• Last summer, journalist Kjersti Flaa shared a video of what she called a "nightmare" interview with Blake Lively.
• Lively has accused "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni of orchestrating a smear campaign against her.
• Flaa was mentioned in a legal complaint, but denied being part of the alleged smear campaign.

Kjersti Flaa, a Norwegian journalist who helped fuel a backlash against Blake Lively in the summer, denies being part of an alleged smear campaign against the actor.

In August, Lively was promoting her latest movie "It Ends With Us," which was overshadowed by rumors that she and her co-star and the film's director Justin Baldoni had fallen out. It culminated in a widespread backlash against Lively.

Lively alleged in a legal complaint filed Friday Baldoni, his publicists, and production company orchestrated a smear campaign against her. She accused his team of enacting a "multi-tiered" plan to "destroy" her reputation to stop complaints she made about Baldoni's behavior on the film's set from being made public.

Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and his company Wayfarer Studios, said in a statement that the claims made in Lively's complaint were "categorically false."

The lawsuit also briefly mentions a video Flaa shared on YouTube at the height of the backlash, titled "The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job." The video, which went viral in August, shows Lively giving a hostile response after Flaa congratulates her on her "little bump" in a 2016 interview.

On Saturday, Flaa denied claims she worked with the team Lively alleged carried out the smear campaign, after the lawsuit and a New York Times article connected her to it.

"This is what I do for a living. I would never accept money to jeopardize my integrity as a journalist," Flaa said in a YouTube video.

Flaa said she wasn't aware of the backlash against Lively and posted the video because she didn't like "It Ends With Us," had a bad experience with Lively, and "had enough of Hollywood."

"I know nothing about Justin Baldoni. I know nothing about his PR team, and I definitely would never work with a PR team under any circumstances to put hate out there on the internet against someone or to smear someone. I would never ever do that," Flaa said, adding that she thought the messages sent by members of Baldoni's team used in the lawsuit were "disgusting."

Flaa said Lively should take accountability for her "tone-deaf" promotion of "It Ends With Us," such as not talking about the domestic violence element of the story, which fueled the backlash over the summer. The film is about a florist who ends up in an abusive relationship.

In Lively's lawsuit, she said that the cast was contractually obligated to follow a marketing plan created by Sony Pictures Entertainment, the distributor of the film, to avoid talking in a way that made the movie appear "sad."

Flaa ended the video by inviting Lively on her show. However, she changed her tune on Monday when she posted another video in which she accused Lively's team of trying to undermine her credibility to rebuild the actor's reputation.

Flaa said she has received hate mail and accusations that she was being paid to "smear other women."

"I just don't want to be a part of this whole mess. U never asked to be a part of it," she said. "So please stop spreading lies about me."

• "Squid Game" season one premiered on Netflix three years ago.
• The Korean-language series is one of Netflix's biggest shows ever and was renewed for a second season.
• Here's a recap of everything important you need to remember from season one.

Back in 2021, "Squid Game" premiered, and the buzzy show quickly turned into a global sensation.

The Korean-language Netflix series, created by Hwang Dong-hyuk and starring Lee Jung-jae, is broadly about how adverse financial situations drive people to desperation. In the show, which is set in South Korea, people in heavy debt are invited to participate in a shady game with the promise of a monetary reward. What they don't realize upon joining, however, is that they'll be killed if they lose.

"Squid Game" is one of Netflix's biggest hits ever, to the extent that the streamer even spun it off into a reality series called "Squid Game: The Challenge." Despite the fact that it's endured as a pop culture phenomenon, it's been three years since the first season was released on Netflix.

Ahead of "Squid Game" season two's premiere on December 26, here's everything you need to remember about what happened in season one.

Seong Gi-hun decided to join the games after falling into debt

At the beginning of "Squid Game," Seong Gi-hun is a down-on-his-luck man who, following his divorce, lives with his mother. Hounded by loan sharks and unable to take his daughter Ga-yeong out for her birthday, Gi-hun encounters a recruiter who invites him to participate in a game with a monetary reward.

Gi-hun agrees, and is taken with 455 other players to a mysterious facility. There, he's assigned the player number 456 and encounters his old friend Cho Sang-woo (player 218) who has also fallen into deep debt. Gi-hun also befriends player 001, an old man named Oh Il-nam, and recognizes player 067, Kang Sae-byeok, as a woman who pickpocketed him outside of the games.

Sae-byeok is a North Korean defector attempting to bring her mother to South Korea and provide for her younger brother. Other relevant players include Ali (Player 199), a Pakistani immigrant attempting to provide for his wife and child; Han Mi-nyeo (player 212), a woman who relies on allies to survive the games; and Deok-su (Player 101), a gangster whose comrades sold him out in the outside world.

Guards inform the players that should they win six games, they'll win billions of Korean won.

The first game, 'Red Light, Green Light,' is a bloodbath — but the players still return after.

Gi-hun and the other participants quickly realize that they're in mortal peril when players who fail the first game, "Red Light, Green Light," are immediately gunned down. However, for every player who dies in the games, 100 million won gets added to the prize pot.

Gi-hun and the above players all make it through the first game. The surviving players vote to leave the game without any of the winnings. When presented with the choice outside the game, however, they choose to return. Gi-hun chooses to play after realizing that he can't pay for his mother's diabetes treatment.

Detective Hwang Jun-ho investigates the games, believing they may be tied to his brother's disappearance.

While briefly back in the outside world, Gi-hun attempts to expose the games to the police but fails.

However, detective Hwang Jun-ho notices similarities between Gi-hun's story and the disappearance of his brother, and decides to follow Gi-hun back to the island when he returns to the game. Once there, he poses as a guard. While undercover, Jun-ho discovers a secret organ-harvesting ring led by the game's guards.

Jun-ho eventually finds the games' archives and records, which indicate that his brother was a previous player.

In episode seven, when a group of VIP guests arrive, Jun-ho goes undercover as a waiter to find out more about their identities. After separating one from the rest of the group, he threatens him with a gun and interrogates him about the games.

In episode eight, Jun-ho escapes to another island but is tracked down by the Front Man, the boss of the games, and a group of guards.

The Front Man takes off his mask and reveals he is In-ho, Jun-ho's lost brother, and asks Jun-ho to join him. When Jun-ho declines, In-ho shoots him and Jun-ho seemingly falls off a cliff to his death.

Players begin to form alliances over the next rounds of games.

Gi-hun, Ali, Sang-woo, and Il-nam form one group and are the main focus after the first game. Han Mi-nyeo tries to join Deok-su and begins a sexual relationship with him. Sae-byeok tries to get through the games alone.

The second round is Dalgona, in which players have to cut shapes out of a sugar honeycomb biscuit without breaking it. Sang-woo figures out the game before it starts but tricks his group into splitting up, leading to Gi-hun picking the hardest shape (umbrella). Gi-hun still makes it through after figuring out it is easier to break the shape out by licking the biscuit.

The third game is tug-of-war, in which two teams of 10 pull a rope across a high platform. The losing team's members are pulled over the edge to their death.

Gi-hun and his allies, now including Sae-byeok, split up to recruit five more people, leading to three men and a woman, Ji-yeong (player 240), joining the team. Deok-su betrays Mi-nyeo, kicking her out of his team of men, so she joins Gi-hun's team.

Using clever tactics, Gi-hun's team makes it through tug-of-war despite having weaker people.

There's a secret organ-harvesting sect within the organization.

In episode four, we learn that some of the guards are harvesting the body parts of the players killed in the games to sell on the black market.

They hire Byeong-gi (Player 111), a doctor, to perform the surgery to safely remove the organs. The guards buy his allegiance by giving him the secrets of the next game so he can stay alive, and he uses that information to ally with Deok-su and his group of strong men.

In episode five, the organ smuggling ring falls apart when the guards are unable to tell Byeong-gi what the next game is. He freaks out, kills a guard, and tries to escape. The Front Man tracks down Byeong-gi and the remaining guard and kills them both.

In episode four, the players riot.

After Deok-su accidentally kills another player during a confrontation over food, the players learn they can kill each other outside the games without any consequences and still increase the prize fund.

When the lights go out for bedtime, the players turn on each other. Amid the chaos, Gi-hun and his allies protect Sae-byeok from Deok-su and his cronies. Before there is more bloodshed, Il-nam cries out that everyone should "stop this madness," and the guards intervene and end the riot.

While the guards check the bodies, Jun-ho, still disguised as a guard, approaches Gi-hun and asks him if he has seen his brother, Hwang In-ho. Gi-hun says players don't use names inside the games, so he doesn't know.

Gi-hun bonds with Il-nam.

One night between the games, Gi-hun and his team form a barricade to stop themselves from getting attacked.

While Gi-hun and Il-nam are on watch duty, Gi-hun daydreams about the time he went on strike with his fellow employees at a motor company and was mercilessly attacked by the police.

He then talks about the experience with Il-nam, explaining that they went on strike and barricaded themselves in the company building after the company laid off Gi-hun and a group of employees who had been working there for over a decade.

Then Il-nam falls ill, and Gi-hun looks after him.

Players turn against each other in the Marbles game.

In this game, everyone pairs up. The twist, however, is that their partner will be their opponent: They will play games against each other until one person is the winner and the loser is killed.

Ali and Sang-woo pair up and play a game where you have to guess if there's an even or odd number of marbles in a hidden hand. Ali, who has never played the game before, has a streak of wins, so Sang-woo begs for his life and then tricks Ali into believing they both can win by sticking together. Sang-Woo then steals Ali's marbles and progresses, leaving Ali to die.

Gi-hun and Il-nam play a similar game, but Il-nam begins to lose his memory and focus and wanders off. When they finally play the game, Il-nam is winning until Gi-hun starts to use Il-nam's poor memory to his advantage, lying about the guesses they make. As Gi-hun is about to win, Il-nam reveals that he knew Gi-hun was deceiving him but gives him the final marble anyway. Gi-hun progresses, and Il-nam is seemingly shot off-screen.

Ji-yeong and Sae-byeok pair up, but instead of playing, they open up about their lives. Ji-yeong reveals that she went to prison after killing her abusive father, who killed her mother. At the last moment, the pair play a game where they have to throw a marble nearest to the wall to win all the marbles. After Sae-byeok throws her marble, Ji-yeong deliberately fails her throw. She tells Sae-byeok she has nothing to live for, so she wants her to win and live life to the fullest.

Deok-su makes it through. Mi-nyeo could not find someone to pair with, so makes it through automatically.

Only three characters make it past game five.

Game five is Glass Bridge, where players have to make it across a bridge made of glass platforms. Half of the glass is tempered glass, which could survive the weight of two players, and the other half will break on impact, letting the players fall to their deaths.

The contestants must choose which path is the safe one. They're given an order and Gi-hun, Sae-byeok, and Sang-woo end up near the back of the line.

During the game, Mi-nyeo uses the opportunity to get her revenge, throwing herself and Deok-su onto one of the brittle glass platforms and to their deaths.

After Sang-woo pushes the final player in front of them to his death, Sang-woo, Gi-hun, and Sae-byeok make it across just in time before the remaining glass blows up, but shards of glass stab all three of them.

Sang-woo kills Sae-byeok but dies during the last game.

When they return from the glass bridge, Gi-hun and Sang-woo get into a fight over Sang-woo killing the other player during the glass bridge game. Sang-woo, Gi-hun, and Sae-byeok are given a feast — and at the end, each of them are left with a knife.

Sae-byeok was gravely wounded by a glass shard during the bridge game, so Gi-hun tries to protect her during the night. They promise to look after each other's family members if one of them dies in the next round.

Gi-hun attempts to kill Sang-woo in his sleep, but Sae-byeok stops him and says that he is not a killer. She passes out, and Gi-hun tries to get her medical help. Sang-woo uses this as a distraction to stab Sae-byeok in the neck, killing her.

The final game is Squid Game, where an attacker has to get to a safe area behind a defender. Gi-hun is the attacker, and Sang-woo is the defender. Sang-woo says that he killed Sae-byeok out of mercy — and to prevent Gi-hun and Sae-byeok from voting to end the game.

The game devolves into a bloody fight in the rain, with both men attempting to stab each other. Gi-hun overpowers Sang-woo but doesn't kill him. He moves toward the safe area, but attempts to convince Sang-woo to stop the game with him and leave with their lives.

Sang-woo chooses instead to stab himself, and asks Gi-hun to look after his mother. Gi-hun sees her after he is released from the game, but returns home to learn that his own mother has died.

Gi-hun discovers Il-nam is alive — and not who he appeared to be.

Gi-hun has barely touched his winnings a year after the games. One day, he receives a mysterious card with an address on it.

There he finds Il-nam (Player 001), who reveals he created the games and entered the competition to have fun because he was dying from a tumor. Il-nam also makes a wager with Gi-hun that no one will help an unconscious drunk man lying on the pavement across the street from them. Gi-hun accepts, but Il-nam dies before discovering that he was wrong.

Gi-hun is revived from this encounter, gets a haircut, and changes his hair color. He picks up Sae-byeok's brother, Kang Cheol, and takes him — and a suitcase full of money — to live with Sang-woo's mother.

