• Almost 40 sequel and spin-off movies are set to be released this year.
• "Mission Impossible," "Wicked," and "Jurassic Park" are getting sequels in 2025.
• Here are the release dates, casts, and other important details of the upcoming sequels.

From "Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning" to "Wicked: For Good," some of the most anticipated movies of 2025 are sequels.

Last year, "Wicked" was the only non-sequel in the top 10 highest-grossing movies.

So far this year, three sequels have been released in theaters and on streamers including the Oscar nominee "Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl."

Here's what to know about the 38 other sequels and spin-offs coming out in 2025.

"Dog Man"

Release date: January 31, in theaters

"Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie," based on Dave Pilkey's "Captain Underpants" books, grossed $125 million on a $38 million budget. It was followed by a four-season Netflix series based on the same characters.

"Dog Man" is the second film in the franchise. It's a story in a story set in a book written by the "Captain Underpants" protagonists George and Harold.

In the new film, Dog Man is a mute, crime-fighting, dog-human hybrid cop. Pete Davidson voices Petey, Dog Man's nemesis, and Ricky Gervais, Lil Rel Howery, and Isla Fisher also voice characters in the movie.

"Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy"

Release date: February 13, on Peacock

The "Bridget Jones" movie franchise, based on Helen Fielding's best-selling novels, has made $811 million at the box office worldwide.

But the fourth film, based on Fielding's third novel "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy," will premiere exclusively on Peacock in the US rather than in theaters. Internationally, it will be in theaters.

"Mad About the Boy" is set years after Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) dies, leaving Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) to raise their two children while juggling a writing career and dating again.

The film's original stars Zellweger and Hugh Grant return alongside two new actors: Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall, who play Bridget's new love interests.

"Captain America: Brave New World"

Release date: February 14, in theaters

"Captain America: Brave New World" is the first Marvel movie to be released in 2025. It follows Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as he unravels a shady conspiracy against President Ross (Harrison Ford).

It's the fourth "Captain America" movie, but the first where Mackie's hero carries the iconic shield, after Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) passed on the Captain America mantle at the end of "Avengers: Endgame."

The "Captain America" franchise has earned Marvel Studios over $2 billion in ticket sales. But "superhero fatigue" and a lack of hype could lead to a muted debut for the fourth movie.

"Paddington in Peru"

Release date: February 14, in theaters

For lovable bear's third adventure, he journeys back to his homeland to find his Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton), who goes missing from the Home for Retired Bears.

The first two "Paddington" movies are widely regarded as some of the best British movies made in recent years: The first film holds a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while its 2017 sequel is rated 99%.

"The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie"

Release date: February 28, in theaters

Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes movies have a patchy record. "Space Jam" was a hit, grossing $230 million on a $80 million budget, but 2021's "Space Jam: A New Legacy" barely earned back its $150 million budget, and 2003's "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" didn't turn a profit.

With Warner Bros. making the controversial move to shelve "Coyote vs. Acme" as a tax write-off in 2023, "The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie" must prove the franchise is still relevant.

It's the first-ever fully animated "Looney Tunes" feature film, following Porky Pig and Daffy Duck as they team up to save the world from alien invaders.

Both characters will be voiced by Eric Bauza, who has won two Daytime Emmys for playing Looney Tunes characters.

"Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip"

Release date: March 28, on Disney+

"Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip" premieres exclusively on Disney+ and is the sequel to 2014's "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."

The first film, based on a novel of the same name, starred Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner, but the sequel has recast the lead family.

Jesse Garcia, Thom Nemer, Eva Longoria, Paulina Chavez, and Rose Portillo star as the Garcia family, who are on a trip to explore their Mexican roots, which goes wrong due to a curse.

"The Accountant 2"

Release date: April 25, in theaters

In the original 2016 film, Ben Affleck played Christian Wolff, who both fixes fraudulent accounts for criminal organizations and is highly skilled martial artist and marksman.

In "The Accountant 2," Wolff is forced to work with his estranged brother, Braxton (Jon Bernthal).

The first film grossed $155 million against its $44 million budget, so "The Accountant 2" has the potential to be another surprise hit.

"Thunderbolts*"

Release date: May 2, in theaters

After "Captain America: Brave New World" comes a new Marvel superhero team, the Thunderbolts.

In the comics, the team is made up of villains masquerading as heroes and is comparable to "The Suicide Squad." However, the team in "Thunderbolts*" comprises assassins and mercenaries who are forced to collaborate after being sent a mission that turns out to be a dangerous trap.

This is the first movie featuring these characters as a group, but many have appeared as sidekicks and antagonists in previous Marvel films, including Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and Red Guardian (David Harbour) from the "Black Widow" movie.

"Final Destination: Bloodlines"

Release date: May 16, in theaters

The "Final Destination" franchise is coming back to the big screen over a decade after the fifth movie was released in 2011. "Final Destination: Bloodlines" will be released on the 25th anniversary of the original film's release in 2000.

The plot is unclear, but if it follows the set-up of the previous films, a group of people who try to cheat death will wind up dying in grisly accidents.

Introducing the film to a new generation is a smart move for New Line Cinema, as the franchise has grossed $657 million at the box office.

"Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning"

Release date: May 23, in theaters

"Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" is the second half of the story that started in 2023's "Dead Reckoning," about a dangerous AI program that threatens the world.

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team at the Impossible Mission Force attempt to shut it down for good.

The franchise is known for Cruise's death-defying stunts, and he'll take on even more challenges in the sequel — like hanging from a biplane midair and a deep sea dive.

But it remains to be seen whether the star can top his previous adrenaline-fueled stunt, where he rode a motorbike off a mountain.

"Karate Kid: Legends"

Release date: May 30, in theaters

"Karate Kid" is one of the most famous and commercially successful martial arts franchises of all time. It's made up of two Oscar-nominated films, two sequels, a hit remake in 2010, and the spin-off Netflix series "Cobra Kai," which has been nominated for nine Emmys.

Variety reported in November 2024 that "Karate Kid: Legends" will take place three years after the "Cobra Kai" season finale, which premieres on February 13, 2025.

The film will star Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso — the original protagonist of the first three "Karate Kid" movies and a lead character in "Cobra Kai" — and Jackie Chan as Mr. Han, the mentor figure in the 2010 remake movie.

Daniel and Mr. Han will team up to teach a new karate prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang). The film also stars Ming-na Wen and Joshua Jackson.

"Ballerina"

Release date: June 6, in theaters

"John Wick: Chapter 4" might have been billed as the final out of Keanu Reeves' assassin, but Lionsgate hasn't ended the franchise just yet.

The studio is clearly keen to keep the "John Wick" brand alive since the first four movies made over $1 billion in ticket sales.

Ana De Armas leads "Ballerina," a spin-off set between "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum" and "Chapter 4." She plays one of the dancer-assassins of the Ruska-Roma organization, who takes revenge for her father's murder.

"28 Years Later"

Release date: June 20, in theaters

In 2002, director Danny Boyle delivered an exhilirating reimagining of the zombie apocalypse for the 21st century with "28 Days Later." Now, the infected are back.

"28 Years Later" follows a group of survivors on a small British island who venture onto the mainland, only to find that the virus still has the country in its grip.

The sequel, the start of a new trilogy and the third film in the franchise, will be released on June 20.

The next film, "28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple," has already been shot and is set for release in 2026.

"M3GAN 2.0"

Release date: June 27, in theaters

2023's "M3GAN" was a win for Universal Pictures, grossing $180 million on a $12 million budget and spawning a new horror franchise.

The film also birthed a new cultural icon, M3GAN, a killer AI robot doll. Fans became obsessed with her after the first trailer was released, loving her stylish outfits, witty retorts, and even clips of her chilling, swaying dance moves went viral.

In the first film, Gemma (Alison Williams), a roboticist, builds M3GAN to help her bond with Cady (Violet McGraw), her 8-year-old niece whose parents died in a crash. But the doll turns violent and starts murdering people to protect Cady. The film ends with Gemma and Cady killing M3GAN.

The plot of the sequel is under wraps, but will star Williams and McGraw, along with newcomers Jemaine Clement, Ivanna Sakhno, Timm Sharp, and Aristotle Athari.

"Jurassic World: Rebirth"

Release date: July 2, in theaters

Since launching in 1993, the "Jurassic Park" franchise has grossed $6 billion at the box office, so it's not surprising Universal Pictures wants to keep the dinosaur chaos alive.

Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey will lead "Jurassic World: Rebirth," which will be released three years after the last "Jurassic World" film.

The film, directed by Gareth Edwards, follows Zora Bennett (Johansson), a covert operative tasked with retrieving genetic material from several dinosaurs as part of research for a life-saving drug.

Entertainment Weekly reported that the mission goes awry when Bennett's operation crosses paths with a family stranded on an island, and the group discovers a "sinister, shocking discovery that's been hidden from the world for decades."

Untitled sequel to "I Know What You Did Last Summer"

Release date: July 18, in theaters

The teen slasher movie "I Know What You Did Last Summer" made $125 million at the box office after it was released in 1997.

It saw a serial killer stalk a group of teens after they covered up a car crash, and was the breakout role for Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prince Jr., Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Ryan Phillippe.

But the sequels did not perform as well, and the Amazon Prime's 2021 spin-off TV series was canceled after one season.

For the 2025 revival, Hewitt and Prince Jr. reprise their roles, and up-and-coming actors Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Lola Tung, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, and Jonah Haur-King will also star.

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps"

Release date: July 25, in theaters

Marvel's First Family are making their debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," with Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing.

Plot details are under wraps, but the cast includes Ralph Ineson as the colossal cosmic villain, Galactus, and Julia Garner as his herald, the Silver Surfer.

The team's MCU debut is a big deal because Fox previously owned the franchise, so the Fantastic Four couldn't appear alongside the Avengers until now.

"The Naked Gun"

Release date: August 1, in theaters

The 1982 TV series "Police Squad!" was canceled after six episodes, so its creators took the premise and lead actor Leslie Nielsen, and created "The Naked Gun" film franchise.

The three movies were a spoof of police procedurals, focused on the adventures of Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen), a kind-hearted but dumb cop.

This time, Liam Neeson will star as Frank Drebin, though it hasn't been confirmed whether he plays the same character. Pamela Andersen, Paul Walter Hauser, and Kevin Durand will be Neeson's costars.

Akiva Schaffer, a member of the comedy music group Lonely Island, will direct the film.

"The Bad Guys 2"

Release date: August 1, in theaters

2022's animated heist film "The Bad Guys," based on a children's book of the same name, was a moderate success for Universal and Dreamworks, grossing $250 million and gaining a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 88%.

The first film is about a gang of reformed bank-robbing animals. In the upcoming sequel, a crew of female animals forces them do one last job.

Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Anthony Ramos, and Craig Robinson reprise their roles as Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake., Ms. Tarantula, Mr. Piranha, and Mr. Shark, respectively. Natasha Lyonne, Danielle Brooks, and Maria Bakalova join the cast as the new crew.

"Freakier Friday"

Release date: August 8, in theaters

There have been three versions of the mother-daughter body-swap movie "Freaky Friday."

Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan starred as mother and daughter Tess and Anna Coleman in the most popular version, which premiered in 2003 and grossed $160 million against a $20 million budget.

"Freakier Friday," the first sequel in the franchise stars Lohan, Curtis, and other cast members from the 2003 film and sees Anna as a mother, learning how to parent her daughter and soon-to-be stepdaughter.

Manny Jacinto and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan are also joining the franchise in the sequel.

"Nobody 2"

Release date: August 15, in theaters

The "Nobody" franchise is the family man's answer to "John Wick."

In the first film, Bob Odenkirk plays a former assassin who comes out of retirement to defend his home when a crime lord targets him and his family.

The film received positive reviews but was released in 2021, while Hollywood was recovering from the pandemic, and it made $57 million in ticket sales.

"Nobody 2" dives into the assassin and his wife's history, and will hopefully perform better.

"Thread: An Insidious Tale"

Release date: August 29, in theaters

James Wan's "Insidious" franchise is getting a new spinoff from "Moon Knight" head writer Jeremy Slater, starring Kumail Nanjiani and Mandy Moore.

Warner Bros. hasn't confirmed the synopsis for "Thread." But in May 2023, Deadline reported that it follows a couple, played by Nanjiani and Moore, who use magic to stop their daughter from dying but face deadly consequences. It's unclear how it will connect to the previous films.

