Two Barbie stars, the new Willy Wonka and Ariel, and two veterans of comic book-inspired films named Chris will go head-to-head in the 26th Annual Family Film and TV Awards‘ Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film category. CBS announced the nominees representing the best of 2023’s family-friendly film and TV shows, with the winners set to be revealed on Saturday, January 27, 2024.
The Talk hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila and Amanda Kloots will handle hosting duties for the 2024 broadcast.
“Recognizing and celebrating content that holds a universal appeal and is suitable for audiences of all ages has always been a core principle of our role as stewards of this esteemed award show. Emulating the celebrated legacy of Dick Clark presents a formidable challenge, and our commitment lies in restoring the event to its original essence. It is a distinct honor to bestow recognition upon those productions that exhibit unwavering dedication in delivering entertainment that resonates with viewers of every generation,” stated executive producer David McKenzie of Associated Television International.
The 2024 Family Film and TV Awards will feature a special segment honoring U.S. Marines. Lieutenant General James B. Laster, USMC (Retired), CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, will be recognized for his “ongoing efforts to assist families in challenging circumstances,” per CBS.
26TH ANNUAL FAMILY FILM AND TV AWARDS NOMINATIONS:
Outstanding Actors in a Feature Film
● Chris Pine (“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”)
● Chris Pratt (“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”)
● Halle Bailey (“The Little Mermaid”)
● Margot Robbie (“Barbie”)
● Ryan Gosling (“Barbie”)
● Timothée Chalamet (“Wonka”)
Outstanding Actors in a TV Series
● Beth Behrs (“The Neighborhood”)
● Cedric the Entertainer (“The Neighborhood”)
● Patrick Stewart (“Star Trek: Picard”)
● Rob Lowe (“Unstable”)
● Rosario Dawson (“Ahsoka”)
● Tim Allen (“The Santa Clauses”)
Best Iconic Family Film
● “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”
● “Ghostbusters”
● “Home Alone”
● “The Goonies”
● “The Sandlot”
Best Iconic Classic Series (Television)
● “Family Matters”
● “Full House”
● “I Love Lucy”
● “The Brady Bunch”
● “The Dick Van Dyke Show”
Best Family Film (Television)
● “A Million Miles Away”
● “Family Switch”
● “Good Burger 2”
● “Peter Pan & Wendy”
● “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah”
Best Family Entertainment Series (Television)
● “Masters of Illusion”
● “Survivor”
● “The Amazing Race”
● “The Great British Baking Show”
● “The Masked Singer”
Best Gameshow
● “Family Feud”
● “Jeopardy!”
● “Let’s Make A Deal”
● “The Price Is Right”
● “Wheel of Fortune”
Best Ensemble Series (Television)
● “Loki”
● “Percy Jackson and The Olympians”
● “Star Trek: Picard”
● “The Neighborhood”
● “Unstable”
Best Ensemble Feature Film
● “Barbie”
● “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”
● “Fast X”
● “Haunted Mansion”
● “The Little Mermaid”
Best Animated Family Film
● “Elemental”
● “Leo”
● “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
● “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”
● “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”
Best Family Feature Film
● “Barbie”
● “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”
● “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”
● “Shazam! Fury of the Gods”
● “The Hill”
LL Cool J and Cardi B join ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest’ (Photo Courtesy of ABC)
Grammy winners LL Cool J and Cardi B have joined the lineup of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2024 performers. LL Cool J featuring DJ Z-Trip is confirmed to perform a medley of hits in the minutes leading up to midnight. Cardi B will help send off 2023 from the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
ABC also announced Gabriel ‘Fluffy’ Iglesias, Matt Friend, Ms. Pat, and Sebastian Maniscalco will contribute comedy segments during this year’s broadcast. Plus, Airrack will spend the final hours of 2023 attempting to set a new Guinness World Record.
The Details:
Leading stand-up comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, with almost 1 billion views on YouTube and over 25 million fans on social media, will rank his least favorite fashion trends of 2023.
Comedian and impressionist Matt Friend will join Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora live in Times Square to wish viewers “Happy New Year” through a variety of celeb impressions.
Comedian, author, radio host, podcaster, and actress Patricia Williams (aka Ms. Pat) will discuss things that went on strike in 2023.
Multihyphenate Sebastian Maniscalco, who celebrated a string of record-breaking sold-out arena shows, will share pop culture moments in 2023 that “ain’t right.”
Innovative content creator Airrack will end his current “30 Videos in 30 Days” series by traversing New York City and making a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS attempt by visiting the most fast food restaurants in 24 hours. Airrack will make the record attempt even more challenging by only visiting counter-service pizza shops. Earlier this year, Airrack clinched the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS’ title for making the World’s Largest Pizza.
The just-announced performers join a roster that includes Megan Thee Stallion, Tyla, Jelly Roll, Sabrina Carpenter, Aqua, Doechii, Ellie Goulding, Green Day, Janelle Monáe, and Loud Luxury x Two Friends with Bebe Rexha. Post Malone, NewJeans, Ludacris, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Paul Russell, Reneé Rapp with Coco Jones, and Thirty Seconds to Mars are also confirmed as performers.
New Year’s Rockin’ Eve airs live on ABC on Sunday, December 31, 2023 at 8pm.
