• Ben and Sara from "Love Is Blind" seemed to have one of the more solid relationships of season eight.
• But in episode nine, Sara starts to have doubts after finding a TikTok, which Ben thinks is about him.
• Here's what to know about the video and the surrounding drama.

Warning: spoilers ahead for the first nine episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight.

"Love Is Blind" season eight contestant Ben gets into hot water with his fiancée Sara in episode nine after she finds a TikTok of a woman calling a contestant that fits his description a "shitty" person.

Sara says the video features a woman crying and saying she's tired of reality TV "celebrating shitty men," after seeing the "Love Is Blind" cast for the Minneapolis season. The video is blurred out on the show.

When Sara asks Ben about it, he says he thinks the video is about him.

"I haven't talked to her in over four years," Ben tells Sara. "She's already making stuff up. She was like, how I manipulated and did all these different things."

Ben says he met the woman on Tinder, and they dated for a few weeks, but he ghosted her before the relationship progressed. He adds that he doesn't remember anything else about what happened or what he did to hurt her.

But Sara is not convinced, and after further interrogation, Ben says that he may have messaged her since they stopped dating but never initiated the conversation.

Before the teaser for next week's episode plays, Sara tells Ben that she trusts him but asks him for the full story.

"I'm telling you now, if more comes out of this, if I find out there's anything at all, I won't be able to trust you," she says.

This is not the first time social media drama has shaped storylines on the show, though this normally happens after the season has aired. However, more viewers sleuthing over cast members has led to drama bubbling off-screen in recent seasons.

The TikTok video appears to have been shared last March

Over the past month, multiple TikTok users have criticized the men on season eight, without specifying who they are talking about. Business Insider has not verified the videos, which were published too late to be the one Sara saw in episode nine.

Last March, MPR News, a Minneapolis-based news organization, shared a TikTok video in which a reporter said the series was being filmed and asked locals where they'd spotted the filming crew.

Netflix has not confirmed when "Love Is Blind" season eight was filmed.

On March 2, 2024, Andra Berghoff, a TikTok user who uses the handle @hopeyoufindyourdad, posted a video that fits the description of the video Sara saw.

In the video, Berghoff appears teary-eyed while recalling how she recognized someone from a leaked list of cast members.

"I'm just exhausted and tired of society rewarding shitty men who treat women terribly and manipulate and lie all the time," Berghoff said.

In a video posted two days later, Berghoff said the man, who she doesn't name, blocked her after she posted the video. She didn't explain what happened between them, but said he was a lot older than her, manipulated her, and "shaped the way I viewed men and dating going forward."

Berghoff said she believed he was on the show for fame.

Ben says in episode nine that he blocked the unnamed woman after seeing the TikTok video, in case she tried to expose him.

In January, after the cast list was released, Berghoff shared a third video in which she criticized Netflix for not removing the man.

In the video, Berghoff added that he went to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, was a member of the college's baseball team, and became a real-estate agent after college.

This lines up with details of Ben's life on his LinkedIn account.

Berghoff has not confirmed that the videos are about Ben, and Ben has not commented on them.

Business Insider has contacted Ben, Sara, Berghoff, and Netflix for comment.

• John Malkovich said he rejected multiple Marvel movie roles before starring in "The Fantastic Four."
• Malkovich told GQ he turned them down because he didn't like the pay deals he was offered.
• He's not the first actor to address being motivated by the paycheck when joining the Marvel franchise.

John Malkovich makes his Marvel debut in this year's "Fantastic Four" reboot. But the actor said he rejected multiple past Marvel roles because he didn't think the pay was good enough.

Malkovich, whose character in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" has not been confirmed, is the latest well-established actor to star in the superhero blockbuster movies, following the likes of Harrison Ford, Russell Crowe, and Helen Mirren.

But Malkovich told GQ on Tuesday that he agreed to "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," which premieres in July, so he could work with the film's director Matt Shakman. The pair collaborated on 2014's "Cut Bank."

Malkovich said he turned down previous Marvel roles because he "didn't like the deals they made, at all."

"The reason I didn't do them had nothing to do with any artistic considerations whatsoever," he said. "These films are quite grueling to make…. If you're going to hang from a crane in front of a green screen for six months, pay me.

"You don't want to pay me, it's cool, but then I don't want to do it, because I'd rather be onstage, or be directing a play, or doing something else."

He's the latest actor to speak candidly about pay being a big motivator for them joining, or leaving, the billion-dollar franchise.

When asked why he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ford told Variety in August 2024: "It took not caring. It took being an idiot for money, which I've done before."

Hugo Weaving, who played the Red Skull in 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger," told Time Out in 2020 that he didn't return to play the character in "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame" because Marvel offered him less money.

"They said: 'It's just a voice job, it's not a big deal.' I actually found negotiating with them through my agent impossible. And I didn't really wanna do it that much. But I would have done it," he said.

The character was recast for the two "Avengers" films, with Ross Marquand taking over the role, and they grossed $4.8 billion in total.

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

• Netflix has released the first trailer for Shonda Rhimes' new show, "The Residence."
• The series, starring Giancarlo Esposito and Uzo Aduba, is a murder mystery set in the White House.
• Since 2020, Rhimes has produced three hit shows for Netflix, including "Bridgerton."

After the success of the "Bridgerton" franchise and true crime drama "Inventing Anna," Shonda Rhimes' latest collaboration with Netflix is a murder mystery: "The Residence."

The whodunnit, set during an important state dinner at the White House, will feature a fictional US President, his staff — and a cameo from the Australian pop star Kylie Minogue.

The trailer released on Wednesday shows that the White House chief of staff is murdered during the event, and a renowned detective is brought in to solve the case before it turns into a crisis. As the detective dives deeper into the investigation, she learns about the tense divisions between the White House staff, the President, and his allies.

Rhimes is an executive producer, and the show was created by Paul William Davies, a writer on previous shows by Rhimes' production company, Shondaland.

Here's what to know about "The Residence," which premieres on March 20.

'The Residence' stars Giancarlo Esposito, Uzo Adubo, and Randall Park

Like "Bridgerton," "The Residence" has an ensemble cast led by Uzo Adubo, who previously starred in "Orange is the New Black," one of Netflix's first hits.

Adubo plays the fictional detective Cordelia Cupp as she works with the Washington Police Department to help solve the murder.

Giancarlo Esposito plays the murder victim, A.B. Wynter, the White House's chief usher.

Randall Park plays Edwin Park, an FBI agent assigned to help Cupp with her investigations.

Most of the cast, including Jane Curtin, Ken Marino, and Susan Kelechi Watson, will be playing the 157 suspects, ranging from White House staff members to the President.

Minogue plays herself as a guest at the White House.

'The Residence' is loosely inspired by a 2015 non-fiction book.

The series is not a true story, but it is inspired by the nonfiction bestseller "The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House," written by Kate Andersen Brower, a former White House correspondent.

The book shares insight into the lives of US Presidents, their families, and White House staff.

'The Residence' is being released during a turbulent time for US politics

It's an interesting coincidence that a show set at the White House will air weeks after Rhimes resigned from the board of the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center over President Donald Trump appointing himself as the new chair. He also ousted board members appointed by former President Joe Biden.

Rhimes first mentioned "The Residence" in an interview with The New York Times in 2018 about her new deal with Netflix.

In 2017, Rhimes, and her award-winning production company Shondaland, entered a multi-year deal with Netflix, which was estimated to be worth millions of dollars, though the details were not confirmed.

In the interview with the Times, Rhimes shared ideas for eight shows she wants to make a Netflix. Three were developed into "The Residence," "Bridgerton," and "Inventing Anna."

"Bridgerton" is the biggest success so far, becoming one of Netflix's hit recurring series and inspiring the spin-off "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story," also produced by Shondaland.

• "The Brutalist" has won four BAFTAs and three Golden Globes, and is nominated for 10 Academy Awards.
• But the film's director, Brady Corbet, said he hasn't made any money from it.
• Corbet said he spent the money promoting the film for the last six months.

"The Brutalist" is a frontrunner this awards season, having been nominated for 10 Oscars and winning four BAFTAs and three Golden Globes.

But Brady Corbet, the film's director, told Monday's episode of "WTF with Marc Maron" that he and Mona Fastvold, his romantic partner and co-writer, made no money from this film or their last, 2018's "Vox Lux."

"We had to just sort of live off of a paycheck from three years ago," Corbet said without stating where that paycheck came from.

In previous interviews, Corbet has said that "The Brutalist," which is over 3 hours long, cost $10 million to make, and "Vox Lux" cost roughly the same amount.

"Vox Lux" bombed, grossing $1.4 million, while "The Brutalist" has been more successful, making $31 million in ticket sales since it was released in December.

On the "WTF" podcast, Corbet said he didn't make money on "The Brutalist" because he has been touring the world to promote the film for awards season, after it premiered at the Venice Film Festival last September.

"The timing during an awards campaign, having to travel every two or three days, was less than ideal, but it was an opportunity that landed in my lap, and I jumped at it," Corbet said. "You're not paid to promote a film."

He added: "I've spoken to many filmmakers that have films that are nominated this year that can't pay their rent. I mean, that's a real thing."

Actors and directors typically have contractual obligations to promote a film when it first premieres. However, that often does not extend to award-season promotion, and some studios do not pay talent for their further appearances. The contracts for "The Brutalist" are not publicly available.

Corbet said that promoting films for awards also prevents filmmakers from taking new jobs.

"I've been doing this for six months and had zero income because I don't have any time to go to work. I can't even take a writing job at the moment," Corbet said. "It's constant travel, but you're also working Saturdays and Sundays. I haven't had a day off since the Christmas break, and that was also only four days."

Corbet said that he was recently able to take a job shooting three ads in Portugal.

"It's the first time I have made any money in years," he said.

Business Insider contacted Andrew Lauren Productions, the production company that financed "The Brutalist," for comment.

