Category: Worldwide

As everyone knows from the Terminator franchise, you can’t keep homicidal AI down. The same applies to M3GAN, who didn’t fare well (in her physical form, at least) by the end of the James Wan and Jason Blumhouse-produced January 2022 release, but she’ll “be back.” Wan does have a way with murderous dolls, as he proved with The Conjuring franchise, where Annabelle gave Chucky a run for his overall-stuffed, well, you know.

In other words, running over the murder doll isn’t as easy as it sounds. Variety reports that M3GAN will live, or reboot, or further upgrade, in a 2025 sequel. The film appears to be called M3GAN 2.0, at least until she makes some changes to the programming:

Screenwriter Akela Cooper is returning to pen the sequel. Plot details haven’t been revealed, though Allison Williams, whose character helped bring to life the chaotic AI-like doll, will be back for “2.0” as will M3GAN’s pint-sized bestie, played by Violet McGraw. Gerard Johnstone directed the first film, but a director has not been announced for the sequel.

As The Hollywood Reporter notes, the film’s still cranking away in theaters with $91.9 total gross worldwide, which is a fantastic turnaround from a film with a $12 million budget. Horror still knows how to keep things cheap and effective. Really, just ask Skinamarink, if you dare.

(Via Variety, Hollywood Reporter & Deadline)

Over the last handful of years, Aubrey Plaza has turned into one of our most versatile actresses. On The White Lotus, she’s great as a self-hating member of the nouveau riche, just as she’s fantastic as a desperate woman embracing her dark side in Emily the Criminal. But the world first got to know the former April Ludgate thanks to her fearless, unhinged comedic chops. That side of her will surely be on display when she finally hosts SNL for the first time this weekend. And it’s already there even in the new promo for her big episode.

It finds this week’s host talking shop with cast member Chloe Fineman, who turned heads late last year for her spot-on take on Plaza’s White Lotus colleague Jennifer Coolidge. In the ad, Plaza compliments Fineman some of her other impersonations, including her top shelf Drew Barrymore. So Plaza shows Fineman some of her own.

Fineman isn’t as blown away by Plaza as Plaza is with her, but mostly because she’s chosen some, shall we say, unlikely people to impersonate. Like Marcia Gay Harden’s Oscar-winning work in Pollock, Ed Harris’ 23-year-old biopic about painter Jackson Pollock. Who was expecting a Pollock reference in the year 2023? Ditto Annette Bening in American Beauty. They’re predictably unpredictable choices on Plaza’s part, as is the moment when she leans in for a leftfield smooch with the SNL regular.

You can watch the promo in the video above. Plaza’s SNL episode, featuring musical guest Smith, airs Saturday night on NBC starting at 11:30pm.

Anna Kendrick stars in Alice, Darling, which arrives in theaters on January 19. The Up In The Air star previously disclosed how she had serendipitously received the script amid the wreckage of an abusive partnership, and the film’s unnerving trailer checks out. The story follows a woman who’s struggling to survive within an emotionally abusive relationship, and her friends (played by Wunmi Mosaku and Kaniehtiio Horn) start to realize that things are tragically amiss during one of their birthday weekends.

The movie promises to be an intense (and likely triggering) viewing experience, and Kendrick surely relived some agony while filming. She previously revealed how her own friends (including Aubrey Plaza) helped her see the light, despite the nature of how these types of relationship make one not want to see the light. And as Anna spoke with IndieWire, she made an admission: this press tour has been as much if not more of a grueling experience as the work itself. In particular, she discussed a rapid-fire day of interviews that left her feeling completely “sh*tty.” Here’s what happened:

“I’, actually finding that the press is the thing that has been a little trickier to navigate, making sure that I’m OK and feeling safe in my body…. There was a thing early on where I was doing like a junket-style day for ‘Alice, Darling’ where it’s like six minutes per person and you kind of run through like 30 interviews really quickly, and I went home and was in the shower and was like, ‘Why do I feel so shitty right now?,’” Kendrick said. “And I sort of told everyone, ‘I don’t think I can do another thing like that.’”

Those types of junkets are exhausting when promoting a lighthearted project, so one can only imagine how draining it was to relive emotional abuse over and over again within one day. Yikes. Some films are best promoted in a 1-on-1, carefully scheduled setting. With naps. Lots of naps. I’m perhaps sounding too “dark” while discussing this subject, too, but sometimes, looking for sleep is all that one can do to cope. Hopefully, Anna’s on the mend for real, and she can recover while moving onto her directorial debut, which is also about grim subject matter. Again, naps!

