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☆ Timothée Chalamet already has audiences' hearts. The latest box-office numbers show he has their wallets, too.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Timothée Chalamet's recent films, 'Wonka' and 'Dune: Part Two,' have both surpassed the $200 million mark at the domestic box office. No film had crossed $200 million domestically since "Oppenheimer" last August. Chalamet, whose global box office total is over $2.5 billion, is proving he'll be a box-office draw for years to come. And now Timothée Chalamet has the box-office coin to prove he's one of the biggest draws in the movie business. Both titles have also surpassed the $200 million milestone domestically, something no other titles released this year have done so far.

Persons: Timothée, Wonka, Oppenheimer, Chalamet, —, He's, Bird, Leonardo DiCaprio, Roald Dahl's, Charlie, Frank Herbert's, Tom Cruise, Luca Guadagnino, John Travolta, Paul Dergarabedian, Dergarabedian, Timothée Chalamet, Alberto E, Rodriguez, Bob Dylan Organizations: Service, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros ., Business, Hollywood

☆ Before 'Barbie', Oscar nominee Greta Gerwig was rejected by every writing program she applied to
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The 40-year-old multihyphenate has been nominated for four Academy Awards, once for directing "Lady Bird" and three times for her writing. "I got rejected from every graduate school I applied to," she once said in an appearance on the "Employee of the Month" podcast. The challenge of breaking into the industry also had another side effect: for years, Gerwig was hesitant to negotiate her salary. In a 2020 interview with CNBC Make It, she said she worried about asking "for too much." Regardless of whether she takes home a statuette for "Barbie", Gerwig isn't facing much rejection these days.

Persons: Greta Gerwig, Barbie, Frances Ha, Joe Swanberg's, Hanna, Gerwig, didn't Organizations: Yale, Juilliard, NYU, CNBC, Netflix Locations: Hollywood

☆ Opinion: Why a line of dialogue truly can define a film
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Opinion Arash Azizi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“Frankly, I hate dialogue,” Villeneuve told The Times of London. I don’t remember movies because of a good line, I remember movies because of a strong image. This supposed truism is heard everywhere in the film world and even taught to film writers. Cinema has never been a language of “pure image and sound.”Even in the age of silent films, dialogue rendered as inter-titles was critical to cinema. Charlie Chaplin stars in his 1931 silent film, "City Lights."

Persons: Arash Azizi, ”, CNN — Denis Villeneuve, It’s, Zoe Prinds, ” Villeneuve, I’m, Rolling Stone, Federico Fellini, Villeneuve, Fellini, Alexander Steele, ” Josh Brolin, Gurney Halleck, Paul Atreides, Carla Simón’s “, Gorgeously, Ethan Hawke, ” Hawke, “, they’ve, Charlie Chaplin, Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Adenoid Hynkler, Adolf Hitler, Institute’s, Quentin Tarantino’s, Jackie Brown ”, Pam Grier, Marlon Brando’s, Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola, Merve, Greta Gerwig’s, Bird ”, wouldn’t, Palme d’Or, Jane Campion, David Lynch’s, Golden, Martin Scorsese glowed, ” Scorsese Organizations: Oneworld, CNN, Warner Bros, Times, Gotham Writers, Chalet, Warner Bros ., Sundance, Film Society of Lincoln Center, United, Getty, New York Times, Villeneuve, Janus, Atlanta ”, Derry Girls ”, Cannes Locations: French, Canadian, London, Italian, Cannes, Berlin, Catalonia, Jewish, Iran, cinema’s, “

☆ Greta Gerwig reacts to 'Barbie' Oscars snubs: 'Of course I wanted it for Margot'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Eammon Jacobs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read preview"Barbie" director Greta Gerwig reacted to being snubbed for a best director nod at the 2024 Oscars. "Barbie" bagged a number of nominations for the 2024 Oscars, including best picture, best supporting actor for Gosling, and best supporting actress for America Ferrera. But Gerwig didn't get a nod for best director, and Robbie wasn't nominated for best actress. This led to plenty of backlash against the Academy for snubbing Gerwig and Robbie, especially since Gosling was nominated. Gerwig is happy 'Barbie' was nominated for best filmThe "Lady Bird" and "Little Women" director also pointed out that she still has an Oscar nomination because "Barbie" is up for best film.

