Month: February 2022

In recent years, Disney has gotten into making live-action remakes of some of their classic animated movies. One such film is the upcoming The Little Mermaid, which has a cast that includes Daveed Diggs and Halle Bailey. The film could have had even more musical firepower than that: While Melissa McCarthy ultimately landed the role of Ursula, Lizzo auditioned for the part but did not get it. Lizzo discussed that in a new Variety interview, sharing her vision for the character.

She said, “Everyone knows I auditioned for Ursula in The Little Mermaid and I didn’t get it. But you know, I’m fine as hell. That has nothing to do with Ursula, but I was down to make Ursula a THOT, shaking ass.”

Lizzo also noted that she actually spoke with McCarthy about the movie, saying:

“You know what’s crazy? At the Adele show, I ran into Melissa McCarthy, because she [got cast as] Ursula. She was like, ‘Hi, I’m Melissa.’ And I was like, ‘Hi, I’m Melissa. And I also auditioned for Ursula.’ And she was like, ‘Well, why the hell did I get the part,’ which is a classic Melissa McCarthy thing to say. And then I was like, ‘Girl, because my audition was terrible.’ And I say that as Tyler Perry walks by. And I was like — ruined my chances there. And then she goes, ‘This is my daughter Vivian.’ And I’m like, ‘Get out of here, because my name is Melissa Viviane.’ We were looking at each other like, ‘What the hell is going on?’”

She then clarified her audition actually wasn’t bad at all, saying, “My audition wasn’t terrible. Sometimes I like to make jokes. My audition was good. You can ask Disney. I don’t want to talk too much about it. The singing was great. I’ll just say that.”

Check out the full interview here.

Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

T.I. has long been one of Atlanta’s greatest advocates in rap music, declaring himself one of the founders of trap music and generally waving the flag for his hometown whenever it enters the wider discussion in hip-hop these days. This week, Atlanta certainly has been the subject of some debate, mostly among Atlantans themselves, thanks to claims made by rising rapper Omeretta The Great in her song, “Sorry Not Sorry,” which T.I. subtly refuted on Instagram.

In the song, Omeretta makes some assertions about what she thinks counts as Atlanta, taunting out-of-towners who claim the city in the pursuit of credibility and notability. “College Park is not Atlanta / Lithonia is not Atlanta / Clayco is not Atlanta / Decatur is not Atlanta / Gwinnett is not Atlanta / Roswell is not Atlanta / Forest Park is not Atlanta / Lilburn is not Atlanta,” she says. However, a number of citizens took issue with her claims, debating the fragmented city’s bonafides all over social media. Naturally, T.I. stepped in with his own brand of wisdom to helpfully simplify the discussion with the help of visual aids.

“Respectfully…. Only fools dispute facts,” he wrote on Instagram in a post sharing a map of the Atlanta metro area.

Adding some insult to injury, fans noted that the video for “Sorry Not Sorry” was filmed 10 miles outside of Atlanta at Cobb County’s Truist Park. While Omeretta’s single may have backfired on her, it also helped her increase her notoriety at home. If she can weather the storm and harness the attention she’s received as a result of her stunt, she could turn the situation around and be well on her way to joining T.I. as one of the city’s most notable stars.

In a new video interview looking back on his career, Pam & Tommy star Sebastian Stan had nothing but praise for Marvel Studio head Kevin Feige after being a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe from almost the very beginning. Stan made his MCU debut in Captain America: The First Avenger where he played Bucky, Captain America’s famous sidekick from the comics. Heck, Bucky is up there with Robin in sidekick name recognition.

