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Ant-Man and Kang

While Loki Season 2 saw Jonathan Majors reprise his role as not one, but two variants of Kang, the future of the multiversal villain remains unclear.

Ever since Majors was arrested in March and charged with domestic violence, rumors have swirled that the MCU would either move away from Kang or recast the character altogether.

As Majors was dropped by the United States Marine Corps, Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers, and even his own publicist and agent, Marvel remained silent.

After a series of delays, Majors’ trial is set to start this month. By the sound of things, however, Marvel may have finally made up its mind and is choosing to move away from Kang as a villain.

Kang the ConquerorKang the Conqueror

Marvel Will Move Away From Kang?

According to MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios co-author Joanna Robinson, Marvel is “likely” to stop telling storylines involving Kang.

Robinson notes that as part of the move away from Kang, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness has also been removed from The Kang Dynasty.

Source: comicbasics.com

“I heard from someone recently … the screenwriter Jeff Loveness, who wrote Quantumania, was supposed to write The Kang Dynasty … anyway, it’s confirmed,” she said.

Robinson continued, “I had it confirmed to me he’s no longer working for Marvel. I asked the person why, and they said the reason why is he was all wrapped up in this Kang storyline and they are likely going to be moving away from that.”

Avengers: The Kang DynastyAvengers: The Kang Dynasty

Deadline also just reported that Destin Daniel Cretton, who was signed on to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, has left the project.

He remains with Marvel to direct the sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but he will no longer be part of The Kang Dynasty.

Destin Daniel CrettonDestin Daniel Cretton

Photo: Getty

A Decision Has to Come Soon

While Majors’ legal troubles would likely be the driving factor in any decision to move away from Kang, the failure of Quantumania also likely didn’t help.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: QuantumaniaAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

For now, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is still scheduled to come out in 2026. If Marvel is going to pivot away from Kang, a decision will likely have to come soon.

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Summary

  • David Harbour talks playing his Creature Commandos character, Frankenstein, in live-action, mentioning the use of prosthetics and his enthusiasm for telling great stories.
  • Harbour describes his version of Frankenstein as “wacky,” “strange,” and “complex,” highlighting the depth and complexity of the character.
  • Harbour is excited about the series, praising the scripts, art, and the concept of switching between live-action and animated formats in the DC Universe.


Creature Commandos star David Harbour has hinted at how his Frankenstein character could translate to live-action. DC Studios Creature Commandos will officially launch the DC Universe next year, and become the first overall and first animated project in the franchise. While the first season of ​​​​Creature Commandos will be animated, DC Studios executives have noted that the voice actors in the series should be prepared to also play their characters in live-action should they end up switching between mediums.

While speaking to io9, Harbour shared his thoughts on a live-action Frankenstein. The Stranger Things star said:

“I mean, I don’t know how they do it nowadays. It feels like Mark Ruffalo just puts some dots on his face for the Hulk. But I don’t know how they’ll do it. I’ve worn prosthetics in movies before, I’m definitely down for it. I just love telling great stories that people love. I’m just happy to get back to work.”

As for the role itself, the actor said that his version of Frankenstein is “wacky,” “strange,” and “complex.”

RELATED: Creature Commandos Artwork Offers First Look at DCU Upcoming Animated Series Design


David Harbour Says His Character Is ‘Full of a Lot of Depth and Complexity’

DC Comics

Harbour continued, revealing that his character is “wacky and strange,” but also “full of a lot of depth and complexity.”

“Oh yeah. No, he’s very different. I mean, it’s the mind of James Gunn so it is wacky and strange, but also full of a lot of depth and complexity. The most interesting thing to me about Frankenstein’s monster in general is that he was created to be this sort of erudite, intellectual, romantic, brilliant person, and he winds up being a monster. I mean, that complexity can make for some pretty ripe comedy and also pathos—that a guy who considers himself one thing, is viewed by others as something very different.”

The actor added that he was merely remaining vague to retain the necessary mystery, and teased the art that he has seen from Creature Commandos and how it will be realized on screen.

“That’s the broadest, most mysterious way I can put it, because all I know is the scripts are really good. What we recorded is really great. I’ve seen the art, James is a genius. I think it’s going to be really fun and really exciting, and it opens up a whole new door to the DC Universe of how these characters will occupy the world. I like the concept of a live-action and cartoon back and forth.”

Previously when discussing the DC series, Harbour revealed why he was so excited for his Creature Commandos character. At the time, the We Have a Ghost star said:

“I didn’t know what it was when it was sent to me; I met with James, and he sort of laid out a lot of stuff. It’s really exciting. He considers it some of the best stuff he’s ever written. It’s hilarious, and the character is great. I think it’s been announced that it’s Frankenstein, and it’s a very colorful, terrific character. So, yeah, we’ve started to shoot stuff. I’m not one to really break, but during this, it is wildly funny stuff. So, yeah, we’re shooting. It’s hilarious and I can’t wait for people to see it.”

Creature Commandos has yet to set an official release date.

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Summary David Harbour talks playing

Remnant 2 has today debuted its first DLC The Awakened King, expanding upon the area of Losomn. With that launch, they also debuted a brand-new trailer which you can see below.

The trailer begins by showing off the One True King, the main antagonist of the DLC. The King firmly believes that anyone and everyone within his kingdom is out to betray him, so he slaughters most and continues to do so at the slightest sign of defiance. He rules with cruelty, though he believes the world would be awash with chaos had he shown more kindness. Clearly, that hasn’t worked out too well, though that’s beside the point.

Alongside his narration, we get our first glimpses of what the Awakened King has to offer. Beneath the King’s castle reigning high above all else across this Dran world, a fishing village suffers under his rule and looks as dreary as you’d expect from Losomn. Amidst plenty of signs of fisherman life are pyres showing clearly tortured Dran and half-destroyed homes. In between are more than enough threats, both new and old, to bring you down.

However, it isn’t completely hopeless. Also shown during the trailer was the new Ritualist Archetype, set to release with the DLC. This Archetype has all sorts of spells to cast that seemingly will cause quite a bit of damage. There are even glimpses of a few new weapons and powers, though details are clearly being held for you to find.

The Awakened King DLC for Remnant 2 can be snagged for $9.99, or as part of a three DLC bundle for $24.99. Both the other DLCs will arrive at a later date. If you’re looking for more details before buying, check out our hands-off impressions of Remnant 2: The Awakened King.

About the Author

Shawn Robinson

Shawn is a freelance gaming journalist who’s been with Prima Games for a year, writing mainly about FPS games and RPGs. He even brings several years of experience at other sites like The Nerd Stash to the table. While he doesn’t bring a fancy degree to the table, he brings immense attention to detail with his guides, reviews, and news, leveraging his decade and a half of gaming knowledge. If he isn’t writing about games, he’s likely getting zero kills in his favorite FPS or yelling at the game when it was 100% his fault that he died.

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Remnant 2 has today debuted its first

Tell me if this rings a bell, you’re attending a screenwriting seminar, listening to a lecture, or getting notes from someone, and they lean in and tell you they have a piece of advice. After hearing it, you shake your head. You feel a little worse off than you started, and you’re not sure what to do next.

Terrible writing advice is all around us. Bad writing advice comes from many sources. We hear it in blogs, podcasts, and all over Social Media.


Today I want to go over the 5 biggest pieces of terrible screenwriting advice I’ve heard, debunk each of them, and give you the proper lessons to take away from each of them.

Ready? Let’s go…

Terrible Writing Advice Tip #1: Write What You Know

I know I have told this to someone. So right off the bat, let’s start with the advice I am guilty of handing out. When I tell someone I think they should “write what they know” chances are I’m searching for a personal connection that I just don’t find in their pages.

Akin to that, they might have an under-researched idea that makes reading their pages a slog or hard. When I was an assistant I got to work closely with Michael Werwie, who wrote Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile.

Michael was so much fun to learn from because he epitomized the best part of “write what you know” – a screenwriter who is confident and knowledgeable about the subject she’s tackled. Michael was not a serial killer (I hope) but he was an expert on Ted Bundy. So he was able to write Ted with authenticity and breathe new life into a case most Americans thought they knew and understood.

When we gave Michael story notes, he was able to hear them and craft them in a way that aligned with the facts.

So the next time someone says write what you know, don’t limit yourself to general knowledge, just make sure you’re an expert on whatever you write. Be it serial killers, long haul truckers, or apartheid. Seek out the information, synthesize it, and make us believe it’s a part of you.

Terrible Writing Advice Tip #2: Create Likable Characters

This one inherently bugs me all the time. When we talked about character development and character arcs, we covered the idea that no one cares if your protagonist is likable.

We care if they’re interesting.

Film and television is built on characters we want to follow every week. That means while rooting for them is great, we mostly want to be invested in what they’re doing.

One of the best examples of this is Mavis in Young Adult.

Mavis returns to her childhood home to steal back her ex from his with and their new child. What she does along the way is reprehensible. But we watch because this kind of cringe comedy is undeniably entertaining.

So when you’re sitting to write, don’t ask if we like them, ask why we care? What’s new?

What makes your characters interesting?

Terrible Writing Advice Tip #3: Don’t Write Screen Direction

This one always come back time and time again. And I feel like we keep debunking this stuff but bad writers keep coming back and saying it. Look, I will concede that some people tend to over-direct on the page. But don’t be afriad to write things like CLOSE ON: or PAN TO:

Remember, screenplays, while being literary artifacts, are blueprints for films and tv shows. You’re allowed to direct the audience’s eye, let studio execs in on how the information will be dispersed, and make a connection with the person who will eventually direct your movie.

They’re definitely not necessary, and I always think it’s better to tell the story in a way that alludes to the shot without perfectly defining it, but you can totally have screen direction on your page.

Terrible Writing Advice Tip #4: Keep Your Ideas Small (and Makable)

One of the “hot take” tips from bad writers or well-meaning individuals is that your foray into specs and TV should be small ideas that are easily made at an indie or studio level. While this is sweet and nice advice, a great screenplay, no matter the size, is all that matters.

Repeat after me… A GREAT SCREENPLAY, NO MATTER THE SIZE, IS ALL THAT MATTERS!

Bad writing is advice is so easy to dispense and hard to clean up. Sure, if you’re writing a spec script studios, in general, are looking for movies that cost under 20 million ao they have a better chance and recuperating the money put into the budget.

But they’re also looking for their next franchise like Pacific Rim or a little spec called STAR WARS.

If you have an idea you’re passionate about, write that screenplay. In the end, most of your spec work won’t sell anyway. The idea is to get reps, get in a room, and pitch on projects the studios have already purchased.

Terrible Writing Advice Tip #5: You must adhere to Three-Act Structure

Look, there’s a whole Reddit forum on movies that don’t use three-act structure, so read there if you want a ton of examples. Movies like Boyhood, 8 1/2, Mo’ Better Blues, and Born on the 4th of July all have diverse and interesting act structures. And that only gets us into movies that have “B” titles.

(Graphic by StoryboardThat.com) StoryboardThat.com

The reason this act structure is emphasized is that it fits most Hollywood movies. But not having it is not a killer. There are lots of examples of movies that thrive without them. The point is, if you’re telling a good story people won’t be looking for the midpoint or other Blake Snyder beats.

Don’t be afraid to look into things like five-act structure, which is how every episode of Breaking Bad is formatted. Or seven-act structure, which covers many procedurals.

Terrible Writing Advice(Graphic by StoryboardThat.com) StoryboardThat.com

Even Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo uses five-act structure. Don’t be afraid to push back and tell us a story that makes us rethink the way we see time on screen.

Screenwriting is hard. But to become a filmmaker, you need to learn script writing to master storytelling. We’ll give you free lessons.

Many people come to No Film School because they want to get information about cameras, gear, and screenwriting. We’re aware that the luxury of attending film school is not available to most of the world, so we do our best to keep you all up to date on what’s out there and how you can shoot and create with your utmost potential when filmmaking.

Click the link to learn more!

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Tell me if this rings a bell,

Not only has Tristan cheated on Khloé multiple times over the years, he also kept another woman’s pregnancy and a subsequent lawsuit a secret from her for months — all while convincing her to have a second baby with him.


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Not only has Tristan cheated on Khloé

Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales (Kate Middleton) chose an appropriately sparkly dress for a glitzy event: her father-in-law King Charles III’s 75th birthday.