Gi-hun almost leaves Korea but changes his mind.

Gi-hun prepares to fly to the United States to visit his daughter, but spots the game recruiter at the airport inviting someone else to the game.

Gi-hun chases him down, but the recruiter escapes. Gi-hun steals the invitation card from the new candidate and calls the number on the way to his plane. In-ho answers, and urges Gi-hun to get on the plane.

Gi-hun says that he can't forgive him, and turns back.

"Squid Game" season two premieres Thursday, December 26 on Netflix.

• This summer, multiple controversies surrounding 'It Ends with Us' overshadowed the film's press tour.
• Fans criticized Blake Lively's promotion methods and speculated her and costar Justin Baldoni had fallen out.
• Four months later, Lively filed a sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni.

The "It Ends With Us" press tour this summer was overshadowed by rumor and speculation.

Ahead of the film's release in August, fans suspected lead star Blake Lively and her costar and director, Justin Baldoni, were feuding. Fans blamed Lively without know what cause their apparent falling out, and criticized her on social media.

The film survived the backlash, becoming one of the biggest hit movies of the summer, grossing $350 million worldwide.

Over the weekend, Lively filed a legal complaint against Baldoni.

Here's everything we know about the situation.

Baldoni did not interact with other cast members at press events.

Fans suspected that something was amiss when Baldoni and Lively didn't interact during the press tour, despite playing partners in the film.

Lively teamed up with costars Brandon Sklenar and Isabela Ferrer for press events and with Colleen Hoover, the author of the book the film is based on, for interviews and TV spots. Meanwhile, Baldoni did a lot of solo press.

Even when they both attended the New York premiere on August 6, they were not photographed together.

Lively posed with her castmates, Hoover, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and Hugh Jackman, his "Deadpool & Wolverine" costar. Meanwhile, Baldoni was only photographed with his wife and some of the other producers who worked on the film.

While speaking to Entertainment Tonight on the carpet at the New York premiere, Baldoni explained why he was stepping back from the limelight.

"This isn't my night — this is a night for all the women who we made this movie for," he said." This is a night for Blake, this is a night for Colleen. I'm just so grateful that we're here, five years in the making."

Regardless of his comments, fans theorized about the potential drama between the two on social media.

This speculation intensified after a user on the r/ColleenHoover subreddit posted on August 6 that Lively and Hoover do not follow Baldoni on Instagram. Fans also noticed that the film's other stars, including Sklenar, Ferrer, and Jenny Slate, did not follow Baldoni either.

Business Insider could not verify whether they previously followed him.

For his part, Baldoni followed all of them except Hoover.

Fans wondered if the apparent beef was one-sided or if Baldoni was at the center of a wider fracture, especially since, during pre-production, Hoover and Baldoni appeared on each other's Instagram feeds multiple times.

Adding to this theory was a clip of Slate seemingly sidestepping a question about Baldoni at the movie's New York premiere. Asked about having Baldoni as both a scene partner and a director, she responded by not mentioning Baldoni and instead speaking about how "intense" it must be to do both jobs.

News reports fueled the speculation.

The Hollywood Reporter reported on August 8, citing unnamed sources, that the feud on set originated when two movie cuts emerged during the postproduction process.

Multiple sources told the outlet that Lively commissioned one of the cuts to be done by "Deadpool & Wolverine" editor Shane Reid. He was the same editor Lively previously used when she directed the music video for Taylor Swift's "I Bet You Think About Me."

However, the film's final cut was credited to editors Oona Flaherty and Robb Sullivan.

It's unclear if Reid's cut was used in the film version that showed in theaters, but according to one source who spoke to THR, the team agreed on the final cut.

A day later, Page Six reported, citing an anonymous source, that the two talents didn't see eye-to-eye while shooting the movie. Page Six reported that one source said Baldoni made Lively feel "uncomfortable" about her postpartum body during filming. Another source said Baldoni created an "extremely difficult" environment for the entire cast.

"It's not just Blake. None of the cast enjoyed working with Justin," the source was quoted as stating. "They certainly didn't talk to him at the premiere."

On August 13, People reported that a source close to the set said, "All is not what it seems," and the principal cast and Hoover didn't want anything to do with Baldoni.

Fans turn on Lively.

Though reports indicated that the cast had a problem with Baldoni, fans blamed Lively for the feud, accusing her of trying to take over the film.

This theory was supported by Baldoni and Lively's interviews in the lead-up to the movie's premiere.

On August 9, Baldoni told Today that Lively and Reynolds, who was not a producer on the film, contributed significantly to it.

"You can't summarize Blake's contribution in a sentence, because her energy and imprint is all over the movie and really, really made the film better, and from beginning to end," Baldoni said.

Baldoni also said he struggled to balance allowing collaboration and having his voice drowned out entirely.

He said: "You don't have to listen to everybody, and that didn't happen all the time, but there were just moments where I would get out of the way too much."

Baldoni also said that Lively should take over as director for the sequel to the "It Ends With Us" novel, "It Starts with Us."

Meanwhile, Lively told E! News on August 7 that Reynolds helped pen the opening scene of "It Ends With Us."

The film's screenwriter Christy Hal told People a day later that she wasn't aware that Reynolds had written some of the dialogue used in the final version of the script.

"When I saw a cut, I was like, 'Oh, that's cute. That must have been a cute improvised thing,'" Hall said. "So if I'm being told that Ryan wrote that, then great, how wonderful."

The film is about a florist whose husband becomes abusive, and Fans also criticized Lively for speaking about the film's romantic elements during the press tour, and less about the domestic abuse plot. This was in line with the film's marketing.

Baldoni was the only cast member who consistently spoke about the domestic abuse element.

Baldoni recruited a PR crisis manager who represented Johnny Depp during his trial with ex-wife Amber Heard.

The Hollywood Reporter reported on August 13 that the actor hired veteran PR crisis manager Melissa Nathan, who represented Johnny Depp during the Amber Heard trial in 2022.

Nathan launched her agency in 2024, specializing in crisis communications and reputation management.

A clip of Lively acting hostile toward a reporter in a 2016 interview resurfaced amid the 'It Ends With Us' drama

Journalist Kjersti Flaa released a clip of an interview with Blake Lively on August 10, titled "The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job."

"It actually took me a while to get over the experience," Flaa told Business Insider in an email on August 19.

"Every time I entered a room after this I got nervous that something similar might happen again," she wrote.

Lively's costar put out a statement asking people to stop focusing on 'what may or may not have happened.'

Sklenar, who plays Lively's other love interest in "It Ends With Us," spoke out about the speculation in an Instagram post on August 20.

"I wanted to take a minute and address all this stuff swirling online," he wrote, going on to condemn people for "vilifying" women who were part of the film.

"Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves. Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about," he said.

"This film is meant to inspire. It's meant to validate and recognize," Sklenar added. "It is not meant to once again, make women the 'bad guy,' let's move beyond that together."

Representatives for Baldoni, Lively, Reynolds, Hoover, and Sklenar did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Lively files a complaint against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment.

On December 20, Lively filed a legal complaint against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, inflicting "emotional distress," and conspiring to damage her public reputation.

The complaint also named Wayfarer Studios, Baldoni's production company, and Jamey Heath, the company's CEO, as two of the 11 defendants in a legal complaint.

In the complaint, Lively said an "all-hands" meeting about Baldoni and Heath's behavior on set was held in January 2023. She accused him of showing her nude videos and images of women, improvising kissing scenes or intimate scenes, and entering her trailer while she was naked.

Lively said she held the meeting for all the female cast members and requested an intimacy coordinator to be hired.

Lively said Heath and Baldoni retaliated against her by orchestrating a "multi-tiered" plan to "destroy" her public reputation and stop her or anyone else from speaking out about what happened on set.

Lively said Baldoni hired the crisis PR, Nathan, and a Texas-based contractor named Jed Wallace, both defendants in the complain, ahead of the film's premiere to carry out this plan. She said it involved feeding theories on social media to shift the narrative against Lively.

She also claims in the complaint that the cast agreed to a marketing plan created by the film's distributor, Sony Pictures Entertainment, to avoid talking about the sad parts of the movie, which Baldoni broke away from.

"What the public did not know was that Mr. Baldoni and his team did so to explain why many of the Film's cast and crew had unfollowed Mr. Baldoni on social media and were not appearing with him in public," the complaint said.

Baldoni's attorney said Lively blamed Baldoni to fix her reputation.

Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, told BI in a statement: "It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to 'fix' her negative reputation, which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions."

Freedman said Nathan was hired because Lively made multiple demands and threatened not to show up to set or promote the film if they were not met.

A representative for Lively referred BI to a statement shared with The New York Times on Saturday: "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted."

Lively's costars from 2005's "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" — America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel — and Hoover have shared statements in support of Lively after she made the complaint.

• Seven superhero movies came out in 2024.
• "Deadpool & Wolverine" was the only superhero film to get a Rotten Tomatoes critic score above 50% this year.
• Sony released three new movies in their Spider-Man universe, including the universally panned "Madame Web."

"Deadpool & Wolverine" may have made a whopping $1.3 billion at the box office but, overall, 2024 has been a bad year for superhero movies.

Disney's Marvel Studios and Warner Bros' DC Studios released a film each in 2024 in response to superhero fatigue criticism over the last couple of years and as they prepared to enter a new phase in their respective franchises.

This left space for Sony and other studios to enter the market. But critics panned most of this year's superhero movies, with only Marvel's "Deadpool & Wolverine" receiving a Rotten Tomatoes score above 50%.

Here are all seven superhero movies ranked from lowest to highest, according to their Rotten Tomatoes critic scores.

"Madame Web"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 11%

Sony has made several blunders in its attempt to build its own Marvel Spider-Man universe (without any Spider-Man appearances), but "Madame Web" is possibly the biggest misfire.

Critics said the film was a mess. Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney, the two biggest stars in the film, distanced themselves from it after it received bad reviews and did not do well at the box office.

Fans mocked it, too, and generally didn't turn up to see the film in theaters. It is the lowest grossing film in the Spider-Man franchise, making $100 million.

"Kraven the Hunter"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 15%

Sony's Spider-Man universe ended on a low this year with "Kraven the Hunter" debuting with the lowest domestic opening weekend for a Sony Spider-Man movie ever.

It earned $11,000 in North America, which is roughly $4,000 less than "Madame Web" and roughly $70,000 less than "Venom," the first spin-off Spider-Man movie that Sony released.

Critics were not as hard on "Kraven the Hunter" as they were on "Madame Web," but still thought the film had a dull story and poor special effects. While some critics thought the film was so bad that it was entertaining, others thought it was a waste of time.

"The Crow"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 22%

1994's "The Crow" is widely regarded as a cult classic. However, its reputation was marred after Brandon Lee, the lead actor, was shot and mortally wounded by a prop gun that wasn't supposed to contain bullets, eight days before shooting wrapped.

Lionsgate's attempt to revive the superhero franchise failed critically and commercially. This time, Bill Skarsgård starred as Eric Draven, a recovering drug addict who gains supernatural abilities after being resurrected from the dead and seeks revenge on the people who killed him and his lover.

Some critics defended "The Crow" reboot, saying it wasn't unwatchable, but most reviews were more negative, saying the film was incoherent and not better than the original film.

2024's "The Crow" made $23 million in ticket sales on a reported $50 million budget. The 1994 version made $50 million.

"Joker: Folie a Deux"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 32%

There were big hopes for "Joker: Folie a Deux." Its predecessor made over a billion dollars, and Oscar and Grammy winner Lady Gaga took on the part of the hugely popular villain, Harley Quinn.

It was also a musical, following Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck as he stands trial for the multiple murders her committed in the first film, and begins a relationship with Lee Quinzel (Gaga).

But somehow, "Joker: Folie a Deux" disappointed both fans and critics and only made $206 million in ticket sales. Variety reported that Warner Bros. spent $200 million on the film and roughly $100 to market it, meaning the film likely did not turn a profit.

"Hellboy: The Crooked Man"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 37%

If you missed the latest "Hellboy" movie, you're not alone. Millennium Media, the production company that owns the rights to the Hellboy character, did not heavily promote "Hellboy: The Crooked Man," releasing the first teaser three months before it premiered in the US.

"Hellboy: The Crooked Man" takes Hellboy (Jack Kesy) back to his horror roots as he tries to take down a group of witches and their sinister demon leader, the Crooked Man.

Critics were divided on this film. Some said it was dull and had a messy script, while others praised it for actually being scary.

"Venom: The Last Dance"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 41%

"Venom: The Last Dance," the final film in the "Venom" trilogy, follows Eddie Brock and his alien symbiote Venom, who fleeing the world's military and a group of aliens working for Knull, Venom's creator

The "Venom" films are the only commercially successful movies from Sony's Spider-Man spin-off universe. Critics panned the series, and "Venom: The Last Dance" has the lowest-grossing of the three films.

But audiences still loved the film, which had the eighth-highest ticket sales of the year with a total of $475 million.

"Deadpool & Wolverine"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%

Since 2009, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have been engaged in a playful rivalry over who plays Canada's greatest Marvel superhero. Now they bring this feud to the big screen with "Deadpool & Wolverine."

