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Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist star as tennis players in Luca Guadagnino's movie "Challengers." AdvertisementCompeting at such a high level doesn't happen overnight for professional tennis players, who spend years sharpening their skills with coaches, trainers, nutritionists, and sports psychologists. So to convincingly play elite players, Zendaya, O'Connor, and Faist turned to Gilbert, who has coached players like Andy Roddick and Coco Gauff to championship wins at the US Open. Zendaya, O'Connor, and Faist underwent physical transformations to look like tennis prosMike Faist as Art Donaldson in "Challengers." Zendaya and Faist had two months of preparation before traveling to Boston to start filming "Challengers."
Persons: Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, Mike Faist, Luca Guadagnino's, Brad Gilbert, , it's, Tashi Duncan, Art Donaldson, Patrick Zweig, Tashi, Patrick, Tashi's, O'Connor, Faist, Gilbert, Andy Roddick, Coco Gauff, Donaldson, MGM Gilbert, Bryan Doo, Riff, Steven Spielberg's, Kim Gilbert, Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Patrick's, Jay Berger, Guadagnino, O'Connor wouldn't Organizations: Service, MGM, Business Locations: Arrakis, Boston, New Rochelle
She also returned as MJ in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021). Tom Holland in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Courtesy of Sony PicturesAudience score: 98%In this follow-up to the 2019 Marvel Cinematic Universe film, the hero's identity is revealed. Again, like the previous installment, the film was lauded by both critics and audience members, with some even calling it the "best" "Spider-Man" movie of all time. Keep in mind this list doesn't include movies that she wasn't credited in, nor does it include films without a score.
Persons: Tom Holland, Peter Parker, Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch, wasn't, Read Organizations: Sony Locations: Holland
‘Infested’ Review: Bugging Out
  + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Jeannette Catsoulis | ) www.nytimes.com   time to read: +1 min
There are no fresh ideas in the French creepy-crawler “Infested,” yet this first feature from Sébastien Vanicek scurries forward with such pep and purpose that its shortcomings are easily forgivable. Add a handful of eager young actors, a sociopolitical slam and a claustrophobic location swarming with venomous spiders and you’ll be hunting for the DEET long before the credits roll. His latest acquisition is a spider that, unbeknown to Kaleb, was smuggled from a Middle Eastern desert after rendering one of its captors agonizingly kaput. In less time than it takes to say “arachnophobia,” it will escape, reproduce like a bandit and send its deadly progeny scampering into every unsealed nook and cranny. Woe betide anyone not wearing a hoodie.
Persons: Vanicek, Kaleb, Théo Christine, agonizingly kaput Locations: Paris, Kaleb
Can trash talk be a love language? It is in the world of Luca Guadagnino’s new film “Challengers,” which pits two best-friend tennis players, Patrick (Josh O’Connor) and Art (Mike Faist), against each other in a bid to win the heart of the superstar Tashi Duncan (Zendaya). “I find them all really likable and charming — and terrible also,” Zendaya said with a grin. “I wanted to do it because it’s brilliant,” she said. “It’s not like I sat in my room and had this master board: ‘OK, this is how I’m going to make my big transition for my first lead theatrical role.’”
Persons: Luca Guadagnino’s, Patrick, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist, Tashi Duncan, ” Zendaya, didn’t, , “ It’s, Organizations: Disney Channel
Juliette Pavy/Sony World Photography AwardsNow in its 17th year, the Sony World Photography Awards celebrates powerful images that resonate with audiences around the world. Mahé Elipe/Sony World Photography Awards “The Sacrifice Zone," taken in a remote part of Kazakhstan, won Eddo Hartmann the Landscape category. Eddo Hartmann/Sony World Photography Awards Ireland’s Siobhán Doran took the prize for the Architecture and Design category for "Sala Mayor (Living Room)." Siobhán Doran/Sony World Photography Awards Jorge Mónaco of Argentina won the Portfolio category for his submission “Portraits and Landscapes.” Jorge Mónaco/Sony World Photography Awards The Still Life prize went to Federico Scarchilli from Italy. Sujata Setia/Sony World Photography Awards Thomas Meurot’s series "Kald Sòl" (Cold Sun) about surfing in Iceland's winter was the winner in the Sport section.
