NOW IN THEATERS! Let’s be real. Many stories have been told about Alcoholics Anonymous and its many derivations into narcotics, abuse, and other addictions (There’s even a film about a 12-step program for racism). But what kind of story do you get when you team up Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman in Zach Braff’s A Good Person?
Pugh plays Allison, a woman on top of the world. She’s about to marry the love of her life, Nathan (Chinaza Uche), and finally move to the big city on this strong foundation of love.
Everything changes in a moment when Allison is with her soon-to-be sister-in-law Molly (Nichelle Hines) to try on wedding dresses. As the distracted Allison glances down at her phone’s map app, a truck rolls out onto the highway, and in the accident, Allison is severely injured, and Molly is dead.
Cut to a year later, Nathan has moved on with a new love, and Allison is living as a recluse in her mother Diane’s (Molly Shannon) home. Allison refuses to leave, and in a fit of rage, Diane throws the last remaining prescription of oxycontin down the toilet. Allison then puts herself in some incredibly awkward situations to get her hands on more oxy.
Realizing that she’s a junkie, Allison attends the local church’s NA meeting. The moment she steps into the room, she sees Nathan and Molly’s father, Daniel (Morgan Freeman), and the bolts. Daniel chases her down and tells her she’s meant to be here.
“…Nathan has moved on…and Allison is living as a recluse in her [mother’s] home.”
Again, we’ve seen this story before, but now add Zach Braff, Florence Pugh, and Morgan Freeman, and this well-worn theme takes on some nuance we’ve not seen before. If you study storytelling and screenwriting, you know exactly where the story is headed. Allison and Daniel work together through Allison’s addiction while revealing some of the essential tenants of the twelve-step process. As things seem to go well for Allison, you know it all has to come crashing down by the third act.
I’m not so sure this film would have worked with lessor actors than Pugh and Freeman. Veteran actors find ways of making schmaltzy storylines feel less schmaltzy and preachy moments less preachy. Florence Pugh established the perfect yet slightly annoying person at the start as Nathan’s fiance. This makes the crash to the bottom so profound, and Pugh empathetically becomes that downtrodden addict fighting her way to that all-too-elusive sobriety. She’s so good. It’s almost as if the role was written for her.
On the other hand, Morgan Freeman plays the most challenging character in the film, especially for audiences. As Daniel, he’s forced to place himself in a position of forgiveness toward Allison while, at the same time, being a very flawed man in need of forgiveness himself.
This idea of forgiveness is, to me, the heart of A Good Person, and why I highly recommend the film. Unfortunately, we live in a world today that would rather cancel than forgive. A world that would rather assist in a person’s downfall and write any person off for being a flawed human being. It paints a true picture of the world today as we are all broken people (often by our own choices) in search of some form of salvation in whatever form or definition you want to give it.
Not sure if anyone wants to hear this, but A Good Person is a simple yet complex drama with the intention of bringing some good to this world. I’m up for any film that’s willing to reach out into the audience and offer some empathy and hope.
DOCTORS were rushed to help the woman accused of killing a pro-Putin blogger after she was interrogated for nine hours, it is reported.
Daria Trepova, 26, was arrested after Russian propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, died on Sunday when a bomb ripped through a St Petersburg café where he was giving a talk.
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Daria Trepova is being held by Putin’s FSB after being accused of killing a Russian bloggerCredit: Reuters
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The 26-year-old was arrested on MondayCredit: East2West
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Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, real name Maxim Fomin, was killed in a bomb blast in St PetersburgCredit: AFP
But it is understood Trepova became disorientated and needed medical assistance as investigators interrogated her.
She admitted giving a statuette to hardline war supporter Tatarsky, who had more than half a million social media followers.
Trepova has, however, denied being aware the gold-coloured statuette depicting Tatarsky was stuffed with explosives, it is understood.
“I was set up. I was just being used,” she reportedly told state investigators.
Trepova was subjected to nine hours of interrogation recorded on video after she was moved to Moscow where she was formally arrested, Ren TV – which has close law enforcement contacts – reported.
The channel reported: “During the interrogation Trepova complained of feeling unwell, saying that she could not hear well and could not get her bearings.
“Medics were called in to examine and assist Daria.
“According to preliminary reports, the woman’s condition may have been caused by concussion [as a result of the blast]”.
Trepova could be jailed for up to 20 years if convicted.
Footage shows Tatarsky engaging with the woman accused of his slaughter just seconds before the bomb went off.
Trepova appears to be trying to edge out of the room – possibly to escape the explosion – as Tatarsky asks her to sit at the front with him.
Eventually, she compromises by taking a seat near the front but to the side, several metres away from the bomb.
She can be seen raising her hands as she takes her seat in the café – perhaps to shield herself – moments before the screen goes dark as the bomb goes off.
It isn’t known how Tatarsky knew Trepova, and what reason she had given for why she was presenting him with the statuette.
Further distressing footage appears to show the exact moment the bomb – which was disguised as a statuette of Tatarsky – detonates after the blogger placed it back in its packaging.
While a third short clip shows former art student Trepova exiting the cafe moments after the explosion, as blood-soaked victims emerge from the blast.
She can be seen quietly leaving the scene in the chaotic aftermath of the attack.
Russia’s health ministry said 40 other people had been injured in the blast, and 25 were still in hospital on Tuesday morning.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said it has charged Trepova with committing “a terrorist act by an organised group that caused intentional death”.
Prosecutors alleged she had acted under instructions from people working on behalf of Ukraine.
Trepova’s husband said he believes she had been framed and had not known the statue contained explosives.
In a shake-up of Disney’s streaming leadership ranks, the company is moving Hulu president Joe Earley into the role of president of direct-to-consumer for Disney Entertainment effective immediately — succeeding Michael Paull, who is leaving Disney after six years.
In the new role, Earley will lead Disney Entertainment’s streaming businesses including Disney+ and Hulu, reporting to co-chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden. A former longtime Fox exec, Earley joined Disney in 2019 as was instrumental in the launch of Disney+. In addition, Earley will continue as the top exec in charge of Hulu until the company identifies a replacement. Disney+ is led by president Alisa Bowen, who was elevated to the post last fall after overseeing global business operations for Disney’s streaming platforms.
Paull, a former Amazon digital video exec, was originally tapped in 2017 as CEO of BAMTech, the video-streaming company previously jointly owned by Disney, Major League Baseball and the NHL (and now fully owned by Disney).
“Joe has proven himself to be an extraordinary asset and is uniquely positioned for this role as we guide Disney’s streaming strategy into the future,” Bergman and Walden said in a joint statement. “His vast industry experience and deep understanding of what sets our prestigious portfolio of brands apart will be essential as we build on our robust direct-to-consumer efforts. Joe is a talented, passionate leader, committed to creative excellence, and we look forward to partnering with him in this next chapter.”
Earley commented, “Helping launch Disney+ was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and Hulu has been inspiring and rewarding. I’m incredibly grateful to Dana and Alan for their confidence and the opportunity to lead both of these incredible teams during this time of transformation across the streaming landscape.”
The change in Disney’s streaming leadership comes less than a year before the company has to decide whether to buy out Hulu from Comcast, sell its stake or spin the streamer off. Starting in January 2024, Disney can require Comcast to sell its 33% stake in Hulu (and Comcast can force the sale). Iger has said Disney is evaluating all options. The streaming landscape “is very, very tricky right now and before we make any big decisions about our level of investment, our commitment to that business, we want to understand where it could go,” Iger said at an investor conference last month.
Earley joined Disney in January 2019 to oversee Disney+ marketing and operations ahead of its November launch that year. He added responsibility for content curation in 2021 as the service expanded worldwide. In January 2022, Disney appointed Earley president of Hulu.
Before Disney, Earley previously served as president of the Jackal Group, leading its television, film, commercial theater and digital divisions, overseeing productions including “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo” to MGM animated feature film “The Addams Family.” Before that, he served in numerous roles over a two-decade career with Fox, where he most recently served as COO for Fox Television Group. Earley began his entertainment career in production and development with producer Gale Anne Hurd and spent several years in media relations at HBO.
Jim Belushi is returning to television for a third season of his Discovery docuseries “Growing Belushi” on Wednesday.
The show follows the “According to Jim” actor as he works to turn an 80-acre property near Southern Oregon’s Rogue River into a massive cannabis empire known as Belushi Farms, founded in 2015. Belushi told TheWrap that he bought the property from his neighbors Charlie and Becca.
“I didn’t know what to do with it,” Belushi recalled in an interview with TheWrap. “Danny Aykroyd said ‘Jimmy, cannabis is legal in Oregon. Why don’t you grow cannabis? I have a great grower for you, Captain Jack.’ And Captain Jack was the weed dealer for “Saturday Night Live” back in the day. He was known as the smell of “SNL” and he had these proprietary seeds from Afghanistan that were what we call landraces, seeds strains, which means they’ve never been a hybrid or mixed, they’re original. So I said, ‘Oh, that sounds fun.’ And then it just snowballed from there and we started growing 12 plants and 48 plants and then expanded. Now, I’m growing four greenhouses and we’re all over Oregon and this year will be in 12 states.”
The third season of Discovery’s “Growing Belushi” premieres Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET (Photo courtesy of Tyler Maddox)
The 68-year-old noted that becoming a cannabis farmer has made him step outside his comfort zone.
“I’ve never done anything like this. I’m using every piece of knowledge that I’ve gained through all these years of being in this business and trying to put it all in this one show and I think we’re doing it,” he explained. “My purpose has always been as a comic actor to make people feel good … and in cannabis it’s the same purpose.”
Belushi emphasized that the challenges of being a cannabis farmer range from keeping pests, gophers, deer and other animals from eating his crop to the threat of over-taxation and over-regulation from state lawmakers.
“One of the reasons to legalize [cannabis] was to get rid of the gray market, and the opposite has happened because of the overtaxation and overregulation. The gray market has exploded because nobody wants to pay 22% to 30% more for some weed they can get on the street for less. So that’s been a real challenge,” Belushi explained. “The taxation is actually the new war on drugs and the states are basically saying, ‘Oh, you want to grow cannabis, you’ve got to pay’ and it leaves the margins so thin that it’s putting out the innocent grower, a farmer who’s trying to make a living legally.”
In Wednesday’s series premiere, an unforseen challenge that Belushi encountered was losing one of his barns in a fire, which he described as a “scary” experience that occurred a day after filming on the season had wrapped.
“My first concern was, was there anybody in it? It was done at night, so nobody got hurt, no animals got hurt. So that was the main concern,” he said. “The fire was devastating. It just went through that barn like in an hour, just burned into the ground. We lost $500,000 for the building and another $300,00-350,000 in cannabis and products … it was quite an ending to a season but we’ve gotten past it.”
Ultimately, Belushi hopes that viewers will walk away from his show having confidence in cannabis and its potential to help anyone struggling with addiction, depression or other medical problems.
“This is a legit industry with great testing, with great care and a great message,” he said. “Everybody knows somebody who’s struggling and this is an alternative medicine, a safe medicine … so I hope they’re entertained and I hope they’re getting the message of the healing possibilities of cannabis. And for the curious and the people that aren’t knowledgeable about cannabis, for them to gain some real knowledge.”
When asked about his plans for a potential fourth season, Belushi said he’d be interested in exploring the healing abilities of psilocybin.
“It’s legal in Oregon, Oakland, Colorado and they’re building like these little kind of spas where you go in and they supervise dosing and experimenting with all kinds of things,” he said. “There’s so much depression that’s going on right now, severe emotional difficulties, struggle. And this is a possible avenue aside from just taking pharmaceuticals.”
The first two seasons of “Growing Belushi” are streaming now on Discovery+. New episodes air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ETon Discovery.
Ray Shulman, a multi-instrumentalist known for his work with the progressive-rock band Gentle Giant and later a successful producer for the Sundays, Bjork’s early band the Sugarcubes, and many others, died on March 30. He was 73.
The news was announced by his brother and Gentle Giant bandmate Derek, who wrote in a statement: “I am deeply saddened to announce that my younger brother and my best friend Ray Shulman passed away on March 30th at his home in London. I was with him until the end as he bravely battled a long illness. At least I know he is now at peace.
“Ray really was a genius in so many ways. He was an incredible composer, musician, music producer and tech wizard. Together with myself and my elder brother Philip he was a founding member of Simon Dupree & The Big Sound and subsequently Gentle Giant. He went on to produce artists like the Sundays, the Sugarcubes, Ian McCulloch and many more. More recently he devoted his tech and musical expertise in authoring and remixing other artists like Jethro Tull, Genesis, King Crimson and many more.”
Although his elder brothers were born in Glasgow, Scotland, the family relocated to Portsmouth in southern England, where Ray was born in 1949. A musical family — their father was an army musician who later worked as a jazz trumpeter — the brothers first formed a band in the early 1960s that eventually evolved into Simon Dupree & the Big Sound, with Derek (a.k.a. “Simon Dupree”) and Ray playing guitar and violin; a young Elton John was briefly the band’s keyboardist. The band scored a hit late in 1967 with the keyboard-stacked psychedelic song “Kites,” which reached No. 8 in the U.K.
Like many psychedelic-era bands, the brothers’ group evolved into progressive rock, and they formed Gentle Giant in 1970 — the members were all multi-instrumentalists, and Derek, Phil and Kerry Minnear each sang lead vocals; their self-titled debut album was produced by longtime David Bowie producer Tony Visconti and engineered by future Queen/Cars producer Roy Thomas Baker. The band became a major player in the progressive rock genre and released 10 albums in as many years, with their mid-‘70s albums “The Power and the Glory” and “Free Hand” the most commercially successful.
After the band split in 1980, Ray branched out into production, helming the debut albums from the Sugarcubes and the Sundays, as well as albums by the Trash Can Sinatras, the Defects and others. He delved into electronic music in the late 1980s under the name Head-Doctor and also scored music for several video games, as well as the remixes mentioned in his brother’s post.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara Tanner, as well as his brothers Philip and Derek.
Sanjeeda Shaikh looks sensuous and hot in the pictures she posts on Instagram.
Sanjeeda Shaikh, a popular actress on television, has over 2 million followers on Instagram and her pictures keep them hooked.
