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There are a handful of video game adaptations set to debut this year, and unfortunately, none of them include Detective Pikachu 2, but that’s neither here nor there. The long-awaited animated adventure The Super Mario Bros Movie hit theaters earlier this month, and has already made enough mushroom coins for Mario to retire from his stressful plumbing gig and live a life of luxury.

Variety reports that the video game-inspired tale has earned $260.3 million domestically and $248.4 million internationally after being out in theaters for just two weeks. For anyone who doesn’t have a calculator on deck, that brings the worldwide total to $508.7 million, making it the highest-grossing film of 2023. Sorry to Ant-Man, but maybe he should have tried a little harder.

Not only did the Chris Pratt-led movie surpass this year’s blockbusters, but it’s also the biggest video game adaptation in history, speeding right by Warcraft and Detective Pikachu. That is until Ryan Reynolds decides to actually move forward with a Pikachu sequel that the world has been asking for. And by “world” I mean Me.

The movie has already been a financial success compared to its $100 million budget, which is surprisingly small for an animated feature. Detective Pikachu, for example, had a pretty high budget of $150 million in 2019. That’s about 30 million packs of Pokemon cards, in case you were keeping track.

While no sequels have been announced, there will likely be more Mario adventures in the future, perhaps with Pedro Pascal on board. Or Danny DeVito, depending on who you ask.

(Via Variety)

The Dallas Mavericks turned heads in the final week of the regular season when they completely punted on their chase of the Play-In by sitting everyone against the Chicago Bulls in the second-to-last game of the year. Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber, and Josh Green all sat for rest and various ailments, while Luka Doncic started but sat after the first quarter in a premeditated move that Jason Kidd openly explained in pregame was at the direction of management — with the only reason Luka played in the game at all being that it was a Slovenian heritage night promotion in Dallas.

The NBA, unsurprisingly, didn’t take kindly to that and launched an investigation into the Mavs actively tanking out of the Play-In in such dramatic style. The Luka Doncic part, in particular, was extremely brash and Kidd’s pregame remarks certainly didn’t help the Mavs’ case. As such, on Friday, the league announced a $750,000 fine to the organization for “conduct detrimental to the league,” explaining what they did “undermined the integrity of our sport.”

The Mavs certainly weren’t the only team to do some aggressive end-of-season tanking, as the Blazers pulled the ripcord with about a month to play and managed to bottom out to a bottom-five record in the entire league. The Jazz also began resting people in the final couple weeks when they slipped behind the Thunder and Mavs in the battle for the 10-seed. The Mavs will certainly point to those example and wonder why they were punished, but they attracted the league’s attention for a couple of unique reasons.

For one, Kidd’s commentary before the game raised everyone’s eyebrows, as he laid out how it was management’s decision to shut things down for the season — something none of the other teams did explicitly, instead relying on various injuries and ailments to sit players. On top of that, the Mavs were just a couple weeks removed from calling the league’s integrity into question with their protest of the outcome of a loss to the Warriors, when Mark Cuban launched into his latest tirade against NBA referees for what was ultimately deemed to have been a correct call that was communicated to both sides upon league review. While the league certainly would never admit it, I find it hard to believe this wasn’t at least in some small part a message to Cuban following the protest to replay that game and his antics afterward. In any case, Cuban will pay the hefty fine and won’t exactly be hurting in doing so.

After Bud Light unveiled a new ad campaign featuring trans activist Dylan Mulvaney, MAGA world went wild calling for boycotts. Travis Tritt refused to serve Anheuser-Busch products at his concerts while Kid Rock posted a violent video of himself shooting Bud Light cans with an AR-15 because, in case it isn’t clear, many conservatives do not support trans rights.

However, a surprising voice of reason has emerged amidst the chaos: Donald Trump Jr. During the latest episode of his web show, Triggered with Don Jr., the heir to the Trump throne called on his fellow conservatives to pull back on their rhetoric.