Persons: —, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, Ken, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Gosling, Gerwig didn't, Robbie wasn't, snubbing Gerwig, Robbie, Gerwig, Margot, I'm, didn't Organizations: Service, Business, America, Academy, snubbing

☆ Opinion: This overshadowed Trump ruling may be the one that matters most
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Opinion David Zurawik | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

If shareholders approve the merger, it would enable Trump Media to go public and Trump to own a stake worth about $4 billion. In the US, a political party’s presidential nominee has never owned a major media platform worth so much. Furthermore, the possibility of this added Truth Social muscle for Trump arrives as right-wing MAGA messaging finds more outlets at the national and grassroots levels. And, while Trump has stuck with Truth Social, X has become a haven for right-wing conspiracies of all kinds. MAGA-friendly, right-wing media is growing at the grassroots level as well.

Persons: David Zurawik, Donald Trump, David Zurawik Mich Rouse, Trump, MAGA, Jay Ritter, Julia Nikhinson, Joe Biden, Lyndon Johnson, Johnson, John F, Kennedy, Lady Bird, Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, Vladimir Putin, Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Eric Bolling, That’s, David Smith, Sinclair Organizations: Goucher College, Baltimore Sun, CNN, Trump, Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Trump Media & Technology Group, Trump Media, University of Florida, Getty, Republican, Federal Communications Commission, Johnsons, Twitter, Facebook, Fox News, Russian, Fox, Tucker Carlson Network, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Digital Locations: Conway , South Carolina, AFP, Austin , Texas, Texas, Maryland

☆ The relentless focus on White Christian nationalism is spreading a racist myth
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

That’s how critics have described White Christian nationalism, a deviant strain of religion that has infected the political mainstream. But there is another cost to the spread of White Christian nationalism that no one mentions. The relentless coverage of White Christian nationalism is spreading a racist myth: that Whiteness is the default setting for evangelical Christianity. In a February 2023 survey, nearly two-thirds of White evangelical Protestants qualified as sympathizers or adherents to Christian nationalism. However, he rejects the political beliefs associated with White Christian nationalism.

Persons: CNN — It’s, ”, Pastor Peter Lim, ” Lim, he’s, “ It’s, It’s, White, Carolyn Chen, Ella Sophie Bessette, you’re, “, Walter Kim, Tom Lin, William Barber II, Chen, Trump, John Minchillo, browning, — it’s, John C, Richards, Jr, Jim Crow, Mark Noll, ” Richards, “ I’m, John Onwuchekwa, Lyndon B, Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Edward Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Onwuchekwa, ” Maria Antonetty, Tina Fineberg, don’t, Lim, William J, Barber, Oliver Contreras, We’re, John Blake Organizations: CNN, White, Christianity, of Atlanta, Berkeley Center, Republican, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Oral Roberts University, National Association of Evangelicals, InterVarsity, USA, Christian, MLK, Saint Mark Baptist Church, White Americans, Liberty, New, Southern Baptist Convention, Cornerstone Church, Primitive Christian, Washington Post, Asian Pacific American Religions Research Initiative Locations: America, White, American, Korean, Taiwanese, Asian, Africa, Silicon Valley, Taiwan, Korea, Mexico, Little Rock , Arkansas, Georgia, New York, New York City, Crete, Atlanta, Asia, Washington , DC

☆ Opinion: A lot of great films by women got snubbed by the Oscars and none of them are ‘Barbie’
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Opinion Hannah Ryan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —It’s Oscars season and “Barbie” is dominating the discourse. But here’s the thing; “Barbie” is neither smart enough nor interesting enough to be inspiring this level of uproar. It’s also important to remember that “Barbie” has most certainly not been ignored by the Academy Awards’ members. It has eight nominations – which is far more than many of 2023’s other women-directed films got. While “Barbie” achieved cultural phenomenon status last year, other films that took a more complicated approach to womanhood were shut out of the Oscars and the mainstream awards circuit completely.

