News

The stars were out for the 2024 Governors Awards held at Dolby Theatre on Sunday evening (November 17) in Hollywood.

The annual event is held prior to the Oscars and celebrates the recipients of a select few of awards conferred by the Academy’s Board of Governors – the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and the Honorary Award.

Many celebrities were in attendance at the event this year, including Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Elizabeth Olsen, pregnant Jennifer Lawrence, Felicity Jones, Marlee Matlin, and more.

Keep reading to find out more…

Each recipient of the Governors Awards is announced over the summer with them being honored at the dinner gala later in the year. Highlights are also shown at the upcoming Oscars.

This year, honorary Oscars were presented to the late Quincy Jones and Juliet Taylor, with Richard Curtis receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award,...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Happy’s Place is a comedy series created by Julie and Kevin Abbott. The NBC series follows Bobbie, an old woman who co-inherits her father’s bar with her half-sister she never knew she had. After learning this Bobbie tries to make her sister feel welcome in the family business but their completely different life experiences always get in the way. Happy’s Place stars Reba McEntire, Melissa Peterman, Rex Linn, Belissa Escobedo, Tokala Black Elk, and Pablo Castelblanco. So, if you loved the hilarious comedy, family-like bonds, and compelling characters in Happy’s Place here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Cheers Credit – NBC

Cheers is a comedy series created by James Burrows, Glen, and Les Charles. The NBC series is set in Boston and it follows Sam who runs a bar where people from all walks...

While we have already made a list of the best of the best movies coming to Prime Video in August, those are not the only films you should look out for as the Amazon-owned streaming service is also bringing you a lot of original and licensed new content in the upcoming month, from an animated Batman series to the highly anticipated new season of Prime Video’s flagship fantasy series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. So, we picked out the 7 best new movies and TV shows coming to Prime Video in August 2024.

Batman: Caped Crusader (August 1)

Batman: Caped Crusader is an animated action-adventure superhero series created by J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves, and Bruce Timm. The upcoming Prime Video series is set in what looks to be the 1930s or 1940s and it follows the story of the Dark Knight in a crime-filled Gotham, as he fights...

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) thanked California for helping to get closer to solidifying protections against artificial intelligence after voting to unanimously pass the state’s Digital Replica Bill.

“Thank you to members of the California Senate Judiciary for unanimously passing Ab 1836,” the union wrote on X on Wednesday. The post was coupled with a photo of the members of the California State Judiciary. “Another step closer to ensuring AI protections for California’s deceased performers. #ProtectArtists.”

In response to the vote, SAG-AFTRA vice president and L.A. Local president Jodi Long wrote: “We should be free to live and die without the feat of becoming someone else’s unpaid digital puppet.”

Their praises come after California legislators progressed the revision of the state law Ab 1836, also known as the California Digital Replica Bill. If set into law, it would block the unauthorized use...

Following 118 days on strike, SAG-AFTRA secured a deal with the studios that was worth over $1B that it said had ““unprecedented provisions”.

But the guild isn’t resting on its laurels, it’s already looking ahead to its next contract with the AMPTP in 2026.

Over the weekend, SAG-AFTRA’s EVP, Linda Powell, LA VP Jodi Long, who is also LA Local President and SAG-AFTRA VP, Actors/Performers Shari Belafonte were in Denver at SeriesFest to discuss the contract and what’s next for the guild.

The trio discussed the contract gains, including new money for healthcare, protections on AI, new measures on self-tapes and the guild’s new streaming residual bonus.

But they also highlighted the fact that there’s another contract to negotiate in 2026.

Powell said she was “feeling ready for the next fight”.

“We’re watching A.I., we’ve got a lot of legislation going on to...

Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars descended on Washington, DC to attend the 2024 White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night (April 27) at The Washington Hilton.

Hosted by Colin Jost, the event featured a celebrity guestlist including the likes of Chris Pine, Rachel Brosnahan, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Coco Rocha, Billy Porter and Fran Drescher.

In all, there were more than 30 stars who posed on the red carpet. Since the guestlist was so full, we pulled together all of the photos you need to see with the fashion credits.

Head inside to see photos of everyone who attended the event…

Keep scrolling to see photos of all of the stars who attended the 2024 White House Correspondents’ Dinner…

Chris Pine

Molly Ringwald

Fyi: Molly is wearing custom Cong Tri.

John Quinones

Hiroyuki Sanada

Lauren Ash

Jason Lee

Sunny Hostin

Coco Rocha

Fyi: Coco is wearing Christian Siriano SS24 Rtw.

Deborah Roberts/strong>

Lynda Carter...

Mark Duplass, star of The Morning Show, is to be handed the Excellence in Acting Award at the upcoming SeriesFest event.

The event is held in Denver between May 1 and 5 and features the likes of Minnie Driver and the cast of Grey’s Anatomy across its lineup.