The franchise explores what happens when people mess with alternate dimensions and demonic forces, so adding time travel to the mix will be interesting.

The "Insidious" movies have generated $730 million in ticket sales.

"The Conjuring: Last Rites"

Release date: September 5, in theaters

Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have been terrifying audiences since 2013 with "The Conjuring" franchise, and it's all coming to an end with the ninth film, "The Conjuring: Last Rites."

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga will reprise their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real-life paranormal investigators who wrote various books about cases they investigated.

In September 2023, director Michael Chaves told Slash Film: "I know that there is a great finale being planned for 'Last Rites' and as to what or who's in it ... I don't want to give away any spoilers."

"Downton Abbey 3"

Release date: September 12, in theaters

The British period drama "Downton Abbey" ended in 2015, but its creator, Julian Fellowes, has produce multiple sequel films.

The first "Downton Abbey" film in 2019 grossed $194 million, but the second, which was released in 2022 when theaters were recovering from the pandemic, made $92 million.

The plot is under wraps, but stars from previous films, such as Dominic West, Hugh Bonneville, and Michelle Dockery, will be reprising their roles. Paul Giamatti will also return as Harold Levinson, who was mentioned throughout the series but only appeared once during the "Downton Abbey" Christmas special in 2013.

"Saw XI"

Release date: September 26, in theaters

The "Saw" franchise has been spilling blood and guts across the big screen for over 20 years, and Lionsgate is showing no signs of giving up the franchise, even though Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) has technically been dead since the end of "Saw III."

The franchise has produced 10 movies, including the spinoff Spiral, and has grossed $1.147 billion worldwide.

"Tron: Ares"

Premiere date: October 10, in theaters

In 1982, Disney plunged audiences into the world of the video game in "Tron," which became a cult hit.

28 years later, Joseph Kosinski directed the sequel, "Tron: Legacy," which also garnered a cult following with its neon aesthetic and a pulse-pounding score from Daft Punk.

Now, a third film is heading to theaters. "Tron: Ares" will merge the real world with the Grid, although specific plot details are being kept under wraps.

Directed by Joachim Rønning, "Ares" stars Jared Leto, Evan Peters, Jeff Bridges, Cameron Monaghan, and Sarah Desjardins.

This time, it will feature a score from industrial rockers Nine Inch Nails. Band members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross previously scored movies and TV shows, including "The Social Network," "Watchmen," and "Challengers."

"The Black Phone 2"

Release date: October 17, in theaters

Scott Derrickson's "The Black Phone" was one of the surprise horror hits of 2021, grossing $161 million worldwide.

The film follows Finney (Mason Thames), who gets kidnapped by a serial killer called "the Grabber" (Ethan Hawke). While he's held captive in a basement, the ghosts of the Grabber's victims help him to escape.

It's unclear where the story will go in Derrickson's "The Black Phone 2," but both Thames and Hawke will reprise their roles.

"Mortal Kombat 2"

Release date: October 24, in theaters

In the last decade, numerous projects have proved video game adaptations can work if done correctly.

2021's "Mortal Kombat" was moderately successful, grossing $84 million against a $55 million budget — which is an impressive feat since it was released in theaters and HBO Max simultaneously as a result of the pandemic.

The franchise revolves around a brutal, interdimensional tournament between fighters from Earth and a place called Outworld. It mainly follows Cole Young (Lewis Tan), an MMA fighter who gets pulled into the competition.

"Predator: Badlands"

Release date: November 7, in theaters

In 2022, 20th Century Studios released "Prey," a stand-alone "Predator" movie that follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a Comanche warrior who defends her tribe from one of the titular aliens.

The film's success spotlighted the audience's desire to see more singular stories in the franchise, and "Predator: Badlands" will do just that.

Empire Magazine reported the story is "a future-set tale taking place on an alien planet," with the alien hunter as the hero. It also features "A Complete Unknown" star Elle Fanning in multiple roles.

"Now You See Me 3"

Release date: November 14, in theaters

It's a crime that the third film isn't titled "Now You 3 Me," but at least fans of the previous crime-thrillers will finally get a sequel after almost a decade.

It features all the cast members from the first two movies, and adds Rosamund Pike, Ariana Greenblatt, and Justice Smith in undisclosed roles.

"Wicked: For Good"

Release date: November 21, in theaters

"Wicked," an adaptation of the biggest Broadway musical, was one of the most successful blockbusters of 2024. It broke multiple records, was the fifth highest-grossing movie of the year, made $717 million in ticket sales, and received 10 Oscar nominations.

The sequel "Wicked: For Good" was shot at the same time as the first film, so Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, and Jeff Goldblum are reprising their roles.

"Zootopia 2"

Release date: November 26, in theaters

"Zootopia," an animated buddy cop movie set in a world of anthropomorphic animals, was the fourth highest-grossing movie of 2016, earning over a billion dollars in ticket sales, and won the Oscar for best-animated film.

The sequel will bring back the lead characters — Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a bunny cop with a heart of gold, and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), Judy's sly fox ally.

"Five Nights at Freddy's 2"

Release date: December, 5 in theaters

"Five Nights At Freddy's," a survival viral videogame series about ghost-possessed animatronics that began in 2014, received a horror movie adaptation in 2023.

It was a reasonable success for Universal, grossing $291 million, and now the franchise is continuing on the big screen.

Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, Piper Rubio, and Elizabeth Lail will reprise their roles in the sequel. The film will likely include the return of the scary animatronics and the serial killer William Afton (Lillard).

"The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants"

Release date: December 19, in theaters

"Spongebob Squarepants" is one of Paramount's biggest children brands, running for 15 seasons over the last 26 years. There are also three theatrical movies and a Tony-winning Broadway show.

The last "Spongebob" movie flopped after it was released in 2020 during the pandemic, but the three films have grossed $471 million in total.

"The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants," the fourth film, will star Mark Hamill as the Flying Dutchman, a recurring pirate ghost from the series.

"Avatar: Fire and Ash"

Release date: December 19, in theaters

"Avatar" and "Avatar: The Way of the Water" are the first and third highest-grossing movies of all time, with total ticket sales of $5.2 billion, so it would be a surprise if the third film is not a box office hit.

It will star Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, and other actors from the previous two films, but the synopsis has not yet been revealed.

So far, the sci-fi series has centered on a planet called Pandora which humans are attempting to colonize, sparking a war with the Na'vi native aliens.

James Cameron told Empire in January that the new film will introduce audiences to two new Na'vi groups, wind traders and the Ash clan.

"Return of the Living Dead"

Release date: December 25, in theaters

The "Return of the Living Dead" franchise features some of the grossest zombies to stumble across the big screen. In the plot, a chemical called Trioxin reanimates corpses in a graveyard, leading the zombies to rampage.

The 2025 sequel is called "Return of the Living Dead," which doesn't acknowledge that it will be the sixth movie in the franchise.

Director Steve Wolsh told Bloody Disgusting that it is set in 1985 and added: "Audiences can expect to be welcomed back into the dark humored, sexy, edgy, Trioxin fueled world horror fans first encountered in 1985."

"Happy Gilmore 2"

Release date: Unconfirmed

Since 2014, Adam Sandler has partnered with Netflix to produce multiple comedy movies that have been big hits, such as "Murder Mystery."

His next Netflix film is a sequel to the 1996 movie "Happy Gilmore," about a hockey player who competes in a golf tournament to win money to save his grandmother's house from the IRS.

Sandler will reprise his role as the lead character, Happy Gilmore. Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald will also return.

Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican rapper and singer, will star in the movie as a newcomer to the franchise.

"Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery"

Release date: Fall 2025

Rian Johnson, the director and writer behind 2017's "Star Wars," went on to make his own show: the neo-noir mystery series "Knives Out."

The first film premiered in 2019, grossed $312 million, was nominated for an Oscar, and cemented Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) as an iconic character.

Netflix then swooped in, paying for exclusive rights to the next two films. Multiple outlets reported that Netflix paid over $400 million, but this has not been confirmed.

"Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" is the third film in the series and the second exclusive to Netflix. Craig reprises his role as Blanc alongside Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner, and more.

• "Emilia Pérez" star Karla Sofía Gascón has deactivated her X account following backlash over old tweets.
• Fans had highlighted negative tweets that appear to have been posted by Gascón as recently as 2021.
• "I can no longer allow this campaign of hate and misinformation to affect me and my family," Gascón said.

"Emilia Pérez" star Karla Sofía Gascón has deactivated her X account after coming under fire for controversial past social media posts.

The actor, who made history as the first transgender performer to be nominated in the Oscars' best actress category, said in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter that she apologized for her "erroneous" past opinions and that she had deactivated her account as she could "no longer allow this campaign of hate and misinformation" to affect her or her family.

"I have been threatened with death, insulted, abused and harassed to the point of exhaustion," she added. "I have a wonderful daughter to protect, whom I love madly and who supports me in everything."

In a separate statement via Netflix, the actor acknowledged the "conversation" around her past posts, adding: "As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain."

On Thursday, the Canadian journalist Sarah Hagi shared screenshots on X of posts that appeared to have been made by Gascón. Business Insider couldn't verify all the screenshots, and some posts seem to have been deleted.

The screenshots contained disparaging remarks about Muslims and Islam.

The posts were written in Spanish but translated through Google by Hagi. This sparked more social media users to search for and share screenshots of other posts that appear to be from Gascón.

Gascón wrote in other posts, seen by BI, that all religions should be banned. In a post from 2020, the actor referred to the COVID-19 vaccine as "the Chinese vaccine" and said it had a chip inside it.

Variety reported that in a post shared in 2021, Gascón referred to the Oscars ceremony that year as an "Afro-Korean festival" and "ugly, ugly gala." That year Daniel Kaluuya, a Black British actor, and Yuh-jung Youn, a South Korean actor, both won Oscars.

Variety also highlighted another deleted post from 2020 that was shared days after George Floyd's death in which Gascón referred to him as "a drug addict and a hustler."

Representatives for Netflix, Gascón, and the Academy did not respond to requests for comment from BI.

The controversy around Gascón has come after critics of "Emilia Pérez," which won four Golden Globes and received 13 Oscar nominations, voiced their opinions about the film on social media, calling out its problematic portrayal of Mexico and transphobic stereotypes.

Gascón has been one of the film's main defenders.

On Tuesday, the Brazilian publication Folha de S.Paulo published a video interview in which Gascón criticized people who were tearing her down to support Fernanda Torres, one of her competitors for the best actress Oscar.

In response, some sought to have Gascón disqualified from the Oscars, accusing her of breaking an Academy rule prohibiting those involved with a film from sharing public communication that casts a competing movie in a "negative or derogatory light."

Variety reported on Wednesday that Gascón didn't break the rule because she didn't comment on Torres' performance in "I'm Still Here."

• After "Legally Blonde 3" was delayed, Reese Witherspoon has pivoted focus to the "Elle" prequel series.
• The sequel was initially slated for 2020, then 2022, but there have been no updates since 2023.
• Witherspoon told "The Tonight Show" that she was inspired by "Wednesday" to do a prequel.

Fans who have waited seven years for "Legally Blonde 3" will have to keep waiting as the franchise's focus has shifted to "Elle," an upcoming prequel series on Amazon Prime.

The first two films were a huge hit, grossing $266 million. They were followed by a largely forgotten, straight-to-DVD spin-off, "Legally Blondes," and a successful stage musical of the original film.

In 2018, MGM announced that they were planning on making "Legally Blonde 3," a sequel to the classic noughties movies. Reese Witherspoon was due to return as the franchise's lead character, Elle Woods.

But the film has not materialized. In 2024, Witherspoon and Amazon, which bought MGM in 2021, announced they were looking for a young actor to play Elle Woods in high school, for a new series: "Elle."

On Wednesday's episode of "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon," Witherspoon, a producer of the prequel, shared how she came up with the idea.

"I saw that Wednesday Addams show," she said. "And I was like, 'Oh, she was in high school,' I loved it. I watched every episode. I thought it was amazing.

"And I was like, 'We should do Elle Woods in high school,' because I wanted to see who she was before college, before law school. And I started having all these ideas, and these amazing writers came up with a great pitch. And now Amazon is making the show."

We don't know if or when "Legally Blonde 3" will be made

There has been no update about "Legally Blonde 3" since 2023.

It was scheduled to arrive in theaters in February 2020, delayed until May 2020, and then 2022.

