Welcome to our 2026 coverage of new films, television shows, music and the pop culture that we are all obsessing over.
In this live blog, we’ll cover everything related to awards season, from the Golden Globes to the Grammys to the Oscars. We will also talk about must-see television of the year, the streaming films that get us all talking, and the new buzzy trailers that hope to woo us over to the movie theaters.
This will be your hot spot for all things entertainment and pop culture.
See below for updates on celebrity news, the new content popping up on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and your other favorite streaming services and the big talkers that are going viral on social media.
Johnny Depp Reveals The Bizarre Device He’s Used To Prank Hollywood Legends For Years — And Calls It ‘The Most Brilliant Invention’
Johnny Depp had a funny way of entertaining his “Ebenezer” co-stars while filming their new movie, using a fart machine he calls “the most brilliant invention of all time.” However, the actor nearly forgot about his on-set antics during a recent roundtable with Entertainment Weekly until co-star Tramell Tillman brought them up.
“Do you remember pranking me on the first day?” Tillman asked Depp, who replied, “Oh God, what did I do? Was it the [fart sound]?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Tillman confirmed with a smile. “You did it so many times, and you did it so smoothly, I started to think it was me. I was like, ‘Am I farting on set and I just don’t know it?’”
Depp went on to reveal that his love for the gag device goes back years, as he used it on Hollywood legends like Marlon Brando and Michael Gambon, and even his “Ebenezer” co-star Sir Ian McKellen.
“I’m addicted to it,” Depp admitted. “I did it to Ian; I did it to everyone.”
Read more below.
Beloved Show Makes History As Netflix's Longest-Running Scripted Series With Season 9 Renewal
“Virgin River” just reached a milestone no Netflix series has ever achieved.
With Season 8 of the beloved drama still on the horizon, Netflix announced Friday that the show has been renewed for yet another season, officially making it the streamer’s longest-running original scripted series.
“Nine seasons is an unimaginable gift that speaks to the power of characters who audiences have come to know and love as if they’re part of their own extended family,” showrunner Patrick Sean Smith said in a statement. “The fact that fans remain invested in their lives is the greatest compliment we could receive as well as a testament to our extraordinary cast. I’m thrilled we get to keep telling these stories.”
“Virgin River” still has plenty of story left to tell, with Season 8 slated to premiere sometime in 2027, although Netflix has yet to announce an exact release date. In the meantime, fans can look forward to even more drama in the show’s ninth season, which will consist of 10 hour-long episodes.
Read more below.
Lena Dunham Blasts Double Standard That Made ‘Girls’ Sex Scenes More Controversial Than ‘Breaking Bad’ And ‘The Sopranos’
“Girls” creator Lena Dunham is looking back on some of the criticism her acclaimed HBO dramedy faced in its heyday.
During a conversation with co-star Allison Williams at a New York City event Thursday night, Dunham reportedly discussed how the series frequently came under fire throughout its six-season run from 2012 to 2017. The show’s explicit sex scenes were among its most frequent targets of criticism, prompting Dunham to point out what she saw as a double standard compared with the graphic violence depicted in dramas like “The Sopranos” and “Breaking Bad.”
“I was saying that when the show came out, the way that people talked about our behavior — I was like, ‘People are angrier at us for just being girls who sometimes give hand jobs on TV than they are Walter White or Tony Soprano,’” the TV creator said of the male antiheroes, according to Variety.
But with HBO recently announcing plans to revive “Girls” for a limited run, Dunham also noted how audiences’ perceptions of the series have seemingly evolved over the years.
“People are understanding, and people like the idea that young women would be naughty and complicated and weird and self-aware,” she said. “They recognize that you could potentially be a woman under 25 and have some modicum of self-awareness.”
Read more below.
Netflix Is Taking ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ To A Whole New Level With Major 2027 Announcement
The “KPop Demon Hunters” craze is showing no signs of slowing down. Even after Netflix announced plans to expand the hit animated film with a highly anticipated sequel, the streaming giant is taking the franchise even higher with a global arena tour.
