News

Ken Jeong is about to add another title to his already impressive résumé.

The veteran actor, comedian, writer and producer, who got his start as a licensed physician, has been selected to receive a King of Comedy award from the 15th annual Catalina Film Festival. The prize will be doled out during the fest’s milestone anniversary and awards ceremony at the Avalon Theatre inside Catalino Casino on Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California on Sept. 27.

Presented by the Catalina Film Institute, the King of Comedy trophy is given to a performer “who has mastered the craft of comedy and uses it to uplift, inspire, and bring joy, celebrating comedic excellence and the power of laughter to connect us all.” Past fest honorees and guests include Nicolas Cage, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Kevin Hart, Mira Sorvino, William H. Macy, Andy Garcia, Sharon Stone, Emmy Rossum, Richard Dreyfuss, Kate Bosworth and others.

Children’s entertainment company Spin Master Corp. announced today it has greenlit an animated, four-quadrant film directed by BAFTA and Annie Award nominee David Soren. This is the first original film by Spin Master’s entertainment studio, signifying a major milestone for the company behind some of the world’s most popular kids’ television series.

“The announcement of this original film showcases our ambition to expand our foothold in the family animated theatrical business,” said Jennifer Dodge, President of Spin Master Entertainment.

Dodge added, “As we broaden our content portfolio, we’re partnering with leaders in the industry to tell original, engaging stories, while also leveraging our established catalogue of IP. With David’s well-earned reputation in family entertainment, we believe this feature film will inspire and entertain audiences around the globe.”

The film is written by Ian Southwood, based on a story by veteran animation creator Chris Dicker. Spin Master’s Jennifer Dodge,...

These days, Alan Ritchson is known primarily for being the giant man at the head of Prime Video's "Reacher" series. His hulking physique has helped the show become a major success, not only because it matches the description of the character from Lee Child's original novels, but because fans were robbed of a book-accurate Jack Reacher in Tom Cruise's two movies from the 2010s. The show proved an instant hit and has since maintained its popularity, with season 3 of "Reacher" breaking a ratings record. With his successful streaming series, Ritchson not only gave the Jack Reacher saga a worthy on-screen adaptation but established himself as a major star who has since shown up in "Fast X," "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare," and will soon star alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in a Christmas movie with a wild premise.

It's been a long road to this point for the actor, who...

Kevin Hart is returning to Netflix yet again to headline a new team-up action film, titled The Leading Man, with John Cena. Having paired up with the towering and formidable Dwayne Johnson until now, Hart is now claiming the spotlight all for himself in the straightforward action flick.

The synopsis for The Leading Man, as revealed by What’s On Netflix, reads:

When a self-absorbed movie star (Cena) discovers that his co-star/man in the chair (Hart) is an actual agent, he’s forced to swallow his pride and accept that action stars aren’t really action heroes…while trying to save the world.

Hart and Johnson have delivered iconic action-comedy successes through the years, such as Central Intelligence, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and DC League of Super Pets. These movies were not box office blockbusters in themselves, but elevated by Hart and Johnson’s natural chemistry and comedic...

Nicknamed the “Roastmaster General”, Jeff Ross is the executive producer, writer and performer for Netflix’s celebrity roasts, which famously do not hold back in their attempts to elicit laughs from the audience. However, his new show is inspiring more than just laughs.

One of Ross’ biggest headlines came in a roast where he mocked former NFL quarterback Tom Brady additionally taking a jab at the Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft in the form of a massage joke, pointing to the 2019 charges against Kraft for soliciting prostitution in a massage parlor. Ross’s comment prompted Brady to cross the stage and tell Ross in a whisper picked up on Ross’s live mic, “Don’t say that s— again.”

Jeff Ross On Broadway

Although Ross and Brady hugged following the roast, Kevin Hart was quick to come to Brady’s defense, saying, “His career is literally dying. If we stop doing these roasts,...

Saturday Night Live, born October 11, 1975, died May 24, 1986.

That could have been the obituary for the late-night comedy institution, which nearly bit the dust after season 11, depriving America of all the SNL talents who came in later years like Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, Tina Fey, Kate McKinnon, Adam Sandler, Jimmy Fallon and so many more.

Saturday Night Live’s near demise is the focus of one of the four episodes of the Emmy-nominated series SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, executive produced by Oscar winner Morgan Neville. Kevin Nealon serves as a kind of Rod Serling-like host of the episode, explaining how the show’s “weird year” marked Lorne Michaels’ return to SNL after a five-year hiatus. Michaels came in with a whole new cast.

The ‘SNL’ season 11 cast: only Nora Dunn (far left) and Jon Lovitz (far right) would survive NBC

“You had Randy Quaid, Joan Cusack, Robert Downey Jr. You had Anthony Michael Hall,...

Veteran Hollywood studio executive David Spitz has landed his next gig: serving as head of U.S. theatrical distribution at Teddy Schwarzman’s Black Bear Pictures as the leading production and financing company realizes its dream of becoming a full-fledged indie studio.

