ENTERTAINMENT
- Watchmen: Sigourney Weaver Originally Offered Jean Smart’s Role Collider Extras
- Watchmen: Sigourney Weaver Originally Offered Jean Smart’s Role Collider
- View Full coverage on Google News
ENTERTAINMENT
“I did not even think about winning the competition because I had an awfully sore throat right before the final round. Luckily, my throat recovered like magic. The last 10 days was a mixture of frustrations and excitements,” said baritone Kim-Gi-hoon after becoming the first South Korean to win the Main prize at BBC’s Cardiff Singer of the World Competition 2021 on Saturday (local time).
The BBC Cardiff Competition has grown as one of the world’s most renowned concours in vocal music since it awarded Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky the main prize and Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel the Lieder prize. In 1999, South Korean baritone No Dae-san won the Song prize and Park Jong-min became the 2015 winner of the award. Kim Gi-hoon won the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition for the first time as a South Korean singer.
In the final round competed by 16 singers from 15 countries, the most eye-catching scene was Kim’s performance bringing tears to U.S. soprano Roberta Alexander’s eyes. It was broadcast across Britain on BBC TV that Alexander in the judging panel started shedding tears with a serious look on the face when the South Korean baritone sang “Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen” from E. W. Korngold’s opera “The Dead City.”
Kim plans to open a vocal recital on July 8 at TLi Art Center, Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, for which most parts of the program are dedicated to songs performed during the Cardiff Competition. He will sing a total of 11 songs including the aria from “The Dead City” that impressed the judging panel, Wagner’s “The Evening Star” from “Tannhäuser” and “Longing Heart” composed by Kim Dong-hwan and sung for the song session at the Cardiff Competition.
gustav@donga.com
Art
| June 20, 2021 5:55 pm
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos testifies via video conference during the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law hearing on Online Platforms and Market Power in 2020.
Graeme Jennings-Pool/Getty Images
Lee Sanderlin ate an absurd amount of waffles. Werner Herzog ate his shoe. Could the last part of that trifecta be “Jeff Bezos ate a world-famous painting”? Thousands of people on the internet are hoping that that’s the case. Gizmodo’s Jody Serrano reports that an online petition has called upon the Amazon founder to purchase, and then devour, the Mona Lisa.
As of this moment, around 11,000 people have signed the petition. Its description is concise: “Nobody has eaten the mona lisa and we feel jeff bezos needs to take a stand and make this happen.” Remember Boaty McBoatface? Imagine that, but with the world’s richest person eating a centuries-old work of art. The mind boggles.
Vice‘s report on the petition included an interview with musician Kane Powell, who started the petition. Powell told Vice that the idea that Bezos should buy the Mona Lisa initially came up in a conversation at an Applebee’s. As for when eating it came into the picture, Powell was less sure. “I mean, me and my fiancée were dipping into the dollar drink menu,” he said.
For those concerned about the future of the Mona Lisa, there’s reason for optimism — the Louvre’s official response to the petition could be described as “very unamused.” And one assumes Bezos wouldn’t be the easiest person to sway based on a Very Online effort. Had the petition asked Elon Musk to buy and eat the Mona Lisa, on the other hand, things might be very different.
Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know.
Suggested for you
Lorde posted a mysterious “Solstice” short video on her official website on Sunday (June 20).
In the clip, Lorde, dressed in beige and posed by a floral arrangement on the beach, appears to be meditating until she focuses on the camera with an intense stare. The only sound is that of her natural surroundings. The video is captioned with just the word “Solstice.”
No information about what this visual might be previewing was given, but for what it’s worth, the summer solstice occurs Sunday night at 11:31 p.m. ET.
After a tough battle for the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Polo G has come out top, landing his first leader in the process. The rapper’s new set is one of five just-released projects that start off inside the highest tier on the weekly tally, with two acts reaching the area for the first time in their careers.
Polo G’s Hall of Fame opens in first place with 143,000 equivalent units, almost all of which are thanks to the title’s impressive streaming sum. The set marks the rapper’s third trip to the top 10, and gives the musician his first champion after topping out at No. 2 last summer. Hall of Fame was preceded by a number of singles, all of which hit the Hot 100. The biggest of the bunch was “Rapstar,” which debuted atop the tally, also giving him his first leader on that important ranking.
Coming in a relatively close second place is Migos’ Culture III, the third installment in their incredibly successful series of full-lengths. Coincidentally, the title is their third top 10, as all the Culture records have broken into the tier…and before this week, they had all gone right to No. 1. Culture III was fronted by a pair of singles, with the recently-released “Straightenin” appearing inside the top 40. Culture III opens at No. 2 with 130,500 equivalent units, which is also largely composed of streams.
Three former Billboard 200 champions come next, with Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour sliding to No. 3, Lil Durk and Lil Baby’s The Voice of the Heroes (which ruled last frame) dips from No. 1 to No. 4 while Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous declines to No. 5.
MORE FROM FORBESTwice Joins A Club Including Aespa, Blackpink And Itzy By Hitting Billboard’s Global Chart (Again)By Hugh McIntyre
South Korean girl group TWICE collects their first top 10 on the Billboard 200 with their latest EP Taste of Love, which kicks off its time on the roster at No. 6 thanks to 46,000 equivalent units moved. That sum is almost entirely made up of sales, as the title actually sold 43,000 copies in its first tracking frame. Before this week, the vocal band had pushed two projects to the Billboard 200, but they had only lifted as high as No. 72, a position they managed last year.
After debuting at No. 116 last time around, Bo Burnham’s Inside (The Songs) vaults up the Billboard 200, finding space inside the top 10 by settling at No. 7. The set moved another 37,000 equivalent units during its first full tracking frame, which is enough for it to become not only the comedian’s highest-charting release, but also his first top 10 on the ranking.
Maroon 5 returns to the top 10 on the Billboard 200 with a new album for the first time in four years with Jordi, named after the band’s late manager. The poppy project launches at No. 8 with 37,000 equivalent units, 15,000 of which are pure purchases. The title marks their seventh trip to the highest tier on the tally, and it’s their lowest-ranking one yet.
Jordi was promoted over several years with three proper singles, all of which have become hits. Lead cut “Memories” almost lifted all the way to the summit, but it stalled at No. 2 on the Hot 100. Follow-up release “Nobody’s Love” didn’t perform as well, as it missed out on the top 40 by just one space. Current focus “Beautiful Mistakes” with Megan Thee Stallion has thus far risen as high as No. 18.
Two hip-hop titles close out the top 10 this week, with Moneybagg Yo’s A Gangsta’s Pain stepping back to No. 9 while J. Cole’s most recent leader The Off-Season comes in at No. 10.
MORE FROM FORBESLoona, Twice And Mamamoo: The Most-Anticipated K-Pop Girl Group Releases Coming In JuneBy Hugh McIntyre
Kevin Hart confirms Jumanji 4 is definitely going to happen but that it comes down to timing since the main cast are all involved in other projects.
Kevin Hart says that Jumanji 4 will happen. The popular fantasy adventure franchise began with the 1995 film starring the late Robin Williams as a man who is unwittingly brought back from being trapped inside a supernatural board game since he was a boy. The film was loosely based on Chris Van Allsburg’s 1981 children’s fantasy book of the same name. The film grossed $263 million worldwide upon its release and has since become a source of 90’s nostalgia.
Over 20 years later, Jumanji got a modern-day follow-up with the direct sequel/reboot Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. The 2017 film starred Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan, and instead of a board game, the film centered around a supernatural video game. The reboot was an unexpected hit, packed with an all-star cast, thrilling action sequences, and plenty of humor. Its success led to the cast to return for a sequel two years later with Jumanji: The Next Level. Though it was not critically as well-received as its predecessor, it still grossed $800 million worldwide, and its ending set the story up for a fourth film. As expected, Jumanji 4 was confirmed to be in early development last year. Now one of the stars has some information about the new film.
Continue scrolling to keep reading
Click the button below to start this article in quick view.
In an interview with Collider, Hart confirmed that Jumanji 4 is “definitely” happening. According to Hart, it’s all based on timing for the actors, as many of them are currently working on other projects, but that they are committed to returning for another film. Read what Hart had to say below:
For us to recreate the Jumanji world and have that success, it’s monumental. You don’t walk away from that. We have no interest in walking away. It’s about the timing. Dwayne, myself… I’m doing a movie with Jack Black right now, Borderlands. I’m in Budapest. We’ve all kind of taken on some other projects, so I think when things slow down for us and our commitments are out the way, we’re definitely going to revisit another one because there’s no reason not to. It’s a family adventure. That’s a box that, once again, if you can check correctly it’s amazing. It’s profitable. The household of all can go out and enjoy, but right now, my priorities are and the commitments that I’ve made.
Staying true to my partnership at Netflix, making sure that I prioritize these films. Knocking these out, doing it at a high level, and then after that, looking at what the world of appetite is for the other things that we have on the table. That’s going to be a priority. But there’s no world where we’re not interested in doing more. I know Sony definitely is as well.
The Next Level set up a few things for a fourth movie, including the twist involving villain Jurgen the Brutal (played by Game of Thrones‘ Rory McCann). While the movie concluded with Jurgen’s death, Johnson confirmed in a social media post after the film’s release that Jurgen was a playable avatar in Jumanji, meaning someone is playing him, and that the fourth movie will answer who that person is. The credits scene also showed the game crossing over to the real world, which hints that, like the original movie, Jumanji 4 could take place in the real world.
