Month: May 2021

If it feels like Patton Oswalt’s everywhere right now on TV at the moment, that’s because he kind-of is everywhere these days. The man who embodied Constable Bob is currently bringing us Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. (on Hulu), a villain who’s far too good (and bad) for the MCU. Before that, he managed to shock Amazon Prime’s The Boys audience (that’s what happens when you “cameo” as a set of gills for the lead pervert character who deserves comeuppance), and soon, he’ll be the voice of an adorable-as-hell Netflix docuseries about Penguins. And he’s executive producing a new episode of HBO’s I’ll Be Gone In The Dark, which will detail new revelations on a case that sparked the true-crime obsession of the late Michelle McNamara.

That’s certainly not all. Patton has been cast in the long-gestating live-action version of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman for Netflix (which is happening in addition to more of Audible’s installments that will be forthcoming soon). Patton will voice Matthew the Raven, a trusted representative who undertakes missions on behalf of Dream/Morpheus, and Patton comes by his interest in the role honestly. That’s according to Neil Gaiman, by the way, who reflected (in a blog post) upon news of around a dozen new castings for the series. When it came to Patton as Matthew, Gaiman revealed that Patton was the first actor cast in the series, and the reasons are glowing ones.

“I expected our animals to be CGI, and was both taken aback and thrilled when the dailies started coming in, and there was Dream talking to… well, a raven. But ravens don’t really talk,” Gaiman wrote. “The question was, could we find an actor who could make you care about a dead person who was now a bird in the Dreaming — one who isn’t certain what’s going on, or whether any of this is a good idea? And could we find a voice performer who was also the kind of Sandman fan who used to stand in line to get his Sandman comics signed? The answer was, we could if we asked Patton Oswalt (he/him). And Patton was the first person we asked, and the first person we cast, the day before we pitched The Sandman to Netflix.”

On Twitter, Patton confirmed that, yes, he did stand in line to get The Sandman signed by Gaiman. (As fans would say, you love to see it.)

Previously, Netflix announced that Dream would be played by Tom Sturridge, and Gwendoline Christie would rule Hell as Lucifer, and Gaiman detailed many more roles, including a big one: Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Cruella, The Good Place), who will play Dream’s sister, Death (portrayed in the Audible version by Kat Dennings). Gaiman wrote, “[W]e knew we had our Death” when he saw Kirby’s audition and realized that she could pull off “[s]omeone who could speak the truth to Dream, on the one hand, but also be the person you’d want to meet when your life was done on the other.”

You can read Gaiman’s full blog post (with even more casting news) here.

(Via Netflix)

One of the biggest developers in gaming is Activision Blizzard. Specifically, the Blizzard side of the company has some of the most beloved IP’s out there, as franchises like Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and Starcraft have all come from the legendary developer. The popularity and love for them eventually led to Blizzard creating a convention specifically for fans to hear about the latest developments with their favorite Blizzard titles, BlizzCon.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 has led to many popular conventions over the last few years being cancelled and that has continued into 2021. According to Blizzard, the challenges of the last year have made creating a worthwhile convention too challenging. There were just too many roadblocks for them to conceivably put something together, and as such, there will be no BlizzCon in 2021. Via Blizzard.com:

Building an in-person BlizzCon is an epic and complex affair that takes many months of preparation—not just for us, but also for the many talented production partners, esports pros, hosts, entertainers, artists, and other collaborators we team up with locally and globally to put all of the pieces together. The ongoing complexities and uncertainties of the pandemic have impacted our ability to properly move forward on many of these fronts, and ultimately we’re now past the point where we’d be able to develop the kind of event we’d want to create for you in November.

This is unfortunate for anyone that was hoping for updates on titles like Overwatch 2, Diablo 4, and the latest World of Warcraft updates, but fear not. Blizzard has plans to give fans an insight into what they’re up to in early 2022.

But we don’t want to let too long go by before we connect with everyone again. So in the meantime, we’re planning a global event for the early part of next year, combining an online show along the lines of our recent BlizzConline with smaller in-person gatherings, and we’ll share more as our plans come together.

There’s no need for a giant in-person gathering just so it can have a few developers up on stage to talk about a few trailers. While these moments are certainly fun, they aren’t exactly necessary. Activision Blizzard can create the same excitement for its games without a convention.

