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Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Squid Game' Season 3: Reviews warn of a divisive WTF sprint to the finish line
Let the games... end! Four years after it took the world by storm, Squid Game is throwing in the towel. The South Korean sensation just dropped its third and final season on Netflix, bringing the story of debtor-turned-liberator Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) to a conclusion. "It's a mixture of everything you can imagine. It's more brutal, more violent. It'sdarker, and even funnier," show creator told Gold Derby last month. "If I have to pick one season out of all three [as] my favorite, the best season is going to be Season 3." More from Gold Derby 'F1: The Movie' - Instant Oscar predictions The Emmys have one last chance to make things right with 'The Comeback' But do critics agree with Hwang? Opinions on the final six episodes — particularly the big denouement — are all over the map. Take Rebecca Nicholson writing in The Guardian that the series ends on a "moment so WTF and genuinely surprising that I bet my editor a serious amount of money she wouldn't be able to guess what happens." "Such reckless gambling is the sort of behaviour that would land me in Squid Game in the first place, so it just shows that nobody here has learned any lessons from it whatsoever," she continues. "The final two episodes have a nicely grand and operatic feel to them, and ultimately, Squid Game does its job. But it leaves the impression, too, that it has become a more traditional action-thriller than it once was." But Indiewire's Ben Travers is more on board with where the series goes in its grand finale. "While the general vibes are dour (there's very little room left for humor), Squid Game delivers enough closure to satiate anyone still perched on the edge of their seat, and its brief, fleeting bursts of light frame the darkness with the starkest truths." Time's Judy Berman is similarly ready to award a medal to the show's final sprint, singling out the second episode, "The Starry Night," for particular praise. "This is the kind of episode that will surely thrill fans and inspire recappers to dissect the ethical and emotional dimensions of each unthinkable choice," she teases. "Welcome to the exhilaratingly brutal last chapter of Squid Game, which ensnares viewers with characters and storylines we can't help but care about, then implicates us for treating a sadistic spectacle as entertainment."Over in The Hollywood Reporter, though, Angie Han knocks the series for an "unsatisfying" finish. "It brings me no pleasure to report that the third and thankfully last of Squid Game seasons only confirms that we, like Gi-hun should've left that cursed island behind for good after his first victory," she writes, later adding: "By the time Squid Game finally crawls over the finish line, there's no sense of the triumph you might get from completing a really good story — only of relief that this entire grueling experience is finally over." Look no further than Rotten Tomatoes to get a sense of the polarizing nature of Season 3: The aggregated critical reviews have resulted in a strong score of 88 percent but, the users "Popcornmeter" clocks in with a woeful 39 percent, indicating fans have not responded well. As Vulture's Roxana Hadadi puts it, Squid Game probably should have remained a "one-season wonder," instead of coming back for more. "There's an increasing repetition to how Squid Game plays out, a rehashing of the original idea instead of a deepening of it," she notes. "The payoff is in the metatext, in how Squid Game aimed its contempt outward through the existential dilemma of its own popularity." Best of Gold Derby Cristin Milioti, Amanda Seyfried, Michelle Williams, and the best of our Emmy Limited Series/Movie Actress interviews Paul Giamatti, Stephen Graham, Cooper Koch, and the best of our Emmy Limited Series/Movie Actor interviews Lee Jung-jae, Adam Scott, Noah Wyle, and the best of our Emmy Drama Actor interviews Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
An ‘honored' Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond movie: ‘To me, he's sacred territory'
Denis Villeneuve is stepping out of the deserts of Dune and into the spy world of Bond. The four-time Oscar nominee is set to direct and executive produce the next James Bond installment for Amazon MGM Studios. Tanya Lapointe joins him as an executive producer, with Amy Pascal and David Heyman continuing as producers. The role of the next James Bond has yet to be cast. More from Gold Derby Paul Giamatti, Stephen Graham, Cooper Koch, and the best of our Emmy Limited Series/Movie Actor interviews 'The Penguin' star Colin Farrell would be the latest Batman villain to win a major award Acknowledging the weight of the project, Villeneuve said today, "Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery. I'm a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he's sacred territory. I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor. Amy, David, and