Month: April 2022

Lady Gaga has announced the new song from the upcoming Tom Cruise film Top Gun: Maverick titled ‘Hold My Hand.’ The song is written by Gaga and will be featured in the film, opening May 27. It will also be released on May 3 (you can pre-save the track – here).  Earlier this week, the singer teased lyrics from the song, writing, “Hold my hand everything will be ok I heard from the heavens that clouds have been grey.”  The following day she shared, “Pull me close wrap me in your aching arms I see that you’re hurtin’”

Tom Cruise returns as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in  Top Gun: Maverick.  According to a synopsis of the film, Maverick is ‘a courageous test pilot who dodges the advancement in rank that would ground him. He finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.’

Gaga’s ballad comes after Cruise was first spotted at her Las Vegas show, Enigma in December 2019. “Hold My Hand” was written for the motion picture and is featured throughout the film.

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Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — better known by his stage name Bad Bunny — has been cast as the newest Marvel hero, and will lead the Spider-Man standalone comic book film “El Muerto.” Ocasio will be the first Latino actor to headline a live-action Marvel film.

Sony Motion Picture Group president Sanford Panitch made the announcement at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.  Known as Juan-Carlos Estrada Sanchez in the comics, El Muerto is a wrestler whose powers are handed down by ancestry in the form of a mask (which, according to Marvel’s official site, gives him superhuman strength). In past comics, El Muerto has gotten in the ring with Spider-Man himself.  At CinemaCon, Sony suggested Ocasio will portray ‘an antihero on the verge of inheriting his father’s power.’

Bad Bunny is a noted professional wrestling fan who competed at WWE’s WrestleMania 37 in April and at the 2022 Royal Rumble in January. Bad Bunny told the crowd at CinemaCon about his love of wrestling, adding, “to bring El Muerto to life is just incredible…so exciting.”   Bad Bunny’s acting experience includes a previous role in ‘Narcos: Mexico’, and he will next be seen in Bullet Train, which comes to theaters on July 29.

“El Muerto” is set to hit theaters on Jan. 12, 2024.

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The Batman is officially getting a sequel, with Robert Pattinson set to return as Gotham’s Caped Crusader and Matt Reeves serving as director.

Warner Bros. announced its plans for the sequel during its presentation at CinemaCon, the annual trade show that features the largest gathering of theater owners.  Warner Bros. chairman Toby Emmerich said:  “Matt took one of our most iconic and beloved superheroes and delivered a fresh vision that clearly resonated with audiences and with your incredible support, shattered box office records around the world. Which is one of the reasons I’m excited to break the news that Matt, Rob Pattinson and the whole team will be taking audiences back to Gotham with The Batman 2.”  Emmerich also confirmed that the entire cast of The Batman is expected to return for the sequel, which includes Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman), Paul Dano (Riddler), Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot (aka Penguin) and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s butler and confidant.  Reeves was also on hand at CinemaCon to reveal the news that he will write and direct the film, but he didn’t provide any details about the sequel. No release date was announced for the film.

The Batman debuted in theaters in March earning $134 million domestically over its first weekend, ranking as the biggest opening weekend of the year. To date the film has grossed more than $759 million globally, making it the highest-grossing movie of 2022 thus far.

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Pete Davidson’s semi-autobiographical comedy series ‘Bupkis’ has landed at Peacock. The streaming service said in a press release that it has given a straight-to-series order to the half-hour live-action comedy series, described as a “heightened, fictionalized version of Pete Davidson’s real life.” 

Bupkis stars Davidson, who will executive produce the series along with Lorne Michaels, Andrew Singer and Erin David. Davidson also co-wrote the series, along with Dave Sirus and Judah Miller.

Peacock says the series “will combine grounded storytelling with absurd elements from the unfiltered and completely original worldview for which Pete is well known.”  NBCUniversal television and streaming chairman of entertainment content Susan Rovner said: “Pete Davidson is one of the most sought-after comedians today with his smart, one-of-a-kind humor and honest point of view. Bupkis will showcase Pete’s funny, surprising and unfiltered brand of comedy audiences have come to love as we continue to bolster our Peacock comedy slate.” 

Davidson joined the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live in 2014,  becoming the show’s youngest-ever cast member at 20-years-old.  Bupkis will mark Davidson’s first starring TV role, and he also will appear in the upcoming films Bodies Bodies Bodies, Good Mourning with a U and Meet Cute.

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Apple TV+ is sharing the trailer for their new limited series, The Essex Serpent, featuring Tom Hiddleston and Claire Danes.  The Essex Serpent is based on the Sarah Perry novel of the same name, which takes place in Victorian-era England. The story follows Cora Seaborne (Danes), a widow who moves from London to a small village in Essex.

In the trailer, Cora grow close to the village reverend, William Ransome (Hiddleston), amid strange events that the town attributes to the Essex Serpent, a mythological beast.  An official description reads: “[Cora] forms a surprising bond of science and skepticism with the local pastor, but when tragedy strikes, locals accuse her of attracting the creature.”

The Essex Serpent will have a two-episode premiere May 13 on Apple TV+. Take a look at the trailer – here.

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The movie adaptation of Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. video game series has been delayed until 2023. The Super Mario Bros. adaptation was originally set to release on Dec. 21; now, the film is set to debut in theaters on April 7, 2023 in North America. A Japanese release will follow on April 28.

Super Mario Bros. series creator and Nintendo leader Shigeru Miyamoto announced the change in release date through Nintendo’s social media: “After consulting with Chris-san, [producer Chris Meledandri,] my partner at Illumination on the Super Mario Bros. film, we decided to move the global release to Spring 2023. My deepest apologies but I promise it will be well worth the wait.”

In Sept. 2021, Nintendo revealed the voice cast for the Super Mario Bros. film, led by Chris Pratt as the voice of the famous Italian plumber, Mario. The cast also includes Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike. Original Mario voice actor Charles Martinet will have a cameo role in the film.

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