Comedian Shane Gillis is set to host the February 24 episode of Saturday Night Live, with musical guest 21 Savage. Gillis was actually hired as a cast member on long-running NBC sketch comedy series in 2019, but was fired before he even appeared on the show due to backlash over old jokes that were deemed racist and homophobic.
With Barbie’s “I’m Just Ken” nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song, lots of people are hoping RyanGosling will perform the tune at the ceremony — and that includes the song’s producer Mark Ronson. On the Grammy red carpet, Ronson told Variety Gosling hasn’t committed to an Oscar performance yet, but expressed, “It’s my dream.” And Ronson is all or nothing when it comes to the performance, sharing, “I think if Ryan doesn’t do it then we’re not doing it.”
Before his passing on Thursday, February 1, Rocky star Carl Weathers shot a Super Bowl ad for FanDuel. But in the wake of his death, the company has decided to make some changes. “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Carl Weathers,” it shared on Instagram, alongside photos from his iconic roles. “FanDuel was fortunate to have had an opportunity to work with him during our Super Bowl campaign. We are adjusting our campaign accordingly out of respect for the family during their time of grief.”
Argylle, starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara and Samuel L. Jackson, has topped the North American box office with an estimated $18 million. That’s not great news, however, given its $200 million production budget. The spy comedy added $17.3 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $35.3 million.
The Chosen took second place with an estimated $6 million. Fathom Events is bringing the show’s fourth season to theaters with two-week runs of episodes one through three, followed by episodes four through eight later this year.
The Beekeeper came in third with an estimated $5.28 million in its fourth week of release. That brings its domestic box office gross to $49.2 million and $122 million worldwide.
Wonka finished in fourth place, delivering an estimated $4.7 million. Its eight-week tally now stands at $202 million in North America and over $571 million globally.
Rounding out the top five was the animated feature Migration, which earned an estimated $4.2 million in its fifth week of release. To date, the film has grossed $106.2 million domestically and $210 million worldwide.
Friends and former co-stars took to social media after news broke that Emmy nominee Carl Weathers had died in his sleep Thursday, February 1, at 76.
In a video shot in front of a LeRoy Neiman painting of Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed clashing in the ring, an emotional Sylvester Stallone expressed, “I’m so torn up, I can’t even tell you.”
Stallone said Weathers was “such an integral part of my life,” adding, “I never could have accomplished what we did with Rocky without him. He was absolutely great. His voice, his size, his power, his athletic ability, but more importantly, his heart, his soul.”
He captioned the video by saying, “My life was forever changed for the better the day I met Carl Weathers. Rest in power and keeping punching.”
Michael B. Jordan, who played Adonis Creed, son of Weathers’ Apollo, in the Rocky spin-off franchise Creed, also called the actor “a legend.”
Weathers’ Happy Gilmore co-star Adam Sandlercalled him, “A true great man,” noting he was a, “Great dad. Great actor. Great athlete. So much fun to be around always. Smart as hell. Loyal as hell.”
Adam added in part, “Everyone loved him.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who starred with Weathers in Predator, called the late actor “a legend,” and “An extraordinary athlete, a fantastic actor, and a great person,” adding, “We couldn’t have made Predator without him. And we certainly wouldn’t have had such a wonderful time making it. Every minute with him – on set and off – was pure joy.”
Another Predator co-star, Jesse Ventura, called Weathers “an icon,” and a “phenomenal talent, a true professional, and a dear friend.”
The Mandalorian‘s Pedro Pascalposted a throwback photo of Weathers, adding a heartbroken emoji and simply, “Words fail.”
Mando co-star Giancarlo Espositocalled Weathers “a dear friend and brother” and “one of the most wonderful human beings” he’d ever met.
We apparently haven’t seen the last of Dr. Robotnik.
That’s what Variety said Friday regarding Jim Carrey reprising the mustachioed maniac from the hit Sonic the Hedgehog movies.
Sonic‘s official social media platforms hinted Friday that Carrey’s character survived his climactic fall at the end of 2022’s Sonic sequel.
Seemingly quoting the baddie, a text message reads, “You all thought I was gone, but I’ve just been underground. What you’ve seen from me is only a #shadow of things to come.” As the message plays out, Carrey’s unmistakable laugh as the bad doctor is heard.
