TV/Film
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Ariana Grande is explaining what really happened with that scrapped hip-hop version of “Popular,” which composer Stephen Schwartz had intended to put in Jon M. Chu’s Wicked films before the pop star pushed back on the idea.
In a cover story interview with Variety published Thursday (Jan. 2), Grande recalled first hearing the original rehearsal track for Glinda’s standout number at the very beginning of production in London — and she wasn’t totally thrilled with the instrumentation. “They had hip-hop drums,” she told the publication. “I called Jon first. I was shaking. ‘Is this something that we can meet in the middle on?’”
“And of course, it was so understood,” she continued. “And that’s what happens when you have a team who loves and respects each other and can hear those truths, because nothing has to be withheld.”
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The interview comes over a month after Schwartz — who created the soundtrack for the Wicked Broadway musical more than 20 years prior before working on the films — first revealed that the R.E.M. Beauty founder had said no to a hip-hop version of “Popular,” which he’d pitched “in the spirit of being open to new things” for the adaptation. “I thought, ‘Let’s refresh the rhythm. Let’s, maybe, I don’t know, hip-hop it up a little bit,’” he told The Los Angeles Times. “Ariana said, ‘Absolutely not, don’t do it. I want to be Glinda, not Ariana Grande playing Glinda.’”
In the new cover story, Grande clarified that the scrapped version had been less about making “Popular” sound like a song from her own multi-platinum discography and more about modernizing it for the times. Regardless, the “Yes, And?” singer still “wanted to lovingly and respectfully say, ‘Absolutely not!’” to the idea.
“Thinking through the lens of the character — Galinda Upland does not have that bounce to her at all,” she explained to Variety. “She’s as vanilla as they come.”
Though “Popular” never did get the hip-hop treatment, the track did experience some changes. Fans who saw the movie on or after its Nov. 22 premiere, or listened to its No. 2 Billboard 200-charting soundtrack, discovered that the bubbly anthem was extended with an alternate ending — featuring three key changes and an atmospheric opera note hit by Grande for the big finish.
“I had this idea for a new vocal ending,” Schwartz told The Times of the updates in November. “Ariana was a little hesitant about it, but I told her that if I had thought of it for the original show, this is how it would have been. Once she was reassured that this new bit of music was coming out of character, she was on board.”
See Grande with Chu and Wicked co-leading lady Cynthia Erivo on the cover of Variety below.
There is a very good reason you never seen Spider-Man star Tom Holland walking the red carpet with longtime girlfriend Zendaya. In a new cover story interview with Men’s Health the 28-year-old actor explained that for the same reason he can’t just drop in to see an afternoon matinee play without being swarmed by fans — or pulling attention from the actors on stage — he doesn’t want to distract from Z’s big day.
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“Because it’s not my moment, it’s her moment, and if we go together, it’s about us,” he told the magazine about why he tends to skip most non-mandatory public events and attends Zendaya’s premieres, but doesn’t do the step-and-repeat with her.
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Holland is re-emerging from a year-long break from acting and told the magazine that for the first time in nearly two decades he doesn’t have anything to promote (well, except for his new line of nonalcoholic beers, Bero). “It was just something I needed to do,” he said. “I had been acting flat out since I was 11.” The latter refers to his audition for Billy Elliot: The Musical in London, which was followed a few years later with a role in The Impossible with Naomi Watts, and then his first run at Spider-Man in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War.
In addition to the fourth Spider-Man film, he is also slated to join Matt Damon and Zendaya in the upcoming Christopher Nolan adaptation of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey. The star who has gotten into killer shape for his Marvel films is notorious for his dedication and focus, as well as for his signature parlor trick: a backflip. But even as he hovers at the edge of 30, Holland said age feels like it’s starting to catch up to him.
