Steve Pond's Blog, page 38
August 28, 2025
Dana White Says White House UFC ‘Fight Is on’ After Meeting With Trump | Video
Two weeks after saying that a UFC fight “is definitely going to happen” at the White House, UFC CEO on Thursday said it’s still definitely going to happen, this time with perhaps slightly more definitely.
In a post to Instagram Live later shared by accounts on X/Twitter, White said, We had the meeting at the White House. It could have not gone better. It was awesome. The White House fight is on. The White House fight is on. I will have more details on that in the next, in the next couple of weeks.”
“We got it done today,” he said while waving papers of undisclosed meaning. Watch the clip below:
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 29, 2025
Dana White says the UFC White House event is officially on
"White House fight is ON. I will have more details on that in the next couple weeks. We got it done today."@danawhite pic.twitter.com/EaBpWgASu0
No other details about the fight were provided. But, if it comes together, and White’s previous statements come true, it will happen on July 4, 2026 — the 250th anniversary of American independence. Make of that what you will.
One detail yet to be announced is where, precisely, people will be able to watch the fight. But UFC’s recent $7.7 billion, 7-year deal with Paramount, a company which recently went out of its way to curry favor with Trump, likely will play a role.
The deal makes Paramount the exclusive UFC programming home in the U.S. beginning in 2026. All 13 marquee numbered UFC events will be streamed on Paramount+ will, as will 30 Fight Nights. Major, as-yet unannounced matches will be simulcast on CBS.
The spectacle of a professional combat sport event held at the White House is unprecedented. Though Theodore Roosevelt frequently staged private boxing matches at the White House during his presidency — until he damaged an eye during one of them.
The post Dana White Says White House UFC ‘Fight Is on’ After Meeting With Trump | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Jake Tapper Says RFK Jr. Makes ‘Rash Decisions’ Based on ‘Complete and Utter Falsehoods’ After CDC Firings | Video
On his CNN show Thursday night, Jake Tapper had a stark question about Trump cabinet official Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“Are the actions of the Secretary of Health and Human services actually actively making you and your family less health?”
Tapper was responding to the reported chaos at the Centers for Disease control on Thursday after Kennedy, with Donald Trump’s backing, ordered CDC director Susan Monarez to be fired. No reason has been given for this publicly — Trump officials have said only that she “was not aligned” with Trump on matters connected to public health.
Monarez, who was nominated for the job by Trump himself back in March and has only been on the job since July, is suing. Her attorneys say she is being punished because she “refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts,” which appear to refer to policies reflecting Kennedy’s well-documented opposition to life-saving vaccines, which includes spreading falsehoods about them.
Monarez is a doctor and a scientist; the Trump administration is trying to replace her with Jim O’Neill, a former investment banker with zero medical expertise. Several high ranking CDC officials resigned in protest over these actions. Read more about it here.
“Robert F Kennedy Jr., who has no scientific degree and has no medical degree and who for decades, has been pushing medical and scientific falsehoods, is today wreaking havoc at the CDC,” Tapper explained. “The former CDC director… was fired after less than one month on the job. A person familiar with the situation told CNN that Monarez and Secretary Kennedy quickly ended up at odds after her Senate confirmation, over vaccine policies and other matters, given her belief in science and medical evidence and RFK Junior’s long established dedication to fringe, false conspiracy theories about vaccines.”
“Monarez’s lawyers say Kennedy and HHS are, quote, weaponizing public health for political gain,” Tapper added, at which point he shared video of the Trump administration’s explanation. He then discussed the CDC protest resignations, and the celebratory exit their colleagues gave them as they left the building, as well as these statements they made after.
One of these staffers also warned that the panel which approves vaccines has been hugely politicized. Tapper continued, “the panel’s upcoming meeting is worrying, if not terrifying, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who worked as a physician before entering politics.”
“Cassidy… passed the deciding vote to confirm Kennedy as health secretary, after receiving assurances directly from Kennedy that he would not dismantle the nation’s vaccine safety systems and would not take down government vaccine guidance and that he would consult with Dr. and Senator Cassidy before any major decision,” Tapper continued. “But today, Senator Cassidy warned that a September meeting of Kennedy’s vaccine panel should not even take place.
