Author: Alex Berry

NME

Nish Kumar has shared that he would like to play James Bond in an “elaborate prank”.

• READ MORE: ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ review: nostalgic return to the old neighbourhood

In a new interview with The Guardian, the comedian said that he thinks “it would be very cool” to be named as the iconic secret agent.

When asked if he would like to star in a Hollywood movie, like his colleague James Acaster in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the stand-up comic responded: “It would be very cool if I was named the next James Bond, because the collective meltdown it would inspire in a section of the British press would be so profoundly hilarious that I almost think Barbara Broccoli should do it as a prank.”

Kumar added: “They’ve made enough money from the franchise, why not make the next casting of James Bond an elaborate prank?”

This follows recent rumoured developments in the casting of 007, after Daniel Craig stepped down from the role in 2021 with No Time To Die.

It was reported last month that Kick-Ass and Tenet star Aaron Taylor-Johnson had been offered the role by production studio EON Productions, who were awaiting his response. Taylor-Johnson has neither confirmed nor denied the rumour.

Kumar took the opportunity to throw a jokey remark at Acaster in his response, adding: “I think it’s a longer journey obviously to imagine me as a spy than it is to Acaster as a Ghostbuster because, let’s face it, the guy is a fucking nerd.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Kumar opened up about some of the best and worst advice he has received in his career.

He explained how he was “once given some pretty horrendous advice by a comedy agent,” sharing: “They told me I should do a broad, racist Indian accent in an audition. I would hope things have moved on for younger acts from ethnic minority backgrounds but it was truly awful advice.”

As for the best advice, he cited a lyric in the Outkast track, Rosa Parks: “You’re only as funky as your last cut.” Kumar interpreted it as “a cooler way of saying you’re only as good as your last gig.”

He added: “But I prefer to hear it in André’s voice.”

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NME

A new horror series currently has a 100 per cent rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

The second season in the Them anthology series, titled The Scare, premiered on Amazon Prime Video on April 25, and has received a generally positive reception.

The series stars Luke Cage and True Detective’s Deborah Ayorinde, as well as Jackie Brown’s Pam Grier, and singer/songwriter Luke James.

Ayorinde, who also starred in the first season as a different character, plays an LAPD Detective investigating a gruesome murder, set in 1991. As Dawn Reeve gets closer to uncovering the truth, something evil begins to take over her life and her family.

The Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes “represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show”, and for Them: The Scare, it’s currently at 100 per cent.

One review of the eight-episode series read: “Bolstered by its incredibly gifted actors, Them: The Scare is a terrifying supernatural slasher that moves the anthology to the right track.”

Another review described the series as “deeply unsettling” while another noted the deeper themes in the anthology: “Like the first season of Them, the horror in Them: The Scare is as much about institutional racism than it is about some sort of apparition or monster.”

The first instalment in the anthology was titled Covenant, and was released in April 2021. It starred British rapper Ashley Thomas, as well as Us star Shahadi Wright Joseph.

Them: Covenant is set in 1953 and follows a black family who move to an all-white Los Angeles neighbourhood from North Carolina, during the Second Great Migration.

The first season currently has a 58 per cent rating on the Tomatometer, and was met with mixed reviews upon its release.

All episodes of Them: Covenant and Them: The Scare are available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.

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NME

Content warning: this article discusses rape and sexual assault.

Harvey Weinstein is in poor health, according to his lawyer.

The former movie producer was found guilty on February 24, 2020 after being convicted of first-degree and third-degree rape, and was sentences to 23 years in a New York state prison.

Last week, The New York Court of Appeals overturned Weinstein’s 2020 conviction for rape, deeming that the judge at the trial gave improper rulings.

However, Weinstein remains imprisoned, serving a 16 year sentence following a 2022 California rape conviction.

Now, Weinstein’s lead attorney, Arthur Aidala, has shared that the 72-year-old is in poor health, telling reporters (as per Associated Press) that his client was admitted to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan.

Aidala began: “They examined him and sent him to Bellevue. It seems like he needs a lot of help, physically.”

“He’s got a lot of problems,” Aidala shared. “He’s getting all kinds of tests. He’s somewhat of a train wreck, health-wise.”

Weinstein is still set to appear in court in New York on May 1. As reported by Associated Press (via Screen Daily), Manhattan District Attorney’s office said: “We will do everything in our power to retry this case, and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault.”

