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Festivals

EXCLUSIVE: This won’t come as a big surprise after so much speculation, but we hear that Wes Anderson’s comedy Asteroid City definitely is headed to the Cannes Film Festival.

Nothing official from the festival or studio, but multiple good sources tell us it’s locked for a Riviera bow in May.

And what fun that promises to be. Anderson rarely misses. Few directors deal in the depth of talent he does, either, making for fireworks on screen and the red carpet. Asteroid City is no different. If anything, it may be a notch up on the starometer even by his standards.

RELATED: Full List Of Cannes Palme d’Or Winners Through The Years: Photo Gallery

The cast includes Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jason Schwartzman, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, Jake Ryan and Jeff Goldblum. There were even cameos for musicians Seu Jorge and Jarvis Cocker, who will play cowboys. If they’ve made the cut.

Bill Murray was also due to star but reportedly caught Covid just before cameras rolled last year so was replaced by Carrell.

RELATED: From ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’ & ‘Indiana Jones’ To ‘Jeanne Du Barry’ & ‘The Old Oak’: 32 Movies From Across The Globe That Could Light Up The Cannes Film Festival

Set in a fictional American desert town circa 1955, the film’s synopsis reads: The itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention (organized to bring together students and parents from across the country for fellowship and scholarly competition) is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.

Anderson wrote Asteroid City with Roman Coppola and produced the pic with his regular partners Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson. Focus has set a stateside release for June 16, and the film’s trailer arrives Wednesday. Above is the first poster, revealed today.

Anderson has previously been on the Coisette with The French Dispatch and Moonrise Kingdom, both of which played in Competition. The latter opened Cannes in 2012, so there remains a possibility Asteroid City could do the same.

Among movies tipped to play at Cannes this year are Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Disney’s Indiana Jones and the Dial Of Destiny. The Official Selection will be unveiled next month. It promises to be quite the lineup. Here and here are some other buzzy movies we hear could be in the mix.

Cannes Film Festival and Focus Features declined to comment.

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EXCLUSIVE: This won’t come as a big

Film

Grand premiere of the film Motherland, directed by Ukrainian-Belarusian director Alexander Mihalkovich (My Granny From Mars) and Belarusian director Hanna Badziaka, will take place at the 63rd Krakow Film Festival! This monumental work, which is a multi-threaded portrait of the oppressive post-Soviet culture of cruelty, has just received the Grand Prix at the prestigious documentary film festival CPH:DOX in Copenhagen. In Kraków, we’ll get to see the film at the turn of May and June.

 

When this film was proposed to us for the competition, I had known that it would be launching at CPH:DOX two months earlier. However we weren’t envious. We had the same admiration as our Danish colleagues – says Krzysztof Gierat, director of the Krakow Film Festival – Copenhagen always guarantees the highest quality. And what has been happening in Belarus and on its border in recent years deeply affects us, Poles. The recognition of the international jury only confirms our choice.

 

The film’s title clearly marks the role of women in the fight against the brutal regime. Svetlana, one of the protagonists, has lost her son a few years ago, who was found dead during military service. She does not believe in Sasha’s suicide and tries to expose brutal hazing customs (dedovshchina), shed light on the culture of violence and abuse in the Belarusian army. At the same time, a group of young friends from the techno underground are soon going to face conscription themselves. Their rave parties may soon come to an end. Meanwhile, massive protests are erupting on the streets following the recent “re-election” of the dictator-president Alexander Lukashenko.

 

The filmmakers are showing the dark side of Belarus, full of corruption and brutal military culture. Hanna Badziaka and Aleksander Mihalkovich have made a film that analyses the post-Soviet social condition from the rarely seen perspective of young people. Gripping cinematography and intimate camera closeness evoke strong emotions of fear, disagreement, helplessness but also – hope. When dedicating the film “to all Ukrainians fighting Russian aggression and Belarusian political prisoners” in Copenhagen, the directing duo thanked those who helped them make the film, especially the heroes “who had the courage to stand in front of the camera” and participate in the long process of making the documentary, which took more than four years.

 

The film is one of 15 titles from around the world that will participate in the International Documentary Competition at the 63rd Krakow Film Festival. Among them is also the film ‘The Hostage Takers’ (dir. Puk Damsgaard, Søren Klovborg), which received a special mention at the CPH:DOX festival. The premieres of both documentaries will be accompanied by meetings with their makers.

 

The Krakow Film Festival is on the exclusive list of qualifying events for the Oscars® in the categories of short film (live action, animated, documentary) and documentary feature, as well as a recommending event for the European Film Awards in the same categories.

 

The Krakow Film Festival is organised with the financial support of the European Union as part of the “Creative Europe” program, the City of Kraków, the Polish Film Institute, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The co-organiser is the Polish Filmmakers Association, and the main organiser is the Krakow Film Foundation.

 

The 63rd Krakow Film Festival will be held in cinemas from 28 May to 4 June and across Poland at the KFF VOD online streaming platform between 2 and 18 June.

 

 

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Grand premiere of the film Motherland,

What to Watch


Just like no man, no character lives on an island.


Rabbit Hole’s John Weir has many people in his orbit, including a feisty FBI Agent, Jo Madi (Enid Graham), who is always one step behind him, a bad guy who is one step ahead called The Intern, or just Kyle (Walt Klink), and the man John is trying to protect, even if he doesn’t know it yet, Edward Homm (Rob Yang).


We caught a little time with them on a recent press day to see if they could shed some light on their characters, among other things. Take a look!


Let’s start with you, Rob, because you’re alive. Yay!


Rob: Yay. I made it through. I thought it was going to be a spoiler. I thought for sure that they would not want to include me in any of this because then you know that I’d survive.

