As usual, John Oliver says it best:
April Fool’s Day is just an annoyance. Why do we do this in the first place?
But what’s not an annoyance – the pop culture roundup. I’m not trying to prank you with any of the links that I’ve curated over the last week. So take a break from avoiding being fooled today and catch up on some of the pop culture that you might have missed.
- The title for The Walking Dead spinoff is pretty terrible.
- Steven Spielberg is slated to direct the big film adaptation of Ready Player One, which probably makes everyone else happier than it makes me.
- Trevor Noah will replace Jon Stewart on The Daily Show. His tweets are already getting him in trouble.
- The Americans has been renewed for a fourth season. People need to start watching this show – it’s fantastic!
- New Girl will get a fifth season.
- Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams will appear on the new season of Doctor Who.
- George R.R. Martin won’t write any scripts for Game of Thrones’ sixth season.
- Wolverine 3 will be Hugh Jackman’s last time wearing the mutton chops.
- An animated Smurf movie is coming in 2017.
- Helen Mirren and Jimmy Fallon inhale some helium:
- Willie Nelson is launching his own brand of weed, fulfilling his destiny.
- Jason Alexander will replace Larry David on Broadway.
- Jason Lee and Jeremy London will be back for Mallrats 2. Your move, Affleck.
- Gillian Flynn and Steve McQueen are working together on a heist thriller.
- The Big Bang Theory is no longer the most popular show on network TV.
- The Wall Street Journal counted every elevator scene on Mad Men.
- A Lost writer has penned an exhaustive history of his time on the show.
- Adam West and Burt Ward are lending their voices to a Batman animated movie.
- President Obama sat down to talk to The Wire creator David Simon:
- Pretty Woman originally had a much darker ending.
- Broken Lizard live-tweeted Super Troopers on Saturday.
- Idris Elba rumored to be playing the villain in Star Trek 3. Or maybe not.
- ABC Family orders the Shadowhunters, based on The Mortal Instruments series.
- They reached their funding goal for Super Troopers 2 in one day.
- Netflix has renewed Bloodline for a second season.
- Ludicrous got Comedy Central to cut the Paul Walker jokes from the Justin Bieber roast.
- Destiny’s Child reunited over the weekend.
- HBO has cancelled Looking; will wrap things up with a movie.
- Jason Segel and Drew Pearce are doing a LEGO Movie spinoff.
- The Rock in a live-action remake of Bambi (I would actually watch this):
- Michael Keaton and Taraji P. Henson (Cookie!) will host upcoming episodes of SNL.
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus is attached to a remake of Force Majeure.
- The new bookin Stieg Larsson’s series will be called The Girl in the Spider’s Web.
- Ernie Hudson has joined an ABC comedy pilot.
- Director Sam Taylor-Johnson is officially out for the remaining Fifty Shades of Grey movies.
- John Hamm briefly addressed his recent trip to rehab.
- Masi Oka (Hiro) will return for Heroes Reborn.
- A portrait of George Carlin is now in the National Gallery.
- The first look at Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor:
- Bill Hader has signed up for Speilberg’s adaption of The BFG.
- Bruce Campbell will play Ronald Reagan on Fargo.
- Andy Serkis has confirmed his role in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
- I’m not one for conspiracy theories, but this one about Tupac being alive and in Cuba caught my eye.
- Matthew McConaughey will star in Billionaire’s Vinegar, a film about the world’s most expensive wine.
- Sacha Baron Cohen has returned to the Freddie Mercury biopic.
- Disney is making a live-action Mulan as well.
- Ludacris’ new album is now streaming online.
- The O.C.’s Adam Brody will star in a CBS comedy pilot.
- Daniel Tosh asked his Twitter followers to roast him. They were up for the job.
- Martha Stewart apparently killed at the Justin Bieber roast. NSFW, obviously.
- James Marsters joins Jenji Kohan’s HBO drama pilot.
Time for some trailers…
- Netflix’s Daredevils:
- A teaser for Fear The Walking Dead:
- A very buff looking Jake Gyllenhaal in Southpaw:
- JK Rowling’s Casual Vacancy:
- Terminator Genisys:
- Sir Patrick Stewart in Blunt Talk:
- Netflix’s Inspector Gadget:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin in Maggie:
- A teaser for Spectre:
- Mad Max: Fury Road:
- Melissa McCarthy and Jason Statham in Spy:
- Jack Black and James Marsden in The D Train:
- Leonard Nimoy’s son is planning a documentary on his famous father.
- Aimee Teegarden (Friday Night Lights) has joined the horror franchise Rings.
- Jason Jones had his last night on The Daily Show.
- Is the Barenaked Ladies song “One Week” about……murder?
- Justin Kirk has joined Sarah Silverman’s HBO comedy.
- The adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies will be released February 19, 2016.
- Vincent D’Onofrio will be the villain in The Magnificent Seven remake.
- Billy Zane and Zayn Malik are not the same person.
- Audra McDonald will play Garderobe in the live-action Beauty and the Beast.
- Luke Evans and Kevin Kline will also appear in Beauty and the Beast.
- A former FBI profiler analyzes Breaking Bad’s Walter White:
- Gabourey Sidibe has joined Bill Eichner’s Hulu comedy.
- A guy was caught using a cutout of “the most interesting man in the world” in the carpool lane. Sounds legit to me.
- Showtime has renewed House of Cards for a fifth season.
- Gene Simmons and WWE are launching a horror movie label.
- Ben Stiller’s youthful punk rock album is being re-released.
- David Duchovny is releasing a solo album.
- India is remaking Game of Thrones…..minus the dragons.
- Justin Guarini has turned up in a Diet Dr. Pepper commercial.
- Ricky Gervais’ Derek will wrap up on Netflix with a one-hour special.
- The Rolling Stones are going out on tour.
- The Winklevoss Twins will make an appearance on HBO’s Silicon Valley.
- Don’t bring your selfie sticks to Coachella or Lollapalooza (or anywhere, really).
- Drea de Matteo is one of the people who lost their homes in the East Village fire.
- The Beastie Boys are officially done.
- Mariah Carey is dating Brett Ratner? I didn’t think it was possible to downgrade from Nick Cannon.
As always, we end with the mashups and supercuts…
- The LEGO Movie recut as a horror movie:
- Superman meets San Andreas:
- Hodor and Groot in a rap battle:
- A banjo cover of “Enter Sandman”
- The Walking Dead, Zombieland style:
- The Teletubbies mashed up with Joy Division:
Game of Smurfs (slightly NSFW):
- And finally, I can barely contain my joy at The Muppets performing “The Humpty Dance”