Month: August 2022

As the newly-formed Warner Bros. Discovery goes through a regime change that recently led to a collective freakout over the fate of HBO Max, the entertainment giant appears to be ditching the 45-day theatrical window that took hold as the film industry came back to life during the pandemic. Despite having success with The Batman, which both cleaned up at the box office and delivered huge streaming numbers for HBO Max after a shortened theatrical run, WBD seems intent on returning to the pre-pandemic paradigm that emphasizes theatrical and VOD profits.

According to Decider, WBD is no longer streaming Elvis on HBO Max next week after previously announcing an August 9 release date. When reached for comment, the studio said that Elvis would eventually arrive on the platform, but the release window for films moving forward would be on a “case-by-case basis” signaling an abandonment of the 45-day window experiment. As for why WBD would go this route? Well, it was the previous guy’s idea, and a lot of those are being tossed out. (See: Batgirl.)

Via Decider:

The project, which was internally referred to as “Project Popcorn,” was the brainchild of former Warner Media CEO Jason Kilar, and it enraged filmmakers and industry professionals at the time. Audiences, however, viewed it as a blessing, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic dragged on in waves. And for HBO Max, it proved to be an indispensable asset to getting the fledgling service off the ground after a difficult and delayed launch in 2020.

Interestingly, Top Gun: Maverick already beat WBD to the punch by returning to a 90-day theatrical window followed by a VOD release before hitting streaming at a later date. Unlike other Paramount films, Top Gun: Maverick did not make a 45-day jump to Paramount+, and it scored huge at the box office because of Tom Cruise’s demand to keep it off streaming as long as possible. Who wouldn’t want to copy that success?

(Via Decider)

It has been just over a year and a half since Megan Thee Stallion shared her debut album Good News and it appears the long-awaited follow-up may be on the way. Yesterday (August 4), the Houston Hottie posted the definition of the word “traumazine,” reading “the chemical released in the brain when it is forced to deal with painful emotions caused by traumatic events and experiences.”

Though the post is vague, one could easily surmise she is referring to the alleged shooting back in July 2020. However, the forthcoming album allegations check out when one recalls how Meg trademarked the word “traumazine” back in June and told Rolling Stone that her next album would express a myriad of emotions. In July, the “Hot Girl Summer” rapper said that the album was “probably like 95 percent done” before a later Instagram story post confirmed that it is finished.

With all this in mind, it makes sense that her fans grew enthused and expressed it on social media.

It is possible this ends up a single, but either way, all signs are pointing to some form of new Megan music in the near future. The “Big Ole Freak” rapper has had an active 2022, releasing “Plan B,” “Flamin’ Hottie,” “Lick” with Shenseea, “Sweetest Pie” with Dua Lipa, and the recent “Pressurelicious” featuring Future.

Check out some of the fan reactions to the potential album announcement above.

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

Last year, Academy Award-winning actress Nicole Kidman set out to embark on her biggest role yet: being the spokesperson for AMC movie theaters. While it might seem like a small feat, the actress went above and beyond, creating an ad campaign so moving and inspiring that movies were single-handedly brought back from their pandemic-induced lull. Kind of.

Now, Kidman has extended her contract for another year, which means there will likely be more incredible commercials before you go to see Halloween Ends in theaters.

AMC CEO Adam Aron announced the news in the company’s earnings call earlier this week. “As Nicole Kidman reminds us in AMC’s now iconic and revered advertising campaign, ‘Given that Hollywood has great stories to tell,’ it’s clear that movie fans are ever so eager to enjoy those dazzling images on AMCs huge solo screens,” Aron explained. “Speaking of Nicole, our ad campaign was so effective that we signed her to be our spokesperson for another full year.” A whole new year of Kidman memes? Heartbreak really does feel good in a place like this.

The ad campaign became an unexpected (and expensive) hit as moviegoers returned to the movie theaters last fall, sparking hundreds of memes and reenactments of Kidman’s iconic movie-inspired monologue. Fans even complained when an edited-down version was shown instead of the full one, and they made a petition to “release the Kidman cut.”

We aren’t just entertained, but somehow…reborn. Together. For another year. With Nicole Kidman.

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

Batgirl joins The Day the Clown Cried and I Love You, Daddy among completed or nearly completed films that were shelved. But unlike the controversial movies about a circus clown in a Nazi concentration camp and Louis C.K. as the dad of a young daughter who’s being seduced by an older man, Batgirl reportedly won’t see the light of day because Warner Bros. wants to save a few bucks.

Batgirl directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life) were understandably distraught by the decision. “We still can’t believe it,” they wrote in a joint post on Instagram. “As directors, it is critical that our work can be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. Maybe one day they will insha’Allah.” Until that day comes, however, they’ll share what they can of the movie.

