Month: February 2022

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Sports Daypop

Rookie Austin Cindric wins the 2022 Daytona 500 for his first Cup win

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Rookie Austin Cindric won his first Daytona 500 on Sunday, successfully defeating Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace to win the race and delivering Team Penske the win in just his eighth start. Cindric is in his first full year driving for Team Penske on the NASCAR Cup Series after spending the last five years predominantly on the Xfinity Series.

Cindric, 23, was able to block Blaney and hold off Wallace near the start/finish line for the win. He also successfully avoided a pair of late-race crashes including one involving Ricky Stenhouse, who was leading the race with eight laps to go but ended his day after spinning out into the wall.  Wallace, Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski were also involved in the crash but were able to keep driving. Two laps earlier Kyle Larsen crashed into Kevin Harvick, sending him spinning out and causing a six-car crash.  And an eight-car crash on lap 64 saw favorite Denny Hamlin eliminated from the race.

Cindric won the Xfinity championship in 2020, and narrowly lost the title in 2021. At 23 years (and 212 days) old, Cindric becomes the second-youngest driver to win the Daytona 500; Trevor Bayne is the youngest, having won the race at 20 years old in 2011.

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Entertainment Daypop

‘Uncharted’ tops the weekend box office with $51M North American opening

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‘Uncharted’ is the No. 1 movie in North America, earning $51 million in its debut over the 3-day Presidents Day weekend, and making it the biggest opening weekend since “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” Starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, the Ruben Fleischer-directed film, based on a PlayStation game, opened on 4,275 screens.

Uncharted’s global total has already surpassed $100 million, and unlike “Spider-Man” the film will also get the benefit of a release in China, beginning March 14.

Coming in at No. 2 at the box office is Dog with $15.1 million, followed by Spider-Man: Now Way Home at No. 3 with $7.7 million, Death on the Nile at No. 4 with $6.3 million and Jackass Forever at No. 5 with $5.2 million.

Rounding out the top tier are Marry Me at No. 6 with $3.7 million, Sing 2 at No. 7 with $2.8 million, Scream at No. 8 with $2 million, Blacklight at No. 9 with $1.8 million and The Cursed at No. 10 with $1.7 million.

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Entertainment Daypop

Netflix shares ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 premiere date; confirms series will end after Season 5

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Netflix revealed that Stranger Things will end with the newly-announced fifth season, and also detailed the fourth season, plus hinted that an all-new Stranger Things series could be in the works.

Netflix announced the premiere date for the 1980s-set sci-fi drama’s fourth season, which is being split into two parts. Volume 1 of season four will debut May 27. The second half of the fourth season, Volume 2, will debut July 1.

Creators Matt and Ross Duffer wrote in an open letter:  “Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things. At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four but — as you’ll see for yourselves — we are now hurtling toward our finale.”

“It’s been a little while,” they added. “With nine scripts, over eight-hundred pages, almost two years of filming, thousands of visual effects shots and a runtime nearly twice the length of any previous season, Stranger Things 4 was the most challenging season yet, but also the most rewarding one. Everyone involved is incredibly proud of the results, and we can’t wait to share it with you. Given the unprecedented length, and to get it to you as soon as possible, Season 4 will be released in two volumes.”

The duo also strongly hinted that Stranger Things might get a sequel or spinoff series beyond the show’s current story and cast: “There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things: new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes. But first, we hope that you stay with us as we finish this tale of a powerful girl named Eleven and her brave friends, of a broken police chief and a ferocious mom, of a small town called Hawkins and an alternate dimension known only as the Upside Down.”

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Pop Daypop

Lizzo’s dance competition series releases trailer and premiere date on Amazon Prime Video

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Lizzo’s dance competition series, titled “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” is premiering on Amazon Prime Video next month. The eight-episode unscripted show, which is Lizzo’s first project as part of her first-look deal with Amazon Studios, will premiere on the streaming service March 25.

According to an official description, the show “follows “global superstar and icon Lizzo, who is on the hunt for confident, bad-ass women to join the elite ranks of the Big Grrrls and join her world tour. With 10 hopeful women moving into the Big Grrrls House, they must prove they have what it takes to make it to the end and join Lizzo in front of a global audience on the center stage.”

Choreographer Tanisha Scott joins Lizzo to help with her search for the next Big Grrrls, as well as original tour dancers Chawnta’ Marie Van, Shirlene Quigley and Grace Holden. The show will also feature several special guests, including SZA, choreographer Charm La’Donna and body movement expert Rashida KhanBey Miller.

Watch the full trailer for “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” – here.

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Pop Daypop

Justin Bieber postpones Las Vegas concert after testing positive for COVID-19

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Billboard has confirmed with a representative of Justin Bieber that he tested positive for COVID-19, and as a result, was forced to postponed his concert at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on Sunday.

A statement on the venue’s website reads:  “Due to positive COVID results within the ‘Justice Tour’ family, we will unfortunately have to postpone Sunday’s show in Las Vegas. Justin is of course hugely disappointed, but the health and safety of his crew and fans is always his number one priority. The tour launch in San Diego was a massive success, and Justin is excited to bring this spectacular show to his Las Vegas fans as soon as possible.” The 27-year-old pop star’s Las Vegas show has been tentatively rescheduled for June 28; however, that date is contingent on the National Hockey League playoff schedule. Tickets for the original date will be honored and refunds are available at point of purchase.

Bieber launched his Justice World Tour on Friday, Feb. 19 at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego. As of press time, the tour is scheduled to continue on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz.   It was unclear at press time whether Bieber would need to reschedule additional dates due to his positive diagnosis.

