【Title/标题】
Earth, Wind & Fire Got 24 Hours’ Notice From Sabrina Carpenter

【Source/来源】
Media Outlet/媒体：Vulture
Written by/作者：Devon Ivie

【Transcript/文稿】

Prior to this weekend, the best-known duet of
Philip Bailey’s career was the stone-cold Phil
Collins classic “Easy Lover.” Now, it might be a
little shorter and sweeter. Earth, Wind & Fire were
the surprise guests at Sabrina Carpenter’s
Lollapalooza set on August 3, with the band
joining Carpenter for a rump-shaking two-song set
of “Let’s Groove” and “September.” Bailey, who’s
served as lead singer since 1972, credits Carpenter’s
agent for conjuring up the idea. However, there
was a major time crunch leading up to the
performance, so much so that Bailey was initially
skeptical the correct decision was made. “It was
one of those kinds of things that happened in 24
hours,” he recalls. “We had to really turn this thing
around.”

Earth, Wind & Fire were up in Detroit for a
concert on August 2 and had two days off before
their next gig in the northern Michigan town of
Interlochen. Lollapalooza, held in Chicago — the
group’s hometown — was an easy enough
commute for the friendly and luxurious skies.
“They sent a private plane for us and our
entourage,” Bailey says. “We hopped a plane at
seven in the morning, went in, and had the
rehearsal. It was very quick and kind of sketchy. I
was almost concerned about it. But by that
evening, they had dialed everything in, and she did
her homework on what verses she was going to
take. We went out there and floated on all that
energy.” The song choices of “Let’s Groove” and
“September” were an easy decision because they
“always keep the party rocking,” although Bailey
says Carpenter was well versed in the band’s
deeper discography during their brief time
together. She later wrote on social media that
Earth, Wind & Fire “raised me on the greatest
songs of all time; true soul moving timeless music.”

Bailey wasn’t familiar with Carpenter’s work
besides the caffeinated earworm “Espresso,” and
time constraints for the rehearsal prevented them
from getting to know each other a little bit better,
as there were several other members of Earth,
Wind & Fire to contend and choreograph with on
stage, including longtime percussionist and singer
Ralph Johnson. “She’s very cordial, very kind, and
very approachable,” Bailey says of the pop star. “We
both greeted each other warmly, but we didn’t have
time to talk about anything. Everybody was on a
tight schedule. We didn’t even have time to run
over the performance thoroughly. There were
things that weren’t right during the run-through,
so my people stayed there and we trusted that they
would get all that stuff ready in due time.”

The results, of course, speak for themselves:
Carpenter, strutting around in a sequined pink
bodysuit, looks over the moon to be in the presence
of such legendary elements. Bailey looks dashing
himself in a patterned suit, dancing the night away
to some of the most joyous hits in the American
canon. “Sometimes things work, and oftentimes
they don’t,” Bailey explains. “Her energy and our
energy were very compatible and complementary
to one another. How she puts her show together, in
terms of how it accelerates and builds, was
fantastic. Where she chose to put our segment was perfect.”

Consider it a successful weekend for respecting the
classics. The night prior, Carpenter’s fellow
Lollapalooza headliner Olivia Rodrigo brought out
Weezer for a one-two punch of “Say It Ain’t So” and
“Buddy Holly,” continuing her own impressive
festival streak of highlighting rock elders for
younger audiences. (Carpenter has stated in the
past her admiration for Queen, the Beatles, and
Rush, in case we’re scoping out ideas for the future.
You think she has the range for “Fly by Night”?)
But, for now, Bailey is thrilled. “I had to ask
everybody once we were done, ‘How was it?’
Because you can’t really feel with that short
performance if you’re actually meeting the mark or
not and I think we all had nerves,” he says, as if the
tens of thousands of gyrating fans in the audience
weren’t enough confirmation. “We were honored to
be asked and very appreciative to her and to her
fans for embracing these moments we were able to create together.

【Title/标题】

Box Office: ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Clobbers $57 Million Opening Day — Second-Biggest of the Year

【Source/来源】
Media Outlet/媒体：Variety
Written by/作者：By J. Kim Murphy

【Transcript/文稿】

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” stretched its arms around $57 million from 4,125 theaters across Friday and preview screenings. Per Disney‘s numbers, that’s the second-biggest opening day of the calendar year, ranking just behind “A Minecraft Movie” ($57.11 million). The film is playing Imax and other premium large format auditoriums.

