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michael b jordan Taylor Russell

Why did Taylor Russell get pushed out of Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Thomas Crown’ remake?

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Several years back, Michael B. Jordan became attached to yet another remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. It was interesting, to me, that he was interested in the property and I honestly thought it could do something really good with it. As it turns out, MBJ is not only starring as Thomas Crown, he’s directing the film, which is in production now. He cast Taylor Russell in the major female role, Thomas Crown’s insurance investigator/love interest. Only Taylor was let go two weeks ago, early in the production. At first, the excuse was “creative differences,” a catch-all which can mean anything under the sun. Days later, the role was recast, with Adria Arjona taking up where Taylor Russell left off. So, just a major role being recast early in the production, or was there something else going on? Per Deuxmoi:

When news broke that Michael B. Jordan and Taylor Russell would be starring in the upcoming remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair,” social media erupted with praise. Single, attractive, and chemistry that would be off the charts (or, museum walls IYKYK) – what’s not to love?! However, fans and industry insiders were led to believe that more than just on-screen sparks were flying between them. Deuxmoi has now received intel from an exclusive source, indicating that there was trouble in paradise.

Back in March, Deuxmoi reported about a fan sighting of Russell and Jordan at a Marylebone, London matcha cafe. Although the spotting appeared innocuous at the time, something now tells us the vibes did not remain platonic. Just over a week ago, Russell departed from the iconic reprisal due to so-called “creative differences.”

But was that explanation simply used as an excuse for underlying, mismatched feelings between the two co-stars?

As discussed in Deux/U’s July 24th episode, film journalist Jeff Sneider spoke on a podcast about the drama and potential “lingering resentment on people’s side.” Per Sneider, “when you’re making a movie, people get close…maybe too close. That could spill over into things.” He urged listeners to do the math, as “it’s a tale as old as time in Hollywood.”

One of Deuxmoi’s trusted sources confirmed such suspicions. Before filming began in foggy London Town, the source alleged that “something had happened between Taylor and Michael.” Once the cameras started rolling, “the relationship was [already] strained.” It wasn’t a sudden “breakup” mid-production, but rather a relationship that was already fractured, with filming merely serving as the final catalyst for her realization. It is unclear what the “strain” on Russell and Jordan’s relationship was exactly, though whatever it was, Russell allegedly could not handle the environment for long.

Adding another layer to the story is the buzz surrounding the movie itself. Insiders are hinting that the project might not be living up to expectations, and that it has some truly “reeeallly big shoes to fill.” It’s been speculated that this potential artistic disappointment may have also factored into her decision to bolt, opting out before the final product could potentially impact her burgeoning career. Although we are still left with some plot holes, the source intimated that Russell may have predicted “the movie was going in a specific creative direction” that did not align for her, professionally speaking. Rising star (and Jason Momoa’s girlfriend) Adria Arjona has since taken Russell’s spot in the art heist film.

[From DeuxMoi]

I think the argument of “Taylor had qualms that the film would bomb, that’s why she got out of there” kind of falls apart pretty quickly. While Taylor is well-known by people who follow gossip, she’s not really a “star” or a well-known actress in general. This would have been huge, the co-lead in a big film opposite one of the biggest stars of his generation. No, I think it’s far more likely that MBJ hooked up with his leading lady and then fired her because their personal situation was strained. Speaking of, this gossip is also making the rounds. Messy messy messy.

Michael B. Jordan recast Taylor Russell in ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ due to the actress reportedly shooting one day, during which time her performance “was not improving” throughout the course of the day.

Adria Arjona has since taken over the role.

