The daily gossip: Lady Gaga wrote a 'love letter to the world' for Top Gun sequel, Fast & Furious director abruptly resigns mid-filming, and more

1. Lady Gaga wrote a 'love letter to the world' for 'Top Gun' sequel

Lady Gaga feels the need for speed — and maybe another Oscar. On Wednesday, Gaga confirmed she wrote an original song for the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick called "Hold My Hand," and the single will debut on May 3. "This song is a love letter to the world during and after a very hard time," she said. "I've wanted you to hear it for so long." She's not kidding, as Maverick was originally supposed to hit theaters nearly three years ago but was repeatedly delayed due to the pandemic. Assuming its current May 27 release date sticks, Gaga could potentially score a second Best Original Song Oscar in 2023, coming off the heels of her brutal snub for House of Gucci — though her competition might include Taylor Swift, who wrote a song for Where the Crawdads Sing. And you thought last year's Gaga vs. Kristen Stewart stan war was intense.

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2. 'Fast & Furious' director abruptly resigns mid-filming

So much for family. Justin Lin has abruptly resigned as director of the next Fast & Furious movie, Fast X, even though filming was already underway. Lin said he made the "difficult decision to step back" as director but will stay on as producer. "I will forever be grateful to the amazing cast, crew and studio for their support, and for welcoming me into the Fast family," he said. Lin directed five Fast films, including the most recent F9. No reason for his shock exit was given, but Deadline cited "creative differences." The news quickly sparked speculation about whether he may have had a Dwayne Johnson-style clash with Vin Diesel, especially given Diesel recently posted an absurdly awkward on-set video where it looks like Lin wants to be anywhere else. Fast X is scheduled to hit theaters in just over a year, so they'd better find a replacement fast.

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Deadline Variety

3. Andrew Garfield will take a break from acting to 'be a bit ordinary'

Spider-Man star Andrew Garfield wants to do whatever an "ordinary" man can, such as finally getting some sleep. Speaking with Variety, Garfield said he's planning to take a break from acting, explaining, "I'm going to rest for a little bit." He's coming off an absolutely massive year in which he was nominated for an Oscar for Tick, Tick … Boom!, appeared in another Oscar-nominated film with The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and, oh yeah, returned as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Plus, Garfield is now starring in a new FX series, Under the Banner of Heaven. But he says it's now time to "recalibrate and reconsider what I want to do next," adding, "I need to just be a bit ordinary for a while." Then again, that's just what someone who's returning as Spider-Man again would want us to think. We're wise to your tricks now, Garfield!

Variety

4. First footage of 'Avatar' sequel debuts

Is the Avatar sequel really, seriously going to come out this year? It would appear so. Disney on Wednesday teased the long-awaited sequel to James Cameron's Avatar, which now has an official title: Avatar: The Way of Water. Since the original became the highest-grossing film of all time, this follow-up has faced an absurd number of delays, and it was originally set to come out in 2014. But it now looks all set for a December release, and at CinemaCon, the first teaser was unveiled in 3D. Though it's not online yet, it's set to play in front of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness next week. Fandango's Erik Davis said the footage was "STUNNING," while io9's Germain Lussier called it "suitably beautiful but also very familiar" — and he teased, "Jake has a new haircut." Wow, this we've gotta see!

The Hollywood Reporter

5. 'Barbie' and Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' will hit theaters on the same day

Ready for the weirdest double feature ever? Warner Bros. has revealed our first look at Margot Robbie as Barbie in Greta Gerwig's live-action Barbie, also giving the film its release date: July 21, 2023. If that date rings a bell, it might be because it's the same day Christopher Nolan is releasing his next film, Oppenheimer, about the creation of the atomic bomb. Somewhat infamously, the Dark Knight director had a messy breakup with his longtime buddies at Warner Bros. Last year, their decision to prioritize HBO Max ticked the theater-loving Nolan off so badly that he took Oppenheimer to a rival studio, Universal. Not that the films share much of the same audience, but is putting Barbie up against Oppenheimer Warner Bros.' subtle revenge? We like to think so. Either way, both boast absurdly stacked casts, so pretty much every working actor alive now has a film opening that day. The premieres may need a designated survivor.

Variety