franchise

Who’s ready for a Minions happy dance?

Spanish figure skater Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté said Tuesday that he may be able to skate his Minions-themed program at the Olympics after all. He shared on Instagram that Universal is allowing him to use the music from its popular animated franchise for the “special occasion” and said he is working to clear the remaining hurdles.

“There are still a couple things to be tied up with the other 2 musics of the program but we are so close to accomplishing it!” Guarino Sabaté wrote in his update thanking his supporters. “I’m so happy to see that the minions hitting Olympic ice is becoming real again!! I’ll keep you posted!”

A six-time Spanish national champion, Guarino Sabaté said on Monday that he had been informed Friday — exactly a week before the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Games — that the medley of “Minions” music he had skated to, while dressed in blue overalls and a yellow shirt, through the entirety of the season could not be used at the Olympics due to copyright issues. This meant that Guarino Sabaté, who had been set to make his Olympics debut with his Minions-themed short program on Feb. 10, would need to change his plans last minute. How bananas.

The cheery yellow creatures are a signature of Universal and Illumination’s “Despicable Me” film franchise. NBCUniversal owns the U.S. media rights to the Olympics.

“Finding out about this … so close to the most important competition of my life, was incredibly disappointing,” Guarino Sabaté wrote in his post sharing the initial news. “This season I competed with my Minions short program to bring joy and playful style to the ice while still meeting every required element to show that skating as a male Olympic figure skater can be fun. … Nevertheless, I will face this challenge head on and do my best to make the best of it.”

The Olympian said then that he had followed the proper procedures and submitted his music through the International Skating Union’s recommended rights clearance system in August. The situation has brought to attention to the complexities of music licensing and how it affects artistic sports like figure skating. Contemporary music is not in the public domain and skaters are responsible for clearing their own music.

For now, fans will just have to remain hopeful that Guarino Sabaté’s dream of bringing joyous Minion mayhem to the Olympic ice will come true in the end.

Yellowstone’s Jefferson White has officially joined the cast of the upcoming Rambo prequel led by an iconic Netflix star

Yellowstone actor Jefferson White has officially been cast in the forthcoming Rambo prequel, John Rambo.

With Noah Centineo taking on the legendary veteran role originally made famous by Sylvester Stallone, the new picture from director Jalmari Helander (Sisu) will be positioned several years prior to the 1982 action masterpiece, First Blood.

White, known for playing Jimmy Hurdstrom in the popular Western series, becomes part of an ensemble that features Yao (Sinners), Jason Tobin (A Thousand Blows), Quincy Isaiah (Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty), and Tayme Thapthimthong (The White Lotus).

Specifics regarding White and his fellow cast members’ characters remain under wraps. The prequel is being described as a labour of love for Helander and will likely delve into Rambo’s wartime service in Vietnam.

Production is presently taking place across Bangkok, Krabi, Phang Nga, and Kanchanaburi in Thailand, reports the Express.

A stark initial poster showing Rambo’s grip on military identification tags has been unveiled.

Speaking about the project, Helander revealed: “When I was 11, I saw First Blood for the first time, and it changed my life.

“Rambo wasn’t just a film to me – it stayed with me growing up and was a defining influence on why I wanted to become a filmmaker.

“As we begin production on the origin of John Rambo, we’re going back to the beginning.

Paramount+ half price sale

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

£7.99

£3.99

Paramount+

Get Paramount+ here

Paramount+ is offering 50% off its Standard and Premium subscriptions until July 10.

“This is Rambo stripped down, raw, and real – a survival story about endurance, persistence, and lost innocence. It’s an honor to shape this next chapter with deep respect for the character and the legacy, and to bring audiences the start of John Rambo’s journey.”

Erin Westerman, president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said: “We’re thrilled to start production on John Rambo, which will allow both new audiences and existing fans to explore John Rambo’s roots, his principles, and most importantly, some incredible action, courtesy of Jalmari’s singular vision.

“And we’re so excited for Noah’s committed and powerful performance to show what forged this character into legend.”

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**

Leading man Centineo rose to fame playing Peter Kavinsky in Netflix’s beloved To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before rom-com trilogy opposite Lana Condor.

His credits also include 2022’s superhero blockbuster Black Adam alongside Dwayne Johnson, whilst he’s set to take on the role of Ken Masters in the forthcoming Street Fighter adaptation arriving in cinemas later this year.

John Rambo does not yet have a release date. Yellowstone is available to stream on Paramount+