Source: @TheInSneider pic.twitter.com/ebifiigEiI

— Feature First ???????? (@Feature_First) August 2, 2025

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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michael b jordan Ryan Coogler

Hollywood is furious that Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ is already hugely successful

hollywood-is-furious-that-ryan-coogler’s-‘sinners’-is-already-hugely-successful

Without a doubt, Ryan Coogler is one of the most important filmmakers working today. Coogler isn’t even 40 years old and he’s already directed nine films, including Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther, Wakanda Forever and now Sinners. Fruitvale Station was the film which got me to sit up and notice Coogler’s work and people still sleep on that brilliantly done film. Well, Coogler spent years putting together Sinners, his original horror story of vampires in the Jim Crow South. Sinners got phenomenal reviews across the board, and it felt like everyone on my timeline went to see it over Easter weekend. In fact, Sinners dethroned The Minecraft Movie at #1 on the box office. But instead of praising Coogler for creating such a wonderfully original film, this is how everyone’s reporting the success: “‘Sinners’ Is a Box Office Success (With a Big Asterisk); Ryan Coogler’s original horror film was expected to sell a strong $46 million in tickets over the weekend, enough for No. 1. But its profitability remains a long way off.” That’s from the NY Times, but the trade papers took similar angles: sure, Sinners won the box office, but why isn’t it profitable yet???

“Sinners” sold an estimated $46 million in tickets in North America from Thursday afternoon through Sunday, box office analysts said, a terrific result for an original, R-rated, slow-burning horror drama set in the 1930s and rooted in Black culture. Reviews were rapturous.

But the film — directed, written and produced by Ryan Coogler — was expensive, analysts noted, costing Warner Bros. at least $150 million to make and market worldwide. The studio also agreed to demands by Mr. Coogler’s representatives for unusually generous compensation.

As a result, for Warner Bros. to make money, “Sinners” will need to attract substantial crowds in the weeks ahead. “It’s an excellent opening for a period horror film, except that it’s hard to call it completely successful because of its enormous budget,” David A. Gross, a film consultant, said in an email.

In a statement, Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, co-chairs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, said they were “thrilled” by the “stellar” turnout. “Warner Bros. Pictures remains committed to bringing singular in-theater experiences to audiences looking for bold movies, both original and those based on beloved existing properties,” they said.

[From The NY Times]

This is the root of the problem, according to the Times, the trade papers and Hollywood’s white gatekeepers: “The studio also agreed to demands by Mr. Coogler’s representatives for unusually generous compensation.” That sentence pisses me off more than I can even verbalize. Coogler’s films have already crossed $2 billion cumulatively. Coogler didn’t “demand” anything – he has a proven track record of returning studio investment, and he negotiated a deal similar to what Quentin Tarantino negotiates. The deal being: Warner Bros gave Coogler $90 million to make Sinners, Coogler gets a front-end percentage of box-office receipts AND ownership of Sinners reverts back to him after 25 years. Basically, a Black filmmaker with a proven track record of successful films negotiated a great deal for what many thought was a passion project which would have next to no audience. They’re mad that Sinners is already successful and will continue to be successful as a word-of-mouth hit.

Entertainment media is being weird over a Black-directed movie again, example #4532

(Btw each of these articles are written by non-Black journalists)

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— Juwan H. ✍???? (@juwanthecurator.bsky.social) April 20, 2025 at 3:49 PM

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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Jonathan Majors michael b jordan

Michael B. Jordan on Jonathan Majors: ‘I’m proud of his resilience, that’s my boy’

michael-b.-jordan-on-jonathan-majors:-‘i’m-proud-of-his-resilience,-that’s-my-boy’

Michael B. Jordan covers the March issue of GQ. He’s promoting his latest movie, Sinners, set in the 1930s Jim Crow South. It’s not exactly a historical drama, they just that as a backdrop for supernatural horror. When the trailer for Sinners came out, people joked that it looked like something Jonathan Majors was originally supposed to do, because Majors was known for enjoying vintage clothing, etc. Majors and Jordan worked together before Majors’ arrest and trial for domestic violence, and Jordan has avoided speaking about Majors publicly in recent years. He broke his silence in this GQ piece, and I found it disappointing as hell. Michael B. Jordan is such a talent, and he’s so smart about his celebrity-branding and his PR, but he really shot himself in the foot with this interview. Some highlights from GQ:

He’s not doing projects for the money: “It’s a lot easier for me to say no [to projects]. Look, if I was only moving for profit, my résumé would look a lot different. It’d have six more projects on there. [Producers] will see you in something and be like, Oh yeah, you would be great for this, because of this. It’s like, You want me to do that, again? That’s sometimes boring for us, you know?”

