It’s safe to say Disney’s streaming output has been a mixed bag. For every excellent WandaVision and The Mandalorian we’ve gotten garbage like Secret Invasion and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Perhaps that’s why Disney Plus subscriber figures are in decline, from a high of around 170 million in late 2022 to just 125 million in the first quarter of 2025. 115x1t

There are a whole bunch of reasons for this: Disney Plus subs took a hit when they lost the licence to broadcast cricket in India, there’s fiercer competition from other streaming services, a cost of living crisis and, simply, that the pandemic saw people trapped indoors with nothing to do, briefly boosting demand.

But, whatever the case, Disney certainly sounds gloomy about the future. One recent shining light for Disney Plus has been the critically acclaimed Star Wars hit Andor, now considered the best thing the franchise has seen since the original trilogy wrapped up with Return of the Jedi.

Showrunner Tony Gilroy has praised Disney and Lucasfilm for the “freedom” they gave him, essentially giving him an incredible $650 million budget for 24 episodes and letting him use that as he wished. The gamble paid off, but he’s now revealed that during the gap between seasons, Disney made a startling ission about their opinion on streaming.

Tony Gilroy confirms the total budget for ‘ANDOR’ was $650M

They had to fight for the necessary funding for S2 after Disney told them “streaming is dead”

(Source: https://t.co/dVz6p04CDq) pic.twitter.com/9S3kFPbndA

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 31, 2025

Speaking at a at the ATX Television Festival last week, he recounted a meeting with a Disney higher-up who explained: “‘Streaming is dead, we don’t have the money we had before”. This led to arguments over Andor season 2, though Gilroy appears to have triumphed: “we fought hard about money, but they never cleaned anything up. That [freedom] comes with responsibilities.”

Cheaper shows incoming? 17584o

Saying that streaming is “dead” to Disney is quite the statement. As per their most recent filings, Disney’s total revenue for Q1 2025 was $24.7 billion, a 5% increase from Q1 2024. However, they also reveal that Disney Plus lost 0.7 million subscribers. Presumably, they have internal data that lets them make predictions for the future that paint a gloomy picture.

All of which means that we were probably lucky to get Andor and don’t expect any shows similar to it anytime soon. Belts are being tightened and budgets restricted, so anticipate shows that lean heavily on cheaper Volume-style CGI sets and have extremely safe narratives.

The name of the game is “Success” in Hollywood, and everyone pursues it relentlessly. But like everything, reaching the top tier and staying there is not just about money – there are a lot of brain cells involved too. And when that is excluded from the equation… it becomes irrefutable why higher-ups, drunk on their power, making all the decisions, is never a good idea.

On that cheerful idea, HBO Max… is HBO Max, again – a saga that saw millions being dumped down the drain in promotions and marketing when it transitioned from HBO Now to HBO Max, the Max.

The naming of HBO’s streaming service has been an up-and-down, left-and-right merry-go-round with more twists than arguably any show on the platform. What started as HBO Max became just Max, changed its color scheme a couple of times, and is now — surprise! — back to HBO Max. And that’s not even counting the HBO NOW and HBO GO era of the 2010s.

This is the same HBO that made The Sopranos — still considered by many to be the greatest show ever made — and Game of Thrones, among a host of other classics. You don’t need to tell me twice that an HBO show is worth the price of ission, at least for the pilot. Over the years, the network has maintained a conveyor belt of some of the best TV the industry has ever seen. They built a name synonymous with quality, which is why it was completely dumbfounding that, when every major media company was going all-in on streaming, HBO dropped the most recognizable part of their brand: their name. That would be like Disney+ launching as just “Plus.”

For years, fans and industry analysts alike were puzzled by such a bizarre decision. Then, suddenly — out of nowhere — Warner Bros. Discovery announced they’re going back to HBO Max. The writing was on the wall when the CEO of Content, Casey Bloys, at HBO Max appeared on The Town podcast and said they’d done a lot of market analysis to understand what viewers want and how they perceive the service. What they reportedly found was that fans wanted HBO-quality TV shows of various genres, documentaries, and access to the Warner Bros. library. Shocking absolutely no one. That realization finally seems to have pushed them to return to what audiences already associate with that kind of prestige programming — HBO.

People familiar with the inner workings at Warner Bros. Discovery (HBO’s parent company) didn’t waste any time pointing fingers. One on X claimed that internal research had always shown the rebrand was a bad idea, but that one executive pushed it through on a power trip. From the outside, all signs point to JB Perrette, the head of global streaming and games.