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Sports Daypop

NHL fines Nashville Predators coach John Hynes $25,000 for ‘inappropriate conduct’

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The NHL announced Thursday that Nashville Predators head coach John Hynes has been fined $25,000 for “inappropriate conduct at the conclusion of NHL Game No. 1095 in Nashville on Tuesday, Feb. 15.” The Predators lost 4-1 to the Washington Capitols during the game noted by the NHL.

No further explanation about what that conduct was after the Predators fell to the Capitals was given by the NHL. While specifics about exactly what Hynes did or said weren’t disclosed, cameras did show Hynes yelling toward either an official or linesman after his club’s third consecutive defeat. Hynes’ fine money goes to the NHL Foundation.

Per ESPN, Nashville is thus far the most-penalized team in the NHL for the 2021-22 season. It was also former Predators coach Peter Laviolette’s first game at Bridgestone Arena since he was fired in January 2020.

The Predators fell to 28-17-4 after Tuesday’s loss, and are fourth in the Central Division standings with 60 points, one point back of the third-place St. Louis Blues and six ahead of the fifth-place Dallas Stars. Nashville next plays at the 32-11-4 Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.

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2022 Beijing Olympics: controversial Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva fails to place in finals; teammate Anna Shcherbakova wins the gold medal in the women’s free skate

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Russian Olympic Committee figure skater Kamila Valieva stumbled and fell during her program on Thursday, ending her controversial appearance at the Beijing Olympics by failing to medal.  Her teammate, Anna Shcherbakova, won the gold medal in the women’s free skate.

The 15-year-old Valieva placed fourth in Thursday’s free skate; she had been in the lead following the short program earlier this week, but landed only one of three planned quad jumps in her free skate performance. The loss comes after Kamila reportedly tested positive for a banned substance, trimetazidine, back in December, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport decided to allow her to continue competing. Her case caused the team event medal ceremony to be pulled from the schedule because of her positive drug test; and had she placed in the top 3, there would not have been a medal ceremony in Beijing for her or the other skaters.

Valieva’s ROC teammate Shcherbakova won the gold, but appeared devastated when the final scores came in. Shcherbakova, who finished with a 255.95 combined score from the two days of competition, stood alone while much of the ROC team consoled Valieva. Valieva didn’t speak to reporters after her performance, instead quickly making her way through the room without stopping.

The ROC’s Alexandra Trusova won the silver medal after a performance with five successful quad jumps. However, a sobbing Trusova said she didn’t want to participate in the medal ceremony — though ultimately, she did attend the event.  Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto took the bronze medal in the competition.

The figure skating schedule continues with the pair skating short program Friday night in Beijing. The event airs at 5:30 a.m. EST Friday on USA and re-airs at 8:30 p.m. Friday on NBC. The free skating portion of the pair skating competition airs at 6 a.m. Saturday on USA and re-airs at 8:30 p.m. Saturday on NBC.

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Entertainment Daypop

James Gunn’s ‘Peacemaker’ starring John Cena renewed for Season 2 on HBO Max

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HBO Max has renewed James Gunn‘s DC series Peacemaker for a second season. Peacemaker is a spin-off from “Suicide Squad,” and stars John Cena in the role of government assassin Chris Smith/Peacemaker. The series first premiered on HBO Max in January.  Gunn, who wrote all eight episodes of Peacemaker‘s first season and helmed five, will write and direct all episodes for the upcoming season.

Gunn said in a statement: “Creating Peacemaker has been one of the true highlights of my life, both professionally and otherwise, with John Cena and the incredible creative team around me, as well as our partners at HBO Max. To have something we all love so much be loved by the audience in turn has been a wonderful experience. I can’t wait for folks to see where team Peacemaker goes in season two!”  Prior to HBO Max’s renewal announcement, Gunn also disclosed that a separate ‘Suicide Squad’ spinoff series based on a different character was also in development.

Said Cena: “I am incredibly honored and humbled by the response to Peacemaker and the experience of playing this character. Thank you to James Gunn, Peter Safran, HBO Max, the crew, and my castmates who worked tirelessly to make this unforgettable series.”

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Entertainment Daypop

Marvel reveals new poster, teaser trailer for ‘Moon Knight’ on Disney+

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Marvel dropped a new teaser for its upcoming ‘Moon Knight‘ that will premiere on Disney+  March 30.

The series follows Steven Grant (portrayed by Oscar Issac), a mild-mannered gift-shop employee, as he becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life. Steven discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector. As Steven/Marc’s enemies converge upon them, they must navigate their complex identities while thrust into a deadly mystery involving the powerful gods of Egypt.

Moon Knight stars Isaac, Ethan Hawke and May Calamawy. Disney+ released a new poster for the series that features Isaac next to Moon Knight.

Marvel Releases New Trailer and Images for ‘Moon Knight’ Series on Disney+

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Pop Daypop

BTS announces ‘Permission To Dance On Stage’ Seoul concert dates

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BTS will be bringing its ‘Permission To Dance On Stage’ tour to its hometown next month, performing its first in-person concerts in Seoul in two years.   The band will perform at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium on March 10, 12, and 13, their first concerts at that same venue since the ‘Love Yourself: Speak Yourself (The Final)’ shows in October 2019.

The concerts on March 10 and 13 will be streamed online in real-time, while the March 12 concert will be broadcast at “live viewing” events in theaters across the globe. Tickets for the in-person shows are available via the Korean INTERPARK ticket reservation site and will only be made available to members of the BTS Global Official Fanclub ARMY Membership.

BTS began its ‘Permission To Dance On Stage’ tour last year with four in-person concerts at LA’s SoFi Stadium. Prior to that, the band held an online-only concert at Jamsil Olympic Stadium under the same tour moniker.

More details on the online and live viewing broadcasts, including ticketing details, will be announced soon.

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