An old adversary is slithering his way back to the All-Valley Karate Championship in season 4 of Netflix’s Cobra Kai, the wildly popular continuation of the Karate Kid films.
Terry Silver, played by Thomas Ian Griffith, has returned to the franchise after he was last seen tormenting Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso in 1989’s The Karate Kid Part III. Griffith tells ABC Audio it was the story that convinced him to come back.
“You know I had been working as a writer and I wasn’t sure about going back into the whole acting thing to begin with,” Griffith says. “And then once I heard this incredible path they had mapped out from the backstory in Vietnam through what he’s been up to for the last 30 years and how that manifests itself in the show today I’m going ‘oh man, this is like gold!’
This season, Daniel and longtime frenemy Johnny Lawrence, played by William Zabka, forge an uneasy alliance between their dojos. Macchio says it required some changes on Daniel’s part.
“He lets go of some of his grip on the you know, Miyagi teachings,” Macchio says. “The more he sees Johnny and his daughter Samantha and how they’re interacting/reacting to this is where he loosens that grip and says maybe it’s time to find your own way.”
Cobra Kai has already been greenlit for a season five. So does the cast ever think about the endgame?
“The endgame is, it just keeps getting bigger,” Zabka says. “As far as characters go, hopefully there’s some resolve. I’d like Johnny to find some peace in his life and some love. You know, he was a good kid, he just had a bad teacher!”
Killing Eve is gearing up for its fourth and final season.
A new teaser was released Tuesday, giving a glimpse into the complex relationship between Jodie Comer’s trained assassin, Villanelle, and Sandra Oh’s British intelligence agent, Eve Polastri.
A voiceover from Fiona Shaw’s Carolyn Martens hints we’re probably in for a dark ride. “People like us aren’t made for happy lives or happy endings,” she says.
The clip ends with Eve riding a mobility scooter and coming up alongside Villanelle. “Want a ride?” she asks. It then cuts to Villanelle riding on the same scooter — alone.
Season four of Killing Eve debuts Sunday, February 27 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BBC America. Episodes will also air on AMC beginning Monday, February 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT and will stream a week early on AMC+, starting Sunday, February 20.
(SPOILERS AHEAD)Star Wars fans get to unwrap a late Christmas gift today: the first episode of The Mandalorian spinoff series The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+.
Written by The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau and directed by Robert Rodriguez, who brought his boyhood bounty-hunting idol back into the Star Wars universe in The Mandalorian season 2, Temuera Morrison again plays Fett both in flashback and in the present, as he’s trying to rebuild the crime syndicate run by Jabba the Hutt, who was killed by Princess Leia in Return of the Jedi. At his side is Ming-Na Wen‘s master assassin character Fennec Shand, from The Mandalorian.
But grabbing Jabba’s throne does not go unchallenged. “Lord Fett” is both lauded by by local underworld figures — including Jennifer Beals‘ Garsa Fwip — and also set upon by assassins.
We also learn just how Boba Fett escaped his apparent inglorious end in the belly of a Sarlacc, the giant desert-dwelling creature that ate him in Return of the Jedi. Suffice it to say he was discovered and rescued by Tatooine’s scavengers, the Jawas, who also strip him of his legendary armor suit and hold him captive.
Harvesting water for the Sand People, Boba Fett earns their respect — and presumably his freedom — when he saves one of their own, and himself, from a sand-dwelling alien’s attack.
The second episode of The Book of Boba Fett debuts January 5 on Disney+.
2021 was a wild ride for many for obvious reasons, but what were the biggest entertainment controversies that made headlines over the past year?
The most recent was the deadly shooting on the set of Alec Baldwin‘s Western film, Rust. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza was injured in the October 21 incident, in which Baldwin fired his Colt revolver in the direction of both during a rehearsal. Investigators said a live round was loaded in the pistol that Baldwin claimed he was assured was “cold,” or safe. The investigation into the fatal shooting continues.
Dave Chappelle‘s reputation took a hit after critics claimed his new Netflix special, The Closer, contained “transphobic” content. Netflix employees staged a virtual walkout on October 20 after Netflix head Ted Sarandos defended the special and Chappelle as freedom of speech. Sarandos later apologized. Some film festivals disinvited Chappelle from screening his Untitled documentary because of the controversy. The comedian never apologized but later said he was willing to meet members of the trans community who “watched my special from beginning to end.”
Jeopardy! found itself in hot water when it tapped executive producer Mike Richards to succeed the late Alex Trebek on August 11. Shortly after, controversial remarks he made on The Randumb Show, a podcast he hosted from 2013 to 2014, resurfaced, among other concerning allegations. Richards stepped down on August 20 following the intense public backlash.
Armie Hammer was dropped by his agent and was booted from numerous TV and movie projects after sexual abuse and misconduct allegations surfaced against him earlier this year. Hammer denied the accusations and checked into a Florida treatment facility for drug, alcohol, and sex issues on May 31. He left the facility in December.
