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Austin Butler Opens Up About Waking Up in ‘Terror’ Every Night While Preparing for ‘Elvis’
Austin Butler transformed so completely and convincingly into Elvis Presley while playing the rock n’ roll legend in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, it almost seemed effortless. In a new interview with Jimmy Kimmel, however, the 31-year-old actor revealed that it was anything but.
Appearing Monday night (Jan. 9) on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Butler opened up about the stresses that came with the two-year process of getting Elvis’ every move, note and mannerism exactly right for the film. “I would usually wake up every day around 3 or 4 in the morning with this terror,” he confessed.
“It was just such a daunting thing,” he added. “I really was just guided by my terror.”
The Carrie Diaries alum — whose performance is up for best actor at Tuesday night’s (Jan. 10) Golden Globes — also shed some light on the prep work he did to master the role of The King. The process was unexpectedly prolonged when filming for Elvis halted for much of 2020 after co-star Tom Hanks tested positive for COVID-19.
Worried about losing all the progress he’d made so far with the character, Butler said he doubled down on his studies and covered his apartment walls with photographs of Elvis through the years. He made compilations of the “Hound Dog” singer’s voice and paid special attention to Elvis’ laugh.
“I’d walk down the beach for hours with a headphone in, laughing as Elvis,” he shared, recalling the looks he would get from confused surfers. “So it looked like [I was] this man, just absolutely out of his mind.”
In a separate roundtable interview for The Hollywood Reporter, Butler remembered the day he first met Elvis’ daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, after filming had wrapped. “She hugged me with tears in her eyes, and she just said, ‘Thank you,’” he said. “She took me upstairs and we went into Elvis’ bedroom and just sat on his bed and just talked for hours.”
“When you realize that he’s this guy that has been either thought of as this icon, godlike figure, or people just see him as this Halloween costume …,” he continued. “Then it dawns on you that he’s a father, and he’s a son and he’s a husband. That responsibility is so huge.”
Watch Austin Butler talk about portraying Elvis and meeting Lisa Marie below:
Foo Fighters, Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, KISS to Headline 2023 Sonic Temple Festival
The 2023 Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival will feature headlining sets from the Foo Fighters, Tool, Godsmack, Avenged Sevenfold, Queens of the Stone Age, KISS, Rob Zombie and the Deftones. The event at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio will take place on Memorial Day weekend (May 25-28) after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also slated to perform at the hard rock extravaganza are: Falling In Reverse, Chevelle, Puscifer, Beartooth, I Prevail, Jawbreaker, Sublime with Rome, Bullet For My Valentine, The Pretty Reckless, Pennywise, Trivium, Black Veil Brides and more.
The event marks the third festival date featuring the Foo Fighters to be announced this week, marking the band’s first major performances since the tragic death last March of drummer Taylor Hawkins while on tour in Colombia; at press time the group had not yet announced who will take over for Hawkins.
“We’ve always enjoyed playing Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus and are excited to be a part of this year’s Sonic Temple,” said A7X singer M. Shadows in a statement. “It’ll be a blast to share the stage with Tool, Foo Fighters and others, we can’t wait to see and play for all of our amazing fans again.” Danny Wimmer of Sonic Temple producer Danny Wimmer Presents added, “It’s great to be coming back to Columbus. Foo Fighters, Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, KISS plus 75 more, it’s our biggest lineup ever! There is so much history at Historic Crew Stadium, it truly is the heartbeat of rock for many of us… the excitement surrounding the return of Sonic Temple is unparalleled!”
Among the other acts slated to perform are: Suicidal Tendencies, Anti-Flag, Black Stone Cherry, Born of Osiris, Rival Sons, Senses Fail, From Ashes to New, Awolnation, Nothing More, Grandson, White Reaper, The Bronx and many more.
An exclusive presale for festival email subscribers will begin on Wednesday (Jan. 11) at 10 a.m. ET; fans who sign up for the Sonic Temple email list before 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday (Jan. 10) will receive a dedicated code with first access to buy festival passes; sign up here. The general public on-sale will begin at noon ET on Friday (Jan. 13).
Check out the full lineup below.
