Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch put on a masterclass in comedy in The Roses, a brilliant new adaptation of Warren Adler’s 1981 novel War of the Roses, which follows a couple at odds.
The film hit theaters in August, and struck a chord with audiences who rated the film a commendable 79% on the review aggregate site, Rotten Tomatoes.
It’s a brilliant film at just 105 minutes long, and showcases some fabulous performances, not just from Colman and Cumberbatch, but also a brilliant supporting cast, made up of Kate McKinnon, Andy Samberg, Ncuti Gatwa, Sunita Mani, Zoë Chao, Jamie Demetriou, and more.
Below, you can find all you need to know about where to watch The Roses, as well as the The Roses digital release date and The Roses streaming information.
The Roses – How to Watch
The Roses is available on Video on Demand platforms from October 21, 2025. You will be able to rent and buy the title on places like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.
Where Can I Watch The Roses?
The Roses is available to rent and buy on Video on Demand platforms from October 21, 2025.
It lands on platforms such as Prime Video, Apple TV+, Fandango at Home, and Google Play on October 21, 2025.
The Roses Physical Release Date
The Roses will be available in Blu-ray and DVD formats from November 25, 2025.
Bonus features include:
Gag Reel
Featurettes:
A House To Fight For – A behind-the-front-door look at the epicenter of both beauty and acrimony. See the construction of the Roses’ home, hear from the designer and the filmmakers on their vision, and discover the actors’ wish to take everything from the house home with them.
The Roses: An Inside Look – Hear from the cast and filmmakers about making The Roses. Learn about the actors’connection and chemistry, and join the grounded, satirical, British, wry wit that only Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch can pull off.
Comedy Gold – This cast is stacked with comedy talent bringing Tony McNamara’s witty dialogue to life with Jay Roach directing. Even Olivia Colman had to ask about this special cast, “How the F did we get them?”
Bonus features may vary depending on the retailer.
The Roses Digital Release Date
The Roses will be available to watch digitally from October 21, 2025.
Is The Roses Available to Stream in the US?
The Roses does not yet have an official streaming release. However, the film will likely end up on Disney+ in the coming weeks.
What Is The Roses About?
The official synopsis for The Roses, as per Disney, reads:
Life seems easy for picture-perfect couple Ivy (Colman) and Theo (Cumberbatch): successful careers, a loving marriage, great kids. But beneath the façade of their supposed ideal life, a storm is brewing – as Theo’s career nosedives while Ivy’sown ambitions take off, a tinderbox of fierce competition and hidden resentment ignites. The Roses is a reimagining of the 1989 classic film The War of the Roses, based on the novel by Warren Adler.
On Monday, at the end of a press release announcing that F1: The Moviewould be coming to Apple’s streaming service in December, the company quietly slipped in a sentence explaining that “Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity.”
At first, it seems like a small, if not confusing, change. But make no mistake—this is Apple quietly putting every streaming service on notice.
Look, we all lived through the phase where every streaming service (except, I guess, Netflix which has no reason to care what anyone that isn’t YouTube is doing), added Plus to the end of its name. Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, ESPN Plus. If it wasn’t a plus it was a Max. Apple was no different.
An Inc.com Featured Presentation
Look, Apple’s naming problem has been obvious for years. There was the Apple TV hardware, the Apple TV app, and the Apple TV+ streaming service. They were three different things that all sounded exactly the same. Even Apple’s own marketing had a hard time making clear the difference.
And yet, the strangest part was that consumers had already solved the problem. Almost no one ever said “Apple TV Plus.” They just said “Apple TV.” Apple, for all its control over language and design, finally caught up to the way people actually talk.
I actually think there’s something else happening here. This isn’t just Apple renaming a service—it’s reframing what Apple TV means altogether. This, of course, is helpful considering that it has meant a lot of different things previously. Until now, the physical streaming box has always overshadowed the service. The device was the “real” Apple TV, while the streaming platform was a nice little bonus.
Apple, however, wants to change that narrative. I think that, for whatever reason, Apple very much wants to make its high-quality, if not small, collection of original shows something everyone has to have. This move is an attempt to make the service the main act.
I don’t think it takes a brand strategist to realize that the thing Apple wants you to care about isn’t the box—it’s the streaming service. Apple doesn’t care whether you’re watching Apple TV on an Apple TV or in the Apple TV app on a smart TV. It just wants you to pay attention to its small collection of high-quality shows and movies.
This rebrand unifies Apple’s video ecosystem under one identity and gives the hardware a purpose beyond specs and price. It turns the Apple TV 4K into a premium gateway for Apple’s growing catalog of originals and licensed content. More importantly, it shifts the conversation from a box you buy to a brand you subscribe to. That’s important, because Apple isn’t just competing for attention anymore—it’s competing to become a habit.
There’s also a not-so-subtle message to every other streaming service.
By dropping the “+,” Apple is signaling that it thinks it no longer needs the qualifier. It doesn’t need to be “plus.” It’s a statement of confidence—and a reminder that Apple TV isn’t an app or a box—it’s Apple’s entire entertainment platform. The “+” era is over.
Look, I know that it seems confusing, and I have to admit that at first, I thought it was absurd. Apple now has three things that all have the same name.
I also know that it would be dangerous to read too much into what could easily be passed off as a branding tweak. But I don’t think Apple is nearly confused about its strategy as the naming might seem. And, I suspect this is just one step in an attempt to reposition its streaming service regardless of what device they watch it on, whether that’s on an iPhone, MacBook, PlayStation, or Roku. The device doesn’t matter.
The subtle genius of this move is that it tells the world that Apple’s streaming ambitions aren’t a side project—they’re the core of its media strategy. It’s not chasing Netflix or Disney+ anymore. It’s building what it hopes is the default entertainment platform for all of its users.
That’s why I think every other streaming service should be paying attention. Apple has spent real money building up its content library, and has mostly focused on high-quality shows like Ted Lasso, Severance, Shrinking, and The Studio. For what it’s worth, Apple has a lot of money, and eventually it’s going to spend enough of that money to build up a catalog people are willing to pay for.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
Tron: Ares ends with a couple of big questions about what could come next on the Grid and beyond. Unfortunately, the biggest of those after opening weekend is whether any of them will ever get answered. The film experienced a tepid opening, failing to outgross its 2010 predecessor, meaning the world of Tron may be officially dead. And yet it took almost three decades for a second Tron to come out and almost another two for the third one. Over the years, the franchise has shown an incredible ability to reboot, so let’s do that too.
Below are 12 questions and some attempts at answers we have after seeing Tron: Ares. Major spoilers follow.
Image: Disney
What does Ares want with Quorra?
