more and more desperate because his conventional forces seem unable to stop Western equipment, they will be looking at any way they can.
“The use of chemical weapons, no doubt they are looking at.
“As they get more desperate, we must expect them to look at more extreme measures.
“Western security forces led by the Americans and Brits are paying a lot of attention to this and making it difficult for them to do this.”
The UK’s armed forces minister James Heappey has already warned Britain and its Western allies could deploy troops to Ukraine if Russia uses chemical weapons.
Russia claims development work on Soviet-era nerve agents stopped in 1992 – and existing stockpiles were destroyed in 2017.
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The Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport in Poland is the gateway for weapons going into UkraineCredit: Getty
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Two Russian soldiers at a chemical weapons storage site in the town of Gorny in RussiaCredit: AP:Associated Press
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The military base in Rzeszow in Poland – around 62 miles from the border with UkraineCredit: AFP
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US army troops at Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport, southeastern PolandCredit: AFP
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Detectives in hazmat suits in Salisbury after the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter YuliaCredit: PA
Five years earlier, Mendes and Cabello met while they were both opening up for Austin Mahone on tour. At the time, Mendes was fresh off of his Vine success and Cabello was still a part of girl group Fifth Harmony. Ever since their meet-cute, the duo maintained a close and supportive friendship.
The music stars teased their interest in each other over the years, with one of the earliest ”will they, won’t they” moments occurring in 2015. During an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden in November of that year, Mendes admitted that he had tried to “make a move” on Cabello after the show’s host asked about the status of their relationship. The “Treat You Better” crooner claimed that his longtime pal “swerves” him every time.
James Corden then told the pair that he didn’t “believe” them and suggested that “there’s no way you haven’t made out.” Cabello responded: “He friend-zones me! He calls me ‘kid!’”
Mendes and Cabello would later team up for the single “I Know What You Did Last Summer” in 2017. The following year, Mendes told Beats 1 that the Cuba native was his “favorite person in the whole world,” causing Cabello to share that she loved the singer “so much.”
At long last, things began to officially heat up between the duo when they dropped the sultry single “Señorita” in June 2019. Cabello’s split from then-boyfriend Matthew Hussey followed the song’s release, and fans soon began to see the duo everywhere together before they finally confirmed their romance the following month.
“I don’t know; people can say whatever they want,” the “Havana” singer told Elle in October 2019. “They can speculate, but at the same time, we are going to live our own lives, enjoy it, and fall for each other like nobody is watching. That is how I want to live. I never want to open the door for people to feel like they are involved. Like I said, I want it to be mine and [his]. That’s why I’m so tight-lipped about it: because I want to protect it.”
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Scroll down for a look at the pair’s lengthy history — including their 2021 split:
Higher Ground, the production company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama, has struck its latest audio deal with the podcasting platform Acast.
Acast will handle ad sales and distribution for Higher Ground’s library of podcasts, which includes The Big Hit Show with Alex Pappademas, Renegades: Born in the USA with President Obama and Bruce Springsteen and The Sum of Us with Heather McGhee. The pact with Acast is separate from Higher Ground’s multiyear first-look deal with Audible, which began last June after the production company parted ways with Spotify. The first project from the Higher Ground–Audible partnership, Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast, was released in March; new episodes of The Light Podcast will have an exclusive two-week window on Audible before being released widely on all major platforms by Acast.
On the advertising and sponsorship side, marketers will be able to use Acast’s ad placement technology on select shows like Renegades, The Sum of Us and The Big Hit Show, as well as upcoming programming from Higher Ground. Acast’s in-house ad creative team will also be able to work with sponsors to create specific sponsorships, such as branded miniseries, for Higher Ground’s podcasts.
“We’ve been deeply impressed by the creativity and innovation of the Acast team,” Dan Fierman, the head of audio at Higher Ground, said in a statement. “We are excited to work with their team to bring our growing slate of audio content to existing fans and new audiences.”
“Higher Ground continues to deliver among the most engaging and high-caliber audio content in the industry, and we look forward to teaming up with them to make vital storytelling available to communities all over the globe,” Acast CEO Ross Adams said. “This relationship marks an exciting new chapter not only for Acast, but for the audio industry at large, as we work hand-in-hand to make the world a more connected place.”