The royal soiree, held at Clarence House in London, was not attended by the Duke and Duchess of Montecito Sussex, though apparently Harry and his dad had a “warm” phone call for the occasion, and grandkids Archie and Lilibet made a “happy birthday” video. Cute. Prince William, of course, was there with his wife and wore a black tuxedo. You can see a pic of the pair leaving the event here.

Okay, so the dress. Long-sleeve with a high collar and covered in beads. It’s the Alicia Scallop Gown from Needle & Thread, and though the green version is no longer available, you can snag your own in pale pink or white-gold version for $1,089. Since there’s no full-body pic of her look (yet), let’s all take a moment to remember and appreciate another time she shimmered in green, when she visited Ireland and wore a dress from the trendy brand Vampire’s Wife.

Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images

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Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales


No good deed goes unpunished.


That lesson may haunt Thomas and Juliet following Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 16.


All that because these two soft touches had agreed to help a young Amish boy who found a way to fly to Hawaii to search for his missing older sister.


Of course, even though a missing-person case is always complex, this one quickly became more complicated as secrets began to be revealed.


Starting with poor innocent Jacob, who lied to his parents about where he was going and hopped a plane for Oahu to look for his sister Hannah based only on his hunch.


Since Magnum and Higgins’ agency runs on hunches (a point in case would be the skip they caught early on), Thomas felt compelled to help Jacob. 


Yes, it’s another pro bono case. The cases that pay that keep them in business must happen offscreen. The low overhead that Robin’s Nest offers has got to help.


At least Juliet brought up the salient point that Hannah was there for her Rumspringa, experiencing the secular world, and they shouldn’t interfere in that or force her to go home to Pennsylvania.


Also, they both realized that Jacob would keep looking with or without their help. As would be proved later, an innocent waif wandering the streets of a tourist mecca just wasn’t a good idea.


Besides, Hannah’s former roommate quickly confirmed Jacob’s hunch that she had changed after initially loving life on Oahu.


It would have been helpful if the roomie could have come up with more than Hannah hanging out with some vague, sketchy guys at bars, but that got Thomas and Juliet heading in the right direction.


It sounds like the start of a joke. An ex-Mi-5 agent goes into a bar, only to discover that the Amish teen girl she sought was part of a robbery crew.


Shockingly, that discovery just scratched the surface as Katsumoto revealed that Hannah was the anonymous target of an HPD search for committing an escalating series of crimes, most recently armed robbery. 


Gordie helped to crack the case as he and Higgins found a crime with a similar setup the previous year, with the woman involved caught and serving time.


That gave Juliet an in to who the men coercing Hannah were as she interviewed Nora Diaz, the woman who took the fall for the heist crew out of fear. 


Nora’s giving up the name of the crew’s boss man quickly came to naught as Katsumoto and an HPD squad found the trio dead and their hideout ransacked.


Which logically led Magnum and Higgins back to the question of who would do that. That resulted in their visit to moneyman Sam Bedrosian.


You can never go wrong by suspecting the slimy financier. And they confronted him right to his face.


But they smartly hadn’t taken Jacob barhopping with them, sending him home to Kumu’s care. That’s where all the trouble broke out.


Kumu found out that sweet Jacob was devious Saul, a 14-year-old who had stolen his cousin’s I.D. so that he could take a flight without his parents’ permission.


That choice was ill-conceived but understandable. But his taking off to hunt for Hannah himself armed only with fliers wasn’t, and he was soon tricked into captivity by Bedrosian’s thugs.


Thanks to Jacob’s earlier Bible verse, Thomas determined Hannah would be hiding out at a church. But he still had to bluff as somebody had stolen the money from the marijuana depository (remember when they used to be called head shops?).


Still, Magnum and Higgins had something more valuable to trade: Bedrosian himself. They drove away with Saul.


But that’s likely not the last they’ll see of Bedrosian, who threatened them. Why don’t they sic Gordie on him? Also, it was never revealed who took the cash, so that’s likely to resurface.


Meanwhile, Rick decided to do a favor for T.C., who had never asked him to.


It was time for the annual Marine Corps Ball, which allowed those who served together to reunite for a good time.


However, since T.C. had broken up with Mahina on Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 14, he had no desire to go stag and be reminded of the boneheaded way he had handled his relationship with her.


Rick chose to treat the symptom, not the underlying condition, and find a date for T.C., thinking that was all it would take to change his mind.


Based on a suggestion from Suzy, Rick even accosted professional surfer Malia Manual, who agreed to go with T.C. despite Rick’s hamhanded approach. She must get a lot of that.


But when Rick informed T.C. about his good fortune, T.C. turned down the opportunity. He wasn’t in any mood to party, especially without Mahina.


Somehow, Rick got T.C. to attend, and T.C. was having a good time, especially after Rick had arranged for Mahina to attend.


Suzy definitely was happy to have a sitter for the night so she could have fun, especially after Rick encouraged her not to overdo it.


Now, with three couples again among the ohana, might there be a wedding in the finale? And if so, which one? Or would it be more than one?


To follow how these relationships developed, watch Magnum P.I. online.


Did you suspect that Jacob/Saul had a secret?


Have Thomas and Juliet made a new enemy?


Are you glad T.C. and Mahina are back together?


Comment below.

Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.

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No good deed goes unpunished. That lesson may

Stephen Colbert often pokes fun at the almost constant chaos that follows elected Republicans around, so it’s unsurprising that on Wednesday he took particular glee at the expense of the latest examples of the problem — interpersonal conflicts that GOP congressman embarrassingly tried to escalate into literal violence.

And roasting this mess, Colbert whipped up the perfect campaign commercial for a hilariously violent candidate who embodies the awkward posturing of the would-be GOP tough guys.

We’re referring of course to two separate incidents. First, there’s former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who on Tuesday, in full view of NPR reporter Claudia Grisales, elbowed Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett in the back. Burchett responded by calling McCarthy and calling him “pathetic,” among other barbs. McCarthy later denied it with some tough talk of his own.

Then there’s the even weirder moment later in the day, when Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullins tried to start a literal fist fight with Sean O’Brien, the leader of the Teamsters, during a Senate hearing. Mullins, who was mad about some accurate comments O’Brien made about his economic background, went so far as to stand up as if he was really about to walk down and throw punches. He back down after committee chairman Bernie Sanders (yes, him) admonished him “you’re a U.S. Senator.”

Later in the day, Mullins appeared on NewsMax where among other things he cited the example of Charles Sumner, the abolitionist Massachusetts Senator who was beaten nearly to death by slavery supporter South Carolina Rep. Preston Brooks on the Senate floor in 1856, as precedent for why it would have been perfectly OK for him to actually go through with his threats.

As for Colbert, he used the budget deal struck by new Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to segue into the topic — Johnson passed the budget thanks to working with Democrats, something that got McCarthy kicked out of the job in October.

So it is Colbert recounted the details we explained above, having plenty of fun with some of the more surreal moments. All while talking about these incidents as if he were ring announcers officiating Republican “Fight Club.”

“It’s not surprising that violence is the selling point for the Republican Party. GOP hopefuls for 2024 in fact, are already adopting the strategy,” Colbert said as he got into the fake ad. “Just look at this new republican primary campaign.”

And then he cued up the fake commercial, for a candidate named Patricia Corker (obviously played by an actress).

“It’s a tough time in America, and we need common sense solutions to real problems,” ‘Corker’ said as the ad began. “Problems like punk ass congress people whose kidneys need a visit from my elbow. I’m candidate for Wisconsin’ support’s fourth district Patricia Corker, known to my enemies as ‘stabby Pat.’”

“I spent 10 years as a public school teacher and 20 in supermax for crying I pled guilty to because I’m proud of what I did to that man’s sack. And I’ll do it again for you and Congress. So vote Patricia for better jobs. Patricia for a brighter future. Patricia for cutting a bitch. I will burn down their homes, and laugh at the ashes like an avenging angel of pain. I’m Patricia Corker, and I don’t even feel this,” the ad concluded.

Watch it above now.

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Stephen Colbert often pokes fun at the

What If…?
Screenshot: YouTube

Out of all its various TV and cinematic tributaries, the Marvel Cinematic Universe can only truly cut loose, canon-wise, in one place: Disney+’s animated What If…?. (Even if the first season of said show did eventually give in to the urge toward serialization that infects the entire project.) Mostly, though, the show is crazy countefactual fun—something still on firm display as Marvel rolled out the trailer for its second season earlier today.

Marvel Studios’ What If…? Season 2 | Official Trailer | Disney+

Still featuring the voice of Jeffrey Wright as Uatu The Watcher, the trailer is, just like the first season’s, as much guessing game as anything else. Squinting a bit, we can tease out at least a few of the episode concepts buried in there—there’s something where Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster appears to have hijacked Earth’s mightiest heroes for a violent version of Mario Kart, for instance, and another that seems to follow a young Peter Quill as he awakens to his dad’s evil powers way earlier than he should have. That’s in addition to previously announced stories, like a follow-up to the first season’s Captain Peggy Carter episode, and another that will introduce a brand new character, Kahhori, a young Mohawk woman whose people become endangered when the Tesseract lands near them in pre-colonization New York. (The time period is reminiscent of Marvel’s old limited series Marvel 1602, although the episode was written and produced in close association with members of the Mohawk Nation.)

Elsewhere, the trailer riffs on Shang-Chi—with the title character’s parents seemingly facing off against Odin, of all people—and Wanda’s arc in Doctor Strange 2. (Also, another spooky version of Strange himself shows up, because this show can’t stay away from him, apparently.) Oh, also, they make some Die Hard jokes, with Kat Dennings and Jon Favreau joking around about building-under-siege movie titles in an episode that apparently asks “What happens if Avengers Tower gets invaded while the Avengers aren’t there?”

What If…? season 2 releases in December, releasing one episode per day starting on December 22.

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What If…?Screenshot: YouTubeOut of all its various

Mukbanger is an almost 17-minute-long drama directed by Hugo Becker. Becker co-wrote the film with Sarah Malléon. The titular word comes from South Korea and means “eating broadcast.” Mukbangers consume vast quantities of food in short order to delight their fanbase. Obviously, this cannot be good for their health, begging the question of whether or not the celebrity and money are worth it.

Mika (Quentin Laclotte) is a morbidly obese YouTube mukbang sensation. Yanis (Alexandre Auvergne), Mika’s manager, feeds into the man’s worst tendencies in an effort to achieve even more viewers and the like. Mika’s sister, Solène (Suzanne Jouannet), begs him to get out of the business and work on becoming healthy. Does Mika keep going after the outside validation he desperately seeks, or does he listen to his sibling?

“…a morbidly obese YouTube mukbang sensation.”

What makes Mukbanger so good are its three stars. Laclotte cuts an empathetic figure, while Auvergne could sweet talk anyone into anything. The heart of the short is Jouannet, who is so sweet and sincere her bond with Mika is never questioned.

Becker uses a wide lens and low angles to make Mika take up the whole frame. This hammers home how unhealthy the character is. The YouTube footage Mika shoots looks like real content, furthering the commentary on the social media lifestyle and apps.

Mukbanger is an effective short featuring stellar acting. The director uses the size of the lead to his advantage, though the ending is not as impactful as expected. Still, the film works and is engaging throughout.

For more information, visit the official Mukbanger site.

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Mukbanger is an almost 17-minute-long drama directed by

Image Credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock/Scott Kirkland/Shutterstock

After working on himself, Tristan Thompson wants to get back on track with everyone in Khloé Kardashian’s family. In the November 16 episode of The Kardashians, Tristan, 32, sits down with Khloé, 39, and they discuss everything from therapy to Jordyn Woods. Tristan is well aware of how the cheating scandal involving Jordyn, 26, upended the Karjenner family, so he wants to apologize for what happened.

“If someone told me, do you think Kylie [Jenner] misses Jordyn I’d say, probably so. And I feel bad about that,” Tristan admits. A lot of time has passed since the scandal, and Khloé reveals she’s on good terms with Jordyn now.

“I have forgiven Jordyn,” Khloé says. “Of course, I was upset at the time. And we moved on. There’s no bad blood. I’ve posted on my Instagram Stories. Jordyn and I are good.”

Khloé Kardashian
Khloé Kardashian in the November 16 episode. (Hulu)

In February 2019, Tristan was caught kissing Jordyn, Kylie’s longtime BFF, at a party. Jordyn publicly told the world on Red Table Talk that she and Tristan only kissed and nothing more. The scandal destroyed Jordyn and Kylie’s friendship and caused even more issues for Khloé and Tristan. Now that the dust has settled, both Khloé and Kylie, 26, have a good relationship with Jordyn.

