Idris Elba in ‘Hijack’ season 2 (Courtesy of Apple TV)
More episodes of Hijack season 2 are now streaming on Apple TV, with Idris Elba returning as professional negotiator Sam Nelson. After surviving a plane hijacking in season 1, Sam ends the season 2 premiere with a plot twist no one saw coming: He is now the mastermind behind the takeover of a subway station in Berlin.
In order to portray this role reversal, Elba said he spoke with the creative team about why the series should return and how Sam had changed since the first season. “[We talked] about why are we coming back and what do we want to see and what would he have had to have gone through to get to the season,” he explained in a recent press conference. “Once we had gotten that, there was a lot of discussion around sort of physically what he might look like.”
To bring that to life, Elba said he explored trauma and its aftermath, especially how men process extreme experiences, adding he was mindful of the unexplored “residue effects” that were left over from season 1.
The result is a version of Sam who shows moments of vulnerability throughout the new season.
Though the stakes have flipped, Elba said his character remains compelling because of his humanity. “He isn’t built to be like the gun-twirling kung fu master guy,” he explained. “He’s sort of using a very cerebral approach, he is thinking on his toes and he has a lot of courage.”
Audiences, he said, “don’t mind seeing someone just rumble and bumble their way through, making sense as they go along.”
The two-part documentary, which was directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, arrives to HBO on Thursday. Apatow told ABC Audio that Brooks needed a bit of convincing before he agreed to become the subject of another retrospective.
“There had been other pieces made about him in the past, and I wanted to do something more personal. And he wasn’t sure how he felt about that,” Apatow said. “My main pitch was, ‘But Mel, you get to hang out with me,’ you know, like, ‘We get to talk and when else are we going to have a reason to talk for 10 hours?’ And he’s like, ‘OK, I’ll do it.'”
Bonfiglio said that Brooks’ style of comedy in movies like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein became a brand unto itself.
“The Mel Brooks brand is big, laugh-out-loud funny, going for the huge, huge laughs, no-holds-barred, kind of busted all open kind of humor. Not a lot of subtlety, but always so funny,” Bonfiglio said.
Apatow said that the daring nature of Brooks’ comedy is not something that could be replicated today.
“He certainly was as daring as you can be,” Apatow said. “What’s most impressive is that at a time when people weren’t making much work like that, he decided to plant his flag and make a movie that mocked racism in a way that was such a strong point of view that even today people are like, ‘Whoa, did you see that?’ I mean, it certainly doesn’t seem tamer as the years pass. And I think the lesson of it is still very, very important, unfortunately.”
Teyana Taylor at Disney Advertising Upfront. (Disney/Jose Alvarado)
Teyana Taylor is giving fans a glimpse of what’s to come when she hosts the Jan. 23 episode of Saturday Night Live. She flexes her acting chops in a promo clip released on social media Wednesday.
In the teaser, Teyana listens as cast member Ashley Padilla vents about Andrew Dismukes eating her eggplant parmesan. After hearing the news, she suggests Ashley seek vengeance and transforms into a look akin to Angela Bassett‘s Bernadine in the popular Waiting to Exhale burning car scene.
In the film, Bassett’s character, filled with emotion after her husband leaves her for a younger white secretary, goes into his closet and collects his expensive clothes. She uses a wagon to bring them out to his BMW, pours gasoline on top and lights it all on fire. Teyana channels this energy in the SNL clip as she helps Ashley gather Andrew’s belongings into a wagon before setting it ablaze.
“Why? Was this about the parm?” Andrew asks when he sees his things burning. Reciting the lines from Waiting to Exhale, Teyana responds, “Get yo s***! Get yo s***! And GET OUT!”
Rock band Geese will make their SNL debut as musical guest Saturday.
Walker Scobell and Leah Sava Jeffries star in ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ season 2. (Disney/David Bukach)
Good news, Half-Bloods.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 3 will premiere later in 2026, Disney+ has announced. This announcement comes the day that the season finale of the show’s second season debuted on the streaming service.
Disney released a video of stars Walker Scobell and Leah Sava Jeffries from the upcoming season 3 to announce the news. The clip also appeared midway through the credits of the season 2 finale.
“First look. First dance. Season 3 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians premieres THIS YEAR,” the show’s official Instagram account wrote on Wednesday.