While visiting Cornwall with Zendaya and his family recently a cousin asked him to bust out one of his flips. “So I went outside and I was getting ready, and I was thinking, I can do this. I can totally do this. I’ve done this thousands of times. And Z was there, and she was like, ‘Are you sure you can still do this?,’” he recalled. After assuring her he could, Holland said he bent down and landed a perfect one. Well, almost perfect. “I actually did land it, but I pulled every muscle in my stomach, because when you do a backflip, it’s all about extending up as much as you can and then tucking,” he said. “For weeks, I could not laugh because my stomach was so sore.”
The actor also revealed that his new go-to workout anthem is Linkin Park 2.0’s comeback single, “The Emptiness Machine,” his favorite movie is, no shame, Avatar, but said he will not share his patented euphemism for sex. “That’s my lady,” he said. “I’m not getting into that!”
Ariana Grande is opening up further about Glinda’s sexual orientation after saying in November that her Wicked character “might be a little in the closet.”
In a Variety cover story published Thursday (Jan. 2), the singer-actress was asked to elaborate on her thoughts about Glinda’s possible queerness in relation to Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba, with whom the “Good Witch” nurtures an intense, passionate love-hate relationship. The two women’s dynamic is only ever referred to as a friendship in the original Broadway musical, but in Grande’s eyes, it might be something more.
“I think she’s a person who loves so much, and I do think that it goes beyond gender,” the R.E.M. Beauty founder told the publication of Glinda. “I also think that the ways in which she loves Elphaba so much, and that forgiveness and that unconditional love that they share — I think they’re in love with each other.”
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“I know, yes, it’s platonic …,” she amended before cutting herself off, not wanting to reveal too much ahead of Jon M. Chu’s second Wicked film. “But we’ll talk about it more in depth in movie two.”
Author Gregory Maguire, who penned the bestselling novel on which the Broadway show is based, also shared his thoughts on the sexual tension in the book between the two characters in a December interview. “That was intentional, and it was modest and restrained and refined in such a way that one could imagine that one of those two young women had felt more than the other and had not wanted to say it,” he told Them. “Or perhaps because a novelist can’t write every scene, perhaps when the lights were out and the novelist was out having a smoke in the back alley, the girls had sex in the bed on the way to the Emerald City. I wanted to propose this possibility, but I did not want to make a declarative statement about.”
Grande’s new interview comes over a month after the first Wicked hit theaters Nov. 22, 2024, quickly becoming the top-grossing movie adaptation of a Broadway musical ever. Its sequel, Wicked: For Good, will arrive almost exactly a year later in the fall of 2025.
Grande previously spoke about her character’s sexuality in a November interview with Gay Times, candidly telling the outlet, “Maybe Glinda might be a little in the closet.”
“You never know! Give it a little time!” she’d added. “I mean, it is just a true love. And I think that transcends sexuality, it’s just kind of a deep safety within each other.”
The “We Can’t Be Friends” musician’s co-leading lady agreed at the time. “I think Elphie … she goes wherever the wind goes,” Erivo told the publication. “I think she loves Glinda, I think she loves love. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with celebrating the deep connection that both of them have … it’s a relationship, it is true love.”
See Grande, Erivo and Chu on the cover of Variety below.
Chappell Roan is letting her Gleek flag fly in 2025. In a hilarious video shared to her TikTok account Wednesday (Jan. 1), the 26-year-old pop star recreates an iconic scene from Ryan Murphy’s Glee — taking a slushie to the face in the process.
In the clip, Roan plays the part of Kurt Hummel — portrayed by Chris Colfer on the hit Fox series — speaking into a microphone during an interview with a classmate. “You know what does take some courage? Standing up and singing about something,” the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer mouths along to the Glee audio, sassily pointing her finger at the camera.
“So here’s a message for everyone that reads your blog: Next time, instead of posting an anonymous comment online, say what you have to say to my face,” she continues.
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In the original Glee scene — which is featured in the second season’s first episode — Colfer’s character is then assaulted by a surprise slushie that a William McKinley High School bully throws in his face. For her recreation, Roan maintained the integrity of the source material, bravely committing to the bit as purple icy sludge sails into view from off camera and splashes her in the face.
