The James Bond films have been in production since 1962. Starting with Dr. No, the spy series has been a staple of cinema for over 60 years. Just six men have played the eponymous spy across the series, making it one of the most prestigious and sought-after film roles.
Daniel Craig was the most recent, and arguably most recognizable, actor to hold the role. The British actor, also known for Layer Cake and Knives Out, began his Bond stint in 2006’s Casino Royale. Unlike other iterations of Bond, Craig’s tenure followed an overarching plotline. Craig would star in four more Bond films after Casino Royale, closing out his run in 2021’s No Time To Die. The role, and future of the franchise, have laid dormant ever since. Names like Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Idris Elba have been thrown around in recent years. However, a new post on Instagram has fans excited about who could be taking up the 007 mantle.
Richard Madden became known to mainstream audiences as the stoic leader of the north Robb Stark in Game Of Thrones. After leaving Game Of Thrones, Madden appeared in a variety of well-received dramas. He played Elton John’s former partner John Reid in Rocketman. He also led the British thriller Bodyguard. Most recently, he has starred in the lead of Prime Video’s spy thriller Citadel.
That brings us to the video posted to Instagram by Madden’s Citadel co-star Stanley Tucci. The video shows the pair enjoying martinis. Now, as James Bond fans know, is a “Vesper Martini”. That’s ‘Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon-peel.” according to the 1953 book Casino Royale. And would you look at that, lemon peel in the martinis being drunk by Tucci and Madden. This has been widely taken as a soft announcement that Madden will be taking on the mantle in the near future. What do you think? And do you think should play Bond next? Follow all the latest entertainment news here at HotNewHipHop.
The Hunger Games took the world by storm a decade ago. The post-apocalypse death game young adult series was a best-seller and gave young readers something to latch onto after Twilight. If you somehow missed the trilogy – it focused on Katniss Everdeen. Everdeen lived in a world where America had been destroyed by nuclear war and the surviving country split into 12 districts. After a rebellion, “The Capital” pushed the 12 districts by holding a battle royale with 24 teenagers every year. The trilogy followed Katniss’ journey, with many twists and turns along the way.
Rumors of a new project from author Suzanne Collins had swirled for years. However, they were finally answered when she released a prequel novel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in 2020. The book, set 64 years before The Hunger Games, follows a young Coriolanus Snow (the future President Snow) and his illicit romance with a District 12 girl he mentors during the 10th Hunger Games. The book was almost immediately optioned for a movie, with some believing it had been written to be optioned. Now, three years later, we are ready to return to the world of Panem.
“The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes” Trailer Promises Teen Romance And Nostalgic Aesthetics
So The Hunger Games: The Ballard of Songbirds and Snakes has a very art deco aesthetic to it. The film is set 10 years after the Hunger Games as a concept have begun. Additionally, this sets it close to the nuclear war that turned America into Panem. The world is yet to embrace the nouveau-futurism of the original trilogy. The film also features a turning point for The Hunger Games, with its tenth iteration set to be the first one that focuses more on media spectacle, than simple death game.
Tom Blyth (Benediction, Billy The Kid) stars as Snow, an ambitious and egotistical Capitol youth in the Gamemakers training program. However, his world is rocked when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (West Side Story‘s Rachel Zegler). Lucy, much like Katniss, is a rebellious and outspoken tribute from District 12. However, don’t expect much actual Hunger Gamesing during this film. As the trailer hints, something goes wrong during the 10th Hunger Games and Snow finds himself torn between loyalty and love in District 12. The film promises a stacked cast including Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, and Jason Schwartzman. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes debuts on November 17.