There are a few things that have been working against Jumanji 4‘s development, including the coronavirus pandemic, which halted other projects the cast has been working on. Production on Johnson’s Netflix movie Red Notice was halted last year and he’s currently filming the DCEU solo Black Adam movie. As Hart mentioned above, he is also currently working with Jack Black on the film adaptation of the popular video game series Borderlands. It sounds like, while the cast is definitely ready to return for the fourth movie, fans might not see it for some time.
More: Jumanji 4 Should Copy The Last Action Hero To Explain The Rock’s Role
Source: Collider
Every Pixar Movie Releasing After Luca
About The Author
Molly Feser
(267 Articles Published)
Molly is a movie/TV news writer for Screen Rant with a love for all things pop culture. She received her bachelor’s in Journalism from George Mason University and her master’s in Journalism & Public Affairs from American University. She’s written for a variety of online publications, including her online graduate publication The Wash, Her Campus and Arlington Magazine. She especially loves writing about movies, TV and musical theatre.
More From Molly Feser
CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.
After making its way across what seems like a long and winding road, DC’s The Flash is finally on the path to the big screen. There’s a lot going on with the highly anticipated solo film, which will see the return of Ezra Miller’s Scarlet Speedster. And if that weren’t exciting enough, Miller will also be joined by none other than Michael Keaton, who will reprise his iconic role as Batman from Tim Burton’s films. While his return was already an exciting prospect, it just became even more real, as Keaton’s Bruce Wayne has now been revealed through set photos.
The Flash has been filming in different parts of the UK, and it would now seem that production as moved outside the walls of Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden. Filming has moved outdoors, which means set photos have begun to leak. The latest, shared by Big Screen Leaks on Twitter, include the first glimpse of Michael Keaton back in the role of Bruce Wayne. The actor looks as suave as ever as the seasoned Bruce Wayne, and his style is definitely enough to give one serious Batman Beyond vibes.
Details on Bruce Wayne’s exact role in The Flash are unknown at this point. However, based on the timeline-bending nature of the upcoming solo film, it would seem that Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen encounters Wayne when he crosses over to his Earth. One might also be able to assume that with Wayne’s hero knowledge, he could serve as somewhat of a mentor to Allen.
With these set photos, fans can truly rest comfortably knowing that Michael Keaton is definitely in The Flash. There was previously speculation as to whether or not the actor would actually show up and, when he played coy during an interview, those concerns only increased. In hindsight, it seems Keaton was just having a bit of fun.
So far, fans have only gotten small teases of Michael Keaton’s Batman. Both director Andy Muschietti and wife and producer Barbara previously shared images of a set chair marked Bruce Wayne. However, it was the director who rocked the internet when he shared a bloody image of Keaton’s Batman suit.
While these teases still don’t give us much to go on, the Bat-symbol image is enough to make one fearful of Bruce Wayne’s fate. There’s always a chance this story is partially serving as a swan song for the beloved hero, one that would allow him to go out in a blaze of glory. This may be speculation at this point, but having Keaton’s Wayne die while aiding the Flash would be a truly fitting end for him. Keaton’s past exploits as the Dark Knight in Batman and Batman Returns can be streamed on HBO Max, which you can sign up for using this link.
Now that we’ve seen Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne, fans will undoubtedly be eager to see him back in the Batsuit. There’s no telling when that first glimpse might actually happen, but we can only hope Andy Muschietti feels so inclined to show us something else very soon.
The Flash is currently slated to arrive in theaters on November 4, 2022.
Covering superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. I eat more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Are you ready for a new My Hero Academia arc? The incredibly popular anime is entering its second cours of its fifth season with the Endeavor Agency arc.
Starting next Saturday, the fourteenth episode of My Hero Academia Season 5 will begin the anime’s newest arc. Titled “Off to Endeavor’s Agency,” the episode will also debut a brand new opening song from MAN WITH A MISSION called “Merry-Go-Round.” The new ending theme song “Uso ja nai” performed by Soushi Sakiyama will also premiere. You can check out a preview of the Endeavor Agency below.
” data-lazy-type=”iframe” src=”data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7″>
A new visual was also revealed, which can be seen at the bottom of this post
REVEALED: My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising Streaming in UK and Ireland Today
My Hero Academia season 5, which began with the Joint Training arc, premiered in Japan back in March. Both anime streaming services Funimation and Crunchyroll have the latest episodes available to watch subbed. Funimation does have the English dub as well. The season is currently airing on Adult Swim’s anime-centric Toonami programming block.
The popular series began in 2014 as a manga written and illustrated by Kohei Horikoshi and serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump. The anime television adaptation produced by Bones debuted in Japan in 2016. Both are currently still ongoing. The series has since been adapted into several films and video games.
RELATED: My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission Film Comes With Bonus Manga
In fact, the next film based on the popular anime series is set to release in theaters in Japan on August 6, 2021. My Hero Academia The Movie: World Heroes’ Mission is the series’ third film, which features Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki in new stealth suits. Also, anyone who sees the film in theaters will get a bonus manga while supplies last.
LOS ANGELES — “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” struck the top box office target.
The Lionsgate
LGF.A,
film starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek brought in $11.6 million domestically to claim the No. 1 spot in its debut. The action-comedy — which appeared in 3,331 locations — is the follow up the 2017 breakout hit “The Hitman’s Bodyguard.”
The “Hitman” sequel notched “A Quiet Place Part II,” which took hold of the second spot in its fourth weekend of release. The horror-thriller from ViacomCBS’s
VIAC,
Paramount, which stars Emily Blunt and was directed by John Krasinski, earned $9.4 million. The film became the first of the pandemic era to reach $100 million domestically.
This weekend, “Godzilla vs. Kong” became the second movie of the pandemic to cross $100 million. The film has garnered more $442.5 million worldwide.
Meanwhile, the Jon M. Chu-directed “In the Heights” continued to struggle. The adaption of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical dropped a few slots to sixth this weekend.
The film from AT&T’s
T,
Warner Bros. earned more than $4.2 million, a 63% drop from the previous week. The critically-acclaimed musical film has recently been called out for its lack of dark-skinned, Black Latinos in leading roles.
However, Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, believes the movie fell victim to lofty expectations. He said musicals often take a while to develop an audience.
“There were so many things going on with this film,” Dergarabedian said. “There were very high expectations when it opened last weekend. And because of the strong reviews, I think there were some overblown expectations. With the big projections, people were emotionally tied to the movie. The box office projections were overblown. That set unrealistic expectations.”
“Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” placed third in the box office with $6.1 million, while “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” claimed the fourth spot with $5.15 million. It barely edged Disney’s
DIS,
Emma Stone-led “Cruella,” which came in fifth with $5.1 million.
“Spirit Untamed,” “12 Mighty Orphans,” “The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2” and “Wrath of Man” rounded out the top 10.
Dergarabedian expects a big upcoming weekend for “F9,” the new installment in the “Fast and Furious” series from Comcast’s
CMCSA,
Universal Pictures, which releases in domestic theaters June 25. The film starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris and Jordana Brewster has already earned nearly $300 million internationally.
“This is about winning over audiences who watched a lot of content on the small screen,” he said. “Now, they will be able to see a movie that has been long delayed, but is tailor made for the big screen and that theater communal experience. Escapism will be the watch word when it comes to Furious 9.”
Lip Sync Battle host Chrissy Teigen has been accused of cyberbullying a number of celebs in the past – allegedly young girls who were at the height of their fame in the earlier 2000s, such as Courtney Stodden, Teen Mom’s Farrah Abrahams, and even Lindsay Lohan. The fallout from the allegations forced Teigen on a public apology tour and even saw her dropping out of a Netflix show. Of late, it’s escalated into a feud with Project Runway‘s Michael Costello, who Teigen accused of faking DMs to prove she bullied him and sought to blacklist him. Now, in the midst of all the back-and-forth, Teigen apparently dropped yet another big-name project.
Earlier this month, Chrissy Teigen dropped out of a voiceover role for the teen comedy show Never Have I Ever, with Netflix confirming the part would be recast. But a lot has happened since then for the well-known Twitter funnywoman and clapback queen. The bullying allegations from Michael Costello and their resulting feud over who is lying has Teigen seemingly “stepping away” from her joint business with Kris Jenner. The brand, Safely, includes plant-based home and personal cleaning products and launched back in March. Read the company’s Instagram announcement on Teigen’s exit below:
Dropping out of a minor TV role is peanuts compared to leaving a partnership with momager extraordinaire Kris Jenner, who already managed two of her daughters into billionaire status. One has to wonder consequences for Chrissy Teigen bode for her co-hosting gig on the beloved Lip Sync Battle. The celebrity competition series hasn’t yet been renewed for Season 6, but Deadline reported that it is moving from Paramount+ to a different ViacomCBS network in the interim. Meanwhile, Teigen’s line of cookware has also been seemingly pulled from several major outlets like Target and Macy’s.
The actual feud between Chrissy Teigen and Michael Costello has only gotten worse in the past few days. Teigen’s husband, John Legend, went to bat for her with Costello on Twitter. Legend repeatedly asked Costello to just admit that the bullying allegations were made up. After their exchange, the Lip Sync Battle co-host wrote a lengthy statement on Instagram, accusing Costello again of lying about being bullied and even suggested possible legal action. After this, Costello took to his Instagram, where he reiterated that Teigen was “the same bully she always has been.”
