Movie

Barbie continues to perform extremely well at the worldwide box office, with the film officially crossing over $1 billion over the weekend en route to make history.

Barbie makes history by joining the billion-dollar club

Thanks to the latest entries from both the North American and international box offices (via Variety), Barbie has crossed into the billion-dollar club. With the achievement, Barbie becomes the second film of 2023 to cross over the milestone (The Super Mario Bros. Movie reached $1.3 billion) and also makes Greta Gerwig the first-ever solo female filmmaker to have a film surpass $1 billion.

Previously, Frozen ($1.3 billion, Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck), Frozen 2 ($1.45 billion, Lee and Buck), and Captain Marvel ($1.3 billion, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck) reached the milestone. However, all three films were co-directed by a male and female duo.

Alongside the big milestones, Barbie continues to make history for Warner Bros. Discovery. Taking only 17 days to reach $1 billion, the film is now the fastest Warner Bros. Discovery release to make it into the $1 billion club, surpassing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which reached it in 19 days.

“It’s a good club to be in,” Jeff Goldstein, the studio’s president of domestic distribution, said of the film joining films like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Top Gun: Maverick, Jurassic World Dominion, and Avatar: The Way of Water as other films to make $1 billion during a Sunday morning phone call.

Who is in Barbie?

Margot Robbie stars as Barbie, who leaves Barbieland in favor of the “real world” after a crisis of faith leads her to question her existence. Joining Barbie on the journey is Ryan Gosling’s Ken, Barbie’s boyfriend.

“After being expelled from Barbieland for being a less-than-perfect doll, Barbie sets off to the real world to find true happiness,” the official synopsis reads.

The 1975 are now facing possible legal action over their scuttled July performance at a music festival in Malaysia, as Rolling Stone and Billboard report. Organizers of Kuala Lumpur’s Good Vibes Festival have said their plans to seek undisclosed financial damages from the band, whose leader, Matty Healy, denounced the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation before kissing bassist Ross MacDonald on stage last month. Representatives for the 1975 offered no comment.

The legal threat comes from Future Sound Asia, which had planned the weekend-long festival with the Strokes and the Kid Laroi as its other headliners. An attorney for the organization provided a statement to Rolling Stone:

Future Sound Asia’s claim against The 1975 is, in the main, one for intentional breach of contract. Mr. Healy’s representative categorically provided a pre-show written assurance that Mr. Healy and The 1975’s live performance shall adhere to all local guidelines and regulations during their set in Malaysia. Despite this, the assurance was ignored, and the band’s actions clearly contravened the agreement with Future Sound Asia. This led to the cancellation of the festival which, in turn, caused significant losses to Future Sound Asia.

During the 1975’s July 21 set at Good Vibes, Healy spoke out against the country’s policy that bars gay marriage and makes homosexuality punishable with a 20-year prison sentence. “If you want to invite me here to do a show, you can fuck off. I’ll take your money, you can ban me, but I’ve done this before and it doesn’t feel good, and I’m fucked off,” Healy told the crowd. The set came to an abrupt end shortly thereafter, with Healy saying, “All right, we just got banned from Kuala Lumpur. See you later.” 

Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital canceled the rest of the three-festival on July 22, and the 1975 canceled their remaining dates in Jakarta and Taipei. At the time, a representative from Future Sounds Asia expressed concern that the incident would “erode the confidence of music promoters and various stakeholders in the live entertainment industry across the nation and threaten the stability of our burgeoning live arts scene.” The 1975 still have a North American tour slated to begin in mid-September in Atlanta.

Netflix’s Untold series returns with another look into the world of sports. This time, the Untold: Johnny Football teaser trailer highlights the stardom of Johnny Manziel during his time playing college football.

The Untold: Johnny Football teaser trailer teases the return of the series, and its coverage of Johnny Manziel. In 2012, the quarterback for Texas A&M became a superstar and household name for his play. However, his off-the-field issues and contention with the NCAA earned Manziel scrutiny in the media — and from those around him.

Check out the Untold: Johnny Football teaser trailer below (watch other clips and trailers):

Untold: Johnny Football is the second in a four-week summer event from Netflix, which aims to cover several stories from around the world of sports. The first documentary, Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child, came out on August 1, 2023.

“In 2012, the brightest star in all of sports was an undersized freshman quarterback at unheralded Texas A&M, whose fervor on the field was rivaled only by his hard-partying ways off it,” reads the official synopsis for the film. “Dubbed ‘Johnny Football,’ the magnetic football player captured the nation’s attention and initially relished his alter ego…With astonishing candor, Manziel – along with his family, coaches, his former best friend, and his agent – details what happened behind the scenes as scandals piled up in the glare of paparazzi flashbulbs. He fumbled his shot at broader success after the Cleveland Browns picked him in the first round of the NFL draft in 2014, but Manziel went on to search for something even greater: inner peace and happiness with a quieter life that he reveals here.”

Untold: Johnny Football is set to premiere on August 8, 2023, exclusively on Netflix.

