One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 hit Netflix earlier this week, and as it’s become clear that there’s no secret ninth episode coming—as intense internet speculation had suggested—disappointed fans have instead turned to scrutinizing the documentary for answers, clarity, and fuel for more speculation. And, well, “Conformity Gate” can step aside, because “ChatGPT Gate” is the hot new topic.
The controversy comes because eagle-eyed viewers spotted what appear to be ChatGPT tabs visible on a computer being used by one of the Duffer Brothers. As part of One Last Adventure‘s behind-the-scenes access, viewers see what it was like in the Stranger Things writers’ room as the team, including the Duffers, frantically tries to complete the script for episode eight, “The Rightside Up,” under pressure from Netflix and the show’s production team.
Speaking to One Last Adventure director Martina Radwan, the Hollywood Reporter asked outright if she ever saw generative AI being used by the show’s writers. Her first response: “I mean, are we even sure they had ChatGPT open?”
She then added, “Well, there’s a lot of chatter where [social media users] are like, ‘We don’t really know, but we’re assuming.’ But to me it’s like, doesn’t everybody have it open, to just do quick research?”
(The answer is no, but we digress.)
However, there’s a difference between “research” and “writing a script,” which Radwan pointed out. “How can you possibly write a storyline with 19 characters and use ChatGPT, I don’t even understand.”
She continued. “Again, first of all, nobody has actually proved that it was open. That’s like having your iPhone next to your computer while you’re writing a story. We just use these tools … while multitasking. So there’s a lot going on all the time, every time. What I find heartbreaking is everybody loves the show, and suddenly we need to pick it apart.”
Radwan—who spent a full year enmeshed in Stranger Things—confirmed that she never saw generative AI being used unethically by the show’s writers.
“No, of course not. I witnessed creative exchanges. I witnessed conversation. People think ‘writers room’ means people are sitting there writing. No, it’s a creative exchange. It’s story development,” she said, “and, of course, you go places in your creative mind and then you come back [to the script]. I think being in the writers room is such a privilege and such a gift to be able to witness that.”
Radwan addressed a few other eyebrow-raising scenes captured in One Last Adventure and also responded to “Conformity Gate,” so definitely head to THR to read the whole piece.
io9 reached out to Netflix for comment or clarity on whether or not that’s actually ChatGPT viewers have spotted in the documentary, as well as the allegations that generative AI was used as part of the Stranger Things writing process. We will update this post should we hear back.
We’ve got less than two months until season two of One Piece, and Netflix has a new trailer to mark the occasion. Where previous looks were about the new lands and adventures awaiting the Straw Hats, this one’s mostly about the big threat they’ll be facing: Baroque Works. You know they’re bad dudes when the music lets the guitarist go hard the whole time.
Like Zoro says, they’re a secret group of assassins, and they’re more than happy to take down Luffy and the gang for cash. Making up this flashy group are Mmes. All-Sunday (Lera Abova), Wednesday (Charithra Chandran), Valentine (Jazzara Jaslyn), and Goldenweek (Sophia Anne Caruso), and Messrs. 9 (Daniel Lasker), 5 (Camrus Johnson), and 3 (David Dastmalchian). We’ve seen All-Sunday here and there, and this trailer gives a brief glimpse at her powers, which might make her more of a handful for the Straw Hats than the rest of her teammates.
As with last season, there’s several One Piece manga arcs getting adapted for this season’s eight-episode run. It looks like this season’s going all-in on the “Arabasta Saga,” which introduces a lot of key characters. Not all of them will make it into this season, but the ones that do, like the much-advertised Tony Tony Chopper (Mikaela Hoover), seem like they’ll make quite an impression.
The Straw Hats have a lot coming at them, and we’ll see how they fare when One Piece season two hits Netflix on March 10, with a third season already in the works.
Mess has never been messier than it is in Netflix‘s deliciously plot twisty limited series His & Hers where the truth exists in a murky quagmire of lies and deception.
Set between Atlanta and its well-to-do suburb of Dahlonega, Anna (Tessa Thompson) lives in a reclusive haze, fading away from her friends and career as a news anchor.
Source: Netflix
But when she overhears about a murder in the sleepy town where she grew up, Anna is snapped back to life, pouncing on the case and searching for answers.
Meanwhile, Detective Jack Harper (Jon Bernthal) is suspicious of her involvement, chasing her into the crosshairs of his own investigation in one of the
Check out the trailer below:
Directed by co-showrunner William Oldroyd and Anja Marquardt, the 6-episode limited series also stars Pablo Schreiber, Crystal Fox, Sunita Mani, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Marin Ireland, and Poppy Liu.
Source: Netflix
“Sometimes writing is a bit like falling in love, and I was obsessed with this story,” said author Alice Feeney, whose popular novel inspired the series.
“When I think about the journey this story has been on, from having the idea, to writing it in my shed, to seeing it published all over the world, and now seeing the characters come to life on screen, it feels nothing less than magic.”
As expected, social media spiraled into hysteria over the twisty-turner series with one of the buzziest endings in recent memory.