According to Netflix, HUNTR/X — the fictional K-pop group featuring animated characters Rumi, Mira and Zoey — will hit the road next summer for a world tour, bringing fans what it describes as a “first-of-its-kind live K-pop concert experience” inspired by its blockbuster film.
Dubbed the Golden World Tour, the concert series will launch June 5 at Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena before traveling to nearly 50 cities across North America, the U.K. and Europe. It will feature over 150 performances throughout 2027 and 2028.
Additional international dates in Asia-Pacific and Latin America will be announced later. General public tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. local time Nov. 20.
Read more below.
Former Disney Star Says He Turns Down Roles With Intimate Scenes, Kisses That ‘Violate’ His Marriage
David Henrie has a few firm boundaries when it comes to his acting roles, particularly anything involving nudity, sex scenes or intimate moments that he feels would “violate” his marriage.
“My general rules are, like, if I’m acting in something, as long as I’m not directly doing anything that violates my conscience or is against my morals, then I’ll do it,” the former Disney star recently explained on “The Unplanned Podcast.” “If I have to kill someone, like, I’m not really killing someone, you know? You can fake that.”
However, Henrie admitted that he “would feel very weird” about filming an intimate scene with a co-star, even if it’s just pretend.
“You’re not faking that. You’re really doing that thing,” he said. “There’s not ... You’re in bed making out. ... You’re actually doing that. I don’t care how much you’re thinking of bees and birds, or whatever you’re doing to distract yourself. You’re really doing that.”
Read more below.
'Godzilla' Star Died At 18 Before Finishing Her Final Movie. Now Her Sister Will Take Her Place.
Kaylee Hottle, best known for her roles in “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire,” died in a car accident this summer at age 18. The deaf actor was set to appear in one final feature film, titled “What Doesn’t Kill Us.” However, in light of her death, Hottle’s older sister, Jasmine Hottle, will reportedly step into the role as a heartfelt tribute to her.
“Like Kaylee, Jasmine is deaf, and her involvement allows us to honor Kaylee’s memory while continuing the work she was going to be part of,” writer and producer Andy Mingo told People.
“Kaylee’s passing was an unimaginable tragedy, and her loss is felt deeply by everyone involved with the project,” he continued. “When we began discussing how to move forward, the possibility of Jasmine taking on her sister’s role emerged as something particularly meaningful.”
“What Doesn’t Kill Us” follows a group of friends with disabilities who dream of becoming superheroes and discover that the very traits society has taught them to view as limitations may actually be their greatest strengths. The film also features an ensemble cast made up entirely of actors with disabilities, which makes it all the more meaningful to Hottle’s memory.
“For us, Jasmine stepping into Kaylee’s role isn’t simply a casting replacement,” Mingo said. “It’s an opportunity to preserve something of Kaylee’s legacy while telling a story that we hope will resonate with audiences far beyond the disability community.”
Read more below.
WATCH: Michael B. Jordan Stars In Trailer For Remake Of Oscar-Winning 1968 Crime Thriller
Fresh off his Best Actor win at this year’s Academy Awards, Michael B. Jordan is gearing up for his next big-screen project: “The Thomas Crown Affair.”
Directed and produced by the Oscar winner, the trailer for the heist thriller sees him star as the titular Thomas Crown, a billionaire with a penchant for stealing some of the world’s most prized works of art. The film’s official synopsis describes him as “the most dangerous man in the room” whom “nobody’s watching.” But when he sets his sights on another wealthy man's art collection (Kenneth Branagh), he catches the attention of a former FBI agent (Adria Arjona), who draws him into a seductive game of cat-and-mouse.
The film also stars Lily Gladstone, Danai Gurira and Pilou Asbæk.
Jordan’s take on “The Thomas Crown Affair” follows the 1999 remake starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo, as well as the original 1968 crime thriller with Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. The latter also took home an Oscar for Best Original Song for “The Windmills of Your Mind.”
