Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames reprise their roles from the 2022 horror hit The Black Phone, in Black Phone 2. The trailer shows The Grabber is back seeking vengeance, even though Finn is sure he died. “You, of all people, should know that dead is just a word,” says the masked killer.
In addition to Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames, the sequel’s cast includes Oscar nominee Demián Bichir (The Nun), Arianna Rivas (A Working Man), Miguel Mora (The Black Phone), and Jeremy Davies. Maev Beaty (Beau is Afraid) and Graham Abbey (Under the Banner of Heaven) also star.
“Four-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke returns to the most sinister role of his career as The Grabber seeks vengeance on Finn (Thames) from beyond the grave by menacing Finn’s younger sister, Gwen. As Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity, the headstrong 15-year-old Gwen begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake,” reads Universal Pictures’ synopsis. “Determined to solve the mystery and end the torment for both her and her brother, Gwen persuades Finn to visit the camp during a winter storm.
There, she uncovers a shattering intersection between The Grabber and her own family’s history. Together, she and Finn must confront a killer who has grown more powerful in death and more significant to them than either could imagine.”
Scott Derrickson returns as writer and director, with C. Robert Cargill also back as co-writer.
Cargill, Derrickson, and Jason Blum serve as producers. Joe Hill, Adam Hendricks, and Ryan Turek executive produce.
Black Phone 2 opens in theaters on October 17, 2025.
Player 456 demands to know why they’ve kept him alive in the trailer for Netflix’s Squid Game season three. The trailer shows snippets of brutal games to come and ends with Front Man (In-Ho) asking Gi-hun if he still has faith in people.
“[Gi-hun] is in utter despair after losing everything and watching all his efforts go in vain,” explained creator Hwang Dong-hyuk. “The story then takes an interesting turn, questioning whether Gi-hun can overcome his shame and rise again to prove that values of humanity — like conscience and kindness — can exist in the arena.”
The third season will premiere on June 27, 2025.
Lee Jung-jae as Sung Gi-hun in ‘Squid Game’ season 3 (Photo Credit: Netflix)
Returning stars include Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun/Player 456, Lee Byung-hun as Front Man, Wi Ha-jun as Hwang Jun-ho, Yim Si-wan as Myung-gi/Player 333, Kang Ha-neul as Dae-ho/Player 388, Park Sung-hoon as Hyun-ju/Player 120, Yang Dong-geun as Yong-sik/Player 007, and Kang Ae-sim as Geum-ja/Player 149. Jo Yuri plays Jun-hee/Player 222, Lee David is Min-su/Player 125, Roh Jae-won is Nam-gyu/Player 124, and Park Gyu-young is No-eul.
“The third and final season of Squid Game follows Gi-hun after losing his best friend in the game and being driven to utter despair by The Front Man, who was hiding his true identity to infiltrate the game,” reads Netflix’s synopsis. “Gi-hun persists with his goal to put an end to the game, while the Front Man continues onto his next move and the surviving players’ choices will lead to graver consequences with each round.”
Will screaming, “Run!,” at the end of the Stranger Things season five premiere dates announcement is pretty much the perfect way to finish the teaser video. The streamer’s taking advantage of the year-end holidays to launch the award-winning sci-fi drama’s final season. Season five will arrive in three parts, beginning with the four-episode Volume 1 on November 26, 2025.
The three-episode Volume 2 premieres on Christmas, and the series finale will debut on New Year’s Eve. Each of the three parts will premiere at 5pm PT. The streamer previously revealed the season five episode titles are:
E1 – The Crawl
E2 – The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler
E3 – The Turnbow Trap
E4 – Sorcerer
E5 – Shock Jock
E6 – Escape from Camazotz
E7 – The Bridge
E8 – The Rightside Up
“The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding,” reads Netflix’s synopsis. “As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.”
The series stars Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, David Harbour as Jim Hopper, Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, and Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair. Noah Schnapp is Will Byers, Sadie Sink plays Max Mayfield, Natalia Dyer is Nancy Wheeler, Charlie Heaton is Jonathan Byers, Joe Keery is Steve Harrington, and Maya Hawke is Robin Buckley.
