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Jann Arden

Shonda Rhimes’ Power Moves

shoda rhimes thr

-In her THR cover story, Shonda Rhimes talks about leaving ABC (she says her breaking point came when she tried to get an extra all-inclusive pass to Disneyland for a trip she took with her kids and sister and a high-ranking exec asked her “Don’t you have enough?”), talks about setting expectations with Netflix (“The first thing I said was, ‘You’re not going to get another Grey’s Anatomy — not Grey’s Anatomy in a cornfield, Grey’s Anatomy on a baseball field or Grey’s Anatomy at an airport, that’s just not happening’ “), and the culture shock of being at the streaming service (“The reason I came to Netflix is because I wanted to be able to make television without anybody bothering me. And as long as I get to keep making television without anybody bothering me, I’m happy”).

–Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo and James Gunn took to social media to defend Chris Pratt. So they suddenly showed up when a meaningless throwaway Twitter poll voted him the worst Chris, but stayed silent when Brie Larson was facing hate and brutal boycott campaign from fanboys for being Captain Marvel and advocating for diversity? Screw them.

-Welp, Quibi is dead. Jeffrey Katzenberg is calling investors to tell them he’s shutting the company down, sources tell the Wall Street Journal. They’ll likely blame it on the pandemic and not the atrocious rollout or the fact that we are at the saturation point with streaming services.

–Jennifer Lawrence says her biggest regret about getting married last year is she didn’t have a big bachelorette party.

–Dolly Parton sang a few lines of “Bury Me Beneath The Willow” on the Late Show last night and it made Stephen Colbert cry. I loved her reaction: “I better hush before you cry yourself to death and we can’t finish the show.”

-I loved this chat between Jamie Lee Curtis and Neve Campbell about their reigns as scream queens.

-Legally Blonde 3’s new release date has been confirmed. I’m skeptical we’ll be back in theatres by then, but you do you, Hollywood.

-The reviews for The Witches are in, and it sounds very, very bad. Too bad; I was ready to watch Anne Hathaway ham it up.

-Another movie that isn’t faring well with critics is Netflix’s Rebecca remake mostly because the film portrays the central relationship as straightforwardly romantic, rather than tragic or toxic. The fact that this is how they depict the last scene makes it clear they had no idea what the book was actually about.

-Speaking of reviews, critics seem mixed on Borat 2. But the only thing everyone seems to agree on is the Rudy Giuliani segment is unbelievably uncomfortable. Apparently he follows Borat’s “daughter” into a hotel room and it’s … not good. The screengrab that’s floating around Twitter looks bad enough.

–Jared Leto will play the Joker in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, just in case you needed more convincing to skip it.

–Scott Speedman has joined the cast of You for season 3. I’m really happy for him, but my heart won’t be able to take it if he turns into a murder buddy for Joe.

–Jann Arden‘s sitcom is going to stream in the US on Hulu. Between this and her singing the Dawson’s Creek theme song when it hits Netflix, is this the year of Jann in America? Let’s hope! (She did a Cameo for my friend’s birthday this week and it was the best one I’ve ever seen.)

–Ariana Grande and Adele stans are not happy because they don’t understand how Twitter works.

-Normal People star Daisy Edgar Jones has been cast as Kyra, the lead in the film adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing. I still haven’t finished that book — not because it’s bad but just because it was too heavy for my brain in 2020.

-Netflix will campaign Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis in the lead actor and actress categories for their Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom performances. They’ll also submit Boseman for supporting actor in Da 5 Bloods.

-The first trailer for Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon is gorgeous.

Idris Elba Is Going to Be Ok Because He Has To Be!

–Idris Elba has tested positive for coronavirus. He posted a video and seems to be in good spirits, saying he has no symptoms and was tested because he came into contact with someone who has it.

–Kristofer Hivju, the actor who plays Tormund on Game of Thrones, also tested positive but is only experiencing “mild symptoms of a cold.”

-In positive news, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are already out of the hospital. (If you are feeling down, Sunday’s episode of The Daily podcast, which revisits Taffy Brodesser-Akner‘s NYT profile on Hanks, cheered me up A LOT.)

-People are sharing this old Scrubs clip about how quickly viruses can spread, and if that doesn’t convince people to stay home as much as they can, I don’t know what will.

-This is the (only?) good thing about the world going crazy: Universal is breaking the theatrical “window” by speeding the release of four films currently in cinemas (Invisible Man, The Hunt, Trolls World Tour and Emma) to video on demand starting this weekend for 48 hour, $20 rentals. This is HUGE. I wonder if they’ll be able to put the genie back in the bottle after life returns to normal but we’ve all gotten used to watching new releases in our homes.

-Disney+ kicked it off by releasing Frozen 2 early.

–Jann Arden hosted a Facebook Live to perform a free concert, and it was great! Watch it here.

–Coldplay also did a live concert on Instagram, and John Legend is doing it tomorrow. Look up the #togetherathome for more info!

-Riverdale’s KJ Apa shared his workout tips in Mens Health. That slider push up thing is *hard* so props to him.

–Brad Pitt and Alia Shawkat were spotted grabbing burgers together at In-n-Out, and he’s wearing the same outfit he was wearing the night before. If it was anyone else I’d think it’s a walk of shame situation, but he doesn’t strike me as a guy who cares to change clothes everyday.