Spiders are weavers. The Navajo artist and weaver Melissa Cody knows this palpably. It also infuses “Melissa Cody: Webbed Skies,” the first major solo exhibition of the artist’s work, which is on view at MoMA PS1 through Sept. 9. in a co-production with the São Paulo Museum of Art in Brazil (known as MASP). The exhibition is part of the overdue recognition of Indigenous artists by museums and other institutions, from the recent retrospective of Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith’s work at the Whitney Museum of American Art to the expanding roster of artists at the Venice Biennale. Cody, 41, is a millennial at the forefront of an art form harking back millenniums — at once building on tradition and joyously venturing beyond it.
Persons: Melissa Cody, Man, Jaune Organizations: MoMA, São Paulo Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American, Venice Biennale Locations: Brazil, Venice, Cody
john magaroYeah I mean, that’s a lot of what they ate. I mean, I think it’s about love and lost love and misconnections and eating. I think that’s — you know, I think that’s great advice for a relationship. john magaroYeah, but it feels — but, you know, that’s what Arthur is doing. anna martinI mean, I — and I don’t know if, you know —john magaroAs I say, aigoo.
Persons: anna martin, ” I’m Anna Martin, , anna martin I, anna martin I’m, John Magaro, John, Celine Song, Andrew ”, Sarah Pepitone, I’ll, anna martin You, Cookie, Lewis, Clark, anna martin That, anna martin Really, you’re, we’ve, anna martin Wow, anna martin John, let’s, Andrew, I’d, we’d, Angelika, syrupy, New York Times ”, He’d, hadn’t, Toro, he’d, We’d, sashimi, anna martin It’s, anna martin That’s, Sarah, anna martin Right, I’ve, you’ve, you’ll, it’s, anna martin Me, — anna martin That’s, anna martin Poof, they’re, she’s, — anna martin Right, that’s, anna martin There’s, won’t, I’m, anna martin Just, anna martin No, It’s, Arthur, Nora, Greta Lee, Arthur can’t, Hae, Hae Sung, anna martin Huh, She wasn’t, you’d, anna martin Wait, anna martin Yes, You’re, anna martin Aigoo, he’ll, we’re, anna martin What’s Organizations: The New York Times, NYU, New York Times, Bushwick, magaro, vey, Netflix Locations: Paisanos, Brooklyn, Oregon, West, Philadelphia, New York, Korean, There’s, Nora, Korea, Canada, America, Pittsburgh
Farewell, and Thanks, to a Man Who Kept Kids Safe
  + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Joe Sexton | ) www.nytimes.com   time to read: +1 min
From the corner of West 25th Street in Manhattan, it takes 34 steps to cross 10th Avenue, more if it is a kindergartner dawdling, sippy cup in hand, to the private school on the other side. To get to Avenues of the World School by crossing West 25th Street takes only 16 steps, even fewer if it is a frantic 12th grader bounding to be on time for first period. “My man, Wilder,” he would call out to a 4-year-old boy. “Spider-Man,” he’d chuckle at the preschooler clutching for dear life a figurine of his favorite superhero. “Miss Seattle,” he’d address a third-grade girl, a new student from the West Coast who loyally wore a Seahawks cap every day.
Persons: Richard Henderson, Wilder, , , chuckle Organizations: World, West, Miss, West Coast, Seahawks Locations: West, Manhattan, Miss Seattle
Iran on April 14 urged Israel not to retaliate militarily to an unprecedented attack overnight, which Tehran presented as a justified response to a deadly strike on its consulate building in Damascus. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)Crude oil futures fell for a second day Tuesday as the U.S. expects a limited response from Israel to an unprecedented air assault by Iran, reducing fears that the Middle East is on the verge of a broader regional war. Four U.S. officials told NBC News they expect an Israeli response to Iran's attack to be limited in scope and most likely to involve strikes on Iranian forces and their proxies outside Iran. Israel's War Cabinet met for several hours Monday to weigh how Israel should response. An Israeli official told NBC News after the meeting that a response may be "imminent."
