Netflix has announced a host of creepy new shows and movies that will keep you leaving your lights on during the spooky season. Here’s a just-released list of creepy content coming to the streaming giant from this month into Halloween-time:
September
9/8 — Into the Night
9/10 – Lucifer: Season 6
9/10 — Prey
9/15 — Nightbooks
9/17 — Squid Game
9/22 — Intrusion
9/24 — Midnight Mass
9/29 — The Chestnut Man
9/29 — No One Gets Out Alive
October
10/1 — Scaredy Cats
10/5 — Escape The Undertaker
10/6 — There’s Someone Inside Your House
10/8 — A Tale Dark & Grimm
10/13 — Fever Dream
10/15 — Sharkdog’s Fintastic Halloween
10/15 — You: Season 3
10/20 — Night Teeth
10/27 — Hypnotic
Additionally, Locke & Key: Season 2 and Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight Part 2 will also both be released in October, but a date has yet to be announced.
Despite lingering concerns over the Delta variant, Broadway productions have ramped back up, and that’s good news to fans — and to veterans of the Great White Way like Idina Menzel.
The Wicked Tony winner tells ABC Audio that she’s happy there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel for the pandemic, which shut theaters down on March 12, 2020.
“I’ve felt a lot of sadness about it,” she said of the locked-down period. “I am excited that people are going to be going back to work, and that my friends in the community will be doing what they love to do — and what is so good for our for the world when they are doing the thing that they’re most passionate about.”
Idina continues, “Having not been able to do that, people being out of work, to be a creative person, not be able to get up there and just do what you have to do…there’s a hunger and sadness in that that goes beyond what you would expect.”
Menzel, who can currently be seen opposite Camila Cabello in Cinderella on Amazon Prime, adds, “I just hope everyone’s safe and we can start seeing the marquees light up again.”
She enthuses, “And there’s some great shows that are coming back. I mean, Wicked is my family, you know. …So I’m glad that more generations are going to be able to go back and see Wicked. And all the real classic shows are coming back. And then there’s some new ones, like Music Man with Sutton [Foster] and Hugh Jackman and a bunch of other shows.”
Adds Idina, “But yeah, it feels good to see, for all of us to start going back to work and doing what we love to do.”
Howard University has honored one of its most famous alumni, Chadwick Boseman, by naming its fine arts building after the Black Panther star.
“The letters were installed over the now official Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts. An icon in his own right who has left an immeasurable legacy for the next generation. Thank you, Mr. Boseman,” the university tweeted.
Boseman, whose credits also include Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Da 5 Bloods, Marshall, Get On Up and 42, graduated from Howard in 2000 with a bachelor of fine arts in directing.
“It is my honor to ensure his legacy lives on through the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts with the support of his wife and the Chadwick Boseman Foundation,” said Howard University president Wayne A. I. Frederick, according to USA Today.
Walt Disney Company’s chairman Bob Iger has also pledged to build a “new, state-of-the-art facility” for the college, as well as establish an endowment in honor of Boseman.
August 28 marked the one-year anniversary of the actor’s death from colon cancer at age 43. Black Panther stars Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong’o were among the many celebrities honoring Boseman’s memory.
Jordan shared a photo of the two at a formal event and captioned it, “Not a day goes by bro… Love and miss you but I know you still with us.”
“I did not know that I could miss both his laughter and his silence in equal measure. I do. I do… One year after his passing, the memory of @chadwickboseman remains this alive in me,” wrote Nyong’o on Twitter, alongside a photo of the two sharing a hearty laugh.
The NBC sitcom AP Bio has found a new home on the network’s streaming site Peacock for its fourth season, and that’s good news for fans — and star Patton Oswalt.
The comedian, The Goldbergs narrator and Ratatouille voice-over star plays the principal of an Ohio high school at which Glenn Howerton‘s Jack is a teacher — and because Jack doesn’t want to be there, he often makes Principal Durbin’s life difficult.
But the back-and-forth between the two isn’t your typical Summer School “teacher-vs.-authority figure” trope, Patton says.
“I love playing an authority figure with no actual authority, which I think is how a lot of people — a parent, a manager at a Subway — like that’s…the position a lot of people are in, where you just don’t have the authority that you think you have,” he explains.
Adds Oswalt, “I just love…where there’s moments where it’s almost like Jack treats Durbin like a kid that you’re playing a board game with. And it’s like, ‘I’m just going to let him win, so that it can give him a little bit of confidence here,’ where he has to let him feel like, ‘Yes, Durbin, you stepped in and you fixed things.’ It’s such a sweet relationship.”
Their relationship certainly spices up this season, particularly in one episode that shows the pair like they’ve never been seen before.
“There is a whole episode where the students are shipping the various teachers and administrators and hooking them up in different combinations,” Oswalt notes, “but we see it acted out.”