The CNN anchor then quoted Cassidy directly: “Serious allegations have been made about the meeting agenda, membership and lack of scientific process. These decisions directly impact children’s health, and the meeting should not occur until significant oversight has been conducted. If the meeting proceeds, any recommendations made should be rejected as lacking legitimacy, given the seriousness of the allegations and the current turmoil in CDC leadership.”
“The fact is that RFK Jr, for decades now, says things that are not true to justify extreme positions and actions when it comes to public health,” Tapper went on. “One such example just from today, when RK Jr tried to justify getting rid of all these health officials who have actual degrees in their fields of expertise, unlike RFK Jr.”
Tapper then quoted Kennedy directly: “The CDC is an agency that is very troubled for a very long time. The CDC has on its website today among the top 10 medical innovations, greatest medical accomplishments in history. Abortion is the one of the greatest medical accomplishments, because it keeps small families. Go to the website, look at it.”
Tapper then explained at length that Kennedy’s claims were absolutely not true.
“We went to the website, we looked at it, and the word abortion does not appear in either of the two places where the CDC lists the top 10 health accomplishments in history. HHS, when we asked what gives the word abortion doesn’t appear there, despite what RFK Jr. said, they pointed us to the mention of family planning and contraception as one of the top 10 achievements,” he explained. “And then they referred to us to a document going into more detail about that, but that document talked about the need to reduce unwanted pregnancies, family planning, to avoid unwanted pregnancies, to avoid abortions. It did not cite abortions as one of the top 10 health achievements, and it was not saying abortion is part of family planning. Read the document, Secretary Kennedy.”
“Again, a Kennedy construction built upon a foundation of mendacity, and this is just the latest example of Secretary Kennedy making rash decisions that could impact your health, basing these decisions on complete and utter falsehoods,” he concluded.
Watch part of this below now:
RFK Jr.'s destabilizing influence on the CDC
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) August 28, 2025
Watch the full video here: https://t.co/0TMb99LZ0d pic.twitter.com/FtyKffrUSK
The post Jake Tapper Says RFK Jr. Makes ‘Rash Decisions’ Based on ‘Complete and Utter Falsehoods’ After CDC Firings | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
‘Twisted Metal’ Season 2 Ending Explained: Who Wins the Tournament?
This story contains spoilers for Season 2 of Peacock’s “Twisted Metal”
Season 2 of Peacock’s “Twisted Metal” saw the violent conclusion of Calypso’s tournament, but there weren’t really any true winners.
The tournament starts with 7 drivers and six cars. But by the end of the final round, Calypso (Anthony Carrigan) unleashes Minion: a demonic creature created from Dollface’s (Tiana Okoye) corpse, who attacks John (Anthony Mackie) and Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz). The pair ultimately defeat Minion and there are no cars left standing except for Stu (Mike Mitchell).
He is ultimately named winner of the Twisted Metal tournament and is granted his wish: to go someplace safe with just him and Mike (Tahj Vaughans). Calypso ends up sending him and Mike’s corpse to a space capsule orbiting the Earth.
After the tournament, John, Quiet and Mayhem escape to Copper Mountain, where they find the former’s childhood home. But the moment of solace is quickly interrupted when John and Quiet learn they’ve been framed for a bombing that triggers a war between the insiders and outsiders. They are then attacked once again by Minion, but are rescued and able to escape with the help of Stu, who has returned from his space voyage. The group decides that they will try to kill Calypso in the hopes of getting Dollface back, but will have to travel through the war zone to get to him.
Meanwhile, Sweet Tooth (Joe Seanoa), who is seemingly thought to have been killed during the tournament, is very much alive and is seen in the final moments of the finale being dragged to The Eastern Sovereignty, overseen by Charlie Kane. In the game, Kane is the son of Marcus Kane, a.k.a. Sweet Tooth. However, the series has appeared to reverse their lineage, making Charlie Sweet Tooth’s father.
While Peacock has not made a decision on whether “Twisted Metal” will get a Season 3, showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith told TheWrap there would be “a lot of payoffs to a lot of ideas” if the show gets renewed.
