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Tag: Paramount

  • RuPaul’s Drag Race Recap: When Athena Takes the Stand

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    Welcome back, girl groups! Oh, how I missed you. Except maybe not this version of girl groups, filled with dated references that most of the girls don’t fully understand. Okay, let me back up a little.

    Last season on RuPaul’s Drag Race, the show eschewed girl groups entirely, and it was a mistake. I thought it was weird. Suzie Toot told me it was weird when I interviewed her. And fans thought it was weird. We all like girl groups! Watching the girls struggle to put together a number reflects what they actually do at home, and the ones who are good at performing can use that to their advantage on tour and online. It’s the single challenge that most accurately reflects these girls’ ability to work as a drag queen in 2026. In the U.K., it’s become an incredibly standard challenge, spurred on by that country’s love of girl groups like Spice Girls, Little Mix, Girls Aloud, and others.

    But for some reason, American Drag Race refuses to let the girls just do modern girl-group drag. In season 14, they had to do doo-wop songs based on girl groups that the girls clearly did not know the differences between. In season 15, they literally had to become old ladies for some reason. The high-water mark for girl-group challenges in recent years is season 16, which got out of the girls’ way and just let them slay. (Remember how Nymphia ate that? Oh, those were the days.) Maybe this difference is because we have a messier history with girl groups in America, especially during the show’s heyday in the 2010s, when the only American girl group of note was Fifth Harmony, who were a mess.

    But in 2026, girl groups are huge again — specifically K-pop groups like Le Sserafim, Blackpink, and the globally based Katseye, which even includes some American members. So I was excited when I heard they were going to do “Q-pop” groups. Until, that is, RuPaul revealed the songs’ genres were all just ’60s–’80s pastiche. Look, I believe drag queens need a Rolodex of pop culture that extends beyond their years. The problem is that the show refuses to update its Rolodex. You’re telling me that Leland couldn’t work up a serviceable “Gnarly” parody that the girls could do something with? Instead, we have to sit through critiques about how Mandy Mango could not accurately evoke Sylvester. These girl groups need to get with the times.

    Still, it’s a pretty solid episode. There’s drama and hurt feelings, with some queens managing to stand out as performers and other queens managing to stand out as characters. Chief among that latter camp is Athena Dion, who, it turns out, is not a “Sasha Colby.” No, no … She’s a “Shannel.” Specifically, she’s a season-one Shannel: a classic drag queen who is utterly sour when things don’t go her way. In other words, she’s a perfect shit-stirrer for reality TV.

    The episode starts with Ru announcing the challenge: Form a “Q-pop” group and perform a song in one of three genres — doo-wop pop (à la Wham), disco (à la Sylvester), or punk (à la the Runaways). Then, Ru lets Nini Coco and Vita VonTesse Starr, as the top two from last week, pick the teams, with the four unchosen queens forming the final group of “leftovers.” They end up as such:

    Team Nini: Nini, Mia Starr, Ciara Myst, Myki Meeks, and Kenya Pleaser

    Team Vita: Vita, Briar Blush, Juicy Love Dion, Discord Addams, and Jane Don’t

    Team Leftovers: Athena Dion, Darlene Mitchell, Mandy Mango, and DD Fuego

    Athena is obviously pissed not to be chosen and promptly becomes a sourpuss for the entire episode because of it (immediately proving Nini and Vita right for not choosing her).

    When it comes time to pick the song, every single team wants disco and nobody wants punk, which is obviously a mistake. Punk requires the least dancing, so it’s helpful if you have any only-okay or even bad dancers, which every group has. Plus, it’s easily parody-able and visually interesting. And why on earth do these queens want disco? It’s Ru’s favorite genre, and she’s obviously going to be pedantic about their interpretations of it. Anyone who doesn’t have a backlog of references about disco should avoid it at all costs. The pop song is totally fine, but ultimately, it’s hard to break through on a restrained, chipper track. Athena and Vita go at it until the ungainly Discord, who literally performs in a rock band, manages to convince her team that punk is the way to go (she’s right). And Athena, who keeps referring to disco as “her era,” gets the genre she wants.

    During choreography, Nini’s pop team is filled with at-least-competent movers along with Mia Starr, who is a professional dancer, so it goes swimmingly. The punk team has to deal with Discord, who cannot move, as proven on last week’s runway, but otherwise seems fine with Juicy taking the lead. And the disco team has no clear leadership except a pissed-off Athena, and they are also saddled with Darlene, who is awful at choreo.

    The vocal recordings with Michelle go well enough for everyone except Nini, who has lost her voice. It’s definitely sad to see her struggle, but for all her freak-outs, I was confident that the judges wouldn’t hold it against her. That’s one level of unfair too far for even RuPaul.

    When the performances begin, Team Disco goes first. They are … not good. Athena starts the number off and performs exactly the kind of Drag Race verse that people like to make fun of. She has the most basic of rhythms, and sings lines like, “Pay no mind to what they say / This is your journey, lead the way.” It’s tough to watch. And the choreo, which she spearheaded, is the most basic drag choreo imaginable. Athena is a classic drag queen, but her lack of innovation is immediately hurting her. Darlene can’t dance, but she creates a fully realized ditzy character and includes a Sylvester-y high-note bit that Ru loves. She knows how to play the game. Mandy is overenergetic and performs by-the-book drag choreo, with an uncharismatic vocal performance on her verse. DD isn’t bad so much as she is boring.

