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Source: WWD / Getty / Thandiwe Newton
Season 2 of Netflix’s hit original series Wednesday, will boast some serious star power.
Variety exclusively reports Thandiwe Newtown is joining the cast of Wednesday. Her role in the megahit show remains a mystery. She is the latest big name joining the show in its second season, joining Steve Buscemi.
Netflix declined to comment on Newton’s hiring, the website reports.
Newton is no stranger to the small screen. Her most notable role was on the HBO original series Westworld, which earned her three Emmy nominations for best supporting actress, taking home the award in 2018.
She also starred in The Slap, Big Mouth, Human Resources, and Rogue. Regarding the big screen, Newton’s other roles include the polarizing film Crash, Mission Impossible II alongside Tom Cruise, Beloved, The Pursuit of Happyness, and W.
Wednesday is a spinoff of The Addams Family that follows the titular character played by Jenna Ortega. In the show, which became a megahit for the streaming network, Wednesday enrolls in Nevermore Academy after a suspension from her previous high school.
The plot thickens when Wednesday develops psychic abilities and becomes embroiled in a murder mystery she eventually solves while uncovering secrets about her new school and her parents’ past.
The show became one of the most popular series on Netflix, receiving critical praise from critics and fans while earning 12 Emmy nominations.
Details on season 2 are scarce except for the news of Ortega’s return. Variety reports production should begin in Ireland in April.
Season 2 of Wednesday already sounds like it will be another hit for Netflix.
Joey Ramone‘s brother is fighting back against a lawsuit filed by Johnny Ramone’s widow over a planned Netflix movie about the pioneering punk band, calling the case “baseless and flimsy” and filing his own countersuit against her.
Johnny’s wife (Linda Cummings-Ramone) sued Joey’s brother (Mitchel Hyman, better known as Mickey Leigh) in January over allegations that he had “covertly” developed an “unauthorized” biopic, believed to be Netflix’s announced moving starring Pete Davidson as Joey. In the lawsuit, Linda said that any “authoritative story of the Ramones” would require her sign-off.
But in a sharply-worded response filed last month, Mickey’s attorneys argued that Linda had, in fact, already greenlit such a movie many years ago – and that her “baseless” lawsuit was simply one more step in a years-long plan to “install herself as the Queen of the Ramones.”
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“Ms. Cummings-Ramone’s main purpose is to embarrass, harass, and destroy the integrity of Mr. Hyman, create an utterly false narrative about him, rewrite her role in the history of the Ramones, and win a popularity contest in which, in her mind, she takes over … the legacy of a band of which she never was a member and had nothing to do with creatively,” Mickey’s lawyers wrote in the March 15 filing.
A representative for Linda did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday.
Joey (real name Jeffrey Ross Hyman) and Johnny (real name John William Cummings) were not actually brothers, and they had a notoriously chilly relationship during their decades as bandmates. In the years since the two passed away, that feud has seemingly continued between Mickey and Linda.
As the executors of Joey and Johnny’s respective estates, Mickey and Linda each own half of Ramones Productions Inc., the holding company that controls the band’s music and other assets. But that partnership has not gone smoothly, featuring multiple lawsuits and arbitrations over the past decade.
The latest legal scuffle was triggered in part by the plans for a movie version of I Slept With Joey Ramone, Mickey’s 2009 memoir, which Netflix announced in April 2021. In her January lawsuit, Linda said that such a project would need the sign-off of Ramones Productions and not just Joey’s estate.
“Ms. Ramone objects to defendants’ attempt to create a Ramones film without her involvement — not to be obstinate, but rather based on defendants’ disregard for [Ramones] assets and their conduct and treatment of Ms. Ramone and her late husband,” Linda’s attorneys wrote at the time. “To permit defendants alone to tell the authoritative story of the Ramones would be an injustice to the band and its legacy.”
But in his recent response, Mickey argued that the planned movie is about him and his brother, and is “not intended to be a ‘Ramones movie’ or a Ramones biopic.” And he pointed to a 2006 agreement in which he argued that Linda had already granted her approval to a film based on the I Slept With Joey Ramone book: “Ms. Cummings-Ramone did consent to Defendants’ development and production of a motion picture,” Mickey’s lawyers wrote.
In a copy of the alleged agreement filed in court, Ramones Productions granted approval to a company called Rosegarten Films to produce a movie based on the then-unpublished memoir. It’s unclear if that specific company is involved in the currently-planned film, but television and film producer Rory Rosegarten was listed an executive producer when Netflix announced the movie in 2021.
In a statement to Billboard on Wednesday, Mickey echoed his argument that the movie was not going to be about the Ramones as a band.