Persons: ATTA KENARE, Brent, Jorge Leon Organizations: Getty, West Texas Intermediate, U.S, NBC News, Rystad Energy Locations: Persian, Israel, Tehran, Iran, Damascus, AFP
Iran on April 14 urged Israel not to retaliate militarily to an unprecedented attack overnight, which Tehran presented as a justified response to a deadly strike on its consulate building in Damascus. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)Iran's weekend attack on Israel marks a "new paradigm" in the Middle East conflict, which risks escalating into a wider regional war, Chatham House's Middle East director said Monday. "The Israeli leadership will have a hard time not responding. Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles against military targets inside Israel on Saturday in response to a suspected Israeli strike that killed top Iranian officials in Syria. The attack, though well telegraphed in advance, has presented some opportunity for Israel to rehabilitate its image following its months-long onslaught in Gaza, which many perceive as disproportionate to Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attacks.
Persons: ATTA KENARE, Sanam Vakil, thinktank, it's, Vakil, CNBC's Organizations: Getty, Chatham House's Locations: Persian, Israel, Tehran, Iran, Damascus, AFP, London, Syria, Gaza
Read previewIt appears Elon Musk and Grimes are getting along again after the former couple sued each other last year, kicking off a contentious legal battle over the three children they share. Grimes shared a clip from the video game "Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty" in which a character she voices performs a song onstage and appears suspended in a holographic spider web. Musk sued the musician on September 7, 2023, to "establish the parent-child relationship" with the children. Related storyOn September 29, 2023, Grimes sued Musk, asking for primary physical custody and joint legal custody of their three kids. AdvertisementNeither Musk nor Grimes, or their representatives, have commented publicly on the custody battle.
Persons: , Elon Musk, Grimes, Musk, didn't, Matteo Milleri, Anyma, Milleri Organizations: Service, Business, Lone Star State Locations: Texas, California, Italian, Belgium, Indio , California
CNN —More than 800 Black actors are denouncing backlash aimed at actor Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, who was cast to play Juliet opposite Tom Holland in an upcoming stage production of “Romeo & Juliet” in London’s West End. “When news of Francesca Amewudah-Rivers’ casting in Jamie Lloyd’s production of Romeo and Juliet was announced so many people celebrated and welcomed this news,” the letter, organized by playwright Somalia Nonyé Seaton, stated. “For a casting announcement of a play to ignite such twisted ugly abuse is truly embarrassing for those so empty and barren in their own lives that they must meddle in hateful abuse. When The Jamie Lloyd Company issued its tweet decrying the online behavior, the theater company said, “This must stop… Any abuse will not be tolerated and will be reported. “Romeo & Juliet” opens on May 23 and will play through August 3.
Persons: Francesca Amewudah, Juliet, Tom Holland, Romeo, Juliet ”, Jamie Lloyd, , Jamie Lloyd’s, Somalia Nonyé Seaton, , , Francesca, James Bond ”, Lashana Lynch, Freema, Who, Susan Wokoma, Enola Holmes, Sheila Atim, Oscar, Marianne Jean, Baptiste, Lolly, Jamie Lloyd Company, Holland, Jamie Lloyd Company’s, London’s Duke, “ Romeo Organizations: CNN, Jamie Lloyd Company, London’s, York’s Locations: Rivers, London’s, Amewaduh
Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson and director Sam Taylor-Johnson have been married since 2012. AdvertisementActor Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 33, and director Sam Taylor-Johnson, 57, have been together for more than a decade. 2009: Aaron proposes to Sam after wrapping the filmSam Taylor-Johnson and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in September 2009. February 2017: Aaron says that the public's fixation on their relationship is 'intrusive'Sam Taylor-Johnson and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in April 2014. March 2021: It's reported that Sam and Aaron will team up for another film togetherSam Taylor-Johnson and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in February 2019.
