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VIRAL NEWS: PETER PAN CASTING, TWILIGHT REBOOT, AND COACHELLA

A peek into the topics buzzing at Cassandra

Friday is here already, so it's time for us to dive into the most talked-about topics this week in the interwebs. Culture moves fast, and we at Cassandra try to move even faster to keep up with all the relevant issues Gen Z can't stop talking. In this edition: the new Peter Pan movie made casting history, an equally hated and beloved franchise might be coming back, and the most aesthetic festival rounds up its first weekend. All good vibes in this week's roundup of Viral News!

Image of the Disney's Peter Pan and Wendy film logo

PETER PAN CASTING WIN

Disney's upcoming Peter Pan & Wendy movie is set to premiere on April 28th through Disney+ and showcases the studio's first actor with Down's Syndrome playing a major role in a feature. Noah Matthews, 15, is playing the leader of the Lost Boys in the live-action remake of the beloved book by JM Barrie. Representation of actors belonging to groups that have historically not been spotlighted on the big and small screen conveys film and TV studios taking a step in the right direction regarding genuine diversity. Gen Zs' conversation around inclusivity has become more complex by the day. Beyond celebrating casting actors from different races, they're demanding accurate representation and even debating about not doing enough when the studios don't go all the way —like labeling the casting of black actress Yara Shahidi as Tinker Bell as "lazy" instead of creating new original characters for BIPOC people.

Image of the twilight book cover; a pair of pale arms are holding a bright red apple against a striking black background

TWILIGHT MIGHT BE BACK

Last week we wrote about Harry Potter's new show on HBO, and now we're discussing the reboot of the Twilight franchise... time machines might not be real, but it’s feeling very 2008. The Hollywood Reporter announced this week that Lionsgate Television is in the very early stages of developing a TV show of the vampire saga based on Stephanie Meyer's best-selling books. The cultural phenomenon of the aughts might live on and TikTok has opinions about it. Either love it or hate it; what is for sure is that people will talk about it nonstop. The franchise continues to be extremely popular with Gen Zs, the tag #Twilight has over 22 billion views on TikTok, and it's not uncommon to see edits, jokes, memes, and clips of the beloved/hated saga. Can't wait to see the new version of "Where have you been, loca?"

Image of hands raised up from a concert crowd with the Coachella logo on top

COACHELLA'S FIRST WEEKEND IS DONE

Probably the most popular music festival in the U.S. for young people wrapped its first weekend, and it's everything anyone can talk about online right now. The tag #Coachella2023 is raking in about 1.8 billion views on TikTok, becoming a massive space for content creation for many Gen Zs. From daily outfits and tips when attending to celebrity spotting and music shows highlights, the clock app is filled with videos from attendees of the Coachella Valley Music Festival 2023 recording their experiences. The very aesthetic-forward event represents an ideal outlet of creativity for many but also is the perfect space to spot all the most significant influencers and celebrities, so it's not out of the ordinary to find content around celebrity gossip or even funny cameos of very famous TV actors during Rosalía’s performance.