Category: 5. Entertainment

Between being a new dad to baby daughter Saga Blade and absolutely burning the midnight oil promoting his new Lost Americana album you’d imagine MGK doesn’t have a ton of free time. Which might be a partial explanation for why the hard-charging rapper-turned-pop-punker had an exasperatedly short answer to a fan question during Sunday night’s (Aug. 10) Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

Asked if there was any truth to the rumor that he and Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney were “more than just friends,” Kelly looked straight at the camera, shook his head and smiled, “Kyle P… shut up dude.”

You’d think that Kelly would be content when it comes to dream collaboration wish-fulfillment, given that none other than Bob Dylan provided the voice-over for the Lost Americana trailer. But another fan question spurred MGK to reveal that he has another unexpected name on his to-do list.

Asked if he could collab with any musician, living or dead, who he has not yet gotten in the studio with, MGK first went with late crooner Frank Sinatra. “I like Frank,” MGK said, before noting that he’s me AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys before and considered asking them if he could hop on stage with the boy band during one of their shows at Las Vegas’ Sphere. “‘Let me hop in on the ‘[Everybody]Backstreet’s Back’ dance or something,’” he thought about asking.

Why didn’t it happen? “Because I never sent a message or something,” Kelly admitted about his failure to get in on the BSB shows at the Sphere, which kicked off last month and include another run of gigs this weekend (Aug. 15-17).

During a round of “Textual Behavior,” MGK also confirmed that he doesn’t have a finsta account, but is intrigued by them, while fully suggesting, Mariah-like, that he doesn’t know if his chronological age even “exists” or, if he’s being honest, have much information about his life.

“Like if my skin rips open it heals really quick,” he said cryptically. Asked if he might have some “otherworldly” qualities, Kelly said he did ask his mom one time if she recalled going “missing” at any point or if a “tall, slender creature” ever visited her, casually mentioning that his mother did once say she thought she’d been abducted by extraterrestrials.

Watch MGK on WWHL below.

Last week, Kelly Clarkson postponed the remainder of her Las Vegas residency dates for August, revealing that her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, was ill. Just one day later, the music manager, with whom she shares two children, died at the age of 48 following a three-year battle with cancer. While Clarkson kept this family matter private, the cracks in her armor began to show during particularly emotional performances in the weeks leading up to Blackstock’s death.

In late July, Clarkson powered through the ballad “Piece by Piece,” which was written about Blackstock and released in 2015. “I’ve never rewritten a song more, and I probably never will,” she said on stage. “I wrote this song with a lot of hope and projection for happiness and better than what was happening. And then, well, life set in, and I had to change the lyrics. Everybody was like, ‘Wait, why aren’t you singing this song?’ And I was like, ‘Have you heard the lyrics?’ That’s fun. Embarrassing.”

Tim Burton has spoken candidly about why he never doubted Jenna Ortega was the perfect choice for Wednesday Addams. The 66-year-old filmmaker, who directs and executive produces Netflix’s hit series Wednesday, said he knew instantly during casting that Ortega carried something special, the essence of the iconic character.

Burton explained that Wednesday isn’t a role just anyone can take on, describing it as something that has to be in a performer’s DNA. He drew a comparison to working with Winona Ryder on Beetlejuice, saying Ortega shared that same silent movie actor quality, where even a simple stare could capture everything about the character. For Burton, her ability to convey so much without words made her an obvious fit.

Known primarily for films such as Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice, Burton admitted he enjoys the faster pace and spontaneity of TV production, which doesn’t allow time for overthinking. He also shrugged off concerns about working with streaming platforms, saying his career choices are often driven by instinct rather than a calculated legacy.

Ortega’s performance has propelled her to global fame, but the actress has been open about the pressures that followed season one’s success. She revealed that the sudden attention left her feeling unhappy and overwhelmed, especially as someone who considers herself introverted. However, she has since taken on a more active role behind the scenes, serving as a producer on the upcoming season.

By sitting in on meetings and contributing ideas, Ortega says she’s learning new skills and finding her footing in production. Her growing involvement hints at a long-term connection to the series, one that blends her acting talent with her evolving creative vision.

As both Burton and Ortega shape the show’s future, fans are eager to see how their shared understanding of the character will evolve in season two, promising another darkly charming chapter for Wednesday Addams.

Key Facts

What Do We Know About Taylor Swift’s Possible New Music?

