TV/Film
Page: 19
Will Smith’s Hitch might have been a box office success, but according to the film’s director, Andy Tennant, making the 2005 romantic comedy wasn’t as smooth as the final product.
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In a new interview with Business Insider, Tennant reflected on creative tensions with Smith during the production, revealing that their visions for the film didn’t initially align. “We had our difficulties,” Tennant said. “The movie I wanted to make and the movie Will wanted to make, neither one of those movies is as good as the movie we made together. It was a battle.”
Tennant also claimed that just three days before filming was set to begin, Smith wanted to delay production.
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“He wanted to work on it some more,” the director alleged, explaining that Smith tried to “back out” at the last minute. However, he credited Jada Pinkett Smith for helping mediate the situation, saying, “Jada was a big help. She kind of seconded some of my instincts. There was a time during prep when I was pushing back on a lot of crazy s–t that was happening.”
Despite the reported behind-the-scenes tension, Hitch went on to gross over $370 million worldwide and remains one of Smith’s most popular films. The movie, which starred Smith as a professional “date doctor” helping clients navigate the dating world, also featured Eva Mendes and Kevin James in breakout roles.
Now, two decades later, Smith is reportedly moving forward with a Hitch sequel—but without Tennant. “I just found out about it three months ago,” Tennant said.
“I had a really good idea for a sequel, and I was talking to an executive at Sony, and he said Will’s production company is developing a sequel.” While he didn’t reveal details of his own concept, Tennant acknowledged the situation with a shrug: “Hey, that’s Hollywood.”
Smith has yet to comment on the development of Hitch 2, but the sequel would add to a busy year for the actor. In addition to his return to film, Smith is also preparing to release his first album in over 20 years, Based on a True Story, in March via SLANG Recordings.
The album rollout began last year with “You Can Make It” featuring Fridayy and Sunday Service Choir, which became his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart. It was followed by “Work of Art” with Russ and Jaden Smith, “TANTRUM” with Joyner Lucas, and the latest single, “Beautiful Scars” with Big Sean and featuring Obanga.
Smith described the project as his most personal yet, telling Billboard last month, “I’m more artistic than I’ve ever been, a better actor than I’ve ever been, a better poet than I’ve ever been … I’m going to be better on stage than I’ve ever been. I’m just on fire about this next creative phase of my life and career.”
Smith also revealed that he’s planning to release not one but three albums under the Based on a True Story banner, describing them as “three seasons of a TV musical show.” The first instalment, Rave in the Wasteland, arrives in March and will include songs written in the aftermath of the 2022 Oscars. The second album, The Gift of Madness, is set for June and draws inspiration from a quote by Quincy Jones about artists who “believe impossible s–t can happen.” A third instalment is expected by the end of the year.
As part of his return to music, Smith has already performed two sold-out shows in San Diego and is scheduled to headline France’s Positiv Festival on July 31. He told Billboard, “Getting back out city to city, seeing people and feeling the energy keeps me creatively alive.”
Destiny’s Child may have disbanded in 2006, but the members are always just one text away. On the latest episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show airing Tuesday (Feb. 11), Michelle Williams spilled details about her group chat with honorary sisters Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland. After welcoming the singer/actress to her program, host Jennifer Hudson had […]
Spike Lee was a big fan of Kendrick Lamar‘s Super Bowl 59 Halftime Show. Kendrick used frequent Spike Lee collaborator Samuel L. Jackson as the show’s “Greek chorus,” just as Spike used him as Dolmedes in his 2015 musical satire Chi-Raq. Lamar also took a moment to bring up the Reconstruction Era proposal to give […]
As he nears the end of his run in Broadway‘s Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, singer Adam Lambert celebrated his run with a stunning performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday night (Feb. 10).
Dressed in all-black and wearing some glossy black lipstick and eyeshadow, Lambert performed “I Don’t Care Much,” the melancholy act II ballad sung by his character in the show, the Emcee. Dropping his character’s German accent, the American Idol alum sauntered through the jazzy number, placing particular emphasis on its harsh lyrics.
