As you may recall, there was some anxiety over how well Avatar: The Way of Water would do at the box office. It had been a whopping 13 years since the first entry; did anyone even care about Pandora anymore? Even its creator, James Cameron, was worried, threatening to only make a couple more sequels instead of his threatened several. It turns out there was no need to fret: In mere weeks it handily outgrossed Top Gun: Maverick. Now it’s setting its sights on an even bigger money-gobbler.
As per Deadline, over the weekend Jake Sully and his fellow Na’vi sailed past the $1.8 billion mark. That means it’s about to overtake Spider-Man: No Way Home, which bowed in late 2021 and Hoovered up $1.921 billion. That threequel was the first mega-super-duper-blockbuster since the pandemic began, revealing that audiences were willing to come back to the multiplexes in droves, at least if they’re extremely expensive sequels.
Right now, Avatar 2 is the seventh highest grossing movie ever, not adjusted for inflation. After surpassing No Way Home, it’ll then have come for Avengers: Infinity War ($2.04 billion), Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2.06 billion), Cameron’s own Titanic ($2.18 billion), Avengers: Endgame ($2.79 billion), and finally the one started it all: the original Avatar ($2.92 billion).
Avatar 2 might not go all the way to the top, and it probably won’t come close to the highest grossing film adjusted for inflation: Gone with the Wind, which over the decades has made an estimated $3.92 billion, and at a time when movie tickets weren’t as expensive as they are now.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is known for many things—but perhaps his greatest legacy is sparking an unshakable hope that someday, change will come.
Just two months before his assassination in 1968, Dr. King spoke to a crowd in Washington, D.C. and famously said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Spreading (and keeping!) that hope is exactly what Meta aims to accomplish with their latest VR for Good project, MLK: Now is the Time, a 20-minute documentary VR experience featuring the use of hand gesture-based tracking technology.
Developed by TIME/TIME Studios and Flight School Studio for Meta Quest, MLK: Now is the Time drops you into a thoroughly modern interpretation of the March on Washington. Viewers hear first-person stories and can interact with key moments in history, showing them what it means to be an activist. Limbert Fabian, the director of the project, felt inspired to develop something fresh and different that would catch the attention of a new generation. As a parent, he knows what mediums are most likely to engage young people.
“I wanted the audience to walk away feeling that Dr. King’s words are relevant today. Perhaps even motivate them to engage in activism at a local level,” said Fabian. “I imagined that one day a high-school social studies class somewhere is going to be diving into that time in our nation’s history and our project would be a tool that we can offer them to dive in deeper to look at not the day but the ideas that fueled that gathering, and how the words were meant to push into a future for the country.”
TIME Studios worked closely with the King estate to maintain the integrity and accuracy of the original moment. Audio from the “I Have A Dream” speech is layered throughout, culminating in an encounter with Dr. King and a call to continued action around his vision of one day living in a nation where people are no longer judged by the color of their skin, but by their character.
Because the rules for VR technology are still being written, this project is on the cutting edge of merging the past—in the form of archival footage—and the present. There is a sense of intimacy in the VR world; it’s a space where a person can “drop in” and feel as if they are somewhere else, immersed in a world of activism. But even more importantly, the creators want to inspire a sense of hope, just like Dr. King did every time he spoke.
Some of the key, impactful moments in the film include a simulation of getting pulled over by police, as a person of color. Many people may not regard the police as a threat, but in this VR experience, getting pulled over feels authentic for the user. Their heartbeat may heighten. Their palms may get sweaty. That’s something that will stick with viewers and give them something to think about.
Another aspect, Fabian says, is the ability for people to use their hands to add to the immersion experience. “It’s seamless,” said Fabian. “The act of raising a fist holds weight in a lot of different ways: empathy, defiance, an act of contribution…it’s a gesture that’s easily recognizable. I don’t have to say anything and you instantly know.” This engagement is what makes the experience so unique.
“I want people to leave this experience with a renewed spark of hope. What type of hope that is is not for me to decide. However, for so many, King represented a hope for our nation, and I want people to remember that the legacy of hope did not die when he did,” said Andrina Smith, the writer for the project.
Even though it’s been nearly sixty years since Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, it’s as relevant today as it was when he first uttered those words. Racial inequities and injustices persist; the work is far from over. And this, my friends, is why hope is such an important piece of the puzzle.
As per Newsweek, the former president’s 2017 tax returns reveal that he and his wife, Melania, sold stock in six separate companies, among them Apple and Microsoft. They bought both stocks in 2013. For Apple, they paid $481,505. They sold that stock four years later for $833,118, making a cool $351,613. With Microsoft, they paid $248,867 and sold it, also four years later, for $464,558, meaning they made a profit of $215,691. Combined, that’s over half a million clams. And that’s just two of the companies in which he invested.