Tristan tells Khloé that he’s spent a lot of time in therapy working on his issues. “He wants to prove that he is a different person,” the Good American founder reveals. Tristan declares that he’s “in a place now where I can actually really see and own up to the mistakes I made.”

The NBA player has already spoken with Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, and Rob Kardashian to make amends. He’s planning to talk to Kourtney Kardashian and Kylie. “I think Kylie deserves a lot out of that conversation,” Khloé says.

During their conversation, Tristan admits that Kylie was the family member “affected” the most by the scandal. Kylie had previously said what Tristan did was “unforgivable.” Now, she’s allowing Tristan to sit down and explain himself. “It’s just hard to forgive the things that you did to Khloe. But I want to move on from that,” she says. New episodes of The Kardashians premiere Thursdays on Hulu.

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Image Credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock/Scott Kirkland/Shutterstock After working on

“Lord of the Rings” owner Embracer Group has reported a 13% increase in net sales year-on-year in Quarter 2, in part thanks to its intensive restructuring program.

Sales were also up slightly (by approx. $36 million) from Q1 to Q2, the latter of which covers July to Sept 2023.

“In Q2, we delivered a stable quarter, with adjusted EBIT of SEK 1.8 billion [U.S. $170 million] and we expect to reach the forecasted range for this year,” said CEO Lars Wingefors. “The free cash flow of SEK 0.4 billion [U.S. $38 million] shows a clear improvement compared to Q1. Our restructuring program is making good progress, with opex savings ahead of plan and capex savings expected to contribute notably in the second half of the year. We continue to take important steps for the future and I am confident that we will emerge as a stronger company.”

The past year has been incredibly rocky for Embracer, who announced a significant restructuring program in June that has resulted in multiple games studios being shuttered, widespread layoffs and dozens of high-profile project cancelations.

The Q2 report shows that there are 36 fewer games in development year-on-year in Q2 2023 and the number of games developers owned by the group has dropped from 10,899 to 10,654 in the same period.

The report also confirmed a 5% reduction in Embracer’s headcount, a total of around 900 people, of which Wingefors said in a statement: “It’s never easy to part ways with talented individuals. I would like to put on record a special thanks to the people who have left Embracer in the quarter. These are difficult decisions and we do not take them lightly. For me, personally, it is crucial that the program is carried out with compassion, respect, and integrity.”

Big IPs in the video game world have been impacted by the maelstrom, including “Star Trek Online” developer Cryptic Studios, which has seen significant layoffs according to Gamesindustry.biz while fans fear a long-awaited re-make of Star Wars title “Knights of the Old Republic,” which is theoretically being developed by Embracer’s Saber Interactive, has quietly been scrapped. (The latest report for Q2 shows that, as of Nov. 16, the game is still on Embracer’s slate for PC and Playstation, although no release date has been confirmed.)

Embracer’s cost-cutting measures followed a wild two-year spending spree, which saw them snap up dozens of games studios as well as heavyweight IP incubators including Middle-Earth Enterprises (the holding company behind the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” franchises) for $395 million, publisher Dark Horse Comics (which owns titles including “The Mask”) and Anime Ltd, a U.K.-based distribution company for Japanese animated content. Embracer also bought the rights to the “Tomb Raider” franchise from developer Square Enix among other titles.

Splashing the cash was fine while interests rates were low and audiences, stuck at home for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, flocked to computer games and TV but with the pandemic effectively over and a global economic downturn making money more expensive, Embracer last year started looking for a way to mitigate its reported $1.5 billion worth of debt, with a current target of halving it to $750 million. The initial solution — a $2 billion deal with a mystery partner (believed to be the Saudi-owned Savvy Games Group) — collapsed in May at the last moment after months of negotiations and directly led to Wingefors announcing the emergency restructure program.

In the latest report, Wingefors reiterated that the J.R.R. Tolkien stories are a crucial element of Embracer’s ongoing success. “Our strong IP portfolio is a key part of our long-term strategy, and we have exciting plans for the ‘Lord of the Rings’ IP across our segments in the years ahead,” he said.

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“Lord of the Rings” owner Embracer Group

Fantasia Barrino favorite memory from Season 3 of “American Idol,” is an obvious one.

“When I won. I will never forget that,” the Power of Women honoree said.

She continued, “I felt like chains had broke. Curses had broke. And I was opening the door for every girl in my family, every woman in my family.”

In an interview as part of Variety Favorites, presented by Lifetime, Barrino revealed all her favorite things from guilty pleasures to her all-times favorite performance on the reality TV series that made her a star.

“This Thing Called Love,” Barrino revealed. Why? “Because nobody expected for me to sing that!”

She also revealed her love of “The Kardashians,” citing the series as her current favorite television show. Giving a special shout-out to middle child Khloé Kardashian, inviting her to hang out sometime. “Hey, Khloé, we’re both Cancers!”

Barrino’s favorite red carpet look is a dress she once wore to the 2019 Grammys. “It was a black dress with this huge flower and I had to ride on the back of a cart because I couldn’t sit down in it. But it was fabulous. I felt like a star.”

While her favorite karaoke song is “Dream On” by Aerosmith, her favorite song to belt in the car is “Sail” by Awolnation.

“I’m about to play it in a minute. Yeah, I kill that. We should do a song together. Think about it,” she said in reference to the rock band.

Barrino’s favorite song of her own to perform is her hit, “When I See You.”

“All the men love it,” she said. “Normally all the women follow me but the men, they love that record and I like to see them get up, not be ashamed to dance and have a ball and sing. Even when they can’t sing, they sing that song.”

Barrino’s favorite piece of advice she’s ever received came from fellow R&B singer Patti LaBelle. She shared an anecdote in which LaBelle called her over at a show and said to her, “Baby, just be yourself. Don’t let this industry change you. Have fun. Quiet the noise.”

“And that’s what I’m doing,” Barrino said.

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Fantasia Barrino favorite memory from Season 3

Pakistani-American writer-director Mahnoor Euceph‘s Oscar-qualified live action short “Eid Mubarak” has clinched a brace of distribution deals.

Sales agent Ouat Media has sold the film to KIS KIS – keep it short, which will launch the film on YouTube in select territories on Nov. 18, and to streaming service Kanopy, the on-demand streaming video platform for public and academic libraries, where it will launch in early 2024.

In “Eid Mubarak,” Iman, a privileged Pakistani girl, goes with her family to buy a goat, as is the tradition in Pakistan before the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Azha. She picks the cutest one, and takes it home. She spends all of her time with the goat, whom she names Barfi, after her favorite Pakistani dessert. Soon, however, she realizes that Barfi is not a pet, but a goat being raised for slaughter. She makes a plan to save Barfi’s life before he can be sacrificed on Eid. Along the way, through the help of her family and friends, she learns the true meaning of sacrifice, and the reason behind Eid al-Azha.

Euceph said: “I made this film as a love letter to the country I once called home, to the religion that taught me how to be a human with humanity, and to my family who are the beginning and end of everything. For non-Muslims, I hope this film is educational. For Muslims, I hope it is reflective. And I hope, for everyone, it is a reminder of childhood, and that magical, wondrous world we leave behind when we grow up.”

“Eid Mubarak” won the jury award for live action short at the New York International Children’s Film Festival, qualifying the film for Oscars consideration this year. It has played over 40 film festivals including CAAMFest, SXSW Sydney, Tasveer, Atlanta ShortFest and ShortShorts Film Festival and currently holds a total of 13 wins.

The film is is written, directed and produced by Euceph, a UCLA and USC graduate who has worked with Pakistani Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy. Producers are Kamil Chima, Ben O’Keefe and Selena Leoni. Rohi Mirza Pandya is an executive producer on the film with her industry consultancy Box Office Guru Media.

Ouat Media has represented three Oscar winners and 12 Oscar nominees and additionally “Eid Mubarak” has an awards campaign led by Adam Segal of The 2050 Group, the publicity agency that had 20 Oscar shortlisted and seven Oscar nominated films in the 2022-23 awards season.

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Pakistani-American writer-director Mahnoor Euceph‘s Oscar-qualified live action

Aisha Sharma bares it all in her latest sexy photoshoot.

Aisha Sharma sets Instagram on fire as she shows off her envious figure in a very transparent top. Check out her sexy photos here.

Aisha Sharma is turning up the heat on Instagram with her sexy photoshoot in a very racy outfit. Aisha, who made her Bollywood debut with the 2018 movie Satyamev Jayate, often takes the internet by storm with her hot photo shoots in bold attires. Recently, the actress shared a series of racy pictures from her sizzling photoshoot.

In the photos, Aisha can be seen posing sensuously in a see-through olive green crop top which she paired with a pair of black pants. Sharing the pics, Aisha wrote, “There will always be a vaguely elusive quality about her , like a half-remembered song. You can hum the melody, but the lyrics keep slipping away.”

Aisha Sharma bares it all in her latest sexy photoshoot.

Aisha Sharma is known for her dedication to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Her fitness and skincare regimes are carefully curated, inspiring her fans to prioritize self-care and well-being. Through her social media platforms, she shares valuable insights and tips, empowering her followers to embark on their own wellness journeys.

Back in 2018, Aisha Sharma made her remarkable acting debut alongside John Abraham and Manoj Bajpayee in the film Satyameva Jayate. She also went on to star in several music videos, which garnered her immense popularity.

Aisha is the sister of actress Neha Sharma. Neha has appeared in several popular films such as Crook, Tum Bin, Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, Youngistaan, Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum, and Tanhaji among others. She was last seen in Jogira Sara Ra Ra, alongside Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanjay Mishra and Mahaakshay Chakraborty.

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Aisha Sharma bares it all in her


Carol Danvers pilots a spaceship in The Marvels



During the past week, Marvel concluded its pandemic era of chaos by releasing the final two remnants of that era.

Meanwhile, Kevin Feige and Bob Iger plotted the future of Marvel, which frankly needs some work.

We’ve got a comically large number of important topics in this week’s MarvelBlog News.

The Marvels Disappoints

The best poster for The MarvelsThe best poster for The Marvels

Image: Marvel

Earlier this year, Pixar released Elemental in theaters, and critics immediately slammed the film’s opening weekend performance.

Elemental earned less than $30 million, a rarity for modern Pixar titles.

Then, during Disney’s earnings call this week, one gloating infographic noted that Elemental had earned nearly $500 million worldwide.

Dar-Benn is just happy to be onscreen for a brief momentDar-Benn is just happy to be onscreen for a brief moment

Image: Marvel

Nobody wants to admit the fact, but the box office has worked differently since the pandemic.

Films typically open lower but run longer than they had from 2010-2019.

Keeping that in mind, I’m not ready to write off The Marvels as a box office bomb, but it’s definitely a disappointment.

Monica Rambeau suddenly remembers how funny that one episode of WandaVision wasMonica Rambeau suddenly remembers how funny that one episode of WandaVision was

Image: Marvel

Frankly, Marvel accidentally set this movie up to fail in three different ways.

First, the de facto lead-in wasn’t Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which would have been wise.

Instead, the most lingering memory for fans is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which even Marvel fans would acknowledge wasn’t great.

You won't believe why Carol Danvers is wearing this.You won't believe why Carol Danvers is wearing this.

Image: Marvel

In Hollywood, a brand can typically survive one disastrous project if it’s followed by something good soon afterward. That’s GotG3.

Sadly, Marvel kept releasing titles after that, which brings us to the second disaster, Secret Invasion.

As an evaluator, I tried to give this title, which I personally disliked, the benefit of the doubt.

Dar-Benn is looking for revengeDar-Benn is looking for revenge

Image: Marvel

Having now watched Secret Invasion struggle with its streaming ratings, I can accurately describe it as a bust. So, that’s two bombs in the same year.

The Marvels functions as a de facto sequel to both, especially Secret Invasion, which ended with Nick Fury heading to space.

Let’s Talk Hard Numbers and Realistic Expectations

Kamala Khan has quite the active imaginationKamala Khan has quite the active imagination

Image: Marvel

Finally, even if The Marvels were an incredible movie, which it sadly isn’t, it would have struggled due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Over the past five months, we’ve learned the value of stars promoting their films. It matters.

Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson couldn’t promote the film, which reduced its buzz.

