Britt Hayes is a writer, movie lover, and sensible sweater enthusiast living in Austin, Texas. She watches too much TV and never eats her vegetables.
Britt Hayes
What’s Leaving Netflix Instant: March 2017
Just as dozens of new titles are being added to the Netflix Instant library each month, so must several others disappear. As you get ready for all the great new films and TV shows arriving in March, now would be a good time to make some room in your queue — starting with all the titles that are expiring from the streaming service next month, including favorites like Jaws and a pair of DC’s animated Justice League films.
New Netflix Instant Releases: March 2017
Start marking your calendars now (and apologize to your loved ones in advance for your lack of interaction) because Netflix is looking pretty stacked in March. In addition to the usual assortment of recent releases, old favorites and contemporary classics, next month brings premieres of new Netflix Original series like Love Season 2, Grace and Frankie Season 3, and — last but far from least — the latest addition to Marvel’s Defenders lineup.
Will Smith Won’t Be Starring in Tim Burton’s Live-Action ‘Dumbo’ Movie After All
After starring in a handful of disappointing films, including last year’s Collateral Beauty and Suicide Squad, it sure would be nice to see Will Smith star in a decent movie again. Bad Boys 3, which was recently delayed, could be that film — maybe, possibly — but Disney’s new Dumbo movie seemed like more of a sure thing given the studio’s reliable formula for live-action remakes. Recent reports revealed that Smith was in talks to star in Tim Burton’s reimagining of the classic Disney film; unfortunately, those talks are no longer happening.
Donald Trump’s Inauguration Speech Was Totally Lifted From ‘Dark Knight’ Villain Bane
At some point we’re all going to have to stop asking, “Is this real life?! Is this really happening right now?!” The daily proliferation of surreal news headlines will never feel normal (nor should they), but it’s the frequency our country is operating at now, and it will likely continue at this pitch for the next four years, which officially kicked off today. In the latest episode of The Surreal Life, Donald Trump basically plagiarized Bane, Tom Hardy’s mush-mouthed villain from The Dark Knight Rises, in his inauguration speech.
Donald Trump’s 2020 Campaign Slogan Is, No Joke, the Tagline From ‘The Purge: Election Year’
This is real life. After insisting that he’ll “Make America Great Again” throughout his 2016 campaign, president-elect Donald Trump is already trying to trademark the slogan for his re-election campaign in 2020: “Keep America Great.” If that phrase sounds at all familiar to you, that’s because it was the tagline for The Purge: Election Year — James DeMonaco’s horror sequel, which envisions a dystopia where the government is controlled by far-right conservatives and all crime, particularly murder, is legal for one night every year.
Miles Morales Confirmed as Spider-Man in Sony’s New Animated Film
Last May, it was rumored that Miles Morales — not Peter Parker — would be the lead character in Sony’s upcoming animated Spider-Man movie, which will operate independently from the studio’s live-action Spidey reboot. Today, Sony Pictures Animation confirmed that longstanding rumor, officially announcing Miles Morales as the central character in the new animated film.
Will Smith in Talks for Disney’s Live-Action ‘Dumbo’ Movie
If you’ve ever wondered what a Tim Burton movie starring Will Smith would look like, you might find out relatively soon. The actor is reportedly circling a role in Disney’s live-action remake of Dumbo, which Burton has been attached to direct for some time now. After delivering the disappointing one-two punch of Suicide Squad and Collateral Beauty, Smith sure could use a win, and joining Disney’s growing empire of live-action remakes seems like a pretty safe bet.
Tilikum, Subject of Killer Whale Doc ‘Blackfish’, Dies in Captivity
In 2010, an orca named Tilikum made headlines when he killed SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in Orlando, Florida — Brancheau wasn’t the first person killed by the park’s troubled resident; then again, Tilikum wasn’t the first (or the last) captive orca to attack a human being. Three years later, he became newsworthy again as the subject of Blackfish, Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s eye-opening documentary which used the story of Tilikum to shine a light on the horrors lurking within sea parks (spoiler: it’s the humans you need to worry about). Four years later, Tilikum is making headlines again, as the now-infamous orca has passed away at the estimated age of 36.
‘The Predator’ Adds Keegan-Michael Key to Its Impressive Roster
It looks like Shane Black is in the business of one-upping himself with the cast of The Predator — following yesterday’s report on the casting of Moonlight star Trevante Rhodes, today brings word of yet another exciting addition to the growing ensemble: Keegan-Michael Key. It’s a big week for Key, who also just reprised his Key & Peele character Luther, the angry Obama translator, for an episode of The Daily Show.
Taraji P. Henson Puts Hollywood Pay Gap on Blast, Details Offensive ‘Benjamin Button’ Salary in New Memoir
Hollywood’s troubling pay gap problem doesn’t only apply to gender; it also applies to people of color. And when you’re both a woman and a person of color, that salary discrepancy can be twice as offensive. Just ask Empire star Taraji P. Henson, who detailed her egregious experiences with Hollywood’s pay gap in her new memoir, which reveals that she was paid about two percent of what Brad Pitt made on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — and that’s just the start.