Category: News

Every day, Upworthy shares stories that spotlight the very best of humanity. But if there’s one cause that unites us all, it’s solving child hunger.

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This Saves Lives co-founder, actress Kristen Bell.

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For many one-time MAGA Republicans, Donald Trump may officially be yesterday’s news. For Rupert Murdoch, the former president is still front-page-worthy — but only mockingly. At least that seems to be the message the 91-year-old media mogul is sending with the New York Post’s latest cover, which depicts the toddler-esque former president as Humpty Dumpty, complete with the terrible nursery rhyme: “Don (who couldn’t build a wall) had a great fall — can all the GOP’s men put the party back together again?”

Maggie Haberman shared an early peek at the cover on Wednesday evening via Twitter, and couldn’t help but note the “rather stark pivot” from the formerly Trump-friendly publication:

Even more surprising to Haberman, The New York Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of the recent Trump tell-all Confidence Man, was the fact that within the Post’s pages, columnist Michael Goodwin — a longtime Trump loyalist and Fox News contributor— declared Ron DeSantis “the future of the GOP” in an op-ed that begins:

“An old proverb says that the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on. In an updated version, Donald Trump plays the noisy dog as Ron DeSantis marches to victory.”

But Haberman also clearly saw this coming; as she noted, Murdoch suggested abandoning Trump two years ago — an idea that now seems to be coming to fruition. (Even former press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has seemingly turned on her former boss.)

Given that Trump is already seething over the “humiliating” failure of the candidates he endorsed in the midterms, and that some conservative media outlets have branded him a “loser” — not to mention the fact that he has pathetically been boasting about how he actually got more votes in Florida (in a totally different election) than DeSantis did — it’s hard to imagine that the former president is going to save this cover for his scrapbook.

Studio Ghibli surprised fans across the globe by cryptically announcing an upcoming collaboration with Lucasfilm. The famed Japanese animated studio behind such beloved hits as Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Princess Mononoke revealed the new project on Twitter, but there was very little in the way of information. The official Studio Ghibli account shared a short video that silently showed the Lucasfilm logo and its own before fading to black.

You can see the Studio Ghibli/Lucasfilm announcement below:

At the time of this writing, the most likely project feels like it could be a second season of Star Wars: Visions. The well-received and Emmy-nominated anthology series allowed various anime creators to tell all-new stories set in the Star Wars universe. The project brought a much-needed jolt of kinetic energy and creativity to the franchise and was praised for its bold, original stories.

However, Star Wars: Vision Season 2 will reportedly feature less anime and focus on a more “global approach” for its animated episodes when it arrives in Spring 2023. That said, this new approach doesn’t close the door on Studio Ghibli being a contributor for the highly anticipated new season. Although, it does suggest that perhaps Lucasfilm and Studio Ghibli are aiming for something much bigger: An all-out anime Star Wars movie in the Ghibli’s iconic art style.

Of course, all of this is operating on the presumption that Star Wars will get a Studio Ghibli mash-up. Granted, it’s the likely candidate, and Lucasfilm does have a wealth of IP under its belt that could easily be imbued with Ghibli magic.

(Via Studio Ghibli on Twitter)

Phoebe Bridgers is on a winning streak. She crashed Lorde’s Primavera Sound São Paulo set to perform a duet of “Stoned At The Nail Salon” last week, simultaneous to reignited rumors circulating that she’s engaged to Normal People actor Paul Mescal. Oh, by the way, she’s also going to open on Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour next year. And Bridgers will be visiting stadiums across the US with a weight off her chest.

As first reported by MyNewsLA.com and confirmed by Pitchfork this morning (November 10), Bridgers was granted her anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) motion by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge — dismissing a $3.8 million defamation lawsuit filed against her by producer Chris Nelson in September 2021. The suit stemmed from Bridgers directing her followers to the Instagram of Nelson’s ex-girlfriend, bringing to light allegations against Nelson of “racially motivated violence, hate crimes, fraud robbery, and hacking women’s email accounts” (as TMZ noted at the time).

Per Pitchfork, which reviewed court documents, Bridgers initially filed her anti-SLAPP motion in February. The publication explained that “California’s anti-SLAPP statute is meant to prevent people from using courts and potential lawsuits to intimidate those exercising their right to free speech.”

Pitchfork also relayed a statement from a spokesperson on behalf of Bridgers: “We feel vindicated that the Court recognized this lawsuit as frivolous and without merit. It was not grounded in law, or facts, but was filed with the sole intention of causing harm to our client’s reputation and career. This victory is important not just for our client but for all those she was seeking to protect by using her platform.”

Mark your calendars and let the countdown begin.

BTS‘ very own leader RM is set to drop a new solo album next month. Titled Indigo, the solo project is slated to release next month on December 2.

According to a press release, reported by Consequence, Indigo “recounts the stories and experiences RM has gone through, like a diary.” The album will also include some features, though names have yet to be confirmed.

Earlier this month, South Korean broadcasting network JTBC News initially got a hold of the news and mentioned RM’s solo album would release on Black Friday, November 25, with BigHit Music confirming a project “is currently in preparations.” However, that is no longer the case according to today’s press release.

