Category: Trending

HBO’s House of the Dragon delivered the Game of Thrones–worthy goods (read: icky goods) in its second week, which scored even higher ratings than the premiere that crashed HBO Max for countless viewers. The prequel looks to have drummed up more interest than anyone could have realistically hoped for, considering how many Game of Thrones fans felt salty following Season 8, including the series finale. Yet with all of this success, the show’s still seeing a shakeup on the showrunner front, which is surprising news, to say the least.

Miguel Sapochnik, who directed the spinoff’s pilot (as well as multiple Game of Thrones episodes, including “Battle of the Bastards”), is stepping down as co-showrunner. Ryan Condal will now step into sole showrunner shoes, and Sapochnik will move onto some different HBO projects. It’s a little bit fuzzy, but here’s the nebulous news from Variety:

Sapochnik will continue to be credited as an executive producer on the hit prequel series, but his fellow co-showrunner Ryan Condal will now be the sole showrunner. In addition, Sapochnik has entered into a first-look deal with HBO to develop new projects with the premium cabler.

In addition, the prequel has a new executive producer, Alan Taylor, who also worked on Game of Thrones. There’s no explicitly laid out reason why this shakeup has occurred, but Sapochnik issued a statement to Variety, to which he declared, “I am so proud of what we accomplished with Season One and overjoyed by the enthusiastic reaction of our viewers. It was incredibly tough to decide to move on, but I know that it is the right choice for me, personally and professionally.” Sapochnik also stressed that “I believe this precious series could not be in safer hands.” Currently, House of the Dragon has already been renewed for Season 2, so the dragons shall continue roaring.

(Via Variety)

J. Cole’s hoop dreams have been well-documented, but I don’t know if even he thought he’d get this far. After playing professionally for two different teams — one in the Basketball Africa League and one in the Canadian Elite Basketball League — he’s achieved many a hoop star’s ultimate dream of appearing on the cover of NBA 2K. That’s right, the latest edition of the long-running basketball simulation video game, NBA 2K23, will be released with a special Dreamer Edition cover featuring none other than Mr. Dollar And A Dream himself, J. Cole.

Cole is also set to appear in the game’s popular MyCareer story mode and as a playable character model, harkening back to the days when players could dunk on opponents with the likes of Nelly and the St. Lunatics in NBA Street Vol. 2 (hopefully, this just means we’re one step closer to Cole, Drake, and Kendrick appearing in a reboot of Def Jam: Fight For NY). Cole’s longtime partners and fellow Dreamville artists Bas and Elite will apparently also appear in the story mode to help the player earn the rapper’s respect. Naturally, there’ll be plenty of Dreamville representation on the soundtrack, which has always featured the hottest contemporary artists in hip-hop — a box Cole and crew certainly check.

In a statement, Cole says, “NBA 2K has long been a place to discover new musical talent through their game and continues to be a gold standard for showcasing all things basketball culture. It’s been an amazing journey to not only appear on a cover of this year’s game but to be part of the MyCAREER storyline, and soundtrack and bring the Dreamer brand into NBA 2K.

NBA 2K23 is out September 9. The Dreamer Edition will be available at Gamestop in the US and Canada, then presumably on StockX or some other third-party site for double the price.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is only three episodes in, but already, the show is calling out the inevitable scourge of male commenters who hate seeing female characters on-screen. As for how She-Hulk can react that quickly to online reactions to the series, here’s the trick: It’s not. At least specifically. Turns out, it’s really easy to roast toxic fans because their comments are just that predictable.

In Episode 3, She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) is starting to blow up after becoming the newest layer for Abomination/Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth). In a mirror held up to the real world, She-Hulk’s presence sparks a flurry of social media hate that you can see coming a mile away if you’ve spent even a small amount of time reading reactions to Marvel, Star Wars, DC Comics, you name it. Here’s just a small taste of the fake comments from She-Hulk, and if these seem very on the nose, well, that’s because it’s a perfect distillation of what happens when a comic book series or film prioritizes diversity:

Why are you turning every superhero into a girl?
No more female superhero plz
Why everything gotta be female now???

Fortunately, the majority of Marvel fans on Twitter loved the gag. Shortly after the She-Hulk episode aired, posts started pouring in from viewers who were happy to see this toxic subset of fandom getting called out. You can see some of the reactions below:

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law streams new episodes Thursdays on Disney+.

At long last, after months of rumors, Megan Thee Stallion has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe with an appearance on She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. Her debut on the show was certainly notable, as it included a scene where she and Jen Walters/She-Hulk twerked. It turns out a major reason why that moment happened is because Tatiana Maslany, She-Hulk herself, is a big-time Meg enthusiast.

