Latest news with #ThoseKissAvatars
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pierce Brosnan Talks ‘MobLand' Finale, James Bond and Who Sophie's Real Dad Is in ‘Mamma Mia!'
[This story contains major spoilers from the season one finale of ] Even in prison, Conrad Harrigan remains the kingpin. More from The Hollywood Reporter Idris Elba on His Dyslexia, His African Cinema Vision and Doing "a Little Bit of Everything" 'Maxton Hall' Season 2 to Premiere in November, First Teaser Revealed ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus on Writing a Musical Assisted by AI and Those Kiss Avatars: SXSW London Following the penultimate episode of MobLand when Maeve (Helen Mirren) and Conrad (Pierce Brosnan) were arrested for murder and heading back to prison, Conrad receives a warm welcome to end the first season of the Paramount+ crime thriller. The last scene in the finale, which released on Sunday, showed all the prisoners cheering for him, as he's now earned the respect of criminals in the mob world. In an interview about the season one finale, Brosnan told The Hollywood Reporter that scene was 'a cinematic homage' to the 1968 film The Italian Job and filmed in the former prison Reading Gaol; he said being in the 'powerful Victorian tomblike presence' where Oscar Wilde was imprisoned 'was quite memorable.' While his status professionally still holds up from prison, knives are cutting deeper in the Harrigan family. After Kevin Harrigan (Paddy Considine) found out that Conrad didn't know that the real rat of the family was O'Hara (Lisa Dwan), instead of Archie (Alex Jennings), and that Kevin's son, Eddie (Anson Boon), is actually the son of his dad, Conrad, he loses all respect for the Harrigan leader and threatens to take over their world. The finale is packed with more pivotal moments, like when the clan's biggest enemy, Richie Stevenson got killed by Kevin, the potential new leader. But the big cliffhanger came when Harry, the Harrigan fixer played by Tom Hardy, accidentally got stabbed by his wife during an argument in the kitchen — ending with Harry sitting down acting all cool, calm and collected. Below, Brosnan discusses the finale with THR, while also talking about the future of James Bond — saying Hardy would make a 'wonderful' lead — former discussions about a Remington Steele revival and revealing that he does, in fact, know the answer to that Mamma Mia! dad theory that's been lingering for years. *** There are moments in when Conrad expresses more empathy than others in the Harrigan family — like at Tommy's funeral, when he and Maeve react very differently. Do you think there's a softer side of Conrad that we don't see? Most certainly. This is a man who comes from a very broken background, one more than likely of abuse, sexual abuse, violence, self-loathing … fearless, courageous. He's a sentimentalist as well. He's Irish. He loves the old gargle — the gargle being the booze. He's filled with great humor and passion and deep pride in being an Irishman, but he's also a father and someone who has a pride in that and what he's done by his family. So I think there's a softness to him. There's a human core of emotion that's mixed with brutality, which he can't control. He's definitely unhinged. There were times when it looked like Maeve and Conrad's marriage might crack. Do you see that ever happening? Or do they have to stay together for business? Oh, I think they have to stay together. These two will go down together. I really don't know where it's going to go. I have no idea. I have certain images and sensations of the character, which are very violent images because the violence is what makes it so intoxicating and it comes out of nowhere. And they're all like these bottled spiders that are so toxic of nature and we love 'em for it. (Laughs.) Why did Maeve and Conrad sing together when they got arrested? It is a big 'F- you' to the establishment, to the British, to the coppers, to the law enforcement in England. They're Irish, they live in the heart of the Cotswolds. They have money. Nobody comes close to them. So they know they're going to get out, and they like it. They've been inside before. Conrad's done time. He knows that world. He knows how to control that world within the confinement of prison. By the end, Kevin and Conrad's relationship seems irreparable. Do you think that's the case or could they salvage it? I'd like to think we will salvage things. I haven't seen the last episode [yet]. My wife and one of our sons who was staying with us watched it the other night. He was going back home to L.A., and Keely, my wife, said, 'Wouldn't it be wonderful to get the company to send us a link [before it airs]?' And they did, but we couldn't make it work on the TV. I have absolutely no idea how to do mirror [viewing]. So I will watch when it releases like the rest of the country. [Note: We spoke before Sunday's episode aired.] Well, I didn't see it coming that Harry would get accidentally stabbed by his wife. Is he going to be OK? And if Harry ever does die, how could the Harrigans manage without him? I don't think Harry is going to die. Harry is the backbone of the piece. Without him, I don't know if Conrad or Maeve could function. He holds so many secrets and has such an insightfulness to each person. But we waited as the season rolled on when we were filming; we as actors would not know