Sanjeeda Shaikh’s sexy pictures on Instagram are a treat for her fans. The actress is quite active on Instagram, where she shares glimpses of her personal and professional life with her followers. Her Instagram account, @iamsanjeeda, has over 2 million followers.
Sanjeeda Shaikh’s Instagram feed is a mix of stunning selfies, glamorous photoshoots, behind-the-scenes glimpses from her projects, and personal moments with her family and friends. She often shares photos of herself dressed in traditional Indian attire, as well as modern Western outfits, showcasing her versatile fashion sense.
Sanjeeda’s Instagram photos are also a testament to her love for travel. She often shares pictures and videos from her trips to exotic locations around the world, including scenic beaches, picturesque mountains, and vibrant cities.
Sanjeeda was born in Kuwait, but her family later moved to Mumbai, when she was a child. She completed her schooling and college education in Mumbai.
Sanjeeda was in a long-term relationship with her co-star Aamir Ali, whom she met on the sets of the TV show Kya Dill Mein Hai. The couple got married in 2012 in a private ceremony. They welcomed a daughter named Ayra in 2019. However, in 2020, there were reports of trouble in their marriage, and the couple eventually separated. They have not commented publicly on the reasons for their separation, but they continue to co-parent their daughter.
She made her acting debut in 2005 with the TV show Kyaa Hoga Nimmo Kaa and gained popularity with her roles in TV series like Kayamath, Ek Hasina Thi, and Ishq Ka Rang Safed. She has also acted in several Bollywood films, including Baghban, Pankh, and Taish.
Apart from acting, Sanjeeda is also an accomplished dancer and has participated in dance reality shows like Nach Baliye and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. She has won several awards for her performances in both acting and dancing.
A series of changes have taken place at Showtime. Variety has confirmed the network has canceled “Ziwe” after just two seasons and has picked up Mandy Patinkin’s “Seasoned” to series, delivering a six-episode order.
Hosted and executive produced by comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, the talk show focused on presenting trending hot topics concerning race, politics and other cultural issues as well as musical numbers, interviews, guest stars and comedic sketches. Guests on Season 2 included Drew Barrymore, Rowan Blanchard, Blake Griffin, Emily Ratajkowski and Mia Khalifa, among others. The series first debuted in 2021.
With the loss, that leaves Showtime without a current late night talk show following the cancellation of “Desus & Mero” (which Ziwe also served as a writer on before moving to her own show). The changes come as part of Showtime’s reevaluation of the programming slate after MTV Entertainment Group president and CEO Chris McCarthy stepped in to oversee the cabler once former CEO David Nevins left in October.
Showtime first announced the husband and wife comedy pilot for “Seasoned” last June. Featuring Patinkin and his wife Kathryn Grody, the show is inspired by the couple’s off-screen relationship. As previously reported, the show comes from co-creators Ewen Wright and Gideon Grody-Patinkin — the couple’s son — and follows the delightfully tumultuous relationship and life of a successful, gregarious, deeply committed, slightly insane married couple played by Patinkin and Grody.
Wright and Grody-Patinkin serve as executive producers alongside Tony Hernandez, Brooke Posch, Isabel Richardson, Patinkin, and Grody. JAX Media produces for Showtime.
Additionally, sources say Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance’s “Heist 88” has been moved to Showtime after being formerly slated to debut on Paramount+.
Written by Dwayne Johnson-Cochran, Vance stars as Jeremy Horne, a criminal mastermind on the hunt to pull one more heist before surrendering himself to prison in 1988. He convinces four young bank employees to steal nearly $80 million dollars by hacking the banking wire system. Xavier Clyde, Keesha Sharp, Keith David, Bentley Green, Nican Robinson and Precious Way also star.
Bassett and Vance executive produce through their Bassett Vance Productions banner alongside Lynnette Ramirez, and Johnson-Cochran. Van Toffler and Barry Barclay serve as executive producers for Gunpowder & Sky. Menhaj Huda directs the film. The project is a co-production between Bassett Vance Productions, MTV Entertainment Studios and Gunpowder & Sky.
Sources also revealed the TV adaptation for “The Wood” is no longer happening at Showtime. Paramount Television Studios, which backed the production, is reportedly shopping the show based on the 1999 film elsewhere.
Showtime first announced the pilot in 2021. At the time, the series was said to explore friendship and dating from three distinct perspectives of young Black men born and raised in Inglewood, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles that has been quickly gentrifying. The three men balance fatherhood, ambition and loyalty to each other, making them question if they are growing apart or actually closer together.
Twitter has discontinued the API we use to let Feedly Pro+ customers follow tweets in Feedly.
As a result, we are sad to announce we have to retire the current Twitter integration.
We know this isn’t ideal, and we are exploring different ways to help the community connect to their favorite creators and sources of information.
Pro+ users can already follow Newsletters and use our RSS Builder, and some of the content you were following on Twitter may be accessible in this way. Our Customer Support team can help you explore these features, and starting next week, we’re increasing the number of RSS Builder feeds from 25 to 50 and the number of Newsletters feeds from 50 to 75.
We are also exploring a more comprehensive integration with Mastodon, allowing you to follow your favorite content beyond activity feeds. You should expect to hear more on this front soon.
Lastly, some customers asked us to explore a new integration option, allowing them to keep following Twitter content by providing their own API key. The team is researching this path and will report back in four weeks.
We know some users relied on the Twitter integration, and we apologize for the inconvenience this is causing. If you are a Feedly Pro+ customer who upgraded mainly for the Twitter integration, we have your back. Please contact Feedly Customer Service, and we will help you explore other options, switch to Pro or get a prorated refund. Thank you for your continued support.
It’s common practice for studios to mark out untitled movie release dates years in advance to fill with unannounced projects or ones it has yet to even decide on. This is particularly true in the franchise space, with Disney having multiple untitled Marvel and Star Wars dates still left empty for 2025 and beyond.
DC Abandons Mystery 2023 Movie
DC
According to Deadline, Warner Bros. has made a slew of updates to its upcoming release schedule, among them comes the removal of an untitled DC movie that was set for a theatrical release on September 22, 2023.
The mystery DC blockbuster was placed to release directly against Sylvester Stallone’s Expendables 4 which hits the same weekend.
News of the cancelation comes as no surprise given there had been no indication of any fifth DC release having filmed or being even close to being ready to release
It’s possible the tentative date was held onto after Batgirl‘s cancelation lay claim to the weekend in case any of DC’s upcoming movies needed to shift release date.
Why DC Still Had a 2023 Mystery Movie Release Set
DC’s spare September 2023 date has been an anomaly on the slate for some time, even though it’s long been apparent it wasn’t going to amount to anything. After all, the superhero giant has shown no signs of having any non-dated projects coming at all close to production anytime soon.
As fans now know, that didn’t end up happening as WBD’s cash problems led to Batgirl becoming a tax write-off and getting scrapped altogether. This date only became public knowledge in October while Batgirl was canceled in August, so chances are WBD had this date mapped out long before fans found out about it.
What’s far more confusing is how this date has been left on the schedule so long after Batgirl was abandoned, leaving this dangling mystery on DC’s 2023 slate. Chances are that this had nothing to do with, as many may speculate, the remaining potential of Batgirl being rescued, but rather a simple admin oversight.
DC’s next movie will be The Flash which hits theaters on June 16.
VGC is delighted to learn that we’ve been nominated for Media Brand of the Year at the MCV/Develop Awards for the second year running.
In the more than 20 years since its inception, the MCV/Develop Awards has recognised success and innovation in the UK games industry, across development, retail, distribution, marketing, media and publishing.
This year’s awards also commemorates 25 years of MCV itself, the UK video game trade magazine that was first published in September 1998.
The winners of this year’s awards will be “decided by a combination of a panel voting and a public vote”, with the vote to begin in a matter of days.
VGC editor Andy Robinson said: “We’re delighted to once again see our young publication recognised by such a credible institution, and to be nominated alongside long-established publications that the team greatly admires.
“Since we launched in May 2019, VGC has continued to establish itself as a key voice in the games media, delivering exclusive news and insight to an dedicated audience which trusts our coverage. Millions of users consider us a daily destination, and our audience continues to grow at a healthy pace year-on-year.
“Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has read, shared or supported our reporting, and to those who nominated VGC for this award.”
This year’s MCV/Develop Awards will take place on May 11 in London.
At Variety’s 10 Producers to Watch panel, held March 31 at the Sun Valley Film Festival, the first order of business was defining what it means to be a producer, a title — and a role — that encapsulates a number of responsibilities on a film.
“The way that I describe it is you’ve got to know a little bit about a lot of things in filmmaking,” said Rachael Fung, whose film “Fremont” later won best narrative film in the festival’s One in a Million category, recognizing features made for less than $1 million. “You’ve got to be able to understand and talk to every single person that touches the film at every single stage. And also it’s about finding those directors and filmmakers and understanding their vision and figuring out the best way to get that to screen.”
“There are practical things like getting money for the movie, casting, all the things that are part of the overall creative vision… you’re not just hiring any costume designer, you’re hiring a person that’s right for the project,” explained Karl Hartman, who recently worked with Michael Shannon on his directorial debut “Eric LaRue.”
Said Jamie Gonçalves, who produced Juan Pablo González’ “Dos Estaciones,” “it’s protecting the film — sometimes even from the filmmaker.”
“And [being an] on set therapist,” added Jolene Rodriguez, whose latest project, Anthony Nardolillo’s “Righteous Thieves,” opened March 10.
The panel marked the first partnership with Sun Valley for Variety‘s annual Producers to Watch list, a showcase of up-and-coming creatives whose work is already making waves across the industry. In discussing her path to becoming a producer, Karina Manashil, who produced Ti West’s “Pearl” and the Netflix film “Entergalactic,” evidenced how each person’s path is different than that of their colleagues.
“I went to film school, and I started the mail room at WME right after graduating,” Manashil said. “I represented Kid Cudi, who instead of bifurcating his representation really allowed me to be a part of the creative process with him… and then it became very clear I didn’t want to leave the creative.”
Nikkia Moulterie, who produced Nikyatu Jusu’s “Nanny,” explained that she was inspired — and motivated — by watching producer Effie Brown on the HBO series “Project Greenlight.” “I saw her struggle and I was like, wow, if I’m going to do this, I have to know everything and then more because there’s always going to be someone challenging and questioning me just because of who I am and what I look like,” Moulterie said.
“I just remember watching that and realizing it’s going to be a lot of hard work if I want to do this — so get serious or move on.”
Margot Hand, who produced Rebecca Hall’s “Passing” and Paul Downs Colaizzo’s “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” pointed out how deciding on what stories to tell is just the first step in a much larger process. “I think we’re all drawn to stories that are not told often enough, or not told properly. And then we have to fight industry norms and industry expectations to get those movies made.”
Rishi Rajani, who produced Jingyi Shao’s “Chang Can Dunk,” said that he’s driven by a singular impulse to create stories for audiences that did not exist when he was cultivating his own tastes. “As a kid, whenever I was reading books and thinking about the heroes of those books in my head, those heroes never looked like me,” Rajani said. “Those heroes were always white. And so … for me, I think I do everything for my eight to 13-year-old self, at a time where your self-esteem is being created, your self-worth is being created.”
Gonçalves also pulled from his past to identify a common theme among the stories he likes to tell. “I’m Brazilian-American from Chicago, my family lives somewhere else, and I always felt a little out of the box,” he said. “I made a very purposeful decision to meet other people who were exploring what home means to them.”
“What you’re looking for is something singular that you haven’t seen before,” said Valerie Steinberg, who produced Jake Wachtel’s “Karmalink.” “Often, that does mean a voice that is underrepresented, a person of color, a filmmaker. And female filmmakers, I often am drawn to, and that’s a big part of what I do and focus on. But I’m looking to be surprised… and it really comes down to instinct and having to just go with your gut a lot of the time.”
Rodriguez, who began her career as an intern at Sony Pictures before breaking out on her own, admitted that listening to one’s gut and trusting it are sometimes two different things. “I was on set, my first movie after leaving Sony. I called Clint Culpepper, who was the head of Screen Gems at the time when I worked there. I was like, ‘I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know what the decision is or what choice to make.’ And when you’re a producer you got two minutes to make the decision.
“He’s like, ‘I have a little secret to tell you’,” she said. “He’s like, ‘For 30 years, I had no idea what I was doing. Go back to set and go make the decision.’”
During the spirited discussion, each producer brought a different perspective on the challenges of balancing art and commerce — on identifying which stories can be sold, and which ones must be told. “At the end of the day, it is a business and there is a commerce side to it,” said Fung. “Obviously, we can push the boundaries of the marketplace, we can challenge what the norms are existing right now, but being able to find that balance and understand that sometimes the creative vision also has to be balanced with the business side of things.”
Discussing her experience on “Nanny,” Moulterie countered, “I couldn’t look to the market. I couldn’t look to pre-sales. I couldn’t look to comps because traditionally this industry doesn’t really value the type of story ‘Nanny’ was. …So I don’t look to the market. I just push. That’s a risk because maybe we don’t recoup, and then the next filmmaker of color that wants to take a risk doesn’t get to. But the industry doesn’t really allow for me to try anything else.”
The panelists offered a glimpse of some of their current and upcoming projects, such as A.V. Rockwell’s “A Thousand and One,” which Rajani, who produced it, noted opened on March 31. Gonçalves is helping develop films with director David Osit (“Mayor”) and Oscar-nominated director Jessica Kingdon (“Ascension”). Hartman is working on the directorial debut of Craig Shilowich, who wrote the HBO Max miniseries “The Staircase.” Manashil is preparing to go into production on “MaXXXine,” the third chapter in Ti West’s trilogy that began with “X.” Moulterie is working on a film about the Haitian Revolution, and a “full-bodied” documentary about Donald Shirley, whom Mahershala Ali won an Oscar for portraying in “Green Book.”
Rodriguez has a Christmas movie in development with writers Erick Galindo and Patty Rodriguez, and a romantic comedy in the works with actress Amanda Seales. Steinberg is working on Rochée Jeffrey’s feature debut “Not Your Average Queen” and overseeing postproduction on Ruben Amar’s “Silver Star.” And Hand recently premiered Randall Park’s “Shortcomings” at Sundance ahead of its release later this year by Sony Pictures Classics.