Tron: Ares ends with Ares (Jared Leto), now able to exist permanently in the real world, looking for the Iso named Quorra (Olivia Wilde), the digital being Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) moved off the Grid at the end of Tron: Legacy. That Ares, created by Dillinger Corp., would want to find Quorra, created naturally in the Grid, makes sense. He certainly has a lot of questions she could potentially answer. But what does he think will happen beyond that? Is there a method to his madness? And also…
What have Sam and Quorra been up to?
While Tron: Legacy ended with some big questions about what it meant for a digital being to now exist in the real world, Tron: Ares largely pushes those events to the side. We learn that Sam Flynn did take over Encom for a while before leaving for personal reasons. And, we see that there were at least discussions or rumors about Quorra in the press. But what have they been up to in the 15 years since that film? What did Sam do at Encom when he was there? We don’t know.
Why did Sam Flynn leave Encom?
An offshoot of the last question is the specific nature of Sam’s leaving Encom. Did he have a new project planned with Quorra? Did he reconnect with a digital version of his father? You almost get the sense that whatever story is happening with Sam and Quorra off-screen is just, kind of, whatever that original version of Tron 3, Tron: Ascension, may have been. Speaking of…
Could Tron 4 use elements of Tron: Ascension?
Last week, we spoke to Tron: Ares writer Jesse Wigutow, who also worked extensively on Tron: Ascension before it was shelved. Since Tron: Ascension focused on Sam and Quorra’s journey and presumably was a pretty good script after years of development, we asked about that. “That’s a great question,” he said. “I don’t know that I have thought about it quite in that way, other than the fact that Ascension…. I don’t know, is the answer. We’ll find out if there’s an opportunity or a conversation around doing another one of these at one point. It’s kind of above my pay grade. But I do think it’s an exciting idea anyway, potentially, that Ares and Quorra find each other.”
Evan Peters as Julian Dillinger in Tron: Ares – Disney
What is happening with Julian Dillinger?
To avoid prosecution and almost certainly prison time, at the end of Tron: Ares, Julian Dillinger sends himself to the Grid. There, we see that he sort of starts to become Sark, the digital double of his grandfather, Ed Dillinger Sr., from the original film. How is that happening? Why is that happening? And if Julian does become Sark and works to gain control of the Dillinger Grid, what kind of damage will he do? We, of course, can’t answer any of those, but they’re fun to think about.
Where the hell is Tron?
One major character that’s not a part of Tron: Ares is Tron himself, the original hero program from the first film. We asked Wigutow about his absence from the movie. “I think there was a conversation at one point [about bringing him back],” Wigutow said. “At a certain point in the development, it just wanted to make this its own thing. And it wasn’t that there was a choice to say, ‘We don’t need Tron.’ There just wasn’t a role in this story that was obvious. And to kind of shoehorn it in felt, I don’t know, like it wasn’t necessary.”
Then why is it called Tron?
Simple. Most people know Tron as a movie, not as a character in that movie or a game that exists in the world of the movie. You kind of have to call it that for the name recognition.
Is Athena really gone?
Athena, played by Jodie Turner-Smith, is clearly one of the best parts of Tron: Ares. But, when Encom hacks and destroys the Dillinger grid while she’s still in the real world, it seems as if she has nowhere to go and dies for real. Could she really have been permanently deleted? It’s certainly possible. But, with the Permanence Code now out there, you do have to think she might find a way to get revenge on Ares at some point.
Jeff Bridges is back in Tron: Ares. – Disney
What exactly was that version of Kevin Flynn?
To acquire the Permanence Code, Ares goes into an old copy of the Grid from the original film. There, he encounters Kevin Flynn. But not any Kevin Flynn. An older Kevin Flynn. This Flynn makes it clear you can’t jump between Grids without going into the real world, so is this a Flynn that existed here since the 1980s? Does he have any knowledge of Clu, Sam, and everything in Legacy? We aren’t sure and, frankly, are a little mad it’s left so vague.
What, exactly, is Ares?
If you are a computer program that is given a code that lets you exist in the real world, what exactly are you? Do you have human organs? Are you just wires? We asked Wigutow what he thinks Ares actually is now that he’s in the real world. “I think that there is this kind of unspoken, natural resource that’s probably quite valuable that is fueling those lasers,” he said. “And there’s something about the kind of genetic binding that can’t live beyond the time limit that we put on it, that the Permanence Code then makes binding. So in a way, if you were to kind of slice them in half and do a diagnostic or autopsy, yeah, I’d like to believe that you would find human biology. But I don’t know that that’s the correct answer.”
Are the endings of Legacy and Ares similar on purpose?
And so in the end, our hero brings the digital being off the Grid to live like a human in the real world. It’s the ending of Tron: Legacy as well as Tron: Ares. Was that done on purpose? “It’s part of the kind of genetic mapping of the franchise,” Wigutow said. “I love the kind of ellipsis that the movie leaves itself off on. [Ares] is out there. He’s learning. He’s growing. He’s developing. And who knows where we may find him next and what he looks like and what, you know, what he’s grown into?” So, it wasn’t done on purpose; it just made sense.
Where is Cillian Murphy in all this?
You may have forgotten, but in Tron: Legacy, the Dillinger family was represented by Ed Dillinger Jr., played by eventual Oscar winner Cillian Murphy. Ed Jr. was the son of the villainous character from the first movie and was planned to have a larger role if a sequel had happened closer to the previous movie. Murphy got a little too big for a bit part by the time Ares was released so he’s not here. But Julian Dillinger is Ed Sr.’s grandson. So, either he’s Ed Jr.’s son, or Ed Jr. is his uncle. We don’t know. But we can safely assume he’s out there.
What other questions do you have about Tron: Ares? Let us know below.
After the launch of The Life of a Showgirl earlier this month, Taylor Swift is gifting us with yet another treat. A six-part behind the scenes docuseries of her legendary, record-breaking Eras tour is set to drop on Disney+ later this year.
At the same time, a full concert video of a Vancouver Eras show, named Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show, will also drop, featuring the entire set of The Tortured Poets Department – which was added to the tour’s setlist after the album was released back in 2024.
The singer confirmed the news herself in an Instagram post: “We wanted to remember every moment leading up to the culmination of the most important and intense chapter of our lives, so we allowed filmmakers to capture this tour and all the stories woven throughout it as it wound down. And to film the final show in its entirety,” she wrote. Taylor also announced the news on US chat show Good Morning America.
The series has been described in a statement from Disney as “a 6-episode behind-the-scenes docuseries event chronicling the development, impact, and inner-workings that created the phenomenon that was The Eras Tour, and Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show, the full concert film featuring The Tortured Poets Department.”
Swifties will be glad to know that we will get an “intimate look” at Taylor’s life as she embarked on her mammoth tour that spawned a million friendship bracelets. Also expect performers such as Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter, her best pal Ed Sheeran and Florence Welch to appear.
