Category: News

James Wan has made a name for himself as a filmmaker who can deliver a box office hit, with blockbusters like Furious 7 and Aquaman on his resume, but the Saw director never lost sight of his horror roots. He’s the man behind a handful of today’s most popular horror franchises, including Insidious and The Conjuring, and he’s about to dig back into his past with Malignant. You can watch the trailer above.

Malignant follows a woman (Annabelle Wallis) who suddenly begins seeing terrible visions of brutal deaths and must delve into her own past to make sense of what she’s seeing. From those few short minutes in the preview above, it’s easy to see why Wan is calling it a return to his “more gritty, rough thriller roots,” as he told IGN.

The timing of Malignant was intentional for Wan: It’s coming right in between his blockbuster hit Aquaman (2018) and that film’s upcoming sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is due out in 2022.

“I wanted to make a movie in between those two giant films, which, just something smaller, more intimate, and really harken back to the style of filmmaking or the kind of films that excited me when I was when much younger, when I was a teen growing up, idolizing filmmakers like [Brian] De Palma, [Dario] Argento, and all that. I just thought, ‘When am I ever going to get the chance to do a film like this ever again? Now is the time for me to use this opportunity to make the kind of movies that I don’t think really get made at this level anymore.’ And so it really came from the want to just make a hark back, a throwback kind of film. And this was just a story that I came about that really fit that desire.”

While Wan is keeping pretty tight-lipped about what the movie is about, he did tell IGN, “I’m a big fan of titles that have multiple meanings to it. And with Saw, we felt there’s one part of that that obviously refers to the visceral aspect of a tool, but at the same time, it touched a bit on what the voyeuristic aspect of the film was as well. And so with Malignant, I just felt like this title really encompasses the tone of the film, the subject matter, which actually has a fair bit of medical horror attached to it. So it just felt appropriate.”

Malignant comes out in theaters and on HBO Max on September 10.

Lil Yachty and Bhad Bhabie have worked together on music in the past, but they’ve recently taken their working relationship one step by investing in an exclusive dating app for Jewish people called Lox Club. Though they may be business partners, the two rappers don’t always see eye to eye — especially when it comes to cultural appropriation. The two got in a heated discussion on the topic on Instagram Live, with Yachty trying to explain that Bhabie doesn’t quite have the correct definition.

Since appearing on The Dr. Phil Show and starting her career in rap music, Bhabie, born Danielle Bregoli, has been consistently called out for cultural appropriation. Though Bhabie is white, she has been accused of building her brand on emulating Black culture. She’s had her hair in box braids, used slang terms in her music, and simply refused when Black women have asked her to stop. Though the definition of cultural appropriation tends to be malleable, it’s generally understood as the act of a person adopting aspects of a minority culture they don’t belong to and profiting from it. However, Bhabie doesn’t agree with that definition.

Bhabie hopped on an Instagram Live session with Yachty where she went off on her critics. “The one thing I’m really, really sick of is the ‘Bhad Bhabie is a cultural appropriator,’” she said. “No. Y’all make these words have different terms to what they even mean. Cultural appropriation is if I was to sit up and say, ‘Oh. A certain race looks ugly with that.’ And then I go do that on myself. Take braids for example. If I say a Black girl look ugly with braids and then I go get them, that’s culturally appropriating. Or when girls put chopsticks in their hair, that’s cultural appropriation. That’s doing something negative with someone’s culture.”

Yachty cut in with, “Bro. What the f*ck is you talking about? That’s not the argument.” Bhabie then proceeded to yell about people criticizing her “hood accent” as Yachty sighs and groans in the background. “This ain’t got nothing to do with nothing,” Yachty said before Bhabie cuts him off again.

Before hanging up, Yacthy was able to get in a final word. “On the real, you understand right now that in the room it’s you yelling at a phone screen. For what though?” To which Bhabie replied: “It makes me feel better.”

Watch fan-recorded snippets of Yacthy and Bhabie’s conversation above.

