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‘Secret Invasion’ is the new Marvel Disney+ series about a battle between two factions of the shapeshifting Skrulls and the humans here on Earth caught in the middle. Back in Captain Marvel‘s ’90s set story, the Skrulls were refugees without a planet. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson, back for the first time since Spider-Man: Far From Home) has promised the Skrulls a new planet and Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos has become an ally of Fury. But a faction within has grown impatient and has decided the Skrulls should just stay on Earth and, while they are at it, get rid of all the humans by manipulating strategic violent events that will be sure to start wars between nations.

On top of that, the first two episodes (the first premiering this Wednesday) both end with fairly shocking developments (that won’t be revealed here.) Ahead, director and executing producer Ali Selim takes us through his interpretation of what this series means and how it does or doesn’t mirror some current events. And he tells us about Olivia Colman’s entry to the MCU as a British government agent who works more as a mob boss who is not a fan of the Skrulls and uses pretty drastic interrogation techniques that involve cutting fingers off (and she looks like she’s having the time of her life while doing so).

Olivia Colman cuts a finger off of a person. That is quite a scene. She’s having the time of her life.

I think she had a lot of fun and I actually don’t think that’s that far from Queen Elizabeth. Maybe Queen Elizabeth had people do it for her. And Olivia has told me on many occasions, and she just said this morning again, she has three teenage boys and she goes to see all the Marvel. And she said, ever since she saw the first one, she called her agent and begged, “Put me in one. Put me in one.” So I think this was less about who would be a great sadistic torturer and more welcoming Olivia Colman into the MCU, because she really wanted to be a part of it and play it. And I think we really gave it to her to play.

It’s mentioned in the first episode that a Skrull is trying to play off the rage and anger of others to promote violence…

Yeah, I mean, I think those kind of issues are Gravik’s motivation really…

It feels very timely. Especially with current events in the past week.

I understand the question. And I think it’s that balance of shepherding the incredibly powerful Marvel brand and telling the story within these six episodes and finding the themes that are interesting about trust and suspicion and identity. And it’s not a current events show. It’s about Nick Fury and Gravik. And if they have attributes from our current heroes and our current villains, I think it’s a great way to identify with character, but it’s less an exploration of current events and more an exploration of the inner lives of the MCU characters that we’ve come to love.

Was it difficult to kind of rework what happened in Captain Marvel? We learn the Skrulls aren’t the villains, but now they kind of have to be again…

Well, a lot of the questions you ask come from the script…

Yeah, but you have to make it believable.

I mean, it’s conflict intention. I’ve always said, even when I was working on Looming Tower and other espionage shows, I think that the best thing we can do to understand violent reactions to events is go back and understand the grievance that these people have and then go back even further and understand the environment that created that grievance. And I apply that to current events. I apply it to stories I’ve told. And I apply it to Gravik where he’s a more sympathetic and well-rounded character. Sympathetic is not exactly the word, but we understand him better because we understand the environment, the promise that Nick Fury made to him. We understand that ignited his grievance and the fact that his grievance is not being heard knights him to this level of violence. And I think to your point, it’s very much a current event and it’s very much true to the character at the same time.

Both episodes I saw end shockingly. Are we to expect that with every episode of all six?

I hope they never stop.

People will be talking about both.

I thought the end of episode two people would talk about, I thought the end of episode one, I would have hit squads.

Has that happened yet?

No, I’m safely ensconced in a hotel room, but once I go out on the streets, who knows?

This story is a lot different than the comics. How familiar were you with that story?

Honestly, not at all. When I started working on this 28 months ago, I was told, “Don’t read the comics.”

Oh, interesting.

This show comes out of energy created by Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn. And Marvel said, “We have to keep going with that energy.” So it really started as more of a buddy cop movie put back together, and then telling a story that presumably and undeniably expands on what’s in the comic books, but the comic books are not a foundation for this.

How hard is it not to read something when someone specifically tells you not to read something? That would make me want to read it.

Oh, I didn’t say I didn’t read it.

I see.

I said I was told not to read it.

Okay. So you did read it.

I like to stay informed. And then I can come to the end of it and say, “Oh, I see. That’s why they didn’t want me to read it.”

As you mentioned, Sam Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn are really great together. Both forces of nature.

It’s incredible. I mean, I would go home every night and look in the mirror and just feel glad that I didn’t ask for selfies and autographs.

