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Shawn Levy has a pretty busy schedule ahead of him. Not only does he have to finish production on Deadpool 3, which is still on pause due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, but he also has to wrap up the final season of Stranger Things in epic fashion. Those projects are pretty daunting by themselves, and yet, Levy will tackle another seemingly insurmountable task when those two are finished: Directing a new Star Wars movie.

Back in November 2022, Deadline broke the news that Levy will direct a secret movie for the franchise whose plot details and story are tightly under wraps. Since then, there’s been little in the way of updates on the project, which has become par for the course for Star Wars where movies are announced and then shelved with regularity.

However, in a new interview with Variety, Levy has confirmed that he is working with Lucasfilm and the project is still moving forward.

“When Kathy Kennedy brought me on board to make a Star Wars movie, her central mandate to me was ‘I want a Shawn Levy movie. I want a story and a tone that reflects you and your taste and what you bring to your movies — with a Star Wars story,’” Levy said. “So I have felt extremely empowered. We are in early days, unfortunately, because the development process was abruptly paused [due to the WGA strike], but I feel very empowered to trust my instincts in the development of this story and movie.”

When asked if working on Deadpool 3 has been “good practice” for making a Star Wars movie, Levy did not disagree with that framing.

“The experience that I’m currently having with Marvel on Deadpool is showing me firsthand that it is indeed really possible to feel empowered and personal about making a movie within a universe that is bigger than any one film,” Levy told Variety. “My Deadpool movie is turning out to be exactly what Ryan [Reynolds] and I had hoped when we started off. So I’m going into the development of my Star Wars movie with a similar optimism, and faith that my instincts will be allowed to lead the way.”

(Via Variety)

Taylor Swift added to her stack of No. 1 hits yesterday, after her 2019 song, “Cruel Summer,” topped the Billboard Hot 100 — four years after its original release. Because of this achievement, Swift celebrated on social media with collaborator Jack Antonoff.

Some might be wondering just how many No. 1 songs Swift has, and what they are. Thankfully, we have you covered.

“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” 2012

Swift now has ten chart-topping songs. Her first was back in 2012, with Red‘s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” It stayed at the top spot for three weeks.

“Shake It Off,” 2014

Then, in the 1989 era, she earned some more with the first being “Shake It Off.”

“Blank Space,” 2014

Swift earned another from the same album with “Blank Space.” It hit No. 1 as the second single. Because of this, Swift replaced herself at the top of the charts. The song would go on to spend seven weeks there.

“Bad Blood” Feat. Kendrick Lamar, 2015

Finally, the last 1989 single to reach No. 1 was a remix of “Bad Blood” that featured Kendrick Lamar.

“Look What You Made Me Do,” 2017

Swift then once again broke a music video viewing record at the time when she dropped “Look What You Made Me Do” as the lead single from 2017’s Reputation. It immediately jumped to No. 1 and stayed there once again for three weeks.

“Cardigan,” 2020

In 2020, she also broke another record when she surprise-dropped her album, Folklore, and the single, “Cardigan.” Because of this, Swift became the first artist to hit No. 1 on both the Hot 100 and the 200 Albums Chart in the same first release week.

“Willow,” 2020

Swift did it once again with Evermore, as she pulled a similar move for the sister album with the lead single, “Willow.”

“All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault),” 2021

A year later, she earned another No. 1 hit with “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” from her re-recorded album, Red (Taylor’s Version). Swift’s song now holds the record as the longest song to top the charts.

“Anti-Hero,” 2022

Swift’s Midnights album from last October also earned her a No. 1 hit for “Anti-Hero,” which featured another self-directed music video.

“Cruel Summer,” 2023

Finally, rounding out the ten is the previously mentioned “Cruel Summer,” which got a boost from Swift’s Eras Tour movie.

No one can be good at everything, and Marc Maron is no exception. Sure, he can make people laugh until their stomachs hurt while delivering his stand-up take on the “Rapture,” and it’s hard imagine anyone else pulling off his GLOW role. Maron also delivered a wonderful performance alongside Andrea Riseborough in the (unexpectedly controversial) To Leslie (now on Netflix) and of course, he’s never afraid to get a little profane on his WTF podcast.

At one point in time, however, Maron went for an SNL gig, and it didn’t work out. He moved on and didn’t know that hearing the “why” aspect would be useful, but he felt a lot better once that information came directly from Lorne Michaels. On a previous WTF episode, Michaels explained that he met with Maron because he has an original voice, and “I think you were ready.” However, “I learned early on that if you bring people in and there’s no real spot for them.” Then Michaels elaborated with a comparison to David Spade’s rough SNL onboarding. Via Entertainment Weekly:

“Writers will always go to whoever came through for them on the last show … Unless you play some other kind of part, or unless you bring some other kind of voice that’s clear and can withstand those first five or six shows when the audience is less than friendly.”

