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House of the Dragon was a slam-popularity dunk, to the point where a building full of NYC Game of Thrones obsessives went viral for everyone watching those fire breathers light up at the same time. Thus proving that event TV can still exist, even in the streaming era, HBO quickly greenlit a second HotD season, and less than two years after the show’s debut, it’s coming your way soon.

This success also began to open doors for other George R.R. Martin-penned source material, and indeed, Westeros will receive plenty more airtime. HotD will likely run for four seasons, and an Aegon the Conqueror series is in planning stages. Additionally, production has begun for a HotD sequel/GoT prequel formerly known as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. Let’s get down to business on everything that’s rolled out so far on the show.

Plot

As viewers are aware, House of the Dragon‘s events take place around 300 years before A Song of Fire and Ice begins. And in between that time (about 100 years prior to ASOFAI), George R.R. Martin’s affectionately-known “Dunk and Egg” novellas fill in some gaps when the Targaryens are still kind-of hanging onto power, and dragons are essentially extinct, although we know what happens when Daenerys hangs out in that funeral pyre fire.

GRRM’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms trilogy of novellas include not only The Hedge Knight but also The Sworn Sword and The Mystery Knight. At this point, The Hedge Knight remains a working title for the series, which takes place when Westeros was celebrating the chivalry of knights. Somehow, that existed as a principle after Ser Criston Cole’s saltiness over Rhaenyra declining to run away with him led him to embrace Incel territory. As well, this show takes place long after the more noble knights, Erryk and Arryk Cargyll, chose their respective sides during the Dance of the Dragons.

The official HBO description of this spinoff is as follows:

A century before the events of Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros … a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.

Now, what of this “Egg”? Well, that’s an alias, of course. Not even in Westeros is anyone truly of that name.

His true identity is fairly well known to GRRM readers and some TV viewers, but if you don’t want to know, then do not read further….

Seriously.

Last warning.

Egg is the cloaked identity of Aegon V Targaryen, a successor of Aegon the Conqueror and Aegon II, who recently claimed the Iron Throne at the end of House of the Dragon‘s first season. He’s also a predecessor to Jon Snow, also an Aegon Targaryen. As far as Aegon V goes, we get to know him while he serves as Ser Duncan the Tall’s squire. He was quite adamant about scoring that gig, too, which should be a joy to watch. These two are not exactly Tyrion Lannister and Podrick Payne but are substantial enough to serve as the central focus of a series.

GRRM has also been busy building other Westeros-fueled ideas for HBO’s pipeline. The author recently revealed that the planned Sea Snake show has moved to animated format, and a Nyemeria series is still being developed. No one knows what is up with the supposed Jon Snow show, but that’s alright because Jon/Aegon VI also apparently knows nothing. Two additional animated series are in the works, too.

Cast

HBO hasn’t yet publicized who will be portraying Ser Duncan the Tall, but obviously, he must be physically imposing. Several well-known actors fit the bill, including Alan Ritchson, who is far too busy pumping out Reacher for Amazon. Chris Hemsworth would be a fine addition, although he is arguably too well-known at this point, and it’s hard to see him being able to break away from his long string of movies for a series that will span a trilogy of books and possibly longer. The same goes for Henry Cavill, who has been freed up from The Witcher but has been doing movies and is firing up Warhammer 40,000 projects for Amazon.

Where does that leave Ser Duncan? In the books, he’s nearly seven feet tall, which is a hard bill to completely fill, but that’s what Hollywood magic is for, and Tom Hopper is already familiar with those mechanisms to portray The Umbrella Academy‘s Luther (with his body being filled out to new dimensions by a half-gorilla suit underneath those snug clothes). That Netflix series already finished production on its final season, so look who is available to fill that lead role? Hopefully, HBO has him on the list.

Release Date

HBO has earmarked this series for a 2025 release, which is a rather incredible turnaround time, and this also means that Westeros obsessives will have a show to fill that gap between the second and third season of House of the Dragon. Also, this series has already received a full-season first order, rather than simply a pilot like the failed Bloodmoon.

Trailer

Obviously, no trailer exists yet, but this clip from a 2019 George R.R. Martin interview reveals how he conceived Dunk and Egg.

Move over Mission Impossible. If anyone needed even more confirmation that pop stars saved movie theaters in 2023, AMC Theaters revealed just how thankful they were for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour and Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour being released as films through unique deals with their chain.

