This Week’s Entertainment News Catch-Up
Here’s a rundown of some of the biggest and latest stories in entertainment news this week.
Joker Origin Movie a Go
It was announced this week that a Joker origin story has been greenlit by Warner Bros. studios. Joaquin Phoenix is set to star as the iconic arch-nemesis of Batman. The film will begin shooting in September with Todd Phillips of The Hangover series and War Dogs directing.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio is describing the story as an “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study but also a broader cautionary tale.” No word yet on how this will impact Jared Leto’s solo Joker film that is supposed to be in development.
A Familiar Face Will Return to Star Wars IX
It was also announced this week that Billy Dee Williams will return in the ninth Star Wars film as Lando Calrissian. This will mark Williams first appearance in the franchise since Return of the Jedi in the 80s. The film also added Keri Russell to its cast. The J.J. Abrams-directed film is set to hit theaters on December 20, 2019.
Black Widow Solo Movie Finds a Director
After years of promises, trying to get the film greenlit, and meeting with hundreds of directors, Marvel has finally found a director for its solo Black Widow project. It was announced yesterday that Australian director Cate Shortland will helm the project. Word is that the film will be a prequel, set before the first Avengers (2012). Shortland will be the second female director to work on a Marvel film behind Captain Marvel’s Anna Boden.
New Music
Several artists dropped new songs this week including Twenty One Pilots, Childish Gambino, and Ariana Grande. “Jumpsuit” and “Nico and the Niners” will be on Twenty One Pilots’ fifth studio album, the band’s latest since 2015’s Blurryface.
Gambino dropped “Summertime Magic” which is essentially the perfect summer song with his R&B style. Grande’s “God is A Woman” is the second single from her forthcoming album Sweetener. That album is supposed to drop next month.
Emmy Nominations are Here
Emmy nominations have arrived and many are celebrating while others are amazed by some of the snubs. Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy, Killing Eve) became the first Asian actress nominated for lead in a drama series for Killing Eve. The BBC show has received great reviews in its freshman season.
A lot of familiar shows led the way with Game of Thrones bringing in 22 nominations with Westworld and Saturday Night Live following with 21 nominations each. The popular Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale received 20 nominations and MFST favorite Atlanta received 16 nominations including comedic led for Donald Glover, supporting for both Brian Tyree Henry and Zazie Beetz, and a nomination for guest actor for Katt Williams and his portrayal of Earn’s uncle.
Some notable snubs are ABC’s The Good Doctor and AMC’s Into the Badlands which failed to be nominated at all. Badlands missed out on nominations like stunt coordination and costume design. Lead actor Daniel Wu and fans took to Twitter yesterday to express their dismay and questioned why the show with continuously amazing stunts and action scenes continues to be ignored.
There were also no repeat nominations for CW comedy series like Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Despite Stranger Things fans rejoicing the nominations for Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour many have been discussing that Noah Schnapp deserved a nomination for his portrayal of Will Byers. Lastly, while GOT led the way, Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke did not receive individual acting nominations.
Which one of these entertainment news stories are you the most excited about? Did any of your favorites get snubbed?
Kira McCall covers entertainment for MFST. She’s a freelance writer and alum of Towson University where she studied advertising, public relations, and creative writing. Follow her on Twitter at cocovanilla45 (GirlsofManyFandoms) and kiramira_.
Kira McCall
Latest posts by Kira McCall (see all)
Leave a Reply