Entertainment

Blood and thrills will be streaming on Paramount+ again this Halloween season with the return of its Peak Screaming lineup.

This year, as reported, will see the debut of Pet Sematary: Bloodlines. The platform has announced it’s also debuting the thriller Bargain and a sequel to 2022’s Monster High, based on the Mattel doll franchise of the same name.

Of course, new scary movies like Scream VI and Smile are available on the platform, which has created carousels of content to scratch whatever spine tingle you’re in the mood to watch. These include horror/thriller subgenres like “Flash Frights: 90 Minutes or Less,” “True & Terrifying” and “Based on BOOks” — BOO — get it?

There’s a “Horror Heroines” category for films and series featuring scream queens like Emily Blunt in the A Quiet Place movies and the ladies from Yellowjackets, and a “Family Fright Night” section featuring more kid-friendly spooky titles, like The Addams Family and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.

The lineup also includes spooky episodes from Nickelodeon shows, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Hey Arnold!, Rugrats and iCarly.

Paramount+ will also be hosting some real-life scares with a Paramount+ Peak Screaming-themed celebration at the Jacob K. Javits Center on Saturday, October 14, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, exclusively for New York Comic Con badge holders.

For those on the West Coast, there will be The Haunted Lodge, “an immersive, pop-up Halloween experience, riddled with some of the scariest films and series from Paramount+” inside the Westfield Century City mall from October 27-29.

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AMC has renewed its hit “Southwestern film noir” series Dark Winds for a third season. Based on author Tony Hillerman‘s beloved “Leaphorn and Chee” book series, Zahn McClarnon and Kiowa Gordon star, respectively, as Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, a pair of Navajo police officers investigating a series of violent crimes.

The second season of the show just dropped in July.

The 1970s-set thriller series was produced by Hillerman fans Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin, whose book series A Song of Ice and Fire became the HBO hit Game of Thrones.

For Native Americans McClarnon and Gordon, the series is a game changer for representation: McClarnon is one of two Native executive producers on the show, and the show is staffed with indigenous writers, directors, crew members, and of course, other indigenous actors and actresses.

McClarnon told ABC Audio before the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, “We’re having more control over our stories. It’s getting more visibility. I think that’s very important.”

Gordon says this shared Native heritage with cast and crew acts as something of a shorthand. “Yeah, I mean…there [are] so many similarities with them. I mean, it’s a different group of people from different tribes all over, and we’re coming together,” he expresses. “You know, we have differences, but also we all have the same kind of humor. I’d say that’s a huge connector for all of us.”

He calls it an “incredible and powerful thing” to have so much representation both in front of and behind the camera. “[I]t’s been years and decades and a century in the making, you know, when film first started the depictions of Native people,” Gordon says.

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Longtime Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak may be saying goodbye to the game show after its current 41st season, but his co-host, Vanna White has extended her contract by two years, according to Variety. The deal will keep America’s favorite letter revealer with the show through the 2025-26 season. Sajak announced his upcoming retirement back in June. American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, who exited as host of Live with Kelly and Ryan, opposite Kelly Ripa, after six years, is set to succeed Sajak as host for the 2024-25 season…

Lionsgate has teamed up with Fathom Entertainment to bring The Hunger Games back to theaters for a two-night engagement on October 15 and 18 in anticipation of the upcoming release of Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, coming out November 17. Based on bestselling author Suzanne Collins‘ 2020 novel of the same name, Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place years before the trilogy that starred Jennifer Lawrence as heroine Katniss Everdeen. Here, Tom Blyth stars as an 18-year-old Cornelius Snow — the man who became Donald Sutherland‘s evil President Snow in the original films — and his mentoring of Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute played by West Side Story‘s Rachel Zegler. Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman and Hunter Schafer also star…

Patricia Miller, mother of All My Children and General Hospital star Billy Miller, revealed her son’s death at the age of 43 resulted from a “long hard valiant battle with bipolar depression for years.” In a statement to Soap Opera Digest, Patricia went on to explain that Billy “did everything he could to control the disease. He loved his family, his friends and his fans but in the end the disease won the fight and he surrendered his life.” She concluded, “We all loved him so much and are desperately trying to deal with our loss. I will have nothing further to say. Thanks for the love and support”…

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Bijou Phillips has filed for divorce from her husband of 12 years, Danny Masterson, who was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after being convicted of raping two women.

“Mrs. Phillips has decided to file for divorce from her husband during this unfortunate time. Her priority remains with her daughter,” her attorney said in a statement obtained by ABC News. “This period has been unimaginably hard on the marriage and family. Mr. Masterson was always present for Ms. Phillips during her most difficult times of her life. Ms. Phillips acknowledges that Ms. Masterson is a wonderful father to their daughter. She hopes that everyone will respect her family’s privacy in these difficult times.”

