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Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. The IANS was founded by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the India Abroad News Service. It was later renamed the Indo-Asian News Service. The IANS has its main offices located in Noida.

Articles Written By IANS News

Jessica Henwick on Priyanka Chopra: She's very talented, professional, stylish
1624 days ago
Hollywood

Jessica Henwick on Priyanka Chopra: She's very talented, professional, stylish

New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) British star Jessica Henwick has heaped praise on her 'The Matrix Ressurections' co-star Priyanka Chopra Jonas and called her very professional, talented and stylish.## Reminiscing about meeting Priyanka on the sets of the film, starring Keanu Reeves, Henwick in a conversation with IANS said: "I love her. She is so sweet. Bless her, her first day on set was not easy." ## The 29-year-old actress said that Priyanka had to deliver a 10-page monologue, which she described as not easy. ## "They (makers) gave her like a 10-page monologue and it was just her talking in front of us and she knocked out the part she absolutely smashed it. She is very talented, professional, very stylish and very lovely," Henwick added. ## Henwick's filmography boasts of projects such as 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens', 'On the Rocks', 'Love and Monsters' and 'Game of Thrones' to name a few. ## How different was to work on a film like 'The Matrix Ressurections'? ## "How different: A lot of the worlds I have played in have to give thanks to the Matrix.. The Matrix changed film and style music and the lexicon.. It impacted everything so... Yes, it is different but I am sure a lot of my work has been paying homage to the Matrix. ## Distributed by Warner Bros Pictures, the film also stars Carrie-Anne Moss, Lambert Wilson, Jada Pinkett Smith, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff and Neil Patrick Harris. ##

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Issa Rae calls music business 'the worst industry I have come across'
1624 days ago
Hollywood

Issa Rae calls music business 'the worst industry I have come across'

Los Angeles, Dec 28 (IANS) Actress Issa Rae, whose five-season run with the show 'Insecure' came to a close with a finale this weekend, has dipped more than a toe into the music business. ## She's started her own record label, Radio, and is producing a new show about aspiring rappers, using her existing career to help launch music ones. But rather than come off as thrilled about branching out into another industry, Rae is making it sound like she's entered a den of vipers, reports variety.com. ## Asked if the music business is "a place where good ideas flourish", Rae said: "Absolutely not." ## "It's probably the worst industry I've ever come across," she told the Los Angeles Times' Mikael Wood in a Q&A about her personal and professional experiences with music. ## "I thought Hollywood was crazy," Rae continued. ## "The music industry, it has to start all over again. There are lots of conflicts of interest. Archaic mentalities. Villains and criminals! It's an addiction industry, and I really feel for artists who need to get into it... It was something shocking to discover," she said. ## Rae did not get into her dismay with the music business beyond generalities but indicated her feelings were based on a combination of her own experiences setting up soundtracks and hearing from artists about what they deal with on a regular basis. ## "I do not want to be too specific, but even with making our own appointments (for soundtracks) with labels or artists, it would be so intricate. And to find out how artists were treated on other labels ... When I myself am a creator and know what I want in relation to a relationship with a production company or a producer, I would like to think that we are more artist-friendly than much of other brands and companies out there. I want to renew things." ## Rae also knocked the Grammys in the interview and singled out one record in particular she thought had been unfairly snubbed. ## "What really bums me out -- and this aligns with Hollywood -- is the way that music is rewarded. When I think about the Grammys and these other systems that are designed to reward artistic creativity and uplift artists, I just feel like, 'Y'all don't get it. What are you rewarding?' ## "This is dumb, but I'll say it anyway: A song like (Wizkid's) 'Essence' -- just absolutely a powerhouse, and yet could not be properly acknowledged by the institution that is supposed to celebrate the best in music -- that trips me out. To see Black people and our contributions to music not celebrated in the way they should be -- I mean, these aren't institutions for us.a ## Wizkid's 'Essence' was nominated for a Grammy for best global music performance, but no record of the year. Asked about the omission in a recent interview with Billboard, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said: "It is a great record. He's a very talented artist. I can't speak to why it didn't make it, but I do really love the record." ## Rae had plenty of good words for individual artists in the interview, singling out, naturally, the 2021 successes of Jazmine Sullivan, who recorded a title song for 'Insecure' in Season 2 with Bryson Tiller, saying, "She's just literally pure talent." ## Rae also cited Don Toliver and Cleo Sol as personal musical favorites from this year. ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Updates.

