Entertainment

Regina King, Taye Diggs, Chlöe and Coco Jones set for panels at 2026 American Black Film Festival

Regina King attends the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards at Hollywood Palladium on February 15, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Maya Dehlin Spach/FilmMagic)

The programming lineup for the 30th annual American Black Film Festival has been revealed, featuring screenings, panels and conversations with names including Regina King, Chlöe Bailey, Lynn Whitfield, Lucien Laviscount, Anna Diop and Coco Jones, as well as the cast of Power Book III: Raising Kanan.

Kicking off the festivities is a May 27 screening of Peacock’s Strung, which follows a talented violinist who “takes a prestigious job as a music tutor for the gifted daughter of an influential and enigmatic family,” according to a press release. Directed by Malcolm D. Lee, the feature film stars Chlöe, Lynn, Lucien and Coco, who will participate in a panel discussion the following day.

Fans of Raising Kanan also have an event on the slate: There will be an inside look at season 5 of the show, which premieres on Starz on June 12; it’s unclear who will attend the accompanying panel.

Regina will discuss her journey in film and television during a panel scheduled on May 28, while Taye Diggs will speak with fans the following day about “career longevity, financial planning, and building lasting success in the entertainment industry,” as well as personal health.

All American stars Michael Evans Behling, Greta Onieogou, Bre-Z and Kareem Grimes will then come together on May 30 to discuss the series’ biggest moments ahead of its final season.

ABFF will take place in Miami Beach May 27–31 under the theme Homecoming. The lineup also includes a free screening of Brown Sugar, as well as a comedy show headlined by Zainab Johnson and featuring Tisha Campbell.

The full schedule is available on ABFF.com.

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Entertainment

Watch Ariana Grande play an ’emotional puppeteer’ in ‘Focker-In-Law’ trailer

‘Focker-In-Law’ poster (Universal Pictures)

In the new trailer for Focker-In-Law, the latest installment in the Meet the Parents movie franchise, Ariana Grande has one mission: to stop Ben Stiller’s Greg Focker from holding her fiancé, Henry — Greg’s son — “emotionally hostage.” 

In the trailer, Ariana’s character, Olivia Jones, tells the family that she was trained as an FBI hostage negotiator and plans to use her skills to “free” Henry from his co-dependent relationship with Greg. Much to Greg’s dismay, she’s got Robert De Niro’s Jack Byrnes on her side. The two get along great — even Jack’s dog loves her, and Greg is crushed when Jack says he’s going to invite her into the “circle of trust.”

This sets up an adversarial relationship where confident Olivia and a very threatened Greg go head-to-head throughout the trailer.

“I thought this would be an opportunity to get to know me. To bond,” Olivia tells Greg during a family weekend together.

“How do you bond with an emotional puppeteer?” Greg asks Olivia. “I won’t be your little Pinocchio, Geppetto. Evil Geppetto. I’m a real boy!”

Focker-In-Law is Ariana’s comedy movie debut. It hits theaters on Thanksgiving.

 

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Entertainment

In brief: ‘Good Omens’ season 3 finale trailer and more

The official trailer for the third and final season of Good Omens has arrived. Michael Sheen and David Tennant star in the season 3 finale, which is being presented in the form of one 90-minute episode. This series finale will debut to Prime Video on May 13 …

Demi Moore is joining the cast of the upcoming film Tyrant. Deadline reports that Moore has joined the Amazon MGM Studios film in a key role alongside other stars Charlize Theron and Julia Garner. The movie is described as a culinary thriller set within New York City’s elite fine-dining scene. It comes from writer and director David Weil …

The cast of season 4 of Perfect Match has been unveiled. Netflix has revealed the singles from across many different reality TV shows who will take part in the fourth season of the dating competition show. This time around, notable cast members include Vanderpump Rules star Ally Lewber, as well as Love is Blind‘s Jimmy Presnell. Perfect Match season 4 premieres on May 13 …

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Entertainment

Director Morgan Neville on filming Lorne Michaels for new doc: ‘It was like making a nature documentary’

Lorne Michaels stars in director Morgan Neville’s documentary ‘Lorne.’ (Focus Features)

For decades, Lorne Michaels has made America laugh as the man behind the scenes of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. But for the most part he’s remained just that, behind the scenes.

The new documentary Lorne aims to change that, although its director, Morgan Neville, tells ABC Audio Michaels didn’t make it easy.

“I mean, the first day of shooting is literally what you see in the documentary, which is the cameras come out of the bags and Lorne vanishes,” Neville says. “Slowly, we got closer and closer. It was like making a nature documentary, and he kind of became a little more used to it.”

But while Michaels didn’t like talking about himself, plenty of people had no problem talking about him, with Michaels’ famous friends and colleagues, like Paul Simon, Steve Martin, Tina Fey, John Mulaney, Adam Sandler and more, contributing to the film.

“People do love to talk about Lorne, because for all of them, he looms large in their own stories,” says Neville. “You know, for a lot of them, he’s the reason they became famous or successful.”