In February this year, Aidala argued that the judge at the 2020 New York trial allowed three women to testify against Weinstein’s character, despite not being directly involved in the allegations for which he was being charged.

“This is major prejudice,” Aidala argued. “It’s saying, ‘He’s a bad guy. He’s a bad guy. He’s a bad guy.’”

This is a developing story. More to follow.

For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.

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NME

Jeremy Clarkson has revealed that his views towards climate change were part of a “caricature” he portrays on screen.

• READ MORE: The Grand Tour: Six Key Variations From The ‘Top Gear’ Format

His famously grumpy character can be seen on hit motoring shows Top Gear and The Grand Tour, which propelled him to fame and helped him secure columns in various national newspapers.

Speaking to The Guardian ahead of the release of the third season of Clarkson’s Farm, coming to Amazon Prime Video on May 3, Clarkson shared how he acted as an “exaggerated” version of himself on television.

“Everyone assumes the character they see on motoring shows is me, but it’s exaggerated,” he shared. “To think that I was like I was on Top Gear is the same as thinking that Anthony Hopkins is a cannibal,” referring to the actor’s acclaimed role as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence Of The Lambs.

He also spoke about previous dismissive comments he has made about global warming, now suggesting that they weren’t necessarily serious.

“That was part of the caricature,” he shared. “It was a joke.”

He added: “Now you think, ‘Jesus Christ, my neighbours over there, they’ve had to replant everything because it’s all drowned.’ I can’t believe it’s not dominating the news agenda. Oh no, wait, it is.”

Clarkson also weighed in on the topic of electric cars in the interview, suggesting that they won’t have a significant impact on climate change. “I won’t drive a Tesla. I’ve probably got 10 cars, all with V8 engines. I don’t think electric cars solve anything.”

He added: “Science is going to be needed here, not politics. Science will solve it eventually. Always does.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Clarkson shared he no longer feels the need to uphold his trademark controversial persona. “I don’t have to think, ‘Right, I’m going to say something stupidly provocative now.’ That’s relaxing,” he said.

“Also, you don’t wake up every morning to find you’re in the middle of a tabloid maelstrom for something you’ve said or done.”

The third season of Clarkson’s Farm will arrive on Prime Video on May 3.

The post Jeremy Clarkson says he believed in global warming all along appeared first on NME.

NME

Jeremy Clarkson has revealed that his views towards climate change were part of a “caricature” he portrays on screen.

• READ MORE: The Grand Tour: Six Key Variations From The ‘Top Gear’ Format

His famously grumpy character can be seen on hit motoring shows Top Gear and The Grand Tour, which propelled him to fame and helped him secure columns in various national newspapers.

Speaking to The Guardian ahead of the release of the third season of Clarkson’s Farm, coming to Amazon Prime Video on May 3, Clarkson shared how he acted as an “exaggerated” version of himself on television.

“Everyone assumes the character they see on motoring shows is me, but it’s exaggerated,” he shared. “To think that I was like I was on Top Gear is the same as thinking that Anthony Hopkins is a cannibal,” referring to the actor’s acclaimed role as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence Of The Lambs.

He also spoke about previous dismissive comments he has made about global warming, now suggesting that they weren’t necessarily serious.

“That was part of the caricature,” he shared. “It was a joke.”

He added: “Now you think, ‘Jesus Christ, my neighbours over there, they’ve had to replant everything because it’s all drowned.’ I can’t believe it’s not dominating the news agenda. Oh no, wait, it is.”

Clarkson also weighed in on the topic of electric cars in the interview, suggesting that they won’t have a significant impact on climate change. “I won’t drive a Tesla. I’ve probably got 10 cars, all with V8 engines. I don’t think electric cars solve anything.”

He added: “Science is going to be needed here, not politics. Science will solve it eventually. Always does.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Clarkson shared he no longer feels the need to uphold his trademark controversial persona. “I don’t have to think, ‘Right, I’m going to say something stupidly provocative now.’ That’s relaxing,” he said.

“Also, you don’t wake up every morning to find you’re in the middle of a tabloid maelstrom for something you’ve said or done.”

The third season of Clarkson’s Farm will arrive on Prime Video on May 3.

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NME

Chris Pratt has received criticism for destroying a historic mid-century property in order to build his new home.

