Steve Pond's Blog, page 54

Telemundo Launches Sports-Focused FAST Channel ‘Deportes Ahora’

Telemundo is expanding its free, ad-supported streaming channel lineup with “Deportes Ahora,” a new 24/7 Spanish-language sports offering launching on Thursday.

“Deportes Ahora” will be available on Peacock, Xumo Play, the NBC News FAST Hub and Telemundo.com starting Aug. 14, with some content livestreaming on YouTube. Over the coming months, it will roll out on additional platforms.

It will feature over 50 hours of new Spanish-language content weekly, including original programming, live shows and select live sporting events, including Básquetbol LATAM, MMA events, bare-knuckle boxing and Pro-Paddle League.

Talent appearing on the FAST channel includes Andres Cantor, Carlota Vizmanos, Diego Balado and Luis Omar Tapia, who will expand their Premier League coverage; Jorge Calvo, José Luis López Salido, and Miguel Gurwitz, who will provide additional Liga MX content; and Isabella Echeverrim who will supplement U.S. Soccer programming.

New daily live shows will include the sports news program “Telemundo Deportes Al Día” at 1 p.m. ET hosted by Carmen Boquín; debate and analysis program “Puesta a Punto” at 6 p.m. ET, and late night sports program “El Pelotazo Ahora” at 11 p.m. ET hosted by Diego Arrioja, Pablo Mariño and Verónica Rodríguez with regular contributions by Adriana Monsalve.

It will also offer original programming around key sports properties, such as Fútbol MX, Fútbol US Soccer and Tercer Tiempo Ahora, Zona de la Premier League, Historias y Leyendas de la Premier League, Previa de la Premier League, Repaso de la Premier League, Campeones de la Premier League.

Additionally, it will include weekly original offerings such as “Panorama Deportivo,” a comprehensive look at the U.S. sports landscape hosted by Jorge Calvo; “Somos o No Somos,” an opinion-driven talk show hosted by Gurwitz; and “Mundo PX Sports,” which offers news, highlights, exclusive interviews and mini-docs.

“With Telemundo ‘Deportes Ahora,’ we’re giving Hispanic audiences another way to connect with the sports they love, complementing our sports offering and enhancing their viewing experience on the road to World Cup and beyond,” Telemundo Sports executive vice president Joaquin Duro said in a statement.

There are currently more than 63 million Latinos in the U.S. today, with projections indicating that 1 in 5 Americans will be Latino by 2030. Telemundo estimates that 32 million bilingual Latinos ages 18 to 49 are driving demand for free, on-demand content.

In addition to Deportes Ahora, Telemundo’s FAST lineup includes the news, entertainment, reality and sports channel Telemundo Al Día, the 24/7 Spanish-language news channel Noticias Telemundo Ahora, the high-energy action series channel Telemundo Acción and the courtroom show channel Caso Cerrado.

The post Telemundo Launches Sports-Focused FAST Channel ‘Deportes Ahora’ appeared first on TheWrap.

Jimmy Fallon Explains the Trump-Putin Situation Using Taylor Swift Song Titles | Video

Jimmy Fallon did an important public service on Wednesday’s episode of “The Tonight Show,” by pandering hard to Swifties with a fun monologue gag in which he explained a vexing political situation using the title of Taylor Swift songs.

“Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin is almost here, and today, Trump warned that Russia will face severe consequences if Putin doesn’t agree to end the war,” Fallon said as he teed the bit up. “You have severe consequences? Putin responded ‘like, what, a second meeting? Forget this.”

“Trump is hosting Putin at a US military base because it’s peak tourist season in Alaska, and the options were limited. This meeting could end a war, and Alaska’s like, ‘Ooh, sorry, but the Marriott conference room is all tied up with a rotary club salmon retreat. What are you doing?” Fallon continued.

“Well, guys, the two big stories right now are Trump and Putin’s summit in Alaska, and, of course, Taylor Swift announcing her new album. We thought there’s no better way to explain the summit than by breaking it down using Taylor Swift’s songs,” Fallon said, and then he proceeded to do just that.

“So for a long time that Trump would look at Putin and think, You Belong With Me. And when people told him to stay away from Putin, he’d just Shake It Off and shout, but Daddy, I Love Him. But recently they’ve had some Bad Blood,” Fallon began.

