TV/Film

11 Sep 2023

‘Wonka’ Director Says Timothée Chalamet Has a ‘Beautiful Singing Voice’

Timothée Chalamet is stepping into the chocolate factory when he takes on the role of the iconic candyman in Wonka this year, and director Paul King is shedding light on the musical aspects of the film, which is adapted from Roald Dahl’s 1964 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory novel.

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“The Oompa Loompas sing a lot in the book, and Dahl always uses poetry,” King told Total Film magazine. “I didn’t want it to just become a musical where people are singing dialogue to each other for no discernible reason. I felt like it was more like a movie with songs than a musical.”

He added that Chalamet has a “beautiful singing voice,” and that his vocal skills reminded him of a beloved, legendary singer. “The person it reminded me of was Bing Crosby. There’s quite a range, because it does go from a couple of bigger, showstopper-y sort of things, to moments of real, pure emotion and he can do it all… I’m going to sound like a crazed fan.”

King previously told Rolling Stone that he specifically had his eyes on Chalamet for the role of Willy Wonka. “Because he’s Timothée Chalamet and his life is so absurd, his high school musical performances [singing “Sweet Charity” from the musical of the same name] are on YouTube [including his 2012 “Timmy Tim” rap] and have hundreds of thousands of views,” he said. “So I knew from stanning for Timmy Chalamet that he could sing and dance really well. And I knew that was in his arsenal, but I didn’t know how good he was. When I spoke to him he was quite keen. He’d done tap dancing in high school and he was like, ‘I’d quite like to show people I can do that.’”

Keegan-Michael Key, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman and Rowan Atkinson also star in Wonka, which is set to arrive on December 15, 2023. Watch the trailer below.

11 Sep 2023

Watch Queen Latifah Sing the National Anthem at the Giants-Cowboys Sunday Night Football Game

When talking about versatile entertainers, Queen Latifah’s definitely makes the list. The Grammy-winning rapper and Oscar-nominated actress reminded New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium of her talent with a winning rendition of the national anthem at the New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys game on Sunday night (Sep. 10).

Donning a spiffy ivory checkered pantsuit, Queen Latifah soared through a moving jazz and musical theater-informed arrangement of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The New Jersey native was at ease behind the microphone, delivering a pitch-perfect performance that elicited impassioned cheers from the packed stadium by the final note.

Queen’s performance drew some surprise on social media from viewers who were not aware of her singing abilities. In addition to her hip-hop career — which yielded the Grammy-winning “U.N.I.T.Y.” and All Hail the Queen, which was selected for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress earlier this year — Queen Latifah has dabbled in jazz, film and television.

In 2004, she released The Dana Owens album, a covers set that reached No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and earned a Grammy nomination for best jazz vocal album. A second jazz album, Trav’lin’ Light, followed in 2008, earning a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album. Years before Queen tried her hand at jazz, she earned her first Academy Award nomination for her dazzling performance in 2002’s Chicago. The artist, who won an Emmy in 2016 for producing the acclaimed Bessie television movie, currently stars in The Equalizer on CBS.

Watch Queen Latifah perform the national anthem below:

11 Sep 2023

MTV & TelevisaUnivision Announce Partnership to Simulcast the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards

MTV and TelevisaUnivision announced on Monday (Sept. 11) a “first-of-its-kind partnership” for a simulcast of the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, taking place on Tuesday, Sept. 12. The live three-hour broadcast — to be hosted by Alejandra Espinoza — will air on UniMás at 8 p.m. ET with an encore on Univision at 11:30 p.m. ET.

“We are thrilled to partner with TelevisaUnivision for this groundbreaking partnership as we further expand the VMAs worldwide footprint and amplify our massive lineup of international icons to make this year’s show the biggest celebration of global music in MTV history,” said Bruce Gillmer, president of music, music talent, programming & events, Paramount and chief content officer, music, Paramount Global. 

