Movies

Halle Bailey Is Red Hot On “Vogue Arabia” Cover Ahead Of “The Little Mermaid” Premiere

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R&B star sisters Chlöe and Halle Bailey have given up making music together to focus on their solo careers at this time. Still, that doesn’t mean they both can’t shine in the spotlight simultaneously. The elder of the two just wrapped up her In Pieces tour with a final performance in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the younger is preparing to make her acting debut as Ariel in The Little Mermaid later this month. Bailey’s been viewed as a controversial casting choice due to her Black skin. Nevertheless, music lovers are eager to hear the soul she’ll bring to the beloved character’s voice.

Ahead of the movie’s premiere, the Atlanta native is turning heads with an appearance on the cover of Vogue Arabia. Bailey unveiled the beautiful photos via her Instagram feed on Friday (May 5). One of them sees her hourglass figure draped in a beautiful, bright red fabric designed by Schiaparelli. The words “Mermaid’s Chant: Halle Bailey is ready for her Hollywood splash” are written across the front, marking the young starlet’s introduction to the big screen.

Halle Bailey Graces Vogue Arabia‘s May 2023 Cover

According to a report from Deadline, The Little Mermaid is expected to earn $110M during opening weekend. This would make it one of the most successful Disney live-action remakes to date. During her accompanying interview, the “Do It” songstress spoke candidly about finding out she had earned the role – reportedly being picked over other high-profile candidates like Zendaya. “I was at home with the family celebrating my sister Chlöe’s birthday, so when I got the call, it was even more of a celebration,” Halle recalled.

“‘I remember watching [the movie] for the first time when I was around five years old,” the 23-year-old told the outlet. “My older sisters Chloe and Ski would pretend to be mermaids whenever we were in the swimming pool; it’s cool how it’s all come full circle.” Check out Halle Bailey’s work in The Little Mermaid trailer below, and let us know if you plan to check the film out in theatres later this month in the comments.

Rewatch The Little Mermaid Trailer Ahead of This Month’s Premiere

[Via] [Via]

50 Cent, Shaq, Kenya Barris Team Up To Buy BET

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The race to buy the BET Network has been fast and fierce. Last month, Tyler Perry said to buy as much of the network as he could. Meanwhile, other prominent bids have been submitted by Byron Allen, the Travis Montaque-led Group Black, and Diddy. However, Perry and Allen had risen to the forefront of the bidding war. Perry has worked with the BET Network for many years now.

The BET Network was founded in 1980 by Robert L. Johnson, a former cable lobbyist. The aim was to create a television network that catered to the blossoming Black television consumer base. In 2001, Viacom purchased BET Network. At the time, the network was sold for $3 billion. The BET Network has become the foremost network for Black-centric content, both scripted and unscripted.

New Bid For BET

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 17: Kenya Barris attends the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix’s “You People” at Regency Village Theatre on January 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/WireImage)

However, a new bid has reportedly emerged to buy the network. 50 Cent, Shaq, and television mogul Kenya Barris have reportedly launched a joint bid. This was seemingly confirmed by TMZ spotting the trio outside of Paramount headquarters this week. The bid is reportedly being financed by investment firm CVC. What’s more, the bid is allegedly now the frontrunner to buy the network. “It’s not a done deal, but they’re deep in it,” a source told TMZ. They could threaten the bids of Perry and Allen. Perry especially seemed like a prominent bidder, especially given his long-standing relationship with the network herself.

The three figureheads of the bid are all having something of a renaissance. 50 Cent recently announced a global tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Get Rich Or Die Trying”. Shaq is making music again. Meanwhile, Barris directed the Netflix comedy You People and penned the remake of White Men Can’t Jump on Hulu. They have not officially announced their bid, nor has Paramount made a statement. Despite this, it would still fulfill Perry’s desire to see the BET Network retain Black ownership. However, any updates on the situation will be here on HotNewHipHop.

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Tyrin Turner Claims He Confronted Diddy At Jamie Foxx’s House

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Diddy and Tyrin Turner both had their spotlights in the 90s. Diddy was the hop hop mogul helping define the genre in the decade alongside the likes of Suge Knight. Meanwhile, Tyrin Turner found success with roles in films like Menace II Society and Belly. Despite this, it’s safe to say that Diddy has had a more successful and consistent career.

However, according to a new interview with Turner, it turns out that the two of them might have had a not-so-positive interaction. Diddy was famous for his 90s beefs, primarily the one stemming from his fall out with Suge Knight. According to the actor, he confronted the rapper and businessman at none other than the house of Jamie Foxx.

