The last time we (Kaiser) reported on the upcoming Ridley Scott movie, The Martian, we heard that Matt Damon got a whopping $25 million for his role while Jessica Chastain pulled in a comparatively measly $7 million. Several of you who have read the book by Andy Weir note that Damon’s role was more central than Chastain’s. Now that we’ve had a chance to see the trailer, below, it’s clear that’s the case. (Not that it justifies the pay disparity, it just explains it somewhat.)

Take a look at the trailer, which was just released, (if you’re able to) and we’ll talk about it in a moment.

That was incredible, right? It was one of the most powerful trailers I’ve seen and I know I’ll see it when it comes out in November. Damon MacGyvers his way through a presumed four years of survival in a harsh environment while the team on earth goes rogue to save him. It’s rare that you get to see such a full plot outline and yet still want to have the details filled in. I love that there are so many excellent supporting actors in this, particularly Chiwetel Ejiofor, Chastain and Kristen Wiig.

Many people are pointing out that this film bears at least a superficial resemblance to Interstellar, particularly because Damon’s astronaut character in that film, Dr. Mann, similarly gets stranded. (Note that the Netflix DVD for Interstellar is sitting right next to my XBox and I haven’t seen it yet. I hate when this happens.) Here’s a tweet from book author Andy Weir acknowledging this coincidence.

Why yes, Matt Damon did play a stranded astronaut in Interstellar. Thank you, thousands of people, for pointing that out over and over.

— Andy Weir (@andyweirauthor) June 8, 2015

Critics are saying that this film looks much better than Interstellar, though, particularly because the science shown is actually realistic. (Unlike Interstellar or Gravity.) Business Insider points out that author Weir researched the book extensively. He said “To a nerd like me, working out all the math and physics for Mark’s problems and solutions was fun. The more I worked on it, the more I realized I had accidentally spent my life researching for this story.”

What’s more is that NASA experts have consulted on the film for authenticity and “production has worked very closely with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab“. NASA even gave permission for their actual logo to be used in the film.

Here’s a tweet from NASA tacitly acknowledging that the book is realistic.

Andy Weir compares our habitat to Hermes in his book The Martian. This may be living quarters on a #JourneyToMars. pic.twitter.com/y0OZhxdTYU

— Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) April 30, 2015

Oh and there’s a new promotional video featuring interviews with the “astronauts” on board before the disaster. I really enjoyed this, particularly the faux tweets from fans in the background. This is clever. At one point there’s a German tweet about Damon and Kate Mara’s characters acting like brother and sister. Why do we have to wait until November for this?! I want to see it now.

photos are screenshots from the trailer

We haven’t written about Ariana Grande since she and Big Sean broke up in April. I was actually pretty happy with that arrangement – Ariana annoys the hell out of me, but she’s been less “extra” this year after her bratty explosion last year. And yes, she did behave like a brat. It was well-documented. In any case, Ariana was getting some criticism…?? Or something. Somebody, somewhere, said something about Ariana having a bad attitude, being a diva or a bitch or whatever, and she decided to write a Grande Thesis on feminism. From her Twitter (minor NSFW warning for language).

pic.twitter.com/ifMzCfMA9Y

— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) June 7, 2015

Okay. I’ll say something positive: I would much rather see a pop star engage in this kind of conversation about feminism, being objectified, sexual agency and society’s double standards as opposed to “OMG, I don’t know anything about feminism, gosh!” Love her or hate her, Ariana is furthering the discussion in the right direction.

Now, all that being said… I still think Ariana needs an attitude adjustment in general.

PS… I think Ariana was being attacked by crazy 1Ders and that’s why she’s specifically talking about friendship-versus-romance after being seen out with Niall Horan. Ah, I think the same thing happened to Betty Friedan. All of the great feminist manifestos begin with crazy 1Ders.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Dear Gossips,

Today is Johnny Depp’s 52nd birthday. Do you think he thinks about the number? Conveniently a new poster for his upcoming film, in which he plays Whitey Bulger, has been released. Meanwhile he continues to work on Pirates 5 in Australia, monitored by drones. TMZ has the video. N…      

Here are some photos of Prince Harry at last night’s WellChild Gala Concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Harry went business-casual for the event, with a nice blue suit, crisp white shirt and no tie. This is a great summer look for a prince or a peasant!

