Category: Worldwide

Jurnee Smollett has been acting since she was four (she played Michelle’s friend Denise on Full House), but her career has really taken off in the past few years. She turned a lead role in WGN America’s acclaimed Underground into playing Black Canary in Birds of Prey, and she’ll soon star in HBO’s Lovecraft Country, one of 2020’s most anticipated shows. The show’s subject matter — racism, police brutality, the Black experience in America — has led many to dub it “timely,” but Smollett disagrees with that sentiment.

Lovecraft Country has, unfortunately, been timely for generations.

“We’re telling the story of heroes that go on a quest to disrupt white supremacy, and it’s maddening that in the year 2020 it’s still relevant,” she told the Hollywood Reporter, which added “that the series, from Jordan Peele, J.J. Abrams, and Underground‘s Misha Green, would be so had it come out on any day of any year since 1619.”

Smollett also discussed the on-set sexual harassment she’s faced since before she was even a teenager. “I don’t know that I can confidently say that I worked on one job prior to Lovecraft — from the time I was 12 on — where I hadn’t been sexually harassed, whether it was by an AD, a co-star, director, producer,” she said, before praising Green and Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Shonda Rhimes, among others, for giving her the courage to speak out about her experience. “And we’re no longer asking for a seat at the table,” Smollett said. “We’re building our own motherf*cking table.”

Lovecraft Country premieres on HBO on August 16.

(Via Hollywood Reporter)

In March of 2016, the first trailer for the Nina Simone biopic Nina was shared, and the film received immediate backlash due to the casting of Zoe Saldana (who identifies as Afro-Latina) as the titular singer. There were accusations of blackface, accusations that had legs considering Saldana wore dark makeup for the role, as well as a prosthetic nose and false teeth. Furthermore, Simone’s daughter Simone Kelly expressed her dissatisfaction with the casting choice when it was made public in 2012, saying, “My mother was raised at a time when she was told her nose was too wide, her skin was too dark. Appearance-wise this is not the best choice.”

Now, even Saldana herself wishes she hadn’t played Simone. In a new interview, she said she should not have had the lead role in Nina, saying:

“I should have never played Nina. I should have done everything in my power with the leverage that I had ten years ago — which was a different leverage, but it was leverage nonetheless — I should have tried everything in my power to cast a Black woman to play an exceptionally perfect Black woman. I thought back then that I had the permission because I was a Black woman. And I am. But, it’s Nina. And Nina had a life and a journey that should be honored to the specific detail… she deserved better. […]

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry because I love her music. We’ve been appropriating ourselves with someone like Nina Simone for a very long time, and I just want her story to be told, and I want it to be right because she deserves it.”

Watch the full interview below.

Fans are convinced that Travis Scott is taking them to “Utopia” on his next album — and that “Utopia” is that album’s title. In a post celebrating the third anniversary of the release of his last album Astroworld, Travis ended his note with the phrase “see you in Utopia,” which fans have now latched onto on social media, imploring the Texas rapper to release the follow-up.

“Happy Astroversary, a 2-year ride that’s still one of my favorites!!!” Scott wrote. “Album means so much to me!! To every one that bumps and rages to that soundtrack, I love you. Let’s keep the ride going. See you in Utopia.” Astroworld was released on August 3, 2018 and became one of that year’s best-selling albums, debuting at No. 1 with 537,000 equivalent units and returning there in December. It’s since been certified triple platinum and has spawned numerous hit singles, including “Sicko Mode” featuring Drake, Travis’ first Hot 100 No. 1.

Now that fans are sure the title of Travis’ next album is Utopia, they have gone all-in on the possible title, digging up hints and clues from throughout Travis’ last few months of social media posts to connect the dots like a conspiracy map. One fan even joked, “Now every Travis tweet gonna have ‘DROP UTOPIA’ under it for the next 2 years.”

That fan wasn’t wrong, as the “drop Utopia” posts have already begun appearing on Twitter, with Travis’ handle tagged in for good measure. Check out some of these posts below.

