The first season of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone is live, and the update integrates MW3 guns, movement, and several features with the addition of the new Urzikstan map. Perks work differently than past years of Warzone, and here’s everything you need to know.
Season 1 of Warzone has over 30 perks. There are 10 new and 19 returning options you can choose from when equipping perks to your loadout, and there will be five enabled by default, meaning you’ll have this specific set of perks active from the moment you drop into the match.
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Default perks
Tac Pads: Improves slide distance and allows for full ADS while sliding, along with increased stance transition speeds
Commando Gloves: Enables reloading while running
Quick-Grip Gloves: Increases your weapon swap speed
Climbing Boots: Increases climbing and mantling speed aspect
Overkill: Allows you to pick two primary weapons
Season 1’s new perks
Irradiated: Move faster and take less damage while in the gas
Tempered: Tempered allows you to refill armor plates to full with two plates instead of three
Combat Scout: Bullets you fire briefly ping an enemy for you and your squad. Hitting the enemy from farther away increases the ping time
Resolute: When taking damage from gunfire, this grants a short bonus to movement speed
Shrouded: Drop a smoke grenade when downed
Mountaineer: Reduces fall damage
Stalker: Increased strafe and aim down sight movement speed
Escapist: Increased downed, prone, and crouch speed
Primed: Accuracy and time to aim down sight is improved while jumping
Faculty: Delays triggered explosives while sprinting, warns of nearby enemy equipment, and reduces combat noise
Perk package 3 – New Primed perk
Best perks to use
Perk packages remain in Warzone, allowing you to customize your own packs with up to four perks for each loadout.
Slot one and two
These first two slots share the same pool of twelve perks. There are a few solid choices here, including E.O.D., Battle Hardened, Sleight of Hand, and the new Irradiated perk. These can vary in usefulness depending on your playstyle.
If you’re an aggressive player, you might want to consider Sleight of Hand for faster reloads. Season 1’s Irradiated perk allows you to move faster and take less damage while in the gas. This is going to be a handy perk for fleeing the circle collapses and also for those late-game situations where you might be forced to fight another team or player in the gas.
Additionally, you can use E.O.D. to help reduce damage from enemy equipment such as grenades and breacher drones, and Battle Hardened will reduce the effect of enemy equipment such as flash grenades, stuns, and shock sticks.
Slot three
For the third slot, Tempered and Primed are solid picks. Tempered lets you be fully-plated with just two plates instead of requiring three. Primed is a brand-new perk which can be helpful if you’re a player who likes to bunny hop (jump around) in gun fights, as this perk grants you improved accuracy and ADS time while jumping.
If you’re someone who enjoys the Plunder cash mode or just wants to earn cash faster in your battle royale matches, you might consider equipping Payout. Payout is a new Season 1 perk that awards more cash for completing contracts and gives discounts to UAV Towers.
Slot four
The last slot has some of Warzone’s most powerful and popular picks, forcing you to choose between perks like Ghost, High Alert, and Combat Scout.
Ghost will keep you off enemy radar, but it’s been changed to only work when you’re actively moving. If you’re someone who plays a bit more tactical and campy, you might want to choose a different perk here.
High Alert is good for knowing when an enemy has you in their sights, and Combat Scout is great if you’re someone who likes to be a team player and provide additional intel to your squad, as Combat Scout will briefly highlight any player your bullets hit.
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The final month of the year has arrived, and with it an early Festivus bounty of news (very exciting!) about the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which are happening once again on February 25, back on the beach in Santa Monica. Last week brought tell of our incomparable new Spirit Awards host: SNL funnywoman and Emmy-nominated streaming series auteur Aidy Bryant. Now, the nondenominational secular-humanist Holiday Gnomes have brought us something potentially even more exciting… the nominees!
For the third consecutive year, the Spirit Awards will recognize outstanding achievement in uniqueness of vision, innovation and boldness in TV and streaming in addition to feature film. And for the second year, all acting categories (Best Performance, Best Supporting Performance and Best Breakthrough Performance, in both Film and TV) are gender-neutral.
Noms were revealed in a livestream earlier today on Film Independent’s YouTube channel (like and subscribe!) by special guest presenters Joel Kim Booster and Natalie Morales:
Spirit Awards winners are voted on exclusively by Film Independent Members. Be sure to join by December 18 to receive access to nominee screeners and full Spirit Awards Member benefits. The Spirit Awards are Film Independent’s largest fundraiser of the year, helping us to continue our mission year-round. And now, here are this year’s nominees:
BEST FEATURE
(Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair
May December
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Grant S. Johnson, Pamela Koffler, Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Christine Vachon
Passages
Producers: Michel Merkt, Saïd Ben Saïd
Past Lives
Producers: David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon
We Grown Now
Producers: Minhal Baig, Joe Pirro
BEST FIRST FEATURE
(Award given to director and producer)
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
Director: Raven Jackson
Producers: Maria Altamirano, Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski
Chronicles of a Wandering Saint
Director: Tomás Gómez Bustillo
Producers: Gewan Brown, Amanda Freedman
Earth Mama
Director/Producer: Savanah Leaf
Producers: Sam Bisbee, Shirley O’Connor, Medb Riordan, Cody Ryder
A Thousand and One
Director: A.V. Rockwell
Producers: Julia Lebedev, Rajani Rishi, Eddie Vaisman, Lena Waithe, Brad Weston
Upon Entry
Directors: Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez
Producers: Sergio Adrià, Carlos Juárez, Alba Sotorra, Carles Torras, Xosé Zapata
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000 (Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)
The Artifice Girl
Director/Writer: Franklin Ritch
Producers: Aaron B. Koontz, Ashleigh Snead
Cadejo Blanco
Director/Writer/Producer: Justin Lerner
Producers: Mauricio Escobar, Jack Patrick Hurley, Ryan Friedkin
Fremont
Director/Writer: Babak Jalali
Writer: Carolina Cavalli
Producers: Rachael Fung, Chris Martin, Marjaneh Moghimi, George Rush, Sudnya Shroff, Laura Wagner
Producers: Katherine Harper, Laura Heberton, Tommy Heitkamp
BEST DIRECTOR
Andrew Haigh
All of Us Strangers
Todd Haynes
May December
William Oldroyd
Eileen
Celine Song
Past Lives
Ira Sachs
Passages
BEST SCREENPLAY
David Hemingson
The Holdovers
Cord Jefferson
American Fiction
Laura Moss, Brendan J. O’Brien
Birth/Rebirth
Emma Seligman, Rachel Sennott
Bottoms
Celine Song
Past Lives
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik
May December
Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Ben Platt
Theater Camp
Tomás Gómez Bustillo
Chronicles of a Wandering Saint
Laurel Parmet
The Starling Girl
Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez
Upon Entry
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE
Jessica Chastain
Memory
Greta Lee
Past Lives
Trace Lysette
Monica
Natalie Portman
May December
Judy Reyes
Birth/Rebirth
Franz Rogowski
Passages
Andrew Scott
All of Us Strangers
Teyana Taylor
A Thousand and One
Jeffrey Wright
American Fiction
Teo Yoo
Past Lives
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
Erika Alexander
American Fiction
Sterling K. Brown
American Fiction
Noah Galvin
Theater Camp
Anne Hathaway
Eileen
Glenn Howerton
BlackBerry
Marin Ireland
Eileen
Charles Melton
May December
Da’Vine Joy Randolph
The Holdovers
Catalina Saavedra
Rotting in the Sun
Ben Whishaw
Passages
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Marshawn Lynch
Bottoms
Atibon Nazaire
Mountains
Tia Nomore
Earth Mama
Dominic Sessa
The Holdovers
Anaita Wali Zada
Fremont
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Katelin Arizmendi
Monica
Eigil Bryld
The Holdovers
Jomo Fray
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
Pablo Lozano
Chronicles of a Wandering Saint
Pat Scota
We Grown Now
BEST EDITING
Santiago Cendejas, Gabriel Díaz, Sofía Subercaseaux
Rotting in the Sun
Stephanie Filo
We Grown Now
Daniel Garber
How to Blow Up a Pipeline
Jon Philpot
Theater Camp
Emanuele Tiziani
Upon Entry
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.)
Showing Up
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Casting Director: Gayle Keller
Ensemble Cast: André Benjamin, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, Heather Lawless, James Le Gros, John Magaro, Matt Malloy, Amanda Plummer, Maryann Plunkett, Denzel Rodriguez, Michelle Williams
BEST DOCUMENTARY
(Award given to the director and producer)
Bye Bye Tiberias
Director: Lina Soualem
Producer: Jean-Marie Nizan
Four Daughters
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Producer: Nadim Cheikhrouha
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
Directors/Producers: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson
Producer: Tommy Oliver
Kokomo City
Director: D. Smith
Producers: Bill Butler, Harris Doran
The Mother of All Lies
Director/Producer: Asmae El Moudir
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
(Award given to the director)
Anatomy of a Fall
France
Director: Justin Triet
Godland
Denmark/Iceland
Director: Hlynur Pálmason
Mami Wata
Nigeria
Director: C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi
Tótem
Mexico
Director: Lila Avilés
The Zone of Interest
United Kingdom, Poland, USA
Director: Jonathan Glazer
PRODUCERS AWARD
Presented by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey – The Producers Award, now in its 27th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.
Rachael Fung
Graham Swon
Monique Walton
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 30th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.
Laura Moss
Director of Birth/Rebirth
Joanna Arnow
Director of The Feeling That The Time for Doing Something Has Passed
Monica Sorelle
Director of Mountains
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 29th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.
Set Hernandez
Director of unseen
Jesse Short Bull, Laura Tomaselli
Director of Lakota Nation vs. United States
Sierra Urich
Director of Joonam
BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES
(Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)
Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court
Executive Producers: Vinnie Malhotra, Aaron Saidman, Eli Holzman, Dawn Porter
Dear Mama
Executive Producers: Lasse Järvi, Quincy ‘QD3 Jones III, Staci Robinson, Nelson George, Charles D. King, Peter Nelson, Adel ‘Future’ Nur, Jamal Joseph, Ted Skillman, Allen Hughes, Steve Berman, Marc Cimino, Jody Gerson, John Janick, Nicholas Ferrall, Nigel Sinclair
Murder in Big Horn
Executive Producers: Matthew Galkin, Vinnie Malhotra
Co-Executive Producers: Lisa Kalikow, Joshua Levine
Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrwence
Executive Producers: Mindy Goldberg, Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, Jon Bardin, Zach Heinzerling, Krista Parris, Daniel Barban Levin, Felicia Rosario
Co-Executive Producer: Julie Gaither
Wrestlers
Executive Producers: Greg Whiteley, Ryan O’Dowd
Co-Executive Producers: Alejandro Melendez, Adam Leibowitz
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
(Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)
Beef
Creator/Executive Producer: Lee Sung Jin
Executive Producers: Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Jake Shreier, Ravi Nandan, Alli Reich
Co-Executive Producer: Alice Ju, Carrie Kemper
Dreaming Whilst Black
Creator/Executive Producer: Adjani Salmon
Creators: Maximilian Evans, Natasha Jatania, Laura Seixas
Executive Producers: Tanya Qureshi, Dhanny Joshi, Bal Samra, Thomas Stogdon
Co-Executive Producer: Marcus Gardley, Carver Karaszewski
Jury Duty
Creator/Executive Producer: Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupnitsky
Executive Producers: David Bernad, Ruben Fleischer, Nicholas Hatton, Cody Heller, Todd Schulman, Jake Szymanski, Andrew Weinberg
Slip
Creators/Executive Producers: Zoe Lister-Jones
Executive Producers: Ro Donnelly, Dakota Johnson, Katie O’Connell Marsh, David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Emma Corrin
A Murder at the End of the World
Dominique Fishback
Swarm
Betty Gilpin
Mrs. Davis
Jharrel Jerome
I’m a Virgo
Zoe Lister-Jones
Slip
Bel Powley
A Small Light
Bella Ramsey
The Last of Us
Ramón Rodríguez
Will Trent
Ali Wong
Beef
Steven Yeun
Beef
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Murray Bartlett
The Last of Us
Billie Eilish
Swarm
Jack Farthing
Rain Dogs
Nick Offerman
The Last of Us
Adina Porter
The Changeling
Lewis Pullman
Lessons in Chemistry
Benny Safdie
The Curse
Luke Tennie
Shrinking
Olivia Washington
I’m a Virgo
Jessica Williams
Shrinking
BEST BREAKTRHOUGH PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Clark Backo
The Changeling
Aria Mia Loberti
All the Light We Cannot See
Adjani Salmon
Dreaming Whilst Black
Keivonn Montreal Woodard
The Last of Us
Kara Young
I’m a Virgo
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Jury Duty
Ensemble Cast: Alan Barinholtz, Susan Berger,Cassandra Blair, David Brown, Kirk Fox, Ross Kimball, Pramode Kumar, Trisha LaFache, Mekki Leeper, James Marsden, Edy Modica, Kerry O’Neill, Rashida Olayiwola, Whitney Rice, Maria Russell, Ishmel Sahid, Ben Seaward, Ron Song, Evan Williams
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(Header: 2024 Spirit Award winners Everything Everywhere All At Once)
Even if you’ve finally mastered the art of finding the perfect gifts for everyone on our list, for the masses, sourcing the best white elephant gifts is a whole other story. You know, the holiday party game sometimes referred to as a Yankee Swap or a Dirty Santa that goes something like this: One person in your crew opens up the first untagged wrapped gift, and whoever’s turn it is next can decide whether they want to open a new gift or steal another person’s prize.
Funny gifts are abound in this game, but every once in a while you’ll come across something practical or useful (like a $10 Starbucks gift card you can snag last-minute on Amazon or a back massager)—the items everyone fights over, natch. Either way, most hosts keep the spending limit to under $25, but you can also opt for even cheaper gifts.
When it comes to scouting out your own addition to the pile of presents, it’s these very parameters that really put the pressure on. But we’re here to help. If the white elephant exchange is going down at your office this holiday season and you’re focusing on gifts for your bosses i.e., the most notoriously hard-to-shop-for folks), you can’t go wrong with stress balls, a cute craft gift like an adult coloring book, or a beauty Advent calendar. Playing with your friends? Don’t sleep on funny gifts that’ll bring on the nostalgia, like a tiny Bop It (remember those?). In short, you got this… as long as you shop our edit. And remember: The real goal of a White Elephant exchange is simply to have a blast and to walk away with something unexpected (even if you end up regifting it to your Secret Santa).
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Does a Christmas movie have to be about Christmas? If it merely takes place around Christmas, how prominently does the holiday have to feature for it to qualify? And really, must it be a merry Christmas? The Grinches and Scrooges of the world have streaming subscriptions, too.
With a more elastic conception of the holiday in mind, we picked 15 Christmas movies of a broad variety, from warm Old Hollywood favorites to family-friendly modern comedies to the sort of boozy, vulgar entertainments that parents can watch after putting the kids to bed. (And yes, the oft-debated “Die Hard” did make the list. When is it ever a bad time to watch “Die Hard”?) These films are either on streaming services or available to rent on major platforms. Also, “Die Hard” returns to theaters Dec. 8.
Having established herself as a master of melodrama in “Stella Dallas,” a closet romantic in “The Lady Eve” and a duplicitous femme fatale in “Double Indemnity,” Barbara Stanwyck combines all three qualities into a winning performance in “Christmas in Connecticut,” a screwball holiday comedy with heart. Stanwyck plays a single New Yorker who’s been posing as a wife and mother from rural Connecticut to make her food column more appealing to American housewives. When asked to host Christmas dinner for a dashing war hero (Dennis Morgan), she scrambles desperately to sell her made-up persona, but amid the confusion over her fake husband and baby, she winds up falling for her guest.
Released to mixed reviews and disappointing box office — particularly by the standards of the director Frank Capra, who was seen as a hitmaker after films like “It Happened One Night” and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” — “It’s a Wonderful Life” has become the undisputed star atop the holiday-movie tree. But what makes it so enduring ties into why it took a while to catch on: The joyful, tear-jerking ending is exceptionally hard-won, following a Christmas Eve that’s a dark night of the soul for George Bailey (James Stewart), a man whose despair nearly drives him to the brink. It’s only after meeting his guardian angel that George sees his value to his family and community.
As if to compensate for making the holiday-themed slasher classic “Black Christmas” nine years earlier, the director Bob Clark turned to this nostalgia-soaked comedy, which has become a seasonal favorite, though it’s not without its horrors. The Parkers are the most disaster-prone family in their 1940s Midwestern town, and embarrassment is always around the corner for poor Ralphie (Peter Billingsley), who wants nothing more than a Red Ryder air rifle for Christmas, but is constantly told, “You’ll shoot your eye out.” In the lead-up to his big gift, Ralphie has an awful encounter with a mall Santa, decodes a disappointing secret message from Ovaltine and is forced to wear the pink bunny onesie his Aunt Clara got him. But Ralphie won’t be a put-upon kid forever.
An ideal double feature with “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Joe Dante’s mischievous comedy throws a Capraesque small town into chaos when an exotic Christmas present spawns the green marauders of the title. While in Chinatown on business, an eccentric inventor discovers a cute little animal called a mogwai and sneaks it back home to his family. But the new caretakers don’t follow important instructions, like keeping the mogwai away from water and not feeding it after midnight. It mutates into the innumerable creatures of the title, who take a juvenile delight in creating mayhem. Part monster movie, part live-action Looney Tunes, “Gremlins” leaves a trail of destruction through its snow-capped holiday idyll.
There should be no argument over whether “Die Hard” is a true Christmas movie, given that John McClane (Bruce Willis) flies out to Los Angeles to spend the holiday with his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia), battles an armed band of European thieves who have taken over an office party and even dresses one unfortunate henchman in a Santa suit. Plus it’s a useful excuse to rewatch this impeccably crafted and influential action movie, which emphasizes McClane’s vulnerability as much as his resourcefulness and guile in outwitting a criminal mastermind (Alan Rickman) and perhaps saving his marriage in the process.
He may be surrounded by singing, dancing, mischief-making Muppets, but Michael Caine gives the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, the heartless miser of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol,” every bit the gravity of screen antecedents like Alastair Sim, Basil Rathbone and Albert Finney. This allows “The Muppet Christmas Carol” to position him as the ideal straight man, a grouchy counterpoint to the silliness of Kermit the Frog’s earnest Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as a typically brassy Emily Cratchit and the three offbeat ghosts who show Scrooge the path to redemption. The film proves it’s possible to honor Dickens while paying a visit to Fozzie Bear’s rubber chicken factory.
‘Tim Burton’s the Nightmare Before Christmas’ (1993)
On paper, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” sounds like a cynical proposition, an animated studio musical with a plot that covers both Halloween and Christmas, giving it a solid three-month window where it’s seasonally appropriate viewing. Yet Henry Selick’s stop-motion fantasy, made in collaboration with one of its producers, Tim Burton, has a dark, personal, idiosyncratic style that dispels any thought of commercial calculation. It has earned a legitimate cult following over the years. As the Pumpkin King of Skeleton Town, Jack Skellington (voiced by Chris Sarandon) inadvertently discovers the joys of Christmas Town and tries to bring the magic back home, with predictably demented and chaotic results.
