From the Wicked to the End with Us: A look at 2024’s wild press tours

after Barbie vs Oppenheimer Mania 2023, 2024 had a lot to offer in the movie stakes. And it wasn’t a disappointment – but while big hitters love it Deadpool Wolverine and Inside out 2 It may have been a box office hit, but it wasn’t actually the most talked about film of the year.

instead of, evil and And it ends with us It makes all the headlines – but sometimes not for cinematic reasons. There’s no denying that they were a hit at the box office as well – evilin particular, which grossed a staggering $164.2 million worldwide in its opening weekend alone — but the behind-the-scenes drama also got… we Hadith.

But let’s not pretend we’re angry about that! Some of the funniest and most shared memes of the year are out Ariana Grande and Cynthia ErivoA now-infamous press tour, along with a lot of fascinating speculation about what’s really going on between these two talented, strange, and very passionate actresses.

When the journalist Tracy E. Gilchrist She asked the couple a rather innocuous question about people “holding space” for the lyrics to “Defying Gravity,” having no idea they were about to go viral, and for a few days there, she became the internet’s most popular event reporter. planet. This stunning and baffling clip, along with some other tear-jerking moments from the press tour, brought… we So much joy that we could cry. In fact, we wish Ariana Grande were here to tap our arms comfortably right now with her pointy nails.

@siennahubertross

Everyone deserves a chance to fly #Arianagrande #evil #comedy @Caroline

♬ Original sound – Sienna Hubert Ross

Drama around And it ends with us On the other hand (not so pointed) it did not arouse much joy and delight. Instead, it focused on rumors of tension between the film’s two big stars, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. What initially seemed like just ordinary gossip quickly gained momentum when Baldoni himself confessed in an interview with deer that there was “friction” on set – although he was always careful to stress that he respected Lively as an actress and a creative force.

One of the sticking points seems to be that And it ends with usbased on Colleen HooverLively’s best-selling novel was a serious film about serious issues — in this case, domestic violence — but the trailer, which Lively fronted, was filled with one too many roses and rainbows. (Lively later shared several domestic violence-related resources via her social media accounts.) A few months into the summer-long drama, it doesn’t look like Lively and Baldoni have plans to sign on for a sequel anytime soon.

The last movie that generated this much whispering was… Don’t worry dearin 2022 – remember when the world went crazy Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde There was allegedly a clash, which came to a head quite dramatically when it seemed so Harry Styles Spit on Chris Pine At the Venice Film Festival? In the age of social media, when small moments can quickly be dissected into huge, meme-worthy viral events, actors have to be forever on guard in case they accidentally misplace a foot (or a ball of saliva).

In some cases, it’s not always the movie stars themselves who make the headlines; Sometimes it’s those they relate to as well. You have to feel 12 years old Blue Ivy Carterwhose big moment was on the red carpet at his film’s premiere in Los Angeles Mufasa: The Lion King She was completely overwhelmed by the presence of her parents. Jay Z and Beyoncé (And her grandmother Tina Knowles), just hours after the rapper vehemently denied the rape allegations. In this case, Blue Ivy couldn’t win – if her dad hadn’t shown up on her big night, he would have stolen even more attention from his little girl.

While you love movies evil and And it ends with us They would undoubtedly have been box office success stories even without all the extra juice flowing around, their marketing departments must have been secretly thrilled with all the extra attention they didn’t even have to pay for, whether it was calculated or not. Sure, it must have been very tiring managing inboxes and answering phones in the room And it ends with us Hype section for a few weeks there, but there’s a huge bonus: it’s very profitable to talk about!

So far, it looks like 2025 will be big for reboots and blockbuster sequels as well, with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and The birth of Jurassic World Both are set to be released, along with a live-action remake of snow white and How to train your dragon – Two tales as old as time! -We have a feeling it might be another busy year for endless press tours and behind-the-scenes machinations, too. But the beauty of pop culture is that you never know what’s coming: after all, just a few months ago, we wouldn’t have predicted that Ariana Grande’s pointed nails and the phrase “hold space” would become the most talked-about thing. Moments of the year.