• READ MORE: ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ review: plucky plumbers’ new adventure should have stayed a pipe dream

Pratt, along with his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger, purchased the 1950 Zimmerman house last year. The Los Angeles home was designed by Craig Ellwood, and the couple reportedly bought it for $12.5million.

It is situated in the Brentwood neigbourhood of LA, and was mainly lived in by the late Hilda Rolfe, the widow of The Man From U.N.C.L.E co-creator Sam Rolfe.

The home and its grounds have now been cleared to make way for Pratt’s new single-story modern farmhouse, which is set to be 15,000 square feet in size. It is set to feature a secondary unit, a pool and a three-car garage.

Pratt’s new home has been designed by architect Ken Ungar, who typically specialises in high-end modern farmhouse-style properties, according to Architectural Digest (via The Guardian).

The Eichler Network, which provides news and updates about mid-century Californian homes, disapproved of the project. The writer Adriene Biondo said: “At the same time as architectural homes are being marketed as high-end, collectible art, others are being torn down to build new.”

Biondo continued: “Perhaps a historic-cultural monument designation could have saved the Zimmerman house, or allowed the necessary time to delay demolition. Tragically, calls for preservation fell on deaf ears.”

The Los Angeles Conservancy, which is dedicated to preserving historic buildings, had warned of the demolition earlier this year, adding that the residence was “highly intact and a noteworthy example of modernist design from this era”.

Pratt, 44, and Schwarzenegger, 34, have been in a relationship since June 2018, and they married in Montecito, California in 2019. They couple share two daughters.

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NME

Rebel Wilson has opened up about the moment she was allegedly invited by a member of the British royal family to a party, where drugs were being taken, and an orgy was set to happen.

• READ MORE: Soundtrack Of My Life: Rebel Wilson

In her recent memoir, Rebel Rising, the actor recalled the moment, which reportedly occurred in 2014.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the Pitch Perfect star wrote: “I got thrown a last-minute invite to a tech billionaire’s party”.

She continued: “The guy who invited me, who’s like 15th or 12th in line to the British throne, had said to my male friend, ‘We need more girls.’”

Wilson explained how she got ready for the event, in accordance with its medieval theme, and went to a ranch just outside of Los Angeles. “The party was insane,” she described. “Men were jousting on horses in a field, girls dressed as mermaids were in the pool”.

The Bridesmaids star continued: “The property was massive, and because it was quite a drive, people had been assigned rooms to sleep there overnight.”

Wilson then described how drugs were then allegedly introduced to the party, writing: “And then all of a sudden it’s 2am and a guy comes out with a large tray piled with what looks like a ton of candy.”

However, Wilson found out that what she initially thought was a selection of sweets, was actually ecstasy.

“I turned to the screenwriter I’ve been talking with, confused,” the actor recalled. “He says, ‘Oh, it’s for the orgy… the orgies normally start at these things about this time.’”

Wilson then detailed how she realised what was allegedly happening. “Now the comment by the Windsor about needing more girls started to make a lot more sense,” she wrote. “They weren’t talking about a boy-girl ratio like it was a year-eight disco. They were talking about an ORGY!”

Wilson then concluded the story by describing how she ran “out of there as fast as I can”.

The anecdote is just one of the stories including in Rebel Rising, which also details a series of alleged incidents involving comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen. The Borat star has since responded, denying the accusations.

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NME

Multiple crew members have been injured following an incident which took place on set of the forthcoming film, The Pickup.

• READ MORE: ‘Coming 2 America’ review: long-awaited sequel can’t dethrone the original

The incident, which took place in Atlanta, Georgia, involved a car colliding with a truck, while a scene was being shot on the upcoming film.

According to The Guardian, two crew members were hospitalised and several injured as a result of the incident. The film’s stars – comprised of  Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson and Keke Palmer – were reportedly not on set at the time.

Amazon MGM Studios released a statement which explained how the accident happened. The statement read: “Unfortunately, the sequence did not go as planned and several members of the crew were injured as a result.”

It continued: “We are still in the process of gathering facts on what happened and why, but first and foremost our thoughts are with those who are recovering.”

They reiterated their commitment to protecting those involved in the film, saying: “The wellbeing of the entire crew and cast is our first priority, and we will continue to insist on the highest industry standards of safety while filming. All safety precautions were reviewed prior to and monitored during the shoot.”

