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As “ Wicked ” gets ready to take theaters by storm this weekend, many online are pointing to the Hollywood adaptation of the hit broadway musical as having an added political significance just 18 days after Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the Presidential election. While he was a guest on an upcoming episode of IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast , “ Wicked ” director Jon M. Chu acknowledged the politics of the story of the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West ( Cynthia Erivo ), joking, “A charismatic leader who gaslights a community that this woman is wicked just because she’s standing up for a marginalized group of people in the society, how could that be [political]?” Chu embraces that his movie will take on a new layer of meaning for many audience members after the re-election of Trump, but noted that impact is in part because politics has been baked into “Wicked” since its inception. Gregory Maguire’s 1995 book “Wicked” is a meditation on resisting fascist movements, a not-so-subtle theme that carried into its musical adaptation by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. A major underlying storyline of “Wicked” is how leaders, who claim to have the people’s best interest at heart, attack the educated — represented by professor Dr. Dillamond, a talking goat voiced by Peter Dinklage — as they try to rewrite the history of animals and humans co-existence in an effort to strip the animals of their rights, and demonize them as the source of the people’s problems. Through this lens, Chu acknowledged his film is prophetic, but only because the underlying IP is prophetic. Chu argued the original “ Wizard of Oz ” movie — released on the heels of the 1930s Dust Bowl (the drought-stricken storms of the Depression), during the rise of fascism, and on the eve of World War II — has always spoken to America in a time of transition. He personally experienced it at two very different political moments that “Wicked” entered his life. “When I saw it in 2002, I was in college, so I was still growing up,” said Chu while on the podcast. “I was seeing the world for the first time a year after 9/11, we’re going into war, America’s in transition, and everything is scary all around. And when in scary situations, people go towards strongmen who just take the reins.” Chu first saw the original staged musical in the Bay Area, where he grew up, before it hit Broadway to become a $6 billion global sensation. It would come back around to him 18 years later, now a successful Hollywood director being approached about helming its big screen adaptation. “I got this movie when we were in [COVID] lockdown,” said Chu. “So at that moment, those words ‘Defying Gravity,’ [Elphaba’s gravity-defying musical number after learning the truth about the Wizard], when she says, ‘Something has changed within me, something’s not the same, I’m through with playing by the rules of someone else’s game,’ to me, I felt like the whole world feels like this.” Chu does see “Wicked” through the eyes of being the son of immigrants. Chu’s mother was born in Taiwan, his father in Sichuan, China. He brings this perspective to all of his projects, and it’s a big reason Lin-Manuel Miranda selected the “ Crazy Rich Asians ” director to adapt “ In the Heights ,” a musical about Miranda’s Dominican and Puerto Rican immigrant neighborhood of Washington Heights. “The American fairy tale, they always say it’s put together with American parts: Resilience, self-reliance, and optimism, and I love that as the starting point [for ‘Wicked’],” said Chu, who personally draws inspiration from Elphaba’s “Defying Gravity” musical and metaphysical response to learning the truth about the Wizard at the end of the first movie, but part of what he finds moving about it is the underlying hard question of that moment. “The storyteller has been unveiled and now the story we’re sitting in, we’re wondering, ‘Was this ever true?’ Is the yellow brick road that my parents talked to us plenty times about in the ‘Wizard of Oz,’ when I was growing up as immigrants, was that a real thing? Or maybe it was never made for us?” For Chu, Elphaba’s discovery that there is no wizard who is going to fix all our problems naturally leads to an important realization: “We’ll have to fix them ourselves.” Chu went on to explain, “It’s not even about the truth... It’s when you find out the truth, when you wake up, what are you going to do? What’s your decision? Are you an Elphaba, or are you a Glinda (Ariana Grande)?” That that’s where the first of two “Wicked” movies leaves off will feel eerily prescient for many in the audience, who Chu knows will feel as if we are