Color me surprised twice over. I missed the press screening of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the closing chapter of the DC Extended Universe, and ventured to a theater to check out a screening in IMAX on Christmas Day. The lobby was packed with customers, most of whom were going to see The Color Purple on its opening day. Given how much I’ve forgotten random stuff recently, I’ll go with that as the excuse for why I wasn’t expecting so many people to be watching movies on December 25th. That was surprise number one. Surprise number two, Warner Bros. Pictures’ Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom wasn’t a complete disaster.
Sure, it’s not going to earn a spot in the Top 10 (out of 15) DCEU films. But it wasn’t the catastrophic failure that needed to be hidden away by the studio the way some had suggested. If this is the last time we see Jason Momoa’s long, flowing locks drifting around his head in all their CG glory, then at least it can be said Momoa went out giving it his all. No matter the wonky dialogue and despite the recycled feel of the plot, Momoa entertained.
2023’s sequel to the 2018 solo Aquaman film returns Momoa to the undersea world as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, the current King of Atlantis. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II returns as Aquaman’s nemesis, David Kane/Black Manta – the big bad of The Lost Kingdom. The sequel also brings back Patrick Wilson as Orm, Arthur’s jealous, brooding half-brother. Orm still holds a grudge, believing himself the better and more deserving of the two siblings. If Arthur is the DCEU’s Thor, then Orm is its Loki – without the twisted sense of humor, wit, or cleverness. Scratch that, Orm’s not Loki-ish at all, but Momoa’s take on Aquaman is still reminiscent of Chris Hemsworth’s version of Thor.
Moving along… The sequel spends a good deal of time on Arthur’s family life. He’s a proud papa, and his dad, Tom (Temuera Morrison), dotes on his first grandchild. Mera (Amber Heard) pops in now and again, mostly to save her hubby, dispense advice, or help take care of Arthur Junior. Nicole Kidman also puts in sporadic appearances to try and get her boys to stop bickering, and to divulge key details on the political life of Atlanteans. Looking for exposition? Kidman’s Atlanna’s full of it.
What Arthur doesn’t know about running the undersea world and negotiating with the council could fill volumes. He’d flounder if his mom weren’t there to get him out of fishy situations.
While Black Manta is a worthy adversary, in this outing David’s gone full-on crazy after discovering the ruler of the Lost Kingdom’s black trident. Kordax (Pilou Asbaek) gets into David’s head, making promises about how powerful David will become if the Lost Kingdom is returned to its evil glory. But to do so, David will need to cause havoc above ground by heating the planet, and he’ll need to kidnap and kill Junior. Only the King of Atlantis’ DNA can break the curse that holds Kordax captive in a frozen state, and Black Manta stands a better chance at capturing a baby than he does at incapacitating Aquaman – even though Black Manta’s primary motivation from the film’s opening minutes is to kill Aquaman.
The story is simple yet manages to get all tangled up in the minutia, what with the world of the Lost Kingdom, the destruction of the environment, and the political shenanigans going on in the undersea universe. The cherry on top of this massive plot ball is the relationship between Arthur and Orm.
The dysfunctional relationship between Arthur and Orm is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s beating heart. Their love-hate relationship powers the film, and nothing else comes close to having the same impact. Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson are an entertaining duo and have much better onscreen chemistry than Momoa and Amber Heard, who is hardly heard from in this sequel. Arthur’s the cut-up, the class clown, the big man on campus who everyone loves. Orm’s the straight man, playing the part of the reluctant foil in this superhero duo. Together, they make a formidable team and help overcome some of the film’s narrative missteps.
As for the action, it doesn’t seem to have progressed much from the first Aquaman. It’s only when the sequel reaches the final battle that the action feels as if there’s anything at stake. Everything leading up to that is so over-the-top and CG-heavy that there’s no sense of urgency or emotional investment in the fight sequences.
2023’s been a crummy year for the DCEU, with problematic stars headlining two of their releases – Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash – which contributed to their disappointing box office performances. Blue Beetle deserved to have drawn in a larger audience, but strikes, the lack of major star power, and a central character that’s unknown to those who aren’t into comics hurt its chances at success. At $128 million worldwide, Blue Beetle has the dubious distinction of being the lowest-grossing film in the DCEU.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s guaranteed to beat Blue Beetle’s numbers after its $120 million global opening weekend, but that’s nothing to boast about.
Put a fork in the DCEU, it’s done after 15 films. And, sadly, despite Jason Momoa’s efforts, the DCEU’s going out with a splat rather than a bang! pow! KABOOM!
GRADE: C+
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some language and sci-fi violence
Release Date: December 22, 2023
Running Time: 2 hours 4 minutes
Directed By: James Wan
Sam Spruell as Ole Munch in ‘Fargo’ season 5 episode 7 (Photo CR: Michelle Faye/FX)
FX’s Fargo season five episode seven begins with the introduction of an obnoxious new character. However, don’t get too attached to the deadbeat dude as Ole Munch (Sam Spruell) decides to wipe him off the face of the earth in an act that’s brutal yet justifiable within the episode’s first five minutes. Can’t say that the jerk didn’t have it coming.
Dot (Juno Temple) is burning the candle at both ends, trying to keep ahead of Roy Tillman and his many minions. She briefly nods off at the wheel but wakes before the car drifts off the road. Dot wisely decides to grab a meal and a coffee at a roadside café.
Poor Dot, she nods off again right at the table, waking to the delivery of smiley face pancakes.