The 43-year-old actress cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split.

Phillips is asking for custody and spousal support for their 9-year-old daughter Fianna, but will allow visitation rights, per court documents. She also wants Masterson to pay her attorney fees and her current legal name, Bijou Phillips Masterson, to return to her maiden name, Bijou Phillips.

Phillips signed the document on Friday, September 15 — eight days after Masterson was sentenced. It was filed on Monday, September 18.

A Los Angeles jury found Masterson, 47, guilty of two counts of forcible rape in May during a retrial of a case involving three women. He was sentenced on September 7.

Masterson will serve two 15-year sentences consecutively, one for each charge. He must also register as a sex offender.

If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.

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Charli and Dixie D’Amelio and the whole family are back for a new season of The D’Amelio Show, premiering Wednesday on Hulu. So what can we expect from the new season?

“Lots of fun, lots of drama. A lot of family, a lot of tears,” Dixie teases to ABC Audio.

For Charli, it’s the “most exciting season yet … just with accomplishments and great things going on. And also a lot of growth from everyone in the family.”

Although there’s a lot of tears, their lives don’t feel as dramatic to them as it looks on TV.

“It’s so chill,” Dixie shares, adding that the sisters hang out, order food, and go to bed. “But watching it on TV, I’m like, I don’t think all this happened. Where was this? Why are we yelling at each other?”

“It’s such like a weird thing because even if, like, you’re feeling good, you’re thinking of like, Oh my God, there’s a million people in my house right now,” the 22-year-old adds. “Like, there’s a mess here and there’s so much going on. You’re always like a little more tense being on camera. And then it’s like, Oh, talk about this. And it’s like, Oh, now I’m annoyed.”

Likewise, Charli says she doesn’t feel like she deals with a lot of drama, though she knows it looks that way.

“Even just like certain buttons being pushed through, like questions like, you know, even if you don’t mean to come across a certain way, sometimes it just does,” the 19-year-old explains. “And that’s something that you have to live with, knowing that this stuff is going to be on TV.” 

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It’s barely the start of pumpkin spice season, but Hallmark Channel is already ready to start the “most wonderful time of the year.”

The network has laid out its plans for the upcoming holiday movie season, which kicks off with its round-the-clock holiday programming on Friday, October 20.

Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas and Hallmark Movies’ Miracles of Christmas ring in the yuletide season, the network has announced.

All-told, 40 new original movie premieres will roll out across Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and its subscription streaming service Hallmark Movies Now for the 2023 holiday season.

Turkey Day will see Merry Thanksgiving Weekend, featuring an “all new original movie premiere” at 8 p.m. ET.

“Starting Friday, November 24 and continuing through Sunday, November 26 fans can take a break from their holiday shopping and enjoy a double feature with new movies premiering at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET each night,” the network shares.

Hallmark Movies Now is boasting hundreds of holiday titles and will give users early access to exclusive branded movies, to boot.

So, if you’re craving that one Christmas movie where the uptight career woman gets stranded back in her small hometown during the holidays, only to meet-cute with that former dork from high school who had a glow-up, you’re in luck.

They’ve got every one of those.

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If you’ve ever wanted to just go off in a kitchen a la hot-tempered hotshot chef Gordon Ramsay, you may be in luck.

To celebrate the all new season of Kitchen Nightmares on Monday, September 25, Fox is opening restaurant-themed rage rooms and knife-throwing experiences in various locations in the U.S.

On Saturday, September 30, and Sunday, October 1, “fans will embrace the furious fun by smashing away their aggravation with Kitchen Nightmares-branded bats, small kitchen appliances, rolling pins, liquor bottles, vases and more,” the network teases. “They will demolish dinner plates and glasses, while host and executive producer, Gordon Ramsay’s voice explodes throughout the experience [to] encourage maximum breakage!” 

As if you needed more reason to sign up, Fox “will also transform the traditional axe throwing experience into a kitchen theme, giving fans the opportunity to pitch chefs’ knives at a bullseye in close range.”

For fans 18 and older, the rage rooms will open in five markets: Los Angeles; Tampa; Las Vegas; Rochester, New York, and Syracuse, New York. Reservations to participate in the “two-day immersive smashing experience” will open on September 20 at KitchenNightmaresRageRoom.com. 

