Pop-Corn: Random Pop Culture Tidbits

The following pop culture tidbits made me squeal with excitement that only a 9-year-old girl receiving her first pony could imitate:

First off, Sir Anthony Hopkins has been cast in the much talked about Kenneth Branagh film Thor. Sir Hopkins will be playing Odin, King of Asgard and father of Thor and Loki. I love Anthony Hopkins and everything he has ever put his name on, so this just became the best Kenneth Branagh film ever made. Thor tells the story of an Asgard warrior (Thor) who is banished to Earth by his father Odin after reigniting an ancient war with his reckless and arrogant behavior. While on Earth, he learns what it means to be a true hero when he comes face to face with an enemy from Asgard. The film is scheduled to begin production in January.

Another little tidbit that made me squeal with both figurative AND literal glee is the news that Matthew Morrison, who plays Mr. Will Schuester on the hit Fox series Glee (see: literal Glee), told Access Hollywood that he is near finalizing a record deal and will soon begin working on his first solo album! Morrison described the sound he has in mind for the album saying, “It’s going to be different. I would consider it a classier Justin Timberlake album. It’s going to be me and a big orchestra, but also with beats.” Can we say YES PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately, Morrison did break the news that he most likely will not be involved in the Glee tour that is supposedly taking place at some point next year, saying, “Mr. Schuester likes to take his summer break.”

While we’re talking about Glee peeps, in the same article from Access Hollywood, they make mention of a news item from Billboard in which Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy stated that Lea Michele (who plays Rachel Berry) is also “considering” making a solo album. Hells yeah! That would be amazing. Her voice is so versatile; she could go in so many directions with a solo career. And I can’t get enough of her voice basically ever. I have listened to her version of Rihanna’s “Take a Bow” more than I care to admit here. Just know it’s a lot.



One final Glee-related tidbit! The above video is the cast of Glee, led by Amber Riley (who plays Mercedes Jones), performing the National Anthem before Game 3 of the 2009 World Series at Citizens Bank Park, which took place on Halloween!

Now, here is a tidbit that didn’t make me squeal with glee, but instead gave me reason to pause and shed a single, glistening tear under the fluorescent lights shining over my cubicle, mourning the loss of what could have been and the possible end of an era:

Just when NBC’s Heroes is starting to get good again (and I mean really, really good—CIRCUS GANG = WIN!!!), an anonymous source has gone to Airlock Alpha to report that Peacock execs are planning on pulling the plug and soon. The source says that executives are going to ask the producers to “start winding the show down” in an attempt to pull the plug on the series with some advance warning so that the show can have a proud exit. The source says there is a possibility they would ask the show to end as early as May (the end of the current 2009-2010 season) as there is some massive NBC plot to change things up for the 2010-2011 season (supposedly to include not having Leno on five nights a week at 10!). While absolutely none of this has been confirmed with anyone at NBC and should thus be labeled RUMOR, it pretty much resonates with the direction Heroes has been heading over the last couple of years (hence why I feel the need to mention it here). The show had an explosive opening season that redefined action television for years to come. However, its second and third seasons paled in comparison and left much to be desired in terms of storylines, characters and basically everything ever. The current fourth season has been getting the show back on track with a simplified, concise set of storylines and the elimination of motifs that have been beaten to death longer than the will they or won’t they of Ross and Rachel. If this is true, it will be sad to see Heroes go, mostly because it never lived up to the expectations set by the first season. But it won’t be “cancelled before its time” sad. More like “goodbye, dear friend” sad. You know what I mean. The final word from the source was that the execs he or she kept referring to will make their decision closer to midseason, so we should all wait and see whether or not there is any truth to this one.

But let's end on a high note, shall we?

Kelly Clarkson is amazing:



*Images: The Cinema Source, TV Guide, NBC, Rickey.org*