The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors has approved the addition of a new Achievement in Casting Academy Award. The new category will take effect beginning with films released in 2025, with the first Achievement in Casting Oscar awarded during the 98th Oscars in 2026.
This is the first new category added since the addition of Best Animated Feature Film way back in 2001.
“Casting directors play an essential role in filmmaking, and as the Academy evolves, we are proud to add casting to the disciplines that we recognize and celebrate,” stated Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang. “We congratulate our Casting Directors Branch members on this exciting milestone and for their commitment and diligence throughout this process.”
Rules relating to the new category are expected to be announced in April 2025. According to the Academy, the Casting Directors Branch (created in July 2013) has almost 160 members.
“On behalf of the members of the Casting Directors Branch, we’d like to thank the Board of Governors, the Awards Committee, and Academy leadership for their support. This award is a deserved acknowledgment of our casting directors’ exceptional talents and a testament to the dedicated efforts of our branch,” said Academy Casting Directors Branch governors Richard Hicks, Kim Taylor-Coleman and Debra Zane.
Chris Hemsworth returns with ‘Limitless with Chris Hemsworth’ season 2 (National Geographic for Disney+/Craig Parry)
National Geographic has renewed both Limitless with Chris Hemsworth and A Real Bug’s Life for second seasons. Season one of Limitless premiered on Disney+ in November 2022 and A Real Bug’s Life, narrated by Awkwafina, debuted in January 2024.
“Working on Limitless was an eye-opening experience that allowed me to reflect on my strengths, vulnerabilities and all the ways in which we as humans can plan toward longevity,” said Hemsworth. “For this next season, we are attempting to raise the bar and go even deeper in this exploration alongside health and wellness experts from around the globe.”
Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel created the series and will return to executive produce the new season. Additional executive producers include Hemsworth, Tom Watt-Smith, Jane Root, Ben Grayson, Brandon Hill, Bengt Anderson, and Simon Raikes.
“Millions of viewers around the world were inspired and wowed by the combination of science, endeavor, and the incredibly committed Chris Hemsworth in the first season, so it’s with huge pride that we announce its return,” said Tom McDonald, executive vice president, Global Factual and Unscripted Content, National Geographic. “This new season will have the scale, the drama and the challenges you’d expect from Limitless, but we’ve also got some big and exciting surprises in store for the audience and for Chris himself.”
Limitless with Chris Hemsworth Synopsis, Courtesy of National Geographic:
In season one, Hemsworth pushed the limits of his body and mind to discover how fasting can unlock the body’s anti-aging power, how to manage stress so it doesn’t kill you, and how exposure to extreme temperatures can trigger our bodies’ own defenses against the killer diseases of old age, all in a quest to live a longer, healthier life. Now, in this next installment, he’s taking on four more epic challenges on a global journey through Nepal, Italy, Australia, and the United Kingdom to help him — and us — understand how to live not just longer, but better.
In season two, Hemsworth will delve into a series of physical and mental obstacles that people across the world face daily: mental agility, pain, burnout, and interpersonal connection. Amazing science and intense challenges are the inspiration for experiences that will push Chris to explore and grow as he’s never done before. To do that, Chris will need to travel to the ends of the Earth to uncover the latest scientific thinking and unlock some of the world’s best-kept secrets to living a better life.
Through Hemsworth’s travels, guided by a number of experts, mentors, and spiritual leaders, audiences can seek the everyday changes, both big and small, that can allow us to see improved versions of ourselves.
Two damselflies rest on a flower in ‘A Real Bug’s Life’ season 2 (National Geographic/Remus Vasile Triplea)
A Real Bug’s Life Synopsis and Episode Guide, Courtesy of National Geographic:
Inspired by the World of Disney and Pixar’s A Bug’s Life, the new season of the genre-busting series will feature an all-new cast of insects including femme fatale firefly, bachelor luna moth, a real-life assassin bug, the botany bay weevil and other incredible tiny heroes living on our planet. The five-episode season of A Real Bug’s Life will continue to tell the tales of love, perseverance and triumphs in their very own microworlds.