But Chrissy Teigen is seemingly following through on the reason for her exit from her business with Kris Jenner that she “needed time to focus on herself and be with her family.” Because today on Instagram, the wife and mother of two posted an ode to John Legend on Father’s Day, where she said:
There are no words. Only tears that I am fresh out of. To our everything, we love you forever.
The drama of the whole situation could easily out-rival any and all reality TV mess. We’ll keep you posted on any updates as they arrive.
I am a vegan feminist. I’m fascinated by all things space/stars. I love film history, reality television, and my cat Bubbe.
Dame Joan Collins broke down in tears on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories as she recalled the death of her mother, dance teacher Elsa Collins.
Piers began: “Your mother sadly died of cancer in 1962, you were only 29 and she was only 56, incredibly young, do you remember that period, did you know she was dying?”
Joan, 88, replied: “Yes, I did know, this is the part when you want to make me cry, isn’t it?
“Jackie told me, but we were told it wasn’t that serious, and nobody ever said the word cancer. Cancer was a word in the 1960s you just didn’t say.
“We were told it was just a very bad, flu-like illness, even though I knew she’d had very bad mastectomy, but we didn’t talk about it.
“We were in my childhood house, and daddy came in and said, ‘She’s gone’. And I went in and she was lying there and she had gone.
“And I called my sister, my brother was there, he was only 14, and yes it was very upsetting, and you have made me cry, Piers!” Joan remarked as she wiped away her tears.
Joan added that she wished her mother had survived to meet her three children, her grandchildren, and see her stellar career.
Joan’s sister Jackie had been diagnosed with stage four breast cancer more than six years before her death in 2015, but had only told her sister about it just two weeks before her death.
Joan revealed she heard through a friend that Jackie had died, when they called to give their condolences – before Joan’s brother had even called her to tell her the news.
Later on, she continued: “I think in that respect she did the right thing because she did not want pity. It is a similar thing that daddy did with mummy when she had cancer.
“But I think she did the wrong thing because I had been telling her for years that you have to go and have a mammogram, and she didn’t, and she had something and she didn’t do anything about it.
“Finally, she was dragged there by Tiffany her daughter and that is when he said, ‘You have got stage four cancer.'”
Joan continued: “She told me in the south of France. She called and she said, “I just want to tell you something… I don’t want you to get upset.
“And she said, ‘I’ve got stage four cancer,’ and I said, ‘How is that possible?’
“I know you can do so much these days, so I didn’t really worry about it too much, because I really thought… My motto was, ‘Always look on the bright side.’
* Piers Morgan’s Life Stories with Dame Joan Collins is available to watch back on ITV Hub
DC Comics has released the solicitation and cover art for Batman ’89 #2, teasing Batman and Two-Faces fight for the soul of Gotham City!
Warning: includes a preview for Batman ’89 #2!
DC Comics has released the solicitation and cover art for Batman ’89 #2, teasing a huge showdown between Batman and Two-Face. Picking up right where Tim Burton’s film left off, the series will continue the adventures of Michael Keaton’s Batman. Introducing new concepts, re-tooling unused ideas and expanding on already established canon, this miniseries is one for the fans. One major unused aspect that they’re fully exploring is Billy Dee Williams’ Two-Face, who never appeared in the Burtonverse.
The likeness of Two-Face, obviously, aligns with Williams’ likeness. However, it also resembles Quinones’ previous attempt at doing a Batman ’89 series. Although DC opted to not pick up the project, its influence can be seen here. In 2015, Quinones released his Batman ’89 concepts which showcased his version of Two-Face. The official design in the Batman ’89 #2 cover art is very similar to that, although with added color.
Continue scrolling to keep reading
Click the button below to start this article in quick view.
In the cover art for Batman ’89 #2 by Sam Hamm and Joe Quinones, Two-Face attempts to shoot Batman. The Dark Knight’s shadow cleverly covers half of Harvey Dent’s face, revealing his new double-sided nature. The brighter portion of the cover highlights Harvey’s success as the District Attorney. Now, covered in shadow after his transformation, the entire wall shifts to a darker tone. With graffiti covering what used to be a spot for political posters and advertisements. The solicitation implies that Gotham will rally behind Harvey after his freak accident, whether for better or worse remains to be seen. Check out the Quinones’ cover and Mitch Gerad’s variant cover below:
Both covers by Quinones and Gerads are astounding. They cover different aspects of the issue’s story. Quinones’ focuses on Two-Face’s fight with Batman, showing the darker side of Gotham. Whilst Gerads’ is more aligned with Batman’s perspective. Although they are different, they both emphasize Batman’s control over the city. As teased in the solicitation, Bruce must find a balance that will allow Gotham to live on, simultaneously with Batman. Two-Face’s showdown will occur in Burnside, the borough across the river from Gotham City. The solicitation’s wording suggests that Batman will take a heavy beating from Two-Face, which will leave him reeling.
There’s a lot of excitement about Batman ’89, perhaps even more so than any other DC project. The anticipation comes from fans who have waited a long time to see the Burtonverse expanded, but also because of Keaton’s Batman returning in The Flash film. On top of that, the fact that DC has allowed Hamm and Quinones to bring back many of the Burtonverse’s highly popularized unused concepts adds a huge amount of hype. Find out what happens as Michael Keaton’s Batman and Billy Dee Williams’ Two-Face face off in Batman ’89 #2 when it releases on September 14.
Next: Batman ‘89 Artist Joe Quinones Reveals Which Batcave is Canon
Superman is Officially Leaving DC’s Justice League
About The Author
Ben Rolph
(133 Articles Published)
Ben Rolph is a Comics features writer for Screen Rant. Based out of London, United Kingdom, Ben owns and runs an Arrowverse YouTube channel called ‘TheDCTVshow’, as well as being a film critic at DiscussingFilm. He is also a Tomatometer-approved critic and studies film at the University of Westminster.
Ben has a passion for the Arrowverse shows, especially The Flash and Supergirl, which he has watched and analysed for years.
More From Ben Rolph
This season of The Handmaid’s Tale has got off to a grim start. In the season three finale, June freed 86 children from Gilead but remained trapped inside the authoritarian republic. As of the last episode, she was living in an intermediary state – not quite free but no longer having to abide by the regime’s rules – on a farm run by the mercurial (and very young) Mrs Keyes.
This week’s instalment hits a similar note by keeping us stuck between three worlds: Canada, where several of June’s former friends and allies now live; the Keyes estate, where freedom is relative and dangers lurk; and Gilead, which hovers over the plot like a trap, forever ready to snap shut around June again.
That tension builds up from the first moments of “Nightshade”, which opens with a car pulling up to the Keyes farm. A car means Guardians from Gilead. June and her companions hide while the young Mrs Keyes has a falsely relaxed exchange with the men. It turns out they’re looking for Guardian Pogue, whom they’re probably going to have a hard time locating, given that Mrs Keyes stabbed him to death in the previous episode. “We haven’t seen him,” Mrs Keyes says in an angelic voice. It works: the Guardians leave for now (although it’s clear they intend to come back later).
And we’re off
None of this is too groundbreaking yet, but it’s enough to set off a series of events that breathe new momentum into the plot. June decides the Guardians’ visit means she needs to leave the farm, and maybe she’s on to something. She’s presumably the most wanted person in Gilead. Wherever she stays, the people around her will be in danger. Then again, all the former Handmaids currently hiding out at the farm are also wanted – albeit slightly less than June – so it’s possible that June is overestimating her own impact here.
None of this matters for too long, because an informant from Mayday (aka the resistance) wants to talk to her! June is whisked away to… let’s call it a gentlemen’s club? It’s a Jezebel’s-type facility where Commanders mingle with women pre-Gilead style. And there’s a greenhouse, too, which is where June meets our mysterious Mayday person. I do love a greenhouse! They’re full of secrets and plants. What’s not to like?
“I thought you’d be taller,” says the mystery woman when she first sees June, which is what everyone says when they meet a celebrity in real life. The most important thing to come out of their exchange is the fact that the Commanders June spotted when she first arrived in the house of debauchery are going to stay there for a couple more days. “They’re just f****** sitting ducks,” June observes, already thinking of how she could exploit this new knowledge to the fullest.
Wham bam thank you ma’am
Back at the farm, June finds out that Mrs Keyes has been low-key poisoning her husband, a Commander, for months (possibly years). “You learn things on a farm,” she says, adding that a Martha taught her how to use poisonous berries to keep her husband at bay. “I only give him a little, to keep him from being a bother,” she tells June. Given what we learnt in the previous episode, about the abuse Mrs Keyes has suffered at the hands of her husband, this is code for a whole lot more than being a mere “bother”.
Not that June is judging. “Can you teach me how to make more?” she asks. Together, June and Mrs Keyes do indeed prepare more poison. This leads to the best scene in this episode, when June returns to the Jezebel’s-type place and delivers the brew in question. Cue a fantastic montage of Commanders guzzling it down like college kids doing shots, to the sound of Davie Bowie’s “Suffragette City”. Hell yes!