Persons: Aaron Taylor, Johnson, Sam Taylor, Aaron, Sam, , Here's, John Lennon, Dave M, née Taylor, Wood, Jay Jopling, Anjelica, Jessie Phoenix, Anjelica Jopling, John Lennon's, Julia, Harper's, Sam I'd, , Mike Marsland, IndieWire, Pascal Le Segretain, I'm, We've, Aaron didn't, Simon Hattenstone, Hattenstone, Jonathan Ross, Sam's, Wylda Rae, Peter Kramer, Wylda, R.E.M, Romy Hero, Sang Tan, Taylor, Johnson Sam Taylor, Stewart Wilson, London's, Jordan Strauss, We're, Charles Sykes, Anna Karenina, Aaron Johnson, Angus, Thongs, Tom Ford's, Eric Charbonneau, Jesus, Romy, Joel Ryan, Aaron gushes, Mr Porter, Benjamin Button, she's, HBD, Zoë Kravitz, Karl Glusman's, aron, ohnson, aron T aylor-, aid., ames, ieces', ike, elationship, aron d anced, ong, rowe, eing, ove ✍ 🏼 f, m., Jo, " Sony, ted the of, tarr, Aaron T aylor, ady, roper, I w, hie Turner, elebr, 0s, I, cott, Adve, , ', hou Organizations: Service, Nowhere, Hollywood Reporter, The Telegraph UK, Sunday Times UK, Telegraph UK, The Telegraph, Guardian, Globe, New York Magazine, Hollywood, Artist &, ust, ici, ntr Locations: Jopling, Liverpool, London, Somerset, England, Phoenix, Paris, ife, gan
CNN —Zendaya has offered up some rare remarks about boyfriend Tom Holland. “We were both very, very young, but my career was already kind of going, and his changed overnight. One day you’re a kid and you’re at the pub with your friends, and then the next day you’re Spider-Man,” she said. But he handled it really beautifully.”Next up for Holland is a role in London’s West End production of “Romeo & Juliet,” scheduled for May. “You just kind of get used to the fact that, Oh, I’m also one of these art pieces you’re going to take a picture of.
Persons: CNN — Zendaya, Tom Holland, , , Romeo, Zendaya, “ It’s, ” Zendaya, I’m, Organizations: CNN, Vogue, British Vogue, Museum Locations: British, Holland, London’s, Paris
It had been more than a year since the Covid pandemic had forced Disney's domestic parks to shutter, but D'Amaro, chair of Disney's experiences division, was confident guests would flood back in when the gates reopened. Revenues fell 35% in 2020, a nearly $10 billion decrease from the $26.2 billion the experiences division had tallied in the year before the pandemic. The experiences division posted record revenue of $32.5 billion in fiscal 2023, a 16% increase from the prior year. Its innovations, from ride mechanics and animatronics to creature design and immersive architecture, have made Disney's parks a standout in the industry. Storytelling is at the heart of everything across Disney's experiences division.
Persons: Mickey Mouse, Ian Langsdon, Josh D'Amaro, D'Amaro, Bob Chapek, D'Amaro —, Walt Disney, King Arthur Carousel, Christian Thompson, you've, it's, Bob Iger, Nelson, Walt Disney Imagineering, Rey, Kylo Ren, Judy Hopps, Imagineers, CNBC —, Lewis, Disney, Imagineering, Matt Stroshane, Alan Bergman Organizations: Paris, Afp, Getty, Gibson, Disney, Walt Disney Imagineering, Hong Kong Disneyland, Walt Disney, Guardians, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Star Wars, California Disneyland's, Walt Disney Imagineering's, Disney Engineers, Force, Southwest, CNBC, Galactic, Marvel Locations: California, Burbank, Disneyland, Hong Kong, Shanghai Disneyland, Florida, Epcot, Magic, Wharf, Disneyland's, Disney's, Edge
CNN —A 1938 comic featuring Superman’s first appearance sold for $6 million at auction on Thursday, becoming the most expensive comic ever, according to Heritage Auctions, which handled the sale. And despite its age, this comic was still in very good condition, with rich colors and a little wear at the top. Only two other unrestored copies exist in better condition, Heritage Auctions said, and only 100 in total are estimated to survive out of the 200,000 originally printed. The comic was in remarkably good condition for its age. Other copies have also sold for record-breaking prices, including one in 2021 that went for $3.25 million and became the most expensive ever comic at the time.