Using the latest camera technology, scientific revelation, and an incredible score, audiences will crawl, fly and jump alongside bugs, experiencing new locations. With new microscopic terrains to explore, A Real Bug’s Life will build off the first season, uncovering epic tales, mind-boggling facts, and never-before-seen insect behavior.
Step into the spellbinding world of bugs with the following episodes:
• LOVE IN THE FOREST (Smoky Mountains, Tennessee) – It’s the end of the longest day of summer. A young fawn frolics to exhaustion. While it falls asleep, the forest comes to life – and tonight, love is in the air. At the forest edge, a lonely female firefly is looking for a male, but the Big Dipper fireflies nearby are dancing to a different tune.
• LIFE’S A BEACH (Borneo, Malaysia) – The beach may look like paradise to us … but it’s a brutal place for bugs to make a home. From the sand all the way out to the reef, the waves and the tides hammer their home 24/7. Time and tide wait for no bug.
• TINY HEROES DOWN UNDER (Australia) – Down Under – a land filled with familiar fluffy faces like kangaroos and koalas, but the bugs here are a lot of people’s worst nightmares. A eucalyptus forest in eastern Australia is full of ’em: funnel web fangs, ant stings … even exploding bombardier beetles! But there’s much more to Australian bugs than horror stories. Some are actually really cute as it goes.
• ONCE A POND A TIME (England) – Water is a cradle of life for all sorts of amazing tiny creatures, but when one is “bug-sized,” its strange shape-shifting properties can have huge consequences. Through the year, the pond undergoes a series of near-magical transformations from ice crystal to water vapor. The tiny creatures that make their home here have found amazing ways to cope with life in this turbulent world.
• THE MAKING OF … A FLY ON THE WALL – Surrounded by hordes of army ants, chasing the fastest-running insect on Earth, crawling through muddy mangroves … this was everyday life for the team of world-renowned scientists, experts and filmmakers who created A Real Bug’s Life. Armed with innovative filming equipment, they stopped at nothing to reveal the untold stories of the planet’s most underappreciated animals – bugs!
In Netflix’s lengthy Avatar: The Last Airbender “Bringing the World to Life” featurette, the cast and showrunner/executive producer Albert Kim discuss the story, the world of the series, and their characters.
The eight-episode first season stars Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley, Dallas Liu, Ken Leung, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, and Daniel Dae Kim. The live-action series, inspired by the Nickelodeon animated show, will premiere on February 22, 2024.
Albert Kim, Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, Gabriel Llanas, Keely MacDonald, Christine Boylan, and Joshua Hale Fialkov served as writers, with Michael Goi, Jabbar Raisani, Roseanne Liang, and Jet Wilkinson directing. Poster for Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’
Netflix’s synopsis:
“Water. Earth. Fire. Air. The four nations once lived in harmony, with the Avatar, master of all four elements, keeping peace between them. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked and wiped out the Air Nomads, the first step taken by the firebenders toward conquering the world. With the current incarnation of the Avatar yet to emerge, the world has lost hope. But like a light in the darkness, hope springs forth when Aang (Gordon Cormier), a young Air Nomad — and the last of his kind — reawakens to take his rightful place as the next Avatar.
Alongside his newfound friends Sokka (Ian Ousley) and Katara (Kiawentiio), siblings and members of the Southern Water Tribe, Aang embarks on a fantastical, action-packed quest to save the world and fight back against the fearsome onslaught of Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim). But with a driven Crown Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu) determined to capture them, it won’t be an easy task. They’ll need the help of the many allies and colorful characters they meet along the way.”
Paramount+’s official trailer for the event series Knuckles shows the titular character teaching Wade to be a warrior, turning a home into a gladiator pit, and generally disrupting lives. The series, set after the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and before Sonic the Hedgehog 3, will premiere on April 26, 2024 with the release of all six episodes.
