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Whitney Cummings is recalling the “horror” audition she had for Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.

The comedian and host of Max’s Fast Friends game show recently said in an interview she had a “humiliating” audition for the epic science fiction film directed and written by Coppola.

“This was such a core trauma for me,” Cummings said on the Good For You podcast.

Cummings said that she had prepared for the audition spending days memorizing lines and when she got to the audition, she noticed the vibes were off.

“Everyone is so quiet. There’s no vibe of, ‘We’re at an audition. Hey, what’s up? Hi, how are you? Nice to meet you,'” she recalled. “It’s just so awkward. I go in, I’m like, ‘So, where do you want to start first?’ And he’s, like, ‘Oh no, no, we’re not going to do the scene.

Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis may have come and gone at the box office, but the big-budget epic is still a fresh topic of conversation.

During an episode of her Good For You podcast, a clip of which was shared on TikTok, the veteran stand-up comedian claimed she had a “horror audition” for Coppola’s latest film.

“This was such a core trauma for me,” explained the multi-hyphenate who has long worked as an actress, writer, director and producer. She went on to say that she got a call that Coppola wanted her to audition for the film — which she actually doesn’t name in the clip, though it’s clear she’s talking about his long-gestating epic that grossed $13 million at the global box office on a budget estimated to be roughly $120 million. Cummings says she threw herself into the audition, preparing “for days” and spending north of three hours in hair and makeup.

Awards kudos, critics’ lists, varied nominations and wins are boosting indie film standouts this weekend. The market is crowded as indies vie with each other, studio tentpoles and fare from Pusha: The Rule – Part 2 and the remastered Daft Punk & Leiji Matsumoto: Interstella 5555. But many specialty distributors are more upbeat now than at any point this year.

The Last Showgirl from Roadside Attractions debuted at $50.3k on one screen. It’s a one-week Academy-qualifying run for the contender by Gia Coppola and starring Pamela Anderson, now a Golden Globe nominee. Both showed up for Q&As at LA’s AMC Century City, helping push the story of a fading Vegas showgirl to the fifth best per-screen opening of the year.

The three-day number also marks Roadside’s second-highest opening PSA in its 20-year history. The distributor said the run featured sellout screenings on both Friday and Saturday across select...

Do you love tall women? If so, you are not alone – we do, too! Not in a weird way, but nothing makes us stop in our tracks like a woman with an Amazon-esque stature.

There’s a reason why runway models are usually six feet and up – they’re awe-inspiring.

Quick Navigation 30. Cameron Diaz – 5’8” (172.7 cm) 29. Julia Roberts – 5’8” (172.7 cm) 28. Blake Lively – 5ft 8 ½ (174 cm) 27. Maggie Gyllenhaal – 5’9” (175.3 cm) 26. Gwyneth Paltrow – 5’9” (175.3 cm) 25. Lucy Lawless – 5’9 ¼” (175.9 cm) 24. Mandy Moore – 5’9 ¾” (177.2 cm) 23. Charlize Theron – 5’9 ¾” (177.2 cm) 22. Brooke Shields – 5’10 ½” (179.1 cm) 21. Nicole Kidman – 5’10 ½” (179.1 cm) 20. Tilda Swinton – 5’10 ½” (179.1 cm) 19. Rebecca Romijn – 5’10 ½” (179.1 cm) 18. Sigourney Weaver – 5’10 ½” (179.1 cm) 17. Hannah Waddingham – 5’11” (180.3 cm) 16. Adrianne Palicki – 5’11” (180.3 cm) 15. Uma Thurman – 5’11 ¼” (181 cm) 14. Famke Janssen – 5’11 ½” (181.6 cm) 13. Missi Pyle – 5’11 ½” (181.6 cm) 12. Aisha Tyler – 5’11 ½” (181.6 cm) 11. Saffron Burrows – 5’11 ¾” (182.2 cm) 10. Jane Lynch – 6’0” (183 cm) 9. Geena Davis – 6’0” (183 cm) 8. Kristen Johnston – 6’0” (182.9 cm) 7. Allison Janney – 6’0” (183 cm) 6. Brigitte Nielsen – 6’0” (182.9 cm) 5. Leslie Jones – 6’0” (183 cm) 4. Elizabeth Debicki – 6’1 ¾” (187.3 cm) 3. Dot-Marie Jones – 6’3” (190 cm) 2. Gwendoline Christie – 6’3” (191 cm) 1. Lisa Leslie – 6’5” (195.6 cm)

Female fashion models are usually at least...

The arrest of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is making waves in the celebrity world. Combs had a lot of close Hollywood A-list friends through the years, and he and Ashton Kutcher were known for their relationship. Several sources suggested Kutcher worried about Combs dragging him into his upcoming trial. Recently, a source said Kutcher and Combs weren’t that close, with Kutcher only engaging with Combs at a few events. However, Combs once said something else entirely.

