In brief: ‘The Breadwinner’ trailer and more

In brief: ‘The Breadwinner’ trailer and more
In brief: ‘The Breadwinner’ trailer and more

If you haven’t watched the movie Bugonia yet, you’ll have an opportunity to do it at home very soon. The Yorgos Lanthimos-directed film arrives on Peacock for its streaming debut on Dec. 26. Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons star in the psychological thriller that’s been nominated for three Golden Globe awards …

Nate Bargatze makes his feature film acting debut in the official trailer for The Breadwinner. The Sony Pictures film also stars Mandy Moore as a wife and mother who lands a coveted business deal after an appearance on Shark Tank. This leaves her husband (Bargatze) in charge of their three daughters as she goes away on business for an extended stretch. The movie arrives in theaters on March 13, 2026 …

Another actress has joined the cast of Dig. Deadline reports that The Good Doctor‘s Antonia Thomas has been added as a series regular in the upcoming Peacock comedy series starring Amy Poehler. The latter writes and executive produces the series alongside Mike Schur

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‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ lights up box office with #1 debut

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ lights up box office with #1 debut
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ lights up box office with #1 debut
Zoe Saldaña stars as Neytiri in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash.’ (20th Century Studios)

We see you, Avatar: Fire and Ash, at the top of the box office.

The third film in James Cameron‘s epic sci-fi series opens at #1 with an $88 million haul in its debut weekend, Box Office Mojo reports.

While certainly a good start, Avatar: Fire and Ash has a ways to go if it hopes to catch up to its predecessors. The 20th Century Studios franchise has spawned the highest and third-highest grossing films of all time in the original 2009 movie and its 2022 sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, respectively.

Coming in second at the weekend box office is the animated Bible adaptation David, which brought in just over $22 million. It was followed by two other new releases: The Housemaid, starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney, took #3 with $18.95 million, and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, notched #4 with $16 million.

The Disney sequel Zootopia 2 added an extra $14.5 million to round out the top five.

Here are the top 10 films at the box office:

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash — $88 million
2. David — $22.017 million
3. The Housemaid — $18.95 million
4. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants — $16 million
5. Zootopia 2 — $14.5 million
6. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 — $7.25 million
7. Wicked: For Good — $4.3 million
8. Marty Supreme — $875,000
9. Hamnet — $850,000
10. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t — $600,000

Disney is the parent company of 20th Century Studios and ABC News.

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Bowen Yang departs ‘Saturday Night Live’: Report

Bowen Yang departs ‘Saturday Night Live’: Report
Bowen Yang departs ‘Saturday Night Live’: Report
Bowen Yang at the 2025 ‘Las Culturistas Culture Awards.’ (Emily Shur/Bravo)

Bowen Yang is saying goodbye to Studio 8H.

The comedian is leaving Saturday Night Live after starring as a cast member on the late-night sketch comedy series for seven seasons, according to Deadline.

Yang’s final appearance on the show will take place on the Dec. 20 episode, which will be hosted by his friend and Wicked co-star Ariana Grande. Cher will serve as the musical guest.

Representatives for SNL did not initially respond to ABC Audio’s request for comment.

Yang joined SNL as a writer ahead of season 44 in 2018 before joining the cast in season 45. He became the first featured player to be nominated for an Emmy in the outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series category. Yang was then promoted to repertory status in season 47.

In total, Yang has been nominated for four acting Emmys and one writing Emmy for his work on Saturday Night Live

This midseason departure comes after many cast members exited the series after the landmark season 50 of the show.

Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow and Emil Wakim all left the cast ahead of the current season 51.

New cast members include Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska. Please Don’t Destroy member Ben Marshall also joined the show’s cast, splitting up the sketch comedy trio. Martin Herlihy remains on the SNL writing staff, while John Higgins departed the show.

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Sony acquires majority ownership of ‘Peanuts’ franchise

Sony acquires majority ownership of ‘Peanuts’ franchise
Sony acquires majority ownership of ‘Peanuts’ franchise
Lucy van Pelt and Snoopy in ‘It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown.’ (Apple TV)

Sony has announced plans to acquire control of the Peanuts franchise.

The franchise created by Charles M. Schulz that stars beloved characters like Snoopy, Charlie Brown and Linus will be majority owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) through a definitive agreement they’ve entered into with the media company WildBrain, Sony has confirmed to ABC Audio.

Sony will indirectly acquire the 41% stake held by WildBrain in Peanuts Holdings LLC. This, combined with Sony Music Entertainment (Japan)’s existing approximately 39% stake, comes to Sony owning 80% of Peanuts Holdings LLC, while Schulz’s family members will continue to own the remaining 20%.

