Latest news with #M3gan
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Urban Decay Taps Viral Horror Star M3gan for New Product Partnership
Watch out; there's a killer Urban Decay partnership on the loose. Ahead of the highly anticipated release of 'M3gan 2.0' on Friday, the affordable makeup brand launched a chilling collaboration with Universal Pictures and the film's beloved, blond-haired murderess: M3gan. The AI doll, who went viral back in 2023 when the original movie dropped, was tapped to promote Urban Decay's All Nighter Setting Spray, a smudge-proof and transfer-resistant formula that locks in makeup for up to 16 hours. More from WWD Nike Is Bringing Back Its 'Stranger Things' Collaboration for the Release of the Fifth & Final Season Billie Partners With Charli XCX-beloved Accessories Company Ian Charms to Release Bush Positive Swimwear Lana Del Rey Channels Retro Glam with '60s-inspired BumpIt Hairstyle at Her Concert in Wales 'We're thrilled to be partnering with Universal Pictures on 'M3gan 2.0.' The unique and unapologetic nature of M3gan aligns perfectly with Urban Decay's DNA, and we're excited to bring this collaboration to life in a way that showcases our iconic products — designed for you to stay flawless, no matter what chaos unfolds,' said Fernando Febres, head of U.S. marketing for Urban Decay. In a 30-second clip on YouTube, M3gan is seen sitting calmly on set, with her demonic blue eyes and innocent voice. 'Being me isn't easy. Not only do I have to save the world, I have to look this good doing it. Thankfully, I have my Urban Decay Setting Spray for a look that stays and slays,' the doll says. This partnership will include an in-person activation on Wednesday in Los Angeles, influencer partnerships and exclusive Urban Decay glam for actress Jenna Davis at the film premiere. 'M3gan 2.0' is the second installment in the sci-fi film series, which will see the doll reawaken to kill for good this time as a villainous weapon called Amelia threatens the future of the human race. Launched in 1996, Urban Decay was designed to be a mechanism for self-expression, with the punk and Gothic customer in mind. No surprise, the beauty brand's heyday was the 2010s, bolstered by the launch of its auspicious Naked Palette collection, which amassed over $1 billion in sales until it was discontinued in 2018. A little over a year ago, Urban Decay re-released the original Naked eye shadow palette, comprised of shimmery earth tones and misty gray hues. Urban Decay also joined forces with WNBA star Cameron Brink in 2024 for a multiyear partnership. As the official sponsor of the Los Angeles Sparks, Brink's team's partnership wasn't a total surprise. 'Partnering with Urban Decay is incredibly important to me because it represents more than just beauty — it's about investing in authenticity,' Brink said in a statement. 'Their commitment to individuality and originality aligns perfectly with my values, inspiring consumers to embrace their uniqueness.' Best of WWD ColourPop x Lilo & Stitch Collaborate on Mischievous Island Adventures Collection in New Campaign [PHOTOS] Lunar New Year Collections to Know: Details on Fashion, Jewelry and More Brands Embracing the Year of the Snake Valentine's Day Collections to Know: Details on Fashion, Makeup, Jewelry and More Brands Giving Products a Touch of Love, Live Updates
The Guardian
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
From F1 to Evita: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead
M3gan 2.0Out nowHitting the sweet spot between camp value and genuine entertainment that's often surprisingly hard to manage in horror, the first M3ganGAN film saw a sassy artificially intelligent doll slay in both senses of the word. Now she's back for a sequel, facing off against Amelia, a new doll created by the military, who have clearly not learned the lessons of the first film. From Hilde, With LoveOut nowBased on the lives of real members of the Red Orchestra anti-Nazi group, this harrowing but moving German drama follows a group of young people determined to do their bit to resist Hitler in wartime Germany. The focus is on Hilde and Hans Coppi, a young married couple, who are both arrested, with Hilde having to give birth to their baby in a Gestapo-run prison. F1: the MovieOut nowA gifted professional comes out of retirement to mentor a promising young rookie: a tale as old as time, it's the classic sports film recipe. This time around, Brad Pitt plays the mentor and Damson Idris his protege, with Formula One racing taking the star role of the sport in question. Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick). Sudan, Remember UsOut nowIn this observational documentary, film-maker Hind Meddeb follows a group of young activists in Sudan, beginning in 2019 with a sit-in protest at the army's headquarters in Khartoum and bearing witness to the subsequent turbulence of the current civil war that would displace at least 12 million people breaks out. Catherine Bray Radar festivalO2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, 4 to 6 JulyA showcase for 'progressive music', which in this context means rock but louder and more experimental, Radar festival returns to Manchester with a particularly stacked lineup. Headliners include genre-pushing punk duo Bob Vylan and US rockers Underøath, while extracurriculars include video game stations and masterclasses. Michael Cragg Yazz AhmedTurner Sims, Southampton, 29 JuneBritish-Bahraini trumpeter Yazz Ahmed's mix of north African phrasing and American bebop jazz lines, electronica and funk has built her a unique contemporary global-musician's palette. She explores her autobiographical album A Paradise in the Hold and more with an A-list band including reeds star Tim Garland and vibraphonist Ralph Wyld. John Fordham Zach BryanHyde Park, London, 28 & 29 JuneSince releasing his debut album in 2019, US military man turned country music superstar Zach Bryan has become one of the genre's biggest exports. These two outdoor shows, featuring support from the likes of Dermot Kennedy and Mt Joy, follow a recent run of singles trailing Bryan's forthcoming sixth album. MC Les Indes GalantesThe Grange, Alton, Hampshire, 30 June, 1 & 2 JulyThe Grange festival saves by far the most interesting of this summer's three staged operas until last, as French baroque collides with hip-hop in a travelling production of Rameau's best known ballet héroique. It's conceived by director-choreographer and hip-hop pioneer Bintou Dembélé and conductor Leonardo García-Alarcón, for their respective ensembles. Andrew Clements Kiefer/Van GoghRoyal Academy of Art, London, 28 June to 26 October Anselm Kiefer is renowned for his grave, grand paintings and installations that refuse to let Germany forget its troubled history. His art of memory is even more urgent now as populist parties spread amnesia alongside nationalism. Here he explores his fascination with Van Gogh, with choice masterpieces by his hero. William KentridgeYorkshire Sculpture Park, nr Wakefield, 28 June to 19 AprilNot many artists today have the wit or seriousness of this multifaceted South African film-maker, installationist, draughtsperson and, in this show, sculptor. Political commentary and historical vision interact in his work with an enthusiastic embrace of modern aesthetic traditions, from music to cinema, to create multilayered, moving art. Richard RogersSir John Soane Museum, London, to 21 SeptemberImaginative, unexpected British architecture is on show here – and that's before you even reach this celebration of Rogers, master of the external escalator and ventilation shaft. The Soane Museum, all mirrors, crypts and dramatic lightwells, is the perfect setting for Rogers's work on the Pompidou Centre, Lloyd's building and more. Movements for Staying AliveModern Art Oxford, 28 June to 7 SeptemberRadical body art from the 1960s onwards, by Yvonne Rainer, Ana Mendieta, Harold Offeh and more, can be seen in this exhibition but if you go to galleries just to 'see' and think about art, forget it. The curators want you to interact with it, and physically experience the show. Jonathan Jones Sara PascoeWorthing, 28 June; Stevenage, 3 July; touring to 29 MarchFinally, a clever and highly relatable comedian really gets her teeth into the miserable drudgery of motherhood. In her new show, I Am a Strange Gloop, wrenches hilarity from sleep deprivation, bodily changes, endless housework and the learned helplessness of her husband. Expect catharsis, solidarity and a droll dissection of maternal sacrifice. Rachel Aroesti EvitaThe London Palladium, to 6 SeptemberRachel Zegler makes her West End debut as Argentina's Eva Perón in director Jamie Lloyd's latest theatrical extravaganza. Zegler recently hit the headlines around her promotion of the film Snow White – here's a chance to let her performance do the talking. Miriam Gillinson Jesus Christ SuperstarWatermill theatre, Bangor, Newbury, to 21 SeptemberWatermill's summer musicals have become an institution, spilling out into the theatre's idyllic grounds. Artistic director Paul Hart takes on Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's explosive rock musical – with the actor-musician cast working their customary magic. MG Ballet NightsGlasgow Theatre Royal, 4 JulyDancer turned impresario Jamiel Devernay-Laurence has been running regular gala-style shows in London under the Ballet Nights banner. Now he goes on the road with an eclectic lineup including a star turn from Royal Ballet principal Steven McRae, the clubby stylings of new duo Ekleido and a dance from