L-R Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov in ‘Heated Rivalry’ (Sabrina Lantos)
From BookTok to your TV screen: The much-buzzed-about steamy hockey romance seriesHeated Rivalry debuts its first two episodes on HBO Max Friday.
The six-episode series, created by Jacob Tierney and based on the popular novels by Rachel Reid, follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two rival hockey players who start a secret relationship in their rookie season that ends up spanning years. Hudson Williams plays wholesome Canadian superstar Shane, opposite Connor Storrie as Russian bad boy Ilya.
Tierney, Williams and Storrie say seeing the fan excitement grow online before the show has even aired feels “surreal” and “crazy.”
“It just makes me so excited for them to see the show,” Storrie tells ABC Audio. “Because if this is the reaction without, I can’t imagine some of the reactions to what we end up actually doing.”
The faithful adaptation has enough heat to melt the ice, thanks to the chemistry between Williams and Storrie, but the characters’ evolving love story against all odds is what has resonated deeply with fans.
“[The emotional scenes] felt like an extension of the physical ones, especially after establishing our relationship as Connor and Hudson,” Williams says. “It helped just allow us to go anywhere as Shane and Ilya with just sort of innate trust in each other.”
Tierney says the characters are “like high school sweethearts” in a way, who just “can’t shake each other.” “I think there’s something so romantic and swoony about that, that I think that’s partly why they stand out from the pack,” he says.
Aunt Vivian is putting her mental health first in the fourth and final season of Bel-Air. Cassandra Freeman, who plays Aunt Viv on the Peacock series, tells ABC Audio the season finds her once again balancing family and ambition, but doing so on her own terms.
“I’m really big on this philosophy of the more women center themselves in their life and work, the easier life is, and I feel that a lot with Aunt Viv,” she says. “She could go back to her old ways in season 1 and only center her family, and in this [season] she’s like, ‘No, I’m gonna redo this thing.’ And she’s gonna put her own sanity and mental health in the driver’s seat, which is why she makes a lot of the decisions that she makes.”
Aunt Viv, as fans know, is the matriarch of the Banks family; the other women in the family are Hilary and Ashley, played by Coco Jones and Akira Akbar, respectively.
Coco says fans “will be gagged” by her storyline in the fourth season, especially when it comes to her relationships with LeMarcus and Jazz.
“Ithink Hilary has a lot on her shoulders this season. And it does get rocky, I can’t even lie, but it comes out with her finding a purpose and finding a reason behind all of the things,” Coco explains.
And Akira says Ashley becomes “more comfortable with who she is and her identity” while growing up and still going through “teenager problems.”
The first three episodes of Bel-Air‘s fourth season are now streaming on Peacock.
Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and Woody (Tom Hanks) in ‘Toy Story 5.’ (Walt Disney Studios)
Toy Story 5 may be headed to big screens next summer, but Tim Allen has a couple of teases to share in the meantime.
The first teaser trailer for the Pixar film arrived on Nov. 11, and it showed how everybody’s favorite toys react to their caretaker, Bonnie, receiving a frog-shaped smart tablet called Lilypad.
Allen, who has voiced Buzz Lightyear in all five Toy Story films, caught up with ABC Audio back in May, where he spoke about what fans of the franchise can expect in the upcoming sequel film.
“Look, I’m a movie buff. I don’t like sequels, and I feel that [Toy Story] 3 was really, really good. [Toy Story] 2 was great. [Toy Story] 1, of course, is my favorite. [Toy Story] 4 was scary and very emotional. And I thought we were done at Toy Story [3]. They resurrected it,” Allen said.
The actor said that Andrew Stanton, who wrote the screenplay for the second film, is directing the fifth installment.
“He pitched this. I think it’s brilliant. And I’ll speak for Tom [Hanks],” Allen said, referencing the actor who voices the toy cowboy, Woody. “Tom did his part about a week ago. I finished the second [recording] series just yesterday, a five-hour session,” Allen said.
