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Trump-Appointed Judge Throws Out His Defamation Lawsuit Against CNN

Trump-Appointed Judge Throws Out His Defamation Lawsuit Against CNN

A Donald Trump-appointed federal judge dismissed the former president’s lawsuit against CNN on Friday, ruling that referring to his fixed election claims as “The Big Lie” didn’t directly create ties between Trump and Hitler, and thus, wasn’t defamatory.

The former president, who was found liable for defamation himself back in May, first brought his nearly $500 million lawsuit against CNN back in October of 2022. In it, he claimed that the term “The Big Lie” used by network personalities to describe his countless falsehoods about the 2020 election “wrongly links Trump with the Hitler regime in the public eye.”

But in Judge Raag Singhal’s dismissal, he ruled that “this is a stacking of inferences that cannot support a finding of falsehood” and “being ‘Hitler-like’ is not a verifiable statement of fact that would support a defamation claim.”

The dismissal also pointed out that Trump’s defamation lawsuit “alleges no false statements of fact,” meaning he wasn’t challenging the truth of what CNN was saying, just the associations he felt it created in viewers’ minds.

And, while the court noted that it does find any comparisons of anyone to Nazis “odious and repugnant,” particularly in political discourse, “bad rhetoric is not defamation when it does not include false statements of fact.”

“CNN’s use of the phrase ‘the Big Lie’ in connection with Trump’s election
challenges does not give rise to a plausible inference that Trump advocates the
persecution and genocide of Jews or any other group of people,” Judge Singhal wrote. “No reasonable viewer could (or should) plausibly make that reference.”

Florida Dave Aronberg trump indictment msnbc

A Donald Trump-appointed federal judge dismissed the

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How Much Celebrities Earn in Residual Checks by the Numbers

How Much Celebrities Earn in Residual Checks by the Numbers

Many working actors earn residual paychecks anytime that a TV show they appeared on air in reruns.

Such sums even help stars such as Mandy Moore and Glen Powell pay their living expenses between jobs.

“Ours is a fickle industry and in my 20+ years of being a performer, my career has ebbed and flowed,” Moore, who has been acting since she was a teenager, wrote via Instagram in July 2023. “I’ve had very lean years where I couldn’t get a job and those are precisely the moments when in years past, actors could rely on residuals from their past work to help them get by.”

Powell, for his part, tweeted that same month that he used to survive on residuals “for years” when he was still attempting to “make it as a working actor.”

Many actors have since seen their residual check amounts dwindle with the onset of streaming platforms. Due to the staggeringly low amounts, members of the SAG-AFTRA acting union called out the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for refusing to compromise on better terms regarding residual checks during contract negotiations. As a result, the SAG actors went on strike in July 2023 shortly after the Writers Guild of America stood up for similar causes.

Keep reading to find out how much the stars really make in residuals:

Mandy Moore

Milo Ventimiglia as Jack and Mandy Moore as Rebecca in ‘This Is Us.’ Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Moore has received 81-cent checks for streaming residuals of This Is Us, the Emmy-winning drama that she starred in between 2016 and 2022. “I was talking with my business manager who said he’s received a residual for a penny and two pennies,” she told The Hollywood Reporter on the picket lines in July 2023.

Robert Carradine

The Lizzie McGuire alum — who played Hilary Duff’s onscreen father on the Disney Channel series — once received a residual check in August 2019 for $0. While Carradine did not reveal what program the check was for, it had been sent by Walt Disney Pictures. (In addition to Lizzie, Carradine has starred in several other Disney projects.)

Carradine’s Lizzie McGuire costars have also seen similarly low residuals. Davida Williams, who played cheerleader Claire Miller, revealed on her Lizzie McGuire recap podcast in March 2023 that she usually gets a sum of $3.50 or less.

“It used to be, like, you’d have to take this huge stack of checks every month for residuals over to the bank and deposit them,” Jake Thomas (a.k.a. Lizzie’s little brother Matt) chimed in at the time. “But the huge stack would be like, ‘Oh, this is a massive stack. This is $8.’”

Kendrick Sampson

Sampson, who starred as Nathan on HBO’s Insecure between 2018 and 2021, received 56 residual checks in July 2023. However, they only totaled $86, which was not enough to cover his monthly bills, which he shared on Instagram.

William Stanford Davis

Davis, who is known for his role as Mr. Johnson on ABC’s Abbott Elementary, revealed via Instagram in July 2023 that he once got a check for 5 cents. “The postage, the paper, everything costs more than that. That’s what they think of us as actors,” he said at the time. “This is why we’re on strike for better wages, for better residuals [and] for a piece of the subscription.”

Kimiko Glenn

Kimiko Glenn on Orange is the New Black How Much Celebrities Earn in Residual Checks by the Numbers — Kimiko Glenn as Brook Soso in ‘Orange in the New Black.’ JoJo Whilden/Netflix

Glenn, who played inmate Brook Soso on Orange Is The New Black, showed off a handful of residual paystubs via TikTok in July 2023. They only amounted to $27.

Constance Marie

Marie shared a copy of her paystubs via TikTok in July 2023, noting she’s gotten between 3 cents and 74 cents in residuals for repeat viewings of Freeform’s Switched at Birth. (Marie was one of the main characters on the show for five years, even sustaining an injury from excessive American Sign Language use.)

Heather Matarazzo

The Princess Diaries star clapped back at TikTok fans’ assertions that she was rich by showing her residuals. Several of the checks were less than 10 cents each.

Jana Schmieding

How Much Celebrities Earn in Residual Checks by the Numbers — Jana Schmieding as Bev, Tamara Podemski as Teenie, Sarah Podemski as Rita, and Natalie Stadingcloud as Natalie on ‘Reservation Dogs.’ Shane Brown/FX

“To fans of my character Bev on Reservation Dogs, here’s a peek behind the IHS counter at what part of my residuals looks like for acting on a show that I love,” Schmieding tweeted in July 2023. “I pull in $.03 each quarter for UNLIMITED worldwide streams on fx/hulu/DISNEY.”

Brandee Evans

Evans, who is best known for her role as Mercedes Woodine on P-Valley, got three residual checks in July 2023 for $3.99, $4.67 and 1 cent, respectively.

Many working actors earn residual paychecks anytime

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Storylines I Wish I Could See On The Office In 2023

Storylines I Wish I Could See On The Office In 2023

As much as he would hate remote work, Michael would love video calls and demand his employees keep their cameras on. Something tells me someone would accidentally reveal themselves to be nude, Jeffrey Toobin-style. Creed feels like a strong contender, though it could be Stanley, given his penchant for relaxing in the tub with a glass of red wine.

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Cosmo Whyte's art tells stories of "archival explorations"

Cosmo Whyte’s art tells stories of “archival explorations”

On one of the first truly hot days of the summer, Cosmo Whyte stood near an open window in his sun-soaked Fashion District studio space, his mellow voice nearly drowned out by the constant racket coming from a neighboring construction site and I-10 traffic congestion.

“As hectic as this area is, there are moments that I absolutely love it. There’s some of these side streets that remind me of Jamaica,” he said, reminiscing about his home country.

Whyte ran his fingers along the strands of a metal beaded curtain hanging against the wall, a work in progress that would ultimately become a focal point in “Hush Now, Don’t Explain,” his solo show that opened at the Anat Ebgi Fountain gallery on July 27.

Jamaican-born artist Cosmo Whyte is photographed with his piece, “Agitation 3- Catching Hands, 2023,” charcoal and gouache on paper at Anat Ebgi gallery.

(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

He moved to Los Angeles last year, having left a teaching position at Florida State University to take on an assistant professor role teaching Beginning and Advanced Drawing to undergraduate and graduate students at UCLA’s School of the Arts and Architecture. He began working on pieces for the exhibit having barely settled into his new home, and with only two weeks before the fall 2022 semester started.

The curtain, entitled “4/4 Timing,” was the final thing Whyte needed to complete before the exhibition’s premiere. It’s one of five that will cascade from a 10-foot-tall metal structure installed in the center of the gallery, through which visitors are encouraged to pass. The beads had already been primed. Next, he had to meticulously coat each strand with several gradated shades of gray spray paint to create an image that would only be clearly visible when viewed at a distance. Once done, the work would join a collection of the interdisciplinary artist’s works, including charcoal drawings and a neon installation.

“I’m thinking of the show as different forms of archival explorations,” Whyte said.

As part of his practice, he routinely scours photographic archives — from Getty’s massive digital holdings to the pages of Jamaican periodicals — in search of enthralling images to reinterpret as the otherworldly drawings and topical sculptures that are his signature. For this show, he’s also presenting elements pulled from his own personal archives.

Cosmo Whyte is photographed blurring between two of his works.

The show’s title is, in part, an homage to his late father — it’s a refrain from a Nina Simone song, one of the elder Whyte’s favorite singers. The interactive metal structure marks the start of a posthumous collaboration with his father, who worked as an architect in Jamaica before his passing in 2005. Its design layout was inspired by a blueprint drawing pulled from his father’s office files. The beaded curtain entrance is also a nostalgic nod to Whyte’s childhood — the throwback home décor element was a frequent fixture in the homes he visited while growing up.

“A lot of the work points back to domestic spaces and I’m realizing more and more as I progress in my practice, it comes from that experience of growing up with an architect,” the artist said. “He’d always been interested in how space functions at different times of the day. His engagement with the history of landscapes was always fascinating to me too. And he was my first art teacher; he taught me how to draw.”

Whyte regards this show as being in conversation with his previous exhibitions, which have centered on themes of immigration, colonialism and civil disobedience, with Black figures depicted in scenes of protest, pageantry and solemnity. “Hush Now” features works in which he employs “a redaction of information” — subjects’ faces are pixelated, blurred or obscured, at once protecting their privacy and thwarting surveillance.

Cosmo Whyte is photographed with his beaded curtain piece.

For the indistinct image painted on the beads of “4/4 Timing,” he referenced a 2015 Getty-sourced photograph of a group of young protesters using their bodies to block a Ferguson, Mo. highway in commemoration of the murder of Michael Brown.

“It’s this beautiful moment where they’re lying in the street and it’s raining,” he explained. “The expressions on their faces are so beautiful, but it’s also such a charged moment. Then, when you walk through the beads, it sort of activates the movement of the rain and the prone bodies start to move.”

He returns to the subject of Black protest because “the conditions are such that we constantly have to take to the streets to demand more.” Without knowing the details of the source image, the viewer could just as easily imagine the scene of injustice and social unrest being captured in the Jim Crow South, during the Brixton riots that swept London in 1981, or even in present-day Paris.

“He’s unearthing histories and he’s able to bring these histories into our current moment,” said Anat Ebgi, whose galleries have exhibited Whyte’s work since 2019, including a previous solo show in November 2020. “He’s looking at the world holistically. I feel like his practice is a way of creating a universal story of migration, immigration, transience, what is home and where is home.”

Cosmo Whyte sits in front of one of his artworks.

Brett Steele, dean of UCLA Arts, praised Whyte’s approach to drawing the human figure and commented: “Cosmo brilliantly speaks to a moment where art — particularly painting and drawing — is really focused on identity and how identity is represented, presented and exists in public and contested spaces. Cosmo’s work is fantastic on that front, particularly in the way he brings it in contact with the migrant experience and connects it back to his own life experience.”

Whyte is already devising future works to further his work’s overarching “conversation.” That includes building more structures based on his father’s architectural drawings. He’ll also maintain his focus on migration.

“Especially as we think about so much displacement coming down the pipeline with climate change, migration is an issue that needs to be tackled,” he concluded. “And the more voices added to that issue, the better.”

‘Hush Now, Don’t Explain’

Where: Anat Ebgi Fountain gallery, 4859 Fountain Avenue, Los Angeles
When: Tuesdays — Saturdays, 10am — 5pm. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Through September 9.
Info: (323) 407 6806, info@anatebgi.com

On one of the first truly

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Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr, What If

New Photo Reveals Iron Man’s Big Upgrade

Tony Stark’s Iron Man receives an unusual upgrade in an upcoming episode of the MCU’s What If…? Season 2 series on Disney+.

What If…? Season 1 ended on a high note after an epic finale featuring the Guardians of the Multiverse.

However, a confusing scene was included in Episode 9 as the Watcher drops by a universe where fans can see Iron Man wearing a new suit of armor alongside Gamora, who is donning Thanos’ armor.

Iron Man’s Special What If Armor Gets the Spotlight

Hot Toys released a new look at Iron Man’s Sakaarian armor from the MCU’s What If…? animated series.

Hot Toys

Tony Stark’s new armor is quite bulky and it is expected to be filled with tricks and toys from Sakaar. Given that Sakaar is described as a trash planet, Tony could’ve literally built and upgraded his armor with a box of scraps.

This official new What If…? Iron Man figure was initially set to be part of the show’s marketing for its debut season.

What If...? — Marvel Studios

However, in October 2021, What If…? head writer A.C. Bradley eventually confirmed that the Iron Man and Gamora crossover episode was supposed to be in Season 1, but it was pushed back to Season 2 due to the pandemic:

“… due to the COVID pandemic, one of our animation houses was hit incredibly hard, and the episode needed to be pushed into Season 2, because it would not be finished in time. Given everything that we’ve all went through over the past two years, pushing an episode of television is absolutely nothing in comparison. And we understood.”

Bradley also teased that “everyone’s going to be surprised by the way Gamora gets [Thanos’] armor:”

“We hope fans enjoy the ride next year… I think everyone’s going to be surprised by the way Gamora gets that armor, and how her relationship with Tony evolves, because they’re obviously good friends in that bit that we see. So, it will be a fun universe to see, hopefully, next year… It is a promise of more stories to come.”

How Did Tony Stark Upgrade His Armor on Sakaar? (Theory)

Given that Tony Stark is known for being resourceful, it isn’t surprising that he managed to upgrade his Iron Man armor while on a distant planet like Sakaar.

Based on the design, it’s possible that Stark used his charm and wit to outsmart Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster, with him potentially earning the trust of Sakaar’s leader.

As a result, he could’ve gained access to the Grandmaster’s ships, resulting in a boost in the various parts of his armor.

On the flip side, Stark could’ve worked with Gamora to steal some of the Grandmaster’s belongings in order to improve his armor.

Hopefully, What If…? Season 2 will push Stark’s resourcefulness into the forefront.

What If…? Season 2 has no release date yet.

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DC Wasted 31 Years, 3 Movies & $500M Just To Insult Michael Keaton's Batman

DC Wasted 31 Years, 3 Movies & $500M Just To Insult Michael Keaton’s Batman

Summary

Warner Bros. failed to do justice to Michael Keaton’s iconic Batman character despite his highly anticipated return in “The Flash.”
Keaton’s Batman role helped establish the dark and realistic portrayal of the character, becoming a reference point for the genre as a whole.
While there were plans for Keaton’s Batman to appear in other DCEU projects, including “Batgirl” and “Aquaman 2,” they were ultimately scrapped due to franchise shakeups and cancellations.

Warner Bros. spent hundreds of millions of dollars insulting the legacy of Michael Keaton’s Batman across The Flash, Batgirl, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Although the DCEU ran into countless obstacles during its 10-year run, it achieved several admirable feats such as a large cast of talented actors, the rise in popularity of lesser known or oft-maligned characters like Peacemaker and Aquaman, and the positive reception of movies like Wonder Woman and Shazam!. Moreover, the DCEU pulled off another huge achievement before its inevitable reboot in the form of Michael Keaton’s Batman return.

More than three decades after his DC debut, Michael Keaton finally reprised his iconic Batman role in The Flash. Even before the movie hit theaters, Warner Bros. was already working on multiple projects that featured Keaton’s Batman. With more than five live-action Batman actors in between performances, Keaton could have broken a record, having played the first big-screen Dark Knight and the latest one and possibly surpassing Ben Affleck’s DCEU appearance record in the near future. Unfortunately, not only was Michael Keaton’s return cut short, but it also failed to live up to his legacy.

Michael Keaton’s Batman Return Deserved Something Special After 31 Years Of Waiting

Following the work of comic book artists and writers like Neal Adams and Frank Miller, Michael Keaton finished cementing Batman as a dark and realistic superhero in live-action, as opposed to Adam West’s lighthearted portrayal in the 1960s Batman TV show. Along with Christopher Reeve’s Superman, Michael Keaton’s Batman also helped pioneer what would later become the golden age of superheroes on the big screen. Keaton only returned for 1991’s Batman Returns, but he remained a reference point for both the character and the genre as a whole throughout the years.

The return of such an iconic figure warrants a solid script and a well-thought-out journey for the character, or at least an appropriate farewell. But while Michael Keaton’s Batman is a highlight of The Flash, he doesn’t have enough room to develop as a character. Keaton’s Batman provides the resources that allows both Barry Allens to save Supergirl, fight Zod, and travel back in time, but other than a couple of exciting fight scenes and a brief realization that he still retains his heroic spirit, Batman only works as a plot device in The Flash before getting left to die in a different universe alongside Supergirl.

Related: The Flash’s Hidden Michael Keaton Batman Backstory Makes His Ending Even Sadder

DC’s Michael Keaton Batman Plans Could Have Been Great

Michael Keaton Justice league snyder cut batman beyond

As revealed by behind-the-scenes footage featuring Michael Keaton in the same set as The Flash‘s final scene, Keaton’s Batman was set to appear as the definitive DCEU Batman during The Flash‘s ending, replacing Ben Affleck’s version of the character. Keaton also completed his scenes in Batgirl, where he played a supporting role as a mentor to Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon. At some point, Keaton’s Batman was set to appear in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. And according to director Kevin Smith, Michael Keaton could have eventually returned for a Batman Beyond movie, where he would have likely mentored the titular Batman, Terry McGinnis.

Michael Keaton’s multiple appearances as Batman not only would have softened the blow of losing Ben Affleck’s Batman, but they would have also opened the gates for many innovative stories centered on the Dark Knight that have little chance to happen without Keaton. Audiences would have seen Batman’s first steps as a hero in 1989’s Batman and 1991’s Batman Returns, as well as his twilight years in future DCEU movies, where an older Bruce Wayne would have raised a new generation of DC heroes. In a way, Michael Keaton could have opened and closed an entire era of Batman history.

What Went Wrong With Michael Keaton’s Batman Return (From Batgirl To The Flash & Aquaman 2)

Michael Keaton's Batman in Batgirl and Aquaman 2

Unfortunately, Michael Keaton got caught in the DCEU’s chaotic shakeups and the franchise’s early conclusion. First, The Flash was riddled with logistical issues, delays, and script changes, not to mention Ezra Miller’s controversial behavior, which ended up affecting The Flash‘s reception. Keaton’s performance as Batman was clouded by The Flash‘s poor CGI and VFX, as well as its problematic cameos and messy script. To top it off, news about the DCEU’s impending reboot lowered interest in The Flash, and George Clooney’s joke cameo as Batman proved to be a rather confusing conclusion to the story.

Meanwhile, poor test screenings and a string of cancelations at Warner Bros. Discovery resulted in Batgirl getting shelved despite being almost fully completed. Without Batman’s supporting role in Batgirl and with Keaton’s absence in The Flash‘s ending, there was no longer any reason for Keaton’s Batman to return in the DCEU, especially considering that the franchise would be rebooted soon. Therefore, Keaton’s Batman scenes in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom were also scrapped, and the Aquaman sequel no longer features any version of Batman in it. As for Batman Beyond, it became clear that the project was no longer a possibility as soon as Batgirl was canceled.

Related: Everything We Lost With The Batgirl Cancellation

Will Michael Keaton’s Batman Ever Return Again?

