There’s a new character out there in the MCU, and Charlize Theron wants you to know it.
21.04.2022 - 18:07 / variety.com
Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorWelcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.”Anya Taylor-Joy is hoping to shave her head for her starring role in “Furiosa,” George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” prequel. “She wants to, but George doesn’t want her to,” the movie’s costume designer, Jenny Beavan, tells me.
“So I don’t know whether she will or not.”Charlize Theron famously buzzed her locks for her turn as Furiosa in “Fury Road.”I’ve asked Taylor-Joy about her hair plans a couple of times since she signed onto the project. She has always politely declined to comment.…It’s been a little over three years since “Bird Box” became a bona fide hit on Netflix, with Nielsen reporting that 26 million viewers watched the Sandra Bullock horror thriller in its first week of release.
So where in the world is the sequel? Josh Malerman, author of the “Bird Box” novel, claimed in July 2020 that Netflix was developing a second film. Director Susanne Bier tells me she’s ready to work on a follow-up.
“I want to,” she said at the premiere of her latest project, Showtime’s “The First Lady.” When I asked Bier when the sequel was happening, she replied, “Good question, right?”…How do Kristen Stewart and fiancée Dylan Meyer relax? “We hang out with the dog, there’s some golfing — classic chilling stuff,” Meyer tells me. Stewart, just off her whirlwind “Spencer” press tour and awards campaign, adds, “We got really into backgammon.”...SIGHTINGS: “And Just Like That…” creator Michael Patrick King having dinner at Bottega Louie in West Hollywood … CAA boss Bryan Lourde and Bruce Bozzi dining at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel.…Priyanka Chopra Jonas confirms that Celine Dion has an original number in the upcoming
.There’s a new character out there in the MCU, and Charlize Theron wants you to know it.
Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorWelcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.”As readers of this column know, Netflix’s “Heartstopper” is one of my new favorite things.Based on Alice Oseman’s web comic and graphic novels of the same name, the show follows a friendship-turned-romance between two British teens, the seemingly straight Nick and the out-and-proud queer Charlie, played by “Rocketman” actor Kit Connor and newcomer Joe Locke, respectively. Their friends include a lesbian couple (Corinna Brown and Kizzy Edgell), trans student Elle (Yasmin Finney) and Charlie’s best pal Tao (William Gao).“Heartstopper” has done its job for Netflix. The show shot to the top of Variety’s Trending TV chart, with 1.05 million engagements on Twitter in the week following the April 22 series premiere.
Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorForget about Happy Meals — let’s talk about happy filmmakers.“Encanto” star Stephanie Beatriz has teamed up with McDonald’s for Spotlight Dorado, a short film contest for Latino talent.“McDonald’s has a long history of fostering community. Not only do they essentially feed the community, but they also are trying to sort of put a spotlight on and empower and amplify Latino voices,” Beatriz tells me. “Spotlight Dorado is going to be a multi-year platform that does that.
Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterSony’s literary-driven speciality film unit 3000 Pictures has closed a deal for the rights to bestselling author Soman Chainani’s “Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales,” with an eye to turn it into a limited series.An overnight New York Times bestseller when it published with HarperCollins Children’s Books in September 2021, “Beasts and Beauty” has since sold in 13 territories around the world. The work is a collection of 12 fairy tales reimagined to reflect a new era, and spins the stories you know and love into thrilling adventures of mystery, magic and rebellious hearts.Chainani is writing the pilot and is an executive producer on the project.
Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorIn the wake of reports that the Supreme Court may overturn Roe v. Wade, writer and producer Gloria Calderón Kellett is getting to work.While she said she is unable to incorporate women’s reproductive rights issues into storylines for Season 2 of her Amazon anthology series “With Love” because the scripts are locked, she says, “In my other stuff, will it be in there? Yeah! Especially women of color, especially poor women.
Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment WriterSPOILER ALERT: This story discusses the main post-credit scene in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” currently in theaters.For as long as he’s been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) — former genius neurosurgeon turned master of the mystical arts — has only had eyes for one person: Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams).