(Via IndieWire)

Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. Things are starting to heat up in the sneaker world as we get our first big-name collaboration of the year and no, it’s not from Nike. In fact, Nike is playing things frustratingly safe and we’d be mad about it if other big brands weren’t picking up the slack.

The big release this week comes out of Adidas who have teamed up with Beyonce for the latest IVY PARK release, the nostalgic Top Ten 2000. The Y2K era has a stranglehold on the world of fashion right now so if you’re all about that retro aesthetic, you’re going to find a lot to love in this new collaboration. With Ye a thing of the past when it comes to conversations about hot footwear, Adidas is still going strong thanks to linking up with Beyonce, you know, one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, as well as Bad Bunny, the literal biggest pop start on the planet. So if you’re worried about the three stripes brand, don’t be, they’re in great company.

Elsewhere, our favorite Chicago designer, Joe Freshgoods, is teaming up with Vans for a radical platform Sk8-Hi that shows the designer pushing the envelope at a brand that loves to play it safe.

Nike Dunk Low Montreal Bagel

A bagel-inspired Dunk? Sure, why the hell not? It’s not like we’ve never loved Dunks inspired by food before (The Chunky Dunk comes to mind) so sure, slap some sesame seed graphics on the leather paneling and call it a day, we’ll take it!

This low-top Dunk features shades of beige with a contrasting Montreal blue swoosh and heel tab over a classic gum sole. Nike is phoning it in for sure, but they’re keeping things fun.

The Nike Dunk Low Montreal Bagel is out now for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Force 1 x Slam Jam Black and Off Noir

A classic silhouette meets classic Italian construction, this Air Force 1 was made in collaboration with Slam Jam and sports a softened premium leather upper with suede detailing (peep that Swoosh), an upside-down Nike Air logo, and Slam Jam branding at the toe, all dressed up in a stealthy triple black colorway.

It’s simply a dope-looking AF-1 made by one of the most renowned streetwear boutiques. A winning combination.

The Air Force 1 x Slam Jam Black and Off Noir is out now for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike Air Penny 2 Black and Faded Spruce

Penny Hardaway fans stay winning! Ever since Nike brought back the Air Penny 2, the design has gotten all sorts of dope new colorways including this week’s Black and Faded Spruce.

Featuring a leather upper with a mix of black and green colors, the Air Penny 2 sports a sculpted foam midsole in Sail, with a visible air unit, and that swirling design that makes the Penny such an attractive and unique silhouette.

The Nike Air Penny 2 Black and Faded Spruce is set to drop on January 20th at 7:00 Am PST for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Joe Freshgoods x Vans Sk8-Hi Reissue Platform VLT LX/Slip-Hiker LX

Joe Freshgoods’ latest Vans collaboration is all about celebrating the Black travel experience. Dubbed the Chocolate Valley Resort collection, this sneaker and apparel drop features a Midwestern log-cabin aesthetic with warm and earthy colorways.

The sneakers featured in the collection include the Sk8-Hi Reissue Platform VLT LX and the Slip-Hiker LX. The former features a coral almond and camel colorway with the latter sporting a quilted nylon upper with an all-weather MTE outsole. It’s a dope and thoughtful collection and the best Vans has looked in a while.

The Joe Freshgoods Vans Sk8-Hi Reissue Platform VLT LX and Slip Hiker LX are set to drop on January 21st for an unannounced retail price. Pick up a pair at the Vans or Joe Freshgoods web stores.

Adidas Sean Wotherspoon Orketro

Sean Wotherspoon is putting his loud and busy touch on a forgotten Adidas silhouette. The Orketro doesn’t get a lot of love, but Wotherspoon has given it a new and vibrant look while still putting sustainability at the forefront.

Made from repurposed materials, this Orketro combines 2000s design details with Adiprene+ cushioning, a bright pink, white, orange, and blue colorway, and an angular three stripes repositioning that makes the sneaker look brand new.

The Adidas Sean Wotherspoon Orketro is set to drop on January 19th at 7:30 AM PST for a retail price of $160. Pick up a pair via the ADIDAS Confirmed App.

Adidas IVY Park Top Ten 2000

If you’ve been following fashion, you know that the y2k aesthetic is back. Feel however you want about that, if you’re over the age of 30 you probably either hate or are confused by it. Get over it, it’s back and it’s not going away. How do we know for sure? Because even Beyonce is into it. Are you saying your taste is better than Beyonce’s? Get real.