José González has announced a 20th anniversary deluxe reissue of his 2003 debut Veneer. The expanded, remastered release will include a bonus disc of 13 songs from his 2003 performance at Gothenburg Concert Hall in Gothenburg, Sweden. The reissue will be available digitally, and on double clear vinyl, starting October 27 (via Mute). González has also announced a string of live dates, and shared an archival video of his Gothenburg Concert Hall show. Check those out below.

The Veneer reissue will feature a hand-numbered gatefold and a 24-page booklet filled with archival photos, essays, a song-by-song guide from González, and more. For his upcoming live shows, González will first play a handful of sets in November that also include a conversation with Mikel Cee Karlsson, who directed a film about the musician titled A Tiger in Paradise. Next spring, González will play seven North American shows, where he will perform Veneer in full.

Veneer Remastered:

01 Slow Moves
02 Remain
03 Lovestain
04 Heartbeats
05 Crosses
06 Deadweight on Velveteen
07 All You Deliver
08 Stay in the Shade
09 Hints
10 Save Your Day
11 Broken Arrows

Live In Gothenburg 2003:

01 Deadweight on Velveteen
02 Save Your Day
03 Storm
04 Crosses
05 Hints
06 Suggestions
07 Heartbeats
08 Love Will Tear Us Apart
09 All You Deliver
10 Stay in the Shade
11 Remain
12 Hand on Your Heart
13 Cello Song

Another film in the Halloween series is getting the 4K SteelBook treatment. Just in time for its 25th anniversary. Halloween H20 is the next up for the spit and polish, so you can see Josh Hartnett’s terrible haircut in crystal clear 4K UHD.

The film features a stacked cast including the aforementioned Hartnett in his big break. Naturally, there’s also the Oscar-winning Jamie Lee Curtis who is joined by her mother and Psycho icon Janet Leigh. Joseph Gordon Levitt, Michelle Williams, and L.L. Cool J fill out the rack of lambs for the slaughter.

Laurie Strode has started a new life with a new name and now has a teenage son. When Micheal Myers resurfaces, the killer finds his way back to Laurie, and puts her new life in old danger.

Halloween H20 4K SteelBook Release Date

The 4K UHD release of Halloween H20 from Paramount Home Entertainment is set for September 26. It will be a Limited Editon release and features a SteelBook case, the film on a 4K UHD disc, a digital copy, and brand-new artwork on the cover.

It’ll be nice to add another Halloween film to the 4K shelf, and will no doubt be a good time to reevaluate where Halloween H20 should sit in a ranking of the series (it’s definitely not the worst).

Zendaya has shared a statement about the death of her Euphoria co-star Angus Cloud. “I’m so grateful I got the chance to know him in this life, to call him a brother, to see his warm kind eyes and bright smile, or hear his infectious cackle of a laugh,” she wrote. Read the rest below.

Cloud died unexpectedly this week at age 25, but a cause has not yet been announced. He had been recruited to Euphoria without any prior acting experience, and became a central figure to the show over its first two seasons. His death prompted an outpouring of tributes from others in the Euphoria orbit, such as creator Sam Levinson and fellow actor Javon Walton, along with Drake, Questlove, Janelle Monáe, Kerry Washington, and more.

Zendaya:

Words are not enough to describe the infinite beauty that is Angus (Conor). I’m so grateful I got the chance to know him in this life, to call him a brother, to see his warm kind eyes and bright smile, or hear his infectious cackle of a laugh (I’m smiling now just thinking of it) I know people use this expression often when talking about folks they love…“they could light up any room they entered” but boy let me tell you, he was the best at it. I’d like to remember him that way. For all of the boundless light, love and joy he always managed to give us. I’ll cherish every moment.

My heart is with his mother and family at this time and please be kind and patient as grief looks different for everyone.

A new Billions behind-the-scenes video is out and details the infamous fake fight scene between actors Damian Lewis and Kelly AuCoin from the first season of the show.

In the recent video, both Lewis (who plays Robert “Bobby” Axelrod in the series) and AuCoin (“Dollar” Bill Stearn) talk through the now fan-favorite clip. In the episode, both Axelrod and Stearn go into a room that’s soundproof, but has glass windows. Inside, Axelrod tells Stearns to make it look like they’re having a fight, which culminates in some yelling and then Stearn pushing Axelrod a couple of times.

According to Lewis, he joked that AuCoin actually shoved him right where he had had rotator cuff surgery a decade prior, so the pushing did hurt. However, Lewis laughed that the pair went on to do the take over and over again to get it just right.

Check out the new Billions behind-the-scenes video below:

What do we know about Billions Season 7?

Billions stars Paul Giamatti, Corey Stoll, Maggie Siff, Asia Kate Dillon, David Costabile, Toby Leonard Moore, Condola Rashad, Jeffrey DeMunn, Kelly AuCoin, and Daniel Breaker.

Its seventh and final season is set to premiere on August 13, 2023.

The ending comes as Showtime develops multiple spin-offs based on Billions for the upcoming Paramount+ with Showtime rebrand. Series creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien are developing these four potential series. They include Millions — which follows rising financiers — and Trillions, which centers on the ultra-rich. Two other untitled shows, which will take place in Miami and London, are also in development.

