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In spite of a few assurances to the contrary, rumors that Taylor Swift would appear in the latest Deadpool movie have persisted for years — all the way up until the new film premiered last month, revealing that she wasn’t involved after all. But in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly published Monday (Aug. 5), director Shawn Levy revealed that there was never any chance of the pop star joining the franchise to begin with, no matter how much fans may have hoped for it.
“It was so very loud,” Levy told the outlet of the internet buzz from Swifties hoping for a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, which hit theaters July 26. “I definitely had moments where I was worried I would disappoint people when they realized Taylor as Dazzler was not in the movie, but there’s no controlling the internet and rumors spread like wildfire.”
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Many of the rumors stemmed from the 14-time Grammy winner’s close friendships with the movie’s star, Ryan Reynolds, and his wife, actress Blake Lively. Levy is also pals with Swift, having appeared in her “All Too Well” short film in 2021, but according to him, “it was never a conversation” that the “Anti-Hero” singer might pop up in the Marvel film.
“It was never even a seed of a discussion,” he added. “Obviously, Ryan and Blake, and myself — to a far lesser extent — have our own relationships in real life with Taylor. But yeah, those rumors were loud and slightly baffling, but nothing I said or did was going to make them quiet down until this movie came out.”
Before their hopes were shot, fans had been wanting to see Swift in a Deadpool film since as far back as 2016, when the star borrowed Reynolds’ actual superhero suit for her Halloween costume. Rumors that the crossover might actually happen only continued to fester when the Free Guy star sported a T-shirt with Swift’s cats, Meredith and Olivia, printed on it in 2018’s Deadpool 2, and again when he appeared to re-create the Evermore album in costume earlier this year.
Reynolds, however, shut down the rumors — or attempted to, at least — in a July appearance on The Tonight Show. “I wish,” he said when host Jimmy Fallon asked him point-blank whether Swift was in Deadpool & Wolverine.
“If I ever stop, she’d make a good Deadpool,” he added at the time. “She’s funny, funny, funny!”
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Let the magic begin! Disney’s D23 Expo returns to the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., from Aug. 9-11.
The annual event, presented by Visa, will feature 55 panels spread over five stages. Disney fans will be able to attend panels, presentations, interactive experiences, surprise reunions and exclusive showcases from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, Disney+, Hulu, Lucasfilm and more.
Keep reading for a rundown of the D23 2024 schedule, ticketing and live streaming.
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D23 Schedule
This year’s expo, the largest to date, will kick off with D23 Day at Disneyland Resort on Thursday (Aug. 8). Two of the weekend’s major events include the Disney Entertainment Showcase on Friday at 7 p.m. PT and Disney Experiences Showcase on Saturday at 7 p.m. PT.
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D23 concludes on Sunday with the Disney Legends Award honoring Miley Cyrus, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Colleen Atwood, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, John Williams and other Disney legends. The ceremony, scheduled for 5 p.m. PT at the Honda Center, will be hosted by Ryan Seacrest.
“To be named a Disney Legend is the highest honor our company can bestow on anyone, reserved for those whose talent and achievements have earned them an enduring place in our history,” said Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “The fourteen individuals to be honored as Disney Legends this year have each made extraordinary creative contributions across the worlds of Disney and we look forward to celebrating them at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.”
The weekend of panels, meet and greets and more includes the Disney 23 Masquerade: The Ultimate Disney Costume Contest, Disney Princess – The Concert, Disney Character Voices: Inside the Studio, which will offer live recording sessions with fan-favorite Disney characters.
Additionally, fans will get an exclusive sneak peek of new series, and Q&A’s with the cast and creative teams behind beloved series and movies. Other events slated for the weekend include 30 Years of Toy Story, Disney Princess: Creating Tiana’s World, Exploring New Parts of the Mind: Behind the Design of Inside Out 2 + a Dreamy Surprise, Grey’s Anatomy: 20th Celebration, Abbott Elementary: Class Is in Session, Donald Duck’s 90th Quaktacular, Marvel Comics: Celebrating 50 Years of Wolverine, and a Marvel Animation sneak peek featuring special guests and first looks at Disney+ series such as X-Men ’97, Eyes of Wakanda and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman. Find more information here.