the Prime Video series Étoile. Lyndsey Winship Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion The SandmanNetflix, 3 July The recent allegations made against graphic novelist Neil Gaiman, which he denies, mean this will likely be among the last adaptations of his work to reach the screen. If you can separate the art from the artist, prepare to luxuriate in the second series of the dark, dazzling fantasy, which revolves around Dream (Tom Sturridge) rebuilding his realm. Such Brave GirlsBBC Three & iPlayer, 3 July, 10pmKat Sadler's wickedly funny and never remotely heartwarming sitcom returns for a second series, with Sadler's Josie and sister Billie (played by her real-life sibling Lizzie Davidson) still tiptoeing around their vituperative mother Deb (Louise Brealey) while desperately trying to source self-worth from unreciprocated love interests. Storyville: The Srebrenica TapeBBC Four & iPlayer, 1 July, 10pmA single VHS lies at the heart of this film about the genocidal attack on Srebrenica during the Bosnian war. Made by an amateur film-maker who was eventually murdered alongside 8,000 other Muslims, the four-hour video was a record of local life addressed to his daughter, who here returns to the town to rediscover her early childhood. 7/7: Homegrown TerrorSky Documentaries & Now, 29 June, 9pmIt is 20 years since 52 were killed and 770 injured in the London terror attacks that refashioned the nation's psyche for ever. This documentary combines details of the day itself with testimony from those who knew the perpetrators in an attempt to shed light on why four Brits decided to bomb their homeland. RA Tamagotchi PlazaOut now; Nintendo SwitchThe famous keychain virtual pets return once more in a sugar-coated shopping mall sim, where you run a range of shops while solving the problems of your cutesy customers. Apparently, there are more than 100 different tamagotchi to service, assist and even perform dentistry on. Mecha BreakOut 1 July; PC, PS5, XboxOn an apocalyptic future Earth, teams of players face off against each other in various hyperstylish robot suits. Beta tests have proved hugely popular and the visuals are dazzling, but it's a free game with microtransactions, so all depends on how subtly (or otherwise) the monetisation is implemented. Keith Stuart Lorde – VirginOut nowFollowing 2021's confounding, Zen-like comedown Solar Power, Lorde returns to knotty bangers with this fourth album. Co-created alongside Jim-E-Stack (Charli xcx, Haim) and Dan Nigro (Chappell Roan), Virgin picks over heartbreak with typical lyrical precision, as on pulsating lead single What Was That. Katseye – Beautiful ChaosOut nowPut together via interactive reality show Dream Academy, six-piece girlband Katseye fuse the best bits of K-pop's gonzo style with 00s western pop, creating bonkers bangers such as viral hit Gnarly. That single appears on this new EP, the follow-up to last year's SIS (Soft Is Strong). Kevin Abstract – BlushOut nowAfter calling time on his band Brockhampton in 2022, Abstract releases his fifth solo album, and first on his new label. Recorded in a house in Texas, complete with rooms packed with talent including the likes of Danny Brown, Sekou and Jpegmafia, it features the Dominic Fike-assisted, Beck-like Geezer. Isabella Lovestory – VanityOut nowThe Honduran reggaeton practitioner continues her quest to forge a new kind of pop on this follow-up to 2022's debut, Amor Hardcore. On the luxe Gorgeous she channels glossy Y2K R&B, while the shape-shifting Putita Boutique seems to beam in from a club in space. MC Liberty LostPodcastJournalist TJ Raphael's engrossing series speaks to previous residents of the Godparent Home at the Christian Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, where unwed teen mothers are encouraged to give up their children for adoption to wealthy Christian families. My Mum Loved This SongSubstackMusic writer Katie Thomas's joyous and deeply moving series sees fellow writers and artists explore the music that reminds them of their late loved ones, inspired by Katie's own mum, Jill, who died in 2020. Bill Walton's The Grateful TeamBBC World Service, 28 June, 6.30pmExamining national identity in the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union, this charming series tells the improbable tale of how psych band the Grateful Dead helped Lithuania's basketball team compete in the 1992 Olympics. Ammar Kalia
Geek Girl Authority
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
M3GAN 2.0 Archives
Categories Select Category Games GGA Columns Movies Stuff We Like The Daily Bugle TV & Streaming Movies Reviews Science Fiction M3GAN 2.0 hits theaters this week. We must ask, is M3gan the heir to Chucky's quirky crown? Or is this Betsy getting a little wetsy? Read on for our review.
