Entertainment

Cold Case Files: The Grim Sleeper is coming to A&E Friday at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, centering on serial killer Lonnie Franklin Jr., who preyed on, raped, strangled and shot many woman in South Central LA for over 20 years. It’s a story Regina Hall was unaware of until she considered narrating the two-part doc.

“It definitely did draw me in. As a woman, a black woman watching those families who lost loved ones,” she tells TV Insider. The doc details how he was finally caught, tried, convicted and sentenced on first-degree murder and attempted murder charges. It also puts a spotlight on the victims.

“To see the victims humanized beyond just being addicts or prostitutes … I loved what A&E did because it gave a great picture of these victims as human beings, as mothers, daughters, and sisters. Seeing the pain those loved ones were left with,” Regina says.

She notes “it was powerful” to narrate the doc “because the story has an insane amount of gravity” and says she “wanted to do it justice because of the people involved.”

With her own production company and a deal with MGM Alternative, Regina says she’s looking to explore and produce more true crime stories “because it is a space that I’ve been interested in and watched.”

With another Scary Movie just announced, Regina, who appeared in the films as Brenda Cooks, says she’s excited to see the Wayans at the helm again.

“We’ll see if Brenda is in this new world,” she adds. “I’m thrilled at the possibility that the band could get back together again. That would be fun.”

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James Van Der Beek is opening up about his cancer diagnosis, days after revealing he was diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer.

The Dawson’s Creek star sat down for a new interview with People and discussed the journey he and his family have been on in the last year.

“What do you do when you’re staring down a Stage 3 diagnosis? This has been a crash course in [the] mastery of mind, body [and] spirit,” he said.

The 47-year-old recalled going in for a colonoscopy in August 2023 after experiencing some symptoms.

“The gastroenterologist said, in his most pleasant bedside manner, ‘It is cancer.’ And I think I went into shock,” Van Der Beek said.

Van Der Beek said he went in for additional scans, which confirmed he had Stage 3 cancer but also offered a bit of a silver lining.

“Found out it was still localized. It had not spread, but it was Stage 3, which is not what you want to hear,” he said.

Van Der Beek said his cancer diagnosis ushered in a new and unfamiliar chapter.

“And thus began, the full-time job of having cancer, signing up for all the various medical portals and getting on the phone with insurance and creating appointments … I was not prepared for just how much of a full-time job that it really is,” he continued.

Although the cancer news came as a shock, Van Der Beek said it was also a catalyst and motivating in a sense.

“I really didn’t feel like this was going to end me. I really felt like this is going to be the biggest life redirect,” he said. “I’m going to make changes that I never would have made otherwise, that I’m going to look back on in a year, five years, 30 years from now and say, ‘Thank God that happened.'”

Colorectal cancer begins in the colon or rectum, often referred to as colon or rectal cancer based on its location, according to the American Cancer Society, which added that most cases start as polyps — growths on the inner lining of these organs — that become more common with age. For that reason, regular screenings with colonoscopies can not only help detect colorectal cancer, but can help prevent it, too, since a polyp can take as many as 10 to 15 years to develop into cancer.

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Rashida Jones is remembering her late father, famed music producer Quincy Jones, in the wake of his death.

The Parks and Recreation alum, 48, shared a photo of her and her father from when she was a baby to Instagram on Nov. 7 and recalled a sweet memory from her childhood.

“My dad was nocturnal his whole adult life. He kept ‘jazz hours’ starting in high school and never looked back,” she began. “When I was little, I would wake up in the middle of the night to search for him. Undoubtedly, he would be somewhere in the house, composing (old school, with a pen and sheet music). He would never send me back to bed.”

“He would smile and bring me into his arms while he continued to work…there was no safer place in the world for me,” she continued.

Rashida Jones, who co-directed and co-wrote the 2018 documentary Quincy about her father, called him “a giant,” “an icon,” “a culture shifter” and “a genius,” adding that music and all he created were “a channel for his love.”

“He WAS love. He made everyone he ever met feel loved and seen. That’s his legacy,” she wrote. “I was fortunate enough to experience this love in close proximity. I’ll miss his hugs and kisses and unconditional devotion and advice.”

She added, “Daddy, it is an honor to be your daughter. Your love lives forever.”

Quincy Jones was dad to seven children during his lifetime, sharing Rashida Jones with ex-wife Peggy Lipton. He died Nov. 3 at the age of 91.

Lipton, an actress and singer, died in 2019 at the age of 72.

