Taylor Swift’s presence in the bleachers — or rather, the luxury suite — to support Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce was the talk of social media over the weekend, and even quarterback Patrick Mahomes was part of the conversation.
Swift attended the team’s game against the Chicago Bears at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, with Fox’s cameras cutting to the singer frequently during the broadcast. Her visit followed media reports of a budding romance between herself and tight end Kelce, whose own third-quarter touchdown helped his team wallop the opposing squad 41-10.
After the game, Mahomes was asked during a press conference about Swift’s presence. “She’s a tremendous singer, tremendous at everything she does,” the reigning NFL MVP told reporters. “I haven’t got to meet her, but I guess if she ends up being with Travis, then I’ll probably get to meet her at some point. Seems like a good person, so hopefully I get to meet her one day.”
Mahomes explained that he only learned recently that Swift would attend the game for the Chiefs, who won Super Bowl LVII in February and currently sit atop the AFC West with a record of 2-1.
Patrick Mahomes & Andy Reid on Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce: “I set them up.” – Reid “She’s tremendous at everything she does. I haven’t got to meet her, but if she ends up with Travis I’ll probably get to meet her.” – Mahomes #ChiefsKingdom@KCTV5pic.twitter.com/oioAWCwuLm
“He told me at the last minute, but there’s some things with Trav where he just says it, and you don’t know if it’s true or not,” Mahomes quipped. “Friday, he was like, ‘Yeah, I think she’s coming to the game this weekend,’ and then moved about his business. So you’re kinda like, that just happens, I guess. I don’t know — it’s just Travis.”
During an on-field interview with Erin Andrews, the quarterback addressed whether he felt pressure to get Kelce the ball in front of the famous fan. “I heard she was in the house. I felt a little bit of pressure, and so I knew I had to get it to Trav,” Mahomes replied. “I think he wanted to get into the end zone just as much as all the Swifites wanted him to.”
Kelce and Swift did not publicly address their relationship status following the game, although footage of the pair exiting the stadium together made the rounds on social media. The music star typically keeps developments in her personal life close to the vest.
This is a busy stretch for Swift, who is currently enjoying some downtime from her hugely successful Eras Tour before it picks up again in South America in November. A concert film featuring the tour will hit theaters next month and is tracking for a colossal opening weekend.
Meanwhile, Kelce starred on E! dating series Catching Kelce, which aired in 2016, and he hosted Saturday Night Live earlier this year.
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As shoppers are readying their wallets for Amazon Prime Big Deal Days on Oct. 10 and 11, other retailers are piggy-backing off the epic pre-holiday shopping event with their own rival deals.
For those looking to avoid shelling out extra money on an Amazon Prime membership (which costs $14.99 per month or $139 annually), the great news is that there are plenty of fall sales to shop elsewhere online. Target’s Circle Week returns Oct. 1 to 7 with up to 40 percent off Beats, Dyson and other brands; while the Walmart Deals — Holiday Kickoff event runs from Oct. 9 to 12 online.
Don’t want to wait? Right now, Overstock and Wayfair are among the online furniture retailers that are hosting major savings on furniture, decor, rugs and more. That means you don’t need a membership to enjoy savings on designer clothing, accessories, and eyewear alongside big-ticket items like smartphones, laptops, cookware, home appliances, televisions, soundbars, gaming systems, and more goods ahead of the back-to-school shopping season.
Shoppers who are upgrading their outdoor spaces, restocking their fall and winter wardrobes or getting early holiday gifts have plenty of ways to save this season.
Below, we’ve rounded up the best AmazonPrime Day competing sales that are happening now through July 16. Stay tuned for more and bookmark this page as we’ll be updating our list as more deals are announced.
The Best Amazon Prime Big Deal Day Alternative Sales at Major Retailers and Brands
Best Buy hasn’t yet announced any sales for October, but there are still plenty of deals on laptops, TVs, appliances, tablets, smartphones and more tech on sale for up to 50 percent off at the retailer’s Outlet and Clearance section.
No word yet on any October sales, but the home improvement retailer’s Deals of the Day promises big savings on appliances, patio furniture, storage and organization, bathroom and kitchen furniture and supplies, and more.
For a limited time, save up to 25 perent off select items across fashion, beauty and home, including from AllSaints, GreenPan, YSL Beauty, La Mer, Dior, Steve Madden and more.
The online home furnishings retailer’s ongoing deals include up to 65 percent off rugs, 40 percent off living room furniture and Halloween decor, 35 percent off dining room furniture and more.
Through Oct. 1, save 25 percent off select new arrivals during Saks’ Friends & Family sale, including on Staud, Alice + Olivia, Mother, Rag & Bone, Vince and more.
Revolve
Mansur Gavriel Pillow Reversible Leather Tote (reg. $695) $521
Target‘s fall Circle Week takes place from Oct. 1 to 7 and promises up to 40 percent off floor care (including Dyson) and kitchen items; $70 off Beats headphones ($130, reg. $200); 50 percent off annual Shipt memberships;$10 off toy purchases of $50 or more or $25 off purchases of $100 and up; 30 percent off select womenswear and Halloween costumes; 20 percent off bath, bedding, grocery, diapers and wipes, books and movies; exclusive offers from Ulta Beauty at Target; and more.
Target’s free Drive Up and Order Pickup services and convenient Same Day Delivery (via Shipt) allow you to get your shopping haul as early as within the same day.
From Oct. 9 starting at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET to Oct. 12, Walmart Deals — Holiday Kickoff will feature $171 off the Apple Watch SE ($149, reg. $320), $400 off the Sony 75-in. Class Brava XR X90K 4K TV ($4998, reg. $1,498), $58 off the Mega Barbie the Movie Dreamhouse ($140, reg. $197), $45 off Lego Super Heroes The Batman Batmobile set ($55, reg. $100), $223 off the iHome Nova S1 Pro vacuum robot ($177, reg. $400) and many more deals.
Besides Ranbir Kapoor and Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol has a pivotal part to play in Animal.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal featuring Ranbir Kapoor, has been one of the most highly anticipated films of 2023 since its inception. Fans have been eagerly waiting for the film’s teaser, and the teaser will finally drop on September 28, coinciding with Ranbir Kapoor’s birthday.
Days before the drop, Bobby Deol’s look from the film has been revealed. Bobby has a striking appearance with blood splattered across his face, giving him a rugged and intense look. He sports a thick, unkempt beard that adds to his tough demeanour. With his index finger pressed to his lips, he gestures for someone to be quiet, adding to the thriller’s secrecy and suspense. Check out the look here:
Brother Sunny Deol hailed the look and wrote, “Yes Bob Go For it”.
Bobby Deol has extensively worked on his physique for his role in the Sandeep Reddy Vanga directorial.
Meanwhile, a new poster of Animal has been released and it unveiled the first look of Rashmika Mandanna from the film. The actress shared the poster on her Instagram account and revealed her character’s name from the film. Her character’s name will be Geetanjali. In the poster, Rashmika was seen draping a traditional Bengali red and white saree. She also wore a mangalsutra to complete her look.
Speculations are rife that Animal is the story of a son’s obsessive love for his father. Often away due to work the father is unable to comprehend the intensity of his son’s love. The film also features Animal Kapoor in a pivotal role.
Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, music and fashion, she…Read More
Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! combines the worlds of DC and Scooby-Doo for an exciting new mystery, with the Scooby Gang and Krypto teaming up to find the missing Justice League and save Metropolis.
The Hall of Justice is taken over by a mysterious phantom with red eyes, adding to the biggest mystery the Scooby Gang has ever faced. They must unmask the phantom and stop the villains before they destroy the world.
This animated adventure brings together the comedy and heart of both the Justice League and Scooby-Doo, with bonus Scooby-Doo episodes and a guest appearance by The Flash. Available on Digital and DVD on September 26.
Screen Rant is thrilled to share an exclusive clip from the new animated adventure Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! The animated movie brings the worlds of DC and Scooby-Doo together for an all-new mystery as the Scooby Gang is called in for help when the Justice League goes missing. With villains from all over DC running amok in Metropolis, they must search for clues with threats hot on their heels. However, they aren’t alone, with Krypto the Superdog stepping up to help protect the Scooby Gang and the city.
On top of that, a mysterious phantom has taken over the Hall of Justice. With the biggest mystery of their careers on their plate, the Scooby Gang and Krypto will need to save the iconic DC superhero team and thus save Metropolis. Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! will be available on Digital and DVD on September 26.
More About Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too!
Screen Rant’s exclusive Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! clip features Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen showing the Scooby Gang the enigmatic phantom, or phantoms with red eyes spotted at the bottom of the image, that is in the Hall of Justice. Velma admits this may be a mystery right up their alley, which Lois Lane is clearly pleased with, and although the journalists would love to help with Superman, missing villains have been attacking Metropolis left and right, meaning the Daily Planet is busier than ever. Scooby and his pals need to unmask the Phantom and find the Justice League before these villains destroy the world, which, to Shaggy’s point, is a lot of pressure, especially with said villains keeping an eye on the sleuths.
Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! brings two iconic worlds together, with Krypto the Superdog as the perfect way to tie them together. The comedy and heart of both the Justice League and Scooby-Doo can be a perfect team-up, especially with the gang stepping up to help find the missing heroes while foiling the plots of their greatest enemies. Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! includes three bonus Scooby-Doo episodes: “The Scooby of a Thousand Faces!”, “What a Night, for a Dark Knight!, and “One Minute Mysteries!” Guest Starring The Flash.
Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! is directed by Cecilia Aranovich Hamilton from a script penned by T.K. O’Brian. Reprising their roles as the Scooby Gang are Matthew Lillard, Frank Welker, Kate Micucci, and Grey Delisle, who also voice Wonder Woman. Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! also stars P.J. Byrne, Victoria Grace, Charles Halford, Nolan North, Tara Strong, Fred Tatasciore, James Arnold Taylor, and Niccole Thurman.
Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! is available on Digital and DVD on September 26.
There are a couple of endings in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. The missions themselves can branch out depending on your actions, though one does lead to a satisfying conclusion to V’s story. Our Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty endings guide discusses the important decisions that you need to make, as well as the finale that leads to another arc for the main campaign. Naturally, it goes without saying that this article contains major spoilers.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty endings guide
The Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty endings are tied to the mission structure. As such, we outline the steps that led us to certain key moments. We also advise you to keep backup saves in case you want to make a different decision the next time around.
Important decision: Firestarter – Help Songbird or help Reed
You’ll need to make an important decision near the end of the Firestarter mission. This will influence the type of finale arc that you’ll get, including the closing missions, as well as certain iconic weapon rewards. You’re given these two choices:
Help Songbird escape: “I’m with you.”
Help Reed capture Songbird: “One more second…”
V and Songbird take on an army of hostiles.
Finale #1: The Killing Moon – Songbird’s escape
If you help Songbird escape in Firestarter, you’ll get a finale mission called The Killing Moon. The goal is to clear a spaceport so she can board a shuttle that takes her to a lunar facility. However, upon riding the train car, you’ll realize that Songbird might have been lying, and she was just using V to find a cure for herself.
Several options become available at this point, as well as in succeeding instances:
Pick up Songbird: “Time to go” or “Wake the hell up”
Call Reed: “Reed will take care of you.”
A crucial decision must be made.
What happens if you defend Songbird
To get this Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty ending, you must pick up Songbird and carry her to the shuttle. Suddenly, Reed appears and a standoff ensues:
Reed will warn you if you get too close. If you keep walking toward him, he’ll shoot you dead.
Reed wants you to lay Songbird down. If you keep refusing and say that he’ll have to kill you, well, he’ll certainly go through with it.
Once you lay Songbird down on the platform, you’ll continue talking to Reed:
All “Holster Weapon” options that appear will cause you to give up Songbird. We discuss what happens if you select this type of response in the next section of our guide.
The “Draw Weapon” options will cause you to aim at Reed. You’ll only have a few seconds to shoot and kill him.
Other responses will simply prolong the tense standoff. Reed will then give you three seconds to surrender, and you really have no choice but to finish him off.
With Reed dead, you can pick up Songbird again so you can take her to the shuttle. V and Johnny will watch as the shuttle takes off, presumably so Songbird can be cured of the Blackwall’s corruption. You may also grab Reed’s iconic weapon, the Pariah, next to his corpse.
V will not find a cure if you pick this particular arc. Instead, you’ll simply return to Night City, and the only ending options that remain are those from the base game (i.e. Nocturne Op55N1 and meeting Hanako Arasaka onward). As an aside, we also completed one particular final mission from the base game. There were no new post-credits scenes (i.e. Songbird did not call V to have a chat).
Gallery
Left: A final confrontation with Solomon Reed; Right: Watching the shuttle take off with Songbird in tow.
What happens if you give up Songbird
To get this Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty ending, you’ll have to surrender Songbird to Reed. There are a couple of ways to do this:
While in the train car, choose to call Reed. Then, give up Songbird once he emerges from the shuttle.
You can also pick up Songbird. Then, during the standoff, keep talking to Reed.
Make sure you pick this option when you see it: [Holster weapon] “All yours, but you’ll help me live on.”
Reed will carry Songbird to the NUSA transport craft that’s waiting nearby, and you can tell him to keep his end of the bargain. This unlocks a new ending for the Cyberpunk 2077 main campaign. That means you’ll no longer need to go through all the tasks related to Nocturne Op55N1 and Arasaka HQ.
Reed captures Songbird.
Finale #2: Somewhat Damaged – Songbird’s capture
If you help Reed capture Songbird in Firestarter, you’ll get an entirely different finale. It involves the following missions:
Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos – You’ll have to take out the MaxTac forces that are guarding Songbird.
At the end of Somewhat Damaged, you’ll enter the core where Songbird is hiding. She’s in a weakened state, and she wants you to finish her off. You’re given a couple of choices:
Kill Songbird
Spare Songbird – The options will appear in the next dialogue prompt if you don’t kill Songbird immediately.
You can kill or spare So Mi.
What happens if you spare Songbird
This leads to a mission called Leave in Silence, where you and Reed drive her back to NUSA’s border. Here’s what happens next:
President Myers will appear and give you a medal. We’re not sure if taking the oath early in the campaign is required for this, but she does make a reference to it.
Reply to Myers with: “What now? What about the help I was promised?”
Talk to Reed and watch as Songbird is airlifted. He’ll promise to contact you later.
Songbird, weakened but alive, will be airlifted to safety.
What happens if you kill Songbird
The same scenes from Leave in Silence will play out. There are, however, a few key differences:
Reed is saddened by Songbird’s death.
Myers will renege on her promise to find a cure for V since your mission was to bring Songbird alive.
Reed is distraught since he was unable to rescue Songbird.
The conclusion: New point of no return
Next up, you’re asked to wait for a few days until Reed calls you to talk about a cure. This is somewhat vague, as there’s no definite time frame. In our case, we had to skip several days in-game until we received a call from Reed. Once he does call you, meet him at the designated location:
If you helped Songbird in Firestarter, you must surrender her to Reed in The Killing Moon – You’ll get a mission Through Pain to Heaven. You’ll meet up with Reed at a gas station. Chat with him and he’ll drive off. He does promise that NUSA’s scientists are trying to get everything set up for your operation.
If you helped Reed capture Songbird in Firestarter, you must spare her in Somewhat Damaged – You’ll get a mission called Four Score and Seven. Reed will wait for you in the basketball court in Dogtown. Similar to the above, he also says that NUSA’s scientists are prepping for your cure.
Either of these two branches will lead to another quest called Who Wants to Live Forever. You’ll then need to go to the rooftop of Misty’s Esoterica, which is marked on your map. Those who’ve played the base game will remember this as the spot where V decided on how to attack Arasaka HQ.
Important: This area acts as a point of no return. You’re free to continue exploring the rest of Night City. But once you call Reed, a NUSA transport will show up and you’ll be taken to a hospital, which leads to the new ending.
Same rooftop; new point of no return.
New ending: Things Done Changed
This new ending for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is somewhat bittersweet. Here’s a quick summary:
V has been cured. No more Soulkiller; no more Johnny Silverhand.
Sadly, V’s cyberware implants have also been removed. Any attempt to use a combat implant can lead to their death. Solomon Reed does offer you a job in his office, which your character declines.
Worse, the operation caused V to fall into a coma for two years. The moment you wake up, you’ll be able to call your old companions. It seems that a lot of things have happened since you’ve been gone:
Judy – We played a FemV in our campaign, and we romanced Judy. Given that two years have passed, the relationship between the two has ended, and Judy is already married to someone else.
Panam – Panam’s not answering her phone. In a post-credits scene, Mitch tells you that your disappearance “broke” her, and that you should stop contacting her for good.
Kerry – Kerry’s touring Europe now, and he’s got no time for you.
River – Due to certain mishaps, River committed a few crimes and got on the bad side of some dangerous people.
Viktor – It seems that your Ripperdoc buddy has a plan…
Best girl Judy got married.
Epilogue: Returning to Night City
This leads to an epilogue where V returns to Night City. You’ll meet up with a couple of peeps here:
Viktor – He attempts to run diagnostics, only to realize that there’s really no way to reverse what happened to V’s neural link.
Misty – You run into a badass-looking Misty, and she offers some advice.
Long story short: V, the legendary mercenary, is alive and well. Unfortunately, since they can’t use most cybernetic implants, they can no longer engage in any combat-oriented role. They’re now a regular person, a face in the crowd.
This Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty ending also has a few post-credits scenes involving other characters. As mentioned earlier, Mitch doesn’t want you to contact Panam again. Rogue, meanwhile, says that you’re always welcome in the Afterlife bar, but she also doesn’t want you to tarnish your legend. Takemura also tells you about how he and Hanako attempted to overthrow Yorinobu Arasaka. Without V’s help, this ended in failure–Hanako was killed, and Takemura was falsely accused of her murder. Lastly, Reed tells you that Songbird is alive, but he hasn’t heard from her in a long while. It seems that he regrets his actions.
