XYZ Films confirmed SXSW standout Hallow Road will have a US theatrical release. The psychological thriller starring Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, Saltburn) and Emmy winner Matthew Rhys (The Americans, Perry Mason) opened in the UK on May 16, 2025 and will arrive in US theaters this fall.
The thriller, which currently sits at 92% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, also stars Megan McDonnell (Normal People). BAFTA winner Babak Anvari (Under the Shadow) directed and William Gillies wrote the screenplay.
“In the film, two parents enter a race against time when they receive a distressing late-night phone call from their daughter,” reads XYZ Films’ synopsis. “As they head deeper into the night, disturbing revelations threaten to tear the family apart as they realize they might not be the only ones driving down Hallow Road.”
Two & Two Pictures’ Lucan Toh, London Film & TV’s Ian Henry, and XYZ Films produced.
Rosamund Pike’s credits include The Wheel of Time, Moominvalley, and People Who Knew Me. Pike recently finished up work on In the Green, from writer/director Guy Ritchie and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Henry Cavill, and Eiza González. Pike also has Now You See Me: Now You Don’t opening in theaters this November.
Matthew Rhys followed up his riveting run as a Russian spy in The Americans with A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Perry Mason, and Saturday Night. Rhys will next be seen in the Netflix limited series The Beast in Me along with Claire Danes, Brittany Snow, Natalie Morales, and David Lyons.
Poster for ‘Hallow Road’ (Photo Credit: XYZ Films)
A scene from ‘Haunted Hotel’ (Photo Credit: Netflix)
Netflix just released new details on Haunted Hotel, Rick & Morty‘s Matt Roller new animated series. The animated comedy will feature the voices of Will Forte, Eliza Coupe, Skyler Gisondo, Natalie Palamides. and Jimmi Simpson.
“I’m thrilled to be working with Netflix and an amazingly talented cast and crew to bring to life the stories of the dead, the evil, and the struggling hospitality workers at the Undervale Hotel,” said Roller.
The casting announcement was accompanied by the first four stills from the animated series previously titled The Undervale. Netflix has set a September 19, 2025 release date.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Rick & Morty‘s Erica Hayes is the supervising director, and Roller, Steve Levy (Rick and Morty, Community), Chris McKenna (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Far From Home), and Dan Harmon (Rick and Morty, Community) executive produce. Titmouse’s Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio, and Ben Kalina also serve as executive producers.
“Haunted Hotel is wildly inventive and I’m very grateful to Matt, Chris, Dan, and their team for bringing their talents to Netflix,” stated Billy Wee, Netflix Director of Adult Animation to Tudum. “They are phenomenal collaborators, and I can’t wait for fans all over the world to experience this hilarious show.”
Grab the tissues. The teaser trailer for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale has fans teary-eyed and confessing to not being prepared to say goodbye to the Crawleys.
The third and final feature film stars original cast members Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley, Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith, Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary, Elizabeth McGovern as Cora Crawley, Jim Carter as Mr. Carson, Phyllis Logan as Mrs. Hughes, and Penelope Wilton as Isobel Merton. Robert James-Collier, Joanne Froggatt, Allen Leech, Lesley Nicol, Michael Fox, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle, Harry Hadden-Paton, Paul Copley, Sophie McShera, and Douglas Reith also return for the third film.
Dominic West reprises his role as Guy Dexter from Downton Abbey: A New Era, and Paul Giamatti returns as Cora Grantham’s brother Harold Levinson. New additions include Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale, and Arty Froushan.
“Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, the cinematic return of the global phenomenon, follows the Crawley family and their staff as they enter the 1930s,” reads Focus Features’ synopsis. “As the beloved cast of characters navigates how to lead Downton Abbey into the future, they must embrace change and welcome a new chapter.”
Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes wrote the screenplay, and Simon Curtis directed. Fellowes, Gareth Neame, and Liz Trubridge are the producers, with Nigel Marchant executive producing.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will open in theaters on Friday, September 12, 2025.
Netflix’s critically acclaimed relationship comedy Nobody Wants This will kick off season two on Thursday, October 23, 2025. Kristen Bell and Adam Brody return to star, reprising their roles as Joanne and Noah.
Returning cast members also include Justine Lupe as Morgan, Timothy Simons as Sasha, and Jackie Tohn as Esther. Season two guest stars include Leighton Meester as Abby, Joanne’s middle school nemesis who is now an Instagram mommy influencer; Miles Fowler as Lenny, Noah’s Matzah Ballers teammate who gets set up with Morgan; and Alex Karpovsky as Big Noah, an overly confident rabbi at Noah’s temple.
Arian Moayed guest stars as Dr. Andy, a charming, highly regarded (particularly by himself) psychotherapist who might just be the perfect match for Morgan.
“An agnostic podcast host and an unconventional rabbi on the rebound walk into a party. When they walk out — together — the unlikely pair, Joanne and Noah, can tell there is something between them,” reads Netflix’s synopsis. “But also potentially between them, with their differing outlooks on life, all of the modern obstacles to love, and their sometimes well-meaning, sometimes sabotaging families — including her sister Morgan and his brother Sasha.”