Obviously, the film put a more modern spin on the character by laying the groundwork for Bucky to become the deadly assassin, the Winter Soldier. Of course, all of this hinged on the early films connecting with audiences and the success of The Avengers. Had the team-up film floundered, the whole MCU would’ve collapsed. Clearly, that didn’t happen, and the MCU became a behemoth blockbuster franchise, and according to Stan, Feige deserves more recognition for the impressive feat. Via Vanity Fair:

I just think Kevin Feige doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves for being the genius mastermind for putting this entire thing together. Every single movie to me feels intricately kind of tied to something else and to another storyline, and there’s a lot to those movies. I think that sometimes they don’t get the credit that they deserve.

To prove Stan’s point, and much to his consternation, he also admitted in the interview that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier would not have happened without Tom Holland’s Spider-Man showing up in Captain America: Civil War. As much as Stan “hates” to credit Holland — the two have been locked in a tongue-in-cheek “feud” for years — the Disney+ series spinning out of Civil War is just another example of Feige’s skill at building an ever-expanding cinematic universe.

(Via Vanity Fair)

Welcome to Euphoria Style Watch, your one-stop-shop for light commentary on Sunday night’s best fits from Euphoria and where to buy them. Sunday brought us the penultimate episode of the season, “The Theater and It’s Double,” which presented us with the premiere of Lexi’s long-planned play. To say “Our Life” or whatever the hell Lexi’s play was actually titled didn’t disappoint is an understatement — Sunday night’s episode is definitely in the running for the best episode the show has ever had, and we have Lexi to thank for that.

Seeing Lexi’s play mirror the lives of the Euphoria crew while at the same time acting as a meta-analysis of the ridiculousness of the show itself was legitimately the most interesting and engaging this show has ever been. It also gave us the greatest scene in Euphoria history.

Let’s give it up for Ethan who gave us that great show-closing dance sequence and also single-handedly played about 50% of Lexi’s cast. Tell me Euphoria wouldn’t be objectively better with at least one dance sequence per episode — I dare you!

Anyway, onto the outfits, there were a lot of good ones this past Sunday but sadly there is no one here to represent the boys. Elliot has been absent since Rue’s intervention, Fez spent the whole night in a tux, Ashtray is a child, McKay has even less screen time than Kat, and Nate… I mean does the guy wear anything but a t-shirt and blue jeans? Does he even wear jeans? The guy might as well be a ghost.

So unless you want to know where to buy those gold football pants Ethan was rocking, you’re out of luck. Here was this week’s best.

Rue — Peels NYC Z Jacket With Custom Embroidery

Rue is almost always wearing some hard-to-find vintage piece, so we were surprised to see her wearing this custom embroidery jacket from Peels NYC from the label’s Fall-Winter 2021 season.

The jacket is available in a slash pocket or front pocket style and is made of repurposed vintage American deadstock workwear, featuring twill cotton blend construction.

In place of the Peels logo you can opt to add your own custom text so long as it fits the 10 character limit and the back patch is entirely optional. The jacket runs in a size run of small to double XL.

Pick up the Peels NYC Z Jacket from the Peels online store.

Faye — HNX -6 Omiko Baby Tee

Faye has had a lot of e-girl inspired anime referencing fits this season. While her role has been small, she’s kind of won the internet over so we’re happy to include her on our roundup in our second-to-last edition of this series.

Welcome to the fold, Faye!

Her pastel pink shirt baby tee is hand-dyed in Los Angeles by Unif Clothing and features a graphic by the artist RURUKI.

Pick up the HNX-6 Omit Baby Tee from Unif Clothing.

Maddy — Jacquemus Le Body Yerù Ribbed Knit Bodysuit

Maddy had several outfit changes throughout Sunday night’s episode, which is to be expected, she’s Euphoria’s queen of fashion, but our favorite outfit was this zig-zag ribbed knit Bodysuit by Jacquemus.

The Le Body Yerù bodysuit features a form-fitting design with stitch fibers and a viscose-dominant build.

Pick up the bodysuit in brown at Mytheresa.