It’s hard to state just how big disco was at its peak. The Disco Boom of the 1970s fundamentally changed music and culture. Studio 54, the iconic New York club, became a household name on the back of the genre. But Disco was more than just music. It was light and aesthetic, and a complete and total disco “vibe”. However, there was widespread opposition to disco, especially those from the rock and roll community. A DJ famously destroyed a dumpster full of Disco records at a Chicago White Sox game in 1979
Born in Boston, Donna Summer (born LaDonna Gaines), was arguably the face of mainstream Disco music. She lived a fascinating life, including spending nearly a working and performing in Munich. However, she is best known for helping spearhead Disco’s rise in the late 1970s. Her catalog includes four #1 hits and all-time bangers like“I Feel Love” and “Love To Love You Baby”. Summer passed away in 2012 from lung cancer.
HBO Gives First Look At “Love To Love You, Donna Summer”
HBO is now telling the full story of Donna Summer. Love To Love You, Donna Summer will document her life and rise to the throne of Disco. Based on archival footage and interviews with both Summer and people who knew her best, the film will show Summer like never before. Everything from Munich to MTV will be on display.
That includes highlighting the toll fame took on her. The documentary will also delve into Summer’s propensity for secretive behavior. “My approach to singing, I approach it as an actress,” Summer is heard saying, “I don’t approach it as a singer. And it’s really acting. I’m not trying to be me.” The film will also go behind the music, looking at Summer’s struggles with fame and her attempts to balance her career with raising her family. Two of Summer’s children, Brooklyn and Amanda, have followed in her footsteps. Love To Love You, Donna Summer already holds a 71% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes following its debut at the Berlin Film Festival. You can see Love To Love You, Donna Summer for yourself starting on May 20 on HBO and Max.
Once a star on the rise, Majors has now become an industry pariah. He is reportedly a free agent after being dropped by his management. Furthermore, he has been removed from several upcoming projects. Notably, Marvel has not yet released any information as to whether he will remain as Kang in the MCU. Majors has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. Additionally, Majors alleges that he was the victim, not the woman pressing charges. However, there now there has been a major update in his case.
Manhattan DA Grants Protection Order
The alleged victim of Jonathan Majors has been granted a temporary order of protection.
Majors’ alleged victim in the March 25 assault has been granted a temporary order of protection. Colloquially known as a restraining order, a temporary order of protection prevents an alleged abuser from contacting their alleged victim. It is often put in place to protect reported victims prior to trial proceedings. “Today a judge granted a Full Temporary Order of Protection for the victim, per the People’s request and with the consent of defense counsel,” Manhattan District Attorney’s Office press secretary Doug Jones said in a statement.
A statement was also issued by Majors’ attorney, Priya Chaudry. “This is standard in cases such as this, and we consented because Mr. Majors wants nothing to do with the woman who assaulted him.” Chaudry additionally said that we recently provided a forensic medical opinion from a Board Certified Emergency Medicine Doctor and Trauma Specialist who has examined the photos and videos of the woman and concludes, without hesitation, that the woman did not have any injuries at the nightclub and the injuries she later sustained did not come from Mr. Majors”. Majors is set to make two more appearances in 2023, after Creed and Ant-Man. Loki Season 2 is set for release in September. Meanwhile, Magazine Dreams, where Majors plays a bodybuilder, will premiere in December. Majors is due to appear in court in relation to the charges on May 9.
Sydney Sweeney is a star on the rise. After breaking out, and stripping down, in Euphoria, the 25-year-old actress gained further acclaim for her role as spoiled teen Olivia in season 1 of The White Lotus. This year alone, she will appear as government leaker Reality Winner in Reality and in Tony Tost’s crime drama Americana. Next year, she is set to join the Sony Spiderverse as Spider-Woman in Madame Web.
Glen Powell is also something of a new face on the scene. His big breakout came as astronaut John Glenn in 2016’s Hidden Figures. He has since appeared in war drama The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and rom-com Set It Up. He recently appear in Top Gun: Maverick and Korean War drama Devotion.
Rumors have circulated about Sweeney and Powell since Powell began posting pictures of the pair on set. They are currently filming Anyone But You, an R-rated rom-com from Will Gluck (Easy A, Friends With Benefits). Little is known about the film, which does not yet have a release date. But the leads having been having a lot of fun. According to Powell’s Instagram, they goof around on set and even go to the zoo together. This has of course spawned the usual “link up” rumors. But there are some big obstacles to this potentially fledgling romance.
