• Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos made a cameo in the latest episode of the Apple TV+ show "The Studio."
• Creator and star Seth Rogen said Apple asked him to swap in Apple CEO Tim Cook, but he declined.
• "The Studio" was inspired by Rogen's real experiences in Hollywood and specific execs he's met.

"The Studio," Seth Rogen's new Apple TV+ comedy, is stuffed with cameo appearances from real famous people playing themselves. But one guest star is more surprising than the others: Ted Sarandos, the co-CEO of Apple TV+'s streaming rival, Netflix.

Apparently, Apple had some notes on that casting, but Rogen didn't take them.

"They asked if we could use Tim Cook instead, and we said no," Rogen told Business Insider at the red carpet premiere for "The Studio" at the SXSW Film & TV Festival in March.

Reps for Apple TV+ did not respond to a request for comment.

Sarandos appears in episode eight, which aired Wednesday. In the episode, Rogen's beleaguered studio head, Matt Remick, attends the Golden Globes, where a film he greenlit is nominated.

Matt is stressed about the idea of not getting a shout-out in the acceptance speech — an ongoing bit is that every winner from a Netflix project effusively thanks Sarandos in their speech without fail.

In the end, Matt has an encounter with Sarandos, who reveals he puts it in artists' contracts that they have to thank him in acceptance speeches. He also forces Matt to reckon with the fact that neither of them are artists — they're the "bean counters" supporting the real artists.

The fictional world of "The Studio" seems to closely mirror the real world, where Netflix is dominating the streaming game while the streamer actually airing "The Studio" is struggling.

Apple is losing over $1 billion a year on its streaming service and has roughly 45 million subscribers. For comparison, Netflix also lost money its first few years in streaming, but it's now extraordinarily profitable and reportedly had over 300 million subscribers by the end of 2024.

'The Studio' is inspired by many of Rogen's personal experiences in Hollywood

Rogen created, directed, and starred in "The Studio," a loving send-up of the flawed movie industry. The show follows his character, Matt Remick, a newly appointed studio head at the fictional Continental Studios, as he struggles to simultaneously make good art and make his company money.

The story's central theme of art versus commerce hit close to home for Rogen. That's by design, as he and his producing partner Evan Goldberg incorporated their own experiences into the show.

In fact, at least one memorable line in the pilot is lifted directly from Rogen's real life: Matt saying he got into all this because he loves movies, but now he fears it's his job to ruin them.

Rogen remembers an executive telling him those same words as he reluctantly gave notes to him and Goldberg early in their career — and yes, the exec in question is still a major player in the industry.

"I saw him the other day. He's Steve Asbell. He runs Fox," Rogen said, laughing.

"The Studio" airs Wednesdays on Apple TV+.

• "Yellowjackets" season three ended with a few big reveals.
• Sophie Nélisse, who plays young Shauna, has a pivotal role in the finale ending.
• Nélisse said she's enjoyed playing young Shauna as a villain, but still has empathy for her.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the "Yellowjackets" season three finale.

Shauna went off the rails in a major way in "Yellowjackets" season three, but at least one person is still rooting for her: Sophie Nélisse, who plays teen Shauna.

The third outing of the Showtime hit survival thriller, which aired its finale Friday, follows a high school girls' soccer team that gets stranded in the wilderness after the plane crash. The show simultaneously tracks the survivors' adult selves 25 years later as their traumatic experiences come back to haunt them.

While each of the survivors has plenty of trauma (because, well, the cannibalism), none have been through the wringer quite as much as Shauna, who was responsible for her best friend Jackie's death in season one and then lost her baby in a stillbirth in the wilderness. These events have led to Shauna going down a dark, violent path in season three.

The episode, fittingly called "Full Circle," takes us back to where it all began: the scene from the pilot where the girls, in makeshift masks, hunt down one of their own, who falls into a pit. Fans have been wondering for three seasons who "Pit Girl" and the group's leader, the "Antler Queen," might be. "Full Circle" gives viewers those two big reveals, establishing that Mari was the girl who was chased and fell into a pit, and Shauna was the Antler Queen pursuing her.

While the "Yellowjackets" cast was heartbroken to lose Mari (Alexa Barajas), they were also excited to finally get answers. The Antler Queen twist wasn't exactly shocking to Nélisse, who said she saw the writing on the wall a few episodes back as young Shauna started wresting leadership away from Natalie (Sophie Thatcher), but she was still happy to finally see it play out.

She also wondered if Shauna's new leadership role will quell the fury and grief she's been driven by all season long. "Is that enough to soothe her need for vengeance and power?" Nélisse told BI.

Given that the others were actively plotting against Shauna after she forbade them all from leaving the wilderness when a pair of scientists and a guide stumbled upon their bloody bacchanal, keeping the group from mutiny will also be a challenge.

"I'm curious to see how long she can hold that power," Nélisse added.

Nélisse thinks Shauna is bisexual, but she's not sure Shauna and Jackie were more than friends

One of the subtler apparent revelations in the finale happens when a drunken Travis confronts Shauna before the girls leave to hunt down Mari. He tells her that "none of this is even real." He suggests that he's experiencing the thoughts of those who have died there, including his younger brother Javi and Shauna's dead best friend Jackie.

Travis tells Shauna that Jackie's thoughts are his favorite: "The slumber party makeouts? The jealousy? The betrayal?"

Whether that was a drug-induced hallucination or not, it certainly seems to suggest that something sexual went down between Shauna and Jackie, further complicating a relationship that was already complicated by Shauna's affair with Jackie's boyfriend Jeff, who ultimately married Shauna and has a daughter, Callie, with her. That, paired with the season three storyline that sees Shauna embark on a toxic relationship with fellow survivor Melissa, is pretty strong evidence that Shauna and Jackie probably hooked up at one point before the crash.

When I brought it up to Nélisse, she seemed surprised by that reading of the moment. She said she didn't take it that way but loved the theory. Though she tries to avoid looking at TikToks of the show, she's well aware that many viewers think there was something more than friendship between Shauna and Jackie, at least on Shauna's side.

"There's not an answer, actually, for that one. A lot of people have been hinting that there was sexuality between Jackie and Shauna," Nélisse said. "But the creators seemed, from our discussion, to say that there wasn't, but that there is just this really complex relationship. It's such a fine line to walk on."

"I think it's up to people's interpretation," she added.

Nélisse has no idea what will happen to Shauna in 'Yellowjackets' season 4, but she has some hopes

According to Nélisse, the cast only gets the scripts for an episode about a week before filming. That means they're not privy to the long game the show is playing in advance of individual revelations, and they don't have the answers to ongoing mysteries like what's going on with Taissa and whether there is actually something supernatural in the wilderness.

"Every season has felt almost like a complete different character to me," Nélisse said of playing Shauna. "I think what's fun is that I get to play somewhat of the villain [in season three], but at the same time, with all of her background and all of her trauma and all of her luggage that she's been carrying."

Nélisse says Shauna's baggage helped her contextualize some of her character's less popular decisions.

"Although everything that she does is maybe not excusable, you understand the why behind it. So I have a lot of empathy for her," she added. "It's been just really fun to be able to tap into something a lot darker. But at the same time, still caring for her and rooting for her, in a way."

So can Shauna go any darker in a not-yet-confirmed season four? Nélisse isn't sure, but she kind of hopes so.

"Part of me wants her to go even crazier, but I'm like, she needs to calm down."

The "Yellowjackets" season three finale is now streaming on Paramount+.

• Matt Bomer still thinks he made the right call in turning down "Barbie."
• Bomer previously revealed he'd auditioned to play a Ken but pulled out. He starred in "Maestro" instead.
• He told BI he wouldn't have had the same experience on "Maestro" if he had to fit in filming "Barbie."

Matt Bomer had a jam-packed 2022, filming the acclaimed historical romance drama "Fellow Travelers" and the Oscar-nominated "Maestro." It could have been even busier if he'd squeezed in playing a Ken in "Barbie," but he has no regrets about turning that down.

Bomer previously revealed to Vanity Fair that he'd auditioned to play one of the Kens in Greta Gerwig's smash hit, but ultimately walked away from the opportunity because it would've required too much time away from his family (Bomer shares two children with his husband, Simon Halls) along with his other booked roles.

The movie went on to gross over $1 billion worldwide and became a cultural sensation. But looking back, Bomer is still confident in his decision to focus fully on Bradley Cooper's Leonard Bernstein biopic "Maestro," in which he played Bernstein's lover David Oppenheim. The actor told BI that it would've been too difficult to squeeze in "Barbie" between his intensely collaborative time on "Maestro."

"Even though my part in 'Maestro' was smaller, Bradley was so collaborative with me from the get-go," Bomer said of Cooper. "And it was such an immersive experience that to have just flown in from London to film my scenes [in 'Barbie'] really quick and fly back to London — I feel like 'Maestro' wouldn't have been the same experience for me."

Bomer describes his "Maestro" experience as life-changing, saying it shaped the way he works as a dramatic actor "for probably for the rest of my career on film."

"It was a way of working that I'm really grateful that I got to be exposed to," he said. "I wouldn't have, I think, if I were trying to just squeeze it in."

After Bomer's string of emotionally intense roles in 2023, he's taking a breather. Now, he can be seen in a less heavy role Hulu's in "Mid-Century Modern," a half-hour sitcom about three gay men who are longtime friends living together in Palm Springs. Bomer plays Jerry Frank, a handsome and good-natured but slightly dim-witted flight attendant.

"Mid-Century Modern" is a classic comedy that has shades of "Golden Girls," but it has dramatic moments, too, particularly related to Bomer's character Jerry's backstory. Jerry was a closeted Mormon whose ex-wife cut him off from their daughter (played by Billie Lourd, who happens to be the goddaughter of Bomer's husband in real life) after he came out as gay.

Bomer praised how the show can "go a little Norman Lear and handle some of the heavier stuff," particularly with his character, but his main goal was to create something fun and not that serious — both for himself and for viewers.

"I hope it brings a lot of joy to a lot of people," Bomer told BI. "That's what we wanted. That's what I know I needed. I needed to laugh and come to work and laugh, and I hope it brings a lot of laughs to folks out there as well."

"Mid-Century Modern" is now streaming on Hulu.

• The real-life von Trapp family made famous by "The Sound of Music" founded a hotel in Vermont.
• It's still operational (and growing) 75 years later.
• During a visit in December, I enjoyed delicious food and learned more about the family's fascinating history.

"The Sound of Music" ends with the von Trapp family, led by Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and governess turned stepmother Maria (Julie Andrews), successfully escaping the Nazis.

But in real life, the family's story didn't end after leaving Austria.

The von Trapps wound up settling in Vermont when they reached the US. After careers as traveling singers, they pivoted to join the hospitality industry when they opened up their family home to guests.

Seventy-five years later, the Von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort is still a thriving property in the ski town of Stowe, Vermont.

I visited the lodge in December. Here's what it was like.

The von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort is located in Stowe, Vermont.

Nestled between Burlington and Montpelier, the northern Vermont ski town has seen rising popularity in recent years, with occupancy rates for accommodations including hotels, motels, and resorts reaching record highs, per Stowe Area Association data reported by The Stowe Reporter.

Located at the foot of Mount Mansfield, the state's highest peak, Stowe is a prime location for skiing, hiking, and other recreation.

The four-star hotel first opened to guests in 1950.

While "The Sound of Music" took plenty of creative liberties with the von Trapp family's story (no, they didn't cross the Alps on foot), it was accurate that they left their homeland of Austria to escape the Nazi regime. The 1965 film (and the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical on which it was based) didn't follow the von Trapps to America.

In real life, the family earned a living by performing as the Trapp Family Singers, which included all 10 of the von Trapp children (the seven kids in the movie, plus the additional three Maria and Captain von Trapp went on to have together after they married). They toured the US and Canada performing and eventually set up a home base in Stowe, where they ran a music camp while they weren't performing. They called it Cor Unum, or "one heart" in Latin.