Where to Get Tickets
The ticket process for D23 looks different this year. For starters, tickets went on sale in March, and you had to sign up to become a D23 Member to purchase them. D23 Gold Members and D23 Members with Visa cards got access to pre-sale tickets ahead of everyone else. Single-day and three-day passes ranged from $79 to $259 and more than $1,000 for the Ultimate Preferred Fan 3-Day Pass.
Although tickets to the Ultimate Fan Event and other events are sold out, you might be able to find a small assortment of passes on sites like StubHub and Vivid Seats.
Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ will also be showcasing an epic streaming lineup of live and on-demand content, along with immersive experiences, appearances from talent, photo opportunities at The Disney Bundle Pavilion, special perks for Disney+ subscribers and live demos of the latest features on Disney+.
Can’t make it in person? Unfortunately, D23 will not be live streamed this year but you can follow updates on the D23.com and on the D23 YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Kehlani is embracing herself wholeheartedly. The superstar — who uses she/they pronouns — appears on the latest Stylecaster digital cover rocking a tailored, pinstripe suit and full glam makeup, complete with a mustache. The “Honey” singer has been a longtime open book about their sexuality, but in the publication’s interview, she says she would have […]
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Back-to-school season is here, and Amazon is celebrating with an exclusive limited-time offer! From now until Aug. 10, you can enjoy a “spend $50, save $10” promotion. Whether you’re a parent stocking up on essentials, a student preparing for the new school year, or a teacher looking for classroom supplies, this is a great way to save money. Amazon customers can also shop additional deals and essentials in Amazon’s Back to School and Off to College shopping guides, making it easier to find everything you need.
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To kick off your back-to-school shopping, all you need to do is add your desired items to your cart and see how $10 are automatically deducted from every $50 purchase you make. If you’re shopping on Amazon, consider taking advantage of all Amazon Prime has to offer and sign up for a 30-day free trial, which also comes with access to Prime Video, Prime Gaming and Amazon Music. And to help make sure you get your purchases quickly, being a Prime member means you get fast, free shipping in two days or less with Prime Delivery.
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Scroll down and check out this list of back-to-school deals available now!
Subscribe to Amazon’s Prime Student Membership
To subscribe to Amazon’s prime student membership, visit Amazon Student and click on the “Start your 6-month free trial” button. You’ll need a valid student email address to sign up. Once your free trial ends, it will be $69/year. Besides deals and discounts, students can also take advantage of its immense Prime Video library all for $7.49/month — and that’s after a six month free-trial.
Prime Student gives you all the perks of a Prime membership at half the cost. As long as you’re a student, you’ll get access to the massive collection of Prime Originals that includes Citadel, Daisy Jones & The Six, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Swarm, The Powder, Harlem, Invincible, The Boys, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Fleabag, The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Wheel of Time, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Legend of Vox Machina.
For more product recommendations, check out ShopBillboard‘s roundups of the best back-to-school backpacks, top 10 back-to-school essentials, and Rihanna’s FENTY x PUMA Creeper Phatty ‘In Session’ sneakers to upgrade your style.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Gearing up for another school year means back-to-school shopping and while journals, folders and a fresh backpack are typically at the […]
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Move over, Chromecast. Google has a new streaming device that makes is easier to watch what you want, when you want — and it retails for under $100.
The Google TV Steamer, announced on Tuesday (Aug. 6), boasts two times the memory of Google Chromecast and 32GB of storage for faster app loading and easier navigation. Google TV Streamer also features AI capabilities, powered by Google’s Gemini technology, and an updated design that you’ll want to keep on display.
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Amazon
Google TV Streamer 4K
The device is available porcelain or hazel and retails for $99.99. It’s currently up for pre-order and will be released on Sept. 24, according to Amazon.
It’s also slender enough for a minimalist set-up. If you’re in a small apartment, bedroom or dorm room, the Google TV Streamer will fit comfortably in tight spaces and you get access to over 700,000 movies and TV shows on Prime Video, Netflix, Max, Peacock, YouTube TV, Disney+, Apple TV+ and other streaming apps, in addition to live TV with 800+ free channels.