politically at the same crossroads as the two best friends just days after the election. “I’ve thought a lot about this, the timeless thing about it, that never ends, is the resilience of human beings and what we can do, and what we can get through. Because when the path doesn’t seem like ours, we always rise above and sometimes we even find that we could fly,” said Chu. “That is what we need now more than ever. I didn’t know that that’s what was happening, but that is kind of the process and tradition of freedom.” In acknowledging the film will play differently for many after the election — and likely knowing the film will need both red and blue state audiences to embrace its universal messages to dominate the box office, as is being predicted — Chu said he thinks Glinda and Elphaba, the two roommates who hate each other before forming a sisterly bond, only to be forced apart by the politics of Oz — could serve as a model. “Technology has brought us all into the same dorm room,” Chu said, drawing an analogy. “We’re suddenly all roommates, and we are not alike, and that person’s messy, and that person smells, and that person does this, and ‘holy shit, we have to get along.’ And now it’s like college, the only way to actually find peace between us is maybe yell at each other, maybe say the things that we need to say, and actually forgive each other and give some grace, because the only way out is through, and so this has so many ties to where we’re at right now. Look for IndieWire’s Toolkit upcoming episode with Jon M. Chu’s on Spotify and Apple Podcasts .
Four senators have filed the Enable IC Partnerships Act, a bipartisan bill that would promote in the adoption of advanced technologies and development of technical talents. One of the bill’s proponents, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Az., said the U.S. intelligence community grows stronger once equipped with the tools necessary to tackle foreseen threats to national security. “This bipartisan effort will make it easier for our intelligence agencies to leverage partnerships to secure state-of-the-art technology and talent, ensuring the U.S. maintains an edge over adversaries,” Kelly remarked. Kelly’s co-authors in the measure are Sens. John Cornyn, R-Tx.; Mark Warner, D-Va.; and James Lankford, R-Ok. Who Are the Potential IC Partners? A statement from Kelly’s office issued on Friday noted that the intelligence community’s acquisition officials must be able to access public and private capital for the acquisition of technologies suited to address global threats to national security. The office also said the lenders that could be explored for potential partnerships under the bill include the Department of Defense’s Office of Strategic Capital, as well as private financial institutions. “Through IC partnerships with federal lending agencies like DOD’s Office of Strategic Capital and fostering greater IC public-private partnerships, we can better equip collectors and analysts with the tools to meet workforce demand and strengthen our national security,” Cornyn said. Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, noted that U.S. intelligence operations must meet the rapid rise of the technological capabilities of U.S. adversaries, stating, “This legislation would help give the IC the support, funding and flexibility needed to better protect our national security.” Kelly, Warner, Cornyn and Lankford are also co-authors of the proposed Enabling New Agile Buying-power and Leveraging Enhancements in Intelligence Community Acquisitions Act, which seeks to streamline .PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Former Temple basketball standout Hysier Miller sat for a long interview with the NCAA as it looked into concerns about unusual gambling activity, his lawyer said Friday amid reports a federal probe is now under way. “Hysier Miller fully cooperated with the NCAA’s investigation. He sat for a five-hour interview and answered every question the NCAA asked. He also produced every document the NCAA requested,” lawyer Jason Bologna said in a statement. “Hysier did these things because he wanted to play basketball this season, and he is devastated that he cannot.” Miller, a three-year starter from South Philadelphia, transferred to Virginia Tech this spring. However, the Hokies released him last month due to what the program called “circumstances prior to his enrollment at Virginia Tech.” Bologna declined to confirm that a federal investigation had been opened, as did spokespeople for both the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia. ESPN, citing unnamed sources, reported Thursday that authorities were investigating whether Miller bet on games he played in at Temple, and whether he adjusted his