Persons: Hannah Ryan, CNN —, “ Barbie ”, Hannah Ryan Hannah Ryan, Greta Gerwig’s, Margot Robbie didn’t, Robbie, Gerwig, Hillary Clinton, Ryan Gosling, Ken, Barbie’s, Barbie ”, “ Barbie, ”, Frances Ha ”, Barbie, Ken –, It’s, Sofia Coppola’s “ Priscilla ”, Priscilla Presley’s, Elvis –, Molly Manning Walker’s, –, Ava DuVernay’s, Cailee Spaeny, Mia Mckenna, Bruce, Aunjanue Ellis, Taylor, Isabel Wilkerson’s, Priscilla ”, Lily Gladstone, Martin Scorsese, Gladstone, Bird ”, Wes Anderson’s, Rockwell’s, haven’t Organizations: CNN International, CNN, Mattel, Academy, Pulitzer, Cannes Film Locations: The, A.V

“There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no ‘Barbie’ movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally celebrated film,” Ryan Gosling said. Her first three films as a solo director — “Lady Bird,”“Little Women” and “Barbie” — have all been nominated for best picture. One likely factor: the increasingly international composition of the film academy. After Ben Affleck went unnominated for directing 2012's “Argo,” voters rallied around his movie, ultimately handing Affleck the Oscar for best picture. Whether the same effect could follow “Barbie" will be one of the biggest questions leading up the Academy Awards.

Persons: —, Barbie ”, Greta Gerwig's, Ken, Barbie, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, ” Ryan Gosling, Hillary Clinton, Greta, “ Barbie, “ Oppenheimer, Jimmy Kimmel, “ Jimmy Kimmel, ”, Gosling, Robbie, Gerwig, “, Lady Bird, Kathryn Bigelow, Zhao, Jane Campion, Bird, Noah Baumbach, “ Barbie ”, Robbie didn't, ” snubs, Mary McNamara, Barbie ’, Robbie’s Barbie, Justine Triet, Palme, Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer, Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Glazer, Yorgos, — Gerwig, Alexander Payne, Lanthimos, Glazer, Celine Song's “, Shannon Watts, “ Oscar, Ben Affleck, Affleck, Oscar, Billie Jean King, Jake Coyle Organizations: Twitter, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts, Sciences, Gerwig, Los Angeles Times, ” Locations: Europe

But Greta Gerwig not being among the five best director nominees for this year’s Oscars is one of the biggest shocks in recent memory. Here are some other major “snubs” and “surprises” from Oscar nomination morning. Gerwig was previously nominated for best director for “Lady Bird,” and missing out for “Little Woman” was even a snub. “The Super Mario Bros.” movie, the second highest grossing film of the year was completely shut out from nominations including animation. ‘SALTBURN’ GOES DOWN THE DRAINListen, we didn’t really think that Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn” would make a big splash nominations morning, but it had been trending that way based on its popularity on Prime Video over the holidays.

Persons: Barbie, Greta Gerwig, ”, Oscar, GRETA GERWIG, Gerwig, “ Barbie, Lady Bird, Justine Triet, James Cameron, Joseph Kosinski, Ava DuVernay, Aunjanue Ellis, Isabel Wilkerson, It’s, —, Gina Prince, Bythewood’s, DuVernay’s, Selma ”, Halle Berry, Barrino, CHARLES MELTON, Charles Melton’s, Sterling K, Brown, ” “, Samy Burch, MARGOT ROBBIE OUT, Margot Robbie, America Ferrera, Robbie, DIANE WARREN, BARBIE, Diane Warren, Warren, Barbie ”, “, Ken ”, ” Oscar, Aki Kaurismäki’s, ’, Celine, Greta Lee's, Mario, Princess Peach, Anderson, Pedro Almodóvar, Pedro Pascal, Ethan Hawke, Wes Anderson, Roald Dahl, Henry Sugar, ‘, Sophie Ellis Organizations: “, ACADEMY, Sterling, AMERICA, MARIO Locations: LIPA, France, Cannes, U.S

☆ Despite being a film about female empowerment, 'Barbie' Oscar nominations heavily favored men (and Ken)
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

For example, Ryan Gosling received a best supporting actor nomination, but Margot Robbie was snubbed. These include a few pleasant surprises, like best picture and best supporting actress for America Ferrera, who delivers a moving feminist monologue at the movie's climax. But Ryan Gosling nabbed a nomination for best supporting actor as Ken, the heroine's sidekick who becomes obsessed with the power of patriarchy. Related storiesThis might feel like déjà vu for Gerwig, who was similarly snubbed for her direction of best picture nominee "Little Women" in 2020, despite the film being nominated for best picture, best adapted screenplay, best actress, best supporting actress, best original score, and best costume design. Last week, "I'm Just Ken" won best song at the Critics Choice Awards, beating "What Was I Made For?"

