Zach Cregger to direct ‘Weapons’ prequel ‘Gladys,’ original sci-fi thriller ‘The Flood’

Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys in ‘Weapons.’ (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Two new Zach Cregger movies are on the way.

The Weapons helmer will direct two new movies for Warner Bros. Pictures, the studio has announced.

One will be a prequel to Weapons titled Gladys. It will follow the character Aunt Gladys, who was portrayed by Amy Madigan in Weapons. Madigan went on to win an Oscar for her performance in the horror film.

Gladys will be released in theaters on Sept. 8, 2028. Along with directing, Cregger will write the film with Zach Shields. Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee and Miri Yoon will produce it.

Additionally, Cregger is set to write and direct a sci-fi thriller called The Flood. It is an original story from Cregger. The Flood will release in theaters on Aug. 11, 2028. Amblin Entertainment and Vertigo Entertainment are set to produce the picture.

Warner Bros. Picture Group’s Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy said in a press release that “Zach is the kind of filmmaker we prize—one committed to creating unforgettable theatrical experiences. We value the collaborative spirit he brings to every stage of the process and look forward to continuing our work together.”

Cregger said he’s excited to continue working with the teams at Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.

“They are true champions of bold creativity, united by a shared ambition to deliver unforgettable theatrical experiences for audiences. That’s the dream for any filmmaker,” Cregger said.

Cregger made his directing debut with the 2022 film Barbarian. His next movie, Resident Evil, which is based on the popular video game franchise, releases this September.

April 15, 2026

National

Molotov cocktail apparently used to start fire at Tesla sales office: ATF

A suspected Molotov cocktail incendiary device was used to start a fire at the front door of a Tesla sales office in Louisiana, April 14, 2026, according to officials. (ATF New Orleans Field Division)

(NEW ORLEANS) — An apparent Molotov cocktail was used to start a fire outside a Tesla sales office in New Orleans, according to federal officials.

The incendiary device sparked a blaze at the office’s front door just before 8 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and New Orleans police.

No one was injured, but the business suffered damage, police said.

No arrests have been made, police said.

ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.

April 15, 2026

Entertainment

Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood and more cast in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’

The official cast list for ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.’ (Warner Bros. Pictures)

The cast for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum has been revealed.

Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema have officially announced that a few of the original Lord of the Rings cast members are set to reprise their celebrated performances in director Andy Serkis’ upcoming film.

Ian McKellen will return as the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Elijah Wood will once again play the hobbit Frodo Baggins, Lee Pace will reprise his part as Thrandruil and Serkis will, of course, perform the role of Gollum and his alter ego, Sméagol.

Joining The Lord of the Rings universe this time around are Jamie Dornan as Strider, the chief of the Northern Dúnedain Rangers, and Leo Woodall, who will play another of the Dúnedain, Halvard. Strider leads the hunt across Middle-earth for Gollum while Halvard accompanies him on the dangerous mission.

Also confirmed to join the film’s cast is Kate Winslet. As the film’s story delves into Gollum’s past, it will explore a time when he was a young Stoorish boy named Sméagol. Winslet will portray one of the key players in the settlement of Stoors — the matriarch Marigol.

In a press release, Serkis said, “Across two trilogies, a mark of a Middle-earth film, has always been the formidable array of talent brought to bear in every role. The Hunt for Gollum continues in that tradition, and I am delighted to announce the return of two of Middle-earth’s most beloved performers, alongside some exceptionally talented new additions to Tolkien’s world.”

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum arrives in theaters on Dec. 17, 2027.

April 15, 2026

Politics

Average tax refund is $3,400, an 11% increase from last year: Treasury Dept

The US Treasury building in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — Wednesday is Tax Day, the last day of this year’s tax season, and the average refund for filers is up 11% compared to last year’s filing season, according to new Treasury Department data.

The average refund this filing season is “over $3,400,” the Treasury Department data said.

The data, which is as of Tuesday, also showed that “over 53 million filers claimed at least one of President Trump’s signature new tax cuts,” which includes provisions from Trump’s sweeping legislation that was passed last year.

