Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at United Nations headquarters July 18, 2022 in New York CIty.Seth Wenig/AP/Shutterstock
A special place. Prince Harrydiscussed his love for wife Meghan Markle and late mother Princess Diana as a way to show his connection to Africa in his keynote speech at the United Nations on Monday, July 18.
“Since I first visited Africa at 13 years old, I’ve always found hope on the continent. In fact, for most of my life, it has been my lifeline, a place where I have found peace and healing time and time again,” the Duke of Sussex, 37, explained during his appearance at the U.N. General Assembly Hall in New York. “It’s where I’ve felt closest to my mother and sought solace after she died, and where I knew I had found a soulmate in my wife. And it’s why so much of my work is based there.”
Prince Harry addresses the U.N. General Assembly during its annual celebration of Nelson Mandela International Day at United Nations headquarters July 18, 2022 in New York CIty.Seth Wenig/AP/Shutterstock
In honor of Nelson Mandela International Day, Harry addressed various worldwide issues — with a specific focus on the continent of Africa.
“As happens so often in history, the consequences of some of the most powerful people in some of the wealthiest countries are being felt even more deeply across the continent of Africa,” the U.K. native, who arrived with Meghan, 40, at the event, said. “The pandemic, the war and inflation have left Africa marred in a food and fuel crisis, the likes of which we have not seen in decades. Worse still, this comes at a time when the Horn of Africa is enduring one of the longest droughts it’s faced in close to half a century.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at a business reception at the British High Commissioner’s Residence October 2, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa.Shutterstock
“Today, we’re reflecting on what would have been my mother’s 61st birthday. And this year is also 25 years since her passing,” he said during a virtual appearance on July 1. “There isn’t a day during the past two and half decades where I haven’t thought about the mark she left not only on me and my brother [Prince William], but on all of our lives.”
He added: “My mother instilled in me, and in all of us, a drive to speak up and fight for a better world. And now, as a husband and a parent, my mother’s voice is even stronger in my life.”
Listen to the Royally Us podcast for everything you want to know about our favorite family across the pond.
“Deepa & Anoop” — a new colorful, animated preschool series from Mattel, Inc. — will premiere on Netflix on Aug. 16, TheWrap can exclusively reveal. The show’s accompanying trailer, which TheWrap has the first look at, depicts the adorable adventures of 7-year-old Deepa and her best friend Anoop, a color-changing baby elephant.
The music-driven series — which includes a Bollywood number in each episode — marks Mattel’s first foray into animated shows based on original IP.
Here’s a logline for the series: “The dynamic duo, self-appointed ‘concierges of fun,’ makes everything bigger, grander and more wonderful for guests at Mango Manor, the bed and breakfast run by Deepa’s multigenerational family.”
Promising kids episodes chock-full of “music, merriment and mischief,” the trailer depicts the inevitable mess that results when Deepa attempts to make the “gooiest concoction the world has ever seen.”
Created by Munjal Shroff (“Shortcut Safari”), “Dragon Tales” writer Lisa Goldman and producer Heather Kenyon (“Doki Adventures”), the series has a strong focus on authentically portraying Deepa’s Indian heritage, featuring song and dance performances with Bollywood influences. The main voice cast includes Pavan Bharaj (“Deepa”), Veena Sood (“Naani-ji”) and Ana Sani as Mama.
The debut season of “Deepa & Anoop” features 11 half-hour episodes and two 22-minute specials. Executive producers are Mattel Television’s Fred Soulie and Christopher Keenan.
“While Mattel is well-known for developing entertainment content based on our fan-favorite brands, we’re excited to partner with Netflix to bring audiences a heartwarming, all-new series based on original IP,” Soulie, who serves as senior vice president and general manager at Mattel Television, said in a statement. “Later this summer, fans will be delighted as Deepa and her best friend Anoop take on exciting challenges and lead colorful musical numbers that illustrate the importance of friendship. Deepa & Anoop is sure to make an impact on audiences globally.”
Keenan, who is SVP of Creative at Mattel Television, added, “We have been lucky to work alongside best-in-class advisors and consultants during every stage of ‘Deepa & Anoop’s’ development. Our hope is that young audiences around the world will find this heartwarming series as authentic as they do relatable. We could not be more proud or excited that ‘Deepa & Anoop’ is Mattel’s first original series based on all-new IP.”
Casey Bloys has signed to stay with HBO and HBO Max as chief content officer for another five years, TheWrap has confirmed.
The deal – which was reportedly a priority for Warner Bros. Discovery C.E.O. David Zaslav – closed in the midst of Bloys celebrating the company’s record 140 Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
Angelina Jolie was flawless casting for Maleficent, TBH.
Using AI technology, we turned all your favorite Disney villains from animations to real life human beings (well…kind of). We used Artbreeder to combine preexisting faces that resemble the characters, then added specific traits to get them as accurate as possible. Here’s what they look like:
And here’s what AI Cruella de Vil looks like alongside Cruella de Vil from the live-action 101 Dalmatians as played by Glenn Close and in Cruella as played by Emma Stone:
Here’s Dr. Facilier as seen in The Princess and the Frog:
Walt Disney Co. / Courtesy Everett Collection
Here’s what he’d look like IRL, using AI:
And here’s the two of them side-by-side:
Walt Disney Co. / Courtesy Everett Collection / Angelica Martinez / Via artbreeder.com
13.
And finally, here’s the Queen of Hearts as seen in Alice in Wonderland:
Walt Disney / courtesy Everett Collection
Here’s what she’d look like IRL, using AI:
Here’s the two of them side-by-side:
Walt Disney / courtesy Everett Collection / Angelica Martinez / Via artbreeder.com
And here’s what the AI Queen of Hearts looks like alongside the Queen of Hearts from the live-action Alice in Wonderland as played by Helena Bonham Carter:
Walt Disney Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection / Angelica Martinez / Via artbreeder.com
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Sylvester Stallone was the writer and star of the hit 1976 film Rocky and its 5 sequels, but he doesn’t own any of the rights to his creation. The action star is calling for producer Irwin Winkler to give him “what’s left of [his] rights back,” a “painful subject” Stallone says “eats at my soul.”
“After IRWIN controlling ROCKY for over 47 years, and now CREED, I really would like have at least a little WHAT’s LEFT of my RIGHTS back, before passing it on to ONLY YOUR CHILDREN – I believe That would be a FAIR gesture from this 93 year old gentleman,” Stallone captioned a “very flattering” drawing via Instagram on Sunday of Winkler with a blade protruding from his mouth and a body that resembles a snake.
He continued, “This is a painful subject That eats at my soul , because I wanted to leave something of Rocky for my children, but it’s always great hearing from the loyal fans… Keep Punching.”
The rights to the Rocky franchise have long been a point of contention for Stallone, who was paid approximately $75k (for the screenplay and his acting fees) plus 10 net points which earned him at least $2.5 million for the first film, according to his calculation shared with Variety.
He told the outlet he didn’t push the issue of ownership rights at the time because “there was a certain code of business conduct, maybe not as much now, but back then, that you don’t ruffle the feathers of the golden goose.”
He has broached the topic in the past but was told he was paid fairly.
The Rocky franchise expanded with 2015’s Creed and its sequel two years later. A third installment is set to be released on November 23, the first Rocky project that Stallone will not appear in. He will serve as a producer, however. Irwin also owns the rights to Creed as it’s an extension of the Rocky universe.
For the fourth week in a row, Stranger Things took the No. 1 spot as the most streamed program, according to the Nielsen Streaming Top 10 report for the week of June 13.
The Netflix series pulled in 2.9 billion viewing minutes, down from 4.2 billion viewing minutes from the previous week. Peaky Blinders was in second with 904 million viewing minutes, pulling in a more mature audience of 50-64 year-olds, and the crime procedural NCIS was third with 817 million viewing minutes. NCIS was also No.1 on the Top 10 Streaming Acquired Programs list.
The Boys came in at No. 4 with 795 million viewing minutes with an audience that was 61 percent male, and the sports drama series All American was streamed for 767 million viewing minutes.
Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi moved up the charts to the No. 7 spot, pulling in 733 million viewing minutes.
HBO Max had four titles that made the Top 10 list. Friends and The Big Bang Theory took the fifth and ninth spots on the Top 10 Streaming Acquired Programs list, while Father of The Bride and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore took the sixth and tenth spots on the Top 10 Streaming Movies list.
Once again, Hustle was the most streamed movie with 737 million viewing minutes, followed by Spiderhead with 484 million. The animated children’s film Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness came in third with 348 million viewing minutes.
An HBO Max original comedy debuts later this week.
Starting Thursday, July 24, HBO Max subscribers can follow a group of aspiring female rappers trying to make it to the top. Rap Sh!t stars Aida Osman, real-life artist KaMillion, Jonica Booth, Devon Terrell, and RJ Cyler. It is executive produced by Issa Rae and Montrel McKay (A Black Lady Sketch Show, Road Trippp) for Hoorae, as well as Jonathan Berry (Insecure) and Dave Becky (Master of None, Russian Dolls) for 3 Arts Entertainment, along with showrunner Syreeta Singleton, with Rae also writing the pilot.
“The comedy follows two estranged high school friends from Miami, Shawna and Mia, who reunite to form a rap group,” reads the logline. “Join Shawna and Mia as they try to make it in the rap scene all while staying true to themselves.”
Hip hop duo Yung Miami and JT of City Girls serve as co-executive producers, along with Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas for Quality Control Films and Sara Rastogi for Hoorae. Rae’s audio content company Raedio will handle music supervision for the series. Check out the Rap Sh!t trailer here.
Additionally, the sophomore season of Walker will air on HBO Max starting Saturday, July 23. The series is the official rebook of the nineties well-known Walker, Texas Ranger series featuring Chuck Norris. Walker stars Jared Padalecki, Lindsey Morgan, Molly Hagan, Keegan Allen, Violet Brinson, Kale Culley, Coby Bell, Jeff Pierre, Mitch Pileggi, as well as Odette Annable, and Ashley Reyes
What’s Coming to HBO Max | July 18-24
What to Watch on HBO Max on July 19
We Baby Bears, Season 1D Premiere
What to Watch on HBO Max on July 21
Almost Fly, Max Original Season 1 Premiere
Pacto Brutal – O Assassinato de Daniella Perex, Max Original Documentary Series
Rap Sh!t, Max Original Season 1 Premiere
The Last Movie Stars, Max Original 6-Part Documentary Premiere
“Being Australian, you’re outsiders, aliens, so you’ve got to band together,” Byrne shared. “Heath was a real champion of that.”
Rose Byrne is reflecting on late Heath Ledger’s lasting legacy, especially for fellow Australian actors.
Byrne, who co-starred with Ledger in 1999’s “Two Hands,” told The Independent that Ledger was “instrumental” in jumpstarting her career stateside.
“It was a whole mix of us: actors who got work, actors who didn’t,” Byrne said. “Being Australian, you’re outsiders, aliens, so you’ve got to band together. Heath was a real champion of that. He left early and started to get work here. He was so instrumental in helping me and a lot of people get work, and get into rooms.”
Byrne likened her coming up in Hollywood to an adventure with friends: “Just all of us driving to Joshua Tree, or staying at Heath’s [house] in Los Feliz,” Byrne explained. “We were all in our late teens or early twenties, and there was such fervor to it all.”
Ledger died at age 28 in 2008.
Looking back on her own acting choices and style, Byrne opened up about her ability to “vanish into parts” and also not quite land the “instant gratification” that Hollywood craves onscreen.
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“I definitely don’t fall into that category. I probably fall into the category of character actress, which is not [me] trying to humble-brag or anything, it’s just a hard business to place yourself in,” Byrne said. “I definitely was not a confident 20-year-old or even a confident 28-year-old, you know? It’s taken me a long time to feel more in my skin. It’s dull of me to say, but I do always feel grateful to have consistently been a working actress. It’s not easy. It’s a tough business, and people tend to fall in traps or rely on other things to get [them] through it.”
She added, “I’ve done my fair share of parts that didn’t have agency, that weren’t that interesting,” before noting that 2014 comedy “Bad Neighbors” was a turning point for her career.
“Our early conversations once I got the part were about how I’m just not interested in playing a nagging wife,” Byrne explained. “That’s about as interesting as a piece of toast. So it was always about making the two of them just as destructive and irresponsible as one another.”
And now leading series “Physical,” Byrne sidestepped any notion of Method acting or personal anecdotes relating to character. “I’m not particularly interested in dredging up my own personal experiences,” Byrne said. “If the script is good, then it’s all there.”
Byrne isn’t the only one remembering Ledger as of late: The posthumous Oscar winner was applauded by former “Brokeback Mountain” co-star Jake Gyllenhaal earlier this year for shutting down homophobic quips about the neo-Western love story.
“There were many jokes being made about the movie, or poking fun at, things like that. And [Ledger’s] consummate devotion to how serious and important the relationship between these two characters was — it showed me how devoted he was as an actor and how devoted we both were to the story and the movie,” Gyllenhaal stated. “We were poking fun at each other before we go on, and then the profound realization of — the profundity of this thing washed over us. It happens constantly to this day, and I can’t really express how proud I am of it.”
Decades ago, the world’s heart broke when Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez called off their engagement. Or maybe you didn’t have an opinion back then, that’s fine. But when the pair got back together post-divorces, post-kids, post-phoenix tattoo, the question lingered: would they make it down the aisle this time?
It’s unclear if an actual aisle was involved, but the pair have officially obtained a marriage license in Las Vegas, according to E! News. In the court filing, which TMZ reports was processed on July 16, Jennifer Lopez asks for her name to be legally changed to “Jennifer Affleck.” A marriage certificate has not been filed yet and Bennifer has yet to comment on the news.
“It was super, super small,” a source told People of the ceremony. “[Jennifer’s] mom and kids were there. They just wanted to be married so they got married.”
The pair got engaged (again) in April 2022. After Lopez was spotted wearing a ring on that finger, the singer teased a “major announcement” on Twitter. “So I have a really exciting story to share. So if you’re not part of my inner circle, you have to go to onthejlo.com to hear this one,” she said in a video on April 8. “I don’t know if you guys know what that is, but it is my inner circle where I share my more personal things and this one’s definitely on the JLo.” On April 8, those subscribed to OntheJLo.com were treated to a video of the singer tearfully admiring a large green engagement ring. A rep for Lopez confirmed to People that the couple did, indeed, get engaged.
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In February 2022, Lopez opened up about what was different in her renewed relationship. Speaking to Rolling Stone, the Marry Me star said that she doesn’t see a breakup in her future with Affleck, despite their past. “I don’t think we would have got back together if we thought that was where it was headed,” she said. “We feel like what we found again is so much more important, and how we protect that and how we live our lives—what to share, what not to share—is the balance that we have now, the benefit of experience and the wisdom that we gained over the years.”
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LONDON — Britain was bracing Sunday for what could be its hottest day ever recorded. Many schools in England planned to close, hospitals were canceling nonessential procedures and retirement homes were making preparations to keep their vulnerable residents safe.
Britain has declared a national emergency and issued its first-ever “red” warning for exceptional heat, meaning there is a potential risk to life with temperatures that could soar to 41 degrees Celsius (about 106 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday and Tuesday. That would be the highest temperature ever recorded in Britain. The current record is 101.6 degrees, set in 2019, according to the Met Office, Britain’s national weather service.
Blistering temperatures are becoming more common not just in Britain, but across the world, and climate scientists have little doubt that the burning of fossil fuels is a significant driver of that change.
To make matters worse, most buildings in Britain are designed to retain heat, because cold temperatures have, in the past, been a bigger concern. Also, few homes have air-conditioning, making people particularly vulnerable when temperatures soar.
“We’re asking people to keep an eye out for their neighbors and those who may be vulnerable,” Britain’s health secretary, Steve Barclay, said on Saturday, adding that extra measures had been added for ambulance services, including additional working hours.
The government held an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss preparations for the heat, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is stepping down, reportedly did not attend, opting instead to hold a farewell party, according to local news media reports.
Transportation services will also be affected on Monday and Tuesday, with Transport for London, the city’s transit authority, advising people to make only essential trips.
Schools have not been told to close, though some will. Parents’ reactions were mixed.
“Some of the windows don’t open, there’s no fans, no air-conditioning,” said Guy Arnel, 44, of Ascot, a town west of London, whose 18-year-old daughter’s school opted to offer classes remotely early in the week. “It is probably better off not being in a heat box like that.”
Some parents planned to have their children stay home, even if schools were open.
“We’ll be keeping our children at home so that I can monitor what they eat, what they drink and how they are in themselves,” said Zoe, 46, who has 8-year-old twins, one of whom has autism and reduced kidney function, rendering him particularly vulnerable to the heat.
“In this situation, I’m very happy to play the ‘mother knows best’ card,” said Zoe, who lives in Cheshire in northwest England and asked to be identified by her first name over privacy concerns.
Some hospitals said they would cancel nonemergency operations, citing the risk to both patients and staff members.
“We have taken the decision to stand down routine outpatient appointments and surgery on Monday and Tuesday because many of the patients traveling to these appointments are frail and at increased risk, and due to the unpredictable nature of very high temperatures on demand for emergency care,” Joe Harrison, chief executive of Milton Keynes University Hospital, said on Twitter.
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities were also preparing for the weather.
At Forrester Court Care Home in London, which provides care to vulnerable patients, including those with dementia, the unit’s team leader, Jessie Lau, said staff members were making sure to keep residents hydrated and were also handing out ice cream. Like most buildings in Britain, the home lacks air-conditioning, and Mrs. Lau said the staff had asked for extra fans to offset the heat.
