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1. The final Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer debuts during Monday Night Football
If you felt a disturbance in the Force on Monday night — as if millions of people suddenly rushed to YouTube — it's because the final trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was released. The trailer features shots of familiar characters like Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron, as well as a bunch of space horses. The trailer also promises that "the saga will end," so prepare to say goodbye to Star Wars for the one to two years it'll take for Disney to announce a new Star Wars trilogy.
2. Joker fans are flocking to the staircase from the movie
Whether you've seen Joaquin Phoenix's Joker movie or not, you're probably familiar with the image of the Joker dancing on a staircase, which was used for the movie's poster (and has since been meme-ified into oblivion). But the movie's popularity has led to an unexpected side effect: An influx of tourists irritating Bronx residents by flocking to the neighborhood to be photographed dancing on the public staircase where the scene was shot. At least some of the visitors have come dressed as the Joker for their photo shoots — but whether or not they're wearing makeup, they clearly look like clowns.
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Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
3. Alexis Bledel is the riskiest celebrity to Google
Wondering if Gilmore Girls will ever come back for another disappointing season on Netflix? Here's a tip: Google "Lauren Graham," not "Alexis Bledel." Cybersecurity company McAfee has released its annual list of the celebrity names most likely to lead internet users to sites containing malware, and Bledel topped the list. Other dangerous names include Anna Kendrick, Lupita Nyong'o, and Jimmy Fallon — so if you ever get the urge to queue up 2004's Jimmy Fallon/Queen Latifah vehicle Taxi, you now have two reasons to think twice.
4. A Game of Thrones actor is making the jump to Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV show
Amazon forked over $250 million for the television rights to the Lord of the Rings franchise with the hope of launching their own Game of Thrones-sized hit — and it's clear that they're doing everything possible to guarantee a return on their investment. And what better way to do that than to borrow as heavily as possible from Game of Thrones? Joseph Mawle, who played Benjen Stark on Game of Thrones, has been cast as the villain in Amazon's Lord of the Rings series. (Rather surprisingly, his character's name is Oren, not Senjen Bark.)
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5. Breaking Bad’s Los Pollos Hermanos is becoming a real (virtual) restaurant
Breaking Bad fans are obsessed enough to buy pretty much anything associated with the AMC drama — but as far as we know, it's still illegal to sell crystal meth. So series creator Vince Gilligan is hawking the other product most associated with Breaking Bad: Fried chicken from the previously fictional chain Los Pollos Hermanos, which is managed by meth kingpin Gus Fring. There will be no physical location, but fans will be able to order items like Fring Fries and Slaw Goodman via the Uber Eats app. One suggested tagline: It's so good, it'll blow your face off!
Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
