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Actors are basically freelancers, so when they score an insanely popular TV show no one wants to end, it must be a relief. After all, it’s a steady paycheck. No doubt David Harbour was thrilled when Stranger Things, in which he plays police chief Jim Hopper, turned into a phenomenon. But now, after almost a decade on the job, it sounds like he’s not sad that it’s finally coming to an end with its fifth season.

“What’s funny is when I started the show, I never ever wanted it to end. That’s why I love the show,” Harbour told Discussing Film (in a bit caught by IndieWire). “I think it’s a great show, even if I wasn’t in it. Now we’re almost nine years from filming the first season, and I think it is time for it to end. But it is, of course, very bittersweet. You know, there’s a sadness there.”

He added, “But also, we’ve all grown up. It is time for us to leave that nest and try other things and different projects. And to let the Duffer Brothers try different things as well. I mean, those guys are so talented. I want to see what they come up with next. So it is bittersweet, but it’s definitely time.”

The announcement to end Stranger Things came nearly a year ago. The reason for ending it was practical: The kid stars just keep getting older, as kids do, and while CGI de-aging has come into vogue over the last few years, the Duffer brothers still don’t want to have the leads still playing kids when they’re in their mid-30s.

That said, you won’t be saying bye to the Stranger Things-verse. There are already multiple spinoffs in the offing, including one for Millie Bobbie Brown’s Eleven. As for Harbour, he’ll be back in the MCU with this summer’s Thunderbolts, and this week Netflix will drop his new ghost movie We Have a Ghost.

(Via Discussing Film and IndieWire)

Last month, Alec Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter over the 2021 death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust. Now, the Santa Fe District Attorney has downgraded the charges and lessened Baldwin’s potential prison sentence.

The involuntary manslaughter charge still remains against both Baldwin and the movie’s armorer Hanna Gutierrez-Reed, but The Santa Fe District Attorney has now removed a firearm enhancement from a second charge, meaning the maximum prison sentence for Baldwin will be 18 months.

Baldwin has still maintained his innocence over the last year and even attempted to clear his name by suing his former crew members. The actor claims that the crew members were negligent and did not provide property safety training, though reports have been piling up against him.

Heather Brewer, the spokesperson for the New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney, explained the reasoning for the charges in a statement: “In order to avoid further litigious distractions by Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys, the District Attorney and the special prosecutor have removed the firearm enhancement to the involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the Rust film set. The prosecution’s priority is securing justice, not securing billable hours for big-city attorneys.”

Surprisingly, the movie is still expected to resume shooting this spring with Baldwin still attached. His next project, the disaster film Supercell starring the late Anne Heche, is expected to be released on demand next month.

(Via Variety)

Don Lemon and most of his fellow CNN hosts don’t get boozy on TV anymore, but that doesn’t prevent all instances of stepping in it. Lemon dropped himself into a well of controversy, which has nothing to do with claims from George Santos, while discussing Republican 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley on CNN’s This Morning. Last week, things got heated on the subject of Haley questioning the mental competency of Donald Trump, and then, yeah, something bad happened.

As revealed in the below clip, Lemon declared (although he attempted to couch the remarks as “not according to me”) that Haley “isn’t in her prime,” and he stated as much given her age of 51 years. He continued to unfortunately ramble while adding that women are “considered to be in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.” As one might expect, this didn’t go over kindly with Lemon’s co-hosts, Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins. Also, Meghan McCain weighed in on Twitter:

This caused plenty of backlash, of course, from all political ends of the spectrum with the Left expressing disappointment and the Right expressing contempt for apparent hypocrisy from Lemon. The former Don Lemon Tonight host didn’t appear on Monday or Tuesday morning’s edition of his new stomping grounds. Yet as CNN itself reports, Lemon will return to the air on Wednesday, and he’ll participate in “formal training” for why he shouldn’t, you know, say these things. Yikes. Here’s more from CNN with quotes from CEO Chris Licht via a companywide email:

“I sat down with Don and had a frank and meaningful conversation,” Licht wrote in a memo. “He has agreed to participate in formal training, as well as continuing to listen and learn. We take this situation very seriously.”

