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Irish Daily Mirror
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
The Club House Hotel is like stepping through the wardrobe at Narnia
'There must be something happening this weekend', I said to my friend as we pulled into Kilkenny city centre at the end of last month for an overnight break. As Ireland enjoyed a mini-heatwave during the last weekend in June, we headed for the Medieval City for a stay in the Club House Hotel ( on Lower Patrick Street, which has just unveiled 25 refurbished luxury guestrooms as part of a stunning €2.5 million renovation. This hotel dates all the way back to 1797, starting out as a local foxhunting club, before being given the title of 'hotel' in 1817. Run by Kilkenny couple, Ian Brennan and Joanna Hannick, the new wing of second generation Brennan family hotel is like stepping through the wardrobe into Narnia. While the main part of the Georgian townhouse is dated, in the best possible way as it retains all the charm and features — including stained glass windows and ornate architraves — of its 18th century origins, the refurbished rooms bring this hotel into the 21st century. The decor is modern yet warm, with striking pops of green and blue in the bedroom and bathroom. And a collection of photography by renowned artist Patrick McDonald adorns the walls, showcasing beloved Kilkenny streetscapes and landmarks. Location, location, location, though, is everything — and when it comes to the Club House, you are never more than a five-minute walk in any direction from all of the famous Kilkenny landmarks, including Kilkenny Castle and taking in Ireland's Medieval Mile, which stretches from the castle to St Canice's Cathedral. Throw a stone from the front door of the hotel and you will hit The Box Office at Zuni, a gorgeous cocktail bar where the cocktails are only matched by the soft remixed versions of all your favourite songs playing out all night. Following dinner in Victor's Bar & Restaurant in the Club House, where the friendly staff and sumptuous chocolate brownie dessert will have to fight it out for 'highlight' of our stay, pop over to The Box Office for a delicious nightcap. Owner and managing director of the Club House Ian Brennan has worked in the hotel for over 20 years and has great plans to continue the hotel's historic legacy. 'Now we are the custodians of this fabulous Georgian building, and we want to see it live on in full glory for future generations to enjoy,' he says. 'We've been helping people celebrate the important milestones for 50 years and it's our responsibility to carry on that legacy and make sure The Club House Hotel continues to be a place where memories are made and tradition lives on.' In Kilkenny, there's churches as far as the eye can see but to see all of the city St Canice's Cathedral ( is a must-visit. As well as offering a terrific guided or self-guided history tour, this cathedral boasts a round tower which is just one of a handful in Ireland which are open to the public for climbing. 121 steps takes you to the top of the 100ft tower for epic views over the entire city which was teeming with people on the weekend we visited, as an electric atmosphere filled the place. And while there is the Kilkenny Farmers Market which takes place every Saturday on The Parade, showcasing local produce from 10am to 3.30pm and which comes highly recommended, there wasn't anything out-of-the-ordinary happening, just a glorious weekend of unexpected sunshine. What's seldom is wonderful, as they say, and in Ireland, a bit of warm weather is enough to get us outdoors, enjoying the craic. And nowhere was the craic being enjoyed than at the new Valley of Roses flagship store ( on Rose Inn Street, which was officially opened just one day before our visit. The name of this store, an artisanal perfume boutique, has a double meaning. Of course, it sits nicely on the street of the same name, which is a happy coincidence, but its owner, Andriana Tsankova, is also a native of Bulgaria, which is famed for its rose water and oil. This writer has long been a fan of Bulgarian Rose, with its deep aroma perfect for perfumery while Bulgarian Rose Water, from the Rose Valley of Bulgaria, boasts anti-ageing qualities I swear by. Andriana's Valley of Roses, though, offers much more than traditional rose smells — the store offers over 400 bottled scents inspired by iconic brands. And it seems everyone in Kilkenny got the memo as the new, and might I add stunning, premises was packed throughout the day. As we enjoyed a mixology workshop, Andriana told us: 'The new premises is more than a perfume boutique, it's an experience', and she isn't wrong as together we created our very own one-of-a-kind signature scent. That was a relaxing way to spend a Saturday afternoon and in complete contrast to how we spent Sunday afternoon — whizzing over lakes on Ireland's longest zipline and navigating an aerial adventure course at Castlecomer Discovery Park ( just 20 minutes