The premise of this dark comedy sounds a little like the Humphrey Bogart noir “The Desperate Hours,” in which escaped felons hole up in a suburban home and take a family hostage. Only the twist of “The Ref” is that the crook, a cat burglar (Denis Leary) abandoned by his partner in the middle of a job, winds up captive himself to his hostages, a Connecticut couple (Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis) who cannot stop arguing. It becomes a Christmas Eve to survive when other members of the family turn up and the would-be felon takes on the role of reluctant counselor.
The marital odyssey in Stanley Kubrick’s dreamlike final film is book ended by Christmas backdrops that underline the state of a bourgeois marriage that threatens to collapse. After a fashionable party where his wife (Nicole Kidman) flirts shamelessly with a well-heeled Hungarian, a doctor (Tom Cruise) starts a fight with her about jealousy and temptation. From there, he embarks on a nocturnal adventure that leads to several frustrating encounters with other women, culminating in an exclusive sex party that he tries to attend without an invitation. Given the threat to this superficially stable and happy family, the holiday setting, rendered in warm lights and festive colors, stands out in sharp relief.
There was no more ideal choice to play an orphan raised by North Pole elves than Will Ferrell, whose ungainly, up-for-anything rambunctiousness had made him a breakout star on “Saturday Night Live.” “Elf” has the quality of an extended sketch, as Ferrell’s overgrown Buddy leaves Santa’s Workshop for New York City to find his real father (James Caan), an ornery children’s book publisher who works in the Empire State Building. His comic naïveté and relentless good cheer turn “Elf” into a fish-out-of-water comedy of disarming warmth, thanks largely to an ace supporting cast that includes Zooey Deschanel, Ed Asner, Mary Steenburgen and Bob Newhart.
For those who greet the holidays with dread — or simply like their eggnog extra-spiked — Terry Zwigoff’s dark comedy is the ultimate in Christmas counterprogramming, a relentlessly vulgar provocation that does have a heart if you squint hard enough to see it. Billy Bob Thornton stars as an alcoholic mall Santa who uses his access to rob department stores at the peak of the shopping season, provided he can stay sober long enough to crack the safe. His latest job is complicated by a sweet, outcast boy whose belief in Santa is unshakable, even when his hero is a grump with conspicuously foul breath.
Since breaking into Hollywood with his script for “Lethal Weapon,” the writer Shane Black has set six of his films during Christmas in Los Angeles, where it’s too temperate to find obvious evidence of the season. His directing debut, the spiky neo-noir buddy-action comedy “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” loads up the soundtrack with a mix of traditional and irreverent Christmas songs. Its murder mystery starts at a fancy party where the most intriguing guest, an aspiring actress (Michelle Monaghan), appears in a deconstructed Santa outfit. Robert Downey Jr. plays a hilariously snarky thief who stumbles into an audition for a detective role, gets the part and then shadows a real-life private eye (Val Kilmer) on a case.
The premise for this French ensemble piece sounds like a heartwarming holiday treacle: Playing the matriarch of a large family, the screen legend Catherine Deneuve gathers her three adult-age children and their significant others to announce that she has leukemia and needs a bone-marrow transplant. But the director, Arnaud Desplechin, who broke through with a three-hour film titled “My Sex Life (Or How I Got Into an Argument),” isn’t the sentimental type. “A Christmas Tale” exposes the many fault lines in this wildly dysfunctional family but it’s a disarmingly affectionate film, too, with a first-rate cast that includes Mathieu Amalric, Anne Consigny, Melvil Poupaud and Emmanuelle Devos.
During the Christmas rush at Frankenberg’s department store in 1952 Manhattan, a moment is shared by two women — one an aspiring young photographer (Rooney Mara) logging time as a clerk in a Santa hat, the other a wealthy married woman (Cate Blanchett) in a glamorous mink. What follows is a forbidden affair that bridges a chasm in age and class. The morality clause in the older woman’s marital contract threatens her financial security and her status as a mother. Yet “Carol” has a powerful romantic spirit all the same, buoyed by a wintry holiday backdrop that’s suggestive of a new home these women seek to find in each other.
A deserving nominee for best live action short at the 2023 Oscars, Alice Rohrwacher’s charming and evocative 37-minute film takes place at an all-girls Catholic boarding school over Christmas during World War II. As the head nun keeps strict watch over these adorable, mischievous kids — they get their mouths soaped for grooving to a pop song on the radio — a young woman arrives with a scrumptious red custard cake, asking them to pray for her unfaithful boyfriend. The nun presents the kids with a cruel challenge: Can they prove their devotion to Jesus by resisting the temptation of this Christmas Day treat?
Tidal, the high-fidelity music streaming service majority owned by Jack Dorsey-led digital payments company Block, has laid off more than 10% its staff, representing about 40 staffers who have been let go.
The cuts at Tidal are part of Block’s stated goal of capping its total employee base at 12,000. As of Dec. 31, 2022, Block, which was previously named Square, had 12,428 full-time employees worldwide.
“We can confirm, as part of Block and its recent announcement to cap the number of employees at the company to focus on business growth, Tidal has carefully considered how to right-size our team to ensure we are able to continue to build and invest in critical areas of the business,” Sade Ayodele, head of global communications for Tidal, said in a statement. “We do not take these decisions lightly, and we are sincerely grateful for the contributions of our impacted teammates.”
The Tidal layoffs were first reported by Bloomberg. Citing anonymous sources, the publication reported that the cuts include “a portion of the curation team that builds playlists.”
Tidal was formed in 2015, after Jay-Z led a consortium of artists in a $56 million deal to acquire Norwegian streaming company Aspiro. Other Tidal artist-owners included Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Kanye West, Madonna, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna.
In 2021, Dorsey’s Block (then called Square) acquired a majority stake in Tidal. Block owns 87.5% of the equity in Tidal. On its investor-relations site, Block says, “Tidal is a global platform for musicians and their fans that uses unique content, experiences and services to bring fans closer to the artists they love and give artists the tools to succeed as entrepreneurs.”
Dorsey, who is chairman and chief executive of Block, was also previously CEO of Twitter — before stepping down about a year before Elon Musk’s takeover. At the time Dorsey’s company bought control of Tidal, he said the deal “comes down to one simple idea: finding new ways for artists to support their work.”
“New ideas are found at intersections, and we believe there’s a compelling one between music and the economy,” Dorsey said in a statement. “I knew Tidal was something special as soon as I experienced it, and it will continue to be the best home for music, musicians and culture.”
Last month, it was reported that Jack Dorsey’s company Block was planning sweeping layoffs. In addition to Square and Cash App, Block is the umbrella company that owns Tidal, and now the streaming service has been impacted by those layoffs, Bloomberg reports. Approximately 40 staffers across multiple departments, or 10% of the staff, were reportedly laid off. Jeff Benjamin, a former member of Tidal’s editorial team, announced that he was among the employees let go, noting that other editorial staffers were also cut.
While a spokesperson at Tidal declined to comment on the specific number of layoffs, they generally confirmed that cuts have taken place. “As part of Block and its recent announcement to cap the number of employees at the company to focus on business growth, TIDAL has carefully considered how to right-size our team to ensure we are able to continue to build and invest in critical areas of the business,” the statement reads. “We do not take these decisions lightly, and we are sincerely grateful for the contributions of our impacted teammates.”
The news comes days after Spotify CEO Daniel Ek announced plans to lay off 1,500 employees, amounting to one-sixth of its workforce. “Economic growth has slowed dramatically and capital has become more expensive,” Ek’s statement read. “Despite our efforts to reduce costs this past year, our cost structure for where we need to be is still too big.”
In the 1950s, the film industry was once again in a moment of reckoning as Hollywood faced the post-war breakup of its monopolies. Beforehand, the major studios controlled the entire cinematic pipeline in which production, distribution, exhibition and talent were all governed through oppressive contracts. In disrupting this self-contained system, the Golden Age of Hollywood would come to its end.
Among the many filmmakers to emerge from the studio system, Billy Wilder’s name is often synonymous with the Golden Age era. Despite running into criticism for his cynical sense of humor, Wilder’s films like “Double Indemnity,” “The Seven Year Itch” and “Some Like It Hot” made him one of the most successful directors of his time. And as the government was just beginning to enforce dismantling the studio system, Wilder was developing a project about Hollywood itself.
“For a long time I wanted to do a comedy about Hollywood. God forgive me, I wanted to have Mae West and Marlon Brando. . . Instead it became a tragedy of a silent-picture actress, still rich, but fallen down into the abyss after talkies,” said Wilder.
The impending changes echoed the industry disruption created by sound decades prior, which had pushed actors to retirement and forced studios to re-evaluate the business.
From this idea evolved “Sunset Boulevard,” the story of Norma Desmond – a forgotten silent film star dreaming of her grand revival. Though Desmond’s quest for fame is presented as grotesque (she is only 50 years old), the film touches on the precarious relationship of studio and star of both eras:
“Without me there wouldn’t be any Paramount Studios,” declares Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, echoing Mae West’s real life declarations of saving Paramount years prior.
Drawing from life, the film cast silent star Gloria Swanson, capitalizing on the actress’s own biographical similarities to her character. (Though in contrast, Swanson had a moderately successful career in the “talkies.”) But Swanson was not the only actor to have a personal parallel, as Wilder included other silent film figures for smaller roles. In particular, one scene offers close-ups around a game of bridge with Desmond’s old companions, patronizingly referred to as “the waxworks.” Wilder described his idea for the scene in an interview for The Paris Review:
“I thought, now, if there is a bridge game at the house of a silent star, and if I am to show that our hero, the writer, has been degraded to being the butler who cleans ashtrays, who would be there? I got Harry B. Warner, who played Jesus in [Cecil B.] DeMille’s biblical pictures, Anna Q. Nilsson and Buster Keaton, who was an excellent bridge player, a tournament player.”
Though Keaton’s career revival would arrive soon thereafter, his participation is practically mocked by Wilder:
“The picture industry was only 50 or 60 years old, so some of the original people were still around. Because Old Hollywood was dead, these people weren’t exactly busy. They had the time, got some money, a little recognition. They were delighted to do it.”
There’s an irony to pitying the passé of “Old [dead] Hollywood” versus the forthcoming demise of the Golden Age, which Wilder himself would later struggle in. Though ahead of its time with meta-commentary about the film industry, the Hollywood in “Sunset Boulevard” is one wavering on the failing studio system. Desmond is sneered at by the younger characters and turned away by the studios — the studios she originally carried to triumph. Notably, Buster Keaton had faced his own fallout with the studio system years prior. Following the advent of sound, Keaton had signed a studio contract he felt completely destroyed his career.
Alongside Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, Keaton was one of the biggest stars of the silent era.
His films showcased remarkable stunts, slapstick and special effects withstanding the test of time. For most of the 1920s, Keaton functioned as an independent with complete creative control, relying on his producing partner Joe Schenck to negotiate distribution deals with studios.
In 1926, Schenck became the president of United Artists, distributing three Keaton films under their banner to disappointing financial returns. Schenck advised that Keaton move onto another studio and made a deal to sell Keaton’s contract to M-G-M in 1928 for an impressive $3000 weekly salary and a percentage of film gross. However, Keaton would go on to describe this move as “the worst mistake of my career” in his autobiography.
“Don’t do it. They’ll ruin you helping you. They’ll warp your judgment. You’ll get tired of arguing for things you know are right,” advised Charlie Chaplin.
New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection (Library of Congress).
But Keaton was tempted by the lucrative offer. Upon signing, he was at the mercy of the studio system and M-G-M would severely limit his creative control. “The worst shock was discovering I could not work up stories the way I’d been doing . . . they complicated our simple plot with everything they could think of . . . with so much talk going on, so many conferences, so many brains at work, I began to lose faith for the first time in my own ideas,” he wrote.
Although his early films with M-G-M generated some commercial success, Keaton disliked the studio process turning his work into something other than his own. Sound similarly disrupted his style as studio scripts relied heavily on quick, constant dialogue and forced actor pairings that conflicted with Keaton’s strength for comedic pantomime. Struggling through divorce, bankruptcy and alcoholism, Keaton was fired by M-G-M in 1933.
“Losing out at M-G-M made me poison at the other major Hollywood studios. None of them seemed to want or need me. I don’t know what wild rumors went around about my unreliability and alcoholism. But in that tightly knit one-industry town there were then seven major studios in a position to spend on a picture the sort of money that my comedies cost. No offers came from the other six: Paramount, Columbia, Warner Brothers, Universal, Fox, or RKO.”
Just as the studio system faced its own falls and re-inventions, Keaton’s career naturally ebbed and flowed in the time he worked through finding sobriety.
He continued to struggle with his health and finances, returning to M-G-M in 1940 for $100 a week as a comedy consultant. Through this humbling period, Keaton was able to re-establish himself and find new passion for the burgeoning television industry.His job also offered him flexibility to take small acting roles like in “Sunset Boulevard,” where “waxwork” Keaton sheepishly only utters one word:
“Pass.”
Though time marches on for all artists and Keaton did find renewed celebrity in the following years (particularly in television after leaving M-G-M in 1949), his cameo in “Sunset Boulevard” captures a life’s moment of poignant humility.
“Pass,” said by the “Great Stone Face” himself, whose wide shifting gaze seems to be saying so much more: Past one’s prime, passed over, time passing on.
And it feels as if with that one word, one look, that this brief appearance encompasses all that history.
Kinew said the residential schools affected Indigenous children across Canada, and their families as well.
“It’s important that we honour the impacts on the families who were left behind during this era,” Kinew said Wednesday. “As a parent today, I often reflect on what I would feel like if my kids had been a part of this era. Certainly, it’s not something that any of us as parents would want to have the experience of going through.”
The Louis Riel bill recognizes the efforts of the man who led a provisional government in what is now Manitoba and set down a list of rights that formed the basis for Manitoba’s entry into Confederation.
Kinew has said efforts will be made to ensure Riel’s full story is told in schools across the province.
Mike Greene, who was president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences from the late 1980s until 2002, has been sued by a former female employee for sexual assault and harassment. The news was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Terri McIntyre, who was the L.A. chapter executive director from 1994 to 1996, alleges sexual harassment, negligence and harassment in the 55-page suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday. Additionally, it names the Recording Academy and claims that “Defendant Greene and/or Defendant Academy have engaged in a cover-up and/or an attempted cover-up.”
It comes on the heels of a suit filed against Neil Portnow, former chairman and president of the Recording Academy, who was accused by a woman who claimed he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2018. Today’s complaint was filed under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, similar to Portnow’s suit in New York under the recently expired Adult Survivors Act.
Greene resigned from the Academy back in 2022 after an investigation into numerous harassment and assault allegations from an Academy employee, as well as mismanaged funds.
McIntyre describes how she was hired in 1994 at the Recording Academy and shortly thereafter learned that Greene expected her to perform sex acts on him to maintain employment. The complaint states that Greene repeatedly told her that she needed to “give some head to get ahead” in the position.
The suit goes into numerous incidents where Greene reportedly assaulted and harassed her. One instance reflects on a 1994 trip to Hawaii where Greene provided her with champagne and “quickly began to feel unwell and began to lose control of her physical movements.” As she lost consciousness, she noticed other people in the room leaving her alone with Greene, and she later woke up in his bed with Greene nude and asleep beside her. She said she sought professional help after the encounter but decided not to pursue a police report for fear of retaliation.
Another incident occurred when she went to visit Greene’s Malibu beach house, claiming “Defendant Greene appeared in front of Plaintiff with [his] erect penis exposed” and forced her to perform oral sex.
Joanne Gardner, a former Recording Academy executive in the mid-’90s, told Rolling Stonethat McIntyre confided in her about the allegations. “It was a predatory place for women and Mike Greene was predator in chief,” she said. “This was deviant sexual manipulation. And it was all power-based. These young women didn’t have anybody to take care of them at that point.”
At the time, the Recording Academy did not have Human Resources in place to deal with allegations of assault and harassment. McIntyre says she spoke to numerous supervisors who told her they couldn’t help her, and she resigned in 1996 after she “came to understand that her hopes, dreams and aspirations to work in the Music Industry were defunct and unreachable.” She says she turned down payment and severance in exchange for signing an NDA.
McIntyre’s attorney told the LA Times, “Charles Michael Greene is a very powerful, perverse predator. This suit exposes the culture that permitted him and the Academy to profit for years. It also spotlights the perilous practice of NDAs and hush money employed by the Academy and deployed by the entire music industry that exploits and silences victims.”
Top Hollywood producers say reproductive rights restrictions have kept them from filming projects in certain states following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Speaking at TheWrap’s Power Women Summit in Beverly Hills on Tuesday, “The Last of Us” executive producer Carolyn Strauss said access to reproductive healthcare is “essential” when deciding where to set up filming for a project. Though she didn’t provide specifics, Strauss said she faced the dilemma when looking at locations for a project that’s currently in production.
“Where we choose to shoot is not just about bringing money or spending money in Georgia or wherever, it’s about ‘can you take care of the crew?’” Strauss said. “You have to think about the health and safety of your crew… I won’t shoot in those states.”
“I think it’s your obligation,” “Barry” executive producer Aida Rodgers said. “If you’re going to hire women, you have to make sure that you’re careful in the place that you’re filming.”
“It’s just hard to believe we even have to think about it,” Producers Guild of America CEO Susan Sprung added, commenting on the state of affairs in the Post-Roe United States.
The comments were part of the Summit’s “Producers Roundtable: Telling Stories That Matter.” Moderated by Sprung, the discussion also included 2AM cofounder and CEO Christine D’Souza Gelb, “Swarm” showrunner and cocreator Janine Nabers, “Ted Lasso” executive producer Liza Katzer and Mattel Films president Robbie Brenner.
Christine D’Souza Gelb and Janine Naber at The Wrap’s Power Women Summit in Beverly Hills on Dec 5, 2023. (Katie Jones/Shutterstock)
During the panel, producers commented on how vertical integration in the industry overall and content spend cutbacks from streamers have reduced the number of shows and movies being sold.
“People are just really scared to make original stories, and it’s constant. It’s a thing that you’re fighting every day,” Nabers said, noting that at the same time she’s noticed a “fatigued” industry from so many remakes.
“As a writer and a producer, when I come in and pitch something and people are leaning in but say ‘I’m too scared to make that,’ that’s more of a reason to make it,” she added. “I’m always going to want to do subversive provocative stories. That’s just who I am.”
The panelists also praised Brenner on the success of “Barbie,” and reflected on what the film’s viral speech about the reality of being a woman, performed by America Ferrera, meant to them.
Katzer, who also executive produced the Apple TV+ drama “Shrinking,” pointed to the monologue highlighting all the different versions women have to play of themselves to succeed in the business world.