Except hell no, because upon returning to the Keyes farm, June quickly realises that something’s wrong. Her ally is shot dead, and June is trapped in a cluster of lasers – you know, the ominous red lasers that mean a bunch of military weapons are currently trained on her.
Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial
Sign up
Who’s that in the background? Well, if it isn’t Nick, June’s former love interest who is now a Commander in Gilead. “Where are the Handmaids?” he asks, Commander-style, before mumbling to June in his normal voice: “I’m trying to keep you alive.”
Having run out of options, June gets up in an apparent surrender. And just like that, Gilead has caught her once again. Look, is it frustrating? Yes, a bit! I want June to get out. I’ve wanted June to get out for three whole seasons. But does it make sense? Yes. June just scored a massive victory against the regime by freeing 86 children. She was never going to walk off into the sunset after pulling off a feat of that magnitude. Stories giveth, and stories taketh. And now is time for the latter.
Meanwhile in Canada…
People are dealing with the fallout of June’s aforementioned big victory, which people are referring to as the Angel Flight. Luke, June’s former husband, and Rita, a former Martha, are giving a talk for fundraising purposes. All those children June freed need material help. It hadn’t occurred to me that those kids would be in such a precarious situation, but it makes sense: they’ve just been displaced without any family or belongings coming with them. Those children have to start from the ground up.
And while it’s certainly a good thing for them to no longer live in an authoritarian republic, it doesn’t mean it’s all ponies and rainbows in Canada. Moira visits a little boy who is now living with his aunt and missing his “mom and dad”, aka the people he was assigned to back in Gilead. He’s having trouble eating non-Gilead food too, including pizza and buttered noodles (a problem I can’t personally identify with, but I emphasise).
The difficulty of adjusting to post-Gilead life is a wider theme in the episode, explored mainly through the characters of Moira and Emily. “I love her, right?” Moira tells Emily of June. “I miss her, and I’m worried about her.” Emily, knowing Moira’s not done, prompts her to carry on: “And?” Moira then admits: “I love Nichole [June’s daughter whom Moira has been raising with Luke], but I never wanted to be a mom.” Emily commiserates: “She gave me her baby and stayed behind. Who does that?”
There is real rancour here, and it makes sense. By nature, resistance efforts in Gilead aren’t exactly coordinated. No one is sitting down at a table, talking through what they’re prepared to take on and what’s too much for them. Things happen when and how they can, and everyone has to pick up the pieces afterward. This is also the show’s way of reminding us that the stakes extend way past the physical borders of Gilead. Just because someone escapes the republic doesn’t mean they can pick up where they left off before the regime took over. Gilead has taken away that world forever.
Fred v Serena
Also in Canada, Fred and Serena Waterford are both in custody now. Serena’s getting her medical exam and battling internally with how to present what happened to her inside Gilead to the outside world. She and Fred also need to figure out whether they’re going to be allies or foes as they each face charges for the crimes they committed inside Gilead.
It’s all a struggle, and they keep blaming each other. Fred insists he was only acting the way Serena expected him to, while Serena blames him for not standing up for her once he got a taste of power. Enemies, then? Not so fast! It turns out all this strategising was leading up to a bombshell: Serena’s pregnant. I’m going to go ahead and presume the child is Fred’s because… who else? And when? And how? Didn’t we spend three seasons painfully establishing the fact that the Waterfords, like many couples in Gilead, can’t conceive a child together – hence the reliance on Handmaids? What does it all mean? Consider me intrigued.
So I completely devoured Hacks (fantastic), watched the season four finale of The Handmaid’s Tale (wow) and episode two of Loki (fun!) and I still feel like there are a lot of shows I’m missing? But, I have to sleep sometime. I encourage you to read Emily VanDer Werff’s excellent analysis of Handmaid’s very good fourth season in Vox, this excellent New Yorker piece about what it’s like to be Jean Smart, and Vulture’s insightful recap of Loki ep. 2. I’m now counting the days until the Ted Lasso season two premiere.
We have a lot of strong women in this week’s trailer roundup, along with a music documentary produced and directed by Questlove, a new Titans trailer, and a flick with Nicolas Cage and his pet truffle pig (yet another sentence I never anticipated I would write one day).
This is the story of the US women’s national soccer team and their fight for equal pay, and just watching the trailer I got angry all over again on their behalf (the title stands for “let’s fucking go”). Despite winning four Olympic gold medals and four World Cup championships, they were still making less than their male counterparts— player Jessica McDonald mentions at one point that her paychecks don’t even cover her childcare. Grr. LFG premieres on HBO Max June 24th.
The Harlem Cultural Festival took place in 1969, the same summer as Woodstock, and featured performances by Gladys Knight and the Pips, Sly and the Family Stone, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension, and Stevie Wonder. Yet the festival was largely forgotten, even though it was all captured on film. Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson went through 45 hours of never-before-seen footage (that had apparently been left in a basement for 50 years), to tell the story of this musical event in Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised), which premieres on Hulu July 2nd.
Lena Headey, Karen Gillan, Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh, and Carla Gugino are in this movie about lady assassins, and to be perfectly honest I don’t really need much more plot description, I am totally in. Paul Giamatti also stars in Gunpowder Milkshake, which comes to Netflix July 14th.
After the way last season ended, with Alex (Jennifer Aniston) and Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) being cut off abruptly after they spill all the behind-the-scenes secrets at their dysfunctional workplace on live television, I wasn’t sure what season two would look like. Well the wait is almost over and it looks like there are plenty more of the plot twists and backstabbing that made me like this show to begin with. Julianna Margulies joins the cast, and Mark Duplass, Billy Crudup, and Steve Carell all return with Aniston and Witherspoon. The Morning Show returns to Apple TV Plus on September 17th.
The hit series based on the Teen Titans comics returns for season three, which is (appropriately) set in Gotham. Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) notes in the voiceover that the city “breeds a special class of criminal,” and with Vincent Kartheiser joining the cast as Dr. Jonathan Crane, aka Scarecrow, he may be on to something. Titans season three comes to HBO Max August 12th.
I honestly do not know what to make of this movie— Nicolas Cage is a former chef who is now a recluse and someone steals his pet truffle pig, so he goes all Liam-Neeson-in-Taken on them. Or as Entertainment Weekly succinctly put it: “John Wick but with a pig.” Our friends at Eater note that truffle-related crimes are a thing, and a scary thing at that, which I did not know. Cage’s delivery of the line “who has my pig?” is not exactly terrifying but it is a bit creepy, so I am fairly confident this is not a comedy even though the trailer has strong “Saturday Night Live digital short” vibes. Pig hits theaters July 16th.
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Erika Jayne is facing a rough season on the Bravo show and in real life. Her husband, Tom Girardi, is accused of embezzling funds meant for clients in the currently ongoing class-action lawsuit and Chapter 7 bankruptcy case. Jayne filed for divorce from Girardi in November, but she has still been implicated in his alleged crimes. To add some salt to the wound, her former co-star, Lisa Vanderpump, is seemingly weighing in on the speculation that the current Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars are keeping quiet about Erika Jayne’s potential role in all the legal drama.
On Twitter, where Lisa Vanderpump has been known to get into a feud or two, the ex-Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star made an interesting comment on a fan’s post. The user pointed out the supposed double standard of the current castmates vilifying Vanderpump in the press over an adopted dog issue, while now being silent on Erika Jayne allegedly “stealing/withholding funds from victims” and “spending it on glamour.” See Vanderpump’s response below:
It appears that Lisa Vanderpump is agreeing with the assumption that some of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast are holding back on Erika Jayne’s legal situation. In the wake of the news, it is true that they haven’t spoken against her, as of this writing. Dorit Kemsley, at one point, said on Twitter that people should give Erika Jayne “a break” and that they were “bullying.” Kyle Richards had nothing but empathy for Erika Jayne’s life “crumbling before her eyes.”
But then again, Erika Jayne has a good rapport with Kyle Richards, Dorit Kemsley and Lisa Rinna on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. (Though, the teasers for the current season indicate the same isn’t quite so true with Sutton Stracke.) They all are supposedly really good friends even outside the show.
As for Lisa Vanderpump, she exited the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2019 on bad terms with all the ladies, even her once-BFF, Kyle Richards. The bad blood between them has even been reignited in a feud over new noses and dining-and-dashing allegations. Vanderpump has even, apparently, taken to drawing mustaches on cast photos she’s asked to photograph.
Erika Jayne still has a lot more on her plate at the moment than a throwaway comment from Lisa Vanderpump. In the midst of speculation that she is selling her clothes and jewelry to avoid the government seizing it as collateral for her husband’s supposed unpaid debts, her lawyers in the bankruptcy case dropped her and then proceeded to reverse the decision within the span of a week. Moreover, Jayne was focused on heavily in the recently aired ABC News special about the legal troubles.
Nevertheless, Lisa Vanderpump has been embroiled in several legal dramas of her own. So one has to wonder if it’s wise for her to comment on Erika Jayne’s.
I am a vegan feminist. I’m fascinated by all things space/stars. I love film history, reality television, and my cat Bubbe.
June 20, 2021 | 4:16pm
Enlarge Image
Celebs like Miley Cyrus, Ryan Seacrest and Vanessa Bryant celebrated Father’s Day on social media.
FilmMagic; ABC via Getty Images;
It’s Father’s Day and they’ll gush about it on Instagram if they want to.
