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At Comic-Con, 'The Boys'' creators tease new prequel spin-off, 'Vought Rising'

At Comic-Con, 'The Boys'' creators tease new prequel spin-off, 'Vought Rising'

(L-R) Ackles, Cash - Prime Video

At Prime Video's panel for The Boys at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, the show's creator, Eric Kripke, announced that Jensen Ackles' popular Soldier Boy character and Aya Cash's Nazi-Supe Stormfront will have their own show, a prequel series called Vought Rising.

Ackles made a surprise appearance at the panel, which was moderated by The Boys season 4 star Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Cash popped up via video. 

Vought Rising will be set in the 1950s, when, as the show's name suggests, the multinational conglomerate-to- be was in its infancy, thanks to the superhero-producing formula known as Compound V. 

Prime Video calls the "deranged" new spin-off "a twisted murder mystery about the origins of Vought in the 1950s, the early exploits of Soldier Boy, and the diabolical maneuvers of a Supe known to fans as Stormfront, who was then going by the name Clara Vought." 

The streaming service adds, "We cannot wait to blow your minds and trouble your souls with this salacious, grisly saga drenched in blood and Compound V."

Ackles and Cash will serve as co-executive producers on the show.

Past spin-offs from the world of The Boys include Gen V and the animated The Boys Presents: Diabolical, both streaming exclusively on Prime Video.

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Fox renews animated 'Krapopolis' for season 4

Fox renews animated 'Krapopolis' for season 4

Fox

At a panel for the animated show at San Diego Comic-Con, Fox revealed its animated series Krapopolis has been renewed for a fourth season — ahead of its second season premiere this fall.

"For all our Krap-devotees, there was no better place to decree another season of Krapopolis than the annual San Diego Comic-Con fan fest and no one better to deliver the proclamation than our brilliant creator and executive producer, Dan Harmon," said Fox TV President Michael Thorn.

"Dan and his team have created something special with this series, and now that season 4 is etched in stone, we'll be keeping those once-in-a-millennia laughs rolling," he continued in part.

The show from Rick & Morty co-creator Harmon is a twisted take on ancient Greek mythology, telling the story "of a dysfunctional family of humans, gods and monsters that try their hand at running the world’s first cities – without trying to kill each other, first."

The cast includes Richard Ayoade, who plays Tyrannis. His character's parents are What We Do in the Shadows' Matt Berry (Shlub) and Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham, who just earned Krapopolis' first Emmy nomination, for voicing Tyrannis' mom, Deliria, the "goddess of self-destruction and questionable choices."

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'Alpha Cop': Ryan Reynolds reveals scrapped plan to

'Alpha Cop': Ryan Reynolds reveals scrapped plan to "hide" 'Deadpool & Wolverine' inside "horrible" fake movie

Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

In an appearance opposite his costar Hugh Jackman on First We Feast's Hot Ones show, Reynolds revealed his initial plan was to "hide" Deadpool & Wolverine inside an "intentionally bad" movie.

"The original idea with this movie was to shoot a fake movie called Alpha Cop, that was intentionally bad," said Reynolds, adding he even had a poster made for the phony film, with the tagline, "Two cops, one brain, all b****."

"It was about two guys that were sharing one brain and together they make the ultimate cop," Ryan said.

Reynolds and Jackman would have starred in Alpha Cop, having filmed the real movie "in secret," the actor-producer says.

He explained, "Like 10 people in America would go to see this movie on opening weekend and five minutes into the movie the Marvel logo would flip up and it would actually be Deadpool & Wolverine."

But the very high stakes bait and switch had a very real danger, so the plan was scrapped. "The problem is that if you managed to get down to the last minute and [the cover] got blown, it would just be heartbreaking," Ryan said.

While it's unknown what Alpha Cop would have made in sneaks, the real movie has already set box office records.

Deadpool & Wolverine made $38.5 million from previews on Thursday alone: That's the best-ever sneak preview showing for an R-rated film and the eighth highest sneak preview performance ever, adjusted for inflation.

For the record, it missed #7 on the list, Avengers: Infinity War, by only 1 million bucks.

According to the website The Numbers, Avengers: Endgame set the all-time record with $60 million before it actually opened.