Spitz — who did a long stint running distribution at Lionsgate — will oversee theatrical Black Bear’s new distribution infrastructure in the U.S., which builds on its established businesses in the U.K., Ireland and Canada, where subsidiary Elevation Pictures is the territory’s top independent distributor. Spitz will manage the theatrical release of up to 12 films per year, curating a slate that boasts both filmmaker-driven fare with action and genre titles. He’ll report to Benjamin Kramer, president of Black Bear’s U.S. theatrical distribution division, who made the announcement.

“David is one of the most respected and accomplished distribution executives in the theatrical business,” said Kramer.

Having recently announced that it was entering the theatrical distribution sphere, financier and producer Black Bear has tapped veteran executive David Spitz to serve as Head of US Theatrical Distribution.

The former Lionsgate distribution head will oversee theatrical for the new expansion of Black Bear’s distribution infrastructure, which builds on the leadership of its established theatrical businesses in the UK, Ireland and Canada. Spitz will oversee the theatrical release of up to 12 films per year, a blend of filmmaker-driven, action and genre titles. He will report to the U.S. theatrical distribution division’s President Benjamin Kramer, who made Thursday’s announcement.

“David is one of the most respected and accomplished distribution executives in the theatrical business,” said Kramer. “He has a fantastic track record of shepherding the work of outstanding filmmakers and delivering commercial hits to wide audiences. His deep relationships with exhibitors, and proven instincts for release strategies,...

David Spitz has been tapped to serve as Head of US Theatrical Distribution for independent studio Black Bear, the company announced on Thursday.

The former Lionsgate distribution head will oversee theatrical for the new expansion of Black Bear’s distribution infrastructure, which builds on the leadership of its established theatrical businesses in the UK, Ireland, and Canada.

Spitz will manage the theatrical release of up to 12 films per year, curating a slate that blends critically acclaimed, filmmaker-driven fare with broadly resonant action and genre titles. He will report to the US theatrical distribution division’s president Benjamin Kramer, who made today’s announcement.

“David is one of the most respected and accomplished distribution executives in the theatrical business,” Kramer said in a statement. “He has a fantastic track record of shepherding the work of outstanding filmmakers and delivering commercial hits to wide audiences. His deep relationships with exhibitors, and proven instincts for release strategies,...

Black Bear Pictures has hired former Lionsgate executive David Spitz as head of U.S. theatrical distribution.

In his new role, Spitz will manage the theatrical release of up to 12 movies per year for the indie studio, curating a slate of auteur-driven films and genre fare. He’ll report to Benjamin Kramer, the president of the company’s newly created U.S. theatrical distribution division.

“David is one of the most respected and accomplished distribution executives in the theatrical business,” said Kramer. “He has a fantastic track record of shepherding the work of outstanding filmmakers and delivering commercial hits to wide audiences. His deep relationships with exhibitors, and proven instincts for release strategies, make him an ideal addition to our growing team. We at Black Bear are deeply excited to work alongside him in delivering transportive theatrical experiences to audiences.”

Added Spitz, “I’m thrilled to join Black Bear at this exciting moment,...

Although The Bold and the Beautiful’s Thomas Forrester is currently in Paris with Paris Buckingham, he’s about to return to Los Angeles thanks to Matthew Atkinson’s recent announcement. Before Atkinson, Pierson Fodé played Thomas. The B&b alum has news — he’s taking part in his own Parisian project, and The Young and the Restless star Michael Damian is involved.

See Him Now

Netflix unveiled the trailer for The Wrong Paris, a romantic comedy starring Fodé and Miranda Cosgrove. In the romantic comedy, Dawn (Cosgrove) really wants to travel to France. The struggling artist has a goal in mind: She wants to find love in the City of Light, so she joins a dating show called The Honey Pot Heiress, set in Paris.

Read Next: Pierson Fode’s surprise new co-star will shock you.

However, it turns out the show is set in Paris, Texas, as part...

Kevin Hart is getting ready to executive-produce a new Netflix comedy competition series, and it may initially sound familiar to America’s Got Talent (AGT). As the Tudum headline suggests, the untitled comedy series is searching for America’s next big comedian, but the comparison doesn’t hold up. While both shows feature contestants competing for a grand prize, Hart’s project is a completely unique take on the genre.

It is focused on the unpredictable world of stand-up comedy. Set to premiere in 2026, the series will dive deep into the real-life journey of aspiring comedians. The show will highlight the highs and lows of their careers in a way that AGT never has.

Unlike AGT, which features a wide variety of talent, Hart’s show will center on the world of stand-up comedy. The show will follow contestants as they face the brutal realities of the comedy world, from “open mics,...

Bill Cosby is going to be disappointed when he finds out that Saudi Arabia frowns upon both ingredients in his signature cocktail.