He adds, laughing, “Not only do we shoot a romance scene, I think we kind of shot a Sergio Leone scene that turns into a romance. They went so far with this stuff, it was insane.”
If you’re overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices you have in picking something to watch from a host of options these days, you’re not alone. A new survey out of the U.K. certainly rings true on our side of The Pond: adults there spend more than 100 days of their lives deciding on what to watch.
The survey of 2,000 Britons, which was commissioned by the cable service NOW, reveals adults will spend time flicking through eight TV channels and nine film titles before making a final decision.
This works out to an average of 24 minutes and 24 seconds spent deciding on TV shows and 25 minutes choosing movies — or 55 days across an adult lifetime for TV choices and 57 days trying to pick a movie.
As staggering as this may seem, it’s higher for people in the U.S. Vox reported back in 2019 that Americans spend 45 hours per year choosing what to watch next — and that was before Tiger King was a thing.
So using those numbers as an example, someone who’s 18 will spend 116 days deciding what to watch by the time they turn 80.
The UK survey also noted who usually makes up their minds for the house: women more commonly got the final say.
That said, 41% “shop” for a show or movie by genre, 37% look to who’s in it, and 28% say the length of the movie is a key factor. Similarly, 23% said a TV show’s length influences their decision.
Another thing you may have in common with your British counterparts? Forty-mine percent in that U.K. survey say they get so overwhelmed with deciding what to watch that they ultimately decide to not watch anything.
Most actors have to grind away at day jobs to make ends meet before finding fame, and Shang-Chi star Simu Liu is no exception — as proven by a host of stock photos one fan uncovered.
Liu, who also appeared on the beloved comedy series Kim’s Convenience before Marvel came calling, was once one of any number of people you see in stock photos, toiling away in fake offices and doing other random stuff.
One fan spotted Liu, and compiled some of the stock photos in which he appears. Buzzfeed then took notice, reposting the pics. Sure enough, there’s Marvel Studios’ newest superhero — currently riding high after a record $90 million Labor Day opening — looking psyched as he points out something on a computer to his office “colleagues,” leads a “presentation,” and cheats a look to the camera as some other people are looking over paint swatches … or something.
And because the Internet, fans had some fun with the images, with one Photoshopping Simu from his stock photo into a meeting with the Avengers from Captain America: Civil War, among others.
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten-Ring Binder,” another commented.
Liu himself even got in on the fun, repurposing the shot of him pointing at something on his laptop: “Me laughing at the people who thought we’d flop,” he snarked.
As actors always say, you’re always one role away from stardom, and here’s your proof — or proofs, as it were.
The death of actor Michael K. Williams has left his fans shook, including those in Hollywood. Moments after the news broke Monday that the 54-year-old The Wire veteran was found dead in his Brooklyn penthouse, celebrities who worked with him, and others who just loved his work, poured their hearts out.
Here is just a sampling of those who shared their thoughts:
Williams’ The Wire co-star Wendell Pierce was one of the first to weigh in, in a lengthy Twitter thread that began with, “The depth of my love for this brother, can only be matched by the depth of my pain learning of his loss…”
The show’s creator, David Simon, expressed, “Too gutted right now to say all that ought to be said. Michael was a fine man and a rare talent and on our journey together he always deserved the best words. And today those words won’t come.”
Spike Lee posted a photo of he and Williams courtside, cheering on the Knicks. He captioned it, “Whew Lawd,Dis Is A Tough Day-1st We Lose The Great French Actor JEAN PAUL BELMONDO And Now My Brother MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS. Our Brother Passed Away Today In His Home,Da People’s Republic Of Brooklyn. I’m Shook. Drinking A Bottle Of Italian Red Wine-Brunello Di Montalcino By Myself. Our Greats Are Leaving Us Left And Right. GOD BLESS.”
John Wick actor Lance Reddickposted a touching video tribute to Williams, explaining how even though they weren’t close, Williams went the extra mile to help his career. “While everybody else talks about what a great actor he was, I just want to say from my experience he was one of the kindest, gentlest, most genuine, giving courageous souls I ever met. Rest in peace, my brother,” Reddick declared.
Questlove: “Please God No. I can’t take this pain. Death cannot be this normal.”
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson: “You’ll be missed, brother. A real pleasure to work with you and call you a friend. Strength, mana & love to your family during this very difficult and heartbreaking time. Go rest high.”
The Suicide Squad writer-directorJames Gunn: “Michael K Williams, in addition to being one of the most talented actors around, was also one of the kindest, sweetest, most gentle souls I’ve ever met. This is heartbreaking. My thoughts are with all those who loved him.”
Williams’ Body Brokers co-star Frank Grillo: “I’m absolutely gutted to hear that my friend #michaelkwilliams has passed. Not only a legend on screen but a legend of a human. We had great laughs together on set and off. Rest easy my brother.”
