Category: Entertainment

It’s been eight years since the last episode, but just like that — abracadabra — Sofia the First is back. Ariel Winter reprises her role as the voice of Sofia in Sofia the First: Royal Magic.

“There’s so much that’s exciting about being able to be Sofia again. …She is just such an amazing little character. It was amazing in the first place to be able to influence young kids in such a positive way,” she tells ABC Audio, noting she’s grateful for the chance to return. “Sofia’s just such a great character. She’s so kind and empathetic and brave and welcoming to everyone. I feel like that’s just something that we really could use these days.” 

This time round, “Sofia’s in a whole new world now than she was before,” as she’s now enrolled in a school for royal magic.

“That comes with all sorts of new adventures. She has discovered that she is the most magical princess in the Ever Realm, which is so cool,” Ariel reveals. “And we’ll get to see more princesses this time. We actually have Moana this season, which is really exciting. There’s just so much new stuff and a lot of new characters.”

She hopes that young viewers watching the show learn “to be kind to everybody…go into every situation glass half full and try to do your best to be good to people and be your best self in as many situations as possible.”

Ariel adds that adults watching with their kids can also enjoy in the series.

“As a grown person watching the show, it’s fun, the world is so fun, the music is so great,” she says, noting they can also learn from Sofia’s top-tier conflict resolution skills. 

The first episodes of Sofia the First: Royal Magic are now on Disney+.

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This is the way to the top of the box office.

The Force was strong with Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian and Grogu as the Star Wars film opened at #1 with a total of $100 million over the three-day Memorial Day weekend, according to Box Office Mojo

The Mandalorian and Grogu marks the first theatrical Star Wars movie in seven years and the big screen debut of the two title characters, who are originally from the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. Pedro Pascal plays Mandalorian Din Djarin, a helmeted bounty hunter akin to the original trilogy’s Boba Fett, who’s accompanied by the Force-sensitive Grogu, who you may also know as Baby Yoda.

Coming in at #2 at the box office is the horror film Obsession, which scared up $30.4 million over the holiday weekend, an increase from the $17.2 million it earned over its debut weekend.

The Michael Jackson biopic Michael followed at #3 with another $26.9 million, bringing its total domestic gross to more than $320 million.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 took fourth place with $16.5 million, while The Sheep Detectives rounded out the top five with $12.8 million.

Here are the top 10 films at the box office:

1. The Mandalorian and Grogu — $100 million
2. Obsession — $30.4 million
3. Michael — $26.9 million
4. The Devil Wears Prada 2 — $16.5 million
5. The Sheep Detectives — $12.8 million
6. Passenger — $10.5 million
7. Mortal Kombat II — $7.7 million
8. I Love Boosters — $4.6 million
9. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie — $4.1 million
10. Project Hail Mary — $3.5 million

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Lucasfilm. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

It seems Tom Hardy will exit the Paramount+ series MobLand after season 2. Deadline reports that the actor will not return to the show if it gets renewed for a third season. Season 2 has yet to premiere, but it has wrapped filming. The outlet reports that Hardy completed the season amid friction between him and the series’ writer, executive producer and showrunner Jez Butterworth …

Ben Stiller and Mike Judge are teaming up for a comedy series at Apple TV. Variety reports that the show, which is currently titled Protective Custody, will star Stiller as a disgraced financier accused of massive fraud …

The first look at The Boys spinoff series Vought Rising has arrived. Prime Video shared the first trailer for the upcoming show, which is set to debut in 2027. It stars Jensen Ackles and Aya Cash and is set in the 1950s. This prequel follows the origins of Vought International …

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It seems progress is being made on a sequel to the Michael Jackson biopic Michael.

Lionsgate Studios Motion Picture Chair Adam Fogelson said he’s “really excited about the progress we’re making” on a sequel to Michael during the company’s quarterly earnings call on Thursday.

“All the conversations that we’ve been having with all of the appropriate parties continue to go exceptionally well, and I would say that there is a ton of incredibly entertaining Michael Jackson story, and much of the biggest and most popular parts of his music catalog that were not touched upon in the first film,” Fogelson said on the call.