“We are excited to be the exclusive Spanish-language destination in the U.S. for this year’s VMAs, a celebration of music that will honor Latin artists like never before,” added Ignacio Meyer, president of U.S. networks, TelevisaUnivison. “As home to the leading U.S. Hispanic networks, our commitment to delivering the best in entertainment is unwavering. We’re thrilled to partner with MTV to deliver more fan-fueled music events to our passionate viewers.”

The 2023 VMAs will air live from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. Taylor Swift leads this year’s nominations with eight nods, followed by SZA (six), Doja Cat, Kim Petras, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo and Sam Smith (five each). General fan voting is now closed; voting remains open for best new artist.

Shakira, a four-time VMAs nominee this year, will make history at the VMAs when she becomes the first South American artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award. The Colombian star is also set to perform on the VMAs for the first time in 17 years. Other Latin powerhouses confirmed to take the stage include Anitta, Karol G and Peso Pluma.

Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are executive producers of the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. Barb Bialkowski is co-executive producer. Alicia Portugal and Jackie Barba serve as executives in charge of production. Wendy Plaut is executive in charge of celebrity talent. Lisa Lauricella is music talent executive.

08 Sep 2023

Watch ‘Masked Singer’ Duets From Michelle Williams & Rumer Willis, Joey Fatone & Bow Wow Ahead of Season 10 Kick-Off

The Masked Singer is back! Before season 10 officially premieres on Sept. 27, everyone’s favorite mystery singing competition will return with a special kick-off episode at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday night — and Billboard has exclusive previews of two very special duets below.

The first duet combines an eight-time Grammy-nominated boy band alum with the rapper behind the hits “Like You” (with Ciara) and “Let Me Hold You” (with Omarion): *NSYNC’s Joey Fatone and Bow Wow belt their hearts out while covering The Jackson 5’s “ABC,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970.

Fatone competed in the first season of The Masked Singer. As Rabbit, he performed songs such as Bell Bev DeVoe’s “Poison” and finished fourth. In 2020, Bow Wow competed on the third season of The Masked Singer as Frog; he finished in third place and delivered memorable covers of Imagine Dragons’ “Whatever It Takes” and Naughty by Nature’s “Hip Hop Hooray.”


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As for the other duet, Grammy-winning Destiny’s Child member and chart-topping gospel artist Michelle Williams joins forces with Dancing With the Stars victor Rumer Willis for a rousing rendition of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” which was a top 10 hit for Aretha Franklin on the Hot 100 in 1967. As the two ladies belt and harmonize over the tasteful arrangement, the judges’ panel — which includes Ken Jeong, Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger — sing along in awe.

Willis finished fifth in the first season of The Masked Singer; the actress competed as the Lion, and her final performance was a rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing.” In 2019, Williams competed as Butterfly on season 2 of The Masked Singer. Three years later, she competed as Rockhopper on season 3 of the British version of The Masked Singer. Later that year, she appeared on season 4 of The Masked Singer Australia as Microphone — making her the first celebrity to compete in three versions of the show.


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The treats don’t stop there: In addition to the two duets, NBA star Victor Oladipo (Thingamajig on season 2), Barry Zito (The Rhino, season 3) and judge Scherzinger will team up for a trio performance. And The Masked Singer also revealed the special mystery guest who will perform and be unmasked on Sunday’s episode: ANONYMOUSE.

08 Sep 2023

Watch Olivia Rodrigo Perform Songs From ‘Guts’ & ‘Sour,’ Talk ‘Cathartic’ Album Release on ‘TODAY’ Show

Olivia Rodrigo kicked off her long awaited Guts release day with a special live performance on TODAY, singing a handful of tracks new and old for fans on the show’s plaza in New York City — an experience she professed was “cathartic.”

