In brief: ‘Freakier Friday’ gets Disney+ release date and more
Freakier Friday is headed to Disney+. The sequel film will begin streaming on the platform on Nov. 12. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan reprise their roles of Tess and Anna Coleman in the new movie, which features a four-way body swap between a mother, stepdaughter, grandmother and granddaughter …
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale and Nobody 2 are making their way to Peacock. The films will soon begin streaming on the platform. The third feature film based on Downton Abbey will be available to watch on Nov. 7 while Nobody 2 will stream on Nov. 14 …
Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film adaptation of American Psycho reportedly will not be gender-swapped. Deadline reports that despite rumors that the film’s main character, Patrick Bateman, will be played by a woman in Guadagnino’s adaptation, that is not the case. Scott Z. Burns is adapting Bret Easton Ellis’ classic novel for the script while Guadagnino will direct the film for Lionsgate …
Mychal Threets attends the 29th Annual Webby Awards on May 12, 2025, in New York City. (Rob Kim/Getty Images The Webby Awards)
Reading Rainbow is returning nearly two decades after the iconic children’s reading program went off the air.
This time, the show has found a new host in Mychal Threets, the librarian who went viral on TikTok for sharing heartwarming stories of “library joy.”
“Take a look, it’s in a book. After nearly 20 years… Reading Rainbow is returning to motivate, help, and encourage kids to become avid readers with new episodes, new friends, new projects, and of course… new books!” the show wrote Monday in the caption of a joint Instagram post with Threets and PBS member station BTPM PBS in Buffalo, New York, which created the original series in 1983.
“Make sure to follow the rainbow,” it added.
In the accompanying video, Threets introduces several guest stars, including The Bear and The Fantastic Four: First Steps star Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
The video also teases singer John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Gabrielle Union, Jamie Chung and AdamDeVine, who will help narrate new stories.
In a separate Instagram post Tuesday, Threets wrote, “There have been two hosts in the history of Reading Rainbow. The Legend of Literacy, LeVar Burton! And… me, Mychal Threets, a librarian.”
“I was raised on Reading Rainbow, LeVar Burton is my hero,” he continued. “I am a reader, I am a librarian because LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow so powerfully made us believe we belong in books, we belong everywhere.”
The new Reading Rainbow will be presented as a digital series on the Reading Rainbow website and KidZuko, a children’s YouTube channel. The first of four new episodes premieres Saturday and each subsequent episode will be released each Saturday at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET until Oct. 25.
Reading Rainbow first launched on PBS over 40 years ago in 1983 with host Burton introducing young readers to literature and life themes. The series ran until 2006.
Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) and Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) in ‘Zootopia 2.’ (Walt Disney Studios)
Some familiar voices are joining the cast of Zootopia 2.
Walt Disney Animation Studios released the international trailer for its upcoming sequel film on Monday. The trailer release comes the same day that tickets for the film went on sale.
Along with the new trailer, the animation studio announced that several of their celebrated voice actors, including stars of Moana, Frozen, The Princess and the Frog and Encanto, will make voice cameos in the new movie.
Zootopia 2 writer and director Jared Bush spoke about including members of the Disney Animation family in this new film.
“From the beginning, Easter eggs and winks to our favorite films and characters have been a hallmark of the world of Zootopia. We are ecstatic that Zootopia 2 expands our Zootopia family to include even more members of our extended Disney family, filled with dear friends and true Disney Legends,” Bush said.
Moana stars Dwayne Johnson and Auliʻi Cravalho are set to voice Zeke and the anti-venom pen in the film. While Zeke is an accident-prone dik-dik who meets with a musical mishap as a result of Judy and Nick’s high-speed pursuit gone awry, the anti-venom pen is the antidote for pit viper Gary De’Snake’s venom.
Frozen star Josh Gad is set to voice Paul Moledebrandt, who is an ornery mole and the Zootopia Police Department’s IT expert. The Princess and the Frog star Ankia Noni Rose is set to play the Squeal of Fortune mouse, who is the lucky winner of an almost-new car on Zootopia’s favorite game show, Squeal of Fortune.
As for the stars of Encanto, Stephanie Beatriz and Wilmer Valderrama are playing hippo ZPD cops Bloats and Higgins, while John Leguizamo voices Antony, a smarmy anteater and smuggler who bolts at the first sign of trouble.
Zootopia 2 opens in theaters on Nov. 26.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Walt Disney Animation Studios.
L-R Zoe Saldana as Joe and Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn Meade in ‘Lioness.’ (Ryan Green/Paramount+)
Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña are coming back for more Lioness. The spy thriller from Yellowstone hitmaker Taylor Sheridan was given a third season renewal by Paramount+.
Kidman and Saldaña are executive producers on the series and star as two CIA operatives running a program where female undercover agents help bring down terrorist organizations.
Season 2, which debuted last year, also starred Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelly, Laysla De Oliveira, Genesis Rodriguez and Dave Annable.
Kidman was nominated for a 2024 Critics Choice Award for best supporting actress in a drama series for her role as Kaitlyn Meade in the series.
Other shows in the Taylor Sheridan universe airing on Paramount+ include Tulsa King, which debuted season 3 in September; season 4 of Mayor of Kingstown out in October; and season 2 of Landman coming out in November.
