Entertainment

Knives Out 3 director Rian Johnson loves theatrical releases for movies, even if Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos finds them outdated.

Sarandos made headlines in April during an appearance at the Time100 Summit, where he argued that theatrical film releases were an outdated concept.

“We’re in a period of transition. Folks grew up thinking, ‘I want to make movies on a gigantic screen and have strangers watch them play in the theater for two months and people cry and sold-out shows.’ … It’s an outdated concept,” Sarandos said at the time.

“If you’re fortunate enough to live in Manhattan, and you can walk to a multiplex and see a movie, that’s fantastic,” Sarandos continued. “Most of the country cannot.”

In an interview with Business Insider, Johnson was asked if he feels the same way as Sarandos.

“Obviously, I don’t,” Johnson said. “Because I love movies. I love going to see movies.”

Johnson said he didn’t have the full context for Sarandos’ comments, but reiterated his appreciation for the theatrical experience.

“I think theatrical is not going anywhere. I think we’ve seen [that] if you put a movie people want to see in the theaters, they are going to show up for it,” Johnson said. “That experience of being in a full house and having that experience is so important. It’s something that I love and I want more of in the world.”

The director said he wants to experience this with his upcoming third film in the Knives Out franchise, Wake Up Dead Man, which arrives on Netflix later in 2025.

“I want this in as many theaters for as long as possible,” Johnson said. “We’re going to push for everything we can get in terms of theatrical, because I want as many people as possible to see it in that form.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The stars came out Monday night in New York for fashion’s biggest night, the annual Met Gala.

This year’s theme was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” in coordination with the Costume Institute exhibit of the same name. According to Vogue,  the theme “take[s] the Black dandy as its subject, examining the importance of clothing and style to the formation of Black identities in the Atlantic diaspora.”

The dress code this year was “Tailored for You,” a “nod to the exhibition’s focus on menswear.”

Here are some of the night’s most memorable looks:

Demi Moore: The Oscar nominee wore a structured black-and-white beaded dress, with a collar that floated high above her head. The Thom Browne dress was designed to imitate the look of a men’s tie.

Colman Domingo: A co-chair of the night’s event, the Sing Sing actor paid tribute to the late fashion editor André Leon Talley, wearing a floor-length pleated blue cape, which had an embroidered bolero. He also had a second look: a black-and-white checkered jacket with a silk scarf tie, accessorized with large flower on his lapel.

Diana Ross: The music superstar wore an all-white gown with a white feathered rimmed hat, which she matched with an 18-foot train that was embroidered with the names of her children and grand children.

Zendaya: The Challengers star stunned in a tailored white three-piece Louis Vuitton suit, with a floppy white hat and snake brooch on the back.

Ayo Edebiri: The Bear star wore white shirt dress with red beads in the front, covered by a black long leather jacket, from Ferragamo by Maximilian Davis.

Cynthia Erivo: The Wicked star wore a black and red beaded corseted top, with a long flowing high-low skirt from Givenchy by Sarah Burton.

Halle Berry: The Oscar winner wore a sheer dress from designer LeQuan Smith with wide black stripes that strategically covered her naughty bits. The top was covered by a short black tuxedo jacket. According to Vogue, it took 1,455 hours to create her dress. 

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The sneaky asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title officially has meaning.

On Monday, Marvel unveiled the true name of the rag-tag group of superheroes as “The New Avengers,” now that the film is officially in theaters.

“Presenting Marvel Studios’ #̶T̶h̶u̶n̶d̶e̶r̶b̶o̶l̶t̶s̶* #TheNewAvengers,” Marvel Studios wrote in a social media post, which included a video of the film’s cast, led by Florence Pugh, ripping away the word “Thunderbolts*” on the movie poster to reveal the words “*The New Avengers.”

According to Marvel, the video was shot discreetly backstage at the film’s Hollywood premiere.

Another video shows star Sebastian Stan covering up a publicly displayed movie poster featuring the updated name.

The film features a collaboration of former Marvel Cinematic Universe baddies and anti-heroes: Pugh’s Yelena and her adoptive father Alexei aka Red Guardian, played by David Harbour; Stan’s Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier; Hannah John-Kamen‘s Ava Starr/Ghost from Ant-Man and the Wasp; Olga Kurylenko‘s Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster from Black Widow; and Wyatt Russell‘s John Walker/U.S. Agent from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

The group is brought together by Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ character, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who also appeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and in a post-credits scene in Black Widow.