Ahead of the chaos, we caught up with Tessa Thompson who opened up about the hit series, studying news anchors, her love for Atlanta, and more in our interview below:
Netflix’s TV and movie release schedule for January 12 to January 18, 2026, includesThe Boyfriend Season 2, Veronica Mars Seasons 1-3, Bone Lake, and Love Through a Prism.
On January 13, The Boyfriend Season 2 drops on Netflix. The reality show follows a group of men living together and running a coffee truck with the hopes of meeting their boyfriend one day. Season 2 will witness the men staying together in a snowy place, with the connections paving the way for a true romance.
Further, Veronica Mars Seasons 1-3 will be available on the streaming platform. It chronicles the adventures of a high school girl named Veronica who is impacted by the murder of her friend. As such, she decides to become a detective to solve some of the toughest murder cases in town.
Also coming to Netflix is the horror mystery, Bone Lake. The film follows Diego and Sage, who go for a romantic getaway at a lakeside estate. However, their lives turn upside down when they end up sharing a mansion with a mysterious couple.
Additionally, Love Through a Prism arrives on the streaming platform. The romantic drama focuses on a young woman who enrolls in an art school in London. Things take an interesting turn when she falls in love with her classmate.
New Netflix releases for January 12-18, 2026
Below are all the new TV shows and movies being added to Netflix from January 12-18, 2026.
With so many book adaptations set to debut on screen this year, it’s a great time to be a romance reader. Emily Henry is getting an early start at just nine days into 2026, with the highly anticipated friends-to-lovers story of Poppy and Alex, played by Emily Bader and Tom Blythe.
Netflix’s movie adaptation brings these characters to life. Poppy, a travel blogger, and the embodiment of wanderlust, is bright-eyed and carefree, while Alex is … not. One (long) car ride together, nine years prior to the start of the film, sets their friendship in motion. Each year they take a vacation as platonic travel companions, but this year there’s a problem in paradise.
Emily Henry is a powerhouse in the romance genre, and director Brett Haley aims to set the tone for elevating the rom-com genre by harkening back to the Jerry Maguire days.
“It was really important to me, because of the fans, to get it right. To do something that was made with a ton of love, a ton of care, and that we were true to these characters that are so beloved. I think that is the appeal of Emily’s books—her characters, it’s the way that she writes people,” Haley tells Los Angeles.
With the eyes of EmHen’s devoted readers of the international best-selling book, and just about all of BookTok upon them, Henry and Haley delivered.
“Emily’s work is that good, and that nuanced, and that deep. This was my opportunity to do that romcom I’ve been waiting for, ” says Haley.
“I’m always fascinated by friends-to-lovers because it’s such a difficult thing to get right. And yet, I think it’s a really true and honest version of how a lot of people fall in love. Kind of the way that they look at someone changes over the course of a long period of time. When I read I readPeople, that’s when I was like, oh, I have to make this. A big, classic, but grounded, human, and honest rom-com was on my Mount Everest of genres that I wanted to make. I find them to be really comforting, and I find them to be extremely artistic,” says Haley.
From the minute the adaptation was announced, fans of Henry’s books have been sharing their fancasts, favorite quotes, and other non-negotiables to see on screen. Most notably, the Palm Springs of it all. People We Meet on Vacation is not a 1:1, but it does get the Emily Henry stamp of approval.
Haley recalls the initial conversation he had with Henry about the film, wanting to emphasize that her approval and her understanding of the fans were crucial for the success of the film.
“I call it the Emily Henry Stamp. I was like, if I didn’t get the stamp of approval, it didn’t go in the movie. Her and I became really quite close through that process because there was a lot of up-and-down, we didn’t know if this was going to get made or not. Of course, there’s pressure being the first film to come out in what we’re calling the ole EHCU: Emily Henry Extended Universe.”
If readers are looking for Palm Springs, they’ll have to drop that pin a little further east in Barcelona, which got the Emily Henry Stamp. Locations and logistics change, but the essence of Poppy and Alex shines through. Haley comments on the casting of these beloved characters and how the fan reaction was delightfully positive.
“When I met Tom and Emily, I just knew. I was like, it’s them, 1-million percent, and I know no one has cast this, or even mentioned either one of them, but I have this gut feeling it’s right, and I expressed that very passionately to Emily. Then she saw the chemistry read and wholeheartedly agreed, and so we were obviously really relieved, and thrilled by the reaction. That’s the best reaction you can get from the fans. It’s something that they didn’t think of, but that they love.”
With Tom Blyth having starred in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and Emily Bader in My Lady Jane, they are not new to the expectations often set by the online community.
Haley says, “They really fit into the niche that we didn’t even think of when we were casting Tom and Emily, but I was like, oh, it’s President Snow and Lady Jane. It just sort of worked. After the fact we realized that that was sort of hitting that BookTok audience sweet spot, but Tom and Emily got this because they’re just incredible actors and their chemistry was off the charts—and is off the charts in the film.”
