Entertainment

If you're unfamiliar with BlueJay on YouTube, you're missing out. He's not quite CGP Grey, but they're of the same ilk.

Insiders say that the studio and producers are interested in casting a British actor under the age of 30, with Jacob Elordi ("Saltburn"), Tom Holland("Spider-Man") and Harris Dickinson("Babygirl") at the top of the list. (Elordi is Australian, but that would not be a deal-breaker as far as Amazon is concerned; remember Aussie George Lazenby starred in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service.") While there has been speculation that Aaron Taylor-Johnson or Henry Cavill would be possible heirs to Craig, they are 35 and 42, respectively, and thus unlikely to fit the mandate. So, too, is fan-favorite Idris Elba, 52, who has ducked Bond speculation for years. (No meetings have happened at this stage

Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond film, Amazon MGM Studios has revealed, with Tanya Lapointe signing on as an executive producer. As previously announced, Amy Pascal and David Heyman will serve as producers.

“Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since ‘Dr. No’ with Sean Connery. I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory,” Villeneuve said. “I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor. Amy, David, and I are absolutely thrilled to bring him back to the screen. Thank you to Amazon MGM Studios for their trust.”

Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, added, “We are honored that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond’s next chapter. He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself. From ‘Blade Runner 2049’ to ‘Arrival’ to the ‘Dune’ films, he has delivered compelling worlds, dynamic visuals, complex characters, and—most importantly—the immersive storytelling that global audiences yearn to experience in theaters. James Bond is in the hands of one of today’s greatest filmmakers and we cannot wait to get started on 007’s next adventure.”

After teasing a potential sequel to his Oscar-winning drama The Social Network for years, Aaron Sorkin looks to have found an angle to tackle for his follow-up film. Sources tell Deadline that Sorkin has been set to direct The Social Network Part II for Sony Pictures. Insiders say that while it’s being called part two, it’s not a straight sequel but rather a follow-up to the original movie that explored the origins of what would become the world’s biggest social media platform.

The new film project is in development with Todd Black, Peter Rice, Sorkin and Stuart Besser producing.

Not going to lie ... if this trailer isn't of the "here's all the good shit" variety, this looks like a fun way to spend a couple of hours in August.

Spaceballs II: The Quest for More Money is finally being made!

I do want to address what’s happening right now outside of the building. There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order. Trump is using military forces to stop a protest. And I want y’all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest the military is deployed against us. What type of government is that? People are being swept up and torn from their families and I feel like it’s my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people. For Black people, For Latino people, for trans people, for the people in Gaza. We all deserve to live in hope and not in fear. And I hope we stand together, my brothers and my sisters against hate and we protest against it. Thank you BET.

By many measures, Warner Bros. Discovery had a bad 2024. Revenue dropped 4.8% to $39.3 billion. The company posted a staggering $11.5 billion net loss, largely because of a $9.1 billion goodwill impairment charge that reflected the lower valuation of its linear TV networks. WBD's stock fell around 7% for the year.

But Warner Bros. Discovery rewarded president and CEO David Zaslav with a 4.4% pay bump, to total compensation of $51.9 million last year, including a cash bonus of $23.9 million and $23.1 million in performance-based restricted stock grants. According to WBD, Zaslav was deemed eligible for a 108.6% payout of his 2024 cash bonus target — and 200% of the target for his stock grants.

How exactly did Zaslav get a pay hike amid Warner Bros. Discovery's financial decline?

As noted, WBD's revenue declined in 2024 and came in below the "100% payout" threshold of $40.4 billion set by the compensation committee for Zaslav to be eligible for that portion of the cash bonus. But a larger component in calculating his bonus was adjusted EBITDA, which was $9.032 billion for 2024 — down 11% year over year, but still over the $9 billion threshold for 100% payout used in determining the CEO's bonus. In addition, WBD ended the year with 116.9 million streaming subs, beating the 112.9 million target for a 125% bonus payout.

Meanwhile, the strategic goals that factored into Zaslav's bonus were more qualitative. For example, one of those goals for Zaslav was to "Complete integration pipeline; Implement cost controls to adjust cost to serve in declining linear [TV] revenue environment." On this front, Zaslav "Achieved incremental cost savings of $1.8B in 2024, significantly overdelivering against internal goal," according to the WBD compensation committee. (Those savings were achieved in part through major layoffs.) The committee determined Zaslav had met the outlined strategic goals at 115% of his target.

