Movies

The Weeknd Is Not Only Starring In A Film With Jenna Ortega, But He Also Produced And Wrote It

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the weeknd 2021 iHeart Awards
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The Weeknd is stretching his creative muscles. The Toronto singer has not only secured his first-ever lead role in a feature film but he also wrote and produced it. It hasn’t been titled yet, but it already has an award-winning pedigree; director Trey Edward Shults (best known for It Comes At Night and Waves) is signed on as director, co-producer, and co-writer, while Barry Keoghan (from Eternals and The Banshees Of Inisherin) and Jenna Ortega (Scream, Wednesday, X) are billed as The Weeknd’s co-stars. The score is being composed by The Weeknd and Oneohtrix Point Never, who produced the singer’s last album, Dawn FM, as well as scoring Uncut Gems, in which The Weeknd appeared as himself.

The Weeknd is also due to show off his acting chops in the HBO series The Idol, which was co-created by The Weeknd, Reza Fahim, and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and is set to air later this year. The show was recently re-tooled to embrace a “new creative direction,” which just might give the rookie producer some valuable experience that could serve him well as he takes the reins of his first feature film, which is currently shooting in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, The Weeknd’s music career continues to flourish; he recently released an Ariana Grande-featuring remix of his 2016 hit “Die For You” after TikTok resurrected and launched it into the Hot 100 top ten and his Live From SoFi Stadium special is now streaming on HBO Max.

Yara Shahidi As Tinkerbell In “Peter Pan & Wendy” Trailer Has Racist Twitter Users Fuming

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For years now, Disney has been reimagining animated childhood classic films into live-action stories starring some of our favourite actors. It all began in 2010 with Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, and since then we’ve seen other tales like Cinderella, Dumbo, and The Lion King brought to life. More recently, we’ve seen Cruella and Pinocchio, and in the coming months, both Peter Pan & Wendy and The Little Mermaid will be hitting theatres.

To the surprise of many producers made the creative decision to cast Black women in roles traditionally characterized by white features. Halle Bailey was cast as Ariel to take us under the sea this May, and Yara Shahidi was tapped to bring Tinkerbell to life in the upcoming magical movie. On Tuesday (February) 28, Disney finally dropped off the trailer, giving audiences their first look at the 23-year-old in character.

Disney’s Magical Peter Pan & Wendy Trailer is Here

Due out at the end of April, the project follows a free-spirited Peter Pan as he whisks away his new friend Wendy to his home of Neverland. While there, the young girl faces no fears of growing up, much like her unique, green-outfitted companion. Much like in the animated original, we’ll see adventures with mermaids, pirates, and fairies along their journey.

As Variety notes, Peter Pan & Wendy was first teased at the D23 Expo last September. It was directed by David Lowery, and sees Alexander Molony and Ever Anderton in the leading titular roles. Fans are also excited to see Jude Law’s performance as he brings the villainous Captain Hook to life. What the internet seems to be debating about, though, is Shahidi’s casting.

Twitter Reacts to Yara Shahidi as Tinkerbell

Yara Shahidi is seen in Midtown on January 18, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)

“So instead of giving POC their own movies or making new movies with POC characters, they decided to just make white characters Black for some reason?” one Twitter user asked earlier today, pointing out that The Princess and the Frog is the only Disney project with a royal Black lead. “Who’s rooting for Paris Hilton to play Pocahontas? Come on guys,” someone else joked.

While the hate is obviously running rampant, there are still plenty coming to Shahidi’s defense. “‘Tinkerbell isn’t black’ and fairies aren’t fucking real so now what?” one of them expertly shut down the online trolls. Keep scrolling to read Twitter reactions to Yara Shahidi bringing the first Black Tinkerbell to life. Make sure to check back later for more pop culture news updates.

