Entertainment

The Settlers of Catan has forged a new alliance: the popular board game is being adapted into Netflix programming.

Asmodee, the company responsible for games like Ticket to Ride and Exploding Kittens, has partnered with Netflix to bring the world of Catan to the small screen via scripted and unscripted programming.

“Anyone who has played Catan knows [that] the intense strategy and negotiation at the core of the game has endless opportunities for some serious drama,” said Jinny Howe, head of scripted series, U.S. and Canada, for Netflix.

Created by Klaus Teuber in 1995, Settlers of Catan is a multiplayer board game in which players build settlements and cities on the island of Catan, collecting and trading resources while navigating new landscapes. The game has sold more than 45 million copies and been translated into more than 40 languages, according to a release. Under the new partnership, Netflix and Asmodee are turning the island into “an epic new storytelling universe.”

“Millions of people [have been] enjoying Catan since it was created, and for many it remains a gateway to modern board gaming,” Thomas Koegler, CEO of Asmodee, said in a news release. “It’s also a testament that board gaming is truly part of pop culture and a popular form of entertainment in everyone’s homes.”

Upcoming Settlers of Catan programming will join Netflix’s slate of game-to-screen stories, including Arcane, Castlevania, the upcoming Assassin’s Creed series and the Gears of War film.

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Sorry, Eddie Munson superfans.

Stranger Things co-creators Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer have confirmed that the fan-favorite character, who was introduced and died in season 4 of the popular sci-fi series, will not appear in the fifth and final season of the show.

Joseph Quinn portrayed the heavy metal rocker and leader of the Hellfire Club. His performance in the fourth season of Stranger Things set his career off, and landed him high-profile projects like The Fantastic Four: First Steps and the upcoming Sam Mendes Beatles films.

There were rumors that Quinn’s time as Munson wasn’t quite over, but the Duffers put them to rest in a recent interview with Empire.

“I love that Joe Quinn is toying with people! But no, he’s dead,” Matt Duffer said. “Joe is so busy anyway, that everyone should know he’s not coming back. He’s shot like five movies since! When the hell has he got time to come and shoot Stranger Things? No, sadly, RIP. He’s fully under that ground.”

The first volume of the three-part drop of Stranger Things season 5 releases on Nov. 26. Volume II releases on Dec. 25, while the series finale debuts on Dec. 31.

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Help us, Adam Driver. You’re our only hope for a Ben Solo movie.

The actor, who portrayed Kylo Ren/Ben Solo in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, has revealed that Disney turned down a potential film centered on his character, despite Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy being on board with the project. Driver detailed the plans for the film during a recent interview with The Associated Press.

“I always was interested in doing another Star Wars,” Driver said. “I had been talking about doing another one since 2021. Kathleen had reached out. I always said: With a great director and a great story, I’d be there in a second. I loved that character and loved playing him.”

Driver said he took his Ben Solo movie idea to filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, who previously directed the actor in the 2017 film Logan Lucky.

Soderbergh and Rebecca Blunt outlined a story concept for which Scott Z. Burns was tapped to write the script. The film was set after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, where Driver’s Ben Solo seemingly dies saving the life of Daisy Ridley‘s Rey.

Driver says the script, which was titled The Hunt for Ben Solo, was “one of the coolest (expletive) scripts I had ever been a part of.”

He also said Lucasfilm loved it, while those in charge at Disney did not feel the same way.

“We took it to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman and they said no. They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that,” Driver said.

The actor said the film “was really cool,” but that “it is no more, so I can finally talk about it.”

Soderbergh also shared his thoughts on the unmade Ben Solo sequel film.

“I really enjoyed making the movie in my head. I’m just sorry the fans won’t get to see it,” the director said in a statement to the outlet.

Lucasfilm had no comment when reached by ABC Audio.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Lucasfilm.

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Eric Dane has found his next role. The actor is set to guest star in season 2 of the NBC series Brilliant Minds. Dane will play a firefighter named Matthew who is diagnosed with ALS and struggles to share the news with his family. This comes as Dane announced he was diagnosed with ALS earlier in 2025 …

Taraji P. Henson has signed a two-picture deal with Netflix. Deadline reports the actress is set to star in and executive produce two upcoming films for the streamer. She previously starred in Netflix’s film Straw, which debuted in June 2025 …

An updated version of the series Prison Break is headed to Hulu. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the streamer has greenlit the new version of the show that previously aired on Fox. Elgin James will serve as showrunner, and will also write and direct the pilot episode. The series will follow a former soldier who now works as a corrections officer and takes a job at one of the deadliest prisons in America to prove how far she’ll go for someone she loves …

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Emma Stone was shocked her ex-boyfriend and former co-star Andrew Garfield kept a Spidey secret from her.

