Latest news with #Oscars
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Will Smith throws shade, references controversial Chris Rock Oscars slap in new freestyle
Despite having apologized and addressed the controversial 2022 Oscars moment, Smith's latest freestyle takes a less contrite tone. In 2022, the biggest story in entertainment was Will Smith slapping Chris Rock in retaliation for jokes that Rock got off at the expense of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, as host of the 94th Academy Awards ceremony. Smith walked on stage, slapped Rock, and returned to his seat before telling him to keep his wife's name out of his mouth. Smith would later apologize to Rock and his family, and Rock would eventually speak about it as well, but nothing was ever the same for either man. At the time, Smith showed contrition for his act, but the Academy punished him with a 10-year ban from the Oscars. The Hollywood star was, though, allowed to stay at the ceremony that evening, eventually taking home the coveted 'Best Actor' award for his role as Venus and Serena Williams' father in the film 'King Richard.' In the years since, Rock has been mostly silent about it all (though his brother Tony Rock hasn't), addressing it in a Netflix special 'Selective Outrage,' and Smith has slowly but surely navigated his way back into mainstream appeal, including his enduring role as Mike Lowery in the blockbuster film, 'Bad Boys For Life,' part of the 'Bad Boys' franchise with Martin Lawrence. In March 2025, Smith even released a new album (his first in 20 years) titled 'Based on a True Story.' Smith just launched his first solo headline tour in support of the project, which mostly hits cities across Europe. While promoting the tour, he stopped by Charlie Sloth's show and dropped a freestyle in his 'Fire In The Booth' series. He had some…interesting things to say about the now, three-year-old incident. 'Now I'm not the type of man to move in malicious ways, and I am too grown to play childish games / If you talking crazy out your face up on the stage and disrespect me on the stage, expect me on the stage / Jokers dish it out, cry out when it's time to take it, City full of real ones wasn't raised to fake it.' Smith never says Rock's name over the course of his 'freestyle'– which should be a song called 'The Illest'– but the not-so-subliminal shots aimed at Chris Rock are noticeable. Even if they aren't directed toward Rock, they surely sound like they are, and in hip-hop (and ego), that's all that matters. Especially considering that Smith has, again, shown contrition publicly. Maybe things have changed in the world of Will Smith, and those early apologies have given way to new information and/or feelings about what's happened. Maybe he's just letting the world know that kind of kid comes from West Philadelphia, where he was born and raised. Or maybe he's just drumming up publicity. Who knows? What we do know is that this latest freestyle at the very least fanned whatever remaining flames were simmering of an incident that changed the trajectory of two of America's most famous men. Guess we'll have to see what happens from must-reads: Nelly refutes narrative that he's 'Pro-Trump' because he performed at President Trump's inauguration Zohran Mamdani's mom, Mira Nair, directed a Denzel Washington film—'Mississippi Masala' Brandy and Monica reveal what inspired hit song 'The Boy Is Mine'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘F1: The Movie' — Instant Oscar predictions
With strong reviews and a massive marketing push from Apple, F1: The Movie seems to be speeding toward the finish line for first place at the weekend box office. But could the summer tentpole make a showing at the end of the year in the Oscar race? The movie's pedigree certainly suggests it could follow the route of another high-velocity hit of recent years. With Joseph Kosinski in the director's chair and Jerry Bruckheimer producing, Top Gun: Maverick is an easy parallel to draw for how the Brad Pitt-led vehicle could make an impact in awards season. More from Gold Derby 'The Bear,' 'My Mom Jayne,' Lorde's 'Virgin,' and the best to stream this weekend: June 27, 2025 Overexposing Pedro Pascal, revisiting that 'Sinners' spit scene, Springsteen 'Tracks II' ranked, and what to read this weekend: June 27, 2025 But in which categories could it be competitive? The lightning in a bottle magic of Maverick seems to be missing from the reactions to F1 thus far, so Screenplay and Picture seem like a stretch at the moment. But with some familiar names below the line, several craft categories could definitely be within reach. A three-time nominee, editor Stephen Mirrione previously won in the category for cutting Steven Soderbergh's multi-thread drug epic, Traffic, back in 2001. Since then, he's been the go-to editor for Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, earning nominations for both Babel and The Revenant — in addition to working on the director's Best Picture-winning Birdman. Top Gun: Maverick's cinematopher, Claudio