outside of Kilkenny city and little over an hour's drive from Dublin. Castlecomer is a real crowdpleaser, for all ages. Younger kids will love the Junior Woodland Adventure Course and water sports, including pedal boats and canoeing, while older teens and tweens will adore the thrilling Skywalk Challenge. Parents who aren't brave enough to try this can chill out and enjoy a bite to eat in the gorgeous courtyard and adjoining restaurant or do a bit of shopping in one of the quaint on-site shops. You could spend a full day here, no matter how active you are will to get, and not get bored. We spent five hours here and only got through The Skywalk Challenge, zipline and archery zone. Which gives us a great excuse to return to the Marble City before summer's end! – Escape to The Club House Hotel in Kilkenny. Getaways start from €127 for a single and €165 for a twin or double room per night, with air conditioning and plentiful on-site parking. For more information, see
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ryan Reynolds Pitched an R-Rated STAR WARS Project to Disney
The recently wrapped Andor on Disney+ was the most adult Star Wars content we've ever seen in nearly fifty years. However, we wouldn't go so far as to say it's R-rated. It came close a few times with its adult themes, but did not cross the line into adults only. But if you ask Ryan Reynolds, he thinks it's time. We've learned (via The Hollywood Reporter) that while appearing on The Box Office podcast recently, Reynolds said he pitched Disney an R-rated Star Wars project. However, unlike his most famous R-rated project for Disney, Deadpool& Wolverine, he wouldn't actually star in it but would instead produce it. Here's what he had to say: I pitched to Disney, I said, 'Why don't we do an R-rated Star Wars property? It doesn't have to be overt, A+ characters. There's a wide range of characters you could use.' And I don't mean R-rated to be vulgar. R-rated as a Trojan horse for emotion. I always wonder why studios don't want to just gamble on something like that. I'm not saying I want to be in it. I'd want to produce and write or be a part of behind the scenes. Those kinds of IP subsist really well on scarcity and surprise. We don't get scarcity really with Star Wars because of Disney+, but you can certainly still surprise people. Because of Ryan Reynolds' success with Deadpool & Wolverine, one might imagine Disney and Lucasfilm would hand him the keys to the Death Star. But that doesn't seem to be the case. Star Wars has been a 'family brand' since its inception. And Lucasfilm might feel nervous dipping its toes into purely adult content. But then, no MCU film boasted an R-rating until Deadpool & Wolverine, and that made all the money in the world. Maybe Ryan Reynolds producing it could soften the blow. Surely, there must be a great Star Wars horror pitch out there just waiting to happen. Lucasfilm has teased zombie Stormtroopers in Clone Wars and Ahsoka, so maybe it's time to make something like that happen. If anyone could get away with it, it's Ryan Reynolds.
San Francisco Chronicle
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Ryan Reynolds is pushing for an R-rated ‘Star Wars' project
Ryan Reynolds has a bold new vision for ' Star Wars ' that he believes can elevate the franchise: Going R-rated. 'I don't mean R-rated to be vulgar. R-rated as a Trojan horse for emotion,' The ' Deadpool & Wolverine ' actor explained during a recent appearance on ' The Box Office ' podcast. 'I always wonder why studios don't want to just gamble on something like that.' Reynolds revealed his aspirations for the sci-fi franchise, noting he already pitched the idea to Disney. 'I said, 'Why don't we do an R-rated 'Star Wars' property? It doesn't have to be overt, A-plus characters. There's a wide range of characters you could use,'' he shared on an episode of the podcast released Friday, May 23. He added that he wouldn't want to act in the hypothetical film or television project, as 'that would be a bad fit.' Instead, he'd want a behind-the-scenes role like producing or writing. 'Those kinds of IP subsist really well on scarcity and surprise,' he said. 'We don't get scarcity really with 'Star Wars' because of Disney+, but you can certainly still surprise people.' Disney+ currently has 14 'Star Wars' series, both animated and live-action, available for fans to stream, in addition to all 12 films. One of the franchise's newer projects, ' Andor,' just wrapped up its second and final season and has been praised for the way in which it handles mature themes such as the ethics of rebellion and corruption. The series is rated TV-14. The highest MPAA rating for a 'Star Wars' film has been PG-13, applied to all its movies since 2005's 'Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith.' Prior to that, all of the franchise's films were PG. While Reynolds hasn't been involved in any 'Star Wars' universe projects in the past, he has been a comedic-relief staple of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2016's 'Deadpool.' In the latest installment of the anti-hero franchise, he used Green Day 's 1997 hit 'Good Riddance.' A longtime fan, Reynolds spoke at Green Day's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony about the East Bay punk trio's lasting impact. Green Day recently made its festival headlining debut at BottleRock Napa Valley over the Memorial Day weekend. 