In the multiversal movie, Deadpool (Reynolds) and Wolverine (Jackman) work together to save Deadpool's universe, find redemption for Wolverine, and lead a team of misfits to take down Professor X's powerful sister, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin).

The final film was not only a finale to the R-rated hit "Deadpool" movie trilogy, but it was also a heartfelt goodbye to Fox's Marvel franchise, which ended when Disney bought Fox.

"Deadpool & Wolverine" also dispelled the myth that audiences were bored with superhero movies. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and became the highest-grossing movie in the trilogy.

• 2024 may not have been as big a year for television as 2023 – but there were plenty of gems.
• Series like FX's "Shōgun," Prime Video's "Fallout," and Netflix's "Baby Reindeer" cut through the noise.
• Here are the BI entertainment team's favorite television series of the year.

Amid shake-ups in the television industry, 2024 still delivered a slate of great TV series ranging from familiar continuations to ambitious debuts.

That includes series like FX's "Shōgun," an immersive adaptation that brought top Japanese talent to American screens; the Brian Jordan Alvarez comedy "English Teacher," which turns high school culture wars into comedy fodder; and hits like "Baby Reindeer," which captivated the world with a story pulled from creator Richard Gadd's life.

Here are our favorites from this year.

"Abbott Elementary" season 4

Season four of "Abbott Elementary" picks up with Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) officially dating after their slow-burn romance played in the show's previous seasons. At the start of this season, the pair are unsuccessfully trying to keep their relationship a secret from their Abbott Elementary coworkers when they return to school.

The writing of "Abbott Elementary" remains as sharp and culturally relevant as ever, and the latest season sprinkles in new characters that keep the show fresh and exciting — from Jacob's younger brother Caleb (Tyler Perez) and an IT guy named O'Shon (Matthew Law) whom the staff have a crush on to a lovable guinea pig named Sweet Cheeks who breaks through Melissa's (Lisa Ann Walter) tough exterior. — Olivia Singh

"Arcane" season 2

Netflix and Riot Games' "Arcane" is one of the most impressive and ambitious animated works of the past decade — and while it doesn't always find its footing, the end result is still so spectacular.

The series is adapted from Riot Games' massively popular video game "League of Legends," honing in on a small cast of characters who live in Piltover, the gleaming city of progress, and Zaun, its less-than-scintillating undercity. The conflict between the two cities has reached a critical point by season two. Unfortunately for all parties, so has the evolution of Hextech, a magic-powered technology that has spiraled out of control and turned one of its developers into a misguided messiah. Oops!

Season two is nothing if not ambitious and widens its scope while leveling up its already excellent animation, courtesy of the French studio Fortiche. In the process, it loses some of the intimate character work and tight focus that made its first season truly extraordinary. Still, the second season serves as a fitting conclusion and is a harbinger of good things to come from Riot's entertainment arm. — Palmer Haasch

Read Haasch's interview with "Arcane" showrunner Christian Linke.

"Baby Reindeer"

Few shows caused as much of a stir this year as "Baby Reindeer," starring and written by comedian Richard Gadd. Netflix and the creator himself billed the series as a true story based on Gadd's real-life experience of being stalked by an older woman. Unfortunately, the show's stalker character, Martha Scott, was quickly outed as Fiona Harvey, who took legal action against the streamer.

Despite all the behind-the-scenes controversy, "Baby Reindeer" is a work of art. Gadd lays himself bare as Donny, who's loosely based on himself. He's a powerhouse in episode four, which flashes back to explain the source of Donny's trauma before meeting Martha.

It's an engrossing watch with equally powerful performances from Jessica Gunning, who plays the disturbed but deeply sad Martha, and Nava Mau, who plays Donny's girlfriend, Teri. — Caralynn Matassa

Read about the legal drama behind "Baby Reindeer.'

"The Boys," season 4

If "The Boys" is Prime Video's NSFW answer to superhero fare like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then season four feels like the equivalent of "Avengers: Infinity War" — minus a snap from a villain that wipes out half the universe.

Season four of "The Boys" is darker than past seasons, as the characters confront deep-seated traumas. For an aging Homelander (Anthony Starr), this means grappling with the legacy he'll leave behind for his son Ryan. For his nemesis Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), it means coming to terms with his looming death and trying to prevent Ryan from succumbing to Homelander's darkness.

It's a season filled with even more gory, jaw-dropping scenes and yet another Emmy-worthy performance by Starr, particularly in Homelander's gory homecoming episode.

The endgame is nearing, with a fifth and final season of "The Boys" likely premiering in 2026. Season four ends with the perfect foundation for all hell to break loose one last time. — OS

"English Teacher"

It's astounding that it took this long for Brian Jordan Alvarez to get a series order after the release of his excellent 2016 web series "The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo" — but thankfully, "English Teacher" premiered this year.

The series stars Alvarez as Evan Marquez, a beleaguered but idealistic Texas high school teacher who comes under fire at work when a parent complains about him kissing his ex-boyfriend in front of the students.

While "English Teacher" embraces the thorny politics of being an American educator in 2024, it doesn't spin them into saccharine teaching moments or cheap jokes. It mines them for character threads and comedy. — PH

"Fallout"

With "Fallout," Jonathan Nolan proved that prestige-y video game adaptations weren't exclusive to HBO. Rather than directly adapting one of the multiple games in the postapocalyptic "Fallout" universe, Nolan instead leverages the style, humor, and striking visual identity of the games to show us something new.

"Fallout" stars Ella Purnell as Lucy, a naive resident who grew up in an underground bunker known as a Vault, established to protect humanity from nuclear armageddon. However, after tragedy befalls her home, she ventures to the surface, only to learn it isn't as deserted or unsurvivable as she was led to believe.

The series features stellar performances from Purnell and Walton Goggins, who spends most of the season admirably noseless. And while it's set in the grim aftermath of a nuclear apocalypse, it's also irreverently funny and endearing. — PH

Read Eammon Jacobs' review of "Fallout" and Jason Guerrasio's interview with Walton Goggins.

"Hacks" season 3

The Max original "Hacks" has only gotten better with age, and in season three, it feels like the show has hit its stride.

The show follows veteran stand-up comedian Deborah Vance, who, on the coattails of a successful comedy special, is gunning for her dream: a late-night hosting gig. After cutting her young writer, Ava Daniels, loose at the end of season two, Deborah realizes that she needs Ava — and Ava craves working with Deborah again, too.

This central relationship — and all the ways Deobrah and Ava support, encourage, and mess each other up — is constantly in flux. Season three not only succeeded in being funnier and more resonant than its predecessors but also in shifting Deborah and Ava's power dynamic into something new and a bit dangerous ahead of season four. — PH

Read Haasch's interview with "Hacks" stars Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Mark Indelicato.

"Industry" season 3

Move over, "Succession" — there's another contender for the best HBO show about horny, psychopathic capitalists. "Industry," the show about London's most dedicated and depraved bankers, finally broke through to the mainstream with its third season.

Seasons one and two delivered well-written, well-acted, character-driven drama about the highs and lows of a group of young bankers trading stocks (and spit). Still, season three upped the ante, spending more time away from the office in lavish locations, such as the English countryside, a yacht in the Mediterranean, and a Davos-like conference in Switzerland.

The change in scenery enhanced the story and deepened our understanding of the series' core group of complicated characters, most of whom have greatly evolved since we first saw them sitting and sweating at their Pierpoint desks.

All of it leads to an explosive finale that's massive in both budget and sheer plot, effectively wiping the slate clean for a now-confirmed season four. It's an appropriately daring move for a show confident in its vision. It's peak TV at its peak. — Samantha Rollins

Read Rollins' interview with "Industry" showrunners Mickey Down and Konrad Kay.

"Love Island USA" season 6

There were many (many) reality dating shows that aired in 2024. Having regrettably watched most of them, I can confirm that the latest installment of "Love Island USA" blew them all out of the water.

The franchise, which spun off of the UK edition, has the secret sauce that makes this genre sing. It's largely thanks to a format that other shows have tried — and failed — to replicate, wherein participants must constantly recouple to find true love (and win a cash prize).

Season six had a particularly explosive set of personalities among its cast, leading to some serious drama, shocking betrayals, truly memorable moments, and fan-favorite standouts, including Serena Page, Leah Kateb, and Jana Craig. — CM

"A Man on the Inside"

"A Man on the Inside" is initially presented as a spy mystery series as Charles Nieuwendyk (Ted Danson), a widower who recently lost his wife, accepts a job to go undercover in a retirement home.

That's all background noise to the main event, which follows the lives of a kooky gang of residents who find community with each other after being left behind by their loved ones.

Anyone who has seen Danson in any of his other many roles would not be surprised that he is an incredible leading man. However, the show's real strength is the supporting cast, especially Margaret Avery, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Sally Struthers, who provide so much humor and heart that they may make you shed tears.

"A Man on the Inside" proves we really need more TV shows centered on older characters, and there's ample talent out there to make those stories worth watching. — Ayomikun Adekaiyero

Read Rollins' interview with "A Man on the Inside" creator Mike Schur.

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith"

Prime Video's "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," a reboot of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's 2005 film (mostly in name only), is deeply funny, emotionally stirring, and clever.

Sure, both titles share a similar premise — a husband and wife who are both assassins — but the television series flips it on its head to create something much better.

Donald Glover and Maya Erskine play two strangers who, upon taking a new job as shady agents for a mysterious boss, are paired together as a cover story.

The 10-episode season features a laundry list of guest stars, ranging from Ron Perlman to Micaela Coel. — PH

Read Haasch's review of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and Jacobs' interview with guest star Ron Perlman.

"Nobody Wants This"

Rom-coms are so back.

Six years after Netflix was credited with a rom-com renaissance thanks to hits like "Set It Up" and "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," the streamer struck gold again with "Nobody Wants This," a comedy series starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. The show became an instant hit, proving audiences yearn for more high-quality modern rom-coms.

"Nobody Wants This," created by Erin Foster and loosely inspired by her love story, follows Noah (Brody), an attractive and newly single rabbi, and Joanne (Kristen Bell), the outspoken agnostic host of a sex podcast. Despite their different views on religion and lifestyle, they pursue a relationship.

Noah and Joanne's swoon-worthy first kiss scene went viral, people realized that Brody had been leading man material all along, and the show jumped to the No. 2 slot on the streamer's Top 10 list for English-language TV in the week of its debut. Unsurprisingly, "Nobody Wants This" will be returning for a second season, which begins filming in February. — OS

"One Day"

The second attempt at bringing David Nicholls' bestselling novel "One Day" to the screen (after a 2011 film adaptation) is a rousing success.

The novel of the same name is already beautifully tragic, relatable, and perspective-altering, but the Netflix show amplifies all these strengths with gut-punching performances from leads Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod, who play destined lovers Dexter and Emma.

With each episode set in a different year, "One Day" takes audiences on a 14-year journey as the two grow into adults and fall in love with other people and each other, but never at the right time. For romantics or young people worried about the future, this is the show to watch from 2024. — AA

"The Penguin"

Colin Farrell leads the spinoff sequel to the 2022 film "The Batman," playing the titular comic book villain Oz "Penguin" Cobb. It was fascinating how quickly it became apparent that the show had more in common with "The Sopranos" than nearly anything DC Studios has released.

Farrell utterly transforms as Cobb, the mobster clawing to the top in Gotham after the death of crime boss Carmine Falcone in "The Batman" left a power vacuum. Still, Cristin Milioti is the real standout as Sofia Falcone, Carmine's daughter and accused psychopathic serial killer, fresh out of a stay in Arkham State Hospital. — CM

Read Jacobs' interview with "The Penguin" showrunner Lauren LeFranc.

"The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives"

On its surface, "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" was a show greenlit solely because of a TikTok scandal where several couples in a Mormon community were implicated in an alleged swinging scandal. That premise didn't seem like it'd carry far, but turns out the swinging was possibly the least dramatic thing about these women.

After a moderately slow start, "Secret Lives" turns the dial up to 11 in episode four, a group birthday vacation where all hell breaks loose as the group of friends and frenemies start calling one another out. (Shout out to the truth box, the real MVP.)

It was hard not to root for Taylor Frankie Paul and follow her tumultuous relationship with Dakota Mortensen or to root against the deeply annoying Whitney Leavitt, who became the sleeper villain of season one. We're dying to see what becomes of MomTok when the show returns in 2025. — CM

Read Haasch's interview with Taylor Frankie Paul and Mayci Neeley.

"Shōgun"

There was no stopping "Shōgun" at the 2024 Emmys, and for good reason. Based on James Clavell's 1975 novel, the stunning historical epic focuses on an English sailor who finds himself shipwrecked in Japan and crosses paths with Lord Toranga, a powerful warlord.

With incredible performances, sweeping visuals, and mesmerizing battle sequences, it's no wonder the show set a record for the most Emmys won by a single season of television and that the creators decided to rethink their limited series plan and continue the show with second and third seasons. — CM

"The Traitors" season 2

They were the words heard 'round the reality TV-loving world: "Oh lord, not Ekin-Su."

Few shows were as memed as "The Traitors," the US iteration of the international competition series where reality stars and celebrities try to deceive one another to claim a cash prize.