Persons: Oscar, Barbie, Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie, —, America Ferrera, Ryan Gosling nabbed, Ken, Greta Gerwig, Justine Triet, Gerwig, Guillermo del Toro, Jon Kopaloff, Noah Baumbach, who's, Greta, Ken's, Billie Eilish, Gosling, Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, would've, Ronson, Wyatt Organizations: Service Locations: Lipa

☆ Opinion: Why the ‘Barbie’ Oscars snubs are so enraging
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Opinion Sara Stewart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“Barbie” (whose distributor shares a parent company with CNN) got nods for best picture, best supporting actress (America Ferrera) and best supporting actor (Ryan Gosling), among others. Think back to the movie moment where Writer Barbie (Alexandra Shipp) accepts the Nobel Prize in Barbieland with a concise speech: “Thanks. It’s worth noting that Robbie was nominated as a producer for “Barbie” and Gerwig was nominated for best adapted screenplay, but that doesn’t alter how enraging this all is. But there is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film.”Ryan Gosling as Ken in 'Barbie.' Courtesy of Warner Bros. PicturesI’ve always been struck by the dissonance between the best picture and best director categories.

Persons: Sara Stewart, Sara Stewart Todd Thompson, Oscar, “ Barbie, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Barbie, it’s, Barbie ”, Ryan Gosling, “ Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy, Alexandra Shipp, Robbie, “ Barbie ”, Gerwig, Bird, Brad Meltzer, Ken, ” Stephen King, Gosling, “, l’d, I’m, ” Ryan Gosling, I’ve, There’s, Justine Triet, ”, Jane Campion, Triet, Marielle Heller, Celine Song, ” Gerwig Organizations: CNN, Mojo, “ Little, Academy, Warner Bros, Pictures Social, New York Times Locations: Pennsylvania

☆ Why Was Greta Gerwig Snubbed for a Best Director Nomination?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Kyle Buchanan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In her own world, Barbie can accomplish just about anything. But in the real world, “Barbie” was dealt a significant setback Tuesday morning: Though Greta Gerwig’s colorful comedy skewering the patriarchy was the biggest blockbuster of last year and set a record for the highest-grossing movie ever directed by a woman, Gerwig failed to receive an Oscar nomination for best director. Ryan Gosling, Ken to Margot Robbie’s Barbie, criticized the academy’s vote even as he himself received an Oscar nomination. “No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius,” he said in a statement, referring to both Gerwig and Robbie, who missed out on a best actress nod. Still, comedies often struggle to win favor with the Oscars, and a female-led comedy has even more hurdles to overcome, as Robbie found.

Persons: Barbie, “ Barbie ”, Greta Gerwig’s, Gerwig, Lady Bird, ”, Ryan Gosling, Ken, Margot Robbie’s Barbie, Robbie, “, Justine Triet, Oscar Organizations: Golden Globes, Guild of America

☆ The Biggest Oscar Snubs and Surprises 2024: Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie Miss Out
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Kyle Buchanan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Though “Oppenheimer” made an explosive showing when the Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday morning, plenty of other would-be contenders failed to launch. As your Projectionist, here’s my analysis of the morning’s biggest surprises and omissions. Greta Gerwig misses a directing nomination. With her billion-dollar blockbuster, “Barbie,” Greta Gerwig set a Hollywood record for the highest-grossing movie ever directed by a woman. But it did at least pull off a dark-horse supporting actress nod for America Ferrera alongside an expected supporting-actor nomination for Ryan Gosling.

Persons: “ Oppenheimer ”, Greta Gerwig, “ Barbie, Barbie ”, Gerwig, Lady Bird, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Celine Song’s “, Justine Triet’s “, ”, who’d, Palme, Young, Charles Melton, “, Dominic Sessa Organizations: America Ferrera, Cannes Film

☆ Women are making great films, but they're still getting ignored by the Academy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But on a more disappointing (though not unexpected) note, only one of those women earned a nomination for best director. "Barbie," "Anatomy of a Fall," and "Past Lives" will all compete for best picture at the Oscars in March. The snubs for Greta Gerwig, who helmed the billion-dollar box-office hit "Barbie," and "Past Lives" director Celine Song are notable. Gerwig's first three solo films as a director — "Lady Bird", "Little Women," and "Barbie" — were all good enough to make the best picture cut. But to this day, only one has ever gotten her in the best director running.

