Edinburgh Castle, many centuries old, has been called the most besieged place in Britain. In 2005, on the night Melissa Anelli arrived, it was besieged primarily by children. The cover of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was projected on its outer walls. Inside, J. K. Rowling, a longtime Edinburgh resident, was celebrating the midnight release of the sixth Harry Potter book.Anelli was then the 25-year-old web mistress of a Harry Potter fan site called . Rowling had personally summoned Anelli, along with Emerson Spartz (the proprietor of another fan site, ), for an interview in her...…Edinburgh Castle, many centuries old, has been called the most besieged place in Britain. In 2005, on the night Melissa Anelli arrived, it was besieged primarily by children. The cover of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was projected on its outer walls. Inside, J. K. Rowling, a longtime Edinburgh resident, was celebrating the midnight release of the sixth Harry Potter book.Anelli was then the 25-year-old web mistress of a Harry Potter fan site called . Rowling had personally summoned Anelli, along with Emerson Spartz (the proprietor of another fan site, ), for an interview in her...WW…

was sued Tuesday by two victims of an April 2018 robbery carried out by his former gang associates. He recorded video of the attack from a nearby SUV, their Manhattan federal court lawsuit states. The victims, publicists Seketha Wonzer (known professionally as Skyy L. Daniels) and Kevin Dozier, said they “suffered great harm, including the loss of significant property and onslaught of severe emotional distress.”The rapper, whose legal name is Daniel Hernandez, admitted to involvement in this robbery on January 23, 2019, when he to charges relating to his with Bloods subset Nine Trey Gangsta...…was sued Tuesday by two victims of an April 2018 robbery carried out by his former gang associates. He recorded video of the attack from a nearby SUV, their Manhattan federal court lawsuit states. The victims, publicists Seketha Wonzer (known professionally as Skyy L. Daniels) and Kevin Dozier, said they “suffered great harm, including the loss of significant property and onslaught of severe emotional distress.”The rapper, whose legal name is Daniel Hernandez, admitted to involvement in this robbery on January 23, 2019, when he to charges relating to his with Bloods subset Nine Trey Gangsta...WW…

The second-season finale of was the best of Star Wars and the worst of Star Wars, a momentarily thrilling and moving episode that, once you stepped back and took a hard look at it, felt more like a victory for the dark side.Created by Jon Favreau — Disney’s speed-dial answer to David O. Selznick, a producer-director-writer who has worked on Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney Animation projects simultaneously — The Mandalorian is earnest and lovingly crafted, easily the freshest thing Lucasfilm has given viewers since Genndy Tartakovsky’s 2003 Cartoon Network classic, Clone Wars. For two seasons,...…The second-season finale of was the best of Star Wars and the worst of Star Wars, a momentarily thrilling and moving episode that, once you stepped back and took a hard look at it, felt more like a victory for the dark side.Created by Jon Favreau — Disney’s speed-dial answer to David O. Selznick, a producer-director-writer who has worked on Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney Animation projects simultaneously — The Mandalorian is earnest and lovingly crafted, easily the freshest thing Lucasfilm has given viewers since Genndy Tartakovsky’s 2003 Cartoon Network classic, Clone Wars. For two seasons,...WW…

Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vacciiiiiiine, would be begging to be included in your trial, but she’s an angel and would never ask that. So we will instead, for this very reason: It’s been discovered that the country icon was one of the major funders for Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine, which has proved to be nearly 95 percent effective . (Suck it, Pfizer, with your measly and Kid Rockian .) Per and by The New England Journal of Medicine, the Dolly Parton COVID-19 Research Fund to the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation in Nashville, Tennessee. Parton befriended one...…Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vacciiiiiiine, would be begging to be included in your trial, but she’s an angel and would never ask that. So we will instead, for this very reason: It’s been discovered that the country icon was one of the major funders for Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine, which has proved to be nearly 95 percent effective . (Suck it, Pfizer, with your measly and Kid Rockian .) Per and by The New England Journal of Medicine, the Dolly Parton COVID-19 Research Fund to the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation in Nashville, Tennessee. Parton befriended one...WW…