“And of course, Putin has a terrible Reputation. Actions in Ukraine that even have Trump like You Need to Calm Down. Anyway, now it’s August, and they’re meeting in Alaska. Trump had texted Putin ‘Florida!!!‘ in all caps, but Putin left him on Red. So Alaska it is,” Fallon continued.

“It’ll be cold, so Trump’s packing his Cardigan, but Putin will be shirtless on a White Horse. Anyway. Ahead of the meeting, Americans are worried that Trump isn’t Ready for It, since his mind is basically a giant Blank Space,” the host went on. “Also he’s distracted by the Epstein scandal, he’ll tell Putin, it’s been a Cruel Summer, because everyone thinks I Did Something Bad, but I swear everyone on the island was 22 and Putin will be like, You’re Losing Me, You’re on Your Own Kid. We Are Never, Ever Getting Back Together. But hey, that’s just Karma, feat. Ice Spice.

For your convenience we put all the song titles in bold. Watch the delightful bit below:

The post Jimmy Fallon Explains the Trump-Putin Situation Using Taylor Swift Song Titles | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

James Gunn on the Possibility Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn May Return in New DC: ‘That Will Be Revealed Down the Line’

Following the success of “Superman,” next up for DC Films co-boss James Gunn is the second season of his “Peacemaker” HBO Max series, which returns next week.

That show is of course a direct sequel to Gunn’s 2021 DC Comics movie “The Suicide Squad” — but that film was part of the now abolished universe established by Zach Snyder’s “Man of Steel” in 2013. Even so, Peacemaker, played by John Cena in “The Suicide Squad” and the eponymous TV show, is still very much part of the new DC film universe, as seen during a brief cameo appearance in “Superman.”

So could that mean other beloved characters — and their actors — from that specific film might be brought over into the new continuity? Specifically, could fan favorite Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie, come back? Maybe! At least judging by the very obviously deliberate non-answer James Gunn gave when asked about it Entertainment Weekly.

The magazine asked if Robbie might return or if Harley Quinn will be recast and reimagined. Gunn’s answer: “”That will be revealed down the line.” That’s not a ‘no,’ James.

Speculating wildly based on absolutely no additional information, we’re guessing they’d prefer to have Robbie return, but negotiations likely got a lot more complicated after the success she’s having since “Barbie.” But again, we’re just speculating, don’t quote us.

Gunn was slightly more specific about another “The Suicide Squad” actor he’d like to bring into the new DC Universe: Idris Elba, who played Bloodsport. “I definitely am always looking for a place to put Bloodsport and figuring that out.So we’ll see what happens,” he told EW. Ok then!

Whether or not Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn, at least 2020’s criminally underappreciated “Birds of Prey” remains a really great movie. Go check it out if you haven’t seen it.

The post James Gunn on the Possibility Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn May Return in New DC: ‘That Will Be Revealed Down the Line’ appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Red Sonja’ Review: A Solid Pilot Episode (Unfortunately, It’s a Movie)

There’s a word I scribbled in my notes about the new “Red Sonja” that stands out among the rest. After pages full of sentences like “Science = Bad?” and “Why are scientists setting a fire during a rainstorm?” and “Sonja’s kidnapped horse is inexplicably imprisoned next to the important science orb of unspeakable power, because reasons?” there lies a single word. Underlined. And that word is … “Papyrus.”

Papyrus is not the most respectable of fonts. Even before “Saturday Night Live” correctly roasted James Cameron for spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the CGI in “Avatar” only to cheap out on the subtitles, papyrus was generic shorthand for kinda-old-looking-but-not-really. It’s the font middle schoolers use for the title of a history report, and an early sign that they’re going to get a B-. The fact that “Red Sonja” uses this font in its closing credits isn’t itself a problem. But it’s emblematic of the film’s whole vibe.

The new “Red Sonja” is a sword-and-sorcery epic that can’t swing the “epic” part. It’s got big ambitions but can’t realize most of them, seemingly for lack of budget. The flat lighting and generic sets evoke pleasant memories of “Xena: Warrior Princess” and SyFy Original Movies from the 2000s, but this isn’t a made-for-TV production. It’s kind of supposed to be a big movie. It’s not very convincing. It’s the papyrus of the peplum genre.

“Red Sonja” has an unusual history. “Conan” creator Robert E. Howard introduced a character named “Sonya of Rogatino” way back in 1934. Almost 40 years later, Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith reimagined the redheaded warrior from the ground up in the pages of Marvel Comics, and she’s been an icon on the page ever since. The first attempt to make a “Red Sonja” movie, starring Brigitte Nielsen and Arnold Schwarzenegger, was — since it was based on the comics version, not Howard’s original story — technically the first live-action theatrical Marvel movie. Not that it gets any credit for that.