Turner Opens Up About Diddy Confrontation

Speaking on the Art Of Dialogue show, Turner spoke about defending Jamie Foxx from Diddy’s wrath. “It was a total misunderstanding,” he explained. “I think Puff almost fell and tripped — you know, we was at Jamie [Foxx]’s house. I think he kind of tripped or something. And brother, you know, he kind of laughed. And I guess it wasn’t funny to Puff. You know what I mean?” Turner said. “So Puff kinda put, you know, like — ‘Hey, come here.’ What’s funny, or whatever. And I see it from my peripheral. And I’m like, that’s my brother. Puffy don’t know my brother. This is weird. That ain’t — this don’t look cool. So I’m like — I pushed my brother out the way, and I’m like, hold on.” Turner continued.

So Turner, a long-time friend of Foxx’s, confronted Diddy about it. “And I asked Puff, ‘you know him?’ And Puff is like, ‘Nah, playboy,’ and I’m like, ‘Aye, n-gga, that’s my brother. I’ll touch everything in here for my brother. Period.’ So me and Puff, we end up having a conversation, as men, we shook hands and everything was great.” According to Turner, the confrontation did not go any further than an exchanging of words, with the pair able to squash their temporary beef. While the story is nothing more than a tense interaction many years ago, it’s an interesting story behind two 90s heavyweights.

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Tasha Smith Replaces Theresa Randle In “Bad Boys 4”

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Bad Boys 4 is reportedly in production, with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence both returning to portray their iconic cop duo. Their last outing was Bad Boys For Life in 2020. That film, the third installment in the franchise, earned a 79% critics rating and a 96% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, not everyone from the previous films is set to return.

For the first three films in the Bad Boys franchise, Theresa Randle portrayed Theresa Burnett, the wife of Martin Lawrence’s Marcus Burnett. While a small role in the franchise, Randle’s performance went a long way to establishing a critical part of Burnett’s character. It established him as the safe, married man in contrast to Will Smith’s more playboy Mike Lowrey. The character has appeared in all three Bad Boys movies. However, on-set rumors appear to show a new face taking on the role.

Tasha Smith Set To Play Theresa Burnett In “Bad Boys 4”

PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 08: Tasha Smith attends the Northwest Film Center and Portland Art Museum’s 3rd Annual Cinema Unbound Awards on March 8, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

While little is known about Bad Boys 4, Theresa Randle is reportedly not involved. Instead, the role of Theresa Burnett will be recast. Initially reported by Variety, no reason has been given for why Randle has stepped away from the franchise. She is not slated to appear in any upcoming projects, with Bad Boys For Life (2020) being her last on-screen role. However, it is clear that she will not be part of the franchise going forward.

According to the Variety report, Tasha Smith is set to take on the role of Theresa Burnett. Smith is a Hollywood veteran with a variety of credits under her belt. However, she is best known for Tyler Perry’s For Better Or Worse and Empire. She has also made a name for herself as an accomplished television director. Most recently, she is credited with directing three episodes of BMF. She also directed an episode of Bel Air, the spinoff of a show that famous replaced its female lead mid-run. Bad Boys 4 is still in the early stages of production. At CinemaCon in April, Smith and Lawrence told a panel that they were approximately four weeks into shooting. There is no currently no scheduled release date for Bad Boys 4.

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Drew Barrymore Pulls Out Of MTV Awards To Support WGA Strike

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The Writers Guild of America (WGA), the union that represents the creative staff at most Hollywood and New York studios, has been on strike since May 2. The strike, the first of its kind since 2008, was called after the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) failed to reached an agreement before the current WGA contract expired. The 2007-08 WGA Strike lasted a little over three months.

According to the WGA, the contract offered by the AMPTP was not satisfactory. Issues such as writer compensation, residuals, and AI usage were not properly met by the AMPTP contract. This led to the calling of a strike beginning at 12:01 am PDT on May 2. The strike has shut down production at multiple Hollywood studios, as well as at the major East Coast television studios. Late-night talk shows and other shows, such as SNL, will halt their production and run re-runs until the conclusion of the strike. A number of famous faces have come out in support of the strike, including Snoop Dogg. Drew Barrymore can also be added to that list.

Barrymore Pulls Out As MTV Host

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 26: Drew Barrymore attends the 2023 Time100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 26, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)

Drew Barrymore, the iconic actor and now talk show host, was due to host the MTV Movie & TV Awards on May 7. However, Barrymore made the sudden decision to step down as host on May 4. “I have listened to the writers, and in order to truly respect them, I will pivot from hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards live.” Barrymore told Variety, “Everything we celebrate and honor about movies and television is born out of their creation. And until a solution is reached, I am choosing to wait but I’ll be watching from home.” Barrymore also called for others to boycott the services of the studios being picketed.

