[THE MAIN EVENT]

There’s a Green Spirit Lurking: Says co-director Ryan Fleck: “In the ’80s, there were all kinds of New Age-y things being sold on TV or billboards. Self-improvement was a big deal. I thought, let's tap into something that's genuinely spiritual—that actually works for people—and pretend as if it's real. When the movie comes out, people can take a look for themselves online. Maybe there will be something to read about Psytopics…”

Sleepy Floyd Wide Awake: The Golden State Warrior point guard once scored 29 points in a quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers. Radio announcer Greg Papa screamed “Sleepy Floyd is Superman!" Floyd, played by Jay Ellis, does turn into a superhero of sorts, but he’s more Invincible than Superman.

Jay Ellis Got Diesel: “I’ve never trained so hard in my life,” Ellis told UpRising last year. “I was asked to do six different types of martial arts and learn how to use five to seven different types of weapons. No guns—all swords, daos, butterfly knives, stuff like that. I hadn’t had experience with any of that.”

The Origins of Danger Zone: Played by Dominique Thorne and Normani, this rap duo debuted on Too Short’s “Don’t Fight the Feelin.’” “That got me excited about this version of Freaky Tales: What if we tackle Too $hort from the point of view of Danger Zone,” said co-director Anna Boden. “They brilliantly kind of take him down a notch. It fascinated us that he had the confidence in his 20s to put this song on his album.”

Grab your tickets for a Freaky Tales showing this weekend, in theaters only.

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[IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING]

How Pop the Balloon or Find Love Blew Up

The internet’s favorite dating series is hitting Netflix in a weekly live adaptation hosted by actress Yvonne Orji. Here’s a brief timeline of how we got here.

Sometimes execution is more important than originality. Arlette Amuli and Bolia Matundu (BM) understand this better than most. The married couple created Pop the Balloon or Find Love—a hit dating series centered around a simple premise: Singles keep bright red balloons inflated to show interest in a suitor or pop them to signal the opposite. Matundu has said their show’s inspiration came from seeing others make similar videos during the pandemic. He simply refined the concept by making it a little more mature than others. (Jay-Z once put this succinctly: “You made it a hot line; I made it a hot song.”)

“I don’t claim that I owned this idea,” Matundu told The New York Times. “I was inspired by it, just like many other people are inspired by us.”

Already a social media personality, Amuli was a natural fit to host the series, which is filmed in Phoenix. In just over a year, the series has become a full-blown cultural phenomenon. And it’s taking its next leap on Thursday (April 10) at 8 p.m. ET, when it moves from YouTube to a live weekly Netflix reimagining. Yvonne Orji will serve as host while Matundu and Amuli stay on as executive producers.

UpRising serves up a brief history of the bingeable series for a look at how it has gone pop.

December 2023: The first episode of Pop the Balloon or Find Love is uploaded and published to YouTube—and it doesn’t take long for the show to blow up.

June 2024: Season two of Pop the Balloon kicks off with a viral episodethat finds a 29-year-old plumber named Aaron Sloan downtalking his would-be companions (“You’re not qualified!”). One lady looking for love dishes the barbs right back: “You kinda look like a Ninja Turtle. You’re not that cute.” Cowabunga, dude! The views sit at 6.5 million and counting.

July 2024: Pop the Balloon gets its first engagement! Mike Braswell proposed to Nicole “Khe” Okeke during a catch-up special after the two matched in a previous episode. She did not deflate his plans. 

August 2024: Amuli and Matundu announce via Deadline report that they have signed to Creative Artists Agency, positioning the couple for expansion.

September 2024: The Tamron Hall Show airs a Pop the Balloon takeover episode that features appearances by Amuli and Matundu, as well as a live recreation of the series. 

January 2025: In his return to Saturday Night Live, Dave Chappelle spoofs Pop the Balloon by reprising a beloved Chappelle’s Show sketch: “The Playa Haters’ Ball.” Kenan Thompson, Donnell Rawlings, GloRilla, and Chappelle, himself, star in the hilarious segment. Ego Nwodim impersonates Amuli as host.

March 2025: Netflix announces it will air a reimagined version of the series—called Pop the Balloon Live—will air in a weekly format. A press release promises “higher stakes, fresh twists, and celebrity surprises,” which include appearances from Zaina Sesay of The Ultimatum and Chase DeMoor of Too Hot To Handle.

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[TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT]

I’m not a gatekeeper. I think gatekeeping is whack, especially when we live in an era where there’s no gates. You really have a lot of idiots in television, a lot of idiots in the film world, who still think that there’s gates.

What’s for you is for you—nobody can block your blessings but yourself. So make like this iconic radio and television personality and best-selling author, and spread the love.

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[FOR PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY]

Turning Passion Into Production With CÎROC’s Blue Dot Creative Residency

In a world where time and resources are luxuries for creatives, CÎROC Ultra-Premium Vodka is making room for creators to breathe, build and break through. Enter the Blue Dot Creative Residency, a new initiative delivering direct funding, access and support for creatives looking to expand their footprint across entertainment, art, music, and fashion.

The program is already in motion with the inaugural residents making moves: Erika Alexander is crafting a flavorful unscripted show, Woody McClain is in the studio with a forthcoming album, and a soon-to-be-announced third creative is gearing up to join them!

Keep an eye out as these projects come to life, supported by CÎROC, who are investing in the culture of tomorrow, today.

Stay tuned on Instagram @CIROC for more updates.