Month: December 2022

Top Gun: Maverick was already this year’s No. 1 theatrical release with a global box office of $1.48 billion, and now after debuting over the Christmas holiday it has officially become the most-watched movie premiere ever on the Paramount+ streaming service. According to an official announcement by Paramount, the blockbuster sequel now stands as the most watched movie, globally, with its premiere weekend streaming on Paramount+ (Dec. 22 through Dec. 25).  Maverick surpassed the previous record held by Sonic the Hedgehog 2 by some 60 percent; and the film’s success also increased streaming viewership for the original Top Gun movie by nearly 400 percent, in addition to Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible franchise entries enjoying a 140 percent increase.

Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins said in a statement: “The runaway success of this film across theatrical, digital and now in streaming is an undeniable proof point demonstrating the power of Paramount’s multi-platform release strategy  Across all our 2022 titles, and now with Top Gun: Maverick, our studio has unlocked the value of variable windowing that streaming provides to augment a film’s overall success.”

Tanya Giles, Chief Programming Officer, Paramount Streaming, added: “We are thrilled to see a continuation of the film’s massive record-breaking success by becoming the No. 1 most-watched movie premiere on Paramount+. We continue to benefit from the highly anticipated theatrical hits from Paramount Pictures that come to the service delivering fans a new way to continue to watch and re-watch their favorite movies.”

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Dame Vivienne Westwood, the fashion designer and activist who was considered an icon of Britain’s punk movement in the 1970s, has died at age 81.  A message posted to Westwood’s Twitter read: “Vivienne Westwood died today, peacefully and surrounded by her family, in Clapham, South London. The world needs people like Vivienne to make a change for the better.”

Westwood was born Vivienne Isabel Swire on April 8th, 1941 in Derbyshire, England. She briefly attended University of Westminster (then Harrow Art School), but would go on to become a primary school teacher making her own jewelry on the side, which she sold on London’s Portobello Road. In the mid-1960s, Westwood met artist Malcolm McLaren, who would shortly thereafter become manager of Sex Pistols. Together, Westwood and McLaren managed the store SEX, where they sold the clothing they designed. SEX increased in popularity and became a hub for London punks after Sex Pistols were seen wearing Westwood and McLaren’s designs.

Westwood is largely credited for helping push the punk movement towards the mainstream, as well as unifying the fashion and music industries. Westwood was also vocal about numerous causes and movements, notably climate change awareness, and often incorporated her political activism into her designs.

Westwood is survived by her husband, Andreas Kronthaler, and two sons: Ben Westwood, born 1963, and Joseph Corré, born 1967.

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Whoopi Goldberg has issued an apology after receiving backlash for her remarks about the Holocaust, after she seemingly doubled down in an interview with the The Sunday Times of London on comments she made earlier this year.  In the Sunday Times interview, Goldberg dished on cancel culture and more before reiterating the controversial comments she made earlier this year on The View, when she declared the Holocaust was “not about race,” but about “white supremacy” and “man’s inhumanity to man.”  As a result of those remarks, ABC News President Kin Godwin announced in a statement that Goldberg would be suspended from The View for two weeks.

In response to the Sunday Times interview, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement that Goldberg’s comments “are deeply offensive and incredibly disappointing, especially given that this is not the first time she had made remarks like this. In a moment when antisemitic incidents have surged across the U.S., she should realize that making such ignorant statements can have real consequences.” Greenblatt also issued a statement following Goldberg’s initial comments about the Holocaust: “[Whoopi’s remarks] are deeply offensive and incredibly disappointing, especially given that this is not the first time she had made remarks like this. In a moment when antisemitic incidents have surged across the U.S., she should realize that making such ignorant statements can have real consequences.”

Goldberg has since apologized in a statement to Variety: “Recently while doing press in London, I was asked about my comments from earlier this year. I tried to convey to the reporter what I had said and why, and attempted to recount that time. It was never my intention to appear as if I was doubling down on hurtful comments, especially after talking with and hearing people like rabbis and old and new friends weighing in. I’m still learning a lot and believe me, I heard everything everyone said to me. I believe that the Holocaust was about race, and I am still as sorry now as I was then that I upset, hurt and angered people. My sincere apologies again, especially to everyone who thought this was a fresh rehash of the subject. I promise it was not. In this time of rising antisemitism, I want to be very clear when I say that I always stood with the Jewish people and always will. My support for them has not wavered and never will.”

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Former President Barack Obama has revealed his annual playlist of his favorite songs released in 2022. Among the 25 eclectic songs included on the 2022 edition of Obama’s list are Beyoncé, Lizzo, SZA and Bad Bunny, as well as Zach Bryan, Steve Lacy, and Omar Appollo.

Obama captioned a tweet  that also included a list of his picks: “I always enjoy sharing my end of year music playlist with all of you — and this year we heard a lot of great songs. Here are some of my favorites. Are there any songs or artists I should check out?”

Among the songs featured in his playlist are Kendrick Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5”, Bad Bunny’s “Titi Me Pregunto,” and Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul.”  Newcomer Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange”, Maggie Rogers’ “That’s Where I Am”, and Burna Boy’s “Last Last” also made the list along with “POF” by Ari Lennox, “American Teenager” by Ethel Cain, “Communion in my Cup” by Tank and The Bangas, “Sunshine” by Steve Lacy, and “Shirt” by SZA.

In addition to his favorite songs, the former president also shared his favorite books of the year, a list topped by Michelle Obama‘s The Light We Carry, and his favorite movies of the year, including Top Gun: Maverick, Descendant, Tár, and more.

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Netflix announced that the Chris Rock comedy special titled “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage” will be “the first-ever Netflix live streamed global event”. The show will be filmed in Baltimore, and stream at 7 p.m. Pacific on March 4. The streaming service announced that additional details would be shared soon.

Netflix has already been expanding its live comedy specials and held its Netflix Is a Joke festival in Los Angeles in April. Rock has been busy touring over the last year, and his “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage” will be his first since 2018’s “Tamborine,” which was also featured on Netflix.

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