James Clear, the hotel services manager at Care UK, which operates more than 150 care homes across Britain, including Forrester Court, emphasized the broad effort to keep patients hydrated, saying in a statement, “From a maintenance person sitting down with a resident for a midmorning cuppa to a carer encouraging people to have a piece of fruit as a snack, every interaction helps.”
Retailers have been reporting unusual demand for fans and air-conditioning units — items traditionally thought of as unnecessary because of the country’s normally mild climate.
“As the U.K. heat wave continues, the nation is going to lengthy measures to keep cool from the rising temperatures, splashing out on all sorts of products in the last few weeks, including fans,” said Lara Brittain, an appliances expert at Currys, the largest electronics retailer in Britain.
Ms. Brittain said Currys had seen a 300 percent increase in the sale of fans in the past three days compared with the previous week.
A spokeswoman for John Lewis, one of Britain’s largest department stores, said that sales of fans were up more than 250 percent in the past week compared with last year and that air-conditioner sales were up more than 525 percent over last year.
Some people seemed more set on enjoying, rather than enduring, the heat.
A spokesman for B & Q, the largest D.I.Y. retailer in Britain, said that hot tub sales had nearly tripled in the past week compared with normal levels and that sales of charcoal for grilling had nearly doubled.
Britain’s RAC, which provides roadside assistance and other automotive services, said it was expecting a major surge in breakdowns as cars overheat and echoed the government’s calls to avoid unnecessary travel.
Travel by train was being discouraged, too. Network Rail, which operates most of Britain’s railway network, has advised people not to use trains because of the risks of heat buckling the tracks and track-side fires.
Many people said they were planning to stay close to home.
“I’m 100 percent working from home this Monday because of the heat,” said Bertie Maher, 25, who works for an e-commerce company in London. “I can have a cold shower during the day and can catch a bit of sun for 20 minutes during my lunch break.”
Veteran security exec Roland Cloutier is stepping down after two and half years as TikTok’s global chief security officer. According to TikTok, the change is part of a restructuring in how the app provider, owned by China’s ByteDance, manages data of U.S.-based users — amid heightened scrutiny from some U.S. lawmakers.
“Part of our evolving approach has been to minimize concerns about the security of user data in the U.S., including the creation of a new department to manage U.S. user data for TikTok,” TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and ByteDance VP of technology Dingkun Hong wrote in a memo to employees Friday, which TikTok shared publicly.
The decision to establish a dedicated U.S. security team “changes the scope” of the global chief security officer role, according to Chew and Hong. “With this in mind, Roland has decided to step back from his day-to-day operations as Global CSO, effective September 2nd.”
Two weeks ago, nine Republican senators revived concerns about TikTok’s China ties, sending Chew a letter demanding answers to allay fears that data on U.S. TikTok users could be accessed by the Chinese government.
In response, Chew reiterated TikTok’s recent claim that “100% of U.S. user traffic” is now being routed to Oracle’s cloud infrastructure in the country and that TikTok eventually plans to delete all American user data from its Singapore data centers. Under the revamped security plan, Chew said, TikTok will provide China-based employees “very limited” access to U.S. user data — which will not include private user information — “and it will only occur pursuant to protocols being developed with the U.S. Government.” In addition, TikTok continues to maintain that it has never shared data with the Chinese Communist Party, and that the Chinese government has not made any such requests.
After Cloutier steps down as global CSO, he will take on the role of strategic adviser to the company, continuing to work with senior leadership, according to TikTok. Kim Albarella, formerly TikTok’s head of global security risk, will serve as interim head of the global security organization. “We are confident in Kim’s deep understanding of security issues, combined with her more than 20 years of leadership and communications experience, and we are grateful to her for taking on this role,” Chew and Hong wrote.
Cloutier, in his own memo to TikTok staff, reiterated the message conveyed by Chew and Hong. “With our recent announcement about data management changes in the U.S., it’s time for me to transition from my role as Global Chief Security Officer into a strategic advisory role focusing on the business impact of security and trust programs,” he wrote.
Prior to joining TikTok in 2020, Cloutier spent about 10 years at ADP, and before that served as chief security officer at data-storage vendor EMC (now owned by Dell). In addition, he has more than a decade of experience serving the U.S. Air Force, Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans Affairs. Cloutier also is the author of business book “Becoming a Global Chief Security Executive Officer,” published in 2015.
EXCLUSIVE: Harder Than You Think, the company behind the Emmy-winning documentary Rising Phoenix, has secured exclusive rights to tell the story of the Paralympics through 2028.
The deal between UK-based HTYT and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), gives exclusive access to the upcoming Paris Summer 2024, Milan-Cortina Winter 2026 and Los Angeles Summer 2028 Paralympics.
Under the agreement, HTYT will have access to the IPC story and their archive. The accord covers global AVOD, SVOD and TVOD rights.
“It is an honor to be asked to tell the story of the Paralympics. We are extremely proud of what we have achieved to date with Rising Phoenix,” said HTYT founder and president Greg Nugent.
“The rights extension now gives us an extraordinary opportunity to think about the story all the way to LA, which we all hope will be a transformative Games for not just the sport but also global attitudes to disability.”
Nugent created HTYT in 2018 as an IP-led company with a mission to create content around big global issues. The 2020 documentary Rising Phoenix, following the stories of nine Paralympians, was its most high-profile productions to date.
The film debuted in 190 countries on Netflix in August 2020 and won Sports Emmy Awards in 2021 for Outstanding Long Sports Documentary and Outstanding Music Direction the following year.
The company has followed up the feature-length film with a three-part docu-series Rising Phoenix: Tokyo, for which Deadline can reveal the first trailer (watch it above). HTYT is currently in talks with global distributors for its release.
The news series follows the experiences of 12 Paralympians from 11 countries as they prepared to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, which was delayed until 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The production is co-directed by Mat Whitecross and Bim Ajadi, the pioneering deaf UK filmmaker who has made a number of groundbreaking works. John Battsek produces it at Ventureland and Jack Thorne executive produces. Around 25% of those who worked on the production identify as disabled.
“Our intention was to follow a dozen athletes from around the world on their road to the 2020 Tokyo Games. We soon realised it would be impossible for us or Paralympians to travel – and when the Games themselves were delayed by a year, it seemed the project was dead in the water,” said Whitecross
“We had made contact with para-athletes worldwide from as far afield as Iraq, Norway, Canada, Namibia – all with unique and remarkable stories,” he continued. “Over the course of the next year and a half, we followed these formidable athletes through all the highs and lows and all the way to Tokyo.”
The Paralympics has seen its cumulative audience more than double in the last decade, with the IPC projecting a cumulative five billion-strong global audience for the 2028 Los Angeles tournament.
The extension of the rights partnership with HTYT stems from IPC’s desire to reach an even larger global audience.
“I said at the time of the release of the Rising Phoenix movie that it would be a game changer for the Paralympic movement and that has certainly proved to be the case. Rising Phoenix is growing the Paralympics, bringing in new audiences and in doing so changing minds and attitudes,” said IPC President Andrew Parsons.
In honor of Ferrell’s 55th birthday, Reynolds took to TikTok on Saturday to post a video paying tribute to a pivotal scene from the Saturday Night Live alum’s popular 2008 comedy, Step Brothers. Toward the end of the Adam McKay-directed film, Ferrell’s character, Brennan, hits the stage at the Catalina Wine Mixer with stepbrother Dale (John C. Reilly) to perform a rendition of “Por Ti Volaré,” a song initially popularized by Andrea Bocelli.
Reynolds is seen smiling in the video while the song plays in the background. Unlike in the film, where Ferrell sings the Spanish-language lyrics, Reynolds remains silent and appears confused about when to start singing.
At the bottom of the Free Guy actor’s post is the message, “Happy Birthday, Will Ferrell!!!”
The two stars are set to appear together in the upcoming Apple TV+ film Spirited, a musical retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
In November, Reynolds was scheduled to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on the same night that Will Ferrell was the announced guest on The Tonight Show. Instead, the two stars switched places, with Jimmy Kimmel asking Ferrell the questions he had supposedly planned to use for Reynolds, while Jimmy Fallon did the same bit with Reynolds.
Cinderella Director: Kay Cannon Cast: Camila Cabello, Idina Menzel, Billy Porter, Minnie Driver, Pierce Brosnan, Nicholas Galitzine
It is quite a task to infuse novelty in a story that has been retold so many times that the audience is tired of hearing it. Fairytales are increasingly losing relevance in our lives – probably the reason why writer-director Kay Cannon takes a more contemporary approach to tell her Cinderella story. Her princess is a woman with a voice, and a pretty musical one at that. Singer Camila Cabello stars as Ella in her debut film, in the usual setting of leading a life dictated by her stepmother. But she is not giving up hopes to make something of her life. She wants to own a dress-making shop.
Fairy tales have often been criticised for their problematic messaging about gender. Kay Cannon attempts to dispel those gender stereotypes to present a rather simplistic account of women trying to find their place in a man’s world. It’s a good attempt, but not a great one.
The narrative’s emotional fabric is flimsier than the tulle in Ella’s gowns. Her scenes with the prince (Nicholas Galitzine) feel as ill-fitted as a glass slipper. The essence of the fairytale romance is completely replaced by focus on establishing her as a girl chasing her dreams. It is possible for a girl boss to also swoon at the sight of a handsome man. A woman shouldn’t have to choose between the two, and Cinderella does get to keep both in the end, but they land in her lap too easily. The pieces fall in place magically, not logically. Maybe that’s why this is still a fairytale.
Her stepmother (Idina Menzel) isn’t too evil, and has her own sad story of being a victim of circumstances. One moment she is almost sympathizing with Cinderella, and in the next, she is forcing him to marry a creep. The switch is too sudden.
The main takeaway is the talented bunch of actors singing some enjoyable songs, which keep you hooked even if you are not a fan of musicals. Camila’s One in a Million, Idina’s rendition of Madonna’s Material Girl and a version of Nico and Vinz’s hit Am I Wrong are the high points in the movie. Jessica Weiss’ musical compositions make all the song-and-dance sequences enjoyable. Pierce Brosnan as the conceited king is another surprise.
While the issues presented are modern-day, the setting is not. What would be the period of the setting? It’s unclear. You have a kingdom and monarchy, probably to justify why women owning a business is an improbability, but the film can feel dated to women who have already come out of the basement and found their place in the world. Princess Gwen’s character is infused with a lot of potential, but doesn’t show an arc of development to justify her achievement at the end. You want to cheer for the women, but you’re left wondering exactly why you should. The weak plot and one-dimensional characters lead to a rather unsatisfactory narrative.
Cannon’s attempt at giving a ‘women empowerment’ spin to this yarn is good is not supported by an equally strong script and characters. The issues could seem oversimplifications to modern women whose lives are way more complicated, who have come a long way from just ‘getting loud’ in a man’s world, and do not have a Fab G (Billy Porter) to magically dispel their problems.
As the title character of “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” Lesley Manville charms nearly everyone she encounters: homeless men on the streets of Paris, the heads of the Dior fashion house (including Christian Dior himself), models, dressmakers and racehorse track operators. Even the more snobbish people she encounters eventually find themselves taken in by Ada, a kindhearted but tough English cleaning lady who — following the devastating news that her missing-in-action husband has been declared dead by the British army — makes it her life’s mission to acquire a Dior dress and live out her dreams of glamour.
For people who know Manville best from her Oscar-nominated work on 2017’s “Phantom Thread,” where she played cynical and tough-minded fashion house manager Cyril, seeing Manville as the outsider in the world of high fashion may initially feel like a bit of an in-joke. But Manville makes it easy to forget all her past roles with the film, bringing a lovely sense of dignity and longing to Ada’s seemingly frivolous pursuit of a dress that gives the frothy film some grounding. For the veteran actor, the film is the start for a busy few months with many projects ahead — not the least of which including Netflix’s blockbuster series “The Crown,” which will have her replace Helena Bonham Carter in the role of Princess Margaret.
Over a cup of coffee, Manville spoke to Variety ahead of the film’s theatrical release on July 15 about what drew her to the part of Mrs. Harris and filming in Budapest, and teased a bit about what fans of “The Crown” can expect of her personal Princess Margaret.
Were you a fan of the original “Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris” book before you were cast?
No, I didn’t know the book, actually. I got involved with the project through a phone call from my dear friend, Rima Horton, who is Alan Rickman’s widow. Alan and Rima have been friends of mine for many, many, many decades. Alan had read the script and was very interested in it. And so was Rima, and I thought, “if those two like it, it’s got to be good.” A lot of my career, there were several phone calls to Alan along the way. We’d worked together a few times, and I would always run things past him. He gave very good advice on things. So the fact that he liked it was a good starting point. And Rima, she had a small hand in it, she was going to be executive producing. And she said, “Look, they’re very interested in you. So I think it’s going to come your way.” And it did. So I read it, and then I read the novel. And I was in, basically.
What was it about the part that drew you in?
It was a very nice contrasting character to play with some of the characters I’ve been playing who were, let’s just say in a kind of blanket way, not as nice as Ada. And I thought it’d be very good for me to be seen doing something that’s a little lighter. And that puts me at the forefront of what is hopefully going to be a major film. All of those reasons, you kind of weigh up the creative potential of a part and what the package looks like. I’m not wishing to sound crude, but the package is an important part of it: the script, the director, who’s going to be on board, who’s going to be distributing it. All of those things are important. So it all kind of came together, and was a job that I really wanted to do.
It’s funny you say the character is different from your previous roles. Before this film, you were in “Phantom Thread,” which is also a film about high fashion, and your character in that is the head of a fashion house. Here, you’re the outsider.
That is my career reason for living, really, I don’t want to just keep repeating the same type of roles. It keeps me happy. I have a range, I like to flex that muscle. And of course, if you’re playing Cyril, who’s kind of the Isabel Huppert character of “Phantom Thread,” Ada is incredibly different on all sorts of levels. It was a bit of a no brainer, really.
For the film to work, the characters need to be charmed by Ada. What is it about her that makes the people she encounters drawn to her?
She’s very open and she doesn’t self-edit, depending on the company that she’s in. She goes to the House of Dior in Paris, and she’s still Ada Harris. That’s what charms everybody, that she’s not pretending to be something that she isn’t. She’s not like all those other women at the fashion show who are unemotional and rigid and analytical about the clothes that they’re looking at. She’s very open and candid.
The film begins with her finally confirming her husband’s death after years of it being in question. How do you think that change affected her mindset, because it’s after that she really latches on to wanting a Dior dress?
I mean, I think she sort of knows, he’s been lost in action for seven years. But it’s never been confirmed. But I’m sure having that definitive news is a very different set of emotions. And you’re right, that is the point in which she feels that she’s free to do as she wants, but it coincides with her seeing this dress that the not very pleasant woman she works for owns. And I think she just starts to think, “Well, all that separates me from that dress is 500 pounds.” And that’s when the film becomes really, really lovely, because she gets the money and she goes to Paris. But I don’t think she would have done that in case Eddie came back at any point. And now that she knows that he isn’t coming back for certain, she’s admirably moving forward with her life. And that’s what’s lovely about her.
What was it like getting into wardrobe for this film? Those dresses are gorgeous.
The Dior gowns are copies of the originals so everything’s accurate. That’s just lovely because those clothes make you feel something. I love clothes myself, I can’t deny that I love putting on a nice frock and they were really beautiful, beautiful dresses. But the costume designer Jenny [Beavan] was brilliant in getting Ada’s look as Ada the cleaner look. The little touches of her embellishing her own clothes, embellishing her hat with little flowers and things. It was very true of that time because you’d come out of the war and fashion was not available in the same degree that it had been and it was expensive and fabric wasn’t available. It wasn’t just food that was rationed, everything was rationed. So Ada makes her own daytime clothes as cheerful as she possibly can. And Jenny was brilliant with all of those little touches here and there that helped me get Ada on the go.
If I understand correctly, you shot this film in Budapest, not Paris. What was that experience like?
We did have one day in Paris, that scene when Natasha [Alba Baptista] drives Ada around in her little red sports car. And that really was Paris because we needed the Eiffel Tower and all of that. It was very tricky to shoot that without seeing the 21st century underneath. But they shot it very cleverly at an angle so that you saw our faces and up and then did a bit of CGI. So yeah, we did most of it in Budapest apart for a couple of days in London. Budapest is a beautiful city. And it really does look like old Paris. Architecturally, they’re very similar. We were in the middle of COVID, and it was difficult, we couldn’t go out as much as we wanted to. But I had a lovely apartment to live in and I would get people around and we tested all the time, so we were in a little bit of a bubble. Apart from the challenges of COVID, it was a glorious time.
In the film, there are two or three mentions of Princess Margaret, who you’re portraying in “The Crown.” I know she had an existing relationship with Dior. I’m assuming those mentions were just coincidences?
Oh God, yes. You wouldn’t put that in for an in-joke. It was already there before I was going to play Princess Margaret. Ada refers to her once when she’s having her costume fitting. I think she says something like, “What I like about her, she’s a little bit naughty.” It has become obviously a little bit of a nod, nod, wink wink moment, because “There you go, I’m playing her.” So yeah, it’s nice. But I think people would think we’ve put it in deliberately, which of course we haven’t, you wouldn’t do things like that.
On the subject of Princess Margaret, did you speak to Helena Bonham Carter or Vanessa Kirby for your performance? Or anyone who knew Margaret in her real life?