It also just edges out Marvel Studios‘ comic book banner rival, DC Studios’ “Superman,” which began with a $56.1 million opening day just two weeks ago. It’ll be a close call on whether “Fantastic Four” can keep pacing ahead to beat the $125 million three-day opening of “Superman.”

It’s the best first day kick-off for a Marvel Cinematic Universe entry since “Deadpool & Wolverine” dominated the box office 12 months ago. And like that R-rated smash, “Fantastic Four” is based on Marvel characters that were acquired by Disney after the studio’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019, demonstrating some value to that $71 billion merger. Three previous big-budget “Fantastic Four” entries were produced at Fox, from 2005 to 2015. (There was also an unreleased 1994 feature, spearheaded by Roger Corman as a means to retain film rights for German producers. It circulates among diehards.)

With a story that has little connection to other Marvel Cinematic Universe entries, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” has presented itself as a relatively fresh entry point to audiences. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who lead the film as Marvel’s first family, are all MCU newcomers. “First Steps” also has the benefit of strong reviews and good audience sentiment (pollster Cinema Score turned in an “A-” grade among ticketbuyers).

At a production cost of $200 million, plus much more to market and distribute, the film will need to hold as one of the biggest grossers of the year to turn a profit in theaters. Marvel’s two previous 2025 releases, “Captain America: Brave New World” and “Thunderbolts*,” launched to $88.5 million and $76 million respectively. Both ended up losing money theatrically.

Disney hopes to gain some momentum with the Matt Shakman-directed “Fantastic Four,” ahead of the studio’s extensive hiatus from superhero films. Marvel is producing “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” the fourth Tom Holland-led entry set to release July 2026. But Sony is distributing that film. Disney will have nearly a year and a half to plan for its next MCU installment, the mega-team-up “Avengers: Doomsday,” set for December 2026.

Second place goes to Warner Bros.’ “Superman,” which added $7.1 million on Friday. It’s down 57% from its daily total a week ago, now competing with a newer superhero spectacle. The cinematic universe-rebooter should fly to a $289 million domestic total after its third weekend, which will put it ahead of “Sinners” ($278 million) to have it rank as the fourth-highest grossing North American release of the year.

Universal’s “Jurassic World Rebirth” is sliding to third in its fourth weekend, adding another $3.6 million on Friday. The seventh entry in the dinosaur series is projecting $13 million for its fourth weekend, which would be another good hold at a 45% drop. Total domestic gross is expected to pass $301 million through Sunday — only the third release of 2025 to get into the triple hundreds.

Fourth looks to go to “F1.” Warner Bros.’ release of Apple Studios’ racing thriller added $1.8 million Friday, down just 37% from its daily total a week ago. At a production cost of $250 million, theatrical profitability is a questionable prospect at best for the Brad Pitt-led feature. But it has put up strong holds since debuting a month ago. The film looks to hit a $165 million domestic total through Sunday.

Paramount’s IP revival “Smurfs” rounds out the top five, adding $1.72 million on Friday and projecting $5.6 million for its second weekend. After a low opening, that’s a 49% second-weekend drop, showing some relative staying power as the only new animated offering to families. Domestic total will hit $22.9 million through the first 10 days — a disappointing result against a $58 million production budget.

【Title/标题】
Mattel’s newest Barbie has diabetes

【Source/来源】
Media Outlet/媒体：LA TIMES
Written by/作者：Piper Heath

【Transcript/文稿】

Dressed in a matching polka dot tank top and ruffled skirt with blue chunky heeled boots and a mini purse, Mattel’s newest Barbie may look like previous dolls at first glance.

But this particular doll stands out with a wearable insulin pump on her waist, a glucose monitor on her arm and a phone showing her blood sugar readings, making her the El Segundo-based toy company’s first Barbie with Type 1 diabetes.

The doll continues Mattel’s expansion of representation across its flagship brand. The Barbie Fashionistas line features more than 175 looks across various skin tones, body types and disabilities, including previous additions like a blind Barbie, a Barbie with Down syndrome and a Barbie with hearing aids.

The company’s commitment to representation has proved commercially successful. In 2024, the top 10 most popular Barbie Fashionista dolls globally included the blind Barbie and the Barbie with Down syndrome.

