special culture

Archives October 2024

Hit Me Baby, A Britney Biopic Unleashed

In November 2023, reports emerged about an intense bidding war taking place to secure the rights for adapting Britney Spears’s sensational, top-selling memoir, The Woman in Me. Notable figures such as Margot Robbie, Reese Witherspoon, Shonda Rhimes, and Brad Pitt were reportedly eager to earn the privilege of transforming the page-turner into a cinematic work via their respective production companies. It now seems that this competition has concluded: Universal Pictures has clinched the project, with Jon M. Chu, known for directing Crazy Rich Asians, In The Heights, and the upcoming Wicked films, set to direct.

His participation implies that the forthcoming film might lean towards a musical rather than a somber drama, corroborated by the involvement of Marc Platt, the producer behind La La Land, nominated for an Oscar thrice, who is anticipated to develop the project. Spears herself has previously hinted at this development, posting on X: “Thrilled to tell my fans that I’ve been collaborating on a secret endeavor with Marc Platt. He’s behind my all-time favorite films… stay updated.” (Certainly, fans will find solace in knowing that the singer will partake in the production, having labored persistently to regain a narrative long taken from her.) As reported by Vanity Fair, she accepted Universal’s offer because it “was said to be in the eight-figure spectrum [and] likely as it also encompassed rights to Spears’s own music collection.”

The time period the biopic will encompass is not yet specified, although the memoir follows the Grammy awardee’s life and career journey from her early years in Louisiana, gaining stardom with The Mickey Mouse Club, to reaching the zenith of her pop fame, her renowned relationship with Justin Timberlake, the invasive media spotlight that led to her downfall, and the severe lows of her conservatorship, until her resurgence in 2021.

In summary, it’s a role that is bound to transform the actress who secures it. Among the potential leading stars are Sydney Sweeney—truly, who else to don pigtails and a knotted shirt while singing “Baby One More Time” than the Euphoria actress?—alongside Louisiana’s own Addison Rae, Dove Cameron (who, let’s not forget, nearly played Wicked’s Glinda the Good Witch before Ariana Grande claimed the role), and Millie Bobby Brown, who expressed on The Drew Barrymore Show in 2022: “I aspire to portray a real person and I believe that, for me… [it] would be Britney Spears. Her narrative strikes a chord with me. Growing up in the public eye, watching her clips, watching interviews from her youthful days… Although I don’t know her, when viewing her images, I sense I could convey her story faithfully.”

Unveiling the True Prize Behind Celebrity Doppelgänger Competitions

Do you happen to resemble a celebrity? Are you interested in receiving $50, 50 British pounds, or 50 euros? Naturally, you would. Just before Halloween, a multitude of Wonkas appeared at Washington Square Park for a Timothée Chalamet impersonator contest that concluded with a surprise appearance by Timothée himself (Kylie was absent) and handcuffs as one impersonator was apprehended. Since then, a worldwide spree of look-alike challenges has emerged, bringing together groups of individuals with faint likenesses to our beloved public figures in parks globally.

London’s Harry Styles gathering featured a dozen dandy men donning feather boas, Gucci flared trousers, and shaggy haircuts competing for the reward. (The least resembling Harry carried a bag of sugar and a watermelon.) A startling—and somewhat suggestive—mix of hefty thighs, earbuds, and everyday individuals entered the Paul Mescal look-alike competition in Dublin. The Mescal victor remarked, “There’s a Paul Mescal in all of us,” which is supposedly the precursor to the gladiator fleeing from you in the park. Indeed, (a man slightly resembling a) chef: A blatant Jeremy Allen White doppelgänger clinched the victory without disrobing to his Calvins. Bushwick’s Zayn Malik candidates were merely satisfactory, and the Dev Patel contest in San Francisco was notably lacking in truly uncanny millionaire imitators.

The imitation trend seems like a harmless amusement—a local excitement that hurts no one, an overflow of lightheartedness. However, I can’t shake the feeling that, culturally, everything is a repeat. We are bombarded with replicas—recognizable plots and themes that reiterate the known instead of dramatically reshaping our perception. No disrespect to Timmy, but Dune is a reboot, and Mescal’s Gladiator is a revisitation. I thoroughly enjoyed Wicked, yet part of its comfort stemmed from its familiarity, the absence of shocks, the cozy predictability of knowing the direction. I believe we all, in some sense, wish the world mirrored the world we recognize. The global atmosphere is teeming with grim new updates and unexpected political developments; each day we navigate through countless real-world surprises. When seeking refuge, there’s comfort in a cinematic musical resembling a Broadway hit, an arena filled with classic warriors, a Harry Styles metaphor. We already know the victors and the vanquished; the result isn’t startling enough to keep us up all night.

