Tag Archives: Jamie Foxx

Entertainment

Todd McFarlane’s Spawn Movie Gets Captain America 4 Writers

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Image: New Line Cinema

There is, somehow, a sequel to The Animal happening. The Simpsons takes on It in new Treehouse of Horror images. Plus, director Lee Cronin teases Evil Dead Rise, and new footage from She-Hulk and Rick and Morty. Spoilers now!

The Animal 2

Deadline reports Rob Schneider will reprise his role as Marvin Mange, the police evidence clerk whose organs were replaced with animal parts, in a wholly unexpected sequel to 2001’s The Animal at Tubi. According to the outlet, the sequel will see the character “get into an accident and have to be put together again with new animal parts,” which he’ll use to “hunt down a new uber-animal with powers far beyond his own.”

Spawn

 THR has word Scott Silver (Joker), Malcolm Spellman (Falcon and the Winter Soldier) and Matthew Mixon are writing a new script for the Spawn reboot at Blumhouse. As of this writing, Jamie Foxx is still on board to play Al Simmons/Spawn, but Jeremy Renner’s involvement as Twitch Williams remains “to be determined.”

Evil Dead Rise

Director Lee Cronin shared a new behind-the-scenes photo from Evil Dead Rise on Twitter.

Halloween Ends

Laurie distracts Michael with an exploding lasagna in a new clip from Halloween Ends.

HALLOWEEN ENDS Clip – Michael Myers Finds Laurie in the Storage Room (2022)

MK Ultra

Meanwhile, Anson Mount is having second thoughts about the CIA’s experimental mind control program in a new clip from MK Ultra.

MK Ultra | Exclusive Clip | I Don’t Like Questions

Star Trek: Picard

In response to a fan on Twitter, showrunner Terry Matalas implied he plans to kill off at least one member of The Next Generation crew in the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard.

Werewolf By Night

During a recent interview with Fandom, Michael Giacchino described the monsters in Werewolf By Night as “person[s] with a problem, who can’t solve it and needs help solving it.”

Too often, even in Marvel movies, a lot of times monsters are just used as something to kill, something to defeat. And I’m like, no, monsters are nothing but a person with a problem, who can’t solve it and needs help solving it. Everything that I loved as a kid about these [monster] films is that they were allegories for people with afflictions that need help. And I felt like that’s the point of view we need to take with this. It cannot just be about ‘Oh, there’s something different, let’s destroy it!’ There’s too much of that going on in our world these days.

I wanted to do something that was about, no, let’s peel back the layers of the onion and understand what’s behind this thing being a monster. Why is it happening? None of these monsters want to be monsters. They don’t want to go around indiscriminately killing people and destroying things. It’s just, that’s their lot in life. Everyone has a lot in life, we all have some struggles, some sort of thing that we’re struggling to solve or deal with within our own selves. And that’s where I want it to go with this story.

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi

Disney has released a poster for Tales of the Jedi, its upcoming series of animated short films set in the Star Wars universe.

Treehouse of Horror Presents: Not It

Bloody-Disgusting has six new images from The Simpsons’ episode-length It parody, “Not It.”

Photo: Fox

Photo: Fox

Photo: Fox

Photo: Fox

Photo: Fox

Photo: Fox

American Horror Story

Spoiler TV has synopses for the first two episodes of American Horror Story’s eleventh season.

Something’s Coming

Mysterious deaths and disappearances ramp up in the city. A doctor makes a frightening discovery, and a local reporter becomes tomorrow’s headline. Written by Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk, directed by John J. Gray.

Thank You For Your Service

Gino grapples with his trauma. Patrick’s search takes him to dark places. A stranger contacts Hannah with a grave warning. Written by Ned Martel & Charlie Carver & Manny Coto, directed by Max Winkler.

Quantum Leap

Ben finds himself in the Wild West in the synopsis for “Salvation or Bust,” the October 17 episode of Quantum Leap.

Ben is transported back to 1898 and the rustic, frontier town of Salvation, where he must take on a deadly outlaw. Magic, Jenn and Ian face a new threat when a curious senator shows up at headquarters asking a lot of questions about the Quantum Leap program.

