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Oscar nominated movies go through meticulous discussions and careful considerations before becoming a candidate to win the actual award. But sometimes public opinion does not necessarily align with the experts. The audience does not shy away from expressing their opinions—especially when they do not like a movie.

But that doesn’t mean these films aren’t worth watching, they’re entertaining. However, if we start handing out nominations to every entertaining movie, the Academy Awards would lose their value, wouldn’t they? In some cases, these films even overshadowed more deserving contenders, fueling criticism about the very selection process of movie nomination.

In this list, we will look at some of the most controversial and surprising movies nominated for an Academy Award. Without further ado, let’s find out if the movies selected were justified or not.

Selena Gomez in Emilia Pérez, Ben Afflect and Josh Harnett | Credit: Why Not Productions,...

For those with Hollywood dreams, whether it's acting in films or directing them, their biggest aspiration may be to win an Oscar. "Academy Award winner" would be forever attached to their name, and presumably, doors would open in their careers that had never opened before.

While the Oscars certainly recognize performers and filmmakers for their exceptional talents and place them in a class above the rest, they also bring high expectations. After winning, there will always be pressure to live up to that title, which may be impossible to achieve again. This is part of the dreaded "Oscar curse." What happens after you've achieved the biggest honor in Hollywood?

Oscar campaigns and wins can be just as much of a story as the movies themselves. Hollywood's publicity machine spins a specific narrative to help an artist win the coveted award — the higher the stakes or the more cultural impact, the better.

Comedian Katt Williams did it again. With his reputation for bold predictions and satirical take on politics, Williams recently addressed one of the most controversial topics in America. Known for calling out P. Diddy’s downfall before it happened, this time, the comedian turned the spotlight on President Donald Trump.

Katt Williams in his TV special Katt Williams: World War III | image: Netflix

During his recent comedy tour, Heaven on Earth, Katt Williams delivered his satirical take on President Donald Trump’s new gender rules in the US. Considering how the nation went into a frenzy after Trump issued his strict order on his two-gender policy, Williams joked about the law comparing the President to God himself.

Katt Williams’ satirical take on Donald Trump’s gender rules

Donald Trump seemingly turned his rise to Presidential power into one of the most controversial times in history. Shortly after his swearing-in ceremony,...

While Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary celebration seems to mainly consist of self-congratulatory TV specials and useless merchandise (including a $96 scented candle that presumably smells like cocaine and wig glue), one piece of SNL 50 content actually sounds promising.

Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music is a nearly three-hour documentary about the show’s musical history that was co-directed by Questlove. In addition to fronting The Roots and putting up with Jimmy Fallon on a nightly basis, Questlove is an Oscar-winning filmmaker — he took home the Best Documentary Oscar for Summer of Soul, which a lot of people might forget about because it happened just moments after the slap.

The documentary doesn’t come out until next week, but Questlove recently spoke to The New York Times and revealed that one of the most infamous moments in SNL music history secretly featured one of the show’s biggest stars.

When...

Eddie Murphy is a king of movie comedy, but he’s sure made some notorious bombs. That list is embarrassingly long — Holy Man, Norbit, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, Meet Dave, Imagine That and A Thousand Words are hard-to-defend failures, both as comedies and at the box office. However, none of those flops qualify as Murphy’s worst ever, at least according to Murphy.

In fact, Murphy made what he considers his worst movie during the hottest streak of his career, sandwiched between 48 Hours, Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop, according to Far Out. It’s hard to blame Murphy for the failure. When you’re in your early 20s and people throw obscene amounts of money at you, you take it and run. That’s what happened in the case of the Dudley Moore comedy Best Defense.

Murphy copped to the money grab when he returned to host...

Terry Crews has signed with CAA for representation.

Crews started his career as a professional linebacker and defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers and Washington Commanders before he retired from the NFL in 1997 and pursued acting.

His breakout role was in the 2004 comedy “White Chicks,” and since then he has starred in “Everybody Hates Chris,” “The Expendables” franchise, “Idiocracy” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” in which he portrayed the eccentric Lieutenant Terry Jeffords.

Crews is also seen as the host of “America’s Got Talent” for the past six seasons, and he also held hosting duties on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” and Netflix’s “Ultimate Beastmaster.”

His credits also include “Norbit,” “Balls of Fury,” “Street Kings,” “Get Smart,” “Bridesmaids,” “Blended,” “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” “Sorry to Bother You,” “Sandy Wexler,” “Deadpool 2” and 2024’s “The Killer’s Game.” On the television side, he led the...

Sometime in the 2000s, comedian Eddie Murphy began experiencing a career slump that, quite sadly, would remain with him for years. Ron Underwood's 2002 sci-fi comedy "The Adventures of Pluto Nash" was a notorious bomb, making only $7.1 million on a $100 million budget. Murphy's cinematic update of "I Spy" from the same year also lost money, and Murphy turned to making mediocre but popular kiddie flicks like "The Haunted Mansion" and "Daddy Day Care" to make ends meet.

