Category: Entertainment

How very! Cobra Kai star Peyton List is set to join the off-Broadway cast of Heathers: The Musical in the role of Heather Chandler. Her stint in the New York production of the musical starts at the end of January. “Can’t wait to take on the role of the mythic b**** herself HEATHER CHANDLER in NYC January 26th,” List wrote on Instagram.

If you missed Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie while it was playing in theaters, you’ll get your chance to see it at home very soon. The movie will be available to stream on Peacock on Jan. 23. A sing-along version of the film will also be available to watch the same day. Laila Lockhart Kraner, Gloria Estefan and Kristen Wiig star in the film, which is based on the popular children’s TV series …

The films nominated for the 13th annual Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards have been announced. One Battle After Another, Sinners, Weapons, Frankenstein and Wicked: For Good all received the most nominations, with three each. The winners will be announced at the Valentine’s Day gala on Feb. 14 in Los Angeles …

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The big screen took us everywhere from the Emerald City of Oz to the sparkling stage of a HUNTR/X concert this year. Here’s a look at the films that defined 2025:

It was the romantic comedy-drama film Anora that took many of the top prizes at the Oscars this year. The independent film that was directed, edited, produced and written by Sean Baker won five statues at the 97th Academy Awards, including best picture. Brady Corbet‘s epic period drama The Brutalist won three awards, including best actor for Adrien Brody.

As for the movies that topped the domestic box office chart this year, they were led by the Jack Black-starring A Minecraft Movie. That video game adaptation is followed by the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch, which landed in second place. James Gunn‘s fresh take on Superman flies onto the list at #3, while Jurassic World Rebirth and Wicked: For Good became the fourth and fifth highest-grossing domestic films, respectively.

Pedro Pascal established himself as a bona fide movie star this year as he had three feature films in vastly different genres release theatrically in two months. First it was the A24 romantic drama film Materialists, where he played a millionaire bachelor looking for love. Then it was the neo-Western thriller Eddington in which he played a small-town mayor. Finally, he took on the role of Mister Fantastic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

There were many films that captured the cultural zeitgeist in 2025, but perhaps none more than KPop Demon Hunters. The animated movie musical became Netflix’s most popular film of all time, taking over the top spot on the Most Popular English Films list with over 236 million total views. Other movies that started conversations were Ryan Coogler‘s epic vampire film Sinners, Paul Thomas Anderson‘s newest drama One Battle After Another and the surprise horror hit Weapons from director Zach Cregger.

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It’s a family reunion in the new teaser for Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair.

In the teaser, which arrived Monday from Hulu, Frankie Muniz reprises his role as Malcolm. We also see Bryan Cranston as Malcolm’s dad, Hal, and Jane Kaczmarek as Malcolm’s mom, Lois.

Like the original series, the teaser is filled with quirky and loud family moments that made the sitcom a beloved show for many.

According to a synopsis, the Malcolm in the Middle revival, which will be a limited four-episode series, will focus on Malcolm, who “after shielding himself and his daughter from his family for over a decade” is “dragged back into their orbit when Hal and Lois demand his presence at their 40th anniversary party.”

Also returning to the revival are Christopher Kennedy Masterson as Francis, Justin Berfield as Reese and Emy Coligado as Piama.

New cast members include Keeley Karsten as Malcolm’s daughter, Leah, Vaughan Murrae as Malcolm’s youngest sibling, Kelly, Kiana Madeira as Malcolm’s girlfriend, Tristan, and Caleb Ellsworth-Clark as Dewey.

Malcolm in the Middle aired from 2000 to 2006 and earned a slew of awards during its seven-season run, including a Peabody, seven Emmys and a Grammy.

All 151 episodes of Malcolm in the Middle are now streaming on Hulu or via Hulu on Disney+.

Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair will premiere on April 10, 2026, on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.

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Avatar: Fire and Ash has burned up the box office again.

The third film in James Cameron‘s epic sci-fi series retained its #1 spot over the Christmas holiday weekend, taking in an additional $64 million, according to Box Office Mojo.  So far, the film has earned $760 million worldwide. Disney’s animated sequel Zootopia 2 returned to the #2 spot with $20 million.

Of the new films making their debuts in wide release over the holiday weekend, A24’s Marty Supreme, featuring Timothée Chalamet as an aspiring ping pong champion and con artist, did the best, taking the #3 spot with just under $15.6 million.

Another new film, Anaconda, starring Paul Rudd and Jack Black, came in at #5 with just under $14.6 million, while a third new wide release, Song Sung Blue, arrived at #8 with $7.6 million. That film, based on the true story of a real-life couple who form a Neil Diamond tribute band, is generating Oscar buzz for Kate Hudson, who co-stars opposite Hugh Jackman.

Here are the top 10 films at the box office:

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash — $64 million
2. Zooptopia 2 — $20 million
3. Marty Supreme — $15.59 million
4. The Housemaid –– $15.4 million
5. Anaconda — $14.55 million
6. David –– $12.7 million
7. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants — $11.2 million
8. Song Sung Blue — $7.6 million
9. Wicked: For Good — $5.3 million
10. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 — $4.4 million

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Robin Roberts returns to recap the biggest moments of the past 12 months in The Year: 2025. This marks the 15th year of the ABC News special, which Robin says has become a meaningful way for many families to reflect on the year that was.

“It’s really become a tradition for a lot of families,” she tells ABC Audio. “They sit down with their kids, and they’re like, ‘It is the holidays … Let’s remember all that happened this year and what we’re gonna look forward to in the new year.’”

For those who haven’t yet made the show part of their annual tradition, Robin says it’s worth adding because “ABC News is the best.”

She notes David Muir “will give you all the moments that were so important, both here in this country and abroad,” while special contributors will highlight “pop culture moments,” including a breakdown of the six-seven viral phrase.

“I really appreciate the breadth of what we do, the seriousness of what do,” she says. “But also how we can find the joy, the pop culture, those moments that bring people together.”

Reflecting on her 15 years hosting The Year, Robin says it’s allowed her to reflect on her own life, reminding her that “this too shall pass.”

“[I’ve learned] to realize that everybody’s got something and to recognize the something that people are going through” she says, noting stories in the special can resonate deeply with viewers.

“They can go like, ‘Okay, that person got through it. It’s not exactly what I’m going through, but I’m gonna get through it too’,” she adds. “It’s really, really helped me to understand something that a dear friend, Pat Summitt, the legendary coach at [the University of] Tennessee [said]: ‘Left foot, right foot, breathe. Keep moving, keep believing.'”

The Year: 2025 airs Dec. 29 at 8 p.m ET on ABC.

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Brigitte Bardot, the French movie icon and sex symbol and animal rights activist, has died. She was 91.

The news was announced on the website of her Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the protection of animals, with a banner reading, “Thank you Brigitte. A lifetime and a foundation dedicated to serving animals.”

“The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announces with immense sadness the death of its Founder and President, Mrs. Brigitte Bardot, a world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to give up her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her Foundation,” read a statement.

A spokesperson for the Foundation told the Associated Press that Bardot died Sunday at her home in France. No cause of death was announced.  

Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, wrote on X, “Her films, her voice, her dazzling glory, her initials, her sorrows, her generous passion for animals … Brigitte Bardot embodied a life of freedom. French existence, universal brilliance. She touched us. We mourn a legend of the century.”

Bardot initially studied ballet, but then became a model, which led to her being cast in a number of films. Her breakthrough was 1956’s And God Created Woman, written and directed by her then-husband, Roger Vadim. Her portrayal of a hedonistic young woman made her a worldwide star, sex symbol and style icon, while the film was credited with paving the way for French filmmakers and movies to find a global audience.

Bardot became so revered in France that from 1969 to 1972, she became the model for “Marianne,” the female figure who has personified the country since the French Revolution.

Bardot went on to work with directors like Jean-Luc Godard and Louis Malle, earning acclaim and the French Legion of Honor. She retired from acting in 1973 and devoted her life to protecting animals, establishing her Foundation in 1986. 

Later in life, Bardot became controversial for her right-wing politics and was convicted and fined multiple times by French courts for “inciting racial hatred.” 

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Dearest gentle reader, the trailer for Bridgerton Season 4, Part 1 is finally here — and “all the eyes of the ton” are on Benedict Bridgerton.

The trailer features Luke Thompson as Benedict and Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek, his love interest, and it packs all the romance and magic we all have been longing for.

The trailer opens with Golda Rosheuvel‘s Queen Charlotte introducing another social season, and Nicola Coughlan‘s Penelope Featherington kicking things off as Lady Whistledown.

Penelope then focuses on Benedict, who is described as the “season’s most notorious gentleman,” with a clip of his mother, Ruth Gemmell‘s Violet Bridgerton, telling him to get his act together and “meet the right young lady.”

Clips of Violet planning a masquerade ball are interspersed with clips of a new household in Mayfair, where Sophie is the family’s maid. Sophie has a Cinderella moment as she attends the ball in a borrowed silver gown and a mask that hides her identity. She meets an intrigued Benedict, but when the clock strikes midnight, she runs away, leaving only her glove behind.

