Busy woman? Sabrina Carpenter eyed for role in third ‘Mamma Mia!’ movie

Busy woman? Sabrina Carpenter eyed for role in third ‘Mamma Mia!’ movie
Busy woman? Sabrina Carpenter eyed for role in third ‘Mamma Mia!’ movie
Jim Dyson/Redferns

Mamma Mia, here we go again: The third film in the beloved series based around ABBA songs is currently in development, and producer Judy Craymer tells Deadline that Sabrina Carpenter is being considered for a role.

Asked which role Sabrina would play, Craymer says, “She’d be a goddess or some relation who would look very much like Meryl Streep.” Craymer adds, “It’ll happen when it happens.”

Considering that Sabrina has covered ABBA’s songs “Mamma Mia” and “Dancing Queen” in concert, perhaps it’s not a stretch to imagine her in the movie. Obviously Sabrina’s a fan, but Craymer also believes that “Dua Lipa‘s and even Pink‘s generation” have also been influenced by ABBA’s music.

While she’s been focusing on her music career lately, Sabrina is also an actress. Her most recent movies, Tall Girl 2 and Emergency, both came out in 2022.

Craymer also says that Streep’s character, Donna, will indeed make an appearance in the new film, but she won’t divulge details of the script.

Meanwhile, Mamma Mia!, the musical that inspired the films, is returning to Broadway for a limited engagement starting Aug. 2. According to Deadline, a TV show based on the movies is also being discussed.

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Barbara Walters shares flirtatious moment with Clint Eastwood in ‘Tell Me Everything’ trailer

Barbara Walters shares flirtatious moment with Clint Eastwood in ‘Tell Me Everything’ trailer
Barbara Walters shares flirtatious moment with Clint Eastwood in ‘Tell Me Everything’ trailer
ABC/Hulu

Viewers will get to see a candid look at the legendary broadcast career of Barbara Walters in an upcoming docuseries.

Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything will begin streaming June 23 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.

The trailer for the docuseries debuted Wednesday on Good Morning America. It takes viewers back to some of the longtime ABC News anchor and correspondent’s biggest interviews, from now-President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the Kardashian sisters, Taylor Swift and the Menendez brothers.

“She asked the question that nobody else had asked. And asked it in a way that always hit a nerve,” Oprah Winfrey says of Walters in the trailer.

One resurfaced clip making headlines is Walters’ interview with actor and director Clint Eastwood.

In the interview clip shown in the trailer, Eastwood and Walters share a flirtatious moment that causes Walters to jokingly call for a break in the interview.

After Eastwood tells Walters he is not one to share emotions easily, Walters responded to the Hollywood superstar by saying, “You would drive me nuts and I would drive you crazy because I would be saying, ‘But, you know.'”

Eastwood, sitting close to Walters at a picnic table in a field of wild flowers, then tells her, “Well we could try it and see if it worked out.”

After a quick laugh and a second of silence, Walters looks off-camera and says, “I think we’ll stop and reload.”

Discussing the interview clip on GMA Wednesday, co-anchor George Stephanopoulos noted, “That’s the only time I’ve ever seen Barbara Walters blush.”

Walters joined ABC News in 1976, becoming the first female anchor on an evening news program. Three years later, she became a co-host of 20/20, and in 1997, she launched The View.

She died in 2022 at the age of 93.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Hulu.

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Lea Michele returning to Broadway in ‘Chess’ revival

Lea Michele returning to Broadway in ‘Chess’ revival
Lea Michele returning to Broadway in ‘Chess’ revival
© Richard Phibbs

Lea Michele is headed back to Broadway.

Following her run in Funny Girl, which ended in 2023, the actress will be starring in the revival of Chess alongside Aaron Tveit and Nicholas Christopher.

The musical will feature a new book by Emmy winner Danny Strong, with music and lyrics by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and EGOT winner Tim Rice. It’ll reunite Michele with her Spring Awakening director, Michael Mayer.

The show centers on the rivalry between two elite chess players during the height of the Cold War: American Freddie Trumper, played by Tveit, and Russian Anatoly Sergievsky, played by Christopher. Michele plays Florence Vassey, the woman caught between them. The musical spun off the 1985 top five pop hit “One Night in Bangkok” by Murray Head.

Chess is set to debut on Broadway this fall.

