(NOTE LANGUAGE) Kevin Hart is getting back on the road, announcing his first stand-up tour in four years, kicking off July 2 in Las Vegas.
The star will be making more than 30 arena stops across North America on his Reality Check tour, including in Dallas, Miami, Boston, Chicago, and Montreal. The tour wraps up Saturday, October 1 at San Francisco’s Chase Center.
“I am hype as sh** to go back out on tour,” Kevin said in a statement. “There is nothing better than making people laugh, I can feel the energy in the venues like caffeine pumping through my veins.”
Hart adds, “I’ve been cooking up something special and have thoughts I need to get off my chest. Go get your tickets and come ready to have a good night!”
Tickets go on-sale this Friday, February 18 at 10 a.m. local time at KevinHartNation.com. Fans will also have access to a special Live Nation pre-sale beginning Wednesday, February 16th at 10 a.m. through Thursday, February 17th at 10 p.m. local time.
The dates for Kevin Hart’s Reality Check tour are available on his website.
Fresh off receiving seven Oscar nominations his film Belfast, Kenneth Branagh‘s Death on the Nile topped the Valentine’s weekend box office. The follow-up to 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express, also directed by and starring Branagh, delivered an estimated 12.8 million.
Death on the Nile added an estimated $20.7 million overseas, for a first-week cumulative worldwide total of $33.5 million.
Last week’s number one movie, Jackass Forever, dropped to second place, delivering an estimated $8.1 million in its second week of release. The film’s stateside tall currently stands at $37.4 million to go with $10 million internationally, for a global total of $47.4 million.
Moviegoers didn’t say “I do” to the Jennifer Lopez/Owen Wilson-led romantic comedy Marry Me, which stumbled out of the gate with an estimated $8 million debut for a third-place finish.
Spider-Man: No Way Home banked just shy of $7.2 million in its ninth week of release, taking fourth place. Its total here in the states now stands at $759 million, putting it just $1 million short of overtaking 2009’s Avatar as the third-highest grossing film of all time at the domestic box office. Overseas, No Way Home has earned just under $1.05 billion to date, putting its worldwide tally at $1.8 billion.
This week’s third debut, the Liam Neeson thriller Blacklight, rounded out the top five, grabbing an estimated $3.6 million. The film hasn’t opened overseas yet.
According to published reports, Ivan Reitman, who directed comedy classics like Animal House, Stripes, and Ghostbusters, died Saturday at 75.
Born in 1946 in what is now Slovakia, to Jewish parents who survived the Nazi occupation, Reitman’s family fled to Canada when he was four years old. Raised in Canada, he eventually ended up in the orbit of rising comic stars Dan Akykroyd, John Belushi and Harold Ramis, from the country’s Second City troupe. Belushi and Akyroyd would later star on Saturday Night Live, while Ramis, who co-wrote Reitman’s first feature, 1978’s Animal House, was a veteran of Canada’s beloved sketch show SCTV, as was eventual Ghostbusters co-star Rick Moranis.
Prior to that, 1978’s Animal House brought Belushi big screen stardom, and in 1979 Reitman directed another SNL vet, Bill Murray, in the summer camp comedy Meatballs.
Reitman collaborated with Ramis and Murray again, along with another SCTV vet John Candy, for the 1981 hit Stripes, with the gang playing unlikely military heroes. The friends would again re-team for Ghostbusters in 1984, on a script from Ramis and Aykroyd — although Candy’s off-center take on accountant Louis Tully saw Moranis getting the role instead.
Originally conceived as a vehicle that would have included Belushi, who died of a drug overdose in 1980, Ghostbusters overcame a demanding shooting schedule to become a franchise-spawning blockbuster. The original movie is ranked by The American Film Institute #28 on its list of the top 100 comedies of all time.
The film, also starring Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts, led to the hit Ghostbusters II in 1989. The gang was reunited, minus a retired Moranis and Ramis, the latter of whom passed away in 2016, in the 2021 hit Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which was directed by Reitman’s son, Jason, and which was not only dedicated to Ramis, but featured a CGI version of him in a pivotal role from the Great Beyond.
Reitman also directed the hit Twins with Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1988, before teaming up with the latter in 1990’s Kindergarten Cop. 1993 saw DeVito and Schwarzenegger re-team for Reitman’s comedy Junior. In that year, Reitman’s political satire Dave debuted with Kevin Kline.
The filmmaker also produced hits including the Beethoven family comedies, 1996’s Space Jam, and the college classic Old School in 2003.
While promoting Afterlife, Jason said his dad was perfectly fine with the long shadow of Ghostbusters: “My father, who has made 50 movies…in between directing and producing, he’s made just some of the most important movies of the last few decades, from Animal House to Stripes to Space Jam to Dave. But my father will go down as a director and creator of Ghostbusters, that’s who he is.”