–Donald Glover released a surprise new album — but already took it down.

–Orlando Bloom says he was celibate for six months before meeting Katy Perry because he was following advice from a friend. “It takes away the idea of going to a party and thinking, ‘Who am I going to meet?’ I was suddenly like, ‘Oh, I can have a relationship with a woman that is just friends.'” Um, he needed a friend to explain that to him?

-Add to your binge list: Little Fires Everywhere, starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, drops on Wednesday.

-The only glowing spot in the new season of Westworld appears to be Kid Cudi.

–Betty Gilpin interviews continue to be a delight. She says of The Hunt” controversy: “When the movie was canceled originally, I was like, ‘Oh, don’t worry — I already canceled it in my brain.’ Sorry, Twitter, you’re no match for my inner self-saboteur.”

-This is terrible: a production assistant was paralyzed in an accident on the Vancouver set of Batwoman.

-I’m very intrigued by the trailer for the new Amazon series Upload (only 38% because it stars an Amell.)

 

Beyoncé and Jay-Z Get Personal On New Tour

-For a family that’s usually so private, I’m surprised Beyonce and Jay Z’s kickoff of the On the Run II tour featured so much personal family footage. The twins were glimpsed in video of what looked like a wedding vow renewal celebration, Blue Ivy‘s dance moves were showcased, and the couple even entered the stage in an elevator!

-In a new interview, Arrested Development’s Alia Shawkat opened up about that disastrous NYT cast interview and it just made me like her more. “I know I said a little, but what I wish I had said was, ‘Stop talking. Stop. Jessica, go on.’…I hope that the guys on the show and now all these men of all different ages start to communicate with the women in their lives, the women they work with, and just ask openly with no shame, ‘What can I do to be better?'”

–Reese Witherspoon announced that she’ll reprise her role as Elle Woods with a video of her floating in her pool. I’d prefer a bend ‘n snap, but this also works.

-Why am I in no way surprised that Mariah Carey bathes in milk?

-Anyone else hearing lots of whispers about the Beckhams today? What’s going on?!?

-Male movie critics are fine but I really wanted to read a female critic’s perspective on Ocean’s 8 — and I loved this take from NPR’s Linda Holmes, who says it’s a breezy and adventurous heist movie that doubles as a clever commentary on Hollywood and actresses.

–Anne Hathaway said she was very aware after having her first baby that she weighed a little more than she was used to, but felt better about it after Rihanna gave her a compliment  on the Ocean’s 8 set. “Rihanna looks up and goes, ‘Damn girl, you got a ass!’ I was like, ‘Really?’ And she goes, ‘You got a ass like me!'”

–Jann Arden is getting her own sitcom? She’ll play “a formerly famous Canadian singer desperately trying to make herself relevant again.” I want this in my eyeballs now!

-In a Vulture interview, Conan O’Brien talks about networks’ aversion to change by comparing traditional broadcasters to Hans Gruber, and the internet to John McClane. It’s pretty apt.

-The Queer Eye season 2 trailer made me tear up, so all is right with the world.

-This Iggy Azalea tale  made me laugh out loud.

-Yay! FX has ordered a third season of Atlanta.

–Samantha Bee expanded on her apology about using the term “feckless c**t.” “I should have known a potty-mouth insult would be inherently more interesting…than juvenile immigration policy.” As the Show Your Work podcast pointed out this week, she’s being incredibly smart about what and who she is apologizing for/to, and what/who she isn’t.

–Mila Kunis says of working with a female director for the first time on The Spy Who Dumped Me: “There’s a noticeable difference. No one is yelling at each other…Nobody got mad…no screaming matches. At 7 o’clock, bye, go home. I got to see my kids for dinner. It was lovely.”

–Ava DuVernay gave a shout out to the 25 women who directed Queen Sugar episodes — 21 of whom had never directed TV before.

–Greg Berlanti, who already has a TV record 14(!) scripted series on the air, just inked a four-year extension at WarnerBrosTV that will pay him $400 million in what THR is reporting is an all-cash deal. So don’t except an non-Berlanti show on the CW until 2025 or so…

-In between songs on Carpool Karaoke, Shawn Mendes talked about living on his own in Toronto.  I wonder if he’s a Forest Hill kind of guy, or more of an Annex type?

–Scott Wolfe just turned 50 and posted this shirtless pic. Bailey is benjamin buttoning before our eyes!

-Tag looks ridiculous (I mean, it’s literally a movie about a game of tag? Really??) but at least the cast seems like they are having an amazing time on the press tour. This video cracked me up.

–Channing Tatum flirting with Chris Hemsworth in Instagram comments is my new aesthetic.

–Drew Goddard‘s hotel is hiding some dark secrets in the Bad Times at the El Royale trailer, starring Chris Hemsworth,  Jon Hamm and Dakota Johnson.

-Guys, I don’t hate the trailer for Bumblebee, starring Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena. My world is askew.

–Claire Foy is fierce in the trailer for Girl in the Spider’s Web, the next chapter of the Dragon Tattoo series. Playing Lisbeth Salander is really smart career move for her, since she’s mostly known for portraying the Queen of England in The Crown.

–Anne Hathaway tries to convince her ex-husband, played by Matthew McConaughey, to kill her current husband in the trippy Serenity trailer, which is sure to mess with your head (and not just because there’s not a browncoat in sight).