TV/Film
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A lot of podcast hosts would probably sacrifice an arm and a leg to have Taylor Swift as a guest, but Monica Lewinsky thinks her show would be a particularly good fit for the pop superstar. While visiting The Late Show Thursday night (Feb. 20), the anti-bullying activist opened up about starting her new Reclaiming […]
Six years after Leaving Neverland gave Wade Robson and James Safechuck a platform to share shocking accounts of Michael Jackson‘s alleged sexual abuse of them as children, the two men are once again taking to the documentary format to talk about their experiences. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts […]
Ariana Grande‘s dress definitely didn’t defy gravity at the Tokyo premiere of Wicked Thursday (Feb. 20), with the singer getting tripped up as she made her way to stage — and sending Cynthia Erivo and Jon M. Chu into immediate crisis-management mode in the process.
In a clip from the screening shared by the “Yes, And?” singer on Instagram Stories, her fellow Wicked leading lady and the director go ahead of her onto the stage while she hangs back, appearing to have caught her white ballgown on part of the steps. Erivo and Chu make it several yards away from her before they turn back to see that Grande is stuck, at which point both jog straight back to her to help, arms outstretched.
“the unison panic !!!” the Victorious alum wrote, tagging both the Pinocchio actress and filmmaker. “i love you both so much.”
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Grande also shared a fan-made meme with a blurry zoomed-in photo of Erivo and Chu running to her rescue, captioned, “NO WITCH LEFT BEHIND.” “this is tickling me soooo,” the R.E.M. Beauty founder wrote.
Luckily, Grande was eventually able to free her dress from the staircase’s grasp, taking both Erivo and Chu’s hands and letting them guide her to the center of the stage.
Tokyo is just the latest city the actresses and director have taken the Wicked experience to since its worldwide premiere in November, a months-long promotional cycle during which all three members of the film’s core team have picked up multiple prestigious award nominations. That includes Oscar nods for Erivo and Grande — best actress and best supporting actress, respectively — ahead of the March 2 ceremony.
The film’s rollout — which precedes the November-slated Wicked Part 2 — has also given fans a front-row seat to Erivo and Grande’s close bond, though some people have taken it and run with their own theories about the duo’s relationship. “People think we’re secretly married,” the “We Can’t Be Friends” singer said a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“I wish I could unsee some things,” she said of the sometimes explicit fan fiction and art she’s seen. “I mean, wow, I had a feeling, but I didn’t know it would be on this scale or this graphic.”
Kim Kardashian was in protective mother-lion mode after North West‘s performance in the Hollywood Bowl’s Lion King production received backlash.
On the latest episode of Hulu’s The Kardashians Thursday (Feb. 20), the reality star clapped back at critics of her eldest daughter’s stage presence and vocal chops, which North showcased as Simba in the May 2024 production. “She’s so proud of herself,” Kim said. “She did such a great job. And anyone that is hating on a kid is just a hater — she’s not there to be Mariah Carey.”
“And if anyone wants to hate on a child that is having the time of their lives, ‘F–k you,’” the Skims founder added.
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Clips of the 11-year-old — whom Kim shares with ex-husband Ye (formerly Kanye West), along with three other kids — singing “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” at the Bowl were quick to go viral last spring. Many critics theorized that North had snagged the role only because of her famous parents, while others went as far as accusing the former couple of “buying” the experience for North.
But on The Kardashians, Kim countered those claims. “North is the moment,” she told cameras. “They want to see North West on a TikTok, on a this, on an anything. Because she’s a personality, a performer.”
And while some people on social media weren’t so kind to North, the aspiring performer had plenty of support in the moment. As shown on the new episode, both Kim and Ye were in the audience to cheer on their firstborn, with the mogul and rapper — who finalized their divorced in 2022 — taking a moment to gush over North after the show.
“Man, she did so good,” Ye told Kim, who replied, “I was just crying from the side.”
North has also continued nurturing her artistic side, collaborating with FKA Twigs — and rapping in Japanese — on a song titled “Childlike Things” off the English singer-songwriter’s latest album Eusexua. And shortly before facing more backlash for his latest flurry of antisemitic hate speech, Ye revealed that he was personally “training” North in the art of music-making.
“This little girl made me love music again,” the rapper gushed on Instagram in January. “She asked me to make beats for her I got back on the ASR Chopped up beats for her album.”
JISOO‘s acting career is going strong despite being busier than ever with upcoming BLACKPINK plans and solo music, with Netflix announcing a new Korean romantic-comedy series starring the performer Wednesday (Feb. 19).
