August 29, 2022 - Music Observer

Barbie Ferreira Says Goodbye to ‘Euphoria’ Character Kat

Music Observer Staff on August 29, 2022

High school isn’t forever, even in fictional settings. And one of the most famous and beloved television schools is losing a fan-favorite girlfriend.

Barbie Ferreira, who played body- and sex-forward character Kat Hernandez on HBO’s Euphoria, has announced that she’s saying goodbye to the character.

In an Instagram story, Ferreira announced her exit along with artwork from fellow cast member Hunter Schafer.

“After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character Kat, I’m having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye. I hope many of you could see yourself in her like I did and that she brought you joy to see her journey into the character she is today,” she wrote.

“I put all my care and love into her, and I hope you guys could feel it. Love you Katherine Hernandez.”

In Euphoria’s second season, Kat developed the character on her own, quit her job as a dominatrix, and tried to address body image issues.

It’s not yet clear what happens to Kat in the future, but Euphoria season 3 gained the nod after doubling viewership numbers during the first two seasons.

Euphoria season 2 was a hit, garnering 16 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, and acting nominations for Zendaya (who set the records when she bagged an award in 2020 and earned three additional nominations as a producer and songwriter), Sydney Sweeney, and Colman Domingo.

Further details on the third season of Euphoria have not been disclosed, including the date of the premiere.

Euphoria Facts

Euphoria is a teen drama series with Sam Levinson as creator and principal writer. It was created for HBO and is inspired by Ron Leshem and Daphna Levin’s Israeli miniseries with the same name.

The series is executive produced by Levinson, Zendaya, Ron Leshem, and Gary Lennon. Its set is at Ulysses S. Grant High School in Los Angeles, California and Sony Studios in Culver City, California.

Since its release, the show has gained quite a good review, with critics and fans praising it for its cinematography, score, cast’s performances, and its approach to a serious and mature subject matter.

Sarah Hyland and Wells Adams Wed with Huge Personalities in Attendance

Music Observer Staff on August 29, 2022

The marriage ceremony of Sarah Hyland and Wells Adams was an incredible get-together, a Tucker-Pritchett-Dunphy family gathering, maybe?

The Modern Family alum was joined by former co-stars including Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ariel Winter, Nolan Gould, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson as she and her longtime fiancé exchanged their vows on August 20.

Vergara’s son, Manolo Vergara, and Tyler Ferguson’s husband, Justin Mikita, also graced their wedding in the dreamy outdoor ceremony in Santa Barbara, Calif., according to PEOPLE.

In fact, one of Hyland’s TV family was a huge contributor to the ceremony: Tyler Ferguson officiated their nuptials and lived the scenario he’d always dreamed of since the couple were making wedding plans in 2019, when the pandemic hit the break buttons on their nuptials.

“I had the best seat in the house for this stunner of a wedding,” Tyler Ferguson said in an Instagram post. “What an honor to marry my two dear friends @sarahhyland & @wellsadams. I couldn’t be happier for you, love bugs. I also do Bar Mitzvahs.”

He also uploaded a photo on his Instagram story of Hyland and Winters, the two played the role of siblings on the fan-favorite ABC series, smiling at each other with the caption: “sisters for-eves.”

Hyland and Adam Celebrate with Famous Friends

However, it was not only Hyland’s onscreen colleagues that joined the couple to celebrate their tying of the knot: Adam’s Bachelor Nation co-actors attended too.

Kaitlyn Bristowe, Jason Tartick, Caelynn Miller-Keyes, Joe Amabile, Evan Bass, Chris Soules, Nick Viall, and previous host Chris Harrison were among the attendees on the evening. Other prominent personalities in attendance were Vanessa Hudgens, Shaun White, and Nina Dobrev.

Adams played a role on the 12th season of The Bachelorette in 2016 prior to meeting the love of his love: Hyland. After that, he has been a pillar on the franchise’s Bachelor in Paradise spin-off, portraying a beachside bartender, providing his ear while mixing up some cocktails.