A source claims that Ashton Kutcher only saw Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs at a ‘handful’ of events

Ashton Kutcher is under fire following Sean “Diddy” Combs’ arrest. Kutcher and Combs had a close friendship through the years, with Kutcher co-hosting one of Combs’ infamous White Parties. In past resurfaced interviews, Kutcher also suggested that he couldn’t divulge what happened at Combs’ wild parties. Kutcher has not spoken publicly about Combs following the...

From 'Making the Band' to 'Punk'd,' here are some shows you probably forgot aired on MTV.Mega; MTV UK/YouTubeA Double Shot at LoveMEGA

MTV's A Double Shot at Love, also known as A Double Shot at Love with the Ikki Twins, aired for eight episodes from December 2008 to February 2009. The reality dating game show featured the identical twins, Erica "Rikki" Mongeon and Victoria "Vikki" Mongeon, and their journey to find love.

How Far Is Tattoo Far?MTV/YouTube

How Far Is Tattoo Far? tested relationships by having friends or family members design a tattoo for their loved ones. The inks were only revealed at the end of each episode, keeping the viewers engaged.

Lindsay Lohan's Beach ClubMTV/YouTube

In 2019, Lindsay Lohan launched her MTV show Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club, chronicling the lives of her new Beach Club employees. It only lasted for one season.

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore have a long history. They began dating in 2003 and made headlines for their age gap, as Moore is 15 years Kutcher’s senior. They tied the knot in 2005 and announced their separation in 2011. A year later, Kutcher and Mila Kunis sparked their romance and later got married in 2015. Now, Kunis is allegedly peeved over Kutcher’s remarks regarding Moore’s beauty. Here’s what a source alleged.

Ashton Kutcher’s alleged comments regarding Demi Moore’s appearance are upsetting Mila Kunis, a source says

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore had a close connection when they initially got to know each other in the early 2000s. Despite their glaring age gap, they were able to laugh it off while they were a couple. In 2005, they had a small ceremony in Beverly Hills, with Kutcher taking on the role of stepfather for Moore’s three kids.

Unfortunately, they...

Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs and Ashton Kutcher have a legendary friendship. Kutcher and Combs often talked about how close they became through the years after first meeting when Kutcher planned to put Combs on the MTV show, Punk’d. Now, in the wake of Combs’ 2024 arrest, Kutcher allegedly feels “terrified” that Combs possessed video footage of him at parties.

Ashton Kutcher is allegedly worried about showing up in tapes that Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs had

Sean “Diddy” Combs and Ashton Kutcher often talked about their close friendship. They became friendly after Kutcher tried to “punk” Combs on the MTV show Punk’d. When Combs caught wind of Kutcher’s plan, he called Kutcher and warned him not to. Later, Combs and Kutcher discussed partying together, with Kutcher co-hosting one of Combs’ infamous White Parties in 2009.

Unfortunately, Kutcher may be involved in Combs’ current court case. Federal agents arrested Combs in September 2024. Combs pleaded not guilty to racketeering,...

Since Cassie Ventura sued Sean "Diddy" Combs in November 2023, the internet has been reflecting on the music mogul's old interviews and his associations with other suspicious celebrities. There's his weird living situation with a 14-year-old Usher, for instance. And now, fans can't stop talking about Ashton Kutcher's 2019 Hot Ones interview about Diddy's parties.

Now known as "freak offs," Diddy's celebrity parties have sparked some conspiracy theories. So when Homeland Security found over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant in his home, these wild gatherings quickly took on a life of their own. Hence, the resurfacing of Ashton's past comments about his friend. Now, the "rude" actor and his wife Mila Kunis are rumored to be getting divorced following the viral clip.

Ashton Kutcher Withheld Details When Asked About Diddy's Parties On Hot Ones

In 2019, Hot Ones host Sean Evans seemingly surprised Ashton when he said, "Diddy party stories, they're our favorite genre of anecdote.

Cyberpunk 2077 features real-world references like Keanu Reeves and bootleg Daft Punk for players to discover in Night City. A group of in-universe musicians resembling Daft Punk can be found in a club during Kerry Eurodyne's side mission. Private Press, the Daft Punk-esque duo in the game, can also be spotted at a special event on the 99.9 Impulse radio channel.

Cyberpunk 2077 is full of references to notable real-world people, from Johnny Silverhand actor Keanu Reeves - who is canon in the game's universe - to the late rally driver, Ken Block. The series' creator Mike Pondsmith even appears in-game as a radio host. After 400 hours of exploring Night City, one player has found the in-universe equivalent of the French electronic music duo Daft Punk.

Daft Punk are known for songs such as Around The World and Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger, and are easily recognizable due to their distinct stage attire, which...

WWE: Damien Priest’s Contract Update; Eric Bischoff Talks About Cody Rhodes. (Photo Credit – Instagram)

After a couple of big stars’ contract renewals in WWE, there’s now a major update about Damien Priest’s contract. Also, the former general manager of Raw, Eric Bischoff, talked about Cody Rhodes’ current glorious run as a babyface. While he showered praise on the character, he expressed his concern about the character eventually getting exhausted. Keep reading to know more!