Liza Katzer and Robbie Brenner at The Wrap’s Power Women Summit in Beverly Hills on Dec. 5, 2023. (Katie Jones/Shutterstock)
“Coming up as a young woman in this business [I was] constantly trying to figure out what version of myself, and what version of a woman I needed to be there to get the desired outcome, in order to appeal to the men or the authorities I was dealing with,” Katzer said. “Whether it was a writer or director with a bigger ego, maybe leaning more to my softer feminine side. And then turning around and having to walk onto a set with 100+ crew members and having to be authoritative and lean into a more masculine energy.
“You do so much extra work trying to modulate yourself and tweak yourself to become what you think you need to be. I really got a lot out of that aspect of [the speech.]”
For all of TheWrap’s Power Women Summit 2023 coverage, click here.
Disgraced ex-congressman George Santos may have been expelled from the House of Representatives on Dec. 1 by a vote of 311-114 — but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the story for the alleged serial grifter and sometimes drag queen from New York. HBO Films has already optioned The Fabulist, a book about Santos’ rise and fall, for adaptation, with Frank Rich and Mike Makowsky (HBO’s Bad Education) attached to executive produce and Makowsky set to write. As for Santos, public opinion seems to think he’ll find a future on Dancing with the Stars — so much so that the show trended on X alongside news of his historic expulsion.
Asked if he would consider competing on the show that has featured the likes of Sean Spicer and House majority leader Tom DeLay (indicted on charges of conspiring to violate political fundraising law), Santos told reporters, “Today, I would not to do Dancing with the Stars. Maybe in the future if I find the chutzpah to go on television with my four left feet. Maybe someday.” (The show, meanwhile, is reportedly not considering Santos for its 33rd season.)
With a hefty legal bill on the way in his upcoming criminal trial in which he stands accused of defrauding donors, lied to election officials and stole unemployment benefits, among other charges, Santos has turned to recording Cameo messages. A personalized video from the “former congressional icon,” as he bills himself, is $400. Sen. John Fetterman has already ordered one to troll Sen. Bob Menendez, writing on X, “I thought my ethically-challenged colleague @BobMenendezNJ could use some encouragement given his substantial legal problems.”
The Hollywood Reporter consulted with show-business experts for suggestions on how Santos can parlay his notoriety and very particular skillset into a Hollywood second act.
“He’s ripe for a signature beauty product. Santos Diamond Décolleté Scrub could be his answer to Jane Seymour’s Crepe Erase.” – Steven Cojocaru, fashion critic, Today, Entertainment Tonight.
“Miss Kitara Ravache residency at Caesars. Not Palace — car wash.” – Bruch Vilanch, ex-head writer, the Oscars.
“George needs to star in a remake of Pinocchio, where, every time he lies, his criminal charges get bigger. After that, he should dive back into Kitara Ravache and try “Lipsyncing Lies For Your Life!” on RuPaul’s Drag Race. And starting next September, he will hopefully star in an on-site reboot of HBO’s Oz.” – Michael Musto, ex-Village Voice columnist.
“I’m sure he’s being shopped to Dancing With the Stars and RuPaul’s Drag Race already. I suggest someone reboot Liar’s Club immediately and let him be a game show host before his 15 minutes are up.” – Frank DeCaro, ex-correspondent, The Daily Show.
“George has many options. 1) He and Bob Menendez can tour in a production of Chicago as Roxie and Velma. 2) He can write a deeply personal memoir about his intimate relationship with the British royal family and why they pretend he doesn’t exist. 3) He can host Nightmare Jeopardy!, where he’ll make up the answers and all the categories will be ‘George Santos.’ He could alternate with Anna Delvey.” – Paul Rudnick, screenwriter, Addams Family Values.
Lear would stir the pot. “He would ask us to look into ourselves and what did we think, what were our feelings about this. And we poured it into the show. So it made the show better. And he did that with everything he did. Fearless.”
“This is the guy who — he flew 57 missions, bombing missions over Nazi Germany during the Second World War. And so he was scared enough in the sky,” Reiner said, adding that Lear was particularly disgusted by former President Donald Trump’s brand of politics. (“I don’t take the threat of authoritarianism lightly,” Lear wrote in The New York Times just last year.)
Reiner reflected on comparisons between Trump and Archie Bunker. Steve Bannon, Trump’s former adviser who remains an influential figure in right-wing circles, has playfully compared Bunker to Trump, at one point saying, “Dude, he’s Archie Bunker.”
“I said, no, no, it’s not like Archie Bunker. Archie Bunker, he had conservative views and he certainly was racist and all those things, but he had a decent heart,” Reiner said. “You could argue with him. You could fight with him and stuff. You can’t do that now, and that’s the difference with him and Trump.”
But it was Lear’s convictions and his desire to demystify tough topics that Reiner hopes will endure in the memories of Americans. “I’m going to miss him for a million reasons. He showed me the way, which is, you can take your fame and celebrity and you can do something with it, do something positive with it. And I learned from him.”
“He always has hope. That’s what’s so great about him. He was a realist, but he also had hope that we would find the right path, and I still hope that we can,” Reiner went on. “He was a man who really cared about this country and wanted it to succeed and be a more perfect union and all that. And then we’re losing a guy, a real champion of America.”
Now that Marvel just took an Etch-a-Sketch to everything, we need to reevaluate what comes next.
Here’s when you should expect upcoming Marvel releases.
What Has Been Delayed?
Image: Marvel
The short answer to this question is A LOT!
In a few instances, Disney honored its stated timeline, but most titles either have failed or will fail to debut as planned.
Frankly, when you examine the list with the benefit of hindsight, it’s pretty brutal.
Image: Marvel
Here’s the list as Comic-Con once showed it:
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – February 2023
Secret Invasion – Spring 2023
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – May 2023
Echo – Summer 2023
Loki Season 2 – Summer 2023
The Marvels – July 2023
Blade – November 2023
Ironheart – Fall 2023 (but listed after Blade for some reason)
Agatha Coven of Chaos – Winter 2023/2024
Daredevil: Born Again – Spring 2024
Captain America: New World Order – May 2024
We’ve got minor quibbles like Secret Invasion missing their spring and summer dates, but those feel trivial compared to others.
Source: Marvel
For example, Ironheart should have already debuted. At this point, we may not watch the already-filmed series for 18 months or longer. I wish I were joking.
The MCU had connected Ironheart to stories that have since suffered delays, forcing its later release as well.
If that behavior sounds familiar, it should. This aggravation is the same one Marvel faced during the pandemic.
Source: Marvel
When one show or movie suffered a delay, others fell behind as a result. It was like a set of dominoes toppling over.
So, while the name changes of projects like Agatha: Darkhold Diaries and Captain America: Brave New World are annoying, they seem minor by comparison.
Other titles like Blade and Ironheart lack release date certainty. Also, Captain America 4 apparently needs a lot of work.
What Has Marvel Lined Up for 2024?
Gamora with Blade of Thanos, T’Challa, The Watcher (voiced by Jeffrey Wright), Military Special Ops Killmonger, Captain Carter, Party Thor, and Doctor Strange Supreme in Marvel Studios’ WHAT IF…? exclusively on Disney+. Photo: Marvel Studios
That answer depends on who you ask.
I can unequivocally state three things.
What If…? Season two debuts during Christmas Week.
Echo’s entire five-episode run debuts on January 10th, 2024.
Deadpool 3 should enter theaters on July 26th, 2024, barring something unforeseen.
Everything else is entirely up in the air.
Black Panther in Marvel Studios’ WHAT IF…? exclusively on Disney+. Photo: Marvel Studios
For example, MarvelBlog has chronicled the recent unpleasantness with Daredevil: Born Again.
Marvel had filmed several episodes of this series. During the twin Hollywood strikes, Kevin Feige and his team studied the footage.
In the interim, Secret Invasion bombed, and signs pointed to a disappointing performance for The Marvels.
Image: Marvel
Feige correctly deduced that his studio needed to release hits, titles worthy of the Marvel brand.
Some outspoken fans lament that Marvel has lost its way, and the box office for The Marvels and critical reception to Secret Invasion reinforce this belief.
The Disney+ Releases
Source: Marvel Studios
So, Feige did something bold and rather expensive. He ditched much of the footage for Daredevil: Born Again and got rid of the creative team.
Can Marvel make a change like that and still air Daredevil: Born Again in 2024? I’m…skeptical we’ll get the whole run, but it might start then.
Conversely, Marvel had scheduled Wonder Man after the release of the Daredevil series.
Source: Marvel Studios
However, Wonder Man is a limited series created by Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Cretton recently ceded directorial duties on The Avengers: Kang Dynasty so he’d have more time to finish Wonder Man.
I think we’ll get this ten-episode series during the 2024 calendar year. Marvel will release it under the new “Spotlight” brand, which means it’ll stand apart from the MCU.
Source: Marvel
We should also expect Marvel ’97 (finally!) and Spider-Man: Freshman Year.
More importantly, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries should debut on September 19th, 2024. It’s the biggie…other than Deadpool 3.
Where’s Everything Else?
Source: Marvel Studios/ Marvel
At the start of each year, I typically list the Marvel projects to expect. I’m hopeful that I’ll offer more 2024 insights by then.
Realistically, what I’ve already stated might be all we learn.
Hollywood is currently rushing back into production, but nobody is sure which projects are ready.
Source: Parade
We have a good idea of what Marvel has delayed, though. Reports suggest that Brave New World’s storyline and action scenes were lacking.
However, you shouldn’t stress about that despite recent events. Instead, this is Marvel recognizing that it’s competing with itself.
Captain America 4 needs action scenes that rival those of the airport rumble in Captain America: Civil War and the elevator showdown in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Here’s a quick reminder of those sequences. This is the elevator scene:
and the airport superhero squabble:
I readily acknowledge having that many Avengers in a fight is mythic, but I still favor the gritty elevator scene. I think it’s the pinnacle of Marvel.
Captain America apparently couldn’t reach that level of hype, so it’ll get retooled.
This tactic happens all the time with Marvel movies, and it’s that much more critical due to an intended connection between this film and Thunderbolts.
If Marvel doesn’t get one right, the odds of success for the other drop as well.
What about Blade?
Source: Marvel
With Blade, we’re still in the waiting stage. Recent reports suggest it will go into production soon, but that one needs to be a grand slam.
Otherwise, Marvel is just throwing good money after bad by filming it.
In the aftermath of The Marvels, we know audiences won’t simply go see anything Marvel.
Source: Marvel
Blade would need to be really good, and it hasn’t had a script like that yet.
The coverage of Blade will define the first half of 2024 for Marvel. This franchise has proven its box office appeal.
However, this production feels cursed, and the last two Marvel projects with that misfortune were The Marvels and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
What about The Avengers?
Source: Marvel
Here’s the mystery of the moment.
Many were expecting Marvel to replace Jonathan Majors as soon as Loki season two ended. That didn’t happen.
Now, The Avengers: Kang Dynasty has announced that it will change directors.
Photo: Marvel Studios
As mentioned, Destin Daniel Cretton has a full plate right now and cannot take on a task as arduous as The Avengers.
Will Marvel remain true to the premise of Kang as a threat to the Multiverse? Is a recasting of the role in progress?
Could Marvel change course entirely with The Avengers by introducing Doctor Doom as the primary antagonist?
Photo: Marvel
That’s been rumored as a possibility for years, and it makes sense with Fantastic Four filming early in 2024.
That title likely enters theaters in 2025, 2026 at the latest. That would be plenty of time to set up Doctor Doom as a threat to the Multiverse.
Other rumors suggest that Doom and Kang should share the role of top MCU villain for a while.
Source: Marvel Studios
I’ve been inclined to dismiss that possibility, but it’s a way to manage risk if Majors loses his trial.
As of this moment, we should still expect two connected Avengers movies, as Marvel makes twice as much money that way.
However, we’re still in wait-and-see mode about how Feige and his team proceed here.
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Review: Power Girl #3 [Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Leah Williams Art: Eduardo Pansica and Julio Ferreira Colors: Romulo Fajardo, Jr. Letters: Becca Carey
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
Summary
Power Girl trusts her instincts as she figures out who or what is behind the Kryptonian virus. This means ignoring Superman and finally seeming a bit like herself.
Positives
Power Girl #3 is unequivocally the best issue of the series so far. That may not be saying a lot, but it certainly feels like there’s a door opening for Power Girl to seem like herself. There’s a lot more introspection for Power Girl in this issue and this lends itself to Leah Williams finding a more accurate voice for Power Girl. The revelation of the source of the Kryptonian virus gives Power Girl some agency.
It all culminates in Power Girl ignoring what Superman is saying about the virus and Power Girl thinking for herself. Allowing Power Girl to do something truly on her own without advice from Lois Lane and overtly going against Superman makes her seem more like the Power Girl that’s existed up to her re-appearance in Lazarus Planet. It’s not clear exactly what all this means, but the last page does indicate that Power Girl was right about the virus and that there may be a whole lot more going on. The ending also suggests that the symbioship may be responsible for the odd portrayal of Power Girl in this series. If true, it’s a great development, but the execution of it started things off on the wrong foot almost alienating the Power Girl fanbase.
Negatives
If this whole storyline has been manipulated by the symbioship, then it explains away almost all the oddities, including the extremely annoying and unwelcome Omen in this series. Power Girl #3 is no different. Omen is perhaps at her most annoying in this issue.
Power Girl still isn’t herself and it still informs most of the issue with only a bit a hope that things will be familiar, eventually. If this has all been part of the plan, it’s been executed very poorly. There’s hasn’t been enough in the series to make it clear that Power Girl was aware something was wrong. It could’ve been done better with just a little bit of awareness from Power Girl.
The real negative is that the symbioship may not be causing any of this and Williams is really presenting Power Girl as a blank slate and she thinks she’s trying to fill it in. Power Girl has a long history that is important to her character and to why people like her character and had a strong fanbase before Williams began writing her.
Verdict
Power Girl #3 gives hope that the REAL Power Girl may return. Williams gets to this point by getting inside Power Girl’s head just a bit for the first time. There’s still an uneven quality to the series, but this issue the best of it so far. Perhaps, the quote on the final page, “Paige is gone,” means more than just what it seems to in the scene, maybe Paige Stetler IS gone and Karen Starr will be back by the end of this story arc, and with that the Power Girl fans love.
Just as Patch 1.8 was released, we’ve received word of a DLC that introduces Among Us (or rather, amogus) to Vampire Survivors in truly the most unexpected collaboration we could have imagined. The upcoming Emergency Meeting DLC warps the Crewmates from everyone’s favorite social deception game into the world of Vampire Survivors.
In case you missed it, here’s the full trailer for Vampire Survivors: Emergency Meeting, and what we can gather from it.
This trailer shows Sir Ambrojoe, Gennaro Belpaese, and Pugnala Provola fighting The Directer, the final boss of Vampire Survivors, with Directer snapping their finger and sending our beloved protagonists somewhere into deep space and on a space ship.
A coffin appears and five slightly sussy individuals emerge. The emergency meeting siren starts blasting, and we witness that a planet is under attack from the orbit (I reckon this is Polus from Among Us). Skill-based mayhem ensues, and a big octopus alien boss comes out of hiding.
The animation is top-notch and reminds me of the upcoming animated TV series Vampire Survivors is getting some time in the future.
In the remainder of the trailer, we can clearly see that we will be able to play as Among Us characters and that we’ll be able to utilize attacks from the social deception game that took the world by storm in 2020.
Vampire Survivors: Emergency Meeting is scheduled to release December 18, 2023. Until then, there’s plenty of new content to enjoy from the newly dropped Patch 1.8 in Vampire Survivors, introducing a new Adventure and more secrets to unlock.
About the Author
Nikola L
Nikola has been a Staff Writer at Prima Games since May 2022. He has been gaming since being able to hold an Amiga 500 joystick on his own, back in the early 90s (when gaming was good). Nikola has helped organize dozens of gaming events and tournaments and has been professionally attached to gaming since 2009. His current favorite titles are Vampire Survivors, CS2, Legion TD 2, Below the Stone, Brotato, Power Chord, and Halls of Torment
Movies and TV shows have the incredible power to transport us to different worlds, evoke emotions, and connect us with characters who feel remarkably real.
But if the acting is bad, then that’s all shot.
Whether it’s an intense drama, a lighthearted comedy, or an action-packed thriller, the quality of acting plays a pivotal role in determining the success of a film or television series.
But how can you tell if the acting in a movie or TV show is truly good? What separates a memorable, convincing performance from a forgettable one?
Let’s find out.
How Can You Tell If the Acting in a Movie or TV Show Is Good?
Evaluating the quality of acting in a movie or TV show is a subjective process that can vary based on tastes and experiences, but there are several key factors and criteria that many consider when assessing acting performances:
Emotional Range
Good actors can convey a wide range of emotions convincingly.
Authenticity
Effective acting often hinges on how genuine the performance feels. Actors should make you believe in the characters they’re portraying.
Chemistry
The chemistry between actors is important. Believable chemistry can enhance the overall quality of the acting and make the relationships between characters more convincing.
Physicality
Sometimes, the physicality of an actor’s performance is crucial. This includes body language, gestures, and movements that are appropriate for the character they’re playing.
Line Delivery
How actors deliver their lines is a significant factor. Good acting involves delivering lines with the appropriate tone, timing, and emphasis, so the dialogue feels natural and fits the character.
Subtlety vs. Overacting
Effective actors often strike a balance between subtlety and emotional intensity. Overacting can come across as melodramatic, while too much subtlety can make a performance seem lifeless.
Character Development
Strong acting can contribute to the development of a character over the course of a movie or TV series. Characters should evolve and change in response to their experiences, and this evolution should be reflected in the acting.
Consistency
Characters should maintain their established personalities and traits throughout the story unless there is a deliberate character arc.
Versatility
Talented actors can excel in a variety of roles and genres. The ability to adapt to different characters and situations demonstrates their skill and range.
Impact
Ultimately, good acting should have an emotional impact on the audience. It should make you feel connected to the characters and the story.
Why Recognizing Good Acting Is Important to Filmmakers
As filmmakers, the ability to recognize good acting is crucial to our success. Not only can it help us cast our own projects, but we can also help pull these kinds of performances out of the people we know how to direct and write for a while on set.
There are lots of other reasons this is important as well.
Storytelling: Good acting enhances the storytelling process. When actors effectively convey the emotions, motivations, and nuances of their characters, it enriches the narrative and helps the audience connect with the story on a deeper level. This emotional engagement is often what makes a film or TV show memorable.
Audience Engagement: High-quality acting holds the audience’s attention and draws them into the world of the film or show. When viewers believe in the characters and their experiences, they become more emotionally invested in the outcome, leading to a more satisfying and impactful viewing experience.
Character Development: Well-acted characters can undergo significant development throughout the course of a story. Filmmakers rely on actors to bring these characters to life, allowing them to evolve and grow in a way that resonates with the audience. This character depth contributes to the overall richness of the narrative.
Credibility: Good acting can elevate the credibility of a production. It can make even the most implausible scenes or beats believable. This credibility is crucial for genres like science fiction, fantasy, and historical dramas, where the audience must suspend disbelief.