According to Sam von Trapp, the son of Maria and the Captain's youngest child Johannes and executive vice president of the lodge, Maria was drawn to settle in Stowe because it reminded her of Austria.

In 1950, three years after her husband's death, Maria and her children opened their 27-room home to guests.

It also wasn't the first time Maria had opened up the family home to make some cash: Sam told visitors during the lodge's Family History Talk — which I attended — that back in Austria, Maria had laid off servants, moved the family up to the servants' quarters, and rented out rooms in their villa to guests after they lost their fortune in the 1930s.

The lodge has undergone several transformations over the decades.

The hotel marked its 75th anniversary in February 2025 with a name change. It rebranded from the Trapp Family Lodge to the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort as part of a move to reclaim the family legacy ("von" had been dropped when the family came to America and began touring).

The property is markedly different now from the first incarnation that welcomed guests in 1950. In 1980, a devastating fire that killed one guest burned down the hotel; three years later, an expanded 73-room Austrian-style lodge replaced it.

It's continued to grow, and now the 2,600-acre property houses a 96-room lodge in addition to more upscale villas and chalets.

The Superior King Room was a great fit for our party of three.

I visited the lodge for two nights in December 2024 with my husband and our 2-year-old daughter. The spacious room fit us (and the ridiculous amount of stuff traveling with a toddler requires) easily, and we had access to a shared balcony — perfect for taking in the snowy views.

We were in a renovated room — the lodge has been undergoing renovations continuously over the last several years. A representative for the lodge told BI the work is expected to be complete by the end of 2025.

Rates start at $280 for this room type, but Business Insider received a media rate for our two-night stay.

There was even a special treat waiting for us when we arrived.

The hotel's signature "Cow Cake" — a nod to the herd of Scottish Highland cows on the hotel's property — was so cute I could hardly bring myself to cut into it. (The toddler had no such qualms.)

A private tour of the lodge showed how important family legacy is to the current owners — and how much they cater to fans of the von Trapps.

Photos of the original von Trapps plastered the walls of the lodge, as did original Hans Wilhelm paintings of the family. There were also rugs hanging on the walls, a reference to the Captain's refusal to raise Hitler's flag and putting out the family's Oriental rugs instead.

There was even a signed photo of Mary Martin, who played Maria in the Broadway musical, with a note addressed to the von Trapp matriarch. It was displayed outside a set of rooms that Maria herself once used as her apartment. The two had become good friends when Mary studied Maria to play her in the musical.

Even the subtler details paid tribute to the von Trapps' roots — new carpets installed in April 2024 mimicked Austrian woodcraft details.

The gift shop was filled with cute von Trapp-inspired items, like a singing goat.

Apparently, Johannes, the sole surviving von Trapp child, was not a huge fan of the goat. But his son Sam told me that his father has come around on it, especially since ceding control of the lodge to his kids (Sam and his sister, Kristina von Trapp Frame) and retiring to New Mexico.

Visitors could also buy Maria von Trapp's book. "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers," published in 1949, formed the basis of the 1959 musical and the later 1965 movie.

On our first night, we dined at the main restaurant located inside the lodge.

We arrived at 5:30 p.m. to a fairly empty dining room, but it quickly filled up with guests by 6 p.m. This included a huge group from a bus tour that had a buffet-style dinner set up for them separately. Our server told us they get lots of bus tours coming through.

The ambiance was perfect for our December trip, with a local pianist playing Christmas tunes as we dined.

Our dinner was incredible.

As parents of toddlers know, convenience is key when it comes to dining out while traveling. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that not only was the dining room super convenient (it was in the same building as our room) and cozy, but the food was also outstanding.

To start our meal, we had a complimentary bread basket with rolls and warm, melt-in-your-mouth banana bread. My husband ordered a salad appetizer and the spinach fettuccine, while I got the corn chowder soup and filet mignon.

Our server told us the most traditional dish on the menu was the schnitzel, and the most popular was the beef duet. But I had no regrets about my order; the filet was cooked to perfection.

My daughter had two and a half bites of her chicken fingers and all of her french fries, which honestly was a win in my book.

For dessert, we split the linzer torte, which was flaky, delicious, and not too heavy.

The next morning, we had breakfast and lunch in the main dining room and lounge.

Breakfast was buffet-style, with standards like Belgian waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, and fruit. But the real star of the meal was the warm maple syrup. It tasted like pure Vermont heaven.

We also chatted a bit with the host while we dined, who raved about the atmosphere in Stowe: "I feel like I'm living in a Hallmark Christmas town."

For lunch, we split that day's soup special, an Austrian potato soup, which surpassed the previous evening's corn chowder, and my daughter enjoyed mac and cheese and a mixed fruit bowl. We (the adults) also finally indulged in the von Trapp family's other big venture: beer from the von Trapp Brewery located down the road.

My husband had the Dunkel, a Munich-style dark lager that was very smooth, while I had the crisp and light Kölsch ale.

After our lunch beers impressed us, we visited the bierhall itself for our second evening's dinner.

Down the road from the lodge is the bierhall, a restaurant attached to the on-site brewery that Johannes started in 2010. This time, I drank the Zwickelbier, a pale lager made in partnership with the Austria-based Hofstetten Brewery. My dark beer-loving husband enjoyed the Trösten, a rich and smoky lager.

I ate the bratwurst sampler, while my husband got the Johannesburger, the bierhall's signature burger made from the lodge's Highland cows.

Incidentally, we'd met some of those cows (or their brethren) earlier the same day.

Yep, that's right: The lodge raises its own cows.

The lodge has a number of additional offerings for entertainment, including a "Meet the Cows" excursion. My husband, toddler, and I decided to partake in that one, because who doesn't want to see adorable fluffy cows?

The cows were indeed adorable and fluffy, and we were able to get surprisingly close to them with our tour guide. The tour was informative, giving the history of the cows being brought to Vermont by the family and how they've become part of the resort's ongoing operations (and menu).

In retrospect, this excursion is probably best reserved for adults or those with older kids: My toddler was not super interested in remaining quiet while our tour guide told us everything we could possibly want to know about these cows.

Von Trapp Lodge offers year-round activities, but I can't imagine how spring or summer visits would top our Christmastime trip.

The lodge went all out on its Christmas decor. There were multiple elaborately decorated Christmas trees scattered throughout the property, each with a different theme, and a pamphlet at the front desk challenged visitors to find each of them during their stay.

There were also seasonal classes and activities on the docket during our visit, including wreath-making and ornament-making classes. We opted for the latter, and while our little snowman is slightly wonky (it was made with toddler hands, after all), we'll treasure it forever.

Overall, I'd recommend the Von Trapp Family Lodge, whether you're a fan of "The Sound of Music" or not.

The von Trapp family's fame from "The Sound of Music" is certainly a major draw for the lodge. When I attended the Family History Talk (led by Sam von Trapp) they regularly host, there was a huge group who weren't even guests — they were just stopping by for the talk while on a larger bus tour.

But even if you're not a huge fan of musicals, the Von Trapp Family Lodge offers an excellent escape for families. With its delicious food offerings, cozy accommodations, and fun array of activities — plus its proximity to Stowe's skiing — it was a great choice for a winter retreat with a European vibe without having to leave the East Coast.

• I went to Epic Universe, the massive new Universal Orlando Resort theme park that opens in May.
• The five "worlds" of the park are immersive and beautiful, with some excellent rides and shows.
• It may very well lure some Central Florida tourists away from Disney, at least for a day or two.

Theme park fans, including myself, have been eagerly awaiting the opening of the new Universal Orlando Resort park Epic Universe since it was first announced in 2019.

This weekend, I got an early preview of the park and can confirm that it was well worth the wait.

As a member of the press, I attended Universal's media preview event for Epic Universe on Saturday.

I was able to tour all five "worlds" that comprise the massive park:

1. Celestial Park
2. Dark Universe
3. How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk
4. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic
5. Super Nintendo World (which already exists in Universal's Hollywood and Japan parks, though the three versions differ slightly)

The sprawling park, which reportedly cost around $7 billion to build, is an incredible feat of engineering and design. (Universal has not publicly confirmed the cost of the expansion, and a representative declined to comment when reached by Business Insider via email.)

As a theme park fan — and a lifelong Disney World lover — I can absolutely see Epic Universe drawing some of the crowds from the Disney parks about nine miles away.

Here's what I thought of Epic Universe, including the best rides in the new park, and why it may give Disney a run for its money.

Epic Universe has five themed areas that each immerse visitors in a different 'world'

We all started our experience by entering through the Chronos, a spectacular clocktower-style monument where each of the "worlds" is visually represented. The Chronos acts as visitors' portal to Epic Universe.

My group then branched off and headed toward the Isle of Berk, which is themed on the animated movie franchise "How to Train Your Dragon."

This world will be an obvious hit for kids who are fans of the movies (or just dragons generally), but the attention to detail and immersive landscape are what really blew me away.

Stepping into the Isle of Berk, you're immediately transported to a Viking village populated with dragons. Some are costumed employees walking around, while others are full-blown state-of-the-art animatronics peeking out from their perches.

I rode all three rides in this section (the Hiccup's Wing Gliders roller coaster, Dragon Racer's Rally, and the Fyre Drill water ride). They were enjoyable, but hands-down the best part was "The Untrainable Dragon" show.

At roughly 20 minutes and with several performances daily, it's a fun musical experience that wows the audience with dragon animatronics that fully interact with the cast — including a flying Toothless that soars out over the audience.

The attention to detail in the creations of these creatures is unbelievable. For instance, as Toothless lands on stage, you can actually see his feet flex in a lifelike way.

I was fully prepared to award the Isle of Berk as the most immersive until I stepped into Super Nintendo World.

Visitors enter through Princess Peach's castle and when you step through the portal, you literally feel like you're in a video game.

It's almost sensory overload — there are chomping Piranha Plants and question mark blocks everywhere, and towering palm trees in the Donkey Kong Country section.

I spent less time in the remaining three worlds, but it was enough to leave an impression. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic was also incredibly immersive, with shops, restaurants, and street performers that bring the magical version of 1920s Paris from the "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" franchise to life.

As a lover of all things spooky, Dark Universe was another highlight. Frankenstein's castle was so creepy, and I loved the street performers — like the woman playing violin, and the bandaged Invisible Man stalking through the crowd and avoiding selfies with excited guests.

Celestial Park has an astrological motif and, unlike the other four worlds, it's not based on any pre-existing Universal intellectual property — rather, it just plays into the "Universe" theme, serving as the "hub" of the park that connects the other four worlds. While the least immersive of the five worlds, design-wise, Celestial Park had one of the best rides.

The best rides in Epic Universe

I rode most of the attractions during the preview, and a few stood out.

The best roller coaster ride in Epic Universe is Stardust Racers in Celestial Park, an intense dueling coaster that reaches speeds of 62 miles per hour, sending riders through steep drops, loops, and corkscrews. There are two separate tracks that cross over one another during the ride. FYI: The right side when you enter the queue is the slightly more intense experience, I'm told.

The single best ride in the park, however, is Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment.

The thrilling dark ride takes you into the castle of Victoria Frankenstein, a descendant of Victor. During the course of the ride, you encounter all of Universal's classic movie monsters, including the Wolf Man, Dracula, Frankenstein, and even the Phantom of the Opera (who's playing an organ that shoots out flames when you first see him).

The animatronics on this ride are unreal and better than any I've ever seen in any theme park rides.

Starting with the preshow, visitors are treated to a face-to-face encounter with Henry, a massive eight-foot-tall Frankenstein's monster that moves so smoothly you'd easily mistake it for a real, albeit very tall, actor in a monster suit. It even takes a few steps.

The runner-up for best overall ride (by a very slim margin) is the Battle at the Ministry of Magic. If you thought Universal Island of Adventure's Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was impressive, just wait.

The pre-show almost rivals the ride itself. Riders enter via the "Metrofloo" (powered by green "floo powder" that allows wizards to magically travel instantaneously) before walking through a massive, painstakingly detailed replica of the Ministry of Magic from the movies. The ride is set in the middle of Dolores Umbridge's trial as she breaks loose, assisted by Voldemort's Death Eaters, and it feels like you're right in the film alongside Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they attempt to re-capture Umbridge.