As we discussed yesterday, Prince Harry was recently seen looking rather cozy and flirty with actress Jenna Coleman, a brunette. There really was some photo evidence of this flirtation too, which was interesting. My current theory is that Harry is still “single” but he enjoys a good mingle, possibly with ex-girlfriends and possibly with attractive actresses. He’s not currently looking for The One, mostly because he’s about to spend three months in Africa. People Magazine says that Harry will be leaving soon, so he’ll probably miss his niece’s christening.

Prince Harry may be widely tipped as a possible godfather to his niece Princess Charlotte, but he won’t be in attendance when the special ceremony takes place on July 5, PEOPLE has learned. Harry – who was on a royal tour Down Under for Charlotte’s May 2 birth – is likely to be in Africa, at the beginning of his three-month visit to the continent as he pursues conservation work there following his upcoming departure from the army.

While his exit date has not been confirmed, the 30-year-old prince is expected to have said his goodbyes from military life by the end of the month and, in the short term, immerse himself in helping the cause of wildlife in Africa and the ongoing battle against the illegal trade in animal parts.

Prince William and Princess Kate have said that they will welcome family and friends to St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Queen’s Sandringham estate for the private christening of their daughter. The church, where the late Princess Diana was also christened, is only a couple of miles from their country home, Anmer Hall.

Harry, who announced earlier this year that he was leaving the army after a decade of service, explained last month that he is eager to join one of South Africa’s top veterinarians to learn more about the cause that is close to his heart.

“For me, it’s three months of hard grafting, working with animals,” he told British newspapers The Sun and The Sunday Times. “To actually get the chance to embed myself with the top vet in southern Africa, travel with him for three weeks and every job he gets called up to do. That’s like my dream.”

It’s also been reported that he will head to Namibia to help efforts to save the black rhino. The palace would not comment on the details of his upcoming plans.

[From People]

Do you think it’s notable that Harry isn’t going to stick around for his niece’s christening? I do not. I do think it’s notable that Harry – famously kid-friendly – barely has any contact with his niece and nephew. But I think this three-month trip to South Africa and Namibia (and probably other countries as well) is more about Harry finally doing something he’s always wanted to do now that he’s resigned from his military career. I’m also assuming he’s just staying in England through this next weekend, which is Trooping the Colour.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Kylie Jenner has a new interview with InStyle UK to promote her Nip + Fab anti-aging endorsement. Yes, Kylie is still 17 years old. In this interview, Kylie talks about how her skin is really dry, so she uses the serums for hydration. I still think Nip + Fab is silly to hire a teenager, but Kylie is making a killing on several endorsements. Over the past week alone, she’s posted product-friendly selfies for both FitTea and CocoaBrownTan. Kylie makes a lot of money in addition to whatever she brings home from KUWTK.

The InStyle journo describes Kylie as having a “bee-sting pout,” which only encourages the continued use of lip fillers. Kylie talks about her style influences (her sisters) and money stuff. She allegedly pays for all of her necessities and luxuries herself:

She gets dolled up for the show: “Sometimes I look back at myself on previous seasons of KUWTK and think, ‘Why didn’t you let your hair down then, or put on something nicer?’ I think now I’m much more aware when the cameras are around and I do doll up a lot more.”

Her style influences: “I feel like I dress like Khloe on my down days and Kim when I’m going out. If I’m just running out I’ll throw on a cute T-shirt, a pair of leggings and my Timberland boots. If I’m dressing up I love Celine and Saint Laurent, or for accessories Alaïa, Givenchy or Gianvito Rossi.”

Her financial independence: “My Mum cut me off financially three years ago so I pay for everything — my car, my gas and food as well as my clothes. There are so many outfits I bought in the past that I just think now are NOT cute — but there’s not very much I can do about it!”