Disney
Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The End of an Era release date
It will begin streaming on 12 December on Disney+, with two episodes debuting each week for three weeks. Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show will also drop on 12 December.
Disney’s got a lot of IP it doesn’t always know what to do with, and Tronhas to be high up on that list. After 15 years, the company delivered a sequel to the cult classic Tron: Legacy in the form of Tron: Ares, a third installment that for a long time seemed more like a pipe dream until fairly recently.
To say franchise fans and general moviegoers have been placed in an awkward spot with Ares might undersell it. On one hand, the film’s marketing makes it look like a solid-looking cyber-adventure backed by a rad score courtesy of Nine Inch Nails, who Disney’s been sure to promote as part of this almost as much as the film itself. On the other hand, the titular Ares is played by one Jared Leto, who folks have…mixed feelings about, let’s say, either as an actor or a person more generally.
And speaking of mixed feelings, that sure describes the reception to Tron: Ares itself, yeah? Some love it, some detest it, others think it basically gets the job done. Tron’s never been a super popular franchise, but the reactions to this new one aren’t abnormal for the series, and there’s been consensus reached on some things, like its visuals and Greta Lee doing a lot with a little as Eve Kim. (And the soundtrack being great, but you already knew that.)
Time will tell if Tron: Ares gets a warmer reception after its initial release, but until then? Let us know what you thought about the film in the comments below.
The first trailer for VisionQuest was shown at New York Comic Con.
VisionQuest, sometimes referred to as Vision Quest, is the forthcoming Marvel Television series arriving on Disney+ next year. Serving as a spin-off to WandaVision, the show is created by Terry Matalas and will once again see Paul Bettany reprise his role as Vision.
What happens in the VisionQuest trailer?
While the VisionQuest trailer that was shown at New York Comic Con hasn’t been released online, Variety has a description of the footage, which offers some insight as to what MCU fans can expect from the new show.
“The trailer showed Bettany back as White Vision from the ending of WandaVision, plus a regular-looking human version,” the article reads. “There was also human versions of Ultron, who was voiced by James Spader in the second Avengers movie, and the AI programs Jarvis, Friday, and Edith. At the end of the trailer, there was a brief shot of an adult Tommy, Vision, and Wanda’s son that appeared as a child in WandaVision.
“Vision Quest was described as the third part of a trilogy that included WandaVision and Agatha All Along. In the trailer, Bettany walks up to a white mansion and is greeted by human servants who are really just recreated AI programs. They include Jarvis, who was Tony Stark’s AI program that later became Vision; Friday, who replaced Jarvis and was the AI assistant to Stark and Spider-Man; and Edith, the AI program in Stark’s sunglasses from Spider-Man: Far From Home.”
In addition to Bettany and Spader, the cast of Marvel Studios’ VisionQuest includes Todd Stashwick as Paladin, Ruaridh Mollica as Thomas Shepherd, T’Na Miller as Jocasta, Emily Hampshire as Edith, Orla Brady as Friday, Faran Tahir as Raza, and more.
Marvel’s VisionQuest will premiere on the Disney+ streaming service in 2026, though an exact premiere date has not yet been set.
Originally reported by Brandon Schreur at SuperHeroHype.
Here’s everything we learned about Wonder Man, Daredevil: Born Again, Marvel Zombies, The Punisher, and more at the 2025 New York Comic-Con.
Phase Zero’s Brandon Davis moderated the panel, which featured special guests including Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Sir Ben Kingsley, Paul Bettany, and the head of Marvel Television, Brad Winterbaum.
The introduction, a video narrated by Mayor Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) himself, vaaaaaaguely teased the return of Mike Colter as Luke Cage and/or Power Man. However, it was only a tease. The Defenders aren’t all back yet.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2might get venomous…
An exclusive teaser gave fans in the convention center first look at Season 2 and the introduction of Gwen Stacy, symbiotes, more Harry and Nico, some more Doc Ock goodness, and the return of Daredevil.
X-Men ‘97 is going there with Jean and Scott
The new executive producers, who worked on the original animated series, are finally going to get to do a storyline from back in the day. That storyline? Jean Grey’s pregnancy. The exclusive Season 2 trailer teased Apocalypse, time travel, and Polaris.
Oh, and the show is returning for Season 3.
Daredevil: Born Again is assembling a team.
Yet another exclusive trailer showed Krysten Ritter’s triumphant return as Jessica Jones. There was also plenty of glimpses at Foggy (?), Bullseye, Karen, Mayor Fisk in the boxing ring, and a gleefully violent vibe. Cox and Ritter talked about their sibling vibe and natural friendship and chemistry. (Cox calls her character “JJ,” how cute is that?)
The ‘Wonder Man’ trailer promises some meta comedy and the return of a fan favorite.
The teaser, which you can watch above, sets up the premise of the series. It’s about Simon Williams starring in a reboot of Wonder Man, a fictional character within the MCU. Williams is not a superhero. He just plays one on TV. We see the director explain his vision over Zoom. We see some skeptical fans. There’s even, I think, a joke about Marvel’s silly working titles: the movie within the show shoots under the fake title Cash Grab 2. We see the nonconventional audition process as well as his dynamic with Trevor Slattery.
VisionQuest surprised the panel completely.
Finally, Bettany appeared on stage to talk about the third piece of the Wanda, Agatha, and Vision puzzle. He talked a bit about White Vision’s journey through memory (and lasers) and showed another exclusive teaser. We got a first look at Ruaridh Mollica as yet another mysterious teen. As many have expected the show will give us human versions of various MCU AI including:
Leah Marilla Thomas (she/her) is a contributor at The Mary Sue. She has been working in digital entertainment journalism since 2013, covering primarily television as well as film and live theatre. She’s been on the Marvel beat professionally since Daredevil was a Netflix series. (You might recognize her voice from the Newcomers: Marvel podcast). Outside of journalism, she is 50% Southerner, 50% New Englander, and 100% fangirl over everything from Lord of the Rings to stage lighting and comics about teenagers. She lives in New York City and can often be found in a park. She used to test toys for Hasbro. True story!
As September closes out and we roll into October, we are entering the season of binge-watching our favorite shows that exude fall vibes. This list is a perfect guide if you’re looking for a must-watch show during the fall season!
Pretty Little Liars
When we think about shows that we have to rewatch during the fall season, Pretty Little Liars is at the top of that list. Everything about the twists and turns of life in Rosewood keeps us on our toes. From the endless “A” reveals to the beyond stellar music that moves the show along to fashion choices that truly shaped our high school closets, this show has everything. Plus, it features the best “mean girl” in a TV show of all time with Alison DiLaurentis, and a theme song we would recognize anywhere.
Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is the ultimate comfort show. Everything about the world of Stars Hollow makes us want to wrap up in a blanket with a cup of coffee and binge-watch. This show is as feel-good as it gets. Even in moments where it may get emotional, it is generally a low-stakes show. You can watch Lorelai and Rory and escape into their world for the entirety of an episode.
Only Murders In The Building
We aren’t sure if it’s the “Knives Out as a TV show vibes” or if it’s the fact that Martin Short and Steve Martin on camera automatically make us feel warm and fuzzy inside, but Only Murders in the Building definitely puts us in the perfect mood for this time of year. Our fellow Crime Junkie Selena Gomez as Mabel is also, of course, our current fall fashion icon.
The Haunting Of Hill House
If you’re looking for something that plays into the spookier side of the fall season, The Haunting of Hill House is clearly the way to go! This show is expertly written and features some of our favorite acting that has graced our TV Screens, specifically with Victoria Pedretti. You will become addicted after the first episode, and we would be surprised if you didn’t binge the whole show in a day or two.
Wednesday
To finish out this list, we had to give flowers to this modern take on a universally beloved character, Wednesday. Wednesday Addams has been a pop cultural mainstay since the 60s, and with the help of the incredibly talented Jenna Ortega and an industry titan in the form of Tim Burton, this show carries that legacy beautifully.
Check out more of our Fall/Halloween coverage here!
We would love to hear from you! What show makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside during this time of year? Is it Gilmore Girls? Pretty Little Liars? Let us know by commenting below or by tweeting @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
If readers needed any additional verification that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ war with Disney is in fact over, a shiny new political appointment by the Republican governor should seal the deal.
DeSantis on Friday appointed Jeff Vahle, president of Disney World Resorts, to join the University of Central Florida board of trustees, an unpaid role that nonetheless wields power in the adoption of university policies.
Vahle, who graduated from the private Rollins College with a master’s degree in business administration, currently serves on the Rollins College board of trustees and previously served as a member of the board of directors for the charitable nonprofit Give Kids the World, according to a news release from the governor’s office. His appointment to the board of trustees for UCF, the state’s largest public university by student enrollment, is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
Jeff Vahle, president of the Walt Disney World Resort Credit:Disney
DeSantis has used his appointment powers to get political allies into influential positions at Florida universities, with the “hostile takeover” of Sarasota’s New College serving as a prime example of what conservative activists can do to absolutely destroy a school that previously served as a haven for liberal-minded misfits. According to Insider Higher Ed, spending has soared at New College two years into the right-wing takeover, while the school’s rankings are, reportedly, slipping.
The appointment of Vahle, who’s led the Disney World resort since 2020, to UCF’s trustee board incites some intrigue, to say the least. DeSantis notoriously took Disney to war in 2022 — despite previously raking in thousands of dollars from the Mouse in political campaign contributions — after the Walt Disney Co. had the gall to position itself in favor of LGBTQ+ rights.
The multibillion-dollar entertainment company that year specifically took a stand against a “parental rights in education” bill championed by DeSantis, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay,” that banned the mention of gender identity and sexual orientation in K-12 schools.
“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law,” the company declared in a statement, shortly after the bill’s signing. “Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that.”
Things escalated from there. Disney and DeSantis later went to court over the governor’s takeover of a Disney-affiliated governing board, previously known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which oversaw emergency services in the Disney World area and infrastructure.
Made possible by Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature, the takeover allowed DeSantis to appoint his own members to the district’s governing board, today known as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The two parties eventually ended their two-year legal dispute (costing taxpayers $795 per hour for the state’s lawyers) over the removal of Disney’s self-governing status in March 2024 after reaching a settlement. DeSantis has since made nice with Disney through other convenient political appointments, too.
The Disney World Resort, a major tourism driver for the Sunshine State, is the largest single-site employer in the country, employing about 80,000 cast members across its theme parks, hotels and Disney Springs.
The UCF board of trustees, meanwhile, is made up of 13 members, six of whom are hand-picked by the Florida governor. The board is responsible for the university’s financial management and “the administration of UCF in a manner that is dedicated to and consistent with the university’s mission and with the mission and purposes of the State University System,” according to its website.
It’s the latest indication that DeSantis’ dubious war with Disney is in fact over
“At the end of this year, if Congress doesn’t do its job, we are going to see 25 million Americans have their healthcare costs go up anywhere from 50 to 300 percent,” the Democratic congressman said
Art² features outdoor seating, local food vendors, craft beverages and more
Believe it or not, an 8-month-old’s sleep schedule is what led to a face-off between California lawmakers and the entertainment industry over loud commercials on streaming services.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 576 into law this week. The bill, introduced by state Senator Tom Umberg, prohibits Netflix, Prime Video, and other streamers from blasting commercial volume way above the level of whatever show or movie you’re watching in California.
This mission began when Zach and Rachel Keller were doing what new parents do: settling in to watch TV after finally getting their daughter, Samantha, down for the night.
That is when a blaring commercial abruptly ended their moment of peace, waking Samantha again.
“A lot of times, we have the volume so low that we just have subtitles running and still, the commercial ad volumes are so ear-piercing that it wakes her up,” Rachel Keller said.
Federal law already prohibits regular TV broadcasters from running commercials that are way louder than the program you’re watching. However, streaming services weren’t around when lawmakers passed the federal Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act back in 2010. So it doesn’t apply to them.
Zach Keller works for Senator Umberg and approached him about closing that loophole.
“I thought, ‘I’ve got three kids, eight grandchildren. That’s a good idea,’ Umberg told CBS News California in August before Newsom signed the bill. “I think it’s one of the most popular bills in the legislature, but it’s not popular with everyone.”
The bill was unanimously passed by the state Senate and sailed through its Assembly committee, but it stalled before its final vote as the powerful Motion Picture Association fought hard to kill the bill, arguing it could hurt small independent streaming services.
Unlike the broadcasting cable networks, streaming ads come from several different sources and cannot necessarily or practically be controlled by streaming platforms.
“‘Are you kidding?’ That’s my response [to that]. They know which hand I use to basically control the remote. They can basically figure out how to make them within a normal range,” Umberg said in August.
None of the streaming services responded to our emails, and the Motion Picture Association declined an interview.
As for Samantha and her very tired parents, they hope this ultimately helps babies across the country sleep a little more soundly.
“We heard Californians loud and clear, and what’s clear is that they don’t want commercials at a volume any louder than the level at which they were previously enjoying a program,” Newsom’s office said in a statement after the bill was signed into law.
The Kellers weren’t the only ones who had been frustrated. Forum and forum, and review after review, people across the country have complained about loud streaming commercials and ads.