The first “Red Sonja” adaptation isn’t as awful as you might have heard. It’s got a few memorable characters and undeniable camp value. But there was serious room for improvement. In many ways, M.J. Bassett’s new version is that improvement. Matilda Lutz (“Revenge”) has more range than Nielsen, and Bassett eschews most of the sleazier notions Thomas and Windsor-Smith bestowed upon the character. Sonja no longer vows to sleep with any man who bests her in battle (not that they ever did). That weird character trait can now be found in her modest love interest, Osin the Untouched (Luca Pasqualino). And yes, if you move the letters around “Osin” is an anagram for “Sonia.” How coy.

In the film, Sonja is the last member of a tribe obliterated by barbarians. She now lives idyllically in a forest, looking for her people — but apparently always in the same place, so maybe she could be trying harder. She’s so one with the land that she takes honey from a beehive and the bees seem cool with it. When hunters invade her territory and brutalize the animals, she tries to teach them a valuable lesson, only to get abducted and shipped to a gladiator arena by Emperor Draygan (Robert Sheehan) and his badass warrior girlfriend Annisia (Wallis Day).

Draygan was a slave who deciphered an ancient book and used that knowledge to build tanks and an unlimited electrical power source and mind-control devices he activates with his scepter. How he managed to acquire the power and resources necessary to fund all those projects and take over the kingdom in the first place is a mystery left unsolved, but it certainly didn’t involve charisma. He’s introduced dismounting from his war machine, looking around in confusion and quietly asking “What?” to no one in particular, about nothing in particular. It’s like they didn’t tell Sheehan what movie he was in until he got there that day, and they filmed his disappointment.

Anyway, Sonja becomes a gladiator and frankly isn’t great at it. Draygan doesn’t need her to compete, he just needs her to guide him through the forest so he can find the missing pages of his book. So why, if he’s so smart, is he letting her compete at all? It seems like he’d probably want to get on her good side, or at least make it less likely she’d get randomly killed by a cyclops. But she fights anyhow, she leads a rebellion, and that’s the rest of the movie in a nutshell.

“Red Sonja” has a lot of ideas that are worth exploring. An emperor with anachronistic war machines that would challenge even the most legendary warrior is an amusing conceit, even though the film winds up arguing against science in almost every form. There are also vivid fantasy creatures who are, sometimes, a little convincing. Usually not. And hey, there certainly is a lot of action.

Bassett has already made some memorable action films, usually on the lower end of the budgetary scale, so it was possible that she could work wonders with what little she’s given here. It hasn’t worked out that way. “Red Sonja” is stretched too thin, unable to spare the time and resources necessary for any one part to stand out. Instead it just looks kind of OK. The tenacity Bassett brought to the Mercenary Megan Fox vs. Killer Lions movie “Rogue” — which is a hoot and a half — never materializes in “Red Sonja.” That’s a pity.

“Red Sonja” does get something right, and refreshingly so, by eschewing the exploitative history of the character and treating her as an action hero, never a sex object. But apparently someone involved didn’t get that memo. Sonja’s forced to wear a useless armored bikini in the ring to appeal to the prurient masses, and yet when she upgrades her armor, it still leaves most of her skin unprotected. At least her shoulders will be safe. It would have made more sense to update her look completely, but sacrifices must be made to the Gods of Nostalgia. I guess.

The new “Red Sonja” isn’t terrible, it just isn’t much. It aspires to grandeur but it’s never grand. It’s action-packed but the action is just OK. Were this the pilot episode for a TV series, it would be promising, but even the prerequisite sequel set-up is arbitrary and vague to the point of pointlessness. We’ll have to keep waiting for a great “Red Sonja” movie. It took 40 years to upgrade from cheesy to mediocre. 2065 should be one hell of a year!

The post ‘Red Sonja’ Review: A Solid Pilot Episode (Unfortunately, It’s a Movie) appeared first on TheWrap.

Bowen Yang Defends Ben Platt Against Internet Trolls, Says Claims of Zionism ‘Were Bulls—t’

Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers rose to defend Ben Platt on Wednesday as the performer — who went viral last week for his cover of Addison Rae’s “Diet Pepsi” at their Las Culturistas Culture Awards — has endured accusations of being zionist and continued scrutiny for being a “nepo baby.”

