The highly anticipated single titled “Black Swan” from the upcoming Map of the Soul: 7 by K-Pop megastars BTS arrived today, marking the first time the Korean artists have released a single ahead of an album release. Their normal MO is to drop the entire album at once. Along with the new single comes the Black Swan Art Film performed by the MN Dance Company.
More new singles dropping today include:
The Jonas Brothers – “What A Man Gotta Do”
Louis Tomlinson – “Walls”
Meghan Trainor – “Blink”
2 Chainz – “Dead Man Walking” ft. Future
Eminem has released a surprise album that no one saw coming called Music to Be Murdered By. Back in 2018, Eminem pulled this same stunt with his album Kamikaze, dropping it seemingly out of nowhere. Despite being a surprise release, Kamikaze went on to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 charts.
More new album releases includes:
Halsey – Manic which includes her hit song “Without Me.” Features on her album are Dominic Fick, Suga from BTS, and Alanis Morissette.
Mac Miller – Circles was released by his estate. Mac Miller passed away on September 7, 2018 of an accidental overdose.
Little Big Town – Nightfall is out today as well. Bad Boys for Life – The soundtrack to the Will Smith/Martin Lawrence sequel featuring various artists arrives along with the film’s release.
HBO’s set a February 3, 2020 premiere date for the six-part documentary series, McMillions, an in-depth dive into the McDonald’s Monopoly Game fraud. Subsequent new one-hour episodes will air on Mondays at 10pm ET/PT.
James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte wrote and directed the docu-series, with Hernandez, Lazarte, Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Archie Gips executive producing.
HBO’s released the following synopsis of the series along with descriptions of the series’ first three episodes:
“McMillions transports viewers back into the 1990s, before the scam’s revelation and the ensuing media coverage were overshadowed by the events of September 11th, 2001. Featuring archival footage of McDonald’s television commercials and actual FBI sting footage, alongside vivid interviews and dramatic recreations of events, the series weaves together a highly entertaining account of a daring scheme and its undoing. Unravelling the twisted threads of the fast-food fraud, the story is told by the intrepid FBI agents determined to solve the case and the real-life characters for whom a winning ticket was too good to turn down and who took a bet that they could get away with stealing from Ronald McDonald.”
McMillions Episode Details:
Episode 1 – Debut date: MONDAY, FEB. 3 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
In 2001, FBI Agent Doug Mathews of the Jacksonville, FL branch clocks an intriguing post-it note that piques his interest. The anonymous tip speaks of a con surrounding the much-beloved McDonald’s Monopoly game and a mysterious mastermind behind it all: a man going by the moniker of “Uncle Jerry.” With the help of McDonald’s employee Amy Murray, the investigation, codenamed “Operation Final Answer,” prompts Agent Mathews to propose an unorthodox undercover sting involving a video production crew. The operation tests nerves but leads to an early breakthrough in what promises to be a bizarre but unforgettable case.
Episode 2 – Debut date: MONDAY, FEB. 10 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Hoping to unmask the mysterious “Uncle Jerry,” the FBI investigates two prominent figures they believe are connected to the scam. The first, Jerome “Jerry” Jacobson, is a former cop who left the force on disability and started working security for Simon Marketing, the company hired to run the McDonald’s Monopoly game. The second, Gennaro “Jerry” Colombo, hails from a notorious East Coast mob family and is no stranger to unsavory activities. Meanwhile, Agent Mathews and McDonald’s employee Amy Murray team up once again to pay a visit to prior winner, Buddy Fisher, who sweats and mumbles through his story about “winning” a million dollars as their cameras are rolling.
Episode 3 – Debut date: MONDAY, FEB. 17 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Frank Colombo, the brother of Gennaro “Jerry” Colombo, reveals the inner workings of the scam whereby “Uncle Jerry” would sell the winning tickets to Gennaro “Jerry” Colombo for a premium. Colombo would then find willing takers for the game tickets in exchange for a cut of the prize money. Under the pretense of organizing a reunion for past winners, the undercover FBI video crew interviews Gloria Brown, a single mom and million-dollar “winner” in South Carolina, who tries to obscure her past in Jacksonville and the origins of her winning game ticket. Gennaro “Jerry” Colombo and Robin Colombo seek to diversify their recruitment operation as worries grow about obvious connections among “winners”, and Jerome “Jerry” Jacobson continues to breathe down their necks. Arguing in the car one night, with their infant son Francesco in the back seat, the Colombos face sudden danger.
The CW’s Legends of Tomorrow kicked off season five with its “Crisis on Infinite Earths” episode on January 14, 2020. “Crisis” ended with The Flash, Supergirl, and Black Lightning’s Earth’s merged into Earth-Prime, opening up endless possibilities for mini-crossovers in the future.