In honor of the annual paternal moment in the sun, A-listers took to social media to celebrate. Whether it was Miley Cyrus shouting out her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, for teaching her the “true meaning of a mullet” or Ryan Seacrest thanking his dad for being a great “fondue partner,” the tributes were out in full force.
Many celebrity dads themselves got in on the action, reflecting on how having children has affected them. For example, Justin Timberlake went on about how being a dad was “better than” he “ever could have imagined.” And some dads took the comedy route, like Will Smith, who pointed out that his son, Jaden, never smiles in pictures — so he Photoshopped his face.
Check out how more of your favorite celebs paid tribute to Father’s Day below.
“HAPPY DADDYS DAY LEGEND!” Cyrus, 28, captioned a gallery of pics and videos dedicated to her country crooner dad. One sweet picture, in particular, showed Billy singing outdoors while holding his infant daughter in one arm.
The gallery also included video of the father-daughter duo singing and playing guitar back-to-back.
“Being a dad is better than I ever could have imagined,” Justin Timberlake, father of two, wrote on Instagram. “Thankful to my dads and my grandfathers for leading the way, making the sacrifices for me to live out my dreams, and for teaching me that REAL LIFE happens in all the little moments. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there!!!
For their second Father’s Day without Kobe Bryant, his wife, Vanessa, shared a beautiful photo of him with all four of his daughters — including Gianna, who died alongside the NBA star in a tragic helicopter crash in 2020.
“To the best girl dad~ Happy Father’s Day, Papi. We love you forever and always, always and forever. Love you always, Nani, Gigi, B.B, Koko and VB,” Vanessa wrote on Instagram.
“Couldn’t have asked for a better role model and fondue partner. Happy Father’s Day,” the radio and television personality captioned this sweet photo on Instagram.
Hadid wrote a sweet message to her beloved, Zayn Malik, celebrating his first Father’s Day. “Our Khai is so lucky to have a baba who loves her so much & does anything to see her smile !! @zayn Happy first Father’s Day … I’m so grateful for all the lil bits of her that are you ☺️ We love you so much.”
Former “Real Housewives of New York” star Bethenny Frankel wrote, “Happy #FathersDay to all of the loving, caring and devoted fathers who sacrifice so much to create a better life for your families. Take the day and reflect on how lucky, loved, appreciated, respected and admired you are.”
New mom Mandy Moore shouted out her dad in her Instagram post: “I sure lucked out in the dad department with mine and watching him step into his role as a grandpa these past few months has taken my love and appreciation for all he is to an entirely new level.”
Another new mom, Tisdale took care to big-up her husband, Christopher French.
“Knew you were gonna be a great dad but I had no idea you would be this great. Chris you amaze me. I tell Jupiter all the time she is the luckiest little girl,” she wrote. “You’re the best partner in this wild journey of being parents. The patience and love you shower your daughter with every day is my favorite thing to watch. You are the most present dad and not just because you meditate lol but because you never want to miss a thing. Even when you are stressed and have crazy deadlines at work you make it happen. Just for her.”
“I don’t wanna brag, but I will,” Bure started her post off. “My dad, Robert, is SO rad. Not only is he the cutest, he’s also really funny. He’ll drop anything he’s doing for us kids, our mom and his friends. What a man.”
Filed under
ashley tisdale
,
bethenny frankel
,
candace cameron-bure
,
father’s day
,
gigi hadid
,
justin timberlake
,
kobe bryant
,
mandy moore
,
miley cyrus
,
ryan seacrest
,
6/20/21
Academy Award winner and generally cool guy Jamie Foxx faced his most challenging role yet when he debuted the eight-episode first season of his Netflix sitcom, Dad Stop Embarrassing Me! as the titular embarrassing dad. The series, which premiered in April, was based on Foxx’s relationship with his daughter, Corinne Foxx, whose stand-in was played in this multi-cam by Kyla-Drew. Of course the premise would be tough: Foxx has to be one of the world’s least embarrassing dads. On Friday, Deadline reported that Netflix has opted not to renew the show, which also co-starred David Alan Grier and Porscha Coleman, for a second season. Foxx was “reportedly involved in the decision to end the series,” so he’ll finally stop Embarrassing the titular Me after all.
Sitcom Dad Jamie Foxx to Stop Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!
With filming on Aquaman 2 expected to kick off next month, star Amber Heard starts her quarantine and receives a sweet note from director James Wan.
Director James Wan welcomes Amber Heard back to the DCEU ahead of the start of filming for Aquaman 2. Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry took center stage in 2018’s Aquaman, a deep sea adventure that saw Arthur accept his role as king of Atlantis. A bona fide hit at the box office, the film soon paved way for a sequel, though that has been slower than expected to arrive. Aquaman 2 is currently scheduled for release in December 2022. Both Momoa and Wan, who directed the first film, will be back for this one, along with several other familiar faces.
Though plot details are still being kept under wraps, Aquaman 2 recently received the official title of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Those returning from the first movie include Heard as Princess Mera, Patrick Wilson as Orm, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta. In the case of Heard, her Aquaman 2 role comes after rumors of her firing emerged online. Despite some fans calling for her removal amid her legal battles with ex-husband Johnny Depp, the actress remains attached to the DCEU and the role of Mera.
Continue scrolling to keep reading
Click the button below to start this article in quick view.
Over the weekend, Heard shared a picture of a message she received from Wan. With the post, Heard confirmed she’s in quarantine ahead of production beginning on Aquaman 2. “Amber, welcome back to Atlantis,” Wan wrote in his note, which arrived on some very fancy stationary. You can see Heard’s full post down below.
Assuming Heard’s quarantine will last as long as the standard length that has arose during the pandemic, filming won’t kick off for another two weeks at least. This falls in line with what Momoa said recently, that Aquaman 2 will begin production in July. The start of filming can perhaps provide new details about what to expect from the DCEU film; right now, very little has been revealed about the story. Based on the title, though, one can theorize that Aquaman 2 will explore some of the underwater worlds touched upon in the first movie.
Heard has posted a lot about her Aquaman 2 prep work, from sharing throwback pictures from the first film to pulling back the curtain on her training. She’s left no doubt that she will be starring in Aquaman 2 alongside Momoa, and it’s clear she’s quite excited to get started. Based on how much she’s been sharing of the pre-production process, Heard just might treat fans to some fun BTS looks once filming actually begins. It should only be a few weeks to go now, so stay tuned for future updates on Aquaman 2.
More: Aquaman 2 Could Be Using Elements Of Snyder’s Original Plan
Source: Amber Heard/Instagram
Mortal Kombat’s Josh Lawson Was Surprised by the Fan Response to Kano
About The Author
Rachel Labonte
(2163 Articles Published)
Rachel LaBonte is a news, feature, and movie review writer for Screen Rant with a deep passion for film and television. A graduate of Emerson College, she majored in Media Arts Production while specializing in screenwriting. She’s been a writer ever since high school when she realized she was rather good at it and joined as many entertainment news clubs as she could while in school. Most notably, she wrote for Emerson’s website Emertainment Monthly, and one of her film reviews won an Evvy (Emerson’s student awards) for Best Review. Her deep love of movies led to her working at a movie theater for five years, which she loved despite the angry customers. An avid reader who constantly buys books before reading the ones she already owns, Rachel is a huge fan of superheroes (especially of the Marvel variety) and wizards and will likely never be able to catch up on all the movies/TV shows she longs to watch.
More From Rachel Labonte
It’s Home Depot’s favorite time of year again! Father’s Day 2021 is here, which means dads everywhere are receiving tools they already have, grill equipment they don’t really need, or maybe even something great off of Glamour’s Father’s Day gift guide. And, yes, this includes celebrities. Here’s how all your favorite famous parents are honoring their partners on the big day.
Gigi Hadid
“Our Khai is so lucky to have a baba who loves her so much & does anything to see her smile,” Hadid wrote on Instagram in honor of Zayn Malik’s first Father’s Day. “I’m so grateful for all the lil bits of her that are you ☺️ We love you so much.”
She also shared a throwback to her own dad, Mohamed Hadid, writing, “I love you so much and have loved watching you be the sweetest Jido to Khai! 🤍”
Michelle Obama
Obama posted a throwback to the Oval Office in her ode to her husband, Barack Obama. “Happy #FathersDay to all the dads out there—especially the one and only @BarackObama,” she captioned the pic of the former President with his daughters, Sasha and Malia. “Our daughters couldn’t have asked for a better role model. We’re so lucky to have you in our lives. 💗”
Kylie Jenner
Amid their recent reconciliation, Jenner opted to post a sweet family photo with Travis Scott and three-year-old Stormi Webster. “Happy father’s day @travisscott 🤍,” she wrote. “One day isn’t enough to honor the dad you are. we are so blessed to have you. 🤍”
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian opted to pay tribute to every dad in the Kardashian-Jenner clan, including her ex, Kanye West.
Kate Middleton
Ashley Graham
“Happy father’s day @mrjustinervin. Isaac is so fortunate to have such a supportive, loving, compassionate, and incredible dad like you,” the model wrote. “Getting to witness you be a father is the greatest gift.”
Katherine Schwarzenegger
Early on June 20, Schwarzenegger posted a series of throwbacks in honor of her Terminator father, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
A few hours later, she shared a second tribute to her husband, Chris Pratt, who can be seen wearing a “Girl Dad” T-shirt in the photo.