I read about the influences. Two of them that really stuck out to me, The Third Man and The Searchers. I can guess why, but I’d like to ask why?

Well, it starts out as a story of trust and suspicion and spies and espionage and the political stakes of nation-states that we are familiar with fighting each other. And your mind goes to political thrillers and espionage stories. And I think the great espionage film noir is The Third Man.

Right. But The Searchers is a meditation on what a Western even was. So that’s a very interesting one to say.

Well, but that’s an evolution. I think Nick’s character evolves from a spy story, or this Secret Invasion evolves from a spy story into the lone battle of Nick Fury. He becomes a classic American gunslinger on mainstream. And I would go to The Searchers or High Noon and stuff. And I think it’s a nice evolution for the story to take. It’s nice bookends for the story to take and why not go to the classics?

Well, if that’s where you’re coming from with this, I suspect we have more surprises coming.

I hope so.

‘Secret Invasion’ drops on Disney+ on Wednesday, June 21. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

In a recent interview, The Weeknd said of the mixed response to his HBO show The Idol, “I’m loving it. It’s definitely shaken up the culture for sure [laughs]. We knew we were making something dark and controversial but true to what we want to say.”

Just because he’s loving it, though, doesn’t mean he’s going to take any guff on Twitter without pushing back.

In one tweet from today (June 20), he replied to a Twitter user, writing, “Go cry about it more.” The original tweet is no longer available, but based on the user’s Twitter activity, they appear to be a fan of Jennie and Blackpink. So, presumably, their now-deleted tweet had something to do with Jennie and her role on the show.

In response to The Weeknd, another user tweeted, “N****s crying bout yo acting tho.” The Weeknd then got personal, replying, “Bruh if you don’t shave that sh*t stain off your chin LOL.”

After that, the user from the original now-deleted tweet returned with a screenshot of The Weeknd from the show, which was presumably intended to be unflattering, and wrote, “IK YOURE NOT TALKING WHEN U LOOK HIDEOUS LIKE THIS.” It appears the user changed their profile image between their first and second tweet, as The Weeknd responded, “not you again LOL you thought I wouldn’t recognize you cause you changed your DP… dropping that Jennie song this weekend for you! Get the bucket ready [single tear emoji].”

That last tweet probably stirred mixed feelings from the Twitter user: While they’re in a spat with The Weeknd, it at least looks like a new Jennie song is dropping soon.

For the first time in a long time, the Washington Wizards seem to be considering a complete reset of their organizational plan. After another 35-47 season that left them outside the Play-In in the East, the team has an all-new front office and a rebuild is among the options on the table.

That has changed the calculus for Washington’s top stars, as Bradley Beal has been traded to the Phoenix Suns and Kristaps Porzingis opting out of his player option and re-signing is no longer a formality. Kyle Kuzma likewise had a player option decision. although he always felt like the member of that trio most likely to opt out and truly test the waters of free agency. Sure enough, that will be the case as he declined his option on Tuesday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.

Kuzma had a solid season, averaging 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game for the Wizards, and should have interest from teams looking to add some scoring punch to their wing rotation. Exactly what market takes place for Kuzma remains to be seen, but with most of the teams with cap space being young teams looking for talent upgrades to try and take a step towards playoff contention, Kuzma could fit the bill for a number of squads.

“Would you like to see a dead body?” It’s a meme making the rounds on Twitter, but it’s also an apt summary of Donald Trump’s latest on-air interview during which Fox News correspondent Bret Baier absolutely obliterated the former president’s ego.

In a sit-down with Baier scheduled to air over two consecutive nights on the network, Trump was questioned about his 2016 campaign slogan claiming he planned to surround himself with “only the best and most serious people.” Those people — a list that includes everyone from former Vice President Mike Pence to former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley — have since turned on Trump, actively opposing his 2024 presidential run by either campaigning themselves or dragging his name through the mud. And when faced with that cold hard truth, not even his narcissistic ramblings about championing the “best economy the world has ever seen” and “defeating ISIS in four weeks” could save Trump’s operating delusion: “It’s not me, it’s them.”

For reference, here is a list of blistering burns Baier quoted to Trump’s tangerine-tinted jowls.