As the strongly brewed essence of the Timothée contest diminishes with each new celebrity dip, I’m uncertain about the future. A Troye Sivan twink competition? An Elon Musk expedition? (I’d insert a quip here, but I’d rather not risk being ousted from X…yet.) I would genuinely relish seeing a park packed with women emulating the Oompa-Loompa from the “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” in Glasgow. Up next is tomorrow’s Zenday-a-like event. I am eager to witness who dares to believe they resemble arguably the most stunning woman alive. All I can express is: Best of luck, darlings.

23 Topics Jennifer Lopez and Matt Damon Might Have Explored at the Unstoppable After-Party

¿Conoces esa sensación de encontrarte con el mejor amigo de tu ex después de tu rompimiento? Ahora, imagina que eres un multimillonario ícono pop y actor, y tu ex es también un actor sumamente famoso y acaudalado, y te topas con su mejor amigo—también una célebre figura—en el Festival Internacional de Cine de Toronto y debes simular que estás encantado. Bueno, Jennifer Lopez es una mujer más valiente que yo, porque se la vio gestionando una situación así e interactuando con el compañero de toda la vida de su reciente exmarido Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, en la fiesta posterior de su película Unstoppable.

“Jen y Matt iniciaron una charla y mantuvieron una conversación larga y profunda,” según una fuente mencionada en People, y aunque normalmente no confío en fuentes anónimas en lo que respecta a rumores de celebridades, no puedo dejar de preguntarme de qué hablaron estos dos además de Affleck. Sin más preámbulo, les presento 23 temas posibles de conversación entre Lopez y Damon, ninguno de los cuales está basado en hechos o reportajes reales, pero que podrían haber sido mencionados técnicamente el viernes.

  1. La corriente de aire en el lugar.
  2. Los malos aperitivos que pasan en bandejas. (De hecho, estoy segura de que nadie en su sano juicio sería tan atrevido como para servirle a Jen y a Matt un crudité pasado de moda, pero ¿acaso un aperitivo pasado en una fiesta ha sido bueno alguna vez, con la obvia excepción de los mini-salchichas envueltas en masa?)
  3. Las elecciones. (¡Se acercan famosamente!)
  4. La historia de vida del luchador Anthony Robles, cuyo camino al campeonato nacional de la NCAA en 2011 es el tema de Unstoppable.
  5. Cuán larga fue la ovación de pie para la actuación de J.Lo en el TIFF realmente.
  6. Tener hijos adolescentes, y las pesadillas contenidas allí.
  7. Tener hijos adolescentes listos para convertirse en herederos de la fama, y las pesadillas aún más vívidas contenidas allí.
  8. Chappell Roan. (¡Está en todos lados!)
  9. Jen Affleck, la influencer de Mormon MomTok que afirma con orgullo que Ben es primo segundo de su esposo.
  10. Mormon MomTok en general.
  11. Agua.
  12. Rihanna apareció en el desfile de Alaïa en la NYFW. (Este es un tema de interés universal, ¿verdad?)
  13. El comedia romántica de la mafia de 2003 Gigli, y cómo podría haber mejorado con la coproducción de Damon.
  14. Las historias más jugosas de Jen de este verano en los Hamptons. (Al fin y al cabo, sabe que cualquier chisme que le dé a Damon terminará llegando a Affleck.)
  15. Por qué nadie en Hollywood puede conseguir trabajo.
  16. Un plan ultrasecreto para que Hollywood vuelva a trabajar. (¡Si estos dos no pueden hacerlo, nadie podrá!)
  17. La omisión de J.Lo en los Oscars 2019 por Hustlers. (Si fuera ella, hablaría de esto constantemente. Ni siquiera soy ella y aún así hablo de esto constantemente).
  18. Sus respectivas crianzas en el Bronx y Boston.
  19. Los mejores lugares para conseguir bagels en el Bronx y Boston. (Spoiler: No hay buenos bagels en Boston, y los mejores en el Bronx están en Empire Bagels, pero estoy segura de que lo descubrieron juntos).
  20. La suavidad de las manos del otro (de manera totalmente platónica. ¡Código de colegas!).
  21. Taylor Swift, como concepto general, pero también como persona específica que está actualmente en Nueva York.
  22. El estado actual de las relaciones y estado mental de Ben Affleck, en ese orden.
  23. Seamos sinceros: impuestos. (¿Por qué tengo la sensación de que este es el tema principal de conversación para todas las personas acomodadas?)
Rachel Zegler & Kit Connor Dish on Love Interests & Epic Battles: Gladiator or Wicked?