“New Year New Me New Directions #glee #welcomeback #ladies,” Roan captioned the clip.
The Grammy nominee’s video marks her first post of 2025 on the platform. Just a week prior, Roan shared her thoughts on a different episode of the satirical show-choir sitcom, posting on Instagram Stories that its 2011 Christmas special was “the worst episode of Glee I’ve ever seen.”
Shortly afterward, Roan followed it up with an “apology video for the Gleeks that [she] offended,” which she filmed in front of a Christmas tree as someone off camera aims a pair of scissors at her. “I am so sorry,” she continues jokingly in the video. “I love every episode of Glee …”
Starring Lea Michele, Cory Monteith and Naya Rivera, Glee aired from 2009 to 2015. During its run, the cast notched 207 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 — one of the highest amounts on record. It’s a number only a few musicians have surpassed, including Drake, Taylor Swift and Future.
Roan ended 2024 as Billboard‘s fourth-greatest pop star of the year, a testament to the phenomenal career explosion she’s experienced in the past 12 months. Her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in August, and the star launched seven tracks onto the Hot 100 over the course of last year.
Watch Roan’s TikTok below.
Carrie Underwood‘s Las Vegas residency show Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency is coming soon to Disney+ and Hulu, with the upcoming concert special Carrie Underwood: Reflection giving fans a chance to see the three-time ACM entertainer of the year winner’s mix of spectacular performances, hit songs, aerialists, acrobats, theatrical production and flashy costumes all over […]
Ariana Grande is reflecting on a highly productive and successful year.
On Tuesday (Dec. 31), the 31-year-old pop star and actress looked back on 2024, sharing a series of nostalgic photos and videos. In her Instagram post, Grande highlighted some of the standout moments from the past 12 months, including the filming of her record-breaking musical movie Wicked and the release of her seventh album, Eternal Sunshine.
“a year full of art and heart,” the “We Can’t Be Friends” singer captioned the post. “thank you eternally for your love and support, words truly don’t suffice. i love you always and am wishing you a all a very happy new year !”
Grande’s carousel begins with a stunning shot of her “Sleeping Beauties”-themed look, worn at an afterparty following the 2024 Met Gala. The gallery also includes photos with friends and Wicked castmates, including Cynthia Erivo and Bowen Yang, along with a playful shot of her in a Catwoman-inspired outfit from her “The Boy Is Mine” music video. Several heartwarming pictures with her mom, Joan Grande, and brother Frankie Grande are also featured.
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In her Instagram Story on Tuesday, Grande shared a mysterious clip showing her head tilted against what appears to be film equipment, with the caption, “to be continued…,” alongside a heart emoji. The image is reminscent of one of her Eternal Sunshine alternative album covers.
It’s been a monumental year for Grande. The two-time Grammy winner, who ranked No. 9 on Billboard’s list of Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century, scored her sixth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with Eternal Sunshine in March. Meanwhile, her new movie Wicked became the highest-grossing film ever based on a Broadway musical at the domestic box office, earning $634.4 million worldwide since its Nov. 22 release.
The year was rounded out with a milestone for her holiday hit “Santa Tell Me,” which reached the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10 for the first time since its release in November 2014. The track landed at No. 9 on the chart dated Dec. 28, after peaking at No. 11 in 2023.
Will Ferrell slipped on something from the very back of his closet for a recent Los Angeles Kings vs. Philadelphia Flyers hockey game, with the actor revisiting his iconic Buddy the Elf costume more than 20 years after Elf premiered Sunday (Dec. 29).
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As captured in photos and videos from the match, Ferrell sits by the ice at Crypto.com Arena with his wife, art collector Viveca Paulin, sitting to his left, and one of their three sons sitting to his right. With a cigarette hanging from his lips and a drink in his hand, the Saturday Night Live alum sticks out like a sore thumb wearing an ornate, bright green coat and pointed hat, looking like an older and more grizzled version of the happy-go-lucky character he originated in Jon Favreau’s beloved 2003 holiday rom-com Elf.
