Category: Entertainment

Sesame Street is searching for a new home.

The long-running children’s TV show is now on the market after Warner Bros. Discovery decided not to renew its Sesame Street deal with HBO and Max. Original episodes of the program will now need a new home.

Max will be working with the show’s producer, Sesame Workshop, to license episodes from its library through 2027. It is not yet clear if the library deal would prohibit potential new partners from also acquiring the old episodes of the program.

The streamer’s decision to not continue the deal comes from a strategy change to focus on more adult and family programming, with less of an emphasis on children’s programming.

“It has been a wonderful, creative experience working with everyone at Sesame Street on the iconic children’s series and we are thrilled to be able to keep some of the library series on Max in the U.S.,” a Max spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the story. “We will continue to invest in our best-in-class programming and look forward to announcing our new distribution plans in the coming months, ensuring that Sesame Street reaches as many children as possible for generations to come.”

Sesame Street first aired in 1969, with episodes running on PBS since 1970. The show moved to HBO in 2016, with episodes airing on PBS months after they drop on HBO to ensure maximum reach and accessibility. A deal was struck in 2019 that moved Sesame Street to HBO Max, which was then renamed to Max. 

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The rumors regarding the casting of Sam Mendes’ four Beatles films continues, with Deadline now reporting Stranger Things actor Joseph Quinn will play George Harrison.

And it sounds like he’s getting ready for the part, with Deadline citing sources in Europe who claim Quinn’s been spotted with a guitar while overseas filming his role of Human Torch in the new Fantastic Four movie. 

Quinn is no stranger to the guitar, or at least acting like he knows how to play one. His character Eddie Munson memorably played Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” in the season 4 finale of Stranger Things. 

Quinn most recently starred in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, and if the casting rumor is true, he will be the second star from that movie rumored to be in the Beatles films. On Tuesday, Gladiator II director Ridley Scott let it slip that Paul Mescal is attached to the project; he’s rumored to be playing Paul McCartney.

As for the rest of the band, Ringo Starr recently let it slip in an Entertainment Tonight interview that Barry Keoghan had been cast to play him. Plus, Babygirl actor Harris Dickinson has been mentioned as a possible candidate to play John Lennon. When asked about it on the red carpet for the Babygirl premiere, he played coy, telling Variety “we’ll see.”

So far there has been no official announcement about the casting of the films. 

Mendes’ Beatles project was announced back in February, with the director revealing he planned to make four separate films, one for each member of the group. Sony Pictures is the studio behind the movies, and it marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles have granted a studio the rights to the life stories of the band members and their legendary catalog of music.

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Prison Break is on the cusp of a new chapter.

Hulu has ordered a pilot for a new version of Prison Break, the hit television series that aired for five seasons from 2005 to 2017, Good Morning America has confirmed.

Mayans M.C. co-creator Elgin James is slated to write and executive produce the new series, which will come from 20th Television, a division of Disney Television Studios.

Along with Prison Break creator Paul Scheuring, former original series executive producers Dawn Olmstead, Marty Adelstein and Neal Moritz are on board to executive produce the new series.

The original show featured the thrilling story of two brothers, Lincoln Burrows and Michael Scofield — played by Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller, respectively — who devise an elaborate plan to break out of detention. The plot largely centered on Miller’s character, who attempts to spring his brother from prison after he was sentenced for a crime he did not commit.

The first four seasons of Prison Break were followed by a made-for-TV film revisiting the characters called The Final Break.

The success of that film led to a fifth season of the show on Fox, which concluded in 2017.

Disney is the parent company of 20th Television, ABC News and Good Morning America.

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The team behind the seven-time Golden Globe-nominated The Brutalist has already wrapped their next project, a star-studded musical called Ann Lee. Mona Fastvold directed, co-wrote and produced the project, while her partner and collaborator, The Brutalist director Brady Corbet, co-wrote the film. Deadline reports that Amanda Seyfried, Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Christopher Abbott, Tim Blake Nelson and Stacy Martin star in the film, which is described as an epic fable about religious leader Ann Lee …

You’ll be able to watch Jesse Eisenberg‘s dramedy A Real Pain at home soon. The movie, directed by Eisenberg and starring him and Kieran Culkin, will hit the streaming video on-demand circuit on Dec. 31. The movie will be available to watch on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home on that date, and will be released on Blu-Ray on Feb. 4 …

Steve Carell‘s upcoming untitled comedy series for HBO has found its female lead. Charly Clive will star opposite Carell in the new show, which is set on a college campus and follows an author’s complicated relationship with his daughter, Deadline reports. Clive won the role against a half dozen other actresses who did chemistry reads with Carell …

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The year is winding down, and with every new year comes a whole new slate of movies to get excited about.

Fandango asked over 9,000 movie ticket buyers which movies they’re most looking forward to seeing in 2025, and the results found that people are excited for the latest chapters in beloved film franchises.

The most anticipated movie of 2025 according to Fandango’s survey is Captain America: Brave New World. That is followed by Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, Jurassic Word Rebirth, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Sixth place belongs to Avatar: Fire and Ash, while the rest of the top 10 is rounded out by Wicked Part Two, The Accountant 2, Superman and 28 Years Later.

