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The Little Mermaid is set to swoon over the Duke of Hastings in an upcoming romance film.
Halle Bailey will star alongside Regé-Jean Page in the new movie Italianna, ABC Audio has confirmed.
The Universal Pictures film will be directed by Kat Coiro. Ryan Engle wrote the screenplay based on an original idea from him and Kristin Engle.
While plot details are being kept under wraps, the project has been described as a romantic comedy.
Coiro also directed the 2022 Universal romantic comedy Marry Me starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson.
Bailey is known for being part of the music duo Chloe x Halle, as well as her breakout acting role as Ariel in the live-action The Little Mermaid adaptation. Page is known for his starring role in season 1 of the period romance drama series Bridgerton.
Deadline first reported the casting news about Italianna.
When Kendrick Lamar takes the stage for the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, he’ll become the first solo hip-hop artist to headline the show, proving that the event has come a long way since its humble beginnings.
The idea of having current big-name pop, rock or country stars perform during halftime only dates back to 1991, when New Kids on the Block did it. Before that, it was marching bands, older stars like Chubby Checker or the G-rated vocal troupe Up with People.
But what seemingly solidified the halftime show as a showcase for superstars was Michael Jackson‘s 1993 performance, featuring a huge inflatable globe and a choir of over 3,000 local children. Thanks to Michael, for the first time ever ratings increased between halves during the game. From then on, stars and spectacle were the rule.
Over the years, the show has been plagued by controversy, starting with 2004’s infamous “Nipplegate” incident with Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson. That led the NFL to hire “safer” classic rock artists such as Bruce Springsteen as halftime performers. Pop stars returned in 2011 with the Black Eyed Peas‘ performance.
Controversies persist, though. During Madonna‘s 2012 performance, one of her guests, rapper M.I.A., flipped off the crowd. And in 2016, Beyoncé was criticized for having backup dancers dressed in outfits reminiscent of the Black Panther political party.
In 2019, many fans felt that Maroon 5, Big Boi and Travis Scott should have declined to perform, due to the NFL’s alleged treatment of Colin Kaepernick. In fact, Rihanna declined to do the show that year for that very reason, but returned as the halftime headliner in 2023.
Here’s a look back at who’s done the halftime show since 1991:
1991 — New Kids on the Block 1992 — Gloria Estefan 1993 — Michael Jackson, performing with 3,500 children 1994 — Country stars Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, Wynonna Judd and Naomi Judd 1995 — Patti LaBelle, Miami Sound Machine and Tony Bennett 1996 — Diana Ross 1997 — ZZ Top, James Brown, the Blues Brothers featuring Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman and James Belushi 1998 — Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, The Temptations, Queen Latifah 1999 — Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy 2000 — Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton 2001 — Aerosmith, *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Nelly, Mary J. Blige 2002 — U2 2003 — Shania Twain, No Doubt, Sting 2004 — Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, Kid Rock, P. Diddy 2005 — Paul McCartney 2006 — The Rolling Stones 2007 — Prince 2008 — Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 2009 — Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band 2010 — The Who 2011 — Black Eyed Peas 2012 — Madonna 2013 — Beyoncé (and Destiny’s Child, briefly) 2014 — Bruno Mars feat. Red Hot Chili Peppers 2015 — Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott 2016 — Coldplay, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars 2017 — Lady Gaga 2018 — Justin Timberlake 2019 — Maroon 5, Travis Scott, Big Boi 2020 — Jennifer Lopez and Shakira 2021 — The Weeknd 2022 — Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and Snoop Dogg with 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak 2023 — Rihanna 2024 — Usher 2025 — Kendrick Lamar
Despite battling negative press before its release, Disney’s Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler in the title role, managed to snag a box office win this weekend.
According to Box Office Mojo, the film brought in $43 million to debut at #1, with the foreign box office at about $44.3 mil.
Coming in at #2 domestically is the Steven Soderbergh-directed spy thriller Black Bag, starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, which brought in $4.4 million, followed by Captain America: Brave New World at #3 with $4.1 mil, and Mickey 17 at #4 with $3.9 million.
Rounding out the top five is last week’s #1, Novocaine, which brought in $3.76 million, a drop of over 57% from the week prior.
Here are the top 10 films at the box office:
1. Snow White – $43 million 2. Black Bag– $4.4 million 3. Captain America: Brave New World – $4.1 million 4. Mickey 17 – $3.9 million 5. Novocaine – $3.76 million 6. The Alto Knights – $3.16 million 7. The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie – $1.83 million 8. The Monkey – $1.54 million 9. Dog Man – $1.5 million 10. The Last Supper – $1.34 million