Had a friend inside HBO at the time and apparently the entire 'Max' branding was one powerful exec who thought it would be a great idea contra every single piece of internal research. Just one singular guy on a power trip. https://t.co/pBmpCKF1IF

— Jeremiah Johnson (@JeremiahDJohns) May 14, 2025

Back during the Max launch, Perrette gave a presentation justifying the name change by saying the generic name would help kids and families recognize the platform’s animated offerings. Because, in his words, “HBO is not exactly where you would drop your kids off at.”

WBD's JB Perrette says 'HBO' was dropped from the name for 'Max' to appeal to kids:

"Our leading kids brands used to get double-digit shares of the 2-11 linear audience. In streaming, that has virtually disappeared even though all the great content & franchises are still here." pic.twitter.com/JRbwH9fOSU

— Animation on Max (@AnimationOnMax) April 13, 2023

The C-suite at Warner Bros. Discovery has been lurching from one unforced error to the next. When David Zaslav first took over, his goal seemed to be propping up the Discovery half of the brand — where his roots lie — which includes reality TV fare like Honey Boo Boo. But his ham-fisted attempts to boost his own importance while dismissing the creatives under him have felt less like leadership and more like a parody straight out of Seth Rogen’s The Studio.

Luckily, HBO’s social media team has been doing damage control with the kind of witty, self-aware posts that poke fun at the chaos rather than trying to bury it. Honestly, they’re the real heroes of this entire saga.

The HBO Max social team is doing yeoman's work, leaning into the absurdity of their boomerang rebrand and diffusing ridicule by getting in on the joke

This is excellent work and exactly what a social handle is for https://t.co/vbQBTpDY7m pic.twitter.com/L7LwcgKEho

— Lulu Cheng Meservey (@lulumeservey) May 14, 2025

That said, with Warner Bros. Discovery’s current track record, we can probably expect them to announce they’re replacing their entire social media team with AI by next week.

Andor is set to go down in history as the greatest Star Wars story ever. This complex, politically charged, and character-driven thriller blasts past the prequel and sequel trilogies, leaves every other Disney Plus Star Wars show in the dust, and, in many ways, is even superior to George Lucas’ iconic original trilogy.

With the final episodes landing yesterday, praise is at fever pitch on social media, with many demanding that Lucasfilm hand showrunner Tony Gilroy the keys to the kingdom and let him chart the franchise’s future:

This is how Star Wars should be. Tony Gilroy truly understands that. Give this man more future Star Wars projects and return the franchise to be true Star Wars. #Andor #AndorS2 #AndorSeason2 pic.twitter.com/6MBlQZiHyW

— CΛMSPIRΞ ♪ (@CamsTranceVibes) April 24, 2025

Unfortunately for all of us, Gilroy has indicated that his time in a galaxy far, far away is over. Speaking to Collider in Mar. 2025, he was asked if he would be back for more and said:

“It’s not really part of my plan. I’ve been peripherally involved for 10 years and intensely involved for six years, so that’s a pretty big chunk of my life. There are other things to do.”

But Disney and Lucasfilm would be fools to let him walk away now and we expect executives will do their best to tempt him back for more. And there’s one project he’d be ideal for that no other person should be trusted with.

A New New Hope? 3u3e1n

This will be blasphemy to many, but with A New Hope approaching its 50th anniversary in 2027, it may finally be time for a remake. After all, while George Lucas’ 1977 original will always be a cinematic classic, it’s looking increasingly creaky to younger viewers, so a fresh perspective and retelling of this incredible story would be an ideal way to reinvigorate the franchise.

There are only a handful of people who could pull off this feat, but after Andor, Gilroy has to be top of the pile. After all, Andor ends right as 2016’s Rogue One begins, which itself leads directly into the opening minutes of A New Hope. Gilroy being given the reins would let him effectively continue his story, folding the winning Andor formula into one continuous and truly epic saga.

Some of the surviving Andor characters could go on to play new roles in this reworked original trilogy, cementing the links between them. And, as a bonus, this would also clear the decks of the increasingly tangled and crowded Star Wars canon. From Disney’s point of view, a remake of A New Hope would be a guaranteed box office smash, fit in perfectly with their current strategy of remaking their classic animated movies in live action, and lay obvious groundwork for future remakes of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

This “new” original trilogy then leaves acres of fertile storytelling ground beyond it that could be occupied by an entirely original sequel trilogy that’s actually planned out in advance and doesn’t end on a massive anticlimax.

