Cynthia Erivo Says ‘Bodyguard’ Jokes After Wicked Premiere Incident Were Rooted In Racism

Cynthia Erivo is reflecting on the fall-out from an incident that took place at the premiere of the second Wicked film in Singapore last year.

In November 2025, Cynthia and her co-star Ariana Grande were attending the Wicked: For Good premiere when a man leapt over a barrier and grabbed the No Tears Left To Cry singer, before jumping up and down.

Viral footage of the incident showed the British performer stepping in to protect her co-star, which inspired jokes and memes referring to her as Ariana’s “bodyguard”.

However, in a new interview with Variety, Cynthia suggested that these jokes were evidence that society has not yet “come to terms with the insidious nature of how we view Black women”.

“I’m sure people will read this and think, ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, it’s not about that.’ But it is,” she said.

Cynthia continued: “That’s what was being made fun of. It was my physique; it was my shape; it was the fact that I was bald; it was about what I looked like. And because of that, there was this assumption that I was bigger than my co-star and so I had to be controlling or protecting, and that was my role.

“I would hazard a guess that it would not have been the same had it been the other way around.”

Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo

via Associated Press

Later in the interview, Cynthia claimed that the incident in Singapore put her off campaigning for an Oscar for her work in Wicked: For Good.

She lamented: “I just felt like my humanity had been bastardised. I felt like something I did instinctively had been made to be something that it simply was not because of the way people see women who look like me, and because of the assumptions that are made, and I just didn’t want to be a part of that, really and truly.”

Cynthia added that people’s preconceptions about the second Wicked film being inferior to the first contributed to her not wanting to campaign for an Oscar.

In the end, Wicked: For Good was completely snubbed at the 2026 Oscars, despite the first film receiving 10 nominations (and two wins) a year earlier.

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Cole Escola Fuels Excitement For Their Much-Hyped Miss Piggy Movie In New Interview

Cole Escola has opened up about their personal connection with Miss Piggy, ahead of their new film about the Muppets icon.

During a new interview with Tatler magazine, Cole was asked what makes Miss Piggy such a favourite of theirs, to which they responded: “She’s so awful. She behaves in a way we all wish we could behave. And we all do sometimes behave.

“I think her needs and desires come from a place of pain. And I think that is something that strikes a chord in people. But I don’t think any of that is visible, or it shouldn’t be. It should just be funny and fun.”

“Her incredibly high opinion of herself and her self-esteem and self-assuredness – all of it is delicious,” the Oh, Mary! creator added.

The incomparable Miss Piggy
The incomparable Miss Piggy

via Associated Press

Asked which real-life figures give “Miss Piggy energy”, Cole said their gut reaction was to say Donald Trump, before settling on Anna Delvey, the fraudulent fake heiress who inspired the Netflix miniseries Inventing Anna.

“Showing up to Fashion Week with the ankle monitor? That’s Miss Piggy,” Cole claimed. “She should be writing the movie, not me. She’ll run away with the money and not work, which is exactly what Miss Piggy would do.”

They also reacted to calls for Miss Piggy to play the lead on Oh, Mary! in the future, enthusing: “She’d be the best Mary. She really should have originated the role, but I was greedy.”

Cole’s interview in Tatler coincided with the news that they will be the next actor to portray the lead in the current West End production of Oh, Mary!, following Mason Alexander Park and Catherine Tate’s respective stints.

As well as writing Oh, Mary!, Cole originated the role both on- and off-Broadway, for which they won their first Tony in 2025.

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Critics Pull No Punches As Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘Dated’ New Comedy Arrives On Netflix

When the trailer for the new Netflix comedy film Ladies First dropped, it quickly raised eyebrows, with some critics going as far as calling it “the worst movie trailer” the had “ever seen”.

And let’s just say the response isn’t any better now that the film has landed on streaming services, with a smattering of one- and two-star reviews.

Ladies First stars Sacha Baron Cohen as a chauvinistic CEO whose life is upended when he wakes up in a parallel world dominated by women.

Despite an all-star cast which includes Rosamund Pike, Fiona Shaw, Charles Dance and Emily Mortimer, the film is getting negative reviews across the board.

Critics are calling out the film’s subpar jokes, borderline-offensive gender politics and misuse of its talented British cast.

Here is what people are saying about Ladies First…

“In its attempt to become a one-stop shop for just about every form of nostalgia possible, Netflix has now decided to revive the dreadful British comedy of the 2000s.

The all-deciding algorithm has somehow deemed it necessary for a return to that cursed era with the release of Ladies First, a broad and chintzy new comedy that would have felt old hat even back then.