While reporting from the scene, FanDuel Sports Network’s Carrlyn Bathe says in one video that Ferrell told her of his getup, “It was a tough holiday season.”
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“He’s got a five ‘o clock shadow, looking a little bit disgruntled,” the broadcaster added. “He’s looking for a Kings win.”
Fortunately for Buddy/Ferrell, the Kings did pull ahead for a 5-4 victory against the Flyers Sunday.
The hilarious outing comes just a couple months after the Step Brothers star hosted his Ultimate DJ House Party in late October. The musical event took place in Chicago with Swedish House Mafia as headliners, and the proceeds went toward Ferrell’s Cancer For College organization, which gives college scholarships to cancer survivors.
Also in October, Ferrell guest-starred in an episode of Charlie Puth’s mock reality show. In a clip originally shared exclusively with Billboard, the comedian teased the musician during a workout session, “So it’s like a reality show? Like The Masked Singer? You should be a bat, or a seahorse, or a giraffe.”
Ferrell also gave Puth some hard-earned advice about TV in the clip, telling him, “There is only one entity who has final say in television: Judge Judy.”
Timothée Chalamet and Elle Fanning have seen Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo‘s viral Wicked meme — and yes, the A Complete Unknown costars are holding space for them.
In a recent video posted by The Advocate‘s Tracy Gilchrist — who went viral in November for a confusing but hilarious interaction with the Wicked actresses regarding the lyrics of “Defying Gravity” — the stars of James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic recreated that much-analyzed moment during their own interview with the journalist.
The clip begins with Gilchrist immediately breaking the ice. “First, I just want to let you know that I am holding space for you,” she says, referencing her own viral catchphrase and making Chalamet and Fanning laugh.
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The Dune actor the sticks out his finger as Fanning grabs onto it, mimicking how the “Yes, And?” singer held onto the Pinocchio actress’ finger in Gilchrist’s memorable interview with the Wicked leading ladies. “It’s an honor talking to you,” Chalamet proceeds to tell Gilchrist earnestly. “I feel like, sort of starstruck. I was like, ‘Tracy! Holy s–t. Okay, this better be good.’”
“There’s nothing that we can do that can trump what happened, you know what I mean?” Fanning chimes in as all three laugh.
Gilchrist’s interview with the A Complete Unknown stars comes a little over a month after the “holding space” meme originated. While chatting with Grande and Erivo about Wicked for Out magazine mid-November, the journalist began by saying, “This week, people are taking the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding space with that.”
Erivo immediately got emotional as the Victorious alum, looking a little bit confused, held her friend’s finger for support. For days afterward, fans online went wild dissecting the exchange, with the uproar focusing in particular on what the definition of “holding space” could be.
Shortly afterward, Grande and Erivo revealed that they were just as perplexed during the interview as everyone else was when watching it. “I didn’t know what any part of it meant,” the “7 Rings” vocalist said, laughing, in a Variety video breaking down the meme with the Harriet star and Wicked director Jon M. Chu. “I remember in the moment, asking myself, ‘Am I okay? Did I not hear something?’” Gilchrist herself has since explained the meaning of “holding space” in addition to having some fun with the viral moment in a commercial.
Watch Chalamet and Fanning recreate the viral “holding space” meme below.
Netflix is set to release a documentary feature on Karol G in 2025, the Colombian powerhouse and the streaming service announced on Monday (Dec. 30). The project will be helmed by Emmy Award-winning director and producer Cristina Costantini. The “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” singer took to social media to share a few words about the upcoming […]
Post Malone expressed his gratitude to Beyoncé after joining her stunning NFL Halftime Show performance during the Texans-Ravens game at Houston’s NRG Stadium on Christmas Day. On Saturday (Dec. 28), the 29-year-old singer shared a heartfelt message to Queen Bey, 43, on X (formerly Twitter). “thank you @Beyonce so much for havin me out in […]