Breaking News January 8, 2024: ‘Oppenheimer’ Dominates Disastrous Golden Globes, Jacob Elordi To Play Frankenstein Monster
Oppenheimer dominated the disastrous “revamped” Golden Globe Awards last night. Christopher Nolan's biopic won five Golden Globes, including Best Picture; Best Actor, Drama (Cillian Murphy); Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.); Best Director (Christopher Nolan); and Best Original Score (Ludwig Göransson).
Hosted by purported comedian Jo Koy at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, the Golden Globe Awards came off as unfunny, awkward, embarrassing, and sometimes cringeworthy during a poorly organized broadcast on CBS that seemed rushed and ill-planned. When your host gets booed during his opening monologue, it's time to go back to the drawing board — again — or just accept that the world outside of Hollywood doesn't get excited about awards shows anymore.
Other notable Golden Globes winners include Barbie for the newly created category Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, Killers of the Flower Moon‘s Lily Gladstone for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, and Emma Stohttps://wealthofgeeks.com/breaking-news-january-8-2024-oppenheimer-dominates-disastrous-golden-globes-jacob-elordi-to-play-frankenstein-monster/e for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy for her not-at-all funny performance in Poor Things.
In the television categories, the night's big winners were Succession, The Bear, and Beef — each of which took home several Golden Globes.
Jacob Elordi To Play Frankenstein's Monster in Upcoming Guillermo del Toro Netflix Movie
Guillermo del Toro has tapped Jacob Elordi — one of the most handsome leading men of his generation — to star as the hideous monster stitched together from various corpses in Frankenstein. Oscar Isaac will play Victor Frankenstein in a cast that includes Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, and Christian Convery.
Del Toro serves as writer, director, and producer of Frankenstein. The official logline reads: “Guillermo del Toro adapts Mary Shelley’s classic tale of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.”
Frankenstein is the latest in Netflix's partnership with del Toro, following Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, the anthology series Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, and two animated films.
Jonathan Majors Shocked by Guilty Verdict for Assault and Harassment
Former MCU actor Jonathan Majors has spoken publicly for the first time since a New York jury found him guilty of assaulting and harassing ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari.
In an interview with Good Morning America on Monday reported by Variety, Majors denied doing anything wrong and said that he felt “absolutely shocked and afraid” by the verdict. “I’m standing there and the verdict comes down,” Majors said to ABC News anchor Linsey Davis. “I say, ‘How is that possible?’ Based off the evidence — based off the prosecution’s evidence, let alone our evidence — how is that possible?”
He continued: “I was reckless with her heart, not with her body. My hands have never struck a woman — ever.”
‘Bookie' Starring Sebastian Maniscalco Renewed for Second Season by Max
Max has renewed the comedy series Bookie starring Sebastian Maniscalco and Omar Dorsey for a second season. Maniscalco plays a veteran Los Angeles bookie on the series created by Chuck Lorre and Nick Bakay.
“The collaboration between Chuck and Sebastian has proven to be a winning hand and we’re looking forward to continuing the story with this incredibly talented cast and crew,” said Amy Gravitt, exec VP programming and head of comedy at HBO and Max, to The Hollywood Reporter.
Warner Bros. Television Chairman Channing Dungey added, “There’s no doubt that Chuck and Nick’s Bookie won big this season as they took us on a hilarious ride into the underbelly of illegal sports gambling, featuring a cast led by another dynamic duo: Sebastian Maniscalco and Omar J. Dorsey. I’m looking forward to watching more of their antics in season two. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew, and thanks to our partners at Max.”
Bookie also stars Andrea Anders, Vanessa Ferlito, Jorge Garcia, Maxim Swinton, and Charlie Sheen. The latter plays an exaggerated version of himself in one of the first season's highlights and will hopefully return for Bookie part deux.
Natalie Portman Says ‘May December' Is ‘Not Meant To Be a Biopic'
Todd Haynes' May December starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton is loosely based on the Mary Kay Letourneau scandal of 1997 during which a then-34-year-old Letourneau started a romantic relationship with then-12-year-old Vili Fualaau.
