#MAGFAB: Cardi B for Allure Magazine - March 2026
Disney and Pixar’s “Hoppers” captured second place for the weekend, taking in another $12.2 million. Through its first four weeks of release, the family film is projected to gross $138.6 million in North America and $297.6 million worldwide. “Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge,” a Bollywood thriller, came in fourth with $4.7 million, pushing its domestic total to a muscular $22.8 million and nearly outpacing “They Will Kill You” despite the fact that it was showing on almost 2,000 fewer screens.
Rounding out the Friday top five was “Reminders of Him” with $4.7 million domestically, bringing its gross to $41.1 million. Universal produced the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s romantic novel to the tune of $25 million.
In limited release, Focus Features premiered “The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist,” a look at the risks and potential of artificial intelligence from the filmmakers behind “Navalny” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” It grossed $650,000 in 786 locations. Neon also debuted “Alpha,” a body horror film from “Titane’s” Julia Ducournau that earned just over $121,000 from 218 screens.
Universal also revived 2001’s “The Mummy Returns.” The adventure film grossed $600,000 from 1,300 venues, pushing its total to $202.7 million. The studio is rebooting the franchise and enlisting original stars Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz for a new sequel.
“Project Hail Mary” should soon have company in the blockbuster club. Next weekend brings “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” Universal and Illumination’s latest collaboration with Nintendo, which is expected to be one of 2026’s biggest hits. For exhibitors, it will extend a strong start to the year, with ticket sales already up 23%.
Nice!
#RHOA: NeNe Leakes & Nyonisela Sioh Spark Reconciliation Rumors
Love might be back on the menu for NeNe Leakes and her ex-boyfriend Nyonisela Sioh, who broke up in 2023.
“What is dis, honey?” Rumors are swirling that love might be back on the menu for NeNe Leakes and her ex-boyfriend, Nyonisela Sioh, just weeks after the Housewives legend was spotted sweetly smooching someone else.
According to an exclusive report from theJasmineBrand on March 24, whispers are swirling that NeNe and the Liberia-born designer have quietly rekindled their relationship nearly three years after calling it quits in 2023. While neither party has confirmed the reunion, insiders claim the two have found their way back to each other, low-key and out of the spotlight (for now).
Just last month, NeNe was spotted getting cozy with Memphis attorney Arthur Horne III at a Memphis Grizzlies game. As previously reported, video footage obtained by TMZ showed the former Real Housewives of Atlanta star sharing hugs, kisses, and courtside cuddles with Horne. The pair didn’t exactly hide from the cameras either, at one point even pausing for a picture-perfect kiss. Witnesses said they were “hugged up” and “really touchy-feely,” making it look like more than just a friendly night out, though no official label was ever confirmed.
Now, with talk of Sioh back in the picture, fans are left wondering: what exactly is going on in NeNe’s love life? It’s not clear, but according to an Instagram post shared by the reality TV star on March 12, she’s been firmly living it up in her “self-love” era.
She also took to Instagram Live shortly after her outing with Horne III, telling fans that it was “simply” a date, and that she has been on a quest to find her forever partner.
“I’m not in a relationship with anybody,” she claimed. “I really want to give it a real shot and date with intention. Find my life partner and…go somewhere and sit down.”
For those keeping score, NeNe and Sioh’s relationship first made headlines in 2022, not just for the romance, but for the legal drama involving his ex-wife, Malomine Tehmeh-Sioh.
She filed a lawsuit accusing Leakes of contributing to the breakdown of their marriage, citing emotional distress and loss of affection. The controversy cast a shadow over the couple, and by 2023, NeNe confirmed during an interview with Carlos King that they had gone their separate ways.
“We’re taking a break,” she said at the time. “It’s…things I’m not happy with, things he’s not happy with. It’s just not working at the moment,” she added, before joking:
“He is single, so if any of the ladies out there want to holla at him, go right ahead.”
Well…it looks like that window may have closed.
Do you think NeNe Leakes and Nyonisela Sioh are really back together? Thoughts?
Love might be back on the menu for NeNe Leakes and her ex-boyfriend Nyonisela Sioh, who broke up in 2023.
“What is dis, honey?” Rumors are swirling that love might be back on the menu for NeNe Leakes and her ex-boyfriend, Nyonisela Sioh, just weeks after the Housewives legend was spotted sweetly smooching someone else.
According to an exclusive report from theJasmineBrand on March 24, whispers are swirling that NeNe and the Liberia-born designer have quietly rekindled their relationship nearly three years after calling it quits in 2023. While neither party has confirmed the reunion, insiders claim the two have found their way back to each other, low-key and out of the spotlight (for now).
Just last month, NeNe was spotted getting cozy with Memphis attorney Arthur Horne III at a Memphis Grizzlies game. As previously reported, video footage obtained by TMZ showed the former Real Housewives of Atlanta star sharing hugs, kisses, and courtside cuddles with Horne. The pair didn’t exactly hide from the cameras either, at one point even pausing for a picture-perfect kiss. Witnesses said they were “hugged up” and “really touchy-feely,” making it look like more than just a friendly night out, though no official label was ever confirmed.
Now, with talk of Sioh back in the picture, fans are left wondering: what exactly is going on in NeNe’s love life? It’s not clear, but according to an Instagram post shared by the reality TV star on March 12, she’s been firmly living it up in her “self-love” era.
She also took to Instagram Live shortly after her outing with Horne III, telling fans that it was “simply” a date, and that she has been on a quest to find her forever partner.
“I’m not in a relationship with anybody,” she claimed. “I really want to give it a real shot and date with intention. Find my life partner and…go somewhere and sit down.”
For those keeping score, NeNe and Sioh’s relationship first made headlines in 2022, not just for the romance, but for the legal drama involving his ex-wife, Malomine Tehmeh-Sioh.
She filed a lawsuit accusing Leakes of contributing to the breakdown of their marriage, citing emotional distress and loss of affection. The controversy cast a shadow over the couple, and by 2023, NeNe confirmed during an interview with Carlos King that they had gone their separate ways.
“We’re taking a break,” she said at the time. “It’s…things I’m not happy with, things he’s not happy with. It’s just not working at the moment,” she added, before joking:
“He is single, so if any of the ladies out there want to holla at him, go right ahead.”
Well…it looks like that window may have closed.
Do you think NeNe Leakes and Nyonisela Sioh are really back together? Thoughts?
#NewMusic from Ne-Yo “Up Out & Gone”
The R&B icon Ne-Yo has officially kicked off a new musical era with the release of his high-energy single, “Up Out & Gone.” Dropped on March 27, 2026, the track serves as an unapologetic celebration of nightlife, nightlife escapism, and communal joy. Accompanied by a vibrant neon-soaked visualizer, “Up Out & Gone” arrives as Ne-Yo continues to influence the contemporary R&B landscape with his trademark blend of soulful melodies and danceable rhythms.
“Up Out & Gone” is an atmospheric record designed for the “golden hour” of the night. Lyrically, Ne-Yo navigates the thrill of anticipation and the desire for unforgettable experiences. The song’s hook, featuring a driving “rubbery bass” and sharp hi-hats, emphasizes a sense of motion and movement, making it an instant “sing-along” for fans of his classic sound.
“I need a kind of night that I can’t remember, I need a kind of night that I won’t forget,” Ne-Yo sings, capturing the dual nature of a night out where vulnerability meets bold self-expression.