Miranda, made the leap over to F1 with Kosinksi. Miranda wasn't nominated for the high-flying shots of Tom Cruise and company, but he is a previous winner, for his work on Ang Lee's The Life of Pi. He was also nominated for Best Cinematography with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. F1's score is by Hans Zimmer. Heard of him? The 12-time nominee and two-time winner is another carry-over from Top Gun: Maverick. He most recently won in 2022, when his now-iconic howls from the Dune: Part 1 soundtrack took home Best Score. His first win came all the way back in 1995 for The Lion King. A previous nominee on behalf of Top Gun: Maverick, production visual effects supervisor Ryan Tudhope is among the VFX team on F1. A nomination in this category will likely come down to competition, as the end of the year will bring near-guaranteed heavy-hitters like Wicked: For Good and Avatar: Fire and Ash. Maverick's one Oscar win from its six nominations came in the Best Sound category. That film's supervising sound editor and sound editor, Al Nelson, is the only member of that team to make the leap to F1. Still, with all of those revving engines, its difficult to imagine a tentpole release with more sound this year. Best of Gold Derby Everything to know about 'The Batman 2': Returning cast, script finalized 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') Click here to read the full article.
Japan Today
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
New film academy members include Danielle Deadwyler, Ariana Grande, Jason Momoa, Conan O'Brien
By JAKE COYLE The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited 534 new members to its organization on Thursday, adding recent Oscar nominees and many more to Hollywood's most exclusive club. The newest class of Oscar voters includes a number of stars like Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, Aubrey Plaza, Danielle Deadwyler and Andrew Scott. They, along with filmmakers, below-the-line professionals and executives will bring the film academy's membership total to 11,120, with voting members numbering 10,143. That's the largest membership ever for the academy. Since the #OscarsSoWhite backlash, the film academy has added thousands of members to swell its ranks and diversify its voting body. This year's class is 41% female, 45% from underrepresented communities and 55% from outside the U.S. Those new members will make the entire academy 35% women, 22% from underrepresented communities and 21% international. 'We are thrilled to invite this esteemed class of artists, technologists, and professionals to join the Academy,' said academy chief executive Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang in a statement. 'Through their commitment to filmmaking and to the greater movie industry, these exceptionally talented individuals have made indelible contributions to our global filmmaking community.' Invitations went out to 91 Oscar nominees and 26 winners, including best actress winner Mikey Madison ("Anora") and best supporting actor winner Kieran Culkin ("A Real Pain"). Recent nominees who were invited include Ariana Grande, Jeremy Strong, Sebastian Stan and Monica Barbara. Gints Zilbalodis, the director of best animated film winner 'Flow" will join the animation branch. Other filmmakers set to join the academy include Mike Flanagan ('Doctor Sleep'), Azazel Jacobs ('His Three Daughters'), Brady Corbet ('The Brutalist'), Coraline Fargeat ('The Substance') Jane Schoenbrun ('I Saw the TV Glow'), Halina Reijn ('Babygirl') and Gia Coppola ('The Last Showgirl'). Payal Kapadia ('All We Imagine As Light'), Lena Waithe ('Queen & Slim') and Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley of 'Sing Sing' were all invited in the writers branch. In the music branch, new members include Brandi Carlile ('Elton John: Never Too Late'), Branford Marsalis ('Rustin') and Youssou N'Dour ('Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love'). The last two emcees to host the Oscars — Jimmy Kimmel and Conan O'Brien — were also invited as members. After a well-reviewed broadcast that drew 19.7 million viewers, O'Brien is returning to host the 2026 Academy Awards on March 15. A few new rules will await the 2025 academy members. For the first time, members will be required to watch all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final road of Oscar voting. This year, a new award category for casting will be voted on for the upcoming Oscars. The academy has also established a new Oscar for stunt design, but that won't be given out until 2028. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Nawi' Star Michelle Lemuya Ikeny Thought She Was Auditioning for a School Play But Ended up in Kenya's Oscar Submission About Child Marriage