There’s just one problem. Powell has, or had, a girlfriend – model and actress Gigi Paris. The couple’s “debut” at CinemaCon was underscored by Paris unfollowing both of them on social media. She then posted a cryptic message on Instagram, “Know your worth and onto the next.” A source informed People that Paris and Powell had been broken up for several weeks. The other problem is that Sweeney is engaged to a man Vox describes as a “vape design businessman”. So if the two have been seeing each other romantically, there are a lot of broken hearts involved. Neither has confirmed a romance but social media has been having fun with the idea of the jilting lovers getting their comeuppance. Do you think they are dating? If they are, you know HotNewHipHop will have all the details.
Twitter Reacts
THE GLEN POWELL/SYDNEY SWEENEY ROMCOM IS A MODERN SHAKESPEARE ADAPTATION OF MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING ??? pic.twitter.com/gFoI1G6BjF
just found out about the sydney sweeney/glen powell cheating rumors– girl after those first photos I would have started pulling my hair what is this pic.twitter.com/GiRa99uasZ
Arguable, Black Hollywood is not yet where it is supposed to be in terms of production and revenue. However, the future couldn’t look any brighter. This year’s list of releases has a selection of great movies with Black leads. Additionally, more Black film directors like Ryan Coogler and Jordan Peele are now steering movie franchises with massive commercial success.
We are also seeing new and vibrant Black actors taking center stage in big box office features. The critically acclaimed Creed III, which stars and is also directed by Michael B. Jordan, is a primary example. As anticipation builds, here is a list of movies with Black leads slated for release this year. Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid has Disney fans on edge. Of course, the Spiderverse continues to expand with another monumental film. A biopic about George Foreman is also on the horizon. Take a look at our list of movies with Black leads and let us know which one you’re looking forward to.
Big George Foreman (April 28, 2023)
George Tillman Jr. directed this biographicalfilm. Big George Foreman focuses on the life of world heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman. Actor Khris Davis from Judas and the Black Messiah movie will also portray the legendary boxer. Further, Davis will be joined in-cast by Jasmine Mathews, John Magaro, Sullivan Jones, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Sonja Sohn, and one of the few black Oscar winners, Forest Whitaker. The plot will focus on George Foreman’s journey of overcoming poverty to become one of the most renowned young boxers in the world.
The film is also set to portray Foreman’s near-death experience that led him to quit boxing. Foreman is then forced to reunite with his former trainer due to financial constraints. He eventually trains to become the oldest boxer in history to win the heavyweight championship.
The Little Mermaid (May 26, 2023)
The Little Mermaid is a live-animated fairytale film by Disney. Disney’s movies with Black leads haven’t, in recent years, faced criticism like The Little Mermaid. The controversy surrounded casting Halle, a Black actress, to play a traditionally white character. Bailey is also one half of the girl group Chloe X Halle. The Little Mermaid is directed by Rob Marshall and the screenplay is written by David Magee. It is also an adaptation of the 1989 animated film of the same name.
Halle will play Ariel, the youngest daughter of the kingdom Atlantica’s ruler King Triton. Ariel falls in love with a human but is forbidden to explore the land above water. Her curiosity for the surface world and her newfound love puts her in danger when she makes a deal with her to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above water. Awkwafina and Daveed Diggs are also set to star in the film.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (June 2, 2023)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is an upcoming computer-animated superhero film from Sony Studios in association with Marvel Entertainment. The film is the sequel to 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K team up to direct the animation. Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and David Callaham co-wrote the screenplay.
Shameik Moore voices the lead character, Miles Morales. Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae, Daniel Kaluuya, and Karan Soni also lend their voices to the film. The movie centers on the adventures of Miles and his love interest Gwen Stacy. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is scheduled for release in the United States on June 2, 2023. Sony delayed the film from an initial April 2022 date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, the franchise’s third sequel is already scheduled for release on March 29, 2024.
