Entertainment

Carl Weathers, Linebacker-Turned-Actor Who Played In The ‘Rocky’ Films And ‘The Mandalorian,’ Died.

Published

10 months ago

2024-02-03

NEW YORK — Carl Weathers, a former NFL linebacker who became a Hollywood action and comedy icon, portraying nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” films, competing against Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator,” and teaching golf in “Happy Gilmore,” died. He was 76.

His manager, Matt Luber, confirmed that Weathers died on Thursday. His family released a statement claiming he died “peacefully in his sleep.”

“Carl Weathers will always be a legend,” Schwarzenegger posted on Instagram. “A phenomenal athlete, an amazing actor, and a wonderful guy. We couldn’t have created ‘Predator’ without him. And we wouldn’t have had such a great time doing it.”

Weathers was equally at ease flexing his muscles on the big screen in “Action Jackson” as he was joking around on the small screen in shows like “Arrested Development,” but he was most closely associated with Creed, who made his first appearance as the cocky, undisputed heavyweight world champion in 1976’s “Rocky,” starring Sylvester Stallone.

Carl Weathers, Linebacker-Turned-Actor Who Played In The ‘Rocky’ Films And ‘The Mandalorian,’ Died.

“It puts you on the map and launches your career, so to speak. However, since that is a one-time event, you must follow it up with something else. Fortunately, those films continued arriving, and Apollo Creed grew more and more prominent in people’s minds and welcomed into their lives, and it was simply the perfect guy at the right moment,” he told The Daily Beast in 2017.

Weathers most recently appeared in the Disney+ smash “The Mandalorian” in all three seasons.

“We lost a legend yesterday,” Stallone wrote in an Instagram post featuring a video tribute. The actor stood before a portrait of himself and Weathers boxing, saying, “Carl Weathers was such an important part of my life and success… I give him tremendous credit and kudos.

“When he walked into that room and I saw him for the first time, I saw greatness. … I never could have accomplished what we did with ‘Rocky’ without him.'”

Stallone concluded his video homage by stating, “Apollo, keep punching.”

In 1984’s “Rocky IV,” Creed, who had starred in the first four “Rocky” movies, lost his life in the ring while facing Dolph Lundgren’s enormous, steroid-using Soviet opponent Ivan Drago. Before entering the ring, James Brown performed “Living in America” with showgirls, while Creed appeared on a balcony wearing a Star-Spangled Banner shorts and waistcoat combo and an Uncle Sam hat, dancing and taunting Drago.

Rocky cradles a dying Creed as he twitches and collapses in the ring after receiving a brutal beating, setting up a fight between Drago and Rocky. But, although Creed is gone, his character’s son, Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed, will lead his boxing trilogy beginning in 2015.

Weathers went on to star in 1987’s “Predator,” where he flexed his pecs alongside Ventura, Schwarzenegger, and others, and 1988’s “Action Jackson,” in which he aims his flamethrower on a bad guy and asks, “How do you like your ribs?” before broiling him.

Carl Weathers, Linebacker-Turned-Actor Who Played In The ‘Rocky’ Films And ‘The Mandalorian,’ Died.

“We lost an icon,” Jesse Ventura, a former “Predator” co-star, tweeted on X (previously Twitter). “Carl Weathers was a phenomenal talent, a true professional and a dear friend.”

He then added a fake wooden hand to portray a golf pro in the 1996 comedy classic “Happy Gilmore” starring Adam Sandler and played in Dick Wolf’s short-lived spin-off series “Chicago Justice” in 2017 and Disney’s “The Mandalorian,” getting an Emmy Award nomination in 2021. He also provided the voice for Combat Carl in the “Toy Story” franchise.

Sandler praised his pal on social media, describing him as a “wonderful dude” and “a true legend” — “So much pleasure to be around always. Smart as hell. Loyal as heck. “Funny as hell!”

Weathers grew up admiring characters like Woody Strode, whose physicality and acting ability in “Spartacus” made an early impression. Others he admired included performers Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte and sportsmen Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali, who defied stereotypes and broke down barriers.

“There are so many people who came before me who I admired and whose success I wanted to emulate, and who set the standards for success that I’ve been able to follow and achieve success as a result. And hopefully I can encourage someone else to do good things as well,” he told the Detroit News in 2023. “I guess I’m just a lucky guy.”

Weathers began acting in plays in elementary school while growing up in New Orleans. Athletics led him astray in high school, but he would eventually reunite with his true love.

Weathers played collegiate football at San Diego State University while majoring in theatre and then played one season in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders in 1970.