Not much. Swift has not yet said anything about releasing new music, though fans have long been looking for evidence that an album could be on the way. In April, Universal Music Group Sweden posted and swiftly deleted an excerpt from an interview with Swedish DJ Jacob Criborn, who said Swedish composer Erik Arvinder was working on “finishing Taylor Swift’s record,” though he did not offer any additional details about the new music. Arvinder has worked with pop stars like Lady Gaga, Madonna and Ariana Grande.

What Has Swift Been Up To Lately?

Swift has maintained a low profile since she wrapped up the Eras Tour in December, which became the highest-grossing concert tour of all time. Swift has only made one post on Instagram in 2025 so far, announcing in May she purchased the rights to her first six albums from Shamrock Capital, ending the master recording dispute that prompted her to re-record and re-release four of her first six albums. Swift said in a post on her website she now owns her “entire life’s work,” which is her “greatest dream come true.” Swift had alleged the rights to her master recordings were stripped from her without her consent when record executive Scooter Braun purchased her former record label, Big Machine Label Group, in 2019. Swift’s announcement left the future of her re-recording project unclear. She said on her website she already re-recorded her debut album, “Taylor Swift,” but has not yet finished re-recording “reputation.” Swift admitted she felt she could not improve “reputation” by re-recording it, but said she may still release the “vault” songs—previously unreleased songs she has tacked on to all her re-recorded albums—if her fans want her to. Swift’s last album release was “The Tortured Poets Department” in April 2024, which broke various streaming and sales records and led the Billboard 200 albums chart for 17 weeks.

Tangent

Despite staying quiet this year, Swift has been the target of several posts by President Donald Trump on Truth Social. Last week, Trump said “Woke singer Taylor Swift” is “NO LONGER HOT” and compared her unfavorably to Sydney Sweeney, who stirred controversy over her American Eagle advertisement critics felt evoked eugenics. In May, Trump said: “Has anyone noticed that, since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?’” though it is unclear what prompted the post. His May post references an earlier remark he made in September—“I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”—which he said after Swift endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris, his 2024 election opponent.

Forbes Valuation

Swift is worth $1.6 billion, according to Forbes estimates, making her the richest female musician in the world. Swift’s Eras Tour earnings catapulted her to billionaire status in October 2023, when she became the first musician to make the billionaire ranks solely based on the value of her songs and concert tours.

Further Reading

Taylor Swift Buys Back Rights To First Six Albums (Forbes)

Trump knocks Taylor Swift in post supporting Sydney Sweeney, American Eagle jeans ad (USA Today)

BAFTA North America is launching a new set of awards, the BAFTA Honours, in Los Angeles this November. The event will see three honorees, selected across film, TV and video games, receive the iconic BAFTA mask.

Set for Sunday, Nov. 2, the new awards are meant to mark BAFTA’s continued mission to grow in the U.S., as well as the organization’s commitment to acknowledging the gaming industry at the same level as the film and TV communities.

“Over 20 years ago, we launched our Games Awards in London. So for decades, we’ve now been this trisector organization: having film, television and games as our major award ceremonies in the UK,” BAFTA North America executive director Courtney La Barge Bell told Variety. “We’ve also really been doing a lot of work to help our membership reflect that trisector, as well. BAFTA North America has had chapters in New York and LA since the 80s and 90s — and so we have always been this place where, globally, people that are at that intersection between the US and the UK across film, TV and games have been existing. It’s really what sets us apart, certainly in the US, among other academies.”

To date, BAFTA is the only major awards body that recognizes video games amongst TV Academy, Film Academy and most guilds. And this is even as the popularity of video game adaptations increases across Hollywood with success for “The Last of Us” (HBO), “Arcane” (Netflix), “Fallout” (Prime Video), “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (Universal/Illumination) and “Minecraft” (Warner Bros.), among many titles in the works at studios, networks and streamers.

Recently, BAFTA North America has expanded its engagement with the gaming community with appearances at Games for Change in New York and Unreal Fest in Orlando, as well as the formation of a new BAFTA Games North America Committee.

“For us, we’re thinking about the screen industries, and those are our three primary mediums,” La Barge Bell added. “So this event is really exciting because we are putting games on the same platform as film and television. As we think about the future of creativity and the coming years, we know films are going to become more interactive, games already are incredibly cinematic and moving. And at BAFTA, because we have this history of being trisector, we also want to be a place where those conversations happen. And so with BAFTA Honours, we’re really excited just to be showing the creativity and the craft among these three.”

