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‘Birds of Prey’ Renamed After Disappointing Box Office Opening

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2 weeks ago

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  • After a less than stellar opening weekend, Birds of Prey will be renamed in order to boost its SEO quality. 
  • Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will now be called Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey so that audiences can clearly tell it’s a Harley Quinn film when searching for it online. 
  • The new title is intended to only be used for its theatrical run.
  • Compared to other DC films, it had a poor opening weekend, with some blaming the name, R-rating, and release date as potential reasons as to why.
  • The film also received criticism from some for not featuring its cast in “sexy” enough attire.

Birds of Prey’s Name Change

After bringing in a disappointing opening box office haul on its opening weekend, Birds of Prey will be getting a search-friendly name change. 

The Harley Quinn-centered film originally touted the lengthy title of Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Now, movie theaters will list it simply as Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey. 

This comes after the Margot Robbie-led picture brought in $33 million domestically during its opening weekend, much lower than Warner Brothers’ projections of $45 million. A representative for Warner Bros. told The Verge that the name change is to specifically enhance “search expansion for ticket sites.”

The move is essentially aimed at making the name of the film more user and SEO-friendly for moviegoers looking to see the new Harley Quinn project by making it clear that the film is about the famous character. Now, rather than having her name buried at the end of a parenthetical, it’s the first thing potential audiences will see. 

The change will likely not be permanent, though. Once the movie makes its way to DVD and streaming, it could still be called Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). As least for now, Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey is intended to last only as long as its theater run.

DC Box Office Hauls

In terms of Birds of Prey’s box office numbers, DC and Warner Bros. have reason to be disappointed. Even though it topped the weekend box office and brought in under $80 million worldwide, which is just five million shy of its budget, the bar is set high for films of this nature. Some pictures might be pleased with a $33 million domestic debut, however, superhero– or in this case, supervillain films– typically do better. 

DC’s recent film Joker became the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, making it past the billion-dollar benchmark by the end of its run. The Oscar-winning Joaquin Phoenix project also had a smaller budget than Birds of Prey and pulled in three times the money in the United States on its opening weekend. Other big movies like Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman ended up raking in over $100 million on their opening weekends. 

Potential Factors for Low Box Office

This all leads to the larger question at hand: Why is Birds of Prey not getting the attention that DC and Warner Bros. were hoping for? From the critics’ side, the movie is getting a good amount of praise. On Rotten Tomatoes, it boasts an 80% rating with an audience score of 81%.

The issue of the name is one that Warner Bros. is already addressing. Box office analyst Jeff Book told Variety that “not naming [the film] ‘Harley Quinn’ was a huge misfire.”

“It was a niche comic-book movie,” Bock later added. “Warner Bros. keeps having to learn these lessons.”

Birds of Prey would not be the first comic book movie to deal with titling issues potentially impacting its box office haul. In its early marketing, Dark Phoenix rarely attached the X-Men brand to it in its title. Matched by poor reviews, the movie also brought in a lackluster amount of cash. 

It is unlikely that this is the only factor standing in Harley Quinn’s way. The films R-rating does it no favors, as this isolates it from young girls who might be a fan of the anti-heroine. Still, Joker broke records with an R-rating, meaning DC likely still had high hopes.

What Birds of Prey did have to face was a February opening, which can be a dry month as far as box office earnings. Comic book movies, however, do have a good record of breaking that mold. Black Panther broke financial records with a February release. Logan and Deadpool, both of which also had the burden of an R-rating, were massive successes in the month.

Female-Led Comic Book Movies

Some have pointed to the general backlash female-led comic book movies usually face upon their release. This trend extends back to Wonder Woman in 2017 when mainly male fans were upset the film was, for certain showtimes, being screened to all-female audiences. When Captain Marvel came out in 2019, again mainly male fans were upset by feminist messaging used by Brie Larson leading to its release. Some even said they would boycott the movie because of it. 

Both those movies did well, so to say their earnings were impacted would be hard. It is worth noting, though, because Birds of Prey is following suit and has gender-based criticism of its own. Some users believed the movie was not sexy enough for a Harley Quinn standalone film.

“They’ve removed any sex appeal these characters had to appeal to a female ‘girl power audience instead of the core male comic book audience,” one Twitter user wrote in a now-viral tweet before the film’s release. “They literally don’t know who they’re making this movie for.”