As for what events from Jackson’s life would be covered in a potential second film, Fogelson said the studio “can go forwards and backwards in telling this story.”

“There are so many other events that happened, even in the time frame of the original movie, that weren’t touched upon. So we’re very, very confident that we’ve got an incredibly entertaining movie that will appeal once again to a global audience as the pieces come together,” Fogelson said.

The Lionsgate executive also said the studio has “25% to 30% of a second movie already shot from the prior production activity.”

“Obviously that will have some benefit ultimately. But we’ll make sure we make a big and satisfying movie for a global audience once again, so I wouldn’t want to quantify exactly what that’s going to look like. But undoubtedly that 25% to 30% will be material,” Fogelson said.

Michael opened in theaters on April 24. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film starred the King of Pop’s nephew Jaafar Jackson and also featured Colman Domingo, Miles Teller and Nia Long.

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We now know who Charlie Heaton will play in the Peaky Blinders universe.

Netflix and the BBC have revealed that Heaton is set to play Tommy Shelby’s eldest son in the upcoming Peaky Blinders sequel series. A photo of Heaton on set in costume as Charles Shelby has been released along with the announcement.

Heaton’s character had been a mystery since his casting was announced in April. Jamie Bell also joins the sequel series, taking over the role of Charles’ half brother, Duke, who was originally portrayed by Barry Keoghan.

The upcoming Peaky Blinders sequel series is written and created by Steven Knight. It is currently being filmed in and around Digbeth Loc. Studios in Birmingham, England.

This new Peaky Blinders era is set a decade after World War II. It follows the race to rebuild Birmingham as it becomes “a brutal contest of mythical dimensions,” according to a description from Netflix.

“Having fought a violent war, much of it behind enemy lines, Charles Shelby is now embracing normality. He hasn’t seen his half-brother Duke … in years. Charles severed all ties to the Peaky Blinders gang, and the hedonistic Shelby lifestyle. But can you ever escape your own blood?” the show’s logline reads.

Jessica Brown Findlay, Lashana Lynch and Lucy Karczewski are also set to star in the series, in roles that Netflix says will be revealed at a later date.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ready, set, binge! Here’s a look at some of the new movies and TV shows coming to theaters and streaming services this weekend:

Prime Video
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War: This film based on the TV series stars John Krasinski as the titular CIA analyst.

Apple TV
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed: Tatiana Maslany and Jake Johnson star in the new original series.

Netflix
The Boroughs: This new series comes from the executive producers of Stranger Things. 

Ladies First: A man wakes up in a parallel world dominated by women in this new satire film.

Movie theaters
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu: Pedro Pascal stars in the first theatrical Star Wars film in seven years. 

I Love Boosters: Keke Palmer leads director Boots Riley’s latest film. 

That’s all for this week’s Weekend Watchlist – happy streaming!

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Boots Riley follows up Sorry to Bother You with his new film I Love Boosters, now in theaters. Like his previous film, the movie blends surrealism, comedy and a star-studded cast, including LaKeith Stanfield, Taylour Paige, Naomi Ackie and Demi Moore.

“[I Love Boosters] takes place in the world of professional shoplifters,” he tells ABC Audio. “You could roughly say it’s a heist comedy, and then you just add the fact of the cast, and you don’t have to say more. If you want to know more than that, you want to know too much.”

While Sorry to Bother You used telemarketing to critique capitalism, this film focuses on boosters aka professional shoplifters. Boots says he had personal experience with that world during his years as a “broke rapper” trying to keep up with fashion.

He explains, “I’ve spent decades being a broke rapper … and when you have no money and you’re trying to stay fly, you better call a booster.”

The film follows a group of professional shoplifters who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven by stealing her clothes and reselling them.

Boots says his interest in boosters comes from how often they are “villainized,” suggesting they play a role in working-class communities and communities of color.

“Boosters serve in a world in which style … is generated from communities of color and other poorer communities that can’t afford the stuff that gets generated from those inspirations,” he argues. “And so boosters actually end up … being something that holds the community together while people are trying to survive.”

