Category: News

The Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns were both in action on Friday night, and it was the renewal of one of the newer rivalries in the NBA. Even though both teams were down a star with Luka Doncic and Devin Booker out, things still got heated as Jusuf Nurkic and Naji Marshall got in a squabble after Nurk picked up an offensive foul.

Nurkic didn’t appreciate something Marshall said to him after he bulldozed through Daniel Gafford and confronted him, eventually slapping/shoving Marshall in the face. Naji took exception to that and swung on Nurkic, appearing to catch him in the side of the face with a punch, with Nurkic then going to the ground after also getting a shove from PJ Washington.

Unsurprisingly, Nurkic and Marshall were ejected, with Washington also getting tossed for his role in pushing Nurkic to the ground. It was more actual action than we typically see in an NBA scuffle, as things rarely get past the pushing and shoving stage, but Nurkic swatting Marshall in the face escalated things quickly and the Mavs forward returned the favor with a punch that didn’t seem to connect cleanly. Luckily that was where things ended as the two were quickly separated, but both teams found themselves even more shorthanded than they already were with most of the second half still to play.

Yellowstone has come to an end, but the Yellowstone saga will continue with The Madison and without Matthew McConaughey. Taylor Sheridan has also managed to build up a healthy supply of standalone series like Lioness and Tulsa King, but currently, the Sicario scribe’s audience is all about Landman starring Billy Bob Thornton as oil-field wheeler and dealer Tommy Norton.

This series will carry on through the new year, and the former 1883 actor-turned Sheridan muse (that is an unofficial term, but it’s fun, much like Landman) is hitting his stride as the ten-episode season rolls on.

When Does Landman Season 1 Episode 8 Come Out?

This weekend’s episode will stream on December 29 on Paramount+ with the following description: “Tommy gets connected to the National Guard; Rebecca becomes increasingly suspicious of Cooper.” Exactly what the National Guard will have to do with Tommy’s varied daily duties remains to be seen, but if it’s in line with the rest of this season, this could involve clean-ups on the messes that have erupted thus far on Landman.

How Cooper (Jacob Lofland) has been enduring these horrors without overwhelming inner trauma remains to be seen. We do know, however, that Tommy has been not only flirting with professional danger but personal havoc in reuniting with his ex-wife, Angela (Ali Larter), and Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) is a ticking time bomb in her own way as the season grinds forth.

Three more episodes remain in the first Landman season, and the world-weary Tommy Norton will surely make ’em count.

Two years ago, the Sacramento Kings were the darlings of the NBA. With De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis in starring roles and Mike Brown at the helm in his first year as head coach, the Kings earned the 3-seed in the West and pushed the Warriors to 7 games in the first round. That seemingly signaled Sacramento joining the ranks of the playoff contender class in the West, but after falling to the Play-In last year (and not making it out of that) they have slipped even further off the pace to start this season.

At 13-18, the Kings are 12th in the West, three games back of the three-way tie for the 8-10 spots in the conference between the Warriors, Timberwolves, and Suns. On Thursday night, the Kings lost in gutting fashion to the Pistons after giving up a four-point play to Jaden Ivey while up three, and that loss was the final straw for ownership and the front office, as they fired head coach Mike Brown on Friday afternoon, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Brown went 107-88 in his 2.5 seasons with the Kings, guiding them to that playoff appearance in 2022-23 that saw them snap the NBA’s longest playoff drought and saw him win Coach of the Year. However, there is ample pressure on the Kings to not just replicate but build on that success, with De’Aaron Fox applying pressure to prove they’re serious about winning earlier this season when discussing looming contract extension talks. After signing DeMar DeRozan this summer, the Kings felt they’d put enough talent together to be a real threat for a playoff spot, even in a loaded Western Conference, but they’re well off the pace and clearly don’t feel like Brown was maximizing this group’s talents.

And just like that, we went from Batman surpluses to deficits. But maybe that’s only natural.

According to Deadline, Warner Bros. is moving Matt Reeves’ The Batman 2 from October 2, 2026 to October 1, 2027. Those looking forward to Andy Muschietti’s (It) different Batman film, The Brave And The Bold (which is set to be a part of James Gunn’s DCU reboot), are also feeling the cold slap of disappointment. Comic Book is reporting that Muschietti recently said that film has been “postponed a little bit” during an interview on California Secreta.

Why the Dark Knight dry spell? Who knows. Scripts take time to finesse, scheduling matters happen, etc. Maybe this frees Reeves up for season 2 of The Penguin?

Realistically, going five years without isn’t even that extreme. It took four years between Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight and Dark Knight Rises. We’ve just gotten used to being inundated by capes, cowls, and super synergy with Batmen appearances in 2016 (Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice AND Suicide Squad), 2017 (Justice League), 2021 (Zack Snyder’s Justice League re-cut), 2022 (The Batman), and 2023 (The Flash). That’s a lot, and that doesn’t even count the 100 episodes of FOX’s Gotham, which ran from 2014 to 2019, the 30 episodes spent telling the origin story of Batman’s butler, Alfred, from 2019 to 2022 in MAX’s Pennyworth, or the canceled Batgirl film.