Taking the stage just hours after Guts‘ midnight release on Friday (Sept. 8), the 20-year-old pop star performed two songs from the new record: No. 1 lead single “Vampire” and brand new track “Get Him Back!” She also revisited two of her biggest hits from Sour, with fans in the crowd practically screaming along to the lyrics of “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U.”

Rodrigo also took a moment to chat onstage with hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie, sharing how she’s feeling now that she’s beaten the pressure of living up to the success of her blockbuster debut. “I’m so excited,” she gushed. “I’ve been working on [Guts] for so long and living with it for so long. Today’s just so cathartic.”

She also touched on the poetry class she took last year at USC, after which a photo of her taking notes went viral online. “I took a college class last year ’cause I was homeschooled my whole life, so I really wanted to have that experience,” she shared. “It definitely aided my songwriting a lot. I love learning and I love writing — it’s my favorite thing.”

Hours before the release of Guts, Rodrigo surprised fans at her pop-up event for the album in New York City. While there, she answered questions in a quick Q&A and gave attendees a sneak peek of four of her new songs: “All-American Bitch,” “Logical,” “Get Him Back!” and “Teenage Dream.”

Following the record’s release, fans were quick to notice what looks to be a clue in Rodrigo’s lyric video for “Making The Bed”: that the singer may be planning on embarking on a Guts World Tour.

Check out clips from her TODAY show performance below:

07 Sep 2023

Goyo Performs New Song ‘Tumbao’ at the ‘Victoria’s Secret World Tour’ Premiere Event 

Colombian singer and rapper Gloria “Goyo” Martínez was among the artists who attended the Victoria’s Secret World Tour premiere event, which took place on Wednesday (Sept. 6) in New York. After walking the pink carpet, Goyo performed her new song “Tumbao” from her forthcoming album, her first as a solo artist (following a successful run with hip-hop fusion collective ChocQuibTown).

Other attendees included Doechii and Doja Cat, who will be headlining the Victoria’s Secret World Tour, which marks the company’s return to TV since its last televised runway show in 2018. The fashion show/documentary is set to air on Prime Video on Sept. 26.

The Victoria’s Secret World Tour will feature global creatives from multiple cities, including Bogotá, Lagos, London, and Tokyo. Goyo — who will also perform during the actual documentary — is part of The House of Bogotá alongside fashion designer Melissa Valdes, filmmaker Cristina Sánchez Salamanca, painter Lorena Torres and dancer/choreographer Piscis. According to the film’s official website, the “dynamic artistic forces from the fashion, film, design, music, and visual fields will converge to showcase their work that centers on the appreciation and beauty of womanhood.”

A teaser of what viewers can expect from the show was released on Aug. 30, in which a slew of models who are set to appear in the show pose in a series of lit-up pink tunnels. Among the stars set to walk in the show are Hailey Bieber, Gigi Hadid, Honey Dijon, Imaan Hammam, Iris Law and Lila Moss. Additionally, beloved VS Angels Candice Swanepoel, Lily Aldridge and Adriana Lima will also return to the catwalk.

Purchase tickets to the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week here.

07 Sep 2023

‘Christmas at Graceland’ Will Open Up Elvis Presley’s Home for Holiday Live Music Special

It doesn’t have to be a “Blue Christmas” this year: NBC is set to celebrate Elvis Presley with the upcoming live music special Christmas at Graceland, executive produced by Elvis’ granddaughter Riley Keough, Billboard can exclusively announce.

The special will air Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and will be simulcast on Peacock.

“My family and I are elated to open the doors to Graceland in this first-of-its-kind special,” said Christmas at Graceland EP Keough; the Daisy Jones & The Six actress is the daughter of Lisa Marie Presley, who died in January at age 54. “With intimate musical performances drawing inspiration from my grandfather Elvis’s cherished Christmases in Memphis, viewers will be invited to experience firsthand the magic that is Christmas at Graceland.”

According to a press release, Christmas at Graceland — which will air immediately after NBC’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center on Nov. 29 (8 p.m. ET/PT) — will “feature music’s biggest stars celebrating the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, his music and his favorite time of year, in an unprecedented holiday special live from his iconic home, Graceland.”