In 2006, Murphy received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in "Dreamgirls," but he immediately chased it with the universally hated "Norbit" only months later. "Norbit" made money, but no one seemed to like it. Some have even said that the presence of "Norbit" in theaters harmed Murphy's chance of winning an Oscar that year. He lost to Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine."

Murphy's next few films were all panned by critics,...

In this week's installment of "What people choose to watch on streamers will never make sense," the aughts comedy "Norbit" is somehow one of the most-watched movies on Amazon's Prime Video. This exceedingly random news comes courtesy of viewership data site FlixPatrol, which as of publication time has the widely panned Eddie Murphy vehicle hovering at number five on its list of the 10 most-watched Prime Video movies in North America. Sure, why not?

To be fair to "Norbit," subscribers seem to be having an odd week in general, with Adam Sandler's "The Longest Yard" also making the list and two Christmas films, "Almost Christmas" and "The Holiday," already entering Prime Video's upper echelons. Still, it's remarkable to see that more people are reportedly watching "Norbit" than are watching newer Prime Video originals, like the Peter Dinklage and Josh Brolin-led action comedy "Brothers" (currently number seven on the streaming...

The Oscars has added many different award categories across its history, with one being added after the success of a 1980s drama, The Elephant Man. The Academy Awards are easily the most prestigious awards in the movie industry, with the first ceremony taking place in 1929. Across the history of the Academy Awards, there have been many award categories that have been added and retired across the years; most recently the award for Best Sound Editing, which was retired in 2019.

In 2024, the Oscars announced the creation of a new awards category that will recognize a movie's casting decision. The first Academy Award for Best Achievement In Casting will be awarded at the 98th ceremony in 2025; this is the first new award category since the creation of the Best Feature Film category in 2001. Further new categories may be created in the future as seen in the movie industry's campaign for a Best Stunt Award.

The Eddie Murphy-led Norbit, which was slammed by critics, finds a successful second chance on streaming 17 years later. Starring Murphy in several roles and Thandiwe Newton, the movie followed the titular mild-mannered man scheming to end up with his childhood sweetheart Kate (Newton) while being married to Rasputia. Originally released in 2007, Norbit opened to negative reviews from critics, receiving a dismal 9% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a muted response from audiences, but made a respectable $159 million against its $60 million budget and garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Achievement in Makeup.

Now streaming on Prime Video, Norbit has found new life as its No. 7 on the streamers Top 10 list of movies in the US at the time of writing. Leading the list is the Mark Wahlberg-led sci-fi thriller Infinite and followed by the Spanish zombie thriller Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End at No. 2, Kate Beckinsale's Canary Black at No.

The year was 2007 and Eddie Murphy, while on an awards season high from his performance in Dreamgirls, released a movie called Norbit to the masses. On paper, it had all the signature ingredients that have made his previous comedies resonate, and yet it was also all so wrong. The movie was a commercial success, but it was met with near-universal dismal reviews, and some out there think it cost Murphy the Oscar that year because it was released before voting closed for the Academy Awards. Whatever its legacy may be today, it's being hilariously rediscovered today and many are taking to Letterboxd to share their not-so-kind reviews of the film.

It's unclear why Letterboxd users are suddenly rediscovering Norbit, but it has been seeing its fair share of reviews within the last few days. The movie is available on Amazon Prime Video, so maybe it was an offbeat spooky season...

Laughter is often touted as the best medicine, but for Katt Williams, it’s been both a cure and a conundrum. His career is a wild ride, packed with hilarious moments and enough drama to make even the most veteran gossip columnist raise an eyebrow. Born Micah Williams in Ohio, the stand-up comedian-actor, 53, has become a household name, not just for his sharp comedic genius, but also for the myriad scandals that have punctuated his journey.

Katt Williams in School Dance (2014) | Credit: Lionsgate

So, let’s take a plunge into the topsy-turvy life of this multi-faceted celebrity who has kept audiences in stitches while battling his own inner demons.

The Early Years of Katt Williams

Katt Williams’ foray into comedy was anything but ordinary. At just 13, he packed his bags and hit the road, leaving home after emancipating himself from his parents (via New York Post). He made his way to sunny Florida,...

Wes Cravens underrated supernatural comedy Vampire in Brooklyn has received a brand-new streaming update. The 1996 cult classic was led by Eddie Murphy as a powerful vampire named Maximillian, who tries to seduce an NYPD detective in hopes of saving himself.

Starting on Tuesday, Oct. 1, Vampire in Brooklyn will officially be available to stream for free on Pluto TV. Besides Murphy, the film also starred Oscar winner Angela Bassett as Detective Rita Veder, whos unaware that shes actually a half-human, half-vampire hybrid. While working on her latest murder mystery case involving a corpse-filled ship, Rita meets Maximillian, who wants to transform her into a full vampire before the next full moon. Just like in his other movies such as The Nutty Professor and Norbit, Murphy also appeared as two different characters in the movie, including Pauly, an alcoholic preacher, and Guido, an Italian-American mobster.