“The reasons he was I guess, like, ‘away’ or ‘down’ or narrativized in a certain fashion were bulls–t,” Yang said. “It’s like, I mean, the zionism s–t? No.”

“That wasn’t even a thing,” Rogers said.

“And then he came out and was very vocal about the opposite, so whatever,” Yang added.

Platt came up on Wednesday’s episode of “Las Culturistas” as Yang and Rogers recapped the fourth edition of their Las Culturistas Culture Awards, which aired on Bravo last week. The “Dear Evan Hansen” star sang a cover of Rae’s “Diet Pepsi,” which the hosts agreed turned out to be one of the highlights of the ceremony.

Rogers argued it was the kind of performance that shows Platt “will always be famous,” even while weathering social media blowback in recent years for being the son of megaproducer Marc Platt, a millennial-aged actor playing a high schooler in “Dear Evan Hansen” and, amid his family’s reported handling of “Snow White” actress Rachel Zegler’s stance on Israel and Palestine (and his mother Julie Beren Platt serving as chair of the Jewish Federations of North America), being labeled a zionist.

“No matter what media narrative happens, the ups and downs of really anyone’s career that has longevity in this business — Ben Platt, you will always be famous. Because no one can sing like that,” Rogers said.

He continued: “Anytime anyone in the media gets a hard time and then comes back because they’re just that f–king good. And I’ve been loving seeing that narrative just like, some of you had fun ripping him up when you had the opportunity to, but the fact is, listen to this song, see this performance, watch him on this show, it’s like, he has proven it so many times.”

As recently as April, Platt distanced himself from Israel’s military action against Hamas in Gaza, writing on Instagram, “As a queer Jew, whose personal connection to Judaism is cultural, emotional and interpersonal, and is not defined for me by the state of Israel, I have felt long alienated from this conversation and from a lot of people in my earliest community who feel differently sometimes, to a dogmatic extent.” With the post, he shared “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder’s pro-Palestine speech while being honored by the Human Rights Campaign in March; she said in part, “I see it as antithetical to our deepest Jewish traditions to fall in line and not question the actions of a state enacting atrocities in our name.”

In regards to accusations of Platt being a nepo baby, Yang paraphrased “M3GHAN” star (and famous daughter of Brian Williams) Allison Williams, agreeing that Platt “started on third base and most other people start at home plate. And that’s just how it is. And it’s not any one person’s fault for opting in if they have the drive, the interest, the talent, the work ethic.”

Platt has come under fire in the past for refusing to address any career advantages he’s experienced thanks to his parentage. (Marc Platt produced features like “Wicked,” “La La Land” and, yes, “Dear Evan Hansen.”) He later spoke out about the blowback in a May 2024 interview with Elle.

“Of course, I acknowledge I’m an absolute nepo baby through and through by definition. My dad is a producer. I did grow up with an understanding of the business and an access to it. I will say that was the benefit, more so than it has been getting individual jobs as an adult,” he said. “I think it really helped me to give me the tools and the foundation to build my career. Now that I have started to build it and really show what I can do … I do think it’s become much more a journey that I am the sort of autonomous leader of.”

On “Las Culturistas,” Rogers continued his appraisal of Platt by speaking to his talent and character, adding that “if the person keeps working, it’s because people wanted to keep working with them.”

“We’re talking about someone who is one of the best singers on Earth. And it’s not like he’s not also an incredibly lovely person, so kind, so supportive of us, always the best energy, best vibe ever. And is also an incredibly talented actor. So it’s just kind of tired and boring to even have, like, done this in the first place, but I guess I’m glad that everyone is, you know, appreciating him for what it is, because it’s just so dumb.”

“Las Culturistas” is an iHeartPodcast and Will Ferrell’s Big Money Players Network. Listen to the full episode here.

The post Bowen Yang Defends Ben Platt Against Internet Trolls, Says Claims of Zionism ‘Were Bulls—t’ appeared first on TheWrap.

Taylor Swift Cries on Travis Kelce’s Podcast Retelling Saga of Buying Her Masters: ‘I Can’t Believe It Still’ | Video

Taylor Swift got emotional as she opened up for the first time about the process of buying back the master recordings of her first six albums.

The singer stopped by boyfriend Travis Kelce and his brother Jason’s podcast “New Heights” podcast on Wednesday for a rare in-depth interview, during which she recounted in detail the experience of reclaiming the rights to her music, and why it was so important to her.