Back on the road, she pulls over in the middle of nowhere and walks a short distance to a windmill. Buried at its base is a box containing a postcard from Camp Utopia with a note of apology from Linda.
Dot navigates snowy roads until she runs out of gas at the turn-off for Camp Utopia. She’s forced to walk the remaining distance, which is actually perfect since there isn’t a road leading into the camp, despite the sign pointing the way.
Dot makes it to the main house and walks in while a puppet show is underway. The room is full of a couple dozen women watching the performance – a performance that involves a male puppet beating a female puppet, who apologizes for making a mistake. The male puppet threatens to kill her and continues ruthlessly beating the female puppet with a piece of wood.
Dot has flashbacks to her own treatment at Roy’s hands. She faints.
Dot wakes to discover she’s in a bed she doesn’t recognize with a woman she doesn’t know talking to her about a baby bear sleeping in the wrong bed. Dot’s shocked to learn that all the women at this camp go by the name Linda. It’s a transition name they’re each given after they leave an abusive relationship.
Dot confesses she’s tired, and Linda says it’s normal after fleeing a relationship. Dot corrects her, explaining she’s been in a loving marriage for the past decade. Her trauma occurred before her current marriage.
Dot reveals she needs her Linda’s help because she knows about Roy. This Linda explains they call Linda Tillman “Saint Linda” and that she built Camp Utopia to help abused women start new lives. Dot doesn’t share the opinion that Linda’s a saint, although she did take her in when she was on the street.
Dot’s brought to Linda, whom I’ll refer to for clarity reasons going forward as Saint Linda, and instead of a warm embrace, Dot punches her in the face. The other Lindas are shocked, but Saint Linda understands why she deserves that.
Saint Linda calls her Nadine, and Dot corrects her while insisting she needs to go with her to tell the police about Roy’s abusive behavior. “You used me. You fed me to him so you could escape,” snarls Dot, adding, “You left your boy, too – Gator.”
Since Saint Linda and Dot don’t agree on the truth, the group will hold a tribunal to sort things out. That means Dot will have to tell her truth via a puppet show.
David Rysdahl as Wayne Lyon in ‘Fargo’ season 5 (Photo CR: Frank W Ockenfels III/FX)
Meanwhile, Wayne (David Rysdahl) is on babysitting duty while at work. Scotty (Sienna King) does her homework while Wayne, who’s still not all quite there, has a discussion with a salesman about a family that wants to buy a car. They have a decent trade-in but bad credit, and the salesman thinks he’ll have to turn them down for a loan because they don’t qualify.
Wayne notes the potential customers are a nice-looking family and decides that a car for a car is the best way to go – even though that doesn’t make a lick of sense, business-wise. The salesman points out that isn’t how capitalism works. They’ll take a $13,000 loss if they just let the family drive off in the car they fell in love with.
“Give a car, get a car. Each has received a gift, use it to serve one another. That’s in the Bible, right?” says Wayne.
The completely confused salesman delivers the good news to the family, and they’re overjoyed over their unexpected good fortune.
Back at Camp Utopia, a Linda walks Dot through the steps of making her puppets, including examining the wood to see her true self in it.
Later, Dot sits next to Saint Linda at the dinner table, and they discuss Dot’s favorite foods. Dot notes that Saint Linda hasn’t asked about her 27-year-old son, Gator, and describes him as someone who wants to be good but also wants to be like his dad. (Diametrically opposed desires.)
Dot insists she’s in control of her life now, but Saint Linda won’t let her skip the process of putting on a puppet show. It’s integral to healing.
Joe Keery as Gator Tillman in ‘Fargo’ season 5 episode 7 (Photo CR: Michelle Faye/FX)
Over at the Tillman ranch, Gator (Joe Keery) loads his rifle and heads out to hunt down Ole Munch. (He placed a tracker on his car at the end of episode six.) The tracker emits quick beeps, indicating Gator is near his target. He spots the car and pulls over, aiming his rifle at the silhouette of a man in a rocking chair visible through a second-story window.
He shoots, unaware that it’s a setup. Ole Munch smokes and pulls a rope from another room while the man he attacked with an axe at the beginning of the episode is propped up in the chair.
Gator’s impressed with himself for taking down his sworn enemy. He fetches the tracker and is shocked to see the bag of cash in the backseat of Ole’s car. It’s locked so he breaks a window. Just as he’s reaching in, Ole Munch’s mom arrives home from her daily beer-buying grocery trip and hits him with a bag of fruit. She yells, “Thief!” as the two struggle.
Gator shoves her away and she falls, cracking her head on the frozen curb and instantly dying. Blood pours from her head as Gator runs away. Ole Munch steps outside and discovers his deceased mother lying in a pool of blood. His anguished face indicates Gator’s going to very much regret his actions.
Wayne shares a special moment with Scotty as she prepares to fall asleep. Forgetting to bring a book to read in bed, Wayne makes up a story about Dot that’s heartbreaking in its display of how much he loves his wife. In his story, Dot is loved by the sun but forced to fight against the darkness to save the rainbows. That’s why she had to leave her family at home.
Dot wakes up at Camp Utopia with a renewed sense of purpose. She sets to work creating puppets to help tell her truth. Once finished, Saint Linda reminds the other Lindas not to challenge or interrupt Dot as she speaks her truth.