In February 2023, Witherspoon told Entertainment Tonight that Jennifer Coolidge, who played Elle's friend Paulette Bonafonté in the first two films, would be in the sequel.

In September 2023, Mindy Kaling, a co-writer of the sequel, told an episode of iHeart radio's "Table for Two" podcast that writing the script had been challenging.

"And so that's tricky as a writer. Writing something that is incredibly funny and is a great role for Reese but is saying something about feminism now," Kaling said. "So we've just been trying to nail it."

Kaling added Witherspoon was busy shooting other projects and wasn't in a hurry to film the sequel until they had the right script.

• Steven Spielberg has said in multiple interviews that working with Drew Barrymore inspired him to be a father.
• Barrymore responded on "The Late Show," saying she was "relieved" to be his "training wheels" for parenthood.
• Spielberg later raised seven children, including two stepchildren.

Drew Barrymore called Steven Spielberg a "big father figure" in her life after he said in a recent interview that working with the actor on "E.T." inspired him to be a parent.

During a panel on Saturday at the TCM Classic Film Festival in New York City, Spielberg said directing Barrymore and the other child actors on the 1982 film "changed his life," People reported.

"I was obsessed with telling stories, but making 'E.T.' made me want to be a father for the first time. I never even thought about that until 'E.T,'" Spielberg said.

He made a similar comment on another panel at the same festival in 2022.

Reacting to the comments on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," Barrymore said she was relieved she didn't put Spielberg off being a parent.

"He always called me his training wheels for parenthood," Barrymore said. "I spent so much time with him, and he really took me under his wing."

"E.T." was Spielberg's first encounter with Barrymore, who was six at the time of filming. It became her big break in Hollywood.

Barrymore recalled Spielberg persuading her not to get her ears pierced until she was 10 and spending time with him off set.

"He was someone who was there and who I believed in, and I could call, and I would spend weekends at his house, and he was always showing movies," Barrymore said. "He was such a good father figure. I knew he was going to be the best father."

Spielberg now has seven children and six grandchildren.

Spielberg shares his first child, Max, born in 1985, with his ex-wife Amy Irving. After their divorce in 1989, he married Kate Capshaw in 1991, who already had two children, Theo, who was adopted, and Jessica, whom Capshaw shares with her ex-husband Robert Capshaw.

Capshaw and Spielberg had three more children together and adopted another child.

In 2023, Vulture reported that Barrymore once asked Spielberg to be her dad after bonding with him on the set of "E.T." Spielberg declined but accepted a role as her godfather.

Spielberg told the outlet he worried about Barrymore believing she was being "robbed of her childhood."

"Yet I felt very helpless because I wasn't her dad. I could only kind of be a consigliere to her," he said.

Barrymore, who now has two children of her own, has publicly spoken about her troubled childhood, saying that her father was abusive before abandoning the family and her mother took her to inappropriate parties while she was a child.

Barrymore emancipated herself from her parents at 14, after her mother forced her to go to a mental health institution for 18 months after the actor developed an addiction to drugs and alcohol.

Barrymore said on SiriusXM's "The Howard Stern Show" in 2021 that cutting her mother out of her life was "the worst pain I've ever known," but they have since reconciled.

"I feel goodness toward my mom. I feel empathy and understanding," Barrymore said.

• The first episode of "Paradise" has hooked fans and critics with an unexpected twist.
• The series is billed as a political thriller starring Sterling K. Brown and James Marsden.
• A big reveal in episode one shifts the genre of the show.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for episode one of "Paradise."

Hulu's new show "Paradise" begins with one major mystery — someone murdered the president of the United States — but the first episode ends with an even bigger twist.

"Paradise," which premiered on Monday, is marketed as a political thriller and murder mystery following Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown), the lead security agent for the President (James Marsden), who is caught in a major conspiracy after someone kills POTUS on his team's watch.

"Paradise" has received mostly positive reviews from critics and fans, but the discussion has centered on a big twist in the first episode.

Kristen Baldwin, TV critic for Entertainment Weekly, called it a "mind-rattling revelation."

Jacob Stolworthy, the chief culture reporter from the Independent, said the show had the "best debut episode in years."

The twist is that Xavier, the president, and seemingly everyone left in America live in a giant artificial city in a bunker underneath a mountain in Colorado.

A twist should have been expected from "Paradise," as it was created by Dan Fogelman, the creator of the Emmy-winning drama "This Is Us," which had a reputation for having plenty of twists.

"Paradise" episode one is split between multiple flashbacks set in the White House, the more recent past at a lavish house where the president was living before his death, and the present, when Xavier is trying to figure out what happened to the president.

At the end of the episode, when another agent takes over the investigation, Xavier decides to jog home, and there are more indications that not all is what it seems.

People across town use electronic wristbands to open doors or pay for food. A person is seen putting an artificial duck in a lake. A virtual sign says that dawn is delayed due to maintenance.

"Paradise" is really a sci-fi dystopia rather than a political thriller. The president's murder may be the central mystery, but the real question is how this group of people ended up living in a bunker and what happened to the world outside the mountain.

The first three episodes of "Paradise" are available on Hulu (or Disney+ in the UK), with remaining episodes released weekly.

• "Superman," "Snow White," and "Lilo & Stitch" are some of the major franchises being rebooted in 2025.
• A total of 14 reboots will premiere in theaters or streaming platforms.
• Here's what we know so far about these releases.

Three animated movies are making the jump to live-action in 2025, among the 11 reboots scheduled to premiere this year.

When done well, remakes can be lucrative for movie studios.

Disney's live-action remakes of classic animated movies have made more than $5 billion since 2015's "Cinderella." Universal is also joining in on this trend.

There will also be two major superhero reboots, two "Frankenstein" remakes, and another adaptation of "Romeo & Juliet."

Here is what to know about 2025's reboots.

"Wolf Man"

Premiere date: January 17

Since the 2010s, Universal has been trying to revive its "Monsters Universe" with little success.

Critics and fans panned 2017's "The Mummy" reboot, which was supposed to start an interconnected franchise, so the studio pivoted to individual movie reboots instead.

"Wolf Man," starring Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner, is based on a 1941 movie of the same name about a man who is bitten and cursed by a werewolf while trying to reconnect with his father.

In the reboot, Blake (Abbott) and his wife and daughter visit his childhood home in rural Oregon when they're attacked by an animal. As they barricade themselves inside the house, Blake also starts to transform, forcing his wife to defend herself and their daughter.

The release has taken $27.6 million at the box office worldwide and has a 57% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

"Verona's Romeo & Juliet"

Premiere date: February 14

Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is one of the most famous love stories in the world, and Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet" is the most famous and highest-grossing adaptation of the play.

"Verona's Romeo & Juliet," the newest adaptation on the map, is a modern pop musical retelling of the tragic romance between two children of rival families.

Jamie Ward and Clara Rugaard play Romeo and Juliet, and the film also stars Rebel Wilson, Jason Isaacs, Derek Jacobi, and Rupert Everett.

"Snow White"

Premiere date: March 21

Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was the first full-length animated movie, and was the highest-grossing animated film for more than half the 20th century.

Disney is now remaking the movie as a live-action movie with new songs and computer-generated dwarves.

In this new version of the tale, Rachel Zegler stars as Snow White, who is trying to save the kingdom (instead of being saved) from her evil stepmother, played by Gal Gadot.

Disney's last two live-action musicals, "The Little Mermaid" and "Mufasa: The Lion King," both made over $500 million in theaters. If it can avoid controversy, the "Snow White" remake may match those films at the box office.

"The Wedding Banquet"

Premiere date: April 18

Before Ang Lee won two Oscars and directed classics such as "Life of Pi," "Brokeback Mountain," and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," he rose to fame with a small romantic comedy called "The Wedding Banquet."

The film follows a bisexual Taiwanese immigrant man who marries a Chinese woman so that he can get approval from his parents and she can gain a green card.

Andrew Ahn, the director of 2022's "Fire Island," is directing a remake of the romantic comedy. Bowen Yang, the star of Saturday Night Live, Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone, Joan Chen, and Kelly Marie Tran will play lead characters in the reboot.

"Lilo & Stitch"

Premiere date: May 23

Although 2002's "Lilo & Stitch" was a success, grossing $273 million and creating a beloved new character for Disney to base new merch and toys on, the franchise was moved to a small screen for its sequel direct-to-video movies and TV shows.

Now, the franchise is coming back to the big screen in live-action format with a CGI-animated Stitch, voiced by the original voice actor Chris Sanders.

In the original movie, Stitch is an artificial-created alien built to be a weapon, but he learns how to be human after crashing on Earth.

Maia Kealoha and Sydney Agudong play the two main human characters who meet Stitch, Lilo, and her sister, Nani. Billy Magnussen and Zach Galifianakis play the alien duo sent to capture Stitch, Pleakley, and Jumba.

"How to Train Your Dragon"

Premiere date: June 13

Dreamworks is embracing Disney's live-action remake trend, starting with 2010's "How to Train Your Dragon." The franchise has been super lucrative for the studio, grossing $1.4 billion across three movies and having multiple series across various streaming platforms.

The film, directed and written by Dean DeBlois, the original director and writer of the series, follows a young boy who wants to become a mighty Viking like his father but ends up befriending his village's enemy — a dragon.

The film stars Mason Thames as the lead character, Hiccup, Nico Parker as Astrid, Julian Dennison as Fishlegs, Gabriel Howell as Snotlout, Bronwyn James as Ruffnut, and Harry Trevaldwyn as Tuffnut. Gerard Butler is reprising his role as Hiccup's dad, Stoick.

"Superman"

Premiere date: July 11

After years of box office flops, franchise direction changes, and movie cancellations, DC studios hopes to make a big comeback with its most famous superhero, Superman. 2025's "Superman" is the seventh solo movie about Superman and the third time the character has been rebooted for a live-action film.

David Corenswet plays Superman, Nicholas Hoult plays Superman's nemesis, Lex Luthor, and Rachel Brosnahan plays Superman's lover, Lois Lane.

Nathan Fillion, Milly Alcock, Edi Gathegi, Isabela Merced, Anthony Carrigan, Maria Gabriela de Faria, Sean Gunn, and Frank Grillo play other heroes and villains in the DC world.

The film is directed and written by James Gunn, the CEO of DC Studios, who helmed the "Guardians of the Galaxy" Marvel movies.

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps"

Premiere date: July 25

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" will be the fourth "Fantastic Four" movie, the second reboot, and the first "Fantastic Four" movie set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though the story will be in an alternate dimension than the rest of the franchise.

Pedro Pascal plays Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby plays the Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn plays the Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach plays the Thing.

Together, they're the Fantastic Four, a group of scientist-turned-superheroes on a mission to stop a planet-eating alien called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).

Other big names including John Malkovich and Natasha Lyonne also appear.

"The Bride!"

Premiere date: September 26

Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus," is another classic story that has been adapted into TV series and film numerous times.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is directing a reimagining of a 1935 adaptation of the book called "The Bride of Frankenstein," which focused on the part of the novel where Victor Frankenstein attempts to create a bride after creating a monster.

"The Bride!" is set in 1930s Chicago and stars Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Annette Bening, Penelope Cruz, and Peter Sarsgaard. The film follows Frankenstein and Dr Euphronius as they bring a young woman back to life.

"The Running Man"

Premiere date: November 7

After Glen Powell's success with the "Twisters" sequel and "Anyone But You" Shakespeare adaptation in 2024, he's now one of Hollywood's brightest major stars. His next film is based on a pre-existing story.

"The Running Man" is based on a Stephen King novel published in 1982, about a dystopian US where people can participate in a reality show where they win money by evading a team of assassins. Coincidentally, the novel is set in 2025.

The novel was originally adapted in 1987, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the lead. Edgar Wright is directing the remake, with Powell in Schwarzenegger's role. Lee Pace, Josh Brolin, Karl Glusman, Katy O'Brian, and Daniel Ezra are also set to star.

"Frankenstein"

Guillermo Del Toro is also tackling a "Frankenstein" adaptation for Netflix.

His film features rising stars Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth alongside Oscar Isaac, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Christian Convery, Christoph Waltz, and Felix Kammerer.

Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein, and Elordi plays Frankenstein's monster.

Del Toro has built a reputation for pulling off intriguing movies involving monsters, which means there's high anticipation for his take on "Frankenstein."