I are absolutely thrilled to bring him back to the screen. Thank you to Amazon MGM Studios for their trust.' Villeneuve has four Oscar nominations under his belt: for directing Arrival (2016), writing and producing Dune: Part One (2021), and producing Dune: Part Two (2024). He has yet to win. James Bond movies have claimed several Academy Awards through the years, including Best Sound Effects for Goldfinger (1965), Best Visual Effects for Thunderball (1966), Best Song and Best Sound Editing for Skyfall (2013), Best Song for Spectre (2016), and Best Song for No Time to Die (2022). "We are honored that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond's next chapter," said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. "He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself. From Blade Runner 2049 to Arrival to the Dune films, he has delivered compelling worlds, dynamic visuals, complex characters, and — most importantly — the immersive storytelling that global audiences yearn to experience in theaters. James Bond is in the hands of one of today's greatest filmmakers and we cannot wait to get started on 007's next adventure.' Pascal and Heyman said jointly, "Denis Villeneuve has been in love with James Bond movies since he was a little boy. It was always his dream to make this movie, and now it's ours, too. We are lucky to be in the hands of this extraordinary filmmaker." In December, the Wall Street Journal suggested that longtime James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and Amazon MGM Studios were "at an impasse" over the future of the spy franchise, however it was later revealed in February that the studio had negotiated creative control in a new deal. With no casting announcement yet for the next James Bond, who do you think should play Agent 007? Join the discussion in our movie forum and see Gold Derby's list of possible choices. So far the character has been played by Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig. Best of Gold Derby Tom Cruise movies: 17 greatest films ranked worst to best 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') 'It almost killed me': Horror maestro Mike Flanagan looks back at career-making hits from 'Gerald's Game' to 'Hill House' to 'Life of Chuck' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How will the Grammys tackle the TikTokers? Alex Warren and Addison Rae look to turn chart success into Best New Artist bids
As of June 2025, the No. 1 song in both the U.S. and the U.K. is 'Ordinary', a hit penned by Alex Warren, an artist likely unknown to millennial and older audiences. Meanwhile, the top debut on the Billboard 200 for the week of June 16 was Addison, by a buzzing singer you might've heard of, Addison Rae. If you are younger, you likely know both Warren and Rae very well, as they are some of the biggest influencers of the pre-COVID-era TikTok, who are now experiencing parallel rises to music fame, both plausible contenders to win the Grammy for Best New Artist. But their rise to music stardom, while unique in its way, also responds to a bigger trend throughout this century: the primacy of social media. More from GoldDerby Jensen Ackles on [Spoiler]'s surprise appearance on 'Countdown' and the 'Supernatural' reunion on 'The Boys' Marvel's 'Ironheart' reviews: Critics love Dominique Thorne - the show she's in, not so much Sarah Michelle Gellar shares 'Buffy' reboot hopes: 'My dream is to bring back everyone who has died' Social media has birthed music stars ever since its inception. As a quick and free way to get promotion, it makes sense that a lot of up-and-coming artists would try to find an audience by cultivating an online following. The MySpace era provided acts like Panic! at the Disco and Adele with passionate fan bases that eventually translated to record deals and multiplatinum albums. But MySpace's popularity was soon eclipsed, first by Facebook and Twitter, and then by a site that became the primary vehicle for music for the millennial generation. YouTube was even much more suited for artists as a video-sharing platform, a site where fans could see their favorite artists perform, watch their vlogs, play covers essentially plugging fans into a musician's life. Artists like Troye Sivan and Alessia Cara thrived on the platform, racking up millions of views and achieving celebrity status. While these YouTube influencers did manage to find respect in the industry, it took a while for the Recording Academy to catch up with the viral hitmakers. Cara famously won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2018, almost four years after the release of her breakout hit, 'Here,' (which has 274 million views) and fully established as a YouTube star. Sivan, on the other hand, had to wait even longer. It wasn't until a full decade later, in 2023, that he scored his first Grammy nominations. Perhaps the most famous example of a YouTube-spawned star is Justin Bieber, whose video channel was discovered at age 13 by Scooter Braun. Bieber has gone on to sell more than 150 million records and