Gallery
Viktor (left) and Misty (right) can only offer advice as V starts a new life.
That’s everything you need to know about the endings in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. Was this a satisfying conclusion to V’s arc, or could things have been better? You be the judge.
There’s more in store for V as you check out the district of Dogtown in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our guides hub.
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Frenetic and high-flying ‘90s rock emblem Mauricio Aznar trades his position as enigmatic frontman of Zaragoza’s Más Birras for a journey towards the soul of his craft in Spanish writer-director Javier Macipe’s highly-anticipated second feature, “The Blue Star” (“La Estrella Azul”) saw its world premiere in the New Directors strand of the San Sebastian Film Festival on Monday.
Macipe’s (“Los inconvenientes de no ser dios”) short efforts, 2014 release “Children of the River” and 2019’s “Gastos incluídos,” earned Spanish Academy Goya nominations, placing him among Variety’s 10 Spanish talents to track in 2021.
“The Blue Star,” filmed in Spain’s Zaragoza and Argentina’s Santiago de Estero and Cerro Colorado, Córdoba, poetically delves into Aznar’s introspective journey to Northern Argentina, where music isn’t a mere hobby but resides in the veins, flowing effortlessly alongside lifeblood to enrich the community.
After an encounter with an aging musician – the two, worlds apart in circumstance and style – a serendipitous exchange grows as he transitions from humble observer to ebullient participant.
The film continues as Aznar travels back to Spain, ever-changed by his experience and carrying an irreconcilable longing that leaves him tethered to the memory.
An ambitious co-production, “The Blue Star,” is backed by indie shingle MOD Producciones, Alejandro Amenábar’s regular producer, and fast-growing Latin American studio Cimarrón Cine (“The Ravaging Wind”) in tandem with El Pez Amarillo. Barcelona’s La Charito Films and Argentina’s Prisma co-produce.
International sales are handled by Film Factory Ent. (“Wild Tales”) while Wanda Vision will distribute in Spanish theaters. The cast is led by Pepe Lorente (“El Espirante”) alongside Argentine musician Cuti Carabajal, who plays his brother Carlos, and rounded out by Bruna Cusí (“Fácil”), Marc Rodriguez (“Spleen”), Mariela Carabajal, Noelia Verenice Díaz and Catalina Sopelana.
Ahead of the film’s debut, Macipe spoke with Variety about Aznar’s legacy, the challenges of production and the warm-hearted nature of the Argentine countryside.
What was it about Mauricio Aznar that prompted you to turn his story into a film?
Great stories have to be told sooner or later. By fate, Mauricio’s mother and I crossed paths 18 years ago and she gave me the idea of making a film about her son, who’d just died. Mauricio was a kind of John Lennon, a “Sugarman.” He died young but was an old soul, he’d known the deep pain of his countrymen and renounced fame to be faithful to his mission. For me, that’s what it means to be a true artist. And, as an artist, what better theme could there be for a movie?
Can you speak to the ambitious filming process between Spain and Argentina?
It’s an ambitious film because there are many scenes of massive concerts. I wanted everything to be recorded live, with a real audience. We started filming in 2020 and had to stop on the third day of filming due to the pandemic.
Since then, everything’s been extended with the outbreaks of the virus, fights against financial problems, inflation in Argentina, technicians who got off the boat, even deaths of key people on the team. The only way to summarize it? It’s been a very hard process, full of resistance, which has been sustained because we had a very deep motivation from the heart and many friends supporting us.
When did you know the lead role would go to Pepe Lorente?
There was a casting exercise and after a meditation I asked the actor, with his eyes closed, without thinking, to let Mauricio speak through him, as if he were a medium. I really heard Mauricio.
It’s almost impossible to explain and it was difficult for me to convince the producers that he was the right person, because everything was based on a somewhat ethereal feeling. Seeing the result, everyone thinks we got it right.
There’s a warmth, curiosity and a feeling of being welcomed in Argentina that just doesn’t exist elsewhere in the same capacity. Can you speak to incorporating that into the film and how the entire experience had an impact on Mauricio and your crew during filming?
10 years ago, I made my first trip to Argentina, repeating Mauricio’s trip. I’d booked hotels, but I ended up sleeping alone in musicians’ houses. Argentina, and even more so Santiago de Estero, is a land accustomed to perpetual crises. It’s common to find that brother willing to offer you everything he has and open his house to you. Shared poverty can be transformed into joy.
The team never stopped getting excited about this every day and several people have told me that this trip has been the most transformative of their lives. Mauricio learned this and opened his house to everyone.
Like keeping up with all the celebrity hair changes of 2023? You’re in the right place. We get it: It seems like A-listers dye their hair a new shade every other day. One day your favorite actor has a bob. The next they don’t! It’s exhausting. If you can relate, we have good news: We’ve taken it upon ourselves to round up every glam transformation of the year, which means you no longer have to moonlight as beauty detective to follow along with your faves.
From Cardi B and Emily Ratajkowski’s bright red dye jobs to Megan Fox and Jana Pinkett-Smith’s hot takes on pink, keep scrolling to see the best celebrity hair changes of 2023. You might want to bookmark this page and check back in throughout the year too. It’s research, after all.
Ahead, the biggest celebrity hair changes of 2023. Get ready to screenshot.
Chevy Chase has added a new wrinkle to his dishonorable discharge from Community in 2012. As it turns out, he never really thought the show was that funny to begin with.
Gillian Jacobs on “Transatlantic,” “Community,” and “Invincible”
Finally given the opportunity to tell the world who his guys were, Chase appeared on Marc Maron’s long-running podcast, WTF, today. Leaning on his 50 years of showbiz ups and downs, Chase discussed the things he liked and the many things he disliked in Hollywood. Chase is who he is. Eventually, the conversation turned to his most notable set confrontation of the last two decades: his firing from Community.
By the time Maron brings up Dan Harmon’s beloved cult series about an hour into the podcast, Chase seems surprised to hear the title at all. The former Fletch had just finished talking about how much he loves his life, which consists primarily of spending time with his wife and kids, when Maron brings up Community being a “big deal”—again, to Chase’s surprise. “I kind of forget about that,” Chase said of being asked to be on the show. “They wanted me, so I said ‘yes.’”
Chase lasted 83 episodes on the sitcom before creator Dan Harmon fired him for using the N-word on set. The actor sarcastically asked aloud if his character would start using racist epithets. For Chase, though, the show could have been better to begin with.
“I honestly felt the show wasn’t funny enough for me, ultimately. I felt a little bit constrained,” Chase told Maron. “Everybody had their bits, and I thought they were all good, but it just wasn’t hard-hitting enough for me.”
“I didn’t mind the character. I just felt that it was—I felt happier being alone. I just didn’t want to be surrounded by that table, every day, with those people. It was too much.”
Despite the Harmon-Chase feud making its way into the discourse occasionally, Chase says he’s “okay” with Harmon but has not seen him since 2012. “I have no idea if we’re okay,” he said. “I’ve never been not okay. He’s kind of a pisser.”
Spoiler alert! This story contains spoilers for The Voice’s Season 24 premiere that aired September 25.
There’s a new sheriff in town, now that Blake Shelton has officially retired from The Voice, but while Reba McEntire rode in on a horse, she quickly upgraded her status from cowgirl to queen, as she made her debut on Season 24, complete with crown and scepter. That doesn’t mean Shelton was merely a memory, however, as the coaches — and especially Gwen Stefani — spent much of the first night of Blind Auditions taking note of his absence.
It was obvious from the get-go that Blake Shelton may be gone, but he’s definitely not forgotten after serving on the coaches’ panel for the first 23 seasons. After Carson Daly welcomed Reba McEntire to the stage officially for the first time, he presented her with a large pair of scissors to perform a ribbon-cutting on her Big Red Chair, of course, joking that it had been cleaned since the cowboy had vacated it.
That set the tone for the first sans-cowboy episode. Despite the first artist turning attention to Reba McEntire with a rousing rendition of “Fancy,” both Niall Horan and Gwen Stefani channeled Blake Shelton while trying to attract Jordan Rainer to their teams. The No Doubt singer said she’d get song recommendations from her husband, but the One Directioner really upped the ante by rigging his button to where every time he pressed it, Shelton’s voice boomed out something complimentary about him.
Niall Horan would strike again later, trying to win another Four-Chair Turn by hitting his button to feature a large foam finger that read, “Pick Niall,” with Blake Shelton’s name crossed out. Other mentions of the former Voice coach included:
Gwen saying Blake texted her to say Niall is a liar.
Gwen saying Blake was so mad that he wasn’t there with the rest of the coaches.
Reba joking that this season she’ll be bashful unlike Blake, while Gwen said her husband called her the new star of the show, and John Legend hoped that Reba could class up the chair or — Niall added — at least change the cushion.
Gwen noting how much Blake would have loved Sam Dearie’s audition singing Patsy Cline.
Gwen reminding everyone, “I’m married to Blake Shelton,” as she tried to win Jackson Snelling to her team.
Gwen admitting that she rode Blake’s coattails to two No. 1 country singles (and doing his signature finger point) when trying to win Kristen Brown.
So not surprisingly, Blake Shelton remained the focus of The Voice, despite not being on it anymore, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t get a taste of what Reba McEntire will bring as Shelton’s replacement. She was, after all, able to secure Four-Chair Turn Jordan Rainer, who bravely took on the country queen’s biggest hit to kick off the season, which you can see below:
All in all, The Voice seemed a little tamer without Blake Shelton — and his frequent sparring buddy Kelly Clarkson. Nobody blocked anybody from any of the artists (did The Voice finally get rid of the Blocks?), there was less passion in the bickering, and the only stunts pulled by any of the artists were Niall Horan’s recycled moves from Shelton. I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing, if it means putting more attention back on the artists.
Blake Shelton’s absence might take some getting used to, but if Gwen Stefani has anything to say about it, he won’t ever be far from our thoughts. The Voice continues at 8 p.m. Tuesday, September 26, on NBC.
Making the cut were North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC). Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson did not make the list, even though he was at the first presidential debate last month.
The debate, which starts at 6 p.m. PT, has a higher qualification threshold than the first event. Candidates had to have a minimum of 50,000 unique donors and also reach 3% support in two national polls, or 3% in one national poll and 3% in two polls conducted of early nominating states. Candidates also had to sign a loyalty pledge to support the eventual nominee. That is why Donald Trump, the front runner, was not on the list. He already had said that he would not participate.
Doja Cat is still top cat on the U.K. singles chart, but she’s facing stiff competition.
The U.S. singer, rapper and producer’s hit “Paint the Town Red” (via Ministry of Sound) leads the midweek chart, and is on track for a fourth consecutive week at No. 1.
Victory is not guaranteed.
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Based on sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, Kenya Grace’s “Stranger” (FFRR) is close behind, lifting 3-2, ahead of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” (Geffen), down 2-3.
Born in South Africa, based in Britain, Grace’s breakthrough drum ‘n’ bass leaning number is her first through a major label. And she’s posing a real challenge to the leadership, blasting 20-2 in less than a month.
Further down the chart blast, another track from Doja Cat’s fourth and latest album, Scarlet, is set to enter the top 40; “Agora Hills” is forecast to arrive at No. 35.
English singer and songwriter Tom Odell could have the week’s highest new entry with “Black Friday” (Urok). It’s new at No. 17 on the Official Chart Update, for what should be his fourth U.K. top 40 (Odell has a U.K. No. 1 album to his name, with his 2013 debut Long Way Down).
U.S. pop-punk heroes Blink-182 are back, and they’re heading for a highest-charting single in two decades. The title track from the trio’s forthcoming ninth studio album is set to start at No. 21 on the chart, based on midweek data. ONE MORE TIME (via Columbia) is due out on Oct. 20 via Columbia Records, and sees the classic lineup reunite with singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge for the first time since 2011.
“One More Time” should be the trio’s 12th U.K. top 40 single, and best performer since “I Miss You” hit No. 8 back in 2004.
Also, new singles from Nines (“Daily Duppy” featuring GRM Daily at No. 25 via Zino) and a hip-hop team-up of Headie One, K-Trap and Clavish (“Triple Threat” at No. 31 via One Thousand8) are eyeing top frame berths.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published late Friday, Sept. 29.
TikTok’s ambition to expand in online shopping is facing a major blow from new rules in Indonesia that are set to curb its operations in its biggest e-commerce market.
Indonesia is prohibiting social media companies from facilitating direct e-commerce payments on their platforms, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan said Monday. The move, directed at ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok, means companies will only be able to advertise products but not conduct direct transactions.
The rule is part of newly tightened trade regulations that could be introduced as soon as Tuesday by the Ministry of Trade. The policy seeks to keep Indonesia’s 64.2 million micro, small and medium enterprises that contribute 61% of its gross domestic product from being squeezed out by social commerce companies. Currently, TikTok is the only social media company that allows direct e-commerce transactions on its platform.
Indonesia is the first and biggest market for TikTok Shop, and online shopping has become the app’s fastest-growing feature with a burgeoning fan base in the country. TikTok is betting on Indonesia as a blueprint to expand into other online-shopping markets, including the US.
With the new rule, Indonesia will be the first among countries in Southeast Asia to push back against TikTok.
Navigating this conflict with Indonesia will be pivotal for the company as governments across the world assess how Southeast Asia’s largest nation moves to curb the social media giant’s burgeoning e-commerce presence, just months after the firm said it will invest billions of dollars into the region. TikTok is already facing possible bans and scrutiny in the likes of the US, Europe and India on national security concerns.
TikTok has pushed back against the proposed policy. It argues that separating social media and e-commerce into different platforms not only hampers innovation but also disadvantages millions of its Indonesian merchants and consumers. The company says some of them rely on its platform to make a living.
“Social commerce was born to solve a real world problem for local traditional small sellers, by matching them with local creators who can help drive traffic to their online shops,” a TikTok Indonesia spokesperson said in a statement. “While we respect local laws and regulations, we hope that the regulations take into account its impact on the livelihoods of more than 6 million sellers and close to 7 million affiliate creators who use TikTok Shop.”
Traditional online retailers, meanwhile, would benefit from restrictions on TikTok Shop. Shares of Sea Ltd., whose Shopee unit is an online-shopping leader in Indonesia, surged 12% in New York trading Monday. GoTo Group, parent of online retailer Tokopedia, advanced as much as 5.8% in early Jakarta trading.
What Bloomberg Intelligence Says
TikTok’s possible split of e-commerce and social media operations in Indonesia could impede further conversion of its 125 million local monthly active users (MAU) into shoppers, benefiting Sea’s Shopee, which, like TikTok Shop, relies on beauty and personal care for most of its domestic sales. GoTo’s Tokopedia, which had 34 million MAU in August vs. Shopee’s 138 million and Alibaba-owned Lazada’s 37 million, should be better able to defend its GMV share in Indonesia, which drove 90% of the group’s 2022 sales. —Nathan Naidu, analyst
“They are now on speaking terms. Things are better,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly, noting that the exes “didn’t want it to get ugly for the kids’ sake.”
While the pair — who share sons Cayden, 16, and Hayes, 14, and daughter Grace, 12 — may be keeping it civil, that doesn’t mean they plan on rekindling their romance. “There won’t be a reconciliation. They’re moving on,” the insider says.
Costner, 68, is just “thrilled that the negotiations are over,” the source continues. “At the end of the day, Christine is the mother to his children and he didn’t want to fight anymore.” (Costner also shares daughters Annie, 39, and Lily, 36, and son Joe, 35, with ex-wife Cindy Silva and son Liam, 27, with ex Bridget Rooney.)
Second chances! Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner may have met in the ’90s, but it took the couple years before their connection blossomed into something more. The actor was previously married to Cindy Silva from 1978 to 1994. Over the course of his first marriage, Costner and Silva welcomed daughter Lily (born in August 1986), […]
Baumgartner, 49, and Costner finalized their divorce on Tuesday, September 19, following a messy four-month legal battle. The twosome have been at odds over child support and the terms of their prenuptial agreement.
Despite the final child support amount being significantly lower than Baumgartner’s initial request, the source tells Us that she “and the kids will be taken care of” by Costner “in their accustomed standard of living for life,” adding that the Yellowstone actor “doesn’t want them to want for anything.”
According to the insider, Costner will “always love” Baumgartner and it was “important to him that she and the kids [were] taken care of” even if they are at odds.
A multi-hyphenate! Kevin Costner has been in show business since the 1980s, wearing many hats — including actor, producer, director and musician. The Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves star — who won the Oscar for Best Directing in 1991 for his film Dances With Wolves — has said that he doesn’t find it difficult to […]
Costner previously spoke out about the challenging nature of the divorce following his and Baumgartner’s September hearing. “This is a horrible place to be, but this is where we’re at,” he told Access Hollywood at the time. “It feels so bad and we’re talking about somebody I love on the other side, I just can’t.”
“Kevin knows Christine is far from done,” a second insider exclusively told Us earlier this month. “He’s relieved that step one has [gone his way] … but Christine is sure as hell not giving up on the overall war.”
Baumgartner initially filed for separation in May after 19 years of marriage. Costner reacted to the divorce filing at the time, saying in a statement via his rep, “It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action. We ask that his, Christine’s, and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time.”
Kevin Costner’s divorce from estranged wife Christine Baumgartner got off to a messy start — and lasted four months before they finalized their legal battle in September 2023.. Us Weekly confirmed in May 2023 that Baumgartner had filed for divorce from the Oscar winner after 19 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. Costner met Baumgartner […]
Later that month, a third source exclusively revealed to Us that the divorce was Costner’s “worst nightmare” and he was entirely “blindsided” by the split.
“Everyone thought Kevin and his wife were super happy,” the insider said. “So it’s all surprised. He truly loves her.”
For more than two decades, workers at a factory in Perrysburg, Ohio, near Toledo, have been making something that other businesses stopped producing in the United States long ago: solar panels.
How the company that owns the factory, First Solar, managed to hang on when most solar panel manufacturing left the United States for China is critical to understanding the viability of President Biden’s efforts to establish a large domestic green energy industry.