Related What Went Wrong With Beverly Hills Cop III?...

During his Acting My Tour last month, Kevin Hart touched on his years-long feud with Michael Jordan, which he first addressed back in 2016. However, this isn’t the lone high-profile beef Hart has found himself in the last ten years, as he also exchanged jabs with Katt Williams.

While it kickstarted back in 2014 when the Norbit star took shots at Hart, things de-escalated between them back in 2016, when Williams came forward to apologize for his comments, However, it didn’t take long for the beef to reignite, and recently, Hart has broken his silence on it.

Kevin Hart Fired Back at Katt Williams After Years-Long Verbal Tussle Kevin Hart in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | Sony Pictures Releasing

In 2014, in an interview with TMZ, Katt Williams fired shots at Kevin Hart while calling out Shaquille O’Neal following his attempt at comedy, stating:

ing easGet out of here, you bum, before...

Eddie Murphy has made sure to don some of the most fan-favorite roles throughout his star-studded career, with his iconic Beverly Hills Cop role of Axel Foley ranking as one of his best ones to date. Even then, despite holding some really significant titles to his role like Coming to America and Trading Places, the actor holds some serious regrets about the roles he turned down.

Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop 3 | Paramount Pictures

While one of the roles that he was offered but couldn’t take on included one from the critically acclaimed Ghostbusters film franchise, it wasn’t the only one. As it turns out, one other $351 million comedy movie that he was offered but ended up turning down eventually became one of his biggest regrets in Hollywood. This movie was 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Eddie Murphy Deeply Regrets Turning Down Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Within...

In the mid-2000s, Eddie Murphy needed a comeback, and he sort of got it. After nearly over a decade of only doing misfires like Holy Man or voicing cartoon animals for franchises like Mulan or Shrek, his shtick had become stagnant, and he needed something to remind people that he hadn't lost his talent. Dreamgirls helped Murphy get into Hollywood's good graces, leading to some of the best reviews of his career. After he lost the Best Supporting Actor Oscar to Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine, Murphy returned to comedies that couldn't showcase his best talents, films like Norbit, Meet Dave, and A Thousand Words. But Murphy's long climb back into the spotlight climaxed with Dolemite Is My Name, with Murphy playing blaxploitation icon Rudy Ray Moore. It was not only the best performance he'd given in ages, but also the role that should have netted him a second Oscar nomination.

If you're of a certain age, there's nothing you can do: you have to accept that Crazy Frog will live in a hollowed-out space in your brain until the day you die. That blue-grey Swedish CG nuisance that was everywhere, especially ringtones, born of terrible energies, was ubiquitous sometime back in 2005. The aural plague was thanks entirely to an earworm track that worked far better in its original state in 1984's Beverly Hills Cop. "Axel F" by Harold Faltermeyer plays intermittently throughout the film and is the stuff of instant cranial embedding. Even in its original context, the song gets annoying by the third or fourth spin, but everyone involved in Beverly Hills Cop's production must've known what sort of bottled lightning they were working with.

None of this is to say that "Axel F" is the sort of song that could drum up an audience through catchiness alone,...

Eddie Murphy faced harsh criticism for 2002's The Adventures of Pluto Nash, even from his son. The film's failure led to Murphy's hiatus and almost made him quit acting. Murphy is set to return as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F on Netflix in 2024.

Eddie Murphy is gearing up to return as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F which hits Netflix on July 3, 2024, but before that, the actor is taking time to speak about the harshest bit of criticism he ever received thanks to his 2002 flop, The Adventures of Pluto Nash. Released on August 16, 2002, the film tells the tale of the owner of a nightclub on the moon in the year 2087 who refuses to sell his establishment to the mob. Murphy plays dual roles in the film, portraying the titular character, as well as criminal entrepreneur Rex Murphy, who is a clone of Pluto Nash.

Eddie Murphy's 2002 film The Adventures of Pluto Nash received harsh criticism and a 5% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie's failure was evident in its $7 million worldwide gross and its reputation as one of the biggest box office bombs. Despite having a star-studded cast and a $100 million budget, the film was panned for its corny and misguided storyline.

Eddie Murphy recalls the harshest review he received of his 2002 flop The Adventures of Pluto Nash. Murphy took a break from family films to team with City Slickers director Ron Underwood for Pluto Nash, a $100 million sci-fi/comedy, co-starring Rosario Dawson, Randy Quaid and John Cleese. Despite the movies heavyweight talent and enormous budget, critics abhorred the effort, as reflected in the films 5% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences stayed away in droves, resulting in a $7 million worldwide gross, and a reputation as one of the biggest-ever box office bombs.

Season 2 of the hit Netflix Addams Family series Wednesday is expected to start filming in Ireland (season 1 was shot in Romania) by the end of this month, and some new cast members are joining in on the fun this time around. Last week, we learned that Steve Buscemi (Fargo) has been cast as the new principal of Nevermore Academy, and now Variety reports that Thandiwe Newton has signed on to play an unspecified role.