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Dr. Dre Recalls Calling Michael B. Jordan “Crazy” For Directing & Starring In “Creed III”

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The Creedverse is expanding with another installment that has taken over Hollywood thanks to Michael B. Jordan. The actor has been building on a successful career since he was a teen, and his efforts have paid off exponentially. As fans fawn over his stripped-down Calvin Klein ad, the Creed III premiere in Los Angeles was the place to be. The who’s who of Hollywood descended on the TCL Chinese Theater, and Entertainment Tonight caught a brief moment with Dr. Dre.

The Compton native is not only an L.A. icon but a global superstar. Dre has helped develop and produced records for artists who turned into Rap’s elite, so he knows a thing or two when spotting talent. Creed III marks Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut, and he stars in the film opposite several acclaimed talents, including Jonathan Majors.

Dr. Dre Sings Michael B. Jordan’s Praises

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 27: (L-R) Jonathan Majors, Tessa Thompson, Mila Davis-Kent and Michael B. Jordan attend the Los Angeles Premiere Of “CREED III” at TCL Chinese Theatre on February 27, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic)

With a legacy such as Dre’s, it was only fitting that Jordan & Co. approached the Aftermath mogul about working on music for the film. While speaking with ET‘s Nischelle Turner, the megaproducer explained how the partnership unfolded. “Mike actually came to my house and screened the film for me, and I thought he was out of his mind,” Dre remembered with a laugh. “First-time director and starring in the film? It’s like, you gotta be crazy to do that because it’s extremely difficult.”

“[But] I was so proud of him,” Dre continued. “I said, ‘Listen, man, I can’t wait to see what’s gonna come out of your mind next, as far as the direction goes,’ you know? It was amazing.” He added, “I thought they did an amazing job. I’m really proud of it.” Although his appearance on the red carpet was due to his artistic inclusion, the hitmaker said he was there specifically to support Michael B. Jordan.

More Props To The Acclaimed Actor

“One of the other reasons why I’m here is because he’s such a good person,” Dre said. “He’s a fantastic human being. So I’m here to support him.” Creed III hits theaters on March 3.

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Michael B. Jordan Teases “Creed III,” Hints At Future “Creedverse” Projects

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March 3rd marks the release of Michael B. Jordan‘s directorial debut, Creed III. In light of the upcoming drop of his new film, Jordan reflected on his relationship with his co-star Jonathan Majors, themes that the movie plays with, and the future of the “Creedverse.” In an exclusive with Extra, the “Just Mercy” star noted his switch to working behind the camera. “I’ve been in a director mode for such a long time and it feels good to empower, support, you know, give flowers to my actors right now,” he told the outlet.

As the third installment of the Creed series, Jordan’s film continues to follow the life of boxer Adonis Creed. Alongside directing the film, the 36-year-old stars as Adonis whose character receives a fighting challenge from his childhood friend, Damian Anderson (played by Majors). Jordan reflected on portraying a rivalry with Majors on-screen, despite the duo sharing a strong bond in real life. “Jonathan is an incredible human,” he told the outlet. “We built everything together, you know?” Jordan explained further, “especially in the beginning we went through, you know, hell months, not even hell week, hell months… of training together, learning the choreo together, it’s very, very intimate, you know, and he’s a hard worker, I am as well. So when it comes to, you know, the physicality element, we pushed each other.”

Michael B. Jordan Makes His Directorial Debut With “Creed III”

As the man behind Creed III, Jordan also revealed the themes that he had played with within the film. Specifically, he battled with toxic masculinity stereotypes and wanted to emphasize the importance of vulnerability. While describing his goal of portraying the more emotional side of Adonis, Jordan explained how he and the movie’s writers found an “organic” way to do it. “I think that was something that started to reveal itself as we were trying to challenge Adonis and just talk about what will somebody like him be going through right now in today’s like climate,” he shared.