Mr. Biden and Democrats in Congress last year authorized hundreds of billions of dollars in federal incentives for manufacturing solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, electric cars and semiconductors. The efforts amount to one of the most expansive uses of industrial policy ever attempted in the United States.
As a result, many companies, including First Solar, have announced the construction of dozens of factories, in total, around the country. But nobody is entirely sure whether these investments will be durable, especially in businesses, like battery or solar panel manufacturing, where China’s domination is deep and strong. Chinese manufacturers enjoy lower labor costs, economies of scale and incentives from a government eager to control industries critical to fighting climate change.
First Solar survived the shift of most manufacturing to China in part because its panels do not use polysilicon, a material found in most panels and now made almost entirely in China. But it has not been an easy ride, and the company has struggled at times, especially after the 2008 financial crisis.
“They’re sort of a unicorn,” said Michael Heben, director of the Wright Center for Photovoltaics and Innovation at the University of Toledo, who has worked with First Solar. “It’s been a rocky history. The revenues have been pretty lumpy.”
Some analysts warn that efforts to make solar panels in the United States are misguided. Even in the best of times, the business yields modest profits and does not employ a lot of people. It would be better to import panels from low-cost producers to quickly shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy, said Jenny Chase, a solar analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
“Solar panels would have been cheaper,” Ms. Chase said, if policymakers did not insist on domestic manufacturing. “In the United States, even with the manufacturing boom, it will still be expensive.”
But many lawmakers and corporate executives insist that the United States should make solar panels. They contend that it would be unwise for the country and allies like the European Union and Japan to remain dependent on China for such an important technology. Supply chain chaos during the pandemic, and the growing economic hostility between Beijing and Washington, highlighted the huge risks.
One thing is certain: The world will need many more solar panels to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. The capacity of solar power installed worldwide needs to be at least 20 times as big as today and possibly as much as 70 times, energy experts said.
“We are going to need very large amounts of photovoltaics around the world,” said Nancy Haegel, director of the National Center for Photovoltaics at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “While it’s a very ambitious goal, it is also achievable given the growth of photovoltaics in recent years.”
First Solar’s chief executive, Mark Widmar, said he was confident that his company and others could quickly expand U.S. production. The company, which is based in Tempe, Ariz., is building its fifth U.S. factory in Louisiana. It is already expanding in Ohio, where it has three plants, and building one in Alabama. It also has factories in Vietnam and Malaysia and is working on one in India.
“It’s daunting,” Mr. Widmar said at the Perrysburg factory when describing the company’s plans. “It’s really a David versus Goliath.”
Mr. Widmar, 58, who grew up in a working-class family in South Bend, Ind., about two and a half hours from Perrysburg, said he was motived by a desire to create U.S. jobs and extend America’s lead in technology.
He was the first in his family to attend college — his father worked in a mailroom, and his mother was a secretary — earning degrees in accounting and finance from Indiana University.
Soon after becoming chief executive five years ago, Mr. Widmar said, he pushed his engineers to roll out a new generation of solar panels that would generate more energy at a lower cost per watt. The move was risky because it required removal of old equipment and a big investment in new machinery, a switch that sharply reduced production in 2018.
“I said, ‘Let’s leapfrog,’” Mr. Widmar said. “A lot of C.E.O.s wouldn’t have made that decision. I knew we had to grow.”
First Solar began in 1990 as Solar Cells, founded by Harold McMaster, an inventor and businessman who was a pioneer in producing tempered glass, which is used in skyscrapers and solar panels.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the solar panel business was growing fast in the United States, Europe and Japan. But like many boom industries, it soon hit hard times, and many companies, including Solyndra, which the Energy Department backed during the Obama administration, shut down.
At the same time, the Chinese government and Chinese companies doubled down on the technology. They greatly expanded panel manufacturing, helping to drive down costs sharply.
First Solar, which benefited from investments by Walmart’s founding Walton family, survived in part by quickly scrapping plans to expand production. That saved the company from having to sell panels at a steep loss, according to a case study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
It also helped that First Solar’s panels were different from most Chinese panels. Instead of silicon, the company used a proprietary thin film of cadmium telluride.
One thing that helped sustain First Solar was strong growth in Europe, where many countries, particularly Germany, offered generous subsidies to encourage the use of solar power.
Yet First Solar has not been immune to the industry’s ups-and-downs. The company lost more than $100 million in 2019 before earning about $400 million each in 2020 and 2021. Last year, it lost $44 million, which the company attributed to the volatile cost of freight and shipping.
Mr. Widmar said the Inflation Reduction Act, Mr. Biden’s signature climate law, set the stage for a growing domestic solar manufacturing industry. But he worries that the law could become “a political football” — a real threat given that some Republican lawmakers have sought to repeal all or parts of the legislation.
He also said the United States must protect domestic producers from what he described as unfair Chinese competition. “If we are to have a diverse, competitive and sustainable solar manufacturing industry, China’s anticompetitive behavior must be addressed,” he said.
One of First Solar’s advantages, Mr. Widmar said, is that it is not as exposed to the use of forced labor, which human rights groups and U.S. government officials say is common in China’s western Xinjiang region.
In August, First Solar revealed that it had uncovered the use of forced labor by subcontractors at its plant in Malaysia. The subcontractors had forced immigrant workers to pay fees to get jobs and had withheld wages and passports. Mr. Widmar said he was determined to publicize the findings, compensate the workers and get the subcontractors to return their passports.
“I’m an auditor by nature,” Mr. Widmar said. “I’ve always felt in order to sleep at night you always have to do what’s right.”
Human rights activists worry that as manufacturers ramp up solar panel production, forced labor, sometimes referred to as “modern slavery,” will become more common. Walk Free, a human rights group based in Australia, estimates that 50 million people around the world lived under forced-labor conditions in 2021, about 10 million more than in 2016.
Michael Carr, executive director of the Solar Energy Manufacturers for America, a trade group, said more domestic manufacturers like First Solar were needed to ensure that the United States had a secure supply of panels untainted by forced labor.
“The module manufacturing in the United States is starting to happen,” Mr. Carr said. But, he added, “our international competitors have built up a really sizable lead.”
Former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson appeared on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” to discuss her upcoming book “Enough,” which details among other things what she witnessed working for Trump during the period culminating in his attempt to overturn the government on Jan. 6, 2021.
Hutchinson has of course revealed many shocking details about Trump and his various associates in the book, which are still coming to light in advance of the book’s Sept. 26 launch. Among them, she accused Florida congressman Matt Gaetz of groping her on two occasions.
In a statement given to Maddow, Gaetz denied the accusations, claiming instead that he used to date Hutchinson — while also accusing her of lying about what she witnessed on Jan. 6.
“I don’t remember either of these events and based on Cassidy’s prior false statements, I doubt they occurred. I did date Cassidy for a few weeks when we were both single years ago. We parted amicably and remained friends thereafter, even during President Trump’s post presidency when she asked me to help her secure housing in south Florida because she was eager to continue working for President Trump,” Gaetz said.
Asked about this by Maddow, Hutchinson didn’t address the claim that she “was eager to continue working” for Trump even after Jan. 6 and had asked Gaetz for help finding a residence near him. But she did shoot down his claim that they dated.
“Matt Gaetz, in my opinion, is somebody that I personally do not hold in high regard in terms of trust. And I do not think that Matt Gaetz has the best track record for relationships and condoning his relationships, how he thinks that they might be defined,” Hutchinson said. “I will say, on behalf of myself, I never dated Matt Gaetz. I have much higher standards in men. And Matt, frankly, is a very unserious politician. We see that today with the ruckus that he is causing on Capitol Hill with the spending negotiations. I don’t really have much else to say to somebody that is more concerned about a sound bite than actually passing legislation.”
In a move that many people may describe as provocative, the Göteborg Film Festival has set Ingmar Bergman’s landmark arthouse drama Persona for an AI-assisted restoration.
The Swedish festival has teamed with SF Studios, Gothenburg Film Studios, and The Ingmar Bergman Foundation to produce an AI-generated version of Persona, with Liv Ullmann replaced by Alma Pöysti (Fallen Leaves).
Ullmann famously plays Elisabet Vogler in the pic, and with new AI technology, her face will be digitally replaced by Pöysti’s. Göteborg described the project as a “cinematic experiment,” giving the new film the title Another Persona.
Once completed, the cinematic experiment will screen exclusively at the 2024 Göteborg Film Festival, with Liv Ullmann and Alma Pöysti in attendance. It will not be screened to an audience again. The screening will be followed by a discussion on acting and technology.
“The discussion about acting, masks, and authenticity that has made Persona a classic has been urgently reactivated by technological advancements. Not least, the strike in Hollywood has sparked an important debate on production possibilities and labor-market threats in relation to AI,” said Jonas Holmberg, outgoing Göteborg Film Festival Artistic Director.
“We want to add an artistic and existential dimension to the discussion, and we want to do it by engaging with Ingmar Bergman’s incomparable film. Another Persona will be a uniquely thought-provoking and quite unsettling cinematic experience.”
Jan Holmberg, Ingmar Bergman Foundation CEO, added: “As administers of Bergman’s artistry, we at The Ingmar Bergman Foundation and SF Studios think that Another Persona is a brilliant project. ‘Every intonation is a lie, every gesture a forgery,’ it is said in Bergman’s 1966 film. This becomes even more true now! In a time when we outsource ourselves to machines and at the same time seek our authentic selves.”
Pöysti is perhaps best known internationally for her leading role in Aki Kaurismäki’s latest Cannes competition title Fallen Leaves. She won the Dragon Award for Best Acting for her role in Four Little Adults at the last Göteborg Film Festival.
Another Persona will serve at the center of the festival’s focus sidebar, Another Intelligence, based on the rapid progression of AI.
Ek Niranjan, opposite Prabhas, ended up as Kangana’s first and last Telugu project.
During an event in Hyderabad, Kangana Ranaut opened up on Prabhas and how she would like to meet him again, after a decade or so.
Kangana Ranaut is currently promoting her new Tamil movie, Chandramukhi 2. She was recently in Hyderabad with the film’s team. During a chat with the media about the movie, someone asked her if she’d work with Prabhas again, who she acted with in the Telugu film Ek Niranjan in 2009.
Talking about working with the Adipurush star again, Kangana, as quoted by Indian Express, said, “Of course, I would. I am so happy for his success. You know how he has been so incredibly successful as a pan-Indian star. We were both very young when we did that film (Ek Niranjan). I remember he was such a great host and treated us to such great food at his farmhouse. We were very young and used to be very chilled out. I remember we used to tease each other a lot. I would like to meet him for sure. I think it has been a decade or something like that. It would be so refreshing to see him.”
Ek Niranjan, a film centered around a bounty hunter, achieved commercial success despite receiving mixed reviews. Surprisingly, it marked Kangana’s debut and farewell to the Telugu film industry.
In Chandramukhi 2, Kangana Ranaut takes on the lead role alongside Raghava Lawrence. Directed by P Vasu, this sequel to Rajinikanth’s 2005 movie Chandramukhi is set to hit theaters on September 28th.
Last week, on September 20, the actress took to her Instagram handle and dropped a new teaser of the film. In the video, Kangana was seen dressed in her Chandramukhi avatar. She sported a red saree with heavy traditional jewellery.
In the caption of her post, Kangana expressed excitement for the film and wrote, “Just 8 more days to go! We’re excited to present you this horror-comedy packed with drama, emotions and non-stop entertainment!” Check it out here:
Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, music and fashion, she…Read More
Hollywood breathed a collective sigh of relief Sunday night when the Writers Guild of America and the major studios announced a tentative deal for a new contract.
The nearly five-month strike — among the longest in the union’s history — secured what the guild described as significant wins for writers, but also had a devastating effect on the livelihoods of thousands of cast and crew who’ve been out of work for months.
“We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,” WGA’s negotiating committee wrote in a memo to members on Sunday night. The union did not release deal points, but the proposed contract is said to include bonuses tied to the success of high-budget subscription streaming programs and address the guild’s deep concerns around artificial intelligence, among other topics.
But optimism and elation surrounding the agreement, which came after 146 days of picketing, has also been tempered with a sobering recognition that Hollywood’s return to work won’t be immediate or easy.
The Sunday pact is but one of several pieces in a complicated puzzle that must be completed before writers, actors and crew members can get back on the job, even once the strike officially ends and the WGA contract is ratified by the union’s 11,500 film and TV writers.
The union’s negotiating committee is expected to recommend that the union’s board approve the contract as early as Tuesday, before it is sent to members for a vote. WGA members will be able to return to work before the ratification vote, but they must first wait for the guild’s authorization.
Indeed, it may be weeks or even months before production activity returns to anywhere close to the levels that existed before the work stoppage began on May 2. Late-night shows and talk shows are expected to be the first to go back to production.
“It’s one of those things that doesn’t happen just overnight,” said Todd Holmes, associate professor of entertainment media management at Cal State Northridge. “There’s gonna be a ramp-up time to get the writers back to work and to get productions moving again.”
Chief among the remaining hurdles: studios must now find a way to settle their differences with SAG-AFTRA, whose members have been on strike since mid-July.
The WGA deal could provide a template for the actors guild, which has raised similar concerns about artificial intelligence and compensation for successful streaming shows.
But it may not be a quick negotiation. While demands by SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are broadly similar, there are differences. AI, for example, could prove to be an even thornier issue for actors than for writers, because the technology to digitally reproduce a person’s voice and likeness already exists and is advancing rapidly in ways that present immediate threats to performers’ jobs.
SAG-AFTRA said on Sunday it looked forward to reviewing the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ agreement and remains “committed to achieving the necessary terms for our members.”
“We remain on strike in our TV/Theatrical contract and continue to urge the studio and streamer CEOs and the AMPTP to return to the table and make the fair deal that our members deserve and demand,” SAG-AFTRA said.
Some writers, for their part, have pledged to join their actor counterparts on picket lines, as a show of gratitude to SAG-AFTRA members who supported the WGA through its long negotiation process. The actors union and the AMPTP have not held formal meetings since the actors’ strike began.
“The entire business model has been changed by streaming, digital, AI,” said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher in a speech in July. “This is a moment of history that is a moment of truth. If we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble. We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines.”
AMPTP said in a statement in July that it had agreed to establish a “comprehensive set of provisions” that addressed those concerns. But, signaling possible tensions ahead, SAG-AFTRA has said the studios’ proposals don’t go far enough.
Holmes estimates that productions would restart and Hollywood crew members could return to work in November, assuming the actors and studios resume negotiations soon.
On top of resolving the actors’ dispute, there are also logistical issues to consider when returning to production. Those challenges include the scheduling and availability of soundstages and staffing up the backlog of productions that were paused or canceled, similar to when the industry tried to come back from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It will take a couple months to get closer to full-force production,” said Scott Purdy, U.S. national media industry leader for audit, tax and advisory services firm KPMG. “Think of it like the auto industry — they go on strike and there’s six months’ worth of vehicles that aren’t produced. You can’t all of a sudden produce all six months’ worth of vehicles in three weeks.”
The dual Hollywood strikes are estimated to have an economic impact in California of about $5 billion, Holmes said. Thousands of workers, including Hollywood crew members, have been out of work due to production shutdowns and small businesses including prop houses and talent representation firms have also suffered.
The long duration of the strikes has hurt Hollywood workers, some of whom have struggled to make ends meet and have left the state in order to survive. While Holmes thinks most workers will return when productions restart, he said, “unfortunately, there will be some people that will not be coming back to the industry.”
Staff writer Meg James contributed to this report.
They say that revenge is a dish best served cold, and given Oswald Cobblepot’s propensity for the cold… he should be a master chef. The Penguin #1 gives us the explanation of what life looks like through the eyes of a Penguin living the good life in Metropolis. A happily married business-owner, of a flower shop at that, and life looks good, by all merits. But it is clear that below the surface still lies a man who all should fear, a ticking bomb of malice waiting for the right individual to lose his merciful ways. Agent Espinoza is dedicated to earning that title.
She Broke It All
There is so much to unload with The Penguin #1 that I will do it in two parts. The comic covers most assuredly deserve their time in the spotlight. There are five covers to choose from with one being a virgin edition of Nathan Szerdy’s variant cover. Being as that is our twofer, let us begin there. Nathan Szerdy gives us an amazing idea brought to life as Harley Quinn is Penguin’s tattoo artist. The “Straight Outta Gotham” tattoo is already great with a detailed scene, but the virgin 1:50 ratio variant adds more tats and details galore. The attention to precise detailing is wonderful and a genuine delight.
There are other covers that definitely stand on their own as well. Legend Brian Bolland brings us a version of Penguin in all his stereotypical glory. It is a wonderful old school feeling cover, where the more you look, the more details you find added to the picture. Even the main cover with art by Stefano Gaudiano and colors by Scorpio Steele is ridiculous fan service material. A full mafioso feeling indeed. David Marquez gives us a great cover featuring Penguin, Catwoman, and Agent Nuri Espinoza. But the last cover by Kael Ngu is my favorite out of a hard selection to narrow down. Kael gives us a luscious scene set specifically to draw the eye. Penguin sitting in an alley where the paper and graffiti proclaim his missing, dead self. The style is so lovely, dark, and gritty, with a cameo by Catwoman and Batman.
Welcome To Blossoms
For The Penguin #1, we dive in quick as Batman and Oswald are trapped, and seemingly debilitated, preventing them from escaping. Batman is struggling to find a way to save them, but seems to quickly be running out of options. Which leads us to how we got here. Starting one year earlier in Metropolis as Cobblepot is doing the task of getting a new suit with his tailor. But known or unknown, he is being watched. A seemingly normal guy having a seemingly normal day, but even as he is put to the test, there is nary a falter. Even his relationship with his wife, Rita, has Mr. Cobb, formally Oswald Cobblepot, looking like the sweetest, most patient individual.