Once again, the robotics work here is out of this world. The massive Death Eaters loom over riders as you zoom through the dark ride, and there are several moments where the animatronics and augmented reality are virtually seamless. The storytelling and build are on par with some of Disney's most advanced (and expensive) rides, like the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance attraction in Hollywood Studios.

Epic Universe is going to lure plenty of Disney lovers through its portal, and it's worth the money

I've been to Universal Orlando Resort before, but not for many years. I've personally always opted for Disney World during my trips to central Florida, specifically because of how immersive it feels and how specifically branded each of the four Disney theme parks — Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Magic Kingdom — are.

The existing three Universal parks in Orlando — Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and the Volcano Bay water park — are great but have never quite hooked me the way Disney has.

Epic Universe accomplishes that full immersion in a way I haven't experienced at Universal Orlando before. It's clear the company has leveled up with its massive investment in the park, which is the first completely new theme park built in Orlando in over a decade.

Disney has also increasingly become known for its dining options — many epicures make an annual pilgrimage just for Epcot's Food and Wine Festival — but Epic Universe's food scene may rival that aspect too.

While we were too busy taking in the five "worlds" to sample many of the park's food and beverage offerings, theme park reporter Carly Caramanna attended an early preview and previously wrote for Business Insider that Epic Universe's dining options will be a foodie's paradise. It will introduce over 100 menu items new to Universal's parks.

I did get to eat at the Oak and Star Tavern in the Celestial Park section of the park, and the selections were impressive. We dined buffet-style for the event, but the menu will typically be à la carte during regular opening hours.

There are a number of solid barbecue selections (including a vegetarian BBQ jackfruit option) and some great sides (I'm still thinking about the delicious mango bread days later), as well as a full bar. The spacious interior, with its pretty "cosmic garden" theme, even looks like it could be a wedding venue.

Dennis L. Speigel, the founder of International Theme Park Services, Inc., previously told BI's Lauren Edmonds that he estimated Epic Universe could draw at least 6 million visitors in its first year. (For context, Disney World's Magic Kingdom park alone had an estimated 17.7 million visitors in 2023.)

After visiting, I can easily see how that could be the case. The genuinely excellent rides, solid dining options, and fun attractions and shows will make a visit to Epic Universe well worth the money for families.

Like Disney, Universal operates on a dynamic ticket pricing system. Single-day tickets start at $139 for adults and $134 for children ages 3-9, plus tax.

Will Epic Universe topple Disney's longtime dominance in the area? Probably not, but it'll certainly give the House of Mouse a run for its money.

• I've been to Disney World dozens of times but I went with my daughter for the first time this year.
• At 2 years old, there was a lot she couldn't (and didn't want to) do there.
• Her experience of the park was so different from mine and made me feel like it was new again.

I'm not exaggerating when I say my introduction to Disney World is a core memory. When I first stepped through the gates of Magic Kingdom at age 4, it was love at first sight.

Over the next three decades, dozens more trips followed. Going as a little kid was wildly different from going as a zitty teen with my younger brother or a recent college grad dragging my boyfriend along.

However, even as the parks changed, and I changed, my attachment to them remained consistent. That emotional tie is precisely what's enabled Disney parks to hold firm as the most visited theme parks in the world, even as the price of a Disney trip has become out of reach for many families.

In January, I had the opportunity to visit the parks for a Magic of Milestones media event and thought it was the perfect opportunity to introduce my toddler to Disney life for the first time.

At first, I worried she was too young. Googling "What's the best age to take a kid to Disney for the first time?" yielded nothing conclusive — some said under a year, while others insisted never take a kid under 5.

Lacking a direct answer, I decided to throw caution to the wind and take my 2-year-old and go for it. Surely she'd have an identical experience to my inaugural visit, I thought.

I was wrong.

Going to Disney World for the first time as a parent didn't match my expectations at all — and I can't wait to go again.

Your toddler's individual temperament will really determine the Disney World rides they can go on

My 2-year-old is a daredevil, but she's short, so the majority of height-limit rides were out of the question.

I was looking forward to taking her on more of the baby-friendly rides, where you just sit in a slow-moving car and cruise along, waving at animatronics.

What I didn't anticipate was her sudden onset fear of even moderate darkness.

This kid has never asked for a nightlight in her 27 months of life, but suddenly, waiting in the grotto-inspired line for "Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid," the dim undersea lighting and slightly spooky ocean sounds were too much for her.

"I scared," she loudly declared approximately 3 ½ minutes into the wait. We turned around and left.

We actually made it onto the "Frozen" ride in Norway at Epcot, but that was also a mixed bag. I had completely forgotten that Marshmallow, the giant snowman, makes an appearance near the end, and we were wholly unprepared for the freakout.

We avoided dark rides after that.

She did love the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, which we figured would be the case since she makes a point to ride every carrousel she sees.

The Mad Tea Party teacup ride was also a big hit — we were all happy to just sit in it without spinning.

On the flip side, toddlers will find Disney magic in the most unlikely of places

My daughter's favorite "ride" was the Skyliner that took us from our hotel to Hollywood Studios.

She couldn't get enough of it. Every time we rode that thing, she hopped up on the bench to stare out the window, singing loudly (much to the amusement of other families who were shuttled in with us), and screaming the names of all the characters she saw on the gondolas swinging by.

Beyond the rides, I had measured my expectations for other Disney experiences, like character meet and greets.

I'd anticipated that we would need to steer clear of most characters. We'd limited screen time until she turned 2, so she wasn't super familiar with any of them, and I worried she'd be freaked out seeing them (some for the first time ever) in life-size form. We'd also had an encounter with an Easter bunny the previous year that gave me pause.

Surprisingly, she was only a little apprehensive and warmed up to them very quickly. By the end of the Disney Jr. Play and Dance, she was having a dance party with Minnie Mouse and giving her hugs.

She couldn't quite work up the nerve to get that close to Goofy, who is much larger than Minnie, but all these months later, she's still talking about giving Goofy a high-five "next time."

The princesses were an even bigger hit, and it was such a joy seeing her interact with them. Princess Elena was her favorite, despite never having watched the show.

The live music shows were also a great choice. On my pre-parenthood trips, I'd never bothered to go to them — who cares about abbreviated versions of Disney movies I've seen a trillion times? For my toddler, though, they were a major win.

At under 30 minutes, they're the perfect length for short attention spans and a great primer for some of the movies she hadn't seen yet. "For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration" was her favorite and has sparked an intense Queen Elsa phase.

The safari ride at Animal Kingdom was also something I'd never done, but we prioritized it knowing my toddler's love of zoos. It was a major hit.

The fireworks shows were always a highlight of my Disney World trips, but they were too much for my toddler

The "Fantasmic!" show at Hollywood Studios is my single favorite Disney experience, and I've always made a point to go multiple times during each of my past trips. However, we didn't even consider going with my daughter.

She had never experienced a fireworks show before, so to test the waters, we took her to "Luminous: The Symphony of Us," a 17-minute show in Epcot. We watched from the World Showcase because I figured that was far enough away from the sights and sounds not to be too overwhelming. I was extremely wrong.

My toddler was immediately freaked out by the first boom. Unfortunately, because the show was at 9 p.m. (technically after the park closed), all the stores and restaurants were inaccessible for an escape. My husband ended up taking refuge near a trash can, singing songs to keep her distracted until the show ended.

Part of this was a rookie mistake: We forgot to bring noise-canceling headphones for her. That said, I doubt she would have kept them on even if we had.

After that mishap, we knew to avoid "Fantasmic!" and other fireworks shows, such as "Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom."

My toddler ate way more at Disney World than I expected

At home, my daughter is a very picky eater, convinced she can exist on air and the occasional Cheerio alone. It's a major stressor for both my husband and me in our day-to-day lives, but I made the decision to forcibly chill out and not worry about it while on vacation.

However, instead of the skipped meals and crankiness we were anticipating, we were pleasantly surprised by her slightly more adventurous appetite at Disney World. Now, she wasn’t exactly angling to chow down on a turkey leg, but it was better than I expected.

Her favorites included the Mickey-shaped blueberry muffins at Cinderella's Royal Table, the pizza at Connections Cafe, and clementines and french fries wherever we could find them.

The biggest win, though, was the Nemo Fin-tastic Cake at Coral Reef, one of my favorite restaurants in Disney World. She's usually not a sweets girl (much to my distress, as a big Dole Whip fan) and the cake was so cute she wasn't initially sure whether it was even edible. Once she took the first bite, though, she couldn't get enough.

Another bonus is that kids under 3 eat free at all-you-care-to-enjoy Disney restaurants. Roundup Rodeo, a new barbecue restaurant in Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios, was a great option for this — there was more than enough food for all of us, and plenty for my daughter to sample — meaning she'd pretend to try it and then surreptitiously remove it from her mouth.

Portion sizes are pretty big, especially at à la carte table service and quick-service restaurants, so we never went hungry.

What's the best age to take a kid to Disney World? There isn't one

I know this isn't a very satisfying answer, but at the end of the day, the best age for a first Disney trip is extremely variable.

While we were limited in what we could do with my toddler in terms of certain rides, experiences, and restaurants, there was plenty still available to us. And the rider swap option, which allows one parent to wait with the child and then swap to ride without waiting in line separately, was also very helpful in still allowing me to ride my favorite rides.

Do I regret taking my 2-year-old to Disney World? Not at all. It wasn't the trip I'd imagined, but it was still plenty magical — largely because the things that were magical to her were things I didn't expect or things I hadn't even experienced before.

I'm reminded of seeing her face light up meeting princesses or chowing down on a Mickey-shaped treat every time she bops me in the head with her prized Olaf bubble wand.

My only hope is that next time she'll be brave enough to share a Dole Whip with me.

• Walt Disney Studios shared new updates on their biggest movies coming out this year at Cinemacon.
• The studios teased two Marvel movies, another live-action remake and "Zootopia 2."
• Three more "Avatar" sequels, a fifth "Toy Story" film, and another "Incredibles" movie are on the way.

The following list contains Walt Disney Studios' theatrical film slate as of April 4, 2025.

Disney's slate for the coming years includes sequels and remakes of fan favorites, including "Frozen," "Lilo & Stitch," and "Freaky Friday."

It fits a wider studio trend of leaning on its most popular franchises to attract larger audiences to theaters.

On Thursday, Disney shared updates for its 2025 movie slate at Cinemacon, with a major focus on its Marvel releases, "Avatar: Fire and Ash," and other sequels.

If you have lost track of the multiple Disney projects in the works, here's a list of movies due to be released by 2031.

"The Amateur" — April 11, 2025

20th Century Studios' spy thriller stars Rami Malek as a CIA cryptographer who loses his wife in a terrorist attack.

When the agency won't go after her killer due to an internal conflict, Malek's character blackmails the CIA.

Rachel Brosnahan, Laurence Fishburne, and Julianne Nicholson also star.

"Thunderbolts*" — May 2, 2025

"Thunderbolts*" appears to be Marvel's version of "The Suicide Squad."

The upcoming movie features a ragtag bunch of antiheroes, including a group of characters we've seen introduced in various films and Disney+ shows.

Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), US Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) will all star in the upcoming movie.

Live-action "Lilo & Stitch" remake — May 23, 2025

"Lilo & Stitch," a fun, touching family film about a fugitive alien that befriends a Hawaiian girl, is finally getting the live-action treatment.

The trailer seems to suggest that the live-action movie will be a replica of the original film with a few minor changes, instead of a new take on the story like 2025's "Snow White."

The original Stitch voice actor, Chris Sanders, will return, while Maia Kealoha plays Lilo, Sydney Elizabeth Agudong plays Lilo's sister, Nani, and Kaipo Dudoit plays Nani's love interest, David Kawena.

Tia Carrere, the original voice actor of Nani, also stars in the film alongside Billy Magnussen, Hannah Waddingham, Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis.