Deadline reports Sony is set to pay roughly $457 million for WildBrain’s 41% stake. Its closing is subject to certain conditions, such as regulatory approvals. 

Shunsuke Muramatsu, the president and group CEO of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), said in a statement that the company has been proud to partner with Peanuts since 2018.

“With this additional ownership stake, we are thrilled to be able to further elevate the value of the Peanuts brand by drawing on the Sony Group’s extensive global network and collective expertise. We are deeply committed to carrying forward the legacy of Charles Schulz and the Schulz family,” Muramatsu said.

Ravi Ahuja, the president and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, said that “Peanuts is enduring and iconic. We value the deep collaboration we have with our SMEJ colleagues and look forward to building on their meaningful partnership with WildBrain and the Schulz family. With our combined strengths, we have the unique capability and extraordinary opportunity to protect and shape the future of these beloved characters for generations to come.”

Schulz’s first Peanuts comic strip debuted on Oct. 2, 1950. The franchise has grown in the decades that followed, now including TV specials, theme park attractions, cultural events and comic strips available in all formats.

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Pete Davidson and Elsie Hewitt welcome 1st child: ‘Overflowing with love’

Pete Davidson and Elsie Hewitt welcome 1st child: ‘Overflowing with love’
Pete Davidson and Elsie Hewitt welcome 1st child: ‘Overflowing with love’
Elsie Hewitt and Pete Davidson attend the World Premiere of ‘The Pickup’ on July 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Comedian, writer and actor Pete Davidson, and model and actress Elsie Hewitt are officially parents.

Hewitt, 29, announced the arrival of the pair’s first child in an Instagram post Thursday, stating that their baby was born Dec. 12.

“Our perfect angel girl arrived 12/12/2025,” Hewitt wrote alongside several photos and a video clip.

Hewitt also revealed the name she and Davidson, 32, gave to their new bundle of joy.

Scottie Rose Hewitt Davidson,” Hewitt wrote, adding a pink heart emoji. “My best work yet, I am absolutely overflowing with love and gratitude and disbelief.”

Davidson previously opened up about his dream to start a family on Kevin Hart‘s talk show Hart to Heart in 2022.

“My favorite thing ever, which I’ve yet to achieve, is I wanna have a kid. It’s like my dream,” Davidson said at the time.

“I’m so excited for that chapter, so that’s kind of what I’m just preparing for now, is trying to be, like, as good as a dude and develop and get better, so when that happens, it’s just easier,” he added.

ABC News has reached out to Davidson’s and Hewitt’s representatives for comment.

 

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In brief: ‘Young Sherlock’ teaser trailer and more

In brief: ‘Young Sherlock’ teaser trailer and more
In brief: ‘Young Sherlock’ teaser trailer and more

Harrison Ford is set to be honored with the life achievement award from SAG-AFTRA at The Actor Awards, which is the awards ceremony formerly known as the SAG Awards. The ceremony takes place on March 1, 2026, and will air live on Netflix …

The first look at Young Sherlock has arrived. Prime Video has released the teaser trailer and premiere date for the upcoming series starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Sherlock Holmes. All eight episodes of the show premiere on March 4, 2026 …

Matthew McConaughey and Zoe Saldaña are in negotiations to act alongside each other in a new film titled Positano. Deadline reports the Netflix film is a romanic caper set in Italy …

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Will Arnett, Laura Dern on bringing truth to comedy in ‘Is This Thing On?’

Will Arnett, Laura Dern on bringing truth to comedy in ‘Is This Thing On?’
Will Arnett, Laura Dern on bringing truth to comedy in ‘Is This Thing On?’
Will Arnett and Laura Dern star in Bradley Cooper’s film, ‘Is This Thing On?’ (Jason McDonald/Searchlight Pictures)

Bradley Cooper directs Will Arnett in his third film, Is This Thing On?

The new movie, which arrives in theaters on Friday, tells the story of a marriage falling apart. It follows Arnett’s Alex, who copes with the grief of separating from his wife Tess, played by Laura Dern, by becoming a stand-up comedian.

Arnett and Dern participated in a press conference after a screening of Is This Thing On? at the 2025 New York Film Festival, where they spoke about the process of creating this new film.

Arnett, who is a comedian himself, said he purposefully played Alex to be less funny than he is in real life.

“That progression of Alex as a stand-up was really important to us,” Arnett said. “He’s not the Michael Jordan of comedy. So, the first time he goes onstage, he’s never been in front of a mic in front of people before. And then you see him progressively get comfortable.”

The actor said there were even times on set where he’d deliver a joke as Alex and it “was too good.”