[Spoiler TV]

La Brea

A deadly fog envelops the Clearing in the synopsis for La Brea’s October 18 episode, “The Fog.”

When a fog falls over the Clearing, Eve leads a defense against a group of invaders, only to encounter a threat more dangerous than they’ve faced before. In 1988, Josh and Riley pursue a woman who may hold the key to stopping the impending tidal wave disaster.

[Spoiler TV]

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

She-Hulk meets Leap-Frog and spars with Daredevil in two clips from today’s episode.

NEW LEAP FROG FIGHT SHE-HULK CLIP Episode 8 Official Clip

Rick & Morty

Dinosaurs solve all the world’s problems in a new clip from this week’s episode of Rick & Morty.

Rick and Morty | S6E6 Sneak Peek: Dinosaur Utopia | adult swim

Ghostwriter

Finally, Ghostwriter returns for a third season this October 21 on Apple TV+

Ghostwriter — Season 3 Official Trailer | Apple TV+

Banner art by Jim Cook

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

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Entertainment

B.J. Novak Shuts Down Bill Maher’s ‘Cancel Culture’ Nonsense

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On Friday night, Bill Maher welcomed an unlikely guest to Real Time: B.J. Novak, the Office writer/co-star, bestselling author, and filmmaker.

Novak visited the HBO program to promote his feature directorial debut Vengeance, an indie screwball about an opportunistic New York City journalist/podcaster who ventures to red-state Texas to investigate the death of a former flame. So naturally, Maher tried to engage Novak on a number of hot-button cultural issues regarding the political divide in this country.

Maher kicked things off by asking Novak about “the cognitive dissonance of, I don’t agree with you politically, but I like you personally… how can we do that on a national level en masse?”

“In my opinion, it’s about emotion more than argument, and I think it’s about stopping ourselves from picking at the scab of everything that we disagree on,” Novak calmly explained. “Twitter is a drug for that, and when we’re separate behind screens, we pick the scab, we bite the canker sore of the things we disagree on. And I think if we all try to do that less, and focus on things like comedy, or sports, or art, or whatever, or sitting down over dinner, I think that is a start.”

The audience gave Novak a round of applause, which made Maher awkwardly smirk.

Then, Maher waded into so-called “cancel culture,” which in this case encompassed the notion that Twitter-happy audience members are somehow censoring Hollywood productions and not vice versa.

“Lately we’ve been talking a lot about on this show—we’re gonna talk about it tonight—the freedom in the arts,” offered Maher, before continuing: “You know, you’ve written some episodes of… The Office which they don’t show now. I see Jamie Foxx’s new movie was shelved—I guess he made it a few years ago, but they’re not gonna ever show it. They make less comedies. I mean, you found a way to make a comedy about something, but I’m sure you have to be very careful about a lot of different things. They’re making less because it’s so not worth it to even try. Where are you on that?”

Novak wasn’t so convinced of Maher’s theory. “I think there’s a difference between the gatekeepers and the audience—and I think you see this firsthand as a stand-up. The audiences, I think, are pretty down for everything,” he said. “They’re pretty smart people, and can be trusted a lot more than the gatekeepers sometimes worry. The gatekeepers are worried about the chatter in their own spheres, but I think audiences can be trusted to be pretty smart.”

“But it’s not in the hands of the audience,” shot back Maher.

“That’s what I’m saying,” replied Novak. “I’m saying, I don’t think the problem is that the audiences are too sensitive. I think the problem is that people are worried that other people are too sensitive.”

Maher was speechless.

The Office episode controversy Maher mentioned could use a bit of context. He was referring to an episode of The Office, “Diversity Day,” that Comedy Central decided to omit from an Office marathon on its network. The episode is still available on streaming services and for purchase, so this was clearly a decision made by the gatekeepers and not the audience, as Novak contended.

As for Jamie Foxx’s feature directorial debut All-Star Weekend, which the actor has claimed was shelved indefinitely due to sensitivities over Robert Downey Jr. playing a Mexican in the film, well, the movie was shot all the way back in 2016, and apparently featured Foxx playing a white racist cop and Downey Jr. as a Mexican. The movie was originally scheduled to be released in Feb. 2018, timed to NBA All-Star weekend, but was not completed in time. Its release date was then pushed a year to NBA All-Star weekend 2019 but was still not completed in time. All-Star Weekend’s release was subsequently pushed to late 2019, and then to 2021, but is now apparently on ice. We don’t know whether this has to do with the quality of the film or other factors, but rest assured, it’s the studio’s decision.

