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Yes, You Read That Right An artist vomited paint all over Lady Gaga as part of a performance in Texas 27
reading this film, just flipping the pages,” he said. “It was just a fun ride and after doing a show for so long that I was so proud to be a part of, but it was also emotionally exhausting, just so heavy every single day. I wanted to do something that was a little bit lighter and this was that.” Paul got his wish in a campy film with cliche-filled dialogue and a predictable plot. But the movie also features several European super cars: a Swedish Koenigsegg Agera R, Lamborghini, GTA Spano, Bugatti and McLaren P1.
TV TONIGHT 8 P.M.
‘Dancing With the Stars’ (ABC)
MELINDA SUE GORDON (DREAMWORKS II)
Sportscaster Erin Andrews, who came in third in Season 10, replaces Brooke Burke-Charvet as Tom Bergeron’s new co-host as the hit dance competition launches its 18th season. This year’s contestants include former hockey player Sean Avery, actress Candace Cameron Bure, Olympic champion ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White, and game show host Drew Carey, left.
8 P.M.
‘Switched at Birth’ (FAM) When the rivalry between the Carlton and Buckner field hockey teams intensifies, Bay asks Tank to help her strike back. Daphne chooses between Campbell and Jorge. Regina’s connections prove helpful at work.
Aaron Paul, left, says “Need for Speed” was a break from his heavy AMC drama, the recently concluded “Breaking Bad.”
In the Driver’s Seat
9 P.M.
‘Paycheck to Paycheck: The Life & Times of Katrina Gilbert’ (HBO)
After playing the sidekick, Aaron Paul lightens up as the lead of ‘Need for Speed’
This new documentary tells the story of Katrina Gilbert, a single mother in Tennessee who struggles to raise her children on a nursing assistant’s wages. She wants to get more education, but that’s easier said than done.
VIRGINIA SHWERWOOD (NBC)
Film
10:01 P.M.
‘The Blacklist’ (NBC) The next person on Raymond “Red” Reddington’s (James Spader) list is someone familiar: his former associate Mako Tanida, a crime lord who has escaped from prison with revenge on his mind. (TRIBUNE MEDIA)
When Aaron Paul received the script for “Need for Speed,” he had very little interest in even reading the story, let alone taking a starring role in the movie. He saw the title and immediately envisioned another poorly done video game adaptation. Or worse, a car film desperately try-
ing to become a franchise. “When I saw ‘Need for Speed,’ I just instantly thought ‘This is a “Fast & Furious” rip-off. This is going to be God awful,’ ” Paul said. Paul ultimately decided to read the script, which is based on the popular Electronic Arts racing game, and found himself surprisingly intrigued by the story of a street racer framed for a crime he didn’t commit. He seeks his revenge while taking a cross-country trip in a custom-built Ford Mustang, which he hopes to enter in an underground and illegal street race. “I just had such a fun time
$21.2M
Stunts
Speed Demon Director Scott Waugh insisted that all the action sequences and wrecks be done live and did not rely on the use of CGI or a green screen. Paul trained for up to 10 hours a day to do most of his own driving. “I got to learn how to do all the fun stuff … flipping the car around in a reverse 180 and going through stunt courses,” Paul said. “I loved every minute of it, it never felt dangerous.” (AP)
“I just had such a fun time reading this film. … I wanted to do something a bit lighter and this was that.” Both Paul and director Scott Waugh bill “Need for Speed” as an homage to classic car flicks. They cite “Bullitt” and “Vanishing Point” as inspirations. Steve McQueen was in Waugh’s mind during casting when he first heard Paul’s name. “Aaron has this uncanny ability of portraying edge, mixed with charisma, mixed with humble and likability and Steve really had that,” Waugh said. “Steve was such a man’s man and he was also a ladies’ man.” Paul doesn’t buy the comparison. “I don’t know how that makes me feel,” he laughed. “I remember my dad showing me ‘Bullitt’ when I was a kid and Steve McQueen was just a bad-ass. If our director thinks that, I thank him. But I am definitely not claiming to be that.” JENNA FRYER (AP)
The box office take of “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” this weekend, according to Box Office Mojo. Also in its second weekend, “300: Rise of an Empire” came in second with $19.1 million in earnings. “Need for Speed” rounds out the top three, earning $17.8 million in its opening weekend. (E XPRESS)