This weekend was full of award ceremony firsts as the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards took place last Sunday. Jimmy Kimmel hosted the first-ever virtual Emmys to millions of viewers online, with a global camera and crew located in 10 different countries and 20 cities. The nominees also streamed privately from their homes, offering many a brief glimpse into the altered way of life for actors and filmmakers alike. And with the absence of red carpet coverage, many celebrities took to social media to share their thoughts about the ongoing event.

 Photo: ABC           https://people.com/style/emmys-2020-zendaya-plunging-dress-outfit-changes/

The biggest topic of discussion for the night came after Zendaya won Outstanding Lead Actress for her performance in the HBO series “Euphoria”. The actress, aged 24, became the youngest person to win Best Lead Actress in a Drama, usurping the title from actress Jodie Comer who won it the previous year. Many celebrities on Twitter, including Drake and Sarah Paulson, offered praise for her captivating performances and celebrated her historic win. The award came somewhat as a surprise for fans considering competition within that category which included critically-acclaimed performances by Jennifer Aniston in “The Morning Show” and Sandra Oh in “Killing Eve”.

Photo: HBO  https://www.goldderby.com/article/2020/euphoria-emmys-why-zendaya-can-win-drama-actress/

Zendaya’s previous work in Disney Channel’s 2010 sitcom “Shake It Up” and Marvel’s 2017 “Spider-Man: Homecoming” provides a stark contrast to her role in “Euphoria”. Zendaya portrays Rue, who is a highschool drug-addict on the difficult path to recovery. As she struggles in sobriety, she becomes acquainted with many people having similar yet profoundly different stories that intertwine throughout the show. The series is an honest display of teenage drug-abuse and offers a unique exploration of spectrum sexuality. Zendaya’s performance is powerful and heart-wrenching as she tries her best to navigate, making this one of her most ambitious roles to date, and reception of her recent Emmy Award well-deserved.   

Melinda Sue Gordon/Warner Bros.

A burning question on the minds of film-goers and cinephiles everywhere: is it safe yet? Since the closure of most theaters across America in early March, viewers have been encouraged to streamline the movie-going experience altogether by purchasing films at home. With increased accessibility to films through on-demand streaming devices like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, the necessity of the physical experience became compromised.

And with the absence of loyal patrons, global box offices have taken a major hit up until recently. Christopher Nolan’s newest theater-only film release “Tenet” has encouraged socially distanced movie-goers to return in a major way. The opening weekend alone grossed $53 million at the box office in countries like France, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Germany. As many speculate, this could signal the possible return of other movies, as its performance prompted select cities across the United States to screen the new film this opening week.

Nolan’s film is anticipated to gross roughly $15-35 million in the upcoming week, as fans and casual patrons roll into theaters at expected higher rates than before. Some online ticket sales have sold-out because of increasing streaming and viewing demands (people are also buying the pre-release of the film before it premieres). An optimistic air surrounds theaters and production companies for guaranteed box-office success, specifically for Warner Bros.

Other big blockbuster releases such as Patty Jenkin’s, “Wonder Woman 1984”, and Denis Villeneuve’s, “Dune”, are set to release later this year after postponed screenings. With a similar curiosity surrounding “Tenet”, fans will be encouraged to witness the acting performances of fresh faces. John David Washington’s lead role will be a first for a Nolan directed film and a much-needed change to cinematic diversity in Hollywood. Kristen Wiig’s will introduce a new villainous character for the Wonder Woman film franchise as she portrays ‘Cheetah’. Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet’s roles in the 2020 remake “Dune” will inspire younger fans to flock to theaters. But will crowd numbers turn up as expected? And can “Tenet” save the day? We’ll have to wait out the upcoming opening weeks to find out.