“I’m not for destroying an American, an iconic company for something like this,” Don Jr. said. (Note: Anheuser-Busch Companies is now a Belgium-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev.) According to Junior, there are far worse beer brands out there, so everyone should take a breather.

Via The Independent:

“The company itself doesn’t participate in the same leftist nonsense as the other big conglomerates,” he said. “Frankly, they don’t participate in the same woke garbage that other people in the beer [industry] actually do, who are significantly worse when I look into it.”

Don Jr. coming to Budweiser’s aid is a surprising development considering how much of MAGA world has gone hard on boycotting the beer company. However, those protests have also been pretty embarrassing. Texas congressman Dan Crenshaw attempted to jump on the viral craze by posting a video of himself proudly opening a fridge full of Karbach beer.

There’s just one small problem: Karbach is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, the makers of Bud Light. Whoops.

(Via The Independent)

When the premise for Barry was first announced, the idea of a professional hit man looking to go straight felt a little stale. But in the hands of Bill Hader and Alec Berg, it turned into anything but. In fact, some would say the series is downright revolutionary.

When we last left Barry Berkman/Barry Block (Hader), the professional killer/aspiring actor’s world was crashing down all around him — somewhat literally. While he’s ready to flee Los Angeles with his girlfriend Sally (Sarah Goldberg) in tow, he gets waylaid by the police. (Hey, it happens!)

Now Barry is returning for a fourth and final season, and will deal with the fallout of his arrest. So just when will that happen?

Barry will make its triumphant return to HBO on Sunday, April 16, airing just after Succession. Like the previous three seasons of the series, it will run for eight episodes, putting its last-ever episode on May 28. Just as fans are sad to see Barry’s story end, so is Hader.

“It’s been an amazing journey making this show, and it’s bittersweet that the story has come to its natural conclusion,” Hader said in a statement.

New episodes of Barry will air each week at 10 p.m. EST on Sundays.

Earlier this month Forbes published a list of billionaires and only one name from the rap world was on it: Jay-Z. After Kanye West lost his deal with Adidas for making antisemitic remarks last year, he was removed from the list, leaving his former “big brother” Jay the only rapper officially worth nine figures.

However, there’s one other rapper who thinks he deserves placement on the list, even if the numbers don’t quite bear him out. 50 Cent insisted that he’s technically been a billionaire for years but he’s yet to receive credit because he actually pays his employees (a dig at Jay, or an acknowledgment of the popular perception of capitalists in general?). Appearing on The Enthusiast Podcast (with thanks to HipHopDX), 50 put forth his argument as such at the 37-minute mark:

So when they financially say, ‘Oh you’re a billionaire, this person is a billionaire,’ it’s like, I’ve been a billionaire since 2007. I’m that far from where I came from that I’ve been a billionaire financially because everybody around me is being paid. Resources that I compensate for people to be there and I really don’t see things that I want that I can’t go get it.

The mogul certainly has a list of endeavors that are bringing in the bank. His cinematic universe continues to grow, with an animated comic book adaptation starring Nicki Minaj in the works, and a new TV deal with Fox signed earlier this year. He’s also got new music on the way, which could mean a lot more seven-figure performance fees coming his way in the near future.

Check out the full episode of The Enthusiast Podcast above.

Yellowjackets spoilers will be found below.

Yellowjackets has been building its mythology in season two, posing more and more questions about the wilderness and the survivors’ mystical connection to it without giving fans any concrete answers. But in episode four’s “Old Wounds” one long-standing riddle does finally get solved.

After a competition between Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) and Lottie (Courtney Eaton) to find game for the group ends with both girls returning to the cabin empty-handed, Van (Liv Hewson) and Tai (Jasmin Savoy Brown) reveal their own shocking discovery. The couple has been secretly trying to suss out Tai’s strange sleepwalking episodes, with Van mapping out the marked trees Tai somehow finds every time her subconscious goes wandering.