However, MTV has supported Barrymore’s decision to step down. “When this all reared its head, we started to prepare for what could be,” executive producer Bruce Gillmer told Variety. “She is not surprisingly, standing in solidarity with the writers, which we have full respect for.” Barrymore will instead host the awards in 2024. Meanwhile, the 2023 ceremony, which will still go ahead, will feature no host or red-carpet event.

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Star Wars Day Celebrated By Disney With Franchise Montage

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May the Fourth be with you, sweet sweet nerds. Today (May 4) is Star Wars Day. Stemming from the franchise catchphrase “May the force be with you”, May 4 has since become a celebration of all things Star Wars.

Star Wars began as humble, science-fiction epic by George Lucas in 1977. A New Hope was quickly followed by two sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and The Return Of The Jedi, in 1980 and 1983. The films quickly become engrained in the cultural zeitgeist. A prequel trilogy introduced the franchise to a new generation in the 1990s and early 2000s. This eventually led to the purchase of Lucasarts Film by Disney in 2012. There has since been a sequel trilogy, multiple animated and live-action spinoffs, and a theme park at DisneyWorld. With possibly the exception of Marvel, also owned by Disney, there are few pop cultural monoliths as well known as Star Wars.

Disney Celebrates Star Wars Day By Highlighting Extensive Catalog

Intercut with dialogue highlighting the core tenant of the franchise (freedom from tyranny), the video shared by the Disney+ social media accounts highlights just how far the franchise has come since 1977. From small screen to animated, the franchise has become more than George Lucas likely ever imagined. The video contains footage from just about every Star Wars property currently on Disney+, including:

  • The original trilogy
  • The prequels
  • The Rise of Skywalker sequel trilogy
  • Solo
  • Rogue One
  • Andor
  • The Mandalorian
  • Visions
  • The Bad Batch
  • Rebels
  • The Clone Wars

In addition to the video, Disney+ has released two new shows to mark May 4. The first is Volume 2 of Star Wars: Visions, a collection of animated shorts from well-known animation studios and directors. The other is Young Jedi Adventures, a new series set before the prequels that is aimed at young children. There will be more properties coming to dominate Disney+ for the rest of 2023, with the release of Ahsoka and The Skeleton Crew. Star Wars is a property that has brought joy to millions of people. Happy May 4th, if you so observe, and may the force be with you.

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It Looks Like A K-Pop Favorite Will Voice Halle Bailey’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ Role In The Korean Dub

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Danielle NewJeans 2022
Getty Image

Much has been made about the upcoming The Little Mermaid remake (set for May 26) and Halle Bailey’s leading role in it. Not all fans around the world will get to experience her complete performance, though. Disney is, of course, a global brand, so The Little Mermaid will be available on non-English territories. Various dubbed versions of the movie will be presented around the world, and for the South Korean version, it looks like they got Danielle, of K-pop group NewJeans, to voice Bailey’s role.

As Billboard reports, Disney Korea shared a teaser poster on May 1, which teased who would be voicing Ariel with a blank outlined figure. Fans quickly figured out, though, that the figure was indeed Danielle, even finding the exact photo used for the silhouette.

Furthermore, a snippet of Danielle singing the classic Little Mermaid song “Part Of Your World” in Korean also surfaced.

Danielle, NewJeans, Disney, or anybody else involved have officially announced/confirmed Danielle’s role as of yet.

Elsewhere, it’s been a strong 2023 for NewJeans so far. In January, they landed their first song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. A couple months later, the group’s Hanni got to visit a Trader Joe’s store for the first time and she was beyond excited about it.

Snoop Dogg Supports Writers’ Strike, Calls Streaming “F*cked Up”

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Snoop Dogg has not ever been shy about his opinion regarding streaming services. After he bought Death Row Records last year, the first thing he did was take some of the biggest albums off of streaming. Even as an owner of the label, he revealed he did it for the sake of the artists. “First thing I did was snatch all the music off those platforms… because those platforms don’t pay,“ Snoop said. “And those platforms get millions of millions of streams, and nobody gets paid other than the record labels.” Now, Snoop is asking the same thing about the WGA strike that is currently happening in Hollywood.

The WGA, or Writer’s Guild of America, is a union. It houses most of the writers of films and television shows. According to them, big studios have used the transition to streaming to cut writer pay significantly. As such, the union is on strike, demanding fair pay. Snoop thinks that musicians can take a page from the WGA book. “[Artists] need to figure it out the same way the writers are figuring it out. The writers are striking because [of] streaming; they can’t get paid. Because when it’s on the platform, it’s not like in the box office,” Snoop said. “That’s the main gripe with a lot of us artists is that we do major numbers. But it don’t add up to the money. Like, where the f*ck is the money?”