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'Big Little Lies' director Jean-Marc Vallee dies at 58
1625 days ago
Hollywood

'Big Little Lies' director Jean-Marc Vallee dies at 58

Los Angeles, Dec 27 (IANS) Jean-Marc Vallee, the Quebecois director of films, including 'Dallas Buyers Club' and TV projects such as 'Big Little Lies', died at his cabin in Canada. He was 58. ## The cause of death was not immediately known, reports variety.com. ## His producing partner, Nathan Ross, said in a statement: "Jean-Marc stood for creativity, authenticity and trying things differently. He was a true artist and a generous, loving guy. Everyone who worked with him couldn't help but see the talent and vision he possessed." ## "He was a friend, creative partner and an older brother to me. The maestro will sorely be missed but it comforts knowing his beautiful style and impactful work he shared with the world will live on." ## Vallee earned an Oscar nomination for best editing for 2013's 'Dallas Buyers Club', which won Oscars for Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey. The film was based on the true story of Ron Woodroof, an AIDS patient who smuggled pharmaceutical drugs into Texas and distributed them to fellow AIDS patients through the 'Dallas Buyers Club'. ## The next year, he directed 'Wild' starring Reese Witherspoon. ## He continued to work with Witherspoon on the series 'Big Little Lies', for which he won the Emmy for directing a limited series, movie or special. ## His next project was another suspenseful mini-series based on a popular book, 'Sharp Objects'. ## "Jean-Marc Vallee was a brilliant, fiercely dedicated filmmaker, a truly phenomenal talent who infused every scene with a deeply visceral, emotional truth," said a statement released by HBO. ## "He was also a hugely caring man who invested his whole self alongside every actor he directed. We are shocked at the news of his sudden death, and we extend our heartfelt sympathies to his sons, Alex and Emile, his extended family, and his longtime producing partner, Nathan Ross." ## Born in Montreal, Vallee studied film at the Universite du Quebec. After making music videos and short films, he made his first feature 'Black List'. ## After making 2005's acclaimed Quebec film 'C.R.A.Z.Y.', based on the life of a close friend, he directed 'The Young Victoria', which garnered three Academy Award nominations. ## He is survived by two children and three siblings. ##

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Tom Holland likes 'short men have more sex' post after being trolled for height
1625 days ago
Hollywood