Starting with the first major news from WWE, Priest has emerged as a big player in the promotion in recent times, and it was always expected that WWE would try its best to retain him with a new contract. And that’s what exactly happened! As per Fightful Select, Priest has signed a new contract with the promotion, which supposedly happened this February.

It is learned that many negotiations and discussions took...

Michael Jackson was the King of Pop and every king has a court. It’s no surprise he worked with several other megastars across genres over the course of his life. Some of those collaborations are classic and others are tragic.

1. Justin Timberlake

“Love Never Felt So Good” is a posthumous disco duet with Justin Timberlake. It’s not as good as Jackson’s classic disco tracks but it has an infectious, cherry energy. It feels more like a prequel to Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” than anything else.

The song has some great timing. It came out in 2014. 2013 saw a huge revival of disco music with hits like Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” Bruno Mars’ “Treasure.” while it was a song from the vaults, “Love Never Felt So Good” felt practically modern! The tune appeared on the posthumous album Xscape. Xscape is not Thriller,...

There is no denying that theaters are losing their charm thanks to streaming platforms like Netflix. People now would much rather prefer paying a monthly fee and enjoying more content than ever before in the comfort of their own homes. Now, it takes films like Barbie and Oppenheimer to drive people to theater halls and experience cinema first-hand.

A still from Barbie (2023)

As if this was not enough, director and producer Judd Apatow recently gave his two cents on the state of television today and how shows are just getting recycled over and over again thanks to licensing pacts between streaming platforms. Judd Apatow expressed his worries that if things keep going on like this, it might lead to fewer new shows and television becoming more of a business than art.

Judd Apatow is Worried About Netflix’s Model Judd Apatow on The Tonight Show

Many people prefer doing re-runs of their favorite television series,...

Wolverine and Spider-Punk are stand-out members of a team-up in Marvel's 2023 Stormbreakers variant covers, creating a highly powered and highly entertaining team. The Stormbreakers program showcases Marvel's top young artistic talents, building on the success of its prior Young Guns initiative. Fans eagerly anticipate the potential character dynamics between Wolverine and Spider-Punk, with many hoping for an upcoming story that brings them together.

Wolverine and Spider-Punk are among the hardcore line-up teased by the team-up piece produced by Marvel's 2023 class of Stormbreakers, its most invigorating young artistic talents. With eight variant covers dropping across January and February 2024, this exciting crop of artists will assemble not only a tribute to earlier Marvel creatives, but also one of the most badass possible teams Marvel could possibly put together.

The Stormbreaker variant covers will include Chris Allen's Spider-Punk variant cover for Edge of Spider-Verse #1 – coming February 21, 2024 – and Martin Coccolo's variant...

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at [email protected].

Apocalypse Now by Chris Valentine

Inspector Gadget by Mauricio Herrera

Invincible by Patrick Brown

Labyrinth by Sophie Bland

Napoleon by Sahin Düzgün

Ready or Not by Wolfgang LeBlanc

Spider-Punk by...

The original ending of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse did not include Gwen's team of Spider-People, but after test screenings, the creators decided to add them to give a sense of hope for Miles Morales. The creators took inspiration from the ending of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, which also included a hopeful and uncertain moment to set up the next film. While Across the Spider-Verse has a slightly happier ending with the introduction of Gwen's team, Miles and his friends still face danger from the villainous Spot and the Spider Society.

The ending of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was changed after the film's creators were inspired by the final moments of 1980's Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back. Miles Morales returned in 2023's Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Sony's animated adventure that caught up with Earth-1610's Spider-Man a year-and-a-half after...

Miles Morales encounters an array of new Spider-People in “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” including Daniel Kaluuya’s Hobart “Hobie” Brown (aka Spider-Punk). While Spider-Punk plays an integral part in the sequel, as well as became a fan-favorite due to his carefree attitude and spiky mohawk, writer-producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller revealed in an interview with EW that the anarchic superhero was nearly cut from the film.

“He was in and out of the picture for a little while because we weren’t sure which elements we were going to stick in this part and which were going to migrate to the next movie,” Lord said.

However, when the writer-producers met Kaluuya, they “realized that he had to be Hobie Brown, no matter the cost.”

“And Hobie had to be in the movie because that personality needed to be part of the story,” Lord continued.

Along with Spider-Punk,...

It’s not hyperbole to describe Oliver Anthony as an overnight sensation, thanks to the out-of-the-blue success of his hit song “Rich Men North of Richmond”.

After the video was posted to YouTube, it’s racked up more than 33 million views in just 13 days. Meanwhile, the song — which Anthony wrote, sang and produced — has climbed to No. 1 on the iTunes charts, and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

Clearly, the song — a country protest tune decrying an America in which hard-working people slave away for “bulls**t pay” while the wealthy one per cent and the politicians they control don’t care that “your dollar ain’t s**t / And it’s taxed to no end” — has connected with listeners, making Anthony the first-ever artist to debut at the top of Billboard‘s Hot 100 without any prior chart history.

Who Is Oliver Anthony?

While his exact age isn’t...

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.

Today we’re honored to chat with director Carl Franklin, whose seminal noir One False Move is now available from The Criterion Collection as a director-approved special edition 4K Uhd + Blu-ray.