SB 576 demonstrates the power of the California lawmakers to do something the federal government can’t.
In a state this big, companies generally don’t create one policy or product for California and another for everyone else. So as goes California, goes the nation.
Now signed by Newsom, the commercial volume restrictions for streaming services will go into effect on July 1, 2026.
Tangled has been untangled. Last year, Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey was attached to a live-action remake of the hit 2010 Disney musical but after the live-action Snow White bombed at the box office, Disney put a pin in it. Now, that pin has been pulled, especially with Scarlett Johansson reportedly circling the role of the villainous Mother Gothel.
Deadline broke the news of the resurgence, citing Snow White as the reason for the pause. But also, explaining that “there’s a big difference in regards to the audience appeal for old Disney animated pics receiving the live action take, versus those titles post the 1989 Little Mermaid musical renaissance.”
Basically, with the exception of The Little Mermaid, almost all of the live-action adaptations of classic animated films originally released in that era—Aladdin, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast—have fared much better than Snow White. The most recent example is Lilo & Stitch, which remains the only $1 billion grosser of the year so far.
Jennifer Kaytin Robinson wrote the script for the remake, which is expected to follow the beats of the 2010 film that featured the voices of Mandy Moore as Rapunzel and Zachary Levi as Flynn Rider. There’s no word on who’d play those roles yet but Johansson as Mother Gothel, who kidnaps and imprisons the magical Rapunzel in order to keep her own youth, would be a huge win for the studio.
The original film grossed almost $600 million globally and won a Grammy for its signature song, “I See the Light.” It remains a beloved addition to the Disney animated musical family, with a ride recently opening at DisneySea in Tokyo, Japan. If and when this film happens, it has every chance to be as big a hit as many of those other films.
Do you see any more entanglements for a Tangled remake? Is Scarlett Johansson the special ingredient to get it done? Let us know below.
Disney said on Wednesday that the entertainment giant is raising admission prices for its theme parks, effective immediately.
Some types of entry to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, and to Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, will cost more, the company told CBS News. On some of the most popular days of the year to visit the two parks, a single-day ticket will cost roughly $199, currently the most expensive pass.
The price hikes come amid growing demand to visit Disney’s park on certain days, like New Year’s Eve. For the week of Thanksgiving, from Nov. 24 to Nov. 29 the cost of entry to Disneyland will rise from $199 to $224, according to Disney’s website. Prices will rise by the same amount for the holiday period between Dec. 20 and Jan. 3.
At Disneyland Resort, pass prices are also increasing. It offers seven different ticket tiers, five of which are increasing by 3% or less, Disney told CBS News. The lowest-priced ticket will remain unchanged at $104.
Disney’s Inspire and Believe Magic Key Passes — its highest-tier passes — will increase in price by $150 and $100, respectively. The Inspire Key now costs $1,899, and the Believe Key costs $1,474. The Enchant and Imagine passes will not rise in price, the company said.
At Walt Disney World, the lowest- and highest-priced tickets on sale through October of 2026 remain unchanged.
“Disney Parks offer a full day of experiences each day, with ticket, hotel and dining options designed to suit a wide range of needs and budgets for all who visit. Our commitment to creating magical experiences for everyone remains at the heart of what we do — and that will never change,” Disney officials said in a statement.
Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.
The time has come! The leaves are changing colors, the stores are starting to smell like cinnamon, and everything pumpkin is available at our fingertips! All of this could only mean one thing, and it’s that our favorite way to end our day is with one of these movies for the foreseeable future!
Halloweentown (1998)
You simply can’t go through the fall/Halloween season without watching Halloweentown. It would be borderline criminal. There is nothing quite like the music that plays when the Cromwell kids first enter Halloweentown, seeing Debbie Reynolds be the greatest movie grandmother of all time, or seeing the quaint town of St. Helens, Oregon, transform on screen into our dream location.
Practical Magic (1998)
This movie is as close to perfect as a movie has ever been. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman light up on screen and bring such warmth and whimsy into the film. This movie features the best song placement in our memory with ‘This Kiss’ by Faith Hill, and features a quote we have lived by ever since. So remember, always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck, and fall in love whenever you can.
A murder mystery featuring Chris Evans as the villain, Daniel Craig as the detective, and a career-high performance from Ana de Armas? Count us in! This movie does a perfect job at keeping you guessing, yet if you watch it again, you will see each clue that led up to the reveal clear as day. It’s the ideal fall family watch with a star-studded cast.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Beetlejuice is synonymous with the spooky season. Like clockwork, the calendar turns to October and we are set ready to sing along to some Harry Belafonte and remember what sparked our love for obscure art and tiny replicas. Beetlejuice has become a cultural mainstay; you can’t go into any Halloween section without seeing the face of Michael Keaton looking back at you, as it should be.
Twilight (2008)
It is officially Twilight season! We have ‘Eyes on Fire’ by Blue Foundation on repeat, we are relishing in the rainy days, and we are falling right back into a time when the only choice we had to make that held weight was if we were Team Edward or Team Jacob. This movie launched the careers of some of the best working actors today, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, so technically, we have Stephanie Meyer to thank for the best Batman movie!
Hocus Pocus (1993)
We know we said Beetlejuice is synonymous with spooky season, but Hocus Pocus gives it a run for its money! From the endless quotes that have become a normal part of the cultural zeitgeist to the Sanderson Sisters being on every piece of merch imaginable, there is no escaping what a timeless film Hocus Pocus has evolved into.
Scooby-Doo (2002)
Scooby-Doo may just be the best casted movie of all time. They nailed every single role and crafted the world of Spooky Island in a way that made it feel real. We still think not making Spooky Island into a real amusement park was a miss of epic proportions. We actually are going to go watch this movie right now, and relish in what masterpiece it is.
Check out more of our Fall/Halloween coverage here!
We would love to hear from you! What is your comfort fall–time movie? Is it Hocus Pocus? Is it Twilight? Let us know by commenting below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, StyleCaster may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The limited edition Levi’s Toy Story collection is officially here, and it’s honestly one of the best Disney Style collaborations I’ve seen in a long time. The collection, which launched on October 2 and celebrates the 30th anniversary of Pixar’s Toy Story, features a range of men’s, women’s, and unisex pieces inspired by Woody’s Roundup, the fictional puppet show that Woody, Bullseye, and Jessie all starred in in the film.
I was one of the first people to see the collection IRL, and here’s everything you need to know—including some of my favorite pieces.
Levi’s Toy Story Collection at a Glance:
As one of the most iconic westernwear brands, Levi’s is the perfect partner for Disney and Pixar to bring this vision to life. The collection reimagines some of Levi’s most beloved silhouettes with nods to characters through patch and repair details, chain-stitched embroidery, and motifs—including Woody as a Levi’s-inspired saddleman.
