Wicked: For Good comes out in just a few days, and OMG we’re freaking out! To celebrate the new film, we tuned into NBC, just like every other theatre kid in America, for the performance of Wicked: One Wonderful Night. Whoa, what a magical night! Nothing could have prepared us for the whimsical journey that Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and the rest of the Wicked cast took us on.
Haven’t had a chance to see Wicked: One Wonderful Night? Let us give you the rundown on everything we loved about the night.
Image Courtesy: Verve Records
The Production: Costumes, Lighting, And Choreography!
Wicked isn’t Wicked without a full production of lights, costumes, and choreography. Wicked: One Wonderful Night took it to the next level! From green and pink ballgowns to truly spellbinding turns and jumps, the night was a full production we couldn’t keep our eyes away from.
‘Dancing Through Life’ with Bowen Yang and Ethan Slater was such a joy to witness, and we were dancing along with them from our living rooms! Can we have more of Bowen and Ethan together, please?
Ariana’s Theatre Kid Came Out
Last year, when Wicked released in theaters, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo proved that theatre kids are simply better at everything. Now, it’s clear as day that Ariana is just a theatre kid like the rest of us who is fulfilling her dream role as Glinda. She’s always turned heads with her talent and charisma up onstage, but her performance during Wicked: One Wonderful Night was simply showstopping.
A Tease Of Wicked: For Good
If Wicked: One Wonderful Night is anything like the upcoming Wicked: For Good film, we’re seated with a large popcorn on opening night. Based on how this live show went, we know we’re going to be crying all the good tears and singing along to our favorite songs from Act II all night long. Ariana and Cynthia gave us a taste of ‘For Good’ and what we might get to hear in the new film. Someone pass the tissues!
Wicked: One Wonderful Night (Live) – The Soundtrack
The best part? We get to re-live Wicked: One Wonderful Night again! Wicked: One Wonderful Night is now available for streaming – listen here! All of our favorite moments from ‘The Wizard and I’ to ‘I’m Not That Girl’ get to be replayed again and again from this new soundtrack.
Did you have a chance to catch Wicked: One Wonderful Night? What was your favorite moment from the night? Are you planning to go to the movie theaters on November 21st? Let us know in the comments down below or tell us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
A new documentary shockingly reveals Kanye West screamed in ex-mother-in-law Kris Jenner’s face about his mental health, saying he’d rather die than take his meds. In His Name follows several tumultuous years of Ye’s life, marked by creative controversies, fallout with friends and family, and backlash from the public as he appeared to spiral personally and professionally.
Source: Gotham / Getty
On Friday, Sept. 19, In His Name debuted on 1,000 screens across the U.S. in a distribution deal with AMC, Cinemark, and Regal theaters. “Immersed in Kanye West (Ye’s) world of extremes for 6 years, Nico Ballesteros documented over 3,000 hours, bearing witness to brilliance, breakdowns, triumphs, turmoil, paranoia, and intensity that increasingly shaped Ye’s world,” the synopsis states.
It’s no surprise to anyone who has followed Ye’s social media saga that an intimate look at his life since 2018 includes the clashes leading up to his 2021 divorce from Kim Kardashian, fights with her family, and disputes about his mental health. The former couple shares four children: North, 12, Saint, 10, Chicago, 7, and Psalm, 6.
In His Name Shows Ye Losing His Temper With Kris Jenner About His Medication & Hospitalization
The Shade Room reports that during a heated argument about Ye’s mental health, matriarch Kris Jenner breaks into tears as he screams at the top of his lungs.
“Y’all demasculated me and made me feel like a piece of s**t. And the only reason you got away with it is because I was medicated. I would rather be dead than be on medication.”
“No one from the family has taken any responsibility for my hospital visit. And if you want to go online, that’s 50% of what people say, at least! Or am I lying?” he pressed, getting increasingly upset.
As the 69-year-old begins to say, “It does not matter,” Ye jumps up and down with balled fists, repeatedly shouting, “It does matter!”
In the doc, Kris tearfully clarifies, “‘It matters to us, and you. It doesn’t matter what the internet says. It matters what we think, Ye.”
When Ye asks if Kris had an effect on his mental health, she admits that she did.
“Yes! I’m saying yes, and I love you! I don’t want you to be not perfect. I love you. And I want my daughter to love you the way you want her to love you,” she pleaded.
Another moment from In His Name shows a confrontation that goes very differently between Ye and Michael Che.
Check out the tense moment following Ye’s 2018 MAGA rant on SNL and fan reactions after the flip.