I hope I look this good at 74.I hope I look this good at 74.

Image: Marvel

Over the past two months, I’ve watched with dismay as tracking for the film seemingly dropped with every new survey.

Not that long ago, Marvel was fretting that The Marvels might not open to $70 million. Today, they’d be thrilled even to approach that number.

After earning $6.6 million on Thursday, the opening weekend story of The Marvels seemed clear.

Ms. Marvel asks if she's gonna get sued by Carol DanversMs. Marvel asks if she's gonna get sued by Carol Danvers

Image: Marvel

Sure enough, the latest Marvel movie disappointed at the box office with a domestic opening weekend of $47 million and a global take of $110 million.

Those are NOT Marvel-worthy numbers, and I’m going back to the days of Ed Norton in The Incredible Hulk when I say that.

We cannot sugarcoat this number, nor should we. The Marvels cost $275 million to produce, right at $220 million after tax credits.

The Marvels contemplate what went wrongThe Marvels contemplate what went wrong

Image: Marvel

To turn a profit, The Marvels would need at least $440 million and probably closer to $550 million. It’s tough to find a path to that kind of performance.

Yes, films have longer legs today, but the underlying metrics of The Marvels aren’t on par with what Elemental managed.

Currently, The Marvels holds a Rotten Tomatoes grade of 63 percent, which is better than it had been on Thursday. It started at 53 percent.

The Marvels is so very kawaiiThe Marvels is so very kawaii

Image: Marvel

Once again, that early story triggered another wave of negative headlines, a perennial problem for Marvel over the past two years.

We’ll track this story more next week, but nothing about this qualifies as good news.

Marvel Pulls a Release Schedule Surprise

Source: @VancityReynolds

Kevin Feige is a brilliant man, as is his boss, Disney CEO Bob Iger.

The two of them recognize that Marvel has reached a crossroads. Something’s gotta give.

Ordinarily, the biggest story of the week would have been the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, but it’s only #3 for Marvel since Loki also had its season finale.

Loki catches He Who Remains off-guard in Loki Season Two, Episode SixLoki catches He Who Remains off-guard in Loki Season Two, Episode Six

Image: Marvel

Still, with the strike over, Feige and Iger could finally plot a course for the next wave of Marvel content.

As part of the process, Marvel confirmed that Blade is not only happening but will include an R rating.

That’s a polite way of telling potential viewers that it’ll be dark, akin to the Venom and Deadpool franchises.

Source: Marvel

On paper, Blade still looks like a disaster, so I’m not holding my breath that it’s anything other than another doomed project.

For a time, Marvel executives acted as if such a thing were impossible, dutifully ignoring Thor: The Dark World.

In the wake of recent events, everyone’s accepted that Marvel may no longer be invited to the cool kids’ table, though.

Source: Marvel Studios

So, Marvel just made a challenging and frankly surprising choice. Since the studio needs a hit, it’s going with what it considers a sure thing in 2024.

Deadpool 3 has pushed back its release date…but not by much. Instead, we’ll get the film on July 26th, 2024.

If that date sounds familiar, it should. That had been the date for Captain America: Brave New World.

Marvel Shuffles the Board

Source: Marvel Studios

A couple of weeks ago, I’d suggested that Disney would advance the date of that film to May 2023. And I’m a total idiot.

Apparently, Marvel has honestly evaluated the next Captain America movie and decided it’s not at the level they need.

Again, Marvel CANNOT have setbacks. Echo is likely to disappoint everybody in two months, too. That’s the last straw and the breaking point.

Source: Marvel Studios

So, Disney will reshoot parts of Captain America: Brave New World to strengthen its quality.

Let me be clear. This film must be on par with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War. That’s a BIG ask.

Marvel knows that and will probably put its thumb on the scale by adding more recognizable characters.

Captain America The First Avenger - 2011Captain America The First Avenger - 2011

Photo: Snap Stills/REX/Shutterstock (2146960h)

In fact, I no longer rule out the possibility of Chris Evans appearing in this film…and I don’t mean in flashbacks.

Marvel needs to stack the deck as much as possible on everything because the story now is that the studio has lost its way.

Headline writers are aching to praise DC if James Gunn’s Superman movie is any good at all. This is DEFCON 1 now.

James Gunn with RaccoonJames Gunn with Raccoon

Oreo the Raccoon and James Gunn. Photo: AFP/Getty/BBC

Brave New World will now debut on February 14th, 2025, followed by Thunderbolts on July 25th, 2025, and (allegedly) Blade on November 7th, 2025.

I’ll level with you. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if Disney bailed completely on Blade.

The first week of November is typically one of the best weekends for box office during the entire year. We just saw how little that helped The Marvels.

Source: Marvel

If Blade’s script isn’t working, it’s time to admit failure and move on. But Marvel understands this point.

So, if they are committing, the new Blade treatment must be pretty good.

Marvel Miscellany

Loki tries to hype up Victor Timely yet again in Loki Season Two, Episode SixLoki tries to hype up Victor Timely yet again in Loki Season Two, Episode Six

Image: Marvel

By now, I’m assuming you’ve watched the season finale of Loki. If you haven’t, you should drop everything and catch up.

There’s a good news/bad news element to season two. The good news is that this season was incredible, but the bad news is that it seems to end with finality.

Early reports suggest that Marvel has no plans for a season three. Anything can change in this regard, but if you’ve watched the finale, you probably believe the same.

Loki debates philosophy with Mobius in Loki Season Two, Episode SixLoki debates philosophy with Mobius in Loki Season Two, Episode Six

Image: Marvel

The two seasons seem like a matched pair, and a third story would mess up what’s pretty much a perfect ending.

Circling back to Deadpool 3, nobody’s waiting long. Variety reports that filming will restart after Thanksgiving. That’s like two weeks from now!

Finally, Marvel has chosen to release What If…? season two in late December. Yes, I mean next month! So, we’ll get more new Marvel soon.

 

Thanks for visiting MarvelBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below, and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond-Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!

Featured image: Marvel

 




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The first villain to appear in James Gunn’s DC reboot has been confirmed. 

Gunn – who previously headed up The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker for Warner Bros. (WB) – is set to take the super-powered reins at the blue brand, setting out to create his own reimagined DC universe akin to the MCU on the Marvel side. 

This renewed effort for the studio will hit the ground running (at least on the big screen) in 2025 with the Gunn written and directed Superman: Legacy. 

Since its announcement in late 2022, fans have gotten a taste of what to expect in Legacy‘s superhero lineup with news of the film’s leads along with some supplementary hero castings having been made public up to this point. 

The First Superman: Legacy Villain Revealed

Maria Gabriela de Faria

According to new reports, actress Maria Gabriela de Faria has been cast as the first villain to be revealed for Superman: Legacy, the kick-off film of James Gunn’s upcoming DC reboot. 

Deadline shared that Faria will appear in the super-powered blockbuster as Angela Spica (aka The Engineer), becoming the very first big bad from the new superhero universe to be announced. 

Faria’s previous credits include Fox’s Animal Control and The Moodys, but Superman marks the actress’ major motion picture debut. 

The Engineer DC Comics
DC Comics

The Engineer is most well known for her involvement in the supervillain team The Authority, a group that has its own DC film in the works at Warner Bros.

Spica/The Engineer first appeared in The Authority #1 in 1999 and has been a part of major DC Comics events like WorldStorm and World’s End. 

Who Is Superman: Legacy’s Angela Spica?

While not a DC character with the storied past of Superman or Batman, Angela Spica (aka the Engineer) has been a part of the DC canon for more than twenty years at this point. 

Since the debut of the super-powered team known as The Authority, Spica has been a part of it.

After being infected by nanotechnology related to her human-machine cybernetics work, Spica takes on the moniker of the Engineer as her body takes on the properties of liquid metal. 

This shape-shifting anti-hero is one of the nicer members of The Authority; however, given the team’s propensity for breaking the law to get things done, she will almost certainly be at odds with David Corenswet’s Superman in the upcoming DCU kick-off film.

James Gunn previously confirmed The Authority would be a part of Legacy‘s narrative, which makes Spica a logical inclusion to appear in the film, but it seems unlikely she (and her team) will be the primary villain of the DC epic.

Seeing as The Authority has a film of its own coming down the line, Superman: Legacy will assumedly set the team up – perhaps even including the founding of the group with Angela Spica at its center – before paving the way for The Authority film. 

Superman: Legacy is set to hit theaters on July 11, 2025. 

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 As Deadline revealed exclusively on Monday, Netflix‘s hit series Wednesday will be moving locations, with the upcoming second season filming in Ireland.

While attending the Season 5 premiere of FX’s Fargo, which he executive produces, Wednesday executive producer Steve Stark spoke to Deadline about the decision to relocate from Romania, where Season 1 was shot, to Ireland.

“Romania was an amazing place to shoot creatively, but challenging in a lot of ways,” he said.

As Deadline reported, the Balkan country presented logistical challenges, with speculation starting soon after production had wrapped that, if the series would go to a second season, it would likely film elsewhere.

Stark confirmed that by the time they’d finished Season 1, ” we were going to movie it out to there.”

“London or Ireland were two choices,” he revealed. “The main reason for me was I shot 113 episodes of Vikings in Ireland. Love Ireland. We got an amazing deal at the same studio we shot Vikings in. Vikings is probably ending, so we moved back in there.”

Stark serves as executive producer on the MGM Television-produced Wednesday, Fargo and Vikings: Valhalla after serving as President of the studio (now owned by Amazon) for almost a decade.

The mothership Vikings series, the first big TV project to come out of MGM post-bankruptcy, was filmed at Morgan O’Sullivan’s then-newly build Ashford Studios in Ireland for its six-season run on History. It was succeeded by sequel Valhalla, which will be ending with its upcoming third season on Netflix and. That show, in turn, will be replaced by Wednesday, which is expected to start production on Season 2 in late April.

Little is known about about where Wednesday would go creatively in Season 2. Showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar have hinted that we might see more Addams family members and explore further Wednesday’s (Jenna Ortega) relationship with her mother while Ortega, who is becoming a producer for Season 2, has indicated that the show would have stronger emphasize on horror over teen romance.

Stark was not more forthcoming but teased that “there will be a lot of surprises” in Season 2.

On the red carpet for Fargo, Stark also spoke about the upcoming fifth season of the FX series set in present day.

“I think the show has worked for a couple of reasons; it mixes the comedy and the tragedy — Minnesota nice against really bad things,” he said. “We’re living in a world of power and greed which is so prevalent, and the corruption of power and greed that brings people down. It’s sort of a morality play.”

Season 5 centers on “this woman caught between two incredible forces—a mother-in-law and a sheriff,” he added. “How is she going to get out of that fight? Her spunk, her cleverness, her ability to get through this impossible situation. There’s hope that maybe there’s an ability to bring down that corruption, power and greed.”

Does Stark think there’s another season of Fargo beyond the upcoming one? “I do. We’ve covered every decade except the ’60s and the ’90s. So maybe the 60s and 90s,” he said.

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 As Deadline revealed exclusively on Monday, Netflix‘s

First trailer for Arthur the King follows Mark Wahlberg and a dog on an inspirational journey based on a true story.

Lionsgate and Tooley Entertainment have shared the first trailer for Arthur the King, an inspirational new movie starring Mark Wahlberg based on Mikael Lindnord’s book Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed The Jungle To Find A Home.

“Over the course of ten days and 435 miles, an unbreakable bond is forged between pro adventure racer Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg) and a scrappy street dog companion dubbed Arthur,” reads the official synopsis. “Based on an incredible true story, Arthur the King follows Light, desperate for one last chance to win, as he convinces a sponsor to back him and a team of athletes (Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Ali Suliman) for the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic. As the team is pushed to their outer limits of endurance in the race, Arthur redefines what victory, loyalty and friendship truly mean.“

In real life, Mikael Lindnord spent six years with Arthur after meeting him during a 2014 championship adventure race in Ecuador. “Arthur became a part of our family right from when he entered our front door to the house,” Lindnord told People. “Arthur´s beautiful soul touched many people and for us in the family he was the best family member you could dream about. He was like a guardian angel to our kids.” Sadly, Arthur passed away in 2020.