She’s not into exercise: “I haven’t worked out in two and a half years. I’m living out my youth not doing any exercise and eating what I want, which is pretty bad. I’m into yellow rice — you just cook it for 15 minutes, it tastes so good.”

[From InStyleUK]

There are plenty of awful things to say about Kris Jenner’s parenting, yet I don’t see anything wrong with this money issue. Kylie still (until she turns 18) lives with Kris, so it’s not like Kris kicked Kylie onto the street at age 14.

Kris did allow Kylie to quit school around that time, which was a bad move. Is it so awful that Kylie paid for own car, gas, and clothing when she had her own income? Kylie probably could have eaten at home for free but chose to eat out instead. In which case, Kylie should have paid for that indulgence. When I got my first job, my parents made me pay for all that stuff too. Kylie didn’t get a real education, but maybe she’s learned something about managing money.

Here’s a photo of Kylie working out decor details at her new mansion.

A photo posted by King Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Jun 7, 2015 at 3:51pm PDT

Photos courtesy of Kylie Jenner on Instagram & WENN

It’s been a while since we’ve gotten an update on the Brian Williams situation. Four months ago, Williams was caught in a series of on-camera lies. As it turned out, he was something of a serial fantasist, claiming to be the star of all kinds of heroic stunts and journalistic coups, none of which were really true. Williams was suspended from the NBC Nightly News for six months – his suspension will be over in August, but NBC is likely going to announce their final decision this week, following an exhaustive in-house investigation into Williams’ lies.

A decision about Brian Williams’ fate at NBC could come as early as this week — and it looks like the embattled anchor won’t be returning to “NBC Nightly News.” Sources tell Page Six that Williams will likely lose his anchor chair following the lengthy internal investigation into his alleged tall tales. But NBC brass — led by NBCUniversal CEO and president Steve Burke and NBC News chairman Andy Lack — have been looking for a way to keep him at the network in a different, yet-to-be-agreed-upon role. One source told us, “Brian’s six-month suspension is over in early August, and NBC chiefs are under pressure to come up with a solution. The talks are complicated and are ongoing, and there has not yet been a deal. But it is likely he won’t be back in the ‘Nightly’ anchor chair. A decision could be made as early as this week, if all sides can reach an agreement.”

Industry insiders said NBC News staff, led by Lack, have been encouraged to think of alternative roles for Williams. But we are told the veteran anchor and his hard-charging attorney Robert Barnett have yet to agree and sign off on an alternative role. One insider said, “Many options are still on the table and are still being discussed, including ways to keep Brian at the network, or even for him to leave the network completely.”

The Post previously reported that Williams “would not go without a fight” and would have to be paid a large portion of his contract, which is worth about $10 million a year for five years. NBC declined to comment.

[From Page Six]

I think still honoring Williams’ contract in any way, shape or form would be a GD joke. Williams could and should be fired for cause and there’s no way NBC should pay him $10 million a year following this disaster. And what kind of “alternative role”? There is no way Williams could anchor his own news magazine show at this point.

Meanwhile, it’s looking more and more like the substitute anchor of the Nightly News, Lester Holt, will become the permanent anchor. It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy – CNN ran a story about how Holt is doing really well in the anchor chair and his NBC colleagues love him and respect him. Holt is everything Brian Williams and Matt Lauer are not: a real newsman who treats his coworkers really well.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

By the time Kim Kardashian gives birth later this year, I might have some half-hearted sympathy for Kanye West. It seems like as soon as Kim finally got pregnant this time, she’s just been complaining non-stop about everything from clothes to heels to feeling pukey. As is her right – during her last pregnancy, I was sympathetic towards Kim because she really seemed utterly miserable. But Kanye has to deal with it all the time now – I don’t think Kim is going to let him escape to Paris like last time.

Anyway, TMZ has been doing a lot of Kardashian-West stories about this pregnancy. Here’s one about Kim trying to stick to a diet this time around so she doesn’t have preeclampsia again.