A major difference from page to screen is the narrator’s inner monologue. Book Poppy is a very internal character; externalizing her proved to be Haley’s biggest challenge. The use of timeline shifts helps provide that context. The film follows a non-linear narrative, building the characters’ relationship over nine years against various vacation destinations in summer sequences. The opening line, “On vacation you can be anyone you want,” allows Vacation Poppy and Vacation Alex to come out and play. This is where we see the real them at their truest selves. Providing viewers with the swoon-worthy quote, “I’m only weird when I’m with you.” The audience journeys back and forth with the pair as they navigate their present, which, at best, is awkward. Alex’s brother David’s wedding in Barcelona forces them to confront each other after something happened two years ago that cut contact between them.
Haley is on a mission to restore the former glory days of rom-coms’ past with People We Meet on Vacation. The film aims to show depth through color, while shadow usage provides emotional weight. That distinction is meant to elevate the adaptation within this genre that often favors bright, flat lighting. Haley praises the production design and costume design teams for the film’s vibrancy and effectiveness in pulling the viewer into the story to get lost in their world.
“When Poppy’s alone in her apartment in New York and it’s raining outside, intercut with David poolside in Barcelona. You can feel that, and you can feel the lack of warmth in her life literally. We made a lot of very specific decisions in that way, and I think that for whatever reason in the rom-com genre, there is often a lack of intentionality around filmmaking like this,” Haley says.
Haley hopes that People We Meet on Vacation establishes a benchmark for Emily Henry’s work and the larger romantic comedy genre to be taken seriously on screen. This film sets the tone for Henry’s five additional adaptations in the pipeline. As Haley puts it, “I do think this is the bar that the other movies should be held to. This is a genre that is so needed right now, and people are yearning for this type of material. They want vulnerable, beautiful stories up on that screen, and Emily’s books do that across the board. I’m so excited for these filmmakers who are doing her other adaptations. I want them all to cook, to do their thing, to make their own movies, but I hope that we set a really great sort of bar. To set a standard for not only what an Emily Henry movie looks like, but what a rom-com could be. I am thrilled for people to experience it and I hope that they see all that care in the final product.”
Emily Henry’s devoted readers will spot a nod to another of her best-sellers, Beach Read, and even a cameo of the author herself in the film. People We Meet on Vacation is just the beginning of Henry’s adaptation adventure. Whatever comes next to screen, fans know Henry’s type of romance is the type to stick with them long after the vacation ends.
The first onscreen adaptation of an Emily Henry boyfriend is here! That’s right, everyone. People We Meet on Vacation is out now on Netflix, starring the effortlessly charming and adorable Tom Blyth as Alex Nilsen. So, what better way to celebrate than with some puppies?!
Yup, to celebrate People We Meet on Vacation, we had Tom swing by to play with puppies while trying to answer all of our questions about filming this new rom-com, as well as look back on his previous work and just get to know him a little better, too.
He talked about the scene from People We Meet on Vacation that he and Emily Bader could not get through without laughing, and it was all thanks to Emily’s incredible comedic timing and a very messy burrito.
He also revealed what he’s taken from set over the years, including a piece of his Coriolanus Snow wig and academy pin from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
And, we also just got to know Tom a little better. Like, he said his favorite rom-com is When Harry Met Sally…, and how he’d love to work with Paul Thomas Anderson at some point during his career. He also talked about reuniting with Rachel Zegler backstage at Evita, why his love language is physical touch, and so much more.
Noah Wyle as Dr. Robby in HBO’s The PittCredit: courtesy HBO Max
Premieres Wednesday:
Beast Games — His recent video that attempted to pit male competitors against female ones was rocked by allegations of malfeasance, including Russian bots posing as legitimate players. So of course Mr. Beast is upping the ante for the second season of his wildly successful streaming show, promising $5 million to the winner of a contest that’s being advertised as “smart versus strong.” I wonder which one he identifies with. (Prime Video)
Marcello Hernández: American Boy — The SNL breakout star takes to the stage in his native Miami for his first stand-up special, which sees him recounting his experiences as a first-generation Cuban American. I don’t want to wish the curse of Pete Davidson on anybody, but I give it two more specials until he’s part of a couple you can actually believe are together. (Netflix)
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment — The docuseries that takes us into an Arizona prison where leniency and trust are the guiding principles returns for an eye-opening second season. If you want to know how it’s going, all of the cast members from Season 1 are back, but now we’re looking in on them at their hideout shack outside a Nevada silver mine. (Netflix)
Premieres Thursday:
Girl Taken — Hollie Overton’s novel Baby Doll is the source material for a six-part miniseries in which a British girl is kidnapped by a highly respected local teacher. This just in: He’s now moved up to eighth in the line of royal succession. (Paramount+)
His & Hers — Tessa Thompson plays a news anchor who tries to solve a murder in her hometown, with Jon Bernthal as a detective who doubts her motives. Well, of course he’s suspicious: Since when did broadcast news people develop an interest in justice all of a sudden? (Netflix)
The Pitt — The hit medical drama is back for a sophomore season that reportedly takes place over the course of an intense 24-hour shift during Fourth of July weekend. “Our job is not to outdo ourselves. Our job is to do ourselves,” series creator R. Scott Gemmill told Deadline. So how long until they move over to Onlyfans? (HBO Max)