• "Apple Cider Vinegar" is the latest true crime show to have Netflix viewers obsessed.
• Fans of the series should check out similar Netflix hits like "Inventing Anna" and "The Tinder Swindler."
• Peacock's "Anatomy of Lies" and the Hulu film "Not Okay" share similarities with the show too.

"Apple Cider Vinegar" is Netflix's latest true crime drama, following the success of "Baby Reindeer."

Viewers may notice many of the themes crossover with other true crime dramas of recent years, like "Anatomy of Lies" and "The Dropout."

"Apple Cider Vinegar" tells the story of Belle Gibson, an Australian health and wellness influencer who lied about having cancer and donating money from her business, The Whole Pantry, to charities.

"Apple Cider Vinegar" includes multiple perspectives, including that of the journalists who exposed Gibson and loved ones affected by her lies. The show also tries unpack how Gibson became trapped in her own charade.

Here are other movies and shows to watch if you liked "Apple Cider Vinegar."

"Not Okay"

If you want a story about a narcissistic influencer who lies about a traumatic experience to gain fame, look no further than "Not Okay."

This 2022 film is fictional and stars Zoey Deutch as Danni Sanders, an aspiring magazine writer who lies about visiting France during a terrorist attack.

When Danni gains attention for being a victim, she keeps the lie going for the attention.

"Not Okay" is a funny, cringe-inducing satirical comedy that pokes fun at social media and cancel culture.

The movie is available to stream on Hulu.

"Inventing Anna"

Netflix's scripted true crime series "Inventing Anna" was a huge hit, and created fresh buzz around the show's subject, Anna Sorokin.

The miniseries, created by Shonda Rhimes, is inspired by a 2018 New York Magazine article about Sorokin, who was convicted of grand larceny and theft services for posing as a German heiress and conning banks, hotels and individuals of more than $200,000.

While the series received mixed reviews, Julia Garner was praised for her performance as Sorokin.

The limited series is available to stream on Netflix.

"Dr. Death"

If you're looking for another health-focused true crime drama, you might enjoy "Dr. Death."

The anthology series adapts stories about medical malpractice from the "Dr. Death" podcast. One episode told the story of the former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2017 after 33 of his patients were significantly injured and two died.

The series also features a cast of well-known actors, including Joshua Jackson, Christian Slater, Mandy Moore, and Alec Baldwin.

The first two seasons are available to stream on Peacock.

"Anatomy of Lies"

In May 2022, Vanity Fair published a series of articles about Elisabeth Finch, a TV writer who lied about being diagnosed with bone cancer and other medical issues.

Finch wrote multiple essays about her experience with the illness and made herself look sick to keep up the lie. She admitted the truth in an interview with The Ankler half a year after the Vanity Fair exposé.

"Anatomy of Lies" is a docuseries that dives into the scandal with interviews from those affected, including Finch's ex wife and writers who worked with her.

The docuseries is available to stream on Peacock.

"The Tinder Swindler"

Similarly to "Apple Cider Vinegar," "The Tinder Swindler" explores how a person's lies can affect others.

In the documentary, women claim a man named Shimon Hayut posed as a billionaire, Simon Leviev, on dating apps and contacted them asking for money to escape his enemies. Instead, he spent it on his luxurious lifestyle.

Hayut denied the allegations in an interview with CNN after the show aired.

The documentary is available to stream on Netflix.

"The Wolf of Wall Street"

"Wolf of Wall Street," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has parallels with "Apple Cider Vinegar."

The 2013 film, directed by Martin Scorsese and nominated for five Oscars in 2014, is about Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio), a stockbroker who defrauds investors out of millions.

Like Gibson in "Apple Cider Vinegar," DiCaprio's Belfort's schemes come crashing down around him. Ultimately, the FBI arrests him.

The movie is available to stream on Paramount+

"The Dropout"

"The Dropout" is a miniseries about the health tech company Theranos and its founder Elizabeth Holmes.

Holmes started the blood test startup Theranos after she dropped out of Stanford as age 19. It was valued at $9 billion, and in 2015 Holmes became the youngest self-made female billionaire.

In 2015, The Wall Street Journal published an investigation into the validity of Theranos' blood test machines, kicking off a series of events that led to Holmes being ousted from the company and convicted of defrauding investors.

The limited series is available to stream on Hulu.

"I Care A Lot"

In the fictional film "I Care A Lot," Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) is a con artist who scams the elderly.

Grayson becomes the legal guardian of older people and then takes their money after putting them in an assisted living facility.

In the film, Grayson puts herself in danger after accidentally targeting a woman with a criminal background.

The movie is available to stream on Netflix.

"The Girl from Plainville"

"The Girl From Plainville" depicts the case of Michelle Carter, a teenager who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter after persuading her friend Conrad Roy to die by suicide in 2015.

Most of Carter and Roy's conversations were via text messages, including the moments when Carter encouraged Roy to die. The show re-enacts the text messages as in-person conversations between Elle Fanning, who plays Carter, and Colton Ryan, who plays Roy.

The limited series is available to stream on Hulu.

• Warning: This article contains major spoilers for "Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy."
• The fourth and final Bridget Jones film is an adaptation of the 2013 novel of the same name.
• As with any book-to-screen adaptation, there have been changes — some big, some small.

"Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy," the fourth and final book-to-screen adaptation from Helen Fielding's best-selling series, is streaming on Peacock.

The movie centers on Bridget (Renée Zellweger) navigating life as a widow and single mother with the help of her family, friends, and former flame, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant).

Taking place four years after the death of her husband, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), the film sees Bridget open herself up to love again, which results in her being pursued by a younger man (Leo Woodall) as well as her son's science teacher (Chiwetel Ejiofor).

As with the previous films in the series, some changes have been made in translating the story from book to screen, including Bridget's career and some details about how her relationship with her young love interest, Roxster, unfolds.

Meanwhile, Bridget's blossoming friendships with fellow mums Rebecca (Isla Fisher) and Nicolette (Leila Farzad) have been largely cut from the film.

Here are seven of the biggest differences between the book and film of "Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy"

Shazzer makes an appearance in the movie after being left out of the final book.

Shazzer does not make much of an appearance in the book. She is the only one of Bridget's close friends to leave London, having moved to Silicon Valley to become a "dot-com whizz" with her husband.

In the movie, not much is revealed about Shazzer's relationship status but she's still living in London and hosts a podcast. Shazzer is still close with Bridget, and at one point she babysits her children for a night so she can go on a date.

Isla Fisher's character, Rebecca, has a larger role in the book.

Early in the film, Bridget's neighbor shouts at her three children and threatens to send them to "Squid Game" if they don't behave.

Bridget sees this from across the road and calls her a "hero," but the neighbor doesn't appear for the rest of the film.

In the book, Bridget and the woman, who is called Rebecca, have more awkward interactions like the one in the film. Rebecca, who has two children, and Bridget eventually become friends and host playdates for one another.

When Bridget falls for Mr. Wallaker in the book, Rebecca helps her learn about his background, since her husband is his best friend.

Bridget Jones pursues an entirely different career in the movie.

In both the book and the film, Bridget tries to get herself out of a rut by returning to work a few years after Mark's death.

In the film, Bridget asks her former boss, Richard Finch (Neil Pearson), to get her a job as a producer on the morning news show "Better Woman." Miranda, Bridget's coworker and friend in "Bridget Jones' Baby," hosts the show alongside another woman called Talitha.

In the book, Bridget doesn't return to full-time work. Instead, she writes a movie script, adapting a play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen called "Hedda Gabler." It's picked up by a studio, but they eventually replace Bridget with a full-time screenwriter because she is always distracted.

The film becomes a straight-to-DVD movie.

Roxster doesn't ghost Bridget Jones in the book.

The film changes Bridget's relationship with her 29-year-old "toyboy" in a number of ways.

Instead of connecting with the charming, flirty Roxster McDuff (Leo Woodall) on Twitter as she does in the book, Bridget meets him when he rescues her and her children from a tree on London's Hampstead Heath. The two then reconnect when they match on a dating app.

In the book, their relationship ends after Roxster tells Bridget he thinks he should be with someone his own age. The two meet again and Roxster tries to win Bridget back.

In the film, Roxster suddenly ghosts Bridget without explanation, only to show up at the TV studio where she works weeks later to apologize.

But in both versions, Bridget realizes that the two are at different life stages and they have an emotional goodbye.

Daniel Cleaver has a son in the movie.

In the film, Daniel, the former playboy, has a teenage son named Enzo (Alessandro Bedetti), whom he doesn't see very often.

However, after being diagnosed with a heart murmur, Daniel reevaluates his life and decides to reconnect with him.

When we meet Enzo at Bridget's New Year's Eve party at the end of the film, he has inherited his father's womanizing ways, flirting outrageously with Bridget's friends.

In the book, Daniel doesn't have a son and is an aging bachelor. He does end up in hospital because of an alcohol dependency. Afterward, Bridget and others realize they need to prioritize their friendships with Daniel and keep an eye on him.

In both the film and the book, the health scare is a wake-up call for Daniel, but for different reasons.

Bridget and Nicolette bond in the book.

In both the book and the film, Nicolette is the overbearing mother of twins who attend the same school as Bridget's son, Billy.

In the film, while Bridget is initially intimidated by Nicolette and her dedication to her children's education. But we see that her husband is a workaholic who is always on calls and her sons aren't as smart as she makes out.

The book delves deeper into Nicolette's story, revealing that her husband has been having an affair, and her world crumbles.

After Nicolette confides in Bridget, Bridget invites her over and the two spend a night drinking, eating junk food, and scrolling dating sites, cementing their unlikely friendship.

Billy doesn't struggle with Mark's death in the book.

In the film, Bridget's nine-year-old son Billy (Casper Knopf) grieves his father's death and worries about forgetting him as he grows older.

His science teacher, Mr. Wallaker, eventually helps him work through this and perform a solo at the school's Christmas concert in honor of Mark.