Troye Sivan marked last month by announcing the release of a new EP, In A Dream, and sharing the first look at it, “Easy.” Now the singer is back with another preview of the six-song collection, “Rager Teenager.”

On the track, Sivan sings of his desire to have an eventful evening with a special someone: “I just want to go wild / I just wanna f*ck sh*t up and just ride / In your car tonight / In your bed tonight / I just want to sing loud / I just want to lose myself in a crowd / In your arms tonight / Burn in his arms tonight.”

Musically, the song is a slow-burner, an introspective track that grows with intensity with each chorus, ramping up the blankets of synths and electronic percussion as the song goes on.

Sivan previously said of the EP, “A story that’s still unfolding, this small collection of songs explores an emotional rollercoaster period in my life when the feelings and thoughts were most shockingly fresh. Revisiting these songs and moments is tough, but I’m proud of this music and excited to have it out in the world.”

Watch the “Rager Teenager” video above.

In A Dream is out 8/21 via Capitol Records. Pre-order it here.

50 Cent may have joked that he’s taking a social media break, but there’s no way he’d have been able to resist the opportunity to protest an Emmy snub and troll the awards show at the same time. Power, 50 Cent’s Starz crime drama, completed its final season earlier this year, yet was never nominated for one of the coveted television awards at anytime during its six-year run. Understandably, 50 feels a way about this perceived snub, and he found a suitable, typically 50 way to respond.

“Ok here it is Emmy’s, My Black ass for your consideration to kiss,” he wrote in the caption of his latest post. “F*ck your organization I only care about NAACP awards.” True to his word, the caption came attached to a photo of a male posterior, although it looks like it might be a painting or sculpture, rather than 50’s actual “Black ass.” The NAACP Image Awards have been kinder to the mogul’s show, nominating it for its Outstanding Drama Series award four times since 2016. It won twice, in 2018 and at the most recent 50th NAACP Image Awards in 2019.

50, who’s been known to carry a grudge or two in his day, has been defensive of his show for years, even going so far as to troll the cable company Comcast for no longer carrying Starz late last year, in the midst of Power’s final season.

Grab yourself a slice of powdered toast and celebrate: Ren and Stimpy are back.

Comedy Central announced on Wednesday that beloved 1990s animated series The Ren & Stimpy Show will be “reimagined” for a “new generation.” Which is to say, the generation that grew up with Beavis and Butt-Head, Daria, and Clone High, all of which are also returning. “The series hails from Nickelodeon Animation Studio,” according to the Hollywood Reporter (which tellingly only makes one reference to disgraced creator John Kricfalusi, who presumably won’t be involved). “Additional information, including writers, an episode count, and premiere date, have not yet been determined”:

“We are excited to reinvent this iconic franchise with a new creative team and our partners at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio,” [ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group president Chris McCarthy] said. “Ren & Stimpy joins our rapidly expanding roster of adult animation including South Park, Beavis and Butt-Head, and Clone High as we continue to reimagine our treasure chest of beloved IP for new generations.”

Bring back Eek! The Cat next (I’m only half-joking). The Ren & Stimpy Show ran on Nickelodeon for five seasons before being brought back for the now-first time in 2003 on Spike TV as Ren & Stimpy “Adult Party Cartoon.” Hopefully the Comedy Central reimagining brings us more happy happy, joy joy than the Spike revival did.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

Megan Thee Stallion is the subject of a new Variety profile, and in it, she discusses a theme of her upcoming music.

The article notes, “If things go according to plan, [Megan’s upcoming Cardi B collaboration “Wap.”] will be followed by Megan’s album, which she promises will have lyrics addressing the Black Lives Matter movement, something she hasn’t yet done explicitly in her music.” Megan then explained why, saying, “I feel like everything that’s going on right now, if it hasn’t moved you to speak out or try to make some type of difference, then something might be slightly wrong with you. Even though I haven’t already come out with a song with that messaging, I definitely plan on it.”

She also discussed how personable Beyonce was when she first met her at a New Year’s Eve party last year, saying, “In the first five minutes of the conversation, I felt like I’ve been knowing her all my life. She treated me like family, and now I feel like I am family. We talk all the time.”