    The doo-wop team is definitely better than the disco team, but I wouldn’t say they kill it. Mostly, that’s because the song sucks. Mia Starr fares the best, largely because she turns it into a Meghan Trainor track. She performs it very well, has a good voice, and has innate musicality. I hate her costume, though. Kenya does pretty well, with a cute verse. She does lose her face a little bit when she kicks her leg in the air. On TV and on Drag Race, you need to be “on” all the time. Ciara Myst really leans into the “inspirational” idea in her lyrics, which I’ll cop to finding a bit grating. Her verse isn’t bad, but it plays like Ms. Rachel for tenderqueers. Also, her costume is too busy. Nini is in the unfortunate situation of not being able to perform to her vocal recording. There’s definitely a mismatch between her big performance and her meek voice on the track, but it’s unavoidable. She definitely deserves her safe placement. Myki sounds good and looks a lot like guest judge Dove Cameron. I was impressed that this comedy queen could hold a tune and dance pretty well. Excited to see what she does next week in RDR Live! when she’s finally in her element.

    Finally, it’s the punk group. One huge advantage they have is that their song’s chorus is the only one without faux-inspirational lyrics for them to write to. Instead, they all get to be hot, badass sluts. It makes for much better drag. Discord is first. She is very lucky to be on the punk team, because I think she’d go home on either of the other teams. She mostly just stands still and performs her verse with fear in her eyes. I don’t think she’s long for this world. Vita has a little bit of the Athena problem, where her musicality is very basic, but she makes up for it with a balls-to-the-wall performance. Briar surprises me! I think she is one of the clear standouts in her group, and her look is sexy and fun. Jane goes next, and she’s great. She has a clear idea, playing a woman possessed by the devil who is vacillating between a demonic voice and her normal, more meek one. It’s very funny, very well executed, and totally inventive. Clear winner. Juicy is great throughout the number, but I wouldn’t say punk is her natural habitat. The judges end up choosing just two tops. I think if there were a third, it would be her, but I get why her pirouettes didn’t inspire much love in the rocker-chick song.

    The runway is “favorite body part” — always a great one and vague enough that it gives the queens a lot of space to have fun interpreting it. Athena goes first, showcasing her back with a … backless dress! She looks good in her ever-classic drag. Next is Darlene, doing “skin” with a trashy sunburnt look. It’s great. Her boobs are hamburgers! There are roaches in her hair! Darlene is one to watch. Mandy showcases her face by going as her grandmother’s side table with a photo of her on it. The wood-table base does not read. DD immediately made me laugh when she came out as a cloud with legs to show off her legs, but then she stood up and was wearing an ill-fitting pink leotard. Not great!

    Mia Starr wore a full-body dress that just showed off her neck, her back, her pussy, and her crack, with the reveals of each built in. It’s clever, but not pretty, and the zipper on the back isn’t pretty. Kenya shows off her “everything” in a stoned bodysuit. I get it, but also … do the damn challenge. Ciara turns my favorite look of hers so far, featuring her eyes, with eyes on her head and her boobs. It looks cute! She looks like Carol Burnett. Nini stuns on the runway, wearing a 3-D-printed brain hat and a gorgeous pink look. This is the first Nini look that has blown me away, but it’s looking like she really is the runway queen of the season. This rocks. Myki wears a leotard with a billboard advertising her legs over the top of it. Totally fine for a week where you’re guaranteed safe.

    Discord also wears a backless dress. It’s an ugly mishmash of black and gold. She continues to walk like Tina Belcher, and her lace is a completely different color from her face. She is very, very lucky that the disco team was bad this week. Vita shows off her butt. It’s a black leather leotard with belts that looks great and does, in fact, show off her butt. But I would prefer to see a little more wit. Briar wears an all-covering black-widow outfit, with just one finger poking out. It’s funny! Very Testament of Ann Lee (go see that movie). Jane shows off her mouth with a “Wendy Williams on Masked Singer”–esque outfit featuring a giant red mouth. It’s very visually striking. She knows how to deliver impact. Finally, Juicy shows off her “left leg” with a dress that features just one leg poking out. It’s cute but not jaw-dropping.

    The disco team is put in the bottom as a group, while Ru declares Jane and Mia tops. That makes sense to me, and it gives the judges a chance to express how much they like Darlene and Athena’s general drag, even as they tsk-tsk them for their challenge performances. Ultimately, Jane wins the challenge, and Mandy and DD are made the bottom two. I think that’s mostly right if you’re taking future performance into account, but I do think Athena did the most “wrong” this week. The lip-sync song is Dove Cameron’s “Too Much,” which is exactly the kind of anonymous pop track that you’d find playing at drag shows across America on any Tuesday night. In other words: It’s a clean slate and a completely fair fight. Mandy throws the table off of her and then performs an unremarkable but totally energetic version of the track, with lots of stunts but not a ton of musicality. DD just kind of walks. And so DD Fuego becomes our first out! I’m definitely disappointed to see New York out of the competition so early this year, but I can’t really argue with the results.

    • Nobody gets into a huge fight, and the girls seem mostly happy with the tops and the bottoms this week. Juicy worries about Athena. All in all, a totally fine 22 minutes of time.

    • An edit I loved this week: Pre–lip sync, the two comedy queens of the season, Myki and Jane, double-teaming a description of the queens facing off. Very funny!

    • A joke I loved this week: When the girls ask how much Athena paid DD to claim she’s a team player, DD says, “A trip to Mykonos!”

    • Last week, I claimed that Malaysia was the first queen from Florida. That was obviously wrong, and she instead was the first queen from Miami, and I got confused. Either way, the show’s recent overindexing on FL stands.

    • Trauma Makeup Corner: DD gets to talk about growing up in Monterrey, Mexico, but she doesn’t cry about it. Discord talks about being in a punk band and standing up for queer rights. Later on the runway, Darlene cries about missing performing as a queer person while being a bedroom queen after getting sober. Jane and Darlene have both cried on the runway recently. I think both were completely natural, and, at the same time, I do think enterprising queens would be smart to save their tears for when they’re in front of RuPaul, who loves vulnerability.

