Author: Daniella Wilson

Klara and the Sun review – Sci-fi comedy is yet another misfire for Jenna Ortega

Klara and the Sun review – Sci-fi comedy is yet another misfire for Jenna Ortega

Published by Daniella Wilson

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in The prospect of driving a clown car through a novel by Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro sounds fairly doomed from the start. Yet, to writer-director Taika Waititi’s credit, his Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit (2019) took enough of an iconoclastic stance on its (comparatively far darker) source novel, Christine Leunens’ Caging Skies, to confidently mould itself into a Mel Brooks-approved farce about fascist indoctrination. Klara and the Sun, unfortunately, is far more faithful to its source book. As a result, it’s both a betrayal of Ishiguro’s quiet, meditative vision and a poor imitation of Waititi’s own, pre-Marvel work, most notably Boy (2010) and the Sam Neill-fronted Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016). Those films had a New Zealand-dry, witty-but-absurdist sense of humour to them, populated either by broken people laughing off their brokenness or by men with extremely fragile egos. They were funny and sort of sad at the very same time. Klara …

Billie Eilish reveals ab tattoos and belly button piercing in tiny crop top for latest photos

Billie Eilish reveals ab tattoos and belly button piercing in tiny crop top for latest photos

Published by Daniella Wilson

Billie Eilish shared a rare look at what life has been like out of the limelight of late. The Grammy winner, 24, took to her Instagram page earlier this month with one of her signature photo dumps, one of her first in months. © InstagramBillie Eilish shared one of her first “photo dumps” in months on Instagram The main event with the compilation was her new hair, as she debuted her natural light brown locks in a blunt bob with sideswept bangs. In another photo, though, she also gave a glimpse of her rarely-seen tattoos. The “Happier Than Ever” hitmaker has a host of tattoos all over her body, although they’re mostly quite discreet. Recommended videoYou may also likeWATCH: Billie Eilish’s Rise to Fame In her recent snap, she shared a selfie of herself, seemingly at the gym, pulling down her boxers and wide-legged jeans to reveal the tip of her Chinese dragon tattoo and her calligraphy of the words “Hard & Soft” on her abdomen, plus her belly button piercing. In addition to the …

Brendan Fraser Sequel Gets New Title Ahead of 2027 Release

Brendan Fraser Sequel Gets New Title Ahead of 2027 Release

Published by Daniella Wilson

Brendan Fraser‘s forthcoming installment in Universal Pictures‘ popular The Mummy franchise is alive and well. The studio announced Thursday that the new movie will be titled The Mummy: Book of the Dead. Radio Silence duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are set to direct the film from a script by David Coggeshall (The Family Plan). It hits theaters Oct. 15, 2027, exactly a year after the title announcement. Fraser returns as Rick O’Connell alongside Rachel Weisz as Evie O’Connell. John Hannah, Michael Johnston, Numan Acar, Kevin J. O’Connor and Oded Fehr round out the cast. The classic Universal monster property first sprang to life with Boris Karloff in the titular role of the 1932 feature The Mummy. After a number of offerings over the decades, Fraser and Weisz’s franchise kicked off with the Stephen Sommers-helmed 1999 version of the same name. For the 25th anniversary of 1999’s The Mummy, director Sommers told The Hollywood Reporter that he continues to be pleased with the film’s lasting cultural impact. “It’s so funny how it just never went …

EastEnders’ masterclass Kat and Alfie episode proves their key importance

EastEnders’ masterclass Kat and Alfie episode proves their key importance

Published by Daniella Wilson

It’s been 24 years since EastEnders created romcom gold with Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie Moon (Shane Richie), and all these years later the couple are still firmly in our hearts. And a breathtaking standalone episode just reminded us why these classic characters must remain at the very heart of the show. The show is constantly evolving – as it should be – by bringing in twisted villains like Ned Hawkins (Jamie Bamber) and Craig Ingram (Matthew James-Bailey), and endearing new regulars like Gemma Hawkins (Patricia Potter). Storylines highlighting child grooming and homophobia are vital, but so are beloved mainstays, who also need to be nurtured. Alfie and Kat have endured infidelity, abuse, loss, and many a make-or-break showdown like that shown this week, so you’d be forgiven for wondering how they remain current and fresh when they’ve been down this road before. But EastEnders isn’t throwing everything at this pair (again) simply for the sake of more chaos. It might be a familiar dynamic but this is new territory at its most character-driven, …

Billy Joel addresses potential return to touring after health diagnosis

Billy Joel addresses potential return to touring after health diagnosis

Published by Daniella Wilson

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in Billy Joel has shed new light on his health and potential return to the stage. Joel, 77, shared last year that he had been diagnosed with the brain condition hydrocephalus after suffering an onstage fall. He has since been forced to cancel a series of concert dates. Asked in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter if he’ll be able to tour again in the future, Joel answered bluntly: “I don’t know.” “I have to take a series of tests before I know, but I can’t drive right now. I’m not allowed to drive,” he continued. “And I can’t do performances because what the neurologist told me, every time you do a show, it’s like you’re getting a concussion.” Pressed further about his condition and why performing takes such a toll, Joel elaborated: “Rock ‘n’ roll is loud, man. Rock ‘n’ roll made me deaf already. So it’s the lighting, …

MOTHER Teams Up with Amoeba Music for a Collab You’d Be Lucky to Find Digging Through Vintage Bins

