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Tom Wolfe coined the phrase “Masters of the universe” in his novel, “The Bonfire of the Vanities.” It was a reference to the kings of Wall Street who ran the financial world.
But there’s another Masters of the Universe. They’re from Mattel you franchise. Now, because “Barbie” was such a hit, we’re getting a movie about them from MGM and Amazon.
Nicholas Galitzine, the heart-throb of the year, will star as “He-Man.” Travis Knight is directing the film, which will be released exclusively in theaters worldwide on June 5, 2026. Chris Butler is writing the screenplay (initial draft written by David Callaham, and Aaron and Adam Nee). Plot details are being kept under wraps because, you know, they could affect The Universe.
Galitzine is currently starring in Amazon’s “The Idea of You” with Anne Hathaway. He was also a star of Amazon’s “Red, White, and Royal Blue,” and the Starz Channel’s “Mary and George.” He’s sort of like a young Brad Pitt with a British accent. Imagine if he were starring in a real “Masters of the Universe” about Wall Street. But that would be too upsetting.
There was a 1987 film of “Masters of the Universe” from Mattel that starred Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella (what?), and a pre-“Friends” Courteney Cox. It was a huge flop although Wikipedia says it’s now a cult film. I heard recently that “Waterworld” is a cult film, too. Soon every box office disaster will be a cult film. Brain washing is a wonderful thing!
Dennis Quaid hasn’t been in a hit movie in 20 years.
As he turns 70, he knows the game. He has nothing left to lose, which is kind of refreshing.
Showing us that he’s no better than brother Randy, Dennis told Piers Morgan today that he’s voting for Donald Trump.
Put a fork in him. He’s done.
Dennis told Piers, “People say he’s an asshole, but he’s my asshole.”
I don’t know if Dennis has a publicist, but whoever it is must be having a stroke right about now.
Quaid is kind of an open Republican already. He’s playing Ronald Reagan in a D movie this summer co-starring other right wingers Jon Voight and Robert Davi. (It also features 80s hearthrob C. Thomas Howell, so you were wrong, he’s alive.)
Dennis’s older brother by four years, Randy, was once thought to be a hot actor. But he and wife Evi turned out to be a low rent kind of “Bonnie and Clyde” around 2010, getting arrested and deported a few times. They tried to move to Canada, but that didn’t work. They managed to find a home in Vermont after being allowed to stay in the US on a technicality. Randy is also a staunch Trump supporter.
Dennis has been married four times. Wife number 3 was Meg Ryan, mother of his first child. That lasted 10 years. His current wife is 39 years his junior. They are both Christians.
It’s not like Dennis Quaid’s endorsement will sway any votes. But look for him to turn up at the Republican convention, maybe speaking for Trump, this summer. “Reagan” will be released by a no-name distributor on August 30th and is now dependent on Quaid not completely imploding before then.
PS The last time I saw Dennis Quaid was in 2019 at a Grammy salute to Willie Nelson. He arrived backstage with his fiancee, now wife, looking like ten miles of unpaved road. Even Willie seemed surprised.
I know Robert De Niro is in the news today regarding the Trump trial. But let’s put that aside.
In three weeks, the Tribeca Festival is offering De Niro Con, a big tribute mini festival over a couple of days featuring screenings, talks, and Q&As with lots of stars, and lots of look backs at Robert De Niro’s career.
Some of the showings are already sold out — like “The Godfather II” and “Jackie Brown.” The latter event features a Q&A with De Niro and Quentin Tarantino.
But screenings for everything else are still very available. I’m surprised. For example: A showing of “Analyze This” with Billy Crystal and De Niro on stage afterwards has a lot of tickets for sale.
So does a screening of “Mean Streets” at the Beacon Theater with De Niro and Martin Scorsese on stage afterward in a discussion moderated by Nas. (I don’t get that, but it sounds cool.)
There are screenings of “Silver Linings Playbook,” and “Raging Bull,” too. Chazz Palminteri is showing the film version of his “A Bronx Tale, as well.
Are the prices too high? Most individual tickets range from $45 to $60.