“The fact is, I did not write ‘I Slept With Joey Ramone: A Punk Rock Family Memoir’ about my brother’s band and had no intention whatsoever of doing that,” he said. “I wrote a story about growing up with a big brother who endured a severe somatic malady at birth, and later developed neurogenic problems. That led to doctors making diagnoses that he would never be able to function on his own in society — and that big brother, with support from his family, proved those doctors wrong as he went on to do great things with his life and become an inspiration to millions.”
The recent court filings came as part of Mickey’s so-called answer to the Linda’s lawsuit, denying the many accusations leveled against him in her lawsuit. Along with it, he filed his own counterclaims against her, arguing that it was Linda who had actually breached their partnership agreement with a “pattern of egregious conduct.”
The counterclaims set the stage for potentially years of litigation over Linda and Mickey’s back-and-forth accusations. Just like Linda’s original lawsuit, Mickey’s new case covers a wide range of alleged wrongdoing in their joint management of the Ramones assets well beyond just the proposed movie.
“She is driven by an alternate agenda, including her own fame and vanity, as well as a self-serving desire to obstruct projects and control RPI for reasons which conflict with her fiduciary duties and cause her to avoid any modicum of cooperation with Mr. Hyman,” Mickey’s lawyers wrote.
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Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment / Netflix / Good Times
Good Times is back—well, sort of. Netflix dropped the first trailer for the upcoming animated series, and it did not go over well with social media.
The animated Good Times project focuses on the new generation of the Evans family. While the names have changed, the struggle for the Evans family remains the same.
The adult-themed satirical cartoon, which arrives on the streaming platform on April 12, stars J.B. Smoove (Reggie Evans), Yvette Nicole Brown (Beverly Evans), Jay Pharoah (Junior Evans), Marsai Martin (Grey Evans), Gerald “Slink” Johnson (Dalvin Evans) and Rashida “Sheedz” Olayiwola (Lashes by Lisa).
Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment / Netflix / Good Times
The official synopsis for the show reads:
An animated reboot of the Norman Lear series finds the latest generation of the Evans family, cab driver Reggie and his wife, the ever-aspirational Beverly, scratching and surviving in one of the last remaining housing projects in Chicago along with their teenage artist son, Junior, activist daughter Grey, and drug dealing infant son, Dalvin. It turns out the more things change, the more they stay the same, and keeping your head above water in a system with its knee on your neck is as challenging as ever. The only thing tougher than life is love, but in this family there’s more than enough to go around.
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X Users Are Not Feeling Good Times
The negative reactions to the trailer were immediate, with many focusing on the fact people like NBA hooper Steph Curry and Family Guy/American Dad creator Seth McFarlane are involved in the project as producers that follow a family growing up in the projects while never experiencing that kind of life themselves.
Other complaints focus on the show just not being a terrible reimagining of the original 70s sitcom that is full of racist stereotypes despite its predominately Black cast and showrunner, Ranada Shepard.
Carl Jones Clarifies His Involvement, Yvette Nicole Brown Shuts Down Haters In Her Mentions
Many also felt the show was trying to emulate The Boondocks’ style, which is ironic because Boondock’s creator, Carl Jones, was involved with the show at one point but revealed in a post on X that he left due to “creative differences.”
Yvette Nicole Brown even had to respond to people questioning her about her involvement in the “racist” show.
She followed up with a thread telling them no is forcing them to watch the show and explaining why she took on the role in the show.
Is The Immediate Fallout Justified?
Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment / Netflix / Good Times
The immediate negative reactions to the Good Times trailer and people hoping for the show to fail also raise the question, are we too harsh on TV shows and movies geared towards us?
White folks have shows like this all the time: King of The Hill, The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad, and they have all gone on to be successful, spawning many seasons.
All those shows depict White America’s tropes in a jokingly and, sometimes, serious light.
So when it comes to a show like Good Times that is trying to do the same, even though we can’t immediately tell that based on a three-minute trailer, is that fair?
Good Times is no different from Eddie Murphy’s stop-motion-animation show The PJs or Jones’ The Boondocks; the main complaints just seem to focus on the names regarding the production aspect.
But as we lawd the original show, we can’t ignore the fact a white man was instrumental in bringing that show to television across the country.
We shall reserve judgment and see if this show is Dy-No-Mite when it arrives next month.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. We understand
5. Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur is phenomenal, just hope y’all watching and not just talking
6. Another good show to watch, before Max scrubs it from existence
7. Well, Stewie killed his mom on Family Guy, just saying.
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Source: Netflix / Netflix
Netflix’s hit series Black Mirror is known for taking brief hiatuses in-between it’s seasons and with the sixth season almost a year old, Netflix has just announced that the popular sci-fi show will be returning for a seventh installment…next year.
On Thursday, (March 14), Netflix released a teaser trailer announcing that Black Mirror would be returning in 2025 with six new episodes. And though details about what to expect aren’t given, Netflix did confirm that one of the episodes would be a sequel to one of Season 6’s standout episodes, “USS Callister.”