Critics Clock That Ye Crashed Out With Kris Jenner, But Kept His Composure When Confronted By Michael Che
The furious family feud left fans horrified, particularly in contrast to a clip of SNL‘s Michael Che confronting Ye about his 2018 appearance on the show. Several fans noted that he didn’t keep the same energy when checked by a man about his accusations of backstage “bullying” over a MAGA hat, which Ye referred to as his “Superman cape.”
The “Weekend Update” co-anchor questioned why Ye waited until the last minute to call out the SNL team onstage with a pro-Donald Trump rant.
“That’s f**ked up. We look up to you. We love you,” Che insisted, adding that it was “foul” to air out his issues without any time for the show to address them.
During the conversation, Ye doubled down that he does have some issues with the legendary sketch comedy. Yet he remained mostly silent while being questioned about the outburst. The differing reactions to similar statements drew sharp criticism in the comments over Ye disrespecting an elder in his family.
“All those grown men watching him crash out on this lady that’s wild,” someone wrote.
“raise your voice at my mama and we gon have to just square up .. cause WHO YOU YELLING AT???” one comment asked.
“You see he knows who to yell at. Lmao got real quiet when Michael Che pressed him,” another noted.
“The way Kim moved during this whole Kanye meltdown season changed how I looked at her. If she never cared about him she could have really did him dirty in the media but she kept quiet, took care of the kids and still shows Kanye kindness and respect,” a comment claimed.
Ye’s Recent Update On His Mental Health
The Donda rapper has openly discussed his mental health, which remains an evolving challenge. As HipHopWired previously reported, Ye claimed that bipolar disorder was a misdiagnosis, and he received a new diagnosis of autism with the help of Bianca Censori.
“I went to this doctor … My wife took me to do that because she said, ‘Something about your personality doesn’t feel like it’s bipolar, I’ve seen bipolar before.’ And I’ve come to find that it’s really a case of autism that I have,” he told Justin LaBoy on The Download.
“Autism takes you to a Rain Man thing,” he said, explaining a fixation on the red MAGA hat. “‘I’ma wear this Trump hat because I like Trump in general.’ And then when people tell you to not do it, you just get on that one point. And that’s my problem.”
The new documentary features behind-the-scenes moments of The Life of Pablo star with Drake, Pharrell, Kim Kardashian, their children, and more as he transitions “from Kanye to Ye.”
All the cool film girlies just came back from Berlin. Specifically, they are fresh from the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, and they still smell like cigarettes to prove it. Between anecdotes about how Berghain is ruined, they’re telling me how they watched Cillian Murphy (my father, emotionally) give another masterful, award-worthy performance in the Enda Walsh adaptation of Claire Keegan’s novel Small Things Like These. This is apropos of nothing, except that I was not in Berlin, so I will have to wait alongside everyone else to see one of my favorite books on screen later this year.
But how can I be bitter? This week, half of Los Angeles will flock to Texas for South By Southwest in Austin, and I’ll be delightfully distracted by a whole new slate of upcoming releases premiering at this year’s festival. There are so many new films to be excited about premiering at the festival — even without Cillian Murphy’s cheekbones.
Let’s get into it.
What is SXSW?
I’m in for a week of acronyms: SXSW in ATX FTW – LFG!! South By Southwest (aka SXSW or SX or South By) is a film festival, music festival, and industry conference all rolled into one. Fueled by Texas BBQ and Torchy’s Tacos, creative people in the tech, film, music, education, and culture industries swarm from theater to concert hall and conference room networking (allegedly), writing pretentious reviews about the future of culture (guilty), and being menaces to the residents of Austin by causing even worse traffic jams than the city is used to— and I can’t wait.
When is SXSW 2024?
SXSW 2024 will be held from March 8 – 16 2024. Highly anticipated events include Rolling Stone’s Future of Music Series (my artists to watch are Flo Milli and Faye Webster), and the SXSW Music Festival (which, this year, includes The Black Keys, Bootsy Collins, and many more). Of course, the highlight is the insane 2024 SXSW movie lineup. I can’t wait to laugh, cry, and contemplate my very existence while staring up at a screen at SXSW. In the words of Nicole Kidman, “We come to this place to dream.” And this week, the dreamers are all in Austin, Texas.
Here are the films at SXSW 2024 we’re most excited about – starring an assortment of all our favorite actors (even though Cilian won’t be making an appearance). Still, we’re excited to see new performances from faves like Ayo Edebiri, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Gosling, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Jonathan Groff, Hunter Schafer, Rachel Zegler, Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, and a whole lot more.
