Netflix has set a June 19, 2025 premiere date for The Waterfront, starring Holt McCallany, Jake Weary, Maria Bello, and Melissa Benoist. Based on actual events, the eight-episode drama was written and executive produced by showrunner Kevin Williamson (Scream, The Vampire Diaries).
The season one cast also includes Rafael L. Silva, Humberly González, Danielle Campbell, and Brady Hepner.
“For decades, the Buckley family has ruled Havenport, North Carolina, dominating everything from the local fishing industry to the town’s restaurant scene. But their fishing empire has started to crumble as patriarch Harlan Buckley (McCallany) recovers from two heart attacks, and his wife Belle (Bello) and son Cane (Weary) venture into the deep end to keep the family businesses afloat,” reads Netflix’s synopsis. “As their attempts spiral out of control and into treacherous waters, Harlan steps back in to take command. Facing her own demons, Buckley daughter Bree (Benoist)—an addict in recovery who’s lost custody of her son—finds herself entangled in a complicated relationship that could threaten the family’s future forever.”
Speaking with Netflix’s Tudum, Williamson described the series as being about a bunch of people who make mistakes. “They do some bad things, and then they get in deeper and deeper and deeper,” said Williamson. “Sometimes they keep making worse mistakes, and sometimes they find their way out and do the good thing.”
Topher Grace, Dave Annable, Michael Gaston, Gerardo Celasco, and Zach Roerig guest star. Filmed in North Carolina, the drama has Michael Narducci, Marcos Siega, and Outerbanks Entertainment’s Ben Fast involved as executive producers.
Jennifer Lopez will host the 2025 AMAs (Photo Credit: CBS)
Jennifer Lopez returns to host the 2025 American Music Awards, taking the stage to guide the ceremony 10 years after making her AMAs hosting debut. Lopez will also perform during the awards show airing live on CBS on Monday, May 26th at 5pm PT/8pm ET.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer Lopez back to host the American Music Awards,” said Jay Penske, CEO, Dick Clark Productions. “Jennifer’s incredible talent and incomparable stage presence make her the ideal host of the show. We know she will bring her one-of-a-kind energy to the official kick off celebration of summer.”
This year’s ceremony is taking place in Las Vegas.
“Celebrating the year’s most iconic music, the American Music Awards is the world’s largest fan-voted award show honoring today’s most influential artists and their passionate fanbases,” reads CBS’s description of the annual awards show. “Each Memorial Day, the AMAs pays special tribute to our U.S. troops and veterans through authentic performances and unforgettable moments.”
Jennifer Lopez has won three AMA awards and has sold over 80 million records. Lopez also holds the record as the only female artist with a number one film and number one album at the same time.
Over the years, horror juggernauts Blumhouse Productions have built a stable of creatives that they’ve been able to pull from to make their movies. So, what do they get when they team up director Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones) with writers Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach (Fantasy Island and Truth or Dare)? They get their newest suspense flick, Drop.
Drop is about a young, widowed mother named Violet (Meghann Fahy from The White Lotus) who, in an effort to jumpstart her social life, makes a date on a dating app with a guy named Henry (Brandon Sklenar from 1923). The two meet at a romantic high-rise restaurant, and things seem to be going well. Except for the fact that their date is constantly being interrupted by someone who keeps sending Violet photo drops on her phone. The drops go from annoying to threatening, and finally they wind up giving her tasks to complete without anyone else in the restaurant knowing. If she doesn’t? The dropper will kill her young son.
If that sounds a bit familiar, it’s because Jacobs’ and Roach’s script for Drop owes a debt of gratitude to Wes Craven’s 2005 thriller Red Eye. But, since we’re a generation removed from that awesome movie, we’re going to forgive.
The setup for Drop is captivating. The anonymity of the villain who is manipulating Violet is a nightmare, causing anxiety about not only social media and online dating but privacy in general. The movie is an exercise in paranoia, with the single location trapping the viewer with Violet. Landon cleverly uses graphic overlays to show communication between the heroine and the villain in order to move the story along and even uses some visual tricks to facilitate red herrings and false alarms to keep the mystery going. It all works well to build momentum for the first two acts.