Tentatively titled Boyfriend on Demand, the Kim Jung-sik-directed show will see JISOO as Mi-rae, an “exhausted webtoon producer” who starts a virtual dating program that introduces her to the “boyfriends of her dreams” as part of a monthly subscription service, according to the description. She’ll star opposite South Korean singer-actor Seo In-guk, who will play Park Kyeong-nam, a rival colleague of Mi-rae’s.
“Blending the relatable challenges of daily work life and a never-before-seen virtual reality dating subscription program, Boyfriend on Demand promises to revolutionize dating,” the release teases, adding that the series will “deliver heart-fluttering moments and laughter.”
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Boyfriend on Demand is just the latest onscreen project JISOO has taken on, with the K-pop star establishing herself as a leading lady in 2021’s Disney+ K-drama Snowdrop. Most recently, she played Kang Young-joo in Prime Video’s Zombie series Newtopia.
The announcement comes the same day BLACKPINK finally unveiled dates for its previously teased world tour, which kicks off July 5 in Seoul and will see JISOO and bandmates ROSÉ, LISA and JENNIE traveling through Los Angeles, New York City, Paris, Barcelona, London and more through mid-August. ROSÉ also recently confirmed that the quartet is coming out with new music soon.
BLACKPINK’s last album, Born Pink, dropped in 2022, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. After touring the LP through 2023, the four stars have spent the past year or so working on solo projects.
For JISOO, the break has included the release of her debut solo EP, AMORTAGE, which arrived on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) with four new tracks: “Earthquake,” “Your Love,” “Tears” and “Hugs & Kisses.” In a recent interview with Billboard, she called working by herself “an amazing experience” — but she’s more than excited to get back into the band swing of things.
“Last year, as each member focused on individual activities, we all grew a lot,” she said in a video interview with Tetris Kelly. “Now, as we come together for this year, I feel like we’ll be able to return with an even bigger and more spectacular presence. Everyone’s excited about it, and we’ve been sharing ideas. We’ve already done a lot of preparations for this year.”
Janelle Monáe will explore the art of the con in the upcoming Universal Pictures adaptation of Tanya Smith’s 2024 memoir, Never Saw Me Coming: How I Outsmarted the FBI and the Entire Banking System – and Pocketed $40 Million. According to Variety, Monáe will star in the film and also produce through her Wonderland Pictures company.
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Smith — who saw herself a modern-day Robin Hood after figuring out how to wipe out her relatives’ debt by manipulating the banking system — will be an executive producer on the movie. The gripping story is described as a heist thriller that provides a “powerful examination of systemic prejudice and economic inequality,” following Smith’s journey from mischievous teenage hacker to a master manipulator of the U.S. financial system.
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The book’s publisher, Hachette Book Group calls the story a riveting tale of an “unsuspecting woman who creates an ingeniously clever white-collar scheme that manipulates the Federal banking system out of millions — who eventually loses everything that is most important to her.”
The story follows Smith as she begins her life of deception as a teenager with an interest in technology, figuring out how to acquire the phone numbers of stars including Michael Jackson and other celebs, before moving on to stealing and depositing $5,000 into her grandmother’s bank account, and, by 18, confiscating $40 million dollars in cash, gold, diamonds and commodities from banks using hacked wire transfers.
“The FBI is hot on her tail and hauls her in for an interview, demanding Smith let them know who she’s working for, ‘as these are not the kind of crimes Black people are smart enough to commit,’” reads the book synopsis. “Their words, indicating that intelligence was determined by race, severely offended Smith. Up for the challenge, she proves the FBI wrong and over time steals $40 million dollars, while securing diamonds, gold bars, and other commodities. Her lifestyle attracts the wrong kind of people, even those who set out to kill her.”
The investigators hot on her trail, Smith is tagged as “one of the single biggest threats to the entire U.S. banking system,” earning her the longest prison sentence ever (13 years) for white-collar crimes, only to be released after mounting her own “brilliant defense.” Along the way, Smith escaped from prison two years into her sentence by disguising herself as a lawyer and gave birth to two children while incarcerated.
Monáe latest starring role will follow up on her well-received roles in the films Moonlight, Hidden Figures, Harriet, Antebellum and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
Ozzy Osbourne was once invited to audition for a role in Pirates of the Caribbean—but the opportunity was shut down by his longtime manager and wife, Sharon Osbourne.
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During a recent appearance on Billy Corgan’s The Magnificent Others podcast, Sharon revealed what she considers the “biggest mistake” she ever made on the legendary Black Sabbath frontman’s behalf. “He got offered to go and read for Pirates of the Caribbean, and I’ve never said this to anyone,” she admitted to the Smashing Pumpkins frontman. “And I said no. Now wouldn’t he have been perfect?”
Corgan immediately agreed, responding, “He would have been perfect! Maybe it’s not too late, but God bless.”