SXSW 2024 Official Opening Night Selection
Road House
This is not Patrick Swayze’s Road House (1989) — but by the time Jake Gyllenhaal is done with you, you’ll love it as much as the original. Gyllenhaal stars as an ex-UFC fighter-turned-bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, owned by Frankie (Jessica Williams). Facing threats from a criminal gang led by Brandt (Billy Magnussen), Dalton’s violent past emerges. When he is confronted by Knox (Conor McGregor), a lethal gun-for-hire, the escalating brawls and bloodshed become more dangerous than his days in the Octagon. Fans of real-life, ex-UFC fighter Conor McGregor are excited to see him in this film, even if he is the villain. Road House is coming to Prime Video on March 21st.
SXSW 2024 Official Closing Night Selection
The Idea of You
This film is like if your mom stole your Wattpad moment. Created by two-time SXSW Audience Award Winner Michael Showalter, it’s his great return to SXSW and it’s sure to be a riot. Allegedly based on Harry Styles (and a little bit of Prince Harry, too), The Idea of You is the salacious story of a 40-year-old single mom who begins an unexpected romance with her daughter’s favorite popstar. She goes from begrudgingly chaperoning her daughter to Coachella to meeting, and falling for, 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of a band based on One Direction. This odd couple romance promises to be more than meets the eye. The couple is played by Red White & Royal Blue’s Nicholas Galitzine alongside Anne Hathaway so I am ready and willing to go on this ride. I’m expecting something that feels like a mix of After, A Star is Born, and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Watch the trailer HERE. And listen to the first song from the Original Soundtrack by fictional boy band August Moon HERE.
Other films to watch at SXSW 2024
I Wish You All The Best
I am unspeakably excited for Tommy Dorfman’s queer coming-of-age drama. Written and directed by Dorfman and starring Corey Fogelmanis, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Alexandra Daddario, Cole Sprouse, Lena Dunham, Amy Landecker, Lexi Underwood, and more (wow!) it’s an adaptation of Mason Deaver’s novel of the same name. A queer tale of chosen family, it follows Ben DeBacker, a non-binary teen who is thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas. Struggling with anxiety, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their art teacher, Ms. Lyons, while trying to keep a low profile at their new school. Ben’s attempts to survive junior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. With the help of Nathan, and his friends Sophie and Mel, Ben discovers themselves, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.
A Nice Indian Boy
A Nice Indian Boy
I’ll watch Jonathan Groff in anything — and this original odd-couple comedic drama would have taken me no convincing anyway. Self-effacing doctor Naveen Gavaskar meets Jay Kurundkar, a white man adopted by two Indian parents, when Jay takes his picture at the hospital. Despite initial skepticism on Naveen’s part, the two quickly fall in love. Naveen avoids telling his traditional family—parents Megha & Archit and sister Arundhathi—who accepted his sexuality years earlier and are close to him but increasingly don’t know much about his life. Eventually, inevitably, Jay, with no family of his own, has to meet the Gavaskars, who have never met a boyfriend of Naveen’s.
The Fall Guy
The Fall Guy
Don’t fret, Barbie fever is over, but Ryan Gosling will be back on your screens soon enough with this comedic action blockbuster. Ryan Gosling stars as Colt, a stuntman who, after a near-career-ending accident, is drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget movie—being directed by his ex, Jody (Emily Blunt)—goes missing. Now, this working-class hero has to solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. Certified heartthrob Aaron Taylor Johnson is also in this — giving me something to look forward to as I wait patiently for his role in Kraven: The Hunter later this year. I’m sat.
Omni Loop
Omni Loop
The more Ayo Edebiri in the zeitgeist, the better. Alongside Mary Louise Parker, Steven Maier, Eddie Cahill, and more, she stars in this existential sci-fi feature. Zoya Lowe, a 55 year old woman from Miami, FL, has been diagnosed with a black hole inside her chest and given a week to live. But what the doctors and her family don’t know is that she has already lived this week before. She’s lived it so many times, in fact, that she doesn’t even know how long it’s been. Until one day she meets Paula, a young woman studying time at a lab in the local university, and together they decide to try and solve time travel so Zoya can actually go back— back into her past, back to a time before she settled, back to when her whole future was still wide open in front of her—back so she can do it all over again, and finally be the person she always wanted to be. It’s this year’s Everything Everywhere All At Once so I have high hopes.