where it was going. I never spoke to Guy Richie or the writers about what direction we were going to go in. So every time I got an episode, it was a revelation to me who was still in the picture, who was still standing. What shocked you the most? Richie going out of the picture. I love Geoff Bell. He's such a magnificent actor and character. Brendan, my son, getting topped, getting his head locked off. Daniel Betts, who played the character Brendan, he and Tom Hardy and I were taught by the same teachers. So I was looking forward to hanging out with Daniel a lot more. But then his character disappeared. The final scene shows all the prisoners cheering on Conrad. Can you talk about why it was important to end the season with that scene and what it meant to you? Well, it meant that I'm still alive, and I'm still alive for a second season. It's a great homage to Conrad, but it's also a cinematic homage to The Italian Job, which is a film Michael Caine made and Noël Coward played the kingpin. In the film, you'll see Noël Coward come down to the gantry in the prison being applauded by the prisoners. We shot it in Reading Gaol, the last torturous, humiliating place where Oscar Wilde was a prisoner for two years in hard labor. It's a powerful Victorian tomblike presence. So, it was quite memorable to be filming there on a dank, cold Thursday afternoon. We rehearsed the scene; Conrad comes out of the cell; he's not sure if he's going to be attacked or thrown off the balcony, and they applaud him. He lives again. I said to Anthony Byrne, the director, 'Why don't we crank out the stone sympathy for the devil?' So we played that music and the place just erupted. Tom Hardy : 'The plan is definitely to see more seasons' ofHave there been more discussions about that? What would you like to see next for Conrad? Yes, we have spoken about that and I would very much like to see more seasons. There's a lot of life (laughs) and death within this family and these storylines. People love these kind of characters, especially when they're so beautifully rendered by playwrights like Ronan Bennett and Jez Butterworth. And when you have an ensemble cast like we have, which is so strong, so powerful. Of course, I would like to go again for a second season. I honestly haven't given much thought of where I would like to see Conrad go. I just have images, vague sensations at the moment. It was a very intense shoot. Guy Richie called me last July here in Hawaii, where I live, and he sent me the five episodes by Ronan Bennett, I said, 'Yes,' and I just jumped in. There was no one else on the ticket. Helen and I were working that summer on a show called Thursday Murder Club, which is coming up, and she said, 'Are you going to do MobLand?' I said, 'Yeah, I want to do it. I want to come home to England. I want to see my family here. I want to work in London.' And she read it and she said, 'I'm in.' So that was wonderful. Then who's going to play Harry? And Tom was the man. Then come November, it took off and we had five months of really intense filmmaking. So you were never quite sure where the story was going, who was going to live and who was going to die, and that was rather exhilarating. Your take on 007 is timeless and so many people have connected with that franchise and are excited for the Who would you pick to play the next Bond? I have no picks. I shall leave it open to the powers that be. It's a very exciting moment in the history of James Bond. Now that Barbara [Broccoli] and Michael [G. Wilson, former franchise producers] have relinquished the reins of it. How do you think your co-star Tom Hardy would do? Oh! (Laughs.) Tom would be wonderful. There's so many great actors out there who could portray this character. I have no idea who, I have no idea. I wish whoever it is great success. Toi toi toi. As studios and networks are now keen on revivals, have you ever given thought to or been approached by execs for a revival? They have brought it up in discussions, yes. Nothing's been done about it. So I've left it's just sitting there. I know you've said that you're ready for . Could you end the debate and share who you think Sophie's biological dad is? I think you'll have to wait for the next movie. I think leave that one right there. I know who it is, but I don't want to be a killjoy. *** All episodes of MobLand are now streaming on Paramount+. Read THR's earlier interview with Tom Hardy. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Idris Elba on His Dyslexia, His African Cinema Vision and Doing 'a Little Bit of Everything'
Idris Elba tackled the power of imagination during a conversation at the inaugural SXSW London on Wednesday, which took place at Truman Brewery in the British capital's Shoreditch neighborhood. The actor's experience with dyslexia, his development work in Africa and his vision to build out the theatrical circuit on the continent were among the various topics he touched on during a wide-ranging discussion, which was dubbed 'Creativity as Capital for Change.' More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Maxton Hall' Season 2 to Premiere in November, First Teaser Revealed ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus on Writing a Musical Assisted by AI and Those Kiss Avatars: SXSW London Banijay Has No Immediate Plans to Buy ITV Studios as CEO Talks Consolidation at SXSW London The multi-hyphenate — actor, musician, filmmaker, entrepreneur, philanthropist — was interviewed by British radio broadcaster and TV show host Clara Amfo in a session that easily drew the largest crowd of SXSW London so far, with a line snaking around the block. Joining the star on stage were several of his collaborators, including director Stefan Schwartz (Luther). A preview of the Elba appearance on the SXSW London website promised that the star would 'explore how creative influence can challenge injustice and unlock new economic models.' Elba shared that he, too, knows what it's like to despair when watching the news these days. 