Marvel Studios is owned by ABC News' parent company Disney.

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Reality Roundup: 'Love Island USA''s Rob tells all, Kamala Harris guests on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and more

Reality Roundup: 'Love Island USA''s Rob tells all, Kamala Harris guests on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and more

Have no fear, your reality roundup is here! Here's a look at what happened in the world of reality television this week:

The Kardashians (Hulu)
More Kardashians are on the way. As season 5 came to a close on Thursday, Hulu announced The Kardashians will be returning for season 6. Variety reports the streaming service has ordered 20 more episodes.

Love Island USA (Peacock)
Rob Rausch felt so connected to fellow Love Island USA season 6 contestant Andrea Carmona he almost followed her out the door after she got dumped from the villa, but ultimately decided against it. During a recent appearance on Call Her Daddy, Rausch says he is no longer interested in continuing a relationship with her. "It's probably better if we just kind of keep our distance for now," Rausch said, admitting he was put off by her social media presence. "A lot has happened and she's been posting a lot."

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (Paramount+)
Kamala Harris is about to make history as the first sitting vice president to appear on RuPaul's Drag Race. She will guest star of Friday's Drag Race All Stars 9 finale, which was filmed before President Joe Biden bowed out of the 2024 presidential election and endorsed Harris as his preferred successor on the Democratic ticket. "Each day, we're seeing our rights and freedoms under attack, including the right of everyone to be who they are, love who they love — openly and with pride," Harris said in a clip from the episode. "So, as we fight back against these attacks, let's all remember, no one is alone. We're all in this together, and your vote is your power."

 

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Zendaya, Mick Jagger, Spike Lee and more celebrate at Paris pre-Olympics event

Zendaya, Mick Jagger, Spike Lee and more celebrate at Paris pre-Olympics event

Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images for LVMH x Vogue x NBC

Hollywood rolled up to the City of Lights in a big way Thursday evening at the Prelude to the Olympics event at the Fondation Louis Vuitton museum.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Charlize Theron and tennis champ Serena Williams were two of the co-chairs for the event, which drew a galaxy of stars including Zendaya, Queen Latifah and Jeremy Allen White; music superstars Snoop Dogg and Mick Jagger; and Oscar winner Spike Lee.

The trade says the celebration of "sports, culture, music, fashion and art" was hosted by Louis Vuitton men’s creative director and recording artist Pharrell Williams and Vogue's Anna Wintour.

Athletes including LeBron James, Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka were also on hand, as were Lee's fellow filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Jon M. Chu, Baz Luhrmann and Everything Everywhere's co-director Daniel Kwan.

Also ready to party the night before the 2024 opening ceremony was writer-director Judd Apatow and his 40-Year-Old Virgin scene stealer, Elizabeth Banks, as well as comedian John Mulaney and Zac Efron, according to THR.

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The

The "Netflix effect" boosts 'Your Honor' and 'Dexter' to top of Nielsen's most-watched streaming rankings

SHOWTIME/Andrew Cooper

Both The Bear and The Boys found themselves among the top five most-watched shows on streaming for the week of June 24-30, according to new Nielsen numbers quoted by The Wrap

Interestingly, the #1 and #2 shows on the chart for that week, Your Honor starring Bryan Cranston, and Dexter, with Michael C. Hall, were already available on Paramount+, but a move to Netflix goosed their numbers, a phenomenon previously seen with shows like Suits and Loudermilk.

Your Honor got 1.58 billion viewing minutes across all platforms while Dexter came in second with 1.48 billion.

The Bear, which dropped its entire third season on Hulu on June 26, debuted at #3 on the list, with 1.2 billion viewing minutes, while The Boys logged 1.18 billion in that time frame -- which was ahead of its July 18 finale. 

Rounding out the Top Five for the last week in June was Bridgerton, with 1.14 billion viewing minutes.

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Two versions of 'The Fall Guy' movie coming to Peacock in August

Two versions of 'The Fall Guy' movie coming to Peacock in August

Universal Pictures

The Fall Guy, the Ryan Gosling/Emily Blunt big-screen remake of the '80s show of the same name, is headed to Peacock on Aug. 30, times two. 