America’s most popular and respected comedians are scheduled to perform at a festival that the Saudi Royal Family has organized with the express purpose of advancing their Saudi Vision 2030 campaign to change the country’s global image and turn it into an international entertainment hub. The Riyadh Comedy Festival, which will start in September and run into October, will feature such A-list talent as Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, Tom Segura, Andrew Santino, Bobby Lee, Andrew Schulz and many, many more internationally successful entertainers who will no doubt cash massive checks in exchange for laundering the reputation of the journalist-murdering, terrorist-funding, human-rights-hating Saudi Royal Family.

As loyal servants to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, who is perhaps best known to American comedy fans for being...

Poster for Kevin Hart: A Stand Up Competition’ (Photo Credit: Netflix)

Kevin Hart hopes to discover the next big thing in stand-up comedy with his new Netflix competition series. Casting is now open at standupcompetitioncasting.com, with the streamer targeting a 2026 premiere of the eight-episode series.

Hart will executive produce and guide the chosen comedians as their stand-up comedy skills are put to the test. Additional executive producers include Jane Lipsitz, Dan Cutforth, Nan Strait, Dan Volpe, Luke Kelly-Clyne, and Meghan Hoffman. The series is produced by Hartbeat and Alfred Street Industries.

“Guided by Kevin Hart and a crew of comedy titans (Tba at a later date), this unfiltered, uncensored and unapologetic competition will pull back the curtain on the gritty, hilarious, and often unpredictable path of a stand-up career,” reads Netflix’s description. “Contestants from all across the nation will face rigorous tests that mirror the real-life journey of...

Kevin Hart is teaming up with Netflix to find America’s next big stand-up comedian in a brand-new series coming in 2026. Hart will executive produce the show alongside other comedy experts, who will be announced later. Together, they will lead contestants through a raw and real competition that shows what it’s really like to build a career in stand-up comedy.

The show will have eight episodes, where hopeful comedians from across the country will face challenges that reflect the real struggles of a stand-up comic. From tough open mic nights and bombing on stage to rewriting jokes and handling the pressure of big performances, the series promises an honest look at the ups and downs of comedy. The challenges are inspired by true experiences from some of the best comics.

Kevin Hart is joined by executive producers Jane Lipsitz, Dan Cutforth, Nan Strait, and Dan Volpe from Alfred Street Industries,...

In 2026, Netflix will debut a brand-new comedy competition series executive produced by global superstar Kevin Hart along with other top comedy producers, whose names will be revealed later. The show will take viewers behind the scenes of what it really takes to make it as a stand-up comedian, showing the highs and lows of the comedy world in an honest and raw way.

The series will have eight episodes, following aspiring comedians from across the US as they face challenges that reflect the true struggles and successes of stand-up life. Contestants will go through tough open mic nights, dealing with bombing on stage, rewriting material, and performing in front of large audiences.

This competition aims to give fans a real look at the tough journey comedians go through, inspired by the real-life experiences of the producers and comedians involved.

Kevin Hart will work with executive producers Jane Lipsitz, Dan Cutforth,...

Devon Walker now understands why everyone says to never meet your heroes, because you might just end up telling them to keep you’re wife’s name out their fucking mouth, too.

Going into the current Saturday Night Live offseason, Walker topped Cracked’s list of candidates to leave the show’s illustrious cast, either by choice or by pink slip. Walker’s promotion to repertory cast in SNL Season 50 confusingly led to less screentime for the affable, 34-year-old, Austin, Texas-born stand-up comedian, and as Walker joins the inaugural lineup of Kevin Hart’s Lol Live stand-up series on Hulu, he may not have any desire to continue working the notoriously taxing SNL production schedule while he continues to grow his stand-up career.

Plus, after Walker’s first 30-minute Lol Live special debuts on streaming this Friday and Lorne Michaels sees how Walker chose to roast one of SNL’s most illustrious alumni,...

Netflix made its streaming bones in part on the back of stand-up comedy specials. Now the company is looking for a new wave of comedians.

The streamer and Kevin Hart are teaming up for a competition series that will aim to find the next big names in stand-up. The show will feature Hart and a to-be-announced group of fellow comics guiding and judging contestants on, as Netflix describes it, the “rigorous tests that mirror the real-life journey of a comedian — from brutal open mics to bombed sets, rewrites and the pressure of big-stage performances. The competition will give viewers an unvarnished look behind the curtain of comedy’s darkest corners and brightest spotlights with the challenges inspired by comics’ actual career trajectories.”

If that sounds a little (or a lot) like the NBC show Last Comic Standing, well, there are probably only so many ways to structure a competition for stand-up comedians.

Exclusive: Kevin Hart is teaming with Netflix for a new competition series to crown the next big name in stand-up.

Guided by Hart and a crew of comedy titans, to be announced at a later date, the currently untitled eight-episode series is billed as an unfiltered, uncensored and unapologetic competition that will pull back the curtain on the gritty, hilarious and often unpredictable path of a stand-up career.

