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As Cowboy Carter enjoys a second consecutive week atop the Billboard 200, the world continues to dissect Queen Bey’s latest opus. On Thursday (April 18), via a press release, Max announced a new documentary titled Call Me Country: Beyoncé & Nashville’s Renaissance slated to hit the streamer on Friday, April 26.
Produced by CNN FlashDocs, the upcoming documentary will provide a look at the impact of high-profile acts like Beyoncé and Lil Nas X on the contemporary country music scene and how their contributions connect to the history of Black artists in Nashville.
Trending on Billboard
Earlier this year, Queen Bey made history with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” the lead single for Cowboy Carter, announced and released during the 2024 Super Bowl (Feb. 11). On the chart dated Feb. 24, “Texas Hold ‘Em” reached No. 1 on Hot Country Songs, marking the first time a Black woman had ever topped the ranking. The following week (chart dated March 2), “Texas Hold ‘Em” became the first country song by a Black woman to top the Billboard Hot 100. Following the release of “Texas Hold ‘Em” and its B-side, “16 Carriages,” streaming activity for other Black women in country exploded across the board.
Call Me Country will feature interviews with Grammy-winning country duo Brothers Osborne, “Texas Hold ‘Em” banjo player Rhiannon Giddens, Rissi Palmer, Aaron Vance and Denitia, as well as analysis from a slew of cultural critics and country music experts, including Touré and co-directors of the Black Opry Holly G. and Tanner D.
Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé’s eighth solo studio album, arrived March 29 with 27 tracks that pay homage to the Black roots of country music and envision a distinctively Beyoncé-esque future for the genre. The sprawling album included collaborations with several ascendant Black country stars including Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, Tiera Kennedy, Shaboozey and Willie Jones. In addition, country music legends Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton voiced interludes on the album, which Beyoncé described as a “continuation” of her Grammy-winning Renaissance record.
Fans may still be waiting on the visuals, but, in the meantime, they can enjoy the Call Me Country documentary.
Forget “The Power of Love,” the world is going to get an up-close behind-the-scenes look at the power of Céline Dion in her new documentary, which finally received an official release date. On Tuesday (April 16), via a joint Instagram post on the official pages for Dion and Prime Movies, Amazon MGM Studios announced that […]
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Source: Daniel Boczarski / Getty
While the world awaits Drake’s Kendrick Lamar diss record to drop (and vice verse), K. Dot continues to move forward with his life outside of rap. He and pgLang co-founder Dave Free will team up with South Park creators Trey Park and Matt Stone for a new live-action comedy film set to drop next Summer.
According to Variety, the aforementioned comedy film is set to release July 4, 2025. Details on the project are being kept under wraps for the time being (such as the title, plot and film cast), but the fact that Kendrick Lamar and the team behind South Park are in is enough to get some big buzz going already. With more than a year to continue to build on that buzz, we expect to learn bits and pieces of what we can expect as time goes by. We’re excited to see what Paramount is cooking up for us Hip-Hop junkies.
Variety reports:
The news came as part of Paramount’s CinemaCon presentation, where the studio also debuted footage and trailers from its sequels to “Smile,” “Sonic the Hedgehog” and “Gladiator.” Paramount also announced it is rebooting the “Scary Movie” franchise.
From the stage, Paramount CEO Brian Robbins said: “This script is one of the funniest and most original scripts we’ve ever read and it’s certain to create some fireworks.” Get the pun?
The live-action comedy was written by Vernon Chatman. The studio didn’t share any details about what the film is about beyond the involvement of its top-shelf talent.
Lamar and PGLang partner Free will produce the project alongside Stone and Parker. The duo launched their company in 2020. Lamar has created such chart-topping hits as “Swimming Pools (Drank),” “Poetic Justice” and “The Blacker the Berry.” He also curated the soundtrack album for “Black Panther.”
By the time next Summer roles around we’ll know what role Kendrick Lamar will play in said film and maybe even know who “won” the battle between him and Drake (if those diss records ever release anyway).