Persons: Barry Sandoval, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Lois Lane, Organizations: CNN, Heritage, Heritage Auctions, CGC Comics
That would mark a milestone for the company, which launched Disney+ on Nov. 12, 2019. It would be the first time Disney showed it can make money from Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. Disney will need to sustain and grow streaming profit to justify Iger's five-year-old strategy to go "all in" on the segment. Disney has already offered ESPN+, a sports streaming service that has some but not all of ESPN's content. Trian Partners' Nelson Peltz, who failed to join Disney's board Wednesday after securing just 31% of the vote, publicly questioned what he has called Disney's "woke" content strategy.
Persons: Bob Iger, Sun Valley , Idaho David A, Iger, Disney, they've, Cowen, Doug Creutz, Needham, Laura Martin, Gabby Jones, David Greenbaum, Sean Bailey, Alan Bergman, Indiana Jones, Nelson Peltz, Peltz, shouldn't, Bob Chapek, He'll, Bergman, Jimmy Pitaro, Josh D'Amaro, Dana Walden, They've, Cowen's, you've, That's, it's, — CNBC's Sarah Whitten, Needman's Martin Organizations: Disney, Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, Grogan, CNBC Disney, Disney Disney, Hulu, ESPN, Co, Warner Bros . Discovery, Fox, CNBC, Athletic, Bloomberg, Getty, Marvel, Star Wars, Searchlight, Walt Disney Motion, Disney Entertainment, Century Fox, Sony, Disney's Marvel Studios, Trian Partners, Financial Times, Resorts, Iger Locations: Sun Valley , Idaho, Brooklyn , New York, Iger, Parks, Disney
Kirsten Dunst said the "major pay disparity" between herself and Tobey Maguire was normalized in her youth. She told BBC News that she didn't think to challenge it at the time. AdvertisementKirsten Dunst said that the "major pay disparity" between herself and Tobey Maguire at the start of her career felt so normal that she didn't think to challenge it — even though was more successful at the box office. "I definitely grew up in a time with major pay disparity between the lead actor and myself, even though I had been in 'Bring it On' and he hadn't, you know what I mean?" I was just like, 'Oh yeah, Tobey is playing Spider-Man,'" she said.
Persons: Kirsten Dunst, Tobey Maguire, Dunst, she's, , Claudia, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Torrance Shipman, Mary Jane Watson, Maguire, Tobey, Mary Jane, Sam Raimi Organizations: BBC News, Service, Office, Independent Locations: Hollywood
DisneyDisney has struggled to return to the lofty box office records of 2019 — and that may have helped open the door for its recent troubles with activist Nelson Peltz. Just four years ago, the studio had seven billion-dollar films, which contributed to a global box office haul of more than $13.2 billion. Sony produced and distributed "Spider-Man: No Way Home," which made $1.9 billion, although Disney's Marvel Studios did serve as a co-producer. "People go to watch a movie or a show to be entertained," Peltz said in recent interview with The Financial Times. Peltz has also taken particular issue with Disney's failed succession plans and what he's described as a disjointed streaming strategy.
Persons: Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones, Nelson Peltz, Disney's, Strange, Peltz, Jay Rasulo, he's, Marvel, Ike Perlmutter Organizations: Disney Disney, Disney, Century Fox, Star, Sony, Disney's Marvel Studios, Guardians, Galaxy, Trian Fund Management, Financial Times, Marvel, U.S . Air Force, Financial, Marvel Entertainment Locations: U.S
Hollywood is increasingly adapting video games into movies and TV shows. Video game studios are cautious, fearing adaptations could compromise their intellectual properties. But Hollywood has a backup plan: Video games. Ampere found that Hollywood shifted its focus away from comic books in movies and television shows last year in favor of video game adaptations like "The Last of Us." Video game adaptations typically get a bad rap as schlocky retellings, especially from younger gamers.
Persons: , Ampere, Mario, Barbie, Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore, Helene Juguet, Lance Reddick —, Black —, Strauss Zelnik, Zelnik Organizations: Hollywood, Service, Wall Street, Ampere, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Mario Bros, Guardians, Marvel, Ubisoft Film, Television, Newsweek, Forbes, Miami, Electronic Gaming Association Locations: London, Austin
These proteins cause the walls of a person’s blood vessels to keep growing and thicken over time. As the blood vessels narrow, the heart is forced to work harder to pump blood to the lungs. Treatment with a combination of drugs that dilate, or relax, blood vessels can improve this outlook, but they are not a cure. Both groups were also taking the standard medications for the condition, which help relax blood vessels to improve blood flow. But Galiatsatos said that as promising as the drug looks, there are still many unknowns, including whether the drug will benefit all PAH patients equally.
