• British crime drama "Adolescence" is about a boy accused of murdering his a girl in his class.
• The four-part Netflix series stars Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters, and Erin Doherty.
• "Adolescence" isn't based on a real case, but it is inspired by real problems facing teenagers.

The hard-hitting Netflix crime drama "Adolescence" follows a boy who is accused of murdering a girl in his class.

And while it's not a true story, it tackles very real issues facing teenagers in the UK.

The show is the latest buzzy crime drama from the streamer in 2025 after "Toxic Town" and "Apple Cider Vinegar," which were both inspired by true events.

"Adolescence" tells the story of Eddie Miller (Stephen Graham), a working father who struggles to comprehend that his son Jamie (Owen Cooper) is accused of fatally stabbing his classmate.

Here's what inspired the show.

'Adolescence' was inspired by cases of boys stabbing girls in the UK

Stephen Graham plays a lead role in "Adolescence" but is also the co-creator of the series alongside Jack Thorne.

At the "Next on Netflix" event that Business Insider attended last month, Graham recalled talking to director Philip Barantini about distressing news reports of stabbings.

"The idea came as — over the past 10 years or so — we've seen an epidemic of knife crime amongst young lads, up and down the country. And for me, there were certain instances that really stuck out where young boys — and they are young boys, you know, they're not men — were killing young girls," he said.

"When I mentioned it to Phil, it just really hit me hard. I just thought, 'why? What's going on? What's happening? Why is this the case? What's going on with our society as a whole, as a collective?'" he added.

Graham said people are quick to blame the perpetrator's mom and dad.

"We're all guilty of it, because that's the easy common denominator. I just thought, 'What if that's not the case at all?' That was it," he said.

'Adolescence' takes aim at the 'manosphere' and influencers like Andrew Tate

When the show starts to untangle why the stabbing may have happened, it explores "manosphere" influencers and their misogynist rhetoric.

One character in "Adolescence," DS Marsha Frank (Faye Marsay), describes it as "Andrew Tate shite."

Last March, British politicians said they were working on a plan to educate children about potentially harmful online content.

In February, The Telegraph reported that teachers in the UK are asking for guidance on how to get children to stop copying Tate in schools and online.

Andrew Tate did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

• "The Wheel of Time" season three premieres on Thursday on Prime Video.
• The fantasy series follows a group of villagers forced to become heroes of the world.
• Here are the key story plots to remember before tuning into season three.

"The Wheel of Time" returns for a third season after a year-and-a-half break.

The fantasy Prime Video show, based on Robert Jordan's whopping 15-novel series, follows a group of five villagers forced to save the world from an evil known as the Dark One.

Before you start season three, here's a quick refresher on the key players and story plots.

Rand Al'Thor and his friends each have roles in the battle against the dark.

In season one, Moiraine Damodred, an Aes Sedai who uses magic known as the One Power, and her trusty warrior Lan Mandragoran come to the Two Rivers village to find the Dragon Reborn — a reincarnated hero prophesied to save the world from the Dark One or destroy it.

They instead find five special villagers.

Rand al'Thor is the Dragon Reborn and one of the few men who can use the One Power, though the magic is driving him mad. His parents were Aiel, a tribe of skilled warriors, but he was raised by non-Aiel farmers who never told him about his heritage.

Mat Cauthon seems to have a connection to his past lives. Perrin Aybara is a Wolf Brother, a human with heightened senses who can telepathically communicate with Wolves.

Egwene al'Vere and Nynaeve al'Meara can use the One Power and are training to be Aes Sedai.

Along their journey, Rand and his friends have made allies, including Elayne Trakand (a princess of the Andor kingdom and an Aes Sedai trainee), Loial (an Ogier), Min Farshaw (a woman who can see people's futures), and Aviendha (an Aiel).

Rand killed Ishamael, one of the Dark One's lead minions, but there are more villains to fight.

The Dark One is locked up in a special prison, but the Forsaken, powerful male and female Aes Sedai who were imprisoned centuries ago after they chose to follow the Dark One, have now been freed.

In the season two finale, Rand kills one of the Forsaken, Ishamael, during the Battle at Falme. Two more Forsaken have been shown onscreen: Lanfear, who is in love with the Dragon and wants to protect him from her fellow Forsaken, and Moghdien, who attacks Lanfear at the end of season two.

The others are waiting to attack Rand and his friends.

The Aes Sedai have traitors within their ranks.

Rand's identity as the Dragon was revealed to the world in the season two finale, which will split the Aes Sedai community, led by the Amyrlin Seat. Some believe the best action is to work with the Dragon, and others want to cage and control him until he has defeated the Dark One.

A third group, known as the Black Ajah, are secret servants of the Dark One.

In season two, Liandrin, Nynaeve's mentor, reveals she is a member of the Black Ajah. She kidnaps Nynaeve, Egwene, and Elayne and hands them over to the Seanchan, an army from across the seas that enslaves women who can use the One Power and want to retake the kingdoms they say belong to their ancestors.

Nynaeve and Elayne escape, but Egwene is enslaved and tortured for days. The three women will want their revenge on Liandrin and the Black Ajah.

The Whitecloaks want revenge against Perrin.

The Whitecloaks, also known as the Children of the Light, are a religious militia dedicated to eradicating evil and servants of the Dark One. However, they often just harm anyone who seems shifty, is an Aes Sedai, or looks different from an average human.

In season two, they attack Falme to get rid of the Seanchan, while Rand and his allies try to do the same. In the crossfire, Perrin fights the Whitecloaks and kills a general, Geofram Bornhald, in front of his son. The son, Dain, vowed revenge against Perrin, so The Whitecloaks will likely be a bigger problem in the future.

Mat blew the Horn of Valere to defeat the Seanchan.

The Horn of Valere can resurrect heroes and is one of many special artifacts in "The Wheel of Time" needed for the final battle against the Dark One.

Mat blows the horn during the battle in Falme, which helps unlock part of his memories of his past lives. The resurrected heroes are the turning point in the fight against the Seanchan, leading to their retreat, but they will likely return.

• "The Wheel of Time" TV series is back for its third season on Prime Video.
• The series adapts a fantasy book series comprised of 14 novels and one prequel.
• Here's the correct way to read the entire series.