I sat down with Leo Gamboa, the senior director of collaboration and customization design at Levi’s, ahead of the Levi’s x Toy Story launch, and he shared how this collection had organic synergy, with the way Woody as a character lends itself to Levi’s aesthetic, history, and heritage.
“The magic of it is figuring out how to blend the two together in a way that is very tasteful and timeless,” he explained. “For us, it’s about finding these specific silhouettes that are iconic for Levi’s and then implementing the likeness of Toy Story into that in a way that is very wearable and has a very fashionable, lifestyle feel.”
Woody’s Levi’s Jeans
We can also now confirm that Woody does wear Levi’s 501 jeans. The character is known for his western denim, but Disney has never confirmed or allowed a brand to alter Woody’s outfit, until now.
Throughout the collection, you’ll spot a little red Levi’s tag on Woody’s jeans—a small detail but a massive win for the brand and the collection. Gamboa called this “the most pinnacle piece of the collection,” referencing the legalities of getting Woody to actually wear a pair of Levi’s jeans.
“Our goal is to get everyone in Levi’s jeans, and we got Woody, one of the most special characters and personalities in the world, wearing Levi’s jeans,” he told me. As someone who loves a good Disney collaboration, I think the company often falls short on details like these. Seeing that little red tag on the pocket of Woody’s 501s makes the collection that much better.
A Sentimental Nod to Disney Adults
My favorite part, though, is the way Levi’s took inspiration from Disney adults in the designs. Each item features a special patch with Toy Story characters, including Woody, Jessie, Buzz, and Rex. These patches are selected at random during construction, making each item even more unique and serving as a special tribute to Disney fans’ love of mystery items and pin collecting.
There isn’t a way to order an item with a specific patch, and the anticipation of finding out which character you’ll get makes these pieces all the more special.
Shop the Levi’s Toy Story Collection Before It Sells Out
The Levi’s collection dropped on October 2 on Levi’s and Disney Store, and it’s quickly selling out. Here are some of the best pieces from the collection, including a replica Woody Belt, the patchwork jeans that sold out on Levi’s website (but are still available through Disney!), and the sweetest Jessie the cowgirl-inspired jacket and bell-bottom jeans set.
Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Levi’s is a STYLECASTER sponsor, however, all products in this article were independently selected by our editors. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.
Levi’s x Toy Story Type III Jacket
The Levi’s x Toy Story Type III Jacket is one of the hero pieces in the collection, featuring the brand’s Type III Trucker Jacket silhouette with a Woody print on the back. If you look closely, Woody is wearing a pair of 501 jeans, too.
The limited edition denim Toy Story jacket is available in a unisex fit and features subtle nods to Woody’s cowboy outfit throughout, including a cow print elbow patch and red bias tape along the edge of one of the front pockets. If you’re going to buy one thing from this collection, the jacket is it.
Sizes Available: XS-2XL Material: 100% cotton
Levi’s x Toy Story Western Shirt
When I first saw the collection at the Levi’s headquarters, my eyes immediately went to this Levi’s x Toy Story Western Shirt—and it was one of the pieces I knew I had to take home with me. This cow print shirt features a classic denim shirt silhouette with western stitching throughout. It’s constructed from a lightweight cotton and hemp blend that drapes nicely when buttoned up, but also boasts enough weight to wear it open as a lightweight jacket.
The Levi’s x Toy Story Type II Jacket and matching Levi’s x Toy Story Ribcage Bells is the Jessie-inspired look of my dreams. When viewing the collection, I heard audible gasps from others over how gorgeous it is IRL. This cropped denim jacket features a deep indigo wash with an adorable cow print collar and a one-of-a-kind “Yodalayheehoo” chain stitch embroidery as a sweet nod to Jessie the cowgirl.
Sizes Available: 2XS-2XL Material: 100% cotton
Levi’s x Toy Story Ribcage Bells
I love that the Levi’s x Toy Story Type II Jacket and matching Levi’s x Toy Story Ribcage Bells are sold as separates, but they’re meant to be a set. If you’re going to get the jacket, the bell-bottom jeans are too good to pass up. Similar to the jacket, these jeans feature a deep indigo wash with cow print accents. Those western-inspired smile pockets are also so good.
Sizes Available: 24-34 Material: 100% cotton
Levi’s x Toy Story Western Jacket
The Levi’s x Toy Story Western Jacket is another hero piece. This cropped quilted jacket features a boxy unisex fit and is constructed from piece-dyed bull denim. It also features some unique (and oh-so-special) details, like chain-stitched embroidery on the cuff, a Bullseye patch on the arm, and studded accents with tiny motifs inspired by the film.
Sizes Available: XS-2XL Material: 100% cotton
Levi’s x Toy Story Woody Saddleman Hoodie
I’m not usually one to go for the hoodie in a collection like this, but I had to take this one home. The hoodie is constructed from a heavyweight cotton material that gives it a more luxe feel. It’s also a piece that truly embodies the collaborative spirit between the brands, with a Woody Saddleman design on the back. I’m not surprised that this piece is already selling out.
Sizes Available: 2XS-2XL Materials: 100% cotton
Levi’s x Toy Story Cow Hat
In addition to clothing, the collection also features some must-have accessories, including this Levi’s x Toy Story Cow Hat. The unisex hat features the same cow print material featured in some of the clothing pieces, along with fun details such as an adjustable leather strap with the Pixar ball embossed on the buckle. This hat is available in a denim Toy Story logo style with the cutest western-inspired stitching.
Size: 27 x 18 x 12 cm Material: 100% cotton
Levi’s x Toy Story Woody Belt
The Levi’s x Toy Story Woody Belt is another must-have accessory from the collection. This is an exact copy of Woody’s belt in the film, with some fun studded detailing along the leather for added flair. It’s a fun piece for any Toy Story fan, whether you want to cosplay at the Disney Parks or nod to your favorite cowboy at a country concert.
The Levi’s x Toy Story Loose Jeans are a piece that I am not surprised to see already sold out on Levi’s website (and almost sold out on Disney!). The use of fabric patches provides a subtle nod to these characters and is a unique way to tie Toy Story into the jeans without it feeling too overt. These details extend beyond the patch and repair style and are inspired by the scene in the film where Woody gets refurbished and the idea of a toy being passed down through generations.
It’s officially October, which can only mean one thing: Halloween season is finally here! At least for normies, because some of us outcasts live it every day, anyway.
Pop culture purveyors such as Spirit Halloween, BoxLunch, and the Disney Store have rolled out their spooky bag of tricks and treats. Fans of KPop Demon Hunters, Wicked,Star Wars, Stranger Things, and Terrifier will be happy to discover there’s new gear aplenty to celebrate the season. So, if you’re on the hunt for boo basket goods, or in need of costume ideas, frightfully fun fashion, and Halloween decor, you’re in the right place, as we’re running down the best of the season so far!