earn two Grammys (in 23 nominations) and one Latin Grammy. While it took the industry a while to come around, these performers were still viewed as artists first, internet darlings second. But there has been a seismic shift. Today, as the dominant social media app, TikTok is helping new music get discovered. However, it's not merely a platform for songs to go viral; instead, TikTokers who started out as just plain influencers are successfully transitioning into long lasting, commercially and/or critically profitable artistic careers. This proves a slight improvement from the YouTube era, where typically these types of pivots, by influencers like KSI or Gabbie Hanna, were heavily clowned, deemed inauthentic, or accused of making 'cash grabs' when putting out new songs. Even those who were gifted enough to find successful careers did not reach the heights that people like Rae and Warren have so quickly; Troye Sivan had to wait half a decade into his career to get his first top 5 album on the U.S. albums chart, and Alessia Cara never scored a No. 1 hit. But while the general audience is much more accepting of TikTok tunes, how will the industry embrace these two 2025 breakouts? At the moment, the industry seems more onboard when it comes to acknowledging viral successes. Back in the start of the 2010s, the Grammys completely ignored songs like Baauer's 'Harlem Shake' or Psy's 'Gangnam Style.' Fast-forward a few years, though, and we've had viral, meme'd-out songs like Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road' being nominated and even winning multiple Grammys in 2020. TikTok has also helped propel the careers of such artists as Doja Cat, Samara Joy, and Olivia Rodrigo, giving them platforms that resulted in mainstream success and Grammy wins. However, those artists differ from Warren and Rae in one distinct way: they didn't start as influencers, they just popped off on the app. Due to this difference, the Recording Academy might be less inclined to 'let them in,' viewing Warren and Rae as interlopers — meme music jockeys as opposed to true artists — and undeserving of industry recognition. That said, credit where credit is due, Warren and Rae (and their respective teams) have definitely attempted to surround them with artistic peers, intentionally trying to promote these two as genuine craft makers rather than rich social media moguls running vanity projects. Warren recently released a song with multi-Grammy nominee Jelly Roll, tapping into the country genre; Warren was also singled out by Ed Sheeran. Sheeran also endorsed Addison, remarking the album on his social media account. Rae will also be touring with Lana Del Rey later this year. The countddown is own to see how fully embraced Warren and Rae will be at the 2026 Grammys, the biggest show of support from their music community and peers. 'Ordinary' feels as omnipresent as songs by Teddy Swims and Benson Boone, two other new male pop stars that achieved Best New Artist noms last year, while Addison caters to the same audience who loves Grammy winners like Charli XCX and Britney Spears. And if it all goes accordingly, and both TikTokers are present in that new Best New Artist lineup when nominations are announced on Nov. 7, then expect both Warren and Rae to launch full-blown campaigns for the stauette... beginning with their social media platform of choice. Best of GoldDerby Billboard 200: Chart-topping albums of 2025 Billboard Hot 100: Every No. 1 song of 2025 The B-52s' Kate Pierson talks Rock Hall snub, influencing John Lennon, and fears a solo album would be a 'betrayal' to her band Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Andor's' Diego Luna on changing the landscape of ‘Star Wars': Now ‘that universe represents me too'
For Diego Luna, getting to the finish line of Andor's second season wasn't merely the completion of his own years-long trek to tell a story of how Rogue One's Cassian Andor became a hero of the Rebellion. It was part of a greater, game-changing transformation of the overall Star Wars universe, one that allowed room not only for richer, more complex, and vitally relevant storytelling in a territory better known for its more mythic connotations, but also space for an array of multicultural faces that looked a lot more like his own. Speaking with Gold Derby at an FYC event for the Disney+ series at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills amid the whirlwind of critical and audience adoration for the Andor's epic conclusion, Luna took a beat to reflect on the overall achievement and what it all means to him after nearly a decade of carrying Cassian with him. That, and his somewhat curtailed reunion with K-2SO. More from GoldDerby Jane Lynch on her 'funny and touching' final scene with Steve Martin on 'Only Murders in the Building' 'Only Murders in the Building' Emmy odds for Selena Gomez, the Martins, and all those guest stars 'Dune: Prophecy' showrunner teases the Fremen and which books Season 2 could cover Lucasfilm/Disney Gold Derby: You knew from the jump what a huge undertaking this