• People can't get enough of Timothée Chalamet's unusual marketing campaign for "A Complete Unknown."
• He performed deep-cut Bob Dylan songs on "Saturday Night Live!" and arrived at the London premiere on a rental bike.
• He's nominated for an Oscar and these stunts could help get the attention of the Academy Awards voting panel.

From rocking up to a premiere on a rental bike to performing a medley of Bob Dylan songs on "Saturday Night Live!" Timothée Chalamet has taken an unusual approach to his press tour for his latest movie, "A Complete Unknown."

These unconventional stunts are a smart tactic to break through the noise during a competitive awards season, marketing experts told Business Insider.

If they pay off, they could help clinch Chalamet his first Oscar, making him the youngest best actor winner in Academy Awards history.

Chalamet keeps going viral

In the last few months, Chalamet has gone viral for a number of unexpected side quests while promoting the James Mangold-directed biopic. Before the publicity campaign began in earnest, he showed up to a lookalike contest of himself last October, making him appear "down-to-earth," Katharina Stolley, a marketing lecturer specializing in the creative industries at the University of Birmingham, UK, said.

He kept up the stunts as the film hit theaters in December by surprising people with his "elite ball knowledge" on an ESPN panel, copying an unexpectedly casual and memed outfit of Dylan's at the New York premiere, and arriving to the London red carpet on a bright green e-bike that has become synonymous with young Londoners.

Then there was his circuit of interviews with niche internet celebrities with cult followings: Theo Von, Brittany Broski, and the eccentric journalist Nardwuar, who typically interviews musicians not actors.

Chalamet then used a more traditional promotional tactic this weekend: hosting the sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live!"

Even then he pushed the envelope, becoming the first actor to host and perform as an episode's musical guest, singing a selection of deep-cut Dylan tracks.

The appearance gave those who have not yet seen "A Complete Unknown" a glimpse of Chalamet's take on Dylan, while "endearing him to a new, wider audience," said Markus Wohlfiel, a senior lecturer in marketing at De Montfort University, UK.

Stolley said that these stunts cultivate a "relatable public image" and "reveal his commitment to staying connected with his audience."

Chalamet is at the center of a clever "guerrilla marketing campaign"

They also amount to, more or less, free publicity. Searchlight Pictures, the Disney-owned production and distribution company behind the film, rolled out a traditional marketing campaign for "A Complete Unknown," including press junkets, as well as advertising in print and in cinemas and on billboards.

But Wohlfiel said Chalamet's stunts have collectively delivered a "clever out-of-the-box guerrilla marketing campaign."

"As everyone is talking about it in the traditional and social media, creating interest in the actor and the movie, they are clearly achieving their objectives with hardly any financial investment," he said of Chalamet and his publicity team.

Carl Jones, a senior lecturer in digital media at the University of Westminster, UK, agreed that Chalamet's stunts are a cost-effective way of getting his name — and, by extension, the movie — out there.

"This type of activity is a free way to get a film talked about in the media. Usually advertising a film costs Hollywood studios millions of dollars, but doing a stunt only costs the price of the stunt," he said.

Better yet, the gambits match the theme of "A Complete Unknown," which covers a controversial period in Dylan's career in the 1960s when he switched from acoustic to electric guitar and took a gamble on a new sound; Chalamet is similarly walking an unorthodox path as a young star.

Chalamet's promotion of 'A Complete Unknown' has a second target — awards voters.

Although the actor lost out on a Golden Globe earlier this month, he is still in the running for a BAFTA, SAG Award, Critics' Choice Award, and the most coveted of all, an Oscar. These awards are chosen by panels of industry insiders and critics whom nominees must impress.

Ashanti Omkar, a film, TV, and culture critic and broadcaster who is a member of the voting body for the BAFTAs, said Chalamet's virality could help keep him on voters' radars.

"Promotions which are memorable can stick in the minds of busy voters who are juggling their full time jobs while also assessing what to vote for," Omkar said. "The stunts here are great for visibility, but it is Timothée's sheer hard work and talent that has gotten him this level of awards buzz for 'A Complete Unknown.'"

• David Beckham told a Davos panel that he works hard to set an example for his children.
• He retired from soccer in 2013 with vast wealth — reported at the time to be £165 million ($202 million).
• He is now far wealthier, the owner of a football club with multiple brand deals.

David Beckham was already wealthier than most CEOs when he quit professional soccer in 2013.

Retirement could have been luxurious and easy. Instead, he said Tuesday, he persevered with more business ventures for his children.

During a Q&A on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Beckham said that his children inspire him to work hard.

"The reason I continue to work as hard as I do is for my children," Beckham said.

"And I'm not talking about for their futures, but I want to set the right example. When I retired 12, 13 years ago now, from playing, I could have just sat back and enjoyed the moment. But when I grew up at Manchester United, I had one of the biggest and best business leaders inspire me and teach me, Sir Alex Ferguson."

Ferguson was the legendary and long-serving manager of England's Manchester United, the team where Beckham made his professional debut.

Beckham said the lesson he learned from Ferguson was, "Every time that we have some success, of course, we enjoy it, we celebrate it. But the next moment, we're onto the next thing."

When Beckham retired from soccer at 38, The Sunday Times named him the UK's richest sports star with a net worth of £165 million ($202 million using current conversion rates).

In the years that followed, Beckham expanded his wealth through brand deals. He also co-founded the Inter Miami soccer team, partnered with Netflix for a hit tell-all documentary, and worked for Qatar to promote its hosting of the World Cup.

In 2024, the Sunday Times reported that Beckham and his wife, Victoria Beckham, were worth £455 million.

The Beckhams have four children: Brooklyn Beckham, 25, Romeo Beckham, 22, Cruz, 19, and Harper, 13.

The two eldest have yet to follow traditional career paths, though both had tried to follow in their father's footsteps in soccer. Romeo made a professional debut in 2021, playing for his father's team, but he retired in 2023 to pivot to modeling.

Brooklyn Beckham, who married Nicola Peltz-Beckham in 2022, never went pro, but he has switched career paths over the years from modeling to photography to creating a short-lived cooking web series in 2022. In 2024, Brooklyn Beckham launched a hot sauce brand as his latest business venture.

• Nelly, Village People, and Carrie Underwood are among acts set to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration.
• They've all faced backlash from fans.
• All three have responded to criticism for accepting Trump's invitation to perform.

Donald Trump's return to the White House is putting some pop stars in a tricky position: performing for him while placating their fans.

Some of the acts performing at events around his inauguration are squarely in line with MAGA, just like their fans.

A minority, though, are in a less comfortable spot — and have released public statements seeking to explain their position.

Carrie Underwood, Village People, and Nelly have released statements defending their decision to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration, saying it shouldn't be mistaken for an endorsement.

Carrie Underwood said she was 'honored' Trump's team asked her to perform

Underwood, who told The Guardian in 2019 that she tried "to stay far out of politics if possible," was among the first performers to be announced for Trump's swearing-in ceremony on Monday.

Underwood told Business Insider via a representative on Tuesday: "I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event. I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future."

During a 50-minute livestreamed conversation with the rapper and YouTuber Willie D about performing at the inauguration, Nelly compared his decision to that of someone in the military serving a president they did not support.

He is due to appear at the Liberty Ball on Monday.

"I'm not doing this for money. I'm doing this because it's an honor," he said. "I respect the office. It don't matter who is in office the same way that our men and women, our brothers and sisters who protect this country, have to go to war, and have to put their life on the line for whoever in office."

It's unclear what, if anything, acts get paid for performing at such events.

Inaugurations are expensive, with Trump's 2017 committee raising an unprecedented $107 million. Erik Smith, the creative director for Barack Obama's 2009 and 2013 inaugurations, told Billboard in 2021 that artists were not paid when he was on the committee.

"You get one hotel room and two tickets," he said.

Nelly argued that the performance wasn't a political act because Trump won the election and was no longer campaigning.

"Performing for somebody and voting for somebody are two different things," he said. "Endorsing people is two different things."

Village People said refusing Trump's invitation wouldn't help the group

Village People, whose "Y.M.C.A." has been an indelible part of Trump's campaign rallies for years, are also on the billing.

They've had a seesawing relationship with Trump's enthusiasm for their music, extending to an (unsuccessful) cease-and-desist letter in 2023.

Then came an about-face. In December 2024, Victor Willis, the writer of the song, said in a Facebook post that he let Trump use "Y.M.C.A." because Trump was a fan.

After they were confirmed as performers for the inauguration, Village People wrote on Facebook on January 13: "Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost."

On Thursday, Willis wrote on Facebook that the performance wasn't an endorsement and that the band supported Kamala Harris.

"If our preferred candidate (Kamala Harris), had won, Village People would never have been invited to perform at her inauguration. She would have chosen the likes of John Legend and Beyonce, etc," he wrote.

"But now that President Trump has been elected, Village People are suppose to tow the line and say no to an invitation to perform? How does that benefit Village People? It does not. It's simply hatred from one political perspective," he added.

Critics argued it is jarring for Village People, widely associated with LGBTQ+ culture, to perform for a politician who is open about his intentions to roll back trans rights and who was accused of weakening protections for LGBTQ+ people in his first term.

In December, Willis wrote on Facebook that "Y.M.C.A" was not a gay anthem after all — simply a song about the Young Men's Christian Association, like the title and lyrics say.

On Thursday, Willis said that Trump helped get "Y.M.C.A" back on the Billboard charts and that the LGBTQ+ and African American communities had done little to boost the group recently.

• Walt Disney Studios has 12 scheduled movie releases in 2025.
• These include three Marvel films, two live-action remakes, and another "Avatar" movie.
• Here's what we know so far about these releases.

Disney may have slowed down on superhero and live-action remakes in 2024, but it is doubling down on its popular franchises in 2025.

Only two of Disney's 12 releases this year are not sequels or remakes. In the past two years, Disney and other major studios have shifted to focus more on sequels and existing franchises.

That plan seemed to work in 2024, with the top 20 highest-grossing films being sequels, remakes, or adaptations.

Disney now owns the rights to a slate of properties from Pixar, Disney Animation, Searchlight, 20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm, and Marvel. Here are all the movies coming in 2025 from those studios.

"Captain America: Brand New World" — February 14

"Captain America 4" is the first Marvel release of 2025 and follows from the 2021 Disney+ series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

Now, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) is Captain America, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) is his Falcon sidekick, and General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (Harrison Ford) has become president of the US.

This time, Wilson is facing three villains. Ross, who has somehow become a red Hulk, The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson), who last appeared in 2008's "The Incredible Hulk," and Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito), a new villain who seems to be leading a new secret society.

Read our roundup of everything we know about "Captain America: Brand New World."

"Snow White" — March 21

"Snow White," which has already received multiple fan backlashes, will arrive in theaters in March.

The live-action remake stars Rachel Zegler as Snow White, who is trying to save herself and the kingdom from the reign of the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot).

The film includes new songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the composers of "The Greatest Showman" and "La La Land."

"The Amateur" — April 11

Rami Malek stars in this espionage thriller as a CIA decoder who goes rogue to find and assassinate a group of terrorists who killed his wife during a terror attack in London.

The film is based on Robert Littell's 1981 novel "The Amateur," which was set in the 1970s during the Cold War, but the film seems to have modernized the story.

Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, and Jon Bernthal also star in the film.

"Thunderbolts*" — May 2

"Thunderbolts*" will be the next Marvel team-up movie, bringing together characters from "Black Widow," "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp."

This team is made up of former and current criminals and assassins — Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen).

When these individuals are sent on the same mission and encounter another superpowered person, Robert Reynolds (Lewis Pullman), they must work together to survive and save the day.

"Lilo & Stitch" — May 23

"Lilo & Stitch" is the second Disney live-action remake coming in 2025, as the studio uses CGI to bring the blue, furry, deadly alien to life.

The original film focused on an unlikely bond between Stitch, an indestructible lab-created alien, and Lilo, an orphaned child living with her sister.

The plot for the remake has not been revealed yet. Chris Sanders returns as Stitch's voice actor. Maia Kealoha plays Lilo, Sydney Elizabeth Agudong plays Lilo's sister Nani, and Kaipo Dudoit plays David Kawena, Nani's love interest.

"Elio" — June 13

Pixar's only film of 2025 is "Elio," an original film about an 11-year-old boy who becomes Earth's ambassador to a galaxy of aliens.