The Traitors — Season 4 of the Alan Cumming–hosted competition augments its cast of reality veterans with a diverse group of celebrities from other walks of life, including comic Ron Funches, Olympian Tara Lipinski and NFL mom Donna Kelce. Oh, and also Michael Rapaport, because he thought they were looking for actual traitors. (Peacock)
Premieres Friday:
Coldwater — Andrew Lincoln plays a Londoner who moves to a small town in Scotland for his family’s safety, only to discover the place has perils all its own. For one thing, their lakes are crawling with big eels. (Paramount+)
People We Meet on Vacation — This adaptation of the novel by Emily Henry casts Tom Blyth and Emily Bader as polar opposites who begin to wonder if they might be the perfect mates. Which is the way it always goes in fiction, but if you want to know what happens in real life when opposites find each other, there are always Alex Murdaugh documentaries. (Netflix)
A Thousand Blows Season 2 — One year later, our cast of 1880s East Enders have to pick themselves up out of alcoholism and despair to regain their mastery of the London underworld. As opposed to the London Underground, which you can master just by remembering to get off before Cockfosters. (Netflix)
Premieres Sunday:
The Night Manager — Season 2 finds Tom Hiddleston’s Jonathan Pine on a new mission: to take down a Colombian arms dealer. But if he finds out they’re trafficking weed too, he’ll have to cede authority to the United States Defense Department. (Prime Video)
Premieres Tuesday:
Tell Me Lies — As Season 3 begins, coeds Lucy and Stephen have reignited their tumultuous relationship, but the missteps of the past may prove impossible to overcome. Seriously, how much of a past can you have when you’re only in college? At that point, the biggest mistake you’ve made is majoring in English literature instead of marketing. (Hulu)
Orlando’s daily dose of what matters. Subscribe to The Daily Weekly.
Related Stories
Plus a Kate Winslet Christmas tearjerker and a new Ricky Gervais stand-up special
Plus Season 5 of ‘Emily in Paris,’ ‘Breakdown: 1975’ and everything else debuting on streaming
Everything debuting this week for your winter binge-watch
The finale of Stranger Things Season 5 aired last week, but fans still believe that a secret, bonus episode is coming. A recent report, though, has thrown water on those thoughts.
According to a new report from THR, Stranger Things Season 5 ended with its eighth episode, “Chapter 8: The Rightside Up,” which aired on Netflix on New Year’s Eve. The report notes that there is no secret, ninth episode of the show, and in a previous interview with THR, creators Matt and Ross Duffer expressed their view of this era of the cast definitively ending with it.
“Mike’s [Finn Wolfhard] closing the basement door. We’re closing the door on the story. That’s one reason we had the closing credits the way we did, because it was a way of saying: ‘This is finite. This is the end of their story. It’s the end of the story of Mike and Eleven and Joyce [Winona Ryder] and Hopper,’” said Matt Duffer. “So, no, there’s no plan or intention to [revisit] the story because it’s a coming-of age story. Ultimately, that’s what it’s supposed to be. That’s what the show always was. When he closes the door to the basement, he’s closing the door on his childhood and he’s moving onto adulthood.”
Why do fans believe a Stranger Things Season 5 Episode 9 is coming?
Stranger Things is no stranger (no pun intended) to the world of fan conspiracies. However, things went even further this past week, when fans began theorizing that Stranger Things hadn’t actually ended with the eighth episode of Season 5. According to the theory, dubbed “Conformity Gate” by fans online, the series finale was actually a red herring of an ending, which is theorized to be Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) tricking the children with a fake world.
The “real” ending, according to the theory, was set to be released in surprise fashion on January 7, a week from the fake finale’s release. However, no such episode has released, and it doesn’t seem likely that one will, either. The main cause for the theory, largely, seems to be that fans were unhappy with some of the ways the show wrapped up in its final season.
A group of Stranger Things fans are taking a page from the Snyder cut—or at least, wishing they could. In the week since the release of the eighth episode of Stranger Things 5, “The Rightside Up,” reactions have ranged from pure delight to utter disappointment. Some on the pessimistic side of the spectrum have come to believe the theory that a secret ninth episode would be released on January 7 that flips everything in the finale on its head. Well, that hasn’t happened and, obviously, is never going to happen.
As with many online theories, this is a deep rabbit hole, but here are the basics. Some fans believe that clues both in the final episode and beyond point to the entire episode being one big illusion perpetrated by Vecna to convince everyone that he lost, when he actually hasn’t yet. A new finale, called “Conformity Gate,” will then be released that magically makes everyone who watches it super happy with all the choices. Some of these clues range from the time on a clock in a social media post, everyone at graduation having their hands folded, the length of a YouTube clip, and much, much more. (Those are but a few examples, but a quick search of the hashtag “#ConformityGate” on any social media platform is a good place to continue if you so desire.)
And while some of the supposed clues do share similarities, such as references to the numbers “1” and “7” (the supposed date of release), logic really should take over here. Why would Netflix spend millions of dollars promoting a series finale being released on New Year’s Eve, put it in theaters, send its cast and crew out to talk about it, tout the viewership numbers, and release a behind-the-scenes documentary, only to undercut all that by releasing an unpromoted secret episode that was only discoverable by looking at TikTok clips? It literally doesn’t make one hint of sense.