'These guys, they live at the intersection of both nostalgia and evolution,' he said. 'I don't think a band like this stays together this way and is this prolific for this long without integrity. I think it's like the bedrock of what they are.'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ryan Reynolds reveals details on R-rated ‘Star Wars' movie pitch
After spearheading Marvel's first R-rated superhero movie with last year's Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds says he has made a similar pitch to take the Star Wars universe in a different direction. 'I pitched to Disney, I said, 'Why don't we do an R-rated Star Wars property? It doesn't have to be overt, A+ characters. There's a wide range of characters you could use,'' he said in an interview with Scott Mendelson's The Box Office podcast. 'And I don't mean R-rated to be vulgar. R-rated as a Trojan horse for emotion. I always wonder why studios don't want to just gamble on something like that.' Star Wars has experimented with darker storylines, most recently in its two-season Rogue One spinoff Andor, but the franchise has firmly remained in the PG realm. Reynolds said he liked the idea of expanding the story as a way to 'surprise' Star Wars fans. But his story wasn't one that he was angling to star in. 'I'm not saying I want to be in it. That would be a bad fit,' he said. 'I'd want to produce and write or be a part of behind the scenes. Those kinds of IP subsist really well on scarcity and surprise. We don't get scarcity really with Star Wars because of Disney+, but you can certainly still surprise people.' Putting something darker onto streaming, which Disney has also tried with last year's Acolyte series is more likely, but Reynolds insisted to Mendelson that an R-rated big screen adventure would leave a more lasting impression. 'You're never going to get the same emotional investment from a streamer that you are from a theatrical movie, because they're getting in cars and paying for parking, and babysitters, and sitting down, and watching the movie, and then driving home. That's the emotional investment you can try to sell,' he said. 'On a streamer, my only note, always, is that, for God's sake, with everything you can, to grab them in that first shot, like that first thing that happens in the movie… Start with something, 'Holy s—!' and then, 'How did we get here?'' People sitting at home can quickly become disengaged in a way they can't when they're at the cinema. 'We have all these distracto-fat things clogging our arteries of attention, and it is so easy to tune out unless you have them right at the top,' he said. Before it was reimagined into The Book of Boba Fett TV series, James Mangold, who is slated to write and direct an upcoming Star Wars film, eyed his own take on the intergalactic bounty hunter that was 'borderline rated-R.' 'At the point I was doing it, I was probably scaring the s— out of everyone, but I was probably making much more of a borderline rated-R, single-planet, spaghetti western,' Mangold told the Happy Sad Confused podcast in a 2023 interview. 'The world would never be able to embrace Baby Yoda if I had made that, because he didn't really belong in the world I was kind of envisioning.' Mangold's new entry will focus on the dawn of the Jedi, but he said that writing his earlier Boba Fett movie was a 'beautiful period' in his life. 'I was just listening to Ennio Moricone all day, all night and typing away,' he said. 'But I'm not sure it ever would've happened. I'm not sure it was in anyone's plans what I was thinking about.' After Andor wrapped its second season earlier this month, the Star Wars universe will expand with a Mandalorian spinoff movie hitting theatres next May. Reynolds' Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy is also set to go into production on Star Wars: Starfighter with Ryan Gosling later this year. The plot is still under wraps, but Levy announced at Star Wars Celebration last month that the film will take place roughly five years after the events of 2019's Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. 'This is a standalone adventure that takes place a few years after the events of Episode IX,' the filmmaker teased. 'What could that mean? It could mean so many things … This is not a prequel. This is not a sequel. It's a new adventure.' Also on the horizon: a new trilogy from X-Men scribe Simon Kinberg, a Star Wars film directed by Taika Waititi, and the return of Daisy Ridley as Rey in a film helmed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. mdaniell@ Ryan Gosling and Shawn Levy's 'Star Wars: Starfighter' sets May 2027 release 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' teases new action-packed footage at Star Wars Celebration Writer reveals real reason Quentin Tarantino's 'Star Trek' film died