Michael Keaton's Batman Suit in 1989

Since the DC Universe will try to avoid the DCEU’s mistakes, its new Batman will likely be the only active version of the character in that franchise since his introduction in The Brave and the Bold. In fact, the DC Universe will also encompass animation and gaming, so The Brave and the Bold‘s Batman actor will likely reprise his role in other media as well. Of course, Robert Pattinson will also star in the sequels to Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which are set in their own Elseworlds universe. But beyond those two versions, Batman is unlikely to be played by any other actor, new or old.

Nevertheless, the possibility of Michael Keaton’s Batman return isn’t completely off the table. When the new DC Universe is developed enough to justify a franchise-wide event like Crisis on Infinite Worlds, iconic DC actors like Michael Keaton, Henry Cavill, and Ben Affleck could reprise their roles once again. Just like Keaton’s Batman return would have seemed impossible just a few years before The Flash, the current circumstances could be making a similar scenario seem more unlikely than it actually is at this point. Still, it’s too early to predict any surprise of that caliber, so Michael Keaton’s Batman appearance in The Flash will remain his last for the time being.

Key Release Dates

Summary Warner Bros. failed to

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FFXIV Director Naoki Yoshida Teases Dawntrail New Jobs Via Strange T-Shirt

FFXIV Director Naoki Yoshida Teases Dawntrail New Jobs Via Strange T-Shirt

During the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest keynote on July 28, 2023, director Naoki Yoshida teased fans about the two new jobs coming in the next expansion, Dawntrail. While not mentioning the jobs, Yoshida revealed a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt, sending fans wild. What could it mean?

Yoshi-P, What Does the T-Shirt Mean?

Image via Square Enix

While we don’t have any idea what the shirt could be hinting at, we do know that the two new job additions will be DPS. A new melee DPS job and a new magical ranged DPS. Could we see the highly requested Beastmaster job? Or maybe a pirate themed-job like Corsair?

The t-shirt in question features all four of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with the words “Mutant Myahem” at the bottom. This will surely drive fans wild for the next few months until we get more information about the two new jobs.

Until then, we’ll have to wait and chew on everything we saw in the CG reveal trailer for the next expansion Dawntrail which launches in the Summer of 2024. It will be a while before we get more information on this expansion because it’s still roughly a year away.

For now, sit back, relax, and watch the new Dawntrail trailer. It will be our new hyper fixation. How do we end up going to the New World of Tural? When will Yoshi-P tell us about these jobs? How do the Ninja Turtles factor into all of this? Most importantly, why is Naoki Yoshida wearing two layers of black in over 100-degree heat? Hopefully, some of our questions will be answered sooner rather than later.

Check out the full Keynote for Final Fantasy XIV below:

About the Author

Jesse Vitelli

Jesse loves most games, but he really loves games that he can play together with friends and family. This usually means late nights in Destiny 2 or FFXIV. You can also find him thinking about his ever-expanding backlog of games he won’t play and being constantly dehydrated. Do not contact him.

During the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest

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Kanye West Has Twitter Restored Eight Months After Swastika Ban – Deadline

Kanye West Has Twitter Restored Eight Months After Swastika Ban – Deadline

Kanye West has had his Twitter account reactivated, following a ban of almost eight months for offensive content.

The US artist – more recently known as Ye – had his account suspended in December 2022, when he was accused of violating the platform’s rules which prohibit incitement to violence.

Ye had posted a series of tweets, including one appearing to show a swastika and the Star of David.

His account, which has 31.5million followers, will be ineligible for monetization and no ads will appear next to his posts, according to New York Times tech reporter Ryan Mac. He also explains the “gold tick” next to Ye’s name – one of site owner Elon Musk’s innovations for official business accounts (which can usually run ads and enjoy increased distribution).

Ye was previously suspended from Instagram for a 24-hour period in March 2022 for using a racial slur in reference to comedian Trevor Noah. Then, in October, he was locked out of both Twitter and Instagram, after posting anti-Semitic material. At that time, his clothing brand partner Adidas cut ties with the controversial musician, saying the company “did not tolerate anti-Semitism and any other sort of hate speech.”

Anti-Semitism groups have begun to voice their distress at the rapper’s reinstatement, with the Stop Antisemitism organization tweeting today, “We are disgusted to see antisemite Kanye West unbanned by Twitter. What was once a platform for debate and discussion has simply become a cesspool for bigots to spew their hatred.”

Ye is yet to post on the site, which has been rebranded to ‘X’ during his absence. Another high-profile returner is Donald Trump, reinstated last November after Musk conducted a public poll which revealed a 51.8% result in favour of Trump’s return. Like Ye, he has to post anything since his return.

Kanye West has had his Twitter account

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San Francisco Inspectors Still Can’t Inspect Elon Musk’s New ‘X’ Sign on HQ – Deadline

San Francisco Inspectors Still Can’t Inspect Elon Musk’s New ‘X’ Sign on HQ – Deadline

The San Francisco Department of Building and Inspection says it has been unable to inspect a new black “X” logo on the roof of Elon Musk’s social media company formerly known as Twitter for two days in a row after the company declined access to the structure.

It’s the latest in the push and pull between the city and Musk since he formally changed Twitter’s name to X this past week as part of the company’s overhaul following Musk’s $44 billion acquisition in October.

On Tuesday, an attempt to remove the company’s iconic blue-bird sign and logo from its Market Street headquarters was rebuffed by city officials who said there was no permit filed, leaving only the “er” remaining from the Twitter logo and one of the birds de-blued.

Fast forward to Friday, when a large black X was erected on the roof of the building, prompting a notice of violation filed with the city for work done without a permit. Any replacement letters or symbols require a permit to ensure “consistency with the historic nature of the building” and to make sure additions are safely attached to the sign, said Patrick Hannan, spokesperson for the Department of Building Inspection.

According to the department’s complaint page after a “notice of violation” was filed, the inspector assigned to the case on Friday “spoke with Tweeter [sic] representatives and Building maintenance engineer representatives. I explained BID’s complaint investigation process and requested access to roof area. Tweeter [sic] representative decline to provide access but did explain that the structure is a temporary lighted sign for an event. I explained to all representatives that the NOV requires the structure to be remove with a building permit or legalize.”

On Saturday, the same inspector reported a “2nd attempt to gain access was performed on 7/29/23 after conversations with property manager on 7/28/23. However, upon arrival access was denied again by tenant. The original NOV document issued on 7/28/23 was redrafted and issued on 7/29/23.”

Despite all of it, Musk pinned an post atop his X page overnight showing the lit X logo on the roof — and wrote he was committed to X staying in San Francisco despite the city being in a “doom spiral with one company or another left or leaving.”

“Many have offered rich incentives for X (fka Twitter) to move its HQ out of San Francisco,” he wrote. “Moreover, the city is in a doom spiral with one company after another left or leaving. Therefore, they expect X will move too. We will not. You only know who your real friends are when the chips are down. San Francisco, beautiful San Francisco, though others forsake you, we will always be your friend.”

The San Francisco Department of Building and

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‘Twisted Metal’: Stephanie Beatriz on Torturing Her Friends With Nickelback (Exclusive)

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Megan Fox Shuts Down Critics Over Posting Her Nail Tech's GoFundMe Instead of Paying for It Herself

Megan Fox Shuts Down Critics Over Posting Her Nail Tech’s GoFundMe Instead of Paying for It Herself

JUL 28,2023

'The Parent Trap' Turns 25: Lindsay Lohan Explains How She Played Twins in First ET Interview

‘The Parent Trap’ Turns 25: Lindsay Lohan Explains How She Played Twins in First ET Interview

JUL 28,2023

JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers on Marriage, Babies and Life in Puerto Rico (Exclusive)

JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers on Marriage, Babies and Life in Puerto Rico (Exclusive)

JUL 27,2023

‘Naked & Afraid’s Candice and Na’im on Why They Returned and How Their Families Feel (Exclusive)

‘Naked & Afraid’s Candice and Na’im on Why They Returned and How Their Families Feel (Exclusive)

JUL 27,2023

Mick Jagger Celebrates 80th Birthday With Leonardo DiCaprio, Lenny Kravitz and More!

Mick Jagger Celebrates 80th Birthday With Leonardo DiCaprio, Lenny Kravitz and More!

JUL 27,2023

'The View': Whoopi Goldberg Says She's Always Known Aliens Exist

‘The View’: Whoopi Goldberg Says She’s Always Known Aliens Exist

JUL 27,2023

Featured

Bryan Cranston Rallies Fellow Actors During SAG-AFTRA Strike at Protest in New York City

Bryan Cranston Rallies Fellow Actors During SAG-AFTRA Strike at Protest in New York City

JUL 25, 2023

‘Haunted Mansion’: Rosario Dawson on Feeling the ‘Presence’ of Past Loved Ones (Exclusive)

‘Haunted Mansion’: Rosario Dawson on Feeling the ‘Presence’ of Past Loved Ones (Exclusive)

JUL 25, 2023

Inside 'Barbie's Set, the Pink Shortage, Margot's Favorite and More Behind-the-Scenes Secrets!

Inside ‘Barbie’s Set, the Pink Shortage, Margot’s Favorite and More Behind-the-Scenes Secrets!

JUL 13, 2023

Margot Robbie's 'Barbie' Fashions: All the Real Dolls She Channeled

Margot Robbie’s ‘Barbie’ Fashions: All the Real Dolls She Channeled

JUL 11, 2023

Why Robert Downey Jr. Calls Cillian Murphy's 'Oppenheimer' Transformation 'Bananas' (Exclusive)

Why Robert Downey Jr. Calls Cillian Murphy’s ‘Oppenheimer’ Transformation ‘Bananas’ (Exclusive)

JUL 17, 2023

Serena Williams’ Daughter Olympia is Not Impressed by Dad Doing Her Hair

Serena Williams’ Daughter Olympia is Not Impressed by Dad Doing Her Hair

JUL 17, 2023

Aubrey Plaza’s Best Deadpan and Self-Deprecating ET Interview Moments

Aubrey Plaza’s Best Deadpan and Self-Deprecating ET Interview Moments

JUL 18, 2023

Lindsay Lohan Is Officially a Mom! Learn the Little One’s Name

Lindsay Lohan Is Officially a Mom! Learn the Little One’s Name

JUL 17, 2023

Prince George and Princess Charlotte Scream in the Stands at Wimbledon

Prince George and Princess Charlotte Scream in the Stands at Wimbledon

JUL 17, 2023

Khloé Kardashian Clarifies Why She Called Herself Dream's Third Parent

Khloé Kardashian Clarifies Why She Called Herself Dream’s Third Parent

JUL 13, 2023

Suspect Arrested in Connection to Robert De Niro's Grandson Leandro's Death

Suspect Arrested in Connection to Robert De Niro’s Grandson Leandro’s Death

JUL 14, 2023

Mama June and Daughters on Anna ‘Chickadee’s ‘Terminal’ Cancer Diagnosis (Exclusive)

Mama June and Daughters on Anna ‘Chickadee’s ‘Terminal’ Cancer Diagnosis (Exclusive)

JUL 13, 2023

Kim Kardashian Says She’s Grateful for Lamar Odom’s Public Support

Kim Kardashian Says She’s Grateful for Lamar Odom’s Public Support

JUL 13, 2023

'The Summer I Turned Pretty': Go Behind the Scenes of Season 2 With Lola Tung (Exclusive)

‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’: Go Behind the Scenes of Season 2 With Lola Tung (Exclusive)

JUL 12, 2023

Zayn Malik Opens Up About Co-Parenting With Gigi Hadid and Alleged Yolanda Hadid Incident

Zayn Malik Opens Up About Co-Parenting With Gigi Hadid and Alleged Yolanda Hadid Incident

JUL 12, 2023

'Mission: Impossible 7': Tom Cruise Shares What Ethan Hunt Taught Him (Exclusive)

‘Mission: Impossible 7’: Tom Cruise Shares What Ethan Hunt Taught Him (Exclusive)

JUL 11, 2023

'Australia's Thunder From Down Under' Dancers Spill on HGTV's 'Flip the Strip' (Exclusive)

‘Australia’s Thunder From Down Under’ Dancers Spill on HGTV’s ‘Flip the Strip’ (Exclusive)

JUL 10, 2023

Simu Liu Admits ‘Barbie’ Choreography Is Tougher Than ‘Shang-Chi’ Fight Scenes! (Exclusive)

Simu Liu Admits ‘Barbie’ Choreography Is Tougher Than ‘Shang-Chi’ Fight Scenes! (Exclusive)

JUL 10, 2023

'The Witcher' Season 3 Cast on Henry Cavill's Departure and What to Expect From Vol. 2 (Exclusive)

‘The Witcher’ Season 3 Cast on Henry Cavill’s Departure and What to Expect From Vol. 2 (Exclusive)

JUN 30, 2023

News

2023 Emmys Postponed Due to Hollywood Strikes

2023 Emmys Postponed Due to Hollywood Strikes

0M AGO

Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter's Sweetest Couple Moments

Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter’s Sweetest Couple Moments

2H AGO

Inside Todd Chrisley's 'Horrendous' Prison: No AC, No Plumbing and Possible Mold, Lawyer Says

Inside Todd Chrisley’s ‘Horrendous’ Prison: No AC, No Plumbing and Possible Mold, Lawyer Says

2H AGO

Travis Scott Seemingly Dishes Kylie Jenner's Rumored Boyfriend Timothée Chalamet

Travis Scott Seemingly Dishes Kylie Jenner’s Rumored Boyfriend Timothée Chalamet

2H AGO

Khloé Kardashian Reveals Son Tatum’s Face to Celebrate 1st Birthday

Khloé Kardashian Reveals Son Tatum’s Face to Celebrate 1st Birthday

3H AGO

Megan Fox Shuts Down Critics Over Posting Her Nail Tech's GoFundMe Instead of Paying for It Herself

Megan Fox Shuts Down Critics Over Posting Her Nail Tech’s GoFundMe Instead of Paying for It Herself

5H AGO

JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers on Marriage, Babies and Life in Puerto Rico (Exclusive)

JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers on Marriage, Babies and Life in Puerto Rico (Exclusive)

21H AGO

'The View': Whoopi Goldberg Says She's Always Known Aliens Exist

‘The View’: Whoopi Goldberg Says She’s Always Known Aliens Exist

JUL 27, 2023

Atiana De La Hoya Emotionally Recalls Dad Oscar's Absence in Her Life

Atiana De La Hoya Emotionally Recalls Dad Oscar’s Absence in Her Life

JUL 27, 2023

Tori Kelly ‘Overwhelmed by All of the Love’ as She Remains Hospitalized

Tori Kelly ‘Overwhelmed by All of the Love’ as She Remains Hospitalized

JUL 27, 2023

Sinéad O'Connor Dead at 56: New Details

Sinéad O’Connor Dead at 56: New Details

JUL 27, 2023

Sinéad O'Connor Shared Heartbreaking Message About Son's Suicide Days Before Her Death

Sinéad O’Connor Shared Heartbreaking Message About Son’s Suicide Days Before Her Death

JUL 27, 2023

Selena Gomez Praises ‘Special Human Being’ Francia Raísa Following Public Feud

Selena Gomez Praises ‘Special Human Being’ Francia Raísa Following Public Feud

JUL 27, 2023

Tristan Thompson and Brother Amari Move in With Khloé Kardashian After Mom's Death

Tristan Thompson and Brother Amari Move in With Khloé Kardashian After Mom’s Death

JUL 27, 2023

Kylie Jenner Reveals She Got a Boob Job Years After Denying It

Kylie Jenner Reveals She Got a Boob Job Years After Denying It

JUL 27, 2023

Why Kimora Lee Simmons Burst Into Tears on Disneyland Trip With Her Kids

Why Kimora Lee Simmons Burst Into Tears on Disneyland Trip With Her Kids

JUL 27, 2023

Tori Kelly Health Update: Star ‘Smiling Again’ After Hospitalization for Blood Clots

Tori Kelly Health Update: Star ‘Smiling Again’ After Hospitalization for Blood Clots

JUL 26, 2023

Sinéad O'Connor Addresses Tearing Photo of Pope During 'SNL' Performance (Flashback)

Sinéad O’Connor Addresses Tearing Photo of Pope During ‘SNL’ Performance (Flashback)

JUL 26, 2023

Beyoncé’s Mom Tina Knowles Splits From Richard Lawson After 8 Years of Marriage

Beyoncé’s Mom Tina Knowles Splits From Richard Lawson After 8 Years of Marriage

JUL 26, 2023

Inside Ariana Grande's Funniest Celebrity Impressions

Inside Ariana Grande’s Funniest Celebrity Impressions

JUL 26, 2023

On Entertainment Tonight

2023 Emmys Postponed Due to Hollywood Strikes

2023 Emmys Postponed Due to Hollywood Strikes

0M AGO

'The Parent Trap’ Turns 25: Stars Who Turned Down the Movie!

‘The Parent Trap’ Turns 25: Stars Who Turned Down the Movie!

27M AGO

Jamie Lee Curtis on How ‘Haunted Mansion’ Brings the ‘Nostalgia’ (Exclusive)

Jamie Lee Curtis on How ‘Haunted Mansion’ Brings the ‘Nostalgia’ (Exclusive)

47M AGO

Salma Hayek Shows Off Her Grays! Her Secret to Aging Gracefully

Salma Hayek Shows Off Her Grays! Her Secret to Aging Gracefully

48M AGO

How Tim McGraw Plans to Protect Himself From Fans Throwing Stuff on Stage at Standing Room Only Tour

How Tim McGraw Plans to Protect Himself From Fans Throwing Stuff on Stage at Standing Room Only Tour

57M AGO

Mick Jagger Celebrates 80th Birthday With Leonardo DiCaprio, Lenny Kravitz and More!

Mick Jagger Celebrates 80th Birthday With Leonardo DiCaprio, Lenny Kravitz and More!

JUL 27, 2023

Why Anthony Mackie Says ‘Twisted Metal’ Is Full of ‘90s Nostalgia (Exclusive)

Why Anthony Mackie Says ‘Twisted Metal’ Is Full of ‘90s Nostalgia (Exclusive)

JUL 27, 2023

Madonna's Debut Album Turns 40! Watch Rare Moments From Her ‘80s Era

Madonna’s Debut Album Turns 40! Watch Rare Moments From Her ‘80s Era

JUL 27, 2023

Watch 'The Morning Show' Season 3 Trailer Introduce Jon Hamm's Guest Star Role

Watch ‘The Morning Show’ Season 3 Trailer Introduce Jon Hamm’s Guest Star Role

JUL 27, 2023

‘Big Brother’ Turns 25! Why the Show Almost Didn’t Make It Past the First Season

‘Big Brother’ Turns 25! Why the Show Almost Didn’t Make It Past the First Season

JUL 26, 2023

‘Heels’: Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig Get Real About the Challenges of Fatherhood (Exclusive)

‘Heels’: Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig Get Real About the Challenges of Fatherhood (Exclusive)

JUL 26, 2023

Ryan Gosling's Awkward Interaction With Simu Liu at 'Barbie' Premiere Explained

Ryan Gosling’s Awkward Interaction With Simu Liu at ‘Barbie’ Premiere Explained

JUL 26, 2023

Rapper Latto Adds Spice to 'Grown-ish' in Final Season Sneak Peek (Exclusive)

Rapper Latto Adds Spice to ‘Grown-ish’ in Final Season Sneak Peek (Exclusive)

JUL 26, 2023

Britney Spears Gushes Over Being a ‘New Auntie’ After Meeting Lance Bass’ Babies

Britney Spears Gushes Over Being a ‘New Auntie’ After Meeting Lance Bass’ Babies

JUL 25, 2023

Sheryl Lee Ralph Reveals She ‘Collapsed’ After Son's Shooting

Sheryl Lee Ralph Reveals She ‘Collapsed’ After Son’s Shooting

JUL 25, 2023

‘Step Brothers’ Turns 15! John C. Reilly Reveals Which Scene Was Based on His Own Brother

‘Step Brothers’ Turns 15! John C. Reilly Reveals Which Scene Was Based on His Own Brother

JUL 25, 2023

Watch Vin Diesel Explain Dwayne Johnson's Surprise 'Fast X' Cliffhanger (Exclusive)

Watch Vin Diesel Explain Dwayne Johnson’s Surprise ‘Fast X’ Cliffhanger (Exclusive)

JUL 25, 2023

Seth Rogen Admits to Being ‘Obsessed’ With Ninja Turtles as a Kid (Exclusive)

Seth Rogen Admits to Being ‘Obsessed’ With Ninja Turtles as a Kid (Exclusive)

JUL 24, 2023

Porsha Williams on Conquering 'Stars on Mars' and What It Would Take to Return to 'RHOA' (Exclusive)

Porsha Williams on Conquering ‘Stars on Mars’ and What It Would Take to Return to ‘RHOA’ (Exclusive)

JUL 24, 2023

Zooey Deschanel Reacts to Her Best Roles: From ‘Almost Famous’ to ‘New Girl’ (Exclusive)

Zooey Deschanel Reacts to Her Best Roles: From ‘Almost Famous’ to ‘New Girl’ (Exclusive)

JUL 24, 2023

TV

'Twisted Metal': Stephanie Beatriz on Torturing Her Friends With Nickelback (Exclusive)

‘Twisted Metal’: Stephanie Beatriz on Torturing Her Friends With Nickelback (Exclusive)

1M AGO

'The Parent Trap’ Turns 25: Stars Who Turned Down the Movie!