Contestants from all across the nation will face rigorous tests that mirror the real-life journey of a comedian — from brutal open mics to bombed sets, rewrites and the pressure of big-stage performances. The competition will give viewers an unvarnished look behind the curtain of comedy’s darkest corners and brightest spotlights with the challenges inspired by comics’ actual career trajectories.

Hartbeat and Alfred Street Industries will produce the show, which is set to debut in 2026. Hart will exec produce alongside Jane Lipsitz,...

Whether you’re the type who loves watching stand-up and laughing until your sides hurt, or you’ve got the nerve to step onstage and tell jokes in front of a live audience, this one’s for you: Netflix just announced a new series that actually is a laughing matter.

In 2026, global superstar Kevin Hart will executive produce a new comedy series alongside comic heavyweights (to be announced at a later date). Together, they’ll guide contestants through an unfiltered, uncensored, and unapologetic competition that pulls back the curtain on the gritty, hilarious, and often unpredictable path of a stand-up career.

Over the course of the eight-episode series, contestants from all over the US will face rigorous tests that mirror the real-life journey of a comedian, from brutal open mics to bombed sets and rewrites to the pressure of big-stage performances. The competition will give viewers an unvarnished look at...

John Cena is set to star in Netflix’s next big action-comedy alongside Kevin Hart, becoming the second WWE star to share the screen with the comedian, after Dwayne Johnson. The Leading Man is an adaptation of the Jeremy Haun and B. Clay Moore comic series, where Cena will be a self-absorbed movie star who discovers that his co-star, played by Hart, is a real-life agent (via Deadline).

At this moment, Cena is riding the DC high! He’s delivered a crowd-pleasing cameo in Superman, and James Gunn’s reboot feature is having an excellent box office run, having made $578.8 million worldwide (via The Numbers). Plus, he’s also ready to return as the brash antihero in Peacemaker season 2.

Peacemaker’s John Cena Is Set to Shake Up the Action Scene in The Leading Man John Cena in Peacemaker | Credits: Warner Bros. Television

Before joining Kevin Hart on The Leading Man,...

In the summer of 2020, several unrelenting months into the Covid pandemic, comedian Dave Chappelle decided he had to do something to bring his community back to life. Like the rest of the world, Chappelle was sequestered at home with his family, so he decided to use his resources to make a change. After renting out a cornfield down the street from his home in Yellow Springs, Ohio, Chappelle began hosting socially distanced concerts with his friends, musicians and fellow comedians. He filmed the entire process for the independent documentary, “Dave Chappelle: Live In Real Life.”

The film, directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2021, under its original title, “Dave Chappelle: This Time, This Place.” However, it failed to gain distribution after the backlash to his 2021 stand-up special, “The Closer,” in which he told a series of transphobic jokes. Now, four years later, the...

Comedy fans, including David Letterman, got a rare look at the unreleased documentary Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life at the 23rd annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival on Aug. 8. The screening of the film, which chronicled the comic’s beloved cornfield comedy shows during the pandemic, was followed by an even rarer audience talkback. Initially titled Dave Chappelle: This Time This Place, the doc originally premiered at a packed Radio City Music Hall in 2021 during the first live Tribeca Festival since the Covid-19 lockdown. Fallout over trans jokes from his controversial Netflix special The Closer reportedly derailed distribution. In response, Chappelle did a special tour featuring both the doc and a comedy show. The documentary remains unavailable to the general public.

Chapelle’s appearance was part of his philanthropic effort to raise money for his D.C. high school, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, the latest...

Kevin Hart and John Cena are to star in The Leading Man.The Jumanji actor and the Blockers star will also serve as producers on the Netflix action comedy, which is based on a comic book series from Jeremy Haun and B. Clay Moore.The logline for the movie explains the plot as: "When a self-absorbed movie star (Cena) discovers that his co-star/man in the chair (Hart) is an actual agent, he’s forced to swallow his pride and accept that action stars aren’t really action heroes…while trying to save the world."The script has been written by Jon and Erich Hoeber, and the project is currently in early development.Kevin's production company Hartbeat has a multi-film deal with Netflic and he will produce alongside his colleagues Luke Kelly-Clyne and Bryan Smiley, as will Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum for Rk Films, Eric Gitter and Peter Schwerin for Ignition Productions,...

With every passing day, we are moving one step closer to John Cena‘s retirement from the WWE, which is coming over two decades after he first signed with the company. The retirement means Cena can give his full attention to Hollywood, and it looks like he is already making all the right choices, especially considering his next move.

According to a report by Deadline, Cena and Kevin Hart are all set to star in an action comedy titled ‘The Leading Man’. Writers Jon and Erich Hoeber have pitched the idea to Netflix, which has supposedly impressed the streaming giant.