Both Beyoncé and Swift distributed their concert films directly through AMC, even before working with any studios or streaming platforms.

“What is particularly noteworthy is how much AMC benefited from our trailblazing industry leading efforts with our highly successful distribution of two concert movies Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour and Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé,” AMC’s CEO Adam Aron shared with Deadline. He also noted, “Literally, all of that increase in AMC’s Revenue and EBITDA is attributable to our having shown these two movies in our theatres in the U.S. and internationally.”

By their two movies alone, their fourth-quarter earnings rose by 11%, providing the theater company with $1.1 billion in revenue. This was way higher than what Wall Street had apparently initially projected for AMC.

“This is a stunning result given that neither of these films were on anyone’s drawing board until mid-year, and that they were the first movies ever distributed by AMC in our entire 103-year history,” Aron said.

“To that end, our praise for Taylor Swift and Beyoncé Knowles Carter has no limit, and we offer our boundless thanks to these two world class artists for entrusting AMC to collaborate with them as to the theatrical exhibition of their two masterpiece creations,” he added.

Bob Odenkirk is always busy with something, whether it’s showing up to award shows, training for unnamed action movies or creating innovative concepts for the next wave of reality TV. And he never quits! Even when his heart did.

Odenkirk stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote his next big project: Nothing To Promote. The “trailer” features a brilliant look at what it’s like to be an actor with nothing to promote. While it might seem like Odenkirk is campaigning for an Oscar, the real emotion comes from Roomba, who carries the film. The two have worked together before.

The movie promises everything: intense father-son dynamics, typewriter sounds, and Odenkirk snorting a line of parmesan:

Odenkirk might not have anything to promote, but he is literally begging to lead an action movie, so someone better cast him before someone else ropes him back into another Breaking Bad reunion. He did take the time on Kimmel apologize for his horrific language, though. “Hello, America. The other night at the SAG Awards, as part of a great reunion of the Breaking Bad cast, I, Bob Odenkirk, besmirched the evening’s abundant pleasantries by saying ‘the F,’” Odenkirk recited as sad music played behind him. “I implore your ears to forget what they heard my mouth say, and I only hope that no other person ever again utters that word ever. Don’t go down the dark road I’ve gone down.”

Check out the full interview above.

If ever there were a time for someone to rest on laurels, it would be after a gigantic statue in your image was erected in your hometown. And if that sounds like a strangely specific hypothetical, it’s because that exact scenario played out for Shakira in December when a 21-foot bronze statue of Shakira was unveiled in her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia. However, instead of retiring, Shakira announced Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, her 12th studio album and first album since 2017. The LP is due out on March 22.

“My new album, coming out March 22, is one I created together with all of you, my pack of shewolves who were there for me every step of the way,” Shakira captioned an Instagram announcement on February 15. “Making this body of work has been an alchemical process. While writing each song, I was rebuilding myself. While singing them, my tears transformed into diamonds and my vulnerability into strength.”

This morning, February 29, Shakira unveiled the full Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tracklist, including the 2023 single “Acróstico” featuring her sons, Milan and Sasha. Check it out below.

Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran Album Cover Artwork

Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran Tracklist

1.⁠⁠ “Puntería” Feat. Cardi B
2.⁠ ⁠”La Fuerte” Feat. Bizarrap
3.⁠ ⁠”Tiempo Sin Verte”
4.⁠ ⁠”Cohete” Feat. Rauw Alejandro
5.⁠ ⁠”(Entre Paréntesis)” Feat. Grupo Frontera
6.⁠ ⁠”Cómo Dónde y Cuándo”
7.⁠ ⁠”Nassau”
8.⁠ “⁠Última”
9.⁠ ⁠”Te Felicito” Feat. Rauw Alejandro
10.⁠ ⁠”Monotonía” Feat. Ozuna
11.⁠ ⁠”Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”
12.⁠ ⁠”TQG” Feat. Karol G
13.⁠ ⁠”Acróstico” Feat. Milan and Sasha
14.⁠ “⁠Copa Vacía” Feat. Manuel Turizo
15.⁠ “⁠El Jefe” Feat. Fuerza Regida
16.⁠ ⁠”Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53″ (Tiësto Remix)
17. “Punteria” (Vinyl Version)

Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran is out 3/22 via Sony Music Latin. Find more information here.

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

Perhaps you thought that the Scandoval drama would die down once the world found something better to focus on, but there is nothing like a good old-fashioned lawsuit to reel you back in!

