1. Nintendo announces live-action 'Legend of Zelda' movie
Hyrule is headed to a theater near you. A live-action movie based on the "Legend of Zelda" video games is in the works, Nintendo has announced. Wes Ball, the filmmaker behind the "Maze Runner" movies and the upcoming "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," will direct. It will be a dream come true for Ball, who in 2010 tweeted about his desire to see a "Zelda" movie using "'Avatar'-like" motion capture, which he could "never even hope to have the chance to direct." "Zelda" creator Shigeru Miyamoto will produce the film alongside Avi Arad, founder of Marvel Studios. The movie will also be co-financed by Nintendo and Sony, making it a collaboration between two gaming competitors. This announcement comes after the massive success of Nintendo's "Super Mario Bros. Movie," though fans were surprised by the choice to make "Zelda" live-action rather than animated like "Mario." But if the superhero movie is dying, it's clear the video game movie is ready to take its place. Nintendo
2. Patrick Dempsey named People's Sexiest Man Alive
McDreamys really do come true. Patrick Dempsey has been named People's Sexiest Man Alive, taking the crown from last year's winner, Chris Evans. On "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," the "Grey's Anatomy" star said his family "laughed quite hard" when he broke the news. "They were like, 'No, seriously, who is it?'" he joked. But Dempsey has come close a few times, as People featured him on the cover of some previous Sexiest Man Alive issues, just not as the titular sexy man. "I was completely shocked, and then I started laughing, like, this is a joke, right?" Dempsey told People. "I've always been the bridesmaid! I'd completely forgotten about it and never even contemplated being in this position." But the 57-year-old actor said he's "glad it's happening at this point in my life." Dempsey is also the first Sexiest Man Alive since 2019 who isn't part of the Marvel universe after Evans, Paul Rudd and Michael B. Jordan held the title. Better luck next year, MODOK. People, Jimmy Kimmel Live
3. Brian Cox signed up for a reality show thinking it was the next James Bond movie
Brian Cox should have read the fine print. The "Succession" star revealed on "The Tonight Show" that he agreed to be in a new James Bond competition series because he mistakenly "thought it was the new James Bond film." But it turned out "there was no James Bond movie," and he was "doing this reality show" instead. "007: Road to a Million" involves real people competing in Bond-like challenges in hopes of winning £1 million, and Cox plays "The Controller," an "enigmatic character who controls the fate of the contestants," per Prime Video. It's a far cry from being the villain in an actual Bond movie, a role Cox admitted he has always wanted. "For years, I thought, 'I'd love to be a James Bond villain, it would be really interesting,' and I thought this is my moment," the actor said. "But it wasn't." It's the worst mix-up since Bill Murray joined "Garfield" thinking writer Joel Cohen was one of the Coen brothers. The Tonight Show
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
4. New York freezes over in the trailer for 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire'
Ice ain't afraid of no ghost. Sony has revealed a chilly trailer for "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," which takes the franchise back to New York City in a follow-up to "Ghostbusters: Afterlife." The footage starts off on a hot July day before some sort of ice storm sweeps across Coney Island and completely freezes the city, à la "The Day After Tomorrow." So what does this have to do with ghosts? That's not totally clear, but Dan Aykroyd's Ray Stantz speaks of something called the death chill, the "power to kill by fear itself." Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd return from "Afterlife," as do original stars Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Bill Murray, and new cast members include Patton Oswalt and Kumail Nanjiani. "Afterlife" was a solid success for Sony, though it actually made less money worldwide than the 2016 female-led reboot. On March 29, we'll find out if audiences are hungry for more or if they'll give this franchise the cold shoulder. Sony Pictures
5. 'Mean Girls' trailer doesn't appear to want you to know it's a musical
On Wednesdays, we wear pink and watch the trailer for the "Mean Girls" musical movie. Paramount has dropped a look at the film based on the Broadway musical "Mean Girls," which was itself based on the 2004 movie that was based on a 2002 book. But even though this new film is also a musical, you wouldn't know it from the trailer. It's set to Olivia Rodrigo's "get him back!" and features no singing at all. Some characters are seen dancing, but the trailer otherwise sells the movie as if it's simply a remake of the original rather than a musical version of the story. This seems to be a shift in marketing strategy compared to a teaser that played before Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" movie, which showed Reneé Rapp's Regina George singing. The new trailer also aims to make every fan of the original feel old by declaring "this isn't your mother's 'Mean Girls.'" How many of you felt personally victimized by that? Paramount Pictures
Pope seeks inquiry on if Gaza assault is 'genocide'
Can Europe pick up the slack in Ukraine?
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in Russia