Adrian Molina, who cowrote and codirected "Coco," will direct "Elio," and the film stars Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, America Ferrera, Jameela Jamil, and Brad Garrett.

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" — July 25

"The Fantastic Four" is getting its second reboot, 20 years after the first live-action adaptation and 10 years after the first reboot.

For the first time, the Fantastic Four will be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though the movie will be set in an alternate universe from the rest of the film.

In "First Steps," The Fantastic Four (played by Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is on a mission to protect Earth from Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a giant world-eating alien, and his herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).

The film is directed by Matt Shakman, the director of the "Wandavision" Disney+ series, and will also star Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Niles, Paul Walter Hauser, and John Malkovich.

Read our roundup of everything we know about "The Fantastic Four: First Steps."

"Freakier Friday" — August 8

Since 2022, Jamie Lee Curtis has been campaigning for a sequel to "Freaky Friday," a 2003 Disney film in which she and Lindsay Lohan play a feuding mother and daughter who magically switch bodies and learn to respect one another.

Curtis finally gets her wish this year, and she and Lohan will return as Tess and Anna Coleman in the sequel "Freakier Friday." In the sequel, Anna (Lohan) now has her own family complications with her daughter, her fiancée and a soon-to-be step-daughter.

The sequel will also star Manny Jacinto, Chad Michael Murray, Mark Harmon, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Stephen Tobolowsky.

"Tron: Ares" — October 10

While the first two "Tron" films were stories about a human entering a virtual reality world, the upcoming "Tron: Ares" is about an AI entering the real world and causing havoc.

Jared Leto plays the AI, Ares, while Jeff Bridges, who starred in the previous films, reprises his role as programmer Kevin Flynn.

Evan Peters, Greta Lee, Cameron Monaghan, Gillian Andersen, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Hasan Minhaj will also star in the movie.

"Predator: Badlands" — November 7

In 2022, Dan Trachtenberg directed "Prey," a direct-to-streaming "Predator" prequel that garnered critical and fan acclaim and won an Emmy for sound editing. Now, Disney is giving him the reins to lead another "Predator" film that will be in theaters.

Trachtenberg told Empire in November 2024 that "Predator: Badlands" is set in the far future and will have Predator, who is normally the villain in movies, as the protagonist. He also said that Elle Fanning will play more than one character in the film.

"Zootopia 2" — November 26

Disney's "Zootopia" is an Oscar-winning film that grossed a billion dollars when it premiered in 2016.

In the sequel, Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a rabbit cop, and her friend Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a con artist fox, team up again to crack a new case in the animal city of Zootopia.

Shakira, Ke Huy Quan, and Fortune Feimster will also star in the movie.

"Avatar: Fire and Ash" — December 19

The first two "Avatar" movies are among the highest-grossing of all time, making over $5 billion.

The film, cowritten and directed by James Cameron, was filmed simultaneously with "Avatar: The Way of the Water" but was delayed until 2025.

The full plot has not been released, but it will likely follow Jake Sully and his family again on a new adventure. It will star the main cast from the previous film, including Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang.

• Jean Smart called on TV networks to consider not broadcasting award ceremonies following the LA fires.
• Some entertainment journalists said outright cancellations would hurt gig workers in LA the most.
• A debate has erupted on whether award season should go ahead at all.

Jean Smart called on TV networks to not broadcast this year's award ceremonies amid the Los Angeles wildfires, but some journalists believe this move would hurt those who work behind the scenes on the show.

The awards season has already been altered this week in response to the fires, which JPMorgan analysts estimate could result in losses of $50 billion.

On Wednesday, Joey Berlin, the CEO of the Critics Choice Association, said its awards ceremony would be pushed back to January 26. The SAG nominations broadcast has also been canceled.

Oscars nominations are now expected to be delayed by two days to January 19, per an email from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts reported by multiple outlets.

The Academy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

But some people think more should be done.

Smart, the Emmy-winning actor who stars in "Hacks," posted on Instagram on Wednesday: "With ALL due respect during Hollywood's season of celebration. I hope any of the networks televising the upcoming awards will seriously consider NOT televising them and donating the revenue they would have gathered to victims of the fires and the firefighters."

Brandon Lewis, a film critic, said on X that all the awards shows should be pushed back, adding: "I just don't see how anyone will be able to focus on something comparatively trivial like campaigning with people's homes destroyed and lives upended."

Some X users agreed, while others called for awards season to be canceled.

Eric Andersen, the founder and editor in chief of Awards Watch, an awards-focused outlet, and other users on X suggested that the networks and awards organizers should donate the revenue from broadcasts to people affected by the wildfires.

Andersen added that the award organizations would not generate any money without televising their shows.

The Academy Awards made $143.5 million in revenue in 2023 from the Oscars and related events, according to financial statements reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Marc Malkin, a senior editor at Variety, told KTLA 5 that "priorities have to shift," but Hollywood was a "gig economy" that relied on award shows.

"Makeup artists, hairstylists, drivers, waiters," Malkin said. "Yes, the celebrities are going to be fine. They don't need an awards show money-wise, but all of this gig economy, all of those people. It's a day rate. They're all going to lose work."

He added: "People rely on this to feed their kids, to pay their rent. We can't ignore that."

Maggie Lovitt, a Collider editor, Matthew Rettenmund, an author and freelance editor, and other users on X agreed with this sentiment.

Some users on Instagram also hit back against Smart's statement in her comments section, with one writing: "Productions shutting down will further contribute to the demise of LA. How will those of us rebuild if we can't work?"

• In "Squid Game," people who are in debt compete for money in survival contests inspired by children's games.

• Both seasons have had a high death count.
• Here are the most shocking deaths ranked

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Squid Game" seasons one and two.

"Squid Game" is Netflix's biggest success — and it has a pretty high death toll, at over 700 in two seasons. 

 The story of characters in debt competing, and often dying, in gratuitously violent games inspired by children's games to win money had viewers hooked from its premiere in 2021, and quickly became Netflix's most-watched show of all time.

Season two is equally violent and has beat Netflix's record for the TV series with the most views in its first week on the platform.

Season two follows Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) as he competes in the survival competition for a second time after winning the contest in season one. 

This time, Gi-hun tries to shut down the games for good but is unable to stop more people getting killed.

Here are the most significant deaths from the first two seasons of "Squid Game," ranked from least to most shocking.

19. Byeong-gi

Contestant 111, Byeong-gi (Yoo Seong-ju), is a doctor who tries to survive by forming a pact with the game's guards, offering his surgical skills so that they can harvest the organs of the other players in exchange for information about the upcoming game.

In episode five, the guards aren't told what the next game is, so Byeong-gi panics, kills some guards to escape, and is eventually trapped and killed by the Frontman (Lee Byung-hun), the mastermind of the games.

In the next episode, his body and the bodies of the guards who worked with him are hung in the center of the game as a message to the remaining players.

18. Park Gyeong-seok

In the season two finale, Gi-hun leads a rebellion against the games, stealing the guards' guns and storming through the game building to get to the command center.

Player 246, Gyeong-seok (Lee Jin-uk), who is competing to raise money for his sick daughter, joins the charge but the guards overpower the rebels and kill him.

Although his death is tragic, we do not learn enough about Gyeong-seok for his death to be more shocking than others on this list.

17. Jang Deok-su

From stealing food, leaving a woman to die after having sex with her, to being the first to kill a contestant outside a game, Jang Deok-su (Heo Sung-tae) is an undeniably unlikable character. 

Karma finally catches up with him in episode seven when Han Mi-nyeo (Kim Joo-ryung), Deok-su's brief lover, throws them onto a brittle platform in the glass bridge challenge as an act of revenge. They fall to their deaths together.

16. Oh Il-nam

Oh Il-nam (Oh Yeong-su) fakes his death during the marbles game in season one, which was much more hard-hitting than his real death in the season one finale.

During this challenge, he pairs up with the show's protagonist, Seong Gi-hun, and discovers that only one person can proceed to the next stage. But instead of playing marbles with Gi-hun, Il-nam seems to hallucinate and wander off.

Gi-hun chases after Il-nam, and, in an out-of-character moment, cheats once they finally play the game.

Il-nam reveals that he knows Gi-hun is cheating but still allows him to progress in the games so he can live a full life. At the time, the pair share an emotional goodbye, like a farewell between a parent and child.

Of course, after Il-nam reveals he is the creator of the games and faked his death in the season finale, the gut-punch of the marbles scene lessens somewhat.

15. The 13 people who died during the glass bridge game

The glass bridge challenge in season one is by far one of the most shocking games.

While the other challenges can be won by skill, intelligence, or strength, the glass round is solely based on luck. 

Players cross a bridge made up of two columns of identical glass platforms. One of the platforms is stable, allowing the players to cross the bridge, while the other will break immediately, leading to a long fall to their deaths.

Only three of the 16 players survive, and the final death is the most brutal. Close to the end, player 017 (Lee Sang-hee) reveals he is a glassmaker who can tell the difference between the platforms. But when the lights are switched off, he struggles to figure out which platform is the right one.

With time running out, Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo) ruthlessly pushes the glassmaker onto one of the glass platforms, which turns out to be the unsafe one.

14. Mr. Kim

In season two, Gi-hun hires Mr Kim (Kim Pub-lae), his former creditor, to help him track down the man who recruited him to participate in the games in season one.

Mr Kim and his young underling Woo-seok (Jeon Seok-ho) succeed in finding the Recruiter (Gong Yoo), but he surprises them and knocks them out.

When they wake up, the Recruiter forces them to play a game combining the rules of Rock, Paper, and Scissors with Russian Roulette. Mr. Kim purposely loses the game so Woo-seok can live, and the Recruiter shoots him.

Once Mr Kim is captured, it is pretty clear he will die, but it's heartening that his last act is protecting Woo-seok rather than selling him out.

13. Se-mi

Se-mi (Won Ji-an) stands up against the season two bullies Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun) and his sidekick Nam-gyu (Roh Jae-won) to defend a shy man called Min-su (Lee David).

But this backfires during the riot in the season two finale. Nam-gyu corners Se-mi, but Min-su, who is hiding above them, is too scared to save her. Nam-gyu then stabs Se-mi multiple times with a fork, in an undeservedly cruel death.

12. The Recruiter

The opening episode of season two shows that the Recruiter is as sadistic as his employers, as he toys with homeless people and tortures Mr. Kim and Woo-seok.

In the last scene of the episode, the Recruiter confronts Gi-hun, and they play a game of Russian Roulette. 

Gi-hun wins, and the Recruiter, without flinching, shoots himself.

10. Player 196

Player 196 (Song Ji-woo) is one of the multiple characters who gets a substantial amount of screentime in season two, episode three when they enter the games. So it seemed like she was going to be one of the season's main players.

That notion goes out the window during the first game, Red Light, Green Light. After feeling a bee on her neck, she moves when she is supposed to be still and is shot in the head.

It is a reminder that this is "Squid Game," and no character is truly safe.

11. Players 069 and 070

The only thing we know about players 069 (Kim Yun-tae) and 070 (Lee Ji-ha) is that they are married, which makes episode six's plot twist so cruel. The players are asked to get into pairs, but only after they've done so are they told they will have to compete against each other to move onto the next stage. 

No. 69 dies by suicide the night after the game, feeling guilty about his wife's death.

9. Ali Abdul

Abdul Ali (Anupam Tripathi), a migrant worker from Pakistan, is a season one fan-favorite because he is kind to all the other players.

This allows him to form useful alliances but also leads to his demise during the marbles game. Ali pairs up with Sang-woo, whom he sees as a close friend, and tries to play fairly.

But Sang-woo tricks Ali into dropping the marbles needed to progress in the games and gives him a bag of rocks instead. Ali doesn't realize he has been fooled until time runs out to save himself, and he is shot by a guard.

Although his death was tragic, it was always clear Ali was not cut out for the competition.

Park Jung-bae

Park Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), a former marine and Gi-hun's friend from outside the game, joins in with the rebellion in the season two finale.

Jung-bae and Gi-hun eventually have to surrender when they are cornered by the guards. The Frontman then appears with a gun, and it appears he plans to kill Gi-hun.

He then turns and shoots Jung-bae dead as a lesson to Gi-hun.

The saddest part about Jung-bae's death is that he never finds out that the Frontman was his former ally. In season two, the Frontman poses as a player to keep his eye on Gi-hun and eventually sabotage the rebellion. When the Frontman shoots Jung-bae, he is wearing a mask to hide his identity.

