James Gunn hints that a new The Suicide Squad trailer may be near – In response to a fan on Twitter early Saturday morning, Gunn simply used a shushing emoji.
Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is set to be released August 6, 2021 in the U.S.
David Dobrik Is Losing Advertisers and Fans – David Dobrik, 24, is one of the best-known YouTubers in Hollywood. He made a name for himself on Vine, the short-form video app that created a generation of online stars. Then he moved on to YouTube, where he and a group of friends known as the Vlog Squad began sharing fast-paced comedic content, often involving stunts.
But an investigation by Kat Tenbarge at Insider published this week, detailing sexual assault allegations against a former Vlog Squad member, led many viewers to angrily re-evaluate Mr. Dobrik’s work and their fandom. Now it’s challenging the success of his growing empire. [NYT]
Moviegoing Confidence Hits Highest Level Since Pandemic Began – Leading Hollywood entertainment polling firm National Research Group has been surveying moviegoers on a weekly basis since the pandemic began on their comfort level in returning to theaters.
Thursday of this week was a milestone day.
For the first time since the pandemic crippled the theatrical experience a year ago, those saying they would feel “very” or “somewhat” okay about buying a movie ticket hit a record-best of 57 percent. [THR]
Katy Perry Planning Las Vegas Residency at Brand-New Casino – Katy Perry is planning a Las Vegas residency at The Theatre at Resorts World to start later this year, sources tell Billboard. The residency is expected to run into 2022.
Resorts World is Las Vegas’ first new-from-the-ground-up casino-resort on the Strip in more than a decade. The 5,000-capacity Theater will run as a joint development in partnership with AEG Presents, exclusively programmed and operated by its Concerts West division. [Billboard]
Amid Uncertain Times, Consumers Take Comfort in Nostalgic Comedy Shows – While the comedy genre is always popular, comedy viewing* over the past year highlights a resurgence of nostalgia comedy programming, particularly shows featuring diverse leads and cast members. Family Matters, for example, which was produced between 1989 and 1998 and features an all-black cast, saw a massive spike in viewership across national TV last year. Specifically, people ages 2 and older watched almost 11.4 billion minutes of the program last year, almost 400% more than in 2019, when viewers watched just 2.3 billion minutes.
While many Americans gravitated to their funny old favorites in 2020, it wasn’t a blockbuster year for the comedy genre overall. In fact, comedy viewing was down 9% nationally compared with 2019. With much of our attention focused on COVID-19, racial injustice and the presidential election, the dip isn’t surprising. That said, our data makes it clear that when audiences needed a break from reality, they traveled back in time to tried-and-true picks like Friends, Family Matters, the Golden Girls and Two and a Half Men, which, combined, accounted for more than 234 billion viewing minutes throughout the year. [Nielsen]
ESPN’s 2021 Tournament Challenge Has 16.2 Million Brackets Created – The 2021 ESPN Men’s Tournament Challenge presented by Allstate, Acura and McDonald’s collected 16.2 million brackets, the fourth consecutive year the No. 1 most popular college basketball bracket game surpassed 16 million, not counting last year’s cancelled tournament. [ESPN]
Ace Ventura 3 in Development From Sonic the Hedgehog Writers [IGN]
7-Eleven announces all-day breakfast in Sweden by selling pajamas – To promote the news that 7-Eleven is now serving breakfast 24-7 in Sweden, the retailer debuted limited-edition 100% cotton pajamas featuring stripes in 7-Eleven’s orange and green colorway.
The product idea, created with Swedish agency Akestam Holst, is a nod to our current mode of behavior—lounging, which has been reinforced by the pandemic-imposed lockdown. [Ad Age]
FOX News Digital Records Highest February Ever in Total Social Interactions; FOXBusiness.com Earns Record February of Multiplatform Unique Visitors, Views and Minutes [FOX News Channel]