Olivia Rodrigo is just a few days removed from the release of her debut album, Sour (and Kim Kardashian can’t wait to hear it). Now that fans have had a few days to get familiar with and digest the album, they’re brimming with questions about it. Rodrigo knew this, so this afternoon, she decided to hop on Twitter and solicit questions from her followers with the hashtag #AskOlivia. Rodrigo’s responses pulled back the curtain on Sour a bit and revealed some interesting trivia about the record.

One fan asked Rodrigo about the lyrics she’s most proud of writing and Rodrigo had two answers: “Hope he took his bad deal and made a royal flush” from “Hope Ur OK” and “I crossed my heart as you crossed the line” from “Favorite Crime.” As far as the hardest Sour track to write, Rodrigo tentatively answered “Jealousy, Jealousy,” noting, “I wrote like 4 different verses before deciding on the one that’s on the record.” She also made her pick for the song she’s most looking forward to performing in concert: “im so stoked to perform brutal!!!!! gonna be a rager.”

Rodrigo also offered some advice for her younger self: “I would tell her that everything works out the way it is supposed to. i think lil Olivia would be so happy to know all her heartbreak would turn into something rlly beautiful.”

Check out all of Rodrigo’s #AskOlivia responses below or here.

Sour is out now via Geffen Records. Get it here.

The New York Liberty are on the big surprises of the early WNBA season. At 5-1, they are tied with the Connecticut Sun for the best record in the Eastern Conference. Sabrina Ionescu, after playing just two games in the Wubble due to injury, is averaging 17.8 points, 7.8 assists, and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting almost 50 percent from three, while Betnijah Laney, last year’s Most Improved Player and one of New York’s big free agent signings, is off to a torrid start and leading the team in scoring. Life is mostly good for the Liberty.

The one missing piece, however, is Natasha Howard. The veteran forward was acquired in a trade in the offseason with Seattle Storm and was expected to be one the team’s top players. She missed the start of the season while finishing up her commitments to her team in Italy and has played just two games this year.

Now, however, Howard will miss 4-6 weeks with an MCL sprain, according to the Liberty. The injury occurred in the fourth quarter Monday in a win against the Dallas Wings.

Howard was New York’s major offseason acquisition. She was the 2019 WNBA Defense Player of the Year, won titles in 2018 and 2020 with the Storm and one in 2017 with the Minnesota Lynx. Acquired Howard cost the Liberty the No. 1 overall pick in the Draft (which became Charli Collier) and was a clear win-now move for the Liberty.

Howard missing 4-6 weeks means she could return in early-to-mid July. That does perhaps mean that, due to the Olympics break in July, she will not return until August when the WNBA resumes play mid-month. And while the Liberty look like a team that can win without her (and already have this year) it’s a blow to not have Howard for a big chunk of the season.

Howard University has officially renamed its school for visual and performing arts after distinguished alunmi Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in August 2020 after a secret, years-long battle with colon cancer. Thanks to an endowment organized by Disney CEO Bob Iger, the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts will receive a new “state-of-the-art building” that will honor the Black Panther actor, who graduated from the university in 2000.

Prior to his death, Boseman was working on a Master’s Class series for students and planning to serve on the board of the fine arts college. Renaming the College of Fine Arts will ensure that his dream to educate others will continue. Via The Washington Post:

In a statement, Iger called Boseman an “extraordinary gifted, charismatic and kindhearted person” noting his “iconic” performances in a string of films along with his “tireless commitment” to helping others.

“Through his tremendous example, he inspired millions to overcome adversity, dream big and reach beyond the status quo, and this college named in his honor at his beloved Howard University will provide opportunities for future generations of artists to follow in his footsteps and pursue their dreams,” Iger said.

In the days following Boseman’s death, his Black Panther co-star and fellow Howard alum Angela Bassett recalled the first time she met the actor when he was still a student at the Washington D.C. university. In a moving anecdote, Bassett revealed she didn’t remember the encounter until Boseman told her at a premiere party for the Marvel blockbuster.

“He whispered that when I received my honorary degree from Howard University, his alma mater, he was the student assigned to escort me that day. And here we were, years later as friends and colleagues, enjoying the most glorious night ever!” Bassett wrote on Instagram. “I am honored that we enjoyed that full circle experience.”