Kat Coiro, the episode’s director, told TVLine, “The dancing was actually added to the script on the day, because Tatiana was so excited. She’s the world’s biggest Megan Thee Stallion fan and we were like, ‘We’ve gotta give her something,’ so they threw together this dancing scene.”

Maslany laughed and said, “Yeah, that was me! That was all me.” She also said the moment “was a dream come true.” She added, “It was like one of my absolute top moments on set, of anything I’ve ever done. I was shaking and I was nervous, and then the music played and I was like, ‘I’m in a Megan Thee Stallion music video!’”

Coiro also noted that despite all the show’s CGI, that truly was Maslany holding her own as she twerked (wearing a motion-capture suit) with Meg: “Yes, she’s a CGI character in that [scene], but that is all Tatiana twerking, 100 percent.”

Check out the scene above.

You may not have recovered from August TV yet (because #DemDragons are all the rage), but get ready because September has more “epic” delights coming. That descriptor fits Amazon’s new Lord of the Rings prequel series, but if you’re not into the fantasy realm (or even if you are), there’s plenty of variety to come this month. Jon Bernthal’s reviving an iconic Richard Gere role, and a Jeopardy! spinoff is upon us. Not only that, but Ramy and Rick and Morty are on tap with new seasons.

Oh, and there’s some new fodder for Star Wars junkies, and The Karate Kid franchise isn’t even close to finished. Cobra Kai continuing to mine old rivalries while igniting excitement for younger generations, too. Teens doing karate in shopping malls and at pool parties is something that will never get old, but there’s one trip (to Gilead) that shall begin to wrap up this month: The Handmaid’s Tale. Never fear, though, because not all good things will come to an end. The Law & Order franchise has never been kicking harder, and it’s mega-crossover time. Here are the must-see shows for September.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 1 (Amazon series streaming 9/2)

Jeff Bezos is finally getting his version of Game of Thrones, and this even more enormously expensive franchise looks to be worth the price tag. However, there should be no danger of a George R.R. Martin situation (needing to move past the source material) because J.R.R. Tolkien completed the necessary texts for this prequel series to bring his fabled Second Age to the screen. A young Galadriel should be one of the bigger highlights of this series’ exploration of relative peace that’s shattered when evil reemerges. Expect stunning visuals that leap from the Misty Mountains to an island setting to majestic forests, and between this and House of the Dragon, we’re sure getting our fill of epic fantasy shows these days.

Rick and Morty: Season 6 (Adult Swim series streaming 9/4)

Creator Dan Harmon’s wildly popular animated series is digging out from that multiverse stuff and heading into a very different realm: the world of podcasting. There will be aliens who are terrorists even though this season promises to be slightly more grounded. Don’t worry, though. The synopsis promises that we shall see “Piss! Family! Intrigue!” while the leading duo is feeling lower than low but still digging for adventure in all the wrong places. As in, there will be an “ocean of piss” along with dinosaurs, and I’m not sure if the two are mutually exclusive or not. Does it matter? Nope.

Cobra Kai: Season 5 (Netflix series streaming 9/9)

The last time we visited with these warring dojos, evil had somehow triumphed over good. The franchise’s ultimate villain is now presiding over a sh*t ton of his own Cobra Kai schools, and everyone else is licking their wounds. This means that Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence must learn to get along for real, and Chozen is along for the ride to help the Miyagi Do and Eagle Fang tag-team approach. A special appearance from The Karate Kid III‘s Mike Barnes (and a female sensei) should round things out nicely on both sides, but once again, this franchise does the thing by appealing to several generations while lighting the soul of the valley on fire.

American Gigolo: Season 1 (Showtime series premiering 9/9)

The one and only Jon Bernthal won’t be doing any of The Punisher vibe here. Rather, he’s reviving the original Richard Here role of gigolo Julian Kaye, an escort with a wrongful murder conviction. As if that doesn’t sound messy enough, he’ll emerge from prison to tackle old relationships and his new dynamic in the world, all while a massive conspiracy comes down the road. Betrayal! Sensuality! This show’s got it all, and Berthal is one sharp-dressed man while milking this role for all its showiness and hidden layers.

The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 5 (Hulu series streaming 9/9)

Somehow, this series is gearing up for the final season of this show that seems far too timely, given that the U.S. recently saw the overruling of Roe v. Wade. Hopefully, we’ll get to hear more Kate Bush while “This Woman’s Work” rings all too eerily in the background as the show picks back up with Gilead looking as grim as ever. Elisabeth Moss’ June has long since had enough of this sh*t and could very well take down the entire society while refusing to sit down and look pretty while the fascists have their way.