Rounding out the ensemble are Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair, Brett Gelman as Murray, Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna, Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler, and Amybeth McNulty as Vickie. Nell Fisher is Holly Wheeler, Jake Connelly is Derek Turnbow, Alex Breaux is Lt. Akers, and Linda Hamilton is Dr. Kay.
Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro (Pinocchio, The Shape of Water) finally fulfills his childhood dream with his 2025 adaptation of Mary Shelley’s iconic horror story Frankenstein. The teaser confirms that del Toro’s adaptation remains true to Shelley’s novel and is being brought to life by a master filmmaker who deeply loves the source material.
Speaking to the audience at Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event, Guillermo del Toro said, “This is, for me, the culmination of a journey that has occupied most of my life. I first read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as a kid and saw Boris Korloff in what became, for me, an almost religious state. Monsters have become my personal belief system. There are strands of Frankenstein throughout my films – Cronos, Blade, Hellboy…big time on Pinocchio…and a long, long et cetera.”
Del Toro continued, “Exploring the relationship between humanity and monsters, creator and creation, father and son, has consumed my stories again and again. I wanted to make this film before even I had a camera, and I’ve been actively pursuing it now for 25 years.”
Oscar Isaac (Dune) stars as Dr. Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi (Saltburn) as The Creature, and Mia Goth (the X trilogy) as Elizabeth Lavenza. The cast also includes Felix Kammerer (All Quiet on the Western Front), Lars Mikkelsen (The Witcher), David Bradley (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio), Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth), Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), and Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained).
“Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro adapts Mary Shelley’s classic tale of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation,” reads Netflix’s synopsis.
Jason Schwartzman as Burton in ‘Talamasca’ (Photo Credit: David Gennard/AMC)
AMC Networks just released the first photos from the latest addition to the Anne Rice Immortal Universe, Anne Rice’s Talamasca. The batch of photos includes newly announced series regular Celine Buckens (The Ex-Wife) as Doris and season one guest star Jason Schwartzman (Mountainhead) as a vampire named Burton.
Buckens and Schwartzman join previously announced series stars Nicholas Denton (Dangerous Liaisons), Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey), William Fichtner (The Dark Knight), and Maisie Richardson-Sellers (Nine Perfect Strangers). Oscar nominee John Lee Hancock and Mark Lafferty serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. Hancock also directs, and Mark Johnson, Tom Williams, Christopher Rice, and the late Anne Rice are producers.
“Produced by AMC Studios, Anne Rice’s Talamasca focuses on a secretive society called the Talamasca, comprised of the men and women responsible for tracking and containing the witches, vampires, and other creatures scattered around the globe,” reads AMC’s synopsis. Per the network: “Buckens stars as Doris, strong-willed and with an old soul; she lives with a coven of witches on a houseboat, while Schwartzman portrays Burton, a charming, rakish vampire, leading a cloistered life in a luxurious Upper West Side penthouse.”
The casting announcement and first look photos were released as part of AMC Networks’ “Vampires, Witches, and Other Secret Societies: Inside AMC’s Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe” panel at ATX TV Festival. The panel also included the announcement that Interview with the Vampire season three will start production in Toronto in June 2025. The third season will center around Lestat (Sam Reid) and his rock band as they hit the road on tour.
Season three of Mayfair Witches is currently in the writers room and will “dive deeper into the mythology of witchcraft, introduce new ‘spellbound’ families and feature some of the historical happenings of Salem.”
Celine Buckens as Doris (Photo Credit: David Gennard/AMC)Elizabeth McGovern as Helen and Nicholas Denton as Guy Anatole in season 1 (Photo Credit: David Gennard/AMC)William Fichtner as Jasper (Photo Credit: David Gennard/AMC)Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Olive (Photo Credit: David Gennard/AMC)
National Geographic goes behind the scenes of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws for the film’s 50th anniversary with the documentary Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story. Nat Geo credits the iconic film with launching its annual sharkfest, and with the celebratory documentary, fans of sharks and all things Jaws will be privy to brand-new details.