Duplass, who also co-created HBO series Togetherness, is giving an Innovation Talk, where he will be handed the award. Duplass has also starred in The League, Goliath and The Mindy Project as well as being behind films such as The Puffy Chair and Cyrus as well as HBO’s anthology series Room 104 and a raft of documentaries including Evil Genius, Wild Wild Country and Sasquatch.

Also joining the lineup are Shark Tank’s Daymond John, who will be in conversation with Emil Pinnock and SAG-AFTRA Leadership, including Linda Powell, Shari Belafonte and Jodi Long.

There will be a screening and a panel...

Stars: Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Gavin Warren, Amélie Hoeferle, Jodi Long, Eddie Martinez, Elijah J. Roberts, Rahnuma Panthaky, Ben Sinclair, Ellie Araiza | Written by Bryce McGuire, Rod Blackhurst | Directed by Bryce McGuire

Released in 2014, Bryce McGuire and Rod Blackhurst made a proof-of-concept short film called Night Swim. Citing inspirations such as Jaws, Christine, and Poltergeist, the ensuing four minutes play with the uncanny feeling of being watched by somebody, despite all evidence pointing to the contrary. It was an impressive enough debut that Blumhouse picked it up for a feature-length adaptation, also entitled Night Swim, although the results are more sink than swim.

After a degenerative illness forces him into early retirement, former baseball player Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) moves into a new house with his wife, Eve Waller (Kerry Condon), and their two children. With a backyard swimming pool offering fun for the kids and physical therapy for the dad,...

Acting jobs seem to be coming back slowly but surely since the strikes last year, but not everyone is thrilled with the pace at which jobs are returning. 

Several actors and actresses feel as if things are too slow, they can't get work, and panic is setting in. 

Amid the panic, several shows have been announcing their new cast members this week. 

Are roles in Hollywood really that slim? Will things pick back up? Who has been cast in new roles this week? Let's take a look at all of this information and see what the deal is with Hollywood. 

Actors Fear for Work as Hollywood Picks Back Up Following Strikes

Last year was a tough year for actors and writers as we went through the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, bringing a lot of television production to a screeching halt. 

New deals and contracts were made, and things are picking back up,...

If you missed it in theaters or want to experience it again from the comfort of your own couch, Night Swim is diving into Digital on March 12th, followed by a Collector's Edition Blu-ray / DVD release on April 9th, and we have a look at the full list of bonus features, including a feature-length commentary with director/co-writer Bryce McGuire and a conversation between producers Jason Blum and James Wan:

From the Press Release: Universal City, California, March 5, 2024 – From James Wan’s Atomic Monster and Blumhouse comes Night Swim, available to own with brand-new bonus content on Digital March 12, 2024 and on Blu-ray and DVD April 9, 2024 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Night Swim has been hailed as “a satisfying plunge into backyard terror” and “remarkably effective”. Now own the Collector's Edition, with all-new bonus features, including a behind-the-scenes look at filming the underwater pool sequences, transforming 'Marco Polo'...

Oh, so you thought you could move into a brand-new house while in the midst of personal upheaval, flout all the rules of conventional horror wisdom by taking solo swims in the creepy backyard swimming pool at night, and not get subjected to intense and possibly supernatural phenomena? Ones that may or may not represent a metaphor for anything up to and including trauma, loss, and the monkey's paw of getting what we think we want the most? Is it your first day on Planet Earth or something??

Alright, I suppose we can't hold it against the fictional characters of "Night Swim" for not knowing that they were in a horror movie the entire time, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating that they didn't see all those scares coming. For those who went out to theaters to check out the Wyatt Russell-starring flick, you were treated to...

Stars: Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Gavin Warren, Amélie Hoeferle, Jodi Long, Eddie Martinez, Elijah J. Roberts, Rahnuma Panthaky, Ben Sinclair, Ellie Araiza | Written by Bryce McGuire, Rod Blackhurst | Directed by Bryce McGuire

Released in 2014, Bryce McGuire and Rod Blackhurst made a proof-of-concept short film called Night Swim. Citing inspirations such as Jaws, Christine, and Poltergeist, the ensuing four minutes play with the uncanny feeling of being watched by somebody, despite all evidence pointing to the contrary. It was an impressive enough debut that Blumhouse picked it up for a feature-length adaptation, also entitled Night Swim, although the results are more sink than swim.

After a degenerative illness forces him into early retirement, former baseball player Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) moves into a new house with his wife, Eve Waller (Kerry Condon), and their two children. With a backyard swimming pool offering fun for the kids and physical therapy for the dad,...

Wyatt Russell is getting support from his pregnant wife at the premiere of his new movie!

The 37-year-old actor and wife Meredith Hagner, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, stepped out for the premiere of his new thriller Night Swim on Wednesday night (January 3) held at Hotel Figueroa in Los Angeles.

Fellow cast members in attendance included Kerry Condon, Amélie Hoeferle, Gavin Warren, Jodi Long, Eddie Martinez, Elijah J. Roberts, Ellie Araiza, and Nancy Lenehan along with director Bryce McGuire and producer James Blum.