“It’s real funny,” Allen says of Toy Story 5. “It’s a big story about Jessie, which is wonderful. We’re all separated now because of time. It’s a real, real, real clever story.”
When asked if Jessie (Joan Cusack) and Buzz Lightyear’s romance factors in to the plot of Toy Story 5, Allen says, “Yes, that’s part of this.”
Allen then went on to tease a scene from the film.
“I’ll give you this. One of the kids that plays with us is giving a wedding with all the other characters. So she puts Buzz and Jessie together. And you know, kids are just doing that. But Buzz takes it very seriously.”
Toy Story 5 rides like the wind into theaters on June 19, 2026.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Pixar.
Witney Carson and Robert Irwin win Season 34 of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ (Disney/Eric McCandless)
Dancing with the Stars has crowned its new Mirrorball champions.
After a high-stakes season 34 finale, wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin and his partner Witney Carson won the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy after performing their final dance numbers.
Finalists also included Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy; Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach; Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa; and Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten.
When asked by co-host Julianne Hough what winning DWTS meant to him, Irwin said, “My sister said it best: Thank you for changing my life.”
Robert’s sister Bindi Irwin won the trophy in 2015. On Instagram, she wrote, “Words can’t describe how proud I am of you. You EARNED this.”
Carson added, “I’m so grateful for Robert, and I feel like I won already with him as my friend.”
The final dances included one chosen by one of the judges, an “Instant Dance Challenge” for the ultimate test of improvisation and a freestyle round.
The winners of this season were determined by a combination of live viewer votes from the night, plus the scores from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli. More than 72 million votes were cast, the show announced.
The finale kicked off with an electrifying dance number to “Never Can Say Goodbye” by The Communards.
It also saw the return of cast members over the season, including Lauren Jauregui, Andy Richter, Corey Feldman, Danielle Fishel, Hilaria Baldwin, Scott Hoying, Whitney Leavitt and Baron Davis.
The ladies of MomTok are coming back for more. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has been renewed for a fourth season on Hulu. The third season debuted on Nov. 13 as the #1 show on Hulu’s Top 15 Today list. Disney is the parent company of Hulu and ABC News …
Film fans, rejoice! Popular releases and award hopefuls One Battle After Anotherand Sinners are returning to select IMAX 70mm for one week only, starting Dec. 12. Check your local listings to find a showing at a theater near you …
The Scrubs reboot has released its first teaser. Original Scrubs actors Zach Braff, Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke star in the series, along with new faces to Sacred Heart including Vanessa Bayer and Joel Kim Booster. The new series is set to premiere on Feb. 25 on ABC …
The film, directed by Chloé Zhao and based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell, tells the fictional story of how deep love and a devastating loss in William Shakespeare‘s personal life helped shape his enduring classic Hamlet. Paul Mescal plays a young Shakespeare, who falls in love with a wild spirit named Agnes, played by Jessie Buckley.
Buckley says she’s proud of the emotional response the film has been getting.
“I love that like some people just need to sit in the cinema for five minutes after it, or go and take a walk. And that there is catharsis in that release, you know, to feel,” she says.
“I think we spend so much of our lives walking around just trying to survive,” she adds. “And sometimes those feelings that really need a vessel to be held and to be let go of aren’t available. So I just feel so proud that this story can offer that to people.”
Even though audiences will likely be reaching for the tissues while watching it, Mescal notes that it’s not just a sad film.
“I really don’t want people to think they’re going into this film that is about death,” he says. “It’s a film that’s rooted deeply in Agnes and Will’s love for each other, the love they have for their children. And the only reason that the grief, I think, is so profound is that you can see them battling to hold on to that love in the most impossible of places.”
That depth of feeling is a testament to the relationship Buckley and Mescal built both on and off screen.
“It has been one of the most important collaborations and relationships I have in my life,” Buckley says. “And I feel like it’s just the beginning.”