The Top Ten is a classic 00’s era Adidas silhouette, and Beyonce is giving it the Ivy Park treatment with a slight reimagining/ Featuring a mesh, nubuck and suede upper, this Top Ten sports a form-fitting neoprene collar, a molded heel piece, and a Cream White and Pulse Mint colorway that recalls Bey’s very first Ivy Park drop.

The Adidas IVY Park Top Ten 200 is set to drop on January 20th at 7:30 Am PST for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Adidas CONFIRMED app.

Earlier this month, BMF made its return for season two after being off the air for a little over a year. The show follows the rise of Demetrius “Meech” Flenory, Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, and their Black Mafia Family drug organization. The first season of BMF followed the Flenory brothers’ early days in Detroit while season two details their efforts to expand as well as the highs and lows that come with it. While we’ll certainly have to wait a bit to see what’s in store for season three, we now know that there will indeed be a season three of BMF.

STARZ announced today that BMF will indeed see a third season, and the news comes just two weeks into the show’s second season. “BMF captures the essence of Detroit through elevated, gritty storytelling and our fans have passionately responded to this show more than ever before,” STARZ’s President of Original Programming Kathryn Busby said in a press release. “Following such a strong debut with season two, we’re thrilled to continue to expand on the incredible story of the Flenory brothers as they change the game by writing their own rules. We can’t wait to see what our extraordinary producers and cast deliver next.”

In addition to the season three renewal, BMF was also ranked as the #1 most socially engaged drama across all networks over its premiere weekend (January 6-8) according to Talkwalker’s SCR.

Make sure to check out our season two, episode two recap of BMF here.

New episodes of ‘BMF’ are available on the STARZ app on Fridays at 12:00 am EST and on the STARZ TV channel at 8:00 pm EST.

Stephen A. Smith might be a loudmouth with occasionally boneheaded opinions but he’s no fool. Just hours after risking the ire of two of music’s biggest fan bases, he’s already walking back his comments negatively comparing Rihanna to Beyoncé. In a video posted on his Twitter account, Stephen A. apologized to Rihanna and admitted that “I need to be more careful” in the future.

“I’m gonna own it,” he said, before tossing a little shade at the outlets that highlighted his faux pas. “I know what y’all trying to do. But I’m gonna own it because I get paid to speak for a living so I need to be more careful.” He then turned his attention to clearing the air with Rihanna, saying, “I want Rihanna to know: You’re a superstar. You’re sensational. You’re spectacular. You’re no joke, and you’re a worthy person to be doing the Super Bowl Halftime Show.”

He also elaborated on what he meant by “she ain’t Beyoncé.” “I’m a Beyoncé fan,” he explained. “I think Beyoncé is not only a phenomenal performer; she’s thee phenomenal performer. The only reason any kind of comparison came into play is because Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl… and I thought those were two of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen. Anybody has to measure up to that.”

He also pointed out that he compared last year’s Dr. Dre performance with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige to Beyoncé’s before going full Stephen A. and asserting that even a Michael Jackson reprise would have to measure up to her and… well. It’s Stephen A. Smith. You couldn’t have been expecting a totally contrite response.

Smith made sure to show love to both Bey and Rih before saying he wished no disrespect to either, encouraging Rihanna to “do your thing.”

A class-action lawsuit against Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks may end up featuring Rob Gronkowski as a defendant. According to The Athletic, Gronkowski’s work as a brand ambassador for Voyager Digital, a cryptocurrency lender in the midst of bankruptcy proceedings, could potentially lead to him being pulled in alongside Cuban and the Mavs, which were both sued for their decision to promote the company.

Gronkowski was subpoenaed last month, per court documents, and an email indicated that brand ambassadors for Voyager could be pulled into the lawsuit.

Via The Athletic:

“We have set the depositions of Rob Gronkowski,” Adam Moskowitz, the plaintiffs’ attorney, wrote in the email.

Asked if the retired tight end is likely to be a defendant, Moskowitz wrote to The Athletic, “He is not a named defendant yet, but the court gave us until Feb. 24 to file an amended complaint against Voyager (such as adding defendants, claims and plaintiffs), we know he was a ‘Brand Ambassador’ for Voyager who ‘promoted’ the unsecured securities (the ‘interest accounts’). We served him with a third-party subpoena, and we have named all of the FTX ‘Brand Ambassadors’ in our pending federal class action.”