“Up Out & Gone” is an atmospheric record designed for the “golden hour” of the night. Lyrically, Ne-Yo navigates the thrill of anticipation and the desire for unforgettable experiences. The song’s hook, featuring a driving “rubbery bass” and sharp hi-hats, emphasizes a sense of motion and movement, making it an instant “sing-along” for fans of his classic sound.
“I need a kind of night that I can’t remember, I need a kind of night that I won’t forget,” Ne-Yo sings, capturing the dual nature of a night out where vulnerability meets bold self-expression.
LISTEN HERE
The official visualizer mirrors the song’s warmth and nostalgia, featuring a series of cinematic neon signs that illuminate a “nocturnal magic.” The imagery—ranging from a “cocktails” sign to a “mini golf” marquee—complements the track’s playful confidence and reinforces the theme of being “really outside”.
The track builds on Ne-Yo’s recent momentum and showcases his continued ability to deliver records that feel both nostalgic and very much of the moment.
The official visualizer mirrors the song’s warmth and nostalgia, featuring a series of cinematic neon signs that illuminate a “nocturnal magic.” The imagery—ranging from a “cocktails” sign to a “mini golf” marquee—complements the track’s playful confidence and reinforces the theme of being “really outside”.
The track builds on Ne-Yo’s recent momentum and showcases his continued ability to deliver records that feel both nostalgic and very much of the moment.
#HipHopNews: 50 Cent Donates Portion Of Diddy Documentary Money To Domestic Violence Nonprofits
50 Cent is turning his trolling into something positive after donating money earned from his upcoming Diddy documentary to several nonprofit organizations.
The Queens rapper appears to be standing on his word after previously saying he would donate proceeds from the project to organizations supporting domestic violence and sexual assault victims. According to reports, Curtis Jackson chose to support groups located in the Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana area.
Among organizations receiving donations are Gingerbread House, The Fountains Community Development Corporation, and Families Helping Families. Other groups include the Elle Foundation, Moms on a Mission, and Best13.
The New York rapper released a public statement after donating $500,000 to the organizations.
“The idea of making a donation to these organizations came along with me producing the documentary for Netflix. I said I would donate proceeds to domestic violence and sexual assault victims, and I kept my word. I didn’t say where I would make the donations, but I like Shreveport.”
50 Cent also addressed why many celebrities have remained quiet since the Diddy documentary news began circulating, suggesting that some figures in the entertainment industry may be hesitant to speak out.
“You’ll see a lot of energy coming from the documentary; celebrity culture didn’t say anything about those things that have been going on for a very long time. They are afraid of people who have success; I have success without any of those things involved. So I don’t care.”
While the trolling between 50 Cent and Diddy has been ongoing for years, this latest move shows Fif is looking to support organizations helping victims in need.
The Queens rapper appears to be standing on his word after previously saying he would donate proceeds from the project to organizations supporting domestic violence and sexual assault victims. According to reports, Curtis Jackson chose to support groups located in the Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana area.
Among organizations receiving donations are Gingerbread House, The Fountains Community Development Corporation, and Families Helping Families. Other groups include the Elle Foundation, Moms on a Mission, and Best13.
The New York rapper released a public statement after donating $500,000 to the organizations.
“The idea of making a donation to these organizations came along with me producing the documentary for Netflix. I said I would donate proceeds to domestic violence and sexual assault victims, and I kept my word. I didn’t say where I would make the donations, but I like Shreveport.”
50 Cent also addressed why many celebrities have remained quiet since the Diddy documentary news began circulating, suggesting that some figures in the entertainment industry may be hesitant to speak out.
“You’ll see a lot of energy coming from the documentary; celebrity culture didn’t say anything about those things that have been going on for a very long time. They are afraid of people who have success; I have success without any of those things involved. So I don’t care.”
While the trolling between 50 Cent and Diddy has been ongoing for years, this latest move shows Fif is looking to support organizations helping victims in need.
Ryan Coogler Faces Accusations Of Stealing 'Sinners' Film Concept After Oscars
Ryan Coogler has recently found himself at the center of controversy just two weeks after his historic success at the 98th Academy Awards. Following his win for Best Original Screenplay for the vampire-themed film Sinners, a budding filmmaker has come forward with allegations that Coogler stole the concept behind the movie.
At the recent Oscars, Coogler and Michael B. Jordan were celebrated for their outstanding work in Sinners. The film earned Coogler the award for Best Original Screenplay, while Jordan won Best Lead Actor for his compelling dual role portraying the "Smoke Stack" twins, Elijah "Smoke" and Elias "Stack" Moore. Their achievements marked a significant moment in Black cinema history, but this celebration is now being overshadowed by serious accusations.
The controversy began when Nathaniel 'Billy' Sherrod Jr., an emerging filmmaker, publicly claimed that the core idea of "vampires in the Jim Crow South" was originally his. Sherrod took to social media, posting a viral Instagram video where he stated that he had been pitching a very similar story long before Coogler's film was announced. His version also centered on Black twins battling supernatural forces in the historical South.
In the video, Sherrod expressed his frustration, saying, "I put my heart into this script. To see it on the big screen, winning Oscars, and not even getting a 'thank you' or a consultant credit? It's devastating." He hinted at legal action, announcing, "We're going to see what the lawyers have to say about this."
The dispute focuses heavily on the specific portrayal of the twins in Sinners. In the film, Michael B. Jordan plays brothers who return to 1930s Mississippi to protect their juke joint from bloodsucking enemies. Sherrod alleges that his original screenplay featured nearly identical character dynamics and even similar names for the protagonists, claiming the core concept was lifted from his work.
Neither Warner Bros. nor Proximity Media, Coogler's production company, has issued an official response to the accusations. However, sources close to the production have expressed confidence in the originality of Sinners' Oscar-winning screenplay.
This situation comes at a particularly sensitive time for Coogler, who has just become only the second Black writer to receive the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, following Jordan Peele. The film Sinners was a major critical and commercial success, garnering 16 Academy Award nominations and demonstrating that horror can achieve high artistic recognition.
If Sherrod proceeds with a formal lawsuit, it could lead to an extended and complicated legal battle. Similar cases involving high-profile filmmakers like James Cameron and Quentin Tarantino have shown that accusations of concept theft often arise after a film achieves massive success worldwide.
The question remains whether Sherrod's claims represent a genuine case of intellectual property theft or if they are an attempt to claim a portion of the $370 million box office revenue generated by Sinners. The outcome could have lasting implications for creative rights within the film industry.
As this story unfolds, industry watchers and fans alike will be paying close attention to the legal proceedings and the responses from all parties involved. Meanwhile, the excitement surrounding Sinners and its groundbreaking achievements continues to resonate strongly within Hollywood.
Ryan Coogler has recently found himself at the center of controversy just two weeks after his historic success at the 98th Academy Awards. Following his win for Best Original Screenplay for the vampire-themed film Sinners, a budding filmmaker has come forward with allegations that Coogler stole the concept behind the movie.
At the recent Oscars, Coogler and Michael B. Jordan were celebrated for their outstanding work in Sinners. The film earned Coogler the award for Best Original Screenplay, while Jordan won Best Lead Actor for his compelling dual role portraying the "Smoke Stack" twins, Elijah "Smoke" and Elias "Stack" Moore. Their achievements marked a significant moment in Black cinema history, but this celebration is now being overshadowed by serious accusations.
The controversy began when Nathaniel 'Billy' Sherrod Jr., an emerging filmmaker, publicly claimed that the core idea of "vampires in the Jim Crow South" was originally his. Sherrod took to social media, posting a viral Instagram video where he stated that he had been pitching a very similar story long before Coogler's film was announced. His version also centered on Black twins battling supernatural forces in the historical South.