‘The Parent Trap’ Turns 25: Stars Who Turned Down the Movie!

27M AGO

Jamie Lee Curtis on How ‘Haunted Mansion’ Brings the ‘Nostalgia’ (Exclusive)

Jamie Lee Curtis on How ‘Haunted Mansion’ Brings the ‘Nostalgia’ (Exclusive)

47M AGO

Salma Hayek Shows Off Her Grays! Her Secret to Aging Gracefully

Salma Hayek Shows Off Her Grays! Her Secret to Aging Gracefully

48M AGO

‘Big Brother’s Julie Chen Moonves Breaks Down Unexpected Season 25 Premiere Twist! (Exclusive)

‘Big Brother’s Julie Chen Moonves Breaks Down Unexpected Season 25 Premiere Twist! (Exclusive)

1H AGO

JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers on Bachelor Nation and Why Shows Need On-Set Therapy (Exclusive)

JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers on Bachelor Nation and Why Shows Need On-Set Therapy (Exclusive)

1H AGO

‘Naked & Afraid’s Candice and Na’im on Why They Returned and How Their Families Feel (Exclusive)

‘Naked & Afraid’s Candice and Na’im on Why They Returned and How Their Families Feel (Exclusive)

23H AGO

Mick Jagger Celebrates 80th Birthday With Leonardo DiCaprio, Lenny Kravitz and More!

Mick Jagger Celebrates 80th Birthday With Leonardo DiCaprio, Lenny Kravitz and More!

JUL 27, 2023

Why Anthony Mackie Says ‘Twisted Metal’ Is Full of ‘90s Nostalgia (Exclusive)

Why Anthony Mackie Says ‘Twisted Metal’ Is Full of ‘90s Nostalgia (Exclusive)

JUL 27, 2023

Madonna's Debut Album Turns 40! Watch Rare Moments From Her ‘80s Era

Madonna’s Debut Album Turns 40! Watch Rare Moments From Her ‘80s Era

JUL 27, 2023

Watch 'The Morning Show' Season 3 Trailer Introduce Jon Hamm's Guest Star Role

Watch ‘The Morning Show’ Season 3 Trailer Introduce Jon Hamm’s Guest Star Role

JUL 27, 2023

'When Calls the Heart's 100th Episode Celebration: Go Behind the Scenes! (Exclusive)

‘When Calls the Heart’s 100th Episode Celebration: Go Behind the Scenes! (Exclusive)

JUL 27, 2023

‘Big Brother’ Turns 25! Why the Show Almost Didn’t Make It Past the First Season

‘Big Brother’ Turns 25! Why the Show Almost Didn’t Make It Past the First Season

JUL 26, 2023

‘Heels’: Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig Get Real About the Challenges of Fatherhood (Exclusive)

‘Heels’: Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig Get Real About the Challenges of Fatherhood (Exclusive)

JUL 26, 2023

Jesse Williams Romances Selena Gomez in 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 3

Jesse Williams Romances Selena Gomez in ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 3

JUL 26, 2023

Ryan Gosling's Awkward Interaction With Simu Liu at 'Barbie' Premiere Explained

Ryan Gosling’s Awkward Interaction With Simu Liu at ‘Barbie’ Premiere Explained

JUL 26, 2023

'When Calls the Heart': Rosemary Doesn't Want to Wear Elizabeth's Maternity Clothes! (Exclusive)

‘When Calls the Heart’: Rosemary Doesn’t Want to Wear Elizabeth’s Maternity Clothes! (Exclusive)

JUL 26, 2023

Rapper Latto Adds Spice to 'Grown-ish' in Final Season Sneak Peek (Exclusive)

Rapper Latto Adds Spice to ‘Grown-ish’ in Final Season Sneak Peek (Exclusive)

JUL 26, 2023

Dulé Hill and Bradley Whitford Have a Mini 'West Wing' Reunion on 'The Wonder Years' (Exclusive)

Dulé Hill and Bradley Whitford Have a Mini ‘West Wing’ Reunion on ‘The Wonder Years’ (Exclusive)

JUL 26, 2023

'Twisted Metal': Samoa Joe on Crafting Sweet Tooth With Will Arnett (Exclusive)

‘Twisted Metal’: Samoa Joe on Crafting Sweet Tooth With Will Arnett (Exclusive)

JUL 25, 2023

Awards

ESPY Awards: Damar Hamlin Dances the Night Away as Shawn Johnson Shows Off Baby Bump

ESPY Awards: Damar Hamlin Dances the Night Away as Shawn Johnson Shows Off Baby Bump

JUL 13, 2023

Shawn Johnson Kisses Husband Andrew East on ESPYs Red Carpet After Baby No. 3 Announcement

Shawn Johnson Kisses Husband Andrew East on ESPYs Red Carpet After Baby No. 3 Announcement

JUL 12, 2023

H.E.R. Describes ‘Inspiring’ Advice From Oprah on ‘The Color Purple’ Musical Set (Exclusive)

H.E.R. Describes ‘Inspiring’ Advice From Oprah on ‘The Color Purple’ Musical Set (Exclusive)

JUL 12, 2023

Megan Rapinoe’s Partner Sue Bird on What's Next for the Soccer Star After Retirement (Exclusive)

Megan Rapinoe’s Partner Sue Bird on What’s Next for the Soccer Star After Retirement (Exclusive)

JUL 12, 2023

Why Nikki and Brie Garcia Will Never Be the ‘Bella Twins’ Again (Exclusive)

Why Nikki and Brie Garcia Will Never Be the ‘Bella Twins’ Again (Exclusive)

JUL 12, 2023

Coco Jones on New Collab With Justin Timberlake for Song ‘ICU’ Remix (Exclusive)

Coco Jones on New Collab With Justin Timberlake for Song ‘ICU’ Remix (Exclusive)

JUL 12, 2023

Mike Tyson on Dad Jokes and Who His Daughter Thinks Is Cooler Than Him (Exclusive)

Mike Tyson on Dad Jokes and Who His Daughter Thinks Is Cooler Than Him (Exclusive)

JUL 12, 2023

How Becky Lynch Played a Part in Making Women's Wrestling the 'Coolest Thing' on TV (Exclusive)

How Becky Lynch Played a Part in Making Women’s Wrestling the ‘Coolest Thing’ on TV (Exclusive)

JUL 12, 2023

75th Primetime Emmy Awards: Watch the Nominee Reveals!

75th Primetime Emmy Awards: Watch the Nominee Reveals!

JUL 12, 2023

2023 BET Awards: Best Performances of the Night

2023 BET Awards: Best Performances of the Night

JUN 26, 2023

BET Awards: Busta Rhymes Gets Emotional Reflecting on Fatherhood After Lifetime Achievement Win

BET Awards: Busta Rhymes Gets Emotional Reflecting on Fatherhood After Lifetime Achievement Win

JUN 25, 2023

Patti LaBelle on 'Giving It Up’ for Tina Turner During BET Awards Tribute Performance (Exclusive)

Patti LaBelle on ‘Giving It Up’ for Tina Turner During BET Awards Tribute Performance (Exclusive)

JUN 25, 2023

How Latto’s Getting Sexy With Her ‘Man’ After Best Female Hip Hop Artist Win (Exclusive

How Latto’s Getting Sexy With Her ‘Man’ After Best Female Hip Hop Artist Win (Exclusive

JUN 25, 2023

Why Ray J and Princess Love Couldn’t Go Through With Divorce (Exclusive)

Why Ray J and Princess Love Couldn’t Go Through With Divorce (Exclusive)

JUN 25, 2023

BET Awards 2023: Quavo and Offset React to Surprise Onstage Reunion (Exclusive)

BET Awards 2023: Quavo and Offset React to Surprise Onstage Reunion (Exclusive)

JUN 25, 2023

Coco Jones Shares Emotional Reaction After Winning Best New Artist at BET Awards (Exclusive)

Coco Jones Shares Emotional Reaction After Winning Best New Artist at BET Awards (Exclusive)

JUN 25, 2023

BET Awards: How GloRilla Feels After Being Honored With Six Nominations (Exclusive)

BET Awards: How GloRilla Feels After Being Honored With Six Nominations (Exclusive)

JUN 25, 2023

Jamie Foxx's Co-Star Porscha Coleman Gives Update on His Recovery After Medical Emergency

Jamie Foxx’s Co-Star Porscha Coleman Gives Update on His Recovery After Medical Emergency

JUN 25, 2023

Diddy’s Son King Combs Dishes on Family’s Upcoming Reality Show (Exclusive)

Diddy’s Son King Combs Dishes on Family’s Upcoming Reality Show (Exclusive)

JUN 25, 2023

How Abbott Elementary’s Janelle James Is ‘Standing in Solidarity’ With Writers Amid Strike

How Abbott Elementary’s Janelle James Is ‘Standing in Solidarity’ With Writers Amid Strike

JUN 25, 2023

Royals

Where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Stand Amid Divorce Rumors (Royal Expert)

Where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Stand Amid Divorce Rumors (Royal Expert)

JUL 19, 2023

Inside Prince George's 'Surprisingly Normal' Life (Royal Expert)

Inside Prince George’s ‘Surprisingly Normal’ Life (Royal Expert)

JUL 19, 2023

Wimbledon: Ariana Grande, Kate Middleton, Nick Jonas and More Stars Attend

Wimbledon: Ariana Grande, Kate Middleton, Nick Jonas and More Stars Attend

JUL 17, 2023

Prince George Eats Pizza and Smiles With Dad Prince William During Cricket Match

Prince George Eats Pizza and Smiles With Dad Prince William During Cricket Match

JUL 2, 2023

Meghan Markle Accused of Faking Spotify Interviews After $20M Deal Abruptly Ends

Meghan Markle Accused of Faking Spotify Interviews After $20M Deal Abruptly Ends

JUN 20, 2023

Prince William Responds After Troops Faint During Outdoor Rehearsal Ceremony

Prince William Responds After Troops Faint During Outdoor Rehearsal Ceremony

JUN 12, 2023

Watch Prince William's Reaction to a Man's Cheeky Comments About Kate Middleton

Watch Prince William’s Reaction to a Man’s Cheeky Comments About Kate Middleton

JUN 9, 2023

Prince Harry Gets Visibly Choked Up After Second Day of Testifying in Court

Prince Harry Gets Visibly Choked Up After Second Day of Testifying in Court

JUN 7, 2023

Prince Harry and Meghan's Daughter Lilibet's Birthday Was Not Publicly Acknowledged by Royal Family

Prince Harry and Meghan’s Daughter Lilibet’s Birthday Was Not Publicly Acknowledged by Royal Family

JUN 5, 2023

Prince Harry Loses Legal Challenge to Pay for Police Protection When He Visits the U.K.

Prince Harry Loses Legal Challenge to Pay for Police Protection When He Visits the U.K.

MAY 23, 2023

How Lionel Richie Pulled Off King Charles and Camilla's 'American Idol' Cameo (Exclusive)

How Lionel Richie Pulled Off King Charles and Camilla’s ‘American Idol’ Cameo (Exclusive)

MAY 15, 2023

Sir Karl Jenkins Speaks Out After Internet Thought He Was Meghan Markle in Disguise at Coronation

Sir Karl Jenkins Speaks Out After Internet Thought He Was Meghan Markle in Disguise at Coronation

MAY 10, 2023

Ryan Seacrest and Luke Bryan React to Katy Perry's Viral Moment at King's Coronation (Exclusive)

Ryan Seacrest and Luke Bryan React to Katy Perry’s Viral Moment at King’s Coronation (Exclusive)

MAY 8, 2023

Prince Harry's Facial Expressions Steal the Spotlight During King Charles' Coronation

Prince Harry’s Facial Expressions Steal the Spotlight During King Charles’ Coronation

MAY 8, 2023

Pretty Yende Reflects on ‘Wonderful’ Experience at King Charles’ Coronation (Exclusive)

Pretty Yende Reflects on ‘Wonderful’ Experience at King Charles’ Coronation (Exclusive)

MAY 6, 2023

King Charles' Coronation Composer 'Pinching' Himself Over 'Incredible Occasion' (Exclusive)

King Charles’ Coronation Composer ‘Pinching’ Himself Over ‘Incredible Occasion’ (Exclusive)

MAY 6, 2023

Prince Harry Leaves Coronation Alone, Skips Royal Family Procession

Prince Harry Leaves Coronation Alone, Skips Royal Family Procession

MAY 6, 2023

Watch King Charles and Queen Camilla Greet the Crowd After Coronation Ceremony

Watch King Charles and Queen Camilla Greet the Crowd After Coronation Ceremony

MAY 6, 2023

Watch Queen Camilla Get Crowned at Coronation

Watch Queen Camilla Get Crowned at Coronation

MAY 6, 2023

Princess Charlotte and Kate Middleton Share Sweet Moment While Singing at King Charles’ Coronation

Princess Charlotte and Kate Middleton Share Sweet Moment While Singing at King Charles’ Coronation

MAY 6, 2023

Movies

‘Strays’: Watch Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx Record the R-Rated Dog Comedy! (Exclusive)

‘Strays’: Watch Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx Record the R-Rated Dog Comedy! (Exclusive)

3H AGO

'The Parent Trap' Turns 25: Lindsay Lohan Explains How She Played Twins in First ET Interview

‘The Parent Trap’ Turns 25: Lindsay Lohan Explains How She Played Twins in First ET Interview

8H AGO

'Haunted Mansion' Blooper Reel: Watch Outtakes With the Cast! (Exclusive)

‘Haunted Mansion’ Blooper Reel: Watch Outtakes With the Cast! (Exclusive)

JUL 27, 2023

'Haunted Mansion': Inside the Set's Disney Ride Inspiration

‘Haunted Mansion’: Inside the Set’s Disney Ride Inspiration

JUL 26, 2023

Owen Wilson Reacts to Being Slapped by Danny DeVito in ‘Haunted Mansion’

Owen Wilson Reacts to Being Slapped by Danny DeVito in ‘Haunted Mansion’

JUL 25, 2023

‘Haunted Mansion’: Rosario Dawson on Feeling the ‘Presence’ of Past Loved Ones (Exclusive)

‘Haunted Mansion’: Rosario Dawson on Feeling the ‘Presence’ of Past Loved Ones (Exclusive)

JUL 25, 2023

'The Exorcist: Believer' Trailer No. 1

‘The Exorcist: Believer’ Trailer No. 1

JUL 25, 2023

Ice Cube on His Villainous Turn in 'TMNT' & Possible Return to 'Friday' and 'Ride Along' Franchises

Ice Cube on His Villainous Turn in ‘TMNT’ & Possible Return to ‘Friday’ and ‘Ride Along’ Franchises

JUL 25, 2023

Watch Jason Momoa, Vin Diesel and More Crack Up in 'Fast X' Gag Reel (Exclusive)

Watch Jason Momoa, Vin Diesel and More Crack Up in ‘Fast X’ Gag Reel (Exclusive)

JUL 25, 2023

‘TMNT: Mutant Mayhem’: Seth Rogen on Casting Actual Teenagers and Having Dreadlocks in High School

‘TMNT: Mutant Mayhem’: Seth Rogen on Casting Actual Teenagers and Having Dreadlocks in High School

JUL 24, 2023

Ayo Edebiri on Bringing April O'Neil to Life in 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' (Exclusive)

Ayo Edebiri on Bringing April O’Neil to Life in ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ (Exclusive)

JUL 24, 2023

BTS' Jimin Thanks Ryan Gosling for Gifting Him His 'Barbie' Guitar After Outfit Twinning

BTS’ Jimin Thanks Ryan Gosling for Gifting Him His ‘Barbie’ Guitar After Outfit Twinning

JUL 24, 2023

'Abducted By My Teacher: The Elizabeth Thomas Story' Official Trailer (Exclusive)

‘Abducted By My Teacher: The Elizabeth Thomas Story’ Official Trailer (Exclusive)

JUL 21, 2023

'The Marvels' Trailer No. 2

‘The Marvels’ Trailer No. 2

JUL 21, 2023

‘Gran Turismo’ Trailer No. 2

‘Gran Turismo’ Trailer No. 2

JUL 20, 2023

'A Haunting in Venice' Official Trailer

‘A Haunting in Venice’ Official Trailer

JUL 19, 2023

Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Issa Rae and More Channel Iconic Doll for Summer Fashion

Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Issa Rae and More Channel Iconic Doll for Summer Fashion

JUL 19, 2023

'The Conjuring' Turns 10! The Franchise's Scariest Moments... So Far

‘The Conjuring’ Turns 10! The Franchise’s Scariest Moments… So Far

JUL 19, 2023

'Barbie': How Ryan Gosling Taps Into His Kenergy!

‘Barbie’: How Ryan Gosling Taps Into His Kenergy!