The film also stars Keke Palmer, whom Boots says he wanted to challenge creatively.

“People think she’s inspiring on film, and on TV and on Instagram. She’s more so in person,” he says. “She’s such a bright, shining beacon and she is smart as hell.” 

He adds that he believes the film is both of their best work.

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Back in 1964, Paul McCartney played The Ed Sullivan Show with The Beatles. And on Thursday night, he returned to the same venue to turn out the lights on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Sir Paul returned to Ed Sullivan Theater, as it was renamed in 1967, to sit for an interview with Colbert on the host’s final broadcast, and then performed The Beatles’ “Hello Goodbye,” with Colbert singing backup, along with Elvis Costello, former bandleader Jon Batiste and the show’s staff.

During the interview, Colbert asked McCartney if the theater still brings back memories. “When you close your eyes, do you hear the girls screaming?” “Yeah,” McCartney replied as the women in the audience screamed wildly.

“How often does that happen to you at this point?” Colbert asked when the screams died down. “Often,” said McCartney.

McCartney also reminisced about how, when The Beatles were on Ed Sullivan, they got makeup put on them for the cameras and “it was, like, bright orange.” “That’s very popular in certain circles these days,” joked Colbert.  “Now we know where it started. Thanks a lot, Paul McCartney!”

Sir Paul also talked about the romantic vision The Beatles had of America as “the land of the free, the greatest democracy,” adding, “That was what it was. It still is, hopefully.”

Prior to “Hello Goodbye,” Colbert, Costello and Batiste performed an obscure Costello song, “Jump Up.”  Then, as “Hello Goodbye” faded out, Colbert went to turn out the lights, and beckoned McCartney to join him. He threw the switch, the building went dark, and it was then sucked into a wormhole and spit out into a snow globe, being sniffed at by a dog. We then heard Colbert’s voice saying, “C’mon Benny, let’s go,” and the show ended.

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The official trailer for Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 has arrived. Netflix is set to release the second season of the live-action reimagining of the beloved Nickelodeon animated series on June 25. In season 2, the gang of Aang, Katara and Sokka “regroup and set off on a mission to convince the elusive Earth King to aid in their battle against fearsome Fire Lord Ozai,” according to an official description. It stars Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley, Dallas Liu, Elizabeth Yu, Miyako and Momona Tamada …

A24 has finished production on director Dev Patel’s revenge action thriller film The Peasant. Deadline reports that with the project wrapped, it marks the studio’s first production to film in India. Along with Patel, the film stars Christian Friedel, Sebastian Bull, Saurabh Sachdeva, Anasuya Sengupta and Vipin Sharma …

Julianne Moore has found her next project. Variety reports that she is set to executive produce and star in a new comedy film for Netflix. The currently untitled movie comes from Higher Ground, the production company founded by former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. It follows a mother who panics when her daughter is offered a promotion that will force her to move across the country …

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Din Djarin makes his theatrical debut in the new movie Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Pedro Pascal once again stars as the Mandalorian bounty hunter in the film, which arrives in theaters everywhere on Friday. He told ABC News that one of his earliest memories of going to the movie theater as a child was to see Star Wars.

“I was born in ’75, so there was a rerelease of Star Wars before The Empire Strikes Back because I saw it in the movie theater. Obi-Wan Kenobi was decapitated by Darth Vader in my very, very, very early childhood,” Pascal said. “Getting tickets to Return of the Jedi … it’s just a day I’ll never forget.”

Pascal said this John Favreau-directed film is for the Star Wars fans, but it’s also for people who are just now starting their journey with its expansive universe.

“John Favreau has been brilliant about creating an experience that if you love Star Wars there’s so much in there for you to experience in the context of … all of the Star Wars storytelling that we’ve had from the beginning up until now,” Pascal said. “But it’s also that kind of experience that I had when I saw my first Bond movie, of which I hadn’t seen any of the other ones, I didn’t know who James Bond was.”

Even though he went in unaware of the Bond universe, he left the theater “owned by Moonraker as a kid” and “on a ride that I didn’t want to get off.” 

“I love that this can be that for people,” Pascal continued.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Lucasfilm.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.