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
Disney Reveals Full ‘Lion King’ Live-Action Voice Cast
As usual, Disney waited until late afternoon to make a major announcement, but it’s always nice to end the day with some awesome news. Today, it’s the full voice cast ensemble for The Lion King, Jon Favreau’s live-action (-ish) reimagining of the studio’s animated classic — and perhaps the most exciting project on their upcoming (and growing) slate of live-action remakes.
Ewan McGregor to Play Winnie the Pooh’s BFF in ‘Christopher Robin’
Even though Jean Dujardin was the obvious choice, Ewan McGregor delivered a perfectly charming take on Lumiere in Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. Not only was the film a huge hit at the box-office (breaking a record previously held by Star Wars — STAR WARS), but it seems like McGregor was a hit with Disney, as the studio is eyeing the actor to take the lead in another live-action project based on a beloved classic property.
‘Win It All’: Joe Swanberg, Jake Johnson, and Aislinn Derbez on What Makes a Swanberg Movie Special
Joe Swanberg’s Win It All is yet another forward step in the ongoing maturation of a filmmaker previously known as a mumblecore icon. Win It All is a low-key comedic drama that delivers big laughs, courtesy of star and co-writer Jake Johnson, who previously worked with Swanberg on Digging for Fire and Drinking Buddies. In their latest collaboration, Johnson plays a directionless gambling addict (hence the wry title) who falls in love with a single mother (played by Aislinn Derbez) and struggles to get his act together. It’s an incredibly familiar (and some might say tired) formula, sure, but Johnson and Swanberg still manage to make it entertaining, hilarious and heartfelt, through and through.
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.
Netflix CEO Thinks He Can Bait More Talent With a Few Oscars
In 2017, Netflix will spend $6 billion on original content (up $1 billion from 2016), including 20 new TV shows and, pending negotiations, Martin Scorsese’s long-awaited mob drama The Irishman — which could finally earn Netflix a spot at the Oscars. That’s certainly a goal, but according to Reed Hastings, it’s not the only goal for the streaming giant, which has struggled to find balance between quantity and quality despite massive spending. The CEO and co-founder of Netflix recently offered some insight into their plans for original content and threw some shade at theater chains for good measure.
Carrie Fisher’s Obituary Request Was Typically Witty and Wonderful
Today we mourn the loss of Carrie Fisher: Iconic actor, talented author, brilliant script doctor and, most of all, an incomparable force to be reckoned with. There are so many great adjectives you could use to describe Fisher: Uncompromising, unapologetic, fierce, witty, relatable, real, honest. She took all of those qualities and put them to work in her books — from memoirs to novels, Fisher had a knack for telling poignant and painful stories with wit and wisdom. Writing a worthy obituary for one of the best and boldest women on this planet or any other is surely an impossible task…so it’s a good thing that the perfect obit basically already exists, and unsurprisingly, Fisher came up with it herself.
List Reveals Every Film Jackie Kennedy Watched in the White House, From James Bond to ‘Sabrina’
As it turns out, Jackie Kennedy didn’t just have great taste in fashion and furnishings — she was also something of a cinephile. A newly-released list reveals every film the former First Lady watched during her all-too-brief time in the White House, from home movies and TV specials (including her own) to James Bond and, in an eyebrow-raising move, the Marilyn Monroe classic The Misfits.
That Furby Toy Is Getting Its Own Movie Because Surely the End Is Nigh
Trolls. Ouija. Battleship. G.I. Joe. My Little Pony. LEGOs — okay, well, that last one really defied expectations, but overall, movies based on beloved classic toys are a real crapshoot. And that’s exactly how Bob Weinstein describes his plan to make a live-action / CGI hybrid movie based on Furby. “I’m rolling the dice and playing for hits,” Weinstein said at the American Film Market before revealing that the “Dimension” part of TWC-Dimension is actually a gaping void to look upon with great uncertainty and existential dread, a place where the realm of man is reflected in infinite emptiness — or so Werner Herzog might say.
Han Solo ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff Hires ‘Arrival’ Cinematographer Bradford Young
If nothing else, Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s upcoming Han Solo prequel / spinoff is going to look fantastic, as the duo have hired Bradford Young to serve as cinematographer. Okay, let’s be honest: With Lord and Miller on board and the incredibly charming Alden Ehrenreich in the lead role, it’s almost guaranteed that the next Star Wars anthology film will be pretty entertaining — but now we know it’s also going to look really, really, really good.
Dan Aykroyd Has Harsh Words For ‘Ghostbusters’ Haters Who Attacked Leslie Jones
If you haven’t been paying attention: Leslie Jones endured a barrage of disgusting racist and misogynist attacks that ultimately forced her to take a leave of absence from Twitter. The culprits? The very vocal contingency of Ghostbusters fans (aka Ghostbros) who have been decrying Paul Feig’s reboot because it features an all-female cast. Original Ghostbusters star Dan Aykroyd has come out in support of Jones, and he’s got some seriously harsh words for all the haters.
The Strange, Short-Lived ‘Bill and Ted’ TV Show That Time Most Righteously Forgot
If you were a fan of Bill & Ted in the late ’80s and early ’90s, then you probably recall a time when Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves’ rad, time-traveling high school party dudes were pretty much everywhere. They had their own animated TV spinoff, a Halloween special and even a breakfast cereal (“the most triumphant part of this balanced breakfast!”). What you might not remember is their incredibly short-lived live-action TV series — and who could blame you?
We’re All Criminals Now: Sharing Netflix and HBO Go Passwords Is a Federal Crime
Chances are, you or someone you know either shares their Netflix and HBO Go passwords or benefits from using someone else’s account. It’s such a common occurrence that, when asked about it, even the CEO of HBO was like, “No big deal,” then he tipped his shades and sent out a memo with a shrug emoticon — okay, I made that last part up, but if even that guy doesn’t care, then what’s the problem? Oh, just a little something called Federal Law.