Treasury has also announced that more than 5 million filers have opened so-called Trump Accounts for children who were eligible under the law.

“Treasury and the IRS have worked tirelessly to ensure our tax system works for the people it is meant to serve,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a press release on Wednesday. “From the shop floor to the kitchen table, taxpayers are feeling the difference of the largest tax cuts in our nation’s history, and millions of Americans are keeping more of what they earn and seeing their paychecks go further than ever before.”

Over 25 million filers have claimed No Tax on Overtime, with an average deduction of over $3,100, the department’s data noted, while more than 30 million seniors have claimed the Enhanced Deduction for Seniors, with an average deduction of over $7,500.

The data also showed that more than 105 million filers have claimed the permanently doubled standard deduction — the specific dollar amount that reduces the amount of income on which people are taxed.

April 15, 2026

National

Cadaver dogs helping with search for American woman missing in Bahamas, police say

The Hookers’ boat, “Soulmate,” is seen in Marsh Harbor on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas, April 8, 2026. (ABC News)

(NEW YORK) — Cadaver dogs are heading to help with the search for Lynette Hooker, an American woman who’s missing in the Bahamas, according to police.

The K-9 team from the U.S. Coast Guard will be on the ground in Hope Town on Wednesday morning, Advardo Dames, assistant commissioner of the Royal Bahamas Police, told ABC News.

Lynette Hooker has been missing since she went overboard on a dinghy on the evening of April 4.

When the 55-year-old Michigan woman and her husband, Brian Hooker, departed Hope Town on the Abaco Islands for their yacht, Soulmate, in Elbow Cay, bad weather caused her to fall off the dinghy, her husband told authorities.

Brian Hooker, 58, was arrested on April 8 and questioned by police. He was released on Monday without charges.

Brian Hooker told ABC News on Tuesday that he’s staying in the Bahamas with a “sole focus” of finding his wife, “no matter how likely or unlikely that is.”

He said he was planning “to go back to the boat, and then hire or beg people to help me go find some areas to search.”

Brian Hooker’s attorney did not allow him to answer questions about what happened the night his wife went overboard due to the pending investigation.

When asked if there was anything he wishes he’d done differently, Brian Hooker was emotional, saying, “I will always think there was something I could have done differently. My one job, my one job was to look out for her, and that has not happened. And I’m gonna keep looking out for her now, the best I can.”

ABC News’ Brian Andrews contributed to this report.

April 15, 2026

Entertainment

In brief: ‘The Madison’ renewed for season 3 and more

Dan Stevens has joined the cast of Dexter: Resurrection season 2. The actor will take on a series regular role in the second season as he plays The Five Borough Killer, a serial killer who taunts police officers with phone calls threatening the murder of innocent people and eventually follows through on the awful deeds …

Young Sherlock has been renewed for season 2 at Prime Video. The streaming service has ordered a second season of the show that stars Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Sherlock Holmes. Guy Ritchie directed season 1 of the show, which consisted of eight episodes that tell the origin story of the legendary detective …

The Madison has been renewed for season 3 on Paramount+. The show’s first season premiered on March 14 and earned 8 million global views in its first 10 days on the streaming platform. Production on season 2 of the show has ended, and its premiere date will be announced at a later time. Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell star in the series from Taylor Sheridan …

April 15, 2026

Sports

Scoreboard roundup — 4/14/26

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Heat 126, Hornets 127
Trail Blazers 114, Suns 110

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Ducks 2, Wild 3
Jets 3, Mammoth 5
Avalanche 3, Flames 1
Penguins 5, Blues 7
Kings 3, Canucks 4
Devils 0, Bruins 4
Hurricanes 2, Islanders 1
Canadiens 2, Flyers 4
Capitals 2, Blue Jackets 1

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Angels 7, Yankees 1
Marlins 5, Braves 6
Red Sox 0, Twins 6
Rays 8, White Sox 5
Blue Jays 9, Brewers 7
Guardians 5, Cardinals 6
Rockies 6, Astros 7
Mariners 1, Padres 4
Rangers 1, Athletics 2
Mets 1, Dodgers 2
Diamondbacks 4, Orioles 3
Cubs 10, Phillies 4
Royals 1, Tigers 2
Giants 1, Reds 2
Nationals 5, Pirates 4

April 15, 2026

Entertainment

‘Pop Culture Jeopardy!’ gets Netflix premiere date

Colin Jost hosts ‘Pop Culture Jeopardy!’ (Netflix)

Answer: This date marks the premiere of Pop Culture Jeopardy! on Netflix. Question: What is May 11?

A brand-new season of Pop Culture Jeopardy! is set to premiere on the streaming service on May 11 with new episodes debuting every weekday through June 5.

Season 2 marks the first season of Pop Culture Jeopardy! to debut on Netflix after the streamer picked up the popular quiz show in October 2025. It moved over from Prime Video, where season 1 aired in December 2024.

Colin Jost will return as the host of the unscripted program. This new season consists of 20, 25-minute episodes.

According to Netflix, the show “is a twist on the classic quiz show’s ‘answer-and-question’ format that combines the academic rigor of Jeopardy! with the exciting and ever-changing world of pop culture.”

Its contestants “compete on teams to test their knowledge on a variety of categories as they compete in a tournament-style event for the grand prize and ultimate bragging rights,” the synopsis continues.

April 15, 2026

Entertainment

Patrick Schwarzenegger to star alongside Phoebe Dynevor in ‘Beach Read’ film adaptation: Report

Patrick Schwarzenegger attends the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Mark Guiducci at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on March 15, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Daniele Venturelli/WireImage via Getty Images)

It seems Patrick Schwarzenegger is joining the Emily Henry rom-com universe.

The actor will star alongside Phoebe Dynevor in the film adaptation of the bestselling novel Beach Read, Deadline reports.

ABC Audio has reached out to 20th Century Studios for confirmation.

Beach Read follows the character January Andrews, a romance novelist who struggles with writer’s block due to her grief after the death of her father and her discovery of the secrets he kept.

January spends the summer at her father’s Michigan beach house as she prepares to sell it. While there, she reconnects with Gus Everett, a fellow author and her formal college rival. The pair spark an unexpected romance after they agree to partake in a writing challenge to get them out of their respective writing ruts.

Yulin Kuang, who co-wrote the Netflix film adaptation of Henry’s novel People We Meet on Vacation, will direct Beach Read for 20th Century Studios from her own script.

This is the latest adaptation of one of Henry’s works, following the January 2026 release of People We Meet on Vacation. Three of her other novels — Book Lovers, Funny Story and Happy Place — are also currently being adapted for the screen.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and 20th Century Studios.

April 14, 2026

Entertainment

Watch Ariana Grande take a lie detector test in teaser for ‘Focker In-Law’

Ariana Grande attends the 97th Academy Awards in March 2025. (Disney/Eric McCandless)

We’ve got our first look at Ariana Grande in Focker In-Law, the latest installment in the Meet the Parents movie franchise.

In a teaser that dropped Tuesday ahead of the trailer, we see Robert De Niro as Jack Byrnes administering a lie detector test, but not to Ben Stiller’s Greg Focker. Greg pokes his head around the corner and we see that it’s Ariana hooked up. “The old machine,” he says.

“Yes or no — the Focker In-Law trailer comes out tomorrow?” reads the text.

“Yes,” Ariana confirms. “You clearly know your stuff,” Jack replies.

“No lies detected. The trailer for Focker-In-Law debuts tomorrow!” reads the caption.

In the new film, Ariana plays Olivia Jones, who’s set to marry Greg’s son. As Ari told Variety in December, “I play his son’s girlfriend who he’s not sure of or connecting with. He’s very against me. And the worst part — his character’s nightmare is — I get along gorgeously with Robert De Niro’s character, Jack. He loves me, and I get immediate approval from the rest of the family.”

April 14, 2026

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