Britt Hayes is a writer, movie lover, and sensible sweater enthusiast living in Austin, Texas. She watches too much TV and never eats her vegetables.
Britt Hayes
Aaron Sorkin’s ‘Lucy and Desi,’ Starring Cate Blanchett as Lucille Ball, Lands at Amazon Studios
Now this is a thrilling combination of nouns: Amazon Studios has snatched up Lucy and Desi, an upcoming biopic written by Aaron Sorkin and starring Cate Blanchett as TV icon Lucille Ball. A masterful actress playing a masterful comedian in a film scripted by a masterful screenwriter is quite a catch, to say the least — all that’s missing is Desi himself, and given the talent involved so far, you have to imagine it’ll be someone great.
‘Top Gun 2’ May Reunite Tom Cruise With ‘Oblivion’ Director Joseph Kosinski
Just yesterday, Tom Cruise himself confirmed that Top Gun 2 is finally, officially, honest-to-goodness-they’re-not-joking-this-time happening. Today, it looks like it’s even closer to reality than we thought, as Oblivion director Joseph Kosinski is reportedly the frontrunner to helm the long-promised sequel to Tony Scott’s 1986 classic — not entirely surprising, since he’s worked with Cruise before.
‘The Angry Birds Movie 2’ Will Officially Smash Into Theaters in 2019
Following a successful collaboration on last year’s The Angry Birds Movie, Sony and Rovio are teaming up for another animated avian outing — that’s not really surprising, since the first film was a fairly big hit at the box office, making it a matter of when, not if, a sequel would happen. That sequel will now officially arrive in 2019, which also happens to be the 10th anniversary of the popular mobile game.
Michael Parks, Beloved Character Actor, Star of ‘Kill Bill’ and ‘Twin Peaks,’ Dead at 77
It’s been a rough week (it’s only Wednesday), and things just got a little more upsetting: Michael Parks, the incomparable character actor best known for his roles in Twin Peaks, Kill Bill and From Dusk Till Dawn, has passed away at the age of 77. Kevin Smith broke the news this morning on Instagram, where he shared a tribute to the star of his horror films Tusk and Red State.
New Netflix Instant Releases: May 2017
The ratio of Netflix Originals to acquired content continues to skew more toward the former each month, and May is absolutely stacked with fresh original films, comedy specials and TV shows — including new season premieres of some of our favorite series, like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Master of None (finally!), Sense8, Bloodline, House of Cards and more. As for original films, next month’s additions include War Machine, along with specials from beloved comedians like Marie Bamford and Tracy Morgan.
Don Rickles, Iconic Comedian and Actor, Dead at 90
Don Rickles’ talents were seemingly limitless: An outrageous insult comic, a gifted dramatic actor, a welcome sight on stages and screens (big and small), and a constant presence whose career endured for decades, often surpassing his contemporaries. And now he’s gone on to join them, as the legendary Rickles passed away today, April 6, at the age of 90.
What’s Leaving Netflix Instant: April 2017
Every month, as dozens of new titles are added to Netflix Instant’s vast streaming library (with even more possibilities for your endlessly indecisive scrolling), several movies and TV shows are taken away, spirited into the expiration ether. Now’s the time to stop procrastinating and do a little spring queue-cleaning by watching some of these titles before they disappear — possibly for good. Read on for a full list of what’s expiring from Netflix Instant in April.
Your Favorite ‘Love Actually’ Characters Return in First Teaser for ‘Red Nose Day, Actually’
Last month we learned that director Richard Curtis was reuniting with the cast of his beloved (and annually derided) 2003 holiday classic Love Actually for a new short film in honor of Red Nose Day. The short will premiere during this year’s Red Nose Day Special in May, but you don’t have to wait that long to see how much your favorite characters have changed, as NBC has released the first teaser — which sees the whole cast revisiting the iconic moment when Andrew Lincoln adorably / creepily shows up on Keira Knightley’s doorstep with a series of messages.
Academy Bars Accountants Involved in Best Picture Mixup From Future Oscars
It took a few days, but the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has finally come to a decision: The two PricewaterhouseCooper accountants involved in this year’s Best Picture snafu, dubbed “Envelopegate,” will not be allowed to work at the Oscars again. In what instantly became the most memorable Oscar moment in recent memory (and perhaps all-time), La La Land was erroneously announced as Best Picture; it took two whole minutes (or more) for the PwC accountants to rectify the error and announce Moonlight as the correct winner.
What’s Leaving Netflix Instant: March 2017
Just as dozens of new titles are being added to the Netflix Instant library each month, so must several others disappear. As you get ready for all the great new films and TV shows arriving in March, now would be a good time to make some room in your queue — starting with all the titles that are expiring from the streaming service next month, including favorites like Jaws and a pair of DC’s animated Justice League films.