Being friendly with Beyonce is one perk of fame, but Megan noted a downside of widespread notoriety, saying, “The only thing I don’t like about having all eyes on you at all times is not all eyes are good eyes. I still want to be able to walk into Walmart and buy dog food. I still want to party in the club and nobody’s recording me and no super-judgey internet police are going, ‘Shame!’ But all that comes with it, and you have to be prepared for people to be in your business, 24/7.”

Nicki Minaj also offered a quote about Megan, admiring her dedication to her education: “One of my favorite things about Meg is her desire to further her education. It’s so important for women to feel inspired to achieve goals outside of social media, where the focus is usually placed on their bodies or who they’re dating at the time. Women are more than just baby mamas, and we can continue to prove that by being goal oriented, bettering ourselves and being independent. Megan is the perfect example that we can have fun and be smart at the same time.”

Read the full feature here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The fate of Deadpool as an onscreen entity — especially as the character’s gloriously profane, hard-R self — has been a giant question mark since Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Even prior to the pandemic, no one could predict whether the Merc with a Mouth would surface in Deadpool 3 or an X-Force movie or maybe even wield the katanas in an Avengers flick. Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld recently stated that the lack of movement on the character didn’t worry him at all, although he added, “If you make this movie [or not], I’m getting a fat check.” That kind of response sounds about right for Liefeld, but Reynolds is taking a more fan-based approach in his responses, one of which he certainly enjoyed crafting.

First, it’s worth noting that within a lengthy Fast Company profile (largely about Aviation Gin’s rise, including the Peloton Lady stuff) Reynolds cut to the chase. “Three words,” Reynolds said while fielding the Deadpool question. “I don’t know. Obviously, everything is on pause right now.” Fair enough. More than fair, actually.

Next up, Reynolds is getting crafty with his “cuts” lately (including a Green Lantern doozy), so we gotta talk about his recent online celebration of the “Leakaversary.” He was, of course, referencing that infamous July 2014 leak of footage from the first Deadpool movie that sparked pre-Marie Kondo joy from fans and led to a fast-tracking of the movie.

Here’s Reynolds’ take on an Unsolved Mysteries-style montage called Unsolved Leaks. “It’s why the next Deadpool film is taking so long,” he tweeted. “Still trying to solve this. Happy Leakaversary.”

I truly wish there was a clue hidden inside here about a surprise Deadpool 3 movie landing on Disney+ this fall (alongside Mulan), but nope. Happy hunting, though!

A fair amount of posthumous material from Juice WRLD has been released since the rapper’s death, like his Legends Never Die album and his big Eminem collaboration “Godzilla.” He had a select group of collaborators feature on his album as well, like Halsey, Marshmello, and Trippie Redd. Now his legacy will be added onto by The Weeknd, as he revealed the pair has new music on the way.

Last night, the Canadian superstar took to social media to write, “XO + 999 Thursday Night.” He also shared a tweet that Juice penned last September, writing, “Me and The Weeknd would make a diamond record…”

The Weeknd has been busy as of late. He has a heaping amount of nominations at the upcoming MTV VMAs, and he’s getting ready to perform a live virtual concert on TikTok. He has also dived deep into the world of animation: Aside from his cartoon “Snowchild” video, he also made guest appearances on Robot Chicken and American Dad.

As for Juice, his work has been tearing up the charts. Legends Never Die had a huge week and debuted at No. 1, but perhaps more impressively, he had five songs simultaneously occupying the top ten of the Hot 100 chart.

Kemba Walker and the Boston Celtics entered the NBA bubble in third in the East, looking to hold onto that position and find their rhythm by the time the playoffs roll around.

For the most part, the Celtics are healthy, although they’re bringing Walker along cautiously to ensure his knee soreness doesn’t become a setback come playoff time. On Tuesday night, Walker saw his minutes restriction bump up to 27 minutes against the Heat, but Boston dropped their second game of the restart in a tight 112-106 loss. That result makes the rest of the bubble important for seeding purposes, with Miami closing in on the 3-seed. But mostly, the next five games will still be all about gaining that rhythm for when the playoffs begin.