MOTHER Teams Up with Amoeba Music for a Collab You’d Be Lucky to Find Digging Through Vintage Bins

Published by Daniella Wilson

Put your records on! Your vintage band tee just got a major upgrade with the launch of MOTHER’s Holiday 2026 collection, created in partnership with Amoeba Music. The collaboration brings together the iconic record store, whose fans include Charli XCX, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Suki Waterhouse, with MOTHER’s signature designs, loved by Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, and Kacey Musgraves, for a lineup of rock-star approved pieces. MOTHER x Amoeba “We wanted the collection to feel like the kind of pieces you’d find while digging through vintage bins,” Tim Kaeding, co-founder and creative director of MOTHER, said in a press release. “There’s a kind of magic in losing hours inside a record store, stumbling across something unexpected, and making it part of your world. That feeling of discovery and slower living is at the heart of our storytelling,” Lela Becker, president and co-founder of MOTHER, added. As for what’s in the mix? Six unisex styles designed for fashion and music lovers alike. MOTHER x Amoeba The Drifter Jacket features assorted punk-inspired pins, The Bee’s Knees …

Princess Beatrice looks so different with silver hair and black leather mini dress in unexpected photo

Princess Beatrice looks so different with silver hair and black leather mini dress in unexpected photo

Published by Daniella Wilson

Princess Beatrice often gives Princess Catherine a run for her money in the style stakes, but for an outing in the capital, the Princess of York looked almost unrecognisable, a far cry from her usual stylish self. Photographed in Mayfair, the mother-of-two swapped out her demure ensembles for a black leather mini dress, accessorised with a military-inspired black and silver jacket. © GC ImagesPrincess Beatrice of York arriving the UNICEF Halloween Ball in October 2016 The jacket bore a striking resemblance to the red military jackets worn by her mother, Sarah Ferguson – perhaps she took inspiration from her eclectic wardrobe © Dave Benett/Getty ImagesPrincess Beatrice of York took inspiration from her mother Sarah Ferguson’s jacket The Princess added towering velvet heels to her ensemble, and while her outfit was a big change from her usual royal look, it was her hair we couldn’t take our eyes off. Beatrice is known for her beautiful, tumbling auburn hair, styled into perfect waves, but she’d covered her signature hair with a long, cascading silver wig, topped with …

Al Pacino to receive top honor with SAG-AFTRA lifetime achievement award

Al Pacino to receive top honor with SAG-AFTRA lifetime achievement award

Published by Daniella Wilson

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in Al Pacino has been named the next recipient of the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award. Known for starring roles in “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Scent of a Woman,” and “The Godfather” trilogy, the 86-year-old actor is the 62nd person to receive the highest honor awarded by the Screen Actors Guild -American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. “I wondered and wandered most of my life but have always felt at home with a script and my fellow actors. It’s the work and the actors along the way that have been among the greatest joys of my life,” Pacino said in a statement Thursday. “It’s an honor to be recognized by SAG-AFTRA in celebrating the journey.” ‘I wondered and wandered most of my life but have always felt at home with a script and my fellow actors. It’s the work and the actors along the way that have been among the greatest joys …

Gender Representation “Backsliding” on Television Per Report

Gender Representation “Backsliding” on Television Per Report

Published by Daniella Wilson

Gender-balanced hiring on television’s most popular series dipped during the 2025-2026 season, ReFrame found in its latest annual report in collaboration with WIF. Forty-two of the season’s top 100 series were awarded the organization’s designation for gender-balanced productions, down three percent from the year prior, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. “It confirms what I think a lot of people are witnessing, experiencing, which is that we are backsliding on gender balance,” said WIF CEO Kirsten Schaffer in an interview. The organization, which was founded by the Sundance Institute and WIF in 2017, awards its “ReFrame Stamp” to TV productions that hire sufficient numbers of women or nonbinary or trans people in significant roles such as showrunner, lead actor, co-lead actor, director and various heads of department. The organization uses a point system to determine eligibility. Added Schaffer of ReFrame’s system, “We think we’ve made it relatively easy to get and so the fact that the numbers are moving backward rather than forwards is really an issue. We’re looking for forward progress.” She added, “Even though …

Doc Martin and Sherlock stars confirmed to join Down Cemetery Road for second season

Doc Martin and Sherlock stars confirmed to join Down Cemetery Road for second season

Published by Daniella Wilson

The cast of Down Cemetery Road season 2 has expanded, with the likes of Martin Clunes and Amanda Abbington joining the fray. The second season of the thriller, which was confirmed by Apple TV at the end of last year, will see Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson return as leads Zoë and Sarah. This time around, the pair are tasked with a case that sees them “navigating the glamorous but ruthless world of black market antiquities” after a woman falls in front of a train. Alongside Clunes (Doc Martin) and Abbington (Sherlock), other new additions to the cast in season 2 include Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk), Paterson Joseph (Peep Show), Aasiya Shah (Raised by Wolves), Dimitri Leonidas (Foundation), Paul Chahidi (This Country), Liz White (Life on Mars), Amanda Abbington (Sherlock), Jeff Rawle (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). Also joining the cast are Ashley McGuire (Bridget Jones’s Baby), Amber Grappy (The Baby), Yali Topol Margalith (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder), Joshua James (The Last Kingdom), Sarah Kestelman (The Crown) and Tom Riley (The Nevers). …