Now, is it fun to think about a secret version of something we love being released out of nowhere? Sure. We love a good surprise ending as much as the next person. And, as referenced earlier, in some instances, fans have demanded alternate, unreleased versions of things—like the Snyder cut—get released, and it’s worked.
In reality though, much like Mike’s story about Eleven to his friends in the show’s closing moments, this is all just a coping mechanism. A way to put off the reality that Stranger Things ended how it ended, and everyone will just have to deal with it. All the clues and coincidences are exactly that.
However, just to be 100% sure, io9 reached out to Netflix about this theory, and we were directed to the Stranger Thingssocialbios, both of which currently read “ALL EPISODES OF STRANGER THINGS ARE NOW PLAYING.” Gate closed.
Warner Bros. Discovery said Wednesday that its board determined Paramount’s offer is not in the best interests of the company or its shareholders. It again recommended shareholders support the Netflix deal.
“Paramount’s offer continues to provide insufficient value, including terms such as an extraordinary amount of debt financing that create risks to close and lack of protections for our shareholders if a transaction is not completed,” Warner Bros. Discovery Chair Samuel Di Piazza Jr. said in a statement. “Our binding agreement with Netflix will offer superior value at greater levels of certainty, without the significant risks and costs Paramount’s offer would impose on our shareholders.”
Story continues below advertisement
Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Business Matters: Warner Brothers rejects Paramount’s hostile bid
Late last month Paramount announced an “irrevocable personal guarantee” from Oracle founder Larry Ellison — who is the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison — to back $40.4 billion in equity financing for the company’s offer. Paramount also increased its promised payout to shareholders to $5.8 billion if the deal is blocked by regulators, matching what Netflix already put on the table.
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
In a letter to shareholders, Warner expressed concerns about a potential deal with Paramount. It said it essentially considers the offer a leveraged buyout, which includes a lot of debt, and that it could take 12 to 18 months to close a deal.
The battle for Warner and the value of each offer grows complicated because Netflix and Paramount want different things. Netflix’s proposed acquisition includes only Warner’s studio and streaming business, including its legacy TV and movie production arms and platforms like HBO Max. But Paramount wants the entire company — which, beyond studio and streaming, includes networks like CNN and Discovery.
Story continues below advertisement
If Netflix is successful, Warner’s news and cable operations would be spun off into their own company, under a previously-announced separation.
A merger with either company will attract tremendous antitrust scrutiny. Due to its size and potential impact, it will almost certainly trigger a review by the U.S. Justice Department, which could sue to block the transaction or request changes. Other countries and regulators overseas may also challenge the merger.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s board of directors on Wednesday rejected Paramount Skydance’s revised hostile bid, saying that its terms are inferior to Warner’s $82.7 billion merger agreement with Netflix.
“Our binding agreement with Netflix will offer superior value at greater levels of certainty, without the significant risks and costs Paramount’s offer would impose on our shareholders,” Warner Bros. Discovery’s board said in a statement.
The rebuff is the second from Warner Bros. Discovery of Paramount Skydance’s efforts to acquire the storied studio, which has produced films such as “Casablanca” and the “Harry Potter” franchise and owns cable networks including CNN and TNT.
Paramount Skydance, the parent company of CBS News, owns the Paramount studios and cable networks including Comedy Central and Nickelodeon.
Warner Bros. Discovery in December rebuffed Paramount Skydance’s most recent hostile bid, citing a lack of personal backing from the Ellison family.
Paramount Skydance later returned with an improved offer that included a personal guarantee from Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison — the father of Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison — for $40.4 billion in equity financing.
But on Wednesday, Warner Bros. Discovery turned down the latest offer as well, stating that Paramount Skydance’s bid posed “significant costs, risks and uncertainties” compared with the Netflix merger. Warner Bros. Discovery also said Paramount Skydance’s offer would burden the combined company with significant debt.
Paramount Skydance didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Netflix on Wednesday said it “welcomed” Warner Bros. Discovery’s ongoing commitment to the companies’ merger. The streaming service added that it has submitted its Hart-Scott-Rodino filing with U.S. agencies, which is required for a review of potential antitrust issues.
Netflix agreed to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO network, as well as its streaming and studios business, for $27.75 a share. Under the deal, Warner’s cable division would be spun off into a separately run unit before the merger is completed.
Netflix’s bid includes $23.25 in cash and shares of Netflix common stock representing a target value of $4.50. Paramount Skydance is offering $30 a share to buy all of Warner Bros. Discovery, valuing the offer at roughly $108 billion.
