Scarlett Johansson on ‘Live with Kelly and Mark’ (DISNEY/Michael Le Brecht II)
Scarlett Johansson has scared up a new role.
The actress is set to star in a new Exorcist film from writer-director Mike Flanagan.
“Scarlett is a brilliant actress whose captivating performances always feel grounded and real, from genre films to summer blockbusters, and I couldn’t be happier to have her join this Exorcist film,” Flanagan tells Deadline.
The movie will tell a new story in The Exorcist franchise and will not be a direct sequel to 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer.
Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, Morgan Creek Entertainment and Universal are among the producing partners on the project. Flanagan first announced his attachment in May 2024.
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.
Sophie Kinsella attends the photocall of the movie ‘Can You Keep a Secret?’ on Oct. 19, 2019, in Rome, Italy. (Stefania D’alessandro/Getty Images)
Sophie Kinsella, author of the bestselling Shopaholic book series, has died at the age of 55.
Kinsella’s family shared news of her death in an Instagram post Wednesday.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing this morning of our beloved Sophie (aka Maddy, aka Mummy). She died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy,” the family’s statement said, in part. “We can’t imagine what life will be like without her radiance and love of life.”
Kinsella revealed publicly in April 2024 that she had been diagnosed two years earlier with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor.
“Despite her illness, which she bore with unimaginable courage, Sophie counted herself truly blessed – to have such wonderful family and friends, and to have had the extraordinary success of her writing career,” her family’s statement continued.
Madeleine Sophie Wickham — Kinsella was a pen name — was born on Dec. 12, 1969. She was a former financial journalist who became a popular author and sold millions of books worldwide over two decades. The first two books of her Shopaholic series — The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic and Shopaholic Abroad, published in 2000 and 2001, respectively — were adapted into the 2009 movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy. The film was produced by Touchstone Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Overall, Kinsella wrote 36 books, including children’s books, the young adult title Finding Audrey and short stories. Her initial books were published as Madeleine Wickham.
Kinsella’s most recent book, What Does It Feel Like?, was published in October 2024. The novella follows the story of a novelist named Eve who wakes up in a hospital bed one day and learns she has a brain tumor. In the book’s introduction, Kinsella called it her “most autobiographical work to date.”
Kinsella opened up to Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts in July 2024 about the book and living with brain cancer.
“I just thought people might be curious to know what it feels like to go through this,” Kinsella said. “It’s funny in parts, it’s sad in parts but I hope it’s full of optimism and love most of all.”
Kinsella said she first noticed something might be amiss with her health after the onset of multiple symptoms.
“The first symptoms that I had was, in fact, was my legs,” Kinsella told Roberts. “I was stumbling. I was tripping. I started getting very severe headaches. I got very confused. But it was really when I started tipping over in my chair that we realized something really was wrong.”
Kinsella said she underwent surgery after receiving the diagnosis that she had a grade 4 glioblastoma. She described the operation as a “triumph” at the time but said the treatment affected her memory and movement afterward. Kinsella also underwent multiple rounds of radiation and chemotherapy following surgery.
Kinsella lived in London with her husband, Henry Wickham, whom she called her “hero,” who stayed by her side throughout her difficult health journey. The couple had five children.
In her July 2024 interview, Kinsella was asked about what she’d want her happy ending to be.
“My happy ending is that whatever happens to me, my family is OK,” the author said at the time. “I think that’s my happy ending. Because that’s what I care about.”
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Good Morning America.
Sonic The Hedgehog attends the family screening of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ at Cineworld Leicester Square on March 27, 2022, in London, England. (David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage via Getty Images)
Paramount has added a couple of new movies to its release schedule.
A new hybrid live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, as well as a Sonic the Hedgehog movie, will arrive to cinemas in 2028, ABC Audio has learned.
The currently untitled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie has grabbed the Nov. 17, 2028, date for its release, while a similarly untitled “Sonic Universe Event Film” has nabbed Dec. 22, 2028.
Additionally, the studio announced it plans to rerelease the original Top Gun in theaters on May 13, 2026, in honor of its 40th anniversary.
Plot details for both the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sonic films are being kept under wraps. Producer NealH. Moritz is set to produce the former. He’s best known for the popular live-action Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy starring Ben Schwartz as the titular hedgehog and Jim Carrey as the mad scientist Dr. Robitnik.
This upcoming Sonic film is different from Sonic the Hedgehog 4, which is set for release on March 19, 2027.
