Series star Jenna Ortega describes her character as one of the coolest of all time in Netflix’s lengthy behind-the-scenes featurette for Wednesday season two. “To slip into the costume and tone again, it’s just so much fun.” The sneak peek video also shows off new scenes from the much-anticipated second season and reveals this upcoming season will delve deeper into the Addams Family lore.
In addition to Jenna Ortega, season two stars Emma Myers, Steve Buscemi, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzman, Isaac Ordonez, and Joy Sunday. Billie Piper, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, Moosa Mostafa, Georgie Farmer, Victor Dorobantu, Evie Templeton, Owen Painter, Noah B. Taylor, and Hunter Doohan also star. Guest stars include Jamie McShane, Joanna Lumley, Joonas Suatamo, Fred Armisen, Christopher Lloyd, Thandiwe Newton, Heather Matarazzo, and Frances O’Connor.
“Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) returns to prowl the Gothic halls of Nevermore Academy, where fresh foes and woes await. This season, Wednesday must navigate family, friends, and old adversaries, propelling her into another year of delightfully dark and kooky mayhem,” reads Netflix’s synopsis. “Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery.”
Showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar created the series and serve as writers and executive producers. Tim Burton directed episodes one, four, seven, and eight and executive produces. Additional executive producers include Steve Stark, Andrew Mittman, Meredith Averill, Karen Richards, Gail Berman, Jonathan Glickman, Tommy Harper, Kayla Alpert, and Kevin Miserocch.
So, what can fans expect? “This season, Wednesday’s journey is darker and more complex as she navigates family, friends, new mysteries, and old adversaries, propelling her headlong into another year at Nevermore,” explained co-showrunners and executive producers Gough and Millar in an interview with Tudum.
Wednesday season two part one premieres on August 6, 2025, followed by part two on September 3rd.
The teaser trailer for IT: Welcome to Derry totally captures the tone of Stephen King’s bestseller. The nearly two-minute first official teaser shows the kids getting freaked out over the weird goings-on in Derry, and ends with a long-distance shot of Pennywise the Clown.
Bill Skarsgård reprises his role as the terrifying killer clown. The series also stars Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, and Rudy Mancuso. The teaser didn’t include a premiere date, but did confirm it’s targeting a fall 2025 premiere.
“Set in the world of Stephen King’s IT universe, IT: Welcome to Derry is based on King’s IT novel and expands the vision established by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the feature films IT and IT Chapter Two,” reads HBO’s synopsis.
Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs developed the series, and Andy Muschietti directed multiple episodes. Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane are the co-showrunners, and Fuchs also wrote the first episode and serves as an executive producer. Kane, Bill Skarsgård, Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, David Coatsworth, Shelley Meals, Roy Lee, and Dan Lin also executive produce.
Prepare for a nearly three-hour nostalgic trip through all things M:I with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the eighth entry of the blockbuster franchise starring Tom Cruise. The Final Reckoning pounds home that “final” in its title, even though Tom Cruise has said he wants to keep acting until he’s in his hundreds. Look for a summer blockbuster headlined by Cruise in 2062.
Set just two months after the end of 2023’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, the current state of affairs is that digital info around the globe has been corrupted, causing bloodshed and upheaval across the planet. Only Ethan Hunt has the special skill set to shut down the artificial intelligence known as The Entity by obtaining its source code that’s on a hard drive in a sunken submarine. Of course, Ethan’s not the only one who’s aware of its location. Gabriel (Esai Morales) also knows the source code is the key to worldwide control. Whoever possesses it is essentially The Entity’s overlord.
There’s a ton of exposition in the first act of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. We learn that The Entity controls the truth and can become anyone at any time. US President Sloane (Angela Bassett) is at a loss for how to stop The Entity and reaches out directly to Ethan, thanking him for his lifetime of service, which leads to a montage of highlights of Ethan’s past heroics. However, he now needs to surrender and turn over the key that he still possesses, or else there will be blood on his hands. But Ethan doesn’t trust any government, not even America’s. That forces President Sloane’s hand, and the government also goes after the source code, basically competing with Ethan.
Ethan reunites with his gang – Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames), Grace (Hayley Atwell), and new recruits Paris (Pom Klementieff) and Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis) – but works especially closely with Grace in this outing. Gabriel’s people kidnap them early on, and a brutal fight takes place off-screen, with just grunts and blows heard and Grace’s reaction shots. That fun, though bloody, scene is a one-off, as much of what takes place over the eighth film’s incredibly trying two hours and 40 minutes is both repetitive and ludicrous.