performance accordingly. “Hysier Miller has overcome more adversity in his 22 years than most people face in their lifetime. He will meet and overcome whatever obstacles lay ahead," Bologna said. Miller scored eight points — about half his season average of 15.9 — in a 100-72 loss to UAB on March 7 that was later flagged for unusual betting activity. Temple said it has been aware of those allegations since they became public in March, and has been cooperative. “We have been fully responsive and cooperative with the NCAA since the moment we learned of the investigation,” Temple President John Fry said in a letter Thursday to the school community. However, Fry said Temple had not received any requests for information from state or federal law enforcement agencies. He vowed to cooperate fully if they did. “Coaches, student-athletes and staff members receive mandatory training on NCAA rules and regulations, including prohibitions on involvement in sports wagering," Fry said in the letter. The same week the Temple-UAB game raised concerns, Loyola (Maryland) said it had removed a person from its basketball program after it became aware of a gambling violation. Temple played UAB again on March 17, losing 85-69 in the finals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. League spokesman Tom Fenstermaker also declined comment on Friday. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
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The Ducks lugged a four-game points streak in tow as they prepared to welcome the Seattle Kraken for the front half of a home-and-home set. It will begin Monday at Honda Center before migrating northward for its second leg on Wednesday in Seattle. Last season, the teams also faced off twice in three days, with both those games being played in Seattle. The Kraken won both by an aggregate score of 8-2 as part of a four-game season sweep, though neither team ended up qualifying for the postseason. This year, they’re both at exactly .500, thanks to recent surges –– the Ducks are 4-1-1 in their past six games and the Kraken are 5-2-0 in their last seven –– with designs on pushing upward in the Pacific Division standings. They’re also both coming off disappointing losses, with the Ducks blowing a two-goal lead to fall 3-2 in overtime to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday and the Kraken coming up with too little, too late in the way of both offense and energy against the Kings on Saturday. Buffalo was opportunistic, twice dredging up goals from rebounds and scoring another off a turnover. For the Ducks’ part, they missed opportunities to shoot the puck, in some cases from prime scoring areas, once more. “We’ve still got to shoot the puck more,” Coach Greg Cronin said. “In the first period, I think Leo (Carlsson) had a 2-on-1 and the (defenseman) shaded towards (Alex Killorn), and he still passed. I think (Pavel Mintyukov) had one in the slot and he didn’t shoot it. It’s a strange mentality.” While Cronin lamented his team’s unwillingness to shoot yet again, former Ducks defenseman Brandon Montour was flummoxed by his Seattle teammates’ lack of pop in a loss to the Kings that he prevented from being a shutout with a goal in the final two minutes of the match. While Montour liked his squad’s late push, he thought they needed more hunger and consistency alike against the Ducks. “These games, we’ve got to be up for. Anaheim’s up next, we’ve got to come with desperation and get those points,” Montour said. Montour had nearly put the Kraken on the board with a booming one-timer and a second-chance effort that pinged the post in a game where his motor, wheels, and open throttle were on full display. Since his departure via trade in 2019, Montour has established himself firmly in the NHL. After parts of three seasons, including two truncated ones, in Buffalo, Montour moved onto the Florida Panthers. There, he scored a career-high 73 points two seasons ago, when the Panthers’ Cinderella run carried them to the Stanley Cup Final. Last season, they won the Cup in a contract year for Montour, who inked a seven-year, $50 million contract with Seattle as a free agent. He leads Seattle in defensive scoring and Jared McCann is its pace car when it comes to points. Another top offensive talent, Jordan Eberle, underwent pelvic surgery on Friday and was expected to miss around three months of action. Goalie Joey Daccord ranks in the league’s top 10 for both save percentage and goals-against average.
