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John Oliver does have a “hot take” on his home network’s decision to rebrand Max back into HBO Max — but he wants the head honchos at Warner Bros. Discovery to know that was his choice.

As Last Week Tonight addressed president Donald Trump’s antagonistic relationship with the press, he pointed to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s justification for banning the Associated Press from the Oval Office for its editorial decision to keep referring to the Gulf of Mexico as such rather than its renamed “Gulf of America.”

“It’s not as simple as you’re making it out there,” he began, “especially because it can take time for people to adjust to a stupid name change, sometimes, hypothetically, before we could even get used to one dumb name [here the screen flashed a logo of HBO Go], some genius comes along and only makes it dumber [the graphic then replaced HBO Go with HBO Now], then somehow it gets dumber still [a switch to HBO Max], and then against all the odds,...

Mel Gibson is locked, loaded, and ready to go scorched earth on woke Hollywood, and if reports are to be believed, Donald Trump is backing his play. Gibson’s never been one to hold back, but this time, he’s allegedly coming for the bloodsuckers running the industry.

Donald Trump | Image by Gage Skidmore, licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

If there’s one thing Gibson loves more than a Hollywood showdown, it’s proving his critics wrong. With Trump reportedly in his corner, this could be one of the wildest comebacks Tinseltown has ever seen.

Mel Gibson’s Hollywood warpath: Backed by Donald Trump, he’s taking on ‘woke’ elites Mel Gibson in Mad Max | Credits: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc

Mel Gibson’s back in the spotlight — this time with a mission. RadarOnline.com revealed that Gibson’s stepping into a new role as Donald Trump’s “special envoy” to Hollywood,...

The success of Gladiator II last year came as no surprise, as fans had been waiting for more than two decades for a sequel to Ridley Scott's original epic, which, according to Mel Gibson, could have looked a lot different. Starring Russell Crowe, the historical action saga was released in 2000 to rave reviews, and would go on to earn more than $460 million at the box office. However, had Gibson not already been committed to another film, it would have been him in the role of Maximus Decimus Meridius, and not Crowe.

Appearing at MegaCon Orlando this past weekend (via ScreenRant), Gibson was on a panel to discuss his career in film, and it was then that the Lethal Weapon star revealed that Scott had approached him about starring in Gladiator. He'd had a string of hits in the '90s including Braveheart, Conspiracy Theory, Payback, and Ransom, and seemed...

Rumors surrounding the recasting of the role of T’Challa, Aka Black Panther in the MCU continue to swirl, with the latest claiming to reveal which actors have turned down the chance to play the superhero so far in the wake of the untimely death of Academy Award-nominee Chadwick Boseman. Insider Jeff Sneider recently revealed that Marvel is now considering recasting the role, using the multiverse as the way to do it, but it seems that several actors are not interested in taking over.

According to YouTuber @She_DreadzMe, several “industry contacts” have revealed that Star Wars and The Woman King actor John Boyega, Black Mirror, Farming, and F1 star Damson Idris, and Selma and Silo star and Golden Globe nominee David Oyelowo have so far been approached and rejected the role of T’Challa.

Alongside this rumor, Comicbookmovie.com has confirmed that they too have heard Boyega’s name mentioned.

Moana 2 “stood apart from the crowd” for the second weekend in a row, as the Disney sequel reigned over the box office with an estimated $52 million domestically (per The Numbers). Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s reunion as the beloved Moana and Maui dropped a drastic 63% between its first and second weekends, but still managed to claim the No. 1 spot. And in just 12 days of release, Moana 2 eclipsed the $600-million mark worldwide.

At the time of this writing, Moana 2 has brought in just over $300 million domestically, while making another $300 million overseas. And that total of $600 million helped the animated adventure pass Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ($571.8 million) to crack 2024’s highest-grossing films globally after less than two weeks in cinemas. Check out the updated Top 5 below (via Box Office Mojo):

2024 Box Office Numbers (Worldwide) Inside Out 2 ($1.7 billion) Deadpool & Wolverine ($1.3 billion...

The following contains spoilers for Gladiator 2, now playing in theatersCaracalla and Geta, the emperors of Rome in Gladiator 2 were depraved and cruel rulers, and their pale skin is strangely symbolic of this. The Gladiator 2 characters, portrayed by Joseph Quinn (Geta) and Fred Hechinger (Caracalla), perform well as the antagonists of the revenge story. The brothers rule as one, dismissively and disdainfully, only desiring entertainment as they grow further out of touch with the Roman people. The Gladiator 2 story shows Marcrinus swaying the minds of both rulers and taking the throne of Emperor for himself, resulting in the brothers' deaths.

