Britt Hayes
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Rumor: ‘Star Wars: Episode 8’ Is Getting a Slight Rewrite in Response to ‘The Force Awakens’ Reactions
Rewrites are common in filmmaking, especially for big blockbuster films, where there are so many moving parts that filmmakers sometimes need to recalibrate to keep things focused — which makes this rumor about Star Wars: Episode VIII hardly surprising. Rumor has it that Rian Johnson’s screenplay may be undergoing a few minor rewrites as a response to the reactions to The Force Awakens, and while that sentence may trigger an eyebrow raise, you should know that this is totally a good thing — if true.
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Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith Boycotting 2016 Oscars, Chris Rock Calls Out Academy for ‘White BET Awards’
For the second year in a row, every actor nominated in all four acting categories for the Academy Awards is a white person. All 20 nominees for Best Actor and Actress and Best Supporting Actor and Actress are white people, reigniting the Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. And while many of us are comfortable in our power to merely comment via social media, there are a couple of strong voices who are fed up and ready to do something about it: director Spike Lee and actor Jada Pinkett-Smith have announced plans to boycott the Oscars this year, while the host of the 2016 awards himself has called the Academy out for their persistent negligence to nominate people of color.
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‘The Godfather Epic’ Seven-Hour Chronological Cut Is Streaming on HBO Now
HBO Now is good for many things: for catching up on those shows you’ve been missing, for watching films exclusively airing on the premium network (including pretty much all the Police Academy movies, if that’s your thing, sure), for using your parents’ password to take advantage of their disposable income… But there’s something else the streaming service has that you won’t find anywhere else: a seven-hour cut of the first two Godfather films, edited in chronological order. If you have the day off, now might be a good time to indulge in such a thing.
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‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ Vet Tim Curry to Do the Time Warp Again for FOX Musical
We haven’t reported much on FOX’s Rocky Horror Picture Show musical event, much less any other network’s wacky musical remakes, but when you have news as good as the brilliant casting of original Rocky Horror vet Tim Curry as the show’s narrator…well, that’s news that’s just too good to ignore.
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Tina Fey and Ronda Rousey to Star in Comedy Based on MMA Fighter’s ‘DNB’ Motto
If you’re a fan of Ronda Rousey, then you’re undoubtedly familiar with her “Do Nothing Bitches” speech from an interview the MMA fighter gave that’s collected over 3 million hits on YouTube and generated a clothing line. Rousey’s whole DNB thing is so popular that it inspired Sisters scribe Paula Pell to write an entire film based on it, with Tina Fey set to co-star with Rousey in what could be the most delightful odd-coupling in years.
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Calm Down, ‘Mad Max’ Director George Miller Says He’s Still Making More Sequels
Earlier this week, George Miller was quoted as saying that he was done with the Mad Max franchise, which came as a shock to many, especially since Miller has done nothing but talk up Mad Max sequels since before Fury Road even hit theaters. But as several suspected, Page Six had their story wrong, which just goes to show that you should always take their reports with a GIANT boulder of salt.
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Don’t Hold Your Breath for a ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Extended Cut
With a movie as epic as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, you know there has to be lots of footage that didn’t make the final cut. Reports have been out there for a while now about several scenes that were cut from the film, and while you will get to see some of those scenes when the film eventually hits DVD and Blu-ray, J.J. Abrams says you shouldn’t hold out hope for an extended version of The Force Awakens.
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‘Bad Santa 2’ Casts Christina Hendricks as Billy Bob Thornton’s Love Interest
So much for a Lauren Graham appearance in Bad Santa 2! Billy Bob Thornton’s foul-mouthed crook will have a new love interest in the upcoming sequel, as Christina Hendricks has joined the lineup, joining fellow new addition Kathy Bates and a few other returning stars whose names are not Lauren Graham.
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Johnny Depp Dethrones Adam Sandler as the Most Overpaid Actor in Hollywood
Last year, Forbes dubbed Adam Sandler the most overpaid actor in Hollywood with the help of some basic math skills — the publication looks at how much a studio makes for every dollar they paid their leading man. Johnny Depp came in second place in 2014, and although Sandler has had an impressively terrible year, Depp succeeded in overthrowing the former funny man and stealing his overpaid crown.
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The ‘Star Wars: Episode 8’ Script Is So Good, J.J. Abrams Wishes He Were Directing It
J.J. Abrams revved up the engine on the ol’ Star Wars ship, launching the series on a new journey with The Force Awakens, but declining to return for the subsequent sequels. Instead, Rian Johnson (Looper) and Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) will be steering the franchise from here on out, directing Episodes 8 and 9, respectively. Johnson is in production on Episode 8 right now, and according to The Force Awakens star Daisy Ridley, the script is “very good.” How good? Abrams regrets turning down the chance to direct it.
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‘The Force Awakens’ Reveals a Couple of Hidden ‘Star Wars’ Cameos
By now, you probably know all about some of the cameos in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, like Daniel Craig’s secret appearance and the actors behind the voice of BB-8...
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SNL Ranked: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Give Us the Gift of Pure Joy
SNL delivers the greatest Christmas gift of all by inviting both Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to host the 2015 finale together, the way nature intended. With their new comedy Sisters in theaters this weekend (take that, Star Wars), the duo hit the SNL stage in top form with a handful of surprise guests, a couple of classic characters and a whole, whole lot of joy. Read on for our ranking of this week’s sketches from best to worst.