Biosphere (July 7, 2023)
Biosphere is an upcoming buddy comedy film directed by Mel Eslyn. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on September 10, 2022, but is scheduled to be in theaters and on demand from July 7, 2023. Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass play two best friends who find themselves as the last men on earth. Biosphere also holds a 90 percent approval rating based on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.
They Cloned Tyrone (July 23, 2023)
They Cloned Tyrone is a science fiction comedy mystery film directed by Juel Taylor. The film is set to premiere in July 2023, on the streaming giant, Netflix. This film will be Juel Taylor’s directorial debut in a full-length feature film. Taylor also co-wrote the screenplay with Tony Rettenmaier. John Boyega also leads alongside Teyonah Parris, Kiefer Sutherland, and Jamie Foxx. Foxx, the film’s producer, has been in the headlines lately because he reportedly suffered a stroke.
Haunted Mansion (July 28 2023)
Haunted Mansion is an upcoming supernatural horror comedy film directed by Justin Simien. Writer Katie Dippold crafted the screenplay for the film. LaKeith Stanfield plays the lead alongside Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, and Jared Leto among others. Haunted Mansion is also scheduled to be released in the United States on July 28, 2023, by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film follows the ghostly adventures of Gabbie and her nine-year-old son Travis after the two move into a haunted mansion.
The Equalizer 3 (September 1, 2023)
The Equalizer film series is one of the few big-budget Hollywood action movies with Black leads. Denzel Washington is the main man in The Equalizer film series. The first Equalizer movie was released in 2014. The sequel, The Equalizer 2, premiered in 2018. Further, Sony Pictures intends to release the third installment, The Equalizer 3, in September 2023.
Generally, the films are loosely based on a classic TV series of the same name. The TV show aired between 1985 and 1989. The basic plot of The Equalizer action films center around vigilante Robert McCall played by Denzel Washington. Robert primarily saves those close to him with his tactical combat and weapons training. The Equalizer 3 is also set to star Dakota Fanning, Sonia Ben Ammar, and Remo Girone.
The upcoming movie The Color Purple promises to reinvigorate the stage musical version of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. Director Blitz Bazawule is at the helm of the adaptation project. The film aims to capture the timeless story’s essence while providing fresh insights. The Color Purple is also set against the backdrop of the early 20th century. It follows the journey of Celie, a strong and resilient Black woman who overcomes numerous obstacles to find her own voice and inner strength. Additionally, R&B crooner, Fantasia Barrino, will play the lead role. H.E.R., Ciara, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, and Halle Bailey also make part of the star-studded cast.
Rihanna just landed what will likely go down as the bluest role of her career: she has several important jobs in an upcoming Smurfs movie.
Today (April 27), Paramount Pictures revealed during a CinemaCon presentation that Rihanna will play Smurfette in an upcoming Smurfs movie, which does not currently have an announced title (as IndieWire reports). On top of that, Rihanna will also be creating and performing original music for the film, as well as producing. The film is set to premiere in theaters on February 14, 2025, via Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies.
Rihanna spoke about the movie at CinemaCon, saying, “Getting to do animation is a fun journey for me. I’m usually front and center with everything with my likeness […] but this was fun. I got to imagine, I got to show up in my pajamas in my third trimester, and be a blue badass. I hope this gives me a little bit of cool points with my kids one day.”
The movie will be co-directed by Chris Miller and Matt Landon, while Pam Brady (a South Park producer and Team America: World Police writer) wrote the screenplay. Ryan Harris, Laurence “Jay” Brown, and Tyran “Ty-Ty” Smith also produce alongside Rihanna.
The Smurfs film will be Rihanna’s second voice role in a movie, after 2015’s Home.
CinemaCon is in full swing. The multi-day event allows for studios to highlight some of their biggest upcoming projects, while also giving critics a chance to see soon-to-be-released projects.