Hoping For A Miracle: Tory Lanez Hires Suge Knight’s Former Attorney Following Guilty Verdict
Source: Scott Dudelson / Getty / Tory Lanez
Tory Lanez is ditching the legal team representing him during his criminal trial, where he was found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion. Now, he is hoping Suge Knight’s former lawyer can deliver a miracle as talk about appeals begins.
Meghann Cuniff, affectionately dubbed Meghann Thee Reporter following her excellent coverage of the Tory Lanez trial, shared that Lanez expects to be in court on Tuesday, Jan.10, and his attorney will now be David Kenner. If his name sounds familiar, he also represented Snoop Dogg and Suge Knight.
“Kenner is a longtime criminal defense attorney whose clients include former Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight,” Cuniff wrote in a tweet. “Anyone with actual experience in criminal law (not all lawyers) will tell you he’s joining the case a bit late: Before trial would have been better.”
When the news was revealed, some quickly believed that Kenner was representing Knight when he was sentenced to 28 years in prison. Cuniff promptly pointed out that he was the former Death Row Record CEO’s lawyer during a robbery case in the 90s where he got probation.
Tory Lanez & His Former Attorney Parted On Good Terms
Per Rolling Stone senior reporter Nancy Dillon, Lanez’s former attorney said he parted ways with the rapper on good terms, noting he doesn’t handle appeals.
“I don’t do appeals,” Mgdesyan said. “So we had to get somebody on board to handle the appeal.” He also noted he plans to attend Lanez’s sentencing set for Jan.27.
“As a party who represented Tory and is friends with Tory, I have an interest,” he notes.
Last month Lanez was found guilty on all three charges, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a concealed and loaded firearm in a vehicle, and discharge of a firearm with gross negligence.
He was adamant that he did not shoot Megan Thee Stallion despite the evidence working against him, and now he is looking at over 22 years in prison.
We shall see if his move to hire David Kenner will pay off.
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Photo: Scott Dudelson / Getty
TOMORROW X TOGETHER Shares Daydreams & Nightmares in New ‘Temptation’ Teasers
As the release of TOMORROW X TOGETHER‘s highly anticipated forthcoming EP, The Name Chapter: Temptation, draws nigh, a new concept teaser and multiple photos for the project were shared on Tuesday (Jan. 10).
The new teaser, titled “Daydream,” features the TXT boys in a glowing ethereal setting. Filmed in a saturated soft focus, the K-pop stars flit around a forest, interact with the trees, read books in the grass and wade through a shallow pond before the dream comes to an end.
The concept photos show the boy band’s duality. In the “Nightmare” theme, members Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and HueningKai all get a chance to shine. The idols all pose in the midst of a glowing blue set filled with clues such as an hourglass, a chiming bell and stuffed animals decorating the nebulous space.
The photos for the “Daydream” theme — like the teaser video — are in fairytale-like setting, and were shared by BigHit on social media Sunday (Jan. 8).
The Name Chapter: Temptation will be released on Jan. 27. The mini album’s tracklist and official poster are set to drop on Jan. 19, while the album preview will arrive on Jan. 22. Two additional teasers for the project’s lead single will be shared on Jan. 24 and 25. Following the EP’s release, the K-pop group will perform a special showcase on Jan. 28.
The Name Chapter: Temptation will be the group’s first music release since the arrival of its fourth mini EP, minisode 2: Thursday’s Child. That project was a hit for the K-pop stars. It spent a total of 14 weeks on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, where it peaked at No. 4. Thursday’s Child achieved even more success on the Top Current Album Sales chart, where it spent 20 weeks on the tally and hit No. 1.
See TXT’s new “Nightmare” concept teaser in the video above, and the concept images below.
Meek Mill, Kevin Hart and Michael Rubin Donate $7 Million to Philadelphia Schools
Meek Mill, Kevin Hart and former Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin have teamed up again to make a major donations to Philadelphia schools. Following up their 2022 donation of $15 million to more than 100 Philly schools, according to a statement announcing the donation on Tuesday (Jan. 10) the trio will donate $7 million to local education causes for the 2023-2024 school year, with most of the funds going to support scholarships for low-income students at private schools.
