You will know the most gleeful, instantly gratifying, oh-this-is-going-to-be-good moment in Gladiator II when you see it. The dopamine peak of Ridley Scott‘s long-awaited sequel to his 2000 Oscar-winning epic isn’t the opening battle scene, in which Paul Mescal and his neighbors unleash hell on Roman centurions attacking them. It …
Read More »How 'The Piano Lesson' Uses Music to Excavate America's Dark History of Slavery
For Malcolm Washington, an appreciation for August Wilson plays runs in the family. Several years ago, his father Denzel committed to producing film adaptations of Wilson’s Century Cycle plays — a collection of 10 works, each covering one decade of the Black experience in 20th-century America. Denzel started with the …
Read More »'Gladiator II' Is a Paul Mescal Thirst Trap With Swords
And so we go once more into the Colosseum, a place where bread and circuses reign supreme. A mad emperor, his mind slowly rotting, puts a once-mighty empire on the brink of total and utter collapse. The ruling class has gone from corruptible to corrupt. The masses are kept distracted …
Read More »'The Piano Lesson' Turns a Major Play Into a Minor-Key Family Affair
The musical instrument sitting over in the corner, idle but not gathering dust, at the center of August Wilson’s Pulitzer-winning play The Piano Lesson is more than just a piano. It’s a family heirloom, passed down several generations and proof of how their lineage endured hardship and tragedy. It’s a …
Read More »Late-Night TV Takes Aim at Tyson-Paul Fight: 'More Like a Disagreement'
Jake Paul may have defeated Mike Tyson over the weekend, but it’s the late-night TV hosts who are claiming the final victory. The fight, which aired live on Netflix, is continuing to provide joke fodder days later, much to the delight of everyone leading a late-night show. “Was that a …
Read More »Denzel Washington Teases 'Black Panther 3' Role
Denzel Washington could be gearing up to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a new role in Black Panther 3 — though the storied actor is obviously doing it on his terms. In a recent interview on Today (the Australian version, not the U.S. one), Washington said director Ryan Coogler …
Read More »Saoirse Ronan on 'Wild' Reaction to Viral Comment About Women's Safety
Saoirse Ronan said she was surprised by the response to her viral comment about violence against women on The Graham Norton Show, but glad it seemed to be “opening a conversation again.” In a new interview on the Ryan Tubridy Show on Virgin Radio UK, Ronan called the reaction “wild,” …
Read More »Paul Mescal's Villain Origin Story Takes Shape in New 'Gladiator II' Trailer
Paul Mescal‘s Lucius is just like his father in the latest trailer for Ridley Scott‘s Gladiator II. In the new clip from the film, the sources of the gladiator’s hunger for vengeance and violence are revealed as he battles inside and outside of the Colosseum. “I don’t fight for power,” …
Read More »Ridley Scott Already Wants to Start Working on 'Gladiator III'
Ridley Scott may be two months away from the release of Gladiator II and his 87th birthday, but he’s already cooking up an idea for a third Gladiator flick. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the filmmaker was asked about next projects and flat-out said, “I’d rather get on …
Read More »Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal Enter the Arena in Bloody 'Gladiator II' Trailer
Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal grab their swords and prepare for battle in the new trailer for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II. The three-minute (!) clip offers a comprehensive and intriguing look at the long-awaited sequel to Scott’s 2000 historical epic. It’s stuffed with grudges and revenge fantasies, political intrigue and …
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