"Elio" — June 20, 2025

Pixar's next film follows a loner, alien-obsessed boy who goes on a space adventure after accidentally being picked as Earth's ambassador for the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization.

Adrian Molina, who co-wrote and co-directed "Coco," will direct the new original movie. It stars Yonas Kibreab as Elio, Zoe Saldaña as Elio's aunt, America Ferrera as Elio's mother, Jameela Jamil as Ambassador Questa, and Brad Garrett as Ambassador Grigon.

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" — July 25, 2025

Matt Shakman, director of "WandaVision," will direct the reboot set in a technologically advanced version of 1960s New York.

The main heroes are Pedro Pascal, who stars as Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch; and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing.

The heroes will face off against Galactus (voiced by Ralph Ineson) and the Silver Surfer, played by Julia Garner.

You can read more "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" here.

"Freakier Friday" — August 8, 2025

For two years, "Freaky Friday" stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan have said they were keen to do a sequel to the 2003 movie. Disney is finally granting their wish with "Freakier Friday," where they'll return as the mother-daughter duo Tess (Curtis) and Anna Coleman (Lohan). 

But this time, there will be a four-way body switch between Tess, Anna, Anna's daughter (Julia Butters), and Anna's soon-to-be stepdaughter (Sophia Hammons). "The Good Place" star Manny Jacinto will play Lohan's fiancé.

Chad Michael Murray, who played bad boy Jake in the first movie, is reprising his role alongside Mark Harmon, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Lucille Soong, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Rosalind Chao. "Never Have I Ever" actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan will also star in the film.

You can read more "Freakier Friday" here.

"The Roses" - August 29, 2025

Disney shared the first trailer for Searchlight Pictures' film "The Roses" at Cinemacon on Thursday.

The movie is a remake of the 1989 film "The War of the Roses," an adaptation of a 1981 novel by Warren Adler that was based on the real-life English Civil War.

In the remake, Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch play Ivy and Theo Rose, a seemingly picture-perfect couple whose relationship comes to a breaking point when Theo's career falters while Ivy's ambitions take off.

Andy Samberg, Allison Janney, Ncuti Gatwa, and Kate McKinnon also star.

"Ella McCay" - September 19, 2025

"Ella McCay" is directed by James L. Brooks, the co-creator of "The Simpsons" and an Oscar-winning director, and features a star-studded cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, Kumail Nanjiani, and Ayo Edebiri.

Emma Mackey plays the lead, a young woman whose political career clashes with her family life.

"Tron: Ares" — October 10, 2025

This is the third entry in the "Tron" franchise, 45 years after the first movie was released.

Instead of a human entering the digital world, this film follows a sophisticated program called Ares (Jared Leto), who enters the real world and causes a clash between humans and AI.

Jeff Bridges, who starred in the first two movies, will appear in "Tron: Ares" alongside Evan Peters, Gillian Anderson, and Greta Lee.

"Predator: Badland" — November 7, 2025

After Dan Trachtenberg's success with 2022's "Prey," a direct-to-streaming "Predator" prequel that won an Emmy for sound editing, Disney is giving him the reins to lead a theatrical "Predator" movie.

Per Disney, the film is set on a remote planet in the future and follows a young outcast Predator on the hunt to find the ultimate adversary. This time, Predator appears to be the hero instead of a villain and even has a human ally, played by Elle Fanning.

"Zootopia 2" — November 26, 2025

Judy Hopper (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) are on a new case, chasing a mysterious reptile causing panic in Zootopia.

The film will introduce new characters, such as Gary De'Snake (voiced by Ke Huy Quan), the reptile in question, and Dr. Fuzzby (voiced by Quinta Brunson), a quokka who is hired to give Judy and Nick partners-counseling.

"Avatar: Fire and Ash" — December 19, 2025

"Avatar: Fire and Ash" was partly shot alongside "Avatar 2," but it will not be released until December 2025.

In this new adventure, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and their family meet two new tribes in Pandora — the peaceful wind traders and the Ash people, who appear to be the villains of the film.

"Deliver Me From Nowhere" — 2025

Bruce Springsteen is getting the music biopic treatment, with Jeremy Allen White playing the Grammy-winning rock star.

Like with "A Complete Unknown," "Deliver Me From Nowhere" will focus on a key moment in his life, the creation of his "Nebraska" album in 1982. The film, directed by Scott Cooper, is based on Warren Zanes' 2023 biography of the same name.

Jeremy Strong will play Springsteen's manager, John Landau, and Paul Walter Hauser, Odessa Young, and Stephen Graham will play other real-life figures in the movie.

The film does not have a release date yet, but Disney said in the press release that the film will premiere in 2025.

"Hoppers" — March 6, 2026

At 2024's D23 event, Disney's biennial fan event, Pixar announced that Daniel Chong, the storyboard artist on "Bolt" and "Minions," would direct a new original movie called "Hoppers."

The film follows a young girl, Mabel (Piper Curda), who transfers her consciousness into a robot beaver to go undercover in the animal kingdom. Variety reported that Mabel will unite the animals against a real estate developer.

Essentially, it's "Avatar" with beavers. 

Jon Hamm and Bobby Moynihan will also star in the movie.

"Avengers: Doomsday" — May 1, 2026

In July 2024, Marvel announced at the San Diego Comic-Con that "Iron Man" star Robert Downey Jr. would return to the MCU as the main villain of "Avengers 5," Doctor Doom.

This will be Downey Jr.'s first Marvel project since Iron Man died in 2019's "Avengers: Endgame."

The Russo Brothers, who directed "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Endgame," are also returning to direct the film.

You can read more about "Avengers: Doomsday" here.

"The Mandalorian and Grogu" — May 22, 2026

Pedro Pascal's Mandalorian is finally coming to the big screen, and he's bringing Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) with him.

"The Mandalorian," which follows a bounty hunter who finds a young alien (Grogu) and decides to raise him, is Lucasfilm's most successful "Star Wars" Disney+ series, winning 15 Emmys across three seasons.

"The Mandalorian" showrunner Jon Favreau will direct the movie. 

At D23, Disney teased the return of the Mandalorian's iconic Razor Crest ship, which was destroyed in season two. "Star Wars: Rebels" character Zeb Orrelios will also appear in the movie.

"Toy Story 5" — June 19, 2026

"Finding Nemo" director Andrew Stanton is directing the next "Toy Story" film. 

This time, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the gang compete against a digital threat for children's attention.

Live-action "Moana" remake — July 10, 2026

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson announced the live-action adaptation during a prerecorded video for a shareholders meeting in April 2023.

Johnson will reprise his role from the hit 2016 movie as Maui, but the original Moana actor Auli'i Cravalho announced on Instagram she won't reprise her role as the Disney princess.

Instead, she'll serve as an executive producer, while Catherine Laga'aia, a 17-year-old actor, will play Moana. John Tui, Frankie Adams, and Rena Owen will play Moana's family members.

"Ice Age 6" — December 18, 2026

In November 2024, Disney announced that "Ice Age" would be getting another sequel, which is currently in production.

Disney said some of the franchise's main voice cast are returning, including Ray Romano and Queen Latifah, who play the mammoth couple, Manny and Ellie.

John Leguizamo and Denis Leary will return to voice sidekicks Sid the Sloth and Diego the Sabretooth Tiger. And finally, Simon Pegg will voice Buck, a reckless weasel who joined the franchise in the third film.

Disney currently has 8 other untitled Disney and Marvel projects set for release in 2026.

This list does not contain 20th Century and Searchlight Pictures films.

January 16, 2026 — untitled Disney film

February 13, 2026 — untitled Marvel movie

March 27, 2026 — untitled Disney film

April 17, 2026 — untitled Disney film

August 7, 2026 — untitled Disney film

September 11, 2026 — untitled Disney film

November 6, 2026 — untitled Marvel movie

November 25, 2026 — untitled Disney animation

"Bluey: The Movie" — 2027

In December 2024, Disney and the BBC announced that "Bluey," the hit children's show about an anthropomorphic puppy, would be made into a theatrical movie.

The animated film will be written and directed by Joe Brumm, the creator of the show. It will continue the adventures of Bluey and his family rather than reboot the story.

"Avengers: Secret Wars" — May 7, 2027

This will be the follow-up to "Avengers: Doomsday" and will also be directed by the Russo Brothers.

"Frozen 3" — November 24, 2027

At 2024's D23, Disney confirmed they will make a third and fourth "Frozen" movie. 

Disney also revealed concept art that depicted Elsa, Anna, Olaf, and the shadow of a horned person who could be the film's villain.

Untitled "Star Wars" film — December 17, 2027

Over the last few years, Disney has announced multiple "Star Wars" movie projects, but none have been given release dates.

This slot could be filled by Taika Waititi's "Star Wars" movie or the start of a new "Star Wars" trilogy that revolves around Rey (Daisy Ridley) rebuilding the Jedi order.

Disney has 10 other untitled Disney, Marvel, and Pixar projects set for release in 2027.

This list does not contain 20th Century and Searchlight Pictures films.

February 12, 2027 — untitled Disney film

March 5, 2027  — untitled Disney film

April 2, 2027  — untitled Disney film

May 28, 2027  — untitled Disney film

June 18, 2027 — untitled Pixar movie

July 23, 2027 — untitled Marvel movie

August 6, 2027  — untitled Disney film

September 17, 2027  — untitled Disney film

October 8, 2027  — untitled Disney film

November 5, 2027 — untitled Marvel movie

Disney has three untitled Marvel movies coming in 2028

In October 2024, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and Variety reported that Disney added three untitled Marvel movies to their slate on February 18, 2028, May 5, 2028, and November 10, 2028.

A representative for Disney did not immediately respond to a comment request from Business Insider.

"Coco 2" — 2029

In March, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced during the company's annual meeting of shareholders that "Coco 2" is in the works.

The original co-directors, Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina, will be returning.

The 2017 film, which grossed $814 million, featured an aspiring musician who journeyed to the land of the dead to discover why his family had banned music.

"Avatar 4" — December 21, 2029

Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña star in the "Avatar" movies. This film was pushed back from a 2026 release date.

"Avatar 5" — December 19, 2031

James Cameron had ideas for "Avatar 2" and "Avatar 3" in 2010. He originally announced "Avatar 4" in 2012, before revealing in 2015 that he also planned for a fifth film.

"Incredibles 3" — TBD

At the D23 event in 2024, Pixar announced another "Incredibles" sequel.

"Incredibles 2," which premiered in 2018, was the highest-grossing animated film for six years until "Inside Out 2" overtook it.

Brad Bird, the director of the film series, will helm the new project.

"Monster Jam" — TBD

At 2024's D23, Dwayne Johnson announced that he was working with Disney to produce a film about the monster truck competition known as Monster Jam.

"Blade" — TBD

Although Wesley Snipes originated the role in the 1998 movie, Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali is playing the human/vampire hybrid, who protects humans from vampires, in the reboot.

Ali's Blade was first teased in a post-credit scene of "Eternals," but the "Blade" film has been plagued by production delays. In October 2024, Deadline, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter said it had been removed from Disney's calendar.

A representative for Disney did not respond to a comment request from Business Insider.

• Val Kilmer's cause of death was pneumonia, according to his daughter.
• Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer a decade ago and underwent a tracheotomy.
• The tracheotomy affected his ability to speak. The procedure can also increase the risk of pneumonia.

Val Kilmer died of pneumonia on Tuesday, but his history of throat cancer — an umbrella term for cancers of the throat, voice box, head, and neck — may have been a contributing factor.

Though the "Top Gun" star was diagnosed with the disease a decade ago, he initially kept it a secret. The actor, who was 65 at the time of his death, only began to speak publicly about his condition a few years later, and released a 2021 documentary "Val," in which he opened up about his health struggles, including losing his voice as a result of a tracheotomy. He used a voice box to speak in the film.

Kilmer's daughter, who confirmed his death, didn't clarify whether his pneumonia was related to his cancer. However, undergoing a tracheotomy can increase the risk of pneumonia long-term according to the American Thoracic Society.