On the heels of Tom Sandoval comparing himself to O.J. Simpson, he and ex Ariana Madix are now being sued by Raquel/Rachel Leviss, his former Vanderpump Rules co-star, for revenge porn, eavesdropping, and invasion of privacy. In the lawsuit, Leviss claims that Sandoval “recorded sexually explicit videos of her without her knowledge or consent which were then distributed, disseminated, and discussed publicly by a scorned woman seeking vengeance,” referring to Madix.

The affair reportedly came to light last spring when Madix found suggestive videos on Sandoval’s phone, which were then allegedly distributed. Leviss is asking for the video to be destroyed, which would fall on MGM’s Evolution Media.

The 19-page complaint continues:

To make matters worse, Leviss was misled by Bravo and Evolution into believing that she was contractually barred from speaking out about her mistreatment. As a result, she suffered in silence as Bravo and Evolution watched viewership explode, and the rest of the cast enjoyed unseen levels of public recognition and professional opportunity. Meanwhile, Leviss, who was humiliated and villainized for public consumption, remains a shell of her former self, with her career prospects stunted and her reputation in tatters.

This isn’t the first time Leviss has mentioned the invasion of privacy, which was brought up on fellow Bravolebrity Bethenny Frankel‘s podcast last summer. At the time, Leviss sent an “immediate cease and desist letter” to stop the video from being shared, but “some of Ariana’s friends have described the video in great detail online,” she said. “And she also sent it to me, so I don’t know who else she sent it to. I wouldn’t be surprised if she sent it to other people, but it’s not legal.” Leviss is seeking unspecified damages from her former friends Sandoval and Madix, who are already in a tough legal battle over their house.

Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules is currently airing and has been following the cast as they grapple with the fallout of the affair. Leviss is not currently appearing in this season, but she sure has a lot to say on her podcast. Sandoval will surely have some sort of absurd response.

And to think…. this isn’t even the first Bravo-related lawsuit this week.

(Via Deadline)

It seems that the Golden Age of Marvel films has come and gone, and now that Marvel has even admitted they had gone a little overboard with the content lately, MCU actors haven’t been shy about expressing their frustration with the way things have gone downhill over the years.

Ray Winstone, who appeared in 2021’s Black Widow, reflected on his MCU experience and had some choice words for the overall ordeal. “It was fine until you have to do the reshoots,” he told Radio Times. “Then you find out that a few producers have come down, and your performance is too much, it’s too strong… That’s the way Marvel works. It can be soul-destroying because you feel like you’re doing great work,” he admitted. The great work of the MCU is often overlooked.

Winstone, who has appeared in legendary films like Point Break, The Departed, and Cats, even considered quitting the film before his reshoots, but that would be an even bigger headache. “I actually said, ‘You ought to recast it because that was it for me.’ And you end up doing it again because you’re contracted to do it. Otherwise you end up in court,” he said, adding, “It’s like being kicked in the balls.”

Even after all of that, Scarlett Johansson ended up in a heated legal battle anyway, so maybe Winstone is lucky that a little kick in the balls was all he got.

(Via Decider)

While Warner Bros. hasn’t publicly confirmed that Coyote Vs. Acme has been deleted, a recent earning calls revealed that the studio took a $115 million write-down that is believed to include the Looney Tunes film. The studio has faced intense public and industry-wide backlash for its handling of Coyote Vs. Acme and it’s reportedly disingenuous attempts to shop the film to other studios, so it behooves Warner Bros. to never speak of the movie again.

Well, Will Forte has other plans.

In a passionate, and at times fiery, open letter to the cast and crew of Coyote Vs. Acme, Forte confirmed that the movie will be deleted and he made it clear that he “f**king hates” that it’s happening. However, the comedic actor also made it a point to sing the praises of the Looney Tunes film and all of the hard work that went into it.

According to Forte, the movie was “incredible” and “something so special,” leaving him confused and frustrated over its fate.

You can read Forte’s statement in its entirety below:

To the Cast and Crew of Coyote Vs. Acme —

I know that a lot of you haven’t gotten a chance to see our movie. And sadly, it’s looking like you never will.

When I first heard that our movie was getting “deleted,” I hadn’t seen it yet. So I was thinking what everyone else must have been thinking: this thing must be a hunk of junk.

But then I saw it.

And it’s incredible.

Super funny throughout, visually stunning, sweet, sincere, and emotionally resonant in a very earned way. As the credits rolled, I just sat there thinking how lucky I was to be a part of something so special. That quickly turned to confusion and frustration. This was the movie they’re not going to release?