This storyline is absent from the book, although Bridget does note in her diary entries that both Billy and Mabel were helped by an "army of bereavement counselors and therapists" in the aftermath of Mark's death.

• Season four of "Bridgerton" is in the works, and will likely arrive in 2026.
• The next season will focus on Benedict Bridgerton's love story with Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha). 
• Returning cast members include Luke Newton, Nicola Coughlan Jonathan Bailey, and Simone Ashley.

"Bridgerton" fans have been patiently waiting, and Benedict Bridgerton's season is coming.

Season three of the Netflix series, centered on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington's (Nicola Coughlan) relationship, concluded with the release of part two in June.

In giving Polin a happy ending, "Bridgerton" also teased that Benedict (Luke Thompson), the second-eldest sibling, would get the main character treatment next season. His status as the lead has officially been confirmed, and new details about Benedict's season were just revealed at the "Bridgerton" virtual fan event called "Season of Love" on Friday.

Here's everything we know about season four of "Bridgerton" so far.

Benedict's love story will be the focus of season 4

An official announcement about Benedict being the season four lead was made in July. In a video posted by Netflix, Thompson is handed a suit for the masquerade ball. But eagle-eyed fans weren't surprised, because this was all teased in the season three finale that aired in June.

As Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) prepared to head off to Scotland with Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd), John Stirling (Victor Alli), and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza) in the episode, she assured Benedict that she'd only be gone until next year.

"Do you think Mama would ever let me miss her Masquerade Ball?" she said.

Benedict, still not ready to settle down, replied: "I will be there, hiding out behind a mask, avoiding eligible ladies like the plague."

That not-so-subtle moment was a nod to Benedict's novel "An Offer From a Gentleman," which is part of Julia Quinn's "Bridgerton" book series.

In the third, "Cinderella"-inspired book, Benedict meets a woman named Sophie Beckett at a masquerade ball. Unbeknownst to him, Sophie is a servant to a rude stepmother named Araminta Gunningworth. By the end of the novel, they express their love for each other and get married.

Netflix's official logline for next season reads: "The fourth season of 'Bridgerton' turns its focus to bohemian second son Benedict (Luke Thompson). Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down — until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother's masquerade ball."

'Dune: Prophecy' actor Yerin Ha will play Sophie Baek, Benedict's love interest

Ha was most recently seen on the Paramount+ TV series adaption of the "Halo" video game franchise and HBO's "Dune" spin-off series "Dune: Prophecy."

Netflix's editorial site Tudum reported that "Bridgerton" showrunner Jess Brownell changed Sophie Beckett's surname to a Korean name to fit Ha, a Korean actor from Australia.

"A name is the first bit of identity that you share with the world, and that's why changing a name can be so powerful," Ha told Tudum. "To make Sophie's name fit someone who looks like me is really empowering. All credit to Jess Brownell, our showrunner."

Sophie and Benedict are also confirmed to meet at a masquerade ball, just like in the book series.

Despite the character being based on Cinderella, Brownell assured fans that Sophie "is no damsel in distress."

"She is someone who has chess moves and is always thinking two, three steps ahead," Brownell said at the virtual fan event in January 2025. "So she's absolutely gonna throw Benedict for a loop."

'Harry Potter' actor Katie Leung is among the new cast members

Katie Leung, who played Cho Chang in the "Harry Potter" film series, will portray Lady Araminta Gao.

Her character description reads: "Twice-married and twice-widowed, Araminta has two daughters debuting on the marriage mart this season and she's feeling the pressure to get at least one of her girls married off. Fabulous, discerning, and blunt, Araminta does not respond well when anything — or anyone — threatens her standing in society."

Michelle Mao will play Rosamund Li, Araminta's eldest daughter who's "beautiful, vain, and eager to please her mother." According to her official description, Rosamund will be vying for Benedict's heart when she hits the marriage mart.

Isabella Wei will play Posy Li, Araminta's youngest daughter who's described as kind and chatty.

Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan are back as Colin and Penelope Bridgerton in season 4

At the "Season of Love" event in February, Brownell said that the new installment will show Colin as a "wife guy" and the couple raising their baby, whose name has yet to be revealed.

Brownell previously told TheWrap that she'd like the pair to continue on the show beyond season four because she thinks there are more stories to be told. Newton similarly told Teen Vogue that he's committed to staying on the show indefinitely.

Brownell elaborated on Polin's place in season four in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying that the couple will shift to being part of the larger ensemble.

"I do think that there is a bit more to tell story-wise with Whistledown," she said. "Whistledown has been the narrative glue of every season. Now that Penelope's out publicly as Whistledown, I want to see more of what that's like. So, we will continue with them next season for sure."

In addition to the confirmed returns of Coughlan and Newton, Julie Andrews will also be back as the voice of Lady Whistledown.

Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley will also appear as Anthony and Kate Bridgerton

Kanthony fans have been wondering how long Kate (Simone Ashley) and Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) will stay on the show after leading season two.

Previous season leads have largely stepped away after their story arcs concluded, but Anthony and Kate are the new heads of the Bridgerton household, which means they have to stick around.

In season three, Anthony and Kate show up in four episodes, often disappearing on trips around the world. The show writers likely did this to explain the characters' disappearance so Ashley and Bailey could film other projects (Bailey, in particular, was pulling triple duty, also working on "Wicked" and "Fellow Travelers").

In season three, episode seven, Anthony and Kate leave for a trip to India so Kate can visit her home and give birth to their first child. Though this looks like a convenient way to write the couple off the show entirely, that's not the case.

Brownell told Entertainment Weekly in June that Anthony and Kate heading to India allows the two actors to work on other projects "while still leaving the door open for them to return when and if they're able."

"So the India send-off is a plot device in certain ways that allows us to leave the door open," she said.

And the "Bridgerton" virtual event in February officially confirmed that Bailey and Ashley are indeed returning, including both in the official cast list for season four of "Bridgerton."

Fans will see "more of their marital bliss and seeing their baby as well," Brownell said.

Season 4 will expand the storylines of other 'Bridgerton' characters

At the virtual event, Brownell teased where fans will see the "Bridgerton" characters at the start of season four.

The showrunner alluded to Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) continuing her flirtations with Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis) and moving beyond the giggling that defined their season three interactions.

Violet will also be busy trying to prepare her unmarried kids for the future. While Francesa got married last season, her siblings Eloise and Hyacinth (Florence Hunt) haven't reached that milestone yet.

"Violet is once again trying to put Eloise on the marriage mart and she's absolutely dreading it," Brownell said.

On the flip side, Hyacinth "is desperate to pre-debut early. And the two of them get paired together this season for comedic results."

Meanwhile, Gregory (Will Tilston), the youngest son, is "going to get sent off to Eton for a little while, but that gives him time to come back no longer a gangly teenager but a young man."

As for the rest of the Ton, Brownell said that fans will see more of Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), who has a new dynamic with Penelope now that she knows who Lady Whistledown is. Additionally, season four will expand on Queen Charlotte and Lady Agatha Danbury's (Adjoa Andoh) relationship.

Lady Danbury, who often vacillates between meddling and advising other characters, will help Will (Martins Imhangbe) and Alice Mondrich (Emma Naomi) navigate a new challenge as they settle into being members of society.

This isn't the last we've seen of Cressida Cowper

Season three of "Bridgerton" gives more insight into Cressida's (Jessica Madsen) difficult home life and the lengths she'll go to in order to get out of her situation.

During the season, she attempts to take credit for Lady Whistledown so she can receive the reward money and avoid marrying an older man, but the plan backfires. Then, when she learns that Penelope is Lady Whistledown, she attempts to blackmail her with the intention of using the money to escape town and avoid being sent off to live with her aunt in Wales.

But Cressida is outsmarted and is last seen being sent away in a carriage to live with her relative after tarnishing the Cowper family's reputation.

In separate June 2024 interviews with The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, and The Los Angeles Times, Brownell said that Cressida's story isn't over yet.

"It felt a little early in this season for her to get a happily ever after just because we've watched two seasons of her being a real bully to Penelope. She has a little bit more growth to do, but I do want to give her a happy ending eventually," she told EW.

"We want to see more from Jessica Madsen," Brownell told THR. "So we wanted to leave her story a little bit more open-ended so that we can craft an ending for her in future seasons."

Showrunner Jess Brownell said the season 4 theme is 'forbidden love'

At the virtual event, Brownell said that every season follows a romantic trope, and season four is all about "forbidden love."

"That class clash gives us a very serious obstacle and the stakes could not be higher this year, so it's really a juicy one," she said.

"The theme of the season is really about true love being somewhere in between fantasy and reality," Brownell added.

The new season will delve into Benedict's status as a member of high society and Sophie's role as a maid. And after spending three seasons focusing on the happenings of the wealthy characters, season four will broaden the world to follow the working-class characters below them.

"Because you are now so familiar with the upstairs, I think viewers know just how difficult a pairing between a gentleman and a maid will be," Brownell said.

Ha said that Sophie's job as a maid at Penwood House, where she works for Lady Araminta, is high stakes.

"Living under that Penwood House is a mode of survival for her because if she doesn't, then she has nowhere else to go," Ha said. "I think it also highlights just how hard it was being a maid in that era. You mess up and your life can turn upside down in a second, and I think we're trying really hard to portray those dynamics."

Brownell said that the all-important masquerade ball where Benedict and Sophie meet will be "a very large chunk of the first episode." She also said that the aesthetic of the ball was inspired by William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and the vibe is "dark and mysterious and fairytale-like."

Aside from the masquerade ball, season four will pull additional elements from the book, like My Cottage — which is Benedict's countryside home — and a nearby lake that fans of the novel will be familiar with.

"I do think that this season is the most faithful to the book," Brownell said. "It really lends itself to adaptation plot-wise. It's very similar."

Still, some aspects were changed for the Netflix adaptation, like character motivations.