Gabrielle Union
“Happy Father’s Day @dwyanewade,” the actor wrote alongside a series of pics. “I thank God everyday that your belief in YOU is stronger than anyone’s doubts. You continue to lead, to fight and to rejoice in love.”
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka
The fathers of twins Harper and Gideon swapped loving tributes on June 20. “Your father-bilities are outrageously impressive, and your selfless dedication is beyond reproach,” Harris wrote, while Burtka described his husband as “the best partner a dad could ever have.”
Mandy Moore
The This Is Us actor posted a lengthy tribute to her husband, Taylor Goldsmith, in honor of his first Father’s Day since the arrival of their son, Gus. “Let’s face it, I’m pretty sure you were always destined to be a dad,” she began. “But watching you step into this role with so much confidence and ease and patience and adoration for our sweet guy just astounds me and has made me fall deeper in love than I ever thought possible.”
Kate Hudson
Hudson opted to pay tribute to “loyal protector” Kurt Russell, who she describes as “one hell of a dad.”
Jessica Biel
“Baby, you are the moon, the stars and the sour cream pound cake of my life,” Biel wrote to father-of-two, Justin Timberlake.
Chrissy Teigen
“There are no words. Only tears that I am fresh out of,” Teigen wrote to John Legend on Instagram. “To our everything, we love you forever.”
This post may be updated.
Tom Spezialy executive produced HBO’s “Watchmen,” one of the most acclaimed superhero television shows in recent memory. Now, he’s setting his sights on a Marvel character via “Silk,” Sony Television Pictures’ upcoming live-action series based on the Spider-Man character.
Deadline recently reported that Spezialy, whose credits also include “The Leftovers” and “Castle Rock,” has signed an overall deal with Amazon Studios. Part of that deal reportedly includes Spezialy serving as an executive producer and showrunner for “Silk,” which hails from Sony Pictures Television. The series is reportedly headed to Amazon Prime Video, which would make “Silk” one of the only upcoming Marvel-branded shows to not premiere on Disney+.
Spezialy will reportedly executive produce alongside Laureen Moon (“Atypical”), who wrote the “Silk” television adaptation, which is based on the Korean-American comic book superhero who is closely associated with Spider-Man. The series is also backed by veterans of recent Spider-Man adaptations: Deadline reported that “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller will executive produce “Silk” alongside “Spider-Man” franchise producer Amy Pascal.
Most details about “Silk,” including casting information, episode counts and lengths, and a release date, are under wraps. Reports of a “Silk” adaptation first surfaced in 2018; at the time, reports suggested that the project would be a film.
“Silk” is one of several “Spider-Man” projects in the works. Marvel Cinematic Universe entry “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” is slated to premiere in 2022, while Sony is preparing to release the Tom Hardyt-led “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” in September. Though the Spider-Man character has become a Marvel Cinematic Universe mainstay, the “Spider-Man” franchise is owned by Sony, and the relationship between the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s incarnations of Spider-Man characters and Sony’s wordy (but expanding) Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters is hazy at best.
As for Spezialy, he won an Emmy last year for “Outstanding Limited Series – 2020” due to his work on HBO’s “Watchmen.” He has writing credits on a variety of other projects, including the upcoming “Lake Success,” as well as series such as “Umutsuz Ev Kadinlari,” “Manhattan,” “Zero Hour,” “Chaos,” “Human Target,” “Reaper,” “The District,” and “Desperate Housewives.”
Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
It takes audacity for an actress to play a high school teacher who grooms her student, but it’s someone such as Kate Mara who embraces the challenge to meticulously play such knotty femmes with no sweat results. Mara portrays such a protagonist – or antagonist depending on how you view it, which only underscores her canniness with her craft—in FX’s Hannah Fidell limited series A Teacher, which follows the build-up and fallout of a scandalous affair between an older woman and her pupil. It’s a more-often-than not scandal that has frequented headlines since the 1990s with such teachers as Pamela Smart and the late Mary Kay Letourneau, and it’s an arresting subject to cover in the throes of #MeToo. Mara brings a subtle sympathy to the intricacies of Claire Wilson, forcing viewers to ponder who’s guiltier: The predator or the prey? A Teacher is another notch in Mara’s belt of elevating material in a resume which includes such complicated characters as compromised journalist Zoe Barnes in Netflix’s House of Cards and Hayden McClaine in season one of American Horror Story: Murder House.
DEADLINE: When it came to the psychology of high school teachers who are involved with their students, what did you learn?
KATE MARA: Well, that’s complicated, because I really don’t have an answer. I definitely did research into these stories, and specifically the Mary Kay Letourneau one, and there’s a documentary that I watched that I found really fascinating. But, it’s not like I could go and talk to one of these people. I don’t have an answer, and I think that that was one of the reasons why I think playing the character and exploring the show is so interesting, because you just have to do your own assessment, and try and find pieces of these specific people and stories that, maybe do make sense, or if you were to make up a backstory about somebody and maybe why they got to this place, it’s hard, because there isn’t just an answer for that, that we’re aware of.
DEADLINE: What struck you about Claire’s complications, and her past?
MARA: Well, we decided very specifically that she was very much the caretaker in, you know, as a child, even, with her mother being ill and then passing away, and her father being an alcoholic for most of his life. That was something that was important to us because it then shines a light on maybe why, even in her early 30s, she’s feeling like she never really had a childhood, or was never able to let go and experience that kind of high school or even college life, that the kids that she’s teaching are. So, that was something that was important for us to, and we show some of that in the show, but a lot of it really was just for us to know as well.
DEADLINE: What were your thoughts on the ending where Nick Robinson’s Eric Walker blames Claire for ruining his life?
MARA: I definitely sympathize with her. I think it would probably be hard not to, since I played her, and I do, I know all the things that she’s thinking, and whatever, but I really admire the ending because [showrunner] Hannah [Fidell] just really wanted to give the character of Eric the opportunity to finally have the last say, and to finally be able to have the power and the control, and to look across the table at this person who really changed the trajectory of his life in so many ways, and really say most of the things that he had been thinking and feeling. So, I thought that was very cool, and I also think that leaving something, not that it’s open-ended, but, I like the feeling of, some people are going to like this, and a lot of people are not, and it’s a complicated story, so it’s going to have a complicated ending.
It’s really interesting hearing people’s responses, because a lot of people are like, “It doesn’t matter that she served time. What she did is not forgivable.”
DEADLINE: What kept Claire and Eric coming back together? They couldn’t quit each other.
MARA: Well, I mean, I don’t think it’s just one thing. I think that, most people probably can relate to that kind of relationship, where it’s somebody that, for whatever reason, whether it’s just a physical connection, or a chemistry, or if it’s just emotional, or, I just think that there’s so many layers to it. I think that the main thing is that they both, in that specific time in their lives, really feel seen by the other person, and it’s almost like they both feel like they’ve been rescued, in a way, by the other person. I think that really pulls them together, over and over again.
DEADLINE: Do you think it’s a bigger stigma for women to commit these crimes than men?
MARA: Yeah, 100%. I think there’s a real difference between if it was a man, and if it… I think if it was a man, most of the time when we see that headline, or we hear that story, we automatically, like you said, go, “Oh, no, that’s wrong.” There’s nothing, you know, ‘hot’ about it, right? And then, when it’s a woman, and I think is one of the main reasons we wanted to tell the story, is because people have such a hard time, or people have a much harder time seeing a young woman as the villain, as the predator. They just do. That’s just the reality. And a lot of kids as well hear this story, or younger people, and go, “High-five, cool, you had a thing with your older teacher.” We touch on it in the show a lot, but, absolutely, I think that there is definitely a difference, and that’s one of the reasons why I find this kind of story so fascinating, because it really is a cultural thing, and specifically in our country, I think. It’s something that society has really specifically created as this stereotype.
DEADLINE: When and how did you get the acting bug?
MARA: Well, I was very, very young, and when I was nine, I started to say, “I want to be on Broadway.” So, my parents put me in community theater, and I took voice lessons, dance classes, and all those things. When I turned 12, I started leaving notes on my parents’ pillows at night, because I was very shy, and I just couldn’t bear the thought of actually having to say it out loud. But I would write them notes every night, saying, “I really think I need an agent. I want to go to the city and audition for Broadway.” They were like, “That’s great, but we don’t know agents.” My dad is like, “I’m into football.” It’s funny, because people hear that, and they’re like, “Well, I’m sure your parents had connections, they were in the football industry.” I’m like, “In what world is that the same industry?” So, anyway, we got the address of a friend of mine’s manager, and we sent a headshot, a cassette tape of me singing a couple jingles, and my resume of ten community theater shows. And by some miracle, this manager, who was then my manager for ten years, who by the way is a great manager, she’s still a manager, she’s Kerry Washington’s manager today. She just happened to see my headshot. I think they were casting Great Expectations, the role of a young Gwyneth Paltrow, and for whatever reason, she was like, maybe we should send this girl out on this audition? So, she called us up on our home phone and was like, I’d love to meet you. And so, my mom and I drove an hour into the city, and we sat down with her. I smiled, and she didn’t know that I had, like, a mouthful of braces. She was like ‘No! When are you getting those things off?’. And then, of course, I was like, ‘We’ve got to get them off today.’