A plethora of films have already been announced from this year’s event. This includes the surprise announcement that John Cena will play a mermaid in Barbie. It also gave critics a first look at the Pedro Pascal-led queer western Strange Way Of Life However, the latest announcement features a major music star wearing a number of different hats for an animated project
Rihanna Will Star In, Produce, And Write Music For “Smurfs”
Rihanna is creating new music as well as starring in the next ‘SMURFS’ movie.
Smurfette has been a long-standing character in the Smurfverse. Absent from 2011’s The Smurfs, she was a major player in 2013’s The Smurfs 2. In that project, she was voiced by Katy Perry. However, that film was a critical bomb. It holds a 14% critics rating and a 56% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It led to the cancellation of Smurfs 3 and the retooling of the series. Furthermore, that led to Smurfs: The Lost Village, an entirely computer-generated film where Demi Lovato took the role of Smurfette. That film fared a little better, with a 40% critics rating and 56% audience rating. But now, Smurfette will be voiced by a third singer in her third onscreen appearance.
According to reports from CinemaCon, Rihanna is preparing to star in, produce, and write music in a 2025 Smurfs movie from Paramount. Speaking at the event, Rihanna said “Getting to do animation is a fun journey for me. I’m usually front and center with everything with my likeness […] but this was fun. I got to imagine, I got to show up in my pajamas in my third trimester, and be a blue badass. I hope this gives me a little bit of cool points with my kids one day.” Additionally, the film will be directed by Chris Miller (Shrek The Third, Puss In Boots) and Matthew Landon, a longtime film editor. Furthermore, the screenplay is set to be written by Pam Brady (South Park, Team America: World Police, Hot Rod). The Smurfs project does not yet have a title but will be released in 2025.
French Montana was born Karim Kharbouch. Growing up in Morocco in the late 1980s, he idolized soccer and rap music. Then, out of nowhere, he found himself in the South Bronx. He would not find his breakout until the mid-2000s, with “Choppa Choppa Down” and Excuse My French. His journey from undocumented immigrant to worldwide star is one of hardship and grit.
Today, Montana is one of the best-known rappers and the highest-streamed African-born artist of all time. He is also a two-time platinum recording artist. However, he is also best known for his encounters with law enforcement and criminal involvements. But now fans will get a brand-new look into his life thanks to a tell-all documentary, executive produced by Drake and Diddy.
“Us watching America as kids, they sell you the dream. They don’t show you that behind those buildings, there’s the nightmare part.” The trailer’s opening line sets the tone of the documentary perfectly. This is not a boastful story of Montana’s success, but instead is an unsweetened look at the journey he took to the top. The story, which begins in Morocco and ends on top of the world, is full of hardship.
Named for Montana’s mother, the documentary explores several distinct areas of the artist’s life. There are the early years in the South Bronx, running as a street dealer to make ends meet. Then comes his rise in the early 2000s, his musical breakout. And finally, there is the rise and fall of Max B, Montana’s closest associate. But beyond that, the documentary promises authenticity and vulnerability. The trailer features Montana dwelling on the absence of his father, who returned to Morocco when Montana was 15. It will also provide more insight into Montana’s perspective on the incarceration of Max B and the events that led up to it. The documentary is set to show French Montana in a way that he’s never been seen before. For Khadija is set to debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in June.
The public has expressed overwhelming support for her in the face of racist attacks she’s been dealing with for playing the role. Along with fans praising her, she was lauded at her audition, which she just revealed in a new interview with V Magazine made everyone in the room cry. She said:
“I went to the first audition in New York, and they were very warm and very kind to me. They asked me if I wanted to sing or act first, and I was like, ‘I’ll just sing first because I feel I can get all the nerves out.’ So I just remember singing and closing my eyes, and then when I opened my eyes, everyone was crying. And at first, I was like, ‘Oh, no! Did I do something bad?’ And then I quickly realized that it was good. So from there, I had two more auditions and then a screen test, and then months passed and I completely forgot about it. I thought, ‘Well that ship sailed.’ And then I got a call saying that I got the role a few months later.”
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