“In season seven, alliances are turned on their heads,” reads the logline. “Old wounds are weaponized. Loyalties are tested. Betrayal takes on epic proportions. Enemies become wary friends. And Bobby Axelrod returns, as the stakes grow from Wall Street to the world.”

Billions is created and executive produced by showrunners Brian Koppelman and David Levien. The series was also created by Andrew Ross Sorkin. You can stream previous seasons on Showtime’s platforms.

Drake has been identified as the buyer of a gold, ruby, and diamond crown ring that Tupac Shakur wore during his final public appearance. He paid $1,016,000 for it at a Sotheby’s auction, according to a press release. The late Shakur designed the ring himself, and wore it to the MTV Video Music Awards in early September 1996. Take a look at the piece via Sotheby’s.

Shakur’s ring was expected to sell for at least $200,000. The auction was the third in a Sotheby’s series dedicated to articles from the world of hip-hop, in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the genre.

Drake’s big purchase happened amid his It’s All a Blur Tour with 21 Savage. He’s been teasing the release of a new album titled All the Dogs, but he hasn’t specified a date for its arrival. In recent months, Drake has released a poetry book and shared a new track titled “Search & Rescue.” He’s also dropped in on new material by J Hus and Young Thug, and joined Central Cee for an On the Radar Radio Freestyle. 

Travis Scott recruited Drake for a guest appearance on Utopia’s “Meltdown,“ where Drake reportedly takes a dig at Pharrell Williams. “Since V not around, the members done hung up the Louis/They not even wearing that shit/Don’t come to the boy ’bout repairing some shit,” he raps. The verse seems to indict the producer’s takeover as Louis Vuitton’s creative director of menswear after the 2021 death of Virgil Abloh. Drake supposedly extends his long-running beef with Pusha T in a takes a separate swipe. He insinuates that he would’ve flown to Paris to fight Williams and Pusha T at a fashion show, were it not for his facing a lawsuit from Vogue over a promo campaign for Her Loss. Pharrell has a co-writing credit with Scott and Kid Cudi on Utopia’s “Looove.” 

Sega has filed a logo trademark for a product called Sonic & Friends, with the trademark being made public just today.

What does the Sonic & Friends logo look like?

The trademark can be found on the website Chizai-Watch (via Gematsu), though there are currently no details as to whether it is the logo for a console video game, mobile game, or something else entirely. The trademark was filed in Japan on July 18, but has just become publicly known today.

You can take a look at the Sonic & Friends logo below:

Other recent and forthcoming projects involving Sonic the Hedgehog include the recently released second season of the Netflix animated series Sonic Prime and the upcoming 2D platformer game Sonic Superstars.

Sonic Superstars is set to release this fall for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC and features up to four-player local co-op, with Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles “Tails” Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, and Amy Rose all being playable. Throughout the game’s levels, you can find the seven Chaos Emeralds to get new abilities like clone creation, climbing waterfalls, and more. Sonic Superstars will even feature Lego-themed DLC that turns Sonic and his nemesis Eggman into Lego minifigs.

Sinéad O’Connor has died, RTÊ reports. O’Connor’s family confirmed the news in a statement to the Irish news outlet, writing: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.” O’Connor was 56 years old.

The incomparable singer and songwriter, who became internationally famous with 1990’s I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got and its hit single, her cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” had been hospitalized last year after her 17-year-old son Shane died. 

In the recent past, O’Connor’s public life has been a tumultuous one. In 2017, she posted a message to her Facebook page detailing how she was living alone in a New Jersey Travelodge. “I’m all by myself, there’s absolutely nobody in my life,” she said. Throughout her career, O’Connor recorded 10 studio albums. Her last album was 2014’s I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss.

O’Connor was born in Dublin, Ireland. In the late 1980s, she was discovered by record executives while performing in the band Ton Ton Macoute. Her debut album, The Lion and the Cobra, was released in 1987. She had a brief film career, starring as Emily Brontë in a 1992 adaptation of Wuthering Heights. 

It was around this time when she established herself as a provocateur. She voiced her support of the Irish Republican Army, reportedly refused to perform at a U.S. concert if it was preceded by the National Anthem, boycotted the Grammy Awards in 1991 due to the show’s commercialism, and famously tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II on “Saturday Night Live” before asking viewers to “fight the real enemy.”

Her family life and emotional health was, at times, fraught. She reportedly attempted suicide in 1999 following a public falling out with Irish journalist John Waters—the father of her daughter. O’Connor revealed she was living with bipolar disorder in 2007. In November 2015, her Facebook page featured posts detailing family turmoil and messages implying that she might harm herself. Months later, it was reported to Chicago police that O’Connor had threatened to jump off a bridge. (O’Connor would later call those reports “bullshit.”)

O’Connor continued to speak openly about her mental health struggles and slowly returned to the public eye. In 2018, she released “Milestones” under the moniker Magda Davitt, marking her first new song in four years. She also announced her first string of tour dates in just as long. In 2021, O’Connor released her memoir Rememberings, which chronicled her difficult childhood, mental health challenges, and her remarkable contributions to popular music.