Indigo isn’t the first solo project coming from the BTS leader. RM, whose real name is Kim Namjoon, has released two mixtapes in the past: RM (2015) and mono (2018). Just two months ago, the Korean artist collaborated with alternative Korean hip-hop group Balming Tiger for a feature on their single “Sexy Nukim.”

The news of RM’s solo follows the successful releases from BTS members J-Hope and Jin this year. Over the summer J-Hope released Jack in the Box while Jin dropped his solo single “The Astronaut” co-written by him and Coldplay last month.

Before I get to the actual business of discussing Amazon’s The English (starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer), I’m going to be obnoxious. I’m going on a tangent because there’s much to appreciate about this limited series, but I can’t help but be giddy about something that might seem simple but that feels like a revelation.

And it feels silly to say this, but here we are. Everyone knows that there’s a pesky problem these days with movies and TV: in too many cases, you can’t even see what’s happening onscreen. Premium cable channels and streaming services pour millions into “epic” productions and light them with what feels like a 15-watt bulb. Did Arya really kill the Night King during the Battle of Winterfell on Game of Thrones? Maybe! The issue continued with House of the Dragon and was defended as a “creative decision,” and I realize that I’m focusing on one franchise, but it’s an overriding (and frustrating) example regarding an epidemic on small and big screens alike.

With The English, something truly wild happens because you can actually see the action unfold onscreen. It feels like an odd thing to praise, but man, it is nice not to struggle to watch a fine TV show and focus on the story.

I sound sarcastic but am being genuine because look at this:

This is a garbage way to start a review, but I’m excited because this is about more than visuals. Those blazingly blue skies feel aggressively sinister when the show tackles destiny and considers the effects of the past while peering toward the future. And not only is this show satisfyingly watchable during scenes of blazing daylight, but a nighttime scene (which I did not brighten in the below still) has the same outcome.

It’s stunning stuff. And it’s a seemingly small (yet apparently difficult) consideration these days, but I’m here to tell you that this Amazon show has got it together in the cinematography department, which makes our viewing experiences so much easier. Yes, I realize that Westerns (of the spaghetti variety and otherwise) tend to look different than epic fantasies, but I appreciate that no one tried to “gritty” this show up. The same goes for the rest of The English‘s creative decisions. Yes, this is a good and fun show, taking a parable format to sort issues of power, vengeance, race, and gender. The series grapples almost effortlessly with these tough feats. It also happens to be a part of the Western wave taking over your TVs amid Taylor Sheridan and Paramount’s ongoing Yellowstone success that’s spawning spinoffs galore.

The English is a Western, through and through, albeit a glossy one that takes place in the 1890s. Emily stars as Lady Cornelia Locke, an Englishwoman who’s hell-bent upon revenge following the death of her son. She’s accompanied by Chaske Spencer, who portrays Eli Whipp, a Pawnee Nation ex-cavalry scout. They’re an unlikely team and navigating a somewhat farcical landscape full of characters who are essentially caricatures. They 9mean to kidnap and rape women, and they’re bigots who end up getting what they deserve. Hell, most of the antagonistic characters make Benedict Cumberbatch’s The Power of the Dog character seem like a pussycat, just to give a taste of what the leading duo is up against. Through the power of clever screenwriting, the ultimate effect of this cartoon villainy — and Cornelia and Eli’s pushback during their journey — works in a straightforward story that yields complex effects.

In the middle of it all, Emily Blunt’s waving another shotgun, which is no small feat, considering the endless supply of lavish, aristocratic dresses worn by her character. She’s a woman without fear in a place where one probably should fear everything. In fact, it gave me a little bit of anxiety to witness the danger posed by this quintessentially American setting in which Cornelia and Eli travel. Throughout six jam-packed episodes in this limited series, there’s no reason why Cornelia and Eli should still be alive, but they make it through by the power of their commonality. And Eli, whew, what a character. As with Reservation Dogs, we’re finally in a world where an Indigenous character isn’t simply propping up someone else’s story but has goals of his own.

The same can also be said for Cornelia, since we’re also still living in a world where female characters are placed into boxes of their own, but rest assured that not only are Cornelia and Eli equals in many ways, but the same goes for Blunt and Spencer as co-leads. Do not expect a romance story (what a relief). Cornelia has vowed not to marry, and Eli’s the only man in this series who doesn’t have ulterior motives for her. Hell, he has his own hazards to dodge as an Indigenous American, and they’ve truly got each other’s back while traveling toward a newly established Wyoming town while dodging danger at every turn. They’re being tailed by dastardly parties, a rash of mysterious murders is afoot, and Cornelia is somehow (and comically) toting an enormous bag of money, which she somehow manages to hold onto despite, well, everything.

That is to say, there are many elements of the absurd in this series. The villains are exaggeratedly drawn, and Blunt never seems to even break a sweat while wearing elaborate getups in a sweltering and dusty landscape. She’s a pro, but there’s also plenty behind the camera to help strike the right tone, too. Spy-thriller creator Hugo Blick (The Honourable Woman) created and directed alongside producers of Peaky Blinders and Killing Eve to dissect what people want from the U.S. versus what they’re getting. Yes, there’s a real “how it began/how’s it going” vibe at work while poking at what America does to people. The series also ends in a poignant and genuinely surprising way following a swift, easily digestible run.

