Entertainment – Page 48

Naturi Naughton-Lewis on her role in ‘The Nowhere Man’: ‘I’ve never done anything like this before’

January 19, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Naturi Naughton-Lewis is back on Starz in a brand-new role. After years of portraying Tasha St. Patrick on Power, she returns to the network in The Nowhere Man as Ruby, a woman of God and owner of a shelter. Ruby takes in the show’s main character, ex-mercenary Lukas, helps him get his life together and encourages him to use his violent skills for good.

Naturi says the role was different for her, which is exactly what drew her to it.

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” she tells ABC Audio. “Obviously, Tasha’s very … fancy, but Ruby is a lot more grounded, stripped down, natural. She is of the people.”

“I was really excited at the fact that [Ruby] started her own shelter,” she says, “and really was committed to helping the people there in South Africa, and how committed she was to Lucas and trying to push him to his purpose. … I think that we all need somebody like that … an angel amongst us.”

With two grandmothers who were deeply devout, Naturi says she drew inspiration from them, as well as from her own spirituality and sense of consistency.

The show’s setting was also a selling point. Set in Johannesburg, the series was a great opportunity to turn a work trip into a family getaway.

“The opportunity to be in Joburg was like, come on, why would I not say yes?” she said, adding her family got the “chance to take in the culture.”

“It was of course work, but why not have fun while you’re working?”

The Nowhere Man is now out on Starz.

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ burns ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ to remain at #1

January 19, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Zoe Saldaña stars as Neytiri in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash.’ (20th Century Studios)

Avatar: Fire and Ash remained at #1 at the box office after narrowly beating the weekend’s highest-grossing newcomer, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

According to Box Office Mojo, James Cameron‘s sci-fi threequel added an extra $13.32 million to hold onto the top spot, which it has occupied for the last five weeks since its initial debut in December. Its total gross now stands at nearly $364 million.

The Bone Temple, the sequel to 2025’s 28 Years Later and the fourth film in the zombie horror franchise, earned $13 million over its opening weekend.

Zootopia 2 followed at #3, becoming the highest-grossing animated Motion Picture Association film of all time, while The Housemaid and Marty Supreme slotted in at #4 and #5, respectively. Marty Supreme, a 1950’s period piece starring Timothée Chalamet as an aspiring ping pong star, brings its total gross to $80 million, which makes it A24’s highest-grossing film in North America, according to Variety.

Here are the top 10 films at the box office:

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash — $13.32 million
2. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple — $13 million
3. Zootopia 2 — $8.769 million
4. The Housemaid — $8.515 million
5. Marty Supreme — $5.478 million
6. Primate — $5 million
7. The Lord of the Rights: The Fellowship of the Ring — $3.494 million
8. Greenland 2: Migration — $3.365 million
9. Anaconda — $3.2 million
10. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants — $2.315 million

Roger Allers, ‘The Lion King’ co-director, dies at 76

January 18, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Roger Allers, co-director of The Lion King, has died at age 76.

The Walt Disney Company CEO Robert Iger remembered Allers in a social media post on Sunday.

“Roger Allers was a creative visionary whose many contributions to Disney will live on for generations to come,” Iger shared in a statement posted to Instagram.

“He understood the power of great storytelling – how unforgettable characters, emotion, and music can come together to create something timeless. His work helped define an era of animation that continues to inspire audiences around the world, and we are deeply grateful for everything he gave to Disney,” Iger’s statement continued, finishing, “Our hearts are with his family, friends, and collaborators.”

Beyond 1994’s The Lion King, Allers worked on several Disney classics, Tron, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and more.

Allers’ Disney colleague Dave Bossert shared news of Allers’ death on Facebook along with a photo of him and Allers.

“Roger was an extraordinarily gifted artist and filmmaker, a true pillar of the Disney Animation renaissance,” wrote Bossert in part. “He began at Disney doing pre-production concepts for Tron. He then became a story artist on Oliver & Company and The Little Mermaid and other films, eventually becoming head of story on Beauty and the Beast.”

“He was, without question, one of the kindest people you could hope to know and work alongside,” wrote Bossert, who added that even after The Lion King‘s monumental success, “it never went to his head.”