Persons: —, Barbie, Justine Triet, Jonathan Glazer, Yorgos, Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer, Martin Scorsese, Greta Gerwig, Celine Song, Nolan, Oscar, Lina Wertmüller, Sofia Coppola, Emerald Fennell, Kathryn Bigelow, Chloé Zhao, Jane Campion, Campion, Zhao, Selma, Sarah Polley, Ava DuVernay, Barbra Streisand, Greta Lee, Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Gerwig's Organizations: Golden Globes

☆ Saoirse Ronan shares details on her scrapped 'Weird Barbie' cameo: 'I think I'd be the strange girl who talked to herself'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Eve Crosbie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

She told Variety she was going to play a Barbie "who talked to herself and always had her pet dog." It sounds an awful lot like she was supposed to play the recalled Barbie doll that came with a pooping dog. AdvertisementSaoirse Ronan has shared some details about the "Weird Barbie" role she almost played. "I don't know what he was going to be, but I was definitely going to be a Weird Barbie. Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie with Tanner the dog in "Barbie."

Persons: Saoirse Ronan, Variety, Barbie, —, Wonka, Chalamet, Ronan, Kate McKinnon, didn't, Tanner, Mattel, Jimmy Fallon, Hannah Khalique, Brown, Ken, Rob Brydon, Greta Gerwig's, Dan Levy Organizations: Service, Variety, US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Warner Bros Locations: Welsh

☆ Saoirse Ronan reveals the ‘Barbie’ movie cameo that Greta Gerwig approached her to play
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Kate McKinnon almost wasn’t the only Weird Barbie on the block. Actress Saoirse Ronan said in a new interview that she almost made a cameo in last year’s “Barbie” movie and that she would have, like McKinnon, played a doll who’d survived a bout of overly rambunctious play. In July, when the “Barbie” movie first debuted in theaters, Gerwig first revealed she had approached Ronan and Timothée Chalamet to make “specialty cameos” in the film. Gerwig previously worked with both actors in 2017’s “Lady Bird” and 2019’s “Little Women.”Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie in the "Barbie" movie. The “Barbie” movie was 2023’s highest-grossing movie, bringing in over $1 billion.

Persons: Kate McKinnon, Saoirse Ronan, “ Barbie, McKinnon, “, ” Ronan, Variety, ”, Barbie, Gerwig, Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Bird ”, ” Kate McKinnon, ” Gerwig, Cinemablend, Chalamet, Jimmy Fallon, would’ve Organizations: CNN, Warner Bros

☆ I left Texas for Wisconsin and took a pay cut. It was worth it because I can now live mortgage-free.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

James McClure and his wife moved from Austin, Texas, to a smaller town in Wisconsin in 2023. Selling their home in Austin's suburbs means they can live without a mortgage in a walkable town. My wife and I just bought a house in Wisconsin. We also wanted to live somewhere with access to entertainment — music, theater, live shows — and the ability to dine out. We're planning to list the Austin house for around $500,000.

Persons: James McClure, McClure, —, Molly Ivins, Austin, She's, it's, she's, we'll, we've, I've, Lady Bird, haven't, McClure's, Bruce Springsteen Organizations: Service, BI, University of Texas, Lawrence University, Austin, Fox Locations: Austin , Texas, Wisconsin, Texas, Austin's, Austin, New York City, South, Southwest, Indiana, Southern California, North Carolina , Connecticut, North Carolina, Connecticut, Appleton, Milwaukee, Madison, Appleton ., Minneapolis

☆ Rosalynn Carter Funeral Family of Former First Lady Says Goodbye in Her Georgia Church
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Jacey Fortin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

Some two decades after leaving the White House, Rosalynn Carter reflected on the criticism she generated for expanding the role of a first lady. “The first lady role has changed,” she observed. Mrs. Carter pushed the boundaries that had constrained most of her predecessors. Nancy Reagan recalled in her memoir a “chill in her manner” when Mrs. Carter showed her around the White House following the 1980 election when Ronald Reagan defeated Mr. Carter. Dr. Biden “isn’t an activist first lady” in the way that Mrs. Carter was, said Mr. LaRosa, the former aide to the current first lady.