Ahead of the announcement of the BAFTA Honours, BAFTA North America recently opened full-voting membership up to those working in the gaming industry and applications will be open until August 14.

Per BAFTA North America, “Applicants do not need to be British or have previously won a BAFTA, but must demonstrate a substantial contribution to the UK screen arts, supported by their credits and career achievements.”

Iranian dissident filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof (There Is No Evil, The Seed of the Sacred Fig) had to flee his home country to evade an eight-year prison sentence last year. But in an interview with THR, the auteur shared that he is considering a return.

“Over the 15 months I have been spending out of Iran in exile, as I’m sure you’ve followed, so many bizarre events have taken place in Iran and at such an unparalleled speed that my main question right now is not which script should I start shooting, but what should I do?” Rasoulof shared in a conversation during the 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival via a translator. “Should I stay here [in Europe], or should I go back to Iran?”

The City of Locarno on Monday bestowed a new award on Rasoulof, the inaugural Locarno Città della Pace Award, or “Locarno City of Peace Award.” Created in collaboration between the city and the film festival, it is designed to honor a commitment to peace, diplomacy and dialogue.

Does Rasoulof not fear prison or other punishment if he goes back to Iran? “I do have such fears. It’s only natural as a human being,” he told THR. “But what really concerns me at the moment, more than just being confronted by my own fears, is how I can stand up to this regime. What is the best way? Is the best way to return to Iran despite all the risks it might entail, or is it better to stay here and work on a new film?”

He does have three scripts, written by him, ready if the opportunity to make a new movie presents itself. “One, I actually wrote in 2012, and I’ve had a producer attached who is waiting for me to get started,” Rasoulof shared. “Another one, I wrote around 2022, 2023, that period where I was living in my country and in and out of prison, and I couldn’t do very much really, so I wrote a script. And the last one is a story that really moves me and that I’ve just been working on more recently.”

Asked about the themes he is exploring in these film scripts, Rasoulof said: “They relate to the work I’ve done before. They are connected, but I try never to repeat myself and keep innovating. In these three scripts, the main locations are in Europe and in the United States, but they all have very much to do with Iran.”

His film Sacred Fig, won a special jury award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and was in the running for the best international feature Oscar, submitted by his new home, Germany.

During his time in Berlin, he also premiered his play Destination: Origin, which brought him back to stage work after about 30 years. Featuring the actresses from Sacred Fig, Niousha Akhshi, Mahsa Rostami, and Setareh Maleki, who also had to leave Iran for Germany, it deals with the challenges of migration and opening up to a new culture, while trying to retain your own culture.

“It debuted a couple of months ago in Berlin, went very well, and is still touring,” Rasoulof told THR. “It was a very good experience, because it related closely to the actresses’ experience of immigration.”

Locarno Film Festival artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro on Monday lauded the Iranian filmmaker for his work “that can be understood as a hymn to human dignity,” adding: “And only out of complete respect for human dignity can a renewed spirit of peace arise.” The jury said the inaugural peace award was going to “a remarkable creator of poetic and political cinema, whose work powerfully and profoundly explores themes of freedom, individual responsibility, and human dignity.”

Rasoulof is one of several big-name Iranian film creatives attending Locarno78. Iran-born actress Golshifteh Farahani received the Excellence Award Davide Campari on the picturesque lakeside town’s Piazza Grande square on the fest’s opening night. She got the honor from Zar Amir, who stars in the opening film In the Land of Arto from director Tamara Stepanyan. Also, dissident director Jafar Panahi is presenting his Cannes Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident at the fest.

If Amir and Farahani are still in town, Rasoulof said he’d look forward to meeting up with them. With Panahi, he has already made plans for a get-together. “Jafar and I are not just colleagues. We have shared so many deeply bizarre experiences,” the filmmaker told THR. “I am very curious to see him again after 15 months. I can’t wait to reconnect, because we spent two periods in prison together in Iran. We basically lived together in one small cell, sitting together for over six months.”

Rasoulof hasn’t seen It Was Just an Accident yet but will do so in Locarno. “I can’t wait. We have arranged things so that I can watch it here on the big screen” on the town’s Piazza Grande.

Rasoulof ends the conversation with another thought: “This might feel a bit private, but what I would say is that I realize that the sense of belonging and being deeply rooted within one culture is so much more complex than what you’ll ever be able to portray through cinema, through art. You might be able to tell a story to indicate some facets, but there will always be things that kind of drop from your hands. And so I realize that I’m not free in the sense that freedom is something bigger than what we can do within a country with a group of people. At the same time, so much is happening in the world that as much as you try to be free and resist, the events around us are of such a scale that it’s very difficult not to feel powerless.”