The streaming service will make two versions of the movie available, both the theatrical cut and an extended edition that boasts 20 extra minutes of footage. 

The movie has Gosling's veteran stuntman Colt Seavers returning to the movies after a near-deadly stunt to double for spoiled star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). But the job on the directorial debut of his former love interest Jody (Blunt) goes sideways when Tom goes missing. 

Ted Lasso Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham also stars in the film from director David Leitch, along with Everything Everywhere star Stephanie Hsu and Marvel movie veteran Winston Duke

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Star-packed 'Deadpool & Wolverine' Festival of Life brings the house down at San Diego Comic-Con

Star-packed 'Deadpool & Wolverine' Festival of Life brings the house down at San Diego Comic-Con

Jackman, Reynolds and Levy - Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

On Thursday Ryan Reynolds returned to where Deadpool all started for him, San Diego Comic-Con, for a blockbuster event: The Ultimate Deadpool & Wolverine Festival of Life. 

His costar Hugh Jackman was there, as well as the movie's heavy Emma Corrin, director Shawn Levy and Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige — and a capacity crowd of 6,500 fans, Variety says.

So as to avoid spoilers for the attendees in Hall H, five more stars took the stage after a surprise screening, to get their flowers for their crowd-pleasing parts, which remained secret until many outlets decided it was acceptable to out them. 

Reynolds and Jackman reflected on fan reaction footage from the 2016 original got at Comic-Con. 

"I was the most nervous human being you would ever see," Reynolds said, according to Variety. "I was stepping into a dream come true in a certain sense, but I remember making that movie for you, and I remember how gratifying it was that everyone else liked it too."

He added of Jackman, "I'll never forget this moment, because this a****** was backstage." 

For his part, Jackman recalled "this chant that started up: 'One more time, one more time.' ... I found [the] stage manager, and I said ... 'If you don't play the f******* footage again, they are going to tear Hall H to the ground.'"

Reynolds then played a video snippet from Leslie Uggams, who plays Blind Al in the Deadpool movies, who said, "Can we skip the bulls*** and just show the damn movie?"

After the movie, five other stars appeared, fresh from their secret appearances in the film, including Dafne Keen, who was shown in the final trailer reprising as X-23/Laura. 

As for the identity of the other four, well ... Deadpool & Wolverine is now playing at a theater near you. 

Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

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In Brief: 'The Morning Show' adds William Jackson Harper, and more

In Brief: 'The Morning Show' adds William Jackson Harper, and more

Apple TV+ has renewed Camp Snoopy for a second season, the streaming service has announced. The kids series, based on the classic Charles M. Schulz comic strip, follows Charlie Brown's beloved pet beagle and his fellow Beagle Scouts as they explore the great outdoors and cross paths with Charlie and his friends enjoying their summer at Camp Spring Lake. A premiere date has yet to be announced. The complete first season of Camp Snoopy is now streaming on Apple TV+ ...

The Morning Show has tapped The Good Place alum William Jackson Harper to play Ben, "the self-assured and innovative Head of Sports at the show’s fictional TV network," according to The Hollywood Reporter. He joins Jeremy Irons, who will play the father of Jennifer Aniston's Alex Levy, and Oscar winner Marion Cotillard in the show's fourth season. The cast of Apple TV+'s workplace drama also includes Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Greta Lee, Jon Hamm and Nicole Beharie ...

Netflix has inked Rebecca Ferguson to star in its upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, opposite Cillian Murphy, according to Deadline. Murphy will return as gangster Tommy Shelby, the role he played over six seasons between 2013 and 2022. Plot details, including Ferguson's role, are being kept under wraps, but series creator Steven Knight describes it as "an explosive chapter in the Peaky Blinders story. No holds barred. Full-on Peaky Blinders at war.” ...

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'Deadpool & Wolverine's' Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen on playing the film's villains

'Deadpool & Wolverine's' Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen on playing the film's villains

Disney

Meet the British villains of Deadpool & Wolverine! The Marvel sequel, in theaters Friday, introduces fans to Mr. Paradox, a bureaucrat in the Time Variance Authority played by Matthew Macfadyen, and Cassandra Nova, played by Emma Corrin.