Garfield reprised his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the 2021 film Spider-Man: No Way Home. Stone, who played Garfield’s love interest, Gwen Stacy, in the 2012 movie The Amazing Spider-Man and its 2014 sequel, says she was kept in the dark about his appearance in the Tom Holland-starring Spider-Man multiverse film. The actress confirmed this on a recent episode of the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast.

“I asked him if he was going to be in that and he was like, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,'” Stone said. “I was like, ‘What? Oh, I guess that means no, right?’ But it wasn’t no, it was yes.”

Even though Garfield didn’t tell her the truth about his role in the film, Stone said she admires his dedication to keeping the reveal a secret.

“Good for him. He kept it really close to the vest,” Stone said.

Garfield has previously opened up about having to keep the secret from Stone.

“Emma kept on texting me,” Garfield said on a 2022 episode of the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast. “She was like, ‘Are you in this new Spider-Man film?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ I kept it going, even with her.”

The fourth Holland-led Spidey film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, swings into theaters on July 31, 2026.

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<figure><img src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2025-10-20/E_IPlayRocky_102025.png” alt=””><figcaption>Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone in &#039;I Play Rocky.&#039; (Amazon MGM Studios)</figcaption></figure><p>We have our first look at the upcoming film <em>I Play Rocky</em>.</p><p>Amazon MGM Studios <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/DQCeGDnjfqT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=70c3805a-b0c8-4680-8513-f8b38961125b” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>revealed</a> that production is underway for the upcoming film about the making of the movie <em>Rocky</em>.</p><p>Along with the announcement that cameras are now rolling on the project, the studio shared the first-look photo of <strong>Anthony Ippolito</strong> in costume as a young <strong>Sylvester Stallone</strong>.</p><p>The photo finds Ippolito wearing gray sweatpants, Converse sneakers and a black beanie as he runs on the beach&nbsp;with a bulldog.</p><p>”Production is underway for I PLAY ROCKY, starring Anthony Ippolito. The film tells the true story of Sylvester Stallone and his unshakable belief that he wasn’t just meant to write Rocky, he was meant to be Rocky Balboa,” Amazon MGM Studios shared alongside the first-look photo on Instagram.</p><p><strong>Peter Farrelly</strong> is directing the upcoming film from a script by Peter Gamble.</p><p>Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.</p>

<figure><img src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2025-10-20/Getty_MichaelFassbender_102025.png” alt=””><figcaption>Michael Fassbender attends the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations Presents &#039;The Agency&#039; event at The Meryl Streep Center for Performing Artists on April 6, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. (Amanda Edwards/Getty Images for SAG-AFTRA Foundation)</figcaption></figure><p>A new series centered on the Kennedy family is coming to Netflix.</p><p>The streaming service has announced that the new drama series <em>Kennedy</em>, based on the <strong>Fredrik Logevall</strong> book <em>JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1965</em>, is on the way.</p><p><strong>Michael Fassbender</strong> will star in the eight-episode series as <strong>Joe Kennedy, Sr</strong>. The show will be directed by <em>Another Round</em> helmer <strong>Thomas Vinterberg</strong>. It will be showrun and executive produced by <strong>Sam Shaw</strong>.</p><p>”<em>Kennedy</em> reveals the intimate lives, loves, rivalries and tragedies that shaped the most iconic dynasty in modern history, and helped create the world we live in today,” according to its official logline. “Beginning in the 1930s, the first season charts the improbable ascent of <strong>Joe</strong> and <strong>Rose Kennedy</strong> and their nine children, including rebellious second son <strong>Jack</strong>, who struggles to escape the shadow of his golden boy older brother.”</p><p>Shaw told Netflix that the story of the Kennedys is “the closest we have to American mythology — somewhere between Shakespeare and <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em>.”</p><p>He also praised Logevall’s biography, saying it was stunning and nuanced. Shaw said the book “pulls a veil on the human strivings and burdens behind the myth, revealing as much about our present moment, how we got here and where we’re going, as about the Kennedys themselves.”</p><p>Shaw said he is thrilled to explore this family’s saga “at a moment when our past feels urgently present.”</p><p>Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.</p>