Val Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014

The "Batman Forever" star received his diagnosis in 2014, but publicly disclosed it for the first time in a 2017 Reddit Ask Me Anything post. He had previously denied that he had cancer in 2016 after his "The Ghost and the Darkness" costar Michael Douglas revealed his health status during a press event. He later detailed his ongoing health struggle in a 2020 memoir called "I'm Your Huckleberry."

Kilmer confirmed he was cancer-free in a 2021 People magazine cover story promoting his documentary; in the doc, the actor said he'd been cancer-free for about four years.

Val Kilmer wasn't able to speak due to a tracheotomy

Kilmer's vocal cords were damaged after a tracheotomy, and he permanently lost his voice.

During a tracheotomy, also called a tracheostomy, a hole is made in the front of the neck and a tube is inserted into the windpipe. The procedure is performed on people with a problem that prevents air and oxygen from reaching the lungs. This can include throat injury (such as from radiation or trauma), or a physical blockage in the windpipe (such as from cancer).

The tracheotomy tube is secured to the neck with tape, and the patient breathes through it rather than through their nose and mouth.

It's common to have difficulty speaking after a tracheotomy, but not everyone loses the ability to speak permanently. However, the problem can persist in up to 25% of patients who require long-term mechanical ventilation, according to The National Tracheostomy Safety Project.

In a 2020 New York Times profile of Kilmer, the actor said his cancer treatments had included surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. He suggested that damage from the chemo and radiation had resulted in his need for a tracheotomy tube. He also said that when he tried to remove the tube, he'd experience complications like a cough, cold, or fever.

• Elijah Wood said it was understandable that "The Lord of the Rings" cast didn't get paid much.
• Last year, his costar Cate Blanchett joked she "basically got free sandwiches" to be in the film.
• Wood told BI he knows Blanchett's comments were in jest and none of them regret being in the movies.

The classic 2001 film "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" may have launched a multibillion-dollar fantasy trilogy, but star Elijah Wood said the offer he got to play Frodo Baggins wasn't exactly the payday of a lifetime — and he's OK with that.

"Because we weren't making one movie and then renegotiating a contract for the next, it wasn't the sort of lucrative scenario that you could sort of rest easy for the rest of your life," Wood told Business Insider on the red carpet for the 2025 Texas Film Awards hosted by the Austin Film Society.

Wood described New Line Cinema's buy-in on three movies featuring a sprawling ensemble cast as "a real gamble," one that he said was mitigated by "not massive salaries."

He called the trade-off understandable, especially given how life-changing the trilogy was for everyone involved.

"The benefit of that was that we were also signing up for something that was going to be a part of our lives forever," he said.

Of course, that gamble worked out for everyone involved in the end. The trilogy went on to make New Line nearly $3 billion at the box office, launch an equally lucrative prequel trilogy, and turbo-charge the careers of many of its stars — including Wood, who's currently starring in season two of the Starz psychological thriller "Yellowjackets" in addition to producing films through his company SpectreVision.

Wood's comments come after Cate Blanchett, who played the elf Galadriel, made waves last year when she said she essentially got paid in free sandwiches to appear in the films.

While Blanchett didn't share specific numbers, several other "LOTR" stars have disclosed their salaries. Orlando Bloom, who played Legolas, said in 2019 that he got $175,000 for the three movies, but called it the "greatest gift" of his life and said he'd do it again for half that. Sean Astin, who played Samwise Gamgee, said he got about $250,000 for the films and also hinted that the cast had agreed not to talk about their pay by the time the third film, "The Return of the King," came out in 2003.

When asked about unconfirmed rumors that he was paid $250,000 for "The Fellowship of the Ring," Wood said that figure wasn't accurate but declined to elaborate. "It doesn't matter," he told BI.

He added that while Blanchett's sandwiches comment was admittedly "hilarious," he knows that she and the rest of the cast were grateful to have been part of the film.

"Statements like that are not made with any kind of ire," Wood said. "It's such an honor to have been a part of those films and they represent some of the best experiences of my life."

• HBO renewed "House of the Dragon" for season three before the season two premiere.
• Production is currently underway in the UK.
• Showrunner Ryan Condal has promised "four major events that we cover from the book in season three."

Warning: Spoilers ahead for seasons one and two of "House of the Dragon."

HBO was betting big on the success of "House of the Dragon" long before the season two finale.

The network renewed the Targaryen-centric "Game of Thrones" prequel for another round ahead of the second season premiere in June 2024, which featured the infamous "Blood and Cheese" murder. Francesca Orsi, HBO's head of drama, praised the team behind the hit fantasy series in the renewal announcement.

"George, Ryan, and the rest of our incredible executive producers, cast, and crew, have reached new heights with the phenomenal second season of 'House of the Dragon,'" Orsi said in a press release, referencing creator George R. R. Martin and showrunner Ryan Condal. "We are in awe of the dragon-sized effort the entire team has put into the creation of a spectacular season two, with a scope and scale that is only rivaled by its heart."

"We could not be more thrilled to continue the story of House Targaryen and watch this team burn bright again for season three," she added.

Eight episodes later, "House of the Dragon" ended its second season with a neat setup for the action that's still to come. Here's everything we know about what's coming next.

When will season 3 of 'House of the Dragon' premiere?

Showrunner Ryan Condal previously told reporters that production on season three would begin in early 2025. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly in early March, Condal confirmed that production is underway in the UK.

"There's been no television show in history that ever said, 'We have too much money and too much time to make this,'" Condal said. "You're always making decisions as you go along as to, how are we going to use the resources we have right now to tell the best story we can possibly tell? But I appreciate everybody's patience."

"House of the Dragon" veterans Clare Kilner, Andrij Parekh, and Loni Peristere will return to direct the forthcoming eight-episode arc, per EW. They'll be joined by Nina Lopez-Corrado.

Although HBO has not announced an official release date for season three, these production details suggest that a 2026 release date is possible.

But don't worry — you'll have plenty of Westerosi drama to tide you over with "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," another "Games of Thrones" spinoff focused on the niche characters Dunk and Egg, set to arrive in 2025.

The 'House of the Dragon' season 3 plot will cover four major events from the books

We can't say for certain what the season three plot will entail, but there's at least one big battle on the horizon: the Battle of the Gullet.

While speaking to EW, Condal promised that season three would cover "four major events" from the source material, including the pivotal naval assault known as the Battle of the Gullet, which demands significant production resources. And to the fans who have been begging for more action, rest assured: Condal guaranteed plenty of bloodshed.

"In many ways, the Gullet has been on the minds of the production for about three years now and trying to figure out how we were going to mount it in a way that was both producible and exciting, thrilling," Condal told EW.

"I would like to think that this is probably the most complex sequence that's ever been done for television," he continued, "not necessarily the most expensive or the longest shoot or anything like that, but just based on the number of moving pieces, the amount of different disciplines, media that have to be blended together to achieve success because you're talking about sea and ships and dragons and action."

As for the other three "major events" that Condal promised, there are plenty of historic showdowns, character debuts, and deaths that we can predict will occur in season three based on what happens in "Fire and Blood," some of which have already been teased in the series. They include Rhaenyra taking back King's Landing, Alicent's youngest son Daeron Targaryen finally entering the narrative, and the prophesied demises of Daemon and Aemond. But "House of the Dragon" has started to make some bold adaptation choices — so anything could be on the horizon.

"We're cresting that narrative parabola here and starting to come down into, if not the endgame, the midpoint and getting into the late Act 2 and moving onto the start of Act 3," Condal told EW. "Anybody that's read that book knows that the narrative gets bigger and grimmer as it goes along, and the show has to match that ambition as best it possibly can."

If you want a preview of what's ahead, though, you can pick up "Fire and Blood" yourself. You'll probably want to start somewhere in the chapter "The Dying of the Dragons: The Red Dragon and the Gold" to catch up on season two and read ahead for what may be to come.

Who's in the season 3 cast of 'House of the Dragon?'

A press release from HBO confirmed the show's big players — among them Emma D'Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon), Ewan Mitchell (Aemond Targaryen), Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon Targaryen), Harry Collett (Jacaerys Velaryon), Bethany Antonia (Baela Targaryen), Phoebe Campbell (Rhaena Targaryen), Phia Saban (Helaena Targaryen), Sonoya Mizuno (Mysaria), Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower), and Fabien Frankel (Ser Criston Cole) — will all return for season three.

As for newcomers, "Gladiator" star Tommy Flanagan has been cast as Ser Roderick Dustin, known as "Roddy the Ruin" in the book, while "A Complete Unknown" actor Dan Fogler will play Torrhen Manderly. Both characters are formidable knights from the North, where House Stark rules.

Farther south, James Norton will make his onscreen debut as Ormund Hightower, Alicent's cousin and Lord of Oldtown. The season two finale shows a glimpse of Ormund's army marching to counter Rhaenyra's forces — accompanied by Daeron and his dragon Tessarion.

Other casting decisions have yet to be publicized. Chief among them is Daeron himself, who was sent away at a young age to squire for Ormund at Oldtown.

Condal confirmed to EW that Daeron will show up soon, but declined to say who will play him.

"He's a big feature in the book, but if you read the book narrative sequentially, the material we've covered so far didn't really have a lot of call for Daeron in it, which is why we're getting to this now," Condal explained.

There's also the matter of Nettles, a character from "Fire and Blood" who claims the dragon Sheepstealer. In the season two finale of "House of the Dragon," Rhaena finally comes across what we presume is the dragon Sheepstealer — but it remains to be seen if she successfully claims the dragon and takes over that storyline, or if Nettles will still appear.

What's going on with King Aegon?

Aegon, also known as Aegon the Elder to book readers, suffers near-fatal injuries during season two's battle at Rook's Rest, leaving him mostly immobile.

In the season two finale, Lord Larys Strong arranges for Aegon to covertly escape King's Landing in anticipation of Rhaenyra's imminent coup. Of all the finale's open-ended questions, Aegon's future seems most uncertain.

The details of Aegon's period of exile are similarly murky in "Fire and Blood" — but don't expect him to disappear from the screen. Condal confirmed that the disgraced king will continue to be "a big, big part of the show."

"He's kind of lost to history in the sense that nobody really knows what happened," Condal told EW. "We took that, as the writers, as a great opportunity to figure out. That was one of the great challenges of writing season two: figuring out something that would work and be satisfying, but also not cause ripple effects in the narrative and change where the other big pieces are going. Honestly, I think it's one of the best stories that we cracked this year."

In an interview with Business Insider, Glynn-Carney also teased a revenge-fueled journey for Aegon in season three.

"Even though his physicality has changed now, I don't particularly think for him, in terms of how unpredictable and how volatile he is — I don't think that's going to change at all," the actor said. "If anything, there will be more. So I'm really looking forward to getting back on season three, and taking him on this next chapter of his journey and really pushing the boundaries even more with him this time."

Will season three be the last season of 'House of the Dragon?'

Nope! Condal has already confirmed that "House of the Dragon" will return for a fourth season, which will likely be its last, though HBO has yet to make a formal announcement to that effect.

A four-season arc has seemed like the plan for a while. George R.R. Martin said on his personal blog in October 2022 that he couldn't see "House of the Dragon" covering the entire Dance of the Dragons in fewer than four seasons.

"Is it four seasons? I don't think from where I sit at this point will be any less than four," HBO head of drama Francesca Orsi told Deadline in 2023. "But could be more. We'll see."

Palmer Haasch contributed to an earlier version of this story.

• Matt Bomer isn't hung up on not playing Superman.
• Bomer revealed last year that he'd been in the running to play the superhero before someone outed him as gay.
• He tells BI he's had a much more varied career and that the audition process opened doors for him.

Somewhere in the multiverse, there's a live-action Warner Bros. movie (or three) starring Matt Bomer as Superman. Bomer doesn't particularly care to visit that universe.

In 2024, Bomer revealed on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast that he'd been in the running to play Superman in an early iteration of a Warner Bros. movie written by J.J. Abrams back in the 2000s. He said he auditioned for months, flying between New York and LA for chemistry reads and screen tests, and it appeared he was the "director's choice" for the role. But ultimately, he didn't get the part after his identity as a gay man was "weaponized" against him.