'You know, I think all of us have gone through a stage. We wake up, turn on the news, and it's despair after despair. It's bad news after bad news,' he said. 'And what's driving me is the fact that I get to wake up and do something new every day. It's driving me that I get to do better than yesterday.' He then explained the title of the session by taking a deeper look at the phrase 'money makes the world go round.' 'That's, to some degree, very true,' he declared. 'But in my head, it's my imagination that makes the world go round. So, trying to get young people to understand that their capital, their wealth, their fortune, is within themselves, within that creative tool set, and being able to articulate themselves.' He then turned his attention to the next generation of creators by encouraging them to appreciate the power of their own creativity. 'Part of the reason why I do a little bit of everything, and annoy everyone, is because I just feel it's better that you illustrate to young people to just try it, just go through it.' He concluded: 'Young people don't realize how expensive their imaginations are, how valuable their imaginations are when they share ideas and they create stuff.' In an emotional moment, Elba opened up about his dyslexia. 'I knew that I find reading scripts very difficult, actually absorbing the words,' he shared. 'I didn't know at the time that I am dyslexic. It became a bit of a hindrance for me. You're reading a lot of different scripts at the same time, especially through series, we're reading revisions all the time. And so Stefan and I bonded over this idea that he had: what if we could do it in a different way and help, in an inclusive way, people with dyslexia [and any sort of neurodiversity] to absorb scripts.' So the two and others developed over the past several years the app Taking Scripts, which a description says allows users to 'hear scripts with realistic voices wherever you are, with only the parts you need — no headers or unwanted extras.' Elsewhere, Elba founded The Akuna Group to drive growth opportunities in Africa with a focus on such sectors as the creative industries, agriculture and infrastructure, 'aiming to empower Africa's growth through innovation and impact.' The Akuna Wallet in Ghana — which, according to the website, 'empowers Ghanaian creators to get paid directly from anyone, anywhere' — is one key service that he said he would like to roll out more widely around the continent and world over time. And Elba shared a vision for making the traditional cinema experience more widely available in Africa. 'I want to build the African Odeon,' he said. 'There's a crazy number across the entire continent: [there's] less than about 3,000 cinemas, actual cinemas that you and I have grown up with. I would love to be able to tackle some of that, because I believe that the cinema experience that we all have gone through should be experienced by a new generation.' Concluded Elba: 'How do I do that? I guess by building a model of data that shows that, actually, you do want to watch films and enjoy the experience of the theater.' Earlier on Wednesday, SXSW London sessions featured ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus and Letitia Wright, among others. SXSW London runs through June 7. Penske Media, the parent company of The Hollywood Reporter, is the majority stakeholder of SXSW. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Aging CEOs, Ambitious Nepo Babies and a Tech Revolution: Succession in the Music Biz
The business of music long has been an incestuous one, even when the players aren't related. But some of the leaders of today's recorded music industry — 84 percent of which is housed under the three major label groups, Universal, Warner and Sony — actually are. When Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of UMG, took the reins in 2011, his son, Elliot, had barely graduated college. Today, the junior Grainge is running Warner's Atlantic Records (home to Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and Bruno Mars) alongside another so-called 'nepo baby,' WMG's billionaire majority owner Len Blavatnik's 27-year-old son, Val Blavatnik, who is a member of WMG's board of directors with an increasing presence at the company. Elliot was brought in at age 30 in late 2024 to turn around the label's declining market share (from 10 percent at the end of 2020, down to 5.7 percent last year). While the results of his appointment are yet to be assessed, his track record for breaking acts on platforms like TikTok at his record label 10K Projects — where his successes included Ice Spice and the controversial 6ix9ine — preceded him. (WMG bought a majority stake in 10K in 2023.) More from The Hollywood Reporter Billy Joel Tells Howard Stern: "I'm Not Dying" ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus on Writing a Musical Assisted by AI and Those Kiss Avatars: SXSW London Diddy Trial Sees Heckler Disrupt Court as Judge Learns Anonymous Witness' Name Leaked Online 'Everyone in the industry is doing the same stuff,' Elliot told The Wall Street Journal earlier this year. 