Developments in the Tom Cruise/Warner Bros. Discovery deal, apparently Paramount is hacked off that Cruise shot down TV series based in the Mission: Impossible or Days of Thunder universes. Cruise, who famously defended movie theaters in the post-COVID world, did not okay those projects, which maybe helped hasten Paramount to their inevitable sale.
Meanwhile, Cruise is still pissed they tried to shorten Top Gun: Maverick’s theatrical window—an idea he force-fed them with a baby spoon when it dominated summer 2022 and became a billion-dollar hit. Also, Paramount is peeved about his ballooning M:I budgets, there just seem to be some issues growing between a star who won’t compromise and a studio in desperate need of more money that can’t afford to support Cruise in the style in which he is accustomed. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Apparently, we’re supposed to be into “mob wife winter”, but this is why I don’t listen to TikTok for anything other than cats and cooking tips. I do not like wearing a lot makeup, hard pass. (Popsugar)
Jo Koy is defending himself after his rather disastrous turn as host of the Golden Globes, denying his jokes are sexist and claiming he “shine[s] light on women”. Two things can be true—the Globes was not a real representation of who Jo is as a comic, and he said some sexist sh-t in the heat of the moment. The Barbie boob joke? Too close to that Seth McFarlane song and dance about which women had topless scenes the year he hosted the Oscars. Dude comics have got to stop saying “why can’t we tell jokes anymore” and start embracing “yeah, I f-cked that up, I hope you’ll give me another chance to do better”. (Celebitchy)
A slight scroll-down surprise from Gugu Mbatha-Raw in London. I am getting more and more into purple as a winter color, though. Am I being incepted by The Color Purple? (Go Fug Yourself)
Real wild sh-t here as a judge orders eBay to pay millions in damages after employees sent cockroaches and spiders, among other similarly upsetting things, to a Massachusetts couple that authored a newsletter about the retail site. Truly doesn’t sound like enough executives got held responsible, no employee decides to send SPIDERS to another human being in a reasonably managed corporate environment. What the f-ck was going on at eBay circa 2019? Can’t wait for the true crime documentary about this. (AP)