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Disney+’s adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians brought Rick Riordan’s books to life with joy, adventure, and magic. Perfect casting and creative storytelling made for an entertaining take on the first Percy Jackson book. Percy figured out who stole Zeus’ Master Bolt, but that’s far from the last quest the demigod goes on. And luckily, we’ll get to see at least one more. Disney+ has renewed Percy Jackson and the Olympians for season two. This makes sense, as Disney reports the show has over 110 million hours streamed to date.

The second season of Percy Jackson will adapt the second book in Riordan’s series, The Sea of Monsters. In it, mythological monsters threaten Camp Half-Blood. Percy must act to save the special haven for demigods, along with Annabeth and Grover. And the Sea of Monsters? That’s the Bermuda Triangle. It’s all going to be fine, we’re sure.

Riordan said in a statement, “I can’t wait to bring the next season of Percy Jackson to Disney+! Raise anchors. Hoist the mainsail. All hands on deck, demigods. We’re heading for the Sea of Monsters!”

Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri will of course return as the main trio in the Riordan and Jon Steinberg-created series. We’re bound to see many familiar faces from season one, along with plenty of new ones. You never know which gods and creatures Percy Jackson will run into.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians season one is now streaming on Disney+.

The post Disney Renews PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS for Season 2 appeared first on Nerdist.

courtesy of e.l.f. Cosmetics By Larry Stansbury & India Espy-Jones ·Updated February 7, 2024

If there’s one thing for sure, Gina Torres understands that beauty and football are a natural combination. That said, the Suits star is set to appear in an e.l.f. Cosmetics commercial during the Super Bowl this Sunday. The spot will feature a segment called “Judge Beauty,” which takes place in e.l.f. Court (a courtroom that deals with makeup-related crimes on the eyes, lips, and face, of course!) 

And what’s even more exciting, “you’re going to be reunited with some of your favorite characters if you’re a Suits fan,” as Torres tells ESSENCE. Rick Hoffman, for example, sues Torres for misusing company funds to buy overpriced makeup. Naturally, Judge Judy finds Torres guilty and sentences her to having “glowy skin” from only using e.l.f.’s new $14 Halo Glow Liquid Filter. 

In real life, Torres loves the natural coverage it leaves on her skin. “It’s true to its word,” she says. “It really is this lovely natural filter that gives you a glow. It catches light in a really beautiful, flattering way,” Torres adds. “One thing for sure is the product doesn’t make you look like you have a ton of makeup on. In fact, it actually looks quite natural.”

The 9-1-1 Lone Star actress is also excited about the Super Bowl opportunity because she genuinely loves storytelling of all kinds. “I love getting into somebody’s shoes and shedding a different kind of light on a personality, character, or a real person that you may not otherwise understand.” she says. “It helps you gain more compassion for those in the real world.” And with this project in particular, she’s just excited to bring people at home joy. “This commercial really is full of recognizable, wonderful personalities and I think people are just going to have a whole lot of fun.”

The post “Suits” Fans Will Love e.l.f. Cosmetics’ Super Bowl Commercial appeared first on Essence.

Paras Griffin/Getty Images By Elizabeth Ayoola ·

The post Kenya Moore Says Ex-Husband Marc Daly Is Engaged: ‘Good Luck To Her’ appeared first on Essence.

Heading: “Handling the Undead”: Grief, Norwegian Zombie Style

CW: The film contains a disturbing depiction of animal cruelty

This review contains mild spoilers

“Handling the Undead,” a Norwegian horror film directed by Thea Hvistendahl, starts off ominously, quietly, and deliberately, continuing with a pervasive atmosphere of dread that’s relentless. In the film’s world, grief is a monster – one that will eat you alive if you let it.

The movie follows three families experiencing different stages of grief: Anna (Renate Reinsve), a woman whose young son has died a few weeks ago, and her father, Mahler (Bjørn Sundquist); Tora (Bente Børsum), whose wife, Elisabet (Olga Damani), is about to be buried; and husband and wife David (Anders Danielsen Lie) and Eva (Bahar Pars), and their two children, Flora (Inesa Dauksta) and Kian (Kian Hansen), who are about to experience a traumatic loss.

Anna copes with her loss by leaving her son’s toys everywhere and refusing to eat the meals her father brings her, as evidenced by the wrapped plates of uneaten food in her fridge. Mahler struggles to snap her out of her denial, but he’s as lost in his grief as she is. Tora, meanwhile, sits at home and takes her phone off the hook after Elisabet’s wake, cutting herself off from the world.

Meanwhile, Eva gets ready for work as David preps for a comedy set. Kian plays a zombie first-person shooter game while his sister, Flora, tells Eva she really doesn’t want to babysit him. When Kian loses, the game’s graphics splash, “YOU ARE DEAD,” which has different meanings depending on whose story we’re following.

Not too long after, electricity crackles and a high-pitched sound spreads throughout the city, causing headaches and sending birds swooping in strange patterns. Mahler, who is visiting his grandson’s grave, collapses as a blackout occurs. Once it ends, David gets a call that Eva has died.

Soon, Anna’s son—who is the most decomposed of the three zombies we meet—Elisabet, and Eva are reanimated and their loved ones have a choice: How do I handle this extraordinary event? What do I do with this second chance? Others are presumably dealing with the same choice as we see police tape at the cemetery, and officers knock at Anna’s door.

Hvistendahl, who shares screenplay credit with John Ajvide Lindqvist (on whose novel the film is based) adhere closely to the three families’ reactions, leaving the threat zombies traditionally pose in the background. This choice does two things: it makes the grief more suffocating and it amps up the dread as the audience waits for the zombies to start biting. Hvistendahl laser-focuses on the grief of the living as they cope with the dead, whether it’s treating them as if they were still alive, or accepting that circumstances have drastically changed.

Both Danielsen Lie and Reinsve shine here, much as they did in 2021’s “The Worst Person in the World” (screened at a previous Sundance Festival), though unfortunately, this time they don’t share any scenes. Børsum and Sundquist are equally good as people who cannot let go of their departed beloveds. 

The score is wonderful; it propels the narrative with its movement between ominous strings and memorable melancholy, pushing the action forward even when it seems as though nothing is happening (the composer, Peter Raeburn, received the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Original Music at the Festival).

“Handling the Undead” is engrossing and tragic, forcing questions of mortality to the fore. As a debut feature, it announces Hvistendahl as a talent to watch. As a meditation on grief, it will also take a bite out your heart. 

The post Sundance 2024: Handling the Undead appeared first on The Nerd Element.