• “Your former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he’s not supporting you.”
• “You mentioned National Security Advisor John Bolton? He’s not supporting you either.”
• “You mentioned Attorney General Bill Barr? He says you shouldn’t be president again. Calls you a ‘consummate narcissist and troubled man.’”
• Your second Defense Secretary is not supporting you, called you ‘irresponsible.’”

Baier also listed out the many insults Trump has hurled at former cabinet members like Rex Tillerson, John Kelly, and Mick Mulvaney, slurs that range from “born with a very small brain,” to “milquetoast,” “born loser,” and “dumb as a rock.”

Baier’s biggest question at the end of this roasting session? “Why did you hire all of them to begin with?” The answer was less entertaining than watching a stunned, open-mouthed Trump gulp air like a dying fish, but you watch his response below.

Unlike other Republican candidates, Chris Christie has not held back when it comes to taking swings at Donald Trump, so the former New Jersey governor was ready for action when he joined CBS Mornings to tackle Trump’s latest interview with Bret Baier.

During the calamitous exchange, which no doubt gave Trump’s legal team several headaches, the former president claimed he was “too busy” to go through all of the boxes that were moved to Mar-a-Lago from the White House. As Trump would have you believe, some classified materials just happened to get mixed in with his pants and shirts, and well, he didn’t just have the time to sort through it all, you know?

Christie wasn’t having it, and he doesn’t think voters will either. “Does anybody in America believe this?” Christie opined before suggesting Trump’s priorities were elsewhere.

Via The Hill:

“Look, I think the problem is going to be, for him over time, is that people are just not going to buy it,” the 2024 presidential hopeful and former New Jersey governor said. “And when you think about how many days of golf he’s played since he left office, maybe he could have skipped a couple of rounds of golf and gone through the boxes to respond to a subpoena from a grand jury.”

Unfortunately for Christie, a large of swatch of Republicans do believe Trump. The former president continues to be the frontrunner for the 2024 presidential nomination. However, the situation could get very fluid very soon. Trump is already set to face trial for his mishandling of classified documents in August, and based on the damning evidence in the federal indictment, he could be knocked out of the race before it even begins.

(Via The Hill)

Cardi B isn’t hurting for any cash. In fact, the “Put It On The Floor Again” rapper even gifted her son Wave with hundred dollar bills to play with. But before the Bronx native was a hip-hop star, she was responsible for raising the moment to fund her career in the industry.

Taking to Twitter, the recording artist recounted those moments, writing, “Fun fact: I spent ten thousand dollars on the ‘Bodak Yellow’ music video.”

After transitioning from being an independent artist to a major label, Cardi B shared the track as her debut in the big leagues. During an interview with Billboard, the musician talked about the inspiration behind the record, saying, “I wanted to do a song that is, like, ‘You know what? I’m in a good place in my life right now, and I want to stun. I felt it in my soul — this song is going to be so popping.”

It is rumored that Cardi B’s label did not believe in the track at the time. Therefore, Cardi B forked up the cash to pay for the video — an investment that shaped her career. The month following the song’s release, it earned a gold plaque from RIAA in August 2017. By January 2018, it was four-times platinum. Last year, it was certified diamond, with over 11 million units sold.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Miami’s III Points music festival is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. What better way to do that by unveiling more of a stacked lineup? For this year’s party, Fred Again.., Skrillex, Iggy Pop, Grimes, and Black Coffee will headline across the two days on October 20 and 21.

Originally, only Fred Again.. and Iggy Pop had been revealed as headliners in the first round of lineup drops.

Music lovers can also expect to catch Caroline Polachek, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Caribou, Dixon, Explosions In The Sky, Green Velvet, Jamie Jones, Nia Archives, TSHA, and many more there across the six stages.

Additionally, all weekend long, the festival will host their Despacio party with a sound system that was created by LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and Soulwax’s David and Stephen Dewaele. Attendees can expect to catch some creative art installations and pick up bites from the event’s food court — in case a break from the music is needed.

“Being ahead of the curve hasn’t been easy and has required taking risks,” David Sinopoli, the III Points co-founder shared in a statement. “We set out on a mission 10 years ago to build something different in Miami that the counterculture here can identify with. This initiative is flourishing because of all the artists and fans that have supported this idea over the past 10 years.”

Tickets for III Points 2023 go on sale this Thursday, June 22 at 12 p.m. ET. Find more information here.