Here, within the elegant Vogue setting where our narrative unfolds, two fated romantics, Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor, pause to engage in a quick Q&A session for the latest episode of Off the Cuff. The young performers, who are set to make their shared Broadway debut this autumn in a fresh rendition of Romeo and Juliet helmed by Sam Gold, gathered mere days before their first night to chat about tunes, dialects, memorable red carpet experiences, and plenty more.

Their forthcoming performance might feature tunes by the brilliant Jack Antonoff, yet Connor’s current top track is…Jeff Buckley’s rendition of “Lilac Wine”? Swoon! And when deciding between Moo Deng and Pesto, Zegler, who is notably charming online, sides with Team Pesto. (As for Connor, it appears he has never encountered either term before.) However, both are eagerly anticipating Glicked next month—you know, Gladiator II and Wicked?—they concur that public restrooms are peculiar locales to encounter admirers, and they both adored Connor’s glittering full Loewe ensemble at Vogue World: London.

Regarding what Mirren conveyed to Zegler upon her Juliet casting, or if Connor prefers Zegler or his Heartstopper co-star Joe Locke as the superior romantic partner? You’ll need to view the full footage above to uncover.

Director: Madison Coffey
Director Of Photography: Josh Herzog
Editor: Michael Suyeda

Producers: Rahel Gebreyes, Gabriela Marie Safa
Associate Producer: Lea Donenberg
Assistant Camera/Camera Operator: Jack Belisle
Assistant Camera/Gaffer: Esteban Veras
Audio: Nicole Maupin
Production Assistant: Rafael Vasquez

Set Designer: Lauren Bahr
Set Design: Assistants Tom Henry, Maggie Fitzpatrick

Production Coordinator: Ava Kashar
Production Manager: Natasha Soto-Albors
Line Producer: Romeeka Powell
Senior Director, Production Management: Jessica Schier

Assistant Editor: Fynn Lithgow
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Erica DeLeo
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Associate Director, Post Production: Nicholas Ascanio

Entertainment Editor: Keaton Bell
Director, Content Production: Rahel Gebreyes
Senior Director, Digital Video: Romy van den Broeke
Senior Director, Programming: Linda Gittleson
VP, Video Programming: Thespena Guatieri

Image Courtesy of SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium

Liza Lou: Unveiling the Endless Wonder of Beads

Quanto tempo levou?

É uma pergunta evidente ao observar o trabalho da artista Liza Lou. Ela utiliza o mesmo material—miçangas de vidro—há mais de três décadas, aplicando meticulosamente milhões de pequenas joias uma a uma para criar suas instalações artísticas.

“Tenho uma relação estranha com o tempo,” confessa Lou. “Tudo que faço, você precisa aceitar que vai demorar. Faz parte do material. Está intrínseco à prática.” Não é tanto que ela seja paciente por natureza, ela me diz de seu estúdio em Joshua Tree, mas mais lenta e metódica.

Neste mês, os nova-iorquinos têm duas novas chances de admirar os resultados do detalhado trabalho de Lou. Em 5 de setembro, a galeria Lehmann Maupin inaugura “Liza Lou: Painting,” uma exposição de novas obras abstratas que elevam o vigor do Expressionismo Abstrato ao usar suas miçangas como tinta. Essas obras são alguns dos exemplos mais poderosos até agora do contínuo interesse de Lou na interseção entre arte refinada e artesanato.

Na semana seguinte, em 13 de setembro, o Brooklyn Museum revela a instalação de Lou Trailer (1998–2000), que ficará em exibição de longa duração no lobby do museu. Trailer é o contraponto masculino da obra mais conhecida de Lou, Kitchen (1991–96), seu tributo ao labor oculto das mulheres no acervo do Whitney. O interior de Trailer é igualmente coberto por dezenas de milhões de miçangas de vidro, mas enquanto Kitchen é uma confecção colorida da domesticidade, Trailer é um filme noir em tons de cinza. Pairando entre o rifle, a garrafa de uísque e a máquina de escrever há uma sensação de algo terrivelmente errado.

Em toda sua arte, “as linhas principais têm sido brincar com heroísmos,” diz Lou. Porém, esses dois eventos de setembro—um novo corpo de obras e outro ressurgido antigo que não esteve em exibição pública por mais de uma década—têm uma ligação essencial. Lou está descobrindo as camadas de um certo tipo de masculinidade: o lobo solitário, o louco, o gênio deixado por sua conta.

As novas obras de pintura estiveram em sua mente por bastante tempo. Embora ela tenha aplicado suas miçangas de forma pictórica antes—como na série de nuvens de 2018—Lou diz que este é um marco. “É o ápice de 35 anos trabalhando com este material.”

From Black Doves to Sabrina Carpenter’s Holiday Special, Here Are the 5 Movies and TV Shows You Absolutely Need to Stream This Weekend