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

Manifest — an objectively bad show about all the drama that surfaces after a flight falls off the radar and surfaces five years later like nothing happened — keeps giving its fans a confusing ride. First, NBC cancelled the sci-fi drama after three messy seasons, and not only that, but the news arrived while the show vaulted to the #1 slot on Netflix’s most popular list. Then Netflix decided, nope, they’re not gonna make a fourth season of the show, even though fans have been hell-bent upon saving the apparently doomed series.

Well, creator Jeff Rake, who says that he’s plotted out a full-on, six-season run, kept urging viewers to stay strong in their fight, even if it seemed like things would go absolutely nowhere. Unless? Maybe those stunning figures from Nielsen are working some magic. Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva now reports that both NBC and Netflix are having second thoughts, so a resurrection might be a go:

The conversations are happening as Manifest Season 1 and Season 2 viewership continues to surge on Netflix in the U.S. and the #SaveManifest fan campaign remains strong. Reps for Warner Bros TV, Netflix and NBC declined comment… Meanwhile, I hear Netflix has restarted talks after passing on the show in June as Manifest has been showing great resilience, remaining in the daily top 10 for more than a month and topping the Nielsen streaming ratings in its first week of release on the platform.

So, what happened? NBC’s felt a few gut punches over the past week, including Good Girls Season 5 falling through (when deals with the cast didn’t come together) and the decision not to proceed with another Law and Order spinoff, For The Defense. Don’t worry, SVU and Organized Crime are sticking around! However, NBC is now (reportedly) in an awkward position, where one can envision a bidding war in order to bring back the show that they cancelled. That’s pretty damn wild, considering all the cards that Netflix seems to hold already.

(Via Deadline)

When I meet someone new and they find out I’ve visited 55 of the designated National Parks in the United States, they always want to know about the west. How is Yosemite? Glacier? The Grand Canyon? These landscapes are quintessential to our understanding of “National Parks” in the United States.

So my new travel pals are often surprised when I tell them one of my favorite parks is actually in Maine. Nearly as eastern as you can be in the United States. I’m talking about Acadia National Park, of course.

I visited Acadia in mid-July — at the height of summer national park travel — and while I saw some of the record crowds firsthand, I was still able to find immense solitude throughout my trip. Whether you are looking to be in the crowd or away from it, there is a place for you in Maine.

Here’s everything you need to know to visit Acadia National Park this summer.

How to get there:

Acadia is fairly remote and absolutely requires a car to get around. I flew into the tiny Bangor airport and easily made the drive to Bar Harbor. If you’re already on the East Coast, it’s just a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Boston, and just over eight from NYC.

Where to Stay:

There are two campgrounds in the park, both on Mount Desert Island (where the majority of the park and visitors are located). All sites must be reserved in advance. Otherwise, you want to stay in Bar Harbor — as much of the park literally overlooks the town.

There are plenty of bed and breakfast options — I stayed at The Elmhurst Inn — that will truly give you the “east coast quaint town” experience you’re looking for. There’s also a new outpost of Under Canvas that I’d love to visit the next time I’m in the area.

In the park:

Acadia is consistently in the top 10 most visited of major US National Parks, while also being the fifth smallest by land area. So it’s crowded on a normal year (and of course this year is not quite normal). This has changed the way to navigate this park in one really important way this year — reservations for Cadillac Mountain road.

Cadillac Mountain rises 1,530 ft above sea level and its summit is the first place in the United States to see the sunrise from October 7 through March 6. It’s definitely worth a drive (or hike up) any time of day, but especially to watch sunrise or sunset. Due to the crowds, there is a timed entry system for cars this year. You’ll need an advance reservation (from recreation.gov) in addition to your park entrance pass.

When I finalized my plans all of the sunrise times were sold out, but I was able to secure one for sunset. Reservation tickets are $6, and 30 percent are released 90 days ahead with the other 70 percent being released at 10 am ET two days ahead of your visit. If you don’t get a car ticket, you can also hike up the fairly short trail to the summit.