Erin Foster created the series and serves as writer and executive producer. Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan are co-showrunners and executive producers. Additional executive producers include Kristen Bell, Sara Foster, Steven Levitan, Danielle Stokdyk, Jeff Morton, Oly Obst, and Nora Silver.
Young the Giant will be hitting the road for their In The Open 2025 Acoustic Tour beginning on August 15 at Waikiki Shell in Honolulu, HI. The tour stops in cities including Los Angeles, Tucson, and Washington DC before wrapping up on October 7 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO.
“‘In The Open’ has been our superpower as a band since we started playing music together. There’s something so thrilling about reimagining our music in a way that’s more improvised, less controlled, and in a place you wouldn’t expect,” stated Young the Giant. “We’re hoping to bring this feeling to you in our new tour Young the Giant: In The Open. While we can’t play a full set for you under a bridge or on a cliffside, we hope these beautiful intimate venues will give you the same feeling.”
Tickets for the acoustic tour, described as “an intimate concert experience performed in beautiful spaces,” will go on sale on June 6, 2025 at 10am local time. Special presales take place on June 3-5.
Young the Giant is made up of Sameer Gadhia (vocals), Jacob Tilley (guitar), Eric Cannata (guitar), Francois Comtois (drums) and Payam Doostzadeh (bass). The group will be teaming up with REVERB on their acoustic tour, supporting the nonprofit’s Music Decarbonization Project.
Young the Giant North American Tour Dates
June 6 – Let’s Go Music Festival – Crownsville, MD #
June 27 – Hard Rock Casino – Cincinnati, OH (w/ Joywave)
June 28 – Summerfest – Milwaukee, WI #
July 11 – Citi Field – Queens, NY (Supporting The Lumineers)
July 12 – Tropicana Atlantic City – Atlantic City, NJ
July 13 – Freeman Arts Pavilion – Selbyville, DE
July 17 – Fenway Park – Boston, MA (Supporting The Lumineers)
July 19 – Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino – Niagara Falls, NY
August 15 – Waikiki Shell – Honolulu, HI (w/ Cold War Kids)
September 4 – The Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA (performing debut album)
September 5 – The Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA (performing Mind Over Matter)
September 6 – Meritage Resort – Napa, CA *
September 9 – Quarry Amphitheater – Santa Cruz, CA *
September 10 – Pappy & Harriet’s – Pioneertown, CA *
September 12 – OC Fair – Costa Mesa, CA (w/ Wilderado)
September 13 – Whale Rock Music & Arts Festival – Templeton, CA #
September 15 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ *
September 18 – Fountain Street Church – Grand Rapids, MI *
September 21 – Lincoln Theatre – Washington, DC *
September 22 – Lincoln Theatre – Washington, DC *
September 25 – The National – Richmond, VA *
September 26 – Firefly Distillery – Charleston, SC *
September 27 – The Coves Amphitheater – Union Hall, VA *
September 27-28 – Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival – Franklin, TN #
October 2 – Athenaeum Center – Chicago, IL *
October 3 – Athenaeum Center – Chicago, IL *
October 5 – Uptown Theater – Kansas City, MO *
October 7 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO (w/ Saint Motel)
# festival date
*w/ special guest Cassandra Coleman
Paramount Animation’s Smurfs unveiled its full soundtrack list just days ahead of its June 13, 2025 release. The soundtrack’s 14 tracks include songs from Rihanna, Tyla, DJ Khaled, Cardi B, and Shenseea. Rihanna also stars as Smurfette in the family friendly feature film opening in theaters on July 18th.
The cast also includes John Goodman, James Corden, Nick Offerman, JP Karliak, Daniel Levy, Amy Sedaris, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Jimmy Kimmel, and Octavia Spencer. In addition, Nick Kroll, Hannah Waddingham, Alex Winter, Maya Erskine, Billie Lourd, Xolo Maridueña, Marshmello, and Kurt Russell voice characters in the latest entry of the long-running franchise.
“When Papa Smurf (Goodman) is mysteriously taken by evil wizards, Razamel and Gargamel, Smurfette (Rihanna) leads the Smurfs on a mission into the real world to save him,” reads Paramount Animation’s synopsis. “With the help of new friends, the Smurfs must discover what defines their destiny to save the universe.”
‘Smurfs’ soundtrack
SMURFS MOVIE SOUNDTRACK TRACKLIST
1. Milenge by Natania
2. Celebrate by Natania
3. Friend Of Mine by Rihanna
4. Higher Love by DESI TRILL feat. DJ Khaled, Cardi B, Natania and Subhi
5. Liar For A Living by Natania
6. It Takes A Village by Natania and The Indian Connect
7. Big Dreams by James Fauntleroy
8. To Me by Lous and the Yakuza
9. Did We by Natania
10. Balle Balouza by Natania, Subhi and The Indian Connect
11. Everything Goes With Blue by Tyla
12. It’s My Party by Shenseea
13. Always On The Outside by James Corden
14. Higher Calling by The Indian Connect
Chris Miller directs and Pam Brady wrote the screenplay. Producers include Jay Brown, Ty Ty Smith, Robyn Rihanna Fenty, and Ryan Harris. Pete Chiappetta, Anthony Tittanegro, and Andrew Lary serve as executive producers.
