The documentary #SKYKING, now streaming on Hulu, tells the story of Richard “Beebo” Russell, who in 2018 stole a $33 million airplane — despite the fact that he’d never flown a plane — with tragic consequences. Director Patricia E. Gillespie tells ABC Audio why his family decided now was the time to tell his story.
“The family had initially been really media-averse, and part of that I think was because of just the pain of what had happened, but also the spin that got put on this story, the sensationalism,” Gillespie explained. The family agreed to the film after Gillespie corresponded with Beebo’s mother for nearly two years.
As for why Gillespie wanted to be the one to tell it, when she heard the cockpit recordings of Beebo’s flight on social media, she felt a kinship with him because of their similar backgrounds.
“He was expressing something that I think that a lot of people who come from where I come from feel,” she notes. “And that’s the impossibility of succeeding in the current American economic landscape and the difficulty of addressing the issue of mental health, particularly if you’re from the working class.”
“It just felt really urgent to me to bring that conversation to the fore,” she adds.
Gillespie structured the film around footage of Beebo’s family and friends listening to the entirety of the cockpit recordings for the first time, which she says was very brave of them.
“We knew it was really important to us to show the impact of the decision Bebo made, and that seemed like the most immediate way to do it,” she says.
While telling a “more complete and true story” about Beebo, Gillespie ultimately hopes the doc helps people.
“If I had a goal for this film or a wish for this film, it would be that after people watch it, they feel inspired to call their friend and ask if they’re OK.”
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Hulu.
Brian Tyree Henry attends the 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on January 04, 2026, in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
Brian Tyree Henry has another Apple gig in the works. He’s set to star in the upcoming movie Running opposite Spike Fearn, according to Deadline. Details about his character have not been disclosed.
Running is based on an original story by director Gavin O’ Connor. It tells the story of a “homeless high school running prodigy on the hunt for greatness as he uses his gifts to outrun his past and find a family,” Deadline reports.
“I started thinking about building a story around a homeless kid who doesn’t have a place in the world. No love. No friends. No family. The only home he knows is the streets,” O’Connor said, as per Deadline. “It felt like a great place to begin a character’s journey and tell an underdog story about the human spirit.”
Bill Dubuque wrote the script, with production from Makeready and Nike.
Running marks Henry’s latest Apple project. He previously starred in and executive produced the Emmy- and Critics Choice-nominated series Dope Thief, as well as Causeway, which received an Academy Award nomination.
Nick Jonas attends the world premiere of ‘A Very Jonas Christmas Movie’ at the New York City Center on Nov. 10, 2025. (Disney/Jose Alvarado, Jr.)
As the father of 4-year-old Malti Marie Chopra Jonas, whom he shares with wife Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Nick Jonas knows all about being a dad in real life. But in his latest movie role, he’ll play a guy who has to learn the ropes unexpectedly.
ABC Audio has confirmed that Nick will star in a rom-com for Netflix about a bachelor who suddenly has to take care of his cousin’s infant daughter. Then, the child’s godmother shows up during the holidays and tries to get custody of her, but since this is a rom-com, you can probably guess what happens next. There’s no streaming date for the film yet, which is untitled.
The Netflix film is just the latest movie role for the Jonas Brother. He stars opposite Paul Rudd in the movie Power Ballad, which is coming out in June, and also has upcoming roles in the action thriller Bodyman; the upcoming sequel Jumanji: The Next Level; and the horror holiday flick White Elephant.
The Paramount Pictures logo is displayed on a water tower in Los Angeles, California, on Feb. 17, 2026. (Michael Yanow/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Stars from across Hollywood are expressing their opposition to the Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance deal that rocked the entertainment industry earlier this year.
Jane Fonda, Don Cheadle, Rosanna Arquette, Ben Stiller and Joaquin Phoenix are just a few of the more than 1,000 Hollywood professionals who signed their names on an open letter expressing opposition to the studio merger.
“As filmmakers, documentarians, and professionals across the movie and television industry, we write to express our unequivocal opposition to the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger,” the letter opens.
The note continues, “This transaction would further consolidate an already concentrated media landscape, reducing competition at a moment when our industries — and the audiences we serve — can least afford it.”
According to a February release announcing the sale, Paramount plans to acquire Warner Bros. in a transaction valued at about $110 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Paramount will pay “$31.00 per share in cash for all outstanding shares of WBD.”
The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, “subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory clearances and approval by WBD shareholders, with a vote expected in the early spring of 2026.”
Paramount launched a hostile takeover bid in December to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, just days after Netflix struck a deal to purchase a large part of the media giant.
The letter from the stars of Hollywood cites some of the potential downsides of the deal as “fewer jobs across the production ecosystem, higher costs, and less choice for audiences in the United States and around the world.”