Things move even faster as Mr. Cobb goes to his flower shop, named Blossoms, and finds himself facing not only unruly customers, but also the unforgettable introduction of Agent Espinoza. For better or worse, she most certainly has her target’s full attention. Oh, is the banter delicious. The FBI and Waller want Cobblepot on their retainer and Espinoza is ready to be the one who brings him aboard. But what have they unleashed by messing with the Penguin? What exactly happened to put Batman and Oswald in such a state?
Positives
Tom King has a fan in me for his stellar writing. His deep character dives are always lovely and I appreciate him going to the core of what makes a human being. With The Penguin #1, he does this again, almost instantly, in two scenes — the banter scene between Oswald and Espinoza, which holds that self-awareness of how the world sees him and how much it actually does mean to him, as well as the scene where Penguin leaves the FBI interrogation room and Espinoza is allowed to let the stone wall break and feel the knowledge that by doing the actions she did to GET his attention… he will kill her. Without a doubt, the writing is matched gracefully with Rafael de Latorre’s artwork and Marcelo Maiolo’s color work, which are both outstanding.
Negatives
Please. Read for yourself and tell me where your negatives are.
Verdict
Ready and waiting for the next. The Penguin #1 is definitely a buckle up and bring down the pull bar for safety. Going to be a wicked ride.
To say that Payday 3 has had a rocky launch would be an understatement. The game’s been scrutinized for having some serious performance issues when it comes to its server and online stability. Many players reportedly weren’t able to play the game due to server issues, and the issue only became worse as the game became available through Xbox Game Pass.
In an update on the official Starbreeze website, the team acknowledges the launch issues. The team cites its “third-party matchmaking partner who was incapable of handling the high influx of players, causing “an unrecoverable situation for Starbreeze’s third-party matchmaking partner.”
According to Starbreeze, a new version of the matchmaking software was gradually deployed across every region, which led to better performance. However, things went awry during a software update made on late Sunday, which introduced instability to the matchmaking infrastructure.
The CEO of Starbreeze Tobias Sjorgren issued an apology for the launch on X (Formerly Known as Twitter.)
We are so sorry that the infrastructure didn’t hold up as expected, and although it’s impossible to prepare for every scenario – we should be able to do better. We work tirelessly until we have restored all services and our players can get back to heisting again without issues!
In the end, Starbreeze will end up looking for a new partner to make Payday 3 “less reliant” on online services. Additionally, the CEO of the company stated that they have “a lot of diligent and consistent work ahead of us to regain community trust.” Currently, the developer is looking to improve the player experience in the short term and then make Payday 3 less reliant on online services in the long term.
About the Author
Ule Lopez
A journalist from Mexico obsessed with Shiny Eevees, he wears his profession with pride as he researches current-day stories and plays JRPGs and horror games.
A writer can define this as the struggles going on within their characters.
A few classic examples could be depression, alcoholism, fear of commitment, or even the evolving personality like the James McAvoy character in Split.
What is an inner conflict if not having conflicting people inside yourself?
Internal Conflict Examples
‘The Lord of the Rings’
New Line Cinema
It’s hard to build a movie around only internal conflict ideas, but people try to do it all the time, and with the right ideas… it works perfectly!
Sometimes it’s an internal struggle like Indiana Jones coming to terms with his relationship with his father. Or other times the conflict is more central, like Frodo fighting against the ring’s power in Lord of the Rings.
External Conflict Definition
‘Return of the Jedi’
Disney
This one is going to be a bit easier to define.
Think of it as the physical struggle between your character and outside forces, even including other characters.
These are the outside pressures slowing crushing in on your character. Things like maybe being stuck in a trash compactor, or the impending attack of a star destroyer, or being hunted by the Sith.Also, non-Star Wars related things too.
But the fundamental difference between the internal and external conflict is that one happens inside the character, and one happens outside. Sounds obvious, sure. But to give your story layers, you want to have both, and you want to find ways for them to feed off one another.
External Conflict Examples
‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’
Disney
Sometimes the struggle on the outside is what causes the battle on the inside.
Because basically when you’re writing a movie or TV show, you need things to go wrong. No one wants to read a script or watch a tv show about the village of happy people.
When things go wrong, usually they become conflicts on every level of the characters life. This kicks a story into gear.
Nazis are chasing you to the ark. E.T. needs a way to go home. Aliens have invaded Earth.
And other non-Spielberg examples.
The great thing about the external variety is that they can come in all shapes and sizes. They can be the computers in The Matrix controlling the world, or they can be a nurse trying to catch Jinx, the cat in Meet the Parents.
The size of the conflict isn’t as important as the stakes, or the character facing the battle.
So what’s the key to writing this?
It’s putting a character with the right internal conflict in the right external conflict… Okay, that sounds a little messy, so let’s get another example.
If that ship in Titanic is sinking, Rose should examine whether or not she loves and believes Jack and wants to save him.
If Morpheus has been taken by Agents, Neo needs to look inside and see if he’s actually “The One.”
Another way to think about it is who is the worst person internally suited to face this external problem? Or vice versa.
Got it? Okay now, let’s dig even deeper.
If you’re planning to write a screenplay, for TV or movies, you need to know about the other types of conflict.
Internal and External Conflict
‘Toy Story’
Pixar
When I think about internal and external conflict, I think about the angel and devil on each shoulder. These conflicts should eat away at your characters’ insides and thus drive the story forward.
Think about every rom-com you love. From It Happened One Night to Set It Up, romantic comedies are stories of internal struggle.
The “will they or won’t they” can carry Jim and Pam, or Sam and Diane. You can define the conflict as wanting someone but also having reasons, like a workplace, that hold you back from it. Every scene between these characters is then charged with that struggle.
That’s how you use inner conflict in a story to make a scene where two people are talking as dynamic (or maybe even more dynamic) than a scene of two people fighting.
Or what about another tremendous and unexpected example?
Think of Buzz Lightyear in the original Toy Story. He is conflicted because he thinks he’s Buzz Lightyear and not just a toy.This clash between his internal state and his reality charges every single scene. It is the engine that drives the plot, created the timeless classic, and launched a franchise.
Writing conflict fundamental to your screenplay’s success and thinking about these examples should help get you on your way. Consider your character, and then consider the inner struggle that defines them.
Sometimes you need to compound the conflict though.
Time to define external conflict, and talk about internal vs. external conflict, which creates a conflict symphony within your story.
What are the Types of Conflict?
So in classical literature, and now film and television, there are six different types of conflict. While more seem to be classified as internal conflict or external conflict, we’ll take a look at each category and supply examples.
Man v. Self
‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’
Amazon
Okay, right from the get-go we’ll delve into something that seems like it could strictly be classified as being internal. In Man vs. Self, we traditionally follow what happens in the mind of a character. Whether it’s Don Draper trying to get over self-destruction, or the Marvelous Ms. Maisel conquering becoming an independent woman.
But some of the best writing takes a spin on this and creates external issues from the internal struggle.
Think about the movie Multiplicity. That’s legitimately inner struggle come to life. Or what about all the personalities in Orphan Black?
Sometimes our best writing comes from taking a traditional conflict and flipping it on its head.
2. Man v. Man
‘Good Will Hunting’Credit: Miramax
This is probably the most common external struggle. We see it in comic book movies, Star Wars, and even in sitcoms like The Good Place. This type of conflict is determined by protagonists and antagonists.
But how can Man vs. Man be internalized?
Truly, if you internalize it, you get Man vs. Self, but think about movies about the possessed when Voldermort takes over Harry’s body in Order of the Phoenix, or even the possessions in Get Out.
Those become inner conflicts as one person tries to take over another.
3. Man v. Society
‘Manchester by the Sea’
Amazon
Usually the topic of political thrillers, or tragic movies like The Elephant Man, this typically covers these types of outer conflicts
One of my guilty pleasure movies is Conspiracy Theory with Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts. That’s about a guy who everyone thinks is nuts, who happens to be right about one thing.
In television, you’ve got shows like Succession that show the inner workings of a family and the people trying to tear them down in hilarious ways.
But how can you make Man vs. Society internal?
What about a movie like Boys Don’t Cry? That story is about how society refuses to accept who Brandon Teena is on the inside.
Or what about Manchester By The Sea? A lot of the conflict in the movie comes from how Casey Affleck’s character is viewed in this town after the fire. And how he deals with it.
As you can see, it’s harder to peg some of these within the realm of television, because tv allows characters to evolve and grow over multiple seasons.
Think about Oscar on The Office. He was never conflicted about being gay, but it took multiple seasons for the other characters and Michael Scott to truly accept him.
4. Man v. Nature
‘Jaws’
Universal
I’m not sure there’s a better example here than The Revenant when it comes to Man vs. Nature. This type of conflict carries us on journeys like Homeward Bound and is about defeating external forces.
In television, Man vs. Nature usually comes up episode to episode. It feels like every sitcom has a camping episode. One of my favorites comes from New Girl, where they stare down the coyote.
But what’s the inner issue that arises with nature?
I’ll admit this is a stretch, but I like to think about characters like the Wolfman, or even Fiona in Shrek when I’m breaking this down.
These are people stricken with a change in nature, who have to balance their lives around said change. What’s more internally conflicting than that?
5. Man v. Machine
‘The Matrix’CREDIT: Warner Bros.
As we enter the robot era of real-life, Man vs. Machine seems less far-fetched and more plausible. This story has its roots in John Henry hammering spikes against a machine and has worked its way all the way up to iRobot.
I think the cooler parts of Man vs. Machine come from characters dealing with things internally. Like what about Terminator 2, where that machine has to learn to be better? It has to make an internal change to try to be more human.
Or even stuff like Artificial Intelligence, where the robot boy desperately wants to change to become real. But his programming will never allow that.
Again – these are reaches – but that tends to be where our most incredible stories lie. In the grey areas between accepted tropes.
6. Man v. Fate or the Supernatural
‘The Leftovers’ Credit: HBO
Lastly, we’ll cover a tricky one. Man vs. Fate/Supernatural is kind of a sticky subject. See, the problem is, these items aren’t always tangible.
I like to work my way into this section by going a little biblical. Think about the story of Job. There are great references to Job’s story across film and television.
It pops up in The Leftovers, Mission Impossible, and is the basis for the Coen masterpiece, A Serious Man.
Job’s predicament is that God and Satan keep messing with him. So he has to overcome all sorts of external nightmares. But the bet God and Satan make is whether or not they can control him internally.
That’s a double whammy.
How to Use The Types of Conflict in a Screenplay
‘Jurassic Park’
Paramount
When you sit down to write your screenplay, sometimes it helps to track how the various conflicts play off each other as the story moves forward.
I like to think about each level of conflict being the side of a car.
If you just have one sides’ wheels moving, your story goes in circles. But if both sides are rolling, your story will always push forward.
So how can you use the types of conflict to push your story forward?
As I mentioned prior, you want to get everything working in tandem.
So, in every scene, ask yourself, how does this work with the conflict I’m writing?
Let’s take a look at a few scenes and examine the fact.
In the final scene of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, we have a gunfight going on. But as the camera spins, so do the characters’ insides.
This whole movie is about trust and greed. Can you trust someone who is greedy? Is there honor among thieves? What does it mean to be a good person?
So here, you have the obvious external threat from the guns and internal issues from the hearts of the men who wield them.
What about a comedy?
For my money, the funniest scene in movie history is the “Frank and Beans” scene in There’s Something About Mary.
It’s pretty obvious to see that the external conflict has to do with what’s stuck in Ben Stiller’s zipper. And everyone coming inside the bathroom.
But the deeper inner issue at work is about love.
Ben Stiller has courted this girl, fallen for this girl, and now he’s dealing with the emotional weight of wrecking their perfect prom.
It’s kind of a sweet, emotional conflict if you think about it.
I know we chatted about those genres, but what about action movies?
Let’s talk Die Hard.
The standoff in the final scene is one of legend. We remember the badassery of John McLane, but this is a movie built on his internal conflict.
John loves his wife, but he hasn’t been great at supporting her. And there have been consequences to that…
We learn early on she’s gone back to her maiden name.
As Hans Gruber plummets to his death, we send him off with Holly’s watch with her maiden name on it.
It’s the perfect external symbol for their internal triumph.
John and his wife are going to get back together.
Merry Christmas!
Summing up the Keys to Writing Conflict in a Story
I think we can all agree that the best-written film and television takes characters on multiple journeys. We need to see what they’re going to physically surmount on the outside to know how it will reflect on the inside.
And vice-versa.
The best uses of conflict work in tandem to create gripping drama. Or gripping comedy.
Just make it gripping!
If you think about how these types of conflict work in everything you watch, and then start to apply those principles to your own work, suddenly you’ll unlock the ability to push your stories to more dynamic places.
So keep the forum going!
Do you have some amazing examples? Do you have some ideas about types of conflict we didn’t mention?
Netflix has a treat in store for superfans of Korean cinema. The streamer dropped the first trailer Tuesday for the upcoming documentary Yellow Door: 90s Lo-fi Film Club, described as “a cinematic ode to the golden era of Korean cinephilia.” (Watch the trailer below.)
Directed by Lee Hyuk-rae, the new documentary takes viewers back to Seoul in the 1990s, when film clubs were exploding on Korean college campuses, providing young students with a creative outlet and a platform to study the art of cinema. Much of today’s global boom in Korean popular culture can be traced back to this formative, freewheeling period. The country had just emerged from the trauma of the student pro-democracy protests of the 1980s — and their often brutal suppression by the former authoritarian government — but the 1990s became a dawning, carefree era of greater freedom and cultural exploration among the country’s youth.
Netflix
Yellow Door: ’90s Lo-fi Film Club retraces the memories of the members of the era’s Yellow Door Film Club, which included now-legendary director Bong Joon-ho among its key members (as well as the documentary’s director, Lee). Decades before he became the Oscar-winning director of Parasite and Korea’s best-known auteur, a fresh-faced Bong was an integral part of this gathering of film aficionados, meticulously managing the club’s video library of cinematic masterpieces from around the world.
“We were the first generation of cinephiles,” Bong says in the trailer.
The film captures this brief moment of unfettered passion for movies in Korea and also recounts the creation of Bong’s very first short film, a stop-motion animation titled Looking for Paradise, which was screened exclusively for Yellow Door members.
Netflix
“It was the first time I created something with a narrative,” Bong says in the trailer. His fellow film club members also note how impactful that early effort was. “The essence of director Bong’s films was already established in that film,” recounts another Yellow Door member in the trailer, with another quipping, “I knew he’d make it… but not this big.”
‘Yellow Door’
Netflix
Yellow Door: 90s Lo-fi Film Club is set to make its world premiere at the upcoming 28th Busan International Film Festival, running Oct. 4-13. It will launch worldwide on Netflix on Oct. 27.
Warning: contains spoilers for The Boys comic series!By the ending of The Boys, Billy Butcher’s team of CIA-backed anti-Supe operatives have successfully dismantled every major superteam and overseen the deaths of Homelander, Black Noir, Stormfront, and most other big-name Supes. However, in a world where Compound V is already out in the wild and causing normal people to manifest superpowers, is the Boys’ mission really done, or will another would-be super-dictator come along soon? Surprisingly for such a cynical series, The Boys actually goes out of its way to reassure fans the world truly has changed for good by the story’s ending.
While the Boys do a lot of good over the series, it ends with only one member left alive. Butcher executes his team as part of a plan to kill everyone on Earth with any trace of Compound V in their system, only stopped from committing genocide by Hughie, whose moral center wins out over Butcher’s brutal ideology. Hughie takes over Butcher’s role of keeping watch on the remaining Supes, but fans see that Vought’s corporate psychopath James Stillwell is already planning a relaunch, despite knowing deep down that superheroes are “bad product.”
Set twelve years later, Garth Ennis, Russ Braun, Tony Avina, and Simon Bowland’s The Boys: Dear Becky sees Hughie on one last adventure, investigating the source of a mysterious journal detailing the earliest days of the Boys. As part of the story, fans get to see a world where ‘superheroes’ no longer exist, and the world has returned to normal, complete with COVID and Brexit. Hughie notes that while the final battle against Homelander’s Supe uprising destroyed the public’s faith in the idea of superhuman protectors, there are still those who wish for their return. When Annie asks if there’s any chance they’ll succeed, Hughie reveals that the CIA subtly destabilizes such groups by sowing confusion and dissent among them, and that the Boys’ job is now done almost exclusively online.
The CIA Shut Down Supes in The Boys’ Future
Hughie tells Annie about a group calling themselves the Stormfronters (after the Nazi Supe Stormfront), who killed each other after the CIA’s new system turned them on each other. Hughie confirms that while Compound V is still creating new Supes, the powers that be are incredibly hostile to anything even relating to superheroes, and the CIA ensures that no-one who disagrees can get organized enough to push back. The Boys’ very public battle against Homelander’s uprising firmly turned the tide of public opinion against Supes, as well as creating enough of a blank slate that the CIA could step in and prevent the same system from reoccurring.
Butcher’s final plan to commit genocide was always painted as a horrific and unjustifiable reaction to what he saw as the cancer of superhuman supremacy, but The Boys: Dear Becky also confirms it was unnecessary for his goal. The story makes the point that in not truly adding anything of value to the world, the superheroes have no foothold to make a comeback, and its typically grim vision of American politics shows that with Homelander off the board, the existing power structure is more than capable of suppressing what it now views as a threat to its own legitimacy.
From beginning to end, The Boys doesn’t have much faith in humanity as a whole, instead focusing on the value and beauty of individual relationships. However, it does conclude that the concept of superheroes, especially as exemplified by Homelander, is a bad idea that can’t survive after people see through the lies propping it up – as close to a happy ending as The Boys was ever likely to get.
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At this year’s Annecy, the most important animation festival in the world, Basque animations were out in force.
With a diverse showcase ranging from the nostalgic cartoon charm of “Conej Steps Out” by student outfit Funnie Fantasies, to UniKo’s tantalising taster excerpts for feminist story “Sultana’s Dream” by Isabel Herguera and the short “Body of Christ” by Beatriz Lumez, Basque animators made a mark.