Rob Yang attends the


No, but it’s 2023. Flashbacks are all the rage.


Rob: This is true.


But I’m glad that you’re here, although you do spend an awful lot of time bound and gagged.


Rob: Yes, yes. And they were very kind to keep it nice and loose, but it felt like Covid times for me. I hate wearing a mask, and it was pretty awful.

Trouble's On the Way


So what do you think Edward is thinking at this point, as he’s being dragged around on a chair pretty much?


Rob: I think he’s trying to figure out how to make it back home and how to get himself out of this situation. I think he owes his wife a call, and he just has not been able to… He didn’t show up where he was supposed to be. So I think there’s a level of thinking of all the responsibility he’s leaving at the door.


There also may be a level of having left the stove on possibly. Or maybe he’s running the AC really high because he shouldn’t have done that, he didn’t turn it down before he left. All the things he would do if he even just went on vacation. He didn’t get to do any of that. So he’s thinking about all that stuff.


Right, his responsibilities.


Rob: Yeah.

Walt Klink attends the


Walt, I was up and down about The Intern. I almost believed that he was at the police station to help John, and oh, I was so wrong. How bad is this kid?


Walt: Oh, it gets much worse. You haven’t seen anything yet, ma’am. No, it gets a lot worse.


And Enid, you are as close to acting on behalf of the audience as a character can get. How hard is it going to be for her to put the pieces of this together?


Enid: Yeah, I mean, she is pretty driven and pretty career-focused, and she’s a dog with a bone; she’s not going to let it go. But it turns out to be much bigger than even she was aware it could be.


Jo knows at the beginning that there’s something more to this, but I think it balloons out further than her imagination could imagine. I think it’s pretty tough because John Weir, her nemesis, is really tricky, and he has unbelievable skills to evade and obfuscate the truth.


And so she’s always being thrown off track or confused or led down a rabbit hole, but she’s not going to give up. So she ends up being a good match for him.

Enid Graham attends Paramount+'s "Rabbit Hole" New York Screening


Rob: Such a good match.


Enid: Yeah, because she’s driven and obsessive, just like he is.


She is a match for him, but she already goes off-book, and I’m getting the feeling that she might identify with him in some way. How does that help her investigation?


Enid: Yeah, I think at some point in the script, someone describes him as her white whale, and it’s true. It’s like Moby Dick. She becomes a little obsessed and maybe not so in such a healthy way. And she’s also very ambitious and anxious to get her position back at the FBI.


And when someone is driven and ambitious, sometimes they cut a few corners or maybe color outside the lines. And once you start doing that, then you kind of wonder, “Well, what else will she do?” And so I think it makes for an interesting journey. You wonder how much Jo is capable of as the series goes on.

The Intern - Rabbit Hole Season 1 Episode 1


Walt, Keifer Sutherland is an icon on shows like this. What’s it like playing a bad guy to his hero?


Walt: It’s funny. It’s really weird, actually. It’s like this actor that I really respect, and I get to beat him up several times.


No, I said earlier, I called my dad, and I said like, “Yo dad, it’s this amazing thing. I’m going to beat up Keifer Sutherland,” and it feels like the beginning of something new, a new mark in my career or as an actor that I get to beat up Keifer Sutherland I guess, yeah.


As one of the bad guys, are you worried at all that your character might end up on the wrong side of a tall building or an explosion?


Walt: No, I think this character is like a cockroach. Doesn’t matter where you throw him; he will always survive and escape from the building. Yeah, he’ll always survive. I know that for a fact, they will never kill this character.

Madi Checks in with the Intern - Rabbit Hole


For a fact, good. Rob, this series says a lot about technology and media and what we know and what we think we know. How do you think this show speaks to the world today?


Rob: Well, there’s just so much out there now where the lies aren’t even hidden. You know somebody’s not telling the truth, and it’s just the themes that this show talks about. I think people are interested in authenticity now, after the past handful of years. Also, just personally and wanting to know the truth.


And this show is based off of this idea that what you see is not what you think. There’s this deception happening; there’s this manipulation. You’re being influenced, and you’re not even aware that you’re making decisions based off of some boardroom, like this remote boardroom that you’ve been set up.


And I think that’s what the world is right now. So I think it’s nice to side with somebody who’s trying to do something about that. And that means going outside of the lines. And then once you do that, you can’t go back, is the thing. You can’t unknow what you know. You can’t go back to sleep; I’ve tried.

Rabbit Hole Poster 2


Red pill, green pill.


Rob: Yeah.


Walt: Yeah.


———————————


Did that help you understand Madi, The Intern, and Edward any better?


If not, there is plenty more to discover when Rabbit Hole Season 1 Episode 3 drops on Sunday, April 2, on Paramount+.

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.

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Just like no man, no character lives

Awards

Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat Congressman from Parkland, Florida, is amping up his call for common-sense gun reform in the aftermath of Nashville’s fatal school shooting on Monday, publicly locking horns with Republican representative of Georgia Marjorie Taylor Greene and interviewing with “CNN This Morning,” exclaiming, “We have allowed schools in this country to be turned into slaughterhouses.”

Moskowitz made headlines Wednesday for getting ensnared in debate with Greene during a House Oversight Committee hearing in which he argued against her stance of arming school officials to protect against active shooters: “You guys are worried about banning books,” he said. “Dead kids can’t read.”

Sitting with “CNN This Morning” Thursday, co-host Kaitlan Collins asked Moskowitz about the viral moment. He shared that it’s “a very serious issue for me,” as he is a graduate of Stoneman Douglas High School, the site of Parkland’s horrific shooting in 2018.