DEADLINE: I know you love Broadway, but was there a particular show that you saw that made you tell your parents, “I want to do that job for the rest of my life?”
MARA: The one that comes to mind is probably Annie, just because I was really young when I saw it, and my hair wasn’t that ginger, but I was a redhead. I have auburn hair. That was it. I was like, I want to be her and play pretend people for the rest of your life. Sold. I think I was nine when I saw that, and that’s how I felt, and I still feel it today. And then also, I just happen to have a daughter who literally looks like Annie. My two-year-old has orange hair. So, I’m like, oh my God, I wonder if she’s going to feel the same things that I felt when watching that show.
DEADLINE: One of your early feats was landing a role in a Sydney Pollack movie Random Hearts. How did that feel? What was that process like?
MARA: God, he was just the best. He was the perfect director for a, you know, I was 14. It was interesting, because I wasn’t really aware of this guy; everyone loves him and he’s so successful, and I didn’t have that intimidation, because I was too young. I knew some of the movies he’d directed. Harrison Ford, of course, I was like, that’s cool, and Kristin Scott Thomas as well. I was more nervous just about the performance of it all. But you know, I’ll never forget it, because Sydney Pollack was just a complete angel, and just amazing to work with.
DEADLINE: Have you and your sister Rooney Mara ever been up for the same role?
MARA: Yes, back in the day. I mean, maybe now we are, it’s hard to say. But, when we were both auditioning for things on a daily basis, there were occasionally things that we were both being auditioned for, and we were living together at the time, so we would actually help each other. We would read lines with each other, and there was actually a movie that I auditioned for, that is a terrible movie, but I did it anyway, that I had to put myself on tape for. It was some sort of romantic role, and she was reading the guy role for me. I just think of that, and it makes me laugh, because we sent in the tape, and it’s her voice doing the lead guy role, and me being romantic with her, and I did get the part. So, we had real moments of being able to be really supportive of each other when we were first starting out, which I think is such a rare experience for people to have.
DEADLINE: When an actress looks back on their résumé, there are usually several projects where they hit a wave along the way and rode it. When you look back, what were those projects?
MARA: The first one is definitely Brokeback Mountain, because when I got that part, I remember it being very exciting. I was in such a small amount of that movie, that at the time, it didn’t do very much. But when the movie came out, it really did feel like it opened a lot of doors for me. That movie definitely led to the role that I got in this movie called We Are Marshall, which then led to the role that I did in Mark Wahlberg’s movie Shooter, and then continued. It definitely opened doors, for sure.
DEADLINE: What was the most rigorous audition you’ve gone on?
MARA: Definitely for The Dark Knight to be Catwoman. That was the most exciting and intimidating by far, but also so lovely, because the experience was so kind of dreamlike, and Christian Bale was so cool, and supportive. It’s just a very surreal experience, doing that.
In a long-awaited box office milestone, “Godzilla vs. Kong” has finally hit the $100 million mark in the U.S.
The Warner Bros. and Legendary tentpole opened in theaters and on HBO Max in early April, collecting a then-pandemic best $32 million over the weekend. It remained a powerful theatrical draw, with ticket sales quickly climbing to — and then plateauing — around $98 million. “Godzilla vs. Kong” hovered just below $100 million for some time before finally scraping together the final $220,000 needed to cross the coveted box office milestone. Now, after playing in multiplexes for 12 weeks, its domestic tally sits at $100.113 million.
“Godzilla vs. Kong” is only the second movie of the COVID-19 era to earn more than $100 million in the U.S. Paramount’s nearly silent sequel “A Quiet Place Part II,” which debuted over Memorial Day weekend once a greater number of theaters had reopened, smashed that benchmark in 15 days. That film, directed by John Krasinski and starring Emily Blunt, has generated $125 million at the domestic box office to date. Unlike “Godzilla vs. Kong,” the only place for audiences to watch “A Quiet Place 2” is in theaters. After 45 days on movie theater marquees, the film will also be available to Paramount Plus subscribers. “Godzilla vs. Kong,” along with Warner Bros.’ entire 2021 film slate, is being offered simultaneously on HBO Max for its first 31 days of release.
At the international box office, “Godzilla vs. Kong” has been a huge hit with ticket sales reaching $342 million. Combined, the tentpole has amassed $442.5 million worldwide. That’s notably more money than its franchise predecessor, 2019’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” grossed in pre-pandemic times. Starring Millie Bobby Brown, that film tapped out with $386 million globally.
Directed by Adam Wingard, “Godzilla vs. Kong” features an other-worldly clash of the titans. The cast includes Brown, Alexander Skarsgard, Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry.
James Gunn knows how to make VFX look realistic. His work on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy with creating Rocket Raccoon and Groot has made the characters a staple of the MCU.
However, his most challenging creation is King Shark from the new DC comics movie The Suicide Squad, which Gunn is directing. In an interview with Gamesradar, Gunn provided insight into just how complex the process of developing King Shark was compared to his work on Guardians. “From a character standpoint, he’s very different from [Rocket and Groot], because at the end of the day, with the Guardians, we know they’re good,” Gunn says. “That isn’t true of the Suicide Squad. King Shark is a fish, and he eats human beings. He doesn’t have such a mammalian love for people. But he wants to belong, and he wants to show that he’s smart. And he’s not.”
The difficulty sounds like it’s down to the type of animals Gunn is working with. A Raccoon can stand upright, and when it’s time to get what they need, they can use their hands. A Shark has no hands or legs, but King Shark is a walking, talking shark with arms and four webbed fingers on each hand in the comics and the movie. Gunn confirms this, stating, “Rocket was hard because it’s difficult taking an animal and turning it into a humanoid shape, but it’s five times more difficult to do that with a shark – it was a very, very painstaking process.”
Sylvester Stallone is lending his voice to the Shark man. Stallone and Gunn seem to have a good working relationship as the Rocky star also appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Interestingly, Gunn went with more of an animated look than using practical effects for King Shark in the first Suicide Squad film directed by David Ayer. You would never know how complicated making this character was because Gunn gives these characters photorealism to look authentic and believable on-screen.
What do you think of King Shark’s new look? Let us know in the comments.
For more, make sure you’re following us on our Instagram @io9dotcom.
G/O Media may get a commission
The latest Taylor Swift rerelease has officially been announced, meaning fans are eagerly awaiting Red (Taylor’s Version). Although many felt sure 1989 would be the next to be revamped and re-recorded, the multi-Grammy winner revealed on Friday, June 18 that she’d be focusing on her 2012 album instead. That means all those Easter eggs Swifties thought they’d found should actually be set aside or reanalyzed, because there are now new questions that need answers.
Fans haven’t been left with nothing to go on, though. In her big announcement, Swift shared some key information, including the album’s release date and the number of tracks. She even revealed that one of them is a whopping 10 minutes long. Apparently, she “just couldn’t stop writing” when she was working on the album, and now fans are finally going to get to enjoy all of her hard work.
So, needless to say, fans are ready for this album, but the waiting game is far from over. Red (Taylor’s Version) is due out in late 2021, leaving months for anticipation to build. Swift will hopefully offer more tidbits here and there, if only to give her devoted fans another fun challenge. Until then, here’s everything we know about her next release right now.
The rerelease is going to drop on Nov. 19, just over nine years after the original album debuted. Red’s release date was Oct. 22, 2012.
Swifties were blessed with six “from the Vault” tracks on Fearless (Taylor’s Version), which came out on April 9. This time, the singer will be offering up even more. She noted in her Instagram post that fans will get to “hear all 30 songs that were meant to go on Red” for the first time. She released the standard edition with 16 tracks, and the deluxe edition had 22. That means her 2021 version will include eight new tracks, praise the music gods.
Swift made it clear that Red — her final album before she went full pop — was “all over the place” musically and lyrically, comparing it to a “heartbroken person.” She added that it was “a fractured mosaic of feelings that somehow all fit together in the end,” with emotions ranging from “happy” to “confused,” “wild” to “tortured by memories past.” The new tracks will presumably only add to that eclectic mix, and it will be so wonderful to hear.
The “from the Vault” tracks on Fearless (Taylor’s Version) included “You All Over Me” featuring Maren Morris and “That’s When” featuring Keith Urban. So far, there’s no word on what to expect from Red (Taylor’s Version), but it wouldn’t be a surprise if there were additional collaborations.
For now, the wait till Nov. 19 continues.
Trishala Dutt, daughter of actor Sanjay Dutt, has said that she has been judged since the day she was born. A practising psychotherapist in the United States, Trishala hosted an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Instagram and was asked how she deals with judgemental people.
While sharing her take, Trishala Dutt said that she has been judged since childbirth owing to her family name. Trishala’s father, actor Sanjay Dutt has had his share of controversies surrounding drugs, alcohol and a terror case.
An Instagram user asked Trishala how she deals with ‘so many people’ judging her. Her response: “I’ve had people judging me since the day I took my first breath lol it comes with the family name, unfortunately.” Trishala then shared a different perspective on people who pass judgements.
“When dealing with highly judgemental people, don’t take it personally. When people are feeling down, unhappy, lost, and disconnected from themselves and the world around them, they begin to project their own darkness onto the people they interact with. They start judging the world around them,” she said.