Cassie — Outfit By Danielle Guizo

Sydney Sweeney, the actress that plays Cassie Howard, has put on one hell of a performance this season. That final scene with her hot breath on the glass was one of Euphoria’s most frightening moments, and although she’s making it really easy to not like Cassie, as a character she is one of the show’s most compelling. To her sister’s big play Cassie wore a full outfit by Danielle Guizio.

The baby blue and lime-trimmed fit features a knit scoop neck top with a matching plaited knit mini skirt, running in an extra small to large size run.

Pick up the Knit Dual-Color top and skirt at Guizio.

Dud of the Week — This Guy

Granted, most of the guys on Euphoria have no style, but we have to hand it to this guy, Metallica jersey and a backward cap?

This guy is straight out of Woodstock ’99 and we don’t trust him. In the event you cross paths with him at a music festival this spring, run the other way.

(Spoilers from Netflix’s Ozark will be found below.)

About a month after Ozark Season 4 Part I debuted on Netflix, the streaming service decided that we should wait no longer to learn when the finale will arrive. In other words, we now know that the Byrde family’s money laundering ways will come to an end, even if we don’t know who will live and who will survive. Who’s one person who must survive, or the fans will rage? That’d be Ruth Langmore, who’s the centerpiece of this teaser, as we hear Julia Garner’s voiceover about being a “cursed Langmore” while replaying Ruth’s angry confrontation of Marty in the Part I finale episode.

Also, we get another look at that terrifying goat cookie jar. Don’t mess with that thing, man (it’s all ashy). And don’t mess with Ruth. This teaser takes us back to Wyatt’s fateful decision to stay with Darlene, which put him in Javi’s crosshairs. Surely, Ruth will ignore Marty’s warnings and seek retribution for Wyatt’s death, and this trailer suggests that she’s not afraid of dying while doing so.

As for that release date, we hoped to see Ozark wind down before summer 2022, and Netflix has decided to get this thing done even earlier: on April 29. That means that people should be able to start binging at 12:00am PST day, and we’ll find out soon what happens in that car crash, too. As with the last batch of episodes, the resolution of this series could be very bloody, not to mention tragic. (Keep Ruth alive!)

Netflix’s ‘Ozark’ will come to an end on April 29.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy was easily one of the best games of 2021. While it had shortcomings — the combat was not the most engaging, you can only play as Starlord/Peter Quill, and the other Guardians talk non-stop — it still had one of the best narratives of the year. The writing was the reason to play Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, because despite all of those shortcomings, it helped the player move past it. It’s a must-play game and one that was critically acclaimed.

With so many great things to say about the game, it’s hard to see it as anything but a huge success, right? Well, unfortunately in the eyes of publisher Square Enix, it didn’t meet the mark everywhere. Despite this, the game still somehow didn’t meet sales figure goals. According to a recent financial report from Square Enix, Guardians of the Galaxy didn’t meet sales expectations in 2021. What those expectations were was not stated in the report.

Despite strong reviews, the game’s sales on launch undershot our initial expectations. However, sales initiatives that we kicked off in November 2021 and continued into the new year have resulted in sales growth, and we intend to work to continue to expand sales to make up for the title’s slow start.

It’s really unfortunate to see a game that was as highly praised as Guardians of the Galaxy get listed as essentially a disappointment because it didn’t meet sales numbers. While everyone knows that a video game needs to sell well to continue being made, or to be turned into a franchise, we’re seeing many publishers value story driven single-player games more because they don’t have the same long lasting impact or income level of gigantic multiplayer titles such as Destiny or Call of Duty.

Hopefully, despite the lower than expected sales numbers, this doesn’t kill off any chances for more stories involving those characters and that universe. Another narrative-driven game involving those characters would allow it the chance to improve on any shortcomings and maybe be an even greater game.

Since making her acting debut more than 20 years ago, Priyanka Chopra (a.k.a. Priyanka Chopra Jonas) has starred in the hit ABC series Quantico, appeared in big-budget Hollywood blockbusters including Baywatch and The Matrix Resurrections, been named as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People In The World, made Forbes’s list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, written a best-selling memoir, and married a Jonas Brother (Nick). Yet Rosie O’Donnell clearly has no idea who she is.