Van believes the map is forming the same symbol that’s been haunting the team since they first found the cabin and she manages to convince a still-skeptical Tai to prove her theory by marking the next tree. While they search the woods, Tai chases down a figure trying to escape their notice, and when they catch him, the girls realize it’s Javi (Luciano Leroux), Travis’ (Kevin Alves) younger brother who’s been missing ever since the shroom-fueled orgy gone wrong in season one’s “Doomcooming.”

Naturally, everyone — including fans of the show — was shocked by the revelation that Javi was alive, especially since Nat went to such effort to convince a grieving Travis his brother was dead.

But the happy reunion was a bit short-lived because, like everything else on this show, the answer to one question has now begged another. How the hell did Javi survive so long on his own?

When Did Javi Go Missing?

Javi got the hell out of dodge after Misty’s mushroom poisoning experiment caused the girls to go feral in season one, episode nine’s “Doomcoming.” Donning antler headdresses and wielding hunting knives, the girls mistook Travis for an animal and began hunting him. When Shauna (Sophie Nelisse) found Javi, she told him to run, and he listened, disappearing into the woods and staying hidden for months on end. We’re not sure how long he’s been out there on his own, but it’s been long enough for the seasons to change, for hunger to set in, and for Jackie Taylor to freeze to death after being exposed to the elements for just one night. So obviously, fans are a bit confused.

Theories On How Javi Survived

Even during his reunion with his brother, Travis, Javi seemed a bit out of sorts. He wouldn’t speak and seemed to be staring off into nothing as the group celebrated his return. Clearly, he’s seen some things and while fans have plenty of theories on how he might have made it through the worst of the winter on his own, the show has yet to confirm any of them. Some Citizen Detectives on Reddit believe the symbol that’s been dotting the trees Tai seems to always find at night is actually a map to a mine. That theory might explain why the ground around some of the trees is melting, even in the dead of winter, and the red river the girls found in season one.

Another theory claims that Javi may have found a different cabin in the woods to bunker down in and, instead of returning to the group after the chaos of “Doomcoming,” he chose to risk it on his own. He may have believed his brother was dead all this time and feared the girls after how they acted while high on psychedelics. As for food, Shauna begins the episode by accusing some of the girls of stealing meat from the shed. No one fesses up and the girls end up wrongly blaming Coach Ben (Steven Krueger), but what if Javi has been pilfering their stash at night while they sleep?

However Javi survived, his presence among the group is bound to stir up trouble — for Nat and Travis, and for the two factions that are quickly forming, separating Lottie’s followers from the disbelievers on the team.

Showtime’s ‘Yellowjackets’ streams on Fridays, followed by TV airtime on Sunday nights.

The Knicks and Cavaliers both took steps forward in the 2022-23 season, but their terrific regular seasons were overshadowed by the top-3 in the East that separated themselves from the pack.

While neither is often mentioned as a true championship contender, whichever team comes out of what looks to be a fairly evenly matched 4-5 matchup (with the Cavs as -200 favorites in the series) figures to be a stern second round test for the Milwaukee Bucks (provided they avoid a shocking upset at the hand of either the Heat or Bulls). While neither team features an MVP candidate this year like the East’s top-3, there will still be plenty of elite talent on display, including three of the East’s best backcourt players — and the favorite for Sixth Man of the Year.

The road for either to upsetting one of the East’s favorite starts with a stern first round test, and here we’ll explore the keys for both teams to advance, as well as the players beyond the headliners who could play a big role in swinging this series one way or the other.

Keys for the Cavaliers

Everything for the Cavs starts with their star backcourt duo, as Donovan Mitchell (28.3 ppg/4.4 apg/4.3 rpg) and Darius Garland (21.6 ppg/7.8 apg/2.3 rpg) are the proverbial straws that stir the drink in Cleveland. Given how much of the offensive load they carry, their ability to remain as effective and efficient as they were all season will be critical. The pressure they can apply to opposing defenses is spectacular, but the Knicks will throw varied looks at them and a lot of length to try and disrupt their rhythm. Controlling the pace is something both Garland and Mitchell do very well, but it’s particularly paramount against this Knicks team not to let the offense bog down in the halfcourt and stagnate.