The puppet show is an exceptionally smart method of feeding viewers more details on Dot’s backstory. In it, Dot recalls being a young girl who was set upon by human wolves once she started menstruating. She’d run away from home when she was saved by Mrs. Linda Tillman while shoplifting cookies.
Linda took her home and introduced her to Roy and Gator. She was only 15 years old, and at the beginning, Roy just seemed big and strong, like a normal dad. But then Linda started pushing her toward Roy as a way of diverting all the abuse from herself onto a new target.
Gator used to seek comfort from her while Roy beat his mom.
Linda left to visit her sister, and Nadine became the woman of the house, complete with all the physical abuse that came with that position.
When Linda returned, Roy got back to the business of beating his first wife. After which he’d go to Nadine, declaring what they had was true love. Linda finally left for good, packing a bag and sneaking off in the night without saying goodbye to Nadine or Gator.
The puppets reenact the beatings Nadine continued to suffer at Roy’s hands after she became his wife.
The puppet show ends, and the Lindas take turns hugging Dot. Finally, she stands before the woman who introduced her to Roy, and Saint Linda agrees to go with her to face Roy together.
As they drive, Linda apologizes for leaving Dot and Gator, and Dot asks why she didn’t take them with her when she escaped. Linda doesn’t answer. Dot thanks her for coming with her to face Roy.
However…and this is a huge twist…none of this actually happened. There isn’t any Camp Utopia or “Saint Linda.” Dot didn’t just spend time with Roy’s first wife, the woman who saved her from the streets only to place her in harm’s way by bringing her to live at the Tillman Ranch.
Dot nodded off in the café and dreamed the whole encounter.
She finishes her meal and heads to her car, but her timing is rotten. An out-of-control big rig skids into the parking lot, runs into a car and forces it across the parking lot and right into Dot. She comes to in a hospital bed, and the nurse says her husband’s there waiting to take her home. Dot believes she means Wayne, but of course, she’s wrong.
Roy (Jon Hamm) steps into the room and closes the door. He calls her Nadine, and Dot quivers in fear as he leans in and quietly declares, “I gotcha.”
* * * * * * * *
New Fargo season five episodes air on FX on Tuesdays at 10pm ET/PT.
Producers Jason Blum of Blumhouse and James Wan of Atomic Monster take fans on a deep dive behind the scenes of Night Swim, a twisted horror film from writer/director Bryce McGuire. Night Swim, based on a short film by McGuire and Rod Blackhurst, will arrive in theaters on January 5, 2024.
Wyatt Russell (currently playing a younger version of his dad Kurt’s character in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), Oscar nominee Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin), Amélie Hoeferle (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), and Gavin Warren (Fear the Walking Dead) star. Blum and Wan (the Saw and The Conjuring franchises) serve as producers, with Blumhouse’s Ryan Turek and Atomic Monster’s Michael Clear and Judson Scott executive producing.
Universal Pictures offers this synopsis of the PG-13 supernatural thriller:
The film stars Wyatt Russell as Ray Waller, a former major league baseball player forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, who moves into a new home with his concerned wife Eve (Condon), teenage daughter Izzy (Hoeferle) and young son Elliot (Warren). Secretly hoping, against the odds, to return to pro ball, Ray persuades Eve that the new home’s shimmering backyard swimming pool will be fun for the kids and provide physical therapy for him.
But a dark secret in the home’s past will unleash a malevolent force that will drag the family under, into the depths of inescapable terror.
The first teaser trailer for writer/director Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver shows the battle is now underway, with the rebels prepared to do whatever is necessary to save their land. Rebel Moon – Part One debuted on December 22, 2023 and Part Two will premiere on Netflix on April 19, 2024.
The cast is led by Sofia Boutella and includes Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae, Ray Fisher, and Anthony Hopkins (as the voice of Jimmy). Staz Nair, Fra Fee, Cleopatra Coleman, Stuart Martin, Ingvar Sigurðsson, Alfonso Herrera, Cary Elwes, Rhian Rees, E. Duffy, Sky Yang, and Charlotte Maggi also star.
Hulu’s murder mystery series Death and Other Details (formerly known as Career Opportunities in Murder and Mayhem) premieres on January 16, 2024 with the release of the first two episodes. Episode one, titled “Rare,” introduces the key players, led by Imogene Scott (Violett Beane, God Friended Me) and Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin, Homeland), who get caught up in a murder investigation.
Episode one also stars Lauren Patten as Anna Collier, Rahul Kohli as Sunil Ranja, Angela Zhou as Teddy Goh, Hugo Diego Garcia as Jules, Pardis Saremi as Leila, and Linda Emond as Agent Hilde Eriksen. Jayne Atkinson plays Katherine Collier, Jere Burns is Llewellyn Mathers, Danny Johnson is Father Toby, and Annie Q Riegel is Winnie Goh.
In support of the upcoming premiere, Hulu’s released a batch of photos from the first episode along with this synopsis:
“Set amidst the glamor of the global elite, Death and Other Details centers on the brilliant and restless Imogene Scott (Beane), who finds herself in the wrong place/wrong time (okay, it was kinda her fault) and becomes the prime suspect in a locked room murder mystery. The setting? A lavishly restored Mediterranean ocean liner. Suspects? Every pampered guest and every exhausted crew member. The problem? To prove her innocence, she must partner with a man she despises—Rufus Cotesworth (Patinkin), the world’s greatest detective.”