Apple TV+’s preview clip of Murderbot episode five shows the titular character shocked to discover it’s engaging in a real conversation. Episode five, “Rogue War Tracker Infinite,” will stream on Friday, June 6, 2025.
“Rogue War Tracker Infinite” Plot: Back at the habitat, the PresAux team, now joined by the lone DeltFall survivor Leebeebee (guest star Anna Konkle), works to save the injured Murderbot. Gurathin begins to unravel some of the SecUnit’s secrets. Mensah and Murderbot risk all to save the others.
The series stars Alexander Skarsgård as the titular character, 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.
Akshay Khanna, Alexander Skarsgård and Sabrina Wu in ‘Murderbot’ episode 5 (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.
Alexander Skarsgård, Akshay Khanna, Tamara Podemski, Anna Konkle, Sabrina Wu, Tattiawna Jones and David Dastmalchian in episode 5 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)Tamara Podemski, Alexander Skarsgård, Akshay Khanna, Noma Dumezweni, David Dastmalchian and Sabrina Wu in episode 5 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)Tamara Podemski and Alexander Skarsgård in episode 5 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)Tattiawna Jones, Anna Konkle and Noma Dumezweni in episode 5 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
John Krasinski, Domhnall Gleeson and Natalie Portman in ‘Fountain of Youth’ (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Despite a big-name cast, Guy Ritchie’s latest action-adventure, Fountain of Youth, is a surprisingly shallow experience. The film tries for a fun, witty vibe but misses the mark entirely, coming off as a watered-down version of far better treasure-hunt movies. At its best, it’s a sort of National Treasure-lite, but those brief moments don’t come close to justifying the two-hour runtime, which feels like a real grind.
Four-time Emmy nominee John Krasinski’s normally able to lift average material, but not in this case. Oscar winner Natalie Portman also doesn’t inject anything special into the globe-trotting adventure. The fight scenes feel generic, and the stunts give off a serious “been there, done that” vibe. And Fountain of Youth‘s fantastical setups, while expected to be outlandish in this genre, are just so weirdly staged that nothing ever really comes together coherently.
The film opens with Luke (Krasinski) being chased through the streets of Bangkok on a scooter as his pursuers attempt to steal a tube off his back. Luke drives up and down flights of stairs, through a marketplace, and winds up stealing a different scooter with a flaming cart attached before making an improbable escape onto a moving train.
From there, the plot, which involves a quest for the titular mythical spring, quickly devolves into a series of frenetic set pieces.
The hijinks continue on board the train when Luke meets a woman (Eiza González, 3 Body Problem) who knows his name but won’t give hers (we eventually learn it’s Esme). She’s after the painting inside his tube, which leads to a flirty skirmish between them while a much larger fight rages on around them.
The action then awkwardly shifts to Charlotte (Portman) in Trafalgar Square, dealing with a nasty divorce and custody battle over her son. Her brother, Luke, pops in, surprising her at her museum job. He tries to get her to relive their “great adventures,” and she reminds him they’ve had to grow up. But of course, her protestations mean nothing when she joins him and their dad’s old team in their hunt for the Fountain of Youth.
John Krasinski and Natalie Portman absolutely do not sell the sibling connection. Laz Alonso (The Boys) and Carmen Ejogo (The Penguin) play underdeveloped fellow treasure hunters who were part of Luke and Charlotte’s dad’s old team. Domhnall Gleeson (The Patient) doesn’t fare any better as Owen, a billionaire who convinces the team that the Fountain of Youth is real and funds their hunt. Additional supporting players include Arian Moayed as an Interpol agent and Benjamin Chivers as Charlotte’s precocious son, Thomas. Stanley Tucci cameos as Esme’s boss, the only really intriguing character in the film.
Fountain of Youth‘s attempts at humor often fall flat, and the lack of engaging characters among the leads is a hurdle that even the intense action sequences can’t overcome. And speaking of the action sequences, as the story progresses, the characters find themselves involved in increasingly outlandish scenarios, which is, again, par for the genre’s course. But the bounds of credulity are stretched way too far with a deeply questionable underwater recovery operation.
Although Fountain of Youth offers a few stunning visual effects, these fleeting moments are quickly overshadowed by a plot that just doesn’t hold up. The movie’s pacing is all over the place, and throwing in that impending divorce storyline feels completely out of left field and unnecessary.
The overarching mystery ultimately proves difficult to invest in. Fountain of Youth boasts a talented cast and some ambitious set pieces, but a muddled script, uninspired action, and a sense of trying too hard kill the fun.
GRADE: D+
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: May 23, 2025, streaming on Apple TV+
Running Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
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.”