Nawi: Dear Future Me, a Kenyan-German coming-of-age drama about child marriage that was Kenya's entry for the best international feature film race at the 2025 Oscars, has made waves in Kenya, on the film festival circuit and beyond. At the recent Beijing International Film Festival, the jury created a special jury honor to shine a spotlight on it. And on Friday, the movie won two awards at the Raindance Film Festival in London, one for best international feature and the second for the best performance in a debut feature, for its star Michelle Lemuya Ikeny. More from The Hollywood Reporter Lorde Performs Surprise Glastonbury Set on Day of Album Release: "I'm Back and Completely Free" Raindance Film Festival: 'Nawi' Wins Best Int'l Feature and Debut Performance Awards Polish Indie Kino Swiat Names New CEO The young Kenyan woman is 15 now, but was 12 when the movie was shot. Her portrayal of a young girl battling child marriage in hopes of an education and self-determination has been praised for being multilayered and full of charisma. THR's Georg Szalai talked to her about how she thought she was autioning for a school play, while ending up getting cast in Kenya's Oscar submission, how real-life experiences in her community mirror those of her character Nawi, wanting to empower girls and audiences, and whether she will pursue more acting opportunities. Did you always want to become an actress or how did you get the role in this film? As I grew up, it had never been a job that I had in mind but I'm multi-passionate. Personally, I have so many dreams, and I could do anything. I didn't know it was a movie role that I was auditioning for. I just thought it was a school drama, and I signed up and tried out. Then we had a two-week training with an acting coach in Kenya. What really inspired me and what motivated me to want to play this was the story of this film. It was actually about these girls in my home, and it was a movie advocating for their rights. So there's no way I could say no. I had no idea what actors do or how they do it, but I was willing to try. How did you know or figure out how to portray the experience of child marriage? What helped me be able to portray all the emotions was that I've interacted with these girls who are victims of early marriage. I have been their friend. We've lived together and seen them when this thing happened to them. So it is easier to do this because I've interacted with them. I know them, and I know how they feel. So I just tried to remember, 'Oh, my friends felt this and that. She didn't want this to happen, and this is how she felt.' What was the hardest part of acting for you?First of all, I come from the Turkana community itself [where the film is set], so playing this, accepting to play this role alone, was a bit of a decision to make. Because doing this means, for my community, that I'm going against them. I'm going against those traditions. I'm trying to say no to what they've been doing for years. So it is a bit of a difficult decision to make as a girl, because my community would take me as a betrayer, defying all these rules. Yeah, accepting to play the role itself was a hard decision. Also, the emotions were [challenging]. It's was my first time doing this. And what you do on camera and set while shooting is different from your real emotions. It may be a good day for you as a person, but you're supposed to act sad. But along the way, I had great mentors. The directors themselves were really nice, so I was guided. What did you think when you heard that two German guys were making a movie about your country, even though they are so respectful of its experience and culture?It was crazy and also great, because it takes people from a different continent, thousands of miles away, to come and make a movie about this. I really thought it was a good idea, even though people from within didn't try to do something like this. But I thought it was a cool idea because I've also always wanted to be advocating for these girls, to be part of this journey to bring an end to early marriage. So I thought it was a good idea, and I was really ready to work with them. We just want this to end. What has the reaction to the flm been like in Kenya and in your community?Ever since the film came out and we got people to watch it, there's been positive feedback from most of our audience. Especially the younger generation has responded very well. They now feel more empowered, and we are now hearing and reading the voices that were suppressed in the past. When it comes to the older generation, the uncles and the fathers who are doing this, with some, I don't really know if they are fully convinced. They are the people we really want to talk to, we really want the movie to influence. But so many conversations have been sparked on this topic, conversations that before the movie was out, noone could have. Very few people stood up to talk about this topic. It was a topic that was avoided. So many people are now against this. So many people now are not afraid anymore and are ready to speak up for themselves. And we've also shown the movie to girls in high schools, and they've written letters to their future selves [like Nawi does in the film]. I think it has really influenced them to dream big and not to be afraid of anyone, and not to be afraid of speaking out for