In the clip, Percy Jackson (Scobell) and Annabeth Chase (Jeffries) attend a school dance together. The StephenSanchez song “Until I Found You” plays in the background as Annabeth pulls Percy to the dance floor. She takes Percy’s hands and brings them to her waist as they sway together.
There is currently no word on when fans can expect to watch season 3 of the series, which is based on author Rick Riordan‘s novel The Titan’s Curse.
Along with Scobell and Jeffries, season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians starred Aryan Simhadri, CharlieBushnell, Dior Goodjohn and Daniel Diemer.
A star-studded group of guest stars also appeared in the season, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, JasonMantzoukas, Timothy Simons, Courtney B. Vance, Andra Day, Margaret Cho and Kristen Schaal.
Lexi Minetree as Elle Woods in the ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel series ‘Elle.’ (Prime Video)
Omigod, you guys!
The Legally Blonde prequel series Elle is set to premiere on Prime Video on July 1. Additionally, the streaming service has ordered a second season of the show months ahead of its first season’s debut.
Season 1 of Elle follows the character Elle Woods, who was originated by Reese Witherspoon in the 2001 film, as she takes on high school.
Lexi Minetree stars as a young Elle Woods in the upcoming series. The prequel follows Elle as “we learn about the life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love,” according to Prime Video.
“Twenty-five years after the world met Elle Woods for the first time, it’s a dream come true to share the story of how she became the unstoppable force we all fell in love with,” Witherspoon said in a statement. “Discovering Lexi Minetree and watching her step into Elle’s fabulous shoes has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my career.”
Witherspoon continued, saying she believes the show’s themes “of kindness, authenticity, and believing in yourself will resonate deeply with fans of the original films and new audiences alike.”
“Working with our incredible Hello Sunshine team, Amazon and our visionary writers and directors to bring Elle’s high school journey to life has been a tremendous joy. I can’t wait to share Season One with the world and start rolling cameras on Season Two!” Witherspoon said.
Laura Kittrell created the series, which she co-showruns and executive produces with Caroline Dries. Witherspoon, Lauren Neustadter, Marc Platt and Amanda Brown also executive produce. Pitch Perfect director Jason Moore helmed the first two episodes of season 1 and also executive produces.
Also starring in season 1 are June Diane Raphael as Elle’s mother, Eva, and Tom Everett Scott as her father, Wyatt. Gabrielle Policano, Jacob Moskovitz, Chandler Kinney and Zac Looker make up the rest of the main cast.
Charles Melton as Austin Davis, Carey Mulligan as Lindsay Crane-Martin, Oscar Isaac as Josh Martin and Cailee Spaeny as Ashley Miller in ‘Beef’ season 2. (Netflix)
Netflix has shared its first look at the second season of Beef.
The popular Emmy-winning anthology series from A24 and creator Lee Sung Jin arrives to the streaming service on April 16, and the first photos from the season arrived on Wednesday.
This season features a brand-new story with a completely different cast of characters. Oscar Isaac, CareyMulligan, Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny star in season 2. The indecent that sparks the new “beef” is a Gen-Z couple witnessing an alarming fight between their millennial boss and his wife.
“Newly-engaged Ashley Miller (Spaeny) and Austin Davis (Melton), both lower-level staff at a country club, become entangled in the unraveling marriage of their General Manager, Joshua Martín (Isaac), and his wife, Lindsay Crane-Martín (Mulligan),” according to its official synopsis. “Through favors and coercion, both couples vie for the approval of the elitist club’s billionaire owner, Chairwoman Park (Youn Yuh Jung), who struggles to manage her own scandal involving her second husband, Doctor Kim (Song Kang Ho).”
The cast also includes Seoyeon Jang as Eunice, William Fichtner as Troy, Mikaela Hoover as Ava and the musician BM in his acting debut as Woosh.
There will be eight 30-minute episodes in season 2. Lee returns as its creator, showrunner and executive producer. The first season’s stars, Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, also return to executive produce season 2, joined by Mulligan, Isaac, Melton and Spaeny as executive producers.
Season 1 of Beef won eight Emmy Awards, including limited or anthology series, lead actor in a limited or anthology series for Yeun and lead actress in a limited or anthology series for Wong.