Any announcement along these lines would be met by an aggressive backlash by fans understandably attached to Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and the rest, but what better way to honor Star Wars than to give us an entirely original take on Luke Skywalker’s adventures that tesselates perfectly with the storylines and themes we just saw in Andor?

In a recent episode of The View, co-host Ana Navarro opened up about her connection to Prince Harry‘s candid remarks regarding his estranged relationship with his father, King Charles III. Navarro expressed empathy, stating, “I really hope that they get the chance to reconcile,” highlighting the universal complexities of family dynamics.

Prince Harry’s revelations have been making headlines, particularly following his recent BBC interview, where he discussed the breakdown in communication with his dad. He disclosed that King Charles has ceased communication with him, a situation that worsened over disputes about security arrangements and other grievances. Harry expressed a desire for reconciliation but acknowledged that some family might never forgive him. 

“There have been so many disagreements” 2g414v

In the interview, Harry said, “There have been so many disagreements between myself and some of my family,” but he’d forgiven them.” Harry, however, said he remained upset with his father for not speaking to him. “[King Charles III] won’t speak to me because of this security stuff.”

The Duke of Sussex’s concerns are further compounded by King Charles’s ongoing battle with cancer. Harry voiced his fears about the limited time they might have left to mend their relationship, stating, “I would like to get my father back,” Harry said.

Despite the strained relations, there have been subtle signs of potential reconciliation. Reports suggest that King Charles has left the door open for Harry, with sources indicating that the monarch desires to repair the relationship and have a connection with his grandchildren.

Navarro’s reflections on The View resonate with many who understand the challenges of familial estrangement. Her hope for a reconciliation between Prince Harry and King Charles underscores the universal longing for familial harmony, especially in times of adversity.

Referring to her estrangement from her father, Navarro said, “When you have that tick-tock in your head… [Harry’s] father has cancer, mine is 85 years old… That’s even more present in your mind. It is very d— hard, and I think it takes a lot of processing and a lot of humility.”

She added, “It also takes both sides,” to repair the relationship. “I don’t think it’s something that can be done unilaterally. So, as somebody that’s going through it and hopes to be able to work it out, I really hope that they get the chance to reconcile because my biggest fear is not reconciling with my father and then having regrets my entire life.”

Disney ants have pulled off something even Thanos couldn’t: kill off Hawkeye.

Jeremy Renner stopped by High Performance for an interview, and the inevitable question came up — would he reprise his most iconic role as Clint Barton, better known as Hawkeye? Renner didn’t mince words. He called the entire situation “disheartening.” He asserted that a contract dispute with Disney’s “penny pinchers” means he’s letting the role go for the foreseeable future.

At this point, it’s no secret that, culturally speaking, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going through a lack of fresh, engaging ideas. The recent five-hour stream of empty director chairs revealing the cast of Avengers: Doomsday is a prime example. Perhaps the franchise got too big, and the ideas too many and convoluted to fit into the public consciousness. And it’s not just fan cynicism either — the producers of the Marvel machine have been feeling the pinch as well. Marvel President Kevin Feige himself was quoted in TIME, saying it’s been hard lately for them to capture the zeitgeist because they release too much product.

So there’s a reasonable assumption to make: Hawkeye Season 1 didn’t earn as much as expected. And that caused them to offer Jeremy Renner half the pay for Season 2. Or maybe they planned to give him a more secondary role as he eventually es the torch to a very capable Sinners star Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop. Regardless, Renner wasn’t having that. To the star, the offer felt insulting — especially coming so soon after his life-threatening snowmobile accident. Renner said:

“I’m like, ‘I’m sorry? Why? Did you think I’m only half the Jeremy because I got ran over? Maybe that’s why you want to pay me half of what I made on the first season.’”

Considering Marvel is synonymous with box office success, you’d assume their financial compensation with stars is exemplary. But you’d be mistaken.

As early as Iron Man 2, actors like Terrence Howard were pushed out of the franchise over salary disputes. John Malkovich, set to debut in Fantastic Four: The First Steps, shared that he turned down the franchise multiple times due to lowballed offers.

Carrie Coon, too, said the only reason she didn’t return for Avengers: Endgame was a lack of a salary increase. She even claimed people would be “surprised” by Marvel salaries. And if her performance in the last episode of The White Lotus is anything to go by — your loss, Marvel.