Danish actor Lars Mikkelsen has been cast as Grand Admiral Thrawn, the protagonist in the upcoming live-action “Star Wars” series “Ahsoka,” reprising the role he voiced in “Star Wars Rebels.” His casting was announced during the Star Wars Celebration event in London on Saturday.
Thrawn first appeared in the 1991 Timothy Zahn novel “Heir to the Empire” and made his on-screen appearance in the animated series “Star Wars Rebels.”
His live-action character is name-dropped by Moff Gideon in the upcoming seventh episode of “The Mandalorian” Season 3, who notes the Grand Admiral is missing from vital Empire discussions. It seems that status will change very soon.
During Saturday’s panel, “Ahsoka” showrunner Dave Filoni described the blue-screened Empire officer as a “Moriarty”-type foe.
Rosario Dawson will reprise her live-action role from “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett.”
Hayden Christensen will play Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka’s former Jedi Master. Natasha Liu Bordizzo will portray Sabine Wren and Mary Elizabeth Winstead will play Hera Syndulla.
“Ahsoka” is slated to premiere on Disney+ in August.
Bailey, who played young Lilly on The Fighting Temptations, shared what is was like working with Beyoncé as a kid
Chlöe Bailey, who has taken the Tonight Show stage several times as a musical guest, sat down with Jimmy Fallon on Friday night. The “Pray It Away” singer talked friendly sibling rivalry with her sister Halle, working with Beyoncé on the set of The Fighting Temptations, and her upcoming debut solo album, In Pieces.
Fallon shared a photo of Bailey and Beyoncé taken 20 years ago on the set of the comedy film, where she played the younger Lily. “She was so nice to me and even at the wrap party she’d hold me, and we’d dance the night away,” the artist recalled. Bailey, who credited the Beyoncé as one of the major influences in her career, added, “That was the moment my love really began for her because she was so kind to little Chloe.”
Trending
Bailey has since built her musical identity outside of Chlöe x Halle, the R&B duo she forms with her younger sister. This spring, she is set to hit the road for the “In Pieces Tour” supporting her debut solo album of the same name. The 11-date stretch of shows marks her first headlining tour performances as a solo artist.
When speaking to Rolling Stone about the biggest risk she took on making her record, Bailey said opened up about overcoming doubts. “There were so many people in my life — I’m not talking about online internet trolls, but people I was close to — who told me I couldn’t do this. Who said I wouldn’t be good enough to do this on my own,” she said. “That was scary as shit actually doing it, because there were times where I believed them. I believed the negative things being told to me. I just had to keep trusting myself, and it’s still hard even now to try to not doubt myself and talk myself out of the blessings that I’m receiving.”
Allu Arjun will be next seen in Pushpa: The Rule, the first look of which was released on the eve of Telugu Superstar’s 41st birthday. (Image: Twitter)
It was just a day ago that Allu Arjun shared his first-look poster of Pushpa: The Rule in which he was seen dressed in a saree.
Allu Arjun is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in the country. The actor has carved a niche for himself with such a long career. Today, he is celebrating his birthday and has been trending on social media after he recently released the poster of his upcoming much-awaited film, Pushpa 2, the second installment of Pushpa: The Rise. The film was loved globally and received rave reviews from critics and fans. However, it is now learned that Allu Arjun has hiked his feel for Pushpa 2 and is charging double the amount he charged for the first part of the Sukumar directorial.
As reported by The Times of India, the actor charged Rs 45 crore for Pushpa: The Rise which also starred Rashmika Mandanna in the lead role. And for the sequel, he is charging a whopping amount of Rs 85 crores. “Arjun’s fee for the Pushpa sequel is around Rs 85 crores which is a new record in the Telugu film industry,” a source cited by the news portal claimed.
“Arjun’s equation with the box office has changed after Pushpa. Though Pushpa: The Rise was not such a grand hit in Andhra and Telangana, its pan-India success places him above Prabhas in the all-India market,” another source added. It has also been reported that the film’s director Sukumar has also hiked his fee for Pushpa 2. However, there is no official confirmation to this so far.