“We’re going bigger with the world. The Divided States of America is at war,” he teased. “I’m very much imagining that this is the next tournament. It’s the insiders versus the outsiders that John and Quiet have to get through to get to Calypso. How do they defeat Calypso? Can they defeat Calypso? What does that look like?”
“There’s more characters to meet. I know we’ve left a lot of characters on the table, like where’s Warthog? So we have a lot more of the roster to get to and I have a lot of ideas for that,” he continued. “Quite frankly, I even have an idea for Season 4 that I won’t spoil now, but I have an idea about where the end of Season 3 goes going into Season 4. So we have a lot of story left to tell with these characters. There’s also the question of Minion and Dollface and where we leave that.”
Read on for the rest of TheWrap’s chat with Smith about Season 2.
This season you expanded the cast significantly, adding characters from the game as well as more original characters. How did you decide who to add, what to change and flesh out and ultimately who makes it out alive and who dies in Season 2?
Honestly, we came at how to flesh out this tournament almost as if we approached it like, ‘Okay, what if this was the lost Twisted Metal game? What if this is our dream Twisted Metal game? Who would be the roster? What would it look like if we were on the character select screen?’ We wanted each character to look different, that there weren’t any characters that felt like too similar to each other. We wanted them to all feel different enough that they had a different vibe, a different feel, that their perspectives were all different.
And then as the tournament continued, we wanted to think a lot about how do they all work off each other? How can their stories all play off each other, especially with John and Quiet’s relationship storyline and what are the most fun for all of them to play off each other. Especially with Mayhem and Axel, we wanted to make sure all of them had their moment in the sun and were spotlighted.
We have an incredible cast of incredibly funny characters. John Wilson, Lisa Gilroy, Patty Guggenheim, just to name a few, not to mention the people who come back like Mike Mitchell. Michael James Shaw is amazing this season. We wanted all of them to feel like they had their moment in the sun while playing off Anthony and Stephanie this year.
One of the themes that runs through the season is the idea of family and belonging. Talk to me about the decision to introduce John’s sister Dollface this season and Mayhem.
John’s storyline in Season 1 was finding family. Season 2 is about, ‘okay, well, what the hell do I do with it now that I found it?’ What I love so much about John and Dollface is John has no memory of his past and Dollface has all of these memories. We really love that dynamic of the two of them reuniting and squaring those two sides of that coin.
Meanwhile, you’ve got Quiet and Mayhem that came from a place of, ‘Okay, well, John and Dollface are going to spend a fair amount of the season dealing with that relationship. I really want to have a new relationship for Quiet to deal with.’ I loved the idea of her having a new, almost little sister relationship.
Mayhem was originally going to be Dollface’s kid and the further we got into it, the more complicated it got, because then you’d want John to be like, ‘Well, this is my nephew or niece,’ and why isn’t he having a relationship? So then we went down this path of let’s make it be this con artist. And I love the idea of a character that always lied and the eureka moment was, ‘let’s make Quiet be a role model.’ What is it like for Quiet, who’s never had that opportunity, have to look out for someone and not be selfish in that way? And what is it like for her to have to look out for someone and care for someone and fill that gap that the loss of her brother left in her life? And then have to square that, especially with the fact that she’s fighting so much for her wish and having these perpendicular wants and how much that gives her trouble with her wish.
As we’ve alluded to, sparks fly between John and Quiet over the course of this season. Why did you choose to craft that romantic relationship and talk to me about the execution behind that fiery makeout scene in Episode 4?
They only knew each other for 10 days in Season 1. They essentially separate at the end of season one and they’re coming back together. It’s a seven month time jump. It’s sort of like that feeling in college where you’ve broken up with your partner and you come back to your ex being like “Do I care about him as much as I did? Have the rose-tinted goggles come off?” And we wanted to feel like they’re picking right up and we wanted to have them build back up. So we have what we called in the writers room a horny heist. And we really loved that episode and how the relationship is building and building and building.