Wayne’s World, the big-screen adaptation of the popular 1990s Saturday Night Live sketch, turns 30 years old today.
The big-screen adventure of Mike Myers‘ Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey‘s Garth Algar was made for just $20 million, but it went on to earn over a most excellent $180 million worldwide — the most successful SNL sketch-turned-movie to date. However, considering some others included A Night at the Roxbury, It’s Pat and The Ladies Man, that might not come as a surprise.
Wayne’s World made #5 on 1992’s list of the Top 10 highest-grossing films, with a performance that year of more than $120 million.
The movie centered on the titular pair’s tangling with a TV producer played by Rob Lowe, who wants to take their Aurora, Illinois, public access show to the big time. However, along the way, the producer tries to sabotage the deal, and steal Wayne’s rock-singer girlfriend, played by Tia Carrere.
The movie, which also starred Ed O’Neill, Brian Doyle Murray, the late Chris Farley and Lara Flynn Boyle, also had cameos from Alice Cooper and the late Meat Loaf.
The film boasted a number-one soundtrack that included Cooper, who performs in the film, as well as The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Cinderella, among others.
However, the most famous contribution to the film might just be Queen‘s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which saw new life after it was included in Wayne’s World‘s memorable headbanging car-cruising scene. The song re-entered the charts and peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Director Penelope Spheeris has said she had to “walk on eggshells” with Myers, who was reportedly nervous about losing the spotlight to Carvey, who at the time was a bigger star.
Although she’s since softened on reported tensions with Myers, she wasn’t asked to direct the movie’s 1993 sequel — and in retrospect it was a blessing: The follow-up was not nearly the critical and commercial hit that the original movie was.
Advertisers turned to old favorites and familiar faces to show us a glimpse of the future of cars, telecommunications and food delivery during this year’s Super Bowl.
Among the ads was General Motors, who revived Austin Powers and The Sopranos to push their new line of electric cars.
The Austin Powers crew — including Mike Meyers‘ Dr. Evil, Seth Green as his son Scott, Mindy Sterling‘s Frau Farbissina and Rob Lowe as Number 2 — hatched a plan to “go electric” in an effort to stop climate change from destroying Earth before he could.
Sopranos kids Meadow and A.J., played respectively by Jamie-Lyn Sigler and Robert Iler — recreated the show’s famous open to represent the automaker’s Chevy Silverado “for a new generation.”
Verizon tapped Jim Carey‘s The Cable Guy character to tout its 5G network. Elsewhere, T-Mobile enlisted Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus, who used their talents to save 5G phones trapped by limited networks.
Anna Kendrick channeled Barbie to promote Rocket Mortgage, while Jennifer Coolidge, Trevor Noah, Gwyneth Paltrow and Nicholas Braun announced Uber Eats’ expansion to include non-edible items.
FTX enlisted Larry David — the ultimate skeptic of anything new and revolutionary — to tout its cryptocurrency company.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, as Zeus, retired to Palm Springs and was unimpressed with earthly electronics, until his wife Herra — played by Salma Hayek — introduces him to the new BMW X M60.
Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd touted Lay’s potato chips, and real-life married couple Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost teamed up to hype Amazon’s Alexa.
Shang-Chi star Simu Liu is in talks to join the cast of the upcoming Greta Gerwig-directed live-action Barbie movie, alongside Ryan Gosling as Ken and Margot Robbie as the titular doll, according to The Hollywood Reporter. America Ferrera has also been tapped to appear in an as yet undisclosed role. Plot details are being kept under wraps. Liu recently wrapped filming on two movies: the romance One True Loves, alongside Hamilton star Phillipa Soo, and the canine drama Arthur the King, with Mark Wahlberg…
Universal Pictures released the first extended trailer for Get Out Oscar-winner Jordan Peele‘s latest thriller, Nope. Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer’s characters run a horse training ranch for Hollywood productions, while Steven Yeun seems to be some sort of rodeo emcee. “What’s a bad miracle? We got a word for that?” asks Kaluuya’s character, before an ominous cloud hanging over the landscape seem to be lifting unsuspecting people skyward. Nope, which also stars Knott’s Landing vet Donna Mills, The Crow‘s Michael Wincott and Euphoria‘s Barbie Ferreira, opens in theaters July 22…
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom actress Daniella Pineda has been tapped for a role in the AMC anthology series Tales of the Walking Dead, according to Variety. She joins Brooklyn Nine-Nine alum Terry Crews, Parker Posey, Rough Night‘s Jillian Bell, ER‘s Anthony Edwards and Hacks‘ Poppy Liu in the Walking Dead spinoff. Each stand-alone episode will focus on both new and established characters within the Walking Dead universe. Details on which characters the quintet will play, or if they’ll appear together or in separate episodes are being kept under wraps. Pineda will next be seen reprising her role as Zia Rodriguez in the upcoming Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom sequel Jurassic World: Dominion…
Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images
Sunday’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was not only a star-studded event, it made history as the first time that rap was at the forefront of the entertainment.