Tom Holland likes 'short men have more sex' post after being trolled for height

Los Angeles, Dec 27 (IANS) Hollywood star Tom Holland is getting the last laugh on haters who think he's too short to date Zendaya. ## The 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' actor was spotted liking a post claiming "short men have more sex" after being trolled over his height, reports aceshowbiz.com. ## The 25-year-old actor has caught the attention of his fans after he cheekily liked a post about sex by Lad Bible on Instagram. ## The post, shared on December 23, featured an image of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito from the 1988 film 'Twins' alongside a tag that read: "According to science, short men have more sex." ## When Holland's hilarious Instagram gesture was captured and shared by CommentsByCelebs, his fans quickly swung into action in the comments section to share their thoughts. "I feel like Tom forgets he's famous," one fan commented. ## Another added: "Tom said yuo thats me!!!" ## A third sent a message of support, writing: "We love you, our short king." A fourth said, "Celebrities can't even browse through Instagram in peace. They always getting exposed." ## Prior to this, Holland pointed out that he doesn't see any problem with his and Zendaya's height difference. In an interview, the 'Chaos Walking' actor slammed "stupid assumption" saying that men should be taller than their partners. ## In the December 10 episode of SiriusXM Town Hall, host Jessica Shaw began asking the couple about their visible height difference during their onscreen kiss in 'Spider-Man: Far From Home'. ## In response, the Spider-Man depicter in MCU said: "Not that much taller. Let's put this out there. Maybe like an inch or two at best. ## "It's not like, people say like, 'How did you guys kiss? It must have been so difficult'." ## After Jessica clarified that she viewed height constraints on women and men as "misogynistic" and "problematic," Zendaya and Tom agreed. ## Tom went on calling it a "stupid assumption" that it would even be an issue. ## "This is normal too," Zendaya chimed in. ## The actress portraying Chani in 'Dune' shared: "My mom is taller than my dad. My mom's taller than everyone." ## Tom then said that height stereotypes were "ridiculous". ## Tom went on to recall the moment when he was auditioned for his role as Spider-Man, "I remember when we were doing the 'Spider-Man' screen tests...but every girl that we tested for both roles was taller than me." ## "I wonder whether that was a decision (director Jon Watts) had made. There was no one that tested that was shorter than I was." ## "To be fair, I am quite short," Tom continued, before elaborating: "So maybe that was a decision Jon Watts made and something he was aware of and wanted to break the stereotype. I think it's great." ## Jacob Batalon, who plays Ned Leeds in 'Spider-Man', added: "It's not a weird thing for women to be tall." ## "It just sucks that it has to be a conversation," Jacob said, defending his co-star. ## "Like it can't just be normal." Zendaya also said she "honestly never thought of it as a thing because my parents were always that way, so I didn't know that people cared". ## The chatter about their height difference sparked after Zendaya and Holland addressed their height difference during an interview on 'The Graham Norton Show' on December 3. ## At the time, the stars shared a hilarious story about a failed stunt due to their heights. ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Such Updates.

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Guillermo Del Toro doesn't see himself developing video games again
1625 days ago
Hollywood

Guillermo Del Toro doesn't see himself developing video games again

Los Angeles, Dec 27 (IANS) 'Nightmare Alley' director Guillermo del Toro says video game development isn't his thing anymore. ## On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the award-winning director who was once teamed up with Hideo Koijma to develop Konami's horror survival video game 'Silent Hills', flat out said he doesn't think he'll ever try video game development again, reports deadline.com. ## Fans were curious about his status after he appeared at the Game Awards this year and commented on the hope of a new 'Silent Hill' game being released soon. ## While he loves video games and gaming ideas, he doesn't think he'll develop another game because he's labeled himself "the albatross of video gaming." ## "It's just one of those things in my life that makes no sense," del Toro said of Silent Hills' cancellation. ## "I kind of just wanted to tickle the ribs of Konami, because I don't understand. That was so perfect, what we were going to do was so enthralling." ## While del Toro didn't get to work with Kojima and Norman Reedus on 'Silent Hills', they collaborated on the 2019 Kojima Productions game Death Stranding in which del Toro and Reed star alongside other such as Mads Mikkelsen, Lea Seydoux, Margaret Qualley, Troy Baker, Tommie Earl Jenkins, Lindsay Wagner and Nicolas Winding Refn. ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Such Updates.

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Two More BTS Members Test Covid-Positive
1626 days ago
Hollywood

Two More BTS Members Test Covid-Positive

Seoul, Dec 26 (IANS) BTS' vocalist Jin and rapper RM have tested positive for the coronavirus, their management agency has said. The announcement, according to Yonhap, came a day after the agency, Big Hit Music, confirmed that Suga, another member of the seven-member K-pop superband, has been infected with the virus. ## "RM and Jin were confirmed virus-positive," the agency said, adding that RM is not showing any symptoms in particular, but Jin has a slight fever. They are undergoing treatment at home in compliance with instructions from health authorities, the agency said. ## The members returned home on Friday after visiting Los Angeles on November 27-28 and earlier this month on a concert schedule. Both RM and Jin had tested negative in earlier diagnostic tests, the agency added. ## Interestingly, the three members completed their second rounds of Covid vaccinations in late August, Big Hit Music said, and none of them had contact with each other or other BTS members. Their symptoms are either mild or non-existent, reports 'Variety'. ## All seven members of BTS were on an official break so that they could rest, recharge and spend time with their families following their busy schedules, which included their 'Permission to Dance on Stage' concerts in Los Angeles and the iHeartRadio Jingle Bell Tour earlier in December. ## The singers returned to South Korea after their personal travels and self-isolated separately. ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Updates.