Seems like a good day for everyone involved.

Braxe + Falcon Unveils Two Shows in November

Music Observer Staff on August 29, 2022

Following the release of their latest EP, Step by Step, Braxe + Falcon have two shows in the US this fall.

French house showrunners Alan Braxe and DJ Falcon will play live music at Elsewhere in Brooklyn on November 5th and their last show at El Rey Theater in Los Angeles on November 12th.

Braxe + Falcon also released a music video for the EP’s title track, which features Panda Bear’s vocals. Toru Tokikawa wrote, directed and produced the visual, which features Japanese skate prodigy Ginwoo Onodera.

12-year-old Onodera is the youngest ever to sign with Nike. The video was shot in Tokyo and included early clips of Ginwoo skateboarding and footage of him bagging prizes and tricks.

“Visualizing the appropriate video for Step by Step was not easy, but when my director friend Toru Tokikawa came up with the idea of showing the growth of a child from a very young age through the practice of skateboarding, we instantly felt it was right for the song,” Braxe stated in a press release, talking about the footage.

“As we grew up as skateboarders, we understand that skateboarding is a commitment, accepting the multiple failures until the trick is landed and then learning the next one until you reach freedom of movement and expression; it’s all done ‘step by step.’

“Toru cast Ginwoo Onodera, an incredible young skater whose softness, skills and enthusiasm shine on the screen, making it a subtle and moving video.”

Braxe + Falcon Pioneers

Braxe and Falcon are part of the groundbreaking people pioneering the French Touch genre, but Step by Step is their first team-up as a pair.

Braxe is famous for being a member of Stardust – whose only single, “Music Sounds Better With You,” became a smash-hit at the French house. The two-thirds of Stardust were singer Benjamin Diamond and Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter.

Falcon and Bangalter teamed up on “Contract,” the concluding track on Daft Punk’s last album Random Access Memories.

Braxe + Falcon

11-05 Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere

11-12 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre

Never Have I Ever Creators Talk About the Show’s Ending

Music Observer Staff on August 29, 2022

Before the release of the third season of Never Have I Ever, fans knew that the show will have an upcoming end.

In March, Netflix revealed that the fan-favorite comedy series would end with four seasons, already recorded; however, it will not be released for some time.

“It’s hard when you have a high school show because you can’t keep them in high school forever,” co-creator Lang Fisher said in an interview with EW about the decision.

“The cast gets older and older. Then you start having, like, 30-year-olds going to high school, and it’s hard to take them to college. I think we felt like this is it; this is good. We can tell this tale and end it the way we want to on a high note and really finish out senior year, and it will feel satisfying.”

For a long time, college has been an obstacle for teen dramas. Hence the decision of Never Have I Ever to dodge it completely.

“It feels false for everyone to go to college together,” Fisher further says. “Or you have to introduce a whole new crew of characters that nobody cares about it. That’s a hard move to make.”

Never Have I Ever will End

Additionally, Fisher and co-creator Mindy Kaling are aware of the benefits of creating your own conclusion.

“We haven’t edited the finale yet, but I’m really excited about it,” Fisher states. “I think the series finale is going to feel very satisfying to people.”

However, it does not indicate that they’re thrilled to bid farewell to the series they love.

“I don’t know, man, I wish we could just do the show until they’re 50,” Kaling states. “It’s so hard to launch a show, so hard to find talent that’s so good, and the truth is I would follow Devi until her dying day.”

Yet, Kaling is sure that they’ll reminisce and know they made the right thing in the timing of its conclusion.

“We finished season 4, and it’s good. It’s just a testament to how hard it is to say goodbye to characters you love writing,” she further states.

“It takes a while for writers to figure out characters. You write a pilot, and then you hire people, and then you get into this groove; that’s why so many shows growing up lasted like five seasons too long.

“[Laughs] But I do feel that, in a couple years, I’ll look back on this and say, ‘No, that was good that it ended then.’ But right now, I’m not ready to accept it.”

And neither are the fans.