Look, when it comes to Hollywood business stuff, I don’t know shit about shit. Even when a movie tests very well (like ours), there’s no guarantee that it’s going to be a hit. And at the end of the day, the people who paid for this movie can obviously do whatever they want with it. It doesn’t mean I have to like it (I f**king hate it). Or agree with it. And it doesn’t mean that this movie is anything less than magnificent.

You would be so proud of it — a movie that should be seen, but won’t. Please know that all the years and years of hard work, dedication and love that you put into this movie shows in every frame.

That’s all folks,
Will Forte

(Via Will Forte on Twitter)

Rap is full of fun and unexpected familial connections. While some are well-known, like Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar, others often come as a surprise to fans. Sometimes, they’re even a surprise to the rappers themselves, as with Denzel Curry and Smino finding out they were related in 2021. Other interesting entertainment families include Nas and Tracy Morgan, Saweetie and Gabrielle Union, and of course, Quavo and Takeoff, who briefly considered going by “Unc And Phew” after splitting from Offset, who was shockingly not actually related to either.

But one familial bond no one could expect was recently revealed by Memphis upstart GloRilla, who noted during a recent interview that she’s related to another rapper despite being from over 1,000 miles away in Philadelphia. Appearing on the Bottoms Up With Fannita podcast, Glo was asked whether she’d collaborate with Lil Uzi Vert, and instead of answering outright, she noted, “That’s my cousin,” to the surprise and delight of the show’s host, Fannita Leggett. Undeterred, Leggett wondered why the two hadn’t collaborated yet since they have an existing connection, and Glo cagily replied, “We actually workin’ on it… we just gotta get it together.” Fans will undoubtedly be waiting for that if only to hear how the two divergent rappers’ flows will mesh.

You can check out GloRilla’s full Bottoms Up interview up top.

Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Donald Trump has another lawsuit to add to the pile. Trump Media & Technology Group co-founders Andy Litinsky and Wes Moss are claiming that the former president and his business cronies schemed to lock them out of a stake in the company, potentially losing the pair millions of dollars.

According to the Washington Post, Litinsky and Moss, who first met Trump on his NBC reality show The Apprentice, “pitched Trump on the idea of a Trump-branded tech start-up and social media platform in early 2021 after he lost the White House and was banned from Twitter, now called X.” Trump agreed to the deal and was given 90 percent of the company, while Litinsky and Moss got 8.6 percent; the rest went to attorney Bradford Cohen.

But things have gotten complicated.

The filing said that Trump was set to receive 78 million shares in the post-merger company — a stake worth $3.5 billion at today’s share price — and that [Litinsky and Moss’ investment company United Atlantic Ventures] would receive more than 7 million shares, a stake worth about $339 million. “Throughout TMTG’s corporate history,” the motion states, “UAV’s 8.6 percent ownership interest has been recognized and honored.” But UAV’s attorneys allege in the motion that Trump has recently attempted to “drastically dilute” the partnership’s stake as part of what they called an “11th hour, pre-merger corporate maneuvering” tactic designed to increase the amount of authorized stock, from 120 million shares to 1 billion shares.

Speaking for his clients, Litinsky and Moss’ lawyer told the Post, “They feel like: We made Truth Social for you. You get 90 percent. But some people just aren’t happy with 90 percent.” It’s almost as if going into business with Donald Trump isn’t a great idea. Weird!

(Via the Washington Post)

It is looking like another year of bad news for music lovers who were looking to attend the Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Delaware in 2024. Given that the festival didn’t take place last year either, as they were reportedly taking a break, there were questions about if it would ever return. Today (February 29), Firefly released a statement about what people can expect for now.

“Firefly Music Festival will not return in 2024,” they wrote. “We look forward to powering Firefly’s lights back on someday when the timing is right, but until then, The Woodlands will continue to host new music events for years to come. Keep on dancing, fam.”

Things seemed to have changed drastically since Firefly’s previous post, which was made in October 2022 and was an exciting confirmation that fans would get to see them in 2024. Because of this, fans on social media are upset and mourning the loss of a festival that they went to a bunch and loved.

Firefly’s traditional hosting spot at Dover’s The Woodlands will be the home to other festivals this year. Phish has appeared to be the ones taking things over, at least for 2024. The jam band announced that they’ll be hosting their new Mondegreen festival there.

Check out the post from Firefly Music Festival above.