Still, as People reports, that didn’t stop the comedienne/former talk show host from embarrassing herself, as well as the people she was dining with, when O’Donnell told Chopra that she knew her dad—who she for some reason assumed was New Age author Deepak Chopra. (Priyanka’s father, Dr. Ashok Chopra, was a military doctor who passed away in 2013.)

O’Donnell later posted a TikTok about the humiliating incident, but only made things worse she explained:

“So when I said, ‘Hi, Nick Jonas. You were great in Kingdom’ and ‘Hi, [Priyanka]. I know your dad.’ She goes, ‘You do? Who’s my dad?’ And I’m like, ‘Deepak.’ She’s like, ‘No, and Chopra is a common name.’ … I felt so embarrassed.”

Rather than just cop to her mistake, O’Donnell asked her followers if she was the only one who thought that two people who just happen to share a very common last name and be famous were related. (Sadly, some of her followers also appeared to think that was the case.) But the “apology” turned grave when O’Donnell said: “Nick Jonas, I apologize and to the Chopra wife, I apologize too.”

The Chopra wife?!

It didn’t take long for another wave of negative backlash to form, this time for bizarrely referring to Priyanka as “the Chopra wife.” So O’Donnell set about issuing yet another apology, but stopped just short of acknowledging the very awkward way in which she referred to her, then proceeded to speak as if it were her first day using her new mouth:

“So I’m reading the comments about my [interaction with] Nick Jonas and his wife, Priyanka Chopra, who I mistakenly thought was Deepak’s daughter. People thought that she was rude. She wasn’t rude, it was just awkward. I’m sure she gets sick of that. I’m sure I’m not the only one. According to the comments, a lot of people thought that too but she’s apparently a very well-known actress and more famous than him, people were saying. So I’m sure it felt weird to her, to begin with.

Anyway, Priyanka is her name. Priyanka—I hope I’m pronouncing that right. I just want to apologize to her and to everyone who thought that it was really inappropriate of me. Sorry, sometimes I f*** up. I did at Nobu.”

In other shocking news: Rosie O’Donnell is not related to Lawrence O’Donnell or Chris O’Donnell.

(Via People)

Noted wine-lover Leonardo DiCaprio has been on a “saving the Earth” kick both in real life and in the movies. The Titanic actor recently announced that he bought a stake in Champagne Telmont, a French winery founded in 1912 (the same year the Titanic went down, in case you were keeping track) which boasts an eco-friendly production process.

Champagne Telmont features organic champagne and packaging made from earth-friendly materials. “Champagne Telmont, together with its partner wine-growers, has set its sights on producing 100% organic champagne, ensuring a completely sustainable production lifecycle in the coming years,” DiCaprio wrote on the brand’s official Instagram.

Ludovic du Plessis, Chairman & Shareholder of Champagne Telmont, also shared the brand’s excitement of having the actor on board. “Leonardo DiCaprio’s decision to become a shareholder sends Telmont a strong message of support that will encourage us as we carry out our ambitious plans. We share the same convictions and the same commitment to protecting the environment.”

The brand carries a wide variety of wines which are, surprisingly, not as expensive as you would assume Leonardi DiCaprio’s favorite wine would be. In addition to investing in wine, DiCaprio also announced he would be investing in Wild Type Foods, a company that aims to provide the “cleanest seafood on the planet.”

Leo is saving the world, one fancy meal at a time.

It’s crazy to think about, but 20 years ago, no one knew who Rihanna, Lady Gaga, or Nicki Minaj were. The world hadn’t been introduced to Kanye West or Taylor Swift. Even Adele was just another face in the crowd. Nowadays, each of them are living legends, surely to be remembered for generations to come.

