Steve Pond's Blog, page 198

Jack Black Surprises ‘Love on the Spectrum’ Star in Hilarious, Heartfelt TV Moment: ‘I’m You’re Biggest Fan!’ | Video

In what will surely be the most laugh-out-loud and heartwarming TV moment you will watch today, “Love on the Spectrum” star Tanner Smith was surprised on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” by his favorite person: Jack Black.

Last time he was on the show, the 25-year-old Smith was surprised with a video message from Black, of whom he claims to be the world’s “biggest fan.” And this time, host Kelly Clarkson pulled out all the stops, getting Black to come in to her 30 Rock studio while the comedian prepares for his stint hosting “Saturday Night Live” this week. Just try not smiling at Smith’s elated reaction.

It started with Clarkson telling Smith that she had a second video message from Black to play before pulling up the actor standing, we soon learn, backstage ready to run into the studio.

“What’s up, Tanner? Jack Black here. I still cannot wait to meet you in person. But I’m on the road with ‘A Minecraft Movie’ right now — but luckily, I have insane ninja Kung-fu powers, which means I can come through these doors and I’m going to see you right now when I come through these doors!” Black said in characteristically cartoonish fashion.

Smith leapt off the sofa and barely let Black sit down to join them before Clarkson suggested that they come over and join her.

“Jack I’m so excited to meet you! Jack I’m so glad I could finally meet you! Jack, I’m you’re biggest fan because you’re a great actor and a great singer! So I’m happy to finally meet you!” Smith said, among other enthusiastic praises.

Black, clearly joyful over the moment, could not contain his laughter and hugged Smith and his sister before sitting down on the sofa in a daze.

“You’re so handsome, you’re looking good, Jack!” Smith said. “And Jack, you’re a great actor, just like me. And you’re very strong, too.”

Black, playing along, said that he’s been working out and that he and Smith should lift weights sometime so he can get pointers.

“Yes sir! Guess what? I’m going to get your phone number, we can workout together,” Smith suggested, encroaching closer and closer to Black’s face. “This is happening,” Black said, going in for a high-five before removing his glasses, saying they’re “steaming up” from all the excitement.

“Hey, I love you on the show, and I can’t wait for the next season, and I’m so happy for you, for having all of this success and time in your life, and to meet you in person is really amazing for me, too,” Black said, sincerely.

“It’s really amazing for me too!” Smith said, before thanking Clarkson profusely.

“Thank you so much, Miss Kelly! Miss Kelly, thank you so much! This is the best day of my life! You’re the best, Miss Kelly! Thank you Miss Kelly!”

Watch the full interaction via “The Kelly Clarkson Show” below:

Best surprise EVER!! @jackblack #LoveOnTheSpectrum pic.twitter.com/Ou6x66j1K8

— The Kelly Clarkson Show (@KellyClarksonTV) April 3, 2025

Smith co-stars as one of the participants on Netflix’s “Love on the Spectrum,” which follows a number of people living with autism as they navigate the world both independently and with their families — and specifically as they date and try to find love. Season 3 premiered Wednesday on the streamer.

The post Jack Black Surprises ‘Love on the Spectrum’ Star in Hilarious, Heartfelt TV Moment: ‘I’m You’re Biggest Fan!’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

5 Ways Trump’s Tariffs Could Impact Hollywood

Hollywood was reeling Thursday after Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on 180 countries sent shock waves across global economies and markets, even though its main products of films and TV are protected as services and spared the levies being placed on imported hard goods. But executives’ anxieties were focused on one thing: consumers, who in a recession-heading economy, could hurt everything from box office to advertising to streaming subscriptions.

“Tariffs specifically won’t have much impact on companies’ costs in this industry. Other than Roku, most don’t rely much or at all on selling goods,” Morningstar analyst Matt Dolgin wrote in a Thursday research note. “However, most do rely directly on consumer spending, so economic weakness that results from the tariffs could impede business.”

Here is a rundown of where it could hurt the most:

Streaming and Pay TV Subscriptions

Though tariffs are not expected to directly impact TV shows and movies, consumers could pull back on their spending on streaming and pay TV subscriptions.

According to a recent digital media trends survey by Deloitte, consumers surveyed are paying an average of $69 per month for four streaming services, up 13% year-over-year from an average of $61 per month. Gen Z and millennials, with an average of five paid SVOD services, have seen a 20% increase.

Roughly half (47%) of consumers surveyed by Deloitte say they pay too much for the streaming services they use, while 41% said the content available on SVOD is not worth the price, up five percentage points from the firm’s 2024 report.