The letter also notes the merger leaves only four major studios remaining in the U.S.
The note, which is also signed by names like Mark Duplass, Javier Bardem, Ilana Glazer, Noah Wyle, Tiffany Haddish and Jason Bateman, summarizes some of the effects of studio consolidation.
“We have witnessed a steep decline in the number of films produced and released, alongside a narrowing of the kinds of stories that are financed and distributed. Increasingly, a small number of powerful entities determine what gets made — and on what terms — leaving creators and independent businesses with fewer viable paths to sustain their work,” the letter reads.
The letter also claims the consolidating media landscape “accelerated the disappearance of the mid-budget film, the erosion of independent distribution, the collapse of the international sales market, the elimination of meaningful profit participation, and the weakening of screen credit integrity.”
The group said they were “deeply concerned by indications of support” for the deal, which it says would harm the creative community and several of the small businesses therein.
“Competition is essential for a healthy economy and a healthy democracy,” the letter concludes, in part.
Along with the aforementioned signatories were names like Alyssa Milano, Ramy Youssef, Rosario Dawson, Mark Ruffalo, David Fincher, JJ Abrams, Kristen Stewart, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ted Danson, Rose Byrne and Denis Villeneuve.
Paramount responded to the letter in a statement to ABC News.
“We hear and understand the concerns that some in our creative community have raised and respect the commitment to protecting and expanding creativity,” the company said.
The statement also emphasized the “need for strong, creative-first and well-capitalized companies.”
The studio highlighted what it said are potential advantages to the deal, claiming Paramount will be able to “greenlight more projects, back bold ideas, support talent across multiple stages of their careers, and bring stories to audiences at a truly global scale.”
Paramount noted its “commitment” to investing in the industry, with examples including “increasing output to a minimum of 30 high-quality feature films annually with full theatrical releases.”
“Paramount remains deeply committed to talent, and this merger strengthens both consumer choice and competition, creating greater opportunities for creators, audiences and the communities they live and work in,” Paramount’s statement concluded.
ABC News has reached out to Warner Bros. Discovery for any statement on the letter.
The teaser key art for ‘Little House on the Prairie.’ (Netflix)
The teaser trailer for Little House on the Prairie season 1 has arrived.
Netflix has released the first trailer for its new series adaptation of the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
This series transforms Wilder’s beloved, 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.”
Alice Halsey will star as Laura Ingalls in the show. Also starring 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.
“Once upon a time, Ma and Pa and Mary and Laura left the big woods of Wisconsin and moved to the prairie where a new life was waiting for them,” Halsey says in the trailer. “Every day and every night was an adventure. And even though they were all alone and very small against the sky and the stars, they were happy because they were a family.”
Rebecca Sonnenshine serves as showrunner and executive producer on the new series, which Netflix renewed for season 2 back in March.
“I’m incredibly grateful to our wonderful cast and crew, who put their hearts and hard work into making our first season come alive,” Sonnenshine said in a press release at the time the season 2 renewal was announced. “We can’t wait to share this new adaptation of the Little House books with the world, and we’re thrilled that Netflix is giving us the opportunity to continue the story.”
Walker Scobell stars in ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ season 2. (Disney/David Bukach)
Walker Scobell will not attend his high school prom due to threats from fans of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
The 17-year-old actor, who plays the titular demigod in the popular Disney+ series, issued a statement to his Instagram Story on Sunday saying he will be skipping prom because of death threats girls who attend his high school have been receiving.
“Just to let everyone know, I will not be attending prom,” Scobell wrote. “Please stop sending death threats to EVERY teenage girl who could remotely be associated with me based on their proximity to where I live. It’s not fair to them or their families. Maybe also just stop sending death threats in general. That’s just not cool. Kinda weird I have to say this.”
Scobell stars in Percy Jackson and the Olympians alongside Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, Charlie Bushnell, Dior Goodjohn, Daniel Diemer and Glynn Turman. The show is based on the popular book series by Rick Riordan.
The show, which finished its season 2 run in January, will premiere season 3 later in 2026. A video of Scobell and Jeffries from the upcoming season 3 was released on Jan. 21 to announce the news. The clip also appeared midway through the credits of the season 2 finale.
In the clip, Percy Jackson (Scobell) and Annabeth Chase (Jeffries) attend a school dance together. The Stephen Sanchez song “Until I Found You” plays in the background as Annabeth pulls Percy to the dance floor. She takes Percy’s hands and brings them to her waist as they sway together.
There is currently no word on the exact date when fans can expect to watch season 3 of the series, which is based on Riordan’s novel The Titan’s Curse.
Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy in ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.’ (Lionsgate)
The odds are in your favor to watch The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping‘s official trailer.
