It’s T-minus four days until the Oscars and once again my Oscar death race has kind of petered out as we cross the finish line. I’m still hoping for a strong finish this weekend, but I’m punting the Best Foreign Film, Best Original Song and all the Shorts categories because they are impossible to track down or were only available for a limited time and I missed them. This is probably the latest in the process that I’ve still had some of the performances in the acting categories to watch, which is more a testament to the fact that I don’t really want to watch Steve Jobs or 45 Years than anything else. I totally forgot about the documentary features, which I do want to see, so it may be a long weekend of Netflix and no chill for me. Got to stay focused. The upside of this is that since I’ve accepted that I’m not going to be able to see everything, I can continue my boycott of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which was already ruined for me anyway. Children do not quite grasp the concept of “spoiler alert.”
But my laziness with the Oscar death race does not extend to the pop culture roundup; instead of watching the remaining Oscar nominees, I’ve been scouring the web, near and far, to find the best that the world of pop culture has had to offer in the last week. I’ve put together quite the smorgasbord of pop culture stories, so go ahead and get yourself caught up while I pour over movie times and streaming options.
- Amy Adams will star in the TV adaptation of Gillian Fynn’s Sharp Objects.
- Octavia Spencer and Taraji P. Henson will play mathematicians in Hidden Figures.
- Josh Hutcherson is attached to star in a Hulu pilot from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
- As Downton Abbey comes to an end, here’s a look back at all the awful stuff that’s happened to Lady Edith.
- Justice League: Part One will start filming this spring.
- Kurt Russell has officially signed on for Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2.
- Martin Freeman’s role in Captain American: Civil War has finally been revealed.
- HBO has renewed Vinyl.
- This entire Twitter exchange between Chris Evans, Ryan Reynolds and Robert Downey Jr. is glorious.
- Lip Sync Battle, Jr. is in development.
- Has this Ghostbusters toy reveled the villain for the reboot?
- I’m having a surprisingly hard time getting people to stay at the American Horror Story Murder House, which was listed on AirBnb.
- Joe Manganielle will star in History’s eight-episode Navy SEAL drama.
- A portrait of Frank Underwood will hang in the Smithsonian during election season.
- Quentin Tarantino already has Ennio Morricone lined up for his next film.
- Julianne Moore is in talks for Kingsman: The Secret Service 2.
- So the Grammys mistook two random people in the audience for Ed Sheeran’s parents.
- Rihanna and Drake get steamy in her new video for “Work” (NSFW):
- Anna Diop will be part of the 24 reboot.
- X-Files prequel novels will follow a young Mulder and Scully.
- Keira Knightley is in talks for Barbra Streisand’s Catherine the Great.
- Jeff Bridges set to star in David Milch’s adaptation of Shadow Country.
- Not only is Amazon doing a series with Woody Allen, but they have picked up his next movie as well.
- Daniel Craig has reportedly made his decision about playing James Bond again.
- Vanessa Hudgens will star in the NBC DC Comics pilot, Powerless. Danny Pudi and Alan Tudyk will bring the show some nerd cred.
- Steve Martin performed his first stand-up in 35 years. He opened for Jerry Seinfeld.
- The ill-advised Dirty Dancing series reboot has found its Johnny Castle.
- Jon Hamm helped save a hummingbird because he’s perfect in every way.
- Comedy Central’s Review will end after its upcoming abbreviated third season.
- Probably connected – Andy Daly to star in an ABC comedy pilot.
- A mysterious wealthy investor has offered to fund a Happy Endings movie. Make this happen!
- Vikings’ Clive Standen will star in the Taken TV series.
- Adele’s son wore a Frozen Anna costume to Disneyland. How is this movie still this popular?
- The audio of Kanye’s pre-SNL meltdown has leaked.
- There is a petition to have Deadpool (not Ryan Reynolds) host SNL.
- Deadpool has responded (NSFW):
- Kendrick Lamar will induct N.W.A. into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- Anna Gunn has joined an ABC sitcom pilot.
- Superstore earned a second season on NBC.
- Ryan Reynolds may sign up for Life, a sci-fi thriller form the writers of Deadpool.
- A new pilot from Amy Poehler will reunite Kevin Nealon and Elizabeth Perkins.
- Netflix’s One Day at a Time remake casts Justina Machado in Bonnie Franklin’s role.
- FX has renewed Baskets.
- Mad Men’s Jessica Paré is joining the cast of Amazon’s The Interstings.
- Gillian Anderson would like to play a Bind villain. Your move, Hollywood.
- The View will be back for a 20th season.
- Djimon Hounsou has joined Wayward Pines.
- Golden Girls are exploding – the are getting Funko figures and possibly an adult coloring book.
- Here’s what is coming to Netflix in March. Here’s HBO Now’s March additions and Hulu’s offerings.
- Doctor Who will come to Amazon Prime in March.
Time for some trailers…..
- Orphan Black, season 4:
- Hulu’s The Path:
- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, season 2:
- Pete’s Dragon:
- Netflix’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny:
- Absolutely Fabulous (the movie):
- The documentary Fastball:
- Kill Your Friends:
- The Walking Dead: Michonnne:
- Flight of the Conchords will reunite for the Newport Folk Festival.