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A first look at the new trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King debuted exclusively on Good Morning America on Friday.

The highly anticipated Barry Jenkins-directed film, arriving in theaters Dec. 20, is a prequel to 2019’s The Lion King.

The exclusive first-look opens with Rafiki telling a story about two brothers: Mufasa and Taka, and how they embarked on a journey to find a new home and start a new kingdom.

The clip shares a glimpse of the adventure the brothers go on and the characters they meet, including Zazu and Sarabi, Mufasa’s future mate and Simba’s mother in the 2019 film.

According to a synopsis for the film, Rafiki tells the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala.

“Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka — the heir to a royal bloodline,” the synopsis reads.

“The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny — their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.”

The new look at the film comes after Walt Disney Studios released the official trailer for the film in August.

The star-studded cast for Mufasa includes Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Blue Ivy Carter, Donald Glover, Mads Mikkelsen, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner and Anika Noni Rose.

Mufasa: The Lion King is set to release in theaters on Dec 20.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Good Morning America.
 

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Lucasfilm is reportedly teaming up with X-Men writer/producer Simon Kinberg on a new Star Wars trilogy. Deadline hears the films will be comprised of episodes 10 through 12 of The Skywalker Saga that began with George Lucas‘ eponymous 1977 film. However, insiders have disputed that, saying Kinberg will begin a new saga, alongside other Star Wars projects in the works from James Mangold, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Taika Waititi and Donald Glover. Lucasfilm is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News …

CBS has given full season orders to the prequel spin-off NCIS: Origins and the comedy Poppa’s House, the network announced on Thursday. NCIS: Origins centers on the younger version of Mark Harmon‘s character Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Austin Stowell. Poppa’s House stars Damon Wayans as as “legendary talk radio host and happily divorced ‘Poppa’ who has his point of view challenged … when a new female co-host is hired, and at home where he finds himself still parenting his adult son (Damon Wayans Jr.), a brilliant dreamer who is trying to pursue his passion while being a responsible father and husband.” Poppa’s House airs Mondays at 8:30 p.m. ET, followed by NCIS: Origins at 10 p.m. ET …

Bravo has dropped a new trailer for season 14 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, which finds Kyle Richards, Garcelle Beauvais, Erika Jayne, Dorit Kemsley and Sutton Stracke all returning, with new housewife Bozoma Saint John. Kathy Hilton also returns in her friend role, with Jennifer Tilly joining as a new friend. Camille Grammer, Faye Resnick and interior designer Martyn Bullard will all appear throughout the season. Season 14 of RHOBH premieres Nov. 19 … (Trailer contains censored profanity.)

The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s Lola Tung, Grotesquerie’s Nicholas Alexander Chavez, The Walking Dead‘s Austin Nichols and model/musician Gabbriette have been tapped to complete the cast of Sony Pictures’ I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel, according to Deadline. They join Freddie Prinze Jr., who starred in the original film, alongside Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers and Jonah Hauer-King. The film hits theaters in July 2025. I Know What You Did Last Summer, which starred Jennifer Love Hewitt, Prinze, Prinze’s now-wife Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe, followed a group of friends stalked by a hook-handed maniac after hoping to hide a tragic accident …

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One of the biggest shows on TV finally makes its anticipated return on Paramount Network on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. ET, when Yellowstone rides on. 

The show had been on a nearly two-year hiatus, and after rumored static between producers and lead Kevin Costner — which he denies — and the dual Hollywood strikes, the drama’s stars tell ABC Audio they were eager to get back in the saddle. 

“[F]or us to go back to work, it felt like we had a gift in our hands,” expresses Kelly Reilly, who plays fiery Beth Dutton. “We wanted to make it as special and to be a gratitude to be back in work, and to be back together with each other, with this crew in this beautiful landscape. You don’t want to take that for granted. And this year especially, we felt that.”

Luke Grimes, who plays Beth’s brother Kacee agreed, saying, ” … [C]oming back from the long break, you know, everyone was super excited, but also knowing that this is the end, and this is the last season, sort of gave it some weight that it didn’t have in seasons past.”

Cole Hauser, who plays Beth’s husband Rip Wheeler, is grateful Rip and Beth have such a loyal fanbase — some of whom have named their baby boys Rip in his honor. “[A]s an actor, your intention is to affect people,” he says. “And certainly I believe that Kelly and I have done that.”

Kelsey Asbille, who portrays Kacee’s wife Monica Dutton, teases fans of the remaining episodes, “I think we we set out to accomplish what we did in season one, which is really [discovering] what the Dutton legacy means.”