No, I haven’t. I mean, obviously, I’ve watched Vanessa and Helena play the roles. And what a fantastic baton to be passed on from the two of them, because they were just wonderful. I knew I was going to do it for a good couple of years before we started, so I just read all the books and let it kind of sink in. But you know, at the end of the day, it’s a drama and it’s a script, and it’s not a documentary. You work with the script material that you have. And you just love what Vanessa and Helena did. Who didn’t? And who wouldn’t mind playing her at a very different time of her life? It’s a quieter life she’s having when I’m playing her, because I’m playing her in the last 15 years of her life. It took a different turn. But of course, everything that those two actresses did, I filtered in. They showed that wonderful, wild, gorgeous, chaotic, naughty side of her so beautifully. And I just absorbed all of that and I’m playing a woman who has been that person and is now contemplating a different phase of her life.
You have a ton of projects coming out in the near future. There’s this film, there’s “The Crown,” there’s the “Dangerous Liaisons” show, a few other things. What was it like shooting all of this back to back to back?
I hear what you’re saying. But the truth is, I’m just a bit more in the public eye now. I have always worked pretty constantly, really. But now I do junkets like this. Post “Phantom Thread,” I’m doing things at a slightly different level. And my responsibility is to do a lot more press and publicize the things I’m in. That’s just a kind of shift in that area. But I’m not doing any more work than I’ve ever done, really. It’s being shouted about a bit more, because I’m a bit more well known now.
There are three other “Mrs. Harris” novels. Are there any plans to do a sequel? Is that something you want to do?
Yeah, I think they would like to do to do some more of the books. I mean, “Mrs. Harris Goes to New York,” “Mrs. Harris becomes an MP.” But I think sensibly, they’re gonna say, “Well, let’s see how this first one does.” And go from there, which is very logical in film language. They’re not going to commit now to doing a film, if we don’t have you know, good reviews and good box office from from this one. I mean, that’s just business, isn’t it? But of course I’d be interested.
Now that Ms. Marvel’s critically acclaimed first season has concluded, Rish Shah wants to make it clear that Kamala Khan’s ClanDestine crush, Kamran, had the purest of intentions all along.
When it’s revealed at the end of episode two and the beginning of episode three of the Disney+ series that Kamran actually belongs to an exiled group of beings from another dimension, it’s perfectly reasonable to question the authenticity of Kamran’s prior interactions with Kamala. Was he genuinely interested in her, or was he serving as an undercover agent in order to locate Kamala’s family’s bangle for the sake of his ClanDestine family’s return home? For Shah, it was never a question as he always portrayed Kamran’s affinity for Kamala as real.
“As far as I’m aware, he was never duping her. He was never trying to play Kamala. And prior to some of the changes that were made later on in the script and during the reshoots … [his sincerity] was probably a bit clearer. But in my mind, that was always the case,” Shah tells The Hollywood Reporter.
Shah is also defending Kamran’s dangerous display of newly acquired superpowers in the season finale, “No Normal,” as the 17-year-old has had no time to make sense of what’s happening to him.
“He feels slightly betrayed by the one person he trusted and leaned on, that being Kamala. She was there when his family died, and he’s unable to handle that information and process it in the best manner. And it’s not intentional. He’s just a lost boy who’s unable to handle the situation he’s been thrown into,” Shah says.
In a recent spoiler conversation with THR, Shah also discussed the unusual way he learned about Spider-Man: No Way Home’s biggest secret involving the team-up of all three live-action Spider-Man actors.
Since my name is Brian, I’m going to be very upset if you reverse course and call me Bruno during this interview.
(Laughs.) I kept forgetting to call Matt [Lintz] Bruno on set because Brian just got imprinted into my mind. So even if I wanted to, I can’t say the word Bruno anymore.
So when this audition came your way, what were circumstances like for you at the time?
I gunned hard to get that audition. I mean, my team obviously made it happen for me — and for them, it was just making a phone call — but I bugged them for years prior to somehow be involved within the Marvel universe. So when this came around, I was ecstatic, and I immediately recognized the dummy side from the comics because I’ve read them before. So I was like, “Oh man, I feel like I’d be great for this. I love it, and I’m really passionate.” It was obviously a really long process, but it worked out. It’s funny because whenever you do an audition, you’re like, “Yeah, I’d be great for this.” But then when you get the job, you’re like, “Oh crap. This is really nerve wracking.” But it was an amazing process.
Rish Shah as Kamran in Marvel Studios’ MS. MARVEL.
We did, yeah. We screen-tested together over Zoom, but they hadn’t told me that Iman was going to be on the call. They just said we have a reader. So I assumed it was going to be someone from their [casting] office. But then I saw Iman and I was like, “Oh, okay. So this girl is Ms. Marvel.” And she was a ghost online at the time. I remember looking her up afterwards and not finding anything. I’m pretty sure she didn’t even have her surname on the Zoom call. It just said Iman. So I was like, “Who is this girl?” because all I knew was that she was from Canada.
But I have to say that we had a great chemistry read. From the get-go, it was just so easy with her. I remember just making small talk in between scenes and asking about Toronto and what she’s up to … It’s weird to think how long ago that was now. It’s been such a long process. But I also screen-tested with Matt, who plays Bruno, and that was fun. We had a great dynamic as well, and then eventually, we had a very similar scene [to our chemistry read] in episode five. So that felt like a full-circle moment when we filmed it and when we finally watched it the other day.
How was the good news delivered?
I think it was exactly a week after my screen test. I was in bed, and I was woken up by my agent. He messaged me and he was like, “Ping, ping.” And I just remember thinking, “You don’t say ping-ping to someone who’s just lost out on their dream job.” (Laughs.) So I jumped on this Zoom call, and then I got the news. And because I was screaming from joy, I’m pretty sure I woke everybody up in my household. I was with all my closest people and everyone I love, so we all just celebrated together. It was a really sweet moment.
From what I can gather, the comic book version of Kamran is markedly different from Ms. Marvel’s incarnation. So were you encouraged to revisit the comics, or did they prefer you to focus on the scripts?
There definitely is a difference. In the comics, he is a villain. He’s manipulative, and he uses Kamala. Whereas in the show, he’s actually coming from a very pure place and a very genuine place of just wanting to belong and feel at home, and he has this immediate connection with Kamala across multiple fields. And then, obviously, by the end of the show, he’s able to share the connection of the Noor by having these powers and newfound abilities.
So I wasn’t asked to go back to the comics — and I don’t think anybody would, to be fair — but obviously, a lot of inspiration throughout the show, in general, was taken from that source material. So it is very true to the comics in a lot of ways, but I think Kamran was reimagined to hopefully be a bit more likable. (Laughs.) He definitely has a skewed moral compass and he’s definitely a bit more unsure of where he stands, but he does make that decision really early on to betray his family and protect Kamala. So that’s quite a big decision, and hopefully, that shows that he’s actually a good guy with good intentions.
In the comics, I believe his powers stemmed from his Inhuman lineage.
Yeah, exactly. He’s definitely been reimagined, but it’s for the better. I trust the decisions that Kevin and the whole Marvel team make. So whatever they said to me, I was like, “As long as I get to my powers, I’m down, man. I’m just excited to be here.” So I think it looks awesome. What I did really like was that a lot of the coloring and the rendering is very true to Kamran from the comics so it was nice to see them bring that color back in. Even at the end of episode five, when the Noor pulsates out of him and causes the explosion on the DODC drone, that’s very similar to some of his abilities in the comics and that bioluminescence. So that connection is pretty cool.
Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan, Rish Shah as Kamran, and Matt Lintz as Bruno in Marvel Studios’ MS. MARVEL.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
As you mentioned, Kamran meets Kamala and they hit it off in every way, however, he was undercover, essentially. So I was relieved when it turned out he genuinely cared for her by protecting her from his fellow ClanDestines at the wedding. Otherwise, it just comes off as mean to lead Kamala on and manipulate her like that. Were you also relieved that his interactions were genuine despite the false pretenses?
It’s funny because originally, Kamran was never undercover. It might come across that way, but he genuinely happens to be at this high school and he happens to meet this girl who he can connect with. It’s not really clarified how Kamran tracks her down at the end of episode two and helps her, but as far as I’m aware, he was never duping her. He was never trying to play Kamala. I don’t think he said to himself, “I’m going to bump into Kamala now and take her on a date so I can get to know her and find out about this bangle.” So I think he was always coming from a place of love and genuine interest. And then by the end of episode two, it happens to be that his mother has been tracking this bangle for years, but Kamran has just been trying to find a home and fit in. And prior to some of the changes that were made later on in the script and during the reshoots and everything, I think that [his sincerity] was probably a bit clearer. But in my mind, that was always the case.
That’s fascinating because I always believed he was being a loyal ClanDestine. When he and Kamala bonded over Bollywood films, I thought that he was appealing to her interests, interests that the ClanDestines discovered through reconnaissance.
Yeah, I played it as genuine in my mind, but it’s nice that it’s up for debate. It’s always interesting when you have a character with a bit more complexity to them and their intentions, so it’s nice that it can swing both ways. Hopefully, it’s more engaging and interesting. But in my mind, he was genuinely just connecting with someone. Iman said this before about Kamala, but she hasn’t been able to spend time in her high school life around someone else who is able to just openly and confidently talk about their culture, specifically. So I think Kamran has felt the same way.
Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan, Matthew Vasquez as Miguel, Matthew Lintz as Bruno, Yasmeen Fletcher as Nakia, and Rish Shah as Kamran in Marvel Studios’ MS. MARVEL.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
I even entertained the thought that his people called the cops about the house party just so Kamran could whisk Kamala and her friends away. Of course, house parties get broken up all the time, but I really went down the rabbit hole of him being a secret agent.
(Laughs.) Wow, I love that. I just played it as him genuinely trying to have some fun and get to know this girl who he thinks is interesting. I mean, she’s so lovable and bubbly, and Kamala probably isn’t like most girls that Kamran has met before. Despite having traveled around with the ClanDestines and trying to go back to their own realm, I think he finally feels like he has a moment to breathe and a moment of just safety and comfortability and security with somebody else. When she says to him, “Maybe this can feel like your home one day,” I think that really, really touches him. I think that he finally feels like he might have this opportunity to belong.
His mother, Najma (Nimra Bucha), transfers her power over to him before she dies, and he’s having a tough time containing it. And then the way he wields his power is concerning, to say the least. So what did you make of his behavior with these newfound powers?
First of all, he’s trying to figure out what’s going on. He wasn’t expecting these newfound powers to be gifted to him, and he doesn’t know who to turn to for help right now. He’s been abandoned by his family because he made that decision to protect Kamala, her friend, and himself in doing so. But then there’s the whole other problem of controlling his powers because he doesn’t want to harm people. He’s genuinely trying to contain these abilities, and unfortunately, it’s kind of spilling out of him. It’s such a large amount of energy, such a large amount of Noor. It comes straight from the Veil into him, and unlike Kamala, he hasn’t had time to figure them out. Bruno is still helping Kamala on her journey of harnessing these powers and wielding them correctly and safely.
And for Kamran, he’s just like, “Oh crap, this is happening, and I’m being chased and hunted down.” So it’s a lot all at once. And by the end of the episode, he feels slightly betrayed by the one person he trusted and leaned on, that being Kamala. She was there when his family died, and he’s unable to handle that information and process it in the best manner. So I think that his rage intrinsically causes an absolute outburst of not only frustration and anger, but it also results in this huge pulse which causes all of this destruction around him. And it’s not intentional. He’s just a lost boy who’s unable to handle the situation he’s been thrown into.
Rish Shah as Kamran and Nimra Bucha as Najma in Marvel Studios’ MS. MARVEL.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
His mother basically disowned him the last time they saw each other. Will he ever be able to make peace with that?
I hope so. By the end of the season, it’s really interesting how we see him accept help from his sworn enemies, the Red Daggers, namely Kareem [Aramis Knight]. They obviously have known about each other their whole lives, and the fact that he is willing to do that shows that he’s taking a step in the right direction towards a positive change. It’s probably a stupid comparison, but it’s a bit like Bucky [Sebastian Stan] going to Wakanda to calm down and regain his control and his confidence. So hopefully, Kamran can also align himself in the right way and really find out who he is and what he stands for. What’s beautiful about this show is everything Kamala has learned on her journey, and she imparts that wisdom onto Kamran. In episode six’s dome sequence, she tries to calm him down, and she does manage to get through to him. So hopefully, he’s taking a step in the right direction.
So when did you learn about the Brie Larsen cameo? As one might expect, was that page missing from the script?
(Laughs.) That was missing from the script. I heard little whispers here and there, but there’s all sorts of things going around, so you never really know what to believe. Even just being at Trilith Studios, people try and peek their head into what’s going on next door. We had Spider-Man: No Way Home and Loki next door at one point. So there was always something interesting happening, and finding out that Brie was going to be on our show was unbelievable news, obviously. We were all so excited, and even I just saw it for the first time. I got goosebumps from it, and it just got me so excited to see Iman in The Marvels. When that movie comes out, I’m going to be championing her in the front row. It’s already set up so beautifully.
Did you put on a disguise so you could visit those other stages?
(Laughs.) I didn’t, no. We would pretty much just roam around the lot during lunch breaks or whatever, but I remember seeing the three Spider-Man stunt doubles having lunch outside in costume at one point. It was a really hot day, and they were having sandwiches. And I was like, “Oh, cool. So I guess that’s a thing.” In moments like that, I would just pinch myself because everything was happening at these studios. So it was really surreal and an absolute honor to just be a part of this web, pardon the pun, and this franchise.
Speaking of disguises, you wore one during episode one’s AvengerCon, right?
(Laughs.) I’m genuinely such a Marvel fan. Walking around that set was incredible, and it felt like a real convention. There were people in the most incredible cosplay outfits, and the whole thing was on a scale beyond my imagination. So Saagar [Shaikh], who plays Kamala’s brother Aamir, and I were like, “Well, we don’t want to miss out.” So we threw on Iron Man [Shaikh] and Captain America [Shah] costumes, and you can actually see us in episode one. I think there’s a moment where we’re standing next to Bruno and Kamala. It was just a fun little cameo for ourselves to look back on, but we were surprised we made it into the cut. It’s kind of a Where’s Wally? situation. [Writer’s Note: That’s the British version of Where’s Waldo?] But that was a really funny day on set, because we were just waddling around and causing havoc.
And then the word “mutation” is uttered in episode six. Was that another page that was missing from your script?
That was only shared with very specific people. Obviously, it was a huge freak-out moment, and everybody’s brains exploded. We were all just trying to process that information and remain calm when we found out about it. I was on set when that scene happened, and I was just watching from a distance. So I could see the pure joy on everyone’s faces as that scene was happening, including the whole team in video village. But what an honor to be able to bring that into the MCU. That’s probably one of the most exciting things.
Did you, Matt and Iman enjoy playing this love triangle of sorts?
Big time, man. We’re all so close, and we spent a lot of time together. We were all stuck together for Christmas, actually. Iman and I couldn’t go home because of COVID, and Matt, bless him, stayed with us, so we ended up just binging The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars on Christmas day. We even did a New Year’s celebration together, and moments like that really bonded us as a group. Our dynamic is amazing, and hopefully, our friendship really translates onto the screen. All of us just have such love and respect for each other, and working alongside each other was never anything but fun.
At the end of episode six, there’s a debate regarding Kamran’s car and who has the most rightful claim to it. So who do you think is most deserving?
That’s a tough one. (Laughs.) If it’s not Kamala, it’s going to have to be my boy Bruno. I feel like Kamran owes him one for costing him Circle Q. So I feel like a nice Porsche could hopefully put a bit of a smile on his face. It’s a little bit of compensation on Kamran’s end.
Rish Shah as Kamran in Marvel Studios’ MS. MARVEL.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
If you could walk into Kevin Feige’s office right now and have him add Kamran to another Marvel project, what are you choosing?
Oh my gosh. It’s like you’re a genie right now, and if I were to ask for a wish, it would be to have Kamran interact with Bucky in some way or form. I feel like he could learn a lot from the Winter Soldier, so that would be really cool. But having said that, I would also love to learn from Kareem, the Red Dagger, because he’s probably a good person to help Kamran control his powers from the Noor.
Overall, what genre or type of role have you been dreaming about since your earliest days?
I just want to keep doing work that challenges me and makes me so out of my depth, to be honest. My upcoming projects are very different, and I’ve been really lucky to be in some that have a very different feel and genre to them. So I hope to keep doing things that I can find truth in. I know that’s a vague answer, but I just want to keep challenging myself and pushing forward. Damage, which is coming towards the end of the year, is a limited series, and it’s extremely different from Ms. Marvel, as is my other project, which is currently untitled and directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. And that feels like a subverted Hitchcockian drama, so they all just have a really different feel. So hopefully, I can keep pushing in that direction.
Lastly, do you have some idea of when you might play Kamran again?
I would love to call up the Marvel offices and bug them with questions, but unfortunately, it’s not something I can do. But if and when that ever happens, I would play Kamran again in a heartbeat. I wouldn’t even blink. So I hope I get the opportunity again. This story has been so heartfelt and so passionately told by the entire team behind it, and there’s all these wonderful characters. So Kamala has a very supportive community around her, and I hope all of us get the opportunity to come and play again. It was really the experience of a lifetime for a lot of us. I can only speak for myself, of course, but it was a dream role and I would absolutely kill to play Kamran again and again and again.
Interview edited for length and clarity.
Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney+. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Matthew Gray Gubler’s Spencer Reid isn’t in the Criminal Minds reboot, despite that, he already previously teased his return as the BAU’s boy genius.