“When I found football, it was a completely different outlet,” Weathers told the Detroit News. “It was more about the physique, yet one influences the other. You needed some intelligence because there were playbooks and films to study in order to learn about the adversary each week.”

Following his time with the Raiders, he joined the Canadian Football League, where he played for two years while finishing his education at San Francisco State University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in drama in 1974.

After acting in various films and TV episodes, including “Good Times,” “The Six Million Dollar Man,” “In the Heat of the Night,” and “Starsky & Hutch,” as well as fighting Nazis alongside Harrison Ford in “Force 10 From Navarone,” Weathers scored his breakout role in Creed. He told The Hollywood Reporter that his beginnings in the renowned franchise could have been better.

Carl Weathers, Linebacker-Turned-Actor Who Played In The ‘Rocky’ Films And ‘The Mandalorian,’ Died.

He was asked to read with the writer Stallone, who was then unknown. Weathers read the scene but felt it fell flat, so he blurted out, “I could do a lot better if you got me a real actor to work with,” he recounted. “So I just insulted the star of the movie without really knowing it and not intending to.” He also lied about having any boxing experience.

Weathers later became interested in directing, helming episodes of “Silk Stalkings” and the Lorenzo Lamas film “Renegade.” He directed a third-season episode of “The Mandalorian.”

Weathers introduced himself to a new generation by portraying himself as an opportunistic and highly thrifty actor who becomes entangled with the dysfunctional clan at the centre of “Arrested Development.”

The Weathers character enjoys saving money by preparing broth from discarded food—”There’s still plenty of meat on that bone” and “Baby, you got a stew going!” — and, for the proper price, decides to become an acting instructor for the deluded and talentless thespian Tobias Funke (David Cross).

Weathers left behind two boys.

SOURCE – (AP)

Up Next

Controversial Podcast Host Joe Rogan Signs A New Deal With Spotify For Up To A Reported $250 Million

Don't Miss

Chita Rivera, Tony Award-Winning Actress And Singer, Dead At 91

Entertainment

Gladiator II Rakes in $87 Million in Weekend Debut

Published

5 days ago

2024-11-18

Geoff Brown

Despite not playing in theaters in the United States, Canada, and China until this coming Friday, Gladiator II earned $87 million over the weekend, which is the best foreign opening for a Ridley Scott film to date.

Last week, the picture premiered in 63 countries, including the UK, and grossed $11.4 million from 722 theatres. Particularly impressive was its performance in France, where it raised $10.3 million from 729 outlets.

But this one is a little weaker compared to February’s smash hit sequel, Dune: Part Two, which grossed $97 million worldwide in its opening weekend. At the same time, Deadpool & Wolverine made $233 million for Disney, while Inside Out 2 for Pixar grossed $140 million.

The Fall Guy, an action comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, earned $36.7 million in its opening weekend worldwide, while Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga earned $30 million.

Last Monday, King Charles III attended a screening of Gladiator II in London, capping off a weeks-long worldwide press tour for the film’s cast and production. A Mexican biscuit brand, Rome’s public transportation system, and a German bank VR are just a few multinational brands it has teamed up with to boost its visibility.

In Australia, dessert merchant Oliver Brown offered a special edition of pistachio-heavy puds and drinks dubbed the Emperor’s Collection. The Gladiator II salted caramel latte is available at French Coffee Shop, a business in Paris.

After poor statistics for Venom: The Last Dance and The Rock’s comedy Red One, which premiered worldwide last week, fans hope that Scott’s delayed sequel can lift the global box office for the last month and a half of the year.

Some are predicting a Barbenheimer-style struggle for the top spot in the US box office when Gladiator II and the highly anticipated musical Wicked premiere on the same day, even though double-bill events are unlikely to be very popular.

Gladiator Star Russell Crowe Honored in Rome

Gladiator Star Russell Crowe Honored in Rome

Entertainment

Blizzard’s Remastered Versions Of Warcraft 1 And 2 Are Now Available On PCs.

Published

2 weeks ago

2024-11-13

Salman Ahmad

Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment

(VOR News) – It has been said by Blizzard that it does not intend to remake Warcraft 1 and 2 since the company believes that these games are “just not that fun any longer.”

When the corporation first made this declaration, it has been almost exactly eight years since it was delivered.

However, the firm has only recently made the news that it will be doing precisely that, and as part of the celebrations for Warcraft’s 30th anniversary, both of the remastered versions are now available to play. The celebrations did not start until today.

The public first played Warcraft in 1994.