The Guardian
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
M3gan 2.0 review – hit-and-miss sequel replaces horror with action comedy
As the very first image of devil doll sequel M3gan 2.0 emerges on screen, of a desert with the words 'somewhere on the Turkish-Iranian border' popping up like it's a Bond movie, you'd be forgiven for double-checking if you're in the right cinema. The original, a grabby artificial intelligence (AI) riff on Child's Play and Annabelle, was a brisk, by-the-numbers domestic horror, released on the first weekend of 2023, a slot usually given to the very worst genre films. M3gan was smarter than most, often sly and frequently funny and introducing what's now become a rarity, an almost instant non-IP pop culture icon, whose virality exploded the film into a surprise smash (raking in over $180m from a $12m budget). Like the films it was inspired by, a franchise was inevitable although where we're taken in M3gan 2.0 was far less of a given. For the follow-up, writer-director Gerard Johnstone has swerved from horror to action while retaining and tweaking the comedy with a release date that's been upgraded to summer blockbuster territory. It doesn't always work – a two-hour runtime that's a little too long, world-saving stakes that are a little too big, funny lines that are a little too not funny – but it's a mostly watchable second-tier event movie that, in a world of inconsequential sequels that fail to justify their existence, will do. For M3gan 2.0, Johnstone has picked the Terminator 2 model, resurrecting M3gan to help destroy an even more evil robot called Amelia (Ukrainian actor Ivanna Sakhno) who has gone rogue. Since the previous film, understandably haunted roboticist Gemma (a returning Allison Williams, giving it her all once again) has rejigged her thinking on technology, fighting for the ethical use of AI and urging people to step away from their smartphones. But she's forced to team up with the monster she created when Amelia threatens not just the lives of those around her but the entire world. The details of how we get there are absurdly convoluted and it takes a while for Johnstone to convince us that an evil doll movie really needs this much political conspiracy and corporate intrigue (with the addition of every new espionage element, I had to keep reminding myself I was watching a M3gan movie). But it just about works with time, mostly down to its sheer energy, Johnstone pitching it as a goofy Mission: Impossible for younger teens (I did enjoy this mildly more than Tom Cruise's boringly bloated Final Reckoning). The tonal swerve is reminiscent of that employed in another Blumhouse sequel, Happy Death Day 2U that transformed a fun, gimmicky slasher into an indecipherable sci-fi romp. That film couldn't find a way out of the overly complicated mess it made for itself and the comparatively simple M3gan 2.0 finds a slicker way to reinvent itself. No one could have predicted just how many memes the first film would spawn but it was still written, by Malignant's Akela Cooper, with enough self-awareness to suggest that it wouldn't be a complete surprise. The campaign for the sequel had been rather worrying, however, veering from self-aware to smug, ads built entirely on camp cheek, trailers soundtracked by Britney Spears's Oops!… I Did It Again, grimly suggesting the film would be crippled by its thirst to go viral. It's surprisingly restrained though in that regard and any studio-mandated repetition – yes, she dances again; yes, she sings another ballad at an inopportune moment again – feels mostly organic (a rendition of Kate Bush's This Woman's Work is arguably more effective than Sia and David Guetta's Titanium was in the first). One of the major problems is that the comedy just doesn't quite land this time around, bar one genuinely funny bit involving Steven Seagal film titles. Johnstone took over writing duties from Cooper but he hasn't found a way to sustain M3gan's humour despite ample insert-zinger-here moments. It's also clear that Johnstone has retrofitted the film to act as an audition tape for bigger things, showcasing flashier adeptness on a much larger canvas, a sizzle reel to be sent on to execs looking for the next Marvel minion. His debut, Housebound, a thrilling comedy horror that pitched him as a mix of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, was a film of incredible ingenuity and it's hard not to feel a little disappointed, if not exactly surprised, that his way up the studio system has demanded that edges be smoothed out and ambitions remain boringly generic. The finale of M3gan 2.0 is as familiar as any superhero ending, if a little more coherently choreographed, and while it's sort of kind of just about effective enough (even if some muddled messaging about learning not to fear but coexist with AI is hard to stomach), I kept wishing we were in less well-charted territory. M3gan 2.0 isn't an upgrade or a downgrade, but M3gan 3.0 could do with some new code. M3gan 2.0 is out in cinemas now