“Rare” was directed by Marc Webb (Gifted, The Amazing Spider-Man) from a script by Heidi Cole McAdams and Mike Weiss. The 10-episode season also has David Petrarca, Alrick Riley, Yangzom Brauen, James Griffiths, and Dinh Thai involved as directors.
Mike Weiss, Heidi Cole McAdams, Marc Webb, Mark Martin, and David Petrarca serve as executive producers.
Imogene Scott (Violett Beane) and Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin) in ‘Death and Other Details’ episode 1 (Photo by: Michael Desmond/Hulu)Imogene Scott (Violett Beane) and Jules (Hugo Diego Garcia) in episode 1, “Rare.” (Photo by: Michael Desmond/Hulu)Imogene Scott (Violett Beane) and Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin) in episode 1 premiering on January 16, 2024 (Photo by: Michael Desmond/Hulu)Imogene Scott (Violett Beane) in episode 1, “Rare” (Photo by: Michael Desmond/Hulu)Sunil Ranja (Rahul Kohli) in episode 1, “Rare” (Photo by: Michael Desmond/Hulu)Jules (Hugo Diego Garcia), Teddy Goh (Angela Zhou), and Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin) in episode 1 (Photo by: Michael Desmond/Hulu)
Netflix’s Bridgerton is spreading holiday cheer while also celebrating the series’ anniversary. The streaming service released a gorgeous season three teaser poster and photos from the much-anticipated season on Christmas Day, which also happens to be the anniversary of the show’s premiere in 2020.
The season three cast is led by Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington and Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton, together affectionally known as #Polin. The third season also stars Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton, Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton, Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte, Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury, and Ruth Gemmell as Violet Bridgerton. Lorraine Ashbourne plays Mrs. Varley, Hannah Dodd is Francesca Bridgerton, Simone Ashley is Kate Sharma, Jonathan Bailey is Anthony Bridgerton, and Harriet Cains is Philipa Featherington.
Additional season three cast members include Bessie Carter as Prudence Featherington, Jessica Madsen as Cressida Cowper, Florence Hunt as Hyacinth Bridgerton, Martins Imhangbe as Will Mondrich, Will Tilston as Gregory Bridgerton, Polly Walker as Portia Featherington, and Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown. Hugh Sachs is Brimsley, Emma Naomi plays Alice Mondrich, Kathryn Drysdale is Genevieve Delacroix, and Sam Phillips is Lord Debling.
The eight-episode third season will be split into two parts, with part one (episodes 1-4) premiering on May 16, 2024. Part two (episodes 5-8) follow on June 13.
Jess Brownell is the showrunner and executive produces. Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers, Tom Verica, and Chris Van Dusen also executive produce.
Netflix released this description of season three:
“Bridgerton is back for its third season and finds Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) has finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) after hearing his disparaging words about her last season. She has, however, decided it’s time to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters. But lacking in confidence, Penelope’s attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly.
Meanwhile, Colin has returned from his summer travels with a new look and a serious sense of swagger. But he’s disheartened to realize that Penelope, the one person who always appreciated him as he was, is giving him the cold shoulder. Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband this season. But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly.
Complicating matters for Penelope is her rift with Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who has found a new friend in a very unlikely place, while Penelope’s growing presence in the ton makes it all the more difficult to keep her Lady Whistledown alter ego a secret.”
Netflix is welcoming in 2024 with a lineup of news series that includes The Brothers Sun starring Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh and reality series The Trust: A Game of Greed, along with the return of Queer Eye. The streaming service’s roster of January 2024 films includes J.A. Bayona’s Society of the Snow, based on the true story of the 1972 plane crash involving a Uruguayan rugby team, and Daniel Levy’s feature film directorial debut, Good Grief.
Modern Family‘s Sofia Vergara stars in and executive produces the mob drama Griselda, premiering on January 25. And comedian Jacqueline Novak brings her hit standup act Get On Your Knees to Netflix on January 23.
SERIES & FILMS ARRIVING ON NETFLIX IN JANUARY 2024
January 1, 2024 Bitconned – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Ray Trapani had always wanted to be a criminal, even as a young boy. In 2017, amidst the economic frenzy of the Bitcoin boom, there was no better place for scammers than cryptocurrency. So when Ray’s friend approached him with the idea of creating a debit card for crypto, Trapani jumped at the chance.
There was only one problem: he had no idea how to do that. But thanks to fake LinkedIn profiles, paid celebrity endorsements, and the online community’s insatiable desire to “get rich quick,” Centra Tech was soon raking in millions of dollars a day. Was it real? No. But did it work? Maybe.
In this fast-paced, debaucherous documentary from director Bryan Storkel (producer of The Legend of Cocaine Island + Director of The Pez Outlaw), Ray himself guides viewers through the ups and downs of his dramatic journey, alongside his family, former friends, and the journalist who exposed Centra Tech as the first high-profile fraud case of the crypto era.
Fool Me Once – NETFLIX SERIES
When ex-soldier Maya sees her murdered husband on a secret nanny cam, she uncovers a deadly conspiracy that stretches deep into the past.
You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Identical twins change their diets and lifestyles for eight weeks in a unique scientific experiment designed to explore how certain foods impact the body.