When questioned about the future of the Creed trilogy, Jordan explained how future opportunities are vast. “There are so many different platforms where these stories can be told, you know,” he told the outlet, “whether it’s a spin-off of the TV show, whether it’s you know the animation or graphic novel or a video game.” For more news on pop culture and hip-hop, don’t miss out on HNHH.

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2023 SAG Awards Red Carpet: See All The Best-Dressed Celebrities

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We celebrated some of the best in Black talent during Saturday’s (February 25) NAACP Image Awards. Afterward, the final eve of the weekend found many of the same faces at the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards. The ceremony markedly honours each year’s best in TV and film, as well as the best-dressed on the red carpet. This time, it was Everything Everywhere All At Once, Abbott Elementary, and The White Lotus that came out on top.

The latter series is an HBO Original that previously quickly rose in popularity. It was created by School of Rock actor Mike White. The hit show took home two awards last night. One was for Jennifer Coolidge’s iconic performance as Tanya and another for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series. The moment was undeniably huge for everyone involved. Still, Aubrey Plaza was obviously annoyed during her time on stage for the speech.

Audrey’s Awkward Moment

Following the ceremony, footage of the Parks & Recreation starlet has been making rounds on social media for several reasons. She appears to surprisingly be nearly elbowed and pushed out of the way by many costars on the platform. Surely that would bother anyone, but it was the next interaction that seemed to really set Plaza off.

In the middle of the speech, fellow performer Jon Gries obviously appears to make an upsetting comment. Many believe he told the Delaware native her chest was evidently slipping out of her Michael Kors gown. Immediately after the comment was quietly made, she accordingly adjusts her dress, anger obvious on her face. At various points, Plaza specifically seems to mouth, “Shit’s f*cked… Jesus Christ.”

Aubrey’s outfit certainly didn’t turn out the way she had hoped. Thankfully, other SAG Award patrons had far better luck. Zendaya finally gave fans an incredible serve two nights in a row. Elsewhere, Angela Bassett’s bright yellow gown had her glowing. Keep scrolling to see all our red carpet favourites, and check back later for more pop culture news.

2023’s Best-Dressed Stars

Angela Bassett attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Jessica Chastain attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Jenna Ortega attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Viola Davis attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Zendaya attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Jennifer Coolidge attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Cate Blanchett attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Michelle Yeoh attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Brendan Fraser attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Sheila Atim attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Andrew Garfield attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Quinta Brunson attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Niecy Nash-Betts attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
James Marsden attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Tyler James Williams attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Giancarlo Esposito attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

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Chance The Rapper Met Martin Short After The Actor (Who Didn’t Know Who Chance Was) Did A Kind Thing For His Daughter

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Chance The Rapper Way out West Sweden 2022
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Only Murders In The Building star Martin Short seems like a real nice guy, and that was certainly Chance The Rapper’s takeaway after his recent run-in with the actor, who did a nice thing for his daughter on a flight.

In a tweet shared yesterday (February 26), Chance explained, “So I just got on this plane with my daughter, and found out our seats weren’t next to each other. I really ain’t wanna inconvenience anyone by asking them to swap seats, but before I could say anything this kind older gentleman offered his seat to Kensli so we could sit together. We both said thank you and as he stands up, I realize it’s THE Martin Short!! So cool and Kensli freaked out cause she’s obsessed with The Santa Clause 3. What an awesome person! SHOUTOUT TO JACK FROST.”

A Twitter user asked Chance if Short knew who he was and he responded, “Definitely not, which made it way cooler. He just a nice dude ig.” Somebody else joked (or perhaps not), “My daughter could have sat by herself. Marty would have been a delight.” Chance replied, “‘Oh thanks so much but the little girl will be fine where she is… *opens laptop* ANYWAYS this a lil script I’ve been working on it’s called ‘Four Amigos!””