And, lastly, the Golden Globes. A February Los Angeles Timesexposé ignited a racial controversy after finding the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization that presents the award show, hadn’t included a single Black member in its voting body for some 20 years. Although the HFPA announced reforms, the damage was done. Hollywood shunned the organization, Tom Cruise returned his three trophies in protest, and the HFPA’s longtime broadcast partner, NBC, cut all ties, leaving it without a broadcast outlet for the upcoming January 9 ceremony.
In 2021, we said goodbye to stars of stage and screens big and small, with luminaries like groundbreaking actress Cicely Tyson, Emmy winning Lou Grant star Ed Asner, and legendary broadcaster Larry King. Here’s a look back at those we lost:
January
January 23 — Larry King, 87 – Emmy-winning journalist; Hal Holbrook, 95 – Stage and screen actor, Wall Street
January 27 — Cloris Leachman, 94 – Actress, Young Frankenstein, The Mary Tyler Moore Show
January 28 — Cicely Tyson, 96 – Actress, Sounder, The Help
February
February 1 — Dustin Diamond, 44 – Actor and comic, Saved by the Bell
February 5 — Christopher Plummer, 91 – Actor, The Sound of Music, Knives Out
February 8 — Mary Wilson, 76 – Supremes singer
February 17 —Rush Limbaugh, 70 – Firebrand conservative broadcaster
March
March 23 — George Segal, 87 – Actor, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Just Shoot Me!, The Goldbergs
March 24 — Jessica Walter, 80 – Actress, Play Misty for Me, Arrested Development, Archer
April
April 9 — Prince Phillip, 99 – Husband of Queen Elizabeth II; DMX, 50 – rapper, actor
April 11 — Joseph Siravo, 64 – Actor, Sopranos co-star
April 16 — Helen McCrory, 52 – Actress, Peaky Blinders, Harry Potter films; Felix Silla, 84 – Cousin Itt on TV’s original The Addams Family
May
May 1 — Olympia Dukakis, 89 – Moonstruck actress
May 7 — Tawny Kitaen, 59 – actress, Whitesnake music video icon
May 18 — Charles Grodin, 86 – actor, Midnight Run, Heaven Can Wait, talk show host
May 19 — Paul Mooney, 79 – Legendary writer and comedian, Chappelle’s Show star
May 24 — Samuel E. Wright, 74 – Stage and screen actor; voice of Sebastian in The Little Mermaid
May 26 — Kevin Clark, 32 – Freddy Jones in 2003’s School of Rock
May 29 — Gavin MacLeod, 90 – Actor, The Love Boat; BJ Thomas, 78 – singer
June
June 6 — Clarence Williams III, 81 – Actor, The Mod Squad, Tales from the Hood
June 13 — Ned Beatty, 83 — actor, Back to School, Deliverance, 1978’s Superman, TV’s Homicide: Life on the Street
July
July 5 — Richard Donner, 91 – Superman, Scrooged, Lethal Weapon series director
July 7 — Robert Downey Sr., 85 – filmmaker dad of Robert Downey, Jr.
July 16 — Biz Markie, 57 – “Just a Friend” rapper and Men in Black II actor
July 24 — Jackie Mason, 93 – Emmy- and Tony-winning comedian
August
August 7 — Markie Post, 70 – Actress, Night Court, Hearts Afire
August 12 — Una Stubbs, 84 – Actress, Sherlock‘s Mrs. Hudson
August 28 — Matthew Mindler, 19 – My Idiot Brother co-star
August 24 — Charlie Watts, 80 – Rolling Stones drummer
August 29 — Ed Asner, 91 – Actor, Lou Grant, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Elf, Up
September
September 1 — Gregg Leakes, 66 – husband of Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes
September 4 — Willard Scott, 87 – Today weatherman
September 6 — Michael K. Williams, 54 – Actor, The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, Lovecraft Country
September 8 — Michael Constantine, 94 – Actor, Room 222, My Big Fat Greek Wedding
October 4 — Alan Kalter, 78 – Former Late Show with David Letterman announcer
October 10 — Ruthie Tompson, 101 – veteran Disney animator
October 18 — William Lucking, 80 — Actor, Sons of Anarchy
October 22 — Peter Scolari, 66 – Bosom Buddies, Newhart
October 21 — Halyna Hutchins, 41 – cinematographer fatally shot by Alec Baldwin on Rust set; Willie Garson, 57 –actor, Sex and the City, …And Just Like That
October 24 — James Michael Tyler, 59 – Actor, Gunther on Friends
November
November 6 — Peter Aykroyd, 66 – SNL writer, brother of Dan
November 17 — Art LaFleur, 78 – Actor, Field of Dreams
November 26 — Stephen Sondheim,91 – Lyricist and composer, Broadway icon
November 27 — Eddie Mekka, 69 – Actor, Laverne and Shirley
November 28 — Virgil Abloh, 41 – Louis Vuitton designer
December
December 10 — Michael Nesmith, 78 – Musician, The Monkees
December 23 — Joan Didion, 87 – Author, The Year of Magical Thinking
December 25/26—Jean-Marc Vallée, 58 – Director, Dallas Buyers Club, Big Little Lies
Magic Johnson celebrates after the Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA championship on May 16, 1980; Focus on Sport via Getty Images
NBA Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson won five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s, but he says he will not watch the upcoming HBO series about how his team dominated the decade.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty will debut in March without the support of the Lakers legend. When asked by TMZ if he was going to watch, Magic bluntly said, “No,” adding, “I’m not looking forward to it. I’m going to leave it at that.”