Never Have I Ever season 3 is now available on Netflix.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan Accepts The Boys Role

Music Observer Staff on August 29, 2022

Following two years of booking frustrations, when sign probably infers it would be difficult to work out, The Boys made it: Jeffrey Dean Morgan has now bounced into season 4.

Morgan, a self-proclaimed fan of the superhero drama, is set to work again with Supernatural creator Eric Kripke, producer of The Boys, in an undisclosed role.

However, Amazon has already confirmed that the star will make a guest appearance.

A possibility for another reunion is also looming, as Morgan’s Supernatural co-star Jensen Ackles wrote something on an Instagram post by Karl Urban that hinted he might well return as Soldier Boy in The Boys season 4.

“Pour me a double… I’m on my way,” he wrote in the post.

But that may not be the literal meaning. Ackles’ reps said there were no details available at this time. Then, we’ll have to see.

Kripke has uploaded behind-the-scenes photos from the set of The Boys Season 4. Actors Urban, Jack Quaid, Karen Fukuhara, Laz Alonso, and Tomar Capone are shown pointing the bird at the camera.

“Welcome to the fam, @JDMorgan. We’re all SO PSYCHED to have you!!” the producer said.

The Boys Has Wanted Morgan For a Long Time

Since January 2020, Kripke has attempted to get his longtime friend to engage in The Boys. At the time, the actor wrote on Twitter after the finale of season 1: “I’ll go play with that gang anytime.”

To which Kripke responded,” I’ll make you a deal. Season 3. I’ll write it, and if you’re avail, come shoot it!” Morgan then replied, “In a heartbeat.”

The issue is with the scheduling.

Ackles, who’s been in touch with Morgan, said in an interview with EW before season 3 that it’s difficult because of the star’s busy schedule.

“I know that there were some preliminary conversations of how and what and when and why that just didn’t work out with Jeff’s schedule. He’s a busy man, and everybody wants him to come on their show,” Ackles told EW.

Furthermore, Ackles confessed that Morgan would badger him for information on the show during his time as Soldier Boy in season 3.

“He was like, ‘Give me spoilers.’ And I was like, ‘No, stop it.’ He’s very convincing,” Ackles revealed.

Kripke also told EW that Morgan was handed an offer to join season 4, but he wasn’t sure it would be possible.

Morgan was revealed to portray a character in The Walking Dead: Dead City (Isle of the Dead was the working title), a spin-off of The Walking Dead, alongside Lauren Cohan. The show was set to shoot in New York, while The Boys was planned to be filmed in Toronto.

“Schedule-wise, I don’t know,” Kripke stated. “We might still remain star-crossed, unfortunately, because I did ask. We had a role come up, and my first question was, ‘Well, is Jeffrey available?’”

In response to EW’s interview with Kripke, Morgan wrote on Twitter in May: “I’ll make it work.”

And you won’t have to guess. He did!

The Boys season 4 is now filming.

The Big Climate Thing Festival is Canceled

Music Observer Staff on August 29, 2022

A festival targeted to engage the crowd in climate change activism has been canceled.

Some of the prominent musicians in the industry, including The Roots, Haim, Sheryl Crow, and the War on Drugs, were scheduled to headline the first event of its kind at Forest Hills Stadium in mid-September. However, no new dates had been set by the organizers yet.

“We felt that if we couldn’t produce the event in a way that met the high standards for participation, impact and sustainability that are the foundation of The Big Climate Thing, then it was the responsible choice to postpone until we can,” said the event’s organizers in a statement.

The single-stage fest was revealed in June and had Climate Control Projects as producer. It had been set to cover climate-themed discussions with live music. Its major nonprofit collaborator is EarthPercent, an organization with Brian Eno as a co-founder to allocate funds from the music industry toward environmental causes.

Other artists set to play in the event include The Weather Station, the Flaming Lips, Khruangbin, and many more.

Here is the complete statement from the fest’s organizers below.

Climate Control Projects on The Big Climate Thing Postponement:

“The Big Climate Thing, scheduled for September 16-18 at Forest Hills Stadium, NYC has been postponed.