What do y’all think of K. Dot and the South Park team working on a live-action comedy film together? Y’all have high hopes or nah? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Paramount Pictures / Transformers: Rise of The Beasts
While the Transformers film series has enjoyed massive success over the years, the same cannot be said for the big-screen adaptation of G.I. Joe. But that isn’t stopping the movie studios from going forward with a crossover event that may help transform G.I. Joe into a popular film franchise.
According to Deadline, Paramount Pictures has confirmed that a Transformers and G.I. Joe film has been given the green light and though that would’ve been a dream come true for kids in the 80’s, we’re not sure how well that’ll fair with fans in 2024. After the crossover was teased during last summer’s Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts, fans weren’t sure if it would actually happen but it seems like it will and we’re not gonna lie, we’re lowkey interested to see how it all plays out.
Per Deadline:
Steven Spielberg is executive producing the new film. No filmmaker attached yet, despite the idea being hatched by filmmaker Steven Caple Jr. in Rise of the Beasts.
Caple Jr said he was in talks for another Transformers movie after the success of Rise of the Beasts at the B.O. which made close to $439M worldwide more than Disney/Lucasfilm’s franchise finale last summer, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny which only did north of $383M.
Transformers producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura is returning along with Mark Vahradian, Michael Bay, Tom DeSanto & Don Murphy.
With Steven Spielberg attached to the project there’s actually hope that the film could be much better than those horrible Alien vs. Predator films. What a f*ckin’ letdown. Just sayin.’
No word on whether G.I. Joe alumni such as Channing Tatum or Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson will be taking part in the upcoming crossover, but if they do you can bet it’ll be a blockbuster event for whatever summer this film releases.
Would ya’ll be checking for a G.I. Joe / Transformers crossover movie? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Warner Bros. Pictures / Warner Bros. Pictures
Joaquin Phoenix’s iteration of the Joker in Todd Phillips’ 2019 film centered around the iconic Batman villain was arguably the greatest version of the Clown Prince of Crime moviegoers had seen to date (Heath Ledger is up there too). And though the film was originally said to be a one-off affair, fans of the film demanded more. Now, we’re getting a sneak peak of what to expect in the follow-up to the cult classic that captivated a comic book nation just a few years ago.
After months of anticipation, Warner Bros. has just released the first trailer for the upcoming JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX, which once again stars Phoenix as the titular character and Lady Gaga as the new Harley Quinn of the DCEU. Breaking ground as the first musical live-action comic book film made, the film will pick up where Joker left off as he was institutionalized at Arkham Asylum where he ultimately meets his counterpart in Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga) who feeds off his crazy as he does hers.
Though plot details aren’t really known, it seems like the film will be a sort of Natural Born Killers affair as the two ultimately break out of Arkham Asylum and wreck havoc on the streets of Gotham City while singing show tunes and dancing away the pain of their past as they evade the law.
Seems like a hit to us.
Check out the trailer for JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX below, and let us know if you’ll be checking it out when it hits theaters Oct. 4.
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Source: Helen Sloan / Helen Sloan/HBO
The anticipated Game of Thrones spinoff featuring Jon Snow is not going to happen, according to the actor playing the beloved character.
A Game of Thrones spinoff show project featuring Jon Snow is no longer in development by HBO, according to Kit Harrington, who played the role during the show’s entirety. The British actor revealed the news during an interview promoting the crime thriller Blood For Dust, which he has a starring role in.
“I hadn’t really ever spoken about it, because it was in development,” Harrington began. “I didn’t want it leaked out that it was being developed, and I didn’t want the thing to happen where people kind of start theorizing, getting either excited about it or hating the idea of it, when it may never happen. Because in development, you look at every angle, and you see whether it’s worth it.” The show was slated to begin airing in 2028 according to projections.