Ethan wants to surprise the AI, which is a really smart move that he insists will work. But how he and his team go about it isn’t smart, just confusing. And that’s the issue with this final chapter. Mission: Impossible films always put Ethan Hunt through the wringer on his way to accomplishing his task and saving the world. This eighth film does the same, but there isn’t any flow. There’s no rhyme or reason, even as Ethan adamantly declares there is. Compounding matters is the constant insertion of callbacks to previous M:I films, including one in particular that tries to put the onus of the world’s current minutes-from-annihilation status firmly on his shoulders. Squint your eyes and look at it sideways. Nope, that does not help. The logic isn’t there.
The film’s sluggish start is the result of needing to fill in key points. However, given the incredibly tenuous connection to a believable throughline, the first act could have been trimmed down considerably to improve the pacing. All that’s necessary is to understand The Entity can cause an extinction-level event. The doomsday clock is just a tick away from saying goodbye, mankind, and hello, uninhabitable Earth.
The story, particularly the setup for the explosive final act, is completely devoid of any logical coherence. The third act plays out as if director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise decided they wanted to send the franchise off with two spectacular set pieces: one involving the sunken sub and the other a biplane piloted by Gabriel. Making connections between the two massive action scenes feels like mere filler. Sure, there are numerous throwbacks to Ethan’s bygone days, and a character from the past pops in to move the plot along and sort of provide a few missing pieces of the puzzle. But getting past the huge plot holes and dubious connections is a strain.
The two major set pieces are dynamic. The feeling of terror and potential loss of life is unquestionably real, and Cruise is still the man when it comes to pulling off complex stunts few other actors would ever attempt. That said, Cruise’s death-defying stunts aren’t enough of a payoff in what’s supposed to be his final outing as Ethan Hunt.
The requisite scenes of Tom Cruise running, showcasing he’s still got it, are there, and the humor and team vibe still pay off, even when Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning‘s pacing and plot let the actors and audience down. After three decades and eight films, the Mission: Impossible series wraps up with a film that’s… okay. Just okay. Not exactly the mic drop we were expecting.
GRADE: C+
Rating: PG-13 for bloody images, action, brief language, and sequences of strong violence
Running Time: 2 hours 49 minutes
Release Date: May 23, 2025
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Shemar Moore isn’t done with the world of S.W.A.T after all. Sony Pictures Television has ordered S.W.A.T. Exiles to series, with Moore reprising his role as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson. The announcement, which was released as S.W.A.T. finished up its eight season run, didn’t include any additional casting details.
“My eight seasons on S.W.A.T. have been epic and memorable. We entertained the world, defied the odds, came back from the dead twice, and continued to woo fans and families worldwide. I am excited for this next generation and iteration of S.W.A.T. with Sony. Katherine Pope, Neal H. Moritz, Jason Ning, and I will keep the franchise, thrill ride action, heartfelt drama, and storytelling of S.W.A.T. alive. WE DON’T LOSE!!!! ROLL SWAT!!!,” stated Shemar Moore.
The 10-episode season has Jason Ning (The Brothers Sun) on board as showrunner. Ning will also serve as executive producer along with Shemar Moore, Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, and James Scura.
“We are thrilled to usher this beloved franchise into a new era with S.W.A.T. Exiles,” said Keith Le Goy, Chairman of Sony Pictures Television. “We believe in championing powerful storytelling and in our teams’ exceptional ability to create and deliver these stories to audiences around the world. This belief is embedded in our DNA and central to every decision we make.”
Production is expected to get underway this summer in LA, using the 200-person crew from the CBS series.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring the next chapter of S.W.A.T. to life – both for our incredibly dedicated fans of the original franchise and for a new generation of viewers,” Katherine Pope, President, Sony Pictures Television Studios. “We’re grateful to our incredible partners Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Jason Ning, and Shemar Moore for embarking on this journey with us. This team’s commitment to the global fanbase, to our beloved crew, and to our city runs deep!”
Sony Pictures Television offered this description of the new series: “In this spin-off of the hit series, after a high-profile mission goes sideways, Daniel ‘Hondo’ Harrelson is pulled out of forced retirement to lead a last-chance experimental SWAT unit made up of untested, unpredictable young recruits. Hondo must bridge a generational divide, navigate clashing personalities, and turn a squad of outsiders into a team capable of protecting the city and saving the program that made him who he is.”
Apple TV+’s sci-fi series Murderbot continues with episode three, “Risk Assessment,” streaming on May 23, 2025. The promo clip shows the titular character considering his answer to a pivotal question and then opting not to join the humans in a hand-holding circle.
The series currently sits at 98% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and stars Alexander Skarsgård, Noma Dumezweni (Presumed Innocent) as Mensah, David Dastmalchian (Oppenheimer) as Gurathin, Sabrina Wu (Joy Ride) as Pin-Lee, Akshay Khanna (Critical Incident) as Ratthi, Tattiawna Jones (The Handmaid’s Tale) as Arada, and Tamara Podemski (Outer Range) as Bharadwaj. Skarsgård also executive produces along with series creators Chris and Paul Weitz.