Matthew Gray Gubler already hinted that he will ultimately return to Criminal Minds. The actor played Doctor Spencer Reid of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit and was one of the only two stars from the original cast who was still in the police procedural when it ended. Now that the Criminal Minds reboot is officially moving forward at Paramount+, there is a massive disappointment that Gubler is not at the center of the upcoming revival.
Criminal Minds premiered in 2005 on CBS and proceeded to run for 15 years before it ended in 2020. Not long after it wrapped up its network broadcast, its reboot with the same core cast was announced in 2021 and will be part of Paramount+’s original programming slate. The Criminal Minds reboot will be reformatted, however; instead of seeing the BAU hunt down an UnSub per episode, each 10-episode season will be devoted to a single case, allowing the storytelling to really focus in on the team’s profiling capabilities. Given Reid’s experience with the team, not to mention his eidetic memory, it would have been a great way to showcase his skills. If only he would return for the project.
Understandably, Gubler’s Criminal Minds season 16 absence is disappointing. Just because the actor isn’t officially part of the reboot’s cast, however, it doesn’t mean that he will never partake in it. In an interview with TVLine (via Yahoo!) leading to the procedural’s finale in 2020, the actor expressed his sadness over the show’s ending, especially after working on its for 15 years. Then, he proceeded to tease a potential revival saying that the Criminal Minds series finale plants plot seeds that could be revisited moving forward. This was before the original show even properly wrapped up, hinting that perhaps even as early as that, he already knew that there were already plans for the BAU to return on the small screen. This comment doesn’t sound like it came from someone who no longer wants to do anything with the series or play Doctor Spencer Reid again. Maybe, the show is just saving his return for later. Read Gubler’s full quote below:
“I know that everything has its time and I’m in no way sad that the show is closing, because I feel like we’ve done it beautifully, and I feel like there are roots there for it to re-hatch later. I kind of liken it to if you go to a concert, at a certain point the band has to leave the stage in order to have an encore. It’s just the natural progression.”
Why Matthew Gray Gubler’s Spencer Reid Isn’t Returning For Criminal Minds’ Reboot
Gubler isn’t the only cast member not returning for the Criminal Minds reboot. Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders star Daniel Henney, who played SSA Matt Simmons isn’t part of the confirmed cast. But unlike Gubler, whose reason for non-involvement is unclear, Henney’s absence may be chalked to a scheduling conflict as he is busy starring in Amazon’s The Wheel of Time. Because of this, there has been an assumption that the reason that Reid won’t be in the revival is because Gubler simply didn’t want to be in it. After all, the actor previously expressed wanting to take a break from playing his best-known role yet to branch out and try other endeavors. Towards the end of Criminal Minds, Gubler appeared in the Hulu comedy Dollface as Wes which kept him busy until 2022, but since that show has wrapped up, the actor doesn’t seem to have any project he’s working on right now — at least that has already been publicized. It’s possible that he is busy pursuing other endeavors that just haven’t been announced yet. Perhaps he was initially confirmed for the Criminal Minds reboot, but because it took so long to get it off the ground, at one point, even dubbed dead in the water, he opted to focus on finding other ventures forcing him to ultimately drop out from it.
Spencer Reid Missing Criminal Minds’ Reboot Season 1 Makes His Return Better
Right now, the Criminal Minds reboot is confirmed for a 10-episode season. Its initial run will see the BAU hunt down an UnSub who used the coronavirus pandemic to establish a network of fellow serial killers making the profilers’ job trickier. Depending on how Criminal Minds season 16 is received, there’s a chance that the revival will continue for more outings giving Reid the chance to return at a later date. Assuming that Gubler’s non-involvement is due to an unknown scheduling conflict, he could sort this issue out first leading to his eventual appearance in the potential Criminal Minds season 17. Admittedly, Reid will be sorely missed in the BAU’s upcoming return. Aside from being an integral member of the team, his interactions with his teammates and even the people he comes to work with are always interesting. If Paramount+ does things right, however, they can use Reid’s absence as a great set-up for his later reunion with the BAU which would make Gubler’s comeback to Criminal Minds all the more special.
Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man Being Peter #3 Is Deeper Than You Realize
About The Author
Ana Dumaraog (5911 Articles Published)
Accidental movie and TV fan who is perpetually curious, Ana rekindled her love for writing and married it with everything pop culture. The result is a passionate writer who could ramble (and of course, pen) about films and series multiple hours a day. She has a soft spot for procedurals and old sitcoms (The Golden Girls!) but won’t dare watch any horror films although she’s (ironically) dying to see one. Though a bit late to the party and was an actual Force non-believer, she now finds the Star Wars franchise quite fascinating (fun fact: it was a crazy Jar Jar Binks/Sith theory that drew her in).
Britney Spears posted an a capella rendition of her 1998 hit song, “Baby One More Time,” writing that she hadn’t “shared my voice in an extremely long time … maybe too long.”
Days after a judge ordered her father and former conservator Jamie Spears to sit for a deposition and surrender surveillance documents, the singer treated fans to “a different version” she said her team blocked her from recording.
“Well I have asked for what I wanted for 14 years,” she wrote of the time she spent under her conservatorship. “A different version of ‘Baby’ but have the producers actually work for me and put it together … a start…” However, “the TEAM said NO.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgDRvTxMVRR/
In the clip, Spears sings in a lower register than the original, showcasing her vocal range. The new version, which she says she recorded the day before posting, also throws in an expletive: “Give me a f–ing sign.”
Spears explained that she shared the video “because I am aware of my love and passion to sing … and my own family made a fool of me.”
“I’m not going to be a victim,” she added.
Since her decade-long fight to end her conservatorship exploded into public view last year, Spears has been vocal on social media about her family’s complicity, while celebrating her newfound freedom. Nearly a year after the legal arrangement was suspended in September 2021 and lifted two months later, Spears and her father’s lawyers are still battling in court over allegations of financial abuse and the botched handling of the singer’s estate.
Spears’ fans rejoiced in the comments, with some encouraging her to re-record her hits à la Taylor Swift, who is remaking the albums owned by her estranged former label. Fans praised Spears’ “natural voice” and begged for more covers of her hits under similar arrangements.
Brian Austin Green, best known as David Silver from Beverly Hills, 90210, has stepped out of the norm in his latest role in the thriller, Last The Night. Green replaced his good looking persona from hits like Desperate Housewives and comedic favorites like Happy Endings and The Conners for a grueling, gritty character that might not have the best of intentions. It’s an absolutely gripping psychological thriller with a brilliant twist. Green fully commits himself in his latest film directed by Nick Leisure (A Clear Shot and Janitors).
Courtesy of Leisure Films
Green as Mr. Dunbar has been having some seriously bad days. When we meet Dunbar, he is a somewhat broken man that is in the midst of losing everything during the pandemic. Dunbar is seen drinking and sleeping, constantly fighting depression and looking for reasons to get himself out of bed. The movie showcases Green’s range as we meet him teaching a history class virtually. Something all of us can probably relate to.
At the start, you feel sympathy for Dunbar who is becoming increasingly compounded between his under par work ethics (which gets him in trouble with his boss) to his personal life that seems to mimic the world that is crumbling around him. Green has an ability to showcase his full acting ability with a simple look in his eyes or slight movement with his body. The little nuances Green uses do not go unnoticed and help the audience feel for a man struggling like the rest of the world trying to survive during COVID. Green is able to play both a man in distressed, pretending to be a man who has it together, while at the same time on the verge of losing it.
Courtesy of Leisure Films
It is a rare quality for an actor to be able to invoke multiple emotions within one film let alone at the same time. Green sells everything about Dunbar right from from the opening title. The four students, Sadie (Taylor), Trevor (White), Genesis (Quang), and Miguel (Valdes) talk smack about Dunbar while hatching a plan to break into their empty school during the night. Knowing that all school facilities have been shut down because of COVID 19 and bored from the lockdown caused by it, these kids want to party. Unfortunately, the students aren’t aware that as they begin to hatch their plan, Dunbar hears everything through his computer. Enraged at their comments, Dunbar seethes at his students’ plans and plots diabolical revenge.
Courtesy of Leisure Films
Leisure made ingenious directing decisions by introducing us to Dunbar who lives in a dirty apartment that is completely isolated with only sounds coming from that of a computer screen or the television. It’s clear that Leisure and Green are a dynamic duo bringing the best out of each other. Leisure spends the time allowing Green to explore the character of Dunbar while keeping audiences interested in the storyline currently unfolding. Leisure plays between close up shots and long shots which enhance the emotional turmoil for the audience.
The pendulum scenes are a tense cat and mouse game as Dunbar stalks and tracks the students one by one inside the school. Interspersing evil history lessons with his disintegration of sanity, Dunbar is hellbent on dispensing his own deadly brand of education. All filled with vengeance and bloodshed. The hunt is clearly on, and innocent students are the night’s prey. The terrorized students find themselves in a fight for their lives to survive these hallways of horror.
The film also stars Makena Taylor from Skyfire and Acoryé White from One and the Same. Additional cast includes David Valdes, Julia Quang, Eve Mauro, Glenn Plummer, and Rafael Siegel.
Check out the trailer below:
Watch the film now on VUDU, Prime Video, VOD, and Apple now.
Just shy off his Emmy nomination for Apple TV+’s must see drama Severance, Adam Scott has just been cast in the highly anticipated Madame Webb movie. He also appeared in the series Big Little Lies and The Good Place. This this will mark his first Marvel movie in the cinematic universe. Scott currently plays Mark Scout in Apple TV+ Severance, which is a dystopian sci-fi thriller created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller. The series has earned 12 Primetime Emmy Awards for the first season. Scott received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama series. Right now most of the roles are being kept under wraps but I am sure we will know soon with San Diego Comic Con coming up.
Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
Madame Webb first appears as a mutant in The Amazing Spider-Man comic No. 210. The film will be directed by S.J. Clarkson who has also done Marvel’s Jessica Jones” and The Defenders. Screenplay by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless who have both collaborated on Morbius. Scott now joins Sydney Sweeney includes, who just just received double Emmy nominations for “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus,”, Emma Roberts, Celeste O’Connor, and Dakota Johnson (Madame Webb) as part of the Marvel cast. This film will be amongst Sony’s lineup which consists of Venom, Morbius, and Kraven The Hunter. It will also be within the Spider-Verse in some capacity. Marvel has yet to announce how the two will be intertwined. However, there are details that are known based on the comics about Webb.
According to the comics, stricken with a lifetime of blindness and a chronic autoimmune disorder, Cassandra Webb (also known as Madame Webb), is an elderly woman, who experienced significant neurological deterioration throughout her life. She specializes in predicting the future of Spider-related superheroes. She even mentored Spider-Man and spearheaded a group of superheroes who would go on to be called Spider-Woman.
However, Webb was placed in a coma and suffered from short-term memory loss after she tried to help Spider-Man prevent the assassination of a political figure. Once she regains her memory, she reunites with Spider-Man and asks him to retrieve one of the required artifact fragments that would aid in the arcane ritual of Gathering of the Five to save her life. Of the five options knowledge, power, immortality, insanity, or death, Spider-Man helps her receive immortality, which allows her to revert to a younger, healthier version of herself.
This film will be an origin story of the clairvoyant Webb, whose psychic abilities allow her to see within the spider world. Stay tuned as Sony plans on making more announcements in the coming weeks per the movie and casting. As of now, Madame Web is currently set for a July 7, 2023 release.
Today, Prime Video revealed the title of Gen V (previous titled The Boys Presents : Varsity), the college-based spinoff of the hit series The Boys. The series is currently in production, but in the meantime, please find links to the Instagram and Twitter announcements below, featuring the series cast.
ABOUT GEN V
Set at America’s only college exclusively for young-adult superheroes (run by Vought International), Gen V is an irreverent, R-rated series that explores the lives of hormonal, competitive Supes as they put their physical, sexual, and moral boundaries to the test, competing for the best contracts in the best cities. It’s part college show, part Hunger Games—with all the heart, satire, and raunch of The Boys.
Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters serve as showrunners and executive producers. Eric Kripke, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Ori Marmur, Pavun Shetty, Ken Levin, Jason Netter, Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, Craig Rosenberg, Zak Schwartz, Erica Rosbe, and Michaela Starr also serve as executive producers on Gen V, and Brant Engelstein serves as co-executive producer. The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television Studios and Amazon Studios, in association with Kripke Enterprises, Point Grey Pictures, and Original Film. Loreli Alanís serves as executive in charge for Point Grey Pictures.
The series stars Jaz Sinclair, Chance Perdomo, Lizze Broadway, Shelley Conn, Maddie Phillips, London Thor, Derek Luh, Asa Germann, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sean Patrick Thomas, and Marco Pigossi.
FILMOCACRY FEST III 2022 REVIEW! Director Steve Balderson’s Alchemy of the Spirit is a gothic deconstruction of death, art, and mystery. At its core, it is a love story but told with an understanding of the supernatural and ascension. In the twilight of his life, Oliver Black (Xander Black) awakes to discover his wife and partner, Evelyn (Sarah Clarke), has died in her sleep. Unable to accept his life without her, Oliver makes every effort to preserve her. He lugs bags of ice up the stairs to a bathtub where he is trying to preserve Evelyn’s body in their empty, aging home on a lake and in the fall—an artist’s lair.
Balderson carefully presents and meticulously creates an atmosphere for Oliver’s character to realize death and the unknown. Alchemy of the Spirit is beautifully presented even though it appears as if there’s little happening. The color, light, and lack of detail are multiple layers of thought-provoking cinema. It is an authentic movie experience where the art of film and visual storytelling are present and effective. To add, Xander Black’s acting is without flaw providing another layer to Alchemy of the Spirit.
There are routines between Oliver and Evelyn, which are now broken—taking pills and egg deliveries. Yet, in this seemingly empty existence, Evelyn’s movement to another dimension has a stream of light. Balderson uses light streams to create this ethereal character who will spend five days with her husband before she enters a new realm. With a timeline, Balderson allows Oliver to work, learn, and listen to Evelyn’s last thoughts and understandings. Then, through well-planned and thought-out sound effects and a buildup of many visuals, Balderson presents an underlying ticking clock toward an ending, which is in question—is this a dream, reality, life, or what?
‘Unable to accept his life without her, Oliver makes every effort to preserve her.”
At one point, Oliver is in town for more ice and is overcome with hypersensitivity to electricity and paranoia about everyone around him. It’s as if he is living in a vacuum, but a sense of change and a parallel universe is transcending, and his life will never be the same because Evelyn is ascending. There are many of these moments of realization or sublime existence that Balderson presents through sound and cinematic construction.
When his art agent Alex (Mink Stole) calls with a commission of a lifetime, Oliver commits to a sculpture of his wife, only it’s her in the supernatural state of death, which he arrives through an intense process of plastering, molding, and shaping. However, there are demons that Oliver faces while creating his life’s work, even though his wife is guiding him through her transcendence. There are voices and trippy effects that offer a sense of fear and the unknown that death is present to all. There’s also a philosophical questioning of what is happening, “it’s describing a color you have never seen or in another language,” says Evelyn. A poignant point about what it truly means and how there’s no description for what is happening.
Courtesy of Dikenga Productions
Alchemy of the Spirit is a spiritual death film. Balderson covers every detail of the phases of death to the spirit world, from fall spirit guides as chapters within the film to using light as a paintbrush to create an ambiance between life and afterlife existence. Most of all, Balderson moves Oliver’s character into a somnambulistic state of being where day, night, and dreaming are combined, providing a gothic, mysterious, and dramatic artistic world.
In addition, Alchemy of the Spirit offers an in-depth understanding of actuality and spirit, where a rip in a canvas bleeds, which Oliver feels but continues to work and change. At the same time, Evelyn prepares herself and him for the next existence—it is an intimate journey that Balderson makes haunting, beautiful, and extraordinary.
Terrified pedestrians were forced to run for cover when Putin‘s forces fired a Kalibr missile at a busy city centre yesterday killing 23 people, shocking video shows.
The missile launched from a submarine in the Black Sea crashed down on Vinnytsia at around 10.50am local time injuring at least 100 people.
Russia has insisted the savage strike targeted the Ukrainian military, during a meeting of air force command and representatives of Western arms suppliers.
Yet footage shows cyclists and pedestrians going about their day when suddenly the destructive power of the blast blows them off their bicycles while others cowered and dropped to the ground for safety.
Seconds later, an ominous shadow of darkness suddenly casts a pall across the square as frightened dogs flee the scene.
Terrorised people are seen running to escape the strike unleashed on the city of 370,000 people in the centre of the country, far from the Donbas frontline.
Cyclists and pedestrians were going about their day when suddenly the destructive power of the blast forces them to fall off their bicycles
Seconds later, an ominous shadow of darkness suddenly casts a pall across the square as frightened dogs flee the scene
The missile launched from a submarine in the Black Sea crashed down on Vinnytsia at around 10.50am local time injuring around 100 people and killing 23
Firefighters together with rescuers, military and the police work at the site of the Russian missile strike in downtown Vinnytsia
Emergency services work next to a damaged building at the site of a Russian military strike, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Vinnytsia
Separate CCTV footage shows a customer in a shop when the Kalibr missile strikes.
She and the shop assistant are thrown to the floor and the windows are smashed by the force of the rocket attack.
President Volodymyr Zelensky called Russia a ‘terrorist’ state, urged more sanctions against the Kremlin and said the death toll in Vinnytsia could rise.
‘Unfortunately, this is not the final number. Debris clearance continues. Dozens of people are reported missing. There are seriously injured (people) among those hospitalised,’ he said in a video address.
Russia reiterated that it does not target civilians in what it calls its ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine, and said its attack struck a military training facility.