Awards season has arrived in the form of the Golden Globes nominations. The awards, which honor both movies and television programs, is often viewed as a preview of the upcoming Oscars. In this week's episode, co-hosts Bruce Miller and Terry Lipshetz go over the list, focusing largely on the movies, which tend to shine brightest at the ceremony. But they also take time to review a few of the TV shows, including the great, but rarely funny "The Bear," which is again in the comedy or musical category. We also have an interview with "Nickel Boys" director RaMell Ross, who spoke with Miller prior to the film receiving a nomination for best drama. Miller also talked with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, who starred in the film. “Wicked”; “Anora”; “Emilia Perez”; “Challengers”; “A Real Pain”; “The Substance” “The Brutalist”; “A Complete Unknown,”; “Conclave”; “Dune: Part Two”; “Nickel Boys;” “September 5” Jesse Eisenberg, “A Real Pain”; Hugh Grant, “Heretic”; Gabriel LaBelle, “Saturday Night; Jesse Plemons, “Kinds of Kindness”’ Glen Powell, “Hitman”; Sebastian Stan, “A Different Man” Amy Adams, “Nightbitch”; Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked”; Karla Sofia Gascón, “Emilia Pérez”; Mikey Madison “Anora”; Demi Moore, “The Substance”; Zendaya, “Challengers” Pamela Anderson, “The Last Showgirl′′; Angelina Jolie, ”Maria”; Nicole Kidman, “Babygirl”; Tilda Swinton, “The Room Next Door”; Fernanda Torres, “I’m Still Here”; Kate Winslet, “Lee” Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”; Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown’; Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”; Ralph Fiennes, “Conclave”; Sebastian Stan, “The Apprentice’’ “Alien: Romulus”; Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”; Deadpool & Wolverine”; “Gladiator II”; “Inside Out 2”; “Twisters”; “Wicked”; “The Wild Robot” “All We Imagine As Light′′; ”Emilia Pérez”; “The Girl With the Needle”; “I’m Still Here”; “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”; “Vermiglio” “Flow”; “Inside Out 2”; “Memoir of a Snail”; “Moana 2”; “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”; “The Wild Robot” Selena Gomez, ”Emilia Pérez”; Ariana Grande, “Wicked”; Felicity Jones, “The Brutalist”; Margaret Qualley, “The Substance”; Isabella Rossellini, “Conclave”; Zoe Saldaña, ”Emilia Pérez” Yura Borisov, “Anora”; Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”; Edward Norton, “A Complete Unknown”; Guy Pearce, “The Brutalist”; Jeremy Strong, ”The Apprentice”; Denzel Washington, “Gladiator II” Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Pérez”; Sean Baker, ”Anora”; Edward Berger, “Conclave”; Brady Corbet, “The Brutalist”; Coralie Fargeat, “The Substance”; Payal Kapadia, “All We Imagine As Light” Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Pérez”; Sean Baker, ”Anora”; Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold, “The Brutalist”; Jesse Eisenberg, “A Real Pain”; Coralie Fargeat, “The Substance”; Peter Straughan, “Conclave” Volker Bertelmann, “Conclave”; Daniel Blumberg, “The Brutalist”; Kris Bowers, “The Wild Robot”; Clement Ducol, Camille “Emilia Pérez”; Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, “Challengers”; Hans Zimmer, “Dune: Part Two” “Beautiful That Way” from “The Last Showgirl” (music/lyrics by Andrew Wyatt, Miley Cyrus, Lykke Zachrisson); “Compress/Repress” from “Challengers’ (music/lyrics by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Luca Guadagnino; “El Mal” from EL MAL” from “Emilia Pérez” (music/lyrics by Clément Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard; “Forbidden Road” from ”Better Man′′ (music/lyrics by Robbie Williams, Freddy Wexler, Sacha Skarbek); “Kiss the Sky” from “The Wild Robot′′ (music/lyrics by Delacey, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Maren Morris, Michael Pollack, Ali Tamposi); ”Mi Camino′′ from “Emilia Pérez” (music/lyrics by Clément Ducol, Camille) “Shogun”; “The Diplomat”; “Slow Horses”; “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”; “The Day of the Jackal”; “Squid Game” “Abbott Elementary”; “The Bear; “Hacks”; “Nobody Wants This”; “Only Murders in the Building”; “The Gentlemen” Donald Glover, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”; Jake Gyllenhaal, “Presumed Innocent”; Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”; Eddie Redmayne, “The Day of the Jackal”; Hiroyuki Sanada, “Shogun”; Billy Bob Thornton, “Landman” Kathy Bates, “Matlock”; Emma D’Arcy, “House of the Dragon”; Maya Erskine, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”; Keira Knightley, “Black Doves”; Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”; Anna Sawai, “Shogun” Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This”; Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”; Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear”; Selena Gomez, “Only Murders in the Building”; Kathryn Hahn, “Agatha All Along”; Jean Smart, “Hacks” Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This”; Ted Danson, “A