TWISTED METAL — “LZGTBZY” Episode 204 -— Pictured: (l-r) Stephanie Beatriz as Quiet, Anthony Mackie as John Doe — (Photo by: Pief Weyman/PEACOCK)We wanted to have our new version of the ball pit from Season 1 and we thought what better way for their their passion to erupt then to literally erupt into flames. We actually had a room that was on fire. It wasn’t as on fire as it is in the show. A lot of those are VFX, which was done by an amazing VFX team called BOT. And while we did have fire bars in that room, it got very, very hot. So hats off to Anthony and Stephanie for actually doing that in a room full of fire. But those guys were very game and were so much fun. They have so much chemistry and I really loved how that scene turned out.
Also looming large over the season is Anthony Carrigan’s Calypso. I loved seeing his backstory in the finale where he pitched Twisted Metal to NBC. How did the idea come about for that?
I can’t remember who pitched it. I think it might have been [executive producer] Grant Dekernion who pitched it. Maybe I pitched it. I think maybe it was Grant’s idea. But the idea of Calypso pitching Twisted Metal was something I immediately was like, ‘it’s in the show. We have to do it.’ It’s so funny. I love the idea of Calypso being someone who didn’t pause a lot of things, he pushes people into that direction.
He has that line in the finale where he’s like, ‘If the world isn’t ready, then I’ll just wait until it is.’ And I love that idea of him wanting this tournament to happen and waiting for the right moment for everything to be in place. His entire line where he’s like “the world will be a battleground” is just a great thesis for the way he sees the world and how he wants this chaos. He’s just this puppeteer and is always six steps ahead.
Anthony Kerrigan is incredible this season. He’s so much fun to work with as well. He’s a fan of the game, which is amazing, and he always comes into everything with ideas, and he’s so much fun to pitch with. I just loved working with him this season.
TWISTED METAL — “OHLYNTE” Episode 211 — Pictured: Anthony Carrigan as Calypso — (Photo by: Pief Weyman/PEACOCK)Were there any characters that you considered killing off who you didn’t or anyone who you wanted to save that you ended up killing off?
Obviously, all the characters I love and it was hard to kill any of them because they’re all so funny and so great. I won’t say who I wanted to save or kill because they’re all so amazing. And truthfully, you never know. Calypso was able to bring someone back. So we never know what malevolent powers may return them from the dead.
The post ‘Twisted Metal’ Season 2 Ending Explained: Who Wins the Tournament? appeared first on TheWrap.
YouTube TV and Fox Strike New Carriage Deal to End Blackout Threat
Fox won’t have a blackout on YouTube TV, as on Friday evening the two companies reached a new carriage agreement resolving their dispute.
The previous contract expired at5:00 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, but the two companies reached a temporary extension early Thursday to prevent a blackout of Fox Corp. channels while talks continued.
Details about the new carriage agreement haven’t been made public, but it does cover Fox Corp.’s entire slate of channels, among them Fox News, Fox Business, Fox Weather, Fox Sports, Big Ten Network and the Fox network, along with all Fox local affiliates.
“We’ve reached an agreement with Fox to keep their content on YouTube TV, preserve the value of our service for our subscribers and offer more flexibility in the future. This means that Fox channels, including the Fox Broadcast Network, Fox News, and Fox Sports, remain available for our subscribers along with 100+ channels and football fans will not miss any of the action this weekend,” YouTube representatives said in a statement.
Fox began issued warnings to YouTube TV subscribers on Monday that its various channels would go dark if a new agreement wasn’t reached. The company accused Google of exploiting “its outsized influence by proposing terms that are out of step with the marketplace.” Meanwhile YouTube TV accused Fox of demanding payments “far higher than what partners with comparable content offerings receive.”
These issues would appear to be resolved. At least until the new contract expires.
The post YouTube TV and Fox Strike New Carriage Deal to End Blackout Threat appeared first on TheWrap.
‘Lightyear’ Writer Defends Film’s Lesbian Couple After Snoop Dogg Critique: ‘I’m Proud of It’
Snoop Dogg recently criticized Pixar’s “Lightyear,” detailing an experience he had showing the film, which briefly features a lesbian couple, to his grandchild. Now, a writer who contributed to “Lightyear” is defending LGBTQ+ inclusion, saying she stands by it to infinity and beyond.