Idris Elba returns to voice Knuckles and Adam Pally’s back as Wade Whipple. Franchise veterans Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey also retuns as special guest stars in their roles as Sonic, Maddie, and Tails, respectively.
Additional series guest stars include Stockard Channing (The West Wing), Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones), Scott Mescudi (Don’t Look Up), Ellie Taylor (Ted Lasso), Julian Barratt (Mindhorn), and Rory McCann (Game of Thrones). Cary Elwes (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Paul Scheer (Black Monday), and Rob Huebel (Childrens Hospital) also guest star.
Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) in ‘Knuckles’ episode 1 season 1 (Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.)
“The new live-action event series follows Knuckles (Idris Elba) on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade (Adam Pally) as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior,” reads Paramount+’s synopsis.
John Whittington and Toby Ascher created the series, with Ascher serving as showrunner. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 writer Whittington is the head writer and wrote the pilot episode. Brian Schacter and James Madejski are also involved as writers.
The Sonic films’ creative team returns for the series, with the films’ director Jeff Fowler involved as the director of the pilot episode. Fowler also helped to transition the film’s signature cinematic animation style to television. Sonic‘s executive producers Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, John Whittington, and Toru Nakahara serve in the same capacity on the series. Idris Elba also executive produces, with Ged Wright, Brandon Trost, Jorma Taccone, and Carol Banker directing.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 opened in theaters on April 8, 2022 and grossed $725.2 million. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is set to open in theaters on December 20, 2024.
Shereé Whitfield, Chris ‘C.T.’ Tamburello, and Dan Gheesling in ‘The Traitors’ season 2 (Photo by: Euan Cherry/PEACOCK)
Peacock’s Emmy-winning The Traitors has been renewed for season three, with Alan Cumming on board to return as the reality competition series’ incredibly fashionable host. The renewal was a no-brainer as the show, and all its cutthroat backstabbing, tops the list of the streaming service’s most watched unscripted series.
The renewal was announced halfway through season two. New episodes stream on Thursdays at 6pm PT/9pm ET, with the season finale set for March 7, 2024.
“The Traitors is a nail-biting psychological adventure in which treachery and deceit are the name of the game. Entertainment’s most competitive reality stars and famous faces play the ultimate murder mystery game. Hosted by award-winning actor Alan Cumming at an ancient castle set deep in the Scottish Highlands, contestants work together on a series of exhilarating missions to build a prize fund worth up to $250,000. Hidden amongst the Faithful are the Traitors, whose goal is to eliminate the Faithful and claim the prize for themselves,” reads Peacock’s synopsis. “Under the cover of darkness, the Traitors murder the Faithful one by one in a treacherous spree, while the Faithful try to uncover the Traitors and banish them from the game. If the Faithful contestants banish all the Traitors, they will share the prize fund, but if a Traitor or Traitors makes it to the end, they will steal all the money.”
Reality stars competing in season two include Big Brother‘s Dan Gheesling and Janelle Pierzina, and Survivor‘s Sandra Diaz-Twine and Parvati Shallow. Love Island‘s Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Carsten “Bergie” Bergersen compete along with The Challenge‘s Chris ‘C.T.’ Tamburello, Trishelle Cannatella, and Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio.
Real Housewives‘ Tamra Judge, Shereé Whitfield, and Larsa Pippen team up to take on Below Deck‘s Kate Chastain, Bling Empire‘s Kevin Kreider, Dancing with the Stars‘ Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Shahs of Sunset‘s Mercedes “MJ” Javid, RuPaul’s Drag Race‘s Peppermint, The Bachelor‘s Peter Weber, and Married to Medicine‘s Phaedra Parks. The season two cast also includes boxer Deontay Wilder, former Speaker of the UK House of Commons John Bercow, and fashion entrepreneur Marcus Jordan.
Season one premiered in January 2023, and season two arrived in January 2024. Given the trend, it’s likely that season three will arrive in January 2025.
Billie Eilish’s “you should see me in a crown” is the perfect backdrop for National Geographic’s Queens trailer. Two-time Oscar nominee Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) narrates the documentary series that focuses on fierce females in the animal world.