Ice Cube’s Son O’Shea Jackson Jr. Takes Pride In Being A “Nepo Baby”

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O’Shea Jackson Jr., son of the legendary Ice Cube, recently spoke on being a “nepo baby,” and actually taking pride in it. Moreover, the 32-year-old spoke on The Kelly Clarkson Show about the debate surrounding the term, which refers to celebrity children with successful Hollywood careers. Of course, Jackson Jr. is one of the many starts in the recently released Cocaine Bear film, which might approach cult status soon. If it doesn’t, at least it was a fun and Pusha T-cosigned movie to look back on. Regardless, O’Shea actually made his film debut portraying his father in the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton.

With that experience in mind, he says the label is like a “badge of honor” for him. “I’m forever grateful for everything my dad had to do to get me the opportunities that I have,” he expressed. “And if I were to run away from that or shy away from that in any way, in my eyes, that’s disrespectful to everything he had to go through. He didn’t work as hard as he did for me to not accept and appreciate it. So, I wear it as a badge of honor.

O’Shea Jackson Jr. Is A Proud Nepo Baby

“At the same time, the door can be open but you’ve gotta walk through,” he continued after calling his dad his hero. “You know, a lot of people, they have an idea of what I’m going to be before I get to any set because of their idea of what my dad is. They think I’m coming to set entitled or I feel like I need to have a ‘posse’ of 15-20 people with me… you know… straight rap stuff. But I’m here to work. I pride myself on my professionalism.”

While some will hate on nepo babies no matter what, O’Shea actually makes some valid points with his remarks. After all, being a nepo baby, in theory, is only as bad as you make it with your attitude towards others and sense of entitlement. Also, this isn’t the first time he’s spoken on it. In fact, he auditioned to play his father two years before getting the role and pointed out how he switched agencies as well. Overall, he spoke earnestly about expressing gratitude for the door his father opened up, and about it being up to him to truly succeed out of merit. Regardless of your take, check back in with HNHH for the latest on O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Ice Cube.

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Da Brat’s Baby Bump Stole The Show On The “Creed III” Premiere Red Carpet

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Just a few days ago, Da Brat shocked her fanbase with news of her pregnancy at 48 years old. She and her wife Jesseca Dupart are obviously very excited about the new development, and it wasn’t long after the initial announcement that the rapper’s bump made its big debut. As DailyMail reports, it was the Creed III premiere in Atlanta on Thursday (February 23), that saw the expecting couple showing off their baby-to-be.

When sharing the big news with PEOPLE, the Chicago-born lyricist spoke candidly about her past miscarriage and IVF journey. “I never thought I was going to have kids. I just thought it wasn’t in the cards for me,” she previously explained. “I’ve had a great career, a full life. I felt like, because I didn’t get pregnant earlier on, then it just wasn’t going to happen for me.”

Da Brat’s Baby Bump Debut

Jesseca Dupart and Da Brat attend the “Creed III” HBCU Atlanta Fan Screening at Regal Atlantic Station on February 23, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Derek White/Getty Images)

When she met her future wife, however, is when Da Brat began to change her perspective. “I started looking at life so differently. I was like, I want a little me with you. Something special from the both of us that we can share and raise and love unconditionally,’” she told the outlet. During Thursday’s premiere, the love between the LGBTQ couple was obvious.

They donned matching army green bomber jackets, layering different black shirts underneath. While Dupart’s pants perfectly match her upper half, the “Ghetto Love” hitmaker switched things up with a pair of camouflage bottoms. While paparazzi snapped their photos on the Creed III red carpet, Da Brat kept one hand on her 18-week bump, reminding the world how proud she is of her mini miracle.

Creed III is Coming

During this month’s Super Bowl, the latest trailer for the Michael B. Jordan-directed feature arrived. Fans are anxiously waiting for the official release in theatres early next month, as well as the Dreamville-executive produced soundtrack that’s set to drop on the same day. So far, we’ve heard JID and Lute on “Ma Boy,” as well as Bas, Black Sherif, and Kel-P on “Blood, Sweat & Tears” more recently.