“So to catch anyone up who doesn’t know about this saga, like I signed a record deal when I was 15, and I always kind of refer to it as I got my music back this summer. But I never owned my music at all,” Swift explained. “So traditionally, a lot of record deals are set up in a way artists don’t own what’s called their master recordings. Owning your master recordings means that you have complete control and power over distribution, licensing and essentially, the way your legacy is shaped. It’s a huge thing. It’s always been huge thing for me.”

The 14-time Grammy winner said she had been actively saving up since she was a teenager to buy the recordings back and recounted when her music was first sold that it “ripped” her heart out of her chest. In 2021, Swift set out to re-record her albums since it was the only way to own a piece of them. The “Taylor’s Version” of her albums became massive successes due to previously unreleased “Vault” tracks. However, the thought still prayed on her to get back her original recordings.

“I thought about not owning my music every day. It was like an intrusive thought that I had every day,” Swift said. “After the Eras tour, I had a meeting with my team, and we decided this might be a good time to approach the current owners of it. The owners of it was a private equity firm called Shamrock Capital. I knew them to be above board people.”

To make her pitch to Shamrock, she said she realized she needed a creative approach.

“It’s a huge decision for them to make, to sell that to anyone, including me. I decided that, rather than this be like a business conversation, I, I’m in the business of human emotion,” Swift explained. “I would so much rather lead heart first in something like this. Because for me, this is not, oh, I want to own this asset because of its returns, because of the dividends that I will receive over the years, this was because this is my handwritten diary entries from my whole life. These are the songs I wrote about every phase of my life. This is my photography, my music videos, my most of which I funded. You know, my artwork, everything that I’ve ever done is in this catalog.”

Instead of sending her lawyers or her management team, the singer decided to send her mom and brother. When they called her with the news that Shamrock had agreed to the sale, she could not hold back her tears of joy.

“It was a couple months after the Super Bowl. We’re in Kansas City, and I get a call from my mom, and she’s like, ‘You got your music,'” she said still visibly emotional about the memory. “And so sorry that this is, it’s literally been so long since this happened. It’s every time I talk about it, um, she’s like, You got, you got your music, and I just, like, very dramatically, hit the floor for real, like, honestly, just starting balling my eyes out.”

Swift, through tears, explained she quickly ran to Travis, who was playing video games at the time, screaming so much he thought something was wrong. When she told him, she recalled collapsing in his arms while he cried with tears of joy as well.

“This changed my life,” she said. “I can’t believe it still, every time I think about it, it’s like I have to tell the short version to everyone, because it is still like this. This will affect the rest of my life, as I think about this every day now. But instead of it being like an intrusive thought that hurts me, it’s I can’t believe this happened. Like, how lucky am I? How grateful am I? I’m so grateful.”

You can listen to Swift’s full “New Heights” episode in the video above.

The post Taylor Swift Cries on Travis Kelce’s Podcast Retelling Saga of Buying Her Masters: ‘I Can’t Believe It Still’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Sweet Revenge:’ Go Behind the Scenes of the First ‘Friday the 13th’ Film Project Since 2009

Jason Voorhees is back.

“Sweet Revenge” is being described as a “vignette.” Produced by Horror Inc. and the newly formed Jason Universe, along with Angry Orchard Cider, the short was directed by Mike P. Nelson and features stuntman Schuyler White as the immortal killing machine. It’s the first time the beloved character, who first appeared as a villain in “Friday the 13th Part 2” (back in 1981), has been seen on screen since 2009’s “Friday the 13th” remake. Since then, the character has been tangled up in rights issues and legal drama. But what’s important is that he’s back.

You can watch the vignette, featuring the new Jason look, designed by effects legend Greg Nicotero, below.

And below, we chatted with Nelson, the writer/director, final girl Ally Ioannides and costume designer Christianne Hedtke.

Nelson was the man tasked with bringing Jason back to life for “Sweet Revenge” (while also selling cases of sweet, sweet hard cider). Nelson has directed “The Domestics” and the 2021 remake of “Wrong Turn,” as well as contributing to “V/H/S 85,” so his horror pedigree is well established. But entering the world of “Friday the 13th” is a completely different echelon.

This is the first new piece of Jason-related filmed material since the 2009 remake – what were the edicts from on high about what needed to be included? And what were things that you wanted to make sure were in there?