That’s one of the most exciting parts of the music industry: watching unknown artists develop into household names and bonafide superstars. Every few years, we watch a fresh-faced crop of buzzy musicians grow before our eyes. And as the latest class — think Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X and Dua Lipa — settle into their roles as established hitmakers, it’s time to look to the future. Here are ten up-and-coming artists who have the goods to become the chart-topping idols of tomorrow.

Shenseea

No one is as poised for stardom as dancehall artist Shenseea. The Jamaican star showed up twice on Kanye West’s 2021 album Donda, demonstrating her vocal abilities on “Pure Souls” and then rapping alongside the icon on “Ok Ok Pt 2.” Ahead of her forthcoming album Alpha (due March 11), Shenseea dropped the Megan Thee Stallion-assisted “Lick,” along with an accompanying video that borders on pornography. Bold!

Check out: “Lick” (with Megan Thee Stallion), “Dolly,” “Lighter”

Dominic Fike

Before his hyped up debut as Elliot in the new season of Euphoria, Dominic Fike had already made a name for himself in the music industry. Last year alone, he made out with Lil Nas X in Brockhampton’s “Count On Me” video and captured new fans through his feature on Justin Bieber’s “Die For You.” Between his burgeoning music career and his romantic rendezvous with Euphoria co-star Hunter Schafer, Fike will be an A-lister in no time.

Check out: “Chicken Tenders,” “Die For You,” “3 Nights”

Audrey Nuna

New Jersey-bred Audrey Nuna drips with a type of swagger that can’t be manufactured. The Korean-American artist seamlessly switches between a buttery-smooth singing voice and a signature monotone rap style throughout her debut EP, 2021’s a liquid breakfast. In a genreless world of Billie Eilishes and Post Malones, Nuna is the perfect complement.

Check out: “Damn Right,” “Comic Sans”(feat. Jack Harlow), “Irene”

Muni Long

Formally known as Priscilla Renea, Muni Long racked up an impressive songwriting resume that includes credits for the likes of Rihanna, Ariana Grande, and Kelly Clarkson. For her second act, the rising star took her insider knowledge and applied it to her own career — and it paid off! Her sensual R&B track “Hrs And Hrs” went viral on TikTok, catapulting the song onto the Billboard Hot 100, where it’s currently perched at No. 16. Now her name is on every industry insider’s lips.

Check out: “Hrs And Hrs,” “Sneaky Link,” “No Signal”

Conan Gray

“If changing my clothes would make you like me more / If changing my hair would make you care / Then I’d grab the kitchen scissors and cut myself to slivers for you,” Conan Gray seethes in the opening of his latest release, “Jigsaw.” With such melodrama, it’s no surprise Gray is regularly seen palling around with the current reigning Queen of Teen Angst, Olivia Rodrigo. With the current emo revival, this sensitive soul is ready to carry Dashboard Confessional’s torch for a new generation of sad bois and girls.

Check out: “Jigsaw,” “People Watching,” “Maniac”

Noa Kirel

Noa Kirel may be relatively unknown in the States, but she is Israeli pop royalty. Not only did she win the MTV Europe Music Award for best Israeli act for four consecutive years, but at 16, she joined the panel of Israel’s Got Talent as the global franchise’s youngest judge. Now, at 20, Kirel is aiming to conquer America — and between her soaring vocals, athletic choreography, and futuristic fashion, she’s got the full pop star package.

Check Out: “Thought About That,” “Please Don’t Suck,” “Pouch”

Nessa Barrett

With a massive following (17.8 million at the time of writing) on TikTok, it’s easy to dismiss Nessa Barrett as another bored social media influencer who sees her musical projects as a side hobby rather than a career. But to come to that conclusion without giving her debut EP, last year’s Pretty Poison, a spin would be erroneous. On tracks like “I Hope Ur Miserable Until Ur Dead” and “Scare Myself,” Barrett establishes herself as a dark-pop songwriter with a knack for instantly catchy hooks — an easy sell for fans Avril and Paramore.