Luckily, however, it seems Feige is learning from past mistakes. In his acknowledgment that they may have flooded the market with too much product, he vowed to slow down and be more intentional going forward.

Unlike these other stars, Jeremy Renner is one of the founding faces of this franchise. Renner truly deserves to be treated as such. Because with every single complaint that reaches the fans, the goodwill Marvel has ridden on for nearly two decades chips a little bit more.

Marvel has yet to comment on the situation. The focus now is on Thunderbolts, which is getting glowing reviews from all the major publications. Perhaps Jeremy Renner leaving and Marvel injecting some new blood is best for everyone involved.

Israel‘s reputation is in tatters, but I guess doing a genocide will achieve that. All around the world, people are still taking to the streets to protest their brutal military action and starvation tactics in the Gaza Strip and things have reached the point that, even in America, a majority of people now do not sympathize with Israelis.

But a new BBC documentary may be set to crater public opinion even more. Acclaimed documentarian Louis Theroux has just released The Settlers, in which he travels through the West Bank interviewing gun-toting Israeli settlers determined to flout international law and steal Palestinian homes and land.

What follows is a horror show of petty cruelty, homicidal religious fervor, and casual plans for brutal ethnic cleansing. Theroux’s tactic is simply to point his camera at these people and let them explain their philosophy – and in doing so, you peer into some truly scary minds.

Louis Theroux: "But to think about other people, other children not at all? That seems sociopathic"

Daniella Weiss: "No. Not at all, this is normal"

“The settlers” Documentary by Louis Theroux pic.twitter.com/K8HZNrlv91 https://t.co/91pQjORn5K

— Khalissee (@Kahlissee) April 28, 2025

Of his subjects, none is more repulsive than 79-year-old Daniella Weiss, who didn’t bat an eyelid as she rolled out a map to reveal how (with the full of the Israeli government) she intends to carry out a program of ethnic cleansing on people she doesn’t even consider as human beings. In a later interview, making some bizarre point about violence, she physically shoves Theroux in a failed effort to make him retaliate in kind. All Theroux can do is dub her, frankly, a sociopath.

And, judging by the universal response on social media, pretty much everyone agrees:

This is a difficult watch but necessary. The arrogance of the settlers and IDF is astounding. The dehumanising language used when they speak of Palestinians is awful, especially from the mouth of a Rabbi and there is something of the devil about Daniella Weiss. https://t.co/DvJCjaihFx

— Alison Morris (@alimorris356) April 27, 2025

I think Daniella Weiss is actually insane. I don't say this lightly. She seems totally divorced from reality. #louistheroux #thesettlers

— s 'Cassandra' Coppola (@s_Coppola) April 27, 2025

I'm watching Louis Theroux – The Settlers.

The level of psychopathy of these "settlers" is disturbing. Louis appears quite shocked.

Settler boss Daniella Weiss speaks like a possessed woman but I do know what it is. She's a mafia boss convinced that she's very powerful. pic.twitter.com/kYONic8kkB

— Luca Soci (@Luca_soci) April 28, 2025

Louis Theroux is a brilliant documentary maker. He so easily leads these Zionists down the garden path and it doesn’t take them two minutes to completely expose themselves as evil. Daniella Weiss is terrifying. #TheSettlers

— beffy (@beffybadbelly) April 29, 2025

Daniela Weiss is a complete racist psychopath. Incredible documentary by Louis Theroux. Brazen content for humanity all driven by zealous religocity. So sad. #thesettlers

— Paolo (@Skeptichead) April 27, 2025

The bizarre cherry on top of this is that Israel nominated her for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize! As you might expect, Theroux is now being pilloried on social media for the crime of putting these people on camera and letting them explain themselves. Here’s hoping this documentary opens some eyes on what it really means to Israel, and the daily nightmare of life as a Palestinian in the West Bank and Gaza.

Like most people, I don’t think I could put a price on my friendships. These are people I’ve grown up alongside, who’ve seen me at my best and worst, and who I’d go to the ends of the Earth for. But, apparently, film icon John Lithgow prioritizes a hefty payday over his friends.

In an interview with Variety, Lithgow outlines a bizarre incident involving his casting in HBO’s Harry Potter remake show. This remake is proving to be a hot potato on all fronts, though primarily because J.K. Rowling just personally funded a successful legal battle to strip rights from and enforce discrimination against trans people in the United Kingdom.

Every actor clambering aboard HBO’s Hogwarts Express will be fully aware of this, especially as their social medias are now full of heartbroken fans pleading for them not to align themselves with Rowling. However, Lithgow has at least made his position clear: he doesn’t care.