Annabelle
Annie (1982)
Antz
Aquaman
Beethoven
Bruce Almighty
The Croods
Dawn of the Dead
The First Purge
Gravity
How to Train Your Dragon
It’s Complicated
Jackie Brown
John Wick
John Wick: Chapter 2
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park III
Little Fockers
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Loudermilk: Seasons 1-3
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Meet the Fockers
Meet the Parents
The New Americans: Gaming a Revolution
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
ONE PIECE: Marineford
Peppa Pig: Seasons 3-6
The Purge: Election Year
School of Rock
Survivor: Season 33
Survivor: Season 7
This Is 40
Those Who Wish Me Dead
Training Day
The Wonder Years: Seasons 1-2 (2021)
January 4, 2024 Boy Swallows Universe – NETFLIX SERIES
A young boy growing up in the suburbs of 1980s Brisbane faces the harsh realities of life — and the looming dangers that threaten his family.
The Brothers Sun – NETFLIX SERIES
When a mysterious enemy targets his family, a Taipei triad member heads to Los Angeles to protect his strong-willed mother and oblivious younger brother.
Society of the Snow – NETFLIX FILM
In 1972, a Uruguayan flight crashed in the remote heart of the Andes, forcing survivors to become each other’s best hope. A film by J.A. Bayona.
January 5, 2024 Good Grief – NETFLIX FILM
Marc (Daniel Levy) was content living in the shadow of his larger-than-life husband, Oliver (Luke Evans). But when Oliver unexpectedly dies, Marc’s world shatters, sending him and his two best friends, Sophie (Ruth Negga) and Thomas (Himesh Patel), on a soul-searching trip to Paris that reveals some hard truths they each needed to face.
Good Grief marks Levy’s debut as a feature-film writer and director. He also produced as part of Not a Real Production Company, alongside Sister Pictures.
Gyeongseong Creature Part 2 – NETFLIX SERIES
Gyeongseong, 1945. In Seoul’s grim era under colonial rule, an entrepreneur and a sleuth fight for survival and face a monster born out of human greed.
January 6, 2024 The Florida Project
January 8, 2024 This is Us Seasons 1-6
January 10, 2024 Break Point: Season 2 – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
The world’s top tennis players return to the courts and set their sights on glory once again during another grueling Grand Slam season.
The Trust: A Game of Greed – NETFLIX SERIES
In this reality series, strangers living in a luxurious mansion compete for $250,000. Will they split it — or cut each other out to raise their share?
January 11, 2024 Champion – NETFLIX SERIES
Rapper Bosco is free from prison and ready for a comeback — until his sister Vita steps into the spotlight and puts their family bond to the test.
Sonic Prime Chapter 3 – NETFLIX FAMILY
After Nine steals the Paradox Prism to create a world all for himself, Sonic must team up with unlikely allies to protect the universe as he knows it.
January 12, 2024 Lift – NETFLIX FILM
An international heist crew, led by Cyrus Whitaker (Kevin Hart), races to lift $500 million in gold from a passenger plane at 40,000 feet.
Love is Blind: Sweden – NETFLIX SERIES
The unique dating experiment lands in Sweden as local singles seek true love and propose marriage — all before seeing each other in person.
January 15, 2024 CoComelon: Season 9
Holey Moley: Seasons 3-4
maboroshi – NETFLIX ANIME
A factory explosion plunges a small town into a timeless freeze, leaving 14-year-old Masamune and his pals to grapple with a quickly collapsing reality.
MTV Floribama Shore: Season 2
January 16, 2024 Cats (2019)
End of the Line – NETFLIX SERIES
Ivan, a clandestine van driver, navigates the end of his marriage and daily challenges with humor in this quirky comedy series featuring a live audience.
Freaks
January 18, 2024 Rachid Badouri: Les fleurs du tapis – NETFLIX COMEDY
The charismatic Quebecois comedian gets real on everything from meeting a racist fan to letting success go to his head in this candid stand-up special.
January 19, 2024 Love is Blind: Sweden – NETFLIX SERIES (new episodes)
The unique dating experiment lands in Sweden as local singles seek true love and propose marriage — all before seeing each other in person.
Love on the Spectrum U.S. Season 2 – NETFLIX SERIES
Single people with autism — including new romantic hopefuls and familiar faces — search for the perfect partner in this dating docuseries.
Mi soledad tiene alas – NETFLIX FILM
With his estranged father’s return, Dan’s inner demons resurface, triggering a downward spiral. Can love save him from a tragic destiny?
Sixty Minutes – NETFLIX FILM
Desperate not to lose custody, a mixed martial arts fighter makes dangerous enemies when he ditches a matchup to race to his daughter’s birthday party.
January 20, 2024 Captivating the King – NETFLIX SERIES Captivating the King draws the cruel love story between King Lee In, who is in danger of both royal and political power struggles, and Kang Hee Soo, who tries to seduce the King and get revenge, but gets seduced instead.
The Real World: Season 16
January 22, 2024 Not Quite Narwhal: Season 2 – NETFLIX FAMILY
From the ocean to the land, curious Kelp learns more about himself by going on fun-filled adventures with his unicorn friends and narwhal family.
January 23, 2024 Jacqueline Novak: Get on Your Knees – NETFLIX COMEDY
Comedian Jacqueline Novak’s GET ON YOUR KNEES, her break-out hit stand-up show about the blowjob, is coming to Netflix. A word-of-mouth sensation Off-Broadway, directed for the stage by John Early, the show first took off in 2019, where audience members showed for repeat viewings across multiple sold-out runs. A Time’s Critic’s Pick, the show earned Jacqueline a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance.