Meanwhile, it was just a day ago that Allu Arjun shared his first-look poster of Pushpa: The Rule in which he was seen dressed in a saree with his face painted in shades of blue and red. He also sported bangles, jewellery, a nose pin and jhumkas. Captioning the poster, Allu Arjun wrote, “Pushpa 2 the rule begins.”
Written and directed by Sukumar, Pushpa: The Rise was released in 2021. It depicted the rise of a coolie in the smuggling syndicate of red sandalwood. Besides Allu Arjun, the film also starred Rashmika Mandanna in the lead. Sai Pallavi has also reportedly joined Pushpa 2. The song Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava, Srivalli, and Saami Saami are still among the hits.
Last month, E-Times reported that Pushpa director Sukumar has decided to include ‘one major Bollywood A-lister preferably one of the Khans or Ajay Devgn, if not somebody else’ for Pushpa 2. However, there is no official announcement regarding this so far.
Lars Mikkelsen is set to play the longstanding “Star Wars” villain on the upcoming Disney+ series “Ahsoka,” Lucasfilm announced on Saturday as part of the Star Wars Celebration fan convention in London. Mikkelsen also joined the cast of “Ahsoka” onstage at the end of the panel.
Thrawn was originally created by author Timothy Zahn as part of a series of Star Wars novels released in the 1990s that covered the events following 1983’s “Return of the Jedi.” In those books, Thrawn was a cunning and ruthless Grand Admiral in the Empire who takes control of what’s left of the Imperial fleet and mounts a counter-offensive to take down the New Republic.
With his ice blue skin and crimson red eyes, Thrawn quickly became a favorite among hardcore Star Wars fans. But after Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, Zahn’s novels — and Thrawn’s role in them — were removed from Star Wars canon and rebranded as “Star Wars Legends,” in order to make room for the sequel film trilogy starting with 2015’s “The Force Awakens.”
The character, however, didn’t die. George Lucas protege Dave Filoni resurrected the character in 2016 for the animated series “Star Wars: Rebels,” maintaining a great deal of Thrawn’s biography and backstory. Lars Mikkelsen (“House of Cards”) voiced Thrawn in the series, which takes place in the events between “Revenge of the Sith” and “A New Hope.”
The prospect of the character stepping into live action was first suggested in Season 2 of “The Mandalorian” in the episode that first introduced Rosario Dawson as the Jedi warrior Ahsoka Tano, one of the lead characters from Filoni’s “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” animated TV series. In that episode, Ahsoka demands another character tell her where to find Thrawn, though the answer was never revealed.
Seeing the Avengers and Justice League come together on the big screen has long been a dream for many. There is even comic precedent for a potential crossover thanks to the early 2000s JLA/Avengers comic event.
James Gunn Explains Marvel & DC Crossover Possibility
The Direct
Speaking with Fandango during the press tour for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, newly-placed DC Studios CEO James Gunn gave his thoughts on Marvel and DC potentially crossing over, having now worked on both sides of the coin.
Gunn noted how “there’s always the possibility” for that to happen, but the focus right now is on making each of the respective universes “as strong as possible:”
“I think there’s always the possibility of that. I think that would be a fun thing for fans to see. But I do think it’s just about grounding the Marvel and DC universes right now and trying to make them each as strong as possible.”
The DC Studios boss added how he is “very close friends” and “[talks] all the time” with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. He also explained how, while there is “some rivalry” between the superhero companies, they both have the same goal to “embolden the movie-going experience:”
“I think that the crossover I like is that [Kevin Feige] and I are very close friends. So, we talk all the time. I think that the idea of a rivalry between Marvel and DC, of course, there’s always going to be some rivalry. But what’s really important to me is that we embolden the movie-going experience. And the theater-going experience is something that survives on big spectacle movies today.”
Gunn noted how “a dollar for Marvel is not a dollar less for DC,” and both sides making good superhero movies only brings more audiences to the theaters and serves to benefit both sides:
“So, if we’re really going to allow it to thrive that means we want good movies to be made, and that’s going to happen with Marvel movies and DC. And contrary to popular belief, a dollar for Marvel is not a dollar less for DC, quite the opposite. You make good Marvel movies, it brings people to theaters, and they go see more good DC movies. You make good DC movies, it brings them to the theater, and they go see good Marvel movies.”