There’s a lot going on in the Taylor Swift fandom right now. Though the pop star has been keeping out of the spotlight in recent months, the internet is swimming with theories that she’s about to make her comeback — and she just might make the big announcement on boyfriend Travis Kelce‘s podcast.

It all started Monday morning (Aug. 11), when New Heights — the podcast hosted by the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and his brother, retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce — posted an image on X teasing its special guest for this week’s episode. In the photo, the two NFL stars smile on either side of a blacked-out silhouette, which Swifties think happens to look a lot like a certain 14-time Grammy winner.

“92%ers, we’re coming back early for a special episode with a VERY special guest,” reads the photo’s caption, which notes that the episode will drop on Aug. 13, coinciding with Swift’s favorite number.

The New Heights teaser image also features a glittery orange background, aligning with long-held fan theories that Swift’s next album will have an orange theme. Plus, Jason appears to be wearing an Eras Tour T-shirt.

But if those apparent Easter eggs weren’t enough to get Swifties riled up, the message Taylor Nation posted just 12 minutes later definitely was. Sharing four images of the musician on stage at past Eras shows, wearing the color — you guessed it — orange in each one, the official fan account wrote, “Thinking about when she said ‘See you next era…’”

Fueling the fire, Taylor Nation quickly followed that post up with two additional batches of four orange-themed Eras outfits in the replies, amounting to 12 pictures total. (Following 2024’s The Tortured Poets Department, Swift’s next album would be the 12th in her discography.)

With all of that in mind, Swifties are absolutely losing their minds at the possibility that the singer has new music coming soon. “glittery orange background, taylor nation posted 12 minutes after new heights, the silhouette is shaped like taylor, Jason in eras merch, a ‘VERY’ special guest…… what if she announces ts12 on Wednesday the 13th ON NEW HEIGHTS…..,” one person wrote on X.

“TS12 IS ACTUALLY COMING THIS IS NOT A DRILL WHATS THE PROCEDURE!!” another excited fan posted.

“travis looking to his left with his Taylor Smile, jason wearing merch, i can see the bangs from a mile away……but most importantly, the background…, added a third Swiftie. “ts12 confirmed to be orange alert the troops.”

Billboard has reached out to Swift’s rep for comment.

Fans have been waiting to see what the musician will do next ever since the Eras Tour wrapped in December, tying a glittery bow on Swift’s first two decades making music. Pulling in more than $2 billion in worldwide grosses, the trek went down in history as the highest earning tour of all time.

And though Swift has never had trouble outdoing herself, her past few projects have left expectations quite high. Her 2022 album, Midnights, won album of the year at the Grammys — making the hitmaker the first artist to ever win the prize four times — while Tortured Poets spent 17 weeks atop the Billboard 200, the third-longest No. 1 run of any album in chart history.

Netflix has “extended its creative partnership” with Archewell Productions, Prince Harry and Meghan’s — the Duke and Duchess of Sussex — media company, with a multiyear, first-look deal for all of Archewell’s film and television projects. In practice, it is a downgrade from the 2020 overall deal that birthed Harry & Meghan, Polo and With Love, Meghan, among other projects.

The overall-to-first-look extension mirrors the move Netflix made recently with the Obamas — as well as others — for their Higher Ground banner. In both cases, the exclusivity carried by their respective, splashy original deals has been removed.

As part of the new deal, Netflix is also now partnering with Markle’s “As ever” lifestyle brand.

“We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As ever brand,” Markle said in a statement. “My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision.“

“Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere. The response to their work speaks for itself — Harry & Meghan gave viewers an intimate look into their lives and quickly became one of our most-watched documentary series,” Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria said. “More recently, fans have been inspired by With Love, Meghan, with products from the new As ever line consistently selling out in record time. We’re excited to continue our partnership with Archewell Productions and to entertain our members together.”

Harry & Meghan debuted on Netflix in December of 2022 with a total of 23.4 million views over just its first four days. It ranks as Netflix’s fifth most-popular documentary series of all time.

Season two of With Love, Meghan will premiere later this month, and a new holiday special will stream this December.

Archewell’s current projects set up at Netflix also include feature film Meet Me at the Lake, an adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same name by Carley Fortune. Plus, there’s the documentary short Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within — a partnership between Archewell and Campfire Studios in association with Wontanara Productions.