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Season's Cheer: Despite Covid spike, Spidey homing in on $1-bn mark
1626 days ago
Hollywood

Season's Cheer: Despite Covid spike, Spidey homing in on $1-bn mark

Los Angeles, Dec 26 (IANS) "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is well on its way to becoming the first pandemic-era movie (and the first since 2019's "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker") to net over $1 billion in earnings at the global box office. ## Trade analysts were confident that the finale of the Tom Holland-led trilogy would establish this milestone on Sunday (Monday morning, IST) after the film added another $19.6 million from 4,336 theatres across North America on Friday, putting the film well within grasping distance of picking up $92 million to $100 million over the traditional weekend. ## Reporting these figures, 'Variety' commented: "Those are huge box office receipts at a time when several new films (such as 'The Matrix Resurrections', 'Sing 2', and 'The King's Man') are opening nationwide to notable ticket sales." Despite concerns about the Omicron variant of Covid-19, the domestic box office will reach its highest levels for a single weekend since 2019 during the lucrative Christmas corridor. ## Should estimates hold, according to 'Variety', the latest Spidey adventure will have made $478 million in its first 10 days across domestic cinema theatres. That's more than double the next highest-grossing movie in Marvel's Universe, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings", which earned a mighty $224 million. ## Reaching the billion-dollar milestone despite rising Covid-19 cases would have been impressive enough, but what is really remarkable is that "No Way Home" is going to surpass the mark without playing in China, the world's largest movie-going market. ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Such Updates.

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Tom Holland defends Marvel movies as 'real art' after Scorsese criticism
1627 days ago
Hollywood

Tom Holland defends Marvel movies as 'real art' after Scorsese criticism

Los Angeles, Dec 25 (IANS) Hollywood star Tom Holland has defended the Marvel Cinematic Universe from legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese's criticism. ## The 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' actor shared that Marvel films are "real art" when firing back at Scorsese's claims in which the celebrated director had said that they're "not cinema", reports aceshowbiz.com. ## In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 25-year-old English actor sarcastically said: "You can ask Martin, 'Would you want to make a Marvel movie?' But he doesn't know what it's like because he's never made one." ## He went on to say: "The way I break down the character, the way the director etches out the arc of the story and characters, it's all the same, just done on a different scale. So I do think they're real art." ## "I've made Marvel movies and I've also made movies that have been in the conversation in the world of the Oscars, and the only difference, really, is one is much more expensive than the other," Holland continued explaining. ## The 'Cherry' star added that some of his Marvel co-stars would agree with his comparison. ## He said: "When you're making these films, you know that good or bad, millions of people will see them, whereas when you're making a small indie film, if it's not very good no one will watch it, so it comes with different levels of pressure." ## He added: "I mean, you can also ask Benedict Cumberbatch or Robert Downey Jr or Scarlett Johansson, people who have made the kinds of movies that are 'Oscar-worthy' and also made superhero movies." ## "They will tell you that they're the same, just on a different scale," he elaborated further. ## The actor portraying Todd in 'Chaos Walking' also joked that "there's less Spandex in 'Oscar movies.'" ## Holland's response came two years after Martin Scorsese snubbed MCU during his Empire magazine interview. ## At the time, the director confessed his dismay at 'Avengers: Endgame' being declared the highest-grossing film of all time. ## "Honestly, the closest I can think of them (Marvel movies), as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks," Martin told the publication at the time. ## "It isn't the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being." He further stressed, "I tried, you know? But that's not cinema." ## Scorsese later clarified his remarks in a November 2019 op-ed for The New York Times. He said that part of his dislike for Marvel movies was merely "personal taste" but he also mentioned that major franchise movies tend to dominate movie theatres all over the country. ## "In many places around this country and around the world, franchise films are now your primary choice if you want to see something on the big screen," said 'The Irishman' director. ## The 79-year-old pointed out: "It's a perilous time in film exhibition, and there are fewer independent theatres than ever." ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk.