The film also takes viewers inside the making of SNL, with cameras filming parts of the process most regular folks never get to witness.

Neville says the SNL footage was important because the film’s “not just Lorne’s backstory, but the dynamics he’s created and really the culture,” noting he wanted to capture that “while it still exists.”

And while moviegoers will indeed learn a lot about Michaels, they may still come away thinking he’s a bit of a mystery, and Neville’s OK with that.

“You know, Lorne is the Wizard of Oz, and on the one hand you want to learn about the Wizard of Oz,” he says, “but you also don’t want to demystify him to the point where he’s not the wizard anymore.” 

Lorne opens in theaters Friday.

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Entertainment

Nikki Glaser, Noah Wyle among entertainers on ‘Time’100 list of most influential people of 2026

Nikki Glaser attends the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar party hosted By Mark Guiducci at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on March 15, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Dia Dipasupil/FilmMagic via Getty Images)

TIME has revealed its 2026 list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Nikki Glaser represents the entertainment community as she graces one of the four worldwide covers of this year’s Time100 issue of the magazine.

Other entertainers to make the list are Noah Wyle, Sterling K. Brown, Alan Cumming, Claire Danes, Benicio Del Toro, Jonathan Groff, Ethan Hawke, Kate Hudson, Dakota Johnson, Wagner Moura, Keke Palmer, Jafar Panahi, Zoe Saldaña, Rhea Seehorn and Ben Stiller.

Chris Rock penned the tribute to Glaser, writing that one of the things he loves about her is that “she has the decency to be scared” because of how hard she works.

“Lorne Michaels used to say to me, ‘You can’t make an entrance if you never leave.’ I hope Nikki takes her time and explores all aspects of her gift,” Rock wrote. “I hope she realizes she has the potential to be not just a great comedian, but a great artist who uses the power that comes with this moment to approach her career like Madonna or Leonardo DiCaprio and work with only the best. I hope this is just the beginning of an incredible, multifaceted, Steve Martin–esque career.”

LeVar Burton wrote Wyle’s tribute, sharing that The Pitt actor is one of those people you’d love to hate, “except you can’t because he’s such a great guy.”

“He wears his compassionate nature as effortlessly as he does his easy sense of humor,” Burton continued. “When he says, ‘Let me know if there’s anything I can do,’ he genuinely means it. Countless are the times I have considered myself fortunate to call him my friend.”

The world’s most influential people will gather in New York City at the 2026 Time100 Summit on April 22 and the Time100 Gala on April 23.

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Entertainment

Bradley Cooper to direct, star in ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ prequel with Margot Robbie

Bradley Cooper and Margot Robbie during the 10th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on April 13, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. (Lester Cohen/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize)

Bradley Cooper is set to write, direct and star in a prequel to Ocean’s Eleven.

Warner Bros. Pictures will release the upcoming film in theaters on June 25, 2027. Margot Robbie will star alongside Cooper, who will also produce the film along with Robbie’s banner LuckyChap.

Twisters director Lee Isaac Chung was previously attached to direct the film but recently stepped away from the project due to creative differences.

Warner Bros. launched this current Ocean’s franchise with Steven Soderbergh’s 2001 film Ocean’s Eleven. It became a trilogy that starred George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Matt Damon. Ocean’s Eleven was a remake of the studio’s 1961 film Ocean’s 11, which starred Frank Sinatra.

Warner Bros. Pictures has also dated several other of its upcoming films for release.

The horror films The Revenge of La Llorona, Evil Dead Wrath and Final Destination 7 have received release dates of April 9, 2027, April 7, 2028, and May 12, 2028, respectively.

Additionally, a currently untitled film directed by Baz Luhrmann will be released in theaters on Nov. 22, 2028.

ABC Audio has learned that the film will follow the story of Joan of Arc. Luhrmann wrote the movie with Ava Pickett, and Isla Johnston is set to star in it.

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Entertainment

‘Anora’ director Sean Baker to helm ‘Ti Amo!’ for new label Warner Bros. Clockwork

Sean Baker during the opening ceremony of the 76th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin on Feb. 12, 2026, in Berlin, Germany. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

Anora filmmaker Sean Baker has set up his next film.

Warner Bros. Pictures has announced that it will distribute Baker’s Ti Amo! through its brand-new specialty film label, Warner Bros. Clockwork. The studio has global distribution rights for the movie, excluding in France, and will release it in theaters globally in 2027.

Ti Amo! marks Baker’s highly anticipated follow-up to his Academy Award-winning and Palme d’Or-winning film Anora. Baker himself won the awards for best picture, best director, best writer and best editing, while its star Mikey Madison won best actress.

Baker will write, direct, edit, cast and produce Ti Amo!, as he also reteams with Anora producers Alex Coco and Samantha Quan.

The new label Warner Bros. Clockwork will be led by film executive Christian Parkes. It will be “a home for singular filmmakers that powerfully connect with audiences theatrically across the world,” according to a press release, and build on “Warner Bros.’ longstanding legacy of producing socially relevant, provocative, and culturally resonant cinema for audiences globally.”

