American Horror Story star Emma Roberts is the latest addition to the cast of the upcoming superhero film Madame Web, headlined by Dakota Johnson.
The film hails from Sony Pictures which is developing multiple projects to expand its Spider-Man universe, billed as the Sony Universe of Marvel Characters.
According to Deadline, the details about Roberts' role in the film, her first superhero movie, are under wraps.
Madame Web is believed to be an origin story for one of Spider-Man's mentors who, at least in the comics and in the cartoon, never actively fights anyone herself. Throughout her depictions, she's shown as an elderly woman suffering from myasthenia gravis, leaving her hooked up to a "web" of life support machines. However, her years of experience and clairvoyant abilities were a boon to Spider-Man. For this reason, the film is expected to make some adjustments for a more entertaining story, either showing her beginnings or changing the character altogether. According to Deadline, insiders say that it's likely she'll act as the Doctor Strange of Sony's Marvel universe given the similarities in their abilities.
S J Clarkson, who has previously worked on the Marvel series Jessica Jones and The Defenders, is directing the film.
Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless of Morbius, also part of Sony's Spider-Man universe, will write the screenplay. A previous draft of the film was also written by Kerem Sanga.
Roberts has a slew of films on the way in the near future with her just finishing production on the rom-com About Fate. She's best known for her roles in horror, however, becoming a mainstay on American Horror Story for several seasons while also appearing in Scream Queens for FOX. On the film side, she appeared in Scream 4, and she has the upcoming horror film Abandoned to look forward to which features her alongside Michael Shannon and John Gallagher Jr. She's also taken cracks at production with a credit for the Netflix hit series First Kill.
The film is scheduled to be released in theatres on July 7, 2023.
The singer jokingly texted Clairo saying, "Let's f**k her up," sparking an online frenzy
Why Charli XCX jokingly declared war on Peppa Pig after one viral comment
Highlights
What started as a playful celebrity game has turned into one of the internet's most unexpected viral moments, with Charli XCX jokingly threatening to "f**k up" Peppa Pig after the beloved cartoon character appeared to dismiss singer Clairo.
The exchange quickly spread across social media, drawing reactions from fans and fellow musicians, while turning an unlikely clash between a pop star and a fictional children's character into a trending talking point.
Peppa Pig's viral remark sparked the joke
The playful exchange began during Peppa Pig's appearance in Pitchfork's Over/Under game, where the animated character rated a selection of music artists.
While expressing admiration for acts including PinkPantheress and The Beatles, Peppa responded to Clairo by saying, "I don't know her," a line widely recognised as a reference to Mariah Carey's famous response when asked about Jennifer Lopez.
The remark, accompanied by a knowing glance at the camera, quickly gained traction online.
Charli XCX rushed to Clairo's defence
After seeing the clip, Charli XCX privately messaged Clairo, writing, "Let's f**k her up," alongside a screenshot of the viral post.
Clairo later shared the exchange on social media, prompting thousands of reactions from fans, many of whom responded with pig and bacon-themed jokes.
PinkPantheress, whom Peppa had praised in the original video, also joined the conversation, posting a message supporting Clairo.
As the exchange continued, Clairo responded to the growing attention with humour, replying to posts before eventually telling followers, "ok that's enoughhhhh lolllllllllll."
Some fans joked that the viral moment was the perfect opportunity for the singer to announce new music, though Clairo replied that she did not have anything ready to share.
Her most recent album, Charm, was released in 2024, with its accompanying tour concluding in 2025.
Charli XCX keeps her focus on new music
While the online joke continued to gather momentum, Charli XCX did not publicly add to the exchange.
Instead, the singer has been focusing on promoting her upcoming album, Music, Fashion, Film, which is scheduled for release on July 24.
Although fans speculated that one of the track titles could be a playful nod to the viral exchange, there has been no indication that the album references the light-hearted social media moment.