Unfortunately, Drop falls apart in the third. It feels like Jacobs and Roach wrote themselves into a corner and didn’t quite know how to get Violet out of her situation in a satisfying way. The stakes keep rising over the course of the narrative, and things get more and more ridiculous, which in itself isn’t entirely bad. That makes for a fun movie. But, in Drop’s case, things eventually kind of snap, and it goes from fun to just plain corny.
Now, none of this is Christopher Landon’s fault. His direction is solid, and he makes the most out of what he was given. Neither does the blame for this shift fall at the feet of Meghann Fahy or Brandon Sklenar, both of whom are terrific at portraying the most awkward first date ever. Bonus points go to Jeffery Self (Search Party) who plays the couple’s waiter and both observes the awkwardness and contributes to it with his over-the-top performance. Matt the waiter is all of us watching these poor people try to get through a date under these unusual circumstances.
No, the flaws in Drop are squarely in the screenplay. It’s one of those movies that keeps supplying information and sneakily providing clues in a way that has the audience just hoping and praying that it’s able to reel it all in and stick the landing, and unfortunately, it doesn’t.
Drop is 3/4ths of a good movie. It starts out very strong but slowly peters out. It’s worth seeing just for the setup and the cool premise, just don’t expect these characters to find a logical way out of their predicament. It’s no Red Eye. It’s more of a Phone Booth or a Grand Piano. It works until it doesn’t.
GRADE: C+
Rating: PG-13 for some strong language, sexual references, strong violent content, and suicide
Release Date: April 11, 2025
Running Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Studio: Universal Pictures
Pedro Pascal and Catherine O’Hara in ‘The Last of Us’ season 3 (Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO)
HBO is not keeping fans waiting, announcing an early renewal of The Last of Us for season three. Season two is set to premiere on April 13, 2025, with new episodes of the seven episode season airing on Sundays at 9pm ET/PT.
“We approached season two with the goal of creating something we could be proud of. The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew,” said Craig Mazin, creator, executive producer, writer, and director. “We look forward to continuing the story of The Last of Us with season three!”
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey return to lead the season two cast as Joel and Ellie. Season two also stars Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Rutina Wesley as Maria, Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, and Ariela Barer as Mel. Tati Gabrielle is Nora, Spencer Lord is Owen, Danny Ramirez is Manny, and Jeffrey Wright is Isaac.
“To see The Last of Us brought to life so beautifully and faithfully has been a career highlight for me, and I am grateful for the fans’ enthusiastic and overwhelming support,” stated Neil Druckmann, creator, executive producer, writer, and director. “Much of that success is thanks to my partner in crime, Craig Mazin, our partnership with HBO, and our team at PlayStation Productions. On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog, our cast, and crew, thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity. We’re thrilled to bring you more of The Last of Us!”
Based on Naughty Dog’s video game, the critically acclaimed series is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. Carolyn Strauss, Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Evan Wells also executive produce, with Halley Gross writing and co-executive producing.
HBO offers this season two synopsis: “Five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.”
Alexander Skarsgard stars as a security unit robot that no longer has to obey humans in Apple TV+’s Murderbot. The trailer shows Skarsgard explaining its situation. “I was built to protect and obey humans. And humans…are idiots,” says Skarsgard. “But now that I’ve hacked my programming, I can do whatever I want.”
Season one also stars Noma Dumezweni, David Dastmalchian, Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna, Tattiawna Jones, and Tamara Podemski.
“Murderbot is a sci-fi thriller/comedy about a self-hacking security construct who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients,” reads Apple TV+’s synopsis. “Played by Skarsgård, Murderbot 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.”
Based on Martha Wells’ best-selling, Hugo, and Nebula Award-winning book series The Murderbot Diaries, the sci-fi series comes from Oscar nominees Chris and Paul Weitz. Wells is involved as a consulting producer, and Chris and Paul Weitz serve as writers, producers, and directors. Executive producers include Alexander Skarsgard, Andrew Miano, David S. Goyer, and Keith Levine.
The 10-episode season premieres on May 16, 2025 with the first two episodes. New episodes stream on Fridays.
NCIS: Los Angeles‘ Daniela Ruah directs CBS’s The Equalizer season five episode 15 which involves a possible catfishing situation. Episode 15, “Deception,” will air on Sunday, April 13, 2025 at 10pm ET/PT.