Warner Bros. again rejected Paramount’s latest takeover bid and told shareholders Wednesday to stick with a rival offer from Netflix.Warner’s leadership has repeatedly rebuffed Skydance-owned Paramount’s overtures — and urged shareholders just weeks ago to back the sale of its streaming and studio business to Netflix for $72 billion. Paramount, meanwhile, has sweetened its $77.9 billion offer for the entire company and gone straight to shareholders with a hostile bid.Warner Bros. Discovery said Wednesday that its board determined Paramount’s offer is not in the best interests of the company or its shareholders. It again recommended shareholders support the Netflix deal.Late last month Paramount announced an “irrevocable personal guarantee” from Oracle founder Larry Ellison — who is the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison — to back $40.4 billion in equity financing for the company’s offer. Paramount also increased its promised payout to shareholders to $5.8 billion if the deal is blocked by regulators, matching what Netflix already put on the table.The battle for Warner and the value of each offer grows complicated because Netflix and Paramount want different things. Netflix’s proposed acquisition includes only Warner’s studio and streaming business, including its legacy TV and movie production arms and platforms like HBO Max. But Paramount wants the entire company — which, beyond studio and streaming, includes networks like CNN and Discovery.If Netflix is successful, Warner’s news and cable operations would be spun off into their own company, under a previously-announced separation.A merger with either company will attract tremendous antitrust scrutiny. Due to its size and potential impact, it will almost certainly trigger a review by the U.S. Justice Department, which could sue to block the transaction or request changes. Other countries and regulators overseas may also challenge the merger.
NEW YORK —
Warner Bros. again rejected Paramount’s latest takeover bid and told shareholders Wednesday to stick with a rival offer from Netflix.
Warner’s leadership has repeatedly rebuffed Skydance-owned Paramount’s overtures — and urged shareholders just weeks ago to back the sale of its streaming and studio business to Netflix for $72 billion. Paramount, meanwhile, has sweetened its $77.9 billion offer for the entire company and gone straight to shareholders with a hostile bid.
Warner Bros. Discovery said Wednesday that its board determined Paramount’s offer is not in the best interests of the company or its shareholders. It again recommended shareholders support the Netflix deal.
Late last month Paramount announced an “irrevocable personal guarantee” from Oracle founder Larry Ellison — who is the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison — to back $40.4 billion in equity financing for the company’s offer. Paramount also increased its promised payout to shareholders to $5.8 billion if the deal is blocked by regulators, matching what Netflix already put on the table.
The battle for Warner and the value of each offer grows complicated because Netflix and Paramount want different things. Netflix’s proposed acquisition includes only Warner’s studio and streaming business, including its legacy TV and movie production arms and platforms like HBO Max. But Paramount wants the entire company — which, beyond studio and streaming, includes networks like CNN and Discovery.
If Netflix is successful, Warner’s news and cable operations would be spun off into their own company, under a previously-announced separation.
A merger with either company will attract tremendous antitrust scrutiny. Due to its size and potential impact, it will almost certainly trigger a review by the U.S. Justice Department, which could sue to block the transaction or request changes. Other countries and regulators overseas may also challenge the merger.
Akhanda 2: Thaandavam, starring Nandamuri Balakrishna, was released in theatres on December 12, 2025. After wrapping up its theatrical run, the movie is now set to begin streaming online. Here are the OTT details.
When and where to watch Akhanda 2
Akhanda 2: Thaandavam is slated to begin streaming on the OTT platform Netflix. The film will be available digitally from January 9, 2026. The platform shared the official update through its social media handles.
Sharing the announcement, Netflix wrote, “Babu ready babu… start camera.. Action! Watch Akhanda 2 on Netflix, out 9 January in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.”
Here’s the post:
Official trailer and plot of Akhanda 2
Akhanda 2: Thaandavam begins with a rivalry involving a neighbouring nation plotting to destroy India by attacking what it believes to be the country’s spiritual backbone. The rival nation plans a massive biowarfare attack during the Maha Kumbh Mela, plunging the country into a full-blown crisis.
As the DRDO works on creating an antidote to the looming threat, the responsibility falls into the hands of Janani, the 16-year-old daughter of Murali Krishna, a prodigy with an IQ of 266.
When Janani successfully develops a vaccine against the biowarfare threat, she becomes the prime target of the enemy nation. Sensing danger to her life, her uncle and Aghora, Akhanda Rudra Sikandar, return once again to protect her, just as he promised in the first instalment.
How Akhanda uses his divine strength and supernatural powers to counter the threat against Janani and the nation as a one-man army forms the rest of the narrative.
The film is a sequel to the 2021 movie Akhanda, which was a massive hit.
Cast and crew of Akhanda 2
Akhanda 2 stars Nandamuri Balakrishna in the lead role, joined by Samyuktha, Aadhi Pinisetty, Harshaali Malhotra, Viji Chandrasekhar, Kabir Duhan Singh, Saswata Chatterjee, Achyuth Kumar, Sangay Tsheltrim, Poorna, and several others in key roles.
Written and directed by Boyapati Sreenu, the fantasy action thriller features music and background scores composed by Thaman S. The movie is bankrolled by Ram Achanta, Gopi Achanta, and Ishan Saksena under the banners of 14 Reels Plus Entertainment and IVY Entertainment.
Cinematography for Akhanda 2 was handled by C. Ramprasad and Santosh Detake, while Tammiraju served as the editor.
The Beauty is based on the eponymous 2015 comic book series by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley. Murphy and series cocreator Matthew Hodgson optioned the rights nearly a decade ago, long before the release of 2024’s similarly themed body-horror film, The Substance—starring Kutcher’s ex-wife, Demi Moore, in a performance that earned the actor her first Oscar nomination. But Kutcher can’t really speak to any similarities between the two projects. When asked about comparisons between the two, Kutcher shies away from his Zoom camera, lowering his voice to a whisper: “I haven’t seen that film,” he says sheepishly.
