Entertainment

After the April 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot surprised industry prognosticators with a strong theatrical showing just as theaters were opening back up, Warner Bros.-owned New Line is reportedly stacking up its quarters for a Mortal Kombat sequel.

Deadline reports Simon McQuoid will return as the director to the follow-up to his unexpected hit.

The film performed well both in theaters and with a simultaneous HBO Max release, with the film making more than $84 million from theaters worldwide. While those aren’t Avengers numbers by any stretch, the film reportedly cost just $55 million to make and was a solid performer for HBO’s then-nascent streaming service.

Based on the hit video game series, Mortal Kombat attracted more than 3.3 million sets of eyeballs in its first weekend on HBO Max, according to Business Insider, beating out the streaming debuts of bigger films like The Matrix Resurrections and eventual Oscar winner Dune.

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On Wednesday, HBO released the trailer to its Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon.

Laenor Velaryan sets the stage in the trailer’s tease with the words “war is afoot.”

As reported, the show is based on George R.R. Martin‘s Fire & Blood book, set hundreds of years before the events of Game of Thrones. It is a deep dive into the history of Game of Thrones’ House Targaryen, ancestors of tragic heroine Daenerys Targaryen, who was played by Emilia Clarke.

Paddy Considine‘s Viserys Targaryen says in the trailer, “The dream was clearer than a memory. I heard the sounds of thundering hooves. Splintering shields and ringing swords. And I placed my heir upon the Iron Throne.”

Later he’s informed that although he has an heir, Emma D’Arcy‘s Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, “No queen has ever sat” on the coveted seat of power.

“I will not choose between my brother and my daughter,” he says, referring to his brother Daemon Targaryen, with Matt Smith looking shady as the possible ruler.

“Rhaenyra’s succession will be challenged,” schemes Eve Best‘s Rhaenys Targaryen. “Knives will come out.”

Later she tells the young princess, “A woman would never inherit the Iron Throne. Because that is the order of things.”

D’Arcy’s character replies, “When I am queen, I will create a new order.”

As others plot for the coveted chair, we see Smith’s character apparently awakening dragons, a power the House of Targaryen is warned they “never should have trifled with.”

House of the Dragon debuts on HBO August 21.

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Seeing masked heroes is nothing new for patrons of any comic convention. But it will be the mandate this year, when the mothership of all cons, San Diego Comic-Con, kicks off Thursday.

Amid a spike of COVID cases in California, the return of the in-person convention will also see a mask mandate return — something many cosplayers and fans hoped wouldn’t be the case.

According to Comic-Con International, your Stormtrooper bucket won’t do, either: “Face coverings should completely cover the nose and mouth … and not have any gaps,” the rules stipulate.

Further, the organizers dictate attendees, “… will [also] be required to provide verification of full COVID-19 vaccination status or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours.”

With the question of “what to wear” out of the way, fans are buzzing with what they can expect this year.

After two years of virtual conventions, 2022 will see the San Diego Convention Center’s Hall H once again packed.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be there ahead of Black Adam; there will be hints about DC’s Batgirl, starring Leslie Grace and Michael Keaton; and peeks of the sequels to Aquaman and Shazam, too. Plus, there are rumors fan favorite Henry Cavill will announce he’s returning to play Superman.

Marvel Studios is also returning, with fans hoping to get a better idea of the MCU’s next Thanos-level threat: Big screen teases like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels will likely unspool, along with small-screen projects like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Secret Invasion.

Streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max and Hulu will also be representing, making news with talent and panels, as will networks including FX, Freeform, Fox and AMC.

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In a new interview with People, Witney Carson explains she hid having skin cancer surgery so she wouldn’t miss her first season on Dancing with the Stars. 

Carson was 19 when she was diagnosed with melanoma, a genetic form of skin cancer she blames on the use of tanning beds when she was younger. 

The potentially deadly diagnosis came at the worst possible time. “I finally got this call that was going to just skyrocket my career,” says the now-28-year-old dancer of the DWTS opportunity.

Witney recalls, “…of course, being myself, I’m like ‘It’s fine. I can still go on the show. I think I was embarrassed only in the fact that I was an athlete, and I was supposed to be encompassing everything healthy and fit…and so it was embarrassing for me to be like, ‘Yes…I was literally sick.'”

She added, “The producers didn’t know. My partner didn’t know. I wanted people to think I was perfectly healthy.”

Before reporting to rehearsals with partner Cody Simpson, Witney underwent surgical procedures to fight the cancer.

“They took an inch diameter around the mole on my foot as well as all of my lymph nodes in my left hip,” she recalled. “It was just spreading so quickly…and there was lots of healing time. I think I took six weeks and then I went straight to Dancing with the Stars...”

Witney took to rehearsals without her doctor’s clearance and split her stitches open while dancing. “I looked down and my white tennis shoe is just covered in blood, just covered in blood,” she remembers.

Carson is now the healthy mom of one-year-old Leo, who she wants to give a sibling — sometime after hoofing it the upcoming season of DWTS.

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Charles Dickens‘ holiday classic is coming to Netflix in a computer-animated movie called Scrooge: A Christmas Carol, and some big names are bringing it to life.

Oscar and Emmy winner Olivia Colman will be voicing this version of the Ghost of Christmas Past in the feature, ABC Audio has confirmed, with Beauty and the Beast‘s Luke Evans voicing Scrooge, himself.

Jessie Buckley, who starred with Colman in the award-winning The Lost Daughter, also lends her voice to the project.

Other stars set to feature in the film are Tony winner Jonathan Pryce, taking on the voice of Scrooge’s former partner Jacob Marley and Hawkeye‘s Fra Fee as Harry Huffam. Trevor Dion Nicholas, who originated the role of Genie in Disney’s Aladdin: The Musical will voice Present, and Stardust‘s Johnny Flynn will lend his pipes to Bob Cratchit.