“A very good friend who is the mother of a trans child” sent him an open letter pleading with him to walk away from Rowling. The letter praises Lithgow for his career-long “love and acceptance of the LGBTQ community”, pointing out that he said “Nobody in society should have to hide who they are, or feel like they’re second class citizens in any way”, and underlining that he scored an Oscar nomination in 1982 for playing a trans character.

The letter ends with a plea for Lithgow to “stand with trans young people” as the community “could use your now more than ever.” So, on one hand, you have your good friend’s emotional letter to you outlining how this would make you a massive hypocrite and urging you to do well, and on the other, you have a big HBO payday.

Lithgow told Variety the letter “was the canary in the coal mine”. But even if that bird chirped and flapped around a little, it was soon a rotting yellow lump on the cage floor. Lithgow’s takeaway was apparently… nothing: “I thought, ‘Why is this a factor at all?’ I wonder how J.K. Rowling has absorbed it. I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her, and I’m curious to talk to her.”

Needless to say, fans of Lithgow are disgusted, with most wondering why he’d burn decades of goodwill for a payday that’ll make no material difference to his day-to-day life:

John Lithgow took the time to come straight out and say that he cares more about his last big paycheck than the harm caused by further enriching and empowering a well-known public bigot. https://t.co/q5hhH6tWnZ

— Gentleman Doofus (@GentleDoofus) April 28, 2025

John Lithgow, coming off a popular award winning film, getting ready to do the last role of his career by tarnishing his reputation to be in a mid remake TV series produced by a psycho for a paycheck he won’t live to fully enjoy anyway: pic.twitter.com/1R3ZcHedv4 https://t.co/gKICaio1Sk

— ₮ł₥Ø₮ⱧɎ (@TimothyYBarrett) April 28, 2025

JK Rowling makes it abundantly clear what she does with her money. It's all she talks about it. You can't feign ignorance about something like this and brush it off like it's all so silly. To know the facts and take that paycheck? No different than blood money.

— Brandon Streussnig (@BrndnStrssng) April 28, 2025

It’s deeply depressing to see an actor I deeply respected fritter away his reputation like this. But hey, Lithgow “just” has a net worth of around $50 million, so maybe the Rowling paycheque will mean he can finally afford that ivory backscratcher he’s been coveting all this time. What Rowling is doing with her money is evil but, as far as Lithgow is concerned, evil clearly pays.

The Star Wars Celebration 2025 is in full swing in Japan, taking place in the Makuhari Messe Convention Center near Tokyo as we speak. There was no 2024 event, so Lucasfilm and Disney have a lot to unveil: new movies, new TV shows, updates on projects in development, and other announcements across other media.

So, let’s get down to exactly what’s been confirmed.

The Mandalorian and Grogu comes to theaters May 22, 2026. #StarWarsCelebration pic.twitter.com/Z7DRuvkG7M

— Star Wars (@starwars) April 18, 2025

Everyone’s favorite terse helmeted bounty hunter and his adorable green kid are coming to the big screen on May 22, 2026. Series mastermind Jon Favreau will direct and it appears there’s a chance this will effectively function as a feature-length fourth season of the TV show, potentially wrapping up the story (for now).

Exclusive footage shows Pedro Pascal as a maskless Mando and Grogu wielding the Force, together with confirmation that Sigourney Weaver will appear in a mysterious role and The Bear star Jeremy Strong will play Rotta, the buff gladiator son of Jabba the Hutt. Sure, sign me up.

New movie ‘Star Wars: Starfighter‘ 2n5xl

Shawn Levy. Ryan Gosling. A new standalone story coming from a galaxy far, far away. Star Wars: Starfighter is coming to theaters Memorial Day 2027. pic.twitter.com/uiTLfRA0fz

— Star Wars (@starwars) April 18, 2025

We’d known Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling were teaming up for a Star Wars film for some time. Now we know what it is: Star Wars: Starfighter will be the first movie set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker and is billed as an “entirely new adventure” with “all-new characters”.

Gosling appeared on stage and said:

“Being here and seeing all of you [makes it] more inspiring to do it. There’s so much creativity and imagination in this room and there’s so much love. It’s such a great reminder of how much movies can mean to us, specifically how much these movies mean to us. ‘The force is a mysterious thing, but, as I’m here, the force is the fans. All we can hope for is, ‘May the fans be with us.’”