    • Gay thoughts from gay people: This week, Michelle Visage sent me her new perfume, Wednesday. It smells a little minty and a little like leather. It’s honestly very nice. Thank you, Michelle!

    • Predicted top four: Jane, Vita, Nini, and a wild card. Darlene?

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    Jason P. Frank

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  • ‘The Pitt’ returns for a second season on HBO

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    Noah Wyle as Dr. Robby in HBO’s The Pitt Credit: 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.

    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

    This article appears in Jan. 7-13, 2026.



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    Steve Schneider
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  • Warner Bros rejects takeover offer from Paramount – National | Globalnews.ca

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    Warner Bros. again rejected a takeover bid from Paramount 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 its 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.

    “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.”

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    Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


    Click to play video: 'Business Matters: Warner Brothers rejects Paramount’s hostile bid'


    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.

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    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.


    © 2026 The Canadian Press

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    Globalnews Digital

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  • Warner Bros. Discovery rejects Paramount Skydance’s latest hostile takeover bid

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    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. 

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    Alain Sherter

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  • Warner Bros rejects takeover offer from Paramount, tells shareholders to stick with Netflix bid

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    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.

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  • Robert Downey Jr.’s Serial Killer Movie Coming to Paramount+ Soon

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    Robert Downey Jr.’s critically acclaimed serial killer movie, Zodiac, is all set to arrive on the streaming platform, Paramount+, soon. Directed by David Fincher, the thriller was released in theaters across the US on March 2, 2007. It also features other acclaimed actors, like Jake Gyllenhaal, Anthony Edwards, Mark Ruffalo, John Carroll Lynch, and many more.

    Zodiac to stream on Paramount+ soon

    David Fincher’s Zodiac is arriving on Paramount+ next month.

    According to a report by Comicbook.com, the Robert Downey Jr.-led movie will land on the streaming platform on January 1, 2026.

    While Zodiac was a big critical success, it failed to perform satisfactorily at the box office. Released in 2007, it is inspired by true events and took inspiration from the books written by Robert Graysmith.

    As per Box Office Mojo, the movie was made on a reported budget of $65 million. It made an opening collection of over $13.3 million in the US theaters. At the domestic box office, Zodiac managed to earn over $33 million, and grossed $51.7 million in the international market. This took the movie’s total worldwide collection to $84.7 million.

    Despite the disappointing box office performance, Zodiac received immense praise from the critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 90 percent on the Tomatometer based on 264 critic reviews. On the other hand, it received a score of 77 percent on the Popcornmeter based on the audience’s verdict.

    In December 2023, Robert Downey Jr. reunited with Mark Ruffalo on Variety’s Actors on Actors and recalled working with David Fincher on Zodiac. He said, “I called Fincher recently because in retrospect, everything changes.”

    The Avengers: Endgame star further added how working with Christopher Nolan on Oppenheimer made him develop “a new respect for Fincher.” He added how it was the first time he and Ruffalo were working under an “exacting director. A real director, who does things a certain way.”

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    Ishita Verma

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  • Fan-Favorite 80s Musical With Kevin Bacon Coming to Paramount+ Soon 

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    The iconic 1984 musical drama Footloose, led by Kevin Bacon, will soon be available for streaming on Paramount+ in the coming weeks. The film, which centers on a teenager’s clash with a small town’s strict ban on dancing and rock music, remains a cult classic from ’80s cinema. It will expectably receive renewed attention with its upcoming streaming debut. 

    Paramount+ has confirmed that it is adding the 1984 musical drama Footloose to its streaming library early next month.

    According to ComicBook.com, the Kevin Bacon film is scheduled to begin streaming on the platform on January 1, 2026.

    Directed by Herbert Ross and written by Dean Pitchford, Footloose centers on Ren McCormack, a teenager who moves from Chicago to the small town of Bomont. Upon arriving, he discovers that local authorities have banned dancing and rock music, a rule enforced by the town’s conservative leadership. The restrictions leave Ren and his peers frustrated, particularly as they attempt to navigate adolescence in a tightly controlled environment.

    Ren’s efforts to adjust to life in Bomont soon draw him into a clash between the town’s younger residents and its leadership. Meanwhile, his relationship with Ariel Moore, the daughter of Reverend Shaw Moore, further adds to the tension. With help from friends, Ren begins to challenge the ban that controls the community.

    Apart from Kevin Bacon as Ren McCormack, the film features Lori Singer as Ariel Moore, with John Lithgow portraying Reverend Shaw Moore. The cast also includes Dianne Wiest, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Chris Penn.

    While Footloose received mixed critical reviews, it currently holds a 55 percent Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 47 reviews. The film also holds a stronger 71 percent Popcornmeter score. 

    Upon its original release, Footloose proved to be a significant box office success. It earned over $80 million worldwide, as per Box Office Mojo. Over the decades, it has garnered a cult following, with a 1998 stage musical and a 2011 remake adding to its legacy.

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    Disheeta Maheshwari

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  • ‘Last Airbender’ Fans Will Fight to See Their ‘Avatar’ in Theaters

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    Just before Christmas, Paramount announced it was moving The Legend of Aang, the first animated theatrical film for Avatar: The Last Airbender, from a theatrical release to Paramount+. The reactions to this news ranged from shock and dismay to anger at the proposition, and now fans of the 2005 kids’ series are trying to do something about it.

    Avatar fans recently launched an online petition for the studio to put Aang back on its theatrical slate, which at the time of writing has over 17,500 signatures. As the petition’s author, Ananth, wrote, Paramount’s decision was “a disappointment to the devoted fandom. A theatrical release [for Aang]…will amplify its reach, drawing in curious viewers who may not engage with streaming platforms, thus expanding its audience exponentially.”