The Fashionistas series also includes dolls with vitiligo, prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs. The wheelchair-using doll has consistently been a top performer since its introduction in 2019.

Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and global head of dolls at Mattel, said Barbie helps shape children’s early perceptions of the world. Reflecting medical conditions like T1D ensures “more kids can see themselves in the stories they imagine and the dolls they love.”

The doll was developed with Breakthrough T1D, the leading global Type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization. The partnership ensured medical accuracy while incorporating diabetes awareness symbols through the clothes’ blue coloring and polka dot pattern.

Aaron J. Kowalski, chief executive of Breakthrough T1D, said the partnership is about “bringing greater visibility to a condition that affects so many families.”

The doll launched Tuesday during Breakthrough T1D’s 2025 Children’s Congress in Washington, D.C. The event brings together more than 170 children living with Type 1 diabetes, giving them face time with members of Congress to advocate for ongoing funding for Type 1 diabetes research. This year they asked members of Congress to renew funding for the Special Diabetes Program.

The Special Diabetes Program’s current funding expires after September. The program, first allocated by Congress in 1997, faces uncertainty amid recent cuts to federally-funded projects.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition affecting nearly 9 million people globally, with about 352,000 children living with diabetes in the United States. The CDC reports that 1.7 million individuals 20 or older live with Type 1 diabetes and use insulin.

The new Barbie is available through Mattel Shop and retailers nationwide.

【Title/标题】
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom Split, End Their Engagement After 7 Years Together

【Source/来源】
Media Outlet/媒体：US WEEKELY
Written by/作者：Erin Crabtree, Kaitlin Simpson and Amanda Williams

【Transcript/文稿】
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom have called it quits after nearly a decade of dating.

“Katy and Orlando have split but are amicable,” a source close to the pair exclusively tells Us Weekly. “It’s not contentious at the moment. Katy is of course upset but is relieved to not have to go through another divorce, as that was the worst time in her life.”

According to the insider, Perry, 40, and Bloom’s split has been “a long time coming” as things between them “have been tense for months.” (The pair, who share 4-year-old daughter Daisy, have been apart since Perry kicked off her Lifetimes tour earlier this year.)

For now, Perry is “keeping busy” on tour “and is distracted,” the insider shares, revealing that while on the road, the pop star is “renting out” her Westcott Estate in Montecito, California.

“But she and Orlando have always lived in their other Montecito home as their primary residence,” the source continues, adding that the duo were “planning on making the Westcott home their family home but plans have changed” and “have been living apart since Katy has been on tour.”

Perry and Bloom were first romantically linked in January 2016, after they were spotted at multiple Golden Globes afterparties together. The couple briefly split in March 2017, but were back together by February 2018. Perry and Bloom got engaged on Valentine’s Day in February 2019 — and one year later, she announced in March 2020 that she was pregnant with the pair’s first baby. Their daughter, Daisy Dove, arrived that August. (Bloom is also the father of son Flynn, 14, with ex-wife Miranda Kerr.)

News of Perry and Bloom’s breakup comes after reports of tension in their relationship.

“They have been spending more and more time apart,” a source exclusively told Us in June. “They’ve grown apart and aren’t living the same lives anymore.”

According to a second insider, the former couple’s inner circle was well aware of the couple’s relationship rough patch.

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Us Weekly Shorts
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom have called it quits after nearly a decade of dating.

“Katy and Orlando have split but are amicable,” a source close to the pair exclusively tells Us Weekly. “It’s not contentious at the moment. Katy is of course upset but is relieved to not have to go through another divorce, as that was the worst time in her life.”

According to the insider, Perry, 40, and Bloom’s split has been “a long time coming” as things between them “have been tense for months.” (The pair, who share 4-year-old daughter Daisy, have been apart since Perry kicked off her Lifetimes tour earlier this year.)

For now, Perry is “keeping busy” on tour “and is distracted,” the insider shares, revealing that while on the road, the pop star is “renting out” her Westcott Estate in Montecito, California.

Celebrity Splits of 2025 Stars Who Have Called It Quits This Year
Related: Celebrity Splits of 2025: Stars Who Have Called It Quits This Year
“But her and Orlando have always lived in their other Montecito home as their primary residence,” the source continues, adding that the duo were “planning on making the Westcott home their family home but plans have changed” and “have been living apart since Katy has been on tour.”

