‘Femme’ Star George MacKay Spent Eight Weeks Bulking Up to Become a Violent Street Thug in the Queer Revenge Thriller: ‘It’s an Animal Thing’

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events SPOILER ALERT: This article contains plot details for “Challengers,” now playing in theaters. Josh O’Connor never had a churro until he shot “Challengers.” The British actor and his co-star Mike Faist enjoy the fried doughy treat in one of the film’s most suggestive scenes. In short, Patrick (O’Connor) is visiting his girlfriend Tashi (Zendaya) and his best friend Art (Faist) at Stanford when the two young men catch up in a cafeteria. They’re sitting face-to-face as they devour the churros.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Season 4 of “We’re Here” sees new hosts Priyanka, Sasha Velour, Latrice Royale and Jaida Essence Hall travelling to red states Tennessee and Oklahoma, where safety had become a concern at times because of anti-LGBTQ protests and threats. “It was frightening sometimes,” Jaida told me Wednesday night at the season premiere screening and party at the Avalon Hollywood. “It was eye-opening, imagining other people like myself who have to live in those spaces and see that every day.

Gogglebox star George Gilbey's funeral took place on Thursday, attended by hundreds. His loved ones finally had the chance to say their goodbyes.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Lily Gladstone and Bowen Yang will star in Bleecker Street and Shivhans Pictures’ remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 romantic comedy “The Wedding Banquet” from director Andrew Ahn. Kelly Marie Tran, Oscar winner Yuh-jung Youn and Joan Chen are also attached to star. The reimagination of Lee’s Oscar-nominated film is based on a screenplay by Ahn and James Schamus.

The emotional funeral of George Gilbey, the beloved Gogglebox star, was attended by hundreds today as his friends and family were finally able to say their goodbyes. George, who also appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, tragically passed away at the age of 40 on March 27 following a workplace incident.The much-loved TV personality was remembered in an emotional service and committal at a crematorium near his home in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, after the inquest into his death was concluded.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events The last time I spoke to Noah Jupe was four years ago when he was just 15 years old. It was over Zoom, and he was promoting HBO’s “The Undoing” from a Detroit hotel room, where he was under mandatory quarantine waiting to be cleared to start work on Steven Soderbergh’s “No Sudden Move.” At the time, Jupe’s list of credits already included “The Night Manager,” “Suburbicon,” the first two “A Quiet Place” films and “Ford v Ferrari.” He had earned a Spirit Award nomination for his work starring role in “Honey Boy,” director Alma Har’el’s drama loosely based on Shia LaBeouf’s childhood.

An inquest into the death of Gogglebox star George Gilbey heard that the 40-year-old television star died from "traumatic" injuries after falling 80ft through a plastic skylight on the roof of a building. Dad of one George, who appeared on the hit channel 4 show with his mum Linda McGarry and stepdad Pete McGarry, died on 27 March, with Essex Police confirming they received "a report of an incident at Campfield Road in Shoebury at around 10am this morning (27 March), during which a man who was working at height had fallen and sustained an injury." Shortly after, police confirmed a man in his 40s had been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in relation to the incident and was released under investigation.

Former Gogglebox star George Gilbey died after falling through a plastic skylight while working, an inquest heard. The 40-year-old was best known for appearing on the Channel 4 series alongside his mother Linda McGarry and stepfather Pete McGarry, who died aged 71 in 2021.

EXCLUSIVE: Idris and Sabrina Elba have set Halfway, a sci-fi thriller podcast at Audible with Lenny Henry, George Mackay, and Sex Education alum Patricia Allison as voice cast leads. 