There is no denying that Cena and comedy go together like peanut butter and jelly. Add Hart to the mix and you’ve got yourself the perfect formula for a big hit. Just ask Dwayne Johnson. Whether it’s ‘Central Intelligence’ or the ‘Jumanji’ films, a collaboration with Hart can be gold if done right.

William H. Macy, the revered Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning character actor, will sit down with yours truly on Sept. 9 in Toronto to record a special episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast in front of an audience at THR’s Access Canada Summit, a three-day event that spotlights Canada’s vibrant content industry.

The recording will take place at Toronto’s Omni King Edward Hotel at 10:30 a.m. local time. Tickets are available for purchase on the summit’s website.

Macy, 75, is best known for his work in films like 1996’s Fargo, 1997’s Boogie Nights and 2015’s Room, as well as TV series such as ER and Shameless. He will be at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival with Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams, which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last January en route to being acquired by Netflix, and for which he...

Kevin Hart and John Cena are joining forces in, you guessed it, an action comedy from streaming giant Netflix. Not only are the movie stars destined to become a fierce combination, they will do so adapting a killer mid-2000s comic book series. In true Hart fashion, the upcoming adaptation is set in the world of Hollywood movie stars, but with a spy twist.

Deadline reports that Hart and Cena are set to star in and produce The Leading Man, a feature-length adaptation of B. Clay Moore and Jeremy Haun's comic book series of the same name. The project is in early development, but writers Jon and Erich Hoeber have officially sold their pitch to Netflix, which has a multi-picture deal with Hart. The upcoming film will follow a major movie actor who finds out his co-star is a real-life special agent. Read the film's splashy logline:

When a...

Kevin Hart has a new acting partner: John Cena. Both actors have experience in the action genre, and have just scored their second project together at Netflix.

The duo is set to star in the upcoming adaptation of the graphic novel series The Leading Man, Deadline reports. The comic book series comes from Jeremy Haun and B. Clay Moore, and was published in 2006. Netflix's upcoming adaptation comes after The Leading Man spent several years in development hell at Universal Pictures.

The upcoming action comedy The Leading Man has writers Jon and Erich Hoeber penning the script, who just sold the pitch to Netflix. This will be their follow-up project with the streamer after the sale of their original script Fast and Loose. The action comedy is set to star Will Smith, and is looking for a new director after Michael Bay exited the project recently.

The Leading Man is in early development,...

Exclusive: Writers Jon and Erich Hoeber have sold Netflix on the pitch for The Leading Man, an action comedy based on the comic book series from Jeremy Haun and B. Clay Moore, to star and be produced by Kevin Hart and John Cena.

The project brings the Hoebers back to Netflix following the sale of their original script Fast & Loose, an actioner to star Will Smith, which is currently in pre-production and looking for a new director.

In early development, pic’s logline is as follows: When a self-absorbed movie star (Cena) discovers that his co-star/man in the chair (Hart) is an actual agent, he’s forced to swallow his pride and accept that action stars aren’t really action heroes…while trying to save the world.

Hart will produce alongside Luke Kelly-Clyne and Bryan Smiley for Hartbeat, under the company’s multi-film deal with Netflix, along with...

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The Pickup is a heist action comedy film directed by Tim Story from a screenplay co-written by Matt Mider and Kevin Burrows. The 2025 film follows two armored truck drivers with totally different personalities who get ambushed by ruthless criminals and forced to rob a casino. The Pickup stars Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, Keke Palmer, Eva Longoria, Andrew Dice Clay, and Marshawn Lynch. So, if you loved the wild comedy, thrilling heist, and entertaining characters in The Pickup, here are some similar movies you should check out next.

‎30 Minutes or Less (Xumo Play & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Columbia Pictures

‎30 Minutes or Less is an action comedy film directed by Ruben Fleischer from a screenplay by Michael Diliberti. The 2011 film follows Nick Davis, a hapless pizza boy who is strapped with a bomb and told to rob a bank by two idiotic ne’er-do-wells.

In just two days, comedy icons Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson are about to join forces for a heist they never asked for in The Pickup. The new action comedy casts the pair of Saturday Night Live alumni as mismatched armored truck drivers who, during what should have been a routine, if lengthy, job, are ambushed and forced into a high-risk scheme orchestrated by the criminal mastermind Zoe, played by Nope star Keke Palmer. Before their very bad day spins out of control on streaming, though, Collider is partnering with Prime Video to share an exclusive sneak peek introducing the three main characters and their clashing personalities. It serves as a behind-the-scenes preview of how the chaotic film from director Tim Story came together.

After a brief scene showcasing the odd-couple at the center of The Pickup, Murphy teases his character, Russell, the no-nonsense married man who's about to have...

You wouldn’t want to be caught in an emergency situation with Travis (Pete Davidson), one of the main characters in Prime Video’s bumpy heist comedy The Pickup. The dopey armor truck guard is the kind of guy that panics under pressure. At the start of the Tim Story-directed feature, Travis pulls a gun on a customer at the bank, thinking the woman is trying to rob him. But Zoe (Keke Palmer), relaxed and charming, just wants to give him her number.

