Month: November 2022

Finally, there’s new Rihanna music in the world: She’s fresh off sharing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cut “Lift Me Up,” and it looks like she may have more than one song in the movie. Rihanna’s next album has also been perpetually on the way for years now, and Charlie Puth thinks he’s heard some of it.

In a recent interview with Capital (as Yahoo notes), Puth said he reckons Rihanna is rehearsing new tunes in a studio room right next to one he’s working in, and that he’s overheard the fresh tracks. He said, “I swear to God, she is rehearsing next to me. There is always security next door – and I just go in by myself and I thought I saw her.”

Back in April, Rihanna noted that her approach to her next album had shifted, saying, “I’m looking at my next project completely differently from the way I had wanted to put it out before. I think this way suits me better, a lot better. It’s authentic, it’ll be fun for me, and it takes a lot of the pressure off.” She added, “Balance is one of my biggest challenges and always has been. And now there’s another human being coming into play, it changes what that means again. Still, I have businesses that aren’t going to run themselves. My mom handled the three of us with not even close to the amount of resources that I have, so I can absolutely do it. What it looks like? I’m not sure.”

As the news sinks in that Henry Cavill is leaving The Witcher after Season 3, fans of the monster hunting franchise have been sifting through old interviews for clues about why the actor really departed the Netflix series. From what they’ve cobbled together, it appears that Cavill may have walked away for reasons other than getting another stab at Superman. In fact, there may be an entirely culprit altogether: bad writing.

Adding fuel to the fire is a recent interview with writer Beau DeMayo who recently outed The Witcher‘s writer room for scoffing at the source material.

“I’ve been on show – namely Witcher – where some of the writers were not or actively disliked the books and games (even actively mocking the source material),” DeMayo told IGN. “It’s a recipe for disaster and bad morale. Fandom as a litmus test checks egos and makes all the long nights worth it. You have to respect the work before you’re allowed to add to its legacy.”

Fans also begin to zero in on a 2021 feature story about Cavill where Witcher showrunner Lauren Hissrich inadvertently revealed his frustration with the writing on the series. Specifically, Cavill wanted Geralt to hew closer to the source material and make Geralt more verbose instead of speaking mainly in a series of grunts.

Via The Hollywood Reporter:

In particular, Cavill wanted Geralt to open up more to the audience. “A lot of the notes he was sending to me were about Geralt’s dialogue — could he, first of all, say more,” Hissrich says. “Everybody came out of season one laughing and loving Geralt’s fuming. But Henry was saying that when you read the books you spend a lot of time in Geralt’s head. So how can we put that on the page? Meanwhile, I wanted to tell the story of him becoming a father figure to Ciri. So those two things coalesced wonderfully. He opens up to get Ciri to trust him, by speaking his mind and his heart more.”

As other seemingly throwaway lines in interviews were unearthed, it really started to look like Cavill was not loving the direction of The Witcher and wanted out. The quotes led to a viral tweet that painted a damning picture of the actor’s frustration:

Of course, when you have an intense amount of fan frustration, you’re ultimately going to end up with a petition. As of this writing, nearly 18,000 fans have signed a Change.org page demanding that Netflix fire the writers and retool the show to honor the source material so Cavill will stay in the role of Geralt.

“Let us show them in pure numbers (and thus lost money, because that’s all they really care about) that none of us Witcher fans will stand with them and will abandon the show (and potentially our subscriptions) after The Witcher season 3 is concluded,” the petition reads.

(Via IGN, The Hollywood Reporter, Change.org)

The third and final season of Netflix’s underrated dramedy Dead To Me will hit the streamer later this month, but it took quite some time to get there. In 2020, the show returned with its second season following two unlikely friends, Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini, bonding while grieving their own losses. Finally, the show was renewed for a third season which began production last year, only to be halted when Applegate received a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis.

“There was the sense of, ‘Well, let’s get her some medicine so she can get better,’”Applegate told The New York Times. The show stopped production for five months while Applegate began her treatment. “And there is no better. But it was good for me. I needed to process my loss of my life, my loss of that part of me. So I needed that time.”

The question of whether or not Applegate would be able to finish the series due to her health was raised. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks its own healthy cells, causing a wide range of painful symptoms and side effects. But Applegate did not want the disease to be the reason the show ended. “The powers that be were like, ‘Let’s just stop. We don’t need to finish it. Let’s put a few episodes together.’ I said, ‘No. We’re going to do it, but we’re going to do it on my terms,’” Applegate explained.

Applegate revealed she put on 40 pounds and “can’t walk without a cane” due to her condition, but cited Cardellini as her main supporter while they finished up the series, calling her a “champion, warrior and voice.” Applegate said she had an “obligation” to finish out the series, which they did earlier this year.