Vampire Academy: Season 1 (Peacock series streaming 9/15)

Supernatural-laced coming-of-age tales are all the rage this month (as you’ll see in the below entry as well), and in this show, we’re obviously getting vampires at school. The series is based upon Richelle Mead’s novels and dives into all of the friendship- and romance-related drama that one can expect with in-fighting aplenty. Of course, these are vampires and necessarily privileged for the most part, but not everyone’s on the same level. One young vamp’s a Royal, and the other is a half-vamp Guardian, who’s tasked with the dirty work of “savages” who are hell bent upon destroying the vamp community at large.

Fate: The Winx Saga: Season 2 (Netflix series streaming 9/16)

This live-action reimagining of the Italian cartoon, Winx Club (authored by Iginio Straffi), tell the coming-of-age story of young fairies who attend a school that not even their parents (residing in the “real” world) know exists. Expect all of the usual teenage drama and worries while the fairies potentially confront a world-threatening catastrophe. This adds a little more stress than the usual rivalries and love for these protagonists, but everything’s more complicated when monsters get involved.

Andor: Season (Disney+ series streaming 9/21)

Yes, the Star Wars shows won’t stop, so nerds should be pretty happy to have Christmas all year long in 2022. Diego Luna returns as Cassian Andor in this show about his journey to evoke real change within this far, far away galaxy. As Luna himself has put it, we’ll see a more “grounded” adventure this time around as the rebellion grows and how whole planets rise up against the Empire. Andor will emerge as a rebel hero following a story that’s chock to the brim with intrigue and danger.

Law & Order Crossover Event (NBC franchise returning 9/22)

Finally, all three of this Dick Wolf franchise’s currently running shows are teaming up in one extravagant night of crossovers. We’ve already seen this to a slight degree, given that Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (now beginning Season 24) and Law & Order: Organized Crime (now beginning Season 3) have been crossing over on a semi-regular basis due to the Unresolved Sexual Tension of Detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler. Now, however, we get to see the revived flagship series (now in Season 24), come together with the other two ratings juggernauts. Hopefully, we’ll see a lot of sass from Ice-T’s Fin Tutuola in the process, even though Kelli Giddish will soon depart SVU.

Celebrity Jeopardy!: Season 1 (ABC series premiering 9/25)

Mayim Bialk and Ken Jennings will split hosting duties of the Jeopardy! flagship series, but Mayim’s also presiding over this spinoff, which probably brings SNL skits to mind. However, this show aims to be slightly more serious funnel winnings to the charity of winners’ choosing. This season, we’ll see Simu Liu, who hopes to prevail as much as he did in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Additional contestants include Patton Oswalt, Aisha Tyler, Iliza Shlesinger, Ray Romano, Michael Cera, and B.J. Novak.

Ramy: Season 1 (Hulu series streaming 9/30)

So long ago in 2020, this series (based on award-winning creator Ramy Youssef’s own experiences) turned out to be the best show that you weren’t watching, and finally, we’re seeing a followup to the title character, first-gen, Egyptian-American Ramy Hassan as he navigates contemporary life (and romance) within his Muslim community in New Jersey. This season sees Ramy grow even more disillusioned by those clashing worlds while he dives into the diamond business with his uncle. Worldly concerns will circle our characters prominently while the question of spirituality still looms large.

The Denver Broncos made a big splash this offseason by acquiring longtime Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson for a gigantic package of draft capital and players. Acquiring Wilson has led to plenty of optimism surrounding the Broncos this season, and now, the franchise has made sure that Wilson won’t go anywhere any time soon.

According to multiple media reports, Wilson and the Broncos agreed to a 5-year contract extension worth up to $245 million, with $165 million of that guaranteed. Because of his previous contract, the 33-year-old Wilson is now under contract with Denver for the next seven years, and his $165 million in guaranteed money puts him behind only Deshaun Watson and Kyler Murray for the most in NFL history, while his annual value is only behind Aaron Rodgers.

“I don’t worry about those guys and what they’re doing — awesome for them,” Wilson said earlier this offseason about other quarterbacks signing contract extensions. “Obviously, Kyler, great for him. Obviously, Lamar [Jackson], with his situation, but it has nothing really to do with me. I’m excited to be here. I know I want to be here for a long, long time, hopefully the rest of my career. It’s been a blessing with these guys.”

Wilson spent his entire NFL career with the Seahawks before heading to Denver this offseason. Last season, Wilson completed 64.8 percent of his passes for 3,113 yards with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions.

The new Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney At Law has been all people are talking about for many reasons, including the fact that Megan Thee Stallion made a cameo. After it was off-handedly confirmed in a recent profile on the rapper, fans were excited, and now even more so that the scene finally came out in today’s (September 1) episode “The People vs. Emil Blonsky.”