Gronkowski, Cuban, and the Mavs are far from the only big names (in the world of sports and culture at large) to get pulled into crypto-related lawsuits. As The Athletic article details, those efforts may have a tough road ahead due to previous rulings. If nothing else, though, it’s easy to imagine that being linked to these lawsuits may give celebrity endorsers cause to think twice before jumping onto the next bandwagon.

Could Rui Hachimura be one of the names that gets moved before the NBA trade deadline next month? According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Washington Wizards are holding conversations with opposing teams about finding a new home for the No. 9 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

As Charania reports, there are teams in the Western Conference that would be interested in acquiring Hachimura and his ability to provide a scoring punch. He is not the only wing who has apparently drawn interest on Washington’s roster, as teams would like to acquire the services of Kyle Kuzma. But apparently, the Wizards would like to keep Kuzma around beyond this year.

Whether to trade Hachimura and Kuzma is among the difficult decisions the Wizards have to make as the trade deadline approaches on Feb. 9. Kuzma will not sign an extension and has a $13 million player option for next season that he expects to decline. Team officials value Kuzma highly and would like to re-sign him over the summer. If the Wizards trade Hachimura, it could signal that team officials are confident they will be able to retain Kuzma.

Hachimura is slated to become a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. All 28 of the former Gonzaga standout’s appearances for the team this season have come off of the bench, and he’s averaging 12.9 points in 24.2 minutes per game while connecting on 49.2 percent of his attempts from the field.

Romeo Santos is going to be a father again. In his romantic music video for “Solo Conmigo” that was released last night (January 17), the Dominican-American superstar revealed that his longtime girlfriend is pregnant.

On January 9, Santos generated controversy online with the first tease of the “Solo Conmigo” video. In the brief clip, he was shown singing the sexy bachata track in between a woman’s legs. Before releasing the full video yesterday, Santos appeared to responded to the fuss in an Instagram post.

“With my art, you’ll find yourself entertained, you’ll identify with it, you’re inspired by it, or you’re offended by it,” Santos wrote in Spanish.

The video for “Solo Conmigo” ended up being NSFW as people expected, but also very beautiful with the appearance of Santos’ pregnant girlfriend. Like that maneuver of Santos spreading his girlfriend’s legs from the teaser, they’re shown making passionate love together. At the end of the video, Santos gives his girlfriend’s baby bump a kiss. This marked the first time that his girlfriend appeared in one of his videos.

The baby on the way will be Santos’ third child with his girlfriend. He is a father to his three sons: Alex Damian, Valentino, and Solano. “Solo Conmigo” is the latest single from Santos’ Formula, Vol. 3 that was released in September. The LP included his bachata-bending collaborations “Sin Fin” with Justin Timberlake and “El Pañuelo” featuring Rosalía.

Following Greta Thunberg’s arrest at a coal mine protest on Tuesday, conspiracy theories started rapidly speculating online that the whole thing was “staged.” The German police who arrested the climate activist would like you to, kindly, knock it off.

While Thunberg is a noted public figure, who recently garnered headlines thanks to her brutal takedown of alleged sex trafficker Andrew Tate, the officers involved in her detainment want to make it clear that she received no special treatment. Granted, in the arrest video, Thunberg can be seen smiling while being physically carried away and posing for photos next to the officer, but there’s a simple explanation.

First of all, Thunberg did not resist arrest and the German officers were mostly concerned for her safety. Thunberg and other activists were detained for wandering too close to the sharp cliff of the mine. As for her standing around and posing for photos, officers were simply waiting for a car to arrive to take her away from the site. More importantly, the police were allowing journalists free reign of the protest. Via BBC News:

Christian Wernicke, a journalist from German news outlet Süddeutsche Zeitung who was there at the time, said the police officers “were deciding how they would proceed with the identity check and waiting to take Greta to the police vehicle.”

“My impression was that there was confusion. Greta was not the first protester who had been taken away from the sit-in,” Mr Wernicke added.

Wernicke also confirmed the German police’s assertions that the whole thing was actually very “mundane.”

“I’ve seen different reactions to the video,” Wernicke told the BBC. “Some say that the footage looks like the police are setting her up to embarrass her and others say that it is all part of some propaganda. People are interpreting and using this footage for their own motives.”

(Via BBC News)