    Comments under the petition are filled with longtime Avatar fans voicing their support for Paramount to put the film back in theaters, with one in particular catching some attention online. That would be one from a user under the name “Steve Ahn”—the same name as the co-director for Legend of Aang—that voiced frustration with the studio. “Worked on this film, first leading one of the teams, and eventually directing. Very frustrated about studio higher-up’s decisions,” the comment reads. Along with calling for a theatrical release, the comment claimed there were “a LOT of frustrating, unfair moves” made by Paramount.

    However, Ahn himself has since said on Twitter he didn’t make that “misleading comment” and wanted to make it clear in light of the mention about shedding information on the film’s production. “I hope this official clarification prevents any further rumors or false speculation, and I sincerely hope the dedicated artists of this film are not unfairly criticized or put in a difficult position due to such unauthorized comments,” he added.

    Even without the explicit support of Ahn behind them, the Avatar fandom clearly isn’t enthused about Legend of Aang being shifted to streaming. Whatever reason one has for not liking it, it’s exactly not great that a studio can suddenly upend how any film comes out. What’s happening with The Legend of Aang isn’t too dissimilar from when networks were cancelling shows they’d already renewed—and if anything, the move has become even more concerning as Paramount has designs on gobbling up other studios.

    The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender will release sometime in 2026. Whether that also includes a theatrical window is entirely up to Paramount.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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    Justin Carter

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  • Hollywood Isn’t Enough. The Ellisons Are Coming for TikTok – LAmag

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    As Paramount continues its fight for Warner Brothers, Larry Ellison’s company wants TikTok too

    TikTok has signed a deal to spin off its U.S. operations to a group controlled by mostly American investors, including software giant Oracle, a company run by billionaire Larry Ellison, a Florida businessman cozy with President Trump.

    Ellison, who is also doing battle along with his son David Ellison at Paramount, for control of Warner Brothers, with the father-son billionaires engaging in a hostile takeover offer that is being rejected by the legendary Hollywood studio, will now own a piece of TikTok.

    TikTok announced it has sold 80% of the company’s U.S. assets to American and global investors, with CEO Shou Zi Chew breaking the news to employees on Thursday. The alternative was for the app to be banned in U.S., a push first proposed by Trump and then passed by Congress.

    Should all of the Ellison’s efforts prove successful, they would add CNN and TikTok to a portfolio that already includes CBS News, which they acquired as part of their Paramount takeover, leading them to control a significant amount of American news distribution.

    “With an American majority running the content moderation, concerns about foreign propaganda seem to have been alleviated,” Anupam Chander, a professor of law and technology at Georgetown University who studies the regulation of new technology, told NPR. “But it is possible that the American TikTok might end up censoring or hiding speech that is permissible on the global TikTok platform. I would hope that the U.S. content moderation team would allow speech that the American owners might dislike.”

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    Michele McPhee

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  • The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants just made history | The Mary Sue

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    The SpongeBob Movie: The Search for SquarePants just did something that took everybody off-guard. It’s a big opening weekend at the Movies with Avatar: Fire and Ash squaring off with everybody’s favorite yellow sponge. But, The SpongeBob Movie: The Search for SquarePants has managed to exceed some expectations already. Over on Rotten Tomatoes, the latest adventure with Nickelodeon’s signature cartoon mascot is sitting at a 85% fresh on the Tomatometer. That’s good enough for the highest mark in the franchise’s history. And, a good omen with the big weekend set to begin.

     Nickelodeon has been able to depend on the charming little dude with the square pants for decades now. Not too long ago the cable network made the choice to renew Spongebob Squarepants for multiple seasons. Tom Kenny’s signature character is the centerpiece of the channel’s beloved NFL coverage as well. So, the appetite for SpongeBob really hasn’t subsided at all since the series got rolling.

    Now, The SpongeBob Movie: The Search for SquarePants is poised to have a big outing with the film being the biggest family attraction in town a week before Christmas. It’s a nice, stable feeling to look up at the marquee and see SpongeBob as an option. Time will tell what happens, but it seems like the fan-favorite character is ready for a fun time. All of the families are looking for something to entertain both the young and the young at heart.

    The SpongeBob Movie: The Search for SquarePants crushes on Rotten Tomatoes

    (Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon)

    A big reason why people might be gravitating toward Spongebob slaves adventure is the wild world we live in. Nostalgia’s never been bigger, and it doesn’t get much better for a lot of millennials than remembering tuning into Nickelodeon years ago. Entertainment Weekly caught up with Tom Kenny to talk about how powerful comedy can be when times get rough!

    “It’s just crazy, weird, unbalanced times. Nobody knows what’s happening. Everybody’s got their head down, everybody’s scared,” Kenny says. “… It’s gonna be a rough Christmas for people.”

    “It really is like comfort food,” the star added. “Those people that grew up on the show, they need comfort right now. They tell me they do. Adulting is hard and overrated, but you gotta do it. You know, ‘Join or die!’ The world is tough, and you’re just inundated with sad, negative, cruel things all the time, every day, hourly.” 

    “So, I guess, whether it’s 11 minutes or 86 minutes, if you can dip into SpongeBob for a little bit — and it’s silly and he’s this weirdo that lets his freak flag fly, but people still like him — there’s something very empowering about that for people,” he joked about the character he’s helped put on the map. “Comedy’s always done well during tough times, like economic depressions and just tough times in general. SpongeBob really doesn’t exist for any other reason than to be funny.”

    The SpongeBob Movie: The Search for SquarePants is in theaters right now.

    (Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Nickelodeon)

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    Aaron Perine

    Aaron Perine is a writer that covers Free Streaming TV, normal TV, small TV (the kind that plays on your phone mostly!), and even movies sometimes!

    Phase Hero co-host. Host of Free Space: The Free Streaming TV Podcast.