themselves. The movie seems to have also traveled well, screening and winning awards in various parts of the world. How do you feel about making a global impact? I didn't think the movie would go this far [and beyond] Kenya and Turkana. But because it is making a global impact, I'm so happy because now so many people know what is happening here. It's a really good feeling to know that this is really working. People are now reaching out to us, wanting to help these girls, wanting this to come to an end, so we're getting help from people from the outside. I just love how the world gets to know the truth. It's been kept a secret for so long, and now that it's out, I'm glad that you're getting positive feedback, and many people want to support us. How amazing was it to find out that Kenya submitted the film for the International feature film Oscar?It was so quick. This is my debut film, and it was so crazy when they said it's been submitted for the Oscars. It was so cool. And I was so happy because as the official submission from Kenya for the Oscars, I knew that the movie would get more recognition, and if you get more recognition, people get the message. So that was what I was really happy about. I'm just a kid, and being associated in any way with the Oscars was something so cool, and I was happy. Do you think of yourself as a rule breaker or social activist?If my community has taken me to be a social activist, a rule breaker or just a rebellious teenager, I really don't care, as long as I get to convey this message to the outside world, and as long as these girls get justice, as long as we bring up these voices that were suppressed. I'm ready to be an activist. I'm ready to break any rule that helps avoid the loss of life of these girls and avoids a girl living a life that she doesn't want. I'm ready to advocate for that. How is school going and how much longer is it for you?I'm 15 years old and in my second year of high school. I have two more years of high school, then I have another national exam. I was in my last year of primary school, and we also sat for my national exams when we were shooting the school. I go to school in Nairobi, but we're just home for a short break of one week. Are you thinking about doing more acting in the future? Yeah, I am thinking of doing more acting, because I feel like film is a very nice way of storytelling, a very nice way of conveying a message to society. So I'm thinking of doing more acting, but am also focused on school. I want to make sure my grades are good in school, because I also just have many dreams. In my community, there are girls who have not been able to get this opportunity to get an education and to get to study. So, I also don't take it for granted, and that's why I really want to work hard in my studies. Do you think you might want to go to acting school? I would love to go to acting school. But as I said, I'm kind of multi-passionate. I don't want to just do one thing in life. I want to do so many things, take many different career paths, because I find that interesting, and it makes life a bit more interesting. So yeah, I would love to go to acting school. I would love to go to medical school. I have also thought of engineering and maybe law. I'm just trying to figure it all out. I'll figure it out. Thanks so much for your time. Before I let you go, is there anything else you would like to share? I feel that how we are living right now and what is happening right now is a result of what the previous generation in my society did and the decisions they made. That's why this is happening. So I really love Nawi because this film tells a story that the generations before us could not tell or were afraid to tell people. So I would really love to tell people not to be afraid of speaking up for themselves and not allow the traditions in your community to determine who you will be. For example, I would tell a girl: You can. You are more than just a wife. You can be so many things in life, and not just a wife. This film is telling a story that generations before us could not tell or were afraid to speak about in public. And it just asks them to dream big, be positive in life. You can be anything you want to be. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
Forbes
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Celine Song On ‘Materialists': ‘I Really Believe That Love Is A Miracle When It Happens'
