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‘Dune: Part Two’ Is Phenomenal, RIght Up There With The Greatest Sci-Fi Films Of All-Time

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Let’s just start with Austin Butler. A few months ago a promotional image was released of his look as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, an appearance that looks nothing like Sting in David Lynch’s Dune from 1984. Sting is only mentioned because if you go to the Wikipedia page for Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen right now, you still see Sting’s smiling face. Say what you will about Lynch’s Dune (like honestly, go ahead, I won’t be able to hear you so I don’t care), but Sting* is what most people remember about that movie. But back to Butler, it’s a striking image, especially after getting so used to him looking (and sounding) like Elvis Presley. Even in this movie based on the second half of Frank Herbert’s book Dune, it takes awhile for Butler’s Feyd to show up. But once he does, good gosh he’s electric. Just a demonic beast – who likes to stab people for vengeance, sport and boredom – also completely re-frames Dave Bautista’s Glossu, the older brother of Feyd, as a sad character and, now, at least somewhat sympathetic. (A lot of credit goes to Bautista here, too, who knows how to wear a face that reads, “I’ve done some bad things but, look what I have to put up with here.”)

*I rewatched Lynch’s Dune somewhat recently** on the Arrow-released 4K set. I quite enjoyed it for what it is. (Also, my friend Max wrote a great and extremely thorough book about it.) The last time I saw it was when it was on HBO in, I’d assume, 1985. Back then I only watched it because of Sting. At the time I assumed Sting was the main character. He is not. Like in this adaptation, Feyd takes a long time to show up.

(**I just looked up what I apparently consider “somewhat recently.” According to Letterboxd I last watched David Lynch’s Dune in September of 2021, almost two and a half years ago. I truly have no concept of time anymore.)

Look, a lot of people loved 2021’s Dune. I remember being mixed: impressed with the gall of even trying to make an adaptation of a book that so many people have declared unfilmable, but also realizing I just sat through two and a half hours of character introduction and exposition. To be clear, beautiful-looking character introductions and exposition, but character introductions and exposition nonetheless. On Villeneuve’s press tour for his first Dune, here was the first half of a movie, with no ending, that despite it all was getting almost universal acclaim and would wind up with a Best Picture nomination, and instead of taking a victory lap, even he was like, Just wait for the next one. He was right. You’re going to see people throw around the word “masterpiece” about Dune: Part Two and I’m not going to sit here and tell you they are wrong. It very well might be. (I would say, ask me in a year.) But Dune: Part Two is certainly up there with some of the best science fiction movies I’ve ever seen. And yeah, turns out Dune is certainly a filmable movie.

Dune: Part Two, unsurprisingly, picks up where Dune left off – Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), walking off with the Freman on the desert planet of Arrakis, a planet of great interest to many warring factions as the only producer of Spice, which is both a mind opening drug and fuel. (Imagine if a canister of Pennzoil could also produce the effects of LSD.) Leading the Freman is Stilgar, who is convinced Paul is a messiah who will lead the Freman to victory in vanquishing the Harkonnen, eventually commanded by Feyd, from Arrakis. A fellow Freman, Chani (Zendaya), thinks Paul becoming a messiah is bunk (Paul tends to agree) as the two fight alongside each other and a romance develops.

The effects in this movie are gorgeous. Sometimes I get down on CGI (like a lot of people do) but there’s lazy CGI just like there used to be lazy practical effects. I found a lot of what I was looking at to be stunning. Most significantly, Paul being sent on on the challenge of riding a sandworm. In theory, this should look cool. In 1984’s Dune, it did not look “cool.” There’s a fine line here. Turns out, this is a gorgeous, triumphant-looking scene. (Spoiler, the main character does not get eaten by a sandworm halfway through the movie while he tries to use it as a car.) The first movie looked great, but just like the character development and exposition from the first film that all pays off in this film, the effects do the same thing. We’ve been introduced to all these creatures and machines and aspects, now they all get to pay off. (Another terrific effect, maybe less about CGI here, is the time we spend on the House of House Harkonnen’s home world, Giedi Prime, which is all presented in a very sharp, stunning black and white.)

Getting too much more into the weeds of the plot of Dune seems like a fool’s errand. The people who know it, well they already know it. And the people who don’t, it doesn’t tend to lend itself into an easy summary of events. And, of course, the book containing so many parallels with our world’s dependency on fossil fuels, and who strives and suffers, as a result has been well documented. Also of note, which is kind of out there now, but Dune: Part Two doesn’t wrap itself up at the end. Villeneuve has tentative plans to make Dune: Messiah, though no script is finished and nothing has been green-lit. And Villeneuve wants to take a few years away from Dune anyway, so it will be awhile. Dune: Messiah takes place 12 years after the events of these movies, so he has some time.