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Mill — who, like Hart, is from Philly and attended city’s public schools — confirmed the news in a tweet that linked to a story in the Philadelphia Inquirer, writing, “Gotta get the whole trap booming too… we come from public schools side!!!!!” Meek’s longtime friend Rubin, the billionaire Fanatics CEO and former Sixers boss, is also a Philly-area native. At press time a spokesperson for the trio had not disclosed which schools will be receiving the funds, but said the scholarships will be concentrated in the South and North Philadelphia neighborhoods where the rapper and comedian grew up.
In addition to the scholarships to 60 “private and parochial schools in need” for children from low-to-moderate incomes, the donations will also help fund laptops, tablets and WiFi connections and other classroom materials. Interested families have to provide proof of income and demographics showing that they are eligible to receive funding through the Earned Income Tax Credit program.
Over the past few years, Mill (born Robert Rihmeek Williams) and Rubin have donated more $17 million to local communities. Mill and Rubin previously launched a $2 million scholarship fund to help area students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The money was earmarked for approximately 1,000 pre-K to high school students from low-income households during the 2020-21 school year to cover their tuition at private and parochial schools and provide access to much-needed at-home technology, including laptops, tablets and WiFi connection.
Check out Meek’s tweets about the donations below.
Intocable Leads Regional Mexican Airplay Chart With ‘Un Poquito Tuyo’
Intocable adds an 18th No. 1 to its career history on Billboard‘s Regional Mexican Airplay chart with the group’s latest single, “Un Poquito Tuyo.” The Texan band achieves the feat as the song advances from the runner-up slot to rule the list dated Jan. 14. With 18 champs on its ledger, the group ties for the second-most No. 1s among all acts.
“Un Poquito Tuyo,” released Oct. 18 via Good I Music, leads after two weeks at No. 2 with a 3% gain in audience impressions, to 8.5 million, earned during the Dec. 30-Jan. 5 tracking week, according to Luminate.
The band scored its first champ in 1996 with “No Te Vayas,” a little less than two years after Regional Mexican Airplay launched in Oct. 1994. Its longest-leading No. 1 is the 13-week ruler “Sueña” in 2002.
Further, with the new success, Intocable ties with Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga and Banda MS for the second-most No. 1s among all acts, all with 18, just behind Calibre 50’s 22 rulers. Here’s a look at the scoreboard:
- 22, Calibre 50
- 18, Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga
- 18, Banda MS
- 18, Intocable
- 17, La Arrolladora Banda el Limon de Rene Camacho
- 16, Conjunto Primavera
- 16, Los Tigres del Norte
“Un Poquito” arrives at No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay six months after “Si Me Duela Que Duela,” the two-week ruler in July 2022 which earned the sextet its first champ almost a decade after it landed at the penthouse in 2013 with “Te Amo (Para Siempre).”
“Un Poquito” and “Si Me Duela” will be included on Intocable’s forthcoming album slated for release later in the year.
Elsewhere, “Un Poquito” holds at its No. 3 high on the all-genre Latin Airplay and at No. 37 on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart.
The Weeknd Reveals He’s Working on New Music: ‘I’ve Definitely Been Inspired’
Who’s ready for The Weeknd? In a recent interview, the 32-year-old hitmaker revealed that he has new music in the works.
“I’ve definitely been inspired,” he said when asked if he was working on new material, right at the very end of an interview with Hollywood Reporter posted Monday (Jan. 9). “I’ve been in the studio.”
The star, born Abel Tesfaye, just celebrated the one-year anniversary of his most recent album, 2022’s Dawn FM. To mark the occasion, he dropped a new music video for one of the album’s tracks, “Is There Someone Else?” Saturday (Jan. 7).
Tesfaye didn’t share any further details about his next project, and instead spent most of the interview talking about “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength),” the Oscar-shortlisted theme song that he wrote for James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water. The Idol creator opened up about how the Avatar franchise has served as an inspiration for him ever since he saw the first film in 2009 when he was “homeless,” a period he calls “the darkest time of my life.”
“The best part about writing the song was getting notes from James and making sure that all the lyrics and the tones fit the themes of the film,” he told the publication. “I think I rewrote the song maybe six times to make sure it was perfect.”
The “Blinding Lights” singer also briefly spoke about the song’s potential Academy Award nomination, saying he feels “honored” by the recognition. Tesfaye has previously spoken out about another prominent awards show, the Grammys, which he’s boycotted since his blockbuster 2020 album After Hours was snubbed.