Just days after from the Fantastic Beasts franchise, stoic Danish dreamboat is in early talks to replace him as Gellert Grindelwald. Per , Mikkelsen is director David Yates’s first choice to play the character in the upcoming third Fantastic Beasts film (the franchise will have in total). The third film, which also stars as Newt Scamander and as Albus Dumbledore, is currently shooting. The film was originally slated to premiere on November 12, 2021 but was recently pushed to summer 2022. Depp announced he was ousted from the franchise last week on Instagram; he claimed that Warner Bros....…Just days after from the Fantastic Beasts franchise, stoic Danish dreamboat is in early talks to replace him as Gellert Grindelwald. Per , Mikkelsen is director David Yates’s first choice to play the character in the upcoming third Fantastic Beasts film (the franchise will have in total). The third film, which also stars as Newt Scamander and as Albus Dumbledore, is currently shooting. The film was originally slated to premiere on November 12, 2021 but was recently pushed to summer 2022. Depp announced he was ousted from the franchise last week on Instagram; he claimed that Warner Bros....WW…

is now a part of New York Magazine.Want to watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown this Halloween? Or A Charlie Brown Christmas? There’s an app for that— specifically . The classic Peanuts specials, which have aired on broadcast TV for decades, will soon have an exclusive streaming home on Apple’s subscription-based TV platform. What’s more, Apple said it is teaming with WildBrain, Peanuts Worldwide, and Lee Mendelson Film Productions to produce new Peanuts holiday specials, including Mother’s Day, Earth Day, and New Year’s Eve. As for whether or not viewers will still be able to watch...…is now a part of New York Magazine.Want to watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown this Halloween? Or A Charlie Brown Christmas? There’s an app for that— specifically . The classic Peanuts specials, which have aired on broadcast TV for decades, will soon have an exclusive streaming home on Apple’s subscription-based TV platform. What’s more, Apple said it is teaming with WildBrain, Peanuts Worldwide, and Lee Mendelson Film Productions to produce new Peanuts holiday specials, including Mother’s Day, Earth Day, and New Year’s Eve. As for whether or not viewers will still be able to watch...WW…

is now a part of New York Magazine.In 1985, two groundbreaking works of animation could be viewed, sometimes in the same hour, on MTV.One was in which a woman (actress Bunty Bailey) gets yanked out of a café by lead singer Morten Harket and into a black-and-white animated realm where they fall in love and get chased by bad guys. The other was “Money for Nothing,” the Dire Straits MTV diss track that brought the two complaining blue-collar workers from the song to 3-D animated life.The two videos demonstrate how creative and technologically ambitious videos had become halfway through the...…is now a part of New York Magazine.In 1985, two groundbreaking works of animation could be viewed, sometimes in the same hour, on MTV.One was in which a woman (actress Bunty Bailey) gets yanked out of a café by lead singer Morten Harket and into a black-and-white animated realm where they fall in love and get chased by bad guys. The other was “Money for Nothing,” the Dire Straits MTV diss track that brought the two complaining blue-collar workers from the song to 3-D animated life.The two videos demonstrate how creative and technologically ambitious videos had become halfway through the...WW…

is now a part of New York Magazine.Now here’s a news story we didn’t expect to come out of new Netflix movie, . On October 15, Alaina Pinto, a local-news anchor for Boston’s 7News, revealed on and that she had been fired from her job simply for appearing in the film — as a local news anchor no less. “Earlier this week I was let go from 7 News. I am posting this because I want to be open and honest with all of you,” Pinto wrote. “In doing so, I mistakenly violated my contract with the station and I understand why management unfortunately chose to terminate me. I am deeply disappointed and...…is now a part of New York Magazine.Now here’s a news story we didn’t expect to come out of new Netflix movie, . On October 15, Alaina Pinto, a local-news anchor for Boston’s 7News, revealed on and that she had been fired from her job simply for appearing in the film — as a local news anchor no less. “Earlier this week I was let go from 7 News. I am posting this because I want to be open and honest with all of you,” Pinto wrote. “In doing so, I mistakenly violated my contract with the station and I understand why management unfortunately chose to terminate me. I am deeply disappointed and...