“What was going through my mind is I still remember that there are members on the Oversight Committee that called Parkland a ‘false flag’ event, and so I know what I’m dealing with there,” he said. “This is a very serious issue for me because I’ve seen what it’s like when you go to your school that you graduated from and there are bullet holes through the windows, where backpacks are piled up outside, where homework is scattered through the hallway, where there’s bloodstains in front of the door because there’s someone you went to high school with passed away.”

“She has never seen that,” he continued of Greene. “A lot of these Republicans that I have served with have never seen that. They’ve never seen what it’s like to watch parents put their kid in a box, testify at their funeral, and say the only thing they did wrong was send their kid to school … We have allowed schools in this country to be turned into slaughterhouses. I knew what I was getting myself into.”

He also shared that more gun reform than just President Joe Biden’s call to ban assault weapons is possible.

Olympic Gymnast Shawn Johnson’s Family ‘Shaking. Crying’ After Nightmare of Nashville Massacre

“I think we need to institute the assault weapons ban, but we also can’t be afraid to do smaller things,” he said. “Everything we do is about mitigating this event and mitigating this crisis in this country. And so look, if we can go out and pass a bill that saves 100 lives, I’ll take that. If we can pass a bill that saves five lives, I’ll take it. That’s five more children that are alive, that’s five more families that are not broken. And so I’m here to work with my colleagues across the aisle. I want to ban assault weapons, but if we can’t get that done and we can talk about mental health and we can talk about hardening schools and we can talk about SROs and we can talk about single point of entry and we can talk about threat assessments, I’m willing to do all of the above because there is not one thing that’s gonna solve this problem. We have to do multiple things.”

Watch the full “CNN This Morning” interview in the video above.

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Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat Congressman from Parkland,

Docs

It’s a common misconception among Americans today that African Americans had it the worst prior to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Really it’s the opposite. Before the Civil Rights movement, Black Americans were just Americans. They had their churches and communities and were as prosperous as they could be. Up until the Great Depression, Tulsa was Black Wall Street. As we learn in director Justin Malone’s Uncle Tom II: An American Odyssey, it took a bunch of white Marxists to derail the progress of Black America.

Chad Jackson guides us through an unflinching, if cursory, exploration of the leftist policies and movements which sought to infest Black America and prevent it from prospering. Starting with the race hustlers who sought to take advantage of the conflicts in the South, like the venerated Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Marxist activists became part of Black people’s struggle in Georgia, Alabama, and other southern states. While initially, such radicals seemed helpful to the cause, the true intent became clear in successive decades.

There is a dire contrast between Black Adults in their 60s and 70s today and the Blacks coming to adulthood now. Whereas the older generations of Black Americans come off as American capitalists, the later generations seem to believe they’re entitled to things. In most inner cities, you will see Black communities that subsist on HUD and section 8 housing, food stamps, and free mobile phones. I saw it firsthand in East Orange, NJ. There I was going about my business, and some young feller tried to convince me I needed a free Obama phone; naturally, I declined the offer.

“…it took a bunch of white Marxists to derail the progress of Black America.”

Uncle Tom II, written by Malone, Jackson, Larry Elder, and Ryder Ansell, presents wonderful interviews and speech excerpts from a host of great Black intellectuals of America. Dr. Ben Carson, Allen West, Carol Swain, Thomas Sowell, Voddie Baucham Jr., and others all contribute deep introspective thought concerning undermining the Black community in America by the likes of Saul Alinsky and other radicals. You know there’s something wrong with a man when he dedicates his book to Lucifer Morningstar, which Alinsky did with Rules for Radicals. As I have read that book, I can tell you directly, dear reader, the radicals who adhere to these directives will never be satisfied. It’s not for them to conclude the protest; there must be new protest movements cropping up all the time. That’s how they prosper.

I enjoyed the fact Malone took this as an opportunity to delve into the central crux of Marx and Engels’ philosophy. Marxism does not know how it will achieve its utopia. While all the children and young adults documented want free stuff, they have no idea how to sustain it. So movements like Black Lives Matter begin. It might have been a great idea at first, but now it’s clear this is how Patrice Cullers — who is wonderfully documented here — and others profit from the grift of the movement. Listening to her declare how she was angry, but with no idea about what is illuminating. Again, it’s never about winning. The protest is just meant to continue indefinitely.

And that is how Civil Rights and Black Lives Matter have kept Black Americans from succeeding. W. E. B. Dubois started it all off with the NAACP. His communist affinities used the advancement of people of color as a front for teaching generations of young Blacks to embrace Marxism and its destructive tenets.

Malone has directed a fine film in Uncle Tom II: An American Odyssey. While it cannot go too deep into this massive and sprawling subject, it gets to the essence of the problem. This is a must-watch slice of American History for every citizen.

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It’s a common misconception among Americans today

Global

Russia’s security service, the FSB, on Wednesday arrested Evan Gershkovich, an American Wall Street Journal reporter, on espionage charges. Gershkovich had extensively reported on Russia, including on the deterioration of the country’s economy.

Press freedom is tightly restricted in Russia, and it has become even more controlled in the last year as the government has imposed new laws intended to limit reporting on the war, including a law prohibiting reporting that contradicts the government’s narrative on the conflict. Prosecutors have opened cases against dozens of Russian journalists. However, the arrest of an accredited foreign correspondent with a major U.S. news outlet appears to be a step toward even great repression.

Many western outlets pulled some or all of their journalists out of Moscow as a result of the rising tensions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year.

Who is Evan Gershkovich?

