Latest news with #spoilers
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Prime Video K-drama Head Over Heels review: supernatural romcom fails to satisfy
This article contains spoilers. 2/5 stars Lead cast: Cho Yi-hyun, Choo Young-woo, Cha Kang-yoon, Choo Ja-hyun Latest Nielsen rating: 4.9 per cent
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ryan Coogler, Dominique Thorne and the ‘Ironheart' Team on Introducing [SPOILER] Via That Surprise Cameo and Setting Up Riri Williams' Future in the MCU
SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for 'The Past is the Past,' Episode 6 of 'Ironheart.' The six-episode series is now streaming on Disney+. Over the course of Marvel Television's 'Ironheart,' teen genius Riri Williams goes on a wild ride — fighting high-tech foes in a quest to fund her dreams of creating a suit of armor that will save those she loves and, in a parallel journey, an effort to unfreeze herself from deep-set grief. But nothing could prepare Riri, or the actor who plays her, Dominique Thorne, for the twist that caps the show's final minutes. More from Variety 'Ironheart' Star Dominique Thorne on Reintroducing Riri Williams With a New 'Ingenious' Iron Suit and the MCU Show's 'Heavier Emotions' 'Ironheart' Takes the MCU to Chicago for an Overcrowded Coming-of-Age Story: TV Review 'Borat' Director Stopped Talking to Sacha Baron Cohen After He Started 'Surrounding Himself' With 'Show Business People' and 'Pulling Away' From Subversive Humor: 'He Wanted to Be More of a Traditional Movie Star' In the finale, Riri faces off against her former heist crew's boss, Parker Robbins (Anthony Ramos) a.k.a. The Hood, in a showdown that pits her brain for mechanics against his magical cloak. Actually, Riri and her people surmised that Parker's magic comes from Dormammu, the inter-dimensional entity that audiences might remember as the big bad in 2016's 'Doctor Strange.' So, when building Riri's latest armor (her most powerful yet), they've called on some magic of their own. In fact, in an earlier episode, audiences get to meet the man who gave Parker the hood: a mysterious figure played by Sacha Baron Cohen. (The 'Borat' actor's casting leaked while 'Ironheart' was in production in 2022, but his character was never officially confirmed, so fans have speculated about who exactly he would play ever since.) When it's time for the magic versus metal duel, Riri first takes down a supercharged Ezekiel Stane (Alden Ehrenreich), who ultimately didn't want to hurt her, so it was light work for Ironheart. Then, she defeats Parker in an explosive duel. Immediately after, though, Riri enters a local pizza parlor, which is in disarray due to the battle and also empty, save for a lone patron: Dormammu. He lays out the facts. Despite defeating Parker, Riri's circumstances still haven't changed: she doesn't have the funds to create the technology she wants, and her best friend, Natalie, has now been lost again, since her suit couldn't hold both the magic infusion and science that recreated her (as the holographic A.I. named N.A.T.A.L.I.E.), simultaneously. Dormammu can help — but only if Riri is ready to make a deal with the devil, so to speak. But wait! He wants to clear up one thing first. The notion that Riri thinks he's Dormammu is, quite frankly, offensive. Why? Because Baron Cohen is actually playing Mephisto, the more powerful interdimensional demon and long-awaited supervillain, who many fans speculated would pop up in Marvel's first TV offering, 2021's 'WandaVision.' 'I learned in the midst of our shooting,' Thorne tells Variety about learning of the surprise. 'So, by the time they gave me the correct name in the script, it was like 'Whoa, the Reddit guy! The guy from all the rumors. He's in this show? OK, y'all are serious!'' For the star, the casting was a vote of confidence that Marvel leadership was invested in Riri's story. 'The true Marvel fans know that Marvel always has a plan,' Thorne adds. 'So, to know that they've chosen to introduce him here with Riri Williams, with Parker Robbins, it's strategic and it has a place in the larger storytelling and in the larger twists and turns that this phase will continue to unveil. And it is just a joy to get a seat on that ride.' Likewise, Ryan Coogler — the Oscar-nominated 'Black Panther' director, whose Proximity Media company co-produced 'Ironheart' — believes Mephisto crossing paths with Riri makes sense. 'I love the combination of high and low,' Coogler says, in a Zoom conversation with the series' head writer Chinaka Hodge. 'It's funny, when I first met Jon Watts in 2016 and he was doing 'Spider-Man: Homecoming,' Spider-Man was like basement level, like fighting underneath the street-level villains. Then, by the time 'No Way Home' comes around, he's dealing with Doctor Strange and going through different realities and shit.' The same is true for Riri's trajectory, but over a shorter period of time. 'I love the compression that we have in this show,' Coogler explains, pointing to the selfie video of her and Natalie bigging themselves up about the future, which opens the pilot episode. 