Fielding an audience question as the panel concluded, Hand reiterated the role producers play in the creative process — to breathe life into a film — even as she acknowledged how tough that responsibility can sometimes be. “We’re the squeaky wheel. We’re the people who won’t shut up, won’t stop calling, won’t stop annoying you. We’re going to get this movie made,” she said. “I think that’s why you have to have passion. That’s why you have to love it.
“That’s why you have to also eat what you kill,” Hand added. “There’s nothing more motivating than not being able to pay your mortgage.”
And it led to some hilarious tweets and memes as people related the phrase to iconic TV and movie characters (and some real celebrities). So, below are 35 of the best tweets using, “She’s everything. He’s just Ken”:
If you love what you read, give your favorite tweets a like and the users a follow so you can make your timeline a more fun place to be.
Onyx Collective has rounded out the series regular cast for Hulu comedy pilot 1266 starring Gabourey Sidibe. Karim Diané (One Of Us Is Lying), Kristin Dodson (Flatbush Misdemeanors) and Kassandra Lee Diaz (You Married Dat) are set as leads alongside Sidibe in the pilot from 20th Television.
1266 follows Gabby Brixton (Sidibe), who’s living with her mom and making half-hearted attempts to become a singer/model and overnight millionaire. When she’s fired from her job, she stumbles upon the gig of a lifetime ― phone sex. What initially seems like a quick way to make money turns into a life-changing experience when she meets the women who become her chosen family and learns how powerful, profitable and prolific her voice can be.
Diané will play Posh, who is everyone’s favorite, even if they are constantly trying to figure out if he’s straight or gay. A student at the New York Institute of Fashion, Posh is Gabby’s best friend who doesn’t put up with her B.S. and isn’t afraid to call her out on it. Posh’s brutal honesty is always delivered with love, understanding and some attitude.
Dodson will portray Jimmy, the youngest of the phone sex workers at Imagine Inc. She’s flighty, immature, aimless and ready to make lots of mistakes and have lots of fun while doing it.
Diaz will play Fi, an Afro-Latina queer 20-something, who doesn’t suffer fools and loves lavishing designer threads on her girlfriends. Cynical, mysterious and introverted, she’s a quiet yet fiery woman who keeps her cards close to the chest.
Additionally, Anna Maria Horsford (The Wayans Bros.), Tisha Campbell (Act Your Age) and Judy Reyes (Claws) will recur if the pilot is picked up to series.
The series is inspired by the true-life story of Sidibe, who is executive producing with Thembi Banks (Only Murders in the Building), Steven Canals (Pose), and Julie Bean (grown-ish), with Jill Kaplan to serve as a non-writing executive producer. Banks and Bean will be co-showrunners. Banks is writing the teleplay and directing the pilot.
Diané is repped by Paradigm and Reed Baker at Legendize. Dodson is repped by Framework Entertainment, The Kohner Agency and SRDA Law. Diaz is repped by Clinton Lavell Gunnels. Horsford is with Steve Lovett of Lovett Management and Steve LaManna of Innovative Artists. Campbell is repped by TCA and attorneys James Adams and Amber R. Payne at Schreck, Dapello, Adams, Berlin & Dunham. Reyes is repped by Buchwald, ATA Management, and Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell & Vassallo LLP.
Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
The Big Door Prize has landed an early renewal at Apple TV+.
The news of the Season 2 pickup comes a week after its series premiere.
Starring an ensemble cast led by Chris O’Dowd, the 10-episode half-hour comedy is now streaming on Apple TV+, and new episodes of The Big Door Prize premiere weekly, every Wednesday.
“We are so grateful to the audiences around the world who have already embraced the weird little hopes and dreams of our Deerfield residents, and we could not be more excited about where we plan to take them in season two,” said creator David West Read.
Showtime announced today it will air Ghosts of Beirut, a four-part spy drama based on one of the greatest espionage stories of modern times: the manhunt for Imad Mughniyeh, the elusive Lebanese terrorist who outwitted his adversaries in the CIA and Mossad for over two decades.
The limited series, which features an innovative narrative approach augmented by deep journalistic research and documentary elements, will debut on streaming and on demand on Friday, May 19 for all SHOWTIME subscribers, before making its on-air debut on Sunday, May 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
The series stars an international cast including Dina Shihabi (Jack Ryan, Archive 81), Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding), Garret Dillahunt (12 Years a Slave), Iddo Goldberg (Snowpiercer), Hisham Suleiman (Munich, Fauda), Amir Khoury (Image of Victory) and Rafi Gavron (A Star is Born).
The series comes from Fauda creators Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz, and is also executive produced by Emmy® winner Greg Barker (Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden), who directs all four episodes, and Daniel Dreifuss (All Quiet on the Western Front).
Ghosts of Beirut reveals the origins of 21-year old Mughniyeh (also known as “The Ghost”) who emerged from obscurity and was responsible for more American deaths than any other individual prior to 9/11.
Told from the American, Israeli and Lebanese perspectives, the series traces Mughniyeh’s origins from the Shiite slums of South Beirut to his masterminding of the concept of suicide bombers, a deadly tactic that led to his swift rise as the world’s most dangerous terrorist.
Based on extensive research of still-classified events, the drama spans decades and weaves in first-hand, real-life interviews with prominent officials from the CIA and Mossad, connecting the turmoil of 1980s Beirut with the spy games of the modern Middle East.
Meanwhile, Prime Video released the trailer and key art for Alex Borstein: Corsets & Clown Suits, the musical comedy special from Alex Borstein.
The special premieres Tuesday, April 18, on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Alex Borstein: Corsets & Clown Suits is a deeply personal and wildly fictitious account of one woman’s attempt to f*** with perception.
A night of comedy, music, and waxing rhapsodic. A unique comedic special that will lead audiences into Alex Borstein’s mind through a marriage of humor and music, Corsets & Clown Suits is equal parts provocative and whimsical.
Borstein’s self-penned performance showcases her captivating form of storytelling, with the help of her muse and maestro, Barcelona-native musicians Eric Mills and Salva Rey.
Meanwhile, Hulu has set a premiere date for Taste the Nation the Nation With Padma Lakshmi Season 2.
Cookbook author, host and executive producer Padma Lakshmi, takes viewers on a culinary adventure across American soil, exploring the rich and diverse communities who have so heavily shaped what American food is today.
Over borscht, cornbread, pasteles and more, Padma uncovers the roots and relationship between our food, our humanity and our history — ultimately uncovering stories that challenge notions of identity, belonging, and what it means to be American.
The series returns on May 5. Check out the trailer below.
Grey’s Anatomy is adding a new cast member in the form of Sam Page.
Variety reported Wednesday that Page had joined the cast as Sam Sutton.
Page, who is best known for his work on The Bold Type, will first appear on Thursday, May 4.
He will then recur for the rest of the season — and possibly beyond.
NBC News‘ morning news program Today has won the Peabody Institutional Award, which recognizes “institutions and organizations, as well as series and programs, for their enduring body of work and their iconic impact on both the media landscape and the public imagination.”
The award is selected by the Peabody Board of Jurors.
“For nearly three-quarters of a century, Today has been a morning staple for millions of Americans and a consistent cultural touchstone for deeply moving human stories, groundbreaking news, and daily joy,” Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody, said. “We’re thrilled to recognizethe programnot only for their decades of stellar reporting and storytelling, but also for their undeniable impact on culture and an informed public.”
Today premiered Jan. 14, 1952 and has since delivered breaking news to audiences as it happens.
Other recent winners of the Institutional Award include Fresh Air With Terry Gross, ARRAY, The Simpsons, 60 Minutes, Sesame Street, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Kartemquin Films, Frontline and ITVS.
Further nominees will be announced between April 11 and 13, and the Trailblazer Award and Career Achievement Award winners will be announced April 20.
Winners will be celebrated at the 83rd annual Peabody Awards, which will take place for the first time ever in Los Angeles on June 11.
Lights, camera, action! Writing a compelling screenplay is a challenging feat. However, for aspiring screenwriters looking to up their game, one secret weapon can set them apart from the competition: learning French.
That’s right, the language of love and cinema can help you create more nuanced and authentic stories, tap into international markets, and develop bilingual or multilingual characters.
Let’s explore the art of screenwriting and the benefits of incorporating the French language and culture into your work.
How Understanding French Culture Can Help Your Screenplay:
As a screenwriter, it’s crucial to know your audience. Understanding their preferences, interests, and cultural backgrounds can help you create stories that resonate with them more deeply.
Now, here knowledge of French culture comes in handy. French culture is rich and diverse, with unique customs, language, and history.
You can add these elements to your screenplay and create more authentic and nuanced stories that appeal to French-speaking audiences.
Here are some ways in which knowledge of French culture can benefit your screenplay:
Accurate representation:
You can accurately represent French characters, settings, and themes in your screenplay. It helps to avoid stereotypes or misrepresentations that may turn off French-speaking audiences.
Added depth and realism:
Adding French language and customs into your screenplay can add depth and realism to your characters and story. It helps to create a more immersive and engaging experience for your audience.
French language and culture can be a unique selling point for your screenplay. Many successful films have incorporated French elements, such as the iconic scene from Casablanca, where the characters sing “La Marseillaise.”
You must know about these all-time favourite movies. Aren’t you?
Examples of Blockbuster Movies
Examples of successful films that have incorporated the French language and customs include
The Importance of Knowing Your Audience as a Screenwriter
As a screenwriter, your ultimate goal is to create stories that resonate with your audience. Whether it’s a blockbuster hit or an indie film, your screenplay needs to capture the attention of your target audience and keep them engaged throughout. you can tailor your story to appeal to them on a deeper level.
How Learning French Can Expand Your Opportunities as a Screenwriter
The film industry is global, and as a screenwriter, it’s essential to be aware of international markets and their preferences. French-speaking markets are one such area that can offer exciting opportunities for screenwriters.
Here are some benefits of knowing French for screenwriters who want to write for French-speaking markets:
French-speaking markets offer a significant opportunity for screenwriters to expand their reach and connect with new audiences.
French language proficiency can open doors to opportunities for screenwriting collaborations with French-speaking writers, directors, and producers.
Knowing French can open up opportunities for co-productions with French-speaking countries and distribution in these markets. It can help expand your film’s reach and increase its potential for success.
Developing Multilingual Characters
Creating bilingual or multilingual characters in your screenplay can add depth and realism to your story. It allows for a greater exploration of cultural nuances and can provide a more authentic portrayal of characters from different linguistic backgrounds.
However, writing convincing and nuanced dialogue in multiple languages can be challenging. It requires a deep understanding of the language, its idioms, and the cultural context in which it is spoken.
Getting Feedback and Revising Your Screenplay:
Receiving feedback and revising your screenplay is a crucial part of the screenwriting process. It can help you identify weaknesses in your story and refine your script to make it stronger.
Tips for Improving Your Story:
Solicit feedback from trusted sources, such as peers or industry professionals.
Consider feedback objectively and decide which suggestions to incorporate.
Identify and address weaknesses in your story, such as plot holes or underdeveloped characters.
Focus on character development and ensuring their actions are consistent with their motivations.
Pay attention to pacing and structure, making sure the story flows smoothly.
Polish your dialogue to make it realistic and engaging.
Keep revising until you are satisfied with the final product.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, learning French can be a valuable asset for aspiring screenwriters. It can expand their opportunities in international markets, add depth and realism to their characters, and bring a unique element to their storytelling.
Abdullah Khan is the Head of the Digital Marketing Department at Guest Posting Solution. He helps clients grow their online businesses and occasionally writes blogs to share his experience with other professionals.
Actor Hugh Jackman took to social media on Tuesday to warn people about the dangers of sun tanning and skin cancer.
In a short video posted to Instagram, Jackman, 54, revealed he is undergoing skin cancer testing to determine if abnormalities spotted during a recent medical checkup are signs of basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer.
Jackman, who appeared with a bandage on his nose, said he had two biopsies done this week. He is still awaiting test results from his doctor.
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Jackman promised his fans that as soon as he knew the results of the biopsies, he would share the information.
“Just to remind you, basal cell, in the world of skin cancers, is the least dangerous of them all,” Jackman cautioned his followers. “However, if I can just take this opportunity to remind you, summer is coming.”
He urged his followers to “please wear sunscreen.”
“It’s just not worth it, no matter how much you want to tan. Trust me, trust me, trust me,” he said. “Put some sunscreen on. You’ll still have an incredible time out there.”
Health Matters: skin cancer myths debunked
Jackman has been treated for basal cell carcinoma several times in the past. He was first diagnosed in 2013 and revealed at the time that he had a cancerous growth removed from his nose. The BBC reported The Greatest Showman actor has received at least six treatments for skin cancer in his lifetime.
Basal cell carcinoma, widely considered the most common of all skin cancer types, often appears as a slightly transparent bump on the skin. Basal cell carcinoma is believed to be caused by long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight.
It is rare for basal cell carcinoma to spread to another part of the body, though it is possible to have more than one appearance of basal cell carcinoma at a time. In fact, having one basal cell carcinoma increases your risk of getting another.
In Canada, one in every eight people will develop basal cell carcinoma in their lifetime.
Arden Cho is embracing life’s imperfections with her latest gig.
The Teen Wolf alum has landed a starring role in audio rom-com series Imperfect Match, set to launch May 2. The project hails from entertainment company Meet Cute, which focuses on scripted romantic comedies in the audio format.
Imperfect Match centers on Violet Kang (Cho), a celebrity matchmaker tasked with the formidable assignment of finding a partner for playboy billionaire Dante Gargano, who runs the leading dating app Cache-You. When Dante crunches the analytics and realizes that his own ideal match is nowhere to be found on his app, he enlists Violet’s help, presenting her with the daunting challenge of setting up the impossibly cynical bachelor.
“I had so much fun doing this audio rom-com, especially with a script as smart as this one,” said Cho about the series that Meet Cute describes as You’ve Got Mail crossed with Emily in Paris. “Meet Cute is doing some really cutting-edge stuff with their content, taking timely things like the burgeoning world of matchmaking and incorporating it into their storytelling. The whole process was a blast.”
