It’s nonetheless a thrill to be nominated — even when your Oscar isn’t being introduced through the stay ceremony.
And on the annual Oscar nominees luncheon Monday, nobody I spoke with on this Fairmont Century Plaza ballroom voiced any complaints, apart from a handful of males lamenting that their coats match a bit snugly after hanging within the closet for the final two years.
“We’ve stated our piece,” stated Ben Proudfoot, director of the joyous Oscar-nominated documentary quick “The Queen of Basketball.” “Now it’s time to have enjoyable.”
Enjoyable was evident in each nook of the ballroom through the prolonged lunch, which clocked in at simply concerning the three-hour operating time that the ceremony’s producers are aiming for this yr‘s telecast. There was a normal sense of happiness — and reduction — to be returning to in-person hugs and geeking out after the pandemic canceled the much-treasured occasion final yr.
“Licorice Pizza” filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson warmly embraced actor Andrew Garfield, telling him he’d seen “Spider Man: No Manner Residence” 4 instances. “Spencer” actress Kristen Stewart misplaced her thoughts assembly “CODA” writer-director Siân Heder. When “CODA” actor Troy Kotsur’s title was introduced, practically everybody within the room waved their fingers, signing applause for the Deaf actor.
Nobody needed the gathering to cease, with many of the nominees loitering within the lodge ballroom and foyer lengthy after the luncheon ended. We had been approaching cocktail hour, and the room nonetheless hadn’t cleared out.
“I’m a kind of individuals who assume the Oscars are too quick,” stated director Phil Lord, nominated for producing the animated function “The Mitchells vs. the Machines.” “And this occasion is all the time such a pleasure. There’s no stress, no stress. Everybody can loosen up … for the afternoon anyway.”
On the Oscar luncheon, nominees are seated randomly, A-list actors subsequent to sound designers, top-line administrators alongside make-up and hairstylists. The thought at work: Movie is a collaborative medium, and the occasion displays that with artists and craftspeople mixing collectively.
That egalitarian precept has been put to the take a look at this yr after the movie academy introduced final month that eight awards — the three quick classes, movie modifying, authentic rating, manufacturing design, sound and make-up and hairstyling — can be introduced earlier than the stay Oscars telecast after which edited into the ceremony. The choice has prompted a backlash from the guilds and trade organizations representing these teams.
“I get it, however everybody will obtain their awards, similar to all the time … the present’s simply going to be tightened up,” stated Oscar-winning make-up artist Invoice Corso, an academy governor representing the make-up artists and hairstylists department. “When you’re a viewer, I don’t assume you’ll discover the distinction. We’ve a accountability for placing on an entertaining present. Actually, I feel that is lengthy overdue.”
If the present is as entertaining as first-time ceremony producer Will Packer’s luncheon speech, it could be in fine condition. Packer, like most present producers earlier than him, pleaded good-naturedly with nominees to be ready and concise.
“No one believes that you simply thought there was no means you’d win so that you had nothing ready — simply going to be trustworthy with you,” Packer stated. “You’ve bought 20% likelihood of profitable, that’s good odds on this city.
“I’ve bought a speech,” he added. “I’m not even nominated. I wrote it within the third grade.”
To emphasise his level, Packer launched a black-and-white sketch, presupposed to be from the 1938 Oscar nominees luncheon. In it, Golden Age actress Gloria Concave — performed by “Saturday Night time Reside” star Kate McKinnon — provided a bunch of what-not-to-do recommendation primarily based on her personal unlucky experiences, such because the time she yammered on throughout her acceptance speech and was pelted by cured meats by “some Italian.”
Whether or not the nominees in attendance had been taking notes is anybody’s guess. Equally speculative is studying the applause-meter within the room. However for these scoring at house, “No Time to Die” tune nominee Billie Eilish acquired a a lot louder ovation than Lin-Manuel Miranda, additionally within the class for “Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto.” Will Smith’s title produced thunderous applause, as did the announcement of his “King Richard” co-star Aunjanue Ellis.
And any time the music documentary “Summer season of Soul” was talked about, folks smiled and clapped their fingers. Questlove, its director, may need been the preferred man within the room.
“Simply to see all these folks collectively is such a kick,” stated Heder, a first-time nominee (for tailored screenplay). “I assume we’ll be doing this once more in a few weeks, however I’m by no means going to overlook today, that’s for certain.”
The first reviews for Pushpa 2, starring Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, and Fahadh Faasil, are already making waves, and they are overwhelmingly positive. Fans are praising Allu Arjun’s powerful return as Pushpa Raj. The buzz is growing as netizens share their early reviews from the film’s preview shows. Directed by Sukumar, Pushpa: The Rule continues Pushpa Raj’s journey as he rises from a laborer to a key figure in the sandalwood smuggling world.
One reviewer shared on social media, “#AlluArjun stole the show completely with his raw and rustic performance in this mass commercial template by Sukumar. #Pushpa2TheRule is highly supported by #FahadhFaasil who deserves applause for his acting. #RashmikaMandanna adds the required flavor. BGM works perfectly in the elevation scenes. Overall, an entertainer for the mass audience. Special mention: Jathara sequence.”
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh called it a “MEGA-BLOCKBUSTER,” rating it 4.5 stars. He praised Allu Arjun’s performance, calling him “beyond fantastic,” and described the film as a “solid” one with “unexpected twists and turns.”