Newton’s previous credits include Westworld, All the Old Knives, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Rogue, The Slap, Vanishing on 7th Street, 2012, ER, W., Norbit, The Pursuit of Happyness, Crash, The Chronicles of Riddick, Mission: Impossible II, Beloved, Jefferson in Paris, Interview with the Vampire, and Flirting, among many others.

The first season of Wednesday consisted of eight episodes. The show comes to us from Millar Gough Ink, Tim Burton Productions, Toluca Pictures, and MGM Television,...

Exclusive: Veteran actor and comedian Eddie Griffin has signed with Independent Artist Group across the board, Deadline has learned.

Appearing in over 50 films and TV shows over more than three decades, Griffin won an NAACP Image Award from multiple nominations for his starring role in Malcolm & Eddie, a sitcom that aired on Upn for four seasons.

Appearing alongside Dave Chappelle, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in the latter’s Academy Award winner A Star Is Born, he’s also been seen over the years in titles like the Denzel Washington thriller John Q, blaxploitation pic Undercover Brother, Armageddon, the Deuce Bigalow comedy franchise, Eddie Murphy starrer Norbit, Date Movie, Scary Movie 3, and My Baby’s Daddy, which he wrote, exec produced and starred in for Miramax.

Previously, Griffin also voiced the role of Richard Pryor on Adult Swim’s animated series Black Dynamite and starred on BET’s The Comedy Get Down.

The films up for the 2024 Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar are “Golda,” “Maestro,” “Oppenheimer,” “Poor Things,” and “Society of the Snow.” Our current odds show that “Maestro” (10/3) is favored to win, followed in order by “Poor Things” (71/20), “Oppenheimer” (9/2), “Society of the Snow” (9/2), and “Golda” (9/2).

This lineup is the category’s second in a row to include a 54% first-timer majority, thus constituting a new trend after 70% remained the norm for the preceding half decade. The present rookie subset consists of “Golda” trio Suzi Battersby, Karen Hartley Thomas, and Ashra Kelly-Blue as well as one artist from each other film: Luisa Abel (“Oppenheimer”), Ana López-Puigcerver (“Society of the Snow”), Lori McCoy-Bell (“Maestro”), and Josh Weston (“Poor Things”).

McCoy-Bell and Weston share their respective nominations with Kazu Hiro and Mark Coulier, each of whom succeeded on two of his previous four outings. While Coulier won for “The Iron Lady” (2012) and “The Grand Budapest Hotel...

Plot: Eddie Murphy stars in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. After Chris inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper to better his chances of winning, she casts a magic spell that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life, and wreaks havoc on the whole town. At the risk of ruining the holidays for his family, Chris, his wife Carol, and their three children must race against the clock to break Pepper’s spell, battle deviously magical characters, and save Christmas for everyone.

Review: Eddie Murphy’s career has changed dramatically over the decades. Once the most popular comedian and actor in Hollywood, Murphy’s focus shifted from edgy and mature comedies to more family-friendly fare in the late 1990s. With some recent turns invigorating his dramatic chops, Murphy has proven he still...

Best Actor looks set to be one of the most intriguing Oscar races this year with Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”) and Leonardo DiCaprio (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) currently battling it out at the top of our odds chart in this category.

Colman Domingo (“Rustin”) and Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”) are also predicted to reap nominations but it is Bradley Cooper in third spot that makes things really interesting. Cooper stars as Leonard Bernstein in Netflix’s “Maestro,” which he also produces, directs and co-writes. The Netflix feature, which opens on November 22, explores the complex marriage between the renowned composer and his wife Felicia Montealegre, who is played by Carey Mulligan. Mulligan is, as always, excellent, but Cooper has the transformative role here.

Makeup artist Kazu Hiro, also known as Kazuhiro Tsuji, turns him into Bernstein with astounding makeup and prosthetics. Cooper’s mannerisms, gestures, and vocal work prove add to his performance.

Los Angeles, Sep 11 (Ians) Actress Helen Flanagan appeared to take aim at her ex-fiance Scott Sinclair in a video with their two-year-old son.

The actress, 33, split from her footballer beau almost a year ago but made a jibe at him on social media. Helen and Scott share three children together – eight-year-old Matilda, five-year-old Delilah, and two-year-old Charlie, and are now raising them as co-parents, reports ‘Mirror.co.uk’.

They shockingly broke off their engagement after almost 15 years together in October 2022 and rumours of a rekindling have swirled over the past year.

However, she has since posted a video which implied he was seeing other women. Taking to TikTok, Helen filmed herself with her son Charlie. She captioned the video: “Pov – when your babies’ about to go to their dad’s”.

As per ‘Mirror.co.uk’, the ‘Rosie Webster’ star lip synced to an audio clip from the movie Norbit as...

The makeup artist for Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro responded Saturday at the Venice Film Festival to the recent backlash over the film’s prosthetic nose.