The Lion King, made in 1994, which Allers co-directed with Rob Minkoff, is one of the most popular movies of all time, spawning $988,389,726 in worldwide box office, according to The Numbers.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

‘Yellowstone’ spinoff ‘The Madison’ gets premiere date, first-look photos

January 16, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Get ready to meet the Clyburns. The new Yellowstone spinoff The Madison has an official premiere date on Paramount+.

The Taylor Sheridan series, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, will debut March 14. It’s described as “a heartfelt study of grief and human connection following a New York City family in the Madison River valley of central Montana.”

The network also released first-look images from the show, including Pfeiffer as “the heart of the family” Stacy Clyburn, and Kurt Russell and Matthew Fox as brothers Preston Clyburn and Paul Clyburn.

The Madison is one of several Yellowstone spinoffs in the works, including Marshals and a spinoff with the working title Dutton Ranch. Yellowstone ended its five-season run on Paramount Network in December 2024.

‘The Madison’ gets premiere date, first-look photos

January 16, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Get ready to meet the Clyburns. The new Taylor Sheridan series The Madison has an official premiere date on Paramount+.

The series, directed by Christina Alexandra Voros and starring Michelle Pfeiffer, will debut March 14. It’s described as “a heartfelt study of grief and human connection following a New York City family in the Madison River valley of central Montana.”

The Madison is one of several Taylor Sheridan projects in the works, including Yellowstone spinoff Marshals and a spinoff with the working title Dutton Ranch. Yellowstone ended its five-season run on Paramount Network in December 2024.

‘Heated Rivalry’ star, author talk series impact as real-life hockey player comes out

January 16, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Heated Rivalry has rapidly become a pop-culture phenomenon, taking over social media with fans buzzing about representation in the hit hockey romance series, including a real-life player who recently said it helped him come out.

The series, which was adapted from books by Rachel Reid and airs on HBO Max in the U.S., features steamy storylines and candid depictions of closeted male hockey players in lust and in love.

The lead actors Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams rapidly catapulted to stardom, as well as their co-star Robbie G.K., who plays a smoothie barista who is navigating his relationship with the hockey team’s captain.

G.K. recognized the importance of what the show’s representation has come to mean for many viewers.

“It’s almost like a bit of a haven that it creates within the storyline for people to find comfort in, and if I had known the impact and the gravity of that storyline, I definitely would have overthought things,” G.K. said in an interview that aired Friday on Good Morning America.

On Tuesday, real-life hockey player Jesse Kortuem shared a post on Facebook saying the show inspired him to reveal publicly that he is gay.

“Heated Rivalry helped me realize that visibility matters,” Kortuem told GMA. “It finally allowed me to be that voice for so many that came before me to fight for hockey and inclusion in hockey.”

Reid told GMA that she’s also heard from “quite a few heterosexual men” that it has helped improve their marriages.

As for the inspiration for the story, she said that as a lifelong hockey fan “I’ve had a lot of problems with hockey culture and this was a way for me to get a lot of those feelings out on paper.”

A second season of Heated Rivalry is on the way, along with a new book titled Unrivaled.

Bad Bunny is ready to make the world dance in new Super Bowl trailer

January 16, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Bad Bunny‘s halftime show will be a global dance party — and everyone’s invited.

In a newly released trailer for the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show, the artist is seen dancing under a Puerto Rican Flamboyant tree, which is a symbol of the island’s pride and identity.

As he dances to his song “BAILE INoLVIDABLE,” which means “Unforgettable Dance,” he’s joined by various partners of all shapes, sizes, ages and ethnicities. The song’s lyrics translate to, “No, I can’t forget you/ No, I can’t erase you/ You taught me to love/ You taught me to dance.”

On Instagram, he wrote in Spanish, “On Feb. 8, the world will dance.”

A press release from Apple Music describes the trailer as “an open invitation, welcoming the entire world—no matter who you are or where you are from—to join Bad Bunny for his monumental Super Bowl Halftime performance and get excited for the rhythm, unity, and cultural richness that only Bad Bunny can bring to the global stage.”

The Super Bowl, which will be held Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California, will also feature Charlie Puth singing the national anthem, Brandi Carlile singing “America the Beautiful” and Coco Jones performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

Jamie-Lynn Sigler opens up about playing ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ character with MS

January 16, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Actress Jamie Lynn Sigler is opening up about taking on a meaningful new role, nearly 25 years after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Sigler is portraying Dr. Kaplan, a physician living with MS, on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy — a role that was created for her and with her in mind.