Celebrity Splits of 2025 Stars Who Have Called It Quits This Year Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom GettyImages 2170441693:
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom. Robin Marchant/Getty Images
Perry and Bloom were first romantically linked in January 2016, after they were spotted at multiple Golden Globes afterparties together. The couple briefly split in March 2017, but were back together by February 2018. Perry and Bloom got engaged on Valentine’s Day in February 2019 — and one year later, she announced in March 2020 that she was pregnant with the pair’s first baby. Their daughter, Daisy Dove, arrived that August. (Bloom is also the father of son Flynn, 14, with ex-wife Miranda Kerr.)

News of Perry and Bloom’s breakup comes after reports of tension in their relationship.

GettyImages-2203094056-Katy-Perry-and-Orlando-Bloom-Split-End-Their-Engagement.jpg:
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom attend the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 2, 2025, in Beverly Hills, California. Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
“They have been spending more and more time apart,” a source exclusively told Us in June. “They’ve grown apart and aren’t living the same lives anymore.”

According to a second insider, the former couple’s inner circle was well aware of the couple’s relationship rough patch.

“It’s an unspoken thing that they are having issues and have for a while now,” the second source said. “Everyone around them knows.”

The second insider added that Bloom was keeping his struggles with Perry “close to the vest,” but had been “out and about more often” without her while she was on her Lifetimes Tour, which kicked off in April.

“Katy has been very busy working, and they are apart often,” the second source told Us. “That has caused tension.”

Throughout their years of dating in the spotlight, the couple have been forthcoming about their ups and downs, with Perry sharing via Instagram in April 2023 that they “continuously put in the work” to maintain their relationship.

As for Bloom, he explained in April 2024 how the pair’s fame affected their romance.

“I wouldn’t change it for anything, even when sometimes it feels like, ‘How do we do this?’” Bloom said on Trevor Noah’s “What Now?” podcast at the time. “Because we’ve got these two giant careers and lives — and hers is even … it’s like a universe sometimes.”

【Title/标题】
Box Office: Danny Boyle’s ‘28 Years Later’ Bites Off $5.8M in Previews, Pixar’s ‘Elio’ Takes in $3M

【Source/来源】
Media Outlet/媒体：The Hollywood Reporter
Written by/作者：PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

【Transcript/文稿】
Universal’ How to Train Your Dragon won the Juneteenth holiday box office race on Thursday with $9.7 million in ticket sales as it heads into its second weekend with an early domestic haul of nearly $125 million.

The live-action remake of DreamWorks Animation’s celebrated 2010 animated film is confident it will stay atop the chart in its sophomore outing despite the entry of two new summer event pics, Danny Boyle‘s 28 Years Later and Pixar’s Elio, both of which took advantage of the holiday by starting previews early in the day. (How to Train Your Dragon has a huge advantage in playing in Imax cinemas, and is eying bringing in another $35 million domestically this weekend.)

Boyle’s zombie sequel, from Sony, is reporting a preview gross of $5.8 million, enough to place second on Thursday — at least unofficially (previews grosses are ultimately folded into the opening-day gross, or in this instance, Friday’s haul). Sony is suggesting a weekend opening the $28 million to $30 million range, while tracking shows Boyle’s film coming in at $30 million or more.

So far, however, 28 Years Later, isn’t going over so well with audiences despite glowing reviews. Presently, the Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score is 92 percent, while the audience score is only 69 percent.

28 Years Later — the first in a planned trilogy — reunites Boyle with writer Alex Garland 25 years after 28 Days hit big screen and became a cult classic. Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jack O’Connell, Alfie Williams and Ralph Fiennes star in the pic, which is set nearly three decades after the events of the first film.

Elio — an original film about a young boy whose wish to travel to outer space and interact with aliens comes true — earned $3 million from Thursday previews and select special access Wednesday screenings.

Tracking showed the animated film opening to $30 million in North America, although it is now eying an opening in the $20 million to $23 million. That means Pixar is braced for the movie suffering the worst three-day opening ever for the storied animation studio behind Elemental ($29.6 million) in June 2023 and its very first film, 1995’s Toy Story ($29.1 million), not adjusted for inflation. (Toy Story opened over Thanksgiving and amassed $39 million over the long five-day holiday weekend.)