Written and directed by Liz Fields, Imperfect Match features a cast that includes Heather Matarazzo, Concetta Tomei, Jake Ryan Lozano, Tommy Kang, Mallory Low, Andrew Heder, Valerie Schrementi and Katie Flamman.
“We are such big fans of Arden’s, and she embodies Violet perfectly,” said Meet Cute founder and CEO Naomi Shah. “We hope that this series sparks social conversations about new trends in modern dating.”
Imperfect Match is the latest six-episode series from Meet Cute, which launches a new project every month. Previous series have involved such creatives as Amy Sedaris, Julianne Hough, Charithra Chandran (Bridgerton), Noah Galvin (The Good Doctor), singer Ellie Goulding and Pretty Little Liars author Sara Shepard.
“Game of Thrones” star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau hasn’t watched the hit prequel series “House of the Dragon” yet, although he has seen the show’s opening credits sequence. The Jamie Lannister actor admitted to TheWrap that he found the opening credits of “House of the Dragon” “a little too familiar,” and has resolved to binge-watch the series at a later date.
“I sat down one day and I watched the title sequence and then I was confused because the music of course is the same, the theme music, and then the title sequence was very similar,” Coster-Waldau said during an interview about his new Apple TV+ series “The Last Thing He Told Me.” “And I was like, ‘Oh, this seems too familiar.”
Coster-Waldau portrayed Jaime Lannister on all eight seasons of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” series, and he said he’s happy that the prequel series “House of the Dragon” has been so warmly received.
“I’m just gonna give them a couple of years to a couple of seasons and then I’ll binge-watch the whole thing,” he continued. “But I’m so happy that it’s a success and that people love the show. And I will watch it eventually.”
“House of the Dragon” launched in 2022 as HBO’s first follow-up to the Emmy-winning “Game of Thrones.” The series was a critical and commercial success and was quickly renewed for a second season with creators George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal already plotting an endgame.
Coster-Waldau can next be seen in “The Last Thing He Told Me,” adapted from Laura Dave’s best-selling novel of the same name. He plays Owen Michaels, husband of Hannah Hall (Jennifer Garner) who goes missing when the tech company he works at comes under investigation for fraud.
Garner’s Hannah is left with trying to figure out where he went and why he left, as well as the fact that he may not be who she thought he was. She and his daughter Bailey (Angourie Rice) come together despite their clashing relationship, to investigate.
“The Last Thing He Told Me” launches on Apple TV+ Friday April 14.
My biggest takeaway after checking out Tetris, which premiered last weekend on Apple TV+, is that Taron Egerton may be one of the most underrated leading men in Hollywood right now. I’m sure that this movie, which tells the real-life story of the race to license international rights to Tetris would work with any actor playing Henk Rogers (who eventually secures the Tetris rights), but Egerton’s charisma takes it to another level. Tetris, as a whole, is fascinating, though — it’s essentially a Cold War-era thriller involving corruption, the KGB, and one of the most recognizable video games ever. Russian actor Nikita Efremov co-stars as Alexey Pajitnov, the programmer who initially designed the game Tetris; he and Egerton have excellent chemistry that really sells the real-life business partnership that came out of the events of the film. The movie utilizes music in an interesting way, too, in addition to that reworked version of the Tetris theme. A standout scene from the movie is built around Europe’s “The Final Countdown,” and it also has, in my opinion, the best use of “Holding Out For A Hero” since Shrek 2. And though some of the events are dramatized, it’s hard to be mad about that when the results are set pieces that combine live-action with 8-bit animation.
Michelle Williams plays a sculptor whose hot water heater has irritatingly busted in the languid “Showing Up.” That’s about it, plot-wise. Talk about nobody showing up.
Director Kelly Reichardt, who also penned the film with her regular screenwriter, Jonathan Raymond, has created a tiresome bubble inside a bubble, focusing their lens to pointless effect on a group of low-level artists in Portland, Oregon.
Everyone seems self-involved and egotistical. Jealousy and microaggressions are the currency here. Who is eating too much free cheese at a tiny gallery opening is an actual key point of contention. It’s like a New Yorker cartoon come to life.
At the center is Williams, working on a a fourth Reichardt film, who has entered a de-glamorizing machine and come out the other end as spectacularly dowdy, with a functional haircut, ill-fitting skirts, arms heavy at her sides, beige ankle-length socks and, gasp, Crocs.
Her Lizzy is desperate to get to working on her rustic ceramic figurines, but real life nuisances intrude, like her job, even though it’s a cushy desk spot at an art institute and her mom is the boss. Her brother’s mental health is spiraling, but she secretly resents him because he is considered a better, visionary artist. Even feeding her cat — Oscar candidate for Best Onscreen Kitty — seems to cause angst.
One begins to wonder if Reichardt and Raymond really even like their main protagonist. She’s a passive-aggressive wimp, someone who when told what she wants can’t happen yet will angrily rip up your flower bed or leave nasty voicemails when she knows you’re occupied. “You’re not the only one with a deadline,” she will whine.
When an ailing pigeon enters her life — see previous mention of Oscar-nominated cat — Lizzy is not compassionate. “Go die somewhere else,” she tells it. This becomes less a Christopher Guest-like satire about the art world than a sly send-up of artsy Bohemians who would rather sway on a tire swing than fix stuff.
There are more interesting people here than sour Lizzy, like old classmate and landlord Jo (Hong Chau) and Eric, the school’s amenable kiln master (André Benjamin, a.k.a. André 3000). Judd Hirsch continues his resurgence — he was nominated for an Oscar opposite Williams in “The Fabelmans” — in another art lover role. And Portland also comes alive — the charmingly weedy streets, ill-fitting fences and crumbling buildings.
Some of the more lovely moments in the movie are watching battalions of young people eagerly making their art — photography, silkscreens, weavings, painting, pottery and installations — at the Oregon College of Art and Craft. It’s crushing to find out later that it was closed in 2019. Why lie? For art’s sake, we suppose.
Reichardt has built a reputation for carefully observed, granular vistas of people struggling through life, but here is a heroine who can’t win us over. Lizzy lovingly gazes at her own work, though where her impulses come from is never explored.
Williams’ portrait is not sweetly curmudgeonly or sweetly neurotic but downright petty. Lizzy resents other artists’ success and knows the price of everything — $3.99 for a bag of birdseed — but the value of nothing.
“Showing Up,” an A 24 release that opens Friday in theaters, is rated R for brief nudity and swear words. Running time: 108 minutes. One star out of four.
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The Guardians marketing machine has been kicked into high gear, as the runway to James Gunn’s latest (and very likely last) MCU adventure gets shorter and shorter.
So in celebration of the end of this era of the Guardians, Marvel is pulling out all the stops, putting out a myriad of posters, trailers, and sneak peeks into the latest intergalactic epic.
Guardians 3 Character Posters Revealed
In anticipation of James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Marvel Studios released a series of cosmic character posters focused on the film’s extensive cast.
Each of the nine Guardians got their own poster with images of the cosmos overlayed on top of everyone striking a unique pose.
Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord headlines the series, listening to his Zune MP3 player which will be key to the film’s expansive soundtrack.
Marvel Studios
Rocket Raccoon gets up close and personal in his poster, as he brandishes his signature double-barrel rifle cannon.
Marvel Studios
The newly dubbed ‘swole Groot‘ looks curious in typical Groot fashion, peeking right into the camera lens.
Marvel Studios
Dave Bautista’s Drax stars in what might be his final Guardians character poster with eyes wide and mouth agape.
Karen Gillan’s Nebula lounges with what looks to be Saturn in the background.
Marvel Studios
Kraglin gets his first character poster as a full-time member of the Guardians, assumedly messing around with his whistle-controlled Yaka whistle arrow.
Marvel Studios
The intergalactic space dog, Cosmo, celebrates her first Guardians film, looking like the good pup that she is, ready for adventure.
Marvel Studios
Zoe Saldaña’s Gamora gets her own poster as well, sporting a new haircut for the character, and looking off into the distance.
While character posters are nothing new for the MCU, there is a bit of a bittersweet feeling that comes with this particular batch. For some of these names, this could be the last character spotlight that they get.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has been confirmed to be the end of this Guardians story, so while the likes of Cosmo and Kraglin may get another opportunity to feature on a poster just like they are here, other names like Drax or Rocket likely won’t.
Because of that, these pieces of marketing take on a new meaning. Surely if characters like Dave Bautista‘s Drax do meet their end, these will be the posters that fans cling to, hanging them on their walls in honor of their favorite fallen heroes.
So, lucky these posters look as good as they do if they are going to live on long after the film has come and gone from theaters.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 comes to theaters on May 5.
The DCEU is a massive movie franchise that includes heroes like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Shazam as well as villains like Doomsday, Starro, Ares, and the Joker. Unlike the MCU, which is designed to resemble one close to the real world, the DC Universe is a vastly different place. It is in many ways an alternate reality that features major cities that do not exist in the real world that fundamentally alter the landscape of the world. The DCEU has brought in many iconic fantastical locations from the comics to the films, and at one point they tried rebranding the franchise Worlds of DC.
These vast worlds stretch from fictional countries to magical dimensions to even alien planets. The world of the DCEU is a vast one, and after 12 entries there is a lot to keep track of. The DCEU is about to make way for the DCU but before it does here is a list of every fictional location introduced in the DCEU in order of when they were introduced.
Krypton
Warner Bros.
The first location shown in the DCEU is the planet Krypton in Man of Steel. Scientist Jor-El decides to send his son Kal-El off the planet realizing Krypton will be destroyed. At the same time, General Zod begins a coup of the planet. Krytpon’s destruction is a major catalyst for many moments in the DCEU as not only does it result in Superman arriving on Earth but also General Zod’s eventual attack on Earth.
Smallville
Warner Bros.
Kal-El’s ship landed in Smallville where he was raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent as Clark Kent. Clark returns to his hometown after his time exploring the world to find his true identity. Clark has a massive battle with many Kryptonians in downtown Smallville resulting in the destruction of many buildings including an IHOP and a Sears. Smallville is also the location where Clark Kent was buried after his fight with Doomsday.
Metropolis
Warner Bros.
Metropolis is a major city in the DC Universe and home of the Daily Planet, the newspaper where Clark Kent and Lois Lane work. The city is also the location of General Zod’s attack on the planet Earth with his world engine machine which resulted in the death of thousands of lives. Bruce Wayne had a building in the city and watched it crumble during Superman’s fight with Zod. The city was also the location of Doomsday’s attack and S.T.A.R. Labs which was made using the crashed Kryptonian scout ship.
Gotham City is home to Batman and many of his rogue galleries including Joker, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, Deadshot, and Black Mask. The city is located across the bay from Metropolis. The Gotham City police department also includes Commissioner Gordon, Renne Montoya, and Crispen Allen. The city has been featured in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, and most recently Birds of Prey.
Midway City
Warner Bros.
Midway City is the primary location of the Enchantress attack in Suicide Squad. In the comics, Midway City is located in Michigan and is the home of superheroes Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and the Doom Patrol. Hawkman would later appear in the DCEU in Black Adam but his base of operations was a separate fictional city.
Themyscira
Warner Bros.
Themyscira is the home of the Amazon and the birthplace of Wonder Woman. The island appears to be located somewhere in the Mediterian sea and is closed off from the outside world by a mystical invisible field that Zeus made. Once Wonder Woman leaves it, she can never return home. The civilization is also one of the locations of a Mother Box.
Central City
Warner Bros.
Central City is the home of Barry Allen aka The Flash. It has been glimpsed briefly in Suicide Squad and Justice League and will likely get a more expanded role in the upcoming film The Flash. The location is also the home of Iris West and where the Flash captured Captain Boomerang before he became a member of the Suicide Squad.
Pozharnov
Warner Bros.
Pozharnov is a location unique to the DCEU and not from the comics. The Russian city is the location of Steppenwolf’s base in Justice League as well as where the heroes fought off the villain. The location appears to be similar to the real-world location of Chernobyl, as the nuclear plant of the town had a meltdown which resulted in the abandonment and slow decay of the city.
Atlantis
Warner Bros.
Atlantis was first glimpsed in Justice League but was fully expanded upon in Aquaman. Atlantis once resided on the surface before experimenting with technology resulting in them sinking into the ocean. Their advanced technology allowed them to master the ability to breathe underwater. Atlantis is a kingdom composed of seven different separate kingdoms: Atlantis, Xebel, the Kingdom of the Trench, the Kingdom of the Brine, the Kingdom of the Fishermen, the Kingdom of the Deserters, and the Lost Kingdom. Atlantis is also the location of one of the three Mother Boxes left by Darkseid’s invasion.
Amnesty Bay
Warner Bros.
Amnesty Bay is a coastal town in Maine. The city is the home of Tom Curry while working at a lighthouse meets Queen Atlanna. The two fall in love and have a child, Arthur Curry who will grow up to be Aquaman. Tom Curry continues to live there, and every morning gets up early and waits at the docks hoping for the love of his life to return. Amnesty Bay is damaged heavily by a tidal wave sent by Orm against the surface world.
The Center of the Earth
Warner Bros.
The Center of the Earth can be accessed through a wormhole under the ocean in the Kingdom of the Trench. The location is populated by dinosaurs and a mythical leviathan named Karathen who guards the remains and the trident of Atlantis’ first king, Atlan. The Center of the Earth is a popular location in fiction and the DCEU version might be a homage to Dinosaur Island, most famously seen in Darwyn Cook’s DC: New Frontier.
Rock of Eternity
Warner Bros.
Shazam! takes place in a real city, Philadelphia as opposed to the comics of Fawcett City. Yet the location where Billy meets the Wizard is The Rock of Eternity which is a key location in the comics. In both the comics and the films the Rock of Eternity is the source of all the magic in the universe. The location is filled with magical artifacts and portals to other realms with a series of doors and is the lair of the Shazam family.
The Seven Realms
Warner Bros.
Shazam! ends with an end credit scene hinting at future films with the villainous Mister Mind telling Doctor Sivana the Seven Realms will be theirs to conquer. While not shown in the films the seven realms are seven magical lands: The Wildlands, The Funlands, The Wozerlands, The Gamelands, The Darklands, The Monsterlands, and the Earthlands. Shazam! Fury of the Gods indicates a third Shazam! would deal with that, but with the poor box office reaction of the sequel will be one unexplored concept.