Russ (Eddie Murphy) intuits this about Travis, so when the two are paired up for a work shift, the veteran armor truck driver is more than annoyed. It’s his anniversary, and he just wants to finish in time so he can meet his wife (Eva Longoria) for dinner, but their bad-tempered manager (Andrew Dice Clay) has given the unlikely duo a particularly tricky route. But...

Long before she became WWE’s Eradicator and tied the knot with Buddy Matthews, Rhea Ripley was your average fangirl with cardboard cutouts of her crushes. And while she didn’t have Zac Efron from ‘High School Musical’ in her room, she sure did have professional wrestler, Michael “The Miz” Mizanin.

Not only was she a superfan of the WWE Champion, but she also had a life-size cardboard cutout of the man. The cutout showed Mizanin, wearing nothing but a pair of underwear with his signature phrase, “I’m Awesome” printed on it.

It looks like his head was also adorned with a headband that read, “B’day Boy”. In a picture that either many of you forgot or never saw, a young Rhea Ripley stood beside the cutout, posing, as party streamers were scattered across the room.

Check it out:

Rhea had a crush on Miz

byu/khaliliiiov_1997 inWrasslin...

Exclusive: Ronnie Rowe Jr. has been cast as a series regular in the new USA Network series Anna Pigeon, working opposite the previously announced lead, Tracy Spiridakos. Production is currently underway in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Anna Pigeon (Spiridakos) is a former city slicker who became a park ranger after a devastating loss changed the trajectory of her life forever. While Anna tries to outrun her demons, her focus turns to solving crimes that have taken place within national park grounds, no matter who or what gets in her way. The series is based on the novels by Nevada Barr.

Rowe Jr. will play Frederick Stanton, an FBI agent and charismatic wanderer who chases crimes through national parks and keeps his cool, except when it comes to ranger Anna Pigeon.

This is the second new scripted series from USA Network, following The Rainmaker, starring John Slattery, premiering...

The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (Cape) has named its Showrunners Incubator class of 2025.

The #TakeTheLead diversity initiative is back for a second year. “Nancy Drew” and “Tom Swift” executive producer and showrunner Melinda Hsu is acting as chair of the program. The incubator provides writers who are on the brink of showrunning with exclusive mentorship and real-world training and education.

“According to the WGA’s latest job statistics, there were over 1,300 TV writing jobs lost last season—nearly half of them at the co-executive producer to showrunner level,” said Rhian Moore, Cape’s head of programs. “This sharp decline means even fewer opportunities for writers to gain the leadership experience they need, both in the writers’ room and on set. With alumni from our inaugural year already finding success as they step into showrunning roles, Cape is excited to continue our work training the next generation of creative leaders.

Exclusive: Sunset Lane Media has taken rights to the nonfiction book The Missing Peace from Dennis Ross, who served as the Director of Policy Planning in the State Department under U.S. President George H. W. Bush and was the chief U.S. negotiator under President Bill Clinton.

The Missing Peace chronicles the behind-the-scenes negotiations of the 2000 Camp David Summit between President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.

The project will be produced by David Beaubaire for Sunset Lane Media and Steve Silverman. The book was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

The feature project will capture the intense 15-day negotiations at Camp David 25 years ago this month – when, despite decades of conflict and mistrust, the parties came closer than ever before to a comprehensive peace agreement. The adaptation centers on the three leaders but also highlights the ensemble of advisors, intermediaries, and...

With Just For Laughs Montreal now behind us, Jfl has announced the first round of headliners for its Toronto Festival, taking place from September 18-27.

Notable comics set to appear include Gabriel Iglesias, Maria Bamford, Al Madrigal, Big Jay Oakerson, Ron Funches, Todd Barry, Ian Fidance, Gina Yashere, and Hari Kondabolu, among others.

“We’re proud to bring a great Just For Laughs lineup to Toronto this year,” said Jfl’s President & CEO, Sylvain Parent-Bédard. “It’s a great opportunity to share our comedy spirit with audiences in the city, and we can’t wait for Toronto audiences to laugh with us once again.”

Commented Jfl’s Head of Programming and Talent, Nick Brazao, “We’re beyond excited to announce an incredible lineup of comedy programming for this year’s Just For Laughs Toronto Festival — get ready for unforgettable performances, big laughs, and the best in stand-up and more from around the world.

Sony, which was one of the suitors for Paramount, is now feeling the domino effect of that studio’s merger with Skydance with a slew of executive title bumps, as the Culver City lot on Monday made it official that Josh Greenstein is departing as Sony Pictures’ Motion Group President.

This leaves Sanford Panitch as the sole President of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group. Greenstein and Panitch had the same title.