“To think back 25 years ago, when I was diagnosed and having to keep it a secret, thinking that if anybody knew that I had MS, that meant that I would never work again, [and] to now be in a position where my having MS inspired a role in a storyline on a show like Grey’s Anatomy, I never would have believed you,” Sigler told ABC News’ Kelley Carter.

Multiple sclerosis, also known as MS, is a condition where the immune system attacks healthy cells. It is an autoimmune and chronic neurological disorder, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

MS can affect people differently, according to the NINDS, and some people have mild symptoms. Others may experience severe symptoms that can range from having vision problems, muscle weakness, clumsiness, bladder control problems and dizziness, to mental or physical fatigue, mood changes and cognitive changes.

Sigler, now in her 40s, learned she had MS at age 20, while she was starring on the hit drama The Sopranos. She said she waited 15 years before going public about having MS because she feared her condition would prevent her from booking more acting roles.

But now, as Dr. Kaplan on Grey’s Anatomy, Sigler can be open about living with MS. In the show, her character even says, “I have MS, so standing for long periods in the [operating room] isn’t an option.”

“My very first take, where I do say the words that ‘I have MS,’ was very emotional for me,” Sigler recalled.

As Kaplan, Sigler aims to “to show someone in their power” and “show somebody that is living with [MS] authentically.”

The episode of Grey’s Anatomy featuring Sigler as Dr. Kaplan is streaming now on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

In brief: ‘Amadeus’ coming to Starz, ‘The Dreadful’ trailer, and more

January 16, 2026 by WDNY Radio

A new Amadeus limited series is coming to Starz. The five-part drama stars Will Sharpe as famous 18th century composer Wolfgang “Amadeus” Mozart and Paul Bettany as his rival Antonio Salieri. Gabrielle Creevy plays Mozart’s wife, Constanze Weber. The series, which previously debuted on Sky in the U.K., will premiere on Starz in the U.S. in early 2026 …

It’s a Game of Thrones reunion. Sophie Turner and Kit Harington, who played brother and sister in the hit HBO series, are now co-starring as lovers in the new gothic horror film called The Dreadful. A new trailer for the film is out now. The Dreadful comes out Feb. 20 …

A new Phineas and Ferb movie is coming to Disney+ and Disney Channel. The latest installment in the beloved animated franchise follows what happens when a time travel experiment goes awry, making it so Phineas and Ferb never become brothers. The two must work to restore the timeline before it’s too late. The movie will begin production this year. New episodes of the Phineas and Ferb TV series debut Saturday on Disney+. Disney is the parent company of ABC News …

Bonko Cosmo Khoza talks about ‘story of redemption’ on upcoming series, ‘The Nowhere Man’

January 16, 2026 by WDNY Radio

The new Starz series The Nowhere Man is on the way, starring South African actor Bonko Cosmo Khoza. He plays Lukas, a former mercenary and member of an elite Special Forces brigade trying to leave his violent past behind — until unexpected circumstances pull him back in. Speaking with ABC Audio, Khoza says his character’s journey was a major reason he took the role.

“What drew me to Lukas was the story of redemption,” he says. “He’s had a tough past and wants to be someone different. When we meet him, he’s trying to reconcile who he was with who he wants to become. That’s compelling.”

In the series, Lukas lives quietly as a junk collector in a homeless shelter, keeping a low profile. But after witnessing a home invasion, he steps in to save a woman in danger — forcing him back into a world of violence he’d hoped to escape.

Khoza says he was able to portray a character who pivots from one life to another by drawing from his experience in his native Johannesburg, where the show is based and which he describes as fast-paced and survival-driven. Rather than highlight Lukas’ lethal skills, Khoza says his goal was to approach the role with restraint, allowing the character’s past to gradually come to the surface.

He portrays Lukas as introspective and guarded, with flashbacks revealing a lighter, freer version of his former self — a sharp contrast from the burdened and traumatized man he’s become. Khoza says that approach makes the character’s revelations “much more rewarding” because “you didn’t see it coming.”

The Nowhere Man premieres Friday on Starz, a platform Khoza is happy to see the South African series land on. “A South African action [show] of this standard hasn’t really been seen before,” he says. “The minute the train came, I jumped right on.”

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