The Russian defence ministry said: ‘At the time of the strike, a meeting of the command of the Ukrainian Air Force with representatives of foreign arms suppliers was held.’
The meeting focused on supplies of jets and weapons as well as repair of Ukraine’s aircraft, the ministry said in a statement.
‘As a result of the strike, the participants of the meeting were destroyed.’
Separate CCTV footage shows a customer in a shop when the Kalibr missile strikes
She and the shop assistant are thrown to the floor and the windows are smashed by the force of the rocket attack
Scores of people were wounded in the attack, in which rockets hit a multi-story building in the city’s centre
Ukraine said Thursday’s strike on Vinnytsia, a city of 370,000 people about 125 miles southwest of the capital Kyiv, had been carried out with Kalibr cruise missiles
President Volodymyr Zelensky called Russia a ‘terrorist’ state, urged more sanctions against the Kremlin and said the death toll could rise
Vinnytsya,450 miles went of the Donbas front line, is just the latest city to be hit in a series of Russian air strikes targeting civilians
Among the victims were three children, and the inhumane attack has raised fears that further strikes on civilians are imminent, after the Kremlin’s focus on the Donbas.
Russia has stepped up its attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine as its offensive in the east has stalled following the seizure of two key cities in late June and early July.
Ukraine says Putin’s men are taking an ‘operation pause’ before pushing on with their offensive, but that has not stopped them raining down death from a distance.
The first such strike obliterated the Kremenchuk mall on June 27, killing at least 20 people but leaving another 36 missing presumed dead.
Russia attempted to deny it had hit the mall – suggesting it had fired at nearby military targets including a factory and railway – and that ‘collateral’ damage had been caused by a fire that spread to the shopping centre.
But CCTV footage clearly showed a Russian anti-ship missile, originally designed to take out US aircraft carriers, slamming into the building.
One of the children killed was four-year-old Liza Dmitrieva who had Down’s Syndrome
A Russia Kalibre cruise missile slammed into this office block in Vinnystya, which is hundreds of miles from the closest front line, as Liza and Irina walked past – peppering them both with shrapnel
Irina often posted about her daughter online, saying she was ‘scared to make wishes’ about the future but was looking forward to Liza’s fifth birthday – that she will now never get to celebrate
Liza’s mother Irina, 33, has undergone surgery for life-threatening lung and liver wounds
That was followed by a hit on an apartment block in Mykolaiv on June 29 that left at least eight people dead, and another in Odesa on July 1 that killed 18.
On July 9, Russia bombed an apartment block in the town of Chasiv Yar – killing at least 47 civilian in one of the single deadliest attacks on the innocent of the war.
One of the children killed was four-year-old Liza Dmitrieva who had Down’s Syndrome.
The pink pram that Liza had been filmed pushing an hour earlier was left lying on its side in the middle of the road, spattered in blood from wounds that the little girl tragically did not survive.
Her mother Irina, 33, has undergone surgery for life-threatening lung and liver wounds.
Irina had previously posted on social media about her fears for daughter Liza, saying she was ‘scared to make wishes’ about the future for them and for their country.
Viktor Polishchuk (left) died while Vitaly Kabluchko (right) is in intensive care
Evhen Kovalenko, 25, sound producer for Ukrainian singer Roxolana, who had been due to performing the city last night before his death in the attack
Kateryna Hula (left), 24, the centre’s administrator, was killed, as was the manager Tetyana Kharchenko (right)
Writing about the fifth birthday that little Liza will now never get to experience, she said: ‘It was Covid-19 first, then the war. I have not been able to arrange a proper birthday party for Liza for two years.
‘I am hoping her fifth birthday will give us a chance! I am scared to make wishes. I just dream about peace, and about things going the way we want.’
Just six hours before Liza was killed, she had posted about the progress her daughter had made despite the pandemic and war.
The strike also devastated the Neuromed medical centre, killing two staff and wounding medics, it was revealed.
Children’s neurologist Pavlo Kovalchuk and neurologist Nataliya Falshtynska are in ‘serious’ conditions
Smoke rises from a damaged building following a Russian airstrike in the city of Vinnytsia, west-central Ukraine
Russia has stepped up its attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine as its offensive in the east has stalled following the seizure of two key cities in late June and early July
An empty pram lies in the street after the Russian missile strike, with the child though to have been killed and their mother thought to have been badly injured
Kateryna Hula, 24, the centre’s administrator, was killed, as was the manager Tetyana Kharchenko.
Children’s neurologist Pavlo Kovalchuk and neurologist Nataliya Falshtynska are in ‘serious’ conditions after the submarine-based Kalibr missile strike by Vladimir Putin.
Survivors at the centre told of the ‘unspeakable pain and sadness for all those who suffered’.
The Ukrainian Children’s Neurologists Association posted: ‘One of the best young paediatric neurologists in Ukraine, our colleague Pavlo Vasyliovych Kovalchuk, was severely affected.
‘Now he is in the hospital with numerous burns and shrapnel wounds, and he needs your help.’
Dr Falshtynska, a mother-of-three, suffered brain injury and her legs were ‘completely burned’.
Cars smoulder in front of an office block in the city of Vinnytsya, western Ukraine, after it was struck by three Russian missiles that landed around 10.50am on Thursday
Civilians – including children – are among those killed in the Russian strike, which is the latest to hit residential areas
Russia reiterated that it does not target civilians in what it calls its ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine
Grieving journalist Yurii Hula, brother of the Neuromed administrator, posted. ‘My Katyusha [Kateryna] is gone.
‘She is now forever 24.’
Also killed was Evhen Kovalenko, 25, sound producer for Ukrainian singer Roxolana, who had been due to performing the city last night.
Music band Bratya Gadyukiny issued a statement saying that local people who had helped them were victims of the attack.
‘A mad fascist monster struck the centre of our Vinnytsia. Many people died and were injured.
‘Among them were two men who helped us organise a reception and a performance in front of our soldiers.
‘Vitaly Kabluchko is in intensive care, he is being operated on. Viktor Polishchuk died.’
Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska said she had known tragic Liza, one of the three children brutally killed in the strike.
Vinnytsia hosts the command headquarters of the Ukrainian Air Force, according to an official Ukrainian military website
Ukrainian emergency workers and military work at the site of the Russian missile strike in downtown Vinnytsia
A woman lays flowers and a toy to the military jet monument by the heavily damaged office building
‘We were horrified to see a photo of an overturned pushchair from Vinnytsia. And then, reading the news, I realised that I knew this girl,’ she said.
‘We met while recording a video for the Christmas holidays.’
The tragic girl ‘managed to paint not only herself, her holiday dress, but also all the other children, me, the cameramen and the director…Look at her, alive, please.’
Irina Dmitrieva’s friend Lena Gribova said reports that the mother’s hands or feet had been blown off were wrong, but she had suffered critical wounds.
‘She is alive, is a very grave condition, but alive,’ said the friend.
‘She went through surgery, this the decisive night. If the night goes well – please, God – she will live.
Anton Krasovsky, director of broadcasting for RT and a star presenter and reporter, said he had been to Kherson and Kakhovka and seen devastation caused by recent Ukrainian attacks
‘They operated on her liver and lungs. Her lungs are very, very bad.’
Almost £3,000 had been raised for her medical bills.
One Russian state TV chief claimed yesterday’s death and carnage was ‘too little’ and demanded stronger bombardment in a barbaric address.
Anton Krasovsky, director of broadcasting for RT and a star presenter and reporter, said he had been to Kherson and Kakhovka and seen devastation caused by recent Ukrainian attacks on occupied territory.
‘I was in Kherson and Kakhovka,’ he said.
‘I saw those crying people left with no homes, who lost everything. Vinnytsia is too little! Too little!’
He called for a ‘final decision’ to be made about an even tougher blitzkrieg from Russia – ‘a real one, combat’.
The US embassy in Kyiv issued a security alert warning all Americans to leave Ukraine amid fears of new strikes.
The US said its citizens should ‘leave immediately, via available ground transportation…if it is safe’ due to the ‘missile threat’.
Russia suffered its latest blow as one of Putin’s most senior paratrooper commanders Colonel Andrey Vasilyev was killed
‘The security situation throughout Ukraine is unstable, and… may deteriorate without warning.’
Meanwhile, Russia suffered its latest blow as one of Putin’s most senior paratrooper commanders was killed.
Battle-hardened Colonel Andrey Vasilyev, 49, of the Tula 106th Airborne Division, was killed in a HIMARS attack, it is believed.
He is the 78th Russia colonel to be identified as having died in Putin’s war in Ukraine.
He died alongside Col. Sergey Kuzminov, 40, whose loss was reported earlier.
Both men were deputy commanders of Russia’s famous 106th Airborne Division at Tula.
In 2018, Vasilyev was seen commanding the annual 9 May Victory Day Parade in Tula.
Earlier he had served in Russian military campaigns in Abkhazia and Chechnya.
Both men had been decorated for their ‘courage’ in awards signed off by Putin.
MovieItaly, a streaming service aimed at Italian film lovers, has launched in North America.
The subscription video-on-demand channel from Italy’s Minerva Pictures is dedicated to Italian cinema and will cost $7.99 a month, $19.99 quarterly and $67.99 for the year. “It’s a price that’s affordable for a large part of our audience. It’s not too big, it’s too little,” Minerva Pictures CEO Gianluca Curti told The Hollywood Reporter.
MovieItaly will also launch with 250 classic and contemporary films with English subtitles, and a monthly refresh of 15 new titles. The streaming platform was launching initially in the U.S. and Canada as both countries have sizable Italian communities and cinema lovers eager to embrace Italian titles, Rome-based Curti during a launch in Toronto.
“There are lots of cinema lovers in North America. We want to target people who like world cinema,” he added.
MovieItaly enters an increasingly crowded streaming landscape for movies as digital is increasingly the present and the future for indie film, thanks to the pandemic. Rival classic and contemporary movie streaming services also looking to be a Netflix complement include The Criterion Channel at $10.99 monthly, IFC Films Limited at $5.99 a month, Magnolia Selects at $4.99 and the genre film service Shudder for $5.99 per month.
Curti argued his streamer will complement bigger subscription video on-demand services like Netflix and Amazon Prime with voluminous libraries and buzzy content by allowing subscribers to cherry-pick the best Italian movies from all periods and genres and a curated collection.
MovieItaly will launch with film classics from directors like Luchino Visconti, Bernardo Bertolucci and Lina Wertmuller, spaghetti westerns, festival movies that debuted at Venice, Berlin and Cannes, and contemporary dramas, action, romantic comedies and comedy pics.
Minerva will source movie titles from partners Movietime, Compass, Filmexport Group, Intramovies, Rewind Film and Film Distribution.
Emmy nominations were announced on Tuesday, and “Succession” picked up the most nods with 25, while stars Zendaya (“Euphoria”) and Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”) made history. While reacting to the noms, “The Take” hosts discuss the snubs of major celebrities like Selena Gomez for “Only Murders in the Building.” Also, we address the issue of multiple actors from the same series being recognized, such as “Ted Lasso” and “The White Lotus.” Is this a problem, and can it be fixed?
Britney Spears had a significant victory in court this week. A judge ruled that her father, Jamie Spears, must sit for a deposition. So what’s next for her and her legal team in this post-conservatorship case?
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis faced backlash following her comments regarding her former “Knives Out” co-star Ana de Armas, who was on the cover of Elle Magazine. In an interview for the Elle cover story, Curtis said she thought de Armas was “unsophisticated” when she first met the Cuban actress.
Finally, we’re celebrating legendary actor Harrison Ford, who turned 80 on Wednesday. With iconic roles in “Star Wars” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” along with an Oscar-nominated turn in “Witness,” it’s hard to choose our favorite performance.
Hosted by Variety chief correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister and senior awards editor Clayton Davis, Variety‘s “The Take,” presented by Apple TV+, is a weekly series that navigates the week’s top stories from entertainment, pop culture and media, while providing expert analysis and exclusive insight on what’s buzzing in Hollywood. Filmed in Variety‘s state-of-the-art studio in Los Angeles, new episodes are released on Fridays on Variety.com, YouTube and social media.
Hilarious. Brilliant. Thoughtful. Those are just some of the adjectives being used to describe the relationships between Jak Knight and his many friends and family on social media as they react to his death.
Knight’s stunning death at age 28 was announced earlier today, shocking the Hollywood community who saw him as a star just coming into his own as a writer, producer and stand-up talent.
A few of the early reactions:
I don’t know what to say about Jak Knight that he wouldn’t make fun of me for. But you were so incredibly loved and respected. There will never be anyone quite like you ?
Crushed by the passing of Jak Knight. Watch Bust Down NOW. I was lucky enough to spend years writing with and for Jak, and we taped our Netflix sets the same night. Such a fucking funny, surprising, kind, weird, singular talent. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones.
I remember being on a show with Jak Knight back when I was just starting out – I was so nervous and he was so encouraging and kind. I’ve always remembered that. Thinking of his friends and family tonight.
RIP to Jak Knight. We taped Netflix specials together years ago. He was an incredibly funny original voice in comedy and a great guy who will be sorely missed.
Whenever I was on a lineup with Jak Knight, I knew it was going to be a wildly funny night. Always loved watching him over the last decade. He was winning big, all of it well deserved, so witty and memorable every moment onstage and off. A painful loss to comedy.
Katrina has carved her niche in the film industry and is now considered one of the highest-paid actors. (Image: Instagram)
Happy Birthday Katrina Kaif: The actress came to light after she gave an impeccable performance in Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan starrer 2005 film Sarkar
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATRINA KAIF: Katrina Kaif has been ruling millions of hearts since her Bollywood debut with the thriller film Boom. Katrina has carved her niche in the film industry and is now considered one of the highest-paid actors. She came to light after she gave an impeccable performance in Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan starrer 2005 film Sarkar.
Slaying almost every genre, Katrina is very well known for her impactful performances in films like Namastey London, Welcome, Rajneeti, De Dana Dan, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Ek Tha Tiger, and Jab Tak Hai Jaan among others. Apart from her blockbuster films, Kat also turned into an entrepreneur after launching her beauty brand Kay Beauty.
As the actress is celebrating her 39th birthday today, let’s take a quick sneak peek at her latest and upcoming film projects:
Sooryavanshi Katrina was last seen in Rohit Shetty’s 2021 action blockbuster Sooryavanshi, wherein she played the character of Akshay Kumar’s wife Ria Sooryavanshi. The movie is a complete masala film featuring a star-studded cast like Ranveer Singh, Ajay Devgn, Jackie Shroff, Javed Jaaferi, Gulshan Grover, and Abhimanyu Singh among others.
Phone Bhoot Gurmeet Singh’s directorial marks Katrina’s first attempt in the horror comedy genre, wherein she will be sharing the screen space with Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ishaan Khatter. Backed by Excel Entertainment, the movie is all set to hit the theatres on October 7.
Tiger 3 Tiger 3 is one of the most talked about films of the year, which is the third installment of the 2012 film Ek Tha Tiger. The Maneesh Sharma directorial features Katrina opposite Salman Khan, exhibiting some power-packed action stunts. The movie will hit the theatres next year on April 21. It also features Emraan Hashmi.
Jee Le Zaraa Marking Farhan Akhtar’s return to the director’s chair almost after a decade, Jee Le Zaraa is one of the most anticipated films, which will see Katrina sharing the screen space with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Alia Bhatt. While the plot has been kept under wraps, fans are desperately awaiting the first glimpse of the project.
Merry Christmas Sriram Raghavan’s Merry Christmas brings together Katrina and South star Vijay Sethupathi. Apart from them the movie also features Sanjay Kapoor and Vinay Pathak. The movie will be hitting the cinemas on December 23 this year.
Stranger Thingshas never been especially subtle about the sexuality of Noah Schnapp’s character Will Byers; hints that he was gay (and closeted) first popped up as early as the show’s first season, and have steadily increased until season 4, when he all but spells out his love for his best friend, Mike, in an emotional late-season conversation. Even so, Schnapp has now given an interview to Variety this week in which he lays out Will’s identity for the subtext-deficient in the audience, who somehow weren’t picking up what the show was very clearly putting down, i.e., “It’s 100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike.”
To be fair, Schnapp was less forthright about Will’s sexuality earlier this year, when, in May, he declared that it was “up to the audience’s interpretation.” Now, though, he clarifies that a) he was trying to avoid spoiling the rest of the upcoming season, which was released in two parts this year, and b) that he didn’t want to say anything that would later turn out to be untrue, since series creators Matt and Ross Duffer actually don’t tell him much about their future plans for plot points or character beats: “They obviously don’t tell me anything, either. I’m always spoiling stuff, so they will never share anything with me. So it’s a lot of figuring it out on my own.”
During the conversation, Schnapp also touched on the emotional scene in which Will indirectly lays out his feelings for Mike, framing his emotions as the hypothetical feelings of his adopted sister, Eleven. He also reveals that a follow-up scene, in which Will’s brother Jonathan offers him acceptance, wasn’t originally in the show’s script, but was added by the Duffers after seeing Schnapp and Charlie Heaton’s performances. “They were like, we need a scene with that. So they wrote it as we were filming.”
Joe Biden pushed back against criticism of his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, telling reporters that he raised the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi “at the top” of their meeting.
But Biden faced criticism of an image that preceded the meeting in Jeddah, when he gave a fist bump to the crown prince.
Fred Ryan, the publisher and CEO of the Post, called the fist bump “worse than a handshake” and “shameful.”