was going to be, and now you've been absorbing the reaction. How did you feel now that people have gotten to see in its entirety? Diego Luna: I'm very pleased. This has been a very long journey for us, but I wouldn't change anything. I think the challenges we went through, the complexity of the production and the executing of this — we went through COVID, we went through strikes, shooting far away from home — all of that paid off because this is a show that represents me as an artist, and as audience too. It's something I would like to see as audience, and I am proud to be part of something that is connecting like the show is connecting with audiences. The beauty of these long-format pieces and the streaming services is that it's there now for audiences to go to whenever they're ready. It was quite fascinating to realize how many people went to Season 1 because of the success of Season 2, because they read about it, because they saw the reaction of audiences, because of all the reviews. And then people said, like, "OK, let's go see the first season." That didn't happen with film. Yes, it stays there, but it doesn't really. You have a short window, and here we don't. My daughter is going to grow a few years and she's going to find these and connect with it whenever she's ready. And that is beautiful because of the work of all these amazing people, not just the crew and cast, but really everyone working in the show, and I'm talking about thousands of people, you know? Everyone working in the show gave everything and came back for the second season, and it's paying off. has been largely set in more of a mythic, fairytale realm, and you guys have moved it nicely into an allegorical way of telling the stories, using as that kind of vehicle. What did that mean to you to shift the paradigm on how to tell a story and see it hit with the audience the way it has? Well, it's just that the audience keeps changing, keeps growing and keeps growing in diversity. It's interesting that today there's room to do things in the Star Wars universe that probably 20 years ago were not even possible. I mean, having a character like Cassian, for myself as an actor, to be involved in a Star Wars show, I grew up watching Star Wars and no one looked like me. There was no way I could picture myself as part of that universe. And today it's different. If you are young and you have a Latino background, you see Star Wars and you go like, "Wow, that universe represents me too." And that's kind of cool. And again, the complexity of this show, the tone of this show is very specific, and I'm pleased I'm living this time when we can do something like this. I think about what Rogue One represented for the films. We were meant to be different. We were given the freedom to do something different, and the audience reacted. We owe Rogue One a lot. We are here because of Rogue One, because of how Rogue One played. And I think it's because a big chunk of the Star Wars audience, it's been part of these for decades and there's room today for this complexity, for this more politically charged and complex story for these characters that are full of contrast for a show that lives so much in the gray areas. And I am pleased I can be part. If there was I would've wanted more from , one little thing, it was more Cassian and K-2SO. Were you hoping you get some more time with your droid sidekick? [Laughs] I mean, when we planned this at the very beginning, there was going to be five seasons. So that thing that happens in that last block was going to be a full season. Every year of these four years before Rogue One was going to be a full season, but then that was impossible. Impossible to execute the way we execute this show. Each season has two years and a half of work behind, so it would've been impossible. But again, yes, of course I'm always going to want to be around Alan [Tudyk]. He's such a wonderful collaborator, and it's so fun and our connection and our chemistry. It's so special that I'm always going to want to be working with him. But I'm glad it was this way. I'm glad also because we paid to every detail. We worked in this show with so much rigor and we paid so attention to specificity and detail just in a very special way, I would say. And I wouldn't change that at all. So no, I'm pleased, I'm pleased. I mean, But I'm going to miss Alan and I'm going to miss Genevieve [O'Reilly] and I'm going to miss Adria [Arjona]. I'm going to miss working with material as complex as this one, but that's the way to end, right? You want to end it on the peak. You want to end enjoying every step. You want to be sad at the end, and not just pleased you got there. Best of GoldDerby 'I'm very happy to be busy': O-T Fagbenle on his trio of Emmy-eligible performances Everything to know about 'Alien: Earth' as trailer drops: Timeline, cast, premiere date Jane Lynch on her 'funny and touching' final scene with Steve Martin on 'Only Murders in the Building' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Bear' Emmy odds: How many nominations will the series get?