“After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts,” a synopsis for the film reads. “Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?”

Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Robert De Niro and Jenna Ortega are set to act together in the upcoming film Shutout.

The duo will star in the film that director David O. Russell will helm, Variety reports. Shutout will be based on a screenplay written by Alejandro Adams.

The film follows a pool hustler named Jake Kejeune, who will be played by De Niro.

“Having lived and lost by the roll of a ball in smoky backroom halls, Jake encounters Mia (Ortega), a young prodigy whose raw, electrifying talent reignites a fire he thought long extinguished,” according to the official synopsis.

Jake senses a rare opportunity to shape a legend in the craft, so he takes Mia under his wing in the high-stakes world of pool.

The film will be produced by Russell, as well as Joe Roth and Judd Kirschenbaum of RK Films.

“We’re delighted to be collaborating with the acclaimed director David O. Russell and the legendary Robert De Niro, and especially excited to see Jenna step into the spotlight alongside these two cinematic icons,” Kirschenbaum said. “It’s a rare and thrilling opportunity to support such a high-caliber team coming together to tell a compelling story — a lineup so precise, it feels like the perfect break.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Denzel Washington reteams with Spike Lee after nearly 20 years in the official teaser trailer for Highest 2 Lowest.

A24 released the trailer for the new film from the Oscar-winning writer and director on Monday. In the teaser, Washington stars as a titan music mogul known for having the best ears in the business. When he “is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma,” according to the film’s official synopsis.

“There’s more to life than just making money,” Washington says in the trailer. “There’s integrity, there’s what you stand for. There’s what you actually believe in. You believe in yourself, you believe you’ll be successful.”

Highest 2 Lowest marks the fifth collaboration between Washington and Lee, who previously worked together on Mo’ Better Blues, Malcom X, He Got Game and Inside Man.

This new film was written by William Alan Fox. It is a reinterpretation of renowned filmmaker Akira Kurosawa‘s crime thriller High and Low, only now taking place in modern-day New York City.

Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera and A$AP Rocky also star in the upcoming movie, which will have its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

Highest 2 Lowest arrives in theaters on Aug. 22 and will stream on Apple TV+ on Sept. 5. 

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Josh Hutcherson has joined Rachel Sennott‘s HBO comedy series. The actor will replace Miles Robbins in the role, Deadline reports. The untitled comedy series follows a codependent friend group that reunites and is forced to navigate how time spent apart, ambition and new relationships have changed them. Odessa A’zion, Jordan Firstman and True Whitaker also star, while Leighton Meester and Quenlin Blackwell will guest star …

The trailer for season 5 of The Chosen has arrived. Prime Video released the trailer for the new season, called The Chosen: Last Supper, which follows the story of the lead-up to Jesus’ crucifixion. The fifth season will debut in three parts over the course of three weeks, with the first batch of episodes premiering on June 15 …

Will Poulter and Kit Connor are set to star in a new horror film called Rapture. Deadline reports the film will be set in medieval England in the year 1348. It will follow the story of 10 monks who live a strict life in a monastery in Yorkshire and receive news that a horrible plague of a mystery illness is spreading throughout the outside world …

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Marvel’s latest superhero film Thunderbolts*, starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbour, debuted at #1 at the box office over the weekend.

According to Box Office Mojo, Thunderbolts* brought in $76 million from 4,330 theaters. Internationally, the action flick brought in $86.1 million, for a worldwide box office take of $162.1 million.

The vampire thriller Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan, which had been #1 for the past two weeks, dropped to #2, bringing in $33 million over the weekend, for a total gross of almost $180 million since its release.

Another former #1, A Minecraft Movie, landed to #3 with an additional $13.7 million. Ben Affleck’s The Accountant 2 placed #4 with $9.46 million and Until Dawn took #5 with $3.8 million.

Here are the top films at the box office:
1. Thunderbolts* – $76 million
2. Sinners – $33 million
3. A Minecraft Movie – $13.7 million
4. The Accountant 2– $9.46 million
5. Until Dawn – $3.8 million
6. The Amateur – $1.8 million
7. The King of Kings – $1.65 million
8. Warfare – $1.27 million
9. HIT – The 3rd Case – $955,000

Marvel is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Blake Lively is reflecting on the roller-coaster year she’s had so far.