The Greatest Hits
The Greatest Hits
Harriet (Lucy Boynton) finds art imitating life when she discovers certain songs can transport her back in time – literally. While she relives the past through romantic memories of her former boyfriend (David Corenswet), her time-traveling collides with a burgeoning new love interest in the present (Justin H. Min). As she takes her journey through the hypnotic connection between music and memory, she wonders if she can change the past. Think Yesterday, but … no, pretty much just exactly Yesterday.
Y2K
Y2K A24 Movie
The children are our future! This A24 disaster comedy, Y2K, stars Rachel Zegler, Jaeden Martell, Julian Dennison, Lachlan Watson, Daniel Zolghadri, Mason Gooding, The Kid Laroi (yes, from that Justin Bieber song), and more as high schoolers who crash a NYE party in 1999 and end up fighting for their lives. But doesn’t all high school feel like that?
I Love You Forever
I Love You Forever
Directed and written by Cazzie David and Elisa Kalani and starring Sofia Black-D’Elia, Ray Nicholson, Jon Rudnitsky, Cazzie David, and Raymond Cham Jr, this film portrays the sad reality of the dating landscape. It follows Mackenzie, a disillusioned 25-year old law student tired of the apps — because who isn’t. When she has a “real life meet-cute” with a charming journalist who makes her believe true love may actually exist. Ultimately, it starts to go left and Mackenzie finds herself trapped in a tumultuous and depleting cycle of emotional abuse.
Doin It
Doin It
Starring internet sensation-turned-host-turned-actor Lilly Singh, Doin It is a comedy of errors about an Indian woman trying to lose her virginity. Fans of Never Have I Ever, which also starts with that premise, should flock to this film. After teenage Maya is caught in a sexually compromising position, her mom moves the family back to India so Maya can learn proper discipline. Years later, she returns to the US to find funding for her teen-focused app, and gets a job as a substitute high school teacher so she can research her target demo. But when the principal assigns her to teach sex ed, Maya —who’s still a virgin— sets out on a quest with her best friend to make up for the high school experience she lost out on. It also stars Ana Gasteyer, Sabrina Jalees, Stephanie Beatriz, Mary Holland, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Sonia Dhillon Tully.
Civil War
Civil War
No, not the Marvel film. Much more chilling and dystopian — especially since it’s set in a plausible, near-future. It stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, and Nick Offerman taking us on an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride through a fractured America balanced on the razor’s edge, going through a civil war.
Birdeater
Birdeater
A bride-to-be is invited to join her own fiancé’s bachelor party on a remote property in the Australian outback. But as the festivities spiral into beer-soaked chaos, uncomfortable details about their relationship are exposed, and the celebration soon becomes a feral nightmare. I’m imagining part Saltburn and part Get Out from this feature debut.
Babes
Babes
After becoming pregnant from a one-night stand, Eden leans on her married best friend and mother of two, Dawn, to guide her through gestation and beyond. Starring lana Glazer, Michelle Buteau, John Carroll Lynch, and Hasan Minhaj, this comedy about friendship and motherhood is sure to be both belly-busting and heartwarming
Musica
Musica
Based on writer, director and star Rudy Mancuso, Música is a coming-of-age love story that follows an aspiring creator with synesthesia, who must come to terms with an uncertain future, while navigating the pressures of love, family and his Brazilian culture. Alongside Mancuso are Camila Mendes, Francesca Reale, Maria Mancuso, and J.B. Smoove.
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told
If anyone else has heard about Freaknik endlessly without hearing about Freaknik, your time has come. This documentary feature is a celebratory exploration of the boisterous times of Freaknik, the iconic Atlanta street party that drew hundreds of thousands of people in the 80s and 90s, helping put Atlanta on the map culturally. At its height, Freaknik was a traffic-stopping, city-shuttering, juggernaut that has since become a cult classic. This documentary will, too.
The Black Sea
The Black Sea
Immersive and inspired by Derrick B. Harden’s travels to Bulgaria, The Black Sea details the transformative journey of a man who finds unexpected connections in a small coastal Eastern European town even as he finds himself to be the only black person around.
Pet Shop Days
Pet Shop Days
I love a very serious thriller with a whimsical title. Starring Jack Irv, Darío Yazeb Bernal, Willem Dafoe, Peter Sarsgaard, and more, you know this one’s going to be good. In an act of desperation, impulsive black sheep Alejandro flees his home in Mexico. On the run from his unforgiving father, Alejandro finds himself in New York City where he meets Jack, a college age pet store employee with similar parental baggage. Together the two enter a whirlwind romance sending them down the rabbit hole of drugs and depravity in Manhattan’s underworld.