<figure><img src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2025-10-20/Getty_ColmanDomingo_102025.png” alt=””><figcaption>Colman Domingo attends the 5th Annual Academy Museum Gala at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on October 18, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. (Frazer Harrison/WireImage via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure><p><strong>Colman Domingo</strong> will voice the Cowardly Lion in <em>Wicked: For Good</em>.</p><p>The actor announced he would provide the voice of the iconic character through an <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQCO_iukfM9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=23c031b8-7cd8-4733-b21a-a8539af118fb” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Instagram video</a> shared on Monday.</p><p>In the video, Domingo hides behind a lion stuffed animal before he reveals himself.</p><p>”See you in Oz,” Domingo says with a wink while surrounded by even more lion stuffed animals.</p><p>The film’s director, <strong>Jon M. Chu</strong>, recently revealed how he selected Domingo for the role in an interview with <a href=”https://deadline.com/2025/10/jon-m-chu-wicked-for-good-cynthia-erivo-ariana-grande-1236587870/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Deadline</a>. At the time, Chu was keeping Domingo’s identity a secret. He told the outlet he sent Domingo a direct message on Instagram asking him to be part of the <em>Wicked</em> sequel.</p><p>“I was like, ‘It’s not a ton of lines, but maybe you have a little time. I know you’re busy. I’ll come to you.’ He was like, ‘Why the f*** not, let’s go!’ And then we went ahead and recorded the lines.”</p><p>Chu previously said the identity of the Cowardly Lion’s voice actor would be kept a secret until the film’s premiere. He voiced excitement about fans finally learning the actor’s identity.</p><p>“Man, wait until the red carpet when the actor who gave us the Cowardly Lion’s voice steps foot on it. It’ll be wild,” Chu said.</p><p>The Cowardly Lion was a main character in the classic 1939 film <em>The Wizard of Oz</em>. He was portrayed by <strong>Bert</strong> <strong>Lahr</strong>. The character was teased in the most recent trailer for <em>Wicked: For Good</em>, which was released on Sept. 24.</p><p><em>Wicked: For Good</em> arrives in theaters on Nov. 21.</p><p>Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.</p>

Weapons is about to be streaming just in time for spooky season. The film arrives to HBO Max on Oct. 24. It will also debut on HBO linear on Oct. 25. Josh Brolin, Julia Garner and Alden Ehrenreich star in the film directed by Zach Cregger. It follows what happens when all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night …

Zendaya and Robert Pattinson‘s upcoming rom-com has a release date. The A24 film The Drama will debut in theaters on April 3, 2026, ABC Audio has confirmed. Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie and Hailey Gates also star in the film from Dream Scenario director Kristoffer Borgli. While specific plot details are being kept under wraps, sources say its rumored the film will follow a romance that takes an unexpected turn before the couple’s big day …

Jake Lacy is set to join the upcoming series Furious at Hulu. Deadline reports the actor has been added to the cast of the previously untitled series that is loosely inspired by the 1987 film Black Widow. Emmy Rossum will star in and executive produce the show, which also features Lola Petticrew, Scoot McNairy and Quincy Tyler Bernstine …

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The lead-up to Halloween brought folks wanting a scare to the theaters.

Black Phone 2, the sequel to the 2022 horror film Black Phone, debuted at number one at the box office this weekend, bringing in $26.5 million, according to Box Office Mojo. That bested the original’s opening weekend of just over $23 million, which landed it a fourth place debut.

Last weekend’s number one, Tron: Ares, dropped to number two, with $11.14 million, while this weekend’s other new release, the comedy Good Fortune, directed by Aziz Ansari, and starring Aziz, Seth Rogen and Keanu Reeves, debuted at three with $6.2 million.

Rounding out the top five were One Battle After Another at four, with $4 million, and Roofman at five, with $3.7 million.

Here are the top 10 films at the box office:

1. Black Phone 2 — $26.5 million
2. Tron: Ares — $11.14 million
3. Good Fortune — $6.2 million
4. One Battle After Another — $4 million
5. Roofman — $3.7 million
6. Truth & Treason — $2.7 million
7. Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie — $1.65 million
8. The Conjuring: Last Rites — $1.57 million
9. After the Hunt — $1.55 million
10. Soul on Fire — $1.3 million

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