Jason Momoa Says Having Best Year of His Career

Jason Momoa. (Getty Images)
Jason Momoa. (Getty Images)
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Jason Momoa Says Having Best Year of His Career

Jason Momoa. (Getty Images)
Jason Momoa. (Getty Images)

With several films yet to be released, and riding his success from the global hit "A Minecraft Movie," Hawaiian actor Jason Momoa says he is living a unique moment.

"It's probably my biggest year of my career," Momoa, 46, told AFP in an interview.

The actor said he's enjoying playing a range of roles, including Lobo, the intergalactic bounty hunter in the upcoming "Supergirl" film, which he described as "a childhood dream."

The star also appears in the film adaptation of "Street Fighter" and in the "Dune" trilogy, whose final installment hits theaters in December.

Momoa, who rose to fame thanks to "Game of Thrones," had the opportunity to work with Julian Schnabel, whom he described as his favorite director, in "In the Hand of Dante," which premieres this month on Netflix.

The actor is feeling like he's on a roll after playing a comedic role in last year's box office hit, "A Minecraft Movie," which he starred in with Jack Black.

"Minecraft really was huge, you know?" he said. "We didn't see that coming."

"I always wanted to do comedy. I mean, I've always done action my whole life," where playing superheroes felt "inevitable." But he enjoyed the opportunity to "make people laugh."

The actor said that comedic roles like those in "The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part," in which he voices a parody of Aquaman, a character he has portrayed in several productions, also allowed him to connect with a very special audience: his family.

"It was an epic moment because my kids got to see me do the looping (voiceover)," he said. While they don't seem to care much about his other roles, "when I'm involved with Lego, I'm an all-star."

The actor reconnected with the famous brick brand by debuting this Monday as "the Playmaster," the central figure in Lego's "Never Stop Playing" campaign to encourage families to dedicate more time to playing with their children, as social media and screens gain ground.

"I grew up with Lego. My children grew up with Lego," said Momoa, who sees the colorful pieces and their infinite possibilities as a tool for developing creativity and imagination.

"It's something that makes my heart smile," he said.

The unique role came with a bonus: "Being chosen by Lego to have your own little action figures... for them to make that was pretty special."



'Backrooms', Based on YouTube Horror Series, Breaks Box Office Records

Kane Parsons, aged 20, is the youngest director with a number one feature film debut in North America. LISA O'CONNOR / AFP
Kane Parsons, aged 20, is the youngest director with a number one feature film debut in North America. LISA O'CONNOR / AFP
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'Backrooms', Based on YouTube Horror Series, Breaks Box Office Records

Kane Parsons, aged 20, is the youngest director with a number one feature film debut in North America. LISA O'CONNOR / AFP
Kane Parsons, aged 20, is the youngest director with a number one feature film debut in North America. LISA O'CONNOR / AFP

A24's "Backrooms," the big screen adaptation of a viral YouTube horror series, smashed several box office records with an $81.5 million North American debut, US media reported Sunday.

Directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons, who created the "Backrooms" web series as a teenager, the movie's massive opening weekend haul is the largest ever for an original horror film and more than doubles A24's previous best domestic opening, according to Variety.

Parsons also becomes the youngest director ever to debut at number one with a feature film, the entertainment trade publication said.

Starring Oscar nominees Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, the movie follows a furniture shop owner (Ejiofor) who discovers a mysterious, labyrinthine complex underneath his store, AFP said.

When the man goes missing, his therapist (Reinsve) steps inside the liminal space to try and find him.

The online series, which began in 2022, became part of a phenomenon known as "creepypasta" -- a short horror story reposted and modified around the web, to which other users added details such as monsters and undiscovered dimensions.

Second place went to another horror film, Focus Features' "Obsession," whose strong critic and audience reviews have seen it steadily notch higher earnings in its three weeks out.

Directed by 26-year-old Curry Baker, the film took in another $26.4 million at the domestic box office, Exhibitor Relations reported, and now has a global estimated haul of nearly $150 million on a budget of less than $1 million.

Inde Navarrette has earned particular plaudits for her role as a young woman who becomes dangerously infatuated with a man, played by Michael Johnston, after he makes a magical wish for her affection.

"Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu," Disney's latest entry in the blockbuster sci-fi franchise, plummeted nearly 70 percent in its second weekend in theaters, taking in $25 million and finishing in third place.

The film is a jump to the big screen for the hit streaming series, and the first Star Wars film to be released in theaters since 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker."

Maintaining its place in the top five for a sixth weekend was Lionsgate's "Michael," the biopic about king of pop Michael Jackson, which added $11.7 million.

The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring the late popstar's nephew Jaafar Jackson, has now taken in $340 million at the domestic box office and over $845 million globally, according to Exhibitor Relations.

Fifth place went to Sony's comedy "The Breadwinner," which took in $7.5 million in its debut weekend.

