Thank goodness – the long national nightmare of waiting for Game of Thrones to return is almost over. I always say that the fastest 10 weeks of the year are when Game of Thrones is on and then time seems to stand still until the next new season. This year has been a particularly brutal wait, as the new episodes are starting much later in the year than normal. That legitimately hurt my heart. But now we’re T-minus 4 days and I’m practically giddy with anticipation. I’m going away this weekend, but you better believe that I’ll be back in time to be in front of my TV at 9 pm sharp, hopefully with a glass of the new Ommegang Game of Thrones beer in my hand. This is nonnegotiable, so I hope Amtrak understands that if there are any delays Sunday they may have their own Red Wedding situation on their hands.
But it isn’t Sunday yet, which means that my attention is still focused on giving you the best pop culture roundup possible. As always, I’ve searched high and low to bring you the best that the world of pop culture has to offer. So while you countdown to the time when we are all transported back to Westeros, see what pop culture goodness that you might have missed in the last seven days.
- Deadpool 2 is officially a go!
- Vulture hypothesizes on how every NYC TV character would have voted in yesterday’s primary.
- Willem Dafoe will appear in Justice League.
- President Obama is basically the only person getting screeners for the new season of Game of Thrones.
- A crafty reporter files a FOIA request for said screeners.
- The final two seasons of Game of Thrones may be shortened to 13 total episodes.
- George R.R. Martin has an idea for a Game of Thrones spinoff.
- The actor who plays Ramsay Bolton on Game of Thrones says his performances is based on Liam Gallagher from Oasis.
- Here’s a 360 degree video of the Game of Thrones opening credits:
- Mark your calendars – Beyoncé is dropping something on HBO April 23rd.
- Stana Katic is leaving Castle.
- Benedict Cumberbatch will voice the Grinch in the new animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
- New Girl has been renewed for a 6th season.
- Gwen Stefani is going out on tour with Eve.
- The Jim Gaffigan Show returns June 19th. I was a fan of the first season.
- Spider-Man: Homecoming eyes Michael Keaton for the villain.
- Jack White is making baseball bats now.
- Here’s your first look at Elizabeth Banks in the Power Rangers reboot:
- Tracy Morgan performed for the health care professionals who treated him after his accident.
- Broadchurch adds to its cast for its third and final season.
- It is rumored that the new Star Trek TV series will be set before The Next Generation and will be an anthology series.
- Stephen King says that he has an idea for a sequel to 11.22.63.
- Meanwhile, The Mist TV adaptation gets a series order at Spike.
- Josh Charles is rumored to be returning for The Good Wife finale.
- Elizabeth Banks will direct the new Charlie’s Angels reboot.
- Apparently undeterred by the failure of Pan, Disney is doing their own live-action adaptation of Peter Pan.
- Emma Stone and Steve Carrell really look a lot like Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs:
- Alexander Hamilton’s descendants discuss the musical Hamilton.
- The actors and producers of Hamilton have reached a profit-sharing deal.
- Hamilton was among the 2016 Pulitzer Prize winners. Rule of thumb – just assume Hamilton will win everything it possibly can.
- Kevin Hart may be done with stand-up touring.
- Hart and Dwayne Johnson may team up for a remake of Jumanji.
- Daisy Ridley and J.J. Abrams are teaming up on a fantasy-romance.
- Uproxx predicts the 17 network series most likely to be canceled.
- Fear The Walking Dead has been renewed for another season.
- Sometimes the rumors are true – Axl Rose is going out on tour with AC/DC.
- AC/DC’s former frontman Brian Johnson clarifies his “retirement.”
- Dave Franco discusses auditioning to play Han Solo.
- Naomi Watts to star in the Netflix psychological thriller Gypsy.
- Emily Blunt is always delightful on Jimmy Kimmel Live!:
- Channing Tatum has joined the cast of the new Kingsmen sequel.
- David Wenham has been cast in Netflix’s Iron Fist.
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is getting a new executive producer.
- Amy Sherman-Palladino would be open to a Bunheads revival, should anyone ask.
- Vulture ponders why Melissa McCarthy doesn’t receive the respect she deserves.
- HBO is working on a Fahrenheit 451 movie.
- Ballers and Vice Principals will come to HBO in July.
- Michael Strahan is leaving Live with Kelly and Michael.
- Taylor Swift takes you on a tour of her home and answers Vogue‘s 73 questions:
- Citing undisclosed health issues, Joe Manganiello has exited History Channel’s Navy Seal drama SIX. He’ll be replaced by the always fantastic Walton Goggins.
- Amazon is developing a drama inspired by Bob Dylan songs.
- Kevin Bacon will star in Jill Soloway’s new Amazon pilot.
- Trey Parker will loan his presumably less foul-mouthed voice to Despicable Me 3.
- The Daily Show will be hitting the road to cover both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.
- Courtney B. Vance has joined the cast of The Mummy reboot.
- Here’s what’s coming to HBO Now in May. And Hulu.