He continued: “And currently, it’s not. Currently, it’s off the table, because we all couldn’t find the right story to tell that we were all excited about enough. So, we decided to lay down tools with it for the time being. There may be a time in the future where we return to it, but at the moment, no. It’s firmly on the shelf.” The news comes as House of the Dragon returns for its second season and another prequel series, A Knight of The Seven Kingdoms, has reportedly begun casting with an air date in 2025.
The Jon Snow-centered spinoff first got traction in 2022, when a leak compelled series creator and author George R.R. Martin to confirm that HBO had begun work on the show with writers and showrunners on board who were brought in by Harrington. The show, tentatively titled Snow, would begin after the events ending Game of Thrones where Jon Snow killed Daenerys, his lover (and aunt).
“I think if you asked him, he would’ve felt he got off lightly,” Harrington said while at a Game of Thrones convention in December 2022 when asked about the warrior’s fate. “At the end of the show when we find him in that cell, he’s preparing to be beheaded and he wants to be. He’s done. The fact he goes to the Wall is the greatest gift and also the greatest curse.”
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Source: Frazer Harrison / Getty
Last year it was rumored that Marvel was planning on bringing back the OG Avengers team of Iron Man, Captain America and Thor to help revive the popularity of their struggling MCU and though Marvel boss Kevin Feige poured cold water on the notion, Robert Downey Jr. would be more than happy to return as Tony Starks in future Marvel projects.
In a recent interview with Esquire, the Oscar award-winning actor was asked about reviving his dearly departed Marvel character and much to the surprise of many, Downey raised some eyebrows when he said “Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA. That role chose me. And look, I always say, Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”
Unfortunately it seems like Feige isn’t looking at an Iron Man return anytime soon as everyone knows that such an event wouldn’t happen until Avengers: Secret Wars which is slated to hit theaters in 2027 or 2028. Until then Marvel Studios will be building up anticipation for the historic crossover event which is said to feature Marvel superheroes from films past such as Tobey McGuire’s Spider-Man, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and even rumors that Nicholas Cage will revive his role as Ghost Rider for the upcoming spectacle.
Even though both Ghost Rider films were struggle, it would be pretty cool to see Cage as the Spirit of Vengeance. Just sayin.’
There’s even word that Hugh Jackman told Kevin Feige that he’d only do Secret Wars if he got screen time with both Tobey McGuire as Spider-Man and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. More reason for Feige to move forward with Iron Man’s return.
But again these are all rumors as Marvel needs some solutions to build interest in the future of their hugely profitable cinematic universe that’s seen a drop in both popularity and box office receipts in the past few years.
What do y’all think? Should Marvel bring back Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man sooner than later? Should they leave the character alone and move on? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Warner Bros. / The Matrix Resurrections
Sci-fi fans agree that 2022’s The Matrix: Resurrections left much to be desired, but that isn’t keeping Warner Bros. from moving forward with another installment in the cult classic futuristic film saga.
According to Deadline, Oscar-nominated screenwriter Drew Goddard has been tapped to pen and direct a new Matrix film and though there is no word on whether Keanu Reeves (Neo), Carrie Anne-Moss (Trinity) or Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus) will return, we can’t imagine the studio would move forward with the series without bringing back any of those actors (though Fishburne wasn’t a part of Resurrections). Unless Warner Bros. plans on rebooting the series entirely, Reeves should be returning in some capacity in the upcoming film. At least we hope he does.
Per Deadline:
“Drew came to Warner Bros with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honoring what Lana and Lilly began over 25 years ago and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters,” said Jesse Ehrman, Warner Bros Motion Pictures President of Production. “The entire team at Warner Bros Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making this new Matrix film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio.”
Said Goddard, “It is not hyperbole to say The Matrix films changed both cinema and my life. Lana and Lilly’s exquisite artistry inspires me on a daily basis, and I am beyond grateful for the chance to tell stories in their world.”
Whoa! Sounds like they may actually be moving away from Keanue Reeve’s Neo and focusing on brand new characters? While we don’t know what direction the new Matrix film may be going, fans of the franchise will revolt if the OG characters aren’t included in Goddard’s vision. Laurence Fishburne not being in The Matrix: Resurrections was one of the biggest reasons fans didn’t enjoy the 2022 installment. If everyone involved in this knows what’s good for them, they won’t repeat the same mistake again.
What do y’all think of Warner Bros. churning out another Matrix film? Should they leave well enough alone or continue to explore that world? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Marvel / Marvel
Actress Zoe Saldaña might be done with her character of Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but she’s hoping that fans of Guardians of the Galaxy can keep the series alive as it holds a special place in her heart.
According to the Playlist, Zoe Saldaña touched on the subject in an upcoming interview on their The Discourse podcast and said she’d hope to see Guardians of the Galaxy return to the big screen in the future even if she’s not a part of the team. Though the return of Chris Pratt’s Starlord character was teased at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the future of the franchise remains unknown as both Zoe Saldaña and Dave Bautista (Drax the Destroyer) have both said they’re done with the franchise.
Still, the Colombiana actress would love to see another installment of GOTG at some point in the future.
Per the Playlist:
“I mean, so far, I think that she is [gone for good] for me, but I don’t think Gamora has gone for good,” she explained.
The actress clearly has great affection for the series, too, and hopes that it’ll return one day and she’ll be first in line to buy a ticket.
“I would think it would be a huge loss for Marvel if they didn’t find a way to bring back ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy,’” she said. “It’s just such a fan-favorite group of misfits, you know? And then at the helm, they had a voice like James Gunn’s writing—which is just so marvelous for and very specific for this genre. And it’s so great for this genre as well. So, I would be the first one in the first row to sort of celebrate when the Guardians of the Galaxy come back.”
As Marvel fans we’d much rather see Captain America (Chris Evans) and/or Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) return to the big screen, but that’s just us. No shots to Guardians of the Galaxy.
Truth be told there is a slight chance that Marvel does bring back the original Guardians of the Galaxy team at some point as their much hyped Avengers: Secret Wars is set to be a blockbuster event that brings in superheroes from past films from various Marvel franchises. Unfortunately, Secret Wars isn’t set to release until 2028, so we have quite some time before we find out whether Zoe Saldaña will have her wish come true.
What do y’all think? Would y’all like to see another Guardians of the Galaxy film with a new team, or are y’all good with what James Gunn gave y’all with his trilogy? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Gareth Cattermole / Getty
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been struggling as of late with it’s popularity but with Deadpool & Wolverine hoping to right the ship that’s been seemingly sinking over the past few years, the MCU is gearing up for a comeback starting in 2025.
One of the films that Marvel is hoping will appease their hardcore fanbase is the upcoming Thunderbolts which features an all-star cast including Harrison Ford, Florence Pugh, David Harbour and Sebastian Stan amongst others, and with production on the film underway, Pugh gave fans a sneak peak at what to expect. Taking to her Instagram page in her full Yelena Belova attire (a.k.a the new Black Widow), Pugh posted a video of herself onset and walked viewers through the set of the Jake Schreier directed film.
“Hey guys, how are you doing? I know I’ve dropped off for a little bit, but that’s partially because I was whisked off to Atlanta to shoot a movie that I’m not really supposed to talk about, but I can show you things, sneakily, as long as you don’t tell anyone…I can show you a sneak peek of the set. They’re shooting. I’ll be quiet now.”
Show fans some of the film’s sets and even the director at work, Pugh gave fans a little bit of hope that this film won’t be a complete bomb as recent MCU films have been.
Unfortunately she didn’t mention whether or not we’d be getting the Red Hulk (Harrison Ford) in Thunderbolts as is rumored, but if Marvel knows what’s good for them they will give fans the red monstrosity that they’ve been demanding since the film was announced.
Check out Florence Pugh’s video below and let us know if you’ll be checking for Marvel’s Thunderbolts when it premiers on May 2, 2025.
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