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.What was supposed to be the debut of a new Weekend Update character for turned into one of the most for SNL in recent memory, when McKinnon, triggered by some squeaky “Under Pressure” noises from a blood-pressure machine, began giggling so maniacally that Colin Jost had to inquire to see if she’s alright. “I’m obviously not,” she responded. “I’m sorry you guys, it’s such a crazy time and this is something I started to do to cope. I have a lot of wigs and mustaches at my disposal and it’s a nice way to escape.” Call it...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.What was supposed to be the debut of a new Weekend Update character for turned into one of the most for SNL in recent memory, when McKinnon, triggered by some squeaky “Under Pressure” noises from a blood-pressure machine, began giggling so maniacally that Colin Jost had to inquire to see if she’s alright. “I’m obviously not,” she responded. “I’m sorry you guys, it’s such a crazy time and this is something I started to do to cope. I have a lot of wigs and mustaches at my disposal and it’s a nice way to escape.” Call it...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.All recommendations are made independently by our editors. Services you subscribe to through our links may earn us a commission.This article was featured in , New York’s reading recommendation newsletter. to get it nightly.All animation, whether it depicts a whistling mouse, a walking dinosaur, or a leaping superhero, is a kind of magic trick. It’s right there in the name of one of the earliest devices used to project slides: the magic lantern. If you take an image of an open hand and an image of a fist and project the two in...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.All recommendations are made independently by our editors. Services you subscribe to through our links may earn us a commission.This article was featured in , New York’s reading recommendation newsletter. to get it nightly.All animation, whether it depicts a whistling mouse, a walking dinosaur, or a leaping superhero, is a kind of magic trick. It’s right there in the name of one of the earliest devices used to project slides: the magic lantern. If you take an image of an open hand and an image of a fist and project the two in...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.Just like Mark Zuckerberg after getting dumped , got big mad on the internet in response to Netflix’s viral documentary The Social Dilemma. We all intuitively felt like Facebook addiction was real — we’ve all had to have one of those convos with a parent — but the doc claims to describe how social networks like Facebook use programs and algorithms to keep people online, not to mention the influence tech companies have on elections, discrimination, and depression and suicide rates. According to , viewers were even deleting their...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.Just like Mark Zuckerberg after getting dumped , got big mad on the internet in response to Netflix’s viral documentary The Social Dilemma. We all intuitively felt like Facebook addiction was real — we’ve all had to have one of those convos with a parent — but the doc claims to describe how social networks like Facebook use programs and algorithms to keep people online, not to mention the influence tech companies have on elections, discrimination, and depression and suicide rates. According to , viewers were even deleting their...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.Netflix’s animated-comedy hit will be coming back for a fifth season, but this time the F will stand for something else: final. Vulture has learned that the 1970s-set comedy, which revolves around the decidedly politically incorrect (but period-appropriate) Murphy clan, has been renewed for one last go-round. The final season is already in preproduction and will debut in 2021, roughly six years after the show’s December 2015 debut on the platform.F Is for Family is based on the comedy and childhood memories of , who created the...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.Netflix’s animated-comedy hit will be coming back for a fifth season, but this time the F will stand for something else: final. Vulture has learned that the 1970s-set comedy, which revolves around the decidedly politically incorrect (but period-appropriate) Murphy clan, has been renewed for one last go-round. The final season is already in preproduction and will debut in 2021, roughly six years after the show’s December 2015 debut on the platform.F Is for Family is based on the comedy and childhood memories of , who created the...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.For eight seasons on Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke battled Dothraki, ice zombies, and Lannisters as the warrior queen Daenerys Targaryen. But unbeknownst to her fans and colleagues, the actress was also fighting a private battle: During her time on the show, she suffered two life-threatening brain aneurysms, which necessitated multiple surgeries and punishing recoveries. Clarke kept her health issues a secret until shortly before the premiere of Thrones’ final season, when she penned a widely acclaimed essay for detailing her...