Over the last few years, Novak has toured the show nationally and abroad, and enjoyed sell-out stints at Largo Los Angeles. This year, Novak teamed up with director Natasha Lyonne and cinematographer Sam Levy (Rothaniel, Lady Bird) to film the show’s final performance as a concert film-meets-comedy special at historic Town Hall in New York City. Ostensibly a 90-minute stand-up set about the blowjob, GET ON YOUR KNEES is both raunchy and poignant, an unexpectedly philosophical, coming-of-age tale of triumph that pushes the boundaries of stand-up. John Mulaney said: “Ladies and Gentlemen, I have seen the Muhammad Ali of comedy.”
Train to Busan
January 24, 2024 Six Nations: Full Contact – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Round by round, match by match, the best teams in Europe battle it out to take home the trophy in the 2023 Six Nations Championship.
American Girl: Corinne Tan
Queer Eye: Season 8 – NETFLIX SERIES
The Fab Five return to the city of New Orleans to jazz up the lives of their heroes — one emotional makeover at a time.
January 25, 2024 The UnXplained with William Shatner: Season 4
Griselda – NETFLIX SERIES GRISELDA is inspired by the life of the savvy and ambitious Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. In 1970s-80s Miami, Blanco’s lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family, leading her to become widely known as “the Godmother.”
Masters of the Universe: Revolution – NETFLIX SERIES
The final installment of Kevin Smith’s animated adult version of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
January 26, 2024 Love is Blind: Sweden – NETFLIX SERIES (new episodes)
The unique dating experiment lands in Sweden as local singles seek true love and propose marriage — all before seeing each other in person.
January 27, 2024 Doctor Slump – NETFLIX SERIES
January 28, 2024 Love is Blind: Sweden – NETFLIX SERIES (new episodes)
The unique dating experiment lands in Sweden as local singles seek true love and propose marriage — all before seeing each other in person.
January 29, 2024 Mighty Bheem’s Playtime – NETFLIX FAMILY
When Mumma Bheem gets a new job as the palace Chef, it’s time for Bheem to start school.
January 30, 2024 Jack Whitehall: Settle Down – NETFLIX COMEDY
A new special from Jack Whitehall.
January 31, 2024 Alexander the Great – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Combining expert interviews with gripping reenactments, this docudrama explores the life of Alexander the Great through his conquest of the Persian Empire.
Baby Bandito – NETFLIX SERIES
After Kevin and his gang pull off Chile’s biggest heist, reckless love — and social media — threatens to ruin everyone’s fortunes. Inspired by real events.
The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse: Part 1 – NETFLIX ANIME
As a prophecy of doom unfolds upon the peaceful land of Britannia, a pure-hearted boy sets out on a journey of discovery — and revenge.
WIL – NETFLIX FILM
Two young police officers find themselves torn between collaboration and resistance as they navigate the Nazi-occupied Antwerp during World War II
ANA CRUZ KAYNE, SHARON ROONEY, ALEXANDRA SHIPP, MARGOT ROBBIE, HARI NEF, and EMMA MACKEY in ‘Barbie’ (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)
The Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) announced their 2023 EDA Awards nominees, with voting members showing their support of awards season favorites including Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Past Lives. The 95 voting members also showered The Holdovers, Oppenheimer, and The Zone of Interest with multiple nominations.
The year-end awards are divided into three main categories: Best Of, EDA Female Focus (for women only), and Special Mention.
“2023 has been a banner year for women working in film. We are particularly proud that this year’s member-determined roster of nominees included a goodly number of female contenders in non-gender specific categories, including Greta Gerwig, Justine Triet, and Celine Song, who are nominated in both the Best Director category and Best Screenplay categories,” stated Jennifer Merin, founder president of AWFJ.
AWFJ BEST OF 2023 AWARDS
Best Film
AMERICAN FICTION
ANATOMY OF A FALL
BARBIE
THE HOLDOVERS
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
OPPENHEIMER
PAST LIVES
THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Best Director
Greta Gerwig – BARBIE
Jonathan Glazer – THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Martin Scorsese – KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Celine Song – PAST LIVES
Justine Triet – ANATOMY OF A FALL
Best Screenplay, Original
ANATOMY OF A FALL – Justine Triet and Arthur Harari
BARBIE – Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach
THE HOLDOVERS – David Hemingson
MAY DECEMBER – Samy Burch
PAST LIVES – Celine Song
Best Screenplay, Adapted
AMERICAN FICTION – Cord Jefferson
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese
OPPENHEIMER – Christopher Nolan
POOR THINGS – Tony McNamara
THE ZONE OF INTEREST – Jonathan Glazer
Best Documentary
20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL
AMERICAN SYMPHONY
BEYOND UTOPIA
FOUR DAUGHTERS
SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD
Best Animated Film
THE BOY AND THE HERON – Hayao Miyazaki
NIMONA – Troy Quane and Nick Bruno
ROBOT DREAMS – Pablo Berger
SPIDER-MAN ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE – Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K Thompson
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES – Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears
Best Actress
Lily Gladstone – KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Sandra Huller – ANATOMY OF A FALL
Greta Lee – PAST LIVES
Margot Robbie – BARBIE
