No stranger to rabid fan bases in genre television, Emma Caulfield, who plays Dottie on Marvel Studios' WandaVision, is reveling in the various fan theories that have sprung up during the show's nine-episode run.
"Obviously I knew what the truth was, and I couldn't say anything," Caulfield told Cheddar regarding speculation about her character running rampant on social media. "These are all so good, and I wish that some of these were actually true."
The veteran actress, who also once starred as a demon-turned-human character in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, even issued a tongue-in-cheek plea to Kevin Feige, who runs the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to make more of those fan-derived storylines come to pass.
"Dear Kevin, what can I get you for Christmas?" she added with a laugh.
Without giving away the ending for the series, which is now completely available on Disney+ after a traditional run of weekly episode drops, Caulfield's Dottie is one of the significant residents of Westview, New Jersey, the setting for superhero Wanda Maximoff to seemingly living vicariously through TV sitcoms that magically envelop the town. The episodes of the streaming show correspondingly pay homage to classic broadcast staples that run the gamut from The Dick Van Dyke Show to Modern Family.
Caulfield noted that emulating some of those earlier TV aesthetics was part of the fun challenge of creating the series.
"Getting the period correct, making sure that the voice and the body language and all that stuff was spot on, the technical aspects of that, that was the most actor-y good stuff that you get to do," she said.
Offering up that the work environment was supportive to take on those challenges, Caulfield took time to praise dialect coach Courtney Young, as well as WandaVision showrunner and her previous collaborator on the film Timer, Jac Schaeffer.
"She's just this wonderfully supportive, hilarious, gifted person," Caulfield said of Schaeffer. "I would read the phone book for her if she wanted me to."
'Top Gun: Maverick' making an estimated $156 million domestically for its four-day opening weekend. Daniel Loria, SVP of Content Strategy and Editorial Director at Boxoffice Pro, joins Cheddar News to weigh in on the long-awaited sequel and the summer box office.
The holiday weekend saw Disney+ and Netflix competing head-to-head for streaming views as the Disney behemoth kicked off the unofficial start to summer with its release of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" and Netflix responded with the first part of "Stranger Things" Season 4. The streaming giants caught the eye of Wall Street, and Seth Schachner, the managing director at consultancy Strat Americas, joined Cheddar News to break down the heavy hitters. "This is a very tough, competitive game, and I don't see it getting any easier," he said. "I think you'll probably see more consolidation."
The founder and president of Cyborg Mobile Kobie Hatcher has been on a strong trajectory to disrupt his industry with a program called The New Technologists. It's not only meant to address the diversity gap within large tech companies but also help pave the way to transform the lives of young BIPOC students. He joined Cheddar News to talk about how he's working to make a difference with the lack of diversity in tech. “There's truly no lack of talent out there. It's just identifying them and letting them know that, hey, I've been in the tech sector for over 20 years. I see you. I know what you can bring, bring it, we need it," Hatcher said.
Catching you up on the entertainment headlines of the day with "Top Gun: Maverick" soaring up to a record opening at $160.5M, Harry Styles also hitting number one on Billboard with "Harry's House," Netflix released images of Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein in "Maestro," and more.
Constituent service platform Indigov recently raised $25 million in a Series B funding round. Indigov bills itself as a constituent relationship management tool that helps elected officials improve the way they organize, respond to, and engage those they serve. The startup's services are being used by federal, state, and local governments across the country, including the U.S. House of Representatives. Alex Kouts, founder & CEO of Indigov, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The 2022 NBA playoffs are intensifying as four teams vie for an NBA finals berth. Tonight, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors can book their finals ticket with a win over the Dallas Mavericks, while Miami will be feeling the 'heat' tomorrow night, facing elimination against the Boston Celtics.
And with the growing popularity of sports betting, the NBA playoffs offers a potential money-making opportunity for fans. Trysta Krick, host of BetMGM Tonight, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
As the holiday weekend arrives, travelers are bracing themselves for higher gas prices amid the inflation surge, but Robert Sinclair, AAA spokesperson, joined Cheddar News to discuss how the higher costs likely won't hold people back this Memorial Day Weekend. “We're near pre-pandemic levels. Nearly 40 million people are traveling. And of that total, about 35 million will be driving to their destinations," he said.