The three-time NBA Most Valuable Player explained that he is creating his own series about the Lakers dynasty, in addition to team owner Jeanie Buss producing a separate project.
In other news, Academy Award winner Halle Berry has created her own distinct identity during her 32-year career, so she found it comical that she was mistaken for a 21-year-old singer/actress.
On Monday, she received a tweet reading, “Can’t wait to see ya under the sea,” with a mermaid emoji. The person was referring to Halle Bailey of Chloe x Halle, who is starring in the upcoming Disney live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
The 55-year-old Bruised star replied, “Wrong halle lol. I can’t wait to see her too though.”
When Bailey’s casting was announced in 2019, Berry was full of praise. “In case you needed a reminder… Halles get it DONE. Congratulations on this amazing opportunity, we can’t wait to see what you do!” Berry wrote on Twitter.
Finally, congratulations to Forest Whitaker, who will be one of the recipients of the International Peace Honors on February 27, 2022. The Oscar winner is being recognized for his Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, which provides educational and economic opportunities for disadvantaged youth.
Sandra Bullock’s The Unforgivable is unstoppable at Netflix.
The film has officially made Netflix’s Top 10 Most Popular films list, joining her 2018 Netflix film Bird Box. This makes Bullock the first actress with two entries on the tally, which is based on hours viewed in the first 28 days of release.
The Unforgivable comes in at number nine, having been viewed 186,900,000 hours to date, according to Netflix, though it is expected to rise once it hits the 28-day mark. Bird Box is at number two.
Bullock is matched only by Ryan Reynolds, who also has two entries on the list: Red Notice is currently at number one, while 6 Underground is at number six.
The Unforgivable, released December 10 on the streaming service, stars Bullock playing a woman who’s released from prison after serving 20 years for murder.
He revealed the diagnosis in a social media post Tuesday; all performances of his new Broadway musical The Music Man have now been canceled through January 1.
“Just wanted you to hear it from me,” Jackman wrote, along with a video message. “I tested positive for covid. Mild symptoms and as soon as I’m cleared … looking forward to getting back to The Winter Garden [theater]!”
His Music Man co-star, Sutton Foster, previously tested positive for the virus, forcing her to miss several shows. She is expected to return to the stage on January 2, while Jackman is expected to resume performances on January 6.
The musical’s official Twitter feed announced that all tickets for the canceled shows can be refunded or exchanged at point of purchase.
Just wanted you to hear it from me. I tested positive for covid. Mild symptoms and as soon as I’m cleared … looking forward to getting back to The Winter Garden! @MusicManBwaypic.twitter.com/q1oEAzXX02
Break out your pom-poms: Cheer is back for season two.
Netflix dropped a surprise trailer for the docuseries, announcing its return on January 12.
This season, the competitive cheerleading team at Texas’ Navarro College will be dealing with their newfound fame, as well as the aftermath of the arrest of one of their teammates, Jerry Harris, who was booked last year on multiple charges, including soliciting child pornography.
“I can’t even, like, process it right now,” coach Monica Aldama says in the trailer.
The trailer also shows Navarro dealing with a new adversary in Trinity Valley Community College’s cheerleading team.
Season one of Cheer was a huge hit for Netflix when it debuted in January 2020.
Virginia Sherwood/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Another Broadway show bites the dust due to COVID-19.
The Temptations musical Ain’t Too Proud announced it will be closing for good next month, after the latest pandemic surge forced the show to cancel performances.
“Come groove with us one last time on Broadway!” the show tweeted Tuesday. “The Tony-winning Ain’t Too Proud will play its final performance on Broadway January 16, 2022. Don’t miss your chance to see us in our final three weeks.”
Ain’t Too Proud has not run since December 15, but hopes to resume shows tonight.
Jagged Little Pill, Waitress and the play Thoughts of a Colored Man all announced last week that they were closing amid rising COVID-19 cases.
Come groove with us one last time on Broadway! The Tony-winning Ain’t Too Proud will play its final performance on Broadway January 16, 2022. Don’t miss your chance to see us in our final three weeks: https://t.co/FJkMMNEe7rpic.twitter.com/etkZIrbGaS