Emma Stone – POOR THINGS
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Danielle Brooks – THE COLOR PURPLE
America Ferrera – BARBIE
Sandra Huller – THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Rosamund Pike – SALTBURN
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – THE HOLDOVERS
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper – MAESTRO
Paul Giamatti – THE HOLDOVERS
Cillian Murphy – OPPENHEIMER
Andrew Scott – ALL OF US STRANGERS
Jeffrey Wright – AMERICAN FICTION
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Sterling K Brown – AMERICAN FICTION
Robert Downey Jr – OPPENHEIMER
Ryan Gosling – BARBIE
Charles Melton – MAY DECEMBER
Mark Ruffalo – POOR THINGS
Best Ensemble Cast – Casting Director
AMERICAN FICTION – Jennifer Euston
BARBIE – Lucy Brava and Allison Jones
THE HOLDOVERS – Susan Shopmaker
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Ellen Lewis
OPPENHEIMER – John Papsidera
Best Cinematography
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Rodrigo Prieto
MAESTRO – Matthew Labatique
OPPENHEIMER – Hoyte Van Hoytema
POOR THINGS – Robbie Ryan
THE ZONE OF INTEREST – Lukasz Zal
Best Editing
ANATOMY OF A FALL – Laurent Senechal
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Thelma Schoonmaker
MAESTRO – Michelle Tesoro
OPPENHEIMER – Jennifer Lame
THE ZONE OF INTEREST – Paul Watts
Best Non-English-Language Film
ANATOMY OF A FALL – France
FALLEN LEAVES – Finland
PAST LIVES – North Korea
THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE – Germany
THE ZONE OF INTEREST – UK and Poland
EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS
Best Woman Director
Ava DuVernay – ORIGIN
Emerald Fennell – SALTBURN
Greta Gerwig – BARBIE
Celine Song – PAST LIVES
Justine Triet – ANATONY OF A FALL
Best Woman Screenwriter
Samy Burch – MAY DECEMBER
Emerald Fennell – SALTBURN
Greta Gerwig (with Noah Baumbach) – BARBIE
Celine Song – PAST LIVES
Justine Triet (with Arthur Harari) – ANATOMY OF A FALL
Best Animated Female
Ariana Debose – WISH – Asha
Ayo Edebiri – TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM – April O’Neil
Leah Lewis – ELEMENTAL – Ember
Chloe Grace Moretz – NIMONA – Nimona
Hailee Steinfeld – SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE – Gwen Stacy
Best Woman’s Breakthrough Performance
Abby Ryder Fortson – ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET
Lily Gladstone – KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Greta Lee – PAST LIVES
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – THE HOLDOVERS
Cailee Spaeny – PRISCILLA
Outstanding Achievement by A Woman in The Film Industry
Fran Drescher – for leading SAG-AFTRA through the actors’ strike and standing strong for an equitable contract.
Ava DuVernay – For creating a new financing model, for consistently supporting women in film and for focusing her work on social justice.
Greta Gerwig – For all that is Barbie.
Lily Gladstone – For championing Native American stories, advocating for diversity and authenticity, and for starring in two exceptional films in 2023.
Margot Robbie – For producing and starring in Barbie, and for continued support for women in film via her LuckyChap production company.
EDA SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS
Grand Dame Award for defying ageism:
Annette Bening – NYAD
Julia Louis Dreyfus – YOU HURT MY FEELINGS
Jodie Foster – NYAD
Helen Mirren – GOLDA and FAST X
Julianne Moore – MAY DECEMBER
Most Egregious Lovers’ Age Difference Award
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY – Harrison Ford (81) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (38)
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Leo DiCaprio (49) and Lily Gladstone (37)
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE DEAD RECKONING PART ONE – Tom Cruise (61) and Hayley Atwell (41)
OPPENHEIMER – Cillian Murphy (47) and Florence Pugh (27)
POOR THINGS – Mark Ruffalo (56) and Emma Stone (35)
She Deserves A New Agent Award (NOTE: This is not a put down. On the contrary, it suggests that the actor is better than the role she’s been given.)
Ana de Armas – GHOSTED
Candace Bergen, Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, and Mary Steenburgen – BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER
Toni Colette – MAFIA MAMMA
Nia Vardalos – MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3
Reese Witherspoon – YOUR PLACE OR MINE
Most Daring Performance
Annette Bening – NYAD
Sandra Huller – ANATOMY OF A FALL
Sandra Huller THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Julianne Moore – MAY DECEMBER
Emma Stone – POOR THINGS
Time Waster Remake or Sequel Award
THE EXORCIST BELIEVER
THE EXPENDABLES 4
THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY
MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE
AWFJ Hall of Shame Award (Women and men are eligible)
The AMPTP and studio heads for their despicable behavior concerning the WGA and SAG-AFTRA negotiations and strikes.
Drew Barrymore for resuming her show during the WGA strike, resulting in three writers leaving the show.
Greta Gerwig for crossing WGA and SAG picket lines (she’s a member of both and although not an actor in Barbie, she co-wrote it) to promote Barbie, claiming she was just there as a non-striking director. Her co-writer, Noah Baumbach, respected the picket line. Media gave her a free pass while Black director Justin Simien (not a member of ANY striking guild) was given flack for attending the Disney premiere of his film The Haunted Mansion. Shame on Greta.
Jonathan Majors for domestic violence.
Danny Masterson, sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after having been found guilty of raping two women.
Alliance of Women Film Journalists 2022 Winners: Banshees, Everything, and Women Talking Tie with Most Wins