His history with Jonathan Majors: During the long promo rollout for Creed III, Jordan spoke often of the bond he’d formed with his costar Jonathan Majors, whose next-big-thing energy was surging thanks to another blockbuster opening that year meant to center him as a major character in the MCU. Majors’s rise came to a screeching halt soon thereafter, after an incident with his then girlfriend left him facing trial on misdemeanor assault and harassment charges. When Majors was found guilty of one count of reckless assault in the third degree and a charge of harassment as a violation (he was found not guilty of intentional assault in the third degree and aggravated harassment in the second degree), Marvel and other big studios scuttled their plans for him, and he went from ascendant leading man to pariah.

How he feels about Majors now: Today, sitting on the edge of the pool table, he solemnly recalls that it was a “tough situation” to watch unfold. “But he’s doing great, just got engaged. I’m proud of his resilience and his strength through it all, and [his] handling [of] it. I’m glad he’s good. That’s my boy,” Jordan says. Would you work with him again? “Yes. Yes.”

He’s 38 & still childfree: “Like, my dad had two kids at this age, you know what I’m saying? But you got to realize, the time you do put in, you’re building something solid.” If he had carved out time to build a family of his own by now, I offer, his head-down approach to tackling all things would mean either home or work would end up shortchanged. “And that is my perspective on raising [my stop date] a little bit. Just because I’m competitive, and I know I would want to be the best dad. But right now, I’m trying to do my best at this part [of my life] as well.”

His longest relationship—he doesn’t name names—lasted just over a year. The tone of his voice suggests he wasn’t shocked it didn’t go longer. “I’m not tripping over it. I’m so work focused. I would want somebody to fit into the flow of my life, of where I am. And that’s timing, right? You can meet the right person, and be at the wrong time, and it just doesn’t work out. I think the person that’s going to be right for me lines up with the timing with who she is as a person, where I’m at in my life, how open I am to even…to that, you know?”

[From GQ]

The year-long relationship he references is about Lori Harvey, and despite his attitude right now, she dumped him and he was sort of devastated about it. I don’t think he’s been in a serious relationship since Lori (that ended in 2022). As for what he says about Majors… it f–king sucks. Like, it really changes my view on Jordan, that he watched the Majors situation unfold and all of those stories come out about Majors’ abusive behavior, and he’s like “that’s my boy.” I’m not saying Mike is as bad as Jonathan Majors or anything, but what a horrible way to speak about a man who assaulted a woman until she lost consciousness and has a trail of victims going back to his college days.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, cover courtesy of GQ.

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Angela Bassett Danai Gurira Fashion Jonathan Majors michael b jordan Oscars Ruth Carter

Angela Bassett in Moschino at the Oscars: amazing?

angela-bassett-in-moschino-at-the-oscars:-amazing?




The 95th Oscars were a disappointment on several levels, the biggest of which I found to be Angela Bassett’s snub for Best Supporting Actress, with Jimmy Kimmel’s assholery a close second. Of course there’s also the interminable runtime, but that’s to be expected with this bloated show which refuses to get with the times. We read some disturbingly racist and ignorant takes from anonymous Oscar voters, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that Bassett lost to Jamie Lee Curtis. I’m not saying that Curtis wasn’t deserving, just not for this role. Bassett gave a superior performance.

Last night Bassett was in a phenomenal purple tulle Moschino gown with asymmetric poofs at the neckline and along the skirt, accented with Bulgari jewels. I love this so much and I was so disappointed for her. I’ll continue to watch her every week on 911 making the most money on television. There were some tweets trending with people complaining that she didn’t clap or something when Jamie Lee Curtis won? You would have to be scrutinizing her to notice, because I didn’t. Yes she looked disappointed, but who wouldn’t? In the lead up, before the SAGs, she seemed like a shoe-in.

At the beginning of their presentation for cinematography, which went to All Quiet on the Western Front, Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors opened with “Hey Auntie” and “We love you.” Jonathan going “mm hmm” at the end was sweet to me. I’m glad they gave Angela support!

Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors give a shoutout to Angela Bassett: “Hey Auntie, we love you.” #Oscars pic.twitter.com/xIQlVq8AOZ

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) March 13, 2023

Jonathan was in Geoffrey B. Small and Michael was in Louis Vuitton. I’m looking forward to seeing Creed III!

Ruth E. Carter won her second Oscar for costume design, for Black Panther, in Valentino. She made history as the first Black woman to win two Academy Awards. I had the pleasure of seeing her costume design exhibition at my local museum. Her body of work is incredible and I highly recommend her documentary on the show Abstract on Netflix. She gave a shout out to her mom in her acceptance speech, who passed at the age of 101 just last week.

These shoes!

Danai Gurira was a vision in Jason Wu. This dress fit like a glove and highlighted her amazing arms. I’m going to take that women’s strength training class at the gym, this clinches it.

Bonus Jonathan Majors taking a selfie with servicemen.


photos credit: SI/Avalon

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michael b jordan Tessa Thompson

Tessa Thompson went to couples therapy in character with Michael B. Jordan

tessa-thompson-went-to-couples-therapy-in-character-with-michael-b.-jordan



It seems like it’s been mostly the men out there doing promo for Creed III, so it was nice to see that Tessa Thompson sat down for a very in-depth interview with Refinery 29. It seems like she gave them a lot of time; her answers were really long. They touched upon topics like the transition in Tessa’s career, awards show narratives, the representation of her Creed character, and therapy and going to couples therapy in character with Michael B. Jordan. Some highlights:

On going to couples therapy in character with MBJ: I’ll say it was an early experience in couples therapy for us both [personally], but it was as these characters, which is very weird. But I think it reminded us of our own personal lives that going to therapy, even when a relationship is good, can be a good thing if you’re trying to just sharpen communication and figure out how someone works. It’s useful in so many relationships. OK we were in therapy, yes, as Bianca and Adonis, but we were also reflecting on our own relationships. Since we’ve been making these movies for eight, nine years, we’ve seen each other through various stages in our own romantic things. So we know stuff about each other’s lives. We shared and talked about it. So therapy ended up starting at work and getting more personal.

On moving behind the camera more: I’ve been working on something that would see me taking this step behind the camera in a real way like Mike has done on this. The difference is that I would not also be in front of the camera. I would just be directing and I have been having that internal conversation with myself of like, how will that feel? But so far with my production company, we’re producing things that are roles that frankly I would have given a pinky for years ago when I started my career.

On the narrative around awards season: I think what tends to happen is then in retrospect, at the end or middle of the season, when we see that certain people aren’t being rewarded in the same way, then the conversation begins around legitimacy, the legitimacy of that. I think the conversation needs to begin earlier. I think there needs to be an awareness not just by journalists, but by the industry at large to say, look, we have a lot of history to rewrite in these moments and we have the opportunity now to really give praise to folks that historically have not gotten it.

On the biggest misconception about her: Oh, my God. There are a lot. Probably about my dating life. A lot of misconceptions there. But what can you do?

[From Refinery 29 via Buzzfeed]

It’s fascinating that Tessa and and MBJ attended therapy in character, as Bianca and Adonis. It seems like Tessa and Michael went to better understand their characters because their characters were going through things like marriage and parenthood, which neither of them has yet experienced. I do wonder if that was the best use of the therapist’s time, which could be better spent seeing actual patients, but I guess since the sessions turned away from their characters and toward their own personal lives it’s a wash. Anyway, I like what Tessa says about stepping behind the camera and giving more and fuller opportunities to new talent. And she’s right about changing the narrative around awards season earlier instead of it always being a reaction to the nominations. And yes, I’m sure there are a lot of misconceptions around her dating life ever since those Thor 4 photos. So who does she date?! Tessa, clear things up for us, the people want to know.

photos credit: Avalon.red

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Fashion Jonathan Majors michael b jordan Tessa Thompson

Tessa Thompson wore Robert Wun at the UK ‘Creed III’ premiere: stunning?

tessa-thompson-wore-robert-wun-at-the-uk-‘creed-iii’-premiere:-stunning?