Greenstein is currently in talks to join Paramount-Skydance in an undefined senior executive role.

As we told you first, Columbia Pictures EVP Peter Kang now moves up to President of Production overseeing the label’s production and day-to-day development ops, reporting to Panitch. Andrea Giannetti, a 35-year veteran, is being promoted to EVP Production and Senior Creative, Columbia Pictures. She’ll also report in to Panitch.

Nicholas Weiss and Dave Fruchbom have been raised to Co-Heads of Global Creative and Strategy,...

For our next screening event, Collider is partnering with Netflix for a very special opportunity to see Season 4 of the streamer’s Emmy-winning hit series Love, Death + Robotson the big screen. From creator, director, and executive producer Tim Miller (Deadpool), this critically acclaimed show highlights the breathtaking work of ambitious animators and consistently brings audiences fresh, original stories in bite-size anthology form. Now, in celebration of Season 4’s Emmy nominations for both Outstanding Animated Program and Outstanding Sound Editing for an Animated Program, we’re thrilled to invite our readers to experience six of the 10 shorts in Netflix’s Tudum Theater, where attendees will receive free popcorn and drinks. Following the screening, we’ll invite Miller and Series Supervising Director and “Spider Rose” director Jennifer Yuh Nelson on stage for an exclusive Q&a conversation. Afterwards, both creators will be available to sign posters, so don't leave before stopping by!

At the San Diego Comic-Con, creator and star Quinta Brunson teases a groundbreaking format for Abbott Elementary season 5. It was recently announced that Abbott Elementary season 5will premiere on ABC on Wednesday, October 1. It will pick up after a relatively quieter conclusion to the fourth installment, which bid farewell to some of the older students.

But as the Emmy-winning comedy moves into veteran status, it has gradually tweaked its format of a documentary crew silently following the events that unfold at the titular Willard R. Abbott Elementary School. That is confirmed to continue in an upcoming episode, which Brunson recently revealed.

At this year's Comic-Con, with ScreenRant in attendance, Brunson mentions that Abbott Elementary season 5 will feature an episode at a live sporting event. Brunson, who plays Janine Teagues, did not go into specifics. But she mentioned that the episode would make sports fans happy. Check out the tweet below...

As Byron Allen’s “Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen” is set to tape more than 130 episodes ahead of its late night debut on CBS.

As TheWrap previously reported, “Comics Unleashed” will be taking over the 12:30 a.m. time slot from “After Midnight.” Allen plans on filming 132 episodes of the comedy talk show, which is produced under Allen’s Entertainment Studios banner.

The series, which is heading into its 20th season, will officially air at 12:37 a.m. Et on Sept. 22 with back-to-back half-hour episodes. Episodes of the comedy talk show will then air Monday through Friday, with the series also available to stream live on Paramount+ for subscribers that have Paramount+ with Showtime.

Allen has had experience with this time slot before. Prior to “After Midnight,” CBS aired “Comics Unleashed” during the time slot as part of a limited run the network dubbed as successful.

“‘Comics Unleashed’ is a true passion for me,...

Exclusive: Sony Pictures Entertainment has hired two senior executives to round out the team reporting to Jay Levine, Chief Strategy Officer & Business Operations.

Eric Marcotte, a longtime Disney and Fox exec, is joining as EVP Corporate Strategy and DJ Jacobs, who has held posts at Hartbeat, Riot Games and MRC, is coming aboard as EVP Business Operations. They will work alongside Maria Anguelova, EVP, Global Head of Corporate Development.

Levine shared the news with employees Wednesday in a memo obtained by Deadline. “I believe this leadership team will enable us to dynamically support growth within our business units, while accelerating Spe’s priorities,” he wrote.

Marcotte most recently led the strategy team at Disney’s General Entertainment Television Division. In his new role at Sony, Levine said, he will “be responsible for driving corporate-wide day-to-day strategic planning and identifying untapped market opportunities.” He will guide franchise management at the corporate level,...

Exclusive: Michael Mando (Better Call Saul) has signed with Underground for representation in all areas.

The Canadian-born actor is known for starring as Abq cartel member Nacho Varga on the international hit Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul, which garnered 53 Emmy nominations over the course of its six seasons. He is also known for co-creating and performing the character of Vaas Montenegro in the Far Cry video game, a role he later reprised opposite Christopher Mintz-Plasse in miniseries The Far Cry Experience.

Currently, Mando is wrapping up 72 Hours, a new comedy for Netflix headlined by Kevin Hart. He will next be seen as one of the leads in King Ivory, an action thriller which opened at the Venice Film Festival, as well as in Amazon’s series Criminal, where he stars alongside Charlie Hunnam, Richard Jenkins, Adria Arjona and Emilia Clarke.

Mando first broke into television overseas with acclaimed...