In this image released by the Saudi Royal Palace, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, greets President Joe Biden with a fist bump after his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP)
“It projected a level of intimacy and comfort that delivers to MBS the unwarranted redemption he has been desperately seeking,” Ryan said.
In his remarks to reporters, Biden was asked about what Khashoggi’s fiance’s reaction to Biden’s meeting, in which she said that the “blood of MBS’s next victim is on” Biden’s hands. Her tweet noted that Biden promised accountability for Khashoggi’s murder when he was running for president.
“I’m sorry she feels that way,” Biden said. “I was straightforward back then. I was straightforward today.”
Biden said that when he brought up Khashoggi’s murder, MBS “basically said that he was not personally responsible for it. I indicated at that point that he was. He said that he was not personally responsible for it and he took action against those who were responsible. Then I went on to talk more about … dealing with any opposition to the criticism of the Saudi administration in other countries.” He said that he viewed it as a violation of human rights.
Biden laughed when a reporter asked him about the image of the fist bump, which has drawn criticism even from fellow Democrats. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) wrote on Twitter, “If we ever needed a visual reminder of the continuing grip oil-rich autocrats have on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, we got it today. One fist bump is worth a thousand words.”
“How can you be sure that another incident, another murder like Jamal Khashoggi won’t happen again?” the reporter asked.
Biden responded, “God love you. What a silly question. How can I possibly be sure of any of that? I just made it clear. If anything occurs like that again, they’ll get that response and much more.”
Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government, was murdered in October, 2018, after he entered the Saudi consulate in Turkey and then disappeared. A month after his death, the Post reported that CIA concluded that the Saudi Crown Prince had ordered Khashoggi’s assassination.
A new study has revealed Game of Thrones to be this year’s most popular show (so far, anyway). For many years, piracy has served as a huge problem for television networks hoping to get as many viewers as possible to watch their shows live. But despite every effort to combat online piracy, pirated video is still accounting for around 230 billion views a year.
The new study, conducted by Uswitch, analyzes the most in-demand pirated media. This includes collating the most common international Google search volumes of popular pirating terms to determine the most pirated TV shows, video games, movies, and software. Even with Game of Thrones ending in 2019, the series remains popular with pirates three years later, as the fantasy drama series ranked as the most-pirated TV show with 8,560 monthly searches for illegal streams in 2022. The series had previously been named as the most pirated television show overall during its run on HBO.
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Another HBO title fell into the No. 2 spot as the most-pirated show. That would be Euphoria, which debuted its acclaimed second season this year and recently was recognized with Primetime Emmy Award nominations. The show has 7,960 monthly searches for illegal streams this year.
A blast from the past lands in the No. 3 position, and this one is much older than Game of Thrones. The sitcom Friends holds that spot with 5,060 monthly searches, remaining popular with pirates after ending in 2004. Legally, the show can be streamed on HBO Max, but as with Game of Thrones and Euphoria, many pirates are clearly refusing to pay for that subscription.
The titles making up the rest of the top ten, in order, are Family Guy, Attack on Titan, Chicago Fire, Peaky Blinders, The Office, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Ted Lasso, Modern Family, Elite, Grey’s Anatomy, and Vikings.
Game of Thrones leads the pack with pirates when it comes to television. For those interested in the big screen releases, this may not be much surprise, but Spider-Man: No Way Home is this year’s most pirate film with 83,390 monthly searches in 2022. That’s by far ahead of the next most-pirated film, Avengers: Endgame, which had 3,210 monthly searches. That’s followed by Interstellar at 2,910 monthly searches, and the following top ten titles include Avengers: Infinity War, Star Wars, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, M, Joker, The Dark Knight, Good Will Hunting, Pulp Fiction, The Matrix, Spirited Away, Godfather, and Inception.
“With the increasing cost of living, some people may turn to illegal downloading as a means to access their favorite TV shows, films, games, and software online,” says Uswitch Broadband expert Nick Baker. “This could be cause for concern as online piracy not only has a negative impact on creators, but it can come with risks to your own safety and security.”
Encouraging consumers to utilize Uswitch instead of breaking the law, Baker added, “Using illegal piracy websites can put users at extreme risk of hacking and phishing scams which makes your personal data vulnerable. In addition to that, industries that are affected by illegal downloading closely monitor the internet and can take legal action against you if caught. While the temptation to pirate your favorite content is appealing, it’s worth asking yourself if it’s really worth putting yourself at risk of scams and legal action.”
You can read more information about the study at Uswitch.com.
A star-packed night at the museum is getting even starrier.
Julia Roberts, a movie star if ever there was one, will be honored with the inaugural Gala Icon Award — which will celebrate “an artist whose career has had a significant global cultural impact” — at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ second annual Academy Museum Gala, a Met Gala-like fundraiser, the museum announced Friday.
At the Oct. 15, 2022 event, which is being co-chaired by Oscar-winning actresses Halle Berry and Lupita Nyong’o and two Academy Museum trustees, Oscar-nominated producer Jason Blum and Emmy-winning writer/director/producer Ryan Murphy, the Erin Brockovich Oscar winner will be feted alongside previously announced honorees Miky Lee (the Pillar Award for “exemplary leadership and support for the Academy Museum”), Steve McQueen (the Vantage Award for “an artist or scholar who has helped to contextualize and challenge dominant narratives around cinema”) and Tilda Swinton (the Visionary Award for “an artist or scholar whose extensive oeuvre has advanced the art of cinema”).
“Over the course of her expansive and renowned career, Julia has embodied iconic characters and memorable roles,” Jacqueline Stewart, the newly named director and president of the Academy Museum, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to be honoring her continued excellence in the industry and contribution to the arts. We are deeply grateful to Julia, Miky, Steve, and Tilda, to Rolex, and to our co-chairs and host committee for making our second annual Gala an evening to remember.”
The inaugural 2021 gala raised more than $11 million for the museum.
The museum also announced that a host of big names have joined the gala host committee, among them: newly minted Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, as well as Adrien Brody, Amanda Seyfried and Thomas Sadoski, Awkwafina, Billie Lourd, Bryce Dallas Howard, Chloe Sevigny, Colman Domingo, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Darren Criss, Eddie Redmayne, Eiza Gonzalez, Elle Fanning, Emma Roberts, George C. Wolfe, Glenn Close, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, Joe Jonas & Sophie Turner, Jon Hamm, Jonathan Majors, Judd Apatow & Leslie Mann, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Keke Palmer, Kid Cudi, Kirsten Dunst, Leonardo DiCaprio, Letitia Wright, Lily Collins, Lucy Liu, Natasha Lyonne, Orlando Bloom, Regina Hall, Renee Zellweger, Riley Keough, Robert Duvall, Ron Howard, Ruth Negga and Selma Blair.
Overseeing event production and design are gala creative director Lisa Love and artistic director Raul Avila.
Americans are buying electric vehicles at a record pace, undeterred by rising prices and long waits for delivery, a further indication that the twilight of the internal combustion engine is on the horizon.
Vehicles that run on batteries accounted for 5.6 percent of new-car sales from April through June, still a small slice of the market but twice the share a year ago, according to Cox Automotive, an industry consulting firm. Overall, new-car sales declined 20 percent.
Companies like Tesla, Ford Motor and Volkswagen could have delivered more electric cars if they had been able to build them faster. The carmakers struggled with shortages of semiconductors, which are even more essential to electric cars than to gasoline vehicles, while prices soared for lithium and other raw materials needed for batteries.
“The transformation is real,” said John Lawler, the chief financial officer of Ford, which sold 15,300 electric cars from April through June, a 140 percent increase from a year earlier. “Electric vehicle demand is well beyond what we can supply.”
At the same time, the popularity of electric vehicles has taken the industry by surprise and exposed deficiencies that could slow the transition to battery power, which is considered essential to containing climate change.
One of the lessons for Ford and other carmakers is that the switch to electric vehicles requires them to fundamentally remake their factory and supply networks. To make the transition, they have begun underwriting makers of advanced batteries, for example, and are dealing directly with mining companies to secure scarce raw materials. Ford is planning a $5.6 billion complex near Memphis to build electric vehicles.
Carmakers and suppliers have announced plans to invest more than $500 billion worldwide through 2026 to upgrade their factory networks and supply chains, according to AlixPartners, a consultancy. But it will take several years for manufacturing capacity to meet demand.
Lack of public chargers is another impediment, especially for apartment dwellers who lack garages or private driveways where they can plug in. Numerous companies are competing to build networks, and the Biden administration is providing funding, but they are playing catch-up.
“The market is ahead of the charging network,” said Cathy Zoi, the chief executive of EVgo, which operates more than 850 fast-charging stations in the United States.
Electric cars remain much more costly than their gasoline counterparts and are out of reach for many buyers, even when the fuel savings are factored in. The average price for an electric vehicle in the United States is about $66,000, compared with $46,000 for all new cars. One reason is the cost of batteries, which rose in price because of shortages of raw materials after declining for years.
“To get to 15 percent of the market, or 25 percent or 50 percent, we are going to have to appeal to a much broader segment of the marketplace,” said John Bozzella, the president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an industry group. “That to me is where the challenge is.”
While electric vehicle sales in the United States are growing fast, Europe and China remain far ahead. Battery-powered vehicles account for more than 10 percent of new cars sold in Europe and around 20 percent in China. Government quotas and subsidies play a large role, but there is also a greater selection of lower-priced models.
Government policy also plays a large role in the United States. California requires manufacturers to sell a certain number of zero-emission vehicles, and residents there drive nearly 40 percent of electric cars on the road in the United States. But efforts by the Biden administration to promote electric vehicles nationwide, by offering electric car buyers tax credits worth up to $12,500, for example, have run into strong opposition in Congress.
Sales in the United States will gain momentum as battery-powered cars become more commonplace, said Felipe Smolka, a partner at the consulting firm EY who follows the electric vehicle market. People will become reluctant to buy cars powered by fossil fuels, he said, out of fear they could become obsolete and lose their resale value. Carmakers have largely stopped investing in internal combustion engine technology.
“The energy behind this transition is already at a point where there is no return,” Mr. Smolka said.
Not all carmakers are sharing equally in the electric vehicle boom. Among the traditional automakers, there is an increasing divide between those that have begun selling vehicles that can compete with Tesla’s popular models and those that have not.
Major carmakers like Toyota, Honda and Stellantis, the maker of Jeep, Chrysler and Ram vehicles, are largely absent from the pure electric vehicle market in the United States, although they have announced plans for battery-powered models. Toyota began selling a battery-powered sport utility vehicle, the bZ4X, this year but recalled some of those cars in June because of a risk that the wheels could come off.
Being early to market is no guarantee of success. The Nissan Leaf was one of the first electric vehicles to be mass produced, but the model’s U.S. sales totaled only 3,300 during the second quarter, a 30 percent decline from a year earlier. Nissan is replacing the Leaf with the Ariya, an electric S.U.V. that will go on sale in the fall.
General Motors, once regarded as an E.V. leader among traditional carmakers, was knocked off track last year by a recall of its electric Bolt. There was a risk the batteries could catch on fire. G.M. sold fewer than 500 Bolts in the first quarter of 2022. In the second quarter, sales rebounded to 7,300, but that was still a 20 percent decline from the second quarter of 2021.
For companies with an electric vehicle lineup, the technological transformation underway is an opportunity to raise their profiles. Ford and the South Korean carmakers Hyundai and Kia, which are corporate siblings, have been the most popular E.V. brands in the United States this year after Tesla.
Tesla remains the company to beat, but it is showing signs of vulnerability. The company delivered more than 254,000 vehicles in the second quarter, down from 310,000 in the first quarter because of shutdowns and supply chain problems that affected its factory in Shanghai.
Tesla sales in the second quarter were up 26 percent from a year earlier, and the company said it built more cars in June than ever in its history, a sign that supply problems are easing.
Still, Tesla faces intensifying competition in China, which has the world’s largest car market. BYD, a Chinese automaker that also produces batteries, sold 70,000 pure electric vehicles worldwide in June alone. In Europe, Tesla trailed Volkswagen, Stellantis and Hyundai/Kia in electric vehicle sales during the first five months of 2022, according to Schmidt Automotive Research in Berlin. (Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y remained the most popular electric cars in Europe.)
Tesla’s command of the market will slip as traditional automakers introduce dozens of electric models, analysts at Bank of America said in a recent report. They predicted that Tesla’s share of electric car sales worldwide would plummet to 11 percent by 2025, from 70 percent last year.
“Tesla’s dominance in this still nascent market segment may be coming to an end,” the Bank of America analysts said.
Schnapp says the show’s writers have “been intentionally pulling that out over the past few seasons.”
It’s official: Will Byers is gay.
In a new interview with Variety, Noah Schnapp revealed that one of the most popular “Stranger Things” fan theories circulating the Internet is true. His character does, in fact, have romantic feelings for Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard).
“I mean, it’s pretty clear this season that Will has feelings for Mike,” Schnapp said. “They’ve been intentionally pulling that out over the past few seasons. Even in Season 1, they hinted at that and slowly, slowly grew that storyline. I think for Season 4, it was just me playing this character who loves his best friend but struggles with knowing if he’ll be accepted or not, and feeling like a mistake and like he doesn’t belong. Will has always felt like that. All his friends, they all have girlfriends and they all fit into their different clubs. Will has never really found anywhere to fit in. I think that’s why so many people come up to me and tell me that they love Will and they resonate with him so much, because it’s such a real character.”
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The fan theory about Will’s love for Mike was strengthened after a pivotal conversation that the two characters have in a van in Season 4. But Schnapp revealed that he didn’t realize the scene’s impact until after he saw the finished product.
“I remember when I was doing the scene, I was bawling, like, going all out the whole day,” he said. “And when I saw it on screen, it was actually more subtle. I liked how they edited it together. The day was a lot of fun. I love just playing with Will. This scene was really important for him, because it really solidified that truth, that he loves his best friend and he doesn’t know how to tell him.”
Will’s potential homosexuality and feelings for Mike have been the subject of fan speculation for quite some time, though Schnapp’s remarks are a departure from his previous comments. The actor previously refused to give fans a definitive answer, saying that Will’s sexuality was up for interpretation.
“I think that’s the beauty of it, that it’s just up to the audience’s interpretation, if it’s Will kind of just refusing to grow up and growing up slower than his friends, or if he is really gay,” he said. “I find that people do reach to put a label on him and just want to know, so badly, like, ‘Oh, and this is it.’ He’s just confused and growing up. And that’s what it is to be a kid.”
All episodes of “Stranger Things 4” are now streaming on Netflix.
The Oscar-winning U.S. actor, who most recently starred in A24’s “When You Finish Saving the World,” directed by Jesse Eisenberg, and will next appear in Benjamin Caron-directed “Sharper,” alongside Sebastian Stan and John Lithgow, also from A24, is a longtime Venice regular.
Moore was last on the Lido with George Clooney-directed “Suburbicon” in 2017. She won the Venice Coppa Volpi acting award in 2002 for “Far From Heaven,” directed by Todd Haynes.
Moore, who won an Oscar for “Still Alice,” is the first American woman to be awarded top acting prizes in all of Europe’s top fests. In addition to Venice, the actor was awarded in Berlin for Stephen Daldry’s “The Hours” in 2003, and in Cannes for David Cronenberg’s “Map to the Stars.”
Moore will head a seven-member jury panel with three women and four men that also comprises French director Audrey Diwan, winner of last year’s Venice Golden Lion for abortion drama “Happening,” and Iranian actor Leila Hatami who broke out globally with Asghar Farhadi’s “A Separation.”
British author and screenwriter Kazuo Ishiguro (“Never Let Me Go”); Italian director Leonardo di Costanzo, who was in Venice last year with prison drama “The Inner Cage”; Argentina’s Mariano Cohn, also in Venice last year with comedy “Official Competition” starring Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas; and Spanish director and producer Rodrigo Sorogoyen, whose film “Mother” screened in Venice’s Horizons section in 2019, round off the Venice jury panel.
Venice’s 79th edition will run Aug. 31-Sept. 10. The lineup will be announced on July 26.
Paul Gallico’s 1958 novel “Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris,” about a British cleaning lady with high couture dreams, wouldn’t seem to have even a stitch of contemporary relevance. Yet Anthony Fabian’s charming adaptation, snuggly tailored to star Lesley Manville, proves the durability of a good fairy tale and a smashing dress.
The film, which open in theaters Friday, has added an “H” to the title, in case the cockney accent got lost in translation. But “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” has not otherwise skimped on a warm helping of plucky British decency in resurrecting the tale of Ada Harris (Manville), a widow in post-WWII London who hasn’t lost her stiff upper lip and good-natured optimism despite little that has gone her way in midlife.
She and her best friend, a fellow cleaner named Vi (Ellen Thomas), spend most of their days at the service of wealthy aristocrats who duck their payments, pleading poverty. At the pub, they’re more likely to be asked to watch a dog than to dance. “That’s what we are, Vi,” says Ada. “The invisible women.”
Nevertheless, hope hasn’t gone out of Ada’s life. When she catches sight of her lady’s gown, a Christian Dior purchased for 500 pounds, Ada is completely enchanted and becomes determined to raise the money for one, herself. Aside from all the work and good fortune at the greyhound races needed to raise the money, realizing her dream requires much more than a trip to the nearest luxury store. Ada must travel to the House of Dior in Paris, a quixotic notion for anyone of her stature.
“You’re a dreamer,” says her bookie friend (Jason Isaacs). “Plain as the nose on your face”
Yet Ada manages it. Along her journey, she’s met by many who disapprove of such a low-class woman reaching for the hem of high-class elegance, among them, Isabella Huppert, playing a condescending atelier manager who tries to shoo her out.