The idea that the film is for a “core male comic book audience” is only partially true. According to Variety, in its opening weekend, 54% of viewers were male. So while the theaters were filled slightly more by men, it was too close to a 50/50 split to state that the audience was “core” male. 

This comment received a lot of backlash online. Some argued that it degrades women to being worth nothing more than their looks, while others argued that the characters in the film did have appeal and were attractive. 

One of Birds of Prey’s producers, Sue Kroll ended up responding to this. 

“I read that and I thought, ‘Oh my God. That’s so asinine’” she said.

“When you look at the comics, you see these women in there, it’s always very tight clothing, short shorts, boobs pushed up. It’s always very graphic in that way. And we were having none of that,” she added. “But I think they all look beautiful and sexy, and if you look at [Black Canary, played by Jurnee Smollett-Bell] and her costumes, she’s wearing a bustier [bust-ear] but of a different kind. That’s not sexy? She’s not sexy in the club? You bet she is. She’s gorgeous. That’s nuts.”

As was the case with Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman, it’s hard to tell if this kind of backlash affected Birds of Prey in terms of revenue. Still, it does show that female-led comic films usually do have a battle to fight every time they come out.

Because of these narratives around it, many are praising Birds of Prey online in hopes that people will see it and save it from its current box office situation. 

As the movie enters the weekend under the Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey title, it will face new competition. The weekend encompasses both President’s Day and Valentine’s Day, which could help fill theaters. But movies like Sonic the Hedgehog, The Photograph, Downhill, and Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island will also be opening, meaning more new films could knock it from the top box office spot. 

See what others are saying: (Variety) (The Verge) (Entertainment Weekly)

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Lovers & Friends Festival Line-Up Generates Confusion and Doubt After Artists Deny Involvement

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5 days ago

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February 19, 2020

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  • The newly announced Lovers & Friends music festival has caused online confusion and controversy because some of the artists included in the lineup said they were not participating. 
  • Lil Kim called the festival fake in a now-deleted Instagram story and Mase asked for his name to be removed from the list.
  • Both T-Pain and Megan Thee Stallion were also listed on the lineup, but already have other performances booked on that day.
  • Usher and Lauryn Hill, who are both headlining acts, shared the festival on their social media pages.
  • Snoop Dogg, a promoter for the festival, made a video reaching out to Lil Kim, asking to resolve the confusion while also saying every other act was confirmed. 

Controversy Around Festival

An upcoming music festival in Los Angeles has caused confusion among fans after artists like Lil Kim, who were announced in the lineup, said they would not be attending. 

Lauryn Hill, Usher, Ludacris, Lil Jon, and TLC are set to headline the Lovers & Friends Festival on May 9. The event is being organized by Goldenvoice, the company behind festivals like Coachella and Stagecoach. The festival’s lineup also includes Nelly, Sean Paul, T-Pain, Megan Thee Stallion, Ja Rule, Lil Kim, Trina, Mase, Twista, and others.

When the festival was announced on Tuesday, many fans were excited to see this mix of nostalgic ’90s and early aughts performers along with some of today’s chart-toppers. Some of the artists, however, indicated that they were no involved with Lovers & Friends.

“This is SO FAKE! I am not a part of this,” Lil Kim wrote on her Instagram story, with the text covering a screenshot of the lineup. She has since deleted it from her page. 

A representative for Trina’s management team also tweeted that she was never contacted by a booking agent for the festival. She has since reached out via a contact email. 

Other artists have commented on posts about the Lovers & Friends fest.

“Best wishes on this show but pls take my name off this flyer,” Mase wrote in a now-removed comment on Lovers & Friends’ post.

Screenshot via Twitter: @DJHeatDC

“AIN’T NO DEPOSIT HIT MY ACCOUNT FOR THIS SHOW,” Twista wrote on the same post. In a later comment, it seemed his issue had been resolved as he said he was now “locked and loaded” to play his hits.

Screenshot via Twitter: @DJHeatDC
Screenshot via Twitter: @DJHeatDC

Others also pointed out potential conflicts for the timing of this festival. Megan Thee Stallion is already booked for Broccoli City, a festival in Washington DC that same day. T-Pain is in a similar situation, performing at the Rolling Loud festival in Miami on May 9. Broccoli City tweeted that Megan Thee Stallion would be playing both, but later deleted that post, so it is still unclear if that is actually her plan. 

Others also noted that the venue’s website has yet to list Lovers & Friends as an upcoming event. 

Confusion Spreads

The announcement was at first met with enthusiasm, and many thought the lineup was fire. But because these comments caused so much confusion, some thought it looked more like fyre.