“It’s an excruciatingly unfunny high-concept thought experiment, imagining a world with flipped gender politics, that’s far too happy with itself and what it’s allegedly achieving to be passed off as just some charming throwback.”

“This a film that attempts to wring side-splitting laughter from the wacky, dystopian sight of, ho-ho, women taxi drivers, women paramedics and women changing tyres. Plus, equally hilarious are the scenes featuring, snicker snicker, men cooking, men hugging and men being interested in their children. Finger off the pulse? Just a bit.”

Critics definitely aren't laughing at Sacha Baron Cohen's new comedy
Critics definitely aren’t laughing at Sacha Baron Cohen’s new comedy

Rob Youngson/Netflix

“A dated battle-of-the-sexes comedy […] at a time when laws change daily to restrict women’s bodily autonomy, protect men from accountability and reinstate antiquated values that benefit a few at the expense of the many, sexual politics can feel more regressive than ever.

“But as uneven a playing field as women may face against men in their lives, relationships and careers, Ladies First is a movie that seems like it’s made less for this moment than one a few generations ago.”

“This comic tale of an arrogant, sexist male executive who gets his comeuppance when he hits his head and wakes up to find himself in a world dominated by women hits every satirical note you’d expect but provides more knowing chuckles than genuine laughs.

“An almost ridiculously overqualified cast of notable British thespians does their best to elevate the material of this Netflix comedy directed by Thea Sharrock but it’s heavy lifting.”

“The easy feminism of winks and role reversals quickly wears thin. Most of the movie takes place in Damien’s head after all, and much of its lessons are about his growth. Why does that sound so familiar?”

We're not sure what's happening in this scene from Ladies First and we're not sure we want to know
We’re not sure what’s happening in this scene from Ladies First and we’re not sure we want to know

Sacha Baron Cohen is knocked unconscious early in Netflix comedy Ladies First, a film that only sometimes makes you wish the same for yourself.”

“Men and women both will find a number of alarming concepts in the gender-flipping comedy Ladies First not the least of which will be the idea of Sacha Baron Cohen as a romantic lead.

“He’s a terrific actor. Whether he has the animal magnetism to play opposite Rosamund Pike (who does?) strains credulity. But so does most of the movie.”

Ladies First is now streaming on Netflix.

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Christopher Nolan Defends The Odyssey After Historical Accuracy Concerns

We’re still months away from Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey hitting cinemas, but that certainly hasn’t stopped people from sounding off about it on social media.

Since the first trailers for the big-screen epic debuted last year, people have been raising questions about its historical accuracy over everything from its costumes to the American accents used by its cast.

Indeed, during a new interview with Time magazine, it was pointed out that some critics had taken issue with the suit of armour worn by Benny Safdie as King Agamemnon, showcased in The Odyssey’s latest trailer, which was compared to Batman’s costumes in his Dark Knight trilogy.

Nolan insisted that research was thorough when putting together every aspect of his new movie, pointing out that our knowledge of the Bronze Age is based on “very fragmentary archeological records”.

Benny Safdie in The Odyssey
Benny Safdie in The Odyssey

As he put it: “There are Mycenaean daggers that are blackened bronze. The theory is they probably could have blackened bronze in those days. You take bronze, you add more gold and silver to it and then use sulfur.

“With Agamemnon, Ellen [Mirojnick], our costume designer, is trying to communicate how elevated he is relative to everyone else. You do that through materials that would be very expensive.”

The Oscar winner continued: “The oldest depictions of Homeric characters tend to be depicted in the manner of people living in Homer’s time.

“So there’s a pretty strong case there for portraying things that way because that’s the way the first audience received the story.”

Of the sceptics among classicists, he added: “Hopefully they’ll enjoy the film, even if they don’t agree with everything. We had a lot of scientists complain about Interstellar. But you just don’t want people to think that you took it on frivolously.”

The Odyssey is Nolan’s first film since the mammoth success of Oppenheimer, which was a box office smash as well as winning seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Cillian Murphy.

His adaptation of the ancient Greek story boasts an all-star cast including Nolan regulars Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson, as well as Tom Holland, Zendaya and Oscar winners Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong’o.

The Odyssey will hit cinemas worldwide on 17 July. Read Christopher Nolan’s full interview in Time here.

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9 Things To Spot In The New Trailer For Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

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A new full-length trailer for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has been unveiled – and it’s pretty clear that this is going to be the cinema event of 2026.

Nolan’s follow-up to the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer was already being touted as his most ambitious to date, adapting a truly epic classic story with an all-star cast using exciting new technology.