In the video, Sherrod expressed his frustration, saying, "I put my heart into this script. To see it on the big screen, winning Oscars, and not even getting a 'thank you' or a consultant credit? It's devastating." He hinted at legal action, announcing, "We're going to see what the lawyers have to say about this."
The dispute focuses heavily on the specific portrayal of the twins in Sinners. In the film, Michael B. Jordan plays brothers who return to 1930s Mississippi to protect their juke joint from bloodsucking enemies. Sherrod alleges that his original screenplay featured nearly identical character dynamics and even similar names for the protagonists, claiming the core concept was lifted from his work.
Neither Warner Bros. nor Proximity Media, Coogler's production company, has issued an official response to the accusations. However, sources close to the production have expressed confidence in the originality of Sinners' Oscar-winning screenplay.
This situation comes at a particularly sensitive time for Coogler, who has just become only the second Black writer to receive the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, following Jordan Peele. The film Sinners was a major critical and commercial success, garnering 16 Academy Award nominations and demonstrating that horror can achieve high artistic recognition.
If Sherrod proceeds with a formal lawsuit, it could lead to an extended and complicated legal battle. Similar cases involving high-profile filmmakers like James Cameron and Quentin Tarantino have shown that accusations of concept theft often arise after a film achieves massive success worldwide.
The question remains whether Sherrod's claims represent a genuine case of intellectual property theft or if they are an attempt to claim a portion of the $370 million box office revenue generated by Sinners. The outcome could have lasting implications for creative rights within the film industry.
As this story unfolds, industry watchers and fans alike will be paying close attention to the legal proceedings and the responses from all parties involved. Meanwhile, the excitement surrounding Sinners and its groundbreaking achievements continues to resonate strongly within Hollywood.
Salt-N-Pepa's Cheryl 'Salt' James Defends TLC's Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas Amid Donation and Conspiracy Allegations
Salt-N-Pepa's Cheryl 'Salt' James has come to the defense of TLC's Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas after reports surfaced claiming Chilli donated nearly $1,000 to President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign and other GOP colleagues. Chilli has also faced backlash for reposting a debunked conspiracy theory about former First Lady Michelle Obama. Chilli has denied being 'MAGA' and says her donations were intended to help veterans and stop human trafficking, not support Trump. Salt has now rushed to defend Chilli, telling critics the repost was an accident and that she believes Chilli.
The allegations against Chilli come as TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, and En Vogue have announced their first-ever co-headlining tour, raising concerns about potential fan backlash or tour cancellations. The drama also highlights the ongoing political divisions in the US and the speed at which celebrities can face intense scrutiny and criticism on social media.
FEC records surfaced showing a Rozonda Thomas from Stone Mountain, Georgia donating nearly $1,000 to Trump's 2024 campaign and other Republican colleagues. This followed reports of Chilli reposting a debunked article claiming Michelle Obama once 'registered to vote as a man in 1994.' Chilli has since defended herself, saying the repost was an accident and that she has the 'utmost respect and admiration' for Michelle Obama. Chilli also insisted that any political donations she makes are to 'help veterans' and 'stop human trafficking,' not to support Trump.
A member of the R&B group TLC who has faced allegations of donating to Donald Trump's 2024 campaign and reposting a conspiracy theory about Michelle Obama.
Cheryl 'Salt' James chimed in and said “Chilli please keep your pretty head all the way up sister, this world is very quick to believe anything and everything posted on social media. Quick to crucify and slow to forgive. Even when you straighten it out haters will always hate. We know you and your heart. I truly pray that you don't shed not one tear or lose not one minute of sleep or peace over any of this.”
— Cheryl 'Salt' James, Member of Salt-N-Pepa
Chilli and TLC are set to embark on a co-headlining tour with Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue later in 2026, raising concerns about potential fan backlash or tour cancellations due to the recent allegations.
The allegations against Chilli come as TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, and En Vogue have announced their first-ever co-headlining tour, raising concerns about potential fan backlash or tour cancellations. The drama also highlights the ongoing political divisions in the US and the speed at which celebrities can face intense scrutiny and criticism on social media.
FEC records surfaced showing a Rozonda Thomas from Stone Mountain, Georgia donating nearly $1,000 to Trump's 2024 campaign and other Republican colleagues. This followed reports of Chilli reposting a debunked article claiming Michelle Obama once 'registered to vote as a man in 1994.' Chilli has since defended herself, saying the repost was an accident and that she has the 'utmost respect and admiration' for Michelle Obama. Chilli also insisted that any political donations she makes are to 'help veterans' and 'stop human trafficking,' not to support Trump.
A member of the R&B group TLC who has faced allegations of donating to Donald Trump's 2024 campaign and reposting a conspiracy theory about Michelle Obama.
Cheryl 'Salt' James chimed in and said “Chilli please keep your pretty head all the way up sister, this world is very quick to believe anything and everything posted on social media. Quick to crucify and slow to forgive. Even when you straighten it out haters will always hate. We know you and your heart. I truly pray that you don't shed not one tear or lose not one minute of sleep or peace over any of this.”
— Cheryl 'Salt' James, Member of Salt-N-Pepa
Chilli and TLC are set to embark on a co-headlining tour with Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue later in 2026, raising concerns about potential fan backlash or tour cancellations due to the recent allegations.
Druski's Erika Kirk Skit Went Viral Because it was funny and the Internet Had Been Waiting for It
On Wednesday evening, comedian Druski posted a two-minute sketch to X. By Thursday morning, it had 22 million views. By Thursday night, 80 million. By Friday, 121 million. By Saturday, 163 million — on X alone. Instagram added another 3.4 million likes in under 24 hours. A U.S. senator weighed in. A fake lawsuit went viral. Newsweek had to fact-check a cease-and-desist letter that never existed.
All of that, for a skit captioned "How Conservative Women in America act."
But 163 million views don't just happen because something is funny. Funny content dies on the internet every hour. Something else was going on here.
Erika Kirk has been one of the most discussed figures on the internet since her husband's assassination in September 2025. Not steadily — in waves. A speech would surface, go viral, get memed, fade. Then another clip would land a few weeks later and the cycle would restart, bigger each time. By March 2026, the pattern had repeated so often that Kirk's name had become a kind of standing search query — always one new clip away from trending again.
Two things happened in the weeks right before Druski's skit that made the timing razor-sharp. On March 11, Kirk told an audience in Arkansas not to let anyone "disenfranchise you because you're a young man, especially a young white male man." The clip exploded. Then, five days before the skit dropped, Joe Rogan called Kirk an "odd duck" on his podcast — putting her name in front of an audience of millions who may not have been following the earlier cycles at all.
Druski didn't build the character from scratch. He stepped into a role the internet had been casting for six months.
Druski never says Erika Kirk's name. Not once. The caption says "conservative women." The blonde wig, white suit, Bible in hand, and a speech about protecting "all white men in America" say something more specific.
That gap — between what the skit officially is and what 163 million people understood it to be — is where everything happened. Viewers didn't watch this sketch. They decoded it. They posted side-by-side comparisons with Kirk's Arkansas footage. Someone asked Grok — X's own AI chatbot — to identify the person in the video. Grok didn't hesitate: Erika Kirk. The chatbot couldn't tell the difference between the parody and the person. That single exchange pulled over 700,000 views.
Recognizing the target was the punchline. Sharing that recognition was the distribution.
Within 48 hours, the condemnations started stacking. Senator Ted Cruz: "beneath contempt." Conservative commentator Jon Root: "a despicable human being." Meghan McCain: some people were "literally birthed in hell."
