The daily gossip: 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' both declared masterpieces by critics, Mandy Moore received a residual check for one penny, and more

1. "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" both declared masterpieces by critics

We are so back. The first reviews for "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" have dropped ahead of their dual release on Friday, and for each film, they're almost universally positive. Both movies' Rotten Tomatoes approval rating is hovering around 90%, and the M-word has been tossed around liberally. "Barbie" is an "instantly timeless masterpiece," raved The Daily Beast, and Rolling Stone's headline declared that Greta Gerwig's film is possibly the "most subversive blockbuster of the 21st century." As of now, the movie has the exact same Metacritic score as "Everything Everywhere All at Once," which won the Oscar for Best Picture. Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer," meanwhile, is getting even stronger reviews, with The Washington Post saying it's a masterpiece and Deadline calling it the "most important motion picture of 2023, and maybe far beyond." The film's current Metacritic score also puts it above Nolan's "The Dark Knight." At this point, the only logical ending to Barbenheimer may be the Oscars' first Best Picture tie.

Rolling Stone The Washington Post

2. Mandy Moore received a residual check for one penny

This is … it? As the Hollywood actors strike continues, Mandy Moore chatted with The Hollywood Reporter about just how little even big stars like her often make off streaming residuals. The actor said she has received "very tiny, like 81 cent checks" for streaming residuals on "This Is Us," her hit show that ran for six seasons on NBC and streamed on Hulu. "The residual issue is a huge issue," she said, noting that "many actors in our position for years before us were able to live off of residuals or at least pay their bills." "Scandal" star Katie Lowes, who joined Moore on the Disney picket line, agreed that this is "just not a reality anymore" after streaming changed the business. In fact, Moore said she "was talking with my business manager, who said he's received a residual for a penny and two pennies." If she had a nickel for every time she received a residual check for a nickel...

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The Hollywood Reporter

3. Melanie Lynskey almost had a key role on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

Before she was a Yellowjacket, Melanie Lynskey was nearly a resident of Sunnydale. In an interview with Evan Ross Katz, Lynskey confirmed she auditioned to play Willow on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," as creator Joss Whedon envisioned her for the role later played by Alyson Hannigan. Initially, though, she turned down the opportunity, partially due to a visa issue and partially because she was "not sure about doing" television. "I had a very old-school agent who was like, 'TV? That's for has-beens!'" she recalled, adding, "I just wasn't super into it at the time." She did have dinner with Whedon, though. Eventually, Lynskey learned that the person who played Willow in the pilot was being replaced, so she decided to audition because she saw this first episode and realized the show would be good. According to Lynskey, though, she was told "they didn't like what you were wearing," and at the end of the "whole process," she didn't get the part. That's got to suck.

Shut Up Evan: The Newsletter

4. "Aquaman" sequel has reportedly had an almost "unprecedented number" of reshoots

When the people who claimed "The Flash" was a masterpiece think your movie needs work, you know you've got a problem. DC's "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" has undergone an "almost an unprecedented number" of reshoots, e.g. three separate rounds of them, according to The Hollywood Reporter. This seems to be due to the movie having "several uninspiring test screenings," and one consequence of the reshoots is that both Michael Keaton's Batman and Ben Affleck's Batman have reportedly been removed from the film. The filmmakers have apparently been "in the dumps" about all this chaos, though the Reporter suggests things may be looking up with the most recent version after new DC boss James Gunn approved five days of reshoots. "The Lost Kingdom" is expected to be the final film of the DC Extended Universe prior to Gunn's reboot, so maybe it's only appropriate the series would go out with one final disaster for old times' sake.

The Hollywood Reporter

5. Netflix's "Masters of the Universe" movie dead after expensive development process

Sorry, He-Man: Netflix doesn't want to play with you anymore. A live-action "Masters of the Universe" movie that was in the works at Netflix is dead, according to Variety. Adam and Aaron Nee, the filmmakers behind "The Lost City," were expected to direct the film, and a recent New Yorker article talked it up as Mattel's "most anticipated project" after "Barbie." "It's as big as Marvel and DC," Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz claimed, referring to the He-Man lore. According to Variety, Mattel is now shopping the project and trying to find a new buyer, though Universal reportedly already passed on it. The Variety report also reveals that "close to $30 million" has already been spent in the development of the film, which was canceled due to budget concerns, as it was reportedly set to cost at least $180 million to make. Nobody said they were the masters of financial management.

Variety