Fashion and accesories
‘One Piece’ x Dr. Squatch (Prices vary)
Clean up like a pirate before or after Halloween festivities with this One Piece bath collection from Dr. Squatch.
‘One Piece’ Straw Hat ($29)
Be the king of the pirates with this official Monkey D. Luffy replica Straw Hat available online and in stores at BoxLunch. The online and in store retailer also features more One Piece fashions to look ready to join the Straw Hat crew.
Glimmer like a Marvel villain with earrings from Girls Crew that represent comic book baddies—the perfect accessory for your badass costume.
Girls Crew ‘Star Wars’ earrings ($45)
Get in the galactic spirit of the season this Halloween with earrings shaped like Star Wars treats from Girls Crew.
Loungefly x Marvel Studios ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ ($120)
Add a Fantastic Four cosplay backpack look from Loungefly if you’re dressing up as a member of Marvel’s first family.
Disney Store ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ Oogie Boogie bottle ($60)
Keep hydrated with an Oogie Boogie steel water bottle from the Disney Store online. This is a good size for theme park hopping or long trick or treat walks.
Posh Peanut x Haunted Mansion (Prices vary)
Grim grinning looks for the whole family inspired by Disney’s Haunted Mansion are simply too chillingly cute. There are looks to haunt your home halls and also for a day out at Disney World, whose Haunted Mansion still runs during Halloween, or to make a pro-Halloweentime statement at Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday.
Unique Vintage x Disney Halloween Bat Hoodie ($64)
This Cakeworthy Minnie Mouse bat hoodie is perfect for Halloweentime at Disney Parks. It’s low-key but a statement to flap around in from park to park.
Unique Vintage x Pixar ‘Coco’ ($42)
Seize your moment, Mama. This Unique Vintage x Pixar Coco shirt tells the family who’s in charge especially at the theme parks.
BoxLunch x ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Sweater ($60)
Throw this Freddy Fazbear pizza delivery fit on in 30 minutes or less. Find this and more Five Nights at Freddy’s gear online or in stores at BoxLunch.
Unique Vintage x Elvira Dagger Dress ($110)
Become the Mistress of the Dark with this official Elvira x Unique Vintage dress inspired by the horror hostess’ iconic look. It’s Cassandra Peterson approved!
Netflix ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ (Prices vary)
Get the squad together to become Huntr/x with Netflix’s official KPop Demon Hunters collection. The online Netflix shop features fashion that can work in Halloween group cosplay or cozy movie night in capacity. The Huntr/x pajamas are perfect for streaming KPDH on the couch, couch, couch.
RSVLTS Spooky season collection (Prices vary)
From Star Wars to the Universal Monsters, RSVLTS trademark short sleeves are getting the Halloween treatment. Find designs such as “Dismembers Only” a delightful spin on the grim limb losses in the Star Wars universe.
Dress up as a Huntr/x or Saja boys fan this Halloween with band shirt options from BoxLunch. The online and mall retailer is working hard to get that KPop Demon Hunters merch in stores and into the hands of the fans.
Decor and more
Spirit Halloween x ‘Ghostbusters’ Slimer ($70)
Hang out with this unhinged hanging Slimer replica from Spirit Halloween’s Ghostbusters selection of decor and accessories. The details really get the gross green ghost’s whole vibe and sassy shapely figure.
Spirit Halloween x ‘Halloween’ neon sign ($50)
Michael Myers gets the neon sign treatment; it looks good on him and good on your wall. This product also features other slasher baddies including Chucky, Art the Clown, and more!
Party after midight with Stripe from Gremlins, this Home Depot animatronic can stay up from Halloween to Christmas. We love a dynamic holiday lawn greeter, especially one that mashes up the holidays. The collection just needs an adorable Gizmo addition.
Last-minute costumes
Bums and Roses x ‘Power Rangers’ family matching collection (Prices vary)
It’s morphin’ time with this extensive retro Power Rangers drop from Bums and Roses that’s got the whole family covered.
Bums and Roses x ‘Scooby-Doo’ (Prices vary)
Dress the whole squad up as Mystery Inc. with Bums and Roses’ cozy costume collection inspired by Scooby and friends. There are costume onesies and groovy yet spooky lounge wear that’s perfect for the season.
‘Wicked: For Good’ costumes (Prices vary)
Find the Glinda to your Elphaba and take flight this Halloween. You can now find looks from Wicked: Part One and Wicked: For Good in adult and kids sizes just in time for the sequel’s release.
Spirit Halloween x Damien Leone’s ‘Terrifier’ (Prices vary)
If you’ve been looking for Art the Clown costumes for the whole (and I mean whole including the pets) family, Spirit Halloween has you covered. The store also has a massive selection of Terrifier merch for anyone who wants to get their hands on awesome goods for the cult killer clown slasher. We love the inclusion of the daisy sunglasses and Sienna’s superpowered dagger.
Tim Allen has recently shared some new information about Toy Story 5, revealing some interesting plot details about the upcoming Pixar sequel.
What did Tim Allen say about Toy Story 5?
Speaking during a recent appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark, Allen dove into the highly anticipated upcoming movie. While he couldn’t give away too much, Allen did say that Jessie, the cowgirl doll played by Joan Cusack, plays a large role in the movie.
“It’s such a great story. I can only tell a little bit of it,” Allen said. “It’s a Jessie story, Tom [Hanks] and I have to reunite, and there’s just the funniest thing, because there’s a whole bunch of Buzzes involved. And there’s a reason why there’s a whole bunch of me, so there’s 100 of me in a separate story, and I’m having so much fun.”
Allen also spoke about how he was initially hesitant to return to the movie after 2019’s Toy Story 4, but was eventually convinced by Disney’s Bob Iger. “You wonder if four was too many,” said Allen. “Is five going to be too much? According to the scuttlebutt, the writer that’s doing it wrote one of the better ones, and he said, ‘If I didn’t get this right, I wouldn’t do it.’ So, it could be a very, very interesting way to reunite it.”
The synopsis for Toy Story 5 reads, “The toys are back in Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5, and this time around it’s Toy meets Tech. Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the gang’s jobs get exponentially harder when they go head to head with this all-new threat to playtime.”
Toy Story 5 hits theaters on June 19, 2026. Although there are rumors that more movies are in the works, at this time, there’s been no confirmation or announcement from Disney or Pixar regarding any additional Toy Story movies; that being said, Pixar filmmaker and CCO Pete Doctor recently said the company plans on releasing one original film followed by one sequel in the years to come.