Cassandra's the evil twin sister of X-Men founder Charles Xavier, and Corrin tells ABC Audio it was a "delicious" role to sink their teeth into.

Adds Corrin, "I mean, Cassandra's a handful, and she's unpredictable and keeps the boys guessing, which is great. And, yeah, it was a lot of fun."

Cassandra can probe your deepest and darkest thoughts by physically sinking her fingers inside your body; Corrin says that in order to achieve that effect, they had to wear prosthetic fingers, which was a challenge.

"It's like having fingers on your fingers," they say. "But it feels interesting because you can't, I couldn't do anything once I had them on because they also had nails on them, which were very fragile. So, yeah, I couldn't go to the bathroom by myself, which was humbling."

Macfadyen is the Emmy-winning star of the HBO series Succession, playing Tom Wambsgans, and he talked to ABC Audio about who's more conniving and power hungry: Tom or Mr. Paradox.

"They're so sort of far apart and weirdly close together. I don't think Tom is particularly power hungry and conniving. He just sort of thinks in the moment and rises without trace to the top," he suggests.

Paradox, on the other hand, is "just sort of cross with where he is. He's waiting for a universe to die and it's taking too long. And so he ... he decides to do something about it."

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Jeff Goldblum goes god mode as Zeus in teaser to Netflix's 'Kaos'

Jeff Goldblum goes god mode as Zeus in teaser to Netflix's 'Kaos'

Netflix

Jeff Goldblum is famously easygoing, but he's anything but in the teaser for Kaos, Netflix's forthcoming "fable."

The present day-set show dips into ancient mythology, with Goldblum as a modern-day, vengeful Zeus.

"Humans, when they're not scared, they're not worshipping me," he boasts, as he watches video footage of various disasters. 

The streaming service calls the show "an epic struggle between gods, humans and everything in between," teasing humans who dare to defy the gods.

Of the rebels, Goldblum seethes, "I'm gonna wipe these f****** right off the face of the f****** earth."

The series comes to Netflix on Aug. 29.

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'The Boys' flying high: Season 4 finale scores 55 million viewers

'The Boys' flying high: Season 4 finale scores 55 million viewers

Prime Video

The final episode of season 4 of The Boys may have been a downer, but it ended on a very high note.

ABC Audio has learned that the fourth installment of the show attracted 55 million viewers worldwide, according to Prime Video, and reached #1 in 170 countries.

Overall, viewership for the fourth season of the Emmy-nominated series based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's bestselling comic book series is up 20% versus the third.

Interestingly, for all the skewering the show did about American politics this season, 60% of the audience was in other countries, with strong performances in the U.K., Canada, Brazil, India, Germany, Italy, France, Mexico and Spain, according to the streamer.

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Demi Moore horror pic 'The Substance' to kick off Toronto Film Fest's Midnight Madness selections

Demi Moore horror pic 'The Substance' to kick off Toronto Film Fest's Midnight Madness selections

Good Morning America

The Substance, a body horror movie starring Demi Moore that received a 13-minute standing ovation at Cannes International Film Festival, will have its North American premiere at the Toronto Film Festival Sept. 5.

The pic will kick off the festival's annual salute to all things shocking, its Midnight Madness lineup: "10 titles that celebrate the best in action, horror, shock, and fantasy cinema with midnight premieres at the historic (and allegedly haunted) Royal Alexandra Theatre," according to organizers. 

The Substance also stars Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid, and writer-director Coralie Fargeat's film has Moore playing an aging Hollywood superstar so desperate to regain her looks that she signs up to inject herself with a mysterious serum that shares the title's name.

However, and as expected, it turns out to be too good to be true. 

In a short video introducing this year's Midnight Madness lineup, its lead programmer, Peter Kuplowsky, called the movie a masterpiece, adding, "It's as good as you've heard."

The movie comes to theaters nationwide on Sept. 20.

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Pedro Pascal joins Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach for 'Fantastic Four' photo

Pedro Pascal joins Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach for 'Fantastic Four' photo

Marvel Studios

On his Instagram, Pedro Pascal posted a photo of the core four members of Marvel Studios' upcoming The Fantastic Four. "Our first mission together," he captioned the photo.