Hamnet is in limited release now and expands to wider release on Dec. 5.
James Van Der Beek attends 2024 Fox Winter Press Day at Fox Studio Lot on November 18, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Andrew Toth/Getty Images)
James Van Der Beek is taking it back to the fictional town of West Canaan, Texas, for a good reason.
The 48-year-old actor, who starred as Jonathan “Mox” Moxon in Varsity Blues, is fundraising for cancer treatment and selling limited-edition reproductions of his favorite jersey from the 1999 football movie.
“By popular demand! My favorite jersey. Maybe it was all fun plays we got run in the football sequences for the away games… but I always loved putting on the varsity whites,” Van Der Beek captioned an Instagram Reel announcing the sale.
“Last year when I released the Blues jersey, I was blown away by the love and support I received from all of you. It has meant more than I can ever express. I hope you enjoy this one as much as the original,” he added.
Van Der Beek’s unsigned Varsity Blues white jersey, featuring “Moxon” and the number 4 in blue text, is priced at $40, while an autographed version is priced at $80.
Van Der Beek has been auctioning off some of his memorabilia to fundraise for cancer treatment. He previously offered up several items from Dawson’s Creek, the hit teen drama that he starred in from 1998 to 2003.
Items up for auction include Dawson’s flannel shirt and Dawson’s necklace for Joey Potter, his character’s love interest, who was played by actress Katie Holmes. Propstore will auction off the items on Dec. 6 as part of its Winter Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction, with 100% of proceeds going to Van Der Beek.
Van Der Beek is currently undergoing treatment for Stage 3 colorectal cancer, a diagnosis he received in 2023 and then revealed publicly in 2024.
Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer characterized by malignant cells and polyps that grow out of control in the colon or rectum, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
50 Cent‘s documentary about Sean “Diddy” Combs now has an official release date. Sean Combs: The Reckoning will make its way to Netflix on Dec. 2. The doc was directed by Alexandria Stapleton, with 50 serving as an executive producer.
Sean Combs: The Reckoning will examine the life and career of Diddy, including his rise within the music industry, his influential impact on the careers of artists like The Notorious B.I.G., and the underworld that eventually resulted in lawsuits and his felony conviction. It will be broken down into four episodes featuring “exclusive interviews with those formerly in Combs’ orbit” and other “explosive, never-before-seen materials.”
“This isn’t just about the story of Sean Combs or the story of Cassie, or the story of any of the victims, or the allegations against him, or the trial,” Stapleton says in a statement. “Ultimately, this story is a mirror [reflecting us] as the public, and what we are saying when we put our celebrities on such a high pedestal.”
Her hope for the documentary is that it serves as “a wake-up call for how we idolize people, and to understand that everybody is a human being.”
Diddy is currently serving a 50-month sentence for two prostitution-related convictions at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey.
Eva Green attends the ‘Battlefield’ red carpet during the 81st Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2024 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Stefania D’Alessandro/WireImage)
Eva Green is joining the cast of Wednesday for season 3.
The French actress will be playing the role of Aunt Ophelia, the long-lost sister of Addams Family matriarch Morticia Addams, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, and the aunt of Jenna Ortega‘s Wednesday.
“I’m thrilled to join the woefully twisted world of Wednesday as Aunt Ophelia,” Green tells Tudum. “This show is such a deliciously dark and witty world, I can’t wait to bring my own touch of cuckoo-ness to the Addams family.”
Ophelia had been mentioned throughout season 2 of Wednesday, with Morticia saying her sister went missing after losing control of her powers. Viewers then got a glimpse of Ophelia from behind in the season 2 finale.
“Eva Green has always brought an exhilarating, singular presence to the screen — elegant, haunting, and beautifully unpredictable,”showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar tell Tudum. “Those qualities make her the perfect choice for Aunt Ophelia. We’re excited to see how she transforms the role and expands Wednesday’s world.”