Bialya
Warner Bros.
In DC Comics Bialya is a country located in the Middle East. The fictional country makes its debut in Wonder Woman 1984 when Maxwell Lord grants the wish of Emir Said Byn Abydos. Emir wishes that he could once again lay claim to his ancestral homeland of Bialya which results in a massive wall separating the new Bialya from the rest of Egypt, preventing many Egyptians from access to fresh water. When Emir renounced his wish, the wall fell and the new Bialya was no more.
Corto Maltese
Warner Bros.
Corto Maltese is an island nation in South America. The government was overthrown by an anti-American regime resulting in Amanda Waller sending in Task Force X in The Suicide Squad. It is revealed that Task Force X’s real mission is to cover up the fact United States government captured the alien conqueror Starro and stored the creature in a Corto Maltese laboratory called Jötunheim. The collaboration between The United States government and the Corto Maltese government resulted in them experimenting on Corto Maltese citizens. Starro eventually escapes and begins a massive attack but the Suicide Squad defeats him.
Apokolips
Warner Bros.
Apokolips is the home of the DC villain Darkseid who was set up as the primary villain in the original plans for the DCEU. The planet was cut out of the theatrical cut of Justice League but restored in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The planet is home to Darkseid, his army of Parademons as well as top lieutenants Desaad and Granny Goodness.
Kahndaq
Warner Bros.
Kahndaq is the central location of the film Black Adam. Kahndaq is a nation in the Middle East that is being occupied by the criminal organization Intergang and is also the location of a rare material known as Eternium, derived from the Rock of Eternity. It is also the resting place of Teth-Adam aka Black Adam who when he awakens reclaims his homeland from invaders and becomes the protector of the nation.
St. Rock, Louisiana is the location of Hawkman’s estate in Black Adam. It also serves as the primary location of the Justice Society of America. Interestingly, Louisiana in the DCEU is also where Belle Reve Penitentiary is located which is run by Amanda Waller and the home base of the Suicide Squad. Amanda Waller’s close connections to the Justice Society might indicate why Hawkman is set up in Louisiana.
Rock of Finality
Warner Bros.
The Rock of Eternity is the location of the council of Wizards, but in the DCEU there is an opposite to it which is the Rock of Finality, located in a hell dimension. Ishmael Gregor purposely allows himself to be killed by Black Adam while wearing the crown of Sabaac and is transported to the Rock of Finality. There the six demon lords grant him their powers to turn him into Sabbac. The dimension is very similar to Hell, and Sabaac even draws some of his powers from Satan.
Gods Realms
Warner Bros.
The latest location introduced in the DCEU is the Gods Realm. This location saw many ancient god-like figures and titans sealed off from the rest of the world thanks to the Wizard that gave Shazam and Black Adam their powers. However, when Shazam broke the Wizard’s staff the barrier closed and that is how the Daughters of Atlas escaped and began their attack on Earth. The sisters wish to restore their land and make it prosper once again. At the end of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, thanks to the help of a Justice League ally, the Gods Realm is restored once more.
As revealed on Xbox Wire, the $139.99 Core edition of Xbox’s flagship pro controller has been recoloured, allowing gamers to tool up with even more style. If they like red or blue, that is.
“The new, vibrant red and blue colour schemes of the Core version of Xbox Elite Series 2 are sure to make a statement amongst your friends while delivering key performance-focused benefits,” reads the announcement.
Xbox’s Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is now available in blue and red (Image credit: Xbox)
But to be clear, the new colours sport the same enhanced physical design as the original.
“Turn on a dime with adjustable tension thumbsticks where inches are the difference,” reads the description. “Make split seconds count with hair trigger locks and stay on target with wrap-around rubberized grips.
“Enjoy limitless customization with exclusive button mapping options to find your groove. Perfect your game day prep with assignable custom profiles so you can dominate regardless of playbook or sport.”
You can set up custom profiles, and adjust settings — all the usual features of the Core edition. Essentially, the only difference is that it’s either red or blue.
The Core controller has been available in its classic white two-tone design since last year, and the range has now been expanded to include even more colour options for the more style-conscious among us.
IGN’s Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 review gave it 7/10 and said that: “Microsoft has delivered a fancy controller with some handy tweaks to the original. It comes with a decent number of extras to add value, but the experience suffers from faults that shouldn’t be present in this price range, especially when the original Xbox Elite controller is now cheaper and has almost the same functionality but without the issues.”
In this week’s rumor mill, Bloomberg floated the leaked idea that Warner Bros. is very close to rebooting the Harry Potterseries for HBO Max. Each book would comprise one season of television and go more in-depth than the films.
J.K. Rowling will serve as a consultant on the project, but the show would have its own showrunner.
Not much else is known about the series and how close it actually might be. It feels like the Radcliffe-led movies ended only a few years ago, you’d be wrong. They ended in 2011, so over a decade ago. During that time, WB has tried to capitalize on the Fantastic Beasts movies, which have never broken out at the box office.
The Potter series is one of the most valuable pieces of IP in all of Hollywood, but it has been hard to get the projects right. Many fans sounded off on social media, calling for new stories and characters.
Still, it’s not hard to see why WB wants to make this move. They can attract eyeballs to their streamer and have a show that’s guaranteed to run for at least seven seasons. And they can get another generation hooked on something they have at their theme parks and can make money off for decades to come.
We talk about the new Prime Video series with the stars including Auli’i Cravalho, Eddie Marsan, Toheeb Jimoh, and more.
At first glance, The Power may seem like a superhero story crossed with The Handmaid’s Tale, but it is so much more than that. Based on the novel by Naomi Alderman, The Power is an epic story about not just women who are imbued with a mysterious new ability but also how the structure of control and hierarchy of our world shifts because of this change.
The Power posits what it would be like if teenage girls across the globe suddenly manifested the ability to harness electricity through their bodies. Some fear the power, while others embrace what it means for those subjugated because of their gender. In a global tale set in various countries, The Power shows us how fear changes the perspective of men, women, and those who identify with a different sex. Sometimes funny, often dramatic, and always shocking, The Power is a commentary on our current perception of gender norms and how that shift does not always mean positive change.
I talked with the creative team behind The Power, including executive producer and author of the novel Naomi Ackerman, showrunner Raelle Tucker, and executive producers Jane Featherstone, Naomi de Pear, and Tim Bricknell. I also got to talk with Ted Lasso‘s Toheeb Jimoh and Heather Agyepong about the Nigeria-set sequences. Ria Zmitrowicz and Eddie Marsan talked about playing their father-daughter dynamic, Zrinka Cvitešić discussed learning Romanian, Edwina Findley reflected on growing up in a political space and how that informed her role, while Auli’i Cravalho and Halle Bush talked about playing teens wrestling with their new powers. I also spoke with Toni Collette and John Leguizamo about anchoring the core relationship at the center of this series and how it felt to be in this vital story. Check out the full interviews in the embed abov.
Sam Page, he of “The Bold Type” and “Mad Men,” has joined the cast of “Grey’s Anatomy” in a recurring role.
Page will make his first appearance during the May 4 episode of “Grey’s Anatomy,” playing Sam Sutton. According to the character description provided by ABC, Sam is “an Air Force pilot who is seriously injured in a base-jumping accident. Although he’s coping with trauma, he somehow maintains his sense of humor and charm.” The episode is titled “Come Fly With Me,” and in the logline, it says the character of Link (Chris Carmack) willl be wrestling “with his own self-doubt as he preps for a massive surgery.”
Will that massive surgery be performed on Sam? Perhaps!
Page co-starred on the series “The Bold Type” — a five-season-long Freeform show that drew a cult following, especially among media people — as a publishing executive (and endgame for Meghann Fahy’s character, Sutton). He also appeared as a recurring cast member on the original “Gossip Girl,” “Desperate Housewives,” “House of Cards,” and on “Mad Men,” on which he played Greg Harris, Joan’s (rapist!) husband.
Page is represented by UTA, Silver Lining Management and attorney Alan Wertheimer.
Last month, ABC announced an early renewal for “Grey’s Anatomy” for a historic 20th season. Executive producer Meg Marinis will take over as showrunner from Krista Vernoff, an original writer for the medical drama who’s been running “Grey’s” since Season 14. The Season 20 status of Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey — around whom “Grey’s Anatomy” has revolved since its 2005 premiere, but who said goodbye to Seattle on the Feb. 23 episode — remains in flux.
“Drug-fueled orgies. Ejaculation. Adult breastfeeding.” Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Poolshocked the Sundance Film Festival this January, garnering lots of headlines thanks to its provocative subject matter and earning an NC-17 rating along the way. Now that it’s streaming and we’ve seen it for ourselves, let’s just say all of the controversy was well-deserved. James (Alexander Skarsgard, who is having one helluva run between this, The Northman, and Succession) and Em (Cleopatra Coleman) star as a couple who go on vacation to a fancy resort as a means to respark their crumbling marriage, as well as break James’ lengthy case of writer’s block. While there, they meet the enigmatic couple Gabi (a positively electric Mia Goth) and Alban (Jalil Lespert), a married couple who definitely seem like they’re up for some swinging. After a night of drinking and dancing, the foursome decide to leave their posh resort for a day of adventuring and, well, things go amok rather quickly. (“Never leave the resort” has long been one of this writer’s mantras, and for good reason!) What happens next is weird, wild, and wholly nightmarish, and not for the faint of heart, but if you’re up for a challenging evening filled with some big ideas about morality, fidelity, and class, it’s worth wading into this Infinity Pool.
When director Peter Sohn and producer Denise Ream began working on Elemental, they started with the idea of elements coming to life. This led to the creation of Element City, a sprawling metropolis filled with residents made of fire, water, earth and air. The story follows Ember (Leah Lewis), a fire resident working in her parents market, whose fiery temper leads her to a chance meeting with Wade (Mamoudou Athie), a sappy water resident working as a city inspector. While fire and water do not mix well, Ember and Wade find themselves forming an unlikely friendship. As Sohn and Ream were working on the project, they soon discovered how difficult it was to animate fire and water to give them emotional performances, without turning them into humans. Elemental premieres in theaters on June 16, 2023 with new animated short Carl’s Date.
DEADLINE: Where did you get the idea for using fire and water as the main characters?
PETER SOHN: It was through doodling and drawing different ideas and then finding out personalities from them. As an animator, you’re always trying to explore something that would be really fun to animate, like blinking flames and all that kind of stuff. And then I had this idea that I first drew about this water character coming to a dinner. And when he was eating something, it was all boiling in his mouth… and that started forming this idea.
DEADLINE: Did you realize from the beginning that water and fire are two very difficult things to animate well?
SOHN: It was really early on. Even when we pitched the idea, everyone said it was going to be very difficult.
DENISE REAM: From the get-go, basically. Our boss was really worried about the fire, and that was something we heard a lot about. We never wanted realistic fire, but the character still needs to feel like fire. So, I immediately started talking to the tools people and big R&D brains.
SOHN: It’s hard to look back on it right now, because there wasn’t anything before. Even online, there were no real fire characters. There was the Human Torch and Jack-Jack on fire. That was it – a man on fire and a baby on fire, but nothing really made of fire in that way. So, all I had were drawings. When we told people it’s gonna be a fire person and a water person, there wasn’t anything that people would immediately think of.
Ember Lumen (Leah Lewis) in Elemental
Disney/Pixar
REAM: Well, the shot that they showed [at the press conference] of the paper airplane going through Ember ended up being a really great rallying point, where people were getting what Pete meant when he said, “I don’t want it to be a character on fire.”
DEADLINE: That was something that everybody who worked on this said, that these are elements, they’re not human. Ember is fire, not a human on fire. How did that realization come about?
SOHN: Well I just knew that I’m still not happy with the rigs. I’d love to push the rigs even further, you know? I’ve been here for so long and we’ve had [characters made from] hard plastic, hard metal, you know cars or toys and humans… and we knew how to do that. I remember there was this [article] on Terminator 2 where they had done the T-1000, the liquid man of metal. And I remember where it was successful and where it was weird, and then thinking about that for our characters… we’ve never done this before. Let’s see what we can do with that and see where it goes.
REAM: From the animation perspective, that was the hard thing to figure out.
SOHN: A friend had said, “You should just mocap [motion capture] this and then put it on fire.” But the whole point of animation for us is to do something that you couldn’t do in a human outfit. And that was a weird, little back of the pocket goal for us – to make it look like you could never mocap this. We always want that hand animated feel that’s so fun and perky, you know?
DEADLINE: You’ve mentioned that you thought fire was going to be the really difficult one to animate, but water was actually the hardest. The VFX Supervisor, Sanjay Bakshi, mentioned that you went hard on animating the water before having to pull back.
SOHN: Yes, I went into a mania. I was so afraid that he was gonna look too human, so I kept pushing the water side of it. Every dial has transparency – his bubbles, the ripples, everything. Every time his mouth moved, everything in his head was moving and you couldn’t see anything and his performance started getting lost. We had to rework some of the design to accommodate that look, but that wasn’t the hard part. The hard part was lighting. What does Wade look like when the light hits him? Wade changes in every lighting situation, where Ember has no shadows on her. She’s essentially the same in every shot, except for her movement. But Wade in the basement or outdoors or daylight in the city, he could easily turn into something really weird. Or he’s too transparent here, or he’s too blue, or he feels like jello…
REAM: I would say designing the characters all the way through is probably the most challenging thing because, unlike our previous films, we had to have all of these shot based departments there to add their part to make the character come to life. You normally wouldn’t be in early pre-production with the effects team, but because we had to do character effects for the secondary motion, we ended up having this big team working less on paper and more on the computer to try to get that look. So that was challenging.
Wade and Ember in Elemental
Disney/Pixar
DEADLINE: Seems very challenging, especially because as you said, there’s no reference for this online.
SOHN: Yeah, and it’s so expensive to do. With current technology, it is so hard to render that type of volume in both characters. The rendering power will work to render the skin of Woody’s fabric and bounce off. But for Ember and Wade, it needs to render that part and render the hundreds of layers that go through them.