Queen Latifah stars as Robyn McCall, Tory Kittles is Detective Marcus Dante, Adam Goldberg is Harry Keshegian, and Liza Lapira is Melody “Mel” Bayani. Laya DeLeon Hayes plays Delilah and Lorraine Toussaint is Viola “Vi” Marsette.
“Deception” Plot: The team suspects Aunt Vi’s friend Evelyn is being taken advantage of by a con man. Meanwhile, McCall decides to take the day off equalizing and spend quality time with Delilah. The episode was written by Joe Gazzam and Rob Hanning.
“The Equalizer is a reimagining of the classic series starring Academy Award nominee and multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills as a former CIA operative to help those with nowhere else to turn. McCall presents to most as an average single mom who is quietly raising her teenage daughter. But to a trusted few, she is The Equalizer—an anonymous guardian angel and defender of the downtrodden, who’s also dogged in her pursuit of personal redemption.
Robyn’s clandestine work and her personal life often collide when her smart and observant daughter, Delilah, and her aunt Vi, who lives with Robyn to help her balance life as a working mother, struggle to conceal her vigilante career. While Robyn worries about the mental and emotional toll her work exacts on her family, she is joined in her pursuit of justice by Melody “Mel” Bayani, an edgy bar owner and sniper from Robyn’s past who recently quit the Equalizer team to recover from post-traumatic stress disorder, and Harry Keshegian, a paranoid and brilliant white-hat hacker married to Mel.
As Robyn aids the oppressed and exploited, she sometimes works with Marcus Dante, an NYPD detective and trusted friend who respects the need for Robyn’s type of justice even as he often questions her methods.”
Patrick Brammall as Gordon and Harriet Dyer as Ashley in ‘Colin From Accounts’ season 2 (PHOTO CREDIT: Paramount+)
BAFTA-nominated comedy Colin From Accounts is returning for a third season. Paramount+ confirmed the renewal but didn’t announce a target launch date for the upcoming season.
“We’re VERY excited to bring you season three of our show,” stated series creators, writers, executive producers, and stars Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer. “To be honest, with the way we ended season two, it would have been weird not to make a third, so here we are. We promise we won’t leave you hanging like that again. Probably.”
In addition to Brammall and Dyer, season two starred Emma Harvie, Genevieve Hegney, Michael Logo, Helen Thomson, Darren Gilshenan, and Annie Maynard. Tai Hara, Glenn Hazeldine, Celeste Barber, Virginia Gay, Justin Rosniak, John Howard, Lynne Porteus, and Broden Kelly rounded out the ensemble.
“Colin From Accounts is a romantic comedy about flawed, funny people choosing each other and embracing the all-too-relatable chaos of modern life. After Gordon (Brammall) and Ashley (Dyer) are brought together in season one by a spontaneous nipple flash and the subsequent accident that injured the titular (no pun intended) dog, season two of the hit series opens with Ash and Gordon now living together and trying to get their beloved, special needs dog, Colin, back from his new owners,” reads Paramount+’s season two synopsis. “It’s the first in a series of hurdles for the new couple as they find out more about each other, for better and worse.”
Kevin Greene produced the critically acclaimed comedy, and Brammall, Dyer, Alison Hurbert-Burns, Lana Greenhalgh, Trent O’Donnell, Rob Gibson, and Ian Collie executive produced.
LA’s police are the targets of a killer on CBS’s SWAT season eight episode 17. Directed by Ben Bray, episode 17 – “The Enemy Within” – will air on Friday, April 11, 2025 at 10pm ET/PT.
Season eight stars Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay, David Lim as Victor Tan, Patrick St. Esprit as Commander Robert Hicks, and Anna Enger Ritch as Zoe Powell. Annie Ilonzeh is Devin Gamble and Niko Pepaj plays Miguel “Miko” Alfaro.
“The Enemy Within” Plot: When three of L.A.’s finest are targeted and gunned down in the street, Hondo and 20-Squad enlist the help of LAPD psychologist Dr. Wendy Hughes to assist in stopping a murderous rampage, reopening old wounds tied to the department’s failed response to a school shooting.
S.W.A.T. stars Shemar Moore as a former Marine and locally born and raised SWAT sergeant tasked to run a specialized tactical unit that is the last stop in law enforcement in Los Angeles. Torn between loyalty to where he was raised and allegiance to his brothers in blue, Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson strives to bridge the divide between his two worlds.