Man on the Inside”; Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building”; Jason Segel, “Shrinking”; Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”; Jeremy All White, “The Bear” “Baby Reindeer”; Disclaimer"; “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”; “The Penguin”; “Ripley”; “True Detective: Night Country” Cate Blanchett, “Disclaimer''; Jodie Foster, ”True Detective: Night Country"; Cristin Milioti, “The Penguin''; Sofia Vergara, ”Griselda"; Naomi Watts, “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans”; Kate Winslet, “The Regime” Colin Farrell, “The Penguin”; Richard Gadd, “Baby Reindeer”; Kevin Kline, “Disclaimer”; Cooper Koch, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”; Ewan McGregor, “A Gentleman in Moscow”; Andrew Scott, “Ripley” Liza Colón-Zayas, “The Bear”; Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”; Dakota Fanning, “Ripley”; Jessica Gunning, “Baby Reindeer”; Allison Janney, “The Diplomat”; Kali Reis, “True Detective: Night Country” Tadanobu Asano, “Shogun''; Javier Bardem, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”; Harrison Ford, “Shrinking”; Jack Lowden “Slow Horses”; Diego Luna, “La Maquina”; Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Bear” Jamie Foxx, “Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was”; Nikki Glaser, “Nikki Glaser: Someday You'll Die”; Seth Meyers, “Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking”; Adam Sandler, "Adam Sandler: Love You"; Ali Wong, “Ali Wong: Single Lady”; Ramy Youssef, “Ramy Youssef: More Feelings” —List compiled by The Associated Press Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!Wisconsin faces its first losing season in 23 years and the end of a bowl streak when the Badgers host arch-rival Minnesota on Friday in the annual Big Ten battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe. Minnesota (6-5, 4-4) lost to No. 4 Penn State 26-25. Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) lost its fourth straight, 44-25, at Nebraska in a game that was not as close as the score. "Well 1890 is the first time we played this football team coming up and this is what it's all about," Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said of the rivalry. "And you wouldn't want to have it any other way, being able to end the season with one of your biggest rivals. I know our guys will be ready to go, ready to play." Wisconsin has 22 consecutive winning seasons since going 5-7 under Barry Alvarez in 2001, the longest active streak among Power 4 teams. The Badgers also have played in a bowl game in each of the last 22 seasons, the longest active streak in the Big Ten and third-longest in FBS. Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell is more concerned with the rivalry game than the winning season and bowl streaks. "I'm not downplaying it, I'm not saying it's not important, I'm not saying it's another thing that's on our plate," Fickell said Monday. "But when it gets down to this last week, it's about one thing, it's about the rivalry. It's about preparing to play in the most important game of the year." The Gophers have dropped their last two games after winning four in a row. Minnesota averages 26.6 points per game, while allowing 18.5, 15th-best in the country. Max Brosmer has completed 67 percent of his passes for 221 per game with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. Daniel Jackson is the top target with 69 catches for 802 yards and three scores, and Darius Taylor is the top rusher with 730 yards at 4.8 per carry with nine touchdowns. One week after leading Oregon after three quarters, the Wisconsin defense was shredded for 473 yards and five touchdowns by Nebraska. Braedyn Locke, who took over at quarterback when Tyler Van Dyke suffered an early season-ending knee injury, has thrown at least one interception in eight consecutive games. Locke has completed 56.4 percent of his passes for 180.6 yards per game, with 12 touchdowns and 10 picks. Tawee Walker is the leading rusher with 828 yards at 4.7 per carry with 10 touchdowns. He has failed to reach 60 yards in three of the last four games. Former Wisconsin and NFL standout JJ Watt posted on social media his assessment - and frustration - with the Badgers after the Nebraska game. "Losing happens, it's part of the game. Hearing announcers talk about how much tougher and more physical Nebraska & Iowa are while getting blown out ... that's the issue," Watt wrote on X. "We are Wisconsin. Physicality, running game, great O-Line and great defense. That is our identity." Wisconsin defeated the Gophers 28-14 last after Minnesota had won the previous two meetings. The Badgers have won 7 of the last 10 and lead the storied series 63-62-8. --Field Level MediaNone