Nelson: There were not a whole lot of rules up front which made it so intriguing. Horror Inc. really wanted to hear fresh ideas from filmmakers and I was lucky enough to get picked to share mine! The obvious edicts were great kills, bring Jason back in full force and tell a good story. They didn’t just want a bunch of kills. Lucky for them story and characters are everything for me so it started with a solid new take with new characters and a twist … Eve. Could someone else undergo the same fate as Jason and be brought back to enact revenge? Filling it in with glorious Jason kills was the cherry!

What entries in the franchise were touchstones? Obviously there’s some big Tommy Jarvis energy coming from our main character?

1-4 were the canon. “The Final Chapter” is the definitive Jason movie in my opinion. It embodied ’80s horror in every way. And it has two of my favorite kills, Doug in the shower and the hippie banana squeeze kill. Those kills left an imprint on my brain I could never shake. I’ll also say we show a little love for part VII as well. Tina was awesome and Jason was just relentless.

On top of everything else, this is also a commercial for Angry Orchard. How did you balance all of these demands into a cohesive narrative?

For me the movie was always first. And I think everyone wanted that. If the film worked it was going to be good for everyone. There were times, we had to shoot a little shot of a can or have our actors do an alt take with some product. Angry Orchard was incredibly supportive. I give huge props to Chad Villella, our producer for helping me balance both the ad side and film side. Had not done anything quite like this and he always helped keep the creative king!

What were the other edicts you had to abide by? Obviously the franchise has been tangled up in issues so I’m curious what was fair game and what wasn’t.

There were not so many guardrails as there was a focus to make sure we gave Jason the proper treatment and comeback. Make him look really good! And let’s be honest, that was the fun part!!

You get to unveil the new Jason Universe design of Jason. What was that like? No pressure!

It was cool knowing we were working with Nicotero’s design. I have not met the guy yet but still having that one degree was definitely a pinch-me moment. The main thing was to shoot Jason the way you want to see him. My DP Nick Junkersfeld and I had a blast figuring out what made Jason look bad ass and mean and like the older movies. Every time we felt like we nailed it we just giggled like kids. It was a lot of fun.

What was it like to have Jason on set for the first time? You hear stories like Darth Vader being on stage.

I remember when Schuyler stepped out of the cabin all done up for the first time. The crew had not seen him yet, and I got to introduce him to everyone and the whole crew just exploded in applause. It was everyone’s first time being a part of a “Friday the 13th” film and you could feel it. Everyone was bubbling. It was a moment for sure. And then we got to watch him kill some people and that was great. Jason was forbidden to me growing up so to play in his world was gold!

Would you like to return to the Jason Universe sandbox?

If they’ll have me, I would be back in a heartbeat! I have some fun ideas I’d like to explore … even just working on this 13-minute piece has been a bucket list kinda thing. Growing up I made so many little Jason rip off movies with friends that to get here feels very full circle. Extremely grateful to have this chance and that Horror Inc. took a chance on me and my messed-up brain.

Horror Inc/Jason Universe

Ioannides is no stranger to the world of genre filmmaking, having starred in “Into the Badlands” and appearing in two episodes of “Elementary.” She also starred in a segment of “V/H/S 99.” In “Sweet Revenge,” she gets to face off against Jason Voorhees and while her ultimate fate has yet to be revealed, it feels like she will hold her own against one of the most iconic slashers of all time.

What was your relationship with the franchise before signing on?

Ioannides: I’ve always been a fan of slashers, so of course I knew about “Friday the 13th,” but I wouldn’t call myself a die-hard. Once I got the offer, I went back and rewatched the ‘80s films. With such a short prep time, I wanted to really immerse myself in what made those movies so iconic.

Your character has some distinct Tommy Jarvis energy –  was wondering if this was a performance from the series you looked at specifically?

Not really. There are a few Easter eggs in Eve’s costume, but performance-wise I was focused on telling the story Mike had written and building something new. Mike knows the franchise inside and out, so I trusted him completely on set. I’ve also spent a lot of my career in genre tv and film and I’m a horror fan, so in a way, I think I’ve been unknowingly preparing to play Eve for years. 

What was it like being on set with Jason? Did you feel the weight of it being the character’s first time on screen since 2009?

The first time Schuyler came out in full makeup and costume, I happened to be in the makeup cabin. The energy completely shifted—everyone went quiet. Then Mike walked in and introduced him to the crew, and it felt like we were witnessing something special. From that moment on, I just had a blast. Getting yanked into the lake from the canoe was a highlight. It’s such an iconic moment in horror, and getting to recreate it was surreal. 