What’s really available are passes for the whole De Niro Con event. They range from $3500 for “The Godfather” pass, to $500 for the “Goodfella” pass, and $150 for “The Johnny Boy Pass.” There seem to be plenty to buy at all levels. You get a lot for the first two, including be able to rub shoulders with the stars at cocktail parties.
The tickets are a donation to the Tribeca (Formerly Film) Festival, which De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff started after September 11, 2001. It’s hard to imagine New York now without the Tribeca Fest, which sprawls out all over the city. De Niro is a unique offering, that’s for sure. Count me in!
The fun begins June 14th. See www.tribecafilm.com.
Where are the One Direction fans? They’ve certainly supported Harry Styles’ solo career. They’ve also been there for Niall Horan.
But when it comes to Zayn Malik, the One Direction followers have gone in another direction. They’re outright ignoring his new album, “Room Under the Stairs.”
Released on May 17th, “Room” has sold about 37,700 copies according to Luminate. About 10,000 of those are from streaming, the rest are downloads or CDs.
On Amazon, “Room” is listed at number 1,076. It’s not even on the iTunes Top 200 albums and no singles have broken out.
“Room” is produced and written with Dave Cobb. The album eschewed Zayn’s R&B background for a more country pop sound that seems to have confused his fans. When Malik first left One Direction, he had a big hit with his song, “Pillow Talk.” He also had a massive hit with Taylor Swift from the “50 Shades of Grey” called “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever.”
But those hits were a long time ago — 2016, to be exact. In 2021, Zayn released an album called “No One Is Listening,” and he was right.
A record industry insider says part of the problem is that Malik “is shy.” It’s clear he’s had mental health issues and has no interest in touring. But “Room” isn’t even charting, which is too bad because it’s certainly no worse than most of the material out there, and actually a bit better.
Most of the songs on “Room” are pretty catchy, although one of them has the acoustic guitar riffs from the Eagles’ “Take It Easy.” But that’s no problem these days. Most of Harry Styles’ songs sound like something from the 70s, too.
Anyway, one single is “Stardust.” With a little effort you could imagine it on the radio. And why not give this guy a break?
The great film producer, Albert S. Ruddy, has died at age 94.
Ruddy won two Oscars decades apart. The second was for Clint Eastwood’s “Million Dollar Baby” in 2005.
But the first one was for “The Godfather” in 1973. Considered the best contemporary film of all time (aside from “Citizen Kane”), “The Godfather” has resonated with audiences for 50 years.
As a testament to the power of that film, Ruddy also produced the excellent TV miniseries, “The Offer,” in 2022, with Miles Teller playing him. It tells the story of the producer overcame many obstacles to get the landmark film made.
Ruddy’s other credits include the two “Cannonball Run” movies — not critical hits, but very big at the box office, as well as “The Longest Yard,” and the TV mini series, “How the West Was Won.”
Ruddy’s death, after a long illness, comes at a poignant moment. Fred Roos, who also worked for him on “The Godfather,” as casting director, died May 18th at age 89. “The Godfather” director, Francis Ford Coppola, is in the middle of trying to sell his new controversial film, “Megalopolis” after a bad run in Cannes.
There’s an excellent full obit for Al in the Hollywood Reporter. I was lucky to meet him a few times thanks to his wife, Wanda McDaniel, who has always been his staunch supporter and perfect mate. Condolences to Wanda and the whole family. We can never thank Al Ruddy enough for his contributions to Hollywood.
You may have heard there’s a new “Knives Out” movie coming in 2025.
Rian Johnson says it’s called “Wake Up Dead Man.” There are no plot details yet for the second Netflix outing and third overall episode starring Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc. We don’t even know if Hugh Grant is returning as Benoit’s partner.
But we do know that two cast members have been confirmed. Josh O’Connor will play the Hot Guy, Cailee Spaeny will be the Ingenue, or Hot Girl.
Josh won an Emmy for playing Young Prince Charles in “The Crown.” He’s currently heating up a tennis threesome in “Challengers.”
Spaeny won raves as Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla.” She’s a young war photographer with a lot of film in her bag in “Civil War.”
So who’s next? These movies are a publicist’s dream. All the cast announcements make for good items. There will be young people, old people, and a couple of Hollywood veterans we haven’t thought about in a long time.
