Movies

The ‘On The Come Up’ Trailer Features Rappers Lil Yachty, Method Man, And GaTa

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The film adaptation of Angie Thomas’ hip-hop-themed coming-of-age novel, On The Come Up, premieres next month. Paramount+ has revealed the film’s official trailer.

On The Come Up tells the story of Bri (Jamila C. Gray), who has dreams of becoming a rapper and is finding her way in the battle rap scene of Garden Heights. In the clip, she is seen visiting a mural of her late father, who was a legend in the rap scene. On a mission to maintain her father’s legacy, Bri, with the help of her manager (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), engages and rap battles, works with a producer (Method Man) to put out a hit, all while dealing with her mother (Sanaa Lathan) who is three years clean from substance abuse.

“When her first hit song goes viral for all the wrong reasons, she finds herself torn between the authenticity that got her this far and the false gangsta role that the industry wants to impose upon her,” reads a description of the film in a statement.

In addition to Method Man, rappers Lil Yachty and GaTa appear briefly in the trailer. The film also marks Lathan’s directorial debut.

Check out the trailer for On The Come Up above.

On The Come Up streams 9/23 on Paramount+.

Flying Lotus’s Film ‘Ash’ Will Star Tessa Thompson And Joseph Gordon-Levitt

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Earlier this year, Grammy Award-winning producer Flying Lotus, whose real name is Steven Ellison, signed a multi-picture deal via his company Brainfeeder Films with French company Logical Pictures and XYZ Films to direct and produce a slew of upcoming movies. One of them is Ash, about which he said, “I’ve a strong desire to innovate in the sci-fi space and I really want to show the world something they’ve never seen before.”

More information about Ash has finally arrived today. The cast will include Tessa Thompson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, with Thompson taking on the role of a woman who wakes up on a distant planet and finds the crew of her space station murdered. She meets a man, played by Gordon-Levitt, and is unsure whether or not she should trust him and let him save her. While they investigate the murders, he wonders if she is innocent. Ellison is set to start shooting the film next year in New Zealand.

About the multi-picture deal, Logical Pictures Group President Frédéric Fiore expressed his enthusiasm and appreciation for Ellison and his future in the film industry, saying in March, “FlyLo is a highly talented and respected musician with such a unique creative universe.”

Amber Heard’s Sister Called Johnny Depp’s Cameo At The MTV VMAs ‘Disgusting’ And ‘Desperate’

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Johnny Depp made his first public appearance since the end of the defamation trial between him and ex-wife Amber Heard at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday. No, it wasn’t because “Sad Motherf*ckin’ Parade” was nominated for Best Collaboration — it was weirder than that. The Pirates of the Caribbean star appeared virtually inside a floating spacesuit to grumble something about needing work and being available for “birthdays, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, weddings, wakes, anything you need… anything.” There’s a lot of words that could be used to describe Depp’s cameo — weird, confounding, tasteless, etc. — but Amber Heard’s sister prefers “disgusting.”

“@MTV you’re disgusting and clearly desperate! I really hope that none of the people that made this call have daughters…,” Whitney Heard wrote in an Instagram Story, along with a graphic that reads “I stand with Amber Heard.” She also “renamed the event the ‘DVMA’s,’ a seeming reference to domestic violence,” according to People.

Following the trial in which Depp was awarded more than $10 million in compensatory damages (Heard is appealing), Whitney sided with her sister on Instagram. “I will always be proud of you for standing up for yourself, for testifying both here in Virginia and in the UK, and for being the voice of so many who can’t speak to the things that happen behind closed doors,” she wrote. “We knew that this was going to be an uphill battle and that the cards were stacked against us. But you stood up and spoke out regardless. I am so honored to testify for you, and I would do it a million times over because I know what I saw and because the truth is forever on your side.” You can read the post below.

(Via People)

Daniel Radcliffe Is A Hard-Partying ‘Weird Al’ (And Gets Steamy With Madonna) In The ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’ Trailer

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“It would be WEIRD if you didn’t watch Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.”

Sorry, I’m just trying to get a pull quote on the poster for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, a tongue-in-cheek biography about song parody icon “Weird Al” Yankovic. In the Roku Channel original movie, he’s played by Daniel Radcliffe, who shares his dream in the hilarious trailer above: “My whole life, all I wanted is to make up new words to a song that already exists.” That polka-filled origin story eventually leads to “My Bologna” and “The Saga Begins” and “White and Nerdy,” as well as originals like “Christmas at Ground Zero” and “Albuquerque” (where’s Weird Al’s statue, huh?).