Directed by Lost in Oz‘ Stephen Donnelly, Scrooge will feature “reimagined” songs from the late Oscar nominee and Grammy winner Leslie Bricusse, a veteran of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Home Alone and Superman.

In a statement, Donnelly said, “It’s been a fascinating challenge to adapt such a beloved and often-told story and I think this version will give those who know A Christmas Carol all the things they expect but not as they’ve experienced them before.”

He says the movie’s a faithful take on Dickens but adds, “There are more than enough psychedelic, time-travelling and musical surprises to keep those familiar with the story on the edge of their seats…”

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Denzel Washington paid tribute to the late Jackie Robinson, the former Brooklyn Dodger who broke baseball’s color line, during the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at LA’s Dodger Stadium Tuesday night. This year marks 75 years since Robinson joined the Dodgers in 1947 and became the first Black player in Major League history.

“When Jackie Robinson stepped onto a Major League Baseball field for the first time, armed with supreme talent and unshakable character and wearing a Dodgers uniform, he changed the game of baseball and so much more,” Washington told the sold-out crowd.

Denzel wore Jackie’s iconic number 42, which was retired for all Major League Baseball teams in 1997, becoming the first jersey in professional sports to receive that honor.

“Beyond the field, Jackie Robinson challenged us to become better versions of ourselves,” Washington continued. “Business leader, family man, activist, Hall of Famer. He said that life is not a spectator sport, and he lived that motto to the fullest. Number 42 blazed a trail that would light the way for people from every walk of life and every color and to this very day…that profound impact looms just as large today as it did 75 years ago.”

Robinson was a seven-time All-Star, Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, batting champion and World Series champion. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984.

Tuesday also marked the 100th birthday of his widow, Rachel Robinson. Dodgers All-Star outfielder Mookie Betts led the crowd in wishing her a “Happy Birthday.”

The American League won 3-2 in the All-Star Game, and New York Yankee Giancarlo Stanton won the MVP Award.

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Lady Whistledown is sharpening her quills as Bridgerton‘s third season is now underway. The cast of the hit Netflix show dropped the news in a video that shows Luke Newton, Jonathan Bailey, Nicola Coughlan, Golda Rosheuvel and other stars flashing a peace sign and then adding a finger to mark the number “three.”

The third season of the Netflix hit will focus on the love story between Coughlan’s Penelope Featherington and Newton’s Colin Bridgerton, so it’s appropriate they bring the teaser to a close.

Newton offered the viewer a ride in a carriage — with Coughlan revealed to already be inside.

She says to the camera, “Bridgerton season three has officially begun,” asking Newton, “You coming in?”

“Let’s go!” the sunglasses-wearing actor smiles before hopping in and shutting the carriage door.

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Modeling icon Linda Evangelista posted on Instagram Tuesday evening that she settled her $50 million lawsuit against a company whose cosmetic procedure she claims left her “brutally disfigured.”

Earlier this year, Evangelista went public with the side-effects she suffered as a result of CoolSculpting, a non-invasive method of using cold to shrink fat cells.

However, in the model’s case, she suffered a rare side-effect called aradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH), which saw the fat cells in the affected area swell and harden. The result was fatty deposits she couldn’t diet or exercise away, and are difficult to remedy, even with more invasive plastic surgery.

“I loved being up on the catwalk. Now I dread running into someone I know,” she told People in a feature back in February. “I can’t live like this anymore, in hiding and shame. I just couldn’t live in this pain any longer.”

The details of the settlement with the procedure’s parent company Zeltiq Aesthetics, which she sued in 2021 weren’t released. However, Evangelista noted on Instagram, “I look forward to the next chapter of my life with friends and family, and am happy to put this matter behind me. I am truly grateful for the support I have received from those who have reached out.”

CoolSculpting insisted to People at the time that its FDA-cleared treatment “has been well studied with more than 100 scientific publications and more than 11 million treatments performed worldwide,” and that rare side-effects like PAH are documented in its patient information.

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A new Netflix comedy special from comedian Mo’Nique is on the way.

The Oscar-winner announced the exciting news in a short video shared to the streamer’s Twitter account.

“Can y’all believe this s***? I done came on home to Netflix,” she joked. 

“I’m so excited to share that I’ll be shooting my first Netflix comedy special,” Mo’Nique continued. “Oh, and in case you didn’t hear, I’m also reuniting with my friend, my brother, director Mr. Lee Daniels on the Netflix film The Deliverance.”

“You won’t want to miss either of them, so y’all stay tuned,” she added. “And thank y’all my sweet babies. I love us for real.”

The news comes about a month after Mo’Nique reportedly settled a 2017 lawsuit against Netflix, in which she claimed she was given a “low-ball” offer for a comedy special and then retaliated against when she cried foul. At the time, she leveled claims of race and sex discrimination against the streaming service, claiming the $500,000 she was offered by the streamer paled in comparison to the multi-million deals Netflix gave Dave Chappelle, Amy Schumer and others.

Terms of the settlement have not been disclosed. 

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(NOTE LANGUAGE) Alicia Silverstone is paying tribute to her “bad b****” Clueless character, Cher Horowitz.

It’s been 27 years since the classic coming-of-age teen comedy Clueless was released, and Silverstone took to social media Tuesday to celebrate the mighty milestone.

Set to Latto‘s song “Big Energy,” the 45-year-old actress shared a montage of Cher’s most iconic moments, showcasing the character’s glamorous outfits and charming personality.

“27 years ago, a bad b**** was born,” Silverstone captioned the post. “Happy Anniversary, Cher! #Clueless.”

Clueless, which premiered in 1995, also starred Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison and Paul Rudd.

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