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
M3gan 2.0 review – hit-and-miss sequel replaces horror with action comedy
As the very first image of devil doll sequel M3gan 2.0 emerges on screen, of a desert with the words 'somewhere on the Turkish-Iranian border' popping up like it's a Bond movie, you'd be forgiven for double-checking if you're in the right cinema. The original, a grabby artificial intelligence (AI) riff on Child's Play and Annabelle, was a brisk, by-the-numbers domestic horror, released on the first weekend of 2023, a slot usually given to the very worst genre films. M3gan was smarter than most, often sly and frequently funny and introducing what's now become a rarity, an almost instant non-IP pop culture icon, whose virality exploded the film into a surprise smash (raking in over $180m from a $12m budget). Like the films it was inspired by, a franchise was inevitable although where we're taken in M3gan 2.0 was far less of a given. For the follow-up, writer-director Gerard Johnstone has swerved from horror to action while retaining and tweaking the comedy with a release date that's been upgraded to summer blockbuster territory. It doesn't always work – a two-hour runtime that's a little too long, world-saving stakes that are a little too big, funny lines that are a little too not funny – but it's a mostly watchable second-tier event movie that, in a world of inconsequential sequels that fail to justify their existence, will do. For M3gan 2.0, Johnstone has picked the Terminator 2 model, resurrecting M3gan to help destroy an even more evil robot called Amelia (Ukrainian actor Ivanna Sakhno) who has gone rogue. Since the previous film, understandably haunted roboticist Gemma (a returning Allison Williams, giving it her all once again) has rejigged her thinking on technology, fighting for the ethical use of AI and urging people to step away from their smartphones. But she's forced to team up with the monster she created when Amelia threatens not just the lives of those around her but the entire world. The details of how we get there are absurdly convoluted and it takes a while for Johnstone to convince us that an evil doll movie really needs this much political conspiracy and corporate intrigue (with the addition of every new espionage element, I had to keep reminding myself I was watching a M3gan movie). But it just about works with time, mostly down to its sheer energy, Johnstone pitching it as a goofy Mission: Impossible for younger teens (I did enjoy this mildly more than Tom Cruise's boringly bloated Final Reckoning). The tonal swerve is reminiscent of that employed in another Blumhouse sequel, Happy Death Day 2U that transformed a fun, gimmicky slasher into an indecipherable sci-fi romp. That film couldn't find a way out of the overly complicated mess it made for itself and the comparatively simple M3gan 2.0 finds a slicker way to reinvent itself. No one could have predicted just how many memes the first film would spawn but it was still written, by Malignant's Akela Cooper, with enough self-awareness to suggest that it wouldn't be a complete surprise. The campaign for the sequel had been rather worrying, however, veering from self-aware to smug, ads built entirely on camp cheek, trailers soundtracked by Britney Spears's Oops!… I Did It Again, grimly suggesting the film would be crippled by its thirst to go viral. It's surprisingly restrained though in that regard and any studio-mandated repetition – yes, she dances again; yes, she sings another ballad at an inopportune moment again – feels mostly organic (a rendition of Kate Bush's This Woman's Work is arguably more effective than Sia and David Guetta's Titanium was in the first). One of the major problems is that the comedy just doesn't quite land this time around, bar one genuinely funny bit involving Steven Seagal film titles. Johnstone took over writing duties from Cooper but he hasn't found a way to sustain M3gan's humour despite ample insert-zinger-here moments. It's also clear that Johnstone has retrofitted the film to act as an audition tape for bigger things, showcasing flashier adeptness on a much larger canvas, a sizzle reel to be sent on to execs looking for the next Marvel minion. His debut, Housebound, a thrilling comedy horror that pitched him as a mix of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, was a film of incredible ingenuity and it's hard not to feel a little disappointed, if not exactly surprised, that his way up the studio system has demanded that edges be smoothed out and ambitions remain boringly generic. The finale of M3gan 2.0 is as familiar as any superhero ending, if a little more coherently choreographed, and while it's sort of kind of just about effective enough (even if some muddled messaging about learning not to fear but coexist with AI is hard to stomach), I kept wishing we were in less well-charted territory. M3gan 2.0 isn't an upgrade or a downgrade, but M3gan 3.0 could do with some new code. M3gan 2.0 is out in cinemas now