Our B-Sides today are One True Thing, Out of Time, and Bless Me, Ultima.

We talk to Franklin about his early days as an actor, how he got the directing bug, what he learned making movies with legendary producer Roger Corman (and the other producer on one of the films who allegedly stole 80k of a 200k budget!), and the extremely underrated HBO mini-series Laurel Avenue from 1993.

There’s also some discussion about Devil in a Blue Dress of course, working with Denzel Washington (and how...

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse includes many web-slingers from throughout the multiverse, with the home of one of them to be a setting in the upcoming Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. In Across the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales (Shamiek Moore) re-teams with his fellow hero Gwen Stacy (Haliee Steinfeld) to stop the portal-opening villain known as the Spot (Jason Schwartzman), while Miles and Gwen also learn some unexpected truths about their fellow Spider-People and the seemingly heroic organization known as the Spider-Society.

Across the Spider-Verse is an even more expansive multiverse movie than its 2018 predecessor Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, with a multitude of Spider-Man variants appearing in the movie. Among the other Spideys in Across the Spider-Verse is the anarchist Hobie Brown, a.k.a. Spider Punk (Daniel Kaluuya). While Hobie enters the story of Across the Spider-Verse on the fly with Miles and Gwen, it seems that his home universe could...

Yes, he’s still number-one on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Morgan Wallen‘s “One Thing at a Time” spent its 15th nonconsecutive week in the top spot, which is all but two of the weeks since the album was released back on March 3. In fact, the 36-track collection actually gained slightly in equivalent album units, achieving 110,500 based on its combined record sales, individual track sales, and online streams. Read more about this week’s chart here at Billboard.com.

“One Thing at a Time’s” continued supremacy blocks yet another artist from the top spot. Young Thug‘s “Business is Business” is the 11th album to debut at number-two behind “One Thing.” It achieved 89,000 album units, mostly from streaming. That’s only slightly beneath Young Thug’s last album, 2021’s “Punk,” which debuted at number-one with 90,000 units.

SEEOlivia Rodrigo (‘Vampire’): Fans say ‘that girl has some balls’ as they...

From Slick Rick and 2Pac to Shyne and Bobby Shmurda, prison time impacts musical careers, mostly for the worst. Young Stoner Life (Ysl) top dog Young Thug has been incarcerated for more than a year on charges of conspiracy to violate the Rico Act. Yet, in spite of that tragedy and turmoil, he’s here to set the record straight with his first album since 2021’s Punk, assisted by executive producer Metro Boomin and a supporting cast of his A-list rap peers.

Business Is Business kicks off with the melodramatic mafioso opener “Parade on Cleveland,...

Even though he’s been in jail for over a year, nothing is going to stop Young Thug from doing his business — on Friday (June 23rd), the 31-year-old rapper released Business is Business, his third full-length album. Stream it below.

News of the album first arrived via a mysterious Qr code posted to Young Thug’s Instagram last week, which brought fans to a website featuring the artwork for the album (a photo of him in a courtroom alongside several other defendants). After a countdown completed, details of the 15-track album were revealed. On Thursday evening, the record’s executive producer, Metro Boomin, tweeted a version of the artwork along with the caption “I got you for life and after that brodie,” presumably sending a message of hope to Young Thug.

Business is Business builds upon the musical canon Young Thug began with his 2019 full-length debut, So Much Fun. Like that album,...

Young Thug, who is currently awaiting trial, will drop his album Business Is Business on Thursday. The project — whose cover art features the rapper inside a courtroom alongside some of his co-defendants — was announced on his social media, tagging producer Metro Boomin, who executive produced the LP.

“Business Is Business Tonight. @metroboomin let’s go,” the caption read.

Metro Boomin shared the LP’s cover art on his social media with the hashtag #FreeTwin and also shared a selfie where he’s seen wearing a shirt with Young Thug’s...

On Tuesday, Billboard published a piece speculating on why hip-hop hasn’t had a Number One album or single within the first half of 2023. The report set off a flurry of chatter from industry observers and rap fans drawing their own conclusions as to what the answer might be. Is the dearth of rap hits this year a matter of market share, artist deaths, incarceration, or stagnant charts?

Most people who think the occurrence is no big deal are chalking it up to a lack of releases by major rap stars.

Ashton Kutcher is living the genie life.

On Monday, comedian Matt Rife shared a trailer for his upcoming world tour, with Kutcher starring, and a cameo by Mila Kunis.

Read More: Ashton Kutcher And Mila Kunis On Why They Did ‘That 90s Show’: ‘We Owe Our Entire Careers To ‘The 70s Show”

In the trailer, which was shared to TikTok, Rife is at home when he receives a mysterious package that turns out to be a magic lamp. When he rubs it, Kutcher appears.

@matt_rife

World Tour Announcement!!! Tickets available for Artist Presale on my website 6/6 at 10am local time! See y’all soon #comedy #standup #standupcomedy #funny #mattrife #improv #crowdwork #tour

♬ original sound – Matt Rife

“I am here. I am your genie. I have been summoned. And now it’s time to grant you a wish,” the “Punk’d” star says.