Kim Kardashian is doing everything she can to avoid a serious complication with her second pregnancy … including bringing in someone to keep her on a strict diet. We’re told Kim suffered from a high-blood pressure disorder called preeclampsia when North was in the oven. Only 5-8% of pregnant women get it, but doctors say it’s likely to reoccur … so, Kim’s taking action.

Our Kardashian sources tell us she hired a nutritionist to devise a weekly meal plan with two key rules – lots of water and a low sodium intake. One big change — KK started each day of her first pregnancy with a donut, but this time she’s reaching for protein shakes. Kim’s hoping to avoid symptoms like swelling, headaches and changes in vision … by sticking to the plan.

[From TMZ]

Kim has said in the past that Kanye eats healthy and he works with a nutritionist or dietician or something. I’m sure Kanye will be totally on board if Kim is trying to eat better this time around, although if the preeclampsia happens, it happens. As for the name of the second baby… who knows? They repeatedly said that they wouldn’t name their baby girl North and look what happened. But sources insist this time around that Kimye will not go with a directional name.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are ditching the compass when it comes to naming baby #2 … we’ve learned there will be no sequel to North West. Sources close to the couple tell us there’s NO CHANCE their new bundle will be inspired by direction, like their firstborn. Everyone’s been speculating they’d go with something like South, East or even Easton — but we’re told there’s simply no direction in play.

The main reason, we’re told … is they want the name to be strong. With North, there was a power element because it’s always on top, or pointing up. The other 3 just don’t have that swagger.

Our sources say right now they’re leaning toward something more traditional … with a family-related influence. Think less ‘K’ name … and more likely something connected to Kim or Kanye’s late parents, we’re told. Kim’s due in December, so they’ve got time to sort it out. Perhaps they’ll even go seasonal … Winter West has a nice ring to it, but no word on the sex yet.

[From TMZ]

I have a strange affection for seasonal names like Autumn and Summer. The first time I met a girl named Summer, I was enchanted. I do think Kim and Kanye are the type to go with Winter West or December West or something like that. Although if it’s a boy, I’m guessing Easton West is on the table.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

MAJOR SPOILERS

Many of us are still reeling from Sunday night’s episode of Game of Thrones, “The Dance of Dragons.” What’s weird is that I have a pretty high tolerance for contextualized violence, as in, I tap out when on-screen carnage has no purpose, but if it’s within an interesting story, I’m cool with it. But even I thought that Stannis “sacrificing” his only daughter (Princess Shireen) to the Lord of Light just to get some military edge was… difficult to take. Like with every controversial choice, the Game of Thrones showrunners, DB Weiss and David Benioff, are getting a lot of heat. This time, they’ve sort of deflected and basically told everyone that George RR Martin said it was going to happen in the sixth book anyway. Entertainment Weekly sat down with Weiss to discuss it – some highlights:

Why Shireen’s sacrifice made sense in the narrative: “Horrible things happening to people in this show, and this is one that we thought was entirely [narratively] justified. It was set-up by the predicament that Stannis was in. It will be awful to see, but it’s supposed to be awful.”

Why Shireen and not someone else? “It’s like a two-tiered system. If a superhero knocks over a building and there are 5,000 people in the building that we can presume are now dead, does it matter? Because they’re not people we know. But if one dog we like gets run over by a car, it’s the worst thing we’ve we’ve ever seen. I totally understand where that visceral reaction comes from. I have that same reaction. There’s also something sh-tty about that. So instead of saying, ‘How could you do this to somebody you know and care about?’ maybe when it’s happening to somebody we don’t know so well, maybe then it should hit us all a bit harder.”

Weiss on the world of Stannis and Melisandre: “People who watch Game of Thrones don’t see the same world as Stannis and Melisandre. To those characters, magic is real and it works. That’s something fun about this genre because when magic is real and you can see it with your own eyes in the show, it gives you a window into the heads of people who believe irrational things on faith. I can’t really get my head around how those people operate in our world, as they’re so completely disconnected from the way I process the world. So in a strange way, fantasy is a cock-eyed window into the heads of people who would do something terrible for an irrational reason.”