- Science has figured out why Freddie Mercury is one of the greatest singers of all time.
- Brie Larson will host SNL May 7th.
- Neil Gaiman to adapt Good Omens as a 6-part miniseries.
- Comedy Bang! Bang! returns on June 3rd. Lots of great people will appear this season.
- James Cameron is now promising four sequels to Avatar. I’ll believe him when I see them.
- An oral history of Childrens Hospital, which ended its run last week.
Time for some trailers…..
- One final Game of Thrones trailer before the new season:
- The Magnificent Seven:
- Birth of a Nation, which was a huge hit at Sundance:
- Inside Amy Schumer, season 4 (NSFW):
- Hands of Stone:
- Our Kind of Traitor:
- Hulu’s Deadbeat:
- Mr. Robot, season 2:
- Welcome to My Life (Chris Brown documentary):
- Equals:
- Lightningface:
- How to Build a Time Machine:
- The Neon Demon:
- For the Love of Spock:
- Darth Vader’s suit would apparently cost a lot of money.
- J.K. Rowling revealed the wand designs for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I do not understand this fandom.
- Amazon is launching Prime Video as a standalone streaming service.
- Bravo has renewed Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce for three more seasons.
- Will Ferrell will star in the buddy comedy Neighbors (not to be confused with the Efron/Rogen comedy)
- Jeffrey Tambor’s memoir will be out next year.
- Serial’s Asia McClain is writing a book.
- John C. McGinley to star in a horror-comedy for IFC.
- FX is developing a Thomas the Tank Engine for adults with Dan Harmon (Community).
- Netflix renews F is for Family for a second season.
- Mandy Patinkin and Cary Elwes are reuniting for a new movie.
- HGTV’s Love It Or List It producers are being sued over shoddy renovations and falsehoods.
- David Oyelowo will star in and produce a film about gun violence.
- Matilda will close on Broadway in January.
- A “ghost” was photographed at The Stanley Hotel (aka the inspiration for The Shining) and people are losing their damn minds.
- Paul McCartney performed “A Hard Day’s Night” for the first time since 1965.
- Here’s the pilot script for CBS’ failed How I Met Your Dad series.
- The 2016 Eisner nominees have been announced.
- Warren Beatty still is planning to make a Dick Tracy sequel.
- Hope you weren’t dreaming of a Simon and Garfunkel reunion.
- A Betty & Veronica reboot is coming from Archie Comics in July.
- The guitar that Kurt Cobain used on Nirvana’s final tour hits the auction block.
- Stephen Spielberg will produce and Sam Mendez will direct Voyeur’s Hotel.
- Meryl Streep thought her performance could have been better in this film.
- Why Rob Schneider is the worst-reviewed actor in all of film.
- St. Vincent is making her directorial debut.
- This dude’s great-great-grandfather is a Matthew McConaughey doppelgänger:
- Not to be outdone, this guy’s great-grandfather is the spitting image of Johnny Depp:
- Lifetime is doing a series on the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
- Comic Kyle Kinane has announced a new stand-up tour.
- Jackie Earle Haley has joined both The Dark Tower and The Tick. That’s range, my friends.
- Now You See Me 3 will bring back director Jon M. Chu.
- Feud of the week: Snoop Dogg and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
- Mike Rowe met Metallica’s James Hetfield and had no idea who he was.
- Here’s a love letter that Tupac wrote in high school.
- The Disney Channel’s Debby Ryan was arrested for a DUI.
- Police reportedly covered for Zac Brown during a drug bust.
- Prince’s plane had to make an emergency landing to get him to the hospital.
- Johnny Depp and Amber Heard made a video to apologize for illegally bringing dogs to Australia:
- Dancing with the Stars Cheryl Burke did not enjoy working with Ian Ziering. AT ALL.
- Liam Hemsworth says he and Miley Cyrus are not engaged.
- Rihanna and Leonardo DiCaprio – back on?
- R.I.P. Doris Roberts. She was 90.
- The Rock shares a photo of his 4 month old daughter Jasmine:
- Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock welcomed their second child together, son Remington Alexander.
- Ellie Kemper and her husband Michael Koman are expecting their first child together.
- Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are reportedly expecting their second child.
- Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes are also reportedly expecting again.
- Jason Sudekis and Olivia Wilde are expecting baby #2 too.
- John Legend and Chrissy Teigen have welcomed a baby girl. She’s already made her social media debut:
As always, we end with the supercuts and mashups….
- Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner recites Adele lyrics as Jon Snow:
- The first and final frames of TV series:
- Lincoln mashed up with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter becomes a Kung Fu movie:
- 100 best post-kill one-liners:
- 100 years of cinema with 100 iconic movie scenes:
- The Real Masters of Eternia:
- Cats in famous movie scenes:
- Captain America: Civil War gets the Ken Burns treatment:
- Suicide Squad meets Friends:
- And finally, The Muppets cover Snoop Dogg: