In brief: Linda Cardellini to star in ‘Friday the 13th’ prequel series and more
What, like it’s hard? Tom Everett Scott is set to play Elle Woods’ father in the Legally Blonde prequel series Elle, Deadline reports. The show will be for Prime Video and is executive produced by the film’s star, Reese Witherspoon. Elle follows how Elle Woods’ high school experiences shaped her into the woman and lawyer she becomes …
Lizzo will star as Sister Rosetta Tharpe in an upcoming biopic, Deadline reports. Tharpe, who died in 1973, was a Black gospel singer, songwriter and guitarist who influenced and shaped early rock ‘n’ roll artists like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and ElvisPresley …
Linda Cardellini will play the lead role in the new Friday the 13th prequel series at Peacock, as Variety reported. The actress will play Pamela Voorhees in the new show, which is titled Crystal Lake. Pamela is the mother of Jason Voorhees, the famous slasher from the horror franchise …
Season 2 of The Last of Us has filled out more of its supporting cast. Variety first reported that Joe Pantoliano, Alanna Ubach, Ben Ahlers, Hettienne Park, Robert John Burke and Noah Lamanna are joining the show for the second season. While Pantoliano, Burke and Lamanna are playing characters who originated in the video game of the same name, Ubach, Ahlers and Park are playing characters who were created for the show …
Sam Worthington will star in an upcoming Netflix limited series called I Will Find You. Deadline reports the eight-episode series is based on Harlan Coben‘s bestselling novel of the same name and is the first greenlighted U.S. adaptation of a Coben book under his exclusive deal with Netflix …
Matthew Modine is entering the Monsterverse. He is the latest actor to join the next theatrical Legendary film based around the monsters Godzilla and Kong as they face off against a world-ending threat, Deadline reports. Modine joins previously announced stars Dan Stevens, Kaitlyn Dever, Jack O’Connell and Delroy Lindo …
We now have an airdate for the 2025 Emmys. CBS and the Television Academy announced that the 77th Emmy Awards will broadcast on Sept. 14 on CBS and stream live and on demand on Paramount+ …
It’s been 45 years since ABC News’ iconic late-night show Nightline debuted on March 24, 1980, and a special 45th anniversary episode is now streaming on Hulu.
Nightline evolved out of a late-night news segment that ABC started in November 1979 to cover the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the United States embassy in Iran, during which 53 U.S. citizens were taken hostage. 444 days later, the hostages were released, and Nightline and anchor Ted Koppel had forged an important relationship with the American public.
Current Nightline anchor Juju Chang tells ABC Audio that, while it’s changed formats and timeslots over the years, the current iteration of the show still carries the original’s DNA.
“I think we try to do more in-depth [stories] and provide more perspective. And that’s what Nightline has always been,” says Chang. “At the end of your long workday, when you finally settle down in front of a TV, you get to see, not just the headlines, but the issues behind the headlines.”
Chang’s co-anchor Byron Pitts adds, “I think there is always a space and a place where people can go — in this age of people yelling at each other and emphasizing our divides — [to see] some grown-ups show up [and say], ‘Calm down, lower your voice, let’s listen to each other. Let’s talk about the facts and not just feelings’ … that’s still important to many people in America.”
Chang believes that Nightline’s “bridge to the future” is its presence on streaming, along with its sister show, IMPACT X Nightline. But in this age of TikTok, Pitts appreciates the traditional aspects of the show as well.
“All of us may enjoy going to a fast food restaurant every now and then … but there’s something about grandmama’s cooking,” Pitts says. “And things made from scratch. And that’s still kind of what you get at Nightline: grandmama’s cooking, which is dense. It can sustain you for a while.”
The Dutton family is facing new challenges in season 2 of the Yellowstone prequel series, 1923.
Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren lead the Western drama series, which drops new episodes every week on Paramount+. JuliaSchlaepfer co-stars as Alexandra, daughter-in-law to Ford’s Jacob Dutton and Mirren’s Cara Dutton.
Schlaepfer told ABC Audio that it’s “unbelievable” to work with both Ford and Mirren.
“As an actor, that’s the dream. To be able to just be around these people, let alone develop relationships with them off set,” Schlaepfer said. “I’m one lucky girl, that’s for sure. I feel so honored. They are the coolest people in the world, and I can’t believe the company I’m in, I really cannot.”
Ford, in particular, “has the best sense of humor,” Schlaepfer said.
“He asked me for my autograph once, and then I gave it to him and he curled it up into a ball and threw it in the trash,” she continued. “I love him. That’s who he is. He’s the funniest person alive. It’s so much fun. I have the best time with them.”
After Alexandra was separated from her husband Spencer, played by Brandon Sklenar, last season, she’s spent the beginning of season 2 finding her way home to him. Schlaepfer thinks Alex’s journey is beautiful.
“She made a choice to leave her family behind, and leave that kind of caged life behind and follow her heart. And she made a commitment. She’s a married woman, and she chose this. She chose this life. And she loves Spencer so much,” Schlaepfer said. “It just drives her all the way there. There is nothing that she wouldn’t do to be reunited with the people that she loves.”