Pascal, who plays the stretchy genius Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic, is having his head cradled by Vanessa Kirby, who plays his onscreen love interest, Sue Storm, otherwise known as the Invisible Woman.

The Bear's Ebon Moss-Bachrach has his arms stretched around both her and Stranger Things veteran Joseph Quinn; Moss-Bachrach plays Ben Grimm/the Thing and Quinn plays Sue's brother, the daredevil Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch.

The cast also includes Black Bird actor Paul Walter Hauser, The First Omen's Ralph Ineson, Poker Face's Natasha Lyonne and Ozark vet Julia Garner.

Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige previously confirmed to The Official Marvel Podcast that the film is a period piece set in the '60s, though he hinted it may not necessarily be our 1960s.

Of a promotional image of Johnny flying in full "flame on" mode, Feige noted, "There were a lot of smart people who noticed that that cityscape didn't look exactly like the New York that we know or the New York that existed in the '60s in our world. Those are smart observations."

The Fantastic Four is scheduled to release on July 25, 2025.

Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

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Price revealed for unique Disney+/Hulu/Max bundle

Price revealed for unique Disney+/Hulu/Max bundle

Getty Images

The anticipated bundle of streaming services Disney+, Max and Hulu that was first announced in May now has a price: The package will run $16.99 a month for an ad-supported version and $29.99 a month for an ad-free experience. 

According to the announcement, that works out to be 38% less than if you were to buy all three individually.

As reported, it's an interesting collaboration, as most streaming services offer content bundles from within their corporate umbrella and don't team up with competitors.

For example, Disney has been previously packaged with its sports brand ESPN, and Paramount+ with Showtime, the latter of which are both owned by parent company Viacom.

While ABC News' parent company, Disney, is the majority shareholder of Hulu, Max is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

According to the announcement, the package provides "a wide selection of content from the biggest and most beloved portfolio of brands in entertainment including ABC, CNN, DC, Discovery, Disney, Food Network, FX, HBO, HGTV, Hulu, Marvel, Pixar, Searchlight, Star Wars, Warner Bros., and many more."

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January Jones, Kyle MacLachlan and more bow at A24 horror pic 'Altar'

January Jones, Kyle MacLachlan and more bow at A24 horror pic 'Altar'

Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Prime Video

Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere production company A24 announced that Mad Men alumna January Jones will be joining Fallout's Kyle MacLachlan and Oppenheimer's David Krumholtz in Altar, a new horror film.

The project hails from Westworld veteran writer Will Soodik and Egor Abramenko, the acclaimed Russian director behind the thriller Sputnik.

Plot details are under wraps, but the film, based on a short story by Philip Fracassi, "follows the summer of a young boy, forced to grow up faster than he ever imagined." 

Newcomer Hudson Behling plays the youngster in the Chernin Entertainment co-production that also stars Lily Collias.

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Rerun: The most popular re-watched TV shows by state

Rerun: The most popular re-watched TV shows by state

'The Office' - Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Whether unwinding with a little "comfort watching" or re-bingeing an old favorite from pilot to finale, most people have hit play on their favorite series more than once.

And according to a new survey, The Office is the most popular series in the country to do just that.

Casino.ca polled 3,000 Americans and 3,000 Canadians as to which shows they watch over and over again, and for both American and Canadian viewers, The Office is the preferred choice.

In the U.S., the Steve Carell comedy was the top pick in 14 states, including California, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Coming in second in the U.S. was Breaking Bad: The Emmy-winning drama was the #1 re-watched show in New Mexico, where the Bryan Cranston series is set, and six others, including Alabama, Florida and Nebraska.

Friends ranked third, topping the competition in four states, including New York, the home turf of Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Monica, Chandler and Joey, and their fictional hangout Central Perk.

Fourth place was a tie with two other NBC shows, Seinfeld and Law & Order: SVU. Both New York City-based series were tops in three states, but New York wasn't one of them.

Rounding out fifth place was another tie, with The Big Bang Theory, Grey's Anatomy, The Simpsons, Modern Family and Schitt’s Creek each being the top choice in two states.