“It is important to me that CNN balances accountability with … fostering a culture in which people can own, learn and grow from their mistakes,” Licht added. “To that end, Don will return to CNN This Morning on Wednesday.”

As for Lemon, he apologized to his colleagues on Friday. “When I make a mistake, I own it,” Lemon admitted. “And I own this one as well.”

(Via CNN)

Character Actress Margot Martindale has been busy wrangling cocaine bears and maybe stalking her neighbors, and next up, the actress will concoct an elaborate heist in order to steal nearly 18 million dollars worth of maple syrup. Otherwise known in Canada as just another Tuesday! Just kidding, this is a real show based on a real thing that happened, much like Cocaine Bear and The Watcher. Just think of Martindale as a very hands-on historian.

The Sticky will follow Martindale as Ruth, a quaint Canadian maple syrup farmer whose farm is threatened by Big Maple, also known as the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers. The half-hour Amazon comedy will be produced by Jamie Lee Curtis and also star real-life Canadian Chris Diamantopoulos, who you might know from Silicon Valley, Arrested Development, or The Office… or as the voice behind the modern-day Mickey Mouse. But it’s probably for one of the other things.

As per the official synopsis:

The Sticky is a half-hour series revolving around Ruth Clarke, a tough, supremely competent middle-aged Canadian maple syrup farmer who’s had it with being hemmed in by the polite, bureaucratic conventions native to her country’s identity. Especially now that that very bureaucracy is threatening to take away everything she loves: Her farm, her comatose husband, and her right to manifest destiny. With the help of Remy Bouchard, a pint-sized local blockhead and an aging and Mike Byrne, a low-level mobster, Ruth changes her fate—and transforms the future of her community with the theft of millions of dollars’ worth of maple syrup.

Filming is expected to begin this summer, but if you need your maple syrup fix before then, you can check out the Netflix documentary about the whole ordeal. But be warned that it does not feature Character Actress Margot Martindale, so it might not be worth it.

If you were presented a mystery list of cities leading the world in innovative transportation, Los Angeles — with its endless traffic and maddeningly minimal light rail service — would probably not come to mind. But would you think of the flourishing desert oasis, Dubai? Home to the world’s tallest skyscraper and vast swaths of engineered coastal real estate, Dubai continues to make its case as one of the most innovative, efficient, and sought-after places to live in the world.

One piece of their dynamic strategy includes becoming a global leader in sustainable urban air mobility transportation. Simply put, they want flying cars. To start, the city plans to implement a fully functioning Air-Taxi system by 2026. Yes, air taxis. Like in The Fifth Element.

His Royal Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum dropped this bombshell on Twitter:

HOW IT WORKS:

If you ever played Call of Duty, you might be aware of a feisty little vehicle known as a VTOL Jet — the one that hovers around in one place and “helps you out.” The allure of VTOL flight (vertical take-off and landing) is it doesn’t require much space to take off or land, pretty much like a helicopter. But Dubai’s not trying to use powerful, gas-guzzling helicopters, think more of a smart car or a supersized Air-hog.

The city has partnered with Eve and Falcon Aviation systems to introduce a line of 35 all-electric VTOLS to serve as their first green fleet of air taxis.

With a top speed of just under 200mph and a maximum range of 150 miles before needing to recharge, these are the perfect vehicles to taxi people short to medium distances. That’s the idea: For now, the plan is to connect Dubai’s four main hubs, Downtown, The Dubai Marina, Dubai International Airport, and The Palm Jumeirah (the engineered palm tree-shaped coastline). Once implemented, Dubai will be the first city in the world with an interconnected system of Vertiports (obviously this is all theoretical at this point, but Dubai does seem to be in the lead).