Following this discussion, Maron expressed how much of a “great experience” he had during the chat. “Not only did I get closure, not only did I — by this point, I didn’t even know if I needed it, but it was great to have it.” He added that Michaels is a “great guy,” and considering that the co-creator has been cranking out SNL magic (with a hiatus from 1980-85) since 1975, he clearly knows how that magic is best made. And Maron went on to carve out a very popular and enduring podcast (and much more) while enjoying long-term success in his own right.

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

Rashad Jennings had a fine career as an NFL running back. He rushed for 3,772 yards over eight seasons and made nearly $10 million. Not bad for a seventh round pick. Jennings also won a season of Dancing with the Stars and appeared on Guy Fieri’s Guy’s Grocery Games – Game Day Super Teams. He’s a success by any measure — except as a Wheel of Fortune contestant.

During a recent all former-NFL players episode of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Jennings faced a puzzle with all but one letter on the board: “Driving to Reno with _uentin Tarantino.” Instead of filling in the blank with a “Q,” he guessed “P,” as in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood director Puentin Tarantino. Jennings is used to being booed — he played for the New York Giants, after all — but he probably didn’t expect the Wheel of Fortune studio audience to groan at his guess.

Jennings explained what the heck was going through his mind during Monday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. “Well, what happened was, I was wrong,” he explained to host Jimmy Kimmel. “I had one of them things you like to call a brain fart, and it happened at the most inopportune time.” Jennings (who is starting a podcast about the experience) is a fan of Tarantino’s movies, but “when that happened and not having the first letter I was just like, uhhhh, brain fart. As soon as it popped up I knew.”

If I was a Wheel of Fortune contestant in that high-pressure situation, I might also forget my favorite Tarantino movie, which is obviously Kill Dill.

You can watch the Kimmel clip above.

Today (October 24), Green Day announced that they have a new album titled Saviors on the way. In spirit, they also shared the first single, “The American Dream Is Killing Me,” which had been teased on social media last night and played during their recent concerts.

The release includes a spooky music video, just in time for Halloween. The band keeps rocking on in the middle of a zombie invasion, and the B&W style adds to the eerie, chaotic energy. However, at the end, some zombie hunters try to fight back.

“Saviors is an invitation into Green Day’s brain, their collective spirit as a band, and an understanding of friendship, culture, and legacy of the last 30 plus years,” the band shared on Instagram. “It’s raw and emotional. Funny and disturbing. It’s a laugh at the pain, weep in the happiness kind of record.”

They then go on to share a list of things that the album will be about: “Power pop, punk, rock, indie triumph. disease, war, inequality, influencers, yoga retreats, alt-right, dating apps, masks, MENTAL HEALTH, climate change, oligarchs, social media division, free weed, fentanyl, fragility.”

Check out Green Day’s “The American Dream Is Killing Me” above.

Saviors is out 1/19/2024 via Reprise Records. Find more information here.

Green Day is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

With his latest album, For All The Dogs, Drake has accomplished a feat only one other man has. Drake matched Michael Jackson’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits record, thanks to his collaboration with J. Cole, “First Person Shooter.” While a lot of that has to do with streaming, that’s still a pretty impressive accomplishment considering just how much there is to stream these days. Here’s a look back at all of Drake’s Hot 100 No. 1s, which have helped him fascinate the world for well over a decade.

“What’s My Name?” — Rihanna Feat. Drake, 2010

Drake’s first two No. 1 hits came courtesy of his collaborations with Rihanna. The first was a result of Rihanna’s Loud single “What’s Might Name?” which lasted for one week at the position.

“Work” — Rihanna Feat. Drake, 2016

Rihanna’s dancehall-inflected Anti single recaptured the magic of their prior collaborations and improved on the formula, spending nine weeks at No. 1.

“One Dance” Feat. Wizkid & Kyla, 2016

“One Dance,” from Drake’s 2016 album Views, spent 10 weeks at No. 1 and was Drake’s first chart-topper as lead artist.

“God’s Plan,” 2018

Until “God’s Plan,” Drake’s Scorpion standout, the one knock against him was that he did not have any No. 1s as a solo artist. This record not only shattered that last obstacle but also started him on his history-making run in earnest — he’s had a No. 1 in every year since.

“Nice For What,” 2018

Another Scorpion single, “Nice For What,” spent 11 weeks at No. 1, making it his best-performing single ever. It not only replaced “God’s Plan” but it was also later supplanted by another Drake single — in fact, the next one on this list.