Toll
Toll
This Brazilian feature is definitely going to chill me to my core, I’m calling it now. Suellen, a Brazilian toll booth attendant and mother, falls in with a gang of thieves in an attempt to keep her family afloat. In doing so, she realizes she can use her job to raise some extra money illegally for a so-called noble cause: to send her son to an expensive gay conversion workshop led by a renowned foreign priest.
My Dead Friend Zoe
My Dead Friend Zoe
My Dead Friend Zoe follows the journey of Merit, a U.S. Army Afghanistan veteran who is at odds with her family thanks to the presence of Zoe, her dead best friend from the Army. Despite the persistence of her VA group counselor, the tough love of her mother and the levity of an unexpected love interest, Merit’s cozy-dysfunctional friendship with Zoe keeps the duo insulated from the world. That is until Merit’s estranged grandfather—holed up at the family’s ancestral lake house—begins to lose his way and is in need of the one thing he refuses… help. It stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Gloria Reuben.
A House Is Not a Disco
A House Is Not a Disco
Directed by Brian J. Smith, this documentary shows a year-in-the-life in the world’s most iconic “homo-normative” community: Fire Island Pines. Situated fifty miles from New York City, this storied queer beach town finds itself in the midst of a renaissance as a new generation of Millennial homeowners reimagine The Pines for a new, more inclusive era. Filmed like a Wiseman movie on magic mushrooms, a large cast of unforgettable eccentrics, activists, drifters, and first-timers reflect on the legacy of The Pines while preparing their beloved village for the biggest challenge it has faced since the AIDS crisis: rising seas caused by climate change.
Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion
Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion
My eighth-grade self, experiencing all the stages of grief in the Brandy Melville changing room, is ready for this expose. It examines how Brandy Melville developed a cult-like following despite its controversial “one size fits all” tagline. Hiding behind its shiny Instagram façade is a shockingly toxic world, a reflection of the global fast fashion industry. Fast fashion isn’t all glitz and glamor – it’s a business that sacrifices humanity and pollutes the planet for the sake of profit.
(FOX40.COM) — Parts of Downtown Sacramento look clearer than usual as officials remove homeless camps from Cesar Chavez Park amid scheduled filming for a new movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Teyana Taylor.
Over the past few weeks, Warner Bros film crew has been spotted throughout the area working on a movie referred to as the “BC Project.” Although “Notice of Filming” signs were plastered throughout Downtown Sacramento in advance, the area has not been fully camera-ready.
Homeless camps are prevalent near Cesar Chavez Park, where some movie-filming is being done. The City of Sacramento officials took action for the film crew and placed notices on tents on Friday that advised campers they have to pack up and leave within 24 hours.
“Six tents were noticed in the filming area,” said City of Sacramento spokesperson, Tim Watson. “Through outreach and engagement from city resource coordinators, people in the area were offered connection to services and placement at the city’s Roseville Road campus.”
Watson said that four campers accepted the city’s offer.
Sacramento Homeless Union President Crystal Sanchez said the city’s latest move is just another instance of the City of Sacramento discriminating against the unhoused population. She addressed the producers of the film in a prepared statement:
“We hope they take a minute and understand the crisis of homelessness and that the film has notably harmed some folks trying to survive this homeless crisis. We ask that the producers are cognizant of the City of Sacramento’s harmful action and would hope they address it with them.”
Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff have teamed up to entertain us with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. The film has been the most awaited one right now. Fans are super excited to see the fittest stars of the Bollywood industry coming together for this upcoming action thriller film. The film has been shot in Mumbai, London, Abu Dhabi, Scotland, and Jordan. We will get to see some amazing action sequences and stunts in the movie. Well, with Tiger and Akshay coming together, it is definitely going to be an action-packed film. Also Read – Anupamaa: Anuj’s dream dance sequence with Anu will make you root for MaAn; fans say ‘Uff ye chemistry’
Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff and others wrap up the shoot of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan
Akshay Kumar has now posted a picture on Instagram announcing the wrap of the shoot. Yes, Akshay and Tiger have wrapped up the shooting of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. He shared a picture with Tiger Shroff and others. In the picture, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff and others are seen smeared in mud in the picture. Sharing the picture, Akshay Kumar wrote, “Tired of the same old memes, here’s some new mud-terial This is how we celebrated the end of this memorable schedule of #BadeMiyanChoteMiyan at the Dead Sea in Jordan. It’s a ‘wrap’! #BadeMiyanChoteMiyanOnEid2024” Also Read – Bigg Boss 17: Isha Malviya reacts on FIR filed against Munawar Faruqui fan for use of drone at Dongri [Watch]
Take a look at the post here:
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan also stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Sonakshi Sinha, Manushi Chhillar, Alaya F, Ronit Roy and others. The film is produced by Vashu Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh, Jackky Bhagnani, and Himanshu Kishan Mehra under the banners of Pooja Entertainment and AAZ Films. Akshay and Tiger will be playing agents in the film while Prithviraj Sukumaran will be seen as the main antagonist.