Episode two, “Meet the Legends,” finds the gang stunned when they learn they’re now famous. Directed by Kevin Mock from a script by Grainne Godfree and James Eagan, episode two will air on January 21, 2020.
Legends of Tomorrow season five stars Caity Lotz as Sara Lance/White Canary, Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer/Atom, Dominic Purcell as Mick Rory/Heat Wave, Nick Zano as Dr. Nate Heywood/Steel, and Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Charlie. Tala Ashe is Zari Adrianna Tomaz, Matt Ryan is Constantine, Jes Macallan is Ava Sharpe, Courtney Ford is Nora Darhk, and Ramona Young plays Mona Wu.
“Meet the Legends” Plot – LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION – Sara (Lotz), Ray (Routh) and Mick (Purcell) are shocked to discover that the Legends have become famous. It seems that everyone except Sara is loving the spotlight, so much so that they invite a documentary crew onboard the Waverider to film them as they investigate a strange new blip in the Timeline. The Legends discover that their new problem is none other than Rasputin, who happens to be straight out of hell, and it might be tougher than they thought.
Meanwhile, Constantine (Ryan) thinks he knows the reason behind these new blips and informs the team that it won’t be easy to defeat.
The FBI spinoff, FBI: Most Wanted, continues its season one run with episode three, “Hairtrigger.” Directed by Jim McKay from a script by Gina Gionfriddo, episode three will air on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at 10pm ET/PT.
Charlie Tahan, Jonathan Judge-Russo, Annie Hägg, Casey Predovic, Brian Cali, Daren Donofrio, and Anita Hollander guest star. “Hair-trigger” also features guest stars Taylor Rose, Nathan Hinton, Jenny Leona, Jess Gabor, Adela Maria Bolet, and William DePaolo.
Season one stars Julian McMahon as Jess LeCroix, Kellan Lutz as Kenny Crosby, Roxy Sternberg as Sheryll Barnes, Keisha Castle-Hughes as Hana Gibson, and Nathaniel Arcand as Clinton Skye.
The “Hairtrigger” Plot – When a young man is traumatized by his experience surviving a mass shooting, and radicalized into becoming an anti-government terrorist, the team must act quickly to track him down before he can exact revenge on those he believes failed him.
The Season 1 Plot:
From Emmy Award-winning producer Dick Wolf and the team behind FBI and the Law & Order franchise, FBI: Most Wanted is a high-stakes drama that focuses on the Fugitive Task Force, which relentlessly tracks and captures the notorious criminals on the Bureau’s Most Wanted list. This group of highly skilled agents functions as a mobile undercover unit that’s always out in the field, tirelessly pursuing those who are most desperate to elude justice.
Overseeing the team is Jess LaCroix, a seasoned, enigmatic agent at the top of his game who is called upon to apprehend the most elusive and dangerous fugitives. His trusted crew includes Sheryll Barnes, an ex-NYPD detective with a psych degree and first-rate street smarts; analyst Hana Gibson, a master of data-mining and social engineering; communications expert Kenny Crosby, an Army intel vet Jess has taken under his wing; and Jess’ brother-in-law, Clinton Skye, a deadly marksman with a law degree. These elite agents are always at the ready to answer the call, picking up the trail to hunt down and catch the “most wanted.”
“We have no choice but to embark on this perilous journey,” says Dr. Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr) as he and his animal companions set out to find a cure for a young, critically ill Queen Victoria in the action adventure film, Dolittle.
It’s 19th century England and the famous veterinarian Dolittle lives in seclusion behind the walls of his manor which used to be a hospital. Still grieving the loss of his wife, Dolittle wants nothing to do with the outside world. His only companions are the exotic animals that only he can understand.
When Queen Victoria falls seriously ill, Dolittle is forced out of his home and into an epic adventure in search of a mythical island to find the Queen a cure.
Dolittle is joined on this unplanned adventure by a young, self-proclaimed apprentice, Tommy Stubbins (Harry Collett). A collage of his most loyal animals including an anxious and stressed gorilla named Chee-Chee (voiced by Rami Malek), an upbeat polar bear named Yoshi (voiced by John Cena), a bird-brained duck (voiced by Octavia Spencer), and his closest comrade and advisor, a headstrong parrot named Poly (voiced by Emma Thompson), also join their human friend on his adventure.
The search for the cure isn’t going to be easy. Little does Dolittle know, the former Queen’s physician Dr. Blair Mudfly (Michael Sheen) is following him determined to make sure Dolittle never returns with a cure.