DEADLINE: You just finished working on the final frames of the film, so what does it feel like to have put all this work in to create something that hasn’t been done before?
SOHN: It’s very emotional. There’s a strange bittersweetness to finishing it, but that just shows you how much you really cared for the process. When you’re in the middle of it, you’re just focusing on the goal and how hard it is to get there. But once you start seeing what the teams here are doing, there’s this weird building of energy that happens inside where you realize that it’s exciting because they’re doing such cool work. Now that we got to the end, it’s so emotional and feels like you’ve raised a child. There’s a great pride in this sort of parental way, but it just grows as you’re growing it, you know?
REAM: It feels like it’s been ours for such a long time and now everyone’s coming to get the kid. I feel emotional as well because it’s been a long time. It’s happened through our life, personal lives, and the pandemic. There’s just been so much work, but seeing what everyone came together to do just blows me away.
SOHN: And like the art of all of this reflects what we’re going through, you just can’t help it. For this film, it was just the idea of trying to thank our parents for all the sacrifices that they made. My parents passed during this, so the idea of trying to honor them got even stronger and all of a sudden all of this stuff got colored into it. Everyone just puts a part of themselves into it.
DEADLINE: Speaking of emotional, what’s it like to have the animated short playing before your film be Carl’s Date, with characters from Up.
SOHN: Oh, I’m extremely proud. I love Bob [Peterson] and I love what he’s been doing to keep those characters alive, since we both worked on Up.
REAM: That was my first movie, so it feels extra special for me to have that attached.
SOHN: And that one specifically, it just connects directly to the heart of the first film and of what Carl’s going through. So, we are super proud.
The first episode of season 2 of the “Yellowjackets” series premiered on March 24. Viewers hadn’t even had time to recover from the previous season! They continue to speculate and look for answers to intriguing questions. After all, the end of the first season was simply stunning. Moreover, the audience will be given a hint as to who could be behind everything that happened to our main characters at the very beginning. The first episode of this season again shows two timelines that develop parallel to each other. The story begins after the shocking events that occurred earlier. But you can definitely notice that our heroes have changed and unfortunately not for the better — neither in the past nor in the present. What awaits the audience this season? Get ready, it will definitely be unexpectedly and TERRIBLY interesting!
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST REVEAL IN THE FIRST EPISODE?
Events begin two months after the terrible accident (Jackie froze to death!), witnessed by those who survived the plane crash. A cold winter is raging in the forest, food supplies are running out, no one is waiting for them to be rescued. The most important event that happens at the beginning of the episode is the appearance of Lottie (Courtney Eaton). You can see that she was able to survive after the terrible events. But what happened to her after that is just dreadful. After all the horror that they have experienced (and they spent 19 months in this forest!), it is not surprising that Lottie cannot communicate normally with people and behaves inappropriately. But is it so?
COURTESY OF SHOWTIME
We are shown that after her return, her parents placed her on compulsory treatment on a psychiatric ward where she was given electroconvulsive therapy. And she endures everything steadfastly, simultaneously helping other patients cope with their tantrums (does she really have a gift?!). In parallel, viewers are shown that before they were rescued, Lottie took “temporary” leadership over the survivors’ camp. She foresees events and almost everyone believes her. And what remains, because all events really happen (is she a medium?).
But what happened to the adult Lottie (Simone Kessell)? Could she survive all this? In the present, we see her as an adult and quite successful woman. At first glance, it seems that she works in a psychological help center for people. But this is far from the case… We won’t reveal all the cards, but Lottie didn’t move on from the speeches she gave to those who survived in THAT forest. Is Lottie really behind all this and why is she doing it?
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE REST OF THE YELLOWJACKETS?
But how are things going for the others who survived in this forest? We are talking about the FOUR “close friends” — Shauna, Taissa, Misty and Natalie. The events of the first season greatly changed them and forced them to fight for their place in the sun. The viewers are let into the most secret corners of their lives and there are a huge number of skeletons in the closet, which they have been trying so hard to hide all this time.
COURTESY OF SHOWTIME
In the first episode, each of them struggles with their demons and tries to deal with the consequences of the events that happened earlier. Everything that happened to them 25 years ago and is happening now is natural and inevitable, because they can only rely on themselves and do what they know how to do — SURVIVE. But what happens to each of them? Let’s run through the main points of the two time periods.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM 25 YEARS AGO?
Shauna (Sophie Nélisse), after the events of the first season, is having a hard time going through the death of her friend Jackie (Ella Purnell). She’s not just mourning her friend, but trying to get through it emotionally with her (how is that?). It’s easy to see that Shauna is clearly not herself, because she is communicating with the frozen corpse of her friend (WOW!). And Jackie (like a ghost) is trying to figure out how they let this happen and what Shauna should do with the baby from Jackie’s boyfriend (that’s a twist!).
COURTESY OF SHOWTIME
Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) is trying to patch things up with Travis (Kevin Alves) and help him get over the loss of his brother Javi (Luciano Leroux). But Travis still believes that Javi just managed to get further away from the forest and will survive this cold winter. And indeed Lottie (Courtney Eaton) constantly tells him that he needs to believe that he will definitely come back. Natalie and Travis still continue to go hunting, as food supplies are running low. But, unfortunately, they find nothing.
COURTESY OF SHOWTIME
Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) is still trying to figure out what’s going on with her. Why is she doing strange things in her sleep (is something really affecting her in this house?). Van (Liv Hewson) helps her deal with this and assures her that it will not frighten her in any way and she will not go anywhere. They don’t hide their feelings and swear to love each other.
Misty (Samantha Hanratty) continues to deal with the consequences of what she did in the previous season. She tries to explain that she didn’t do it out of spite. Anyway, this drink with “magical mushrooms” was intended for coach Ben (Steven Krueger). But is it so? Is it possible to believe her? After the coach’s loud confession that he is not interested in Misty as a girl, she cools off from him. And who will be her object of attention this time?
WHAT’S GOING ON NOW?
Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) and her husband Jeff (Warren Kole) are trying to figure out what’s going on with their relationship. After they tell each other everything and realize that they made a big mistake in their decisions, but there is no way back. They keep this secret and decide to clean up the remaining traces. Shauna is trying to deal with what she did — not only started an affair on the side, but also killed her lover Adam (Peter Gadiot) in cold blood, believing that he was blackmailing them over what happened in the woods. Jeff is trying to come to terms with the fact that Shauna cheated on him because she thought he was cheating on her too. And everything turned out to be banal — Jeff was just trying to save his store, so he blackmailed Natalie and Taissa.
COURTESY OF SHOWTIME
Taissa (Tawny Cypress) is trying to enjoy her moment of triumph and the fact that she became the first black woman elected to the state Senate. But she can’t enjoy it to the fullest, because she’s going through bad times in her marriage. She is trying to establish a relationship with her wife and son. But she is asked not to approach them until she goes to a psychiatrist. And all because her wife Simone (Rukiya Bernard) found a terrifying altar in the basement of their house. And she is sure that something terrible is happening to her. Taissa doesn’t understand what it’s about and what’s going on. She finds this altar and is terrified. Did she put it there? Or did someone else break into their house?
COURTESY OF SHOWTIME
Natalie (Juliette Lewis) is trying to figure out where she got to, and who controls these people with a mysterious sign that takes her back to the days when they were in that forest. After this mysterious group kidnaps Natalie from her room without telling her anything, she tries to figure out how this is connected with Travis’ death (after all, there is definitely a connection here). Did anyone else survive? But when she sees who runs this secret place and what’s going on here, she can’t believe her eyes. “A friend” from Natalie’s dark past gives her hope that she can help her solve Travis’ death. But who is this “friend”? It is not necessary to reveal all the cards at once…
And finally Misty (Christina Ricci), who can’t come to terms with the fact that Natalie gives no sign of her existence. After all, the last time everything was so good. Was she just ignoring her? She wants to get to the truth and goes to the hotel where Natalie is staying. And, of course, she manages to get into her room (after all, Misty always gets everything she wants). After making sure that Natalie is not there, she is ready for an insidious revenge plan. But then she notices that there is a new lock on the door and cameras. Then she understands everything and decides to follow the trail further. And what will she discover?
AND WHAT’S NEXT?
COURTESY OF SHOWTIME
Considering that the series ended at a very unexpected moment, then the audience should prepare for the fact that in each episode the mystery of the Yellowjackets will be revealed more and more. What really happened there? How did they survive in this forest? In fact, we understand perfectly well that they had to eat something.
So they fought for life in the old way — the strongest survives. And the first bell to these bloody events had already rung when Shauna tasted this “delicacy” and she liked it. But what will happen next? Will our main characters be able to emerge victorious from this battle? We will find out the answers to all these questions in the next series.
If you still haven’t watched this series, but want to know what happened in the first season, you need to view the recap of season one here.
Love is on the menu in director Shawn Backstrom and screenwriter Compañía Delirio’s short mystery, Delirium in Restaurant “Romance” (Delirio en el Restaurante “El Romance”).
For a beautiful evening of romance, lovers Marcelo and Serena find themselves in the Blue Forest at the doorstep of el Restaurante “El Romance.” Our pair is soon seated by their eccentric host, and their meal is delivered course by course, starting with wine. As the couple discusses their plans for their future together, Marcelo becomes transfixed by the image of a beautiful artist in the background. When Serena excuses herself to the restroom, Marcelo takes this opportunity to prepare his proposal. But again, he is drawn to the artist in the background. When their hands touch, the artist comes alive, and the two dance… only to be disrupted by Serena’s return.
Delirium in Restaurant “Romance” is a short film based on the play of the same name as performed and conceived by the performance troupe Compañía Delirio. At the outset, their story seems like an almost romantic version of Rocky Horror Picture Show, as the restaurant takes on a mysterious and surreal lair of love filled with an eclectic cast of characters. The troupe explores themes of self-discovery, acceptance, and the transformative power of love and romance.
“…hands touch, the artist comes alive, and the two dance… only to be disrupted by Serena’s return.”
At its core, thisis a performance dance piece by Compañía Delirio. The company of performers includes Daniel Adamo, Gisela Viera, Manuela Cid, Toluz Chediex, Crisol Quirós Vasquez, Teddy Boussengui, Marta Alzate Arsuaga, Dorien Keymis, and Rocío Badoza Menduiña. Interpretive dance and movement are not necessarily for the masses, and as such, this is going to appeal to a very narrow audience. However, if you’re familiar with performance art, you will probably embrace the elements that make up this filmmore than viewers without that orientation.
As a film, Delirium in Restaurant “Romance” does a lot of things right though it lacks in other areas. The plot is well-defined, and the time Compañía Delirio spent performing it worldwide comes across in the short. However, I did get a sense that, at some moments, the cast may have been thrown off by the cameras as opposed to the comfortable feel one gets from performing live on stage. However, the costumes and production values are spot on and visually help bring audiences into the story.
In reading how Delirium in Restaurant “Romance” came to be easy to see what the filmmakers describe as a celebration of “the spirit of independent art and cultural exchange.” Despite some flaws, it is a beautiful and tastefully erotic exploration of romance.
EXCLUSIVE: Canadian post-production and VFX outfit Elemental Post has opened a new post-production studio in Vancouver.
The studio is located in Vancouver’s Railtown district and features a 4K theatre with laser projection, three color suites, two sound stages, and extra suites for finishing, titling, and dailies.
The boutique label is headed by Post Supervisor and Sound Designer Matt Drake and Senior Colourist Dave Tomiak. Some of the company’s recent credits include Canadian filmmaker Anthony Shim’s Toronto Film Critic Award-winning feature Riceboy Sleeps and the ESPN 30 for 30 doc I’m Just Here for the Riot from filmmakers Asia Youngman and Kat Jayme, which centers on the 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot.
Upcoming projects in post at Elemental include Cocaine Bear writer Jimmy Warden’s directorial debut Borderline, which is being produced by Margot Robbie’s production company LuckyChap Entertainment, and Cold Copy starring Tracee Ellis Ross, Bel Powely, and Jacob Tremblay.
“Dave and I worked as freelancers for many years and wanted to come together to create something unique. We have been very fortunate to work with some incredible filmmakers that trust in the vision that Dave and I are creating with Elemental,” Drake said. “It’s important for us to form and maintain strong relationships with filmmakers, which is why we are dedicated to a creative-driven business. Although what we do is considered by most as largely technical, the creative aspect of what we do is a big part of the overall vision and contributes to what audiences see on screen.”
Tomiak added: “Localizing everything under one roof gives filmmakers the opportunity to feel at home here through the final stages of post-production. So much love and care go into making these projects, and we want filmmakers to be able to explore creative ideas and work through the process of both sound and color in a seamless way. Ultimately we are film lovers, so the care we put into our work and our relationships is a big part of our offering at Elemental.”
Tech fans in Italy have been increasingly downloading the best VPN services as a means to circumvent a block on the popular AI software ChatGPT.
The country’s data protection watchdog, known as the Garante, banned the advanced chatbot on April 1, citing privacy concerns. This makes Italy the first Western democracy to block the service, alongside notorious censor governments such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
According to AtlasVPN data, there’s been a staggering 400% increase in VPN traffic coming from Italy since the ban has been enforced. Google Trends registered a similar spike, with Italians looking for the word ‘VPN’ 600 times more.
Italy’s ChatGPT block
“Such a surge in VPN usage is a clear example of how technology users respond to restrictions placed on their access to online services and the measures they take to maintain access to them,” AtlasVPN wrote in a blog post (opens in new tab).
The decision to block ChatGPT comes as the Garante found OpenAI responsible of improperly collecting and storing Italians’ dataand, consequently,breaching GDPR regulations. The data protection body also warned of the lack of effective age verification procedures, fearing that this could expose minors to inappropriate content.
The Garante is an independent organization, among the first to formally raise concerns over the potential privacy risks of China-owned TikTok. The video-sharing app is currently under growing scrutiny worldwide, risking itself to be banned in the US under the RESTRICT Act (opens in new tab).
While OpenAI ensures its commitment to protect users privacy by training its AI systems in reducing personal data collection – the BBC reported (opens in new tab) – the US-based firm has now 20 days to address such concerns and avoid being fined up to 4% of its annual revenues.
