Category: Entertainment

Bryce Dallas Howard directs the new documentary Pets, all about our furry little friends.

The film, which is streaming now on Disney+, explores the relationship between animals and the people who own them all over the world. All types of animals are highlighted in the documentary: from dogs and cats to pigs and birds of prey. Howard told ABC Audio every story highlighted in the film spoke to her in different ways.

“I think that the healing benefits of having a pet in your life is significant,” Howard said. “As you’re getting older and things are slowing down and things can start to feel [like] there’s some loneliness, the relationship with a pet is especially powerful in one’s last chapter of their life.”

If she had to pick a part of the film that really resonated, it would have to be the section that highlighted Dog Duca, an animal shelter in Japan that was founded by Shinobu Takahashi.

The shelter is named after Takahashi’s late pet dog, Duca. It is known for its Senior Dog Supporter program, which connects senior citizens with older dogs who need loving homes.

“Dog Duca and the stories in Japan and whatnot, that really touched me deeply,” Howard said. “I just felt that the way that they spoke to that relationship and that journey and the gratitude that we feel for pets was just very profound.”

As for what inspires her filmmaking, Howard says she likes making movies about relatable topics.

“I like connecting with people about things that we can bond over, that we have in common,” Howard said. “I just am always attracted to that. I’m attracted to it as an actor. I like to make movies that a lot of people are wanting to see.”

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Michelle Trachtenberg died a natural death from complications of diabetes, the New York City medical examiner’s office said Wednesday.

There was no autopsy performed, but toxicology test results gave additional clarity, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The Gossip Girl actress was found dead in her apartment in Columbus Circle in February at the age of 39.

Previously, Trachtenberg’s family objected to an autopsy for religious reasons. Because there was no suspicion of foul play or criminality associated with the actress’s death, the medical examiner did not overrule the family’s objection and limited the investigation to an external examination.

Trachtenberg made her acting debut as a child star with roles in Nickelodeon projects, including the television series The Adventure of Pete & Pete and the film Harriet the Spy.

The actress gained prominence first for her role as Dawn in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which she played from 2000 to 2003.

She found further success as Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl from 2008 to 2012. For her role, she was nominated as the choice TV villain at the Teen Choice Awards in 2012.

Friends and co-stars of Trachtenberg, including Blake Lively, Rosie O’Donnell, Chace Crawford and more mourned the actress after her death.

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Nate Bargatze has been tapped to host TV’s biggest night.

The comedian will host the 77th Emmy Awards, which honor excellence in television. CBS will broadcast the show live on both coasts from the Peacock Theater in LA on Sept. 14. The show will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

“It’s a huge honor to be asked to host such an iconic awards show and I’m beyond excited to work with CBS to create a night that can be enjoyed by families around the world,” Bargatze said in a press release.

Television Academy chair Cris Abrego called Bargatze “one of the hottest comics in the business,” saying his brand of humor “deeply resonates with multi-generational audiences around the globe.”

“We are thrilled to be able to leverage his one-of-a-kind perspective to entertain TV fans watching this year’s Emmy telecast,” Abrego continued.

Nominations for the 77th Emmys will be announced on July 15. The Television Academy will stream the announcement live at 8:30 a.m. PT on Emmys.com.

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Benedict Cumberbatch is married to Olivia Colman in the official trailer for The Roses.

Searchlight Pictures released the trailer for director Jay Roach‘s dark comedy film on Wednesday.

It follows the seemingly picture-perfect married life between Theo and Ivy, played by Cumberbatch and Colman, respectively. Beneath their perfect facade, however, tension lingers as Theo’s career takes a hit and Ivy’s own life ambitions begin to soar.

“For you, dear, I’d do anything,” Cumberbatch’s Theo says at the beginning of the trailer.

As it goes on, we see Ivy’s career as a famous chef and cookbook writer take off while Theo is fired from his own job.

“I suppose sometimes I do hate you,” Theo says. After Ivy looks at him incredulously, he immediately follows that with: “Sporadic hatred.”

The Roses is inspired by the Danny Devito-directed 1989 movie The War of the Roses. Poor Things screenwriter Tony McNamara penned the screenplay.

Andy Samberg, Allison Janney, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Demetriou, Zoë Chao, Belinda Bromilow and Kate McKinnon also star.

The Roses blooms in movie theaters on Aug. 29.

Disney is the parent company of Searchlight Pictures and ABC News.

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TIME has revealed its 2025 list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Demi Moore represents the entertainment community as she graces one of the five worldwide covers of this year’s Time100 issue of the magazine.

Other entertainers to make the list are Blake Lively, Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Bell, Adrien Brody, Wicked director Jon M. Chu, Nikki Glaser, Danielle Deadwyler, Adam Scott, Kristen Wiig and Diego Luna.

Ryan Murphy penned the tribute to Moore, writing that her powerful spirit has permeated our lives for decades.

“She is one of the most successful movie stars of all time. I’ve always seen her as more than that,” Murphy wrote. “I’m so thrilled and proud the entire world has woken up and finally recognized her immense and iconic total power. Now in her 60s, Demi has proved that it’s never too late to get the flowers you truly deserve.”

Civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill wrote Lively’s tribute, sharing that she does not know the actress from her acting gigs or glamorous red carpet appearances.

“The Blake Lively I know is a philanthropist and a student of our country’s most intractable problems,” Ifill wrote. “I remember an early conversation in which she expressed frustration that so much of our nation’s history was not part of the instruction she had received as a student. Her commitment to filling those gaps — and becoming the most fully informed and prepared citizen — is what I appreciate most about her.”

The world’s most influential people will gather in New York City at the 2025 Time100 Summit on April 23 and the Time100 Gala on April 24, which will then air as a TV special May 4 on ABC. 

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Legendary game show host Wink Martindale died Tuesday at age 91.

According to a press release, he passed away in Rancho Mirage, California, surrounded by his family and wife of 49 years, Sandra Martindale.

Martindale got his start in radio, and in 1954, while working at Memphis’ WHBQ, he helped get the station the first interview with Elvis Presley.  He eventually broke into television as host of Mars Patrol, a science-fiction themed children’s show. He also hosted Teenage Dance Party, on which Elvis made an appearance on June 16, 1956.

But Martindale was best known for hosting popular game shows, including Tic-Tac-Dough and Gambit. Other game shows he hosted include Headline Chasers, High Rollers, The Last Word, The Great Getaway Game, Trivial Pursuit, Debt, and Instant Recall.

In 2006, Martindale received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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Laura Linney is set to star in the upcoming comedy series American Classic. The show, which will be for MGM+, also stars Kevin Kline and Jon Tenney. It follows a Broadway actor who has a public meltdown and must return to his hometown and the family-run theater where he first fell in love with acting. Michael Hoffman and Bob Martin co-created the show, which begins filming in summer 2025 …

Nicholas Galitzine is joining forces with Bill Skarsgård for the new film Mosquito Bowl. Deadline reports that the movie, which is being made for Netflix, is based on The New York Times bestseller The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II. While the roles the actors will play are under wraps, the film is set after the Pearl Harbor attack and follows four top American football stars who set aside their love of the game to enlist in the Marines …

Lucy Hale is set to star in the film adaptation of the novel Dead Letters. Based on the 2017 book by Caite Dolan-Leach, the film will be made for Netflix, Deadline reports. Hale will also executive produce the film along with Call Her Daddy‘s Alex Cooper. The story is a whodunnit thriller that follows identical twin sisters Ava and Zelda, who will both be played by Hale …

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The new movie The Wedding Banquet may share a name with Ang Lee’s queer romantic comedy from the 1990s, but director Andrew Ahn says it isn’t a direct remake.

“I think the term that we’ve landed on is ‘reimagining,’” Ahn tells ABC Audio.

The original The Wedding Banquet tells the story of a gay man who stages an elaborate wedding to a woman in an effort to fool his traditional Taiwanese parents. Ahn says he wanted to preserve Lee’s “themes and storytelling philosophy,” while updating it all for a modern, queer audience.

“We were given the freedom to really create our own characters independently of that original film. And I think that it really helped make this version its own beautiful thing,” says star Kelly Marie Tran.

Academy Award nominee Lily Gladstone plays Tran’s partner and says she was drawn to the project because it was a departure from her recent dramatic roles.

“I feel like when you’re doing comedy, when you’re doing ensemble, when you have a ball to keep in the air, that’s where you see the work happen, that’s where you get to see character happen,” Gladstone says.

Saturday Night Live’s Bowen Yang similarly found himself playing against type, but the comedian says he felt at ease.

“Everyone here on this cast has been so patient with me. Andrew [Ahn] is obviously so nurturing as a director,” says Yang.

Ahn says the original The Wedding Banquet was the first gay film he ever saw. He hopes the new version can provide comfort to the queer community in an uncertain time.

“I think that there’s a lot being done to dismantle queer family, [which] is very scary. I wish that we were in better times,” says Ahn. “My hope is that this film can offer audiences a sense of safety, a sense of celebration and a sense of community.”

The Wedding Banquet hits theaters Friday.

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Florence Pugh says she doesn’t make it easy to date her.

The actress opened up about her romantic life in a recent cover story for Harper’s Bazaar UK. Pugh said she is currently in love and that she is approaching this relationship differently than she has in the past.

“I’m more sympathetic to the people who are in love with me, because it’s not easy,” Pugh said. “I’m tricky – I’m always busy, I can never make dates.”

Even so, Pugh said she is learning she must work on this part of herself if she wants to have a family one day.

“But it’s not good enough for me to ask someone to just accept that,” Pugh said. “I’ll just end up alone. I don’t want that – I want a family.”

Pugh, who has endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, has also begun the process of freezing her eggs. Though she describes it as “tiring and horrible,” the actress understands she is lucky to be able to afford the medical care.

“There was a clickbait article about me doing it,” Pugh said. “I know you shouldn’t read the comments but … urgh. I wish there was a little more tenderness and understanding.”

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If you can’t help but wonder when the season 3 trailer for And Just Like That… will arrive, then you’re in luck.

Max released the trailer and release date for the third season of the original series on Tuesday. It premieres May 29 and will drop new episodes every Thursday. The 12-episode season 3 will conclude on Aug. 14.

The show is a continuation of the popular HBO series Sex and the City. It “follows Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, Seema, and LTW navigating the complicated reality of life, love, sex, and friendship in their 50s in New York City,” according to its official logline.

Sarah Jessica Parker stars as Carrie Bradshaw, and this time around she’s facing something almost every New Yorker has had to deal with.

“There’s nothing like summer in New York City,” Carrie says in her signature voice-over during the trailer. “With its hot days and even hotter nights, something new and unexpected always awaits.”

Cut to: an infestation of rats taking over Carrie’s apartment. “Prancing around like in The Nutcracker,” she jokes.

The new trailer also shows off other developments in Carrie’s life, such as where she stands with her beau, Aidan, and a new career pivot into writing fiction.

“Life is a story we get to write every day,” Carrie says during the trailer. “And when the plot twists, we can choose to embrace a new chapter.”

Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Sarita Choudhury, Nicole Ari Parker, Cathy Ang, Mehcad Brooks, Jonathan Cake, Mario Cantone, Niall Cunningham, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Christopher Jackson, Logan Marshall-Green, Sebastiano Pigazzi, Alexa Swinton, Dolly Wells and John Corbett also star in season 3.

Michael Patrick King develops and executive produces the show, which follows characters based on the book by Candace Bushnell and made popular in the HBO series from Darren Star.

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