The fourth book in "The Wheel of Time" series (and some of the third) have been adapted for the latest season of its eponymous TV show.

Fans of the show who want to read the source material can do so in order of publication — but have two options for digging into the prequel.

You can read 'The Wheel of Time' in publication order

"The Wheel of Time" follows Rand al'Thor and his friends Egwene al'Vere, Nynaeve al'Meara, Matrim Cauthon, and Perrin Aybara after they are forced out of their village, the Two Rivers, to save the world from an evil known as the Dark One.

The series is filled with magic, which is called the One Power, monsters, magical artifacts, and even portals to other worlds.

In order to stop the Dark One and his minions, Moiraine Damodred and her trusty Warder, Lan Mandarogan, must guide and train the five villagers, one of whom is the Dragon Reborn and is destined to either save the world or destroy it.

The order of the original series is as follows:

1. "The Eye of the World"
2. "The Great Hunt"
3. "The Dragon Reborn"
4. "The Shadow Rising"
5. "The Fires of Heaven"
6. "Lord of Chaos"
7. "A Crown of Swords"
8. "The Path of Daggers"
9. "Winter's Heart"
10. "Crossroads of Twilight"
11. "Knife of Dreams"
12. "The Gathering Storm"
13. "Towers of Midnight"
14. "A Memory of Light"

Author Robert Jordan, real name James Oliver Rigney Jr., wrote the first 11 books in the series and the prequel, "New Spring."

After he died in 2007, a fan and fellow author, Brandon Sanderson, was chosen by Jordan's editor and wife Harriet McDougal to finish the last book using the late author's notes. It was later decided to split the book into three novels.

The final book includes an epilogue written by Jordan before his death.

Season one of the TV series adapts "The Eye of the World," while season two merges a few plotlines from "The Dragon Reborn" into "The Great Hunt" storyline. Season three will focus on book four, "The Shadow Rising," but also includes a few storylines from "The Dragon Reborn."

'New Spring' can be read first or after 'Crossroads of Twilight'

"New Spring," set 20 years before the events of the main series, follows a younger Moiraine who is training to become an Aes Sedai, a specially-trained witch, alongside her close friend Siuan Sanche. Siuan is the leader of the Aes Sedai in the main books and the TV show.

In the novel, we see how she and Siuan become involved in the prophecy of the Dragon Reborn and how she meets Lan.

If you have been watching the TV series, a lot of this was explored or teased in the first two seasons.

"New Spring" was published between book 10, "Crossroads of Twilight," and book 11, "Knife of Dreams," so you could read it between those two novels. Alternatively, you could read "New Spring" first as your entry into the world of "The Wheel of Time."

According to a note published on the official "Wheel of Time" Facebook account, "New Spring" was meant to be the start of a prequel trilogy, but Jordan never got to finish the series before he died.

'Wheel of Time' inspired 'Game of Thrones'

The show's third season, which premiered on Thursday, is part of Amazon's attempt to create a fantasy franchise that rivals the success of "Game of Thrones." "The Wheel of Time" and "The Lord of Rings: Rings of Power" have been hits on Prime Video, but haven't recreated the critical and cultural highs of "Game of Thrones."

Jordan's novels, written in the '90s and early '00s, inspired George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" series.

Martin told Entertainment Weekly in 2020 that "GOT" would not have been successful without "The Wheel of Time."

"Jordan essentially broke the trilogy template that Tolkien helped set up. He showed us how to do a book that's bigger than a trilogy," referring to the author of "The Lord of the Rings." He added: "I don't think my series would've been possible without 'The Wheel of Time' being as successful as it was."

It's unlikely there will be more 'Wheel of Time' books

Sanderson said in a 2020 video on his YouTube channel that he didn't want to take ownership of the series and does not plan to write any more spinoffs or sequels.

"I handed that ring back, and I told Harriet, 'I'm not going to write any more 'Wheel of Time,'" Sanderson said. 

While publisher Tor and McDougal could hire another author to take over the series, there hasn't been a new book in over 10 years.

Sanderson also said that Jordan was against other authors writing their own "Wheel of Time" stories for much of his career, and only became open to the idea of another author helping him finish the series when he was close to death.

Correction: January 5, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misidentified the author of the final three "Wheel of Time" novels. It is Brandon Sanderson, not Brian Sanderson. 

• "Love Is Blind: UK" contestant Ollie is engaged to "Love Is Blind" season six star AD.
• The pair said they got engaged after meeting on another Netflix show, "Perfect Match."
• Here's what we know about their relationship.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the "Love Is Blind" season eight reunion episode and "Perfect Match" season three.

The latest seasons of "Love Is Blind" ended with more rejections at the altar than marriages — but two alums of the franchise have found love another Netflix dating show, "Perfect Match."

On the "Love Is Blind" season eight reunion episode, which premiered on Sunday, Ollie from "Love Is Blind: UK" season one and AD from "Love Is Blind" announce in a video clip that they are on "Perfect Match" season three.

The video shows Ollie leading AD to an arrangement of flowers and candles on a beach, before getting down on won knee to propose.

"Perfect Match" brings together fan-favorite cast members from hit Netflix dating shows including "Love Is Blind" and "Too Hot To Handle."

The series gives contestants another shot at fame, but hasn't yet ended in a relationship. Kariselle and Joey in season one got engaged, but broke up before the season aired.

It may be different for Ollie and AD.

Ollie said their experience on "Love Is Blind" helped them have deeper conversations while they were on "Perfect Match," which "laid the groundwork and the foundation for the relationship we have now."

AD said: "It was very important for us to have super intentional conversations. He would set up dates, like Facetime dates."

Ollie and AD were rejected at the altar on their respective "Love Is Blind" seasons.

Ollie proposed to Demi on his season of "Love Is Blind: UK," but she didn't like that he wasn't affectionate in public and suspected he was attracted to the other women. They moved on, but Demi said no at the altar because she felt insecure about their relationship after he didn't message her during their separation before the wedding.

At the reunion, Ollie had moved on to another contestant from his season, Sharlotte, but that relationship seemed to have fizzled out.