Thinking up possible wishes, Rife says...

Coming after 2018's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," which is one of the most inventive animated movies ever made, the new "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is nothing close to a conventional sequel. The eye-popping, mind bending follow-up deconstructs and reinvents the superhero genre in act a joyous act of rebellion that could only be done inside this medium. Live-action comic book fare simply can't compete with groundbreaking animation at this simultaneously inspiring and disruptive level. 

For a movie that's perfectly fine with tearing down and rebuilding what came before, "Across the Spider-Verse" carves out its own path in the world of film with unapologetic, reckless teenage abandon. So it's a perfect fit for the Brooklyn born and bred version of Spidey, Miles Morales, on alternate Earth-1610 -- a kid who isn't afraid to break the rules and go his own way. 

Miles, along with Gwen Stacy's Spider-Woman, are the heart...

Warning! This article contains Spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has a favorite character in the eyes of many fans, and it is not the expected choice. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a massive success, and its sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, is headed for even greater heights. The film includes several different Spider-Man variants as Miles Morales travels through the Spider-Verse, and one of them has been crowned the best Spider-Man of the film by fans.

On Twitter, several people who have watched Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse have declared their love for Daniel Kaluuya's Hobie Brown, who is best known as Spider-Punk. The character was one of the film's brightest spots, which says a lot when Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse might just be the best Spider-Man film of all time. Check out several reactions to Spider-Punk below:

Woke up to a world where Spider-Punk is trending.

Darby Allin is the resident daredevil of All Elite Wrestling (Aew), but the self-belief required to take such dangerous risks didn’t apply to all aspects of his career evenly. It does now.

A leap of faith off a 20-foot ladder comes a lot more naturally to Allin than speaking with conviction on a microphone. Now a self-anointed “promo guy,” Allin finally believes in the full scope of his talents. It’s an exciting development for an artist who walks, skates and freefalls to the beat of his own drum. Allin challenges for the Aew World Heavyweight Championship — the company’s top prize — at Sunday’s “Double or Nothing” event, headlining a card chock-full of legends like Chris Jericho, Christian Cage and Bryan Danielson.

“At one time, when Aew first started, I probably would have thought I wasn’t ready for that,” Allin tells Et Canada. “I thought I didn...

All Elite Wrestling is bringing the body slams to Saturday nights.

Warner Bros. Discovery announced Wednesday during its upfronts presentation in New York City that a new wrestling show, Aew: Collision, will air Saturday nights on TNT from 8-10 p.m. Et, beginning on June 17.

More from TVLineAEW Wrestler Kenny Omega on Backstage Brawl With Cm Punk: 'I'd Encourage People to Let It Go'aew Grand Slam: Jon Moxley Crowned New World Champion -- Plus, a Former WWE Divas Champ Makes Her DebutAEW World Championship, World Trios Titles Vacated After Cm Punk Brawl

The live, two-hour show promises more wrestlers,...

Ever see a pregnant robot? The video for “Infinity Repeating (2013 Demo) shows mankind’s Darwinian evolution from an amoeba to a primate to a man to a robot to an enceinte automaton (that looks a lot like a female version of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo’s stage costumes). The track is an outtake from Daft Punk’s blockbuster Random Access Memories album that paired them with Julian Casablancas. Three animation houses — London’s Picnic Studios and Paris’ H5 Studio and Light Studios — collaborated on the clip, which filmmaker...

It took till season 9 of “The Masked Singer” but we’ve finally got a costume that features five performers: the California Roll. They took to the stage on March 1 to deliver a soaring cover of the hit “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga. After Polar Bear lost the audience vote and was revealed to be rapper Grandmaster Flash, California Roll was pitted in a Battle Royale with Medusa.

Each put their own spin on the classic tune “Uptown Girl” by Billie Joel. Medusa delivered a traditional take on the tune while California Roll turned it into a haunting ballad. After Medusa won the vote, we thought this was the last we’d see of California Roll but Nicole Scherzinger sounded the Ding Dong bell and saved them.

We’ve been rewatching both of these performances and have all your “The Masked Singer” spoilers, including the answer to the question, “Who is California...

Yes, Jake Szymanski has directed episodes of Saturday Night Live, and yes, he has an improv background. But even those experiences didn’t fully prepare him to direct Jury Duty. Nothing could.

Amazon Freevee’s comedy, which follows a regular guy who doesn’t realize he’s part of a fake jury trial, might have its roots in hoax shows like Candid Camera and Punk’d, but its scope is even more audacious. For three weeks of filming, Ronald Gladden, the juror who was hoaxed, was fully immersed in the show. He was sequestered with fake jurors, and he even surrendered his phone so that he couldn’t contact the outside world. That meant the creative team had to build a full-time fictional environment. Szymanski wasn’t just directing a few scenes. He was directing Ronald’s entire life.

When you’re Ashton Kutcher and your job entails creating a scene that’s believable enough to shake professional entertainers, you have to go big or go home. This is especially true when you’re target is hitmaker Drake, who commonly makes headlines for his beef with fellow hip-hop artists and is not easily rattled.

