The daily gossip: The 'most ambitious' Netflix slate ever, Prince Harry might have a ponytail, and more

1. Netflix to debut a new movie every single week this year

If you're despairing about how low you are on the vaccine wait list, the good news is that Netflix is prepared to keep you fully entertained in quarantine. On Tuesday, the streamer dropped a sizzle reel showing off its packed 2021 slate, revealing it will release at least one original movie every week this year. The streamer's lineup for 2021 consists of 70 original films, though The Hollywood Reporter notes that number is "expected to grow"; Bloomberg describes it as Netflix's "most ambitious" slate ever. Look forward to Malcolm & Marie, starring John David Washington and Zendaya; directorial debuts from Halle Berry and Lin-Manuel Miranda; the action-comedy Red Notice, which stars Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds; and Adam McKay's Don't Look Up, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence.

Netflix The Week

2. Does Prince Harry have a ponytail? A brief investigation.

Prince Harry has transformed his life — he's now a husband, a father, an ex-royal, and a SoCal resident. The next logical step is to grow a ponytail, and, according to Rob Lowe, he has done just that. The actor told James Corden on The Late Late Show that he saw Harry cruising around their Montecito neighborhood, and may have a scoop. "It looked to me as a casual observer that his hair had grown very long and was pulled back very tightly by what I can only assume was a ponytail," he said to a skeptical Corden. Lowe admitted he shouldn't be quoted on it, but when you drop a bombshell about a ponytailed-prince, we will quote you. Alas, a paparazzi snap from late last month shows the prince with his usual cropped cut, though we can't be too sure what's hiding under that baseball cap.

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.

Sign up

People

3. Cate Blanchett has resolved her bat problem

You will be relieved to learn that actress Cate Blanchett has found a solution to her extremely relatable problem of being blocked from constructing a meditation room on the grounds of her mansion on account of there being a nearby bat colony. The local council that regulates the grounds, in East Sussex, has ruled that Blanchett can go ahead with tearing down the bat-infested shed where she plans to erect her three-story "tranquil retreat," so long as she installs bat boxes or a "bat loft" as alternative housing for the winged mammals. However, the council offered no guidance on re-homing the mansion's numerous rumored ghosts.

The Daily Mail

4. People's Sexiest Man Alive is no longer single

In yet another devastating blow to the hope that 2021 would be a better year, People's Sexiest Man Alive is an eligible bachelor no longer. Michael B. Jordan and Lori Harvey, daughter of Steve Harvey, made their rumored relationship Instagram official. The pair were first spotted together in November, and appear to have spent the holiday season together, as they shared romantic photos in front of a light-strung tree. Their celebrity friends seem to approve of the new relationship — Gabrielle Union commented, "Faves!" and Trevor Noah wrote, "Don't play with us Mike. This better be real and not another Coach campaign!" Fans, however, wondered whether they should be jealous or happy. But they seemingly all agreed that Harvey needs to write a book, so we mortals can learn her ways.

Insider

5. Madonna takes a 'special trip' to Africa mid-pandemic

Madonna, who not a year ago sat in a bathtub sprinkled with rose petals and mused about COVID-19 being "the great equalizer," has jetted to Kenya with her 25-year-old boyfriend, dancer Ahlamalik Williams, to enjoy a "special trip" amid the ongoing pandemic. Their vacation began on Dec. 30, when Madonna traveled with five of her children to Malawi to visit the orphanage where she adopted David, now 20. "Re-connecting with David's father and extended family," she shared on Instagram. This week, the 62-year-old pop star shared a video of her and Williams visiting the Pokot Tribe in the Baringo Valley of Kenya, calling it a "special moment" and taking part in a dance circle, sans masks — even as experts have warned the virus could "destroy" the continent's vulnerable indigenous communities.

Us Weekly The Daily Mail