Currently, the average price for a premium, ad-free SVOD service subscription is around $16 per month, though the leading services can be significantly higher. Meanwhile the average cost for cable or satellite TV subscriptions is $125 per month, per Deloitte.

Box Office

Similarly, consumers may be less inclined to spend a night out at the movie theater. According to Box Office Mojo, the box office is down 12.5% year-over-year.

Trump’s new tariffs threaten to exacerbate that decline.The National Retail Federation projected that tariffs could reduce the amount U.S. households can spend by $2,500 to up to $7,600. That would translate to a 9.5% cut in spending for the median American household. A similar 9.5% hit to the U.S. box office, without factoring in the rising cost of movies and concessions, would shave up to $826 million in movie theater revenue.

Advertising

Another area that could have a knock-on effect on media giants is if advertisers decide to pull back on their spend, pressuring revenues for both linear networks and streaming services.

A recent survey of 100 “advertising decision-makers” conducted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau in February found that 94% of respondents are concerned about the impact of tariffs on ad spending. Of those, 57% are “extremely concerned” and 37% are “somewhat concerned.”

Traditional media and social advertising are expected to see the largest budget reductions, while connected and online video may be more resilient, per IAB. Respondents see retail/ecommerce, consumer electronics and media & entertainment as the top three most likely categories to face ad budget reductions, followed by financial services, travel & hospitality, pharmaceuticals, tech/telecom, restaurants/QSR and consumer packaged goods. 

The majority of respondents surveyed (60%) believe ad budgets will decline by 6%-10% due to tariff related pressures, while 22% expect decreases of 11-20% and 14% expect 0%-5% decreases. Most respondents expect those contractions to occur in the third quarter (37%) and the second quarter (34%) of the year.

Electronics

On the product side, one area where tariffs could create trouble is in the manufacturing of electronics, such as phones, tablets, video game consoles and TVs.

The American public was projected to spend a record $537 billion on electronics in 2025 by the Consumer Technology Association in January. But the CTA has warned tariffs will now put a significant dent in consumer spending on tech products – projecting tariffs could lead to a $90 billion to $143 billion drop in money spent on electronics.

The CTA estimated consumers could spend as much as 37% more on smartphones and 58% more on video game consoles as a result of tariffs.

Tourism

Consumers and tourists also may shell out less for expensive vacations given the tariff uncertainty, which could weigh on attendance for Disney and Universal theme parks.

Oxford Economics recently predicted that U.S. inbound visits could decline 5.1% and hotel room demand could decline 0.8% due to an expanded trade war. Meanwhile, international visits could be 12.7% lower than the baseline.

It added that U.S. inbound travel spending in 2025 could be 10.9% lower than the baseline, which totals to an estimated $18 billion loss. Total U.S. travel spending,
representing domestic and inbound spending combined, could be 4.6% lower than the baseline, or an estimated loss of $64 billion in 2025.

The post 5 Ways Trump’s Tariffs Could Impact Hollywood appeared first on TheWrap.

Disney Brings Superheroes, Springsteen and 3D ‘Avatar’ to CinemaCon

For years, Andrew Cripps was known at CinemaCon for showing up at Warner Bros.’ presentations in all sorts of costumes. This year, he showed up in a much different role: as Disney’s new head of theatrical distribution.

Cripps took over the position from Tony Chambers, who now serves as Disney’s president of EMEA, at a time when Disney’s successful 2024 gave way to a 2025 start in which “Captain America: Brave New World” had to fight just to reach break-even territory while “Snow White” has fallen to the ignominious status of the biggest flop in Disney’s remake series.

Fortunately for the studio, the rest of the year’s slate is looking much brighter, and Cripps noted that the films to come, like all of Disney’s films over the past two years, come with the longest theatrical window in the industry. Without much fanfare, Disney started a 100-day theatrical window on all of its films starting with “Avatar: The Way of Water,” with no promotion of the film’s release on Disney+ prior to the day it hits streaming.

“For many years, I have sat where you are watching in awe at the breadth and width of Disney’s slate, and it is an honor to now stand up here to show you what we have coming to your theaters in the months ahead,” he said.

The changes weren’t limited to Cripps. In past years, Disney eschewed the cast and filmmaker appearances that other studios would do at CinemaCon, instead just letting the cameras roll with lengthy sneak peeks. This time, they went the traditional route with in-person appearances from cast members of many of their films.