At the end of the short you are about to face off against Jason – what do you think the next few minutes after the short cuts to black are?

I like to imagine there’s a strange sort of kinship between Eve and Jason. Not that they would necessarily be friends, but there’s a mutual recognition there. Jason has never encountered someone with a similar past, and Eve is still coming to terms with her own transformation. Seeing what happens between them would be fascinating.

Horror Inc/Jason Universe

Hedtke, the costume designer clearly had a great time bringing the world of “Friday the 13th” back to life in “Sweet Revenge,” and talks us through some of the Easter eggs scattered throughout.

What was your approach to the costumes in the short? Were there guiding principles?

Hedtke: Early on in the planning, Mike and our producer, Chad, wanted every single costume to be a nod from the early films of the franchise, even down to the wardrobe on the dead bodies who we might only see for a moment. I took that inspiration and ran with it, and challenged myself to only use looks from the original 1980 film. The goal was to evoke a nostalgic, vintage feel while making the costumes feel both contemporary and timeless.

We have been told that there are a number of Easter eggs in the costumes – what can you share about that? Do you have a favorite that you want to point out?

Since our heroine, Eve, shares a name with the “first woman,” I based her look on the first woman killed in the franchise – “Annie.” But every costume is an Easter egg, honestly. My favorites are the looks for the pair we dubbed the “Clothesline Couple” – they were based on the characters “Marcie” and “Jack” from the original film. I knew this couple would be in swimsuits, but I didn’t want to do another triangle bikini. I realized Marcie was killed while wearing white panties and pink tee shirt, so I figured why not find those components in two pieces? I mixed and matched until I found a swimsuit that perfectly matches the look Marcie is murdered in. And earlier in the film, Kevin Bacon who plays Jack is wearing a blue Speedo with yellow stripes. A Speedo would have been pretty distracting in our film, so I added yellow panels to blue swim trunks to update the look. I think it was a success!

What was it like costuming Jason Voorhees?

It was dirty! Jason was the only costume that was pre-designed (by the legendary Greg Nicotero) so it was up to me to execute the look. Once we settled on wardrobe that matched Greg’s vision, it was hours and hours of distressing, dying and aging the costumes, and we needed five duplicates for continuity and effects. It was quite labor-intensive – I had to use power tools to get the right level of distress. I wanted him to look wet and grimy, like he was perennially emerging from some hellish lake, so I covered his bottom half in a mixture of vegetable glycerin and cinnamon. He looked terrifying but he smelled lovely. Schuyler (who plays Jason) is 6’5” and when he first put on the whole look I actually hid behind some other crew members. It was quite intimidating!

Can you talk about maintaining the classic “Friday the 13th” feel while also making it feel contemporary?

Luckily, the look of the original film feels pretty timeless – plaid button-downs, cut-off jean shorts and triangle bikini tops still scream summer. I wanted to maintain the motif of using primary colors, which really pop against the green of the woods. I think we as a collective have fallen in love with the style of the late ’70s and early ’80s, and many brands are actively making clothes as an homage to those styles. So many looks that were original in 1980 are being reissued today. “Annie’s” Nike Cortez sneakers were reissued this year in the exact same colorway. Likewise, Dana was styled after “Brenda” of the original film – Brenda wore the OG Adidas Sambas so that was a gimme. I put Jason in brown Wranglers in the original Cowboy cut which were first issued in 1947. I loved the idea that Jason Voorhees, who drowned in the 1950s, would have had access to this exact style.

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‘Weapons’ and ‘The Naked Gun’ Debut in the Top 10 Titles Audiences Are Most Excited About | Chart

What are the entertainment offerings that consumers are most excited about? It’s a question that marketers, distributors, advertisers and media publications are always asking.

ScreenShare, a data partnership between Screen Engine/ASI and TheWrap, tracks the Top 10 most-mentioned entertainment options every week and whether each has gained or lost momentum compared to the prior week. The chart lives on the Data & Analysis page of the WrapPRO Members Hub.

For a ninth consecutive week, “Superman” holds the top spot. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” also remains steady at No. 2 for another week. Following its Season 2 premiere on Aug. 6, the Netflix series “Wednesday” soars three spots to land at No. 3. Amid continued preseason excitement, “NFL Football” inches up one position to No. 4. Rounding out the Top 5, the Netflix original movie “Happy Gilmore 2” slips two spots to No. 5. 