Stars of ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,’ including Taylor Frankie Paul, in season 4 of the series. (Fred Hayes/Disney)
Come ye saints, come ye sinners … to watch The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 4 teaser trailer.
Along with the new teaser, Hulu has announced that the upcoming fourth season is set to debut all 10 of its episodes on March 12.
This new season of the show finds the women of #MomTok more famous than ever. It follows Taylor Frankie Paul as she is announced to star as the lead in a new season of The Bachelorette. It also takes place during the same time that Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt were competing against each other on Dancing with the Stars.
That competition “creates chaos, temptations arise, and tradition turns upside down,” according to the official season 4 synopsis. “Up against unraveling marriages, personal demons and family secrets — they must choose to lean on each other or face their fates untethered and alone on the world’s stage. Will the women remain loyal to their sisterhood to save it? Or will #MomTok shatter forever?”
The 30-second teaser finds Paul crying into her phone. “I hate all of you, because you all knew. Goodbye,” Paul says as she hangs up the phone.
The teaser ends with a bang. Jessi Draper, while dressed up like a Playboy bunny, asks, “Is she gonna be a pregnant Bachelorette?”
In addition to Paul, Affleck, Leavitt and Draper, season 4 stars Demi Engemann, Layla Taylor, MayciNeeley, Mikayla Matthews and Miranda Hope.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives posted the new teaser to its social media on Wednesday, where several members of #MomTok shared their reactions.
“I’m scuuuuurrred for once,” Paul commented alongside an eyes emoji, while Hope wrote, “i feel like i cried a lot this season…can’t wait to watch!”
Restaurateur Dame Prue Leith poses for a portrait as she prepares to host a long table banquet during Wilderness Festival at Cornbury Park on Aug. 1, 2025, in Charlbury, Oxfordshire. (Jim Dyson/Getty Images)
This news may cause a soggy tissue, but at least that’s better than a soggy bottom.
Prue Leith, the longtime judge of The Great British Bake Off, has announced that she is leaving the show after nine years. The restauranteur shared the news on Instagram Wednesday.
“After nine series and judging more than 400 challenges, I have decided to step down as a judge on The Great British Bake Off,” Leith wrote. “Bake Off has been a fabulous part of my life for the last nine years, I have genuinely loved it and I’m sure I’ll miss working with my fellow judge Paul, Alison and Noel and the teams at Love Productions and Channel 4.”
The Great British Bake Off, which goes by the name The Great British Baking Show on Netflix, is also judged by Paul Hollywood. The program is hosted by Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding. Leith joined the show in 2017, replacing the original judge, Mary Berry.
Leith continued her goodbye announcement by explaining why she came to this decision.
“But now feels like the right time to step back (I’m 86 for goodness sake!), there’s so much I’d like to do, not least spend summers enjoying my garden,” Leith wrote. “Whoever joins the team, I’m sure they’ll love it as much as I have. I feel very lucky to have been part of it.”
Rahul Mandal, the season 9 Bake Off winner, took to the comments to share support for Leith.
“We will miss you so much. It was a joy and privilege to be in the tent [with] you. You are kind, funny, passionate and always inspired us,” Mandal wrote.
The most recent winner of the show, Jasmine Mitchell, also sent love Leith’s way in the comments.
“Awwwww, Prue you’re amazing and we will miss you so very much,” she wrote.
Alix Earle attends the NYLON House At Miami Art Week on Dec. 5, 2025, in Miami Beach, Florida. (Udo Salters Photography/Getty Images)
Keeping up with the Earles.
Netflix has announced an upcoming, unscripted series starring social media star Alix Earle and her family. It is set to arrive sometime in 2026.
Earle, who was the runner-up on the most recent season of Dancing with the Stars, is known for her “Get Ready with Me” videos. She has over 13 million TikTok and Instagram followers combined.
Netflix shared a video to social media announcing the new reality show on Wednesday.
“From your FYP to your TV: Alix Earle, her family, and friends will star in an unscripted series dropping later this year on Netflix,” the video’s caption reads.
This new show will take Earle’s fans behind the scenes of her life as she balances a growing business empire, travels the world and navigates her modern family dynamic. The show “will document the real-time messiness of a young woman in transition,” according to the streamer.