Other popular hikes are the Beehive Trail, Precipice, the Bubbles, and Gorham Mountain. An easier option is the Jordan Pond Trail that weaves its way around Jordan Pond before looping you back to the famous Jordan Pond House — a restaurant that started serving in 1847, well before Acadia was designated as a National Park, and is still an incredibly popular spot to have tea and popovers (or, in my case, prosecco and popovers).

If hiking isn’t your thing there are extensive carriage roads (great for biking and ebiking), swimming and lounging at Sand Beach, and several stops (like Thunder Hole) to marvel at the coastline. All of these are off the park road and not overcrowded.

Outside of the main park road, you’ll also the famous Bass Harbor Head Light, Echo Lake Swim Beach, and, outside of Mount Desert, the much quieter and beautiful Schoodic Peninsula.

To visit anything outside of the Park Loop road you will need a car. Within the park, biking is extremely popular and a ride on the park’s explorer bus is easy and convenient.

In Bar Harbor:

Something I loved about Acadia is its close proximity to Bar Harbor. You can hop back and forth between the park and the city super easily. Bar Harbor feels like a movie set — quaint and lovely and very east coast. If you’re charmed by that sort of vibe, you’ll like this — there’s a lot to do in this small tourist town.

Where to eat:

I loved dinner at Cafe This Way, and lobster salad for lunch at the Terrace Grill at Bar Harbor Inn. There are, of course, plenty of places to satisfy your lobster cravings — Rose Eden Lobster, The Travelin Lobster, and The Happy Clam Shack all came highly recommended.

Where to Drink:

I loved watching the water with a cocktail at The Terrace Grill, sampling the local brews at Atlantic Brewing Company, and visiting Bar Harbor Cellars for a wine tasting.

Where to play:

You’ll want to get out on the water in Maine. I took a tour with Acadian Boat Tours, and look forward to a sunset ride on the schooner Margaret Todd next time I’m in town. Sea kayaking is also very popular, along with guided climbing tours.

Also, watch those tide charts! At low tide, you can walk from Bar Harbor to Bar Island for a whole new perspective of the coast.

Want to escape the crowds?

There aren’t many places in Acadia and Bar Harbor to escape the crowds this time of year, which is why I also took some time to head north for a quieter experience. I drove up to Lubec, Maine — the easternmost town in the United States to decompress and experience a wilder landscape.

Lubec is a sleepy town on the US Canadian border with miles of undisturbed coastline, a new private shore system, and an absolutely breathtaking state park and lighthouse. Once the border opens back up next month, it is also the only way to drive to Compobello Island and visit Roosevelt Compobello International Park — a unique park that is managed by both Canada and the US, preserving the Roosevelt’s summer retreat.

Following the conclusion of the 2021 NBA Finals, ESPN and Maria Taylor jointly announced that Taylor’s time as one of the network’s most ubiquitous personalities came to an end. The news of her departure had been speculated for some time amid reports that the two sides were unable to come to terms on a new contract for the host who wore a number of hats with the Worldwide Leader, something that was reflected in a statement she released regarding her departure.

“So thankful to Jimmy and all of my great teammates and friends at the SEC Network, College GameDay, Women’s and Men’s college basketball, and the NBA Countdown family — the people who believed in me, encouraged me, pushed me, and lifted me up,” Taylor said. “Words are inadequate to express my boundless appreciation, and I hope to make them proud.”

ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro also released a statement regarding Taylor’s departure, saying, “Maria’s remarkable success speaks directly to her abilities and work ethic. There is no doubt we will miss Maria, but we remain determined to continue to build a deep and skilled talent roster that thoroughly reflects the athletes we cover and the fans we serve. While she chose to pursue a new opportunity, we are proud of the work we’ve done together.”

Beyond the negotiations over a new contract, Taylor made headlines in recent weeks following a series of leaked comments made about her promotion to the head of the NBA Countdown desk by fellow ESPN host Rachel Nichols which indicated her belief that Taylor got the gig over her due to the network’s longstanding issues with diversity. While her next move has not been finalized, reports indicate that Taylor’s on the verge of coming to terms with NBC Sports on a contract.