The seven-part docuseries, which premieres on March 4, 2024, has a female-led production team that includes showrunner and writer Chloe Sarosh, and directors of photography Sophie Darlington and Justine Evans. Wildstar Films’ Vanessa Berlowitz and National Geographic’s Pamela Caragol serve as executive producers.
Poster for National Geographic’s ‘Queens’
National Geographic released this description of the docuseries:
“Queens is bringing the natural world into focus through the female lens for the very first time. The series features matriarchies and female leaders from around the world to tell stories of sacrifice and resilience but also friendship and love. Each episode showcases matriarchs, from the peace-loving bonobos of the Congo basin to the ruthless jewel bees of Costa Rica to the powerful elephants of the Savanna.
Through watching their struggles, successes, and heartbreaks, we see the importance of intergenerational love and protection, the fierce lengths a mother will go to to have her children succeed, how the thirst for power can rip families apart, and how even in the face of tragedy, a mother must selflessly persevere.
Four years in the making, Queens leverages cutting-edge technology to reveal surprising insights into how females in the natural world rise to power, often relying on cooperation and wisdom over brute strength to get ahead. The intimate production captured many staggering moments within the animal kingdom for the first time, including rarely seen hyena infanticide, the first filming of bonobos in the canopy from tree platforms, color documentation of the Ngorongoro Crater through the night, and a development time-lapse of the Orchid bee brood.
The final episode of the series celebrates the women who have gone to the ends of the Earth and dedicated their lives to documenting and protecting animal queens.”
Surprise! Not only is there an animated Moana sequel in the works, but it will be released later this year in theaters. Disney released the first still from Moana 2 and debuted a super short teaser confirming the November 27, 2024 theatrical release date.
“Moana remains an incredibly popular franchise,” said Walt Disney Company Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger, adding, “and we can’t wait to give you more of Moana and Maui when Moana 2 comes to theaters this November.”
Disney originally planned the animated project to be a Disney+ series. It evolved into a feature film directed by Dave Derrick Jr., with music by Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa’i, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina.
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ release date announcement did not include any cast details. It did, however, include the following synopsis:
“Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical Moana 2 takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.”
Moana 2 is separate from the live-action Moana film that was announced in April 2023. The live-action film is targeting a 2025 release.
The original Moana opened in theaters on November 23, 2016 and grossed $643+ million worldwide during its theatrical run. It was nominated for two Academy Awards – Best Animated Feature Film and Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song) – and two Critics Choice awards. Moana also earned six Annie nominations, winning in the Outstanding Achievement in Animated Effects in an Animated Production and Outstanding Achievement in Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production (Cravalho) categories.
Leah Sava Jeffries, Walker Scobell, and Aryan Simhadri in ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ (Photo Credit: Disney)
Disney+ wants more adventures with Percy Jackson and his friends, officially announcing Percy Jackson and the Olympians has been renewed for season two. Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri will return for the new season, reprising their roles as Percy, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood.
“Rich in magic, wonder, adventure, and heart, Percy Jackson and the Olympians captivated the imaginations of viewers of all ages everywhere,” stated Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television. “We’re thrilled to embark on an exciting new quest and a season two with Rick Riordan, our fantastic partners at 20th Television, and the exceptional ensemble of cast and creative talent that bring this story to life.”
Season two will be based on author Rick Riordan’s second book of the Percy Jackson series, The Sea of Monsters.
“I can’t wait to bring the next season of Percy Jackson to Disney+! Raise anchors. Hoist the mainsail. All hands on deck, demigods. We’re heading for the Sea of Monsters!” said Riordan.
Disney+ reports that the first season has been streamed over 110 million hours. The fantasy series’ premiere ranks as one of the streaming service’s top five, accumulating 26.2 million views in just its first three weeks.
Coinciding with the series’ debut, the Percy Jackson books returned to the top spot on the New York Times Bestseller list for Middle Grade series.
