Disney+ is rolling out a cheaper subscription tier later this year that’ll be ad-supported. In other words, it’ll be cheaper, but you’ll have to watch commercials. There’s no word yet on the exact date, or the cost. Disney+ currently costs $7.99 a month, or $79.99 a year. Their ultimate goal is to add 230 million to 260 million subscribers by 2024. They’re also bringing on more mature content, like the Marvel shows that were previously on Netflix. New parental controls are being rolled out along with that. Disney says, quote, “Expanding access to Disney+ to a broader audience at a lower price point is a win for everyone . . . consumers, advertisers, and our storytellers.”
“The Batman” crushed it at the box office this weekend, making $128.5 million in its first three days. That’s the second largest opening since the pandemic started, behind “Spider-Man: No Way Home” . . . which had a $260 million debut back in December. So far they’re the only two movies to debut with over $100 million since December of 2019. “The Batman” made another $120 million overseas, giving it a worldwide total of $248.5 million.
According to a new survey, our best Batman is . . . BEN AFFLECK??? Out of 1,000 people polled, 31% chose Ben, allowing him to edge out MICHAEL KEATON, who got 30% of the vote. This was obviously a NERD POLL, because third place went to KEVIN CONROY, who has voiced Batman in various animated series, movies, and video games. He got 28% of the vote. CHRISTIAN BALE finished fourth, with 26% . . . followed by the ACTUAL greatest Batman who ever lived, ADAM WEST. Only 25% of respondents understood Mr. West’s greatness. (I assume it’s too early to rate Robert Pattinson. People got to pick their Top 3, so the total is more than 100%.) (SWNS Digital)
Survivor” has been a CBS staple for 22 years, and now NBC is FINALLY trying its own knockoff. It’s called “Million Dollar Island” . . . and instead of 16 to 20 contestants, it’ll have A HUNDRED. And they’ll be stranded on a deserted island for 50 days, rather than the typical 39 . . . or, more recently, 26 . . . for “Survivor”. Oh, and there are bracelets. Everyone starts with a bracelet worth $10,000. Contestants can gain and lose bracelets through various challenges. But whenever a contestant leaves the island, he or she chooses who gets their money. Like “Survivor”, the grand prize is $1 million. Frankly, despite some of the superficial differences, it doesn’t sound much different from “Survivor”. A press release says, quote, “In this intense competition, the strength of your personal bonds are just as important as being the ultimate player.” There’s no word when it’ll air. (Hollywood Reporter)
There is a new game that’s like Wordle, but for music lovers . . . and it’s called Heardle. Instead of guessing words, you guess song titles based on small snippets. Only the intro of the song will play, and every incorrect or skipped guess unlocks more of the song. But of course, the goal is to guess correctly in as few tries as possible and like Wordle, there’s only one Heardle a day. On the website, Heardle is described as, quote, “A respectful homage to Wordle, with a musical twist . . . Each Heardle is randomly plucked from a list of the most streamed songs in the past decade . . .
Have you ever argued online with strangers over music? A recent OnePoll survey asked 2,000 people which musician has the most intense fanbase. Here are the results:
1. Beyonce, 46%
2. Kanye West, 35%
3. Ariana Grande, 34%
4. Britney Spears, 32%
5. Taylor Swift, 31% (#5? How are these little psychos not #1???)
6. Adele, 31%
7. Olivia Rodrigo, 26%
8. Drake, 24%
9. Harry Styles, 23%
10. Selena Gomez, 23%
In case you didn’t know, COURTENEY COX was in BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN’s “Dancing in the Dark” music video in 1984 when she was 20 years old. (She didn’t do “Friends” until 1994.) In an interview on “The Howard Stern Show”, Courteney said her audition was filled with professional dancers . . . but that may have HELPED her. Quote, “I think that’s what they wanted, a fan that just couldn’t believe it . . . “I get a little embarrassed because I do feel like when I watch the video . . . I mean, God. Did you see my dance? It was pathetic. I’m not a bad dancer, but that was horrible. I was so nervous.” (Listen to the clip here.)
In a recent interview with the Observer, The Batman actress Zoe Kravitz revealed that she was turned down for an audition for 2012’s The Dark Night Rises because she was considered too “urban.” “I don’t know if it came directly from Chris Nolan … I think it was probably a casting director of some kind, or a casting director’s assistant,” she told the outlet. “Being a woman of color and being an actor and being told at that time that I wasn’t able to read because of the color of my skin, and the word urban being thrown around like that, that was what was really hard about that moment,” she continued. The daughter of Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz, who are both biracial as well, Kravitz added that her parents “both dealt with being artists who didn’t act or dress or look or sound the way a Black person was supposed to act in terms of what white people specifically were comfortable with … [They wanted] to make sure I understood that despite the color of my skin I should be able to act or dress or do whatever it is I want to do.”
On Sunday (March 6th), Angelina Jolie posted to Instagram that she had landed in Aden, Yemen, to assist refugees for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “As we continue to watch the horrors unfolding in Ukraine, and call for an immediate end to the conflict and humanitarian access, I’m here in Yemen to support people who also desperately need peace. The situation here is one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with one civilian killed or injured every hour in 2022. An economy devastated by war, and over 20 million Yeminis depending on humanitarian assistance to survive,” she wrote.
TMZ reports that Parks and Recreation stars Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally told Russian President Vladimir Putin to “f*** off” during the Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday (March 6th). Mullally said, “I think we speak for everyone here when we say we are hoping for a quick and peaceful resolution. Specifically, f*** off and go home Putin.” Offerman added, “We hope Putin f**** off and goes home and to that end let’s all join together with a Spirit Awards salute to Putin.”
According to Page Six, Kristin Cavallari had a sweet time at Magic Mike Live in Las Vegas over the weekend. The Hills star was pulled up onstage, where she received a whipped-cream-filled lap dance. “Good times … Thanks for having me!” she commented on a video of the performance, along with a laughing and crying emoji.
Deadline reports that Netflix has halted its streaming service in Russia, citing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They join a long list of companies who have discontinued business there amid the ongoing crisis.
Variety reports that Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan will both star in and produce the sequel to I Am Legend. Smith posted a teaser photo to Instagram on Friday (March 4th), tagging Jordan.
According to Deadline, Modern Family star Ariel Winter will play the lead in NBC’s forthcoming comedy, Hungry. She takes the place of Demi Lovato, who had to step away due to scheduling reasons.
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