The festival’s spotlight on Spanish female creators further underscored this region’s depth of talent. Coupled with an array of compelling projects seeking co-production, from Agurtzane Intxaurraga’s “Run, Kuru, Run!” to “The Invisibles” by Imanol Zinkunegi, it’s clear: Basque animation is a force on the rise. According to San Sebastian Festival director José Luis Rebordinos, the Basque Country’s “fledgling animation industry is an opportunity.”
Youth Focused
European, national, and regional support will be key to bolstering this momentum. A question, brought into focus by COVID-19, was how countries’ national and regional economies could recover and grow sustainably. That led governments, both federal and regional, to focus on growth industries, in particular ones that are youth friendly, and animation is one of those industries.
Animation is similar to genre in that it is a push phenomenon. Younger creators who have a film project seem more frequently wanting to produce either animation or genre.
At a recent policy session co-organised by Culture Action Europe, Gijs de Vries, the former Dutch Secretary of State and MEP presented his paper “To make the silos dance. Mainstreaming culture into the E.U. policy.” He highlighted that worldwide “cultural and creative industries are among the largest employers of youth and employ more women than men.” Nationally, Spain is stoking the fire of these industries with favourable incentives. This is being taken further by Bizkaia, the Basque Country province extending from Bilbao, where tax breaks hit up to 70%, among the highest deduction rates in the world. No other rate registered in Olsberg-SPI’s Global Incentives Index 2023 reaches such heights.
A Rich History
Great animation being produced in the Basque region is not a new phenomenon. The late Juanba Berasategi was a pioneer of the scene, making “Kalabaza Tripontzia,” in 1985. He went on to found Lotura Films in 1992, which continues to produce projects, describing themselves as “The house of stories. The home of Basque language film.” Another talent whose journey began in the ‘80s is Isabel Herguera, whose film “Sultana’s Dream,” will premiere in main competition at San Sebastian. She began studying fine art in Bilbao and on leaving entered a thriving video art scene. “This background that we got naturally, through the culture that was happening in the Basque country at the time defined the way we began looking at films,” she tells Variety. Herguera described how during the dictatorship, France was never far away, so accessing all kinds of experimental culture was possible in Basque “when something is prohibited it becomes even more appealing. It was not so easy to access it, but once it was here, it helped the cultural explosion that came later,” Herguera recalls. The Goya and Annecy nominated director has combined her career making shorts and now a feature, with time working in L.A. at animation studios, as well as becoming a professor of experimental animation.
Isabel Herguera, Iván Miñambres
Courtesy of Isabel Herguera, Iván Miñambres
The Producers
Iván Miñambres, one of the producers of “Sultana’s Dream” and CEO of UniKo, acknowledges the importance of regional culture, describing Berastegi’s film as having “tackled a series of tales in which the atmosphere, mythology and Basque culture were prominent. Having a unique language and such a rich culture has meant that many of the films produced in our region are characterised by this kind of content,” he tells Variety, adding: “In my opinion, the key lies in being glocal. Telling global stories from the essence of the local.”
Miñambres and the team at Uniko represent what can happen when good producers harness financial incentives, cultural resonance and talented filmmakers. A shining example is the Uniko produced “Unicorn Wars,” Alberto Vázquez’s apocalyptic fantasy. It combined backing from regional Spanish governments in Galicia and the Basque Country as well as independent French co-producers, and has achieved significant success for an adult animation with GKids picking up North American rights. Variety places it “in contention” for Oscar recognition. UniKo’s producing approach comes down to thre things: “We always bet on universal themes and stories that transcend time and place. In this way, our creations are more easily accessible to any audience and have a broad international reach. Additionally, we always collaborate with auteurs who provide a unique perspective to both the narration and the artistic proposal of the productions.”
“Lastly, having a committed artistic team aligned with our vision is crucial. Animation projects are very lengthy, and it’s essential to ensure that each project develops with cohesion and mutual understanding,” Miñambres explains.
Global Competition
With Bizkaia tax breaks reaching up to 70% of spend, it would take a brave country or region to try and better that. It is key, still, to promote all the factors that make the region attractive. It’s no surprise traditional creative hubs are the great cities of the world, places that combine the jumble of experience and life that many talented people crave, and thrive off. In Bilbao, San Sebastian and Vitoria-Gasteiz Basque has three quite distinct small cities. Culturally it’s unique, Lonely Planet is right in describing it as ‘unlike the rest of Spain.’ With its own language, world class food and wine, and a distinctive geographic and cultural landscape Basque sits in an enviable position.
The Next Generation
Funnie Fantasies, a team of animators and artists are alumni of DigiPen Institute of Technology based in Bilbao, the education institute responsible for developing talent in the region and which produced their Annecy-selected short ‘Conej Steps Out’. It represents one retro inspired strand of the new generation, a strand passionate about the techniques of the fledgling days of Max Fleischer, Walt Disney, and MGM. “You cannot emulate transparent watercolours or gouache brush strokes with digital media that work with zeros and ones,” background artist Aitor Olano tells Variety, with his fellow Funnie Fantasies Pablo Rio, Leyre Zapata, and Bruno Santoro sat alongside him nodding their approval. In pursuing the silly, surreal, and vintage they consider themselves outside of any ‘scene’, but it is clear DigiPen was a key enabler to their learning their craft and meeting each other to form what could become a fun and unique voice in animation. Educational hubs like DigiPen will need to grow and keep ahead of the demand for talent. Lack of talent is a key risk for Miñambres: “The growth and consolidation of the animation industry on a global level requires a constant high demand for qualified professionals,” he said.
Aitor Olano, Bruno Santoro, Leyre Zapata, Pablo Rio
Courtesy of Funnie Fantasies
Sustainable Growth
In their bid for growth, industries often focus on expanding volume, and the Basque region is no exception. By laying a robust foundation with incentives and education, it’s paving the way for a flourishing animation sector. Already, Basque producers have delivered global successes. As Miñambres astutely points out: “Such incentives, sustained over time, can help establish and consolidate an animation infrastructure. By providing a more stable and predictable financial framework, tax incentives can help stabilise the animation sector, which is especially important in an industry that often has very long production cycles.”
An amazing four-chair turn on The Voice‘s season 24 premiere on Monday had the coaches pulling out all the stops — and even channeling the competition’s winningest coach, Blake Shelton.
Mara Justine wowed all of the coaches with her performance of Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” and had Niall Horan, Gwen Stefani, John Legend and brand new coach Reba McEntire clamoring to have her join their respective teams.
“Someone that’s willing to go into the first round with an Elton John song, and sing it like that, it takes something,” Niall marveled.
Reba praised Mara’s confidence and stage presence, while John leaned on the old standby of pointing out that he was the first coach to turn his chair.
“What made me turn around so quickly was your tone in that lower part of the song, and then you had the finesse to do those really light touches,” he noted.
However, Niall wasn’t going down without a fight, making a not-so-veiled reference to a friend who is no longer on the show, but “off on a tractor in Oklahoma.”
“I know him!” Gwen remarked with a laugh.
“He taught me a little trick I noticed on day one,” Niall said of Blake. “He taught me to do absolutely anything to make sure that you get a team member.”
With that, Niall hit his button, which lowered Blake’s infamous “Pick Me” red pointer finger. Only this time, Blake’s name had been crossed out and replaced — so the giant sign read “Pick Niall”
NBC
“You’re shameless!” Reba scoffed.
To retaliate, John pulled out one of his favorite tricks, and took the stage with Mara to perform a bit of “All of Me” together, leaving the young singer more than a little starstruck.
So, who did she pick? Voice fans were left hanging as the results will be revealed during the start of Tuesday’s Blind Auditions. Stay tuned!
When ET spoke with the coaches ahead of the season, Niall admitted that he was definitely missing his “TV dad” Blake after the two forged a semi-begrudging bond last season.
“Of course I miss Blake,” Niall told ET. “I’m glad I was there for his last season. I got to learn off him and have a bit of a laugh while doing it.”
“Every time he comes to town, he’s like, ‘Can I come over?'” Gwen Stefani teased. “They’re like little-big buddies.”
The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. PT/ET on NBC.
The coaches on season 24 of The Voice had an uphill battle ahead of them when a One Direction superfan took the stage during Monday’s season premiere.
Olivia Minogue impressed with her Blind Audition performance of Sam Smith’s “Lay Me Down,” earning chair turns from Reba McEntire, John Legend and Niall Horan. John was hungry for a win but the odds were not in his favor when Olivia revealed that she had a special accessory for good luck: a “Niall” necklace.
“The merch did well, guys!” Niall celebrated, before sharing another hilarious anecdote about a merchandise-related encounter.
“The first time I met Kim Kardashian, I was backstage at an Ariana Grande concert,” he recalled. “And she brought North [West], her daughter, up, and this is how she introduced North to me, she said, ‘North, this is the guy that sings from your toothbrush!'”
Laughing, Olivia admitted that she also had a One Direction toothbrush, which further dampened John’s dreams of landing the singer.
However, he marveled to Niall, “I just want to respect your guys’ merch ingenuity.”
Reba and John both made their pitches for Olivia to “do something unexpected,” but ultimately the writing was on the wall and she went with Team Niall. Maybe she can even get a new toothbrush out of the deal!
When ET spoke with the coaches ahead of the season, Niall admitted that he was definitely missing his “TV dad” Blake Shelton after the two forged a semi-begrudging bond last season. Blake left the show earlier this year after 23 seasons as The Voice‘s winningest coach.
“Of course I miss Blake,” Niall told ET. “I’m glad I was there for his last season. I got to learn off him and have a bit of a laugh while doing it.”
“Every time he comes to town, he’s like, ‘Can I come over?'” Gwen Stefani teased. “They’re like little-big buddies.”
The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. PT/ET on NBC.
If you’re running iOS 17 on your iPhone, double-check your privacy settings because they might have just changed without your permission.
This word of warning comes from Mysk, a pair of iOS developers and cybersecurity researchers, on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter). They claim upgrading to iOS 17 may reactivate Significant Locations plus iPhone Analytics on your mobile device if they were turned off prior to downloading the update.
Significant Locations is a software tool that tracks the “places you have recently been, as well as how often and when you [visit] them”. The data is used to provide “app recommendations, Memories in the Photos app, among other things”, according to 9To5Mac. The feature is end-to-end encrypted meaning Apple doesn’t have access. However, Mysk states this data “can [still] be abused as they record detailed information about the [places] you visit frequently.”
iPhone Analytics, on the other hand, does directly give Apple information about your device. It provides data on “performance statistics”, how you use your iPhone, and how you use certain apps, among other things. It’s meant to “help Apple improve and develop its products”; although as Mysk points out, security experts recommend you turn it off.
Under investigation
It’s unknown what’s causing this issue. But there is some good news. 9To5Mac states in their report the “vast majority” of users are unaffected. They won’t experience any “unusual activity.” Apple also told the publication it is currently investigating the situation.
Until a patch is rolled out, Mysk strongly advises iOS 17 users disable both features by first going to the Privacy & Security section of the iPhone Settings mode. Then go to Location Service, and finally tap System Services. You’ll find the two there. It appears this is a one-time occurrence. They won’t reactivate a second time.
?PSA: iOS 17 turns these sensitive location options back on. If you have disabled significant locations as well as adding your location information to your iPhone analytics before upgrading to iOS 17, iOS 17 will turn the options on as shown in the screenshot.While significant… pic.twitter.com/ROVEgPqw08September 23, 2023
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At least this problem is easily solved even if it is concerning that some of your privacy protections can be turned off due to an apparent development mishap. iPhones may be super secure 99 percent of the time, but the one percent chance of your information being collected when you assume it’s not is frustrating.
We recommend taking your safety to the next level. Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best iPhone VPN for 2023 to learn how you can start improving your online security.
Sci-fi and fantasy have proven to be two of the most consistently popular genres with audiences. Some of the most enduring franchises and buzziest shows in recent years have come from these genres. Success comes at a price however — often these shows end up being some of the most expensive to make. Platforms have used these winning genres differently to help get a leg up in the fight for audience attention.
Apple TV+ has clearly focused on filling its catalog with sci-fi content as 10.1% of shows on the platform are sci-fi, a larger share allocated to this genre than any other major streamer in the U.S.
The world’s best gymnasts will all be under one roof this week for the 2023 World Gymnastics Championships. Taking place September 30 to October 8 at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium, the annual event sees athletes competing in both team and individual apparatus and all-around competitions.
Watch the World Gymnastics Championships live in the U.S. on Peacock, the official NBCUniversal streaming partner. Peacock will have a live feed of the event available to stream live or watch on-demand through their Peacock Premium tier.
Fresh off her record-breaking eighth U.S. Gymnastics Championships title, Simone Biles returns to the Worlds for the sixth time. The Olympic champ is a 25-time medalist at this event, and will be looking to add to her already-impressive list of accolades. This also marks Biles first appearance at the World Championship since 2019.
This year’s competition also takes on heightened significance as Olympic qualifying spots will be up for grabs. The U.S. women’s gymnastics team has already qualified for next year’s Paris Olympics, but the men’s team still needs to book their ticket.
Want to watch the World Gymnastics Championships from home? Here’s where to find it on TV and how to stream it online without cable.
How to Watch 2023 World Gymnastics Championships
This year’s World Gymnastics Championships will be broadcast live on TV through NBC. A basic cable package or a digital antenna like this one from Amazon, will let you watch the World Gymnastics Championships on TV through your local NBC affiliate.
Want to watch the event online without cable? As mentioned, you can livestream the World Gymnastics Championships online through Peacock and their Peacock Premium tier. Peacock will have a live feed of all the apparatuses for both the men’s and women’s competition available to stream online. Peacock costs just $5.99 a month and your subscription gets you access to the World Gymnastics Championships stream and all of Peacock’s live sports and on-demand TV shows and movies.
How to Watch 2023 World Gymnastics Championships Online Free
Want to watch the World Gymnastics Championships online free? We recommend DIRECTV Stream, whose channel lineup includes a live feed of NBC. DIRECTV Stream has a 5-day free trial right now that you can use to watch the 2023 Gymnastics Championships on NBC without cable.
Note: while DIRECTV Stream will let you watch the World Gymnastics Championships online for free, the site only carries the NBC feed. All the non-televised events will only be available to watch through Peacock.
NBC and Peacock are the official streaming home for the 2023 World Gymnastics Championships in the U.S. Want to watch a UK feed? Get a free trial to NordVPN to watch the event through BBC. NordVPN’s free trial gives you 30 days of access to a virtual private network, which you can set to a UK location to stream the competition on BBC.
Antwerp is the final opportunity for countries to qualify a team to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. The U.S., Great Britain and Canada have already qualified women’s teams, while China, Japan and Great Britain earned berths on the men’s side.
The remaining qualifiers will come from the top nine teams (above countries excluded) in both the men’s and women’s events at the end of qualifying.
Parineeti Chopra tied the knot with Raghav Chadha in Udaipur on September 24, 2023.
Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra opted for Manish Malhotra lehenga for her wedding with Raghav Chadha in Udaipur.
Parineeti Chopra tied the knot with AAP politician Raghav Chadha in Udaipur on Sunday, September 24. The couple took the internet by storm after they shared the first photos from their wedding. Their wedding post has received nearly 4 million likes on Instagram. Now, a video of Parineeti’s stunning bridal entry has emerged on social media.
Parineeti looked gorgeous as she walked down the aisle in Manish Malhotra lehenga. However, what grabbed our attention was Priyanka Chopra’s mother Madhu Chopra’s reaction to Parineeti’s entry. Priyanka’s mom looked mesmerised as the bride walked in. Watch the viral video here:
Meanwhile, Priyanka Chopra got emotional after she couldn’t attend cousin Parineeti’s wedding with Raghav Chadha. Priyanka was among the first celebrities who commented on Parineeti and Raghav’s first photos as newlyweds. The Quantico star, who is currently in the US, dropped a teary-eyed emoji on the wedding photos of the couple.
Madhu Chopra revealed that Priyanka couldn’t attend the wedding due to work. The actress’ mother was spotted at the Udaipur airport on Monday morning and the paparazzi couldn’t help but ask about Priyanka’s absence. “Kaam kar rahe hai (She is busy working),” Madhu told the paparazzi. She also revealed that she had a ball at the wedding. When asked about Parineeti’s wedding look, Madhu said, “Waise hi khoobsurat hai, aur bhi achi lag rahi thi (She’s anyway so beautiful, she looked even prettier at the wedding).”
Parineeti and Raghav had an intimate wedding ceremony at the Leela Palace in Udaipur. The couple, who has known each other for a while now, exchanged their vows in the presence of their families and close friends.
Shrishti Negi is a journalist with nearly eight years of experience in the media industry. She is currently heading the Entertainment team at News18.c…Read More
Review: My Adventures With Superman 1×04 – “Let’s Go to Ivo Tower, You Say”
[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers!]
Director: Christina “Kiki” Manrique
Writers: Josie Campbell, Brendan Clogher
Starring: Jack Quaid, Alice Lee, Ishmel Sahid, Jake Green, Darrell Brown, Max Mittelman
Reviewed by: Steven Brown
Summary
My Adventures With Superman 1×04: Clark, Lois, and Jimmy cover a glitzy gala hosted by tech-billionaire Dr. Ivo, but while Clark and Lois wonder if this counts as a date, Ivo unleashes his newest invention: a creation that can bring down Superman.
Positives
This episode shows how fast Lois, Clark, and Jimmy are establishing themselves in Metropolis as reporters. Although still just interns, Perry assigns them the gala event hosted by Dr. Ivo, a billionaire tech genius who is apparently going broke. Needing to pay back investors and save his company, Ivo premieres the Parasite suit during the event. When the suit and Dr. Ivo go crazy, Superman arrives to save the day.