The vehicles will be large enough for a pilot and four passengers andwill basically function the same as any taxi or Uber — the only difference being you’re freaking flying. The cost will eventually be the same as an uber, but initially… prices might be a lot higher, as it usually is for new technology. (Remember, flat screens used to cost thousands of dollars.)

WHY AIR-TAXIS?

It’s not just Air-Taxis. Dubai has been working to completely vamp up its cityscape in all aspects from commerce, to infrastructure to governance. This is all outlined in a project known as Smart Dubai where they aspire to lead the world in digital governance, happiness, and sustainability.

For transportation, aside from flying taxis, they plan to build a supersonic transit system connecting Dubai with Abu Dhabi, Sky Pods, and even a 93km indoor, air-conditioned walking track. The bottom line is this: in a bustling, dynamic city, anything that dissuades congestion is a step in the right direction for the world (especially if it’s energy efficient) and that’s where the city seems to be heading. As Dubai keeps innovating, city planners around the world may look to the Emirates Capital as a bastion of modern progress.

Singer and pianist Kodi Lee previously rose to fame after winning season 14 of “America’s Got Talent.”

Within weeks of his first audition, the musical savant became a viral sensation—wowing judges and audiences alike with his almost supernatural musical abilities.

Though legally blind and diagnosed with autism at an early age, Lee easily masters multiple styles of music and has been blessed with a rare “audio photographic” memory, meaning he can recall music he hears after just one listen, according to his website.

Lee has once again returned to the stage for “AGT: All Stars” with a cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes,” and it’s nothing short of spectacular.

The lyrics to “Heroes” were inspired by a real-life couple Bowie would see every day outside his apartment window in Berlin in 1976. The Thin White Duke had become creatively burnt out in Los Angeles, but after witnessing the lovers meet every day to share a kiss under a gun turret on The Berlin Wall, his mojo was recovered, and he went on to create what would be one of his most enduring songs. Though originally intended as a love story, “Heroes” encapsulated much bigger themes of the time, even becoming forever linked with the dismantling of the infamous Berlin Wall.

Similarly, judge Simon Cowell remarked that Lee’s rendition gave the lyrics “whole new meaning” after his performance.

“You have this real gift and every time you perform there’s just silence. Everyone’s focused, and then they’re listening to every word and then we’re wondering what you’re gonna do with the song. And then you hit those big notes, and you’re so cool, and just so brilliant,” he said.

Howie Mendel echoed the sentiment, saying, “The lyric is ‘We can be heroes just for one day,’ and Kodi, you are a hero every day.”

Watch the All-Star performance that received a standing ovation below. Somewhere, David Bowie is smiling while listening to this.

When it comes to the controversy over her documented history of anti-transgender remarks, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling apparently isn’t losing sleep on how she’ll be judged in the future. Despite castmembers like Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe publicly denouncing Rowling’s views, she’s only concerned about the present.

“I do not walk around my house, thinking about my legacy,” the author said during the first episode of The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling podcast. “You know, what a pompous way to live your life walking around thinking, ‘What will my legacy be?’ Whatever, I’ll be dead. I care about now. I care about the living.”

According to Variety, the podcast is an attempt to claim that Rowlings views on transgender women are “misunderstood.” It also attempts to equate the criticism of those views with Christian claims that the Harry Potter books are witchcraft, which is one heck of a take:

[Host Megan] Phelps-Roper is looking for commonality between the intolerant right-wingers who wanted to ban and burn the Harry Potter books and trans activists who have threatened Rowling over her comments. “What is it about this woman and her work that has captured the ire of very different groups of people across time?” Phelps-Roper says in the intro to the premiere episode.

Despite constant claims that she’s being “canceled,” Rowling contains to maintain a lucrative relationship with Warner Bros. In fact, after the studio merged with Discovery, it’s become increasingly eager to make more Harry Potter movies with Rowling even though the Fantastic Beasts prequel films — which she personally wrote — failed to match the success of the original franchise. That’s not the kind of thing that happens to someone who’s been “canceled.”

(Via Variety)

DreamDoll has come a long way since bursting onto the scene via reality tv.