Watch a video on Bade Miyan Chote Miyan here:
Written and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is slated to release on Eid April 2024. The film will release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada languages.
When Kenya Barris announced a reimagining of The Wizard of Oz with Dorothy in Inglewood, social media slammed the unwanted Wiz-ish update.
Source: Variety / Getty
Whether viewers like it or not, the You People writer and director stays booked and busy. The prolific filmmaker discussed a long slate of upcoming projects at the Sundance Film Festival with the Variety Studio presented by Audible. The news of Barris’ plans to remake The Wizard of Oz seemingly broke the internet with criticisms and clapbacks.
“The Wizard of Oz” remake from Kenya Barris centers on a version of Dorothy who lives in Inglewood, Calif.
In Barris’ Black AF spin on the classic film, Dorothy is from Inglewood like Barris. She “lives in the Bottoms,” a large apartment complex also featured on Snowfall.
“The original ‘Wizard of Oz’ took place during the Great Depression and it was about self-reliance and what people were going through. I think this is the perfect time to switch the characters and talk about what someone imagines their life could be,” Barris said.
“It’s ultimately a hero’s journey, someone thinks something’s better than where they’re at, and they go and realize that where they’re at is where they should be. I want people to be proud and happy about where they’re from. But I want the world to take a look at it and I hope that will come through.”
Kenya Barris confirms the script for his reimagining of “The Wizard of Oz” is done. His version of Dorothy is a girl who lives in the Bottoms, which is a huge apartment complex located in Inglewood, Calif. https://t.co/KpcjZau0PZpic.twitter.com/SxAJCkffYb
Barris followed up by proactively addressing the decision to continue mining existing classics with “a different point of view.”
“I’m still a believer in IP. I think I get s**t for it sometimes, but I believe that the idea of some of those great stories – stories are all told again and again and again. So having the opportunity to take some of those IPs and tell them from a different point of a view is a gift that I hopefully keep getting,” he said.
So, Wiz wasn’t enough? Hollywood spends too much time reimaging and not time imaging. It’s like still eating turkey two weeks after Thanksgiving.
Maybe it’s because of remake and reboot fatigue, or perhaps the fact that The Wiz is already a beloved classic, but the comments were not on Kenya’s side. Although several days of conversation after Rap Sh!t‘s cancelation led to demands for more Black stories by Black creatives, this isn’t what critical comments seemed to have in mind.
I bet Kenya Barris name is really Kenya Harris he just changed it to B for Biracial.
Check out the social media reactions to Kenya Barris taking on iconic stories like Richard Pryor’s life story and taking Dorothy down the Black-ish brick road after the flip!
Social Media Reacts To Kenya Barris’ Upcoming Richard Pryor Series And Remake Of The Wizard of Oz
Source: Variety / Getty
To the surprise of many users on X (formerly Twitter), The Wizard of Oz isn’t the only iconic story Kenya Barris is taking on. The TV titan will also direct a biographical series about comedy king Richard Pryor.
“It’s a 10-part limited biographical series that takes a look from cradle to grave. From his earliest upbringing — he grew up in a ho house, or a house of ill repute — and became, at one point, the biggest star in the world,” he said.
Barris is proud to do the legend justice in the project he is currently developing.
“It is my baby. I love it. He is my comedy god. A super flawed guy, but who everything, to this day, the comedy that we remember — even including [Dave] Chappelle — is derivative of what he started,” he said.
“That honest, reflecting, observational look at what the world is and the differences between us that actually make us more similar than we are apart. I think telling his story and letting people see things that they didn’t know about him is something that I’m super excited to bring to life.”
Lost in all the outrage at Kenya Barris setting Dorothy in Inglewood is that he has also been given the reigns to Richard Pryor’s biopic. This man needs to be stopped. https://t.co/eDhffDl3Vj
One thing’s for sure: these new projects will have everyone talking. Many have a soft spot in their hearts for Kenya Barris’s TV shows like Black-ish and Grown-ish, which parallel parts of his life. Maybe a Wizard of Oz based on his background will be another homegrown hit.
The announcement set X ablaze with questions of “Who asked for this?” and demands to “Stop him!” The viral conversation even sparked speculation about a “biracial cinematic universe.” Check out some of the reactions to Kenya Barris’ Wizard of Oz, which were Mixed-ish at best.