This episode also shows that Lois and Jimmy are more than just side characters, and the duo get their hands dirty once again, helping Superman by sabotaging Dr. Ivo’s tech so Superman could stop him once and for all. I hope this is something that’s repeated in future episodes, especially with Jimmy, who I feel will get his proper chance to shine as a character in this series.
Negatives
I must admit, my only complaint at first was the look of this new version of Parasite — I wasn’t a fan of the idea of the Parasite being a suit. However, once I saw it in action, I changed my mind. Instead of copying Superman’s powers like the animated series of the 90’s, this version gets larger, more armored, and more powerful.
Verdict
My Adventures With Superman 1×04 is a good episode that leaves plenty to wonder about for the next one. Lois and Clark have a conversation about their relationship, while Lois also discovers something about Superman that could change her investigation entirely. Ivo ends up badly damaged in the battle and taken into custody, but I doubt it’ll be the last time we’ll see him.
He is not investing jack $h1@ . Buying up publishers with established I.P’s and then claiming victory isn’t the ideal way to go about things. I understand It’s competition, I get it. However, Rare was purchased soooo long ago, we got Kinect adventures and sea of thieves and grabbed by the ghoulies, Banjo nuts n bolts, and perfect dark zero. I’m sure mech assault is more your type of game, I respect that, however banjo and conker have a huge following, and Microsoft needs a killer platformer, Lucky’s tale wasn’t it, ended up multiplat after some time. In regards to Phil “investing” , he’s been “investing” since the beginning of the Xbox one and nothings come to fruition. Scorn was talked up so much, killer app for Xbox, blah blah blah, forgotten. Crackdown 3 was meant to be an advancement in cloud technology and world destruction, failed. Starfield is, well, starfield. It’s a game amongst many other games, it just exists, and until Bethesda updates or changes that horribly , long expired , graphics engine , then their games will always be half baked. Cough*, Redfall. At the end of the day I’m a gamer, I enjoy gaming on all platforms, PC, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, however Xbox has been a platform of wait and see, the games are coming, for far too long.
“There was no one quite like Angus. He was too special, too talented and way too young to leave us so soon,” Levinson said in a statement shortly after the actor’s passing. “He also struggled, like many of us, with addiction and depression. I hope he knew how many hearts he touched. I loved him. I always will. Rest in peace and God Bless his family.”
In a new interview with People, Levinson opened up about Cloud’s struggles with addiction during production and his own struggles to help the actor get clean. Those efforts included multiple interventions and rehab stints.
One day, in his office Levinson sat with Cloud and knew something wasn’t right.
“I looked him in the eye and I knew that he wasn’t doing well,” Levinson said. “At the same time I’ve been in these situations before where you’re trying to get someone clean. And I just said to him, ‘I love working with you and we’ve got this amazing season planned and stuff, but I need you to be sober because I got to be able to rely on you.’”
The actor entered a 30 day in-patient rehab which was followed but 3 months of outpatient treatment. HBO footed the rehab bill. He cam back to the show and went to rehab again when they were five episodes into the season. That stint was also courtesy of an intervention by Levinson who says he told the actor, “You’ve got to get help and you’ve got to get help right now.”
As soon as the episode wrapped, Levinson and his wife drove Cloud to treatment.
“I could always feel that he didn’t want [sobriety] as much as we all wanted it for him,” the writer and filmmaker told PEOPLE. “That’s where it gets tricky because the whole world can want it for you. But he didn’t want it. It’s just the self-destructive side of addiction and it outweighs everything. But you can’t give up on people. I wasn’t going to let anyone give up on him.”
That included keeping him on the show, even after his character was supposed to have died.
“Angus was supposed to die at the end of thefirst season, but I loved him so f—ing much,” he says. “The first thing I noticed about him was he had those Paul Newman eyes … and hisaudition tapewhere he said that his name was Angus Cloud and he’s ‘five foot 12.’ It killed me. He was perfect. I think part of the problem is I would sometimes put actors ahead of the show at times. So I was like, ‘Okay, I can’t kill him because then what is he to look forward to?’”
Once Season 2 wrapped, Levinson and Cloud had a long talk, and the Euphoria creator told the actor he wouldn’t be allowed on set if he wasn’t sober.
“No, no, I’m good. I’m good,” Levinson said Cloud told him. But Levinson knew different.
“I could tell, at that time, it was like he wasn’t interested. He wasn’t going to do anything, and yeah, he didn’t want it.”
After a 10-year hiatus, Gordon Ramsay is back to looking under the hood of some floundering restaurants.
Kitchen Nightmaresis returning to Fox Monday night, and it starts with a pretty gnarly scene right out of the gate as Ramsay tries to revamp Bel Aire diner in Astoria, New York. Owners Kal and Peter are trying to keep the place afloat after their parents handed over the family business, but it’s been a struggle — which is making mom and dad a bit nervous about truly letting their sons take the reins.
It doesn’t take long for Ramsay to spot multiple problems. From the brothers’ own personal turmoil to a chaotic kitchen to a 40-page menu to a poorly kept stock fridge with rotting food…it shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why the business is failing. But, it takes Ramsay’s infamous tough love (sprinkled in with a few more vulnerable moments) and his unfailing skill as a chef to turn it around.
“I think Episode 1 is one of those that is just quintessential Kitchen Nightmares with a family at war and a restaurant in chaos,” executive producer David de Angelis told Deadline.
In the interview below, de Angelis breaks down the premiere episode of Kitchen Nightmares and shares more about revamping the series a decade later. He also explains the good — and the bad — learning lessons of the series, like how to know if you may have stumbled into one of those nightmarish kitchens yourself.
DEADLINE: The show is coming back after 10 years. What elements did you know you wanted to bring back, and where did you take the opportunity to try something new?
DAVID DE ANGELIS: So, we don’t want to shock anyone when they watch this show. We want to give people everything that they loved about Kitchen Nightmares, which out of control owners, egotistical chefs, terrible food, lazy staff… all those things you’re going to recognize as good old fashioned Kitchen Nightmares — and Gordon, that is. But this year, I think the impetus for us to even bring the show back, and for Gordon particularly, was just because of time. Restaurants have never had a harder time than they had over the last couple of years. Gordon and his restaurants were not immune to that, either. So, for Gordon, I think he thought this was the best time to bring the show back to see if he can’t help some of those restaurants that have made it through the pandemic and made it through all the changes in the restaurant industry over the last couple of years and really reach out to those people and see if he can give a lifeline and get them back on track.
DEADLINE: How did you choose the restaurants that would be featured?
DE ANGELIS: When our casting notice went out, it was very clearly a Gordon Ramsay restaurant renovation show. So in a lot of ways, restaurants started reaching out to us. We blasted out to the areas that we wanted to film in, which were New York and New Jersey. Those were important to us for a couple of reasons. Just on a practical production standpoint, it’s a lot easier to consolidate one area than to try to run around the country, especially when you’re bringing a show back. Then, that area also allows us to have a wide variety of restaurants. We also feel like East Coast people are a little freer with their emotions than other parts of the country, which tend to traditionally be a little more reserved. But, we were looking for a restaurant that needed help. That was the number one criteria for us. Does your restaurant need help? Who are we going to meet, and are your problems fixable? Are they something that Gordon can really dig into and help out with? So that was also equally important in the casting process.
DEADLINE: From a production standpoint, can you talk me through how you prep the restaurants to film there?
DE ANGELIS: When we get into the process of finally starting to shortlist these restaurants, we do go out and make a visit. That’s part of our beginning of [gathering] the intel for Gordon. Gordon wants to know everything about his restaurants front to back. Financials. What are the refrigerators like? How many people come in on a Wednesday afternoon? How many people come in on Friday night? So we try to gather up as much information as possible. We do a site visit. Some of our key personnel will go — the culinary team, myself, a story team, production team — to just see what we’re working with, because every restaurant presents its own production challenges as well. And we really want to see where this restaurant is and they really do need help. We pour a lot of resources into these restaurants over the time that we’re there and afterwards, and we want to make sure that these restaurants are getting into it for the right reason. We were really successful this season to find restaurants that desperately need our help, that were open and willing to change, even if they resist, and that had a real opportunity to be successful once we left. That said, there’s only so much we can do. There’s only so much leading the horse to water we can do, and it’s really up to the restaurants themselves to drink the Kool Aid and see if they are willing to make the change.
DEADLINE: I really enjoyed seeing a softer side of Gordon in this first episode, when he takes the brothers to one of his restaurants and teaches them a recipe. We are so used to the more aggressive version of Gordon. Would you say he is always so dynamic, or do you think intentionally about how to balance that story in each episode?
DE ANGELIS: That is exactly what we’re going for and your observation makes it feel like we’re on the right track for the season, because caring Gordon is the one we care about the most, and I think that’s the one that America cares about the most. The notorious GR, that’s guaranteed every time, no problems there. That caring element… when Gordon walks through the front door of the restaurant, he’s not walking in with an entourage, although he has a big crew behind him. It’s just Gordon going in. People call him Gordon in this series. They don’t call him Chef Ramsay. There’s not a lot of Yes Chef, No chef going on. Gordon does care. The restaurants we picked, we picked for a reason, because Gordon wanted to fix these restaurants. He wanted to help these people and saw something in them that gave him some hope, as well that they deserve it. So that I think that caring Gordon Ramsay is what makes this show so special and what makes this incarnation of the show even more special. It’s not a shiny show like Next Level Chef, which I also do and is close to my heart. But it’s a different Gordon. It’s an accessible Gordon. It is a vulnerable Gordon. It is an intimate Gordon that most of his other shows do not have. We have elements of that. I think the best parts of Next Level Chef are when he’s a mentor and when he’s really in there helping people. There’s a great moment in Season 2 where one of our contestants was having a hard time, and she’s relaying to Gordon about how when she started on social media, she just had so many haters. To see Gordon just get right down on her level, look in her eyes and tell her like, ‘F*ck those people. Those people aren’t important in your life. What’s important is what you’re doing right now and that you’re happy with yourself. None of those people matter…’ When he’s with Cal in that booth and Cal’s breaking down, you can see that Gordon cares [and] that he wants to help these guys. He sees the dysfunction. He’s desperate to help any way. In Kitchen Nightmares, although it has a nightmarish name, there is an element of Gordon in this show that you don’t get anywhere else — and that’s a level of caring. You see him as a father. You see him as a business owner. You see him as a brother and a son and a chef. You just see all the sides of [him in] the show.
DEADLINE: I have to say, in the first episode, watching Gordon and the crew go through the meat fridge was really disturbing. I basically gagged with Gordon. Did you find yourself in other situations where you were unsure how you’d even handle it?
DE ANGELIS: Pretty much every time, especially with deli or diners. They’re just caverns. The underneath of that place insane. It’s a 24-hour diner. It never closes. So, there are definitely days where you walk in and go, ‘Holy mackerel, how are we going to pull this off?’ And the meat fridge is a perfect example. I mean, there there are things that I’ve seen, smelled and tasted that have forever changed how I will eat in the restaurant. No doubt. So, there are oftentimes challenges where we know it will be a big lift, but that’s why we bring in the crew that we do. We have the best crew in the business. We have the best talent in the business in Gordon Ramsay. He really made a commitment to help these places out any way we could, and we had to move a lot of mountains to do it.
DEADLINE: Now I have to ask your advice on what to look for when eating in restaurants.
DE ANGELIS: The first thing I do is go to the bathroom. I immediately check to go to the bathroom and see what state the bathroom is in, [because] it is often reflected on the state of the kitchen. With a clean bathroom, you got a better shot at having a clean kitchen, because they care enough…that’s their outward face. The most intimate outward face of a restaurant is how they keep their bathrooms.
DEADLINE: That’s a great point. I also always have to wonder how good the food will be when the menu is 40 pages, like it was at this restaurant.
DE ANGELIS: So that’s probably number two. First of all, watching the bathroom. Second of all, if the menu is too long, you might want to get out because, as you said, there’s no way that they can know everything that’s on there. There’s no way that they can keep that much food stock fresh. And there’s no way that their cooks connected to all that. Coq au vin on a menu in a diner in New York? They have a lobster tank? What in the world are they doing? To even see chef cooks in the kitchen have to look at the menu and page through it and go, ‘Oh, that’s even on our menu? No one’s even ordered that in the last month [or] year.’ However long, it’s very telling.
DEADLINE: What else is in store this season?
DE ANGELIS: Well, I think Episode 1 is one of those that is just quintessential Kitchen Nightmares with a family at war and a restaurant in chaos. I think Episode 2 is incredible in that the owners were very successful with smaller establishments and took a big swing at a bigger restaurant and were shouldered with a big realization that they were out of their league a little bit. And on top of that, they have a chef who calls himself the culinary gangster. Bobby the culinary gangster. He certainly exhibited some gangster tendencies in and out of the kitchen that certainly rubbed Gordon the wrong way. So that is another spectacular episode that I’m super excited for people to see. There’s a restaurant called El Cantito, which is in Yonkers, and it’s run by brother and sister who really, it was their mom’s dream to have a restaurant. So the sister retired early and put all her fortune into this restaurant and her brother, although he is a good chef, has just been beaten down and worn out. They opened five days before the shutdown in 2020. So they had all these grand ideas, only the world shut down and they’ve been struggling since. There’s just a lot of heart in that and getting back to the essence of what these recipes mean to this family and getting that food to elevate and be delicious and incredible. There’s another episode that we did up in Saugerties, which is in upstate New York, and it’s a young couple who have been engaged for six years, which obviously is a red flag to Gordon. Over the last year, his restaurant has really changed both of them and and certainly turned one of the owners, the chef, into a person he just is not. It was incredible to watch Gordon navigate that episode, because Gordon takes mental health in the restaurant industry very seriously in his own restaurant group. I think you’re gonna see that throughout the season as well, where Gordon really understands the mental toll that a restaurant can have on you and especially when you’re in it with a significant other. So that’s another great episode. Oh God, we’ve got a ton of them down …as I said before, all the things you love about Kitchen Nightmares built for 2023 as well.
Kitchen Nightmares premieres Monday, September 25 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
When thinking of the best French movies of the 21st century, there are some titles that leap to mind immediately, even if the past 23 years haven’t appeared to be as creatively fecund as the heady heights of the New Wave period. Celine Sciamma, François Ozon, Bruno Dumont, and Julia Ducournau have all produced stunning, instantly canonical works. But what’s interesting is to consider how expansive the idea of “Frenchness” in cinema has been this century: on the list below, Austrian Michael Haneke, Iranian Abbas Kiarostami, and American Julian Schnabel appear, with the main criterion for inclusion being simply the use of the French language.
Their inclusion does call into question a bit the idea of national cinemas. And yet, even in this highly interconnected, global 21st century, France singularly remains one of the medium’s most essential guiding lights. From the pioneer era of the Lumiere brothers to the revolutionary New Wave that expanded our understanding of film’s potential, to hosting the most important festival for world cinema each year, and being staunch defenders of the theatrical experience, France has always pushed the movies forward while reminding us what we love about them in the first place. No country did more to help propel cinema into the 20th century, and no country has done more to help sustain its integrity and its potential in the 21st.
This season finds French films back in the awards conversation with Trần Anh Hùn’s “The Taste of Things” (née “Le Pot-au-Feu” at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival) now serving as the country’s official pick for the 2024 Best International Feature Oscar. We’re not quite ready to call it one of the best French films of the 21st century (IFC Films will release it stateside this year), though we certainly loved it out of Cannes. France somewhat controversially opted for the sumptuous Juliette Binoche-starring period piece over Justine Triet’s actual Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall.”
From sultry thrillers to mind-blowing 3D experiments and one unclassifiable Palme d’Or winner, these are the best French movies of the 21st century.
Christian Blauvelt, Ryan Lattanzio, Noel Murray, and Christian Zilko also contributed to this list.