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.For eight seasons on Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke battled Dothraki, ice zombies, and Lannisters as the warrior queen Daenerys Targaryen. But unbeknownst to her fans and colleagues, the actress was also fighting a private battle: During her time on the show, she suffered two life-threatening brain aneurysms, which necessitated multiple surgeries and punishing recoveries. Clarke kept her health issues a secret until shortly before the premiere of Thrones’ final season, when she penned a widely acclaimed essay for detailing her...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.We rarely know when we’re in the middle of a life-changing moment. Despite what movies tell us, very few people meet their future wife and immediately think, Oh dang, that’s who I am destined to wed. Likewise, artists don’t know what work will connect with a larger audience and become what they’re known for. Writer, comedian, filmmaker, and put an almost negative amount of thought into his first “September 21st” video. After his roommate, Ben Cahn, told him that it was the date from the Earth, Wind & Fire song, things just sort of...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.We rarely know when we’re in the middle of a life-changing moment. Despite what movies tell us, very few people meet their future wife and immediately think, Oh dang, that’s who I am destined to wed. Likewise, artists don’t know what work will connect with a larger audience and become what they’re known for. Writer, comedian, filmmaker, and put an almost negative amount of thought into his first “September 21st” video. After his roommate, Ben Cahn, told him that it was the date from the Earth, Wind & Fire song, things just sort of...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.Much like Lady Gaga, fairies live for the applause, so put those hands together for star , who Disney’s live-action Peter Pan and Wendy, directed by David Lowery, co-written with Toby Halbrooks, and based on the classic J.M. Barrie characters, as Tinker Bell. The actress will travel to Neverland alongside , Ever Anderson as Wendy, and Alexander Molony as the titular boy who never grew up.Much like just like of , Peter Pan and Wendy is intended to one day make a theatrical debut, hopefully premiering far enough in the future that...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.Much like Lady Gaga, fairies live for the applause, so put those hands together for star , who Disney’s live-action Peter Pan and Wendy, directed by David Lowery, co-written with Toby Halbrooks, and based on the classic J.M. Barrie characters, as Tinker Bell. The actress will travel to Neverland alongside , Ever Anderson as Wendy, and Alexander Molony as the titular boy who never grew up.Much like just like of , Peter Pan and Wendy is intended to one day make a theatrical debut, hopefully premiering far enough in the future that...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.The Harry Potter movies may be later this month, but fear not, Potterheads: They’re getting a new home on Peacock. Every movie in the eight-film franchise will stream for free on NBCUniversal’s recently launched streaming platform starting in October, Vulture has learned. They’ll remain on Peacock for at least a month and then return again in 2021 as part of a six-month window in which Peacock will have subscription video on demand rights to the series.Fans of the blockbuster franchise who signed up for because of the movies’...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.The Harry Potter movies may be later this month, but fear not, Potterheads: They’re getting a new home on Peacock. Every movie in the eight-film franchise will stream for free on NBCUniversal’s recently launched streaming platform starting in October, Vulture has learned. They’ll remain on Peacock for at least a month and then return again in 2021 as part of a six-month window in which Peacock will have subscription video on demand rights to the series.Fans of the blockbuster franchise who signed up for because of the movies’...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.“We’re seeing body after body, and our Mayor Giuliani ain’t trying to see a Black man turn to John Gotti.” —Biggie, “Everyday Struggle”The history of New York nightlife — and, by extension, New York music — is a game of cat and mouse, of the ingenuity of smart young partyers and business owners in the face of a ceaseless wave of police and government enforcement. One party slips and the other one pounces. Rage too hard and it sparks noise complaints or violent incidents that beget harsh crackdowns. Press the venues too hard and...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.