Then came the fabricated cease-and-desist letter — a screenshot that racked up nearly a million views on X before the post was deleted and Newsweek debunked it. The outrage had done its job.
Every condemnation put the skit in front of an audience that hadn't seen it yet. The people trying hardest to bury the sketch became its most effective promoters.
This is Druski's third viral prosthetics sketch in seven months. The NASCAR skit at Talladega drew accusations of "whiteface" and millions of views. The megachurch parody — the fictional "Collect & Praise Ministries" — crossed 250 million views and prompted real pastors to respond from their pulpits.
Same structure every time: elaborate transformation, no named targets, and enough visual detail that the audience does the naming for him. Complex named him the No. 1 Funniest Person on the Internet last year. Rolling Stone ranked him No. 2 Most Influential Creator of 2025.
By Wednesday evening, Druski wasn't just posting a video. He was delivering the next installment of a format the internet had already learned to treat as an event.
Controversial content floods the internet every day and vanishes by morning. This didn't — because four things landed at the same time: a subject the internet had spent six months turning into a character, a sketch that made the audience do the work, a backlash machine that doubled as a distribution engine, and a comedian the internet already trusted to deliver a moment.
Take away any one of those and the skit is still funny. It's just not 163 million views funny.
The conversation didn't start when Druski posted. It started in September. He just knew exactly when to walk into the room.
On Wednesday evening, comedian Druski posted a two-minute sketch to X. By Thursday morning, it had 22 million views. By Thursday night, 80 million. By Friday, 121 million. By Saturday, 163 million — on X alone. Instagram added another 3.4 million likes in under 24 hours. A U.S. senator weighed in. A fake lawsuit went viral. Newsweek had to fact-check a cease-and-desist letter that never existed.
All of that, for a skit captioned "How Conservative Women in America act."
But 163 million views don't just happen because something is funny. Funny content dies on the internet every hour. Something else was going on here.
Erika Kirk has been one of the most discussed figures on the internet since her husband's assassination in September 2025. Not steadily — in waves. A speech would surface, go viral, get memed, fade. Then another clip would land a few weeks later and the cycle would restart, bigger each time. By March 2026, the pattern had repeated so often that Kirk's name had become a kind of standing search query — always one new clip away from trending again.
Two things happened in the weeks right before Druski's skit that made the timing razor-sharp. On March 11, Kirk told an audience in Arkansas not to let anyone "disenfranchise you because you're a young man, especially a young white male man." The clip exploded. Then, five days before the skit dropped, Joe Rogan called Kirk an "odd duck" on his podcast — putting her name in front of an audience of millions who may not have been following the earlier cycles at all.
Druski didn't build the character from scratch. He stepped into a role the internet had been casting for six months.
Druski never says Erika Kirk's name. Not once. The caption says "conservative women." The blonde wig, white suit, Bible in hand, and a speech about protecting "all white men in America" say something more specific.
That gap — between what the skit officially is and what 163 million people understood it to be — is where everything happened. Viewers didn't watch this sketch. They decoded it. They posted side-by-side comparisons with Kirk's Arkansas footage. Someone asked Grok — X's own AI chatbot — to identify the person in the video. Grok didn't hesitate: Erika Kirk. The chatbot couldn't tell the difference between the parody and the person. That single exchange pulled over 700,000 views.
Recognizing the target was the punchline. Sharing that recognition was the distribution.
Within 48 hours, the condemnations started stacking. Senator Ted Cruz: "beneath contempt." Conservative commentator Jon Root: "a despicable human being." Meghan McCain: some people were "literally birthed in hell."
Then came the fabricated cease-and-desist letter — a screenshot that racked up nearly a million views on X before the post was deleted and Newsweek debunked it. The outrage had done its job.
Every condemnation put the skit in front of an audience that hadn't seen it yet. The people trying hardest to bury the sketch became its most effective promoters.
This is Druski's third viral prosthetics sketch in seven months. The NASCAR skit at Talladega drew accusations of "whiteface" and millions of views. The megachurch parody — the fictional "Collect & Praise Ministries" — crossed 250 million views and prompted real pastors to respond from their pulpits.
Same structure every time: elaborate transformation, no named targets, and enough visual detail that the audience does the naming for him. Complex named him the No. 1 Funniest Person on the Internet last year. Rolling Stone ranked him No. 2 Most Influential Creator of 2025.
By Wednesday evening, Druski wasn't just posting a video. He was delivering the next installment of a format the internet had already learned to treat as an event.
Controversial content floods the internet every day and vanishes by morning. This didn't — because four things landed at the same time: a subject the internet had spent six months turning into a character, a sketch that made the audience do the work, a backlash machine that doubled as a distribution engine, and a comedian the internet already trusted to deliver a moment.
Take away any one of those and the skit is still funny. It's just not 163 million views funny.
The conversation didn't start when Druski posted. It started in September. He just knew exactly when to walk into the room.
Ciara Is Aiming To Break The Stigma Around Sexual Health
Ciara is “Leveling Up” in a new way. The Grammy-winning singer is partnering with Gilead to encourage PrEP & HIV prevention.
Speaking with theGrio, Ciara shared her thoughts about the healing power of music.
“It’s been such a gift for me that this is my daytime job. I get to make music that can make the world dance, inspire the world, spread love, and evoke feelings and emotions of all kinds. Music is healing,” Ciara explained.
“The power of music, and being able to be creative and able to bring the world together,” she continued. “In this case, and educate people on things that they may not know, that’s the beauty of moments and the power of music because it allows me to be able to raise the awareness of something so significant that can be life-changing for people.”
Along with the healing power of music, Ciara is on a mission to promote sexual health and wellness using the latest advances in medicine. She described it as the “1, 2 PrEP process.”
“We have to continue to get into the space of thinking healthcare is cool. Taking care of your health is one of the coolest things that you can do,” said Ciara. “I want for my people, and beyond to understand that there are ways to protect yourselves when you’re out there.”
“And you’re curious, and you’re dating, and you’re, you know, once to take things to new levels physically, you need to know that there are ways to protect yourself on that journey…, “And let’s have conversations. And let’s take away the stigmas or the funkiness of these types of conversations.”
Dr. Moore, a member of the United States Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA), says that awareness, education, and access are critical in sexual health.
”PrEP is not solely for gay people. And the reason I want to touch on that is that there are many heterosexual men and women who can benefit from PrEP. They aren’t considering it because they think it’s solely for the LGBTQ plus community. So, ensuring that folks are aware that, you know, the CDC recommends that everyone, adults and adolescents who are HIV negative, consider prep”
Speaking with theGrio, Ciara shared her thoughts about the healing power of music.
“It’s been such a gift for me that this is my daytime job. I get to make music that can make the world dance, inspire the world, spread love, and evoke feelings and emotions of all kinds. Music is healing,” Ciara explained.
“The power of music, and being able to be creative and able to bring the world together,” she continued. “In this case, and educate people on things that they may not know, that’s the beauty of moments and the power of music because it allows me to be able to raise the awareness of something so significant that can be life-changing for people.”
Along with the healing power of music, Ciara is on a mission to promote sexual health and wellness using the latest advances in medicine. She described it as the “1, 2 PrEP process.”
“We have to continue to get into the space of thinking healthcare is cool. Taking care of your health is one of the coolest things that you can do,” said Ciara. “I want for my people, and beyond to understand that there are ways to protect yourselves when you’re out there.”
“And you’re curious, and you’re dating, and you’re, you know, once to take things to new levels physically, you need to know that there are ways to protect yourself on that journey…, “And let’s have conversations. And let’s take away the stigmas or the funkiness of these types of conversations.”
