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
Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson Top List of Highest-Grossing Actors in 2017
It looks like Vin Diesel has bested Dwayne Johnson in at least one arena, clocking in at number one on Forbes’ list of the highest-grossing actors of 2017 — and throwing a little more fuel on that Fast & Furious feud (say that five times fast). Thanks to The Fate of the Furious and xXx: Return of Xander Cage, Diesel edged out his Fast co-star / arch-nemesis, and with fewer 2017 releases under his belt.
Kelly Marie Tran’s ‘The Last Jedi’ Audition With John Boyega Is Adorable as Heck
Rian Johnson introduced some great new characters, planets (Salty Fury Road is the best) and ideas in his Star Wars sequel, but one stood out above all the rest: Resistance grease monkey Rose Tico, played by newcomer Kelly Marie Tran. The actress brought her real-life fangirl enthusiasm to the role of Finn’s new cohort (and love interest?), delivering a sweet, scene-stealing performance in The Last Jedi. And thanks to Lucasfilm, we have a little more Tran to love with this video of the actress’ audition with John Boyega.
Netflix’s ‘Bright’-Themed Holiday Fireplace Is Actual Trash
You’d think that spending $90 million on something like Bright (with $3.5 million of that going to Max Friggin’ Landis) would be embarrassing enough for Netflix, especially after all the third-degree burns they suffered from last night’s onslaught of negative reviews. But apparently the fine folks at Netflix are masochists: Not only have they already ordered a sequel to David Ayer’s buddy-cop-orc movie, but they’ve taken their self-own to the next level with a Bright-inspired holiday “fireplace.”
The Best TV Shows of 2017 (According to Britt Hayes)
Our associate editor picks her favorite television shows of the year (with some honorable mentions).
‘Beauty and the Beast’ Is Returning to Select Theaters for Awards Season
Wonder Woman and IT made a huge impression at the box office this year, but both failed to overtake 2017’s biggest hit: Beauty and the Beast. Released back in March, Disney’s blockbuster reimagining of its animated classic is still the highest-grossing film of the year, and as we wade into the prestigious waters of awards season, the studio is making sure that voters don’t forget about it.
Jude Law Joins ‘Captain Marvel’ With Brie Larson
Leave it to Marvel to drop some awesome news on this sleepy Thanksgiving eve, and they’re definitely giving us all something to be thankful for: Jude Law has signed on to play the male lead opposite Brie Larson in Captain Marvel, which marks Larson’s big — and highly-anticipated — MCU debut. Depending on your particular feelings about such things, you may be disappointed or thrilled to learn that he won’t be playing her love interest.
New Netflix Instant Releases: December 2017
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…Baby Groot nipping at your toes… That’s right. Netflix is giving subscribers an early Christmas gift in December as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits the streaming service — just in time for your family gatherings (or avoidance thereof). Unfortunately, with Disney set to launch their own streaming service, you won’t be able to enjoy the studio’s films on Netflix for much longer. Thankfully, there are a ton of other great, non-Disney movies hitting the service next month.
What’s Expiring From Netflix: December 2017
Bad news, everyone: All 11 seasons of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia are leaving Netflix next month. Good news: There’s plenty of great stuff — including Baby Groot! — coming to the streaming service in December. But just as tons of new titles are added, so must several others expire. It is the streaming circle of life. And time is running out for you to catch up with these titles before they’re gone — possibly for good.
Christian Bale’s Body Has Achieved Its Final Form as Dick Cheney
Some actors are chameleons who disappear into their roles — like Gary Oldman and his prosthetics, or Daniel Day-Lewis and his prestigious method Acting. But only one actor has a body that’s capable of transforming into myriad shapes and sizes, shrinking and expanding itself, seemingly at will, to inhabit any number of roles. That actor is Christian Bale, and for his latest experiment in testing the boundaries of good health, he’s morphed his oft-chiseled physique into a squishy human-shaped cushion to portray former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Michael Bay Is Producing a ‘Dora the Explorer’ Movie
Hi, friends! Can you tell us where the Dora the Explorer movie is hiding? Did you say, “In Michael Bay’s bank account”? Very good! …But also: What?! Michael Bay, purveyor of glistening biceps, incomprehensible robo-action and explosives, is producing a a live-action (emphasis on ACTION, am I right) movie based on the popular animated series. You know, for kids.
Mark Ruffalo Teases Hulk Trilogy That Begins With ‘Thor: Ragnarok’
Due to some complicated rights issues, it remains unlikely that we’ll see everyone’s favorite angry green smashing machine in another solo movie anytime soon. But Mark Ruffalo and Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige have apparently cooked up a plan that will allow the Hulk (and his puny alter ego Bruce Banner) to have his very own film trilogy of sorts. Think of it as a film-within-a-film trilogy.
The Rock Returns Fire With Strong Words for ‘Fast and Furious’ Spinoff Haters
This Fast and Furious family feud has become so wacky and convoluted that it could easily serve as the plot for the next Fast and Furious movie. If you haven’t been paying attention, here’s a quick recap: After some highly-publicized beef with Vin Diesel on the set of The Fate of the Furious, Dwayne Johnson struck a deal with Universal for his very own spinoff with Jason Statham. Last week, the studio pushed the release of Fast 9 back from 2019 to 2020, and subsequently scheduled Johnson’s spinoff for…2019. Tyrese Gibson dragged Johnson on Instagram. Then Diesel chimed in with a post about staying positive. Grab your popcorn, fam, because Johnson just responded.