The artists, climate movement leaders and partners of this event take the responsibility of representing those fighting for survival on the front lines of ecological disaster and environmental justice incredibly seriously. Collectively, we felt that if we couldn’t produce the event in a way that met the high standards for participation, impact and sustainability that are the foundation of The Big Climate Thing, then it was the responsible choice to postpone until we can.

Compared with the climate emergency itself, a concert postponement is hardly important news. However, for the fans who purchased tickets, the teams that have been working tirelessly behind the scenes, the climate organizations and activists who have been integral to the mission of this project and the speakers and artists who were the heart and soul of the event, we are so grateful to have had this chance to form a vital community with you centered on creativity and climate optimism. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the climate crisis it’s that one must adapt to survive.

With humility and gratitude, we look forward to bringing a renewed The Big Climate Thing back in 2023 to create a platform for those who truly inspire us with their commitment to creating a more just, equitable and habitable planet. And some of the best music on Earth.

Climate Control Projects

Ticket Refund Information:

If you purchased your tickets via AXS online or by phone, a refund will automatically be issued to the credit card you used to purchase within 30 business days. Otherwise, refunds are available at your original point of purchase.”

Nicki Minaj Bags First Solo Top Spot in Hot 100 Single with ‘Super Freaky Girl’

Music Observer Staff on August 29, 2022

Nicki Minaj has reached the first-ever solo No. 1 single of her career on the Billboard Hot 100, credits to her newest song, “Super Freaky Girl,” Billboard reported on Monday.

While she has landed the top spot alongside other musicians and rappers such as Doja Cat (“Say So”) and rapper 6ix9ine (“Trollz”), this most recent feat is actually the first time in Minaj’s career – 13 years of it – that she has reached the chart’s peak on her own.

Additionally, Billboard announced that “Super Freaky Girl” is the first-ever hip-hop track by a solo female with no collaborating artist to debut at the top spot on the Hot 100 after “Doo Wop (That Thing)” by Lauryn Hill in 1998.

“You did it,” Minaj wrote on Twitter on Monday, not long after it was announced that the single also marked the largest pure sales week for any song dropped in 2022, with 89,000 units sold.

The song has been dubbed a pseudo follow-up to Minaj’s 2014 smash hit “Anaconda” and contains a great sample of Rick James’ 1981 single “Super Freak.”

“Super Freaky Girl” Performed Well for Minaj

Following the premiere of “Super Freaky Girl,” Minaj dropped a partially altered “Roman Remix” version of the track that houses the comeback of her beloved alter-ego Roman Zolanski.

Besides her chart success, Minaj is scheduled to host the MTV VMAs 2022 alongside LL Cool J and Jack Harlow.

The superstar is also a recipient of this year’s Vanguard Award and will play a medley of hits from throughout her career. Moreover, “Super Freaky Girl” has snagged a nomination for Song of the Summer at the awards show.

While the song charted at the summit during its release, Minaj has also received backlash online for collaborating with writer-producer Dr. Luke, a popular songwriter Kesha took to court for alleged sexual assault and abuse – the lawsuit was later dropped.

Game of Thrones Prequel Performs Well on its Premiere

Music Observer Staff on August 29, 2022

House of the Dragon has climbed the status of Game of Thrones. (As it ought to.)

HBO says House of the Dragon drew 9.986 million viewers across linear and HBO Max platforms in the United States in its debut episode, which aired on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday.

As such, the Game of Thrones prequel has the biggest series premiere on HBO, overtaking Game of Thrones – the main series, which drew 2.2 million viewers for its 2011 pilot episode.

House of the Dragon is currently the biggest launch of HBO Max in the US, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, and Africa.

“It is wonderful to see millions of Game of Thrones fans return with us to Westeros last night. House of the Dragon features an incredibly talented cast and crew who poured their heart and soul into the production, and we’re ecstatic with viewers’ positive response,” said Chief Content Officer at HBO and HBO Max, Casey Bloys, in a statement.