At the time, Elemental‘s opening was called nothing short of a debacle, yet it turned into sleeper hit on its way to earning nearly $500 million globally. Pixar and parent company Disney are confident that Elio will have the same sort of staying power throughout the summer when kids are sprung from school. So far, Elio is graced with a better critics score on Rotten Tomatoes than Elemental. There’s not yet an audience score on RT.

Pixar has been struggling to find its footing in a world where original animated stories don’t open to the heights they once did — think north of $70 million — in the post-pandemic world. And during the pandemic years, then-Disney CEO Bob Chapek decided to send three Pixar titles straight to Disney+ domestically, including Turning Red, Luca and the Oscar-winning Soul, a decision rivals said taught families to wait to watch a film at home. (All three were considered streaming hits.)

But Pixar and Disney reversed course and are once again committed to telling original theatrical stories, mixed in with known IP, such as last year’s blockbuster and record-shattering Inside Out 2, the top-grossing pic of 2024, the top ever title for Pixar and the top animated of all time with more than $1.69 billion in worldwide ticket sales, not adjusted for inflation.

【Title/标题】

Inside ‘Anora’s’ Oscar Victory: How Scrappy Indie Neon Pulled Off Its Second Best Picture Win in 5 Years

【Source/来源】
Media Outlet/媒体：Variety
Written by/作者：Brent Lang, Tatiana Siegel

【Transcript/文稿】

In the run-up to the Academy Awards, Neon took a unique approach to scoring the season’s top prize for “Anora.” While other studios spent their money on tried-and-true strategies, from tastemaker screenings to glossy ads, Neon pulled up a tow truck in front of a Los Angeles auto body shop for a pop-up “Anora” merchandise sale in November — complete with branded T-shirts and thongs. Some 300 fans queued up before the vehicle even arrived. And for its first screening of the film about a Brooklyn escort who marries a Russian oligarch’s kid, the boutique distributor filled the audience with sex workers rather than Oscar voters.

“We follow the beat of our own drum,” says Tom Quinn, Neon’s CEO. “The idea of pandering to the campaign as opposed to being who you are as a film is a big, stark difference. We never play to the campaign. We always play to the film, filmmaker and audience — in that order.”

The strategy may be unconventional, but it’s hard to beat the results. For the second time since it launched in 2017, Neon captured the best picture statuette. For context, neither the legacy studio Disney nor the deep-pocketed Netflix has ever landed a single best picture Oscar, never mind two. Neon, with a staff of 60 people, has pulled off the achievement twice in five years, making the indie film company the hottest label in town.

“They have climbed to the top of the mountain,” says Marc Simon, a veteran film finance attorney. “And they’ve reached the pinnacle by being disciplined and smart. They know when to take swings and how to manage risks.”

This year, Neon’s rivals spent lavishly, with one entertainment company said to have plunked down $60 million on a single film’s awards-season campaign. By his standards, Quinn spent a lot — $18 million on the marketing, distribution and awards campaign of “Anora.” In other words, three times the budget of Sean Baker’s movie itself. Still, it was slightly less than the $20 million that the company spent on “Parasite,” its first best picture winner.

Some of the coverage of “Anora’s” victory has focused on it being one of the lowest-grossing best picture winners in history, having earned $16.1 million domestically and $41.4 million globally to date. Neon controls domestic rights to the film, while Universal Pictures International handles most overseas territories. Quinn thinks the skeptical coverage of “Anora’s” box office results misses the point. The film will be profitable after digital rentals and licensing deals are considered.

“[Box office] is not the only revenue stream,” he says. “‘Anora’ is No. 1 across every entertainment platform — Amazon, Apple. That is massive.”

David Thion, the producer of “Anatomy of a Fall,” which Neon guided to a best picture nomination and an original screenplay Oscar in 2024, praised Quinn for being scrappy. Thion noted it was Quinn’s idea to make the film’s scene-stealing dog a central part of its campaign. He also appreciated Quinn’s candor.

“Tom told us from the very start, ‘We’re going to demand a lot from you’” Thion says. “‘It’s going to be very intense, you will have to set your own limits, and we will listen to the signs you will send us.’ That was an important message.”

In late 2023, Neon nearly sold itself to Steven Rales, a billionaire industrialist, for a reported $100 million, only to see the deal collapse at the eleventh hour. When the pact failed, there were rumors that the studio, like many other indies in the post-Covid era, was in trouble.