Check out: “I Hope Ur Miserable Until Ur Dead,” “La Di Die” (feat. Jxdn), “Scare Myself”

Aespa

Anyone with their finger on the pulse in the world of K-pop knows that Aespa is a force to be reckoned with. The all-female foursome (or octet, if you count their avatar counterparts that regularly dance alongside them) started with a bang: in early 2021, their debut music video “Black Mamba” hit 100 million views, making them the fastest K-pop debut to reach that achievement. Their debut EP Savage also broke the record for highest-ranking K-pop girl group debut on the Billboard 200, clocking in at No. 20. With high-profile performances on the 2021 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and The Kelly Clarkson Show, Karina, Winter, Giselle, and NingNing are on their way to becoming global icons.

Check out: “Next Level,” “Black Mamba,” “Savage”

Coi Leray

Between a pair of minor hits (“No More Parties” and “Big Purr” peaked at No. 26 and No. 69 respectively on the Hot 100) and a spot in the illustrious 2021 edition of the XXL Freshmen Class, all signs are pointing to a big year for Coi Leray. On recent releases like “Twinnem” and “Anxiety,” the charismatic rapper shows off a softer, more relatable side — a smart play for an artist who is this close to take off.

Check out: “Big Purr” (feat. Pooh Shiesty), “Twinnem,” “Anxiety”

Joshua Bassett

It can’t be easy being the maligned subject of one of 2021’s biggest albums, but Joshua Bassett has responded to Olivia Rodrigo’s lyrics in stride: “If you get to tell your truth, then so do I / And it’s cool if you want me to play the bad guy / But don’t you dare act like I didn’t love you,” he declares over an acoustic accompaniment on “Crisis.” The track humanizes Bassett and serves as a necessary response to his very public relationship drama — and with it out of the way, it will be exciting to watch the young star explore his artistry outside of Rodrigo’s shadow.

Check out: “Set Me Free,” “Crisis,” “Only a Matter of Time”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Between a cast that includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kyle Chandler, and Uma Thurman and creators/showrunners Brian Koppelman and David Levien behind the scenes, Showtime’s Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber boasts and all-star pedigree. But viewers are in for one more Oscar-winning surprise when the series premieres on Sunday night: The unmistakable voice of Quentin Tarantino serving as the show’s narrator.

So just how did the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds, and Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood end up serving as the voice to tell the story of the rise and fall of controversial Uber co-founder/CEO/“Terrible Person” Travis Kalanick (as played by Gordon-Levitt). By being a super fan of Billions, Koppelman and Levien’s other hit Showtime series.

“What David [Levien] and I knew was in the last two years—if you listen to the podcast, you know what a big deal Quentin’s work is to us—he wrote to us that he had become a really big Billions watcher and fan,” Koppelman told The Wrap. “He watches it very closely and is very engaged with every reference and every character’s journey. So that’s why we thought maybe it was possible he would do it. We knew he liked our work to some extent, or was engaging it.”

Knowing that he was a fan, Koppelman took a gamble and shot Tarantino an email asking him to both be a guest on his podcast, “The Moment,” and also to do some voice work on Super Pumped. When QT readily agreed, Koppelman wanted to make sure that the auteur knew he had just committed to two things. “I wrote back, ‘You know you said yes to both things?’ and he said, perfect Tarantino-ish, ‘Yeah I know what I said yes to,’” Koppelman shared.

It’s not the first time Tarantino has allowed his fandom for a certain TV show to bleed into his creative work. In 1995, at the behest of George Clooney—who he had worked with on From Dusk Till Dawn—Tarantino directed an episode of ER. Ten years later, he directed “Grave Danger,” the two-part finale to CSI’s fifth season.

Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber premieres on Sunday, February 27, 2022.

(Via The Wrap)