“We look forward to sharing with audiences what else George, Ryan, and Miguel have in store for them this season.”

Game of Thrones creator and author George R.R. Martin is the co-creator of House of the Dragon along with Ryan Condal, who is also the co-producer of the show alongside Miguel Sapochnik.

A television and streaming analytics company called Samba TV previously released its own predictions for House of the Dragon’s performance, saying the series will be the biggest TV premiere among premium cable and streaming shows in 2022.

Members of the organization said 2.6 million households watched the first six hours of its premiere – between 9 PM and 3:00 AM ET for traditional TV and streaming.

“HBO has once again tapped into the magic of Game of Thrones with its spinoff series, House of the Dragon,” said a statement from Samba TV.

“Diehard GoT fans eagerly anticipated more from the franchise, and they turned out in force for House of the Dragon, with the HBO program generating the biggest single-day premium cable or streaming viewership premiere in 2022. More than doubling the initial same-day viewership of Netflix’s season 4 premiere of Stranger Things, the Game of Thrones prequel recaptured the fire of HBO’s original masterpiece in a big way.

“The next challenge, and the real opportunity for HBO in the coming weeks, is to expand viewership beyond the passionate built-in fan base. Just as Stranger Things’ most recent season 4, Volume 2 drop surpassed its Volume 1 audience, HBO must look to innovative marketing that drives incremental audience growth to break through today’s saturated content marketplace.”

House of the Dragon: Game of Thrones Prequel

House of the Dragon’s performance is still newborn compared to the Game of Thrones ratings in its prime. The main series saw steep growth in its audience through time, thanks to word of mouth and good critical reviews.

When HBO released the show’s finale in 2019, the episode drew 19.3 million viewers – covering both traditional and streaming numbers.

However, seeing the developments now, a season 2 renewal for House of the Dragon may be underway.

While the show’s concept has given creators confidence, reports said Warner Bros. Discovery executives were assessing the performance of the fantasy drama before formally nodding on more episodes. And it is off to quite a good start.

House of the Dragon is set shortly before and during the Dance of the Dragons, a civil war between the Targaryen lineage hundreds of years prior to HBO’s Game of Thrones timeline.

‘The Sandman’ Creator Divulges Michael Jackson Wanted the Lead Role

Music Observer Staff on August 29, 2022

Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman has been causing a stir for quite some time.

Talk of a possible adaptation of the hit fantasy series has been circulating since the early 1990s. At some point in 2016, Joseph Gordon-Levitt was cast as the titular Lord of Dreams before that too faded away.

Though the role ultimately went to Tom Sturridge, Gaiman recently revealed in an episode of Happy Sad Confused that Gordon-Levitt wasn’t the only star to have expressed interest in the Morpheus character during the series’ long journey on Netflix. : Michael Jackson wanted that role too, and offered to play it.

“By 1996, I was being taken to Warners, where the then-president of Warner Bros. sat me down and told me that Michael Jackson had phoned him the day before and asked him if he could star as Morpheus in The Sandman,” Gaiman revealed.

“So, there was a lot of interest in this, and they knew that it was one of the Crown Jewels, and what did I think? And I was like, ‘Ooh.’”

Although Jackson and Gordon-Levitt didn’t actually land the role, Gaiman revealed that he realized finding the right Morpheus wasn’t as easy as he originally thought when he was casting for the Netflix show.

“I was like, ‘It’s going to be so easy to cast! We just find, you know, an English-speaking actor with great cheekbones, there’s loads of them out there,’” he joked. “We saw, in the end, about 1500 Morpheus auditions.”

Gaiman explained that Sturridge’s audition was the first of four in which he received an email from Sandman’s casting director, Lucinda Syson. So, of course, he immediately shortlisted the actor.

“I figured that, at the end of a couple of weeks, we’d have a shortlist of five or ten just as good as him, just as right as him, just as – you could say the lines as well as him – and we didn’t. At the end of a week, we had Tom. At the end of two weeks, we had Tom. At the end of a month, we had Tom,” he stated.