Many called it fake, and others compared it to the infamous Fyre Festival, which gained notoriety for touting big names and a glamorous setting, only to prove to be a scam and disaster. 

Responses to Confusion

There were some responses to the various confusions surrounding this. Snoop Dogg, a promoter for the event, posted an Instagram video addressing the situation. In it, he defended the validity of the festival and specifically called out Lil Kim. 

“Lil Kim, get at me on a DM so we can get at you about this money,” he said to the camera. “We was talking to some of your peoples, or we thought we were talking to some of your peoples. Get at me on a DM so we can try to get you this money, see if you with this thing or not.” 

“But as far as everyone else on this show, 100% confirmed,” he added. 

The founder of music collective Soulection, which is also participating in Lovers & Friend,s tweeted a thread confirming their involvement. 

“Everything we get behind is always official and locked in,” they wrote. 

The presale for the event is set to start Thursday. Ticket prices start at $145, with the highest VIP package going up to $450. On the Lovers & Friends website, it says the “lineup and set times are subject to change without notice.”

See what others are saying: (Los Angeles Times) (Billboard) (Complex)

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Caroline Flack’s Death Sparks “Be Kind” Campaign and Media Conversation

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6 days ago

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February 18, 2020

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  • Former “Love Island” host Caroline Flack died by suicide in her London apartment on Saturday. 
  • Flack was awaiting trial for alleged assault charges, a legal process that was unfolding in the public eye.
  • The world has responded with tributes and mourning, as well as condemnation for media outlets and social media trolls who aggravated Flack prior to her death. 
  • The message to “be kinder” has gained traction in the wake of the tragedy.

Tragic Death

When news of TV personality Caroline Flack’s death broke over the weekend, reactions ranged from tributes and mourning to anger and speculation over what might have led to her suicide.

Flack, who formerly hosted the popular reality TV show “Love Island,” died by suicide in her London apartment on Saturday. She was 40 years old. 

Flack had been in the midst of a public legal ordeal, as she was awaiting trial for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend, Lewis Burton. She was arrested in December when police were called to their apartment for a domestic incident, but she was released on bail awaiting her trial scheduled for March.  

Within a week of her assault charges, Flack stepped down from her position on “Love Island” so as “not [to] detract attention” from the show. 

“There have been a significant number of media reports and allegations in regard to my personal life,” she wrote in a statement on Instagram. “While matters were not as have been reported, I am committed to cooperating with the appropriate authorities and I can’t comment further on these matters until the legal process is over.”  

Following her Dec. 23 court appearance, Flack posted a message alluding to mental health struggles stemming from the publicity of her legal ongoings.

“This kind of scrutiny and speculation is a lot to take on for one person to take on their own,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’m a human being at the end of the day.”

//www.instagram.com/embed.js

Push for Change

The news of Flack’s death has yet again drawn closer attention to the way that public figures are harassed by both the press and people across social media. Some are implying that it was this unfair treatment that pushed Flack to take her own life.

There has been public outcry against infamous British tabloids that extensively covered Flack’s legal charges, with The Sun even previously posting a headline calling her “Caroline Whack.” An online petition calling for “new and stricter laws around safeguarding celebrities and people in the public eye” gained over 549,000 signatures by Tuesday morning. 

Another petition was created to urge social media platforms to make online abuse illegal and has gained over 142,000 signatures. The hashtag #CarolinesLaw was trending over the weekend urging these sentiments. 

Even politicians have weighed in. On Monday, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson told BBC, “The industry must continue their efforts to go further. We expect them to have robust processes in place for removing content breaching their acceptable use policies.”

Russell Brand also blamed the public scrutiny of Flack for her untimely death, comparing it to that of Amy Winehouse.  

“I am angry and sad that Caroline Flack found herself in that place,” he wrote in a post on his website. 

“I am angry because I have watched this play out before with vulnerable people in the public eye and I would like to slay with some righteous sword the salacious, foaming, incessant poking, trolling judgment that chased her to the grave,” he added.

At the end of his post, Brand wrote that he hoped for a better future.

“Our best hope is to build relationships and communities based on kindness, forgiveness and compassion, not easy values to maintain given the complexity within us and without us but Caroline’s death shows us that the alternative is just too sad to bear,” he wrote.

“Be Kinder”

Aligned with Brand’s words, the message that has been repeated over and over following Flack’s death is to “be kinder” to each other.