However, according to Newsweek, had the Trumps held out and sold today, they would have made far, far more:
An investment of $481,500 in Apple stock in 2013 would now be worth $4,150,000, making a total profit of $3,669,000. If Trump had held his Microsoft shares, they would now be worth just under $2 million.
Lord knows Trump could use the scratch these days. On top of his so-far non-starter of a third presidential campaign, which not even his former employees are supporting, he’s got economic and legal woes out the wazoo. No wonder he went all-in on NFTs, which made him some dough but not as much as he’d have had he waited another five years or so to sell his tech stock.
Marcus Mumford visited The Late Late Show With James Corden in October as a pit stop in his tour supporting Self-Titled, his debut solo album. While there, he explained an Oscars-related bet he had a made with his wife, Carey Mulligan, that resulted in a tattoo on his shoulder. And in December, Mulligan sat opposite Margot Robbie for an installment of Variety‘s “Actors On Actors,” where she shared an instance of being recognized for her Promising Young Woman role while with her kids at one of Mumford’s shows.
All of which is to say, Mulligan and Mumford are precious about which bits of their private lives become public, so it isn’t at all surprising that they didn’t post on Instagram that they are expecting their third child together. Instead, we got it the old-fashioned way: a celebrity pregnancy confirmed by People.
The publication reported on Saturday, January 14, that a representative for Mulligan has confirmed that the 37-year-old two-time Oscar nominee is pregnant.
Mulligan and Mumford have been married since April 2012. They became parents to their daughter, Evelyn Grace, in September 2015, and welcomed their son, Wilfred, in August 2017.
As for their professional lives, Mulligan most recently starred in She Said, while Mumford is set to perform at the 2023 Innings Festival next month.
This weekend, Janelle Monáe popped up at the Critics Choice Awards, where she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Glass Onion. While that award ended up going to Angela Bassett for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Monáe was given the SeeHer Award, which “honors a woman who advocates for gender equality, portrays characters with authenticity, defies stereotypes and pushes boundaries,” per the Critics Choice Association.
Monáe made her acceptance speech memorable, too.
Introducing Monáe, Glass Onion co-star Kate Hudson said (as The Hollywood Reporter notes), “There are so many ways to describe Janelle: visionary artist, brilliant musician, inspirational, one-of-a-kind human being. I remember the moment we met on Glass Onion. Janelle walked down the staircase in this bright yellow dress, just exuding goddess, regal energy. It was like the seas parted. Everyone’s jaws dropped and the room instantly fell in love. It’s hard not to, but to know her, to see the care and dedication she nurtures in her relationships and in her art, is to really fall in love with her.”
Monáe then started her speech by saying her pronouns are “she/her, they/them, and free-ass motherf*cker,” per People.
Janelle Monae started their speech at the Critics Choice Awards by clarifying that their pronouns are “she/her, they/them and free-ass motherfucker” https://t.co/5xWfo8qEQo
“I’ve tried to make an effort in my work — whether it’s storytelling through music, through film, through TV, through fashion, through literature — to highlight the ones who have been pushed to the margins of society who’ve been outcast or relegated to the other. I am non-binary, I am queer, and my identity influences my decisions in my work. I’ve always believed that through storytelling, we are able to shed light on a human experience, an experience that most people around this world won’t get an opportunity to see. And I keep this glimmer of hope in my heart that when someone meets a character, like the ones I’ve had an opportunity to play, you’d be more empathetic to their experience. […] You want to be more like them. You want to be more kind, less judgmental, and more eager to advocate for them.”
TikTok recently debuted a commercial where Tony Hawk is told by a doctor to stop skateboarding, so he uses the social media platform to search for “not so extreme sports.” The commercial doesn’t feature the famed skateboarder capturing a similar high by rocking out with Goldfinger, but it should have.
Over the weekend, Hawk joined Goldfinger on stage at House Of Blues Anaheim in California to perform “Superman,” Goldfinger’s high-energy track from their 1997 album Hang-Ups. It’s best known for its placement on the soundtrack of Hawk’s groundbreaking 1999 video game, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.
Rock Sound responded by sharing an interview from last summer with Goldfinger’s John Feldmann, who was reacting to Hawk performing “Superman” with a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater soundtrack cover band in London (as noted by Brooklyn Veganat the time):
Tony Hawk joined Goldfinger live on stage for a performance of 'Superman' this weekend
In September 2020, Hawk released the remastered Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. In the months leading up to that, Feldmann reflected on how the original video game impacted him and Goldfinger.
