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
Han Solo ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff Filming in February, Plus When to Expect the First ‘Episode 8’ Teaser
With Rogue One in theaters now (go go go!), fans are already turning their attention to the next round of Star Wars movies because pop culture isn’t about what’s new — it’s about what’s next. Lucky for you, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has a couple of brief updates on the next installments in the franchise: Episode VIII and the Han Solo spinoff. It’s just enough to keep you satisfied until Monday, probably, when someone else will undoubtedly say something interesting about the Star Wars franchise.
What’s Leaving Netflix Instant: January 2017
Just as Netflix Instant giveth, so must Netflix Instant taketh away, and while there are plenty of great new titles coming to the streaming giant’s service in January, there’s almost just as many that will expire. Now’s a good time to stop procrastinating and finally get around to checking out some of those 30 For 30 specials, or maybe binge-watch every season Murder, She Wrote (you can knock out 12 seasons of Jessica Fletcher in two weeks, right?). January also sees the exit of teen classics like Bring It On and Sixteen Candles, which sounds like a great Saturday night double feature — but you only have a few more weeks to make that happen.
Jimmy Kimmel Will Host the 2017 Academy Awards
Not long after setting Mike DeLuca and Jennifer Todd as showrunners, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has officially selected the host of the 2017 Oscars telecast. Drumroll please…oh, forget it, you saw the headline. It’s Jimmy Kimmel, comedian, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and, most importantly, the guy who brought you celebrities reading mean tweets about themselves for your entertainment.
New Netflix Instant Releases: December 2016
As a special gift to you this holiday season, Netflix is bringing Captain America: Civil War to Instant (on Christmas, no less), allowing you to stream and repeat to your heart’s desire. That’s not all, of course, as the streaming service is adding several new and classic titles in December, including Netflix Originals like Fuller House Season 2, the first season of the Guillermo del Toro-produced animated series Trollhunters, and the young Barack Obama-goes-to-college movie Barry (the trailer for that one just dropped this morning).
New HBO NOW Releases: December 2016
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas — on HBO NOW, that is. This December, the network is gifting subscribers with several great new additions, including a few of this year’s most enjoyable films. So whether you missed Hail, Caesar! and Midnight Special in theaters, or you’ve been dying to give them another watch, HBO NOW’s upcoming slate has you covered — and then some.
What’s Expiring From Netflix Instant: December 2016
Netflix may be giving us Captain America: Civil War on Christmas (and many more great additions next month), but there are also several titles expiring from the service in December, including — gasp — every season of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Okay, you might not be all that concerned about Kevin Sorbo’s biceps, but chances are there’s at least one or two things on this list of expiring movies and TV shows that you’ll probably want to watch before they leave Netflix next month.
Jennifer Lawrence to Star in Ron Howard’s Zelda Fitzgerald Biopic
Novels like The Great Gatsby and The Beautiful and Damned cemented F. Scott Fitzgerald’s status as a literary icon, but some bookish types (myself included) would argue that his wife, Zelda, was the more talented of the pair. Her creative contributions have certainly been less valued in comparison to her husband, but thanks to Ron Howard, she’s finally getting the biopic she deserves (or one would hope), with Jennifer Lawrence set to play the title role in Zelda.
‘Bad Moms’ to Get ‘Bad Dads’ Spinoff, aka Every Other Comedy Ever Made
Looks like the studio behind Bad Moms is creeping in on Wes Anderson’s territory: STX Entertainment is reportedly developing a spinoff to this summer’s hit comedy, this time focusing on not-so-great dads. Let’s be honest, though — Bad Dads could describe Wes Anderson’s whole filmography (there’s even an Anderson art tribute show and book with that title), but it could also easily describe most studio comedies.
The One Where Hollywood Keeps Taking Lisa Kudrow for Granted
In the decade-plus that’s passed since the series ended, it’s become increasingly clear that Lisa Kudrow was the best actor on Friends. Maybe we were too preoccupied with Rachel’s hair and perfecting our Joey impressions to notice it then, but thanks to the generous gift of hindsight, it seems glaringly obvious now. Despite David Schwimmer’s excellent Juice-fueled turn on The People v. O.J. Simpson, and Jennifer Aniston’s typically solid and, sure, occasionally good roles, it’s Kudrow who has proven herself as the most consistently great actor of the bunch. Why, then, has Hollywood been neglecting her so much in recent years? Why are films like Neighbors and The Girl on the Train wasting her on nothing, throwaway roles with a maximum screen time of three minutes?
‘Westworld’ Premiere Review: HBO’s New Sci-Fi Series Was Worth the Wait
Michael Crichton’s 1973 sci-fi film is something of a cult classic, offering an early blueprint for Jurassic Park with its tale of scientists playing God and an ill-advised theme park run amok (seriously, what on earth happened during Crichton’s family vacations?). Similarly, Crichton’s campy romp through a futuristic resort serves as a blueprint for HBO’s Westworld, which takes a more thoughtful and unsettling approach in its inversion of the ’73 film, presenting the A.I. (or “hosts”) as the protagonists of the series.