Here are some photos from last night’s London premiere of Creed III. I’m including photos of Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson and Jonathan Majors. I only saw the first Creed movie and I enjoyed it – it’s a very good update on the Rocky franchise, and I’m proud of MBJ for what he brings to the role. That being said, to promote these films, they need to put Tessa Thompson front and center! She’s a fashionista, she has great chemistry with MBJ (on and off screen) and people want to talk about her! Just my opinion.

So, let’s talk about Tessa’s style. At the London premiere, she wore this glorious shiny sack dress by Robert Wun Couture. Designers have been recycling this style for years – the strapless, billowing sack. McQueen has done a version of it, Valentino has done a version of it, tons of designers use it. I like this version? I like that it’s just a big, shiny tent. I think Tessa looks cool.

Now, MBJ is also a fashion guy and he loves to experiment with his look. He wore an incredible “futuristic” Prada suit, paired with two crazy Tiffany & Co brooches. People Mag did a big write-up about the brooches, which are vintage Bird on a Rock pieces created by Jean Schlumberger. MBJ wore one with a 52-carat amethyst (and 71 diamonds) and one with an aquamarine, pink sapphire and more diamonds. Insane! It’s amazing that MBJ is borrowing these kinds of pieces from Tiffany & Co.

Also: Jonathan Majors needs to up his style game, he’s being easily outplayed by MBJ and Tessa.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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Chris Hemsworth Hot guys michael b jordan Rege-Jean Page

Rege-Jean Page declared the most handsome man in the world

rege-jean-page-declared-the-most-handsome-man-in-the-world



This won’t surprise any Bridgerton fans or anyone who has been anywhere near a computer in the past three years, but Rege-Jean Page has officially been declared the most handsome man in the world. It’s nice for us fans to see our opinion validated like that. This declaration is backed by the Greek Golden Radio of Beauty Phi, which is based on proportions and symmetry.  A plastic surgeon used some computer mapping software to measure and rate a bunch of male celebs, which is a great use of time if I ever heard one, regardless of profession. Rege-Jean got the top spot, then Chris Hemsworth, Michael B. Jordan, and Harry Styles.

Regé Jean-Page – who soared to fame after starring in Netflix’s Bridgerton – has reportedly been deemed the most attractive man in the world.

The 34-year-old actor who played Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings in the smash hit period drama, was analysed against ancient scientific research and the results proved his face was a real money-maker.

According to the Greek Golden Ratio of Beauty Phi – which measures physical perfection – Regé was found to be 93.65 per cent accurate.

Following hot on his heels was Thor’s Chris Hemsworth with 93.53 per cent, Michael B Jordan of Black Panther with 93.46 per cent and coming in fourth place, singer and heartthrob Harry Styles with 92.30 per cent.

Dr Julian De Silva, a Harley Street facial cosmetic surgeon, compiled the list using the latest computerised mapping techniques and regularly turns to the technology in his everyday work.

Explaining how the process works, the professional said: ‘These brand new computer mapping techniques allow us to solve some of the mysteries of what it is that makes someone physically beautiful and the technology is useful when planning patients’ surgery.’

He went on to clarify why the actor nabbed the top spot: ‘Regé won because of his classically beautiful face and gorgeous brown eyes.

‘He had easily the highest score for his eye spacing and the positioning of his eyes also scored highly.

‘His perfectly shaped lips also scored highly and the only mark he got that was slightly lower was for his nose width and length.’

[Metro UK via Dlisted]

I mean, this list is pretty good, no notes! These four wouldn’t be my personal list of top four most handsome men because beauty is subjective, etc, but objectively I think this list makes sense. If I were making a list of the most handsome men in the world, Rege-Jean would definitely be on it. He does have an unusually beautiful face. I wonder how many actors Dr. De Silva ran through his software. It’s nice that two Black men appeared in the top four considering that beauty standards and are typically quite Eurocentric and racist. My only note for the good doctor would be that he needn’t have mentioned the lower nose score because that brings it back to Eurocentrism. But, back to Rege-Jean — he’s beautiful and now it’s official and everyone knows it! I will say, he does benefit from the beard though. I watched an old Shonda lawyer show in which he was clean-shaven and let’s just say he’s more rakishly handsome with it.

Photos credit: Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon, BauerGriffin/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images and via Instagram