“I’ve casually talked to the powers-that-be at both Marvel & DC about it. I would love for it to happen. I don’t think it’s likely, but I don’t think it’s an impossibility either.”
The superhero veteran filmmaker even revealed his dream pitch for a Marvel and DC crossover which involves both his Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad franchises coming together through “a Harley Quinn and Groot movie:”
“I would really be happy to do a Harley Quinn and Groot movie, that would be exciting for me. Not only have I thought about that, but I’ve actually talked about that to the heads of both Marvel and DC. They know everybody’s open to everything, but whether anything would ever happen, who knows?”
Could Marvel & DC Ever Actually Crossover?
The Direct
With the Marvel rights held firmly at Disney and the DC rights over at Warner Bros., the superhero giants ever crossing over is almost impossible. After all, the number of negotiations required to navigate the rights and financial issues would be immense, not to mention the logistics of which side actually makes the movie.
James Gunn’s recent appointment at DC Studios certainly makes it more of a possibility to get the two sides talking at some point given his close relationship with Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige. But right now, both Marvel and DC are firmly focused on bettering their own universes and generally doing their own thing.
Perhaps if the superhero genre as a whole ever began to die off then Marvel and DC could come to the negotiating table. But even after the recent struggles of Ant-Man 3and the financial disaster of Shazam 2, the genre remains alive and well with plenty of excitement for the future of both franchises.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on Friday, May 5. James Gunn’s next superhero movie at DC will be Superman: Legacy, which releases on July 11, 2025.
Entertainment insider Jeff Sneider claimed on The Hot Mic podcast that The Authority will be the next DCU movie to premiere after Superman: Legacy. The film will reportedly release sometime in 2026.
This rumor is in line with the order on the slate image that was shown at the original DCU slate showcase, potentially indicating Sneider’s claim about The Authority‘s release order might be true.
During the DCU slate showcase, DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran revealed that The Authority is set to explore a team of “heroes” that uses extreme methods to protect the planet, with Safran describing them as “kinda like Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men” while Gunn noting that he’s “really excited” to introduce them.
Meanwhile, a related scoop from insider KC Walsh claimed that Superman will fight the Authority in the DCU at some point in Chapter 1. This is interesting since both movies featuring the titular characters are rumored to premiere back to back in the rebooted slated.
Here are the DCU movies under the DC Studios banner:
Superman: Legacy
The Authority
Brave and the Bold
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Swamp Thing
When Will the Authority Fight Superman?
It’s safe to assume that Superman will not show up yet in The Authority, meaning that the team will likely face an entirely different foe. It’s possible that the crossover between the two clashing figures could be further down the line, potentially in a separate unannounced project.
Giving the Authority its own movie first before going up against Superman would be fitting since it allows the characters to be fleshed out more.
Moreover, it will also give fans an opportunity to learn about the characters, their motivations, and their tactics, before the conflict against the Man of Steel.
Considering that the Authority has some unusual tactics in protecting Earth, the whole movie presents an opportunity to explain to the viewers why they utilize these methods in the first place.
As the team heads to their encounter with Superman, fans will understand the Authority’s motives and some would (potentially) even side with them.
The Authority is rumored to release sometime in 2026.
Joseph Staten, the Halo veteran brought on board by Microsoft to creatively direct Halo Infinite, has left after nine years at the company.
IGN first broke the news, with Staten confirming his departure on Twitter. Staten thanked his colleagues at Xbox and did not reveal where he’s heading next.
Hey folks, I am indeed leaving Microsoft. I’ll have more info to share soon, but for now, I’d just like to thank all my @Xbox colleagues for all their understanding and support as I embark on a new adventure. https://t.co/oMR0LXOzZb
“We’re grateful for Joseph’s contributions to the Halo franchise and Xbox as a whole,” Xbox said of Staten’s exit to IGN. “We wish him all the best in his new adventure.”
Staten worked on the first three Halo games at Bungie, and left Bungie for Microsoft in 2014. He served as senior creative director for Xbox publishing, and in 2020, joined 343 Industries to help develop Halo Infinite. The hiring announcement said that Staten would be “focused on supporting the campaign team’s existing, talented, creative leaders and ensuring they have everything they need to create an awesome Halo game.”
