1. Barney movie to be a surrealistic "A24-type" film about "millennial angst"
Well, movies had a good run. An upcoming film about Barney the dinosaur from Daniel Kaluuya will be "surrealistic" like the work of Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze, Mattel Films executive Kevin McKeon told The New Yorker. "We're leaning into the millennial angst of the property rather than fine-tuning this for kids," he said. "It's really a play for adults." McKeon stressed the film won't be R-rated but will be an "A24-type" movie exploring the "trials and tribulations of being thirtysomething, growing up with Barney — just the level of disenchantment within the generation," which will "underscore that we're here to make art." According to the article, this is just one of 45 movies Mattel has in development after "Barbie," including an American Girl doll film described as "'Booksmart' meets 'Bill & Ted'" and a horror-comedy based on Magic 8 Ball. Like it or not, the future of cinema is audiences losing their minds over a surprise cameo by Rubik's Cube in the Scrabble movie.
The New Yorker
2. Michael Imperioli forbids "bigots and homophobes" from watching his projects
Two can play at that game. Michael Imperioli has responded to one of the Supreme Court's recent controversial rulings by announcing on Instagram, "I've decided to forbid bigots and homophobes from watching 'The Sopranos,' 'The White Lotus,' 'Goodfellas' or any movie or TV show I've been in." He was reacting to the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday siding with a graphic artist who argued she can refuse to create wedding sites for same-sex couples because of her religious beliefs. In his post, Imperioli thanked the court "for allowing me to discriminate and exclude those who I don't agree with and am opposed to," adding, "USA! USA!" Sarcasm aside, the actor added that "hate and ignorance is not a legitimate point of view," and "it's called dehumanization." Imperioli previously shared his support for the transgender community on Instagram, and when a fan commented that he's "unfollowing" him as a result, the actor simply shot back, "You should. Hurry up."
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3. Kit Harington and Rose Leslie welcome their 2nd child
His watch hasn't ended — his watch of his kids, that is. Kit Harington and Rose Leslie have welcomed their second child together. A rep for the actors confirmed the news to People, revealing they are "delighted to have welcomed a little girl into the family." Harington and Leslie met while working together on "Game of Thrones," in which they played on-screen lovers Jon Snow and Ygritte. After tying the knot in 2018, they welcomed their first child together, a boy, in 2021. Harington announced they were expecting another child on "The Tonight Show" earlier this year. "I'm terrified," he admitted, noting that with the first child, "you're walking on clouds and dancing through fields of daisies for nine months — well, the man is, anyway," but the second time around, "you get practical real quick." He also said their son, now two, "might be quite smart," joking they aren't "sure quite where" he gets it from. You know some things, Jon Snow Jr.
People
4. Stanley Tucci: It's "fine" for straight actors to play gay characters
Stanley Tucci is ready to touch on a touchy subject. On BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Tucci explained why he believes it's "fine" for straight actors to play gay characters. The actor, who is married to Felicity Blunt, portrayed a gay man opposite Colin Firth in "Supernova," as well as in "The Devil Wears Prada." "I'm always very flattered when gay men come up to me and talk about 'The Devil Wears Prada' or they talk about 'Supernova,' and they say, 'It was just so beautiful. You did it the right way,'" he said. "Because often, it's not done the right way." Some have argued that gay characters should be portrayed by gay actors. But Tucci disagrees, contending, "An actor is an actor is an actor. You're supposed to play different people. You just are. That's the whole point of it."
BBC Radio 4
5. Russell Crowe is tired of being asked about "Gladiator 2"
He's not entertained. During a press conference at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Russell Crowe received a question about the upcoming "Gladiator" sequel, and he didn't sound thrilled. "They should be f--king paying me for the amount of questions I get asked about the f--king film that I am not even in," he declared, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Ridley Scott is currently working on a sequel to his 2000 film, though Crowe, the original star, won't be involved. The new cast instead includes Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, and Pedro Pascal, and it's hitting theaters in 2024. Not only is Crowe not involved in the movie, but he said he doesn't "know anything about the cast" or "anything about the plot," noting that his character died in the first film. "In that world, I'm dead, six feet under," he said. "And that's that." Anyone still asking him about the movie from here on out gets a thumbs down.
The Hollywood Reporter