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While it remains unclear which character Ozzy was being considered for, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has a history of casting rock legends. The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards famously played Captain Teague, the father of Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow, in At World’s End (2007) and On Stranger Tides (2011).
Paul McCartney also made an appearance in Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) as Jack Sparrow’s uncle, Uncle Jack. Given Ozzy’s unmistakable persona and theatrical stage presence, it’s easy to imagine him fitting right into the swashbuckling world of the blockbuster franchise.
Beyond his near brush with Hollywood, Ozzy has remained active in music despite ongoing health struggles. In recent years, he released Patient Number 9 (2022), which earned a Grammy for Best Rock Album, and announced his retirement from touring due to health concerns. Meanwhile, Black Sabbath’s final reunion show is set to take place on July 5 in Birmingham, featuring appearances from Guns N’ Roses, Tool, and even actor Jason Momoa.
While Ozzy never got his shot at the high seas, his legacy as the Prince of Darkness remains untouchable—onstage and, perhaps, in an alternate timeline, on the big screen.
Green Day are on the hunt for extras to star in their upcoming film.
Dubbed New Years Rev, the film was announced last week (Feb. 10) with Live Nation revealing the new comedy is being developed by Lee Kirk alongside Green Day themselves. Production is currently underway in Oklahoma City, and a casting call has now been put out for an upcoming concert scene.
According to the call by Oklahoma’s Freihofer Casting, producers are seeking “punks, emo, hardcore, alternative and rocker young adults, aged 18-30” for a multi-day shoot which will see them appearing “as attendees of a pop-up rock show” in an outdoor location.
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Interested applicants have been promised there will be “live music, skateboarding and a rowdy good time,” with a $101.50 per diem promised. One day of the four-day shoot will be for a “rain and mud fight” event, with extras offered an additional $25 when they get wet and muddy.
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Further details for the role specify that producers are searching for “punks, rockers, goths, alternative, or emo young adults. The type of person who would roll up on a secret outdoor concert out on someone’s land.”
Though a release date for the forthcoming film has not yet been announced, the coming-of-age story has confirmed Mason Thames, Kylr Coffman and Ryan Foust to star. The story sees their characters heading to Los Angeles under the false impression that they’ll be opening for Green Day on New Year’s Eve. Per a press release, the plot is inspired by the Californian punk trio and their years of living in a tour van.
“Van days rule. You will drive all night on no sleep then play a show for 10 kids in a basement of a friend of a friend’s house 50 miles east of anywhere you’ve ever heard of,” Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong said in a press statement. “But you’ll do it again the next day, and the one after that. Because you’re doing it with your bandmates who become your family and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever known. It’s electric. Let the music and mischief ensue.”
While specifics of the scenes the casting call is recruiting for remain unclear, inspiration being taken from Green Day’s career suggests the “rain and mud fight” event may be a retelling of their infamous Woodstock 1994 performance.
Taking place in upstate New York in August of that year in support of February’s breakthrough album Dookie, the concert featured Green Day appearing before a rain-soaked crowd who swiftly began hurling mud at the band. The pay-per-view broadcast of the concert raised the profile of Green Day on a global scale, and in 2019 a recording of the show was issued for Record Store Day.
One of Too $hort‘s songs has inspired a movie and it looks pretty good. Set in 1987 Oakland, starring Pedro Pascal, and narrated by the Bay Area legend himself, Freaky Tales tells the story of a career thief doing one last job before he calls it quits. Of course, we all know how that story […]
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Mufasa: The Lion King was one of the biggest movie of 2024. But, if you missed it in theaters, the prequel film is now available to stream at home.
Read on for the best way to stream Mufasa: The Lion King online.
How to Watch Mufasa: The Lion King Online
Mufasa: The Lion King is streaming for $24.99 to rent and $29.99 to buy digitally on Prime Video, Apple TV and other premium video on-demand marketplaces.
However, rentals are accessible for 30 days after purchase, and for 48 hours once you begin watching the movie.
Directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk), Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel to the 2019 live-action version of The Lion King. It follows an orphaned cub named Mufasa (Aaron Pierre), who gets adopted into the royal family and becomes the brother of Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), a young lion prince who later becomes Scar. The film then follows Mufasa’s journey to becoming the next king of the Pride Lands.
The movie also features a voice cast with Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Tiffany Boone, Donald Glover, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Blue Ivy Carter, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and others.
Meanwhile, the soundtrack for Mufasa: The Lion King also features original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a film score by Dave Metzger.
Mufasa: The Lion King is to rent for $24.99, or buy digitally for $29.99 on Prime Video. In the meantime, you can watch a trailer for the movie below, or watch The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl featuring Jennifer Hudson, North West and other on Disney+.
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