The popular series was created by Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg, with Riordan, Steinberg, Dan Shotz, Rebecca Riordan, Bert Salke, James Bobin, Jim Rowe, Monica Owusu-Breen, Anders Engström, Jet Wilkinson, and Craig Silverstein executive producing. The Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell, and D.J. Goldberg also executive produce.
Jason Momoa (Aquaman, See) will be back out visiting friends and artisans (and artisan friends) for a second season of the documentary series On the Roam. Max officially renewed the docuseries for season two ahead of the release of the first season’s final episodes on February 8, 2024.
“It’s an absolute honor to work with Warner Bros. Discovery and Max on another season of On the Roam; it’s a dream come true! I put my heart and soul into this show, and I am thrilled to dive back into the untamed beauty of On the Roam for another season – it will be an extraordinary adventure!” said Jason Momoa, creator, co-director, executive producer, and lead Roamer.
The series’ eight-episode first season followed Momoa as he hit the road and traveled the country “chasing art, adventure, and friendship through the lens of craftsmanship.”
Slash and Jason Momoa in ‘On the Roam’ season 1 (Photograph by Jason Roman/Max)
“We’re so happy to be going On the Roam with Jason for another season. His passion shines through in every episode, and the joy he gets from introducing us to these amazing artisans is infectious,” stated Nina Rosenstein, EVP, HBO Programming, Late Night, & Specials. “It’s such a beautifully crafted series, and we hope that it inspires audiences to discover their own passions.”
In addition to co-director Jason Momoa, the docuseries is executive produced by Brian Mendoza and Kyle Wheeler. James Mendoza serves as a producer.
Ben leaps into a journalist in the ’80s on NBC’s Quantum Leap season two episode 11. “The Outsider” will air on Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT.
Raymond Lee leads the cast as Ben Song, Caitlin Bassett stars as Addison Augustine, and Ernie Hudson returns as Herbert “Magic” Williams. Mason Alexander Park plays Ian Wright, Nanrisa Lee stars as Jenn Chou, Eliza Taylor is Hannah Carson, and Peter Gadiot is Tom Westfall.
“The Outsider” Plot: An anonymous source sends Ben and an experienced local Denver TV journalist on the trail of a dangerous conspiracy as they pursue the scoop of a lifetime in the early ’80s. There’s trouble at HQ when Ian’s past decisions come back to haunt the team.
Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Song in ‘Quantum Leap’ season 2 episode 11 (Photo by: Jordin Althaus/NBC)
The Plot, Courtesy of NBC:
It’s been nearly 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, a new team, led by physicist Ben Song (Raymond Lee), has been assembled to restart the project in the hope of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it.
Everything changes, however, when Ben makes an unauthorized leap into the past, leaving the team behind to solve the mystery of why he did it. At Ben’s side throughout his leaps is Addison (Bassett), who appears in the form of a hologram only Ben can see and hear. She’s a decorated Army veteran who brings level-headed precision to her job.
At the helm of the highly confidential operation is Herbert “Magic” Williams (Hudson), a no-nonsense career military man who has to answer to his bosses who won’t be happy once they learn about the breach of protocol. The rest of the team at headquarters includes Ian Wright (Park), who runs the Artificial Intelligence unit “Ziggy,” and Jenn Chu (Lee), who heads up digital security for the project.
Peter Gadiot as Tom Westfall and Caitlin Bassett as Addison in season 2 episode 11 (Photo by: Jordin Althaus/NBC)Nadine Ellis as Connie Davis in season 2 episode 11 (Photo by: Jordin Althaus/NBC)Mason Alexander Park as Ian in season 2 episode 11 (Photo by: Jordin Althaus/NBC)Ernie Hudson as Magic in “The Outsider” episode (Photo by: Jordin Althaus/NBC)Nanrisa Lee as Jenn in season 2 episode 11 (Photo by: Jordin Althaus/NBC)Caitlin Bassett as Addison and Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Song in season 2 episode 11 (Photo by: Jordin Althaus/NBC)