Jordan was also in attendance at Thursday’s premiere, and he didn’t hesitate to stir the pot by calling out an interviewer on the red carpet. In a clip that’s making rounds online, the actor calls the journalist out for allegedly calling him “corny” in high school, earning him a shocked and embarrassed reaction. Read more about that here, and check back later for more pop culture news.

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Ariana DeBose Seems To Be Fine With People (Like Lizzo) Joking About Her BAFTAs Rap

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Ariana DeBose
BAFTA

Last weekend, Ariana DeBose thought she was doing something nice. The Oscar-winning actress and singer performed the opening song at this year’s BAFTA awards, the U.K.’s answer to the Oscars. Alas, a portion of her performance in which she raps about all the nominated actresses went viral in an unintended way, with people dragging such lines as “Angela Bassett did the thing.” Initially it seemed DeBose wasn’t taking the attention well, even deactivating her Twitter account. But in a recent Instagram post, it seems she’s cool with all the jokes.

On Thursday during a performance in Amsterdam, Lizzo paid cheeky homage to DeBose’s performance, slipping in the line “Angela Bassett did the thing” into one of her songs. The moment went viral, and it did not escape DeBose’s attention. She reposted video of Lizzo’s bit, with some good-natured words. “The internet is wild y’all!” DeBose wrote. “Appreciate all the love.”

DeBose’s star has ascended ever since she appeared in Steven Spielberg’s film version of West Side Story, in which she played Anita. Her turn nabbed her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, just as Rita Moreno won for the same role some 60 years prior.

Speaking of Oscars, Bassett is nominated for the same award but for Black Panther: Wakanda. She won a Golden Globe for her performance last month.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Mark Hamill Stars In Bert Kreischer’s “The Machine” Trailer: Watch

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Star Wars star Mark Hamill has put aside his Luke Skywalker lightsaber to play a dad on speed. In the trailer for Bert Kreischer‘s The Machine, Kreischer and Hamill go on the ride of their lives. The film follows the real-life events of Bert Kreischer’s college years. During that time, he got involved with the Russian mafia, who nicknamed him “The Machine.” Additionally, the movie extends the story further in a fiction-nonfiction hybrid, definitely an R-rated film. The trailer alone includes Hamill swearing and completely high on speed.

The Machine is set 23 years after the original story that inspired it. The film tells the story of Bert (Kreischer) facing a crisis as his father (Hamill) returns to his life. However, a Russian mobster (Iva Babić) also enters Bert’s life. She’s ruthless, murderous, and dedicated to kidnapping Bert and bringing him back to Russia. There, she wants Bert to deal with the repercussions of his crimes. Therefore, Bert and his father have to retrace the steps of Bert’s younger self (Jimmy Tatro) from 23 years prior. However, they must do this while attempting to rekindle their father-son relationship in the middle of a war between a sociopathic crime family.

Mark Hamill In “The Machine” Trailer

So, what happened to Kreischer in the 1990s that inspired this film? During that time, Bert Kreischer was a not-so-great student at the top party school in the country. However, as a student at Florida State, he faked his way through a few years of Russian classes. Eventually, his teacher told him that if he studied abroad in Russia and kept doing what he was doing, he would get a minor in the language that he couldn’t speak. Therefore, he took the trip. In Russia, Kreischer met a local mobster and took part in a train robbery, mostly by accident. But, he learned some Russian along the way.

Originally, Kreischer told the story in a 2016 Showtime comedy special. The story went viral. Now, this film tells the story of a new Russian gangster who shows up at Bert’s home. Additionally, the film is said to include comedy, action, and chaos. Starring with Kreischer and Hamill in The Machine are Robert Maaser, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Jessica Gabor, Rita Bernard Shaw, Nikola Đuričko, Oleg Taktarov, Amelie Villers, and Mercedes de la Cruz. Sony’s Screen Gems will release the film for Memorial Day weekend on May 25, 2023.

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