“We’re seeing body after body, and our Mayor Giuliani ain’t trying to see a Black man turn to John Gotti.” —Biggie, “Everyday Struggle”The history of New York nightlife — and, by extension, New York music — is a game of cat and mouse, of the ingenuity of smart young partyers and business owners in the face of a ceaseless wave of police and government enforcement. One party slips and the other one pounces. Rage too hard and it sparks noise complaints or violent incidents that beget harsh crackdowns. Press the venues too hard and...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.When he got on the phone Tuesday night to discuss the , Lorne Michaels was just getting out of a long production meeting. There was a lot to figure out. That is always the case with SNL, the show Michaels has helmed continuously since 1975 (save for a few years in the early ’80s). Once the season starts, they are caught up in a cycle of live episodes, so the big decisions need to be made during the summer. And that’s in a normal SNL season. Season 46 is not going to be normal.For starters, Michaels is trying to figure out how to...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.When he got on the phone Tuesday night to discuss the , Lorne Michaels was just getting out of a long production meeting. There was a lot to figure out. That is always the case with SNL, the show Michaels has helmed continuously since 1975 (save for a few years in the early ’80s). Once the season starts, they are caught up in a cycle of live episodes, so the big decisions need to be made during the summer. And that’s in a normal SNL season. Season 46 is not going to be normal.For starters, Michaels is trying to figure out how to...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.’s was arrested Thursday morning on a child pornography charge, officials ; the arrest comes several days after two twin boys publicly . According to a criminal complaint filed in Chicago federal court, Harris “admitted” to instances of alleged misconduct from December 2018 to spring 2020, during a September 14 interview with law-enforcement agents — including allegedly admitting to sex with another minor, who was 15.Harris who is charged with one count of producing child pornography, would have been from 19 to about 20 years old...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.’s was arrested Thursday morning on a child pornography charge, officials ; the arrest comes several days after two twin boys publicly . According to a criminal complaint filed in Chicago federal court, Harris “admitted” to instances of alleged misconduct from December 2018 to spring 2020, during a September 14 interview with law-enforcement agents — including allegedly admitting to sex with another minor, who was 15.Harris who is charged with one count of producing child pornography, would have been from 19 to about 20 years old...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.In the midst of theater’s great pandemic shutdown, another era is coming to an end. Ben Brantley, who has served as the New York Times’ chief critic for 24 years, is leaving the paper. “This pandemic pause in the great, energizing party that is the theater seemed to me like a good moment to slip out the door,” Brantley . “But when the theater returns, I hope to be there — as a writer, an audience member and, above all, the stark raving fan I have been since I was a child.” Brantley joined the Times in 1993 and became its chief...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.In the midst of theater’s great pandemic shutdown, another era is coming to an end. Ben Brantley, who has served as the New York Times’ chief critic for 24 years, is leaving the paper. “This pandemic pause in the great, energizing party that is the theater seemed to me like a good moment to slip out the door,” Brantley . “But when the theater returns, I hope to be there — as a writer, an audience member and, above all, the stark raving fan I have been since I was a child.” Brantley joined the Times in 1993 and became its chief...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.has found a pretty big star to go head-to-head with Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump for the of the NBC series. In a , SNL boss Lorne Michaels revealed that has signed on to play Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. “You’ll see the same people. I mean, Maya Rudolph is coming back, and Alec [Baldwin] will be back. And Jim Carrey is going to do Biden,” Michaels said, explaining that the casting started with Carrey expressing interest in the part and then “it came down to discussions of what his take was … He will give the part...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.has found a pretty big star to go head-to-head with Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump for the of the NBC series. In a , SNL boss Lorne Michaels revealed that has signed on to play Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. “You’ll see the same people. I mean, Maya Rudolph is coming back, and Alec [Baldwin] will be back. And Jim Carrey is going to do Biden,” Michaels said, explaining that the casting started with Carrey expressing interest in the part and then “it came down to discussions of what his take was … He will give the part...