“It was too clean,” Arnett said. “[It] actually made people who were there actually watching laugh.”

Dern said that Arnett was “the greatest dance partner any girl could ever ask for as an actor.”

“That was a very beautiful, incredible acting opportunity for me and really beautiful to have Bradley hold us in it. It was really incredible through rehearsal, all the way through every day of work together,” Dern said. “It takes a lot of bravery to be willing to be pure and simple in truth, and so I really revere that in the experience we had.” 

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Is This Thing On? distributor Searchlight Pictures.

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‘Sinners’, ‘One Battle After Another’ among Barack Obama’s favorite movies of 2025

‘Sinners’, ‘One Battle After Another’ among Barack Obama’s favorite movies of 2025
‘Sinners’, ‘One Battle After Another’ among Barack Obama’s favorite movies of 2025
Former President Barack Obama moderates a conversation during the Obama Foundation’s 2024 Democracy Forum on December 05, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

President Barack Obama is out with a list of his favorite movies of 2025, featuring a mix of blockbusters, independent flicks, foreign films and more.

“As 2025 comes to a close, I’m continuing a tradition that I started during my time in the White House: sharing my annual lists of favorite books, movies, and music,” he shared on social media. “I hope you find something new to enjoy—and please send any recommendations for me to check out!”

Making this year’s list are films that have awards buzz, including Leonardo DiCaprio starrer One Battle After Another, the horror film Sinners, Hamnet and Sentimental Value, along with the George Clooney flick Jay Kelly and the Aziz Ansari/Seth Rogen comedy Good Fortune.

Also mentioned are Train Dreams and The Secret Agent, South Korean film No Other Choice, the Iranian feature It Was Just An Accident and the documentary Orwell: 2+2+5.

Along with his favorite movies, Obama shares his favorite books and music of the year. You can check out his lists now via his Facebook.

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‘The Odyssey’ gets new poster, its prologue to screen ahead of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ in IMAX

‘The Odyssey’ gets new poster, its prologue to screen ahead of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ in IMAX
‘The Odyssey’ gets new poster, its prologue to screen ahead of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ in IMAX
Matt Damon as Odysseus on the poster for Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey.’ (Universal Pictures)

This isn’t an enchantment from a siren: there is a new poster for Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey.

Universal Pictures shared the brand-new poster for the upcoming film on Thursday. The studio also announced that the prologue of The Odyssey will be available to watch in IMAX before screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash.

“A film by Christopher Nolan shot entirely with IMAX film cameras. Experience The Odyssey prologue in IMAX before Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the studio’s Instagram announcement reads.

Matt Damon stars as Odysseus in Nolan’s film adaptation of Homer‘s epic poem. The star-studded ensemble cast also includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya and Charlize Theron.

Universal describes the adaptation as “a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology,” which will bring the foundational, classic story to IMAX screens for the first time.

Homer’s The Odyssey, of course, tells the story of the Greek hero Odysseus’ 10-year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. He is filled with interruptions in his quest to return home to his wife, Penelope, and his grown son, Telemachus, who fights off suitors who are desperate to steal his father’s throne.

Nolan wrote and directed the film, his first since the best picture Oscar-winning blockbuster Oppenheimer. He also produced the movie with his wife, Emma Thomas.

The Odyssey opens in movie theaters on July 17, 2026.

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Tom Cruise’s new film gets title, release date

Tom Cruise’s new film gets title, release date
Tom Cruise’s new film gets title, release date
The poster for Tom Cruise’s upcoming film, ‘Digger.’ (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Tom Cruise‘s newest film has a title and release date.

The actor stars in the upcoming movie Digger. Warner Bros. Pictures is releasing the film, which is helmed by The Revenant director Alejandro González Iñárritu, in theaters on Oct. 2, 2026.

Cruise took to Instagram on Thursday to share the new comedy film’s poster.

“Introducing… DIGGER. A comedy of catastrophic proportions from director Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Only in theaters October 2026,” Cruise’s caption reads.

The studio also released a title announcement teaser video. It finds Cruise wearing cowboy boots and holding a shovel. He pairs his boots with athletic shorts and is seemingly wearing some sort of wig, as his character appears to be losing his hair.

We don’t see Cruise’s face up close in the video, but we do see him dancing around a carpeted living room. He also walks along the railing of a pier as if it was a tightrope.

“In Digger we trust,” the description of the title announcement teaser reads.

Along with Cruise, the film’s ensemble cast includes Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Sophie Wilde and Emma D’Arcy.

Iñárritu also produces the film, which he co-wrote with his Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) co-writers Nicolas Giacobone and Alexander Dinelaris, along with Sabina Berman. Cruise also serves as a producer.

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