Colorful, cute, and sporadically funny, Dolittle is a harmless, lighthearted adventure for families that should entertain children and elicit a few chuckles and smiles from adults. It’s reminiscent in tone to Disney family adventure films of the 1960s and ’70s such as Swiss Family Robinson, Escape to Witch Mountain, and Robinson Crusoe.
Robert Downey Jr. gives an over-the-top (which is called for, given the material) and entertaining performance as the reclusive, eccentric doctor whose ability to talk to the animals and bond with them is his greatest strength. Downey Jr.’s accent is hard to place due to the fact it seems to go back and forth between English to Scottish. But his energetic manner and his ability to act opposite characters who are mostly CGI is effective.
The film also has an excellent voice cast who give each CGI animal a distinctive and unique personality, helping to add to the humor and fun of the adventure.
Bright and silly, Dolittle is a playful and amusing adventure for families.
GRADE: B-
MPAA: PG for some action, rude humor and brief language
Season one of CBS’s legal drama All Rise continues with episode 13, “What the Bailiff Saw.” Episode 13 was directed by Scott Ellis from a script by Gregory Nelson and will air on Monday, January 20, 2020 at 9pm ET/PT.
Episode 13 guest stars include Reggie Lee, Lindsey Gort, Tony Denison, Patricia Rae, Todd Williams, Peter Macnicol, JJ Soria, Joe Williamson, David Desantos, and Luca Oriel. Presciliana Esparolini, Kira Sternbach, Rebecca Metz, Craig Welzbacher, Christian Belnavis, and Akilah Hotep also guest star in “What the Bailiff Saw.”
Season one of the drama stars Simone Missick as Lola Carmichael, Wilson Bethel as Mark Callan, Marg Helgenberger as Lisa Benner, Jessica Camacho as Emily Lopez, J. Alex Brinson as Luke Watkins, Lindsay Mendez as Sara Castillo, and Ruthie Ann Miles as Sherri Kansky.
“What the Bailiff Saw” Plot – Lola travels to Washington, D.C., to help her husband, Robin (Todd Williams), land an important job at the FBI. Also, Mark and Amy Quinn’s (Lindsey Gort) relationship heats up as Amy tries to put together a winning defense for Vic Callan’s (Tony Denison) murder case
Details on All Rise, Courtesy of CBS:
“All Rise is a courthouse drama that follows the chaotic, hopeful and sometimes absurd lives of its judges, prosecutors and public defenders, as they work with bailiffs, clerks and cops to get justice for the people of Los Angeles amidst a flawed legal process. Among them is newly appointed Judge Lola Carmichael (Missick), a highly regarded and impressive deputy district attorney who doesn’t intend to sit back on the bench in her new role, but instead leans in, immediately pushing the boundaries and challenging the expectations of what a judge can be.”
Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani star as a couple whose date turns into an outing from Hell in The Lovebirds. Paramount Pictures just unveiled the full trailer for the comedy crime thriller heading to theaters on April 3, 2020.
In addition to Issa Rae (Insecure) and Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley), the cast includes Paul Sparks (Castle Rock), Anna Camp (Perfect Harmony), and Kyle Bornheimer (Brooklyn Nine-Nine).
Michael Showalter (The Big Sick) directed from a screenplay by Aaron Abrams and Brendan Gall, story by Abrams, Gall, and Martin Gero. Tom Lassally, Oly Obst, Todd Schulman, Jordana Mollick, and Martin Gero produced, with Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani, Aaron Abrams, Brendan Gall, Michael Showalter, and Ben Ormand executive producing.
Showalter’s behind the scenes team includes director of photography Brian Burgoyne, production designer Clayton Hartley, costume designers Megan Coates, and editors Vince Filippone and Robert Nassau.
The Plot:
“A couple (Issa Rae & Kumail Nanjiani) experiences a defining moment in their relationship when they are unintentionally embroiled in a murder mystery. As their journey to clear their names takes them from one extreme – and hilarious – circumstance to the next, they must figure out how they, and their relationship, can survive the night.”
Sabrina’s told to embrace her destiny in order to preserve Heaven, Hell, and Earth in the full trailer for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season three. The official trailer arrives just a week out from the release of season three on Netflix.
Returning cast members include Kiernan Shipka as Sabrina Spellman, Miranda Otto as Zelda Spellman, Lucy Davis as Hilda Spellman, and Ross Lynch as Harvey Kinkle. Gavin Leatherwood plays Nicholas Scratch, Chance Perdomo is Ambrose Spellman, Jaz Sinclair stars as Rosalind Walker, and Lachlan Watson is Susie Putnam.
The cast also features Michelle Gomez as Mary Wardwell, Richard Coyle as Father Faustus Blackwood, Tati Gabrielle as Prudence Night, Adeline Rudolph as Agatha, and Abigail Cowen as Dorcas.