With the Milwaukee Bucks winning the NBA championship on Tuesday night, the offseason has officially arrived and with it come draft, free agency, and trade rumors as teams begin laying the groundwork for what they hope will be a climb to a title in 2022.

The Los Angeles Lakers will once again be the favorite out West to reach the Finals, as they have the second-best title odds to the Nets in the eyes of Las Vegas at the moment, but there is no doubt that there’s lots of work to do this offseason to put the right pieces in place around LeBron James and Anthony Davis to win a second title in three years. The Lakers currently have just six players on the roster — seven if Montrezl Harrell picks up his player option — which means there’s a lot of roster spots to fill and not a lot of money to make that happen.

The biggest decision for L.A. is what to do at the point guard position, where they can either pay a hefty sum for Dennis Schröder or look to sign-and-trade possibilities to bring in some fresh faces. Rumors of the Lakers looking at trade options for Schröder and Kyle Kuzma have been percolating for weeks, and on Wednesday we got word that L.A. has its sights set on a superstar guard, per Marc Spears of The Undefeated.

Chris Paul is, unsurprisingly, atop their wish list, but it seems like a tall order to get a Western Conference rival like the Suns to agree to further clear the Lakers path to a title with a sign-and-trade as big as this — Paul will have to make a decision on his $44 million player option soon, but even if he opts out it seems most likely he returns to Phoenix. If Paul isn’t available, the Lakers would turn their attention to an L.A. native in Russell Westbrook, per Spears, putting their best (and really only) trade chips on the table.

According to sources, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have been on the hunt for veteran point guard, and Paul is on the list. There have also been talks about Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook being a potential candidate to move back home to Los Angeles in a sign-and-trade deal that could include free agent point guard Dennis Schroder, forward Kyle Kuzma and guard Talen Horton-Tucker, sources said.

It would be a fascinating trade, if nothing else, for both teams. The Lakers would get the star point guard they crave, but would certainly be further sacrificing floor spacing and shooting by deploying Westbrook/James/Davis in their top lineups. That would possible create a domino effect of forcing L.A. to focus heavily on shooting in filling out the roster, meaning Alex Caruso might become even more available for other contenders as an unrestricted free agent.

For Washington, it would bring them more depth, which is needed, but whether this would signal a win-now type move to Bradley Beal would have to be taken into consideration. It’s possible that it would, but anything the Wizards do this offseason has to be done with Beal’s preferences in mind and given how he is perpetually in trade rumors because of his talent on a middling team, anything that shrinks Washington’s ceiling even in the slightest could push him further towards the door.

At the moment, this is just a juicy rumor that doesn’t even seem to have legs beyond a basic discussion, but it’s clear the Lakers are intent on making some kind of substantial move to upgrade their backcourt and how they go about doing that is going to be quite interesting to watch.

Jason Sudeikis is having a moment. Nearly 20 years after being hired as a writer for Saturday Night Live (yes, that was his original job), the first-time Emmy nominee is earning the highest praise of his career because of Ted Lasso, the Apple TV+ series he co-created, which is about to launch its second season. But years before he first found fame at NBC’s Studio 8H, Sudeikis had a different dream: He wanted to be a Blue Man.

On Tuesday’s episode of The Late Show, Sudeikis told host Stephen Colbert all about how he once blue himself in order to get in with the Smurf-esque group of performance artists. “It was when I was doing Second City in Las Vegas and I just fell in love with the show,” the 45-year-old actor said. “I made a lot of friends out there that were working out there and I went to go see it and was like, ‘I want to do that.’ And so I learned all the drumming parts and I had the opportunity to [audition].”

While the first audition did not require the full blue paint treatment, Sudeikis did make it far enough along in the audition process that he did eventually get painted.

“Every three days they would cut people. And I made it through the first three days and then the next three days, I got the chance to get bald and blue… But to see my face covered in completely one color was humbling. Because all the guys I was friends with had great, model faces that I didn’t realize how much I needed eyebrows and hair… I looked like a blue dodgeball. Like a peanut M&M. I looked at it and I was just like, ‘Oh, f*ck this gig!’… And I wasn’t a good enough drummer, and it’s like not knowing your lines in an audition. And I remember just sweating—sweating blue! Just dropping on the drum making little accent notes as I’m trying to [drum].”