The show opened with a sneak peek of “Lilo & Stitch,” with Lilo, played by the six-year-old Maia Kealoha, trying and failing to get the CGI Stitch to put down a soda gun.

In a rare absence, Kevin Feige spoke to CinemaCon attendees from a video message rather than in person, as he is now on the London set of “Avengers: Doomsday.” He introduced a first look at Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer in “Fantastic 4: First Steps,” while the cast of “Thunderbolts” showed up in person to present one of their film’s fight scenes.

One of the more intriguing aspects of the presentation was 20th Century Studios, which is now under the leadership of David Greenbaum and, along with franchise titles like “Predator: Badlands” and commercial biopics like “Deliver Me From Nowhere” starring Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen, is also now producing the sort of mature fare that Disney once released under labels like Touchstone Pictures.

CinemaCon attendees got a first look at Greenbaum’s efforts with Ella McCay, a dramedy starring Emma Mackey as an idealistic politician who suddenly finds herself as the governor of Rhode Island when the previous one resigns. Now in a seat of power at the age of 34, she must balance her difficult new job with personal struggles with her family. The film is currently in production under the direction of James L. Brooks, who showed up to receive an award from Cinema United.

But after sneak peek clips of Pixar’s “Elio” and Disney’s ‘Zootopia 2,” the show ended with the first teaser of what will likely be the highest grossing movie of the year, “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” a film that marks a pivotal point in James Cameron’s planned five-film saga on Pandora and shows a raging tribe of Na’vi called the Ash People who have forsaken Eywa.

While Disney may be struggling with its recent films, “Captain America: Brave New World” and “Snow White” still stand as the two highest grossing movies of the year so far. And with the rest of its slate, it is expected to be the top grossing studio in Hollywood for the ninth time in the past 10 years.

The post Disney Brings Superheroes, Springsteen and 3D ‘Avatar’ to CinemaCon appeared first on TheWrap.

Trump Tariff Implosion Is the ‘Worst Self-Inflicted Wound’ Seen in US Economy History, Obama Advisor Says | Video

It has been one day and President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs are already being widely considered a major implosion across the country.

While speaking with MSNBC, Gene Sperling, the former Director of the Economic Council for Presidents Obama and Clinton, called the market reaction to Trump’s tariffs the “worst self-inflicted wound” in the country’s economic history.

“It’s not just that you’re doing tariffs, there are ways to have a strategic tariff policy to promote bringing manufacturing back in key areas. I support that, President Biden supported that. But you have to take governing seriously,” he said. “What we’ve now seen is the same attitude that you saw at DOGE – careless, reckless, destructive policy changes – is now happening at the global stage with this tariff announcement.”

The economic advisor continued: “This is the worst self-inflicted wound I have ever seen in the history of our country economically. Donald Trump was going into what most people thought was going to be a beautiful soft landing. What made a lot of people upset was that he was going to take credit for the stable growth, lower inflation, low unemployment that Biden had done a lot of the work on.”

Watch Sperling’s appearance on MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House” below:

The former Obama advisor went on to say if he or fellow guest Steve Rattner were advising the current president they would have told him to ride this soft landing everyone thought he had. Instead “for literally no reason you have taken a steady soft landing and now created trillions of dollars of wealth loss.”

Many have been feeling a similar bafflement following Trump’s tariff signing. On Wednesday, CNBC host Jon Fortt did not hide his concern while watching the market free fall in the wake of the move.

“This — I think, fair to say, is worse than the worst-case scenario of the tariffs that many in the market expected the president to impose,” he said.

Watch the full MSNBC segment above.

The post Trump Tariff Implosion Is the ‘Worst Self-Inflicted Wound’ Seen in US Economy History, Obama Advisor Says | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Where to Watch ‘A Minecraft Movie’: Is It Streaming?

It’s time to enter the Overworld for real.

After years of fans playing “Minecraft,” the game, the film adaptation has arrived, starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa. Black plays an expert crafter helping Momoa and his compatriots return home and escape the weird, cubic world they have fallen into.

Here is everything you need to know about “A Minecraft Movie.”

What is the release date?

“A Minecraft Movie” comes out on April 4, 2025.

Is it streaming?

No, you will only be able to see the film in theaters for now. But, given that it’s a Warner Bros. film, it will be streaming on Max when it comes time for its streaming debut. No official date for that has been announced yet but we’ll update this post when we have one.

For now, check your local listings for tickets.

What is it about?