'Just two kids trying to make a way for themselves and watching Riri get so in over her head, not just at street level, but Armor War level, and then eventually encountering a seemingly all-powerful, mystical being, and realizing that that was where the show was headed the whole time.' About Mephisto, specifically, Coogler adds: 'I just absolutely love that we're not meeting him in 'WandaVision' or 'Agatha [All Along].' You're meeting him through this stressed-out, young Black genius. When you watch the show, it's like, 'Oh, that was how you always were gonna meet him.' It wasn't gonna be in 'Loki.' That's the trickster; that's how he works. That's where he's gonna be: in a pizza shop in Chicago, like, where you would absolutely never expect him.' It makes sense for Mephisto to make a deal with Riri because, as Coogler points out, everybody wants a piece of her power. 'When we first met her, the government wanted her. Talokan wanted her,' he says, then cracks. 'MIT don't want her. But she was always wanted. She was always desired by people who knew [her potential]. That, for me, just says so much.' Hodge describes the decision to introduce Mephisto as a 'collaborative' one. 'I could tell the story about process, and you would know how benevolent Kevin Feige is,' Hodge teases. 'But I will say that it was a collaborative effort, where we all landed on Mephisto together, but there was one of us in the room who led us there, and I'm eternally grateful for him leading us that direction.' But including Mephisto in the plot wasn't the 'initial idea,' notes Marvel's Zoie Nagelhout, an executive producer on the show. 'If you look to publishing, Parker's power is drawn back to Dormammu, who is also a very epic character in the MCU and who would have been very exciting to play with,' Nagelhout explains. 'But as we developed it, we realized Mephisto was a better thematic fit for what the show is about.' She continues: 'Diving into these scenes of ambition and cost and what you're willing to give up for the things you want, he offered a sort of interesting and heightened way to tie together the characters' journeys — and in particular, Riri's — so it became almost like a no-brainer to have him.' The idea to cast Baron Cohen in the role came from 'Ironheart' director Angela Barnes, who helmed the episode. (Barnes split directing duties evenly with Sam Bailey, who handled episodes 1-3.) 'She pitched it, and we couldn't unsee it,' Nagelhout says of Barnes. 'And we're just so lucky he said, 'Yes,' because at that point, I don't think we could've gotten out of our heads that he was Mephisto.' Keeping the actor's role under wraps was another story. 'If he was outside, we wrapped him up in tarps and the poor guy had to walk like two steps at a time,' Nagelhout recalls. On set, she adds, 'Nobody but crew or friends of crew were allowed, so we would cast extras who were family members and beg everyone to keep it a secret. You do your best.' Ultimately, Baron Cohen delivered an 'incredible rendering of the character,' Hodge says, noting that he does two or three different versions of the Mephisto in the episode. That's key, she explains, 'Because Mephisto is a shape-shifter. And this is purely speculation, but I would love to see a version where Sacha does Mephisto a couple of iterations, and then maybe Meryl Streep is in the role in the future. You never know where Mephisto can be hiding, because one of his powers in the comic book is literally changing his form. Introducing him in the MCU is a really powerful tool, because it's a key to open many doors.' So, where will these stories continue? A second season of 'Ironheart,' perhaps? Or what about Riri Williams flying back to Wakanda in Coogler's 'Black Panther 3'? 'I don't know jack shit,' Coogler replies, laughing, when asked where she'll pop up next. ('I just did an all-nighter writing 'X-Files,'' he quips.) 'I'm here for whatever Chinaka's got coming at us next; whatever Kevin's got coming at us next, you know what I'm saying. I think the audience is going to take to that ending and I can't wait to see those characters again.' Best of Variety 'Blue Velvet,' 'Chinatown' and 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' Arrive on 4K in June All the Godzilla Movies Ranked 'House of the Dragon': Every Character and What You Need to Know About the 'Game of Thrones' Prequel Solve the daily Crossword
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Disney+ K-drama Law and the City midseason recap: legal drama is pleasant but unsurprising
This article contains mild spoilers. Advertisement Lead cast: Lee Jong-suk, Moon Ga-young, Kang You-seok Latest Nielsen rating: 5.78 per cent During the otherwise pleasant and routine slice-of-life legal drama Law and the City, one recent moment has stuck out like a sore thumb. Advertisement Ever since the moment she strutted into a cocktail bar in a flashy floor-length coat to pitch this idea to her tenants, there has been a hint of danger in her movements, even though her presence has largely been benevolent.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Weekly Young and the Restless Spoilers July 28-August 1: Nate Reacts to Damian's Death
