WELCOME TO THE B-LIST, YOUR WEEKLY ROUNDUP OF CELEBRITY MESS AND POP CULTURE. THIS WEEK: THE SUPER MARIO BROS. POWER UP AT THE BOX OFFICE, JOE ALWYN AND TAYLOR SWIFT HAVE POSSIBLY BROKEN UP, AND THE BARBIE MOVIE DROPPED ITS SECOND TEASER TRAILER AND HAS LEFT THE INTERNET BUZZING WITH EXCITEMENT. STICK WITH WITH ME.
*music out*
FIRST: UNIVERSAL AND ILLUMINATION’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE BASED ON THE FAN-FAVORITE NINTENDO FRANCHISE DEBUTED THIS WEEKEND TO RECORD-BREAKING BOX OFFICE NUMBERS. DOMESTICALLY RACKING UP OVER 200 MILLION DOLLARS, THE FILM IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE PULLED IN OVER 377 MILLION DOLLARS WORLDWIDE. THOSE RESULTS FAR EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS AND EVEN SURPASSED THE STATS OF RECENT INSTALLMENTS IN UNIVERSAL’S BIGGEST FRANCHISES, LIKE “JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION” AND “FAST AND FURIOUS 9”.
[“Peaches” Soundbite from the Super Mario Bros. Movie]
IN ADDITION TO THOSE RECORDS, JACK BLACK-AS-BOWSER’S PIANO BALLED “PEACHES” HAS BECOME A SURPRISE HIT ON STREAMING SERVICES WITH THE TRACK ROCKETING UP DIGITAL MUSIC CHARTS. SO, EXPECT A SEQUEL TO BE ANNOUNCED FASTER THAN YOU CAN SAY “LET’S-A GO!”
NEXT UP:
[“Never Getting Back Together” Soundbite from Taylor Swift’s song]
RUMORS OF TAYLOR SWIFT AND HER LONGTIME BOYFRIEND JOE ALWYN BREAKING UP HAVE SURFACED OVER THE WEEKEND. SWIFT AND ALWYN WERE FIRST ROMANTICALLY LINKED IN 2016 AND HAD A NOTORIOUSLY PRIVATE RELATIONSHIP. NEITHER SWIFT NOR ALWYN HAS DIRECTLY COMMENTED ON THE REPORTS AS OF MONDAY MORNING, THOUGH FANS ON SOCIAL MEDIA HAVE NOTED THAT THE POP STAR HAS BEEN CRYING AND GETTING EMOTIONAL WHILE SINGING SOME OF HER MOST HEARTBREAKING SONGS DURING HER ERAS TOUR PERFORMANCES.
FINALLY:
[“Hi Barbie!” Soundbite from the Barbie Trailer]
SO MANY BARBIES, SO LITTLE TIME. THE SECOND TRAILER FOR GRETA GERWIG’S LONG-AWAITED BARBIE MOVIE DROPPED LAST TUESDAY AND SET THE INTERNET ABLAZE. EVERY ACTOR YOU’VE HEARD OF IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS IS EITHER IN THIS MOVIE OR IN CHRISTOPHER NOLAN’S OPPENHEIMER, WHICH IS SLATED TO BE RELEASED ON THE SAME DAY. THEY’RE ALL BARBIES, DUH! OR A LOT OF THEM ARE, ANY WAY. THE REST OF THE CAST WILL PLAY HUMANS AND OTHER DOLLS, LIKE KENS. ALSO, HELEN MIRREN IS THE NARRATOR. BARBIE MOVIE SOCIALS ARE GOING ALL OUT WITH INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER POSTERS INTRODUCING THE MASSIVE ENSEMBLE. THESE HAVE LED TO A SLEW OF SPIN-OFF MEMES BASED ON THE POSTERS, ONLY FUELING THE FAN EXCITEMENT OVER THE FILM.
*music out*
THAT’S ALL FOR THE B-LIST THIS WEEK. CHECK IN NEXT MONDAY TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS THIS WEEK IN POP CULTURE. FOR WNUR NEWS, I’M ELLA BARNES.