This game played a significant role in Blizzard’s rise to the top of the competition. In the year that followed, Warcraft 2 was hastily created in order to suit the requirements of the burgeoning fanbase that the first Warcraft had established.

Additionally, the company has just disclosed that they will be remastering the games, and these remasters will contain a variety of additions to the traditional real-time strategic action that is included in the games.

The initial stage of these enhancements to the development process consists of a new collection of hand-drawn pictures that may be toggled on and off in real time. The artistic style of the originals has been said to be completely captured by these photos, according to the assertions made.

Specifically, Blizzard has implemented “modern controls” for Warcraft 1, which include the option to move with a right click, the ability to pick bounding boxes, and a faster progression rate.

These features are all present in the Warcraft game.

The alterations that have been made include these, however they are not the only ones. It is important to note that these changes have been introduced in addition to the user interface and user experience enhancements that have been implemented throughout both games.

Tool tips, health bars, mission decision screens, and increased unit selection are some of the enhancements that have been introduced in this version of the game. As an additional feature, the multiplayer mode that was included in the first version of Warcraft 2 is still included in the remastered version of the game.

As an additional point of interest, each and every one of the legacy custom maps is entirely compatible with the new edition and may be played in the same capacity.

Despite the fact that there is currently no information regarding whether or not Warcraft 1 Remastered and Warcraft 2 Remastered will eventually be made available on other markets, both of these remastered versions of the game are currently available for purchase on Battle.net for personal computers at prices of $9.99 and $14.99, respectively.

Both of these versions of the game are remastered versions of the original game. A Battle Chest bundle is also available for purchase, and it can be purchased for the price of $39.99. All of the titles that have been remastered are included in this bundle, in addition to Blizzard’s Warcraft 3: Reforged, which has been met with a considerable deal of criticism.

Blizzard has been making continual efforts to improve the game ever since it was first made available to the public in the year 2020.

This is despite the fact that the game was met with poor reviews practically immediately after it was released. An entirely new upgrade, version 2.0, is currently being made available to all gamers without delay.

One of the numerous enhancements to the quality of life that are included in this is “much, much more,” in addition to a wide range of options for personalizing the hockey experience within the game and a new ladder.

In addition to the high-definition versions of all of the older Warcraft assets, these upgrades also include new environments and lighting, a redesigned user interface, and a variety of other enhancements.

SOURCE: EG

Entertainment

Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 Returns Without Kevin Costner

Published

2 weeks ago

2024-11-11

Geoff Brown

Yellowstone is finally returning for the second half of its fifth season without Kevin Costner

Yellowstone will finally return for the second half of its fifth season. We have a lot to speak about, such as recalling what is going on in this program, Kevin Costner’s departure, and whether or not season 5, part 2, will truly end Yellowstone.

Season 5 Part 1 ended on a cliffhanger—we could be in for a full-fledged Dutton family civil war—and we’ve been waiting for nearly two years.

A quick recap: nothing changes from how this program usually goes, except it’s a little more intense. Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) despised Jamie Dutton. Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) despised Beth Dutton.

That has always been the case since childhood trauma, but now things have escalated. Their father, John Dutton (Kevin Costner), is now Montana’s Governor, and Jamie, who should be his top legal thinker, is played by a group of local businessmen known as Market Equities.

Anyway, Jamie and Beth are attempting to kill each other, and John appears to be leaning toward Beth’s side.

Given Kevin Costner’s public exit from the program, part 2 of season 5 will be especially noteworthy. Long story short, he departed to make his Horizon films and never returned.

So, how will Yellowstone pick up the tale without John? That much is unknown, which adds to the season’s appeal!

Of course, our other characters continue to do what they do. Rip (Cole Hauser) is doing his Rip thing. Kayce (Luke Grimes) oversees the ranch. His wife, Monica (Kelsey Asbille), is still grieving the loss of their unborn son.

But we do have some high stakes to pick up—and they will begin on Sunday, November 10th, whether Kevin Costner appears on screen or not.

Another twist: While we believed season 5 would conclude the Yellowstone story, part 2 is in the works.

There have also been suggestions that Yellowstone could return for a sixth season, starring Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly as Rip and Beth. Hmm, certainly!

Yellowstone’s fifth season, part 2, will air each episode of the truncated half-season on Sunday nights at 8:00 PM EST.

The episodes will then be shown on linear TV, Hulu with Live TV, or the Paramount Network website and app for those with a cable subscription. The premiere will also re-air on CBS at 10:00 p.m. EST.

Yellowstone season 5, part 2, will consist of six episodes, the first of which is currently accessible to watch and stream. That implies the series might end with five more episodes of Western family drama.