Etiqueta: Featured

Though Pauly Shore may not be the first person that you think of when imagining a biopic about Russell Simmons, it’s hard to deny the resemblance between the two, particularly as Shore has aged. Furthermore, the performer seems to have a lot of passion for the upcoming film. «Simmons represented mental health, getting people in shape, and being his authentic silly self,» Shore went on. «Whenever he was on TV, you could never take your eyes off of him, and he brought such a joy to his appearances that represented nothing but a good time.»

Despite the fact that Simmons has been a public figure for much of his life, the eccentric fitness personality disappeared from the limelight in 2014. Though many feared that something had happened or that he was struggling, Simmons himself says that he just prefers to remain private. «No one is holding me in my house as a hostage,» he told Today in 2016.

The Wolper Organization, which is behind the upcoming film, also released a statement, respecting Simmons’ privacy despite going ahead with the project. «While we would love to have [Simmons] involved, we respect his desire to privacy and plan to produce a movie that honors him, celebrates him and tells a dramatic story,» the statement read.

American audiences won’t have long to check out the new version. While the black and white «Godzilla Minus One» comes out on January 26, it’ll only be in theaters for a week, with both cuts leaving theaters on February 1. Additionally, both versions of the film could play concurrently at the same theaters, so for anyone buying tickets, make sure you double-check which one you’re going to see. 

If you’re deciding which «Godzilla Minus One» to see, Takashi Yamazaki suggests the black and white cut, stating in a press release, «This is not only for those who liked ‘Godzilla Minus One’ but also those who are seeing it for the first time — they should definitely see this black and white version.» He adds that one sequence works exceptionally well without color: «The scene at the beginning where Godzilla appears in the night — it is so terrifying that it made my knees shake!»

Both versions of «Godzilla Minus One» will soon leave theaters, but hopefully, that means a physical media release should soon follow, as well as information on when it could come to streaming. A producer on the film has already said there’s no rush to make a sequel to «Godzilla Minus One,» but with the enthusiastic response the first movie received, people are likely going to continue talking about it for some time to come. 

It’s easy to understand why Emma Stone sees things as she does regarding her role in «Poor Things.» After all, Bella is basically an infant in a grown-up body, which is part of what drives the film’s narrative and her character arc. As such, Bella is discovering everything anew and has the freedom to do so because of her bodily autonomy.

«But I see it as just one aspect of many — her discovery of food, philosophy, travel, and dance,» Stone explained to Front Row. «Sex is another aspect … She doesn’t know to be embarrassed by these things or to cover things up or not dive into the full experience when it comes to anything.»

On the flip side, it’s also obvious why Mark Ruffalo was somewhat unnerved by these scenes, considering the icky moral implications of his character hooking up with Bella. Still, he was able to eventually see past this and admitted that he thinks the scenes were vital to the appeal of «Poor Things» in the end. «I feel like we’re in this prudish time for films,» Ruffalo told Perfect magazine. «Sexuality is so deeply connected to the psychology of a character. And it should be explored in that sense, too,» he added. «Poor Things» is currently in theaters.

Like it or not, the cinematic Justice League as we know it is over, and as far as we’re aware, «Superman: Legacy» won’t be introducing a new version, regardless of how many other heroes it’s going to unveil. That’s not a bad thing either, particularly given director James Gunn’s view that «cameo porn» ruins superhero movies. But that begs the question of just how much screen time the other super-powered players confirmed for «Superman: Legacy» will get. 

The guest list is currently pretty jam-packed, with the film promising appearances from Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan). All of these crimefighters have, at some point or another, been inducted into the Justice League, with Metamorpho also being part of Mister Terrific’s team, The Terrifics, who were introduced in 2018.

Going for lesser-known heroes and teams isn’t out of the ordinary for Gunn. He’s always looked beyond A-list characters and, in doing so, delivered some of his best work with likes of the «Peacemaker» show and his «Guardians of the Galaxy» films. Seeing an ensemble unknown to casual audiences, working in the same airspace as Superman, might be an interesting way to prove that all roads don’t need to rush to the Hall of Justice, as much as we’d love them to. Let’s see the Man of Steel work solo before he becomes a team player.

The anecdote made its way to Derek Zoolander himself, Ben Stiller. While at the Nantucket Film Festival (via Page Six), the actor shared his thoughts concerning Donald Trump’s viewpoint: «Trump said it didn’t bomb because it wasn’t funny or anything, but because nobody cares about male models anymore in the zeitgeist. And all I’m thinking is … A) Trump’s right. Maybe we should go a little easier on him on this whole Russia thing. And B) why are you doing this, Chris [Matthews]? Why are you dredging up my pain?»

Trump was only in a few seconds of «Zoolander,» but he’s become inextricably linked with the comedy. Stiller even appeared on «The Daily Beast Podcast» to read some of Trump’s tweets in Derek Zoolander’s voice, including the infamous «stable genius» post. It wouldn’t be the only time he had fun at the former president’s expense. The actor further ridiculed Trump’s inner circle by impersonating former lawyer Michael Cohen on «Saturday Night Live.»

Despite all of the mocking, don’t expect Trump’s cameo in «Zoolander» to be cut any time soon. Stiller has commented that it’s a product of its time, and many things were linked to Trump back in the day. The ex-president’s days of making cameos in major Hollywood productions are likely over, and now, those that occurred remain intriguing time capsules of a bygone era.

Having established a prolific acting career in Hollywood, the idea of Nicole Kidman’s height being an issue when casting her goes over producers’ heads these days. In addition to her roles in such notable films as «Moulin Rouge!» «Bombshell,» «Aquaman» and its sequel, and «Being the Ricardos,» she has starred in several hit TV series, including «Big Little Lies,» «The Undoing,» «Nine Perfect Strangers,» and «Special Ops: Lioness.»

And yet, Kidman told the Radio Times Podcast, she still finds her height limiting at times. «It will bother me when I’m acting and I want to be small,’» she said. «But then there are times when I appreciate it when it’s related to what I’m doing and I go, ‘OK, I can use this now.’»

Despite the early career setbacks she suffered, Kidman said she is ultimately grateful for having a healthy life, apart from some knee issues that partially stem from being tall. On top of that, Kidman noted that issues that people have had with her height have provided her with some unique insights that she has passed along to her children.

«What I tell my daughters is that none of it matters,» Kidman said. «What matters is how you allow other people to either say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to you, and whether you accept that. Inner resilience as a human being, that’s the superpower, really.»

While Shara Bey may be an atypical choice for Rachel Zegler to name as her dream Star Wars role, it’s a befitting deep cut for the actor, who is a big fan of the franchise. In addition to reading the comics, she has voiced her love for other Star Wars media. «I quite literally don’t wanna hear a single negative thing about ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’» she tweeted around the time of the miniseries’ premiere in 2022. «Just let me sit here with my lightsaber and a smile on my face.»

Like any Star Wars fan worth their salt, she also has strong opinions on some of the franchise’s more divisive plot threads. X user @diopbrasileira shared a screenshot of Zegler’s direct message to someone, where the actor clarifies that she’s not a «Reylo» — a portmanteau used to refer to the romantic pairing of Daisy Ridley’s Rey and Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren from the sequel trilogy.

As for whether Zegler might eventually appear in a Star Wars project, there’s a solid enough chance. The property has plenty of projects in the works, though whether any of them will feature her specifically as Shara Bey is arguably doubtful. Of course, nothing’s impossible in the galaxy far, far away.

Adding another layer to the strange story of this fake logo’s propagation is that Sony revealed real branding for the movie around the same time. During a Sony presentation at the 2024 CES trade show in Las Vegas, logos for six of the studio’s upcoming blockbusters — including «Venom 3» — were displayed on a screen.

First look at the Venom 3 logo from the Sony CES2024 Press Conference pic.twitter.com/s4UT5ttSKC

— Spider-Man News (@SpiderMan_Newz) January 9, 2024

That said — just like the fake — the real logo simply consists of the Venom name and the number 3, with no subtitle. Given that the second Venom movie is titled «Let There Be Carnage» and not «Venom 2,» it’s possible «Venom 3» is just a working title. That Sony didn’t officially release the logo after the CES presentation likely means, at the very least, it’s not final. That could mean all that’s left is the addition of a subtitle, or this could merely be a temporary logo that will have no relevance to the finished product.

For now, Venom fans eager for something more official will have to wait for more information to drop as the November 8 release date of «Venom 3» nears closer.

Any fan having trouble believing that «Star Trek: Insurrection’s» story once featured Captain Picard and Data fighting each other to the death can take solace in the fact that they’re not alone. Michael Piller’s original script faced major pushback from both his collaborators and Paramount Pictures, each of whom had major issues with the story’s tone and subject matter.

As Piller recalled in «The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years,» Patrick Stewart himself voiced concerns over the writer’s concept for «Star Trek: Insurrection.» «It was Patrick, frankly, who said, ‘This is dark and dreary and it’s not fun,’ and he was the one who put us back on the fountain of youth course that ultimately really leads the story to its current state,» the writer explained.

Meanwhile, «Star Trek: Insurrection» co-writer Rick Berman alleged that the film’s studio had similar problems with the edgy nature of the first draft. «They thought a ‘Star Trek’ movie should be uplifting and fun and exciting,» he said. «And those were not words that really fit into Mike Piller’s vocabulary. Exciting maybe, but not fun. But that was like the biggest note that we really ever got.»