Committed to the job, Hondo is equally devoted to his marriage and fatherhood. The other members of Hondo’s elite S.W.A.T. unit include David “Deacon” Kay, an experienced S.W.A.T. officer and dedicated family man who always puts the team first; Victor Tan, who started in the LAPD Hollywood Division and uses his confidential informants in the community to help the team; Zoe Powell, a tough and loyal team member trying to reconnect with the son she gave up for adoption as a teen; and Miguel “Miko” Alfaro, a headstrong officer who overcame a troubled childhood, and is now a trusted 20-Squad addition following a rocky transfer to Los Angeles S.W.A.T.
Responsible for the management of all Metro Division S.W.A.T. units is Commander Robert Hicks, a senior LAPD official with the Special Operations Bureau. With Hondo leading the charge, these dedicated men and women bravely put themselves at risk to protect their community and save lives.
FX’s Snowflakes has a new title and a confirmed premiere date. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon‘s Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw’s new ensemble comedy is now titled Adults and will debut with the release of its first two episodes on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 9pm ET/PT.
The eight-episode season stars Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer, Jack Innanen, Amita Rao, and Owen Thiele. Just announced guest stars include Charlie Cox, Julia Fox, D’Arcy Carden, Grace Kuhlenschmidt, John Reynolds, and Ray Nicholson.
“The show puts a slightly heightened twist on the wins, losses, and humiliations of starting out in the adult world. Whether they’re trying to get ahead at work, navigating the healthcare system, hosting a dinner party, or dating in the age of Find My Friends, the group is finding that nothing about the real world is simple, and all their best intentions tend to make things worse,” reads FX’s synopsis.
Creators Kronengold and Shaw serve as executive producers along with Nick Kroll (Big Mouth), Stefani Robinson (Atlanta), Sarah Naftalis (What We Do in the Shadows), Alicia Van Couvering (Tiny Furniture), and Jonathan Krisel (English Teacher).
Poster for ‘MasterChef’ season 15 (Photo Credit: Fox)
Fox has cooked up a MasterChef season 15 renewal, continuing their creative relationship with chef Gordon Ramsay. Judges Gordon Ramsay and Joe Bastianich will be joined by James Beard Award nominee Tiffany Derry (Top Chef, Bobby’s Triple Threat, Great American Recipe) for season 15 set to air this summer.
“Season after season, Gordon Ramsay and his team deliver limitless creativity and always raise the competitive bar, keeping MasterChef among the top cooking shows on television, as we saw again with its impressive performance last summer,” stated Michael Thorn, President, FOX Television Network. “The long-standing, collaborative partnership we enjoy with Gordon, Joe, and the Endemol Shine North America team continues to bring compelling, differentiated experiences to our audience—a winning recipe we know will get even better by welcoming Tiffany’s fresh, expert perspective to the mix.”
Season 15 has a new theme, MasterChef: Dynamic Duos, to go along with a new judge.
“I’m beyond excited to join MasterChef as a judge for season 15, which is unlike any other. For me, cooking has always been about passion, precision, and heart, and I can’t wait to bring my perspective to the table alongside Gordon and Joe,” stated Tiffany Derry, founder of Tiffany Derry Concepts and co-founder of T2D Concepts. “The season challenges home cook duos in a whole new way, and it was so fun to see them rise to the occasion. Get ready for some incredible food, tough love, and maybe even a little spice!”
Gordon Ramsay, Danny Schrader, Jennifer Fazey, Elisabeth Murdoch, Ben Adler, and Pat Llewellyn serve as executive producers. Endemol Shine North America’s Sharon Levy and Michael Heyerman also executive produce.
Fox offered this description of season 15: “This season, for the first time in MasterChef history, pairs of home cooks will participate together, in hopes of becoming America’s next MasterChefs. From married and dating couples to mothers and daughters, siblings, best friends, and even divorcees—relationships are tested in some of the toughest challenges to date. Plus, to make things even more difficult, the dreaded Pressure Test makes an intimidating return. In the end, only one Dynamic Duo will be awarded the grand prize of $250,000, the MasterChef trophy and the title of MasterChefs!”