“Sean Baker is an artist who embodies everything we believe in at Clockwork, and Ti Amo! will be another gift to cinema,” Parkes said. “Plus, his poster game is on point.”

The official Warner Bros. Clockwork Instagram shared a photo of Baker holding a video camera circa 2002 to announce the news. The director collaborated on the post, which is captioned, “TI AMO! The new film from Sean Baker. In theaters worldwide 2027.”

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Entertainment

‘The White Lotus’ season 4 starts production, story will focus on Cannes Film Festival

A behind-the-scenes photo as production starts on ‘The White Lotus’ season 4. (Fabio Lovino/HBO)

Cameras have started rolling on season 4 of The White Lotus.

The Emmy-winning HBO series has started production on the French Riviera. This fourth season is set to film in Cannes, St. Tropez and Monaco. Additionally, some filming will also take place in Paris, although the main story remains along the Côte d’Azur.

HBO has also confirmed that this new season’s plot will take place during the Cannes Film Festival, where it will follow a new group of White Lotus hotel guests and its employees over the course of a week.

The star-studded season 4 cast includes Helena Bonham Carter, Vincent Cassel, Steve Coogan, Caleb Jonte Edwards, Dylan Ennis, Corentin Fila, Ari Graynor, Marissa Long, Alexander Ludwig, Chris Messina, AJ Michalka, Kumail Nanjiani and Nadia Tereszkiewicz. Additional cast includes Chloe Bennet, Sandra Bernhard, Heather Graham, Max Greenfield, Frida Gustavsson, Charlie Hall, Jarrad Paul, Rosie Perez, Ben Schnetzer and Laura Smet.

The hotels that will be featured in this season of the show are the Airelles Château de la Messardière, which will be the White Lotus du Cap, and the Hôtel Martinez, which will be the White Lotus Cannes.

The White Lotus is created, written and directed by Mike White. White also executive produces alongside David Bernad and Mark Kamine.

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Entertainment

Zach Cregger to direct ‘Weapons’ prequel ‘Gladys,’ original sci-fi thriller ‘The Flood’

Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys in ‘Weapons.’ (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Two new Zach Cregger movies are on the way.

The Weapons helmer will direct two new movies for Warner Bros. Pictures, the studio has announced.

One will be a prequel to Weapons titled Gladys. It will follow the character Aunt Gladys, who was portrayed by Amy Madigan in Weapons. Madigan went on to win an Oscar for her performance in the horror film.

Gladys will be released in theaters on Sept. 8, 2028. Along with directing, Cregger will write the film with Zach Shields. Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee and Miri Yoon will produce it.

Additionally, Cregger is set to write and direct a sci-fi thriller called The Flood. It is an original story from Cregger. The Flood will release in theaters on Aug. 11, 2028. Amblin Entertainment and Vertigo Entertainment are set to produce the picture.

Warner Bros. Picture Group’s Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy said in a press release that “Zach is the kind of filmmaker we prize—one committed to creating unforgettable theatrical experiences. We value the collaborative spirit he brings to every stage of the process and look forward to continuing our work together.”

Cregger said he’s excited to continue working with the teams at Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.

“They are true champions of bold creativity, united by a shared ambition to deliver unforgettable theatrical experiences for audiences. That’s the dream for any filmmaker,” Cregger said.

Cregger made his directing debut with the 2022 film Barbarian. His next movie, Resident Evil, which is based on the popular video game franchise, releases this September.

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Entertainment

Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood and more cast in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’

The official cast list for ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.’ (Warner Bros. Pictures)

The cast for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum has been revealed.

Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema have officially announced that a few of the original Lord of the Rings cast members are set to reprise their celebrated performances in director Andy Serkis’ upcoming film.

Ian McKellen will return as the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Elijah Wood will once again play the hobbit Frodo Baggins, Lee Pace will reprise his part as Thrandruil and Serkis will, of course, perform the role of Gollum and his alter ego, Sméagol.

Joining The Lord of the Rings universe this time around are Jamie Dornan as Strider, the chief of the Northern Dúnedain Rangers, and Leo Woodall, who will play another of the Dúnedain, Halvard. Strider leads the hunt across Middle-earth for Gollum while Halvard accompanies him on the dangerous mission.

Also confirmed to join the film’s cast is Kate Winslet. As the film’s story delves into Gollum’s past, it will explore a time when he was a young Stoorish boy named Sméagol. Winslet will portray one of the key players in the settlement of Stoors — the matriarch Marigol.

In a press release, Serkis said, “Across two trilogies, a mark of a Middle-earth film, has always been the formidable array of talent brought to bear in every role. The Hunt for Gollum continues in that tradition, and I am delighted to announce the return of two of Middle-earth’s most beloved performers, alongside some exceptionally talented new additions to Tolkien’s world.”

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum arrives in theaters on Dec. 17, 2027.

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