Whether you got to know Tabatha Robinson on season 16 of Bad Girls Club or as her musical persona on season eight of Love & Hip Hop: New York, there’s no denying her passion for music has been the driving force behind her on-screen appearance. However, along the way, the Bronx native’s unruly behavior has, at times, overshadowed her music career.

On her single, “Misunderstood,” DreamDoll clears the air about the public’s opinion of her as well as a few lingering rumors floating around. The “Wiggle” rapper stopped by Uproxx to clarify one bar on the tracks that the public seems to be confused by.

The line in question, “I ain’t never asked for a favor or beg for your pardon / Been the motherfucking star since you seen me at Starlet’s / Once you sell out, it’s the Barclay or Garden / And if you want it, I got it / Lil engine that could / Is she a misfit / Or just misunderstood?”

Watch DreamDoll’s bar breakdown and explanation for the stanza below.

Outside of her bar breakdown be sure to catch DreamDoll’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “Misunderstood.” Click here to watch it now.

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

After announcing his 2023 Glockoma Tour and releasing his first single “Work,” Key Glock has revealed the tracklist for his upcoming third studio album, Glockoma 2.

The album will be the Memphis rapper’s first since 2021’s Yellow Tape 2 — and his mentor Young Dolph’s death. Dolph’s passing is a subject expected to be one of the subjects of the album, especially after dropping such singles as “Long Live Dolph.” However, Glock will apparently maintain his insistence on rejecting outside help, as evidenced by “F*ck A Feature.” You can see the tracklist below along with the tour dates.

1. “Dirt”
2. “Work”
3. “Randy Orton”
4. “Chromosomes”
5. “2 For 1”
6. “Pop My Sh*t”
7. “Designer Down”
8. “Came From Nothing”
9. “Key Rex”
10. “In & Outta Town”
11. “F*ck Dat Sh*t”
12. “Money Over Hoes”
13. “Ratchet”
14. “Homicide Gvng”
15. “F*ck A Feature”

You can pre-save the album here.

3/5 – Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
3/9 – North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
3/10 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
3/11 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
3/12 – Greensboro, NC @ Piedmont Hall
3/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia
3/16 – Washington, DC @ Echostage
3/18 – Queens, NY @ The Knockdown Center
3/19 – Boston, MA @ Big Night Live
3/22 – Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady Music Center
3/23 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
3/24 – Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
3/25 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
3/26 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall
3/29 – Chicago, IL @ Radius
3/30 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
3/31 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore Minneapolis
4/2 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
4/4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
4/6 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo*
4/8 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
4/11 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
4/14 – San Diego, CA @ SOMA
4/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
4/16 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
4/21 – San Antonio, TX @ The Aztec Theater
4/22 – Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
4/23 – Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
4/26 – New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore New Orleans
4/27 – Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Company
4/28 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
*Not A Live Nation Date

The Shade Room has agreed to pay a settlement to 50 Cent rather than going to court in his lawsuit against the gossip blog, according to Complex via Los Angeles Magazine reporter Meghann Cuniff. Cuniff posted a copy of an email notice of settlement that was sent out confirming that 50 will continue to pursue his suit against the other defendants, which include plastic surgeon Angela Kogan and her Miami-based practice, Perfection Medical Spa.

50 filed suit in September 2022 after Kogan used a photo of the two of them together to promote penis enhancement surgery — the unwritten suggestion being that she’d performed said surgery on 50 himself. In August 2022, The Shade Room published a post listing 50 Cent as one of Kogan’s clients, which lends credence to 50’s complaint about the photo. A trial was set for July 3, 2023, but with The Shade Room removing the post and agreeing to a settlement after mediation, it appears 50’s beef is only with Kogan and her practice now — which is bad news for Kogan, considering how zealous he is pursuing his grievances.

After all, it’s not like 50 needs the money; just a week ago, he celebrated a new television production deal with Fox, which is on top of his Starz empire and the music he’s putting out later this year.