Dr. Dre set things off as he rose from an all-white platform while the intro to his classic hit “The Next Episode” filled the stadium. Snoop Dogg joined him shortly after and the two headliners got the crowd hype.
The duo also performed 2Pac‘s record “California Love” before handing the performance over to surprise guest 50 Cent, who rapped his debut single “In Da Club” while hanging upside down from the ceiling.
After 50, the Queen of Hip-Hip/Soul, Mary J. Blige took center stage to sing her hits “Family Affair” and “No More Drama.”
Next up, was Kendrick Lamar, who performed his records “M.A.A.D. City” and “Alright, before transitioning to Eminem‘s explosive entrance. Em performed his Academy Award-winning track “Lose Yourself” and ended his performance by taking a knee, a move Colin Kapernick used to protest police brutality against the Black community.
After Em, it was time for a full circle moment, which saw Dre and Snoop hit the stage one more time to perform “Still D.R.E.” as the previous artists joined them for a final bow.
The entire Halftime Show was a celebration of LA, an homage to Dre, his career, and the many careers he had a hand in building.
And to make the deal even sweeter, the LA Rams became the Super Bowl 56 champs, winning 23-20 over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images
Sunday’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was not only a star-studded event, it made history as the first time that rap was at the forefront of the entertainment.
Dr. Dre set things off as he rose from an all-white platform while the intro to his classic hit “The Next Episode” filled the stadium. Snoop Dogg joined him shortly after and the two headliners got the crowd hyped.
The duo also performed the late Tupac Shakur‘s record “California Love” before handing the performance over to surprise guest 50 Cent, who rapped his debut single, “In Da Club,” while hanging upside-down from the ceiling.
After 50, the Queen of Hip-Hip/Soul, Mary J. Blige, took center stage to sing her hits “Family Affair” and “No More Drama.”
Next up was Kendrick Lamar, the first rapper to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music, who performed his records “M.A.A.D. City” and “Alright, before transitioning to Eminem‘s explosive entrance. Em performed his Academy Award-winning track “Lose Yourself” and ended his performance by taking a knee, a move former NFL quarterback Colin Kapernick used in 2016 to protest police brutality against the Black community.
After Em, it was time for a full-circle moment, which saw Dre and Snoop hit the stage one more time to perform “Still D.R.E.” as the previous artists joined them for a final bow.
The entire Halftime Show was a celebration of Los Angeles, as well as an homage to Dre, his career, and the many careers he had a hand in building.
And to make the deal even sweeter, the LA Rams became the Super Bowl 56 champs, winning 23-20 over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Well, he’s a baddie, but he’s probably not THE baddie. The Hollywood Reporter notes Irish character actor Ray Stevenson has been tapped to play a villain in the upcoming small-screen Star Wars spinoff Ahsoka.
As previously reported, the series will center on Rosario Dawson‘s titular one-time Jedi, who has appeared in both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Her arc on Mandalorian‘s second season hinted at what the thrust of her own series would be: the hunt for an evil genius of an Imperial leader called Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Born from the pages of Star Wars novels, the blue-skinned Admiral Thrawn was voiced to fan acclaim by Lars Mikkelsen in the animated series Star Wars: Rebels, which ended with the cunning strategist vanishing into hyperspace to points unknown after a clash with young Jedi Ezra Bridger, who also went missing. It’s likely Ahsoka will see the heroine both searching for both her friend and hunting her foe.
While it’s speculation at this point, it’s likely Stevenson isn’t playing Thrawn — although they’re both six-feet three-inches tall, geeks will testify. Either way, if tradition holds, Lucasfilm won’t confirm what role he’s filling until shortly before Ahsoka debuts next year.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Australian actor Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Ukrainian actress Ivanna Sakhno, and Hayden Christensen also will star in the series, the latter reprising his role as Ahsoka’s former master, Anakin Skywalker.
Ryan Reynolds has pulled another prank on his pal Hugh Jackman, perfectly timed for the Australian actor’s opening night on Broadway in a revival of The Music Man.
Friday morning, Jackman tweeted a photo of his dressing room at New York City’s Winter Garden Theatre, where he said he’d been greeted with “Gorgeous flowers, champagne and heartfelt well wishes” from friends.
Those weren’t pictured, however: Instead Jackman showed a pair of framed photos that had been stashed in his room: a black and white snap of Reynolds clicking his heels together in mid-air, and a sepia-toned sketch of the Free Guy star.
“I am blessed,” Jackman continued, “And then, there’s him.”
