In brief: Hayley Atwell to return to Marvel Cinematic Universe and more

In brief: Hayley Atwell to return to Marvel Cinematic Universe and more
In brief: Hayley Atwell to return to Marvel Cinematic Universe and more

Hayley Atwell looks to be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actress is reported to be reprising her role as Agent Carter in the upcoming superhero movie Avengers: Doomsday, according to Deadline. The film is being directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, with Marvel president Kevin Feige producing. While plot details remain unknown, the film is expected in theaters on May 1, 2026 …

Anne Hathaway is staying booked and busy. The actress will star alongside Dave Bautista in an untitled action comedy film for Amazon MGM Studios, Deadline reports. Inspired by actual events, the film follows agents who posed as a couple in order to infiltrate a global crime enterprise …

Jim Carrey says he’d return to another one of his famous movie characters, but only under one condition. In a recent interview for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Carrey said he would reprise his role in a sequel to The Mask if it felt right. “Oh gosh, you know, it has to be the right idea. If somebody had the right idea, I guess … It’s not really about the money,” Carrey said to ComicBook. “I joke about the money … But I never know. You can’t be definite about these things.”

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‘Moana 2’ rides box office wave again, ‘Wicked’ flies behind

‘Moana 2’ rides box office wave again, ‘Wicked’ flies behind
‘Moana 2’ rides box office wave again, ‘Wicked’ flies behind
Disney

Moana 2 is riding a wave of box office success that just won’t quit.

The Disney animated sequel brought in $8.5 million at this box office this past weekend; nearly 50% down from last weekend but still good enough for first place. It’s domestic haul to date is over $337 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

Coming in second place for the second week in a row was Wicked: Part 1, with just under $7.3 million, followed by one of this week’s new releases: Marvel’s Kraven the Hunter, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ariana DeBose. It brought in just under $2.5 million.

Another new release, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim — an anime film set more than 180 years before Peter Jackson‘s The Lord of the Rings trilogy — came in sixth place with 1.1 million.

Here are the top 10 films at the box office:

1. Moana 2 – $8.5 million
2. Wicked: Part 1 – $7.25 million
3. Kraven the Hunter – $ 2.45 million
4. Gladiator II – $2.29 million
5. Red One – $1.3 million
6. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim – $1.1 million
7. Interstellar (Re-release) – $995,000
8. Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2 – $446,000
9. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever – $405,000
10. Queer – $241,000

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Jennifer Love Hewitt to return as Julie James in new ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ film

Jennifer Love Hewitt to return as Julie James in new ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ film
Jennifer Love Hewitt to return as Julie James in new ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ film
Sony Pictures Entertainment

Jennifer Love Hewitt is slated to reprise her role as Julie James in the new I Know What You Did Last Summer film.

The actress shared the news on Friday in an Instagram post that was also shared on the film’s official Instagram page.

“It’s never too late to go back,” she wrote in the caption of the post. “Julie James is returning. I know what you will be doing next summer!”

In the image, Hewitt is looking into a mirror with notes taped all around that include the film’s title.

Hewitt starred as Julie James in the 1997 film of the same name, which also starred Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Ryan Phillippe.

The film followed a group of friends stalked by a hook-handed maniac after hoping to hide a tragic accident.

It earned over $125 million worldwide and led to the 1998 sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.

Earlier in December, a photo of a hook and a film slate was shared on the official Instagram page for the upcoming movie to mark that production was underway.

In September, ABC News learned that Prinze would also be joining the cast for the new film. The actor portrayed Ray Bronson in the horror film.

In addition to Prinze and Hewitt, the cast of the upcoming Sony Pictures film will include Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers and Jonah Hauer-King.

The new I Know What You Did Last Summer film is slated to arrive in theaters in summer 2025.

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‘Malcolm in the Middle’ returning for limited run on Disney+

‘Malcolm in the Middle’ returning for limited run on Disney+
‘Malcolm in the Middle’ returning for limited run on Disney+
Vince Bucci/Getty Images

Malcolm in the Middle is making a return.

