Entertainment

When Paul Mescal agreed to act in Aftersun, awards were the last thing on his mind. So, when he found out he was up for best leading actor at this year’s Academy Awards, Mescal tells ABC Audio it came as a shock.

“The way awards season works, there’s always three or four [performances] that are fairly sure bets as you get to Oscar nominations morning. And we were never, ever inside that,” Mescal says. “The drama of that actually happening is probably something that won’t ever happen again.”

While being an Oscar-nominated actor seemed like a far-off dream, Mescal says there was one person who always believed in him — his mother.

“She’s had that date booked in her diary for years. She had lots of confidence, probably more confidence than I did, that this was ever going to happen,” Mescal says.

That date is quickly approaching. Mescal and his mother will attend the ceremony on March 12, and he says he’s been thinking about what it will feel like to experience the Oscars in person.

“I just have a hyper fixation of what it’s going to feel like,” Mescal says. “I distinctly remember waking up in the middle of the night to watch it back in Ireland. That’s the image in my head, is sitting in the car with my mum and driving to it.”

While Mescal’s mother will sit next to him during the ceremony, his father will also attend, seated elsewhere in the theater. Their support, Mescal says, was crucial in getting him to this moment.

“I feel like I’ve had a network of people around me who never said no,” Mescal said. “If I’m ever going to be a parent, I’m going to take a leaf out of their book and never say no. Ever.”

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In the category of Best Original Song at Sunday night’s Oscars, the nominees include songs by pop superstars Rihanna and Lady Gaga, rock star David Byrne and legendary songwriter Diane Warren, plus one outlier: “Naatu Naatu,” from the Indian film RRR. 

The first song from an Indian film to be nominated in this category, “Naatu Naatu” is sung in the Indian language of Telugu and is the centerpiece of the film’s critically acclaimed dance number. It’s already won the Golden Globe and the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Original Song. Many feel it also deserves the Oscar because, unlike the other nominated songs, it’s part of the plot.

RRR is about the friendship between two Indian revolutionaries during the time the British ruled India. “Naatu Naatu” soundtracks an important scene in which the main characters, Raju and Bheem, are insulted by a rude Englishman. Instead of fighting him, they dance him under the table.

“That is one of the reasons it has great emotion,” Ram Charan, who plays Raju, tells ABC Audio. “And that’s why you’re enjoying the steps and enjoying that song.” Charan says the title “Naatu Naatu” means “local local” or “rootedness,” in terms of being “rooted” in the Indian soil.

The song is being performed at the Oscars this Sunday, but Charan says he doesn’t know if he’ll be doing the dance.

“I would love to do it,” says Charan. “It’s like giving back to the audience … a way of saying a big ‘thank you’ to everybody across the world.”

What Charan is sure about is that he’s going to have a “fanboy moment” on the red carpet and will be excited that, as he says, “I am actually witnessing this and experiencing this — and I’m so grateful to God for that.” 

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Sony Pictures’ Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse will swing into its hero Miles Morales’ home turf of Brooklyn for a special live event.

And he’s bringing backup.

On Friday, March 17, the borough’s historic Kings Theatre will host a screening of the film, coupled with a full orchestra, band and DJs, all providing musical accompaniment to the groundbreaking movie.

The event will also feature a Q&A with the animated film’s Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning composer, Daniel Pemberton, and composer and performer Tamar-kali to discuss the special performance.

The original Spider-Verse soundtrack featured contributions from Lil Wayne, Post Malone and Nicki Minaj; an in-house DJ will spin the tracks, backed by Broadway Sinfonietta, an NYC-based all-female BIPOC orchestra.

Tickets for the event can be purchased now.

Meantime, a follow-up to Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, hits theaters June 2.

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Now the third highest-grossing movie of all time — just ahead of his Titanic and below the number-one film of all time, the original Avatar — James Cameron‘s Avatar: The Way of Water will be available for purchase on digital March 28.

The Oscar-nominated sequel will be available on all the major digital platforms, including Prime Video, Vudu and Apple TV+, along with more than three hours of bonus content.

The digital release comes packed with nearly 20 behind-the-scenes featurettes about the making of the $2.2 billion-grossing epic, including deep dives into its bleeding-edge digital effects, casting videos, and a special feature showing how its cast learned to live off the land to prepare for their roles as Pandora’s native Na’vi.