The project later switched hands and was eventually scrapped entirely, making way for Bryan Singer's unpopular "Superman Returns," a reboot of the franchise starring Brandon Routh.

Though Bomer's revelation made headlines last year, he's not hung up on it. In fact, he thinks his career turned out better this way.

"I think I've actually had a much more varied career, which is what I always wanted as an actor who went to theater school to play different characters, because I didn't necessarily play an iconic role," Bomer told Business Insider. "That's kind of hard for an audience to break away from or separate you from."

Playing a superhero can vault a rising actor to icon status, but the success can be a double-edged sword. "It's a great blessing. You're rich, and you have the luxury of choice, and you get to be in big movies," Bomer added. "But I think it's probably a lot to shake off."

Bomer called going through the audition process for Superman "a beautiful experience" even though he didn't land the role.

"It advanced my career in an incredible way, opened up a lot of doors — and even though maybe some things closed off, it opened me up to all kinds of artists like Ryan Murphy that I probably wouldn't have had the opportunity to work with otherwise," he said.

The actor went on to work with Murphy on "Glee," "The New Normal," "The Normal Heart," and "American Horror Story." He also made his directorial debut on an episode of "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story," which was produced by Murphy.

Bomer also pushed back on the suggestion that he "lost out" on playing Superman for being gay.

"I don't think it was quite as cut-and-dried as what you just said, and I certainly don't view myself as a victim," he said. "I don't see myself as a victim and I don't like being perceived as a victim. This is a business. Decisions happen all the time. I love my career. I'm grateful for my career."

"I'm really happy with the way things have shaped up for me," he added.

Not playing Superman clearly didn't stall Bomer's career. He led the popular USA Network series "White Collar" for its six-season run as the charming con-man Neal Caffrey. And he eventually did play a DC superhero — Negative Man on Max's "Doom Patrol."

More recently, Bomer starred opposite Bradley Cooper in the Oscar-nominated 2023 film "Maestro." He also led the critically acclaimed, Peabody award-winning historical romance thriller "Fellow Travelers," which netted him Golden Globe and Emmy nominations in 2024.

He's following that up with "Mid-Century Modern," a new Hulu sitcom from "Will & Grace" co-creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Bomer, Nathan Lane, and Nathan Lee Graham play a trio of longtime best friends who decide to live together after the death of the fourth member of their group.

For Bomer, playing a proud gay man in a show that centers his identity and community is something he never imagined would be possible earlier in his career.

"It's definitely something that I don't take for granted," Bomer said, adding that he's grateful to be working with groundbreaking artists like Mutchnick, Kohan, and Murphy, who have made huge strides in LGBTQ+ representation on screen. (Murphy and Bomer are also credited as producers on "Mid-Century Modern.")

"I'm grateful for every day at work — even when it's one of those sweaty days where your jokes didn't land."

"Mid-Century Modern" is now streaming on Hulu.

• Imogen Faith Reid stars as Natalia Grace Barnett in Hulu's new show "Good American Family."
• It's the first acting role for Reid, who was discovered through an international search.
• Reid's costar told BI she was a bright light on set, and the creators instantly knew she was right for the part.

Hulu's latest series dives deep into the twist-filled story of Natalia Grace Barnett.

"Good American Family" is a fictionalized drama about the Ukrainian orphan who was accused by her adoptive parents, Kristine and Michael Barnett, of being an adult posing as a child. Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass play the Barnetts, whose perspectives take center stage in the early episodes of the season that premiered on March 19.

Pompeo and Duplass are seasoned actors, but a complete newcomer was cast opposite them as the figure at the heart of the series — and she's stealing every scene she's in.

Here's what to know about Imogen Faith Reid, the breakout star who plays Natalia Grace on the new show.

Imogen Faith Reid was the first person cast for 'Good American Family'

"Good American Family" has been in development since 2020, when series creator and co-showrunner Katie Robbins was first approached by Hulu to develop a scripted series about Natalia's story. When the streamer finally ordered the show to series, it was contingent on casting Natalia.

Robbins and her team cast a wide net to find the right Natalia, embarking on an international search. Reid, a UK-based actor who had only done some body-double and stand-in work before, submitted a self-tape. Robbins was impressed by the shades Reid brought to the character and knew instantly that the young actor had something special.

"It was that kind of moment where you see her and you're just like, this person is a star," Robbins told BI.

After a series of callbacks, all over Zoom, Reid landed the role. Finding out she got the part was "surreal," as she'd assumed she wouldn't get the role since it was based in the US.

Reid said Disney, which owns Hulu, hooked her up with an acting coach. She also worked with a dialect coach to learn Natalia's American accent.

Unlike the real Natalia, who was a child during the events of the series, Reid is 27 years old. Robbins recalled that the team had many conversations before they decided to cast an adult, largely because the perspective-shift format of the show required Reid to play multiple (and sometimes very mature) versions of Natalia.

"She's playing a version from Kristine and Michael's perspective in which she appears to be an adult. She's playing a version of herself from Natalia's perspective in which she is a child," Robbins said. "The role demanded such emotional vulnerability and goes to such dark places that the idea of casting a young person in that role felt not right."

Robbins said it was also important for them to cast authentically. Natalia has a form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita. Duplass told Today.com that Reid has a different type of dwarfism and had to work with a movement coach to learn how to move like Natalia.

Reid told Today that she could relate to Natalia as a fellow little person. "I understand the daily struggles that we go through and the judgment that we perceive in everyday life," Reid said.

Reid hasn't spoken to the real Natalia Grace

While some true-crime dramas have input from the real people they're based on, "Good American Family" doesn't. The showrunners and Reid confirmed they weren't able to speak with Natalia Grace. Robbins said they would have loved to speak to her, but it just "wasn't possible."

Reid wasn't familiar with Natalia's story before working on the show, so she dove into research and developed her own version of the character. Despite not speaking to Natalia, she emphasized how important it was to her to fight for justice for the woman she was playing.

"Throughout the show, my passion for Natalia, for my version of Natalia, just grew stronger and stronger," Reid said. "I was so passionate about portraying this character and just wanting the empowerment and the fight for justice and for her story to be seen and heard."

Reid was starstruck working with 'Grey's Anatomy' actor Ellen Pompeo

After she was cast in "Good American Family," Reid posted the news on Instagram and shared how thrilled she was to work with Pompeo. Even now, Reid, a major "Grey's Anatomy" fan, still can't believe she got to work with Meredith Grey herself — and said that it surpassed her expectations.

Pompeo was a critical part of the experience for Reid, who praised her as an invaluable mentor.

"'Grey's Anatomy' was like my comfort show. So to have someone from my comfort show playing my mom was so surreal," Reid told BI. "And Ellen was just such an amazing mentor for me as a person who's just started out. She would remind me that I have a voice, I can speak up."

The 'Good American Family' showrunners and Reid's costars praised the star

Robbins said she was "astounded" by Reid's performance as multiple versions of Natalia when they got to work on set.

"Immy, perhaps most of all, cares so deeply about doing justice to this story and worked so hard and gave so much of herself," she told BI. "There is such vulnerability in this performance."

Duplass also sang Reid's praises, recalling how the younger actor brought a sense of infectious joy to the set. In particular, he said working with her reminded him of when he was new to the craft himself.

"Immy was such a bright light," he told BI. "Ellen and I have been doing this for a long time and we're so grateful for our jobs. But real talk for a second, you get grumpy, you get used to it, and you lose your ability to truly appreciate the space that you're in."

"Then you get to see Immy, who is showing you and reminding you what it was like when I was at the Sundance Film Festival with my first $3 independent film when I was 25 years old. And I remember how grateful I need to be to be here. And every day she brought that to me and it was a real, real gift."

"Thank you. I was just annoying," Reid joked in response.

"Good American Family" airs weekly on Wednesdays on Hulu.

• Anthony Hopkins says he plays villains the opposite way one would expect.
• The Oscar winner played Hannibal Lecter and now stars as a vengeful car owner in "Locked."
• He told BI he "just had an instinct" about both roles and knew he could play that kind of part well.

Anthony Hopkins knows what's really scary, and it's not what you're thinking.

The legendary actor, who won his first Oscar for playing the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs," has a knack for playing memorable villains. The secret, he says, is to subvert the audience's expectations.

"If you're playing a villain, play the opposite," he told Business Insider. "Always choose the opposite side. If you're playing somebody who's really evil, play them very pleasantly."

Hopkins used this tactic in his new thriller "Locked," in which he plays William, the wealthy, well-mannered owner of a luxury SUV who takes sadistic revenge on Eddie (Bill Skarsgård), a desperate small-time thief who tried to steal his car.

The film's unique concept — almost all of the action takes place inside the vehicle William has locked Eddie inside — intrigued Hopkins immediately.

He also thought it sounded like a fun, easy job: William only speaks to Eddie in voiceover for the first half of the movie, meaning Hopkins could record much of his dialogue ahead of time. "I didn't have to show up for work for about two weeks!" he marveled.

Hopkins was also captivated by his character's complex motivations, telling BI he knew that William was a role he wanted to play because he'd experienced a similar feeling with "The Silence of the Lambs" decades earlier. That time, the actor had only read a few pages of the script before deciding Hannibal Lecter was "the best part ever."

"I knew that it was one of those rare roles, one of those unique roles that I knew I could do," he said. "I just had an instinct, very much as I did with this guy in the film 'Locked.'"

"Locked" is now in theaters.

• Cate Blanchett reflected on sexism and ageism toward women in Hollywood.
• She said the "shelf life" for actresses was "about five years" when she started out.
• Blanchett defied those odds, and 30 years later, she's leading the sexy new thriller "Black Bag."

Cate Blanchett has had a thriving career for decades. However, career longevity for women in Hollywood wasn't as common in the 90s.

"The shelf life of actresses when I first came on the scene was about five years," Blanchett told Business Insider in an interview for her new film "Black Bag."

Blanchett, now 55, has had a remarkably consistent career since her breakthrough role in 1998's "Elizabeth," where she played a young Elizabeth I. She's also seen Hollywood evolve from a place where casual sexism and ageism toward women were commonplace.

Thankfully, that's changing, in large part due to the #MeToo movement and the increase in women working behind the scenes.

"I think that female producers have more agency," Blanchett said. "There's more females in the writing room, and the more diverse the industry is at base level, when things are developed, the more exciting it is for audiences."

Of course, Hollywood still has its issues — but as Blanchett sees it, all industries do. "I think there's ageism and sexism in every industry. I just think that we're a very public-facing industry," she said.

Blanchett leads 'Black Bag,' a tight thriller with an all-star cast

Not only has Blanchett stayed in demand for years, but she's arguably busier than ever.

In "Black Bag," the latest from legendary director Steven Soderbergh, Blanchett plays Kathryn St. Jean, a talented spy and the beloved wife of George Woodhouse, a brilliant intelligence agent played by Michael Fassbender. Woodhouse receives information suggesting that St. Jean may have betrayed the country, leading him down a rabbit hole of corruption.

The highly charged sexual relationship between the couple is key to their dynamic.

"There was a very strong sexual bond between George and Kathryn, and it was important for that to sing," she told BI.

Kathryn's sleek look is similarly integral to her character. Blanchett said she had to prise direction out of Soderbergh ("He's quite sort of enigmatic and removed"), but the one thing she was able to get out of him regarding who her character should be was "Big hair." Hence, Blanchett rocks a long, dark wig to transform into the character.

Blanchett said Soderbergh valued the characters' looks since he wanted "Black Bag" to feel "stylish and appealing and alluring."

"The thing that Steven said that really stayed with me throughout the shoot is that we're making a movie. We're not making a film," Blanchett recalled.

"Black Bag" is in theaters now.

• The "Severance" season two finale aired this week.
• New true crime dramas like "Happy Face" and "Good American Family" also premiered.
• Movies including "Anora" and "Wicked" are streaming too.

TV fans have their pick of the litter this weekend.