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story also stars Rainn Wilson as Dr. Demento (who calls “Weird Al” the “future of music”), Quinta Brunson as Oprah Winfrey, and Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna. “Is that song autobiographical?” “Weird Al” asks Madonna about “Like a Virgin.” Yes, she responds, “except for the fact that I’ve had a lot of sex.” Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is the Walk Hard of polka biopics, and I, for one, cannot wait.

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

Daniel Radcliffe is “Weird” Al Yankovic in the unexaggerated true story about the greatest musician of our time. From a conventional upbringing where playing the accordion was a sin, Al rebelled and made his dream of changing the words to world-renowned songs come true. An instant success and sex symbol, Al lives an excessive lifestyle and pursues an infamous romance that nearly destroys him. With Evan Rachel Wood, Rainn Wilson, and an A-list cast of thousands their agents won’t let us reveal.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story comes to the Roku Channel on Friday, November 4.

Megan Thee Stallion Joins The Marvel Cinematic Universe After Months Of Rumors

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Megan Thee Stallion has been expanding her acting resume lately. Earlier this month, she guest-starred in P-Valley and earlier this year, it was revealed she had been cast in the movie F*cking Identical Twins. In recent months, it was rumored Meg would be making the leap to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Earlier this year, stunt performer Marche Day added being Megan’s stunt double on She-Hulk: Attorney At Law to her resume.

Now, we have some more concrete confirmation of that role: A new Meg profile from The Cut notes she has indeed been cast in She-Hulk. Meg also noted of her acting ambitions, “When I look at them [Queen Latifah and Ice Cube], it inspires me to take it further than just music. I don’t feel like I’m only going to be an actress — I feel like I’m also going to be a director and I’m also going to be a producer.”

She also spoke about her upcoming album Traumazine, saying of it, “Everybody has gone through their own trauma in their own way, and to me, Traumazine is me facing the things that I’ve been running from about myself. […] It’s comforting to know that other people are going through the same thing that you might be feeling. When something happens to people, they feel like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is only me. This is not normal, or I’m probably the only person in the world that feels like this.’ But to hear somebody else talking about something that you’re probably feeling, it’s more comforting and more familiar. That’s why people resonate with hearing other people’s stories.”

Read the full feature here.

Johnny Depp’s New Acting Gig Is Being Digitally Imposed Onto An Astronaut Floating Over The 2022 MTV VMAs

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The 2022 MTV VMAs have so far been full of surprises, or have at least had a couple of major ones. Taylor Swift showed up out of nowhere and then so did Johnny Depp, although Depp’s presence was far stranger than Swift’s.

At quiet moments during the broadcast, usually around commercial breaks, there was an astronaut character (a nod to the Moonperson on MTV’s VMA trophies) floating over the room. If you look and listen carefully, you’ll realize that Depp’s head is superimposed into the helmet. He offered some dialogue, too, like when he quipped, “I just want you guys to know that I’m available for birthdays, bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah, weddings, wakes… any old thing you need.”

Depp, of course, is fresh off his Amber Heard trial.

The show is of course star-studded beyond Depp, as performing during this year’s show are Nicki Minaj, Jack Harlow (both of whom are also co-hosting alongside LL Cool J), Lizzo, Blackpink, Bad Bunny, Måneskin, Anitta, Panic! At The Disco, Kane Brown, Marshmello x Khalid, Snoop Dogg with Eminem, J Balvin, and 2022 MTV VMAs Global Icon Award recipients Red Hot Chili Peppers. Taylor Swift also unexpectedly popped up at the show.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Jamie Foxx’s Donald Trump Impersonation Is Worth Every Second Of Your Time

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We’ve all seen our fair share of Donald Trump impressions, but Jamie Foxx might’ve just taken the cake. Foxx appeared on the Rap Radar Podcast with Snoop Dogg to promote their new action-comedy vampire movie, Day Shift, which is out now on Netflix. And in the midst of it all, Jamie Foxx might’ve just given Saturday Night Live’s James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump impression a run for it’s money.

“I love Snoop D-O Double-G. Great person,” Foxx said in his Trump voice. Then host Brian ‘B. Dot’ Miller asked him if he loves Death Row Records and Foxx just went off and nailed Trump’s hip-hop wannabe-isms: “I love Death Row Records. I love Death Ro…” and as co-host Elliott Wilson started laughing, Foxx says, “Excuse Me. Excuse me, fake news. I love Death Row.” And added that his favorite Death Row record is, “All of them.”

If you close your eyes while listening to Jamie Foxx doing the bit, it’s pretty eerie how much he really sounds like Donald Trump. Foxx eventually can’t help himself and starts laughing at how ridiculous he sounds saying the exact things that Trump would say, like “They tried to give me the virus” and “I beat the virus.” Just another day in America y’all.

