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It’s no secret that networks will often want to take their biggest hit and try to develop a spin-off, though it seems like only a handful really make it out into the world. So it makes sense that Netflix would want to explore some more Upside Down-themed stories, and they might be doing just that.

While speaking with Variety, those Duffer Brothers were at it again chatting about the upcoming season four finale that is being hyped as the most upsetting episode ever, but they also started discussing the potential spinoffs that the series could inspire.

Netflix has yet to confirm a spinoff, and it will likely not happen until Stranger Things wraps after next season, but the brothers have already started sketching out a timeline for a new series. “There’s a version of it developing in parallel [to season 5], but they would never shoot it parallel,” Ross explained. “I think actually we’re going to start delving into that soon as we’re winding down and finishing these visual effects, Matt and I are going to start getting into it.” The brothers have famously been fine-tuning the finale just days before it airs.

Matt Duffer then added, “The reason we haven’t done anything is just because you don’t want to be doing it for the wrong reasons, and it was just like, ‘Is this something I would want to make regardless of it being related to Stranger Things or not?’ And definitely. Even if we took the Stranger Things title off of it, I’m so, so excited about it,” Matt adds. “It’s going to be different than what anyone is expecting, including Netflix.” We are all well aware of what happens when you reboot a show for the wrong reasons.

Whatever the spinoff may be, let’s hope it takes place in the ’90s so that Netflix can get the Spice Girls to reunite. Hey, they were able to get Kate Bush out of hiding. Anything can happen!

(Via Variety)

The long and strange cycle of Jeopardy! guest hosts following the death of Alex Trebek may soon, finally, come to an end. That is, of course, if the announcement of a new host actually sticks this time.

It’s been nearly two years of drama since Trebek’s passing, as the long string of guest hosts and outrage following the announcement of Mike Richards as his replacement has filled headlines and sparked plenty of controversy. But all of that is apparently coming to an end.

As Variety detailed in a backstage interview with Jeopardy! producer Michael Davies at the Daytime Emmys, the folks behind America’s most popular syndicated game show are gearing up to officially announce a replacement for Trebek. Davies, now at the reigns of the show following the departure of Mike Richards in the fallout of his own attempt to take over as host, said the “awkward” phase of the show did have some good news: namely in some spectacular runs from contestants:

“The scandal was, as we call it at ‘Jeopardy!,’ ‘the awkward months,’” executive producer Michael Davies said backstage. “But it showed the power of our audience and how passionately our fans care about the program, which is just so important. What’s happened over the course of the season — Matt Amodio, and Amy Schneider and Mattea [Roach] and Ryan [Long] — really made us just remember how incredible the game is. The stars of our show and Mayim [Bialik] and Ken [Jennings] have done incredible job hosting.”

Davies is certainly not wrong, as we’ve seen some records fall and huge paydays during the stretch where no one really knew who would be hosting at any given time. But the bigger story is that the show expects to name permanent hosts “very soon.” And not just one.

Davies added, ‘we hope to have a hosting announcement very, very soon. But with all of our plans for ‘Jeopardy!’ — which is more ‘Jeopardy!,’ not less, more versions — we’re going to need multiple hosts to represent the entire audience, to represent the entire country, in order to take this franchise forward.”

The “more versions” Davies is referring to are the primetime ABC events that Mayim Bialik is currently slated to host, though there has been some speculation that something different is now in the works. The whom here is, of course, the biggest question on fans’ minds, but it’s certainly intriguing that Jeopardy! is comfortable having multiple hosts tackling different formats of the show. By now fans certainly have their favorites, and though it will be impossible to please everyone it seems like they are confident there’s plenty of answers in the form of questions for everyone that wants the hosting podium.

(Via Variety)

Earlier this year, Chicago rapper Vic Mensa was arrested on felony narcotics charges for possession of hallucingenic mushrooms and LSD at Washington Dulles International Airport after returning from Ghana with Chance The Rapper. US Customs and Border Protection noted he had 41 grams of liquid LSD, about 124 grams of Psilocybin capsules, 178 grams of Psilocybin gummies, and six grams of Psilocybin mushrooms in his luggage. According to TMZ, a representative for Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney says Vic pled guilty to one count of possession of a Schedule III controlled substance — a misdemeanor — in exchange for a year of unsupervised probation.

The lesser penalty came in lieu of a 12-month jail sentence and includes a $1k fine, 25 hours of community service, and a substance abuse assessment. Vic also gave a statement to TMZ, calling for reform of drug laws to decriminalize hallucinogens and advocating their use in mental health treatment. You can read that statement below.