But he does have another comp in mind for The Beauty. “There was a movie that Bradley Cooper did where a drug made him hyperproductive, Limitless. I read that script, wanted to do it—but they hired Bradley instead. Good choice, he’s great.” His new show has a similar premise. “I love this notion of giving people some superhuman capability that is not 10 steps removed from today, but two steps removed from today. I think that’s always more fun because you’re not in outer space. You can imagine this actually happening.”
It’s a topic Kutcher and his wife, Mila Kunis, had been discussing even before he got the script for The Beauty. “My wife actually said to me, ‘Somebody walks around with braces or Invisalign, and that’s totally fine. But the minute someone gets a rhinoplasty, that’s viewed differently.’ They’re both cosmetic enhancements,” he says. “One’s to your teeth and one’s to your nose. And nobody’s ever going to be judgey about getting braces, or about how your teeth turn out from the braces. But they will for rhinoplasty or lipo or a hair transplant. She and I have had a lot of conversations about this. It depends on what body part it is. That’s a really weird thing.”
Just when you thought you’d left Hawkins for good, Netflix is here to haul you back. One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 is coming to the streamer January 12. The documentary will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the blockbusterfinal season.
A trailer arrived today, which gives a glimpse of what to expect: hugs, tears, sit-down interviews with the Duffer Brothers, a look at how some of the stunts and set pieces came together, a brief mention of “Eleven’s fate” and how that was decided, and… yes, a stirring reprise of the end credits song, “Heroes.”
“I’m endlessly grateful to the Duffer Brothers for trusting me with a front-row seat to this incredible journey,” said One Last Adventure‘s director, Martina Radwan, in a Netflix press release. “Spending a full year on set with them was a true privilege—and an absolute thrill. Being able to get close and watching them bring this beloved show to life in real time, was pure joy.”
Radwan also praised the open access she got from Stranger Things‘ cast and other crew: “From the cast to their long-time collaborators, everyone welcomed me with remarkable generosity, openly sharing their personal and collective experiences from a decade of creative filmmaking, always pushing the boundaries.”
The Duffers added, “Growing up in Durham, North Carolina, we dreamed of becoming filmmakers—but Hollywood felt impossibly far away. Everything changed when we watched the behind-the-scenes documentaries for The Lord of the Rings—on-the-ground films that showed the real nuts and bolts of how a massive production actually gets made. We saw how stressed Peter Jackson was and thought: yep, that’s the dream. With the decline of physical media, that kind of behind-the-scenes storytelling has largely disappeared. We wanted to bring it back. One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things Season 5—beautifully captured and directed by Martina Radwan—is our attempt to do just that. If you love Stranger Things, or if you’re simply curious how a major Hollywood production comes to life, this one’s for you.”
If the footage of the final table read doesn’t make you feel emotional, the Duffers calling “cut” on the very last shot just might. One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 will hit Netflix Monday, January 12, at 12 a.m. PT.
For better or worse, everyone’s been talking about the final season of Stranger Things, and its finale in particular. Reactions have been mixed across the board, but for creators Ross and Matt Duffer, things more or less ended as intended.
Leading up to the finale, fans made a petition convinced there was unseen footage held hostage by Netflix, or even a secret episode. But the brothers told Variety that no such interference or hidden episode exists, with Matt saying they’ve made the show “[we] wanted to make. […] There’s no interference or direction at all from Netflix. They are, and always have been, incredible, and they really trust us. That’s been true since season one.”
If the Duffers had their say, they’d just let Stranger Things speak for itself from now on. Unfortunately, they can’t: from Joyce and Hopper discovering their classmate was Vecna to Robin and Vickie still being together, their post-finale talk has partially been about why they didn’t touch on things in the final episode, or why they made the choices they did. With Vecna, for example, they basically wrote the season like the First Shadow musical laying out his origin just didn’t exist, since they didn’t want to confuse anyone who hadn’t watched the musical. But don’t worry, they’re “sure” Joyce and Hopper talked about their Vecna connection offscreen, which…is something, right?
Likewise, they’d like audiences to determine for themselves whether young Henry embraced his own darkness or was ultimately manipulated by the Mind Flayer. At one point, though, they were interested in putting him in what Ross Duffer called “a Darth Vader-type situation” where he’d have reneged on the Flayer. As explained in a Netflix Q&A, that idea was scrapped after they talked with the writers and Vecna’s actor Jamie Campbell Bower and settled on Vecna having to “justify everything he’s done with, ‘I chose this, and I believe in this still.’ Where Henry goes, it doesn’t matter because he chooses the side of the Mind Flayer at the end of the day.”
The idea of ambiguity is something the Duffers really want to push for several characters—even with Eleven, they said there was “never a version” of the ending where she’d live a normal life with the others, so Mike and everyone else has chosen to believe she’s alive in the other dimension rather than truly gone after sacrificing herself. And by having them believe in what could be a lie, “it was such a better way to end the story and represent the closure of this journey and their journey from children to adults,” continued Ross.