Dr. Moore, a member of the United States Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA), says that awareness, education, and access are critical in sexual health.
”PrEP is not solely for gay people. And the reason I want to touch on that is that there are many heterosexual men and women who can benefit from PrEP. They aren’t considering it because they think it’s solely for the LGBTQ plus community. So, ensuring that folks are aware that, you know, the CDC recommends that everyone, adults and adolescents who are HIV negative, consider prep”
Olympic committee bans trans athletes from women's events
Transgender women athletes are now excluded from women's events at the Olympics after the IOC agreed to a new eligibility policy Thursday that aligns with U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order on sports ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
"Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females," the International Olympic Committee said, to be determined by a mandatory gene test once in an athlete's career.
It is unclear how many, if any, transgender women are competing at an Olympic level. No woman who transitioned from being born male competed at the 2024 Paris Summer Games, though weightlifter Laurel Hubbard did at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 without winning a medal.
The eligibility policy that will apply from the L.A. Olympics in July 2028 "protects fairness, safety and integrity in the female category," the IOC said.
"It is not retroactive and does not apply to any grassroots or recreational sports programs," said the IOC; its Olympic Charter states that access to play sport is a human right.
After an executive board meeting, the IOC published a 10-page policy document that also restricts women athletes such as two-time Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya with medical conditions known as differences in sex development, or DSD.
The IOC and its president, Kirsty Coventry, have wanted a clear policy instead of continuing to advise sports' governing bodies, which previously have drafted their own rules.
"At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat," Coventry, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming, said in a statement. "So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category."
She set up a review of "protecting the female category" as one of her first big decisions last June as the first woman to lead the Olympic body in its 132-year history.
Women's eligibility was a strong theme in a seven-candidate IOC election last year -- held after a furor around women's boxing in Paris -- when Coventry's main rivals pledged a stronger policy to leading on the issue.
Before the 2024 Paris Olympics, three top-tier sports -- track and field, swimming, and cycling -- excluded transgender women who had been through male puberty. Semenya, who was assigned female at birth in South Africa and has high natural testosterone levels, won a European Court of Human Rights judgment in her yearslong legal challenge to track and field's rules that did not overturn them.
The IOC document details its research that being born male gives physical advantages that a working group of experts believes are retained.
"Males experience three significant testosterone peaks: In utero, in mini-puberty of infancy and beginning in adolescent puberty through adulthood," the document said.
It added that this gives males "individual sex-based performance advantages in sports and events that rely on strength, power and/or endurance."
The IOC said its expert group agreed the current gene test is "the most accurate and least intrusive method currently available." It screened for "the SRY gene, a segment of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome that initiates male sex development in utero and indicates the presence of testes/testicles."
Still, the mandatory gender screening -- already conducted by the governing bodies of track and field, skiing, and boxing -- is likely to be criticized by human rights experts and activist groups.
One of the two women's boxing gold medalists at the center of the gender controversy in Paris, Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan, has passed her gene test and can return to competition, the World Boxing governing body said last week.
In the U.S., Trump signed the executive order "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" in February 2025 and has pledged to deny visas to some athletes attempting to compete at the L.A. Olympics. The order also threatened to "rescind all funds" from organizations that allowed transgender athletes to take part in women's sports.
Within months the U.S. Olympic body updated its guidance to national sports bodies citing an obligation to comply with the White House.
Transgender women athletes are now excluded from women's events at the Olympics after the IOC agreed to a new eligibility policy Thursday that aligns with U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order on sports ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
"Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females," the International Olympic Committee said, to be determined by a mandatory gene test once in an athlete's career.
It is unclear how many, if any, transgender women are competing at an Olympic level. No woman who transitioned from being born male competed at the 2024 Paris Summer Games, though weightlifter Laurel Hubbard did at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 without winning a medal.
The eligibility policy that will apply from the L.A. Olympics in July 2028 "protects fairness, safety and integrity in the female category," the IOC said.
"It is not retroactive and does not apply to any grassroots or recreational sports programs," said the IOC; its Olympic Charter states that access to play sport is a human right.
After an executive board meeting, the IOC published a 10-page policy document that also restricts women athletes such as two-time Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya with medical conditions known as differences in sex development, or DSD.
The IOC and its president, Kirsty Coventry, have wanted a clear policy instead of continuing to advise sports' governing bodies, which previously have drafted their own rules.
"At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat," Coventry, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming, said in a statement. "So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category."
She set up a review of "protecting the female category" as one of her first big decisions last June as the first woman to lead the Olympic body in its 132-year history.
Women's eligibility was a strong theme in a seven-candidate IOC election last year -- held after a furor around women's boxing in Paris -- when Coventry's main rivals pledged a stronger policy to leading on the issue.
Before the 2024 Paris Olympics, three top-tier sports -- track and field, swimming, and cycling -- excluded transgender women who had been through male puberty. Semenya, who was assigned female at birth in South Africa and has high natural testosterone levels, won a European Court of Human Rights judgment in her yearslong legal challenge to track and field's rules that did not overturn them.
The IOC document details its research that being born male gives physical advantages that a working group of experts believes are retained.
"Males experience three significant testosterone peaks: In utero, in mini-puberty of infancy and beginning in adolescent puberty through adulthood," the document said.
It added that this gives males "individual sex-based performance advantages in sports and events that rely on strength, power and/or endurance."
The IOC said its expert group agreed the current gene test is "the most accurate and least intrusive method currently available." It screened for "the SRY gene, a segment of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome that initiates male sex development in utero and indicates the presence of testes/testicles."
Still, the mandatory gender screening -- already conducted by the governing bodies of track and field, skiing, and boxing -- is likely to be criticized by human rights experts and activist groups.
One of the two women's boxing gold medalists at the center of the gender controversy in Paris, Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan, has passed her gene test and can return to competition, the World Boxing governing body said last week.
In the U.S., Trump signed the executive order "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" in February 2025 and has pledged to deny visas to some athletes attempting to compete at the L.A. Olympics. The order also threatened to "rescind all funds" from organizations that allowed transgender athletes to take part in women's sports.
Within months the U.S. Olympic body updated its guidance to national sports bodies citing an obligation to comply with the White House.
NBA expansion: There might be new potential new teams in Las Vegas and Seattle
At the NBA's board of governors meetings next week, team owners will vote on moving forward with adding expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle, according to ESPN. If 23 of the 30 governors vote in favor, the NBA will proceed to take bids for the new franchises.
According to ESPN, there is increasing support for expansion among owners, though some of them "want to see the final valuations of the bids plus the individual franchise fees before deciding whether to expand now or in a few more years."
Seattle has not had an NBA franchise since the SuperSonics' controversial move to Oklahoma City in 2008, at which point the team was renamed the Thunder.
Las Vegas has never had an NBA team, but the WNBA's Aces have operated there since 2018.
No. Voting to move forward with the process at these board of governors meetings, scheduled for March 24 and 25, would not seal the deal on Las Vegas and Seattle getting teams. That vote would take place later this year.
What it would mean, essentially, is that the NBA could meet with prospective ownership groups and take bids on the expansion teams. After years of speculation, it would make a return to Seattle and an arrival in Las Vegas more real than ever before. But there would still be more work to do.
Bids for the franchises are expected to come in between $7 billion and $10 billion, per ESPN, citing industry executives.
If expansion is ultimately approved, there will be 32 NBA teams and the two new ones will both be in the Western Conference. In this scenario, either the Minnesota Timberwolves or Memphis Grizzlies are expected to move to the Eastern Conference, per ESPN. It is unclear how this would affect the divisions in each conference, and it is unclear how the league would determine which team would be placed in the East.
