Robert De Niro enjoyed working with Ariana Grande on their upcoming comedy Focker-In-Law — but he has yet to see her in Wicked, the movie that earned her an Oscar nomination.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the legendary actor said, “I didn’t see her movie, and I still am trying to see it, believe it or not, but I want to see it. I’m going to see it with my daughter. And she’s, of course, seen it.”
Despite missing Wicked, De Niro tells EW he was aware of Ariana because “I had seen her in some stuff with my daughter, some sitcom thing she had done. I’m forgetting the name. My kid was into that. I was aware of her then and, of course, aware of her in other ways. She was great.”
De Niro was likely referring to one of Ariana’s Nickelodeon shows, Victorious or Sam & Cat.
The actor, who’s 82, praised Ari’s work in Focker-In-Law as Olivia, the girlfriend of Henry Focker, who’s the grandson of De Niro’s character, Jack.
“She was very professional,” he says. “She’s terrific and very quick and got it all. She was very much part of the whole process.”
(L-R) Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans, and Michelle Wong accept the best animated feature film for ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ onstage during the 98th Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
KPop Demon Hunters has taken home the gold at the 2026 Academy Awards, picking up the award for best animated feature film.
It beat out fellow nominees Arco, Elio, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain and Zootopia 2.
Directors Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans and Michelle Wong took the stage to accept the Oscar, with Kang dedicating the award to Koreans everywhere. “For those of you who look like me, I’m so sorry that it took us so long to see us in a movie like this,” she said. “This is for Korea and for Koreans everywhere.”
Wong thanked their partners at Netflix, Sony Pictures Animations and Sony Pictures Music, as well as their spouses; she ended with a special shoutout to her mother.
Appelhans sent encouraging words to young filmmakers, artists and musicians around the world. “Tell your story. Sing in your voice,” he said. “I promise you the world is waiting.”
KPop Demon Hunters 2 is officially in development at Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation, with Kang and Appelhans coming back to direct.
A behind-the-scenes photo of Adam Brody and Kristen Bell as production starts on ‘Nobody Wants This’ season 3. (Netflix)
Everybody wants this.
Netflix has announced that production has started on season 3 of Nobody Wants This. Cameras have started rolling in Los Angeles on the hit comedy series, which is set to premiere its third season later in 2026.
Kristen Bell and Adam Brody return to star as the agnostic podcaster Joanne and unconventional rabbi Noah, who navigate their romantic relationship despite the challenges that get thrown their way.
The pair are joined by other series regulars Justine Lupe, Timothy Simons and Jackie Tohn.
Nobody Wants This season 2 debuted on Oct. 23, 2025. It found Joanne and Noah’s spark to be “stronger than all of the obstacles trying to keep them apart. Now, they’re back and fully committed to merging their lives — and loved ones — together,” according to its synopsis. “But their differences still exist and can’t be ignored. The challenge now is not just falling in love against all odds, but staying together in spite of them.”
Netflix announced the show had been renewed for season 3 in November 2025. At the time, the show’s creator, Erin Foster, said she couldn’t be more excited for a third season.
“It is a privilege to be able to write about my favorite couple on a scale like this. As long as it doesn’t take too much time away from me watching reality TV at night, I’ll do it for as long as they want me to!”
Co-showrunners Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan said in a joint statement that they are grateful for another season.
“This job is criminally fun. Working with the uniquely gifted Erin Foster, this unbelievable cast of talented, hilarious pros, amazing writers, and incredible crew has been a truly great experience,” they said at the time.