As per The Guardian, a source has shared that injuries ranged from superficial abrasions and bruises to broken bones. The source shared: “It was a completely freak accident. It wasn’t even a complicated or dangerous stunt.”

The Pickup, which is set to be an action comedy, is being directed by Tim Story, best known for directing Fantastic Four. A release date has not yet been confirmed, but production is not expected to be delayed as a result of the incident, according to The Guardian.

In other news, Marvel recently announced the casting for its new adaptation of Fantastic Four.

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NME

Olly Alexander is set to make an appearance on EastEnders next month.

• READ MORE: Years & Years – ‘Night Call’ review: escapism rules on Olly Alexander’s solo debut

The Years & Years singer is this year’s UK Eurovision Song Contest entrant, and will be visiting Walford as part of his rehearsal process.

According to the BBC, Alexander will be heading to the fictional Queen Vic pub after finishing up rehearsals for his Eurovision performance nearby.

Alexander has spoken about the opportunity to feature on the UK’s most popular TV soap, saying: “I’m thrilled to be making my first appearance on EastEnders and in the most iconic pub in the UK.”

The It’s A Sin star continued: “I’m so happy I got to meet some true screen legends and spend time on set with the brilliant cast and crew.”

Alexander shared how he had initially wanted the appearance to be kept secret from his mum: “I wanted to surprise my mum as it’s her favourite show but I guess the cat is out of the bag now, she’s gonna love it!”

See more

Olly Alexander is coming to Walford!

Ahead of his performance at the Eurovision song contest, Olly is set to make a surprise visit to #EastEnders' Albert Square…

Read more https://t.co/g4vRA21JH3 pic.twitter.com/n8AOlnItzA

— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) April 23, 2024

Last month, the singer released his entry track for the contest, which is titled ‘Dizzy’. The song was co-written by Alexander and electronic producer Danny L Harle, who has worked with Charli XCX, Dua Lipa and Caroline Polachek.

Many listeners noticed similarities between the track and the Pet Shop Boys’ 1987 hit ‘It’s A Sin’, which Alexander has covered himself.

During a recent interview with NME, the band’s Neil Tennant, addressed the observations. “When I read people saying it sounded similar, I immediately listened to it and I don’t think it does,” he said.

“But personally, I always think Pet Shop Boys sound like something else to what everyone else does. I think I hear what it’s meant to sound like.”

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NME

Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness brand Goop have released their gift guide for the upcoming US Mother’s Day.

The company’s latest gift guide includes a large selection of special presents, ranging in price and variety, but in-keeping with the Goop’s mission to provide products across its key pillars: wellness, beauty, style, food and travel.

The accompanying text to the guide reads: “They’re the ones who’ve guided us, nurtured us, been our soft place to land. They’re our moms, stepmoms, sisters, aunts, friends, teachers, and more. We try to celebrate them every day, but May 12 presents a particularly nice opportunity to do so.”

It continues: “Ahead, 136 ways to make them smile.”

Included in the gift guide are various skincare and cosmetic products, items of clothing, and stays at various resorts, including a private island off Madagascar, valued at $3,700 a night per person.

Also in the list are a $150 pair of Birkenstock sandals, a two-person sauna costing almost $8000, a set of eight compostable carrot plates retailing at $32, and what appears to be a bread mix, valued at $22.

However, perhaps the most surprising feature on the list is a selection of three sex toys. The Shakespeare In Love actor’s company has recommended three different devices aimed at female sexual pleasure, ranging in price from $98 to $395, catering to the different gifting budgets.

The device’s descriptions advertise the products as providing sexual pleasure, as well as wellness qualities. Paltrow’s company is known for selling a variety of sexual products to accompany the website’s editorial content aimed at improving sexual wellness, for example egg shaped quartz and jade stones, designed to be inserted into the vagina.

Last year, the Sliding Doors star made headlines for selling a 24k gold plated vibrator, valued at $15,000 (£12,360), as part of Goop’s annual holiday gift guide.

However, for Goop customers looking for the more affordable variations there is a face oil ($98), a hair and scalp kit ($90), or a set of four napkins ($86).

In other news, Paltrow, who starred as Pepper Potts in Marvel‘s Iron Man, said last month that you “only make so many good” superhero movies.

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