Entertainment

In brief: ‘The Agency’ season 2 trailer and more

The Agency season 2 has its first trailer and premiere date. Paramount+ has announced that the second season of the spy thriller series will debut on June 21. All 10 of the new episodes will be available to watch at the same time. The series stars Michael Fassbender, Jeffrey Wright, Jodie Turner-Smith, Katherine Waterston and Richard Gere. It follows a CIA agent living undercover who will do anything to save his lover, who is living as a political prisoner in Sudan …

America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is coming back for season 3. Netflix has announced that the third season of the popular docuseries will debut on June 16. Season 3 follows the 2025-2026 squad as they go through auditions, training camp and the NFL season. All seven of the 55-minute episodes in season 3 will debut at once …

A stage adaptation of The Housemaid is on the way. Deadline reports that a stage production of the Lionsgate psychological thriller, which starred Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, is in development. The Notebook playwright Bekah Brunstetter is attached to write the adaptation of Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel …

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Entertainment

‘The Boys’ star Erin Moriarty predicts fans will feel ‘really satisfied’ by series finale

‘The Boys’ season 5 on Prime Video (Amazon MGM Studios)

The series finale of The Boys drops Wednesday on Prime Video. The big question is whether or not The Boys will be able to stop the sociopathic and seemingly invincible superhero Homelander, when all attempts so far this season have failed. So, will the finale manage to wrap up the story in a way that makes viewers happy?

Erin Moriarty, who plays Annie aka Starlight, told ABC Audio, “I hope so. I really hope so, I think the writers have done a brilliant job executing it. And I think that will translate into the fans feeling really satisfied by it, hopefully. We always hope so.”

“But I think … Eric Kripke [CRIP-kee], our showrunner, has done a brilliant job,” she added.

Moriarty’s Annie recommitted to the seemingly hopeless fight against Homelander, who is literally immortal, in last week’s episode, after she regained her sense of hope. That came despite a very bleak season that has seen the deaths of several major characters. But as star Jack Quaid, who plays Hughie, notes, it’s that emotion that has been carrying the characters through this season.

“Hope is a very big, poignant theme this season because I think the question the writers are asking is, ‘How do you have hope in a world that’s so dark, and dreary and horrible?'” he told ABC Audio.

“And I think that the answer to that is that hope is a choice. And sometimes all you have is hope and … [it’s] hard to keep alive. But doing so — it’s not naive. It’s not overly optimistic. It’s actually kind of bada**.”  

All episodes of season 5 of The Boys are streaming now.

 

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Entertainment

‘The Nightmare Upstairs: What Happened to Ty and Bryn?’ arrives on Hulu

The key art for ‘The Nightmare Upstairs: What Happened to Ty and Bryn?’ (ABC News Studios)

The Nightmare Upstairs: What Happened to Ty and Bryn? is now available to watch on Hulu.

This two-part docuseries from ABC News Studios follows a whirlwind romance that spirals into a bitter custody battle with allegations of abuse and parental alienation that gained national attention in 2023. It hails from the creators of the Emmy-nominated documentary Take Care of Maya, Caitlin Keating and Henry Roosevelt.

Ty Larson and Brynlee Larson are the children of Brent Larson and Jessica Zahrt, who are divorced and spent years in a bitter custody battle. 

“Facing a court order that could send them to a controversial reunification program and the possibility of being forced to live with their father, whom they allege abused them — an allegation the father denies—siblings Ty and Bryn barricade themselves for months, livestreaming the standoff and igniting a viral national reckoning,” according to an official synopsis of the docuseries.

The docusereies draws on never-before-seen archives, police interviews and court records to tell the story of this Utah family with an unprecedented look at what exactly unfolded.

In a press release, Keating and Roosevelt shared a note about this newest project of theirs.

“This film is, at its core, an intimate portrait of a family in crisis thrust into a viral social media battle. It explores the fractures within the family court system, the lasting impact of warring parents, and the relentless search for what is truly in the best interest of the children.”

The Nightmare Upstairs: What Happened to Ty and Bryn? is now streaming on Hulu and on Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Hulu.

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Entertainment

Gaten Matarazzo to star in ‘Rent’ revival on London’s West End

Gaten Matarazzo of ‘Pizza Movie’ poses for a portrait during the Getty Images Portrait Studio presented by IMDb and IMDbPro at SXSW 2026 on March 13, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (Robby Klein/Getty Images for IMDb)

Gaten Matarazzo is trading Hawkins for the stage.

The Stranger Things actor is set to make his London stage debut in a new revival of the Jonathan Larson musical Rent. Matarazzo will play Mark in the production, which will be directed by Luke Sheppard.

Performances start on Sept. 26 with an opening night of Oct. 8 at the West End’s Duke of York’s Theatre.

A video on the production’s official Instagram called the upcoming revival “a powerful celebration of community, connection and a call to live every minute as if it were your last.”

Additionally, a post announcing Matarazzo’s casting was captioned, “Are you ready? Hold that focus steady! @gatenmatarazzo is Mark. #RENT returns to the West End, directed by Luke Sheppard.”

Tickets for the upcoming production are now on sale at rentthemusical.com. Additional casting for the production has yet to be announced.

Sheppard recently won an Olivier for directing Paddington: The Musical on the West End. Matarazzo has acted many times on Broadway, most recently starring as Tobias in the 2023 revival of Sweeney Todd.  

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Entertainment

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ spinoff series set in Texas ordered at ABC

Ellen Pompeo stars in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ season 22. (Disney/Anne Marie Fox)

A spinoff of Grey’s Anatomy is headed to ABC.

The network has ordered a currently untitled Grey’s Anatomy spinoff series set in Texas for the 2026-27 season, ABC Audio has confirmed.

The new series is described as “an edgy drama about a team at a West Texas rural medical center — the last chance for care before miles of nowhere,” according to its official logline.

ABC has given the one-hour drama a straight to series order. It is co-created by Shonda Rhimes and Meg Marinis. The pair also executive produce the show alongside Betsy Beers and the original show’s star, Ellen Pompeo. The new spinoff series is produced by Shondaland and 20th Television.

“I am incredibly excited to expand the Grey’s Anatomy universe. This opportunity will bring new characters and stories to life that will embody the same heart, emotion and connection audiences have loved from Grey’s for more than two decades — all set in my home state of Texas,” Marinis said. “I am so grateful to Shonda Rhimes for creating this dynamic world and feel so fortunate that I get to be a part of it.”

Sources tell ABC Audio that Netflix is, and continues to be, the home of Shondaland. This new ABC show gives Marinis and Rhimes the opportunity to continue telling stories from the Grey’s Anatomy universe, and to honor the original show’s legacy and its loyal fans.

The upcoming TV season marks the second year in a row that ABC is set to increase its scripted slate, which includes the 23rd season of the original Grey’s Anatomy.

Disney is the parent company of ABC and ABC News.

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Entertainment

In brief: ‘Ella Enchanted’ TV series in development and more

Tracee Ellis Ross is set to make her Broadway debut in the Broadway production of Every Brilliant Thing. She will take over the role from Mariska Hargitay, who is also set to make her Broadway debut in the production, taking over for Daniel Radcliffe May 26. Ross starts performances on July 7. Every Brilliant Thing is nominated for best revival of a play at the 2026 Tony Awards …

It seems Ella Enchanted is getting a TV series adaptation. Deadline reports that a series based on the 2004 Miramax film that starred Anne Hathaway is in development at Disney+. Hathaway is set to executive produce the show, which the outlet reports is being written by Anyone But You scribe Ilana Wolpert …

A24 has acquired the film Club Kid after it premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. Jordan Firstman wrote, directed and stars in the film, which follows a washed-up party promoter who’s forced to turn his life around when he finds himself responsible for his 10-year-old son. “Bringing @jtfirstman’s CLUB KID home from Cannes,” A24 wrote in its announcement post

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Entertainment

Kennedy Ryan on why ‘Score’ was ‘one of the hardest books [she’s] ever written’

‘Score’ by Kennedy Ryan (Hachette/Forever)

Hollywood is calling to Kennedy Ryan, in more ways than one.

In addition to a TV show in the works at Peacock and a first-look deal with Universal, the romance author has released the latest book in her Hollywood Renaissance series, Score.

The story, a follow-up to 2021’s Reel, centers on the second chance romance between screenwriter Verity Hill, who’s living with bipolar disorder, and musician Bellamy “Monk” Wright — former college lovers who reunite on the set of a period film called Dessi Blue.

“I think I related to Verity as a writer. And I really related to her desire specifically around the Black community, around Black art and Black history,” Ryan says. “Really that’s the soul of what this whole series is.”

Ryan also took great care to make sure Verity’s bipolar disorder was represented accurately. She says it was “one of the hardest books I’ve ever written” for that reason.

“In media, we have seen bipolar disorder sensationalized, misrepresented, harmful representation,” Ryan says. “And I really didn’t want to perpetuate that, which meant really digging in with people who have the diagnosis, their family, their partners, their psychiatrist, their therapist. And that’s really the foundation for the representation in this book. And I’m very, very proud of it.”

While her books cover some heavier topics, Ryan promises her readers that by nature of the romance genre, they’ll never get “hurt without healing.”

“There is someone who will walk with you through hurt to healing,” she says. “It is also to encourage people who have actually lived those experiences that joy is a possibility for us in life.” 

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Entertainment

New ‘Lanterns’ trailer reveals Laura Linney cast in DC Studios series

Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler in ‘Lanterns.’ (John P. Johnson/HBO)

A new teaser trailer for Lanterns has arrived.

HBO Max released the second trailer for its upcoming DC Studios superhero TV series on Monday.

Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre and Kelly Macdonald star in the upcoming show, which will make its debut on Aug. 16.

Lanterns follows a new recruit named John Stewart (Pierre) and Hal Jordan (Chandler). The two intergalactic cops are “drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland,” according to the show’s official logline.

“Tell me how you go it. The ring,” Pierre’s John Stewart asks Chandler’s Hal Jordan in the trailer.

“You know how I got it. I sure as hell didn’t interview for it,” he responds.

The trailer also reveals that Ozark star Laura Linney is part of the series’ cast. We see her character sit across from John Stewart. He tells her, “I was raised fearless, and I’ll do this better than he’s ever done it before.”

“Then go and get it, John Stewart,” she says back.

True Detective: Night Country‘s Chris Mundy is the showrunner for Lanterns. He writes the program alongside Watchmen‘s Damon Lindelof and DC comic creator Tom King.

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Entertainment

‘Harry Potter’ TV series to recast Ginny Weasley in season 2

‘Harry Potter’ cast members Tristan Harland, Gabriel Harland, Ruari Spooner, Gracie Cochrane and Alastair Stout pose for a selfie. (HBO)

The youngest Weasley sibling in HBO’s Harry Potter series is getting recast.

Gracie Cochrane, the actress who portrays Ginny Weasley in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, will not return to play the character in season 2 of the series, ABC Audio has confirmed.

Gracie and her family released a statement regarding her decision to exit the show.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances Gracie has made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO Harry Potter series after season one,” the statement reads. “Her time as part of the Harry Potter world has been truly wonderful, and she is deeply grateful to Lucy Bevan and the entire production team for creating such an unforgettable experience. Gracie is very excited about the opportunities her future holds.”

HBO also released a statement on Gracie’s decision to leave the show.

“We support Gracie Cochrane and her family’s decision not to return for the next season of HBO’s Harry Potter series, and we are grateful for her work on season one of the show. We wish Gracie and her family the best,” HBO’s statement reads.

HBO renewed its Harry Potter series for season 2 on May 6. The renewal announcement came months ahead of the debut of the show’s first season.

Dominic McLaughlin leads the cast as Harry Potter. He stars alongside Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton, who play Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The show is described as a faithful adaptation of the books by J.K. Rowling, who serves as an executive producer.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will air on HBO and debut to HBO Max on Christmas Day 2026. Season 2 is set to begin production in fall 2026.

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Entertainment

Pedro Pascal surprises Disneyland guests in costume as the Mandalorian

Pedro Pascal and a Disney Parks character attend ‘The Mandalorian’ special launch event at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on Feb. 28, 2023. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

This is the way to Disneyland.

Pedro Pascal donned his Mandalorian gear to surprise Disneyland guests in order to celebrate the retheme of the Star Wars attraction Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run.

Pascal shocked fans who were gearing up to ride the attraction for the first time with its new storylines that feature The Mandalorian characters Din Djarin and Grogu. The interaction was captured in a video posted on the official Star Wars Instagram.

“Pedro Pascal creates the surprise of a lifetime at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at @disneyland,” the post is captioned.

The video shows Pascal putting the final touches on his Din Djarin costume as he poses inside of the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run attraction.

“Don’t make it too obvious it’s me,” Pascal says as he slides the Mandalorian helmet over his head. “I don’t think they’re gonna hear my welcome, but I’ll just be like, ‘What’s up?'”

Moments later, a group of Disneyland guests enter the attraction and are delighted to see a Mando character actor waiting near the queue. Little do they know that it’s actually the real deal. A ride attendant then asks Pascal, “Mandalorian, do you have anything to say before we send our travelers on their journey?”

Pascal then lifts the helmet off his head, which causes the guests to scream, jump up and down, and in some cases, fall to the ground.

“Now you all have to die because you’ve seen my face,” Pascal says to them.

Pascal stars in the upcoming film Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, which arrives in theaters everywhere on Friday.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Lucasfilm.

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