Arthur the King was directed by Simon Cellan Jones, who also helmed Mark Wahlberg’s The Family Plan, which is set to be released on AppleTV+ on December 15th. “I’ve now been fortunate enough to work with Mark on two movies,” Jones said. “They were totally different projects and experiences, but they had one thing in common – Mark was a joy to work with on both!” The spy comedy finds Wahlberg playing Dan Morgan, a suburban dad and car salesman whose secret past as an elite government assassin comes back to haunt him when his enemies track him down. Packing his unsuspecting wife, angsty teen daughter, pro-gamer teen son, and adorable 10-month-old baby into their minivan, Dan takes off on an impromptu cross-country road trip to Las Vegas. Determined to protect his family, while also treating them to the vacation of a lifetime, Dan must put his long-dormant skills into action, without revealing his true identity

What did you think of the trailer for Arthur the King? Will you be watching when it hits theaters on March 22, 2024.

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First trailer for Arthur the King follows

Jason Momoa can’t be bothered with minor details as he prepares to return as Saturday Night Live host, nearly five years after his first time leading the NBC sketch series.

Momoa is set to host SNL for the second time and will be joined by musical guest Tate McRae. The Dune actor made his hosting debut in December 2018, with the season 44 episode featuring music from Mumford & Sons.

In a video released Wednesday, Momoa can be seen joyously walking into Studio 8H as he soaks up every moment ahead of his second opportunity to host. Castmember Ego Nwodim watches him from a distance but finally has to inform him that he is missing a key element of his wardrobe.

“We love you, but you just can’t be wearing your underwear,” says Nwodim, following a reveal that Momoa is pixilated below his waist. “This is a workplace.”

This leads a seemingly contrite Momoa to respond, “I’m sorry. When I get excited, I forget my pants.”

Nwodim then replies, “Guess I’m gonna just have to be distracted. Come on, let’s put some clothes on you.” However, the host isn’t having it.

Momoa is returning to SNL to promote his upcoming Warner Bros. film Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which marks the studio’s final movie in its DC Extended Universe. It was announced last year that James Gunn and Peter Safran will be in charge of the newly created DC Studios, which has Superman: Legacy set for a 2025 release.

Season 49 of SNL has been rolling along since the show returned following the end of Hollywood’s writers strike. Timothée Chalamet hosted the most recent episode, and his monologue included a song celebrating the recent conclusion of the SAG-AFTRA work stoppage.

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Jason Momoa can’t be bothered with minor

Full disclosure: I generally find Godzilla and other monster-related stuff fun, but not engrossing. It’s mostly enjoyable for the big monster attacks, and the human story is what we all need to drudge through to get to the good stuff. Apple TV+’s canonical Monster-verse show Monarch: Legacy of Monsters flips the script, and is better for it. While there are wild, massive monster attacks every episode, the focus is on the human drama. Spanning two timelines and sneakily casting Wyatt Russell and Kurt Russell in the same role, the show paints a tapestry of family pain over multiple generations exacerbated by government intrigue and rampaging monsters called Titans. The even better news is that if you mostly tuned out of the “plot” during any previous Legendary Pictures monster movies, you can start watching Monarch with no prior knowledge. Come for the monster attacks, stay for some good acting and twisty drama.

Photo: Apple TV+

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By Alex Zalben Full disclosure: I generally find Godzilla

Newyddion da!

FX has renewed Welcome to Wrexham for a third season that will premiere in 2024. The news comes ahead of the conclusion of season two on Dec. 13.

The fly-on-the-wall sports documentary series follows the exploits of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and their ownership of soccer club Wrexham AFC, the world’s third-oldest professional soccer club, situated in the northern Welsh working-class town.

The first season tracked the Two Robs takeover of the club and their crash course in soccer fandom (and mostly despair) as Wrexham attempts to gain promotion from the National League. Season two continues the club’s progress as Reynolds and McElhenney sink more money into Wrexham to realize their promotion dreams.

Welcome to Wrexham has been wildly popular for Disney on FX in the U.S. and Disney+ in the rest of the world. Season one is currently nominated for six Emmy Awards, including outstanding unstructured reality program.

The docuseries is executive produced by McElhenney, Reynolds, Josh Drisko, Bryan Rowland, Jeff Luini, Nick Frenkel, George Dewey and Boardwalk Pictures’ Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, Sarina Roma and Jordan Wynn. Welcome to Wrexham is produced by More Better Productions, Maximum Effort Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment and Boardwalk Pictures.

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Newyddion da! FX has renewed Welcome to Wrexham

The comedian will be the 25th recipient of humor’s highest honor

Comedian, actor, writer, and mogul Kevin Hart will honored as the 25th recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor next year.

The Kennedy Center announced Wednesday that the “biggest names in comedy will gather” to honor Hart at a gala performance in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2024. “I’ve been doing comedy since the inception of this award 25 years ago. To be honored in this commemorative year feels surreal. Comedy is my outlet for social commentary and observations on life — I am grateful to the Kennedy Center for recognizing my voice and impact on culture,” Hart wrote in a statement. “I can’t wait to celebrate!”

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The inaugural award was first presented in 1998 to Richard Pryor. Other recipients include Lily Tomlin, Steve Martin, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Carol Burnett, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and most recently, Dave Chappelle, Jon Stewart, and Adam Sandler.

Hart got his start telling jokes (and often getting booed off stage) at Philly’s Laff House, and worked overtime to make a name for himself on the New York club circuit. Today, he consistently ranks among the highest-paid comedians, has cemented himself in meme lore, works with big names on high-profile movie projects and, through his two separate production companies, maintains numerous partnerships and development deals. And ahead of receiving comedy’s highest honer, his double documentary Kevin Hart & Chris Rock: Headliners Only with Netflix is set to arrive Dec. 12.

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The comedian will be the 25th recipient

Lemon Tree is writer-director Rachel Walden’s second short film. The drama starts at a Halloween carnival where a young boy (Gordon Rocks) is having fun on the rides. The Son and his Dad (Charlie Chaspooley Robinson) then decide to play one of the games offered. Even though the child guesses wrong, the father ensures he still gets the prize: an actual bunny to have as a pet.

After the family nicks the animal, they leave the fairgrounds. The Son is enamored with his new pet, though Dad’s more interested in the theft than the logistics of caring for either living being in his charge. Will Dad rise to the occasion, or is Son in for another heartbreaking moment in a string of them at the hands of his father?

“…Dad’s more interested in the theft than the logistics of caring for either living being in his charge.”

Lemon Tree starts frenzied, even a little manic. The first few minutes of this 17-minute title perfectly capture the carefree attitude of the young protagonist. As reality settles back in, the editing and camera work become less chaotic and more still. It is a wonderful way to highlight the issues the unnamed child is wrestling with.

Rocks realistically conveys a wide range of emotions. Robinson makes audiences distrust the father from the first words out of his mouth. The two play well off each other, especially in the last scene, which is heartbreaking.

Lemon Tree is an excellently mounted short that shows off the director’s intrinsic skills. Walden uses cinematography to help convey the main character’s emotional state, which makes this a far more visual experience than the dramatic premise might suggest. The actors are great, and the ending will stick with viewers.

For more information, visit the official Lemon Tree site.

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Lemon Tree is writer-director Rachel Walden’s second short

The Edmonton Oilers staged a dramatic rally Wednesday night at Rogers Place to beat the Seattle Kraken 4-3 in overtime.

Evander Kane led the rally with a natural hat trick, giving the Oilers a third straight win.

“Going into a long road trip, to finally get a couple of wins at home in a row is nice,” Kane said. “We’ve come back before being down going into the third period, so it was nice to be able to do that for the first time this year.”

“The last 12 minutes of the second period was almost rock bottom,” Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch lamented after the game. “But in the third period we showed a lot of passion and perseverance to stick with it.”

Stuart Skinner stood tall for the Oilers with 13 saves in the first, including an important glove snag on a wide open Oliver Bjorkstrand before the game was two minutes old.

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“He was spectacular for us tonight,” Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse said of Skinner.

“He made some big saves at big moments and kept our group in it and we were able to capitalize when our chances came,” Nurse said.

Connor McDavid opened the scoring 5:21 into the second. He was in full flight when he took a pass from Leon Draisaitl then went to the backhand to beat Joey Daccord. The Kraken tied it two minutes later when Jordan Eberle’s rebound went in off Joey Daccord’s skate. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare put the Kraken in front with a deflection of Vince Dunn’s shot. Alex Wennberg made it 3-1 with a spinning shot from in tight late in the second.

“We got in a little penalty trouble in the first half of the third period and our penalty kill did a great job,” Kane said post-game.

“The PK was outstanding and it’s a huge reason why we won,” Skinner said. “The guys in front of me stuck to it. We didn’t change anything even though we were down two goals and that was massive.”

“What I saw was a group of guys willing to block shots,” Knoblauch added.

Kane tipped in a pass from Evan Bouchard with 6:32 left in the third. With Skinner on the bench for an extra attacker, Kane lifted the puck over Daccord to even it 3-3 with 45.4 seconds to go.

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Kane won it with 2:03 left it overtime, one-timing a pass from Zach Hyman.

“Hopefully the way we won today makes us a better team in the long run,” Knoblauch said.

Skinner finished with 33 stops.

The Oilers will visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday (630 CHED, Face-off Show 12:30 p.m., game at 2 p.m.).

&copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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The Edmonton Oilers staged a dramatic rally

Courtesy Audrina Patridge/Instgram

Audrina Patridge’s 15-year-old niece Sadie Loza’s cause of death has been revealed.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to multiple outlets on Wednesday, November 15, that the teen’s cause of death was a narcotic overdose. TMZ was first to report the news.

Authorities told People on Wednesday that “there is still an open investigation to determine if there are any possible criminal charges.”

Patridge, 38, confirmed in February that Sadie had passed away just one week after her 15th birthday.

“My heart hurts to even write this. My beautiful niece is now in heaven,” the Hills alum penned via an Instagram tribute at the time. “I know Its not goodbye forever, but it is the hardest to say goodbye for now. We will miss you and cherish every single moment we had with you. Rest in peace Say Say!! We love you forever & ever!”

Sadie’s mom, Casey Loza — who is Patridge’s sister — first shared the news via Instagram earlier that day, writing, “Sadie Raine Loza has left this Earth for the heavens.”

She continued, “Writing this was the hardest thing I ever have had to do, not knowing the right words I’ll leave you with this, Sadie liked to remind me that the first law of thermodynamics aka (Law of Conservation of Energy) works in all spheres of life. ‘Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another.’”

Casey, 37, noted that “transformation is a better word than death,” adding that Sadie’s story will “save countless lives” and her memory will “never be forgotten.” She concluded, “Rest In Peace you brilliant starseed. You’re with your creator. We will miss you dearly. I love you.”

Extreme Weight Loss star Brandi Mallory

Related: Celebrity Deaths 2023

After losing beloved stars including Barbara Walters, Kirstie Alley and Stephen “tWitch” Boss in the final days of 2022, the entertainment industry continued to deal with loss in 2023. Hollywood was dealt a devastating blow with three significant losses in April: Jerry Springer, Harry Belafonte and Dancing With the Stars judge Len Goodman all died […]

Casey and estranged husband Kyle Loza welcomed Sadie in February 2008. The parents married in March 2009 before welcoming Sadie’s brother Draven in April 2010. They welcomed another son, Vallon, in October 2018.

The family previously appeared on Patridge’s  2011 short-lived Vh1 reality series, Audrina, which ran for 10 episodes and included Audrina, Casey and Kyle as well as their sister Samantha Patridge, brother Mark Patridge and  their parents, Lynne and Mark Patridge.

In November 2016, Sadie was the flower girl at Patridge’s wedding to ex-husband Corey Bohan. “I love this picture of My beautiful niece Sadie and I on the dance floor,” Audrina captioned an Instagram photo of her and Sadie at the nupitals. “Trying to teach her some #dwts moves😜.” (Patridge and Bohan, 41, were married for two years before their 2018 divorce. They share daughter Kirra, 8.)

The Hills Original Cast Where Are They Now

Related: ‘The Hills’ Original Cast: Where Are They Now?

When The Hills first debuted in May 2006, it looked a lot different than the revival, The Hills: New Beginnings. No matter what version they’re watching, fans are still hooked on the cast’s unwritten chapters. The MTV reality show, a spinoff of Laguna Beach, followed Lauren Conrad from Laguna to Los Angeles where she moved […]

Following the news of the teen’s death in February, Audrina’s former costars took to social media to express their deep sympathies for the devastating loss.