Like Commodus from the first movie, they are paranoid and show no respect for how Rome has been traditionally run. All three also share an undisciplined mentality, leading to their downfalls. Unlike Commodus, however, the brothers are apathetic in their rule, only interested in the glory of Rome fueling their own debauchery.

Denzel Washington explains why he enjoys taking on villain roles in addition to the more heroic roles he's often associated with. Washington remains one of the most respected actors working in Hollywood, and he's widely known for more heroic roles, including in such projects as The Book of Eli (2010) and The Equalizer trilogy. He's also just as well-known for playing morally-corrupted figures, however, as he did in Training Day (2001) and American Gangster (2007). He can next be seen as part of the cast of Gladiator 2, playing Macrinus, another antagonistic character.

During a recent interview with Esquire in which he breaks down his various roles, past, present, and future, Washington touches on his penchant for playing antagonist characters. The actor keeps his explanation short and sweet, explaining that the villain characters are often just more fun. Check out his comment below:

Good guys dont have any fun. Bad guys do have all the fun,...

Beloved actor and Hollywood icon Denzel Washington has now clarified his recent comments regarding retirement...and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. The Gladiator 2 star recently stated that he is going to retire after completing several upcoming projects, including joining the MCU in Black Panther 3, but what he really meant that he was planning a career transition, and has aspirations to go behind the camera. Speaking with @seasonedbf, Washington offered some clarity on his recent comments, and waxed philosophical about the sections of life in that awe-inspiring way that only Washington can.

I didnt say I was gonna go into retirement, I said it has to be at a level of interest to meIm more interested in getting behind the camera...so that's about five years out. Its very difficult, and I may have used the word retire, but I look at life in three sections: you learn,...

Gladiator II may not be Ridley Scott's last venture to ancient Rome in his eponymous historical film franchise. The award-winning helmer reveals he's already started penning the script for a potential Gladiator threequel.

Speaking with Total Film, Scott revealed he's written a few pages for a possible Gladiator 3 as he continues to work out ideas for the film, should it come to fruition. "Ive already got eight pages. Ive got the beginning of a very good footprint," he said. Scott also hinted at the potential threequel location when addressing returning to the Colosseum for Gladiator II, saying, "If theres a Gladiator 3, I dont think youd ever go back into the arena. But I had to go back into the arena"

Related 'Ridiculously Big!': Denzel Washington Teases Gladiator II, Praises Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal's Performances

Gladiator II star Denzel Washington hints at what to expect with Gladiator II...

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Few things get Megan Thee Stallion as excited as making music and performing for her fans, but the Grammy-winning rapper is ready to move on from “Hot Girl Summer” to ring in “Football Fall.”

Hot off the heels of her sold-out summer tour, Megan is taking on a (literal) new arena as the face — and voice — of Pepsi’s latest commercial, which launches today to help kick off the new NFL season.

Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling’s tandem in The Nice Guys was something fans probably did not expect to happen but loved it as soon as they watched it. As a way to promote the film, they created a short video that would see the duo in a couple’s therapy session.

Russell Crowe in The Nice Guys / Warner Bros. Pictures

There’s nothing funnier than seeing the Barbie star react to his own memes. Crowe calls out Gosling for “promoting” himself but the latter has clearly no idea where these products (and memes) came from.

Russell Crowe Confronts Ryan Gosling In A Couple’s Therapy

Warner Bros Pictures shared the promotional video clip on YouTube with Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling attending a couple’s therapy. The Gladiator star opened the conversation with, “It’s a complete betrayal of everything that we’ve talked about and we’ve agreed upon.

Historical films like Schindler's List and Gladiator transport audiences to pivotal moments and shed light on triumphs and struggles of the past. Movies like Hidden Figures and Selma explore the contributions and sacrifices of overlooked figures in American history, inspiring and educating viewers. From the poignant portrayal of the Holocaust in Schindler's List to the gripping account of the Dunkirk evacuation, historical films offer compelling storytelling.

Historical events always provide rich material for crafting masterful pieces of cinema. As a result, these movies excel at capturing and reimagining some of history's most captivating moments. From the harrowing portrayal of WWII in Schindler's List to the epic tale of revenge and redemption in Gladiator, historical films have the power to transport audiences to different eras and shed light on the triumphs and struggles of those who came before. These cinematic masterpieces not only entertain but also educate, offering unique perspectives on...

Star Wars fans were exposed to a whole new side of the franchise when a viral video of a Chilean broadcast integrated with commercials made the rounds on social media. The user who posted it on X (formerly Twitter) mentioned that the original Star Wars trilogy was aired in Chile in the early 2000s for the first time and there was a weird product integration in the broadcast.

