‘Ready Player One’ author launches new metaverse studio and ‘Fortnite’-inspired “multi-IP” game

Many other Republican candidates have suspending their campaigns this cycle, but Florida Governor Ron DeSantis‘ exit inspired some pretty biting and snarky reactions today, coming from other politicos and some celebrities.

The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters and Neil Young and Crazy Horse are among a litany of huge names announced for this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.Also at the top of the bill are The Killers, Vampire Weekend, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Chris Stapleton, Hozier and Jon Batiste.The festival, which takes place over two weekends between April 25 and May 5 at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, goes out of its way to celebrate the rich musical heritage of the city.Jazz Fest 2024 Music Lineup!GA Weekend Passes and VIP Packages on sale now!Full Music Lineup and Purchase tickets at https://t.co/dApNCrvPYZ. pic.twitter.com/Ba5Q8QDwNG— New Orleans JazzFest (@jazzfest) January 18, 2024Representing the city’s cultural legacy are names such as Irma Thomas, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Dixie Cups, Big Freedia, Trombone Shorty and Cyril Neville.Also set to feature at the festival are The Beach Boys, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bonnie Raitt, Queen Latifah, Greta Van Fleet and Heart.Tickets for both weekends of the festival and all VIP packages can be found here.In November, the Stones confirmed details of a huge US tour for 2024, opening with a show in Houston on April 28, and continuing for 15 more dates going into the summer, wrapping up in Santa Clara, California on July 17.

Carole Horst The disparate themes of immigration, white privilege, the politics of art and art galleries, cryogenics and even corporate espionage are woven through Julio Torres’ upcoming feature directorial debut, “Problemista.” The film, which he also wrote and stars in, was a hit at SXSW in 2023 and screened at Outfest LA. Originally set for release last summer but delayed due to the strikes, the film hits select theaters March 1 and theaters everywhere March 22 via distrib A24.

Rachel Leviss is opening up about kissing Tom Schwartz!

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The story of Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis is being steered toward a screen adaptation, with Universal having optioned the rights to the singer’s bestselling memoir, “Scar Tissue.” Kiedis himself has been set as a producer on the project along with Brian Grazer, representing Imagine Entertainment, and Guy Oseary, who took over management duties for the Chili Peppers in 2021. Kiedis was represented in the deal by CAA, Oseary, and Eric Greenspan at Myman Greenspan Fineman Fox Rosenberg & Light LLP. Universal’s announcement reports that Jay Polidoro, the studio’s executive VP pf production development, will oversee the project.

Yikes, there goes all Ariana Madix‘s Scandoval money…

A one-legged paedophile who is supposed to be behind bars in the West Indies has been told he can carry on living in Scotland.

Former President Donald Trump was ordered to pay nearly $400,000 in legal fees and other costs to The New York Times and three reporters he had sued after they published a piece on his tax schemes.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “Young Sheldon” may be ending its run, but that’s not the end of the line for “The Big Bang Theory” universe. According to insiders, CBS is nearing a deal with Warner Bros. TV for a direct-to-series order on a “Young Sheldon” spinoff that focuses on the characters of Georgie and Mandy.

dropped her first song since 2021 titled “Yes, and?” on Friday.In the song, the lyrics seemingly slam the trolls who rolled their eyes at her relationship with the “SpongeBob Musical” actor, 31.The lines croon: “Say that s – – t with your chest, keep moving like ‘What’s next?’ ‘Yes, and?’”“Your business is yours, and mine is mine,” the lyrics continue. “Why do you care so much whose d – – k I ride?”Social media users took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to chime in on the piping hot tea.“Doing all this for Ethan Slater is embarrassing,” someone wrote alongside a clip of the tune.Another joked: “Ariana Grande casually dropping ‘yes, and?’ and [addressing] the Ethan Slater situation like it’s no big deal he is Spongebob.”“She doesn’t give a phuck about those home wrecker allegations lmao love it for her,” one added.Slater and Grande began dating last year after they met on set of the upcoming film adaptation of “Wicked.”The “Side to Side” crooner split from her husband of two years, Dalton Gomez, in July 2023.

Ariana Grande has dropped a teaser for her upcoming single ‘yes, and?’. Check it out below.The new trailer for the long-awaited track was shared by the singer earlier today (January 11), and in it, it sees her take aim at her biggest critics.In the clip, a number of critics are seen together in an elevator, making catty comments about Grande and agreeing on how they aren’t fans of her newer work as they still miss the earlier days of her career.“You know I think I liked her better when her ponytail was a few centimetres higher,” one says, while another agrees, saying: “Right, and I mean, who cares if she’s happy? I don’t want happy.