“Omgggg this kills me. So so sorry for your loss Audrina. This is heartbreaking,” Kristin Cavallari wrote, while Brody Jenner replied: “Sending love to you and the family.”

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Courtesy Audrina Patridge/Instgram Audrina Patridge’s 15-year-old niece Sadie

Chris Pine has admitted he was a bit nervous to perform opposite Ariana DeBose in the upcoming Disney animated film Wish.

Though the actor showed off his vocal cords in 2014’s Into the Woods, he recently told Entertainment Tonight, “It’s just not something I do on a daily.”

“When you’re singing opposite Ariana… it’s a big deal,” Pine added. But when DeBose learned her singing partner was doubting his ability, she had nothing but praise for him and his talents.

“He can sing! He can absolutely sing,” she told ET. “When I found out that I was cast in this film, I was like, ‘Oh!’ I mean, did you see him in Into The Woods? … I think Chris is one of those examples of not understanding just how talented he is.”

The Oscar winner went on to tease fans that they’re going to be surprised once they can finally hear Pine sing.

“I love the sound of his voice, the way that he molds words,” DeBose explained. “He is a delicious villain. You know people are going to love to hate him, and I just love watching him work.”

Wish follows Asha (DeBose), a young girl who wishes on a star and gets a more direct answer than she bargained for when a trouble-making star comes down from the sky to join her.

The film also features the voices of Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama, Evan Peters, Harvey Guillén, Ramy Youssef, Niko Vargas, Della Saba and Jon Rudnitsky.

Wish hits theaters on Nov. 22.

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Chris Pine has admitted he was a

This is Hot Pod, The Verge’s newsletter about podcasting and the audio industry. Sign up here for more.

Today we have a look at how YouTube’s new AI rules will (and will not) affect podcasting, another late-night host ditching TV for audio, and a bunch of your recs on podcasts covering the Israel-Hamas war.

What do YouTube’s new AI rules mean for podcasts? Not much.

This morning, YouTube released new terms regarding AI-generated content on its platform. As my Verge colleagues Mia Sato and Nilay Patel reported, the company is creating a two-tier system in the way it moderates such content: a strict set of rules for music and a looser, nearly unenforceable standard for everything else (including podcasts). For creators who make podcasts using AI and people who may discover an AI-generated clone of their voice on the internet, there are very slight new rules to which to adhere.

First, podcasts that use “realistic” AI-generated (or altered) content have to label their videos as such. That is something that is already happening with some of the bigger podcasts that use AI, like with The Joe Rogan AI Experience, but it’s generally good practice, so no harm in requiring people to do it. Even with the labeling, though, people can request YouTube take down videos that “simulate an identifiable individual, including their face or voice.” It is then up to YouTube’s discretion, based on factors such as whether the content counts as satire or if the person being replicated is a public figure. Music, meanwhile, has no such exceptions because YouTube needs to keep the labels happy (if you can believe it, the podcast lobby is somewhat less influential).

These guidelines, which will roll out next year, are being issued in the absence of any real legal framework for dealing with AI-generated content. While it does seem like an attempt by YouTube to do something, its effectiveness is necessarily limited — and the lack of clarity could lead to some confusing and inconsistent enforcement decisions.

“It doesn’t have the weight of law, and it doesn’t have the advantage of being done out in the open,” says attorney Emily Poler, who handles copyright infringement cases. “There are going to be situations where it’s really hard [for YouTube] to make a principled decision, and those [decisions] will be entrusted to some reasonably low level employee at YouTube. I don’t think that that’s a recipe for success.”

Moderation was already a mess for these platforms before AI got involved, and each one is taking a different approach. While Spotify is quite permissive (and even encouraging!) of AI spoken-word content, Audible has a blanket rule against AI-narrated audiobooks. YouTube seems to be attempting some middle ground. I’ll be curious to see how it plays out when the new AI rules are in place. As always, if you see anything weird, hit me up.

Another former late-night host turns to podcasting

Last year at Hot Pod Summit LA, we held a panel with Team Coco based on the premise that as late-night shows lose relevance, their hosts will (much like Conan O’Brien) turn instead to podcasts. Since then, Trevor Noah left The Daily Show and cut a deal with Spotify, and James Corden left The Late Late Show and will soon launch a show with SiriusXM. Now another former late-night host has a podcast deal: Daniel Tosh.

Tosh Show from iHeartMedia is refreshingly not a celebrity interview show, which makes sense! Tosh.0 was a hit in its day for being the opposite of standard late-night fare, tapping into lowbrow YouTube culture instead of featuring fluffy interviews with the rich and famous. If you are too young to remember or too old to care, it was a big deal circa 2009-2012. (Sidebar, I was truly shocked to learn that Tosh.0 did not end until 2020). Since dumb internet videos don’t exactly translate to podcasting, Tosh’s first interview is with his wife’s gynecologist. Respect!

Who from late night will be next? My money is on Jon Stewart, whose Apple TV Plus show was canceled last month. The podcast always outperformed the show, and it would be a relatively easy lift to continue without Apple’s support. 

Your Israeli-Palestinian conflict podcast recs

You gotta love how the Hot Pod audience is always armed with recs. After my open call for suggestions, a number of you reached out with shows that approach this extremely complicated conflict with nuance. I have had a chance to listen to a few of them and return to some I haven’t tuned into in a while. Check it out:

  • The Ezra Klein Show, per Think Again host Jason Gots (and staffers at Vox, and various members of my family). It’s a go-to pick for a reason: Klein has dedicated several episodes of his show to exploring the conflict from different perspectives, including one standout episode in which he talks to pollster Amaney Jamal, who ran a public opinion survey in Gaza in the week leading up to the attack. Spoiler: Gazans aren’t big on Hamas.
  • Israel Story, as recommended by Podglomerate CEO Jeff Umbro. You might remember Israel Story — which is basically the Israeli This American Life — when it was featured on Radiolab in 2015. In the weeks since the war began, Israel Story has published two dozen accounts from Israelis about how the conflict has touched their lives. 
  • On the Nose and Unsettled are recommended by audio producer Sam J. Leeds. On the Nose is from progressive outlet Jewish Currents and has been covering anti-war activism on the left in Israel and the US. Unsettled — which is sponsored by the Institute for Nonprofit News and was started by activists involved in IfNotNow — regularly features accounts from Palestinians and published an episode last week about the escalating violence in the West Bank since the war started.
  • Unholy: Two Jews on the News, per Sandra Shmueli, development editor at The Economist. It is hosted by Keshet 12 news anchor Yonit Levi and The Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland. So far, this is my favorite of the bunch — I particularly enjoyed its most recent episode with Kara Swisher on how discourse about the war is playing out on TikTok.

Keep the recs coming! Especially if you know of any great pods produced from a Palestinian perspective.

That’s all for now. I’ll be back next week with the latest audio news.

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Alert: this could be considered TMI, but since we’re all friends here, I don’t mind sharing. If there’s one clothing item I detest, it’s a bra. Nearly three years of wearing sports bras or going commando during the pandemic spoiled me beyond measure. That said, it’s been a huge struggle — I mean adjustment — getting back in the swing of wearing real bras on the daily.

Frustration over straps digging into my shoulders and complaints of underwire poking my sides barely scratch the surface of the ammunition I use to justify my one-sided spat with bras. Thankfully, I’ve found a happy medium which provides support and comfort without violating my job’s dress-related conduct codes. I get an adequate lift, firm shaping and tons of side smoothing. Even better? I don’t count down the seconds until I take it off. Whew, thank goodness for T-Shirt bras!

Warner’s Lightly Lined T-Shirt Bra is an Amazon bestseller. This shopper-approved bra also features elastic-free sides, front-adjustable straps and underarm-smoothing and comfortable underwire. They’re also made with flexible foam cups to provide the perfect fit. You can snag this comfy bra in 29 shades, including various nude brown shades tones, in sizes 34B to 38DD.

Warner’s

Pros

  • Comfortable
  • Wide size range
  • Incredible array of colors
  • Affordable pricing!

Cons

  • Some shoppers may require a larger bra

Get Warner’s Lightly Lined T-Shirt Bra for $15 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, November 15, 2020, but are subject to change.

No stressing about bulging underwire from the back of the bra. It features an elastic-free back design for a seamless look. This ultra-cozy bra doesn’t ride up on the sides, and is durable enough to last through multiple washes.

Verified shoppers left comments detailing their shock at finding such a high-quality bra for under $20. “The bra fits great, and I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it is,” one shopper explained. The same shopper revealed their favorite thing about the bra. “One of the best features of this bra is the no side effects design, which means there is no bulging or spillover under the arms.”

This bra is a hit with expectant moms too. One pregnant reviewer said this bra “fits like a dream.” The mother-to-be was thrilled to find a bra that comfortably fit her. “I can’t even describe the relief,” they wrote. “I feel like me again!”

If you’re a fashionista who rolls her eyes whenever she puts on a new bra, don’t lose hope. Along with providing relief from painful underwires and straps, Warner’s Lightly Lined T-Shirt Bra delivers adequate lifting and support — obsessed.

See it: Get Warner’s Lightly Lined T-Shirt Bra for $15 at Amazon!

Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, November 5, 2023, but are subject to change.

Are you looking for something else? Shop more from The Body Shop here! Don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

Shop With Us tip: Find the best gifts on Amazon personalized to your shopping history here!

This post is brought to you by Us Weekly’s Shop With Us team. The Shop With Us team aims to highlight products and services our readers might find interesting and useful, such as wedding-guest outfits, purses, plus-size swimsuits, women’s sneakers, bridal shapewear, and perfect gift ideas for everyone in your life. Product and service selection, however, is in no way intended to constitute an endorsement by either Us Weekly or of any celebrity mentioned in the post.

The Shop With Us team may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. In addition, Us Weekly receives compensation from the manufacturer of the products we write about when you click on a link and then purchase the product featured in an article. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product or service is featured or recommended. Shop With Us operates independently from the advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback at ShopWithUs@usmagazine.com. Happy shopping!

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Academy Awards organizers have decided to stick with a tried and true host: Jimmy Kimmel.

Mr. Kimmel, the late-night comedian who has hosted the event three times, will return to the Oscars stage on March 10 to steer the 96th ceremony, according to two people briefed on the plan, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose it. Molly McNearney, the co-head writer and an executive producer of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC, will serve as an executive producer for the 96th Oscars telecast.

“I always dreamed of hosting the Oscars exactly four times,” Mr. Kimmel said in a statement.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did not respond to requests for comment.

Seeking cultural relevancy for the ceremony following a period of plunging ratings, the academy and ABC, which broadcasts the Oscars, have bounced between formats in recent years. They tried three hosts in 2022 (Wanda Sykes, Regina Hall, Amy Schumer) and zero hosts, from 2019 to 2021. For the 2023 show, the academy returned to one host — Mr. Kimmel, who also did the job in 2017 and 2018.

He delivered. Viewership rose to nearly 19 million people this year, according to Nielsen, up from 16.6 million the year before and 10.4 million in 2021, the lowest ever. Before 2018, the telecast had never dropped below 32 million.

Just as important for the academy, Mr. Kimmel’s return was free of controversy, helping to restore luster to an event tarnished in 2022 when Will Smith marched onstage and slapped Chris Rock. The academy and ABC also overhauled the red carpet preshow, hiring consultants with experience at the Met Gala to make star arrivals feel less chaotic and more glamorous. The red carpet was vanquished in favor of a champagne-colored one.

“After his triumphant return to the Oscars stage last year, we are honored to have Jimmy back,” said Craig Erwich, president of ABC Entertainment, Hulu and Disney Branded Television Streaming Originals, in a statement. He called Mr. Kimmel “a valuable member of our Disney family.” (Disney owns ABC.)

Hosting the ceremony was once viewed as a feather in the cap of top comedians like Billy Crystal, a nine-time host, and Whoopi Goldberg, who was M.C. four times. But many stars have become leery about the time commitment and potential backlash that hosting can bring. Trash-talking the Oscars — for its stilted banter, for the choices made by voters, for its very existence — has become a hallmark of the social media age.

Hollywood’s awards season has been slow to start this time around because of the actors’ strike, which prevented stars from promoting finished work. With the strike resolved, studios and publicists have quickly ramped up awards campaigns, pushing stars like Emma Stone, a front-runner for a best actress nomination for her debauched performance in the surrealist comedic drama “Poor Things,” and films like “American Fiction,” a satire about a writer who puts together a fake memoir that turns on racial stereotypes.