Longevity: Films and TV shows with exceptional acting tend to stand the test of time. They continue to resonate with audiences and may become classics, ensuring a lasting legacy for the filmmaker and the project.
Artistic Vision: For many filmmakers, creating a work of art is a primary goal. Good acting is integral to realizing their artistic vision and bringing their creative ideas to fruition.
Recognizing good acting isn’t just about knowing the technicalities; it’s about the emotional impact it leaves on us as viewers. When the actors disappear into their roles, when we laugh, cry, or hold our breath in suspense, when we forget that we’re watching a performance—then, we can be certain that the acting in a movie or TV show is truly good.
The first trailer for the second season of House of the Dragon dropped over the weekend, but work is already underway on what will be seasons 3 and 4 of the HBO series.
George R.R. Martin took to his blog to write about a recent trip to London, which included a visit to the studio where House of the Dragon was shot. “I also spent two days locked in a room with Ryan Condal and his writing staff (Sara Hess, Ti Mikkel, David Hancock, and Philippa Goslett) talking about the third and fourth seasons of HOUSE OF THE DRAGON,” Martin wrote. “They were lively, fun discussions, and we got some good work done… though two days was not nearly enough. There is so much ground to cover that I am not sure twenty days would have been enough.“
Earlier this year it was reported that the creative team was planning for House of the Dragon to last somewhere between 3 and 4 seasons, so it makes sense that they would be mapping out a complete arc. George R.R. Martin added that he also viewed rough cuts of the first two episodes of House of the Dragon‘s second season.
“The highlight of the trip, though, had to be the sneak preview that Ryan gave me of the first two episodes of HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, season two. (Rough cuts, of course),” Martin wrote. ” Of course, I am hardly objective when talking about anything based on my own work… but I have to say, I thought both episodes were just great. (And they are not even finished yet). Dark, mind you. Very dark. They may make you cry. (I did not cry myself, but one of my friends did). Powerful, emotional, gut-wrenching, heart rending. Just the sort of thing I like. (What can I say? I was weaned on Shakespeare, and love the tragedies and history plays best of all).” Martin added that he also got to see the sets for the Red Keep and Dragonstone at Leavesden Studios, which he called “huge, stunning, and so damned real that I felt as if I had gone through a time portal to medieval Westeros.“
House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, a Targaryen history book which chronicles the history of House Targaryen, starting off with “Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and [going on] to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold the throne, all the way up to the civil war, known as the Dance of the Dragons, that nearly tore their dynasty apart.” House of the Dragon season 2 will debut on HBO in summer 2024.
“I started reading the book that night and just flipped for it,” recalls the showrunner, who developed the TV adaptation for the Apple TV+ series that stars Brie Larson in the lead role of chemist Elizabeth Zott.
“I thought the writing was incredible, and the twists and turns completely took me by surprise,” he says. “I’ve never done this before, but I called Apple and I said, ‘If there’s anything to be done on this show, I just want to raise my hand. And I left it like that.’ ”
To Eisenberg’s delight, the streamer was interested.
“They said, ‘Oh, we’re actually looking for a writer. Do you have time to meet with Brie in a few days?’ And within a few days, I was on a Zoom with Brie. We talked about the book and what resonated for each of us, and we were very much aligned. We hit it off, and off we went.”
What were some of the major changes you made when developing this series?
The first is the dog, Six-Thirty. So much of the book is from the dog’s point of view. He’s said to have a vocabulary of thousands of words, and when you get to the reality of shooting with an animal, something like that could take hours. We knew very early on that we weren’t going to give the dog that same treatment, but we still wanted to honor the book. I found the dog’s perspective to be so compelling, so we decided to devote one episode to that element and keep him not just as the family pet, but as a character you’re able to connect with emotionally.
Lee Eisenberg
Steven Simione/Getty Images
The other big change was the character of Harriet. When we were casting the show, we had pinned Aja Naomi King for a different role and we hadn’t found our Harriet yet. We were obsessed with Aja, so we started talking about the prospect of making [Harriet] a Black woman with a family of her own who’s one of Elizabeth’s contemporaries. While Elizabeth is pushing up against patriarchy, what if Harriet has an even bigger struggle where she’s fighting for the survival of her family and her neighborhood while this government bureaucracy is trying to build a freeway through this upper-middle class, affluent, predominantly Black neighborhood? Seeing Harriet and Elizabeth on parallel tracks create this unlikely friendship felt really rich. Elizabeth’s victories are so small in comparison to what Harriet is up against. Taking your protagonist, who you’re rooting for the entire time, and then having another character challenge them in those moments was really appealing.
How would you describe Brie Larson’s interpretation of Elizabeth Zott?
Elizabeth is one of my favorite characters that I’d ever read, and so many of the adjectives that I would use to describe her are exactly the same that I would give to Brie. She’s whip-smart, slyly funny, incredibly focused, and she has an intensity to her; she’s equal parts wit and grit. The role was demanding because, setting aside the fact that Brie had to look like an incredibly competent rower, and a professional chef, and a world-class chemist, she also suffers great loss. You’re seeing her as a first-time mother and all the struggles that come with that. Having an actress of her caliber who’s able to pull that off, and on top of it find all these slightly funny moments, both scripted and unscripted, whether it’s a look, or a roll of the eyes, or the way she delivers a line — she inhabited this role in a way that exceeded all my expectations.
What made Lewis Pullman right for the role of Calvin?
From the moment he showed up on set, I could not take my eyes off him. Brie is an Oscar winner, and he was toe-to-toe with her in every single scene. He’s intense, he’s smoldering, and he’s incredibly charismatic. Calvin is intimidating to his colleagues and then has this amazing capacity for warmth with Elizabeth and with the dog. My wife and I would sit for an hour every night and watch the dailies — what the two of them were doing together was so tender and beautiful, and we were so awestruck by what we were seeing. The other thing is that by watching those dailies and seeing my wife’s reaction to Lewis, which concerned me a little bit, I decided to find ways of incorporating him into more episodes. Initially, he was only meant to be in three episodes. Ultimately, I wrote him into five because I felt very confident that the audience would want more of him.
Episode two is crucial to the audience building an emotional connection with Elizabeth in order to appreciate her personal journey after Calvin’s death. How did you accomplish that?
I couldn’t even begin to imagine that loss, yet I was so compelled by the rug pull of that. Thematically, what we hoped to accomplish is to show that life does not go the way that you expect it. You could be in the midst of the greatest love of your life, and then that person could be taken away from you. You could have a job that you think is the job that you always dreamed of, and then for various reasons, the way it is for Elizabeth, you have to leave it. I think losing Calvin is the hardest thing that ever happened to Elizabeth. But as a result of Calvin’s death, she finds this community, she builds this village for herself. One of the beautiful things we discovered was how Calvin talks about one of the factors that maybe they don’t consider enough: surprise. Elizabeth rolls her eyes at it at the time, but when you look back on your life, even when it doesn’t go the way you planned it, it all makes sense.
As a writer, what was most important for you to get right?
I’ve been a professional writer for 18 years. The pilot of Lessons in Chemistry is the first script I’ve ever written by myself. I felt a tremendous amount of pressure, partially to prove to myself that I could do it. Also, I didn’t want to disappoint the readers or Bonnie. When you first meet Elizabeth, she has all these walls up, and as you get to know her, you understand why. And Calvin, for reasons that you also understand, also has walls up. They’re both chemists. And a chemistry lab is a sterilized place; you don’t allow outside contaminants in because they could change the reaction, and then your experiment would be incorrect. In real life, when you don’t allow outside contaminants in, you avoid heartache and loss and breakups and anger. But the flip side is you also lose the opportunity to make connections. The title of the book is so beautiful because it’s really about the bonds that we form. Certain bonds connect and other bonds just bump into each other and go off in separate directions. But when you form strong bonds, those are the connections that will change the course of your life. Elizabeth’s story takes place over almost a decade. She becomes a mother, she becomes a friend, she’s a teacher, she’s on TV. Her character goes through this amazing growth. But where we end it is with family and friendship and connections. We start off with her isolated in the world, and, in the end, we find her surrounded by love.
This story first appeared in a November standalone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Julianne Moore attends Netflix’s ‘May December’ Los Angeles premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for Netflix.
Julianne Moore is one of the most talented and accomplished actresses of her generation.
In honor of her latest film, Moviefone is counting down the 30 best movies of Julianne Moore’s impressive career, including ‘May December.’
Let’s begin!
Assassin Robert Rath (Sylvester Stallone) arrives at a funeral to kill a prominent mobster, only to witness a rival hired gun (Antonio Banderas) complete the job for him — with grisly results. Horrified by the murder of innocent bystanders, Rath decides to take one last job and then return to civilian life. But finding his way out of the world of contract killing grows ever more dangerous as Rath falls for his female target (Moore) and becomes a marked man himself.
“In the shadows of life. In the business of death. One man found a reason to live.”
A young female embezzler (Anne Heche) arrives at the Bates Motel, which has terrible secrets of its own. Although this version is in color, features a different cast, and is set in 1998, it is closer to a shot-for-shot remake than most remakes, Gus Van Sant often copying Alfred Hitchcock‘s camera movements and editing, and Joseph Stefano‘s script is mostly carried over. Bernard Herrmann‘s musical score is reused as well, though with a new arrangement by Danny Elfman and recorded in stereo.
A comedy that follows the chaos that ensues when a meteor hits the Earth carrying alien life forms that give new meaning to the term “survival of the fittest.” David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, Seann William Scott, and Julianne Moore are the only people standing between the aliens and world domination… which could be bad news for the Earth.
“Coming to wipe that silly smile off your planet.”
60
PG-131 hr 41 minJun 8th, 2001
When he finds out his longtime girlfriend (Moore) is pregnant, a commitment-phobe (Hugh Grant) realizes he might have to change his lifestyle for better or much, much worse.
Las Vegas showroom magician Cris Johnson (Nicolas Cage) has a secret which torments him: he can see a few minutes into the future. Sick of the examinations he underwent as a child and the interest of the government and medical establishment in his power, he lies low under an assumed name in Vegas, performing cheap tricks and living off small-time gambling “winnings.” But when a terrorist group threatens to detonate a nuclear device in Los Angeles, government agent Callie Ferris (Moore) must use all her wiles to capture Cris and convince him to help her stop the cataclysm.
“If you can see the future, you can save it.”
60
PG-131 hr 36 minApr 26th, 2007
A New Jersey guy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) dedicated to his family, friends, and church, develops unrealistic expectations from watching porn and works to find happiness and intimacy with his potential true love.
A reimagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White (Chloe Grace Moretz), a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother (Moore), who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) reluctantly becomes the symbol of a mass rebellion against the autocratic Capitol.
A suburban family chooses seemingly sweet Peyton Flanders (Rebecca De Mornay) as their newborn’s nanny. Only much later does the infant’s mother, Claire Bartel (Annabella Sciorra), realize Peyton’s true intentions — to destroy Claire and replace her in the family. The nail-biting suspense builds quickly in this chilling psychological thriller about deception and bitter revenge.
“Trust is her weapon. Innocence her opportunity. Revenge her only desire.”
68
R1 hr 50 minJan 10th, 1992
Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is a burned-out veteran of the Air Marshals service. He views the assignment not as a life-saving duty, but as a desk job in the sky. However, today’s flight will be no routine trip. Shortly into the transatlantic journey from New York to London, he receives a series of mysterious text messages ordering him to have the government transfer $150 million into a secret account, or a passenger will die every 20 minutes.
“The hijacking was just the beginning.”
68
PG-131 hr 46 minFeb 28th, 2014
Driven by an intense need for fame and validation, members of a dysfunctional Hollywood family are chasing celebrity, one another and the relentless ghosts of their pasts.
“Eventually stars burn out.”
62
R1 hr 52 minSep 27th, 2014
The life of George Falconer (Colin Firth), a British college professor, is reeling with the recent and sudden loss of his longtime partner. This traumatic event makes George challenge his own will to live as he seeks the console of his close girl friend Charley (Moore), who is struggling with her own questions about life.
With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) confronts President Snow (Donald Sutherland) in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends – including Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Finnick (Sam Claflin), and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) – Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her. The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games.
Four years after Jurassic Park’s genetically bred dinosaurs ran amok, multimillionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) shocks chaos theorist Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) by revealing that he has been breeding more beasties at a secret location. Malcolm, his paleontologist ladylove (Moore) and a wildlife videographer (Vince Vaughn) join an expedition to document the lethal lizards’ natural behavior in this action-packed thriller.
“Something has survived.”
65
PG-132 hr 9 minMay 19th, 1997
Wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife (Sela Ward) and sentenced to death, Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) escapes from the law in an attempt to find the real killer and clear his name.
“A murdered wife. A one-armed man. An obsessed detective. The chase begins.”
75
PG-132 hr 11 minJul 29th, 1993
14. ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ (2017)
When an attack on the Kingsman headquarters takes place and a new villain rises, Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong) are forced to work together with the American agency known as the Statesman to save the world.
“Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
70
R2 hr 21 minSep 22nd, 2017
After having successfully eluded the authorities for years, Hannibal (Anthony Hopkins) peacefully lives in Italy in disguise as an art scholar. Trouble strikes again when he’s discovered leaving a deserving few dead in the process. He returns to America to make contact with now disgraced Agent Clarice Starling (Moore), who is suffering the wrath of a malicious FBI rival as well as the media.
“His genius undeniable. His evil, unspeakable.”
68
R2 hr 11 minFeb 8th, 2001
Many loosely connected characters cross paths in this film, based on the stories of Raymond Carver. Waitress Doreen Piggot (Lily Tomlin) accidentally runs into a boy with her car. Soon after walking away, the child lapses into a coma. While at the hospital, the boy’s grandfather tells his son, Howard (Bruce Davidson), about his past affairs. Meanwhile, a baker starts harassing the family when they fail to pick up the boy’s birthday cake.
Many loosely connected characters cross paths in this film, based on the stories of Raymond Carver. Waitress Doreen Piggot accidentally runs into a boy with her… Read the Plot
Carol (Moore), a typical upper middle-class housewife, begins to complain of vague symptoms of illness. She “doesn’t feel right,” has unexplained headaches, congestion, a dry cough, nosebleeds, vomiting, and trouble breathing. Her family doctor treats her concerns dismissively and suggests a psychiatrist. Eventually, an allergist tells her that she has Environmental Illness.
(L to R) Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry and Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo in ‘May December.’ Photo: Francois Duhamel / courtesy of Netflix.
Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple (Moore and Charles Melton) buckles under pressure when an actress (Natalie Portman) arrives to do research for a film about their past.
In 1950s Connecticut, a housewife (Moore) faces a marital crisis and mounting racial tensions in the outside world.
“The Hours” is the story of three women (Nicole Kidman, Moore, and Meryl Streep) searching for more potent, meaningful lives. Each is alive at a different time and place, all are linked by their yearnings and their fears. Their stories intertwine, and finally come together in a surprising, transcendent moment of shared recognition.
“The time to hide is over. The time to regret is gone. The time to live is now.”
Alice Howland (Moore), happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who starts to forget words. When she receives a devastating diagnosis, Alice and her family find their bonds tested.
“Live in the moment.”
75
PG-131 hr 41 minDec 5th, 2014
An epic mosaic of many interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.
“Things fall down. People look up. And when it rains, it pours.”
In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist (Clive Owen) agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman (Clare-Hope Ashitey) to a sanctuary at sea, where her child’s birth may help scientists save the future of humankind.
Two women, Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Moore), brought a son and daughter into the world through artificial insemination. When one of their children reaches age, both kids (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) go behind their mothers’ backs to meet with the donor (Mark Ruffalo). Life becomes so much more interesting when the father, two mothers and children start to become attached to each other.
“Nic and Jules had the perfect family, until they met the man who made it all possible.”
Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is living the American dream. He has a good job, a beautiful house, great children and a beautiful wife, named Emily (Moore). Cal’s seemingly perfect life unravels, however, when he learns that Emily has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Over 40 and suddenly single, Cal is adrift in the fickle world of dating. Enter, Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), a self-styled player who takes Cal under his wing and teaches him how to be a hit with the ladies.
Jeffrey ‘The Dude’ Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), a Los Angeles slacker who only wants to bowl and drink White Russians, is mistaken for another Jeffrey Lebowski (David Huddleston), a wheelchair-bound millionaire, and finds himself dragged into a strange series of events involving nihilists, adult film producers, ferrets, errant toes, and large sums of money.
Set in 1977, back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, idealistic porn producer Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) aspires to elevate his craft to an art form. Horner discovers Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), a hot young talent working as a busboy in a nightclub, and welcomes him into the extended family of movie-makers, misfits and hangers-on that are always around. Adams’ rise from nobody to a celebrity adult entertainer is meteoric, and soon the whole world seems to know his porn alter ego, “Dirk Diggler”. Now, when disco and drugs are in vogue, fashion is in flux and the party never seems to stop, Adams’ dreams of turning sex into stardom are about to collide with cold, hard reality.
“The life of a dreamer, the days of a business, and the nights in between.”
Hayao Miyazaki’s“The Boy and Heron” (which won the NYFCC Best Animated Feature award) marks the first Studio Ghiblifilm to get an IMAX release. It opens December 8 for a one-week run on approximately 200 North American screens through GKids, after premiering on IMAX in Japan on July 14 (under the title “How Do You Live?”) with the highest opening weekend gross for an anime feature. The IMAX screenings will provide both the Japanese-language version and the English dub (boasting a voice cast led by Christian Bale, Robert Pattinson, and Florence Pugh).
However, Miyazaki needed convincing to release his most personal film in IMAX. But the large-format giant spent years developing a strategy to woo the legendary anime director and Studio Ghibli co-founder.
“IMAX has been consistently looking to support telling big stories from international filmmakers all around the world, and that includes anime,” Christopher Tillman, VP of international development and distribution, told IndieWire. “We’ve done previous releases with Makoto Shinkai, including ‘Suzume,’ and Hayao Akiyama, the director of ‘Shin Godzilla’ and the ‘Evangelion’ films. But the white whale is Hayao Miyazaki. And that conveniently helped us out when ‘The Boy and the Heron‘ was announced because it gave us years to establish a rapport, get ourselves established in the market, and familiarize audiences with the IMAX format.
“So whenever we started doing local language titles in Japan, it was kind of like a gold stamp that audiences were a little intrigued by,” Tillman continued. “But it was also kind of experimental for IMAX in Japan. It was something that was a little bit outside the traditional offering. So working with the right filmmakers, programming the right titles got them to the point where it had become a lot more mainstream that IMAX in Japan was known for releasing these big blockbuster-scale anime titles [culminating with the highest-grossing ‘Demon Slayer’ in 2020].”
“The Boy and the Heron”GKIDS
The process began with an IMAX corporate trip to Japan in 2019 to meet with distributor Toho, which resulted in a five-film slate that included “Demon Slayer” and “Suzume,” but also an untitled film that eventually turned out to be “The Boy and the Heron.” Toho was instrumental in helping persuade Miyazaki and his team that anime was a successful fit for IMAX, and that “The Boy and the Heron” could benefit from the large-format experience.