An important piece of info that Maher rather conveniently failed to mention regarding All-Star Weekend is that, in addition to its apparent post-production problems, Jeremy Piven has second billing in the film. In late 2017 into early 2018, eight women accused Piven of sexual misconduct.

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Entertainment

Annie Live! review

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Photo: Eric Liebowitz/NBC

It’s a funny quirk of theater that Annie Live! was actually the least nervous I’ve ever felt sitting down to watch one of these live musicals. If there’s one group of people I trust to deliver consistency, it’s kids trained in musical theater. So even though this particular production opened with a bizarre Brechtian acknowledgement of the fourth wall by way of what felt like a Gap Kids ad, and then forced young star Celina Smith to go through the stress of a quick change on national television (talk about a “moment before”), nothing could throw this young cast off its game. Less than 10 minutes in, elementary schoolers were already doing butterfly flips across the stage while singing in perfect harmony. It’s hard to think of a better way to say “theater is back, baby!” than a pre-teen belting her face off while walking a live dog around the stage. The audience couldn’t stop themselves from applauding mid-song and neither could I.

In retrospect, I can’t believe we got A Christmas Story Live! and The Grinch Live! before someone thought to stage a production of Annie. Not only is it a beloved musical, it’s also a genuinely good show too. Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin’s score is full of bangers, not just in the show’s best-known numbers, but also in catchy songs like “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here,” “Easy Street,” and “N.Y.C.” Between the popularity of the original cast album, the 1982 movie with Carol Burnett, the 1999 Wonderful World Of Disney version with Victor Garber and Kathy Bates, and the 2014 movie with Quvenzhané Wallis and Jamie Foxx, it’s a show that’s got buy-in from multiple generations. Plus it’s literally set at Christmas! Leaping lizards, what else could you want?

Best of all, NBC finally listened to the plea I’ve put in basically every review since these live musicals started: They filmed the show in front of a live audience and let the crowd actually laugh at the jokes, rather than just cheer like they were at a rock concert. I don’t know why it took eight full years for someone to think of treating theater like theater, but at least NBC made up for it by bringing in an audience knowledgeable enough to make sure Megan Hilty got her own entrance applause in addition to Tituss Burgess’ ecstatic reception after the duo arrived onstage together as Rooster and Lily St. Regis, respectively. That’s exactly how two Broadway legends should be treated.

Photo: Virginia Sherwood/NBC

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Annie Live! threw down the gauntlet early by squeezing in “Maybe,” “It’s The Hard Knock Life,” and “Tomorrow” all before the first commercial break. And the show kept up that momentum for its full three-hour runtime. Even the flaws— Harry Connick Jr.’s horrifyingly fleshy Daddy Warbucks bald cap, a few crew members popping up in shots here and there—just added to the fun of the whole thing. These live musicals should be a touch ridiculous, otherwise what would we tweet about? Annie Live! reminded us that girls can be orphans, billionaires can be good, and Nicole Scherzinger can fan kick while scatting. So while, sure, maybe Smith’s unexpectedly raw, naturalistic take on Annie doesn’t necessarily make sense in the same show where Taraji P. Henson is going full twitchy pantomime villain as Miss Hannigan, it doesn’t really matter when both performances are wonderful in a cast without a weak link.

Annie Live! also hugely benefited from director Lear deBessonet’s simple, pared back staging. While some of these live musicals have gone big with multiple sound stages or concert-style productions, Annie Live! mostly unfolded like an actual stage show. Jason Sherwood’s elegantly simple set put the emphasis on the performers—especially the dancers, who stole the show in the big ensemble numbers. (You can feel how hungry these performers have been to put on a show after the pandemic put a kibosh on live theater for so long, and Sergio Trujillo’s choreography served them incredibly well.) And while Alex Rudzinski’s camera direction wasn’t always the best at complementing deBessonet’s stage pictures, that’s a fairly minor critique. On the plus side, other than a few late microphone moments, Annie Live! was basically the first of these live musicals to finally get the sound mixing right, which is a huge win in my book.