Cooper was absent in Venice because he’s chosen to support the SAG-AFTRA strike by not walking the red carpet for his film, which he wrote, directs and stars in. But a large contingent of crew members — as well as Leonard Berstein’s daughter, Jamie Bernstein — were on hand at the festival to discuss Maestro and its creation. It didn’t take long at the press conference before makeup artist Kazu Hiro was asked about the backlash that has engulfed the film on social media in recent weeks. The Maestro team came under criticism in some quarters for Cooper’s decision to wear a prosthetic nose for his portrayal of the iconic Jewish composer, which some claimed was unnecessarily partaking in anti-Semitic stereotypes.

Spoiler alert: This article breaks down the plot and characters in “They Cloned Tyrone.”

John Boyega got his first opportunity to play multiple roles in one project with “They Cloned Tyrone,” a moment the British actor says had him in his “Eddie Murphy bag.”

“They Cloned Tyrone,” co-written by Juel Taylor and his writing partner Tony Rettenmaier, was the first time Taylor got to sit in the director’s chair for a feature film. The movie also provided Boyega with a career first of his own: the opportunity to play different characters in a sole project.

“It was fun, [I ] obviously approached all of them as individuals, and just made sure you’re consistently speaking to your director, so you don’t get them twisted,” Boyega said, whose character in film, Fontaine, has been cloned several times by the government.

“Yeah, I do good improvisations at home, in front of the family,...

This article contains discussions/references to prejudice, racism, and misogyny

Although Norbit was full of controversial characters, it did have several talented stars among its cast list. Released in 2007, the movie follows the life of Norbit Rice, a mild-mannered man who is married to an abusive woman. While Norbit wants to end their marriage, he soon finds himself struggling to leave after he discovers his wife's family attempting to scam his childhood friend out of her business. The movie was seen to gross over $159 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo), but wasn't received well by critics, who heavily criticized the movie for perpetuating racial stereotypes and misogynistic ideals (leading to a 9% rating on Rotten Tomatoes).

Given that the cast had an array of talented stars, such as Thandiwe Newton and Cuba Gooding Jr., it was hugely disappointing to see that the script didn't give them the opportunity to show the best of their abilities.

Brendan Fraser won best actor for his leading role in "The Whale" on March 12 at the Oscars, and I hated it. Fraser was awarded for a role where he puts on a fat suit and pretends to choke on fried chicken and sandwiches and pizza. It's a movie where he literally eats himself to death, and it's portrayed as some sort of metaphor for love and redemption. Fraser and director Darren Aronofsky have said repeatedly that they wanted the movie to show the humanity of fat people, to invoke empathy toward them, but the movie fails to do anything close. And Fraser's win is the cherry on top - the affirmation from Hollywood that this is a good, worthwhile film and performance.

There's something kind of gross about how every time I talk about my issues with "The Whale," I feel pressured to hedge it. "Oh but I love Brendan though,...

Remember “Fat Monica”? Every now and again, in Friends, there’d be a flashback scene. Encased in a fat suit and holding a doughnut, Courteney Cox would dance, while the laugh track whooped and shrieked. That laughter confirmed that the flashback character was created for one purpose only: to be a big joke. As the ultimate embodiment of the “before” to older Monica’s stick-thin “after”, “Fat Monica” imprinted onto the minds of millennials everywhere the idea that attractiveness relied on extreme weight loss. But Cox was far from the only one donning a fat suit in the Noughties. There was Gwyneth Paltrow in Shallow Hal, Mike Myers in Austin Powers, Ryan Reynolds in Just Friends, and both Elizabeth Moss and January Jones in Mad Men. And don’t forget the cross-dressing fat suit “comedies”. Eddie Murphy as foul-mouthed bully Rasputia in Norbit; John Travolta as agoraphobic Edna Turnblad in...

You People. (L to R) Jonah Hill (Writer-Producer) as Ezra and Eddie Murphy as Akbar in You People. Cr. Tyler Adams/Netflix © 2023.

For those of us who grew up with comedian and actor Eddie Murphy, our first exposure to this gifted entertainer was on Saturday Night Live’s “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood“.

For decades now, Murphy has always been there, whether on TV or in the movies, and continues to have loyal, diehard fans who grew up in the 80’s to his hilarious standups “Delirious” and “Raw”, as well as his pop single “Party All The Time”.

Personally, while my siblings and I were in high school, after moving cross country from Connecticut to Idaho, Murphy saved us as we listened repeatedly to the cassette of Delirious in 1984. He had us laughing and made us forget our feelings of being the “new kids” in a new town at a new school.

During his acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes on Tuesday night, Eddie Murphy offered some key advice for up-and-comers in the industry: Don’t mess with Will Smith.

“I want to let you know that there is a definitive blueprint that you can follow to achieve success, prosperity, longevity and peace of mind,” Murphy said at the end of his speech. “It’s a blueprint and I’ve followed it my whole career. It’s very simple, just do these three things: pay your taxes, mind your business and keep Will Smith’s wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!”