Per the official synopsis for “A Minecraft Movie”: “Four misfits Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, Henry, Natalie and Dawn find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination.

“To get back home, they’ll have to master this world (and protect it from evil things like Piglins and Zombies, too) while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve. Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative … the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world.”

Who stars in the film?

In addition to Black and Momoa, the film also stars Emma Myers (Netflix’s “Wednesday”), Oscar nominee Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”), Sebastian Hansen (“Just Mercy,” “Lisey’s Story”) and Jennifer Coolidge (“The White Lotus,” “Legally Blonde”).

Watch the trailer:

The post Where to Watch ‘A Minecraft Movie’: Is It Streaming? appeared first on TheWrap.

First ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Footage Features Living Airships and Evil Na’vi

It’s fitting that CinemaCon closed on Thursday with the first teaser trailer for “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” a film that when all is said and done could be the highest grossing film of 2025.

Director James Cameron appeared on screen in a recorded message to introduce the film. Zoe Saldana appeared on stage. “This film is unlike anything audiences have ever seen,” Saldana says.

In the new teaser, we meet the Wind traders and the Ash people.

“The strength of the ancestors is here,” Saldana says. A ship is out to sea as the crew works on the galley. Netiri sounds the alarm as a battle ensues. More gorgeous shots of Pandora fill the screen.

The villain’s name is Varang. The airships don’t have a name yet but are run by a tribe called the Wind Traders. They are attacked by Varang and the Ash People, a group of pyromaniac Na’vi who have forsaken Ewya.

A little over three years ago, “Avatar: The Way of Water” grossed $2.3 billion at the global box office, standing among the top 3 highest grossing films of all time before inflation. If “Fire and Ash” also crosses the $2 billion mark, “Avatar” will become the first franchise to have three films that do so.

The post First ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Footage Features Living Airships and Evil Na’vi appeared first on TheWrap.

Stephen Colbert Jokes Trump Tariffs Liberated America ‘From the Tyranny of Being Able to Buy Stuff’ Video

Following Donald Trump’s chaotic, stock market-devastating announcement Wednesday of massive tariffs experts say are “worse than the worst case scenario,” Stephen Colbert kicked off his monologue by joking that the audience must feel “liberated,” because “America is finally free from the tyranny of being able to buy stuff from other countries.”

“Who’s ready to learn how to make their own iPad from scratch?” COlbert continued. “Watching those kids have all the fun.”

Colbert continued by explaining how the tariffs seem to have been decided on last minute, noting, “reportedly, Trump was still weighing tariff options until late yesterday. Now, if you’re not steeped in the wonky language of beltway insiders, that basically means they were spitballing ideas through the bathroom door at 3am.”

“Tell you what?” Colbert continued, using his Donald Trump impression. “What if Ireland has to pay extra to to be on the Lucky Charms box. What about that? I’m just spitballing here. We stopped Count Chocula at the border.”

Colbert noted that the tariffs would be the strictest since the 1930s Smoot Hawley tariffs, which he noted was “just one of the reasons we remember Herbert Hoover as our greatest president, why they named all those vacuums after him because, because he didn’t suck.”

“Now, worry wart historians believe that the 1930s tariffs were responsible for a two thirds decline in international trade and led to a global depression,” Colbert continued. (This is mostly accurate by the way. The depression had already started when those tariffs were implemented, but they made things far, far worse.)

“Doesn’t mean it’s going to happen again, but just in case, we should all practice our sad Dust Bowl Migrant Mother pose,” He joked, before making such a pose.

There more of course and you can watch the whole monologue below:

The post Stephen Colbert Jokes Trump Tariffs Liberated America ‘From the Tyranny of Being Able to Buy Stuff’ Video appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Crime 101’: Halle Berry Locks Horns With Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo in Amazon Crime Thriller

Oscar winner Halle Berry is set to team up with “Avengers” stars Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo in Amazon MGM’s upcoming crime thriller “Crime 101.” Hemsworth and Berry took the CinemaCon mainstage with the film’s director.

In the first trailer shown at CinemaCon on Wednesday, we see Berry play an exhausted insurance broker looking for a way out before the system grinds her down. She may need to be careful what she wishes for, as she gets ensnared in a multi-million dollar heist run by a master jewel thief named Davis, played by Hemsworth.

Meanwhile, Ruffalo plays Lou, an LAPD detective who is haunted by unfinished business and is closing in fast on Davis. The trio collide as the heist unfolds, and soon their lives, as well as millions in diamonds, are on the line.