Fualaau told The Hollywood Reporter that he was “offended” by May December. “I’m offended by the entire project and the lack of respect given to me — who lived through a real story and is still living it,” said Fualaau. “I love movies — good movies– and I admire ones that capture the essence and complications of real-life events. You know, movies that allow you to see or realize something new every time you watch them. Those kinds of writers and directors — someone who can do that — would be perfect to work with, because my story is not nearly as simple as this movie [portrays].”
On the red carpet for the Golden Globes, Moore spoke to Entertainment Tonight about Fualaau's reaction to May December. “Aww, I'm very sorry that he feels that way,” said Moore. “I mean, Todd [Haynes] was always very clear when we were working on this movie that this was an original story, this was a story about these characters. So that's how we looked at it too. This was our document, we created these characters from the page and together.”
Portman echoed Moore's comments on the Golden Globes red carpet. “It's not based on them, it's, you know, obviously their story influenced the culture that we all grew up in and influenced the idea,” said Portman. “But it's fictional characters that are really brought to life by Julianne Moore and Charles Melton so beautifully, and yeah, it's its own story, it's not meant to be a biopic.”
Prince's ‘Purple Rain' in Development for the Stage
Lileana Blain-Cruz will direct a stage adaptation of Prince's 1984 film Purple Rain. The stage version features a score by Prince, who passed away in 2016.
In Purple Rain, Prince stars as the Kid — an up-and-coming Minneapolis rock musician who has to overcome a troubled homelife to find success through music. The soundtrack features signature Prince songs such as “Let's Go Crazy,” “When Doves Cry,” “I Would Die 4 U,” and “Purple Rain.”
L. Londell McMillan, chairman of the NorthStar Group, and Larry Mestel, founder and CEO of Primary Wave Music, told The Hollywood Reporter: “It’s been almost 40 years since Prince’s legendary film Purple Rain took the world by storm and we can’t think of a more fitting tribute than to honor Prince and the Purple Rain legacy with this stage adaptation of the beloved story. We are thrilled with our Broadway partners and creative team, who are bringing a theatricality to the film’s original fictional story. We can’t wait for a new generation to discover Purple Rain and for lovers of the original film and album to experience its power once again, this time live.”
Tiger Woods and Nike Have Parted Ways After a Decades-Long Partnership
Tiger Woods is going to need a new cap. The golfing legend and Nike are ending their professional partnership after more than 27 years.
Business Insider reports that Tiger Woods announced the split in a statement. “Over 27 years ago, I was fortunate to start a partnership with one of the most iconic brands in the world,” wrote Woods, who went on to thank Nike cofounder Phil Knight and other Nike employees.
Nike responded respectfully in a separate statement: “Tiger, you challenged your competition, stereotypes, conventions, the old school way of thinking. You challenged the entire institution of golf. You challenged us. And most of all, yourself. And for that challenge we're grateful.”
Business Insider reports that Woods' most recent Nike contract, “signed in 2013, had him reportedly earning $200 million over 10 years.”
Josh Hutcherson ‘Dying To Get Back on Set' for ‘Five Nights at Freddy's 2'
Five Nights at Freddy's star Josh Hutcherson said that a sequel is in the works. The surprise horror hit — an adaptation of the video game of the same name — earned more than $295 million worldwide.
“I know they’re in the process right now of nailing down the story, and they want to get going as soon as possible,” Hutcherson said to Variety. “Obviously, the fans are amazing and die hard. For me to be a part of it was was so cool and phenomenal. We hoped it would connect with audiences. But I don’t think that anybody, even on our side of things, expected it to really connect the way that it did. I’m dying to get back on set. Emma Tammi, our director, was fantastic, and it was such a fun world to play in. I’m excited to see what they are doing next.”