[From EW]

HBO also released a behind-the-scenes video for “The Dance of Dragons” in which David Benioff insinuates that George Martin told them that Stannis killing Shireen was a future plotline in the book and Benioff says, “It was one of those moments where I remember looking at Dan and [thinking] that’s so horrible and so good in a story sense…The very first time we saw Stannis and Melisandre, they were burning people alive on the beaches of Dragonstone and it’s really all come to this. There’s been so much talk of king’s blood, and the power of king’s blood, and it all leads ultimately, fatally, to Shireen’s sacrifice, and it’s one of the most horrible moments we’ve shot … It’s obviously the hardest choice he’s ever made in his life and for Stannis it comes down to ambition versus familial love and for Stannis and for Stannis sadly that choice is ambition.” Here’s the video.

This admission – that Stannis will do the same thing in a future GoT book – has gotten some people upset. They’re accusing Weiss and Benioff of “spoiling” the book and now it’s just some massive flame-war between book-purists and show-watchers and all of that. I don’t know… I love Game of Thrones and I love to obsess about it (it gets me through so much gym time!), but I do think people need to take it down a notch. It’s a TV show and popular book series. Enough.

Photos courtesy of HBO/Game of Thrones.

Kim Basinger has a new interview with The Daily Beast to promote her new film, The 11th Hour. It sounds like a really depressing film about a working woman who decides that she suddenly wants to become a mother, and she has to go through a crazy journey to adopt or buy a kid. Do you mind if I not excerpt many quotes about the film? Because it sounds like a really sad, depressing movie. You can read the full Daily Beast interview here. Kim talks about other stuff too, which is why I’m covering it. Remember when she used to date Prince? Remember 9 ½ Weeks? Yeah, she talks about that stuff too!

She admires child-free women: “I’ve always admired professional women—and I’ve had a few around me—who decided not to have kids. They knew they either couldn’t handle it, or just didn’t have that maternal instinct, or it just wasn’t for them.”

Working on 9 ½ Weeks: “9½ Weeks is one of those that I’m so proud of. I know it took some hits initially—whether tomatoes were thrown—or that we stayed in a theater in Paris for a number of years, but I’m very proud of that collaboration with Mickey, and with [director] Adrian Lyne…There’ve been a lot of sexy, nudie films around, but in some strange way, we pioneered our way into that arena, and I remember how welcomed I was—especially in Europe—with that character. And it strengthened my film and personal relationship with women.

Dating Prince back in the day: “He’s a brilliant talent. There’s no doubt about that. You know that, I’m sure. Hey, listen, I don’t really have boundaries, so I enjoyed that time of my life. It was a really special moment in time, and I have great memories. I don’t put a lot of restrictions on myself, let’s just put it that way. If there’s someone I connect with, we’ll go on these rides together. So that was a neat time in my life.

Prince writing “Scandalous Sex Suite” for her: “That song. Oh, I know. Oh dear! Ah, yes. Sex runs the world in a lot of ways! If only women knew how powerful they were, they’d just say “no, no more babies,” and then we’d run the world. So there you go!

On Christopher Nolan’s Batman: “They’re beautifully, beautifully done—especially The Dark Knight, the Heath Ledger one. It was cinematically beautiful, and very well-written. But I’m still very proud that I was in the first one… Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson? Listen, if I were an audience member I’d say the same thing. Where do you go from Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson? You don’t get better than that.

Working with Ryan Gosling: “I love him. He’s a doll… He’s just a sweet man. He’s a sweet person. I pray to god he’s that nice in life! He’s adorable, though. He’s for real. So, lucky… what’s her name? Eva? Lucky for her. He’s beautiful, she’s beautiful, and I’m sure they’ve made a really beautiful baby.”