“I really didn’t know how much Tony Hawk helped our band with that song until we were on tour in England,” Feldmann told Loudwire in June 2020. “We were touring with Bloodhound Gang and supporting them as they had this huge hit at the time in Germany, so we played with them in England and all of a sudden when we played ‘Superman,’ everyone went ballistic. It was the biggest circle pit of the entire night.”
He continued, “There was no moment in Bloodhound Gang’s set or our set that surpassed what happened with that song. I was like, ‘What the f*ck is happening with this song?’ But I put two and two together and realized that Pro Skater had globally just become this huge hit of a video game.”
Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.
This week saw Miley Cyrus raise some eyebrows with a new single and Paramore approach their upcoming album with another cracking tune. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
Here at the start of the year, Miley Cyrus is leading the charge for pop music. Her album Endless Summer Vacation is set to drop in March and ahead of then, she just unveiled “Flowers.” Fans immediately noticed the song has a lot in common with Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man,” which may or may not have something to do with Liam Hemsworth.
Sam Smith — “Gimme” Feat. Koffee and Jessie Reyez
Sam Smith is coming off a hot 2022 that saw him land his first No. 1 single with the Kim Petras collaboration “Unholy.” Now he’s once again emerged from the lab with a collaborative new song in tow. This time, it’s “Gimme” alongside Koffee and Jessie Reyez, a sexy dancehall tune that’s among Smith’s smoother cuts.
Paramore — “C’est Comme Ça”
Paramore’s This Is Why drops next month and so far, Hayley Williams and company have impressed with their advance singles. The same was true last week with “C’est Comme Ça,” which Uproxx’s Danielle Chelosky notes “continues the pattern of snarky and relentlessly infectious dance anthems.”
Offset and Hit-Boy — “2 Live”
Things have been tough for Offset since the untimely passing of Takeoff. He’s doing his best to press forward, though, and did so last week by teaming up with Hit-Boy on “2 Live.” As the title suggests, the track is an homage to 2 Live Crew on which Hit-Boy delivers the chorus, “Too live (too live), too live, b*tch, you too live / She get freaky like a Uncle Luke album.”
Logic — “Wake Up”
Remember when Logic retired from music? Well, it didn’t take too long for him to retire from retirement and now he’s rolling out College Park, his first album as an independent artist. Now he’s shared “Wake Up” and the track sees him reflecting on where he’s at right now, saying, “I took a ride through my city the other day / Wonder what would have happened if it all went the other way / Jump in the whip, now I reminisce / On the days when I was running round the Ave.”
Bizarrap and Shakira — “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”
There’s a lot going on here. The video for this one reportedly had the biggest debut for a Latin song in YouTube history thanks to an estimated 50 million views in 24 hours. Why? Because Shakira does not hold back while roasting ex-husband Gerard Piqué, like when she said of Piqué and his current girlfriend, “You traded in a Rolex for a Casio.”
PartyNextDoor — “Her Old Friends”
One of Toronto’s favorites is back. Last week, PartyNextDoor dropped “Her Old Friends,” their first single of the year and first since 2020. On it, he looks back on a former relationship with the knowledge of where things went wrong.
Vagabon — “Carpenter”
It’s been three years since a new Vagabon tune landed, but ahead of her opening slot on Weyes Blood’s tour, she returned with “Carpenter.” Vagabon says the Rostam-co-produced song is “about that humbling feeling when you desperately want to be knowledgeable, you want to be advanced, you want to be mature, forward-thinking, and evolved.”
El Michels Affair and Black Thought — “Grateful”
With his weeknights spent backing Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, it’s a wonder how The Roots MC Black Thought has time to do anything but late-night TV. Despite that, he stays busy and has found time to record a collaborative album with soul band El Michels Affair. They shared “Grateful” last week and it’s a reggae-sampling tune that sees Black Thought going in over a slinky instrumental.
Moneybagg Yo — “On Wat U On” Feat. GloRilla
Moneybagg Yo and GloRilla are labelmates, but their new collab “On Wat U On” is all about a toxic relationship. Uproxx’s Aaron Williams described the song, “Remember when Kendrick Lamar and Taylour Paige made fans very uncomfortable with their back and forth on ‘We Cry Together?’ Well, turn up the drama to 11, add some 808s, and pour in a strong shot of humor, and that’s the energy ‘On Wat U On’ is giving.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
In 2013, Sky Ferreira released her acclaimed debut album, Night Time, My Time. Since then, its follow-up has been frequently delayed. In late 2021, for instance, the project was included on a list of most-anticipated 2022 albums and she noted, “it’s actually coming out this time.” However, the album has yet to be released. Over the weekend, Ferreira took to social media to vent her frustrations about her musical situation.
