The Anne Rice Cinematic Universe is potentially getting bigger.
06.04.2023 - 22:33 / variety.com
Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. For some, one of the best scene in 1978’s “Grease” is when Sandra sleeps over with her new group of girl friends from Rydell High as they sing “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee,” hair rollers in and heartthrob celebrities like Elvis plastered on their teenage girl bedroom walls. Now, the origins of that beloved girl gang, who call themselves the Pink Ladies, are at the center of a new prequel series on Paramount+, released today. Set in 1954, four years before Sandy and Danny’s whirlwind romance, “Grease: The Rise of the Pink Ladies,” explores how four Rydell High outcasts forged a friendship and became the forebears to the Pink Ladies from the original film, such as Rizzo and Frenchy. However, despite the retro time period, the directors chose to present the story through a more progressive 2023 lens, imbuing ideas about sexual orientation and race throughout its 10 episodes.
Even those who aren’t huge “Grease”-heads might be interested in checking out the show for its unique score, which features 30 original songs from artists such as Selena Gomez and songwriter Justin Tranter, who has collaborated with Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Leon Bridges, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, to name a few. At the premiere, Tranter told Variety that they turned to the original 1978 film for inspiration and ’50s nostalgia as the soundtrack’s “north star.” “For the most part, ‘Grease’ is a late-’70s version of ‘50s nostalgia,” they said. “This is not a perfect period piece. The original wasn’t, ours shouldn’t be either.” To stream the series, you’ll have to sign up for a Paramount+
The Anne Rice Cinematic Universe is potentially getting bigger.
Roman Kemp's latest social media post came with a warning and an apology to his mum as she shared how he lost his clothes while taking a dip in a thermal rival while on holiday. The Capital FM DJ had been taking a well-earned break in Costa Rica when his personal disaster struck.
The lead stars of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies made an appearance at Deadline’s Contenders Television awards-season event to talk about their experiences on the musical.
Kendall Jenner looked like she was ready to go to la playa, after movin’ and groovin’ to Bad Bunny‘s performance Friday night at Coachella.
Bad Bunny performed the first headlining set of the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Friday (April 14), the first Spanish-speaking or Latin artist to ever headline the event. Though the Puerto Rican artist has played sold-out stadium tours around the globe, last night's marquee performance at one of the world's most prestigious popular music festivals did feel like a coronation of the underdog.
Kendall Jenner looked like she was ready to go to after movin' and groovin' to Bad Bunny's performance Friday night at Coachella.The 27-year-old supermodel was seen dancing at the Empire Polo Club grounds in Indio, California as Benito belted out «Depués de la Playa.» During his headlining performance, Jenner danced while surrounded by a group of friends. Her muscle was there, too, but they blended in nicely donning an all-black attire.Jenner was seen in an oversized black jacket over a white top, a denim skirt and black boots.
Bad Bunny brought out Post Malone, Jhay Cortez and Jowell & Randy for his history-making headline set on the first night of Coachella 2023 – see how it unfolded below.Malone joined the Puerto Rican reggaeton star for an acoustic segment of the set, playing guitar for live airings of ‘La cancion’ and ‘Yonaguni’.“Everybody having a good fucking time tonight, Coachella?” Malone said to greet the crowd. “This is the most fucking amazing thing in the world, man.”However, this part of the set was beleaguered by technical difficulties, with Malone’s microphone cutting out and at points, his guitar was unable to be heard.
Coachella’s YouTube channel launches at 4 p.m. PDT on Friday, which is where you can watch the livestream.
"Grease" fans: a new series is here. The new Paramount+ TV musical "Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies" takes place four years before Sandy Olsson ever attended Rydell High or met any of the Pink Ladies and tells their origin story. It stars Marisa Davila, Ari Notartomaso, Cheyenne Isabel Wells and Tricia Fukuhara as the founders.
Tory voters should vote Labour at the next election if their candidate is best placed to beat the SNP, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives has suggested. Douglas Ross risked a split with Tory leader Rishi Sunak as he said people should “do what’s best for the country” to help loosen the nationalists’ grip on Scotland.
Owen Wilson is back, with brushes, as the longtime host of a beloved but fading Burlington, Vermont-based PBS instructional art show. Paint from IFC Films opens on 800+ screens.
McKinley Franklin author “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” might not spotlight characters from the original 1978 film like Didi Conn’s Frenchy or Stockard Channing’s Rizzo, but it does set the stage for their impending reign on Rydell High. Though tampering with any reiteration of the cultural cornerstone that is “Grease” has proven unsuccessful in the past, showrunner Annabel Oakes was clearly up for the challenge. So, how does one begin to cast the characters for a prequel television series based on the beloved movie? Casting directors Leigh Ann Smith and Conrad Woolfe of Indigo Casting accredit showrunner Oakes’ clear vision. “[Oakes] had lived in that world with these characters for so long,” Smith tells Variety. Adds Woolfe, “We didn’t necessarily feel pressure [casting these characters] because Oakes had done such an incredible job of expanding the universe in her imagination before we even came to the table to do the casting.”
, an all-new installment in the franchise that expands the world of Rydell High and its two most formidable school cliques, the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds. In fact, the original musical series focuses on the former as it shows how an unlikely group of girls came together to form a refuge for the female misfits that they were on the verge of becoming and helped them transform into the coolest coeds in school.Simply put: «It's about four outcast girls [who] can’t really find their place at Rydell High, so they come together and they decide to start breaking rules,» Cheyenne Isabel Wells tells ET, before Ari Notartomaso adds, «And join a girl gang.» The cast, including Wells (Olivia), Notartomaso (Cynthia), Marisa Davila (Jane) and Tricia Fukuhara (Nancy), as well as showrunner Annabel Oakes and music producer Justin Tranter break down what's in store for, from the catchy new song-and-dance numbers to the many connections to the original films.