Gershkovich, a 31-year-old U.S. citizen, is a reporter based in the Wall Street Journal’s Moscow bureau. Gershkovich had worked as a reporter in Russia since 2017, and joined the publication in January 2022, per the Journal, after reporting for the Moscow Times, Agence France-Presse, and the New York Times. In the most recent story he published, he wrote about the effects of sanctions on the Russian economy.

Gershkovich was arrested on Wednesday in Yekaterinburg, which is north of Kazakhstan, on a reporting trip, the Journal reported. Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that Gershkovich was reporting on Russian attitudes about the private military company Wagner Group.

Why was Evan Gershkovich arrested?

The FSB said in a statement that Gershkovich is “suspected of spying in the interests of the American government,” and that its investigative department has initiated an espionage criminal case against him.

“It was established that E. Gershkovich, acting on the assignment of the American side, collected information constituting a government secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex,” the statement said.

The Russian news agency TASS reported that Gershkovich pleaded not guilty at a court in Moscow.

“The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich,” the newspaper said in a statement. “We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family.”

How is the world reacting?

The arrest was widely condemned by his fellow journalists and organizations supporting press freedom, who called for his release.

“We are deeply concerned over Russia’s widely-reported detention of a U.S. citizen journalist. We are in contact with the Wall Street Journal on this situation. Whenever a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, we immediately seek consular access, and seek to provide all appropriate support,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. “In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the Kremlin’s continued attempts to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists and civil society voices.”

“Arresting a foreign journalist on espionage charges is a serious escalation of Russia’s attacks on journalism,” said Scott Griffen, the deputy director of the International Press Institute in a statement. “It underscores the depth of Russia’s effort to silence coverage of Putin’s war on Ukraine, which has already led to a serious crackdown on Russian journalists. Now, that dragnet appears to be expanding further.”

Pauline Ades-Mevel, a spokesperson for Reporters Without Borders, told the Journal that the group is “alarmed by what looks like retaliation against journalists.”

“Journalists must not be targeted, even if unfortunately they have been regularly since the invasion,” she said.

More Must-Reads From TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com.

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Trending

Berlinale co-head Mariette Rissenbeek has taken the decision to not renew her contract as co-head of the Berlin Film Festival after the 2024 edition.

The state minister for culture and the media Claudia Roth announced her decision on Thursday.

Rissenbeek informed the supervisory board of the federal cultural events in Berlin (KBB) of her decision to step down at a meeting on Thursday.

Rissenbeek was announced as co-head of the Berlinale in 2018, in the role of managing director, alongside Carlo Chatrian in the role of artistic director.

Chatrian is expected to stay on after 2024.

More to follow…

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Berlinale co-head Mariette Rissenbeek has taken the

Tech

In 2022, the last in-person event of the IAB Newfronts was Twitter, a sort of last hurrah for advertisers on the platform before it was sold to Elon Musk.

In 2023, the newfronts will end with another evening presentation from a platform with a decidedly uncertain future: TikTok.

The advertising trade organization released its planned schedule for this year’s newfront, with a bevy of heavy hitters set to participate. The evening presentations May 1, 2 and 4 will belong to Amazon, Yahoo and TikTok, respectively. NBCUniversal’s Peacock, Meta Platforms, Snapchat, YouTube, Roku and Condé Nast are also set to host presentations.

There will also be a “main stage” May 3, where companies will deliver more rapid-fire presentations. Maria Menounos will host that day.

Most presentations will be streamed live, in addition to some people being invited to attend in person (TikTok, it’s worth noting, will not be streamed).

YouTube will be the newfronts “principal partner,” and will host a breakfast to kick off the week. YouTube will hold its annual Brandcast presentation during TV’s upfront week.

The full schedule is below:

Monday, May 1: YouTube, Vizio Ads, Amazon

Tuesday, May 2: Samsung Ads, Snap, Peacock, Roku, Yahoo

Wednesday, May 3: IAB Main Stage mini presentations

Thursda, May 4: Condé Nast, IAB Special Sessions, Meta, Vevo, TikTok

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In 2022, the last in-person event of

Video

Riding the theaters-to-streaming wave is paying off in multiple ways for NBCUniversal as it dominates the latest movie rankings

They might as well pour champagne and pass out victory cigars at 30 Rock, because Peacock just had its best streaming week ever for movies. The NBCUniversal streamer’s success stemmed largely from success at the box office, giving more weight to the theaters-to-streaming trend that’s seeing cinematic exposure as key to driving viewership online.

Peacock topped Whip Media’s movie ranker for Friday through Sunday, thanks to the streaming debut of “Knock at the Cabin.” But the service also accounted for six of the top 10 most-streamed movies in the U.S. over the past weekend, according to Whip Media’s rankings, which it compiles using viewership data from TV Time, its TV and movie tracking app with more than 25 million global registered users.

Become a member to read more.

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Entertaintment

A candlelight vigil in Nashville Wednesday night drew hundreds to grieve the victims of the mass school shooting which claimed six lives earlier this week, with local residents Sheryl Crow and Margo Price among those offering performances as part of the public grieving.

The event was relatively brief — only about half an hour — but powerful and moving, attended by First Lady Jill Biden, a host of local and state elected officials, police officers, and clergy, along with the musicians who performed songs obviously chosen with great care for the somber occasion.

Sheryl Crow, who has spent more than 15 years as a Nashville-area resident, accompanied herself at a piano to sing “I Shall Believe,” a hymn-like track from her breakthrough album “Tuesday Night Music Club.” The crowd soaked up the hopeful balm of the spiritually tinged ballad in the wake of the shooting at Nashville’s Covenant School, the small Christian elementary academy where three children and three adults were killed by a 28-year-old assailant carrying two assault weapons and a pistol.