Sharing an old song teaser, she wrote in an Instagram Story:
“LOOK AT THE DATE. 2019. I TRIED TO PUT OUT THIS SONG FOREVER AGO. This is not my fault & it’s not a conspiracy or whatever. I am not a hysterical/lying/ lazy lunatic. I can pull up performances from 2014 of unreleased singles too This is beyond f*cked up I am so frustrated & over it. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Being ‘difficult’ or ‘high strung’ doesn’t give people the right to damage & stall my career. I am in a DIFFICULT situation & I have to be ‘difficult’ to get through it. I have to protect my work & myself somehow? A lot of it is not being allowed to say or do anything I want/need without being it being dismissed. the thing I actively tried to avoid happens & it somehow gets reversed. I can’t think of a time in the last 7 years where I’ve been able to just focus on what I’m supposed to do & my work being presented the way I want it to or my shows being the way one needs it to be to perform & play well. Despite having to basically sacrifice every aspect of my life to make sure it happens & the amount of time/work I put into everything beforehand It’s not okay. If I’m not allowed to say something without consequence & the people who are supposed to do their job refuse to look out for me… how am I not going to be ‘difficult’?!?”
Sky Ferreira opens up about her music career being stalled:
“Being ‘difficult’ or ‘high strung’ doesn’t give people the right to damage and stall my career. I am in a DIFFICULT situation and I have to be ‘difficult’ to get through it,” pic.twitter.com/sNzEthX41z
Anna Kendrick is currently working on her directorial debut, The Dating Game (it’s darker than the title sounds), but she found time to stop by Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, where the two discussed Alice, Darling, Anna’s new movie that will arrive in AMC theaters on January 20.
That film involves some difficult subject matter, given that Anna portrays a woman who’s embroiled within an emotionally abusive relationship, and her friends stage an intervention during a weekend away. Anna previously admitted that the film speaks to her own “experience with emotional abuse and psychological abuse,” and she did elaborate more while speaking with Shepard, but also, he let it be known that his wife, Kristen Bell, nurtures a jealous streak that applies to Anna only.
Via PEOPLE, Shepard revealed, “I’ve known Kristen [Bell] for fifteen years, she has only had jealousy over a single human, and it’s been you. I’d never saw it. It blew my mind.” The former Punk’d prankster did mention that Bell had granted “permission” for what he’s revealing, and he had even more to offer:
“Kristen was like, ‘Who is this other short person? Oh, so she can sing like that too? I’m already here. We got another one.’ … She monitored you, recognized how brilliant you were, lost some roles to you, and slowly processed the whole thing, and has nothing but wonderful feelings for you. But you’re the only person who ever made her jealous that I witnessed.”
Kendrick gave a candid response, which is that “I never felt that she liked me.” However, all is apparently good between the two actresses.
Also during the episode, Kendrick let loose a bit on her abusive ex, who she did not reference by name. She explained that they were together for at least six years, and (via HuffPost) “[w]e had embryos together, this was my person.” Kendrick relayed how, at a certain point, she felt that she was “living with a stranger,” and he became “increasingly hostile” to the point where “I’m curled in a ball, [he’s] screaming at me, I don’t know how we got here.” The two eventually went their separate ways (he’d also been cheating on her with a woman 20 years younger than him), and while Kendrick was struggling to overcome the effects of emotional abuse, her agent sent a certain script her way.
Alice, Darling will arrive in theaters on January 20.
AMC recently revealed their extended plans for The Walking Dead universe, and let’s just say that the zombie-fueled franchise won’t be ending anytime soon. That’s the case despite the O.G. series ending in November 2022 and AMC announcing that Fear The Walking Deadwould end with an eighth season.
As such, The Walking Dead co-creator Robert Kirkman’s comic book characters will continue with several spinoffs. One of those will be Daryl In Paris, which is my very bad twist on Emily In Paris but maybe not so far fetched? The series is actually entitled The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, but he does (perhaps inconceivably) end up in France. No explanation has been provided for how he commandeered his way across the Atlantic Ocean, but presumably, an answer will surface. Let’s talk about the timing of when this could take place.
First, FTWD will return on May 14 with the first of two blocks. Expect that final season to overlap with the Negan and Maggie spinoff (The Walking Dead: Dead City), which debuts in June 2023. Daryl is up next, and as Comic Book notes, the series really did film in France back in fall 2022. With any luck, we’ll see the younger Dixon brother in Fall 2023.
Next up, AMC will finally pick up with the Rick Grimes show, in which Andrew Lincoln will co-star alongside Danai Gurira as Michonne. Perhaps the ghost of Jesus will interrupt them at some point, but whatever the case, this will happen in 2024. And that will be over five years since Rick Grimes picked up with the helicopter people to launch reports of Rick Grimes movies, which got all hung up by the pandemic, but something better happened: a spinoff series materialized instead. In other words, the undead will keep entertaining for years to come.
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