The moral of the story? Sudeikis blue himself for nothing.

You can watch the full clip above.

Nintendo has come up with a new way for players to “be the best like no one ever was” with a brand new, free-to-play game set in the wonderful world of Pokemon: Pokemon UNITE. As of today, players can download the multiplayer online battle arena game and team up with their friends in 5-on-5 strategic showdowns very reminiscent of a League of Legends match, for all you esports fans. According to a Nintendo’s press release published earlier today:

“In Pokemon UNITE, players face off against each other in 5-on-5 team battles. During these battles, players will cooperate with teammates to defeat wild Pokemon and level up to evolve their own Pokémon. They will need to defeat their opponents’ Pokemon while trying to earn more points than the opposing team within the allotted time.”

As far as exactly what a Pokemon: UNITE match entails, the games starts with a map split into two halves with control points on either side. Players must then earn points for their team by catching computer-controlled Wild Pokémon, while moving towards one of the control points to score goals. As you play, the low-level Pokemon you start the match with evolve and learn new moves, thus making them more powerful as the game runs on. However, in an interesting mix-up, the iconic “type effectiveness” featured in nearly all Pokemon games is absent from UNITE, making other methods of strategic thinking a lot more important. The winner is ultimately determined by the amount of points the team has earned during the ten minute battle.

In addition to the huge perk of being free, Pokemon: UNITE will also be getting cross-play when the game comes to mobile this September. For all you folks who’ve yet to pick up (and never put down) a Switch, this means you’ll be able to play with all your friends on Switch without having to fork over the cash for the console. For those of you with a Switch, Pokemon: UNITE is available to download from the Nintendo eShop now.

As Kanye West is getting ready to release his album Donda, the rapper has made his return to social media. On Instagram yesterday, he shared some photos of himself wearing chains that feature the names of his children. While hip-hop fans are excited (or at least curious) about what Kanye has coming next, that post seems to have rubbed Azealia Banks the wrong way, as she thinks West ripped her off.

Today, she took to Instagram and shared the cover art for her 2019 song “Billionaire Bully,” which is definitely visually similar to West’s new images. She then shared one of the West photos and captioned the post with an insult: “Should have exfoliated before trying to bite me. @kanyewest”

However, she seemed to contradict the insult with a follow-up photo, which features her hand sporting fake nails that read “YEEZY.”

The accusation and insult also come after a stretch of apparent fascination about West from Banks. She recently insisted that her new single “F*ck Him All Night” is about West, saying, “This is about f*ckin him all day and f*cking him all night. This is about the throbbing black billionaire c*ck. Get into it.” In April, she also said she wants to have a kid with West, writing, “The powerful black demon entity awaiting in my ovaries and kanyes testicle is finally about to be unleashed upon the world.”

Banks fans know that all of this comes after years of beef between her and West, so at this point, it’s hard to say how Banks truly feels about West.

At the 2021 ESPYs, viewers probably heard Vernon Davis’ work without even realizing it.

For the event, Davis, a former NFL tight end, was the voice viewers heard when presenters were announced or the host, actor Anthony Mackie, needed a set-up of his own. For Davis, who retired at the conclusion of the 2019 season after a productive career as a pass catcher, the gig was part of continuing journey into Hollywood, which includes acting and producing in addition to voice work.

I read the interview you did with ESPN where you were talking about bringing your football work ethic to the creative work you are doing now. But I’m curious: Was this always the path you wanted, or did you ever consider coaching or scouting or some kind of career within the game?

I’ve always been intrigued with the world of arts. Music to dancing to acting, producing — I’ve just always had a passion and just a desire to do it, so in college, I studied art. So when I arrived in the NFL, I opened up an art gallery called Gallery 85 in San Jose, California, so that really stimulated me in a way that made me want to pursue it even more. And while I was playing, I started working on some projects of my own, I showed up in a few films — Baywatch, Hell on the Border — and it’s been a great journey so far.