- Henry Winkler has joined Bill Hader’s HBO comedy pilot.
- Justin Long will star in ABC’s soccer comedy pilot, Dream Team.
- Demian Bichir is now a part of Alien: Covenant.
- Oscar Sunday, Ava DuVernay, Ryan Googler and Hannibal Buress are doing a free event in Flint, Michigan.
- Jean-Claude Van Damme will star in an action-comedy series for Amazon. It sounds kind of bananas.
- Metallica has been named 2016 Record Store Day Ambassador.
- If they make a Metroid movie, Ronda Rousey wants in.
- B.J. Novak is still coming up with ideas for Michael Scott.
- Casey Affleck and Stephen Colbert had a very awkward interview on The Late Show.
- American Crime’s Taylor John Smith to play the lead in NBC’s Cruel Intentions sequel series.
- Both History Channel and truTV are getting into the late-night comedy game.
- Niecy Nash sticks with what she’s good at and will play an aspiring police officer in a Fox comedy pilot.
- Channing Dungey is the new president of ABC Entertainment Group, the first black person to lead a major broadcast network.
- This week there was not only a mini-The Office reunion…..
- but a Destiny’s Child reunion as well:
- I’m still not fully on board with a Marry Poppins sequel, but if you have to do it Emily Blunt is a good choice.
- A live-action Astro Boy movie is in the works from the writers of San Andreas.
- Speaking of San Andreas, a sequel has been confirmed. The Rock, Carla Gugino and Alexandra Daddario will return.
- In his non-existent free time, The Rock will also co-host the 2016 MTV Movie Awards with Kevin Hart.
- True Blood’s Kelly Overton will play the titular character in Syfy’s Van Helsing series.
- Emma Watson is taking a year off from acting to focus on feminism and personal development.
- @TheTweetofGod has ended his run on Twitter.
- New details on the John Wick sequel.
- A&E has cancelled Unforgettable.
- Tony Danza may return to TV in a NBC family comedy.
- Jayma Mays has been cast in NBC’s pilot The Trail.
- Vulture has a piece on why the legacy of Stan Lee is in question.
- Sorry Canadians – you can still host Jeopardy! but you can no longer be a contestant.
- Morgan Freeman’s voice is now an option on Waze, fulfilling his ultimate destiny.
- The Ninth Circuit has ruled against the sergeant who filed a lawsuit over The Hurt Locker.
- Lionel Richie once sent Dave Grohl 500 muffins.
- Based on this first photo from the set of the Baywatch movie, I don’t feel so bad that I not a strong swimmer 😉
- The complete history of Johnny Depp’s moonlighting as a rock musician.
- IFC has ordered two new comedy series: Stan Against Evil and Brockmire.
- David Attenborough will return to narrate a sequel to Planet Earth.
- VH1 is turning the hip-hop movie The Breaks into a series.
- The great Stockard Channing is starring in a NBC comedy pilot.
- Amazon orders a comedy pilot from Jill Soloway (Transparent).
- Abigail Spencer will star in NBC’s drama pilot Time.
- America’s Next Top Model will return – without Tyra Banks.
- Wyclef Jean did a Reddit AMA and it did not go well.
- Shia LaBeouf is hanging out in an elevator for 24 hours in the name of art.
- The crowd at an iHeartRadio event booed Kris Jenner while she introduced Culture Club.
- Here are the lineups for the third season of Adam Devine’s House Party
- Chrissy Teigan has a new cookbook.
- Goo Goo Dolls are going out on tour.
- Sylvester Stallone was once arrested for throwing a chicken at someone.
- Kesha’s request to be released from Sony has been denied.
- A comprehensive guide of the Kesha/Dr. Luke legal battle.
- Jack Antonoff has offered to produce new music with Kesha and Taylor Swift gave her $250,000.
- Celine Dion will livestream a tribute to her husband during her first Vegas show following his death.
- Vanessa Hudgens is under investigation for graffiti on federally protected red rock.
- Saint West has made his Instagram debut – and he’s damn cute:
- Ne-Yo and Crystal Renay got hitched over the weekend.
- Paramore’s Hayley Williams has married New Found Glory’s Chad Gilbert.
- The Game and Young Thug have dragged their children into their beef.
- Douglas Slocombe, the cinematographer behind the original Indiana Jones trilogy, has passed away at 103.
- Mob Wives star Angela “Big Ang” Raiola lost her battle with cancer. She was 55.
- That’s So Raven’s Orlando Brown was arrested for alleged battery and drug possession.
- This one hurts…..Harper Lee has passed away at 89.
As always, we end with the supercuts and mashups:
- The Martian recut as a musical comedy:
- Eva Longoria does a dramatic reading of Spice Girls’ “Wannabe”:
- A supercut of ever Academy Award winner for Best Special Effects:
- KCeeLo & The Sunshine Band:
- Barney is a lot less annoying when he’s doing Notorious B.I.G.:
- Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” sung in 20 different styles:
- Make that 21 different styles:
- Hotline Bing:
- And finally, Winter is Trumping:
As Heather's World Turns 