Survey questions, methodology and results have not been verified or endorsed by ABC News or The Walt Disney Company.

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Jennifer Lopez shares video from her 'Bridgerton'-themed 55th birthday party

Jennifer Lopez shares video from her 'Bridgerton'-themed 55th birthday party

Marc Piasecki/WireImage

Jennifer Lopez is sharing pictures and videos from her Bridgerton-themed birthday party.

Lopez, who turned 55 on Wednesday, shared a video from her birthday celebration featuring outfits, music, horse and carriages fitting the Regency-era show’s style and theme.

The video Lopez shared on her Instagram featured a horse and carriage, quick-paced violin and a Regency ballroom dance with men dressed in long coats, white socks and loafers and women in white gloves and long dresses.

"Dearest Gentle Reader…And a splendid evening was had by all," read Lopez’s caption on her birthday post, a nod to the show's resident gossip maven Lady Whistledown.

Also included in the post were several images of Lopez in several outfits including an emerald green dress. Lopez posed for photos with guests, enjoyed a large multi-layered cake, and appeared to sing on a microphone for her guests.

The choice of a Bridgerton theme could be seen as slightly ironic, seeing as the Netflix phenomenon centers on all the drama the gossip pages can wreak on the lives of the rich and famous.

Lopez has weathered negative press recently: Headlines have hinted her marriage to Ben Affleck is in trouble, and in May, Lopez canceled her This Is Me...Live tour.

At the time, she released a statement saying "Please know that I wouldn't do this if I didn't feel that it was absolutely necessary. I promise I will make it up to you and we will all be together again. I love you all so much. Until next time..."

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Uncomfortable Facts: Mindy Cohn says

Uncomfortable Facts: Mindy Cohn says "greedy" former cast member torpedoed 'Facts of Life' reboot

Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Well, you take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and there you have the reason a The Facts of Life reboot didn't happen. 

Mindy Cohn, who now appears on the Apple TV+ comedy Palm Royale, appeared on SiriusXM's Jeff Lewis Live on Wednesday, revealing one of her three castmates from the '80s sitcom was a "greedy b****" and ended up scuttling the in-development project. 

She wouldn't say who it was, though her social media shows she's still chummy with Kim Fields, who played Tootie, and Nancy McKeon, who played Jo — but there are no recent photos with Lisa Whelchel, who played the spoiled Blair.

"We got into talks and we hired a writer," Mindy said. "The four of us got together on a Zoom — this was during COVID — and we had meetings with Norman [Lear] about it."

But to paraphrase the show's theme song, suddenly they found out one of the actresses thought the Facts of Life was all about them.

"One of the girls went behind [their] backs to try to make a separate deal for a spin-off deal just for herself," Cohn revealed, adding the others were "devastated."

"I'm just saying, for a 40-year friendship and sisterhood, there was a tidal wave of emotion around it," Cohn expressed. 

Fellow guest Michael Hitchcock offered, "There's always a greedy b****," earning a high five from Cohn. "You know what ... she was a greedy bitch," Mindy agreed. 

Cohn says a possible reboot picked up steam after the Facts of Life segment on ABC's Live in Front of a Studio Audience special became a huge hit.

Now the reboot is "dead," Cohn says, adding, "We were united for 40 years, and this kind of wrecked that. And ... it's really sad."

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In Brief: 'Industry' third season trailer drops, and more

In Brief: 'Industry' third season trailer drops, and more

HBO has dropped the official trailer for Industry's third season. The series, per HBO, "gives an insider’s view of the blackbox of high finance following a group of young bankers as they forge their identities within the pressure cooker environment and sex and drug fueled blitz of international bank Pierpoint & Co’s London office." Season 3 will find Yasmin, Robert and Eric -- played respectively by Marisa Abela, Harry Lawtey and Ken Leung -- "front and center in the splashy IPO of Lumi," a green tech energy company, led by Kit Harington's Sir Henry Muck. Meanwhile, Myha’la's Harper "is eager to get back into the addictive thrill of finance and finds an unlikely partner in FutureDawn portfolio manager Petra Koenig" -- played by Sarah Goldberg. Industry season 3 launches Aug. 11 ...  