JUL 18, 2023

Why Robert Downey Jr. Calls Cillian Murphy's 'Oppenheimer' Transformation 'Bananas' (Exclusive)

Why Robert Downey Jr. Calls Cillian Murphy’s ‘Oppenheimer’ Transformation ‘Bananas’ (Exclusive)

JUL 17, 2023

Inside Black Hollywood

Watch Tia Mowry's Brother React to Surprise Visit With Their Father

Watch Tia Mowry’s Brother React to Surprise Visit With Their Father

JUN 28, 2023

Kevin Hart's Daughter Heaven Cries After He Gifts Her a Car for Graduation

Kevin Hart’s Daughter Heaven Cries After He Gifts Her a Car for Graduation

MAY 26, 2023

Pretty Yende Reflects on ‘Wonderful’ Experience at King Charles’ Coronation (Exclusive)

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MAY 6, 2023

'College Hill' Trailer: Ray J, Amber Rose and More Get Schooled in Season 2 of Celebrity Edition (Exclusive)

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APR 25, 2023

Tupac Shakur Talks Music, Acting and Public Image in Rare Interviews (Flashback)

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APR 21, 2023

Sonequa Martin-Green on Michael's Future After 'Star Trek: Discovery’s Final Season (Exclusive)

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MAR 10, 2023

'Abbott Elementary's Sheryl Lee Ralph and Tyler James Williams React to SAG Awards Win (Exclusive)

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FEB 26, 2023

Sheryl Lee Ralph on Twinning With Rihanna During Super Bowl Performance (Exclusive)

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FEB 13, 2023

Super Bowl LVII: Babyface Reflects on 'America the Beautiful' Performance (Exclusive)

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FEB 12, 2023

Babyface on Taking Super Bowl and 'America the Beautiful' Performance 'Very Seriously' (Exclusive)

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FEB 8, 2023

GRAMMYs: Questlove Says Will Smith Dropped Out of Hip Hop 50 Tribute Last Minute (Exclusive)

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FEB 5, 2023

'Golden Globes': Janelle James on Sitting Near Brad Pitt and 'Abbott Elementary's Win (Exclusive)

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JAN 10, 2023

Angela Bassett Used to Send Handwritten Cards to Promote Early Acting Gigs (Exclusive)

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JAN 6, 2023

Remembering Whitney Houston: Inside Her Rise to Fame

Remembering Whitney Houston: Inside Her Rise to Fame

DEC 16, 2022

Angela Bassett on Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Black Panther’ Cameo and Her Possible Oscar Nom (Exclusive)

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NOV 21, 2022

'Black Panther': Danai Gurira on Okoye's MCU Future With Midnight Angels (Exclusive)

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NOV 21, 2022

'Black Panther’s Winston Duke Shares Message About Grief Following His Mother's Death (Exclusive)

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NOV 1, 2022

'Black Panther': Mabel Cadena and Alex Livinalli on 'Wakanda Forever's Latinx Influence (Exclusive)

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OCT 31, 2022

Michaela Coel on How 'Black Panther 2' Explores Grief Following Chadwick Boseman's Death (Exclusive)

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OCT 27, 2022

Ryan Coogler on Honoring Chadwick Boseman in 'Wakanda Forever' and Rihanna's New Single (Exclusive)

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OCT 26, 2022

'Twisted Metal': Stephanie Beatriz on Torturing Her

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[Spoiler] Dies, Phillip Is Unhinged – TVLine

‘V.C. Andrews’ Dawn’ Finale Recap: [Spoiler] Dies, Phillip Is Unhinged – TVLine

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‘V.C. Andrews’ Dawn’ Finale Recap: [Spoiler] Dies,

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‘Barbie’ Ends First Week with $258M, ‘Oppenheimer’ $127M+: Box Office – Deadline

‘Barbie’ Ends First Week with $258M, ‘Oppenheimer’ $127M+: Box Office – Deadline

SATURDAY LATE NIGHT UPDATE: This weekend should really be a come-to-Jesus for both AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA to get their acts together and come to terms because it’s truly a rich one at the box office with studio estimates pegging $217.4M for all films; a record for the last weekend of July that’s also +122% from a year ago and +34% from pre-pandemic 2019 which was led by the second frame of The Lion King.

And this is a holdover weekend at the box office, not some mega opening one for a Marvel film. Granted, the stone in many actors and actresses’ shoes are streamers, however, they’ll be stiffed too at film festivals by the low wattage of their awards season fare if they don’t come to peace ASAP with SAG-AFTRA.

It’s a very bittersweet moment: This is the best we’ve seen the box office in post Covid-times and exhibition is about to get smacked to the ground again, but during what is normally a very rich October, November and December, that is if more films start shifting. Should Legendary/Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two move out of November, it begins to get really bleak, especially with the first weekend of October now without a potential kickstarter in Kraven the Hunter. Deadline is already hearing about layoffs at exhibitors as they brace for this roller coaster ride.

Thank God for Sony’s Equalizer 3 hanging in there over Labor Day and New Line’s The Nun 2 in the post Labor Day frame to grease the wheels of autumn. We didn’t have that last year after Warners moved the Stephen King feature Salem’s Lot out of the fall (that movie has yet to be dated on the calendar).

Warners was seeing $95M for Barbie this weekend as of this morning, but she looks like she’s coming in more in the $91M-$93M range — which is still perfect and the best second weekend Warner Bros. has ever seen in their lives, anyway it comes in; besting Dark Knight‘s weekend 2 of $75.1M. At the high end, Barbie would land at $351.4M on Sunday. She made $34M last night per industry estimates, +17% from Friday’s $29M. Barbie crossed the $300M tonight in nine days, making it the fastest female-driven pic to do so stateside, beating Beauty and the Beast‘s ten days to that benchmark.

Universal’s Oppenheimer is turning in $18.1M today, +35% over Friday’s $13.1M for a $46M second weekend, -44%, for a running total of $173.6M. That’s a great second weekend for an R-rated film, besting the second frames of such R-rated movies like Logan ($38.1M) and Deadpool 2 ($43.4M). It’s also the best second weekend for an R-rated pic this year besting John Wick: Chapter 4 ($28.3M). It: Chapter One had the best second weekend for an R-rated movie at $60.1M.

Disney’s Haunted Mansion is still eyeing a third place $24M opening after a $7.5M Saturday, -24% from Friday (plus previews) of $9.9M. A mixed bag here: a notable result for family counterprogramming in the wake of Barbenheimer, however, doesn’t move the needle for the brand as it’s so similar to the results of the 2003 version. The pic missing its $30M industry projections has less to do with the SAG-AFTRA strike and more to do Barbenheimer. The pic’s world premiere at Disneyland occurred on the second day of the strike, so no one from the cast was there. However, Disney had the cast availalbe for a shout-out video at the Disney Parks Halfway to Halloween, in addition to Rosario Dawson as a Ghost Host at Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion attraction, and a stunt where talent transformed into Disneyland Cast:

Disney built any noise for their last fling this summer off of the tried-and-true bespoke elements of a family marketing campaign including promo partners (BMW, State Farm, Zwillow, Zatarain’s potato chips), cinema partnerships (Regal New Orleans sweepstakes, AMC early access screenings and giveaways and Cinemark Madame Leota popcorn collectible); and cross promos on cable networks, i.e.

–HGTV broadcast piece on House Haunters, complete with a Special Look and branded tune-ins.
–VH1 and Comedy Central custom broadcast piece on “Scare BnB” featuring film talent.
–Bravo’s “A Housewives Haunting” features Real Housewives conducting a seance.
–Disney Channel’s “Behind the Screams Challenge” included Raven’s Home favorites attempting to make it through the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland Park.
–FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows: Haunted Mansion Edition” branded tune-ins and special Look.

To go along with Haunted Mansion‘s B+ CinemaScore was an 82% from Comscore/Screen Engine PostTrak exits and a 60% recommend. Demos were 59% women, 41% men with 18-34 repping 45% of moviegoers, and 25-34 the largest demo at 28%. Diversity demos were 48% Caucasian, 25% Latino and Hispanic, 13% Black and 14% Asian/other. Haunted Mansion played strongest in the South and West. Eighteen percent of the weekend to date is being driven by PLFs with the AMC Disney Springs the top grossing theater in the nation with $76K (plus early shows) through Friday.

‘Talk To Me’

A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection

A24’s Talk to Me is not be ignored bringing depth to the marketplace with a Saturday of $3.7M, a 10% dip from its $4.1M Friday (and previews) for a $10M opening at 2,340 theaters in the No. 6 spot. That’s just $3.5M shy of Hereditary‘s start and higher than the $6.5M Friday-Sunday of Midsommar (which kicked off on a Wednesday). The NY-based studio snapped up the Australian horror pic for high seven figures.

B+ CinemaScore as we previously told you. Critics love this film by Danny and Michael Philippou at 95% certified fresh. The horror movie played strongest in the South Central and West. AMC Burbank is the top theater domestic with $15.6K through Friday. Logline: When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.

Fourth goes to Angel Studios’ Sound of Freedom at 3,411 locations with a fourth Saturday of $5.1M, up from Friday’s $4M for a $13.8M estimated weekend, -30%, for a running total of $150.3M.

Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One at 3,911 theaters saw a third Saturday of $4.3M, +48% from Friday’s $2.9M for a third weekend of $10.65M, -45%, for a running total of $139.1M. In its first 19 days, the Tom Cruise pic is pacing 7% behind Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, that pic’s current gross at end of weekend 5 at $167M. Realize Indy launched on a Friday and Mission on a Wednesday.

FRIDAY LATE NIGHT UPDATE after midday update: No major seismic changes at the box office here tonight from what we saw this afternoon as Barbie continues to roll in dream house dough with an industry estimated second weekend between $90M-$94M at 4,337 theaters, -44% on the low end, for a running total of $348M-$352M.

It’s not surprising to see a higher figure here on Barbie, given how the Mattel doll has pulled in Marvel like grosses of $20M+ daily during the weekdays. Friday is looking like $28M, -60% from a week ago. That second weekend for Barbie isn’t that far from the $90.4M weekend two of Beauty and the Beast.

Last year at this time, all films totaled $97.9M for the weekend, and off of Barbie alone it’s clear we’re going to be, gosh, possibly north of $160M-$170M. Hopefully, SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP can get their acts together because this box office rally could hit some severe potholes of big pics like Dune: Part Two and Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom move out of the 2023 calendar.

Univeral’s Oppenheimer is seeing a second Friday of $13.5M,-58%, and second weekend of $46M, -44%, for a ten-day total of $173.8M at 3,647 theaters. This 3-hour period drama from the onset has always been ahead of Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, that pic posting a second weekend of $26.6M, -47%.

Disney’s Haunted Mansion is still seeing $10M for Friday and a 3-day of $25M at 3,740 theaters.

Sophie Wilde in 'Talk to Me' — ‘Talk to Me’

A24

There’s extra filler here for specialty chains as A24’s Australian horror movie, Talk to Me, is posting $4M (includes $1.24M Thursday previews) for Friday and around $10M for the weekend at 2,340 theaters. Both pics get a B+ CinemaScore.

For a horror film like Talk to Me, that’s solid, while Haunted Mansion’s is only an inch better than the B the Eddie Murphy 2003 movie received. Also, in terms of whether this was a successful reboot or not — likely the latter. Not that it’s not a solid number, but it’s just not that much improvement on the 2003 version with opened to $24.2M (unadjusted for inflation), which legged out to $75.8M. No doubt Barbie took air out of Haunted Mansion‘s sails. We’ll see after Saturday night if matinees push this to $30M, however, no one is seeing that at this point.

Still, nothing to complain about: Studios have product, competition is a good thing. However, the fall/holiday box office could be headed for a cliff after the first major schedule changes by Sony on Friday with Kraven the Hunter and Ghostbusters sequel moving into 2024. The respective points to make here is that it takes stars to launch franchises, and it takes stars to finish movies (i.e. looping) as the SAG-AFTRA strike drags on.

Some distribs might snark at Sony for pushing Gran Turismo to Aug. 25, however, it’s smart because they stay out of the wake of Barbenheimer, and if the movie has any kind of pulse, can buoy August into September with Equalizer 3 and The Nun 2 still hold firming.

Sony keeps the following films in the fall: their TIFF comedy title Dumb Money on Sept. 22, Journey to Bethlehem on Nov. 11, the horror film Thanksgiving on Nov. 17, Apple Original Films’ Napoleon on Nov. 22 and the Glen Powell-Sydney Sweeney romantic comedy Anyone But You on Dec. 15.

Rounding out the box office, there’s Angel Studios’ Sound of Freedom in weekend 4 with a fourth estimated Friday of $4M at 3,411 theaters and 3-day of $13.3M, -33% and running total of $149.7M.

Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One booked at 3,191 theaters is seeing a third Friday of $3M, third weekend of $11.1M in fifth place, -42%, for a running total of $139.6M.

FRIDAY AM UPDATE: It’s another sexy $20M+ day for Barbie with Warner Bros reporting $21.2M on Thursday (-8% from Wednesday), ending its first week at $258.3M. The pic should easily become the fastest female demo feature to $300M, beating the 10 days that it took Beauty and the Beast to cross.

Among all Warner Bros Thursdays, Barbie is fourth after The Matrix Reloaded ($37.5M, May 15, 2003), The Hangover Part Two ($31.6M, May 26, 2011) and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($22M, July 16, 2009).

Oppenheimer made $10M yesterday, -6% from Wednesday, for a first week of $127.8M. Again, in the face of Barbie, that’s an excellent hold. Barbie is expected to gross around $70M in weekend 2, Oppenheimer is around $35M. We are hearing both pics are looking at the best second weekend presales ever.

The Boxoffice Company, which supplies showtimes to Google, TikTok, IMDB, Bing and Apple is reporting a record-breaking sales for its network of 150 exhibition partners. Barbie and Oppenheimer are collectively generating one of the best holdover weekends ever since Avengers: Endgame. Per the leading theater chains with the Box Office Company, this past week is shaping up to be the best full week of ticket sales since Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s full holiday week of Dec. 17-23, 2021.

Haunted Mansion began previews on Wednesday with Dolby Early Access Screenings at 7 p.m. followed by national previews at 3 p.m. yesterday and made $3.1M. Presales indicated a start of $30M, but the big x-factor is whether Barbie steals family business away, even though the theme park ride movie is gaining 200 PLF screens.

Haunted Mansion’s figure compares to Jungle Cruise ($2.7M from Thursday previews, but was also day-and-date on Disney+) and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil ($2.3M, pre-pandemic).

Early PostTrak is smacking critics’ ‘Rotten Tomatoes grade of 40% rotten with 4 stars and 79% positive last night. Pic skewed female at 57% with 37% under 25.

SATURDAY LATE NIGHT UPDATE: This weekend should

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The Fourth Featured, Reviews Film Threat

PORTLAND FESTIVAL OF CINEMA, ANIMATION & TECHNOLOGY 2023 REVIEW! Johnny D. Kirk’s The Fourth is a chilling tale of a group of youth stopped for a crime they didn’t commit. Kontravious Harrell plays Rey, a black young person hanging out with his friends on the Fourth of July. Sure, they’re causing a bit of trouble, but it’s more mischief than anything. When the teens stop off at a liquor store for some snacks, Saint (Lee Bingham) jokes around on his cell phone, screaming, “Shoplifter!” for a viral moment. As the teens leave, they are approached by some cops who are not in on the joke.

“…Saint is down. The officer realizes he made a mistake…”

In an instant, Saint is down. The officer realizes he made a mistake, and the fellow officers quickly conspire to get their take on the shooting to match up. Meanwhile, Rey is being held under “suspicion” by the officers.

While this story has been told many times, particularly in the realm of short films, filmmaker Kirk uses this medium to focus our attention on Rey. While no crime was committed, his guilt comes by association. We are able to step into Rey’s shoes and feel what it’s like to have one’s life unjustly changed forever while knowing you are innocent.

The storytelling of The Fourth is spot on. Stick around to the end for the twist.

The Fourth screens at the 2023 Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology.

PORTLAND FESTIVAL OF CINEMA, ANIMATION & TECHNOLOGY

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francis ford coppola

Francis Ford Coppola: ‘Barbie,’ ‘Oppenheimer’ Are Victories for Cinema

While facilitating questions from fans through his Instagram story on Friday, acclaimed filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola admitted that he has yet to roll out for “Barbie” or “Oppenheimer.” Nevertheless, he called the box office success of both blockbusters a “victory for Cinema” — with a capital “C.”

“I have yet to see them, but the fact that people are filling big theaters to see them and that they are neither ‘sequels’ nor ‘prequels’… no number attached to them meaning they are true one-off’s is victory for Cinema,” he answered.

“Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” turned a doll and the atomic bomb into the fourth-biggest weekend in box office history, collectively bringing in over $200 million during their simultaneous opening frames. Both films are holding strong this weekend too, maintaining the top two slots on domestic charts.

While he did helm a film trilogy of his own, the “Godfather” director hasn’t been shy about his problems with the whole sequels-prequels thing. In 2019, he spoke out in support of Martin Scorsese’s controversial comments regarding Marvel films, when he said those cinematic universe entries weren’t “real cinema.”

“Martin was being kind when he said it wasn’t cinema,” Coppola said during a press conference. “He didn’t say it was despicable, which is what I say.”

“There used to be studio films,” he added in a later interview with GQ. “Now there are Marvel pictures. And what is a Marvel picture? A Marvel picture is one prototype movie that is made over and over and over and over and over again to look different.”

But Coppola’s worry over the future of cinema seems to be quelled a bit by the success of July’s marquee pair.

Also on Instagram, a user asked Coppola where he sees the state of movies in 10 years. The director responded, “My hunch is that we’re on the verge of a golden age wonderfully illuminating cinema seen in large theaters.”

As he moves back into filmmaking himself, Coppola can only hope that movie theaters are good and ready to welcome his Adam Driver-led passion project “Megalopolis,” which is expected to debut next year.

While facilitating questions from fans through his

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Twitter, now X, reinstates Kanye West’s account

Twitter, now rebranded as X, reinstated the musician Kanye West’s account on Saturday about eight months after suspending him for violating the platform’s rules.

West, who legally goes by Ye, won’t be able to monetize his account and advertisements won’t appear next to his posts, the company told the Wall Street Journal. As of Saturday he had yet to post via his newly reopened handle, which has more than 31 million followers.

The platform suspended West after he posted an image of a swastika combined with a star of David in December.

X’s press office and representatives for West did not immediately respond to request for comment Saturday.

“I tried my best. Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account will be suspended,” the company’s owner, Elon Musk, wrote to a user at the time.

West’s swastika post was one of several antisemitic comments he made last year, a pattern that cost him business deals and, until Saturday, his Twitter account. He first sparked outrage after appearing in a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt at his Paris Fashion Week show and went on repeat a series of antisemitic tropes online and in interviews. At one point, he tweeted that he wanted to “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”

West also lost backers from the fashion world, including Adidas, Gap and Balenciaga, and he was dropped by talent agency CAA and Hollywood financier and producer MRC.

The decision to reinstate West falls in line with Musk’s previously stated philosophy on account suspensions. Musk has called himself a “free speech absolutist” and said he did not approve a pause of West’s account that came before his December suspension. He also reinstated former president Donald Trump’s Twitter account last year, although Trump has yet to post on the platform since then.

Comment on this storyCommentTwitter, now rebranded as

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Tobin Bell Back For Latest Installment – Deadline

Tobin Bell Back For Latest Installment – Deadline

Saw X, the 10th installment in the franchise from from Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures, released its official red band trailer Saturday.

John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is back in this film, which is the untold chapter of Jigsaw’s final games. Set between the events of Saw I and II, a sick and desperate John travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer – only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. The infamous serial killer returns to his work, turning the tables on the con artists in his signature visceral way through devious, deranged and ingenious traps.

The film stars Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand and Michael Beach, as well as the billion-dollar horror franchise’s Jigsaw Killer, Tobin Bell. Veteran Saw cast member Shawnee Smith is also circling the project, as we told you. The 10th installment of the franchise shot in Mexico City with local talent including Renata Vaca (Midnight Family), Paulette Hernandez (Crown of Tears), Joshua Okamoto (VGLY) and Octavio Hinojosa (How to Survive Being Single).

Kevin Greutert directs based on a screenplay by Peter Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg. Mark Burg and Oren Koules are producing. The Saw franchise has minted over $1 billion at the global box office.

Saw X is set to debut in theaters September 29, having been moved up from October 29.

Check out the trailer above.

Saw X, the 10th installment in the

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“Huge kick in the teeth”- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Need Answers after suffering the Emmy Snub

“Huge kick in the teeth”- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Need Answers after suffering the Emmy Snub

Unlike their own, the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle have been quite vocal about their problems. Its first-ever instance came as the revolutionary Oprah Winfrey interview that sent shockwaves around the world. Following it, there had been various instances where the couple has clearly gone against the never complain, never explain agenda. This time, too, the couple seeks an answer. They wish to know if they were snubbed, what/who was the reason, or so the reports say.