Season one, which aired in 2023, was entertaining, but season two reached new heights, largely thanks to compulsively watchable characters like meme factory Phaedra Parks and "Shahs of Sunset" star MJ Javid, who gave us one of the best reaction shots of the year. — CM

Read Matassa's interview with "Big Brother" alum Dan Gheesling, who tried and failed to extend his gaming skills to "The Traitors."

"X-Men '97"

Not only did "X-Men '97" expertly capture the spirit of the original animated "X-Men" series, but it also made it feel modern and relevant to the 2020s amid some gorgeously animated action.

The performances are seamless with the original show, adding new dimensions to the Marvel Universe that fans, new and old, will appreciate.

It deserves all of the praise for easily navigating the messy Jean Grey/Madelyne Prior clone saga from the comics. Season two can't come quickly enough. — Eammon Jacobs

• The holiday season is incomplete for many people without holiday movies.
• This year, Netflix is streaming a wide range of Christmas classics and original movies.
• Business Insider has rounded up what critics say are the best and worst Christmas movies on Netflix.

It is the time of year when many turn to Christmas and holiday movies to get them through the winter.

Netflix has a bunch of Christmas films available, many of which are originals.

Here are six movies to watch this holiday season — and six to consider skipping.

"Klaus" is one of the most recently made movies to be considered a Christmas classic.

Summary: As Norway's worst postal student, Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) is exiled to Smeerensburg and instructed to deliver 6,000 letters within a year. Through befriending a carpenter named Klaus (J.K. Simmons) and a teacher named Alva (Rashida Jones), Jesper is able to bring joy back to the town.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Why you should watch it: Critics praised the beautiful animation and hopeful narrative.

"Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey" is fun for the whole family.

Summary: In this magical musical, toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker) teams up with his granddaughter Journey (Madalen Mills) to recover an invention stolen from him long ago and restore his legacy.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

Why you should watch it: Critics said the film is creative and fun for adults and kids alike. If you love musicals and the magic of Christmas, "Jingle Jangle" is fun to watch.

The likable cast of "Let It Snow" elevates a cliched story.

Summary: "Let It Snow" is a holiday rom-com about a group of young people in a small town in Illinois who are forced together by a snowstorm.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

Why you should watch it: "Let It Snow" is more diverse than the typical Christmas rom-com, and critics praised the charming young cast.

"White Christmas" is a fun Christmas musical.

Summary: The 1954 musical follows two former soldiers-turned-performers as they meet a beautiful sister singing duo. The two groups must work together to save the lodge owned by the soldiers' former commander.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%

Why you should watch it: Critics said "White Christmas" is warm and cozy. Perfect for a winter afternoon.

"Hot Frosty" is not as bad as it sounds.

Summary: Lacey Chabert stars as Kathy, a grieving widow who accidentally brings a snowman to life with a magic scarf. When she takes the responsibility of looking after the living snowman (Dustin Milligan), she gains a new perspective on life.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%

Why you should watch it: On the surface, "Hot Frosty" seems like a silly film about a hot snowman, but it's also the perfect self-aware cozy movie to watch during the holidays.

"Carry-on" is the new "Die Hard."

Summary: Taron Egerton stars as a young, apathetic TSA agent who is blackmailed by a mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman) into allowing a mysterious package through security checks. The agent instead tries to stop the package from reaching its destination while protecting his loved ones.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%

Why you should watch it: This is the closest thing to "Die Hard" on Netflix's catalog. A fun, electrifying thriller set on Christmas Eve, where one man takes on a team of highly trained terrorists.

The sequels to "The Princess Switch" are not as good as the original.

Summary: In the "Princess Switch" franchise, Vanessa Hudgens plays numerous lookalikes who bump into each other during the Christmas season in the kingdom of Belgravia. Chaos ensues.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 53% - 56%

Why you should skip it: While the first "Princess Switch" was received reasonably well, the sequels — "The Princess Switch: Switched Again" and "The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star" — overdid it with the switching.

The sequels to "A Christmas Prince" are also disappointing.

Summary: This franchise stars Rose McIver as a magazine journalist who falls for a prince while trying to write an exposé about him.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 36% - 50%

Why you should skip it: "A Christmas Prince" was fun, but sequels "A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding" and "A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby" made this royal love story outstay its welcome.

Critics slammed the "Holidate" for being bland.

Summary: Sloane (Emma Roberts) and Jackson (Luke Bracey) are sick of bad dates and meddling family members. When they have a chance encounter, they decide to pretend to be a couple for the holidays. The arrangement works until they start to grow feelings for each other.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 45%

Why you should skip it: Roberts and Bracey have great chemistry, but critics thought the film was mediocre.

"A Bad Moms Christmas" was another poor Christmas sequel.

Summary: In the Christmassy sequel to "Bad Moms," Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn return as three mothers living life to the fullest, defying social expectations. This time, they are rebelling against their mothers, who are making the holidays difficult.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 32%

Why you should skip it: Critics said the sequel was not as funny or charming as the original "Bad Moms." "A Bad Moms Christmas" is fun to watch once, but it won't become a Christmas classic.

"Our Little Secret," Lindsay Lohan's third holiday movie, disappointed critics.

Summary: Ian Harding and Lindsay Lohan team up as two exes forced to be nice to each other at a family Christmas gathering when they discover their new lovers are siblings.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 38%

Why you should skip it: Lindsay Lohan's Netflix holiday movies are divisive: you either love how bad they are or are completely bored by them. Critics said "Our Little Secret" is better than Lohan's other two movies but still formulaic, and the two lead stars have poor chemistry.

Critics said "Best. Christmas. Ever!" was not the best Christmas movie.

Summary: Charlotte (Heather Graham) is envious of her old college friend Jackie (Brandy Norwood), who sends a Christmas letter every year about her family's accomplishments. When Charlotte and her family get stuck at Jackie's house for Christmas, Charlotte attempts to expose Jackie for lying about her perfect life.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 40%

Why you should skip it: Critics were not enthused by this film, with most saying that the story was poor and did not make much sense.

• The first trailer for James Gunn's "Superman" gives a first look at David Corenswet's hero.
• It also introduces a handful of other heroes, villains, and monsters.
• Here is the cast of the new DC movie and who they play.

It's been over a decade since audiences last saw a solo "Superman" movie in theaters, but director James Gunn has finally revealed the first trailer for his new DC reboot.

The film stars "Twisters" actor David Corenswet as the new version of the Man of Steel, as he takes over the role from Henry Cavill. The trailer starts with Superman crashing down in the snow before calling his dog, Krypto, for help.

It then introduces audiences to the new iteration of the DC Universe as Clark Kent balances his life as a young reporter at the Daily Planet and as a superhero. It puts some of the focus on his relationship with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) a fellow reporter, as well as Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), a nefarious tech billionaire.

The action also sees Superman fighting a huge monster and a mysterious black-suited figure. Take a look below.

David Corenswet plays the new Superman, taking the mantle from Henry Cavill.

Corenswet is known for his roles in "Pearl," "The Politician" and "Look Both Ways." He also starred in 2024's "Twisters" alongside Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. 

He told the "Manly Things (Sort Of)" podcast that he bulked up significantly for the role.

Corenswet said: "Getting to bulk up for 'Superman' was... I was looking for an excuse to really throw on some weight. I thought 210 was going to make me happy, but then I got up to 238... I wasn't 238 when we started shooting. 238 was my max." 

He added: "It didn't feel great... I did it so quickly that my body just hadn't adjusted to the extra weight... But that was at the peak of my bulk, and then I slowly lost weight before we started shooting. 

"I started shooting at about 228. I put on one of those sweatshirts, and I was like an XL or double XL, and I was like, 'I fill this out. This is amazing.' I didn't fit into any of my pants."

Rachel Brosnahan joins Corenswet as Lois Lane, Superman's love interest and colleague.

Rachel Brosnahan plays Lois Lane, a determined reporter at the Daily Planet and the love interest of Superman/Kent. 

The actor is known for her roles in "House of Cards" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," she reportedly beat actors like "Sex Education" star Emma Mackey, "Bridgerton" lead Phoebe Dynevor, and "Ready or Not" actor Samara Weaving to the role.

In February, Brosnahan told Variety what drew her to the role, saying: "I have always loved Lois Lane. She's smart, ambitious, and can be funny. She knows she's the smartest person in the room more often than not."

Nicholas Hoult is on villain duties as Lex Luthor.

British star Nicholas Hoult originally auditioned to play Superman in the film, but Gunn decided to cast him as the hero's archnemesis, Lex Luthor, instead. 

Hoult told The Hollywood Reporter that he enjoyed working with Gunn on getting Luthor right.

He said: "I was like, 'Oh, this is exciting where he imagines this character being, and hopefully I can bring the energy that he wants to what he's written on the page.' Yeah, you do want him to be imposing and dangerous. That's something about that character. Whenever you're playing the villain, I suppose you want people to feel that they are dangerous."

Nathan Fillion plays Guy Gardner, one of the many Green Lantern superheroes in DC comics.

Nathan Fillion voiced the Hal Jordan Green Lantern in several animated movies and starred in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" and "The Suicide Squad."

In "Superman," he's playing Guy Gardner, a hot-headed member of the Green Lantern Corps.

Isabela Merced plays another superhero called Hawkgirl.

Isabela Merced is playing Hawkgirl, a hero with a complicated backstory involving reincarnation. She also appeared in the Sony Marvel movie "Madame Web" as another superhero, Anya Corazon, and had a very gross role in "Alien: Romulus."

Edi Gathegi plays Mr. Terrific, whose intelligence is said to rival Batman's.

Edi Gathegi is playing Mr. Terrific, a tech genius who uses his inventions to fight injustice. The actor has also played a superhero before — Darwin in "X-Men: First Class."

Anthony Carrigan plays another new DC hero named Metamorpho.

Carrigan can briefly be seen as Metamorpho toward the end of the trailer — although he's easily mistaken for another character, Brainiac, due to the alien-like design of his face.

But it is definitely Metamorpho due to his purple crystal shoulder that can be seen on the right of the screen.

—Jorge (@djodjeee_) December 19, 2024

The character is typically a hero in the comics, but this ominous shot might suggest he has a villainous role to play in the film.

Carrigan is best known for his role in "Barry" but he has played two supervillains in DC shows "Gotham" and "The Flash."

Krypto the Superdog as himself.

James Gunn previously told fans on Instagram that his version of the character was inspired by his rescue dog, Ozu.

He wrote: "Gosh, how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?" - and thus Krypto came into the script & changed the shape of the story as Ozu was changing my life."

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• Luigi Mangione was charged last week over the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
• The race is on to be the first to make a true crime show about him.
• Two documentaries and two TV specials have been announced so far.

True Crime has a new protagonist: Luigi Mangione.

Since Mangione was arrested and charged with murder last week over the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the media and public have been mining information about his past, including by scouring his social media accounts, to learn every detail about his life.

This week, news outlets reported that four documentaries about the 26-year-old and the shooting were in the works.

Thompson was shot and killed by a masked person outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4. Mangione was arrested on December 9 after being found in a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and later faced local gun and forgery charges alongside the murder charge.

The shooting has had a huge cultural impact, sparking conversations about what is seen as the normalization of violence in the US and the state of the healthcare system. It seemed inevitable that true crime shows would follow at a time when the genre's popularity is at its height.

After pictures of Mangione emerged following the shooting, some X users joked that Ryan Murphy, who is behind true crime dramas including "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," would make a show about him. Others speculated which actors should portray Mangione.

Here's what we know about the upcoming projects.

An ABC special on Mangione includes a minute-by-minute breakdown of the shooting

ABC's "Manhunt: Luigi Mangione and the CEO Murder – A Special Edition of 20/20" will be the first show about him to air.

The hourlong special was announced on Tuesday and will air at 10 pm EST on Thursday, and will land on Hulu the next day.

According to ABC, the film will present a minute-by-minute investigation of the shooting, feature an exclusive audio recording of Mangione talking about his travels through Asia, and provide new details about the hunt to find him.

The special will also include an interview with his friend.

An Oscar-winning director's production company is making a documentary about Thompson's death

On Monday, Variety reported that entertainment production companies Anonymous Content and Jigsaw Productions were teaming up on a documentary about the shooting.

Variety reported the documentary will explore how people become killers and American citizens' frustration with the healthcare industry.

Jigsaw Productions is led by Alex Gibney, who in 2008 won an Oscar for best feature documentary for "Taxi to the Dark Side." Gibney is also working on a documentary about Elon Musk.

Emmy nominee Stephen Robert Morse's documentary will explore different perspectives on the shooting

Hours later, Variety reported that filmmaker Stephen Robert Morse, an Emmy-nominated producer, was making a separate documentary about Mangione.

Morse will work with Matt Cianfrani, a cinematographer, Hannah Ghorashi, an investigative journalist, and Eli Eisenstein, a filmmaker who went to Mangione's college, the University of Pennsylvania.

Morse told Variety that the doc will explore various perspectives surrounding the killing "while respecting the profound loss of life and its impact on everyone involved."

Morse told Deadline Monday that the film would be "memed" but encourage a deeper understanding of the case.