'I'm not doubting any of the human capabilities of these great guys, women and companies — however, they grew up in the fax machine era.' Elliot's ascent to CEO brought with it some upheaval — namely the exit of Julie Greenwald, a beloved executive who had shepherded the Atlantic labels for 20 years. Now, the industry's eyes are on the bigger Warner picture. Specifically, the company's succession line. THR talked to nearly a dozen executives across management, recorded music and publishing — all of whom requested anonymity to speak freely on the matter — who parroted a common refrain: that CEO Robert Kyncl, who joined WMG from YouTube in 2022, may be nearing the end of his run. (A rep for WMG says 'these are just totally false rumors,' declining further comment.) While not everyone had the same theory about who would take over if that happened, the most likely candidate, most agreed, was Val Blavatnik. 'Len will throw his kid in the seat as fast as he can,' one artist manager says. 'It's the succession. Warner's like a vanity [asset] for Len.' Adds a top manager: 'Val and Elliot are very close. It would make sense to bring Elliot in so he could sit and see for a while and help Val.' Another insider puts it more bluntly: 'This has always been a dynastic play for Len and Val.' To be fair, Kyncl is an easy target for rumor fodder given that he's the only CEO with a background in tech and media rather than music, and the music industry — with its less conventional work environment and reliance on intangibles like golden 'ears' — hasn't typically embraced outsiders. Coming off an underwhelming Q1 earnings report (WMG's stock price is down 16 percent since this time last year) also makes it easy for onlookers to put Kyncl under the microscope even if the chatter is unfounded. A change would be somewhat ironic, though, at a time when AI is poised to upend the music business if a digital native wouldn't have the mandate to navigate those rough waters. While insiders are turned toward Warner, it's worth remembering the fickle and cyclical nature of the music business, where hits still remain the top currency. With enough of them, the conversation could change. Currently WMG holds five of the Top 10 slots on Spotify's Global 50 chart as Alex Warren's 'Ordinary' (Atlantic) remains the biggest song in the world, Warner Records' Sombr hold two spots, 'La Plena – W Sound 05″ out of Warner Music Latina is seventh, and Atlantic's Rosé and Bruno Mars are in eighth with Apt.' If the past tells us anything, it's that seismic technological shifts have often served as a precursor for a changing of the guard at the record companies. In the early days of Napster and peer-to-peer file-sharing, Doug Morris (and his Universal colleagues, including Jimmy Iovine, who would go on to sell his Beats by Dr. Dre headphone line to Apple for $3 billion in 2014) was tasked with fending off the death of the CD, to mixed results. The era of digital downloads followed, making Apple's iTunes the world's biggest music store. Still, the 2000s would see year-over-year declines as album sales (typically $9.99 and up) ceded to song sales at 99 cents. By 2011, just ahead of the streaming era, Lucian Grainge spearheaded Universal's acquisition binge, beginning with the catalog-rich EMI (bought for $1.9 billion in 2012, not coincidentally the year Spotify launched in the U.S.) and continuing to the present, where its holdings now claim two-thirds of music's global market share. Today, Grainge, who netted handsomely when the company public in 2021, is the longest-tenured CEO across the three label groups. Sony Music Group chairman Rob Stringer is a not-too-distant second. After working at the company all of his professional life, he replaced Morris as chief executive in 2017 and has gone on to see some formidable wins, including record-breakers like Adele, and culture-shifting albums by Beyonce and Tyler, the Creator, to say nothing of bringing to the world Harry Styles. Is another change on the horizon? It's certainly a topic making the rounds as executives and industry insiders question when the old guard will pass the torch to a younger generation gearing up for the next era. Some wonder if Grainge will continue to occupy the top seat past his contract-end date in May 2028, though others suggest it's still premature to speculate on Grainge's successor as he's still very active in the company and has laid out a vision for the company for the years ahead. Still, succession has been discussed at UMG board meetings, and a source familiar with the agenda scoffs at the idea of going outside the UMG family in the future. Indeed, insiders and reports have cited Republic Collective CEO Monte Lipman (who runs the label group with his brother, Avery, its co-president and COO) and Interscope chairman/CEO John Janick as logical candidates from Universal's U.S. operations, but leaders in other territories shouldn't be counted out, says a source. 