The writer in question is Lauren Gunderson, a screenwriter who added additional material to “Lightyear.” Gunderson said Wednesday that she added the moment of queer representation to the 2022 Pixar film.
“So. I created the LIGHTYEAR lesbians,” Gunderson said in a Threads post Wednesday, alluding to the Snoop Dogg controversy. “In 2018, I was a writer at Pixar – such a cool place, grateful to work there, learned a ton from kind and impressive creatives. As we wrote early versions of what became LIGHTYEAR, a key character needed a partner, and it was so natural to write ‘she’ instead of ‘he.’ As small as that detail is in the film, I knew the representational effect it could have. Small line, big deal. I was elated that they kept it.”
“I’m proud of it,” she continued. “To infinity. Love is love.” You can view the full statement below.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Lauren Gunderson (@lalatellsastory)
The moment in question comes early in “Lightyear,” a Pixar film intended to be the fictional movie that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy line from “Toy Story.” When Buzz (Chris Evans) and his crew are marooned on the planet T’Kani prime, the Space Ranger begins testing hyperspace fuel to get them home. This causes time dilation effects for Buzz, with years passing in what feels like seconds for him. During this time, Buzz sees his friend and commanding officer Alisha (Uzo Aduba) grow old, with a few brief moments revealing she has a wife and child.
Snoop Dogg recently went on the “It’s Giving” podcast, hosted by Sarah Fontenot. During this appearance, he recounted the story of taking his grandson to see the animated sci-fi adventure. During the film, Snoop Dogg’s grandson raised questions about Alisha and her wife — questions Snoop Dogg didn’t wish to answer.
“What you see is what you see, and they’re putting it everywhere,” Snoop remarked, before revealing that his grandson was confused when “Lightyear” revealed that one of its characters had two mothers. “They’re like, ‘She had a baby — with a woman.’ Well, my grandson, in the middle of the movie, [was] like, ‘Papa Snoop? How she have a baby with a woman? She a woman!’”
“It’s like, f—k me! I’m scared to go to the movies, man. Y’all throwing me in the middle of s–t that I don’t have an answer for!” the rapper later added. “It threw me for a loop. I’m like, ‘What part of the movie was this?’ These are kids. We have to show that at this age? They’re going to ask questions. I don’t have the answer.”
Snoop Dogg’s podcast appearance launched a renewed online debate around the scene, one mirroring reactions to the brief scene in 2022. Several days after Snoop Dogg’s comments, Gunderson reemphasized why she felt it was important for the character’s to appear in such an ordinary scene.
“I had very little to do with the final script. But I was proud to see a happy queer couple (even for a few seconds) onscreen,” Gunderson said on Threads. “I know they got a lot of s–t for this inclusion, but stuff like this matters because beautiful love like this exists. It’s *not* fiction.”
The post ‘Lightyear’ Writer Defends Film’s Lesbian Couple After Snoop Dogg Critique: ‘I’m Proud of It’ appeared first on TheWrap.
JD Vance Says Gavin Newsom’s Trump Trolling Will Come Back to Bite Him: ‘Can’t Mimic the King’ | Video
JD Vance slammed Gavin Newsom’s new social media trolling of President Trump as nothing more than a “carbon copy.”
In a Thursday interview on Fox News, the vice president broke down his thoughts on Newsom’s latest strategy and how it’s gaining him more traction and popularity. Vance said people enjoyed Trump’s posts on social media because they speak to the president’s authenticity. With Newsom, he said it’s a cheap replication.
“The lesson of President Trump in American politics is you’ve got to be authentic to yourself,” Vance said. “When I see Gavin Newsom trying to act like Donald Trump that’s the opposite of authenticity. He’s not trying to be Gavin Newsom – whoever that is – he’s trying to be a fake carbon copy of Donald Trump and it just doesn’t work.”
He continued: “You can’t mimic the king. You can’t mimic the master. You out to just go and be yourself and I think the American people would like that a lot more than a cheap imitation of the President of the United States.”