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

The Toronto Raptors could never get fully on track in 2022-23, going 41-41 before losing to the Bulls in the first round of the East Play-In, and after another disappointing season, there was some consideration Toronto might look to rebuild.

With a new head coach in Darko Rajakovic coming in from Memphis, there were signals they might be looking to get younger, but as the offseason has worn on and trade rumors have circulated, there has been a sense that Toronto is still not keen on making wholesale changes. The first concrete indication of that arrived on Tuesday, when Gary Trent Jr. picked up his $18.5 million player option with the Raptors, with Chris Haynes reporting the plan is to work out an extension in Toronto.

This seems partially to be an indication that Trent, who averaged 17.4 points per game on 43.3/36.9/83.9 shooting splits last year, didn’t see much of a market out there for himself to make considerably more on his next deal, but also the reporting from Haynes that the two sides plan to work on a long-term deal points to the Raptors looking to make tweaks to their roster rather than major changes. This isn’t a shock when you consider the Raptors history of deals and their very clear trepidation to ever potentially lose a deal, which is why OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam hold some of the highest asking prices of any players in the league right now by all accounts.

How this will work out for the Raptors remains to be seen, but for teams hoping Toronto becomes sellers, this is the first real sign that won’t be happening.

Ex-President Trump’s newest (and what a striking word to use in this instance) criminal indictment naturally did not go over too well with the eldest boy. In response, Donald Trump Jr. got all twitchy, rubbed his nose, and lacked focus while making a media appearance on the subject. It was almost as strange as watching Fox and Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade’s spirit deflate before his audience while Steve Doocy explained the impossible situation that Trump Sr. essentially created for himself.

Don Jr. is about to make more media appearances, too, and he’s not going to hang around at home (or at “Motel 6”) and mope while doing so. Nope, he’s preparing to go Down Under in Australia for speaking engagements. As Newsweek notes, Turning Point Australia is hosting Jr. for early-July trips to “Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane” while he’s flanked by Brexit mastermind Nigel Farage.

Let’s just say that not all Australians are thrilled to see him coming. Rather, it seems like a whole lot of them would like him to stay away. An activist petition on Change.org puts the matter in these terms:

“Donald Trump Jr is an illegal [redacted] bigoted person who should not be allowed to enter Australia for the purpose of earning himself and possibly his father any ‘Campaign Contributions.’”

A little bit harsh? Well, Jr. has bragged that Australians love him, and he wants to free them from “the biggest existential threat” that plagues the U.S.:

Trump Jr. has said he has a “huge fan base in Australia” and that after speaking to some of those supporters “it’s clear the same disease of woke identity politics and cancel culture that’s crippled the US has clearly taken hold there.” He called those issues “the biggest existential threat we face in the West and is literally the decay of Western society.”

Do these Internet petitions ever go anywhere? This surely won’t stop Don Jr. from trotting across the globe, but hopefully, he will spare Aussies from slurry missives that make people really wonder if an intervention is needed.

(Via Newsweek & Change.org)

Way back in 2015, Lil Dicky (aka Dave Burd) dropped his debut album, Professional Rapper. He hasn’t had a new full-length project since then, but he plans to change that soon: He’s working on a soundtrack album for his hit show Dave, which would be his first album in eight years.

Dicky plans to release the album by the end of this summer (“The sooner the better,” as he put it to Variety). He’s working on it with regular Dave guest star Benny Blanco and expects there to be between 15 and 20 songs included on the project.

Dicky said:

“I realized this year, as I took a step back and looked at all the different music that’s made it into the first three seasons of the show, there’s enough here, a great body of work and a project that I can put out as a soundtrack. I think this is such a better representation of Lil Dicky the musical artist than, honestly, my first album even was. People are always like, ‘When can I get that song?’ I think this will be a cool thing for fans who have watched the show. And for people who have never even seen the show, I think they’ll enjoy listening to this as like a body of music.”

He continued, “There are bits and pieces of songs you’ve been hearing for three seasons of Lil Dicky, the musical artist. Sometimes you’ll hear 20 seconds of it, but I might have a full three minute version of that song that’s unreleased. I want to get that out to the world. It’s a really strong body of work that I’m super proud of. I was surprised when I took a step back and looked at the inventory of stuff that have made it into the show — ‘Oh, my God, there’s like a great album here of work that can live on its own.’ So that’s what I’m working on now.”