The news should be welcomed by fans of the series who were pleased to see the show get back on track in Season 6 after a very lackluster fifth season in 2019, which many felt was easily the worst season in the franchise. Now that the show’s regained some popularity and respect with it’s 2023 return, Netflix is looking to capitalize and give fans some more stories that have at times given us a glimpse as to what to expect in our own actual reality.
No release date has been set but don’t be surprised if Season 7 of Black Mirror returns sometime next Summer.
Are you happy that Black Mirror is returning for another go in 2025? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Netflix / Netflix
It feels like it’s been a hot minute since we’ve seen Hollywood superstar Jennifer Lopez star in a feature film. But it seems like the Puerto Rican legend is ready to remind everyone she’s still that chick in Netflix’s latest sci-fi adventure.
On Wednesday (March 13), Netflix released their first teaser trailer to the Bred Peyton-directed ATLAS, which stars Jennifer Lopez as Atlas Shepherd, who finds herself in the middle of a war between humanity and AI powered machines. While one would think this is basically another installment of Terminator, ATLAS centers around Shepherd’s relationship with a rogue robot who are tasked with saving earth from the takeover of the machines.
Wait, this isn’t Terminator?!
Also featuring the likes of Sterling K. Brown and Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), the trailer finds Lopez barely escaping death while in her robotic machine as the war wages on in the skies as she struggles to stick the landing.
We lowkey hope Ben Affleck pops out with a DunKing tracksuit at some point. Just sayin’.
Check out the trailer for ATLAS below, and let us know if you’ll be checking for it when it premiers on Netflix this Memorial Day.
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A woman who once appeared “obviously intoxicated” in a Kanye West music video cannot sue for defamation after the footage was used in the Kanye-focused Netflix documentary jeen-yuhs, a federal judge says, even if she later got sober and “turned her life around.”
Cynthia Love sued last year, claiming jeen-yuhs filmmakers Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah defamed her by including the footage in the 2022 Netflix series. The clip, which showed Love dancing and slurring her words at a Chicago barbecue spot, was originally shot for the 2003 music video for Kanye West’s debut single, “Through The Wire.”
Love’s argument was unusual. She admitted that the footage was authentic — normally the death knell for a libel lawsuit. But she argued that because she had later gotten sober, it had become false and defamatory to use it in the present day.
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In a ruling Tuesday (Feb. 27), Judge Steven Seeger sharply rejected that argument, ruling that the footage was “historically accurate” and shows a “a past truth,” even if it was a truth that Love did not want to remember.
“Holding up a mirror isn’t defamation. Holding up a 20-year-old picture isn’t defamation, either,” the judge wrote. “They both reflect reality, like it or not.”
It did not matter that Love had later “turned things around,” the judge wrote, or that the Netflix doc depicts her at her “darkest moments” years ago: “The ‘Jeen-yuhs’ video accurately portrays Love in a moment of time several decades ago. The video does not suggest that Love remains in an intoxicated state, or anything of that sort.”
Directed by Coodie & Chike (the moniker used by the filmmakers), jeen-yuhs depicted West’s career through unreleased archival footage, much of it filmed by Coodie over decades of working with the rapper. After landing at Netflix for a reported $30 million, the series was released in February 2022 — just months before West would receive widespread condemnation for a string of antisemitic statements.
Years earlier, Love had briefly appeared in the “Through The Wire” video, which was directed by Coodie & Chike in one of their first projects. The video showed Love drunkenly dancing in Chicago eater Original Leon’s Bar-B-Q. That footage, plus additional unused footage showing her interacting with West, later appeared in jeen-yuhs, making up about two minutes of footage total across two episodes.
Love sued last year, accusing Coodie & Chike and Netflix of defamation and a wide range of other wrongdoing. (West was not named or accused of any wrongdoing). She claimed they had “recklessly disregarded the truth” that she had made “an amazing transformation” since the ugly footage was filmed, hurting her reputation among present-day peers: “Neighbors, co-workers, and family cannot help but view and treat her as someone less worthy of their respect, esteem and trust,” her lawyers wrote.
But in Tuesday’s order dismissing those allegations, Judge Seeger pointedly noted that “sometimes the truth hurts, and when the truth hurts, it isn’t defamation.” Summarizing her argument as “the footage was true then, but it isn’t true now,” the judge told her that’s simply not how defamation law works.
“Plain and simple, any allegations about Love in the ‘Jeen-yuhs’ docuseries are true,” the judge wrote. “The docuseries includes real-world clips of Love, without doctoring the content or adding any false material. It shows true clips of a real event.”
Attorneys for both sides did not immediately return a request for comment.
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Mea Culpa, the latest film from Tyler Perry, was released to Netflix over the weekend starring Kelly Rowland in the lead role alongside co-star Trevante Rhodes. While the film catapulted to the top of the streamer’s Top 10 listings for movies, fans on X are handing in mixed reactions.