Obviously, some Stranger Things fans don’t think that onscreen coyness is actually intentional or even works in the finale’s favor. But until (or if) a sequel series happens, it’s on them to craft their own theories and fill any holes in the Duffers’ narrative that they see fit, or at least until the Duffers go and explain or rationalize something else from it.
Whether you loved or hated Stranger Things, one thing it’s done is get people listening to Prince again.
Per Variety, the late artist’s 1984 hits “Purple Rain” and “When Doves Cry” surged in global streams on Spotify by 243 percent and 200 percent, respectively. For the Gen Z demographic specifically, the two tunes were boosted by 577 percent for “Purple” and 128 percent for “Doves.” And they’re not the only ones: the outlet reported streams for Prince’s entire discography have shot up by 190 percent overall, with an 88 percent rise in Gen Z streams.
The Oscar-winning Purple Rain soundtrack album was highly regarded upon release and considered one of the greatest albums ever made, and neither of the two songs has been used in a TV show since Prince’s film of the same name.
Stranger Things co-creator Ross Duffer explained that he and his brother Matt “knew we needed an epic needle drop” once they decided a record would trigger a bomb during the climactic battle in the finale. And in Ross’ words, “There’s nothing really more epic than Prince.”
Matt Duffer credited the show’s big season four needle drop—Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” of course—as helping get the ball rolling with Prince’s estate. The brothers were told by music supervisor Nora Felder it’d be a “real long shot” to get approved. In a separate Variety interview, Felder revealed the brothers had approached her with the script and their aim: two songs from 1987 or earlier, from the same artist, with song one starting on the album’s A or B-side, and song two finishing on the album’s alternate side. And this was before the scene had even been shot.
“This is just me imagining it in my head — and it’s got to play through this big, emotional, sad scene,” Felder explained. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years, but there’s still always a first.” There was a classic artist she sent the Duffers (and whose name she’s withholding), but ultimately, they all decided to try getting the two Prince songs cleared. Getting the approval on the estate’s side was a “grueling” couple of weeks, with the green light coming just days before the shoot.
Numbers have shown Prince was the right choice and that the pursuit of those songs paid off—and Netflix knows it, hence putting “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain” as the second and third tracks on the show’s latest Spotify playlist.
The Stranger Things finale hit theaters on New Year’s Eve. Yet despite doing pretty good with that one-day release, it seems Netflix still isn’t a fan of the theatrical experience when it doesn’t need to be.
Because of the cast’s contractual terms for residuals, there aren’t box office numbers to report for screenings, but Deadline and other outlets reported the finale made $25 million-$30 million worth of concession cash in its 620 screenings across North America. That concession money technically means the episode beat out KPop Demon Hunters as Netflix’s highest theatrical owner for 2025. The finale is also a particular win for AMC, which didn’t screen KPop during that movie’s time(s) in theaters, but reported more than half of all Stranger Things fans watched it at an AMC theater.
You’d think this would be good news as the streamer’s looking to snatch up Warner Bros.—which had a pretty strong big screen run in 2025—and honor that studio’s policy of putting its movies in theaters, but sources speaking to Deadline claim Netflix is considering a 17-day window for any of its potential films. That’s less than half of the 45-day standard adhered to by WB and other Hollywood studios, and AMC and other theatrical chains would very much prefer that standard maintained. Exhibitors would also love for more theatrical runs from Netflix, with the Stranger finale working as a possible “olive branch” to help get that ball rolling.
But if that alleged 17-day window happens, it’d “steamroll” the movie theater business and be bad for everyone in general. At time of writing, Netflix hasn’t disclosed any moves it aims to make should it get to acquire WB, instead keeping to its stance in December that things will currently be business as usual. But common sense and the streamer’s own past will tell you that things will be anything but, and eventually, that other shoe will drop.
Netflix’s TV and movie release schedule for January 5 to January 11, 2026, includes Pokémon Horizons: Season 3: Rising Hope part 1, HIS & HERS, Alpha Males Season 4, and Prodigal Son Seasons 1-2.
On January 6, Pokémon Horizons: Season 3: Rising Hope, part 1, drops on Netflix. It continues the adventures of Liko and Ray after a year of the events in Laqua. They are joined by Dot and Ult to delve deep into the mystery of a pink mist threatening Pokémon.
Furthermore, HIS & HERS will be available on the streaming platform. The thriller drama series chronicles the life of an estranged couple, one a detective, and another a reporter. Their lives take an interesting turn when they attempt to solve a murder case while suspecting one another.
Also coming to Netflix is Alpha Males Season 4. It continues the journey of four friends trying to make their place in an era following equality, unlike the time when they were treated as alphas.
Additionally, Prodigal Son Seasons 1-2 arrive on the streaming platform. The drama series follows Malcom Bright, who uses his genius ways to help the NYPD catch killers. However, he must carry on his career while dealing with a manipulative mom and a serial killer father.
New Netflix releases for January 5 -January 11, 2026
Below are all the new TV shows and movies being added to Netflix from January 5, -January 11, 2026