As noted by NBA.com's John Schuhmann recently, the East has collectively had a winning record against the West just three times in the past 27 years. Both Memphis and Minnesota would surely love to play in the East.
No. At a press conference at All-Star weekend in Los Angeles last month, NBA commissioner Adam Silver essentially said this was the plan.
"My sense is, at the March board of governors meetings, we'll be having further discussions around an expansion process," Silver said then. While the league won't be holding a vote on whether or not to expand, "we will likely come out of those meetings ready, prepared to take a next step in terms of potentially talking to interested parties."
Silver added: "I think the logical next move would be to say, all right, we've had those discussions internally, we've made decisions about cities to focus on and what the opportunity is, and now we've got to go out into the marketplace. I think that's probably the most important step, to find out who is potentially interested in owning a franchise in particular cities, what's the value of that franchise. There's some work to do in terms of potential conference realignment. That's the next step there."
Ideally, from the NBA's perspective, two simultaneous bidding wars involving extraordinarily wealthy people. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal's Mitch Akers, Magic Johnson plans to speak with Silver after the board of governors meetings about being a part of a Las Vegas ownership group. Bill Foley, who owns the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights and 15% of T-Mobile Arena, has also said that he wants to be part of a Las Vegas ownership group. LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal have both publicly expressed interest, too.
Assuming next week's vote goes the way the league expects it to and the proposals meet the NBA's high standards, then the board of governors will have to vote to approve the new teams.
The NBA is targeting the 2028-29 season for the debut of these new franchises, per ESPN. Before then, the teams would have to staff up and the league would have to hold an expansion draft. The expansion draft would take place in the 2028 offseason.
Would the new Seattle team be called the SuperSonics? There's no reason that it can't be. When the city of Seattle and the Thunder's ownership group settled a lawsuit over the arena lease in 2008, the two parties agreed that, should the city get a new team, the Thunder's ownership group would cede the rights to the name and the associated logos to the new team's owner.
If the Sonics return, the Thunder would also give the new team the Sonics' history, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst, in the same way that, in 2014, when the Charlotte Bobcats changed their name to the Hornets, they reclaimed the Hornets' 1998-2002 history from the New Orleans Pelicans.
According to ESPN, there is increasing support for expansion among owners, though some of them "want to see the final valuations of the bids plus the individual franchise fees before deciding whether to expand now or in a few more years."
Seattle has not had an NBA franchise since the SuperSonics' controversial move to Oklahoma City in 2008, at which point the team was renamed the Thunder.
Las Vegas has never had an NBA team, but the WNBA's Aces have operated there since 2018.
No. Voting to move forward with the process at these board of governors meetings, scheduled for March 24 and 25, would not seal the deal on Las Vegas and Seattle getting teams. That vote would take place later this year.
What it would mean, essentially, is that the NBA could meet with prospective ownership groups and take bids on the expansion teams. After years of speculation, it would make a return to Seattle and an arrival in Las Vegas more real than ever before. But there would still be more work to do.
Bids for the franchises are expected to come in between $7 billion and $10 billion, per ESPN, citing industry executives.
If expansion is ultimately approved, there will be 32 NBA teams and the two new ones will both be in the Western Conference. In this scenario, either the Minnesota Timberwolves or Memphis Grizzlies are expected to move to the Eastern Conference, per ESPN. It is unclear how this would affect the divisions in each conference, and it is unclear how the league would determine which team would be placed in the East.
As noted by NBA.com's John Schuhmann recently, the East has collectively had a winning record against the West just three times in the past 27 years. Both Memphis and Minnesota would surely love to play in the East.
No. At a press conference at All-Star weekend in Los Angeles last month, NBA commissioner Adam Silver essentially said this was the plan.
"My sense is, at the March board of governors meetings, we'll be having further discussions around an expansion process," Silver said then. While the league won't be holding a vote on whether or not to expand, "we will likely come out of those meetings ready, prepared to take a next step in terms of potentially talking to interested parties."
Silver added: "I think the logical next move would be to say, all right, we've had those discussions internally, we've made decisions about cities to focus on and what the opportunity is, and now we've got to go out into the marketplace. I think that's probably the most important step, to find out who is potentially interested in owning a franchise in particular cities, what's the value of that franchise. There's some work to do in terms of potential conference realignment. That's the next step there."
Ideally, from the NBA's perspective, two simultaneous bidding wars involving extraordinarily wealthy people. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal's Mitch Akers, Magic Johnson plans to speak with Silver after the board of governors meetings about being a part of a Las Vegas ownership group. Bill Foley, who owns the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights and 15% of T-Mobile Arena, has also said that he wants to be part of a Las Vegas ownership group. LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal have both publicly expressed interest, too.
Assuming next week's vote goes the way the league expects it to and the proposals meet the NBA's high standards, then the board of governors will have to vote to approve the new teams.
The NBA is targeting the 2028-29 season for the debut of these new franchises, per ESPN. Before then, the teams would have to staff up and the league would have to hold an expansion draft. The expansion draft would take place in the 2028 offseason.
Would the new Seattle team be called the SuperSonics? There's no reason that it can't be. When the city of Seattle and the Thunder's ownership group settled a lawsuit over the arena lease in 2008, the two parties agreed that, should the city get a new team, the Thunder's ownership group would cede the rights to the name and the associated logos to the new team's owner.
If the Sonics return, the Thunder would also give the new team the Sonics' history, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst, in the same way that, in 2014, when the Charlotte Bobcats changed their name to the Hornets, they reclaimed the Hornets' 1998-2002 history from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Jennifer Hudson, Michael Bublé, And CeeLo Green Return As Mentors On The Voice Season 29
The Voice continues to evolve as it enters its 29th season, unveiling fresh mentor roles and introducing a new competitive format to keep the iconic singing contest engaging for viewers.
On Monday, March 9, the show revealed key updates including the return of notable coaches and the launch of an in-season all-star competition designed to add an extra layer of excitement for fans and contestants alike. The season began airing last month, and the changes promise to shake up the familiar dynamics of the competition.
Three beloved coaches from past seasons will rejoin the series as mentors. CeeLo Green, one of the original coaches, will take on the role of Mega Mentor for teams led by Adam Levine and John Legend. Meanwhile, Michael Bublé, who has judged the show over the last three seasons, will serve as Mega Mentor for Kelly Clarkson's team. Additionally, Jennifer Hudson is set to return as an Alumni Coach, assisting Team Kelly during coaching rehearsals.
Beyond the returning mentors, new advisors will join the competition to bolster the coaching staff. Benji Madden, known as the guitarist for Good Charlotte and a coach on The Voice Australia, will join Adam Levine as a battle-round advisor. Grammy-winning R&B artist Muni Long will assist John Legend's team in the same capacity, providing fresh perspectives during critical contest stages.
Adding another twist, the season reintroduces a special in-season all-star competition featuring alumni contestants from previous seasons. Each of the three coaches will bring back two former team members to compete head-to-head in sing-off battles. CeeLo Green will act as the judge for this All-Star Showdown, ultimately deciding the winner.
The returning alumni include impressive winners and fan favorites: Team Adam is represented by season 1 winner Javier Colon and season 9 winner Jordan Smith. Team Kelly will feature season 21 winner Girl Named Tom and season 17 winner Jake Hoot. Team Legend’s contenders are season 16 winner Maelyn Jarmon and season 27 fan favorite RENZO. The coach with the most wins in these sing-offs will secure an additional finalist spot in the season finale, potentially influencing the final outcome of the competition.