In a new interview with TVLine about the show, the head writer and executive producer Jessica Gao told the publication about casting Meg. “We knew that for that story, we needed a famous, beautiful, successful woman… We were going through all the possibilities… but when it came down to it, Jameela [Jamil, who plays Titania] knew Megan from working on [HBO Max’s] Legendary together, and she brought her up. We were like, ‘Don’t say it if it’s not really true! Don’t tease us with this!’”

Who wouldn’t want to have Meg on their show; she’s been having a massive year with the release of her highly anticipated album Traumazine, which contained lots of major features, like with Latto, Future, Dua Lipa, Rico Nasty, Pooh Shiesty, Key Glock, and Jhene Aiko.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The late, great Regis Philbin owns the Guinness World Record for most hours spent on television, which means he spent a lot of time on set around craft services. But rather than half-heartedly pick at a stale sandwich, the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire host (and Wu-Tang Clan fan) preferred to get his food elsewhere: McDonald’s.

Parks and Recreation and The Good Place creator Michael Schur joined The Dan Le Batard Show on Wednesday and shared an amusing story about Philbin, his father-in-law. “He did an ad for McDonalds sometime in the early ‘90s,” he said. “And as part of the thanks for this, he was given a gold-colored credit card thing that said, ‘This card entitles Regis Philbin to free McDonald’s for life’ and he loved this.” As noted by Awful Announcing, the McDonald’s ad isn’t on YouTube, but his Hardee’s commercial from 1994 is out there (the video’s description: “I’m not sure why Hardee’s was going after the senior set with these commercials. Maybe they were trying to steal the breakfast senior circuit from McDonald’s. Fact: My grandfather died in a McDonald’s” — bleak!).

Schur said that whenever Philbin would present the card for a free burger or whatever, “the cashier would just stare at it confused, because it was like ‘what is this, why is Regis Philbin in this random McDonald’s demanding free $3 hamburgers?’ They would go ‘I’ve never seen this before, I need to call someone,’ and it’d be this confusing thing.” That’s the honest way to becoming a millionaire: by getting a Quarter Pounder for free.

You can watch a clip from The Dan Le Batard Show below.

(Via Awful Announcing)

Taylor Swift is a few days off of announcing Midnights and fans already have plenty of theories. Now Swift has shared even more, which has of course sparked more theories.

Last night, Swift unveiled three new special editions of the albums, each of which have their own new cover art. The new covers include new photos of Swift, which fans believe collectively hint at a ’70s-themed album.

In a thread about Midnights theories on Reddit’s Taylor Swift subreddit, one user commented, “In the Jade Green Addition (my favourite Midnights cover) I used the Google lens feature to see if Google picks up anything…the piano in the cover is a Wurlitzer electronic piano and knowing Taylor, she would never do anything unintentionally, so I am guessing 60s/70s music/instruments heavily influenced this album. According to Wikipedia, Ray Charles was known for using this piano and it was featured in his 1959 hit What’d I Say… There are a lot of clues in the Jade Green cover: her outfit, the vintage piano, the dark green carpet, printed curtains, bold prints on the armchair, the orb-like lamp and the labyrinth vinyl.”

Another fan noted, “Ran out of the shower when the common theme of the 70s hit me. This album has got to be 70s in style. The aesthetic in these shots is too much. Further proof? I wondered back when lover singles came out what’s with the 70s aesthetic. In me! with the pink outfit, in Lover video every outfit is super 70s and the attic has that vintage effect on it. Even her outfits and makeup at certain events! I feel like she’s hinted at this forever.”

Find some more theories here.

Since earlier this year, it was rumored that Megan Thee Stallion had landed a role on the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, marking her introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That was off-handedly confirmed in a recent profile on the rapper. Now, in case there was any doubt remaining, Meg has made her first appearance on the show.

(The rest of this post contains spoilers for She-Hulk: Attorney At Law.)

In today’s (September 1) new episode titled “The People vs. Emil Blonsky,” a shapeshifting elf from New Asgard transformed into Megan in an effort to trick Dennis Bukowski, a former co-worker of Jen Walters, so he’d believe he is dating the rapper. A mid-credits scene is where the magic happens, though, when the actual Meg hires Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk to be her lawyer. After that happens, the two celebrate by twerking and dancing to Megan’s “Body.”

An impressed Meg says, “You are way more fun than my last lawyer!” Walters responds, “I will kill for you, Megan Thee Stallion.” Meg leans away and cautions, “Dial it back.”

Check out the She-Hulk: Attorney At Law clip above.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.