This project marks Jordan’s second directorial effort, following his 2023 debut with “Creed III.” As he revealed at this year’s CinemaCon, though, bringing his own version of the heist classic to the big screen has long been a goal.
“I’ve been daydreaming about making this movie for years,” the actor said during Amazon MGM’s presentation, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Jordan also recalled seeing the 1999 version when he was just 12 years old, thinking, “I wanna be in a movie like that one day.”
Now, that childhood dream is becoming a reality. And audiences will get to see the actor in action when “The Thomas Crown Affair” hits theaters on March 5, 2027.
Watch the trailer below.
Alexander Skarsgård Has A ‘Wicker’ Sequel Idea, And It Involves A Very Different Material
Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård’s steamy medieval rom-com “Wicker” made quite an impression when it hit theaters last month, thanks in no small part to the latter’s rock-solid basket costume.
In fact, the film, which follows a lonely fisherwoman who commissions a local basketweaver to make her a husband out of wicker, garnered so much attention that Skarsgård recently joked that he’s “already working on a sequel.”
“It’s called ‘Corduroy,’” he teased to Entertainment Weekly. “We tried to find financing for it, but, for some reason, it’s been hard, but we’re pitching it around Hollywood this week.”
As the “True Blood” alum explained, the titular character would, naturally, be “made out of corduroy.” He also described him as “delicate and soft” and, much like the Wicker Husband he plays, an “attentive lover.”
After all, the unexpected romance in “Wicker” is a big part of what piqued audiences’ interest, as the film’s trailer promised a story packed with just as many risqué moments as laughs.
Read more below.
‘Seinfeld’ Could’ve Looked Very Different, And A New Larry David Book Names The Stars In The Mix
What if Jerry Seinfeld’s circle of friends had been played by an entirely different group of actors? As it turns out, that was almost the case for the beloved ‘90s sitcom.
“Seinfeld” — the Emmy-winning series co-created by Seinfeld and Larry David — starred the former as a semi-fictionalized version of himself, following the mundane lives of the stand-up comedian and his three quirky friends: Kramer, Elaine and George, played by Michael Richards, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander, respectively.
However, according to Blake J. Harris’ new book, “Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David,” several other familiar faces were once in the running for those now-iconic roles.
Among the actors considered for Kramer were Eugene Levy, Joe Pesci, Larry Hankin, Hector Elizondo, Harry Dean Stanton and Dan Hedaya. “Plus a couple of notable young bucks like Jeff Tambor and Richard Belzer,” Harris wrote, per Entertainment Weekly. Ultimately, though, Seinfeld said he “fell hopelessly, forever in love with” Richards’ physical comedy.
“The furrowed ‘trying to seem handsome’ brow, the tension through the neck, arms and shoulders to appear muscular, the black shoes and socks, the smooth playboy style of walking; it was over for me,” he recalled in the book.
George’s casting pool, meanwhile, included some “relatively well-known performers,” like Adam Arkin, Anthony Edwards and Rick Moranis, along with several up-and-comers at the time, such as Jim Carrey, Paul Feig and Robert Wuhl.
Elaine’s role also attracted its fair share of contenders, with several “future standout performers” reportedly in the mix, including Rosie O’Donnell, Patricia Heaton, Wendie Malick and Megan Mullally.
Read more below.
Amanda Seyfried Says ‘The Gloves Are Off’ With Elizabeth Holmes’ Partner After ‘You Can See Everything’
After keeping quiet about her involvement in “You Can See Everything,” Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s documentary about Theranos fraudster Elizabeth Holmes, Amanda Seyfried is finally opening up about her experience with the project — and she has plenty to say about its other headline-making subject: Holmes’ fiancé, Billy Evans.