Hutcherson said that his Hunger Games costar Jennifer Lawrence texted him when her film No Hard Feelings hit number one on Netflix and Five Nights at Freddy's came out. “Jen texted me when Freddy’s came out,” said Hutcherson. “She was like, ‘My movie’s #1 on Netflix, and yours is #1 at the box office! Let’s go!’ I was like, ‘I love you!'”
‘Poor Things' Reedited for U.K. Release
The British Board of Film Classification asked the makers of Poor Things to reedit one scene to classify the film “18.” The Yorgos Lanthimos-directed film starring Emma Stone is getting showered with accolades despite featuring children in age-inappropriate, adult situations.
Winner Emma Stone jokingly referred to Poor Things — which inexplicably won Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy as well as Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes — as a romantic comedy during her acceptance speech. In the movie, Bella's brain is replaced with the brain of her unborn child's, meaning she perceives the world and her adult body through the mind of a child. “I see this as a rom-com, in the sense that Bella falls in love with life itself, rather than a person,” said Stone about her character. “She accepts the good and the bad in equal measure — all of it is important.”
According to IndieWire, the British Board of Film Classification posted the following statement about a scene in Poor Things involving a father taking his two young sons to a cathouse where Stone's character works: “We originally saw this film for advice. We informed the distributor we would be likely to classify the film 18 on condition that changes be made to one short sequence depicting sexual activity in the presence of children. This is in accordance with the Protection of Children Act 1978. When the distributor submitted the film for formal classification, the scene had been reedited, and we were able to classify the film 18.”
Mark Hamill Finally Met Natalie Portman, His ‘Star Wars' Mother
The Force united Star Wars actors Natalie Portman and Mark Hamill at the Golden Globes last night. Natalie Portman played Padmé Amidala — the mother of Luke (Hamill) and Leia — in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Portman and Hamill never shared the screen in a Star Wars movie since her character dies in childbirth.
“Now I have finally met my ‘mother,' thanks to the @goldenglobes,” Hamill posted on X.
Entertainment Weekly reports that Hamill has joked about being Portman's son in the past. “When I saw that Natalie Portman was my mother, I thought holy moly. A woman that beautiful has a kid that looks like this? I'm not buying it. I should look way more handsome.”
Portman even expressed her desire to meet her Star Wars son on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2018. “It’s such a shame, I would love to meet him,” said Portman about Hamill. “Mark, I would love to meet you, come over.”
Adam Driver Says, ‘I Am Not Doing Any More' ‘Star Wars' Movies
Fans should abandon hope that Adam Driver will reprise his role as Kylo Ren in an upcoming Star Wars sequel. Kylo Ren found redemption and died in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Although news of Daisy Ridley returning as Rey Skywalker in a future Star Wars sequel caused a disturbance in the Force due to fan excitement, Driver quashed the idea of his return during a recent appearance on the SmartLess podcast. “They’re doing stuff, but not with me,” said Driver. “I’m not doing any more.”
Driver continued, “Star Wars was way more exhausting for me… I made it more exhausting than it should have been. I hadn’t quite figured out the momentum of a set that was that big before. All the things I had worked on were pretty small and moved pretty fast… The director sets the pace of the set. I don’t like to control that. I have to adjust. Spike Lee and [Steven] Soderbergh shoot really fast. For me that’s not comfortable, but it’s their movie and their film so I adjust.”
Golden Globes Audience Increased Over Last Year's All-Time Low
The Golden Globes on CBS and Paramount+ saw a 50% viewership improvement over last year's NBC broadcast. Last night approximately 9.4 million viewers tuned in to watch compared to 6.3 million last year.
No one should interpret the increase in viewers as evidence that the Golden Globes is “winning” at anything. According to IndieWire, last night's viewership represents just a fraction of the 18 million who watched in pre-COVID 2020. Last night's broadcast also returned to Sunday, which gave it a ratings bump compared to last year.
Reviewers have referred to the 2024 Golden Globes ceremony hosted by Jo Koy as “disastrous,” “lame,” and “a catastrophe.” If there were a trophy for the most awkward awards ceremony of 2024, the Golden Globes would have a lock on it.