AD also had a difficult road in "Love Is Blind" season six with her partner Clay. She thought he cared a little too much about physical attraction, had commitment issues, and didn't like his hectic work schedule. However, AD wanted to stand by Clay and see if he would change.

It ultimately didn't work, and Clay said no at the altar.

Hopefully, AD and Ollie have a happy ending.

• "Temptation Island" premieres on Netflix on March 13.
• The series follows four couples who are separated from their partners and face temptations to cheat.
• Here's what to know about the contestants, including where to find them on Instagram and TikTok.

Move over "Love Is Blind," Netflix has a new, messy dating reality show: "Temptation Island."

The series, which premieres on March 12, takes four couples to a tropical island, where the men and women are split into two villas and tempted by singles to cheat on their partners.

During the process, the contestants see out-of-context clips of what their partners are doing and saying at the other villa, exposing any unfaithfulness.

It's like a cross between the Casa Amor segment of "Love Island" and Netflix's "The Ultimatum," but "Temptation Island" actually predates both shows, premiering on Fox in 2001.

The show ended after two seasons, until it was revived by USA Network in 2019 for five seasons. Now, Netflix has added it to its portfolio of dating shows that have become a hit for the platform since "Love Is Blind" premiered in 2020.

The new season of "Temptation Island" is premiering at the perfect time, as the franchise is causing a buzz on social media. Last month, clips of contestants on "La Isla de las Tentaciones,"the Spanish version, cheating on their partners went viral.

Here's what to know about the season one cast of Netflix's "Temptation Island" and where you can follow them on social media.

Mark L. Walberg

Mark L. Walberg has hosted "Temptation Island" since the first season, guiding and therapizing the contestants through the emotionally difficult show.

Walberg is an actor and TV presenter who briefly hosted his own talk show and several other reality and game shows, including "Antiques Roadshow."

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

Shanté and Brion

Brion Whitley, a 26-year-old financial advisor, and Shanté Glover, a 29-year-old account executive, dated for a year before joining the cast of "Temptation Island."

The couple, who live in Atlanta, decided to go on the show so Brion could prove himself after becoming involved with someone else early in his relationship with Shanté.

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

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

Tayler and Tyler

Tayler Byrd, a 30-year-old health education specialist and personal trainer, and Tyler Breshears, a 27-year-old model, dated for two and a half years before going on "Temptation Island."

The couple from Nashville began their relationship immediately after Tyler ended a six-year marriage. While Tyler sees the series as a chance to casually date after jumping from one serious relationship to another, Tayler hopes the show will allow him to demonstrate his loyalty to her.

The pair have also disagreed about Tyler's future after he quit his corporate job to become a model.

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

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

Lino and Alexa

Lino Triosi, a 28-year-old personal trainer, and Alexa Santamaria, a 28-year-old travel nurse and model, dated for three and a half years before featuring on "Temptation Island." They want to make sure their connection is solid before settling down.

The couple currently live in Los Angeles after moving multiple times for Alexa's work.

Lino had never been in a serious relationship, so he wants to make sure there are no other women for him. He also feels he is Alexa's second choice after she was dishonest about dating others early in their relationship.

You can follow Lino on Instagram here.

You can follow Alexa on Instagram here.

Ashley and Grant

Ashley Moore, a 28-year-old tax analyst, and Grant Larsen, a 28-year-old business owner, dated on and off for a year and a half before going on "Temptation Island."

The couple, who live in Florida, are struggling to progress in their relationship after Grant cheated early on.

Grant told Netflix's Tudum that he hopes to prove on the show that he can resist temptation but also wants Ashley to let go of the past so she can be a better partner for him and a parent for his daughter from a previous relationship.

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

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

• All episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight are available on Netflix.
• The season focuses on five couples who get engaged and two others who don't make it.
• Here's what happened to each of them.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for "Love Is Blind" season eight.

The penultimate episode of "Love Is Blind" season eight ended with four weddings — but only one marriage.

While the show, which premiered in 2020 is streamer's most popular unscripted show, it hasn't been as less successful at helping people find their perfect match. Only 10 "Love Is Blind" couples are still together from the show's first seven seasons.

Here's what we know about the main couples from season eight.

Dave and Lauren

In the pod stage, Dave connected with multiple women but proposed to Lauren.

However, when they get home and get their phones back, Dave hears from his friends and sister that Lauren has a secret boyfriend. When confronted, Lauren claims she and the unnamed man were hooking up but were never in a real relationship.

Dave struggles to believe Lauren, refuses to let her meet his friends and family, and eventually breaks up with her in episode 11. Later in the episode, they both attend a cast party, and he apologizes to Lauren for letting his "ego" ruin their relationship and hints he might want to rekindle things. Lauren makes clear she has no interest in reuniting.

At the reunion, Dave says he learned a month prior that the unnamed man had been lying about his relationship with Lauren and regrets not defending her more. At the reunion Lauren says Dave is not what she needs in a partner.

Ben and Sara

Ben and Sara faced several trials on their journey to the altar.

Ben is a Christian, and Sara doesn't like his church's views on the LGBTQ+ community. Sara cares about politics, whereas Ben is apathetic.

When they return home, Sara stumbles upon a TikTok where a woman complains about Netflix casting "shitty" men on the Minnesota season of "Love Is Blind." Ben believes the video is about him because he dated the woman but tells Sarah he doesn't remember what he did to her to make her make a video about him.

After some tough conversations, during which Ben says he supports the LGBTQ+ community and offers to educate himself about politics, Sara decides to look past these differences and continue the process with him.

Still, at the altar, Sara says she can't marry him, citing that they're not on the same wavelength. He prompts her to continue dating, but she demurs, saying they'll discuss it later.

At the reunion, Sara criticizes Ben for ditching her after agreeing to visit her while she worked in Nashville. Sara says Ben deleted her from the Find My Friends app after she left Minnesota for Nashville and then sent apology texts that she thought were scripted.

Ben denies this, and says he thought they had broken up before they left and accuses her of ghosting him after he sent the apology. The pair still follow each other on Instagram, but the romantic relationship is over.

Devin and Virginia

Devin finds two candidates for a future partner on the show: Brittany and Virginia. He ultimately concludes he and Brittany are better as friends and picks Virginia.