Comedian Nate Bergatze -- one of the highest-grossing American stand-ups with a deadpan act focusing on family life -- stars in the movie as a dad who must take care of the kids while his wife is away on business.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

"The Devil Wears Prada 2" ($5.9 million)

"Pressure" ($5.8 million)

"The Sheep Detective" ($4.6 million)

"Passenger" ($2.6 million)

"Mortal Kombat II" ($2 million)


Singer Dua Lipa Marries Actor Callum Turner

Pop star Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner reportedly wed in London on Sunday. Apu GOMES / AFP
Pop star Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner reportedly wed in London on Sunday. Apu GOMES / AFP
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Singer Dua Lipa Marries Actor Callum Turner

Pop star Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner reportedly wed in London on Sunday. Apu GOMES / AFP
Pop star Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner reportedly wed in London on Sunday. Apu GOMES / AFP

Pop star Dua Lipa and "Fantastic Beasts" actor Callum Turner married in London on Sunday, according to media reports, which said the low-key nuptials may be followed by a three-day party in Sicily.

The Sun and Daily Mail tabloids showed photos of the couple leaving Old Marylebone Town Hall following a civil ceremony with just a handful of family and friends.

Dua Lipa, 30, wore a white hat and dress designed by the Schiaparelli studio for the wedding, reports said. Turner, 36, donned a dark blue suit.

The Sun said that they now plan a "sumptuous" three-day party in Sicily at the end of next week. Representatives of the couple, who have been together since January 2024, did not answer AFP's request to comment.

Dua Lipa, the daughter of Kosovo migrants who has become one of Britain's top singers since her "Be The One" single in 2016, announced in an interview with British Vogue last year that she and Turner planned to marry.

Turner made an international name for himself appearing in the "Fantastic Beasts" films. He is considered a possible candidate to become the next James Bond.


Hollywood Honors Marilyn Monroe, 100 Years after Her Birth

Marilyn Monroe began her showbiz career after leaving a factory job and dying her hair the iconic platinum blonde. VALERIE MACON / AFP
Marilyn Monroe began her showbiz career after leaving a factory job and dying her hair the iconic platinum blonde. VALERIE MACON / AFP
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Hollywood Honors Marilyn Monroe, 100 Years after Her Birth

Marilyn Monroe began her showbiz career after leaving a factory job and dying her hair the iconic platinum blonde. VALERIE MACON / AFP
Marilyn Monroe began her showbiz career after leaving a factory job and dying her hair the iconic platinum blonde. VALERIE MACON / AFP

Marilyn Monroe's hometown of Hollywood kicks off Monday a series of special events marking the 100th anniversary of the movie icon's birth.

At the historic Chinese Theater, where Monroe's handprints are immortalized alongside "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953) co-star Jane Russell, fans plan to sing "Happy Birthday" -- echoing her famed sultry serenade to president John F. Kennedy.

One hundred roses and a cake will be placed at the site, a symbol of Hollywood's golden age and a popular tourist hotspot, AFP said.

Tributes to Tinseltown's legendary daughter began on Sunday, with the Academy Museum opening "Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon," an exhibit celebrating her film career and life cut short.

After shooting to superstardom in the 1950s, the actress and model died of an overdose at her Brentwood home in August 1962, aged 36.

The Academy Museum will host special screenings of her prolific filmography throughout the month, including "The Asphalt Jungle" (1950), "Niagara" (1953), "The Seven Year Itch" (1955), "Some Like It Hot" (1959), and "The Misfits" (1961).

The exhibit, which runs until February 2027, includes hundreds of original pieces, some rarely on display -- such as Monroe's famed pink dress worn during her iconic performance of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."

Later in the week, on June 4, Julien's Auctions will put nearly 200 pieces of Monroe memorabilia under the hammer as part of its special "100 Years of Marilyn" sale.

The items include unpublished photographs, a script with notes from her final production, the unfinished short film "Something's Got to Give," and personal items such as handwritten recipes and her Elizabeth Arden lipstick.

- Image maker -

Born in Los Angeles on June 1, 1926, Monroe had an unstable childhood spent between orphanages and foster homes. She married for the first time at age 16.

She had her first brush with show business in 1944, while working in a factory, when a photographer arrived to capture photos of women working on production lines during World War II.

Launching into the world of modeling soon after, she divorced her husband and made a history-defining decision: dyeing her brown hair platinum blonde.

She landed her first contract with Fox, and by the age of 30 had established herself as a global star.

Behind the scenes, Monroe founded her own production company, attended the prestigious Actors Studio in New York, and even defied the studios.

In the 1950s, while under contract with 20th Century Fox, she refused to act in the adaptation of the musical "The Girl in Pink Tights," deeming the script mediocre and her salary -- three times less than that of co-star Frank Sinatra -- unfair.

More than half a century before the #MeToo movement shook the global entertainment industry, Monroe denounced the Hollywood "wolves" preying on female talent.