Entertainment

Mariska Hargitay has been tapped to host TV’s biggest night.

The Law & Order: SVU star will host the 78th Emmy Awards, which honor excellence in television. This makes her the first woman to host the awards ceremony in 15 years. The last time a woman hosted the Emmys was 2011, when Jane Lynch took on the role.

NBC will broadcast the show live on both coasts from the Peacock Theater in LA on Sept. 14. The show will also be available to stream live and on demand on Peacock.

“Bringing important stories into the light has been the heartbeat of my career. It’s my great honor to host the 78th Emmy Awards — in the 100th birthday year of my beloved NBC — and celebrate this extraordinary community of storytellers,” Hargitay said in a press release. “Whether it’s an actor or a director, a costumer or a sound designer, we are all so privileged to take part in creating television that unites us. Regardless of how, where or when we watch, we are together in our laughter, our tears, our love of stories — and our delighted anticipation to see what happens next.”

Television Academy chair Cris Abrego called Hargitay “one of television’s most beloved stars, whose talent, authenticity and extraordinary connection with audiences have made her an enduring force in our industry and in culture.”

“We’re so delighted to have her join us as the host of this year’s Emmys telecast and know that she will create an unforgettable evening honoring the very best of television,” Abrego continued.

Nominations for the 78th Emmys will be announced on Wednesday. The Television Academy will stream the announcement live at 8:30 a.m. PT on Emmys.com.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The new Big Brother cast has been revealed.

CBS has announced 14 new houseguests who will compete on Big Brother season 28. Among the different personalities are a Jumbotron engineer, a drag queen, an MMA fighter and a rocket scientist.

“This new group of houseguests is stepping into a summer where nothing is as it seems, where every twist rewrites the rules, and where time becomes the ultimate twist,” according to a press release from CBS.

The names of the new houseguests competing on the season are Ashley Trail, Barrett Pfeiffer, Chuk Anyanwu, Drew Campbell, Haley Thogmartin, Jason De Puy, Kamuela “Kamu” Kirk, LaTrice Verrett, Lyric Medeiros, Mallory Aurichio, Melody Morris, Rome Seymour, Taylor Brown and Yash Patel.

In addition to these 14 houseguests, Big Brother teases more surprise houseguests will be revealed on air during the premiere episode. Those houseguests will also compete for the $750,000 prize. Big Brother similarly added a secret houseguest last season. That ended up being returning player and fan-favorite Big Brother season 13 winner Rachel Reilly.

Big Brother follows a group of people who live together in a house without the ability to leave it or access anything about the outside world. The house has dozens of cameras and microphones that record their every move, every second of the day. Each week, another person gets voted out of the house, until the last remaining houseguest wins the cash prize.

Big Brother season 28 premieres with a 90-minute episode July 9 on CBS.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender has moved up its release date.

The animated movie is now set to premiere in July rather than in October. It will debut to Paramount+ on July 25. Paramount+ also released the official trailer for the film, which continues the story of the TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Previously, the movie was supposed to debut in theaters on Oct. 9. Paramount changed the rollout to a direct-to-streaming release rather than a theatrical debut back in December 2025. Additionally, the entire film leaked online in April. This is thought to have added to the decision to move up its official release date.

The film follows Aang, the world’s last Airbender, as he learns “of an ancient power that could save his culture from extinction. With the help of his friends, he embarks on a global quest to find it before it falls into the wrong hands and threatens to upend the peace they sacrificed everything to achieve,” according to the film’s official description.

Its voice cast includes Eric Nam as Aang, Dave Bautista as Tagah, Jessica Matten as Katara, Román Zaragoza as Sokka, Steven Yeun as Zuko and Dionne Quan as Toph. Freida Pinto, Ke Huy Quan, Taika Waititi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Ronny Chieng and Ken Jeong also provide their voices, while Dee Bradley Baker reprises his roles as pets Appa and Momo.

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is based on the animated series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. It was directed by Lauren Montgomery, and co-directed by Steve Ahn and William Mata. DiMartino and Konietzko produced the film, and also created its story alongside Tim Hedrick and Kenneth Lin. The screenplay was written by Hedrick and Christopher Yost.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender has moved up its release date.

The animated movie is now set to premiere in July rather than in October. It will debut to Paramount+ on July 25. Paramount+ also released the official trailer for the film, which continues the story of the TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Previously, the movie was supposed to debut in theaters on Oct. 9. Paramount changed the rollout to a direct-to-streaming release rather than a theatrical debut back in December 2025. Additionally, the entire film leaked online in April. This is thought to have added to the decision to move up its official release date.