“Haven’t you noticed? It’s when we are unhappy with ourselves and our lives that we begin to judge, blame, and criticize those around us. Nobody does this when they are happy. Treat everyone with respect, love, and compassion, including those (who) judge and criticize you harshly, not necessarily because they deserve it, but because you do. Appreciate the contrast. Silently thank them for the many lessons they are now teaching you and allow them to make you better, not bitter,” she added.
Also read: Sanjay Dutt’s daughter Trishala talks about her longest relationship: ‘Today, he’s married with children’
Trishala has frequently spoken about mental health issues and relationships on her Instagram account. She hosts her AMA sessions often and talks about numerous issues. During the process, she shares a few personal life lessons as well.
Earlier this year, Trishala shared that she was in a toxic relationship. “This guy I was ‘dating’ a few years ago & I put the word ‘Dating’ in quotes because I was basically dating myself, he never gave a sh*t lol but I had to convince this guy why it would be such a good idea to be together. I remember saying I would ‘give him a week’ to ‘think about it,’” she said, adding, “He treated me like trash.” She said she remained in the relationship, hoping it would improve but only kept getting worse.
If you’ve just finished the heartfelt fairytale that is Netflix’s Sweet Tooth, then it’s time to delve into what it all means. The timely themes, exploring fear of the other and vigilantes, make Sweet Tooth resonate more than ever in the current moment. Where could the show go next? Will it have a second season? What are the origins of the virus that sent the world crumbling? Let’s dive into all of that and more.
Read more: Awake on Netflix — that ending explained and all your questions answered
Entertain your brain with the coolest news from streaming to superheroes, memes to video games.
Gus is understandably upset to discover his whole life has been a lie. Gus was raised to believe Pubba was his father and Birdie was his mother. It’s revealed in episode 7 that Pubba’s real name is Richard Fox and that he was a janitor at Fort Smith Labs in Colorado. Birdie is really Gertrude and she was a geneticist at Fort Smith who experimented on Gus, whose name is an abbreviation of Genetic Unit Series 1. She and Richard went on one date and, when the military stormed the facility and took her work, Bertie thrust Gus into Richard’s care. While we still don’t know exactly how he came to be, Gus could be the first hybrid to exist. When Dr. Singh sees Gus for the first time, he notes that he’s older than the others.
There are only small hints at this point. Judy, Birdie’s best friend, says of the virus and the hybrids, “I once heard [Birdie] say they were two sides of the same coin.” Judy reveals to Bear that “Gus was all Birdie” and that Fort Smith wasn’t just about him. It was about the virus, aka H5G9, aka the Sick, too. Another piece of the puzzle: Based on his age, Gus could have been born roughly one year before the virus hit.
The origins of the virus are left ambiguous at the end of season 1. But if you’re after some answers now, you can head here for comic book spoilers. Note: The Netflix adaptation has already deviated in significant ways from Jeff Lemire’s original comic.
The distinct gravelly tones narrating this modern fairytale belong to actor James Brolin (Josh Brolin’s dad), best known for the films Skyjacked (1972), Westworld (1973) and Traffic (2000). Despite being a constant presence in the series, the narrator doesn’t appear as a character and there’s no explanation for who he is, at least not in season 1. Maybe we’ll never know and he’s simply a component of a well-told fairytale.
When Jepperd finds Gus by the crashed plane, he admits a difficult truth about his past. That he and his wife had a child, but when Jepperd discovered his son was a black sheep hybrid, he freaked out and ran for it. Even though he quickly changed his mind and returned to his family in the hospital, they had already been removed. It was Jepperd’s guilt that initially fueled him to help Gus.
We also find out what Bear’s backstory is. When Judy asks her what her real name is, she reveals that it’s Becky, Rebecca Walker, and that her foster parents called her Becky Bear. She also reveals that the Last Men didn’t kill them, it was the Sick, and that her parents had a biological hybrid baby girl who was taken away after they died. Bear’s little sister is swiftly revealed to be Wendy, Aimee’s adopted daughter, who is half-pig and half-human.
Netflix is notorious for canceling TV shows even if they have big fan bases, one of the most recent being Jupiter’s Legacy. But on a positive note, Shadow and Bone just received the green light for a second season, a month and a half after it was first released. Given the good reviews and its run as one of the most-watched shows on Netflix, Sweet Tooth probably stands a good chance of a renewal. We’ll update this post once there’s official word either way.
There are plenty of cliffhangers, including the reveal that Birdie is still alive and well in Alaska, likely working to find a cure. Meanwhile, Jepperd and Aimee must put a plan together to save the hybrid children Dr. Singh is being forced to experiment on. Plus, there’s a chance Jepperd will be reunited with his son, who could be the black sheep hybrid at The Preserve. There’s also a new wave of the Sick coming to deal with, according to General Abbot and his “ears on the coast”.
In the leadup to the final season of The Walking Dead—a 30-episode, 2-part eleventh season—AMC is releasing new content each week for 11 weeks right up until the Season 11 premiere on August 22nd, 2021.
This is the second week of the 11 Weeks of The Walking Dead and this time around AMC has released four new Season 11 photos and a season synopsis to whet our zombie-like appetites. A part of me is excited to see the show finally wrap up. Another—admittedly smaller—part of me is going to miss the zombie drama, however uneven and messy it’s been over its decade run.
Here’s the Season 11 synopsis:
Previously on The Walking Dead, our survivors confronted past demons and combated new threats, with friendships and relationships suffering from the mounting collateral damage that is the apocalypse. Alexandria is severely compromised, left a former shell of the home it once was from the carnage and devastation left behind by the Whisperers.
Now all who live in Alexandria struggle to refortify it and feed its increasing number of residents, which include the survivors from the fall of the Kingdom and the burning of Hilltop; along with Maggie and her new group, the Wardens. Alexandria has more people than it can manage to feed and protect. Their situation is dire as tensions heat up over past events and self-preservation rises to the surface within the ravaged walls.
They must secure more food while they attempt to restore Alexandria before it collapses like countless other communities they have come across throughout the years. But where and how? More haggard and hungrier than ever before, they must dig deeper to find the effort and strength to safeguard the lives of their children, even if it means losing their own.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to those at Alexandria, Eugene, Ezekiel, Yumiko, and Princess are still being held captive by mysterious soldiers who are members of a larger and unforthcoming group.
The first photo shows Princess, Ezekiel, Yumiko and Eugene in their new prison home:
Next up, the real stars of the show:
Maggie’s back, for better or worse, and she’s got quite the crew here with Daryl:
Finally, Carol out on a rat hunt most likely, gathering ingredients for stone soup. Yum!
As always, I’ll be reviewing here on my Forbes blog when this kicks off in August. I’ll also discuss the show at my Substack newsletter fantastical so be sure to sign up for email updates! Oh, and at my YouTube channel as well—which you should definitely subscribe to for good luck!
Thanks for reading! What do you hope we see in Season 11? Will Rick and Michonne return? Will everyone die? Will Negan become God King of the Apocalypse? Let me know your thoughts on Twitter and Facebook!
Follow me on Twitter. Check out my website.
Refresh for latest…: International box office markets this weekend were again rife with holdovers doing solid business, while also awaiting a new major title to swing summer into full gear. Lionsgate/Millennium’s Stateside champ, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard was the only signifiant new opener this session with an estimated $7.8M in its debut in 21 overseas markets. Coupled with the domestic five-day launch, the global total is now $24.8M.
The top movie overseas this session was Universal’s F9 which is approaching $300M ahead of its domestic, UK, Brazil and Mexico openings this coming week. The Justin Lin-helmed Fast Saga entry added 13 offshore markets this frame for a $19M offshore weekend and a cume of $292M from 23 markets total to date. F9 debuted at No. 1 in each of the new plays which notably included Australia ($6.63M including previews) from just 296 locations, and Indonesia ($3.6M) from 368.
Next up, Paramount’s A Quiet Place Part II dipped just 47% from last weekend overseas (as did New Line/Warner Bros’ Conjuring 3 — see below) which is welcome news given the horror genre tends to be quite frontloaded. AQP2 grossed $15.7M on the 4th international weekend in 45 markets including eight new openings to bring the overseas total thisclose to $100M at $96.7M. Globally, the John Krasinski-helmed sequel won the weekend with $25.1M and is at $222M, 15% above the 2018 original and with 20 markets still to open.
New Line/Warner Bros’ The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It scared up another $12.4M in 56 overseas markets during the fourth frame. That was good for a 47% drop and takes the international cume to $89.2M. Globally, paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren have uncovered $142.8M to date. France, where cinema capacity is at 65% but curfews lift from tonight, kept Conjuring 3 at No. 1 in the sophomore session for a 43% dip and an $8.8M cume. Horror tends to be good counterprogramming to football, and there were certainly a lot of eyeballs on France’s Euro 2020 draw with Hungary on Saturday afternoon. Key majors to come on Conjuring 3 include Germany on July 1.
Disney’s Cruella has reached $160M global after a 32% drop internationally that scored $12M for the weekend from 41 markets. The offshore cume to date is $95.2M with France releasing this coming week — the movie is theatrical only in the market, despite the presence of Disney+.
Also from Disney, Pixar’s Luca bowed in just 11 offshore markets this weekend, grossing $5M and including a No. 1 start in Russia. In most markets, school holidays have just started or are about to start and there is little animated competition ahead.
Breakdowns on the films above and more are being updated below.
MORE…