“I share a lot of my life on social media, and people think they know everything there is to know about me and my family, but honestly, there’s still so much more,” Earle said. “We are so happy to partner with Netflix on this show about our fun, loving, sometimes chaotic modern family, and how we always show up for each other through it all.”
Earle said she is used to having total control of what she films and posts online, saying, “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a little scary” to have someone else behind the camera.
“Having cameras around in moments I normally wouldn’t post is definitely an adjustment. But the real, human moments are what connected me to my audience in the first place. If letting people in even more makes someone feel less alone, or even just makes them laugh, then it’s worth it,” Earle said.
Justin Baldoni speaks onstage at the Vital Voices 12th Annual Voices of Solidarity Awards, Dec. 9, 2024, in New York. Blake Lively attends ‘Another Simple Favor’ New York Screening, April 27, 2025, in New York. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images | Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Animosity on the set of the film It Ends With Us was evident well before highly publicized lawsuits between stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni were filed, newly unsealed text messages show.
The messages, which are among the hundreds of documents the judge overseeing the civil claims ordered unsealed ahead of a hearing this week, show Lively and Baldoni venting to friends and colleagues during filming.
In a May 2023 text exchange between Lively and a journalist, Lively expresses her frustration with filming and says she “came home and cried” on one occasion. The actress also writes, “They’re just being creeps,” when referring to her co-star.
Texts between Baldoni and another actor show he was equally frustrated while making the movie. Baldoni, who also served as the film’s director, said in one message that Lively was threatening not to promote the movie if she was not allowed to take part in the edit.
In one message, he wrote, “She had the nuclear bomb. If she doesn’t promote the movie she can leak that I’m a bad person or that she felt unsafe with me and ‘all the stuff’ she has on me. Then she’s the victim.”
In a later text message, he wrote, “The risk to my family isn’t worth the creative integrity.”
Other unsealed documents include a text exchange between Lively and fellow actress Jenny Slate, who also appeared in the film.
Referring to Baldoni, Lively wrote, “I also saw something in him, was aware of a general vibe that I’m not into, and I pushed past it. Never again! Lesson learned.”
ABC News has reached out to Slate’s representative for comment.
Lively first filed a complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department in December 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment on the set of It Ends with Us and accusing both Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios of engaging in a “social manipulation” campaign to “destroy” Lively’s reputation.
The two filed dueling lawsuits against each other in New York in the weeks that followed, with Lively reiterating the claims made in her earlier complaint and further accusing Baldoni of retaliation, suing him for nearly $500 million in damages. Baldoni’s lawyer denied the allegations, stating at the time that they had “evidence which will show a pattern of bullying and threats to take over the movie” by Lively.
Baldoni filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, the couple’s publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s public relations company Vision PR alleging extortion and defamation, claiming Lively had “robbed” him of control over the film and had destroyed his reputation.
Lively’s lawyers denied the allegations and called Baldoni’s suit “another chapter in the abuser playbook.”
“This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim,” they said in a statement at the time.
A federal judge in New York dismissed Baldoni’s suit in June of last year, formally ending the counterclaim in October after Baldoni did not refile an amended complaint. Attorney Byran Freedman said at the time, “Our clients chose not to amend their complaint to preserve appeal rights. In the meantime, we are focusing on Ms. Lively’s claims. We remain fully committed to pursuing the truth through every legal and factual avenue available and look forward to our day in court.”
Lively’s suit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios is ongoing.
This week’s documents were unsealed ahead of a hearing scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 22. The trial is set to begin May 18.
A member of Lively’s legal team responded to the newly unsealed documents in a statement to ABC News, writing, “In his TedTalk to promote his brand as an advocate for women, Justin Baldoni said we must ‘listen to the women’…even if what they are saying is against you.’ See how he actually reacts in the bombshell new evidence released for the first time, which includes sworn testimony and contemporaneous messages from numerous women who actually worked with him.”
The statement continued, “The newly unsealed evidence contains never-before seen testimony, messages, and evidence from numerous eyewitnesses backing the claims in Ms. Lively’s lawsuit. The evidence includes Ms. Lively’s own testimony describing the harassment she faced, as well as new evidence from numerous women describing their own disturbing experiences.”
ABC News has reached out to Baldoni’s representatives for comment.