Several videos from the premiere have also gone viral on social media, with fans raving about the intense sequences between Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna.
Pushpa 2 will see Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, and Fahadh Faasil reprise their roles as Pushpa Raj, Srivalli, and Bhanwar Singh Shekawat. Allu Arjun won a National Film Award for his performance in the first part of Pushpa, which focused on power struggles in the world of red sandalwood smuggling.
The end of the 21st century is still decades away, but Billboard has already declared its greatest pop star: Beyoncé.
The music magazine on Tuesday revealed that the “Crazy in Love” and “Formation” diva had secured the top spot among 25 generational pop talents, including Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Drake and Lady Gaga. Billboard’s editorial staff selected Queen Bey for her “full 25 years of influence, evolution and impact,” the outlet announced.
“She’s been Beyoncé for 25 years now, and as she continues to challenge herself (and by extension, the rest of the pop world) to find new and different ways to be define [sic] greatness,” wrote Billboard deputy editor Andrew Unterberger, “it doesn’t seem like she’s going to stop being Beyoncé anytime soon.”
As part of its Beyoncé celebration, Billboard published an essay that chronicled the “Single Ladies” singer’s career from her Destiny’s Child days in the late 1990s to her most recent album, “Cowboy Carter.” The career retrospective praised the Houston native’s consistency, her ubiquity across music and other facets of pop culture — including film and fashion — and her “commitment to innovation.”
While the music outlet dedicated thousands of words to Beyoncé’s life and career, the singer’s mom, Tina Knowles, offered a handful in response to her daughter’s latest honor.
“That’s nice. That’s very nice,” Knowles told TMZ during a brief exchange Tuesday evening on the Sunset Strip.
When the reporter asked whether her family gets “used to those titles” and accolades, Knowles simply responded, “Yeah.”
The “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ’Em” singer has not yet publicly addressed her latest honor.
Knowles, Destiny’s Child’s former costume designer and mother to “Cranes in the Sky” artist Solange, isn’t shy about celebrating her superstar kin. On her Instagram, Knowles hypes her daughters’ magazine covers, album sales and even their nonmusic ventures, such as Beyoncé’s Cécred haircare line and her SirDavis whiskey brand.
On Tuesday, Knowles also touted Beyoncé’s upcoming NFL halftime show. The Grammy winner’s performance will stream Christmas Day on Netflix when the Houston Texans host the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium. Knowles told TMZ that “excellence” is what viewers can expect from the holiday gig.
Taylor Swift, who soon will wrap her blockbuster Eras tour after nearly two years, secured the No. 2 spot on Billboard’s list. The historic Grammy winner (she is the only artist to win album of the year four times) “is the most famous woman in the world,” according to Billboard. However, the well-meaning praise inadvertently sparked a twofold backlash last week when her ranking was announced. Before Beyoncé landed the top spot, some of Swift’s legion of fans, known as Swifties, called out Billboard about her second-place ranking and made the case for the “Lavender Haze” singer to be No. 1.
“I like Beyoncé but she’s nowhere near Taylor’s level when it comes to impact and numbers,” a fan tweeted last week. Another Swift devotee on X (formerly Twitter) also cited the “Love Story” pop star’s “commercial success” and “record-breaking sales” as reasons for her to claim the top spot.
Adding salt to the wound, Billboard included a controversial snippet of Kanye West’s “Famous” music video in its montage meant to celebrate Swift. The Billboard clip reportedly featured the music video’s infamous wax figure modeled after a naked Swift, prompting Billboard to issue an apology for including the clip “that falsely depicted her.”
“We have removed the clip from our video and sincerely regret the harm we caused with this error,” the outlet tweeted.
In Tuesday’s Beyoncé reveal, Billboard acknowledged Swift’s accomplishments, lauding her as the “lone artist who really challenged Beyoncé for the top spot” and celebrating her dominance in album sales, streaming and touring. However, she “simply hasn’t been around for long enough to be able to match the expansiveness of [Beyoncé’s] quarter-century of dominance,” the magazine said.
Still, Swift found success with Spotify, which announced Wednesday that the “Shake It Off” diva was its most-streamed artist of the year. Swift also earned the title last year.
“In her Global Top Artist era,” Spotify tweeted Wednesday. “Congratulations Taylor Swift on the over 26+ billion streams in 2024.”
Joining Swift as the audio platform’s top 10 global artists are fellow Billboard 21st century greatest pop star honorees Drake, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Bad Bunny and Kanye West.
“You guys are unbelievable. What an amazing thing to find out going into our last weekend of eras shows,” Swift wrote to fans Wednesday in an Instagram story. “THANK YOU!”
For Beyoncé and Swift, their respective Billboard and Spotify wins can be a boon as they prepare for the 2025 Grammy Awards. In November, Beyoncé earned 11 nominations, the most of the latest crop of Grammy hopefuls. Top nominees also include Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Swift.
Who will win the top Grammy prizes? It’s best to stick around, ‘round, ‘round for when the ceremony is broadcast on CBS and streams live from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 2
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Spoiler- free Pushpa-2 Live Updates from USA Premiere Show – Keep Refreshing This Page :
Director: Sukumar
Cinematography: Miroslaw Kuba Brozek
Music: Devi Sri Prasad
Producer: Naveen Yerneni
Yalamanchili Ravi Shankar
Production:Mythri Movie Makers
Sukumar Writings
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