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    Aaron Perine

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  • Greg & Ted’s Excellent WBD Adventure With Studio Lot Tour, David Zaslav As Their Guide; Check Out The Photos

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    Wasting no time checking out their potential new home away from home, Netflix‘s bosses Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos made a most awesome visit to the Warner Bros Discovery studio lot today with David Zaslav as tour guide.

    In a series of photos released late Wednesday by WBD, the Netflix co-CEOs practically announced “we are Greg and Ted and we are your future,” to paraphrase that killer quip from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. If not going full on Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter from the 1989 metalhead comedy, Sarandos and Peters did look a lot like guys about to get the keys to their new digs.

    Getting some very touristy shots in with Zas in front of the WB water tower, between the sound stages and chatting with the troops, the near matching white kicks wearing executives’ appearance in Burbank had all the hallmarks of a big staged F.U. to WBD bid rivals David Ellison and Paramount.

    Coming on the very day that the WBD board unsurprisingly rejected Paramount’s $108 billion hostile takeover bid for the the whole company to stick with Netflix’s December 4 sealed $83 billion offer for the studios and streaming assets, the afternoon visit and the images were a flex meant to be felt all the way down at Par’s Melrose lot.

    Neither WBD nor Netflix had a comment about the Hump Day get together. However, the images did come with a caption of “today, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav welcomed Netflix Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters to the historic Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank to meet with leaders across the company.”

    In point of fact, Sarandos and Peters met around 400 members of WBD’s leadership (some of whom are going to be very very very well compensated if the deal between the iconic studio and the streamer goes through) in the lot’s Ross Theate. Hosted and, to some degree, MC’d by Zas, the co-CEO asked and took questions from the crowd. In the conversation, Sarandos and Peters offered assurances that they were interested in growing the business and had no interested in shuttering theatrical release — which WB has scheduled out until 2029 right now.

    Really though it was a lot of optics for a corporate buddy movie that just over two months ago, Peters openly scoffed at and almost everyone in town thought was a de facto done deal for David Ellison and his second richest man on the planet and Donald Trump whisperer Larry Ellison.

    Look at the smiles on their faces, look at the hope in their eyes …it’s just looking all wine, blue blazers and roses.

    Of course, even with the WBD board’s latest no thanks to Paramount and recommendations to shareholders to say the same, David Ellison still wants his second studio. No matter that Zas and gang have thrown serious shade on the Ellisons’ backstop promises and money on the table, everyone expects David and his father are going throw more money at WBD to get it before the January 8, 2026 deadline they set.

    While all that plays out, can we get some consensus here on if Greg Peters’ really is the Bill to Sarandos’ Ted? Asking for a friend…

    (L-R) Keanu Reeves & Alex Winter at 1991’s Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey Hollywood Premiere (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

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    Dominic Patten

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  • Warner Bros. Sends Strong Message to Shareholders About Rival Paramount Offer

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    Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) just fired back at Paramount’s hostile takeover bid. The company encouraged its shareholders in a letter to reject the offer, arguing its deal with Netflix represents “superior” value for shareholders.

    Netflix announced on December 5 its $72 billion agreement to acquire WBD’s entertainment studios after it splits from Discovery Global under the title Warner Bros. A few days later, Paramount issued a $77.9 billion tender offer, alleging its bid would deliver greater value to shareholders.

    Some shareholders have already expressed a preference for Paramount’s offer, according to CNN. Now, WBD is doubling down in its opposition to the company.

    “The PSKY offer provides inadequate values and imposes numerous, significant risks and costs on WBD,” WBD wrote in the letter. “The Board continues to unanimously recommend the Netflix merger, and that you reject the PSKY offer and not tender your shares.”

    Paramount’s Financial Arrangement

    WBD’s primary concern is whether Paramount represents good value, noting the company receives significant financial backing from the royal families of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, even as CEO David Ellison and his father, Oracle billionaire Larry, took over the company in August. 

    According to CNN, Paramount said it has “air tight financing” and that suggesting otherwise is “absurd.” 

    In response to Paramount’s claims that its bid has full backstop from the Ellison family, WBD said in the letter that “It does not, and never has,” and said Paramount has “consistently misled” WBD shareholders. 

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    Ava Levinson

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  • The New ‘Paranormal Activity’ May Have Already Found Its Director

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    At the top of December, Paramount revealed it was doing another Paranormal Activity flick with James Wan on hand as producer, and now they might’ve landed a director for the gig.

    Per the Hollywood Reporter, Canadian filmmaker Ian Tuason is in final negotiations to reboot the found footage horror series. If you haven’t heard of him before, that’s the point; he gained popularity making VR horror shorts online before tackling his first feature film Undertone. That film premiered at a Canadian film festival earlier this year and was so popular it launched a bidding war that may see it get released by A24.

    Should Tuason be signed on, it’ll bring things full circle for him, as he’s deemed the first Paranormal Activity one of the top three movies that scare him behind The Blair Witch Project and the original Exorcist. There’s some additional overlap between Paranormal and Undertone in that he’s called the latter “found audio” rather than a found footage movie, owing to its central storytelling gimmick of audio files about a couple being possessed, similar to Paranormal’s recordings of a couple being haunted by a ghost in the house.

    Whether directing duties go to Tuason or someone else, we’ll have more on this Paranormal Activity reboot as news emerges.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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    Justin Carter

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  • Video: The Battle for Warner Bros. Discovery

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    new video loaded: The Battle for Warner Bros. Discovery

    Nicole Sperling, a Times reporter who covers Hollywood and the streaming revolution, breaks down the competing bids from Netflix and Paramount to buy Warner Bros. Discovery.

    By Nicole Sperling, Edward Vega, Laura Salaberry, Jon Hazell and Chris Orr

    December 9, 2025

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    Nicole Sperling, Edward Vega, Laura Salaberry, Jon Hazell and Chris Orr

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  • UFC’s First Paramount+ Fight Card to Feature Paddy Pimblett, vs. Justin Gaethje, Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes

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    The UFC has unveiled the fight card for their first ever event on Paramount+.