Lionsgate released the full trailer for the highly anticipated sixth Hunger Games film on Monday.
Joseph Zada stars as a young Haymitch Abernathy in the film that follows his journey through the Second Quarter Quell.
Zada leads a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Whitney Peak, Mckenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Maya Hawke, Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning, Glenn Close, Billy Porter and Kieran Culkin.
The trailer starts with Haymitch entering into the bright, candy-colored green meadow of an arena. We then see a clip of President Snow, as played by Fiennes, talking to the young boy.
“Haymitch Abernathy. I bet I know a thing or two about you. You love her and she loves you,” President Snow says, referencing Haymitch’s girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird, who is played by Peak. “But now, you are on your own.”
The trailer also shows off Culkin in the role of Caesar Flickerman and Fanning as Effie Trinket — roles that were originated by Stanley Tucci and Elizabeth Banks in the previous films.
“Go out there and make them remember you,” Effie says to Haymitch before he heads out to be interviewed by Caesar.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is based on Suzanne Collins’ novel of the same name. It revisits the world of Panem almost 25 years before the events of the original book and film saga.
The novel begins on the morning of the 50th annual Hunger Games, when Haymitch Abernathy is chosen to compete in the deadly arena. Haymitch eventually wins the games, as he goes on to be the mentor for Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping arrives in theaters on Nov. 20.
Hunger Games fans have gotten another look at the upcoming prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping. Lionsgate revealed the footage in an “Official Franchise Lookback” video, that featured highlights from all the Hunger Games films. The clip features footage of Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy and Maya Hawke as Wiress, as well as Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Ralph Fiennes as President Show and more. Sunrise on the Reaping hits theaters Nov. 20.
Ralph Fiennes, who played Lord Voldemort in the original Harry Potter films, says he would love to reprise the role for the upcoming HBO series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. While appearing on the BBC’s The Claudia Winkleman Show, Fiennes said that “years ago” he was asked if he’d be willing to reprise the role, and he replied that he’d “love to,” but nothing came of it. He added that he thinks that “ship has sailed.” He also responded to suggestions that Tilda Swinton could take on the role in the HBO series, which has yet to be cast, noting she’d be “fantastic.”
Big Little Lies creator David E. Kelley has given fans an update on the plans for a season 3 of the HBO series. In an interview with People, Kelley said that while he’s “not allowed” to reveal specifics about the season, he confirmed, “We’re getting the band back together, and it should be a good run again.”
Hunger Games fans have gotten another look at the upcoming prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping. Lionsgate revealed the footage in an “Official Franchise Lookback” video, that featured highlights from all the Hunger Games films. The clip features footage of Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy and Maya Hawke as Wiress, as well as Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Ralph Fiennes as President Show and more. Sunrise on the Reaping hits theaters Nov. 20. …
Ralph Fiennes, who played Lord Voldemort in the original Harry Potter films, says he would love to reprise the role for the upcoming HBO series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. While appearing on the BBC’s The Claudia Winkleman Show, Fiennes said that “years ago” he was asked if he’d be willing to reprise the role, and he replied that he’d “love to,” but nothing came of it. He added that he thinks that “ship has sailed.” He also responded to suggestions that Tilda Swinton could take on the role in the HBO series, which has yet to be cast, noting she’d be “fantastic.” …
Big Little Lies creator David E. Kelley has given fans an update on the plans for a season 3 of the HBO series. In an interview with People, Kelley said that while he’s “not allowed” to reveal specifics about the season, he confirmed, “We’re getting the band back together, and it should be a good run again.” …
The animated movie, the sequel to 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, topped the box office for a second straight week, taking in an additional $69 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Its total domestic haul is now just over $308 million, officially making The Super Mario Galaxy Movie the highest-grossing movie of 2026 in the U.S. so far.
Project Hail Mary, the year’s previous biggest movie, took the #2 spot over the weekend with $24.58 million. The Ryan Gosling-starring sci-fi adventure has brought it a total of nearly $257 million.
The highest-grossing new movie of the weekend was the rom-com You, Me & Tuscany, starring Halle Bailey and Bridgerton‘s Regé-Jean Page. It debuted at #4 with $8 million, in between two holdovers: The Drama and Hoppers, which landed at #3 with $8.707 million and #5 with $4.1 million, respectively.
Here are the top 10 films at the box office: 1. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie — $69 million 2. Project Hail Mary — $24.58 million 3. The Drama — $8.707 million 4. You, Me & Tuscany — $8 million 5. Hoppers — $4.1 million 6. BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ in GOYANG: LIVE VIEWING — $2.44 million 7. Faces of Death — $1.7 million 8. Exit 8 — $1.405 million 9. A Great Awakening — $1.271 million 10. Reminders of Him — $1 million