While the first teaser for the movie was first released last year – offering a first glimpse at the film’s central figures, played by Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland – this new two-minute offering gives fans a glimpse at even more of what’s in store, including plenty more of the A-listers set to appear.

Here are nine of our biggest takeaways…

1. The new trailer for The Odyssey gives us a proper look at the dynamic between Tom Holland’s Telemachus and Robert Pattinson’s Antinous

Robert Pattinson and Tom Holland in The Odyssey
Robert Pattinson and Tom Holland in The Odyssey

Antinous is determined to marry Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, which makes for plenty of tension between Robert Pattinson’s character and Tom Holland’s Telemachus.

“You’re pining for a daddy you didn’t even know,” Rob’s character retorts, in one of the most-cited parts of the new trailer. “Like some snivelling bastard.”

2. Meanwhile, Anne Hathaway’s Penelope gives some serious attitude that we’re definitely here for

Anne Hathaway as Penelope in the latest trailer for The Odyssey
Anne Hathaway as Penelope in the latest trailer for The Odyssey

Anne Hathaway’s character was first revealed in The Odyssey’s original teaser, but this new trailer offers a more in-depth look at Penelope.

Specifically, we see how she deals with the Ithacan suitors who pursue her in her husband’s absence – and while there’s a tendency to depict Penelope as passive or subservient, Anne’s version of her has decidedly more agency.

In particular, when Robert Pattinson’s Antinous tries his luck, she shuts him down flat, telling him plainly that “Ithaca’s king is coming back”.

3. We also get a look at Odysseus and Penelope’s relationship in their younger years

Anne Hathaway and Matt Damon's characters share an intimate moment in The Odyssey
Anne Hathaway and Matt Damon’s characters share an intimate moment in The Odyssey

Matt Damon spends most of the trailer – and, presumably, most of the film – sporting silver hair and a beard, as Odysseus continues his long journey home.

At the beginning of the trailer, though, we get to see Odysseus and Penelope much earlier on in their relationship, allowing us to become more invested in their romance before they’re totally separated.

4. There’s also a first glimpse of Charlize Theron’s character and a truly unrecognisable John Leguiziamo

John Leguiziamo and Charlize Theron in The Odyssey
John Leguiziamo and Charlize Theron in The Odyssey

Charlize Theron is actually one of the first famous faces we see in the new footage.

She’s set to play Calypso, a nymph who tries to stop Odysseus from returning to Ithaca and instead live as her husband.

John Leguiziamo, meanwhile, portrays Eumaeus, a servant to Odysseus and his family (in the brief clip we see, Tom Holland’s Telemachus is confiding in him about whether his dad will ever return to Ithaca).

5. As was always to be expected, we have some truly epic sequences to look forward to

Matt Damon as Odysseus in The Odyssey
Matt Damon as Odysseus in The Odyssey

Fight sequences, epic expeditions, peril, romance, war… The Odyssey has got it all.

If anyone were qualified to bring these kinds of scenes to life, it’s Christopher Nolan, who has already proved his mettle in the likes of Interstellar, Tenet and, of course, Oppenheimer.

6. The Odyssey trailer also includes a snippet of Christopher Nolan’s take on the Trojan War

The infamous "Trojan horse" as seen in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey
The infamous “Trojan horse” as seen in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

Yep, there’s that iconic wooden horse that started it all.

7. Odysseus has plenty to contend with on his way back to Ithaca – with the new clip teasing the giant cyclops Polyphemus

The giant cyclops is just one foe Odysseus has to contend with on his journey
The giant cyclops is just one foe Odysseus has to contend with on his journey

We genuinely can’t wait to lean over to the person next to us in the cinema and say “that’s you”.

8. There’s a very cute puppy in The Odyssey

D'aww

Judging by the looks of things, we’re going to need the relief, to be honest.

9. Excitingly, there’s still plenty more being kept under wraps, too

Zendaya is expected to portray the Greek goddess Athena in The Odyssey
Zendaya is expected to portray the Greek goddess Athena in The Odyssey

via Associated Press

The new trailer for The Odyssey gives us just enough to pique our interest, but this taster is far from the full thing.

Zendaya, Himesh Patel, Mia Goth, Lupita Nyong’o and Travis Scott are among the stars whose characters don’t appear in the new trailer, as well as Nolan regulars Elliot Page and Benny Safdie.

Plenty of mythical beings that Odysseus encounters on his journey are also left out of the new trailer – perhaps most notably the deathly “sirens” who try to lure him to his death through temptation.

The Odyssey hits cinemas on Friday 17 July.

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