Benedict spends the rest of the trailer searching for her, never realizing that the maid he keeps running into is his dream woman.

“Behind the cover of a mask, anything can happen,” Lady Whistledown says in the trailer, adding, “With a little imagination, the impossible seems possible.”

The season is based on Julia Quinn’s third Bridgerton novel, An Offer From a Gentleman. 

Bridgerton Season 4, Part 1, arrives on Netflix on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, with the first four episodes. Part 2 will arrive on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.

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Good morning, America — and good bye to 2025. As the year draws to a close, Robin Roberts is once again inviting viewers to pause and reflect with her 15th annual year-end special.

The Year: 2025 finds Robin revisiting the moments that defined the past 12 months, alongside a lineup of ABC News voices, including David Muir, Michael Strahan, Linsey Davis and Sunny Hostin, along with special guests such as The Jonas Brothers, WNBA champion A’Ja Wilson and Sinners star Miles Canton.

The special looks back at headline-making events including the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial and Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement. It airs on Dec. 29, but Robin says the process of tracking potential moments began at the top of the year.

“It’s just trying to get a sense from folks, what have you remembered?” Robin explains of her year-end special. “What have you forgot? What should you remember? What do you want to forget?” 

She’s most eager to revisit the stories that are no longer in the headlines but still matter deeply, like the devastating LA wildfires early in 2025 and the people still affected by its impact. She’s also excited to highlight lighter moments, including the story of a father who built a pantry during the government shutdown and was met with overwhelming support from his neighbors.

“It’s the holidays,” Robin shares. “You want a moment to exhale and breathe. So I just love the mixture that we bring to the year.” She credits her “fabulous team of producers” for putting the show together, as well as the anchors and correspondents who she calls “the best in the field.” 

The Year: 2025 begins at 8 p.m ET on ABC and streams the following day on Disney+ and Hulu.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News. 

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The small screen took us everywhere from the shores of Cousins Beach to the emergency room at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center this year. Here’s a look at the shows and limited series that defined 2025:

It was the medical procedural drama The Pitt that scored the top prize at the Emmys this year. Led by Noah Wyle, who won the best actor in a drama Emmy for his portrayal of Dr. Robby in the new series, The Pitt‘s first season followed the challenges faced by health care workers on the front lines over the course of a single, 15-hour shift at the hospital. Other big winners at the ceremony included Seth Rogen‘s new comedy series The Studio, as well as the Netflix limited series Adolescence.

Many prestige shows captured the cultural zeitgeist in 2025. Fans traveled to Thailand to check in for season 3 of The White Lotus, while the mystery at Lumon Industries continued to unfold as Severance season 2 rolled out. The Last of Us viewers mourned a fan-favorite character during its sophomore season, while Star Wars fans returned to a galaxy far, far away to bid farewell to Andor as it debuted its second and final season.

Nobody could stop talking about The Summer I Turned Pretty. Whether you were team Conrad or team Jeremiah, fans couldn’t keep their eyes off the dramatic third season of the teen romance series, which spanned from the U.S.’s East Coast all the way to Paris. While the series ended with Belly finally picking which brother she wanted to be with, the story isn’t quite over. A feature film that will end the romantic saga has been greenlit by Prime Video.

Finally, the year ended with the release of the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. It turned Netflix’s streaming records upside down, accumulating 59.6 million views in its first five days and becoming the best-ever premiere week viewing numbers for an English-language series on the streaming platform.

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Actor and comedian Patrick Finn, best known for his role in ABC’s The Middle, has died, according to a statement from his family.

Finn, 60, died on Dec. 22 following a three-year battle with cancer, which had been in remission but then returned.

Finn began his career as an improv comedian alongside his college pal Chris Farley. His first big break in television came on The George Wendt Show, where he played the brother of Wendt’s character, George Coleman. He went on to recurring roles in shows like Murphy Brown and 3rd Rock from the Sun, and played Bill Norwood on The Middle from 2010 to 2018. 

Seinfeld fans knew Finn as Joe Mayo, a character in the episode “The Reverse Peephole,” while Friends fans would remember him as Dr. Roger, Monica’s boyfriend in the episodes “The One That Could Have Been, Part 1” and “The One That Could Have Been, Part 2.”

Finn also appeared in films like Dude, Where’s My Car and It’s Complicated, and was an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado and his alma mater, Marquette University.

He’s survived by his wife, Donna Finn, and their three children as well as his parents and siblings.

(This is an updated version of a story that was originally published Dec. 25, 2025 at 3:53 p.m.)

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