Just as important will be how they fare defensively against Jalen Brunson (and Immanuel Quickley). The last time they played, Brunson got loose for 48 points, outdueling a 43-point outburst from Mitchell to give the Knicks a 3-1 record over the Cavs this season. Keeping their defense out of early rotation because of Brunson and Quickley drives starts at the point of attack, where New York figures to try and test Mitchell in particular on switches given his reputation as a spotty at best on-ball defender. The Cavs backcourt will have to be locked in to keep Brunson and Quickley in front of them both in isolation and navigating screens. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are tremendous at erasing mistakes at the rim, but if they’re in rotation early, the Knicks can more easily find soft spots to attack.

Keys for the Knicks

The last time we saw the Knicks in the Playoffs, they were coming off of a similar season but struggled to replicate the same level of offensive success against the Hawks, resulting in a first round exit in five games. Julius Randle, in particular, struggled with his shooting efficiency, averaging just 18 points per game on 29.8 percent shooting from the field. This year’s Knicks team is more diverse offensively than the 2021 squad, which lends itself to more optimism that this year they can have more success, with Brunson’s presence representing the biggest upgrade on this year’s roster.

Still, there will be a lot of focus on Randle and whether he can be more effective against a very good Cavs defensive frontcourt — especially since they’ll have a more detailed gameplan for containing him than he typically faces in the regular season. This year offers a chance at redemption but against a more difficult defensive opponent. Evan Mobley’s length and quickness will be a prohibitive challenge for Randle, who all too often settled for contested shots in isolation that went begging in that series with Atlanta. His trust in the “others” will be very important, as the Cavs figure to try and get him to once again force up contested shots on the perimeter by walling off his driving lanes and showing help at the rim with Jarrett Allen. If he’s willing to be a playmaker for others, that can tilt the scales in the Knicks’ favor, but at the same time, if he takes the shots the Cavs want him to, the Knicks offense could very well sputter once again.

Defensively, the challenge for the Knicks is similar to the one I laid out for the Cavs with Brunson in that they will have to find ways to contain and frustrate the Cleveland backcourt. While Mitchell has had some big outbursts against New York this season, overall they’ve done pretty well in making sure both Garland and Mitchell don’t go off at the same time in their three wins over the Cavs — and made sure that Mitchell’s teammates don’t feed off of his big scoring nights. New York is willing to cede a big scoring night for Mitchell if it requires him to take a ton of shots and the rest of the Cavs aren’t involved, but with a week to prepare, Cleveland will surely be looking for new ways to attack what New York’s tried to do to them so far this season.

X-Factors

How much offensive support the best defensive players on both sides can provide their teams very well could swing this series. Both teams have seen steps forward from some of their best young defenders in terms of offensive impact this season, headlined by Quentin Grimes for New York and Evan Mobley for Cleveland. In the postseason, their ability to continue to provide secondary offense to their star teammates is critical, and given how many other focal points the two defenses will have to contend with, they figure to see plenty of opportunities to get offensive opportunities. Along with those two, Josh Hart and Isaac Okoro will be tasked with showing length and size to the opposing star guards, but their ability to stay on the floor hinges on whether they can be a viable offensive threat. Both have been that in the regular season, but, again, the defenses will want them to prove that first under playoff pressure before they’re willing to stop digging and helping off of them.

Then there’s the RJ Barrett question for the Knicks. The biggest reason for Cleveland being the favorite in this series is the belief that they simply have the advantage in the star department with Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, and Allen, compared to Brunson, Randle, and Quickley off the bench. If Barrett, who has struggled with his efficiency all season, can go from being a high volume scoring “other” to suddenly entering into that star conversation in this series, it can even the odds a bit and give New York the firepower necessary to pull the slight upset.

