TV/Film

30 Jan 2024

Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump Makes New Music for Mattel & Netflix ‘Hot Wheels’ Kids’ Series: Watch the Trailer

Following the success of Barbie, a new Mattel toy is coming to the screen.

Mattel Television Studios announced Tuesday (Jan. 30) that its new animated children’s series Hot Wheels Let’s Race, inspired by the popular toy cars, will arrive on Netflix in March.

The show will feature a theme song by Fall Out Boy‘s Patrick Stump, who composed, recorded and produced the track for Hot Wheels Let’s Race in addition to leading the composition of the score, underscore and music cues for all episodes. The show will follow racers Coop, Spark, Mac, Brights, Axle and Sidecar as they attend a high-energy racing camp.

“I spent a lot of my childhood in my grandpa’s garage handing him tools while he worked on cars and I daydreamed about music,” Stump said in a press statement. “But Hot Wheels was my way of connecting to his love of cars. That’s why I was so excited to get the opportunity to work on Hot Wheels Let’s Race with Mattel Television Studios. The word I’m always using to describe my music for this series is ‘pulse.’ There’s a tempo and a rhythm that permeates the series as soon as the tires hit that iconic orange track. It’s a real joy to get to be a part of that and I can’t wait for another generation of kids to see Hot Wheels Let’s Race on Netflix this year.” 

Patrick Stump

Patrick Stump

Elliott Ingham

Rob David, the show’s executive producer as well as vice president of content creative at Mattel Television Studios, added, “Between the show’s characters, propulsive cars, and pulse-pounding music, we want to make audiences feel like they’re literally gripping the wheel for an unforgettable ride with Hot Wheels Let’s Race. Patrick is a one-of-a-kind musical talent, and generous collaborator. We are so lucky to have him as part of the Let’s Race family.” 

Season 1 of Hot Wheels Let’s Race will be available March 4 on Netflix. Check out the trailer, which previews Stump’s theme song, below:

30 Jan 2024

Nia Long to Portray Family Matriarch Katherine Jackson in Upcoming Michael Jackson Biopic

The upcoming, highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic has found its Katherine Jackson. Best Man star Nia Long has been cast as the mother of the King of Pop.

She will be joining the “Billie Jean” singer’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, who was previously announced to portray his late uncle in the upcoming film, and Oscar nominee Colman Domingo, who is set to play the Jackson family patriarch, Joe Jackson. Nine-year-old actor Juliano Krue Valdi will portray Michael during his formative years in the Jackson 5.

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The film will take on the musician’s life and career and will be produced by Graham King (Bohemian Rhapsody) and John Branca and John McClain, who are the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. Titled Michael, the forthcoming biopic will be directed by Antoine Fuqua, the filmmaker behind 2001’s Oscar-winning Training Day and 2022’s Will Smith-starring Emancipation.

“Beyond Nia’s incredible talent, I was deeply moved by her connection to the material and her commitment to honoring Katherine and the love she had for her son,” said King in a press statement.

Michael died on June 25, 2009 at age 50. In a career that spanned almost his entire life, the King of Pop had 13 No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. He first saw success as part of the family band the Jackson 5, and four of their songs topped the Hot 100.

The film is currently slated for release in April 2025. The film is now in production. 

30 Jan 2024

Kate McKinnon & Mayo Cat Mock Pete Davidson’s Love Life in Hellmann’s Super Bowl Ad: Watch

Meeee-ow! The claws are out in Hellmann’s Super Bowl ad, which features Saturday Night Live alum Kate McKinnon and an adorable feline appropriately named Mayo Cat.

The spot, which debuted Tuesday (Jan. 30), kicks off with the cat-loving comedian trying to figure out what to do with her leftovers of chicken, scallions and a block of cheese. “What am I gonna make with these?!” the actress wonders.

That’s when inspiration — a nod at Hellmann’s food-waste reduction campaign “Make Taste Not Waste” — from her furry companion strikes. “May-ow!” the super fluffy feline meows adorably.

“Mayo …,” McKinnon slowly repeats before she turns to see a giant jar of mayonnaise ready and waiting in her fridge. “Hellmann’s … Holy [censored], you can talk!”

From there, it’s a whirlwind for the SNL alum and her kitty as they make the rounds on morning talk shows, book signings, photo shoots and more, before Mayo Cat lands a particularly high-profile pairing: a relationship with another former SNL cast member by the name of Pete Davidson.