“At the end of six weeks, we said to Warner Bros: ‘It’s Tom, isn’t it?’”

Gaiman Says Morpheus’ ‘line are really hard to say’ in The Sandman

But when production was postponed for six months because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gaiman stated that Netflix urged the team to “make sure you’ve seen everybody.”

“We saw a lot of Morpheuses and what I learned from that Is that his lines are really hard to say,” Gaiman stated.

“We saw some fabulous actors. It’s not like anybody was bad – there was a level, a bar, that they had to cross in order for us to be watching their video anyway – this was every great actor with great cheekbones on the planet, of all races, of all nationalities, of everything, and at the end, it was still Tom.”

When asked what drew him into Sturridge’s performance, Gaiman said: “Mostly, I think it was the voice.”

He added: “There was something about the way he delivered the lines, the thoughtful way he delivered the lines, the way he’d find the poetry and the beauty and the tune of the lines. It was wonderful. It was right.”

Shia LaBeouf Was Not Fired from ‘Don’t Worry Darling’: He ‘Quit’

Music Observer Staff on August 29, 2022

Maybe someone needs to be a little worried, darling: Shia LaBeouf has dismissed rumors that he was fired from director Olivia Wilde’s new film Don’t Worry Darling for “combative energy.”

In an email LaBeouf sent to Wilde, which Variety posted two days after the cover story with Wilde was released in which he claimed to have fired LeBeouf from the film, the actor claims to have voluntarily exited the production.

A source close to the project confirmed that LaBeouf was not formally fired from the film.

“I am a little confused about the narrative that I was fired,” LaBeouf allegedly said in the letter, prior to referring to the use of his name “attractive clickbait” for Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling press tour.

“You and I both know the reasons for my exit. I quit your film because your actors & I couldn’t find time to rehearse.”

LaBeouf even asked Wilde to clarify her statements.

“Firing me never took place, Olivia. And while I fully understand the attractiveness of pushing that story because of the current social landscape, the social currency that it brings. It is not the truth,” he added.

“So, I am humbly asking, as a person with an eye toward making things right, that you correct the narrative as best you can. I hope none of this negatively affects [sic] you and that your film is successful in all the ways you want it to be.”

Per Variety, it had seen a clip and text conversation between LaBeouf and Wilde, but the information is not yet verified.

Talking about LaBeouf’s departure in her cover story with Variety, Wilde stated that she was an “admirer of his work” but that “his process was not conducive to the ethos” that she wanted on set with the cast, which includes Florence Pugh and Harry Styles – who ultimately played LaBeouf’s supposed character.

“He has a process that, in some ways, seems to require a combative energy, and I don’t personally believe that is conducive to the best performances,” the actress-director said in the interview with the outlet.

“I believe that creating a safe, trusting environment is the best way to get people to do their best work. Ultimately, my responsibility is to the production and to the cast to protect them. That was my job.”

LaBeouf Sued

Following his exit from the movie, LaBeouf’s former girlfriend, FKA Twigs, with whom he starred in Honey Boy, filed a lawsuit for physical, emotional, and mental abuse.

The actor denied the allegations, with court filings stressing that he “denies generally and specifically each and every allegation,” according to Reuters.

Later, he went on to seek treatment at an inpatient facility.

“A lot came to light after this happened that really troubled me, in terms of his behavior,” Wilde said in the interview.

“I find myself just really wishing him health and evolution because I believe in restorative justice. But for our film, what we really needed was an energy that was incredibly supportive. Particularly with a movie like this, I knew that I was going to be asking Florence [Pugh] to be in very vulnerable situations, and my priority was making her feel safe and making her feel supported.”

Don’t Worry Darling chronicles the tale of a 1950s housewife, Alice (Pugh), who lives with her husband, Jack (Styles), in an experimental community where another housewife goes missing.

The film, which features Chris Pine, Kiki Layne, Gemma Chan, and Nick Kroll, drops September 23.