You know who’d be funny? Daniel Day Lewis. (Not happening.)
I just caught up with two new Broadway shows whose premieres I couldn’t make — there were just too many openings this season!
The first is “Suffs” an original musical from writer-star Shaina Taub, directed by Leigh Silverman. The second is “Uncle Vanya,” an adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s classic play at Lincoln Center Theater.
“Vanya” first. Steve Carell stars as the title character. He’s best known from “The Office,” although Carell is a serious actor who’s lodged terrific performances in movies like “Foxcatcher” and “Little Miss Sunshine.” Still, Carell is a comic actor at heart, and he tries to bring the best of his experience to Vanya.
This “Uncle Vanya” is as far from its Russian roots as it could be. Directed by Lila Neugebauer, it feels like it could be in outer space at any given time in history. Maybe this to make it accessible to a new audience, but it’s a mistake. Neugebauer and translator Heidi Schreck have spent so much time trying to reinvent the wheel that the first act is slow and plodding as they have to rebuild the characters from scratch.
The good news is that once the strain of the first act is finished, the second act leaps into action. We’re back on track of the original “Vanya” because otherwise there would be no way to get to the end. Suddenly, Chekhov is back. The pace picks up because the characters know where they’re going. What a relief!
Carell is just fine as Vanya, playing him for laughs and tears. He comes alive in Vanya’s big breakdown moment when the proposal to sell the farm he’s cultivated for decades is threatened. Carell’s dramatic moments are actually more impactful than the comedy.
The breakout stars here are Alfred Molina (who could easily be playing Vanya) as the brother-in-law know it all professor who is entirely self-possessed. Molina is a star who’s taken a secondary role here, which is surprising. But when he gets his spotlight, he makes the most of it.
The other breakout is William Jackson Harper. A theater actor who went over to TV’s “The Good Place” (a show I never liked or understood), Harper has a Tony nomination for this performance. He deserves it. In his scenes with Anika Noni Rose (also excellent), Harper turns the focus of this “Vanya” to his relatively minor character of the lovelorn visiting doctor. After this, film and theater should be looking at him more closely. “Uncle Vanya” is on until June 16th.
“Suffs” might be this year’s Best New Musical. The reason? Aside from the talented cast, the score and book by Shaina Taub — who is also the star — are substantial and memorable. You will walk out singing “Great American Bitch.” One listen to the entire score post-show, and all the songs register as original hits.
“Suffs” has an all female cast as it tells the story of women getting the vote one hundred years ago. I thought it would be stuffy and preachy. It’s anything but. Taub — who’s also collaborating with Elton John on “The Devil Wears Prada” musical — breathes life into every one of her ensemble cast and characters. Tony winner Nikki M. James is startling as Ida B. Wells. The whole group is sensational including Emily Skinner as Alva Belmont, and Grace McLean as Woodrow Wilson (yes, that’s correct). Hannah Cruz makes an impact as gorgeous lawyer and suffragist Inez Mulholland.
Again, I was a little afraid of “Suffs.” Not a show for guys, that sort of thing. Boring, history lesson. What a shock. Just go. There’s nothing better than having a good time and learning something!
The AIDS fundraising group announced on Friday that Thursday’s annual Cannes Eurotrash gathering raised $16 million. In the next sentence, the group stated that it had raised $17 million the previous year.
Realizing what they’d admitted, amFAR then deleted the press release from its site. But the damage was done. Several outlets had already picked it up.
amFAR used to be an important organization in the fight against AIDS. But in its 30th year, plagued by scandals, the party is over. CEO Kevin Robert Frost (so pretentious that he made his name seem like the late famed poet) makes $600,000 a year even if the group’s funds are depleted. The whole staff is living it up.
Demi Moore hosted this year, and was not on the top of her game. She couldn’t get the crowd to settle down or pay attention. Cher performed, bringing her whole production along. Who paid for that? Nick Jonas and Joe Jonas were also flown in, and they sang together.
amFAR used to have a lot of movie stars in its audience, especially those who were in attendance in Cannes. But now it’s just models and crashers and Europeans who’ll pay for tickets just to be near some kind of celebrity. Nearly no one came from the actual Cannes Film Festival this year. The pictures are very revealing.