Last week, Morse Code Group, Morse's production company, set up an Instagram page and invited Thompson and Mangione's family, friends, and co-workers to share their stories.

In the caption of their first post, the company wrote: "If you have a story to share about your experience with Luigi Mangione, Brian Thompson, United Healthcare, or US health insurance generally, please get in touch with us!"

Warner Bros. Discovery's true crime network is working on 'Who Is Luigi Mangione?'

On Monday, Variety also reported that Investigation Discovery, Warner Bros. Discovery's true crime network, will release an hourlong special about the Mangione case in February 2025.

Variety said the project's working title is "Who Is Luigi Mangione?"

A representative for Investigation Discovery told Variety that the special will feature the TV host Dan Abrams, experts, industry insiders, and people close to Mangione to explore "his mental state" and "investigate the theories" surrounding his arrest.

• "Kraven the Hunter" premieres today with a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 14%.
• It is the third Marvel release from Sony this year, but not the lowest rated.
• "Madame Web" is the lowest-scoring Spider-Man movie ever.

"Kraven the Hunter" received one of the year's lowest Rotten Tomatoes critic scores, with a critic from the Chicago Sun Times calling it an "undercooked pile of steaming mediocrity."

"Kraven The Hunter" premieres today and has already received overwhelmingly negative reviews with only a handful of positive comments from critics, giving it a Rotten Tomatoes score of 14%.

A score in the mid-teens puts "Kraven" below other films that have been critically panned in 2024, such as "Joker: Folie á Deux," "Red One," and "Megalopolis."

"Kraven" also scored lower than other Sony Marvel movies that haven't hit with critics, like "Venom" with 30% on Rotten Tomatoes and "Morbius" with 15%.

However, "Kraven" still ranks better than "Madame Web," which came out earlier this year.

"Madame Web" is the lowest-rated film in Sony's Spider-Man Marvel franchise, with 11%. The film is thus far the lowest grossing in the franchise, with a total of $100 million in ticket sales.

It is unclear if "Madame Web" even turned a profit. Multiple outlets reported the budget before advertising was $80 million.

Although "Kraven" may have "Madame Web" narrowly beat with critics, things are looking worse when it comes to profitability.

Variety reported on Tuesday that "Kraven the Hunter" is predicted to make between $13 to $15 million in ticket sales domestically this weekend – lower than "Madame Web," which grossed $15 million during its first weekend.

Variety also said "Kraven the Hunter" had a higher budget than "Madame Web." Sony spent $110 million on the film before advertising.

"Kraven the Hunter" is Sony's last scheduled live-action movie based on a Spider-Man comic villain or ally, and it is unclear whether they will continue with this series.

Though the first film, "Venom," made $856 million in ticket sales after debuting in 2018, the franchise's box-office success has gradually declined with each new movie. "Kraven" appears to be following this downward trend.

A constant criticism of the franchise is that Spider-Man doesn't appear in any of the films and seemingly has no connection to the universe. This likely led to the low turnout as fans of Marvel's most beloved superhero questioned why they should care.

Sony's other current Spider-Man franchises — the Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man movies starring Tom Holland and the animated "Spider-Verse" trilogy focused on Miles Morales — have had the opposite trajectory with strong ticket sales and universal praise.

Sony is currently developing Holland's fourth "Spider-Man" film, the third "Spider-Verse" movie, and a live-action TV show based on Spider-Noir, a character from the "Spider-Verse" films.

• Selena Gomez is engaged to Benny Blanco after a year and a half of dating.
• Gomez shared pictures of the engagement ring on Instagram on December 11.
• The two musicians have collaborated on several songs, starting in 2015 with Gomez's album "Revival."

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco first collaborated on a song together in 2015. Nine years later, they are engaged.

The news comes a year and a half after Gomez and Blanco began dating and a year after they went public as a couple. The newly-engaged musicians have shared a lot of digital PDA since telling fans they were romantically involved.

Here's a detailed timeline of their relationship.

October 9, 2015: Gomez releases 'Revival,' which includes two collaborations with Blanco

Blanco has built a reputation as a sought-after pop producer, helping to create mega-hits like Kesha's 2009 breakthrough "Tik Tok" and Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" in 2010.

In 2015, he was credited on two songs in Gomez's second solo album "Revival." The songs, "Same Old Love" and "Kill Em With Kindness," were both released as singles.

Gomez and Blanco are credited as cowriters on "Kill Em With Kindness," which she has described as "lyrically my favorite song" from "Revival."

At the time of the album's release, Gomez was still heavily associated with her on-and-off boyfriend Justin Bieber, though she was actively trying to change that narrative.

February 28, 2019: Blanco releases 'I Can't Get Enough' featuring Gomez, Tainy, and J Balvin

Blanco began making his own music in 2018. The following year, he released "I Can't Get Enough" as a stand-alone single.

The song features Gomez, who sings the lead vocal in English, and J Balvin, who sings his verse in Spanish. It was coproduced by Tainy. All four artists appear together in the music video.

Blanco promoted the song on Instagram, sharing several photos of himself cuddling with Gomez on set.

"Benny has a cool way of bringing people together, even in the weirdest ways," Gomez said in behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot.

October 26, 2020: Blanco seems to throw shade at Gomez while promoting a new song with her ex-boyfriend

Blanco started working with Bieber in 2009 and told Variety the two musicians were like "brothers." The pair worked together on hits like "Eenie Meenie," "Love Yourself," and "Cold Water."

In a 2020 interview with Zach Sang, Blanco discussed his close friendship with Bieber after he cowrote and coproduced "Lonely," the second single from Bieber's sixth album, "Justice."

"Justin's not one of those cookie-cutter pop artists," Blanco said. "Like you know, they're like, 'This is my new single and here's my makeup line.' And he's like, Justin's like, 'Yo. I have a pimple and I have anxiety today.' He's always been upfront about that stuff."

Gomez had unveiled her own makeup line, Rare Beauty, earlier that year. Fans were quick to interpret the comment as a thinly veiled insult.

At the time, representatives for Blanco did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment, nor did he publicly address the backlash.

August 25, 2023: Gomez releases 'Single Soon,' coproduced by Blanco

Gomez and Blanco teamed up again for "Single Soon," released as a standalone song.

In the music video, Gomez pays homage to Carrie Bradshaw and celebrates a boyfriend-free lifestyle.

Earlier that summer, Gomez posted a TikTok shouting her status as single to a group of football players. "I'm single, I'm just a little high maintenance," the singer said in the video.

December 2023: Gomez and Blanco become Instagram official

In late 2023, fans began to speculate that Gomez and Blanco were dating.

Gomez confirmed her romance with Blanco in her Instagram story on December 7, 2023. She shared a photo of the couple cuddling and a photo of herself wearing the letter "B" on her left ring finger.

When fan accounts picked up the news, some reacted with disappointment or concern — mostly due to Blanco's perceived insult from 2020, as well as his enduring friendship with Bieber, whom Gomez accused of emotional abuse.

Gomez replied to several negative comments on Instagram, defending Blanco and describing him as "the best thing that's ever happened to me." Although it's unclear when their relationship turned romantic, Gomez implied they'd been dating for six months.

She also addressed a critic who alluded to Blanco's "cookie-cutter" comment, saying Blanco is "still better than anyone I've ever been with."

Throughout the month, Gomez continued to post photos with Blanco on Instagram. She shared another black-and-white shot of the couple cuddling on December 12, 2023, and a photo of him kissing her cheek on December 30, 2023.

Blanco even made it onto Gomez's Instagram grid that month; he appears twice in a slideshow she posted with the caption, "New York, my favorite moments w you this week."

January 3, 2024: The couple has their first public outing at a basketball game

Blanco and Gomez sat courtside at Crypto.com Arena to watch the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Miami Heat.

That same day, Blanco shared two snaps of Gomez in his Instagram story.

"She seems to be really feeling herself at the moment," a source close to Gomez told People. "Maybe that's Benny or maybe that's just where she's at personally and professionally."

"Everyone is so happy that she's happy," the source added.

January 7, 2024: Gomez brings Blanco as her date to the Golden Globes

Gomez attended the 2024 Golden Globes as a nominee; she earned a nod for best performance by a female actor in a TV series, musical or comedy, for "Only Murders in the Building."

Although they didn't walk the red carpet together, Gomez and Blanco weren't shy about PDA inside the event.

Gomez shared several photos with Blanco from the event on Instagram.

March 8, 2024: Gomez shares birthday Instagram tribute for Blanco

Gomez posted in her Instagram feed celebrating Blanco's 36th birthday, sharing a roundup of pictures with the caption: "Happy birthday baby! Your emotional endurance, positive disposition, unbelievable talent (that blows me away), undeniable humor and loving, kind heart absolutely kill me. I love you @itsbennyblanco."

May 24, 2024: Blanco says he didn't realize he was on a date with Gomez on their first date

Appearing on an episode of SiriusXM's "The Howard Stern Show," Blanco said he didn't realize his relationship with Gomez had turned romantic during their first date.

"She was like, 'Hey, you want to hang out,' and I was like, 'Yeah,' we go and we hang out," he said. "I remember sitting there, and she's like, 'Well, I would have worn something different for this date, and I was like, 'What? We're on a date?'"

Blanco said they continued hanging out and described Gomez as his "best friend."

In the interview, Blanco said he wanted to marry Gomez but hadn't planned anything yet. He also said his next goal was to have children.

July 22, 2024: Blanco shares tribute for Gomez's 32nd birthday

In the Instagram post, Blanco reshared the photo from the music video of his 2019 song "I Can't Get Enough" and shared a new photo of Gomez holding a white teddy bear.

"I used to play a teddy bear in ur music video and now i get to b urs in real life… happy bday bb ! i love u!" he captioned the post aluding to the music video for their collaboration back in 2019.

Gomez commented on the post: "I love you 🧸."

September 9, 2024: Gomez reacts to Blanco's comments about marriage and shares she can't have kids

During Gomez's Vanity Fair cover interview in September 2024, she was asked about Blanco's wishes to get married.

"He can't lie. After the interview, I was dying laughing. Like, 'Anything else you wanted to put out there?'" She said, adding later that neither she nor Blanco are in a rush to get married.

Later in the interview, Gomez said she plans to start a family by 35 but that she can't carry a child and would want to adopt.

"I haven't ever said this, but I unfortunately can't carry my own children," Gomez said. "I have a lot of medical issues that would put my life and the baby's in jeopardy. That was something I had to grieve for a while."

She added she's "in a much better place" about the situation."At the end of the day, I don't care. It'll be mine. It'll be my baby," she said.

November 20, 2024: Gomez says she shares so much about Blanco on social media because she sees a future with him

When asked about why she has been very public about her relationship with Blanco, Gomez told The Hollywood Reporter: "I guess this is the safest I've ever felt in one, and I see a future with this person. And when you put a little bit out there, people are not as hungry to hunt you down."

Gomez was asked about Blanco again during an interview with CBS Sunday on November 30, but this time about her thoughts on Blanco's inclusion in 2024's People's Sexiest Man Alive issue.

"That's my man," Gomez said.

December 11, 2024: Gomez and Blanco get engaged

Gomez announced that she and Blanco are engaged on Instagram on Wednesday evening. She marked the engagement with a slideshow of pictures showing the ring and captioned the post: "Forever begins now…"

Blanco commented: "hey wait… that's my wife."

Fellow stars congratulated Gomez on the post, including Gomez's close friend Taylor Swift, who wrote, "Yes I will be the flower girl."

• Jim Carrey told the Associated Press he came out of acting retirement because he needed money.
• He stars in "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," two years after he announced his retirement.
• Al Pacino, Hugh Grant, Nicolas Cage, and Harrison Ford have also said they've taken roles for money.

Jim Carrey said he came back from retirement because he needed the money.

Carrey announced in 2022 that he'd retire after the release of "Sonic the Hedgehog 2," in which he played the villain Dr. Robotnik.

In an interview with Access Hollywood in April 2022, Carey said, "If the angels bring some sort of script that's written in gold ink that says to me that it's going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road, but I'm taking a break."

That break was short-lived. Less than two years later, Variety confirmed in February that Carrey was coming out of retirement to star in "Sonic the Hedgehog 3."

In the film, premiering on December 20, Carrey plays Dr. Robotnik and his grandfather, Gerald Robotnik.

Speaking to the Associated Press at the London premiere of "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" on Tuesday, Carrey said, "I came back to this universe because, first of all, I get to play a genius, which is a bit of a stretch. And I just, I bought a lot of stuff, and I need the money, frankly."

Carrey's salary for the previous two films isn't public knowledge, but "Sonic the Hedgehog" and its sequel were surprise box-office hits — a rare occurrence for video-game adaptations. The first film grossed $319 million, and the sequel made $405 million in ticket sales.

In February 2023, Carrey also put a Los Angeles home he's owned for 30 years up for sale. The mansion was originally listed at $29 million, but after nearly two years on the market, the price has now been cut to $19.75 million.

Hugh Grant, Nicolas Cage, Amanda Seyfried, and Harrison Ford are A-list celebrities who have all said they took roles for financial reasons.

In his memoir "Sonny Boy," published in October, Al Pacino wrote that he quit movie acting in the mid-1980s because he felt "creatively drained" but returned to the industry after running out of money.