Hauser says of the story’s conclusion, “It’s not what you expect.”

“And even when you think you know what’s happening, you don’t,” Reilly continues. 

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As a guy who spent years trying to get Deadpool off the ground, Ryan Reynolds says he feels for his pal Channing Tatum, who never got the chance to play the X-Men hero Gambit onscreen — until Ryan brought him into Deadpool & Wolverine, that is.

Tatum tried to get a Gambit project off the ground before Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, but his hopes were dashed when that deal went through. 

After the blockbuster success of D&W, however, it seems there’s renewed hope for Tatum’s Cajun, card-slinging, mealy mouthed mutant. 

“I honestly don’t know what goes on behind closed doors in the bookkeeping sessions at Marvel, but I do know that they’re obsessed with him in that role,” Reynolds tells Entertainment Weekly‘s Awardist podcast.

Reynolds compared Tatum’s journey to his own, when the success of leaked test footage of him playing Deadpool convinced Fox to greenlight the 2016 smash hit original.

“It’s kind of like the same situation I went through,” Ryan says. “Once you show that it works well, that’s really what they need. Sometimes they just need to see it in action. And Channing is so singular in how he plays that character. But also he’s so beautiful physically, the way he moves and the way he can pick up steps.”

As reported, Tatum remained optimistic — but realistic — regarding his future in the role. He told Collider some months back, “You never know. I mean, literally, I could never be in another Marvel movie again, and it wouldn’t surprise me because I’ve had it in my hand before, and it’s gone away.” He added, “I’m always grain-of-salting it, but I’m hoping that [Marvel Studios president] Kevin [Feige] will allow me in.”

Disney is the parent company of ABC News. 

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Real Time host Bill Maher has announced his 13th comedy special for HBO. 

Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This? debuts in January on the network and will be recorded in front of a live audience at the CIBC Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

The comedian and Club Random podcast host noted in the announcement, “I almost called this special You Won’t Feel Safe, because if you’re purely a team player in American politics, you won’t.”

Seemingly prescient after the results of the 2024 election, Maher added, “This one is for the 80% of Americans who want to see crazy called out no matter where it comes from. And the last twenty minutes on my sex life, that’s for everybody.”

Nina Rosenstein, HBO’s EVP of Late Night & Specials Programming, trumpeted, “Bill’s comedic commentary has been an extraordinary part of HBO for 12 specials and 22 seasons of Real Time with Bill Maher. We truly value his steadfast commitment to honesty and humor, which we know will be front and center in his next special.”

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Heritage Auctions has put on the block some priceless works of comic art, with some benefiting the Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund.

“Priceless” is of course not literal, seeing as bidding has already begun for original art for page 14 from The New Mutants No. 98 — otherwise known as the debut of Rob Liefeld‘s Wade Wilson/Deadpool — and bidding reached a quarter million bucks within minutes. 

The page that hit the block hasn’t been seen since it entered a private collection in the 1990s, “just as Deadpool was taking over the Marvel Universe like few characters in its storied history,” Heritage says. 

“Deadpool’s debut in New Mutants No. 98 was as much a cultural phenomenon as a page in comic book history,” says Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President Todd Hignite. “For fans and collectors, this is an unparalleled opportunity to own a piece of the origin story that would eventually define a generation of comic book storytelling.”

Also up for grabs is comics legend John Romita Sr.‘s original concept art for the character Wolverine from 1974. The bids for that piece are already soaring past $105,000. A portion of the proceeds will go to hurricane relief.  

Also hitting the block is original art from another Marvel icon, Steve Ditko: The Amazing Spider-Man #8 from 1964, as well as Frank Miller and Klaus Janson‘s original art from Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #2 Dark Knight Triumphant.

Many more pieces of comic book history are available as part of Heritage’s Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction, which officially runs from Nov. 21 to Nov. 24. Check out all the details here.

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The hit Alien: Romulus will be free to stream for Hulu subscribers on Nov. 21 and will also be available to stream via Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers.

To that end, a chilling new trailer just debuted.

The movie from director Fede Alvarez stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu and “takes the phenomenally successful Alien franchise back to its iconic roots,” according to 20th Century Studios. 

The movie centers on a group of young space salvagers who “come face-to-face with the most relentless and deadly life form in the universe.”

Alien: Romulus was Certified Fresh on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and has earned more than $315 million worldwide since its release on Aug. 16. 

20th Century Studios is a division of Disney, the parent company of ABC News. 

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