Shot on a $9-12 million-ish budget and released in June 1975, the PG-rated horror thriller is credited with being the first summer blockbuster. The 90-minute documentary, directed by Laurent Bouzereau (Faye, Music by John Williams), premieres on July 10, 2025 at 9pm ET/PT on National Geographic and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
The 50th anniversary documentary features interviews with Steven Spielberg, Joe Alves (production designer), Jonathan Filley (Cassidy), Lorraine Gary (Ellen Brody), Carl Gottlieb (Meadows, screenwriter), Jeffrey Kramer (Hendricks), Ian Shaw (son of Robert Shaw, who played Quint), Jeffrey Voorhees (Alex Kintner), and composer John Williams. Jaws fans J.J. Abrams, Emily Blunt, James Cameron, Cameron Crowe, George Lucas, Greg Nicotero, Jordan Peele, Steven Soderbergh, Guillermo del Toro, and Robert Zemeckis also discuss the impact of Spielberg’s shark film.
Nat Geo offered this description of the documentary:
“This definitive account offers an unfiltered look at the chaos and creativity behind the making of Jaws, featuring never-before-seen footage from Spielberg’s and Benchley’s personal archives, including home videos and rare outtakes. Through candid new reflections, Spielberg recounts the high-stakes production, from battling a malfunctioning mechanical shark and relentless weather delays to his own post-production PTSD and fears the film would end his career.
The documentary also reexamines the infamous ‘Jaws effect’—the wave of shark fear it unleashed—and reframes it as a legacy of awe, curiosity, and enduring respect for the ocean’s top predator. Complemented by brand-new interviews with cast, crew, filmmakers, and shark advocates, Jaws @ 50 captures the full creative and cultural shockwaves of the first summer blockbuster.
But Jaws @ 50 is more than a behind-the-scenes doc; it’s a celebration of a legacy that fueled a global shark obsession and inspired generations of scientists, storytellers, and ocean defenders. Through thoughtful conversations with leading marine advocates and scientists—including Philippe Cousteau, Candace Fields, Austin Gallagher, Gibbs Kuguru, Dr. John Mandelman (New England Aquarium), National Geographic Explorer and photographer Brian Skerry, Dr. Greg Skomal and others—the documentary explores how Jaws reshaped our relationship with the ocean and helped transform public perception of sharks, turning fear into fascination and sparking real-world conservation efforts that continue today.”
The documentary is produced for National Geographic by Amblin Documentaries and Nedland Films. Director Laurent Bouzereau, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, and Markus Keith serve as producers. Executive producers include Wendy Benchley, Laura Bowling, Tracy Rudolph Jackson, and Ted Duvall.
True Blood‘s Stephen Moyer leads the cast of Acorn TV’s crime drama Art Detectives. The first six-episode season will premiere on June 9, 2025, with new episodes debuting on subsequent Mondays.
So, what’s it about? Acorn TV offers this synopsis: “In Art Detectives, art-loving DI Mick Palmer (Moyer) and straight-talking DC Shazia Malik together solve murders connected to the world of art and antiques, from Old Master paintings to Banksy street art, medieval manuscripts, and collectible vinyl.
Each episode follows Mick and Shazia as they navigate a rich and colorful world driven by greed, obsession, lust, and revenge. Throughout the season, the artfully astute detectives encounter a fake Vermeer, Viking gold, a rare Chinese vase, and items rescued from the Titanic. Mick navigates these demanding cases while managing a budding romance with museum curator Rosa and the sudden reappearance of his charismatic father, Ron, who just happens to be one of Britain’s most notorious forgers.”
Nina Singh as DC Shazia Malik and Stephen Moyer as DI Mick Palmer in ‘Art Detectives’ (Photo Credit: Acorn TV)
In addition to Stephen Moyer, the cast includes Nina Singh (The Lazarus Project) as DC Shazia Malik, Sarah Alexander (Coupling) as Rosa, and Larry Lamb (EastEnders) as Ron.
Dan Gaster, Will Ing, Powell, Emma Goodwin, and Kitty Percy are the writers, and Jennie Paddon and Declan Recks are the directors. Series star Stephen Moyer serves as an executive producer along with Gaster, Ing, Powell, Catherine Mackin, Bea Tammer, Daniel March, and Klaus Zimmermann.
The Acorn TV Original Series is produced by Black Dog Television, Acorn Media Enterprises, Dynamic Television, and Northern Ireland Screen.
Lars Kepler’s first book, ‘The Hypnotist,” of the Killer Instinct book series
Lars Kepler’s bestselling Killer Instinct book series is being adapted into an Apple TV+ series (the confirmed title is Nocturne), with Liev Schreiber (The Perfect Couple), Zazie Beetz (Atlanta), and Stephen Graham (Adolescence) attached to star. Emmy nominees Schreiber and Beetz will also serve as executive producers, and BAFTA Award winner Rowan Joffe (Tin Star) and John Hlavin (Shooter) will serve as writers, co-showrunners, and executive producers.
The Killer Instinct novels centering around Detective Joona Linna are set in Sweden, but the series will move the action to the U.S. Filming is expected to begin on the 10-episode season in Pittsburgh this summer, with the lead character’s name switched from Joona Linna to Jonah Lynn.
“The project tells the story of Jonah Lynn (Schreiber), an ex-soldier turned homicide detective who, tired of working the tough streets of Philadelphia, moves to a small town in Western Pennsylvania for a quiet life,” reads Apple TV+’s synopsis. “But, as the town and his family come under attack from the diabolically cunning serial killer Jurek Walter (Graham), Jonah must protect all that he holds dear. When the desperate search for Jurek’s last missing victim forces Jonah to send his adopted daughter, FBI Agent Saga Bauer (Beetz), up against Jurek, how far will Jonah go?”
The crime novels by Lars Kepler (the pseudonym of married couple Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and Alexander Ahndoril) have sold more than 18 million copies. The Ahndorils will be involved in the adaptation as executive producers along with Dorothy Fortenberry, Niclas Salomonsson, Øystein Karlsen, and David Rysdahl. Emmy and DGA Award winner Tim Van Patten (Black Mirror) will direct the first two episodes and executive produce.
The untitled series will be produced for Apple TV+ by A+E Studios in association with Range Studios.
AMC’s official Nautilus trailer teases Captain Nemo’s epic underwater escape and quest for revenge against the East India Company. Inspired by Jules Verne’s bestselling novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Nautilus is set to premiere on June 29, 2025 at 9pm ET/PT with the release of the first two episodes.
New episodes of the 10 episode season will air on AMC and AMC+ on Sunday.
Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery) stars as Captain Nemo, Georgia Flood (Apples Never Fall) plays Humility Lucas, Céline Menville (Emily in Paris) is Loti, and Thierry Fremont (Liaison) plays Benoit. Richard E. Grant, Anna Torv, and Noah Taylor guest star.
“Nautilus follows Nemo’s (Latif) mission to enact revenge on the East India Mercantile Company, who took everything from him. He audaciously steals a prototype submarine from the penal colony in which he is imprisoned, escaping into the ocean with a motley crew of fellow prisoners,” reads AMC’s synopsis. “Nemo plans to reach the fabled Viking treasure buried at the Pillars of Halvar. But first, he must win the trust of his crew and keep out of the clutches of the ruthless East India Mercantile Company, who will do whatever it takes to stop him.”
The action-adventure series was developed by Moonriver TV’s Xavier Marchand and Seven Stories’ Anand Tucker who also serve as producers. James Dormer is the writer and executive produces along with Johanna Devereaux, Chris Loveall, Colleen Woodcock, and Daisy Gilbert. Michael Matthews is the lead director, and Cameron Welsh is a producer.
In the summer of ’84, movie fans met Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), who showed his new young friend Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) how to use karate to handle bullies in The Karate Kid. Now, over 40 years later, the spirit and legacy of that first film are revived on the big screen in Karate Kid: Legends.