“Words sound false when your coat’s too thin/ Feet don’t waltz when the roof caves in,” he belted. “So if you kiss me, if we touch/ Warning’s fair; I don’t care very much.”
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Lambert released his rendition of the song as a single back in December, and in an interview with radio presenter Elvis Duran, explained the track’s painful meaning in the larger context of the show. “It’s like a torch song,” he said. “It’s really beautiful, and this is in the second act when things are sad, and it’s a song about indifference, and kind of just saying ‘I give up.’”
Cabaret takes place in Berlin during the late 1920s and early 1930s, as the Nazi party rose to power. In “I Don’t Care Much,” Lambert’s Emcee sings about Germany’s apathy in the face of the Nazis’ fascist, antisemitic rhetoric. While he was recording the song, Lambert says he couldn’t help but think about the parallels between that story and today’s politics.
“The day after the [2024 U.S.] election, I know we all felt some kind of way. We recorded this right around election week,” he explained. “I kept going back to how I felt, how a lot of the people that I know in my community felt [after the election], and it was this feeling of … ‘I don’t know what else to do, except to say that I guess I don’t care now as a coping mechanism.’”
Lambert currently stars in the production alongside Auli’i Cravalho (as Sally Bowles), with both of their last performances slated for March 29. Starting on March 31, the roles of the Emcee and Sally will be taken over by country singer-songwriter Orville Peck and Tony-nominated actress Eva Noblezada.
Watch Lambert’s full performance of “I Don’t Care Much” above.
Jimmy Kimmel is coming to Taylor Swift‘s defense after Donald Trump taunted the pop star on social media following the 2025 Super Bowl. On the latest episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Monday (Feb. 10), the late-night host recapped the night prior’s big game — which ended with the Kansas City Chiefs losing 22-40 against the […]
Usher and Keke Palmer continue to have great chemistry. The Atlanta legend recently sat down with Palmer on her Wondery podcast Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, where the two discussed Usher’s guest-star appearance in four episodes of Brandy‘s ’90s television show Moesha, before the two broke out into an impromptu duet of Usher and Monica‘s […]
David Letterman made a surprise cameo on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Feb. 10, interrupting Fallon’s monologue to welcome his longtime musical director Paul Shaffer and The World’s Most Dangerous Band, who are filling in for The Roots during their week of rehearsals for Saturday Night Live’s 50th-anniversary concert.
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Fallon had wrapped up a joke about Super Bowl LIX when Letterman suddenly walked onto the stage, prompting Fallon to shout, “Oh, my God! David Letterman?! My God! What are you doing here?”
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Letterman, unfazed, delivered a classic deadpan response: “Is this the 23rd hour of the Today show?” before turning his attention to Shaffer. “Paul?! What are you doing here?!”
Shaffer, who spent 33 years as Letterman’s bandleader on Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993) and The Late Show with David Letterman (1993-2015), is stepping into his old late-night groove this week as The Tonight Show’s temporary house band leader.
“You know, it’s a funny story,” Shaffer joked. “You ever taken too much Ambien and then you wake up somewhere with no clue how the hell you got there?”
“Wow. You’ve been reading my diary,” Letterman quipped.
The impromptu reunion quickly escalated into full-on late-night chaos. After Fallon suggested making a Tiktok video together, Letterman joked, “I made an enormous deal with the Chinese government.” When Fallon proposed a “handshake challenge” for the viral moment, Letterman shot it down immediately. “Yeah, that was lame,” he declared. “What I really want to do is hit you in the face with a tortilla.”
That’s exactly what happened next. As the band played along, the two hosts engaged in an all-out tortilla slap battle, with Fallon laughing, “I think you cracked a crown!” Letterman didn’t let up: “We’ll see you in court.”
Shaffer and The World’s Most Dangerous Band will continue their Tonight Show residency through Feb. 14, bringing a throwback flavor to Studio 6B while The Roots prepare for SNL’s milestone special. With Letterman proving he’s always ready to crash a late-night set, the rest of the week could bring even more surprises.