Zaslav's 2024 stock grants, valued at $23.1 million, were part of WBD's long-term incentive compensation program. "We believe that delivering a substantial portion of an executive's total direct compensation in equity awards helps to align our executives' interests with those of our stockholders," the board's comp committee explained.

The stock grants Zaslav received last year were not based on total stockholder return (i.e., change in stock price over time). Instead, those were based based 75% on "individual strategic goals" similar to the ones used to calculate his cash bonus; one example there was that Zaslav "Led successful rebound of WBTV from strike, delivering increased episodes in 2024 (as compared to 2023)."

I am very confused. RIP to Jesus and what an awful disease AIDS is, but.. huh???? Everything I read about this death tells me it was sudden and unexpected. Jesus definitely did not look like he was dying of anything pertaining to AIDS. Also, how does somebody even progress to AIDS in the US in 2025? Especially a rich famous hairstylist? It would be more understandable if he were underprivileged or had difficulty finding healthcare and treatment, but there's literally no way that was the case for him lol.

You're telling me Jesus had HIV for however long, didn't know about it, and then it became AIDS and weakened his immune system to the point where he died of a fungal infection? I find that incredibly hard to believe. Either he kept this hidden from literally everyone and ignored his HIV and kept all his physical symptoms a secret or this isn't an AIDS related death and the suggestion that it must've been an AIDS complication comes off as a homophobic implication.

Can anyone give me some insight? Maybe I'm missing something? I am gay and know a bit more about HIV/AIDS than the average person but what is going on here? Can AIDS develop silently and without symptoms? I hope not because that is horrifying and doesn't seem to make sense given what HIV does to the immune system. You can't hide severe illness much.

There's plentiful evidence on the contrary, but Brand seems to have chosen the route of "fuck around, find out".

archive.is link

Julia is a 22-year-old model, student, and self-proclaimed "princess" from Malibu, California, with one nonnegotiable: She refuses to shovel cow shit. But she's down to play the part, she tells Farmer Jay, handing him a framed black-and-white photo of her in a bikini and cowboy hat. Grace, 23, dreams of being a stay-at-home mom with four kids. Jordyn, a 29-year-old country singer who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, says she would relocate across the country for her partner.

The three women are among 32 contestants on the most recent season of Farmer Wants a Wife, Fox's rustic spin on The Bachelor. They come from different backgrounds and have all sorts of interests, but their goals are ultimately the same: to settle down, get married, and have kids.

While the women don't explicitly talk politics, their focus on traditional values fits into a genre of entertainment that is rapidly reshaping the industry: Welcome to Hollywood's MAGA reboot.

What's happening is a "cultural recalibration," says Carri Twigg, a founding partner and head of development at Culture House, the production company that created Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop and Hair Tales. The recalibration has led to a "generalized chill" in the industry that has caused more diverse projects to suffer.

"I've heard from multiple executives that there's a noticeable hesitancy around content perceived as too progressive, especially if it centers non-white leads or tackles social issues explicitly. Even projects with mild inclusivity are getting flagged in internal discussions," Twigg says. "Colleagues have expressed frustration that kinds stories they were encouraged to pitch just a couple years ago are now getting passed on as like 'too niche' or 'not resonant right now' by the same execs who once called them 'visionary' and 'universal.'"

Talk shows are also being encouraged to shift their programming. In a recent meeting with the cohosts of The View, the popular morning gabfest with Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar, ABC News president Almin Karamehmedovic urged the women to soften their criticisms of Trump, saying "the panel needed to broaden its conversations beyond its predominant focus on politics," the Daily Beast reported. Disney CEO Bob Iger also suggested that the show "tone down" its political rhetoric.

“The Norm you see in Cheers has been years in the making,” Wendt once said of his character. “I have some characteristics in common with him besides our fondness for beer. But I think I’m a lot happier than Norm.” He also added: “I was a beer drinker long before Cheers. When I put a couple of six packs on top of my grocery shopping cart, people are pleased. I tell ‘em I’m taking them home to rehearse.”