“In the heart of Uganda’s Masaka region, where the shadows of the HIV/AIDS crisis linger, a small orphanage becomes a beacon of hope,” the logline reads. “Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within goes beyond the viral videos to reveal a vibrant, one-of-a-kind community where orphaned children transform hardship into joy, dancing their way toward healing, belonging, and the promise of a brighter future.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have extended their Netflix partnership with a multi-year, first-look deal via their banner Archewell Productions.

The couple first inked a deal with the streamer in 2020 and have since collaborated on projects including “Polo,” “Harry & Meghan,” “Heart of Invcitus” and “Live to Lead.” Most recently, Markle debuted her lifestyle series “With Love, Meghan,” the second season of which premieres later this month. Along with the series, she launched the brand As Ever, which will continue to grow in partnership with Netflix.

It was also revealed that a special episode of “With Love, Meghan” titled “Holiday Celebration” will premiere this December. “Join Meghan in Montecito for a magical holiday celebration,” the logline reads. “Together, friends and family deck the halls, create holiday feasts, craft heartfelt gifts, and share lots of laughs — with simple how-tos to follow at home. It’s a holiday wonder with warmth, tradition and a generous dose of joy.”

Other projects Harry and Meghan are producing at Netflix include the documentary short “Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within,” which is set to release later this year. “In the heart of Uganda’s Masaka region, where the shadows of the HIV/AIDS crisis linger, a small orphanage becomes a beacon of hope,” the short’s synopsis reads. “‘Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within’ goes beyond the viral videos to reveal a vibrant, one-of-a-kind community where orphaned children transform hardship into joy, dancing their way toward healing, belonging and the promise of a brighter future.” The couple is also developing a feature adaptation of Carley Fortune’s bestselling romantic drama book “Meet Me at the Lake.”

“We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As Ever brand,” Markle said in a statement. “My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision.”

Added Bela Bajaria, Netflix chief content officer: “Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere. The response to their work speaks for itself — ‘Harry & Meghan’ gave viewers an intimate look into their lives and quickly became one of our most-watched documentary series. More recently, fans have been inspired by ‘With Love, Meghan,’ with products from the new As Ever line consistently selling out in record time. We’re excited to continue our partnership with Archewell Productions and to entertain our members together.”

EXCLUSIVE: The K-drama craze continues around the world, with Rakuten Viki snapping up a soon-to-launch drama starring Song Joong-ki (Reborn Rich) and Chun Woo-hee (The Wailing) for multiple territories.

The Asian entertainment-focused streaming has acquired rights to My Youth in the U.S., Latin America and Europe. It will launch on streaming service Viki in September.

Directed by Lee Sang-yeop (Yumi’s Cells) and written by Park Si-hyeon, the series follows Sun Woo-hae (Song) and his first love, Sung Je-yeon (Chun), who reconnect after a decade apart. Sun has found comfort and satisfaction in his work as a novelist and florist after a difficult childhood in the entertainment industry, while Sung is driven to reach the highest echelons of career success as a team leader at Feel Entertainment, having seen her wealthy family lose everything. Their reunion forces them to confront the past and their present selves.

“My Youth features incredible storytelling, as well as wonderful talent both behind and in front of the camera,” said Jaehee Hong, SVP of Content at Rakuten Viki. “The series makes an excellent addition to our line-up of rich K-content meant to appeal both to fans of k-drama as well as anyone looking to immerse themselves in a riveting drama.”

SLL and High-Zium Studio made the series, which is due to launch on JTBC in Korea on September 5.

For Rakuten Viki, the deal comes after it announced My Girlfriend is The Man!, a co-production with Studio N, in May. Other recent deals have included the acquisition of Toronto-premiered coming-of-age film Love in the Big City and the release of Yumi’s Cells: The Movie in July 2024 and an agreement with China’s Bilibili for a pair of animated series.

Rakuten Viki, part of e-commerce giant Rakuten Group, has over 100 million registered users in 190+ countries, and sits alongside k-entertainment news site Soompi.

In an interview with Deadline last year, Rakuten Viki revealed around than 75% of the streamer’s viewers were of non-Asian descent, and that k-content such as True Beauty, What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, My Lovely Liar and Perfect Marriage Revenge were among its biggest hits. Other top-performing shows included Chinese titles Love Like the Galaxy and Only For Love, and Thailand’s F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers and Japan’s An Incurable Case of Love.