Devin and Virginia's main disagreement arises when Virginia asks Devin to sign a prenup. Devin is initially nervous about the contract, but he agrees to sign it after speaking to his family and lawyer.

They reach the altar, where Devin says, "I do." Despite both of their families feeling confident about the match, Virginia says no in an emotional moment. She explains that she hasn't had enough time to get deep with Devin, citing his hesitance to talk about his political views and the fact that their sexual relationship isn't quite there yet.

At the reunion, they confirm they are no longer dating but have different views on why things ended. Virginia blames Devin, saying he stopped answering her calls a week after the wedding and told people she ghosted him. Devin denies this and says their conversations were going nowhere, so it made sense to end things.

Taylor and Daniel

Taylor and Daniel build a strong connection in the pods, bonding over their shared family values and love for Christmas. After they engage and meet in person for the first time, Taylor believes Daniel had followed her on Instagram before the filming began and used information from her account to get her to fall in love with him.

Taylor confronts Daniel about this and then is given her phone to confirm her suspicions. She finds no evidence of this, and Daniel is gracious to Taylor despite the accusation. They continue the process, and everything goes remarkably smoothly — Daniel's mom even accompanies Taylor to her wedding dress-shopping appointment.

Unsurprisingly, they both say yes at the altar, becoming the only season eight couple to actually marry and they are still married.

The reunion episode shows a reel of their first year of marriage, and Daniel reveals he got a tattoo of Taylor's eyes on his chest.

Monica and Joey

Monica and Joey had one of the smoothest love journeys early in the season. They were the first pair to get engaged after bonding over their joint love for "The Sound of Music" and their close connection with their families.

The first problem arises when Monica's sister doesn't approve of them getting married so soon and questions whether Joey is genuine.

During their final pre-wedding date, Monica also brings up Joey's lack of physical affection. She worries that he doesn't feel as strongly about her as some of the other men do about their partners and expresses that she's unsure how he really feels about her.

Monica and Joey still continue the journey to the altar, but Monica ultimately opts not to marry Joey, unable to get past her sense that he isn't all in with her. Joey doesn't seem bothered by Monica's decision, agreeing it was too soon. They hug and part cordially after their failed wedding, though Monica cries and tells the cameras that she's sad it turned out this way.

At the reunion, Joey says he couldn't get out of Monica's friend zone because her sister doubted their relationship. Monica says he was just not interested in her and lied about his interaction with Madison, another contestant on the show.

Monica says they dated after the wedding, but that relationship has since ended.

Madison and Alex

No other couple is shown to get engaged in season eight, but the series covers a convoluted love square between Madison, Alex, Mason, and Meg.

In the pods stage, Madison builds connections with both Alex and Mason. Mason also bonds with Meg.

Madison and Alex choose each other, but Mason says he is committed to Madison before she can break things off. Madison tells Meg this information and then dumps Mason.

Mason tells Alex what happened, and Alex gets into an argument with Madison over how she treated him. This leads to Alex also breaking up with Madison.

During the cast party in episode 11, Madison tells Lauren that Alex tried to date her after the pods, suggesting it was because he saw her and realized she was attractive. Madison says that she thinks Alex is a liar now.

She says Alex told her off-camera that he did not actually like Mason despite defending him on the show and told her that Meg was messaging him to get to know him.

Alex and Meg did not get to share their sides of the story during the pod meetup.

At the reunion, Alex and Madison don't say whether they dated after this, but they are not on good terms. In the episode, Alex, Meg, and Mason team up to argue against Madison, with either side accusing the other of lying and manipulation.

Alex denies bad-mouthing Mason, even after Madison pulls up screenshots of messages in which Alex uses a skull emoji and melting emoji when talking about Mason's relationship with Meg.

The argument is cut short by the hosts to move on the show.

Mason and Meg

Mason and Meg initially bond over their love for conspiracy theories before forming a deeper connection. However, Meg doesn't like that she is Mason's second choice in the pods, so she decides to break up with him.

In episode 11, they arrive at the cast party together, revealing that they are dating now after messaging each other after receiving their phones back.

Mason says at the reunion that they dated a couple of times over the last year but decided to be best friends.

"Love Is Blind" season eight is available to stream on Netflix.

• The "Paradise" season one finale reveals who shot President Cal Bradford.
• However, major plot threads are left unresolved.
• Season two of "Paradise" is coming but doesn't have a release date.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Paradise" season one.

The finale of "Paradise" season one doesn't tie up all the plot's loose threads, but Hulu confirmed in February that there will be a second season.

The political, post-apocalyptic thriller hasn't become a major streaming hit. Still, it has received high praise from fans and critics and remained on Hulu's daily top 15 TV shows list since it premiered in January.

The series opens with US President Cal Bradford (James Marsden) being killed at his house and follows Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown), a widowed father of two and the president's head of security, as he tries to uncover who is responsible.

The show's other major mystery is teased at the end of the season premiere — after a disastrous tsunami, the remnants of US civilization live in a futuristic bunker in a mountain.

Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson), a tech billionaire, prepared for the disaster by organizing a secret underground city to be built for a select few US citizens, with the help of other billionaires and the president.

Now, Sinatra pulls the strings in the bunker city and seems to be Xavier's biggest suspect for Cal's murder. But in episode seven, she reveals to Xavier that the killer's DNA does not match that of anyone in the bunker.

Here is the ending explained and what to know about season two.

A librarian with a grudge killed President Cal

Ahead of the finale, Sinatra conceals from the public that an expedition group from the bunker found human survivors.

She orders Billy (Jon Beavers), a security guard, to murder the expedition group and tells his girlfriend Jane (Nicole Brydon Bloom) to kill him after he threatens her.

After Billy dies, Xavier stages a coup and confronts Sinatra with his suspicions that she's behind Cal and Billy's deaths.

Sinatra turns the tables on him, ordering Jane to kidnap Xavier's daughter and use information that Xavier's wife, who was presumed dead in the tsunami, is alive to get him to stand down and force him to find the real killer.

Xavier's investigations bring him to Trent (Ian Merrigan), a librarian.

This may come as a big surprise to viewers because he isn't featured in the series. But before the disaster, Trent was a project manager for the underground city and was fired after discovering the site produced toxic fumes that would slowly kill the people working there. He becomes a conspiracy theorist and tries to assassinate President Cal at a press conference.