The movie’s Instagram Stories also confirmed reports that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will star Krysten Ritter, Alyla Browne, Cristo Fernández, Jorma Taccone and James Wolk.
Sonic 3, which will also bring back original cast members, including Ben Schwartz, Lee Majdouband Idris Elba, is set for a December 2024 release.
Carl Weathers, the actor known for playing boxer Apollo Creed in the Rocky films, has died, his manager said Friday. He was 76.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers,” his manager, MattLuber, said in a statement, adding that the actor died peacefully in his sleep.
“Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life. Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner, and friend.”
In addition to the Rocky films, Weathers had memorable roles in films including Predator and HappyGilmore. He also appeared on TV in the crime drama Street Justice and on the sitcom ArrestedDevelopment. In 2021, he was nominated for an Emmy for his recurring role in the Star Wars-inspired streaming series TheMandalorian.
Before his career as an actor, Weathers, a New Orleans native, was a football star at San Diego State University and later played in the NFL for the Raiders.
Weathers played in a total of eight regular NFL season games before turning his attention to acting in 1974, according to the Raiders website.
“I just remember being bitten by the [acting] bug when I was in grade school,” Weathers said in an interview with WGN Morning News last year. “The first play I did I was in fifth or sixth grade when I was in one of those pageant plays. And then the next time I did a play, the following year, was a scripted play that one of my teachers did. And there is nothing like standing on stage as a kid and suddenly hearing [applause].”
His first acting roles were small parts in the 1975 films Friday Foster and Bucktown.
The following year, he was cast in the first Rocky film as Apollo Creed, a character inspired by real-life boxing champion Muhammad Ali. Creed was the rival of Sylvester Stallone‘s Rocky Balboa in the first two Rocky films, then became one of the protagonists in Rocky III and in Rocky IV.
“I have no idea why it’s so enduring,” Weathers said about the legacy of Rocky in an interview with Red Carpet News TV in 2016. “About the best explanation for it is, it just happened to be the right movie at the right time with the right people in it.”
“Stallone wrote some great characters and a great story arc and character arc, and maybe just a lot of people related to it, and still do,” he added. “Because no matter which generation for people who’s seeing it for the first time after 40 years or who has seen it 40 times in the last 40 years, people still love the movie, so how fortunate it is to be in a movie like that.”
Longtime Law & Order veteran Sam Waterston is leaving the show after 400 episodes playing District Attorney Jack McCoy, a role he’s filled since 1994.
On the show’s Instagram, the 83-year-old actor bade farewell to the NBC show’s fans in a posted statement to the “wonderful … backbone of Law & Order’s absolutely amazing audience.”
“The time has come for me to move on and take Jack McCoy with me,” Waterston said. “There’s sadness in leaving, but I’m just too curious about what’s next. An actor doesn’t want to let himself get too comfortable.”
He continued, “I’m more grateful to you than I can say. L&O’s continuing and amazing long run, along with its astounding come-back [sic], is all thanks to you and to [creator] Dick Wolf, but for whose vision, patience, perseverance, and unique combination of creative and business talents, none of this would have happened.”
“I feel very blessed. I hope to see you all on the flip side,” Waterston concluded.
The Massachusetts native played McCoy on the flagship crime series from 1994 until the show’s end in 2010. However, he reprised the role across other shows in the L&O universe and rejoined the series when its revival began on NBC in 2022.
Waterston’s last episode will air on Thursday, February 22.
On Friday, NBC also announced that Scandal veteran Tony Goldwyn will succeed Waterston as the show’s new district attorney.
Former Home Alone franchise star and Schitt’s Creek Emmy winner Catherine O’Hara has been tapped to co-star in the second season of Max’s The Last of Us.
The streaming service broke the news on its Instagram Stories on Friday, but didn’t reveal who the performer will be playing in the Emmy-winning video game adaptation.
News that O’Hara was being courted by the series broke Thursday evening, when a fan videoing into Bravo’s Watch What Happens Liveasked her about it. The star confirmed the rumor, before asking incredulously, “How do you know these things?!”