"I looked up, and I had no money," Pacino wrote. "I had about ninety grand in the back, and that was it."

With encouragement from Diane Keaton, his costar in "The Godfather" and then girlfriend, Pacino got a role in the 1989 film "Sea of Love."

Later in the memoir, Pacino wrote that he went broke again in 2011 because of overspending.

"There's almost nothing worse for a famous person — there's being dead, and then there's being broke," Pacino wrote.

This time around, Pacino sold a house, did commercials, and accepted a role in the 2011 Adam Sandler movie "Jack and Jill" to get financially stable again.

• Keira Knightley said she hasn't watched "Love Actually" since attending the premiere in 2003.
• She said on "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon" that she doesn't like watching her own films.
• Instead, she said her favorite Christmas movie is "Die Hard."

"Love Actually" is one of the most successful Christmas movies ever, but Keira Knightley, who starred in it, hasn't seen the festive rom-com in years.

Knightley rose to fame after playing Juliet in the film, a character who discovers that her husband's best friend, the best man at their wedding, secretly loves her.

Knightley said on Monday's episode of "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon" that she hadn't seen "Love Actually" since attending the premiere at 18.

"This is nothing about 'Love Actually.' I don't really watch anything I do," Knightley said. "But I know that 'Love Actually' obviously has become this massive thing. And for lots of people, it's part of their Christmas."

Many actors, including Emma Stone, Adam Driver, and Meryl Streep, have said that they don't like or have avoided watching films they have starred in.

Knightley isn't even the only "Love Actually" actor who's avoided watching the movie again. Joanna Page, Knightley's costar in "Love Actually," also said on "Loose Women" in 2022 that she had only watched the film once.

According to The Metro, Page said it was "utterly traumatic" watching it at a film festival in Cardiff, Wales, with her then-boyfriend and her parents.

"Because I don't like watching myself at the best of times, and then also I don't particularly like watching myself naked on cinema screens," Page said. "So it was really, really weird."

When asked on "The Tonight Show " what her favorite Christmas film was, Knightley said "Die Hard," which led to laughter and applause from the crowd.

For years, fans have debated whether "Die Hard" should count as a Christmas movie because, as an action movie, it doesn't fit the mold of other films in that genre.

However, the film is set on Christmas Eve and features plenty of Christmas references.

Host Jimmy Fallon quickly changed the subject before a debate could start on the show.

Knightley was actually on the talk show to promote another project set in London during the Christmas season. Her new Netflix series, the spy thriller "Black Doves," premiered last week and landed Knightley a Golden Globe nomination.

• On April 11, 2023, Jamie Foxx was hospitalized with a medical condition, but didn't reveal what.
• The 56-year-old said in his new Netflix special that he had a stroke and blacked out for 20 days. 
• Here's everything we know about Foxx's health and what those close to him have said about it.

Jamie Foxx was hospitalized with a mysterious illness last April. In the actor's Netflix comedy special that airs on December 10, he said he had a stroke and blacked out for 20 days.  

In April 2023, Corinne Foxx, Foxx's daughter, shared a statement from her family that said he had been taken to a hospital in Atlanta due to a "medical complication."

In the following weeks and months, Foxx's family and his celebrity friends didn't reveal what his health issue was, leading to fans sharing theories that he had been cloned or had died.

Foxx joked about the theories in his new Netflix special, "Jamie Foxx: What Happened Was…," before telling the audience that he had a stroke caused by a brain bleed.

A stroke is a life-threatening condition that occurs when a part of the brain doesn't have enough blood flow.

Foxx told the audience that in the year following the stroke: "I lost everything, but the only thing I could hold onto was my sense of humor.

"If I could stay funny, I could stay alive."

Jamie Foxx "experienced a medical complication" on April 11, 2023, according to a family statement.

"We wanted to share that my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday," Corinne Foxx shared on her Instagram account on behalf of the Foxx family.

"Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery. We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers," the statement continued. "The family asks for privacy during this time."

According to CNN, the actor was in Atlanta filming his new Netflix movie, "Back in Action," with Cameron Diaz and Glenn Close when he was taken to hospital.

On April 17, 2023, it was reported that Foxx was still under medical observation a week after being hospitalized.

According to both CNN and People, the "Day Shift" actor was still receiving medical care at the Georgia medical facility.

"They are running tests and still trying to figure out what exactly happened," a source told CNN at the time.

On the same date, People also reported that Foxx's costar and close friend Diaz made her return to the set of "Back in Action," working with a body double for Foxx.

On April 20, 2023, Tracy Morgan and Martin Lawrence spoke about Foxx's health, with the latter saying Foxx was "doing better."

Morgan wished Foxx well while attending Lawrence's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony on April 20, 2023.

"I love Jamie. Jamie's a good friend of mine ... my prayers go up for Jamie," Morgan told Entertainment Tonight. 

"He's strong, he's a fighter, he's gonna come out of it and he's good. He's gonna be stronger and better than ever," Morgan said.

Referring to his 2014 accident which left him with life-threatening injuries, Morgan added, "I've been there. I was on the other side in a coma for 10 days, so I know about [being hospitalized]."

Meanwhile, Lawrence told Extra, "I hear he's doing better… My prayers go out for him every night and just wishing the best for him, one of the best that we got in Hollywood." 

 

 

On April 23, 2023, Nick Cannon said that Foxx was "awake" and "alert" 12 days after being hospitalized.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Cannon said that he has been saying "words of affirmation for my big brother" and teased the news that he would be standing in for Foxx as guest host on the upcoming season of game show "Beat Shazam."

Cannon said, "I know he's doing so much better because I'm actually about to do something special for him, and doing him a favor. I can't really say what it is, but it'll be out there soon."

Speaking about Foxx's health, he added, "He's awake. They say he's alert, so, we love it. That's family right there."

On May 3, 2023, Foxx spoke out for the first time since his hospitalization in a brief Instagram post.

"Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed," he wrote, followed by a praying hands emoji, red heart emoji, and fox emoji.

Many of his friends extended their well wishes to him in the comments.

Jeremy Renner wrote: "Sending you strength and love," while Kate Beckinsale added: "Love you sir massive hugs king xxxx"

Ansel Elgort, who appeared in "Baby Driver" with Foxx, wrote: "You are the greatest Jamie, please make a speedy recovery. You are a blessing to this world, we need you in it."

Foxx also gave a shout-out to Nick Cannon for filling in on his hosting duties for the upcoming season of "Beat Shazam" in an Instagram Story.

"Appreciate ya my boy @nickcannon. See u all soon," he wrote over the Fox show's statement about the change of lineup for the new season, which returned to screens on May 23.

On May 12, 2023 Foxx's daughter said he was out of the hospital and recuperating after seeing false rumors about his condition.

Just over a month after news of his hospitalization, Foxx's daughter announced that the actor was out of the hospital after unsubstantiated reports that the family was "preparing for the worst" began circulating online.

According to her Instagram Story, her father was discharged several weeks ago.

"Update from family: Sad to see how the media runs wild," she wrote.

"My Dad has been out of the hospital for weeks, recuperating. In fact, he was playing pickleball yesterday! Thanks for everyone's prayers and support! We have an exciting work announcement coming next week too!" 

 

 

On June 28, 2023, John Boyega, who stars alongside Foxx in the film "They Cloned Tyrone," said that the actor was "doing well."

"He finally picked up the phone. Thank you, bro," Boyega told People at the premiere of the movie. "He's doing well. And then, you know, we just giving him the privacy, and we can't wait for his return."

"I gave him the well wishes directly," Boyega added. "I gave him all the well wishes. So I'm just gonna be waiting until he comes back out here. So take your time, Jamie. We love you, bro."

"They Cloned Tyrone" coproducer Datari Turner shared similar comments about Foxx.

"He's in really, really good shape and spirits.," Turner said. "And he'll be back on the screen. He'll be back to work very soon."

In an undated video that surfaced on July 1, 2024 on X, Foxx gave an update on his health and said that his unknown condition began with a "bad headache."

"First of all, I want to say thank you to everybody that's prayed, man, and sent me messages. I cannot even begin to tell you how far it took me and how it brought me back," Foxx said in a video posted on Instagram. "I went through something that I thought I would never ever go through."

Foxx said that he was aware that people wanted updates, but he didn't want fans to see him during his medical complication.

"I didn't want you to see me with tubes running out of me and trying to figure out if I was going to make it through," he said. "And to be honest with you, my sister, Deidra Dixon, and my daughter, Corinne Marie, saved my life. So to them, to God, to a lot of great medical people, I'm able to leave you this video."

Foxx said that his family protected him and kept his situation under wraps, which led to speculation and false rumors. 

"I went to hell and back. And my road to recovery had some potholes as well," he said. "But I'm coming back and I'm able to work. So I want to thank the people who let me work. I just want to say that I love everybody and I love all the love that I got."

On December 4, 2023, Foxx attended the Critics Choice Association's "Celebration" event, honoring Black, Latino, and AAPI achievements.

Foxx was presented with the Vanguard Award for his performance in the 2023 film "The Burial," which was inspired by true events.

The actor began his speech by telling the audience that he couldn't walk six months prior. 

"I wouldn't wish what I went through on my worst enemy, because it's tough," he said. 

Since his experience, Foxx said that he has a "new respect" for life and his art.

"I watched so many movies and listened to so many songs trying to have the time go by," Foxx said. "Don't give up on your art, man, don't give up."

On March 3, 2024, Foxx accepted the producers award at the African American Film Critics Association's (AAFCA) Special Achievement Awards luncheon.

Foxx and his producing partner Datari Turner accepted the award on behalf of Foxxhole Productions. The actor's speech was filled with jokes and heartfelt sentiments reflecting on his career. He also referenced his health situation.  

"Everybody wants to know what happened, and I'm going to tell you what happened. But I've gotta do it in my way," Foxx said. "I'm gonna do it in a funny way. We're gonna be on the stage. We're gonna get back to the standup sort of roots."

In a Netflix comedy special that aired on December 10, 2024, Foxx shared that a stroke was the cause of his 20-day blackout.

In the Netflix special, Foxx said he blacked out for 20 days in April 2023 after getting a bad headache.

Foxx said he was later told what happened during those 20 days, though he didn't specify who told him. 

Foxx said he was initially taken to a doctor who gave him a cortisone shot and sent him home, then his sister, Dixon, drove him to Piedmondt hospital in Atlanta.

The doctor, whom he called doctor Schuette, told Dixon that Foxx had a stroke and needed to be operated on right away.

"My sister knelt down outside the operating room and prayed the whole time," Foxx said.

Foxx said that he felt "peaceful" when he was unconscious.

"I saw the tunnel. I didn't see the light." Foxx said. "It was hot in that tunnel. Shit, am I going to the wrong place in this motherfucker?"

He said the doctor later told Dixon that they couldn't find where he was bleeding in his brain but he may be able to make a full recovery.

"It's going to be the worst year of his life," Foxx said the doctor told his sister.

During the first 15 days of recovery, the doctors thought he was going to die because his vitals were too high and he needed to be kept calm, he said. 

Foxx said his youngest daughter, Anelise Bishop, snuck into his hospital with her guitar and started playing music, which helped Foxx's vitals go down.

"It was God in that guitar," Foxx said. "That's my spiritual defibrillator."

Later on during the special, Foxx said he woke up on May 4, 2023 in a wheelchair and refused to believe he had a stroke.

"Jamie Foxx don't get strokes," Foxx recalled. "That's old man shit."

While strokes are more common in older people, a study published by the CDC earlier this year found that strokes in people under 65 have increased by 15% in the US from 2011-2013 to 2020 - 2022.

Foxx said it took time for him to come to terms with his condition and work on getting better.

• People reported, citing an unnamed source, that Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan have broken up.
• Carpenter and Keoghan never confirmed a romantic relationship, but it was rumored they were dating.
• Here's a timeline of their relationship.

Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan's suspected yearlong relationship could be over.

Carpenter and Keoghan never confirmed widespread rumors that they were dating, but they seemed to acknowledge them when the actor appeared in one of her music videos.

On December 3, People reported, citing unnamed sources, that the pair were taking a break from their relationship.

Representatives for Keoghan and Carpenter did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Both Carpenter and Keoghan's popularity suddenly spiked in 2024.

Keoghan's leading role in 2023's "Saltburn" took his fame to new heights, while Carpenter's star rose thanks to slots in Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and Coachella, plus her hit summer song "Espresso" and latest album "Short n Sweet."

Here's what to know about the pair.

September 2023: The likely first meeting, at a fashion show.

In September 2023, Keoghan and Carpenter attended a fashion show hosted by Givenchy during Paris Fashion Week.

E! News and DailyMail.com previously reported that this is when the rumored couple first met.

December 2023: A report of a date.

On December 3, 2023, DailyMail.com published pictures of Keoghan and Carpenter together and reported they went on a dinner date in Los Angeles.

Fans were confused by this news since Keoghan had yet to confirm whether he had split from longtime girlfriend Alyson Kierans. The pair have a son, Brando, and there were unconfirmed reports that the couple split in July 2023.