This was shown in a flashback earlier in the series, but at the time, Xavier gets in the way, and Trent is arrested.

Another flashback in the season finale shows that Trent escapes prison when the disaster happens and enters the bunker with an unknown woman, pretending to be a married couple whom he killed. This explains why Sinatra's scientists do not have Trent's DNA to link him to the crime.

Trent waits years to kill the president because he enjoys life underground. But seeing the president up close reignites his hate for him and he breaks into Cal's house to kill him with an iron rod.

Trent confesses to Xavier and tries to escape, but when the authorities corner Trent at the highest point of the bunker, he jumps to his death.

In season two of 'Paradise,' Xavier will explore the world outside the bunker

Xavier discovers a book Cal left to share what he knew about the outside world in the event of his assassination.

Xavier tells Sinatra he has found the killer, so she should let his daughter go. At this point, Jane pretends she killed Xavier's daughter, so Sinatra tells him she's dead.

But just before Xavier kills Sinatra in revenge, Jane swoops in and shoots Sinatra in the neck and tells him that his daughter is alive. Xavier runs away and Jane tells Sinatra she didn't kill her because she has uses for her.

Thus the ending of season two leaves three plot threads open for season two.

Jane, who has not been exposed as Sinatra's secret assassin, could stir more trouble with Sinatra's help in a bid to seize power.

There's also Cal's son, Jeremy Bradford (Charlie Evans), who looks set to become the leader of the bunker in the finale. In episode seven, he helps expose that there are humans alive outside the bunker. This could result in a power struggle in season two between the people under Jeremy and the billionaires under Sinatra.

Finally, Xavier goes on a mission to understand the outside world and see if his wife is alive.

Season 2 of 'Paradise' does not yet have a release date.

There are no reports that season two has started filming, so new episodes will likely not air until at least 2026.

Dan Fogelman, the series' creator, told The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the season's premiere in January that he had already planned three seasons of "Paradise."

"Without giving away too much, each season of the show is a slightly different show, within the same show with the same characters," he said. "As we go into second season, we pivot a little bit, but in a way that I think is very follow-able. But yes, there's big moves ahead."

"Paradise" fans are already keen for the second season, and on Tuesday, Fogelman said on X that it won't take "years" to arrive.

The cast will likely include actors from season one, like Brown, Nicholson, and Evans, but it is unclear if Marsden will return as President Cal.

Season one of "Paradise" is available to stream on Hulu.

• Netflix's 'Running Point' is a fictional comedy about a woman who becomes the owner of a basketball team.
• The series is based on the life of Jeanie Buss, owner of the LA Lakers.
• Mindy Kaling, the show's creator, said Buss came up with the idea for a comedy show about her life.

Netflix's "Running Point," a sports comedy about a woman who becomes the owner of an LA-based basketball team, may seem familiar to fans of the Los Angeles Lakers.

That's because the show is loosely based on the life of Jeanie Buss, the team's president.

"Running Point" is the latest series to examine the legacy of the LA Lakers, the second-most successful team in the NBA.

In 2022, Max produced a biopic series about the lives of key players and executives at the NBA team in the 1980s, and Hulu released a 10-episode documentary about the team's rise.

Netflix takes a new approach to portraying the team's history, focusing on Buss' life and her journey to being taken seriously in a male-dominated sport.

Mindy Kaling, the show's creator, told ExtraTV in an interview published on Tuesday that Buss asked her to make a show about her life.

"She approached me like five years ago to want to do this show," Kaling said. "She loved 'The Office' and so she's someone who has a very serious job but doesn't take herself seriously.

"She could have said like, 'I want the show to be a drama, and I want my character to be like hugely important, and everyone admires them.' But she's like, 'No, I want it to be funny.'"

Kaling added that Buss gave her and the writing team full access to her life and allowed them to interview her at any point to make "Running Point."

"Running Point" is still a fictional show, so many elements of Buss' life have likely been changed.

In real life, Buss took over the LA Lakers from her father, not her brother

The character based on Buss, played by Kate Hudson, is called Isla Gordon and runs a team called the Los Angeles Waves. Isla has three brothers who are part of the team's executive branch, while Buss' has five brothers and a sister who work in multiple sectors within the Lakers.

Buss became the owner of the Lakers in 2013 after the death of her father, Jerry Buss, the former owner. But in the show, Gordon takes on the role after her older is in a car accident.

Gordon is not the only character directly inspired by a real-life person in the show.

Brenda Song plays Gordon's friend, Ali Lee, who is based on Linda Rambis, the manager of special projects at the Lakers and a long-term friend of Buss.

Both Buss and Rambis are executive producers on "Running Point."

"Some of the situations seem outlandish but nothing surprises me that happens in the world of professional basketball," Buss told The Associated Press at the series' premiere event in LA on February 13. "We've seen everything."

• The "Shrek" franchise is returning with another sequel starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Zendaya.
• "Shrek 5" will premiere in December 2026.
• Here's what to know about the long-awaited movie. 

"Shrek 5" is heading to theaters in 2026 with a new cast member — Zendaya.

On Thursday, DreamWorks shared the first teaser for the movie, with new designs for Shrek and the main characters.

The teaser said that Zendaya is starring in the film, seemingly playing one of Shrek's daughters.

It has been 15 years since the last sequel to "Shrek," the pop culture juggernaut that turned DreamWorks into a leading film studio.

The first film won an Oscar, and the franchise made nearly $3 billion across the first four films. The "Puss In Boots" spinoff movies, released in 2011 and 2022, also made an extra billion dollars.

A "Shrek" sequel has been rumored for years, but fans were beginning to lose hope after "Shrek Forever After" provided a neat finish to the story. The decision to restart the "Shrek" franchise may be due to the surprise success of "Puss In Boots: The Last Wish," which had a slow opening but eventually made $481 million.

"The Last Wish" arrived 11 years after "Shrek," proving that there is still an audience for the films.

Here's what we know so far about "Shrek 5."

Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, and Cameron Diaz are returning for "Shrek 5."

Eddie Murphy, who plays Donkey, told Collider in June 2024 that he had started recording his lines for "Shrek 5" and said that DreamWorks plans to release a spinoff about his character.