Q Lazzarus, The Mysterious Singer Whose Songs Appeared In Films Like ‘The Silence Of The Lambs,’ Has Passed Away At 61

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Q Lazzrus, the enigmatic singer whose songs appeared in multiple iconic Jonathan Demme movies, has passed away following a short illness. She was 61.

Born Diane Luckey, the singer had one of the great discovery stories. As the tale goes, after struggling to get a record deal during the ‘80s — made worse by racist reactions within the industry to her dreadlocks — she was driving a cab when she happened to pick up acclaimed filmmaker Jonathan Demme. She asked Demme if he was in the music industry. He was, sort of, having made one of the great concert movies. Then she played him a demo of the song “Candle Goes Away.”

Demme was blown away, and he put the song in his 1986 classic Something Wild. A few years later he did the same to “Goodbye Horses,” which prominently featured in a memorable scene from The Silence of the Lambs, where Ted Levine’s serial killer Buffalo Bill applies makeup. For his next movie, Philadelphia, Demme enlisted her to cover the Talking Heads song “Heaven.”

Luckey disappeared in the ‘90s, and rumors floated about what became of her. In 2017, the world finally got an answer. As per Stereogum, a musician hoping to cover “Goodbye Horses” tweeted about trying to locate her — only to get a response from Luckey herself. She said she’d lost interest in singing and was driving a bus in Staten Island.

Luckey is survived by her husband, her son and daughter, and several family members. You can watch the original video for “Goodbye Horses” above, but also make sure to check out the equally haunting demo version.

(Via The Wrap)

Rap Snacks Is Being Sued Over Its Nicki Minaj-Themed ‘Barbie-Cue’ Flavor

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Rap’s always had a minor obsession with brands and brand names, which at the best of times gives it a deeper connection with pop culture. On the other hand, by tapping into cultural touchstones, rap has occasionally run afoul of the civil side of the law. From rappers being forced to change their names (Remy Ma, who once went by the more recognizable Remy Martin, which also sued 50 Cent over his competing cognac) to copyright infringement suits (Tyga and Lil Nas X were both recently sued over sneaker collaborations), rap’s propensity for name-checking has gotten more than one artist into trouble.

Now, the brands that associate with rappers are feeling those effects too. According to Reuters, the Rap Snacks potato chip brand is being sued by toy manufacturer Mattel over its new Nicki Minaj-themed flavor. Spinning the flavor’s name off from Nicki’s self-derived Barbie nickname, Barbie-Que” Honey Truffle — and its logo, which borrows the original logo of Mattel’s long-running, beloved doll line — Rap Snacks has drawn the ire of Mattel’s legal department, which filed suit last week, alleging unfair competition and false designation of origin, trademark dilution, and unfair competition violation.

Mattel argues that the logo’s use creates customer confusion and false association with the actual Barbie brand. The logo’s use wasn’t authorized and Rap Snacks “purposely” misled customers, allegedly refusing to “correct the misimpression it foisted on the public.” Nicki Minaj, who has long used the Barbie terminology and aesthetic, even calling her fans “Barbz” and herself “Harajuku Barbie” (oof), is said to have deferred to Mattel, obtaining at least tacit permission to continue using the moniker, even having her own doll made in 2011.

Mattel not only wants Rap Snacks to discontinue its “Barbie-Que” flavor but also wants it to cancel its trademarks for Barbie-Que and hand over all of the profits made from its sales. Rap Snacks, which also has flavors based on Cardi B, Lil Durk, Migos, and Moneybagg Yo, has not made a public statement as of press time.

‘Batgirl’ Composer Expresses Disappointment Over Shelving: ‘I’ve Been Working On [The Score] For A Year’

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DC fans are still reeling over the news of Batgirl getting shelved. But equally, if not more distraught by the news are the film’s cast and crew, many of whom are disappointed that they won’t get a chance to see their work come to life on screen.

Natalie Holt, who composed music for Disney Plus’ original series, Loki, was set to write the score for Batgirl. She revealed to Variety that she had much of the music for the movie written before receiving the news that the film would not hit theaters or stream on HBO Max.

“I had written about an hour and a half of music,” Holt said. “I’ve been working on it for a year. So yeah, pretty sad what’s happened to it. I was on set last Christmas, [directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah] really loved ‘Loki’ and that’s why I got picked to do the score for ‘Batgirl.’ So it’s a shame that it’s not going to be out there in the world after all that time, like having spent a year working on it. Yeah, pretty disappointing.”

Elsewhere in the piece, the Emmy Award-winning Holt revealed that while she felt that it was a “massive shame” that the film won’t receive a proper release, she does not have any bad blood toward the people she worked with.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with the people involved,” Holt said, “but that’s all I can say.”