O’Hara, now in theaters in Argylle, also revealed that both of her sons work behind the scenes on the post-apocalyptic hit starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, which will return in 2025.
Actor-and-ad man Ryan Reynolds has managed to secure a two-time Oscar winner for a Super Bowl spot.
The recently released commercial for STōK Cold Brew coffee shows Anthony Hopkins getting serious as he prepares for a role.
“To act is to deceive,” the legendary performer begins in voiceover. “And to deceive, one must forget oneself.”
“Every metamorphosis is demanding, but to become this beast requires an extra kick,” the big screen’s Hannibal Lecter says.
“Now: Hear me roar!” Hopkins thunders before donning the head of a sports mascot — specifically Wrex, the Red Dragon of Wrexham AFC, which Reynolds not coincidentally co-owns.
While “Ode to Joy” plays triumphantly, the mascot tears onto Wrexham’s home pitch in Wales, psyching up a throng of screaming footy fans.
Hopkins is later shown in a locker room taking a break over an ice coffee. “Ironically, it is the cold brew that births the fire-breathing dragon,” he intones before taking a pull.
He’s then reminded by an offscreen voice that the second half of the game is about to start.
“We picked up a key player in the transfer window, Sir @anthonyhopkins,” Reynolds commented on Instagram about the new ad from his Maximum Effort production company.
Have no fear, your reality roundup is here! Here’s a look at what happened in the world of reality television this week:
Big Brother(CBS) Janelle Pierzina is giving up her Big Brother key for good. The iconic houseguest, who has participated in four seasons, placed third twice and holds the record for most competition wins in a single season for a player who was not voted back into the house, told Entertainment Weekly she’s retiring from the reality competition show. “I really don’t want to play Big Brother anymore,” Pierzina said. “As much as I love the show and I’m respectful of what it’s given me in my life and what it’s done for me, I really don’t want to do that.”
Vanderpump Rules(Bravo)
Fans got a glimpse of life after Scandoval in the season 11 premiere this week. In the episode, Ariana Madix, whose longtime partner Tom Sandoval cheated on her with her close friend Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, made an emotional return to her ex’s restaurant TomTom. Meanwhile, Lala Kent found herself sympathizing with the shunned Raquel and attempted to reach out. In other Vanderpump news, Ariana made her Broadway debut in Chicago this week, and Lala revealed she’s conceiving her second child through intrauterine insemination (IUI).
The Bachelor(ABC)
In the second episode of the season Monday, Joey Graziadei went on his first dates with the ladies. This episode ended with Lauren — whose sister Allison is also competing for Joey’s affection on the show — deciding to leave the show following a wedding-themed date that made her confront the grief of losing her father. She marked her departure in dramatic fashion — by throwing a cake. Joey ended up sending three more women home: Erika, Taylor and Marlena.
As part of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s ongoing Conversations chats with this year’s Oscar nominees, Best Supporting Actors Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer), Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction) and Willem Dafoe (Poor Things) shared their thoughts on their craft via video chat — and got a chance to fanboy over each others’ work.
Brown “had to ask” about “one of his favorite performances”: Downey’s previously Oscar-nominated turn in the 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder, in which he played Australian actor Kirk Lazarus, who underwent a pigment surgery to play Lincoln Osiris, a Black soldier in the Vietnam War.
“How were you not scared out of your blanking mind doing it?” Brown asked.
“My mother called me and said, ‘Bobby … Do not destroy your career,'” Downey replied, cracking up his fellow actors.
He also likened it to All in the Family, which used humor to poke fun at bigotry.
“I knew that we were just about to exit the age of rationality for what intent was,” Downey said. “But I also, I couldn’t resist the possibility of being black for a summer,” Downey said, causing Brown to nearly fall out of his chair laughing — though he was on mute.
Downey called the role “a mask,” noting, “The mask was so freeing. I just finished shooting Iron Man and …I just needed to wear a mask and make fun of the Emperor.”
He continued, “I just needed to clown the underserved area of actors are so f****** stupid. How can we send ourselves up to be free to say, ‘It ain’t that deep, brother.'”
For his part, Brown said he and his wife often quote Osiris around the home, which Downey called “a glowing endorsement.”