Even though Applegate might look a little different on screen, the actress says that she doesn’t care what people think –she’s just happy it came together and they could properly honor these strong leads. “If people hate it, if people love it, if all they can concentrate on is, ‘Ooh, look at the cripple,’ that’s not up to me,” she said. “I’m sure that people are going to be, like, ‘I can’t get past it,’” she said. “Fine, don’t get past it, then. But hopefully, people can get past it and just enjoy the ride and say goodbye to these two girls.”

Dead To Me season three premieres on Netflix on November 17th.

(Via The New York Times)

The human eye reveals so much about who we are. One look can convey love, annoyance, exhaustion, or wisdom.

Our eyes tell the world if we are getting enough sleep, if we’ve been crying, or whether we are truly happy (or just faking it). When looking at the face, the eyes dominate emotional communication—after all, they’ve long been known as the “window to the soul.”

While humans can look each other in the eye and learn quite a bit with just a glance, our eyes also let us know when they’re tired of scrolling through Instagram or texting GIFS to our best friend…even if our brains are not (because let’s be honest, a well-placed GIF never gets old).

When our eyes are strained from looking at a digital device, they usually begin feeling dry, tired, and/or irritated.¹ This is known as “digital eye strain²,” something that can start to happen after only a few hours of looking at screens. Unfortunately, we can’t always stop what we’re doing—especially if we’re in the middle of teaching a class or giving a big presentation at work.

It’s a conundrum: our lives literally revolve around digital screens because we use technology for almost everything: work, school, play, communication, travel, banking, and news. But also, screens are taking a major toll on our eyes.

So what happens when our eyes have had enough, but there are still a lot of hours left in the day? There are several options recommended by eye care professionals, ranging from wearing blue light glasses to taking regular breaks and keeping your screen at the same level of brightness as your surroundings.

Another solution is Biofinity Energys^® contact lenses. These contact lenses are designed for all-day wear, helping people’s eyes better adapt so they can seamlessly and continuously shift focus between digital devices and offline activities. They are engineered with special Aquaform^® Technology to lock in moisture, helping your eyes feel less dry. They’re also designed to help with eye tiredness (but you still need to take breaks!).

These monthly replacement contact lenses correct farsightedness or nearsightedness while simultaneously helping to reduce symptoms associated with digital eye strain, which is great for people like me who feel like they have to choose between blue light glasses or vision-correcting contacts just to get through a day at work!

Our eyes are obviously a very important part of our bodies, and we have to take care of them. If you’re interested in learning more about how these contact lenses can help your eyes feel less tired due to digital eye strain, head over to biofinityenergys.com to get your free trial certificate.

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6020759/
2. https://www.reviewob.com/how-many-americans-experience-digital-eye-strain/

One of the founding Migos members, Takeoff, passed tragically this week at just 28 years old. The rap community and fans across the globe are mourning this immense loss. Everyone from Drake, SZA, Chance The Rapper, and more have shared tributes to the late performer.

“It is with broken hearts and deep sadness that we mourn the loss of our beloved brother Kirsnick Khari Ball, known to the world as Takeoff,” his record label, Quality Control Music, posted in a statement. “Senseless violence from a stray bullet has taken another life from this world and we are devastated. Please respect his family and friends as we continue to process this monumental loss.”

Prior to Takeoff’s passing, the Migos trio wasn’t in the spot it used to be. Tensions rose in the group between Offset and the other two members (Takeoff and Quavo). Offset has since recorded solo material. Takeoff and Quavo continued on as a duo, releasing a new album, Only Built For Infinity Links. Yet, they are all blood relatives: Offset was Quavo’s cousin and Quavo was Takeoff’s uncle.

During a recent appearance on DJ Scream’s Big Facts podcast, Quavo and Takeoff opened up about why Migos split up — even as family members.

“I just feel like we want to see our career as a duo because we just came from a loyal family,” Quavo said. “Sometimes, when sh*t don’t work out, it ain’t meant to be. So that’s what I think.”

“We don’t know all answers,” Takeoff added. “God know. So we pray a lot. And we tell him, whatever, whatever ain’t right, however you supposed to see it fit, you put it back together or however you do it. Only time will tell. We always family, now. Ain’t nothing gon’ change.”

Following the news of Takeoff’s tragic death yesterday (November 1), many of his peers in the rap game have honored the Migo by sharing memories they have with both Takeoff and the rap group. One of the artists paying respects to Takeoff is Drake, who had collaborated with Migos several times over the past nine years.

Drake took to Instagram to share some words and recall some of the moments he shared with Takeoff, as well as the Migos.

“I got the best memories of all of us seeing the world together and bringing light to every city we touch,” he said in the post’s caption. “That’s what I’ll focus on for now. rest easy space man.”