Mea Culpa follows the tale of Mea Harper (Rowland), a criminal defense attorney who begins representing artist Zyair Malloy (Rhodes) who is accused of killing his girlfriend. Without delving too much into the plot, Mea and her husband Kal Hawthorne (Sean Sagar) are going through some relationship issues involving another woman.
Amid her troubles at home, Mea takes on Zyair as a client, who is being prosecuted by her brother-in-law, District Attorney Raw Hawthorne, the brother of her husband. Zyair, using his charm, begins to seduce Mea and all hell breaks loose from there according to what we see in the trailer for the film.
Tyler Perry joined forces with Netflix as a content partner back in October of last year and the multiyear deal will see not only movies from the celebrated director and screenwriter but also several series as well.
The issue that some online have with Mea Culpa is some of the plot twists within the film, and others have been critical of Rowland’s acting skills. Others are also saying that it’s time that Perry allows someone else to handle his scripts, a common refrain from detractors of his work.
Check out the reactions from X, formerly Twitter, below.
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Photo: Bob Mahoney/Perry Well Films 2/Courtesy Netflix / Mea Culpa
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Netflix is just one of the various streaming options out there to entertain you with fresh and original TV shows and movies. As more media production companies come out with their own platforms, it can make streaming the latest and greatest programs pricey.
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Even as the competition to get subscribers becomes more cutthroat, Netflix is still dominating the entertainment sphere with around 260 million paid subscribers worldwide, according to data collected from Statista during the fourth quarter of 2023. This is partly due to the hit original content that the streaming platform has in its library, including Love Is Blind, Bridgerton, Griselda, Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Vince Staples Show, One Day and upcoming content like the live adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Plans for Netflix start at around $6.99/month, but rather than add another monthly cost to your budget, there are some current promos going on that can score you free Netflix. That way, you can use your savings toward that merch you’ve been eyeing on the official Netflix Shop.
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Keep reading to learn the current promos and deals going on.
How to Get Free Netflix With T-Mobile
Need an excuse to switch your phone carrier? T-Mobile’s Netflix On Us promo gets you Netflix’s ad-supported plan for no additional cost. You just need to be a part of a qualifying carrier plan such as: any Go5G or Magenta plan with two or more lines, Go5G Next, Go5G Plus or Magenta MAX plan. Military, First Responder and 55 plans are also eligible to receive the promo.
New and active account holders can activate the discount by going to their account, select add-ons and then manage data and add-ons. From there, you’ll be able to create a Netflix account or add an existing one.
How to Get Free Netflix Through Verizon
You can also bundle Max and Netflix for $10 a month with an Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Ultimate plan — and, since a Max subscription is $9.99 a month on its own, you’re basically getting Netflix for free. This promo will give you access to both of the streamers’ ad-supported plans. You can add existing streaming accounts to your MyPlan — no canceling required.
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best streaming device deals, tv deals and wifi extenders.
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Vince Staples has long established himself as not only a talented musician but also one of the wittiest minds in entertainment. Vince Staples is currently basking in the early positive chatter around his new Netflix series, The Vince Staples Show, with some saying this could be the start of an epic series run for the rapper.
Vince Staples, 30, has long been considered one of the brightest minds both in music and other forms of media due to his sharp intellect, command of language, and ability to remain deadpan during the humorous retellings of his life. The Vince Staples Show, in that regard, is a direct look into the mind of Staples, which puts him in a variety of zany situations that he somehow navigates through his mental savvy and the fact that he’s a famous figure.
Kenya Barris of Black-ish fame serves as one of the executive producers for the show alongside Corey Smyth and showrunner Maurice Williams. The writing room gets a boost from Staples himself, Williams as mentioned earlier, Winter Coleman, and Crystal Jenkins.
The Vince Staples Show follows Staples around his hometown “The Beach” which we can safely assume is based in his native Long Beach, Calif. His character is semi-famous but still very connected to street life and adjacently finds Staples in the middle of some surreal moments that only could work in this medium.
Stapes isn’t new to acting as he’s made an appearance on the hit sitcom Abbott Elementary, along with other roles over the years. Fans of Abbott Elementary should get a kick out of Staples’ show during a key moment.
On X, formerly Twitter, Vince Staples had his name trending with fans celebrating the genius of the program while noting that he also is urging folks to demand a second season of the show. Based on this reaction, that appears to be in the bag.
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Photo: Getty
Queen Bey is back outside! Notorious for her elusiveness, Beyoncé has been out and about since the 2024 Super Bowl, where she kicked off her new country era — also known as Act II of the three-act project she began with 2022’s Renaissance. On Thursday night (Feb. 15), the “Break My Soul” singer graced the […]