That’s part of what makes this episode of the MTV show Punk’d so special. Clearly, Kutcher knew what he was up against. It’s the sheer, over-the-top, chaotic moment after chaotic moment, with each one topping the previous in a hilarious string of unthinkable disasters. In fact, the episode was so grandiose that, according to Kutcher, it made it difficult to pull off but worth every bit of effort.

Halle Berry with Punk’d star Ashton in 2003 | Lester Cohen/WireImage ‘Punk’d’ with Drake was a blockbuster from the start

Recently, Kutcher sat down...

Leiji Matsumoto, the Japanese manga and anime creator known for science fiction sagas, TV series like Space Pirate Captain Harlock and music videos for Daft Punk, died of acute heart failure on February 13. He was 85.

Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story George T. Miller Dies: Director Of 'The Man From Snowy River' And 'The NeverEnding Story II' Was 79 Related Story Gerald Fried Dies: Emmy Winning Composer For 'Roots', 'Star Trek', 'Gilligan's Island' Was 95

His death was announced by his studio, Studio Leijisha.

Among his best-known science fiction sagas were Galaxy Express 999, Queen Emeraldas and Space Battleship Yamato.

In a statement to the BBC, Matsumoto’s daughter and head of the studio, Makiko Matsumoto, said her father “set out on a journey to the sea of stars. I think he lived a happy life, thinking about continuing to...

True Blood will push the basic cable envelope this weekend when an edited version of HBO’s famously gratuitous series joins the TNT lineup.

The somewhat surprising move is part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s latest strategy to attract new audiences using existing IP. Along with True Blood coming to TNT, edited episodes of HBO comedy Silicon Valley will also begin airing on TBS, our sister publication Variety reports.

More from TVLineTVLine Items: TBS Kills Rat, New Taylor Kitsch Series Adds Cast and MoreSnowpiercer's Final Season Cancelled at TNT, Will Be Shopped ElsewhereAEW Wrestler Kenny Omega on Backstage Brawl With...

If Seth Rollins and Booker T have their say, Cm Punk won't be wrestling for WWE anytime soon. The Royal Rumble was this past weekend, creating opportunities for members of the media to mingle with talent and the likes of Triple H. One of those media members, WrestlingInc.com's Senior News Editor Nick Hausman, took the opportunity to ask Rollins how he'd feel about Punk returning to WWE. The Visionary, who appeared to be in character during the question, referred to Punk as "Philly Phil" before calling him a "cancer" and imploring him to "stay away from me forever." Seth Rollins has never been shy about speaking his mind, which appeared to be the case again during Royal Rumble weekend.

Another WWE talent who has never been weary of sharing his thoughts is Booker T. On the most recent episode of his The Hall of Fame podcast, the surprise Royal...

Spencer Pratt is singling out one of the “Friends’ stars as being not so nice.

The reality TV personality shared a TikTok video in which he’s asked to name “the rudest celebrity you’ve met.”

Pratt didn’t have to think much before offering a response.

Read More: Spencer Pratt Says He Convinced Brody Jenner To Dump Nicole Richie And Date Lauren Conrad On ‘The Hills’

“Oh, that’s easy. Phoebe from ‘Friends’,” he said, referring to actress Lisa Kudrow.

“Hands down, one of the worst humans I’ve ever come in contact with,” he added. “By far.”

@spencerpratt

Replying to @stephdabest6

♬ original sound – spencerpratt

Pratt didn’t explain the reasoning behind his choice, but promised that if there was enough interest he’d spill all the tea.

Read More: Spencer Pratt Slams ‘Hot Garbage’ ‘Hills’ Co-Stars, Predicts How He’ll Be Involved In Reboot

“If this hit[s] million...

While on the red carpet for his new film Vengeance with B.J. Novak, Ashton Kutcher said he would prefer to keep his time on the hidden camera show prank show Punk’d in the past in the name of preserving his social life among his former celebrity prank victims. Kutcher was speaking with a former Bachelorette, […]

The post Ashton Kutcher Says He Wouldn’t Host ‘Punk’d’ Again Because He Prefers ‘To Have Friends’ appeared first on uInterview.

The Mexican singer Girl Ultra has been making liquid-cool R&b for a lot of her career, but her latest track “Punk” represents an exciting sonic turn: She teams up with the indie band Little Jesus from Mexico City and launches into a stewing overcast alt-rock track that’s quiet, intense, and endlessly catchy, all while pulling her toward refreshing new territory.

Her hushed vocals build up to a chorus, boosted by Little Jesus, that’s brightened by synth twinkles and the artists’ gauzy sense of harmony. The video, which...

Epix announced that its upcoming adventure series “Billy the Kid” will premiere on April 24.

The series follows famous outlaw William H. Bonney, a.k.a. Billy the Kid (Tom Blyth), from his Irish roots to his cowboy days on the American frontier, including his role in the Lincoln County War.

The news came via Epix’s presentation at the Television Critics Association’s 2022 winter press tour, during which they also released a new trailer.