7. Ji-yeong

After forming a bond with Kang Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon) in previous episodes, Ji-yeong (Yuuki Luna) is forced to battle against her during the marbles challenge.

But instead of fighting, the pair decide to talk about their life story and why they entered the games.

After hearing that Sae-byeok is competing to raise money to save her mother from North Korea and reunite her family, Ji-yeong decides to surrender so Sae-byeok can continue competing.

Ji-yeong's death is made even more tragic by the fact that Sae-byeok doesn't win, so the sacrifice was for nothing. 

6. Cho Sang-woo

The creators and organizers of the competition are the villains of the show, but Sang-woo is a close second.

Sang-woo is determined to win at all costs in season one, sacrificing several people so he can proceed. Sang-woo reaches the final but is beaten by Gi-hun in a battle of Squid Game.

Gi-hun then offers Sang-woo a chance to quit so they both have the chance to survive. But Sang-woo chooses to lethally stab himself so Gi-hun can win the money.

It's not shocking that Sang-woo died, but that even in the end, he chose money over life.

5. Gi-hun's mom

After fighting for his life in six brutal challenges to raise money for his mother's (Kim Young-ok) medical bills to treat her diabetes, Gi-hun returns home to find her dead.

We don't know much about her but her death makes Gi-hun's efforts in the games pointless. He goes through that entire trial but is not able to save a single loved one.

4. Thanos

Thanos, the callous, self-obsessed bully of season two, is killed by another player during a riot in the male bathrooms in the season two finale.

Sure, Thanos does deserve to be punished at some point for the way he harassed and harmed other players. And yes, he causes the circumstances of his own death by inciting the riot and bullying his eventual killer, Lee Myung-gi (Yim Si-wan).

But at the same time, Thanos is a really entertaining villain, and it's surprising he is killed so soon, leaving a major villain gap for the third season.

3. Young-mi

Young-mi (Kim Si-eun) is another player who is not cut out to survive the games' brutality, but she seemed to have the potential to get a little further in the show.

She is introduced just before the Six-Legged Pentathlon game, forming a team with Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon) and a few other major characters. Most members of this team become really close after surviving this challenge, and Hyun-ju and Young-mi, in particular, form a familial bond.

But during the next challenge, the Mingle game, Young-mi gets knocked and pushed outside the safe zone. In a heartbreaking moment, Young-mi is shot and killed right in front of Hyun-ju.

Justice for Young-mi!

2. The 255 people who died in the Red Light, Green Light game in season one

By the end of season one, viewers may feel numb to the show's violence, but the brutality of the competition is not made apparent until the first games.

More than half of the contestants in the competition die in Red Light, Green Light alone, where they are shot by hidden snipers if they are caught moving by a giant rotating doll. It is nothing short of a massacre in seconds, and only 201 out of 456 contestants survive.

It makes it clear from the start that there will be no trickery or bargaining in this competition — if you lose, you die.

Thankfully, in season two, Gi-hun instructs the players on how to beat the game so fewer die.

1. Kang Sae-byeok

While Gi-hun is the protagonist, Sae-byeok is one of the characters with the most moving story and arguably most deserving of the money. 

She is a North Korean defector who needs the money to look after her younger brother and bring her mother to South Korea. Though she has a hard exterior, she goes out of her way to help other vulnerable people, even stopping Gi-hun from killing Sang-woo when he is sleeping.

Jung Ho-yeon, who plays Kang Sae-byeok, told The Times in 2021 that her role taught her to have "faith in humanity" because Sae-byeok is so caring to her family.

But the cards were not in her favor. After the glass bridge game, the remaining glass platforms are blown up, and a shard of glass hits her stomach.

During the night after the game, Sang-woo kills Sae-byeok after she passes out due to the injury.

Kang Sae-byeok's death makes it clear that only one player is making it alive out in season one.

• Los Angeles' Palisades Charter High School was damaged by a wildfire on Tuesday.
• The school has a rich pop-culture legacy; alums include J.J. Abrams, Will.i.am, and Forest Whitaker.
• "Carrie," "Teen Wolf," "Freaky Friday," and an Olivia Rodrigo music video were filmed on its campus.

A wildfire damaged an iconic Los Angeles high school with A-list alums that was used as a set for films including "Freaky Friday" and "Carrie."

On Wednesday, as numerous fires raged across the greater Los Angeles area, the California Department of Education said that 335 schools had closed, affecting more than 211,000 students.

Palisades Charter High School, which was set to start a new term next week, caught on fire on Tuesday evening. The Los Angeles Times reported that some of the school's athletic facilities and bungalow structures at the back of its campus burned.

A representative for the school did not immediately respond to a comment request from Business Insider about the extent of the damage.

The Times said staff members and student-athletes who were at the school when the fire broke out were quickly evacuated.

It said that the main building was still standing and that the school's principal, Pam Magee, told the parents of the approximately 3,000 students that 70% of the campus structures may have survived.

The school's website said it would provide updates on when the new term would start.

Palisades Charter High School has a rich pop-culture legacy

PCHS, which opened in 1961 and became an independent charter school in 2003, has appeared in several TV shows and movies.

It was one of the many schools used to represent Bates High School in the 1976 film adaptation of Stephen King's novel "Carrie." The film received two Oscar nominations and has been referenced many times in movies, TV series, and music.

All the school scenes for 2003's "Freaky Friday," starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, were filmed at PCHS. A sequel is in the works and set to premiere in August.

Seasons three to seven of "Teen Wolf," a supernatural teen drama released in the 2010s, used PCHS for the outside shots of Beacon Hills High School. The first two seasons were filmed in Atlanta. The Times reported in 2012 that the production moved to LA to take advantage of tax laws there.

In 2021, the Grammy-winning pop star Olivia Rodrigo recorded part of her "Good 4 U" music video in the school's locker room and sports facilities.

The PCHS website also says that 2012's "Project X," a found-footage teen comedy, was filmed there.

Palisades Charter High School's list of alums is full of stars

J.J. Abrams, a co-creator of the Emmy-winning show "Lost" and the father of the pop star Gracie Abrams, is one of several stars who attended PCHS.

In 2015, Abrams told the community news outlet the Palisadian Post that he based the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" character Maz Kanata on an English teacher of his at PCHS, Rose Gilbert.

"We really wanted the story to feel authentic, despite being a wild fantasy," Abrams said. "I mentioned Rose in an early story meeting as a sort of timeless, wise figure that I'd actually known in my life." Gilbert, who worked at PCHS for more than 50 years, died in 2013 at 95.

Another PCHS alum is Forest Whitaker, the Oscar-winning actor who has starred in "Black Panther," "Star Wars: Rogue One," and "The Butler."

He told Collider in 2020 that he starred in two high-school musical productions, "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Cabaret."

The Oscar-nominated actor Jennifer Jason Leigh, Whitaker's costar in the 1982 movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," also attended PCHS.

Other successful PCHS alums are Will.i.am, the seven-time Grammy-winning member of the Black Eyed Peas; A. Scott Berg, a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer; and Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Golden State Warriors.

Correction: January 9, 2025 — An earlier version of this story misstated the year of Rose Gilbert's death. She died in 2013, not 2017.

• "Squid Game" on Netflix is about a group of people in debt competing in deadly games for money.
• Some of the characters' debts revealed in season two are more than a billion South Korean won.
• When converted into US currency, the highest debt represented is just under $7 million.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Squid Game" season two.

Netflix's biggest show, "Squid Game," is a South Korean thriller series about a group of people who risk their lives in a dangerous competition to pay off their debts.

The largest debts are equal to billions of South Korean won. But in the context of US dollars using the current conversion rates, the largest debt represented is just under $7 million.

The show is set in a dystopian version of the present where people compete in a series of deadly children's games to win 45.6 billion won (roughly $31.2 million). In the show, the prize fund starts at zero and can rise to 45.6 billion won, however the money only increases if a player dies. Each player's death adds 0.1 billion won to the prize pot.

In season one, there can be only one winner, but season two changes the rules. After each game, the contestants can vote to leave, splitting the prize money that's been won so far. If a majority agrees, all the surviving players leave with an equal split of the current prize fund.

By the end of season two, 36.1 billion won (roughly $24.7 million) is in the fund, and 95 players are still alive. If the contestants leave right away, each player would receive 380 million won (roughly $260,000), but this amount is lower than some of the characters' debts.

Viewers unfamiliar with the Korean won may struggle to grasp the level of debt each player is in. These are the fictional debts converted from South Korean won to US dollars based on current conversion rates.

Player 196 owes $31,000

When the contestants first enter the games in season two, the game organizers expose some of the players' debts in an attempt to get them to shut up and play along with the competition.

Player 196, who is the first person to be killed in the first game, has the lowest debt that is revealed in the season.

The organizers say Player 196, who is killed in the first game, "Red Light, Green Light," owed 45 million won, which is roughly $31,000.

Player 007 owes $68,000

In episode five, Player 007, whose real name is Park Yon-sik, shocks his mother by voting to stay in the games.

He later tells her that his debt is higher than she thought it was, and he is being threatened to pay it back.

He says his debt is around 100 million won, which is roughly $68,000.

He is still alive at the end of the season.

Player 120 owes $226,000

Player 120, Cho Hyun-ju, is an ex-military trans woman who needs money to finish paying off her surgical bills and to move to Thailand, where she would be more accepted.

The game organizers say she owes 330 million won, which is roughly $226,000.

She is still alive at the end of the season.

Player 230 owes $814,000

Player 230 is a microcelebrity internet rapper who goes by the name Thanos. He enters the games after losing 500 million won (roughly $342,000) in a crypto scam led by Player 333. Player 333 kills him during a brawl in episode seven.

The organizers say he owes 1.19 billion won, which is roughly $814,000.

Player 198 owes $958,000

Player 198 is a minor character in season two who dies in the second game.

The organizers say he owes 1.4 billion won, which is roughly $958,000.

Player 333 owes $1.2 million

Player 333, Lee Myung-gi, is a former YouTuber who is wanted for fraud and violating telecom and financial investment laws after promoting a crypto coin that turned out to be a scam.

The scammers fled after taking 15.2 billion won (roughly $10.4 million) from those who invested in the coin, including Thanos, Player 222, and Player 124, but Myung-gi seemed to also lose money in the scam and shut down his social media accounts.

In episode three, the organizers expose Lee to the group and say he owes 1.8 billion won, which is roughly $1.2 million.

He is still alive at the end of the season.

Player 226 owes $1.3 million

Player 226 is one of the players who consistently pushes the group to continue playing the games.

The organizers say he owes 1.9 billion won, which is roughly $1.3 million.

He is still alive at the end of the season.

Player 444 owes $1.4 million

Player 444 is a minor character who dies in the first game. A sniper shoots him in the leg, but he makes it to the finish line only to be shot and killed by another sniper.

The organizer says he owes 2.02 billion won, which is roughly $1.4 million.

Player 343 owes $2 million

Player 343 is a minor character who dies during the Mingle game after Player 001 strangles him.

The organizers say he owes 2.89 billion won, which is roughly $2 million.

Player 006 owes $2.1 million

Player 006 is a minor character who becomes part of Player 44's cult.

The organizers say she owes 3.1 billion won, which is roughly $2.1 million.

Player 283 owes $2.7 million

Player 283 is a minor character who is the second character to die in the first game. A sniper kills the player after she panics over Player 196's death.

The organizers say she owes 4.02 billion won, which is roughly $2.7 million.

Player 100 owes $6.8 million

Player 100 is the biggest defender of the games, often inspiring the group to continue with the contest instead of quitting.

The organizers say he owes 10 billion won, which is $6.8 million.

He is still alive at the end of the season.

• "Elvis" actor Austin Butler, 33, and model Kaia Gerber, 23, were romantically linked in late 2021.
• The couple have now reportedly parted ways.
• Here's a complete timeline of Butler and Gerber's relationship.

December 19, 2021: Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber were first spotted spending time together.

According to Us Weekly, Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber attended a yoga class in Los Angeles on December 19, 2021. In photos obtained by Daily Mail, the "Zoey 101" star and the model can be seen talking together while walking on a sidewalk before driving away in Gerber's car. 

Three days later, the two were photographed packing their suitcases into a car before heading to the Los Angeles airport, per E! News.

The 23-year-old, whose own exes include Pete Davidson and Jacob Elordi, is the daughter of 1980s supermodel icon Cindy Crawford and business mogul Rande Gerber.