"Benedict is quite different from the book just in that Luke Thompson brings this wonderful sensitivity and self-awareness to the character," Brownell said. "So in Benedict's story of trying to woo Sophie, I think the character is a bit more delicate and thoughtful, perhaps, about the way he goes about it."

The 'Bridgerton' season 4 premiere probably won't be until 2026

In June, Brownell told The Hollywood Reporter that fans will have to wait two years for the next season.

"We are working to try and put the seasons out more quickly, but they do take eight months to film and then they have to be edited, and then they have to be dubbed into every language," Brownell said. "And the writing takes a very long time as well, so we're kind of on a two-year pace, we're trying to speed up but somewhere in that range."

Production on season four began in September and Brownell told the Los Angeles Times and said that they chose to film during the fall partly for storytelling purposes but also out of practicality.

"It's still going to be just as lush and colorful, but just more in those warm fall colors instead of the pastels," she said. "There will still be some pastels, so it won't look like a totally different show."

Netflix confirmed that there will be eight episodes, just like the past installments. As of mid-February, they're still in production on season four. This means that the new season is likely to premiere at some point in 2026, but there's no confirmed release date yet.

• Stephanie Hsu is known for playing eccentric characters in films like "Everything Everywhere All At Once."
• But after starring in 2024's "Laid," she told Business Insider that she's in her rom-com era.
• Hsu wants to work on a "normal" and "intimate" project.

Stephanie Hsu is ready for her rom-com era.

When Hsu first played a romantic lead on a major stage in 2019, she was filled with self-doubt. She was the love interest in "Be More Chill," which had just moved from regional theater to Broadway, and she had never seen Asian Americans in such roles growing up.

"I remember being like, 'Oh my gosh, this is so crazy. Hundreds of thousands of people are about to see me as a love interest.'" she told Business Insider.

"It wasn't until then that I realized how much I hadn't been able to see myself like that. And I think that up until that point, I had always really understood myself to be the comedic relief more than the center driving force of desire."

During that period, Hsu was cast on the TV show "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" as Mei Lin, a quick-witted medical student. Alongside Joel Maisel, played by Michael Zegen, Lin was one half of the show's main couple.

"When I booked 'Maisel' the same thing happened where I was like, 'I don't know, me?' Not only would I be in the 1950s, but I would be a love interest. That's crazy," Hsu said.

That whirlwind year made Hsu realize not only that she could play a romantic lead, but she had a chance to shape how the next generation of Asian Americans see themselves.

"Art is a version of subliminal messaging, and there are going to be so many people, and young people especially, who are going to get to consume this and start to imagine a world in which the person that they have a crush on is me, is you," Hsu said.

In the years after, Hsu moved on to more unconventional roles, including the reality-warping embodiment of nihilism in the 2022 Oscar-winning movie, "Everything Everywhere All At Once," for which she received her first Academy Award nomination.

But Hsu returned to romance last year with Peacock's "Laid," a dark rom-com series in which she played Ruby, a self-destructive romantic whose exes are die in increasingly graphic and weird ways.

Hsu said this was the first step toward achieving her next goal: starring in a "normal" romantic drama.

"People always want to come to me for the weird, crazy shit," Hsu said.

Hsu loves love stories

Referring to the director Richard Linklater's romantic drama trilogy filmed over 18 years, she added: "I really want to do a quiet film. I am a sucker for the 'Before' trilogy, 'Before Sunrise,' etc. And I want to do something that is that intimate and gentle."

Her ambition has come at the right time amid a rom-com revival, thanks to hit movies and shows like "Anyone But You" and "Bridgerton." Actors as varied as Daniel Radcliffe, Paul Mescal, Dave Bautista, and Lupita Nyong'o, have said they want to be in them.

Hsu's desire for starring in a romance movie stems from her love of love stories.

"I want to tell them, and I want to continue to ask the myriad of questions that come with the territory of any love story," Hsu said.

As well as laying the foundations for that "normal" romantic role, "Laid" gave Hsu the opportunity to play a lead character on TV and executive produce for the second time.

Hsu said her top priority is pushing herself creatively regardless of genre, and she said she enjoyed every part of cultivating a positive environment on set. But she was still most worried about how audiences would respond to "Laid."

"I think the greatest challenge is when you start to develop a body of work that's a little bit more public-facing, it opens you up to everyone's opinion," Hsu said. "When you're just starting out, and you have opportunities to lead or do things, you can kind of just be in the spirit of continuous making. So I actually feel like the challenge was more of a psychological challenge."

The show wasn't a streaming hit, but critics and viewers who did see it, loved it. "Laid" currently has a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 97%.

'Manifesting' a role in 'Inside Out 3'

When asked about her next project, Hsu is cagey but hints it's something she has developed from the ground up.

"That is the big baby that I am really actively trying to push out and I can't tell you anything about it, but all my eggs are in that basket currently," she said, adding that she hopes the project will be made this year.

In the meantime, her drive to keep experimenting sees her "manifesting" starring in "Inside Out 3," though Disney has not announced a new film is coming.

"I've always wanted to do more voice acting," she said.

Last year, Hsu had two lead voice-acting roles in the animated shows "Kite Man: Hell Yeah!" and "The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy," and also voiced a villain in this year's Oscar animated movie frontrunner, "The Wild Robot."

"I just want to always find spaces in which I can continue to play and be in collaboration," Hsu added. "Otherwise, you're not working."

• Madison was one of the main contestants in "Love Is Blind" season eight.
• In the first episodes she is in two love triangles, involving two men and a woman.
• Here's what her life is like now and what we know about her current relationship status.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first six episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight.

It seemed like the "Love Is Blind" contestant Madison was going to be a main character in season eight after getting caught in two love triangles.

But in a surprising twist, she leaves the pods without a fiancé.

In the first episode, Madison, a 28-year-old artist, gets close to two potential husbands: 33-year-old Mason, a flirty cinematographer, and 29-year-old Alex, a more reserved real estate broker. Meanwhile, Mason struggles to pick between Madison and Meg, an oncology nurse.

In episode four, Madison realizes she likes Alex more and agrees to be his girlfriend but Mason also tells Madison he is "committed" to her.

In the following episode, Mason backtracks when Madison breaks up with him, but Madison tells him she has already spoken to Meg about being committed to her.

Meg breaks up with Mason in the next episode, and Madison's involvement in it backfires on her relationship with Alex. In episode six, Alex and Madison argue after Alex tries to defend Mason. At the end of the conversation, Alex tells Madison that they shouldn't get married because they can't communicate with one another.

By the end of the first six episodes, none of the contestants in the love triangles get engaged. But the teaser for the rest of the season at the end of episode six hints that Mason and Meg may have reunited after leaving the pods — and Madison may have a run-in of her own with Alex.

Madison appears to be single but has made new friends on the show

To avoid spoiling the show, "Love Is Blind" contestants do not post about their current relationships until after the season ends.

But Madison doesn't follow Alex or Mason on Instagram or TikTok, despite following other contestants from her season. This could suggest she doesn't work things out with either of them. Alex does follow Madison on Instagram, however.

Madison may not have found a husband on "Love Is Blind," but she seems to have enlarged her social circle.

Several TikToks by Molly, another contestant on the show, suggest Madison is friends with some of the other women on the show. In the videos, she is seen hanging out with Vanessa, Molly, Brittany, and Casandra.

According to a LinkedIn page that appears to belong to Madison, she still lives in Minnesota and works as a social media manager for a tech company. But her Instagram and TikTok say that Madison is still pursuing her art career.

Madison also owns a sleepy French bulldog named Henri and runs an Instagram page dedicated to him.

The first six episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight are now streaming on Netflix.

• Devin is the last man to propose on "Love Is Blind" season eight.
• He struggles to choose between Virginia and Brittany in the first half of the season.
• Here is what we know about Devin and Virginia's relationship status.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first six episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight.

Devin proposes to Virginia in episode six of "Love Is Blind" season eight after being caught in a love triangle. But it seems his ex may be back in the picture in next week's episodes.

In the new season of Netflix's hit dating show, Devin, a 29-year-old director of a youth sports company and a high school basketball coach, connects with two women in the isolated pods: Brittany, a 35-year-old partnership executive, and Virginia, a 34-year-old healthcare recruiter.

Devin and Brittany bond over basketball and their dads having the same first name. During their first pod date, Devin and Virginia discover they went to the same high school at different times.

Devin struggles to choose between the two until episode four when Brittany reveals that she has dated women. He tells her he needs time to process this information, which Brittany doesn't appreciate.

During their next pod date in episode five, Brittany and Devin agree to stop dating, so then Devin focuses his energy on Virginia. Devin is the last man to propose in the pods.

In the three newest episodes, which premiered on Friday, the couple has a great time on their honeymoon, but when they return, Virginia drops a bombshell: She wants a prenup.

Devin is initially unsure but seems to agree after their conversation. However, the preview at the end of episode nine shows Devin appearing to be annoyed at the prenup in a future conversation.

The preview also teases Devin meeting Brittany face-to-face, which could imply that the love triangle is restarting again, unless it's a red herring.

Devin doesn't follow Virginia or Brittany on Instagram

Before the season finale, it is hard to tell on social media who is still dating, as "Love Is Blind" participants withhold this information to prevent spoilers.

Ahead of the series' release, Virginia and Devin did not follow each other on Instagram, unlike other couples from the season. But Virginia is now following Devin and many of her castmates.

Devin is still not following any of his castmates on Instagram or TikTok.

This could indicate that the couple had split, or it could be a red herring. Some of the most successful "Love Is Blind" couples, like Garrett and Taylor from season seven, also weren't mutuals as the season aired.

As for Brittany, she is following Devin but he doesn't follow her back.

Fans will have to wait until the finale airs in March for confirmation of Devin and Virginia's relationship status.

The first six episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight are now streaming on Netflix.

• Taylor and Daniel are among the five main couples on "Love Is Blind" season eight.
• They are one of the last couples to get engaged and meet in the new season.
• In episode six, Taylor almost quits the process after accusing Daniel of following her on Instagram.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first nine episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight.

