Entertainment

Original movies made big numbers on Netflix during Christmas week.

Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire stayed in the top spot during its first full week on the streaming service. The sci-fi epic added 34 million views to the 29 million it amassed during its debut weekend, standing now at about 63 million views in total. It was the most-watched English-language film, as well as the most-watched overall title on the service from December 25 through December 31.

Leave the World Behind remained in spot number two on the film list. The apocalyptic thriller from Sam Esmail added another 14.6 million views. Rounding out the top five on the film list is the Garry Marshall romantic comedy Pretty Woman at number three, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget at number 4 and The Super Mario Bros. Movie at number five.

On the TV side of things, Berlin was the most-watched show of the week with 11.3 million views. My Life with the Walter Boys came in at number two during its fourth week on the list, and the sixth and final season of The Crown helped the show hold onto third place.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Former Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay and husband Bryan Abasolo are divorcing after more than four years of marriage.

Lindsay, the first Black lead in Bachelor franchise history, met Abasolo on season 13 of The Bachelorette in 2017. The couple tied the knot on August 24, 2019.

Abasolo filed for divorce on January 2, listing New Year’s Eve as the date of separation and citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split, according to court documents obtained by ABC News. He is seeking spousal support.

“After more than 4 years of marriage, Rachel and I have made the difficult decision to part ways and start anew,” Abasolo wrote in a statement shared to Instagram, calling his role as a husband his “proudest role so far.”

“My parents have been married forever and I’m a family man, but sometimes loving yourself and your partner means you must let go,” he continued. “I wanted you to hear it from the source before the blogs start making up their own reality.”

Lindsay has yet to address the breakup on social media but called 2023 “one of the hardest years of my life” in a recap post shared to Instagram on December 31, in which Abasolo is tagged.

ABC News has reached out to Lindsay’s representative for comment on the divorce announcement.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jordan Peele is teasing big things for his upcoming fourth film.

The untitled feature was previously scheduled for a Christmas Day 2024 release before it was moved from Universal Pictures’ calendar due to last year’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Peele appeared on the latest episode of the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast, where he said that the strikes of 2023 made it an interesting year that left him “in a state of listening.”

“I do feel like my next project is clear to me,” Peele said. “I’m psyched that I have another film that could be my favorite movie if I make it right.”

This untitled film was one of two upcoming releases from his company, Monkeypaw Productions, that had to move release dates for strike-related reasons. The other is an untitled horror thriller produced by Peele originally scheduled for release on September 27, 2024. The films have yet to be added back to the release calendar.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Willem Dafoe will be honored with the first star of 2024 on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday that Dafoe will be honored with his star in the category of Motion Pictures.

Dafoe has had a long and storied career, having starred in over 100 films and been nominated for four Academy Awards. Radio personality Ellen K will serve as the emcee of the event, while Patricia Arquette and Pedro Pascal will give speeches.

“Willem Dafoe is an immensely talented and versatile actor who has become a prominent figure in the film industry. He has captivated audiences with his remarkable performances, often portraying characters with a unique intensity and complexity,” producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame Ana Martinez said. “The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is proud to honor Willem with the first Walk of Fame star of 2024!”

The ceremony will take place on Monday, January 8, at 11:30 a.m. in Hollywood, California. It will be livestreamed exclusively on walkoffame.com.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Michelle Yeoh has a lot to celebrate as the new year kicks off.

The Oscar winner, 61, took to Instagram on January 2 to share that she and her husband, Jean Todt, are now grandparents.

“A little miracle on the first day of 2024,” she captioned a photo of her hand holding a newborn baby’s foot. “We are so truly blessed… can’t tell u how happy I am for this very very special bundle of joy.”

Yeoh later revealed that the child belongs to her stepson Nicolas Todt. Alongside a photo of her and her husband embracing, Yeoh wrote, “Thank you darling Nicolas and Darina for making us the happiest and proudest Grandparents!! Welcome baby Maxime.”

Nicolas Todt also shared the news to his Instagram on Tuesday, noting that “both mother and son are very well and we could not have started the year better!”

Yeoh and Jean Todt married in July after a 19-year engagement. The couple, who first met in June 2004, tied the knot in Geneva.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The earliest iteration of Mickey Mouse has just entered public domain, and there’s already a new trailer for a non-Disney film using the character.

Animated shorts Steamboat Willie and Plane Crazy entered public domain at the beginning of 2024, and the trailer for Mickey’s Mouse Trap, which premiered on January 1, takes advantage of that fact.

The trailer for the new slasher film uses clips from Steamboat Willie, famous for having the first appearances of Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Clips from the animated short are interspersed with footage of a mouse mask-wearing killer stalking college students at an arcade. Mickey’s Mouse Trap is from director Jamie Bailey, with a script by Simon Phillips.

“More modern versions of Mickey will remain unaffected by the expiration of the Steamboat Willie copyright, and Mickey will continue to play a leading role as a global ambassador for the Walt Disney Company in our storytelling, theme park attractions, and merchandise,” a Disney spokesperson said in statement to Deadline. “We will, of course, continue to protect our rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright, and we will work to safeguard against consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey and our other iconic characters.”

The trailer added a disclaimer in its description to make it known that Mickey’s Mouse Trap is not affiliated with Disney in any way.

“DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A DISNEY FILM OR PRODUCTION. IT IS NOT AFFILIATED OR ENDORSED BY DISNEY IN ANY WAY,” the disclaimer reads. “This film makes use of Public domain Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse only. Steamboat Willie’s Mickey Mouse entered public domain on January 1st 2024.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Legendary Las Vegas stand-up comic Shecky Greene died Sunday, December 31 of natural causes at his home in Las Vegas. His wife Miriam Musso Greene confirmed the news to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He was 97. Greene also appeared in the films Tony Rome, History of the World, Part I and Splash, and guest starred on TV shows including Mad About You, Northern Exposure, Roseanne, Laverne & Shirley and Love America Style. Additionally, the comedian made numerous appearances on Johnny Carson‘s Tonight Show, on which he also served as a guest host…

Mexican actress Ana Ofelia Murguía, best known for voicing Mama Coco in the Disney/Pixar film Coco, died Sunday, December 31, The National Theater Company of Mexico has confirmed. She was 90. A cause of death was not given. Murguía appeared in 70 plays and 90 movies, but gained an international audience with her role in Coco in 2017…

Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin revealed in a blog post on Sunday, December 31, that three animated spinoffs based on the popular books are in the works. “As it happens, HBO and I have our own animated projects, set in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire,” Martin wrote. “None of them have been greenlit yet, but I think we are getting close to taking the next step with a couple of them.” Martin also announced that the House of the Dragon prequel Nine Voyages has switched from live action to animation…

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Celebrity Jeopardy! returns this week with the first of the semifinal rounds, featuring Ghost’s Utkarsh Ambudkar, Oscar winner Mira Sorvino and Abbot Elementary’s Lisa Ann Walter.

Early rounds of the show felt a little looser than what you’d see on syndicated Jeopardy!, and host Ken Jennings says the fact that the contestants are used to being in front of a camera may have something to do with it.

“I know firsthand being a Jeopardy! contestant is stressful. It’s not as relaxing a show as it appears,” he tells ABC Audio. “The thing about Celebrity Jeopardy! is those are three people who are already extremely comfortable on camera. Depending on the show, maybe a little too comfortable.”

But now that we are in the semis, Jennings says things are bound to get more competitive.

“It’s not just three people who are a good sport that night and had a fun charity they wanted to play for,” he shares. “On some level, I think they’re the three that really wanted to win. So you’re gonna see that head to head. The games do get more competitive. They do get more intense.”

Jennings acknowledges that part of the appeal of Celebrity Jeopardy! is seeing how smart, or not smart, a star may be, which is why he has a lot of respect for those who participate. 

“It’s a famously difficult quiz show and they’re putting themselves out there,” he explains. “So I really admire the ones who are strong players because you can tell, obviously, these people are either, you know, incredibly intelligent or very big fans of the show or in most cases, both.” 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jeremy Renner showed his deepest gratitude to those who helped him during his near-fatal snowplow accident one year after the incident.

In an Instagram post on Friday, the two-time Academy Award-nominated actor shared a picture of himself sitting in a RennerVation Foundation firetruck, while revealing his visit to Reno Hospital in Nevada where he was treated for the accident last year.

“Rollin through Reno, NV with joy, blessings, and [pizza]!!!!” he wrote in the caption. “Stopped by to see kids/superheroes , first responders, and doctors, nurses and staff at Reno hospital Paying my respects and celebrating love, life and the blessings it brings to us all.”

“Thank you and this community for keeping me here.. I’m forever in your debt with gratitude #loveandtitanium,” he added.

Renner suffered “blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries” when he was run over by his unmanned snowcat, a piece of 7-ton snow plow equipment, on Jan. 1, 2022 in Reno, Nevada, officials said. He was airlifted to a local hospital and underwent emergency surgery on Jan. 2.

After being released from the hospital, the Hawkeye actor revealed he broke more than 30 bones from the mishap.

Last month, the Marvel star announced via an Instagram post that he’d be releasing a “new musical diary” called “Wait” which documents the “story of life, death, recovery, all things learned along the way” to mark the anniversary of the New Year’s Day accident.

“I can’t wait to share more with you. #waitforme #laketahoe,” he added in the caption.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Wonka sweetened its North American box office haul with an additional $22.7 million between Friday and Sunday, and is expected to reach an estimated $29.5 million for the long New Year’s weekend. That brings the Timothée Chalamet-led movie’s three-week domestic gross to $140.2 million and around $400 million worldwide.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom took second place, grabbing an $18.3 million over the three-day weekend and an estimated $23.5 million from Friday through Monday, bringing its two-week domestic haul to $81.8 million and $250 million globally. The first Aquaman movie grossed over $1 billion worldwide, a figure the new film isn’t expected to touch.

Third place belonged to Universal and Illumination’s animated adventure Migration, which delivered $17 million between Friday and Sunday and is expected to earn $22 million over the long holiday weekend, bringing its two-week North American tally $59.1 million. Migration has earned $100 million worldwide.

The Color Purple landed in fourth place, taking in an estimated $11.7 million over the three-day weekend and an estimated $14.8 million through Monday. Its domestic total now stands at $47.1 million.

Anyone but You, starring Euphoria‘s Sydney Sweeney and Top Gun: Maverick‘s Glen Powell, rounded out the top five, collecting $8.7 million for the three-day weekend and an estimated $11 million over the four-day. Its North American tally now stands at $27.1 million.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.