A two-part documentary about comedy legend Mel Brooks is in the works from HBO Documentary Films and director Judd Apatow, the premium cable channel has announced. The doc is described as an “expansive yet intimate look at one of comedy’s most hilarious and influential minds, whose work has had audiences around the world laughing for more than 70 years.” Apatow said in a statement Wednesday, "I went into comedy because of my love for Mel Brooks. This project is the dream of a lifetime." ...

The Bikeriders, which hit theaters in June and stars Austin Butler, Tom Hardy and Jodie Comer, will make its streaming debut on Peacock Aug. 9, and will also be available on Blu-ray and DVD on Aug. 13, according to Variety. The film, based on Danny Lyon's 1998 book, takes place in the 1960s and follows a Chicago motorcycle club that turns into a criminal biker gang throughout the decade. Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Emory Cohen and Norman Reedus also star ...

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Dan Aykroyd talks about new Audible Blues Brothers oral history, 'The Arc of Gratitude'

Dan Aykroyd talks about new Audible Blues Brothers oral history, 'The Arc of Gratitude'

Jay Dickman/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

Audible has just dropped Blues Brothers: The Arc of Gratitude, a star-studded Audible Original oral history in which Dan Aykroyd tells the full story of how he and John Belushi joined musical forces in the mid-1970s. 

They turned their love of the genre into the double-Platinum 1978 album Briefcase Full of Blues, which spawned the blockbuster The Blues Brothers, starring their alter egos "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues.

Aykroyd tells ABC Audio Belushi initially was more of a fan of heavy metal and punk, but eventually "really committed to it." 

Though Belushi and Aykroyd first performed Slim Harpo's "I'm a King Bee" on SNL in 1976, the Blues Brothers — complete with their signature look — made their SNL debut on April 22, 1978, backed by a band that included legendary musicians Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" DunnThomas "Bones" Malone and Matt "Guitar" Murphy

Aykroyd recalls some early resistance from producer Lorne Michaels. "Lorne loved the bees. I think that that was what really started us was singing 'King Bee' with the hats and glasses and the bee costume."

Michaels was skeptical "when we proposed the idea of expanding it out," Aykroyd says. "And I think Lorne was convinced by some of the members of the band that this is a real thing. ... And I think Lorne saw the heat of it eventually and of course fully got behind it."

The Blues Brothers film in 1980 starred the band, and featured performances from icons like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker and James Brown

"The Blues Brothers aren't really the star of The Blues Brothers," Aykroyd admits. "It's Aretha, it's Ray, it's John Lee Hooker. It's those venerable artists, and it's in our band today. And yesterday." 

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Producers say Max's 'Penguin' series leads directly into Matt Reeves' sequel to 'The Batman'

Producers say Max's 'Penguin' series leads directly into Matt Reeves' sequel to 'The Batman'

Max

Entertainment Weekly has a sneak peek of The Penguin, Max's spin-off from Matt Reeves' blockbuster The Batman

Reeves is producing the small-screen project centering on the ascent of Colin Farrell's Oz aka Penguin. Farrell tells the magazine, "I loved doing the part in the Batman film and the idea that we would get spoiled by having eight hours to really delve into this character's psychology and backstory. Backstory plays a big part in the television show."

Lead writer and showrunner Lauren LeFranc calls the show "a Scarface story," adding, "It's a rise-to-power story of Oz before he really makes it to the top."

Set a week after the events of The Batman, which ended with Paul Dano's The Riddler flooding Gotham, LeFranc says, "We're living in the underbelly of the city. ... We're in Oz's world."

LeFranc explains the show is a "bridge" between the Robert Pattinson blockbuster and Reeves' anticipated sequel. "We’re going almost directly into the second film Matt has planned."

The Penguin debuts on Max this September.

The Batman - Part II hits theaters on Oct. 3, 2025.

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Michael Bay reportedly working on 'Skibidi Toilet' film and TV franchise

Michael Bay reportedly working on 'Skibidi Toilet' film and TV franchise

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

If you've never heard of Skibidi Toilet, there's a good chance you don't have anyone under the age of 15 living in your house, but the viral sensation has just attracted one of the biggest blockbuster producers in Hollywood.