Taylor and Daniel survive their first major conflict in the newest episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight.

Taylor, a colonoscopy nurse, and Daniel, a sales account executive, are the first established couple of the newest season of "Love Is Blind," Netflix's most popular reality series.

On the first of their blind dates, where they aren't allowed to see each other, Daniel jokingly proposes to Taylor after she asks if "he is down on one knee." They later bond over their shared family values and their love of Christmas. But Daniel does not propose until episode six, making them one of the last couples to get engaged.

After they meet in person for the first time, Taylor believes she has seen Daniel before. She says she thought Daniel followed and unfollowed her on Instagram months before the show.

Last week's batch of episodes ended on a cliffhanger, with Taylor confronting Daniel. But in episode seven, which premiered on Netflix on Friday, the conflict is quickly resolved after the producers allow Taylor to check her phone.

Taylor doesn't find proof that Daniel is lying, and he doesn't seem hurt by the accusations, so they agree to continue the process together.

In the remaining episodes, Daniel and Taylor go on a honeymoon, meet each other's parents, and settle into their engagement.

Taylor and Daniel are following each other on Instagram

The season finale isn't out, so Daniel and Taylor cannot confirm their current relationship status on Instagram because that would spoil the show.

The teaser at the end of episode nine shows Taylor in a wedding dress, suggesting they made it to the end of the process.

Business Insider found a marriage certificate on Minnesota's online marriage system that appears to belong to the couple, dated March 2024. This suggests that the pair did say yes at the altar but there is still a chance that they split after the show finished filming.

What we do know is that the pair are still following each other on Instagram and liking each other's content.

Taylor liked Daniel's most recent post, a picture of him proposing to her on the show. Meanwhile, Daniel has liked Taylor's two most recent posts that promote the show.

Fans will have to wait for the season finale to know their status.

The first nine episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight are now streaming on Netflix.

• "Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy" is the fourth and final installment of the rom-com franchise.
• Most of the main cast are returning.
• Here's where each returning character ends up, including Bridget Jones' parents, lovers, and close friends.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy."

"Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy," which is available to stream on Peacock, is the final chapter of the British rom-com series.

Renée Zellweger returns as the hapless and lovable diarist who now finds herself in middle age, raising two kids, and ready for love again.

The cast includes a few new faces, including Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall, who play Bridget's love interests.

There are also a number of returning cast members, including Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent, and Sally Phillips, who make up Bridget's nearest and dearest.

Here's a breakdown of where every character ends up.

Bridget Jones makes a vow to start living for herself following the loss of her husband.

When audiences first met Bridget in the 2001 movie, she was a single, 30-something Londoner whose New Year's resolution was to find a nice, sensible boyfriend.

Over the course of the four films, Bridget falls in love and marries human rights barrister Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), but her path to her happily ever after wasn't exactly straightforward.

When audiences meet Bridget again in "Mad About the Boy," she's single once again but raising two children.

After embarking on an ill-fated fling with Rockster McDuff (Leo Woodall), a man twenty years her junior, Bridget finds herself falling for the stern, straight-laced science teacher, Mr. Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor).

The two share a kiss in the street following a school Christmas concert, and in the final scene of the film, Mr. Wallaker is among those seen ringing in the New Year with Bridget and her loved ones.

Bridget's former boss and boyfriend, Daniel Cleaver, has become 'Uncle Daniel' to her kids.

Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) is Bridget's former boss. As audiences will recall from the first film, after flirting via instant messaging in the office, the two embark on a relationship that ends sourly when Bridget finds out that Daniel is cheating on her with — as she put it — an "American stick insect."

While Bridget and Daniel reconnect in Thailand in the second film, "The Edge of Reason," he is absent in the third film.

When we see Daniel in "Mad About The Boy," he and Bridget have a platonic, teasing relationship, deepened by their decades of friendship. He is even referred to as "Uncle Daniel" by Bridget's children and babysits them.

Still a bachelor in his 50s, Daniel has a much younger girlfriend at the start of the film. Following a health scare, however, Daniel breaks up with her.

When audiences last see Daniel at Bridget's party, he and Bridget's colleague and friend Miranda (Sarah Solemani) have hit it off, to put it delicately.

Mark Darcy is absent, save for a few flashbacks.

In the first film, Darcy is introduced as a human rights lawyer who has known Bridget since she was a toddler, running around naked in his paddling pool.

While they made an unlikely couple, Bridget and Mark eventually get together.

However, it's revealed in "Mad About The Boy" that Mark was killed on a humanitarian mission in Sudan four years before the events of the film, leaving Bridget a widow and single mother.

As a result, Mark is mostly absent from the latest installment, except for a couple of scenes in which Bridget reminiscences about life before the tragedy.

Shazzer remains Bridget's best friend.

Shazzer is Bridget's bold, feminist friend who doesn't fear confrontation. In the first film, Bridget introduces Shazzer (Sally Phillips) as a journalist who "likes to say 'fuck' a lot."

Shazzer's personality has not changed much since the first film, and she now hosts a feminist podcast. She is last seen celebrating New Year's at Bridget's house.

Tom, another member of Bridget's inner circle, is still offering her dating advice.

Another close friend of Bridget is Tom (James Callis) an arrogant, drama-loving retired '80s pop icon.

In the first film, Tom uses his one-hit-wonder status to get laid. By the final film, he has become a life coach and is still single.

Jude is also still on the scene, having climbed the corporate ladder.

Rounding off Bridget's close friends is Jude (Shirley Henderson), the most emotional member of the friendship group.

In the first film, Jude is the head of investment at Brightlings, a fictional bank, and cries on multiple occasions to Bridget about her relationship problems.

In "Mad About The Boy," Jude has leveled up at work, but Bridget is not sure whether she is a "COO" or "CEO."

Bridget's beloved dad, Colin, is sadly no longer around.

Bridget has always been close with her father, Colin (Jim Broadbent), even after her he and mother briefly split during the first movie. But Bridget does not have Colin as her rock in "Mad About The Boy."

Partway through the film, a flashback scene reveals that Colin died a few years prior. Before his death, Colin tries to persuade Bridget to live life to the fullest after he's gone and not wallow in grief.

Toward the end of the film, Bridget writes in her diary that she realizes what Colin meant by this while watching her son, Billy, overcome his grief to give with a genuine smile at his school's Christmas concert.

Bridget's mom, Pamela, has moved into a nursing home.

Despite often despairing of her daughter's sartorial choices and approach to dating, Pamela (Gemma Jones) has stuck by Bridget's side throughout the films.

In "Mad About The Boy," she has moved into a nursing home, which Bridget and the rest of the family have been instructed to refer to as a "hotel," alongside her lifelong pal Una (Celia Imrie).

• Amazon MGM Studios is developing a series where Taylor Lautner is a werewolf hunter.
• Lautner, known for playing a werewolf in the "Twilight" movies, said he will play himself in the show.
• Here's what to know about "Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter."

"Twilight" star Taylor Lautner is returning to the world of werewolves with a new TV series where he plays himself.

Lautner rose to fame in the late 2000s when he played Jacob, a werewolf and romantic rival to Robert Pattinson's Edward Cullen, in the hit teen franchise, which made $3.3 billion.

But after the series ended in 2013, he struggled to find a new project to match the success of "Twilight."

Now, Lautner is leaning into the "Twilight" nostalgia with "Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter." He will play a fictionalized version of himself, balancing being a Hollywood actor and a "supernatural warrior."

On Wednesday, Variety and other outlets reported that Amazon MGM Studios were developing the series, and Lautner and his wife, who is also called Taylor Launter, confirmed the news on Instagram.

The new series follows in the footsteps of sitcoms like "Bupkis," "The Charlie Puth Show," and "Curb Your Enthusiam" where celebrities play fictionalized versions of themselves.

Lautner's series taps into Hollywood's current obsession with revisiting its greatest hits, leading to remakes and reboots of films and shows including "Harry Potter" and "Gossip Girl."

Netflix is also capitalizing on the franchise. In 2024 it announced it was working on an animated series based on "Midnight Sun," a novel by "Twilight" author Stephanie Meyer, which re-tells the original story from Edward Cullen's perspective.

Here's what to know about "Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter," and how it ties to "Twilight."

The supernatural show will give an insight into the actor's struggles in Hollywood.

Per a logline shared by Variety, the show will focus on Lautner's years where he "vanished from the spotlight" after "Twilight" wrapped.

Lautner has said in interviews that he hid from paparazzi and "Twilight" fans during this time. After movies he starred in flopped, he took a break from acting between 2018 and 2022.

In "Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter," Lautner's disappearance is explained by him joining a secret society of werewolf hunters and becoming a "Hollywood actor by day, supernatural warrior by night."

The logline ends: "Taylor must wrestle with the ultimate irony: fighting the very creatures that made him famous. Between saving the world, reviving his career, and falling in love, he faces the ultimate question—what happens when your biggest role becomes your greatest enemy?"

The directors of "Scream" and "Ready or Not" are behind it.

A full cast is yet to be released but, aside from starring in the show, Lautner will be an executive producer.

Variety reported that Tornante TV, the production company behind "BoJack Horseman," will produce "Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter," while Daisy Gardner, an executive producer and writer, is the creator and showrunner.

Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, the co-directors of "Scream 5," "Scream VI," "Ready or Not," and "Abigail," are set to direct episodes which suggests the show could have horror or gore aspects.

No release date has been given for "Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter."

• "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star Jen Affleck is pregnant with her third child.
• She made a splash for claiming her husband, Zac, is related to Ben Affleck.
• The pair's marriage is under scrutiny after the show featured a major argument between the two.

Jen Affleck, the star of 2024's sleeper reality hit "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," is pregnant with her third child with Zac Affleck.

The show had the most-watched premiere of any unscripted show on Hulu in 2024, even surpassing "The Kardashians," according to The Wrap.