Performers will be announced closer to the air date.

“To celebrate the holidays at Graceland, and be a part of the King’s legacy, is both an honor and absolute dream come true,” said Jen Neal, executive vice president, live events and specials, NBCUniversal Media Group. “We thank Riley and her family for allowing all of us to visit her grandfather’s iconic home and share an intimate musical experience that Elvis would’ve truly loved.”

Presley has a legendary catalog of Christmas music, with two hits on the 2011-launched Holiday 100 songs chart: “Blue Christmas,” which peaked at No. 11 in 2013, and “Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane),” which hit No. 22 in 2015. His album It’s Christmas Time (a 1985 reissue of Presley’s 1957 release Elvis’ Christmas Album) reached No. 2 on Top Holiday Albums in 2015 — his highest-charting project on the tally; it also peaked at No. 2 on the Top Country Albums chart in 2018.

Christmas at Graceland will be produced by Done + Dusted, Authentic Studios and Felix Culpa, a production company co-founded by Keough and Gina Gammell. Executive producers from Done + Dusted are Raj Kapoor, Katy Mullan and Ian Stewart. Colin Smeeton, Matthew Gross and Marc Rosen will serve as executive producers on behalf of Authentic Studios. Felix Culpa’s Keough and Gammell will also executive produce alongside Graceland’s Joel Weinshanker. Done + Dusted’s Patrick Menton will co-executive produce.

06 Sep 2023

Prime Premiere: Everything You Need to Know About Amazon’s New Service

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Amazon may be a one-stop shopping destination for everything from new beauty products to shapewear deals and more. But now, the retailer is dipping into movie theaters with a new service called Prime Premiere — and no, it doesn’t involve streaming through Prime Video.

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Moviegoers, this one’s for you! Prime Premiere will provide free early screenings to Amazon movies before it drops onto streaming. Below we break down everything you need to know about the new service and the additional perks that come with it.

What is Prime Premiere?

Amazon’s new service is providing Prime members with free advance screenings of new Amazon movies and series on the big screen. Tickets to premieres will open a week in advance of the Prime Premiere date and will include up to two free tickets at select theaters for one night only. Screenings will begin at 7 p.m. local time with check-in opening at 6:15 p.m. local time.

How does Prime Premiere work?

If you have a Prime membership, you can take advantage of the new service for no additional cost. All you have to do is visit the Prime Premiere website one week before the screening to reserve your tickets. Click on the desired movie you want to see, choose how many tickets you want (up to two max) then follow the Amazon login instructions to finish securing your tickets. A PDF with your tickets will then be available to download.

Everything is free including any promotional giveaways included with the screening. You’ll even be able to take advantage of free concessions (a small popcorn and small soda or water).

Tickets are also based on general admission, which means it’s on a first come, first serve basis.

Don’t have a membership? Amazon offers a 30 day free trial, which includes fast and free shipping on millions of items and Prime Video, which you can access via the app or online at Amazon.com.

Prime Membership

$14.99/month after 30 days free

Along with access to Prime Premiere, you’ll also be able to take advantage of the vast library of offerings from Prime Video including original and exclusive TV series and movies such as The Summer I Turned Pretty, Good Omens 2, Daisy Jones & The Six, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Knock at the Cabin, Citadel, Invincible: Atom & Eve, The Boys, Reacher, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and The Wheel of Time.

Prime members can also add on premium channels like Paramount+, Max and Starz, and preorder rent and/or buy digital copies of blockbuster movies like Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse, Barbie and The Little Mermaid.

Students can also take advantage of a special Student Prime membership offered at half off with a 6-month free trial beforehand.

What movies and TV series are coming to Prime Premiere?

Coming soon to Prime Premiere are a mix of highly-anticipated movies and TV series you can mark on your calendar including Sitting in Bars With Cake, A Million Miles Away and Gen V season one.