How many of those appearances were good and/or memorable?

It’s not like DC fans are going to be left dry. Gunn’s aforementioned Superman is on the horizon, releasing July 11, 2025. There’s also Peacemaker season 2 and the first season of the Aaron Pierce/Kyle Chandler starring Lanterns series. That’s a less breakneck rollout than we’ve become accustomed to, but what we were getting accustomed to was an oversaturated marketplace where projects were coming out cursed by sameness only to get lost in the crowd. Allowing a breath and a more deliberate pace isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s just a little hard to adjust to.

An interesting thing to ponder, especially right now in the time of year when we don’t have a lot of things to dissect, is whether we’re actually going to see Robert Pattinson play the part of The Batman again. This is, I will caution, the height of hollow speculation based on zero actual evidence. The answer to the question posed is likely, “of course we are, just be patient!” But come along with me and let’s waste some time.

Sometimes things get delayed into oblivion and the best-laid plans and well-laid-out strategies unravel with market shifts. Ask Ben Affleck about his own planned solo Batman film as writer, director, and star. Delayed and then dead.

October 2027 is a long way away – nearly three years. Pattinson is an in-demand actor. He’s already filmed Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi film Mickey 17 and found a way to work in a role in Nolan’s upcoming re-telling of The Odyssey along with half of Hollywood. I’m finding it hard to believe the recent rumor du jour that Nosferatu director Robert Eggers would actually remake Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, but his Lighthouse star, Pattinson, would make an interesting Goblin King, wouldn’t he? What I’m saying is, Pattinson has a habit of working with the best and most interesting filmmakers, and an actor only has so many roles to play. Maybe the timing starts to become more a square peg for a round hole. This is both conjecture and a valid point. I’ll also say I can’t imagine the Reeves films surviving a casting change. Not in this superhero fatigued climate.

As it is, the idea of having multiple Batman franchises at a time when there’s a target on the backs of these kinds of projects feels a little suboptimal. Certainly less optimal than when Gunn picked up the baton for the DCU with much fanfare and an ambitious slate that’s still coming together. One that was confirmed almost two years ago in January of 2023.

On one hand, the death of the genre has been greatly exaggerated. On the other, healthy genres don’t need to pump the brakes after a period of over-drive or herald the arrival of past-gen comic book movie auteurs like Gunn and the Russo Bros as saviors.

People still show up and feel a buzz over these projects. Deadpool & Wolverine’s box office showed that, as did the reception for The Penguin and the success of Reeves’ first Batman film. But the Kraven box office and the critical and commercial failure of Joker: Folie à Deux reminds us there are limits. That last one, which feels more aligned with the darker tone and higher creative ambition of Reeves’ universe, might be key.

There’s an assumed vibe to Gunn’s DCU, one with more lightness and comic book fidelity. Assumed is doing a lot of listing, but Reeves’ Gotham world wouldn’t easily crossover… in as far as we can tell from a movie, a season of television, and a trailer. And that’s fine, it’s exciting.

As has been pointed out and demonstrated, people are down to explore comic book-based shows and films with multiple tonal flavors. Multiverse and Elseworlds stories that use these characters to tell fantastic stand-alone stories are something of a nerd dream, lifted directly from the comics. It’s also a potential saving grace for the overall creativity of the genre in that it can unshackle filmmakers from the larger mission statement of these interconnected universes. But… the rightness of all that doesn’t mean studio executives are able or willing to understand or trust it, especially when the track record is prone to skips and stutters. Especially when the studio in question has cancelled near-completed films and fumbled the transition from one universe to another so epically across multiple films.

More than likely, these delays should be taken at face value and we’ll see both Battinson and whomever Gunn, Muschietti, and company pick to be frustrated by Batman’s bastard son Damian in Brave And The Bold and other in-universe larks sometime in the next few years. But… it’s hard to not at least question the sturdiness of a future pushed further away, all things considered.

In a recent interview, Eminem was asked if he’d be interested in making a full album with longtime collaborator and friend 50 Cent. He responded, “That would be great. I think we just gotta stop bullsh*tting and just do it. […] I would never say it’s not possible.”

Well, it turns out 50 is on the same page.

On Instagram, 50 shared a news story about Eminem’s quote and he wrote in his post, “Looks like I’ll be back in the booth after all ! Just gotta do this residency in Vegas first.”

This comes after a recent interview in which 50 spoke about why he doesn’t make a lot of new music anymore, saying, “My ideas are getting so big that it’s changing even how I can deliver things. I have to be conscious of what I’m saying or what I’m doing because the idea — it’s going to disrupt my idea. A lot of the music, if you listen to the music that’s out right now, I have to tap into my stupid. I have to tap into the stupid side of me to write the right thing when it comes time to write the music. This is why I haven’t created as much content as I was creating in the past.”

Cinema’s greatest monster is back. No, not Nosferatu, but Feathers McGraw.