The broadcast was reportedly integrated with commercials for the Chilean beer company Cerveza Cristal. Instead of the traditional method of cutting to commercials in the middle of airing, the channel reportedly cut the commercials within the film, showing the beer at pivotal points. The video sparked a trend of integrating the commercial into various other films.

Chilean Beer Brand Integrated Itself Into The Star Wars Franchise A still from Star Wars: A New Hope

Star Wars was an international phenomenon upon its...

Boutique UK cinema chain Everyman Media Group saw profits rise in 2023 by 19%, despite myriad challenges such as the Hollywood strikes derailing the release schedule, a cost-of-living crisis impacting customer behaviour and rising business costs.

Profits rose up 19.1% to around £16.2m, from £13.6m in 2022 (a year which benefitted from a temporarily reduced rate of Vat).

Group revenue was up 16.7% in 2023 to approximately £90.9m from £77.9m in the previous year. Market share increased to 4.8% from 4.5% in 2022.

“We have delivered robust, double-digit growth in both revenue and Ebitda [sarnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization] against a challenging economic backdrop, delays to new openings and both writers’ and actors’ strikes,...

Denzel Washington is set to reunite with his ‘Training Day’ and ‘Equalizer’ director Antoine Fuqua in an upcoming untitled Netflix movie.

Washington is to play the ancient Carthaginian general Hannibal in the movie which is based on real-life warrior Hannibal, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest military commanders in history. The film covers the pivotal battles he led against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War.

Hannibal, a Carthaginian general, rode a war elephant from northern Africa to invade Italy. He led his army to several key victories against the Romans, which allowed him to occupy large parts of southern Italy for 15 years. However, he was eventually defeated by the Romans in the Battle of Zama, after they launched a counter-invasion of North Africa.

Also in news – First look images & trailer drop for Tina Fey’s musical new twist of ‘Mean Girls’

‘The Gladiator’ and ‘The Aviator’ scribe,...

From a galaxy far, far away to ancient Rome, Deadline has reported that The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal is in final negotiations to join Gladiator 2.

It’s not known who Pedro Pascal would play in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel, but he will be a very welcome addition to what is shaping up to be a very impressive cast. Paul Mescal (Aftersun) stars in Gladiator 2 as Lucius, with Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin), Denzel Washington (The Equalizer 3), and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) filling out the rest of the cast. It was also recently announced that Connie Nielsen would be reprising her role as Lucilla, the mother of Lucius.

Pedro Pascal had been looking for a project to fill his time before production began on The Last of Us season 2. Deadline states that the actor had been considering a number of options, but couldn’t pass up the opportunity...

Paul Mescal has said he’s uninterested in the “focus” placed on superhero transformations.

With the Oscar nominee set to star in Ridley Scott’sGladiator 2, he said he is well aware of the “physical robustness required” of him for the role.

However, anything “past that” he’s “not interested”.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mescal discussed the physical preparations he’d have to undergo to play adult Lucius, the young nephew of Roman Emperor Commodus – originally played by Joaquin Phoenix in the original 2000 blockbuster.

“This guy’s got to fight and got to be a beast. And whatever that looks and feels like is right for me, is what it’s going to be,” the 27-year-old Irish actor said.

“Of course there’s a physical robustness required for the character, but past that, I’m not interested.

“With films like this and superhero films, there is sometimes a focus on that,...

Russell Crowe will be a guest of honor of the Rome Film Festival’s independently run Alice in the City section where his second directorial effort, the thriller “Poker Face” – in which he stars opposite Liam Hemsworth – is set to have its world premiere.

Set in the world of high-stakes betting, “Poker Face” stars Crowe as tech billionaire and gambler Jake Foley, who offers his best friends a chance to win more money than they’ve ever dreamed of. But to play, they’ll have to give up the one thing they spend their lives trying to keep – their secrets. As the game unfolds, the long-time pals will discover what is really at stake.

Along with Crowe and Hemsworth, the cast includes RZA of Wu-Tang Clan fame and “Fast and Furious” star Elsa Pataky. Stephen M. Coates wrote the screenplay with Crowe.

Rome’s independently run Alice in the City sidebar,...

Connie Nielsen will star as Out of Africa writer Karen Blixen in The Dreamer — Becoming Karen Blixen, a new television series about the making of the famed Danish writer.

The Gladiator and Wonder Woman actress will Blixen in the six-part limited series from Scandinavian streamer Viaplay. Produced by Viaplay parent Nordic Entertainment Group and Lars von Trier’s production company Zentropa, The Dreamer is currently in post-production. TrustNordisk has picked up international sales for the series.

Meryl Streep played Blixen in the 1984 Oscar-winning epic Out of Africa, based on Blixen’s autobiographical writings about her time in East Africa. The Dreamer is set in the 1930s, after ...