Back in 2013, Drake added a verse to Migos’ hit “Versace,” and that remix is often credited for helping the group blow up. Migos and Drake also collaborated on “Walk It Talk It” in 2018 and “Having Our Way” in 2021.

Last year, in an interview with Complex, Migos spoke highly of Drake, with Quavo saying, “He really a part of the Migos flow.”

At the time of his death, Takeoff was still hot off the release of his and Quavo’s joint album, Only Built For Infinity Links.

There has been a lot of excitement about Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, the exaggerated biopic of “Weird Al” Yankovic that is coming to the Roku channel on November 4. When it comes time for awards season, who knows how the film will do. As for Yankovic, it seems he would embrace the film picking up a Razzie Award.

Yankovic was on The Tonight Show yesterday and towards the end of the interview, Fallon noted the “awards buzz” surrounding the movie, to which Yankovic excitedly responded, “I hope I get a Razzie!” Fallon and Yankovic laughed the comment off before throwing to a clip from the film.

For those unfamiliar, a Razzie — or Golden Raspberry Award, as it’s officially called — is an award given to people and movies that stunk. So, it’s not a flattering thing to win, but some actors have put their pride aside and embraced it. Perhaps the most notable example came in 2005, when Halle Berry actually showed up to the award ceremony to accept one of the four Razzies she won that year for Catwoman. She roasted the movie on stage, too, saying, “I want to thank Warner Bros. for casting me in this piece-of-sh*t movie.”

With all the excitement surrounding Weird, though, it doesn’t appear Yankovic will have any sort of presence at the next Razzies.

Watch Yankovic’s Tonight Show interview above.

The sequel to the highest-grossing movie ever is almost here — and it only took 13 years. The Disney-owned 20th Century Studios has released the trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water, which director James Cameron claims will make you sh*t yourself with your mouth wide open. Never doubt James Cameron (or take him to a Marvel movie).

The trailer above begins underwater (a flex), showing off the majesty of Pandora’s aquatic life. We also meet Jake and Neytiri’s kids, who probably won’t be as into Guns N’ Roses as John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and get a hint of the war to come. “The story is about family, about our families trying to stay together, [and] the lengths to which we all go to protect each other and protect the place where we live,” Sigourney Weaver said. “It’s very much based on Jim’s family and his joy in the family; and also, how vulnerable you are when you have children.”

Here’s the official plot summary:

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

Avatar: The Way of Water, which stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, and Kate Winslet, opens on December 16.

Yesterday (November 1), the world learned about the tragic death of Migos member Takeoff, who was fatally shot at 28 years old. Since then, many reactions have poured in, and now James Corden has offered some words. (Corden has met the group at least a couple times: They did a “Carpool Karaoke” segment in November 2018, and the trio was most recently on The Late Late Show for the June 15, 2021 episode.)

On yesterday’s episode, Corden took a couple minute to speak about Takeoff and about Migos. He described Takeoff as “funny and kind.” He continued, “My biggest feeling when I was around him was just how much he loved music. He lived for it, and it was that love of music that essentially willed Migos into existence, by recruiting his uncle Quavo to make songs that they recorded with Windows Movie Maker.”

Speaking of his relationship with Takeoff, he noted, “I got to spend some unforgettable moments with Takeoff over the past few years. He was an incredible guy: warm and generous, and whenever I’d see him, he’d always call me ‘Big Drip,’ and he knew how much I loved that. And I loved being around him and every member of Migos.”

Check out Corden on Migos above and revisit the group’s “Carpool Karaoke” segment below.

There are a ton of festivals scheduled for 2023, with recent announcements of the lineups for the Innings Festival, When We Were Young Festival, Lollapolooza South America, and more. Today a new announcement arrived: The lineup for next year’s Ceremonia Festival in Mexico, where Travis Scott, MIA, Jamie XX, and Fred Again.. will be headlining.

Other artists on the roster are Moderat, Willow, Ethel Cain, Tokischa, Julieta Venegas, Honey Dijon, Junior H, Trueno, and more. It will be the festival’s 10th year, and it will transpire in Parque Bicentenario in Mexico City on April 1 and 2.

In May, it was announced that Travis Scott was being sued for causing a stampede during his set at Rolling Loud Miami in 2019, which came alongside of hundreds of other lawsuits. A spokesperson for Scott said, “This is another blatant, cynical attempt to attack Travis, in this instance for a 3-year-old incident that is deliberately misrepresented… This cheap opportunism is based on a blatant lie that’s easy to detect. And it is particularly telling that this plaintiff’s lawyer didn’t even assert a claim against Travis when he originally filed the complaint on behalf of his client more than two years ago or in four prior VERSIONS of that complaint.”