The two go red-carpet official as paps go crazy over the new pair, with one photographer even asking if “it’s serious.” Davidson’s response? A sly nod and smile. But like many of the King of Staten Island‘s relationships, this one was just as short-lived. (Remember his five-month romance with Ariana Grande, during which time they were even more briefly engaged?) By the next scene, Davidson and Mayo Cat’s split (she dumped him!) was splashed on the cover of People.

“You lasted longer than most!” McKinnon consoles her feline friend.

Watch Kate McKinnon, Mayo Cat and Pete Davidson in Hellmann’s Super Bowl ad above, and catch it on game day Feb. 11, when the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers go head to head.

30 Jan 2024

Jimmy Fallon Pokes Fun at Taylor Swift Mania in Super Bowl Coverage

If football fans thought the mania surrounding Taylor Swift‘s romance with Travis Kelce was excessive before, they’re probably not going to like how often the pop star is already getting mentioned by sports media ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl. And on The Tonight Show Monday (Jan. 29), Jimmy Fallon went all in on the public’s newly invigorated fixation with Swift, compiling clips of newscasters dissecting her possible attendance and putting his own spin on the coverage a whole two weeks out from the big game.

“There are so many big questions about the Super Bowl — can the 49ers contain Patrick Mahomes? Can the Chiefs stop Christian McAfree?” began the late-night host. “And the one that most people care about, can Taylor Swift make it there, because she has a concert in Japan the day before?”

Indeed, the pop star’s precariously slim window of time in which she’ll be able to fly from Tokyo, where she has an Eras Tour concert scheduled for Feb. 10, to Las Vegas, where the Super Bowl kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET Feb. 11, has been much discussed. Fans are also eager to see more sweet moments between Swift and Kelce at the big game following the couple’s internet-breaking on-field kiss after the Chiefs won the AFC Championship game Sunday (Jan. 28).

“You got the Super Bowl and you got Taylor Swift,” continued Fallon. “Ratings are gonna be higher than Snoop Dogg at a Willie Nelson concert.”

The comedian went on to show a reel of numerous broadcast journalists talking on air about the “Swiftie Bowl,” including one clip of an anchor noting that the game will be Swift’s 13th time attending a Chiefs match this season (assuming she’s able to make it). Plus, the game’s date added together (2 + 11) equals 13, Swift’s lucky number.

“And this is our 97th Taylor story today,” Fallon quipped at the anchors’ expense. “So nine plus seven equals 16, which is the number of tracks on her Folklore album!”

Fallon then shared a parody of a CBS Super Bowl commercial, featuring a narrator saying, “It’s Chiefs vs. ‘Who gives a s–t?’” “All I wanna know is, will mother make it in from Tokyo on time?” the mock-ad continued. “Will Tay Tay and Travis kiss on the 50-yard line?”

Watch Fallon joke about Taylor Swift and the Super Bowl above.

30 Jan 2024

Celine Dion Documentary Detailing Still Person Syndrome Battle Coming to Prime Video

A documentary following Celine Dion‘s battle with debilitating Stiff Person Syndrome will be the subject of an upcoming film entitled I Am: Celine Dion.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon MGM has secured the worldwide rights to the chronicle of Dion’s now-two-year struggle with Moersch-Woltman Syndrome, which the singer’s sister, Claudette Dion, recently revealed has left the singer with “no control of her muscles.”

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A synopsis of the documentary about the 55-year-old singer describes how it will follow her from “visiting her couture touring wardrobe and personal effects to spending time in the recording studio,” pulling back the curtain on the singer’s rarely-seen private life. “An emotional, energetic, and poetic love letter to music, I Am: Celine Dion captures more than a year of filming as the legendary singer navigates her journey toward living an open and authentic life amidst illness.” 

Dion revealed in Dec. 2022 that she’d been diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder marked by uncontrolled and severe spasms that had caused difficulty walking and properly using her famously powerful vocal cords. She subsequently cancelled planned 2022 tour dates.

In her December update, her sister Claudette said that the hope is that Celine will be able to return to the stage, but that it is currently unclear how, or when, that might happen. “The vocal cords are muscles, but so is the heart,” said Claudette. “That’s what gets to me. Because it’s one in a million case, scientists don’t have that much research on the topic, because it didn’t affect that many people.”

In initially announcing her diagnosis in an Instagram video, Dion said that the previous few years had been, “such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me. As the road to resuming my performing career continues, I have realized how much I have missed it, of being able to see my fans. During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life, to try to raise awareness of this little-known condition, to help others who share this diagnosis.”

The film will stream on Prime Video, with no release date announced at press time.

30 Jan 2024

15 Times ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Stars Have Appeared in Music Videos

The cast has been in various musical projects not created by their fellow Bravo stars. Watch them here.