Though, it will be interesting to see how Dune: Part Two performs. The first movie did well, with the disclaimer “all things considered.” Meaning people were still skittish about movie theaters and, maybe more importantly, Dune hit HBO Max on the same day it was released in theaters. There will be no “all things considered“ this time. So, for the foreseeable future, people are just going to have to be satisfied with having, finally, both parts of the definitive film adaptation of Dune. A movie, again, many people will call a masterpiece. And, again, they might just be right.

You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

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Is Amazon Shutting Down The Freevee Service?

Bosch
Amazon Studios

Amazon Prime Video‘s recent foray into streaming ads has already sparked a class-action lawsuit, and now, it may have its first fatality. According to a new report, Amazon is pulling the plug on Freevee, the streamer’s free ad-based tier that’s now redundant thanks to Prime Video running ads as of January 29.

The Freevee service has been home to Bosch: Legacy, Jury Duty, and American Rust, all of which will be ported over to Prime Video and used as “front porch” titles to entice new subscribers.

Via AdWeek:

The duplicate nature of Freevee and Prime Video has led to confusion among both viewers and ad buyers, according to two people familiar with the matter. Heading into NewFronts, Amazon would like to focus its efforts on selling one ad-supported service rather than two.

Likewise, the marketing budget dedicated to promoting Freevee has come under scrutiny amid a larger effort from Amazon to reduce expenses. The company conducted layoffs in January across Prime Video and streaming service Twitch.

From the look of things, Freevee’s fate was sealed when the decision was made to put streaming ads on Prime Video. However, we can’t help but notice that prolific author Stephen King voiced his discontent with the service. That can’t be a coincidence.

King’s hunger for killing streaming services will surely only grow from here. May God have mercy on us all.

(Via AdWeek)

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When Does Pharrell & Tyler The Creator’s Louis Vuitton Collab Come Out?

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When Pharrell was made the head designer of legacy fashion house Louis Vuitton after Virgil Abloh passed away, it was only a matter of time until Tyler The Creator got in on the action. Tyler has long been an adherent of Pharrell’s musical and fashion philosophies, and Pharrell’s been more than happy to step into the role of mentor for the younger artist, so it’s fitting that he’d also invite Tyler to take a hand in guiding the direction of Pharrell’s Vuitton.

Naturally, Tyler’s capsule collection for Louis Vuitton is stamped by his signature affinity for preppy, old-money styles like trench coats, polo sweaters, and dapper short suits all presented with retro flair with modern flourishes and pops of pastel. Tyler shared a lookbook on Twitter with photos in both the studio and in the wild, highlighting the versatility of the clothes and styling. He also thanked Pharrell, calling him a “guardian angel.”

The collection — which also includes a custom chess board designed by Tyler — is due to hit stores on March 21, just in time for the spring/summer season. In an interview with WWD, Pharrell praised his collaborator, saying, “Everything that Tyler does is thoughtful and authentic. We’ve done something completely new with this project that merges our two worlds and the outcome is uniquely LV.

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Zendaya Continues Making Tennis Look Sexy In The New ‘Challengers’ Trailer

While Zendaya had all of the fashion fans drooling over her robot outfit at the Dune Part Two premiere, she’s already teasing her next project, which is pretty much the opposite of giant sandworms and spices. The actress stars in Challengers, an upcoming sports drama from director Luca Guadagnino.

In the film, Zendaya stars as Tashi, an all-star tennis pro-turned-coach, who pushes her husband Art to play a “challenger” event which puts him head to head with his former best friend and Tashi’s ex, Patrick. There are lots of tennis balls, some top-tier tennis outfits, and a threesome. It’s just a classic, Wii-sports-inspired love triangle. Tennis is, famously, the sport with the most amount of Love.

Here is the official synopsis:

Tennis player turned coach Tashi (Zendaya) has taken her husband, Art (Mike Faist), and transformed him into a world-famous grand slam champion. To jolt him out of his recent losing streak, she makes him play a “Challenger” event — close to the lowest level of pro tournament — where he finds himself standing across the net from his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend (Josh O’Connor).

The film required the cast to train for three months with professional tennis players to make sure they were making all the correct grunting sounds while hitting the balls. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s better than riding a hypothetical worm!

Challengers hits theaters on April 26th. Check out the trailer above.

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The 2024 Osheaga Lineup Will Bring SZA, Noah Kahan, And Green Day To The Canadian Festival

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Osheaga is set to return to Parc Jean-Drapeau this summer in Montreal, Canada. Taking place over the course of three days (August 2 to 4), the festival will bring the biggest names in music, across all genres, to Parc Jean-Drapeau for its 17th edition.