It features eight women from Mormon MomTok, but the Afflecks caught fans' attention the most after one episode where Zac threatened to divorce Jen after she and the other influencers went to a Chippendales male stripper show.

The pair made amends, but other cast members called out Zac's behavior and advised Jen to leave him. After fans criticized Zac, Jen defended their relationship on social media.

The pair stuck it out and on February 11, People reported that Jen was pregnant with the couple's third child.

"I was a few days late, and while it was a surprise, we both had a feeling there was another baby waiting for us. We were very excited, there were a lot of emotions after a very crazy year," Jen said.

Here's what to know about Zac and Jen Affleck and their relationship.

Jen's parents met at Brigham Young University in Utah

In an episode of the "Weekly Trash" podcast in August 2024, Jen said her mother, Maria, was originally from Ecuador and converted to Mormonism when she met a group of missionaries. Maria met Jen's father, Rick, while they were both attending Brigham Young University in Utah.

Jen said she grew up with two biological siblings, two adopted siblings, and multiple foster kids in the Bay area in Northern California. Her family moved to Utah when she was 14, but Jen said she struggled to fit in because she came from a low-income family.

"I feel like we went from being like this normal family to like a broken family when we moved to Utah because it was just so much to navigate, and it was so hard for all of us," Jen said. "I moved here, and I was like, where do I belong?"

Zac and Jen met when she was 18 and they got married a year later

Jen said she met Zac on a dating app called Mutual in 2018 when she was 18 and he was 21. The pair got engaged six months later and married in the summer of 2019.

Per Jen's Instagram page, Jen and Zac had their first child, Nora Affleck, in November 2021, and their second child, Lucas Lowell Affleck, was born in August 2023.

Jen said they are waiting for delivery to find out the sex of their third child, but hope it is a girl.

"I've dreamed about this little girl for a while now, and I truly believe she's the one I'm carrying," she told People.

Jen is the breadwinner while Zac is in medical school

At the time "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" was filming, Zac had graduated from Brigham Young University and planned to attend medical school to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who were both surgeons.

Jen said there was a big wealth difference between her family and Zac's, and she had felt judged at times because of this.

In the pilot episode, Jen said she had been the family's provider, using money from her social media career to support them while Zac attended medical school.

Jen told Vulture in September 2024 that she initially wanted to start a videography business, but she turned into an influencer after a video about her pregnancy journey went viral.

In the season one finale, Zac pushed for them to leave Salt Lake City and move closer to where he planned to attend medical school, even if it damaged Jen's social media career.

Jen claims Zac is related to Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck is name-dropped in the reality series, when Jen claims that Zac's father is the actor's cousin, which would make him Zac's first cousin once removed.

Jen told People in September 2024 that Ben Affleck is a "distant relative," and that the couple had never met Ben or Casey Affleck.

"I'm hoping to meet him one day, too!" Jen said.

However, BI's own Katie Notopoulos cast doubt on that claim, using public records and those available on Ancestry.com to trace both Ben and Zac's family trees back generations. She found no common ancestor between the two Afflecks dating back to 1800.

That said, it's still possible they could be very distant relatives with a common ancestor from before then.

Jen auditioned to be part of 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' before joining Mormon MomTok

In the "Weekly Trash" podcast episode, Jen said she wasn't affiliated with Mormon MomTok before the show started filming. She auditioned for the TV show and was inducted into the MomTok group after she was cast.

Jen said the show helped her and Zac address problems in their marriage before he started medical school.

Jen and Zac are moving to Arizona

In the season one finale of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," Jessi says Jen messaged her that she is leaving the Mormon MomTok group.

Jen also shared on TikTok in July that her husband had been accepted into medical school, and her family would be moving closer to the school.

In the "Weekly Trash" podcast, Jen said she hoped to be part of a second season of the show and MomTok, despite their move to Arizona, south of Utah.

In an episode on "The Viall Files" podcast in September 2024, Jen addressed her fight with Zac on the show, saying she and Zac had gone to therapy "non-stop" after filming ended.

"There was like a few moments where I was like, I don't know if I want to be in this relationship anymore," Jen said. But she added she had stayed with Zac because she believed he was changing.

"I'm not walking away right now because I do love him, and there is a side that people haven't seen, and I truly believe he's an amazing person," Jen said. "Maybe he didn't take accountability on the show, but he definitely did after."

Update September 19, 2024: This post has been adjusted to include information from Katie Notopoulos' report, which found that Zac Affleck and Ben Affleck are not related.

• The first six episodes of "Love Is Blind" stream on Valentine's Day.
• This season is based in Minnesota with a new crop of 20 to 30-year-olds looking for love.
• Here's what to know about the contestants, including where to find them on Instagram and TikTok.

"Love Is Blind" is back this Valentine's Day.

The first six episodes of season eight will air on Friday and feature a new cast of singles from Minnesota dating in isolated pods where they can't see what their partner looks like.

This season features multiple nurses, a wine bar owner, and a cinematographer. Here's where you can find the cast on social media.

Adam Beavis

Adam, 33, is a fashion director.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Alex Brown

Alex, 29, is a commercial real estate broker.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Amanda Burke

Amanda, 43, is a district retail manager.

You can follow her on Instagram here.

Andrew Cole

Andrew, 27, is a real-estate agent.

You can follow him on TikTok here.

Ashley Sutten

Ashley, 28, is a client success manager.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Benji Smith

Benji, 26, is an entrepreneur and realtor.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Ben Mezzenga

Ben, 28, is a developer.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Brad Morgan

Brad, 35, is a dentist.

You can follow him on Instagram here.

Brian C Sumption

Brian, 30, is a wine bar owner.

You can follow him on Instagram here.

Brittany Dodson

Brittany, 35, is a partnership executive.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Casandra Barron

Casandra, 30, is a hairstylist.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Daniel Hastings

Daniel, 30, is a sales account executive.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

David Bettenburg

David, 33, works in medical device sales.

You can follow him on Instagram here.

Devin Buckley

Devin, 29, is a basketball coach and a youth sports program director.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Hugo Orieny

Hugo, 30, works in marketing.

You can follow him on Instagram here.

Joey Leveille

Joey, 35, is a physician associate.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Kylie Shuelke

Kylie, 28, is a medical student.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Lauren O'Brien

Lauren, 31, works in educational sales.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Madison Errichiello

Madison, 28, is an artist.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Mason Horacen

Mason, 33, is a cinematographer.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Meg Fink

Meg, 31, is an oncology nurse.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Molly Mullaney

Molly, 30, is an executive assistant.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Mo Ndiaye

Mo, 35, is a property manager.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Monica Danus

Monica, 28, works in digital marketing.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Sara Carton

Sara, 29, is an oncology nurse.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Scott Sanderson

Scott, 34, is a project manager.

You can follow him on Instagram here.

Taylor Haag

Taylor, 32, is a colonoscopy nurse.

You can follow her on Instagram here.

Tiera Wright

Tiera, 34, is a marketing strategist.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Tom Dann

Tom, 38, is a management consultant.

You can follow him on Instagram here.

Vanessa Boreland

Vanessa, 31, is a media planner.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Virgina Miller

Virginia, 34, is a healthcare recruiter.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Yemi Ajagbe

Yemi, 30, is a product sales manager.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

• "The Wheel of Time" returns for season 3 on March 13.
• Prime Video released the first trailer for the new season.
• The season will adapt the fourth book of the novel series, "The Shadow Rising."

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for season two of "The Wheel of Time."

The first trailer for "The Wheel of Time" season three teases explosive battles and the death of a major character ahead of the premiere on March 13.

"The Wheel of Time," a fantasy show based on the 15-book series of the same name, was renewed by Prime Video for a third season back in 2022, months ahead of the season two premiere.

In the season two finale, the Emond's Field five — Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski), Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford), Mat Cauthon (Dónal Finn), Egwene Al'Vere (Madeleine Madden), and Nynaeve al'Meara (Zoë Robins) — defeat the villainous Dark One's lead minion, Ishamael (Fares Fares). He seemingly dies and fades into dust.

But the fight isn't over.

Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), the heroes' ally, reveals that Rand is the Dragon Reborn, a prophesied hero sent to save the world from the Dark One, which means the heroes will face more threats.

In the new trailer, Moiraine appears again, saying that she saw a series of possible futures. However, she learns that her and Rand's fates are linked. In order for Rand to live to complete the prophecy, she might have to die.

In the fifth book of the series, "Fires of the Heaven," Moiraine sacrifices herself to defend Rand from Lanfear (Natasha O'Keeffe), a former lover of the Dragon Reborn.

Though this season is not meant to adapt the fifth book, it could shuffle around sections of the story, as the show has done with other storylines.

Here's what to know about the third season.

The next season will adapt "The Shadow Rising" — and possibly "The Dragon Reborn," too.

Season two mainly adapted the second book of the series, "The Great Hunt," while taking a few moments from the third book, "The Dragon Reborn."

Showrunner Rafe Judkins told Deadline in 2022 when the series was renewed that the third season would adapt the fourth book, "The Shadow Rising."

The season may also adapt large chunks of "The Dragon Reborn," as key story elements from that novel have yet to be shown in the TV series.

Book three follows Rand's journey to the Stone of Tear (a giant fortress) to collect the legendary sword called Callandor, to prove he is the Dragon Reborn. "The Shadow Rising" directly follows that event and shows Rand going back to his original people, the Aiel in the Aiel Waste, to prove the legend to them as well. 

In the first trailer, we see Rand visit the Aiel Waste, which is in line with "The Shadow Rising."

There are six Forsaken now after Rand.

In season two, we meet Lanfear (Natasha O'Keeffe), an immortal member of the forsaken, a group of powerful sorcerers. She is stuck between her loyalty to the Dark One's plan and her love for the Dragon Reborn, but in the season finale, she betrays Ishamael.

At the end of the episode, she aims to get rid of the dials that contain the other imprisoned Forsakens. Instead, she finds one of the Forsaken, Moghedien (Laia Costa), who tells her that Ishamael freed the six remaining Forsaken before his death, and they will all be hunting Rand and his four friends.