The narrative has clearly changed. In the past few months, Neon nabbed its fifth Palme d’Or in a row for “Anora” at Cannes while its low-budget horror movies “Longlegs” and the still-playing “The Monkey” became box office breakouts, earning $127 million and $31 million worldwide, respectively. The company says that 2024 was its most financially successful year to date.

“Neon has established themselves as one of the preeminent art-house distributors in a very short time and recently embraced one of the most consistent and profitable box office genres in the history of Hollywood — horror,” says analyst Jeff Bock at Exhibitor Relations. “This pivot could legitimately see the indie darling copy A24’s blueprint and expand their reach, boosting their bottom line exponentially.”

There’s been chatter that Neon and A24 are locked in an art-house death match to be the hippest player in cinema. But Quinn insists that’s not the case, saying the A24 team could not have been more gracious when “Anora” triumphed on Oscar night over its film, “The Brutalist.”

“The industry thinks there’s a rivalry, and there’s not,” he says. “It’s good headlines. I thought they might be our biggest competitor. But as it turns out, our biggest competitor has been Netflix. They desperately tried to beat us to buy ‘I, Tonya’ and ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire,’ and we ended up losing out to them on ‘Hit Man,’ ‘May December’ and ‘Fair Play.’ There’s a slew of movies where I’m the second-highest bidder [to Netflix].”

【Title/标题】

‘SNL’ 50th anniversary: Everything you need to know about the special

【Source/来源】
Media Outlet/媒体：New York Post
Written by/作者：Alexandra Bellusci

【Transcript/文稿】

Live from New York, it’s almost Sunday Night!

And “Saturday Night Live” viewers are gearing up for the sketch comedy show’s 50th anniversary special airing on Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

The “SNL 50: The Anniversary Special” is a three-hour live telecast from Studio 8H, which will celebrate the long-running series’ half-centennial on air. Iconic cast members from past and present are set to make an appearance, including Jane Curtin, Amy Poehler, Chevy Chase, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, and more.

Production designer Keith Raywood, who has been with “SNL” for 40 seasons since 1985, revealed just how big the special episode will be.

“We [will] have about 450 people in the studio, which is essentially about 200 people more than we would normally have,” he told The Post.

Raywood noted that the audience will be full of the special guests’ friends and family.

“Imagine all the people who have been on the show – those cast members and hosts. It’s a lot of people [there to see them]. And, those seats don’t normally exist,” he continued.

It’s sure to be a star-studded evening to commemorate everything that made the NBC variety show the pop culture phenomenon that it is.

The special will air live at 8 p.m. ET Sunday on NBC and Peacock.

Red carpet coverage starts at 7 p.m. ET on NBC with “SNL” alum Leslie Jones, “Sunday Today” host Willie Geist and comedian Matt Rogers interviewing the stars.

Creator and host of the viral chat show “Chicken Shop Date,” Amelia Dimoldenberg, will be the correspondent for the red carpet livestream.

Viewers can watch on all “SNL” social and digital platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.

The milestone moment in comedy will bring together some of the greats.

Chevy Chase, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman, four of the surviving original cast members, are set to return.

Other alums set to return include Adam Sandler, Amy Poehler, Andy Samberg, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Fred Armisen, Jason Sudeikis, Jimmy Fallon, Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Molly Shannon, Pete Davidson, Seth Meyers, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Will Ferrell and Will Forte.

“It’s so exciting,” Shannon said of the special on “Today” Thursday. “But I also forget I get nervous. There’s nothing like live performance. … I forget the adrenaline. So it’s so exciting. But it feels like coming home.”

Current cast members will also join in on the special. The roster will be: Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Marcello Hernández, James Austin Johnson, Colin Jost, Michael Longfellow, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, Devon Walker and Bowen Yang.

【Title/标题】

Kendrick Lamar puts the final nail in his Drake feud with subtle (and not-so-subtle) digs at the Super Bowl halftime show

【Source/来源】
Media Outlet/媒体：Yahoo
Written by/作者：Kelsey Weekman

【Transcript/文稿】

A week after winning five Grammys for his Drake diss track “Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar took a victory lap at the Super Bowl halftime show.

During the under-15-minute set, Lamar played several new songs from his latest album GNX, as well as a few older hits, backed by a fleet of dancers.

His performance was introduced by Samuel L. Jackson wearing an Uncle Sam costume.