Leslie Jones: “…Michael K Williams was a solid dude. He was so nice to me when we did ghostbusters and we bonded on many levels!! Damn I was just thinking the next time I saw him I was gonna tell him how dope of an actor he is…”
John Cusacksaid Williams’ work as Omar in The Wire was “Among the greatest performances tv and film has ever seen.”
Mia Farrow: “We have lost another irreplaceable actor. RIP Michael K.Williams. You were too young to leave us- we were looking forward to so many more great performances. Thoughts with family and friends.”
Nia DaCosta calls it a “wonderful coincidence” that she’s getting to direct her Candyman star Teyonah Parris in the forthcoming superhero film The Marvels.
In fact, DaCosta tells ABC Audio that when she spoke to Parris about her superhero role as Monica Rambeau, she hadn’t yet signed on to direct the film.
“So I think I knew Teyonah was going to be Monica Rambeau, like when we were shooting,” DaCosta recalls. “Because there was a day we were shooting [and] she had to pretend something was there and be like scared. And she was like, ‘There’s nothing there. Like, I’ve never had to do this before.’ And I’m like, ‘You’re going to be in a superhero TV show. Like you’re going to have to look at like a tennis ball and stuff.’ And she was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know.'”
That early conversation, DaCosta notes, later became a foretelling of what the director now has to do on set of The Marvels, where Parrish reprises her role as Monica Rambeau, a superpowered captain at the agency S.W.O.R.D.
“And then it was just funny that it turned out that I would be directing her again [and] looking at things that don’t exist,” DaCosta laughs. “So, I was just so excited for her — just as a fan. I’m a huge Marvel fan and fan of Monica Rambeau [and] fan of Teyonah.”
The director calls the re-teaming of her and Parris a “perfect” union.
“[To end] up directing her next outing in that world…it’s such a wonderful coincidence,” she adds.
Candyman is in theaters. The Marvels is slated to hit theaters on November 11, 2022.
Hugh and his father in 2003 — Vince Bucci/Getty Images
Hugh Jackman is mourning the loss of his father, Christopher.
Christopher Jackman “peacefully passed away” on Australia’s Father’s Day, which was Sept. 5, the Greatest Showman star wrote on Instagram.
Christopher Jackman was 84 years old, according to reports.
“Whilst there is deep sadness, I am filled with such gratitude and love,” Hugh Jackman wrote. “My Dad was, in a word, extraordinary. He devoted his life to his family, his work and his faith. I pray he is now at peace with God.”
Hugh Jackman is the youngest of five, and his family moved to Australia from England before he was born. He was mostly raised by his father, as his mother returned to England when he was a boy. Although the actor says the arrangement was difficult at times, he once told Good Housekeeping that he “always felt love from both my parents.”
The “Les Misérables” star also told the magazine that his father espoused the importance of responsibility and humility, among other virtues. “When I was 5, my father used to sit me down and explain that from my dollar a week, I should set aside 10% for church, 20% for entertainment, and 10% for savings,” Jackman recalled.
“He is a deeply thoughtful man whose religion is in his deeds way more than anything else. It’s not talked about that much,” Jackman said. “He set a great, great example.”
The actor’s tribute to his father garnered many responses from friends and fans alike, with actor Ryan Reynolds commenting, “I was lucky to have met him.”
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the latest entry in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, topped the Labor Day weekend box office — and expectations — posting an estimated $90 million over the four-day weekend.
The film’s three-day total, an estimated $75.5 million, bested the record previously set by 2007’s Halloween, which got off to a $30.6 million start.
Shang-Chi, the first Marvel film to feature an Asian superhero as the protagonist, is also the second-highest-grossing film of the pandemic era, behind Black Widow’s $80.3 million back in July. Unlike Black Widow, however, Shang-Chi was released exclusively in theaters and should have more staying power than the Scarlett Johansson-led film, which simultaneously rolled out on the Disney+ streaming service.
Shang-Chi — starring Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh and Tony Leung — grabbed an estimated $56.2 million overseas, bringing its worldwide total to $146.2 million.
The horror thriller Candyman slipped from first to second place in its sophomore frame, delivering an estimated $10.5 million over the three-day weekend and $13 million through Monday.
Disney/20th Century’s sci-fi comedy Free Guy finished Monday with an estimated $11.2 million, including $8.7 million from Friday-Sunday, bringing ticket sales to $94.3 million in the U.S. and $81.8 million worldwide.
Disney’s Jungle Cruise and Paramount’s PAW Patrol tied in fourth place, each nabbing an estimated $4 million over the three-day weekend and $5.2 million through Monday.
Jungle Cruise crossed the $100 million plateau at the U.S. box office, with its tally currently resting at $106.8 million.
Marvel and 20th Century Studios are owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