(Via Washington Post)

With more and more rappers holding their own festivals, Lil Wayne‘s Uproar Festival — named for his 2018 Carter V single produced by Swizz Beatz — found a perfect one. The August 13 event will mark the grand re-opening of Los Angeles’ legendary landmark, the Memorial Coliseum, after a $315 million renovation project that was completed in 2019. The 77,500 seat venue has been empty ever since due to the coronavirus pandemic and resulting shutdown of live entertainment and sporting events. However, the historical site will officially reopen its doors to host Lil Wayne, Young Money, and “friends.”

In addition to the usual music festival features — including a Vendor Village highlighting local eateries, a beer garden, and a “3 Point Cut” basketball experience — Wayne’s fest will accept submissions for its Dance Competition and Art Walk ahead of the event. The winning dance team will earn the opportunity to perform on the big stage at next year’s Uproar Fest. The Art Walk will showcase rising visual artists.

For fans unable to attend, the festival will also live stream via a “first of its kind” Festival Platform provided by Mandolin. The stream will not only include live video of performances but also roaming audience cameras and interactive features.

You can find more information here.

In recent weeks, many US festivals like Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and Pitchfork have announced they’re planning a 2021 return in the fall. However, not all festivals have made the same call. Boston Calling previously noted they would cancel both their 2020 and 2021 events as a safety precaution, but they’re still looking to make a massive return in 2022. Now, Boston Calling has begun teasing next year’s event by sharing a few details about the lineup.

Their 2022 event is slated to kick off on May 27 and run through 29 at Boston’s Harvard Athletic Complex. Getting fans excited for next year’s festival, Boston Calling has announced they’ve booked Foo Fighters and Rage Against The Machine to headline, both of whom were originally secured for their 2020 event. Boston Calling still has a few more headliners and over 60 bands to announce on their bill, which they’ll unveil in coming months.

In a statement about the festival teaser, Boston Calling co-founder and CEO Brian Appel said there are “more surprises” to come. “We couldn’t be happier to return in 2022 and deliver a full-scale festival with two of the world’s most celebrated rock bands as our headliners,” he said. “We’ve spent the past year working on a festival that our fans can really look forward to, and we’re so excited to share more news and surprises as we get into next year.”

Early-bird tickets are available for Boston Calling 2022 including a limited number of two-packs of three-day passes. Get them here.

It must be weird to be born to famous parents. It must also be weird to be famous and have to figure out what role that plays in raising your children. Kids have no concept of fame when they’re young—Mom and Dad are just Mom and Dad. At what point do they start to understand that Mom and Dad are household names for millions of people? When do they grasp the concept of fame and when does that reality of having famous parents impact them in their daily lives?

Those are questions actors Emily Blunt and John Krasinski had hoped to postpone for as long as possible. As they raise their kids, the couple has tried to keep life as “normal” as possible for their daughters, Hazel (6) and Violet (4), which so far has meant keeping their fame and status under wraps.

“If they can remain oblivious for the longest time I’d be thrilled,” Blunt told The Sunday Times in a recent interview.

However, the cat seems to be spilling out of the bag a bit, as Hazel is starting to hear things from other kids at school.

“It’s a strange thing to navigate, you know,” Blunt told the Times. “[Hazel] came home the other day and we were in the kitchen and she goes, ‘Are you famous?'”

“We’ve never said that word in our house,” Blunt said. “We don’t talk about it. “Someone at school had clearly said it. I was like, ‘Um…not really, I don’t think I am. Did someone say that to you, Haze?’

“She said, ‘Yeah’, but then she wouldn’t divulge much more, you know, but it’s weird. It’s weird.”

Blunt explained that she doesn’t want their daughters to think they are more special than other kids, nor does she want them to feel like they themselves are under the glare of the spotlight.

At some point, kids do figure it out, though. Giving them a solid foundation of “normality” as much as possible is healthy, and having famous parents certainly doesn’t mean kids are going to end up more messed up than anyone else. But there are certain challenges that come along with raising kids as a celebrity.

Other famous parents have worked hard to keep their kids away from glitz and glam pitfalls as well. Kristen Bell once confronted the paparazzi who were taking photos of her and Dax Shepard’s kids at their preschool. The couple even headed up a “No Kids Policy” campaign for media outlets to leave celebrities’ children out of their coverage. Children didn’t choose to have famous parents and they deserve to be able to live their lives without being subjected to voyeuristic opportunism.