Eddie Murphy shares three pieces of advice for up-and-comers in the industry:

1) Pay your taxes.

2) Mind your business.

3) Keep Will Smith's wife's name out your f—ing mouth.https://t.co/YDe7QBg9R9 pic.twitter.com/1iH3iHGBiz

— Variety (@Variety) January 11, 2023

The joke — which,...

Four decades ago, 21-year-old Eddie Murphy earned the distinction of being one of the final five nominees for the now-retired Golden Globe Award for New Male Star of the Year; he lost to eventual Oscar winner Ben Kingsley (“Gandhi”). Since achieving this recognition for his big screen debut performance in “48 Hrs.,” he has starred in over three dozen more features and remained a perennial Golden Globe contender with six bids and one trophy to his name. Now, the evergreen funnyman is set to become the 69th entrant on the illustrious list of movie legends who have been honored with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Cecil B. DeMille Award.

HFPA President Helen Hoehne says she and her colleagues are “thrilled to be celebrating the lasting impact” of Murphy’s career, which she describes as being filled with “multifaceted and moving performances.” The entertainer has also written or produced many...

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced that Eddie Murphy will be honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards.

The comic star of “48 Hours,” “Trading Places,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Coming to America,” “The Nutty Professor,” “Dreamgirls” and more will accept the honor at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, January 10, airing live coast-to-coast from 5-8 p.m. Pt/8-11 p.m. Et on NBC and streaming on Peacock.

“We’re honored to present this year’s Cecil B. DeMille Award to the iconic and highly esteemed Mr. Eddie Murphy,” said HFPA President Helen Hoehne. “We’re thrilled to be celebrating the lasting impact on film and television that his career — in front of and behind the camera — has had through the decades.”

The Cecil B. DeMille Award, historically chosen by the HFPA Board of Directors, is presented to a talented individual for...

Eddie Murphy will receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards, Variety has confirmed. Murphy, a previous Globes winner and six-time nominee, will be on hand to accept the award at this year’s ceremony, set to air live on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, from the Beverly Hilton hotel.

The Cecil B. DeMille Award has been handed out since 1952; recipients, chosen by the HFPA board of directors, “is presented to a talented individual for their outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.” This year’s recipient for the TV equivalent, the Carol Burnett Award, is expected to be announced shortly.

Last year, no recipients for either award were named, as the Globes were boycotted by talent, media and creatives, and didn’t air on NBC, in the wake of concerns over diversity at the HFPA (which at the time had no Black members) and other issues of accountability.

Now the clocks have gone back, it’s high time to stay cosy at home while watching Netflix.

Every month, a wide selection of titles are removed from the service without much warning.

This is why certain movies and TV shows suddently disappear from your watchlist.

So , to avoid surprise, here is a list of everything being removed in November (including its first ever original series).

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

1 November

Aagey Se Right

Aamir

Abcd 2

Abcd: Any Body Can Dance

Argo

Arjun: The Warrior Prince

Bad Boys

Bandle

Barfi!

Beethoven’s 2nd

Beethoven’s Christmas

Blended

Chance Pe Dance

Chip Chup Ke

Christmas Land

Chup Chup Ke

Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance

Dead Man Down

Death Becomes Her

Deck the Halls

Dennis and Gnasher Unleashed (TV)

Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal

Dhoondte Reh Jaoge

Do Dooni Chaar...

Now the clocks have gone back, it’s high time to stay cosy at home while watching Netflix.

Every month, a wide selection of titles are removed from the service without much warning.

This is why certain movies and TV shows suddently disappear from your watchlist.

So , to avoid surprise, here is a list of everything being removed in November (including its first ever original series).

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

1 November

Aagey Se Right

Aamir

Abcd 2

Abcd: Any Body Can Dance

Argo

Arjun: The Warrior Prince

Bad Boys

Bandle

Barfi!

Beethoven’s 2nd

Beethoven’s Christmas

Blended

Chance Pe Dance

Chip Chup Ke

Christmas Land

Chup Chup Ke

Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance

Dead Man Down

Death Becomes Her

Deck the Halls

Dennis and Gnasher Unleashed (TV)

Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal

Dhoondte Reh Jaoge

Do Dooni Chaar...

It’s last call for a number of great movies leaving HBO and HBO Max in March. Fortunately, the month is also packed with new movies and shows, but if you were planning to revisit any of the films below, now’s your chance.

The good news is you won’t have to squeeze in any binge-watching – there are no series leaving HBO Max this month, just films. Expiring titles of note include Sam Raimi’s definitive horror films “The Evil Dead” and “Evil Dead 2,” Wes Anderson’s charming coming-of-age romance “Moonrise Kingdom,” the Charlize Theron-led dramedy “Tully,” Judd Apatow’s “The King of Staten Island” starring Pete Davidson, and the musical drama “Dreamgirls,” starring Jennifer Hudson in the role that earned her the Oscar.