The evil penguin, who first appeared in 1993’s Oscar-winning The Wrong Trousers, returns in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. Directed by Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, the meticulous claymation film from Aardman Animations finds Feathers enacting revenge on Wallace and Gromit for getting him locked up in prison by reprogramming Wallace’s robotic garden gnome.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (which has a perfect 100 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes) premiered in the U.K. on Christmas on BBC One, but when will the film be out everywhere else? Thankfully, it’s a short wait: Vengeance Most Fowl premieres on Netflix on January 3, 2025.

Here’s more:

Aardman’s four-time Academy Award-winning director Nick Park and Emmy Award-nominated Merlin Crossingham return with a brand new epic adventure, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. In this next installment, Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again!

You can watch the delightful trailer below.

Rema’s sinister “Ozeba” video pays homage to African cinema, borrowing its concept from the cult classic Beninese horror film from which the song takes its name. “Ozeba” means trouble in the Edo language; the idea is made evident through the song’s pulsating rhythm and boastful, menacing lyrics. “I dey vex every day, only thing wey fit make me dey happy na ikebe,” he growls in pidgin English. “Internet gangster, that thing wey you talk, make you come my front, make you for répété.”

“Ozeba” is the seventh single from Rema’s second studio album, Heis. Released in July, Heis peaked at No. 7 on the US World Albums Billbaord chart, propelled by energetic tracks like “Benin Boys” with Shalipoppi and “HEHEHE.”

In Uproxx’s review for Heis, Wongo Okon writes: “With Heis, Rema proves that he has no interest in being conventional. An album like Heis is a risky move, as mixed reviews have proven it to be, but truthfully, it’s just the polarizing jolt that Afrobeats needs.” It was also given one of the highest platforms in the genre thanks to Rema’s role as headliner at Afro Nation festivals in Portugal and Detroit, while “Ozeba” was selected as one of Uproxx’s Best Songs of 2024.

Watch Rema’s “Ozeba” video above.

2024 couldn’t just end without one more celebrity dating rumor popping up, could it?

Are Mariah Carey And Anderson .Paak Dating?

As TMZ reports, a little before Christmas, Carey and .Paak were spotted getting dinner together in Aspen. The two were apparently holding hands and .Paak was seen with his arm around her waist.

However, TMZ reports their sources say the two aren’t dating, but are working on new music together and have been in an Aspen studio. This summer, .Paak shared a video revealing he and Carey were working at the famous Electric Lady Studios together, so it appears the two are carrying on with whatever collaboration that is.

Both artists ended relationships recently. Earlier this year, .Paak filed for divorce from his wife after 12 years of marriage. Shortly before that, Carey and longtime boyfriend Bryan Tanaka ended their relationship, with Tanaka writing on social media, “With mixed emotions, I share this personal update regarding my amicable separation from Mariah Carey after seven extraordinary years together. Our decision to embark on different paths is mutual, and as we navigate these separate journeys, we do so with profound respect and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the invaluable time we’ve shared.”

Christmas has passed, but Beyoncé is still in the giving mode. On December 25, the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer spent the holiday on the NRG Stadium field for the Houston Texans versus Baltimore Ravens halftime show. Despite fears that Beyoncé’s highly anticipated performance would experience buffering issues, it went off without a hiccup.

However, Beyoncé already had a backup plan should things have gone awry. Today (December 27), streamer Netflix announced that the Beyhive can relive her record-setting mini Cowboy Carter concert on the platform now.

“We’re screaming YA YA YA YA YA because BEYONCÉ BOWL, a standalone special, is now on Netflix,” wrote the company on X (formerly Twitter).

Although some supporters would undoubtedly prefer access to Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, they are prepared to run Beyoncé Bowl into the ground for the time being. The special includes appearances by Beyoncé’s eldest daughter Blue Ivy Carter, Post Malone, Shaboozey, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts.

After another glance at any Easter eggs sprinkled throughout her performance, the Beyhive is sure to draft a new round of theories surrounding her “Look at that horse” teaser. If not, January 14, 2025, is only weeks away.

The Beyoncé Bowl is now streaming on Netflix. Find more information here.

OG Maco has died at age 32 after being hospitalized for a gunshot wound for the past two weeks. TMZ reports the rapper was surrounded by family and friends in a Los Angeles hospital when he passed; he’d been in a coma since being admitted on December 12. TMZ also reports that while doctors had tried to scan Maco’s brain, scans were disrupted by a number of toxins in the rapper’s system.

Rumors of Maco’s death circulated online on December 13 after he was admitted to the hospital, but those rumors were refuted by statements from his manager and family via his social media accounts. His neighbors had reportedly called emergency services after hearing a gunshot; police responding to the call had found the rapper unconscious with a wound to the head. It was apparently self-inflicted.

OG Maco had risen to prominence in 2014 thanks to his debut single, “U Guessed It,” which earned him a label deal with Quality Control Music and the adoration of the Atlanta trap rap scene. However, after what he felt was a lack of support from the label, and negative response to follow-up songs and projects from fans, Maco became disillusioned with the music industry. In 2016, he’d suffered a near fatal car crash which damaged his right eye, and in 2019, he was diagnosed with flesh-eating bacteria that scarred his face.

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