The beloved family sitcom will air a limited, four-episode run on Disney+, with stars Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek all back in their iconic roles, Disney Branded Television announced Friday.

The trio of stars appeared in a social media video to share news of the show’s return, with Cranston (Hal) and Kaczmarek (Lois) all yelling the name of Muniz’s titular Malcolm — a running gag from the original series.

“Yes, I hear you. I’m coming!” Muniz’s Malcolm responds to their shouts.

An official synopsis for the revival reads: “The original Malcolm in the Middle saw young genius Malcolm trying to navigate life with his quirky, often difficult family. In these brand-new episodes, Malcolm and his daughter are drawn into the family’s chaos when Hal and Lois demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party.”

Malcolm in the Middle aired from 2000 to 2006 and earned a slew of awards during its seven-season run, including a Peabody, seven Emmys and a Grammy.

All 151 episodes of Malcolm in the Middle are now streaming on Hulu.

Disney is the parent company of Hulu and ABC News.

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Allison Holker pays tribute to late husband Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss 2 years after his death

Allison Holker pays tribute to late husband Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss 2 years after his death
Allison Holker pays tribute to late husband Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss 2 years after his death
Michael Rowe/Getty Images for IMDb

Allison Holker is remembering her late husband, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, on the two-year anniversary of his death.

In a post shared to Instagram on Friday, Holker paid tribute to Boss with a photo of the two of them and their children, Zaia, Maddox and Weslie, and a meaningful caption.

“Our Angel @sir_twitch_alot is watching over us and protecting us. You are always on our hearts and we will always love you,” Holker wrote. “We miss you Stephen. 2 years with you not here but you are always on our minds. We love you.”

Holker recently announced her upcoming memoir, This Far: My Story of Love, Loss and Embracing the Light, which will be published in 2025. It will follow her love story with Boss, as well as the journey her family went on to heal after his death.

“I felt like writing this book was actually very therapeutic for myself, and I didn’t know I needed it, but I did,” Holker told People in September. “I needed to be able to open up and be super transparent. And I thought it was really a place for me to be super authentic with myself and honest, and a place where my kids also read about everything too, in their futures.”
 

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‘Seasame Street’ needs new home after HBO, Max opt not to renew deal

‘Seasame Street’ needs new home after HBO, Max opt not to renew deal
‘Seasame Street’ needs new home after HBO, Max opt not to renew deal
Courtesy of HBO

Sesame Street is searching for a new home.

The long-running children’s TV show is now on the market after Warner Bros. Discovery decided not to renew its Sesame Street deal with HBO and Max. Original episodes of the program will now need a new home.

Max will be working with the show’s producer, Sesame Workshop, to license episodes from its library through 2027. It is not yet clear if the library deal would prohibit potential new partners from also acquiring the old episodes of the program.

The streamer’s decision to not continue the deal comes from a strategy change to focus on more adult and family programming, with less of an emphasis on children’s programming.

“It has been a wonderful, creative experience working with everyone at Sesame Street on the iconic children’s series and we are thrilled to be able to keep some of the library series on Max in the U.S.,” a Max spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the story. “We will continue to invest in our best-in-class programming and look forward to announcing our new distribution plans in the coming months, ensuring that Sesame Street reaches as many children as possible for generations to come.”

Sesame Street first aired in 1969, with episodes running on PBS since 1970. The show moved to HBO in 2016, with episodes airing on PBS months after they drop on HBO to ensure maximum reach and accessibility. A deal was struck in 2019 that moved Sesame Street to HBO Max, which was then renamed to Max. 

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Pilot ordered for new chapter of ‘Prison Break’

Pilot ordered for new chapter of ‘Prison Break’
Pilot ordered for new chapter of ‘Prison Break’
FOX Image Collection via Getty Images

Prison Break is on the cusp of a new chapter.