“Come to me now, and lay your hands on me,” sang Crow. “Say it will be all right, and I shall believe.” She tagged the end of the song with a chorus of Dionne Warwick’s “What the World Needs Now (is Love, Sweet Love).”

Singer & songwriter Sheryl Crow performs at a candlelight vigil to mourn and honor the lives of the victims, survivors and families of The Covenant School on March 29, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Singer-songwriter Margo Price stood alone at a microphone and ripped into an a cappella version of Bob Dylan’s rebellious “Tears of Rage,” recorded by the Band in 1967. “Tears of rage, tears of grief,” she sang. “We’re so alone, and life is brief.”

Singer & songwriter Margo Price performs at a candlelight vigil to mourn and honor the lives of the victims, survivors and families of The Covenant School on March 29, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Ketch Secor, the multi-instrumentalist co-founding member of the award-winning Old Crowe Medicine Show band, strapped on a banjo to sing the Carter Family standard “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” accompanied by his young son on harmonica.

He later closed the show with Price, singing “Amazing Grace” and “I’ll Fly Away” as six silver balloons, representing the Covenant victims, were released to make their way silently into the twilight, catching the last golden rays of the setting sun, and a gentle breeze, before disappearing over the downtown skyline.

Singer and songwriter Ketch Secor performs at a candlelight vigil for the victims killed in a mass shooting at the Covenant School on March 29, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. A 28-year-old former student of the private Christian school, wielding a handgun and two AR-style weapons, shot and killed three 9-year-old students and three adults before being killed by responding police officers. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
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As I walked through the crowd before the event, watching staffers from the Nashville mayor’s office pass out candles from baskets and bins, I spoke with several attendees, almost all of whom were hopeful for more love, fewer guns, and something uplifting to believe as Music City reckons with a new designation — the latest city now on the grim list of first-name places — including Uvalde (Texas), Newtown (Connecticut) and Parkland (Florida) — marred by the tragedy of a mass school shooting.

To date, some 175 people have died at such incidents across America at schools and colleges, according to the Associated Press.

Police shot and killed the shooter, a former student, minutes after they arrived on the scene.

“It seems so surreal that it could happen here,” said Nashville resident Caroline Vaughn, 28. “But it could happen anywhere. Getting together and mourning together is important—a little bit of collective grief and catharsis.”

The need for grieving was palpable as a crowd hungry for signs of stillness, safety, calm and reassurance huddled together at Nashville’s Public Square Park, on the grounds ringed by crews of national media in front of the city’s Metropolitan Courthouse. The imposing government building was a symbolic backdrop for the hopes expressed by many that Tennessee’s Republican-dominated legislature — widely regarded as lax on gun regulation, registration and background checks — would enact stricter gun laws.

Guns are a deeply entrenched political issue, and the Covenant shootings made that sore subject even more raw in Music City, where concerned citizens have renewed their calls for more action. But the vigil offered an opportunity to close the political divide, and perhaps ease the tension, in a few sacred moments of memorial for lives lost and suffering friends and family members, no matter what political colors anyone flies.  

“Grief is not partisan,” noted Caroline Vaughn with a sigh. “But action is.”

Jill Biden didn’t speak at the event, but instead stood silently and solemnly watching the proceedings, while her husband, President Joe Biden, remained back in D.C., calling on Congress to ban assault weapons in response to the Covenant shootings.

First Lady of the United States Jill Biden and Nashville Fire Department Chief William Swann attend a candlelight vigil to mourn and honor the lives of the victims, survivors and families of The Covenant School on March 29, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Lorianne Solms, lighting a candle for her 11-year-old daughter, Rhett, certainly knows about the brevity of life and the rising tide of danger for children. She’s a pediatric nurse at a free clinic in East Nashville. “I’m so sick of this happening,” she told me. “This feels very close to home. Guns are the number-one cause of death in kids. This is crazy. I vote, and I do things, but it’s just not enough. It’s so easy to get an assault rifle; it’s insane. I feel very vulnerable.”

Her daughter, a fifth grader, was also shaken. “I’m a little bit more nervous to go to school now,” Rhett said. “I’m confused about what might happen next.”

Victoria, 37, a mother there with her own two young children, told me she came “to support the families,” she said, noting that when children are involved, we’re all connected. “Even though they’re not my kids, they’re still our babies.”

Margo Price, an outspoken advocate for gun safety, had earlier posted an emotional plea on Instagram for voters to oust legislators who support permit-less carry, who take millions in contributions from the NRA, and who want to lower the age of gun ownership from 21 to 18. “Let’s help end this nightmare,” she wrote. “Children shouldn’t have to go to school and fear for their lives.”

Singer & songwriter Margo Price and husband Jeremy Ivey attend a candlelight vigil to mourn and honor the lives of the victims, survivors and families of The Covenant School on March 29, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
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The Covenant School children who died (Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs) were all nine years old. The adult victims were the head administrator of the school (Katherine Koonce), a substitute teacher (Cynthia Peak) and the longtime janitor (Mike Hill), whose family members were in attendance, alongside other dignitaries on stage.

The crowd bowed their heads for an opening prayer with pastor Clay Stauffer, whose church—Woodmont Christian—held its own vigils after the shooting at Covenant, its Nashville neighbor in the leafy suburb of Green Hills. “This is a strong city,” Stauffer told the crowd. “Tonight is a time to come together, to mourn, to grieve, to cry, to remind ourselves that we will get through this.”  

In his brief address at the podium, Nashville Mayor John Cooper thanked President Biden for ordering flags lowered to half-mast after the shooting, called off the first names of the victims—an encouragement to remember them as real people, not gloomy statistics—and praised the actions of first responders. He also urged Nashvillians to lean on each other in this time of great trauma. “Just two days ago was our city’s worst day,” he said. “When words can’t carry the weight of what is in our hearts, we must reach out to each other, to help each other carry the load.”