Keep reading to find out more…

The movie follows “Ray Waller (Russell), a former major league baseball player forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, who moves into a new home with his concerned wife Eve (Condon), teenage daughter Izzy (Hoeferle) and young son Elliot (Warren). Secretly hoping, against the odds, to return to pro ball, Ray persuades Eve that the new...

You know might feel really great, and completely relaxing, after surviving the often stressful end-of-the-year holidays? Why a refreshing dip in the pool of course! Oh, but you’re not near an indoor facility, so you’ll have to wait out the long frigid winter until the temps are near ninety or so. Well, how about making a virtual splash at the multiplex? And this “cement pond” doesn’t shut down with the sunset. But doing “laps” alone in the fluorescent lit waters can be pretty spooky. And that’s the inspiration for the first new horror flick of 2024, which may just make you “swear off” any notions about taking a Night Swim. Marco…Marco…

This tale of soggy terror begins with a flashback to the early 1990s. Late one night a girl of eight or nine spies her ailing brother’s motorboat doing circles in the deep end of the family pool.

Early last year, Jason Blum’s Blumhouse and James Wan’s Atomic Monster joined forces to cook up the clever killer doll horror movie M3GAN, a box office hit, and just this week announced their official merger to become the preeminent horror producer bringing together the brains behind some of the most successful films in the genre of the 21st century.

On the heels of the merger confirmation comes Night Swim. Unfortunately, this one is waterlogged, only proving that making a credible killer pool movie is not as easy as playing with dolls.

Based loosely on Rod Blackhurst and Bryce McGuire’s 2014 four-minute short about a woman who disappears into her movie after a spooky encounter in the backyard, that pair are now credited with the story for this feature adaptation, with a screenplay by McGuire who also directs. As it turns out four minutes was the right length for the idea,...

After four long months marching on Hollywood picket lines, bargaining inside hostile negotiating rooms, and giving Buddhist sermons, Fran Drescher can finally exhale.

Through the 118-day actors’ strike, The Nanny star turned SAG-AFTRA national president, joined by SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, has served as the face of the 160,000-strong union and says she uses the Nineties sitcom’s message around unity and acceptance in her leadership. “I can be exactly who I am,” she says in her raspy Queens accent, “and still rock a red lip and hold a plushie toy.

So many stars attended the 2023 Wif Honors presented by Women In Film at The Ray Dolby Ballroom on Thursday night (November 30) in Hollywood, Calif.

Eva Longoria, America Ferrera, Fran Drescher, Danai Gurira and Phoebe Dynevor were just a few big names who posed on the red carpet at the event.

In fact, it was such a star-studded guestlist that we counted more than 30 popular celebrities in attendance. We put together a handy photo guide for you to peruse to see who all was there!

Head inside to see every star who was on the guestlist for the 2023 Wif Honors…

Keep scrolling to see photos of every star who walked the red carpet at the 2023 Wif Honors…

Diane Warren

Jodi Long

Sharon Lawrence

Abby Ryder Fortson and Christie Lynn Smith

Kay Cannon

Lake Bell

Lara Worthington

Leonie Hanne

Celine Song

Jesse Garcia

Holland Roden

Bella Heathcote

Nicole Kang

Diane Warren

Karen...

SAG-AFTRA kicked off its National Convention 2023 this week under the banner “Future Forward Union Power,” and they closed up shop pretty quickly in the same vein.

Just over after the gathering began, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher hit the pause button as it was announced Saturday afternoon that shuttered negotiations with the studios and streamers would re-start on Oct. 24. “While it’s disappointing to have to adjourn the convention early, the Negotiating Committee must immediately get back to the hard work of preparing to secure a fair contract,” Drescher said.

Initially set to run from Oct. 20 – 24, the 2023 convention will start up again once new dates are decided upon by the Guild’s National Board. SAG-AFTRA has been on strike 100 days as of today, with the first set of renewed talks running from Oct. 2 – 11 before the AMPTP walked away and “suspended” deliberations.

Drescher, who opened the event by inviting first responders, active...

A group of A-list actors led by George Clooney presented a proposal to SAG-AFTRA leadership during a Tuesday afternoon Zoom call in an effort to find a way to resolve the three-month-old actors strike with the studios. But the proposal is likely dead on arrival.

Sources with knowledge of the situation say the group of some 15 stars, which includes Tyler Perry and Scarlett Johansson, held a follow-up call last night with SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee. “It didn’t go well,” says one of the sources, adding that the committee “didn’t see the validity” of the group’s proposal.

After Tuesday’s Zoom, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher and executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland met with the union’s negotiating committee to discuss the stars’ proposal, which called for removing the cap on dues in a bid to bring more than $50 million to the union annually and $150 million over three years. They...

You are reading an exclusive WrapPRO article for free. Want to level up your entertainment career? Click here for more information.