'There's a deep bench of internal players who are more than qualified to step into this position.' As succession names float, a pattern becoming more apparent is the lack of women helming labels contending to take the top C-suite jobs. For a time just a few years ago, that picture looked brighter as Michelle Jubelirer was chairwoman and CEO of Capitol Music Group, Greenwald was chairwoman and CEO of Atlantic Music Group, Ethiopia Habtemariam was CEO of Motown and Sylvia Rhone was CEO and Chairwoman of Epic. (The publishing side fares slightly better as Jody Gerson logs a decade as CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group while Carianne Marshall has been Warner Chappell's COO since 2018.) 'Old white men have had a choke hold on the industry for years,' says one female executive, who blames the lack of women on the industry's inability to properly groom talent. 'It's pretty pathetic of the labels, but it's not surprising. … And now there's been such a revolt around DEI, everyone has permission to just do the easy thing and hire the average white man instead.' (Rhone is the sole remaining female label head, but at 73, her retirement has become a perennial musing.) There are signs of hope under the conglomerate umbrella, however, with a slew of next-gen execs in the wings. At UMG's Island Records (home to Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan), Imran Majid and Justin Eshak were named co-CEOs in 2021; at Def Jam (Justin Bieber, Big Sean), Tunji Balogun came in as chairman CEO in 2022; and at Mercury (Post Malone), 32-year-old Tyler Arnold assumed the chairman and CEO title in March. Meanwhile at Sony, new leadership for Arista (Maneskin) was just announced with Clio Massey, daughter of outgoing chairman David Massey, transitioning to co-president alongside Matt D'Arduini. And WMG's own Warner Records has seen its parent company's most consistent recent successes between Zach Bryan, Benson Boone and Teddy Swims under the watch of co-chairman and CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck who, at 43, is among the more senior of the bunch. Elliot Grainge, now 31, certainly tips the scale towards a younger, more nimble record executive less constrained by the old-boys-club way of doing things. But when that elder is your father and mentor, the nepotism-whispers will linger until he's had enough hits of his own. And in a business where names like Azoff, Davis and Wasserman all evoke the nepo tag, the song remains the same. 'Imagine if Bob Iger had a son who went to work at a competing company — it would never happen,' says one prominent industry lifer. 'In music, it's like, 'Oh well, we're fucking morons.' Time and time again, these CEOs refuse to leave or to do what's right as far as their corporate responsibility.' A version of this story appeared in the June 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Billy Joel Tells Howard Stern: 'I'm Not Dying'
Howard Stern revealed a conversation with Billy Joel where the music icon discussed his recent diagnosis of a brain condition. The 76-year-old 'Piano Man' singer recently revealed he was diagnosed with a brain disorder called Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) and announced while canceling his upcoming concerts for at least four months. NPH is a brain disorder where excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain's ventricles. The news has caused fans to worry about Joel's health. More from The Hollywood Reporter ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus on Writing a Musical Assisted by AI and Those Kiss Avatars: SXSW London Diddy Trial Sees Heckler Disrupt Court as Judge Learns Anonymous Witness' Name Leaked Online Heart Band Members Report Stolen Instruments, Offer Reward for Their Return On Tuesday's episode of The Howard Stern Show, the Sirius XM radio host said had dinner with Joel a couple of weeks earlier for the singer's birthday. 'We had dinner together, it went fine,' Stern said. 'He does have issues. But he said to me — so I'm not saying anything crazy — 'Yeah, you can tell people: I'm not dying.' He wants people to know that. He's got to deal with some medical stuff. But he was delightful. We had a great time with the wives. Billy's doing okay.' Two weeks ago, Joel's team posted a statement to his official social media announcing his diagnosis, which explained: 'This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance. Under his doctor's instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health … He is grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage.' Joel added in a statement, 'I'm sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience and thank you for understanding.' Alexis Roderick Joel, the singer's wife, also said in a statement: 'Thank you for the outpouring of love and support. We are so grateful to the wonderful care and swift diagnosis we received. Bill is beloved by many, and to us, he is a father and husband who is at the center of our world. We are hopeful for his recovery. We look forward to seeing you all in the future.' Last year, Joel played the 100th show as part of a decade-long residency at Madison Square Garden. He also performed at the Grammys for the first time in over 20 years. His upcoming tour included 17 shows in stadiums across North America and England. Fans were automatically refunded for the canceled shows. — Jackie Strauss contributed to this report Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