39. “Other People’s Children” (2023)
“Other People’s Children”Courtesy of Les Films Velvet/George Lechaptois
Virginie Efira’s most notable follow-up to “Benedetta” couldn’t be more different. Where she wore her sexuality like a suit of armor in that film, in “Other People’s Children,” she’s all vulnerability, as internal as the medieval nun drama was an external explosion of camp. Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, Efira plays a woman in 2020s Paris assessing her life choices as she’s on the verge of menopause. She decided against having children but a relationship with a single father, and her growing bond with his young daughter, gives her a taste of parenting. And when that growing bond suddenly ripped away, quiet heartbreak ensues about what might have been, without ever plunging toward histrionics. It’s one of the most powerful portraits of a woman in her 40s in recent memory, full of details that feel incredibly lived in. It’s also one of the best portraits of contemporary Jewish life in France that’s been delivered in a long time. Hopefully, more collaborations between Efira and Zlotowski are ahead. —CB
38. “Goodbye to Language” (2014)
“Goodbye to Language”
“Godard forever!” So shouted one devout fan as the lights went down at the Cannes Film Festival before the world premiere of the reclusive French New Wave director’s latest mysterious work. The anticipation was warranted: For decades, Godard has continually showed the movie world how it’s done, with one cinematic mic drop after another that pushes every possible boundary of the medium by reinventing it from the ground up. With “Goodbye to Language,” he constructs a beguiling mashup of imagery that’s at once convoluted and brilliantly pointed, an illustration of the way that modern communication has collapsed in an era overrun by digital ephemera. His use of 3D technology is similarly overwhelming, but not devoid of purpose; experimenting with double exposure and overlapping images, he forces to viewers to experience visuals effects in a totally new way. Somewhere in the midst of this crammed assemblage, he stuffs in the story of a couple whose relationship is slowly falling apart. But the true star of “Goodbye to Language” is Godard’s innocent dog Roxie, who grows so mystified by the inanity of civilization that she flees to the countryside. It may be the closest thing we get to a late period mission statement from this secretive filmmaker, whose ambition has only deepened with time, as this endlessly rewarding provocation bears out. Godard forever, indeed. —EK
37. “La Sapienza” (2014)
“La Sapienza”
The premise of the “The Sapience” (“La Sapienza”) could easily provide fodder for a clichéd indie drama: an estranged couple travels to the countryside in a desperate attempt to raise their weary spirits, bonds with a pair of troubled teens and by helping them work through their problems, finds a renewed sense of hope. Gag. But in the hands of French-American filmmaker Eugéne Green (“The Portuguese Nun”), whose movies blend understated storytelling with literary themes, “The Sapience” is anything but familiar. Instead, the writer-director crafts a work that’s both weighted with scholarly inquiry and an undercurrent of poignancy unlike anything else. The title refers to a definition of wisdom stretching back many centuries and applied in the works of baroque 17th century Roman architect Francesco Borromini, whose work becomes as much a character in the movie as the intellectuals at its center. Green’s merging of past and present results in a powerful blend of intellectual and emotional experiences that’s also a disarming deadpan comedy. Gorgeous to a fault, it’s the rare case of a cerebral narrative that manages to be life-affirming in the process. —EK
36. “The Man on the Train” (2002)
“The Man on the Train”
From 1989 to 2002, Patrice Leconte was one of the most electric and beguiling (and under-appreciated) filmmakers in the world. His career-defining hot streak may have peaked with 1999’s singularly romantic “Girl on the Bridge,” but it ultimately came to a boil with “The Man on the Train.” The wise and altogether wonderful story of a chance encounter between a retired teacher (the great Jean Rochefort) and an aging bank robber on the brink of a big score (French icon Johnny Hallyday), “The Man on the Train” wouldn’t prove to be Leconte’s final film, but it feels like it could have been — it’s possessed by the same wistful spirit that has defined so many of cinema’s great farewells. The friendship that forms between these two grizzled men is sweet but never sentimental, and the fraternal bond that they share over the course of a single weekend is as memorable as any love story. —DE
35. “Of Gods and Men” (2010)
“Of Gods and Men”
From its early scenes, “Of Gods and Men” inhabits the sacred lives of its monastic subjects. The eight monks residing in a seemingly quaint North African mountain community go through the motions of their daily prayers, the ritualistic hymns echoing monotonously throughout their hallowed chambers. Providing medical assistance and spiritual counsel to their Muslim neighbors, they inhabit an untroubled world, but the tranquility is short-lived. The monks find their harmonious existence suddenly disrupted by bloodthirsty Islamic fundamentalists, and so begins the conundrum at the heart of the movie. Loosely based on the mysterious 1996 assassination of seven French monks in Algeria, Xavier Beauvois’ understated fifth feature takes liberties with that widely scrutinized incident, but its simplistic milieu exists out of time. Ignore the precise religious context and it stands perfectly well as a restrained look at personal convictions in the face of certain death. Each time a monk contemplates his fate, Beauvois implies a deeper process taking place beneath the surface. By keeping their eventual fate off-camera, he conveys the powerful idea that the full extent of the tragedy is unknowable, and it keeps the movie relevant to this day. —EK
34. “The Beat That My Heart Skipped” (2005)
“The Beat that My Heart Skipped”
Jacques Audiard became one of the most celebrated French filmmakers on the planet with “A Prophet” in 2009, but he had already established himself as one of the most compelling French filmmakers long before that. Riffing on (and greatly eclipsing) James Toback’s 1978 “Fingers,” 2005’s “The Beat that My Heart Skipped” is the kind of remake that justifies the very idea of remakes. A breathlessly tense thriller about a gifted musician (Romain Duris) who’s torn between a life of crime and a dream of becoming a concert pianist, Audiard’s remarkable fourth feature tells a raw gangland story with the precision of someone playing “The Mephisto Waltz.” Sexy, stressful, and elegant in a way that underworld sagas have seldom been since the days of Jean-Pierre Melville, “The Beat that My Heart Skipped” boasts Duris’ best performance, and it may very well still be Audiard’s best film. — DE
33. “Petite Maman” (2019)
“Petite Maman”Neon
Céline Sciamma’s characters open like pores soaked in hot water, and the hyper-real worlds around them — from the apartment complexes of contemporary Paris in “Girlhood” to the ravishing coast of 18th century Brittany in her masterpiece “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” — reveal themselves with such an acute sense of discovery that even the most everyday moments assume a life-altering charge. That’s never been more palpable than it is in Sciamma’s jewel-like “Petite Maman,” which finds the filmmaker literally returning to her roots for another exquisite coming-of-age story about a young girl on the precipice of some new self-understanding. Or would it be more accurate to call it a negation-of-age story? It’s true that Nelly grows up over the course of the movie, but — as Sciamma’s title suggests — the high-concept plot hinges more on Nelly’s mother getting smaller. Turning back into a dinosaur, so to speak. — DE
32. “Being 17” (2016)
“Being 17”
A slow, shaggy, hyper-naturalistic coming-of-age drama that constantly returns to the sheer violence of becoming a man, André Téchiné’s “Being 17” is a movie that isn’t the least bit afraid to dwell on how hard it can be to become who you are. Or, in this case, how much harder it can be when you’re a boy who’s in love with his bully. Co-written by Téchiné and Céline Sciamma, the film is shared between two teen boys growing up in the emotionally vivid mountains of the French Pyrenees. Damien (Kacey Mottet Klein) is white, reckless and vaguely punchable. Thomas (newcomer Corentin Fila) is bi-racial, reserved and reflexively violent. They don’t seem to like each other very much — Thomas trips Damien in the middle of class for no apparent reason — but their mutual animus is rooted in private self-doubts. It’s extraordinary to watch the two young men grapple with their newfound proximity, as Téchiné lets his characters find themselves at their own pace. It’s up to the landscape between them to express their tangled lust, the snow dunes and the mountain fog, and they speak volumes. —DE
31. “House of Tolerance” (2011)
“House of Tolerance”
There have been countless French movies about prostitutes, but none feel remotely like Bertrand Bonello’s mesmerizing “House of Tolerance.” Set within the musky parlors and bedrooms of a Paris brothel at the turn of the 20th Century, this hermetically sealed film’s closest relative is Hou Hsiao-hsien’s “Flowers of Shanghai, as both films almost never step outside and both films are so thick with opium fumes that you can’t watch either of them without getting a little high yourself. The film may be a work of fiction, but its atmosphere is so palpable that watching it feels like stepping through a portal to the past. Spreading his attention across a number of different working girls, and paying closer attention to their individual pleasures and perils than any other man ever has, Bonello carves a perverse feminist masterpiece from a place where women were denied everything but their sexual power. It’s an empowerment tale as a narcotized cinematic experience, and it builds to an ending that’s every bit as bold and provocative as the film’s scarring first shot. — DE
30. “Faces Places” (2017)
“Faces Places”
Notions of finality and (im)permanence cast a long shadow over Agnès Varda’s moving, funny, life-affirming, and altogether wonderful “Faces Places,” which finds the legendary 88-year-old auteur teaming up with a semi-anonymous street photographer named JR for a whimsical tour of the French countryside. The plan is to drive from one bucolic village to another, invite the locals to pose in the van that JR has transformed into a mobile photo booth, and paste massive print-outs of the resulting portraits onto the environments their subjects call home. Varda loves the idea, she’s compelled to “photograph faces so they don’t fall into the hole of memory.” Varda was already a woman who was destined to leave her will on film, but it’s deeply beautiful (and tons of fun) to watch this great artist commemorate the blue-collar NPCs of rural France, these farmers and postmen and laborers who are unknown in their own time. Despite how that may sound, there isn’t a whiff of condescension to be found here. Varda and JR aren’t validating their subjects, but rather asking them to help corroborate the idea that images are a way of affirming our existence, of being bigger than our bodies. —DE
Marion Cotillard’s transformation into Edith Piaf is one of the great star-making performances of the young century to date — and the platinum standard for all actors playing musical greats who lip-sync to their iconic recordings. Capturing her husky speaking voice, slight hunch, and overall frail demeanor, Cotillard channeled Piaf as someone who’s seen it all and too delicate for this world at the same time. That made her the first performer to win the Best Actress Oscar for a French-language performance. Yet “La Vie en Rose” is no actor’s showcase only. In Olivier Dahan’s hands, it’s a dynamic piece of cinema, too, with one of the most thrilling boxing sequences in recent memory — the great love of Piaf’s life was boxer Marcel Cerdan, who died in a plane crash in 1949 — one that underlines the musicality of the pugilistic arts, and the pugilistic overtones of the music business. —CB
28. “White Material” (2009)
“White Material”Criterion Collection
With “Beau Travail” set in Djibouti, Claire Denis only made her filmmaking return to West Africa, following her 1988 debut “Chocolat,” with this simmering thriller that works as a particularly potent companion to her first film. What if the French settlers in 1950s colonial Cameroon stayed on past independence and into the 21st century? Isabelle Huppert delivers a magnificent portrait of duress as Maria, by any standard the matriarch of her settler family, and she’s hellbent on keeping their lives and livelihoods intact even as a civil war roils every aspect of their lives. She believes that this country, the place of her teenage son’s birth, is her country, too, and that dubious belief, the holdover sentiment of the colonizer, leads to catastrophe. Denis crafts an especially potent mood piece here: Huppert rides standing on the back of a bus after paying ever more extravagant tolls to the rebel forces that have set up checkpoints near her home; her son goes for a languid dip in a leaf-covered pool as a nearby child soldier considers taking his life. An empathetic triumph that also manages to be one of the defining portraits of how privilege blinds one to reality. —CB
Alain Guiraudie’s perversely ambiguous and sexy-scary “Stranger by the Lake” feels like a great throwback to ’80s and ’90s queer cinema, unafraid of the collision of criminality and gay sex and how the latter in most spaces is a subterfuge enterprise. Franck (Pierre Deladonchamps) is lonely and looking for a lover in all the wrong places — or at least this one particularly very wrong place, a lakeside cruising spot for gay men of all shapes and sizes. His searching, horny gaze lands on Michele (Christophe Paou), a handsome, who cuts a Burt-Reynolds-meets-Tom-of-Finland figure and looks and tastes like danger. After Franck witnesses Michele drowning his trade in the lake, he ignores all the flashing reds and instead falls deeper and more madly into lust. Shooting gay sex scenes like hardcore porn, Guiraudie opens a window onto a world often not even cracked by most filmmakers, only to promptly shut us out with the final slam of a harrowing cut to black. —RL
It would be easy to simply peg The Mattachine Family as an LGBTQ film. It is that, but so much more, too. Relationships, friendships, and a longing for family command the spotlight in director Andy Vallentine’s heartwarming feature, which he cowrote with his screenwriter Danny Vallentine. Tapping into those universal themes elevates this emotionally rich tale, one that will not only make audiences laugh and cry on different occasions, but also inspire them to reflect on the bounty of good that exists in their lives, especially during life transitions.
The Mattachine Family is currently on the festival circuit, most recently premiering at Chicago’s LGBTQ Reeling Film Festival. The movie stars Nico Tortorella (The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Younger, Scream 4), Juan Pablo Di Pace (Fuller House, Mamma Mia), Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek), Cloie Wyatt Taylor, Heather Matarazzo (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Scream), Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Hacks), Jake Choi (Single Parents), and Colleen Foy (Quantum Leap).
If you’re a fan of feel-good films that touch upon family ties, extended family bonds, and the inner resolve that keeps people connected and committed to one another, this is your film.
Your Chosen Family
Reeling Film Festival
This film’s title was inspired by the national gay rights organization, The Mattachine Society, which was a stronghold in the 1950s. The organization came into being to help improve the rights of gay men. In doing so, it also created a vibrant network for a group of people who may not have benefited from strong familial alliances. The filmmakers briefly dips into that history lesson, but this isn’t a deep dive into that specific time period. We’re mostly floating around in the present with looks into one character’s past. In fact, The Mattachine Family feels a bit like a fever dream, at times.
Meet Thomas (Nico Tortorella). He’s an introspective photographer loving his married life with Oscar (Juan Pablo Di Pace), a former child star whose career is suddenly on the rise again. The film’s opening sequence breezily takes us through the emotional year Thomas and Oscar experienced fostering a young boy named Arthur. It changed their lives, in fact. Neither of them wanted to be a father, per se, but there was something about the experience of fostering Arthur that forever changed them.
The inevitable happens, of course, and the couple must return the boy to his mother, who’s had a go of it, too, trying to get her act together. The event triggers an avalanche of emotions as Thomas and Oscar deal with their feelings — very differently. Oscar’s budding career as a bona fide adult actor must take precedence. He’s been waiting for this big break. But Thomas was waiting for one, too. He just didn’t know it would arrive in the form of a little boy who stole his heart and made him rethink being a parent.
With Oscar away shooting a new television series, Thomas turns to gal pal Leah (Emily Hampshire offering a nice turn), who’s experiencing fertility issues in her relationship with Sonia (Cloie Wyatt Taylor). Thomas and Leah make for a fine postmodern Will & Grace duo, always propping each other up. Thomas’ other friend, Jaimie (Jake Choi), pours on the sass as if it’s on tap. It’s enough to provide some levity for brooding Thomas, but ultimately, this fella cannot ignore his surprising desire to have a family of his own. But how will that sit with Oscar?
More Than Just Queer Cinema
Reeling Film Festival
To be sure, the Vallentines know how to make queer cinema sparkle. The dialogue occasionally feels as if it’s been pulled from Brothers & Sisters from more than a decade ago, then spritzed with modern-day sweetness. It’s not a game-changer by any means. It’s challenging enough to get a film filled with diversity made, and this one stands out, nonetheless.
There are some powerful scenes here between Thomas and Oscar when they are forced to confront that they are both at a crossroads in their lives. These relationship ups and downs are captured in believable fashion by the filmmakers, who clearly understand gay relationship and the importance of community and extended families. Would this film shine just as bright were it a story about two straight people going through something similar? Perhaps. But doubtful. It’s refreshing to see different types of characters moving through different kinds of challenges, and The Mattachine Family captures that to winning ends.
The movie also insists on showing how all relationships go through their various stages of growth. This is an LGBTQ tale, sure, but it’s just as much a story about what it’s like to be human, and how vital the need for connection is. Equally interesting is watching these fine actors play things out. The cast is on the mark.
Nico Tortorella turns in a powerful performance, steeped in emotion and depth. Believable all around. It’s super fun to see Emily Hampshire here, who was a lovely staple on Schitt’s Creek. As Thomas’ friend Leah, she’s a joy to watch, and there are some great scenes featuring Leah moving through her challenges to become pregnant. Juan Pablo Di Pace turns in a grounded performance in a role that requires him to maintain solid footing while everything around him is changing. Overall, The Mattachine Family is an enjoyable outing, one that is as heartwarming and moving as it is inspiring and thought-provoking.
The Mattachine Family is playing at various film festivals and will open in wider release and VOD in the future.
With writers off the picket lines, they might consider news pitches to address what’s clearly an underfed genre: Movie star as comedienne, and we’re not talking rom-coms.
Cases in point: Well, there’s the Margot Robbie juggernaut that is “Barbie” (Warner Bros.), with its $630 million domestic/over $1.4 billion worldwide theatrical take to date. Perhaps even more relevant is “No Hard Feelings” (Sony), a totally original project that didn’t have the benefit of an iconic Mattel doll as its core IP.
As expected, “Barbie” repeated as #1 on all charts (including Google Play, back after an unexplained two-week absence). However, “Feelings” — starring and produced by Jennifer Lawrence as an Uber driver hired to elevate the confidence of a shy 19-year-old entering college — has remained on or near #1 since it hit home viewing in early August.
“Feelings” grossed $50 million in domestic theaters and another $36 million foreign, which isn’t great when it cost $45 million before marketing.
However, its home performance — initially as a $19.99 PVOD, currently $5.99 to rent — may push it into profit even before Sony reaps the benefits of its Netflix streaming deal. Its chart position has kept pace or exceeded multiple franchise titles that cost much more and had a domestic take over $100 million. Who says comedies need to be seen in theaters to thrive? Theatrical play was essential to reaping those benefits, but buzz also can be created at home.
“Barbie” continues to cost $24.99 for a three-day rental. “Feelings” at $5.99 is #2 at both iTunes and Google Play and #3 at Vudu, which calculates by revenue.
“Talk to Me” Courtesy Everett Collection
“Talk to Me” (A24) in its second week out at $19.99 is next best overall. The well-received Australian horror film is #2 at Vudu and in the top five at the other two. Three other titles made all three charts — “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (Paramount) and “Meg 2: The Trench” (Warner Bros.), both $19.99, and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Sony), now $5.99.
“Bottoms” (MGM), the sole new entry this week, is another female comedy. The low-budget gay female teen film grossed a respectable $11 million in theaters. It is #5 at iTunes (it got as high as #3); a Friday home release limited its presence on Vudu and Google Play charts. MGM made it more consumer friendly with an initial $14.99 price to own. With more than $10 per purchase going to the studio, that could be a decent revenue haul.
“Spy Kids: Armageddon”Courtesy Netflix
Netflix has a curious result atop its current top 10 movies list with “The Machine,” a $20 million comedy starring co-written, and produced by Bert Kreischer. Sony released it in late May to the tepid result of $10.5 million; this week, it beat out Robert Rodriguez’s “Spy Kids Armageddon,” a new Netflix original. Kreischer’s film didn’t work in theaters and never drew attention on VOD, but free to stream for subscribers? It found its niche.
The “Spy Kids” sequel is performing below the director’s earlier Netflix original, “We Can Be Heroes.” That 2020 effort was #1 for 10 days over its two-month presence. That’s hard to duplicate.
Two international originals, both crime thrillers, also placed on the Netflix list. From Nigeria, “The Black Book” is #3, while “Jaane Jaan” from India is #7.
iTunes and Google Play rank films daily by number of transactions. These are the listings for Monday, September 25. Distributors listed are current rights owners. Prices for all titles are for lowest for either rental or download.
7. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony) – $5.99
8. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Disney) – $19.99
9. Meg 2: The Trench (WB) – $19.99
10. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount) – $5.99
Netflix Movies
Most viewed, current ranking on Netflix’s daily chart on Monday, September 25. Originals include both Netflix-produced and acquired titles it initially presents in the U.S. Netflix publishes its own weekly top 10 on Tuesdays based on time viewed
1. The Machine (2023 theatrical release)
2. Spy Kids Armageddon (Netflix original)
3. The Black Book (Netflix Nigerian original)
4. Love at First Sight (Netflix original)
5. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013 theatrical release)
Taylor Swift went on a date with an NFL player and is now both cheer captain and on the bleachers
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of David McCallum and privileged that CBS was his home for so many years. David was a gifted actor and author, and beloved by many around the world,” the post reads. “He led an incredible life, and his legacy will forever live on through his family and the countless hours on film and television that will never go away. We will miss his warmth and endearing sense of humor that lit up any room or soundstage he stepped onto, as well as the brilliant stories he often shared from a life well-lived. Our hearts go out to his wife Katherine and his entire family, and all those who knew and loved David.”
McCallum is best remembered for his remarkable television career. After spending the 50s and early 60s in movies, including a role in the Steve McQueen hit The Great Escape, McCallum jumped to the small screen, doing guest spots on The Outer Limits and Perry Mason.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was his breakout. With his mop of blond hair and slight frame, McCallum played Illya Kuryakin opposite Robert Vaugh’s Napoleon Solo. The series followed a pair of counterespionage secret agents as they engaged in spy games marked by inventive gadgets and 60s cool. The show earned McCallum two Emmy nominations and rode the initial wave of James Bond mania to 105 episodes, several spin-off movies, and a 2015 movie starring Henry Cavill.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. 1964 – 1968 Opening and Closing Theme (With Snippets)
With the final The Man From U.N.C.L.E. movie in 1968, McCallum returned to the United Kingdom, where he became a fixture of British television on such programs as Colditz and Sapphire & Steel. He also found work in the U.S. as a guest star on Murder, She Wrote and seaQuest DSV.
McCallum found his next iconic role at CBS as a regular on NCIS. The fan-favorite chief medical examiner, Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, appeared on the show for the rest of the actor’s life. In 2021, NCIS star Mark Harmon left the series, making McCallum the only remaining original cast member.
Born September 19, 1933, in Maryhill, Glasgow, McCallum was born into a family of musicians. His father and mother, a violinist and a cellist, respectively, moved the family to London so his father could lead the London Philharmonic. However, during World War II, McCallum was evacuated from the city and returned to Scotland.
Described by his son as a “true renaissance man,” McCallum had talent far past his television roles. He also released his first novel, Once A Crooked Man, in 2016, and narrated more than 30 audiobooks. In the 60s, he recorded four albums for Capitol Records as a composer and conductor. His most famous composition, “The Edge,” received a second life as the keystone sample on Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode.”
Writers Guild of America members at risk of losing their union health plan on Oct. 1 due to the strike will have their coverage extended through the end of 2023.
The extension, which came as part of the tentative agreement announced Sunday between the guild and studios, was announced in a memo sent to members of the Producer-Writers Guild of America Pension & Health Plan on Monday from WGA West assistant executive director Lise Anderson.
“Per the tentative agreement, WGA writers who are scheduled to lose PWGA health care coverage on 10/1/23 will be extended coverage for an additional quarter through 12/31/23. The same extension applies to writers who will exhaust their COBRA eligibility,” Anderson wrote.
The extension is similar to one approved by the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan earlier this summer to extend coverage to actors who worked at least 85 days or earned at least $22,000 between July 2022 and June 2023. This was to allow health plan members who lost work due to the WGA strike that could have ensured they met the earnings requirements for coverage to maintain it through the end of the year.
WGA West declined further comment, citing the need to keep the details of the tentative agreement confidential until after it is approved by the guild board on Tuesday afternoon.
The tentative agreement was announced at around 7:15 PM PT on Sunday by the Writers Guild, who hailed it as an “exceptional” contract that would provide “meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.”
Along with approving the agreement for member presentation, the WGA West Board and WGA East Council are expected to vote on a date in which writers would formally be allowed to return to work even before the contract is ratified.
After longtime “The Voice” coach Blake Shelton bid farewell to the NBC competition show last season, Season 24 has a fresh lineup of coaches with country legend Reba McEntire taking Shelton’s red chair, in a dynamic EP Audrey Morrissey describes as a “rebirth.”
“Blake is one of a kind, and he helped create what ‘The Voice’ has become, and obviously, his charm, and his wit and his comedic chops are something really signature to him,” Audrey Morrissey told TheWrap. “With that said, this season is so funny, and I think all the coaches really, in their own way, fill the space that Blake left. It’s just a new dynamic and a new thing. It feels fresh, it feels alive, it feels new — it’s like a rebirth.”
After McEntire served as “battle advisor” for Team Blake during the show’s first ever season and was a “mega mentor” in Season 23, the Queen of Country is finally serving as a coach after first being offered the gig ahead of Season 1.
“She’s always been in the back of our minds — she has come on the show several times and she’s a wonderful mentor, and everybody knows her humor,” Morrissey said. “So with Blake leaving, it really seemed right to go back to her to see if she would be interested in joining us. And as it turned out, the timing was right for her.”
Keep reading to find out what type of approach McEntire takes as a coach, and what the new dynamic is like as McEntire joins returning coaches John Legend, Niall Horan and Gwen Stefani.
TheWrap: Now that Reba has joined, there’s a new dynamic among the judges. How have they all been interacting?
Morrissey: They are having a blast. Niall sits next to Reba and it is the cutest little relationship — she just finds him so charming, and he loves her, so there’s this sweet little love affair happening between the two of them.
They all — John, Gwen and Niall — are respecting that the Queen of country has joined them. It’s also really funny now because Gwen has returned and she’s married to Blake [and] she has had a few country hits with Blake, and she wants to get country people on her team. It’s this funny, dynamic where she’s pitching herself, like, ‘I know country and I’m married to this guy,’ but she’s also acknowledging that the queen is two chairs away. It’s been a really, really funny season.
How did the idea for McEntire to serve a a mentor first come about? Do you think you’ll try a similar strategy in the future?
It came about because we knew she was going to be a coach, so we wanted to put her in that chair again. We’ve always had mentors on the show, and it’s always been a great opportunity to see how people take to the show. Do they like it? Do they enjoy it? Is it a good fit? I think that’s something that we’ve always looked at and will continue to in the future.
How did McEntire’s time as a battle adviser and mega mentor help smooth the transition? How do you think it impacted how she coached?
[It helps to] understand, not only the process [of being a] mentor, [but also to] get a feel for what our staff and crew are like, and the house band and just the rhythms of the show. There’s such a process behind the scenes of how we work, so, I think, if nothing else, that she had the coaching down, [and] just understanding how our system works was really helpful to her as she got ready to shoot two seasons at the same time this summer, which was something new for all of us. I think we’re still trying to figure that one out, but it worked really well.
How did McEntire respond when you asked her to be a coach for this season?
She jumped at it. She was really excited [and] her reaction was thrilled. She had really enjoyed her time [on the show], and she was excited to give it a try. When we first asked her, the show hadn’t been on, she had no idea what type of tone it was [or] what type of show it was. Now she knew what that was and she was excited to give it a shot.
Why do you think it was kind of the right timing in her career to take on this opportunity?
She has a lot of knowledge to pass on. She wants to pay it forward. She has a unique perspective as being an entertainer — someone who’s taken on film and TV and musicals — and this multi-decade successful recording career. She always likes new challenges, and this was something new that she hadn’t [done before].
How would you describe her approach to being a coach?
She’s a pro, and she conducts herself that way. She passes that down, I think [her mentees] are getting not only vocal coaching, but performance coaching and how to act on stage, and also how to be a professional in this business — always be on time, always be early, always be prepared, be ready to go and to be coachable.
She herself loves to be coached; she wants to be better. She asks for critiques. She wants to give you what you want, and what you need. Here’s this incredibly successful woman, and she’s hungry for feedback, and that’s what she wants out of her team — people that will seek out advice, take the advice and act on it.
New episodes of “The Voice” premiere Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m./7 p.m. CT on NBC.
WGA members who will lose their health coverage on October 1 will be granted extended coverage through the end of the year, per the guild’s tentative agreement. The extension also applies to writers who will exhaust their COBRA benefits eligibility. WGA members will soon be voting to ratify the new deal.
Union health plans have been taking a beating since the Writers Guild went on strike on May 2, followed by SAG-AFTRA on July 14, due to a lack of employer contributions. The Motion Picture Industry Pension & Health Plans (MPIPHP), which is covering IATSE’s West Coast locals, Teamsters Local 399 and several other industry unions, is reportedly down $150 million in employer contributions during the strikes.
Several other health plans, including those covering members of the DGA, SAG-AFTRA and IATSE, have made it easier to obtain health coverage during the strikes.
Last month, trustees of the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan unanimously agreed to a one-calendar-quarter extension of health coverage for certain qualified participants who would otherwise lose coverage on Oct. 1.
And trustees of the DGA Pension & Health Plans approved a free major medical plan last month for participants who lose coverage because of the strikes. The MPIPHP has also eased requirements that their members need to qualify for health coverage in order to help participants and dependents affected by the strikes.
Salman Khan will next be seen in Tiger 3. (Image: Reddit)
In a hilarious turn of events, Salman Khan turned into a paparazzi and took photos of the camerapersons.
With celebrities having acclimatised themselves to the paparazzi culture in the country, it has become the new normal for them to have their photo taken at even the smallest of appearances. From taking their dogs on a walk to exiting a cafe after lunch, Bollywood stars are always prepared for a photo op. However, this time, Salman Khan reversed the roles and became a paparazzi for the media photographers instead.
In a video that is circulating on Reddit, Salman Khan could be seen exiting a venue in his car. As the car drove by, Salman pulled out his phone and started recording the paparazzi present there. He then smiled at the camerapersons at the venue and waved them goodbye.
Salman’s fans took over the comments section to express their appreciation for this hilarious exchange between the actor and the paparazzi. One person wrote, “Bhai ne Uno Reverse kar diya.” Another added, “That smile was contagious.” One fan wrote, “He looks really happy.”
Someone else commented, “When the papper became the papped!” One fan dialogue from the movie Kick and wrote, “Aap Devil ke peeche Devil aapke peeche, too much fun.” Referencing his upcoming movie Tiger 3, one person wrote, “Tiger ka message aa raha hai isiliye (he is happy).”
Ever since the third instalment in the Tiger franchise was first announced, fans of Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif have been waiting with bated breath for any updates on the film. Now, according to the latest reports, Tiger 3’s producer Aditya Chopra has announced that he will release a special “Tiger Ka Message” on September 27, the birth anniversary of ace filmmaker Yash Chopra.
The video is said to be a prelude to the film’s trailer and will feature Salman in his iconic spy avatar. Meanwhile, Tiger 3, directed by Maneesh Sharma, is scheduled to be released in theatres this Diwali.
Martin Scorsese is urging filmmakers to save cinema, by doubling down on his call to fight comic book movie culture.
The storied filmmaker is revisiting the topic of comic book movies in a new profile for GQ. Despite facing intense blowback from filmmakers, actors and the public for the 2019 comments he made slamming the Marvel Cinematic Universe films — he called them theme parks rather than actual cinema — Scorsese isn’t shying away from the topic.
“The danger there is what it’s doing to our culture,” he told GQ. “Because there are going to be generations now that think … that’s what movies are.”
GQ’s Zach Baron posited that what Scorsese was saying might already be true, and the “Killers of the Flower Moon” filmmaker agreed.
“They already think that. Which means that we have to then fight back stronger. And it’s got to come from the grassroots level. It’s gotta come from the filmmakers themselves,” Scorsese continued to the outlet. “And you’ll have, you know, the Safdie brothers, and you’ll have Chris Nolan, you know what I mean? And hit ’em from all sides. Hit ’em from all sides, and don’t give up. … Go reinvent. Don’t complain about it. But it’s true, because we’ve got to save cinema.”
Scorsese referred to movies inspired by comic books as “manufactured content” rather than cinema.
“It’s almost like AI making a film,” he said. “And that doesn’t mean that you don’t have incredible directors and special effects people doing beautiful artwork. But what does it mean? What do these films, what will it give you?”
His forthcoming film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” had been on Scorsese’s wish list for several years; it’s based on David Grann’s 2017 nonfiction book of the same name. He called the story “a sober look at who we are as a culture.”
The film tells the true story of the murders of Osage Nation members by white settlers in the 1920s. DiCaprio originally was attached to play FBI investigator Tom White, who was sent to the Osage Nation within Oklahoma to probe the killings. The script, however, underwent a significant rewrite.
The dramatic focus shifted from White’s investigation to the Osage and the circumstances that led to them being systematically killed with no consequences.
The character of White now is played by Jesse Plemons in a supporting role. DiCaprio stars as the husband of a Native American woman, Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), an oil-rich Osage woman, and member of a conspiracy to kill her loved ones in an effort to steal her family fortune.
Scorsese worked closely with Osage Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear and his office from the beginning of production, consulting producer Chad Renfro told Time. On the first day of shooting, the Oscar-winning filmmaker had an elder of the nation come to set to say a prayer for the cast and crew.
Staff writer Jonah Valdez contributed to this report.
The writers’ strike is as good as over! The WGA and the AMPTP were able to come to a deal that was amenable to both sides of the negotiating table. All that’s left to do is ratify the new contract.
But the impact created by the nearly five-month-long work stoppage can still be felt. The Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) must also reach an agreement with the studios before Hollywood’s actors return to work, which leaves a great many film and TV projects in a state of limbo.
Deadpool 3’s Release Date In Flux
Marvel
According to Deadline, Marvel’s hotly-anticipated Deadpool 3 isn’t very likely to hit its scheduled release date of May 3, 2024.
The main cause for this uncertainty: SAG-AFTRA is still on strike despite the situation with the Writers Guild now essentially resolved. And Deadpool 3 still has some of its footage left to shoot, with the movie reportedly being roughly seven weeks into principal photography and halfway shot, according to director Shawn Levy.
One source even remarked to Deadline that the 2024 film release calendar is “not real,” meaning that many cinematic offerings due out next year will likely get bumped from their release slots.
The Merc With a Mouth in May?
Will Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman return in time to grace the silver screen as Wade Wilson and Wolverine for Deadpool 3’s currently-slated theatrical debut?
Previously, the film was not present in a breakdown of Disney’s upcoming schedule. However, that list was labeled as non-exhaustive, so there’s a chance that the studio is still planning on May 3 for the character’s next big screen adventure.
Still, with much of the movie still needing to be shot and an intensive post-production process scheduled for the many visual effects shots, there’s a strong possibility that Deadpool 3 isn’t finished in time for May gets delayed to later in 2024.
When asked what makes actor Jack Quaid good in the role, she praised the humility he brings to the role with “Clark being down to Earth.”
She also called it “so refreshing” to see this version of Superman being “younger, more youthful, a little more playful” through Quaid’s work as the leading hero:
“Yeah, I feel like animation’s so cool, because when you watch the animation, I’m like, ‘Oh, I don’t know that it’s Jack [Quaid].’ He just sounds so good. I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s totally Clark. That’s totally Superman.’ And yeah I think, he’s just good at the humility part, again, Clark being down to Earth, so sweet, and genuine. And yeah I think it’s so refreshing to see this kind of Clark Kent/Superman, because I think all the iterations that I’m used to are very serious and very dark… Like, he’s younger, more youthful, a little more playful, fun, kinda nerdy, but just so sweet. Like the way he fumbles… And I think Jack just nailed it.”
Jimmy Olsen star Ishmael Sahid also added his own thoughts on Quaid’s performance by highlighting the “young spirit” that he brings to the character.
This is something he feels viewers can relate to, seeing the way that Quaid likely “brought himself into the character” and gave fans something they could connect to more easily:
“Well, you know, I think he was able to embody just the young essence of Clark Kent. I think a lot of times when we see Superman, it’s a lot more mature. But he brings in just that young spirit to Superman, you know? I think everybody that watches it can kind of relate to that, because, at the end of the day, when you’re watching superheroes in general, you kind of see yourself in that character. So, it’s good that we’re able to see this version of Superman in his early 20’s so to speak. So, it’s a little more relatable. So, I’m just assuming he brought himself into the character, which is always good. Especially when you’re embodying something so big as a major character.”
How Will Superman Evolve in My Adventures With Superman Season 2?
With My Adventures With Supermanalready confirmed to move forward into Season 2, fans are hopeful that Jack Quaid’s Superman will keep that same youthful and positive energy he had in Season 1.
But even with some major villains from the comics set to make their presence felt on Earth, there should be plenty of opportunity to see Clark putting that optimism on display.
Also important to remember is Jimmy Olsen’s newfound fortune from selling Flamebird, which should allow him and his two friends to go out comfortably in their everyday lives while Clark continues his run as Superman.
![Scooby Doo! And Krypto Too! Clip Follows The Search For The Justice League [EXCLUSIVE]](https://timewarnerent.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Scooby-Doo-And-Krypto-Too-Clip-Follows-The-Search-For-1200x600.jpg)
There are other covers that definitely stand on their own as well. Legend Brian Bolland brings us a version of Penguin in all his stereotypical glory. It is a wonderful old school feeling cover, where the more you look, the more details you find added to the picture. Even the main cover with art by Stefano Gaudiano and colors by Scorpio Steele is ridiculous fan service material. A full mafioso feeling indeed. David Marquez gives us a great cover featuring Penguin, Catwoman, and Agent Nuri Espinoza. But the last cover by Kael Ngu is my favorite out of a hard selection to narrow down. Kael gives us a luscious scene set specifically to draw the eye. Penguin sitting in an alley where the paper and graffiti proclaim his missing, dead self. The style is so lovely, dark, and gritty, with a cameo by Catwoman and Batman.
‘Good Will Hunting’Credit: Miramax
‘The Matrix’CREDIT: Warner Bros.
‘The Leftovers’ Credit: HBO
