‘The Substance’ returns to theaters following Demi Moore’s Globe win, and more of today’s top stories

Gold Derby’s top news stories for Jan. 13, 2025

Universal Music Group nixes Grammys events

UMG joins the list of organizations cancelling events due to the Los Angeles wildfires. They have announced that they will forego their planned events surrounding Grammy week. The company said in a statement, “Today we have cancelled all of our Grammy-related events, including the Artist Showcase and After-Grammy Party and will redirect the resources that would have been used for those events to assist those affected by the wildfires. Our deepest gratitude goes to the first responders and emergency personnel, who continue to perform heroically.”

The Grammy Awards themselves, however, are currently moving forward as scheduled. Prizes will be handed out on Sunday, Feb. 2, during a ceremony that will also raise funds for wildfire relief.

The Substance gets theatrical rerelease amid awards buzz

With Demi Moore picking up Oscar momentum following her surprise Golden Globe win, her body-horror film is getting a new life in theaters. Distributor Mubi will release the body-horror film, featuring Moore as an aging star who goes to great lengths to recapture her youth, into more than 350 theaters nationwide on Jan. 17. During its original release last fall, the film grossed $16.5 million domestically and $78.1 million worldwide, making it the most commercially successful film in Mubi history.

In addition to Moore’s win for Best Film Comedy/Musical Actress, The Substance received Globe noms for Best Film Comedy/Musical, Best Film Supporting Actress (Margaret Qualley), and Best Screenplay and Best Director for filmmaker Coralie Fargeat. The film also has seven Critics Choice noms including Best Actress (Moore), Best Supporting Actress (Qualley), Best Director (Fargeat), and Best Picture. The film is currently predicted to score six Oscar nominations according to Gold Derby’s odds. It ranks among the top 10 likely contenders for Best Picture, while Moore ranks second in the Best Actress race.

Succession creator Jesse Armstrong’s next HBO project announced

Deadline is reporting that Jesse Armstrong finally has a new project coming to HBO nearly two years after wrapping Succession. However, instead of a series, Armstrong will be helming a film set during an international financial crisis.

Armstrong won seven Emmys for his work on Succession: four for Best Drama Writing (he never lost) and three for Best Drama Series. He also won three Writers Guild Awards and three Producers Guild Awards. Before Succession, he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for the political satire In the Loop (2009), a nomination he shared with Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche.

Carrie Underwood will perform at Donald Trump inauguration

Not usually one to court controversy, country music star Carrie Underwood is suddenly getting political. She will perform “America the Beautiful” for Donald Trump’s presidential inaugural on Jan. 20. The social media reaction has been swift from Trump opponents online, with some planning to boycott the singer’s music.

Underwood has been one of the most successful artists to emerge from American Idol. She won the TV talent competition in 2005. Since then, she has won eight Grammys out of 16 nominations in her career. Her most recent victory was Best Roots Gospel Album for “My Savior.” At the Academy of Country Music Awards, she claimed Entertainer of the Year three times. This spring she is set to return to her American Idol stomping grounds as a judge, replacing Katy Perry.

Lil Baby edges out Bad Bunny on Billboard 200

It was a close battle between two new albums on the latest Billboard 200 chart: Lil Baby‘s WHAM and Bad Bunny‘s Debí Tirar Más Fotos. Ultimately it was Lil Baby’s fourth studio album that came out on top to become the first new chart-topper of 2025 after two weeks of SZA’s SOS leading the way.

WHAM achieved 140,000 album units based on its combined record sales, individual track sales, and online streaming performance. It’s his fourth No. 1 album following My Turn (2020), The Voice of the Heroes with Lil Durk (2021) and It’s Only Me (2022). Debí Tirar Más Fotos was close behind with 122,000 album units, but it had the disadvantage of being released two days after Lil Baby’s collection, so it had fewer days to generate sales and streams.