    UFC 324, scheduled for Jan. 24, 2026 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, will be headlined by a fight between lightweight powerhouses Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett (23-3-0) and former UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje (26-5-0) in an interim UFC lightweight title fight. The bout will determine who will face current UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria later in 2026.

    In the co-main event, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison (19-1-0) puts her title on the line against UFC Hall of Famer and former two-division champion Amanda Nunes (23-5-0).

    “Saturday, January 24th in Las Vegas kicks off this incredible partnership with Paramount,” said UFC president and CEO Dana White. “I am so excited for UFC fans that our first card has six current and former champions, including the long-awaited return of the greatest female fighter of all time – which is definitely the biggest women’s fight ever. Also, in the main event we have Justin Gaethje versus Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight title to see who will face Ilia Topuria later this year on Paramount+. This card is absolutely stacked – every fight is a must-see. This deal is such a huge win for fans with no more pay-per-view. I look forward to 2026 being our best year ever.”

    Additonal fights on the card include former UFC men’s bantamweight champion “Suga” Sean O’Malley (18-3-0) vs. Song “Kung Fu Kid” Yadong (22-8-1) as well as Waldo Cortes Acosta (16-2) vs. Derrick Lewis.

    See the other fights on the card below.

    The main card will begin at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. The prelims will start at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT and the early prelims will kick off at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT. All bouts will be available on Paramount+.

    “Paramount+ and UFC are transforming the mixed martial arts fan experience,” said Cindy Holland, chair of direct-to-consumer for Paramount. “Every division of Paramount is working in concert to ensure maximum visibility and unparalleled accessibility to current and future fans–making Paramount+ the definitive home of UFC.”

    UFC 324 is the first event under the $7.7 billion deal between the UFC and Paramount announced earlier this year. For the first time ever, UFC fans in the U.S. and Latin America will be able to watch all marquee numbered events and all UFC Fight Night events exclusively on Paramount+ with no pay-per-view charge. Subscribers in Australia will be able to watch the preliminary fights for all marquee numbered events and all 30 UFC Fight Night events.

    Additional UFC 324 Fights:

    Featherweights lock horns as No. 6 ranked contender Arnold Allen (20-3, fighting out of Trimley St. Martin, Suffolk, England) takes on No. 11 Jean Silva (16-3, fighting out of São Paulo, Brazil)

    Former champions clash as No. 3 ranked women’s flyweight contender Alexa Grasso (16-5-1, fighting out of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico) takes on No. 6 ranked “Thug” Rose Namajunas (15-7, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) in the featured prelim

    Don’t blink as rising star Ateba Gautier (9-1, fighting out of Doula Cameroon) takes on Andrey Pulyaev (10-3, fighting out of Novosibirsk, Russia) in a middleweight bout

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    Joseph Otterson

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  • Paramount+ Black Friday deal: Get either the Essential or Premium plan for only $3 per month for two months

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    Paramount+ has launched its latest streaming offer, giving new subscribers two months of access for $6 total through December 2 for Black Friday. With prices rising across other platforms, this short-term deal offers a chance to explore either the Essential or Premium plan and see which fits your viewing habits best. Yes, you can pick either plan and get the $3-per-month deal — of course, that makes the Premium plan the better option in terms of the greater discount.

    Paramount+ continues to expand its catalog with a mix of current CBS shows, exclusive originals, classic TV and live sports. The service is available in two main tiers: Essential, which includes ads, and Premium, which removes most of them and adds a few key extras like 4K streaming, offline downloads and live CBS access. Both tiers include select Showtime programming, giving subscribers a taste of the premium network’s lineup.

    Paramount+

    Get two months of either Paramount+ plan for only $3 per month for Black Friday.

    $6 at Paramount+

    The Essential plan provides access to more than 40,000 episodes and movies, along with live coverage of the NFL on CBS and UEFA Champions League matches. It supports up to three simultaneous streams, making it a practical choice for households that share accounts. The Premium plan builds on that by offering ad-free on-demand viewing (with exceptions for live broadcasts), higher-quality playback and the option to watch CBS live in participating regions.

    Paramount+’s growing library combines new releases with well-known favorites, offering titles from across CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. Sports fans get live coverage of key events, while movie watchers can find recent cinema releases from Paramount Pictures joining the lineup throughout the year. The inclusion of Showtime series in both plans adds another layer of variety, with dramas and documentaries available alongside the core Paramount+ content.

    If you’re keeping an eye on subscription costs, an offer like this is a practical way to test the service without paying full price. It also gives you time to see whether the Essential plan’s ad-supported setup or the Premium tier’s extras are worth the difference.

    If you’ve been watching your streaming spend as prices go up elsewhere, this deal from Paramount+ offers a well-balanced opportunity to experience both plan levels at a lower cost. Paramount+ is one of the best streaming services thanks to its vast selection of original shows like Star Trek: Discovery, Ink Master and Frasier. If you’re ready to stream big shows and live events without a heavy commitment this Cyber Monday offer is one to keep in mind.

    There are plenty of other Black Friday streaming deals to consider as well. Here are some of the best ones:

    • Disney+ Hulu bundle — $60 for one year: The Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) bundle is on sale for $5 per month for one year (for a total of $60) through December 1. New and eligible returning subscribers can take advantage of this deal, and considering the bundle typically costs $13 per month, this deal represents more than a 50 percent discount on the standard monthly price.

    • Apple TV+ — 6 months for $36: Apple TV+ is offering six months of access for only $36 for Black Friday, which comes out to a discounted price of $6 per month for the six-month period. The deal is live now for new and eligible returning subscribers and runs through December 1, giving you a chance to stream shows like Silo, The Morning Show and For All Mankind for less. The biggest caveat to the deal is that you must subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.