A month later, DreamWorks Animation finally confirmed that "Shrek 5" is in the works. It also announced that Mike Myers will return as Shrek, with Cameron Diaz as Fiona.

No word yet on Antonio Banderas, who joined the franchise in "Shrek 2" as the outlaw Puss in Boots. Banderas voiced Puss in Boots in both of the spinoff movies (the first is set before "Shrek" and the second is set after "Shrek Forever After") and has made no announcement about stepping down from the role.

This could mean that the fan-favorite feline won't show up, or Banderas hasn't been able to finalize his deal with DreamWorks yet.

Walt Dohrn will co-direct "Shrek 5" with Brad Ableson, the director of "Minions: The Rise of Gru." Dohrn was a writer and artist on "Shrek 2" and "Shrek the Third," was the head of the story on "Shrek Forever After," and the voice of Rumpelstiltskin in the latter film.

The movie's producers are Gina Shay, who produced "Shrek Forever After," and Illumination founder Chris Meledandri.

"Shrek 5" will premiere in December 2026.

There are no details yet on the plot or how it will follow "Shrek Forever After."

The last movie ended with Shrek and Fiona happily raising their three triplets after Shrek learns to appreciate his life as a father.

DreamWorks initially announced that "Shrek 5" would premiere on July 1, 2026, but in their new teaser, the release date has changed to Christmas 2026.

• After "Barbie," toy company Mattel is turning more of its famous brands into movies.
• Upcoming movies will be based on Barney, Uno, and Magic 8 Ball.
• Here are 17 live-action movies that have been announced and are in development.

Mattel is building its own cinematic universe after its blockbuster success with the "Barbie" movie.

In 2018, the toy company behind Barbie and other famous brands created a division to make movies inspired by its toys, games, and brands and appointed Robbie Brenner, an acclaimed film producer, to oversee it.

"Barbie" was the first movie to be co-produced by Mattel Films, and it made $1.4 million in ticket sales, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023.

In 2023, The New Yorker reported that Mattel is developing 45 more movies, but only 19 have been announced.

Here is everything you need to know about Mattel's upcoming movies.

Will there be a "Barbie" sequel?

While Mattel hoped the "Barbie" movie would be successful, its level of success was almost unprecedented.

With a total of $162 million, it had the largest opening weekend at the US box office in 2023 and the largest opening weekend ever for a female director.

Mattel CEO Ynon Kriez told Variety in 2023, ahead of the movie's release, that its success could lead to numerous sequels and spinoffs.

"Barbie, as a brand, has many different iterations. The product lines of Barbie is a very broad brand. In addition to the main Barbie figure, she has family, she has a lot of elements around in her universe," Kreiz said.

Kriez added that Mattel had not started developing a sequel yet because they didn't want to jump the gun until the movie was released.

Greta Gerwig, who directed the movie, told The New York Times in 2023 that she wasn't sure about making a sequel.

"I feel like that at the end of every movie, like I'll never have another idea, and everything I've ever wanted to do, I did," Gerwig said. "I wouldn't want to squash anybody else's dream but for me, at this moment, I'm at totally zero."

An A24 film about Barney the Purple Dinosaur.

A24, an independent production company and distributor, has built a reputation for making original, artistic movies. Now, it's teaming up with Mattel and Daniel Kaluuya's company, 59% Productions, to produce a film about the friendly purple dinosaur Barney.

Kaluuya, known for roles in "Black Panther," "Get Out," and "Widows," was first attached to the "Barney" movie in 2019 when it was reported he would produce the project through his company, 59% Productions.

In 2023, Kevin McKeon of Mattel Films told The New Yorker the movie would be "surrealistic" and an "A24-type" film before A24 was confirmed to be involved.

On Tuesday, a representative for A24 told Business Insider that the production company was involved in the project. Ayo Edebiri, who will star in the upcoming A24 release "Opus," will write the screenplay for "Barney" and is in talks to star, the rep said.

A live-action "Masters of the Universe" movie.

The first attempt at a "Masters of the Universe" live-action movie, based on the He-Man toys, animated series, and comics, was released in 1987. It was a critical and commercial failure at the time and only gained a cult fandom much later.

In the years since, successful animated series and movies based on the franchise have been produced, and Mattel is trying again to make a new live-action movie.

Speaking to The New Yorker, Kreiz said he believes the film could spawn a franchise "as big as Marvel and DC."

This is the only movie on Mattel's slate that is in production, and is due to premiere on June 5, 2026.

The movie, co-produced by Amazon MGM Studios and directed by Travis Knight, follows Prince Adam, who is stuck living on Earth until he finds a magical sword that whisks him back to his home planet, Eternia. When he returns home, he must protect Eternia from the evil forces of Skeletor.

The full main cast includes Nicholas Galitzine as He-man, Camila Mendes as Teela, Jared Leto as Skeletor, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, and Idris Elba as Duncan.

A new "Bob the Builder" animated movie

In January 2023, Variety reported that Mattel Films was making a film about "Bob The Builder," the kids cartoon about a construction worker and his living, anthropomorphic vehicles.

Variety said Jennifer Lopez will produce the film, and Anthony Ramos will voice the lead character. In the movie, Bob travels to Puerto Rico for a major construction job and learns more about the culture there.

Felipe Vargas, an up-and-coming writer-director, will write the script for the movie.

Ramos told Variety that elements of the film were inspired by his own life: "For years, Bob the Builder's characters have inspired young people around the world."

A movie about Major Matt Mason.

Another live-action movie first announced in 2019 is "Major Matt Mason," based on the 1960s astronaut action figure of the same name.

Variety reported that Mattel is partnering with Paramount Pictures to bring the story to life with Tom Hanks playing the lead role.

Ironically, according to the New Yorker, Major Matt Mason was the inspiration for Buzz Lightyear in "Toy Story," in which Hanks also starred as the voice of the spaceman's cowboy friend, Woody.

Variety reported that the script will be written by Akiva Goldsman and Michael Chabon.

A live-action Monster High movie.

Goldsman is also working on another project for Mattel — the live-action Monster High movie.