Other specifics are unknown, though it was underlined that this isn’t a sequel to The Rise of Skywalker but its own thing. Given the title Starfighter, we can probably assume a focus on space dogfights, but who knows? The movie will begin shooting in early 2026 for a May 28, 2027 release.

Maul: Shadow Lord announcement 1i711u

The fandom for the Shadow Lord has already begun. Maul – Shadow Lord, a new animated series is coming to @disneyplus in 2026. pic.twitter.com/rxzk0E53jH

— Star Wars (@starwars) April 18, 2025

Coming in the final moments of the Lucasfilm Animation showcase, this animated Disney Plus show focuses on The Phantom Menace villain Darth Maul and will show him training an apprentice. Star Wars animation mastermind Dave Filoni is behind the show, with longtime Maul voice actor Sam Witwer reprising the role. Further details are unknown, though it will premiere in 2026.

Disney Plus show updates 362ok

Dave Filoni confirms that he “is still working with” Mortis and the World Between Worlds in AHSOKA pic.twitter.com/podcR8ePCw

— Star Wars Holocron @ SWCJ (@sw_holocron) April 18, 2025

Andor season 2 arrives on Disney Plus next week, with creator Tony Gilroy and star Diego Luna showing a sneak peek of some key events and how the show will tie into Rogue One. We also got some information on Ahsoka season 2, which will begin filming later this year. Star Wars Visions‘ third season is also on the way, with nine new shorts from various animated studios. The first episode of animated show Tales from the Underworld was also shown, focusing on Asajj Ventress.

Books s522y

The new Darth Vader novel MASTER OF EVIL is set very shortly after the events of REVENGE OF THE SITH.

“This period is covered very well in Charles Soule’s Marvel comic…except there are gaps in the comics. And there is a particular gap in the comic that I don’t think Charles or… pic.twitter.com/dx9z4i8Acn

— Star Wars Holocron @ SWCJ (@sw_holocron) April 18, 2025

The Lucasfilm Publishing: Manga Mania! , revealed new manga adaptations and The High Republic stories. Notable releases include Star Wars: Master of Evil, a Darth Vader novel by Adam Christopher (Nov. 2025), and an updated Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy featuring characters like Avar Kriss (April 2025). A deluxe Doug Chiang art collection was also announced for December 2025.

The Celebration runs over the weekend, so if there’s anything else unveiled we’ll be sure to let you know.

HBO is about to find out whether Harry Potter is still popular. The books and the movies are 21st century cultural landmarks, but since The Deathly Hallows Part 2 wrapped up it’s been in slow decline. The Fantastic Beasts franchise fizzled out, various transmedia projects have cratered and, y’know, there’s the whole J.K. Rowling thing.

But HBO and Warner Bros are putting all their eggs in the remake basket, with a mega-budget fresh adaptation of the original books with an all-new cast. Now they’ve confirmed the casting of six key characters. Here they are:

Dumbledore – John Lithgow 615w6i

No surprises here, given he’d already been all-but confirmed, but John Lithgow will be playing Dumbledore. Renowned across movies, TV, and theater, he’s won two Tony Awards, six Emmys, and two Golden Globes. Notable works include 3rd Rock from the Sun, Dexter, The Crown, and films like Footloose and Interstellar.

Severus Snape – Paapa Essiedu 3rd4z

In a piece of casting guaranteed to cause a lot of debate, Paapa Essiedu, a British actor of Ghanian descent will play Severus Snape. Essiedu has a strong pedigree in the Royal Shakespeare Company, delivering acclaimed lead performances in Hamlet and King Lear. His breakout role in 2020’s I May Destroy You garnered Emmy and BAFTA nominations. Essiedu has also appeared on TV in Gangs of London and The Lazarus Project, and in the films Men and The Outrun.

Janet McTeer – Minerva McGonagall 6e3g6q

Janet McTeer is taking over from the much-missed Maggie Smith as McGonagall. In 1997 McTeer won a Tony for A Doll’s House and earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for 1997’s Tumbleweeds. Other Notable roles include Albert Nobbs, The White Queen, Ozark, Jessica Jones, and The Menu.

Quirinus Quirrel – Luke Thallon 5s6o4v

Playing the (literally) two-faced villain Quirrel will be Luke Thallon, a British actor primarily known for his theater work. He won the Clarence Derwent Award for Leopoldstadt and was nominated for an Evening Standard Award for Albion. Other Notable roles include Hamlet (RSC), Patriots (Broadway), and Present Laughter (Old Vic). On screen, he appeared in The Favourite and A Room with a View.