Karate Kid: Legends begins with Mr. Han (Jackie Chan, reprising his role from the 2010 remake) teaching kung fu to students at his dojo in Beijing. Han lets his nephew Li Fong (Ben Wang, American Born Chinese) practice, even though it’s against Li’s mother’s wishes. Looking for a fresh start, Li’s mom (Ming-Na Wen) moves with Li to New York City with a new rule… ”No fighting!”
Li quickly makes friends with Mia (Sadie Stanley, Cruel Summer), a neighborhood girl whose father, Victor (Joshua Jackson, Doctor Odyssey), is an ex-boxer who owns a small but popular pizzeria. Trouble quickly finds Li when Mia’s ex-boyfriend Connor Day (Aramis Knight, Into the Badlands) spots the two of them riding the subway and is filled with anger and jealousy. Connor overreacts and sucker-punches Li as he and Mia are leaving. Mia warns Li to avoid Connor because he’s an expert at karate who happens to be the current champion of the 5 Boroughs Tournament, a karate competition for big money.
Life gets more complicated for Li when he starts to fall for Mia and gets to know her dad. Li finds out that Victor is in big debt to Connor’s karate teacher/MMA trainer O’Shea (Tim Rozon, Surreal Estate) and could lose the pizzeria.
Mr. Han surprises Li and his mom by visiting unannounced. When he learns what’s troubling Li, Han advises Li that he must train to compete in the karate tournament to help Mia, Victor, and himself. Mr. Han’s aware that Li’s kung fu skills won’t be enough to defeat Connor, so he takes it on himself to get help.
Mr. Han visits Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) in Los Angeles, and here’s where the big connection to the original 1984 film comes in. It turns out Han and Mr. Miyagi were friends many years ago, not long after Daniel was trained by Mr. Miyagi.
“Li means to me what you meant to Sensei Miyagi. I want Li to learn Miyagi karate,” says Han. “I’m sorry, Mr. Han, I wish I could help you,” replies Daniel. “You will,” says Mr. Han.
Daniel insists he’s not going to New York, but Mr. Han remains undaunted. “I will see you in the Big Apple,” says a cheerful Mr. Han, fully aware that Daniel won’t be able to resist helping him.
Of course, Mr. Han is right. Daniel shows up in NY, and together he and Mr. Han instruct Li on a combination of kung fu and karate that will ultimately make him the new Karate Kid.
Exceptionally well directed by Jonathan Entwistle, Karate Kid: Legends is a crowd-pleasing, classic root-for-the-underdog film that has exciting fight sequences and captures the nostalgia of the ‘80s. It’s a feel-good, audience-cheering movie.
Jackie Chan steals almost every scene he’s in as Mr. Han, the Kung Fu master who has a surprise connection to Mr. Miyagi, played by the late, great Pat Morita. Chan infuses both humor and heart into his scenes with Macchio and Wang.
Ben Wang is perfectly cast as Li, the good-natured, extremely likeable young man who is trying to make a new home for himself in New York while still struggling with guilt he feels from a recent family tragedy. Wong has a true presence on the screen and real chemistry with all his fellow cast members. He also has very impressive martial arts skills.
Another big plus is the impressive fight choreography, making it look incredibly fast but also real, except for the scene involving debt-collecting thugs in an alley. The fight scenes do not, however, surpass those in the original film, which remain legendary.
One of the few drawbacks that might have fans of the Cobra Kai series a little disappointed is that Ralph Macchio’s character doesn’t appear in the film until well into the second half. Still, Macchio owns the role of Daniel LaRusso, and to see him pair up with Jackie Chan is martial arts magic. The scenes with Daniel and Mr. Han training Li and trying to one-up each other are cinema gold.
Charming and exciting, Karate Kid: Legends stands out as the best sequel to the original film to date. Fans of The Karate Kid franchise and the Cobra Kai series will walk away entertained.
GRADE: B
Rating: PG-13 for some language and martial arts violence
Release Date: May 30, 2025
Running Time: 1 hour 34 minutes
Studio: Columbia Pictures