The Young and the Restless spoilers for July 28-August 1 reveal an emotional week ahead. Nate learns about Damian's death and then has to tell Amy. Jack makes a sacrifice for Billy. And, finally, Adam and Victoria call a truce. Will it last? Next Week on The Young and the Restless After spending so much time in the South of France, the murder mystery comes to a close next week. And more and more of the action actually takes place in Genoa City. But the biggest thing that happened in Nice — Damian's death and exactly why he was murdered — will have to be dealt with. In fact, expect Lily (Christel Khalil) to inform Nate (Sean Dominic) about Damian's passing. When she relays the tragic news, how will Nate react? He and Damian (Jermaine Rivers) were finally in a good place, and now this? It will undoubtedly be hard news for Nate to process. What's even harder is that after he learns about what happened to his half-brother, Nate has to share the bad news with Amy (Valarie Pettiford). And the brutal way Damian went out is something that will utterly devastate the woman who's already suffering from cancer. No mother should have to deal with something like this. READ THIS: Here's what's coming up next on Y&R. Meanwhile, Nice was not so nice for Jack (Peter Bergman) and Billy (Jason Thompson). Billy decided to unload all responsibility for Abbott Communication onto Sally (Courtney Hope) while he concentrates on teaming up with Cane (Billy Flynn) to go after Chancellor. Even though the two never talked about it until this last week. And even then, Cane said he would think about it. This whole business had Jack thinking about cutting the cord with Billy and letting him succeed or fail on his own. Maybe his presence in Billy's life is detrimental to the man. So look for Jack to make a sacrifice for Billy by the end of next week. It looks like Adam (Mark Grossman) and Victoria (Amelia Heinle) are about to solidify their latest detente. Yes, Victoria and Adam call a truce, which is great since lately they have been downright nice and empathetic towards each other. While Victor (Eric Braeden), Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott), and Nick (Josh Morrow) were in France, the two found that they were able to have civil conversations. And Adam had compassion for what Victoria was going through with Cole (J. Eddie Peck). Meanwhile, Victoria saw that Adam had their family's back as he took care of the company while the rest of the Newmans were walking through mazes. It had to help that he climbed up and down a mountain for the family as well, right? READ THIS: Y&R has apparently gone to the dogs. Find out how. Odds & Ends Obviously, things between Kyle (Michael Mealor) and Audra (Zuleyka Silver) are in a horrible place. It doesn't look like that's going to end any time soon. There may even be an escalation next week when Kyle and Audra's power struggle takes a dangerous turn. By dangerous, do they mean physically, or is this something more along the lines of psychologically or metaphorically? And why is it that Jack (Peter Bergman) and Diane (Susan Walters) need to worry about Kyle shortly after whatever this is happens? WATCH NOW: Stream the new episode of SoapHub Says today. Unsurprisingly, things get complicated for Nick and Sharon (Sharon Case). The two spent a ton of time together in Nice, including being locked up together against their will. So what does 'complicated' mean between these two? Could these two be inching closer to a reunion? Finally, Daniel (Michael Graziadei) is skeptical of Phyllis's (Michelle Stafford) latest plan. Presumably because it involves Cane Ashby. Daniel probably thinks that nothing could get worse than his mom working with Billy Abbott, and now she's trying to hitch her wagon to Cane. Did Phyllis's plans change based on what happened in France? What plan is she going with?
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Weekly GH Spoilers July 21-25: Willow's Drama, Martin's News, & Trina's Determination
General Hospital spoilers for the week of July 21-25, 2025, promise intense confrontations, heartfelt moments, and shocking revelations. Willow faces big drama for her wedding while Martin has some big news, and Trina . The stakes are higher than ever as the week unfolds with unexpected twists that could change everything for the residents of Port Charles.. This will be a drama-filled week, and you won't want to miss a moment of the fallout. What Happens Next Week On GH? Carly's (Laura Wright) future takes center stage as she and Brennan (Chris McKenna) sit down to discuss what's next for them. The stakes are high as the future of their relationship remains up in the air. Meanwhile, Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) gives Anna (Finola Hughes) food for thought, leading to some tough realizations. Jason (Steve Burton) also finds himself looking back at the past with nostalgia, pondering what could have been and what lies ahead. READ THIS: Did Britt fake her death? Josslyn (Eden McCoy) receives a stern warning from Vaughn (Bryce Durfee), adding to her mounting pressure as she faces choices that could affect her future. Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) also gets a surprise that could alter her path in unexpected ways. Trina (Tabyana Ali) also holds her ground. As the week progresses, Laura (Genie Francis) receives disturbing news that could change everything for Port Charles. Meanwhile, Isaiah (Sawandi Wilson) encourages Portia (Brook Kerr), offering some much-needed support in these trying times. Lucas (Van Hansis) shares his suspicions, and Martin (Michael E. Knight) has some important news for Tracy (Jane Elliot), hinting at secrets yet to be revealed. WATCH NOW: Soap fans, don't miss this Soap Hub Says podcast! Odds and Ends Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) and Drew's (Cameron Mathison) wedding day brings its own set of challenges. Their day is filled with drama, and Carly and Lucas have a heated confrontation. Meanwhile, Michael (Rory Gibson) confides in Kristina (Kate Mansi), revealing the emotional toll the family drama is taking on him. Ava (Maura West) is rattled by unexpected news, and Lucy (Lynn Herring) issues an invitation that could have far-reaching consequences. Know what's coming next? Prove it by emailing news@ Solve the daily Crossword