Persons: Rosalynn Carter, ”, “, Carter, Anita B, McBride, Laura Bush, —, Mrs, Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Jimmy Carter, “ Rosalynn, David, Anwar el, Sadat of, Menachem Begin, Camp David, Michael LaRosa, Jill Biden, “ Eleanor, Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, Stanly Godbold, Bird, Dawn Porter, Julia Sweig, Lyndon, Melanne Verveer, Clinton’s, Verveer, ” Michelle Obama, “ I’ll, . Cook, Nancy Reagan, Ronald Reagan, Mr, Barbara Bush, Nancy, Bush, Biden, Dr, . Biden, Biden “ isn’t, LaRosa, “ Hillary, ” Ms Organizations: White, Israel, Camp, Getty, Hulu, Associated Press, White House Locations: Plains , Ga, Israel, Egypt, Sadat of Egypt, Georgia, Washington, Northern Virginia

“I fell in love very quickly," said Emerson, host and producer of the University of Texas podcast “Lady Bird.” “She kept surprising me." The podcast, which was released earlier this year, is among several recent projects using Johnson's own lyrical voice to offer a new look at the first lady who died in 2007. Other projects include a documentary titled “The Lady Bird Diaries” that premieres Monday on Hulu and an exhibit in Austin at the presidential library for her husband, Lyndon B. Johnson, who died in 1973. Lady Bird Johnson began recording an audio diary in the tumultuous days after her husband became president following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Among events the documentary recounts is Johnson’s tour of the South aboard a train named the “Lady Bird Special” before the 1964 election.

Persons: Jade Emerson, Bird Johnson, “, Emerson, Bird, Lyndon B, Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson, John F, Kennedy, ”, Lara Hall, Hall, ” Emerson, LBJ, Dawn Porter, Julia Sweig’s, Porter, President Johnson, ” Porter, Luci Baines Johnson, Lady Bird, ” “ She's Organizations: DALLAS, —, University of Texas, Hulu, LBJ Presidential, UT, White House, Civil, Act Locations: — Texas, Austin, Dallas

☆ Move over, Peloton. Rucking is the newest fitness craze in Silicon Valley and beyond.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Memon, who cofounded the artificial-intelligence healthcare startup Eureka Health, credits rucking with conditioning his body to keep up with his high-energy pup. Memon hiking around the Bay Area with a weighted backpack. She told Insider she'd seen an uptick in people interested in adding rucking and weight training to their outdoor activities like trail running and hiking. He doesn't ruck outside but wears a weighted vest purchased from Amazon while completing his routine in the gym, which includes time on the StairMaster as well as lifting traditional weights. The venture capitalist Zamir Shukho's dog, Lord Lincoln, wears a weighted vest on walks.

Persons: Zain Memon, Joy, Zain Memon Memon, Memon, It's, —, Henry Merriam, REI, Wilson Kriegel, — Kriegel, Wendy Winn, she'd, Winn, Charlie Hale, I'm, Amanda Bradford, rucking, She's, Bradford, I've, Zamir Shukho's, Lord Lincoln, Zamir Shukho, begrudgingly, Vibranium.VC Organizations: Eureka Health, US Army, National Parks Service, Amazon, Group Locations: Buena Vista, Sutro, San Francisco, Silicon, TikTok, North, New York City, New York, Los Angeles, Austin , Texas, Bird, American Staffordshire

On Douban, a popular Chinese movie review site, the movie is currently scored 8.6 out of 10, with nearly half of all viewers giving it full marks. Another top comment compared “Barbie” to another recent Chinese release, “Lost in the Stars,” which had previously received criticism for its portrayal of gender stereotypes. “There isn’t any new thinking about feminism, the movie is just an expression of old thoughts,” one person wrote on Douban. By Monday, cinemas had increased the number of screenings allocated to “Barbie” to make up 8.7% of all movie screenings, according to Maoyan. The film’s success is all the more notable given mounting challenges for US films to break into the Chinese movie market – the world’s second biggest, briefly holding the top spot during the Covid pandemic.