Snoop Says East Coast Rap Had A Bigger Impact

Snoop Says East Coast Rap Had Biggest Impact
US rapper Snoop Dog speaks during the Milken Institute Global Conference.
(Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Snoop has recently made a reputation for himself as an outspoken and honest artist. He’s an artist who fights for his contemporaries and won’t let loyalties to anyone cloud the truth. However, even for Snoop, his comments on East Coast rap having a bigger impact were shocking. There isn’t really a rivalry between the two coasts these days. However, in the 90s, it was all you heard about. Snoop, however, gives credit where credit is due. During his appearance on ESPN’s First Take, the iconic rapper laid down some knowledge.

“East Coast started hip-hop,” Snoop said. “It has the biggest impact where it was born. Where it was grown, where it was developed is always gonna be the biggest impact. Because that’s the epicenter, that’s the foundation, that’s where it began. It’s the East Coast.” Snoop went on to mention the specific rappers that laid the foundation for their West Coast counterparts. “We learned from them, got our style from them. We got our swag from them, got our know how to get it together from them, our stage presence — everything from RUN-D.M.C., LL COOL J, Grandmaster Flash, to people who didn’t have no record deals. They set the foundation.” What do you think about Snoops comments? Let us know below!

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‘Succession’s Brian Cox Has A Surprise Cameo In The New Harry Styles Video, And Fans Don’t Know How To React

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Talk about a big week for Brian Cox cameos. After giving Succession fans a “jumpscare” with a surprise Logan Roy appearance in the sixth episode of Season 4, the prolific actor’s voice randomly appeared in the new Harry Styles video for “Satellite.”

In the video, which acts as a tribute to the hard-working crew behind Styles’ latest tour, a little robot by the name of Stompers can be seen backstage where he’s mesmerized by Mars footage featuring the distinctive voice of a certain HBO star.

Via Rolling Stone:

Backstage before one of the 15 residency shows Styles played at the Forum in Los Angeles, Stomper blinks away non-existent robot tears watching a Brian Cox-narrated broadcast of the Curiosity rover roaming around Mars all alone for over a decade. But before it can get too emotional, it’s showtime. Stomper watches as the Love on Tour band huddles together, then joins them on stage during a chilling sing-along where Styles’ own vocals blend with thousands in the audience.

Given Styles’ massive fanbase, it didn’t take long for Cox’s cameo to go viral on Twitter where people had no idea how to react to the unusual pairing of Harry Styles’ music and the gruff CEO of Waystar Royco who, sadly, did not tell anyone to “F*ck off” during the video.

You can see some of the reactions below:

(Via Rolling Stone)

Jamie Foxx’s Instagram Active For First Time Since Hospitalization

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Barring the recently-begun WGA strikes, the hospitalization of Jamie Foxx is the biggest saga in Hollywood right now. The veteran actor reportedly suffered a stroke on the set of the Netflix action-comedy Back In Action. He has been in an Atlanta hospital ever since. Foxx has three projects releasing this year – Strays, God Is A Bullet, and They Cloned Tyrone. Back In Action is one of five projects Foxx is involved in that do not have a release date.

While a number of famous figures, such as Martin Lawrence and Nick Cannon, have reportedly spoken with Foxx, the actor himself has not given a statement since he was hospitalized. Cannon has also taken over Foxx’s presenting duties for the gameshow “Beat Shazam”. However, fans have seemingly been given a sign from the actor himself.

Jamie Foxx Seemingly Posts To Instagram

For the first time since his hospitalization, Jamie Foxx’s social media accounts have been active. A post appeared on his official Instagram with the message “Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed 🙏🏿❤🦊” posted over a black background. At the time of writing, the post has been liked over 133,000 times. Comments from the likes of Ludacris, Brett Gray, and DJ Khaled have appeared beside the post. The last post before the May 3 update was a drone video of Foxx showing off his yacht.

However, fans should be cautious about taking this as a definitive sign that Foxx is on the mend. There is absolutely no proof whatsoever that the post is from Foxx. It could have easily been posted by one of his family members or associates. Concern on social media has begun to rise about the state that Foxx is in, which could have led to a post that would assuage concerns. Additionally, only a few hours before the post, friends were reportedly urging people to “pray for Jamie”. Despite this, if this post is from Foxx, then it is a great sign to see that he is in a position to post to social media. Hopefully, this means we will see more from him in the coming days and he strengthens himself and continues towards recovery.

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