Several new shows have premiered, including "Good American Family" and "The Residence." Meanwhile, "Severance" season two aired its highly anticipated finale.

On the movie side, some of 2024's buzziest films are now available to stream, including "Wicked" and the Oscar-sweeping indie "Anora."

Here's a complete rundown of all the best movies, shows, and documentaries to stream this weekend, broken down by what kind of entertainment you're looking for.

For a fictionalized true-crime drama, check out "Good American Family."

The story of Natalia Grace fascinated audiences when it was teased out in an ID docuseries that unfolded over the course of multiple years (with a few unexpected twists and turns during filming). The Ukrainian orphan was famously accused of being an adult posing as a child by her American adoptive parents.

"Good American Family," starring Ellen Pompeo as Natalia's adoptive mom Kristine Barnett, is the first scripted take on the story and uses multiple perspectives to get viewers to question the nature of truth.

Streaming on: Hulu

Or "Happy Face."

For a true crime drama of the decidedly more lethal variety, check out "Happy Face," which premiered its first two episodes this week.

The series focuses on Melissa, a real woman who learned as a teenager that she was the daughter of an infamous murderer after her dad, Keith Jesperson (aka the Happy Face Killer), was arrested. The real Melissa Moore serves as an executive producer on the show, which stars Annaleigh Ashford as a version of Melissa.

Streaming on: Paramount+

If you like movies like "Knives Out," try "The Residence."

As with the Rian Johnson films — which are also on Netflix — "The Residence" is a whodunit that leans into comedy, focusing on a fictional murder mystery in the White House. Uzo Aduba's police consultant character even has a similarly alliterative (and somewhat silly-sounding) name to rival Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc.

Streaming on: Netflix

If you're a fan of musicals, watch "Wicked."

The popular Broadway musical got the film adaptation treatment last year and was a hit at the box office. Now, "Wicked" is available to stream at home, so you can experience Ariana Grande's Glinda and Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba in all their Oscar-nominated glory from the comfort of your couch.

Streaming on: Peacock

"Anora" is also finally streaming.

Sean Baker's "Anora" swept the Oscars, but the indie film was probably one of the lesser-seen nominees. It's finally available to watch at home, so you can see the performance that led Mikey Madison to triumph over best actress frontrunner Demi Moore.

Streaming on: Hulu

So is "Sing Sing."

Another underappreciated 2024 critical darling, "Sing Sing" stars Colman Domingo as an incarcerated man who finds purpose after joining a theater group in prison. Domingo was nominated for an Oscar for his performance and acted alongside real former inmates.

Streaming on: Max

If you like rock operas, "O'Dessa" is delightful.

The plot isn't exactly airtight, but if you take it for what it is, "O'Dessa" is a fun ride with impressive performances. Sadie Sink shines as the title character, a young orphaned musician in a postapocalyptic future. Imbued with the power of music to change the world, she embarks on a quest to save her family heirloom guitar and save her true love.

Streaming on: Hulu

"Severance" season two ended this week.

The megahit workplace thriller/mystery box series completed its second season this week. The ending of "Severance" season two left off on a major cliffhanger, so hopefully fans won't have to wait another three years for "Severance" season three.

Streaming on: Apple TV+

True crime fans should watch "A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read."

One of the most baffling true crime cases in recent memory, this new ID docuseries looks into the death of John O'Keefe, who was found dead in the front yard of his friend's home. His girlfriend, Karen Read, was subsequently arrested and charged with his murder, but has maintained her innocence. Read participates in the doc.

Streaming on: Max

For a twisty thriller, watch "Tyler Perry's Duplicity."

Kat Graham stars as a lawyer trying to figure out who shot her best friend's husband. The synopsis promises "a treacherous maze of deception and betrayal," so this is probably a good one for the Harlan Coben fans out there.

Streaming on: Prime Video

• Dichen Lachman has theories about Gemma on "Severance" just like fans do.
• But Lachman told BI she's wary about reacting to any of the theories she sees online.
• As for what's ahead for Gemma in season three, Lachman says "the possibilities are really endless."

Yes, Dichen Lachman sees your "Severance" theories. And no, she won't be responding to any of them.

"Up until now, I've been scared to 'like' it in case they might think that that's a confirmation that they're correct or something," Lachman told Business Insider.

Keeping tight-lipped is tough work, especially when your character plays one of the most pivotal roles in Apple TV+'s hit workplace thriller. As Mark's (Adam Scott) wife Gemma, who is being held in captivity and experimented on at Lumon Industries, Lachman holds the key to the show's core mysteries.

Season two, episode seven of "Severance" finally showed us what was happening to Gemma on Lumon's mysterious testing floor while her husband's innie was toiling away at his "mysterious and important" macrodata refinement work on the severed floor: Mark was refining 25 different severed consciousnesses for his wife. After he's done, there will be no need for her to exist anymore.

The season two finale revolves around the rescue mission to free Gemma from Lumon, which seems successful in the end, with one major twist: After depositing Gemma outside Lumon's doors, Innie Mark opts to say inside with his love interest, Helly, rather than become his outie and join his wife.

The ending was a surprise to Lachman, who said she didn't even know that Gemma would ultimately escape Lumon at the start of filming "Severance" season two. Whereas the cast had scripts for all the episodes in season one in advance partially thanks to COVID shutdowns and other issues that stalled filming, much of season two "unfolded a bit more as we filmed," Lachman said.

But Lachman said knowing only what her character would know at any given moment was a good thing for her performance.

"Severance" creator Dan Erickson, the keeper of all Lumon's secrets, is "really good at just telling me what I need to know in order to be able to achieve what I need for the scene and the performance," she said.

"He's generous in telling you stuff that might not be on screen that's in the future," Lachman said of Erickson. "But then he also doesn't tell you things you don't really need to know, because they haven't happened yet, so it's not really serving the purpose of the scene."

For example, Lachman doesn't know exactly what would have happened to Gemma if Mark didn't rescue her after completing the Cold Harbor file — because Gemma herself didn't. Ditto what Emile the goat had to do with any of it.

She does, however, suggest that Gemma might not necessarily have been killed in a physical sense.

"In our show, death can mean different things. For example, when Ms. Casey walks out the door, she effectively dies. And Dr. Mauer calls out to Mark, 'You'll kill them all!' as he's trying to escape with Gemma," Lachman said. "Whether or not they were going to actually kill her physical body or not, I don't know if that was so important for me to understand, because the character doesn't know."

As for where Gemma goes from here in "Severance" season three — now that she's presumably freed from Lumon but without her husband, Lachman is as in the dark as everyone else.

"The possibilities are really endless," she said. "I'm sure it's something I haven't even possibly considered."

One thing she has considered is whether we'll see Ms. Casey, the Gemma innie we met first in season one, again. Lachman hopes so. "I love Ms. Casey," she said. "She was a very sweet character and I feel so much sadness for her."

She's also happy that Ms. Casey made a brief appearance in the finale when Gemma shifted back into her as she was kissing Mark in the elevator.

"I'm glad she got a little moment there to feel like she belonged, even though it's a peculiar situation for her," Lachman said. "She got a little excitement and a sense of belonging in those last few moments."

The first two seasons of "Severance" are now streaming on Apple TV+.

• Tramell Tillman plays the inscrutable Seth Milchick on "Severance."
• Fans don't know whether Milchick is a good guy or a bad guy.
• Tillman told BI that uncertainty fuels his performance: "This is a big exercise in faith and in trust."

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the season two finale of "Severance."

In a show filled with inscrutable characters, no one is harder to read than "Severance" fan-favorite Seth Milchick. For actor Tramell Tillman, that means he's doing his job right.

The Apple TV+ series became a critical sensation when it premiered in 2022, landing on many lists of the year's best TV and cultivating an extremely dedicated audience. Because "Severance" functions as both a brilliant send-up of corporate culture and a mystery box of unanswered questions, bizarre moments (those goats!), and cryptic dialogue, it's ideal fodder for fan theories. But like any good middle manager, Tillman is trying his best to stay professional and not engage with them.

One of the biggest mysteries for fans is whether Milchick, the straight-laced, verbose Lumon Industries manager, is a good guy or a bad guy. Some are convinced that he's a loyal Lumon soldier, while others believe he's a double agent working against the company from the inside.

As it turns out, Tillman doesn't know, either.

"This is a big exercise in faith and in trust,"Tillman told Business Insider.

"I, like the fans, make guesses and theories. I'm usually wrong about them, so I always keep it to myself," Tillman continued. "But I do not have the information."

In fact, Tillman says it's actually ideal not to have all the answers as an actor — that uncertainty helps him give a subtle, layered performance. "The creative process is so tender and it can easily become a moment where you have too many cooks in the kitchen," he said.

Despite rumblings of an "endgame" for how Mark's journey inside Lumon will ultimately conclude, the show is also malleable. Creator Dan Erickson, who also wrote the season two finale, has said that while the endgame for the show hasn't changed, the twists and turns along the way have taken shape as the show is actually shooting. Part of that is thanks to input from the actors.

"This experience, from season one to now, has always been this living, breathing, artistic exploration," Tillman said. "There are always changes, there's always dialogue, and there's always collaboration."

The "Severance" cast makes choices, including some that Erickson didn't map out himself, that are then picked up and overanalyzed by ever-vigilant viewers, who are constantly trying to solve the show's mysteries on places like Reddit.

While Tillman appreciates the "sheer brilliance" of how attuned the fans are to the show's details, he says their attention can be a double-edged sword. In fact, Tillman said the creators tell the cast to be careful about what they're reading online, because a viewer making a connection that may or may not actually be there may influence their performance.

"A lot of the theories, and the ideas and the numbers and the connection to history and to Kier, some may just be a fluke," Tillman told BI. "And I'll read it and I'm thinking, 'Wait, did they intend for that color to be used here, or did they intend that?' I was like, 'Wait, I played that scene all wrong. Wait a minute, let me go back.' And it's like, no."

While Tillman typically avoids fan theories so they don't color his performance, he admits that being asked about them intensifies his curiosity to look them up. One especially weird theory he's seen is that there are actually several versions of Milchick running around the office and that they start off as goats. (He doesn't think that one's true, for what it's worth.)

Throughout "Severance" season two, Milchick is increasingly torn between being a loyal Lumon employee and his burgeoning apparent anger at the slights against him — the racist Kier paintings, getting a negative performance review, and his verbal sparring with Robot Kier in the finale.

Tillman says he doesn't know if there's anything to the theories that Milchick is a secret double agent already working against Lumon from the inside, or whether Milchick is on a path that will ultimately lead him to turn against the company once and for all, but he enjoys playing into that duality as an actor.

"This is a man who is a keeper of secrets. And for me, if you keep a lot of secrets, there's a tendency to play your cards very close to the chest because either you don't want people to know that you have all the secrets or you don't want anyone to see your secrets," Tillman said.

"And he is, of course, a representation of this Lumon culture. And you notice that everyone in Lumon is pretty stoic. They're very inscrutable. So he is an embodiment of that."

A company man to his core!

The "Severance" season two finale is now streaming on Apple TV+.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

• The "Severance" season two finale ended with another major cliffhanger.
• BI spoke to creator Dan Erickson about the still-unconfirmed season three and what Lumon is really up to.
• "It's a big floor down there and we haven't seen all of it," Erickson told BI.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the "Severance" season two finale.

"Severance" season two has come to an end, leaving Helly R. and Mark S. fans giddy and the show's thriving subreddit in absolute shambles.

The supersized 76-minute finale, which was released on Apple TV+ on Friday, answered many questions. Namely, we now know that Mark has actually been refining 25 different innies for his wife, Gemma. Since the mysterious Cold Harbor was the final "file" he completed, Gemma is no longer needed on the testing floor and is seemingly about to meet her end via some mysterious goat sacrifice. That is, before she's rescued by Mark and eventually set free outside Lumon's doors — only for innie Mark to choose to stay inside in order to continue his relationship with his severed love interest, Helly.

But the finale's events leave plenty more questions left unanswered: What will Helly and Mark do now? What are those goats about? Why was Cobel interested in Mark in the first place?