I need somebody to put the fear of God into Kenya Barris because he is the last person on earth, that I want to see an imagination of the Wizard of Oz from
Nobody asked for the Wiz-ish! Kenya Barris is not the only Black creator in Hollywood. Please give someone who represents other types of Blackness a chance. https://t.co/i3xarEGYyv
— Low Vibrational Eating #BreadBae (@EatWithNia) January 20, 2024
DO NOT LET KENYA BARRIS TOUCH THIS:
WE DO NOT NEED A WHITE WOMAN NAMED DORETHA GETTING HER CHEEKS CLAPPED FOR 120MINS BY THE LOCAL WEEDMAN/MAILMAN/ANIMAL CONTROLMAN; WITH INGLEWOOD AS THE BACKDROP.
if there’s a SINGLE interracial couple in this I’m reporting your company to the Better Business Bureau and filing a class action lawsuit. https://t.co/EcemTnIleJ
Why Netflix continues to release Kenya Barris’ projects baffles me. They need to tell that nigga to go to therapy and come back once he’s grappled with his background and whatever issues he has… also it seems intentional that this is a “Wizard of Oz” remake and not “The Wiz” https://t.co/xHEKUPA8w2
I’m just now realizing Kenya Barris is from around the way. I don’t know where I thought homie was from. But only an LA nigga gonna write about the Bottoms. Now I’m feeling guilty by association. https://t.co/eioy40O6FF
There are hundreds of amazing fantasy books just waiting to become screenplays. Tackle one of them instead of rehashing The Wizard of Oz. https://t.co/ZSW5ZraxKA
Kenya Barris walks in the studio offices, yells BIRACIALS like he Mr. Crocker & they cut him a check & give him a production schedule. pic.twitter.com/0bfJoKzTUY
We are over here clamoring for new voices & movies from our perspective & this man wants to remake two MAJOR classics. I’d hate “The Wiz” to be remade by him either but that movie makes more sense than the original. This is WEIRD. https://t.co/cNP9jSaHiW
Jay-Z recently revealed more missteps in his marriage to Beyoncé on his new single with D’Angleo, “I Want You Forever.”
Source: MICHAEL TRAN / Getty
Complex reports that the soulful song is featured on the soundtrack of the new dramedy, The Book of Clarence. The music mogul also produced and composed music for the new film.
The legendary R&B singer bookends Jiggaman’s quite intimate verse that seemingly spoke to a separation between him and his wife of 16 years, Beyoncé.
Jay-Z — born Sean Carter — delivers his lyrics more like a poet than a rapper as he begins his verse, “Life don’t taste the same without you/Tears in my champagne ‘bout you/Quit playing girl, you know I’m crazy ‘bout you.”
Don’t tell us you’re cheating again, Jay.
He continued his purposely lazy flow, “You know that week you ran back to your mama house, ask my friend, they can vouch/Slept on the couch ‘cause the bed ain’t a bed without you.”
The masterful MC then focuses on a possible reason for his reckless ways, his father, Andis Reeves.
“Love you for my life, and I put that on my dead/Put that on my daddy’s New Port, cigarettes/He blew cancer rings, I got toxic traits/Look who coaxed the ghost out my body, got me straight/I don’t want no smoke, baby girl you fire/Can’t end up like my folks, nah,” he spits before D’Angelo raspy vocals dance over the violin led track.
Reactions To Jay-Z’s New Song And History Of Records About Relationship Drama With Beyoncé
Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty
The song has been met with mixed reviews, as one YouTube commenter declared the song didn’t need Jay’s verse.
“As a huge Hov fan, all that I can say is that this song does just fine without his contribution. It’s beautifully done.”
Another added, “This D’Angelo’s world that Jay visited!”
An additional commenter claimed the tune, “[Sounded] like Jay crashed D’Angelo session “
Some fans weren’t feeling the track with or without the “Song Cry” rapper’s input. One commenter complained, “This could have gone in my “watch later” playlist, and stayed there. Foreeevvvvaaa.”
Jay and Bey haven’t been shy about their marital issues. Beyoncé poured her soul into her award-winning album Lemonade in 2016, succeeded by Hov’s 4;44 the following year. On his critically acclaimed project, the Brooklyn billionaire confirmed his philandering ways and apologized profusely for his misdeeds.
Source: Eric Charbonneau / Getty
The Queen released her 2022 album Renaissance, an ode to Black queerness. In “Plastic Off The Sofa,” she references their marriage and the public scrutiny it faces.