Iain Stirling, the Scottish commentator on “Love Island,” gave an emotional tribute to Flack during Monday night’s episode with this message.

“We are all absolutely devastated by the tragic news that Caroline, a much-loved member of our Love Island family, has passed away,” he said. “Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this dreadful time.”

“My only hope is that we can all try and be kinder, always show love, and listen to one another,” Stirling added.   

Global fashion brand In The Style created t-shirts branded with the same message that Flack shared in one of her final Instagram posts in December: “In a world where you can be anything… be kind.” All the proceeds from the shirts are being donated to Samaritans, a charity that supports people with mental health struggles and suicidal thoughts. More than £100,000 has already been raised, according to the brand.

“In light of recent tragic events and recognizing ongoing mental health challenges faced by so many, we feel it’s so important as a brand to use our platform to raise further awareness to mental health and the impact surrounding this,” In The Style said.

View this post on Instagram

In light of recent tragic events and the ongoing mental health battles faced by so many we feel it’s so important as a brand to use our platform to raise further awareness to mental health and the impacts surrounding this. You honestly NEVER know what goes on behind closed doors and being kind costs nothing. We have created a ‘Be Kind’ tee and will be donating 100% of ALL profits to @samaritanscharity – They are a charity on hand 24/7 to support people who are suffering with mental health and suicidal thoughts. We want to be very clear that as a business In The Style will make no money whatsoever, we have also waved all delivery charges for purchases on the tee as this is solely to raise money and awareness for a very worthy charity and hopefully in light of such devastating news, we can all learn a very valuable lesson that in a world where we can be anything… be kind. ❤️

A post shared by In The Style (@inthestyle) on Feb 17, 2020 at 10:34am PST

//www.instagram.com/embed.js

Fans have echoed the message across social media.

See what others are saying:(The New York Times) (BBC) (CNN)

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Fans Defend Jim Carrey After “Unacceptable” Remark to Female Reporter

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2 weeks ago

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February 13, 2020

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  • When asked by a female reporter if he still had anything left on his bucket list, actor Jim Carrey said: “Just you. That’s it. It’s all done now.”
  • Some blasted Carrey for what they felt was a sexual remark, calling it “unacceptable” and “inappropriate.”
  • Meanwhile, fans suggested that the comment was not intended to be sexual but was instead referencing the interview itself as his final bucket list achievement. 

Bucket List Question 

Jim Carrey is facing backlash over a remark he made to a female journalist that many found inappropriate, but fans are quickly coming to the actor’s defense online.

Reporter Charlotte Long, from UK’s Heat magazine, sat down with the 58-year-old comedian during a press junket for his new animated film, “Sonic the Hedgehog.”

During her interview, Long asks Carrey,  “In the film, Sonic has a bucket list. I was wondering, after all you’ve done in your career and in your life, is there anything still left on your bucket list?”

“Just you,” Carrey responds. “Oh,” says Long, taken aback by the comment. She laughs before adding, “Wow.”

“That’s it. It’s all done now,” Carrey says to which Long replies with, “I don’t know what to say to that.” 

“Just own it,” Carrey continues.  “Okay, I’m owning it now,” Long says. 

Comment Sparks Outrage 

Long moves forward with her other questions as the pair laughs off the moment. But when she later posted the interview on Twitter, many were shocked and upset by Carrey’s remark, which they interpreted as a sexual comment.

“Lost respect for him today. This is really unacceptable,” one Twitter user said before applauding Long for how she handled it. 

Others called his comment “totally inappropriate” and labeled him a “massive sleazebag.” 

https://twitter.com/ChristinaAllDay/status/1227783036663717889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1227783036663717889&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.insider.com%2Fjim-carrey-tells-heat-reporter-shes-the-only-thing-left-to-do-on-his-bucket-list-2020-2

Fans Defend Carrey 

But many of the comedian’s fans jumped to his defense. “He made a joke, joke didn’t land. Everyone is so offended about everything. If a female comedian said that about someone we’d all laugh. The hypocrisy is ridiculous,” one Twitter user said. 

“Cue all the heroes acting offended fr the poor woman who was clearly NOT offended.” another added.

Meanwhile, others suggested that his comment is being completely misinterpreted. Instead, many feel Carrey was referencing the interview itself as his final bucket list achievement. 

Long eventually changed her Twitter account to private and neither she nor Carrey have commented on the backlash. 

See what others are saying: (Insider) (Fox News) (EOnline) 

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