Jason Momoa is getting into the action.
Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor“Black Site” director Sophia Banks is hoping her new $10 million action thriller “Black Site” is the little movie that could.“We’re not trying to be an $80 million action movie but we want to make this genre accessible for people,” Banks tells me. “It OK to shoot an indie action movie. As long as you take people on a good ride, then that’s all we want.
Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorCategory is…children’s books!“RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Nina West is set to release her first book for kids, “The You Kind of Kind.”“It is a dream come true to be able to release my very first children’s book and share a message that is so needed right now,” West tells me. “’The Kind You Kind of Kind’ celebrates loving yourself for who you are and giving the gift of kindness to the world! I am so excited for kids of all ages to be inspired by acts of kindness- to not only be better to themselves, but inspire the entire world to act in kindness.”West’s friend Dolly Parton even provided a statement to Variety about the book. “Well, to quote some lines in a song I wrote, I always say: whatever you are, be that.
Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorWelcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.”Searchlight Pictures’ “Fire Island” doesn’t come out until June, but Matt Rogers, who plays Luke in the queer rom- com, has high hopes that it launches a big gay franchise.Joel Kim Booster and Bowen Yang star as friends who head to the iconic LGBTQ vacation locale ready to have the best summer of their lives. “‘Provincetown’ should be the sequel,” Rogers told me at the premiere of his Showtime show “I Love That for You.” “Let’s do ‘Palm Springs.’ Let’s do ‘Puerto Vallarta.’ This is going to be the ‘Fast & Furious for queers!”Then Rogers, who co-hosts the “Las Culturistas” podcast with Yang, cracks, “I’m the Michelle Rodriguez of the bunch, baby.” As I was the first to report, “Fire Island” will world premiere on June 2 at NewFest Pride in NYC.
Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorRoyalty took the stand on Saturday night to advocate for LGBTQ+ equality.Golda Rosheuvel, the openly gay actor who plays the illustrious Queen Charlotte on “Bridgerton,” was presented the Equality Award at this year’s Human Rights Campaign gala in New York.“Being authentic and true to who I am has been something that I’ve championed in my own life, so to be able to get up there tonight and speak my journey is really important,” Rosheuvel told Variety before accepting her award. “That one person who’s struggling might hear it and be confident enough to step [up] in their own life.”The “Bridgerton” star later went on to tell the crowd, “nobody should have to choose between being publicly out and being a successful actor.” Rosheuvel recently opened up to Marc Malkin on the “Just for Variety” podcast about how a lesbian director once advised her to stay in the closet.
Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorWhen openly gay “Bridgerton” star Golda Rosheuvel —who plays the wigtastic gossip-loving Queen Charlotte on the Netflix series — was starting her acting career, she was told by a lesbian director that she should stay in the closet.“We were talking about being out and proud and representation and whether I should say I was gay in interviews,” Rosheuvel tells me on this week’s episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast. “And it was an absolute no: ‘You absolutely shouldn’t do that. It could or it would ruin your career as an actor.’ I would rather lose a job than not be true to who I am.
Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor“Love, Victor” is headed to Disney+, after all.The coming-of-age series, based on the queer teen romantic drama “Love, Simon,” was originally developed for the streamer, but was pushed to Hulu after executives worried that certain issues on the show, including teen sexuality and alcohol use, weren’t a right fit for Disney+.Now, the third and final season, as well as Seasons 1 and 2, will be available on Disney+ as well as on Hulu beginning on June 15.“We are proud of ‘Love, Victor’ and are excited to bring it to the widest possible audience on June 15 by making the full series available on both Disney+ and Hulu to celebrate the final season and LGBTQIA+ Pride Month,” Hulu president Joe Earley said in a statement on Tuesday. “In addition to highlighting this groundbreaking series, this will give subscribers a chance to sample more content that is available across our streaming services as we have done with titles like the Academy Award-winning ‘Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),’ ‘Man in the Arena: Tom Brady’ and ‘black-ish.’” The 10-episode premiere season, focusing on Victor (Michael Cimino), a new student at Creekwood High School juggling home life and questions about his sexual orientation, debuted on Hulu in June 2020.