After a slow but steady restart of talks on a new contract, negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) are expected to “ramp up” and explore deeper issues and sticking points in the bargaining agreement, three insiders with knowledge of the studio side of negotiations told TheWrap.

According to the insiders, the first two days of resumed negotiations this past Monday and Wednesday were largely focused on the CEOs who led negotiations with the Writers Guild of America — Disney’s Bob Iger, Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav, NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley, and Netflix’s Ted Sarandos — getting up to speed with the leaders of the actors guild’s negotiating committee.

While the CEOs had been briefed by their labor teams and AMPTP president Carol Lombardini,...

As the SAG-AFTRA strike clocked its 62nd day, and the WGA’s 135th, the former held a massive solidarity march today from Netflix HQ on Van Ness Blvd to the Melrose gates of Paramount to juice guilds’ spirits with the entertainment industry work stoppage running past Labor Day.

Or as California Federation of Labor Executive Secretary Treasurer Lorena Gonzalez told those guild members who showed up today, “This is an endless union summer.”

“We are not giving up because it’s September, we will not give up in October, we will not give up when the temperature goes down,” said Gonzalez to the crowd of around 4,000.

Attendees included SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher, National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, Secretary-Treasurer Joely Fisher, Los Angeles Local President Jodi Long, Los Angeles Local First Vice President Sheryl Lee Ralph, as well as such stars as Marvel thespian Clark Gregg, Frances Fisher,...

SAG-AFTRA members re-elected Fran Drescher as their president with a landslide victory Friday. It’s a firm nod of confidence in “The Nanny” star as the actors union’s strike hit 56 days.

Drescher, 65, won a second term with 81.4% of the vote while beating Maya Gilbert-Dunbar, actress and the wife of “9-1-1” star Rockmond Dunbar. Gilbert-Dunbar took 18.6% of the vote.

In the race for secretary-treasurer, Joely Fisher received 70.3% while her opponent, Peter Antico, had 29.7%.

“These are dynamic times,” Drescher said in a statement. “And as one member body, we will weather the storms, stand on our principles and make sure our major contributions to this collaborative art form shall never again be diminished but rather be exalted.

“I want all members to be equal in all ways and I will continue to fight against marginalization and discrimination within our union, from our employers and the world at large,” said Drescher,...

Updated with L.A. Local results: Fran Drescher has been re-elected president of SAG-AFTRA in a landslide. Drescher, winning a second two-year term in votes counted Friday, handily defeated independent candidate Maya Gilbert-Dunbar. Drescher received 23,080 votes to Gilbert-Dunbar’s 5,276, with 22.84% of the guild’s 124,477 eligible members casting ballots.

Drescher’s unity slate running mate, Joely Fisher, also won reelection as the guild’s secretary-treasurer, handily defeating independent candidate Peter Antico by a vote of 19,777 to 8,361.

Related: Fran Drescher Mobbed On SAG-AFTRA Picket Lines, Says Studios Are “Doing Bad Things To Good People”

“I am honored to serve my union as president for another term,” Drescher said in a statement. “These are dynamic times and as one member body, we will weather the storms, stand on our principles and make sure our major contributions to this collaborative art form shall never again be diminished but rather be exalted. I want all...

Stacchi's “The Monkey King” is a computer-animated and English language adaptation of the classic novel “Journey to the West” from the Ming Dynasty. It was elected as the closing film at the 22nd New York Asian Film Festival in July 2023 and later released worldwide on Netflix. Also credited as the executive producer, Hong Kong filmmaker and comedy superstar Stephen Chow who played the Monkey King in his two-part “A Chinese Odyssey” (1995) and directed “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons” (2013) is certainly no stranger to the Monkey King film series.

Click the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix

As the story goes, thousands of years ago, the Immortals in Heaven and the Kings from Hell watched over all the demons who walked among the humans while dragons lived under the seas. But everything is in balance because under the watchful Buddha who oversees the universe, everyone follows the rules.

The 16th century literary classic Journey to the West is the mother of all Chinese fantasy. The mythological saga has spawned countless adaptations in various media across Asia and beyond, from the cult late ‘70s Japanese TV series to Peking Opera, videogames, graphic novels and a stage spectacle with a score by Blur frontman Damon Albarn and design elements by Gorillaz illustrator Jamie Hewlett.

Prominent among the innumerable film versions is the 2013 blockbuster Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons, directed by Stephen Chow. A similar livewire action-comedy energy infuses Netflix’s The Monkey King, a children’s animated feature based on the sprawling novel’s most popular strand, on which Chow serves as executive producer.

Following well-received originals like Klaus, Over the Moon, My Father’s Dragon, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood — plus such smart acquisitions as The Mitchells vs. the Machines...

Although SAG-AFTRA’s leading political factions have united around the reelection of President Fran Drescher and Secretary-Treasurer Joely Fisher, they’re not running unopposed in the guild’s upcoming election. Independent candidate Maya Gilbert-Dunbar will face off against Drescher and indie candidate Peter Antico will challenge Fisher, all four of whom have now officially qualified to appear on the ballot.