But, according to the musician, the Oscars “definitely feel different” from the Recording Academy. “I’m just grateful,” he continued after it was pointed out that he did win a Grammy for his assistance on Kanye West’s “Hurricane” in 2022, post boycott. “Any kind of recognition, I’m grateful for it. I’m just happy to be in the conversation.”
Kang Has Arrived: Peep The Latest Trailer To ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’
Source: Marvel Studios / Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
From The Eternals to Thor: Love and Thunder, the last few films from Marvel’s Phase 4 left much to be desired (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was solid though). Now that Phase 5 will get into full swing with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, can Marvel make MCU films great again?
On Monday night (Jan. 9), Marvel Studios released the latest trailer for the highly anticipated threequel to Ant-Man and it’s looking like it’s going to be a helluva time for MCU fans who’ve been disappointed with their aforementioned projects. Serving as a stepping stone for the forthcoming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Quantumania finds Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), and their family trapped in a Quantum Realm where they meet Kang The Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). Kang enlists the help of the heroes to break free from the dimension that’s held him prisoner for God knows how long.
With the ability to control time, Kang promises to return Ant-Man the five years he lost while he was stuck in the Quantum Realm during the “blip” that came after Thanos snapped away half of all life in the universe in Avengers: Infinity War. Cutting a deal with the devil, Ant-Man ultimately finds himself fighting for his life and the MCU reality after Kang turns on him and has the Avenger looking overmatched and overwhelmed in a world he has no help in.
Filled with astonishing visuals, action scenes and our first official look at MODOK in all his MCU glory, the trailer to Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania promises a helluva big screen debut for Kang The Conqueror as he becomes the next big baddy to threaten the MCU.
Check out the trailer to Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania below and let us know if you’ll be running to the theaters when it premiers Feb. 17 in the comments section below.
Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters, Odesza Headlining 2023 Bonnaroo Festival
Kendrick Lamar, Odesza and the Foo Fighters will topline this summer’s Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The event set for June 15-18 on the Bonnaroo Farm in Manchester, TN will also feature sets from Paramore, Lil Nas X, Baby Keem, Tyler Childers, Marcus Mumford, Korn, Alesso, Three 6 Mafia, GRiZ, My Morning Jacket, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and girl in red, among others.
The performance from the Dave Grohl-led Foos will mark only the second announced set from the group since the shocking death of drummer Taylor Hawkins last March while the group was on tour in Colombia; at press time the group had not yet announced who will take over for Hawkins.
The acts will perform on 10 stages over four days, with more than 150 performances; a selection of the sets will air exclusively on Hulu for the second year, including behind-the-scenes and special footage, with schedules to be announced in the weeks before the fest.
The weekend will kick off on Thursday (June 15) with a first night lineup featuring headliner Zeds Dead, along with performances from Liquid Stranger, 070 Shake, Abraham Alexander, Big Freedia, Briscoe, Celisse, Cimafunk, Diarrhea Planet and more.
Things will crank up on Friday (June 16) with Lamar, as well as Keem, Vulpeck, Portugal. The Man, Noah Kahan, Subrontics, Fleet Foxes, AFI, Sylvan Esso, Rina Sawayama, Charley Crockett, Morgan Wade, Alex G, MUNA, Diesel, Knocked Loose, Matt Maeson, black midi and others.
Saturday’s (June 17) Odesza-topped bill will also feature Louis the Child, JID, Sheryl Crow, STS9, Sofi Tukker, Big Wild, The Band Camino, Jenny Lewis, Yung Gravy, Remi Wolf, Bob Moses, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and others before the Foos shut things down on Sunday (June 18) along with The Revivalists, Pixies, Umphrey’s McGee, Rebelution, Jacob Collier, Hippo Campus, Peach Pit, Franz Ferdinand and others.
An Early Access on-sale will open on Thursday (Jan. 12) at 11 a.m. ET here, with early sign-ups available now; a public on-sale will take place if there are any tickets left. Ticket packages will be available as 4-day general admission, GA+, VIP and Platinum, along with a limited amount of one-day tickets, general admission camping and parking passes and premium and pre-pitched glamping options. Details about the annual Superjam, Outeroo and Late Night lineups will be announced soon.
Check out the full lineup below.