He played the opening notes of “Not Like Us,” pausing it to say that he’d like to play the fan-favorite song, but “you know they love to sue.” Drake filed a lawsuit on Jan. 15 against Universal Music Group, the record company he and Lamar are both signed to, alleging defamation and harassment over the song.

“Not Like Us” was released toward the end of an exchange of diss tracks between the two rappers last summer. Lamar emerged victorious with the most streams and the most Grammys.

X users seemed to support Lamar’s end of the feud as well. Though Drake is an enormously popular artist, many have turned on him in support of Lamar.

After playing a few songs, Lamar returned to “Not Like Us,” looking directly into the camera as he sang, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ‘em young.”

He censored the lyrics that call Drake a pedophile, but still sang the part where he says, “tryna strike a chord and it's probably A minor.” The crowd gleefully sang along.

SZA joined him onstage to perform “Luther” and “All the Stars.” She frequently collaborates with Lamar, but she’s also one of Drake’s exes. The two dated in 2009.

Another one of Drake’s past flames present onstage was Serena Williams, who danced as Lamar performed.

Lamar performed “TV Off,” one of his newest songs, which wasn’t part of his back-and-forth feud with Drake but does diss him lyrically.

At the end, the lights behind Lamar stated, "GAME OVER."

His victory lap isn’t over, though — it’s continuing online. Between 9 p.m. on Sunday and midnight ET on Monday, streams of Lamar’s music spiked by nearly 175% on Spotify compared to last week at the same time, according to data the streaming service sent Yahoo Entertainment.

Several songs from his setlist saw substantial streaming spikes, with “Not Like Us” taking the crown at a 430% increase. “Humble” followed with a 300% increase, and “All the Stars (with SZA)” went up 290%. SZA also saw an 80% increase in Spotify streams herself after her halftime show appearance.

Lamar and SZA will be taking the show on the road. After their performance, they announced new dates for their “Grand National” tour, which kicks off in April. Chances are they’ll break the internet again when tickets go on sale this week.

【Title/标题】

‘Ne Zha 2’ Crosses $1B At China Box Office; First Movie Ever To Milestone In A Single Market

【Source/来源】
Media Outlet/媒体：Deadline
Written by/作者： Nancy Tartaglione

【Transcript/文稿】

With today’s running business included, Chinese blockbuster Ne Zha 2 has topped RMB 7B ($960.5M) in China, far and away setting a new record for the biggest gross ever by a film in a single market worldwide. In reaching the milestone, this animated sequel overtakes 2015’s Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens which was long the title holder for highest gross in a single market, that being $936.7M from North America.

Ne Zha 2 has been on a tear since it released during the Lunar New Year corridor in China (January 28-February 4). It set the single-film box office record for the holiday in the market’s history, and this past Thursday surpassed The Battle at Lake Changjin to become China’s biggest film ever.

The next record to fall will be when Ne Zha 2 soon hits $1B in China, thereby becoming the only film ever to reach that mark in a single market. Maoyan has been upping its predictions throughout the week, now forecasting a staggering RMB 10.8B ($1.48B) China finish. As of 5pm local time today, which is a working day in the market, it’s at RMB 7.06B/$968.8M.

Directed by Yang Yu (aka Jiaozi), Ne Zha 2, which is due for release in North America via CMC on Feb 14, is loosely based on a classic Chinese myth and is set after the events of the previous 2019 film. It centers on the titular boy with magical powers and his friend Aobing as their souls are saved but their physical forms face dissolution. Aided by the immortal Taiyi Zhenren to reconstruct their bodies, the heroes face numerous challenges (including a bevy of sea monsters) as they attempt to overcome a crisis that threatens the existence of humankind.

While China saw a downturn in 2024 as box office slipped 25% from the previous year, the start to 2025 is an encouraging sign with the Spring Festival logging a new overall record for box office during the annual holiday period. Total Mainland grosses reached RMB 9.51B ($1.3B) from January 28-February 4, outstripping the previous record of RMB 8.02B.

A promotional scheme launched this past December by the China Film Administration to offer subsidies to the moviegoing public through February, alongside other campaigns at regional levels, helped spur traffic, but momentum hasn’t flagged.

The jury is still out on what this means for Hollywood going forward as Chinese tastes have turned more towards local fare. There is some cautious optimism that the return of audiences to cinemas could spill over to studio movies as well. As we’ve previously noted, the situation will become clearer when we see the performance of key titles in the latter half of 2025, particularly Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire & Ash.