POP CULTURE NEWS EDITION FORTY: THINGS CELEBRITIES SAY
Hey, there, readers. Glad you’re here and if you’re a visitor or a new face, make sure to weigh in on your thoughts with these stories. It’s Friday so naturally we look at some of the stories that have appeared on our timeline lately. Plus, more cause for smiles and celebration is the FOURTH OF JULY weekend. I don’t know about you, but I sported my American flag sweater today and I have zero regrets. pop culture news edition forty
LIST | A SHORT & FUN SUMMER MOVIES LIST YOU MAY WANT TO SEE
So, we have some mostly fun (!!!) stories this week, a piece of SUPER good TV news, and possibly some controversial remarks from an A-list celeb. Let’s dig in.
POP CULTURE NEWS EDITION FORTY
ALOHA’S BIG SAVE
NBC has saved the formally cancelled CBS dramedy Magnum P.I. for a two season (five and six) run consisting of 10 episodes each, with an option for more. Titular star Jay Hernandez responded with a tweet saying “It was a bit circuitous but we did it! Your love & support helped get us over the finish line, thank you & thanks to @nbc for stepping up! Time to dust off the Aloha shirt! #ohana”
What do you think? Are you excited for this? The article also says, if you based the potential for this on season four ratings, it would rank fifth on NBC which is pretty impressive given the fanbases on NBC.
POP CULTURE NEWS EDITION FORTY: THINGS CELEBRITIES SAY #MAGNUMPI #SAVEMAGNUMPI #CHRISPRATT #THETERMINALLIST #AUSTRALIA #HALLMARK #HALLMARKIES Share on XPRATT NEWS: A ‘TERMINAL’ REVIEW
I saw a headline that did NOT like Chris Pratt’s new Amazon Prime series The Terminal List. I haven’t given it a chance yet, but it LOOKS and SOUNDS interesting. Plus given I (mostly) enjoyed Reacher, I like to think this series will have similar vibes. I didn’t read the review because I try to not read reviews when it’s something I haven’t reviewed or seen yet, but I’m not surprised reviewers might not like it given the perception of Pratt. A perception I think some fans have over exaggerated, but it apparently did catch fire.
Also, Pratt has been in the news (and largely criticized by people who lean Christian or conservative, morally) for saying, in part, the following “Religion has been oppressive […] for a long time. I think there’s a distinction between being religious — adhering to the customs created by man, oftentimes appropriating the awe reserved for who I believe is a very real God — and using it to control people, to take money from people, to abuse children, to steal land, to justify hatred.”
Honestly? I don’t disagree with that statement (with exception to the bit about hatred; may be optimistic, but I don’t think, by and large, Christians hate people) in part because I can relate. What else the star says in the Men’s Health interview I cannot attest to because I didn’t read it (honestly, the less I know about celebs, the better), but he has valid points. I also have ZERO idea how sincere this statement or his faith is, but culture has LARGELY replaced Truth for feel good theology. If the churches refuse to stand up to reject bad theology, then we need to be sure we’re working on our relationship with God, holding ourselves accountable over a religion of culturally acceptable Christianity.
RETURN TO ‘AUSTRALIA’
Popular filmmaker Baz Luhrmann will return to Australia in an “expanded and reimaged” story of the 2008 film Australia. The original film features Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, and is a kind of sweeping epic love story set in WWII.
The new version will be in a six-part series format to debut on Hulu and will be titled Faraway Downs. Luhrmann goes on to say that he “originally set out to take the notion of the sweeping Gone With the Wind style epic and turn it on its head; a way of using romance and epic drama […] While Australia the film has its own life, there was another telling of this story; one with different layers, nuances and even alternative plot twists that an episodic format has allowed us to explore. Drawn from the same material, Faraway Downs is a new variation on Australia for audiences to discover.”
What do you think? Does this sound interesting? Will you give it a chance or do you think Australia is a modern bit of cinema that stands well on its own?
LAST THINGS
Speaking of Pratt, I also saw a really CUTE story about him. In an interview with a pop culture show he had in promoting his new The Terminal List show, he was asked which movie he would first show his two daughters (who are both under two). He replied that probably it’d be The Lego Movie, but it’d be a “long time” before they saw The Terminal List.
HBO’s The Time Traveler’s Wife will end with its first and only season.
Cancelled is Paramount’s Why Women Kill after its earlier season three renewal. Did you ever watch this one? I never did as it just didn’t seem a vibe I’d go for.
Hallmark has set August 14th for its final season run of Chesapeake Shores and all I’ll say is Abby’s possible new love interest Evan IS on the season six artwork, so… maybe that gives us one answer? Also in Hallmark news, Andie McDowell will appear in their upcoming primetime show The Way Home, which is has time-travel elements.
Candice Patton, who plays Iris West on CW’s The Flash is also reported to return for season nine after some questions regarding her status. I have never liked her character, based on a few seasons ago since I haven’t watched in years, but I also didn’t know her character arc implied she may not return.
Former co-stars Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman (from Reba) will reunite in a Lifetime film called The Hammer which is set to be inspired by a true story following a travelling circuit court judge.
Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick or as I like to say I know him from Set it Up) and Nick Jonas will co-star in this “buddy comedy” called Foreign Relations. Not sure what it’s about, but Amazon recently won rights to that project that was kind of fought over. Marry Me director Kat Coiro is also attached.
Cameron Diaz is “unretiring” for a Netflix action comedy currently being called Back in Action. The film will start production later this year and will co-star Jamie Foxx.
The trailer for the reuniting of Julia Roberts and George Clooney dropped in the last week. The comedy follows exes (who hate one another) trying to break up the upcoming wedding of their daughter. The film is Ticket to Paradise.
Ok, over to you! I want to hear ALL of your thoughts. Do you think Pratt is WAY off or is there validity to his statements? What do you think of the Hallmark news? Magnum? Let’s hear all of your thoughts?
Thank you for visiting; please come back soon.
Pretty excited that Magnum P.I. was saved!
SAME! I felt like I was being super repetitive mentioning ‘Magnum’ but since I love the show AND I’d shared up until now, I kind of *had* to share its save news. ;)