The Voice airs weekly on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, with episodes available for streaming the following day on Peacock, giving fans multiple ways to stay connected to the evolving season.
On Monday, March 9, the show revealed key updates including the return of notable coaches and the launch of an in-season all-star competition designed to add an extra layer of excitement for fans and contestants alike. The season began airing last month, and the changes promise to shake up the familiar dynamics of the competition.
Three beloved coaches from past seasons will rejoin the series as mentors. CeeLo Green, one of the original coaches, will take on the role of Mega Mentor for teams led by Adam Levine and John Legend. Meanwhile, Michael Bublé, who has judged the show over the last three seasons, will serve as Mega Mentor for Kelly Clarkson's team. Additionally, Jennifer Hudson is set to return as an Alumni Coach, assisting Team Kelly during coaching rehearsals.
Beyond the returning mentors, new advisors will join the competition to bolster the coaching staff. Benji Madden, known as the guitarist for Good Charlotte and a coach on The Voice Australia, will join Adam Levine as a battle-round advisor. Grammy-winning R&B artist Muni Long will assist John Legend's team in the same capacity, providing fresh perspectives during critical contest stages.
Adding another twist, the season reintroduces a special in-season all-star competition featuring alumni contestants from previous seasons. Each of the three coaches will bring back two former team members to compete head-to-head in sing-off battles. CeeLo Green will act as the judge for this All-Star Showdown, ultimately deciding the winner.
The returning alumni include impressive winners and fan favorites: Team Adam is represented by season 1 winner Javier Colon and season 9 winner Jordan Smith. Team Kelly will feature season 21 winner Girl Named Tom and season 17 winner Jake Hoot. Team Legend’s contenders are season 16 winner Maelyn Jarmon and season 27 fan favorite RENZO. The coach with the most wins in these sing-offs will secure an additional finalist spot in the season finale, potentially influencing the final outcome of the competition.
The Voice airs weekly on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, with episodes available for streaming the following day on Peacock, giving fans multiple ways to stay connected to the evolving season.
Ryan Gosling’s ‘Project Hail Mary’ Flies High With $54.5 Million in 2nd Weekend, ‘They Will Kill You’ Only Made $5 Million
“Project Hail Mary” easily topped the box office for the second consecutive weekend, bringing in a heavenly $54.5 million. There have been hits in 2026, such as “Scream 7” and “Hoppers,” but “Project Hail Mary” is shaping up to be the year’s first true blockbuster, having already earned $164.3 million domestically.
“Project Hail Mary” only dropped 32% from its debut weekend, signaling the film will have staying power. Its impressive results are welcome news for Amazon MGM, which is investing heavily in theatrical movies by committing to releasing roughly a dozen films in cinemas annually. The move comes after Amazon MGM struggled to define its moviemaking ambitions, first focusing on indie productions, then pivoting to streaming premieres before more recently opting to back populist fare geared for the big screen.
“Project Hail Mary” also confirms Ryan Gosling‘s box office bona fides. The Oscar-nominated “Barbie” and “La La Land” star is front-and-center in the movie as a school teacher on a desperate mission to save the planet. The film rises or falls on Gosling’s lead performance and he’s being rewarded with one of the biggest hits of his career, as well as some early awards chatter. Then there’s Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who recovered from being fired from “Solo: A Star Wars Story” to deliver a crowd-pleaser that proves they can handle live-action space epics quite nicely, thank you very much. To say nothing of Andy Weir, the writer behind “Project Hail Mary” and “The Martian,” whose books have now inspired two box office winners. His next novel is almost certain to spark a bidding war for the movie rights.
The weekend’s only major new release, “They Will Kill You,” was D.O.A., earning an anemic $5 million domestically from 2,778 locations for a third-place finish. The Warner Bros. and New Line release only cost $20 million to produce, but it’s still a dreadful result because studios have to split ticket sales with theater owners. Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy helped put “Project Hail Mary” in motion when they ran MGM. Having left the studio to lead Warner Bros., they enjoyed a hot streak at the box office last year, with the likes of “Sinners,” “A Minecraft Movie” and “Weapons” scoring commercially. But 2026 is off to a rough start for De Luca and Abdy. “They Will Kill You” arrives just a few weeks after “The Bride,” the studio’s $90 million steampunk reimagining of “The Bride of Frankenstein,” bombed, earning a disastrous $23.2 million globally.
“They Will Kill You” stars Zazie Beetz as a housekeeper hired to clean a high-rise apartment with a history of mysterious disappearances. Patricia Arquette, Heather Graham, Tom Felton and Myha’la co-star in the film, which was directed and co-written by Kirill Sokolov. Nocturna Pictures, the genre label backed by David Ellison’s Skydance and “It” filmmakers Andy and Barbara Muschietti, co-financed the picture. Ellison has a deal in place to buy Warner Bros. and merge it with Paramount, which he bought last year. For Warner executives, it helps that their potential new boss is partially responsible for their latest flop. Plus, “They Will Kill You” isn’t the only recent horror film to struggle to draw crowds. “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” cratered in its second weekend of release, earning $4 million to push the Searchlight Pictures production to a measly $16.3 million domestically.
“Project Hail Mary” only dropped 32% from its debut weekend, signaling the film will have staying power. Its impressive results are welcome news for Amazon MGM, which is investing heavily in theatrical movies by committing to releasing roughly a dozen films in cinemas annually. The move comes after Amazon MGM struggled to define its moviemaking ambitions, first focusing on indie productions, then pivoting to streaming premieres before more recently opting to back populist fare geared for the big screen.
“Project Hail Mary” also confirms Ryan Gosling‘s box office bona fides. The Oscar-nominated “Barbie” and “La La Land” star is front-and-center in the movie as a school teacher on a desperate mission to save the planet. The film rises or falls on Gosling’s lead performance and he’s being rewarded with one of the biggest hits of his career, as well as some early awards chatter. Then there’s Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who recovered from being fired from “Solo: A Star Wars Story” to deliver a crowd-pleaser that proves they can handle live-action space epics quite nicely, thank you very much. To say nothing of Andy Weir, the writer behind “Project Hail Mary” and “The Martian,” whose books have now inspired two box office winners. His next novel is almost certain to spark a bidding war for the movie rights.
The weekend’s only major new release, “They Will Kill You,” was D.O.A., earning an anemic $5 million domestically from 2,778 locations for a third-place finish. The Warner Bros. and New Line release only cost $20 million to produce, but it’s still a dreadful result because studios have to split ticket sales with theater owners. Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy helped put “Project Hail Mary” in motion when they ran MGM. Having left the studio to lead Warner Bros., they enjoyed a hot streak at the box office last year, with the likes of “Sinners,” “A Minecraft Movie” and “Weapons” scoring commercially. But 2026 is off to a rough start for De Luca and Abdy. “They Will Kill You” arrives just a few weeks after “The Bride,” the studio’s $90 million steampunk reimagining of “The Bride of Frankenstein,” bombed, earning a disastrous $23.2 million globally.
“They Will Kill You” stars Zazie Beetz as a housekeeper hired to clean a high-rise apartment with a history of mysterious disappearances. Patricia Arquette, Heather Graham, Tom Felton and Myha’la co-star in the film, which was directed and co-written by Kirill Sokolov. Nocturna Pictures, the genre label backed by David Ellison’s Skydance and “It” filmmakers Andy and Barbara Muschietti, co-financed the picture. Ellison has a deal in place to buy Warner Bros. and merge it with Paramount, which he bought last year. For Warner executives, it helps that their potential new boss is partially responsible for their latest flop. Plus, “They Will Kill You” isn’t the only recent horror film to struggle to draw crowds. “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” cratered in its second weekend of release, earning $4 million to push the Searchlight Pictures production to a measly $16.3 million domestically.