Crisscrossing the country for the cuisine — and the culture! Padma Lakshmi is back for season 2 of Taste the Nation, and Us Weekly has the exclusive first look at the latest installment.
“Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields” This two-part documentary is in a similar vein to “Pamela, a Love Story” and examines the life and career of Shields, from her 1978 movie “Pretty Baby” to her relationship with Andre Agassi and her current life. Where to watch: Hulu, April 3. “Beef”Steven Yeun and Ali Wong co-star in this dramedy about two strangers who get into a road-range incident, which spins both of their lives into chaos. Where to watch: Netflix, April 6.“Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies”The prequel to “Grease” is set at Rydell High, four years before Sandy’s (Olivia Newton- John) arrival. It’s a musical series, with songs from Justin Trantor, who has collaborated with Lady Gaga and Selena Gomez. Where to watch: Paramount+, April 6.“The Last Thing He Told Me”Jennifer Garner and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“Game of Thrones”) star in this thriller based on a bestselling novel.
What could the future possibly hold for an artist if they have grown too comfortable with success? If they have stayed put in that snug place of glory, but the times have moved on fast without them? These are the hefty considerations at the heart of “Paint,” a slight comedy that sadly embraces neither the worthwhile questions that surround its central premise nor the story’s dark humor potential.That’s too bad, because writer-director Brit McAdams’ narrative feature debut is rooted in a genuinely fascinating subject that apparently served as an inspiration for “Paint.” McAdam’s muse is Bob Ross, a real-life American public television mainstay of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Being the host of a successful PBS show called “The Joy of Painting” during that time, Ross built a loyal audience who loved and were mesmerized by his soothing voice, and even haunted by his creative process and ease with a brush, as Ross slowly created his art in front of curious eyes, narrating it softly and philosophically.
Amber Dowling Even in the streaming wars era, with programmers gambling on new concepts in order to gain and retain subscribers, schedules aren’t brimming with musicals. That’s because TV musicals are hard. And as a general rule, they rarely stick — even when well executed. Sure, for every “Galavant” and “Eli Stone” there’s a “Glee,” a “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” or a “Smash,” which was a delightful disaster for two seasons. But even “Glee” had its own set of pacing and storyline problems after the surprising first season. “Smash” failed to catch fire in the ratings despite its cult following, and “Zoey” barely held on during its two-season (and a movie) run. As for Apple TV+’s “Schmigadoon!,” the proof will be in the (corn) pudding as to whether it can sustain its momentum when Season 2 debuts this month.
, an all-new installment in the franchise that expands the world of Rydell High and its two most formidable school cliques, the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds. In fact, the original musical series focuses on the former as it shows how an unlikely group of girls came together to form a refuge for the female misfits that they were on the verge of becoming and helped them transform into the coolest coeds in school.Simply put: «It's about four outcast girls [who] can’t really find their place at Rydell High, so they come together and they decide to start breaking rules,» Cheyenne Isabel Wells tells ET, before Ari Notartomaso adds, «And join a girl gang.» The cast, including Wells (Olivia), Notartomaso (Cynthia), Marisa Davila (Jane) and Tricia Fukuhara (Nancy), as well as showrunner Annabel Oakes and music producer Justin Tranter break down what's in store for, from the catchy new song-and-dance numbers to the many connections to the original films.
Rosalía performed together for the very first time this weekend (March 31) – check out footage below.The pair recently confirmed their engagement with a music video for their collaborative track ‘Beso’ after sharing the three-track EP ‘RR’ last month.Rauw Alejandro and Rosalía went public with their relationship in 2021 but had never performed together until Friday night.Rosalía joined Alejandro at his headline show at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico to perform two tracks from ‘RR’. First up was the romantic ‘Beso’ before the high-energy ‘Vampiros’.Introducing Rosalía to the stage, Alejandro said: “This is a special night because I’m going to sing with the love of my life for the first time onstage”.
Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies has been praised in early reviews, albeit with some caveats.The musical comedy series serves as a prequel to the 1978 classic Grease, taking place four years prior in 1954 to tell the origin story of the Pink Ladies girl gang.According to a synopsis, the show “follows four fed-up and misfit students who band together to bring out the moral panic that will change Rydell High forever and become the founding mothers of the first high school clique known as the Pink Ladies”.Ahead of the show’s UK premiere on Paramount+ on April 7, critics have released reviews of the show’s first four episodes which paint an encouraging picture.Entertainment Weekly, who awarded the show a B- rating, described the show as “uneven” but “when Rise Of The Pink Ladies leans in to this vision of the protagonists as equal-rights innovators, it sings”. It adds that these highlights are “too often muffled by a surplus of mostly forgettable music, overly long episodes, and lukewarm central love stories”.ScreenRant particularly praised the show’s cast and said the series “offers plenty of enjoyment” even if it doesn’t justify its existence: “Regardless of whether this is a show that needed to be made, Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies is an entertaining trip into Rydell’s past, and one that deserves some credit for facing thorny topics head on.”In a C+ review, Consequence was slightly more critical, saying that it suffers from being connected to the Grease IP.