    • HBO Max — one year for $36: HBO Max’s Black Friday deal gives subscribers one year streaming for $36 through December 1. This Black Friday streaming deal is on the ad-supported option, which normally goes for $11 per month. With this discount, you’re getting it for $3 per month for one year. You can sign up via HBO Max’s website or, if you’re a Prime Video subscriber already, via that service as an add-on.

    • Sling TV Orange — day pass for only $1: Sling TV launched Day Passes earlier this year, giving users one-day access to a variety of its packages. This deal cuts $4 off the normal price of a day pass for Sling Orange. With that, you get unlimited access for 24 hours to Orange’s more than 30 channels that includes ESPN, CNN, TBS and others.

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    Georgie Peru

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  • Actor and comedian Tim Meadows beyond the screen

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    Actor and comedian Tim Meadows, one of the stars of the new CBS comedy “DMV,” sits down with Dana Jacobson to discuss his decades-long career and his life beyond comedy.

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  • Paramount+ Schedule November 24-30, 2025: New TV Shows & Movies Being Added

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    Paramount+‘s new TV and movie releases for November 24-30, 2025, include two titles: The Road and A PAW Patrol Christmas special.

    Tuesday, November 25, 2025, brings The Road to Paramount+. Directed by John Hillcoat, from Joe Penhall’s screenplay, this film is based on Cormac McCarthy’s 2006 novel of the same name. The story follows a father-son duo, played by Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee, who journey across a post-apocalyptic United States. The pair intends to travel to the south from their current residence, the north, as the former has a much warmer climate. During their journey, the pair encounters numerous hurdles that test their resolve and survivability.

    Besides Mortensen and Smit-McPhee, the film also features Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, Molly Parker, Michael Kenneth Williams, Garret Dillahunt, and Bob Jennings.

    The film was lauded by critics following its release and earned numerous award nominations, including a BAFTA.

    Next, A PAW Patrol Christmas special makes its way to Paramount+ on Friday, November 28, 2025. It is also scheduled to premiere on the CBS Television Network.

    This special tells a touching story revolving around Rubble, a pup who is incredibly skilled in and fascinated with construction. Rubble awaits a gift from Santa Claus, a new laser drill. Unfortunately, Rubble’s hopes of getting the gift are dashed when Santa gets a cold and cannot deliver presents.

    Fans can expect the special to feature a mix of original and classical holiday music.

    New Paramount+ releases for November 24-30, 2025

    Paramount+ is adding the following movies and TV shows in the week of November 24-30, 2025.

    Tuesday, November 25, 2025

    Friday, November 28, 2025

    • A PAW Patrol Christmas special

    For more Paramount Plus or related content, check out the trailer for The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. Also, learn which popular series on the streamer has been canceled.

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    Abdul Azim Naushad

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  • Kendrick Lamar Comedy With ‘South Park’ Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone Removed From March Release Date: ‘We’re Working Hard at Finishing the Movie’

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    Kendrick Lamar and “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone aren’t ready to unveil their mysterious live-action comedy just yet. Paramount has removed the trio’s untitled feature from its March 20 release date, delaying the theatrical release indefinitely as the project continues to be tinkered.

    “It’s true – we’re moving (again). We’re working hard at finishing the movie,” reads a joint statement attributed to Stone and Parker’s production banner Park County and Lamar’s company PGLang.

    The long-gestating film had already been bumped down Paramount’s release calendar before. When unveiled in 2024, the film had been set for a July 4, 2025 release — conspicuously timed to the Independence Day holiday. Three months out, the studio punted to March 20, 2026. Now, four months out, the film has been delayed again, this time with no new date set.

    As its lack of an official title would indicate, details about Lamar, Parker and Stone’s live-action collaboration have been closely guarded. No cast members or logline have been revealed. What is known is that the film is written by comedian Vernon Chatman. Lamar, Parker and Stone are producers, along with Dave Free for PGLang.

    Lamar is hot off scoring nine nominations for the 2026 Grammys, leading the field of nominees for this year’s edition with kudos for his smash hip-hop album “GNX” and single “Luther.” His single “Not Like Us” won two of the Grammys’ top three categories last year. Meanwhile, Parker and Stone are continuing production on the Trump-skewering “South Park” Season 28, premiering new episodes to Comedy Central every other Wednesday.

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    J. Kim Murphy

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  • Survivor Recap: Lost in Space

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    Photo: Robert Voets/CBS

    I can’t believe the first thing that I’m going to say about Survivor 49 is that the man, the myth, the legend, R-I-Z-G-O-D, Rizgod, baby, might actually be a good Survivor player. Does this mean he’s one of the two from this season coming back for Survivor 50? (If I had to guess, I would say it’s down to Rizo, Savannah, Sage, or maybe Jawan.) The episode starts with Rizo and Savannah returning from a half-assed tribal council where only half of the people voted and they’re triumphant. Everyone at camp who didn’t vote thinks that Sophie would go home for being a challenge beast and that they would flush Rizo’s idol. Neither of those things happened. Instead, Rizo convinced everyone to eject MC, saying she had too many allies back at camp and that this was their chance to get rid of a strong competitor. By the end of the episode, he would sway yet another vote and continue to hold onto that idol that absolutely everyone knows about.

    Before the reward challenge, Sophie says something that really stuck with me. She’s upset that everyone assumed she would be going home, and that made her rethink her alliances. “My freshman floor friends are not my friends,” she says. Yes! Exactly that. I’ve written before about how three small tribes of six is an unmitigated disaster, and this sums it up perfectly. When you first arrive at college, you bond with those immediately around you out of survival. You’re new, you’re lonely, you want to do keg stands and hook up, and all of those other things college kids are supposed to do. But you slowly find out there are others out there who you gel with, who you have more in common with, and you leave those freshman floor friends for your real people. On a tribe of six people, you have to make those close connections for survival. But, because everyone on their tribe does the same, that is how you end up with “Hina Strong” throughout the game, because there are not enough available people to connect with who also want to connect with you. Players end up sticking to their original tribe not out of any real affinity but because of game mechanics.