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As reported by Hindustan Times via Heat, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are heavily disappointed about getting thrown off the Nominations. “The fact that they didn’t get an Emmy nod is a huge kick in the teeth,” the insider said. Word has it that the couple now believes that there is a full pre-planned conspiracy campaign going on against them. To get to the roots of it, they seek answers.

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The source further added to the couple is this might be the deeds of some “campaign against them on both sides of the Atlantic,” that have assigned people to execute their plans accordingly. The source added that the pair want a “full request” on who “put the boot in” their path. It is alleged that they did their level best to catch a break in the industry. Hence, the snub just did not set right for the couple.

The 2023 Emmy Awards did not have Harry & Meghan on the list

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Months prior to the nomination list release, there was a huge hype around the couple grabbing a trophy at the award shows. Their Netflix bombshell skyrocketed to break a couple of records for the American streamer. The amount of Viewership that it gathered, and sources pushed that they have a chance of winning an Emmy. In fact, the show also made its space at the esteemed Hollywood Critics Award.

In Emmys, nonetheless, the couple was nowhere to be seen on the list released by Variety. Despite its humongous popularity, their six-part docuseries did not grab an award at the esteemed Awards. Unfortunately, they could not even make it to the nomination list in the first place, leave alone winning one.

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What is your take on the matter? What do you think could be the possible reason for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to have missed out on the awards? Let us know in the comments below.

Unlike their own, the Duke and the

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Cardi B Hits Fan With a Mic After They Throw Their Drink at Her, Video Goes Viral

Cardi B Hits Fan With a Mic After They Throw Their Drink at Her, Video Goes Viral

Curated By: Dishya Sharma

Last Updated: July 30, 2023, 09:37 IST

United States of America (USA)

Cardi B hits concert goer with a mic, here’s why.

Cardi B got angry after a fan threw their drink at her during a concert over the weekend. The rapper was seen hitting the fan with her mic.

Rapper Cardi B lost her cool after a fan threw their drink at her. On Saturday, the WAP hitmaker was performing at an outdoor event. Dressed in an orange gown, Cardi was seen setting the stage on fire with her performance. However, midway her act, a fan threw their drink at her, leaving her shocked and angry. In a video now going viral, the rapper was seen flinging her mic at the fan.

Cardi was visibly upset with the turn of events. She was seen yelling at the concert-goer while her team rushed to remove the attendee from the crowd. Her team attempted to calm her down. Several social media users are siding with Cardi. They are applauding her for shutting down the concert-goer, especially after many artists have been injured this summer due to such a behaviour. This include Bebe Rexha, who was hit by a phone in the eye, and Harry Styles.

Watch Cardi B Flings Her Mic at a Concert Goer After They Threw Their Drink at Her:

“She did what needed to be done ! people need to stop throwing stuff at performers!” a fan said. “Finally a celebrity fighting back,” added another. “Why come to the concert (probably spent money to go) to throw some shit at the artist? That’s just weird,” a comment read. “People need to stop throwing things at artists. ? it’s actually gotten out of control – like they aren’t human in your eyes,” a social media user wrote.

“I dont blame cardi b these concerts now how they use to be these concert goers have no respect for anyone especially no respect for the artist throwing stuff at them so good for cardi for doing that if you treat be with disrespect you get disrespected back period,” another user said. “Cardi’s aim though!” a fan wrote.

Meanwhile, Cardi B made the headlines recently for her public fight with her husband Offset. Last month, Offset accused Cardi of cheating on him. She reacted to the claims in the couple’s new song called Jealousy, which released on July 28. Owing to this, the rapper was accused of faking her fight to promote their new song Jealousy.

Addressing the rumours on Instagram. Cardi said, “It wasn’t no STUNT. Tasha K (YouTuber) made some ish up and yall was laughing about it and happy a-s hell about it. Now that we putting it in the music is a stunt … Naaa baby be mad at the one who started trolling wit it.”

Dishya Sharma, Chief Sub Editor, is part of the entertainment team at News18. She eats, sleeps, and drinks entertainment. While Indian films have fuel…Read More

Curated By: Dishya SharmaLast Updated: July

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So much happening this weekend

So much happening this weekend

So much happening this weekend Source link

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Kraven, Spider-Man, Venom

Sony Announces 3 Spider-Man Spin-off Movies Releasing In 2024

Several releases in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe have been moved from their previous release dates, along with one highly-anticipated movie finally being added to the theatrical calendar.

Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man spin-off movies have had moderate peaks and extremely low valleys, and there have only been three installments in the universe thus far (Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and Morbius).

Still, the studio intends to keep chugging along with new releases based on villains and other Spidey-adjacent characters, even if the writers’ and actors’ strikes have caused their plans to go astray.

New Dates for Sony’s Marvel Movies

Four Sony/Marvel film releases were announced to have new release dates.

Two of the Spider-Man spin-off movies have been delayed, one was slightly moved up, and another was added to the calendar. The delays result from the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes.

The news follows Sony’s removal of El Muerto from its release calendar last month as Bad Bunny exited the project, leaving the role up for recasting. The movie was previously set to land on January 12, 2024.

The latest release updates are as follows:

1.) Madame Web

Marvel

The Dakota Johnson and Syndey Sweeney-led Madame Web will arrive on February 14, 2024, bumped up two days from its initial February 16 date. The movie will center on Johnson as a version of the title character. Isabela Merced, Adam Scott, and Emma Roberts also have roles, playing yet-to-be-confirmed characters.

In the comics, Madame Web is a clairvoyant character who also possesses a variety of psychic powers. The movie looks to be putting a new spin on this Spider-Man ally.

2.) Venom 3

Venom, Tom Hardy — Sony Pictures

The adventures of Eddie Brock and the symbiote continue in Venom 3, now slated for July 12, 2024. The Venom films have been moderate hits for Sony, and the Tom Hardy-led franchise most certainly has its fans, even if the critical reception hasn’t always been entirely on the films’ side.

The movie, which paused production due to the SAG-AFTRA work stoppage, also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Ted Lasso’s Juno Temple.

3.) Kraven the Hunter

Kraven the Hunter — Sony Pictures

The villainous Kraven will be brought to life by Aaron Taylor Johnson in the somewhat controversial-sounding solo movie Kraven the Hunter.

Kraven was set to premiere on October 6, but with the actors’ strike rendering the cast unable to promote the movie, Sony opted to delay it nearly an entire year to August 30, 2024.

BONUS: Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse

Across the Spider-Verse — Sony Pictures

The trilogy capper to Miles Morales’ Spider-Verse series, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, was also pushed back, in this case indefinitely from its March 24, 2024 slot.

The threequel reportedly hasn’t brought in any of its cast to do voice-over work yet, so with the strike preventing recording from getting underway, it’s presently unknown when Spider-Verse 3 will come out.

Clearly, Sony remains committed to building out its Marvel slate, even as it has to work around the ongoing strikes.

Many will be disappointed to see Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4 was not given a date, but that comes as no surprise after the actor revealed development had halted due to the strikes.

On top of the latest shifts, Sony still has two undated Marvel movies set to land on November 8, 2024, and June 27, 2025.

The studio’s next Spider-Man spin-off movie will now be Madame Web, which hits theaters on February 14, 2024.

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Should Comic Book Characters Age?

Should Comic Book Characters Age?

9

Sequential Art, or comics as it is more commonly known, is a unique form of Art AND entertainment. Like it’s cousins, moving pictures and prose fiction, comics seek to entertain their audience, but often at the same time do it in an artistic way- sometimes visually, sometimes through the craft itself and sometimes with a message or innovation. One aspect that has come to be a detriment and advantage to the form is the lack of characters aging.

Like their antecedents the Pulp Magazine heroes, comic book characters can go on and on forever without aging. Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote 24 Tarzan novels that were published between 1912 and 1964. Burroughs last stories were written in the late 1940’s, some wouldn’t be published for another 20 or so years (Burroughs died in 1950). That’s a writing window of roughly 30 years. However, the in-story timeline is both more and less complex. Stories were not always published in order as novels. Originally serialized in pulp magazines, the final novels were published out of order of their writing.

Tarzan and Family

Tarzan is a character whose initial adventures written by his creator, Edgar Rice Burroughs, are published from 1912-1947, a period of 35 years. But, how old is Tarzan? Does he age? It fairly easy to figure out how old Tarzan is when the first novel Tarzan of the Apes is first published. Though serialized in 1912, it’s not collected as a novel until 1914. With that in mind, we can look at the story itself to determine how old he is at the time of publication- 1912. In the story, Tarzan’s parents are shipwrecked off the coast of Africa in 1888. When Tarzan first meets other Caucasians he is 21. It’s safe enough to assume that when Tarzan meets Professor Porter, his daughter Jane and D’Arnot that the story is taking place in the present of 1912- the time of writing. This places Tarzan’s birth in the year 1891, meaning a reasonable 3 years passed from the time of his parents’ shipwreck to his birth.

Surprisingly, Burroughs introduces Korak, Tarzan’s son quite quickly. His first appearance is as an infant in The Eternal Lover (aka The Eternal Savage) in which Tarzan and family make a guest appearance. Korak appears next in The Beasts of Tarzan, the third of Burroughs Tarzan novels. The fourth book in the series, The Son of Tarzan, features Korak (Jack Clayton). This novel is set 10 years after The Beasts of Tarzan (1914). This puts Tarzan himself in his early 30’s assuming that Jane became pregnant pretty quickly after they wed. By the end of The Son of Tarzan, a number of years have passed and Korak is 18 which puts Tarzan about 40. So, within the span of the first four novels, Tarzan has aged quite a bit. But, there are 20 books to go!

It might be easy to place some of the later stories earlier in Tarzan’s career, except that there is a sense of continuity from story to story. Not only does Korak get married and have a son himself, Jackie Clayton. Korak is a supporting character in Books, 8-10, Tarzan the Terrible, Tarzan and the Golden Lion and Tarzan and the Ant Men. These three books are all from the first half of 1920’s. At this point, Tarzan is now a man in his 40’s having the adventures one would normally associate with a younger person. As ludicrous as it sound, Tarzan is a grandfather at this point with Korak’s son Jackie being mentioned in these three books. Without going on about the quality of the storytelling, the inclusion of children and grandchildren adds something to the Tarzan lore. Tarzan’s family provides another level of drama, but also an additional aspect of relatability. While Tarzan does not age out of his effectiveness, he’s still an older man. As a perfect physical specimen he’s still believable in his adventures, or at least one can suspend disbelief enough so that he can still be the protagonist of these stories and still have a family, he’s not permanently stuck as a 30 year old without the story beats of growing older.

James Bond and the MCU

On the other side of things we have film. A character like James Bond is perpetually stuck in his prime with very little character development. The same tropes are recapitulated over and over to varying degrees of success. With comic book films characters like Superman, Batman and Spider-Man are rebooted and/ or recast so that the issue of age can be bypassed. This creates a situation in which the same stories tend to get told over and over. The same villains are reused in each new series of films.

Conversely, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has attempted to show that these characters can age. Hawkeye’s children have been shown to grow, Cassie Lang has aged and Peter Parker has graduated high school. A number of characters have died, and Tony Stark was shown to have married and had a daughter in Avengers: Endgame. However, recasting and rebooting seems inevitable, it’s hard to imagine a character like Steve Rogers never appearing on the big screen again. In Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy he attempted to give a proper ending to his set of Batman stories. The effectiveness and quality of that ending s debatable, but it doesn’t change the fact that Bruce Wayne’s arc as Batman came to an end, giving the sense that he had grown and moved on and wasn’t stuck in the same spot in his life. It’s a tricky balance, giving characters the opportunity to change and grow opens up story direction, while holding them prisoner to a set age range leads to reused stories and this tends to detract from the overall interest over time.

Milton Caniff’s Terry and the Pirates

Looking back at some early newspaper comic strips, we can see the value in letting characters in serialized fiction age, develop and grow. In Terry and the Pirates, Milton Caniff allowed his characters to age in essentially real time. When we first meet Terry Lee in 1934, he’s 10 years old. As the strip progresses, we see Terry , not only aging, but maturing. Without Terry aging, many of the high points of the strip would not come to pass. He goes through puberty, discovers girls and experiences love. Caniff explores a unique and surprising sexual tension between Terry when he is in his mid teens and Burma. Burma, as readers know has been around the block and is at least 10 years older than Terry. The strip is always topical. Terry goes on to join the Army Air Corps when the United States becomes embroiled in World War II and he continues to learn more about love and about life. If Caniff had not allowed Terry to age, the strip could not have become as renowned as it is, and it would not have reached the same heights of artistic greatness. The best parts stem from it’s topical nature as well as how Terry matures as a person in that world.

Peter Parker and Dick Grayson

There are two excellent examples of what happens when traditional comic book characters are allowed to age and grow and experience real life- Spider-Man and the original Robin, Dick Grayson. They are both characters that go from teenagers (pre-teen in Dick’s case) through college to adulthood. From the outset of the “Marvel Age of Comics,” Stan Lee, Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby attempted to create characters and tell stories that had a lot more grounding and interpersonal drama than the static lives that had been portrayed since the late ’30’s/ early’40’s.

Peter Parker has a monumentally important character moment in the course of his first appearance and origin from Amazing Fantasy #15, that is well known to the general population- with great power comes great responsibility. With the death of Uncle Ben, Peter learns that he has to use these powers with a purpose, and for the greater good. The burden of responsibility becomes a core element of understanding Spider-Man’s motivation. While this character growth as Peter Parker is essential to Spider-Man’s origin, it’s an example of how a character can grow and change emotionally.

More importantly, Peter Parker who started out as a high school student in 1962, graduates in 1965 in Amazing Spider-Man #28. He subsequently enters Empire State University. With the first few years of his existence, the character has aged in nearly real time. His college years slow down to a crawl as he doesn’t finish college until Amazing Spider-Man #185 published in 1978. Along with the supporting cast, A LOT happens to Peter in those years. Imagine if he had just remained a high school student with the same problems. It may be forgotten, but before Gwen Stacy died in Amazing Spider-Man #121, Peter had been considering proposing marriage. He got a job as a staff photographer at the Daily Bugle and was trying to get settled so he and Gwen could have a life together. This happened in Amazing Spider-Man #99 and it really sets things in motion for their relationship as it leads up to her death almost two years later.

It’s not just Peter but his supporting cast. Gwen goes through the death of her father and subsequent mourning, Mary Jane continues in and out of the group as Harry Osborn’s sometimes girlfriend, and Flash Thompson goes to Vietnam, does a tour and comes back a changed man. All these play upon the life of Peter Parker. At one point, Gwen even convinces Aunt May to ease up on Peter so she won’t continue to treat him like a child. Ultimately, these stories aren’t possible without Peter aging and growing into a man. Since “One More Day,” the storyline that retconned his marriage to Mary Jane, Peter has regressed back to seeming younger and things just happen to him without any sense of real growth or development. He’s trapped in a cycle of his own bad luck. Without Peter continuing to age and grow he will never get out of it. Keeping Peter mired like this for the supposed sake of relatability only works if one expects readers to turn over every few years. That was the philosophy about comic readership for years until the “Marvel Age of Comics” launched with Fantastic Four #1. However, DC Comics did aging and character growth better, especially with Dick Grayson.

The original Robin, the Boy Wonder is the poster child for why characters should be allowed to grow and age. From his first appearance in Detective Comics #38 in 1940, he was essentially unchanged for twenty-nine years. Something finally happened in Batman #217, Dick Grayson went to college, Hudson University to be exact. In the second half of the sixties, starting with the “new look” era for Batman, Dick had obviously had been shown to be older. He wasn’t twelve anymore, he was certainly around 16 or 17. While it didn’t happen overnight, it was a significant shift for the character. Since then, Dick has been shown to continue to mature and age, including stepping into his own identity and out of Batman’s shadow as Nightwing. This was chronicled chiefly in New Teen Titans, with his first appearance in his new identity in Tales of the Teen Titans #44 (July, 1984). Since then, Dick has continued to be his own man. He’s always part of the Bat-family, but there’s not way to take him back to being Robin. So much has transpired in his life that regressing him would be a huge disservice to the character. His current solo series by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo is without question one of DC’s best titles and has received numerous awards and nominations. And, to think, Dan Didio wanted to kill him back in 2006 because he didn’t think characters who aged work.

How Slowly Should the Clock Move?

Along with Dick Grayson, fan favorite Wally West has shown personal and professional growth since he took over the mantle of The Flash at the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths. In addition to maturing as a person into a husband and father, he had massive character development into the role of The Flash. He went from someone not sure he could be The Flash to an iconic version of the character. Fans decried his erasure from continuity in The New 52 so vociferously, that he was the prime mover for Rebirth occurring. None of that would’ve been possible had Wally West not been allowed to age and grow. It took around twenty years for wally to age up around ten years in story. It’s easy enough to follow Dick Grayson’s journey with about four years per every in story year when analyzing his college years. There’s not a hard and fast timeline, and some characters may age faster, but the development of characters and the ability to grow like people do is critical to good storytelling. Readers almost always say they want characters to grow, what they don’t want is inorganic change, change for the sake of change and retcons that don’t fit the character.

What Happens Next?

At the time of this writing, Dick Grayson is enjoying critical and sales success. Peter Parker is mired in a war between editorial and fans. Spider-Man may still sell, but it’s not getting any accolades for the stories, whereas Nightwing is arguably the best book of the Big Two and just won an Eisner Award for best ongoing series. What do you want to see? Would you rather have Dick back as Robin? Would you like Peter and Mary Jane’s marriage reinstated?

Over on the original Earth-Two, DC Comics devoted a whole Earth to the concept of characters aging and growing in real time. After the Crisis on Infinite Earths it became harder to do so with the legacy characters who were still around. There’s a middle ground, but I think it’s essential for characters to be allowed to age and grow to give stories the sense that they matter, to make characters seem real as they go through their lives and to continually move things forward as opposed to keeping them in an unchanging status quo that doesn’t reflect real life changes.

Perhaps, it’s time to have a parallel Earth that reflects the characters as they move forward like the original Earth-Two. Perhaps, there should be an imprint of timeless stories, but not written down to a younger audience. Perhaps, there should just be some series set in the past that allow earlier points in continuity to be explored and clarified. Ideally, there would be a way to keep classic versions of characters in a timeless manner, but also keep characters growing and developing to keep them interesting. Given a choice, it would be best to allow characters to grow and develop and move forward in their lives, just like real life.

9 Sequential Art, or comics as it is

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Crime Boss: Rockay City (XS) Review | VGChartz

Crime Boss: Rockay City (XS) Review | VGChartz

VGChartz’s Lee Mehr: “Crime Boss: Rockay City is a has-been roguelike mashed together with a has-been FPS that’s mostly filled with has-been movie stars. There are so many minute details from top to bottom that make it nigh impossible to afford charitability to its writing, design, or overall taste. It’s true that it works, in that bugs and other technical issues aren’t plaguing the game. It can be finished and there are some salvageable crime enterprise mechanics to fiddle with, but everything surrounding that feels hollow and misguided. There’s no other way to look at the rougelike elements than as a deliberate sham for its recycled content either. Perhaps it’s fitting for that special kind of emptiness to come from a crime game; by the end of it, you’ll have been viciously pilfered of both your time and money.”

VGChartz's Lee Mehr: "Crime Boss: Rockay City

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The Call to Action At The End of 'Sound of Freedom' is A Genius Capitalist Grift

The Call to Action At The End of ‘Sound of Freedom’ is A Genius Capitalist Grift

Look, you can’t discuss the new movie Sound of Freedom without talking about the QAnon stuff so that goes with it, so I’m going to jump right in.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has said that QAnon is an “umbrella term for a sprawling spiderweb of right-wing internet conspiracy theories with antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ elements that falsely claim the world is run by a secret cabal of pedophiles who worship Satan and are plotting against President Trump. … QAnon believers falsely claim the cabal is abducting children to kill them and harvest their blood for a chemical known as adrenochrome, which is used to extend their lives.”