[From The Daily Beast]

I’ll admit that I sometimes think like this: “If only women knew how powerful they were, they’d just say ‘no, no more babies,’ and then we’d run the world.” It’s an impossible, illogical dream, but it is worth thinking about from time to time. Of course, what I see as “sidetracked by children” is another woman’s goal (motherhood). Everybody’s different, but it’s nice to see Kim stick up for childfree women and basically say that women are more powerful in ways other than motherhood.

As for the Prince stuff… she rarely talks about her time with him. None of his exes say much. I kind of think he asks them to sign nondisclosure agreements.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

It’s been three weeks now since In Touch Weekly broke the Josh Duggar story, and what a wild three weeks it has been. For those of you who enjoy insider-y stories of old-fashioned journalism, I’d suggest watching this video interview with one of In Touch’s editors. He talks about their decision to spend some money and time investigating the Duggar situation after hearing some long-running rumors that Josh had been “sent away” at some point. In Touch sent several reporters to Arkansas to ask questions of the Duggars’ neighbors and fellow-church-goers and they got a clearer idea of what the scandal was, so they tailored their FOIA request specifically to alleged crimes of Josh and anything involving Jim-Bob and Michelle.

In the wake of In Touch’s old-fashioned journalism scoop, the Duggars’ PR and crisis management has been nothing short of a total disaster. They’ve lied repeatedly on-camera, they’ve offended many people and they look like simpering, faux-moralistic hypocrites. So the question becomes: who was advising the Duggars? Turns out they hired a political advisor who worked for Mike Huckabee.

When InTouch Weekly first broke the news that Josh Duggar had molested his underage sisters as a teenager, Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and 2016 presidential candidate, was one of the first to very publicly offer his support to the Duggar family. “Janet and I want to affirm our support for the Duggar family,” wrote the former Fox News host on his Facebook page, saying that even if an action was “inexcusable” that didn’t mean it was “unforgivable.”

It turns out the politician’s ties to the Duggars may run deeper than just a show of support. According to CNN Money’s Brian Stelter, the Duggar family’s public image crisis is being managed by Chad Gallagher, Huckabee’s longtime political adviser. Gallagher is the founder and principal of Legacy Consulting in Arkansas, and also oversees Huckabee’s political action committee, HUCKPAC, which made the news earlier this year for awarding nearly $400,000 to Huckabee’s own family.

The connection between Huckabee and the Duggars, both Christian conservative icons, seems to run deep, as the Duggars rushed to endorse Huckabee when he announced his 2016 bid for president, dropping their support for Rick Santorum. However, on June 4, reports emerged that the Duggars’ vociferous statements of support had been scrubbed clean from the “I Like Mike” sidebar of Huckabee’s campaign website, leading to speculation the latter’s camp was trying to distance him from the molestation scandal.

Huckabee’s senior communications adviser J. Hogan Gidley told E! News that the removal of the statements wasn’t deliberate and was merely a case of unfortunate timing: “The plan when we launched the Huckabee for President website simply was to rotate supporters’ pictures the first of every month.” Specific questions were sent to Legacy Consulting and Gallagher by email and via phone call, but they did not respond to Newsweek’s repeated requests for comment.

[From Newsweek]

For what it’s worth, Huckabee was on Fox News last night blaming “the media” for exploiting the family. Seriously. Anyway, I suspect that Chad Gallagher is one of several high-priced conservative wingnuts brought in to help “save” the Duggars. In Touch reported over the weekend that the Duggars arranged for a private plane for some crisis manager – possibly paid for by TLC? – to come to Arkansas to advise them. I don’t know if that crisis manager and Chad Gallagher are one and the same, but as I said – it seems like the Duggars have a team of morons “helping” them.

The Wrap had an interesting piece called “Why hasn’t TLC canceled the Duggars?” They don’t really know, they just have a media analyst talking about how the Duggars’ Fox News interviews blew up in their faces. My theory is that TLC has been trying to protect their Duggar cash cow this whole time, spending money on crisis managers and PR consultants to try to “weather” the horrific revelations, and that’s why TLC hasn’t canceled the show – they think that after a few months, they can put the show back on the air.

Photos courtesy of the Duggars’ social media.