In the book series, we are not told exactly when the Forsaken are freed, but throughout the story, they try to kill and turn Rand to their side so that the Dark One can rule the world.

Moghedien specifically is one of the villains in "The Shadow Rising" whom Nynaeve encounters and battles. Asmodean, Sammael, and Semirhage are three Forsaken who also appear in the book.

Judkins teased that at least one new Forsaken will appear in season three during a panel at New York Comic Con 2023.

"I can confirm that we have cast and put on set a Forsaken you have not seen in the show as of yet," the showrunner said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Since Sammael was mentioned in the flashback scene in the season two finale, that character could be one of the Forsaken who will appear next.

Season three will focus on Rand and Perrin's story, according to the showrunner.

During the "The Wheel of Time" panel at New York Comic Con 2023, Judkins also confirmed several characters and cities that will be incorporated in season three.

Per THR, Judkins said that the season will mainly focus on Perrin and Rand's journey, similar to how season two largely focused on Nynaeve and Egwene's story. He added that the season will also showcase the life of the Aiel and the Sea Folk, a group of people who live by the sea and are known for their trading.

Judkins highlighted two cities in his teasers for season three, Rhuidean and Tanchico, which both appear in book four.

Rhuidean is the city in the Aiel Waste, which Rand visits in "The Shadow Rising" to prove he is the Dragon Reborn, or as the Aiel call him, the Car'a'carn.

Meanwhile, Tanchico is the city where Nynaeve battles Moghedien. Judkins already revealed that Elayne and Nynaeve will be in the city, which implies that the encounter will be adapted.

"I don't know if I can say this — but we built a bar and some of our characters like Nynaeve and Elayne are in there," Judkins said, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Judkins also said that season three would include more dream-walking, a skill that Lanfear and Ishamael have used a lot in previous seasons.

"We also get to explore with some of our characters the world of dreams and dreamwalking, and I think that's a really cool thing to get to do in season three because it is one of those unique elements in 'Wheel of Time' that no other book series really has," Judkins said, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The Children of the Light will want revenge against Rand and the Aes Sedai.

The Children of the Light, also known as the Whitecloaks, are a religious group in "The Wheel of Time" who want to eliminate the Dark One and his followers. However, they do not know who is evil so they torture and kill all those who oppose them, including the Aes Sedai, who are powerful sorcerers.

In the season finale, the Children of the Light participate in the big battle in Falme, but they suffer major casualties and retreat.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Judkins said during the NYCC panel that the show will be a return to the Two Rivers, the home of the five main heroes.

This may be adapting the section in "The Shadow Rising," when the Children of the Light attacks the Two Rivers after being corrupted by the Dark One's followers into thinking there is evil there.

The Aes Sedai will be trying to uncover the Black Ajah in their ranks.

In the Aes Sedai organization, every witch who has passed their training and initiation is split into different groups, called Ajah, based on their talents.

However, the Dark One has been able to convert some of the Aes Sedai to their side, and those converts form the secret Black Ajah to try and do his bidding. In episode four of season two, we learn that Liandrin Guirale (Kate Fleetwood) is one of the Black Ajah, secretly corrupting the Aes Sedai.

In "The Dragon Reborn" and "The Shadow Rising" books, Egwene, Nynaeve and fellow Aes Sedai ally Elayne Trakand (played by Ceara Coveney in the series) try and hunt down the Black Ajah to stop their corruption. This is what brings them to Tanchico.

In "The Shadow Rising," this also leads to a coup in the White Tower, the Aes Sedai base, where Siuan Sanche (Sophie Okonedo) is ousted as the leader of the Aes Sedai.

This seems to be teased in the first trailer for season three, with clips of Aes Sedai fighting each other in the White Tower.

Mat Cauthon may receive some powerful artifacts and almost die.

Part of Mat's journey in "The Shadow Rising" — discovering his past lives — has been adapted already in season two. But there's still a major aspect of his story in book four that we could potentially see in season three.

During their journey in the Aiel Waste in the fourth book, Mat, Moiraine, and Rand go to a different dimension where they meet a fox-like race called Eelfinn.

The Eelfinn grant Mat three wishes which lead to him being gifted the knowledge of military generals, a polearm called the ‎‎ashandarei‎‎, and a medallion that protects him from the One Power.

However, when he makes a wish that he wants to leave, they misinterpret his words and hang him to a tree, almost killing him. He barely survives after being revived by Rand.

• "Saturday Night Live" will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a three-hour special on February 16.
• Sabrina Carpenter, Robert De Niro, Adam Sandler, and Kim Kardashian are among those set to appear.
• Here's how each guest is linked to the show.

The three-hour-long, 50th-anniversary special of "Saturday Night Live" is shaping up to be a major event, featuring returning castmembers and former guest hosts like Adam Sandler and Robert De Niro.

NBC has been gearing up for the anniversary by releasing multiple documentaries about the show's history and organizing a livestream concert on February 14, featuring acts including Lady Gaga, Post Malone, and the Backstreet Boys.

The special will be the centerpiece of the celebration, airing on NBC and Peacock on February 16 from 8 to 11 p.m. E.T.

NBC has announced the guest stars for the episode, but didn't say what they will do.

Here's what to know about the guests and their history with "SNL."

Adam Driver

Adam Driver has hosted the show four times, and was nominated for an Emmy in 2020 for his guest appearance that year.

In 2016, Driver parodied Kylo Ren, his "Star Wars" villain, in a sketch where he pretended to be a maintenance worker to find out what his underlings thought of him.

Ayo Edebiri

Ayo Edebiri hosted "SNL" for the first time in February 2024, with Jennifer Lopez as the musical guest.

The actor joked about her role in "The Bear," and one of her sketches poked fun at the "Dune" popcorn bucket.

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny was a musical guest on the show in February 2021. Two years later, in October 2023, he hosted and was its musical guest.

Dave Chappelle

Standup comedian Dave Chappelle has hosted "SNL" four times in just under a decade, and has won two Emmys for two separate appearances on the show.

Chappelle is known for his controversial monologues. During an episode he hosted in January, he joked about Sean "Diddy" Combs, the Los Angeles fires, and President Donald Trump's reelection.

John Mulaney

John Mulaney started off as a writer on "SNL," working on the show from 2008 to 2013. Since his departure, he's hosted multiple times and was nominated for an Emmy for an appearance in 2019.

In 2022, Mulaney was inducted into the show's Five-Timers Club, a tradition where a host's fifth appearance is marked by them receiving a special jacket and being in a dedicated sketch.

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian hosted the show in October 2021. Between 2009 and 2021, cast members have also impersonated her 15 times.

Steve Martin and Martin Short

In December 2022, Steve Martin and Martin Short, the "Only Murders in The Building" costars and long-term friends, hosted the show together for the first time. But they've both appeared on the show solo too.

Short was briefly an "SNL" cast member from 1984 to 1985, and he has hosted it five times since then, including this season's Christmas episode in December 2024.

Martin has hosted the show 17 times, the second-highest in the show's history.

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus hosted the show three times in 2011, 2013, and 2015 — as well as performing as the musical guest in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021.

The "SNL" cast has also impersonated her nine times between 2010 and 2024.

Paul McCartney

The former Beatle Paul McCartney has been the musical guest on "SNL" four times: in 1980, 1993, 2010, and 2012.

Paul Simon

Paul Simon, of Simon and Garfunkel fame, has hosted the show four times: in 1975, 1976, 1986, and 1987. He's also been the musical guest on 13 different episodes.

Pedro Pascal

Pedro Pascal's first appearance on "SNL" as the host in February 2023 won him an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

Pascal also made a cameo appearance later that year during Bad Bunny's episode, where he reprised his role as a cast member's overprotective mom.

Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning, a former NFL quarterback, has hosted "SNL" once, in 2007. In 2022, Manning returned to appear on the "Weekend Update" segment to talk about his love for Netflix's "Emily in Paris."

Quinta Brunson

In April 2023, two years after creating and starring in "Abbott Elementary," Quinta Brunson made her hosting debut on "SNL." The anniversary special will be her second appearance on the show.

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro has hosted "SNL" three times but has made several more cameos since his first appearance in 1992.

In 2019, De Niro was nominated for an Emmy for playing special counsel Robert Mueller on the show.

Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter, a Grammy winner and rising pop star, made her first appearance on "SNL" as a musical guest in May 2024, where she performed her songs "Espresso," "Feather," and "Nonsense."

Carpenter and her song "Espresso" have been referenced in other sketches, including the viral "Bridesmaid Speech" sketch from Ariana Grande's October 2024 episode.

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson is married to Colin Jost, who is a resident news anchor on the show's Weekend Update segment.

The actor has hosted the series six times, and has made multiple cameos.

Johansson's last appearance was during this season's Christmas episode in December 2024.

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks has hosted the series ten times. In 2017, he was nominated for an Emmy for his guest appearance.

Hank's last hosted when "SNL" ran a virtual version of the show in April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Woody Harrelson

Woody Harrelson has hosted "SNL" five times. During Harrelson's fifth hosting appearance in February 2023, he didn't get the typical Five-Timers Club induction sketch, but he did receive the robe.

Laraine Newman, Chevy Chase, Garrett Morris, and Jane Curtin

Laraine Newman, Chevy Chase, Garrett Morris, and Jane Curtin were part of the first cast of "Saturday Night Live" when it premiered in 1975, as depicted in 2024's biopic "Saturday Night."

Chase, who anchored the first version of the show's Weekend Update, was on "SNL" for two seasons, winning two Emmys and being nominated for two more. He returned to host the show eight times, and made surprise appearances.

The other three stayed on until 1980, earning an Emmy nomination as a cast in 1979 for Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Program.

Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy was part of the season six cast in 1980, stepping in after the original cast, most of the writers, and the original creator, Lorne Michaels, left the show.