There are also several comedy favorites expiring in March, including both “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey,...

On September 24, two weeks after her boss Jim Gianopulos lost his job as chairman and CEO of Paramount Studios to ViacomCBS president of Kids & Family Entertainment Brian Robbins, Paramount Motion Picture Group president Emma Watts followed suit. Two deeply respected executives, the best in the business, politely kicked to the curb.

Of course, your greatest asset can just as easily be your biggest drawback; being “best in the business” can also make it impossible to succeed in the face of a massive paradigm shift like the one faced by ViacomCBS as it tries to create a competitive streaming platform at the 11th hour. IndieWire Editor-in-Chief Dana Harris-Bridson and film reporter Chris Lindahl break it down, along with an argument for why former “Head of the Class” star Robbins might represent the best hope for Paramount+.

Dana Harris-bridson: You’ve been covering Hollywood for a couple of years now, which...

Chris Petrikin has stepped down from his role as executive vice president of global communications and corporate branding at Paramount Pictures. His exit comes on the heels of the announcement this week that ViacomCBS is replacing studio chief Jim Gianopulos with Nickelodeon head Brian Robbins. More executives are expected to follow him out the door during the leadership transition.

Petrikin was closely aligned with Gianopulos, with the pair working together for a decade at 20th Century Fox. After Stacey Snider took over the studio, Petrikin left Fox to form a strategic communications and crisis management consultancy.

Petrikin joined Fox in 2007 from the William Morris Agency to oversee corporate communications, media relations, trade advertising, awards campaigns, special events, and charitable activities. He joined William Morris in 2002 after working as a reporter and editor for several publications, including Variety, Daily Variety, Inside.com, and Inside Magazine.

Robbins is being tasked with expanding...

Tom Freston, a founder of the MTV network, once observed: “What’s fascinating about the future is that so many people claim to understand it.” In 2006, Freston, then CEO of Viacom, was fired by Sumner Redstone, who explained that “Freston doesn’t understand the future.” As it turned out, Redstone had failed to understand the present.

The incident was brought back to mind last week when Sumner’s daughter, Shari, led the charge to dismiss Jim Gianopulos as Paramount’s CEO. Again, “the future” was the issue. And the muddled leaks further confused the present.

Gianopulos’ departure had an “end of an era” aura to it because he and Disney’s Alan Horn have long been revered as movie statesmen, representing a supportive, mentoring style of studio management. Sony’s Tom Rothman remains the lone generational survivor – more on him below.

Inheriting the top film post at Paramount will be Brian Robbins,...

Brian Robbins has officially been named president and CEO of Paramount Pictures, replacing Jim Gianopulos as head of the studio behind the “Mission: Impossible” and “Transformers” franchises, and setting up a new era in the oversight of one of Hollywood’s big movie studios.

Robbins will take the reins while continuing in his current post as head of Nickelodeon and as the chief content officer of kids and family for Paramount Plus, the streaming service launched this year by Paramount’s parent company ViacomCBS. Gianopulos will serve in an advisory role at Paramount through the end of the year. The media conglomerate hopes that Robbins, who boasts digital savvy and a long history in kids programming, will help guide it as it looks ahead to a future dominated by streaming giants.

“Paramount is one of ViacomCBS’s crown jewels, delivering some of the most iconic moments in entertainment for more than a century.

As Paramount Studios says goodbye to the old boss — avuncular chairman Jim Gianopulos, 70, who joined the studio in 2017 after running motion pictures at 20th Century Fox for 16 years — the new boss does not come from the movies. Paramount did not anoint Gianopulos’ expected successor, former Fox star Emma Watts.

Instead the key post went to rising star Brian Robbins, 57, a former child actor who at one time also directed films like “Norbit” and “Varsity Blues.” Currently, he’s chief of ViacomCBS’s valued children’s brand Nickelodeon and he was credited with pushing forward the animated “Paw Patrol: The Movie,” Paramount’s recent surprise hit ($82.5 million worldwide).

A shift was coming for Paramount. Like most studios, it is leaning toward streaming, the platform most beloved by Wall Street. Gianopulos righted a skinny studio starved by its late chairman Brad Grey, who lost both Marvel and Indiana Jones to rising behemoth Disney.

As Paramount Studios says goodbye to the old boss — avuncular chairman Jim Gianopulos, 70, who joined the studio in 2017 after running motion pictures at 20th Century Fox for 16 years — the new boss does not come from the movies. Paramount did not anoint Gianopulos’ expected successor, former Fox star Emma Watts.

Instead the key post went to rising star Brian Robbins, 57, a former child actor who at one time also directed films like “Norbit” and “Varsity Blues.” Currently, he’s chief of ViacomCBS’s valued children’s brand Nickelodeon and he was credited with pushing forward the animated “Paw Patrol: The Movie,” Paramount’s recent surprise hit ($82.5 million worldwide).