On Friday (August 2), fans can look forward to performances by “Stick Season” hitmaker Noah Kahan, as well as Teddy Swims, who is currently enjoying a breakthrough with his single, “Lose Control.” Also on the slot for Friday are Lil Tjay, Dominic Fike, Mariah The Scientist, Romy, Teezo Touchdown, Two Door Cinema Club, and more.

Saturday’s (August 3) lineup features Green Day, Reneé Rapp, T-Pain, Labrinth, Chappell Roan, Brittany Howard, and more.

Closing out the festival on Sunday (August 4) is SZA, who is headlining that day, along with Hozier, Justice, Jungle, Alvvays, Hamza, and Still Woozy. Tyla, Kevin Abstract, Raye, and Ayra Starr are also scheduled to perform that day.

Tickets for Osheaga are available for purchase now, and single-day tickets will be available for purchase beginning Friday (February 23). Fans can purchase tickets outright, or set up payment plans through Klarna. Find more information on the festival website.

You can see the full Osheaga 2024 lineup below.

Osheaga 2024 Lineup Poster

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Osheaga

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

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Will There Be ‘The Vince Staples Show’ Season 2 On Netflix?

The press tour for The Vince Staples Show has been an absolute treasure trove of hilarious quotes and sharp insights from the show’s creator and star, Vince Staples. For instance, he’s revealed why the show only has five episodes (one was cut due to rain on the scheduled filming day), the fact that he failed a ton of auditions and even took acting classes to hone his comedic timing (watch the interview above), and why there weren’t any actual “jokes” in the show, despite it being uproariously funny.

However, one thing he didn’t share was whether the show would get a second season.

There’s a good reason for that, of course: Vince doesn’t know. As with most Netflix shows, its renewal is dependent on a complex set of criteria held by the streamer, which could include anything from the number of viewers or hours watched to “vibes” (when in doubt, assume the latter. CEOs don’t be knowing what they doing, it’s just that nobody ever tells them “no”). Still, Vince knows the show has a better chance if it does well early, prompting fans on Twitter to “hit that double thumbs” because “peer pressure works.”

https://twittercom/vincestaples/status/1758718157639024830

You can stream The Vince Staples Show in full on Netflix now and read Uproxx’s interview with Staples about it here.

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What Time Will ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Be On Netflix?

Avatar The Last Airbender
Netflix

After the surprise success of One Piece, Netflix is once again trying its hand at making a live-action adaptation of a beloved anime. However, this time around, the streamer is taking at a highly ambitious stab at an iconic property: Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Released in the mid-2000s on Nickelodeon, the original Avatar series wowed an entire generation of fans who watched Aang and his friends embark on an epic quest over three books/seasons. M. Night Shyamalan infamously failed at making a live-action Avatar movie, so Netflix has its work cut out for them.

Fortunately, we’ll know soon enough if the streaming giant stuck the landing as the release date for Avatar: The Last Airbender is right around the corner. Here’s when you can start streaming this latest adaptation.

What Time Will ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Be On Netflix?

Avatar: The Last Airbender will start streaming at 3:00 a.m. ET on Thursday February 22. Like most Netflix Originals, all eight episodes of Season 1 will release at the same time for your binging pleasure.

Here’s the official synopsis:

With the current incarnation of the Avatar yet to emerge, the world has lost hope. But like a light in the darkness, hope springs forth when Aang, a young Air Nomad — and the last of his kind — reawakens to take his rightful place as the next Avatar. Alongside his newfound friends Sokka and Katara siblings and members of the Southern Water Tribe, Aang embarks on a fantastical, action-packed quest to save the world and fight back against the fearsome onslaught of Fire Lord Ozai … They’ll need the help of the many allies and colorful characters they meet along the way.

Avatar: The Last Airbender starts streaming February 22 on Netflix.

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Greta Gerwig’s ‘Chronicles Of Narnia’ Movies: Everything To Know So Far About The Netflix Project

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Since 2017, Greta Gerwig has directed three movies: Lady Bird, which was nominated for Best Picture and made $79 million on a $10 million budget; Little Women, which was nominated for Best Picture and earned $218.9 million on a $40 million budget; and Barbie, which was nominated for Best Picture and took home $1.4 billion on a reported $145 million budget. Gerwig is the rare filmmaker who makes critically acclaimed movies that are also massive box office hits, and for her next magic trick, she’s heading to Narnia.