Britton Moore made a lasting impression on The Voice Monday night (Feb. 10), delivering a stunning performance of Coldplay’s “Yellow” during Blind Auditions that earned him a coveted four-chair turn.
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The 21-year-old singer from San Antonio wasted no time winning over coaches Adam Levine, John Legend, Kelsea Ballerini, and Michael Bublé, setting off a heated battle for his talent.
Levine, who was the first to turn his chair just seconds into Moore’s audition, made it clear he saw something special in the young singer. “When I heard you go into your falsetto, I was like, ‘Okay, I need to coach this guy,’” the Maroon 5 frontman told Moore.
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“There’s definitely something in your voice that reminded me a little of how I do it. I just felt an instant connection, and I pushed really early because I thought, ‘Man, this kid’s gonna be special,’ and I was right. You’re amazing, dude!”
Legend was equally impressed, praising Moore for his control. “Singing falsetto is actually really hard in a live setting,” he said. “I always tell my artists, ‘Your falsetto will betray you when you need it most.’ And it did not betray you, and you sounded so effortless and you really took some creative leaps.”
“I think nobody sounds like you on the show, and that will be exciting. And it would be so fun to coach you.”
Ballerini, in her first season as a coach, said, “Can I call you Britt? Perfect. We go way back. You’re from Texas, I’m from Tennessee. Similar. You’re 21, I respect my elders.” She also played a snippet of her song “Dibs” via a button on her chair, attempting to secure Moore for her team.
In the end, Moore chose Team Adam, marking Levine’s second four-chair turn victory of the season. “Almost half my team is four-chair turns,” Levine remarked backstage.
Moore’s song choice was no small feat—“Yellow” served as the Stateside lead single for Parachutes, the band’s landmark Grammy-winning debut studio album (it won Best Alternative Music Album at the 2002 awards show). On the Billboard Hot 100, “Yellow” climbed to No. 48, while Parachutes reached No. 51.
Watch Moore’s performance below.
This year’s Super Bowl has made television history, with the broadcast setting a ratings record for the second year in a row.
According to FoxSports, an average of 126 million viewers tuned in to watch their broadcast on Sunday (Feb. 9), which saw the Philadelphia Eagles emerge victorious over the Kansas City Chiefs with a final score of 40 to 22. According to the network, those figures measure viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes, Tubi, Telemundo and NFL digital properties.
That number is a 2% increase on the 123.7 million viewers who watched last year’s event, which outshone any audience previously recorded by Nielsen. Fox also noted that their peak audience of 135.7 million viewers occurred around the game’s second quarter, between 8:00-8:15pm ET.
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Though the evening’s big takeaway was undoubtedly related to the game itself, a sizable portion of the Super Bowl’s viewership likely came thanks to the halftime show, which featured Kendrick Lamar in the spotlight.
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Much of the discourse relating to Lamar’s appearance revolved around the potential content of his performance – specifically whether he would perform his Drake diss track “Not Like Us”.
Having inspired a defamation lawsuit from its subject matter against Lamar (and Drake’s) record label, Universal Music Group in January, and having taken home five Grammys (including Record of the Year and Song of the Year) just a week earlier, Lamar ensured that the song received pride of place in his already-iconic set. Samuel L. Jackson, SZA, and Serena Williams also joined Lamar onstage for the performance at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome.
Currently, specific break-out numbers for the halftime show have not been made available, though it would likely be in contention for the title of the most-watched halftime show in history. According to The Hollywood Reporter, that honor belongs to the 1993 Super Bowl, which saw Michael Jackson change the face of halftime entertainment, bringing in 133 million viewers for his appearance.
Wake us up when New Years Rev hits theaters. Live Nation announced on Monday (Feb. 10) a new comedy film developed by Lee Kirk alongside Green Day. New Years Rev is a coming-of-age story starring Mason Thames, Kylr Coffman and Ryan Foust, as the trio’s characters head to Los Angeles under the false impression that […]