Archie Comics’ Chief Creative Office Robert Aguirre-Sacasa (Riverdale) wrote the series and exective produces with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater, and Lee Toland Krieger.
Netflix has set a January 24, 2020 premiere for the show’s much-anticipated third season.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3 Plot:
“Part Three finds Sabrina reeling from the harrowing events of Part Two. Though she defeated her father Lucifer, the Dark Lord remains trapped within the human prison of her beloved boyfriend, Nicholas Scratch. Sabrina can’t live with herself, knowing that Nick made the ultimate sacrifice and is suffering, burning in Hell under Madam Satan’s watchful eye. So with an assist from her mortal friends, “The Fright Club” (consisting of Harvey, Rosalind, and Theo), Sabrina makes it her mission to free him from eternal damnation and bring him back into her arms.
However, the Dark Lord’s unseating has sent shockwaves through the realms—and, with no one on the throne, Sabrina must assume the title of ‘Queen’ to defend it against a challenger, the handsome Prince of Hell Caliban. Meanwhile, in Greendale, a mysterious carnival rolls into town, bringing with it a threat to the Spellmans and the coven: A tribe of pagans looking to resurrect an ancient evil…”
USA Network’s high school cheerleading drama Dare Me continues its first season with episode four, “Rapprochement.” Jealousies ramped up, loyalties shifted, and Beth continued to plot against Coach Colette in episode three. Episode four airing January 19, 2020 at 10pm ET/PT finds Beth attempting to regain control of the squad.
The season one cast includes Herizen Guardiola as Addy Hanlon, Marlo Kelly as Beth Cassidy, Willa Fitzgerald as Coach Colette French, Paul Fitzgerald as Bert Cassidy, Zach Roerig as Sarge Will Mosley, Rob Heaps as Matt French, and Alison Thornton as Tacy Cassidy.
“Rapprochement” Plot – Beth reasserts her authority by enticing the squad to a wild, adult party at the Playland Motel.
Details on Season 1, Courtesy of USA Network:
“Dare Me is an unflinching exploration of teen angst, jealousy, loyalty and the dynamics of power in a small Midwestern town.
Peering behind the all-American facade, the series dives into the cutthroat world of competitive high school cheerleading. It follows the fraught relationship between two best friends (Guardiola and Kelly) after a new coach (Fitzgerald) arrives to bring their team to prominence. While the girls’ friendship is put to the test, their young lives are changed forever when a shocking crime rocks their quiet rust belt town.
Part coming-of-age story, part sports drama, part murder mystery, Dare Me exposes the physical and psychological extremes that some young women are willing to endure in order to get ahead.”
Herizen Guardiola as Addy Hanlon and Taveeta Szymanowicz as Riri Curtis in ‘Dare Me’ season 1 episode 4 (Photo by: Rafy/USA Network)Herizen Guardiola as Addy Hanlon in season 1 episode 4 (Photo by: Rafy/USA Network)Zach Roerig as Sgt. Will Mosley in season 1 episode 4 (Photo by: Rafy/USA Network)Zach Roerig as Sgt. Will Mosley in season 1 episode 4 (Photo by: Rafy/USA Network)Antonio J. Bell as Slocum in season 1 episode 4 (Photo by: Rafy/USA Network)
The NFL just announced singer/songwriter Demi Lovato will perform the “National Anthem” during the Super Bowl LIV pregame show. This year’s Super Bowl is set to take place on Sunday, February 2nd at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
Christine Sun Kim is confirmed to sign the “National Anthem” in American Sign Language.
Lovato joins an all-star list of Super Bowl “National Anthem” performers that includes Gladys Knight, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Luke Bryan, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Jennifer Hudson, Billy Joel, P!NK, Jordin Sparks, Idina Menzel, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and Neil Diamond.
Demi Lovato recently announced she’ll be performing on the 2020 Grammy Awards taking place on January 26, 2020. The Grammys will mark her first live performance since being hospitalized for a drug overdose in July 2018.
Jennifer Lopez and Shakira were previously announced as the Super Bowl halftime headliners. “Ever since I saw Diana Ross fly off into the sky at the Halftime Show, I dreamed of performing at the Super Bowl,” said Lopez. “And now it’s made even more special not only because it’s the NFL’s 100th season, but also because I am performing with a fellow Latina. I can’t wait to show what us girls can do on the world’s biggest stage.”
“I’m so honored to be taking on one of the world’s biggest stages in the company of a fellow female artist to represent Latinos and Latinas from the U.S. and all over the world — and to top it off, on my birthday!” stated Shakira. “This is a true American dream and we are going to bring the show of a lifetime!”