Toronto Sun
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Ryan Reynolds reveals details on R-rated ‘Star Wars' movie pitch
Get the latest from Mark Daniell straight to your inbox Ryan Reynolds attends the world premiere of Deadpool and Wolverine. Photo by Getty Images After spearheading Marvel's first R-rated superhero movie with last year's Deadpool & Wolverine , Ryan Reynolds says he has made a similar pitch to take the Star Wars universe in a different direction. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 'I pitched to Disney, I said, 'Why don't we do an R-rated Star Wars property? It doesn't have to be overt, A+ characters. There's a wide range of characters you could use,'' he said in an interview with Scott Mendelson's The Box Office podcast. 'And I don't mean R-rated to be vulgar. R-rated as a Trojan horse for emotion. I always wonder why studios don't want to just gamble on something like that.' Star Wars has experimented with darker storylines, most recently in its two-season Rogue One spinoff Andor , but the franchise has firmly remained in the PG realm. Reynolds said he liked the idea of expanding the story as a way to ' surprise' Star Wars fans. But his story wasn't one that he was angling to star in. 'I'm not saying I want to be in it. That would be a bad fit,' he said. 'I'd want to produce and write or be a part of behind the scenes. Those kinds of IP subsist really well on scarcity and surprise. We don't get scarcity really with Star Wars because of Disney+, but you can certainly still surprise people.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Putting something darker onto streaming, which Disney has also tried with last year's Acolyte series is more likely, but Reynolds insisted to Mendelson that an R-rated big screen adventure would leave a more lasting impression. 'You're never going to get the same emotional investment from a streamer that you are from a theatrical movie, because they're getting in cars and paying for parking, and babysitters, and sitting down, and watching the movie, and then driving home. That's the emotional investment you can try to sell,' he said. 'On a streamer, my only note, always, is that, for God's sake, with everything you can, to grab them in that first shot, like that first thing that happens in the movie… Start with something, 'Holy s—!' and then, 'How did we get here?'' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. People sitting at home can quickly become disengaged in a way they can't when they're at the cinema. 'W e have all these distracto-fat things clogging our arteries of attention, and it is so easy to tune out unless you have them right at the top,' he said. Before it was reimagined into The Book of Boba Fett TV series, James Mangold, who is slated to write and direct an upcoming Star Wars film, eyed his own take on the intergalactic bounty hunter that was ' borderline rated-R.' 'At the point I was doing it, I was probably scaring the s— out of everyone, but I was probably making much more of a borderline rated-R, single-planet, spaghetti western,' Mangold told the Happy Sad Confused podcast in a 2023 interview. 'The world would never be able to embrace Baby Yoda if I had made that, because he didn't really belong in the world I was kind of envisioning.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Mangold's new entry will focus on the dawn of the Jedi, but he said that writing his earlier Boba Fett movie was a 'beautiful period' in his life. 'I was just listening to Ennio Moricone all day, all night and typing away,' he said. 'But I'm not sure it ever would've happened. I'm not sure it was in anyone's plans what I was thinking about.' After Andor wrapped its second season earlier this month, the Star Wars universe will expand with a Mandalorian spinoff movie hitting theatres next May. Reynolds' Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy is also set to go into production on Star Wars: Starfighter with Ryan Gosling later this year. The plot is still under wraps, but Levy announced at Star Wars Celebration last month that the film will take place roughly five years after the events of 2019's Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker . This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'This is a standalone adventure that takes place a few years after the events of Episode IX ,' the filmmaker teased. 'What could that mean? It could mean so many things … This is not a prequel. This is not a sequel. It's a new adventure.' Also on the horizon: a new trilogy from X-Men scribe Simon Kinberg, a Star Wars film directed by Taika Waititi, and the return of Daisy Ridley as Rey in a film helmed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. mdaniell@ Read More World Canada Music Olympics World