As fans know, the released version of «Star Trek: Insurrection» doesn’t feature the deaths of either Picard or Data. However, the franchise would eventually kill the latter character off, with the story of what ultimately happens to Data being a major focus of «Star Trek: Picard.»

«The 7th Rule» is a 2019 Star Trek podcast starring actors Cirric Lofton and producer Ryan T. Husk. Originally Jake Sisko in «Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,» Lofton has appeared in several roles across the franchise. While Husk is an actor and producer associated with Star Trek, he primarily considers himself the latter. Together, they break down and review the many aspects of the story that bind them. In late 2023, «The 7th Rule» announced that Walter Koenig would join in 2024 to assist with a review of «Star Trek: The Original Series,» the very installment in which his Ensign Pavel Chekov first appeared.

«I’m still around! After all these years, after 60-some-odd years, I’m still freaking here!» said Koenig. «I’ll be going back and watching all the old episodes, reacquainting myself with what I did and what I didn’t do, and [I’ll] have something to say about everybody … this is a once-in-a-lifetime journey, and I want you to be part of it … we’ll go back, and we’ll check out the old series together.»

For those wondering whether or not Koenig will spend his tenure with «The 7th Rule» spilling tea or sharing fond memories, the answer is probably both. He isn’t shy with his opinions. Regardless, Trekkies will find out soon enough. Koenig reportedly recorded his reviews in December 2023; the episodes are expected to be released in early 2024.

Rachel Brosnahan predictably isn’t allowed to say much about «Superman: Legacy» right now, but during her interview with ET, she was eager to share her excitement for the project. «I’ve really enjoyed the collaboration with James Gunn so far. Every single person involved in this production is such a perfect nerd for Superman,» Brosnahan said. «We all grew up watching the movies, some of us grew up reading the comics, so I feel like it’s being made with so much love.»

Brosnahan went on to briefly tease one thing about David Corenswet’s take on the Last Son of Krypton, telling ET, «This Superman will have a sense of humor.» Her comment seems destined to earn the ire of the DC fans who remain steadfast supporters of Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill’s darker interpretation of Superman, but Brosnahan’s remark also doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Coming off the overarching darkness of «Man of Steel,» «Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,» and «Zack Snyder’s Justice League,» it makes sense that James Gunn would want both his new film and his version of Superman to offer something different than their DC Extended Universe predecessors.

As of now, little is known about the plot of «Superman: Legacy,» but it sounds like fans can expect it to feature not only a more humorous take on Clark Kent but also an iteration of Lois Lane who is just as willful and clever as she should be.

Hallie Eisenberg transitioned from being in front of the camera to the Broadway stage, making her debut in the 2001 revival of Clare Boothe Luce’s timeless 1936 play, «The Women.» In the all-female ensemble cast, Eisenberg played Little Mary, a daughter entangled in the intricacies of her parents’ messy relationship and the gossip surrounding it. The production was held at the American Airlines Theatre from November 8, 2001, to January 13, 2002, and was met with positive reviews.

Despite her national recognition stemming from the iconic Pepsi commercials, it was Eisenberg’s pure talent that secured her a coveted role on the Broadway stage. «I didn’t realize how recognizable she was,» director Scott Elliott told the Observer. «I knew she was in those Pepsi commercials, but I had never seen them. She really won the role on her own talent.» Although this was Eisenberg’s last time on stage, she would continue to support the arts well into adulthood.

Storm has a strong cinematic heritage, with Halle Berry playing the mutant in the X-Men films of the 2000s as well as «X-Men: Days of Future Past.» Alexandra Shipp played a younger version of the superhero later on, so when the X-Men come into the MCU proper, one would imagine Storm will be part of the proceedings.

In a 2022 interview with Comic Book Movie, Shipp shared what she’d like to see going forward for the character. «In future, I think I’d like to see a woman of darker complexion play Storm,» she said. «I think it’s about time that we see that representation, and I’m more than happy to see that. I think it would be really great. The little girl in me would really like to see that.»

Outside of who will be the next Storm, there’s also the question of how the iconic Marvel mutant will be introduced. While she’s often affiliated with the X-Men team, she also has a history with Wakanda, which has been heavily featured in both Black Panther movies. Considering this, there’s always a chance she could first be introduced in «Black Panther 3» before coming over to the X-Men movies, but that’s just speculation.

The next Storm we see might actually be Halle Berry reprising the part. It hasn’t been confirmed yet, but MCU fans suspect Berry will cameo as Storm in «Deadpool 3.» Granted, there are a lot of rumored cameos swirling around that film, and it remains to be seen which ones pan out. But with Shipp bowing out, no one should hold their breath for a full «Dark Phoenix» reunion, at the very least.