But the task of bringing “The Boy and the Heron” to IMAX took more than a year of planning, negotiating, testing, reviewing, and QC sessions that were conducted by IMAX and Miyazaki’s team (which included close consultation with cinematographer Atsushi Okui).
“You can imagine, given Hayao Miyazaki’s prowess and notoriety in Japan, there were a lot of procedures and protocols that you go through when considering doing something a little bit different and outside the box with one of his films,” added Tillman. “Ultimately, that wound up being a process where we did multiple iterations of tests where we were showing them different content in the IMAX screens, going through different processes, incorporating different levels of IMAX’s technology through our DMR [Digital Media Remastering] process in order to make sure that what we were doing to enhance the film ultimately aligned with Hayao Miyazaki’s creative vision. We also worked with them to create the unique IMAX sound mix.”
The film’s aspect ratio of 1.85 aligned perfectly with IMAX’s 1.90 formatting, but Tillman said Ghibli was deeply interested in the proprietary DMR process of conversion that involves noise reduction and grain removal. They were adamant that the image wasn’t too sharp or glossy. “They wanted to make sure there was the presence of grain to their satisfaction,” Tillman added. “They felt that the way the film was drawn, presented, and grain incorporated into it was all very intentional. And they wanted to make sure that that was preserved, and in some cases even enhanced, in the IMAX presentation.”
On the Ghibli side, it was a matter of understanding and being comfortable with how IMAX worked before handing “The Boy and the Heron” over to them. “But, luckily, since there was a lot of time between the completion of the picture to its release, we were able to clarify or make clear any doubts or questions that we had until, ultimately, we had no qualms in handing it over to IMAX,” Atsushi told IndieWire over Zoom through an interpreter.
The main visual concern wasn’t actually enhancing the hand-drawn cel look in IMAX, but accurately representing it and achieving consistency throughout all versions that screened in theaters. “I would say that, because we didn’t have in mind that it would be shown on such a big screen, when a character is there right smack dab in the middle of a scene, it leaves me with a bit of concern as to, is that too much?” added Atsushi.
But the IMAX conversion worked out to the cinematographer’s satisfaction, including one of the most difficult scenes to animate, where a gust of wind blows at the entrance of the golden gate to the alternate reality. This makes everything sway, from the clothes on the characters to the blades of grass and the flowers to the drifting clouds. “We wanted the scene to have a lot of impact,” Atsushi said. “We wanted you to really be able to see the wind there, so once you enter that other world, and it’s very still and there’s no wind, you bring that contrast up. So that’s where we put a lot of effort.”
Daniel McCartneyand Brandon Frankel have joined 33 & West, the L.A.-based booking agency founded in 2018 by JJ Cassiere, Matt Pike and Dan Rozenblum. McCartney, a former agent at UTA, will join 33 & West as an agent with his current roster, while Frankel will serve as marketing and branding lead. Both are scheduled to start on Jan. 8.
A mainstay in the music industry, McCartney brings a decade of experience from his time at UTA, having worked with acts such as Young Thug, Demi Lovato, Mod Sun, Burna Boy, and grandson. Prior to UTA, he spent seven years touring with his band. Frankel brings nearly 20 years of music marketing and touring experience to 33 & West following past roles at Atlantic Records, CAA and, most recently, The Windish Agency, where he worked in brand partnerships and marketing for renowned artists such as Diplo and alt-J prior to its acquisition by Paradigm.
“I’ve long admired what 33 & West have built and was so impressed with their success and growth in only a few years,” said McCartney. “For an independent agency to do full-service (music, touring, film, TV, comedy), it allows us to compete at a high level, which is something important that our clients need.”
In his new role, Frankel will lead 33 & West’s tour marketing and branding division, strategizing to propel the agency’s current roster — which includes Santa Fe Klan, Dance Gavin Dance and Devo — further along in their careers.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join 33 & West, an agency so deeply committed to the long-term visions of their clients,” said Frankel. “I look forward to collaborating with our stellar team to create opportunities that spotlight artists at key career moments.”
The new hires is part of a rapid expansion at 33 & West as of late. The company’s agent roster also includes Shan Patrick, Ian Fintak, Russell Brantley and Peter DeSantis, who serves as head of talent and music crossover.
“Now more than ever, managers and artists are seeing that they don’t need to be at one of the big three letter companies to be successful,” said Cassiere. “We provide a service for artists to represent them properly — we’re not trying to be a big multimedia company or stray away from the real goal which is artist representation.”
Cassiere added, “Being an independent agency, and now being able to provide the services that the other companies do provide, allows us to deploy a very hands-on white glove approach though a very boutique experience. And we know our clients want that type of experience and want to grow their careers with us.”
The lineup has been announced for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, taking place in-person in Utah, as well as online, January 18-28.
Today’s announcement reveals 91 projects in the US and World Cinema Documentary and Dramatic Competitions, NEXT, Premieres, Midnight, Episodic, Spotlight, Family Matinee, Special Screenings, andNew Frontier sections, and may be found here. Shortsand Collection titles will be revealed in an upcoming announcement.
Since the war began, more than 15,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s health officials, and much of the region’s housing stock has been damaged or destroyed. Nearly 1.9 million people, or about 85 percent of the total population of Gaza, have fled their homes, squeezing into an area covering less than one-third of the territory, according to the United Nations.
The war has also put an immense strain on the territory’s battered health care system. A major hospital in Khan Younis, Nasser Hospital, has run out of space and supplies to treat injured patients in its emergency room, said Dr. Mohammad Abu Moussa, a radiologist.
“The wounded come in the dozens, and it’s impossible for us to treat all these victims,” Dr. Abu Moussa said. “It’s not only that we can’t treat them; we can’t even diagnose them.”
No aid has arrived in Khan Younis and the surrounding area because of the fighting, the United Nations said, while areas immediately north of the city have been cut off because of Israeli restrictions on movement on the main roads. It said all access to northern Gaza, including Gaza City, ended when the truce collapsed.
The Biden administration has urged Israel to exercise more restraint and to do more to avoid civilian casualties, but it has refused to criticize Israel’s conduct of the war.
Hoping to ease some of the humanitarian crisis, the United States on Tuesday pledged an additional $21 million for food, shelter, medical care and other necessities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, on top of the $100 million that President Biden announced in October.
“Civilians are disproportionately bearing the brunt of the war, and food, water, and fuel remain inadequate, and that is unconscionable,” Samantha Power, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, said at a news conference on Tuesday, after she arrived in El-Arish, Egypt.
Reporting was contributed by Farnaz Fassihi, Talya Minsberg, Josh Holder, Adam Goldman, Yara Bayoumy and Gaya Gupta.
Timothée Chalamet admitted to GamesRadar+ that he originally worried “Wonka” might be a “cynical money grab” given Hollywood studios’ recent trend of rebooting every bit of IP they possibly can. Chalamet was offered the chance to lead the film, which is a musical prequel that tells the story of how Willy Wonka became a world famous chocolatier.
“Like many people, when there are remakes, I feel very protective over the original character and versions you love,” Chalamet said. “Your eyebrows go up with skepticism about [whether] this is a legitimate, worthwhile story or a cynical money grab. But I was reading the first three pages of the script, and the song ‘Hat Full of Dreams’ was in there.”
“Hat Full of Dreams” is the film’s opening musical number, and Chalamet said “the lyrics were so clever” on the page that he immediately stopped worrying about the film being a cash grab even without music to accompany the song.
“[It’s] about this young Willy, who was definitively not the crazy, cynical, kind of jaded, brain-fried version that we see in the two prior films but was very hopeful, young, ambitious, won’t-take-no-for-an-answer, maybe a little naive,” Chalamet said. “I think that’s very clever.”
“Wonka” director Paul King revealed earlier this year that Chalamet did not even have to audition for the role of Willy Wonka. He told Rolling Stone that he was already a Chalamet “stan” and thus knew the actor had the singing and dancing chops required to play the part.
“It was a straight offer because he’s great and he was the only person in my mind who could do it,” King said. “But because he’s Timothée Chalamet and his life is so absurd, his high school musical performances are on YouTube and have hundreds of thousands of views. So I knew from stanning for Timmy Chalamet that he could sing and dance really well.”
King continued, “I knew that was in his arsenal, but I didn’t know how good he was. When I spoke to him he was quite keen. He’d done tap dancing in high school and he was like, ‘I’d quite like to show people I can do that.’”
“I love musical theatre and I love song and dance,” Chalamet now told GamesRadar+. “And I love old Fred Astaire movies and the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder. I didn’t think I’d get a chance to do it, not like this. But Paul King is one of these directors that you don’t say no to.”
Casting Chalamet has paid off the for the film, which has earned strong reviews from critics. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman writes in his review that Chalamet makes “a winning Willy Wonka” in a film that’s a “fun, rousing, impeccably staged, jaw-droppingly old-fashioned musical prequel.”
“Wonka” opens in U.K. theaters on Dec. 8, followed by its U.S. release on Dec. 15 from Warner Bros.
Marisa Pavan, the Italian actress and twin sister of Pier Angeli who received an Oscar nomination for her performance as the daughter of Anna Magnani’s seamstress in the 1955 drama The Rose Tattoo, has died. She was 91.
Pavan died Wednesday at her home in Gassin, France, near Saint-Tropez, Margaux Soumoy, who wrote Pavan’s 2021 biography, Drop the Baby; Put a Veil on the Broad!, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Pavan also portrayed the French queen Catherine de’ Medici in Diane (1956), starring Lana Turner; an Italian girl who had an affair years ago with a corporate exec (Gregory Peck) in The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956); and the love interest of a former cop (Tony Curtis) investigating the murder of a priest in the film noir The Midnight Story (1957).
In Paramount’s The Rose Tattoo (1955), an adaptation of the Tennessee Williams play that won four Tony Awards, including best play, Pavan was memorable as the headstrong Rosa Delle Rose alongside Magnani, Burt Lancaster, Jo Van Fleet and Ben Cooper. Williams adapted the screenplay with Hal Kanter.
The film, directed by Daniel Mann and shot in Florida by James Wong Howe, was nominated for eight Oscars, including best picture, and won three. Pavan lost out on Oscar night to Van Fleet — who won not for The Rose Tattoo but for East of Eden — but she did get to the podium at the Pantages, accepting countrywoman Magnani’s trophy for best actress.
Marisa Pavan with Ben Cooper in 1955’s ‘The Rose Tattoo’
Courtesy Everett Collection
Maria Luisa Pierangeli and her sister (birth name Anna Maria Pierangeli, who was older by a few minutes) were born on June 19, 1932, in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. Their father, Luigi, was an architect and construction engineer, and their mother, Enrica, was a homemaker who once dreamed of being an actress.
“My mother adored Shirley Temple and took us to see all her movies,” Pavan said in Jane Allen’s 2002 book, Pier Angeli: A Fragile Life. “She even dressed us like Shirley Temple, hence the big bows in our hair.”
The family moved to Rome in the mid-1930s and was threatened when the Nazis occupied the city.
When she was 16, Anna was strolling along the Via Veneto on the way home from art school when she was discovered by Vittorio De Sica, and she portrayed a teenager on the verge of a sexual awakening opposite him in Tomorrow Is Too Late (1950). That brought her to the attention of MGM, which cast her in Teresa (1951), signed her to a seven-year contract and gave her the stage name Pier Angeli.
Angeli and her sister then moved to Los Angeles, and Maria, with no acting experience, was signed by Fox. Newly christened Marisa Pavan, she made her big-screen debut as a French girl in John Ford’s World War I-set What Price Glory (1952), starring James Cagney and Dan Dailey.
Pavan then appeared in 1954 in the film noir Down Three Dark Streets and in the Western Drum Beat, starring Broderick Crawford and Alan Ladd, respectively, before she broke out in The Rose Tattoo.
Pavan also co-starred in a pair of epic adventures released in 1959, playing Robert Stack’s love interest in John Farrow’s John Paul Jones (1959) and the servant Abishag in King Vidor’s Solomon and Sheba (1959). In the latter, she worked alongside Yul Brynner, who joined the film in Spain after the sudden death of Tyrone Power.
Pavan worked mainly in television after that, with stints on such shows as The United States Steel Hour, Naked City, 77 Sunset Strip, Combat!, The F.B.I., Wonder Woman, Hawaii Five-O and The Rockford Files.
Marisa Pavan and Tony Curtis on the set of 1957’s ‘The Midnight Story’
Courtesy Everett Collection
In 1976, she appeared as Kirk Douglas‘ mentally ill wife in the Arthur Hailey NBC miniseries The Moneychangers, and she played Chantal Dubujak, mother of crime lord Max DuBujak (Daniel Pilon), in 1985 on the ABC soap opera Ryan’s Hope.
Angeli, who dated James Dean before she married singer Vic Damone and portrayed the wife of champion boxer Rocky Marciano (played by Paul Newman) in 1956’s Somebody Up There Likes Me, died in 1971 at age 39 of a barbiturate overdose at a Beverly Hills apartment. It was never firmly established whether she died by suicide or suffered a reaction to prescribed medication.
Pavan was married to French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont (her castmate in John Paul Jones) from 1956 until his 2001 death. Survivors include her sons, Jean-Claude and Patrick, and her younger sister, Patrizia Pierangeli, also an actress.
In his highly acclaimed career, Peter Sarsgaard has delivered a variety of winning performances in movies like An Education, Jarhead, Kinsey, Shattered Glass, The Magnificent Seven, Blue Jasmine The Lost Daughter, Black Mass, Garden State, The Batman, not to mention his Emmy-nominated turn in Dopesick, and small screen projects like The Killing, and The Loooming Tower just to name a few. Now his latest film, Memory is bringing him more acclaim including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival where the film debuted in September.
In Memory, in which he stars opposite Jessica Chastain, he plays Saul, a gentle man dealing with the onset of dementia and a relationship with an old classmate he follows home from a reunion. It is an understated and highly moving performance which ranks as yet another outstanding moment in his acting career and is winning lots of awards buzz.
Sarsgaard joins me today for this week’s edition of my Deadline video series, The Actor’s Side, where we discuss that film and all aspects of his career to date. He also offers up some advice on how to make the awards season more exciting by turning it all into a Survival –style reality show.
To watch our conversation and to get the ‘actor’s side’ of things from Peter Sarsgaard just click on the link above.
Join me every Wednesday this Oscar season for another episode of The Actor’s Side.
In the wake of A24‘s pay-one deal with Showtime expiring, the specialty film studio will now see its movies go through HBO and Max in a new exclusive multiyear pay-one output agreement.
Both new A24 movies and the existing library will play on Max, HBO and Cinemax; in total over 100 movies over the term of the agreement.
This includes this year’s theatrical releases such as Sofia Coppola’s award-winning Priscilla starring Jacob Elordi and Cailee Spaeny, Kristoffer Borgli’s Nicolas Cage starrer Dream Scenario and Sean Durkin’s upcoming release The Iron Claw starring Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White. Also, Dicks: The Musical, The Zone of Interest, the new cut of Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense, the recently Independent Spirit Award nominated Past Lives as well as Love Lies Bleeding, Civil War, and more.
Also included are A24’s critically acclaimed films such as multi Oscar winner Everything Everywhere All at Once, Uncut Gems, The Whale, and more.
“Continuing our relationship with A24 to bring award-winning movies alongside recent fan-favorites to subscribers adds incredible value to the HBO and Max value proposition,” said Royce Battleman, EVP, Content Acquisitions, Warner Bros. Discovery.
“The diverse range of stories that come from the A24 pipeline make this partnership so impactful for our audience.”
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 16 Cast Has Been Revealed
It’s that time of year again. No, not the holiday season. It’s time to gear up for another season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
The juggernaut franchise (hosted by RuPaul, of course) is known for consistently showcasing some of the best in drag performance and offering endlessly iconic reality TV moments. Well, the cast has been announced for Season 16, which premieres Friday, Jan. 5, on MTV and will feature 90-minute episodes.
But first, here’s what to know about the premiere: It’ll be a two-parter and will once again feature the show’s signature talent show, as well as a major twist. According to a press release, the queens will “be tasked to ‘Rate-A-Queen’ — ranking each other’s performances to determine the tops and bottoms of that week.” Sounds like we’re in for a drama-filled start to the season!
View this video on YouTube
MTV / RuPaul’s Drag Race / YouTube / Via youtube.com
Plus, the Untucked after-show is back again this year and will air immediately after each episode. But ahead of this all, meet the queens and read their bios below:
Angelina Jolie is speaking candidly about her stressful divorce and “shallow” Hollywood.
While filming “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” in 2018, the actor said she noticed her voice had changed register since she’d filmed the first installment years prior.
“My body reacts very strongly to stress,” she told WSJ. Magazine in an interview published Tuesday. “My blood sugar goes up and down. I suddenly had Bell’s palsy six months before my divorce.”
Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in 2016 after two years of marriage, but more than a decade as a couple. The split was messy, with stories circulating about Pitt’s alleged drunken rampage on a private jet and back-and-forth legal battles over custody of their six children. Pitt was investigated by the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services and the FBI and later cleared by both.
The pair agreed to settle their divorce privately but have battled in court over the partial sale of their Château Miraval property and winery in Provence, trading slights in filings available publicly. Suffice it to say, the “Girl, Interrupted” star has been stressed, and hiding away has been a major reprieve.
“There’s a reason people who have been through hardship are also much more honest and much more connected, and I am more relaxed with them,” Jolie told the outlet about what she gets from her activism work. “Why do I like spending time with people who’ve survived and are refugees? They’ve confronted so much in life that it brings forward not just strength, but humanity.”
The actor said that in Hollywood, she doesn’t have much of a social life, isn’t dating and her closest friends are refugees. “Because I grew up around Hollywood, I was never very impressed with it,” Jolie continued. “I never bought into it as significant or important.” The daughter of actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, Jolie landed her first film role at 7, playing the daughter of her real-life dad’s character in the 1982 comedy “Lookin’ to Get Out.” As a teenager, she modeled and studied Method acting before hitting it big in her early 20s when she starred in “Girl, Interrupted” and won an Oscar for her performance.
The “Eternals” actor noted that Hollywood is a “shallow place” that doesn’t suit her anymore, and after her divorce, the actor said she lost her ability to live and travel freely. Jolie plans to move and looks forward to spending more time at her home in Cambodia.
“Of all the places in the world, Hollywood is not a healthy place,” she continued. “So you seek authenticity.”
In September, ahead of the launch of her fashion line, Atelier Jolie, (an endeavor that will marry her socially conscious values with her affinity for fashion) the actor reflected on who she used to be, and teased that the darker parts of herself may get a comeback.
“I was quite dark when I was young,” she told Vogue. “I was a punk, not the popular kid — going to thrift stores, cutting things up, burning little teeny cigarette holes into things: That was me as a teenager, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Maybe that part of me wants to push back.”