While speaking on Late Night With Seth Meyers Thursday night, the actress, who stars in the new film Another Simple Favor, touched on the lighter moments that she’s experienced, including working on the highly anticipated film and moments with her family.

She also briefly alluded to her ongoing legal battle with her former It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni.

“Without going too into it, this year has been full of the highest highs and the lowest lows of my life,” she began.

She continued, “I see so many women around afraid to speak, especially right now afraid to share their experiences.”

“And fear is by design,” she added. “It’s what keeps us silent. But I also acknowledge that many people don’t have the opportunity to speak. So I do feel fortunate that I’ve been able to. And it’s the women who have had the ability to use their voice that’s kept me strong and helped me in my belief and my fight for the world to be safer for women and girls.”

Lively’s remarks were met with applause before Meyers turned the conversation to her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and his business partner Rob McElhenney, whose professional football club Wrexham A.F.C. recently notched a win over Charlton Athletic F.C., earning Wrexham a promotion to the Sky Bet Championship league.

“It’s unbelievable,” Lively said.

Asked whether she enjoyed attending the team’s games, she responded, “Oh my gosh, I love it so much. The community is, like, the most ferocious, protective, loving, often-drunk family you’ve ever had in your life. … My husband compares it — he’s like, ‘It’s like church, being here,’ and I see what he means.”

Lively’s public legal battle with Baldoni first began in December 2024, when the actress filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of the film. Baldoni has denied the allegations.

Later that month, the two filed dueling lawsuits against each other, with Lively alleging in her lawsuit that Baldoni and key stakeholders of the film sexually harassed her and attempted, along with Baldoni’s production company and his crisis PR company, The Agency Group PR, to orchestrate a smear campaign against her.

Baldoni sued Lively, Reynolds, the couple’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s public relations company, Vision PR, for extortion and defamation, among other things.

In April, Lively honored female survivors of domestic violence and assault in a speech at the TIME100 Gala. She also specifically honored her mother, Willie Elain McAlpin, who she said is “a survivor of the worst crimes someone can commit against a woman.”

“I am here, my mom is here, because that woman not only survived, but she told others how,” Lively said in her speech.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock are reteaming for a new film.

The actors are set to star in an upcoming, untitled movie in development at Amazon MGM Studios, ABC Audio has confirmed.

Jackie screenwriter Noah Oppenheim is penning the script for the new movie, of which the plot details are being kept under wraps. The studio describes the film as a “propulsive romantic thriller.”

The project will be a true Speed reunion. Bullock and Reeves will produce the film along with Mark Gordon, reuniting the team who worked together on the hit 1994 action film. According to Amazon MGM Studios, Gordon and Oppenheim had the idea for this new film, which they brought to Reeves and Bullock, who then went on to help develop the project with them.

In addition to Speed, Reeves and Bullock also starred together in the 2006 film The Lake House.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The upcoming Little House on the Prairie remake has found its stars.

Netflix has announced that Alice Halsey has been cast as Laura Ingalls in its adaptation of the beloved books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Also cast in the series are Luke Bracey as patriarch Charles Ingalls, Crosby Fitzgerald as loving mother Caroline Ingalls and Skywalker Hughes as Mary Ingalls, the older sister and polar opposite to sister Laura.

Wilder’s books were previously adapted into a TV series that premiered in 1974 and ran for nearly a decade.

This new adaptation transforms Wilder’s semi-autobiographical books into a show that is “part family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West,” according to Netflix. It will offer “a kaleidoscopic view of the struggles and triumphs of those who shaped the frontier.”

Rebecca Sonnenshine will serve as showrunner and executive producer on the new series. Sonnenshine says she is a lifelong fan of the books.

“I fell deeply in love with these books when I was 5 years old,” Sonnenshine said. “They inspired me to become a writer and a filmmaker, and I am honored and thrilled to be adapting these stories for a new audience.”

Netflix’s vice president of drama series, Jinny Howe, says the streamer is excited to take on this classic story.

“Little House on the Prairie has captured the hearts and imaginations of so many fans around the world, and we’re excited to share its enduring themes of hope and optimism with a fresh take on this iconic story,” Howe said. “Rebecca’s vision threads the needle with an emotional depth that will delight both new and existing fans of this beloved classic.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.