But many of those Ada encounters are immediately disarmed by the sincerity of her quest. She’s not aiming for a status upgrade; she just loves the dresses, that’s all. Ada’s straightforward and kind manner wins her a number of allies, including a courteous marquis (Lambert Wilson), a melancholy model (Alba Baptista) and a helpful accountant (Lucas Bravo).
With their help, Ada and her rolls of cash get a seat at a Dior fashion show, with pieces re-created by costume design master Jenny Beavan (“Cruella,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Howards End”). For Manville, who memorably played Cyril, the imposing sister of Daniel Day-Lewis’ meticulous designer in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Phantom Thread,” it marks a return — through a very different entryway — to a mid-century house of fashion. For the terrific veteran character actor of Mike Leigh’s films and many others, it’s a lovely, lighter turn for Manville, and a most-deserved leading role.
Fabian’s film embraces the familiar beats of its story, bathing “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” in the twinkling glow of fairy tale. It’s best in its mostly London-set first half, as Ada seizes her dreams, and a little too cartoonish in Paris, where she not only wins over Huppert’s character but leads a tidy labor uprising. “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” stretches a bit to make high and low meet harmoniously, but it often manages the feat, thanks especially to Manville. As a force of British charm, you could imagine her Ada one day teaming up with Paddington. I mean, so long as the bear was fitted for a new duffle coat.
“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” a Focus Features release, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for suggestive material, language and smoking. Running time: 115 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
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The Tribeca festival featured 111 films and 16 online premieres produced by 151 filmmakers from 40 countries from June 9-26. 88 films were world premieres, 50 were directed by first-time film makers, and 46 percent of the 127 films presented were from female directors. Tribeca also provided a stellar home screening platform for U.S. audiences during the festival, with numerous narrative, documentary, and short films available.
The festival continued its tradition of selecting outstanding critical documentaries for the program. Many documentaries presented a grim view of the apparent dystopian reality of contemporary U.S. society, reflecting moral and political challenges. In this review of three documentaries, some additional information is provided to elucidate the filmmaker’s perspectives.
AMERICAN PAIN, Darren Foster, USA, 2022
This well-researched and narrated documentary presents the opioid pill mill of the twin brothers Chris and Jeff George. Coming from a wealthy background, the twins collaborated with doctors to establish a chain store operation where individuals from Florida and other states were able to purchase all the drugs they needed or wanted. The twins worked in concert with doctors to process a huge number of examinations and prescriptions. The rapidly expanding pain-clinic operation was profitable and enriched the operators and the pharmaceutical companies producing and distributing the pills. Florida’s policy not keeping data on prescriptions nor requiring permission for opening these clinics helped. The business was openly run with full knowledge of the press and law enforcement officers. When the clinics were finally closed by the authorities, one twin already released from jail blamed drug addicts. Chris and Jeff denied responsibility for any harm they caused. In a related case, three major US drug distributors were not held responsible in early July 2022 by a federal judge for an addiction epidemic they caused. In Cabell County they had distributed 81 million pills over eight years in a county with only 100,000 residents.
KATRINA BABIES, Edward Buckles jr., USA, 2022
In the superb and innovative U.S. HBO 2022 documentary KATRINA BABIES by the first-time director Edward Buckles jr. the film maker interviews people who were young and living in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck the city in 2005. Buckles investigates how the consequences of the disaster shaped their lives and families. They articulate the impact of Katrina; the social and psychological trauma caused by the destruction of their communities. Buckles provides reminders and new insights about the human dimensions of the Katrina nightmare, from drowning, forced relocation, living in poisonous trailers, and lukewarm federal and state financial responses to Katrina. As replayed nationwide during the pandemic years beginning in 2020, young minorities from New Orleans were deprived of regular in-person education for years. This led to knowledge deficits, an educational burden not overcome by subsequent compensatory education. Buckles documentary is long overdue because most people have forgotten about Hurricane Katrina. More than half of the Katrina victims were minorities living in poor neighborhoods, which were flooded. They had no insurance, and were underemployed. Although not mentioned in the film, it should be noted that 75% of the 9/11 World Trade Center victims were white and male and less than 50 years old. They belonged to the upper income groups. The 9/11 victim compensation fund paid $2 million to each dead victim’s family.
THE YOUTUBE EFFECT, Alex Wiener, USA, Brazil, Germany, Taiwan, Chile, 2022
Written, directed, and produced by Alex Wiener, THE YOUTUBE EFFECT was one of the most challenging documentaries selected by Tribeca this year. Wiener and his crew interviewed YouTube supporters and opponents, social media researchers, YouTube executives, and academics from all over the world to find answers to crucial questions. YouTube is expanding continually, valued at more than $300 billion with 2.3 billion users, and is found in most countries with company operated/owned affiliates and proprietary data centers. Its algorithms determine what creators produce and what keeps the YouTube audience engaged and growing. YouTube has been able to elude any control by public authorities and has remained a monopolistic company driven by the earnings.
YouTube and other social media platforms must confront the same question, what is their impact on purchasing and normative / moral behavior? The massive shift of advertising dollars to visual media seems to give a partial answer. The impact of YouTube content and of other carriers on normative behavior remains an open question. Attempts by internal committees at the company to develop new censorship guidelines have not received management approval. Interventions by foreign entities can pose an economic theat. YouTube algorithms are proprietary; whatever threatens the emotional engagement of the viewers, and their largest motivating video cannot be touched. If viewers are more likely to respond to currently upsetting content than anything harmonious, there is no need to change the algorithm. YouTube claims that 90% of harmful new videos are removed. At the end of THE YOUTUBE EFFECT, the CEO of the company, Susan Wojcicki, shares her predictions that YouTube will provide benefits for education, connect the community, and technologies will offer tremendous opportunities. These bizarre statements escape reality. YouTube reinforces the fragmentation of social groups by reducing face to face interpersonal communication. How YouTube exposure disconnected from intersubjective personal communication benefits education is a mystery. I gather from informal discussions with Silicon Valley executives that they set a strict limit on their children’s access to YouTube and other social media. However, YouTube will exploit any new technologies which strengthens the algorithm lifeblood of the company.
“Big Brother” Season 24 contestant Paloma Aguilar exited the show during Thursday night’s live episode.
“An unexpected turn of events has now changed everything,” host Julie Chen Moonves said at the top of the show. During the episode, Aguilar revealed that she wasn’t sleeping at all and was struggling with her anxiety. Eventually, she entered the diary room and Head of Household Daniel Durston called everyone to the living room to read a note from production.
“Due to a personal matter, Paloma will no longer be continuing in the ‘Big Brother’ game,” he read to the other houseguests. “She wanted to pass along that she loves you all and wishes you all the best.”
Chen then told the house that originally, the nominees, Taylor Hale and Terrence Higgins, would have been competing against the three “Backstage Pass” holders, and the loser would be sent home. However, since Aguilar was one of the “Backstage Pass” holders — and only one houseguest was set to go home for week one — Chen announced no one would be going home.
In one discussion, Durston admitted to Aguilar that he was worried about how it would look to have “two Black people on the block at the end of my week.” Aguilar responded, “We need to put that aside, and America needs to put that aside … It can be explained afterwards. We need to play this game.”
In turn, an outcry happened on social media, as both fans and former contestants alike urged for a change to happen.
“The treatment of Taylor in #BB24 is a prime example of why The Cookout was formed,” Season 23 winner Xavier Prather began, referencing his all-Black alliance. “Members of the black community (especially black women) and other people of color stand no chance in the Big Brother House due to perpetuation of micro-aggressions and unconscious biases which plague our society.”
He then apologized for his own “shortcomings” during the show, adding that he “can’t help but feel partially responsible for some of the reprehensible behavior I see being exhibited by current houseguests who consider me one of their ‘favorites.’”
At the time, Variety confirmed that the houseguests had been spoken to about microaggressions and that the entire cast went through the sensitivity training before filming began.
Netflix is currently filming the highly anticipated next movie from Lee Daniels The Deliverance (formerly know as The Deliverance) which is a feature film based on the haunting story of Latoya Ammons and her family that was widely reported in the US back in 2014.
Filmmaker Lee Daniels rewrote the script from earlier drafts and will direct the horror picture. His credits include Empire, Star, Good People, and The United States vs. Billie Holiday. It is said that Netflix paid a hefty sum of $65M to get the rights for the movie.
Up until July 2022, the movie was known as Demon House but likely to avoid conflicts with a 2018 movie of the same name, it’s now called The Deliverance.
Picture: Getty Images
Besides Daniels, also producing are Todd Crites and Jackson Nguyen of Turn Left Productions, and Greg Renker and Gregoire Gensollen are EPs. Elijah Bynum and David Coggeshall are writing the movie alongside Daniels.
Here’s everything else we know about Netflix’s The Deliverance:
What’s the plot of The Deliverance?
Picture: indystar.com
The thriller is based on Latoya Ammons and her family, whose life rights made this film possible. They claim to have been victims of a demonic possession that has spanned over two years and counting. Ammons and her family have received international media attention for their accounts, which have been witnessed and documented by the Department of Child Services (DCS), Gary (Indiana) Police Department and hospital staff.
Picture: indystar.com
The experience began with unusual occurrences in her home over two years ago, including swarms of flies around her porch in the winter and unexplainable creaking sounds in her basement. The events progressed to possessive incidents including her oldest daughter unconsciously levitating above her bed, medical staff witnessing her middle son gliding backward on the floor, wall, and ceiling.
According to Relativity, the DCS case manager witnessed her youngest son growling with his teeth showing and eyes rolled back, locking his hands around his older brother’s throat with no recollection of the incident. Initial psychological exams and exorcism attempts failed to provide an explanation or solution for the bizarre events.
The main character in this story is Latoya Ammons and she’ll be played by singer/songwriter Andra Day. It’s believed her character has been renamed to Ebony.
This is Day’s second major venture in film after her leading role as legendary four-time Grammy winner Billie Holiday in the 2021 movie The United States vs. Billie Holiday.
Day was meant to be originally joined by Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures, The Help) but was replaced at a later date (more on this in a second).
Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction, The Wife), Rob Morgan (Stranger Things, Daredevil), Caleb McLaughlin (Stranger Things) and Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard, Lovecraft Country) rounded out the initial announcement.
In April 2022, Deadline reported that Mo’Nique had been cast to replace Octavia Spencer in the movie. This reunited the actress with Lee Daniels following the 2009 movie Precious. Her casting came during her public spat with Netflix over discrimination which was settled in June 2022.
In July 2022, we got even more cast announcements for The Deliverance.
Omar Epps (Fatal Affair, Traffik)
Demi Singleton (King Richard, Godfather of Harlem)
Miss Lawrence(Bros,The United States vs. Billie Holiday)
Anthony B. Jenkins (Chicago Med, The Wonder Years)
Pictured: Omar Epps, Demi Singleton, Miss Lawrence and Anthony B. Jenkins
What’s the production status of The Deliverance?
Netflix’s The Deliverance was in pre-production as of February 2022 and was planned to roll the cameras in March 2022 in Philadelphia, US according to Production Weekly.
Filming for The Deliverance reportedly began on June 20th, 2022, and has been listed to run until August 29th, 2022. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is where The Deliverance is being filmed.
It’s one of many Netflix productions to have filmed in Pittsburgh over the years with others including Sweet Girl, Archive 81, and The Chair.
What’s the Netflix release date for The Deliverance?
Netflix hasn’t announced a release date for The Deliverance, but considering production began in June 2022, we could probably expect the movie to be released on the streamer in the first half of 2023.
Will you be watching The Deliverance on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
July 14, 2022 – Paramount+ today released the official trailer and new photos for its upcoming original film SECRET HEADQUARTERS, a high-concept family action film starring Owen Wilson. The film will be available to stream on Friday, Aug. 12, exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Canada, and later this year in additional international territories where Paramount+ is available. (See the Trailer Below).
Paramount Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films present the heartwarming and action-packed summer family film which also stars Walker Scobell (“The Adam Project”), Jesse Williams (“Take Me Out”), Keith L. Williams (“Good Boys”), Momona Tamada (“The Baby-Sitters Club”), Abby James Witherspoon (“Hot Pursuit”), Kezii Curtis (“Charm City Kings”), and Michael Peña (“NARCOS: Mexico”).
While hanging out after school, Charlie and his friends discover the headquarters of the world’s most powerful superhero hidden beneath his home. When villains attack, they must team up to defend the headquarters and save the world.
SECRET HEADQUARTERS is directed by Henry Joost (“Project Power,” “Nerve,” “Catfish”) & Ariel Schulman (“Project Power,” “Nerve,” “Catfish”), with story by Christopher Yost, and screenplay by Christopher Yost, Josh Koenigsberg and Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman. The film is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, p.g.a. Chad Oman, p.g.a. and executive produced by Scott Lumpkin and Orlee-Rose Strauss.
About Paramount+
Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, combines live sports, breaking news and a mountain of entertainment. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, and the Smithsonian Channel. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world’s biggest and most popular soccer leagues. Paramount+ also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage.
For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.
About Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Paramount (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA), a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Paramount Pictures controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, and Paramount Players. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.
Netflix has recently announced it’s turning Fiona Rosenbloom’s comedic, coming-of-age novel, “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah” into a young adult comedy film. Notoriously famous actor Adam Sandler, who proudly gets behind his jewish heritage) is joining in the production. Joining Sandler will be a sprawling ensemble, which also includes Sunny Sandler (Hustle), Sadie Sandler (Hubie Halloween), Luis Guzmán (Boogie Nights), Ido Mosseri (Sandy Wexler), Samantha Lorraine (The Walking Dead: World Beyond), Dylan Hoffman (Next), Dean Scott Vazquez (Theater Camp), Miya Cech (Always Be My Maybe), Ivory Baker, Dylan Dash (Adeline, The Great), Millie Thorpe (Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion), Zaara Kuttemperoor and Jackie Sandler (The Wrong Missy).
Courtesy of Amazon Prime
You Are SO Not Invited is the latest project to stem from Netflix’s partnership with Sandler and his Happy Madison, which was extended via a four-picture deal in 2020. Sandler’s company inked its original deal with Netflix in 2014 and has thus far produced such films for the company as Sandy Wexler, Murder Mystery, The Do-Over, The Week Of, Hubie Halloween, The Ridiculous Six and the recently released Hustle, along with the comedy special 100% Fresh.
The novel published in 2005, follows Stacey Friedman’s preparations for her Bat Mitzvah, however as the story progresses, her plans unravel in comedic and absurd ways, which threatens to ruin this important event in her life. It was followed up by a sequel in 2007 titled “We Are SO Crashing Your Bar Mitzvah!”.
Sammi Cohen, known for her Hulu original film Crush will serve as director. Along side Cohen will be screenwriter Alison Peck, who worked on the Netflix original film Work It. In addition to acting in the film, Sandler is also producing through his company, Happy Madison Productions.
No comment from Netflix on when fans can expect to see this on screen, but production is set to begin a few months.
NOT OKAY is a dark comedy about one woman’s misguided attempt to become the Internet’s next trending personality. A mix of cautionary tale and social satire, its story traces back to writer-director Quinn Shephard’s experience of the cultural collision online during the last few years.
“I found myself deeply affected by the endless scroll through frightening news headlines, mixed ceaselessly with influencer scandals, cancel culture, and sponsored ads for skincare that are supposed to somehow make you forget that the world is burning,” says Shephard. “Writing NOT OKAY was a way for me to cope with the emotional information overload I was experiencing and use satire to critique it.”
Courtesy of Searchlight/Hulu
NOT OKAY’s characters should be familiar to those with a passing knowledge of the most notorious swindlers of the internet age. Its “heroine”, Danni Sanders (Zoey Deutch), is a photo editor at a content mine who aspires to be the next viral sensation. Her co-worker/crush Colin (Dylan O’Brien), is a weed boi influencer. Her nemesis Harper (Nadia Alexander) is a feminist crusader who trades in RBG think pieces. And her new ally is Rowan, (Mia Isaac) a real trauma survivor turned gun violence advocate; the only virtuous one of the bunch.
As written by Shephard, they’re all tragic figures, each using the Web in an attempt to cope with collective trauma.
“[The movie] really dives into what we’re dealing with as a generation,” says Nadia Alexander, who plays Harper. “When you scroll in your phone, you see baby goats and influencers next to stories about terrorist attacks and governments toppling, and then it’s like, ‘buy this thing’ and, ‘are you skinny enough, what do you need to do?’ And it’s just this constant information overload.”
“This isn’t a social media movie,” Deutch elaborates. “This is, to me, more of a social commentary.” It’s the natural endpoint of a movie that Shephard wrote to explore and satirize the devil’s bargain a whole generation has made with the Internet.
“That’s what I loved about my first conversation with Quinn – that NOT OKAY isn’t meant to be seen as anything negative about social media,” says O’Brien. “It’s highlighting the realities that surround us that we all participate in. It just is what it is.”
“I don’t think this film is telling audiences to throw their phones in the ocean and that social media is evil,” says Shephard. “But you should definitely take all the noise online with a major grain of salt. And also, to question whose stories get told, and why and how they are told.”
“A lot of good happens online and so does a lot of bad,” she continues. “We definitely need to stop seeking meaning in our lives from it, because the Internet will never love you back. But we have to learn to co-exist peacefully with it because I’m pretty sure it’s here to stay.”