Charlize Theron and Jason Momoa’s latest picture is a serious ride! On Sunday, Theron posted a photo of her and her newest co-star sharing a hug on set o.“Look who decided to join the party #FastX @thefastsaga,” she captioned the photo posted on Instagram. In the pic, Momoa wraps his arms around Theron as she leans in for a hug and smiles for the camera. Both Theron and Momoa have on similar black blazers for the occasion. The actor took to the comments to celebrate the moment, writing, “finally we get to work together.
Mad Max: Fury Road.According to costume designer Jenny Beavan, who is set to work on the upcoming prequel, Taylor-Joy “wants to” shave her head for the role just like Charlize Theron’s portrayal of the character in the 2015 film.Speaking to Variety, Beavan said: “She wants to, but George doesn’t want her to. So I don’t know whether she will or not.”Taylor-Joy will star alongside Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke in the prequel, currently scheduled to be released 24 May, 2024.Speaking about being cast in the prequel on the Happy Sad Confused podcast in 2020, Taylor-Joy praised Theron’s performance in Mad Max: Fury Road.“I fell in love with Furiosa, the way that Charlize presented her,” Taylor-Joy said.
Anya Taylor-Joy is ready to deep dive into her next role for Furiosa.
Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorBusy Philipps is in New York’s Soho neighborhood at The Saucery, a weekend-long pop-up from Rao’s Homemade. While the Italian food company is selling its products at the brick-and-mortar marketplace, 100% of the proceeds go to non-profit Jersey Cares. “I love that Rao’s gives back,” the “Girl5eva” star says.I caught up with Philipps over Zoom to talk matzoh pizza, wanting to sing with Mandy Moore on “Girl5eva” and how the Peacock series can’t help but remind her of some uncomfortable and “really weird” auditions during her teen years in Hollywood.This is your second collaboration with Rao’s?Yeah, I love partnering with brands that I personally use, have purchased and continue to purchase.
Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorZendaya opened up about some of her toughest work playing a drug addict in “Euphoria,” particularly in Season 2 when her character Rue seemed to hit rock bottom.“One of the greatest honors about being able to play her is every story that I have now gained when people come to me and they share their stories of sobriety. It’s so beautiful to me every single time, and I think I take on those stories with me and they become part of who each time I play her,” the Emmy winner said on Wednesday night at an FYC Emmy event for the HBO series at the Academy Museum.Choking back tears, Zendaya continued, “I get very emotional about I because I care about her a lot because she represents a lot of people that need a lot of love.
is currently in production, Universal Pictures has confirmed to TheWrap many of the returning cast members set to join Diesel on the next adventure.Charlize Theron, Sung Kang, Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel and Jordana Brewster are all due to return for the new film.Theron made her “Fast” debut as the antagonist Cipher in 2017’s “Fate of the Furious,” a character who had lured Diesel’s Dom Toretto over to her villainous crew, and she reprised the role in “F9.” By the end of that film, however, Cipher had gotten away, leaving the door open for more story to tell in “Fast X.”Kang, meanwhile, made his triumphant return to the franchise as Han in “F9.” The character made his first appearance in “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” but bowed out after 2013’s “Fast & Furious 6” due to his character’s death.
Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorKaley Cuoco has had enough of working with herself.In Season 2 of “The Flight Attendant,” she returns to the HBO Max series as Cassie Bowden. Newly sober, she’s still a flight attendant, but has a side job working for the CIA. Throughout the season, Cassie encounters numerous clones of herself.“Our team had many meetings with the team behind ‘Orphan Black’ because we did the same sort of thing,” Cuoco told me on Tuesday night at “The Flight Attendant” premiere at the Pacific Design Center.