The daily gossip: Disney reveals first look at dwarfs in live-action 'Snow White,' Taylor Swift declared a billionaire as '1989' re-recording drops, and more
Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
1. Disney reveals first look at 'Snow White,' which has been delayed a year
Some day, Disney's "Snow White" remake will come, but that day will not be March 22, 2024. Disney has delayed its live-action "Snow White" an entire year, moving its release date to March 21, 2025. At the same time, the studio debuted the first official look at the film, which shows star Rachel Zegler in the princess' iconic blue and yellow dress. Surrounding her are Dopey, Grumpy, Sneezy, Bashful, Happy, Sleepy and Doc. They appear to be CGI and roughly resemble the seven dwarfs from the animated movie, nothing like those alleged set photos that sparked claims Disney was making the characters "politically correct." Meanwhile, Disney also delayed the Pixar film "Elio" more than a year and pulled the Jonathan Majors movie "Magazine Dreams" from its calendar. This comes days after the next "Mission: Impossible" film was delayed to 2025 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. With next year's film slate emptying out, hopefully, your New Year's resolution for 2024 wasn't "watch movies." Disney
2. Taylor Swift declared a billionaire as '1989' re-recording drops
Taylor Swift's billionaire era has begun. According to a Bloomberg analysis, the pop star's net worth has officially passed $1 billion thanks to her massively popular Eras tour. This, the outlet noted, makes her one of few people to become a billionaire solely based on music and performing, as opposed to also having a successful business like Rihanna's Fenty Beauty. The report came as "1989 (Taylor's Version)" debuted. On top of the re-recordings, it features five previously unheard tracks that arguably evoke "Midnights" more than “1989." Swift takes on slut-shaming on a song simply titled "Slut!," singing, "If they call me a slut, you know it might be worth it for once." In an album prologue, Swift also seemed to shut down speculation that she has had romantic relationships with women, writing that she assumed "if I only hung out with my female friends, people couldn't sensationalize or sexualize that," only to "learn later on that people could and people would." Gaylors are in shambles. Bloomberg
3. The 'Fantastic Beasts' franchise is 'parked,' director says
Remember when the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise was going to consist of five films? JK! "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" director David Yates told Total Film there's currently no movement on another film in the “Harry Potter” prequel series. "With 'Beasts,' it's all just parked,” he said. The third "Fantastic Beasts" entry was a box office disappointment in 2022, becoming the lowest-grossing Wizarding World film. Since then, "we just needed to sort of stop and pause, and take it easy," Yates said. This is despite the fact that "Fantastic Beasts" was meant to consist of five movies. According to Yates, though, the "idea that there were going to be five films was a surprise to most of us," as author J.K. Rowling "just mentioned it spontaneously, at a press screening once." Though Yates insisted that "at some point, we’ll be back," given the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery appears to have already forgotten the "Fantastic Beasts" movies exist, the odds aren’t looking good. Total Film
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4. Kristen Stewart had her first kiss on screen with Jamie Bell
You never forget your first, especially not if it has been immortalized on film. On "Watch What Happens Live," Kristen Stewart revealed she had her first kiss on screen, sharing it with co-star Jamie Bell. "It's not like we were making out," she said. "It was a bit of a peck. But I was 13 or 14." This would have been for 2004's "Undertow." Stewart recalled being "so nervous" about the kiss and "freaking out." The director noticed this and assured her "it's just little butterfly kisses," which, according to her, "didn't help." But Stewart praised Bell for being sweet and helping to make things "safe" for her on set. Stewart also gave an update on her wedding, saying that even though he offered, she probably won’t have Guy Fieri officiate. After getting engaged in 2021, she and Dylan Meyer still haven't set a date for the wedding. But she seems to be in no rush, sharing, "We're gonna sort of surprise ourselves." Watch What Happens Live
5. Cher admits she has 'never liked' her voice: 'It's weird'
If Cher could turn back time and find a way, she'd give herself a new voice. The "Believe" singer told Paper magazine that even though her voice has become iconic, she has never been a fan of it. "I just never liked my voice that much," she said. "If I had my choice, I probably would have another one, but I didn’t get my choice. I got my mother’s voice." Cher continued that she feels her voice is "weird" because she "doesn't sound like a man" but also "doesn't sound like a woman," adding, "I’m somewhere more in-between. I have this strange style." The interviewer pointed out that her voice has become “the signature voice,” but her massive success as a singer doesn’t make her feel any differently. "No, I never liked it very much,” she reiterated. “I mean, people seem to like it and I'm happy as a clam, but I wouldn’t have picked it.” Someone get her a Ghostface voice changer. Paper
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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