Epix also announced three newly greenlit docuseries: “Women Who Rock,” Season 2 of “NFL Icons” and “The Making of a Haunting: The Amityville Murders.” “Women Who Rock” is a tribute to female pioneers in the music industry and features artists including Nancy Wilson, Chaka Khan, Pat Benatar, Mavis Staples, Sheila E, Macy Gray, Rickie Lee Jones, Norah Jones, Aimee Mann, Tori Amos, Kate Pierson, Tina Weymouth and Nona Hendrix. The four-part series is from Network Entertainment. John Varvatos,...

Epix is continuing to rock with new music documentaries and is throwing some scares into the equation.

The MGM-owned cable network has ordered the four-part series Women Who Rock, exec produced by John Varvatos, who was behind its Punk series.

It is the latest music-focused series for the network, which recently aired Mr. A & Mr. M: The Story of A&m Records and has put a slew of titles into development (see the list below).

It has also ordered docuseries The Making of a Haunting: The Amityville Murders and renewed NFL Icons for a second season.

Women Who Rock will feature interviews with the likes of Nancy Wilson, Chaka Khan, Pat Benatar, Mavis Staples, Sheila E, Macy Gray, Rickie Lee Jones, Norah Jones, Aimee Mann, Tori Amos, Kate Pierson, Tina Weymouth and Nona Hendrix. It will pay homage to the legion of female pioneers in music who have stormed...

Ashton Kutcher just spilled some tea booze about Mila Kunis. On Monday, Jan. 31, the 43-year-old actor shared a humorous video of his wife prematurely celebrating the end of Dry January, jokingly calling her out for having a cocktail before the last day of the month is over. A stickler for the rules, Ashton noted in the beginning of a 44-second clip shared to his Instagram, "It's still Dry January." The Punk'd host went on to explain that he and Mila, 38, had made a goal to not have alcohol in January, before panning the camera over to reveal the Bad Moms actress making a drink at their home. He told viewers, "I think she's breaking Dry January right now." "What...

Some of today’s hottest hitmakers are providing one-of-a-kind experiences and items to The ASCAP Foundation for a silent auction taking place virtually between November 30 and December 15.

Pop phenomenon Billie Eilish and her collaborator/producer (and brother) Finneas, rap superstar Lil Baby, multi-platinum-selling singer, songwriter and producer blackbear, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Mellencamp and Grammy-winning R&b songwriter, artist and producer Ne-Yo are among the stars giving back to The ASCAP Foundation, which has been fostering the growth and success of American music creators through music education and talent development programs since 1975.

“Music has been a lifeline for so many people during the pandemic, and ASCAP members understand how important music education and early recognition of their talents is for kids and aspiring music creators,” said ASCAP Foundation Executive Director Nicole George-Middleton. “We are extremely grateful to these ASCAP members for rallying around the Foundation at this...

Exclusive: Network Entertainment has optioned Andrew McCarthy’s bestselling memoir Brat: An ’80s Story and will produce a documentary adaptation, the company said Monday.

McCarthy, who rose to fame in the 1980s with roles in such classics as St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink and Weekend at Bernie’s, long has pondered what it has meant to him to be an integral member of the iconic group of movie stars known as the Brat Pack. Writing the book, released earlier this year, answered many questions that he’s wrestled with throughout his life. But it also brought up more. Was being identified as a Brat Packer the worst thing that ever happened to him, or was it actually the best?

Brat will follow McCarthy across the country as he goes directly to the source, seeking out other Brat Pack members to find out what it has meant to each of them...

Alessandro Melazzini approaches the subject of 80s pop dance music from a particular perspective.

Born in Sondrio, Lombardy, the Italian documentarian, who has filmed both nuns and porn stars, is based in Germany and was trained as an economist and philosopher, and also worked as a cultural journalist and translator.

“My previous documentary was about Cistercians,” says the director of “Italo Disco,” which just screened in its world premiere at the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival. “My second-last one was on porno star-turned-politician Ilona Staller, a.k.a. Cicciolina. ‘Italo Disco’ was a perfect fit in between, don’t you think?”

The founder of Alpenway Media, Melazzini has produced films from “The Italian Character” to “Our Stone” while also often working as a director.

Music unites but it can also highlight differences, Melazzini says. His film, meanwhile, has been called “an excursion to another time and place, maybe to another planet,...

It was another competitive Billboard 200 albums chart with three new collections debuting in the top five for the tracking week ending October 21, led by Young Thug‘s “Punk” at number-one. Meanwhile, one classic album surged back into the top tier more than 50 years after its original release. More on this week’s top albums here at Billboard.com.

Young Thug came out on top by achieving 90,000 equivalent album units, which includes 77,000 units from streaming, 12,000 units from album sales, and 1,000 units from individual track sales. This is the third chart-topper for the rapper, following his debut studio album “So Much Fun,” which launched in 2019 with 131,000 units, and the collaborative compilation album “Slime Language 2,” which took off earlier this year with 113,000 units. So this is a slight step down from those debuts.

