Farrelly Bros. movie ‘Dear Santa’ leads Paramount+’s ‘season for streaming’ lineup

Looks like Paul Mescal is going from playing a gladiator to a Beatle.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, during a conversation between Mescal’s Gladiator II director Ridley Scott and director Christopher Nolan at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles Tuesday, Scott revealed that Mescal has been cast in Sam Mendes’ upcoming films about The Beatles.

When talking about his next project, the movie The Dog Stars, Scott was asked if Mescal was going to be in the film. At first Scott said that he was, before suggesting Mescal’s schedule may be an issue.

“Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next,” he said. “So I may have to let him go.”

While Ridley didn’t say who Mescal would be playing, The Hollywood Reporter notes that rumors have suggested he was the frontrunner to play Paul McCartney.

Mendes’ Beatles project was announced back in February, with the director revealing he planned to make four separate films, one for each member of the group — McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison.

Sony Pictures is the studio behind the movies, and it marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles have granted a studio the rights to the life stories of band members and their legendary catalog of music. 

No official casting has been announced for the films, although Ringo recently let it slip in an Entertainment Tonight interview that Barry Keoghan had been cast to play him.

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Wednesday Addams will be returning to Netflix sooner than you think.

The hit series Wednesday has wrapped production on season 2, and to celebrate the streamer released the first image of Jenna Ortega dressed as the titular, gloom-loving daughter of the fictional Addams family.

In the photo, Ortega stands in front of a spooky, cemetery-esque backdrop with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. Season 2 of the series is set to return in 2025, where it will follow Wednesday’s continued adventures at Nevermore Academy.

Not much is known about the plot of season 2, though showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar are teasing more complexity.

“This season, Wednesday’s journey is darker and more complex as she navigates family, friends, new mysteries, and old adversaries, propelling her headlong into another year at Nevermore,” they told Netflix’s Tudum.

Catherine Zeta-Jones, who stars as Morticia Addams, recently teased in a behind-the-scenes clip shared by Netflix that the second season will “be bigger and more twisted than you could ever imagine.”

She celebrated her return home from filming Wednesday in Ireland in a post shared to Instagram on Nov. 26.

“Thank you to all in Ireland … who welcomed me and the whole Wednesday @wednesdaynetflix team so graciously whilst we were shooting season 2!” Zeta-Jones wrote.

She also shared a video reuniting with her dog, Taylor, after months of separation.

“After seven months away from my little guy, Taylor my dog was the best homecoming gift. Oh yes, why 7 months…I was shooting season 2 of @wednesdaynetflix Wednesday!!!” Zeta-Jones wrote.

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The reviews for Venom: The Last Dance haven’t been kind, but the threequel starring Tom Hardy and his gooey alien sidekick scared up a respectable $8.5 million in Thursday sneak peeks in the U.S., according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

The trade reports that while the movie is expected to end the weekend with lower stateside box office receipts than scored by the 2018 original and its 2021 sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, The Last Dance is already roaring overseas, which will help its overall bottom line.

THR says the movie is expected to earn $180 million globally over the weekend, which would be 5% higher than Carnage; it’s already made $14.7 million from China alone.

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