It’s already been a contentious election, with Drescher exchanging angry emails with Gilbert-Dunbar and Antico, who have accused her of not doing enough to protect the rights of members who refused to be vaccinated during the Covid pandemic, even though she was the leading voice among union leaders against the vaccination mandates.

Their candidate statements, which will appear on the ballots, went to press before the guild launched its strike July 14.

In her official statement, Drescher said: “As your national president I pushed to fix our senior supplemental health...

Netflix has debuted a new trailer for the animation ‘The Monkey King.’

Inspired by an epic Chinese tale, the story follows a charismatic Monkey and his magical fighting Stick on an epic quest for victory over 100 demons, an eccentric Dragon King, and Monkey’s greatest foe — his own ego.

Along the way, a young village girl challenges his self-centred attitude and shows him that even the smallest pebble can significantly affect the world.

Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Nan Li, Bowen Yang, Jo Koy, Ron Yuan, Hoon Lee, Bd Wong, Andrew Kishino, Sophie Wu, Andrew Kishino, Jodi Long, James Sie, Andrew Pang, Stephanie Hsu, and Kuno Inghram lend their voices to the project alongside Yang.

Also in trailers – “This is a fight for our very existence…” New trailer drops for ‘The Creator’

It hits the streamer on August 18th.

The post “Leave these poor, unattractive people alone…” Trailer drops for Netflix animation ‘The Monkey King...

"The Monkey King" is a new animated comedy feature, directed by Anthony Stacchi, starring Jimmy O. Yang, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Nan Li, Bowen Yang, Jo Koy, Ron Yuan, Hoon Lee, Bd Wong, Andrew Kishino, Sophie Wu, Andrew Kishino, Jodi Long, James Sie, Andrew Pang, Stephanie Hsu, and Kuno Inghram, streaming August 18, 2023 on Netflix:

"...'The Monkey King' is an action-packed family comedy that follows a charismatic 'Monkey' and his magical fighting 'Stick' on an epic quest for victory over 100 demons, an eccentric 'Dragon King' and Monkey’s greatest foe of all — his own ego.

"Along the way, a young village girl challenges his self-centered attitude and shows him that even the smallest pebble can have a big effect on the world..."

Click the images to enlarge...

The official trailer as well as new photos from the forthcoming Netflix film The Monkey King have just been released. You can check them out above and below.

Synopsis: The Monkey King is an action-packed family comedy that follows a rebellious and charismatic Monkey and his magical fighting Stick on an epic quest for victory over 100 demons, an eccentric Dragon King, and Monkey’s greatest foe of all —his own ego! Along the way, a young village girl challenges his self-centered attitude and shows him that even the smallest pebble can have a big effect on the world.

About The Film

Starring: Jimmy O. Yang, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Nan Li, Bowen Yang, Jo Koy, Ron Yuan, Hoon Lee, Bd Wong, Andrew Kishino, Sophie Wu, Andrew Kishino, Jodi Long, James Sie, Andrew Pang, Stephanie Hsu, Kuno Inghram Director: Anthony Stacchi Producer: Peilin Chou

The Monkey King premieres on Netflix on August 18, 2023!

For More Information,...

If you thought Disney’s American Born Chinese was the only place the Monkey King would display his sweet moves, wait until you see Netflix’s The Monkey King trailer! The streamer is bringing a colorful martial arts adventure to screens with director Anthony Stacchi’s next animated voyage! Get ready! Jimmy O. Yang, Bowen Yang, Jo Koy, and Stephanie Hsu voice star in the mystical animated adventure inhabited by ancient gods, demons, and a wise-cracking hero of the people.

The Monkey King (Jimmy O. Yang) might be famous, but he’s an outsider in his community. With his trusty compatriot “stick (voiced by Nan Li),” the warrior of legend steps up to challenge 100 demons to gain the attention of “the immortal ones.” With few willing to cheer him on, the Monkey King travels to a human village, where he accepts the task of protecting the people from a fiery...

Jimmy O. Yang, Bowen Yang, Jo Koy, Stephanie Hsu and Bd Wong voice star in Netflix’s new comedic action-adventure The Monkey King, which sees its titular character battling demons, dragons and his own ego.

Dropping Monday, the animated family film’s more-than-two-minute first look teases Yang’s “most spectacul-errific, amazing-derful” hero Monkey King, in a story set in a time of ancient gods and demons. An outsider in his own community, the Monkey King, along with his trusty companion “stick (voiced by Nan Li),” takes on the challenge of defeating 100 demons and garnering the attention of “the immortal ones.”

With little support from those he grew up around, the Monkey King ventures to a human village, where he accepts the challenge of protecting the community from a fiery demon known as Red Girl (Sophie Wu). After nearly destroying the entire community in the process, he garners the attention of...