The doll brand, which imagines folklore monsters like werewolves and mummies as teen girls, has already been adapted into multiple animated specials, a web series, and movies for the small screen.

In June 2021, Variety reported that Mattel has partnered with Universal Pictures and Goldsman company, Weed Road, to develop the first theatrical film.

A Polly Pocket family comedy.

In 2021, Deadline reported that Lena Dunham planned to write and direct a movie about the micro-doll line, Polly Pocket.

Lily Collins was set to star and produce, and Mattel and MGM were teaming up to create the movie.

Brenner told Variety in 2023 that the script for the family comedy has been completed.

But in July 2024, Lena Dunham told The New Yorker that she had pulled out of making the film after the success of "Barbie."

There have been no updates since Dunham's interview about the "Polly Pocket" movie, so it is unclear if it is still in development.

An Uno heist comedy.

You read that right. In 2021, Variety reported that Mattel is developing an action-heist comedy about the card game Uno with rapper Lil Yachty being eyed for the lead role.

The script for the movie was written by Marcy Kelly.

Kelly told The New Yorker she was asked to pitch Mattel a script based on the card game and wrote a heist movie set in Atlanta's hip-hop scene.

"The first draft that I sent in was 'fuck'-heavy," Kelly said, explaining that each swear word was flagged by an executive. "And then the next draft had one. I got my one, well-placed, PG-13 'fuck.'"

A true story drama called "Christmas Balloon."

Not all of Mattel's movies will be about their toys.

In 2021, Deadline reported that Mattel is developing its own live-action holiday movie, "Christmas Balloon."

The family drama, based on a true story, follows a young girl living in a Mexican border town who tries to send a Christmas list to Santa via a balloon but instead, the list is found by a couple in Arizona grieving the loss of their child.

Gabriela Revilla Lugo, who produced "Palm Springs," is writing the script, according to Deadline.

A 'gritty' Hot Wheels movie.

In 2022, Mattel announced that it would team up with J.J. Abrams' production company, Bad Robot, to produce a Hot Wheels movie.

Variety first reported in January 2022 that a movie based on the toy car brand is at the script stage, but the film was initially announced in April. Deadline reported in April 2022 that the film will be made through a partnership between Mattel Films and Warner Bros. Pictures.

Abrams said the franchise will be "emotional and grounded and gritty."

Brenner told Variety the movie will have "real characters that you can relate to, that are three-dimensional, that have emotional journeys."

She added: "Look at any J.J. Abrams movie. All of his movies have an incredible story and incredible characters. That was something that was important to him — to make a movie that's not just going to be fun and exciting, but that has real emotion and real stakes to it."

A live-action "Thomas the Tank Engine" movie.

Marc Forster, who directed "World War Z" and "Quantum of Solace," is making a film about Thomas the Tank Engine.

Deadline reported in 2020 that Mattel Films is teaming up with Forster's production company 2Dux² to turn the children's cartoon into a movie that is a mix of live-action and animation. 

Forster has turned a children's franchise into a feature film before, having directed the 2018 movie "Christopher Robin," which is about the legacy of Winnie the Pooh.

A Magic 8 Ball horror movie.

Mattel has been trying to create a Magic 8 Ball movie for almost 20 years.

The Guardian reported that, in 2006, Universal tried to make a Magic 8 Ball rom-com, and later Paramount tried to make a "National Treasure"-style movie about the fortune-telling ball.

Neither project came to fruition but Mattel is trying to create a horror movie instead.

Deadline first reported in 2019 that Mattel was partnering with Blumhouse to create the horror movie. However, in 2022, CNBC reported that Blumhouse is no longer attached to the project.

The New Yorker reported that "Cocaine Bear" screenwriter Jimmy Warden is turning the movie into a horror-comedy.

Mattel's Robbie Brenner told the publication: "We're not going to make any rated-R movie. We're not going to make anything that feels violent, or that is alienating to families. We want to stay within the parameters of what Mattel is."

Brenner later told Variety that the movie will "probably be a PG-13 thriller."

A movie based on Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots.

"Fast & Furious" star Vin Diesel has been pegged to star in and produce a movie based on the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots.

In 2021, Deadline first reported that Mattel Films, Universal, and Diesel are creating the live-action movie. The publication reports that "Rampage" writer Ryan Engle will write the script, and the story will follow a father and son who bond with an advanced war machine.

Brenner told Variety that they are still working on a script, but that Diesel was excited about the project.

An American Girl doll movie.

"Saturday Night Live" may have joked about an American Doll movie in 2023 but there are actual plans to turn the doll brand into a live-action movie.

Deadline first reported that a movie from Mattel and MGM was in the works in 2019. At the time, neither a director nor a writer was attached.

In an update, per a recent New Yorker article, Mattel's Kevin McKeon said that a screenwriter is writing a script that would be like "Booksmart" meets "Bill & Ted."

Brenner later told Variety the movie is a family comedy.

American Girls are 18-inch dolls that depict various young girls across history.

A Big Jim movie.

Mattel is not restricting itself to its most famous toys, because the company is also bringing back toys from the last century. One of which is the muscly action figure, Big Jim, which was created in the 1970s.

In 2022, Variety reported that a film based on the toy will be developed by Dan Mazer, who wrote "Bridget Jones's Baby," cowrote both "Borat" films, and directed the latest "Home Alone" reboot.

A movie based on the Chatty Cathy and Betsy Wetsy dolls.

Variety also reported in 2022 that Jason Bateman's production company, Aggregate Films, is making a movie based on Mattel's Chatty Cathy and Betsy Wetsy dolls.

Chatty Cathy was a pull-string doll created by the inventors of Barbie, Ruth and Elliot Handler, in 1959. According to Time magazine, the dolls could speak 11 phrases, and brunette and African-American versions were created a few years later.

Meanwhile, Betsy Wetsy was another doll brand created by Ideal Toy Company, which later became part of Mattel through multiple acquisitions. This one, created in 1934, was a baby doll that you could feed and had to change after it urinated.

No further details have been provided for the plot of the film.

A live-action movie about the Matchbox toy car brand.

The New Yorker reported that Mattel is working with Skydance to create a movie based on toy car brand Matchbox.

A movie about View-Master.