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In brief: Tom Cruise thanks fans for seeing ‘Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning’ and more

In brief: Tom Cruise thanks fans for seeing ‘Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning’ and more
In brief: Tom Cruise thanks fans for seeing ‘Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning’ and more

Tom Cruise is thanking fans and the filmmakers behind Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. The actor shared a statement to his Instagram after the film’s success during the Memorial Day box office weekend. “This weekend was one for the history books! Congratulations and thank you to every filmmakers, every artist, every crew member, and every single person who works at the studios,” Cruise wrote. “And most of all, THANK YOU to audiences everywhere—for whom we all serve and for whom we all LOVE to entertain.” …

T’Nia Miller is the latest actress to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She will appear in a major role in the Vision series for Disney+, Deadline reports. Miller is believed to play one of the leads opposite Paul Bettany‘s Vision in the WandaVision spinoff series …

More actors have joined the upcoming Little House on the Prairie adaptation at Netflix. Jocko Sims is set to play Dr. George Tann, a generous and kindhearted man with a charming bedside manner, in the new show. Additionally, Warren Christie will play John Edwards, Meegwun Fairbrother will play Mitchell, Alyssa Wapanatǎhk will play White Sun, Wren Zhawenim Gotts will play Good Eagle and Xander Cole will play Little Puma …

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Christopher McQuarrie says the plot of ‘Top Gun 3’ is ‘already in the bag’

Christopher McQuarrie says the plot of ‘Top Gun 3’ is ‘already in the bag’
Christopher McQuarrie says the plot of ‘Top Gun 3’ is ‘already in the bag’
Joe Maher/Getty Images

The plot of Top Gun 3 is “already in the bag,” according to Christopher McQuarrie.

The filmmaker, who co-wrote and produced Top Gun: Maverick, recently appeared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, where he talked about the upcoming sequel to the 2022 smash hit film.

McQuarrie told podcast host Josh Horowitz the film is “already in the bag” and that he “already know[s]” its story.

“It wasn’t hard,” McQuarrie said of figuring out the script. “I thought it would be, and that’s a good place to go from is you walk into the room going, ‘Come on, what are we going to do?’ And [co-writer] Ehren Kruger pitched something and I went, ‘Mm, actually,’ and we had one conversation about it and the framework is there. So, no, it’s not hard to crack. The truth of the matter is, none of these are hard to crack.”

The writer/director then explained why that is.

“It’s as you start to execute it, and as you start to interrogate it, as you start [to think] why these movies are made the way they are: It’s not the action, it’s not even the level of or intensity of or the scope and scale of the action [or] the engineering around the action, it’s none of those things — it’s the emotion,” McQuarrie said.

Joseph Kosinski directed Top Gun: Maverick. When asked if McQuarrie would direct the third Top Gun movie instead, the filmmaker said he had given that “absolutely no thought, no thought whatsoever.”

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Alexis Bledel on her surprise return for ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ series finale

Alexis Bledel on her surprise return for ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ series finale
Alexis Bledel on her surprise return for ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ series finale
Disney/Steve Wilkie

(SPOILER ALERT) Alexis Bledel returns to Gilead in the series finale of The Handmaid’s Tale.

The actress exited the show after season 4, but made the decision to return to her role as Emily/Ofglen in the series finale, which debuted on Tuesday. Bledel told The Hollywood Reporter it felt right to return to tie up some loose ends and reconcile with Elisabeth Moss‘ June.

“It felt right to bring closure to Emily’s journey and offer the audience a sense of completion,” Bledel said. “[Creator] Bruce [Miller] put together such a kind and talented group, and so many of the original crew were still there in season six. The production runs like a well-oiled machine — everyone brings their best.”

Bledel said it was an “immediate yes” when she was asked back to the show. Moss was equally excited about the idea of Bledel returning.

“I said to [Miller] at the time, ‘You realize now that you’ve told me that, we have to do it?'” Moss said. “And she wanted to do it from the beginning. She didn’t need convincing at all. My first official scene on day one was with Alexis. So it meant a lot to get to work with her again.”

The series finale of The Handmaid’s Tale is available to stream on Hulu.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Hulu.

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Pixar’s latest film ‘Elio’ debuts final trailer

Pixar’s latest film ‘Elio’ debuts final trailer
Pixar’s latest film ‘Elio’ debuts final trailer
Pixar

The final trailer for Elio has arrived.

Pixar released the new trailer for its upcoming movie on Tuesday. The film follows a young boy named Elio who is beamed up into space and meets an array of aliens.

“When Elio is beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide, Elio’s all in for the epic undertaking,” the film’s official synopsis reads. “Mistakenly identified as Earth’s leader, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions, and somehow discover who and where he is truly meant to be.”