Hagrid – Nick Frost 1j6f2w

In a truly inspired bit of casting, cult TV icon Nick Frost will be playing Hagrid. He rose to fame in classic British comedy Spaced, before becoming a fixture in Edgar Wright’s “Cornetto Trilogy” (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End) alongside Simon Pegg. Frost’s other credits include Into the Badlands and Fighting with My Family.

Argus Filch – Paul Whitehouse 2f381n

The perpetually grumpy Argus Filch will be played by the altogether more cheery Paul Whitehouse. The British comedy legend co-created The Fast Show, starred in Harry & Paul, Happiness, and co-wrote Only Fools and Horses specials. His movie work includes The Death of Stalin and Ghost Stories. A BAFTA winner, he’s hilarious in Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.

There are, of course, more cast to come, so we’ll keep this article updated as and when the rest of the Hogwarts teachers and students are confirmed. Here’s hoping we get to see our new Harry, Ron, and Hermione very soon.

Euphoria and Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane has updated fans with some heartbreaking news, revealing on Thursday that he has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

The 52-year-old actor, who played Dr Mark Sloan, AKA ‘McSteamy’ on the hospital soap opera, confirmed his diagnosis in a recent statement provided to People. Dane said he is currently battling a type of motor neurone disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as ALS. “I have been diagnosed with ALS,” the actor said. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.” ALS is a terminal degenerative disorder that causes people to lose the use of their limbs and the ability to speak, swallow and eventually breathe independently.

Eric Dane shares that he has been diagnosed with ALS.

“I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter. I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of ‘Euphoria’ next week. I kindly ask that… pic.twitter.com/omQDBdeIkL

— Variety (@Variety) April 11, 2025

Tragically, there is no cure for the disease, and while those who’ve battled it die, on average, 27 months after diagnosis, some patients, including fellow celebrity sufferers, have gone on to live for years and decades. Stephen Hawking, for example, was diagnosed with a slow-progressing form of the disease at the age of 21 and lived to 76, while David Niven, and Roberta Flack are among the other famous names who’ve battled the disease. Perhaps preempting fans’ questions about what this means for his role on Euphoria — in which he plays Cal Jacobs — Dane revealed that he’s still involved in the show’s third season. 

“I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to the set of Euphoria next week,” the actor said. “I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.” After years of delays, it was revealed earlier this year that the acclaimed HBO series is finally in production, with a release date set for next year. Filming for the third season begins on April 14, though lead actress Zendaya was spotted shooting some scenes last month. Zendaya and Dane are among the actors confirmed to return for the third installment, while former castmates Barbie Ferreira and Storm Reid are no longer involved. 

Eric Dane at the ‘Euphoria’ For Your Consideration Emmy event in LA.

pic.twitter.com/jmXESkuJ4V

— Pop Base (@PopBase) April 21, 2022

Last month, it was revealed that Hollywood veteran Sharon Stone would be ing the cast of Euphoria’s third season, though details around her role remain unknown. “There is little more exciting than going to work with this team of thrilling talent,” the Basic Instinct star said following news of her casting. “From the genius of Sam Levinson to the raw sophistication of this profoundly moving cast and tight crew. I am honored to be Euphoric.” As for what we can expect from the new installment, plot details remain quite scarce. 

zendaya filming for ‘euphoria’ season 3 in california last week! pic.twitter.com/MgUimEnZZu

— the zendaya collective ✮⋆˙ (@dayacollective) February 24, 2025

We do know that a Levinson-drafted storyline involving a time-jump between seasons two and three was scrapped, but how exactly it was reworked is still a mystery. Regardless, we’re glad to hear that Dane, who appeared in both of the first two seasons, still has it in him to return to Euphoria. His character — the father of Jacob Elordi’s Nate Jacobs — was one of the more compelling throughout the first two installments, so we’ll undoubtedly be in for a treat when he graces screens again next year.

While 2025 has already delivered us predictable TV highlights with the return of shows like Severance and The White Lotus, it was the Netflix original series Adolescence that became the year’s surprise sleeper hit. The show, which follows 13-year-old Jamie Miller (played by Owen Cooper) after he is arrested for murdering a schoolmate, premiered on the streamer last month, and has since dominated the cultural conversation to become the year’s most talked-about water cooler show. 