“In My Feelings,” 2018

“In My Feelings” replaced “Nice For What” in July, giving Drake three No. 1 hits in 2018. It only fell short of its predecessor’s record by one week, fueled by a viral dance craze that presaged all the TikTokery to follow.

“Toosie Slide,” 2020

Drake’s obvious bid for TikTok trending status low-key worked. For a throwaway from the mixtape Dark Lane Demo Tapes, it certainly outkicked its coverage, although it only spent one week at No. 1.

“What’s Next,” 2021

Another non-album single, “What’s Next” appears on Drake’s Scary Hours EP and appeared at the top spot on the Hot 100 for one week.

“Way 2 Sexy” Feat. Future & Young Thug, 2021

In 2021, Drake returned with Certified Lover Boy, an album that wasn’t beloved but still managed to garner a one-week No. 1 — likely as a result of this goofy video.

“Wait For U” — Future Feat. Drake & Tems, 2022

In 2022, Drake again landed at No. 1 by virtue of a feature appearance — this time, with his new toxic twin Future. This song also has the distinction of making singer Tems the first African artist to debut at No. 1.

“Jimmy Cooks” Feat. 21 Savage, 2022

The song that kicked off Drake and 21’s productive partnership, “Jimmy Cooks” was the only traditional rap song on Honestly, Nevermind, which likely lent to its popularity among fans who were thrown by Drake’s seemingly sudden swing into dance music.

“Slime You Out” Feat. SZA, 2023

Drake’s first-ever collaboration with SZA might not have been popular among peers and critics, but it was with their fans, debuting at No. 1 on release and later appearing on Drake’s eighth studio album For All The Dogs.

“First Person Shooter” Feat. J. Cole, 2023

Drake and J. Cole’s fifth collaboration resulted in Drake’s 13th No. 1, tying Michael Jackson’s record, and J. Cole’s first, throttling one of the negative narratives about his career to date.

Based on her blissful glow when spotted with her rumored boyfriend, Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift is making it clear all about moving on to better things (sorry, not sorry, Matty Healy) — or revamp them, such as her mission to re-record her past albums, which is still a full-time venture. Thankfully, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is nearly here. So, here’s when the album will be available on Apple Music.

According to the upload schedule, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) will be publicly accessible to subscribers of the streaming platform beginning at midnight Pacific and 9 p.m. Eastern on Friday, October 27.

When Swift announced the drop, she took to her official Instagram page to share a touching note. “The ‘1989’ album changed my life in countless ways, and it fills me with such excitement to announce that my version of it will be out October 27. To be perfectly honest, this is my most FAVORITE re-record I’ve ever done because the five from the vault tracks are so insane. I can’t believe they were ever left behind. But not for long,” wrote the singer.

View the tracklist for 1989 (Taylor’s Version) below.

1. “Welcome To New York (Taylor’s Version)”
2. “Blank Space (Taylor’s Version)”
3. “Style (Taylor’s Version)”
4. “Out Of The Woods (Taylor’s Version)”
5. “All You Had To Do Was Stay (Taylor’s Version)”
6. “Shake It Off (Taylor’s Version)”
7. “I Wish You Would (Taylor’s Version)”
8. “Bad Blood (Taylor’s Version)”
9. “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)”
10. “How You Get The Girl (Taylor’s Version)”
11. “This Love (Taylor’s Version)”
12. “I Know Places (Taylor’s Version)”
13. “Clean (Taylor’s Version)”
14. “Wonderland (Taylor’s Version)”
15. “You Are In Love (Taylor’s Version)”
16. “New Romantics (Taylor’s Version)”
17. “Slut! (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”
18. “Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”
19. “Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”
20. “Suburban Legends (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”
21. “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”
22. “Sweeter Than Fiction (Taylor’s Version)” (“Tangerine Edition” bonus track)

1989 (Taylor’s Version) is out 10/27 via Republic Records. Find more information here.

Despite former board member Jann Wenner’s disgusting remarks, the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony is tuned to be a true headbanger. In May, the inductees class, which features Kate Bush, Rage Against The Machine, the late George Michael, Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, and the Spinners, was announced. Shortly after, the live entertainment for the broadcast was unveiled, but today (October 24), that list has grown. Here is the complete list of performers for the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction.

Inductees Nelson, Crow, and Missy have confirmed they’ll hit the stage. In addition to their sets, Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews, HER, New Edition, St. Vincent, Stevie Nicks, Adam Levine, Carrie Underwood, Common, Ice-T, LL Cool J, Miguel, Queen Latifah, and Sia will perform.