 

February 14, 2022: The two spent their first Valentine's Day together.

Butler and Gerber celebrated their first Valentine's Day together in London, England.

In photos obtained by Just Jared, the two were seen bundled up in coats as they enjoyed coffee and snacks in the UK capital.

 

 

March 24, 2022: Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber made their first official outing together.

Three months into their relationship, Butler and Gerber attended W Magazine's annual pre-Oscars Best Performances party together.

They were seen walking hand-in-hand into the party at Gigi's in Hollywood. The Instagram account for the outlet shared a photo of the two that showed Butler planting a kiss on Gerber's cheek and referred to the actor as Gerber's "boyfriend" in the caption.

 

May 2, 2022: They made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Met Gala.

The young lovers opted to walk the red carpet separately as Butler officially attended the event with Elvis Presley's widow, Priscilla Presley, according to People.

However, they later joined together and posed for photographers when they reached the top of the Metropolitan Museum of Art staircase.

 

May 25, 2022: Butler and Gerber kiss on the red carpet following the premiere of "Elvis" at Cannes.

Gerber joined Butler at the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival where his new movie, "Elvis," premiered. Again, they walked the red carpet separately but were photographed holding each other's faces and kissing. 

 

July 28, 2022: Gerber appears in Butler's Elvis-inspired photoshoot.

Gerber — or part of her, at least — appeared in Butler's photo shoot for V Magazine's VMAN 49's fall-winter 2022 issue. In two photos that show Butler with his back toward the camera and dressed in an Elvis Presley-esque outfit, Gerber's arms can be seen draped around his neck. 

Although her face and body were hidden from the camera, Gerber's "I know" wrist tattoo can be seen in both shots.

 

January 10, 2023: Gerber and Butler are seen kissing backstage at the Golden Globes.

Butler won his first Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of the King of Rock n' Roll and was caught on camera sharing a kiss with Gerber backstage after giving his acceptance speech to the audience.

March 12, 2023: Gerber and Butler also attended the Vanity Fair Oscars party together.

Butler missed his opportunity to win his first Oscar after the best actor award went to Brendan Fraser. While Gerber was nowhere to be seen on the red carpet for the main event, she supported her boyfriend afterward at the Vanity Fair Oscars party.

March 30, 2023: Gerber and Butler volunteer together at a children's hospital in LA.

On March 30, the official Instagram account for Children's Hospital L.A. shared that Butler and Gerber had visited the patients there during their Make March Matter campaign. In some of the photographs and videos, Butler can be seen teaching the children how to play the guitar.

August 2023: Gerber and Butler are spotted attending Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in LA.

Taylor Swift's 2023 Eras Tour was attended by several celebrities, especially at the LA concerts.

Numerous videos shared on social media showed Butler and Gerber attending one of Swift's concerts at LA's SoFi Stadium.

While Butler went to the concert incognito, wearing a face mask and a cap, Gerber was not shy about being at the event and even received friendship bracelets from fans.

August 17, 2023: Gerber and Austin celebrate the actor's 32nd birthday together.

According to People, Butler and Gerber were spotted on August 17 spending time together in LA and going to lunch, presumably to mark Butler's 32nd birthday.

October 2023: Butler supported Gerber during Paris Fashion Week.

According to People, the "Bikeriders" actor watched on as Gerber opened the Valentino Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 show during Paris Fashion Week.

October 27, 2023: The couple attended a Halloween party dressed as Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick.

The couple attended a party put on by Casamigos, the tequila brand her father Rande Gerber cofounded with George Clooney and Mike Meldman.

January 7, 2025: Reports emerged that Butler and Gerber had split up.

On January 7, TMZ reported that the couple had split up after around three years of dating, citing unnamed sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

People later said a source had confirmed the news.

Neither outlet shared the reason behind Butler and Gerber's reported decision to part ways, although TMZ said that the relationship had ended around the end of 2024.

• Netflix's "Emilia Pérez" has received the most nominations from major award bodies this season.
• It was nominated for 13 Oscars and won four Golden Globes.
• While award bodies love the movie, it has been criticized by film fans.

"Emilia Pérez" is a frontrunner for the 2025 Oscars after bagging 13 nominations, but a growing number of fans and critics are turning against it.

The Netflix film, starring Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Karla Sofía Gascón, is a cross-genre crime musical about a Mexican cartel boss who fakes her death so she can transition.

Variety reported that Netflix bought the film for approximately $12 million after it premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. While it wasn't a hit on the platform, its award success is a boost to Netflix's reputation.

Some film fans have questioned why the film is drawing so many accolades, arguing its competition is better.

On Rotten Tomatoes, it had a critic score of 76% and an audience score of 34%, indicating a divide between industry experts and the general public.

Gascón is also facing backlash over comments she made defending the film and old social media posts.

Here are the controversies surrounding the film explained.

Fans mocked what they view as a bizarre musical number in the film

In one scene that went viral, a doctor sings about the gender reassignment surgeries he has performed.

Users on X who saw the clip out of context mocked the musical number, while others who had seen the film called it boring.

Film fans reignited criticism by resharing the scene after "Emilia Pérez" won four awards at the Golden Globes on January 6.

It won the award for best musical or comedy motion picture over many fan-favorite films, including "Wicked," "The Substance," and "Challengers."

Gomez's performance and her Spanish language skills have also been criticized.

Eugenio Derbez, a Mexican actor who starred in 2021's "Coda," called her performance "indefensible" last December on the Mexican entertainment podcast "Hablando de Cine."

After Gomez said sorry and that she did the best she could with the time she was given, Derbez apologized the next day for his "thoughtless" comments.

Others have complained about how the film portrays trans identity

At first glance, it would seem progressive for a film about a trans person to win multiple Oscars, as an openly trans actor is yet to win an Academy Award. But critics say the film doesn't uplift the community, partly because it includes transphobic tropes, such as describing a transwoman as "half male/half female."

In November 2024, the LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD called the film "a step backward for trans representation" and shared several negative reviews from critics who are trans.

On January 6, Gascón told Vanity Fair: "Many are running a negative, nasty campaign against the film, so anything that I say, they will use it to make their case bigger.

"When something has a big impact and is liked by many, others hate it just for existing."

When asked about critics who are trans panning the movie, Gascón said: "Being LGBTQ, having those labels, does not remove your stupidity, just like heterosexuality does not remove your stupidity.

"What bothers me is that the people that say things like that just sitting down at home doing nothing. If you don't like it, go and make your own movie. Go create the representation you want to see for your community."

Gascón added that the trans experience is not a monolith.

Juan Barquin, a critic of the movie who is trans and was mentioned in the Vanity Fair article, responded in an X post the next day, telling Gascón to "go fuck herself" and give her money to make her own trans movie.

Another trans critic mentioned in the piece, Drew Burnett Gregory, said: "I've watched many trans actors and writers attach themselves to cis artists in the hopes of helping their careers.

"It's not a position I envy. When the dust settles and the awards are doled out, it's the cis people who have benefited while the trans people can barely get work."

On January 6, Jeremy O. Harris, a Tony-nominated playwright and actor, shared a Instagram story post criticizing the outlet THEM and other LGBTQ+ detractors of "Emilia Pérez," arguing its success could open doors for representation.

Some criticized how Mexico is portrayed

"Emilia Pérez" is mostly set in Mexico, but the film's director, Jacques Audiard, is French, and the movie was made in France. In addition, one Mexican-born actor has a lead role: Adriana Paz. Gomez is American and has Mexican heritage; Saldaña's parents are Dominican and Puerto Rican; and Gascón is Spanish.

Users on X, including Mexican actors and cinematographers, argued the film doesn't accurately portray Mexico, its culture, and people.

Rodrigo Prieto, a Mexican, Oscar-nominated cinematographer who worked on "Barbie," "Killers of the Flower Moon," and "The Wolf of Wall Street," told Deadline last November that he was "unhappy" the film was not shot in Mexico and didn't include more Mexican people in the production.

"The whole thing is completely inauthentic," Prieto said. "Yes, they had dialogue coaches but I was offended that such a story was portrayed in a way that felt so inauthentic.

"It was just the details for me. You would never have a jail sign that read 'Cárcel' it would be 'Penitenciaria'. It's just the details, and that shows me that nobody that knew was involved. And it didn't even matter. That was very troubling to me."

In December 2024, casting director Carla Hool told a SAG-AFTRA foundation Q&A that her team searched across Mexico and Latin America for the lead roles.

"We wanted to keep it really authentic, but at the end of the day, the best actors who embodied the characters are the ones right here," Hool said, adding that they changed the backgrounds of Gomez and Saldaña's characters' because they aren't native Mexicans.

This further angered critics.

'Emilia Pérez' was snubbed by GLAAD but received the most nominations at the Oscars

On January 22, GLAAD announced the nominees for its media awards, but "Emilia Pérez" was notably absent from all categories.

A day later, the Oscars announced their nominations list, and "Emilia Pérez" received the most. The film's total nominations ties with Oscar-winning films such as "Oppenheimer," "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," and "Forrest Gump."

Film fans said they thought other films were more deserving of the recognition.

A Mexican trans filmmaker creates a 28-minute parody of 'Emilia Pérez' set in France

On January 25, Camila Aurora, a Mexican filmmaker who is trans, uploaded "Johanne Sacreblu" to YouTube, a 28-minute musical parody of "Emilia Pérez." The film is set in France, but it is filled with French stereotypes and was filmed in Mexico with Mexican actors who put on bad French accents.

The film went viral and has been viewed 1.7 million times on YouTube.

Gascón accuses social media teams of trying to tear her down

On January 28, Folha de S. Paulo, a Brazilian daily newspaper, published a video interview where Gascón said people had torn down her work to highlight that of fellow best actress Oscar nominee, Fernanda Torres.

Fans accused Gascón of breaking an Academy rule prohibiting those associated with an eligible film from publicly casting a competing film in a "negative or derogatory light."

Representatives for the Academy did not respond to a comment request from Business Insider.

Variety reported on January 29 that the comments do not violate the rule because Gascón did not negatively comment on Torres' acting performance or film.

Gascón told Variety: "In my recent comments, I was referencing the toxicity and violent hate speech on social media that I sadly continue to experience. Fernanda has been a wonderful ally, and no one directly associated with her has been anything but supportive and hugely generous."

Gascón faces a backlash after old X posts resurface

On January 30, fans and journalists resurfaced posts Gascón shared on X featuring offensive remarks about Islam, Muslims, George Floyd, and Miley Cyrus. The most recent posts were from 2021.

Variety reported that in one post, which has since been deleted, Gascón called the 2021 Oscar ceremony an "Afro-Korean festival" after Daniel Kaluuya, a Black British actor, and Yuh-Jung Youn, a South Korean actor, won awards.

Gascón said in a statement to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter: "I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt. As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain. All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness."

Gascón X account was deleted on January 31.

Representatives for Gascón, Netflix, the Academy, and THEM did not immediately respond to a comment request from BI.

• Zendaya wore a ring to the Golden Globes, sparking rumors that she's engaged to Tom Holland.
• Zendaya and Holland are known for keeping most of their relationship details private.
• PR experts said the ring could be interpreted as a nod to an engagement without needing a statement.

Zendaya wore a ring on her left ring finger to the Golden Globes on Sunday — reigniting theories that she and Tom Holland are engaged.

Two branding PR experts told Business Insider that this approach could generate more attention than a simple statement.

Holland met Zendaya in 2016 when she auditioned for 2017's "Spider-Man: Homecoming," in which he played Spider-Man. Zendaya's character, Michelle Jones, became Holland's love interest in the sequels to "Homecoming," leading fans to speculate about whether the actors would date as other former "Spider-Man" costars did.

Holland confirmed their romance to GQ in November 2021. He also criticized journalists for publishing a photo of them kissing in a car earlier that year, before they were ready to go public.

Since then, Zendaya and Holland have appeared in public as a couple but kept most details about their relationship private.

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Times reporter Amy Kaufman said that when asked if she was engaged, Zendaya "kept showing her ring, smiled coyly and shrugged her shoulders mysteriously."

On Monday, TMZ and People reported that they were engaged, citing unnamed sources.

Neither Zendaya nor Holland have commented, and their representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Kayley Cornelius, a celebrity PR specialist from Manchester, England, said Zendaya's choice to wear the ring could be a clever PR stunt, as it could get double the attention.