The Cosby Showactor and Grammy-winning musician Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who portrayed Theodore Huxtable, Cliff and Clair's only son, died on Sunday, July 20, at age 54. Warner received one Emmy nomination for his role as the middle Huxtable child, and in addition to his acting, he earned a Grammy Award in 2015 for the song "Jesus Children."

According to ABC News, police confirmed Warner's death via accidental drowning in Costa Rica. The cause of death was reportedly asphyxiation after being caught by a high current in the ocean. Warner leaves behind a lasting legacy in both television and music, with his involvement in all eight seasons of The Cosby Show being among his most noteworthy accomplishments.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner Left A Lasting Television Legacy He Appeared In Other TV Shows & Was Proud Of His Work On The Cosby Show

Warner was consistently praised for his performance as Theo Huxtable in The Cosby Show, particularly...

Earlier this summer, comedian Joe List opted to try something new, going straight to theaters nationwide for one night only with a new special, Small Ball.

Implementing a distribution strategy utilized by a select set of heavy-hitters — including Richard Pryor, Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, and Eddie Murphy — List jokes that he’s “the least successful comedian to have a comedy special in a movie theater.” It was never a personal ambition, he says, to have a presence in theaters in this sense, even if he’s a pretty avid cinephile. But given that the multi-hyphenate artist was already making his way to theaters this summer with Tom Dustin: Portrait of a Comedian, a documentary on a fellow comic and longtime friend, he felt like the experiment was worth a shot.

“I came into this, putting things in movie theaters, at the perfectly incorrect time,” List deadpans in today’s episode...

Is Stephen Colbert's just-announced cancellation the proverbial canary in the coal mine for late-night television? That question is top of mind after CBS announced its shocking decision to bring The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — and the entire Late Show franchise — to an end in May 2026. The host broke the news during Thursday night's episode, remarking: "I'm not being replaced. This is all just going away."

In a joint statement, CBS execs George Cheeks, Amy Reisenbach and David Stapf said the decision to get out of late-night television was a financial one. "It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount," they emphasized. But that sentiment didn't sway others from connecting Late Show's cancellation to CBS parent Paramount's controversial decision to settle a defamation suit brought by President Donald Trump ahead of the studio's long-planned merger with Skydance Media.

Exclusive: Stand-up comic Samuel J. Comroe is set to debut his first full-length special, Don’t Blink, on YouTube today, Deadline has learned.

Don’t Blink is described as a mix of sharp material and crowd work that sees Comroe handling hecklers, with someone going so far as to charge the stage in the middle of the taping. From living with Tourette Syndrome to life as a father, nothing is off limits. You’ll be able to stream the special at this link today at 12 p.m.

A Los Angeles native who performs at over 100 clubs and colleges annually, Comroe’s comedy addresses the trials and tribulations of living with Tourette Syndrome since being diagnosed at age six, alongside other observational material based on his life experiences. The comic made his TV debut on TBS’ Conan and has also appeared on BET’s Real Husbands of Hollywood with Kevin Hart. In addition to his TV appearances,...

Netflix’s gripping new crime series is now streaming globally, and after drawing tonal comparisons to past shows like Yellowstone and True Detective, everyone is curious if the quality stacks up. Eric Bana and Sam Neill star in Untamed, the new Netflix show following a National Parks Service agent who investigates a shocking death at Yosemite National Park. Reviews for Untamed are finally in, and the show has earned a strong 83% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and an 89% on the audience-driven Popcornmeter. These scores will lead to “certified fresh” and “verified hot” labels if they can hold strong with enough reviews. These are also much better scores than Netflix’s latest outing, The Waterfront, which earned 63% and 67% scores from critics and audiences, respectively, on Rotten Tomatoes. It sounds like Untamed is well worth watching.

In addition to Sam Neill and Eric Bana, who star in the roles of Peter Souter and Kyle Turner in Untamed,...

Pete Davidson didn’t make the baby announcement himself, but his longtime friend Machine Gun Kelly made sure to chime in with a reaction that’s already turning heads on social media after the comedian’s girlfriend, Elsie Hewitt, went public with her pregnancy.

Davidson’s partner, Elsie Hewitt, confirmed they’re expecting their first baby together via an Instagram post. Alongside an ultrasound clip and a photo series of the couple, she wrote, “Welp now everyone knows we had sex.”

Mgk, real name Colson Baker, had a playful response in the comments: “These playdates bout to hittttt (sic).”

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Davidson and Hewitt, 31 and 29 respectively, have been dating since March and reportedly began living together two months after going public with their romance.

Davidson has openly spoken about becoming a parent in past interviews.

During a 2022 appearance on Kevin Hart...

Paramount+ has officially crowned Samuel L. Jackson king.

The streamer on Thursday gave a series order to Nola King, a Jackson-led spinoff of the streamer’s Sylvester Stallone-led series Tulsa King, TVLine has learned. Jackson will play Russell Lee Washington Jr., who hails from the crime underworld just like Stallone’s Tulsa King character Dwight “The General” Manfredi.

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