Past Lives director Celine Song is back with what already feels like an all-time classic romantic drama, Materialists. 'Materialists' directed by Celine Song Song's feature debut and critically acclaimed Past Lives earned many awards and countless nominations in 2023, including a nomination for Best Picture at the Oscars. With Materialists, which features a stellar cast including Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal, Song cements her work in the tradition of classic romance films by legendary filmmakers such as Nora Ephron or James L. Brooks. Song shot Materialists in 35mm which, combined with her precise and elegant writing, gives the movie a classy and comforting atmosphere. In her new film, Song questions modern dating and the impact that money -and therefore the lack of- can have on romantic relationships. I caught up with Song who was in Paris, at the Champs-Elysées Film Festival, where she was presenting Materialists to the French audience. Paris and New York can be regarded as twin cities to a certain extent and many romance movies have been shot in the city of love in the past, so I asked the filmmaker if she might consider shooting a future project in Paris. She said, 'Oh my God! That's so sweet! I mean Paris is such an inspiring city, I feel like I would love to make something here, that sounds so amazing. I know the French crew is so strong, and cinema is such a powerful center here, so I would love that, that sounds so fun!' She added: 'I was thinking about sharing Materialists here last night, and it's kind of the same concerns in the way that we have to be both so romantic and cynical just to survive here. Like, to live in a city like New York and I can imagine Paris, you have to believe that it's your home and there's so much romance in it, but it's because it's so hard to live here. The quality of living is so low, and it is so hard to pay rent, so you have to believe in the dream. Living in New York is a dream, but to survive there you also have to be realistic and practical and cynical too. So, that's why I think New York was the perfect setting for Materialists, and sharing it with the Paris audience, there are so many things that resonate here because there are twin cities.' In Materialists, Johnson portrays Lucy, a New York matchmaker who finds herself in a love triangle when she meets Harry (Pedro Pascal), a charismatic and successful man. The same night, she reconnects with her ex-boyfriend, John (Chris Evans), an aspiring theatre actor. Celine Song, Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans while filming 'Materialists' Lucy sees love and marriage as a 'business transaction' and as the logical consequence of non-negotiables, such as height, age and income. In Lucy's job, all these data must be taken into account to satisfy her client's needs. And when a date doesn't go as planned for her clients, Lucy has a motto, 'Upward and onward.' There's no time to dwell or feel sorry for oneself, life goes on and so does the dating market. 'So much of the movie is about how much we objectify each other and ourselves. And one of the most important lines in the film is 'I'm not merchandise, I'm a person.' So part of this 'Onward and upwards' is the way that we are always being asked to think about ourselves as an object that has value, and we always have to improve our value. So it's a corporate language, but we're talking about a personal, romantic rejection. And when Lucy says that, she's trying to turn it into a corporate idea,' Song told me. When a movie mentions money a lot, things can soon start to feel very pragmatic, cold, and anti-romantic. However, Song's writing of those themes, especially through Lucy's point of view, which is her fear of being stuck in a relationship where money might become a problem, manages to create the most romantic lines and scenes in the movie. Song said, 'I feel like it's about the way we introduce the language of money, which is very cold. So the most romantic lines in this movie, and it's only possible because the movie is called Materialists, are lines such as 'Deal' or 'How would you like to make a very bad financial decision?' Those lines feel like they could be from The Wolf of Wall Street, but the truth is that, of course they are the most romantic lines in the film. So much of it is about the acceptance of it, how much this language has become a part of the way we talk about love.' We then talked about how much the characters in the film mention money, compared to how very little French people talk about money, especially during a date. Song said, 'We think about the fact that it is impolite to talk about money, and I always have to ask the follow up question, 'Who is it impolite for ?'' For the director, people might regard this topic as impolite because they don't want to reveal themselves with numbers. She added: 'We should talk about that thing that is a little bit taboo, like it's not really polite in the U.S. either, but because of how much economic pressure everybody is under, even the taboo things are out. Lucy offers it openly, she's like 'I make $80K a year!' And what that does, is that it put us in a position where we have to accept that we either make more than her or less. And the truth is most of us make less.' But what about true love? True connection? Those are the questions Song tries to answer regarding modern dating. Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal She said, 'This is something I learned while I was working as a matchmaker. Something that I was really shocked by is that behind closed doors, in a way that they would not speak of, in front of anyone else, clients were telling me all the numbers that they wanted and that were their non-negotiables like height, weight, age, income. There's a very specific way that people say 'I will not date somebody who is over 30.' Or 'I will not date somebody under 6 feet tall.'' She added: 'But what happened? Dating was supposed to be a game we all played in the pursuit of love. I had just got married, and it seemed to me that love or even marriage had nothing to do with these numbers. If I ask my husband, 'Why do you love me?' I don't think he will say a single number.' For Song, love 'won't have anything to do with numbers, it will always be simpler.' She added: 'It's about the way we are animals, and we are beyond numbers. In the middle of all that, we're going to completely lose sight of what it is like to actually have a proper connection and have a proper miracle happen. Because I really believe that love is a miracle when it happens, and it's mysterious as a miracle, and it's an ancient mystery.' In recent interviews, Song mentioned that she does not believe in love at first sight, but in love at first conversation. Watching Materialists, I saw Pascal's character, the 'Unicorn' as Lucy's love at first sight and Evans' character as love at first conversation. When one of Lucy's client is assaulted during a date, the only person Lucy wants to talk to is John, even though she is dating Harry. She calls her ex-boyfriend in tears, while he sits on the ground, listen to her and is simply there for her in the moment. I asked Song about the writing of this scene, and particularly the heartache and longing that emanates from that moment. She said, 'Harry and Lucy, they do in a way, fall in love at first conversation, but as business partners, right? When you think about the way that they meet, and Harry undresses her and her job, to really assess her value as a working person, that really speaks about the way the two of them connect. And of course, with Lucy and John, what you realize is that there are a couple of kids or something. There is a part of that where there is no reason, it's 'I just like hearing your voice, I just like talking to you and that's it. I don't have anything to offer beyond that. But when I think about you, I just want to spend time with you. I just know I could do this forever.' So it's a very different thing, but it's the only thing.'' Song added: 'When Lucy says, 'Love has to be on the table,' sometimes, the response to my movie is 'I am single, are you saying that in order for me to not be single, I have to lower my standards?' and my response is that I would never ask anyone to lower their standards when it comes to a thing that you are entitled to. And the thing that you are entitled to, it's not height, it's not weight, it's not age or income. The only thing that you're entitled from the person who loves you, is that they love you. Love is the only thing you're entitled to from the person who loves you.' Song shared how concerned she is that love or the idea of a romantic relationship and the value of it all might be questioned. She said, 'I feel like the value of love is constantly questioned in the way that no one seems to question the value of a Birkin bag. No one seems to be asking 'Why does this bag cost five times someone's salary? How can that be?' No one asks that question, but the thing that people are constantly wondering is 'Well, is love even worth it?' And to me that's the most heartbreaking thing. And I think, the way we're moving away from love is the way we are moving away from being humans. That's why the line 'I'm not merchandise, I'm a person' is such an important line in the film. And it's a line I'm always going back to.' 'Materialists' In Past Lives, Song wrote about the Korean term 'Inyeon', which is a word used to describe providence, fate and the connection we have with each other, even with a stranger on the street. So are Lucy and John each other's 'Inyeon'? During a gorgeously shot and perfectly paced sequence where Lucy and John crash a wedding, they start dancing to Baby Rose's original song for the film, That's All. The connection between the two characters is so palpable and we are so completely immersed in this romantic scene that we almost forget that it's not actually their wedding. 'Oh my God, Baby Rose is the best! What a completely romantic song, you know, it's just that, 'That's all!'' Song also explained that she wanted to ask the question, 'What is love worth?' She said, 'The less we talk about it, the less we're gonna feel like human beings and that's when we start losing our value, just like love is. That, to me, is really the impulse behind this movie.' She added: 'A person might be able to experience the miracle, which is to love someone. The movie is so much about the objectification and qualification of each other. And what we know about the objectification of a human being, is that it's always going to be dehumanization. That's also connected to what Harry does to his body. That's just something I really wanted to talk about, I'm very concerned about it, and it's worthy of a conversation.'