More than 100 million users worldwide have been using ChatGPT since its launch in November last year. At the time of writing, the company is enforcing a basic geoblock to limit ChatGPT access in Italy.
That’s exactly where a secure VPN software comes in. By connecting to one of its international servers based where ChatGPT is not banned, users in Italy can keep accessing the popular AI system within seconds.
There’s also a possibility that ChatGPT accounts registered in Italy might no longer be available. This means that people in Italy would need to spoof their real IP address location before creating a new profile.
In the meantime, OpenAI has announced a refund for all its Italian users who had already subscribed to its premium plan while halting subscription renewals in the country.
Despite critics to Italy’s ChatGPT ban – including the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini who tweeted its disapproval (opens in new tab) the day after the block was enforced – France, Germany and Ireland are also investigating (opens in new tab) the matter.
If other EU countries would decide to follow Italy’s footsteps, further VPN usage spikes might be coming soon. A trend that AtlasVPN said to have seen across other nations as a reaction to bans or other online restrictions.
“The ChatGPT geoblock in Italy and the subsequent surge in VPN usage highlight that people will try to access the online services they need, despite internet restrictions. This is a powerful reminder of the importance of internet freedom and the role that tools like VPNs can play in ensuring access to information and communication.”
The Mandalorian season 3 episode 6, directed by Bryce Dallas Howard is one very eventful episode that plays out like a detective story and one plentiful of cameos from start to finish. It is well known among fans that when Bryce Dallas Howard directs an episode, we are in for something very special, after this episode she has now directed three episodes of The Mandalorian, Chapter 4: Sanctuary, Chapter 11: The Heiress, and now Chapter 22: Guns for Hire. As well as one episode of The Book of Boba Fett, Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian. She never fails to deliver incredible episodes, and this one was no exception.
In the previous episode we saw The Armorer (Emily Swallow) proclaim that Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) would bring back other exciled Mandalorians to join them, this episode, Chapter 22 titled “Guns for Hire” sees Bo-Katan, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu set out for the planet idyllic Plazir-15, where Bo-Katan’s former army, now led by Axe Woves (Simon Kassianides), have set themselves up as mercenaries. Before they can meet them, they are involuntarily diverted by the planet’s rulers, Captain Bombardier and the Duchess, who ask for their help in neutralizing several repurposed but malfunctioning Imperial and Separatist droids. After stopping a rogue droid, Bo-Katan and Din Djarin follow its trail to The Resistor, a droid bar, and convince its bartender and clientele to help them.
Here are the famous faces we saw and heard in the episode, in the order they appeared.
Christine Adams and Harry Holland
Courtesy of Lucasfilm/ Disney
In the opening scene of the episode, we see a Quarren ship being targeted by what looks like an imperial ship, only it turns out to be piloted by a group of Mandalorian mercenaries looking to bring in the Mon Calamari Prince – voiced by Harry Holland, Spider-Man actor Tom Holland’s youngest brother, who the Quarren Captain, Captain Sheegoth – played by Black Lightning star Christine Adams had snuck onboard as the two were in love, and chosen to run away together. This was soon cut short when the Mandalorians took in the prince to fullfill their bounty.
Lizzo and Jack Black
Lucasfilm/ Disney
I think Grogu has a new friend. One of the best and well most shocking (in the best way) moments of the episode was when Mando and Bo-Katan are summoned by the The Dutchess and Captain Bombardier of Plazir-15, and the two end up being Lizzo and Jack Black. The two play a wealthy married couple who rule over the independent planet of Plazir-15 as part monarchy, part democracy. Bombardier is a former Imperial officer who participated in the New Republic’s amnesty program after the war. He fell in love with the Duchess after visiting Plazir-15. The two ask for their help in getting rid of battle droids, which had been repurposed. Grogu soon takes a liking to the Duchess and she to him. We even get to see the duchess declare Grogu a knight! With a sword and everything.
Christopher Lloyd
I would not be surprised if someone yelled “Great Scott!” when they saw the legendary Christopher Lloyd from Back to The Future in the Star Wars Universe. Lloyd plays Head of Security Commissioner Helgait, who becomes a crucial part of the investigation. When Din Djarin and Bo-Katan go check out the security footage of the malfunctioning droids, they run into Doc, I mean Helgait. That it not the last we see of him though, because 84-year-old Christopher Lloyd had a very important part to play later on in the episode.
Seth Gabel
Lastly actor and Fringe vet Seth Gabel, and husband to Bryce Dallas Howard, makes a cameo in the episode, he voices the bartender droid in the droid bar where Din Djarin and Bo-Katan sought answers about a “recertified” battle droid they had encountered. Seth is known for a number of different roles, having appeared in Netflix’s The Watcher, American Horror Story, The Da Vinci Code and most recently Big Sky season 3.
Toward the end of the episode Din Djarin and Bo-Katan find out that the droids were sabotaged through nanodroids in the bar’s maintenance fluid, which were covertly imported by Commissioner Helgait, head of the planetary Security Office. Confronted, Helgait reveals himself as a Separatist before Bo-Katan knocks him out, and he is exiled. Granted an audience with the Mandalorian privateers, Bo-Katan challenges Woves for leadership and defeats him. To help her ascendance, Djarin admits his capture by the cyborg in the mines of Mandalore and his rescue by Bo-Katan, which rightfully bestows the Darksaber back to her.
The Mandalorian season 3 episodes are now streaming on Disney Plus.
The cast of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” celebrated their final season on the closing night of PaleyFest Tuesday – but not before lightly ribbing the ensemble of “Yellowstone” for ditching their scheduled festival appearance last-minute.
The Emmy-winning Prime Video comedy series starring Rachel Brosnahan and Alex Borstein was celebrated with a closing night screening and Q&A, marking the last event of the 40th William S. Paley Television Festival at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. After screening a sizzle reel of the beloved Prime Video show, several members of the cast and the creative duo behind the comedy — creator, writer, director and EP Amy Sherman-Palladino and writer, director and EP Daniel Palladino — appeared onstage for the Q&A, moderated by Stacey Wilson Hunt of The Hollywood Reporter.
After introducing the cast members who attended, including Brosnahan, Borstein, Tony Shalhoub, Michael Zegen and Caroline Aaron, Hunt also listed the names of other members of the cast who were not able to attend. Palladino added a punchline to the moderator’s statement when he referenced “Kevin Costner” as one of the missing cast members, which was met with an uproar of laughter and wows from the audience and the others on the stage.
“I have a theory that they all went for ‘Yellowjackets’ and couldn’t turn back,” Palladino joked while others on the stage contributed their own zingers, and the audience howled and cheered. Hunt added that the cast of the Paramount Network drama series missed out on a fun opportunity by ducking out of the festival engagement, complimenting the audience’s enthusiasm and support for the shows featured on this year’s lineup.
The “Maisel” celebration event was hosted just three days after “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan, star Kevin Costner and other main cast members from the popular show skipped their appearance at the festival at the last minute, leaving fans in attendance in shock and demanding refunds.
The event on Saturday was set to include Costner, Sheridan, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes, Kelsey Asbille, Wes Betley, Gil Birmingham and Jacki Weaver, alongside executive producer David Glasser and additional guests. Instead, the lineup was swapped to include four cast members — Josh Lucas, Wendy Moniz, Mo Brings Plenty and Dawn Olivieri — as well as Keith Cox, President of Scripted at MTV Entertainment Studios. Press were notified of the change ahead of the red carpet, but fans didn’t find out until the event began.
Representatives for PaleyFest and Paramount did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment on Saturday’s event.
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” cast members Tony Shalhoub (left), Alex Borstein, Rachel Brosnahan, Caroline Aaron and Michael Zegen attend PaleyFest LA 2023 at the Dolby Theatre Tuesday, April 4, in Hollywood.
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” panel on Tuesday provided some emotional whiplash of its own, feeling like a support group for soon-to-be-grieving super-fans. The lauded comedy series is set to premiere its fifth and final season on April 14.
Sherman-Palladino did not mince her words when describing her feelings about the show coming to an end, admitting, “I’ve never been more devastated in my life,” and joking she’ll need a lot of “therapy and Prozac” when reality sets in about the show wrapping up.
The series chronicles the life and rise of fictional aspiring standup comedian Miriam “Midge” Maisel (Brosnahan), starting from the moment her husband leaves her after having an affair in 1950s Manhattan and how she turns her pain into a promising career in show business.
When reflecting on her journey as a performer on the show, Brosnahan said that “the thing I learned the most from Midge was to be a little braver.” She thanked the Palladinos for taking a “great leap of faith” casting her in the lead role despite not having previous experience in comedy.
Borstein, who plays Midge’s manager and close friend, Susie Myerson, admitted she also hasn’t processed the fact that “Maisel” is ending. She joked that she still dresses like her character in the mornings and admitted it likely won’t sink in until the show is out and its ongoing press tour is over.
When asked what made her the most proud of creating the series, Sherman-Palladino said that focusing the show on a female friendship centered around ambition, camaraderie and “not talking about men all the time” was the best part. She also mused about how the show examines what can happen when women support each other as unconditionally as Susie and Midge do while chasing their dreams.
“It’s good to have someone to tell you you haven’t completely lost your mind,” she told the crowd to more applause.
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Season 5 premieres April 14 on Amazon’s Prime Video.
Jonah Hill, in the process of the building a thriving filmmaking career, and Keanu Reeves, riding high thanks to the ultra-popular John Wick: Chapter 4, are teaming up for a dark Hollywood story.
Apple Original Films has picked up Outcome, a dark comedy that Hill will direct and has co-written with Ezra Woods.
Reeves is in negotiations to topline the feature, which will also star Hill.
Outcome will star Reeves as Reef, a damaged Hollywood star who must dive into the dark depths of his past to confront his demons and make amends after he is extorted with a mysterious video clip from his past.
Hill, clearly no underachiever, will also produce Outcome with Matt Dines, his partner at their Strong Baby banner. The project will be an Apple Studios production.
The deal finds a home for Outcome, which hit the town as a hot package back in November. The project was picked up in a competitive situation but the length of time closing a deal shows how tight the current market is for high priced packages, even ones with high-list talent. Filmmakers, stars, and their agencies are finding out that the buyers are being more choosy, and more stringent, when it comes to buying.
It does help that Reeves is now enjoying a career zenith. Wick 4 opened to a franchise best $73.5 million at the domestic box office and it’s also one of Reeves’ career-best openings. The movie now has over a $247 million global tally after just 12 days of release.
Outcome keeps Apple in the Hill business as it continues to stack its movie portfolio with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
Hill and Apple Original Films are developing a Grateful Dead biopic with Martin Scorsese’s Sikelia Productions, which will be directed by Scorsese, with Hill starring and producing with Dines under Strong Baby.
Strong Baby most recently produced the Netflix comedy You People starring Hill, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy and Lauren London. Hill, best known for his comedies and his Oscar-nominated performance in Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, made his feature directorial debut with 2018s well-received coming of age drama Mid90s. He followed that up with Stutz, 2022’s critically acclaimed documentary that tackled mental health issues.
Apple, which last year became the first streamer to win a best picture with its drama, CODA, has two major entries due to debut this year. In October, it will release Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, as well as newcomer Lily Gladstone. In November, it will release Napoleon, Ridley Scott’s historical epic starring Joaquin Phoenix. Both are getting theatrical releases before hitting the Apple platform. Also in post is high-concept romantic action adventure movie Ghosted, starring Chris Evans and Ana de Armas.
Hill and Strong Baby are repped by WME, LBI, and Yorn Levine. Reeves is repped by WME, SUGAR23 and Ziffren.
One of the first things you notice about Aidan Park is the joyfully buoyant “hahas!” punctuating his speech. As a stand-up comedian, Park often laughs at his own jokes with the same fervor on stage, to the point where he can disarm a crowd that may not know what to make of him at first. But the instinct to laugh at himself is often contagious in a room full of strangers that has them busting up by the end.
“I think humor makes things OK,” he says. “Like, I played Montana last month. It was all straight, white people. There were 150 of them and I asked if there were any gay people in the audience and there was silence.
“I said, ‘I’m HIV positive; don’t worry, you can’t get it from jokes’ … and then I talked about my suicidal ideation,” Park says.
“A couple of people came up to me [after the show] and said, ‘Hey, I’m a veteran, and I’ve had suicidal ideation as well,” he said. “I’m trying to work with the VA through my foundation to teach comedy and wellness to that group. I think humor is like a bridge, you wouldn’t expect a gay Asian guy and these veterans from Montana connecting in that way.”
Sharing that connection through comedy is what Park wants to accomplish with his Yay! Foundation, a nonprofit he launched last fall. The foundation’s stated goal is to “bring hope and strength to young adults ages 14-24 in underserved and disenfranchised communities,” and accomplishes this by developing comedy-based workshops and curriculum tailored to each group.
It’s a long way from where Park found himself several years ago, mid-panic attack while out of town for a stand-up gig. He had thrown himself into work to deal with the recent loss of his partner, Michael James, to cancer. As he was doubled over vomiting, a stranger approached, asking to pray for him.
A big part of Aidan Park’s work with his Yay! Foundation is motivational workshops that help people to uncover their shame, recognize their emotional needs and work to take action, he said,
(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
“He put his hand on my back and raised his hands to the sky,” Park says during a recent Zoom interview. “And I looked up and … the guy looked just like Nickelback [singer Chad Kroeger]. And I was like ‘Nickelback is praying for me in rural Washington.’ … That didn’t work.”
This is one of the many personal stories he wrote about in his 2020 memoir “The Art of Being Yay!” (forward written by Margaret Cho). Full of hilarious-meets-heartbreaking stories, Park sees the humor in his most painful life moments that he has often used to connect with others.
“The problem that I see in the world is loneliness,” Park says. “And loneliness brought on by shame.” A big part of his work with Yay! Foundation is motivational workshops that help people uncover their shame, recognize their emotional needs and work to take action, he said. Sharing the most raw parts of his life allows people to feel safe sharing their own turmoil. “I realized that emotional pain means you feel separated from an emotional need that you want.”
Despite his positive energy, the loss of James, his soulmate, at times felt unbearable. “It was like I stopped caring about anything,” Park says. “I just wanted to die. I ended up in the emergency room, I had panic attacks … so I said if I’m not going to kill myself, I’m going to commit to life.”