But it’s the normal, day-to-day life stuff that can be especially tricky to navigate when your kids’ friends know you’re famous. For instance, Dax Shepard revealed in a podcast with Justin Timberlake that he worries about how his and Kristen Bell’s fame might affect his kids’ friendships.

“I have a great fear that kids are gonna hang out with them solely because of that, or resent them because of that,” Shepard said. “To me, the two options both seem terrible. Either they’re gonna have fake friends or they’re gonna have people hate them for no reason.”

“It’s just a lot to unpack,” Timberlake agreed, speaking of his and wife Jessica Biel’s attempts to navigate parenting as highly famous folks. “I try to be conscious of making sure we can live a life where we’re not weirdly private, but we’re conscious of making sure they can be kids for as long as possible and not have the way of somebody else treating them differently because of something that their parents do.”

Celebrities may have enviable incomes and cush opportunities, but some aspects of living the famous life would be genuinely tricky to manage. Money can’t buy a mentally and emotionally healthy existence for your children, so celebrities have to be conscientious about how they parent through fame.

While no parent is perfect and we all face different challenges, it’s heartening to see celebrities who are doing their best to not let their career paths negatively influence their children’s lives. They are just people at the end of the day, and no matter how many big roles they land, “parent” will undoubtedly be the most important role they’ll ever play.

“The most rewarding trip is the one that gives back.” That’s Hawai’i Tourism’s pitch to you. In the wake of the pandemic, there’s a state-wide tourism initiative that aims to give you serious discounts for accommodations, plus credits to spend on recreation and dining, if you’re willing to give up a morning and afternoon to give back to the local community. And given the hefty increase in flight prices, saving money anywhere you can is a good move.

The Mālama Hawai‘i program asks that you think about taking a day to do things like clean up a beach, plant some trees in a rainforest, or work as a volunteer in a park. It’s all pretty low-impact stuff that will net you real discounts. For instance, one activity for Mālama O’ahu is working for Jack Johnson’s Kokua Hawai‘i Foundation picking up trash and, basically, doing some light yard work in paradise. In return, you’ll get a fourth night free at the Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach (which is going to save you about $250).

Another O’ahu option — this one with Marriott and Loko Ea — is an educational volunteering program about aquaculture stewardship and involves a day helping people learn about taking care of the beach they vacation on. Now, that’s a truly low-impact day. And for a day of that “work,” you’ll get 20 percent off your stay at a Marriott property plus a $100 resort credit.

We could go on. There are a ton of options just on O’ahu. There’s also a long list of opportunities across all the Hawaiian islands for anyone looking to engage in the local community and earn themselves a free night at a swanky hotel or a free beachside dinner or a massage at the hotel’s spa.

You can check out all the opportunities to give back on your next trip to Hawai’i right here.

Ariana Grande officially tied the knot with her fiancé Dalton Gomez a few weeks ago in what was reported to be a small and intimate wedding. The singer kept the ceremony relatively under wraps at the time, but she’s now given fans a behind-the-scenes look at her special day with a couple of cute wedding photos.

The photos show Gomez and Grande sharing a few passionate kisses in full wedding attire. Grande looked stunning in a silk wedding dress, which was custom-made by Vera Wang, and her signature high ponytail hairdo.

Along with the pictures Grande posted to her own Instagram page, the singer shared a few snaps exclusively with Vogue. Grande retweeted the photo set to her own Twitter page, cosigning the pictures with a few white heart emojis.

The wedding officially took place on May 15 and was held in her Montecito, California home, which she incidentally bought from Ellen DeGeneres. It was reported at the time that the ceremony was small and only had a “few guests,” which were presumably family members.

Ahead of her official wedding ceremony, Grande had remained tight-lipped about her romance with Gomez following her headline-making breakup with SNL star Pete Davidson in 2018, who she was briefly engaged to. The singer publicly revealed her engagement to Gomez in late December of 2020 and it quickly became one of the most-liked Instagram posts of the year. Grande hasn’t said too much about her relationship with Gomez, but it’s been reported that her family approves of him.

Check out photos of Grande in her silk wedding dress above.