As far as performances go, ticket buyers are most excited to see Scarlett Johansson in Jurassic World Rebirth. They’re also looking forward to watching Pedro Pascal in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Ana De Armas in From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, Brad Pitt in F1 and Nicholas Hoult in Superman.

Overall, it seems moviegoers are hungry for more. According to the survey, 89% of ticket buyers are hoping to see more movies in 2025 than they did in 2024, with 53% planning to see more than six movies in the theater next year.

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A reboot of the classic film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is in the works.

Amazon MGM Studios is in development with Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson‘s Eon Productions to reimagine the movie into a brand-new adaptation, Deadline reports.

No potential writers or directors have been selected, though meetings with prospects are in the works. Developers are eyeing a theatrical release for the film.

The original 1968 film starred Dick Van Dyke with a screenplay by Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes. Hughes directed the film, which was based on the beloved children’s story Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car, written by James Bond author Ian Fleming.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang received an Oscar nomination for its title track, which was written by Robert and Richard Sherman.

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Snoop Dogg has secured yet another gig. Variety reports he’s the star and co-producer of The Last Man, an original sci-fi movie penned by Luc Besson, who wrote The Fifth Element with Bruce Willis, Lucy starring Scarlett Johansson and more.

The plot of the film has not been disclosed, but the movie is post-apocalyptic and possibly inspired by the Planet of the Apes and Snoop’s song “Last Man Standing.” Filming starts in 2025.

“I’ve been a big fan of Snoop Dogg’s music ever since ‘Who Am I,’” Luc said in a statement. “We first met 20 years ago, and we’ve always wanted to work together again. We just needed the right project that would excite us both — and this is it, with Snoop in the lead role. I can’t wait to get started!”

“Ever since I’ve seen The Professional, I’ve always wanted [Luc] to direct a whole movie for me,” Snoop adds in his own statement. “Now we finally get the opportunity for him to write and direct me in a Luc Besson movie.”

The Last Man marks the second collaboration between Snoop and Luc. They worked on Arthur and the Invisibles nearly two decades ago.

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Daisy Ridley is a window cleaner striving to save the day in the trailer for Cleaner.

The new film, which comes to theaters on Feb. 21, finds Ridley playing Joey Locke, a former soldier working as a window cleaner in present-day London. When a group of radical activists take over an energy company’s annual gala, it’s up to Ridley’s Joey to save the day after 300 hostages are seized.

According to the film’s official synopsis, the radical activists’ “just cause is hijacked by an extremist within their ranks, who is ready to murder everyone in the building to send his anarchic message to the world.”

The task falls to Joey, who is suspended 50 stories up on the outside of the building, to save the people trapped inside.

Casino Royale director Martin Campbell helmed the film from a script by Simon Uttley. Taz Skylar and Clive Owen also star in the action thriller.

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While no official casting for Sam Mendes’ movies about The Beatles has been announced, the rumors continue to swirl, and now one of the actors mentioned as a possible candidate to play John Lennon has spoken out on the subject.

On the red carpet for his new movie Babygirl, actor Harris Dickinson neither confirmed nor denied his involvement in the project when asked by Variety.

“It would be amazing to do that,” he said. “I think the idea of Sam teaming up to do something like that would be incredibly exciting. Obviously, John Lennon is a very complex role, a pretty formidable force to try to do. It would be cool.”

When asked outright if he was on board for the films, he simply replied, “We’ll see.”

Mendes’ Beatles project was announced back in February, with the director revealing he planned to make four separate films, one for each member of the group — Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. 

As previously reported, Gladiator director Ridley Scott revealed in a talk with director Christopher Nolan at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles Tuesday that Paul Mescal would be doing one of the films; he’s rumored to be playing McCartney. In addition, Ringo recently let it slip in an Entertainment Tonight interview that Barry Keoghan had been cast to play him.

Sony Pictures is the studio behind the movies, and it marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles have granted a studio the rights to the life stories of the band members and their legendary catalog of music.

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The film nominations for the 2025 Critics Choice Awards are in.

Conclave and Wicked are the top-nominated movies of the year, earning 11 nods each. Following close behind are Dune: Part Two and Emilia Pérez with 10 nods apiece.

Joining the four previously mentioned films in the best picture category this year are A Complete Unknown, Anora, The Brutalist, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing and The Substance.

It was previously announced that Shōgun reigned supreme on the television side with six nominations.

Find out which of your favorite shows, movies and stars will win when comedian Chelsea Handler hosts the 30th annual Critics Choice Awards on Jan. 12.

Here’s a list of the film nominations in the major categories for the 2025 Critics Choice Awards:

Best picture
A Complete Unknown
Anora
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
The Substance
Wicked

Best actor
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig, Queer
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Hugh Grant, Heretic

Best actress
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
Angelina Jolie, Maria
Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance

Best supporting actor
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Denzel Washington, Gladiator II

Best supporting actress
Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Margaret Qualley, The Substance
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

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