For the documentary, Holmes and Evans welcomed Fielder, Oppenheim and their camera crew into their home in the weeks leading up to the former’s 2023 prison sentence. As filming continued while Holmes was incarcerated, Seyfried signed on to reprise her Emmy-winning portrayal of the disgraced CEO from Hulu’s “The Dropout” for the film’s reenactments. However, in a new interview with Rolling Stone, the actor revealed that she also appeared in the film as herself because she wanted to meet Evans in person to better understand what was going on behind the scenes in Holmes’ life.
“It felt dangerous. I wanted answers,” said Seyfried. “We all had this need to understand who was pulling the strings. What he was doing and how he was in the footage that I saw, how you guys were interacting — it felt yucky to me. I just wanted any information I could get on Billy.”
“I became this weird Billy detective because I had gotten such strong negative feelings from him in the footage,” she continued. “I felt like I needed to meet this guy. It was exciting to me, and it was scary, and it was questionable.”
Viewers eventually see Seyfried face off with Evans during a fiery dinner scene in “You Can See Everything,” where he takes issue with both the actor’s portrayal of Holmes and her public remarks about Charlie Kirk.
“There was no reason for [Evans] to get that aggressive,” Seyfried told Rolling Stone. “That’s the word I’m going to use, as it’s more diplomatic. If my jaw wasn’t obviously on the floor, you could tell, like, it had come unhinged. I don’t want to provoke him, but at this point, it’s kind of like, the gloves are off.”
“This guy has disrespected me in such a way that I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t think so, buddy,’” she added. “I was in the frame of mind where this guy is disrespectful, and I’m here in his home, and I’m gonna argue this because I actually have a pretty solid stance on things.”
Seyfried also stood by the critiques she made about Evans during her conversations with Fielder in the doc, including that he’s “using” Holmes “as a tool” for his own agenda. While the dinner was initially intended to give the actor an opportunity to get answers from Evans, Seyfried believes she handled the tense exchange as best she could to keep it from spiraling further.
“Not only am I protective of myself, I’m just trying to set the record straight in a way where I’m trying to defend myself, too,” she added, “while maintaining some kind of rapport with him, so I can stay, and he doesn’t kick us out, you know?”
Read more below.
This Hit HBO Superhero Series Isn’t Dead Yet, Despite The Major Shake-Up At DC Studios
No need to panic just yet, “Lanterns” fans. Following the recent ousting of DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, speculation has swirled that a potential second season of HBO’s hit superhero series, starring Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler, could be in jeopardy. However, co-showrunner Chris Cantwell recently took to social media to put those rumors to rest.
In a Bluesky post shared Tuesday addressed “Dear Internet,” Cantwell offered a candid update on the show’s future, writing, “I haven’t heard a fucking thing” regarding the fate of “Lanterns.” He followed up with a second post, adding, “Nothing’s cancelled. Calm down.”
His comments come shortly after fellow co-showrunner Chris Mundy discussed the series at a For Your Consideration event Monday night, where he suggested that Gunn’s and Safran’s sudden exits may have thrown previous Season 2 plans into question.
“We thought everything had settled [after the merger],” Mundy reportedly said, per The Playlist. “I can imagine a world where everyone retreats to their corners, but then, you know, it’s a coin flip, 50/50.”
Still, there may be hope for “Lanterns” as fans continue to rally for its continuation. The series’ strong ratings were seemingly enough to get a Season 2 writers’ room going, even though HBO has yet to officially renew the show. But the network has taken a similar approach before: Season 2 of “It: Welcome to Derry” was in the works way before it received its official renewal, nearly a year after its debut.
For now, though, the future of “Lanterns” is still up in the air.
Read more below.
Olivia Cooke Says ‘Misogyny’ And ‘Racism’ Among ‘House Of The Dragon’ Fans Led To This Decision
Olivia Cooke recently opened up about how the toxic “House of the Dragon” fandom pushed her to step away from social media.
In a new interview with British GQ, the actor — who has played Alicent Hightower throughout all three seasons of the “Game of Thrones” prequel — revealed that she deactivated all of her accounts during a monthslong break from work. However, the show’s return for Season 3 this past summer, coupled with its zealous fanbase, was a big factor behind her decision to go offline.