SEE2022 Grammys Best New Artist predictions: Can Olivia Rodrigo hold off The Kid Laroi, Saweetie and more?

But it was...

Exclusive: Emmy-Award winning producer and director Daniel Minahan and Oscar winning producer Peter Spears are teaming with Ley Line Entertainment to develop the feature film On Swift Horses based on the Shannon Pufahl novel of the same name.

On Swift Horses follows Muriel and her husband Lee who are beginning a bright new life when he returns from the Korean war. However, this newfound stability is upended by the arrival of Lee’s charismatic younger brother, Julius, a wayward gambler with a secret past. A dangerous love triangle is quickly formed. When Julius then takes off in search of the young card cheat he’s fallen for, restless Muriel embarks on a secret life of her own, gambling on racehorses and discovering a love she never thought possible.

Minahan will direct off Bryce Kass’ adapted screenplay. Minahan and Spears will produce the project, joined by Ley Line’s Tim Headington. Ley Line’s Theresa Steele Page and Nate Kamiya will serve as EP.

Kass is the screenwriter of Lizzie, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, starring Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart and was released by Roadside Attractions. He is currently writing the film Alone for HBO/Max with Laura Bickford producing, based on Leslie Kean’s best-selling non-fiction book UFOs: Generals, Pilots and Government Officials Go on the Record, and is also at work on a five-episode limited series with Gus Van Sant who is set to direct. He recently completed writing an updated Saturday Night Fever feature for Daft Punk. Other screenplays by Kass include Dark Star for director Scott Cooper and Oscar-winning producer John Lesher, The Real All Americans for producers Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Fred Berger and two for George Clooney’s Smokehouse Pictures: Pioneer and Monster of Florence. His television project Lights, is set up at Working Title/ Universal TV with Andrew Stearn producing.

Minahan most recently directed and executive produced the entirety of Netflix’s limited series Halston. He made his feature directorial debut with Series 7: The Contenders, which screened in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and in the Panorama at the Berlin Film Festival. For his work on the film Minahan was nominated for the Gotham Award’s Open Palm Award for Outstanding Directorial Debut and the film won the Audience Award at the Sweden Fantastic Film Festival. On the television side, Minahan won an Emmy Award as an EP of American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace for which he also directed several episodes. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award for directing and executive producing Deadwood: The Movie and has directed multiple episodes of Game of Thrones, True Blood, Six Feet Under and The Newsroom.

Spears recent shared an Oscar Best Picture win for Nomadland. The Searchlight pic also won Academy Awards for director Chloé Zhao and star Frances McDormand and won the Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award, BAFTA, PGA and Independent Spirit Award for Best Picture. Spears produced Luca Guadagnino’s film Call Me By Your Name, for which he was also nominated for the Oscar in 2017. He is currently in production on Bones and All, reuniting with Guadagnino and star Timothée Chalamet.

Ley Line Entertainment is a content development, production, and financing company with projects spanning film, television, stage, and music. Highlights include a documentary on Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, Long Promised Road which premiered at Tribeca; David Lowery’s upcoming The Green Knight; Everything Everywhere All At Once from The Daniels; the original West End musical & Juliet (featuring the international megahits of Max Martin and writer David West Read (Schitt’s Creek); Miss Juneteenth - a TV series (and the original film) from Channing Godfrey Peoples; and Sundance’s Strawberry Mansion from Albert Birney and Kentucky Audley.

Minahan is represented by UTA and Circle of Confusion. Kass is repped by Circle of Confusion. Pufahl is repped by UTA.

Mandy Chang, the head of BBC documentary strand Storyville, is stepping down after four years in the role to join super-indie Fremantle as global head of factual.

Chang, whose role was officially commissioning editor of Storyville and acquisitions, will stay in the post until August, though recruitment for the role will begin in due course. The former Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) arts boss boarded the Beeb in 2017, taking over for Kate Townsend, who left the public broadcaster to join Netflix’s documentary team.

At Fremantle, Chang will oversee the strategy and creation of Fremantle’s new factual arm, reporting into group COO Andrea Scrosati. The super-indie has been investing heavily in unscripted in recent years, launching shows such as Samuel L. Jackson’s “Enslaved” as well as documentary series “Punk.”

At Storyville, Chang helped to deliver more than 85 feature docs, including “The Fourth Estate,” “Maiden,” “The Cleaners,” “The Mole: Infiltrating North Korea,...

Note: This interview took place in early 2020, prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

Eric Andre is feeling nostalgic. He wistfully recalls a simpler, but arguably not any less crazy time in his life, as he anticipates the public’s reaction to his upcoming movie, Bad Trip.

“Back in like 2009, I’d dress up like Ronald McDonald and head into a McDonald’s,” Andre tells us about one of the earliest segments for his Adult Swim series. “I’d be drinking booze, crying and smoking cigarettes in there. That was all just with one mic and one camera on me.”

For over a decade, Andre and director Kitao Sakurai have been entrenched in the experimental comedy scene. But the team behind Adult Swim’s The Eric Andre Show has moved from killing time with a bare-bones setup in dingy New York City fast food joints to far higher production values in the feature film world.