The film sequel “Freakier Friday” continues its ascent, climbing three positions to No. 6 after its theatrical release last weekend. The recently released reboot of “The Naked Gun” makes a strong debut at No. 7. Netflix’s “Stranger Things” takes a four-spot tumble to No. 8, while “Jurassic World Rebirth” slides two positions to No. 9. Finally, the buzzy upcoming horror film “Weapons” makes its first appearance on the chart at No. 10.

Weekly Top 10 (Aug. 2-8)“Superman”“The Fantastic Four: First Steps”“Wednesday”“NFL Football”“Happy Gilmore 2”“Freakier Friday”“The Naked Gun”“Stranger Things”“Jurassic World Rebirth”“Weapons”

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Taylor Swift’s New Album Is So Major That Fox News Paused Bashing Jimmy Kimmel to Cover It, Nicole Byer Says | Video

Nicole Byer, who stepped in as a guest host for “Jimmy Live Live!” Tuesday night, shared the news that Taylor Swift’s 12th studio is on the way — a major development that has everyone excited … including Fox News, who Byer said paused their anti-Jimmy Kimmel coverage just to discuss it.

“First, I must address the major news that rocked the nation last night and could forever change the course of human history,” Byer told the audience. “Taylor Swift is releasing her 12th studio album. So, congratulations white women, you’re finally back on top!”

That’s when she laid into the conservative news channel, which has consistently reported on and discussed the late night host and his criticisms of the president. Watch the segment below:

“This was such a big news story, Fox News even took a break from bashing Jimmy Kimmel to talk about it,” Byer stated, pulling up a clip of Fox News enthusiastically previewing the announcement meant to be made Wednesday on Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast. Unfortunately, said Fox News broadcast hit a snag when instead of playing a preview of the podcast episode they pulled up news footage of an unidentified street fight from another news story on the broadcast.

“Well, that was not the clip,” the anchor said before Byer jumped back in.

“OK, but I’m still going to pretend it was!” she said.

Byer’s jokes about Fox News targeting Kimmel came amid heightened speculation that President Donald Trump has his thumb on the scale of network staffing decisions after Paramount and CBS canceled “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” last month. While the president has maintained he wasn’t responsible for CBS canceling the program, the Trump camp has continued to suggest certain programs that criticize him are at risk of a similar fate.

Back in July, the Trump administration said “The View,” which has continuously criticized Trump, is “next to be pulled off the air.” That same month, Trump stated that he “absolutely” loves that Colbert was fired and said he heard Kimmel was next to go. He later doubled down on his predictions that Kimmel would be “next,” and added Jimmy Fallon into the mix.

“Fallon has no talent. Kimmel has no talent,” Trump said during a press conference on Aug. 6, according to Fox News. “They’re next. They’re going to be going. I hear they’re going to be going. I don’t know, but I would imagine because they’d get — you know, Colbert has better ratings than Kimmel or Fallon.”

Swift announced the news of her upcoming album “The Life of a Showgirl” via her website on Monday. On Wednesday, she shared that the album will drop Oct. 3.

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Taylor Swift’s ‘Life of a Showgirl’ Album Art, Tracklist and Release Date Revealed

Taylor Swift has just revealed the album art, releae date and tracklist for her 12th studio album “The Life of a Showgirl.”

“And, baby, that’s show business for you,” Swift wrote on Instagram Wednesday. “New album ‘The Life of a Showgirl.’ Out Oct. 3.”

Have a look at the vinyl album art below:

Taylor Swift on Instagram

The post also included photos, presumably from the liner notes, that like the cover feature Swift photographed in showgirl attire set against various vintage, Vegas-y backgrounds.

As far as her tracklist, “The Life of a Showgirl features 12 tracks: “The Fate of Ophelin,” “Elizabeth Taylor,” “Opalite,” “Father Figure,” “Eldest Daughter,” “Ruin the Friendship,” “Actually Romantic,” “Wi$sh Li$t,” “Wood,” “Cancelled!,” “The Honey” and “The Life of a Showgirl,” which features Sabrina Carpenter.

Her website also featured limited release deluxe CDs for the new album, and it was completed with another countdown, this time for the release of her album.

Taylor Swift announced that her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” was on the way during a snippet of her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s upcoming episode of his podcast “New Heights.” Her official website then revealed the pre-order details for the album.

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