Tom Schwartz, Katie Maloney, Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval in Best Coast's

Tom Schwartz, Katie Maloney, Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval in Best Coast’s “Everything Has Changed” music video.

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It’s clear the cast members of Vanderpump Rules have higher aspirations than to be waitstaff and bartenders for their rest of their lives. After all, former star Stassi Schroeder is now a New York Times bestselling author; Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright and Kristen Doute — who are also no longer on the show — are starring in their own spinoff The Valley.

As for those still on the Emmy-nominated show? Ariana Madix not only whipped up her own New York Times bestselling cocktail book after Scandoval broke, but she’s also a bona fide Broadway star, playing Roxie Hart in Chicago on the Great White Way in the first quarter of 2024, and she’s got a sandwich shop coming with costar Katie Maloney. Meanwhile, Toms Sandoval and Schwartz are business partners in boss Lisa Vanderpump’s popular Hollywood bar TomTom, as well as their own Franklin Village venture, Schwartz & Sandy’s.

But as shown over the numerous seasons of Bravo’s hit reality series, many of the SURvers have had some kind of musical inclination — Sandoval’s even been touring with his cover band Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras) with the cast members often collaborating on songs and starring in each other’s music videos. (Remember that awkward bedroom scene featuring Brett Caprioni in Scheana Shay’s “One More Time”? Or Sandoval project Charles McMansion’s “TIP”? Revisit them in our list!) Well, it turns out they’re also willing to take acting gigs for more successful musicians – namely, in their music videos.

Here, Billboard has rounded up the music videos various Vanderpump Rules stars past and present have appeared in over the years that aren’t another cast member’s project. So raise your glasses high and enjoy the SURvers in visuals for Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi and more!

30 Jan 2024

Justin Timberlake Teases *NSYNC Is Working on New Music

When *NSYNC returned with “Better Place” for the Trolls Band Together soundtrack in September, it was the first new music fans had heard from the boy band in 20 years – but it probably won’t be the last. 

In his Monday (Jan. 30) appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Justin Timberlake strongly hinted that he and bandmates JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick are cooking up a follow-up to their comeback single. “That was fun,” he began, recalling how the guys reunited for “Better Place.” “It’s kind of crazy — there’s so much that picks up right where it left off as far as chemistry.” 

“We’ve been in the studio,” he continued in the clip. “So there may be a little something in the future.” 

*NSYNC first sparked reunion rumors last year at the VMAs, where the group surprised fans by appearing onstage together to present Taylor Swift with the night’s best pop award. A few weeks later, the quintet dropped “Better Place,” which debuted at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Then, in November, *NSYNC made its post-reunion red carpet debut at the Trolls premiere in Hollywood. 

While fans wait for the new *NSYNC material to come to fruition, Timberlake is offering up his own solo comeback to enjoy in the meantime. Last week, the Friends With Benefits star dropped a new single, “Selfish,” and announced that his first album in six years, Everything I Thought It Was, will arrive March 15. And during his musical guest appearance on Saturday Night Live Jan. 27, he debuted another new song, “Sanctified.”

As if the ‘90s vibes weren’t strong enough, Britney Spears and Timberlake’s names have once again been making headlines together in the aftermath of the “Toxic” singer’s 2023 memoir. The autobiography didn’t necessarily paint Timberlake – whom Spears dated from 1999 to 2002 – in a particularly flattering light, but earlier this week, the pop star posted on Instagram that she is “so in love with Justin Timberlake’s new song ‘Selfish.’” 

She also offered a blanket apology “for some of the things I wrote about in my book.” “If I offended any of the people I genuinely care about I am deeply sorry,” she added at the time. 

Watch Timberlake tease new *NSYNC music above. 

30 Jan 2024

A New Reba McEntire Sitcom Is in the Works at NBC

Reba McEntire has a new comedy series in the works, and the yet-untitled series just got a pilot order from NBC in collaboration with Universal Television, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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The multi-hyphenate entertainer and businesswoman — who is also gearing up to perform the national anthem during the Super Bowl on Feb. 11 — will star in the comedy and will also be an executive producer. Kevin Abbott will serve as a writer and exec producer, while Michael Hanel, Mindy Schultheis and Julie Abbott will serve as non-writing exec producers. Hanel, Kevin Abbott and Schultheis previously worked on McEntire’s long-running hit series Reba (2001-2007) and on McEntire’s ABC series Malibu Country (2012-2013).

In the multi-camera series, McEntire’s character inherits her father’s restaurant, and in the process, discovers her new business partner is the half-sister she never knew she had.