In this case, I have decided to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge. I have been extremely vocal about my mental health, the culture at large and access to mental health treatment. It is important to note the extensive research being done on the topic of psilocybin [shrooms] and the many significant movements underway for legalization and decriminalization.

Esteemed universities such as Johns Hopkins, University of California, NYU, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and The Imperial College of London have all immersed themselves in years-long research programs with full departments and centers dedicated to this work. Unfortunately, our laws have not kept up with the research showing that psychedelic plants and compounds can be successfully used to treat otherwise treatment-resistant mental illness .

I have contributed positively to many communities and will continue to do so with this case. My hope is that the silver lining to this matter will be increased focus on the effectiveness of psychedelics to treat mental illness and mood disorders that millions are battling with depression and anxiety with hope that all of our laws will change accordingly.

(Spoilers for Season 3 of The Boys will be found below.)

The Boys continues to ratchet up its outrageous antics, many of which culminated in last week’s “Herogasm” that’s being called the best episode of the show. The episode was so filled with bodily fluids that the production actually ran out of a key fluid, and now, showrunner Eric Kripke is revisiting how that episode came together in the writer’s room.

To refresh, though, it’s worth noting that Amazon (according to Kripke) only had a problem with one scene that had been planned for Season 1. That scene was retooled and ended up surfacing in the Season 2 finale (those moments where Homelander pleasured himself atop a skyscraper), so of course one wonders whether Amazon felt a little apprehensive about any of the “Herogasm” scenes.

Well, they apparently didn’t have a problem with the scene where Mother’s Milk ends up walking into a fountain of… Father’s Milk.

So which scene (out of many lurid ones that also passed) did give Amazon pause? The one where The Deep got randy with not a fellow Supe but with an octopus:

As Kripke told TV Line, this promoted “a lot of discussion” for the following reasons (and obviously, that octopus was a CGI creature):

“For some crazy reason, Standards has a policy against bestiality. They’re so uptight, really. The discussion of that scene and how we pulled off that scene actually triggered a lot of alarm bells at a lot of different levels at Amazon because you’re not supposed to show people f-king animals, and I get it. But my pitch to them was always like it’s so absurd [that] it wouldn’t be out of place in a Farrelly brothers movie. So it’s hard to call it prurient bestiality. It’s ridiculous. To my knowledge, I don’t even think octopi have orifices down there. So there was a lot of discussion of like what are the shots, and what can we do and what can we get away with?”

Kripke added that The Boys is actually one of the reasons why Amazon enacted a “Standards & Practices department,” which make sense. Further, the showrunner added that the show nixed an underwater sex scene with a female Supe (akin to a Creature from the Black Lagoon thing) that emerged from the water and “sprayed all over Hughie.” Yet in the end, most of the spraying happened to Mother’s Milk. You gotta feel for the guy losing his favorite jacket like that, but to be fair, I think Hughie went through enough this episode. Being naked in a house full of copulating Supes probably isn’t as fun as it sounds.

(Via TV Line)

The next 48 hours will apparently be a staring contest between Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets, played out via various reports and leaks coming from both camps.

On Monday morning, we got word that Kyrie had requested, and been granted, permission to find sign-and-trade offers from other teams as he seeks a new deal before Wednesday’s deadline to exercise his player option. However, that is easier said than done, as Irving hasn’t exactly made himself the most desirable trade target in recent years, with perception around the league that his on-court value isn’t worth the off-court headaches that come with him being on the roster. With Irving seeking a new home, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that there is only one team with real interest in a sign-and-trade, the Los Angeles Lakers, but they don’t have a package that interests the Nets.

That, of course, is a problem in acquiring Irving if he opts in to his contract — which is the only way the Lakers could land him due to the hard cap — but there is one alternative that was initially floated as almost laughable but now seems like an actual possibility: Kyrie opting out and signing a $6.3 million taxpayer midlevel in L.A.

Doing so would be giving up $30 million next year, but Irving has made it clear that money isn’t everything to him in recent years — most notably losing paychecks all of this past year in his refusal to get vaccinated — and if there were ever a star-caliber player to make such a move, Irving would be at the top of the list. There will surely be more leaks from both sides over the next two days — and possibly, all the way into free agency — as the leverage game is afoot. It certainly seems like this one is coming from the Brooklyn side to indicate they aren’t willing to trade him to the Lakers and making clear that Kyrie’s options are limited.

Christian Bale is in full promotional mode for his villainous turn in Thor: Love and Thunder, but despite the film marking his official entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you know a couple of Batman questions are going to pop up. Surprisingly, Bale was not only game, but he also dropped a big bombshell by revealing that he’s totally game for coming back as the Dark Knight if Christopher Nolan is onboard.