Other films expected to prominently figure into the 96th Academy Awards include “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” both of which were runaway successes at the global box office. If they receive as many nominations as people in Hollywood expect, it will help Mr. Kimmel: Viewership for the Oscars tends to increase when popular films are honored.

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Academy Awards organizers have decided to stick

L.A. author Justin Torres and Yale historian Ned Blackhawk were the big winners at the 74th National Book Awards, honored for their works in fiction and nonfiction, respectively, as the prestigious literary prizes were announced Wednesday at a gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. But they shared the spotlight with a closing speech about the Israel-Hamas war, preceded by a controversy over free speech and the role of politics in literary culture.

After Torres, who won for his second novel, “Blackouts,” gave a brief acceptance speech, he handed the microphone to his fellow fiction finalist, Aaliyah Bilal, who read a carefully prepared statement as more than a dozen other finalists stood behind her.

“We oppose the ongoing bombardment of Gaza and call for a humanitarian ceasefire to address the urgent humanitarian needs of Palestinian civilians, particularly children,” Bilal said. “We oppose antisemitism and anti-Palestinian sentiment and Islamophobia equally, accepting the human dignity of all parties. Knowing that further bloodshed does nothing to secure lasting peace in the region.”

Even before this week, when two sponsors pulled out of the ceremony over rumors about the planned speech, the event had already had a major hiccup. In September, the foundation rescinded its invitation to would-be host Drew Barrymore over her controversial (and short-lived) plans to resume her talk show during the Hollywood writers’ strike.

One subject of unanimity was opposition to efforts to restrict books from libraries across the country. “Reading Rainbow” host and freedom-to-read advocate LeVar Burton,who took the reins after Barrymore was disinvited, kicked off the evening with a book-banning joke. “Before we get going, are there any Moms for Liberty in the house?” The crowd chuckled before Burton added, “Good, then hands will not need to be thrown tonight.”

“It was my mother who taught me at a very young age,” Burton continues, “that if you can read in at least one language you are by her definition free, and the idea of freedom feels especially fraught in this global political moment. There are wars and rumors of wars and the machineries of war at work. And on the home front, we are fighting for control of truth and how we interpret truth in this country. Books are being banned, words are being silenced. Writers and others who champion books are under attack.”

The reason books are threatened, Burton said, is “because they are so powerful.”

The ceremony and benefit dinner featured special guest Oprah Winfrey, who used a personal anecdote to touch on the power of books to liberate “one page at a time.”

“I was 15 years old when I read my first diverse book,” Winfrey said from the podium. “Maya Angelou’s ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,’ and the whole world fell away for me. It was the first book at 15 I ever read with a Black protagonist. That book gave a voice to my silences, my secrets. It gave words to my pain and my confusion of being raped at 9 years old. Until ‘Caged Bird,’ I didn’t know that there was a language, that were words for what had happened to me, or that any other human being on Earth had experienced it. That’s the power of books.”

In the days leading up to this evening’s ceremony, sponsors Zibby Media and Book of the Month announced they wouldn’t be attending the event. Zibby Owens posted an essay on Tuesday on Substack, explaining why her multimedia company, Zibby Media, had rescinded its National Book Award donation. “Unless we can get complete and total assurance that the National Book Foundation will be actively and publicly denouncing anti-semitism and the inappropriate conduct and collusion of its nominees to foster a highly-charged, destructive environment,” Owens wrote, “we’ll be rescinding our sponsorship and, of course, not attending.”

Book of the Month also decided not to attend the ceremony, but continued to support the event, according to the New York Times.

The National Book Foundation issued a statement addressing the matter this week, writing, “At this time of so much pain and suffering in our world, we believe writers’ words — and the insight and inspiration they bring — are more important than ever,” and also noting that political statements, if made, are by no means unprecedented in the history of the National Book Awards or other prize ceremonies.

Bilal, who was nominated for her debut short story collection, “Temple Folk,” told the New York Times Tuesday that the statement would be careful to avoid inflammatory rhetoric. “It was very important, as we were constructing it, that we were clear that we are sensitive to all of the antisemitism going on in this moment,” Bilal said. “We don’t want to contribute to inflaming that.”

Twenty-five titles were shortlisted for National Book Awards, and the finalists competed across five categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature and young people’s literature.

Two lifetime achievement awards were also presented. National Book Award finalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Rita Dove was honored with the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. “The poet is called upon to use words like stepping stones to carry herself and her readers across that unarticulated turbulence, the unwarranted depths within us,” Dove said while accepting her award. “Granted, that’s pretty frightening stuff, which may be why many people are wary of poetry, afraid they won’t understand it the right way.

“In today’s endangered intellectual climate, my cynical self might say that it’s why the woefully growing list of censored and banned books in American schools and libraries includes relatively little poetry. Unless that commercial success breaks the ears of those reactionary book burners, who rather than risk being asked to explain what exactly it is that strikes them as dangerous in our stances, have left us to our corner of the sky hoping that no one can hear us above their shouts. But we keep on strumming our harps.”

Paul Yamazaki, principal buyer at City Lights Booksellers & Publishers, received the Foundation’s Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. At the ceremony, the audience raised their glasses to Yamazaki, heralding the legendary bookseller as a mentor, above-par drinking buddy and champion of bookshops and the larger community.

The Young People’s Literature award went to Dan Santat for “A First Time for Everything,” a middle grade graphic memoir based on the author’s awkward junior-high-school years and the trip to Europe that altered his life forever. During a night full of praise for mothers, Santat honored his own — “who saw her young, insecure child endure the struggles of growing up through the tumultuous years of adolescence and gently pushed them out the door to show his young, innocent mind … that the world is immense.”

Brazilian author Stênio Gardel took home the Translated Literature honor for “The Words That Remain,” along with his translator, Bruna Dantas Lobato. Gardel gave an emotional, tear-filled speech from the podium, also thanking his mother. “Being here tonight, as a gay man receiving this award for a novel about another gay man’s journey to self acceptance, I wanted to say to everyone whoever felt wrong about themselves that your heart and your desire are true.”

The poetry award went to Craig Santos Perez for “from unincorporated territory [åmot].”

Perez shared that he grew up in the U.S. territory of Guam, “one of the last remaining colonies in the world. … When I was growing up in a kind of colonial American school system, we were never taught my own people’s literature. We were always taught American literature, and so when I started writing, my mission was to hopefully inspire the next generation of Pacific Islander authors.”

Books examining race, oppression and violence dominated the nonfiction shortlist. The honor went to historian Blackhawk’s “The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History,” which explores the role Indigenous peoples have played in the development of American democracy. “I’d like to close with a bit of an invitation that may not be super evident from the book’s formal introduction,” he told the audience. “…The subject of American Indian history, while often simultaneously unfamiliar and discomforting, is also a shared experience that touches us all. The currents of the past run deep and inform the topography of the present, a theme that we’ve seen throughout the work of so many finalists this year. Native America is also a form of our national inheritance. We cannot nor should not continue its systematic erasure.”

Here is the list of the 2023 National Book Award winners and finalists:

Fiction

  • Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, “Chain-Gang All-Stars”
  • Aaliyah Bilal, “Temple Folk”
  • Paul Harding, “This Other Eden”
  • Hanna Pylväinen, “The End of Drum-Time”
  • Justin Torres, “Blackouts”

Nonfiction

  • Ned Blackhawk, “The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History”
  • Cristina Rivera Garza,”Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice”
  • Christina Sharpe, “Ordinary Notes”
  • Raja Shehadeh, “We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I: A Palestinian Memoir”
  • John Vaillant, “Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World”

Poetry

  • John Lee Clark, “How to Communicate”
  • Craig Santos Perez, “from unincorporated territory [åmot]”
  • Evie Shockley, “suddenly we”
  • Brandon Som, “Tripas”
  • Monica Youn, “From From”

Translated literature

  • Bora Chung, “Cursed Bunny.” Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur
  • David Diop, “Beyond the Door of No Return.” Translated from the French by Sam Taylor
  • Stênio Gardel, “The Words That Remain.” Translated from Portuguese by Bruna Dantas Lobato
  • Pilar Quintana, “Abyss.” Translated from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman
  • Astrid Roemer, “On a Woman’s Madness.” Translated from the Dutch by Lucy Scott

Young people’s literature

  • Kenneth M. Cadow, “Gather”
  • Huda Fahmy, “Huda F Cares?”
  • Vashti Harrison, “Big”
  • Katherine Marsh, “The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine”
  • Dan Santat, “A First Time for Everything”

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L.A. author Justin Torres and Yale

Following a troubling cliffhanger during the finale of Gen V, is there any chance Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair) returns in The Boys Season 4?

Marie, who can manipulate blood, is the leading protagonist in Gen V Season 1. Her tragic story of accidentally killing her parents the day she learned about her powers put her on a path of atoning for those childhood sins.

If her powers sound familiar, that’s because The Boys’ evil Congresswoman Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) has similar abilities, making her appearance in Gen V greatly important.

Gen V guest star Doumit, who will cross back over to The Boys in Season 4, told EW before the release of the spin-off series that it “lays a lot of the groundwork” for the parent show:

“‘Gen V’ lays a lot of the groundwork and a lot of the foundations that season 4 will be built on for ‘The Boys.’ So, watch it because it gives you a lot of information.”

What Happened to Marie In Gen V’s Season Finale?

Gen V

By the conclusion of Gen V‘s finale, super-powered young adults Marie, Andre, Emma, and Jordan find themselves in a situation far from their desired outcome.

In the final scenes, Cate, along with Sam, releases those trapped in The Woods, causing havoc at Godolkin University. 

Although Marie, Andre, Emma, and Jordan make progress in thwarting the chaos, a sudden turn of events occurs when the unwelcome presence of Homelander disrupts their almost-heroic endeavors.

Homelander in the Gen V finale.
Gen V

Homelander, disapproving of Marie’s actions against another Supe, seizes control and stops their progress. While fans may have anticipated this long-awaited cameo, the repercussions leave Marie in a bad place.

Marie in a hospital gown in the Gen V finale.
Gen V

This development positions Marie and her friends to potentially join The Boys Season 4, following the post-credits scene where Karl Urban’s Billy Butcher discovers the aftermath of The Woods.

The main cast of Gen V trapped in The Woods by the end of the finale.
Gen V

What Is Marie’s Future in The Boys Universe?

Ironically, many fans were unaware that Marie had already been in The Boys. 

Gen V viewers noticed a subtle cameo by Marie Moreau in The Boys Season 3, Episode 2. During the episode, Hughie (Jack Quiad) pays a visit to the Red River Institute, a facility functioning as an orphanage for Supe children. In a brief moment on screen, records of the residents, including Marie, are briefly displayed.

Photo of Marie's cameo in The Boys.
The Boys

That being said, a crossover featuring Marie’s return in The Boys in Season 4 seems imminent following Billy’s discovery of The Woods.

It was also confirmed that The Boys Season 4 would directly tie into Gen V Season 2, making an appearance by Marie likely. 

The one issue fans may have with characters like Marie, Emma, Jordan, or Andre appearing in The Boys is that it would resolve a series cliffhanger within a separate show.

This did not work out well when The Book of Boba Fett continued the story from The Mandalorian Season 2, reuniting Grogue and Din Djarin (who were emotionally sent their separate ways during the finale).

However, based on Homelander, Billy Butcher, Congresswoman Neuman, Ashley Barrett (Colby Minifie), and Solider Boy (Jensen Ackles) appearing in Gen V, it’s clear that the creative plan is to have these shows seamlessly weave within each other.

To learn what happens next for Marie and the cast of Gen V, fans will need to tune into The Boys Season 4, streaming in 2024.

Gen V is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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Formed in Los Angeles in 1985, Guns N’ Roses were one of many Hollywood hair metal acts that gigged along the Sunset Strip at the height of the nightclub scene on LA’s infamous boulevard. What separated G’N’R was the evil in their presentation — eschewing the glamour of hair metal for a darker design and a distorted guitar sound that hearkened back to earlier bands like The Rolling Stones and AC/DC. After signing with Geffen Records, the release of their debut album, Appetite for Destruction, initially sputtered. When David Geffen convinced MTV execs to play “Welcome to the Jungle” on an after-hours program, the network was flooded with requests to hear more of the band, and they suddenly went into heavy rotation on the network — launching to stratospheric fame.