This week, everyone's favorite summer-time, fine-dining panic attack, The Bear, returns for its fourth season. But in the awards world — thanks to eligibility windows — it's the third season of the FX series starring Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri that Emmys voters are having to consider. The ascendency of Hacks kept The Bear from claiming a second Best Comedy Series last year, but there were still a bevy of acting wins, taking five out of six within comedy, including White winning his second Emmy in a row for playing Carmy. More from GoldDerby How will the Grammys tackle the TikTokers? Alex Warren and Addison Rae look to turn chart success into Best New Artist bids Jensen Ackles on [Spoiler]'s surprise appearance on 'Countdown' and the 'Supernatural' reunion on 'The Boys' Marvel's 'Ironheart' reviews: Critics love Dominique Thorne - the show she's in, not so much But with The Studio's arrival on the scene and Only Murders in the Building still going strong, comedy categories at the Emmy Awards are more competitive than they've been in years. How will The Bear fare? Here are the series' best shots at scoring nominations when they're announced on July 15. Vulture recently reported on the supposed whisper campaign among industry insiders to unseat the highly dramatic The Bear as the dominant comedy series at the Emmys, a trend that could have led to the upset victory of Hacks at the 2024 edition of the award. And a look at the Gold Derby odds for the top prize suggests that those efforts may have doubled. The Bear currently sits in fourth place with combined odds for the category — behind Hacks, The Studio, and Only Murders in the Building. Nipping at The Bear's furry heels are the much beloved Abbott Elementary and another of the season's breakout hits Nobody Wants This. With episodes of The Bear days from debuting, a standout fourth season could give it a boost among voters. But, much like last year, the opposite is also true. The strongest Emmys streak that The Bear has going right now — outside of Chris Storer's directing — is White. The actor has claimed Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for The Bear's first two seasons and could make it a hat trick in 2025. But shockingly, White is currently sitting at third in the combined Gold Derby rankings, behind Seth Rogen for The Studio and current favorite Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building. Short, a three-time acting nominee for the Hulu series, hasn't won an Emmy since 2014. Could this be the year? Will anyone ever beat Deborah Vance? That is the question of the category as long as Hacks stays on the air and Jean Smart is being hilariously mean. Smart has won Lead Actress in a Comedy Series three times — every year that Hacks has been eligible. If anyone has a shot this year, the odds point to Edebiri, who previously won in 2023, when Hacks didn't air within the consideration window. Also in the running, just behind Edebiri, are Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary, Kristen Bell for Nobody Wants This, and Natasha Lyonne for Poker Face. The only regular cast member for The Bear sitting at the top of the odds for their respective category is Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The two-time winner ranks ahead of Harrison Ford (Shrinking), Paul W. Downs (Hacks), Ike Barinholtz (The Studio), and Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary). It should also be noted that Moss-Bachrach stars in The Fantastic Four: First Steps out this July, which will only help to raise his profile in the midst of voting. The reigning Comedy Supporting Actress winner, Liza Colón-Zayas, is currently sitting in the No. 2 spot behind her competition from The Bear's primary awards rival. Hacks' Hannah Einbinder has two previous nominations in the category, but has yet to take home a trophy. The odds puts her as the current favorite, with Catherine O'Hara (The Studio), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary), and Jessica Williams (Shrinking) rounding out the top five. Jamie Lee Curtis is the heavy favorite to repeat in Comedy Guest Actress, but she'll have some tough competition from Julianne Nicholson's wild appearance on Hacks. The Studio brought some serious heat with its guest stars — including current number three in the ranking, Martin Scorsese — but it's Bryan Cranston who is poised to stand (or at least to be propped up) in the way of Jon Bernthal's path to two in a row. In the last two years, The Bear has dominated comedy directing, editing, sound mixing, and sound editing, never losing in any of the four categories. If there are any safe bets for The Bears' nominations, it's right here. Best of GoldDerby Everything to know about 'The Pitt' Season 2 Adam Brody, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actor interviews Kristen Bell, Tina Fey, Bridget Everett, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actress interviews Click here to read the full article.