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Despite the success of “Daisy Jones & the Six,” star Riley Keough says the band isn’t getting back together anytime soon. Despite fans hoping — and demanding — a second season of the Prime Video miniseries adaptation of Tara Jenkin Reid’s best-selling novel, Keough tells me, “I would love to but I don’t know if it’s in the cards…I haven’t heard anything.” The series followed Daisy Jones (Keough) and her bandmates (Sam Claflin, Camila Morrone, Suki Waterhouse, Will Harrison, Josh Whitehouse and Sebastian Chacon) as they make their way through the Los Angeles music scene of the 1970s. The series premiered just over a year ago to positive reviews.

the popular “The Beatles: Get Back.” The announcement of the rare film’s release will make fans twist and shout. Until now, the doc had only officially been sold on out-of-print — and grainy — VHS and laserdisc copies.Reviews of “Let It Be” weren’t euphoric at the time, but The Post enjoyed it.“The most remarkable thing about the picture is the way it sustains interest, so unexpectedly, throughout the long session and without all the written assists that customarily pep up entertainments of this sort,” Post critic Archer Winsten wrote in May 1970.Director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, 83, said in a statement that the release was hampered by the Beatles’ recent split.“ ‘Let It Be’ was ready to go in October/November 1969, but it didn’t come out until April 1970,” he said.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Ask the stars of Disney+’s “Loki” if there’s going to be a third season and all will insist they don’t know. “I have no idea, honestly,” Sophia Di Martino, who stars as Sylvie, told me Saturday morning at a “Loki” FYC Emmy screening and Q&A at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. That doesn’t mean Martino wants her time with Marvel to come to an end.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and EventsHollywood and science collided Saturday night at the 10th annual Breakthrough Prize ceremony.Billed as the “Oscars of Science,” the evening honors scientists responsible for major discoveries. Taking place at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, the event’s star power included Robert Downey Jr., Jessica Chastain, Brie Larson, Olivia Wilde, Margot Robbie, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Venus Williams, Alicia Keys and many more..

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Nicole Richie has been a “diehard fan” of the 1991 cult comedy “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” for as long as she can remember. “I’ve been quoting this movie my whole life,” she says. And now, life has come full circle because the former “Simple Life” reality television icon stars in director Wade Allain-Marcus’ “Don’t Tell Mom” remake as fashion company boss Rose.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and EventsThe official launch of Hulu on Disney+ was celebrated at a star-studded party at Mother Wolf in Hollywood on April 5.Hosted by Disney’s Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, with a special appearance by Bob Iger, the evening included a blue arrivals carpet and an exclusive cocktail reception.“Today, I think, consumers want not only quality but they want volume and they want convenience. And this is now all three in one place,” Iger told Variety about adding Hulu to Disney+. “It’s great to have this array of great content very conveniently located instead of having to close one app and go to the other app.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Growing up in Israel meant that “We Were the Lucky Ones” actor Amit Rahav was taught about the Holocaust at any early age. His childhood in Tel Aviv included a school trip to concentration camps in Poland. “It’s mandatory in the curriculum,” Rahav tells Variety.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events When Michael Douglas was invited to play Benjamin Franklin in Apple TV+’s “Franklin,” he immediately took out a $100 bill. “I looked at Ben and thought, ‘I’ve got a long ways to go,’” the two-time Oscar winner tells Variety. Douglas didn’t just worry that he’d have to spend hours in the makeup chair — the series took more than 160 days to shoot.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Dev Patel refused to let the slew of injuries he suffered while filming his elaborate fight scenes in “Monkey Man” get in the way of him completing the movie. Patel not only directed and co-wrote the action movie, but he also stars as Kid, a young man who seeks to avenge his mother’s death at the hands of India’s corrupt law enforcement officials, political figures and spiritual leaders. He earns money by competing in a brutally violent underground fight club.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Nicholas Galitzine may have told his parents that he has a lot of sex scenes in “Mary & George” with both women and men, but that didn’t keep things from getting awkward when his mom and dad were by his side at the series’ London premiere. “I was kind of in hysterics because there is nothing more uncomfortable than watching your son bed a number of characters even within the first few episodes,” the British actor, 29, tells me during a wide-ranging conversation on this week’s “Just for Variety” podcast.

Gogglebox star George Gilbey’s mum Linda McGarry has shared her heartbreak over the death of her "mummy's boy." George, who was best known for making the nation laugh while watching TV with his mum and step-dad, tragically passed away at the age of 40 following a workplace accident. The tragic news of his death was confirmed on Wednesday, 27 March and at the time his mum chose to have George’s friend, Geordie Shore star Ricci Guarnaccio, speak on her behalf.The heartbroken mum has now paid tribute to her son in her own words and said he had "the best heart in the world".