The film follows Aang, the world’s last Airbender, as he learns “of an ancient power that could save his culture from extinction. With the help of his friends, he embarks on a global quest to find it before it falls into the wrong hands and threatens to upend the peace they sacrificed everything to achieve,” according to the film’s official description.

Its voice cast includes Eric Nam as Aang, Dave Bautista as Tagah, Jessica Matten as Katara, Román Zaragoza as Sokka, Steven Yeun as Zuko and Dionne Quan as Toph. Freida Pinto, Ke Huy Quan, Taika Waititi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Ronny Chieng and Ken Jeong also provide their voices, while Dee Bradley Baker reprises his roles as pets Appa and Momo.

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is based on the animated series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. It was directed by Lauren Montgomery, and co-directed by Steve Ahn and William Mata. DiMartino and Konietzko produced the film, and also created its story alongside Tim Hedrick and Kenneth Lin. The screenplay was written by Hedrick and Christopher Yost.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender has moved up its release date.

The animated movie is now set to premiere in July rather than in October. It will debut to Paramount+ on July 25. Paramount+ also released the official trailer for the film, which continues the story of the TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Previously, the movie was supposed to debut in theaters on Oct. 9. Paramount changed the rollout to a direct-to-streaming release rather than a theatrical debut back in December 2025. Additionally, the entire film leaked online in April. This is thought to have added to the decision to move up its official release date.

The film follows Aang, the world’s last Airbender, as he learns “of an ancient power that could save his culture from extinction. With the help of his friends, he embarks on a global quest to find it before it falls into the wrong hands and threatens to upend the peace they sacrificed everything to achieve,” according to the film’s official description.

Its voice cast includes Eric Nam as Aang, Dave Bautista as Tagah, Jessica Matten as Katara, Román Zaragoza as Sokka, Steven Yeun as Zuko and Dionne Quan as Toph. Freida Pinto, Ke Huy Quan, Taika Waititi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Ronny Chieng and Ken Jeong also provide their voices, while Dee Bradley Baker reprises his roles as pets Appa and Momo.

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is based on the animated series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. It was directed by Lauren Montgomery, and co-directed by Steve Ahn and William Mata. DiMartino and Konietzko produced the film, and also created its story alongside Tim Hedrick and Kenneth Lin. The screenplay was written by Hedrick and Christopher Yost.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

After a successful Fourth of July weekend at the box office, the film Young Washington is officially getting a sequel. The upcoming movie will be titled 1776. It will continue telling the story of George Washington’s life and legacy. “We are working on another one right now. We have just begun writing another Revolutionary War epic on the year 1776. And if you think Washington‘s big, wait for 1776. It’s epic in every way,” Jon Erwin, the film’s director, said in an Instagram video …

Rain Spencer and Ariana Greenblatt are set to collaborate on a new film. Deadline reports the actresses are going to star in the upcoming movie Little Five. This film comes from Anne Hathaway’s production company Somewhere Pictures and Pigasus Pictures. It is set against the backdrop of Indiana University in the early 1980s and is inspired by the Little 500 bicycle race …

This is UFC: McGregor vs. Holloway is set to air live on CBS on Friday. The one-hour primetime special features interviews with Conor McGregor and Max Holloway ahead of the UFC 329: McGregor Vs Holloway 2 event, which streams exclusively on Paramount+ on Saturday. Co-main event competitors Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint-Davis will also appear …

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Zendaya is opening up about her first day on set of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.

In a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the actress said she could not even open her mouth to speak her first lines of dialogue while filming in freezing conditions in Iceland. Zendaya, who plays Athena in the film, said that didn’t help ease her nerves over appearing in her first Nolan project.

“I had my lines and I wanted to have them so down. I psyched myself out a little bit,” Zendaya said. “It was particularly cold. It was in Iceland. My mouth was just frozen. There is nothing coming out.”

The actress continued, saying, “My mouth would not move. Literally. It came out like, ‘Blah blah blah.’ So embarrassing.”

She went on to say that showing up “was such a pleasure and a gift to be able to share scenes with people you admire.”

“Part of you has to compartmentalize to a degree. Lock in, we’re working. But I was so moved and excited to be there and wanted to do my best work,” Zendaya said.