The filmmakers have denied being a part of Q or having Q sympathies. However, star Jim Caviezel has embraced the Q idea that there is a grand conspiracy to drink children’s blood, and that doesn’t come up in the movie, but we have to mention it because it’s so closely tied to Caviezel and his talking points.

We aren’t talking about Q or the movie’s point of view for the rest of this article. I just wanted to get that out of the way at the top.

Today, I want to look at one of the most genius grifts I have ever seen pulled off. The idea of a “pay it forward” movie ticket sales strategy has helped Sound of Freedom rocket past $100 million at the domestic box office.

For those of you who don’t know, after Sound of Freedom finishes, a link appears on the screen that encourages you to buy a ticket for someone who may not be able to see the movie.

While we don’t have exact numbers on what these gifted tickets bring in, you can estimate its millions. IndieWire reported that it was around 20% of the sales, which means tens of millions of dollars.

And none of that goes to stop sex trafficking. It just goes to the movie studio as profit. According to their website, as of my writing this , they have sold 12,545,669 tickets this way!

This is maybe one of the most genius grifts in all of capitalism.

If you can market your movie in a way to show that it is important and get an audience to feel so deeply that others should see this movie, you can then add an immediate way for them to get gratifications while you get paid.

How?

Well, you make them feel like giving you more money, in the form of more tickets, is as important as the message in the movie.

That can be tricky.

After all, the message of Sound of Freedom is to stop sex trafficking. But that can feel like an impossibility. I mean, what can we actually do to do that?

The movie gives them a solution. Buy more tickets.

Spread the word by sending them money.

This feels like that old TV pastor con, where you buy your way into heaven through donations.

But hey, a fool and their money is easily parted.

And instead of donating the price of a ticket to one of these human trafficking charities, you can just send more people to the movies.

I think I probably sound pissed off, but I actually admire them for figuring this out and doing it in such a bold way.

The jury is out on whether or not these tickets are being used – some have reported sold-out theaters that are actually empty, but I took the liberty of poking my head into the AMC in Century City last night and saw a fair crowd there weeks after the movie’s release.

The point is, telling people your movie is important, and calling them to action by asking them to buy more tickets to share that importance with others, is an incredible marketing strategy.

Apparently, Angel Studios, the people behind the movie, have been doing this kind of campaign with other releases, starting with the faith-based film His Only Son.

I’m not sure it would work with other movies, faith-based films have such an easy push to activism behind them that it seems to ignite that segment of the population.

But Angel Studios have created this sense of a mission for the audience that is driving the big bucks. And none of this cash actually goes to stopping child trafficking.

In the early 2000s, we saw filmmakers head to places like IndieGoGo to try to fund their features and allow audiences to have a vote in what gets made. But this was never really scalable, and the movies that came from these sources only wound up doing okay. they also never allowed the audience to profit from the money they put into supporting these endeavors.

What’s happening now with this movie is truly one of the most exciting stories to happen in Hollywood. We’ve seen faith-based movies perform many times, but none have had the call to action like this one. None have been able to pressure people and churches into donating tickets for unseen viewers.

It takes word of mouth to a whole new level.

It’s a total grift.

But you sort of have to hand it to them.

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Federal judge throws out Trump's $475 million CNN defamation lawsuit

Federal judge throws out Trump’s $475 million CNN defamation lawsuit

CNN

Photo: David McNew/Newsmakers (Getty Images)

CNN has had a rough go of it of late, exemplified in the very brief tenure of recently ousted CEO Chris Licht, who was put in the job (and then un-put from it shortly after) by Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zaslav. But the 24-hour news network has racked up at least one win this week, as a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit from Donald Trump, which claimed defamation against him by the channel.

Michelle Yeoh brought her Oscar to her wedding

Per Deadline, the Trump lawsuit was focused primarily on the phrase “the Big Lie,” which several CNN correspondents used to describe Trump’s contention that he’d actually won the 2020 election. Given that the phrase “Big lie” in politics is most closely associated with Nazi propaganda head Joseph Goebbels, the Trump camp sued on the grounds that CNN was covertly calling them all Nazis. Trump’s suit also highlighted other times people on CNN actually just literally compared him to Hitler, which we would not necessarily want to have entered into the legal record in such a public way, but to each their own.

U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal—a Trump appointee, as it happens—shot that reasoning down, arguing, essentially, that, in modern discourse, drawing Hitler allusions isn’t the same as stating you think someone is an actual, literal Nazi. Or, to put it in Singhal’s words, while he finds “Nazi references in the political discourse (made by whichever ‘side’) to be odious and repugnant…bad rhetoric is not defamation when it does not include false statements of fact. CNN’s use of the phrase ‘the Big Lie’ in connection with Trump’s election challenges does not give rise to a plausible inference that Trump advocates the persecution and genocide of Jews or any other group of people. No reasonable viewer could (or should) plausibly make that reference.” And while we’d argue that the definition of “reasonable viewer” has gotten pretty damn scary over the last few years, it’s at least nice to know Trump won’t be getting any of the $475 million he sued for here.

(Singhal did get in some complaining of his own, though, taking time out of his decision to gripe at length about the media’s coverage of the Supreme Court’s recent tackling of Affirmative Action, before resignedly writing “This is the news model of today.”)

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Scandal Kerry Washington Tony Goldwyn Bellamy Young

Kerry Washington Holds a Mini ‘Scandal’ Reunion to Support the SAG-AFTRA Strike (Photos)

Kerry Washington joined in on a mini “Scandal” reunion on Friday in New York City in support of the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Washington shared photos on Instagram of herself, Tony Goldwyn and Bellamy Young creating signs for the picket lines.

“Volunteered with some fellow [SAG-AFTRA] members that I LOVE today,” Washington captioned the photos.

The actors look chummy today, but their characters on the ABC drama — Goldwyn’s Fritz, Washington’s Olivia and Young’s Mellie — were caught in a seasons-long love triangle.

Washington took the opportunity to shout out ways to help those taking part in the work stoppage: “If you want to get involved, there are soooooo many ways to support this labor strike. Help spread our message, volunteer, donate what you can donate to the Emergency Financial Assistance Program, and more! … Any bit helps! We’re in this together.”

SAG-AFTRA joined the picket lines officially on July 14 after weeks of talks with the The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios and streamers, ended with no new contract agreement. A few of the issues most in contention are residual payments, more transparency on streaming viewing numbers and rules around the use of artificial intelligence.

Kerry Washington joined in on a mini

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Cruel Summer – Episode 2.10 – Endgame (Season Finale) – Promo, 2 Sneak Peeks, Promotional Photos + Press Release

Sneak Peeks

Promotional Photos

Promo

Press Release

July 31 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT) – Episode #2010 – “Endgame”

As timelines collide, friendships implode, new evidence emerges and the shocking truth is revealed … in more ways than one.

Source:

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Seth Rogen Not Interested in Marvel Writing Process – IndieWire

Seth Rogen Not Interested in Marvel Writing Process – IndieWire

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has convinced countless Hollywood A-listers to participate in its sprawling superhero saga over the past 15 years. But don’t expect Seth Rogen to join the stable any time soon.

In a new interview with Polygon, Rogen explained that he is hesitant to work on a massive franchise due to fears about compromising the writing process he has developed with longtime partner Evan Goldberg.

“Honestly, probably fear,” Rogen said when asked about what has stopped him from making a Marvel or DC movie. “We really have a pretty specific way we work; me and Evan [Goldberg] have been writers for 20 years at this point. It’s a fear of the process, honestly. And I say that knowing nothing about the process. There are a lot of Marvel things I love.”

While Rogen and Goldberg have written and produced a variety of comic book properties including “The Boys” and “Preacher,” they have always controlled their projects as producers. (Rogen also starred in the critically-panned 2011 film “The Green Hornet,” which he co-wrote with Goldberg). That allows them to control their writing process — a privilege that Rogen says they’re unwilling to give up.

SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS, (aka SHAZAM 2), Zachary Levi, as Shazam, 2023. © Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

“It’s mostly a fear of how would we plug into the system they have in place, which seems like a very good system, and a system that serves them very well,” he said. “But is it a system that we would ultimately get really frustrated with?”

He cited their upcoming animated film “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” as a positive example of their process in action. Despite the film being based on a massive piece of preexisting IP, Rogen says that he and Goldberg were able to develop the project at their own pace.

“And what’s nice about [‘Mutant Mayhem’] is that we’re the producers of this. So we dictated the system, and we dictated the process in a lot of ways. We are creating the infrastructure and process for them, not plugging into someone else’s infrastructure and process. We’re control freaks!”

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has convinced countless

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Haim Joins Taylor Swift on Stage Dressed Up as ‘Bejeweled’ Stepsisters – Billboard

Haim had some tricks up their sleeves for their second weekend on Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour. Este, Danielle and Alana arrived on stage wearing dresses like their “Bejeweled” video gowns when they joined Swift on “No Body, No Crime” in Santa Clara, California, on Friday (July 28).

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“hi from the step sisters!” the real-life sisters wrote Saturday (July 29) on Instagram. They shared a series of photos and a backstage video from the night before at Levi’s Stadium that featured a look at their “Bejeweled”-inspired dresses. The trio guest-starred in Swift’s self-directed music video that was released in October.

“we literally filmed this on our way to stage,” Haim added in a caption on TikTok about Friday night’s hijinks.

“No Body, No Crime” has been a new Evermore-era song on the setlist since Haim joined the tour as an opening act. Swift and Haim debuted it live together on July 22 in Seattle. Their collab replaced “‘Tis the Damn Season” on the setlist.

Swift will play Levi’s Stadium again Saturday night before heading to Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium to wrap the North American leg of her tour with six concerts. Haim is among the opening acts for the remaining dates.

Watch a clip of Friday night’s “No Body, No Crime” performance below.

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Viola Davis

Viola Davis Withdraws From ‘G20’ Despite Strike-Exception Waiver

Viola Davis is stepping away from producing “G20,” announcing the decision in a statement signaling support for Hollywood’s ongoing strikes. Like over 100 other independent films, the upcoming action thriller received an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA to continue production through the ongoing actors strike. But Davis won’t move forward with filming, setting a precedent for A-list talent negotiating the prospect of continuing work as the actors’ guild and AMPTP wait to reach an agreement.

“I love this movie, but I do not feel that it would be appropriate for this production to move forward during the strike,” Davis said Saturday in a statement. Davis is also credited as a producer on the film. “I appreciate that the producers on the project agree with this decision. JuVee Productions and I stand in solidarity with actors, SAG/AFTRA and the WGA.”

As an MRC production, “G20” received a waiver, despite the project’s affiliation with Amazon Prime Video, which is set to distribute the film.

The subject of interim waivers has been hotly contended since the SAG-AFTRA strike began two weeks ago. Davis’s announcement comes two days after actor Sarah Silverman slammed Hollywood stars for continuing to work on indie projects amid the strike, calling it an act of “scabbing.”

“We should see every movie star out there striking along because you have insurance because of your union,” Silverman said in a video she posted to Instagram Thursday night. “You get residuals because of your union. All these things that you get because of your union, and you can’t stand with your union?”

She ended her video by saying: “So, I don’t know if I’m mad at these movie stars that are making these indie movies that are obviously going to go to streaming, or am I mad at SAG for making this interim deal for these indie movies?”

Despite Silverman’s harsh criticism and Davis’ pointed decision to pump the breaks on “G20,” other indie projects still hustle on. Apple TV+’s “Tehran” and A24’s “Mother Mary” and “I Dream of Unicorns” are among the production that have received waivers from SAG-AFTRA to continue filming, while actors like Glenn Close, Anne Hathaway, Dakota Fanning and others are still working under waivers.

Deadline was first to report on Viola Davis’ statement about pausing work on “G20.”

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Lower East Adams Lake wildfire in Shuswap holding steady, downgraded in size – Okanagan

A large wildfire in B.C.’s Shuswap region was downgraded in size on Saturday.

Located around 20 kilometres north of Chase, the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire was downsized to 1,821 hectares from an estimated 2,000 hectares.

The Columbia Shuswap Regional District said the new sizing is a result of more accurate fire mapping.

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“The fire along the southern flank is not showing any significant growth towards populated areas,” the CSRD said on Saturday.

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The blaze was first spotted on July 12 and is thought to have been sparked by lightning. It’s also still deemed to be out of control, though the regional district says the fire is showing reduced demeanour with Rank 1 and 2 behaviour.

“These are the lowest levels on the wildfire ranking scale and indicate a smouldering ground fire,” said the CSRD.

BC Wildfire says the fire is being managed by an incident management team that’s been assigned to the Adams complex wildfires (Rossmore Lake, Lower East Adams Lake and Bush Creek East).

Eight helicopters are assigned to the zone, with nine pieces of heavy equipment battling the blaze.

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‘The fight has changed’: Artificial intelligence could help future wildfire response

Structure protection crews are also deploying and testing a mass-water delivery system if needed.

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The fire has spawned evacuation alerts from the Adams Lake Indian Band, the CSRD and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.

The regional district added that Shuswap residents may experience increased smoke this weekend and into next week from the northwestern and western flank of the Lower East Adams Lake fire, as well as others burning in the region.

Click to play video: 'Hikers rescued by helicopter from raging blaze in Southeastern B.C.'

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Hikers rescued by helicopter from raging blaze in Southeastern B.C.

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‘Scandal’ Star Kerry Washington Reunites With Castmastes To Support SAG-AFTRA Actions – Deadline

Kerry Washington posted several snapshots with her Scandal costars Tony Goldwyn and Bellamy Young on Instagram on Friday. The reunion showed them filing out picket signs in support of the strike initiated by SAG-AFTRA.

“Volunteered with some fellow @sagaftra members that I LOVE today,” Washington captioned an image of her holding a sign that read, “Guild vs. Evil.”

Washington played Olivia Pope for seven seasons on the ABC drama. She offered her fans a few suggestions on ways they can show their support.

“If you want to get involved, there are soooooo many ways to support this labor strike. Help spread our message, volunteer, donate what you can donate to the Emergency Financial Assistance Program, and more! I’ll link to all in my stories. Any bit helps! We’re in this together.”

Washington also posted a TikTok set to the tune of Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It.” The footage showed the trio folding T-shirts, taking photos, and dancing as they volunteered together.

In the clip, Goldwyn, who played President Fitz Grant, explained how the union arrived at its unanimous decision. “We are on strike to get a fair deal for all the workers in our industry who put so much on the line,” he said. “And we’re just asking for fairness for each other.”

“For fairness and equity,” Washington added. “And so that we don’t get replaced by computers.”

Goldwyn replied, “Yeah, that too.”

Young previously posted photos of her and Goldwyn on the picket line as they marched through Times Square in New York City.

“I’ve been a proud @sagaftra #UnionMember since 1992,” she captioned her post. “I’m so grateful for the family & protections that our union has given me & I’m proud to stand vigilant so that those protections can continue to keep this family strong as our industry moves into a new paradigm.”

Kerry Washington posted several snapshots with her

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tobin bell jigsaw saw x

‘Saw X’ Trailer: Jigsaw Lives in Horror Sequel

Jigsaw lives! So do all of his deadly puzzle traps in the first official trailer for “Saw X.” Lionsgate pulled the curtain back on the new installment in the horror series at Midsummer Screen Festival on Saturday evening.

While the plot for the 10th entry in the “Saw” franchise has been kept under wraps, the project has long teased the return of Tobin Bell as the series killer kidnapper Jigsaw. The actor originated the role in 2004’s “Saw” but died at the end of “Saw 3.” Even so, the character was a driving creative force and Bell signed on for several sequels, appearing in flashbacks as the series contorted itself into one of the most labyrinthine chronologies in modern franchise filmmaking.

“Saw X” arrives only two years after the series’ previous installment, “Spiral: From the Book of Saw.” Led by Chris Rock, that entry bore few connections to the existing series.

Series veteran Shawnee Smith, who plays Amanda Young, also returns for “Saw X.” Additionally, Steven Brand, Synnøve Macody Lund, Michael Beach, Renata Vaca, Paulette Hernandez, Octavio Hinojosa and Joshua Okamoto join the forthcoming film.

Lionsgate confirmed Bell’s return to the “Saw” series in a statement last October: “The return of Tobin Bell to the franchise furthers Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures’ goal of a film that captures everything ‘Saw’ fans love about the franchise, while also keeping them guessing with all-new traps and a new mystery to solve.”

The studio, too, has affirmed that “Saw X” will capture fans’ “hearts — and other body parts — with all-new twisted, ingenious traps and a new mystery to solve.”

The 10th installment in the franchise will see the return of director Kevin Greutert, who helmed “Saw VI” (2009) and “Saw: The Final Chapter” (2010) and served as editor for the first five installments and “Jigsaw” (2017). Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger are writers, while Daniel J. Heffner, Ketura Kestin and James Wan executive produce.

“Saw X” is set to hit theaters on Sept. 27, 2023. Watch the official trailer below.

Jigsaw lives! So do all of his

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Saw X

‘Saw X’: Tobin Bell Returns in Chilling First Trailer (Video)

Attendees of this year’s Midsummer Scream got an early look at “Saw X.” The hook, as explained earlier this month, is that it’s a prequel set between the events of “Saw” and “Saw II.” That means we’ll get Tobin Bell’s alive (but not well) Jigsaw without having to awkwardly pretzel him into a story taking place after his on-screen demise.

“Saw X” follows Kramer traveling to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure that he hopes will cure his cancer. Spoiler alert: The entire operation is a scam aimed at the most vulnerable. More spoilers: John is going to get his righteous revenge, Jigsaw-style.

Kevin Greutert, who directed the quite popular “Sav VI” and the less beloved “Saw: The Final Chapter,” is back in the director’s chair. “Saw X,” which like “Saw VI” concerns the morality within the insurance industry, looks to be a continuity-drenched installment compared to “Jigsaw” and “Spiral: From the Book of Saw.” The 2017 release was a very loose continuation with a brief Tobin Bell cameo. The 2021 release attempted an in-continuity soft relaunch courtesy of producer and star Chris Rock.

Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger, who wrote the last two installments, are returning screenwriters with franchise vets Oren Koules and Mark Burg sticking around as producers.

While both “Jigsaw” ($103 million on a $10 million budget in 2017) and “Spiral” ($40 million on a $20 million budget plus whatever it earned on PVOD amid the COVID summer of 2021) were profitable, neither was necessarily a glorious franchise relaunch. The latter pushed the whole series past $1 billion worldwide. That is still a rare feat for an R-rated franchise.

Can Lionsgate relaunch “Saw” on the third try?

It could just be that the “Saw” series, which initially ran over seven movies from 2004 to 2010, was just the right horror franchise at the right time. Its grindhouse mentality and ruthless brutality personified the post-9/11 decade in horror, just as “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “The Last House on the Left” spoke to a generation ravaged by participating in or witnessing the real-life carnage of the Vietnam War. It gave Hollywood its first new iconic onscreen boogie man since “Scream”s Ghostface or – since it was a different murderer every time in those films — Tony Todd’s Candyman.

Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw died in “Saw III,” a death that stuck even as the later sequels pretzeled themselves trying to keep him around in spirit. Its increasingly insane pinball continuity — which makes “The Fast Saga” look like a simple straight line — both became a key part of its popularity and a huge challenge in ensnaring new fans.

The “bad” news is that this in-continuity prequel doesn’t exactly scream “welcome new fans.” The “good” news is that presumably audiences may only have to be familiar with the first and maybe the second installment. That may be a smart play for enticing casual fans who checked out when John Kramer clocked out.