Jared Leto is known for a lot of things at this point, but one thing that he’s perhaps very known for is his approach to getting in character on-set. Leto is a tried and true method performer, and his turn as the titular program in the upcoming Tron: Ares was no exception to that process.
Which might mean you’re bracing yourself to hear how Leto could possibly have gotten into method acting for playing a digital warrior made up of code that comes from a computerized alt-world. After all, this is the man who hobbled about on crutches during the production of Morbius—to the point of contributing to the film’s production delays—or showed up to the set of Blade Runner 2049pretending to be blind.
Or, perhaps most infamously, allegedly sent his Suicide Squad castmates animals (living and dead) and used condoms, among other things. So what could Leto have possibly done to maintain his method cred for Tron?
Turns out, it was significantly less weird than you’d expect: he simply forbade people on set from referring to him by name. Instead, it was Ares or nothing (or Air, if you’re Jeff Bridges, according to a recent interview on the Sirius XM show Literally! with Rob Lowe).
“I do address him as Ares when we’re filming and everybody goes, we get a little bit up. He’s the general walking onto set, which is fine,” Ares director Joachim Rønning recently told Screenrant. “And it’s not uncommon for actors to do it like that. And it works for him. And I think you can feel it in any movie he makes. He’s completely into the character.”
According to Rønning, it was the least he could do to help Leto get into the character of an AI supersoldier. “I know he’s a little wary about talking about his [process], I would say it’s his method,” the director continued. “It’s like, yes, he’s in character for the most part when we did this film, but that’s great. Honestly for me as a director, whatever works, I think he’s one of the best actors in the world.”
Still, considering the lengths that Leto has gone to get into a character in the past, simply asking to go by his role’s name means everyone on the Ares set got off lightly.
Disney has demanded that Character.AI stop using its copyrighted characters. reports that the entertainment juggernaut sent a cease and desist letter to Character.AI, claiming that it has chatbots based on its franchises, including Pixar films, Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In addition to claiming copyright infringement, the letter questioned whether these protected characters were being used in problematic ways in conversations with underage users.
“Character.ai’s infringing chatbots are known, in some cases, to be sexually exploitive and otherwise harmful and dangerous to children, offending Disney’s consumers and extraordinarily damaging Disney’s reputation and goodwill,” the letter said.
Character.AI has been subject to legal and government scrutiny multiple times already over concerns that it has not provided sufficient safety guards for minors. The platform has been in failing to protect two different teenagers who discussed suicide with its chatbots and then took their own lives. It has also drawn the attention of the and .
For now, at least, the platform appears to be responsive to Disney’s demands. “It’s always up to rightsholders to decide how people may interact with their IP, and we respond swiftly to requests to remove content that rightsholders report to us,” a representative said, per the Axios report. “These characters have been removed.”
Disney has shown that it is willing to take legal action against AI companies. It along with Universal Studios in June on allegations of copyright infringement.
Love is love! Photo: 20th Century Fox/Everett Collection
Hey, we may not get more Spider-Man, but more Spider-Pig is always welcome. Disney and 20th Century Studios confirmed The Simpsons 2 with a poster on September 29. “Homer’s coming back for seconds,” it reads, and the “all-new movie” is set for release on July 23, 2027. Initially, that date was to be taken by a yet-untitled Marvel film — but now there’s nothing between 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, both of which were postponed to December from May.
The first Simpsons movie was a global smash in 2007, bringing in $536 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo. Now, 20 years later, the sequel is finally being made. Why would Disney want to green-light it now? Well, in 2024, former co-showrunner Al Jean told Screen Rant the Simpsons team was “really hoping for Inside Out 2 to do great this summer.” (That movie ultimately grossed over a billion dollars.) “I want to see the animation business completely returned to what it was before the pandemic,” Jean added. “And then, I think if that was the case, it would make sense to do The Simpsons theatrically. But I understand that it’s an issue above me about, ‘Where would you release it? And how would you release it?’” Asked and answered. Big yellow’s back to the big screen, baby.
Disney lost 1.7 million paid streaming subscribers who cancelled service in the immediate aftermath of ABC pulling Jimmy Kimmel from the airwaves, according to journalist Marisa Kabas. Kimmel’s show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, was suspended for a week after President Donald Trump’s FCC pressured local TV stations to drop the late-night host, though he’s since been returned to the air.
“Disney saw more than 1.7 million total paid streaming cancelations during the period 9/17-9/23, a Disney source confirms to me. The total includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN,” Kabas wrote on Bluesky Monday.
Kabas reports that 1.7 million was 436% above a subscriber loss that’s typical for the same period, though Disney didn’t immediately respond to Gizmodo’s questions about the report. Kabas broke a story last week in The Handbasket about a planned price increase for Disney+. Disney announced Kimmel was coming back shortly before the price increase was officially announced.
Calls to cancel Disney-owned streaming services went viral across several social media platforms as a way to express discontent with Disney’s decision. And it’s not clear how many subscribers may plan to return since Kimmel is back on the air.
Jimmy Kimmel’s show became a flashpoint for the culture wars after the murder of MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, when he was shot while speaking on a college campus in Utah. Kimmel made a comment that some interpreted as the host insisting that the shooter was a Trump supporter, even though Kimmel said it’s not what he intended.
But that comment sent off a flurry of confused outrage online, and FCC chairman Brendan Carr took the opportunity on Benny Johnson’s podcast to call Kimmel’s comment “some of the sickest conduct possible.” Carr then went on to make mobster-like threats against the TV stations that air Kimmel.
“Frankly, when you see stuff like this, I mean, we can do this the easy way or these companies can find ways to change conduct… to take action, frankly, on Kimmel or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead,” said Carr.
Carr’s comments were obviously made in bad faith, but they were very predictable. President Trump celebrated Stephen Colbert’s cancellation at CBS over the summer and explicitly said that Kimmel would be “next,” along with Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers at NBC. Trump has seethed at comedians who make fun of him, a typical reaction among autocrats historically. And his FCC clearly feels emboldened to put pressure on media companies to get rid of any content that doesn’t fully support the president.
Trump even said on Air Force One recently that any TV network that criticizes him should lose its license, falsely insisting, “they’re not allowed to do that.” People can go on TV to criticize politicians all they like, which is considered protected speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Kimmel’s show returned to the air last week and, despite a couple of days with Sinclair and Nexstar preempting the show in several markets, they eventually dropped their boycott. Local ABC affiliates in the U.S. all show Jimmy Kimmel Live now, though it seems clear that Trump and his government aren’t going to give up so easily.
Any dissent on TV is too much dissent for Trump. And the famously thin-skinned president will continue to erode freedoms in the U.S. as long as he remains in power. The only question is what lever he tries to pull next to get guys like Kimmel off the air.