During the Love and Thunder press junket, Bale said that despite online reports to the contrary, he’s never been asked to reprise his role as Batman. But if Nolan ever came to him with a fourth movie, that’d be a whole other ball game. Via Screen Rant:

I had a pact with Chris Nolan. We said, “Hey, look. Let’s make three films, if we’re lucky enough to get to do that. And then let’s walk away. Let’s not linger too long.” In my mind, it would be something if Chris Nolan ever said to himself, “You know what, I’ve got another story to tell.” And if he wished to tell that story with me, I’d be in.

Before everyone gets their hopes up, Nolan and Warner Bros. reportedly had a contentious split during the pandemic when the studio’s then-parent company, AT&T, made the controversial decision to stream its entire 2021 film slate on HBO Max. The famed director took his next film, Oppenheimer, to Universal Pictures, which may or may not confirm those continued feelings.

That said, the studio has since merged with Discovery resulting in a change of leadership. With the execs who caused the bad blood with Nolan out the door, that could pave the way for him to return to the house of Batman for a fourth film in the Dark Knight series. “Could” being the keyword here.

Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters on July 8.

(Via Screen Rant)

Charlie Sheen was the loudest objector to his daughter joining OnlyFans, which is rich, considering literally everything we know about Charlie Sheen.

“She is 18 years old now and living with her mother,” the Two and a Half Men actor told Us Weekly about 18-year-old Sami. “I do not condone this but since I’m unable to prevent it, I urged her to keep it classy, creative, and not sacrifice her integrity.” Sheen’s ex-wife and Sami’s mother, actress Denise Richards, had a more reasonable response, saying, “All I can do as a parent is guide her and trust her judgment, but she makes her own choices.” (The Wild Things star trusted her so much that she also joined OnlyFans.)

Since his initial comments, Sheen has apparently calmed down.

“Denise has illuminated a variety of salient points, that in my haste, I overlooked and dismissed,” he said in a statement to Us Weekly. “Now more than ever, it’s essential that Sami have a united parental front to rely upon, as she embarks on this new adventure. From this moment forward, she’ll have it abundantly.”

Sami Sheen is charging $19.99/month for a subscription to her OnlyFans, while access to Richards’ adult-friendly content will set you back $25/month. Or better yet, subscribe to someone who isn’t a millionaire and/or related to a millionaire.

(Via US Weekly)

America’s Sweetheart and Hollywood legend Carol Burnett doesn’t do interviews very often, but when she was approached by a 17-year-old to chat, it seems like she was delighted at the prospect! In a new interview with the iconic actress, Vanity Fair asked what she had been up to lately, Burnett casually announced she would be a guest on season six of the hit Breaking Bad spinoff, Better Call Saul.

While describing her lockdown experience (it appears the interview was conducted last year), the prolific comedian nonchalantly added that she would be starring in the final season of AMC’s Better Call Saul. “I’m also going to be working in August. I’m going to do a guest shot on Better Call Saul. It’s their final season. I’m in the last few episodes.” Burnett said.

Burnett will be portraying Marion for the final few episodes, which begin airing next month. Her character details haven’t been announced, though Burnett is seemingly ecstatic. “I’m thrilled to be a part of my favorite show,” Burnett said in a statement to MovieMaker. With Burnett’s comedic history and Bob Odenkirk’s out-there sense of humor, it’s surprising it took this long to make it happen!

The second half of the final season will begin airing on July 11th, with more familiar faces slated to appear: earlier this month, the dynamic two from Breaking Bad were confirmed to have a guest appearance in season six, where hopefully nobody will die before the conclusion but with this universe…you really never know.

(Via Vanity Fair)

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Conan Gray was preternaturally ready for life on the internet. Despite the kind of chaotic and abusive upbringing that so many children in America unfortunately experience, Conan found resilience in creativity, and sharing his many artistic projects with a community online. After video diaries and a visual art series began to blow up on YouTube, Conan released his first song, “Idle Town,” back in 2017, and became a pop star almost immediately after that. It only took a few months for Republic Records — home of his idol, Taylor Swift, no less — to scoop him up, and a debut EP, Sunset Season, came shortly after in 2018. Spending the next two years touring, releasing singles, and carefully readying a debut album, Gray was one of so many artists whose 2020 turned out much differently than expected.

