Movie Reviews and Previews JK Rowling has poisoned the Fantastic Beasts well Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore opened this past weekend in North America, and in a classic case of diminishing returns, it is the lowest-grossing opening weekend for the Wizarding World spin-off yet. It took in $43 million, with $150 million to date worldwide, for a total gross of $193 By Sarah • Apr 18, 2022 12:11 pm
Style Emma Watson is “here for ALL the witches” It was about a year ago that the Daily Mail reported that Emma Watson was retiring from acting. It was a big story at the time and then it wasn’t because it turns out that it wasn’t true. Not really all that surprising considering the source. Emma presented By Lainey • Mar 14, 2022 01:27 pm
Harry Potter Fantastic Beasts isn’t done wasting its potential Because franchise death is slow and grinding, we still have to get through Fantastic Beasts 3, officially titled Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. The first trailer dropped yesterday—one day after JK Rowling wrote some new transphobic sh-t in The Times that I won’t link to because it’ By Sarah • Dec 14, 2021 03:19 pm
Top Reads Johnny Depp leaves Fantastic Beasts The election dominated the news last week—as it should—but one thing did manage to crack the all-encompassing vote watch on Friday, and no, it was not chartthrob Steve Kornacki and his big board. It was a statement issued by Johnny Depp, that he has been asked to step By Sarah • Nov 09, 2020 11:00 am
Dumbass Eddie Redmayne sticks his foot in Eddie Redmayne is promoting The Trial of the Chicago 7, the upcoming Aaron Sorkin film and one of Netflix’s starriest Oscar hopefuls for the year. In the film, Redmayne portrays activist Tom Hayden, one of the defendants in the trial, and to promote the film, he gave an interview By Sarah • Sep 29, 2020 10:14 am
Equality Issues Reframing Cancel Culture (This is the latest installment in our Long Read series. For previous entries, please visit the Long Reads archive.) Yesterday morning, Harper’s Magazine published a letter written and signed by 50 public figures including J.K. Rowling, Malcolm Gladwell, Gloria Steinem, Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, and so many more. By Prem • Jul 09, 2020 11:20 am
Dumbass Harry Potter and the 3,600-word Essay of Transphobia Part of me doesn’t even want to write this article. It’s not that I’m tired of writing about trans rights (I will always be thirsty for some Respect Trans People Juice), but because I’m not sure we should even be giving JK Rowling this much screen By Prem • Jun 11, 2020 10:33 am
Equality Issues Harry Potter Says Trans Rights Remember in the final Harry Potter movie, when Harry and Voldemort are fighting and they’re shooting orange and green things out of their respective wands? That’s basically what went down yesterday IRL. In response to JK Rowling’s transphobic tweets, Daniel Radcliffe penned a statement in defense of By Prem • Jun 09, 2020 02:09 pm
Dumbass JK Rowling isn’t just Transphobic – she’s a Troll Let me raise my hand as one of those who was shocked by JK Rowling’s tweets on Saturday evening. Not because of her transphobic views, which erase, diminish, and harm the trans community – though it’s important to be clear that they do, especially since Rowling has such an By Duana • Jun 08, 2020 01:56 pm
Harry Potter The Crimes of Grindelwald are many, and great In my review of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, I wrote, “A movie where Newt does a silly mating dance with a glowy rhinoceros does not also need to contain a bleak storyline about an abusive orphanage matron who whips the closeted wizard in her care. They’re By Sarah • Nov 19, 2018 09:16 am
Show Your Work Podcast Show Your Work: JLaw, JK, Gabrielle, and Stannis Baratheon Despite her popularity, and those weirdos at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association love them some Jennifer Lawrence, she was not nominated for a Golden Globe. Helen Mirren came out of nowhere for a nomination though and Michelle Williams was included too, even though THEY’RE STILL SHOOTING THAT MOVIE, OMG, By Lainey • Dec 11, 2017 04:14 pm
Celebrity Social Media Smutty Social Media, March 8, 2017 Kelly Rowland wants everyone to know she did not shade the Wilsons and the Instagram “like a comment” feature is dumb. (She’s right, it is dumb.) This pic of my dear friend and her beautiful family makes my heart smile, I can't believe how anyone would actually By Maria • Mar 08, 2017 05:42 pm
Celebrity Social Media Smutty Social Media, February 14, 2017 Is it time to go on a totally unscientific social media deep dive to investigate if Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry are still together? Let’s start with the basics: yes they still follow one another on Instagram. ❤ ✨So much love for you guys on this mushy day! You keep By Maria • Feb 14, 2017 02:58 pm
Show Your Work Podcast Hamilton, Harry, and Gilmore I got lucky back in June. On June 12th, right after the Tony Awards ended, a new block of Hamilton tickets was released and somehow I was able to get a couple, good seats too, on December 3. New York City on a Saturday night during the holidays with Duana. By Lainey • Nov 22, 2016 12:02 pm
Harry Potter JK Rowling on Depp and Dumbledore It was confirmed this week that Johnny Depp has indeed been cast as Gellert Grindelwald in the sequel to Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. Many fans then expressed disappointment in light of his divorce from Amber Heard and the allegations – and accompanying photos and texts and witnesses – of By Lainey • Nov 11, 2016 12:21 pm
Movie Reviews and Previews Johnny Depp’s magical backlash It was revealed the other day that Johnny Depp has been cast in the sequel to Fantastic Beast And Where To Find Them and may have a cameo in the first movie. I called it f-cksh-t. And it’s apparently f-cksh-t a lot of other Wizarding World fans as well By Lainey • Nov 04, 2016 01:43 pm