Persons: Katrina Barry, Barry, , , Winrevair, Merck Winrevair, Vallerie McLaughlin, Panagis, Galiatsatos, isn’t, ” Barry, I’m, fanny, She’s, sotatercept, PAH, Sotatercept, “ There’s, Kristin Highland, Highland, ” Merck, Merck, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Aaron Waxman, Barry’s, he’s, they’ve, Johnson –, Waxman, “ I’ve, “ It’s, who’ve Organizations: CNN, American Lung Association, US Food and Drug Administration, Merck, FDA, University of Michigan, PAH, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, New England, of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Institute, Clinical, CNN Health, Brigham, Women’s Hospital, Johnson Locations: PAH, American, Greece, Boston
"Physical: 100" was the first unscripted show to top Netflix's non-English TV chart. "Physical: 100 Season 2 — Underground" premieres on March 19. Season one was heavily inspired by ancient Greece, but contrasting themes aside, the crux of "Physical: 100" remains the same. Part of the "Physical: 100 Season 2 — Underground" set. He's the captain of a leading acrobatics tricking team "Team 1llusion."
Persons: , Jang Ho, Jang, Kim Dong, Kim, Kim Donghyun, Kang, didn't, Noh Sung, yul, Noh Organizations: Service, Netflix, UFC, Cosmopolitan, YouTube Locations: Greece, South Korea, Korea
CNN —In tennis love means zero, but Zendaya and Tom Holland taking in a tennis match together was love yet far from zero. The pair recently attended the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, and it was pretty cute. They were spotted courtside over the weekend, enjoying the match and singing along to Whitney Houston’s hit single, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”Zendaya plays a tennis coach and former player involved in a love triangle in the forthcoming film “Challengers.”Poland’s Iga Świątek beat Maria Sakkari of Greece 6-4, 6-0 to win her second BNP Paribas Open title in three years and later posed for a photo with Zendaya that Świątek shared on social media. The “Spider-Man” stars have been linked for years, but have been pretty private about their relationship. Zendaya recently shared in an interview that Holland has “beautiful charisma.”
Persons: Tom Holland, Whitney Houston’s, ” Zendaya, , Świątek, Maria Sakkari, Zendaya, Holland Organizations: CNN, BNP Locations: Indian Wells , California, Greece
Read previewWith Sony's "Madame Web" failing to ignite the box office, the actors from the Marvel movie are already distancing themselves from the Spider-Man adjacent project. "Madame Web" earned itself a lowly 12% critic's rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The star then suggested that the idea for "Madame Web" looked different when she originally signed onto the project. This isn't the first time a Sony Marvel movie has bombed spectacularly. Hopefully, they're more successful than "Madame Web," and "Morbius," because Sony can't afford any more Marvel misfires.
Persons: , Cassandra Web, Johnson, Ezekiel Sims, Tahar Rahim, Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Julia Cornwall, Sweeney, Audiences, Jared Leto, Kraven, Aaron Taylor, Tom Hardy, Marvel Organizations: Service, Marvel, Business, Los Angeles Times, Sony, Rotten, Hollywood, Sony Marvel
In “The American Society of Magical Negroes,” the writer-director Kobi Libii’s debut feature film opening March 15, a mysterious group of Black people possess superpowers. But unlike Black Panther or Miles Morales’s Spider-Man, this group doesn’t fight criminals or take on villains. Instead, the members of this society wield their powers only for a very specific purpose: soothing the anxieties of white people. This conceit satirizes the cultural trope of the Magical Negro, in which Black characters in a plot exist solely to aid the white protagonists. By incarnating this trope in the form of a secret society set in present-day America, the film critiques the ways in which Black people continue to be forced into deference toward white people.
Persons: Kobi, Miles Morales’s Spider, Organizations: American Society Locations: America
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