Adolescence was so popular, in fact, that it shot straight to the top of Netflix’s global most-watched lists, to the point where it became the third-most watch program in the platform’s history, beating out uber-popular titles like Dahmer. While the four-episode season delivered a conclusive ending, the surrounding fanfare has naturally led audiences to speculate about a possible second season of the show, and we’ve recently been given a few updates in regards to that very same question. 

Production team “in talks” for Adolescence season two.  2fs6f

‘ADOLESCENCE’ Season 2 is now being talked about for Netflix.

(Source: Deadline) pic.twitter.com/9Tuic2HOlG

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 9, 2025

Despite the watertight ending of the show’s first season, the runaway success of Adolescence has propelled the creative team to consider a sophomore installment. Just this week, the production team behind season one, Brad Pitt’s Plan B, said they are in discussions about additional episodes with Philip Barantini, who directed all four episodes of the famously one-shot first installment. It was Plan B co-presidents Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner who provided the season two update, telling Deadline that conversations were taking place about “the next iteration” of the show.

Details around Adolescence season two remain scarce. 3p6422

At this stage, any details beyond Gardner’s recent update remain scarce. He did say that he hoped Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, who co-created the series, would somehow be involved in a second season. Gardner also revealed that a new season of Adolescence would work to “widen the aperture” of the show, while “stay[ing] true to its DNA, and not be[ing] repetitive.” With that context, and given the conclusive resolution of season one, some have theorized that a second season would not focus on Jamie. 

Gardner’s mention of the “new iteration” has been taken by some as a promise of Adolescence‘s second season focussing on an entirely new teenage character with some kind of inherent crime or trauma. This theory is ed by comments made by those involved in the show. Last month, Thorne confirmed that “Jamie’s story is finished,” adding that “our aim was to try and tell Jamie’s story as fully as we possibly could.” 

ppl asking for season 2 of adolescence man i think the whole point is that there’s not meant to be more to the story. that’s just it like

— gabby ❥ (@g4brielleeee) March 21, 2025

Thorne also said he “[doesn’t] think there’s anywhere more we can take Jamie,” suggesting that a second season of Adolescence would follow a different character. The freshness of the update means there’s no word yet on when a second season of Adolescence will arrive, so my advice to you would be to watch this space.

Mickey Rourke didn’t even make it into the U.K. Big Brother house before pulling a creepy move on the show’s host AJ Odudu, but his behavior only went from bad to worse once he entered and started mingling with the other stars. Viewers have taken particular issue with the actor’s homophobic comments towards fellow housemate JoJo Siwa.

In his first few days in the house Rourke made several “jokes” surrounding Siwa’s sexuality. In one instance the boxer turned actor said he would be “voting out the lesbian.” In another case he yells loudly, “I need a f**” (slang for cigarette) before pointing at Siwa and clarifying, “not talking to you.” The “Karma” singer was obviously not too impressed with the comments as she shakes her head in response. Another co-star, Love Island alum Chris Hughes, chastised the Hollywood star, telling him, “you can’t say that Mickey.”

But Rourke’s remarks don’t stop there. At one point he makes a veiled rape threat, telling Siwa, “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.” When his co-star responds, “I can guarantee I will still be gay,” Rourke replies, “I’ll tie you up.”

The response to Mickey Rourke’s comments n604z

After making several jokes about Siwa, Rourke was summoned to the Diary Room where he was asked if he was aware of how offensive what he was saying was. Rourke acknowledged that his words could have a negative impact “If I was saying it in a nasty kind of way or if I truly meant it.” He was seriously cautioned but has been allowed to stay in the Big Brother house.

Viewers, on the other hand, were less than pleased with the slap on the wrist delivered to Rourke. Many wrote complaints to Ofcom, the U.K. broadcasting regulator, to demand the actor be pulled from the show.

In stark contrast to last year, the internet has actually rallied to defend JoJo Siwa as most viewers were in agreement that Rourke’s comments crossed a line.

We ride at dawn for JoJo.

Others commended Chris Hughes for putting the American actor in his place.

Some individuals defended Rourke, claiming that he had not been infected with the dreaded “woke mind virus” that’s got so many celebrities. They must not know that the actor is one of the biggest Trump haters out there.

It seems that Rourke, who is the highest paid star on the show this season, will be remaining for now. Despite the public backlash a character like him will no doubt attract viewers due to his unpredictable personality. That sounds pessimistic, but that’s reality television for you. All we can hope is that he pulls back on his inappropriate remarks and fully apologizes to Siwa.