The band’s leaders, Axl Rose and Slash, were virtuoso musicians. Rose had a five-octave vocal range, with a falsetto that tore through speakers like a chainsaw. Slash took the melodic approach of Queen guitarist Brian May, doused it in Jack Daniel’s, and set it ablaze with Gibson Les Pauls and Marshall stacks. The sound was apt for film, with hard-edged metal perfect for action movies, memorable classic rock covers, and acoustic ballads to back mellower scenes. In 1991, the band coordinated the release of their Use Your Illusion double album with the promotion and soundtrack for Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The video for “You Could Be Mine” got a big MTV premiere and a cameo by the Terminator himself. The band has been inseparable from movie soundtracks ever since.

The following are the 10 greatest uses of Guns N’ Roses songs in movies.


10 “Live and Let Die” in Grosse Pointe Blank

Grosse Pointe Blank

Release Date
April 11, 1997

Director
George Armitage

Cast
John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Alan Arkin, Dan Aykroyd, Joan Cusack, Hank Azaria

Rating
R

Runtime
1hr 47min

“Live and Let Die” was a cover of a song by Paul McCartney’s band Wings, who wrote it for a James Bond movie of the same name. Guns N’ Roses released it off their Use Your Illusion I album, and six years later it was included on the soundtrack for Grosse Pointe Blank.

How the Presence of Guns ‘N’ Roses Elevates the Film

The story of this 1997 black comedy revolves around Martin Q. Blank (John Cusack), a contract assassin who’s cool, calm, and likes to listen to the heavy jams while his life slowly unravels. At the time of the film’s release, soundtracks were still being used as a promotional vehicle for movies. Accordingly, Grosse Pointe Blank featured a double album featuring the Clash, Violent Femmes, and G’N’R’s high octane cover of Wings’ symphonic classic, among many other great songs. The frenetic track gets used in a disastrous scene where Martin tries to locate his childhood home, only to find a convenience store in its place.

Rent on Digital Platforms Like AppleTV, YouTube, and Prime Video

9 “Patience” in Cape Fear

Jessica Lange looks scared in Cape Fear (1991)
Universal Pictures

A big part of what separated Guns N’ Roses from other ’80s rock bands was their ability to switch gears to country-inflected ballads like “Patience.” The song is used in Martin Scorsese’s 1991 remake of Cape Fear during a heated domestic argument between Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) and his partner Leigh (Jessica Lange). In the film, a violent criminal, Max Cady (Robert De Niro) is stalking their family, and the pressure is putting them at loggerheads with one another.

Why Martin Scorsese Opted For Guns N’ Roses in the Film

When G’N’R turned down their amps, they were likely the closest thing to Scorsese’s beloved Rolling Stones on the rock market in ’91, and “Patience” smacks of the Stones’ classic “Wild Horses”. Likewise, Scorsese often picked songs with lyrics apt for the scenes they were backing. “Patience” speaks about a romantic strife similar to Sam and Leigh’s, on a soundtrack that included other ’80s acts like Jane’s Addiction and the Cramps.

Stream on AppleTV

8 “You’re Crazy” in Gone Baby Gone

Gone Baby Gone

Gone Baby Gone

Release Date
June 6, 2007

Director
Ben Affleck

Cast
Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, John Ashton, Amy Ryan

Rating
R

Runtime
114

“You’re Crazy” was a track originally featured on G’N’R’s debut, Appetite for Destruction — but the band put out an arguably-superior acoustic version on their second studio album, G N’ R Lies. The band was seeking to show their depth as musicians on their second release, making the last four tracks acoustic.

Why “You’re Crazy” is Perfect for Gone Baby Gone

In the Ben Affleck film, Gone Baby Gone, Guns N’ Roses are employed, fittingly, for a Dorchester, Massachusetts bar scene. Guns N’ Roses can be found on pretty much every divebar jukebox, as their music lends itself to shooting pool, imbibing adult beverages, and general debauchery.

Stream on FuboTV

7 “If the World” in Body of Lies

Body of Lies

Body of Lies

Release Date
October 10, 2008

Director
Ridley Scott

Cast
Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Mark Strong, Golshifteh Farahani, Oscar Isaac, Ali Suliman

Rating
R

Runtime
128

Body of Lies was a Leonardo Di Caprio vehicle directed by action-sensei Ridley Scott, about a CIA operation to catch a terrorist. The film was usual Scott Free fare, with hard-boiled action and a deep cast including Russell Crowe and Oscar Isaac.

Why This is the Only Chinese Democracy Song On a Soundtrack

“If the World” may not be Guns N’ Roses’ best song, but it marked an attempt to move away from the sound that made them famous. The song was off their endlessly-delayed Chinese Democracy album, and was used over the film’s closing credits. Given all the infighting and difficulties recording the album, it was nice to at least see one track used for a film.

Stream on Max

Related: Why Killers of the Flower Moon is Leonardo DiCaprio’s Best Movie Yet

6 “Sweet Child O’ Mine” in The Wrestler

the wrestler

The Wrestler

Release Date
September 7, 2008

Director
Darren Aronofsky

Cast
Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Mark Margolis, Todd Barry, Wass Stevens

Rating
R

Runtime
109

The Wrestler, Darren Aronofsky’s film about a washed up wrestler who was once a star in the 80s, pulled on the audience’s heart strings with a redemptive tale about a deadbeat father trying to reconnect with his daughter. Aronofsky painted a picture of the independent wrestling promotions that Randy “The Ram’ Robinson (Mickey Rourke) frequents while trying to stay above water and piece his life back together.

How Guns N’ Roses Own Rise and Fall Mirrored The Wrestler’s

Aronofsky clearly had intent by using “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” as the band’s ’80s rise and subsequent fall from grace mirrored the Ram’s. By the early-’90s, G’N’R was the world’s biggest rock band, but substances and infighting between Slash and Axl Rose led to constant delays in releasing their Chinese Democracy album, and they eventually disbanded, before a big touring comeback in the last decade.

Rent on Digital Platforms Like AppleTV and Prime Video

5 “Knockin On Heaven’s Door” in Days of Thunder

days of thunder

days of thunder

Release Date
June 27, 1990

Director
Tony Scott

Cast
Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Michael Rooker

Rating
PG-13

Runtime
107

“Knockin On Heaven’s Door” was Guns N’ Roses’ most famous cover song, refashioning a Bob Dylan track from 1973. Dylan actually wrote the track for a movie, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. The song has had more staying power than the film, and Guns covered it on their Use Your Illusion II album in ’91.

Why Guns N’ Roses Inclusion in Days of Thunder was Special

Like T2, Guns N’ Roses paired a recording (and race-themed video) with the release of Days of Thunder. It’s ironic that only a few years earlier, the band was deemed too vulgar to be featured on MTV, and now was a part of a large budget studio movie. Their song complemented the extreme stylism of director Tony Scott, and the soundtrack version of the film actually has a spoken word response to a verse that’s not in the album track:

Mama put my guns in the ground (It’s wasn’t their fault)

I can’t shoot them anymore (How were they even supposed to know?)

That cold black cloud is coming down (All things can be healed in time)

Feels like I’m knockin’ on Heaven’s door (Why, why do which you’re doing?)

Stream on Paramount+

4 “Welcome to the Jungle” in The Dead Pool

maxresdefault-3
Warner Bros.

So let’s get this straight — Guns ‘N’ Roses appear in the Clint Eastwood-starring film The Dead Pool, including in a movie-within-a-movie scene where Slash fires a harpoon gun through a window — all while being “directed” by Liam Neeson? Did we mention this is also Jim Carrey’s first dramatic role and it’s a Dirty Harry movie?! Sorry, just catching our breath here.

How Guns ‘N’ Roses Aided the Movie

“Welcome to the Jungle” appears in this, the last of the Dirty Harry films. It’s raw power matched that of Clint Eastwood’s rugged Dirty Harry character. The opening track from Guns N’ Roses’ fabled Appetite album that became the single that made the band famous, it’s a song that typifies drummer Steven Adler’s period in the band. Adler was immensely talented, with a cleverly-swung drumming style that helped separate the band’s sound from other straight-eight metal bands.

Rent on Digital Platforms Like AppleTV and Prime Video

3 “Sympathy for the Devil” in Interview with the Vampire

interview with a vampire

interview with a vampire

Release Date
November 11, 1994

Director
Neil Jordan

Cast
Brad Pitt, Christian Slater, Virginia McCollam, John McConnell, Tom Cruise, Mike Seelig

Rating
R

Runtime
123

Main Genre
Horror

“Sympathy for the Devil”, a Stones cover, found its rightful place on the Interview with the Vampire soundtrack thanks to a last ditch effort by G’N’R to put out material before Slash and bassist Duff McKagan left the band. Both were beefing with Axl, who by the song’s 1994 release had an ego that swelled enormously. He soldiered on without the two for years, before they returned to the act in 2016.

Why This Was an Obvious Pick For the Film

No explanation is necessary for this song’s inclusion, as the Stones’ most devilish track was perfect for the film’s subject, though given a ’90s update by having G’N’R update the track for contemporary ears. It played over the end credits.

Stream on Hulu

2 “Sweet Child o’ Mine” in Step Brothers

Step Brothers

Step Brothers

Release Date
July 25, 2008

Director
Adam McKay

Cast
Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen, Richard Jenkins, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn

Rating
R

Runtime
95

Main Genre
Comedy

“Sweet Child o’ Mine” demonstrated Slash’s prodigal guitar genius more than perhaps any other song by Guns N’ Roses. With a melody culled from a warm-up exercise, he made one of the most memorable guitar riffs ever to hit the airwaves. An uptempo ballad with gentler lyrics than the rest of Appetite, it’s not so far-flung to do an a cappella version in the car with your family, as in the film Step Brothers.

Why Sweet Child o’ Mine Is So Funny in Step Brothers

The incongruity of Guns N’ Roses and a minivan quartet is the chef’s kiss in this scene, where Derek Huff (Adam Scott) and his family perform a perfectly coordinated version of the song using eloquent harmonies. Derek’s douchery makes him the perfect counterpoint to Dale (John C. Reilly) and Brennan (Will Farrell), and nowhere is it more obvious than in this overly-polished version of the song.

Stream on Peacock and FuboTV

1 “You Could Be Mine” in Terminator 2: Judgment Day

terminator 2

Terminator 2

Release Date
July 3, 1991

Director
James Cameron

Cast
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, Earl Boen, Joe Morton

Rating
R

Runtime
137

The height of Guns N’ Roses’ early-’90s domination of MTV, the airwaves, and movie theaters coalesced with a bang, thanks to a partnership between the band and director James Cameron for Terminator 2: Judgment Day. They allowed “You Could Be Mine” to be used for the film’s promotion and release, even before it came out on their own Use Your Illusion double album.

Why The Movie and Video Premier Was So Important for Gen X

The song only reached number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, but any ’90s Baby will swear it was higher, as the film’s enormous promotion included an MTV video premiere for the song only weeks after T2 came out. Not to mention, the track gets used in a hardcore scene where John Connor tells his foster dad Todd to suck an egg, before peeling out on his dirtbike with Bobby Budnick from Salute Your Shorts. By the time the video premiered, most of the kids at school were attempting the John Connor haircut, while blasting Guns N’ Roses on their Walkmen. Ah, the ’90s — such a simple time.

Stream on Paramount+ and Showtime

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Formed in Los Angeles in 1985, Guns

The Nintendo Switch version of one of this year’s best-selling games, Hogwarts Legacy, has finally been released.

With minimal marketing for the Switch port from publisher Warner Bros., today is the first time we’re able to see how developer Avalanche Software was able to squeeze the sprawling open-world game onto the portable hardware.

A comparison video published by YouTube user Cycu1 – embedded below – shows how Hogwarts Legacy’s Switch graphics compare to PlayStation 5.

Another YouTube channel, SwitchUp, posted its impressions of the Switch port on Tuesday, stating that the game “could have been far worse” and that on handheld in particular the game “is running reasonably well”.

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According to the YouTube channel, the Switch version introduces 30-to-50-second loading times to its open-world in order to get it running.

The channel notes that “none of these things are deal breakers for most people, but as far as gameplay goes, having to load between every single shop in a town that has about 10-15 buildings, it certainly does impact the flow”.

Hogwarts Legacy was comfortably Europe’s best-selling game in the first half of 2023, selling over 12 million copies in the first two weeks following its PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC release on February 10.