A shift was coming for Paramount. Like most studios, it is leaning toward streaming, the platform most beloved by Wall Street. Gianopulos righted a skinny studio starved by its late chairman Brad Grey, who lost both Marvel and Indiana Jones to rising behemoth Disney.

For comedy fans of the '80s and '90s, there was no bigger name than Eddie Murphy. The talented comedian conquered the stand-up circuit with his legendary "Raw" and "Delirious" tours, and also conquered television with his stint on Saturday Night Live, before going on to star in a string of hit films. But Murphy's star dimmed around the 2000s, so much so that the actor recently admitted in an interview with Marc Maron that he quit acting because of all the awful reviews he was getting.

"I was making shitty movies. I was like, 'This shit ain't fun. They're giving me Razzies...Motherfuckers gave me the 'worst actor ever' Razzie. [So I thought], 'Maybe it's time to take a break. I was only gonna take a break for a year, then all of a sudden six years go by, and I'm sitting on the couch, and I could sit on the...

The Golden Raspberry Awards, otherwise known as the Razzies, honor the worst films and performances of the year. While the Razzies are not considered a major industry event, they are apparently major enough to get a comedy legend like Eddie Murphy to stop acting for several years. During a recent appearance on Marc Maron’s “Wtf” podcast (via The Independent), Murphy revealed he stepped away from acting after a string of critically reviled movies made him a Razzie darling.

“I was making shitty movies,” Murphy said. “I was like, ‘This shit ain’t fun. They’re giving me Razzies…Motherfuckers gave me the ‘worst actor ever’ Razzie. [So I thought], ‘Maybe it’s time to take a break.’”

Murphy is a nine-time Razzie Award nominee and three-time winner thanks to performances in films such as “Norbit,” “The Adventures of Pluto Nash,” and “Meet Dave.” At the 2010 Razzie Award ceremony, Murphy was given a...

Eddie Murphy, known not only for his comedy skills but also his entertaining on-screen transformations in titles including Coming To America and The Nutty Professor, will receive the Distinguished Artisan honor at the eighth annual Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylist Guild Awards.

The Muahs award will celebrate Murphy and his versatile four-decade career on screen and television. Arsenio Hall will present his Coming 2 America co-star with the award at the virtual ceremony on Saturday, Apr. 3.

The Guild’s Distinguished Artisan Award is given annually to those whose body of work in the film and television industry was richly enhanced by the consistent collaboration of make-up and hair styling artistry creating memorable characters throughout their career. Previous recipients include Sir Patrick Stewart, Melissa McCarthy, Gary Oldman, Johnny Depp, Ryan Murphy and Guillermo del Toro.

“From The Nutty Professor to Prince Akeem, Eddie Murphy is a legendary actor whose myriad of characters live in our hearts forever.

Thirty-five years after leaving “Saturday Night Live,” Eddie Murphy finally returned to host the show for the first time last December. A cast member from 1980-84, Murphy is largely credited with single-handedly keeping the NBC sketch show alive through that period. His time there earned him three out of his four previous Emmy nominations (the fourth was for his stop-motion animated series “The PJs”), and it’s little surprise that his long-awaited hosting gig nabbed him a fifth bid, this time in Best Comedy Guest Actor.

Murphy opens the show with a monologue about how much he’s changed since he left the show, joined by fellow African-American “SNL” alums Tracy Morgan and Chris Rock, as well as reclusive comedy superstar Dave Chappelle and current cast member Kenan Thompson. His sketches are predominately revivals of his most famous “SNL” characters, including Mr. Robinsons’s Neighborhood, Buckwheat (who apparently survived his...

At some point in every big screen comedian’s life, it seems like the idea of playing multiple roles in the same movie always rears its head, and the results have been pretty hit or miss. For every Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove, Mike Myers in Austin Powers or Eddie Murphy in Coming to America that found success and critical acclaim, there’s an Eddie Murphy in Norbit, Eddie Murphy in Meet Dave or Eddie Murphy in Nutty Professor II: The Klumps that drove the concept headfirst into the ground.

Seth Rogen is the latest big name to pull double duty in HBO Max exclusive An American Pickle, and the general consensus is that he’s done a pretty good job, with the fish out of water comedy currently boasting a 72% score on Rotten Tomatoes and most of the praise being pointed in the direction of the 38 year-old’s performance...

Thandie Newton claims that Eddie Murphy was hardly ever on the set of 2007's Norbit. The actress opened up about a variety of topics in a new interview, including working with Tom Cruise on Mission: Impossible 2. While Murphy reportedly wasn't around, it sounds like Newton would have preferred Cruise took the same road since they really didn't get along too well. Murphy and Cruise are superstars, so it's not surprising that they might have some different approaches to their respective crafts.

In order to get the role of Kate Thomas in Norbit, Thandie Newton had to jump through some hoops. Apparently the producers weren't sure that she could give the comedic performance that the part demanded. In the end, Newton was able to win them over and looked forward to working with Eddie Murphy. She had this to say about "working" with Murphy on Norbit.

"The only movie my...