Whether “Saw X” can succeed where “Jigsaw” and “Spiral” comparatively failed, there’s really no harm in Lionsgate periodically trying as long as they aren’t spending more than $20 million on each attempt. Hey, maybe generational nostalgia for those first seven films will finally do the trick when “Saw X” opens on September 29, or just under 19 years after the first one. After all, as real ones know, if it’s Halloween, it must be “Saw.” Or, in this case, it’s its a month out from Halloween, it, well, you get the idea.

Saw X

Attendees of this year’s Midsummer Scream got

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Realscreen » Archive » Magnolia picks up N. American rights for “Immediate Family” doc on ’70s session musicians

Realscreen » Archive » Magnolia picks up N. American rights for “Immediate Family” doc on ’70s session musicians

About The Author

Andrew Jeffrey joined Realscreen in 2021 as its news editor. Here, he helps to oversee assignment, reporting and editing for Realscreen’s daily newsletter. Prior to his work covering documentary and non-fiction film and TV, he worked as a reporter and associate producer for CBC Edmonton, and as a reporter for The Star Calgary, where he covered daily news on beats such as local and provincial politics, health care and harm reduction, sports and education. His work has appeared in other Canadian news outlets such as TVO, the Edmonton Journal and Avenue Magazine.

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‘The Unknown Country’ Review: A Granddaughter’s Road Trip

‘The Unknown Country’ Review: A Granddaughter’s Road Trip

Snow-bordered highways, a cat winking its jade eye, the tentative yet always observant expressions of the main character Tana (Lily Gladstone) are among the low-key pleasures of “The Unknown Country,” the director-writer Morrisa Maltz’s luminously photographed, delicately paced road movie.

After the death of her grandmother, whom she cared for, Tana accepts an invitation to attend her cousin’s wedding in South Dakota. She hasn’t been with her Oglala Lakota family since she was eight.

Tana’s wintry drive from Minneapolis to her cousin Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux’s in Spearfish, S.D., is just the first leg in a journey that will take her to the Pine Ridge Reservation and southward to Texas, as she traces an itinerary taken from her grandmother’s photo album. One picture shows Tana’s grandmother as a young woman, a craggy vista in the distance, and finding where the photo was taken starts to shape Tana’s sojourn.

Shangreaux, her husband, Devin, and their daughter, Jasmine, are among the performers here portraying themselves. In the film’s most inventive, gently disruptive gesture, the nonprofessional cast members’ actual stories are recounted in their voice-overs. Think of these mini-documentary profiles — of a waitress (Pam Richter), a gas station attendant (Dale Leander Toller), a motor lodge owner (Scott Stampe), and the nonagenarian Florence R. Perrin, a two-stepping mainstay at the Western Kountry Klub in Midlothian, Texas, as rest stops in Tana’s trip.

Gladstone, who stars in Martin Scorsese’s upcoming “Killers of the Flower Moon,” delivers a performance that is hushed and anchoring. But the film’s gentle detours into the real-life stories remind us that it is the people met on the road that so often make the trip memorable.

The Unknown Country
Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 25 minutes. In theaters.

Snow-bordered highways, a cat winking its jade

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Reader letters: The Roxy and the debate over 'Sound of Freedom'

Reader letters: The Roxy and the debate over ‘Sound of Freedom’

Regarding “50 Years at the Roxy,” July 23: I was one of the lucky ones who was there opening night for Neil Young, with Graham Nash subbing for Grin. (“Nils can’t sing”). It wasn’t until years later that I understood whom he was referring to and that he was ill. Thank goodness I was able to see Nils Lofgren and his trampoline-defying performance on the same stage a few years later. Reading the article brought back many, many memories of the incredible shows I saw there over the years, several of which were mentioned in the article. It also brought me to my scrapbook filled with the really cool ads that used to promote concerts and were themselves worthy of mention.

David Rosen
Solana Beach, Calif.

::

One of the unlikeliest bookings at the Roxy was Bobby Short, who took the stage commenting, “Would you believe Bobby Short in jeans at the Roxy?”

Les Traub
Beverly Hills

Cherry-picking moments to be outraged

Regarding Lorraine Ali’s “How Summer Blockbuster ‘Sound of Freedom’ Became a Battlefield in the Culture War,” July 21:

Can you oppose child-trafficking but also oppose asylum and the protection of child migrants in general? Sure you can, in today’s polarized society.

Fans of the sleeper hit “Sound of Freedom” are cherry-picking their outrage over child trafficking, tethering it to QAnon conspiracies and partisan politics but ignoring how migration policy can, albeit with many flaws, provide children and others their day in immigration court.

Just read the comments section of any article or post about the film. Virtue-signaling fans of star Jim Caviezel trade in anti-immigrant rhetoric and support Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott shipping unsuspecting migrants to “woke” destinations. Abbott has set floating barriers in the river border with Mexico, and DeSantis recently signed a sweeping anti-immigrant law in his state. Where’s the outrage?

If you are supporting these laws, you are not against child trafficking. You are merely cherry-picking one aspect of a real issue and tying it to conspiracies and partisan policies that will undermine the protection of children.

David Hernandez
Northampton, Mass.

::

“The Sound of Freedom” might be thought of as the new QAnon action movie. Everyone I know who has seen it emerges from the theater in a state of extreme distress and anger — anger springing from the movie’s assertion that 2 million children a year have gone “missing,” kidnapped and forced into sex work. But no one knows how many children fall victim to child sex trafficking. It is all a guess. Obviously, if it happens to one child, that is one too many, but we don’t need QAnon’s disturbing obsession with child sex abuse to muddy the water. Let’s direct this newfound concern for the world’s children into actually helping real children, beginning with those facing poverty and starvation.

JJ Flowers
Dana Point

Comic-Con was just fine

Despite the gloomy picture painted in Tracy Brown and Jevon Phillips’ article (“The Show Must Go On”), San Diego Comic-Con 2023 was a huge success. In fact, I’d wager a majority of the attendees (like me and my friends) thought this might be the best Comic-Con experience in perhaps 20 years.

Hollywood’s presence really affects only the devoted denizens of Hall H, which holds about 6,000 seats. The rest of the attendees had the convention center to themselves — to cosplay, to attend informative panels and screenings, to preview hundreds of toys and games and to collect and celebrate physical comic books.

I’ve been attending comic cons in New York (since 1968) and San Diego (since 1977). A lot of us were invigorated by this year’s event and would welcome future conventions just like this one.

Jerry Beck
Glendale

Sparks’ moment to shine

Big miss on you for not covering the triumphant Hollywood Bowl concert by L.A. brothers Sparks. After a 50-year career that has influenced dozens of bands, Sparks achieved this milestone. In their 70s, Ron and Russell Mael are more potent and vital than ever and have released the album “The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte.” Come on, L.A. Times.

Peter Knego
Oceanside

Our own Ernie Kovacs

I enjoyed reading Robert Lloyd’s piece on the legacy of film and television pioneer Ernie Kovacs (“Ernie Kovacs Was TV’s Original Madcap Genius. A New Book Tells Why His Influence and Legacy Matter,” July 20). But I think another pioneer who also twisted the TV control dials is worth mentioning: Jim Hawthorne. Steve Allen called him “the West Coast Ernie Kovacs” because Hawthorne was doing similar things as Kovacs on Los Angeles TV and radio as early as 1949.

Hawthorne’s madcap radio antics included playing records backward and sped up, while he and his imaginary recorded friend, Skippy, would comment about the music.

Hawthorne took his act to television, on Channel 13. Clips of that late-night live-audience program show a man who used the camera as a character named Eggbert, who would react to whatever stunt Hawthorne acted out on his junk-cluttered set. He would converse with Eggbert, and the camera would either tilt up and down in agreement or pan left and right in disapproval.

During the 1950s and early ’60s Hawthorne gave weather casts on Los Angeles TV stations while continuing a busy career on radio. He, like Kovacs, stretched the boundaries of early television, and in doing so, was a local legend.

Mitch Waldow
Broadcast archivist and retired journalist (KTTV, KCOP, KFWB and others)

A moving tribute to Tony Bennett

An absolutely enlightening and moving story of the legendary performer Tony Bennett (“Across Generations, the Irrepressible Joy of Tony Bennett Could Never Be Unplugged,” Mikael Wood, July 21). It was pointed out how he managed to transcend so many generations of different, evolving musical tastes. I would say it was not only his superb delivery and interpretation of American standards but also the quality of those songs themselves.

Unfortunately, much of today’s synthesized, monotonous, cookie-cutter and somewhat vapid music will be lucky to last a year, maybe 10, but certainly not 60 years or more, as is the case with Bennett’s repertoire.

It was a bittersweet tribute in the fact that all the great crooners (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole) are no longer with us. Fortunately, Bennett’s voice will live on for eternity.

Rick Solomon
Lake Balboa

::

Somewhere high on a hill halfway to the stars, above the blue and windy sea, a man sits in the morning fog. He calls to me.

Rest in peace, Tony Bennett. The golden sun will shine for you.

Larry Hersh
Huntington Beach

Regarding “50 Years at the Roxy,”

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Deadpool 3, Elizabeth Olsen, Ian McKellan

Deadpool 3’s Villain: 8 Predictions of Who It Will Be

With Deadpool 3 set to release next summer, fans are still wondering who might be the film’s villain.

Audiences are stoked for Deadpool 3.

Not only will Ryan Reynolds’ titular hero be returning to the screen, but so will Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. He’s even going to be sporting a bright yellow and blue, comic-accurate outfit, as seen in set photos.

While it’s plenty exciting to think about those two bickering with each other, one would think that the two will be going up against some sort of antagonist force. But who?

Possible Villains for Deadpool 3

Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch

Elizabeth Olsen

Yes, Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch was the villain for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness—but that movie set her up to be a baddie in another timeline as well.

Remember Earth-838’s Wanda? Perhaps the whole ordeal fractured her mind, causing the Scarlet Witch to continue to go off the rails.

This could result in an extremely messed up timeline for all everyone on her Earth, especially given her reality-warping powers.

Maybe after escaping the TVA, who will almost certainly detain him at some point in the movie, Deadpool stumbles into this collapsing reality. This could even be where Wade Wilson properly teams up with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine.

There’s one problem, though: how in the world would the good guys be able to win?

Ian McKellen’s Magneto

Ian McKellen, Magneto, X-Men: The First Stand — Ian McKellen

Given the many rumors about all the returning mutants from the original X-Men films, making Ian McKellen’s Magneto the villain would make perfect sense.

He could possibly be leading a timeline where mutants have “won” and become the predominant force on the planet. This dystopian reality would also be a great way to bring in all of those older supporting X-Men characters.

If Deadpool 3 still chose to involve Wanda somehow, this would be Marvel’s chance to explore their father-daughter dynamic that the MCU could never touch upon before.

Michael Fassbender’s Magneto

Michael Fassbender, Magneto, X-Men: Days of Future Past — Michael Fassbender

If Marvel Studios decides not to go with Ian McKellen’s Magneto, why not choose the next best thing: Michael Fassbender?

Fassbender’s portrayal of the mutant has always been revered as one of the best elements of Fox’s later X-Men movies. Placing him in some alternate timeline where he has gone to extremes to protect mutantkind sounds like something audiences would absolutely love to see.

Sadly, there’s hardly been any talk about any of the First Class era cast returning for Deadpool 3, which doesn’t bode well for Fassbender’s chances.

Benedict Cumberbatch’s Evil Doctor Strange Variant

Benedict Cumberbatch, Sinister Stranger, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — Benedict Cumberbatch

Similar to how Multiverse of Madness set up the Scarlet Witch as a Multiversal threat, the same was done for Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange.

The Illuminati seemed convinced that Doctor Strange is a blight on the Multiverse. Why not show audiences this in Deadpool 3 and have some version of the former Sorcerer Supreme completely wipe out and destroy Fox’s timelines?

This also perfectly paves the way for Doctor Strange 3 and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

Though, much like Scarlet Witch, it’s hard to see how Deadpool or Wolverine would be able to truly go up against Stephen Strange and win.

Jonathan Majors’ Kang Variant

Jonathan Majors, Kang, Silver Centurion, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania — Jonathan Majors

One possibility that has likely come to everyone’s mind once or twice is Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror.

The Multiverse is Kang’s plaything, so with Deadpool 3 so involved in those concepts, it might feel strange to leave Kang out altogether.

At the same time, given the actor’s legal troubles, if the character had a role in the upcoming threequel, word of it would almost certainly have already made its way out to the public.

At the very least, though, and depending on how Majors’ issues work themselves out, perhaps fans should probably expect a post-credits cameo at the very least.

Emma Corrin’s Mystery Marvel Character

Emma Corrin

Emma Corrin joined Deadpool 3 back in February, and no details on their character were revealed except for that they play a villain. But are they the key antagonist?

Many fans thought they’d end up being the physical embodiment of the X-Men’s training room, aka Danger. Sadly, that theory was debunked by Deadline’s Justin Kroll.

Another possibility for Corrin would be Lady Deadpool. Seeing as this is the Multiverse, it would be hard to believe that Ryan Reynolds wouldn’t want to have his hero meet other versions of himself.

Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine Variant

Hugh Jackman, Logan — Hugh Jackman

A huge part of Deadpool 3 centers around the return of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. But what’s better than one Wolvie? Two!

While one of these Wolverines would be the heroic, classic type, another could be a twisted, darker version of himself who learned all the wrong lessons while traveling the rocky road that was his life.

Or, maybe the single Logan that audiences are following along with for the whole movie ends up becoming the bad guy by the end. But why?

Many fans are confident that timelines will die within the course of the film—so, potential incursions. Wolverine could end up trying his hardest to save an already doomed timeline, even if it might cost Deadpool’s life or any number of other realities.

Ryan Reynolds Himself

Ryan Reynolds

It seems relentlessly clear that Deadpool 3 will be extremely meta. With that in mind, what if the villain is Ryan Reynolds himself?

Ever since the 20th Century Fox logo showed up on set, fans dug their heels in and became convinced that the project was some adaptation of Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe.

The third film could see Wade Wilson going around to various timelines erasing stories Wade feels dropped the ball (ala, most of the Fox Universe films for fans). In doing this, perhaps the meta element continues to multiply until the Merc With A Mouth is forced up against Reynolds—who is a producer on the film and obviously the man behind Deadpool’s live-action existence.

Can Deadpool’s caretaker reign in his own golden boy?

Deadpool 3 is currently slated to hit theaters on May 4, 2024.

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Susan Sarandon Reveals Why She Signed on For Superhero Movie Role

Susan Sarandon Reveals Why She Signed on For Superhero Movie Role

Susan Sarandon will try and give the Blue Beetle a run for his money this summer. A stalwart in Hollywood — she started acting in 1970 — Sarandon has never appeared in either the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) or even the now defunct DCEU films that officially took their curtain call with The Flash. However, Sarandon didn’t hesitate to sign on and play the evil, power-hungry Victoria Kord in the Blue Beetle because of the film’s director, Angel Manuel Soto.

Sarandon said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly:

I just was so impressed by his [Soto] passion. He has this art background, so he was this nerdy fan of superheroes.

In addition to working with Soto, Sarandon was impressed by her character’s ambitions and motivations. And if being the first actor to portray Victoria Kord on the big screen wasn’t enough incentive, Sarandon was also captivated by the complex themes explored in Blue Beetle.

Sarandon also told Entertainment Weekly:

[Victoria Kord personifies] the theme of imperialism in the name of democracy. My character’s really the one who’s driving that charade in order to get wealth and uranium and what other natural resources, under the guise of making the world safe for democracy. That rang a bell. All of those themes I thought would really be fun to dabble in.

Victoria Kord is a unique character in the DC Universe as she was created as an original character for the film Blue Beetle. However, prior to the movie’s release, Kord did appear in the pages of Blue Beetle: Graduation Day No. 2 in February 2023.

Related: Best Susan Sarandon Movies, Ranked

Sarandon is ready to battle the Blue Beetle

DC Entertainment

Susan Sarandon plays the Blue Beetle’s (Xolo Maridueña) nemesis, Victoria Kord, in director Angel Manuel Soto’s first foray into the DC universe. And Kord has a singular focus when it comes to what she wants in life. And the leader of Kord Industries doesn’t intend to let anyone get in the way of what she wants most: power!

Sarandon said in the same interview:

Here she is, the only one who really made [the family business] her life. She has no family, she has no friends. She’s not interested in anything but Kord Industries. She doesn’t shop, she doesn’t hang out with her girlfriends. She doesn’t have a lover; if she does, it’s nobody important. So, everything has gone towards the building of power.

In addition to enjoying the chance to play her character, Sarandon was impressed by the diversity of the Blue Beetle cast. And she was also thrilled to find out that everyone involved had a passion for the material, rather than simply being involved for a payday.

Sarandon also told EW:

It means a lot to have that representation. You really felt that people were there understanding that this was a chance to do something that hadn’t happened before, which was this Latino superhero having his own movie. We didn’t have anyone who came late or was in it for the money.

Speaking of money, it — or the lack thereof — has played an ominous part in recent DC projects, whether they’ve seen the light of day or not. CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, famously took a bath when he shelved the $90-million Batgirl film that featured Micheal Keaton’s Batman.

Worst yet, The Flash was released theatrically and it absolutely tanked at the box office. And, at the time of this writing, Blue Beetle is forecast to fail, too. Soto’s film is projected to only make between $27 million and $55 million total domestically against its $120-million budget.

Blue Beetle opens in theaters on Friday, August 18.

Susan Sarandon will try and give the

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The Meta 'Super Rumble' game is the first of many next-gen Horizon Worlds VR titles

The Meta ‘Super Rumble’ game is the first of many next-gen Horizon Worlds VR titles

Meta has just launched a new game for Horizon Worlds called Super Rumble, and it’s unlike any other game released for the social VR application. Previously known as Titanborne in beta, Super Rumble is the the first game out of Meta’s in-house studio, Ouro Interactive. It could also herald a new era for the Horizon Worlds platform, one embodied by experiences with better graphics and more complex gameplay. Vishal Shah, Meta’s VP of Metaverse, called the shooter “more than just a new world” and described it as “the next generation of Horizon Worlds” to Janko Roettgers of Lowpass

Roettgers said everyone he played the beta version with “seemed awestruck by the level of fidelity the game offered.” Apparently, that’s because it was built using imported objects, assets and textures, which wasn’t possible in the past. Shah said Meta rebuilt the VR platform’s underlying technology to give it the ability to support higher-quality games and to allow developers to import assets created using third-party tools. The company has reportedly given Ouro and select partners the capability to use the import feature so they could develop new Horizon Worlds games to be released over the next six months.

Shah told Lowpass that the company’s metaverse team has been working on improvements for Horizon Worlds over the past year. “As consumers come to Horizon, we want to make sure there’s a bunch of compelling content that they can find on day one. We’re going to seed the ecosystem, bootstrap it with stuff that we build both in-house, but also with some studios that we’re working with,” he said.

In addition to building an improved version of the platform, the Horizon team has also apparently been developing a mobile app. They’d reportedly finished creating one a year ago but weren’t happy with the result, so they chose to build it again. Super Rumble will be one of the first titles to be available when the mobile app comes out, and Shah said it will feature cross-platform play.

A mobile app with cross-platform capabilities could help Meta reach new audiences who can’t afford or aren’t interested enough to get a VR headset. The company’s VR business unit, Reality Labs, posted a $3.7 billion operating loss in the second quarter of 2023. In all, the division has lost $21 billion since the beginning of 2022 and had to axe some projects last year. A mobile app could make Horizon Worlds more accessible, which in turn could translate into greater revenue.