Turns out, Ms. Marvel is building a team—one made up of younger Avenger-types. Kamala’s been looking at other candidates, too, including Kathryn Newton’sCassie Lang, with plans beyond that currently unknown.
Iman Vellani Teases Her Young Avengers
Marvel
While speaking exclusively to The Direct’s Russ Milheim, The Marvels star Iman Vellani, who plays Ms. Marvel in the new Marvel Studios blockbuster, spoke about the big Young Avengers tease and expressed a desire to cross paths with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
So, just who was Kamala Khan planning on recruiting after visiting Kate Bishop?
While the star was hesitant to say too much, she confirmed “whatever names you can guess are probably right:”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what the rules are for scenes that were cut, like, Am I still supposed to keep those secrets?… I’ll say, whatever names you can guess are probably right. Like, there’s not that many young people in the MCU right now.”
When The Direct suggested that Kamala should also stop by NYC to visit Tom Holland’s Spider-Man for some advice, Vellani admitted she “would love to see a team-up [with Holland’s character]:”
“I would love to see a team-up [with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man]. Their team-ups in the comics are honestly one of my favorites. So, that would be cool.”
The scene in The Marvels where Kamala Khan rattles off codenames for Monica—one of which was Nova was then brought up, as many fans wanted to see the character come to life on-screen.
While some may want the original Nova, Vellani revealed she actually “wants Sam Alexander, not Richard Rider.” Though, she wasn’t opposed to the hypothetical idea of getting both of them.
For those who don’t know who Nova is, there are two different iterations of the character.
The original is Richard Rider, a man from New York City who takes on a role as a member of the Nova Corps. After a deadly attack on Xandar, he becomes the last living member of the entire group.
Sam Alexander was introduced in the comics after Richard Rider died (a status that lasted only a few years). He’s a thirteen-year-old Latinx hero who inherited a Nova helmet from his father, who was an elite Black Nova Corps member.
On top of Sam, the actress noted she also “love[s] Miles [Morales]” while being a “big fan of The Champions comics:”
“I love Sam Alexander, and I love Miles [Morales]. I’m a big fan of ‘The Champions’ comics, especially the more recent runs. Like Kamala, Miles, and Sam, their chemistry is so sweet. And I want her to have like more that young energy in her life. So yeah, those two would probably be my top choice. I think.”
When asked if Kamala’s team might go by the Champions instead of the Young Avengers since the roster isn’t getting any younger, Vellani laughed at the suggestion, noting she “[doesn’t] know how the fan base would respond to that name:”
“That’s funny. I don’t know. I don’t think I am a part of that decision-making. But I personally like Champions, mostly because I read those comics more, but I don’t know how the fan base would respond to that name.”
What Young Heroes Will Lead the MCU’s Future?
When it comes to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, there’s no denying both he and Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan would crush their on-screen dynamic. The duo are destined to meet one day, and their interactions will likely become some of the best in the MCU.
But before that comes to pass, given the end of The Marvels, Ms. Marvel is bound to interact with some younger heroes first.
Then, of course, there’s Miles Morales, but who knows when audiences and Iman Vellani will see that character get the MCU spotlight? The same could be said for either incarnation of Nova.
Hopefully, they can all get together before Avengers: Secret Wars. With all the Jonathan Majors troubles behind the scenes at Marvel Studios, perhaps Kang Dynasty will be retooled into a Young Avengers project instead.
Dinah and Co. meet Diana and the Amazons in battle…and OOOPS- it’s all just a big misunderstanding. This leads to a breakthrough in the plot however….
Positives
About halfway through Birds of Prey #4, the comic becomes somewhat intelligible and the actual plot is finally revealed by the end. This makes about 1/3 of the issue pretty good from a writing standpoint. Once Diana listens to what Dinah has to say about the mission, it feels believable. It’s also nice to know that the Amazons have been trying to contact Dinah, but “couldn’t get through.” Gee maybe ask Diana her longtime JLA teammate to reach out? Additionally, Harley plays a much smaller role in this issue than in the previous three, and that’s a huge relief.
Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire continue to make this an entertaining book visually, despite the erratic nature of Kelly Thompson’s writing. Romero’s figures just plain look good as does Bellaire’s choice of colors. Romero also does a nice job with the storytelling that helps the book flow narratively as best as possible with the given script.
Negatives
It’s odd to me, but clearly not Thompson, that Wonder Woman identifies this group of characters as “the Birds of Prey” when they are clearly not recognizable as such and the fact that this is the first time as we saw in issue #1 when Dinah assembled them for the first time that this group has ever worked together. I think Thompson is the only person who upon first seeing this group together would say it’s the Birds of Prey. It’s funny in a meta-way and sort of stupid within the story itself.
The first third of this issue is a battle between Dinah’s faction and Diana’s faction and narratively it’s tedious and boring. This is mainly due to the fact that it is completely nonsensical for Dinah and Diana to be fighting against each other. If anything a quick message from Black Canary to Wonder Woman would’ve made all this unnecessary. Essentially, if Thompson had written the characters instead of trying to fit characters into a story she wanted to tell, the first three issues wouldn’t have been necessary to get the plot to where it ends up by the end of issue #4.
Negatives Cont’d
As mentioned in the review for last issue, the reasoning for not contacting Diana directly is confounding. What was stated in issue #1 does not seem to line up with what’s presented in issue #3, and ultimately Birds of Prey #4 still doesn’t clarify things. It’s certainly possibly that editorial didn’t communicate things clearly to Kelly Thompson about the events in Diana’s own title. It’s a real mess over there, so that’s somewhat understandable. What’s not understandable is why Dinah didn’t just reach out to Diana and ask for help? Oliver was right there in D.C. with her and could’ve said something. It’s makes no sense and seems only to be there because Thompson wanted to construct a conflict that was not naturally occurring. It’s so poorly developed that it really does make the first three issues superfluous and a complete waste of time.
Had Dinah made attempts to contact Diana, but was unable to reach her that would’ve provided a reasonable situation which required Dinah to act. Had she gone in looking to talk instead of fight and be secretive, that would’ve fit with the fact that these characters have a longstanding friendly relationship. There’s no reason to think that Diana wouldn’t listen to Dinah, even if the United States military is waging war on Themiscyra at Tom King’s behest.
The mystical nature of the big bad revealed in the final few pages of Birds of Prey #4, push the genre further away from what one expects in a Birds of Prey comic. It also makes some aspects of Thompson’s line up feel contrived. Gee, sure glad Barda’s there when the “mega rod” is of Apokoliptian origin. Zealot seems like she may be of use … but, I still don’t know anything about her, Thompson hasn’t developed her much. At one point she says she hates this mission, and I have to agree with her. That reveal of Megaera certainly appears to be be a job for Wonder Woman. However, Harley the Wild Card will probably be able to bash her with her mallet in order to save the day. I don’t know….
Verdict
If you’ve spent money on issues #1-3, you may feel really cheated with the plot developments in Birds of Prey #4. It not only exacerbates the lack of reasoning on Dinah’s part in not even attempting to contact Diana for help, it just becomes clear that Thompson literally lost the plot for this arc in the very beginning. Things just don’t make sense from a character standpoint, and there are just too many things that just are because Thompson wants them that way instead of them making logical sense based on character and the known world of the DC Universe.
A Grand Theft Auto 6 developer has expressed their disappointment over the game’s trailer leak, and subsequent early publication, on Monday.
Rockstar was due to premiere its GTA 6 trailer on Tuesday. However, on Monday an anonymous X (formerly Twitter) account forced its hand by uploading a low-res and heavily watermarked version of the reveal video early.
Senior gameplay animator Javier Altman wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the early publication of the much-anticipated reveal video had robbed them of plans to watch the live reaction with the rest of the development team.
“This fucking sucks,” they wrote. “I was hoping to watch this for the first time tomorrow along with my fellow teammates and coworkers. I feel we deserved that moment.”
Altman added: “I’m so proud of what we are making. Enjoy the trailer, everyone.”
An hour after the GTA 6 trailer was officially published by Rockstar, the animator added: “Literally crying tears of joy right now at the response everyone is having. I can’t believe I get to be a part of this.”
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Another GTA 6 developer, associate principal animator, Amy Hartley, also commented on X: “Little bit earlier than expected, but here it is folks! So proud of everyone working on this game, it’s going to be amazing”.
As revealed via a high-profile game leak last year, the GTA 6 trailer confirms the new instalment will take place in Vice City – a fictional Miami – and star a pair of protagonists (one of whom, in a first for the series, is a women).
Rockstar confirmed in February 2022 that active development for the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series was “well underway”, but it didn’t provide any more details about the game.
However, in September 2022, one of the games industry’s most high-profile data leaks saw over an hour of GTA 6 development footage published online , giving players their first look at the sequel to one of the best-selling games of all time.
EXCLUSIVE: It’s the most wonderful time of the year — for Freeform, that is.
The network launched its beloved 25 Days of Christmas on December 1, and it is already reaping the benefits of audiences in the holiday spirit. Driven by the first three days of the month-long phenomenon, Freeform managed its most-watched week of the year in primetime and total day, according to Nielsen data.
Friday’s opening night run of Home Alonestole the show as the No. 1 cable movie of the week among adults 18-49.
So far, Freeform is taking the cake in December as the top cable entertainment network in primetime among adults 18-49, adults 18-34 and women 18-34, while ranking No. 2 with women 18-49 and men 18-49.
There is plenty of the month left, so these ratings could always change. But, Freeform isn’t alone in experiencing viewers’ appetite for holiday content. Several new holiday films have launched recently across streamers like Netflix and Prime Video, setting audience records for the services.
Freeform has several more weeks of cable movie telecasts coming up that are likely to drive more ratings success, including Home Alone, Home Alone II: Lost in New York, The Santa Clause, The Santa Clause 2 and Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
“Entrepreneurship and acting are very similar. Both require the same kind of energy,” Goop CEO and Academy Award-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow told a crowd during a career retrospective this evening at the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia.
Paltrow was among a series of high-profile names, including Halle Berry, Andrew Garfield, and Nic Cage, who were announced as late additions to the festival’s popular ‘In-Conversation’ sidebar in Jeddah. This evening’s talk was brief in length compared to previous Q&A sessions here at Red Sea, with festival co-chief Jomana Alrashid leading the conversation through Paltrow’s early acting career and transition to Goop founder.
“I just took a chance, and people were really surprised. They didn’t understand what I was doing,” Paltrow said of her transition from Hollywood to wellness brand owner. “I’m really happy I did it because I’ve learned so much through the process of growing this company and working with this team and all of the challenges, whether it be inventory management or Excel. I never thought in a million years I would have to learn how to read a P&L. It’s been so thrilling to build this business and still do what I love to do.”
Back on the topic of acting, Alrashid asked Paltrow, who is perhaps now best known for her central role in the MCU as Iron Man’s companion Pepper Potts but won a leading actress Oscar for John Madden’s Shakespeare in Love, which of her characters and films have stayed with her over the years.
“The Royal Tenenbaums,” she replied. “That film has stayed with people. My daughter’s friends watch it and love it all these years later.”
Paltrow was asked a similar question about the directors she worked with across her career, and she proceeded to cite what she described as a list of some of the best filmmakers she worked with.
“David Fincher. I was so lucky to feature in his first motion picture,” she said. “I was in Paul Thomas Anderson’s first one, which was great. I loved working with Wes. I loved working with Anthony Minghella on The Talented Mr. Ripley. I was very lucky.”
Excluding a run out in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix soap The Politician, Paltrow has largely been on an acting hiatus for most of the last decade. Her last big screen credit was Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame, a film she told the audience in Jeddah she’s never actually seen.
“To be honest, I stopped watching them at some point. I’ve never seen End Game. I can’t keep track of who’s what. But I probably should at some point,” she said of the later MCU films.
Breaking down her gradual disillusionment with the MCU, Paltrow said she had been persuaded, after a strong protest, to star in the first Iron Man film, alongside Robert Downey Jr after receiving assurances that despite all of the film’s superhero trappings the production would remain a unique and artistically stimulating experience.
“The first film we did was very different from the rest because the studio didn’t think it was going to be a big hit,” she said. “They hired Jon Favreau to direct who was great. And they hired Robert Downey Jr., who was unhireable at the time. His career was at a very low point.”
Paltrow continued to say that because the film was so low stakes for the studio they approached every day on set like an indie film and the cast was afforded the freedom to experiment.
“We improvised almost every scene of that movie. We would write scenes in the morning in Jon’s trailer. It was like doing an independent film. Then the movie was such a huge hit that then we didn’t make them like that anymore,” she said.
Concluding the talk Paltrow was asked whether she had any plans to return to acting. After a hesitant groan, she responded: “I never say never. I’m really happy and busy doing what I’m doing. But if one of my best said, please come and do this, maybe I would consider.”
Disney is rolling out the beta version of its combined Disney Plus and Hulu experience today. The new hub, called Hulu on Disney Plus, puts content from both services on the Disney Plus app.
If you’re subscribed to a Disney Plus and Hulu bundle, you’ll see a new Hulu card that appears next to the Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic titles at the very top of Disney Plus’ interface. Selecting the Hulu option will bring you to a “Hulu Hub,” where you’ll gain access to the thousands of movies and TV shows available through the service. The experience is also available to people who subscribe to Disney Plus and Hulu separately, as long as both accounts are associated with the same email address.
I found that I already had access to Hulu after I updated the Disney Plus app on my TV. The new experience looks very similar to how things are set up on Disney Plus, but it doesn’t feel complete just yet. It still doesn’t have a sidebar for quick access to different categories, like movies, series, originals, or your watchlist.
Hulu on Disney Plus doesn’t include Hulu’s full library.Image: Disney
I also noticed that Hulu on Disney Plus doesn’t give me a “continue watching” queue. When I selected a show I had already watched several episodes of, it didn’t start where I left off in the standalone Hulu app. Hopefully, Disney will sync watch history and progress between apps before the hub officially launches in the spring of 2024. Disney notes the beta testing period should give parents enough time to tweak controls and make kid-friendly profiles.
The new hub “is not a replacement” for the standalone Hulu or Disney apps, according to Disney, and the two apps will remain “as separate offerings.” Hulu with Live TV and Premium add-ons will also only be available in the standalone Hulu app, as will the “full Hulu SVOD content library.” It’s still not clear how many shows or movies are getting left out of the Hulu on Disney Plus experience. However, Variety says titles like Modern Family and Love Island won’t get carried over due to licensing restrictions.
The line-up was selected from a record number of 17,435 submissions from 153 countries or territories, including 4,410 feature-length films, with a host of unknown filmmakers joining the likes of Sundance staples like Richard Linklater, Steven Soderbergh and Christopher Nolan, who will be awarded with the inaugural Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award.
TheWrap spoke with Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente, Film Festival Director Eugene Hernandez and Director of Programming Kim Yutani about this year’s festival, how the strikes impacted Sundance and that secret Steven Soderbergh movie.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
What is different about this year’s festival?
Eugene Hernandez: I’m excited to be in this role, so that’s really important just to say out front. I’m totally biased because I’ve been such a big fan of Sundance for forever and this will be my 30th edition attending, but it being the 40th edition that’s a really special thing that you’ll probably hear us come back to a couple of times today because in the lineup you see some familiar names from the history and the legacy of Sundance but, at the same time, making space for true international discovery is super exciting.
What’s new for us is [having] the most submissions ever in the history of the festival: 17,500 films submitted from around the world – features, shorts, episodic. That’s a big deal.
It’s really important for me to convey that giving each of those films the best possible launchpad on that opening week and that opening weekend, especially, is really important. So, that’s why you’ll see on the first day of the festival, on the 18th, we’re kicking it off, starting right at noon there will be screenings…we’re still finalizing the schedule, but 19 films premier that day, films looking for distribution, films that are going to be unveiled for the first time, and that’s really exciting. To give each film the opportunity to launch into the festival that opening weekend we’re spending time thinking about how each film can resonate and pop in front of all the different audiences.
It’s the industry audience, it’s critics, it’s press, it’s curators who come from around the world, it’s our local audiences and folks [who] come back year after year to Sundance in Park City and Salt Lake. How do we create the right conditions so those films can be embraced, and celebrated and discovered in that first half before we move into the hybrid portion of the festival and to all the activities we have planned for the second half, in-person, as well? That is, I think, an important framing because we do talk a lot internally about giving each of those films we’ve selected the right first impression to get out the gate.
Joana Vicente: It’s thrilling for us to have Eugene be the director of the festival, his first festival working with Kim, and it’s also such an incredible opportunity to celebrate 40 editions of the festival, an incredible, rich history. So many filmmakers [who] got their launch at Sundance, some of them coming back with films this year, and then with the opening night gala celebrating Chris Nolan, who had “Memento” at Sundance in 2001 and is having a big year this year. Also with the Vanguard Award, celebrating some of the amazing talent from last year, like Celine Song. [I’m] really excited about continuing to evolve the festival and use that opening night gala as a way to fundraise for the organization and support the incredible work that we do year ‘round.
Kim Yutani: Every year is a different year. That’s one of the exciting parts about my contribution to this festival and our team’s contribution is that, as Eugene referenced, we had 17,000 plus submissions to go through and to figure out. What do we actually show and how do we make sense of all that we’ve seen this year? It’s always a new challenge and this year what we’ve extracted from that mass of films is a crop of exciting, distinctive new films to launch.
One of the things that’s particularly exciting is that next to those recognizable faces in our program, we also have so many newcomers, first and second features that will catch the industry’s attention. We also have a very good number of films without distribution who are looking for buyers. This year is going to be a positive one, I hope. That’s how we can start off this year with a lot of new films to see, and buy, and discuss and debate. It’s a real opportunity for our industry to embrace the work we’re showing and to engage with it.
How did the strikes impact programming and the planning of this year’s festival?
Kim Yutani: The numbers show that we did not suffer from the strikes. There was not a lack of submissions, at all. We know that there were a number of films that were made with interim agreements and there are a few of those films that ended up in the festival. I’ll single out the Sean Wang film, “Didi,” which is in our US dramatic competition, and also a film called “Ghost Light” that’s in our premiere section. People love to talk about “Oh, are you guys going to have enough films to watch this season?” We have more than plenty and, in the end, we had to make very, very difficult decision to put this program together, and look at the entire slate and make sure that it was balanced. It was a challenging year, as it always is.
Can you speak to the balance of films that will be online and in-person?
Eugene Hernandez: I was talking a little while ago about the first half of the festival being the opportunity where folks can gather around these films in person, and that’s that communal aspect of people coming together. That’s part of the magic that we all know from Sundance going back to the earliest days of attending this festival.
But that part of the festival is so important because it takes the films that folks are going to be reading about in the papers, and in the trades, and on social media from the first half and gives them a chance to sample and explore, in a limited window, limited number of views, but have a chance to engage with the conversation that’s starting at Sundance.
We really believe in the strength of this year’s lineup and know that all of our audiences are really going to connect with this, but it requires the industry, and the critics, and the curators, and everybody to meet this lineup, and we’re excited to show it to them.