Persons: Barbie ”, “ Barbie ”, Greta Gerwig, Bird, don’t, ”, “ Barbie, China’s, Greg Baker Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Twitter, Weibo, Publishing, Warner Bros, Warner Bros ., Getty, Hollywood Locations: Hong Kong, China, United States, Shanghai, Beijing, AFP

REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoLOS ANGELES, July 19 (Reuters) - Margot Robbie recalls being at a rehearsal for the upcoming "Barbie" movie and experiencing an existential crisis. "So I was like, ‘I've got to make this movie and it's the biggest movie I've ever produced, and I've got to answer to two humongous corporations and a director I really respect and actors."" Similar to Robbie's existential crisis, the "Barbie" movie follows the doll who suddenly has an existential crisis in the middle of a dance number. Even though the Barbie doll first debuted in 1959, it has taken more than 60 years for the character to get to the big screen. It's kind of for everyone," he told Reuters during the "Barbie" world premiere in Los Angeles.

Persons: Margot Robbie, Mike Blake, Robbie, ‘ I've, I've, Greta Gerwig, Barbie, Rather, Ryan Gosling, Ken, Rollo Ross, Danielle Broadway, Mary Milliken, Jamie Freed Organizations: Warner, REUTERS, Mattel, Warner Bros, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Los Angeles

☆ 'Barbenheimer' opening weekend could top $200 million, a jolt for Hollywood's soft box office
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

This weekend at the box office is all about atomic bombs and blonde bombshells. Typically when two big movies from two different studios hit theaters at the same time, it's a competition for ticket sales. Heading into the weekend, "Barbie" is expected to capture at least $90 million in domestic ticket sales, with some box office analysts projecting the film could tally upwards of $140 million. Major movie chains have indicated that ticket sales are strong for both films this weekend and additional shows have been added to accommodate demand. "Going into this weekend anticipation has been very high for both 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer,'" said Jeffrey Kaufman, chief content officer at Malco Theatres.

Persons: That's, Oppenheimer, Erik Davis, It's, Barbie, Jeffrey Kaufman, Greta Gerwig, Bird, Hollywood's, Audiences, Stanley Kubrick's, Margot Robbie, Ken, Ryan Gosling Organizations: Warner Bros, Mattel, AMC Theatre, National Association of Theatre, Malco, Academy Locations: Barbie

☆ A Minute With: Greta Gerwig on making 'Barbie' a surprising movie
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Rollo Ross | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LOS ANGELES, July 19 (Reuters) - Director, writer and actor Greta Gerwig has plunged into the world of the iconic Barbie doll to make a movie that promises to be one of the cinematic hits of the summer. Q: I wasn't expecting to wake up this morning thinking about gender politics and the history of Barbie. I’m so glad you woke up thinking thoughts you didn’t know you’d have. Q: Even though the film is set in Barbie World, how much would you say it makes people reflect on reality? Gerwig: "There were so many interesting things about Barbie to me as a cultural icon and a totem.

Persons: Greta Gerwig, Barbie, Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, There’s, it's, I've, Rollo Ross, Mary Milliken, Leslie Adler Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, margarita

☆ ‘Barbie’ Reviews Are In: Slickly Subversive or Inescapably Corporate?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Julia Jacobs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As reviews for “Barbie” rolled out ahead of its weekend opening, a critical divide emerged. Some thought that Greta Gerwig, the acclaimed director of “Lady Bird” and “Little Women,” had met the expectations for a more subversive take on the 11.5-inch Mattel phenomenon. Others felt that the director did not go far enough in dinging her corporate sponsors, keeping the critiques of consumerism and female beauty standards at surface level. Read on for some highlights. ‘Barbie’ May Be the Most Subversive Blockbuster of the 21st Century [Rolling Stone]The movie does more than avoid delivering a two-hour commercial for Mattel, David Fear writes, suggesting that the movie could be “the most subversive blockbuster of the 21st century to date.”

Persons: “ Barbie ”, Greta Gerwig, Bird, ”, Noah Baumbach, Barbie, Margot Robbie’s, Ryan, Ken, Read, ‘ Barbie ’, David Fear Organizations: Blockbuster, Mattel

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