Lin (voiced by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and Monkey King (Jimmy O. Yang) – Photo Credit: Netflix © 2023)

Netflix’s slate of upcoming animated films includes The Monkey King directed by Anthony Stacchi (The Boxtrolls) and Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie – a new SpongeBob SquarePants film. The 2023-2024 slate also includes the animated musical comedy Leo featuring the voice of Adam Sandler, along with a new Chicken Run film, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.

The streaming service also released details on In Your Dreams, That Christmas, Thelma the Unicorn, Nimona, and Ultraman.

Nimona – Summer 2023

This summer, Netflix will release the highly anticipated Nimona, based on the bestselling graphic novel by Nd Stevenson. Nimona follows Ballister Boldheart, a knight framed for a crime he didn’t commit, and the titular shapeshifter who sets out to help him prove his innocence.

Netflix confirms joining the film’s previously announced cast members Chloë Grace Moretz...

Netflix’s animated output is certainly having a moment, between the Best Animated Feature win for Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” and the acquisition of Animal Logic, the Australian animation studio that had previously been responsible for “Happy Feet,” “The Lego Movie” and “DC League of Super-Pets” (among many others). The streamer has just unveiled its 2023-2024 slate, revealing new details about upcoming projects like “Nimona” and announcing new movies like “Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie,” a brand-new “SpongeBob SquarePants” film.

Read on for the full rundown of Netflix’s upcoming animated films and see brand-new images.

“Nimona” “Nimona” (Netflix)

Coming this summer is “Nimona,” based on the graphic novel by Nd Stevenson and set in a futuristic yet still medieval world, it centers around a disgraced knight (Riz Ahmed) and a young shapeshifter (Chloë Grace Moretz) who team up to clear both of their names. We’d...

Exclusive: Blumhouse and Atomic Monster’s Night Swim from writer/director Bryce McGuire has added Amélie Hoeferle, Gavin Warren, Nancy Lenehan, and Jodi Long to the cast. The group have joined Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon in the pic which hits theaters on Jan. 19, 2024. Production is currently underway in LA.

Based on the short film created by McGuire and Rod Blackhurst, Night Swim is described as a supernatural thriller built around the hidden source of terror found in an unassuming backyard swimming pool. Atomic Monster and Blumhouse are producing the film. Universal Pictures will handle distribution.

Hoeferle is a German-American actress who spent her youth in between the two countries. She will be next seen in Francis Lawrence’s prequel of Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes for Lionsgate. She plays “Vipsania Sickle,” mentor to a tribute from District 7. She also played “Sam” in the award winning The Boogeywoman,...

Pictured: Casting directors Katja Zarolinski and Geoff Josselson of Jz Casting.

This article first appeared as part of Jenelle Riley’s Acting Up newsletter – to subscribe for early content and weekly updates on all things acting, visit the Acting Up signup page.

Casting director Geoff Josselson just checked off a major bucket list item. When he was asked what show he dreamed of casting, he would say “Into the Woods.” And just last year, working with Telsey Casting, Josselson was part of the team that assembled the heralded Broadway revival starring Sara Bareilles, Brian D’Arcy James and Joshua Henry. Josselson is on a bit of a Stephen Sondheim spree — with Telsey he also helped cast the new production of “Sweeney Todd,” starring Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford. And he and his partner at Jz Casting, Katja Zarolinski, just collaborated for the first time with the Pasadena Playhouse to cast “A Little Night Music,...

Connie Stevens has been selected to receive the Ralph Morgan award, SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Local’s highest honor.

“My mother’s star still shines so bright. However, it is her life of activism and service that inspires me the most,” said Stevens’ daughter Joely Fisher. “Her penchant for sparkly things is matched only by her desire to help the underserved and her fellow performers. She loves our country and this great union. I am humbled and proud that the Los Angeles Local’s highest honor, the Ralph Morgan Award, will be bestowed on Connie Stevens. My dreams are coming true, in that I might be able to bring to fruition some of what she fought for in the position she once held as secretary-treasurer of Screen Actors Guild.”

Stevens is an actor, singer and served as the Screen Actors Guild Secretary-Treasurer between 2005 and 2009. Between 2005 and 2022, she also served on numerous...

The polls are officially open for the 2022 Primetime Emmys, but voters will notice a somewhat glaring omission when they begin to fill out their ballots: Netflix’s acclaimed charmer Heartstopper is Mia.

A Netflix rep tells TVLine that the decision was made to submit the rookie dramedy in the newly-created Children’s & Family Emmys, which is slated to launch later this year after having previously been folded into the Daytime Emmys ceremony. It’s there that Heartstopper will be submitted in all Young Teen categories.

More from TVLineStranger Things Makes Its Nielsen Streaming Chart Debut as Fans Caught Up Ahead...

“Heartstopper” fans might have actual heart attacks on Thursday, June 16, when Primetime Emmy voting starts with the Netflix sleeper hit absent from the ballots. But worry not, the show hasn’t been dismissed from awards contention. It’ll simply be competing someplace else. Netflix told Gold Derby exclusively that they’re submitting the breakout teen dramedy to the Best Young Adult Series category at the Children’s and Family Emmys, where it will also be eligible for categories that recognize performers, writers, directors and crafts.

