ENTERTAINMENT

The 2023 World Happiness Report is here, and its results are optimistic. The findings come from the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, drawing data from surveys done in more than 150 countries to measure happiness based on a three-year average of life evaluations.Stating that levels of reported "life evaluations" have been "remarkably resilient," the annual study dissects six factors — social support, income, health, freedom, generosity and absence of corruption — to assess the differences among peoples' happiness levels in different parts of the world.This year, Finland topped the list as the happiest country for the sixth consecutive year, while several Nordic countries followed closely behind, including Denmark (second place) and Iceland (third place). These countries, accord...

Neil Druckmann is helping fans tide over the end of The Last of Us season one by teasing a pivotal character set to appear in the next season.The co-creator took to Twitter to share a poster hinting at the arrival of Abby Anderson, the antagonist and dual protagonist introduced in The Last of Us Part II. Druckmann teased the poster showing a muscular arm holding a hammer — the weapon of choice Abby is seen with in many of the game's promotional material — with the caption, "No TLoU on HBO tonight. But Season 2 is already on its way! Endure & survive!"For those who have yet to play The Last of Us Part II (spoilers ahead), Abby is a former Firefly member and the daughter of Jerry Anderson, the surgeon who Joel gunned down at the Salt Lake City hospital while stealing Ellie back from the ...

DC's Shazam! Fury of the Gods opened at No. 1 in the North American box office with a total of $30.5 million USD in its opening weekend, but failed to meet its expected numbers of $35 million USD to $40 million USD.According to reports, the Zachary Levi-starring sequel — which costs $110 million USD to make and required $100 million USD to market — grossed the $30.5 million USD from a total of 4,071 theaters across the country and is one of the studio's worst opening weekends in history, aside from films such as Wonder Woman 1984 and The Suicide Squad which debuted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fury of the Gods also marks a major drop from its 2019 predecessor, which earned $53.5 million USD and closed out with $140 million USD domestically.Meanwhile, in the international box office, it gr...

This past weekend, Ben Affleck premiered the highly anticipated Air at SXSW, which featured stars like Matt Damon, Damian Young and more.When introducing the film at SXSW, Affleck revealed what Michael Jordan requested before he directed the film. As per Variety, Affleck confirmed that he did get the titular basketball star's approval before making this film, "I had a chance to sit down with Michael Jordan, because I just wasn't going to make this movie without asking him, 'What matters to you?' Interestingly, and tellingly, he had a few things that mattered."According to Affleck, Jordan did have a few key pieces of the story that he said would be a must to include in the film, "One of them was that Howard White needed to be in the movie." Upon hearing about the importance of White, Afflec...

Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell's Good Burger 2 is officially in development over at Paramount+, with the announcement made during a recent episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.Set to premiere some time this year, the sequel to the 1997 cult classic will begin production in May and will see the return of Thompson and Mitchell as Dexter and Ed. “Dexter Reed (Thompson) is down on his luck after another one of his inventions fails. Ed (Mitchell) welcomes Dex back to Good Burger with open arms and gives him his old job back. With a new crew working at Good Burger, Dex devises a plan to get back on his feet but unfortunately puts the fate of Good Burger at risk once again," the official logline reads.“I can’t believe it’s been a little over 25 years since great customer service was...

DC and New Line Cinema's latest flick, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, is projected to debut with $30 million USD at the domestic box office in its opening weekend, marking one of the lowest starts for a movie in the DC Cinematic Universe, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Opening in 4,071 theaters, the movie raked in $11.7 million USD on Friday, with $3.4 million USD in previews, and it's expected to reach the $30 million USD marker by the end of this weekend. The figure falls short of the flagship Shazam! film's opening, which earned $53.5 million USD, not adjusted for inflation, in its first weekend.Still, the film is eyeing a No. 1 opening at the box office, while Scream VI and Creed III remain major players, vying for $18 million USD and $16 million USD in their second and third weekends,...

Following 2021's Shaman King adaptation that aired on TV Tokyo and Netflix, we are now learning more about a sequel to the series. Earlier this week, the website for the upcoming adaptation of creator Hiroyuki Takei's latest Shaman King manga, Shaman King Flowers, shared a promotional teaser.Accompanying the teaser was information regarding the anime's cast, staff, a teaser visual, and word of a January 2024 premiere date. Shaman King Flowers continues the story of the Asakura family, with previous protagonists Yoh Asakura and Anna Kyoyama’s son Hana Asakura serving as the main focus. The teaser shows Hana interacting with Amidamaru, Yoh’s spirit companion in the original series.Catch the teaser above and teaser visual for Shaman King Flowers premiering January 2024 below.?━━━━━━SHAMAN KIN...

According to reports, acclaimed actor Lance Reddick was found dead at 60 years old. The reports share that Reddick was found by police in his Studio City, Los Angeles home on Thursday (March 16). The cause of death is currently unclear, but police have noted that it appears to have been from natural causes.Starting his career in 1998, Lance Reddick is best known for playing Cedric Daniels in The Wire, along with roles in shows like Fringe, Bosch, Oz, and Lost. But in recent years, Reddick is most recognized for his voice acting for Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West, and Destiny, along with his portrayal of Charon in the John Wick franchise.In recent weeks, Lance Reddick was doing a press tour for John Wick: Chapter 4. Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski have announced the four...

16 years after Denzel Washington starred in Ridley Scott's popular crime drama American Gangster, the renowned actor is in "final negotiations" to co-star in the esteemed director's Gladiator sequel, according to sources via Deadline.The Paramount film will follow Scott's Oscar-winning 2000 flagship movie, which centered on a former general named Maximus Decimus Meridius, played by Russell Crowe, who had no choice but to become a gladiator under the jurisdiction of Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus, the self-chosen Roman Emperor.Previous reports stated the Gladiator sequel will follow Lucius, the son of Maximus’ lover Lucilla, depicted by Connie Nielsen. Washington would star opposite Paul Mescal, who is slated to lead the film in the role of Lucius, and Barry Keoghan, who is in negotiations to p...

Prime Video Sports has announced the official premiere date for Redefined: J.R. Smith, a four-part docuseries by UNINTERRUPTED following the retired NBA star, J.R. Smith on his journey to pursue a college education and new athletic passion as a member of the Men's Golf Team at North Carolina A&T.After being drafted into the NBA at just 19 years old and going on to win two Championships with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, Smith found himself without a team to play for. Searching for a new direction in life, he chooses to pursue a college education, rediscovering his passion for sports as a student-athlete at the nation's largest historically Black university.According to the press release, the "story serves as a powerful reminder that with determination and resilience, ...

Moving toward the end of Ash Ketchum and Pikachu's story in the Pokémon Journeys: The Series anime, the director behind the Pokémon anime has now shared why their journey began 25 years ago. In an interview, director Kunihiko Yuyama shared that Pikachu was chosen to be Ash's companion to make fans sad. Instead of receiving one of the three original Kanto Starters, Ash received Pikachu and had to earn his trust and respect at first, ultimately forming an amazing bond throughout the years."I think of Pikachu as a combination of cuteness, strength, and the ability to bring a few laughs," Yuyama said. "By the way, I decided from the very get-go that the Pokémon that would become [Ash's] partner would not be one of the three you choose between at the start of the video game, since I figured tha...