Seeking clarity, BI spoke to "Severance" creator Dan Erickson, who gave us some clues as cryptic as Lumon's complicated lore.

I am already ready for "Severance" season three. Has that been ordered officially yet? Is writing happening now? When is filming expected to start?

I really can't say anything about that. I wish. I truly wish I could, but yeah, all I can say is it's something that we've been talking about and excited about the idea of it, but that's about all I got.

Got it. Well, thematically, if season two was kind of about warring with yourself, and how your innie and outie can have totally different objectives and needs, what would you say the theme is for season three?

That's another one that I would have to kick down the road a little bit, unfortunately.

One of the predominant mysteries is the goats. And then of course Emile the goat has this big moment in the finale, where he's almost killed. Drummond had that really intriguing line: "This beast will be entombed with the cherished woman whose spirit it must guide to Kier's door." Obviously that's vague, but it seems to imply the woman is Gemma. Is that accurate?

I mean, I don't want to say too much to expand upon what's there on the screen, but it certainly seems that it could be. And I think that this idea that this goat is sort of part of this ritualistic moment surrounding the end of somebody's life, I think that that raises some interesting questions.

Lumon has a lot of lore, and we see it in many murals throughout the season. In the finale, we get a new mural, "The Victory of Cold Harbor," and we see in one of the closeup shots of the mural that on the top is Jame Eagan, Helena, and a bunch of other folks who I don't think we've met yet. Are we going to meet those people in a potential season three? Are they the Lumon board? Are they related to Kier or the Egan family in some way?

OK, let's see. I'm not sure what I should say here. I would say I think we have seen some of those people in some form, perhaps not in the flesh, but I will say that that group of people at the top of the waterfall, they all kind of have something in common. And I think I'm going to be weird and cryptic and leave it at that.

That's fair. I mean, I have my own theory, which is that they're all siblings or half-siblings of Helena, given the also-cryptic conversation that Jame and Helly have in the finale where he says that there are "others in the shadows," seeming to imply he has other children.

Mm-hmm.

Does that sound like anything that can be confirmed?

I'm giving you a stone face here.

Fair enough. Moving on to Cobel: Our editor spoke to Patricia Arquette earlier in the season, and she hinted that there is something deeper as to why Harmony is fixated on Mark specifically. Are we going to get more of that teased out in season three? Is the bond between them potentially familial?

All that I'll say is I think it's a big question throughout the series how earnest her affection is for Mark. I think that Cobel is somebody who's had to wear a lot of masks in her life and she has had to sort of spin a certain identity for herself given her place at Lumon. And when we see her in season one as Mrs. Selvig, she is playing a role, but the question is always sort of which "mask" is more real, which mask is more true to who she actually is? And Mrs. Selvig really cares for Mark and Ms. Cobel doesn't seem to.

And I think that who we care about in life is a big reflection on our identity and who we are. So this question of does she actually care for Mark on a personal level or is it a professional thing, pokes at the question of who she is deep, deep down inside.

One of the biggest apparent confirmations in the finale is when Cobel tells Mark that the numbers that he's been refining are actually the "building blocks" of Gemma's mind, and that every file he's finished is a new Innie-Gemma programmed to a different room we saw in episode seven. This begs the question: Who has everyone else been refining?

That's another good question, and I apologize that I can't say more, but most of the things that we left ambiguous this season we've done with some intent. And so there's only so much I can say without spoiling the fun.

But it's a big floor down there and we haven't seen all of it.

You've said before that the original endpoint for the show that you've envisioned hasn't changed in any sort of significant way, but the path to it has. Is that still the case? Is that still accurate?

Yep, still accurate.

Does anyone besides you know the endpoint of the show — what Lumon's master plan is, what they're trying to do?

Yeah, a couple people do. It's something that we talk about.

I spoke to Tramell Tillman recently and he suggested that he didn't know what the end goal for Milchick is here. Is that accurate, or was he being cagey with me?

I think that that's probably accurate if that's what Tramell said. I think that a lot of the actors intentionally choose not to know things that their characters wouldn't know until those reveals come to light the character. And so in Mr. Milchick's case, he doesn't know where his story ends. And so I think it's fair to say that Tramell probably doesn't either.

Do you have a certain number of seasons you've mapped out for the show?

I do, but that's another thing that we're keeping tight-lipped about at this point.

Do you read fan theories? Do you avoid them? Are there any that you've seen that you're like, this is ridiculous, I can in fact debunk that this is nonsense?

Here's what I will say. There is a fan theory that — because [Ricken's friend] Rebeck in season one mentions that she has sores on the back of her head from her bird, and people have taken that to mean that she has a severance scar and that Rebeck is severed.

Now, I am not going to confirm or deny that Rebeck is severed or that that is what those sores are, but I do want to say right here, conclusively, Rebeck's bird is real. It's real and it's an asshole and it's trying to kill her. And it's smart enough that it knows that sometimes you have to attack from behind and I will not tolerate the erasure of Rebeck's bird as a character.

Now again, as to whether that relates to severance or not, I have no comment, but the bird is real and it's a jerk.

Got it. So the theory about Ricken being the outie of a goat, that one is still TBD?

That one is still TBD. We're still looking into that.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

The "Severance" season two finale is now streaming on Apple TV+.

• Andre Holland doesn't chase awards recognition when it comes to choosing roles.
• He told BI on the red carpet for "The Dutchman" that he thinks the entire awards circuit is toxic.
• "I think we should find a way to make it more fair," the "Moonlight" star said.

Some actors may be eager for awards recognition — like Timothée Chalamet, who made headlines for a remarkably candid SAG Awards acceptance speech in which he spoke about chasing greatness (and also statuettes).

Andre Holland, however, can't relate.

"In my opinion, the whole awards thing is a little bit toxic," Holland told Business Insider at the SXSW premiere of his new film "The Dutchman."

Holland, who starred in the Oscar-winning 2016 film "Moonlight," added that he thinks awards are largely driven by money, and which studios or distributors have the marketing funds to buy their way into certain events.

"We don't talk about that enough," he said. "There's this idea that we're gonna present an award to the best actor or best movie, but it's the best and also the ones that can afford to be in the room."

The actor said the awards circuit is due for an overhaul to make it more equitable: "I think we should find a way to make it more fair for people who don't have massive studios behind them who are willing to drop $10, $12 million."

Holland, who can next be seen in the Neon film "The Actor" as a theater performer with amnesia, acknowledged that awards mattered more to him earlier in his career, but he's at a point now where he "could not care any less."

"I don't mean to be rude about it; for those who love those things, go for it," he said. "But I wanna make art, things that are useful in the world, things that help me become a better actor. And I don't think the Oscars or any awards have anything to do with that."

Holland is far from the first person to speak about awards being a money game. Director Ava DuVernay previously spoke about the "disappointing" lack of reach of her film "Origin," which was projected to be an Oscar contender but, due to limited budgets and failures in marketing strategy, failed to make an impact.

• "Opus" follows a young journalist who becomes entangled in a famous pop star's devious plot.
• The movie ends with a twist that turns the climax of the film on its head.
• Director Mark Anthony Green spoke to BI about the ending and an unlikely parallel to Luigi Mangione.

The cult of celebrity is at the forefront of "Opus," and the film's director believes there are interesting echoes between his movie's ending and the story of Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

The genre-bending A24 movie, which is parts satire, dark comedy, and musical, follows Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri), a scrappy early-career music journalist who gets invited to the exclusive listening party for the comeback album of reclusive '90s pop star Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich).

Ariel's fellow guests, who are more established professionals like the chauvinistic editor at Ariel's Rolling Stone-adjacent magazine, a gossip talk-show host, and a paparazzi photographer, have no idea why Ariel got the invite. The true reason for Ariel's inclusion is revealed in the movie's final moments.

Business Insider spoke to filmmaker Mark Anthony Green about his feature debut, that devastating twist, and why he thinks there are interesting, albeit unplanned, parallels between Moretti and Mangione.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the ending of "Opus."

The 'Opus' ending has a twist for Ariel

When we first meet Ariel, she's ready for her big break. It seemingly arrives when Moretti's publicist (Tony Hale) announces the pop star's big return after 30 years in seclusion: "Caesar's Request," his comeback album. Ariel is among the small handful of professionals — most of whom have past beef with Moretti — invited to the singer's Utah compound for the debut event.

Ariel arrives eager and ready to work on a story about Moretti, only to have her editor Stan (Murray Bartlett) insist that she hand over her notes for use in his feature about the album. She's the only one among the group who realizes something weird is afoot when it quickly becomes clear that Moretti is running a cult, complete with dozens of devoted sycophants ("Levelists") in matching outfits hanging onto the aging singer's every word. They value artistic perfection and believe that talent gets one closer to godliness, and therefore only artists should be in charge of the world.

Even as her comrades disappear one by one and Moretti's behavior becomes increasingly freakish, no one takes Ariel's concerns seriously. In the movie's climax, Ariel finally demands to leave. Moretti agrees, but coaxes her and the remaining others to attend a bizarre puppet show ("The Tragedy of Billie," where reporters represented by rotting stuffed rats harass a puppet version of the singer Billie Holiday) before departing.

But letting them go was never the plan. The others are violently killed, and Ariel, the sole survivor of that group, is strapped to a chair and forced to watch the Levelists take part in what appears to be a mass suicide ritual, à la the Jonestown Massacre.

One Levelist, another young Black woman Ariel had spoken to earlier, appears to take pity on her and lets her escape. Ariel returns the next morning with the authorities, who find Moretti playing the piano near the dead bodies of the other listening party attendees. Moretti's followers, who presumably all committed suicide, are nowhere to be found.

Initially, it appears to be a (relatively) happy ending. Yes, a bunch of people were brutally murdered, but Ariel stopped Moretti, and a flash-forward reveals that Ariel wrote a book about the ordeal, catapulting her to the fame and success she desired. The only unanswered question is where the Levelists' bodies went.

Moretti, now jailed for the murders, finally agrees to talk to Ariel as she's in the midst of promoting her book. As she's grilling him about his motive for the murders, he reveals that it was his intention all along to allow her to escape. He knew that the ambitious Ariel would capitalize on the trauma by writing a book, and that's exactly what he wanted her to do: spread the world of the Levelists' message. The Levelists aren't dead at all. In fact, they're just getting started, having disseminated across the globe to keep spreading Moretti's teachings.

In the final moments, Ariel realizes with horror that she's played right into Moretti's hands, but there's nothing she can do about it now — she's in the middle of a press tour.

Green believes there are real-world resonances in 'Opus'

Some of the parallels in "Opus" are clear. Moretti, for example, seems to be an amalgamation of male pop stars like Michael Jackson and David Bowie, whose fashion and varying personas drew fans to them as much as their catchy music. Ariel's overeagerness and mistaken ideas about what's important are in part inspired by Green's own background as a young journalist: "A lot of Ariel's mistakes and things that she did, I did," Green said.

But some of the links are less obvious, like the ways that Moretti's method of furthering his cause may mirror Luigi Mangione's.

Mangione is on trial, charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (He has pleaded not guilty to the shooting.) Many have come to view the shooting as a statement against the corruption of the healthcare industry, and Mangione has become something of a folk hero as a result.

For the director, the way Mangione catapulted to fame through an alleged high-profile assassination isn't dissimilar to the way his fictional Moretti aimed to spread his message through mayhem, murder, and a resulting book deal.

"If you look at Luigi, if he protested against the insurance company, I wouldn't know his name and you wouldn't know his name," Green said. "And if he punched that guy in the face, I wouldn't know his name and you wouldn't know his name. But he murdered him and he did it in such a unique fashion that he is a global person."

Of course, "Opus" was written long before Thompson was killed. Still, it served as an indicator to Green that the "thesis statement" of the movie — the dangers of tribalism and the cult of celebrity — wasn't off track.

"Some people think he's a hero, some people think he's a villain, and that is just a real-world example of possibly Moretti's approach having success or validity," Green said.

"Opus" is in theaters now.