Murphy was nominated for three Emmys while on the show, but didn't win one until 2020, for hosting. He has hosted the show three times.

Adam Sandler and Chris Rock

Season 16, which began in 1990, was the first season to feature Adam Sandler and Chris Rock.

Sandler received three Emmy nominations while on the cast but one more nod when he hosted the show for the first and only time in 2019.

Rock has hosted SNL four times since leaving the cast in 1993.

Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell

Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell both joined the show in its 20th season in 1995, and stayed for seven seasons.

Both stars received Emmy nominations while on the show. Shannon has hosted the show twice since leaving, while Ferrell has hosted five times.

Tracy Morgan and Jimmy Fallon

Season 22, which began in 1996, introduced Tracy Morgan and Jimmy Fallon as "SNL" cast members.

Fallon lasted seven seasons, spending the last three co-anchoring the show's Weekend Update segment. He has since hosted the show three times, winning Emmys for his appearance in 2012 and 2014.

Morgan stayed on for six seasons, returned to host twice, and was nominated for the guest actor Emmy in 2016.

Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph

Tina Fey originally joined SNL as a writer in 1997, but three years later, she joined the season 26 cast at the same time as Maya Rudolph.

Fey co-anchored the show's Weekend Update for the six years she was a cast member, during which time she won one out of four Emmy nominations. Fey was also nominated for an Emmy after hosting the show six times since 2008, and won the guest actor award in 2009 and 2016.

Rudolph, best known on "SNL" for her impersonations of Beyoncé, stayed on the cast for nine years. She has been nominated for four Emmys for her three guest host appearances and her appearance in 2020 as Kamala Harris. She won the guest actor award in 2020 and 2021.

Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers

Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers joined the show in 2001, with Meyers lasting 13 seasons to become the third longest-running cast member of all time.

Poehler stayed for eight seasons, co-anchored the Weekend Update from 2004-2005, and was nominated for two Emmys during her tenure. Since leaving, Poehler has hosted the series twice and won an Emmy as a guest actor when she co-hosted the show with Fey in 2016.

Meyers anchored the show's Weekend Update from 2006 to 2014, was a writer for the series, and nominated for 11 Emmys for his contribution to the show, winning once. He has hosted "SNL" once.

Fred Armisen and Will Forte

Fred Armisen and Will Forte joined the cast in season 28, which premiered in 2002.

Forte stayed on for eight seasons, returning to host in 2022.

Armisen was a cast member for 11 seasons. He hosted in 2016 and received an Emmy nomination for outstanding writing alongside the episode's writers.

Andy Samberg, Kristen Wiig, and Jason Sudeikis

Andy Samberg, Kristen Wiig, and Jason Sudeikis joined "SNL" in season 31, which debuted in 2005.

Samberg and Wiig stayed for seven seasons, and Sudeikis for nine. Each made several cameo appearances after leaving.

Wiig has hosted five times, been nominated for four Emmys as a cast member, and nominated as a host an additional four times.

Samberg and Sudeikis have each hosted the show once. Samberg has been nominated six times for comedy songs he cowrote for the show, winning once for "Dick In A Box."

Kate McKinnon and Pete Davidson

Pete Davidson and Kate McKinnon left SNL in 2022, and they have each returned to host the show once since leaving.

During her 11 seasons on the show, McKinnon was a standout cast member, gaining nine nominations in a row as best supporting actress in a comedy series. She won the award in 2016 and 2017.

• "Jurassic World Rebirth" hits theaters on July 2, 2025.
• The upcoming sequel has a new cast that includes Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, and Scarlett Johansson.
• Here's what to know about the latest sequel of the billion-dollar franchise.

"Jurassic World," a $5.5 billion franchise, is returning to its dinosaur park origins with a brand new star-studded cast.

When it was released in 1993, "Jurassic Park" became a pop culture classic, making $978 million, but its sequels weren't critical or commercial successes.

Over the last decade, Universal successfully revitalized the "Jurassic Park" franchise with a new trilogy, grossing over $1 billion with each "Jurassic World" film.

In August 2024, Universal announced that a new sequel, "Jurassic World Rebirth," would premiere in theaters on July 2, 2025.

A trailer released on Wednesday teases that the film will focus on a squad infiltrating the island that once held the original facility from the first "Jurassic Park" film.

Rob Mitchell, the director of theatrical insights at film industry research firm Gower Street Analytics, told Business Insider in August 2024 that "Jurassic World Rebirth" will likely make over $1 billion like its predecessors.

Mitchell said the franchise is popular enough to survive potential negative reviews, as the last movie, "Jurassic World: Dominion" made over $1 billion with a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 29%.

Mitchell also highlighted the casting of Mahershala Ali and Scarlett Johansson, whom he said were the biggest stars the franchise has ever hired.

"I think the fact that it has these big star names, like Scarlet, and really well-respected names, like Mahershala Ali, will make people go, 'Well, there must be something interesting in this that they can get these guys to do this movie,'" Mitchell said.

Here's what we know about the sequel, including the new cast and the synopsis.

"Jurassic World Rebirth" is set five years after the last film.

After the events of "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" and "Dominion," cloned dinosaurs coexist with humans on Earth after they are released from an amusement park.

In "Jurassic World Rebirth," — set five years after "Dominion" — dinosaurs live in isolated areas around the world because "the planet's ecology has proven largely inhospitable" to them.

A team of scientists and operation experts discovers that three of the largest dinosaurs hold the key to a drug that could help humankind and go on a trip to secure DNA samples from each creature.

But when the operation collides with a civilian boating expedition, they all find themselves stranded on an island with "a sinister, shocking discovery that's been hidden from the world for decades."

Mahershala Ali, Scarlett Johansson, and Jonathan Bailey play the lead roles.

Oscar-winner and Marvel star Johansson plays the main character, Zora Bennett, a covert operations expert who leads the team trying to find the dinosaurs.

Oscar-winner Ali plays Zora's team leader, Duncan Kincaid, and Jonathan Bailey stars as a paleontologist, a scientist who studies fossils, called Dr. Henry Loomis.

Rupert Friend plays Martin Krebs, a Big Pharma representative. Philippine Velge, Bechir Sylvain, and Ed Skrein, whose character names have yet to be revealed, round out the team.

"The Lincoln Lawyer" star Manuel Garcia-Rulfo plays Reuben Delgado, the father of the family who collides with Zora's team. Luna Blaise, David Iascono, and Audrina Miranda play the rest of Reuben's family.

It's unclear if the original "Jurassic Park" actors will return for the sequel, but almost all major characters are still alive at the end of "Dominion," so they could still return.

"Jurassic Park" screenwriter David Koepp will pen the script, while Gareth Edwards, the director of 2014's "Godzilla," will direct the new sequel.

The "Jurassic World" cast is unlikely to appear in the new sequel.

The last three "Jurassic World" films established a new cast led by Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, but there have been no reports that they are returning.

Pratt told the Today Show in May 2022 that "Dominion" felt like a finale to the franchise.

Chris Pratt is live with us on the plaza! 🦖 pic.twitter.com/DkitwygiuP

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 5, 2022

"This is the sixth Jurassic film, and it's the end of this franchise," Pratt said. "I really do think it's the end. You've got the legacy cast back, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, plus the cast of Jurassic World all converged, our storylines converging in a way that is very much a finale."

But Howard told People in August 2022 that she was excited to see the franchise continue, though she believed the next film would have a "largely different cast."

• Many fan-favorite stars, including Beyoncé, Chappell Roan, and Sabrina Carpenter, were Grammys winners.
• Kendrick Lamar took home 5 awards for "Not Like Us," his diss track about Drake.
• Lamar's awards amplify Drake's defeat after their intense rap beef.

Fans are calling Sunday's Grammys one of the best nights for the awards show in years after Beyoncé, Chappell Roan, and Kendrick Lamar won big.

But Lamar's success made Drake, the rapper's biggest rival, the event's biggest loser.

After more than a decade of being snubbed for the top award, Beyoncé finally won the prestigious album of the year for "Cowboy Carter." Rising stars Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, and CharliXCX dazzled with performances of their most popular tracks and each took at least one award.

There was some disagreement about Billie Eilish going home empty-handed, but many fans on social media seemed to think there were no major snubs this year — something of a rarity for an awards show.

Lamar, who had a resurgence in 2024 after beating Drake in a diss track battle and dropping a chart-topping album "GNX," also took home five awards for "Not Like Us," his most popular diss track about Drake. Lamar won the most awards for any artist on Sunday and won in the top categories: song of the year and record of the year.

Although Drake skipped the Grammys this year and was not nominated for any awards against Lamar, the song's success is a further embarrassment for Drake.

The Recording Academy gave five awards to a song that accuses Drake of pedophilic behavior and also played the song during the event, where Beyoncé and Taylor Swift can be seen dancing along.

Drake denied the pedophile allegation in his response song "The Heart Part 6," released in May 2024.

In November 2024, Drake tried to sue Universal Music Group, the record company that owns Lamar's and Drake's labels, accusing it of using illicit methods to boost "Not Like Us." In January, he dropped another lawsuit against Universal that alleged defamation over the song's allegations.

UMG has denied Drake's allegations of boosting "Not Like Us" and of defamation.

Sunday's result is unsurprising because the Recording Academy has always embraced Lamar, who now has 22 Grammys, and famously snubbed Drake, who has only won five times from 55 nominations.

Drake has been critical of the Grammys in recent years, writing in an Instagram story in 2024: "All you incredible artists remember this show isn't the facts it's just the opinion of a group of people who's name are kept a secret 🤫😂 (literally you can google it). Congrats to anybody winning anything for hip hop but this show doesn't dictate shit in our world."

But "Not Like Us" continued success shows that Drake can't lawyer his way out of his rap beef defeat and win back favor with the public.

Drake's year of humiliation is not over. Lamar's next stop is the Super Bowl halftime show on February 9, and fans expect him to perform his diss tracks one last time as a final blow to Drake.

• 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.