“Risk Assessment” Plot:Murderbot reluctantly gets close with the PresAux team as they fly to check on another survey team that has mysteriously gone dark. When Murderbot enters the DeltFall habitat alone, it discovers more than just the massacred crew.
Alexander Skarsgard in ‘Murderbot’ (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Murderbot Season 1 Description:
Based on Martha Wells’ bestselling Hugo and Nebula Award-winning book series, Murderbot is a sci-fi comedic thriller about a self-hacking security construct who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients. Murderbot (Skarsgård) must hide its free will and complete a dangerous assignment when all it really wants is to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas and figure out its place in the universe.
Tattiawna Jones, Sabrina Wu, Noma Dumezweni and Akshay Khanna in episode 3 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)Alexander Skarsgard in episode 3 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)Alexander Skarsgard as the titular character in episode 3 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)Noma Dumezweni, Sabrina Wu, Tattiawna Jones and Alexander Skarsgard in episode 3 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
The Predator sci-fi franchise gets animated with the action-adventure film Predator: Killer of Killers. 20th Century Studios released the first trailer, introducing the three warriors at the heart of the film.
The studio also unveiled a poster and new photos from the upcoming release. Lindsay LaVanchy, Louis Ozawa, Rick Gonzalez, and Michael Biehn star.
“The anthology story follows three of the fiercest warriors in human history: a Viking raider guiding her young son on a bloody quest for revenge, a ninja in feudal Japan who turns against his Samurai brother in a brutal battle for succession, and a WWII pilot who takes to the sky to investigate an otherworldly threat to the Allied cause,” reads 20th Century Studios’ synopsis. “But while all these warriors are killers in their own right, they are merely prey for their new opponent—the ultimate killer of killers.”
Predator: Killer of Killers will premiere on June 6, 2025 on Hulu.
Dan Trachtenberg, director of the prequel Prey, is at the helm of the animated film, along with co-director Josh Wassung. Micho Robert Rutare wrote the screenplay from a story by Rutare and Trachtenberg, based on characters created by Jim Thomas and John Thomas. Trachtenberg, John Davis, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt serve as producers. Executive producers include Lawrence Gordon, James E. Thomas, John C. Thomas, and Stefan Grube.
Jonah Wren Phillips and Sally Hawkins in ‘Bring Her Back (Photo credit: Ingvar Kenne / A24)
A couple of years ago, co-directors/brothers Danny and Michael Philippou made one of the creepiest movies in recent memory with Talk to Me. That put them squarely on the horror world’s radar, and everyone couldn’t wait to see what they’d do next. Well, their sophomore feature, Bring Her Back, is here.
Bring Her Back is about a visually impaired girl named Piper (Sora Wong) whose father suddenly passes away. Along with her stepbrother, Andy (Billy Barratt from Blinded by the Light), Piper is placed in a foster home with a woman named Laura (The Shape of Water’s Sally Hawkins), who has recently lost a child. From the start, Andy and Piper feel that their new home with Laura is a bit off, but the longer they stay, the more they feel that they need to get out of there. Something is not right with Laura and her home.
Bring Her Back is an intense experience. Danny Philippou wrote the script along with Bill Hinzman (who also helped write Talk to Me), and he and his brother Michael take the inventive story and crank the atmospheric tension up to eleven. It’s visceral, immersive, and disturbing. It’s what horror is all about. And, more importantly, it’s unlike anything else. To say exactly what kind of movie it is would spoil some of the surprises, so let’s just say it flirts a bit with kindertrauma, hagsploitation, and the occult. Just know that it’s a horrifying movie.
And it’s more than just cats jumping out at the audience. Bring Her Back gets its hands dirty in many places, forcing the audience to watch through gritted teeth and covered eyes. But it’s also an engaging mystery, with elements along the way—a strange locked room, a half-empty pool, a bunch of old video cassettes—that keep the viewer wondering what’s going to come next. And that’s not even mentioning the weird foster brother Ollie (Human Error’s Jonah Wren Phillips), who’s always creeping around in the background. Perhaps best of all, the movie doesn’t provide the viewer with all of the answers, allowing everyone to assemble the puzzle in their own unique way.
While there’s no shortage of scenes to make the audience cringe with discomfort, Bring Her Back also explores some more serious themes, mainly about the processing of grief, both on the part of the child who loses a parent and on the part of the parent who loses a child. Grief manifests itself in different ways with different people, and Bring Her Back shows both extremes. The unusual thing here is that the children have the more rational coping mechanism.