Gerwig is attached to write and direct at least two movies for Netflix based on author C.S. Lewis’ beloved book series, The Chronicles of Narnia. There’s some cute British kids, a Jesus lion, Mr. Tumnus, you know the deal. Gerwig is currently working on the first film, which is presumably an adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, with Prince Caspian to follow (“presumably” because neither Gerwig nor Netflix has confirmed if the movies will follow the chronology of the books). Netflix wants to turn all seven novels in the series into movies, and by hiring Gerwig, they’re off to a good start.

Here’s a chronicle of everything we know about Gerwig’s Narnia movies.

Plot

When the Netflix deal was announced, the streaming service’s CEO Ted Sarandos said in a statement, “C.S. Lewis’ beloved Chronicles of Narnia stories have resonated with generations of readers around the world. Families have fallen in love with characters like Aslan and the entire world of Narnia, and we’re thrilled to be their home for years to come.” This was before Gerwig was officially attached, but she’s been working on the script for awhile.

Gerwig wrote the first draft for her Narnia movie — whether it’s The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe or otherwise — before production started on Barbie. “Knowing that I’d laid the groundwork for Narnia and wanted to return to it, that’s probably something I set up for myself psychologically,” she told Time.

Sarandos described the films as “bigger and bolder” than people think, but “it won’t be counter to how the audience may have imagined those worlds.” He added that they’re “rooted in faith,” like Lewis’ source material. Along those lines, Gerwig explained to Time that she was drawn to the author’s work because “it’s connected to the folklore and fairy stories of England, but it’s a combination of different traditions. As a child, you accept the whole thing — that you’re in this land of Narnia, there’s fauns, and then Father Christmas shows up. It doesn’t even occur to you that it’s not schematic. I’m interested in embracing the paradox of the worlds that Lewis created, because that’s what’s so compelling about them.”

Cast

There’s no cast details yet, so the dream of Timothée Chalamet — who was in Lady Bird and Little Women, and was almost in Barbie — playing Mr. Tumnus is still alive.

Release Date

Production is expected to begin later this year, so don’t expect Narnia to be released until 2026.

Trailer

This is the closest thing to an official trailer for now:

I think these Lonely Island guys are going to go far.

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Kevin Costner Wants You To Eat Like Kevin Costner At A Costner-Themed Restaurant (That Will Also Do Catering)

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Paramount

Kevin Costner is putting down roots in Utah after filming his upcoming western epic, Horizon: An American Saga, in the state. The actor/filmmaker is reportedly building a massive multi-million dollar studio that will also include a delicious treat: A “Costner-themed” restaurant.

What does that even mean? No one really knows, but according to the president of the new development project, the restaurant is “kind of Kevin’s passion,” so fingers crossed that translates into menu items like Bull Durham Burgers, Tin Cup Tostadas, and Robin Hood Ravioli. The restaurant will also cater, bringing that Costner-themed goodness to your next event.

Via Salt Lake Tribune:

Costner’s interest in building a studio was borne out of his frustration last year in finding a warehouse to shoot some interior scenes when he was filming “Horizon: An American Saga.” The four-part series, which will depict the settlement of the West during the Civil War era, employed a cast and crew of more than 400 people and pumped an estimated $90 million into the St. George economy.

The 500-acre complex will be conveniently located near the St. George airport and “feature two sounds studios, a production warehouse for set design and office space.” Tours will be open to the public, presumably to allow people to experience Costner’s passion for Costner-based food items.

(Via Salt Lake Tribune)

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Bradley Cooper Recalls His ‘Crazy’ Visit With Beyoncé, Which Featured Jay-Z Watching ‘Judge Judy’

There are many people who would pay good money to get a glimpse of what Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s home life is like. Well, Bradley Cooper is somebody who’s seen it, and he described the experience as “crazy.”

During a recent SAG-AFTRA Foundation interview with Willie Geist, Cooper explained that he was trying to recruit Beyoncé to star alongside him in A Star Is Born, and he reminisced about a time he visited her at home:

“I went to Beyoncé’s house, and Jay-Z was watching Judge Judy, I still remember. Yeah, I’m not kidding. And I was freaking… I was so… I remember I had this weird cough when I was pitching it to her, it was so crazy. And she was incredible and so was he. And we developed it for like a year together. I mean, she’s one of the greatest people of all time, and then that fell through.

For the record, the bit about Beyoncé nearly being in the movie isn’t news, as it’s mentioned in this 2018 Variety feature. Interestingly, as that piece also notes, the idea for the A Star Is Born remake (the original movie came out in 1937 and was remade in 1976) had been around since the ’90s. At one point, Whitney Houston was apparently considered to star.

Check out Cooper’s full interview above, with the A Star Is Born story starting at about 41 minutes in.