The Odyssey has a star-studded cast that also includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron and Jon Bernthal. It opens in movie theaters on July 17.

The film, of course, is an adaptation of Homer’s epic poem. It tells the story of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, and his 10-year journey of returning home to his wife, Penelope, after the Trojan War.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Many more actors have joined the cast of the upcoming Ocean’s Eleven prequel.

Vicky Krieps, George MacKay, Lauren Ridloff and Jack Holden have joined the film’s ensemble, while Omar Sy is currently in negotiations to join the cast, ABC Audio has confirmed.

Bradley Cooper is set to write, direct and star in the prequel film. Margot Robbie will star alongside Cooper, who will also produce the film along with Robbie’s banner, LuckyChap.

Twisters director Lee Isaac Chung was previously attached to direct the film but stepped away from the project due to creative differences.

Wagner Moura, Monica Barbaro and Josh Gad are also set to star in the upcoming film. Cooper wrote the screenplay based on characters that were created by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell. A previous draft of the script was written by Carrie Solomon.

While the film’s plot is being kept locked in the vault for now, ABC Audio has learned that it takes place in the year 1963.

The currently untitled Ocean’s Eleven prequel will arrive in theaters on June 25, 2027.

Warner Bros. launched the current Ocean’s franchise with Steven Soderbergh’s 2001 film Ocean’s Eleven. It became a trilogy that starred George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Matt Damon. Ocean’s Eleven was a remake of the studio’s 1961 film Ocean’s 11, which starred Frank Sinatra.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The latest adaptation of one of Harlan Coben’s works is headed to TV screens.

Netflix has announced that Colin Woodell will star in the upcoming drama Myron Bolitar. The show will be based on writer Coben’s longest-running series, which spans 12 books.

Riverdale‘s KJ Apa and Orange is the New Black actress Diane Guerrero will also star in the upcoming series.

“After an injury ends his NBA dreams, Myron Bolitar reinvents himself as a sports agent — using charm, smarts, and a ruthless partner to navigate the high-stakes and dirty world of sports, where saving his clients often means risking himself,” according to the show’s official logline.

Woodell’s Myron Bolitar is described as “a former college basketball star whose NBA career came to an abrupt end,” according to Netflix. “Myron reinvented himself as a sports agent. He built his agency — MB Sports — on an unwavering belief in overlooked athletes, with the same heart and fierce competitive drive he once brought to the court.”

Apa is set to play Win Lockwood, a character who is “born into extraordinary privilege.” He “walked away from the family business to build something of his own alongside his closest friend, Myron. Unflappable, endlessly resourceful, and fiercely loyal, he’s the one Myron turns to when clients find themselves in trouble,” according to the streamer.

Guerrero will portray Esperanza Diaz, “a former professional wrestler turned Myron’s indispensable right hand at MB Sports. Armed with endless grit and razor-sharp wit, Esperanza is the backbone of the agency and the steady force keeping both Myron and clients in check,” according to Netflix.

Emmy winner David E. Kelley and Kyle Long are set to co-showrun, write and executive produce the series. House of the Dragon‘s Greg Yaitanes will direct multiple episodes of the show.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

George Clooney is getting the Golden Lion.

The actor is set to be honored at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. The board of directors of La Biennale made the decision to honor Clooney, as recommended by the artistic director of the festival, Alberto Barbera.

“I’ve had so many extraordinary moments in Venice. This festival is without question my favorite and to be given the Golden Lion is a tremendous honor. It also probably means I’m old, but I’ll take it,” Clooney said in a statement.

Barbera called Clooney a triple threat in his own statement, complimenting his work as an actor, director and producer.

“George Clooney is a complete and charismatic artist, impassioned and original, who has transformed a deep vocation into one of the most luminous parabolas of contemporary film. An early career launched without shortcuts, with small roles in TV series and B movies until his major success as the star of the series ER, formed an actor who is able to inhabit the screen with disarming spontaneity,” Barbera said. “He is endowed with the gift of making his characters seem not only credible but desirable, approachable, and human, thanks to his undeniable charm. But Clooney’s charisma is constructed on his credibility, not on his image, because his seductive side has never been merely aesthetic.”

The festival’s artistic director continued, saying Clooney is “a perfect combination of the star glamour of days gone by, remarkable professionalism, and modern sensitivity, the actor has crossed the genres with rare versatility.”

The 2026 Venice International Film Festival will take place from Sept. 2 to Sept. 12.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.