Batgirl co-director Adil El Arbi shared a photo of what would have been Michael Keaton’s return as Batman. Shared on Arbi’s Instagram story, the photo shows Keaton in his full Batman costume, along with Leslie Grace’s Batgirl. The photo was shared following Warner Bros. Discovery’s sudden cancellation of Batgirl.

You can see our best look at Keaton’s Batman yet here.

Warner Bros. shelving Batgirl also reportedly deprived us of a reference to Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. If anyone can get the film released, it’s Britney Spears.

(Via CBR)

Given the number of people and organizations actively investigating Donald Trump for all sorts of criminal shenanigans, you’d think whatever part of his brain is able to concentrate would be focused on one thing: his many, many legal issues. But you would be wrong. Nope, as Seth Meyers reported on Thursday, Trump is currently pouring the bulk of his energy into attempting to seed the states he lost in the 2020 presidential election with as many MAGA candidates as possible. (Presumably with the idea that if and when he does run again, having “his” people in office will make it that much easier for him to get things done the way he wants to do them.)

All this is why, according to Meyers, Trump is currently visiting many of the states that voted against him in the 2020 presidential election—a.k.a. “Revenge States,” like Arizona—with the hope of swaying them to his way of thinking by endorsing Big Lie-believers and seeing them put in high-up positions.

“I’m sorry, Arizona is a ‘revenge state’ for him?” Meyers wanted to know. “What are you gonna do, make us live there? Oh, sure, it’s sunny and beautiful, but just try and order a pizza after 9 p.m.”

The mere idea that a former president would cite a state as a “revenge state” has Meyers both terrified and a little bit curious:

Nothing says ‘divider’ instead of ‘uniter’ more than a former president with a ‘revenge’ state. You lost an election. Stop acting like Liam Neeson threatening to get his daughter back…

Seriously, why does Donald Trump have a revenge state? Is this the first time a former president has gone on a ‘revenge tour’ after leaving office? Usually ex-presidents retire to a quiet life of paid speaking gigs and celebrity golf tournaments. I don’t remember William Howard Taft going from town to town, looking for anyone who didn’t vote for him in 1912 so he could kick them in the dick. ‘Hey, you with the Woodrow Wilson button! I’m gonna fight you! I just need to squeeze out of this bathtub first!’

Only time will tell what Trump’s revenge tour is all about, and—most importantly—whether it’s successful.

This is the summer of Beyoncé’s Renaissance, an album that has demanded everyone’s attention since it was announced in June and prefaced with the bombastic lead single “Break My Soul.” As fans marvel at the way it brings back house music and prioritizes track sequencing, they’re also starting TikTok trends and challenges based on the LP.

The current Renaissance trend involves the song “Plastic Off The Sofa,” which has intense vocal parts that remind us of why Beyoncé is as much of an icon as she is. The challenge is to try to emulate the “Love On Top” performer’s vocals, requiring lots of vibrato, jumping around the scale, and breath. It’s not easy, but that’s the point, plus it’s a good way to prove yourself if you’re a musician trying to get yourself out there on social media.

Even some celebrities are participating — Chloe Bailey posted an impressive video on Instagram, and somehow she makes it seem effortless.

Find more examples below.

Social media has not only been affected by the album, but it’s been affecting the album itself. Fans called out Beyoncé’s use of an ableist slur, and their voices were so numerous that it has been taken off Renaissance.

It’s hard to imagine that even the most ride-or-die Dr. Oz supporters (do those exist?!) haven’t chuckled just a little bit after seeing one of John Fetterman’s savage takedowns of the former TV quack. As for everyone else? Oh, they’re laughing a lot—even beyond the borders of the state of Pennsylvania, where Dr. Oz only recently set up residence. Stephen Colbert feels you.

On Thursday night’s episode of The Late Show, the host discussed how millions of eyes are on the state of Pennsylvania where the battles for the role of governor and senator are heating up. But what Colbert really wanted to talk about was the senatorial battle between John Fetterman and Dr. Oz—though it could hardly be called a “battle.” According to Colbert:

Polls show Fetterman leading by double-digits, which might be because Pennsylvanians actually want a senator who is actually from Pennsylvania. Dr. Oz lived and voted in New Jersey as recently as the 2020 election. So Fetterman has gone full troll on Oz’s Garden State ass, even starting a petition to add Oz to the New Jersey Hall of Fame. That is lovely.

Colbert also noted that Oz has enlisted the help of several famous New Jersey-ians to help call Oz out as a fraud. Among them? Bruce Springsteen musician and The Sopranos star Steven Van Zandt, who warned Oz that he was out of his league by messing around with Fetterman and that “nobody wants to see you get embarrassed,” to which Colbert quickly raised his hand to make his own point: “I do!”