Joana Vicente: What started as a necessity to host a festival digitally in ’21 and then ’22, we had to pivot and have the festival digital. Last year was our first hybrid edition of the festival. It was about taking a lot of learnings on what worked, what could work better. It is not just very popular, it’s also an opportunity for us to have more reach, to make the festival more accessible, more inclusive, gives us the opportunity to connect with press and industry outside of the US, and then with audiences across the US.
It’s also important to remember that we treated it as a venue, in terms of the public availability of tickets – there’s a limited amount of seats and if people are excited and want to contribute they better get tickets fast. 60% of the program is online and we’re excited to continue to evolve and tak[e] input from the industry, and press, and filmmakers, and continuing to evolve the offering.
One of the names that jumped out from the line-up is Steven Soderbergh, who has such a storied history with the festival. Can you talk about what it means to Sundance to have him back?
Eugene Hernandez: Steven Soderbergh is such an important figure in the story of Sundance. There’s a handful of filmmakers that came of age at this festival in the late ’80s and early ’90s, Soderbergh, Tarantino, Jennie Livingston, Todd Haynes, Rick Linklater… When Steven reached out to us to share this film with us, that was exciting. When we saw it was also exciting because he’s a filmmaker who continues to explore and experiment, and this is a truly accessible and creepy ghost story but he’s tackling it in a way that is so inventive. He just continues to innovate in his approach to making movies. It was such a joy to have the opportunity to consider the film and then to invite it and engage with Steven to bring the film to the festival.
I don’t want to speak for him but he seems genuinely thrilled to have this. This is the 35th anniversary of “Sex, Lies and Videotape.” It sets a tone for our opportunity to acknowledge and recognize the history of this festival. It also paves the way for us to bring to the table the next Steve Soderbergh, or so many filmmakers [who] follow in that tradition of bold, adventurous storytelling that will resonate with an audience, that will entertain.
Were there any films or conversations happening at the festival that you’d like to point people to, in terms of advancing the conversation about where we are in the world right now?
Joanna Vicente: The festival always reflects the world, not the immediate, surrounding world, but sometimes it’s how you see films and how stories resonate that create pathways to understand the current world. That’s the space that we create for artists to launch the work, and for people to experience and have their minds being challenged. That’s the power of film, to help us see things differently. We are really excited as usual to create a space where we have important conversations, where we really foster dialogue, where we introduce new trends, new storytelling. That’s what artists do is they’re able to transport us through the journeys that they create. Part of being a festival is being relevant and creating that space for creative expression.
What do you hope attendees take away from this year’s iteration of the festival?
Eugene Hernandez: I hope they arrive in time to start watching movies at noon on Thursday the 18th. I hope they arrive with an openness and a curiosity because yes, go see the Soderbergh film and discover the strong creative choice that he’s making in telling this story, but then explore more deeply into the program. In every section of this carefully curated selection chosen from 17,500 submissions, there is discovery everywhere in every corner of this festival.
You can think you’re going in one direction to see a film and someone on the shuttle will tell you, “Oh my God, I just saw this film from a different part of the world.” We had films from more than 150 countries and territories submitted to us. I’ve never been let down by taking those unexpected turns at Sundance and that’s the bigger takeaway I really hope our audiences take seriously.
I hope our industry buyers, critics, the curators traveling to the festival from all over the world, really dig into this program, especially in the first half when we’re all together, and even as audiences dig in at the middle of the festival, we’ve got more things that we’ll announce as we get closer into that final weekend, both in-person and online. There’s so much room for discovery in this festival and it requires, at the start of this new year, coming out of these strikes with this really strong program in front of us, to just show up and meet this program, and dig into it. Our team has done such an amazing job of going through this record number of submissions to shape a program that will really connect with all the different audiences we serve.
Taylor Swift is opening up about one of the darkest moments in her life.
In a new interview for Time‘s Person of the Year edition — her first print interview in four years — the “Anti-Hero” singer gets candid about the leaked video which showed Kanye West asking Taylor for her permission to name-drop her in his 2016 song, “Famous.”
After the song’s release, Taylor claimed she never consented to Kanye’s lyric in reference to her — “I made that b**ch famous” — though the rapper and then-wife Kim Kardashian insisted the singer signed off on the line.
Kim even went so far as to release an edited video of a phone call between Taylor and Kanye that seemed to show the moment Taylor OK’d the line. However, when the full clip of the call was later dug up by Swifties, it became evident that Taylor had only been told about a different lyric.
In the unedited video, after Kanye tells Taylor to “brace herself” to hear his proposed line, Taylor asks, “Is it gonna be mean?”
“No, I don’t think it’s mean,” Kanye replies.
He then shares the lyric, rapping, “I feel like Taylor Swift might owe me sex,” with Swift laughing in response and saying, “That’s not mean.”
At no point in the video is the line “I made that b**ch famous” discussed, and in fact, Taylor expresses her worry that Kanye was going to call her a “b**ch” in the song.
“It doesn’t feel mean,” she says again of the line, “but like, oh my god, the build-up you gave it. I thought it was gonna be like, ‘That stupid, dumb b**ch,’ like, but it’s not.”
These days, Taylor told Time, she thinks of the incident as a “fully manufactured frame job.”
“[It was] an illegally recorded phone call, which Kim Kardashian edited and then put out to say to everyone that I was a liar,” she recalled. “Make no mistake—my career was taken away from me… I thought that moment of backlash was going to define me negatively for the rest of my life.”
In a Twitter thread after the full video was released, Kim defended her position, saying she felt “forced to defend” Kanye amid the fallout.
But, from Taylor’s point of view, the damage was done.
“That took me down psychologically to a place I’ve never been before,” Taylor she said of the public feud. “I moved to a foreign country. I didn’t leave a rental house for a year. I was afraid to get on phone calls. I pushed away most people in my life because I didn’t trust anyone anymore. I went down really, really hard.”
In the years since, the singer has shaken off the negativity and is currently embracing the spotlight again amid the success of her worldwide Eras Tour and high-profile romance with NFL star Travis Kelce.
“This is the proudest and happiest I’ve ever felt, and the most creatively fulfilled and free I’ve ever been,” she marveled to Time. “Ultimately, we can convolute it all we want, or try to overcomplicate it, but there’s only one question.”
Adopting what the interviewer described as a “booming voice,” Taylor continued: “Are you not entertained?”
Sean “Diddy” Combs was accused in a lawsuit on Wednesday of gang-raping a 17-year-old girl in 2003, marking the fourth sexual assault allegation lodged against the producer in recent weeks.
The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, alleges that she was flown on a private jet from Michigan to Combs’ recording studio in New York, where she was raped by three people, including Combs and Harve Pierre, the president of Bad Boy Entertainment.
According to the suit, Combs and his associates plied her with “copious amounts” of drugs and alcohol. The suit alleges that Combs raped her over a bathroom sink while she went in and out of consciousness, and that Combs then watched as a third man also raped her.
The woman decided to come forward after reading about another lawsuit filed last month by Casandra Ventura, the R&B star known as Cassie, who accused Combs of raping her and beating her over the course of a decade. She also learned of another lawsuit in which Pierre was accused of grooming and sexually assaulting his former assistant.
“Seeing two other women bravely speak out against Mr. Combs and Mr. Pierre, respectively, gave Ms. Doe the confidence to tell her story as well,” the lawsuit states.
Combs quickly settled the lawsuit with Ventura, while maintaining his innocence. He has also been hit with two other sexual assault lawsuits in recent weeks, and has denied those allegations as well.
In a statement on Wednesday, Combs declared, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.”
“For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy,” he said. “Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”
The newest lawsuit is filed under the New York City statute against gender-motivated violence. Like several other sexual assault statutes, it has recently been extended to allow suits that would otherwise be barred by the statute of limitations.
The plaintiff is represented by Douglas Wigdor.
“As alleged in the complaint, Defendants preyed on a vulnerable high school teenager as part of a sex trafficking scheme that involved plying her with drugs and alcohol and transporting her by private jet to New York City where she was gang raped by the three individual defendants at Mr. Combs’ studio,” Wigdor said in a statement. “The depravity of these abhorrent acts has, not surprisingly, scarred our client for life.”
The complaint, filed in federal court in New York, includes photographs of the plaintiff — whose face is blurred out — in Combs’ studio and sitting in Combs’ lap.
“As a result of being raped by Mr. Combs, Mr. Pierre and the Third Assailant, Ms. Doe suffered significant emotional distress and feels of shame that have plagued her life and personal relationships for 20 years,” the lawsuit alleges.
Kyiv said it orchestrated the assassination of a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician today, after the body of an ex-lawmaker who had defected to Russia was found outside Moscow with a gunshot wound to the head.
A source in Ukraine’s defence sector said that its SBU security services had orchestrated the assassination of Illia Kyva, a former Ukrainian lawmaker who was kicked out of parliament and defected to Russia weeks after Moscow launched its military offensive last year.
Kyva’s body was discovered in the Moscow suburbs today. His death came 18 months after he urged Putin to use weapons of mass destruction against Ukraine amid growing fears that Russia could resort to using nukes.
‘An unknown person fired shots at the victim from an unidentified weapon. The man died on the spot from his injuries,’ Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement. It said it had opened a case into his death.
Speaking on national TV, Ukraine’s military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov said: ‘We can confirm that Kyva is done. Such a fate will befall other traitors of Ukraine, as well as the henchmen of the Putin regime.’
The body of Ilya Kyva, 46, was discovered in the Moscow suburbs today
Kyva an opposition politician banned from parliament for supporting Putin’s invasion, called on Russia to use weapons of mass destruction in April last year (above)
Yusov called Kyva ‘one of the biggest scumbags, traitors and collaborators’ and said his death was ‘justice’.
Russian law enforcement has launched a probe into his death at a country club in Odintsovo, near Moscow, where he lived in exile under Putin’s protection.
In April last year, Kyva, 46, urged Putin to use weapons of mass destruction against his own country amid mounting concern that Moscow could resort to using nukes.
Kyva posted the appeal to his Telegram channel – just a day after Zelensky warned that Putin could go nuclear.
Underneath the image of a nuclear explosion, Kyva wrote: ‘REMEMBER!!! – THEY ARE AFRAID AND RESPECT ONLY POWER!!!
‘Zelensky, his entourage and Western curators, are most afraid of a [Russian] pre-emptive strike [with] weapons of mass destruction.
‘This is what can put an end to today’s confrontation, not only with the Ukrainian authorities, but with the entire West which actively and already openly takes part today in the military conflict in Ukraine…
‘If anyone thinks that this is not according to the rules, remember: the West wrote these rules in its own interests and only in order to more effectively destroy you.’
He spoke out after President Zelensky sat down for an interview with CNN in which he warned that the West needs to prepare for the possibility that Putin will resort to using nuclear or chemical weapons against his country.
Western officials feared the Russian strongman could resort to such desperate measures in a last-ditch effort to turn the tide of war in his favour after a series of embarrassing battlefield defeats.
Speaking on national TV, Ukraine’s military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov called Kyva ‘one of the biggest scumbags, traitors and collaborators’ and said his death was ‘justice’
In one virulently anti-Zelensky diatribe on Russian state TV, Kyva said: ‘The obliteration of the Slavic world that started in 1941 was merely put on hold in 1945…’
‘They could do it,’ Zelensky said. ‘For them the life of the people [means] nothing. That’s why.
‘We should not be afraid… but be ready. That is a question not only for Ukraine but for all the world, I think.’
Kyva’s death also came hours after he claimed in his final social media post that Zelensky would be forced to flee to Britain.
A Kremlin propagandist, who appeared on obediently state TV shows, he had alleged Zelensky was an MI6 stooge and cocaine addict.
Five hours before his death, he posted: ‘Zelensky’s only option is to flee to England, but even from there he is extradited when it is favourable to the Crown or dies when it is necessary for the Kremlin.’
He saw the US failure to back Zelensky’s plea for more cash and weapons this week as a victory for Putin and ‘the countdown to Zelensky’s removal from power’.
In a vitriolic post, he told followers: ‘At this stage, many countries are ready to accept [Zelensky] and his family and guarantee safety of life, but it is impossible to be sure that they will not be extradited later.
‘A logical end of the ******* who drowned the nation in blood.
Kiva was charged with treason for supporting Putin (File Photo)
Kyva was kicked out of parliament shortly after Russia invaded in February this year for repeating Kremlin propaganda that the country was overrun with Nazis, has no future and needs to be ‘liberated’ by Putin (File Photo)
‘It would be better for Zelensky to commit suicide now, as losers have always done, to take all the problems with him and close the issue.
‘But he is too cowardly and narcissistic for such actions.’
In a virulently anti-Zelensky diatribe on Russian state TV, Kyva said: ‘The obliteration of the Slavic world that started in 1941 was merely put on hold in 1945…
‘The West regrouped for another strategic blow, because the key aim is total destruction of the Slavic world…
‘The collapse of the Soviet Union was a tragedy… splitting us into separate parts now getting captured, colonised and destroyed.
‘Ukraine is a vivid example of this.…occupied and under the rule of the West…’
Kyva, who was from Poltava in central Ukraine, was wanted in his homeland for high treason in backing Putin’s invasion.
He trained as a mechanic and psychologist before entering the civil service, and was working as a police major during Russia’s last invasion – in 2014.
He led a far-right nationalist party in eastern Ukraine before getting a job in the Donetsk regional administration, then moved to the federal government and served as adviser to interior minister Arsen Avakov.
Kyva was elected to parliament himself in 2019 for a pro-Russia party founded by arrested oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, having run unsuccessfully for president.
He was kicked out of parliament shortly after Russia invaded in February last year for repeating Kremlin propaganda that the country was overrun with Nazis, has no future and needs to be ‘liberated’ by Putin.
In April last year, Kyva urged Putin to use weapons of mass destruction against his own country amid growing fears that Russia could resort to using nukes (File Photo)
Kyiv rarely used to comment on whether it was behind a spate of killings of pro-Russian figures, both inside Russia and in parts of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces.
But lately it has started to claim responsibility for a number of attacks and openly threatened to hunt down other ‘collaborators’ and ‘traitors’.
Since the Russian invasion, Ukraine has claimed to be behind several assassinations and attacks on pro-war Russians and former Ukrainian officials who have backed Moscow’s war.
In August last year, Russian nationalist Darya Dugina was killed outside Moscow in a car bombing, while an explosion at a Saint Petersburg cafe in April killed Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky.
Ukraine has not publicly claimed responsibility for those attacks, though US intelligence and media reports have linked Kyiv to them.
Several lower-ranking Ukrainian officials and politicians who have welcomed Russia’s invasion and worked for Russian-backed authorities in occupied parts of Ukraine have also been killed.
In a separate incident, a proxy lawmaker in Ukraine’s eastern Lugansk region was killed in a car bombing attack also on Wednesday, Russian investigators said.
Oleg Popov, who served as a deputy in the pro-Moscow Lugansk regional parliament, was killed after the ‘detonation of an unidentified device in a car’, Russia’s Investigative Committee said, without providing detail.
Ralph Cirella, Howard Stern’s close friend and longtime stylist who made frequent appearances as a contributor to Stern’s radio show, died yesterday after a battle with a rare lymphoma. He was 58
An emotional Stern made the announcement today on his SiriusXM radio show. Stern said Cirella’s “heart gave out” Tuesday morning during a procedure as he was being treated for the lymphoma.
“I just have been so sad and so angry,” Stern continued. “He didn’t take care of himself.”
“I will miss him terribly,” Stern said on the episode largely devoted to remembrances of Cirella, adding “I can’t believe we’re saying it, but this guy was my man and he’s like the brother I never had.”
“I think this is the toughest part of loving someone — when you lose them,” Stern said. “Lord knows I loved Ralph My wife said to me last night, ‘You and Ralph have a secret language’ and it’s true … we had a great chemistry, and we had a great friendship, and Ralph was one of my bros. In fact, I came to think of Ralph as family.”
Cirella first called into Stern’s WNBC show in 1985 with his mother, and eventually was hired to do special effects on Stern’s late-night variety program The Channel 9 Show. “He was a tremendously talented guy,” Stern said . “Ralph would make these elaborate prosthetics like in the movies or like on Saturday Night Live and he’d do them for zero money.”
Stern recounted how, when Cirella offered some constructive criticism on Stern’s appearance, the radio jock hired him as a stylist. “Some of the most fun I’ve had with Ralph is when … we’d be going through my closet, he’d be picking out my clothing … and then he’d go, ‘Alright, take your pants off now.’ It’s just so stupid and it’s killing me I’ll never hear that again.”
Stern also said his marriage to wife Beth Ostrosky wouldn’t have happened without Cirella, who one night insisted Stern accompany him to a party, where Stern “met the person I love in this world the most, Beth.”
Stern’s co-host Robin Quivers also paid tribute, calling Cirella “a true friend” who consoled her after a romantic break-up. “He just said, ‘F*ck that guy … you don’t spend a second feeling bad about this.’ He was just that kind of guy … Ralph was Team Robin.”
Actor John Stamos, also a friend of Cirella, posted a lengthy tribute on Instagram, calling Cirella “without a doubt, a one-of-a-kind soul.”
“My heart aches at the thought of Ralph departing this world alone,” Stamos writes, “without ever experiencing the deep love he undeniably deserved. In our final exchange, I shared a story about someone who called me lucky. When I asked why, their response was simple and profound: ‘Because you’re friends with Ralph from the Howard Stern show.’ And they were absolutely right.”
Information on survivors was not immediately available.
Spotify, the audio streaming platform, said on Tuesday that it would not renew its contracts for two critically acclaimed podcasts, “Heavyweight” and “Stolen,” the latest sign of the company curbing its podcasting ambitions as it struggles to become consistently profitable.
The shows, which are produced by Gimlet Media, the podcast studio Spotify acquired in 2019, will conclude their seasons and then have the option to shop their shows elsewhere.
“We are extremely proud of the teams who have supported these talented storytellers across each of the incredible episodes of ‘Heavyweight’ and ‘Stolen,’” a Spotify spokeswoman said, adding that the company will “work with the show creators to ensure a smooth transition for wherever these series go next.”
“Heavyweight” was hosted by Jonathan Goldstein and for seven seasons delved into the stories that shape people’s lives, seeking to help them create better endings. The show’s creators said on social media, “We’re so proud of everything we’ve made, and we’re hoping the show finds a new home in the future.”
“Stolen,” which received the Pulitzer Prize for audio reporting this year, was created by Connie Walker, a journalist who investigated her late father’s life and his experience and that of hundreds of other Indigenous children in Canada’s residential school system.
The decision came a day after Spotify announced that it would cut nearly a fifth of its work force, its third round of layoffs so far this year, as it seeks consistent profitability. The layoffs and reduction in podcast offerings comes as the technology industry contends with the end of a decade of low interest rates that fueled growth.
Media companies have also suffered from a shortfall of advertising revenue, partly fueled by leaner advertising budgets and economic anxieties about a possible recession that never quite happened.