Dropping Kid Krow about a week after the initial lockdowns began, and putting plans to perform at his first Coachella on ice, Conan still earned a top five spot on the Billboard charts and had the track “Heather” go viral on TikTok. The bulk of Kid Krow is about relationships with frustrating ends — or, with frustrating beginnings and middles, too, a bloodletting of high school cliques, fake friends, and toxic crushes. It’s both a continuation and refinement of the sound that Gray established on his early YouTube singles and initial EP, and likely would’ve been a much bigger album if the rollout hadn’t been eclipsed by a global crisis. But, maybe all things turn out how they’re supposed to, because as great as Kid Krow was, Conan’s follow-up album is even better. Superache is aptly named, an album full of songs about wanting and hoping, a more grown up approach to the relationship frustrations that defined Kid Krow.

Kicking off with “Movies” and “People Watching,” two songs about wanting to feel a love that seems omnipresent but is still somehow inaccessible, there’s a lighter touch on Superache than Gray’s songwriting had in the past. Even when he gets closer to the scorched earth feel, like on “Disaster” and “Jigsaw,” there’s a sense of lived experience in these songs that adds a layer of depth. Much of Kid Krow was obsessed with what-if’s and potential relationships that never quite jelled — Superache is about the aftermath. And, there’s plenty of songs on this record that expand Gray’s palette past the subjects of unrequited love or breakup drama. Even “Memories,” one of the album’s standout tracks, offers a new angle on the age-old situation of seeing an ex for the first time after a breakup.

When he gets even farther off topic though, Gray’s storytelling skill really shines, like on the trauma-exploring “Family Line,” which examines Gray’s troubled upbringing once more, interrogating just how close he is to the mistakes his parents have made. Another left-field song, “Best Friend,” dips a toe into the world of trap beats, praising a ride-or-die (platonic?) friend with the same fervor generally reserved for loathing an ex. It’s the kind of song that the eternally single will relate to, the rare track devoted to a platonic relationship instead of a romantic one, and a celebration of the way completely accepting someone, flaws and all, breeds a sense of safety and comfort.

For the second time, Gray worked closely with producer Dan Nigro on the record, and though Nigro is now synonymous with the success of Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour, his working relationship with Gray predates Olivia’s debut. Still, close listeners will hear some similarities in vocal style between Gray and Rodrigo, like clusters of close harmonies, emotional delivery, and slowly enunciated words, and the two also happen to be fast friends outside of music as well. Unlike Sour, though, Superache isn’t afraid to go long and slow, with plenty of ballads that hold up just as well as the bangers — “Astronomy,” “Summer Child,” and “Footnote” all lean more heavily into the acoustic side of things.

At just twelve songs, Superache is relatively short in terms of a modern pop record, but each song is a thoughtful expansion and nothing ever drags. The only truly puzzling decision was the choice to relegate “Overdrive,” a joyous, chaotic single from early 2021, to bonus track status. That one, along with “Telepath,” represents a couple of the more upbeat singles Gray put out last year, but the pair were bumped for some of the slower singles included instead. And if the only thing wrong with Superache is that there are so many great songs that a couple of early singles needed to appear as bonus tracks, well, that’s a good problem to have. Gray’s second album makes the riskier choice to go much deeper into the vulnerable side of things, and the fact that these downtempo tracks can still be hits is a testament to his staying power.

Superache is out now via Republic Records. Get it here.

Fans of Muni Long‘s breakout single “Hrs And Hrs” have helped make the songwriting star one of R&B’s biggest success stories of the past year, and today, she’s announced her impending follow-up to her debut EP, Public Displays Of Affection. Fittingly, it’s titled Public Displays Of Affection Too and it’s due July 1 via Supergiant/Def Jam Recordings. Clocking in at five tracks, it contains one guest feature from Saweetie and will contain Muni Long’s new singles “Another” and “Pain.”

The former aspiring country star — she released a twangy project under her real name, Priscilla Renea, in 2018 — made the switch to R&B for her 2021 EP after writing songs for the likes of Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Selena Gomez, and more, a move that paid off big time. “Hrs And Hrs” became a huge smash thanks to a viral trend on TikTok and since then, Muni Long has gone on to work with pop R&B juggernauts like John Legend, appearing on his new single “Honey.” Muni Long’s coronation came at last night’s BET Awards, where she performed her breakout hit on stage amid performances by Latto, Chance The Rapper, Doechii, and more. You can watch her performance below.

Public Displays Of Affection Too is due 7/1 via Supergiant/Def Jam Recordings. You can see the tracklist below.

1. “Pain”
2. “Another”
3. “Baby Boo” Feat. Saweetie
4. “Crack”
5. “Cartier”