In the beautifully composed song, she croons, “I know nobody’s perfect, so I’ll let you be, I’ll let you be/It’s the way that you wear your emotions on both of your sleeves, ’til the face you make when I tell you that I had to leave … We don’t need the world’s acceptance. They’re too hard on me, they’re too hard on you, boy.”
Jay and D’Angelo’s single for The Book ofClarence, starring LaKeith Stanfield and Teyana Taylor, is accompanied by music from Lil Wayne, Doja Cat, Kodak Black, Jorja Smith, Shabba Ranks and Kid Cudi.
The film, produced in part by Hov, is now in theatres nationwide, but the period piece is also available on streaming platforms. The “Big Pimpin” rapper reactivated his Instagram account in August 2023 to share the movie’s trailer.
We wonder if Bey will do a little promo for her man’s movie, but either way, her hubby needs to stop playing in our girl’s face. And if he doesn’t, Bey, get yo’ lick back, girl.
All the stars shined and showed out on the chrome carpet for Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé, including a Destiny’s Child reunion.
Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty
The wait is finally over for the world premiere of the Renaissance film. The biggest names in Hollywood converged at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater at the headquarters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.New York Times reports celebrities like Janelle Monáe, Victoria Monét, Chloe and Halle Bailey, Law Roach, Lori Harvey, and more dazzled at the film’s debut on Saturday.
The almost 3-hour long movie captures the magic of thetour, but it’s more than a concert film. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at Beyoncé putting the tour together. The cameras quickly captured the Destiny’s Child reunion at the Renaissance World Tour Houston Homecoming.
“It was like a new birth for us, and a lot of healing,” Beyoncé narrated. Hopefully, that was a taste of more to come from the beloved girl group.
Destiny’s Child Reunites At The Renaissance Film Premiere
The “Say My Name” singers clearly understood the “Alien Superstar” assignment. Seeing them together again sparked fans’ hopes for a true reunion, especially with this year marking the group’s 25th anniversary.
LaTavia Roberson
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
LeToya Luckett
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty
Michelle Williams
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Kelly Rowland
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
Beyoncé didn’t walk the chrome carpet, but Donatella Versace posted a flawless photo of the queen in a custom gown with matching gloves and platinum hair.
Chloe x Halle also shared some cute moments of sisterly love.
Chloe Bailey
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
Halle Bailey and DDG
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty
Jay-Z, Blue Ivy, Sir, and Rumi didn’t walk the chrome carpet either, but it was still a Knowles-Carter family affair.
Julez Smith and Ms. Tina Knowles
Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty
Bianca Lawson
Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty
Gena Avery Knowles and Matthew Knowles
Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty
Check out more of the star-studed chrome carpet from the Renaissance film premiere after the flip.
Janelle Monáe, Victoria Monét, Coco Jones, Lori Harvey, Kris Jenner & More Take The Renaissance Film Chrome Carpet
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
No matter where you looked, the Renaissance film premiere arrivals had “bad b***hes to the left” and “money b***hes to the right.” Of course, Beyoncé’s sparkling steed Reneigh had to pull up for the occasion. Check out more of the chrome carpet looks below.
Reneigh
Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty
Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty
Janelle Monáe
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty
Victoria Monét
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
Coco Jones
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
Normani
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TS Madison
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
Lori Harvey
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty
Marsai Martin
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
Issa Rae
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty
Gabrielle Union-Wade
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
Ava DuVernay
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty
Kris Jenner and Corey Gamble
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
Law Roach
Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty
Lupita Nyong’o
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty
Tia Mowry
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
Tyler Perry
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty
Andra Day
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
Laverne Cox
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty
Jessica Betts and Niecy Nash-Betts
Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty
Lizzo
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
MJ Rodriguez
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
Vanessa and Natalia Bryant
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
Congratulations to Beyoncé on the premiere of her new film!
Who wore your favorite looks for the world premiere of Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé?
A Few days ago it was announced that director Vivek Athreya who last made Ante Sundaraniki with Nani as the lead would be teaming up with the actor once more. Now, an official video glimpse of what the duo has planned for their second outing has dropped and it is full-on menacing.
Nani 31 Unchained was the video title, which also gave an official name to the film called Saripodhaa Sanivaaram. The movie which has Priyanka Arul Mohan and SJ Suryah in key roles is being produced by DVV Entertainment.
Check out the official video
ALSO READ:Nani REACTS to his viral lip-lock scenes with Mrunal Thakur in Hi Nanna teaser
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