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Editors note:This review was originally published May 27 after its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.The film opens in limited release Friday.
Kelly Reichardt has been making minimal Americana since the early 1990s, mostly around the state of Oregon where she lives and mostly about her favored awkward squad: quiet square pegs who don’t quite fit the round holes society provides. In this ongoing quest she has found many collaborators, but none more attuned to her recessive brand of naturalism than Michelle Williams.
As a homeless woman trying to find her stolen dog in Wendy and Lucy, as part of a wagon train heading west in the counter-Western Meek’s Cutoff, and as half of a married couple trying to build their dubious “dream home” in Certain Women, Williams lets her performances ripple almost imperceptibly towards us, which is very much the Reichardt way. Each character’s drama, if you could call it that, lies under the surface.
In Reichardt’s latest, Showing Up, running in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, Williams plays Lizzy, a middle-aged ceramic artist who makes rent by working in the office at an arts and crafts school. Her daily life is a tangle of uneasily blurred boundaries. Her father is a potter, now retired, whose reputation precedes her; her mother manages the office where she works, which can make staff relations prickly; her brother is a conspiracy theorist her mother expects her to concede is the genius in the family, but who is more or less under her care. She keeps her housing costs down by renting a flat in a duplex owned by another artist, Joelle, who lives next door and is both landlady, colleague and ostensible pal.
It’s another thorny combination, especially since Lizzy’s hot-water service has packed up and Joelle is signally failing to get it fixed. “I told you: you can shower at my place!” says extroverted Joelle, but Lizzy would probably rather wash in a bowl for the rest of her life than waltz into Joelle’s bathroom in a towel. She puts up with it, of course, because making art is her priority.
She has an exhibition within the week that could be noticed – could change her life – and a squadron of pottery figurines to get glazed and fired. The job gives her time to get her real work done, while Joelle’s garage provides space. It is easy to spot a parallel with Reichardt’s own career, making the shoestring films that have established her as a major American filmmaker while earning her living teaching college students. It’s all about showing up, on all fronts.
It is possible to watch Williams as Lizzy clomping round her apartment in her socks and frumpy skirts and think she is doing next to nothing, at least in terms of performance. Reichardt’s characters register emotional shifts almost barometrically, as changes in air pressure. Lizzy is not a talker. When someone else at the arts center tries to draw her out at lunch, she doesn’t quite tell her to back off, but she curls her body around the sandwich she’s eating as if to ward her away.
When she leaves Joelle a shouty message about how furious she is about her continued lack of hot water, her anger feels staged; Joelle certainly doesn’t take it seriously. It is in her stony insistence on using the shower in unlikely places – at the gallery where her work is being shown, for example – that you really feel her accumulated resentment.
That and the business of the pigeon, a perfectly ordinary bird that Joelle finds after it has been mauled half to death by Lizzy’s errant cat. Joelle puts the pigeon in a box, declaring that she will nurse it back to health, then parks it with Lizzy who is too embarrassed by her cat’s bad behavior to refuse. The pigeon ends up going everywhere with one or other of them; it lives in the studio, goes to galleries, to the vet – much to the vet’s surprise – and back and forth between their apartments, a living monument to the muddle of roles, responsibilities and resentments common to everyone’s lives, but especially to the lives of women trying to carve out the space to make creative work.
There is a good deal of tedium to all this, underlined by a maddeningly repetitive score. Where Meek’s Cut-off and First Cow, Reichardt’s last film, were counterpoints to the Western genre that embraced epic themes, shootings and a wagon falling off a cliff, Showing Up is about endless, tiny acts of persistence. Very little happens.
Lizzy establishes her working space by closing herself off from others, including us. She doesn’t want our company. It is only at the end of the film, as her exhibition opens and she is worrying over whether there is too much cheese on the snack plate, there may be a chink opening up in her armor. It’s not much, but for fans of Reichardt’s internalized cinema, it’s enough.
Title: Showing Up Studio: A24 Release date: April 7, 2023 (May 27, 2022 Cannes premiere) Director: Kelly Reichardt Screenwriters: Jon Raymond & Kelly Reichardt Cast: Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, Maryann Plunkett, John Magaro, André Benjamin, James Le Gros, Judd Hirsch Rating: R Running time: 2 hr 7 mins
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