Speaking of extremes, Sally Hawkins gives a stellar performance as Laura, the unhinged foster mom. In what seems like a role that would be below a “serious actor” (Hawkins is, after all, a two-time Academy Award nominee), Hawkins gives it her all. Her crazy lady vibes are up there with those of Isabelle Huppert in Greta and Octavia Spencer in Ma (two other Oscar-caliber actresses who nailed their parts while slumming it in horror movies). Bring Her Back isn’t the kind of movie that will garner a lot of awards buzz, but if it does, Hawkins needs to be in the conversation.
Basically, with Bring Her Back, Danny and Michael Philippou have done it again. It’s an even more effective horror movie than Talk to Me, which was already pretty darn effective. These guys are getting pretty close to the status of modern horror masters like Ari Aster, Robert Eggers, and Jordan Peele. One more amazing movie will do it. And I, for one, can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next.
GRADE: A
Rating: R for some grisly images, language, graphic nudity, strong violent content, and underage drinking
Running Time: 1 hour 39 minutes
Release Date: May 30, 2025
Studio: A24
The Sesame Street gang is heading to Netflix with a new season and a new format. Trump’s cuts in funding to PBS, home to Sesame Street for 55 years, threatened the critically acclaimed, incredibly important children’s program. Netflix stepped in and is working with PBS, confirming the series will continue to air for free on PBS stations in the US.
Netflix announced season 56 will premiere later this year and revealed it will be released in three batches. Sal Perez and Kay Wilson Stallings are executive producing, and Emmy, Humanitas, and NAACP Award nominee Halcyon Person will serve as head writer.
Netflix will also stream 90 hours of previous episodes.
Sesame Street comes to Netflix for season 56 (Photo Credit: Netflix)
The streamer released the following details on what families can expect from the upcoming 56th season of the award-winning series:
New ways to play along. Cookie Monster opens his very own Cookie Cart on Sesame Street. Will there be cookie chaos or a sweet treat with every adventure? Abby’s Fairy Garden is home to surprising and delightful magical creatures. What could possibly go wrong when Abby helps care for them?
To-camera moments. The characters speak directly to the viewers and invite them into the action—capturing emotions and interactions.
Animation overlays that highlight music, action, humor, and important story moments while adding visual excitement. Visual effects like wand sparkles, bubbles, and confetti will add a touch of anything-can-happen magic to the storytelling.
One 11-minute story. The longer format provides the opportunity to tell stories with even more character-driven humor and heart.
A new animated segment, Tales from 123, takes viewers INSIDE the most famous apartment building in the world where they can discover the wacky and whimsical building that Elmo, Cookie Monster, and friends call home.
The return of fan-favorite episodes of Elmo’s World and Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck.
Disney is hosting pre-release screenings of the live-action adaptation of the blockbuster family-friendly animated film Lilo & Stitch, and we’ve got free tickets to San Diego, Maui, and Honolulu screenings. The screenings will take place on May 7, 2025 at 7pm local time, and tickets (and seating) are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Lilo & Stitch is the wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family,” reads Disney’s synopsis. The live-action adaptation of Disney’s 2002 animated film stars Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis. Chris Sanders returns to voice Stitch.
The FBI spinoff FBI: Most Wanted finishes up its six season run with episode 22, directed by Ken Girotti. The season and series finale finds the team trying to prevent a terrorist attack. Episode 22, “The Circle Game,” will air on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 10pm ET/PT.
“The Circle Game” Plot: The Fugitive Task Force hunts down a rogue government operative group that is planning a domestic terror attack. Also, the team prepares for big changes.
Dylan McDermott leads the cast as Supervisory Special Agent Remy Scott. Season six also stars Shantel VanSanten as Special Agent Nina Chase, Roxy Sternberg as Special Agent Sheryll Barnes, Keisha Castle-Hughes as Special Agent Hana Gibson, and Edwin Hodge as Special Agent Ray Cannon.
FBI: Most Wanted is a high-stakes drama that focuses on the Fugitive Task Force, an elite unit that relentlessly pursues and captures the notorious criminals on the Bureau’s Most Wanted list. The team’s charming but formidable leader is Supervisory Special Agent Remy Scott, who started his career in the New York FBI field office before rising through the ranks of the Bureau in Philadelphia and Las Vegas.
The team includes Special Agent Sheryll Barnes, a former NYPD detective and forensics expert; Special Agent Hana Gibson, a gifted millennial computer whiz with a sharp wit and mad hacking skills; Special Agent Ray Cannon, who is a former New Orleans cop-turned-junior detective and worked Violent Crimes in Albany after following in his retired FBI agent father’s footsteps; along with well-seasoned Special Agent Nina Chase, who worked assorted cases with the FBI’s New York office, and among her strengths is her undercover work.