In addition to «Empire of the Summer Moon,» Taylor Sheridan and his team are hard at work on a few other projects fans of his past work would likely be interested in seeing. First and foremost is «6666,» which is dedicated to the Four Sixes Ranch, as seen in Season 4 and Season 5 of «Yellowstone.» This installment in Sheridan’s «Yellowstone» franchise was announced back in February 2021, though it’s unknown when exactly the series will reach the small screen. The show’s cast also has yet to be announced.

Speaking of «Yellowstone» spin-off titles, Sheridan is also developing a series under the working title «2024.» The program will reportedly serve as the successor to «Yellowstone» and star Matthew McConaughey. Much like «6666,» it hasn’t been announced when this series will be released, nor is it known who else will star in it. Also on Sheridan’s plate are the TV series «Land Man» starring Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, Michelle Randolph, and Jacob Lofland, and the film «Fast,» directed by Gavin O’Connor.

With so much in the production pipeline, time will tell when moviegoers will see Taylor Sheridan’s cinematic take on «Empire of the Summer Moon.» Surely, for those eager to check it out, Sheridan will ensure it’s worth the wait.

After making her film debut with a small role in 1935’s «Things Are Looking Up,» Vivien Leigh worked on both the stage and the big screen until she made quite the personal connection with Sir Laurence Olivier — she was his mistress while he was still married to his wife Jill Esmond. Thanks to Olivier’s tutelage, Leigh landed roles in productions like «Hamlet» at the Old Vic, where she played Ophelia to Olivier’s titular character. But her biggest opportunity was yet to come.

Leigh — who was born in India and raised both there and in England while the former was still under British rule — beat out a number of famous American actresses for the lead role of Scarlett O’Hara in «Gone with the Wind,» an adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel of the same name. The movie, which was produced by legendary Hollywood figure David O. Selznick and released in 1939, immediately made Leigh a huge star and earned the actress her first of two Academy Awards (the second, as mentioned, was for playing Blanche DuBois). 

After marrying Olivier and appearing in projects like «A Streetcar Named Desire,» Leigh worked steadily until her mental health began to sharply decline, possibly due to a miscarriage. Though she continued working, her productions were plagued with problems due to her severe manic depression. Leigh ultimately developed tuberculosis, which led to her death in 1967. But her performance as Blanche, among other roles, lives on.

While Jodie Foster had the opportunity to jump on the Star Wars train before it became the juggernaut of a franchise it is today, she doesn’t regret how things played out. «I don’t think I’m going to be on my deathbed going, like, ‘Damn! I didn’t do ‘Star Wars,’» the performer said in a 2007 interview with Empire Magazine (via Vogue).

Foster is also a fan of how «Star Wars» turned out, complete with Carrie Fisher’s performance as Princess Leia. «You know, they did an amazing job,» she said on «The Tonight Show.» «I don’t know how good I would have been. I know I might have had different hair.»

During the extensive casting process, Foster was just one of many names considered for Leia before Fisher netted the part. That list reportedly includes major names like Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Sigourney Weaver, Farrah Fawcett, and several other famous stars.

As if this reveal wasn’t troubling enough, Josh forces Amy into the barrel before burying her alive. While horror movies are known to let the villain win from time to time, «Megan is Missing» is an especially gruesome example, made all the more palpable by its nature as a found footage film.

Audiences were understandably traumatized by the film’s conclusion, sharing their thoughts in a YouTube comments section. «What chills and scares me most in a movie, more than any monster or explicit gore, is screaming,» wrote user @darkprose. «You can almost hear the moment her mind was lost forever.»

The user suggests that the thought of the mental anguish Amy endures at the end of «Megan is Missing» is more terrifying than being murdered in such an awful fashion, and it’s a sentiment others seem to share. «When she was about to get buried, she seemed so calm and defeated,» wrote @Mizuki_Fortnite. ‘I love you, Josh, please don’t do this.’ She seemed like all hope was lost.» 

While few of us, if any, can recall experiencing such a harrowing moment, it’s certainly true that Amy’s begging makes the ending far more haunting. «This might be the most disturbing ending to any film I’ve ever seen,» wrote @alexthomas962. Judging by the reactions to «Megan is Missing,» many would agree.

An encounter with a celebrity can make even the most enthusiastic fan nervous. However, when the star is also a physically intimidating presence, it can make things even more uncomfortable. When that celebrity is Dwayne Johnson, though, it can be even more awkward. According to those involved in an incident at a gym in 2019, it was downright scary, even if it was all an innocent misunderstanding.

As reported by Page Six, Johnson and his team stopped by an Equinox gym in Aventura, Florida. The problem was, that the star never bothered to check in, and staffers were forced to confront the oversized Johnson about his error. Intimidated by the man known as «The Rock,» the employees hesitated, afraid of what kind of response they might face from a man who could lift them over his head without breaking a sweat.

All ended well, though, after Johnson apologized for not following procedure, explaining that he had a flight to catch and just wanted to get in a good workout before leaving the area.