Vance: He's trying to be a fake copy of Trump and it just doesn't work. You can't mimic the king. You can't mimic the master. You just got be yourself and I think the American people would like that a lot more than a cheap imitation of the president pic.twitter.com/R6f2AvFwQT
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 28, 2025
For weeks now, Newsom’s office has been posting in the same fashion Trump has been known to on Truth Social. That means a lot of exclamation points, a spigot of tirades, and in all caps. The California governor explained the new strategy in a press conference a couple weeks back.
“I hope it’s a wakeup call. The President of the United States — I’m sort of following his example. And if you’ve got issues with what I’m putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns about what he’s putting out as president,” the governor said at the end of the press conference.
Newsom continued: “So to the extent it’s gotten some attention, I’m pleased. But I think the deeper question is: How have we allowed the normalization of his tweets, Truth Social posts over the course of the last many years to go without similar scrutiny and notice?”
You can watch JD Vance’s interview in the clip above.
The post JD Vance Says Gavin Newsom’s Trump Trolling Will Come Back to Bite Him: ‘Can’t Mimic the King’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
George Clooney and Adam Sandler Light Up Venice’s World Premiere Red Carpet for ‘Jay Kelly’ | Photos
“Jay Kelly” stars George Clooney and Adam Sandler lit up the red carpet Thursday night at the Netflix film’s world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
Clooney, who skipped the morning press conference for the Noah Baumbach release due to a sinus infection, arrived alongside wife Amal, while Sandler attended with his family. Co-star Laura Dern was also in attendance with Baumbach and wife Greta Gerwig, among others.
The film, co-written by Baumbach and Emily Mortimer, follows a Hollywood actor (Clooney) and his devoted manager (Sandler) on a transformative trip through Europe.
In his positive review for TheWrap, Steve Pond said the film was “suffused with melancholy for a business that seems to be on shaky ground and filled with a nostalgia for times gone by.”
“Jay Kelly” opens Nov. 14 in select theaters before streaming globally on Netflix Dec. 5. Catch highlights from the Venice world premiere in the photo gallery below.
(Photo by Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images)George Clooney and Amal Clooney walk the red carpet before the screening of the movie “Jay Kelly” presented in competition at the 82nd International Venice Film Festival.
(Photo by Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images)George Clooney and Amal Clooney attend the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Eve Hewson attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Caterina Milicchio attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Amal Clooney and George Clooney attend the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Adam Sandler and George Clooney attend the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Laura Dern attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Greta Gerwig attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images)Billy Crudup attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Billy Crudup and Giovanni Esposito attend the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)Naomi Watts attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)Ted Sarandos, Nicole Avant, Adam Sandler, George Clooney, Laura Dern and Riley Keough attend the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Riley Keough attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Billy Crudup and Naomi Watts attend the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Greta Gerwig, Laura Dern and Eve Hewson attend the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Molly Sims attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Scott Stuber and Molly Sims attend the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Caterina Milicchio attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)Adam Sandler attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)Sunny Madeline Sandler, Sadie Madison Sandler, Jackie Sandler and Adam Sandler attend the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Simona Jakstaite attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Rahi Chadda attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)Benedetta Porcaroli attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Marco Bonadei attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Carolina Cavalli and Lucrezia Guglielmino attend the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)(L-R) Eva Robin’s, Marco Bonadei, Benedetta Porcaroli, Lucrezia Guglielmino and Carolina Cavalli attend the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Eve Hewson attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Alba Rohrwacher attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Aldona Przylipiak attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)Eva Robin’s attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images)George Clooney attends the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
(Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)George Clooney and Amal Clooney attend the “Jay Kelly” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
The post George Clooney and Adam Sandler Light Up Venice’s World Premiere Red Carpet for ‘Jay Kelly’ | Photos appeared first on TheWrap.
Where to Watch ‘Caught Stealing’: Is Austin Butler’s New Movie Streaming?
Austin Butler trades in his guitar for a baseball bat in “Caught Stealing,” releasing everywhere this week.
In Darren Aronofsky’s latest film — yes, it’s an Aronofsky film, but it’s nothing like his usual fare — Butler plays a former baseball prodigy, whose life (and body) fell apart just before he was set to go pro. These days, he’s a bartender in New York, and really just a normal guy who checks in with his mom regularly.