Children’s and family programming used to be awarded at the Daytime Emmys as such programs typically aired before prime time. However, TV has drastically changed in just the last 10 years and the distinctions between daytime and prime time have become less relevant in an era when streaming content can be viewed at any time of day. So the Television Academy that presents the Primetime...

Rebecca Damon has been named executive director of SAG-AFTRA’s New York local – a paying staff job that will require her to give up her membership in the union. Damon, an actor and voice-over performer, had previously served as the union’s executive vice president and president of the New York local – both of which are non-paying positions.

Damon replaces Jeffrey Bennett, who had been the New York local’s executive director and deputy general counsel. He moved up to general counsel when Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, who had been the general counsel, succeeded David White as national executive director.

Two other local executive directors have also been appointed: Serena Kung in Los Angeles, and Jessica Maher in New England. They had previously served as interim local executive directors. Kung succeeds Ilyanne Morden Kichaven, who retired earlier this year after 20 years of service.

“I am thrilled to appoint Serena, Rebecca and Jessica to these new roles,...

Charles Rivkin, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association, has congratulated Fran Drescher on her election as president of SAG-AFTRA.

“The last year and a half have demonstrated yet again how much we can get done as an industry when we work collaboratively together,” he said in a statement, “and I know that Fran Drescher and the new leadership team at SAG-AFTRA share a common goal with us to come out of this pandemic stronger and more unified than ever before.

“Thanks to our union partners, our industry developed strict health and safety protocols which created one of the safest work environments in the United States. Our collective coordination and resiliency allowed a quick return to production supporting over two and a half million industry jobs in all 50 states, including more than 160,000 SAG-AFTRA members. This enabled us to keep audiences entertained, informed, inspired, and connected during these unprecedented times.

Spoiler alert: This post contains massive spoilers from “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”

“Shang-Chi and the Legends of the 10 Rings,” Marvel’s first film with an Asian lead and cast, is full of cultural and mythological references.

While the titular “Legend of the 10 Rings” is a tale created for the film, other elements are rooted in Chinese culture — both traditional and modern.

Here are the Chinese customs from “Shang-Chi” explained, in order of appearance:

Breakfast porridge

When Shaun (Simu Liu) visits Katy (Awkwafina), he joins the family for breakfast. Rather than cereal, they eat rice porridge, also called jook or congee. A simple and plain dish, jook is often paired with youtiao (Chinese donuts). Before entering their house, Shaun removes his shoes outside — a common custom in Asian households. The reason? To not track in outside dirt and grime. Oftentimes, residents will wear house slippers for use indoors only.

Jodi Long has been elected president of SAG-AFTRA’s Los Angeles local, defeating Yvette Nicole Brown by a vote of 7,154 to 6,096. She succeeds Patricia Richardson as the local’s president.

The L.A. local, which represents nearly half of the union’s entire membership, long has been a stronghold for the MembershipFirst opposition party, which won all three of the local’s officer races, 11 of the 14 open national board seats and 31 of the 41 local board seats reserved for actors and performers. They were the top 10 vote-getters for the national board and the top nine for the local board.

Gabrielle Carteris, who did not seek re-election as national president, was elected as a delegate to the union’s next convention but didn’t make the cut to win one of the 14 national board seats, finishing 16th.

Long, who won a Daytime Emmy this year for her role on Netflix’s Dash & Lily,...

Fran Drescher has been elected president of SAG-AFTRA, in a narrow victory for the faction that has led the union for a dozen years.

Drescher defeated Matthew Modine, who ran on the rival Membership First slate, by a tally of 52.5% to 47.5%.

Meanwhile, Joely Fisher — who was Modine’s running mate on the Membership First slate — won the race for secretary-treasurer, defeating Drescher’s running mate, Anthony Rapp, by a margin of 57.7% to 42.3%.

Drescher will succeed Gabrielle Carteris, who has led the organization since 2016. Best known for her lead role on “The Nanny,” Drescher led the Unite for Strength slate, which has controlled the union since 2009 and is seen as the more moderate of the two factions that dominate the union’s internal politics.

In a campaign video, Drescher said she would bring “positivity and optimism” to her role as union president.

Modine, whose credits include “Full Metal Jacket” and “Stranger Things,...

This is a tale of a few tweets.

“Shang-Chi” star Simu Liu was practically giddy with excitement as he posed on the red carpet outside the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood ahead of the world premiere of Marvel Studios’ first Asian-led superhero film.

Hours before Monday night’s red carpet, Liu tweeted to his followers, asking them to “ask me a question so I don’t start to fixate on the nerves and the anxiety and the insecurity.” The roller-coaster of emotions is largely understandable given that starring in a Marvel film is a major moment in the career of any actor. But the rising star from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada — best known for his role on “Kim’s Convenience” — kept the larger significance of the event at front of mind.