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.Cuties is slated to arrive on Netflix in the United States in September. The French-language film from writer and director Maïmouna Doucouré tells the story of Amy, an 11-year-old Senegalese immigrant. The film received earlier this year — remember when we could go to , much less ? — and took home the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award. Except now, uh, actually, here’s a tweet from my colleague, Vulture film critic Alison Willmore, that does a pretty good job of summing up what the hell happened to Cuties this week:So......…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.Cuties is slated to arrive on Netflix in the United States in September. The French-language film from writer and director Maïmouna Doucouré tells the story of Amy, an 11-year-old Senegalese immigrant. The film received earlier this year — remember when we could go to , much less ? — and took home the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award. Except now, uh, actually, here’s a tweet from my colleague, Vulture film critic Alison Willmore, that does a pretty good job of summing up what the hell happened to Cuties this week:So......WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.Movie studios are crumbling for many reasons right now, but one less discussed reason seems to be that their executives keep getting involved in sex scandals that involve the actress Charlotte Kirk. Today, The Hollywood Reporter that Ron Meyer, who as NBCUniversal vice-chairman, was involved in an affair with actress Charlotte Kirk, who was also central to the last year. Meyer served in his position at NBCU for 25 years, and was a founder of CAA before that, but stepped down after revealing that he had reached a settlement with a...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.Movie studios are crumbling for many reasons right now, but one less discussed reason seems to be that their executives keep getting involved in sex scandals that involve the actress Charlotte Kirk. Today, The Hollywood Reporter that Ron Meyer, who as NBCUniversal vice-chairman, was involved in an affair with actress Charlotte Kirk, who was also central to the last year. Meyer served in his position at NBCU for 25 years, and was a founder of CAA before that, but stepped down after revealing that he had reached a settlement with a...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.Not today, , because all of that has manifested itself into a legit call to action. Taylor Swift has issued another missive against Donald Trump on Saturday, this time criticizing the president for his ongoing efforts mail-in voting and defund the USPS prior to the upcoming election. “Trump’s calculated dismantling of USPS proves one thing clearly: He is well aware that we do not want him as our president. He’s chosen to blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans’ lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power,” Swift wrote on...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.Not today, , because all of that has manifested itself into a legit call to action. Taylor Swift has issued another missive against Donald Trump on Saturday, this time criticizing the president for his ongoing efforts mail-in voting and defund the USPS prior to the upcoming election. “Trump’s calculated dismantling of USPS proves one thing clearly: He is well aware that we do not want him as our president. He’s chosen to blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans’ lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power,” Swift wrote on...WW…

Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.This weekend, the ouroboros of quarantine finally looped back around to eat its own tail. Only, instead of a snake, imagine a giant tiger chowing down on its rear end. In , called out and ’s recently released for featuring big cats, including leopards and white tigers. The issue at hand for the subject isn’t the proximity of exotic animals to our nation’s most beloved rappers (the cats are clearly edited in after the fact), but rather where said leopards and tigers came from, who they were provided by, and how they were trained in...…Please read our updated and , effective on December 19, 2019.This weekend, the ouroboros of quarantine finally looped back around to eat its own tail. Only, instead of a snake, imagine a giant tiger chowing down on its rear end. In , called out and ’s recently released for featuring big cats, including leopards and white tigers. The issue at hand for the subject isn’t the proximity of exotic animals to our nation’s most beloved rappers (the cats are clearly edited in after the fact), but rather where said leopards and tigers came from, who they were provided by, and how they were trained in...WW…