But, when his punk neighbor asks him cat-sit, Hank is suddenly being chased by several gangsters, and has no idea why.
Here’s what you need to know.
What’s the release date?“Caught Stealing” releases everywhere on Friday, August 29.
Is it streaming?It is not. For now, you’ll only be able to catch it in theaters. It’ll likely head to Netflix when it’s time for streaming. We’ll keep you posted on when that is.
What’s it about?“Caught Stealing” centers on Hank Thompson (Austin Butler), a high-school baseball phenom who can’t play anymore, thanks to an accident when he was a teen. His life turned out OK though; he’s got Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz), tends bar at a New York dive, and his favorite team, the San Francisco Giants, is making an underdog run at the pennant.
When his punk-rock neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) asks Hank to take care of his cat for a few days, Hank suddenly finds himself caught in New York’s world of crime and mobsters — he just doesn’t know why.
Is it based on a book?Indeed it is. “Caught Stealing” is based on the book of the same name, written by Charlie Huston, who also wrote the screenplay for this adaptation.
Do I need to read the book first?No. You can go into this movie completely cold and still understand what’s going on throughout the whole thing.
Does the cat die?It’s fair if this was your first question upon seeing a cat in the poster and realizing how key to the story he might be. So, we’ll give you this spoiler. No, the cat doesn’t die.
Watch the trailerThe post Where to Watch ‘Caught Stealing’: Is Austin Butler’s New Movie Streaming? appeared first on TheWrap.
Summer Box Office to End With a Sluggish Labor Day Weekend
Labor Day weekend historically closes the summer box office season on a quiet note, but this weekend will be a particularly sluggish one for theaters as the fourth weekend of Warner Bros./New Line’s “Weapons” may return to the No. 1 spot after the limited engagement of “KPop Demon Hunters” edged it out last weekend.
The new release slate for this upcoming holiday is highlighted by Sony/Columbia’s “Caught Stealing,” a new crime thriller starring Austin Butler and directed by Darren Aronofsky. Next weekend may see more of a boost with the anticipated $35 million-plus opening for another New Line film, “The Conjuring: Last Rites.”
Jay Roach’s “War of the Roses” remake “The Roses” starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman will also be released by Searchlight, while Universal will offer a 50th anniversary re-release of the first modern blockbuster, Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws.”
“Caught Stealing” is expected to lead the newcomers with a studio-projected $10 million 4-day opening from 3,500 locations. Filmed in New York, it carries a net budget of $40 million and may need post-theatrical revenue to get in the black if it doesn’t find a foothold with an expected predominantly male audience.
While some criticism was leveled towards its familiar plot beats and gratuitous violence, critics have been largely positive towards “Caught Stealing,” calling it the most accessibly entertaining film from the director of “Requiem for a Dream” and “Mother!” As of this writing, it has an 86% Rotten Tomatoes score.
“The Roses,” a dark comedy based on the 1981 novel “The War of the Roses” has received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics with a 65% Rotten Tomatoes score. Projections have that film earning a $6-9 million 4-day opening from approximately 2,500 locations while the “Jaws” re-release is projected for a $6-8 million 4-day total.
Labor Day tends to be when a lot of the summer box office momentum slows to a crawl. Since theaters reopened following the pandemic, the four-day weekend stretch has exceeded $100 million for three of the past four years, with the highest being the $139 million extended weekend of 2021 thanks to the opening of Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
On the low end was Labor Day weekend 2022, where the fifteenth weekend of “Top Gun: Maverick” led the charts amid a drought of popular new releases that lasted until November, with overall totals for the holiday reaching just $71 million. 2025’s Labor Day total should be higher but is unlikely to exceed $100 million.
By Monday, the summer box office season, which lasts from the first Friday of May to Labor Day, is expected to be flat from last year’s $3.63 billion total. While there were fewer flops and down periods than last summer, only Disney’s live-action “Lilo & Stitch” exceeded $400 million domestic and $1 billion worldwide.
Since theaters reopened, the only $4 billion domestic summer has been in 2023, the year of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” From 2007 to 2019, the summer total exceeded $4 billion every year save for the $3.8 billion total of 2017.