“No pressure, right?” Liu quipped, speaking to Variety about the responsibility associated with being “the first,” adding, “It’s such an incredible honor.

Updated with corrected information (see below): Whoopi Goldberg, Matt Dillon, Mia Farrow, Liam Neeson, Diane Keaton, Mark Hamill, Nick Nolte and George Takei are part of an an all-star lineup of SAG-AFTRA members who have endorsed Matthew Modine for president of the union, and Joely Fisher, his running mate, for secretary-treasurer.

“I’m very happy to say that I’m going to vote for Matt Modine,” Goldberg said in a recent campaign statement video (watch it here). “I’ve known him forever and I just feel like he can get us back to a union that is representing all of us – the very oldest of us and the very newest of us. I’m very grateful that someone is willing to come in and straighten up what many of us are concerned about.”

Said Takei: “SAG-AFTRA needs a change. I have been a dues-paying member of SAG since 1959 and...

Candidates from SAG-AFTRA’s rival factions – Unite for Strength and Membership First – have staked out their positions as they vie for control of the union in its upcoming elections.

Candidates from the ruling Unite for Strength camp – led by Fran Drescher and Anthony Rapp – say in their official campaign statements that they want to build on the accomplishments the union has made in recent years, while candidates from the Membership First opposition party – led by Matthew Modine and Joely Fisher – say it’s time for a change in the union’s direction. Ballots will be mailed to members August 3 and tabulated September 2.

Modine, running for national president, says on the ballot: “I have been here, working our Union issues on the National and Local Boards for four years and have served on over 16 philanthropic and civic boards. {ModineLegacy.com} My goal: Protect the cornerstones of our Union; a thriving Health Plan,...

Fresh off her historic Daytime Emmy win, actress Jodi Long is running for president of SAG-AFTRA’s Los Angeles Local to succeed Patricia Richardson, who is not seeking re-election. Long, a longtime national and L.A. Local board member who’s running on the opposition party’s Membership First slate, will be facing off against Yvette Nicole Brown, who’s running for local president on the ruling party’s Unite for Strength’s slate.

Two years ago, Long ran for national secretary-treasurer as presidential candidate Matthew Modine’s running mate, but they lost to Gabrielle Carteris and her running mate, Camryn Manheim, who are not seeking re-election. This time, Modine and running mate Joely Fisher are squaring off against Fran Drescher and Anthony Rapp to succeed Carteris and Manheim.

“As a SAG-AFTRA national and Local board member working on numerous national committees over the past 10 years, I have been a longtime champion for diversity,...

The third and final wave of 2021 Daytime Emmy Award winners were announced on Sunday evening, and the online sudser The Bay grabbed the most gold, in four performing categories.

The Netflix adventure series The Letter for the King followed with three wins, including for guest performer Andy Serkis.

More from TVLineDaytime Emmys, Part 2: Animaniacs, Go! Go! Cory Carson Lead WinnersDaytime Emmys Apologize for Wrongly Identifying Y&r Actress Marguerite Ray During In Memoriam SegmentTV Ratings: Daytime Emmys Slip, Olympic Trials Dominate Friday

(If you were wondering how streaming programs that can be watched, well, any time of day, vie for Daytime Emmys,...

The 2021 Daytime Emmy Awards celebrated winners in the fiction and lifestyle categories with posthumous honors for Alex Trebek and Larry King, as well various other accolades going to Zac Efron, Karrueche Tran, Diego Luna, Andy Serkin, and more.

Trebek, who lost his battle against pancreatic cancer in November, won in the Outstanding Game Show Host category beating out Steve Harvey, Pat Sajak, Wayne Brady, and Alfonso Ribeiro.

King was recognized as the winner in the Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host category nearly six months after his death due to sepsis, end-stage renal failure, and acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. He competed against Tamron Hall; Red Table Talk hosts Jada Pinkett-Smith, Willow Smith, and Adrienne Banfield-Norris; Red Table Talk: The Estefans hosts Gloria Estefan, Emily Estefan, and Lili Estefan; and GMA 3 hosts Amy Robach, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, and Tj Holmes.

Both Tran and Jodi Long made history with their respective wins.

Zac Efron, Karrueche Tran, Andy Serkis, “This Old House” and “Jeopardy: The Greatest of All Time” were among the winners on Sunday night as the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced its remaining crop of Daytime Emmys winners, in the “fiction and lifestyle” fields. The 48th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards for children’s and animation categories were announced on Saturday, while other major awards were revealed via the Daytime Emmys telecast on CBS last month.

Efron won daytime program host for his Netflix series “Down to Earth with Zac Efron,” while “This Old House” was named best instructional and how-to program, Food Network’s “Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro” was named outstanding culinary series. Tran won for lead actress in a daytime fiction program, for “The Bay.” Serkis won as guest performer in a daytime fiction program, for Netflix’s “The Letter for the King.”

In the evening’s one tie,...