The sneak peek takes place in Los Angeles where $3 millions in stones is up for grabs. 219 robberies occurred in the last four years.

“This is all the same guy,” Ruffalo says. Hemsworth makes Berry makes a proposition. An $11 million heist is being planned. Ruffalo gets into the back of a car driven by Hemsworth’s character.

“You ever seen ‘The Thomas Crown Affair?” Ruffalo says. “There is a high class thief in it.” Hemsworth eyeballs Ruffalo through the rear view mirror.

“Crime 101” is set for release next year, with an exact date to be determined.

The post ‘Crime 101’: Halle Berry Locks Horns With Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo in Amazon Crime Thriller appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Mercy’ First Look: Chris Pratt Has 90 Minutes to Prove to AI That He Didn’t Kill His Wife

Imagine if an advanced AI program put you on trial for murder…and you had 90 minutes prove your innocence or die.

That’s the premise of “Mercy,” which got an extended trailer during Amazon MGM’s presentation. Chris Pratt came onstage to show the chair he sits in for the duration of the film, in which he plays an LAPD detective who helped create the Mercy program, and is now facing its judgement for the murder of his wife.

Mercy, which is played by Rebecca Ferguson, gives the detective full access to its surveillance, forensics, and criminal investigation systems. He has 90 minutes to comb the system and find his wife’s killer and prove his innocence. If he doesn’t get Mercy’s “guilt threshold” below 92% with enough evidence, he will be immediately executed.

Timur Bekmambetov (“Wanted”) directed the sci-fi thriller from a script penned by Marco van Belle (“Arthur & Merlin”).

This project comes to Amazon MGM Studios from Academy Award-winning and Golden Globe Award-winning producer Charles Roven (“American Hustle”), who garnered a second Academy Award for Best Picture last year on “Oppenheimer.” Roven produced “Mercy” with Atlas Entertainment SVP Robert Amidon as part of the producing team alongside Bekmambetov’s Bezelevs and film producer Majd Nassif.

“Mercy” will mark a reunion for Pratt and Bekmambetov, both alums of “Wanted,” a 2008 action film based on Mark Millar’s comic book. Bekmambetov’s Hollywood directorial debut grossed more than $342 million worldwide and earned two Oscar nominations.

Bekmambetov broke out with the fantasy epic “Night Watch” (2004). His innovations in digital filmmaking earned Bekmambetov’s production company BEL a place in Fast Company’s Top 10 Most Innovative video companies in the world in 2021.

“Mercy” will further expand Chris Pratt’s relationship with Amazon MGM Studios, from which the hit series “The Terminal List” hails. Prime Video previously confirmed the second season of the fan-favorite, action-thriller series and has ordered the prequel “The Terminal List: Dark Wolf,” which will also star Taylor Kitsch, to series. On the film side, Pratt recently starred in Prime Video’s “The Tomorrow War” and “Electric State” at Netflix.

“Mercy” will be released on Jan. 3, 2026.

The post ‘Mercy’ First Look: Chris Pratt Has 90 Minutes to Prove to AI That He Didn’t Kill His Wife appeared first on TheWrap.

Julia Roberts Is Caught in a Sexual Assault Scandal in First Look at Luca Guadagnino’s ‘After the Hunt’

Luca Guadagnino, Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield were a big part of Amazon MGM’s debut presentation at CinemaCon, coming out onstage to show off their upcoming psychological thriller “After the Hunt.”

The film stars Julia Roberts as a college professor who finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star student (Ayo Edebiri) levels an accusation against one of her colleagues (Andrew Garfield), and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come into the light.

The sneak peek starts with a dinner party. “Maggie is brilliant,” Roberts’ character says of Ayo Edebiri’s character.

A series of indoor shots ensue as Maggie is accused of plagiarism by Garfield’s character, who reveals his generational bias in the clip.

“I don’t feel comfortable having this conversation anymore,” Maggie says.

The film’s story turns when Edebiri’s character tells Roberts’ character that Garfield’s character assaulted her.

Guadagnino has quite a long history with Amazon, having released his love triangle tennis drama “Challengers” with the studio last year. He also had one of the more infamous moments in CinemaCon history when Amazon screened a gruesome, bone-snapping clip from his remake of the giallo film “Suspiria” during a lunch presentation back in 2018.

“After the Hunt” will be released in theaters Oct. 10.

The post Julia Roberts Is Caught in a Sexual Assault Scandal in First Look at Luca Guadagnino’s ‘After the Hunt’ appeared first on TheWrap.