Disney and Pixar’s “Hoppers” captured second place for the weekend, taking in another $12.2 million. Through its first four weeks of release, the family film is projected to gross $138.6 million in North America and $297.6 million worldwide. “Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge,” a Bollywood thriller, came in fourth with $4.7 million, pushing its domestic total to a muscular $22.8 million and nearly outpacing “They Will Kill You” despite the fact that it was showing on almost 2,000 fewer screens.
Rounding out the Friday top five was “Reminders of Him” with $4.7 million domestically, bringing its gross to $41.1 million. Universal produced the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s romantic novel to the tune of $25 million.
In limited release, Focus Features premiered “The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist,” a look at the risks and potential of artificial intelligence from the filmmakers behind “Navalny” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” It grossed $650,000 in 786 locations. Neon also debuted “Alpha,” a body horror film from “Titane’s” Julia Ducournau that earned just over $121,000 from 218 screens.
Universal also revived 2001’s “The Mummy Returns.” The adventure film grossed $600,000 from 1,300 venues, pushing its total to $202.7 million. The studio is rebooting the franchise and enlisting original stars Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz for a new sequel.
“Project Hail Mary” should soon have company in the blockbuster club. Next weekend brings “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” Universal and Illumination’s latest collaboration with Nintendo, which is expected to be one of 2026’s biggest hits. For exhibitors, it will extend a strong start to the year, with ticket sales already up 23%.
Thieves Steal 12 Tons of F1 KitKats From Truck in Europe
A group of thieves in Europe managed to steal more than 12 tons of KitKat chocolate bars, confirms Swiss food producer Nestlé in a statement.
The theft occurred after a truck left a production site in central Italy during the week of Mar. 23. At some point in time on the truck’s 800-plus mile route to a distribution site (and then Poland), thieves nabbed the truck that contained 413,973 KitKat bars shaped like an F1 car (a new promotion for the brand).
"The vehicle and its contents remain unaccounted for, and investigations are ongoing in close collaboration with local authorities and supply chain partners," said Nestlé in a statement.
KitKat itself also released a statement about the heist, saying, "We’ve always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat – but it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tonnes of our chocolate.”
Nestlé has confirmed that the heist won’t impact any KitKat supplies at retail locations. So if you really want to get F1-shaped KitKats — created to celebrate the brand becoming the “Official Chocolate Bar of Formula 1” last year — then you’ll be fine.
And if you come across the stolen candy bars, you’ll know based no a unique batch code that’s assigned to individual bars. Expected to be circulated in unofficial sales channels throughout Europe, the bars will have instructions about how to contact KitKat once scanned.
The company does urge consumers to not take any direction action to locate and/or recover any fo the stolen candy bars. Instead, chocolate-focused detectives should share any information that they have with local law enforcement agencies.
A group of thieves in Europe managed to steal more than 12 tons of KitKat chocolate bars, confirms Swiss food producer Nestlé in a statement.
The theft occurred after a truck left a production site in central Italy during the week of Mar. 23. At some point in time on the truck’s 800-plus mile route to a distribution site (and then Poland), thieves nabbed the truck that contained 413,973 KitKat bars shaped like an F1 car (a new promotion for the brand).
"The vehicle and its contents remain unaccounted for, and investigations are ongoing in close collaboration with local authorities and supply chain partners," said Nestlé in a statement.
KitKat itself also released a statement about the heist, saying, "We’ve always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat – but it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tonnes of our chocolate.”
Nestlé has confirmed that the heist won’t impact any KitKat supplies at retail locations. So if you really want to get F1-shaped KitKats — created to celebrate the brand becoming the “Official Chocolate Bar of Formula 1” last year — then you’ll be fine.
And if you come across the stolen candy bars, you’ll know based no a unique batch code that’s assigned to individual bars. Expected to be circulated in unofficial sales channels throughout Europe, the bars will have instructions about how to contact KitKat once scanned.
The company does urge consumers to not take any direction action to locate and/or recover any fo the stolen candy bars. Instead, chocolate-focused detectives should share any information that they have with local law enforcement agencies.
Millions turn out for "No Kings" rallies held worldwide to protest against Trump
Crowds of people protested Saturday against the war in Iran and President Trump's actions, in "No Kings" rallies across the U.S. and in Europe. Minnesota took center stage, in what organizers said were mass demonstrations involving millions of people.
U.S. organizers had estimated that the first two rounds of No Kings rallies drew more than 5 million people in June and 7 million in October. On Saturday, they estimated that at least 8 million participants took part in more than 3,300 events worldwide.
Thousands of people stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the Minnesota Capitol lawn and surrounding streets in St. Paul. Some held upside down U.S. flags, historically a sign of distress.
The event's headliner was Bruce Springsteen, who performed "Streets of Minneapolis." He wrote the song in response to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents and in tribute to the thousands of Minnesotans who took to the streets over the winter to protest the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement.
Before he launched into the song, Springsteen lamented Good and Pretti's deaths but said people's continued pushback against U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement has given the rest of the country hope.
"Your strength and your commitment told us that this was still America," he said. "And this reactionary nightmare, and these invasions of American cities, will not stand."
The bill also included singer Joan Baez, actor Jane Fonda, Sen. Bernie Sanders and a long list of other activists, labor leaders and elected officials.
The rally at the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul was designated the national flagship event, in recognition of how the state where federal agents fatally shot two people who were monitoring Trump's immigration crackdown became an epicenter of resistance.
St. Paul police shut down several streets around the area. No Kings organizers estimated that more than 200,000 people attended the St. Paul rally Saturday, surpassing the numbers from the Women's March in 2017.
The protests were mostly peaceful, but some arrests were reported.
U.S. organizers had estimated that the first two rounds of No Kings rallies drew more than 5 million people in June and 7 million in October. On Saturday, they estimated that at least 8 million participants took part in more than 3,300 events worldwide.
Thousands of people stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the Minnesota Capitol lawn and surrounding streets in St. Paul. Some held upside down U.S. flags, historically a sign of distress.
The event's headliner was Bruce Springsteen, who performed "Streets of Minneapolis." He wrote the song in response to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents and in tribute to the thousands of Minnesotans who took to the streets over the winter to protest the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement.
Before he launched into the song, Springsteen lamented Good and Pretti's deaths but said people's continued pushback against U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement has given the rest of the country hope.
"Your strength and your commitment told us that this was still America," he said. "And this reactionary nightmare, and these invasions of American cities, will not stand."
The bill also included singer Joan Baez, actor Jane Fonda, Sen. Bernie Sanders and a long list of other activists, labor leaders and elected officials.
The rally at the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul was designated the national flagship event, in recognition of how the state where federal agents fatally shot two people who were monitoring Trump's immigration crackdown became an epicenter of resistance.
St. Paul police shut down several streets around the area. No Kings organizers estimated that more than 200,000 people attended the St. Paul rally Saturday, surpassing the numbers from the Women's March in 2017.
The protests were mostly peaceful, but some arrests were reported.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
Courtesy of P.O.Wm
Employee is focused on finishing up and going home
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Group fight at Walmart in East Bakersfield, CA
Employee is focused on finishing up and going home
AND NOW Meet: Don
It's Don! You can see more HERE
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
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HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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