In January 2024, Keoghan mentioned Kierans in a cover story for GQ magazine in a way that suggested they were more co-parents than partners.

"She's done a great job, and she's an incredible mother," Keoghan said.

January 2024: Keoghan reportedly goes on another date with Carpenter.

People reported, citing unnamed sources, that Keoghan and Carpenter went on a date to Luna Luna, an art exhibit in LA, on January 15.

A witness told People that the pair kissed during the date. Neither addressed the dating rumor.

February 2024: Keoghan and Carpenter spend time together during a Grammys afterparty.

A month later, Carpenter and Keoghan attended W Magazine's Grammys afterparty separately, but W reported that they hung out together inside.

"Meanwhile, Barry Keoghan chatted with friends as Sabrina Carpenter perched on his lap," a W staff member wrote.

The magazine also shared a picture of the pair on Instagram.

Later that month, People reported that Carpenter and Keoghan went on two more dates in LA.

March 2024: Keoghan and Carpenter become more open about dating but do not confirm rumors.

In March, Carpenter performed her last few opening-act shows for Swift's Eras Tour.

During one of Carpenter's performances in Singapore, fans noticed Keoghan in the crowd and shared videos of him.

Then, on March 10, several outlets reported that Keoghan wore a friendship bracelet with Carpenter's name on it to the Oscars.

Later in March, Carpenter refused to comment on the dating rumors during an interview with Cosmopolitan, dodging a question about her dating life.

"The relationships that I actually want to put my energy into have to be so interesting or invigorating because they take me away from the other things I love," Carpenter said. "So yeah, it's fun and it's messy. I think I'm still just at this place where I'm really enjoying the newness of all of it."

April 2024: Carpenter references "Saltburn" at Coachella.

In April, Carpenter performed on both weekends at the 2024 Coachella music festival.

During the first weekend, Keoghan was in the crowd, and fans shared multiple videos of him recording Carpenter or dancing to her songs.

In a video shared on social media, Carpenter seemed to wave toward Keoghan in the crowd during her performance.

Later in the day, fans posted a video on TikTok showing Keoghan and Carpenter hanging out with Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce.

During the second weekend of Coachella, Carpenter made a reference to Keoghan's hit film "Saltburn" during her performance.

During the outro for Carpenter's song "Nonsense" from her 2022 album "Emails I Can't Send," Carpenter normally ad-libbed a funny, risque verse.

That time she sang: "Made his knees so weak he had to spread mine / He's drinking my bath water like it's red wine / Coachella , see you back here when I headline."

The "drinking my bath water" line seemed like a reference to a scandalous scene in "Saltburn," where Keoghan's character drinks bathwater after it has been used by the man he is obsessed with.

May 2024: Carpenter and Keoghan make their red carpet debut.

On May 6, Keoghan and Carpenter arrived together at the 2024 Met Gala, making their first joint appearance on a red carpet.

After the event, Vogue published a video of the pair getting ready for the gala. In the clip, Carpenter is happy to see Keoghan when he walks in, and Keoghan appears to lean in for a kiss.

May 2024: Keoghan threw a 25th birthday party for Carpenter.

A few days later, Carpenter celebrated her 25th birthday.

People reported, citing an unnamed source, that Keoghan threw her a party on May 11 in Brooklyn.

The party featured a cake with Leonardo DiCaprio's face and the caption: "Nooo don't turn 25 [you're] so sexy aha." This refers to the internet joke that DiCaprio is only attracted to women under 25.

Later in the month, Carpenter traveled to the UK for the BBC Radio 1 Weekend music festival.

Fans think they saw Keoghan backstage in a video of Carpenter's performance — pointing to a blurry figure in purple that resembles him.

June 2024: Keoghan appears in the video for Carpenter's new single.

Carpenter took on the dating rumors in the best way possible — casting Keoghan as her criminal boyfriend in her latest music video.

In the video for "Please Please Please," which received more than three million views in its first 14 hours, Keoghan plays a convict who keeps getting locked up for violent crimes.

In the first verse, Carpenter seems to tease Keoghan's identity, signing: "I heard that you're an actor, so act like a stand-up guy."

In the second verse, Carpenter appears to reference her initial attempt to keep her relationship with Keoghan private.

"And we could live so happily, if no-one knows that you're with me — I'm just kidding, but really," she sings.

In the video, Carpenter's character falls for him at first sight and dates him after he is out of prison. However, their relationship goes wrong because he keeps bringing her along whenever he commits a crime.

At the end of the video, Carpenter handcuffs Keoghan and puts tape around his mouth before kissing him.

August 2024: Carpenter calls Keoghan "one of the best actors of this generation."

On August 6, Variety asked Carpenter about Keoghan's appearance in the "Please Please Please" music video in its cover issue interview.

Carpenter did not give any details about their relationship but had a lot of praise for Keoghan.

"I don't want to sound biased, but I think he's one of the best actors of this generation. So getting to see him on the screen with my song as the soundtrack made the video better and all the more special," she said.

Carpenter also said Keoghan was a fan of the song.

"He loved the song. He's obsessed with the lyrics, and I'm so grateful for that," she said.

December 2024: People report that the couple have split

In the days following People's report, a rumor spread on social media that Keoghan had cheated on Carpenter with an LA-based influencer.

The rumor began after Deux Moi, the blind-item gossip account, shared an anonymous message that said an "A-list singer who's having her breakout year and her foreign boyfriend are done for good" because the boyfriend cheated on her with a "blonde, semi-famous, LA based influencer (who's particularly big on TikTok)."

Fans believed the post was about Keoghan and Carpenter and thought Brekkie Hill was the other person involved.

UNCONFIRMED reports are circulating that Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan have broken up after Barry allegedly cheated on Sabrina. pic.twitter.com/F9addTGS8d

— Pop Flop (@PopFlopHQ) December 3, 2024

Keoghan deleted his Instagram account on December 7 and wrote in a statement on X: "My name has been dragged across the internet in ways I usually don't respond to. I have to respond now because it's getting to a place where there are too many lines being crossed."

Keoghan said people had turned up where his son and grandmother live.

Carpenter has not said anything about the breakup reports or cheating rumors.

Please be respectful
x pic.twitter.com/N03eHAIbC8

— Barry Keoghan (@BarryKeoghan) December 7, 2024

• Armie Hammer's cameo in a new music video this week marks his first acting appearance since 2022.
• In 2021, the actor was accused of sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and having cannibalistic fantasies.
• In the music video released Monday, Hammer plays a character called "Kannibal Ken."

Armie Hammer played a character called "Kannibal Ken" in a new music video released on Monday. The cameo comes three years after his career was tanked due to allegations of sexual assault and cannibalistic fantasies.

The cameo seems to be Hammer's latest move in his career comeback, following the launch of a podcast in October.

The music video featuring Hammer is for the song "Typical Squeeze" by Georgie Leahy, a British actor and singer. It's Hammer's first acting role since 2022's "Death of the Nile," filmed in 2019.

While Leahy and Hammer don't seem to have an obvious relationship, the music video director, Jerry Brunskill, is a friend of Hammer's and the producer of his podcast. The video was also shot in Ramsey Art Gallery, owned by another friend of Hammer's and guest on the podcast, Tyler Ramsey.

In the video, Hammer jumps out of the trunk of a car that Leahy is driving, causing her to scream and flip the car over. As the car flips, severed limbs fall out of the vehicle.

The scene and Hammer's character name, as it appears in the video's official Youtube credits, seem to be referencing the allegations made against Hammer in 2021.

In 2021, Hammer faced backlash after a woman accused him of sexual assault, and two others alleged emotional abuse and sexual coercion involving cannibalistic and BDSM fetishes.

In March 2021, The Los Angeles Police Department opened an investigation into the sexual assault.

Following the allegations, Hammer was dropped by his talent agency and publicist. He also left two movie projects and a TV series.

Hammer told Air Mail in 2023 that he was emotionally abusive to his accusers but has denied the other allegations. In 2023, the LAPD closed their investigation saying that there was insufficient evidence to charge Hammer.

After three years of laying low, Hammer is trying to re-enter the entertainment industry.

In June, Hammer said on the "Painful Lessons" podcast that he had written a script with a friend, which he hopes to turn into his next project.

Hammer also launched his own podcast in October, "The Armie HammerTime Podcast" as "a chronicling of putting my life back together." In the first episode, he told listeners he "kind of likes" the cannibalism rumors because it makes "more noise."

Two days later, Deadline reported Hammer had been cast in a film, "Frontier Crucible."

Lauren Beeching, a crisis management expert based in London, told Business Insider in October that Hammer's comeback tour won't work unless he shows his audience that he has changed.

"Without addressing the serious allegations, it's probably going to appear more like a distraction than a genuine comeback," Beeching said. "Listeners will need to believe that he's learned and changed for them to fully invest in this journey."

• Elton John said he couldn't watch a performance of his new musical because he sight is still impaired.
• John wrote the music for "The Devil Wears Prada" stage musical, which is showing in London.
• In September, John said on Instagram that he had limited vision due to a severe eye infection.

Elton John said he was unable to watch the new "The Devil Wears Prada" musical in London because his vision is still impaired after an infection.

John shared the health update on Sunday while giving a speech after a special gala performance of the stage musical in support of his AIDS foundation, which was attended by celebrities like Anna Wintour, Donatella Versace and Lily Collins.

John composed the music for "The Devil Wears Prada" musical, based on 2006's "The Devil Wears Prada" movie, which is currently in the previews stage.

John said on Sunday that he hasn't attended many of the previews because he lost his eyesight.

"It's hard for me to see it but I love to hear it and boy it sounded good tonight," John said.

John also thanked his husband David Furnish, who helped John on and off stage, for being his "rock."

John first posted a statement on Instagram in September saying he only had limited eyesight following a severe eye infection.

"I am healing, but it's an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye," the statement read.

Last week, John told ABC's "Good Morning America" that he got the infection in his right eye in the South of France in July, and that his left eye did not have great vision either.

He said that he has been unable to finish his next album because of the vision problems.

"I'm kind of stuck at the moment, because I can do something like this, but going into the studio and recording, I don't know, because I can't see a lyric for a start," He said. "It kind of floored me. And I can't see anything, I can't read anything, can't watch anything."

• Auli'i Cravalho told People she bought a house for her mom after her acting career flourished.
• Cravalho said that before filming "Moana" in 2016, her mother could only afford a one-bedroom apartment.
• Cravalho said that her mother is "happily retired" now.

Auli'i Cravalho described how voicing Moana, the breakout Disney princess, transformed her life and lifted her from poverty in Hawaii.

Cravalho shot to fame in 2016 after voicing the lead in "Moana," Disney's highest-grossing animated princess movie other than the "Frozen" titles.

She was 16 when it premiered — and told People that before the movie, she was living on food stamps.

"Moana" made $643 million globally in ticket sales, and the sequel, which launched over Thanksgiving, is looking to top that, grossing some $386 million in a few days.

Cravalho, now 24, said in the interview that before "Moana" she was living in a one-bedroom apartment in Mililani, north of Honolulu.

"I slept in the bedroom, my mom slept on the couch. She gave me everything," Cravalho said. They used food stamps to get by, she said.

"Moana" was a success and landed her the title role in its sequel. It also launched Cravalho into a TV and screen career that included a spot in the "Mean Girls" reboot.

It hasn't been reported how much Cravalho has earned from either "Moana" movies or the rest of her career. She said she used some of the proceeds to buy her mom a house.

"She's happily retired," Cravalho said. "Your parents give you so much. Kids feel a little indebted, I'm going to be honest! But we feel so grateful for our parents' sacrifices."

Last month, Cravalho told the "Podcrushed" podcast that she became the "breadwinner" for her family, which is often the case for child stars and former child stars.

This family includes her father, Dwayne — not her costar, Dwayne Johnson — who divorced Cravalho's mother, Puanani when she was a child.

Cravalho said during the interview that she delayed attending college, fearing she couldn't afford to take a break from acting.

"I'm a smidge worried about taking a break and doing all four years. I've budgeted it all out. I'd make it, but it would be close," Cravalho said. "I look forward to doing that in the next decade when I feel more secure."

• The surreal ending of Luca Guadagnino's "Queer" may stump some fans.
• The film is based on William S. Burroughs' incomplete novel of the same name.
• The surreal ending is partly based on Burrough's life.

Director Luca Guadagnino's new erotic drama, "Queer," attempts to provide an ending to the unfinished classic 20th-century William S. Boroughs novel of the same name.

"Queer" — Guadagnino's second movie of the year following the hyped tennis drama "Challengers," his highest-grossing film yet — is based on a semi-autobiographical novel that Burroughs started writing in the 1950s. He published it unfinished in 1985.

The film and book are based on Burroughs' experience living with a heroin addiction in Mexico City in the 1940s and 1950s.

"Queer" tells the story of two lovers trying to find a hallucinogenic drug.

Both the novel and movie adaptation of "Queer" follow two protagonists and have a similar plot.

The insecure William Lee (Daniel Craig) becomes infatuated with and tries to charm Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), a young expat whom he meets in Mexico City.

Allerton is based on Burroughs's real-life love interest, Adelbert Lewis Marker: their relationship ended in heartbreak for the writer.