Photo: Virginia Sherwood/NBC

It also helps that Annie just feels like a nice thematic fit for our current moment. There’s something poignant about its lighthearted look at the power of optimism in the face of the Great Depression. (Hope you enjoyed that Herbert Hoover history lesson, kids!) Plus its celebration of found family is lovely too. Though this is definitely a fun-first show, I actually found myself surprisingly moved by Connick Jr.’s mournful reprise of “Maybe” when Daddy Warbucks thinks he’s going to have to say goodbye to little orphan Annie. And by the time Annie and Warbucks expressed their love for one another after she finds out her biological parents died years ago, I was full-on tearing up.

Annie Live! does what these live musicals should have been doing from the start: Pick strong source material, cast it well, and embrace the unique format of live theater, rather than try to turn it into something else. Perfectly paced and anchored by Smith’s star-making breakthrough performance, Annie Live! proved to be a lovely way to spend a Thursday night amidst the busy rush of the holiday season and the general scariness of the world right now. While so many of the previous live musicals have felt like fleeting ephemera I’ll never rewatch again, Annie Live! is one I might actually be tempted to revisit tomorrow.

Stray observations

  • Yes, I did clap for Annie’s big entrance in her iconic red dress, and I hope you did too.
  • Nicole Scherzinger walks an unparalleled line between giving an earnestly great musical theater performance and a ridiculous camp musical theater performance, and that is her power.
  • Some of the camera work was pretty scattershot tonight, but I did love that Steadicam shot down the steps in “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here.”
  • I also loved the fantastically colorful period styles from costumer designer Emilio Sosa, although I’m a little baffled by the choice to bookend the show with kids in modern dress.
  • I truly can’t overemphasis what a difference it made to have a live audience laughing and responding to the show itself! It was especially sweet when the crowd broke into applause for Warbuck’s line, “I’m glad to see Broadway getting back on its feet in spite of the hard times.”
  • I’d take a New Deal for Christmas! Or a kind billionaire who wants to adopt me.

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Entertainment

Who is the Snail? The Masked Singer season 5 premiere recap

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Nicole Scherzinger
Photo: Michael Becker/FOX

Wednesday marked the return of one of the more bizarre reality competitions to have found success on American television, and that’s saying a lot. The Masked Singer season five kicked off with guest host Niecy Nash stepping in for COVID-positive Nick Cannon, a secret-keeping rooster hiding clues from the judges, and a crop of new masked crooners.

If you’re unfamiliar with the premise of the Fox series, it’s basically a singing competition where celebrities (or “celebrities”) sing elaborate karaoke routines while judges Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger, and Robin Thicke scour video clue packages for hints of who may be underneath the masks.

Wednesday’s premiere featured performances by five of the season’s ten contestants: Raccoon, Snail, Seashell, Russian Doll, and Robpine (that’s a robot porcupine, in case it wasn’t clear). Guesses for who was under the masks Wednesday ranged from Jamie Foxx to Jessica Simpson to Ginuwine. But only the singer with the lowest number of votes from the judges and the audience at home (in this case a limited number of people that supposedly watched live feeds when the show was recorded weeks ago, we guess?) gets revealed at the end of the episode and this week it was….

[Spoiler ahead.]

Snail. The judges’ guesses for who performed Hall & Oats’ “Make My Dreams” with a put-on country twang included Adam Carolla, Billy Crystal, and Jay Leno. But when the Snail’s top hat was removed, there was no celebrity head to be seen. Instead, it was Kermit the Frog who emerged from the snail shell. Yep, that’s right. While the judges were guessing real life human beings like chumps, it was a Muppet all along. Or at least puppeteer Matt Vogel.

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Kermit and Niecy Nash
Photo: Michael Becker/FOX

Based on the costumes it’s evident that there are real humans behind at least some of the voices this season, but it’s still unclear if the Russian Doll is one person, two persons, a whole family of people? Or, if tonight was any indication, maybe it’s just the whole treefull of Keebler elves.

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