Pixar veterans Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi and Adrian Molina directed the new film. Yonas Kibreab lends his voice to the starring role of Elio, while Zoe Saldaña voices Aunt Olga, Remy Edgerly voices Glordon, Brad Garrett voices Lord Grigon, Jameela Jamil voices Ambassador Questa and Shirley Henderson voices Ooooo.

“All I ever wanted was to find a place to fit in,” Elio says as he stares up at the night sky in the trailer.

He seems to find that community after he’s beamed up to outer space. “Back home, I didn’t fit in,” Elio tells a new alien friend. “Well, I like you,” they respond.

Elio opens in theaters on June 20.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Pixar. 

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HBO casts Harry, Hermione and Ron for ‘Harry Potter’ TV show

HBO casts Harry, Hermione and Ron for ‘Harry Potter’ TV show
HBO casts Harry, Hermione and Ron for ‘Harry Potter’ TV show
Aidan Monaghan/HBO

There’s a new golden trio headed to Hogwarts.

HBO has cast three newcomers in the roles of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in its upcoming Harry Potter TV series.

Dominic McLaughlin will star as Harry, while Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout will play Hermione and Ron.

The upcoming HBO show is described as a faithful adaptation of the books by author J.K. Rowling, who serves as an executive producer on the series. Multiple seasons of the show are planned, with each one bringing the Harry Potter characters on new adventures. It will stream exclusively on HBO Max.

Francesca Gardiner serves as the showrunner and executive producer on the series, while Mark Mylod will direct several episodes and also executive produce. They both say they’re delighted to have found the young actors to play Harry, Hermione and Ron.

“After an extraordinary search led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, we are delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione, and Ron,” they said in a statement. “The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen. We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It’s been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there.”

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In brief: Disney films release dates, a ‘Top Gun’ experience in Vegas underway and more

In brief: Disney films release dates, a ‘Top Gun’ experience in Vegas underway and more
In brief: Disney films release dates, a ‘Top Gun’ experience in Vegas underway and more

Disney recently shared release information for a couple of highly anticipated movies. The Dog Stars, a 20th Century Studios project, is a post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott. It’s due to hit screens in March 2026 and will star Saltburn‘s Jacob Elordi. And Avatar fans can rejoice: the newest film in the series, Avatar: Fire and Ash, is set for release on Dec. 19, a few months after the Oct. 3 rerelease of 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water

Prime Video has announced there will not be a fourth season of its action-adventure fantasy series The Wheel of Time. Deadline reports the decision not to move forward came after “lengthy deliberations” and as a result of financial issues. The Wheel of Time is a TV adaptation of the book of the same name, starring Rosamund Pike 

Paramount Global and Advent Allen Entertainment plan to bring a Top Gun experience to the Las Vegas Strip. Based on the iconic Tom Cruise films, the new experience is described as an “adrenaline-charged, immersive” theme park that will combine “daring rides” and “cinematic storytelling.” The venture will include fighter jet stimulators, immersive technology and a reimagining of Top Gun: Maverick‘s Hard Deck bar and restaurant with live piano sing-alongs …

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‘Lilo & Stitch’ proves the mission possible while leading biggest Memorial Day weekend box office ever

‘Lilo & Stitch’ proves the mission possible while leading biggest Memorial Day weekend box office ever
‘Lilo & Stitch’ proves the mission possible while leading biggest Memorial Day weekend box office ever
Disney

Move over Barbenheimer, it’s time for Lilo & Stich-ible.

Lilo & Stitch teamed up with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning to produce the largest Memorial Day weekend at the box office of all time.

Disney’s live action remake of its 2002 animated film was the weekend’s #1 film, bringing in an estimated total of $183 million in its first week, according to Box Office Mojo. Meanwhile, the eighth entry in the Tom Cruise-starring spy series came in second with an estimated $77 million debut.

The top five also included Final Destination: Bloodlines at #3 with $24.5 million, Thunderbolts* at #4 with $11.6 million and Sinners at #5 with $11.23 million.

All that and more added up to a total box office haul of a history-making $322 million across the holiday weekend, Variety reports. It beats the previous best Memorial Day weekend gross set in 2013, when a slate including Fast & Furious 6The Hangover Part III and Star Trek into Darkness brought in $314 million.

Here are the top 10 films at the box office:

1. Lilo & Stitch – $183 million
2. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – $77 million
3. Final Destination: Bloodlines – $24.5 million
4. Thunderbolts* – $11.6 million
5. Sinners – $11.23 million
6. The Last Rodeo – $6.267 million
7. Friendship – $5.736 million
8. A Minecraft Movie – $2.851 million
9. The Accountant 2 – $2.548 million
10. Hurry Up Tomorrow – $931,000

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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