Prior to their opener, Walker spoke with Dime over the phone last Thursday on behalf of BodyArmor — he’s among seven new athlete partners with equity joining the brand — about how he’s feeling, the balance of preparing for a season while trying to do what’s best for his body, why he thinks the Celtics chemistry bodes well for them getting things on track pretty quickly despite the long layoff, what’s impressed him most about Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, how his training and nutrition regimen has changed over the years, and more.

First, how is your knee feeling as you get ready for tomorrow’s opener?

The knee is feeling good and I’m feeling good as well. I mean, just ready to go and finally get back on the court with my teammates. So, yeah, everything’s good.

What has it been like in getting back on the court and trying to gear up for the season after four months away while also balancing that you’re keeping your body right and making sure you don’t do too much too quickly?

It’s been okay. It’s been okay. It’s just doing things the smart way. That’s really what I can say, there’s not really much to it. I’m still getting my work in at the same time, you know, being smart about it. You just gotta be efficient with your work at this point, but, yeah, it’s a little different because guys aren’t used to playing at this point and time. But, yeah, it’ll be okay. We’ll get it back and get into rhythm and it’ll be pretty normal.

How have practices looked to you and do you feel the team is in a good place since you open with a big game against Milwaukee?

Yeah, I think everybody’s in a good place. I felt the practices have been great. Our practices have been really great. They’ve been super competitive. I think guys are getting in great rhythm right now, and guys are just ready. The game has been gone for so long and guys are just ready to get back out there and compete again.

We talked back at All-Star and you mentioned how you felt comfortable from the start with this team and that made it easy for you to find a groove early. Is that an advantage you think for this team, this apparent ease with which you guys fit together chemistry-wise, coming off a long layoff with a pretty short run up to the playoffs now?

For sure. Yeah, we’re definitely very comfortable with each other and we really enjoy playing with each other. I definitely think that makes it easy as far as the transition and us being here in Orlando, and trying to get back on track at kind of a faster pace. I think because of our chemistry and how well we get along that’ll help us get back on track a little bit faster.

You have two young teammates in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown who have both taken steps forward this season. What has impressed you the most about those two in your first season playing with them?

I think the thing that impressed me the most is who they are off the court. Especially at such a young age and the way they carry themselves, just two very mature young men. It’s kind of really great and refreshing to be around two young superstars with their personalities and their humility and knowing their work ethic and overall love for the game. It’s just really cool to be around that.

You’re now working with BodyArmor, how did you get involved with them and why were they a brand you wanted to partner with?

I mean, BodyArmor is a really cool brand. They have a super impressive roster of athletes, and just a better for you sports drink. There’s not a lot of sports drinks out there that have really great ingredients in their stuff, and BodyArmor does. And now more than ever, athletes like myself are paying more attention to what we put in our bodies, and that’s why a brand like BodyArmor resonates with me and so many other athletes. And I love it because it keeps me hydrated throughout the whole day, and it tastes great, which is a major key.

How different is your training and recovery program now compared to when you came into the league?

Ha, man. You know what, I had some great vets on my team when I was young and I was very fortunate to get a chef like my second year in the league, but my first year in the league it was pretty bad. It was pretty bad. You know, you’re a young guy coming out of college and you don’t know about eating healthy and drinking healthy drinks and stuff of that nature. So, yeah, it’s like night and day now compared from my rookie year up until now.

What were the things that led to that transition? You mention you had great vets, but they talk about the rookie wall, was there a point where you really recognized, like, ‘Wow, I’ve gotta get my body right and get my body in shape for 82 games and hopefully playoff games?’

Yeah, I mean, I think for me, I came in during the lockout year, so there were times where we played back-to-back-to-backs. So we played three straight games. Now we have back-to-backs, but we had three straight games sometimes. So, man, like, the guys I was going up against and the guys I had to guard, there were just times where I was super, super tired, and a lot of it came from the food or the stuff — the juices or like soda I drunk the night before. So I had to be more conscious about what I put in my body, and that’s definitely why BodyArmor is a great partner for me. Just going back to what I’m trying to get done.