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BTS' Suga tests positive for Covid after returning from US
1627 days ago
Hollywood

BTS' Suga tests positive for Covid after returning from US

Seoul, Dec 25 (IANS) Suga of the South-Korean super K-pop band BTS has tested positive for Covid after returning from the US. ## The K-Pop idol received his positive test result one day after he returned to South Korea, where he was quarantined as soon as he arrived, reports aceshowbiz.com. ## He has not come in contact with other members of the group. ## The group's label Big Hit Music revealed the star's Covid diagnosis on Friday. ## "BTS member Suga was confirmed with Covid-19 on Friday, December 24 during his self-quarantine after taking the PCR test immediately upon his return to Korea on Thursday, December 23," read a statement released by the company. ## "Suga completed his second round of the Covid-19 vaccination in late August and is not presenting any symptoms as of today," the statement continued. ## "He is currently administering self-care at home per the guidelines of the healthcare authorities." ## Big Hit went on assuring that Suga has been following Covid protocols. ## "Suga, who had a number of personal engagements in the US during BTS's official time off, tested negative for the PCR test taken before traveling to the United States and began his self-quarantine after taking the PCR test upon his return to Korea. He received positive results during quarantine, and there was no contact with the other members." ## After completing BTS' schedules in the US, the members, including Jin, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, returned separately to South Korea, with Suga spending the longest time in the US. ## During his personal time in the country, he was seen attending an NBA game between the Clippers and the Pistons in late November. ## The 28-year-old rapper has not personally addressed his condition. ## For more and the latest news about World, stay tuned to us.

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Daniel Craig doesn't want James Bond to be streamed
1627 days ago
Hollywood

Daniel Craig doesn't want James Bond to be streamed

Los Angeles, Dec 25 (IANS) Hollywood star Daniel Craig has urged people not to stream James Bond films because "event movies" deserve to be seen on a big cinema screen. ## Craig said: "One of the greatest things that's happened is we got this movie into the cinema. ## "That's where Bond movies should be. They don't look so good on a phone. They look great on an Imax screen. It looks great on a 30ft screen. ## "And they are family events. It gets the family out. As long as there's event movies like this then cinemas got a chance of surviving." ## While Daniel's Bond successor has yet to be announced, the 'Knives Out' star has offered some tips for whoever takes over as the suave spy, reports femalefirst.co.uk. ## He told The Sun newspaper: "There's a couple things I'd say. One is don't be s***. I would say you have to grab it and make it your own." ## For the new Bond, Craig thinks the franchise is in a "good place" and he believes there are still a lot of good stories to be told. ## He added: "I hope I've left it in a good place and I hope the next person can just make it fly. It's an amazing franchise. I still think there's a lot of stories to tell." ## He recently shared that he thought it was "very satisfying" that Bond was apparently killed at the end of 'No Time To Die' after he sacrificed himself to save partner Madeleine (Lea Seydoux) and his daughter Mathilde (Lisa-Dorah Sonnet). ## Reflection on the dramatic finale, he said: "There were lots of different ideas that came and went and some of it stuck. The through line of this is family (and) love, plus the fact we had an end so it was about hanging the film off that." ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Such Updates.