“There’s a lot of ugliness to that fandom,” Cooke said. “It’s steeped in misogyny. There’s a lot of racism. I try to let it take up minimal mental real estate.”
In the same breath, Cooke also pushed back against certain narratives about her character, particularly how viewers have painted her as an unwilling victim of the show’s directors in Season 3 after Alicent’s son, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), kissed her in one scene and later imagined having sex with her in a dream sequence.
“I think some of those interpretations just catch fire,” Cooke explained, “and they become something that bears no resemblance to what was shown on the screen at the time.”
Hence, the actor felt compelled to step away from the chaos of social media altogether, as Cooke said, “It’s not nourishing.”
“I was just like, I’m on this too much,” she added. “I think the celebri-fied nature of being an actor has now snowballed into this monster. And I just think we need to get off this train and realise that we make these TV shows and films, yes, for escapism, but also because it’s artful and it’s creative.”
Read more below.
Former ‘SNL’ Star Recalls Being Scolded For Wearing A Fake Penis Under Dresses In Iconic Sketches
“Saturday Night Live” alum Punkie Johnson tried to stay true to herself during her time on the show, but that approach didn’t always fly with boss Lorne Michaels.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Johnson, who’s a lesbian, occasionally ruffled Michaels’ feathers by wearing a fake penis strap underneath her dresses during certain sketches. As the comedian recalled during a recent stand-up performance, she felt it was necessary considering how she “got soft on ‘SNL’” during her 2020–2024 run as a cast member.
“Motherfuckers got me in these dresses. I ain’t never seen myself like this before,” Johnson told the audience. “Touching on Michael B. Jordan! I’m like, hold on, Punkie! Bitch, you’re tripping!”
“So, I put my dick on all through 8H, bitch,” the comedian continued, “to maintain my dyke-ism.”
“Yeah, I fucking did it. I don’t know if y’all paid attention to ‘SNL,’ but if you go back and look at the reruns, you’ll see it poking on the dresses I was wearing.”
Johnson said her wardrobe choice often irritated Michaels, who “would get mad” and tell her, “Punkie, you can’t wear your dick on NBC.” Still, she didn’t seem to care much.
“I don’t give a fuck, Lorne,” Johnson recalled saying onstage. “I’m keeping my dick on!”
Read more below.
‘SNL’ Host Dons Whiteface For Elizabeth Holmes Parody — And Social Media Users Lost It: ‘Funniest Thing Ever’
Comedian Druski kicked off his “Saturday Night Live” debut this weekend with another epic parody, as he took on one of pop culture’s latest obsessions: Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary, “You Can See Everything.”
The host put his own spin on the film with a sketch aptly titled “Dru Can See Everything,” recreating its eerie atmosphere with “SNL” cast members Jane Wickline as Holmes and Ben Marshall as her partner, Billy Evans. But before Fielder arrived, Wickline’s Holmes enlisted “another comedian-provocateur” to document their lives on camera: Druski.
“I just want people to see me as an ordinary person,” Wickline’s Holmes says in the sketch. “Can you do that, Druski?”
With a straight face, the comedian hilariously says, “Based on what I’ve seen so far, I’ma go ahead and say no. Y’all got some of the weirdest, freakiest vibes I done ever seen.”
The parody also poked fun at several other elements of the documentary, from its “closest close-ups” ever captured on film to the now-infamous stare-down between Fielder and Holmes. However, the sketch reached another level of absurdity when Druski, much like Fielder, turned to reenactments of Holmes to better understand their interactions — only this time, the comedian decided to play Holmes himself.
Wearing whiteface, Druski’s version of Holmes comes face-to-face with Wickline’s as the two go back and forth about “being real” with each other.
“I could do this all day, bitch. You don’t scare me,” Druski jokes during the skit.
Social media went wild over the hysterical spoof, with viewers calling it the “funniest thing ever.” See more reactions below.