Also, I cannot end this review without mentioning (and that this is not exactly news) that Emily Blunt can kick some serious butt, even without being overtly physical. We’ve seen this more than once, of course. It happened in Edge Of Tomorrow (in which she held her own alongside action-king Tom Cruise) and Jungle Cruise (in which she punched The Rock). Does Sicario count? Perhaps, but those A Quiet Place movies certainly qualify. Hell, she wielded a shotgun and endured childbirth without making a sound. Now, she’s taking a vengeful horseback journey alongside Chaske Spencer, and you’re not only invited along, but you can actually see it happen on Amazon.

‘The English’ debuts on November 11.

Halloween is old news, and Mariah Carey is retaking her annual holiday throne. The perennial chart-topper sat down with Gayle King on CBS Mornings today (November 10) to promote her new children’s book, aptly titled The Christmas Princess, and King punctuated the segment with an early gift for fans.

Carey’s two-hour CBS special Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas To All! will air December 20 on CBS beginning at 8 p.m. and subsequently stream on Paramount+. The special will be filmed during her December 13 show at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden.

Carey stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week and dished about her 2022 Christmas shows at MSG and Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.

“Expect the unexpected. I don’t know, darling,” she told Fallon. “Well, we went on sale with the presale, right? And that happened like — that was a quick moment, I heard. … I realized that the best thing I could do is just talk to the fans, be with the fans, sing to the fans, with them, and it’s an inclusive experience. It’s so fun. The last time we did Madison Square Garden was pre-COVID [in] 2019. The most fun I ever had doing a show because it snows. I don’t want to give it away. I don’t want to give it away. But it’s festive.”

Watch Carey’s sit-down with King above.

Stormzy’s new album This Is What I Mean is on the way, and to keep the momentum going, he’s released the third single, “Firebabe.” It’s a tender reflection on a life-changing partnership with a woman he calls a “miracle” and his “happy place.” In the video, Stormzy sits in a glass-walled house looking over the pool outside while crooning in a cozy sweater. Stormzy might be best-known for his gritty, big-man raps, but when he sings these sort of gentle ballads, he has the warmth to really make them work.

In a statement, he says of the single, “Debbie, George [Moore] and I got in the studio together and it was the most beautiful moment. It was a session I’ll never forget, for the rest of my life. It was extremely special and everyone in the room understood that. We were making something that hopefully, God willing, lives forever. Something that has soul and feeling and it came from a really pure place. We took a truth and made some art from it.”

Stormzy previously kicked off the rollout for This Is What I Mean in September with the video for “Mel Made Me Do It” and delivered the Afropop-flavored “Hide & Seek” in October. This Is What I Mean is due on 11/25 via 0207/Def Jam. Pre-save it here.

Watch the video for “Firebabe” above.

Unless you’re Matthew Perry, one of the movie events of 2023 is John Wick: Chapter 4. It was originally supposed to come out in 2021, but then the pandemic (and Tom Cruise) happened. The countdown clock wait was worth it, though, because folks: we’ve got ninjas. Also, Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, and Rina Sawayama, but most importantly, ninjas.

The trailer above begins with John Wick (Reeves) and Caine (Yen) in a church. “Do you think your wife can hear you?” Caine asks. Wick doesn’t, so why bother? “Maybe I’m wrong,” he responds. Instead of a sympathetic reply, Caine says, “You’re going to die.”

From there, we’re treated to about 17 different moments that made me say “f*ck yeah,” including Skarsgård acting more evil than normal (which is impressive, considering he literally played cinema’s most terrifying clown); attack dogs; and Keanu Reeves doing donuts in a car while shooting bad guys with a gun. “Last words, Winston?” Wick asks the Continental Hotel owner. “Just have fun out there.” Good advice.

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

​​John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating the High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.

John Wick: Chapter 4 opens on March 24, 2023.

Marjorie Taylor Greene is queen of the grammatical slip-ups, and she is apparently ultra-pumped up while the U.S. awaits election results in key races. We previously saw Greene nonsensically rant about Nancy Pelosi and “gazpacho police” and accuse Bill Gates of growing substitute meat in a “peach tree dish.” Tensions remain high, so it’s fun that Marjorie somehow one-upped herself on Twitter.

Granted, the typo in question actually wasn’t more egregious than her previous oddities. It’s about the same degree of WTF, but Greene saw the tweet-typo and corrected herself and still left the old one up, so that’s an extra layer of bizarreness. She began by declaring, “I’m sure our enemies are quacking in their boots while we are still over here trying to count ballots.”

The congressperson who’s batsh*t enough to be denounced by CrossFit soon modified the “quacking” to “quaking.”

And in case she decides to delete this madness, here’s a screencap. It’s a good thing that Elon hasn’t rolled that “edit” button out yet, right?

Yes, it sure looks like the “quacking” tweet is the more popular version, judging by the number of likes and retweets alone. People are enjoying this very much. You might enjoy it, too. These are stressful times. We take what we can get.