Many others also praised the decisive effectiveness of Nashville’s Metro Police Department, which responded to the 911 call, dispatched officers to Covenant School, entered and applied deadly force to eliminate the threat — all within less than 15 minutes. Their textbook response is credited with preventing even more casualties.

“They’re heroes in our eyes,” said Joe Miller, who was at the vigil with his wife, April. “They saved many lives.”

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A candlelight vigil in Nashville Wednesday night

Movies

If “Murder Mystery” was one wild adventure, the sequel kicks it up a notch for a wilder and more action-packed getaway. And that’s exactly what lead actors Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler were hoping to do with the Netflix sequel “Murder Mystery 2,” which premieres Friday.

Sandler and Aniston return as crime-solving duo Nick and Audrey Spitz, who are now full-time detectives after they solved their first murder mystery four years ago. They’re struggling to get their agency off the ground when they’re invited to celebrate the wedding of their friend the Maharaja (Adeel Akhtar) on his private island.

But when he is kidnapped, Nick and Audrey put their skills to the test and are embroiled in a bigger, bolder whodunit that takes them to Paris.

Directed by Jeremy Garelick, the film also stars Mark Strong, Mélanie Laurent, Jodie Turner-Smith, Enrique Arce, Kuhoo Verma, John Kani and Dany Boon.

Sandler, 56, and Aniston, 54, have solid chemistry and comic timing, but those are not the only reasons their pairing works.

“We have so much fun,” Aniston said in a joint virtual interview.

“Jennifer has a few friends that come on the trip. I have a few friends. We all work together,” Sandler added. “Everybody gets along. So when we hang out it goes late. It’s fun. There are olives involved,” he laughed.

“Always olives. It’s like a travelling circus in the best way,” said Aniston.

They completed each other’s sentences and shared knowing glances before bursting out in laughter. Such is the foundation of a friendship that spans more than 30 years.

The Los Angeles-born Aniston is aware of how special their bond is: “We’re grateful for it and cherish it with all of our hearts. We make each other laugh.”

“She is as funny as it gets,” raved the New York-born Sandler. “Also, we have a lot of good times outside of making movies. And when I’m at Jennifer’s house, I know I’m going to be laughing, I’m going to be eating well. Hanging out with dogs, a lot of nice friends.”

Despite their decades of friendship, this is only the third film they have done together. They previously worked on the hit flick “Just Go With It” in 2011 followed by “Murder Mystery” in 2019.

Sandler, who described Aniston as a “smart cookie,” said he was surprised by the energy the actor brings to every project. “Also, strong thinking and always, always on top of everything.”

Does anything about Sandler surprise her? “Nothing anymore,” Aniston laughed. “It’s all old news … I can’t believe how you bring your dogs everywhere. I think that’s incredible … I started crying when I FaceTimed my dogs.”

For her part, Jodie Turner-Smith was caught off guard by Aniston and Sandler, having worked with them for the first time on this film.

“I was surprised at how down to earth and cool and fun they are. I didn’t necessarily see that coming,” Turner-Smith said. “I think a lot of times when you see actors that have been doing it for a long time, and that have been doing it at a certain level for a long time, there’s a certain level of separation from them and the rest of us. And with those two, it wasn’t like that at all. I mean, they were just so cool, wonderful and amazing. I just felt so welcomed.”

Audiences will see Turner-Smith in a new light as she flexes her comedic muscles in this. She’s known for the crime drama “Queen & Slim,” for playing the lead role in miniseries “Anne Boleyn” and a role in the postapocalyptic series “The Last Ship.”

“Comedy is, in many ways, so much harder than drama just because a lot of it is having an instinct for it that you can’t really teach,” Turner-Smith said. “I wanted to exercise this muscle and then I got to do it.”

The British actor now has “so much more respect” for Aniston and Sandler after seeing them deliver in person.

“Not that I didn’t obviously have tons of respect for them before. I was a huge fan of theirs, so half the time I’m pinching myself that they wanted me to be there and were enjoying me being there. But … I’m just like, ‘Wow, you guys are actually kind of genius and you’re coming up with this stuff’ … and all of it feels so grounded and real and hilarious. It’s not easy to be hilarious..”

Another actor who makes his presence felt is Enrique Arce, known for his role in the Spanish breakout series “Money Heist.” In the film, he plays a womanizer and is the “most outrageous comedic relief in the movie,” he said.

He called the experience “one of the most incredible experiences, if not the most incredible experience as an actor in my life.”

He was overwhelmed by the chance to work with Aniston and Sandler. “I’m just a dude from Valencia, Spain. How did this happen?”

While the film continues to be inspired by Agatha Christie, the whodunnit is infused with more action this time around but maintains the integrity of a murder mystery.

When asked who is better at solving mysteries, Sandler said it’s Aniston.

“I can’t pay attention. But Jennifer’s sharp, she knows what’s going on. She reads things, she knows people, she’s very aware.”

Aniston returned the compliment, telling him, “You’re really good at taking advice in terms of when I tell you about a new thing to try. I always want to keep him healthy for Jackie, for Sadie and Sunny (his wife and daughters), it’s important.”

“She’s always looking out for me,” Sandler said.

“Murder Mystery 2” is on Netflix Friday, March 31.