Last year, McEntire starred in the ABC series Big Sky for its third season and also starred in the Lifetime movie Reba McEntire’s The Hammer, which also featured McEntire’s former Reba co-star Melissa Peterman. McEntire is also currently gearing up for her second season on the NBC music competition series The Voice, on which she serves as a coach alongside John Legend, duo Dan+Shay and Chance the Rapper. The Voice season 25 will premiere Feb. 26.

McEntire previously told Billboard more about a few other film characters she would like to portray. “I would love to be in a Marvel movie,” she said, adding that she doesn’t have a preference on the character. “I’m going to leave it open. I could play a hero or the villain, but I think I’d have more fun being the villain.”

30 Jan 2024

Meghan Trainor Gets Summoned for E.L.F. Cosmetics’ Super Bowl Ad: Watch

Justice is about to be served! In a teaser for e.l.f. Cosmetic’s upcoming Super Bowl ad released Tuesday (Jan. 30), comedian Benito Skinner — aka Kooper the Gen Z Intern — is calling up some celebs to give them their summons, and Meghan Trainor is among the lucky.

“Who is this?!” the “Made You Look” singer asks, clearly annoyed, when her cell phone rings as she’s on a set.

“I’m the CMO of Digital, so I just wanted to check in and let you know … you have been summed,” Kooper drags out, a gleam in his eyes as he holds up the baby pink summons cards in his perfectly manicured hands.

“For what?!” Trainor demands to know.

“Don’t call this number back,” Kooper informs her, literally giving the singer the kiss-off, after which the “All About That Bass” musician walks off the set, e.l.f. mic in hand, hair blowing back in the artificial wind.

Trainor is far from the only bold-faced name in the cosmetics brand’s Super Bowl ad teaser. Keeping with the court theme, the clip also features reunited Suits cast members Rick Hoffman, Gina Torres and Sarah Rafferty, as well as Jury Duty‘s Ronald Gladden getting their summonses in various ways. RuPaul’s Drag Race season 12 contestant Heidi N Closet also gets one, as does former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker and current sports analyst Emmanuel Acho. Watch their varying reactions to getting summoned in the teaser video above.

The full spot — directed by Zach Woods — arrives Feb. 11, the day of the Super Bowl. The two teams who’ll be facing off come game day will be the Kansas City Chiefs (who won the AFC Championship game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Jan. 28, as Taylor Swift cheered on boyfriend and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in the stands) and the San Francisco 49ers, who won the NFC championship game against the Detroit Lions, also on Sunday.

Super Bowl 2024 will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Usher is set to be the Super Bowl Halftime Show performer.

28 Jan 2024

Justin Timberlake & Jimmy Fallon Return With ‘Barry Gibb Talk Show’ After Decade-Long Absence on ‘SNL’: Watch

Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon are bringing the spirit of legendary pop trio the Bee Gees back to Studio 8H.

After debuting the “The Barry Gibb Talk Show” on Saturday Night Live more than two decades ago, the longtime pals revisited the hilarious sketch once again during Dakota Johnson-hosted episode on Jan. 27.

The hilarious sibling duo opened their show with a politically-themed version of Bee Gees top 10 hit “Nights on Broadway.” They followed by welcoming their guests — justice correspondent Elie Mystal (played by SNL cast member Kenan Thompson), Forward Party founder Andrew Yang (Bowen Yang) and political influencer Joanne Carducci (Johnson) — for a chaotic discussion about the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

Decked out in ’70s chic attire, the “Selfish” singer once again portrayed quiet Bee Gees member Robin Gibb while the Tonight Show host played his boisterous bandmate and brother, Barry Gibb. This marked the first “Barry Gibb Talk Show” sketch since 2013. It first debuted in 2003.

It didn’t take long for the Gibbs to interrupt their guests with sporadic harmonies and random inappropriate outbursts. Fallon’s Gibb even managed to throw in a reference about the 2023 black comedy Saltuburn.

“I fear nothing. I watched Saltburn with my entire family, and I knew about the bathtub scene beforehand. And I loved it,” Fallon’s character says after insulting Thompson’s Mystal.

The brothers followed the line with an awkward song set to the tune of Bees Gees classic “Stayin’ Alive.” “Ha, ha, ha, ha, lickin’ a drain, humpin’ a drain,” they harmonized.

Elsewhere during Saturday’s episode, Timberlake and Fallon awkwardly crashed Johnson’s monologue. JT served as the evening’s musical guest, performing two tracks — “Sanctified” and “Selfish” — from his upcoming sixth solo album, Everything I Thought It Was. The set is scheduled for release on March 15.

Watch the “The Barry Gibb Talk Show: 2024 Election” SNL sketch below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.