Shah’s team has been working on other improvements for the VR platform, as well, including investing in generative AI tools for creation. The idea is to give more creators the ability to build new worlds even if they don’t know how to use professional 3D tools. He didn’t tell Lowpass when the mobile app or generative AI tools will be available, though, so we’ll have to wait for their official announcements.

Meta has just launched a new game

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VIDEO Relive the highlights of Sydney Fest 70

VIDEO Relive the highlights of Sydney Fest 70

Relive the highlights of the 70th Sydney Film Festival which took over Sydney screens from June 7 – 18, 2023.

A LETTER FROM FESTIVAL DIRECTOR
NASHEN MOODLEY

For our 70th edition, we invited you to SEE IT ALL and I want to thank you deeply for generously accepting that invitation and celebrating cinema with us. You came in huge numbers, with over 100 sessions sold out, helped us premiere nearly 250 films, and welcomed filmmakers from around the globe with open minds and enthusiastic applause. Relive some of our favourite moments and watch our highlights video.

I had my own highlights: Warwick Thornton being moved to tears at the incredible response to his film THE NEW BOY; Jane Campion speaking with David Stratton about her remarkable career at The Hub; the sheer joy radiating from all in attendance at RED, WHITE & BRASS; and applauding Asmae El Moudir as she collected the Sydney Film Prize for her astonishing film THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES.

We’d love to hear your highlights too. Tell us all about them in our audience survey, which plays a really important part in helping us plan for next year (yes, we’re already planning for SFF71! See you June 5 – 16, 2024!).

I also want to extend a huge thank you to our big family of volunteers, our donors who make it possible, our Subscribers and Flexipass holders whose loyalty and film fandom is the heart of the Festival, all the participating filmmakers for all their daring works, and our partners who we couldn’t make the Festival without.

For now, we’re on the road with SFF hits to regional cinemas with the Travelling Film Festival. Tell your friends to catch Festival favourites like PAST LIVES, FALLEN LEAVES and HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE – or head there yourself to catch what you missed!

See you at the cinema,

Nashen Moodley
Festival Director

Relive the highlights of the 70th

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The Venice Classics restored films line-up announced for 80th Mostra

The Venice Classics restored films line-up announced for 80th Mostra

Venice Classics is the section that since 2012 has presented world premiere screenings at the Venice Film Festival of a selection of the best restorations of film classics carried out over the past year by film archives, cultural institutions and production companies around the world. Curated by Alberto Barbera with the collaboration of Federico Gironi, Venice Classics also presents a selection of documentaries about cinema or its practitioners.

“Once again this year, the line-up of Venice Classics seeks to offer its audiences a wide and overarching cross-section of the history of cinema, spanning genres and currents, exploring cinema styles and celebrating great filmmakers and anniversaries”. – said Alberto Barbera and Federico Gironi – “It rightly begins with the tribute to one of Italian cinema’s greatest and most popular stars. The pre-opening night, dedicated to Gina Lollobrigida, will feature La provinciale (The Wayward Wife) by Mario Soldati in which she offers one of her finest performances, and the rarely seen documentary dedicated to her by Orson Welles in 1958, Portrait of Gina, with which he hoped to initiate a series of portraits of people and places for the American broadcasting network ABC, but which was never followed up. Another tribute proposes to celebrate one of the masters of Italian genre cinema, Ruggero Deodato, who passed away in December last year, with the restoration of one of his most extreme and recherché films: Ultimo mondo cannibale.

Last February, we lost one of the greatest Spanish directors as well, Carlos Saura. We will see the restored version of one of his first and finest films, which marked the renascence of Spanish cinema: La caza (The Hunt) was an award-winner at the 1965 Berlin Film Festival.

Another of the anniversaries we will be celebrating this year is that of Anna Magnani, who left us fifty years ago. On this occasion, there will be a screening of the newly-restored 4K version of Bellissima, the remarkable film by one of the greatest directors in the history of Italian cinema, Luchino Visconti.

It is also the 120th anniversary of Yasujiro Ozu’s birth, and we will be seeing a rare film of his, mutilated by the censorship of the time, at the height of World War II: the recent rediscovery of part of the clips that were cut will make it possible to rediscover Chichi Ariki (There Was a Father) in a version that is not complete but is undoubtedly closer to the original release than the version we have known to date.

“We will follow with a series of great films that rightfully belong to the history of cinema and its pantheon”, continued Alberto Barbera and Federico Gironi, “Les Créatures (The Creatures) by Agnès Varda (in competition at the Venice Film Festival in 1966); Days of Heaven, Terrence Malick’s second film; King and Country by Joseph Losey and Tini zabutych predkiv (Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors) by Sergei Parajanov, which revealed to the world the remarkable qualities of the great Armenian-Ukrainian director despised by Soviet authorities for his work, which takes a visionary surrealistic approach to the popular traditions of the Caucasian peoples.

“Not just restored, but also revised by the filmmakers themselves in what are genuine Director’s Cuts, are One from the Heart by Francis Ford Coppola and Profundo Carmesí (Deep Crimson) by Arturo Ripstein, while the masterpiece Andrei Rublev by Andrei Tarkovsky will be presented in the reconstruction of the complete original version, which was censored before its release and has never been seen until now.

“2023 marks the 100th anniversary of both Warner Bros. and Disney. To celebrate them, fifty years after its production, a masterpiece of not just horror films, The Exorcist by William Friedkin, returns in a restored version, while for those looking for something softer and more reassuring, the screenings will feature Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, the film with the legendary Shirley Temple directed by the prolific and sometimes brilliant Allan Dwan.

“From America’s indie scene, we have Roger Corman‘s pupil Stephanie Rothman, who gave a feminist boost to 1970s sexploitation. The Festival will present The Working Girls, a recently restored movie from her filmography that has joined the collection of New York’s MoMA. Always on the topic of taboos, the director Yonfan takes us to Singapore’s red light district to meet a group of irresistible transvestites, in the brightly coloured Bugis Street. Children are the protagonists of one of Amir Naderi‘s first movies, Harmonica (Saaz Dahani, not seen for years), set in a sunny, coastal Iran that you wouldn’t expect. There will be an opportunity to discover, or rediscover, two films that are truly unfamiliar to us: Life of a Shock Force Worker (Slike iz života udarnika) by Bosnian director Bahrudin Čengić, a film considered by many critics to be one of the masterpieces of cinema from the former Yugoslavia, and Ohikkoshi (Moving) by Japanese director Shinji Sōmai, the unjustly underestimated director of only 13 remarkable films, made between 1980 and 2000.”

Below is the complete line-up of the restored films in Venice Classics selected for the 80^th Venice Film Festival:

VENICE CLASSICS

SLIKE IZ ŽIVOTA UDARNIKA (LIFE OF A SHOCK FORCE WORKER)

by BAHRUDIN BATO ČENGIĆ (Yugoslavia, 1972, 78’, Colour / B/W)

restored by: Slovenska kinoteka / Filmski centar Sarajevo / Hrvatski državi arhiv – Hrvatska kinoteka / Ōsterreichisches Filmmuseum with the supporto f the EU Creative Europe Medie Programme / ACE – Association des Cinémathèques Européennes / Ministrstvo za kulturo Republike Slovenije

ULTIMO MONDO CANNIBALE (JUNGLE HOLOCAUST) – Midnight screening

by RUGGERO DEODATO (Italy, 1977, 90’, Colour)

restored by: Minerva Pictures

REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM

by ALLAN DWAN (USA, 1938, 81’, B/W)

restored by: Walt Disney Studios / The Film Foundation

ONE FROM THE HEART: REPRISE

by FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA (USA, 1982, 95’, Colour)

restored by: American Zoetrope

THE EXORCIST

by WILLIAM FRIEDKIN (USA, 1973, 132’, Colour)

restored by: Warner Bros.

KING & COUNTRY

by JOSEPH LOSEY (UK, 1964, 88’, B/W)

restored by: StudioCanal

DAYS OF HEAVEN

by TERRENCE MALICK (USA, 1978, 94’, Colour)

restored by: Criterion / Paramount

SAAZ DAHANI (HARMONICA)

by AMIR NADERI (Iran, 1973, 76’, Colour)

restored by: Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young adults – KANOON / Roashana Laboratory

CHICHI ARIKI (THERE WAS A FATHER)

by YASUJIRO OZU (Japan, 1942, 92’, B/W)

restored by: Shochiku / National Film Archive of Japan

TINI ZABUTYKH PREDKIV (SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS)

by SERGEI PARAJANOV (Ukraine, 1965, 99’, Colour / B/W)

restored by: Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio

PROFUNDO CARMESÍ (DEEP CRIMSON) – DIRECTOR’S CUT

by ARTURO RIPSTEIN (Mexico, Spain, France, 2023, 136’, Colour)

restored by: Alebrije Producciones / Wanda Films

THE WORKING GIRLS

by STEPHANIE ROTHMAN (USA, 1974, 80’, Colour)

restored by: The Museum of Modern Art, New York

LA CAZA (THE HUNT)

by CARLOS SAURA (Spain, 1966, 87’, B/W)

restored by: Video Mercury Films

LA PROVINCIALE (THE WAYWARD WIFE)

by MARIO SOLDATI (Italy, 1953, 113’, B/W)

restored by: CSC – Cineteca Nazionale, in collaboration with Compass Film

OHIKKOSHI (MOVING)

by SHINJI SÔMAI (Japan, 1993, 124’, Colour)

restored by: Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation

ANDREI RUBLEV – DIRECTOR’S CUT

by ANDREI TARKOVSKY (USSR, 1966, 191’, Colour / B/W)

restored by: Istituto Internazionale Andrei Tarkovsky in collaboration with Coevolutions and Cloudpost

LES CRÉATURES (THE CREATURES)

by AGNÈS VARDA (France, 1965, 94’, Colour / B/W)

restored by: Ciné Tamaris / CNC with the support of SHE ECHOES and Chanel

BELLISSIMA

by LUCHINO VISCONTI (Italy, 1951, 114’, B/W)

restored by: CSC – Cineteca Nazionale in collaboration with Compass Film

BUGIS STREET

by YONFAN (Hong Kong, 1995, 98’, Colour)

restored by: L’immagine ritrovata / Far Sun Film

OUT OF COMPETITION

PORTRAIT OF GINA

by ORSON WELLES (USA, 1958, 27’, B/W)

restored by: Munich Filmmuseum, in collaboration with Cinecittà

_________________________________________

Completing the Venice Classics section will be a selection of documentaries about cinema and its practitioners, with a line-up to be announced at the press conference on July 25^th.

_________________________________________

Director Andrea Pallaoro President of the Jury of film students

Director and screenwriter Andrea Pallaoro (Medeas, Hannah, Monica) will chair the Jury of Film Students which – for the tenth year – will award the Venice Classics prizes for the respective competitions for Best Restored Film and for the Best Documentary About Cinema. The Jury chaired will be composed of 24 students, each of them recommended by professors of film studies from various Italian universities, DAMS and from Ca’ Foscari University in Venice.

Andrea Pallaoro – biographical notes

Born in Trento, Italy in 1982, Andrea Pallaoro holds an MFA in Film Directing from the California Institute of the Arts and a BA from Hampshire College. His first feature film, Medeas, starring Catalina Sandino Moreno and Brian O’Byrne, premiered at the 70^th Venice Film Festival and won several awards at prestigious international film festivals including Marrakech, Tbilisi, Palm Springs, and CamerImage. Hannah, Pallaoro’s second feature film, starring Charlotte Rampling, world premiered in the Official Competition of the 74^th Venice Film Festival where Ms. Rampling won the Coppa Volpi for best actress. Hannah went on to receive many prestigious international awards and recognitions including a César nomination for best foreign film. His most recent film, Monica, starring Trace Lysette, Patricia Clarkson, Adriana Barraza and Emily Browning world premiered in the Official Competition of the 79^th Venice film festival and went on to win numerous international prizes. Pallaoro has served on the juries of prominent film festivals including Venice, Chicago, and Black Nights – Tallinn. He lives between Los Angeles and New York City.

Venice Classics is the section that

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Viola Davis New Movie Won’t Film During Strike Despite SAG Waiver – IndieWire

Viola Davis won’t begin filming her new movie “G20” until the actors strike is resolved, despite receiving a SAG-AFTRA waiver that would have allowed production to take place. In a statement provided to Deadline, Davis explained why she and her partners at JuVee Productions decided to halt work on the film.

“I love this movie, but I do not feel that it would be appropriate for this production to move forward during the strike,” David said. “I appreciate that the producers on the project agree with this decision. JuVee Productions and I stand in solidarity with actors, SAG/AFTRA and the WGA.”

“G20” is a thriller that stars Davis as an American president who is forced to deal with terrorists overtaking the G20 summit. The film will be directed by Patricia Riggen and written by Noah and Logan Miller. The film is set to be distributed by Amazon Studios, but received a waiver because production is being handled by the independent studio MRC.

BASIC INSTINCT, Sharon Stone, 1992. ©TriStar/courtesy Everett Collection

Davis is one of the first major actors to refuse to work on a guild-approved project during the strike. While all major studio and streaming productions are shut down, over 100 films have received “interim agreements” that allow them to continue filming. Films have to be truly independent, without any ties to the 350 producing organizations that make up the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, to be considered eligible for the waivers.

“The Strike Order extends to productions produced under the Codified Basic and Television Agreements as well as related contracts like the Low Budget Theatrical Agreement, Moderate Low Budget Project Agreement, Ultra Low Budget Project Agreement, and Special New Media Agreements. However, producers that otherwise fall within the scope of the strike order may apply for an interim agreement,” the guild wrote on its website. “Once such applications are vetted and, if approved by SAG-AFTRA, the union offers an Interim Agreement, and the producer accepts it by returning a signed copy. Once that process is complete, performers may render services on that specific production without being in violation of the strike order.”

Notable projects that have received permission to film include the A24 films “Death of a Unicorn” starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega and “Mother Mary” starring Anne Hathaway.

Viola Davis won’t begin filming her new

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Shax - Good Omens

Good Omens Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Chapter 4: The Hitchhiker featuring the minisode Nazi Zombie Flesheaters

The core message of Good Omens Season 2 Episode 4 is one of trust.

On the periphery here — but soon to take center stage, it seems — Nina’s relationship with Lindsay is falling apart because there is no foundational trust. Can she and Maggie do better if their connection is jumpstarted with meddling?

Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship is rooted in an unspoken trust that has developed over the millennia they’ve known each other, while it is clear that trust will only be betrayed when dealing with Hell’s workforce. You’d think Nazi zombies might know better.

Shax kicks it off by pretending to be a hitchhiker to get close to Aziraphale as he returns to London from Edinburgh.

Picking up a hitchhiker is a pretty intense trust exercise on both sides. Driver and hitchhiker must both trust the other to not be a serial (or even a one-off) killer.

Making a Point - Good Omens Season 2 Episode 2

Of course, Aziraphale — as an angel driving a magical car — has little to fear.

You could wonder why Shax bothered with the deception of changing her appearance when she and Aziraphale have never met before.

Save for the excessive pointy teeth, her regular appearance is misleadingly docile.

She does have that tendency to overdo things, like showing up mysteriously and phoning simultaneously.

Demons Take Calls - Good Omens Season 2 Episode 1

The overachieving and ambitious bent parallels Heaven’s Michael, who tries to appoint herself to interim Supreme Archangel when Gabriel goes missing.

However, while Michael seeks to step into a vacated role, Shax takes a bit more initiative and proposes carving out a position for herself as a general in command of a Hell Legion.

Shax: To be clear, you are hereby authorizing me to storm the angel’s bookshop, sending wave after wave of demons to besiege it until it falls and we capture the archangel, destroying anything and everything that stands in our way?
Beelzebub: No. I am not authorizing you to do that. I am commanding you to do it. I want you there, Shax, on the ground, bravely leading the attack into the bookshop, leading the army of the damned.
Shax: I can do that.

Beelzebub doesn’t initially look all that convinced of Shax’s plan, but once she gives the command, it’s a done deal.

The keen timeline buff will realize that the planned siege of the bookshop will probably coincide with the Business Owners’ monthly meeting Aziraphale has decided to host.

The Magnificent Fell - Good Omens Season 2 Episode 4

Speaking of our enthusiastic hobbyist of an angel, his interest in human magic tricks is rather bemusing.

I’d like to know why he settled on an inkwell for the potato’s final form. Did it just happen to be the item closest at hand when he was developing the trick?

It’s 1941, after all. Watching a magician disappear a good staple food like a potato seems the height of wastefulness.

Firing guns, however, is perfectly in keeping with the times.

Skeptical Crowley - Good Omens Season 2 Episode 1

I love that Crowley and Aziraphale have known each other for nearly four thousand years at this point, and they’re still capable of making erroneous assumptions about each other.

Granted, Crowley seems to understand what makes the angel tick better than Aziraphale is at sussing out the demon’s motivations.

Aziraphale: You could’ve walked away. If you were truly as evil as you like to paint yourself, you would’ve done.
Crowley: Nah. That’s the trouble with you lot. You tend to see things in black and white. Sometimes, you just gotta blur the edges.

Although we never learn why the Nazis were threatening the bookselling Mr. Fell with a gun when Mr. Crowley diverted a Luftwaffe payload to their building, the fact that Crowley made sure to protect Aziraphale’s books from the explosion while forgetting about his own bootlegged booze smacks of un-demon-like selflessness.

He also seems genuinely concerned that the magic act won’t go well, which would devastate Aziraphale.

It’s all very sweet, really.

Best of Friends - Good Omens Season 2 Episode 3

Now, despite the magic show being the novelty act, the Nazi trio are the headliners.

As spies, they are not a successful lot, seeing as they end up dead. As zombies, they’re marginally more successful spies, although the tendency to eat the brains of their marks probably draws more attention than spies should.

Of course, the whole ensemble is quite a League of Gentlemen reunion, seeing as Jeremy Dyson wrote the script, Mark Gatiss and Steve Pemberton play Nazi zombies, and Reece Shearsmith is Furfur.

Of the four, I’ll admit that I’m most familiar with Mark Gatiss, although Mr. Harmony is a far cry from Mycroft Holmes.

Shax Tall - Good Omens Season 2 Episode 4

Now, if you aren’t privy to the League of Gentlemen inside joke, you might feel like there’s an awful lot of time devoted to watching the Nazi trio shamble about, eating brains, and trying to be unobtrusive.

Like Elsbeth on Good Omens Season 2 Episode 3, I’m curious where the Nazi zombies go off to after Furfur lets them know the deal they struck was to remain zombies for eternity.

On the balance of things, living as a zombie with your friends is preferable to being eaten and pooped out and eaten again by a giant spider.

But considering they’re settled in London, what are the chances they’re still around in the present day?

Shelley Conn as Lord Beelzebub - Good Omens Season 2 Episode 3

There’s got to be some sort of accounting in Hell that takes a census every hundred years to check up on the undead they’ve released to nature.

It’s a little surprising that Aziraphale was so okay with Crowley bombing the church they were in and killing the people he was with, even if they were threatening him with violence.

Aziraphale: I knew you’d come through for me. You always do.
Crowley: Well, you said, ‘Trust me.’
Aziraphale: And you did.

But the point of this outing is to focus on the magic between the two friends, not to get distracted by inconsistencies and musing about Nazi zombies hanging out in the West End for a few decades.

What are your thoughts, Fanatics? Will Aziraphale’s minor omission about running into Shax become problematic now that she’s on her way with a legion of demons?

Toga Gabriel - Good Omens Season 2 Episode 1

Considering no one seeking Gabriel sees him as anything but Jim, will they be able to bargain with the sieging forces when they can’t show them Gabriel?

Let us know your thoughts on how Shax’s siege will go. Will her training as an admissions clerk and emissary hold up when commanding a legion?

Hit our comments with your best speculative scenarios!