James Franco hasn’t appeared in a film since 2019, but the actor, who was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior by multiple women (leading to a $2.2 million settlement), is planning his comeback… by portraying Cuban leader Fidel Castro? Huh.

Alina of Cuba follows “Cuban exile turned social advocate” Alina Fernandez (Ana Villafañe), the daughter of Fidel Castro (Franco) and Natalia “Naty” Revuelta (Mía Maestro). John Martinez O’Felan, the project’s lead creative producer, told Deadline that Franco was cast because he had “the closest facial likeness of our Industry’s leading actors, meaning that the focus would be to build out his character accent and we’d have a stunning on-screen match to intrigue audiences and bring the story to life with true visual integrity.”

John Leguizamo thinks this is “f’d up.” In response to the casting announcement, the Encanto star wrote on Instagram, “How is this still going on? How is Hollywood excluding us but stealing our narratives as well? No more appropriation Hollywood and streamers! Boycott! This F’d up!” Leguizamo added that it’s a “seriously difficult story to tell without aggrandizement which would b wrong! I don’t got a prob with Franco but he ain’t Latino!”

If you’re thinking of replying to Leguizamo’s post with, “Franco can’t play Fidel Castro, but it was fine when you played Italian icon, Luigi,” please don’t.

(Via Deadline)

After three decades, The Sandman has finally descended upon streaming devices near you on Netflix. All 10 episodes of the first season are available for the streaming with Tom Sturridge taking on Dream in a lugubrious way, Gwendoline freaking Christie portraying Lucifer, and Patton Oswalt (who came by his devotion honestly) plucking up the voice of Matthew the Raven.

Naturally, author Neil Gaiman headed out to do the publicity rounds. He popped up on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast, where they enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation. Also! Maron’s episode introduction included details of how he has spent “time with The Sandman,” and that time coincided with drug use. The combination led him to believe that both Hellblazer (by Alan Moore) and The Sandman were “journalism,” which… it happens. It was a candid and delightful admission that Gaiman apparently enjoyed.

“I love that you discovered Sandman at a time when you need it,” Neil declared. “And I love that it gave you what you needed at the time that you needed it.” He went on to describe an interaction with a particularly invested Superman fan:

“It matters so much to them. I remember a guy, a comics fan who’s dead now, talking to him once, and he was complaining about John Byrne changing Superman’s origin story. And this is, we’re taking, 30-something years ago now. But he said to me, ‘John Byrne did all the stuff, and and and and and it just destroyed my life.’ And I said to him, ‘Well, why did it destroy your life? Is it because you were the world’s number man Superman expert, and now you’re not? Or what is it?’”

The fan confessed to Neil, “Well, it’s a bit that, but it’s much more. He brought back Superman’s/Clark Kent’s mom and dad, and they’re dead in the comics. And my mom and dad are both dead, and I can’t bring them back.”

As Neil then realized, “And I certainly thought, ‘You’ve been using Superman all your life as a way of holding onto reality and holding onto the world and using it for order, and the fact that you knew all of this stuff was what gave you protection against the world. And now, something fundamental has changed, and it’s hitting you in an incredibly basic way.’” Boom.

Gaiman then declared that this realization gives him “an incredible amount of sympathy for these people who just get over invested an angry and upset” for people who take the continuity of both Iron Man and Superman and the like very seriously. Because their sense of the world grows threatened, and man, that’s profound. Mind you, Neil Gaiman previously let it be known that he gives “zero f*cks” about fans who complain about casting matters, so please don’t go there with Neil Gaiman.

The Sandman is currently streaming on Netflix.

Doja Cat knows how to be the topic of conversation, in and out of music. Her latest action that has the people talking is the decision to shave both her head and eyebrows, the latter occurring in an Instagram Live broadcast yesterday (August 4). While the Planet Her artist simply explains it as her never enjoying having hair and seeing no purpose in keeping it if she won’t wear it out, it seems to be a much deeper issue to some of her fans.

Doja Cat went on to share more of her perspective, specifically as it relates to wearing wigs. “I just can’t believe that it took me this long to be like, ‘Shave your f*cking head.’ Because first of all, I don’t wear my hair out. You guys have seen me wear my natural hair out… I had like two eras. I had like two eras where my hair would be out. I would straighten it. There was a moment where it was natural and then I don’t even wear it natural ’cause I don’t feel like it, and then… it’s just a f*ckin’ nightmare, dude. I’m over it.”

Some fans offered support to the pop star as they feel people will try to turn the situation into a question of Doja’s mental health.

Other fans felt vindicated by the “Juicy” artist’s bravery as they too struggle with their hair.

Ultimately, it is her hair and her choice, but such a seemingly impulsive move is bound to cause a commotion.

Check out the fan reactions to Doja’s new hairstyle above.