Hulu has ordered a pilot for a new version of Prison Break, the hit television series that aired for five seasons from 2005 to 2017, Good Morning America has confirmed.

Mayans M.C. co-creator Elgin James is slated to write and executive produce the new series, which will come from 20th Television, a division of Disney Television Studios.

Along with Prison Break creator Paul Scheuring, former original series executive producers Dawn Olmstead, Marty Adelstein and Neal Moritz are on board to executive produce the new series.

The original show featured the thrilling story of two brothers, Lincoln Burrows and Michael Scofield — played by Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller, respectively — who devise an elaborate plan to break out of detention. The plot largely centered on Miller’s character, who attempts to spring his brother from prison after he was sentenced for a crime he did not commit.

The first four seasons of Prison Break were followed by a made-for-TV film revisiting the characters called The Final Break.

The success of that film led to a fifth season of the show on Fox, which concluded in 2017.

Disney is the parent company of 20th Television, ABC News and Good Morning America.

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In brief: Steve Carell’s HBO comedy casts female lead and more

In brief: Steve Carell’s HBO comedy casts female lead and more
In brief: Steve Carell’s HBO comedy casts female lead and more

The team behind the seven-time Golden Globe-nominated The Brutalist has already wrapped their next project, a star-studded musical called Ann Lee. Mona Fastvold directed, co-wrote and produced the project, while her partner and collaborator, The Brutalist director Brady Corbet, co-wrote the film. Deadline reports that Amanda Seyfried, Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Christopher Abbott, Tim Blake Nelson and Stacy Martin star in the film, which is described as an epic fable about religious leader Ann Lee

You’ll be able to watch Jesse Eisenberg‘s dramedy A Real Pain at home soon. The movie, directed by Eisenberg and starring him and Kieran Culkin, will hit the streaming video on-demand circuit on Dec. 31. The movie will be available to watch on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home on that date, and will be released on Blu-Ray on Feb. 4 …

Steve Carell‘s upcoming untitled comedy series for HBO has found its female lead. Charly Clive will star opposite Carell in the new show, which is set on a college campus and follows an author’s complicated relationship with his daughter, Deadline reports. Clive won the role against a half dozen other actresses who did chemistry reads with Carell …

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Fandango names its most anticipated movies of 2025

Fandango names its most anticipated movies of 2025
Fandango names its most anticipated movies of 2025
Eli Adé/Marvel

The year is winding down, and with every new year comes a whole new slate of movies to get excited about.

Fandango asked over 9,000 movie ticket buyers which movies they’re most looking forward to seeing in 2025, and the results found that people are excited for the latest chapters in beloved film franchises.

The most anticipated movie of 2025 according to Fandango’s survey is Captain America: Brave New World. That is followed by Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, Jurassic Word Rebirth, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Sixth place belongs to Avatar: Fire and Ash, while the rest of the top 10 is rounded out by Wicked Part Two, The Accountant 2, Superman and 28 Years Later.

As far as performances go, ticket buyers are most excited to see Scarlett Johansson in Jurassic World Rebirth. They’re also looking forward to watching Pedro Pascal in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Ana De Armas in From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, Brad Pitt in F1 and Nicholas Hoult in Superman.

Overall, it seems moviegoers are hungry for more. According to the survey, 89% of ticket buyers are hoping to see more movies in 2025 than they did in 2024, with 53% planning to see more than six movies in the theater next year.

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New ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ film in the works

New ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ film in the works
New ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ film in the works
Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

A reboot of the classic film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is in the works.

Amazon MGM Studios is in development with Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson‘s Eon Productions to reimagine the movie into a brand-new adaptation, Deadline reports.

No potential writers or directors have been selected, though meetings with prospects are in the works. Developers are eyeing a theatrical release for the film.

The original 1968 film starred Dick Van Dyke with a screenplay by Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes. Hughes directed the film, which was based on the beloved children’s story Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car, written by James Bond author Ian Fleming.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang received an Oscar nomination for its title track, which was written by Robert and Richard Sherman.

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