Giovanni Pernice, a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, has been backed by fans as he embarks on a new business venture and launches his own perfume line. It comes amid rumours that his 2023 dance partner, Amanda Abbington, requested footage of their training sessions. Amanda had to leave the competition due to health issues but it's rumoured she's considering legal advice after experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from her time on the show, suggesting Giovanni was a tough coach.

A restaurant in Manchester has been named one of the best new eateries in the country. Higher Ground, in the city centre, which is approaching its first anniversary, has been recognised by the prestigious Good Food Guide.

BODEGA have announced their new LP ‘Our Brand Could Be Yr Life’ and have shared its lead single ‘Tarkovski’.Along with the release of ‘Tarkovski’ the New York band – comprised of Ben Hozie, Nikki Belfiglio, Dan Ryan, Adam See and Adam Shumski – also made the B-side to the single, ‘Adaptation of the Truth About Marie’, available exclusively from Bodega’s Bandcamp.Speaking about ‘Tarkovski’ in a press release, Hozie said: “‘Tarkovski’ is a pun on the famous Russian director and skiing; I was enamoured by his book “Sculpting in Time” but found that many of his professed rules and guidelines for filmmaking were broken by his own filmmaking practices.”He continued: “Theory never really gets at what you want and applying theory to the chaotic practice of art making (while still useful and essential) is like skiing down a wild slope.”Directed by Luca Balser, the track’s accompanying video stars Belfiglio’s mother and quotes the climactic candle-carrying sequence in Tarkovsky’s 1983 feature-length ‘Nostalghia’ but quickly veers from studied long takes into punchy pop vogueing.BODEGA’s third LP ‘Our Brand Could Be Yr Life’ is a complete remake of Hozie and Belfiglio’s old band, BODEGA BAY’s sole album which was a 33 track self-released LP from 2015.A press release describes the album as a “concept album about the current corporate mentality of underground/indie rock, where the band simultaneously desecrate and celebrate a certain indie rock cannon, hoping to redeem its’ ‘fall from grace’ like foolish missionaries who inherited a stained formal tradition that needs to change in order to become meaningful again.”‘Our Brand Could Be Yr Life’ is set for release on April 12 via their new label home under Chrysalis Records.A post

Nicki Minaj has shown her support for Ariana Grande and her upcoming single ‘yes, and?’.Yesterday, Grande announced that she will be dropping her first song of the year this Friday. The song will serve as the follow-up to Grande’s 2021 single ‘POV’, making it her first solo release in under three years. Since then, she featured on remixes to two of The Weeknd‘s songs, ‘Save Your Tears’ and ‘Die For You’.A number of stars from the music world have since shared their excitement at the news.

Emmerdale has confirmed its new boss months after producer Jane Hudson stepped down from the role after five years. Jane, who announced her departure in August, oversaw some of the show’s biggest storylines in recent times including Marlon Dingle’s stroke and Faith’s terminal breast cancer diagnosis.

EXO member Baekhyun has launched his own agency called INB100, and has signed bandmates Chen and Xiumin to the company.EXO’s Baekhyun, Chen and Xiumin announced today (January 8) that the singers will “start anew” at INB100, per Korea JoongAng Daily. The trio – who also make up the sub-unit EXO-CBX – will carry out their “solo activities” under the new label “with the mutual agreement” of SM Entertainment, INB100 said in a statement.“Now 13 years into their career, the EXO-CBX members have been repeatedly asking themselves about their future and many more regarding the life of an artist after their 20s, especially in a fast-changing K-pop,” the agency added.

Ariana Grande has announced that she will be releasing a new single, ‘yes, and?’ on Friday (January 12).The track is expected to be the lead single from her forthcoming seventh album, which she recently teased by sending notes and red lipsticks from her r.e.m. collection to fans.Fans had began suspecting ‘yes, and?’ would be the title of the lead single of Grande’s album after she was spotted wearing a jumper with the phrase on it.On top of that, last week, the singer shared a muted Instagram post featuring her mother Joan dancing to one of her unreleased songs.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Ariana Grande, who recently posted that she’s completed her long-awaited seventh studio album, announced on Sunday morning that the first single from it will arrive on Friday. The song is apparently titled “Yes, And?,” a playful progression from her Grande’s 2019 semi-autobiographical single and album, “Thank U, Next.” While the singer has been featured on several hit singles in recent years — most notably the Weeknd’s remixes of “Save Your Tears” and “Die for You” — she hasn’t released an album or even a single under her own name since her sixth full-length, “Positions,” dropped in October 2020.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor A huge virtual world based on “Ready Player One,” a story set in a future where people enter into a virtual-reality simulation to escape the real world, is coming soon to a real (but, you know, virtual) platform near you. Futureverse, an AI and metaverse technology and content company, announced the formation of Readyverse Studios, a studio co-founded with Ernest Cline, the novelist and creator of “Ready Player One,” and Dan Farah, producer of the 2018 Warner Bros.