Outside of the performances and inductions, several impactful musicians will be acknowledged during the ceremony, including Chaka Khan, Al Kooper, and Bernie Taupin, who will be awarded the Musical Excellence Award. At the same time, DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray will be bestowed with the Musical Influence Award. Lastly, the Soul Train host Don Cornelius will posthumously receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony will be held on November 3 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. For the first time in the ceremony’s history, it will be broadcast live on Disney+. Find more information here.

The Los Angeles Lakers have LeBron James on their basketball team, which means one thing: They need to compete for a championship this year. Even beyond the whole “he wants to join whatever team has his son (or maybe sons!)” thing, arguably the greatest basketball player to ever live will turn 39 in December, and while he was very good last season, we saw some signs of his age, like the foot injury that impacted him down the stretch of the regular season and during the playoffs.

The Lakers did an excellent job retooling on the fly last year during the regular season, built up a stout defense, and made a run to the Western Conference Finals. Now, it’s time for the team to make the next step, and the question is simple: can they do that?

Biggest Question: Did They Do Enough This Summer?

LeBron is LeBron, even if Father Time ends up catching up to him a little bit more this year now that he is officially the oldest player in the NBA. Anthony Davis is Anthony Davis, and James has made abundantly clear that he wants to hand the reins totally off to him and let the Lakers be his team. As long as those two are able to play and be good, effective NBA players, teams are not going to have a good time playing against Los Angeles.

The question, as always, is going to be the pieces around them. We have a pretty good sense of how some guys are going to fit: Austin Reaves is a legitimate third option and someone whose ability to score and make plays fits awfully well alongside those two. For his offensive limitations, Jarred Vanderbilt’s defense and ability to get hustle points on offense is a nice fit. D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura aren’t perfect players, but their ability to score gives the team a much-needed boost on offense.

That’s a good, albeit not perfect, group of five or six players — that core got swept in the Western Conference Finals by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets. The goal going into the summer, beyond making sure guys in that group got contract extensions, was to build even further. Can Christian Wood finally put together a full season of effective basketball on both ends of the floor? Is Gabe Vincent able to repeat his commandeering performance in the playoffs with the Miami Heat? What does Jaxson Hayes look like on this team? What about Taurean Prince? Can any of their young guys, particularly Max Christie and 2023 first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino, give them anything?

The expectations are, and always will be, extremely high in L.A. James and Davis will take them as far as they can on their own, but if the team is going to do anything more than that, it’s going to require all these other pieces playing to the absolute best of their ability.

X-Factor: Rui Hachimura

Honestly, you can take any of those non-LeBron or AD guys and put them in here. Hachimura is the one I’m going to highlight just because the absolute best version of himself — someone who is lethal on catch-and-shoot threes, is capable of creating his own shot, is willing to rebound and, as we saw against the Nuggets when he would match up with Nikola Jokic, use his size to battle with bigger offensive players. Just spelling it out like that, Hachimura is the perfect player to put alongside the two guys around whom the entire team is built.

The problem: He’s not that guy all the time, or at least hasn’t shown the ability to be that guy on a night in, night out basis. Even the start of his stint with the Lakers didn’t go especially well — Hachimura averaged 9.6 points in 22.4 minutes per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from three. For the Lakers to get where they want to go, he has to be better than that. Not necessarily the guy he was in the playoffs (I do not think Hachimura is going to hit 48.7 percent of his threes this season), but a consistent, reliable third or fourth option would go a really long way towards helping Los Angeles get to where it wants to go. But again, that applies to everyone on the Lakers beyond their top-2. If they can have their rotation and the roles everyone will fill all figured out come, say, the start of December, that would be gigantic.

Now is the time to binge every episode of Big Mouth since its seventh star-studded season just dropped, but also because the upcoming eighth season will be its last. They’ve gotta make it to 10th grade somehow!

Back in 2020 when the 4th season of the series was set to premiere, Big Mouth co-creator Andrew Goldberg announced that the voice of Missy would be recast. Missy was previously voiced by Jenny Slate, who felt the need to step down and allow a Black actress to come on board. This was midway through production, so half of season four is voiced by Slate, while the rest is Ayo Edebiri.

Goldberg stated, “Jenny came to the realization that it was past time for her to step down. We supported her, and we had this big conversation with our Black writers and a few Black performers. [They] all agreed that they loved what Jenny had done and appreciated the character that she had created, but that the right thing to do was to make space for a Black actor to play the part.” This is when the team hired Edebiri.

Edebiri was already working in the Big Mouth writer’s room at the time, so the decision was easy. Goldberg explained, “With Ayo, it was very special for us. She was a writer on season five of Big Mouth, so she was already part of the family. She is also new and young. She was in college when she first saw Big Mouth and became attached emotionally to Missy.” Now, Edebiri will finish up playing Missy through the show’s eight season, set to air next year on Netflix.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)