Despite the diminished market, some major theater chains have been able to adjust thanks to loyalty programs and other amenities that have increased spending from those who are still going to theaters frequently. For the second quarter of this year, which include the first half of the summer season and the release of spring hits “A Minecraft Movie” and “Sinners,” Cinemark reported the second highest quarterly earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization in company history behind only the second quarter of 2019, the period in which “Avengers: Endgame” was released.
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Here Are All the Songs in ‘My Life With the Walter Boys’ Season 2
As Jackie heads back to the rodeo for “My Life With the Walter Boys” Season 2, she not only learns more about the brothers who changed her life but also uncovers new territory within herself.
This season the love triangle still persists, but Jackie, Alex and Cole are all different people just one summer later. Alex has turned rancher; Cole has his nose in the books; and Jackie is running for Student Council president.
The Netflix coming-of-age series has a cult following among its Gen Z fanbase, and its soundtrack reflects that. Season 2 features hits like Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” and Gracie Abrams’ “Let It Happen.” The school dance includes a host of songs from Maisie Peters to Paramore. Other artists featured in the series include Shania Twain, Pussycat Dolls, The Cure, Fall Out Boy, Sam Smith and Jelly Roll.
All ten episodes of the teenage romance drama series are streaming now on Netflix. Keep reading for the full list of songs included in the second season of “My Life With the Walter Boys.”
Episode 1: “Start Fresh”“Spurs” – Madeline Edwards “Birds Of A Feather” – Billie Eilish “Apple Juice” – Teddy Swims “Pick Up Your Shoes” – Dee Holt “Let It Happen” – Gracie Abrams Episode 2: “My Life Without the Walter Boys”“Rich Hope” – Shake This Joint Around “Best I Can” – The Amber Day “When I Grow Up” – Pussycat Dolls “No Hesitation” – Moira & Claire “Giddy Up!” – Shania Twain Episode 3: “Girls Just Wanna Have Fundraisers”“Setback” – Young Friend “When We Were Kids” – Young Friend “Slip Away” – Perfume Genius, sung by Nathan “In Between Days” – The Cure “Connection” – Elastica “On the Floor” – Perfume Genius “Numb” – Roet Episode 4: “No-look Pass”“Who The Hell Am I” – Nobro “Never Give Up” – Tors “Dreaming” – The Darcys “Trouble” – Sam Outlaw “Obsessed (feat. Ashley Sienna)” – Sophie Powers “Somethin’ Bout You” – Nice Horse “Right Place Wrong Time” – Thomas Thomas Band “Everybody Stripped” – Daysormay Episode 5: “A Night to Remember”“Too Close To The Heart” – Dear Rouge “Ice Cream” – Les Filles et Christopher “Adore You” – Maisie Peters “Fish On Your Line (sunset session)” – Elijah Woods “Night in Paris” – Mike Demero feat. Aloe Blacc “Lovesick” – Kelland and Sara Diamond “Visualise” – Foley “One I Wanna Be With” – Trella “Only Exception” – Paramore “Nothing Lasts” – Jesse MacCormack Episode 6: “After the Dance”“Wait On” – Hayley Williams “Fall Into You” – Daniel Seavey Episode 7: “Saddle Up”“Stubborn Heart” – Wild Rivers “Nobody Like You” – Dee Holt “Good Life” – Nice Horse “Someone To You” – Riun Garner Episode 8: “Gear Shifts”“If That’s Love” – Cold Fame “I’ll Be Right Here” – Emily Rowed Episode 9: “Allhallowtide”“Phantom Heart” – Leathers “Dream” – Bishop Briggs Episode 10: “Showdowns and Sparkles”“Upside Down” – Holy Moly & The Crackers “My Songs Knows What You Did In The Dark” – Fall Out Boy“Fake It ‘Till You Make It” – Featurette “I’m Not Okay” – Jelly Roll “Best Thing” – Haley Blais “Hope Floats” – Jesse and the Dandelions “Fire On Fire” – Sam SmithThe post Here Are All the Songs in ‘My Life With the Walter Boys’ Season 2 appeared first on TheWrap.
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