MGM and Mattel are teaming up to produce a live-action movie about the View-Master, The Hollywood Reporter reported in 2019.

View-Masters were a 20th-century gadget that offered 3D images.

A movie about the PBS TV series "Wishbone."

In 2020, Deadline reported that Mattel and Universal Pictures are rebooting "Wishbone." 

The upcoming movie is based on a '90s PBS TV series about an ordinary Jack Russell Terrier who dreams about being the protagonist in famous books.

Deadline reported that Roy Parker will write the script with two-time Oscar-winner Peter Farrelly producing.

A "Gremlins"-like movie about Boglins toys.

The New Yorker reported that Mattel is turning the gruesome toy hand puppets known as Boglins into a new movie, and there are already numerous "millennial" directors and screenwriters who want to work on it.

Mattel's Kevin McKeon said he thinks the Boglins could be the star of the company's "big Halloween movie."

"We're thinking 'Gremlins'-ish, but with a twist," McKeon said.

• Ben and Sara seemed to have one of the more solid relationships of "Love Is Blind" 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 twelve episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight.

"Love Is Blind" season eight contestant Ben seems to be in trouble after his fiancée Sara finds a TikTok of a woman calling a contestant that fits his description a "shitty" person.

But it looks like they move past the drama in the newest episodes.

In episode nine, Sara confronts Ben about the video, which 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.

Ben says he thinks the video is about him but that they haven't spoken in over four years.

"She's already making stuff up. She was like, how I manipulated and did all these different things," he said.

Ben says they dated for a few weeks after meeting on Tinder, 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 after they stopped dating but he never initiated the conversation.

In this week's episodes, Sara and Ben have a brief conversation about the drama before moving on.

The video doesn't seem like a dealbreaker for Sara.

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, and they 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 says.

In a video posted two days later, Berghoff says the man, whom 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 says 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 adds 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.

Sara has been the only one to address the TikTok drama

Berghoff has turned comments off in her videos about "Love is Blind," but she and Ben have not responded to the drama.

On Sunday, Sara posted a clip of her conversation with Ben about the TikTok video on her Instagram story.

She captioned the post: "Two things I learned watching this scene: 1. Smiling in serious situations is clearly a trauma response of mine. 2. Way too much botox."

Sara told US Weekly on Tuesday that she saw the TikTok for the first time off-camera while she was at a brewery with Ben and his friends. She did not mention who posted the video.

"At this point, it's been posted for a couple hours and there were hundreds of comments tagging Ben specifically. I was really confused because she never specifically said his name, but I'm like, 'How are all these people pinpointing that it's him? And how do all these people know who he is?' I was really trying to understand," Sara said.

She said a producer separated them so that they could talk about the video for the first time on camera, but when they got home, the woman had shared a second video about Ben blocking her.

Sara said she didn't feel "unsafe" with Ben and didn't know how serious to respond to the videos, because the woman didn't specify how Ben harmed her.

"I knew I had to take it seriously and it was always in the back of my head. But also, I'm an enneagram 2 — naturally a caregiver. I was protecting Ben. I was protecting our relationship, and at the time, I was like, 'I honestly don't wanna talk about this more than what we need to, but we obviously need to talk about the facts and I do have questions,'" Sara said. "And so when he was saying he doesn't remember, it's like, 'OK, then you need to tell me at least off camera what you do remember.'"

Sara said that she believed people can change so she didn't want to "discredit him and our relationship" because of the video.

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 we know about her life and current relationship status.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first twelve 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.

In the next episode, Meg breaks up with Mason, 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.

In episode 11, Meg and Mason arrive together at the cast party and reveal they began talking and dating after the pods.

Madison also attends the party, still single, but she starts sharing behind-the-scenes drama with Lauren after Alex shows up.

According to Madison, Alex messaged her after seeing her pictures and asked to meet up and give their relationship a second chance. Madison says Alex criticized Mason to her off-camera despite defending him on-camera.

Madison also says Alex tried to pit her and Meg against each other after Meg started messaging him.

Neither Meg nor Alex are given screen time to share their takes and the storyline is dropped in the rest of this week's episodes. But the situation could be brought up again during the reunion.

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, Meg, 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 has not shared any posts that hint at a new relationship, but she has said in an Instagram Q&A story that she is bisexual, and conversations about her sexuality were cut from the series.

Madison may not have found a life partner in "Love Is Blind," but she seems to have made friends.

In several posts on TikTok and Instagram, Madison said she's still friends with some of the other women on the show, including Molly, Vanessa, Yemi, 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 twelve episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight are now streaming on Netflix.

• Devin picks Virginia over his other pod date, Brittany, in "Love Is Blind" season eight.
• Just before the wedding episode, they agree to sign a prenup.
• But Virginia says no at the altar.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Love Is Blind" season eight.

Devin and Virginia have split after Virginia said no at the altar on "Love Is Blind" season eight.

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 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 he focuses on Virginia. Devin is the last man to propose in the pods.

In last week's episodes, 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. Then, in episode 11, he falters again when Virginia gives him the prenup to sign, and they get into a minor dispute.

In episode 12, Devin says he's happy to sign after having a lawyer and family member look at the document.

Their political views are also a sore point. In episode 10, Virginia grills Devin to determine whether they are on the same page regarding abortion and other topics.

Devin says he doesn't have a strong political stance, but his family votes "conservative," while Virginia says she and her family normally vote Democrat.

Virginia rejects Devin due to his political beliefs.

When they get to the altar, Devin says yes, but Virginia says she is not ready to marry, shocking their family members.

Later, Virginia says their relationship wasn't as deep as she would have liked and accuses Devin of not being open to talking about politics or sex.

Devin and Virginia confirmed they had split up for good at the reunion.

The pair then began arguing about other things that led to Virginia saying no at the altar, such as Devin not bringing up a note he received from an ex and a $1,000 check he received from his mom's boss before the wedding.

Devin says he wanted to try make the relationship work after the wedding, but their conversations didn't go anywhere. Virginia says Devin stopped answering her phone calls after a week and told people she ghosted him. Two other contestants say Devin told them Virginia ghosted him at a bar, but Devin denies that he told people she ghosted him.

It seems the pair are done for good.

"Love Is Blind" season eight is now streaming on Netflix.