Those forces have led some large technology and media companies to maintain their investments in so-called “always on” shows that publish daily or weekly, and reduce their investments in limited run or seasonal series, which are harder to make profitable, said Nick Quah, the writer of HotPod, a popular newsletter about podcasts.
“All of this is happening, this economic instability, but the fact of the matter is, there’s still tons of podcast audiences,” Mr. Quah said. “There’s an existential way in which we’re talking about the podcast industry at this point, but audiences have continued to grow.”
A 2023 report from Edison research about podcast consumers found that podcasts have more mainstream listeners than ever who are receptive to podcast ads.
About 64 percent of the U.S. population older than 12 years old have listened to a podcast, and roughly 120 million people in the same demographic had recently listened to a podcast, the report found.
Spotify, like other tech companies, was principally driven during the pandemic by the pursuit of potential growth, Mr. Quah said.
But then the boom, or at least the apparent potential to capitalize on that boom, faded, and Spotify was left with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of product.
Eric Nuzum, a podcast strategist and co-founder of the independent studio Magnificent Noise, said that “you have to separate Spotify away from the rest of the podcast industry” because the company has a different business model with two main revenue streams: subscriptions and advertising. And for years, the company was trying to figure out which one podcasting was supposed to serve, Mr. Nuzum added.
Spotify made those big investments and became “the 800-pound gorilla,” Mr. Nuzum said.
It quickly became clear that while much of the tech industry likes to “fail fast” and “move quickly,” that doesn’t work with journalism that can take months or years to create, and needs to build an audience or brand, Mr. Nuzum said.
Spotify’s past decision to keep some podcasts exclusive on the platform — rather than openly available on the internet and general podcasting apps — also killed much of the potential for reaching and growing audiences, Mr. Nuzum said.
Now, Spotify appears to be homing in on a strategy that they believe will make a podcast successful: bringing in celebrities with built-in fan bases, such as Bruce Springsteen, Barack Obama, Meghan Markle and Joe Rogan, whose deal was said to be worth more than $200 million.
“The problem is you pay all the money to acquire the talent and put no investment into making the product good,” Mr. Nuzum said. “And I think that they got burned by that time and time and time again.”
“Did we meet before the table read?” Emily Blunt asks Anne Hathaway.
“This is so embarrassing,” Hathaway replies, “because I remember every second of the first time I met you. I’m so much more into you than you are into me. It’s fine. It’s fine.”
Blunt may not recall the specifics of how the pair initially connected before working on 2006’s “The Devil Wears Prada,” but the rest of us can’t forget the moment we first saw them together. Their chemistry — Blunt playing imperious aloofness as lead assistant Emily to Hathaway’s bumbling, frizzy charm as junior assistant Andrea — buoyed the workplace romantic comedy to $325 million at the global box office and made both women into megastars. Hathaway, emerging from “The Princess Diaries,” proved she could stand Manolo-to-Manolo with Meryl Streep’s villainous fashion editor, while Blunt, an untested actor, found herself suddenly a household name.
This year, both of Miranda Priestly’s on-screen helpers are enjoying career momentum. Blunt delivers her best work in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” playing Kitty, the wife of scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who delivers the shock-and-awe fireworks of the film’s final act. And Hathaway plays a mysterious prison psychologist in “Eileen,” trading off her glamour and enigmatic persona to bewitch a colleague (Thomasin McKenzie) and stir up chaos. The old friends compare notes on working with Nolan and the perils of Method acting — and, of course, they revisit their favorite memories from “Prada” in a game of reading quotes off cue cards. That’s all!
ANNE HATHAWAY: I joined the cast of “The Devil Wears Prada” just before you and thought, “Who’s going to play Emily?”
EMILY BLUNT: They said, “Some rando who no one’s ever heard of.”
HATHAWAY: No, you hadn’t been cast yet. I was hearing that your name came up, and they said, “It’s this amazing girl out of England and she’s so funny.” And I remember walking into the room and turning and meeting you. In my head — instant thought — I was like, “What a movie star!”
BLUNT: What? Are you getting this?
HATHAWAY: You were shedding stardust. Then we went for coffee. I took you for a walk around where I live.
BLUNT: I was so green coming into that situation. And you were like the warmest embrace. Even though you were a colossal movie star at that time, you treated me like a complete equal. You are one of the people I’ve known longest. We’ve known each other for 18 years.
HATHAWAY: What? Our relationship is the age of an adult.
BLUNT: That’s drinking age in England.
HATHAWAY: We are so drunk in England right now.
BLUNT: We just had a joy bomb of a time on that movie. I don’t know if any of us knew it was going to become what it did. It’s quoted to me every week. It will be the movie that changed my life.
HATHAWAY: So we’re in the “The Devil Wears Prada” club together. And now we’re in another club together — the Christopher Nolan club.
BLUNT: Yeah. Captain Extraordinary.
HATHAWAY: That’s a perfect name for him. When we did “Interstellar,” Matthew McConaughey noted that when we were up in the glacier, the colder it was and the harder the conditions were, the bluer Chris’ eyes became. And the blonder his hair.
BLUNT: I always feel that with Chris’ hair. I can tell when he is very happy with a take because his hair starts to dance. It’s almost like he vibrates when he’s happy. He’s not going to tell you that he’s that happy, though, because he’s very English.
HATHAWAY: The part that blows my mind about Chris is that he is authoritative in the best sense of the word. I remember one day we were doing a shot on “The Dark Knight Rises.” He came to me beforehand and said, “I just want you to know, this shot has lived in my head for many years. I’m going to be very specific about it. I’m going to make you do it a lot, but it’s not actually you. It’s just because I have it in my head a certain way.”
For him to say that in a way where, as an actor, you don’t start to question yourself!
BLUNT: We’ve all been on those sets where the director is a bad dad. You know what I mean? A bad dad who has an ego and an agenda. Chris is a good one.
HATHAWAY: With “Oppenheimer,” I’m at a loss for words. You are so wonderful in it. I was so proud of you. This character Kitty is so different from you. She’s like a dying star. Kitty contracts around her life rather than opening to it. Then, when she finally does open, you realize, oh God, the pain and indignity she’s lived with.
BLUNT: I did find her ferocity exciting. She was on her fourth husband by the time she was 29. Clearly, a bit of a nonconformist for the time. That deterioration that she goes through, and the indignity of having to contort herself into something so unnatural for her extraordinary brain, the capacity of [which] was so straitjacketed. I understood the anger and resentment, and why she wanted to numb it out. She was a big party animal.
HATHAWAY: Yeah!
BLUNT: She’d throw cocktail parties, but she wasn’t good at the small talk. She didn’t like doing it. She definitely got the reputation of not being terribly nice, and I understand why, but she was a bad mother. She did not read Good Housekeeping. She did not subscribe.
HATHAWAY: She knew she needed a kitchen. Where else would you put the ice? Now, “Oppenheimer” was not just a critical darling — this film is a hit …
BLUNT: … for a three-hour historical drama — even though I don’t want to call it that, because I think it’s a horror movie, a love story and a chase thriller. It’s like a three-hour heart attack. We are all awestruck by the success of it, and that people ran to the theaters over and over again. I don’t think even Chris understands how it all happened. People want the full kidnap of an experience, and you’re going to get that with a Chris Nolan movie.
Because of the strike, we didn’t get to watch the movie with an audience. I realized that “Oppenheimer” was going to be a very significant moment in cinema history when John [Krasinski, her husband] and I managed to find two seats at an Imax in Nyack, N.Y., in a shopping mall. We snuck in when the lights went dark, and I saw a group of teenage boys coming in dressed as [Cillian Murphy]. In Nyack, N.Y.! I got chills. I called Cillian afterwards and said, “You’re not going to believe what I just saw.”
HATHAWAY: We love you, Nyack!
BLUNT: I was completely intoxicated by your character, Rebecca, in “Eileen.” I felt gripped by how you just would glide into this muted world with the ferocious allure that you have. You are so sexy in this movie. It’s crazy. I’m going to make you blush. Why did you want to do this?
HATHAWAY: William Oldroyd, the director, made a film called “Lady Macbeth” with Florence Pugh. I saw it when it came out because I’m always curious about emerging filmmakers. My jaw was on the floor. I thought it was so bold.
BLUNT: What was he like?
HATHAWAY: He’s a giggle of a person while also being delighted by darkness. We were an indie. We had a tiny, tiny, tiny budget. We would have so many complicated scenes to do, and somehow he would dilate time around us. I would come out of scenes in a blackout thinking that we’d been filming for seven hours, and it had been 50 minutes. I had to trust him so much because I was stepping so far outside my comfort zone.
BLUNT: Yeah, but it was so dangerous and cool. It’s OK to be a bit scared, isn’t it?
HATHAWAY: I enjoyed it. I feel braver now. I remember sitting with a friend on a weekend during the shoot. He said, “You OK?” I said, “I think I’ve gone too far this time. Oh God, I’m blond and I invented an accent. I’m not basing it on anyone except for my own imagination. This is the way I saw her, and I feel like I’ve gone too far.”
BLUNT: But that’s why she’s this rare bird who comes in and just bewitches everybody. It’s wonderful that everything was so put on, because you couldn’t get a bead on her. You have to tell me about that amazing scene in the kitchen with the bottle of wine — you open it in a very unusual way.
HATHAWAY: We were shooting in a house in New Jersey in January. The script said my character puts a bottle of wine in a shoe and hits it against the wall until the cork pops out. The prop guy assured me that it [would work], and it did.
BLUNT: Should we all do it as a party trick now?
HATHAWAY: TikTok, get on it.
BLUNT: OK, let’s not waste this opportunity. We have some historic quotes from “The Devil Wears Prada.” Shall we read some?
HATHAWAY: I would love it.
BLUNT: OK. [Picks up a note card.] “Is there some reason that my coffee isn’t here? Has she died or something?” I remember that one. I think [Meryl] improvised that one.
HATHAWAY: I remember seeing Meryl come up with 18 different lines on the spot. Stanley Tucci was doing the same, and you. I was just like this kindergartner who was like, “How are they all so good?”
OK, my turn. “Can you please spell ‘Gabbana’?”
BLUNT: That was the cutest.
HATHAWAY: This is a fancy story. I was in Italy recently, and I showed up at my hotel, and they brought this incredible Italian cake to my room. They had written on the top, “Can you please spell ‘Gabbana’?”
BLUNT: That is just the greatest. OK, this is one of my favorites. “Oh, I’m sorry. Do you have some prior commitment? Some hideous skirt convention you have to go to?” [Laughs]
HATHAWAY: I love that you crack yourself up 18 years later, because that’s what happened on the day.
BLUNT: I would laugh all the time because I was so horrible to you most of the time in this movie. And it was your little face — this beautiful, slightly baffled face.
HATHAWAY: A deer in headlights. You know, I think [Meryl] always wanted to join in on the fun with us. She kept herself so in character.
BLUNT: Do you know she’s never done Method acting since? She said it made her so miserable on this one, because we were all having a party on the other side of the set. And she was like, “I won’t do this again.” Here’s another. “You eat carbs, for Christ’s sake!”
HATHAWAY: I remember that scene. You also say, “It’s not fair” as you’re eating your pudding.
BLUNT: OK! I found the one. This is the line: “Well, I don’t eat anything, and when I feel like I’m about to faint, I eat a cube of cheese.”
HATHAWAY: One of the most iconic lines in cinema history, Emily. Did you come up with “I love my job, I love my job.”
BLUNT: Yeah.
HATHAWAY: So much of this film is just David Frankel giving us space. It’s my turn. “She’s not happy unless everyone around her is panicked, nauseous or suicidal.” I don’t remember this. [It’s her character, in conversation with her boyfriend played by Adrian Grenier.]
BLUNT: He’s making the grilled cheese, and you go, “I’m not even hungry anymore.”
HATHAWAY: Fun fact: I am wearing my cousin’s headband in that scene.
BLUNT: Do you know what I loved about that headband? Your little bangs would stick out. It was just so cute. It was just so nerdy. And I wanted that grilled cheese so badly.
This interview has been edited and condensed.Variety Actors on Actors is presented by “American Fiction.”
Singer-songwriter Enrique Iglesias and music rights platform Influence Media Partners have announced a new major partnership deal spanning his professional career along with name, image, and likeness rights to expand future licensing opportunities. Bloomberg reports that the deal, which is the first NIL deal for Influence Media, was for nine figures; reps declined comment on the financials.
“My songs hold immense significance for both my fans and me. I’m excited to be working with the Influence Media team. I feel confident we will build an enduring partnership for my music and future projects,” said Iglesias.
“Enrique is a global icon and having him as a part of our Influence Media family is a game-changing moment for us,” said Influence Media Founder and Co-Managing Partner Lylette Pizarro. “For a quarter of a century, he has captivated fans globally with chart-topping and record-breaking hits. From ‘Experiencia Religiosa’ to ‘Hero’ and ‘Bailando’ to ‘I Like It’ and ‘Be With You,’ there are few artists who come close to accomplishing what Enrique has achieved commercially. He has played a pivotal role in introducing bilingual music to the masses. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with one of the most recognizable figures in modern music.”
This announcement arrives during the artist’s “Trilogy” North American tour. He recently scored a No. 1 single on Billboard’s Latin chart for his new song, “Así Es La Vida,” the first single from his forthcoming album, due in February.
Influence has invested in over 26 catalogs, including Blake Shelton, Future, Julia Michaels, The Stereotypes, Ali Tamposi, Skyler Stonestreet, Harry Styles co-writer Tyler Johnson and more.
Neetu Kapoor shares a happy photo with Ranbir Kapoor.
Neetu Kapoor showers love on son Ranbir Kapoor by sharing a BTS photo from a shoot.
Ranbir Kapoor is currently basking in the success of his recently released film Animal. The actor has been receiving praises from fans and critics alike. Recently Ranbir’s mom also showered praises for him. As she shot for something exciting with her son, she shared a BTS photo from the set and wrote, “The real Animal park ..Come see us soon..#bts on set ❤️.”
In the photo, Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor donned their brightest smiles. While Ranbir looked dapper in a brown shirt, while Neetu looked elegant in a grey top.
Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Animal stars Ranbir Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead. The film marks their first collaboration together. Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor and Tripti Dimri also play key roles in the film. The film revolves around a father and son’s toxic relationship. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has given Animal an ‘A’ certificate. The film’s run time is 3 hours and 35 minutes. However, despite everything, the film broke several records and has minted over 200 crores at the box office.
Animal has sparked a debate online. While a section of the audience have enjoyed it, many have also called it out for ‘glorifying toxic misogyny and toxic masculinity.’ Director Anurag Kashyap weighed in on the debate in a chat with News18 Showsha. He said, “I’m yet to watch Animal. But I’m aware of the conversations happening online. Nobody has the right to tell a filmmaker what kind of films they should and shouldn’t make. People in this country get easily offended with films. They get offended with my films too. But I expect educated people to not get offended at the drop of a hat,” he said.
“This discussion happened during Kabir Singh too. Filmmakers have the right to make any film they want to and represent what they want to. We can criticise, argue and disagree with them. Films either provoke or evoke. I’ve no problem with filmmakers that make provocative cinema,” he added.
For the unversed, Animal revolves around a man and his toxic relationship with his father. Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the film shows Vijay (played by Ranbir) as an anti-hero who would go to any lengths to protect his father, including gun down 200 people with machine gun. However, despite his efforts, he struggles to get a seal of approval from his emotionally unavailable father (played by Anil Kapoor). His unhealthy relationship with his father impacts his relationship with his wife (played by Rashmika Mandanna).
Aditi Giri is the Senior Subeditor at News18.com. An avid Bollywood enthusiast, she loves interviewing B-Town celebrities, uncovering their stories be…Read More
A forum for directors and producers has launched in the U.K. Founded by directors body Directors U.K., producers body Pact, ITV Studios and BBC Studios, the joint working group will have its inaugural meeting on Dec. 13. It will meet bi-annually after that.
The forum has been established to discuss industry developments, the state of the sector and production matters, among other items. Among the most pressing matters on the agenda are challenges facing the industry from skills training to inflation.
“The purpose of the Directors and Producers Forum is to create a much needed platform, away from the day-to- day pressures of production, for directors and producers to work collaboratively and openly,” said Andy Harrower, CEO of Directors U.K. “In looking at the bigger picture together, we can jointly deal with some of the challenges we face.”
Max Rumney, deputy CEO of Pact, said: “Pact is pleased to be part of this new forum which brings with it a more formal structure for directors and producers to meet and discuss production developments and current issues.”
ANIMATION
Former DreamWorks and Netflix exec Bruce Daitch has joined the advisory board of production company God’s Gang led by Nimrod Avraham May.
Daitch will be tasked with facilitating new funding, production and broadcasting partnerships for the studio’s eponymous animation “God’s Gang.”
Written by Rob Kutner (“Ben 10”) and directed by Ehud Landsberg (“Transformers: Cyberverse”), the show brings together four heroes from different faiths to introduce audiences aged 9-10 to Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism. It was created by May, a former marketing exec at Disney.
“I am beyond proud to join a team that is so committed to changing the world, one martial arts superhero at a time,” said Daitch. “The God’s Gang team have nailed it, and I am excited to work with them.”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. was one of the few bright spots in a tumultuous year for Marvel Studios.
The film not only gave a satisfying end to the Guardians trilogy but also dived into the tragic backstory of the caustic Rocket Raccoon.
Photo: Marvel
In the film, audiences learn that Rocket was experimented on by a mad scientist named the High Evolutionary, who sought to enhance and anthropomorphize animal lifeforms to create an ideal society.
After befriending his fellow “batch 89” test subjects — Lylla (an otter), Teefs (a walrus), and Floor (a rabbit), Rocket is devastated when The High Evolutionary kills Lylla. In the ensuing battle, both Teefs and Floor also die. Though Rocket escapes the High Evolutionary on a spaceship, he is never really able to get away from his past.
Photo: Marvel
As it turns out, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was not only emotional for audiences but also for the cast themselves.
Bradley Cooper Cried When Voicing Rocket
In a recent interview on The Howard Stern Show, Bradley Cooper, who voices Rocket Raccoon, revealed how he approached the film’s dramatic moments.
“This last one, I’m not sure if you’ve watched it, but I actually cried like crazy. There’s a scene where he loses his friend and the sound Rocket makes is something I could only relate to, is the sound my own voice when my dad passed away,” Cooper said. “When we did it on the sound stage, I think everybody knew there was some deep truth to the sound that came out of my mouth and I think that’s why that moment in the movie is really like, ‘Holy [crap].’”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 ends with Rocket being named the new leader of the intergalactic superhero team after the other members go their separate ways.
Grateful For ‘Guardians 3’
While this may spell the end of the Guardians as we knew them, Cooper was grateful for the series’ last installment.
“Honestly, it was very emotional to play him,” Cooper said. “You really get a chance to understand how he came to be,” Cooper said. “Rocket went through a lot.”
Photo: Marvel
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is streaming on Disney+.
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