Megan Thee Stallion has returned to the public eye and the stage. However, the “Sweetest Pie” rapper has decided to take her time when it comes to jumping back into the realm of social media. The H-Town hottie is keeping a relatively low profile on social media, dropping a few sensual selfies here and there, holding back from fully immersing herself into any one app. According to TMZ, the recording artist is doing the exact opposite in the courtroom.

The outlet reports that in a motion filed in court today (April 13), Megan is accusing her former label’s (1501 Certified Entertainment) Carl Crawford of not only “keeping money from her,” but also of “hiding money” earned outside of the label’s main bank account. Megan is supposedly bringing this to light to ensure that if she does win her case against them for unpaid royalties amongst other things, she will be able to recoup the lost earnings without issue.

Meg alleged that the label’s account currently holds less than $10,000, “although they’ve deposited millions of dollars” into it over time. TMZ also shared that the musician is alleging that J. Prince and Gee Roberson are “the only ones receiving a payout.”

In the motion, Megan has requested that the judge, in the case, involve a third party to serve as overseer of 1501 Certified Entertainment’s bank accounts until the case is over.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Taylor Swift‘s The Eras Tour is a big deal. The singer began her weekend in Tampa, Florida last night (April 13) at the Raymond James Stadium. For some reason, fans spread a rumor involving the president as well as a former president.

An account on Twitter shared a picture of Barack and Michelle Obama in the audience presumably at the concert. Many assumed it was real; why would it not be? There was also gossip about President Joe Biden attending. Entertainment Tonight even reported (and later deleted) the news. However, Swifties are clearly masters at Photoshop and lies, and People confirmed none were actually there.

“As is widely reported, the President is in Ireland,” a White House spokesperson told the publication. An Obama spokesperson also told People the reports are “definitely false.” Furthermore, the publication notes the video of the Obamas is actually from a Beyoncé concert in 2018.

Meanwhile Swift also said something on stage that has fans convinced that she’s teased the next LP to get a Taylor’s Version rerecording. “I’ve been thinking a lot about one of my albums recently. One of my albums has been on my mind a lot, I’ve been thinking about it, lots going on in my brain about it, and so I thought I might play the title track of that album.”

Upon arriving to Tampa, Swift was made honorary mayor for a day. “We are so excited to welcome you to Tampa April 13th through the 15th,” Mayor Jane Castor. “Let me tell you, our weather never goes out of style. Your fans have spoken and they want to know what we are doing to welcome you to our beautiful city. We know Glendale changed its name, Arlington made a street sign, and Vegas illuminated their Gateway Arches, but here in Tampa, we’ve got a reputation to uphold. We want to go bigger. So I want to present you with a key to the city and invite you to be our honorary mayor for a day.”

Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj’s video for the “Princess Diana” remix is every bit as violently pink as you’d expect. In it, the two rap royals posture and primp in a bedroom straight out of a dollhouse, mugging in the vanity mirror, doing each others’ makeup, and, yes, twerking like it’s going out of style.

The new version of the song has been hotly anticipated ever since Minaj followed Spice on social media. The rising rap star threw flames on the fire last month when she re-shared her old tweet about the blessed event, prompting a gushing exchange of love-bombing from both artists. While some fans were skeptical of the co-sign and how long it would last, others got so excited they speculated that Spice had signed to Minaj’s new label — even though Ice Spice has been signed to 10K Projects and Columbia for the past year.

Ice Spice’s star has been rising since then thanks to hit singles like “In Ha Mood” and PinkPatheress’s “Boy’s A Liar,” while her debut EP, Like…? (which contained the original “Princess Diana“) showed she had more in the tank than just the breakout single “Munch.”

Watch Ice Spice’s “Princess Diana” remix video featuring Nicki Minaj above.