Here’s a list of the participating locations:

LOS ANGELES, CA – Valley Smash 818 – 19314 Ventura Blvd B, Tarzana, CA 91356

TAMPA, FL– iSmash Tampa – 863 E Bloomingdale Ave, Brandon, FL 33511

LAS VEGAS, NV – Axehole Vegas – 450 Fremont St., Las Vegas, NV 89101

ROCHESTER, NY – iSmash Rochester – 1225 Jefferson Rd Suite 24, Rochester, NY 14623

SYRACUSE, NY – iSmash Syracuse – 2104 Genessee St., Syracuse, NY 13219

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The events of John Wick: Chapter 4 led audiences to believe that Keanu Reeves‘ titular hitman was literally dead and buried, but if the movies have taught us anything, Baba Yaga is pretty hard to kill.

Producers Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee helped turn the unknown property to a four-film franchise. The pair also backed Peacock’s upcoming spinoff prequel series, The Continental.

“I’d be shocked if we didn’t see Keanu as John sometime in the future,” Iwanyk explained, adding, “I just don’t know what it would look like.”

Lee expressed a return “has to be right,” and Iwanyk agreed. “I think that we all would love to bring the band back together because we all truly love each other. We’ve been on this journey and it’s been crazy,” Iwaynk expressed.

He added the caveat, “But we also know that we have an incredible amount of goodwill from the audience. And so if the audience starts thinking that we’re just cashing paychecks on John Wicks, we don’t want them to turn on us.”

Iwanyk explained, “If we can figure out what it looks like and what the story is, then there will be another one. Right now, we don’t know what that is, but that could change the next hour or can never change.”

He continued, “At the end of every movie, Keanu just giving 180%. He’s so beat up. It’s like, ‘I can never do this again.’ Then he gets some rest. And then the critics like the movie. It’s commercially successful. We go on a press junket, we’re reminded why we all like [each other] personally, and you kind of go, ‘God, we got to do this again sometime, right?'” 

The Continental, starring Colin Woodell, Mel Gibson and Ayomide Adegun, debuts Friday, September 22, on Peacock.

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In the new Warner Brothers teaser for the upcoming musical drama The Color Purple, Oprah Winfrey, Jon Batiste and other cast and crew share their experience filming the beloved project. 

Winfrey, star of the original 1985 film and producer of the 2023 adaptation, opened up about the film’s significance.

“There’s nothing that’s been more important or vital to me culturally, artistically than The Color Purple,” she said. “It is a solid base of spiritual and emotional power for me.”

Winfrey added that the musical’s story is for anyone who has felt “unseen and unvalued.”

Director Blitz Bazawule echoed Winfrey’s sentiment about the film’s cultural impact, saying that the original “is one of the cornerstones of culture — certainly Black culture.” 

Ciara, who plays Nettie, acknowledged the “modern twist” Bazawule has added to the revamped version while “still capturing the essence of what this film means.” 

Fantasia, who plays Nettie’s sister, Celie, said that with the film, they aim to “connect with the younger generation.”

“It’s a human story and that’s what makes it ultimately great and enduring,” Jon Batiste added. 

Joining the singers as part of the cast are stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Corey Hawkins, Colman Domingo, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson and a host of other top entertainers. 

The Color Purple is produced by the 1985 film’s director Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones. The film’s screenplay is written by Marcus Gardley, based on the stage musical and the 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker. The film, due out December 25, chronicles the story of lifelong struggles of Black women living in the South during the early 1900s.

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Arsema Thomas‘ role as young Lady Danbury in the Bridgerton spinoff, Queen Charlotte, came as relatively unexpected for the star, who had initially planned a career in public health. Although she changed course to pursue acting, Thomas decided to amplify a different passion: her activism.

The 29-year-old actress joined natural product brand Tom’s of Maine as a spokesperson for their Incubator Program, which serves as a resource for young leaders from marginalized communities who drive environmental solutions. In conversation with ABC Audio, Thomas shared that advocacy for underrepresented voices has been a lifelong value, fostered by her parents.

Her mother, who is Ethiopian, and father, who is Nigerian, reminded her that her voice matters — as do those that aren’t listened to.

“In our household, my dad always corrected me, he would say, ‘These people are not voiceless, they’re just not listened to.'”

Those words of wisdom stuck with Thomas: “If I use my privilege to make sure that everybody can be heard, then the world makes more sense.“

Something that also makes sense to Thomas is the local-action approach to social advancements, like that of the Incubator Program, which she calls “the most powerful way of fomenting change.”

Because “Black and brown, queer, indigenous bodies are always the ones who are marginalized — everywhere.” So why not start small to achieve big, Thomas explained of her thought process.

The partnership is just one way the actress plans to continue her advocacy work — and in doing so, fulfilling her life’s mission.

“I realized that I don’t have … any business being in this world, unless the reason is for something outside of me,” she said.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.