Did you have any teammates who you shared that passion for art with?

No, not that I can think of. I think I was probably the only one when I was playing ball. I can’t really recall anyone that was pursuing the arts, acting and painting and things of that nature. I know my teammates just gave me hard time. They used to tease my a lot. [laughs].

What appealed to you about doing work like voiceover work for the ESPYs?

It’s different, it’s different. But I have to give thanks to my manager, Henry Penzi, who really pushed and inspired me. Without him, I’m not sure I’d have been able to pursue this. He told me “Vernon, if you want to be an artist, you have to take on these different things even if you’re not familiar with them because you’ll never know. Maybe you’ll do it and fall in love with it. You just have to try it.”

So once he told me that, that really resonated with me. I said, “Ok, let me try it.” And that’s how I ended up doing this, with him going to bat for me and really pushing me to do it. It’s totally different, but like any challenge, I’m up for it.

How did you approach preparation?

Once I got the script, I really familiarized myself with the words. And that’s all it is — familiarizing yourself with the verbiage and understanding and owning those words. And once you do that, you start to feel comfortable and you just go out and have a good time.

When you were playing — and attending the ESPYs — did you ever think about the back-end production?

No. Every year that I decided to go to the ESPYs, I’d sit in the audience and never thought in a million years that I’d be behind the scenes being the voice for the ESPYs or even the host. I never imagined it.

It’s different types of work — you aren’t gearing up with lifting and training for this like you would have for an NFL season, I’d assume — but are there any similarities entertainment work and the NFL?

I think consistency is everything. As long as you’re consistent and consistent in your approach, you’ll find that the same method falls under everything else. Like when I was playing ball, I would catch 200, 300 balls before practice ended. I did that every day. And whether you’re preparing for an acting role or you’re about to be the voice for a show, you prepare and use the repetition process and it allows you to feel comfortable and familiar. And you just develop this stamina and you’ll go out and do really well.

Did you go back and watch any film or any old Oscars or ESPYs and apply some of your approach to the ESPYs?

Ya, that’s another form of preparation. You want to go look at the past and listen to how they did and then make it your own. When I found out I would be doing this, first thing I did was listen to former voices and go off of that, understand what they did and start making it my own. So what does my voice sound like?

Do you still follow the NFL — or any other sport — as much and in as much detail as you might have when you were playing?

I’m still intrigued by the sports that I always have been. Football is always going to be my No. 1 sport. It paved the way for me and it’s something I’ve been in love with since I was a kid, so I’m always going to love that. But I’m open to being a part of and supporting other sports, but football is always my No. 1.

Are there any recent NFL storylines that have grabbed your attention?

No, but I’m always looking to see what rules change. I think that’s something that’s really been at the top of my list and something that’s always at the top of my mind. Playing the game, I’ve seen so much change in these rules when it comes to football. But what’s different now? It’s always changing.

What’s the last piece of art you’ve watched or consumed that’s stuck with you?

I’ve been watching Masterclass videos lately. And the last video I watched was Natalie Portman. She talked about the difference techniques that she uses when she’s acting, so that’s one thing that really stuck with me.

For movies, are you a movie theater person or have you become more into watching movies at home now after the last year-plus?

I’m a movie theater guy. I think I can get the same experience at home though. Over the last year, I’ve been watching a lot of movies on Netflix, Hulu, you name it. But I’m a movie theater guy. So if I can go to watch a movie, I’m going to the movies. When I was in L.A. two weeks ago, I went with some friends of mine — Carmen Electra, Henry Penzi, some others — and we went to go support our buddy Paul Walter Hauser and his new movie, Cruella. So we went to go show some love to him and that was a lot of fun. It was about 12 of us and we took up a whole row and it was a lot of fun.

Paul Walter Hauser is kind of genius I think.

Ya, he’s awesome. Not only is he a great actor, but he’s also a great person.

Anything you watched at home, be it on Netflix or Hulu that clicked for you?

The TV series All-American. I’ve loved that. That’s something I keep going back to, it’s great. It’s very captivating. I’m very familiar with all of that because my life was like that.