More movies and series are expected to be released throughout the year, so be sure to check back on the site for more exclusive showings.

06 Sep 2023

Putri Ariani Leaves Simon Cowell ‘Speechless’ With U2 Cover on ‘AGT’: Watch

America’s Got Talent just found what it’s looking for — Putri Ariani.

Earlier in the competition, the Indonesian teenager blew minds and broke hearts with her audition, a performance of Elton John and ‎Bernie Taupin’s “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.”

The gifted youngster lit up the screen, showcasing a delicate mix of pop tones, power, vocal maturity and unreal control, and earning the Golden Buzzer from judge Simon Cowell.

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The 17-year-old is blind, an obstacle she overcomes when she’s performing. “When I’m singing I feel like a superstar,” she said earlier in the season.

On Tuesday night’s (Sept. 5) live qualifier, she sat at the grand piano, without backing or pyrotechnics, and delivered another lesson in talent.

Putri covered “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” an appropriate, spiritual number lifted from the U2’s The Joshua Tree from 1987, an album that confirmed U2 as the biggest band in the world.

When her latest performance wrapped, another standing ovation.

“I’m actually kinda speechless right now,” Cowell admitted. “What a beautiful voice you’ve got. What a beautiful version. And honestly Putri, this is why I still do this job. For moments like this, genuinely. That was so beautiful.”

Cowell noted that U2 personally cleared the song for Putri to sing on AGT. “They saw her audition,” he remarked. “And they knew how much this would mean to her.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard something more beautiful in my life,” said Sofia Vergara. “That was spectacular.” It was the “perfect, perfect, perfect act.”

Added Heidi Klum, “you sounded so beautiful and I thought to myself this probably is what it sounds like when an angel is singing. Literally. So beautiful. I do hope Bono gets to hear this.”

“Perfection,” was all Howie Mandel had to say.

Putri had the final word. She thanked Cowell, his fellow judges and supporters. “You already changed my life,” she enthused.

Now it’s America’s turn to vote.

Watch the performance below.


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01 Sep 2023

Will Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ Top This List of the Top 10 Music Concert Films of All Time?

Taylor Swift must be accustomed by now to setting records on the Billboard charts. That never gets to be old hat – ask any artist – but she needs new worlds to conquer. And with the release of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour concert film on Oct. 13, we can see how she does on the film box office charts. If The Eras Tour film grosses more than $73 million, it will become the top-grossing contemporary music concert film of all time, according to boxofficemojo.com.

Swift’s film will be available in AMC theaters in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as certain other movie operators that AMC is working with in those three countries. AMC will offer the film in IMAX and Dolby Cinema as well as standard screenings, with fees varying by format and theatre.

Every U.S. AMC Theatre location will screen the movie at least four times each day on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during its run. Tickets are already on sale. Read on for more information on how to get tickets here.

The Eras Tour film was shot over the course of Swift’s first three shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., where she performed a total of six shows in early August.  An average Eras Tour concert runs for more than three hours, but the concert film has an official runtime of 2 hours, 45 mins. It’s unclear what parts of Swift’s show her team excised or trimmed to get the movie down to a shorter length.

The Eras Tour film was directed by Sam Wrench, who received a Grammy nomination late last year for directing Billie Eilish Live at the O2, which was a contender for best music film. Wrench has also worked on projects by BTS, Lizzo, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd and Mary J. Blige.

This list counts only domestic box-office receipts, which explains the absence of previous Swift projects such as the Netflix documentary Miss Americana (2020).

Here are the 10 highest-grossing contemporary music concert films, according to boxofficemojo.com. (Movie buffs should check out our lists of the top 10 box-office hits of 2023 and the 30 highest-grossing films directed or co-directed by women. Spoiler alert: Barbie heads both lists. We also posted a list of the highest-grossing R-rated movies. No Barbie on that one.)