Connie Nielsen will star as Out of Africa writer Karen Blixen in The Dreamer — Becoming Karen Blixen, a new television series about the making of the famed Danish writer.

The Gladiator and Wonder Woman actress will Blixen in the six-part limited series from Scandinavian streamer Viaplay. Produced by Viaplay parent Nordic Entertainment Group and Lars von Trier’s production company Zentropa, The Dreamer is currently in post-production. TrustNordisk has picked up international sales for the series.

Meryl Streep played Blixen in the 1984 Oscar-winning epic Out of Africa, based on Blixen’s autobiographical writings about her time in East Africa. The Dreamer is set in the 1930s, after ...

Ridley Scott is set to receive the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker award at the 78th Venice International Film Festival (September 1 – 11, 2021).

The prize, which was previously sponsored by Jaeger-LeCoultre, is “dedicated to a personality who has made a particularly original contribution to the contemporary film industry.”

The award ceremony for filmmaking titan Scott will take place on Friday September 10th 2021 in the Sala Grande (Palazzo del Cinema) at 9.15 pm, before the screening of his new film, The Last Duel, with Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, and Ben Affleck. The medieval action pic charts the feud between knight Jean de Carrouges (Damon) and his squire (Driver).

Welcoming this announcement, the Director of the Venice Film Festival Alberto Barbera stated: “His personal approach to genre films, which successfully reconciles the requirements of entertainment, the expectations of the general public and the demands of critics, is the most distinctive element of Ridley Scott’s filmmaking.

Love her, loathe her, you cannot ignore her -- certainly not on Twitter. The micro-blogging site has banned Kangana Ranaut's account, taken down her tweets, and reactionary meme fests never cease to overflow social media, but she goes on unfazed.

The self-proclaimed "mother of all fathers", aka "#babbarsherni", will continue to regularly post a few choicest ones. If there is no Twitter, there is always Koo.

From nepotism to CAA and farm laws to onslaughts on Twitter itself, and from comparing herself to Meryl Streep to declaring she is the greatest actress in the world, Kangana goes for the jugular with whatever she takes on. By turns outrageous, melodramatic, irreverent and almost always controversial, the one thing about Kangana's tweets that stays a constant is they never fail to amuse.

We decided to compile a few that should surely make it as pick of her posts.

Twitter Thrasher

"Honourable...

While speaking with Douglas Wick about Gladiator during its 20th anniversary, the producer said the first answer to any question should be having Ridley Scott in the meeting. Apparently that holds true for the long-gestating Gladiator 2 as well, which Wick confirmed is still very much alive.

“Yes, we’re working on it, and we’ve just all vowed that we’ll only proceed if we get something great on paper,” Wick tells me about the possible sequel. “We’re too respectful of the first movie to ever do anything cynical.”

The idea of a Gladiator 2 has been floating around since almost the day the original movie came out. At one point Scott, who directed the Oscar winning classic, even toyed with the idea of bringing Russell Crowe back but in a different role since Crowe’s Maximus died at the end of the original movie. That obviously did...

This weekend, Sony inadvertently celebrated the 18th anniversary of “Spider-Man” when it became known that its Marvel-hero blockbusters share a common tag: the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters. That mouthful of appellation (Spumc?) inspired derisive blowback, but critics should also give credit where it’s due: After “Spider-Man” opened in 2002, Hollywood has never been the same. The origin myth of Peter Parker went on to create an origin myth of its own: Not only was it the first indication that the Marvel Comics movie universe would become a juggernaut, but it also enshrined the first weekend of May as the real opening of the summer movie season.

“Spider-Man” remains the fifth-biggest Marvel hit, behind the three “Avengers” titles and “Black Panther.” (All figures and comparisons are adjusted to 2020 ticket-price equivalents.) To this day, “Spider-Man” remains the biggest Marvel title not released by Disney.

To be very clear: “Spider-Man” was...

Robert Culp was a popular leading actor best known for his work in television. He starred as Kelly Robinson in the popular espionage series I Spy with Bill Cosby from 1965 to 1968, earning three Emmy Award nominations for his acting on the series and one for scripting an episode. He later starred as government agent Bill Maxwell in the super-hero adventure series The Greatest American Hero with William Katt from 1981 to 1983.

Culp was born in Oakland, California, on August 16, 1930, and began his career on stage in New York City in the early 1950s. He was soon appearing frequently on television, and starred as Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman in the western series Trackdown from 1957 to 1959. He was also seen in episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Chevy Mystery Show, the 1960 Shirley Temple’s Storybook production of The House of the Seven Gables, several episodes of the science fiction anthology The Outer Limits...