Marriska Fernandes is a Toronto-based entertainment reporter and film critic. She is a freelance contributor for the Star’s Culture section. Follow her on Twitter: @marrs_fers

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If “Murder Mystery” was one wild adventure,

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The conversation about “nepo babies” has grown tiresome — and not just because “nepo baby” itself is such an unattractive turn of phrase. (Was “nepotism case” too hard to pronounce, somehow?) The general outrage over the idea that children of famous actors find themselves drawn to acting, ginned up by an artfully provocative recent cover story in New York magazine, has tended to elide the simple fact that said children often find themselves acting because they share talents with their parents, who are famous for good reason.

So it is with John Owen Lowe, who seems like a slightly altered carbon copy of his father Rob (of “The West Wing” and “Parks and Recreation,” among others), with the smarm ironed out. Together, they’re headlining “Unstable,” a new Netflix comedy that’s infuriatingly better than it needed to be. Lowes père and fils share executive producer credits with Victor Fresco and Marc Buckland, two creatives with long comedy résumés. And what might have been expected to look like a Lowe family vanity project — Rob Lowe has built a sort of performed vanity into his public persona, after all — has ended up as a sharply written comedy with some genuinely great lines.

Here, Rob Lowe plays Ellis Dragon, a biotech entrepreneur who seems to have the future of humanity tantalizingly just beyond his grasp. Ellis is a genius, but one who is easily distractible; he might just save us all, if he could stay on-task. The latest distraction is a sorrowful one, as he mourns his late wife — John Owen Lowe plays his son Jackson, a career flautist who’s called into duty at the lab in order to bring his father back to attentiveness. Together, they struggle against father-son incompatibilities and the challenge of their own respective types of genius — separately, these two men could do anything, but together, they can’t seem to speak the same language.

There’s real emotion in the performances here, but they’re not just drafting off of the Lowes’ real-life bond, whatever that may be. This was the first time I’d ever seen John Owen Lowe, who previously appeared in a 2017 reality series called “The Lowe Files” with his father and brother; his performance needed to stand or fall on its own terms given my unfamiliarity. It’s a pleasure to report that he is a truly gifted young talent, selling us on the wit and warmth of a character who’s by his nature introverted, a tricky needle to thread. It likely helps his character that he presents as slightly more cerebral than Rob Lowe, and slightly less self-aggrandizing, too. But he’s more similar to Dad than he is different: Like his father, he seems perennially to be bluffing — getting by on the basis of his charm as he stumbles in and out of mishaps — and, also like his father, he makes that perpetual sense of charming his way through life work for him. Meanwhile, Rob Lowe is doing Rob Lowe — presenting a shock-and-awe charisma offensive that’s slightly less compelling than Lowe himself seems to think it is, which is perhaps part of the joke. But his presentation seems slightly less oleagineous, less needy, than it has in other projects.

Perhaps his collaborators are rubbing off on Rob Lowe. His son is refreshingly devoid of vanity — at least inasmuch as he’s successfully putting his all into playing a socially inept nerd. And costars including Sian Clifford — so wonderful as the sister of the protagonist on “Fleabag,” and bringing a similar crispness to her role as Ellis’ CFO, just barely keeping him on track.

“Unstable” is not a perfect workplace sitcom — some of its shaggier touches, like Fred Armisen’s wildly oscillating turn as Ellis’ therapist, feel like the product of a creative environment in which a few notes might have kept things a bit more focused. And yet it’s hard not to be charmed by “Unstable,” which is so, so much better than it needed to be in order to entice the Lowe-curious. Those who tune in just to see a TV star bounce jokes off his real-life son will end up treated to a show with a spirited, frisky sense of humor, the ability to hit a wonderfully high percentage of the many, many densely packed jokes it attempts, and a really lovely lead performance by the junior Lowe. Getting to see the particular and unique skillset of a famous leading man filtered through the generational divide in the person of a new young star, someone both novel and instantly, pleasingly familiar? That’s a delight — and proof positive that, sometimes, the system works.

“Unstable” premieres on Thursday, March 30 on Netflix.

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The conversation about “nepo babies” has grown

MCU

Jonathan Majors‘ lawyer shared new evidence and comments from the Marvel actor’s girlfriend, refuting the assault allegations following his arrest.

The Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania star was taken into police custody and charged with assault on the morning of March 25 in a New York City apartment. 

The actor’s lawyer released a statement shortly after his arrest, remarking that he is “completely innocent and is provably the victim.” However, the investigation is still ongoing. 

Despite this, Majors received plenty of backlash online following news of the assault charge.

Jonathan Majors’ Lawyer Provides New Evidence Proving Innocence

In a statement shared with The Direct, Jonathan Majors’ criminal defense lawyer Priya Chaudhry relayed that the actor “completely denies” the assault allegations against his girlfriend, noting that Majors himself made the 911 call to police out of concern for her mental health:

“Mr. Majors completely denies assaulting the woman. Around 11 a.m. on March 25, 2023, Jonathan Majors called 911 out of concern for the woman’s mental health.”

Chaudry shared that Majors’ arrest was part of an NYPD protocol that required it under “certain circumstances.” 

She also mentioned that Majors’ girlfriend later sent text messages admitting that she used “physical force against” Majors:

“The police arrived with the paramedics, as is standard procedure, and arrested Mr. Majors due to an NYPD protocol requiring arrest in certain circumstances. On that same day, only 7 and 9 hours later, the woman sent text messages to Mr. Majors admitting that she was the one who used physical force against him.”

The attorney continued by saying that Majors’ girlfriend “disavowed any allegations” of wrongdoing on the actor’s part and confirmed the narrative that Majors initially called the police:

“She also disavowed any allegations that he had done anything to her and confirmed that Mr. Majors called 911 because of her mental condition. These are those messages, redacting the woman’s name for her privacy.”