Thanks to Google’s Gemini, Google TV Streamer offers a full rundown of what to watch — from complete summaries to reviews and “season-by-season breakdowns.” Other features include a better processor, 4K HDR, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and you can sync it to your Google Home app to control Google products such as the Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Doorbell and thousands of other devices.
The device has a redesigned voice remote, improved ergonomics and a textured backing with an “optimized button layout to fit all sizes of hands,” per Google.
Plus, Google TV Streamer allows you to cast music from your smart phone and play it in on your TV.
Google TV Steamer works with WiFi but you can also hardwire it to an ethernet port. The device is available for pre-order online at the Google Store, Amazon and Best Buy.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Olaplex has become a cult-favorite hair care brand that has left beauty lovers astounded by its ability to create salon-worthy results […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Are you a fan of Snoopy and the Peanuts gang? If so, you’ll definitely want to check out the new collaboration […]
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Charli XCX and Troye Sivan are ready to make you sweat — the duo are set to head out on their Sweat Tour next month and tickets are almost sold out.
As previously reported by Billboard, select tour dates including New York, San Francisco, Boston and Chicago, were the first to sell out and demand for the Los Angeles tour stop forced the duo to add a second show.
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If you didn’t get the chance to score tickets when they first went on sale in April, you’re not out of luck just yet. See below for details on how to buy tickets to the Sweat tour and how much you can expect to spend.
Where to Get Last-Minute Tickets
The Sweat tour launches on in Detroit on Sept. 14 and wraps Oct. 23 in Seattle. Ticket prices vary depending on the show date, but certain concerts are currently in demand – meaning the price could be higher than usual. Tickets to the show at Madison Square Garden, for example, range from around $315 and up at StubHub and Vivid Seats.
Other in-demand dates include Boston on Sept. 28, and San Francisco on Oct. 20. On average, resale tickets to sold-out dates will run you anywhere from around $350 to more than $700 for standing room only general admission passes in select cities. However, more affordable tickets are available at Seat Geek, TicketNetwork and Ticketmaster, in addition to Vivid Seats and StubHub. You might even find tickets for under $100, provided that you don’t mind sitting further away from the stage.
When shopping for resale tickets, timing is everything. But if you’re the kind of music fan that likes to secure concert tickets early it’s best not to wait on a good deal. And if want to shave even more off the base price, use code BILLBOARD150 to save $150 off $300 or more or code BILLBOARD300 to save $300 off $1,000 at TicketNetwork.
See below for tour dates for the Sweat Tour and the international leg of Charli XCX’s Brat Tour.
Charli XCX Tour Dates
Sept. 14 – Detroit
Sept. 16 – Laval, Canada
Sept. 18 – Toronto
Sept. 20 – Columbus, Ohio
Sept. 23 – New York City
Sept. 25 – Philadelphia
Sept. 26 – Baltimore
Sept. 28 – Boston
Sept. 30 – Chicago
Oct. 2 – Nashville
Oct. 3 – Atlanta
Oct. 5 – Miami
Oct. 6 – Orlando, Fla.
Oct. 9 – Dallas
Oct. 11 – Denver
Oct. 13 – Phoenix
Oct. 15 – Inglewood, Calif.
Oct. 16 – Inglewood, Calif.
Oct. 18 – San Diego, Calif.
Oct. 20 – San Francisco
Oct. 22 – Portland
Oct. 23 – Seattle
Nov. 27 – Manchester, U.K.
Nov. 28 – London
Nov. 29 – Birmingham, U.K.
Dec. 2 – Glasgow, U.K.
Teyana Taylor, Sarah Paulson, Niecy Nash and Naomi Watts have joined Kim Kardashian and Glenn Close in the cast of Ryan Murphy’s Hulu legal drama All’s Fair. Kardashian, who recently starred in Murphy’s American Horror Story: Delicate, will play a Los Angeles divorce lawyer in an all-female law firm, which is headed by Close’s character. […]