Park began to see a shift in his grief as he honed tools acquired over the years studying self-empowerment. Only this time, he aimed not toward career advancement but to address his paralyzing emotions and loneliness.
“Whenever I would miss Michael, I would ask myself, what is the emotional payoff he would give me? And in different moments it was different things. I can’t bring Michael back from the dead, but let’s go for security and groundedness. You think thoughts that trigger security and groundedness and you take action.”
The change he experienced by applying this principle to his own life was transformative, leading him to develop the Art of Being Yay! program a precursor to his foundation. One of his first clients was the Special Olympics, for which he created “Eight Days of Yay,” a mental wellness program for athletes stuck at home during the COVID shutdown.
Comedian Aidan Park discovered in high school that being on stage gave him confidence that otherwise eluded him.
(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
He developed fun characters for them to relate to, like Eckhart Tol-yay, Richie Yay Simmons, and Pat Yayjack, and taught them how to regulate their emotions through breathing exercises and by playing games.
“We had to stop all of our in-person gatherings,” says Brandon Tanner, assistant vice president of development for the Special Olympics of Southern California. “The neat thing about Aidan is he makes it fun. He took the time to talk to our athletes who have intellectual disabilities. He was so patient.”
People also relate to the incredible odds Park surmounted. Immigrating to the U.S. from South Korea as a child, he was shocked when applying for college to discover he was, in fact, undocumented (Park has since become a citizen). At age 19, he found out he was HIV positive. It took someone believing in him, in his case a mentor, and a lot of self-determination to move beyond that early despair.
As he pulled himself together, Park started getting TV and commercial work and snapped up musical theater roles. Tired of of typecasting — nine productions of “Miss Saigon” will do that to you — he transitioned to stand-up comedy, booking shows across the country performing regularly at the Laugh Factory, the Comedy Store and Hollywood Improv.
“He’s a really genuine person who wants to help people, and that’s not something you always encounter in Hollywood,” says fellow comedian Rosie Tran, one of the foundation’s five board members. “Comedy can reach people who might not feel otherwise reachable.”
In a way, performing has always been his salvation. After deciding on a whim to audition with Madonna’s “Holiday” for his high school, Park discovered being on stage gave him confidence that otherwise eluded him.
“I had found something that I had a spark of interest in. This spark gave me a reason to live and being a part of the play made me feel I belonged somewhere,” Park said. While recently developing a virtual “happiness” program for Alicia Keys’ charity Keep a Child Alive, he witnessed that same spark of interest in a young girl who shared with him her dreams of becoming a lawyer.
The joy and belonging he received in performing continues to influence every aspect of his work, including his fundraising efforts.
On April 7 and 8, Park will be performing in “Scream, an Unauthorized Parody Musical.” Written by Park and his co-writer, Ryan Davis, the campy, ’90s musical is led by an all-volunteer cast.
Proceeds from the show will support the Yay! Foundation’s upcoming work with Keep a Child Alive, creating a comedy and wellness program for veterans in Montana as well as empowerment training for high school students and LGBTQ youth.
“I love parodies and I love horror,” he says. It’s got this kind of punk rock, anything goes kind of energy to all our shows. It’s a lot of fun.”
DTLA Artnight, the Urge LA and Happening in DTLA are sponsors for the one-weekend-only performances, where masks signed by original “Scream” villain Skeet Ulrich will be raffled off with proceeds going to the Yay! Foundation. You can also donate directly to the foundation’s spring fundraising campaign.
When asked what his late partner might think of his work, Park says he thinks James would appreciate all he’s done under his own banner of Yay. “Before he died, I was always working for other people and lining up with what other people believed, and [Michael] said ‘Baby, you gotta do your own thing.’ I built a career around my own values and I think he would be damn proud.”
I think its safe to say that Marvel is having a tougher time in a post Avengers: Endgame world.
Whether that be because the films are becoming too formulaic, the VFX teams behind the MCU are being stretched too thin, or the advent of Disney + has created too much content, the fact remains that Marvel is in a pivotal moment.
James Gunn Weighs In
Now, Guardians of the Galaxy director, and current head of the DC Universe, James Gunn has weighed in on Marvel’s problem.
“I really want Marvel to keep making good movies. I think it’s really hard in the wake of the Blip. There’s this worldwide, universe-wide event that happened. And in truth, everybody would be stark raving mad at this point. So it’s hard to write stories in the wake of that. Which is why the Guardians movies have been easier, because they’re set outside of that a little bit.” The director noted.
Photo: Marvel
A Lasting Impact
While much attention has been paid to Marvel’s struggles since the advent of the multiverse, or the loss of Captain America and Iron Man, Gunn brings up an interesting point.
Photo: Marvel
The Blip has permeated everything that has happened since Endgame. Whether that by Yelena’s misguided vengeance against Hawkeye, or Monica Rambeau’s journey in WandaVision.
Nevertheless, the days of the grounded, “real world” Marvel movies are over. And perhaps, the universe has passed the point of no return.
Photo:Marvel
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Hold onto your hats, kids. Ti West’s Pearl hasn’t even fully released in theaters yet, but already, there’s more to come from the director and his X series of movies. Yes, A24 has officially greenlit MaXXXine, the third movie in the bonkers horror franchise from the director. And even more bonkers, you can already watch a teaser trailer for MaXXXine below. The X horror movie delight never stops.
According to a release, Ti West will write and direct MaXXXine. And Mia Goth will return to reprise one of her two roles in X. A synopsis for MaXXXine shares:
The film follows Maxine (Goth), after the events of X, as the sole survivor who continues her journey towards fame setting out to make it as an actress in 1980s Los Angeles.
We love a sole survivor, that’s for sure. And we love Ti West’s horror movies even more. Although MaXXXine‘s trailer doesn’t reveal much to us, we do know that it’s “coming soon.” Well, we guess now we won’t have to wave goodbye to the franchise indefinitely after we watch Pearl.
As for the rest of MaXXXine‘s cast, it is finally coming together. Per Deadline, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Halsey, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon have come aboard the film. Their roles have not yet been revealed.
A24
For now, the second movie in the X franchise, Pearl, is available to watch “It is a prequel set decades before the grisly events of X, Mia Goth returns as the future psycho-biddy Pearl, here a starry-eyed farm girl with a short fuse and a deadly ambition.” As you get excited by the prospect of MaXXXine, don’t forget to check out our review of Pearl, here. And our review of X, here. It is a Mia Goth-full autumn, and we absolutely love it.
We can’t wait to see what X‘s third movie has in stock for us. If we had to guess, we’d say… something bloody, chaotic, but absolutely incredible. After all, what’s bloodier than an actress trying to make it in LA? Here’s to you MaXXXine.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is finally here, performing for you in your local theater. When word spread of the DK Rap being included in the film, the song’s composer Grant Kirkhope knew the words, so he was excited to join in too. He saw the film, put his hands together since he wanted to clap, but then quickly realized he didn’t receive credit for his monkey rap.
Kirkhope lamented his lack of credit via a post on Twitter, in which he called the decision “depressing” and that he was “really looking forward to see my name in the credits.” As one of the replies to Kirkhope’s tweet shows, the song itself is indeed credited, but Kirkhope’s name is nowhere to be found.
I was really looking forward to see my name in the credits for the DK Rap, but alas as expected it’s not there …….. fml
The song was revealed to be part of the feature film last week, when Seth Rogen called it “one of the worst rap songs of all time” in a video promoting the film. Kirkhope received that news very well, saying “If you’d told me in ’97, when I wrote the worst rap track in the history of rap tracks, that it would go on to be in a Mario Bros. movie I [sic] would’ve burst with excitement.”
The DK Rap first appeared as the intro theme for Donkey Kong 64, where it became a fan favorite. It has subsequently appeared in multiple games since then–most notably as stage music in multiple Super Smash Bros. games–and Kirkhope was credited as the original composer in every other use.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is out now in theaters worldwide. GameSpot’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie review praised the film, saying it “never feels reverent of the Mario IP, but it’s also never disrespectful. It’s a spot that might not have worked if the film weren’t so well put together–fortunately for us, though, The Super Mario Bros., could end up being one of the best big-budget action flicks of the year.”
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Considered a mandatory festival event for innovative and provocative documentaries, the annual Doc Fortnight was presented again from February 22 to March 7 this year by the Museum of Modern Art. The program included 15 feature and 8 short films. As in past editions, the festival included U.S. and international films reflecting current socio-political changes and ruptures, embracing new production approaches, and the visual analysis of themes not covered before. Many selections premiered in the USA and were new to the MoMA audience. CHANEL has been the lead sponsor of film at MoMA since 2020 and provided principal support for DOC Fortnight 2023.
Among the striking films in the 2023 program was RED AFRICA (Krasnaya Africa), an innovative 2022 Russia Portugal co-production scripted and directed by Alexander Markov. Markov presents African and some USSR work of Soviet filmmakers from 1957 – 1990 in a rare and comprehensive assembly that exposes audiences to their visual perspectives. Western colonial powers were leaving Africa and opened gates to the influence, ideology, and official positive self-image of the Soviet Union. Behind the perspective of Soviet filmmakers was the shared conviction of officials in communist countries that visual media has a powerful impact on the audience, guided by the agitation and propaganda (agitprop) policy. The segments from documentaries and newsreels which Markov chose were shown to the Russian audiences and transmitted in African countries. The agitprop carried only messages supporting the Soviet Union and its achievements. The range of themes covered Soviet agricultural, industrial, and consumer products, as well as Soviet fashion and culture. Much of the footage was devoted to encounters between high ranking African and Soviet officials and the demonstration of how knowledge and technical expertise acquired by students from African and other third world countries could be applied by them at home. There is virtually no footage about the turmoil experienced in the USSR over 30 + years, except for brief sequences from 1990 about demonstrations for autonomy from former Soviet republics.
While the agitprop films hide Soviet colonial aspirations under the claim of a humanistic development services, the documentary LA BONGA provides a persuasive account of lasting attachment to the homes people were forced to leave 20 years earlier in Columbia. Directors Sebastián Pinzón Silva and Canela Reyes documentary excels in its quiet and unhurried approach. Reyes’ training in anthropology and literature is on display. LA BONGA focuses on the forced dispossession of an indigenous Afro-Colombian farming community located in the jungle. This dislocation mirrored the destruction of many similar communities in other central and Latin American countries which was often carried out with the backing of governmental agencies. LA BONGA does not elaborate at length on the process of neo-colonialism but instead focuses on the long arduous march of the survivors and descendants of the La Bonga settlements to their old home; and on the stories they shared of their past experience. Over 20 years the jungle had recuperated the land they once cultivated and few relics remained. After arrival, they restored a small area to have space for celebrating their Bonga culture with guests. What is striking is the persistence of memory and the power of oral traditions outlasting speculators and prospective settlers.
Whether it’s espionage or fending off an amphetamine-happy bear, Keri Russell has a certain affinity for playing the tough who get going when the going gets tough. But the first trailer for Netflix’s The Diplomat places Russell in a setting that finally makes her break a sweat: international relations.
Kid Rock triggered by beer, trans people
In the series, Keri Russell plays Kate Wyler, a new US Ambassador to the United Kingdom who finds herself immediately inundated with putting out political and personal fires. Although Kate has experience in crisis and war zones, she’s much greener when it comes to navigating parliament and rubbing elbows with the Prime Minister (Rory Kinnear). Plus, as one of Kate’s embassy confidantes (Ato Essandoh) tells her: the house is already on fire.
The teaser also finds the weather looking stormy on the home front: although Kate’s husband Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell) has left his ambassador days behind to cultivate his political rising star, he’s not exactly ready to relinquish his area of expertise. “I’m not doing this the way you would,” Kate tells Hal.
“That’s fine,” he responds. “Just don’t do it wrong.”
What Kate seems most uninterested in is what she calls the “whole Cinderella thing:” Unlike a certain luminous SUNY Purchase grad, Kate isn’t interested in playing Princess Diana (as her uncomfortable grin-and-wave during a photo shoot in a literal horse and carriage indicates).
G/O Media may get a commission
Showrunner Deborah Cahn, whose previous credits include both The West Wing and Homeland, clearly knows her way around a political drama. Cahn also serves as an executive producer on the series, alongside Russell and Janice Williams (Pieces of Her, The Magicians).
In her own tease, Cahn previously described The Diplomat “as a show about the transcendence and torture of long-term relationships.” If it’s capturing the long-term distress onscreen Cahn is after, she seems primed to deliver: the first trailer fits in roughly two dozen tortured glances in just two minutes.
The Diplomat arrives on Netflix Thursday, April 20.
Late last week, Hulu started rolling out a redesign for its TV apps, which changes how you navigate through the interface. The previous version (which some people still have) had the search, Home, TV, Movies, News, My Stuff, and Hubs buttons across the top of the screen. Now, those navigational buttons will live on the left.
Hulu’s top-bar design has always stood out from the crowd in a bad way. Even my wife, who isn’t that into tech and doesn’t generally comment on UIs, has complained about it. The problem with the old UI is that, in general, using a streaming app these days involves scrolling up and down through a massive list of content, realizing you don’t want to watch any of it, and then jumping to another section.
Unfortunately, Hulu’s categories living at the top of the screen made it seem like you had to scroll back through everything you’d just looked through to do that. You didn’t actually have to, at least not in the Apple TV version of the app that I’ve used; pressing the back button would jump you up to the top. But if you didn’t realize that, it could be frustrating to use. The redesign, however, makes it easy to figure out: scroll to the left (or press the back button), and the menu pops up.
Yes, this redesign does make the Hulu app look more like almost every other streaming app; HBO Max, Netflix, YouTube, and even Disney Plus, which is owned by the same company as Hulu, all use a sidebar design. But sometimes it’s good to have conventions; with the redesign, you won’t have to think about how to navigate when you switch from another streaming app to Hulu.
According to a splash screen alerting users to the upcoming change, the new interface will be rolling out over the next few weeks. According to TechCrunch, it’ll be coming to smart TV interfaces like Android TV, LG smart TVs, Samsung smart TVs, and Vizio SmartCast TVs, as well as streaming boxes like Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast.
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