Hello, and welcome to another edition of The Monitor, WIRED’s entertainment news roundup. This time around the updates are all over the place, from Joe Rogan going to Spotify to Bane masks flying off the proverbial shelves. Oh, and Batwoman is leaving Batwoman. (Long story.) Let’s dive right in.
Covid-19 Is Causing a Spike in Sales for Bane Masks
Here’s a sentence that before March 2020 would’ve sounded unlikely, if not impossible: Due to the recent pandemic, online retailers are seeing a spike in sales of Bane masks. Turns out, the headgear made popular by Tom Hardy’s character in The Dark Knight Rises is becoming a much-coveted accessory for folks looking for face coverings to wear to protect themselves from Covid-19.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, online costume retailers like Costume.com are sold out of the masks, and sellers on Etsy are churning out cloth versions at a rapid pace. (There are still some available on Amazon, though.) “Looking at sales figures, the adult mask had quite a sales spike in April and early May, which is unusual for this time of year,” Costume.com spokesperson David DeJac told THR, adding that there are a few children’s masks still in stock.
Many local governments, including those in Los Angeles and New York, have been requiring people to wear masks when they go outside to slow the spread of the coronavirus; it only makes sense that people would get creative in how they do so. But we feel like we should note, however, that plastic costume masks probably won’t do much to protect you or others from infection—you’re better off making your own.
HBO Max Will #ReleaseTheSnyderCut
For years, it seemed like an urban myth: Zack Snyder’s cut of 2017’s Justice League. It was the stuff of online rallying cries—accompanied by the hashtag #ReleaseTheSnyderCut—and street sign campaigns at Comic-Con International. It seemed both entirely possible and not exactly real. Welp, it is, in fact, real—and it’s coming to HBO Max. Yesterday, Warner Bros. Pictures announced that it will release Snyder’s director’s cut of the film in 2021 on the new streaming service, which is launching next week. “I want to thank HBO Max and Warner Bros. for this brave gesture of supporting artists and allowing their true visions to be realized,” Snyder said in a statement. “Also a special thank you to all of those involved in the SnyderCut movement for making this a reality.” For those wondering, this isn’t a cut that that’s been secretly locked away in a vault since 2017. Per The Hollywood Reporter, it will be what Snyder calls “an entirely new thing” that could premiere as a four-hour movie or in a series of installments.
Ruby Rose, Who Plays Batwoman, Is Leaving Batwoman
In other Batman-adjacent news, Ruby Rose is reportedly leaving the titular role on the CW’s Batwoman prior to its second season. Rose’s exact reason for leaving the show is a little murky, but the network says it’s still going to find a new series lead and proceed with Season 2. “I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season,” Rose said in a statement. “This was not a decision I made lightly as I have the utmost respect for the cast, crew and everyone involved with the show in both Vancouver and in Los Angeles. I am beyond appreciative to Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Caroline Dries for not only giving me this incredible opportunity, but for welcoming me into the DC universe they have so beautifully created. … Thank you to everyone who made Season 1 a success—I am truly grateful.”
Premiere of Tom Hanks’ New Film Shifted to Apple TV+
Tom Hanks is once again about to come to a TV near you. After recovering from the coronavirus and hosting Saturday Night Live, the actor’s next project—a World War II movie called Greyhound—is headed to Apple TV+. No release date has been set yet, but according to Deadline the movie was originally slated to hit theaters on Father’s Day weekend but was pulled from its slot amidst Covid-19-related theater closures. When the film does hit Apple TV+ it will be the biggest feature yet to land on the streaming service.
Joe Rogan Is Taking His Podcast to Spotify
In a move that has big Howard-Stern-goes-to-Sirius energy, Joe Rogan is taking his podcast to Spotify. The company announced this week that The Joe Rogan Experience, one of the most listened-to podcasts in the world, will become available on Spotify starting September 1, and will become exclusive to the platform sometime after that. Listeners won’t have to pay for the comedian’s podcast, but they will have to be Spotify users to listen to the audio and watch the video. (Rogan’s popular YouTube channel will remain active, but full videos of each podcast will move to Spotify.) Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but they probably involve what industry analysts call “a lot of money.”
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