    I’m glad that Sophie is coming out of that nightmare and wants to play her own game. As it stands right now, it seems like there are a few axes of power in the game, all of which think that they’re in control. There is Jawan and Sage, forged in their mutual hatred of Shannon, who have a close alliance that everyone knows about. There are Steven and Kristina, who were on their first two tribes together with Sophie, still hanging around the periphery. Then there are Rizo, Savannah, and Soph, who seem like the strongest group in the game, mainly because they have an idol, an extra vote, and a Knowledge Is Power, respectively. Alex is knowingly playing in between all of these groups and refusing to pick a side until he sees where things shake out.

    The reward challenge divides the group into two teams of four, with Soph sitting on the bench. The only remarkable thing is that Kristina’s team, with Sophie, Alex, and Savannah, wins the challenge, and Kristina decides to give her spot at the fried chicken dinner to Jawan, the only person left in the game who has not eaten real food at a reward. He doesn’t want to accept it, saying he doesn’t feel like he earned it. Finally, after some cajoling from the rest of the crowd, he says, “I think I want to eat the chicken, Uncle Jeff.”

    Let’s stop right there. Of all the things about the new era that I hate, the one I hate the most is calling Probst “Uncle Jeff” or, even worse, “Uncle J.” Yes, I know that we’ve all been watching this man on television for 25 years, and he feels a part of the family. However, Jeff is not your uncle, Jeff is not your brother, Jeff is not your friend. This man has you out there starving, running around in challenges, and voting each other out for his amusement. Also, Jeff is the one who keeps making the game harder. He’s taken away rice from the tribes, he has started stealing the flints of the losers, he is making it even harder to bargain for the basic necessities of life, and they think this guy is cute and cuddly? You’re absolutely crazy! I don’t think that Jeff would take kindly to being called “unc” in the modern sense if he knew that it meant everyone thinks he’s old.

    Before the immunity challenge, there are two schools of thought on who needs to go. Kristina and Steven are trying to whip people to get rid of Rizo because he has an idol. They want to split the vote between him and Savannah so that if he plays it, she catches the stray and gets sent packing. Sage is on board with that plan because she thinks that Savannah gives off “mean girl energy,” and that is just what I love about her. Rizo is working to convince Savannah, Soph, and the rest that Alex is dangerous because he’s playing in the middle. Jawan thinks that there are bigger fish to fry than Alex and wants to get rid of Savannah.

    The immunity challenge has players holding up a heavy disc with just their feet; when the disc drops, they are out. The twist is that there is immunity for the last man remaining and the last woman remaining. Almost immediately, Rizo and Kristina drop, and Jawan asks Steven, who is a rocket scientist, to distract them all with space facts. He starts rattling them off like Charlie Davis from Survivor 46 rattling off Taylor Swift songs. This show is not beating the allegations of being full of nerds. After 10 minutes of space facts, Sage finally drops, and Jeff says, “Sage can’t take it anymore.” He doesn’t mean the challenge; he means the extreme nerdery happening around him. And neither can Jeff because after that, he’s basically like, “Respectfully, shut up with the space facts.”

    They may have helped Steven win the men’s immunity, besting Jawan. It was another showdown between Savannah and Sophie, with Savannah taking the necklace for the second time in a row. Here they were all worried about Sophie being the comp beast, and it’s little Savannah and her Pilates body who keeps taking down these endurance challenges. This reconfigures the whole alchemy of who is going home that night. Steven and Kristina think they can just swap Soph out for Savannah as the target who goes home if Rizo plays his idol. That’s the plan that they’re selling everyone.

    Meanwhile, Rizo is going around blowing up Alex’s game and alerting everyone that he is playing the middle. The emphasis is on what is going on with Sage and Jawan, who are crucial to either side’s numbers, especially if Steven and Kristina’s plan to switch votes is going to work. Jawan says that he wants to get rid of Rizo and flush that idol, but that Alex is making that plan difficult because no one can read what he is going to do. It seems like Soph being the new backup target isn’t enough to sway Sage and Jawan, who really only liked splitting the votes if it ricocheted on mean girl Savannah. Sophie is another factor, because Steven and Kristina think she’s still with them, but she’s trying to get rid of her freshman friends for good and find some new people whose games more closely align with hers.

    Going into tribal, I have no clue who it will be. There are two options, and I know why and I know how it might happen, so this is the perfect kind of editing. We’re in suspense, but we’re not totally in the dark. When the votes are read, Rizo gets his way for the second week in a row, and Alex goes home. “This is what I get for playing both sides. You guys all talk?” Alex says on his way out, to lots of laughs. At least he can cop to what he did and why he went home.

    Personally, I don’t know why Rizo was so fixated on getting rid of him when he could have turned it on Kristina or Steven, who are actively gunning for him, which he knows because both Soph and Sophie alerted him to those plans. Alex might have been hard to pin down, but he’s not the opposition. Also, he could be a number in the future if he really was playing the middle. Now, Rizo still has just as much opposition, and everyone is locked into their voting blocs. But this leaves him in a great position. He has Savannah and Soph on lock with Steven and Kristina the only ones (besides Alex) left out of the vote. They now know that Sophie can’t be trusted and that Jawan and Sage might not be as keen to work with them as they anticipated. They’re on their own, and all the power seems to rest with someone who I don’t want to admit might just be the man, the myth, and the legend.

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    Brian Moylan

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