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Freida Pinto recalls shooting Christmas movie 'at height of summer'
1627 days ago
Hollywood

Freida Pinto recalls shooting Christmas movie 'at height of summer'

Los Angeles, Dec 25 (IANS) Actress Freida Pinto shot her new festive film in New York and London "at the height of summer", but the cast were forced to bundle up in warm clothing to make the scenes seem realistic. ## Speaking to HELLO! magazine, Pinto said: "We were shooting a Christmas movie in jackets and scarves at the height of summer." ## Pinto found some benefits to her roomy winter costumes as they helped conceal her baby bump because she was pregnant with her and husband Cory Tran's son Rumi-Ray - who was born in November - at the time, reports femalefirst.co.uk. ## She said: "The genius costume design helped with that." ## The movie 'A Christmas No. 1' sees the actress play music manager Meg, who flees New York for London and, while tasked with finding a Christmas chart topper for a boy band, she comes across a track written by an ill teenage girl. ## However, she clashes with the youngster's uncle, who is played by Iwan Rheon. ## She said: "They're at loggerheads and don't even like each other to begin with. But that's how all romances begin - at least in the movies." ## The actress' next project is 'Mr. Malcolm's List' and she's thankful she'll be given loose-fitting Regency outfits to wear. ## She said: "I love the period costumes but don't think corsets are my go-to." ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Such Updates.

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'Spider-Man: No Way Home' becomes biggest movie of the year worldwide
1627 days ago
Hollywood

'Spider-Man: No Way Home' becomes biggest movie of the year worldwide

Los Angeles, Dec 25 (IANS) Tom Holland-starrer 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' has become the biggest movie of the year worldwide. ## It's set to cross the $1 billion mark on Christmas Day, reports variety.com. ## At 11 days, it would be the second-fastest to hit that milestone (behind 2019's 'Avengers: Endgame' at five days and tied with 2018's 'Avengers: Infinity War'). It would also be the first theatrical release of the pandemic to join the billion-dollar club even without China, the largest box-office market in the world. ## 'No Way Home' made $29.3 million domestically on Thursday, bringing its seven-day gross to $385.8 million, the third-highest seven-day gross of all time, the highest seven-day gross in the 'Spider-Man' franchise, and the second-highest seven-day gross ever for December and for a superhero film. ## The Thursday earning is the third-highest Thursday gross of December of all time, and the highest Thursday take for Sony, the 'Spider-Man' franchise and for a superhero film. ## Internationally, it brought in $32.2 million on Thursday, bumping its overseas total to $490.2 million and global haul to $876.0 million. ## 'The Matrix Resurrections', meanwhile, made $6.4 million on Wednesday and $4.1 million on Thursday from 3,552 venues in North America for a two-day total of $10.5 million. Picking up 20 years after 2003's 'The Matrix Revolutions', the sci-fi adventure is expected to finish the holiday weekend with $40 million to $50 million. If it hits the higher end of estimates, 'Resurrections' would beat 'Dune' ($41 million) to become Warner Bros.' top opening of the year. ## Another sequel, 'Sing 2', earned $8.1 million on Wednesday and $7.5 million on Thursday at 3,892 North America locations for a total of $15.6 million. Including ticket sales from Thanksgiving weekend advanced screenings, it's grossed $17.2 million so far. The family-friendly musical is on track to rack up at least $40 million by Sunday. ## In total, seven new films opened this weekend, including 'The King's Man', 'The Tender Bar', 'A Journal for Jordan', 'American Underdog' and 'Licorice Pizza'. But none of them will top 'Spider-Man: No Way Home', which debuted to a record-breaking $260 million last weekend. ## On Monday, 'No Way Home' raked in another $37 million, and early estimates for this weekend predicted the superhero movie would make another $100 million this weekend. ## 'Sing 2' and 'The Matrix Resurrections', which both opened on Wednesday, are vying for the number 2 spot. ## Directed by Garth Jennings, the 'Sing' sequel stars Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Nick Kroll, Pharrell Williams, Taron Egerton and Bono as animated animals who perform hits like Billie Eilish's 'Bad Guy' and Elton John's 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'. ## The fourth 'Matrix' movie, directed by Lana Wachowski, sees the return of Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss as Neo and Trinity -- though neither remembers the past. ## 'The Matrix Resurrections', which debuted simultaneously on HBO Max, also stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Priyanka Chopra, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris and Jada Pinkett Smith. ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Such Updates.

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