The text message chain from Jonathan Majors’ girlfriend refuting the assault allegations can be found below, with her messages stating that the situation was “[her] fault for trying to grab [his] phone,” which allegedly caused their dispute leading to Majors’ arrest:

Jonathan Majors

This story is developing. Check back for updates!

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DCU

Clayface is rumored to be The Batman – Part II‘s villain, and here is a guide to his origin and powers from the comics. Matt Reeves teased that Joker (Barry Keoghan) could be who Robert Pattinson’s Batman fights next after The Batman, prompting mass speculation about how the Clown Prince of Crime could factor into the sequel. The debate about The Batman 2‘s villain has since taken a different turn. Rumors have started to circulate that Clayface will play a big part in Matt Reeves’ sequel and might even be the movie’s main villain.

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Through all the debates about who is The Batman 2‘s villain, Clayface remained someone from Batman’s Rogues gallery that many wanted to see. Now that word has started to spread that Matt Reeves might have the monstrous creature in mind, those hopes look a lot more likely to come to fruition. This comes as Clayface’s origin and powers could be twisted to quite perfectly make him the next foe for Robert Pattinson’s Batman. While the character has appeared in some DC projects over the years, he’s never been featured in a live-action DC movie. Here’s a rundown about The Batman 2‘s rumored villain Clayface.


Clayface’s Origin In DC Comics

The man known as Basil Karlo is constantly portrayed as an aspiring actor with movie star good looks, even as DC Comics have changed other aspects of his story. The most recent version of Clayface’s origin makes Basil the son of Vincent Karlo, a cosmetic artist for movies who used a putty named Renu to change actors’ appearances and make masks. It is not until Basil is older and becomes disfigured following a car crash after his father dies that he begins using Renu to retain his movie star appearance. However, the putty is toxic to human skin and Basil Karlo’s appearance worsens once he runs out of his supply.

Basil Karlo’s desire to get his looks, career, and life back drives him to steal Renu from the police. This results in him being exposed to the raw chemicals that make Renu, which alters the makeup of Basil’s body. He transforms into a monstrous Clayface form made at this point and begins life as a criminal that frequently terrorizes Gotham. Other versions of Clayface’s origin that The Batman 2 could use include him bonding with a mythical clay from The Penguin and the Golden Age origin where Basil Karlo puts on a mask inspired by one of his older movies and kills people attempting to remake it.

Clayface’s Powers In DC Comics

Clayface’s powers in the comics would make him a formidable villain in The Batman 2 if the rumors are true. He is traditionally portrayed as a giant monster with super strength and the ability to increase the size and mass of his clay form at will. Clayface’s greatest power is the shape-shifting ability that the mud body provides. Basil Karlo can alter his look to the point where he can perfectly replicate the appearance and abilities of any single person.

There are several other Clayface powers that The Batman 2 villain could utilize too. He can frequently change the density of his body, allowing parts to become completely solid for destruction purposes. He can also turn to a liquid form to help him escape tight situations or kill his enemies. Clayface also traditionally has a poisonous touch that can immediately kill someone he touches. He has even shown the ability to absorb other people.

How Clayface Could Fit Into The Batman 2’s Story

Robert Pattinson as Batman standing on a rooftop

There are several different ways that Clayface can fit into The Batman 2‘s story as the film’s main villain or as one of the foes Robert Pattinson’s Batman encounters. Matt Reeves’ DC franchise is quite grounded, so introducing the monstrous Clayface form would be an opportunity for the sequel to go bigger and feature some more fantastical elements. Basil Karlo’s origin could be tied to the mass destruction that occurred through Riddler’s plan, as perhaps the flooding in Gotham in The Batman‘s ending overexposed him to Renu. This allows the sequel to build on events from the first movie and have The Batman 2‘s villain be tied to the past.

Thanks to Clayface’s shape-shifting powers, it is easy to imagine him fitting in perfectly with another detective story for The Batman 2. Whether Reeves utilizes the character’s monstrous form or focuses more on him as a serial killer with a special mask like in the Golden Age comics, the idea of a villain who can constantly change his appearance creates a unique challenge for Bruce Wayne. He had a difficult enough time locating Riddler, so tracking down someone whose appearance keeps changing would further test his skills. It might even bring a layer of paranoia to Bruce in The Batman – Part II as Clayface could pose as any associate.

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Clayface is rumored to be The Batman

Comics

Microsoft has announced April 2023’s Xbox Live Games with Gold titles.

Subscribers will be able to claim co-op strategy game Out of Space: Couch Edition between April 1 and April 30.

Meanwhile, between April 16 and May 15 they’ll be able to claim puzzle adventure Peaky Blinders: Mastermind, based on the BBC TV show.

March’s Xbox Live Games with Gold titles are still available to redeem for a brief time.

1960s era sci-fi mystery game Trüberbrook is still available until March 31, as is World War II strategy game Sudden Strike 4: Complete Collection.

19th century supernatural horror game Lamentum was made available later in March, and is therefore still available to redeem until April 15.

Xbox Games with Gold titles can be redeemed by anyone with an Xbox Live Gold account, or an Xbox Game Pass  account (which includes a Gold subscription).

Once a game is redeemed, players can continue to play it for as long as they like – even once it’s removed from Games with Gold – as long as they remain subscribed.

Xbox Games with Gold stopped including Xbox 360 titles in October 2022.

“We have reached the limit of our ability to bring new games to the catalog from the past due to licensing and technical constraints,” Microsoft explained.

Xbox has still to confirm which titles will be available on Xbox Game Pass in April, though it is known that Ghostwire: Tokyo will be one of them.

The most recent additions to the susbcription service were MLB The Show 23, which arrived on March 28, and Infinite Guitars, which is added today.