The film — starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Edie Falco, Kate Winslet, and Sigourney Weaver — is up for four Academy Awards this coming Sunday, including Best Picture.

Avatar: The Way of Water was produced by 20th Century Studios, which is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.

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Halle Bailey‘s version of Ariel in The Little Mermaid will be seen in theaters — and possibly stores, too. In an Instagram post Monday, the singer revealed her character has its own doll, which even has a mole just like hers.

“I have something really exciting to reveal to you all. I am gonna cry,” she said in a video. “This is the new Little Mermaid doll! I am literally choking up because this means so much to me.”

“And to have one that looks like me, that’s my favorite Disney character, is very surreal,” the singer continued. “And look, she even has my mole! See? And the hair, and the tail … I’m just stunned, so I don’t quite know what to do with it, but I’m gonna steal this and take it home.”

She wrote in the post’s caption, “Omg…the little girl in me is pinching herself right now ..I have my own Little Mermaid Ariel doll !!! I can’t believe how much she captures my version of this iconic character…brb gonna go cry now.”

Halle stars as Ariel in the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, set to premiere May 23 in theaters nationwide. It’s not clear when or if her new doll will be released.

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Amazon Prime Video on Monday dropped the trailer for Citadel, the new spy series from Avengers: Endgame directors Anthony and Joe Russo, starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The plot, according to the streamer: “Eight years ago, Citadel fell. The independent global spy agency—tasked to uphold the safety and security of all people—was destroyed by operatives of Manticore, a powerful syndicate manipulating the world from the shadows. With Citadel’s fall, elite agents Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh — played respectively by Madden and Chopra Jonas — had their memories wiped as they narrowly escaped with their lives.” Citadel launches April 28 with two new episodes, followed by a new episode released weekly every Friday through May 26… (Trailer contains uncensored profanity.)

Scarlett Johansson is circling the lead role in Private Benjamin filmmaker Nancy Meyers‘ upcoming feature for Netflix, with the working title Paris Paramount, multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. Penélope Cruz, Owen Wilson and Michael Fassbender are also reportedly eying the project, which Meyers will write, produce and direct. The film, insiders tell THR, will follow “a talented young writer-director who falls in love with a producer, with the pair making several successful films before calling it quits romantically and professionally. The two are forced back together, however, when a great new project arises, and they find themselves teamed up again and having to deal with high stakes and volatile stars”…

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt alum Ellie Kemper is in talks to star in Motherland, a comedy pilot for ABC based on the British series, according to Deadline. Karan Soni, best known for playing Dopinder in the Deadpool movies, has been tapped for a lead role in the project co-produced by Paul Feig’s Feigco Entertainment. The Big Sick helmer Michael Showalter is set to direct. Motherland, per the outlet, would star Kemper as Julia, “a working mom for whom nothing is working so she goes looking for her village. With the help of new friends Calvin, played by Soni, and Liz, Julia discovers she just might succeed at balancing work and parenting from time to time…”

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Emotions ran high on Monday’s episode of The Bachelor, as each rose came with the chance for Zach to visit that lady’s hometown and meet her family.

A week in charming Budapest, Hungary began with Kaity and Zach exploring the city and writing love poems to each other. Over dinner, she revealed that what she wanted out of a relationship was “family,” “stability” and a man who would “be there” for her, explaining that she’d lost two dads in her life — her birth father, who left when she was very young and a man who dated her mother and became a father figure to Kaity, before leaving as well. Zach took the first step by offering her the date rose and the chance to introduce him to her family in Austin.

Next, a group date featuring a mentalist triggered emotions and anxieties that caused some of the ladies — Gabbi included — to question their connections with Zach. Gabbi’s fears were alleviated when Zach offered her the date rose, and a chance to meet her family in Vermont.

Brooklyn‘s one-on-one date ended in heartbreak after telling Zach that she could definitely see a future with him. Despite feeling a “strong” connection with Brooklyn, however, Zach said he also felt something hadn’t “clicked,” and sent her home.

Greer, who was sidelined by COVID-19 last week, rejoined Zach and the others in Budapest, only to learn that some of his other connections had already “gotten really strong,” and there was no way for her to catch up before hometowns.