Danni Sanders (Zoey Deutch), an aimless aspiring writer with no friends, no romantic prospects, and — worst of all — no followers, fakes an Instagram-friendly trip to Paris in the hopes of boosting her social media clout. When a terrifying incident strikes the City of Lights, Danni unwittingly falls into a lie bigger than she ever imagined. She “returns” as a hero, even striking up an unlikely friendship with Rowan (Mia Isaac), a real trauma survivor dedicated to societal change, and scooping up the man of her dreams Colin (Dylan O’Brien). As an influencer and advocate, Danni finally has the life and audience she always wanted. But it’s only a matter of time before the façade cracks, and she learns the hard way that the Internet loves a takedown.
Searchlight Pictures presents NOT OKAY, written and directed by Quinn Shephard, produced by Brad Weston and Caroline Jaczko. Starring Zoey Deutch Dylan O’Brien, Mia Isaac, Embeth Davidtz, Nadia Alexander, Tia Dionne Hodge, and Negin Farsad.
July 13, 2022 – Paramount+ today announced that season three of its hit original half-hour animated comedy series STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS will premiere on Thursday, August 25, exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S.. Following the premiere, the remaining nine episodes of the 10-episode long season will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays. The official key art for the upcoming third season was also revealed.
Created by Emmy Award winner Mike McMahan (“Rick and Morty,” “Solar Opposites”), season three of STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS challenges the U.S.S. Cerritos ensigns in (hilarious) ways they could never imagine, starting with a shocking resolution for season two’s epic cliffhanger finale.
Courtesy of CBS
The Starfleet crew residing in the “lower decks” of the U.S.S. Cerritos includes Ensign Beckett Mariner, voiced by Tawny Newsome; Ensign Brad Boimler, voiced by Jack Quaid; Ensign Tendi, voiced by Noël Wells; and Ensign Rutherford, voiced by Eugene Cordero. The Starfleet characters that comprise the U.S.S. Cerritos’ bridge crew include Captain Carol Freeman, voiced by Dawnn Lewis; Commander Jack Ransom, voiced by Jerry O’Connell; and Doctor T’Ana, voiced by Gillian Vigman.
The series is produced by CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios’ animation arm; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Secret Hideout’s Alex Kurtzman, Roddenberry Entertainment’s Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth, Katie Krentz (219 Productions), and Heather Kadin serve as executive producers alongside creator and showrunner Mike McMahan. Aaron Baiers (Secret Hideout), who brought McMahan to the project, also serves as an executive producer. Titmouse (“Big Mouth”), the Emmy Award-winning independent animation production company, serves as the animation studio for the series.
STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Latin America and is distributed concurrently by Paramount Global Content Distribution on Amazon Prime Video in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Japan, India and more and in Canada, airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.
About Paramount+:
Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, combines live sports, breaking news and a mountain of entertainment. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world’s biggest and most popular soccer leagues. Paramount+ also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage.
For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.
About CBS Studios:
CBS Studios is one of the industry’s leading suppliers of programming with more than 70 series currently in production across broadcast and cable networks, streaming services and other emerging platforms. The Studio’s expansive portfolio spans a diverse slate of commercially successful and critically acclaimed scripted programming, genre-defining franchises including the ever-growing “Star Trek” universe, award-winning late night and daytime talk shows, and an extensive library of iconic intellectual property.
#StarTrek #StarTrekLowerDecks
@ParamountPlus, @StarTrekOnPPlus
LOS ANGELES 07/14/2022 – Skybound Entertainment will return to San Diego Comic-Con July 20-24, this year with an offering around Skybound franchises “The Walking Dead” and “Impact Winter”. On Thursday, July 21, talent and creators will grant an insider’s look at the development of the post-apocalyptic vampire thriller “Impact Winter” and its evolution from hit audio series to a visual medium via the stunning prequel comic by Travis Beacham and Stephen Green.
Yvette Nicole Brown and Felicia Day will co-moderate alongside the key development team for a behind-the-scenes look at “The Walking Dead: Last Mile” and the creation of this Massively Interactive Live Event (MILE) at “The Walking Dead: Last Mile – The Future of Entertainment” on Friday, July 22.
Skybound comics, including SDCC exclusives, will be available for purchase at the Image Comics booth(#1915).
LIMITED* CONVENTION VARIANTS SOLD AT THE IMAGE COMICS BOOTH(1915): *Quantities will be limited by customer and per day on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please ask at the Image booth about availability.
Skybound X #25 by various, SDCC exclusive variant Foil or B&W, Cover art by James Harren, $20 + tax.
PANELS:
THURSDAY, July 21.
“Impact Winter”: Sound to Page, 10AM – 11AM, Room 9
Courtesy of Skybound Entertainment
“Impact Winter”, Audible’s hit audio series from writer/director Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim, Carnival Row), takes place 10 years after a comet strike blacked out the sun, and vampires have emerged in the darkness to take over what remains of the world. One vampire hunter, a young woman named Darcy, is lured by a powerful vampire overlord and thrust into a fight for her people’s future. Executive produced by Skybound Entertainment (The Walking Dead) and Anonymous Content (True Detective), “Impact Winter” delivers binaural audio, original music and incomparable sound design, all of which bring to life this post-apocalyptic world in visceral detail. Join the team as they spill secrets behind the year’s biggest audio hit and its evolution into a visual medium via the stunning prequel comic written by Travis Beacham with art from Stephen Green (Hellboy and the BPRD). Appearing are writer/director Travis Beacham, comic artist Stephen Green, EVP, Head of US Content Rachel Ghiazza (Audible), executive producer Alexandra August (Skybound Entertainment), and comic editor Amanda LaFranco (Skybound), in a panel moderated by John Rocha (Critic and Host at The Outlaw Nation). The first 100 panel attendees will receive a copy of comic book Impact Winter #1.
FRIDAY, July 22.
“The Walking Dead: Last Mile” – The Future of Entertainment, 5:45PM – 6:45PM, Room 6BCF
Courtesy of Skybound Entertainment
“The Walking Dead: Last Mile” is the next big installment in the beloved franchise created by Robert Kirkman, but this time the story is driven by YOU, the fans. Join actress, comedian, and The Walking Dead superfan Yvetter Nicole Brown alongside actress and creator Felicia Day as they co-moderate a discussion with Massively Interactive Life Even (MILE) creator Jacob Navok of Genvid Entertainment, creative executive Mike Rogers of Skybound Entertainment, senior writer & producer Jessica Woodard of Terrible Posture Games, and Matthew Ball, noted Metaverse author and producer on TWD:LM The team will share the latest details of this MILE, exclusively on Facebook. All attendees receive an exclusive T-Shirt ### Skybound X #25 SDCC-Exclusive Variant Covers by James Harren:
ABOUT SKYBOUND ENTERTAINMENT
Established in 2010, Skybound is a multiplatform content company that works closely with creators and their intellectual properties, extending their stories to further platforms including comics, television, film, tabletop and video games, books, digital content, events, and beyond. The company is home to critically-acclaimed global franchises including “The Walking Dead”, “Invincible”, and “Superfight”.
Skybound’s capabilities include services as publisher, producer, and global distributor for tabletop and video games across all genres, including the multi-million unit selling “The Walking Dead” video game series. Skybound Games is also a strategic global marketing and distribution partner of Striking Distance Studios for the highly anticipated survival-horror game “The Callisto Protocol”.
The company also maintains key partnerships across the entertainment industry including Universal Pictures and Image Comics, holds a first look development deal with Audible, and has engaged in an ongoing strategic business partnership with mobile games publisher and developer 5th Planet Games (OAX: FIVEPG). Skybound digital and creative IP boasts unique creators such as Kristian Harloff and the Schmoedown Entertainment Network as well as Peter Santa-Maria and his Attack Peter brand. For the most up-to-date information on Skybound, please visit the company on Twitter(@Skybound), YouTube(Skybound), Facebook(@Skybound Entertainment), Instagram (@skyboundent), and at www.skybound.com.
Legendary director Martin Scorsese will be this year’s recipient of the Location Managers Guild International’s Eva Monley Award, presented to filmmakers who have demonstrated extraordinary support for the work of location professionals. It’s named in honor of the late-Eva Monley, who scouted locations for David Lean, John Huston, Otto Preminger and many others. The 9th annual awards ceremony will be held Aug. 27 at the Los Angeles Center Studios.
“We are so proud to be able to honor Martin Scorsese, a master of cinema whose work has inspired generations of filmmakers, delighted fans around the world and made the work of his location managers shine on the screen,” said LMGI president John Rakich.
Scorsese, whose film career spans seven decades, has directed such critically acclaimed, award-winning films as Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, Shutter Island, Hugo and Silence. In 2007, his film The Departed won five Academy Awards including Best Director and Best Picture. Scorsese also directed The Wolf of Wall Street and The Irishman, both of which received Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Picture. He is currently in post-production on Killers of the Flower Moon.
Scorsese has also directed numerous documentaries, including The Last Waltz; the Peabody Award-winning No Direction Home: Bob Dylan; the Emmy-nominated docuseries Pretend It’s a City, and Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story.
He received Emmy Awards for Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming and Outstanding Nonfiction Special for his documentary George Harrison: Living in the Material World; and executive produced the HBO series Boardwalk Empire, winning an Emmy and DGA Award for directing the pilot episode. He’s currently in post-production on a documentary about New York Dolls singer David Johansen.
The Location Managers Guild International is a global organization of location professionals working in the motion picture, television, commercial and print production industries. The LMGI is not a labor union and does not represent location managers in contract negotiations.
Hyd, the moniker of interdisciplinary artist and PC Music associate Hayden Dunham, has shared a new song called “Afar.” Caroline Polachek produced and co-wrote the track. “Afar” also comes with a music video directed by Rose Schlossberg and Hyd, in which the artist bathes in hot steam clouds. Check it out below.
“Afar” was written during a period in which Hyd temporarily lost their eyesight. “Caroline and I started ‘Afar’ in Santa Monica and finished it at her house in Brooklyn. The productions are distilled to feel like a vapor den,” explained Hyd in a statement. “The voice in the song is meant to emanate from an imagined guardian—a presence without a body, an angel next to me. My vision was gone and I had to steam my eyes regularly with hot water vapor, which was the predominant element of that time for me and this song.”
NOTE: The below article first ran in 2019. We’re reposting it here along with a reminder that applications for Project Involve 2022 are currently open. The non-Member deadline was August 24, but Film Independent Members have until September 7.
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Perhaps the biggest indie movie success story of the year, Lulu Wang’s autobiographical family drama The Farewell debuted in mid-July to critical hosannas and boffo art house B.O. Based on the Chinese-American filmmaker’s own experiences reconnecting with estranged family via the well-intentioned deception of an ailing matriarch, Wang first told the story on a 2016 episode of This American Life—a full two years after her stint as a Fellow in the 2014 edition of Film Independent’s Project Involve.
Interestingly, by the time of her participation in Project Involve, Wang had already completed what was to be her feature debut—the 2014 romantic drama Posthumous. But a desire to further refine her artistic voice led Wang back to Film Independent’s signature Artist Development program aimed at advancing the careers of filmmakers hailing from underrepresented backgrounds.
Through the program, Wang completed the short film Touch, whose themes of cultural disconnect and familial regret would resurface in The Farewell. Wang credits the film with helping lay the foundation of this year’s breakthrough success, with The Farewell well situated for a strong awards season run.
Over dim sum at a Culver City restaurant in the midst of a busy industry reception, we sat down with Wang to get her thoughts on her time in Project Involve, growing as an artist and the biggest choice she’s glad she made:
LULU WANG and “TOUCH”
I wanted to ask you about your Project Involve short, Touch, and how it relates to The Farewell. They both share themes of cultural difference and disconnection that creates. Was that a theme you consciously wanted to carry over from the short to the feature?
Wang: It wasn’t necessarily conscious. In Project Involve they give you a theme each year, and the theme that year was “Sophie’s Choice.” I thought about a story my father had told me, about a case he encountered in his work as a translator. That story dealt with cultural differences and was just very nuanced and complex, with a moment of Sophie’s Choice at the end for a character. And then this story [The Farewell] happened to me in real life. So it wasn’t intentional to track the themes from one movie to the next. It was more like the films revealed a common thread in my own life. I’m an immigrant; my family is immigrants. We’re always straddling two different worlds and worldviews.
What was something you learned not to do in the making of Touch that you improved upon when it came time to make The Farewell?
Wang: Well, you know. The nature of shorts is that you’re restricted in terms of runtime. And when you’re restricted in terms of time, you’re restricted in terms of tone. So I really wanted—with The Farewell—to push myself further with the degree of comedy and the degree of pathos, to allow both to exist simultaneously.
Was there a difference in your creative approach to each project?
Wang: On Touch I focused more on plot, because we were restricted in terms of time. With The Farewell I focused more on dread and anticipation. Like, you set up the situation but then you spend most of the movie with the internal emotions of the characters. With a feature film, you have the ability to do that.
In what ways was having short like Touch useful as a sort of calling card for the industry?
Wang: Well, my first feature, Posthumous, was a three-million-dollar film. I feel really fortunate that I was able to get tremendous actors and have real production and financing. I really learned how to put together a film through that. And I actually made Touch after I made my first feature…
Oh, interesting. I didn’t realize that.
Wang: Yeah, because I got into Project Involve the same time I was starting to prep for Posthumous. So I deferred it [Project Involve]. And then, after I made Posthumous, my agent—at the time—was like, “You don’t need to make a short now. You don’t need to do a program. Focus on your next feature, make something bigger.” I think there’s the sense, or myth, that as a filmmaker you always have to go bigger, bigger, bigger. For me, I really wanted to make something smaller and take risks and be able to figure out my voice. Touch allowed me to play with that and start to tell a story that was not black and white; it was full of complicated nuances that left people asking questions.
We’re headed into awards season now. The Farewell has had an incredibly successful release. What are one or two things you think, looking back, that you really nailed in terms of finding an audience?
Wang: I can’t really take credit for any of it. I just made the movie. But two things I’m really proud of: one was the decision to choose A24 instead of Netflix. We had a substantial amount of money on the table I turned down. I called my mom and called my boyfriend and had all these meaningful conversations—it was a real test of my values system. I chose A24 because I knew they’d put the film into a conversation that a streaming platform wouldn’t. I don’t think theatrical is always right. I don’t have anything against streaming. It’s just, for a young filmmaker like me, I’m not a brand. Nobody knows who I am. I would get lost amongst the bigger films that Netflix and Amazon are making.
What’s the second thing?
Wang: The decision for A24 to release the film during the summer. That was something we, the filmmakers, were kind of like, “Are we sure that’s what we want to do?” If you want to be part of the awards conversation it’s better to release in the fall. But their whole strategy was, “Look, let’s try to make the film a hit first. This film needs time for people to really catch on and start talking about it.” It’s like droplets of water, right? It builds, it accumulates, and I think really knowing your film and what your film needs is really important.
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July 11, 2022 – Award-winning drama series “Queen Sugar” returns to OWN this fall for its seventh and final season boasting a directorial line-up of returning all-star directors, including creator and executive producer Ava DuVernay. From ARRAY Filmworks and Warner Bros. Television, the series has started production on the final episode in and around New Orleans.
Courtesy of Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
When “Queen Sugar” first began production in 2016, creator and executive producer Ava DuVernay made a commitment to exclusively hire women as directors, and kept that promise through the entire series run. Over the course of its seven seasons, “Queen Sugar” has employed 42 women to direct episodes of the show, with 39 of those being first-time scripted television directors in the United States. Every director has gone on to direct a wide variety of award-winning television series and films across all major streaming and broadcast networks. The final season welcomes the return of seven directors from previous seasons, including Kat Candler, Stacey Muhammad, showrunner Shaz Bennett, Patricia Cordosa, Aurora Guerrero, DeMane Davis and Ava DuVernay. DuVernay, having directed the pilot in season one, will return to direct the final episode in a full-circle moment.
Notable guest stars include the return of Emmy award-winner Glynn Turman, the late father of the Bordelon siblings; Emmy nominees Tracie Thoms, as Nova’s long lost highschool love, and Sharon Lawrence as Charley Bordelon’s mother Lorna; Emmy award-winner Greg Vaughan as Nova’s former partner; Vanessa Bell Calloway (“This Is Us,” “Shameless”), Amirah Vann as family nemesis Parker Campbell; and Brian Michael as Ralph Angel’s high school friend and current police officer Toine. Kaci Walfall (“Naomi”), and Lamman Rucker (“Greenleaf”) join returning recurring cast members that include Reagan Gomez who portrays Nova’s former lover Chantal; Grammy Award-winner Ann Nesby as Sandy, the at-home nurse who catches Prosper Denton’s eye; Tanyell Waivers, Micah’s ex-girlfriend Keke; McKinley Freeman, Nova’s anthropologist boyfriend Dominic; and Vivien Ngô, Ralph Angel’s ex-girlfriend Trinh.
“Queen Sugar” is produced for OWN by DuVernay’s ARRAY Filmworks and Harpo Films in association with Warner Bros. Television. Executive producers are Ava DuVernay, Oprah Winfrey, Paul Garnes and Shaz Bennett. The series is based on the book by Natalie Baszile. All previous seasons of “Queen Sugar” are currently available to stream exclusively on Hulu.
Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Drama Series in both 2017 and 2022, “Queen Sugar” was declared “one of the best hours on television” on its 2021 Emmy Magazine cover. Recently nominated for a 2022 Humanitas Award, the African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) has honored the series as Best TV Drama for four consecutive years, along with the Impact Award and multiple Best Writing awards. Creator and executive producer Ava DuVernay was recently named Producer of the Year by The Hollywood Reporter, with the International Emmy Awards announcing it will honor DuVernay with the prestigious Founders Award this fall.