Allerton is sexually curious but not wholly interested in Lee. They journey together through South America to find a drug called Yage (ayahuasca) in the hope it will give Lee telepathic powers.

They don't find Yage in the book, but the movie takes a different approach.

When Lee and Allerton reach Dr. Cotter (Lesley Manville), a Yage expert, they persuade her to let them try it, leading to hallucinogenic scenes where Lee and Allerton's body fuse together.

Critics have described these scenes as "trippy" and "body-horror-surreal."

The pair achieve telepathy after taking the drug, and Allerton tells Lee, "I'm not queer. I'm disembodied," making it clear that there is no future for their relationship.

Guadagnino told Variety in September he enlisted the help of Justin Kuritzkes, the screenwriter for "Challengers," to write the script for "Queer," including the ending.

"Justin can be more precise about this, but I remember that we said, 'What is unfinished, we want to try to finish,'" Guadagnino said. "And in doing that, we have to understand why it was unfinished and how Burroughs would have finished it."

Guadagnino said the pair also spoke to Oliver Harris, a leading expert on Burroughs' life and a professor of American literature at Keele University, UK.

According to the film's production notes, the phrase "I'm not queer. I'm disembodied" came from Burroughs' journals, and reflects his unease about identifying as gay.

The final section of the movie is based on the novel's epilogue

The final part of the film is set two years after the trip to the jungle, and shows Lee's return to Mexico City.

This is based on the novel's epilogue, where Lee searches for Allerton, discovers he has left Mexico City, and dreams about him.

Instead of a dream, the movie enters another hallucinogenic, surreal sequence, where Lee sees himself in a doll house. In the following scene, Lee and Allerton are in a room, and Allerton places a glass on his head.

Lee shoots at the glass with a gun, but hits Allerton's forehead instead. There is no blood, and Allerton soon disappears.

This scene may be based on Burroughs accidentally shooting and killing his wife Joan Vollmer while they lived in Mexico City, which he wrote about in the 1985 introduction to "Queer."

"I am forced to the appalling conclusion that I would never have become a writer but for Joan's death, and to a realization of the extent to which this event has motivated and formulated my writing," he wrote.

Per Burroughs' biography, he used a glass on her head as a target, in a similar fashion to the scene in "Queer," to prove he was good at shooting, but hit her forehead. Burroughs was convicted of murder and given a two-year suspended sentence.

The film's final scene shows Lee back at his apartment, old and dying. Lee imagines Allerton appearing in his bed, draping a leg over his.

Guadagnino told Entertainment Weekly that this scene is meant to show Lee's lasting and "profound" connection with Allerton.

He said: "The task that we gave ourselves was always to make this a very romantic movie and a testament to this romanticism between Lee and Allerton, no matter how much they are in sync or not throughout this story of their encounter."

• "Squid Game" season two will premiere on December 26.
• The hit Korean series follows a group of people participating in a deadly competition for money.
• The new season will star four returning actors, including season one lead star Lee Jung-jae, and 12 new cast members.

Seong Gi-hun's mission in "Squid Game" season two is finally revealed in the latest trailer.

The Korean show, which followed a group of poor civilians fighting for their lives in a deadly competition to win enough money to pay off their debts, quickly became a pop-culture sensation when it premiered in September 2021. Replica costumes from the show were worn at protests, YouTubers and other groups pledged to recreate the games in real life, and new memes and TikTok trends were inspired by its games.

A month after its release, "Squid Game" became the most-watched series on the platform. It broke records by becoming the first foreign-language series and the first Korean series to be nominated for a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award. Netflix then created a reality competition show based on the drama, which premiered in November 2023.

Netflix renewed the show in June 2022, and this year confirmed that it had commissioned three seasons in total.

Season two drops on December 26, 2024, and the third and final season will premiere in 2025.

Here's everything we know about the upcoming second season of "Squid Game."

"Squid Game" season two is not the final season

Season one ended on a cliffhanger, leaving several questions unanswered. The most crucial question concerned the lead character, Seong Gi-hun, a kind-hearted gambler.

After he won the death competition at the cost of his friend Cho Sang-woo's life, Gi-hun fell into a depression. He then discovered that the competition's creator was one of the competitors he befriended, Oh Il-nam (Hideo Kimura).

At the end of the finale, Gi-hun faced a difficult decision — move on with his life and be with his daughter or stop the deadly game once and for all. He appeared to choose the latter.

Teasers for season two showed that Gi-hun will enter the death competition again, but the latest trailer explained why. He seemed to be guiding the contestants to survive and eventually rebel against the game.

 

But to succeed, he must somehow override their greed.

Not only will Gi-hun return in season two, but his battle with the people in charge of the deadly competition will extend into season three.

"Squid Game" creator Hwang Dong-Hyuk wrote in a letter shared by Netflix on social media in July: "Seong Gi-hun, who vowed revenge at the end of season one, returns and joins the game again. Will he succeed in getting his revenge? Front Man doesn't seem to be an easy opponent this time either. The fierce clash between their two worlds will continue into the series finale with season 3, which will be brought to you next year."

The creepy killer doll from "Red Light, Green Light" has a boyfriend who will appear in season two.

One of the most well-known moments from season one was the "Red Light, Green Light" game, where competitors were shot dead if they were caught moving by a rotating giant robot doll. The competitors weren't aware this was a death game at that point, causing a massacre.

The doll is called Young-hee and based on a real statue in South Korea.

In a statement in June 2022, Hwang said season two will introduce fans to "Young-hee's boyfriend, Cheol-su."

According to Koreaboo, Young-hee and Cheol-su were well-known characters from old South Korean textbooks, often depicted as best friends.

This could mean season two will have a new deadly game involving another giant, creepy doll.

Several antagonists from the first season will appear in the second season.

Netflix and Hwang have confirmed that two antagonists from the first season will return: the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) and "the man in the suit with ddakji."

"The man in the suit with ddakji" refers to actor Gong Yoo's unnamed character who appears only in the series premiere and finale. He is the recruiter for the games and plays a Korean paper game, ddakji, with possible contenders before roping them into the competition.

Meanwhile, the Front Man is the man who ran the competition.

Wi Ha-joon will return as Detective Hwang Jun-ho.

Much of season one follows a detective, Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), who goes undercover in the games to find his missing brother. However, in episode eight, Jun-Ho discovers that his brother is now the Front Man. The Front Man appears to kill Jun-ho before the detective can expose the group's operations. But we never see Jun-Ho's body, which means the character could return to try to save his brother. 

During their TUDUM global fan event in June 2023, Netflix announced that Jun-ho would return in the second season, although the "Squid Game" creator has yet to confirm if the character is still alive.

Wi, the actor who plays Jun-Ho, told Deadline in 2021 that he also wants his character to return alive.

"I'm dying to know what happened to him," Wi said. "I want him to return alive, find his brother and ask him tons of questions. As a brother, I would ask him sincerely. As a detective, I want to explore the overall secrets behind the game as well. I really hope to see Jun-ho come back alive and explore all these questions. I hope to see a more brotherly love side of their relationship as well."

12 new actors have joined the cast for season two.

During their TUDUM global fan event, Netflix announced that 12 new actors will star as players in "Squid Game" season two.

The new cast members are Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young,  Park Sung-hoon, Jo Yu-ri,  Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Lee Jin-uk, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, and Won Ji-an.

Gyu-young, Sung-hoon, and Lee have previously starred in two other popular Netflix K-dramas, "Sweet Home" and "The Glory."

 

Other actors from season one could appear in season two, even if their character is currently dead.

In March 2022, Hwang teased that "Squid Game" star Jung Ho-yeon could return in season two.

Jung played Kang Sae-byeok, a North Korean defector participating in the deadly competition to get enough money to reunite her family. The character dies in episode eight after being killed by Sang-woo just before the final game in the competition.

Hwang told Deadline on the red carpet at the PGA Awards that he would attempt to bring back actors who play dead characters.

"Let's say maybe she has a twin sister, you'll see," he said, gesturing to Jung.

Kang Sae-byeok was Jung's first acting role, but she quickly became a fan favorite and even won a SAG award for her performance on the show.

Jung told The Hollywood Reporter in December 2021 that she lost six pounds the week after the show came out because she struggled to comprehend the series' success.

However, Jung was not mentioned when Netflix announced the season two cast at its June 2023 event.

Netflix shared the first sneak peek of "Squid Game" season two.

Netflix shared the first-look images for season two as part of their "Next On Netflix 2024" preview on February 1, 2024. 

Netflix also shared footage from season two. The short clip appears to follow directly after the end of season one as Gi-hun still has his bright red hair and is at the same airport as the season finale.

While he tries to leave the building, Gi-hun receives a call from an unknown person who appears to be involved in the organization running the death games. The person threatens Gi-hun, but he vows to find the caller.

 

Netflix has shared the first full teaser trailer for season two.

During Netflix's Geeked Week live event on September 19, Netflix shared a 45-second special preview of season two.

In the trailer, the Front Man visits Gi-hun at his apartment. There are brief shots of new death games, and it is implied that Gi-hun has agreed to take part in the competition again with a new set of contestants.

 

• The cast of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" is stirring drama on social media ahead of season two.
• Taylor Frankie Paul is feuding with her castmates after they didn't comment on her Instagram post.
• After two years, fans are also learning more about the soft-swinging scandal involving Paul.

"The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" season one ended with two cast members potentially quitting the show and rumors of a secret affair involving its most volatile couple.

But there will likely be even more drama in season two if the cast's social media feeds are anything to go by.

After season one aired in September, The Wrap reported, citing Disney's internal data, that "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" was the most-watched unscripted season premiere on Hulu, Disney+, and Star+ — overtaking "The Kardashians" season five.

The series, which follows a group of TikTok content creators known as the Mormon MomTokers, was renewed last month for a second season with 20 episodes, instead of eight like the first.

Mormon MomTok first entered the spotlight in May 2022 over a so-called soft-swinging scandal. Taylor Frankie Paul, a member of the group, said on TikTok that she, her former husband, and other couples in Salt Lake City had swapped sexual partners without having penetrative sex.

Paul said she and her husband were getting divorced because she had an affair with one of the members of the group. Fans speculated that other members of Mormon MomTok were involved, but Paul was the only person who said she was a part of it on social media.

The scandal helped Paul and her fellow Mormon MomTok creators land their own show, but season one did not reveal more details about the situation.

The soft-swinging scandal is ramping up again

On Sunday, Makenna Gibbons, who did not appear on "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" but was rumored to be a soft-swinger, shared a five-part video on TikTok and Instagram in which she said she was part of the group.

Gibbons said she felt "ashamed" after the second night of soft-swinging and told her now ex-husband and one of the other couples that she didn't want to continue.

Gibbons didn't initially identify Paul and her ex-husband as the couple until after Paul released a rebuttal TikTok video on Sunday.

Gibbons said that one night after a big confrontation with the group, Gibbons' ex went to check on Paul. The next day, she said another couple told her that Paul had sex with Gibbons' ex that night.

She also said Paul's husband told her that his wife and Gibbons' ex had been sneaking to Home Depot "for some time now" to kiss and planned to leave their spouses. Gibbons said she divorced her husband after finding out about this.

In Paul's rebuttal video, she shared clips of her kissing Gibbons and a screenshot of a text message from Gibbons saying she wanted to kiss Paul.

"She never asked to stop, she was one of the instigators, and sent her husband to get me, but tell your side sis," Paul wrote on the video.

Gibbons said in a TikTok video on Tuesday that her ex-husband sent the text to Paul, and she had previously told Paul about the incident. She also said the kissing video was a "flirty naughty little thing" that they did for their husbands while they were drunk and was separate from the swinging.

On the same day, Paul posted another TikTok video in which she doubled down on her claim that Gibbons never wanted to stop swinging.

"My ex brought us together and said he wants to stop," Paul said.

Gibbons did not respond to a comment request from Business Insider. Gibbons didn't name her ex-husband in her videos, but fans speculate that she was married to a man named Brayden Rowley. Rowley did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Paul is arguing with other cast members too

Whitney Leavitt clashed the most with the other cast members in season one, but Paul seems to be stirring the most trouble ahead of season two.

Last month, it was rumored that Paul had broken up with her boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. They haven't denied the rumors but have appeared on each other's social media pages in recent weeks.

On Sunday, Mortensen posted a cryptic TikTok video saying he would start "telling my truth and showing my receipts." The video used the same song, "Bulletproof" by La Roux, in the background as Paul's response to Gibbons, which could indicate he's about to weigh in on that drama too.

Last week, Paul shared an Instagram story in which she called out her castmates for not commenting on her social media posts about attending this year's Country Music Awards, which were held on 21 November.

Jessi Ngatikaura hit back in the comment section of Paul's post, saying she had congratulated Paul in other ways, including texting her on the day.

"Shiiit I forgot to comment even though I'm on vacation with my family and trying not to scroll too much 🤭 I'm the worst friend!! Forgive me queen Taylor, I'll bow down now," Ngatikaura said.

Other cast members responded with what appeared to be sarcastic flattery in Paul's comment section and mocking her in TikTok videos. Paul has posted follow-up TikTok videos, implying she is not standing down from this fight.