Variety says Michael Bay is developing a film and a TV franchise around the property, which began in 2023, when a 23-year-old from the former Soviet Republic of Georgia named Alexey Gerasimov uploaded to YouTube an 11-second video of an animated head singing from a toilet. 

Those humble beginnings have turned into nearly 80 mini films, with hundreds of millions of views the world over, and games, detailing a war between the toilet head folks and cyborgs known as Cameraheads. 

The trade says Bay and Paramount Pictures president Adam Goodman are collaborating on the project. 

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'Inside Out 2' has become the highest-grossing animated film of all time

'Inside Out 2' has become the highest-grossing animated film of all time

Disney/Pixar

The "Joy" buttons are being mashed in the minds of Disney executives, with the news that Inside Out 2 has just become the highest-grossing animated film in history. 

The Disney/Pixar hit's global take has passed the $1.46 billion mark, nudging out the previous record holder, 2019's Frozen II, which made more than $1.45 billion during its run. 

Deadline points out that Disney has seven of the top 10 animated films of all time on its resume, with five of those being collabs with Pixar.

Inside Out 2 was the first 2024 film to cross $100 million in its opening weekend back in June. The sequel features the voices of Amy PoehlerLewis BlackDiane Lane, Maya HawkeTony Hale and Paul Walter Hauser.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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Marvel Studios boss says 'Deadpool & Wolverine' shows how Robert Downey Jr. could return to the MCU

Marvel Studios boss says 'Deadpool & Wolverine' shows how Robert Downey Jr. could return to the MCU

Marvel Studios

In 2017, Hugh Jackman hung up his Wolverine claws for good with the Oscar-nominated Logan

However, as the story goes, he saw his buddy Ryan Reynolds' original Deadpool in theaters and started to feel he'd made a mistake, potentially shorting fans on their fan-favorite comics tag team. 

Fast forward to today, and Deadpool & Wolverine is headed to theaters Friday.

For Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, that proves anything is possible — including taking up Robert Downey Jr. on a potential return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe after his Tony Stark's world-saving sacrifice in 2019's Avengers: Endgame

Although Downey was initially cool on the idea — and Feige told Vanity Fair he'd never "magically undo" Iron Man's Endgame's sacrifice — as reported, Downey had a change of heart

So has Feige, he tells Discussing Film, but there's a but. "How do you do it in a way that maintains what has come before, and in a great way? And we've been spending, you know, the last two-plus years figuring that out for Wolverine." 

He adds, "We're just proud that we ... have figured it out for Wolverine. I think Hugh's appearance and starring role ... is a great sign that it can be done — if great care is taken."

Indeed, without giving away spoilers, Deadpool & Wolverine brings a veritable toy box full of superheroes back to the big screen, so as Feige says, " ... what's to come? We'll see."

Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

 

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"Who's that guy, again?" How scientists used 'Game of Thrones' to study "face blindness"

HBO

Throughout its award-winning run, HBO's Game of Thrones introduced viewers to hundreds of characters, which might be a tall order for someone who is trying to binge.

However, for the approximately 1 in 50 who live with prosopagnosia — or face blindness — it's even tougher.

The show's deep bench of characters is one of the reasons scientists out of England's University of York used the series to study the condition that, as its name suggests, causes people to be unable to recognize faces.

Kira Noad, the lead author of the study and a PhD student at the university's Department of Psychology, said: "We chose to show participants footage from Game of Thrones because the series captivated people around the world with its strong characters and their deeply nuanced personalities."

The scientists scanned the brains of people as they watched the show; the test subjects included people who have seen the show and those who haven't, and also people who have the condition and those who don't.

The "exciting" results showed recognizing someone isn't just skin deep, researchers say.

Senior author of the study, professor Tim Andrews, said the results "suggest that our ability to recognize faces relies on what we know about people, not just what they look like."

He adds: "While it was believed that we recognize faces by learning their visual properties — such as features, configuration, and texture — our study indicates that it involves connecting a face with knowledge about the person, including their character traits, body language, our personal experiences with them, and our feelings towards them."

For the record, Brad Pitt says he's one of the 1 in 50, so don't be put off if you ever run into him and he seems aloof.

 

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