She added that fans and journalists were already speculating about whether the couple were engaged and that the conversation would restart if they addressed the rumors.

"If they just came out with a statement saying they're engaged, the moment would've lived and died by the end of this week," Cornelius said.

Mayah Riaz, a PR and personal-branding expert based in London, said she wouldn't label the moment a publicity stunt but thought Zendaya's team "would be fully aware of the buzz it would generate."

"It has excited fans and media, driving attention without either of them having to make a formal statement," Riaz said. "This understated approach is very in line with their brand of letting their work speak for itself while occasionally letting personal moments shine."

Holland and Zendaya's choice to stay private helps their relationship look authentic

Riaz said the private approach reinforced the actors' brands as "mature, focused professionals."

"They've cultivated trust and respect from their fan base, as they are seen as prioritizing their personal lives over publicity," Riaz said. "Doing this allows them to focus public attention on their work rather than their personal life, which can be beneficial for those wanting to be taken seriously in their craft."

Cornelius said this approach made Holland and Zendaya's relationship seem more relatable and authentic.

"They're probably losing out on money by not being as public as they are and building up that brand and identity together," Cornelius said. "So the fact that they're willing to lose out on that, keep things private, it shows that they're likely very genuine and they very much care about one another."

Comparing the couple to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, Cornelius said it was smart for Zendaya and Holland to keep their brands separate in case they break up.

"Unfortunately for Travis, he is going to find it very hard to ever shift his brand from being Taylor Swift's boyfriend," Cornelius said. "And because they've been so public together, everything that Travis does now is going to have that association with Taylor Swift."

Riaz and Cornelius said that by rarely sharing public moments together, Zendaya and Holland garner more attention than celebrities who are often out together.

They said this increased interest in the couple could backfire if fans overstepped boundaries to find out more information or if false rumors spiraled out of control.

But overall, they said, the benefits outweigh these risks.

"Tom and Zendaya have struck a great balance by being private yet not completely inaccessible," Riaz said. "They've neither denied nor overshared, allowing them to maintain respect from their fans and the media."

• Player 001 is a main character in seasons one and two of "Squid Game."
• The number was bestowed on Oh Il-nam, a dying old man, in season one.
• Here's what to know about the new Player 001, Oh Young-il.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Squid Game" seasons one and two.

In season two of Netflix's hit series "Squid Game," lead character Seong Gi-hun is betrayed again by Player 001.

The first season became streamer's most-watched show of all time and helped spark global interest in Korean dramas. One of the main characters, Oh Il-nam (O Yeong-su), is an old, dying man who entered the competition of deadly children's games to relive his childhood.

He is given the "Player 001" jumpsuit and becomes allies with Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) and his friends before Il-nam is killed during the marbles game in episode six.

However, a year after Gi-hun wins the games, Il-nam reveals to him that he faked his death and was the creator of the games, posing as a player.

Before Il-nam dies of natural causes, he tells Gi-hun that he designed the games to amuse other wealthy people and test people's morals.

This inspires Gi-hun to shut down the games for good, and he agrees to enter the competition again in season two to complete this plan.

This time, he meets another Player 001, who wants to become his ally.

Player 001 is the Frontman without his disguise.

Season two's Player 001 tells his fellow survivors that his name is Oh Young-il, but he is really Hwang In-ho, the Frontman.

In-ho is played by Lee Byung-hun, a South Korean actor who has also starred in American action films including "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," "Red 2," and "Terminator Genisys."

In season one, In-ho led the competition from the command center and ensured it ran smoothly; however, for most of the season, he wore a black mask and raincoat, hiding his identity.

In-ho had spoken to Gi-hun before, but he was masked and using a voice changer. So Gi-hun doesn't recognize In-ho's voice in season two while pretending to be Young-il, so is never suspicious of him.

It is unclear what In-ho's plan is, but in season two, he infiltrates Gi-hun's group, tries to subtly talk him into supporting the games, and sabotages the players' rebellion in the season finale.

In the finale, In-ho also fakes his death, reapplies his mask as the Frontman, and kills Gi-hun's close friend right in front of him.

The Frontman is the brother of former detective, Hwang Jun-ho.

In season one, a detective, Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), infiltrates the competition as a guard in search of his missing brother, In-ho. He discovers that his brother won the competition five years ago and now runs it as the Frontman.

But Jun-ho is shot by In-ho during his escape. Jun-ho survives but loses all the evidence of the games to give to the police.

In season two, Jun-ho joins Gi-hun's team in tracking down the organization running the competition, but hides that his brother is in charge.

The Frontman enters the games to save his wife, but she dies.

While posing as Young-il, In-ho tells Gi-hun that he is competing in the games to get enough money to help his sick, pregnant wife. He says he was fired from his job after borrowing money from a vendor because his bosses thought it was a bribe.

This may be the one time In-ho tells the truth to Gi-hun.

In episode two, Jun-ho visits the grave of In-ho's wife to check for signs he has visited recently. Later, Jun-ho and his mother speak about how they couldn't afford to help In-ho save his sick wife. Jun-ho says In-ho decided to take a bribe, so they shouldn't blame themselves for her death.

If this is true, and In-ho did initially compete in the games to save his wife, perhaps he was too late to save her after winning. His story could be mirroring Gi-hun's, who competes in the games in season one to pay the medical bills for his mother, who dies before he returns.

• Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt in 2016.
• Jolie and Pitt finalized their divorce eight years later.
• Divorce lawyers say child custody and shared businesses can lengthen divorce proceedings.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's divorce took eight years, an unusually long amount of time.

Still, legal experts told Business Insider that some factors — such as child custody and shared businesses — naturally lengthen divorce proceedings, and hold lessons for all couples.

The two actors met on the set of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" in 2003, but they did not publicly date until after Pitt's first wife, Jennifer Aniston, filed for divorce from him in 2005. The couple, who became known as Brangelina, adopted three children and had three more before getting married in France in 2014.

Two years later, Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, citing irreconcilable differences.

James J. Sexton, a New York City divorce lawyer, told Business Insider previously that issues like child custody and closely held businesses can always complicate divorce proceedings. "There's almost no limit to how many things you can fight about," he said.

In addition to fighting over custody of their six children, Jolie and Pitt had to contend with a winery they co-owned and multiple shared homes. Here's why it took so long:

Becoming legally single before divorce

Before finalizing their divorce, Jolie and Pitt became legally single in 2019.

The move allowed Jolie to restore her name from "Jolie Pitt" and for both parties to date and even remarry if they wanted to. Other celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, have also opted to become legally single before finalizing their divorces.

While it has benefits, like letting couples move forward with their lives as they figure out their settlements, it can also incentivize couples to prolong proceedings.

Divvying assets can get contentious

Sexton previously told BI that vindictive behavior could make divorce a nightmare, particularly if clients are willing to fight over every asset.

Despite initially trying to keep proceedings private, Jolie and Pitt's divorce process became more public and turned contentious several times. In an August 2018 court filing, Jolie alleged that Pitt hadn't paid any "meaningful child support" over the span of two years. In response, Pitt said he had paid more than $1.3 million in child support and accused Jolie of wanting to "manipulate" the media.

Pitt also sued Jolie in 2022, accusing her of selling her shares in their winery, Château Miraval, to the Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler without telling him — his lawsuit said they'd agreed to avoid selling their stake in the company without the other's consent. Jolie filed a countersuit arguing there was no such agreement, The New York Times reported.

David Lister, a family lawyer for 37 years who is a senior partner at the law firm Vardags in London, told Business Insider that divorcing couples often want to sort out similar external factors, like shared businesses, before completing a divorce. He added that it's not always clear how smooth — or bumpy — each external case will be. Pitt and Jolie's winery case remains ongoing.

Investigations delayed the Jolie-Pitt divorce

A few legal proceedings also delayed the Jolie-Pitt divorce.

Outlets, including the BBC, reported that John Ouderkirk, the first judge presiding over their divorce, awarded Pitt more time with their children in May 2021. The decision was reversed a few months later.

Outlets reported that an appeals court deemed it an "ethical breach" because Ouderkirk had previously worked with Pitt's lawyers.

By 2022, Jolie filed court papers alleging that, shortly before she filed for divorce, Pitt verbally and physically abused one of their six children on their private jet.

The FBI investigated Pitt in 2016; he wasn't arrested or charged.

Jolie alleged that a federal agent who investigated the incident had concluded that the government "had probable cause" to charge Pitt over the incident.

Pitt's representatives denied the abuse occurred, telling CNN in 2022 that Jolie's story "continues to evolve each time she tells it," continuing: "Brad has accepted responsibility for what he did but will not for things he didn't do."

Correction: January 2, 2025 — Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this story misstated when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie finalized their divorce. It was December 30, not January 31.

• Fans and critics are raving about a new player in "Squid Game" season two, Thanos.
• Thanos is a rapper who seems to delight in the death games.
• Choi Seung-hyun, who plays Thanos, was already a popular K-pop star before landing the role.

Warning: spoilers ahead for "Squid Game" season two.

"Squid Game" season two introduces a new cast of eccentric players, but the character fans and critics are talking about most is Thanos.

Thanos (Player 230), named after the alien the Avengers fight in the Marvel movies, is a purple-haired, self-absorbed, and callous internet rapper and one of the main antagonists of season two.

He takes over from season one's Jang Deok-su (Player 101) as the main bully within the deadly children's games. But while Deok-su was a menacing criminal, Thanos is a celebrity and a wild card.

Thanos and his sidekick Nam-gyu (Roh Jae-won) seem to enjoy the games, unlike the other characters who are competing for money to pay off their debts. They laugh, skip, and take drugs from Thanos' secret stash as people are killed around them and continually vote to continue the slaughter.

Choi Seung-hyun's screwball performance as Thanos has been getting a lot of praise, including from The Wrap, which hailed it as one of the best TV performances of 2024.

"Squid Game" season two is looking to be a global hit like the first, which could raise Choi's profile outside South Korea, as it did with other actors from the show including Lee Jung-jae.

Here's what to know about Choi and his character's fate.

Choi began his career as a K-pop rapper

Choi is better known by his stage name T.O.P, which he adopted in 2006 when he joined the boyband Bigbang, one of the first K-pop bands to become popular in the West.

The band's fifth record, 2012's "Alive," was the second album by a South Korean artist to chart on the US Billboard 200, placing 150th.

In 2016, they were the first South Korean band to be included in Forbes' top 100 richest celebrities list, after earning $44 million that year: more than Drake, Katy Perry, and Maroon 5, respectively.

Choi, who was an underground rapper before joining Bigbang, has also released hit solo tracks "Turn It Up" and "Doom Dada," but hasn't reached the heights he did with the band.

In 2007, Choi began pursuing acting, appearing in the TV romance K-drama "I Am Sam." He has starred in other shows and movies, and won acting awards in Korea.

In "Iris," a thriller TV series, Choi acted alongside "Squid Game" star Lee Byung-hun, who plays the Frontman in the Netflix show.

Choi's career in Korea stalled after he was convicted of using marijuana

In 2017, Choi paused his career to complete military service as a conscripted police officer.

However, that June, Choi was indicted by South Korean prosecutors for using marijuana several times in October 2016.

A day later, Choi was found unconscious after overdosing on prescribed tranquilizers, and hospitalized.

A month later, Choi pleaded guilty to using marijuana in court and was sentenced 10-months in jail, suspended for two years. He also had to complete his military service as a public service worker instead of as a police officer as planned.

He told reporters at the court: "I'm truly sorry that I disappointed my fans and the public. I will do my best to make a fresh start and not to make such a mistake again with what I've learned from this lesson."

Choi appeared in Bigbang's single "Still Life" in 2022, but that year YG Entertainment announced that he had ended his contract with the company, and a year later, Choi confirmed he had withdrawn from the band.

Choi will likely not return in 'Squid Game' season three

"Squid Game" is a bold return for Choi, especially playing a character who openly uses drugs.

Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of "Squid Game," told People before the series aired that it took "a lot of guts" for Choi to portray Thanos.

"Despite the long hiatus, I have to say, as a director, he performed very impressively and I'm very satisfied with what he did with the character," Hwang said.

In the season finale, there is a brutal fight in the men's changing rooms between those who want to stay in the games and those who want to leave. Thanos, the instigator of the brawl, is stabbed in the neck with a fork and bleeds to death.

So, it's unlikely Thanos will return in season three unless there is some sort of flashback.