The final two hometown dates, revealed during Monday’s rose ceremony, went to Ariel and Charity, leaving Kat to return home to Tampa.

Here are the four remaining women whose families Zach will meet:

Ariel, 28, a marketing executive from New York City, N.Y.
Charity, 26, a child and family therapist from Columbus, Ga.
Gabriella “Gabi,” 25, an account executive from Pittsford, Vt.
Kaitlyn “Kaity,” 27, an ER nurse from Austin, Texas.

The Bachelor returns on Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, when Zack will meet the families. Then on Tuesday — also at 8 p.m. — your favorite ladies from season 27 return for The Bachelor: The Women Tell All.

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The Gray Man and Knives Out co-stars Chris Evans and Ana de Armas are literally back in action in the trailer to the Apple TV+ romantic action movie Ghosted.

The teaser showed a few action-packed moments from the romantic comedy, including snippets of playful banter, international adventure and some serious heroic stunts.

The plot follows Evans as Cole Riggan and de Armas as Sadie, who meet and share a brief romantic tryst before the mysterious Sadie goes radio silent and disappears.

In a “grand romantic gesture,” Evans’ character sets out to find answers about the girl of his dreams, only to get caught up in an international espionage ring. “You got me kidnapped and tortured all after one date!” the Marvel movie star exclaims after she frees him from a baddie apparently wielding a murder hornet as an interrogation tool.

From the producers behind Deadpool and the director of Rocketman, the PG-13-rated, meet-cute-turned-007-style action movie will be available to stream exclusively on Apple TV+ on April 21.

De Armas has another mission this weekend: attending the Oscars as a nominee for Blonde.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger has released a YouTube video he made regarding the rise of antisemetism, in which he urged those who embrace it to “choose strength” and change their minds.

Arnold detailed his visit to Auschwitz last year, describing how moved he was by walking through the site where so many were executed. “The weight at your back … hits you heavier than any squat I’ve ever done,” the former bodybuilder said, trying to get people to put themselves in the shoes of those who died.

Arnold added, “I want to talk to the people out there who may have already stumbled onto the … wrong path … I want to talk to you if you … found yourself thinking about if anyone is inferior … because of their religion, or the color of their skin, or their gender,” he says.

“I’ve seen enough people throw away their futures for their hateful beliefs.”

The Austrian superstar detailed how his father, who was an officer fighting for Germany in the Second World War, was left “broken” after the conflict. “Besides the guilt and the injuries, they felt like losers, not only because they lost the war, but because they fell for a horrible loser ideology. They were lied to and misled into a path that led to misery,” he said.

“Hate is the easy path … But you won’t find success at the end of that road … It breaks you,” he insists.

Schwarzenegger noted, “There has never been a successful movement based on hate. Nazis? Losers. The Confederacy? Losers. The Apartheid movement? Losers … I don’t want you to be a loser.”

“You still have a chance to live a life of strength,” he implored, relating working on yourself with his struggles in the gym. “You have the greatest power of all, the power to change your own life.”

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Boy Meets World alum Ben Savage is officially running for Congress. In a post to Instagram, Savage explained he’s running for Rep. Adam Schiff‘s House seat. Schiff recently announced he’s running in the Democratic primary for recently retired California Sen. Dianne Feinstein‘s seat.

“I am a proud Californian, union member and longtime resident of District 30 who comes from a family of unwavering service to our country and community,” says the actor best known for playing Cory Matthews on the 1990s ABC coming-of-age sitcom and its 2014 Disney Channel spinoff, Girl Meets World.

The Golden State’s 30th Congressional District encompasses West Hollywood, Burbank and parts of Pasadena.

“I firmly believe in standing up for what is right, ensuring equality and expanding opportunities for all. I’m running for Congress because it’s time to restore faith in government by offering reasonable, innovative and compassionate solutions to our country’s most pressing issues,” said the actor and brother of Wonder Years‘ Fred Savage.

Before plugging his website, SavageForCongress.com, Ben said, “It’s time for new and passionate leaders who can help move our country forward. Leaders who want to see the government operating at maximum capacity, unhindered by political divisions and special interests.”

As reported in January, Savage submitted paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run as a Democrat.

In 2022, Savage unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the West Hollywood City Council.

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